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Dawid Malan adds fifty to help hosts reach 286 for 4 in response to Sussex’s first-innings 216

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2023Adam Lyth’s excellent 115 – his second LV= Insurance County Championship century of the season – underpinned a dominant Yorkshire batting display as they seized control after two days against Sussex at Headingley.Lyth led the county’s 286 for 4 in response to Sussex’s inadequate first-innings 216 after the visitors elected to bat on a pitch they believed would get worse but has got much better.Lyth’s 31st career first-class century included 18 fours in 175 balls and was ably supported as opening partner Fin Bean made 45, South African overseas batter Ryan Rickelton 46 and England white-ball star Dawid Malan 51.Play started with Sussex advancing their first innings from 120 for 6 overnight after they struggled in bowler-friendly conditions during a shortened first day.All-rounder Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Australian overseas seamer Nathan McAndrew gave their total respectability by completing a 94-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Impressive Hudson-Prentice top-scored with 73 and McAndrew added 47.It was a sign of things to come that they batted comfortably late on day one and early on day two in advancing from 76 for 6.Matthew Fisher finished with 4 for 69 for Yorkshire, all four of his wickets coming on the opening day.Left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty claimed two of the four morning wickets including Hudson-Prentice brilliantly caught by substitute fielder Matthew Revis running back towards the long-on fence. He was on for Lyth at the time.Yorkshire clearly haven’t had things easy in Championship cricket for the last season-and-a-half.And while Lyth, dropped on 38 at second slip by James Coles, played the lead role, it is his 21-year-old opening partner Bean’s form this season which is even more pleasing as they build for the future.Even though he missed out on the big eye-catching score in this innings, Bean still went beyond 600 Championship runs for the season – a milestone Lyth later reached as well.Bean put his name in lights last summer with a remarkable 441 in a second-team Championship match at Nottinghamshire when not on contract at Headingley.It earned him an almost immediate rookie deal with the county, and only last week that was turned into a maiden two-year full professional deal following three Championship centuries in 2023.Stalwart Lyth has not had a solid opening partnership since fellow Championship-winner Alex Lees left for Durham in late 2018. Now, this Lyth and Bean alliance looks to be set in stone for a good while to come.Lyth, as ever, drove handsomely as Yorkshire confidently made inroads into Sussex’s total.At one stage, he and Bean hit five fours in seven balls off the seam of Hudson-Prentice and Henry Crocombe in the 15th and 16th overs, moving the score to 75 without loss. In fact, 76 out of Yorkshire’s first 89 runs came in boundaries.Lyth drove with more of a flourish and Bean was more compact and mechanical. The latter is not too dissimilar to the way Sir Alastair Cook bats.Lyth reached his fifty off 77 balls shortly after Bean had departed, caught at slip trying to play forcefully off the back foot against McAndrew – 94 for one in the 22nd over.But Lyth found another partner in Rickelton, who is playing his second of four Championship matches as a short-term replacement for captain Shan Masood, away on Test duty with Pakistan.Rickelton was quick on his feet in lofting Coles’ left-arm spin for six over long-off before he edged the seam of Ari Karvelas to second slip as he jammed down on a full ball.Lyth later reached his century off 157 balls but was the first of two wickets in as many overs from off-spinner Jack Carson, who helped Sussex end the day well. Lyth chipped to midwicket and George Hill edged to slip without scoring, leaving Yorkshire at 258 for four in the 63rd over.While Sussex limited the damage late on, Malan reached his fifty off 82 balls.

The 19-year-old is joined by Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft but there is no place for Matt Renshaw

Tristan Lavalette14-Oct-2024Teenaged opener Sam Konstas will audition for a Test spot in national team colours after being named in the Australia A squad for the upcoming red-ball series against India A.His spectacular rise has continued after being included in a 17-man squad for the two four-day games in Mackay and the MCG.Konstas, 19, lit up Australian domestic cricket by scoring twin centuries against South Australia in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield. He became the first teenager to achieve that feat in the Shield since an 18-year-old Ricky Ponting in 1993.Related

• Steven Smith's Test opening stint over with middle-order return for India

• Mature McSweeney making his mark in South Australia

• NSW teen prodigy Konstas shines with Ponting-like feat

• Carey and McSweeney hundreds deny New South Wales after Lyon's inroads

With allrounder Cameron Green ruled out of the summer due to a back injury, and Steven Smith likely to move back to No. 4, Konstas has emerged as a contender for next month’s first Test against India in Perth.”He’s in the mix as are plenty of others. I certainly don’t want to single him out,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “Think the consistency of Cam Bancroft over a number of years, the consistency of Marcus Harris over a number of years, they’ve both had a look at Test cricket as well, so don’t think there’s a need at this stage to put any undue pressure or expectation on Sam.”He’s five games into his first-class career, he’s had a good start and certainly looks like he has a well-organised game that we are really exited [about] and looking forward to seeing at the A level and we’ll continue to watch as that progresses.”Harris and Bancroft are both in the squad but Matt Renshaw, who was the spare batter in the series against West Indies and New Zealand earlier this year, has not been included.Harris started the season strongly after scoring a century and a half-century against Tasmania albeit on a benign Junction Oval surface. Bancroft, who made a pair, and Renshaw both had double failures in the match between Western Australia and Queensland at the WACA.”We still really like Matt’s ability to play,” Bailey said. “As far as Australia A selection goes, part of the process around that is trying to identify opportunities that may come around in the short term but also making sure we do keep an eye on developing opportunities for those players who may become important in different roles in the future as well.”Whilst there’s an Australia A squad there, I think Matt Renshaw, Pete Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, as three examples, are guys who we’ll continue to watch really closely in Shield cricket.”South Australia skipper Nathan McSweeney will captain Australia A in a role he has fulfilled several times previously. Allrounder Beau Webster, the reigning Shield player of the season, has also been named and could be in the mix for Test selection if Australia’s hierarchy decide to go with a like-for-like replacement for Green.Fringe Test quicks Scott Boland and Michael Neser, who claimed a five-wicket haul against WA, have been selected while Victoria quick Fergus O’Neill has been rewarded for his Shield success.Offspinners Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli are also in the squad and will be firmly in the mix for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.Cooper Connolly, who made his ODI debut in England, is the only player named in both the ODI and the Australia A squads.Josh Philippe, who left WA for NSW in the offseason, and Jimmy Peirson are the wicketkeepers.The first four-day game in Mackay ends on November 3 ahead of the first ODI on November 4 while the second four-day game at the MCG runs from November 7-10 with the second and third ODIs being played on November 8 and 10.The depth of Shield teams will be firmly tested with those series clashing with the third round of the Shield starting on November 1.”We are really excited by this squad, particularly after some of the tremendous performances to start the Sheffield Shield season,” Australia national selector George Bailey said.”As always with Australia A selection we have picked a side we hope can present performances which are compelling for the upcoming Test summer, whilst also rewarding players for strong domestic form in roles we see as being important further afield.”It will be a great opportunity for these players to shine against a strong Test nation looking to prepare for what is going to be a captivating summer of Test cricket.”

Australia A squad vs India A

Nathan McSweeney (captain), Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Jordan Buckingham, Cooper Connolly, Ollie Davies, Marcus Harris, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Michael Neser, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Mark Steketee, Beau Webster

Farbrace recruits veteran seamer and reliable allrounder for 2024 season

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2023Chris Wright, Leicestershire’s veteran seamer, will join Sussex from the start of the 2024 season on a two-year contract, with Lancashire allrounder Danny Lamb also making the move to the south coast.Wright, who turns 38 next month, has claimed 567 wickets at 32.30 in a 196-match first-class career that has spanned 20 seasons. His best innings figures of 7 for 53 came against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 2021.He will be available for all formats for Sussex, having picked up 174 domestic white-ball wickets in his career. This season, he has found a strong vein of form with the bat as well, averaging 56.8 in 10 innings in the County Championship. This includes twin scores of 66 not out and 40 not out in a memorable win against Yorkshire at Headingley.”I am delighted to be joining Sussex for the 2024 season and beyond,” Wright said. “I have long admired the club and am looking forward to contributing to its future success.”Speaking to Paul Farbrace [head coach] and having played against the team a number of times I am excited to be joining such a talented and ambitious group. Hopefully, I will take lots of wickets and provide some valuable experience to the team.”Farbrace added: “I’m delighted that Chris has committed the next two seasons to joining our project at Hove. He is a vastly experienced cricketer who will bring skill, experience, and a huge passion for the game.”Chris is someone I have admired for a long time, and his quality with the ball will be fantastic for our developing team and will help us to win matches.”Sussex will be the fifth county of Wright’s first-class career, following earlier stints at Essex and Middlesex, as well as a successful period at Warwickshire between 2011 and 2018, where he helped win the County Championship in 2012.Related

• Sussex close in on victory to cap a season of awkward progress

• Paul Nixon leaves post as Leicestershire head coach under 'mutual agreement'

• Leicestershire 'investigating allegations' amid Nixon's sudden departure

• Yorkshire bring Moriarty in as Championship spin cover

• Paul Nixon relieved of duties as Leicestershire head coach

Lamb, meanwhile, joins on a three-year deal. “I’m extremely excited for the opportunity,” he said. “A brilliant new challenge and one which I feel has come at the right stage in my career.”I’ve always enjoyed playing against Sussex and at Hove. I like what Sussex are about and the vision for the future with Paul Farbrace at the helm of a young ambitious squad. I can’t wait to get going and I look forward to contributing to the team in all formats.”Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket, said: “Danny has found first-team opportunities limited over the last couple of years, so we completely understand the decision he’s made moving to Sussex. We wish him all the best for the next stage of his career.”A medium-paced allrounder, Lamb has an impressive record across formats but has struggled for game-time at Lancashire this year and has recently been playing for Gloucestershire on loan.

Karun Nair has been part of India’s Test dressing room before, but a debut seems ever closer with his inclusion as one of only six batsmen in the squad to take on England; he says he is prepared to bat anywhere when his turn comes

Shashank Kishore02-Nov-2016In July, six people drowned and a few others were reported missing when a boat with more than a hundred people on board capsized in a river in Kerala. Karun Nair was on that boat, taking part in a temple festival with his family as thanksgiving for making his India debut. Nair was one of the survivors – he had to swim some distance before being rescued by a group of locals.The incident came in the middle of a mixed few months in Nair’s life. He had just played for India for the first time, during their ODI tour of Zimbabwe, his selection a reward for his consistency both in first-class cricket – he averaged more than 50 after three seasons – and the IPL. He hadn’t really grabbed the chance, scoring only 46 in two innings while opening the batting in fairly low-pressure chases. The lack of form continued through India A’s tour of Australia, but he was back in form at the start of the 2016-17 domestic season, when he was also handed the captaincy of the Karnataka side for the first time.Now, he is part of India’s Test squad for the first two Tests against England. He has been part of the squad before, but this time he is one of only six specialist batsmen included.”I was disappointed with the way my ODI debut series panned out. I don’t think I lived up to the standards I set myself,” Nair tells ESPNcricinfo. “Probably I didn’t grab my chances. But after the tour I decided to put that behind me and look forward to the new season. I didn’t want to sit and keep hoping, but I knew my chances will come sooner than later if I keep scoring runs.”Rohit Sharma’s quadriceps injury means, Nair – who has scores of 74, 54*, 53 and 145 in his first four innings of the new Ranji Trophy season – could get his Test cap in Rajkot on November 9 if India play six specialist batsmen. With Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane entrenched at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, Nair could be in line for the No. 6 slot.”I’m not too fussy about batting positions, honestly,” Nair says. “I’ve been playing up the order in the IPL, so in white-ball cricket, I’ve enjoyed batting up the order. I started off as an opener for my state side in my junior-cricket days and then settled at No. 4. In Zimbabwe, I was asked if I would be ready to open. As a debutant, you can’t have preferences, and it was a challenge I readily accepted.”Having been on the fringes of the Test team, you do think of all this while sitting outside, but eventually it’s about being confident in your abilities and trusting the technique that has got you to this level.”It hasn’t always been the case. A few years ago, Nair was full of self-doubt, which stemmed not from an inability to score runs but an inability to convert starts. Till he was 19, he hadn’t scored a century at any age-group level.”I had a mental block while growing up, but that also made me learn you don’t throw away starts,” Nair says. “Not being able to convert starts made me tougher. I became more attacking. I used to make 60s and 70s and get out. When I started to attack and bat more freely, I realised the 30-40 runs came quite easily. That change in mindset made a big difference. Now, I tend to play to the situation even though I believe I’m an attacking batsman.”The vote of confidence about Nair’s technique came from the India A coach Rahul Dravid, whom he sought out ahead of the home series against South Africa A in September 2015.”Once I got the confidence from him, all my self-doubts vanished,” Nair says. “I was batting within myself initially. I asked him about the areas I needed to work on. It felt reassuring to hear him tell me there was nothing wrong.”Someone like him saying that was of real value, so I’ve never had any batting conversations with him since. He has been very supportive, backed me in pressure situations and given me the opportunity to express myself. At that stage, he had more confidence in me than I did. That sort of gives you a boost from within.”There were signs of Nair having erased that self-doubt when he made a match-saving fourth-innings century in the first unofficial Test. That earned him a maiden call-up to India’s squad, for the third Test in Sri Lanka.Dravid, who has worked closely with Nair while coaching or mentoring India A, Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, picks out his hunger and attitude as qualities that have helped him transition to the next level.”Karun is still a work in progress, but obviously his skills and temperament have got him to this stage,” Dravid says. “He picks lengths early; his instincts as a batsman are solid now.”So where did he see Nair evolve into the batsman he is today?”I think the role change at Delhi Daredevils brought out the best in him,” Dravid says. “At Rajasthan Royals, he was batting behind the main guys like Shane Watson, Steven Smith and Ajinkya Rahane. At Delhi, we gave youngsters responsibility to drive the innings, and let seniors lower down the order handle the slightly challenging situations. He showed his ability to adapt there.”Having been part of the Test squad on two occasions without getting a look-in, Nair says the experience was an eye-opener in terms of what he needed to do to remain in those environs, and he soaked in the feeling of being in the dressing room and chatting with Kohli and the support staff.”It was a great feeling being around legends and future legends,” Nair says. “It felt amazing when they spoke of your domestic performances. That gave me a sense of belonging. Being a part of the dressing room for the first time, I still can’t describe. The Test cap is special and I’ve seen the seniors treasure it. When my chance comes, I’ll be ready.”

Super Kings struggled against spin after a promising start, leaving Dhoni and Jadeja too much to do at the end

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-2023MS Dhoni has urged Chennai Super Kings’ batters to take “ownership”, after a middle-overs slump cost them victory against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday night. Chasing 176, Super Kings were well placed at 78 for 1 in the tenth over before Royals’ spinners got to work, reducing them to 113 for 6 by the end of the 15th.Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja nearly pulled off an improbable win with their end-overs hitting – the match ended with Super Kings one hit away from victory having needed 54 from 18 balls at one stage – but the Super Kings captain suggested after the match that it needn’t have come down to that situation in the first place.Related

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• R Ashwin crashes Chennai Super Kings' party to silence Chepauk

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• Royals hold off Dhoni and Jadeja in grandstand finish

“I think [we lost it] in the middle [overs while batting], we needed a bit more strike rotation,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation. “I don’t think there was a lot [of help] for the spinners. Yes, they have experienced spinners, so they bowled very well. They were bowling the right length, but I felt in that period you have [we had] too many dot balls.”If the wicket is slow, if it’s stopping and turning, then I can understand, but with the set batsman and the new batsman going in, I don’t think it was that difficult. So I think the ownership needs to come from the batsmen.”Super Kings needed 21 at the start of the final over, and the responsibility of bowling it fell to Sandeep Sharma. He started with two wides to Dhoni, and low full-tosses off his second and third legal deliveries that Dhoni smacked for leg-side sixes. Thereafter, however, Sandeep pulled things back smartly, nailing his yorkers after changing angle to go around the wicket to Dhoni.Dhoni faced two of the last three balls, only managing to drag them along the ground for singles. In between, Sandeep bowled one ball to Jadeja, angling it away from the left-hander’s hitting arc from over the wicket and conceding another single.Sandeep explained his thought process when he was interviewed by after the match.”In the last over, I wanted to execute yorkers,” he said. “I’ve been bowling good yorkers in the nets. One side of the ground was bigger, so I thought I would use it and bowl at the [batter’s] heel but they turned out to be low full-tosses and went for six. Then I changed my plan and went around the wicket, hoping for a change, and it was good that the result was different.”I bowled over the wicket to Jaddu and my plan was to keep the ball away from his reach. The shots he hit to Jason [Holder] were down the ground. So my plan was to take it away from his reach. And to Mahi , my plan was to change the angle as I got hit for two sixes while bowling at the heel from over the wicket. So I went around the wicket and bowled it wide, and changed the angle.”

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the board is going to investigate allegations of unfair practices during this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League

Mohammad Isam11-Jun-2016BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the board is going to investigate allegations of unfair practices during this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.Umpiring standards have been repeatedly questioned by all quarters during this year’s league. At a crucial stage in the Abahani Limited-Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club match, umpire Rezwan Parvez gave Taskin Ahmed not out although he was at least 12 inches outside the crease when Farhad Reza broke the stumps. Abahani needed 10 runs off three balls before that incident and went on to win the match. In the Abahani-Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi match, a questionable no-ball call was not made despite the full-toss going above the batsman’s waist in the last over of the chase.In the Kalabagan Krira Chakra-Legends of Rupganj match, Rupganj were not awarded six runs despite an overthrow following the completion of two runs. Rupganj also alleged that the umpires called off that game soon after rain stopped and did not wait too long for the Fatullah ground to dry, with Kalabagan winning through the D/L method. Two days later, the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB standing committee that runs the tournament, suspended Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Mithun for arguing with the umpires during the same game.Allegations of favouritism were also leveled towards the CCDM, after Gazi Group Cricketers’ last-round match against Victoria Sporting Club was deferred by a day. The CCDM, citing “unavoidable circumstances”, broke the pattern in which three matches were held on every match day.Gazi Group were on ten points before that match while Mohammedan Sporting Club, Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Prime Bank Cricket Club were on 12 points each. The one-day delay gave Gazi Group the advantage of knowing the equation to qualify to the Super League, but they ultimately lost to Victoria and failed to make it to the next phase. Kalabagan Krira Chakra lodged an official complaint by saying that the CCDM favoured Gazi Group because the club’s owner Gazi Golam Murtoza is also the chairman of CCDM.BCB chief Hassan said that he will ask the CCDM to furnish an answer about the change in the match date as well as the wet pitch in BKSP. He announced that such problems would not arise in the Super League phase.”We will officially ask for what happened with the Gazi match timing change,” Hassan said. “They will have to provide an answer. But the result wasn’t in their favour. No team went into the Super League with the benefit from umpires. Kalabagan Krira Chakra’s [Nazmul Karim] Tinku is the head of the umpiring committee but his team didn’t go to the Super League.”I will take action if there’s a specific instance where a certain team benefited by an umpiring decision. But the Super League is yet to start so we are still in discussion to ensure these things aren’t repeated. These are all abnormal incidents. I have no doubt that these are motivated. Otherwise why would they complain to the ICC that cricket in Bangladesh is getting destroyed, and that matches are fixed here? They are trying hard to suspend Bangladesh from international cricket, it seems.”Even though Hassan didn’t specify who he was referring to as “they”, the ICC denied receiving any complaint regarding the Dhaka Premier League, saying that it doesn’t have the jurisdiction to interfere in domestic matters of a member country.Hassan said that the Abahani run-out incident had no bearing on the result of the game, because Mosaddek Hossain struck Farhad for a six and a four off the next two balls. He also said that Abahani don’t get the support of the umpires.”The second one is the one where the wicket was wet, so we will investigate that game,” he said. “Allegations have come about umpiring in Abahani matches. Since it went up to the ICC with photos being sent to them, we need to take it seriously. I saw that a run-out was not given. But there was no relation between that run-out and the result. It would have been seven [sic] wickets instead of six [sic].”They won with a six and four off the last two balls. Abahani in fact lost two games off the last ball. So if they got support of the umpires, they wouldn’t have lost those matches. They were on the brink of relegation two seasons ago.”

“A specialist opinion will be sought,” BCCI says in a statement

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2023Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the Ahmedabad Test, with the BCCI saying on the fifth morning of the match, that “a specialist opinion will be sought” to treat his lower-back injury.On Sunday, the fourth day, as India tussled for first-innings honours with Australia, Iyer couldn’t come out to bat, with the BCCI saying that he had been sent for scans after he “complained of pain in his lower back following the third day’s play”. India finished on 571 for a lead of 91. ESPNcricinfo understands Iyer was not present at the ground at any point on Sunday.The injury will particularly worry India since back trouble has dogged Iyer over the last few weeks: it kept him out of the first Test of this series, as well as the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that preceded it.After this Test match, Iyer’s next assignment is to captain Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, which begins on March 31. Knight Riders are scheduled to play their first match of the tournament on April 1, against Punjab Kings in Mohali.

India captain Virat Kohli, though, feels that he is “best suited” for the No. 5 spot in ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-20194:08

Dhoni best suited for No. 5 spot – Kohli

MS Dhoni’s batting spot has become a raging debate in the lead-up to the World Cup. After scoring three successive fifties, including a series-clinching 87 off 114 balls from No. 4, he has said that he’s ready to float in the middle order. While India’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma believes Dhoni at No. 4 is “most ideal”, captain Virat Kohli says he is “best suited” to bat at No.5.Dhoni is no longer the explosive force he once was, but he has absorbed pressure on the slow pitches in Australia and has secured two successive chases after taking it to the last over in his own inimitable style.In the series opener in Sydney, he walked in at No.5 after India were reduced to 3 for 4 within four overs. He weathered many attacks in a chase of 289 before falling in the 33rd over. He batted at No. 5 in the must-win second ODI for India and struck an unbeaten 54-ball 55 to force the series into a decider. In the third match on a tough pitch, Dhoni was dropped twice on 0 and then on 74, but he pressed on to win it for India.”Well, it’s good (enjoying batting at No.4?),” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation after claiming the Man-of-the-Series award. “If I am batting at 6 and somebody is batting at 4, we’ve to look if we can interchange the position and see if the team [balance] remains the same. It’s not about where you want to be, it’s about how many you can fill in that position. I’m happy to bat at any number. If I have to go back and bat at 5 or 6, I’m happy to do that. Because the important thing is where the team needs me. After playing 14 years, I can’t say I can’t bat at 6 and I need to bat at 4 or 5, so I will bat at where the team needs me.”When asked if the management was keen on keeping Dhoni at No.4 Kohli said: “I personally feel No.5 is the best-suited spot for him because that allows him to do a bit of both – get some game-time and finish games off and attack as and when required. The management discussed No. 5 was the ideal position for him and if you saw him in Adelaide as well he was pretty comfortable batting there. He was more himself in that game and he built onto this knock.”ALSO READ: Chopra: What is Dhoni’s role in the India ODI side?On Friday, Dhoni managed only 12 off 22 balls against legspinner Adam Zampa and 5 off 17 balls from Jhye Richardson, but he made up for that by attacking Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake and Marcus Stoinis to shift the pressure back on Australia. Kedar Jadhav eased the pressure on Dhoni with timely boundaries and hard-run twos in an unbeaten 121-run stand.”It was a slow wicket, so it was a bit difficult to hit whenever you want to,” Dhoni said. “I think it was important to take it till the end because some of their main bowlers were on the verge of finishing their quota of overs. So, you have to target the bowlers you can on wickets like these. No point going after the ones who’re bowling well. That was the game plan and it was really well supported by Kedar. He’s somebody who plays some unorthodox shots and great shots in the middle, so it takes that pressure off me when you’re looking to go right till the last over.”Kohli conceded that he was nervous when the asking rate ballooned in the chase, but agreed with Dhoni, saying that the key was to take the game deep.”As MS said, it wasn’t that easy a wicket to bat on. So, he had to take the game deep,” Kohli said during the presentation. “They’re professional enough to finish it off. We were a bit nervous there, but two set batsmen in the middle knew exactly what they wanted to do. So, they got the job done. In the end, that’s what matters.”

Aaron Beard four-for seals victory after Paul Walter’s 49 helps lay foundation

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2022Michael Pepper continued his Vitality Blast love affair with the Cloud County Ground before Aaron Beard returned career-best figures as Essex Eagles condemned Surrey to a second straight loss.Pepper took his Chelmsford tally to 304 in six innings – and 386 in total – with a tubthumping 48 as Paul Walter continued his fine form with 49 as the Eagles soured to 198 for 7 before fast bowler Beard, making just his second appearance of the season, removed openers Will Jacks and Jason Roy to eventually pick up 4 for 29 – as Surrey fell 43 runs short.Essex boosted their hopes of securing a home quarter-final to move to seven wins out of 12, while Surrey remain top and will host a home knockout game but having been previously unbeaten in all competitions until Thursday night have lost momentum.On a fixture celebrating Essex Pride, Surrey stuck the Eagles in to bat and had Adam Rossington caught behind in the second over, with the first two overs only going for six before Pepper went ballistic.He struck 30 from the first nine balls he faced, with just a dot and a single punctuating his boundary blitz. The South African-born batter began by scooping a six, something he replicated in the following over between a bullet cut shot and followed by four consecutive boundaries off Dan Moriarty.His hitting paused after a strike to the box, which he never really recovered from as he limped to five more runs before he reversed straight to third – the second wicket in three balls for Sunil Narine.Essex’s rebuild and second 10 overs were a textbook display of accumulation – with only seven dot balls, along with four wickets coming in the second half of the innings for 110 runs.Walter was the chief architect of the scoring with his 49, which included four towering sixes, as he put on 51 with Dan Lawrence and 44 with Simon Harmer.Reece Topley made sure his former county didn’t get to 200 as he chipped away throughout and added Walter, Daniel Sams and Harmer to his earlier Rossington dismissal to end up with 4 for 37.Beard made an electrifying start as he picked up both a yorked Roy and Jacks, brilliantly caught at short fine leg by Tom Westley.Smith and Rory Burns put on 57 with a low-risk approach, while still keeping up with the rate before Dan Lawrence stuck one through Smith. Burns followed by skewing Beard to mid-on and Narine fired back at Harmer as Surrey lost their way.Laurie Evans continued the slump when sub fielder Ben Allison produced a spectacular solo relay catch at wide long-on – Harmer grabbing two wickets in the over to return two for 20. Beard had debutant Tom Lawes skying to mid-on for his fourth.Sams pilfered Chris Jordan and Sam Cook had Conor McKerr as Surrey could only reach 155 for 9.

Ben Stokes will continue his rehabilitation from a calf tear that kept him out of England’s last two Tests against Pakistan by appearing for Durham on NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2016Ben Stokes will continue his rehabilitation from a calf tear that kept him out of England’s last two Tests against Pakistan by appearing for Durham on NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day. Stokes is one of a number of England players made available for their counties this week in the knockout stages of the white-ball competitions.Stokes, who has been cleared to bat and bowl, is set to come up against England team-mates Joe Root, Gary Ballance and Jonny Bairstow in the second Blast semi-final between Durham and Yorkshire on Saturday. Durham will also have centrally contracted pace bowler Mark Wood at their disposal.Wood and Stokes are hopeful of being involved in England’s limited-overs series against Pakistan, after a summer disrupted by injuries. Wood has twice undergone surgery on his ankle but bowled with impressive pace to help Durham beat Gloucestershire at Bristol and book a place at Finals Day; Stokes also had an operation, on a knee injury suffered during the Sri Lanka Test series, and then hurt his calf playing against Pakistan at Old Trafford.England have allowed seven of the players who were involved in England’s defeat at The Oval to turn out in the Blast and Royal London Cup. Stuart Broad is set to play his first white-ball game for Nottinghamshire in almost a year (he was selected for a Blast game in July but it was abandoned without a ball bowled), with Alex Hales also available for Finals Day, when they will play Northamptonshire.Yorkshire’s trio of Root, Ballance and Bairstow are also in line to play the Royal London Cup quarter-final at Kent on Thursday. Moeen Ali has been released for Worcestershire’s quarter-final trip to Taunton and Chris Woakes will be part of Warwickshire’s squad for the visit of Essex on Wednesday.The only member of the Test side that won’t be in the reckoning for his county is the captain, Alastair Cook, who has been requested to take a break by the England management.