Former Championship-winning fast bowler returns home after six years with Lancashire

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2023Graham Onions has agreed a return to his home club of Durham as lead bowling coach, after calling time on his six-year spell at Lancashire.Onions, who made more than 250 appearances for Durham across formats between 2004 and 2017, was instrumental in the club’s glory years, playing a key role in three County Championship titles between 2008 and 2013, and the One-Day Cup in 2014.He then moved to Lancashire for the final years of his career, helping them to win the 2019 Division Two title before stepping into the role of bowling coach following his retirement in 2020.In the course of his career, he claimed 527 first-class wickets for Durham, a haul bettered only by Chris Rushworth, and a further 104 in 23 matches for Lancashire at 20.73. He also played in nine Tests for England between 2009 and 2012, claiming 32 wickets at 29.90.”I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to come back to the county where it all started as a player,” Onions said. “I’m really looking forward to working with a talented group of players and also the opportunity to develop my own coaching with some exciting coaches.”I have loved my time at Lancashire as both a player and most recently as bowling coach. The time is right for me to move back to the North East to be around my family more often, but I will always be grateful for the six years I have spent at Emirates Old Trafford.”Durham’s director of cricket, Marcus North, added: “His 14-year playing career at Durham and understanding of our club’s culture and the North East cricketing landscape is a huge advantage in his arrival back to Durham.”We have an exciting group of bowlers at Durham and we believe this appointment is key to the development and success of this group. Graham will also play a leading role with Nathan Rimmington in overseeing our pathway talent.”

But series win will be scant consolation for England, WI’s failings in 50-over cricket this year

Alan Gardner08-Dec-2023

Big picture – Final throes for 50-overs in 2023

Ding and then dong. Punch and then counterpunch. The series set up for a decider in Bridgetown. England found their feet after being wobbled in the first game but West Indies can still come back off the ropes with the aim of landing a knockout blow under the Kensington Oval floodlights this weekend.If they do so, it would result in a rare bilateral ODI series win – their first against Full Member opposition in more than two-and-a-half years, and their first against England since 2007. It would also be the most significant success of Shai Hope’s tenure, after he took charge of the one-day side earlier this year. Hope has led from the front so far, scoring 177 runs from 151 balls for once out, but needs greater consistency from the rest of the team if they are to once again expose English uncertainty in the format.There was some fight on display in the second Antiguan bout, most notably during a stand of 129 between Hope and Sherfane Rutherford – who hinted at an aptitude for longer formats with his first international half-century – to lift the home side from the penurious position of 23 for 4; and again with the ball, chiefly through Gudakesh Motie, to check another rampaging England start. But they could not sustain the challenge for long enough.In part that was due to England taking their game up a notch following a tepid first outing. Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone dealt with the double-edged sword of their allrounder status to share six wickets – Curran’s new-ball burst laying the early groundwork before Livingstone removed West Indies’ two top-scorers. Then, after a gamebreaking assault from Will Jacks at the top of the order, England’s white-ball kingpin finally reasserted his status: Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 58 from 45 ended a run of 13 innings without a fifty and eased the chase to a swift conclusion.Buttler described himself afterwards as “fed up” with his lack of runs, and you suspect he would be similarly dischuffed if his team were to let the momentum slip again. England have lost 11 of 22 completed ODIs this calendar year, and will not play the format again until September 2024. Taking the series spoils would scarcely make up for the disappointment of the World Cup but it would at least mean they can put 50-over cricket to bed with a mug of cocoa before thoughts to the T20s and another looming title defence.

Form guide

West Indies LWLWL
England WLWWL

In the spotlight – Phil Salt and Alzarri Joseph

Phil Salt has been the coming man – and a man in a hurry – for England in limited-overs cricket for a couple of years, but he is yet to fully nail himself on as the natural successor to Jason Roy. Salt has the highest batting strike-rate (134.27) of anyone to have scored 500-plus ODI runs, and the method he employs at the top of the order is perfectly attuned to the way England want to get back to playing. But, after scoring a maiden hundred in the Netherlands last year, he has managed just one half-century in his last 11 innings. A hefty contribution to underline his status before England turn their thoughts back to T20 would be timely.West Indies’ new-ball bowling has come under as-Salt in both games, and it has needed the introduction of spin to calm things down. At 27, Alzarri Joseph is the most experienced member of this attack and, newly appointed as Hope’s vice-captain, he carries a weight of extra responsibility during this series. He bowled better than figures of 1 for 65 in the first game suggest, but was manhandled during the opening exchanges in the second ODI – a three-over spell of 0 for 38 setting the tone for England to race away. With Oshane Thomas playing international cricket for the first time in two years and Romario Shepherd more of an all-round option, West Indies need Joseph to be their cutting edge.

Team news – Pope to pop in?

West Indies were unchanged in Antigua but could look to stiffen the batting by bringing in Kjorn Ottley for his first appearance since 2021. Roston Chase offers an allrounder option on his home ground.West Indies (probable): 1 Alick Athanaze, 2 Brandon King, 3 Keacy Carty/Kjorn Ottley, 4 Shai Hope (capt & wk), 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Yannic Cariah, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Oshane ThomasEngland, too, have stuck with the same XI and might see little reason to tinker for the deciding match – otherwise Ollie Pope, ostensibly in the Caribbean to continue his rehab from a shoulder injury, and John Turner would perhaps be pushing harder for debuts in the format. Jofra Archer also trained with England on Friday but won’t be in contention.England (probable): 1 Will Jacks, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Zak Crawley, 4 Ben Duckett, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Rehan Ahmed, 11 Gus Atkinson.

Pitch and conditions

The surface at Kensington Oval tends to offer a bit of something for everyone, though rain during the build-up might assist the bowlers. In the last four years, six of the ten ODIs played in Bridgetown have seen the team batting first bowled out for less than 200 – but prior to that, it was the scene of England’s record ODI chase, after West Indies racked up 360 for 8. “It can be slightly unpredictable at times, the surfaces here at Kennington,” Hope said on Friday. “From what I can see it looks like a decent surface, so I think it should be a nice cricket wicket.” The forecast for Saturday is clear.

Stats and trivia

• England have won eight and lost six of their 14 ODIs at Kensington Oval. Their most recent visit resulted in a 26-run loss, with Shimron Hetmyer scoring a century.
• In the previous game, on that same 2019 tour, England achieved what is still their highest successful chase – reeling in a target of 361 with six wickets standing.
• West Indies’ last bilateral series win against a Full Member came in March 2021, when they beat Sri Lanka 3-0 at home. Since then, they have only been victorious against Netherlands and UAE.
• Hope is 18 runs shy of overtaking Gordon Greenidge and moving into the top ten of West Indies men’s ODI run-scorers.

Quotes

“We’ve got to start better with the ball, especially at the top to see if we can get some early inroads. We’ve been struggling a little bit to get those early wickets and put teams under pressure, so that’s a certain highlight for us going forwards.”
“I still feel like I can affect games of cricket for England and that’s the major bonus for me at the moment. The ball’s coming out of my hand really well and I know for a fact that things are going to change around with the bat.”

Strikers will travel to the Gold Coast and face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger on Monday

Tristan Lavalette20-Jan-2024Legspinners Lloyd Pope and Cameron Boyce starred on the traditional pace-friendly Optus Stadium surface as Adelaide Strikers ended Perth Scorchers’ historic bid for a hat-trick of BBL titles with an upset victory in the knockout final.Strikers will travel to the Gold Coast and face Brisbane Heat in the Challenger on Monday, with the winner to meet Sydney Sixers in the final at the SCG.It was a remarkable turnaround for Strikers, who were in big trouble at 48 for 4 before a hard-hitting 56 off 32 balls from Jake Weatherald ignited a comeback.Strikers then superbly defended 155 for 7 with Boyce and Pope combining for seven wickets, including stars Aaron Hardie and Josh Inglis, to stun Scorchers.It was a shock exit for Scorchers, who had a late-season fadeout after losing to Sixers in a last-ball defeat that cost them second spot and the double chance.Scorchers and Western Australia had swept all six domestic titles over the last two seasons. But they could not stop red-hot Strikers, who defied the absences of ILT20-bound Chris Lynn, Adam Hose and allrounder Jamie Overton.After being sent in, Strikers’ hopes of setting a big target rested with skipper Matthew Short who was coming off scoring the most-ever runs in a 10-game regular season. He had also blasted Scorchers for a pair of 70s during the season. But it was his namesake D’Arcy Short who came out blazing before falling to a brilliant return catch from left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff.Matthew Short looked in ominous form when he whacked a short delivery from speedster Lance Morris to the boundary. Something special was needed to dismiss Short cheaply and veteran seamer Andrew Tye stepped up with a gem of an inswinging yorker that rattled the stumps.Strikers were seemingly shaken by the dismissal with Thomas Kelly struggling to score in the overs before drinks. In an inspired move, Hardie reverted to left-arm spinning allrounder Cooper Connolly who hadn’t bowled in Scorchers’ last three matches.Connolly justified the faith by dismissing Kelly before Hardie brilliantly ran out Harry Nielsen with a direct throw from mid-on to leave Strikers in ruins at 48 for 4.Jake Weatherald counter-attacked with a quick fifty•Getty Images

Veteran Weatherald has grabbed his opportunities since being a late-season inclusion and dominated after drinks. He used his feet superbly against left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, whose home struggles continued in contrast to his miserly bowling on slower surfaces on the east coast.Weatherald raced to his half-century in 30 balls, but fell shortly after when he failed to execute a reverse scoop against Hardie, who then dismissed James Bazley to put Scorchers well on top.But their death bowling woes against Sixers reared with Strikers smashing 45 runs off the last five overs. Ben Manenti, who in recent seasons has been a thorn to Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield, and Henry Thornton effectively threw the bat as Strikers finished with a competitive total.Strikers’ strong attack sensed an opportunity against a revamped Scorchers opening partnership of Sam Fanning and Marcus Harris, who were both late-season signings.Debutant Fanning started with a fearless approach to continually bludgeon through the offside. Fanning, 23, made a duck against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield in his only innings in domestic cricket this season. But he had entered with a century in local grade cricket and carried over that form with an assault on the new-ball, where he cracked two sixes off left-arm seamer David Payne in the fourth over.Fanning overshadowed Harris, who played sedately in his first innings since being overlooked for Australia’s Test team. It appeared like a fairytale was unfolding until Fanning holed out in the fifth over after scoring 31 of Scorchers’ first 38 runs.But it triggered a collapse of 4 for 10 capped by Hardie being clean bowled by Pope, who bowled well in tandem with Boyce in the middle overs.The pressure fell on Inglis, who plays aggressively against spin but he succumbed to a rampant Boyce as Scorchers crashed to 70 for 5 in the 12th over.Boyce was pumped up and Strikers were further buoyed when skipper Short took a spectacular diving return catch to dismiss Nick Hobson. Strikers were on fire as Bazley took a tough juggling catch on the boundary to snare Connolly to leave Scorchers’ faithful stunned and quickly heading for the exit.

Pat Cummins claimed the key wicket of a well-set Kane Williamson but a late dropped catch could hurt Australia

Tristan Lavalette09-Mar-20243:12

Spotlight on Carey even as New Zealand fight back

Matt Henry claimed a seven-wicket haul to restrict Australia before Tom Latham and Kane Williamson struck half-centuries to continue New Zealand’s stirring fightback in the second Test at Hagley Oval.But Williamson fell late on day two for 51 after succumbing to the first ball of a new spell from Pat Cummins, dragging a delivery onto his stumps that had deceptively decked back.Related

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• Henry on NZ's batting – 'It's not a concern'

Just before stumps, Latham edged a delivery from Josh Hazlewood that shaped away only for wicketkeeper Alex Carey to spill a chance after diving low down in front of Usman Khawaja at first slip.Latham finished unbeaten on 65 from 154 balls in his highest Test score against Australia. He entered averaging just under 28 against them compared to 40 overall. Rachin Ravindra had some anxious moments, but fought hard to reach 11 not out with New Zealand leading by 40 runs.As was expected ahead of the match, the pitch appeared to be flattening out, but there was still enough movement and bounce for the seamers to exploit. Australia used six bowlers with Cummins and Hazlewood, who was the standout with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, looking threatening before the close.New Zealand’s batting has been under the microscope having failed to reach 200 runs in their three previous innings in the series. After opener Will Young fell early to Mitchell Starc, Williamson and Latham erased New Zealand’s 94-run first innings deficit with a 105-run partnership.Pat Cummins claimed the huge wicket of Kane Williamson•AFP/Getty Images

Williamson, in his 100th Test, played elegantly and unfurled trademark drives to reach his half-century off 105 balls. Having made just 26 runs in the series, Williamson was in a determined mood and looked set for the long haul having converted his previous eight fifties into centuries.There was extra fuel for Williamson, whose career average of 37 against Australia is modest compared to his overall mark of 55. But he was left in despair after falling to Cummins following a rare sedate period of a play in what has thoroughly been a bowler-dominated series.Relatively quiet in the series with just two wickets previously, Cummins produced a hostile spell late in the day amid cloudy conditions. But Latham and Ravindra held firm to continue New Zealand’s turnaround after they made just 162 in the first innings.Henry dominated the earlier part of the day to claw New Zealand back in the contest and restrict Australia to 256. His figures of 7 for 67 from 23 overs were the second best by a New Zealand bowler against Australia and only behind Sir Richard Hadlee’s famous 9 for 52 at the Gabba in 1985. It was Henry’s second consecutive five-wicket haul after being a shining light in New Zealand’s hefty first Test defeat.Australia’s stuttering batting-order once again weren’t able to muster a formidable effort and let their stranglehold slip, with Marnus Labuschagne the only batter to score more than 30 runs in the innings. He superbly anchored the innings to emerge from a form slump with 90 off 147 balls.Labuschagne, who has only made two of his 11 hundreds away from Australia, had endured lean form over the last 12 months, and has seen his Test average drop below 50 having once soared above 60. He had suffered four consecutive single digit innings before this match.Other than Labuschagne, a number of Australia’s batters could not go on with starts although cameos from Cummins, Starc and Nathan Lyon lifted them to a handy lead.Matt Henry finished with 7 for 67 to restrict Australia’s lead to under 100•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand were frustrated initially by Lyon, the nightwatcher, who underlined his form with 20 before edging Henry to Daryl Mitchell, who made amends after dropping a chance earlier in the day. Henry continued his excellent series when he trapped Mitchell Marsh on the crease in a decision overturned on the DRS when captain Tim Southee decided to review at the last second.It was Marsh’s second consecutive duck, while Carey’s struggles against spin continued when he gifted Glenn Phillips – who had been brought into the attack in an inspired move by Southee – a wicket after a poorly executed paddle stroke on 14.With Josh Inglis breathing down his neck, Carey’s place in the team will further be in the spotlight having only made two half-centuries in his last 18 innings.Labuschagne held the innings together and his determined work in the nets in the lead-up paid off with well-executed plans evident. He made an emphasis to counter the movement by getting across the stumps and hitting into his favoured on-sideBut Labuschagne’s tactics of walking down the pitch, especially to Henry, raised the eyebrows of the umpires who got together to discuss whether he was moving into the protected area of the pitch.Labuschagne’s bid for his first century since the Ashes Test in Manchester last year was cut short by a spectacular catch from Phillips at gully after leaping high to his right on the last ball before lunch.

Pakistan allrounder goes straight into squad for upcoming fixture against Nottinghamshire

Matt Roller25-Apr-2024Warwickshire have signed allrounder Aamer Jamal on a multi-format contract until the end of July, after he was left out of Pakistan’s ongoing T20I series against New Zealand.Jamal announced himself to the world by taking 18 wickets in three matches in his maiden Test series for Pakistan in Australia late last year, and has also played six T20Is. He was part of a training camp at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul earlier this month, but does not appear to be part of their T20 World Cup plans after missing out on selection against New Zealand.He will be available until the end of the T20 Blast group stages and has been named in Warwickshire’s 14-man County Championship squad to face Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston from Friday. “He’s jumping out of his skin to be on the park on Friday,” Gavin Larsen, Warwickshire’s performance director, said.Related

• Aamer Jamal leaves Warwickshire early after injury-blighted stint

Mark Robinson, their coach, said he would make a late call on Jamal’s inclusion after he arrived in Birmingham on Thursday. “He’s raring to go. It’s fantastic he’s itching to get straight into action with us but he hasn’t played a competitive game for a few weeks, so we’ll see where he’s at and make a decision tomorrow.”Larsen said: “He really captured the cricket world’s attention in Australia. He took the Aussies on with good pace, bounce, and a combative approach, all attributes you want in a fast bowler. Pat Cummins was named player of the series but you could have made a very strong argument for Jamal to have been awarded that title.”Jamal joins his compatriot Hasan Ali in Warwickshire’s squad, who was also left out of the ongoing New Zealand series after being invited to Pakistan’s recent training camp. They will fill Warwickshire’s two permitted overseas spots until the end of July, while Hasan’s contract includes an option to extend into September.Warwickshire will be without Moeen Ali, their T20 captain, for at least the first half of the Blast as he is expected to be named in England’s provisional T20 World Cup squad next week. The club said in January when Alex Davies was appointed club captain that a decision over the T20 captaincy would be made nearer the start of the Blast.They have strengthened their T20 bowling attack significantly in the off-season with the additions of George Garton and Richard Gleeson, though Gleeson could yet miss the start of the Blast. He was recently signed by Chennai Super Kings as an injury replacement at the IPL, and they are on course to qualify for the play-offs which run until May 26, five days before Warwickshire’s opening match.Sam Hain, who has missed the start of the Championship season due to personal reasons, played for Warwickshire’s 2nd XI but does not feature in their first-team squad this week. For Notts, Olly Stone – who left Warwickshire at the end of the 2022 season – is back in the squad after a groin injury and could play his first Championship game since May 2023.Elsewhere, Sam Cook will lead Essex for the first time this week when they face Durham, with club captain Tom Westley on paternity leave. They have brought in Harry Duke on a short-term loan deal from Yorkshire with Adam Rossington and Michael Pepper both injured and Jordan Cox unable to keep wicket after breaking his finger during the Hundred last year.Ollie Pope and Gus Atkinson are both in Surrey’s squad to face Hampshire at The Oval, though Ben Foakes has been rested by the ECB. In Division Two, Rehan Ahmed is back in Leicestershire’s squad after two weeks away on a pilgrimage, while Josh Hull – a tall left-arm seamer recently name-checked by Rob Key as an England prospect – returns from a side strain.

A taxing few months and a desire to spend time with family led to the decision to sit out of KKR’s campaign, the opener said

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2024Jason Roy has revealed that he opted out of the ongoing IPL 2024 with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to put his “mindset and body” first.Roy had joined KKR in 2023 for INR 2.8 crore (US$341,000 approx.) as an injury replacement. After scoring 285 runs at an average of 35.62 and strike rate of 151.59, he was due to return this season until he pulled out at the start of March citing personal reasons. He was subsequently replaced by England and Lancashire batter Phil Salt.It has been a challenging 18 months for Roy. Having missed out on selection for England’s T20 World Cup squad in 2022, he endured the same fate last October when he did not make the squad for the defence of the 50-over title he was integral to in 2019. He also went undrafted for this year’s Hundred following his release from 2023 champions Oval Invincibles. Last May, Roy had terminated his ECB incremental contract to play the inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC).After finishing the year in the T10 for Chennai Braves, Roy started 2024 in the SA20 for Durban’s Super Giants before playing two ILT20 games for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Five days later, he embarked on a ten-match stint with Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.Speaking on the latest podcast, Roy explained that a taxing second half of the winter and a desire to spend quality time at home with his family led to the decision to sit out this edition of the IPL.”Missing this year’s IPL was a huge decision, I think,” Roy said. “KKR put so much trust in me by retaining me after a decent year last year and being available for them throughout the year and all the other competitions, you know, I felt like I owe them a huge amount. It was a very big decision, but a decision I came to just because it was my daughter’s fifth birthday as soon as our first game was, there were a few things going on, I was quite tired after the start of my year.”I’ve come off the back of not a huge amount of cricket, so the last couple of months have really taken it out of me. And so I was very honest to KKR and we’ve got a fantastic relationship, so we were able to come to an agreement and stuff like that on why I wasn’t coming. They completely understood so I’m very grateful to them for that. But I just had to put myself first, you know, just mindset and body.”Roy’s withdrawal was also informed by a period two years ago in which he found himself “in a dark place”, which resulted in him taking an indefinite break from the game and missing IPL 2022 with Gujarat Titans. It was around this time – in March of that year – that the 33-year-old was reprimanded by the ECB for “conducting himself in a manner which may be prejudicial to the interests of cricket or which may bring the game of cricket, the ECB and himself into disrepute”. Roy, who admitted to the charge, was fined £2,500 and handed a suspended two-match ban.Jason Roy wasn’t selected by England for the defence of the 50-over title he was integral to in 2019•Getty Images

“A couple of years ago, I went through an extremely bad patch with my mindset,” he said. “With my mental health and stuff, and I pulled out of the IPL when I was signed with Gujarat, and you know that was for a completely different reason. That was because I was in a dark place, I was in a shocking headspace, and it was sort of my own doing.”I kind of said to myself, ‘I’m okay, I’m okay’, and I kept going, and I kept playing, and I stayed away from home. And you know, I ended up just shooting myself in the foot. This year and from that point, I basically said to myself, I’m just going to listen to my head, listen to my heart and figure it out from there on in.”That was a huge learning curve for me, to be able to make decisions like I have this year, you know, and it can look a certain way. But it’s nothing to do with anyone else, it’s absolutely nothing to do with anyone else.”It’s your decision – I’ve got a young family, I’m a grown man and I’ve made the decision off the back of a lot of thoughts. I’ve not just woken up one morning and thought, ‘You know what – I actually don’t feel like getting on that flight to India’. A lot of thought has gone into it, and yeah, it’s become far easier to talk about and a far easier decision, just because you know, especially from past experiences, what that can do to you.”

Pennington puts Lancashire on brink of ignominious defeat with three second-innings wickets

ECB Reporters Network12-May-2024Haseeb Hameed struck a record-breaking career-best 247 not out as Nottinghamshire took control of their Division One match against Lancashire in the Vitality County Championship at Trent Bridge.The sometime England opener scored almost half his side’s runs as Nottinghamshire, all out for 503, turned an overnight deficit of 52 with seven wickets down into a first-innings lead of 172 before the visitors closed in deep trouble on 100 for 6 in their second innings, still 72 behind.Hameed’s score is the highest by a Nottinghamshire player carrying his bat through an innings in the county’s first-class history, eclipsing the 239 not out made by opener Charlie Harris in 1950 in an all-out score of 401 against Hampshire at Trent Bridge. There have been only 10 higher carried-bat innings in the history of county cricket.Hameed, who is in his first season as Nottinghamshire’s red-ball captain, was at the crease for 10 hours and 21 minutes and found brilliant support from an unlikely source in England fast bowler Olly Stone, his overnight partner, who made a career-best 90 in stand of 163, an eighth-wicket record in matches between these sides.”I wasn’t aware of the record until you told me just now,” Hameed said. “I guess it’s one of those things that maybe I’ll look back on down the line and be proud of the achievement. To break a record that had stood for 74 years is pleasing. And it’s my first double-hundred at first-class level too, so it is nice to get that one ticked off”I know Stoney is a very capable batter. We had a nice little partnership in the same fixture last year. I know he can play having seen him bat in the nets, so it came as no surprise.”Stone’s new-ball partner Dillon Pennington then followed up his three first-innings wickets with three more as Lancashire made a woeful start to their second innings, before Dane Paterson and Lyndon James combined to take another three, with all six casualties caught in the slips or behind the wicket.It was Hameed’s maiden double-hundred, yet Stone’s performance came as the biggest surprise of the day. Prior to this match, the 30-year-old had only once gone past fifty in his whole career, making 60 for Northamptonshire against Kent in 2016.Indeed, as he dusted off a few shots from his batting repertoire at the start of the day, it was easy to imagine that the back end of the Nottinghamshire innings might follow a similar pattern to Lancashire’s 24 hours earlier: a quick dart at an extra batting point or two before the opposing bowlers brought things to a conclusion.Dillon Pennington removed three of the Lancashire top four•Getty Images

But where Lancashire’s tail was done wagging within 26 balls of the restart, with 25 extra runs that gained nothing in terms of points before Stone picked up the last two wickets, a Nottinghamshire game-plan that must have had roughly the same goals turned into the biggest partnership of the match, tipping the balance in the home side’s favour.Indeed, it was Stone who played the lead role. As Hameed, whose fluent striking had taken him to 137 not out on day two, found himself scratching around by comparison, perhaps wary of a deteriorating pitch, Stone played as if big scores were second nature to him.While Hameed was taking 11 overs to find the 13 runs he needed for the second 150 of his career, Stone was profiting so readily from authentic shots across a fast outfield that he clearly felt he may as well see how far it would take him.The answer was undoubtedly much further than he could have imagined. Nottinghamshire increased their batting bonus points tally from one to three and by lunch they were 63 runs in front, Stone having gone past his eight-year-old career-best. Hameed, ever patient, was on 182.Lancashire finally broke through 65 overs into the day as Tom Bailey uprooted Stone’s off stump. As he walked off, Stone must have wondered if such a chance to make a first-class hundred would come his way again but surely allowed himself to enjoy the appreciation of the crowd. He had hit 15 fours, with scarcely a false shot among them.Hameed, meanwhile, was just past his own milestone, a double-hundred of which half the runs had literally been run. It beat his previous best of 196 against Derbyshire in 2022.Remarkably, it is the third double-hundred in consecutive matches by a Nottinghamshire batter following Joe Clarke’s unbeaten 213 against Somerset and Ben Duckett’s 218 versus Warwickshire last month.Even with the eighth-wicket stand broken, Lancashire still needed another 19 overs to finish the job. Pennington was leg before without scoring but Paterson stuck around for almost an hour, finding the boundary four times before he was bowled by leg-spinner Luke Wells for 18.Wells was the first casualty of Lancashire’s second innings, caught at third slip by a diving Will Young off Pennington, who struck again three balls later as Josh Bohannon nicked into the gloves of wicketkeeper Clarke.Pennington struck for a third time when George Bell edged to second slip before Paterson had Lancashire skipper Keaton Jennings caught at first slip, the South African almost grabbing what would have been a brilliant catch off his own bowling when George Balderson was on four.Lyndon James had the visitors in more trouble when New Zealand batter Tom Bruce was caught behind for 15, Paterson further reducing them to 61 for six as Balderson was grabbed at third slip, having not added to his score.

Gambhir says there is “no bigger honour”, but it’s not clear yet if he has applied for the job

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2024Gautam Gambhir “would love to coach India” if he is given the opportunity.Gambhir, fresh from playing a key role – as mentor – in Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) run to the IPL 2024 title, has been contacted by the BCCI for the job after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ends following the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup, though it’s not confirmed whether he has applied for it. The deadline was May 27, a day after the IPL final.”Look, I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team,” Gambhir said during an interaction with children at an event in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. “You are representing 140 crore Indians. And more across the globe as well. And when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that?”Related

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• 'GG has not just been a mentor, he's been a leader in every department'

• Gambhir: 'Creating hype' around young players will 'backfire'

It was in response to a question, where a youngster also asked Gambhir how he would help India win a World Cup.”How can I help India win the World Cup – I think it’s not me that will help India win the World Cup, it is 140 crore Indians that will help India win the World Cup,” Gambhir said. “If everyone starts praying for us, and we start playing and representing them, India will win the World Cup. The most important thing is to be fearless and yes, I would love to coach India.”Dravid, it is learned, has communicated to the BCCI his decision not to seek another tenure. VVS Laxman, who had been expected to succeed Dravid, had made himself unavailable last year due to personal reasons.Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, had hinted that the board wants an Indian to get the job, and is in the process of “identifying individuals who possess a deep understanding of the Indian cricket structure and have risen through the ranks”.Gambhir will have to leave his job at KKR if he ends up as the new India coach due to the BCCI’s conflict of interest rules. He recently told that he wanted to continue working with KKR to make them the most successful IPL franchise in history.Gambhir, 42, has no experience of coaching at international or domestic level, but has been a mentor at two IPL teams: Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022 and 2023 – they qualified for the playoffs both times – and KKR in 2024.During a stellar international career, Gambhir was an important part of India’s T20 World Cup win in 2007 and the ODI World Cup win in 2011. He also captained KKR for seven IPL seasons, from 2011 to 2017, during which they won two IPL titles, in 2012 and 2014.

Kent slip six down in reply despite fifties from Feroze Khushi and Jack Leaning

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2024James Vince completed his fourth Vitality County Championship double-century before Hampshire’s bowlers cemented the host’s advantage on day two.Hampshire captain Vince showcased the very best of his aesthetically pleasing batting to go from 149 overnight to 211. He was able to declare on 505 for 8, following attacking duo James Fuller’s 41 and Keith Barker’s 43, before Barker, Mohammad Abbas and Kyle Abbott chipped away with wickets.Feroze Khushi and Jack Leaning bagged contrasting fifties for the visitors but they ended the day still 299 runs behind on 206 for 6.Vince had turned the shape of day one with a mesmerising century, and came out for a swaggering encore. He reached 150 with the third ball of the day via the first of eight cover drives, each caressing the middle of the bat and whistling to the boundary.It was the kind of Vince innings which had it taken place a decade ago would have created a clamour for an England call-up. But despite 1000 runs last season and back-to-back hundreds, his Test days appear behind him.Ben Brown took his partnership with Vince to 259 – Hampshire’s all-time best against Kent for the fourth wicket – before inside edging onto his pads to loop to second slip, before Liam Dawson was bowled by Joey Evison.Despite Vince’s prowess, this was the first time since 2018 that he had scored two Championship centuries in a season, and he continued to smash the ball around Utilita Bowl. His 200 came up in 262 balls, with only Phil Mead, Gordon Greenidge and Jimmy Adams scoring more doubles for Hampshire.Vince was only quelled on 211 when the tireless Grant Stewart found a trampoline on a length to take the shoulder of the bat through to second slip.James Fuller and Keith Barker took on Vince’s mantel and further upped the run-rate with some aggressive batting either side of lunch. The pair put on an entertaining 69 with both crashing scores in the 40s to keep Kent’s bowlers in the dirt. Both were bowled before Vince called Felix Organ and Kyle Abbott in after an unbroken 35 partnership to declare on 508 for 8.Feroze Khushi, on loan from Essex, was eye-catching in reply. Whether it was the shot a ball, having the ball thrown at him by Mohammad Abbas – who was docked five penalty runs – or insisting that a ball hadn’t carried to third slip.The piece de resistance was a see-it-to-believe-it whipped six over square leg on his way to a 38-ball fifty.But wickets kept falling. Ben Compton was leg before in the third over to Barker while Abbas ended his first four overs having gone for 31 but hit back with a snorter to have Daniel Bell-Drummond caught behind in a wicket maiden.Khushi fell over a full Barker delivery, Evison edged Abbas behind before Barker picked up his third when Tawanda Muyeye dangled to Ben Brown. But throughout, Leaning bedded in and found little problem to slowly take his side away from a complete collapse. His fifty coming in 89 balls and ended the day unbeaten on 73.Harry Finch was sharply caught and bowled by Abbott off the final delivery of the day with Kent miles from avoiding the follow-on.

Australian impresses with ninth first-class hundred as Sussex bounce back from Yorkshire loss

ECB Reporters Network29-Aug-2024Australian Daniel Hughes made 144 as second division leaders Sussex established a strong position after day one against Derbyshire at Hove.Derbyshire elected to bowl first then saw Hughes and Tom Haines put on 196 in just 36 overs. Haines made 72 and after Hughes departed Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten 69 as Sussex closed on 391 for 4.It was just the response they would have wanted after losing only their second game of the season to promotion rivals Yorkshire last week.They began the game six points clear of second-placed Middlesex and nine ahead of Yorkshire, who are playing each other at Headingley, but three of their remaining four matches are at the 1st Central County Ground where they won three out of four this season and know the conditions well.Once again there was a good covering of grass on the pitch which would have influenced Derbyshire skipper David Lloyd’s decision to insert Sussex but his seamers, armed with the Kookaburra ball which is being used for the next two rounds of Vitality County Championship fixtures, struggled for consistency, particularly before lunch, and Hughes and Haines cashed in.It wasn’t until deep into the second session, when spinners David Lloyd and Jack Morley operated in tandem, that the run rate dipped below five an over but by then Sussex had taken control.Hughes offered one chance on 35 when he drove at Zak Chappell, but Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen couldn’t hold on to the edge diving to his right at second slip, and by lunch the two left-handers had plundered 161 from 28 overs, targeting the short boundary on the scoreboard side.Hughes duly eased to the ninth first-class hundred of his career just after lunch and it was a surprise when he fell for 144 off 142 balls. South African Daryn Dupavillon had bowled a wide earlier in the over when he speared another delivery outside off stump which Hughes could have ignored, but instead under-edged to keeper Brooke Guest. Hughes hit 18 fours and three sixes, but it was a somewhat tame end to an excellent innings by the 35-year-old from Sydney, who has already confirmed that he will return to Sussex next season. It was also the 1500th century scored against Derbyshire in all formats.Haines had already departed for a fluent 72 when Chappell tempted him into a loose drive and this time Madsen held on at slip while Tom Clark, one of the five left-handers in Sussex’s top six, squandered a promising start when left-armer spinner Morley found extra bounce and the edge looped to slip high off the bat.But by then Alsop was easing to his seventh half-century of the season as he added 66 for the fourth wicket with James Coles, who looked untroubled until he played across the line to off-spinner Lloyd. Alsop has yet to convert any of those fifties into a hundred but he won’t have a better opportunity when he resumes tomorrow, having so far put on 39 for the fifth wicket with captain John Simpson, who was dropped by Madsen off Dupavillon on 21 late in the day.