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Ashwin calls Australia batter ‘once in a generation cricketer’ following his maiden Test century

Andrew McGlashan10-Mar-20232:01

Tait: A bit of Jacques Kallis about Cameron Green

Cameron Green admitted his relief at crossing three figures for the first time in Test cricket while he was lauded as a “once in a generation” cricketer by R Ashwin.Five times, Green had fallen between 74 and 84 in his embryonic Test career but shortly after lunch on the second day in Ahmedabad – after a somewhat uneasy interval sat on 95 – he was able to celebrate a significant milestone.”You feel more like a Test cricketer when you’ve got that monkey off your back, so it is nice to tick that off in a way,” he said. “It’s so special.”Green was eventually dismissed when he gloved a sweep down the leg side against Ashwin. The duo first came up against each other in Green’s debut series against India in 2020-21. Ashwin joked that you only had to look at the IPL auction to know what Indian cricket thought of Green and recalled his first experience against him when Green scored a century for Australia A.Related

• Artistry and attrition combine in Ashwin spell for the ages

• Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green masterclasses take Australia to 480

• In Green, Australia have a batter who will shape their middle order for years to come

• Khawaja in the subcontinent – unselectable to indispensable

“I think he’s a fantastic player,” Ashwin said. “Just the raw materials for a person as tall as him, lovely levers, good batting sense, can bowl and really hit the deck well, moves pretty well in the field. These are once in a generation cricketers you are talking about.”I played a practice game against him at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney [on the 2020-21 tour]. From there on, I’ve been watching him bat, how well he moves to balls outside off, how well he comes down the pitch, how he sweeps the ball when he came to the subcontinent. As a bowler it’s my duty to keep a check on all these things and also try to make a plan to try and make it uncomfortable for him.”Meanwhile, Green praised the wise counsel of Usman Khawaja with who he shared a mammoth stand of 208 in 60 for the sixth wicket. Khawaja converted his overnight century into 180 before missing a flick against Axar Patel the first ball after tea. It meant he fell short of a double century for the second time in little more than two months after being left stranded on 195 when Pat Cummins declared against South Africa in Sydney.It was some early feedback from Khawaja that helped set Green up to drive so imperiously during his innings as he took a particular heavy toll on India’s two quicks.”I think speaking to Uzzy, it was probably the ball coming back in where you might get your leg caught in the way and that might be the way to get out,” Green said. “Having an experienced head down the other end, you can have these really in depth conversations and he gives you unreal info back.”So spoke to him pretty early on, he said he recommends batting on leg stump and using your bat and looking to play every ball, whether its swinging in or swinging out.”He’s an experienced head that’s played Test cricket for more than 10 years now, he’s so valuable for guys like myself and a few of the young guys in the team the way he goes about it.”After a maiden five-wicket haul against South Africa at the MCG, in the game he suffered a broken finger, this century is another early high point in a career that continues to trend upwards but Green was eager to keep things in perspective.”It’s my 20th Test so I’ve had a good chance to see the ups and downs of Test cricket, see it for what it is,” he said. “It’s an incredibly tough game, and when you get moments like that you really cherish them. I’ve seen how tough Test cricket is and I’m enjoying every second of it.”

Provisional World Cup squad due to be named soon with allrounder reportedly set to be included

Matt Roller15-Aug-2023Ben Stokes’ mooted return to ODI cricket will be top of the agenda as England’s selectors meet on Tuesday to pick a provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup in India.Matthew Mott, England’s white-ball coach, said in an interview with the that Jos Buttler, their captain, would “lead the way” on communication with Stokes, adding: “We will see if he’s keen. There has not been a clear direction on what he’s going to do yet, but we are still hopeful.”The reported on Monday that Stokes has indicated to England that he is willing to reverse his ODI retirement – which he announced last July – in order to help them defend their 50-over title in October-November, and he is now expected to be named among their provisional squad.England’s selectors meet on Tuesday and will select squads for upcoming T20I and ODI series against New Zealand, and an ODI series against Ireland. They hope to be close to full strength during the New Zealand ODIs, but will use the other series as an opportunity to test their depth. The ECB plan to name squads for the New Zealand series on Wednesday morning.They are not expected to announce their World Cup squad alongside it. The ICC requires teams to select a provisional squad by September 5 and to finalise their squads by September 28, leaving teams scope to make late changes. While England’s final squad will consist of 15 players, along with three travelling reserves, they may follow Australia’s lead in naming an initial 18-man group which they then trim down to 15 names closer to the start of the tournament.If Stokes does return, the main question facing England is whether his inclusion should come at the cost of a spare batter or a spare seamer.
All of their main white-ball seamers – including Jofra Archer, who is expected to be named in the provisional squad – have suffered injuries at some stage in the last two years, and picking Stokes alongside only five frontline seam options would be a risk.Stokes has struggled with a chronic left-knee injury and seems unlikely to be relied upon as a bowler in India, but even a part-time role with the ball would add further flexibility to a versatile squad that is likely to include several other allrounders in Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes.

The last 18 months have provided a challenging time for the men’s team

Alex Malcolm20-Aug-2021In May 2020 Australia were ranked No.1 in Tests and T20Is. The Test team had retained the Ashes away and won seven consecutive Tests at home. They had also won four consecutive T20I series including away victories in India and South Africa. Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit they have lost five consecutive T20I series and a home Test series to India with reports of tensions between coach Justin Langer and the players running rampant in the media. Here’s how it unfolded.September 2020Australia toured England for three T20Is and three ODIs with a full-strength squad, their first assignment since Covid-19 halted world cricket. In the first T20I they needed 39 runs from 39 balls with nine wickets in hand and lost. Australia also dropped the second game to lose the series but won the dead rubber. They then won the opening ODI before succumbing to another batting collapse from a winning position in game two. Langer gave the group a verbal lashing post-match for not learning from their mistakes in the opening T20I. It secured the desired response in the decider with Australia pulling off a stunning chase off the back of twin centuries from Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey to win the series, which the coach described as one of the best series wins he’s been involved in.November 2020 Australia thumped India in the first two ODIs of the home summer thanks to two masterclasses from Steve Smith to win the ODI series with a game to spare.Steven Smith made back-to-back centuries against India•Getty Images

December 2020-January 2021 Injuries and the need to rest players from the biosecure bubbles saw Australia lose the T20I series with Aaron Finch, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, and Marcus Stoinis missing matches. Australia were back to full strength for the Test series and won the first match in Adelaide when they bowled India out for 36. But they lost the series from there against a second-string India side with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and R Ashwin all missing the decider at the Gabba. Australia’s batters failed twice in Melbourne, they dropped critical catches on the final day in Sydney to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory, before the bowlers ran out of gas at the Gabba with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant engineering a famous chase to claim the series.Related

• After week of stress, Australia might only have papered over the cracks

• Cricket Australia give backing to under pressure coach Justin Langer

• Finch: Dressing room leaks about Langer 'disappointing' and 'not ideal'

• Langer addressed 'confronting' team review with squad ahead of tour

• Team rumblings are a 'wake-up call' which Langer won't ignore

February 2021 Reports emerged in the papers in Australia of tensions boiling over between the players and the coach during the Gabba Test match suggesting players were concerned about the team environment. Langer was shocked by the media reports but said it was “a wake-up call”.Australia then had to select two squads for simultaneous Test and T20I tours in South Africa and New Zealand respectively. Langer was to take charge of the Test squad while senior assistant Andrew McDonald was tasked with leading the T20I squad. A first-choice Test squad was chosen but the tour of South Africa was abandoned due to Cricket Australia’s concerns over South Africa’s biosecurity protocols. Australia lost the opening two games in New Zealand before Finch and Maxwell stood tall to level the series at 2-2. But the batting failed to fire in the decider and they lost the series 3-2.There wasn’t always much to cheer for Australia’s T20 side•Getty Images

June 2021 Langer joined the contracted players at a pre-tour camp on the Gold Coast ahead of back-to-back limited-overs tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh. The findings of an internal review into Australia’s performance against India, conducted by leadership consultant Tim Ford, were presented to the group. Langer addressed the findings with the players, something Finch described as “confronting” for the coach but Finch the meeting was successful and the group was “behind him 100 percent”.July 2021 Australia toured the West Indies for five T20Is and three ODIs minus, Warner, Cummins, Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Jhye Richardson, and Daniel Sams who all withdraw due to bio-bubble fatigue or injury following the postponement of the IPL. Australia’s selectors opted to leave Marnus Labuschagne in England and Cameron Green at home and a host of others with international experience weren’t selected. The T20I team again disintegrated from a winning position in the first game of the tour and loses the series 4-1. Finch suffered a knee injury and was forced to withdraw from the ODI series. Carey was promoted to captain one of the most inexperienced ODI teams Australia has ever fielded and they claim a series win 2-1 despite the series being interrupted due to a Covid-19 scare.Australia’s last five T20I series•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

August 2021 Australia traveled to Bangladesh without Finch who headed home to have knee surgery. Matthew Wade took over as captain but the side capitulated on difficult batting surfaces to lose the series 4-1. They would have lost 5-0 save for an onslaught from Dan Christian in the third game and were bowled out for 62 in the last match.Two days after Australia arrived home, with the players and staff in hotel quarantine, the published a report of an incident that took place in Australia’s team hotel during the Bangladesh tour. Australia team manager Gavin Dovey was involved in a heated exchange with Cricket Australia’s digital journalist who was inside the Australian team’s bio-bubble as part of the touring party. Dovey was upset that a video had been posted on Cricket Australia’s website of Bangladesh celebrating their first-ever series win over Australia. Langer, a close confidant of Dovey’s, spoke briefly but firmly to the journalist in the immediate aftermath before the pair cleared the air the following day.The report sparked a flurry of media speculation about Langer’s coaching style and of tensions between the coach and the players resurfaced. Finch said the leaks from the dressing room were “disappointing” and “not a good look.” It led Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley to issue a statement supporting Langer and confirming he would continue on through the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. Hockley and CA chairman Earl Eddings held an emergency zoom call with Australia’s three playing leaders Tim Paine, Finch, and Cummins to discuss the tensions with the coach.Paine spoke on his SEN podcast two days later vowing that the players would work with Langer for the summer ahead.

The 29-year-old batter’s toil in Pakistan’s first-class circuit attained meaning in Multan when he made a century on Test debut

Danyal Rasool15-Oct-2024Kamran Ghulam has never made any attempt to hide his desperation. All he wanted to do was play international cricket, and he would wait as long as it took. On Tuesday, 11 years on from his first-class debut, as he sat in front of the media after becoming the 13th Pakistani to score a hundred on Test debut, it is that burning desire he repeatedly recalled.”I’d been waiting for my chance a long time but I never gave up,” Ghulam, 29, said. “I had been waiting for my chance. That’s all I thought about. I kept being selected and then omitted from squads, and all I used to think about was how to take the chance I’d been given.”That thinking has paid off well. Ghulam came into the side under huge pressure as he replaced Babar Azam. The stakes were further raised by the situation he walke out to – Pakistan were 19 for 2, having lost Shan Masood and Abdullah Shafique cheaply as the England spinners threatened to run riot.”When I came to the wicket we’d lost two wickets. But I wanted to play with a positive mind like I do in first-class cricket. That was at the back of my mind, and I wanted to play my natural game.”And Ghulam’s domestic oeuvre is particularly hefty. Only 12 players have scored more runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy since he made his debut in 2013, with his average, a smidge under 50, placing him behind only Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel and Usman Salahuddin.It was what he drew on as he negotiated a tricky opening session, banking his aggressive shots before lunch, and setting the platform for a 149-run partnership with Saim Ayub that gently eased England’s grip on the game. He hung around when Ayub fell, building up another 65-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan, one in which he brought up his century with a slap over midwicket off Joe Root. By the time he fell, missing a drive off Shoaib Bashir who cleaned him up, he’d scored 118: his 17th first-class hundred.”I’ve scored a lot of first-class runs,” Ghulam said. “I didn’t care about the venue or the team, I just needed to make my debut. I knew I had a lot of hard work behind me, and thankfully that work has paid off for me.”He also acknowledged the circumstances in which he’d made his debut, paying tribute to the man he replaced in the side. “Babar is a very good player and at the back of my mind I was thinking he’s a legend, a very good player. But I thought I’d give 110% and play with a positive mindset. I knew I had to take my opportunity.””And,” he says in his vulnerable, soft spoken tone with characteristic understatement, “when it came, I did well.”

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.

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.

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 Afghanistan spinner, who played a starring role in Renegades’ only win so far this BBL season, was sanctioned by the ACB over contract issues last month

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2024Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been left out of Melbourne Renegades’ next BBL game against Melbourne Stars on Tuesday after a “change to his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) conditions”.Mujeeb, along with fast bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi, had been sanctioned by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) after expressing a desire to be left out of the central contracts list for 2024. The sanctions included no NOCs for the trio to play T20 leagues for the next two years and a revoking of any NOC they currently possess.Renegades had previously said in a statement that they had “received no communication that Mujeeb’s availability for the BBL could change from original plans” and “the club will continue to support him for the rest of the BBL season”. Today, a fresh statement was issued, saying: “Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been removed from the squad after a change to his NOC conditions made him unavailable for the match.”Related

• Naveen-ul-Haq to feature in SA20 after Afghanistan board relaxes sanctions

• Mujeeb Ur Rahman's BBL season cut short by Afghanistan Cricket Board

• ACB sanctions Mujeeb, Naveen, Farooqi for wanting to opt out of national contract

• Farooqi, Naveen in Afghanistan squad after 'demonstrating strong desire to represent country'

• Mujeeb and Fraser-McGurk lead Renegades to their first win of the season

Naveen and Farooqi have since approached the ACB and, as per the board, “demonstrated a strong desire to represent their country again”. The pair were subsequently named in Afghanistan’s 18-member squad for the ongoing T20I series against UAE, but there was no place for Mujeeb.Mujeeb played a starring role in Renegades’ first and only win of this BBL season, picking up 3 for 20 against Adelaide Strikers on December 29. He last turned out for Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup.Afghanistan are currently involved in a three-match T20I series in the UAE. They won the first T20I convincingly but lost the second by 11 runs. The third and final match of the series will be played on Tuesday.

Hero of 2022 Championship season has not played first-team cricket since saving team from relegation

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2024Liam Norwell, the former Warwickshire seamer whose final-day heroics saved the club from relegation in 2022, has been advised to retire on medical grounds after failing to recover from a series of long-standing injuries.Norwell, 32, was released by Warwickshire in August, having not made a single senior appearance since taking a career-best 9 for 62 at Edgbaston in September 2022, to beat Hampshire by five runs in a thrilling County Championship climax.His efforts kept Warwickshire in the top flight at Yorkshire’s expense, and he was rewarded with a two-year contract extension in March 2023. However, he missed that year’s entire campaign after suffering a back injury in pre-season, and though he returned to action in four second XI games in June 2024, he tore his pectoral muscle in the last of those against Worcestershire.After undergoing another operation, his contract with Warwickshire was terminated by mutual consent. Warwickshire Performance Director Gavin Larsen said at the time: “I’m gutted for Liam because I know how hard he’s tried and trained to get back to full fitness. He’s been close to making a return on a few occasions but not quite got over the line.”After finally overcoming the back injury he suffered terrible luck by tearing his pec when he looked to be getting back to his best.”Genuinely quick on his day, Norwell took a total of 347 first-class wickets, including 94 for Warwickshire. He took 49 of those at an average of 18.21 in 2021, and was included in the England Lions tour of Australia that winter. He was named as a stand-by for England’s Test tour of the Caribbean the following spring, but later revealed that a family illness would have prevented him from answering the call.”I’ve really enjoyed my time as a Bear since joining and have shared in some great team successes and memories,” Norwell said back in August. “After finding the problem, and finally overcoming my back issues during the winter, I was hoping for a productive season and being able to return to my best.”I have worked incredibly hard but this significant injury, needing surgery, was very hard to overcome. My focus now is on getting fit and healthy again, and working out what is next for my family and I.”

Kings were struggling at 51 for 4 in their chase of 139 before Chase and Jones silenced the home crowd

Deivarayan Muthu07-Oct-20242:08

Faf du Plessis: ‘We’ve been waiting for the trophy a long time’

Two months after sprinter Julien Alfred delivered St Lucia’s first Olympic medal, St Lucia’s very own Daren Sammy and his Kings gave the region its maiden CPL title, silencing a packed crowd at the Providence.The crowd had been at its loudest when Guyana Amazon Warriors reduced Kings to 51 for 4 in their chase of 139 on a slow, two-paced surface. Kings went nine overs without a single boundary. Roston Chase was battling illness. Aaron Jones was struggling so much that Sammy contemplated retiring him out. Amazon Warriors’ four-pronged spin attack had their side dreaming of back-to-back titles.Jones, however, turned the tables on them and crushed their dream. After being on 10 off 19 balls, Jones zoomed to 38 off his next 12 balls, forging an unbroken 88-run partnership with Chase, who has been with Kings for five seasons.Chase played the Marlon Samuels role, something he’s been doing for West Indies for a while, and capped a stellar week for him, in which he had also earned a CWI central contract.

Amazon Warriors slow off the blocks

After being asked to bat first on a sluggish pitch, Amazon Warriors could only manage 27 runs in the powerplay for the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (0) who had picked out mid-on in the very first over. This was the second fewest Amazon Warriors had scored in the first six overs in 13 games this season.Khary Pierre, who had spent much of his time at Trinbago Knight Riders in the shadows of Sunil Narine and Akeal Hosein, came away with 2-0-6-1 during this phase. As for Alzarri Joseph, he handcuffed Moeen Ali with wide lines before Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad had him miscuing a slog-sweep to midwicket for 14 off 20 balls. Then, in his next over, Noor also claimed the prized scalp of Shimron Hetmyer when he had him carving his stock ball to sweeper cover for 11 off nine balls.Shai Hope contributed 22 off 24 balls before Chase knocked him over with an offbreak that kept low. By the time, Noor finished his spell with figures of 4-0-19-3, Amazon Warriors were 102 for 7 in 18 overs.Noor ended the season with 22 wickets; only CPL legend Dwayne Bravo has bagged more wickets in a season (2015) in the league.Aaron Jones played a vital innings under pressure for St Lucia Kings•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Shepherd, Pretorius turn up the tempo

That Amazon Warriors eventually had a fairly competitive total on the board was down to the big-hitting of their finisher Romario Shepherd and Dwaine Pretorius, who was the Player of the Match in the CPL 2023 final. They combined for three sixes and two fours in the last two overs, which overall yielded 36 runs for Amazon Warriors.

Amazon Warriors roar back

Shepherd then struck with the new ball when he had Johnson Charles, one of the heroes for Kings this season, chopping on for seven off ten balls. After bowling that wicket-taking delivery, Shepherd walked off the field with some discomfort.Amazon Warriors’ slower bowlers then tightened the screws on Kings as Faf du Plessis, Ackeem Auguste and their New Zealand recruit Tim Seifert all fell in a space of three overs. Chase and Jones then got together but they couldn’t get the boundaries away.

Chase and Jones finish it off for Kings

After the calm, came the storm. The pair lined Moeen’s offspin up for a sequence of 6,6,4,6,4 in a 27-run 16th over. Just like that, they snatched the game from Amazon Warriors’ grasp.Jones also went after Pretorius in the next over, taking 20 runs off the 17th over. Shepherd returned to bowl, but by then the game was over for Amazon Warriors.Jones provided a throwback to his unbeaten 94 off 40 balls in the opening game of the 2024 T20 World Cup with his six-hitting and celebrated those maximums with animated fist pumps. That world tournament paved the way for Jones’ return to the CPL (as a local player through his Barbados passport) and he made it a memorable night for himself and Kings. Coach Sammy wrapping Jones up in a bear hug will be one of the most lasting images for Kings in this triumphant campaign.