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Kirsten, the former India and South Africa coach, had joined the RCB set-up as a batting coach before the 2018 edition

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Aug-2018Gary Kirsten has been appointed coach and mentor of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kirsten had joined the RCB set-up earlier this year as batting coach. He replaces Daniel Vettori, who was with the side for last eight years – initially as a player and then, since 2014, as a coach.Kirsten’s appointment comes on the back of strong coaching credentials. It was under his coaching stint – from 2008 till 2011 – that India lifted the 2011 World Cup, apart from topping the Test rankings. After that, he moved on to coach his old national side, South Africa, taking them to the summit of Test rankings as well.However this is not Kirsten’s first assignment as a coach in the IPL; he coached Delhi Daredevils for two seasons, in 2014 and 2015, both times with little success. He was also the coach of Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League in 2017.In a statement from the franchise, Sanjeev Churiwala, the RCB chairman, said: “During the last IPL season, Gary has proved to be a brilliant mentor to both seasoned and young RCB players and we are confident that he will bring a fresh perspective to the team.”In 11 editions of the IPL, RCB have never been able to win the title despite having some of the best T20 players over the years in Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Dale Steyn, and Mitchell Starc. In 2018, they failed to make it to the playoffs and finished sixth on the points table.

England have Alex Hales, Jason Roy and Chris Jordan fit to select from as they get started in the tri-series following Australia’s emphatic opening win

The Preview by Alan Gardner06-Feb-20182:22

Farrell: Stanlake the talk of the build-up for England T20

Big Picture

The tri-series began with something of a whimper, though Australia certainly roared to victory in between the Sydney showers. A team packed with Big Bash talent pinned New Zealand to the ropes, keeping them to just 9 for 117 from their 20 overs, before Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell applied the finishing blows with the bat.Standout among a clutch of impressive performances was that of the skyscraping Billy Stanlake, whose speeds pushed above 150kph (90mph) during an opening three-wicket burst that effectively scuppered New Zealand’s chances of a more competitive total. Australia’s T20 form has been indifferent – arguably since their World T20 final appearance in 2010 – but with Stanlake, AJ Tye and Ashton Agar impressing alongside contributions from the more experienced Lynn and Maxwell, this was an exciting glimpse into a possible future.David Warner, the stand-in captain, does remain in a rut with the bat against the white ball, but he marshalled Australia well in the field, bringing his IPL experience to bear and energetically celebrating his team’s success. A chance to exact some revenge after their drubbing by England in the ODI series should add to Australia’s motivation.For England, this extended spell of T20 is an opportunity to rediscover some focus, two years after they came within the width of Carlos Brathwaite’s bat of lifting the trophy in Kolkata. Their record reads P9 W4 L5 since then, as they have taken the opportunity to experiment with the line-up and blood new players. To an extent, without Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, that will again be the case – but the tri-series provides a window to further embed England’s aggressive white-ball approach, with Sam Curran (brother of Tom) the newest potential inductee.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWLWL
England LWLWL

In the spotlight

David Warner spoke passionately about turning around Australia’s T20 fortunes before the start of the series and his captaincy was central to orchestrating their impressive victory at the SCG. His limited-overs form continues to be a concern, however, with a tentative 6 off 11 balls following five ODI innings against England in which he tallied 73 runs. It is almost two years since Warner made so much as 30 in a T20I (although he has only batted nine times in that period) and a reminder of his abilities in this format seems long overdue.His ODI role has become more one of providing squad support but David Willey remains a key asset for England in T20. His ability to swing the new ball for a couple of overs while the opposition are looking to go hard and then return to deliver his variations later in the innings gives his bowling a sharper focus, while the knock of 79 off 36 at opener that saw him hit Nathan Lyon for 6-6-6-6-6-4 in the warm-up match in Canberra suggested England could do worse than throw him up the order as a pinch-slogger.

Team news

Australia got off to a flying start against New Zealand on Saturday and there may be a temptation to stick with the same XI. Travis Head, fresh from leading Adelaide Strikers to the BBL title, is an option to bolster the batting.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 D’Arcy Short, 3 Chris Lynn, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Andrew Tye, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Billy StanlakeAlex Hales, Jason Roy and Chris Jordan are all expected to be fit after injury but Liam Plunkett is still working his way back from a hamstring strain suffered during the ODIs. England’s main dilemma is how to best deploy their resources: Sam Billings would strengthen the batting (and fielding), Tom Curran the bowling, while the uncapped Sam Curran offers a bit of both.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Sam Billings/Tom Curran/Sam Curran, 7 Liam Dawson, 8 David Willey, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

Hobart traditionally offers something for seam bowlers, though a T20 track is likely to be much flatter; Morgan said the pitch “looked completely different” on Tuesday to Monday and would likely change again come the start of the match, with a warm forecast for the day. The long straight boundaries may also encourage spin bowling.

Stats and trivia

• Morgan is set to captain England for the 28th time in T20s, taking him past Stuart Broad into second behind Paul Collingwood (30).
• Chris Lynn’s 44 against New Zealand was his best score in six international innings for Australia.
• Australia beat England by 13 runs in their most recent T20I at Bellerive Oval, in 2014, a match in which Lynn made his debut.
• England have only won one of their six T20s in Australia, at Adelaide Oval in 2011.

Quotes

“I’m still trying to adjust to international cricket but I definitely have confidence in what I’ve done out here throughout the last couple of weeks.”
“In a tournament basis you have the carrot of a final at the end, so I’m all for them. If we could play more, we would but I don’t think it’s viable with travel schedules around the world.”

England’s hopes of ending a long and arduous campaign with their first overseas Test victory in 13 attempts were blunted by an obdurate opening stand before bad light halted play

The Report by Andrew Miller02-Apr-2018 New Zealand 278 and 42 for 0 (Latham 25*, Raval 17*) need another 340 runs to beat England 307 and 352 for 9 dec (Vince 76, Stoneman 60, Root 54, Malan 53, de Grandhomme 4-94)

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland’s hopes of ending a long and arduous campaign with their first overseas Test victory in 13 attempts were blunted by an obdurate opening stand from New Zealand’s Tom Latham and Jeet Raval, as well as the onset of the antipodean autumn, as bad light descended shortly after tea to saw 24 overs off the day’s allocation.Despite an attempt to rage against the dying of the light, with England turning to the spin of Jack Leach and Joe Root after being informed by the umpires that their quicks could no longer be used, the players left the field with New Zealand sitting pretty on 42 for 0 after 23 overs of hard graft.The net result was that the home side will need a further 340 runs for victory on the final day – an outlandish prospect, given the likelihood of further lost overs. However, with ten wickets in the bank, New Zealand will surely believe they can bat out for the draw that will secure them their first series win over England since 1999, and their first at home since 1983-84.England’s bowlers, however, were not repelled without a fight. James Anderson and Stuart Broad hounded the outside edge of both openers in another gruelling new-ball spell, with Raval taking a nasty blow to the torso from Broad as he was forced to wait 15 deliveries to get off the mark. But it was Anderson who forced England’s one clear-cut opportunity – when Latham, on 23, was dropped by James Vince, a tough but genuine chance, diving to his left at third slip in the brief final session.Mark Wood, not for the first time in this Test, was energetic but misdirected in his brief foray before tea, but – with the ball now losing its shine – it may well be the debutant Leach who has the biggest say on a wicket that isn’t exactly breaking up, but was beginning to offer some reward for his accuracy when the umpires called time on England’s efforts.In hindsight, England may regret the lack of intent that they showed in their own second innings, having resumed on 202 for 3 overnight, with an already handy lead of 231 in the bank. Following on from the efforts of Vince and Mark Stoneman on the third afternoon, England found another pair of half-centurions in Root and Dawid Malan, but were forced in the end to scramble for their declaration due to another familiar and untimely clatter of wickets.For the first 90 minutes of the day, Root and Malan had batted with uncomplicated purpose in easing along to a 97-run stand for England’s fourth wicket, but New Zealand’s decision to delay the second new ball paid dividends, as both were dragged out of their comfort zones in their attempts to pick up the tempo.First to go was Malan, caught at short midwicket as Colin de Grandhomme tailed one into his pads from round the wicket. Henry Nicholls snaffled the chance at head height, to complete the 24th dismissal of the match, and the first by any of the change bowlers on either side.And in Neil Wagner’s very next over, Root had a flash at a full-length outswinger and skimmed a thin nick through to BJ Watling, to put the seal on an intensely frustrating winter for England’s captain – seven fifty-plus scores in 13 innings, but no hundreds.England’s misfiring continued in the first over after lunch, as Ben Stokes holed out to midwicket off another de Grandhomme inswinger. But New Zealand’s hopes of stealing the ascendancy were, to all intents and purposes, ended two balls later, when Jonny Bairstow survived a vociferous appeal for caught behind off Trent Boult. Replays proved that umpire Marais Erasmus had missed a thin nick that would have left England seven-down with a lead of 311, but with no more reviews to turn to, New Zealand’s moment was lost.Their bowlers continued to chip away regardless. De Grandhomme traded tail-end slogs for wickets as Broad was suckered by a slower ball before Wood was bowled by a big inswinger two overs later. But, with Leach providing obdurate support, Bairstow turned on the afterburners. He smoked Boult for three fours in five balls as the lead began to accelerate, and when he eventually top-edged Wagner to deep midwicket for 36, Root immediately declared, with a lead of 382 and an hour of the afternoon session still to come.That first hour came and went in a flurry of defensive prods and pokes, as Latham and Raval repelled the new ball with gritted teeth and a degree of well-earned luck. But if England went to tea believing that their breakthoughs were only a matter of time, the final session gave them yet more cause for doubt. Eleven overs, eight runs, one dropped catch, and no chance to dictate terms as the gloom began to envelop their Test prospects once more.

The India captain, once again, makes a connection between being fit and feeling good. And also remembers his nervous first day with the Indian team

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2018Times of IndiaOn physical activity in the smartphone world
“Even if I was not playing professional cricket, I can’t imagine myself not doing any physical activity at all. The survey conducted [by sportswear manufacturer PUMA] shows that people are spending four to five hours every day on the mobile phone. Technology and social platforms, rather than being helpful, are starting to become harmful. People are losing sense of what are the important things to do, what are the things they need to do for their mental and physical development.”[Kids need to] prioritise. Have a routine: when you need to do physical work, when you need to be on social media, when you need to play video games, and when you need to do your homework.”On getting fit himself
“It had to do with playing at a certain level in professional sport. I realised that when I started getting fitter, I started thinking better. I had more clarity, focus and determination. I started feeling that inside me as soon as I changed my physical regime. Getting fitter makes you confident overall. It makes you feel good about yourself. You need to feel good to have good thoughts.”On joining the Indian dressing room
“I clearly remember sitting with my mom and watching the news on the day of the selection meeting. My name just flashed on the TV but I thought they might just be spreading a rumour. Five minutes later, I got a call from the board. I got goosebumps. I was shaking.”I clearly remember walking into the team meeting. I was asked to give a speech in the team room. It was nerve-wracking for me with so many great Indian players there. They were looking at me. Which we now do to younger guys to intimidate them, make them nervous [smiles]. These are my first memories.”

It hasn’t been an entirely smooth route to England’s final 15-man squad, but it’s a vast improvement on past campaigns

George Dobell at Lord's21-May-2019There are some things – flights, cups of tea, and your heartbeat, for example – you want should be predictable.And perhaps it is the same with squad announcements. Squad announcements for global tournaments, anyway.Selectors have had four years to plan. They have had four years to ensure that every player knows their role and every player knows what to expect from their team-mates. At this stage, squads should be settled and predictable.England have achieved that pretty well. Yes, David Willey is unfortunate. Yes, Joe Denly will be disappointed. But, for the first time in many, many years, England are going into a World Cup with a relatively settled, well-balanced side that has a realistic chance of victory. The position that provoked most debate and discussion on Tuesday was that of reserve spin bowler. It’s a detail, really. An important one, but nothing compared to what we have seen before.Perhaps, to appreciate how smooth this process has been, it is worth comparing it to the chaos with which we have become accustomed. In 2015, for example, England sacked their captain, Alastair Cook, a few weeks before the tournament. Then, on its eve, they changed the new-ball attack (demoting Chris Woakes to first-change) and fiddled with the batting order (swapping Gary Ballance and James Taylor at No. 3 and No. 6). In the tournaments before that, it became customary for them to change their wicketkeeper (2007 and 2011) or opening partnership (1999) at the last minute. Indeed, in 1999, they dropped their captain (Adam Hollioake) and their opening batsman (Nick Knight) shortly before the tournament and prepared for a home event with a training camp in… Lahore. You could hardly make that up.And, even if England did go into a tournament with their best side, there was usually some crisis (the Zimbabwe affair of 2003, for example) or late change of approach that threatened to derail their progress. They rarely had a chance to define plans or develop well-rehearsed strategies. In a format in which role-definition and planning is so important, England have invariably gone into World Cups hoping it would all come together on the night. It rarely has done.Mark Wood and Jofra Archer both returned to the starting line-up•Getty Images

It doesn’t feel like that this time. While the introduction of Jofra Archer has come at a late stage, anyone taken by surprise simply hasn’t been paying attention. While England would, in an ideal world, like him to have played more than three ODIs – and, indeed, more than 17 List A matches – the experience he has of playing in high-profile, high-pressure T20 leagues suggests he has the talent and temperament to succeed. His range of skills – not least his well-controlled pace – are a huge asset to a team that, Mark Wood apart, can look a little pedestrian. They were, remember, thrashed for sixes by Chris Gayle every 8.10 balls he faced in the recent series in the Caribbean. Archer’s batting and fielding are also more than useful. He is British, he is eligible, and he is very good. His is not, at this stage, a remotely controversial selection.Nor is Liam Dawson. He is, quite simply, a more experienced, more reliable spin bowler than Denly. And while Denly is almost certainly a better batsman, Dawson’s average of 45.33 in the Royal London Cup is proof that he’s no mug either. Besides, the role essentially demands that the occupant can come into the side at short notice and fill the hole left by injury to either Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid. Dawson is a better fit for that specific job. Denly may console himself with the knowledge that he now has the opportunity to return to county cricket and score heavily in the Championship with a bid to securing a place in the Ashes. He is the man in possession of the No. 3 spot in the Test side, after all.Willey could yet win a recall mid-tournament. While he is not officially on any reserve list, it stands to reason that he – and perhaps Chris Jordan – would be next in line should one of England’s seamers suffer an injury. His left-arm variations, the swing he can generate with the new ball and the control he demonstrates at the death, are all attractive qualities. But it was his ill-fortune to be competing for the new ball, in particular, with Archer, Wood and Woakes. Leaving him out was a tough decision, but it was also probably right.Again, in an ideal world, England might have liked Dawson to have been with them throughout the Pakistan series. Or at least for the final couple of games, when it became apparent the selectors were not in total agreement over the suitability of Denly for the role. But at least Dawson was playing cricket rather than running drinks on for his colleagues, and it is not as if he is a stranger to either the environment or the players.There have been other bumps on the road. The loss of Alex Hales – who may be remembered as the Pete Best of cricket if England go on to win the trophy (Denly may be remembered as the Jimmie Nicol) – might have destabilised some squads. Equally, the introduction of Archer might have unsettled the bowlers and provoked reasonable concerns about talent pathways in both England and the Caribbean.But, whatever feathers within the squad were ruffled by Archer’s arrival have long since been patted back down – not least by evidence of his obvious ability and his amiable, equable nature – while Hales has simply been left behind. This team, like kids cramming ahead of important exams, no longer had time for the class joker. Damning though it sounds, his absence has hardly been mentioned in recent times.So England go into this tournament confident, settled and united. Their squad has bite with the ball, punch with the bat and balance through the depth provided by the allrounders. This may well be the best World Cup squad they have ever assembled; it certainly represents their best chance to win in many years.

Opener hits 158 off 167 balls as hosts edge closer to mathematical safety

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay25-Sep-2025Essex 295 for 2 (Walter 158, Elgar 111*) trail Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Overton 60, Porter 3-66, Bennett 3-73) by 138 runsPaul Walter exerted total mastery over Somerset’s flagging bowlers as his highest first-class score of 158 eased Essex closer to safety in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.The left-hander was barely troubled as he combined perfect timing with seeing everything clearly and early while spraying the ball around Chelmsford with an air of supreme confidence. For much of his 167-ball innings he outscored his opening partner, the former South Africa captain Dean Elgar, two to one as the first-wicket pair compiled a stand of 277 in 61 overs. At the close Essex were 295 for 2.Elgar, too, reached a second century of the season but was content to play second fiddle while Walter pulled, drove and flicked with nonchalant ease 21 fours and three sixes. Elgar contributed 16 fours and a six in his unbeaten 212-ball 111.Somerset’s first-innings 433 had looked formidable until Essex made mincemeat of it in an emphatic response. That Somerset had achieved as many as they did was latterly down to Lewis Goldsworthy’s four-hour and 21-minute century that took 193 balls. He was last man out, a third wicket on debut for seamer Charlie Bennett, who finished with 3 for 73.When it was their turn, Somerset struggled to get any response out of a docile pitch and had tried seven bowlers to no avail by the 29th over. They spent two sessions literally chasing shadows on a sunny autumn day.Essex survived two overs before lunch and immediately afterwards Elgar punched back-to-back drives past mid-off for fours off Craig Overton. It set the tone for the rest of the day as they rattled along at above four-and-a-half runs an over.Walter was the most aggressive from the start, at one point lofting Archie Vaughan straight down the ground for four and cutting Lewis Gregory for another to reach a 54-ball fifty. An off-drive for his 13th boundary took Essex to three-figures in only 21 overs.Walter motored along at more than double the rate of his fellow left-hander. His dominance was summed up when he launched Jack Leach for six over long-off and next ball rocked on to his back foot to drive the spinner through the covers for four.When Walter reached his century from exactly 100 balls just before tea, having plundered 16 fours, Elgar was stuck on 49 from 10 balls more. It took Elgar a further dozen balls after tea to reach his fifty, courtesy of an angled shot backward of square off Kasey Aldridge and celebrated by lofting Vaughan straight back over the bowler’s head for six. Walter could not resist following suit and bounced down the wicket in the same over for another maximum.Walter’s third six, pulling Leach over square leg, took him past his previous highest score. His 150 took 154 balls, while Elgar’s 54th first-class century was reached in 184 balls.Walter eventually departed seven overs from stumps to a stupendous tumbling catch at midwicket by Goldsworthy off Overton, who also accounted for nightwatchman Simon Harmer before the close.To emphasis the unresponsiveness of the hybrid wicket, it took Essex an hour and three-quarters to winkle out the last four Somerset wickets while conceding a further 94 runs. Overton recorded a second successive fifty, and a third of the season, from the 54th ball he faced. But he fell to a ball in Harmer’s first over of the day that spun past his outstretched leg and bowled him between bat and pad after a partnership with Goldsworthy worth 98 in 20 overs.Another bowling change prefaced another wicket when Leach nibbled at one from Bennett to provide substitute wicketkeeper Simon Fernandes with a fourth catch. Gregory swept Harmer for six during a brief appearance but attempted a repeat next ball and top-edged to short fine leg.Goldsworthy made it to three-figures just in time, pushing a quick single off Harmer, but departed two balls later when he swung Bennett to deep square leg.

Fast bowler’s five-for sees Worcestershire skittled before captain Dawid Malan notches unbeaten hundred

ECB Reporters Network28-May-2019Middlesex paceman Tom Helm returned career best figures before skipper Dawid Malan’s 23rd first-class hundred established a position of strength for his side in the Specsavers County Championship encounter with Worcestershire at Blackfinch New Road.Helm finished with 5 for 36 from 19 overs to earn Middlesex a first-innings lead of 65 as Worcestershire were dismissed for 156 in 63.5 overs shortly before tea. It surpassed the 25-year-old’s previous best of 5 for 59 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston two years ago, as he exploited a pitch of uneven bounce and received excellent support from veteran Tim Murtagh (17-9-25-2).Then skipper Malan and Nick Gubbins cashed in during a marathon final session of 51 overs with an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 175.Malan leg glanced Ed Barnard for four to reach three figures off 121 balls with 14 fours and he accelerated to such an extent that his second 50 came from just 44 deliveries. He ended the day unbeaten on 107 with Gubbins 72 not out as Middlesex closed on 195 for 2, an overall advantage of 260.Conditions appeared to ease for batting during the second half of the day although Worcestershire, with the exception of skipper Joe Leach, were guilty of some undistinguished bowling.In a rain shortened morning session Helm followed up his two wickets on Monday with another double breakthrough in the half hour’s play possible after Worcestershire had resumed on 64 for 3 in reply to Middlesex’s 221.Opener Tom Fell had defied the visitors attack for 27 overs on the opening day but added only one to his overnight 18 before he pushed forward to Helm and was bowled. Helm dismissed nightwatchman Josh Tongue who fended off a delivery which bounced on him and Nathan Sowter held on to a low chance at second slip.The players were driven off by a heavy shower and an early lunch was taken at 12.30pm with the total on 85 for 5.When the action resumed Worcestershire lost two further wickets without any addition to the total. Riki Wessels pushed forward to Murtagh and was bowled and then Helm completed his five wicket haul when Ross Whiteley edged to Steve Eskinazi at second slip.Ben Cox top edged James Harris for six to fine leg and Ed Barnard drove Murtagh for four. But the veteran Middlesex paceman’s next delivery jagged back and accounted for Barnard lbw and Cox was dismissed in the same fashion by Harris.Resistance came from the last wicket Worcestershire pair of Leach and Charlie Morris. They added 40 in 16 overs before spinner Sowter trapped Morris lbw.Leach took the new ball and made two quickfire breakthroughs as Max Holden and Sam Robson fell lbw in successive overs to leave Middlesex on 20 for 2. But Malan, in his first senior game since recovering from a groin injury suffered on England duty, and Gubbins ensured there were no further alarms for the visitors.They scored at around four an over and were seldom troubled with Malan first to his half century off 77 balls with six fours. Gubbins reached his fifty shortly afterwards from 99 deliveries with seven boundaries.

Paul Edwards15-Apr-2018
ScorecardA moody sky at Old Trafford•AFP

The cricketers almost always console you; they invariably bring you peace. That, at any rate, was the curious feeling one had even on this grey Sunday at Emirates Old Trafford as one watched Nottinghamshire’s batsmen build a lead of 64 runs and then Liam Livingstone’s batsmen reduce it to just six before persistent rain prevented any play after tea.Behind Stretford Town Hall a football match rumbled away but inside the home of Lancashire cricket the County Championship has settled in, even in this benightedly wet April. And, it had to be remarked as the day progressed, this Old Trafford was probably the more content.None of which will console either Haseeb Hameed or Alex Davies this bedraggled Sabbath evening. Hameed had put on 49 with Keaton Jennings and had looked in little trouble until he played forward and didn’t quite miss a ball from Harry Gurney. That, at least, was the judgement of Graham Lloyd. Hameed looked at the umpire for a moment and trudged off with 19 runs against his name. No one missed the point that an opportunity to impress the selectors had gone a-begging.Five minutes later Davies attempted to get off the mark by pulling his fifth delivery backward of square. The ball went through to Tom Moores who joined the slips and Gurney in a full-throated appeal. Again Lloyd’s finger was raised. Davies stood his ground and gazed at the official for a couple of long Steinbeckian seconds. One imagines that not since the age of the basilisks has there been such a glance.But there was nothing Davies could do about things except follow Hameed to the pavilion. Jennings, whose straight drive off Samit Patel had been one of the shots of the day, came in to tea unbeaten on 27. Then the rain set in with growing vengeance. Quite soon it was raining at all the County Championship venues except Lord’s, where the game was over, and Headingley, where it hadn’t started.The first third of this day at Old Trafford had been taken up with Nottinghamshire carefully constructing their lead of 64, an advantage which may have been beyond their avarice on the Saturday evening. Riki Wessels’ 44 was the largest contribution but one’s eye was taken by young Tom Moores, a batsman who will never let a bowler settle if he can help it. The heir to Chris Read’s gauntlets, Moores is, like his predecessor, every inch a cricketer and his 143-minute 38 is the longest innings of the match to date.Lancashire’s bowling was willing enough but the home side never looked like taking wickets until the last three fell in as many overs, two of them to Liam Livingstone. The Lancashire skipper had earlier produced a fine off-spinner to remove Wessels but the grey morning session was also illumined by Moores’ cover-driving and his picked-up six off Keaton Jennings, a shot plucked straight from a steamy July evening at Trent Bridge and the pressing needs of T20 cricket.Moores was the only Nottinghamshire batsman not to be dismissed by Livingstone on this third day. He was bowled by Joe Mennie when attempting to make room to pull the ball to leg but he managed to do no more than deflect it onto his leg stump. A few minutes’ later Jake Ball’s heave saw him stumped by Davies and the Lancashire openers dashed off to prepare for their innings.

An ECB statement said that he is expected to bowl in the fourth innings, but it is unclear whether he will be fit to bat

Matt Roller13-Jul-2025England are sweating on the fitness of their offspinner Shoaib Bashir after he damaged the little finger on his left hand on the third day of the Lord’s Test against India.Bashir sustained the injury when bowling to Ravindra Jadeja, who hit a powerful low drive straight back at him. While technically a caught-and-bowled chance, Bashir was struck firmly on the hand and immediately signalled up to the home dressing room that he had been injured, sustaining what appeared to be a dislocation. Joe Root completed his over.The England camp were initially hopeful that Bashir would be available to bowl in the evening session, but he instead sat along with their substitute fielders and did not take the field. He bowled on a practice strip ahead of the fourth day’s play, with heavy strapping on his fourth and fifth fingers, but it is unclear whether he will be fit to bat.An England statement on the fourth morning said: “Following his left little finger injury, Shoaib Bashir continues to be monitored and is expected to bowl in the fourth innings of this Test. A decision on whether he will bat in the third innings will be made in due course. His involvement in the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford will be assessed at the end of the match.”Bashir has taken nine wickets at 59.44 in this series, including the wicket of KL Rahul on the third day at Lord’s. If he is not deemed fit to play in Manchester, England’s alternative spin options include Liam Dawson, Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed; Brendon McCullum has confirmed that Jacob Bethell is seen as a spare batter rather than a potential No. 8.

Tourists make two changes for second Multan Test with spin expected to play bigger role

Matt Roller14-Oct-2024Ben Stokes will return to captain England in Multan this week after two months sidelined with a torn hamstring. Stokes has stepped up his recovery in the past week and will replace Chris Woakes in one of two England changes from the first Test, with Matthew Potts also coming in for the rested Gus Atkinson.”I feel good. I’m looking forward to getting back on the field,” Stokes said ahead of his return. “I’ve worked really hard at the back end of my rehab period at home and throughout the last Test match as well. I’ve put myself through a fitness test, pretty much, over the last couple of days, and come through that pretty well.”England are braced for a lower-scoring second Test, with the match set to be played on the same strip as the one used for their innings win last week. The pitch has been heavily watered but has dried out in the sun during two practice days, and the used surface could bring both teams’ spinners into the game.Stokes has been bowling in training and will be England’s third seam option behind Potts and Brydon Carse, his Durham team-mates. It is a rare example of England picking three seamers from the same county. “It’s going to be a proud moment for the club,” he said. “Durham have a great record of producing England cricketers, and in particular fast bowlers.”On his own fitness to bowl, Stokes said: “I’ve obviously got to be sensible. Playing on a used wicket made the decision a little bit easier… We’ve got two workhorses in the team in Carsey and Potts who just keep going and going and going. But I’m available to bowl, and when I sense the time is right for me to come on and make an impact, there won’t be any doubts in my mind.”Related

• Pakistan to re-use same pitch in Multan for second Test against England

• James Anderson buoyed by breadth and depth of evolving fast bowling stocks

• Pakistan drop Shaheen, Naseem alongside Babar for next two Tests

England’s seamers all had a heavy workload in the first Test, despite their innings win: Atkinson bowled 39 overs, Carse 38 and Woakes 35. Atkinson and Woakes both played all six Tests of England’s home summer and have been rested, with a short turnaround between matches, while Carse should be much fresher after spending June, July and August serving a ban.”You’re looking at the last seven Test matches being pretty gruelling – in particular, the last one,” Stokes said. “Looking at the seamers we’ve got out here, this is a good time for them to have a rest and refresh the body. They’ve had a really big summer and put in really good performances, bowled a lot of overs. It’s a good time for them to get their feet up and have a break.”Ben Duckett retains his place at the top of the order after recovering from a dislocated thumb sustained on the second evening of the first Test, while Jamie Smith will shuffle back down to No. 7 to allow Stokes to return in his favoured role at No. 6.England have stuck with the same spinners – Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir – despite Bashir’s quiet first Test, in which he returned match figures of 1 for 156. Rehan Ahmed is the other spin option in their squad, while the Warwickshire and England Under-19s legspinner Tazeem Ali is on holiday in Pakistan and has been bowling in the nets this week.England XI: 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Jamie Smith (wk), 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Matthew Potts, 10 Jack Leach, 11 Shoaib Bashir