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Worcestershire failed once more to secure a home quarter-final – this time falling to a six-hitting blitz from Riki Wessels

ECB Reporters Network12-Aug-2018
ScorecardWorcestershire Rapids were on the receiving end of a six-hitting blitz from Notts Outlaws opener Riki Wessels as a five wicket defeat dealt a blow to their hopes of sealing a home quarter-final in the Vitality Blast.Wessels smashed nine sixes in his 55 off just 18 balls to set the Outlaws on their way to overhauling a 192 target with 11 balls to spare.Three more came in an over from former Nottinghamshire paceman Andy Carter and the first three deliveries of Pat Brown’s opening over also received the same treatment.When he finally perished, caught on the deep square leg boundary off Brown – the competition’s leading wicket-taker – the Outlaws total stood on 72 in just the fifth over.His boundary clearing spree took the pressure off the other Outlaws batsmen as victory strengthened their chances of a top four spot.But the Rapids, already guaranteed a quarter-final place, are now involved in a three horse race with Durham Jets and Lancashire Lightning to secure a home tie in the knockout stages.The Rapids innings of 191 for 6 was based around a career best T20 performance with the bat by Brett D’Oliveira who hit 64.Rapids captain Moeen Ali, released by England from Test duty to play in this fixture, got into his stride with two sixes over mid wicket off Outlaws skipper Dan Christian. The Rapids’ half century came up in the fifth over but then three wickets fell in quick succession.Clarke (29) lofted Fletcher straight to Alex Hales at mid-on and in the same over Callum Ferguson, a century-maker in the Blast fixture at Trent Bridge last weekend, cut the ball into the hands of Samit Patel at point.It became 62 for 3 when Moeen carved a delivery from Steven Mullaney to Jake Libby on the cover boundary. D’Oliveira and Ben Cox added 52 in five overs before the Rapids wicket-keeper on 16 was caught on the square leg boundary off Mullaney.Christian returned to the attack to bowl Ross Whiteley and D’Oliveira, having struck three sixes and six fours in his 37 ball knock, departed in the same fashion to Harry Gurney.But some late aggression from Wayne Parnell, including successive sixes off the final two deliveries of the innings from Gurney, lifted the Rapids to a competitive looking total.When Nottinghamshire launched their reply, Wessels adapted an all out aggressive approach despite Hales quickly departing to Carter. After his eventual dismissal, Libby and Steven Mullaney were able to play without taking any risks in adding 49 in six overs.Brown claimed a second scalp when Mullaney skied the ball on the on side and then Jake Libby was run out after smart work by D’Oliveira after Tom Moores called him through for a single. But Moores (30) ensured there were no late scares for the Outlaws as he lofted Mooen for three sixes in the 15th over despite him becoming a third victim of Brown.

Chris Read called Alex Hales’ innings the best he had seen for Nottinghamshire after their Royal London Cup triumph

Alan Gardner02-Jul-2017After watching Alex Hales clobber Surrey’s bowlers all around Lord’s to record the highest List A score on the ground, Chris Read was in no doubt about where the innings ranked: “Number one, pure and simple.”Hales’ imperious, unbeaten 187 – having been dropped on 9 – allowed Nottinghamshire to get home with 13 balls to spare in their chase of 298 and claim the Royal London Cup. His innings spanned a 137-run sixth-wicket stand with Read, Nottinghamshire’s captain, who was able to lift a one-day trophy at Lord’s for the second time in four years, in his final season before retirement.”Apart from the one he belted straight at cover early on,” Read added, with a laugh. “That aside, it was chanceless, but also the tempo of the innings. The one thing that made it easy for me, is all I needed to do was build a partnership, run rate was never an issue, throughout the time we were out there. All it meant was I had to be there, that was my role, because he did what he did. To be there at the end was special.”With Hales batting aggressively from outset, Nottinghamshire just needed someone to stick with him. When Steven Mullaney fell at the start of the 26th over, Notts were 150 for 5 with Hales having scored 114 and Brendan Taylor the only other batsman to reach double-figures. Having been told early on by Michael Lumb that Hales was on for a big one, Read knew he “just had to stay there and knock it around”.”I was acutely aware that the partnership needed to be built, which we’d failed to do,” Read said. “One bloke was on a hundred and we’d only managed to get one other bloke into double-figures, so what it needed was a partnership. The way he was playing, Lumby came to me shortly after he got out – Alex and Lumby know each other very, very well, they’ve opened for a long time – and he said: ‘He’s on today’. Well, if he says that… and you saw it. When he’s on, he’s as good as there is.”The day had not started well for Notts, after Gareth Batty won the toss and chose to bat first in Surrey’s third consecutive Royal London Cup final. Jason Roy was dropped off the first ball of the morning and Surrey had reached 83 for 0 after 11 overs, before Read turned to Samit Patel – Man of the Match for his 3 for 21 in Notts’ YB40 win in 2013.”The first ten overs was pretty awful,” Read said. “The wicket for Samit, who’s done so well with the ball here, he seems to make things happen… To get a wicket with his first ball, soon after the Powerplay. I had a little chat with the guys and said ‘look, we probably need to start now, let’s just scrap those last ten overs’. We got back on track and I thought, particularly through Mullaney and Samit, pace off worked well for us for a while and we managed to keep the run-scoring in check.”After that ten overs I never felt out of control, the run rate never felt like it was getting away from us, which is important. Also having played in a semi and quarter-final where runs seemed to flow at will, we accept that good balls, bad balls can go for boundaries, we get over that, do our utmost in the field and back ourselves to chase whatever they got. We were disappointed at halftime about the way we fielded but ultimately we believed that 297 was very chaseable.”Read is due to play at Lord’s again next week, in an MCC fixture against Afghanistan. He laughingly referred to “ducking Cairns’ slower ball”, in his second Test back in 1999, as one of his less enjoyable times on the ground but described the Royal London final as a “fairytale” finish to his one-day career.”It’s brilliant, what a day. I came here in 2013, we had the Yorkshire Bank 40 final and that was my first Lord’s final. I was blown away by what a day it is. It’s an emotional day because of everything that’s going on. It’s a big moment in your career.”The fans make it to a degree, when you hear them chanting. We get well supported at Trent Bridge and in T20 we get good crowds but when they make the effort to come to London to have a day out and cheer all day, that’s what brings it home. Today was a very special moment. We were party to one of the finest one-day innings that I’ve ever witnessed and it was just a pleasure to be at the other end for a decent chunk of that.”I’ve some great times here, brilliant times. Some less so, obviously right at the start of my career, ducking Cairns’ slower ball, that wasn’t so good. Mostly past that has been great. Winning in 2013, the MCC bicentenary game, playing with the legends of my era, and then today. So yeah, it’s a fairytale.”Read, whose next assignment alongside Hales could be in a 2nd XI match at Grantham to prepare for the start of the NatWest T20 Blast, was also positive about the decision to move the 50-over competition into the first half of the season, with the final played in July rather than September.”The overhead conditions were for the most part great but the pitch was a beauty, which potentially we haven’t seen in 50-over finals of late because they come so late in the season on a potentially tired square. Also having that final in the middle of summer, it’s nice to get that out of the way, played that in a clump, now we can focus on T20, then the Championship reaches its finale towards the end, so I think there’s a good balance. Good pitches, nice weather, high-scoring games… I think 50-over cricket has definitely got a place in the future.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between England and Sri Lanka

The Preview by Alan Gardner18-May-2016

Match facts

May 19-23, 2016
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)

Big Picture

After a three-month break, in which the upstart T20 has held court, Test cricket is back. We hope you have a good appetite. In late February, Brendon McCullum signed off his international career by slamming the fastest-ever Test century in Christchurch. What does Headingley, one of England’s most-storied grounds, have in store?There was an almighty tale to be told the last time Sri Lanka were in Yorkshire, England’s cricketing heartland but not one which bestows easy favours on the home team. Angelo Mathews’ masterful, career-best 160 helped set up a dramatic victory, spearheaded by Dhammika Prasad’s 5 for 50 and sealed from the penultimate ball of a pulsating match. Those Headingley heroics secured Sri Lanka’s first (multi-Test) series win in England, as well as a clean sweep in all three formats on their 2014 tour.As Sri Lanka’s players cavorted, and James Anderson shed a tear, England were left contemplating another fresh low. Much has changed since then. Alastair Cook, his face set grimly against the wind and rain, slowly turned around the listing vessel under his command, heaving the ship’s wheel with all his might. Two years on and England are sailing with the breeze at their backs again, negotiating some choppy waters to record significant wins over Australia and South Africa in their last three series. Cook himself is about to crest 10,000 Test runs, uncharted territory for an Englishman.That doesn’t mean they can’t be knocked off course again, however. Headingley was again the scene of an England defeat last summer, as New Zealand squared the two-match series, and it is the venue where they have had least success over recent years. The decision to retain Alex Hales and Nick Compton in the top three, after poor and indifferent returns respectively in South Africa, gives Sri Lanka a couple of obvious pressure points to probe, while there will also be a debutant in the top five, due to James Taylor’s forced retirement.But Sri Lanka have their own areas of concern and it would be a truly remarkable achievement if they were to repeat the feats of 2014. The squad has not changed much but Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will only contribute from the sidelines – they tallied 516 runs in two Tests last time – while only Mathews and Rangana Herath have more than 50 caps. Prasad has been ruled out of the first Test, and Shaminda Eranga has not played in 18 months; Dushmantha Chameera’s pace will catch the eye but he has to learn to catch the edge in conditions of which he has little knowledge.England will hope that this all amounts to a perfect storm for them. Carlos Brathwaite rained on their World T20 parade but international cricket rarely stops moving and series wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer would mean they hold all nine Test trophies – the first team to do so since Australia in 2008 and giving further heft to their status as a coming team under Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace. As if to further chill the Sri Lankans, the weather in Leeds has become decidedly mucky. Test rewards don’t come easily and it is time for these two teams to get their hands dirty again.Alastair Cook and Angelo Mathews pose with the Investec trophy•Getty Images

Form guide

England: LWDWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)


Sri Lanka: LLWWL

In the spotlight

Stepping in to the spot sadly vacated by Taylor is the elegant, unflappable Hampshire batsman James Vince. Marked out as a future international since being compared to Michael Vaughan as an 18-year-old, Vince’s cover drive ought to be classified as an addictive substance but he has learned that there are times when he must overcome his urges to succeed, as a gutsy hundred against Yorkshire demonstrated last month. That innings won over the selectors and he will be back on the same ground looking to prove himself the man to shore up England’s slightly mercurial batting order at No. 5.Big Foot would have a job filling Sangakkara’s boots but it seems like that is just what Kusal Mendis will be asked to do. Experiments with Upul Tharanga, Udara Jayasundera and Lahiru Thirimanne at No. 3 have all been short-lived and Mendis, who made his debut there last year before opening the batting in New Zealand, has had an encouraging start to the tour, with fifties against Essex and Leicestershire. Sangakkara has said he believes the 21-year-old former Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year will be “a very good player as the years go by”; Mathews must be hoping that the future isn’t all that far off.

Teams news

Alastair Cook confirmed his XI on Wednesday and there are just two changes to the England team that was roundly thumped in Centurion at the end of the South Africa series, with Vince making his Test introduction and Steven Finn fit to reclaim his place from Chris Woakes. That means no debut for Nottinghamshire’s highly rated seamer Jake Ball.England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Nick Compton, 4 Joe Root, 5 James Vince, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Steven Finn, 11 James AndersonThe major question marks for Sri Lanka hover over No. 7 and the make-up of the pace attack. Kaushal Silva will return to opener, after missing the New Zealand tour, while Dinesh Chandimal looks likely to keep the gloves and bat four. Dasun Shanaka’s century against Leicestershire, and his ability to bowl seam-up, may win him a Test debut in the allrounder’s spot; Prasad’s injury reduces their bowling options, with the four other seamers in the party having played once each so far, to underwhelming effect.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Kaushal Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Shaminda Eranga/Nuwan Pradeep 11 Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

Headingley is likely to be as capricious as ever over the next few days, with rain showers set to break up play while providing longed-for cloud cover for the bowlers. The pitch had a green tinge to it one day out but, if the sun shines, it should still be good to bat on, as Root and Bairstow proved during their record-breaking 372-stand during the last Championship match held there.

Stats and trivia

• Alastair Cook needs 36 runs to become the 12th player – and first Englishman – to 10,000 in Tests. If he gets there in this Test, he will be the youngest to do so.
• England’s only victory in their last six Tests at Headingley came in 2013 against New Zealand. They have lost four and drawn one.
• Rangana Herath needs three wickets to become the third Sri Lankan to 300 in Tests.
• If Sri Lanka’s last tour had been played using the proposed multiformat points system, they would have won 14-6 (with four points for a Test win, two for a draw, two for a limited-overs win).

Quotes

“Sri Lanka have got a history of punching above their weight and are really, really competitive, no matter what’s gone before.”
Alastair Cook suggests he won’t be taking the opposition lightly“When you have 20-odd thousand runs in your team it is a great advantage, but unfortunately we don’t have them any more.”

There was a mixture of delight and relief for Chris Read after he played a key role in helping Nottinghamshire end a 24-year wait for one-day silverware with the YB40

Andrew McGlashan21-Sep-2013There was a mixture of delight and relief for Chris Read after he played a key role in helping Nottinghamshire end a 24-year wait for one-day silverware with the YB40 title.His run-a-ball 53 helped them recover from a precarious 90 for 4 and also provided Read with a rare success with the bat in what was been a lean season for the Nottinghamshire captain. This was just his second half-century in all cricket for the summer; he has averaged 19 in the Championship and before Lord’s had 93 runs in nine innings during the YB40.However, his final effort was the best of Read with scampering running, deft placement and some thumping boundaries and he believes the make-or-break nature of the contest helped free his mind for the crucial innings.”I’ve been terrible,” he said. “In all honesty I’ve done nothing different, I’ve worked so, so hard hitting balls left, right and centre and it just hasn’t worked for me this season. I’ve been consistent for a lot of seasons now so it’s had me thinking this season about what exactly is going wrong.”At the end of the day sometimes it takes a big game like this to actually say that what it’s about is watching that ball and trying to do the best you can for your team. That’s what I set out to do from the start and did it pretty well.”Read has been part of two Championship triumphs with Nottinghamshire but he admitted there were times when he wondered if he would ever play a showpiece final at Lord’s.”This is something that is been nagging at me for a number of years – can we get to a Lord’s final, can we do it in my career? So to have got there, to have won and lifted the trophy is a fantastic feeling, it’s right up there.”Although the last trophy of the season has now been decided – to go alongside Northamptonshire’s FLt20 success, the Division One crown for Durham and Lancashire’s Division Two title – it is not quite the end of the domestic season. For Nottinghamshire there is much still riding on the final week of the Championship.They and Somerset, who play each other at Trent Bridge, are jostling near the relegation zone and even though there is 15-point cushion to Derbyshire it is too close to comfort for Read’s liking but he hopes the confidence from their Lord’s victory can give them one final push.”I hope the momentum and the joy we’ve experienced today will carry on through next week. We have played some good red-ball cricket, although for the most part it has been a mightily disappointing season. To go into the last game not knowing if you’ll be in Division One next year, for a side as big as we are and with a squad of such quality, is very disappointing. It’s a different form, one we’ve not been overly successful in in recent months but we’ve got to come out fighting on Tuesday. We are fighting for survival which is integral for the club.”And neither is Read’s future at Trent Bridge entirely signed and sealed. He has been offered a new contract, but with the club still battling Championship safety and having the YB40 to focus on further talks have been put on the backburner.”The situation we’ve been in, with our precarious position in the Championship and this final, we decided to park it until the end of the season and see where we are at,” Read said. “We’ll have a good sit down and work out where the club needs to go and where I need to go and how we can go about building Nottinghamshire for the future.”

A fluent unbeaten 76 by Ben Brown and superb bowling by Steve Magoffin helped Sussex to step up their bid for second place in the County Championship

11-Sep-2012
ScorecardBen Brown started Sussex’s fightback with a determined innings•Getty Images

A fluent unbeaten 76 by Ben Brown and superb bowling by Steve Magoffin helped Sussex to step up their bid for second place in the County Championship on the first day against Durham at Chester-le-Street.Brown went in with his side on 67 for 5 and helped them to 211 then Magoffin opened up with 3 for 19 in 10 overs. Durham recovered from 65 for 4 through a stand of 53 between Mark Stoneman and Paul Collingwood when the Australian seamer returned for a further five overs.But it was Monty Panesar who lifted the day’s tally of wickets to 16 by taking 2 for 4 in five overs as Durham closed on 131 for 6. Collingwood tried to hit his former England team-mate over the top and was caught at mid-on for 19, then Stoneman edged to Mike Yardy at slip.Stoneman was the only batsman on either side able to counter the new ball as the left-handed opener made 53, despite batting for half his innings with a runner after suffering a hamstring injury.Despite having more at stake than Durham, it was Sussex who took the opportunity to give experience to a few youngsters. Neither Murray Goodwin nor Matt Prior was included, while Ed Joyce is with the Ireland squad preparing for the World Twenty20 and Luke Wright is with England. The team included 21-year-old batsman Matt Machan, left-arm swing bowler Lewis Hatchett, South African allrounder Kirk Wernars and 6ft 9in allrounder Will Adkin.After losing the toss, acting captain Chris Nash drove at the seventh ball and edged to first slip as Chris Rushworth opened up with an excellent spell. Graham Onions struggled at the other end, but when he switched he quickly took two wickets.Callum Thorp was the first to strike from the Finchale End, having Luke Wells caught behind for 25, although the left-hander clearly did not agree with the decision. Once the ball stopped swinging batting became relatively easy and Brown and Wernars put on 106.Durham needed a run out to make the breakthrough. Brown had just reached 50 off 59 balls when he drove into the covers and went for a run, only for Wernars to be stranded by Michael Richardson’s diving stop. Wernars was three short of his career-best on 50. Brown looked very comfortable and timed the ball superbly in making his runs off 102 balls with 13 fours.Durham also scored fluently against all bowlers other than Magoffin and Panesar, but it was Hatchett who struck first when Keaton Jennings padded up to his sixth ball and fell lbw.Richardson was Magoffin’s first victim, lbw third ball, and the other two were both bowled. Ben Stokes was beaten on the drive and Dale Benkenstein played back defensively to a ball which trimmed his off bail.

Kevin O’Brien is targeting a repeat of his Bangalore heroics when Ireland take on England in Dubin on Thursday, but already has one eye on next year’s challenges

Andrew McGlashan22-Aug-2011Kevin O’Brien is targeting a repeat of his Bangalore heroics when Ireland take on England in Dubin on Thursday, but already has one eye on next year’s challenges which include the World Twenty20, in Sri Lanka, and hopes to secure further deals with overseas sides to further his reputation.O’Brien, who has released a book about the World Cup called Six after Six, produced one of the highlights of the tournament when he slammed 113 off 63 balls to take his country to a famous victory in a huge run chase. He has already benefited from that success, signing a one-day deal with Gloucestershire and a three-year contract with the Sri Lanka Premier League (SPL), although the first season of that has been delayed, but O’Brien has his sights set higher including the IPL and a possible stint in New Zealand.”Looking ahead, for me next year is a big year for Ireland in Twenty20 with the World Championship and I’m looking to play as much as I can in the next 12 months,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I’d signed a deal with the SPL and hopefully that will take place next year, but the big one is the IPL. I’ve registered for next year’s tournament so hopefully someone will sign me up. I’d love to play in such a big tournament against the world’s best players. I’m also trying to get into the New Zealand Twenty20. I’ve put my name in the hat so hopefully something will come from that.”With the overseas Twenty20 leagues currently filling up their rosters ahead of the new season, this one-day international against England, which is being broadcast on TV unlike the 2009 game in Belfast, has come at a good time for O’Brien to remind everyone of his potential. However, they are also important matches for Ireland who were one of main forces behind successfully lobbying the ICC to overturn their decision to limit the 2015 World Cup to 10 teams”We have to keep performing as a team and improving as players,” he said. “We are used to these games now, we’ve played a lot against the big nations now and we enjoy it. There will hopefully be six or seven thousand at Clontarf and we can pull off another victory.”Ireland will face a new-look England side with a number of first-choice players, including one-day captain Alastair Cook, having been rested following the Test series against India. It will enable to them to assess the potential of Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Scott Borthwick and Jonny Bairstow plus a number of other fringe players but does mean that the Irish public won’t get a chance to watch Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad at first hand.Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of Cricket Ireland, has admitted it would have been pleasing to see England send a full-strength squad but is fully aware it is their prerogative what line-up they select.”Of course, we would like to host more of the stars that have propelled England to No. 1 in the Test rankings, but obviously the role of the England selectors is to satisfy the priorities of the England set-up, not ours,” Deutrom told ESPNcricinfo. “The RSA Challenge is an official ODI, and there are rankings points at stake, which means the match has context. Therefore, our guys will be highly motivated and, bearing in mind that this is more or less our 2011 World Cup squad, they will be drawing on recent history for confidence.”O’Brien also insisted that Ireland will not look at the England side any differently because they are without some household names. “We aren’t too fussed, whatever team they send over they are playing for England,” he said. “They are bringing over a young side, both in age and experience, but they are still a very good team full of promising players having good seasons in county cricket who are trying to prove their worth.”A couple of curious aspects to the match include Eoin Morgan, a former Ireland player, captaining England and that Boyd Rankin, the tall fast bowler, will be aiming to impress the visitors having been selected for England Lions last week.”Eoin’s been playing for England now two years so we’ve all come to terms that he’s an integral part of the one-day team and has now moved into the Test team,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think it’s going to be any different if he was just playing. Someone of Boyd’s talent, and after the season he’s had for Warwickshire, England will be looking at him. That’s for Boyd to decide if he wants to play for England in the future. But this is a big game for Ireland this week.”

Derbyshire’s chances of hauling themselves off the bottom of the County Championship were hit by heavy rain which washed out the second day of the match against Middlesex at Derby

26-Aug-2010
ScorecardDerbyshire’s chances of hauling themselves off the bottom of the County Championship were hit by heavy rain which washed out the second day of the match against Middlesex at Derby.No play was possible before lunch after overnight rain and further showers during the morning left the County Ground outfield saturated.Umpires Neil Mallender and Stephen Gale decided there was no chance of conditions improving enough for the game to start and made the inevitable decision following an inspection at 1.30pm.It means four sessions have now been lost after rain halted play on the opening day three overs before the scheduled team interval.Although the forecast is better for the next two days, it looks unlikely that Derbyshire will have enough time to force the win they need to close the gap on Surrey, who are one place above them at the foot of Division Two.Middlesex are in a decent position on 228 for three with opener Scott Newman unbeaten on 119, his second Championship century of the season, but the chances of them being able to put Derbyshire under enough pressure to claim victory already appear slim.

Jess Jonassen claimed three wickets as Melbourne Stars’ poor season continued

AAP22-Nov-2024Brisbane Heat secured a WBBL finals spot with a nine-wicket win over the Melbourne Stars in a rain-affected fixture.Heat’s bowlers ripped through Stars’ top-order batters in a match reduced to seven overs a side at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field. Stars made just 46 for 6 after losing their initial four wickets in a three-run span – Heat duo Lucy Hamilton and captain Jess Jonassen took two wickets each in 10 balls.Related

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Heat cruised to 47 for 1 from 5.2 overs – they can’t miss the finals and remain a strong chance of pinching top spot from ladder-leaders Sydney Thunder. They joined Melbourne Renegades on 12 points, one behind Thunder.Renegades play Thunder on Saturday in their last game before the finals while Heat’s last match is against Sydney Sixers on Sunday.After heavy rain delayed the start on Friday night, the last-placed Stars scored 21 for 0 from their initial two overs. But Heat’s 18-year-old quick Hamilton – who destroyed Stars five days ago when taking 5 for 8 – again turned tormentor.She claimed two wickets in three balls and, next over, skipper Jonassen collected two more.Heat were untroubled in their run chase: Grace Harris set the tone by smacking the first three balls of the innings for four. She and sister and Laura Harris put on 34 for the first wicket as Heat cruised to victory.

The BBL season has been shortened but there will still be a squeeze on many of the leading names

Alex Malcolm01-Sep-2023

Adelaide Strikers

Current list: Wes Agar, James Bazley, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Chris Lynn, Ben Manenti, D’Arcy Short, Matt Short, Henry ThorntonLast playing XI: Matt Short, Travis Head (capt), Alex Carey (wk), Adam Hose, Colin de Grandhomme, Ryan Gibson, Harry Nielsen, Cameron Boyce, Wes Agar, Harry Conway, Peter SiddleLast season’s overseas/retention options: Rashid Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam HoseDraft picks: 2, 10, 23, and 26What might they want?
Strikers are almost certain to take long-time favourite Rashid Khan with pick 2 to the point where they inquired with other clubs about a possible pick trade, knowing they would use the retention on him. Beyond that, there are some clear needs for Strikers. Quality top and middle-order batting is their main target given Travis Head and Alex Carey are set to be unavailable for almost the whole season. A middle-order player who can bowl seam up would be ideal although given they will get overs out of both Matt Short and D’Arcy Short it is not critical.Their domestic attack is reasonably well-balanced and has been set up to try and withstand Rashid not being available for the back end of the tournament due to his SA20 commitments. He looks set to only be available for the first seven games. But they will want more availability in their other picks and then to find a replacement for Rashid post-draft. Adam Hose and Colin de Grandhomme are both available again and showed glimpses at times last year, but they ultimately did not provide the run-scoring output needed to help Strikers reach finals. There may be others in the gold, silver or bronze band with full availability who could be of value.

Brisbane Heat

Current list: Usman Khawaja, Xavier Bartlett, Josh Brown, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell SwepsonLast playing XI: Josh Brown, Sam Heazlett, Nathan McSweeney, Jimmy Peirson (capt), Sam Hain, Max Bryant, James Bazley, Michael Neser, Xavier Bartlett, Spencer Johnson, Matthew KuhnemannLast season’s overseas/retention options: Sam Hain, Colin Munro, Sam Billings, Ross Whiteley, Tom BantonDraft picks: 7, 15, 18, and 31What might they want?
Like Strikers, last year’s finalists have a very clear need for top and middle-order batters given they have a very strong home-grown attack that took them all the way to the final. They are set to be without Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne all season due to Test duty. At pick 7 they may need to use the retention options available to them if they want Sam Billings or Colin Munro. But both are only available for six to nine games which may not suit Heat. They would prefer longer availability in a platinum pick and the only player to fit that criteria who is not a retention player is Tom Kohler-Cadmore.Tom Banton is a non-platinum option who can be retained after playing for them previously but he is headed to the SA20 which reduces his availability to just six to nine games. They will likely target two batters with a preference for those who can handle the bounce and pace of the Gabba. Further down in the third or fourth round they may look for a power-hitting allrounder. They had Ross Whiteley last year and he is available for the whole season plus finals. They have lost local James Bazley to Strikers. An allrounder would deepen the batting and give them the option of playing their two local spinners.Harry Brook could still get interest despite his other commitments•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes

Current list: Iain Carlisle, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Caleb Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Billy Stanlake, Matthew Wade, Mac WrightLast playing XI: Caleb Jewell, Zak Crawley, Mac Wright, Ben McDermott, Tim David, Matthew Wade (capt/wk), Faheem Ashraf, Joel Paris, Nathan Ellis, Wil Parker, Riley Meredith Last season’s overseas/retention options: Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Zak Crawley, Jimmy Neesham, Asif Ali, Sandeep LamichhaneDraft picks: 3, 11, 22, and 27What might they want?
One high-quality middle-order bat and a pace bowling allrounder are the two desires for Hurricanes to complement the local talent they have. Harry Brook and Will Jacks have both played for Hurricanes previously but do not qualify as retention options. However, either would make the batting look incredibly destructive but they are both only available for six to nine games with two England tours bookending the BBL and both look set to be part of at least one or both. Hurricanes’ need for an allrounder could see them test out Sydney Sixers’ mettle given Tom Curran and Chris Jordan could be available at pick 3. Sixers can’t retain both so Hurricanes could pinch one of them, but they too are only available for six to nine games.In the later rounds, Netherlands allrounder Bas de Leede might be a smokey given he impressed Hurricanes head of strategy Ricky Ponting in last year’s World Cup but he also has limited availability. Shadab Khan, who is a retention option, would also fit nicely but he is also only available for six to nine matches. There is less of a need for an overseas spinner this year for Hurricanes after they signed two local spinners, Paddy Dooley and Peter Hatzoglou. There should still be other good all-round or batting options available with Hurricanes’ second pick at No.11. Hurricanes look set to sign three overseas as they currently only have 12 on their local list so they could add some fast-bowling depth in the late rounds depending on how their first two picks go.

Melbourne Renegades

Current list: Nic Maddinson, Aaron Finch, Jake Fraser-McGurk, MacKenzie Harvey, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Jon Wells, Will Sutherland, Adam ZampaLast playing XI Shaun Marsh, Martin Guptill, Sam Harper (wk), Aaron Finch (capt), Matt Critchley, Will Sutherland, Jon Wells, Tom Rogers, Corey Rocchiccioli, David Moody, Fawad AhmedLast season’s overseas/retention options: Matt Critchley, Martin Guptill, Akeal Hosein, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad NabiDraft picks: 4, 12, 21, and 28What might they want?
Aside from some youth to balance out one of the oldest lists in BBL history, Renegades are definitely shopping for a world-class batter who could possibly keep as well. At pick 4, Quinton de Kock looks incredibly enticing if he hasn’t already been taken. South Africa does have a T20I and ODI series against India at home in mid-December but de Kock’s national commitments for bilateral series remain fluid. If he were not to play in those games, Renegades could get eight BBL games out of him before the SA20 given how the fixtures fall for Renegades which might be a better result than other platinum picks in his availability bracket. But picking him would be a gamble. Coach David Saker’s England ties could see any of the star England batters targeted but they may have as little or less availability than de Kock early in the tournament due to a white-ball tour of the Caribbean. Jacks could be one of those, particularly with his offspin ability, but again availability will be a question.The signing of Adam Zampa means a spinner is not as crucial as previous years for them but a spin bowling allrounder and or a second spinner would also be a good fit. Mohammad Nabi is available to be retained and Renegades could still hold their retention pick until later in the draft. There should be some other options as not many teams have that specific need given the general nature of the BBL pitches. Renegades play on unique surfaces at Docklands and Geelong where a second or third spin option can be very valuable.Short-term impact? Haris Rauf has strong links with Melbourne Stars•Getty Images

Melbourne Stars

Current list: Scott Boland, Joe Burns, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Nick Larkin, Glenn Maxwell, Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Beau WebsterLast playing XI Joe Clarke (wk), Tom Rogers, Campbell Kellaway, Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright, Beau Webster, Nick Larkin, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Luke Wood, Liam Hatcher, Adam Zampa (capt)Last season’s overseas/retention options: Trent Boult (not in the draft), Joe Clarke, Luke Wood, Haris RaufDraft picks: 1, 9, 24, and 25What might they want?
Stars almost have too many needs to make a really clear-cut decision with pick 1. They would want the best player available in the draft but they do not have a spinner currently on their list after Zampa’s departure and they have often played two international spinners at the MCG. Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Shadab might not be retained by other clubs and could be worth pick 1 but both have only nominated for six to nine games. Equally, there are likely to be some good spinners available in later rounds. New Stars recruit Sam Harper nominated his former Melbourne Renegades team-mate Akeal Hosein as a great option for the MCG but he too is only available for up to nine games.They would also love a world-class fast bowler and/or an opener to complement the powerful middle order. Haris Rauf and Joe Clarke are both retention options, but it is doubtful Stars would use the first pick on either player. Rauf’s availability would be a worry even though he is a Stars favourite and a proven performer. A powerful left-hander like de Kock could well be something Stars look at, but they don’t need him to keep necessarily with the addition of Harper.

Perth Scorchers

Current list: Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Hamish McKenzie, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Sam WhitemanLast playing XI Stephen Eskinazi, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis (wk), Ashton Turner (capt), Nick Hobson, Cooper Connolly, Andrew Tye, Matthew Kelly, David Payne, Jason BehrendorffLast season’s overseas/retention options: Stephen Eskinazi, Faf du Plessis, David Payne, Adam Lyth, Tymal Mills, Laurie EvansDraft picks: 8, 16, 17, and 32What might they want?
The hat-trick-seeking defending champions will likely stick to their winning game plan and pass in the platinum round as they did last year which probably rules out the retention of Faf du Plessis. They may only need two overseas to complement their all-conquering local list and will pick for specific needs and full availability although they did pick three in the end last year. Another powerful, smart middle-order player might be a target in the gold or silver band. Laurie Evans was very popular in Perth and important for Scorchers in their 2021-22 title. Even after missing last year, he can be retained. He is available for all home and away games but not finals due to the ILT20. If they don’t take Evans they will want a batter who can handle the extra pace and bounce of Perth Stadium. Stephen Eskinazi and Adam Lyth are both fully available for the season and finals and are also retention pick options.Scorchers have historically recruited an overseas fast bowler despite their strong local contingent, in order to help manage workloads in a tournament of tight turnarounds and heavy travel. Tymal Mills is a retention option but he is now in the platinum band after they got him in the bronze band last year with pick 30, even though he didn’t play in the end. Mills is the only platinum pick to make himself fully available for the whole season plus finals but at the same time, he still has ambitions of playing for England on the Caribbean T20I tour in December. Scorchers would love someone with extra pace to cover Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris if either have injury issues or international duties. But David Payne was very good last year and is fully available.James Vince will likely be on Sydney Sixers’ radar again•Getty Images

Sydney Sixers

Current list: Sean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Jordan SilkLast playing XI Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe (wk), Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques (capt), Jordan Silk, Hayden Kerr, Dan Christian, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Steve O’Keefe, Izharulhaq NaveedLast season’s overseas/retention options: James Vince, Izharulhaq Naveed, Naveen-ul-Haq, Chris Jordan, Tom Curran, Carlos BrathwaiteDraft picks: 6, 14, 19, and 30What might they want?
Sixers face a tricky dilemma with their retention pick given three players who have been Sixers’ favourites in James Vince, Jordan and Tom Curran are all platinum picks and the two bowling allrounders could well be sought after by Hurricanes. Sixers don’t necessarily need another bowling allrounder. Even though Dan Christian has retired, Sean Abbott’s development as a batter in the last 12 months means he could move higher in the order. They probably need a top-order batter like Vince more than Curran or Jordan given Steve Smith will likely not be available at all this summer due to Test duty. Vince is also available for all 10 home and away games, unlike the two allrounders.They may target another fast bowler with some extra pace or unique skill to complement their locals. Izharulhaq Naveed bowled very well for them last season and is fully available again, including for finals. Carlos Brathwaite has also nominated for the draft having missed the last two seasons of the BBL. He played a key role in Sixers’ last title in 2020-21 as a power surge bowling specialist and could be someone who they could trust again with a later pick but he is only available for six to nine games.

Sydney Thunder

Current list: Cameron Bancroft, Ollie Davies, Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Nathan McAndrew, Blake Nikitaras, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David WarnerLast playing XI Matthew Gilkes (wk), David Warner, Jason Sangha, Ollie Davies, Alex Ross, Daniel Sams, Ben Cutting, Chris Green, Nathan McAndrew, Gurinder Sandhu, Usman QadirLast season’s overseas/retention options: Rilee Rossouw, Alex Hales, Usman Qadir, Fazalhaq FarooqiDraft picks: 5, 13, 20, and 29What might they want?
It will be a shock if Alex Hales isn’t Thunder’s first choice or isn’t retained by them if he is picked by Stars, Renegades or Hurricanes ahead of pick 5. He has full availability up until finals when he heads to the ILT20 and has no international commitments. He is the perfect fit for Thunder given David Warner might not be available until late in the tournament if he gets the Test match farewell he is hoping for.Thunder could add a second batter as their domestic all-round and bowling stocks look quite strong and well-balanced, particularly with Tanveer Sangha back fully fit. Liam Hatcher has been added as a pace bowler in place of Brendan Doggett. But another high-class or experienced overseas quick would also be a useful addition for Thunder. Someone with added pace or an ability to swing the new ball in the powerplay in the Sydney summer humidity would probably be preferable.

Yorkshire face battle on final day as hosts set up imposing lead in third innings

ECB Reporters Network21-Jul-2022George Bartlett’s first LV= Insurance County Championship half-century of the season cemented a strong Somerset position on the third day of the match with Yorkshire at Taunton.Having seen hopes of a big summer hit by an early shoulder injury, the 24-year-old top-scored with 88 not out as his side ran up 225 for six in their second innings to lead by 373. Tom Lammonby made 46.Tom Kohler-Cadmore had earlier been dismissed for 100 in a Yorkshire first-innings total of 276, replying to Somerset’s 424. Jonathan Tattersall contributed 43, while Kasey Aldridge claimed three for 23 and Jack Brooks three for 73.Much depended on Kohler-Cadmore, unbeaten on 68 against the county he will join next season, when Yorkshire began the day on 167 for four in their first innings, 257 runs behind.Matthew Waite again offered solid support as the pair extended their fifth-wicket stand to 65.It was broken with the total on 194 when Waite, on 21, was caught at short mid-wicket by the shrewdly-placed Bartlett off Aldridge.Kohler-Cadmore was becalmed in the nineties, partly by Jack Leach’s miserly spell from the River End, but reached a largely untroubled hundred off 199 balls, guiding a Lewis Gregory delivery to third man for two.The 27-year-old, who had struck four sixes and nine fours, received warm applause from Somerset fans, as well as those from Yorkshire, their appetites whetted for next summer.It took the introduction of part-time off-spinner Matt Renshaw shortly before lunch to undo Kohler-Cadmore, beaten by a ball that turned and trapped lbw on the back foot.At the interval, the scoreboard read 228 for six. With six runs added, the second new ball became available.Tattersall’s important 108-ball innings ended when he edged Marchant de Lange to 18-year-old wicketkeeper James Rew, who claimed his maiden first class catch for Somerset.Dom Bess drove a catch to cover off Aldridge and when Jordan Thompson was bowled be de Lange, Yorkshire still required one run to avoid the possibility of following on.A Shannon Gabriel single averted that danger, although Somerset may well have batted again anyway, and the deficit was 148 when he was last man out, skying a catch off de Lange.Openers Renshaw and Lammonby wasted no time building on Somerset’s advantage, taking their second innings score to 57 by tea, Lammonby lofting sixes off Thompson and Waite.Their stand had extended to 65 when Renshaw made a hash of an attempted reverse sweep off Jack Shutt and Kohler-Cadmore held a simple chance at slip.Undeterred, Lammonby soon cleared the ropes again, dispatching Bess over long-on. Another six followed off Shutt, but the next ball saw the left-hander get a leading edge to cover where Harry Brook pouched the catch.Lammonby had made his runs from just 47 balls and Somerset led by 236. Bartlett joined the sixes spree, lifting Shutt over wide long-on.First innings centurion Tom Abell made only ten before falling to another Kohler-Cadmore slip catch, attempting to cut a ball from Bess.But Lewis Goldsworthy helped Bartlett add 48 in sensible fashion before a lapse in concentration on 18 saw him slog-sweep a catch to square leg off Bess. At 162 for four, Somerset led by 310.Bartlett went to fifty off 86 balls, with 2 sixes and 4 fours, a timely reminder of the form that saw him first establish a regular place in Somerset’s red ball side in 2019.Rew and Gregory fell cheaply, but two more Bartlett sixes off Matthew Revis left the hosts reached well placed for a final day declaration.