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James Hildreth produced a courageous century alonsgide his fellow centurion Chris Rogers until a wholesale Somerset collapse frittered away a massive advantage against Nottinghamshire at Taunton

Paul Edwards at Taunton20-Sep-2016
Scorecard1:29

Somerset slip, Gubbins rescues Middlesex

Agony came in many forms for Somerset’s players and supporters on the first day of a match that could feasibly bring them their first Championship. The most noticeable was that felt by James Hildreth when he was struck on the ankle by Jake Ball in the 15th over of the morning. Yet Somerset’s No 4 dealt with the pain so successfully that he shared a 269-run stand for the third wicket with his captain, Chris Rogers.Hildreth’s 135 and his partnership with Rogers boosted Somerset’s chances of collecting the five batting bonus points they desired to put pressure on the two leaders, Middlesex and Yorkshire, at the top of the Division One table.But while Hildreth could deal with the severe discomfort in his own ankle, he could not prevent Somerset’s cricketers from shooting themselves in the foot. With an hour or so left for play, the home side were 302 for 2, sun was dappling the County Ground and a large crowd was savouring the possibility of their side gaining a full haul of five batting points.

Hildreth faces x-ray

James Hildreth: “My ankle was sore, but with a few pain-killers I was able to crack on. I quite enjoyed playing my shots and not having to run! I’ll be having an x-ray first thing in the morning. There’s a lot of coaching manuals and theories in cricket, but I have now worked out that you are better off not moving your feet.
Chris Rogers: “It was a fantastic effort by Hildy. His injury actually changed our mind-set and helped both of us. To lose seven wickets for 20 at the end of the day was unforgivable and there were a couple of words said after the day’s play. But we are still in a decent position, looking at the slowish scoring going on at Lord’s, and need to go on and win the game.”

An hour later, those same spectators were trooping away having seen their side lose seven wickets for 20 runs in 12 overs, the last five of those wickets falling for no runs at all in 22 balls. There was stunned silence, disbelief and the occasional cry of woe.Jake Ball had taken four of the seven wickets and finished his day’s work with 6 for 47. That was a fine reward for the England seamer on a day when he had been head, shoulders and torso the pick of his team’s attack.But at least two of Ball’s victims were complicit in their own downfall and at the other end Imran Tahir took two wickets after spending his preceding overs sending down the sort of tripe that butchers would not give to horses.Lewis Gregory, who had batted well in Somerset’s victory at Headingley last week, was bowled trying to waft Tahir to midwicket and Roelof van der Merwe was yet again leg before on the front foot. Perhaps he was in momentary shock because Tahir had bowled a straight one but that is really no excuse. Dear fabulous, fallible Somerset! What have your supporters done that their unconcealed devotion should be spurned in this way? Is love such a crime?”It’s frustrating,” admitted Rogers, who had earlier made 132. “I think to lose seven for 20 from that position is pretty unforgivable to be honest and there were a couple of words said after the day’s play. But we’re still in a decent position and we just need to win the game now. We’re a young side and we’re making a few mistakes but it’s still been a pretty good day for us.”Rogers had every right to be furious and his restraint did him credit. Allegiance to Somerset cricket is as much a matter of temperament as birth. Players arrive here and before long they call it home. Even Australians feel the pull of the combes and the gentle hills. It seems probable that Rogers is playing his final first-class game and he honoured both the occasion and the county he leads by making a century of the highest quality in what may yet become the most famous match in Somerset’s history. Yes, you know, it really may.But Rogers’ innings did not attract the warmest praise on the first day of this match. That was reserved for Hildreth, who was struck that fearsome blow when he had only seven to his name, yet hobbled his way to one cricket’s great monopedal hundreds. For much of his innings limping was a distant ambition for Hildreth; an agonised stagger was all he could manage.That he contrived to bat for nearly four hours with Rogers was therefore remarkable; that he hit 18 fours, many of them quite marvellous off-side strokes, in making 135 was quite phenomenal. Yet it is the sort of stuff of which Somerset cricket has often been made, so it was appropriate that Hildreth performed his heroics on the day when his side’s need was so great. What he thought as he nursed his blackened ankle and watched his hard work being tossed away like twig into the Tone can barely be guessed.A close-up of Hildreth’s bruised ankle•Somerset CCC

Hildreth came to the wicket after Ball had dismissed both Marcus Trescothick and Tom Abell in the first hour of the day. After taking his whack from a full length fast ball, he could really only hit fours down the ground or through the covers and midwicket. Pivoting on his right foot to pull or hook the ball was plainly excruciating. For most of his 234-ball innings he required a runner and Abell did the needful for four hours. Hildreth’s was a quite heroic innings and its stature was recognised by the congratulations he received from Nottinghamshire’s players.”I had strong painkillers and we’re pretty lucky that we get a runner,” said Hildreth. “I felt if I could take a few more overs out of Ball early in the day, it might help our batters. I just wanted to get us towards that 400. Regrettably, I did take my shoe off at lunchtime and I looked down at my foot. I’m having an X-ray in the morning.”For their part, Somerset supporters may need to visit their therapists or perhaps they will simply take refuge in the fortified cordials. No one could blame them. They are not yet out of the hunt but the loyalists who had visions of the championship pennant fluttering above one of the ground’s pavilions may need to place a check on those lovely hopes and dreams.

Somerset start title defence with tight win as Davies, Goldsworthy hit fifties

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2021James Hildreth’s eighth List A century and an elegant 94 from Steven Davies helped Somerset begin their defence of the Royal London Cup with a six-wicket victory over Derbyshire at Taunton.Hildreth required treatment for cramp and batted with a runner in the later stages of his innings, but guided a young side to victory with two overs to spare. Davies had led the way with with an imperious 72-ball innings, before Hildreth weighed in with 110, including nine fours and three sixes.The visitors ran up 298 all out after losing the toss, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who made 93, and Brooke Guest (74) hitting career-best List A scores, while 18-year-old seamer Sonny Baker claimed 3 for 46 on debut.Related

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A crowd of well over 3,000 at the Cooper Associates County Ground saw Derbyshire reduced to 36 for 3 at the start. Baker, a product of Devon age-group cricket, had Harry Came and Tom Wood caught behind in a five-over spell of 2 for 14, while Jack Brooks accounted for Billy Godleman, caught at fine leg.Guest and Hudson-Prentice exercised understandable caution and at the halfway stage of the innings had taken the score to 117 for 3. Hudson-Prentice took advantage of anything short to reach an impressive half-century off 60 balls, while Guest cleverly picked gaps in the field to move to fifty from 67 deliveries.England spinner Jack Leach went for 18 off the 33rd over, Hudson-Prentice clearing the ropes for the second time. The stand of 142 with Guest was a Derbyshire List A record for the fourth wicket against Somerset. It ended when Hudson-Prentice was caught and bowled by new Somerset List A captain Ben Green, having hit 10 fours and two sixes.Fynn Hudson-Prentice top-scored with 93•Getty Images

After Anuj Dal had been run out by Brooks, Guest was caught at cover off seamer Kasey Aldridge, making his List A debut, to make it 224 for 6. Alex Thomson contributed 24 and last man Ravi Rampaul boosted Derbyshire’s score with 3 sixes off Green before the last wicket fell in the final over.Despite the early loss of Plymouth-born debutant Sam Young, caught behind down the leg side looking to glance off-spinner Thomson, Somerset were soon in charge on a true pitch. Davies took three fours off an over from Rampaul and looked in great touch. But George Bartlett flattered to deceive, carelessly pulling a short ball from Hudson-Prentice to Dal at deep square.Hildreth began well and when Davies moved to an effortless fifty off 46 balls, with five fours and a six, home supporters were in high spirits. The pair continued to flourish, bringing up a hundred partnership from 98 balls before Hildreth went to a typically attractive half-century off 62 deliveries.Davies fell to a catch in the deep, having struck 12 fours and a six. But Hildreth brought up the 200 with a pulled six off Ben Aitchison in the 35th over and found an equally positive partner in 20-year-old Lewis Goldsworthy, who celebrated his List A debut with a mature 57 not out, off 66 balls.Hildreth struggled through the later stages of his innings, but it didn’t stop him reaching three figures with a six over cover off Rampaul before falling with just 23 needed.

Kevin Pietersen is unlikely to play cricket in England again, according to Alec Stewart

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-20163:12

‘I don’t think we’ll see KP play in England again’

Kevin Pietersen is unlikely to play cricket in England again, according to Alec Stewart. Pietersen was released by Surrey at the end of last season and Stewart, the club’s director of cricket, said there was little chance of him appearing in England’s T20 competition, the NatWest Blast, in the foreseeable future as he pursues franchise deals around the world.Pietersen featured for Surrey at the start of their 2015 Championship campaign – scoring a majestic, unbeaten 355 against Leicestershire – as he attempted to revive his chances of playing for England once again, but appears to have now settled on life as a T20 freelancer. Over the last 12 months, he has played in the Caribbean Premier League, Australia’s Big Bash League, the Ram Slam in South Africa and the inaugural Pakistan Super League.He has previously expressed his dissatisfaction at the Blast schedule, which sees teams by and large playing once a week, and Stewart believes Pietersen will no longer grace the English summer, describing him as a “southern hemisphere player”.”From the conversations I’ve had with him, we won’t see him play in England again, which is sad,” Stewart told ESPNcricinfo. “He’s now, as I call him, a southern hemisphere player. Our off season is very much his cricket season.”So he’s now going to have downtime with the family, he’s going to be in the IPL, he’s not going to go to the Caribbean Premier League, he’s going to have a three-four month break and then he’ll go off to the Bangladesh Premier League, I think. So he’s got enough cricket around but sadly, no, we won’t see him.”Surrey must step up a level in Championship cricket this year, having been promoted as Division Two champions, and they have faced some criticism for their winter recruitment, which involved bringing in two South African bowlers and former West Indies international Ravi Rampaul as a Kolpak signing.Stewart defended the decision to recruit Rampaul, Mathew Pillans and Conor McKerr, saying it was important to strengthen their squad. Surrey saw three fast bowlers – Chris Tremlett, Tim Linley and David Balcombe – retire during the close season, while Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker are currently unavailable due to injury.”We lost three experienced bowlers at the back end of last year and we looked to see who was available,” Stewart said. “We looked around England, because obviously that’s where we should look, but there was no one – unless you can tell me otherwise – who was available and who would have fitted the bill.”Our academy, which has produced good players, currently hasn’t got the number of bowlers coming through ready to play and that’s why we did what we did.”We still want to produce players through our system, that’s what we have been doing, and not just be successful here but go on and play for England. That’s what we’ll continue to do – at times you do have to go outside what your processes are. This year, because of the three retirements – two came as a little bit of a surprise – we had to act pretty quickly. We’ve taken a bit of a punt, hopefully it will prove the right decision, in the fact we’ve now got numbers in our squad.”

Rajapaksa had cited “familial obligations” as a key reason behind his resignation in the first week of January

Madushka Balasuriya13-Jan-2022A little over a week after announcing his retirement from international cricket, Sri Lanka batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa has withdrawn his resignation and proclaimed his desire to represent the country for “years to come”. His decision comes after his meeting with Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa.”Pursuant to a meeting with the Hon. Namal Rajapaksa – Minister of Youth & Sports and after consulting with the national selectors, Bhanuka Rajapaksa has notified SLC that he wishes to withdraw his resignation which he tendered to SLC on 3rd Jan. 2022, with immediate effect,” an SLC media release stated. “In his letter to SLC withdrawing his resignation, he further states that he wishes to represent his country in the game he loves for the years to come.”In a recent media release, the Sports Minister had warned the 30-year-old batter against coming to hasty decisions but also asked Rajapaksa to come forward and express his grievances if there are any.While Rajapaksa had cited “familial obligations” as a key reason behind his resignation, there was speculation that his decision to resign was prompted by the new fitness requirements.Having fallen out with then head coach Mickey Arthur over his lack of fitness last year, Rajapaksa worked on his fitness and fielding and found his way back into the national side, where he and Arthur eventually patched up their relationship. This month, SLC announced tougher fitness benchmarks starting from 2022.Rajapaksa’s resignation, which had also come alongside similar announcements from Angelo Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka (only from Test cricket), had prompted SLC to put out new guidelines for players choosing to retire from international cricket. It was understood that among the reasons behind the updated guidelines were concerns that several players may potentially be considering their international futures, especially in the context of new mandatory fitness requirements and the fact that franchise cricket tends to be more lucrative.

For South Africa, no one apart from Quinton de Kock scored more than 20

Firdose Moonda01-Jul-2021West Indies defended 167 in the fourth T20I against South Africa to lock the five-match series at 2-2 and set up a decider for Saturday. Their big names all took responsibility: captain Kieron Pollard top-scored with 51*, Dwayne Bravo claimed career-best figures of 4 for 19, and Chris Gayle taking a wicket with his first ball to go with two catches were the icing on the cake.The home side scored 20 off their first over and 66 in the final four but their innings suffered a lull in between. They managed just 81 runs in the 15 overs from the second to the 17th as South Africa’s spinners put the brakes on. But their efforts were not enough for a batting line-up that lacks a finisher and remains over-reliant on Quinton de Kock.South Africa’s former captain scored a second successive half-century and a sixth T20I half-century in his last 15 matches, but had little support from the other end as no other South Africa batter scored more than 20. They last successfully chased a target above 160 in February 2018 when they beat India, and last won a T20I series in March 2019 against Sri Lanka, but will still have the chance to turn that around in two days’ time.Opening overload…
Aiden Markram, South Africa’s sixth bowler, was given the new ball and eyebrows would have been immediately raised over that choice. Lendl Simmons swept Markram’s first ball past short fine-leg for four, cut his third delivery, which was short and wide, for four more, and then took two sixes off the last three balls. The first was a sweep over fine leg and the second an audacious smack straight down the ground. West Indies scored 20 runs off that over, their most in the first over of a T20I and the most by any team batting first in this format.
… and then the squeeze

But South Africa pulled things back impressively and took six wickets in the 15 overs that followed. As has been the case throughout the series, their spinners controlled the run rate and frustrated the West Indies line-up. George Linde was introduced after the powerplay and put in the most economical performance of his T20I career by conceding just 16 runs in four overs. He also brought up 100 wickets in the format – across both international and domestic matches – when Simmons was given out leg before after missing a sweep and being hit in front of middle and leg. Just before that, Linde had Shimron Hetmyer caught behind off an under-edge as well.Tabraiz Shamsi bowled overs in tandem with Linde initially – the pair gave away only 14 runs in five overs – and then returned for a second spell. Shamsi had Nicholas Pooran caught at deep backward square-leg off a top-edge and Andre Russell caught at short fine-leg after the latter top-edged a sweep. The left-arm wristspinner equalled his most miserly effort in T20Is with figures of 2 for 13, an identical analysis to the last match.Take it on the knee!
With West Indies on 101 for 6 after 16 overs and a par score looking distant, Pollard took matters into his own hands. He drilled the first ball of Anrich Nortje’s final over straight back to him and clattered him on the left knee. Nortje went down for several minutes, his face scrunched up in obvious pain. He received some treatment on field, got back up and bowled the remainder of his over before hobbling off for some rest to the applause of his team-mates.Dwayne Bravo finished with career-best figures of 4 for 19•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa’s tight work unraveled in those last four overs, when they conceded 66 runs as Pollard and Fabian Allen took on the specialist quicks. The pair scored six sixes in that period compared to the West Indies’ five in the rest of the innings, and Pollard hit three in three balls off Kagiso Rabada, who bowled his most expensive T20 over. Rabada delivered the penultimate over of the innings, which was also the most expensive at 25 runs, and did not complete a full quota for the first time in T20Is since his debut in 2014. Also, Lungi Ngidi’s two death overs cost 30 runs as Pollard brought up a sixth T20I half-century and his highest score in seven innings.Too cool for (old) school

The combined age of West Indies’ opening bowling pair in this match was 80 years, with Fidel Edwards (39) in his second series since his Kolpak comeback and Gayle (41) sharing the new ball, though their youth appeared endless. Edwards gave little away until his last ball, but it was Gayle whose was on full display. He took on bowling duties complete with cap, sunglasses and earpiece on, lured Reeza Hendricks out of the crease, beat him on the drive and had him stumped, before cartwheeling in celebration. Gayle told the commentary team he had been dared to mimic Kevin Sinclair, who showed off some gymnastics moves earlier in the series.Take it on the shoulder now!
Nortje was not the only player to suffer an injury in the match. Allen jammed his right shoulder into the ground beyond the square-leg boundary when he tried to cut off a Temba Bavuma sweep. He didn’t save the boundary and his arm was put in a sling as he left the field before he could bowl, with what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder. Allen was the only specialist spinner in the West Indies XI. His overs were made up for by Pollard and Russell, who bowled his entire quota in a T20I for the first time since March last year.Bravo for West Indies

Allen’s absence was also mitigated by the performance of Bravo, who has been consistently excellent with the ball in this series and continued in that vein in this match. Bravo’s first spell straddled the powerplay and cost just eight runs before a second at the death was laced with slower balls. He collected 4 for 11 in 12 balls in the closing stages of the match to eventually finish with career-best figures of 4 for 19. Bravo had Linde caught at point off a slower ball, de Kock caught in the same position chasing a wide full toss, Shamsi skying a ball to Gayle at extra cover and Ngidi holing out to square leg, as he took 3 for 1 in the 18th over to shut South Africa out of the contest.

KKR’s intimidating middle-order hasn’t yet found its groove, while RCB have ticked off a fair few boxes

Sreshth Shah17-Apr-2021

Big picture

The Royal Challengers Bangalore and Virat Kohli are not in this position very often: top of the table, the only unbeaten side after two rounds of games, and with a chance to complete a hat-trick of wins in IPL 2021. But they would be wary of reaching grand conclusions just yet, because the last time they won their first two games (IPL 2014), they crashed and burned to finish the league stage at seventh spot. And therefore, Kohli’s men need to continue doing what’s got them success so far, while ironing out the few flaws they’ve had.Going into the game, what will give them confidence is that it’s their third straight game in Chennai. They’ve won batting first and second on the Chepauk surface. Glenn Maxwell has looked comfortable at No. 4, and the presence of AB de Villiers at No. 5 has given their batting order a new dimension, helping them shed the ‘top heavy’ tag. Their other positive – and it’s a big one when it comes to the Royal Challengers – is that they have taken 18 wickets in two games.Related

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Their opponents, the Kolkata Knight Riders will be looking to brush aside the nightmarish defeat they had on Tuesday. Looking comfortable midway through their chase of Mumbai Indians’ 152, they crumbled to a combination of spin and tidy death bowling, with Andre Russell, in particular, looking out of his depth. Mumbai troubled the Knight Riders with legspinner Rahul Chahar and left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, and the Royal Challengers have Yuzvendra Chahal and Shahbaz Ahmed who can do similar things.However, not everything in the Knight Riders camp is gloomy: The relatively inexperienced top order has been promising, spin and death-overs bowling has been good and even in the Mumbai defeat, they dominated for most of the contest. The issue lies in what is considered their strength – the big-hitting middle order – and if that falls in place, Knight Riders have the ability to play the perfect T20 game.What’s going to be different, though, is that it’s the first afternoon game of the season. It’s going to be hot in Chennai, dew won’t play a role, and the surface will be dryer than usual. It is also the final league game for both teams at Chepauk.

In the news

Royal Challengers allrounder Daniel Sams, traded from Delhi Capitals after last season, has completed his quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 before the season. He has joined the camp and is available for selection.

Likely XIs

Royal Challengers Bangalore 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Shahbaz Ahmed, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Dan Christian/Daniel Sams, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammad Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Nitish Rana, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Prasidh Krishna, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Strategy punt

• The way Russell struggled against Krunal in the Knight Riders’ last game, Kohli may use Ahmed’s spin for when Russell comes out to bat. The key for Ahmed will be to replicate Krunal’s skiddy pace, otherwise, Russell will have the time to either get under the ball or free his arms.
• The Knight Riders could continue using their spinners in the powerplay. Kohli has a strike-rate of 124 against Harbhajan Singh and 112 against Shakib Al Hasan in T20s. On the other hand, Prasidh Krishna is best kept away from Kohli. He has a strike-rate of 208 against the quick.
  

  Stats that matter

  • Kohli needs 56 to become the first to reach 6000 IPL runs. He also loves facing Knight Riders. Since IPL 2018, they are the only team that Kohli averages 50+ against and his best strike-rate (146) too is against them. However, it’s been six games since Kohli has not got an IPL fifty, his second-worst streak since IPL 2015.
  • Royal Challengers are Russell’s favourite IPL opponents. He has scored 339 runs in 152 balls at an average of 48.4 and a strike-rate of 223 against them. He is also the Knight Riders’ best finisher with the ball since IPL 2018, with 18 wickets and collecting one every 9.7 deliveries in the final four overs.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal has been wicketless this season, conceding 70 runs in eight overs.
    

Upul Tharanga has been coming in at No. 7 against England after brief appearances at No. 8 and No. 9 in Ireland. It seems an odd job for a 31-year-old who has played as an opener in 156 of his 185 ODIs to date

Alan Gardner at The Oval28-Jun-2016When Upul Tharanga first toured England a decade ago, he opened the batting with such devastating élan that he amassed 347 runs at 69.40 in Sri Lanka’s 5-0 whitewash. Five years later, he scored an unbeaten century against the same opponents to complete a ruthless 10-wicket victory in the World Cup quarter-final.This time around, however, rather than furrowing his brow to face down the new ball, Tharanga has been asked to do a job down the order, coming in at No. 7 against England after brief appearances at No. 8 and No. 9 in Ireland. It seems an odd job for a 31-year-old who has played as an opener in 156 of his 185 ODIs to date but it is one that Tharanga says he is happy to do.”I’ve done it before, for 10-15 games, in Australia and Sri Lanka. So it is not something new to me,” he said before the fourth match of the series, at The Kia Oval. “Most of my career I have batted as a top-order batsman but it is good, I am enjoying it. It is up to the management, what they need from me. At the moment, they need me to bat in the middle order, so I’m happy to help the team. Lots of players are new players, so we have to give them experience and advice also.”With Sri Lanka still looking to rebuild their one-day side after the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene last year, it seems that Tharanga has been identified as the man to provide some nous in the latter part of the innings. A flowing, if inconsistent, strokeplayer, he has had to try and learn a few new tricks in order to fill the brief, and innings of 53 not out off 49 balls and 40 off 33 at Edgbaston and Bristol respectively have hinted at promise without quite banishing the suspicion he might be better utilised.The half-century was his first significant score for Sri Lanka since making 174 not out (opening the batting) against India in Kingston almost three years ago. The selectors lost patience with him again soon after, with nine more appearances accruing haphazardly across 2014 and 2015, and Tharanga now appears willing to fulfil whatever role is required of him in order to continue a career that has reaped 13 ODI hundreds – more than any Englishman.”If I bat from the 30th over, I think I can play my normal game. If I go in for the last few overs, obviously I have to change my game. In the nets I’m trying different things,” he said.”As a cricketer, I always want to play for my country. In the last few years, I am in and out of the team. So I am happy to be here. The last domestic season, I did well, so that’s why I got the opportunity – even batting six-seven. So I’m happy to do something for my country.”Tharanga’s success in the first-class Premier League tournament, in which he scored 803 runs at 61.76, came while batting in the top order, as did his impressive performances more recently in the Dhaka Premier League. But with Tillakaratne Dilshan absent from the tour of England, Sri Lanka have preferred Kusal Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka as openers, followed by another international greenhorn in Kusal Mendis at No. 3.Tharanga’s advice for how Sri Lanka could put England under greater pressure in the final two ODIs was for someone higher up to go on to a match-defining score – though it was delivered sincerely, without any sense of implied criticism. Sri Lanka have yet to beat England across three Tests and three ODIs but could still turn around and win the series. “As a batting unit, we need to concentrate, put on big partnerships and big scores,” he said.”I came for the one-day tournament and, as a team, I think we are in really good shape. Even though we lost the game, I think our batsmen are doing really well – we only need a big score. The last few games, everyone got 40, 50. That’s why we are getting 250-260. As a batting unit we need someone in the top four to get a big score. If we can get that we can get 300. The bowlers are going a good job, the wickets are good for batting. We someone to get a big score.”

Nottinghamshire have made a significant double signing by bringing Andre Russell and Imran Tahir to the club

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2016Nottinghamshire have made a significant double signing by bringing Andre Russell and Imran Tahir to the club.Russell, who was part of West Indies’ victorious World T20 squad, will be available for four NatWest T20 Blast – home and away against Derbyshire, plus trips to Yorkshire and Worcestershire – before heading to the Caribbean Premier League.”With his batting, bowling and fielding taken into consideration, Andre is one of the leading T20 players in the world right now, and he keeps proving it at big tournaments,” Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell said. “Wayne Noon worked with him during the Big Bash League where the two of them struck up a good relationship, so we know he’ll fit well into our dressing room.”Tahir, the South Africa legspinner, who had a brief spell with Nottinghamshire last season, will then join for the last seven matches of the group stage and is also expected to be available for six County Championship matches which will be a boost for Nottinghamshire who have won just one out of seven four-day games so far.”We’ve seen many times how valuable a world class leg-spinner can be, in all formats of the game,” Newell said. “Having him available will also allow us to make the most of some of the drier pitches in four day cricket at the back end of the summer.”He can be a threat on any surface, but throw him the ball on something that’s offering turn & bounce and he could be a real match winner for us at a pivotal point of the season.”Newell also said that Tahir will play a valuable mentoring role for the club’s spinners, Samit Patel, Matthew Carter, Sam Wood and Connor Marshall.

Former Australia captain says next game which was at opener’s home ground SCG would have been the time to go out on a high

Andrew McGlashan05-Mar-2023Ricky Ponting believes David Warner missed the ideal time to retire from Test cricket after his double-century against South Africa at the MCG and suggested the World Test Championship final might be a one-off chance for him to prove he should play the Ashes.Warner left Australia’s current tour of India after the second Test in Delhi where he was subbed out of the match with concussion and also picked up a hairline fracture in his elbow.His double hundred in his 100th Test at the MCG came amid ongoing talk about his form and Ponting is of the view that the next game which was at the SCG would have been the time to go out on a high.Related

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• Australia's WTC final squad – Will David Warner keep his place?

• 'I've got the next 12 months' – Warner defiant over Test future

“Look, I was on radio a couple of days ago, back here in Australia, and I thought the absolute best time for Davey to retire, if he was thinking about it at all, was after the Sydney Test match here in Australia,” Ponting told the podcast.”He’d just played his 100th Test in Melbourne, and obviously got 200 in the first innings down there. And to bow out in front of his home crowd is obviously the way that every player would like to finish their careers.”Who knows now that opportunity might not come around again for Davey, you know. That’s nearly another 12 months away.”Ponting expects Warner to feature in the WTC final at The Oval in June, which will be against either India or Sri Lanka, but sees it as a crucial outing to determine whether he features in the Ashes. Warner has an underwhelming record in England with an average of 26.04 from 13 Tests.”I think they’ll definitely want to play him in the World Test Championship match,” he said. “They have got some really big decisions to make, leading into the Ashes as well. A bit like some of the selection issues they had coming to India.”They’re probably going to have similar things to think about when they get to the UK because David’s record in the UK is not as strong as it is in some other places around the world.”However, Ponting added that Warner deserved to finish his Test career on his terms.”I think his career deserves to finish the way he wants it to,” he said. “Sort of not to be dropped or tapped on the shoulder in the middle of an overseas tour and have his career end in that way. That’s why I just hope he can find it within himself to score a lot of runs between now and next summer.”Travis Head was promoted to open in Warner’s place for the second innings in Delhi and continued the role in Indore with success. However, he is not viewed as a permanent successor given his influence in the middle order although may do the role again on the subcontinent.”We’ll see where that lands in terms of the future but I see him [Head] as an incredible middle order player as well,” coach Andrew McDonald said. “He can shift the momentum of the game in the middle order and I don’t think we want to take that away from this team. I think he can get on the back of others’ work at the top of the order in different conditions.”Cameron Bancroft has enjoyed a prolific domestic season for Western Australia and will be in the frame for a spot in the WTC final and Ashes squads.Marcus Harris is another contender should an opening vacancy arrive.

Dan Christian will return for Nottinghamshire in the 2017 NatWest Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2016Dan Christian, who averaged 41 with an explosive strike rate of 159.51 as Notts Outlaws won nine matches in a row in last year’s NatWest T20 Blast, has signed on for 2017. Christian captained Notts to Finals Day, where they lost to eventual winners Northamptonshire.Christian, 33, will fill the first of two overseas player positions throughout the revamped competition, which will take place predominantly in a more condensed format in July and August.Among the former Australia international’s three T20 half-centuries last summer was a 16-ball cameo against Leicestershire Foxes that equalled Alex Hales’ record for the Outlaws’ fastest fifty in T20 cricket.”Dan is an explosive player who hits the ball miles and played really well for us last year,” Nottinghamshire head coach, Peter Moores, said. “He’s also been around the T20 scene and around cricket for a long time. He brings all that experience to us, as well as a real calmness under pressure.”Christian’s white-ball record includes 34 appearances for his country, a decade of experience in Australia’s Big Bash competitions, campaigns with Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, and county spells with Hampshire, Gloucestershire and Middlesex. His T20 career spans 174 appearances, 2549 runs at a batting index of 154.05 and 130 wickets at 29.92 apiece.In the Big Bash last season, he struck one of the biggest sixes ever seen at the Gabba, playing for Hobart Hurricanes against Brisbane Heat, when he deposited a ball 117m on to the stand roof.”Anybody who has met Dan will know he’s a brilliant team man,” Moores said. “He’s a great character to have around and that competitive nature that you find in a lot of Australians is certainly in him. He gives everything and expects the same from his team-mates. He likes to get on the front foot, to be aggressive and to play attacking cricket, which is exactly what we want in that form of the game.”