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Nida Dar’s fifty in vain as Ireland secure just their third win over Pakistan in 16 T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2022An all-round show from Orla Prendergast backed up by a measured half-century from Gaby Lewis helped Ireland get past Pakistan by six wickets in the first T20I in Lahore.The hosts, choosing to bat, started their innings on the wrong foot as Prendergast cut a swathe through the Pakistan top order, striking three times in the first seven overs. Muneeba Ali fell off the third ball of the innings, caught behind for a duck, while captain Bismah Maroof departed for 17. Javeria Khan fell just after the powerplay, for a labourious 4 off 16 balls.It needed the experience of Nida Dar, who struck a 43-ball 61, to dig Pakistan out of their hole. She got good support from Aliya Riaz with the duo adding 57 runs for the fifth wicket. Riaz and Ayesha Naseem then provided the finish, helping Pakistan post 135 for 5.Ireland’s chase too did not have the best of starts with Dar doing the damage with the ball too to send back Amy Hunter in the second over but Lewis kept the visitors chugging along. The opener struck an unbeaten 69 off 54 balls to steer her side home.She added 55 for the second wicket with Prendergast, who made 39 off just 25 balls, and then 44 runs for the fourth wicket with Eimear Richardson. Ireland lost a couple of quick wickets in the middle phase, but Lewis held her end up all through. She ensured the required rate never got out of hand and found the boundary at regular intervals.Lewis hit the winning runs in the 19th over, as Ireland finished the job with eight balls to spare. Prendergast was named Player of the Match for her all-round efforts. This was just the third win for Ireland over Pakistan in T20Is, in 16 attempts.

The concern surrounding the pitches in this season’s BPL is getting louder as the tournament heads towards the more important stages

Mohammad Isam07-Dec-2015The concern surrounding the pitches in this season’s BPL is getting louder as the tournament heads towards the more important stages. There has been regular help for the bowlers, who have benefited from the two-paced nature of surfaces, and increasingly the toss has gained importance.In the first 24 games, 13 teams won after winning the toss and out of those, nine had decided to bowl first. Comilla Victorians have been the biggest beneficiary, winning four games after opting to chase. Among those who batted first overall, teams have been shot out for sub-100 totals four times including scores of 58, 59, 82 and 89. The first two scores came in the last two days.At the start of the tournament, the problem was for teams playing in the evening game on the same pitch that the afternoon match was played. Rangpur Riders captain Shakib Al Hasan said that the pitches were getting weary too quickly and the teams batting second were having to deal with lower bounce and more turn.The pitches in Chittagong were much better, offering everyone a chance. When Evin Lewis made the tournament’s only century, he was playing through the line consistently and connecting too. There was a feeling that perhaps the pitches there were also two-paced but it ultimately evened out in the day’s second match.The return to Dhaka has again been tough, particularly in foggy weather, and the lack of sun has meant moisture has not evaporated as quickly as it usually does in the afternoon. It has made the pitches softer, making it harder for those batting first.The improved run-making in Chittagong saw teams scoring 140 on average batting first, at 7.02 per over, after the first 12 games in Dhaka yielded an average score of 136 batting first, at 6.91 per over. However, in the four games since the tournament moved back to Dhaka on December 6, the first-innings average score has dipped to 89 at a rate of just 5.29 per over.Comilla Victorians beat Barisal Bulls by seven wickets by restricting them to 105 for 6 after deciding to bowl and their captain Mashrafe Mortaza admitted that teams would be more inclined to field first on these “unpredictable” pitches despite short boundaries.”It is hard to score runs when you try to force it,” Mashrafe said. “These wickets are very unpredictable. Every team is looking to field first. Maybe they pulled in the boundary ropes because we were playing on the wicket on the other corner but it might also be to increase the run-making. But it is still very hard for the batsmen.”Barisal paceman Rayad Emrit said that the pitch was not ideal. “It is not the best of wickets for T20. It is very difficult to start for a batter and to bat first, especially,” he said. “We batted first in both games and you see the results.”They are probably trying to compensate for the wicket. It is not a wicket where you can go out and play shots. Maybe they are trying to get the fans involved, T20 is about runs. It is always a batter’s game and obviously the bowlers have to adjust quickly. If we had got 120-130, it would have been a different game.”Barisal have been guilty of playing poorly in the last two games despite the arrival of Chris Gayle to pair up with Lewis, who hasn’t made a significant contribution since his unbeaten 101 against Dhaka Dynamites. “We’ve lost two games back to back,” Emrit said. “It is a bit of a concern now. We have a strong top-order but we are very inconsistent in our batting. Our bowlers have done a terrific job. We know how dangerous the guys at the top are, as long as they get off.”While Barisal can take solace from knowing that Gayle coming good could solve their batting troubles, Sylhet Superstars exited the tournament by getting bowled out in the least number of overs in the BPL’s short history. On the previous day they had won the toss and bowled out Barisal for 58. On Monday they were bowled out for 59, after Rangpur decided to bowl first. The BPL isn’t for batsmen, at least from what we have seen on the 12 matchdays so far.

Afghanistan wore a dazed look playing less than 24 hours after the heartbreak against Pakistan

Sidharth Monga08-Sep-2022Even Virat Kohli was shocked it came in this format. One-thousand-twenty days and 83 international innings since he last scored a hundred, Kohli got his elusive No. 71 in a T20 international against Afghanistan in India’s final match of the Asia Cup. Given the opportunity to open the innings in the absence of the resting captain, Rohit Sharma, Kohli played a vintage innings, going from 10 off 10 to 50 off 32 and then scoring 63 off the last 21 balls he played. Bhuvneshwar Kumar then returned figures of 4-1-4-5 with each-way swing to leave Afghanistan reeling.Playing less than 24 hours after the heartbreak against Pakistan, Afghanistan wore a dazed look. They dropped three relatively easy catches, and looked like they had no response when Kohli went on the offensive. And Bhuvneshwar didn’t need to set batters up. Outswingers took edges, inswingers smashed the stumps, and slower balls were chipped to fielders.New opening pair takes time and then goes bang

The match started with the energy of a dead rubber. India made three changes, and it would have been tough for Afghanistan to get up and dust themselves in a match they didn’t have anything to play for. The first two overs went quietly by, but in the third KL Rahul began to push India’s intent. Kohli took apart Mujeeb Ur Rahman in the sixth, coming down the wicket and reaching the pitch of the ball to negate his mystery, and also employing the rare sweep. Soon he had overtaken Rahul.In the eighth over came a pivotal moment of the match: Kohli mis-hit a pull of Mohammad Nabi, but Ibrahim Zadran misjudged the space behind him, ending up going one-handed and tapping the ball over the boundary.Rahul falls but Kohli keeps accelerating
Rahul tried to push the scoring rate up, followed in Kohli’s steps with a fifty and just when he was looking dangerous and poised for his typical steep acceleration, he mistimed a pull down the ground for a catch to long-on. Suryakumar Yadav began with a six first ball but played on the second ball. Rishabh Pant then struggled to get going.Bhuvneshwar Kumar celebrates Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s wicket•AFP/Getty Images

At the other end, Kohli was now into the death overs, still fresh and his eye in. This is where he gets dangerous in T20 cricket. This is a phase he has been trying to get into in T20 cricket for a while, but he has not been able to.Kohli then unleashed punishment on Afghanistan. He gave Rashid Khan the charge and hit a six, which is not easy to do. Then the left-arm quicks Fareed Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi were taken apart. The hundred came with a flat six via a pull to a short-of-a-length delivery. He then kissed his wedding ring to acknowledge the support and love of the person who showed him perspective during this century drought, his wife Anushka.In the final over, it looked like Kohli was just showing off. There was a charge and a flick for a six, a no-look pull for a six, and then the extra-cover drive along the ground for four.Bhuvneshwar runs through the batting

Things were only about to go worse for Afghanistan. Bhuvneshwar’s fourth ball was the perfect delivery: pitching on leg stump, swinging against the angle, hitting Hazratullah Zazai in front of leg stumps and would have gone on to hit leg stump. Two balls later, he swung the ball the other way and went through the gate Rahmanullah Gurbaz presented.In his second over, Bhuvneshwar produced the outswinger-inswinger trick again. Karim Janat edged to slip, and Najibullah Zadran was late on an inswinger, trapped right in front.Bowling four on the trot, Bhuvneshwar had Azmatullah Omarzai chip a slower ball straight to short cover. The five-for reduced Afghanistan to 21 for 6.Ibrahim then scored a fifty but that was only delaying the inevitable.

Surrey remained in total control of their LV= Division Two match at Old Trafford and by the close of third day had set Lancashire 492 to win and thereby achieve the most unlikely of victories

ECB/PA16-Sep-2015
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara’s 118 led Surrey to their declaration•Getty Images

Surrey remained in total control of their LV= Division Two match at Old Trafford and by the close of third day had set Lancashire 492 to win and thereby achieve the most unlikely of victories. Should Surrey’s bowlers dismiss the home side they will clinch the title less than 48 hours before they play Gloucestershire in the final of the Royal London Cup.Having dismissed Lancashire for 272 in their first innings, Surrey skipper Gareth Batty opted not to enforce the follow-on but allowed his batsmen free rein to make 283 for 7 declared in their second innings, Kumar Sangakkara stroking a superb 118. Lancashire were 22 without loss in their second innings at close of play.In the morning session Surrey took Lancashire’s last five first-innings wickets for the addition of 131 runs with the last pair, James Anderson and Simon Kerrigan adding 65 for the last wicket before Anderson was bowled by Tom Curran for 42. Kerrigan remained unbeaten on 23.Earlier in the session, spectators at Old Trafford had been given another glimpse of the precocious talent of 17-year-old Sam Curran.After his brother, Tom, had taken the vital wicket of Ashwell Prince, caught by first slip Sangakkara for 45, the younger Curran removed Jordan Clark leg before for 29 and Tom Bailey, yorked first ball to collect the second five-wicket haul of his five-match career.Then Arron Lilley was caught at midwicket by Matt Dunn off Gareth Batty for 33 before Kerrigan was joined by Anderson in a stand which saw Lancashire collect their second batting bonus point. Sam Curran finished with a career-best 5 for 67.In their second innings Surrey’s batsmen were frequently able to score at will, particularly Sangakkara, who reached his hundred off 115 balls with 13 fours.Surrey were 161 for 2 at tea and the two wickets to fall were those of Ben Foakes, who was leg before to Tom Bailey for 14, and Rory Burns, who was caught at midwicket by James Anderson off Simon Kerrigan for 44.In the evening session Surrey traded wickets for runs and Lancashire skipper Steven Croft collected four cheap wickets for 35 runs in seven overs. No batsmen apart from Sangakkara scored more than fifty but Gary Wilson was 30 not out when Batty finally declared.Lancashire have never scored more than 404 to win in the fourth innings of a game and the chances of them winning this game are on the far side of slim. By close of play the Division Two trophy was on its way to Old Trafford in case Surrey are able to force a victory on the final afternoon

Stephen Eskinazi’s 65* gives his side a chance but hosts win thriller in Bristol with one ball to spare

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2022Glenn Phillips went out on a high, scoring a brilliant 52 from 39 balls as Gloucestershire successfully chased a victory target of 164 with one ball to spare to defeat Middlesex by five wickets in a dramatic finish to their final Vitality Blast match of the season at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.Overseas star Phillips and Jack Taylor added 81 for the fifth wicket in nine overs as the home side recovered from 73 for 4 in the 11th over to set-up a grandstand finish. And Benny Howell finished things off in fine style, hitting Tom Helm for six off the penultimate ball to snatch a victory that sees Gloucestershire finish fifth in the South Group.Middlesex earlier won the toss and raised 163 for 4, Matt Holden contributing a quickfire 37 and Stephen Eskinazi posting a useful 65 not out. But Howell and Tom Smith returned tidy figures to keep the visitors within sight, both taking a wicket and conceding just 45 runs in eight overs between them.Holden provided Middlesex with a turbo-charged start to their innings, crashing 37 from 19 balls and dominating an opening stand of 57 in 4.3 overs with Eskinazi. The left-hander combined clean hitting with clever improvisation to accrue half a dozen fours and a six, taking advantage of some loose bowling to help the visitors raise 50 from 23 balls.Gloucestershire held their nerve, weathered the early storm and breathed a collective sigh of relief when Holden miss-timed a drive off Phillips and holed out to Tom Price at long-off. Smith had Joe Cracknell held at backward square leg on his way to figures of 1 for 22 from four overs, while Howell bowled John Simpson to reduce Middlesex to 74 for 3 in the ninth, at which point three wickets had fallen for the addition of 18 runs in four overs.Playing a captain’s innings, Eskinazi set his sights on carrying his bat, sharing a stand of 64 in 8.5 overs with Josh De Caires to repair the damage and at least ensure Middlesex posted a competitive total. It may not have been spectacular fare – his 50 occupied 46 balls – but his innings exerted a steadying influence upon a team that has struggled to find a winning formula in the short format this summer.Attempting to force the issue in the closing overs, De Caires skied Jack Taylor to Howell at short extra cover for 24 as Gloucestershire’s bowlers kept a lid on things, Howell returning impressive figures of 1 for 23 from four overs. Eskinazi finished unbeaten on 65 from 55 balls, managing just two fours and two of sixes in a pragmatic knock which proved effective rather than memorable.Gloucestershire’s reply made a stuttering start, openers George Scott and Chris Dent departing cheaply in a six-over powerplay that saw the hosts limp to 38 for 2 in the face of nagging accuracy from Max Harris and Tom Helm. Harris then accounted for James Bracey, the Bristolian holing out to deep mid-wicket in pursuit of a second successive maximum as the hosts slipped to 52 for 3 in the eighth over.Phillips and Miles Hammond advanced the score to 72 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire required a further 92 runs to win at 9.2 an over. Under pressure to accelerate, Hammond promptly pulled Thilan Walallawita to deep mid-wicket as Middlesex further turned the screw. Chris Green, Luke Hollman and Walallawita took the pace off to good effect during the middle part of the innings as the required rate climbed to above ten an over for the first time.In his last appearance for Gloucestershire before teaming up with the New Zealand tourists, Phillips responded by driving Walallawita for six over long-on and then plundering another leg-side maximum off Jason Behrendorff, while Taylor played second fiddle and rotated the strike expertly to keep the home side in the hunt.With 31 needed off three overs and the fifth wicket pair well-established, Gloucestershire must have fancied their chances of completing the job. Pacing his innings to perfection, Phillips smashed Helm back over his head for a straight six as the target came down to 21 off two overs.Phillips went to 50 via 37 balls, but Green conceded just eight runs off the penultimate over, leaving Gloucestershire to score 13 off the last to win. Helm responded magnificently under pressure, having Phillips caught at deep mid-wicket to put the outcome in doubt. But Howell remained cool, crashing the penultimate delivery for an almighty six over long-on to win the day.

India’s captain MS Dhoni believes that the presence of an extra fielder outside the ring during the slog overs has made it “difficult” for batsmen to find the “big shots”

Alagappan Muthu in Chennai22-Oct-20151:51

Dhoni on the effects of the new ODI rules

One-day cricket in India appears to have been given a makeover according to MS Dhoni. A total less than 300 could still be match-winning, and the back end of an innings might actually end up as one of the lowest phases of run-scoring.Dhoni’s reasons: the ball goes soft, so it does not come onto the bat, and therefore stroke-play becomes hard. Also, dry pitches and outfields ensure the ball gets scuffed up and offers reverse swing. And finally, the option of having an additional fielder on the boundary – five instead of the earlier four – means big shots will not necessarily fetch big runs.”Now as we are seeing in the 40th to 50th [overs], it’s not easy just to go in and slam the big shots and get 80-90 runs. You’ll see most of the sides saying, ‘Last 10, if you are chasing, you shouldn’t have more than 65 runs or 70 runs’. That also you have to have a good day,” Dhoni explained.For context, in the last 10 overs in Chennai, India made 69 and lost five wickets. South Africa hit 64 and lost three. A similar break-up happened in Rajkot as well: India 67 for 4, and South Africa 60 for 3. Only once has a team scored over 100 runs in this period, with AB de Villiers at the helm in Kanpur.”But it may change, depending on the wicket, the amount of reverse swing that the bowlers are getting [here] if it’s not there then maybe they will score a bit more. Or if the bowlers don’t execute well. But on a good day, when they are bowling well, it will be very difficult to get something like 80 or 90 in 10 overs. That used to be the case with the previous rules.”Dhoni believes slow pitches will allow bowlers a lot more margin for error in the slog overs. He feels more teams will stop drilling their bowlers to deliver inch-specific yorkers and will follow a “new strategy” of bowling length and back-of-a-length deliveries to curb the batsmen. Having extra protection in the deep has also helped in that regard.”And more than the short deliveries, it’s the length deliveries that’s more difficult to hit because with the reverse swing, the bowlers they can actually cramp you. Even the ones that are short, they are short enough but they don’t get to the same height [as the batsman is expecting] which means you have to take that risk of playing the big shot. So it’s like the new strategy that has been put by a lot of sides.”On a slower wicket, it’s not easy to play the big shots and these are the bigger outfields. And that scuffed up ball, it doesn’t come off the wicket so when you dig in short you have to play the big shot and it’s not easy to always clear the boundary. So with the new rule changes, with that extra fielder outside, the batters who come after especially the 40th over, straight away if they are supposed to go in and play the big shot they’ll find it difficult.”Bowl just back of a length, slip in the odd yorkers, but as of now on these conditions and these wickets, it’s something that’s really working. But it’s important to be ready with a plan B because it will work but you don’t know how long it will work because batsmen will also look to try and get new ways of scoring runs and you may not get the same kind of reverse swing in every game. The ball won’t get scuffed up in every game so all of a sudden, when you play on a wicket with a bit more pace, you can use the pace of the fast bowler. In smaller outfields, maybe the fast bowler will find it slightly difficult to have the same strategy.”

The allrounder had earlier wanted to skip the series to play in the IPL, but he went unsold at the auction

Mohammad Isam28-Feb-2022BCB president Nazmul Hassan has claimed that Shakib Al Hasan has agreed to play in the Test series against South Africa next month. In a press briefing following Bangladesh’s third ODI against Afghanistan in Chattogram, Nazmul said they had spoken following the match and settled the issue.”Shakib gave us a letter saying that he wants a six-month break from Tests,” Nazmul said. “When we asked him, he said that he will miss Tests against South Africa and Sri Lanka because of the IPL. I replied that you have to play against Sri Lanka, to which he agreed. Now that he is not going to the IPL, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t play the Test series in South Africa. So forget about it. This is no longer in my mind. The IPL was preventing him from playing [the two Test series], but now he will play [both series].Related

• Shakib: 'Playing in all three formats is close to impossible'

“Listen, we spoke from a distance after the match today. I can’t go near him (due to the managed event environment). I told him, I will speak to you after you come back from South Africa. He smiled and said, ‘As you say.’ As far as I am concerned, he will play [the Tests in South Africa]. He never said he won’t play. He only mentioned the IPL, so there’s no point talking about it.”Any player can refuse to play any format. I have no problem with that. But they have to tell me. He told me [that he doesn’t want to play Tests against South Africa and Sri Lanka] due to the IPL. Now that it (participation in the IPL) is not happening, I don’t see any other option.”A few hours earlier, the BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus had said Shakib would sit down with Nazmul “within the next couple of days” to discuss his plans for Test cricket. Shakib had previously written to the BCB saying he would not be available for Test cricket for the coming six months, but things became less clear after the allrounder went unsold at the IPL auction two weeks ago.”Shakib had given a letter saying that he won’t be available to play Tests for six months,” Yunus said. “The scenario has changed since he won’t be playing in the IPL. He said that he will sit with the board president after the ongoing ODI series [against Afghanistan] to discuss the matter.”He won’t just talk about the South Africa series [the Test-leg of which starts on March 30]. Basically we will ask him for his plan for this year. There have been media reports that he doesn’t want to play Tests, but we know that he wants to play Tests.”Yunus said that Shakib will be given the latitude to tell them about his preferences rather than being forced to play in any format. The BCB began this practice last year, when it asked centrally contracted players about their format-specific plans.”It is not a matter of pick and choose. He might have some problems, so we will consider him if he tells us that he wants to play a certain number of matches in a format,” Yunus said. “Nobody is bound to play every match. The BCB is not an organisation where we consider players as mere employees. They are also stakeholders. They have the freedom to discuss how many matches they want to play.”Shakib skipped the Test series against New Zealand last month, the third time he took leave from a series citing personal reasons. The first time he took such a leave of absence was during the tour of South Africa in 2017-18, and then he skipped the Sri Lanka Tests last year due to his IPL commitments.Since the 2017-18 South Africa series, Shakib has played only 30% of Bangladesh’s Tests, the reasons for his absences including injury, his one-year suspension for not reporting a corrupt approach, and personal reasons.The article was updated at GMT 1402 following Nazmul Hassan’s press briefing.

Captain praises McCullum’s influence as England seek repeat performance at Trent Bridge

Andrew Miller09-Jun-2022Ben Stokes, England’s captain, expects the feelgood factor from last week’s victory in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s to carry over to Trent Bridge this week, as he reminded his players to keep having “as much fun as you possibly can” in an England shirt.Stokes himself made an important half-century in England’s run-chase at Lord’s, before Joe Root’s unbeaten century sealed a gripping match by five wickets. But even if England had lost, the team’s new positive vibe was notable through the four days of the game, from the returning veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad right through to the debutant seamer Matt Potts.And for Stokes, to secure a victory for England in the first Test of his new partnership with head coach Brendon McCullum was a major boost, especially after a bleak run in which the side had won just one match out of 17 over the previous 15 months.”It’s fantastic,” Stokes told Sky Sports. “To come into the second game here with the win under our belts straightaway, with me being captain and Brendon as coach, it’s obviously better than losing.”But one of the great things that I found out is just how much fun it’s been,” he added. “Sometimes with the pressures of being an international cricketer, and going out and delivering performances on a weekly basis, [things] can get challenging, but we’re playing for England, we’re doing a job that we all grew up just playing as a hobby.”And I think everyone’s just really enjoyed themselves, because at the end of the day, when you’re playing for your country, the first and foremost thing is just to make sure you have as much fun as you possibly can.”It’s a far cry from the careworn approach that England took to their cricket over the previous year, most particularly during the Ashes when the side was still having to deal with the restrictions of Covid bubbles, not to mention a run of sapping defeats.For Stokes himself, however, the upbeat attitude is particularly encouraging to see, given his well-publicised struggles in 2021, when a badly broken finger caused him to take an indefinite break from the game and led him to fear whether he would ever be fit enough to play at the highest level again.”You don’t get many greater honours than to represent your country, and if it’s not fun and enjoyable, then it’s probably time to call it a day,” he said.The lighthearted approach was visible during an intra-squad football match during training, with McCullum and James Foster, England’s wicketkeeping coach, taking up residence between the posts for a penalty shoot-out.”I shouted out to [McCullum] I can see why he gave up,” Stokes joked. “It was a bit harder to get past [Foster] than Baz. But that energy that Baz has brought has just been a lift for everyone. It’s just been great having his enthusiasm and his energy around the group.”With no Trent Bridge Test in the schedule for next year’s Ashes, this week’s contest could yet turn out to be a home-ground swansong for one of Nottinghamshire’s finest, Broad. Stokes, however, doesn’t expect Broad to need any extra motivation to give his all to the cause, especially after his critical intervention on the third morning at Lord’s, when three wickets including a run-out fell in the space of three balls in his third over of the day.Related

• Ben Stokes: 'This is what me and Brendon are trying to work towards'

• Matt Parkinson retained in England squad for Trent Bridge with Jack Leach doubtful

• Colin de Grandhomme ruled out of England Test series through injury

• Jack Leach returns to Test team after concussion substitution

• No let-up in prospect as England, New Zealand lock horns again at Trent Bridge

“I don’t think he needs much inspiration,” Stokes said. “Every time he wears the three lions, he goes out there and tries to give it his all. He and James [Anderson] set the example last week. It was great to see two guys, who have accomplished amazing things on the field for England, charging in like they did last week. It was inspiring for even myself, as well as all the younger lads, so I hope they can do the same again this week.”[Broad] loves playing at Trent Bridge,” he added. “It’s where he’s played all his cricket since he moved from Leicester, and he’s got some great memories here, probably the best one is his 8 for 15 against Australia. But every time you walk onto the field playing for England at your home county is very special.”Stokes himself had caused some concern about his fitness with an uncomfortable stint during England’s nets session on Wednesday, but confirmed he will be fit to play a full part as an allrounder.”It’s just body stiffness, wear and tear,” he said. “It’s just about being more sensible in our training, because when you get out there and cross that line, you obviously want to do everything that you can to help win a game for England.”Despite England’s victory at Lord’s – their first in eight Tests against New Zealand – Stokes acknowledged that their opponents were perfectly capable of battling back in the remainder of the series, both this week and at Headingley in the third Test.”We’re very evenly matched with New Zealand, especially in English conditions,” he said. “Any overheads suit both our bowling attacks so we know that every time we go up against New Zealand it’s never an easy ride. The game pretty much went to the wire until day four. And we don’t expect anything less [this time].”

Hogan, Neser make early inroads to keep momentum going Glamorgan’s way

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2022Durham 311 and 39 for 2 (Lees 12*, Potts 2*) trail Glamorgan 365 (Root 88, Neser 62, Carlson 53, Northeast 51, Potts 4-61, Raine 4-61) by 15 runsBilly Root orchestrated a Glamorgan fightback on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two match against Durham at the Riverside.Root dragged his team out of trouble at 163 for 7 with a fine innings of 88 to defy the Durham bowlers. Sam Northeast, Kiran Carlson and Michael Neser also scored half-centuries, but it was the visitors’ lower order that frustrated the hosts, adding 202 runs for the final three wickets.Matthew Potts and Ben Raine took four wickets apiece, but Durham’s bowling in the afternoon outside of the duo was below-par, allowing the Welsh outfit to accumulate a healthy lead of 54. Michael Hogan and Neser nipped out Sean Dickson and Keegan Petersen to leave the hosts in trouble in their second innings still 15 runs behind.Resuming on 31 for 2, Glamorgan looked to make headway into Durham’s first-innings total, but were pegged back from the seventh ball of the day as Scott Borthwick took a diving catch at second slip to dismiss David Lloyd after Chris Rushworth found his outside edge. Marnus Labuschagne took 19 deliveries to get off the mark, and did not seem comfortable at the crease. His stay lasted a further three balls before he played across the line and was pinned lbw by Raine.Northeast provided the early resistance and marched towards his fifty at a good rate, striking Rushworth for three-straight boundaries. The 32-year-old notched his fourth half-century of the campaign, but failed to kick on for his first ton of 2022, edging behind to Ned Eckersley for 51 as Rushworth had his revenge. Carlson followed the mantra of Northeast to put the pressure back on the Durham bowlers. Ben Stokes’ first three overs consequently went for 29, with Carlson racing towards his half-century from 42 balls.The lunch break came at the right time for the hosts, and Potts returned with a spring in his step to bowl Carlson with the first ball after the interval. The Durham seamer claimed his fourth of the innings as Cooke was caught down the leg-side, leaving Glamorgan reeling at 163 for 7.However, Root and Neser stabilised the Glamorgan ranks, and the Australia international led the way with an aggressive approach. Neser capitalised on loose bowling from the home side to score a brisk fifty, his first in the County Championship, reaching the mark with a firm strike down the ground against Borthwick.The stand between Neser and Root surpassed 100 before Raine removed Neser for 62 to give the home side hope of earning a slender lead. Root ensured that Glamorgan secured a third batting point and then advanced beyond Durham’s first-innings total.He and Timm van der Gugten, with runner Labuschagne due to his ailing hamstring, frustrated Stokes, Carse and company in a defiant partnership of 83 for the ninth wicket. Root was on the precipice of a deserved hundred, but gave away his wicket for 88 with a loose drive off Raine, who then claimed his fourth scalp to end the Glamorgan innings.Hogan and Neser made early inroads to remove Dickson and Petersen, handing Lloyd and his team momentum to take into day three.

Stafanie Taylor believes her side has recovered from the emotional stress they went through after the narrow loss to England, while Mithali Raj hopes India can cash in on the lifeline offered to them

Shashank Kishore26-Mar-2016It is a scriptwriter’s dream. No team is through to the semi-finals going into the last day of the Group B fixtures of the Women’s World T20. West Indies could have become the first had they beaten England in Dharamsala on Thursday, but a one-wicket loss meant they had hit a road block. West Indies will draw solace from the fact that they are still in control of their fate – a win on Sunday would put them in the semi-finals – unlike India, who have to win and also hope England beat Pakistan in Chennai.Stafanie Taylor leads a side who would win most battles of on-field celebrations, but very little of their vibrant nature has been seen lately. The captain herself was crestfallen after the loss to England, but hoped the team would move on quickly.”It’s actually hard when you look back at it, but it’s already done,” Taylor said, and yet her demeanor hinted that the after-effects of such a tight match still lingered. “You cannot change anything; have to just see some positives out. We know it’s all in the game. We got a bit emotional because it came down to one wide in the last over. We kind of pulled things back after England’s good start and that is where most of us got emotional. It was almost there for the taking. We travelled yesterday and we know the vibe in the team is still good. We have a good team and could bounce back.”Taylor is “free-spirited” most times, but taking over the captaincy in September 2015 has transformed her outlook. An otherwise fearless batsman, Taylor has had to slip into the role of shepherding the batting line-up. Scores of 40, 40 and 35 in the tournament so far suggest she has been successful, but that still does little to dispel a notion that West Indies are largely reliant on her and Deandra Dottin for their runs.”We do have good talent coming through – Hayley Matthews and Shaquana Quintyne to just name a few. But the standard back home is not what we would have liked to,” Taylor said when asked if the gap between domestic and international cricket was a bridge too far. “We are trying to get to where Australia and England are. The reason why you hear a just few of our names is because we are consistent. We are trying to get players to emulate us, be as consistent as they can be.”Taylor’s opposite number Mithali Raj hoped India could cash in on a lifeline offered to them, even though they have to wait for a favour from England.”The girls realise every match is very important. We have had some slip-ups, but have another opportunity to make do with. It’s important for us to regroup and play well,” she said. “I do understand lots of them were under pressure against Pakistan, it was evident. I’m sure that experience helped them against England. They gave the team an opportunity to come back into the game. It will help us in the future. As of now, bowling and fielding, we look good. We need to work a lot on the batting.”One player can’t get you the cup. To win a World Cup you need everyone to stand up at a certain time and deliver. Yes, there is pressure on us as senior players, but there are other important players like Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy and Shikha Pandey. These are the girls that are able to cope with the pressure. So come the big game, they have to step up.”Cricket aside, both captains were also asked about the disparity in pay, a debate that hasn’t ceased even as the tournament enters the business end. While ICC has taken a few steps – like increasing the overall prize money of the women’s tournament to 400,000 USD, a 122% raise from 2014, reports of women cricketers being made to fly economy class, and not business class like their male counterparts, have fuelled the fire. Taylor was as forthcoming as she could be on the issue.”You actually hit me on the head there,” she said. “It’s a progress, for sure. We are the pioneers for the ones who are going to come after us. It’s not going to happen overnight. It will be nice if we are paid the same because we work and train as hard as the men. The support we have received has not always been great, but we hope as pioneers we have set the platform for those to follow to reap the benefits.”Raj had a contrasting view. “The game is the same, the rules are the same. Men’s cricket is looked at as an entertainment package. The input is more, so there is more money,” she said. “Here, people are trying to still catch up with women’s cricket. Maybe a year or two down the line, when it attracts more crowds, then we can talk about parity in pay.”