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Hosts haven’t been afraid to try new things against formidable Australians

Valkerie Baynes11-Jul-2023Sophia Dunkley will open the batting as England seek to embrace their role as “disruptors”, and win the opening ODI against Australia to keep their Ashes hopes alive.Opener Tammy Beaumont, who scored a record-breaking 208 in the Test, which Australia won by 89 runs, returned to the England squad named on Monday after missing out on the T20I leg. But Emma Lamb, who had become her regular partner in the 50-over format, was overlooked after a string of low scores including innings of 10 and 28 in the Test then 8 and 0 in for England A in their one-day series against Australia A.Dunkley scored a century having moved from the middle order up to No.3 in an ODI against South Africa almost exactly a year ago in Bristol, the venue of Wednesday’s match. Heather Knight, the England captain, has confirmed that she herself will step up to that role now.”Sophia’s going to open the batting,” Knight said. “She moved up to three last year, was brilliant, really successful, made an impact, so she’s going to move up to open and do exactly how she has done in the ODI team at three.”We want to maximise the powerplay and that was a change we made with Sophia moving up to three last year to try and take on the powerplay a little bit more. But with Sophia, she’s a proper batter as well. She’s not just a little pinch-hitter at the top.”Related

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Dunkley scored a half-century in a losing cause during the first T20I against Australia and shared an important 57-run stand with Danni Wyatt in the second, where Wyatt scored 76 from 46 balls to lead England to victory. While Dunkley only scored 9 in the third T20I at Lord’s, a 39-run opening stand dominated by Wyatt’s 26 from 15 balls set England on track for a 2-1 victory in that leg of the series. An in-form Wyatt provides a England with a strong option in the middle order for the ODIs.”Their partnership at Lord’s was outstanding,” Knight said. “I thought that probably won us the game, the way they started, Danni in particular taking on the game, and Sophia plays that role so brilliantly for us.”Naturally she scores quite quickly so she can score big runs as well. It’s for her to play her natural game and put the bad balls away and then also try and put pressure back on the bowler, maybe not quite at the tempo she does in T20 but that’s the logic behind it.”Also crucial in the victory at Lord’s was Alice Capsey’s 46 off just 23 balls, which broke a run of five T20Is for England in which she scored just 17 runs in total.”She’s obviously very attacking and she’s not always going to be Mrs. Consistent and that’s not the role we want her to play, we want her to go and take the game on and do exactly what she did the other night,” Knight said. “I think she’ll become more consistent as she goes on, but she’s only 18 and the talent that she’s got is unbelievable.”I was really pleased with her. Obviously she found it a bit tough leading into it, hadn’t performed the way she wanted to, so for her to come in and do that and win a key game is a really good sign.”Lauren Filer returns after making her international debut during the Test and taking two wickets in each innings, troubling the Australia batters at times with her raw pace, bowling at speeds in excess of 75mph/120kph. Playing regional cricket for Western Storm, she is a strong chance to play the opening ODI on her home ground.”Potentially we see her as someone that can disrupt a little bit and bowl quick in those middle overs and try and take wickets,” Knight said. “She knows the ground very well and she’s really exciting. She’s still quite raw, you saw that in the Test match, but the way she played even surprised me, how she rose to the occasion and just made things happen every time she bowled.”It felt like something was going to happen and that was exactly the role we gave to her, very clear, to run in, bowl fast and try and make an impact. That’s what she did and that’s the role if she gets in the 11 that we see her playing in this ODI series.”England haven’t been afraid to try new things in a bid to throw the Australians off course and Knight believes such a mentality shift is beginning to bear fruit. But with Australia on a 15-game winning streak in ODIs and the hosts needing to win all three if they are to win the Ashes while their opponents need to win just one to retain them, she expects a tough contest.”It’s things like picking Lauren Filer in a Test match when she’s completely unknown, just because she can bowl quick and try and shake things up and try and make an impact,” Knight said. “Doing things a little bit differently, like using [offspiner] Charlie Dean first over [at Lord’s] just to do things that the Australians don’t expect and things that we feel are good things to do tactically and good things for us as a group.”The mentality is probably the most important thing and trying to chase a very, very good team that have had a lot of success, we feel like we have to try and maximise how we do things as much as we can, and try and disrupt what’s a very good thing.”

Mumbai’s batting looks settled but they need their bowlers to step up

Srinidhi Ramanujam24-Apr-20235:09

Moody: Mumbai should give Arjun Tendulkar another chance to finish games

Big picture: Rohit Sharma vs Hardik Pandya

Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan vs Rashid Khan. Hardik Pandya vs Jofra Archer. Wriddhiman Saha vs Piyush Chawla. Well, it’s also Rohit versus Hardik, only the second time in the IPL. The only two Indian players in this competition who have tasted success on their debut season as captains will go head-to-head in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.Mumbai Indians lost their first two matches, clinched their next three games in a row, before going down to Punjab Kings in a high-scoring game. They sit at the seventh position with six points whereas Gujarat Titans are fourth on the table with eight points. And after four weeks, it’s tough to pick a favourite between them.Mumbai are a batting-heavy side, with their top-six batters striking at more than 140 in this season. With Cameron Green and Suryakumar Yadav showing results in the last few matches, Rohit will be content with their middle order that also includes the aggressive Tilak Varma and Tim David.However, the same can’t be said of their bowling department. Chawla has bowled the most for Mumbai, has picked up the most wickets (nine) and his economy rate (6.86) is also the best for his side (minimum two games). But the rest of the lot – who have played two or more matches this season – has leaked more than nine runs per over.On the other hand, Titans have fared well in bowling, thanks largely to Mohammed Shami and Rashid. Both have combined to take 22 of the 40 wickets Titans have taken in six games. Mohit Sharma is back and has been bowling at a stunning economy rate of 4.66 from nine overs.Even though Titans return to their home ground, they have lost two of the three games there in IPL 2023. In fact, their defeats have only come at home. In the batting line-up, Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha, despite not clicking as an opening pair, have performed as individuals.However, despite the likes of David Miller and Hardik chipping in, Titans have struggled to score freely in the middle overs. At 7.37 runs per over, they have one of the lowest run rates among all teams from overs 7 to 15. This is an area which Mumbai would be keen to exploit against a team that fires away in the final five.

Form guide

Gujarat Titans WLWLW

Mumbai Indians LWWWL

Team news

Jofra Archer is back for Mumbai after being on the bench due to soreness in his right elbow.

Toss and Impact Player strategy

Gujarat TitansAllrounder Jayant Yadav took over Gill’s place in the XI when the team was bowling and they are likely to continue with this approach. The opposite will work too if they bowl first.Probable XII: 1 , 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Abhinav Manohar, 6 David Miller, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Josh Little/Noor Ahmad, 12 Mumbai IndiansMumbai might bring in Riley Meredith for Jason Behrendorff in their XI, with batter Nehal Wadhera and one of these two overseas bowlers as impact players.Probable XII: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Cameron Green, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Tim David, 7 Arjun Tendulkar, 8 Hrithik Shokeen, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Piyush Chawla, 11 , 12 Nehal Wadhera

Stats that matter

• Shami has taken six wickets in the powerplay this IPL and has bowled 61 dot balls in this phase, the second-most among bowlers this IPL.
• Rohit has scored 43 runs off 29 balls against Rashid in T20s, and has been dismissed by the legspinner in three out of six matches.
• Titans haven’t made it out of the powerplay without losing one of openers Saha or Gill. The pair’s highest stand is 48 runs.
• Mumbai have hit 16 sixes so far in the powerplay, the third-most in this IPL. Titans have hit only five, the second-lowest.

Pitch and conditions

One can expect a another high-scoring game. In the three games played at the Narendra Modi Stadium this season, teams have put up totals in excess of 175 on all occasions. Tuesday evening will be very warm, with temperature touching 40 degrees Celsius during the day.

Quotes

“If a batsman scores a hundred and 60% of the runs comes from cover drives, nobody asks him why he played that shot so many times. This is what (bowling googlies) I have been doing since the beginning. My 60-odd % of wickets come in googlies.

Piyush Chawla answers a straight one

Hazlewood now has Root eight times in 14 Tests and Cummins seven times in 11

Andrew McGlashan08-Dec-2021Pat Cummins took an early lead in the head-to-head with his opposite number, Joe Root – the No. 1 men’s Test bowler and batter in the world – on the opening day at the Gabba with Australia delighted they were able to follow the “blueprint” which has previously brought them success.As soon as Root walked out, Cummins brought himself on – removing Mitchell Starc from the attack after he had taken a wicket with the first ball of the series – but never got the chance to bowl at the England captain as Josh Hazlewood found the edge with a perfect delivery that was full enough to draw Root forward.Both sides pointed out that it was just one innings out of 10 Root might play this series, although Australia were able to acknowledge that from a position of much greater strength, but such is the weight that Root carries in this England order that it was one of the day’s significant moments.Related

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“It’s only the first innings of a five-Test series but it’s a huge reason why we were able to knock them over for 147,” Cummins said. “Walk into lunch having them four down, that’s big, by the time the ball gets softer you are already into the batting line-up. One of a number of the batters who were big wickets, after his year and being captain it’s probably a little bit bigger but it’s only the first time he’s batted this series.”Root has not scored an Ashes hundred since Trent Bridge in 2015 and his trip to Australia in 2017-18 was a story of unfulfilled promise as he passed fifty five times. Hazlewood now has Root eight times in 14 Tests and Cummins seven times in 11.”Josh and Pat have almost brought that blueprint from the previous Ashes over in England where they seemed to have their plans down pat to Joe,” Mitchell Starc told during the rain delay. “Fantastic to get off to the start we did and have him for nothing.”Hopefully that continues throughout the series, but those two have carried that blueprint on from four or five Tests in England to now at the Gabba. To stay on top of the opposition captain is a big one and we’ve certainly started off in that fashion today.”Although Cummins missed out on an early bowl at Root, he was able to claim the next-best thing when Ben Stokes edged to third slip shortly after the first drinks break. Stokes, playing a first-class innings for the first time since March, had lined the ball up well during his brief stay, got one boundary away through the covers and hit mid-off a couple of times before playing one from round the wicket he might have left on length.”It’s nice when they don’t get a good look, face too many balls,” Cummins said. “They are a huge part of their batting line-up. Thought Joshy Hazlewood, that’s the blueprint to bowl to Joe Root, high quality relentless bowling and nice to get Stokes’ wicket. Everything went to plan today.”Josh Hazlewood dismissed Joe Root for a duck•Getty Images

Ollie Pope, who was part of England’s best partnership of the innings alongside Jos Buttler, was not reading too much into a lean opening day for Root in a year where he has 1455 runs.”He’s on the back of an amazing summer, sometimes you play and miss, sometimes you nick them,” he said. “Wouldn’t say it dents the confidence of the team at all. Joe’s an amazing player and he’ll come back strong. We don’t look into that much, it’s nice when the captain gets runs but we have enough quality around him to score the bulk of the runs we need.”One of the other big talking points of the day came from England’s selection. It was already known that James Anderson would sit out this Test, but Stuart Broad was also sidelined which meant for the first time since 2016 neither was in the line-up – and the first time in an Ashes Test since the MCG in 2006-07.”Not sure if you asked anyone a couple of days ago if that was going to happen that anyone would believe you,” Starc said. “To take 300 Tests and over 1000 wickets out of their side is pretty interesting. Glad I don’t have to pick any side let alone that, or tap those two on the shoulder to say they aren’t playing but we certainly enjoyed conditions out there.”It meant England’s attack had eight Tests of experience in Australia – four apiece from Stokes and Woakes – and they might have liked the first opportunity on the sporty Gabba pitch.”I thought either one of those two would play in every game,” Cummins said. “Probably surprised but they have plenty of other bowlers to step in. It’s a big day for those bowlers on Thursday.”

The allrounder is working her way back at international level but has an outstanding record in the 50-over format

Andrew McGlashan01-Apr-2021Meg Lanning expects Ellyse Perry to play a more significant role in the ODI series against New Zealand than she did in the T20Is, but also stressed the importance of building a varied attack around the young pace bowlers who are coming through.On her return to international cricket after the hamstring injury which ended her T20 World Cup last year, Perry batted at No. 6 and bowled just one over in the two completed matches. Her innings in Hamilton alongside Ash Gardner was a useful contribution to the partnership that got Australia over the line, but it has been her limited role with the ball that has sparked debate.”She’s played a massive role for us particularly in ODIs over the last five years and has an exceptional record,” Lanning said. “I dare say she will play a bigger role, there’s more overs to bowl as well. She’ll get her chance throughout the series.”People who can bat long periods of time and make those match-winning contributions are extremely important to have in your side. Ellyse has shown over a long period of time that she can do that so she’ll play a really big role for us.”Related

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Her bowling returns in the WBBL and WNCL were underwhelming and in the latter competition she was working on some tweaks to her run-up which have taken time to settle. She took a wicket in the one over handed to her in Napier but significantly was not given the last of the match when New Zealand needed nine to win.On the studio coverage prior to the final match, Mel Jones suggested that in a shortened game Perry could be surplus to requirements. Ultimately she was picked in the XI, becoming the most capped T20I player in the process, but it highlighted that the next phase of Perry’s career could require an evolution, especially in the shortest format.”The interesting one for me is…there’s a bit of weather around and if the overs get reduced a bit I’m looking at this team line-up and I actually think it’s Ellyse Perry that’s coming out,” Jones said on . “She’s batting at six, normally you average seven or eight deliveries if it’s reduced, and if they aren’t going to use her with the ball who do you bring in.”It’s just that anomaly where her bowling hasn’t quite hit the straps yet so Meg isn’t turning to her as a first choice.”The allrounder has made tweaks to her run-up in recent months•Getty Images

Fellow analyst Elyse Villani added: “Not sure how many times Ellyse Perry’s name would have been up in terms of potentially not playing so it’s not something Australia have really had to deal with before.”As it was, rain prevented a chance of seeing whether Perry would have an impact on a 13-over game, but the three-match ODI series takes her back to the format where she is ranked the No. 1 allrounder and holds a batting average of 52.10 – she has not batted lower than No. 4 in an ODI since 2014 – and where bowling-wise there could be a chance to settle into a spell.”Ideally if you are an option in all three phases of the game then that allows you to bowl more overs,” Lanning said of Perry’s T20 role. “That’s something we’ve spoken with Ellyse about, think she’s been working really hard on her bowling and consistency coming back from a serious injury…but ultimately for me it just comes down to match-ups and the game situation in terms of who I go to. She’s definitely there as an option.”The fast bowling side of things is the area at the moment where we’ve got a couple of new players in Tayla [Vlaeminck] and Darcie [Brown]. It’s been really exciting to see. Ellyse still has a really big role to play for us but the more variety we can have that will play a big role for us moving forward. So it’s been great to see those young players take the game by scruff of the neck and really be aggressive.”Ellyse is extremely competitive…she works extremely hard on her game and I’m sure she’d love to be batting higher and bowling more overs. She’s doing everything she can to get herself into that position. It’s been great to have her back, she’s very experienced and hope to see the best of her in the one-day series.”

George Bailey does not gain attention for Australa’s Test side these days but he did little wrong on a delightful summer’s day in Manchester

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford19-Jun-2017
ScorecardGeorge Bailey has not played a Test match for over three years and there were times during this broiling Mancunian afternoon when it was rather tricky to see why this is so.One accepts at once that it is difficult to compare Lancashire v Hampshire on a steamy Monday at Emirates Old Trafford with the quite different heats produced by five-day cricket at the MCG or Mumbai; one acknowledges likewise that Bailey came into this game having scored 83 runs in five championship innings for Hampshire this season.All the same, as Bailey adjusted his guard and got forward as often as possible to counteract the swinging deliveries bowled by a pace-dominated Lancashire attack in mid-afternoon one was entitled to wonder why a batsman capable of making 127 and batting with such technical proficiency and good sense appears permanently excluded from his country’s Test team. It is not as if the last three years have been a green and gold age.Critics may observe that Bailey’s batting merely appeared good when compared to the errors committed around him and it is certainly true that the shots played by Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry in the morning session at Old Trafford are unlikely to make the Rose Bowl’s choicest blooms package in September. Adams tried to play Kyle Jarvis to leg but only gave a catch to Rob Jones at cover off the leading edge; Carberry’s flat-footed slash merely nicked the ball to Alex Davies.Those dismissals sandwiched the departure of Rille Rossouw, who was deceived by Jarvis’s slower ball and gave a return catch to the bowler. They left Hampshire on 38 for 3 after winning the toss and opting to bat on a morning borrowed from Tennessee Williams’ more sultry dramas. Suddenly this summer, we had a batting morning and Hampshire were wasting their skipper’s correct call.Bailey, though, clearly recognised the opportunity with which his side had been presented and he revealed this in his assured driving and deft glances as much as in his vigilant defence. For a while it looked as though James Vince would partner his captain towards abundance but he was given out leg before to Luke Procter for 22 half an hour after lunch and a couple of deliveries after Lancashire had secured the second of their two ball changes.Indeed it was a day on which Bailey had only to drive a boundary to the pavilion for the home bowlers to scrutinise the seemingly tattered object returned for their use and toss it to the umpires. When it comes to cricket balls bowlers can be as choosy as Year 11 pupils selecting their prom outfits and very nearly as prone to tantrums and sulks.George Bailey’s hundred rejuvenated Hampshire•Getty Images

Ultimately Bailey’s resistance proved contagious as was proved by the three fifty-plus partnerships he shared with Lewis McManus, Gareth Berg and most notably Kyle Abbott, whose unbeaten 76 in the evening session was replete with uncomplicated shots played against an attack enervated by heat and devoid of the discipline it had displayed for most of the afternoon.Yet Abbott’s selective aggression – he has whacked a dozen boundaries and is only five runs short of a career-best score – was only possible because Bailey had battled away for just over five hours and had found another partner of equal resolve and comparable proficiency. That colleague was Lewis McManus, a wicketkeeper batsman who never gives his wicket away and who joins John Simpson as one of those fine county glovemen who seem destined not to get a sniff of representative cricket. Perhaps it might help if they changed the first letter of their surnames to a “B”.McManus put on 52 with Bailey and he did so at a stage in the day when the ball was swinging all over the shop and under the counter. It took a good ball to remove him too, Jordan Clark getting a little extra bounce and inducing an edged catch to James Anderson. McManus was replaced by Gareth Berg and another 53 were added to the total before Parry became the sixth Lancashire bowler to take a wicket when Berg missed a sweep and was leg before.For the next 18 overs or so Bailey’s good judgement and self-denial was vindicated by Abbott’s many justified freedoms. Having reached his century off 145 balls he was eventually dismissed when he played on to Anderson, whose beard may have been an attempt to disguise himself and suggest to Bailey that he was not the bowler he had milked for 28 runs at Perth in December 2013.No matter. Abbott was 57 when Bailey was out and he was given sensible company by Brad Tylor until the close. Hampshire have the edge in this game and they do so because their captain understood the needs of his side and met them. This is still a very good pitch and it now looks like a good toss to have won. “Bat!” said the sun as it rose over the rich Lancashire plain at around five o’clock this morning and George Bailey was only too happy to obey its injunction.

Brad Haddin, David Hussey and Michael Hussey will have a chance to demonstrate their coaching skills during Australia A’s forthcoming winter fixtures

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2016Brad Haddin, David Hussey and Michael Hussey will have a chance to demonstrate their coaching skills during Australia A’s forthcoming winter fixtures against South Africa A, India A and the National Performance Squad (NPS). Their performances in a coaching capacity are likely to be followed closely as Cricket Australia mulls various options for the eventual successor to Darren Lehmann as head coach of the senior team.Haddin will serve as assistant coach to Troy Cooley for Australia A’s two four-day matches against South Africa A in Brisbane and Townsville, in July-August. He will then hand over the role to David Hussey for the side’s one-day quadrangular series with South Africa A, India A and the NPS in Townsville and Mackay, in August-September. Finally, Michael Hussey will take over as assistant coach when Australia A return to Brisbane for two four-day matches against India A in September.Haddin, who retired from international cricket last year, is currently completing his High Performance (Level III) Coaching Programme at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. He recently led a week-long wicketkeeping camp – alongside Ian Healy and Peter Nevill – for eight promising young Australian wicketkeepers.Haddin agreed the appointment will provide him with a chance to learn more about coaching. “I’ve played with some great players and had some great coaches and mentors along the way, so if I can pass on some of my experience to the younger generation and help them get better, it will be great,” he said. “But it will also be a great learning tool for me, to be involved on the other side of the fence with Troy and his staff.”David Hussey, who was a limited-overs specialist for Australia between 2008 and 2013, completed his Level III coaching qualification last year. He has been a batting coach with Cricket Victoria in recent seasons, while continuing to play domestic cricket, including captaining Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL).Michael Hussey retired from international cricket in 2013 and from all professional cricket after leading Sydney Thunder to their maiden BBL triumph earlier this year. Since his international retirement, Michael Hussey has been involved in various consultant coaching roles, including for South Africa at the 2015 World Cup and for Australia at the World T20 in March-April this year.

Inzamam-ul-Haq may be appointed chief selector of Pakistan, after the PCB requested the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to release him for the Pakistan job

Umar Farooq16-Apr-2016Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is likely to be appointed chief selector of Pakistan, after the PCB requested the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) to release him from his role as Afghanistan head coach. If appointed, this will be Inzamam’s first appointment as selector at any level.The move came after Waqar Younis, who recently resigned as Pakistan’s head coach, argued in favour of hiring Inzamam as chief selector.Despite Inzamam’s coaching stint with Afghanistan being in its infancy, ACB Chief Shafiq Stanikzai confirmed that they are ready to release him.”Today Shaharyar Khan called me and asked a favour to release Inzamam-ul-Haq as they are keen to hire him,” Stanikzai said. “Although he was in contract with us until December this year, we are patriotic people and if Pakistan needs Inzamam for their own country, we are ready to release him. We are looking at the contract right now with all the terms and conditions but we are not going to drag this and rather finish this on good and high note.”Inzamam had joined the Afghanistan set-up as head coach for the team’s tour of Zimbabwe in late 2015. After Afghanistan won the ODI and T20I series in Zimbabwe, he signed a contract extending his tenure. In the recent World T20, he oversaw the team’s progression to the Super 10s and their famous win over eventual champions West Indies. Prior to his role with Afghanistan, Inzamam’s last coaching assignment at the international level was a short-term stint as Pakistan’s batting consultant in 2012-13.

Australia opening batsman Chris Rogers has been formally ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park.

Daniel Brettig in Kingston10-Jun-2015Australia opening batsman Chris Rogers has been formally ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park as he continues to battle what is now a more stubborn case of a concussion than had been expected.Rogers was a peripheral figure at Australia’s main training session before the match on Tuesday and team doctor Peter Brukner said Rogers was yet to return to 100% fitness following a blow to the helmet from Dominican net bowler Anderson Burton leading into the first Test in Roseau.”Chris has improved but he is still not 100 percent so we are restricting his training. Therefore he is unavailable for selection for the second Test,” Brukner said. “While most concussions resolve within a week there is a significant number who remain symptomatic and require a longer period of recovery. Unfortunately Chris is in this category.”We will continue to monitor his progress and hopefully it will not be too long before he is back to full training.”Brukner’s diagnosis means a decision on how to balance the squad’s various batting resources will be deferred until the weeks leading into the Ashes campaign in England, with Shaun Marsh to get a second audition at the top of the order and last week’s debut centurion Adam Voges set to maintain his berth at No. 5.The chances of twin spin through Nathan Lyon and Fawad Ahmed appear slim, as the Sabina Park pitch has grass comparable to that seen in Dominica. The practice wickets are also on the sporting side, allowing the Australian pace brigade of Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle to hurry up several of their batting counterparts in the nets.While the vegetation will likely be shaved back before Thursday’s first ball, only the barest of surfaces would dissuade Australia from their recently successful three quicks, one spinner and Shane Watson policy.

Brendan Nash retired ill on 199 as Kent secured their first four-day win of the season after an enthralling final-day at Cheltenham.

13-Jul-2013
ScorecardBrendon Nash, seen here for West Indies, made a superb 199 but retired ill before the target was reached•Associated Press

Brendan Nash retired ill on 199 as Kent secured their first four-day win of the season after an enthralling final-day at Cheltenham. Requiring 411 for victory from 96 overs, Kent won with two wickets and 14 balls remaining thanks largely to the brilliance of Nash, who had to retire through exhaustion with 21 still needed to win.Nash, the Australia-born former West Indies batsman, struck 26 fours and a six in his 230-ball innings and was only eight short of his career best, made for Jamaica against Trinidad & Tobago, when he retired after batting for five hours on the hottest day of the year.The game was finely balanced for most of the day, but Nash and skipper James Tredwell swung it Kent’s way with an eighth-wicket stand of 58. Teenage paceman Craig Miles was the most successful of Gloucestershire’s attack with 4 for 68, while there were two wickets apiece for Will Gidman and Benny Howell.Gloucestershire’s bid for a third County Championship win of the season got off to a great start when Will Gidman had Sam Northeast caught in the gully by Michael Klinger from the second ball of the day. But Rob Key took successive boundaries from James Fuller’s first over to emphasise that this pitch was still very much a batsman’s paradise, on which 1,188 runs had been scored in the first three days for the loss of just 11 wickets.It became 48 for 2 when Daniel Bell-Drummond was bowled by Miles, but Nash was quickly into his stride and he took four boundaries from one over from Miles, with two struck through midwicket, one driven through extra cover and the other cut to third man.Play was held up for nearly 10 minutes after the batsmen complained that the sun was glinting off scaffolding above the sightscreen at the Chapel End – a problem that was solved by groundstaff putting a big cover over it.Kent reached 110 for 2 at lunch and Nash brought up his 52-ball half-century in the second over after the interval with a cover-driven boundary off Will Gidman. Key put on 85 for the third wicket with Nash, but he then flicked at a ball from Miles and fell to a tumbling leg-side catch by wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick for 42.Nash found another good partner in Ben Harmison, who had contributed 23 to a partnership of 64 when he was caught behind attempting to cut a Howell delivery.Two overs later, Nash reached his third century of the season with the most fortuitous shot of his innings, a thin inside edge off Fuller that just evaded Roderick behind the stumps and raced to the boundary. His hundred came off 119 balls and included 16 fours and a six, driven over midwicket off Tom Smith’s left-arm spin.Kent took tea on 247 for 4, which left them requiring 164 from the final 39 overs, and they stayed firmly in the hunt thanks to a rapid stand of 75 between Nash and Darren Stevens. Miles returned at the College Lawn End to have Stevens taken at slip by Alex Gidman, but Nash remained largely untroubled on his way to bringing up his 150 from 159 balls.Geraint Jones added 55 for the sixth wicket with Nash before an attempted cut at Will Gidman only resulted in a third victim of the innings for Roderick. He soon had a fourth as Vernon Philander edged Howell to depart for 2 and leave Kent 332 for 7.Tredwell and Nash saw off the threat of the second new ball and had taken Kent to within sight of the finishing line when Nash went off through exhaustion. Miles bowled Tredwell with no addition to the total, but Charlie Shreck, with three boundaries, and Calum Haggett completed a dramatic win for the visitors.

Herschelle Gibbs, the former South African batsman, has signed for Durham for the 2012 Friends Life t20

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2012Herschelle Gibbs, the former South Africa batsman, has signed with Durham for the 2012 Friends Life t20. Gibbs will again link up with former England batsman Paul Collingwood after the pair played for Perth in Australia’s Big Bash League.Gibbs helped Perth reach the final of the BBL and will be hoping to guide Durham further than their quarter-final defeat against Hampshire last season. He has scored 3,050 runs in T20 cricket and has previous experience in the FLt20 with Glamorgan in 2008 and Yorkshire in 2010.”Durham are really committed to their on the field development and have real ambitions to progress in T20,” Gibbs said. “There is some massive talent in the dressing room and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve. I’ve been performing pretty well in the T20 format and I think I can offer some real variation to the side.”Gibbs plays a powerful brand of cricket, highlighted by his top one-day score of 175 from 111 balls which helped South Africa chase down a world-record target of 435 to beat Australia at Johannesburg in 2006. During his previous stint in the FLt20 he made his first T20 century, scoring 101 from 53 balls for Yorkshire against Northamptonshire at Headingley.”It is a real coup for us to bring a player of Herschelle’s calibre to our set up for the FLt20,” Durham head coach Geoff Cook said. “It just goes to show that Durham’s reputation as a progressive and successful club can attract quality players who want to help us win trophies. I’m confident he will add an extra dimension to our batting line up and some real personality in the middle.”