All posts by n8rngtd.top

Peter Siddle’s 62, and knocks from Matthew Short and Chris Tremain, revived Victoria’s floundering chase of 310 but the side eventually lost by 11 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2017File photo – Peter Siddle struck 10 fours and one six•Getty Images

Fifties from Matthew Short, Chris Tremain and Peter Siddle were in vain as Queensland beat back Victoria’s lower-order rally to clinch an 11-run win in the last over in Sydney. Victoria had clawed their way back from 7 for 192 to 9 for 293, needing 17 runs off the last two overs. Ben Cutting, however, conceded only one run in the penultimate over and Cameron Gannon then dismissed Siddle for a 45-ball 62 off the fourth ball of the last over to seal the win.Like Victoria, Queensland had three half-centurions, too; only in their case, it was the top order. Openers Usman Khawaja (85) and Matt Renshaw (74) put on a 149-run partnership before Marnus Labuschagne’s brisk 40-ball 52 helped the side accumulate quick runs at the end. Also useful was Jimmy Peirson’s 27-ball 46 that helped Queensland post 309.Queensland’s bowlers all chipped in with wickets. Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson and Gannon took two wickets each to chip away at Victoria’s chase. Doggett and Gannon dismissed Victoria’s openers, Marcus Harris and Cameron White, in the first two overs. Travis Dean (40) and Peter Handscomb (48) led a brief recovery but both were dismissed in the forties and Victoria slipped from 2 for 75 to 6 for 135 before the 30th over.Short, Tremain and Siddle revived Victoria, together striking 15 fours and seven sixes in their late blitz towards the target, but their middle-overs slump meant Queensland always had an edge.Western Australia’s captain Mitchell Marsh bludgeoned the Warriors to a bonus-point victory over Tasmania in the domestic limited-overs match at the WACA Ground in Perth.The winless Tigers were always up against it once they had slipped to 6 for 99 after electing to bat first. Jordan Silk (80) mounted a sturdy rearguard with support from Tom Rogers (38) but a tally of 207 appeared inadequate.WA’s bowlers shared the wickets, David Moody’s three victims including that of Rogers, to end the seventh-wicket stand at 93.Tasmania needed to make early inroads if they were to have a chance, but Michael Klinger and the in-form Shaun Marsh took WA more than halfway to the target without loss.That set the scene for Mitchell Marsh, who hammered 27 runs from his last six balls, including three sixes, to ensure the bonus point for a successful chase with more than 10 overs to spare.

The left hander will fly out with the squad at the weekend but remains under a fitness cloud

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2022 • Updated on 11-May-2022Henry Nicholls has been cleared to travel to England this weekend but may be struggling to be fit for the opening Test at Lord’s after picking up a grade one calf strain during a pre-tour training camp.Nicholls, the left-handed middle-order player, underwent a scan on his right calf on Tuesday after picking up the injury doing running drills in Mount Maunganui. The positive news was that he has not suffered a tear but he still faces uncertainty and is unlikely to play a full part in the two warm-up matches at the end of the month.”While it’s a positive that Henry hasn’t torn the calf, the next two to three weeks are going to be crucial in terms of his recovery and subsequent availability for the Test series,” head coach Gary Stead said. “Calves can be a challenge to rehab and we will need to minimise the risk of him re-injuring himself with any return to match action.”Related

• Gary Stead: Red-ball cricket will suit Kane Williamson

• Bracewell earns NZ Test call-up for England tour, Williamson nears return

• Gary Stead: Kane Williamson 'going really well' ahead of return to Test cricket

Nicholls is a key part of New Zealand’s Test side having made eight centuries in 46 matches with an average of 40.38. Daryl Mitchell, who is one of five members of the Test squad currently at the IPL, would be in the frame to replace Nicholls in the middle-order if required with Rachin Ravindra another option who would also be able to provide some spin bowling.”Henry’s obviously an important player for us at number five and we know he’ll be doing everything he can to make himself available,” Stead saidNew Zealand face England in three Tests during June with the opening match beginning at Lord’s on June 2.There remains a question mark over when the IPL-based players – Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Trent Boult and Tim Southee – will join the tour depending on the progress of their franchises.Initially an enlarged 20-player squad has been named to cover for those absences with a reduced 15 names expected to be confirmed before the opening Test.

Vinuja Ranpul’s 5 for 10 in vain for Sri Lanka

Sreshth Shah28-Jan-2022In a low-scoring thriller between two Asian sides, it was Afghanistan who pipped Sri Lanka to set up an Under-19 World Cup semi-final date with England.Defending 134, Afghanistan were on top in the second innings when Sri Lanka were reduced to 43 for 7, but a 69-run eighth-wicket stand between Dunith Wellalage and Raveen de Silva gave Sri Lanka a sniff off a back-door win. However, Afghanistan’s legspinner Izharulhaq Naveed and left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote took two late wickets, and Sri Lanka’s No. 11 Treveen Mathew was run out when they were five runs away from their target.Wellalage and da Silva got together after Sri Lanka had lost their first seven wickets, which included three run-outs, inside the 18th over of the chase. Right-arm seamer Bilal Sami got the length ball to nip away early to induce an edge from opener Sadisha Rajapaksa and then bowled the No. 3 Shevon Daniel with a full ball. Sakuna Liyanage was then run-out from a throw from cover after a mix-up and a Naveed Zadran delivery angling across Anjala Banada took an edge to the keeper to leave Sri Lanka reeling at 24 for 4.Left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad then trapped Ranuda Somarathne lbw before Sri Lanka lost their next two wickets to run-outs. Opener Chamindu Wickramasinghe was the victim of a direct hit and a mix-up saw Yasiru Rodrigo walk back for 2. At that stage, Sri Lanka, with three wickets in hand, still needed 92 to win.The Wellalage-de Silva stand, though, brought the runs required down to 23, with the duo grinding it out for 142 balls while putting on 69. Wellalage struck three fours in his 34 and de Silva made 21 from 84 balls. But Wellalage was out trying to cut Kharote and de Silva was out to a Naveed googly to leave Sri Lanka with only one wicket in hand and 19 to get. Then it became a game of nerves with Sri Lanka’s final pair adding 14, but Treveen Mathew tried to pinch a single that wasn’t there, costing them their fourth run-out and leaving them agonisingly short of their target.Afghanistan, too, struggled with the bat, rattled by right-arm seamer Vinuja Ranpul’s 5 for 10. Ranpul had Nangeyalia Kharote caught behind after beating his bat on numerous occasions. Sulaiman Safi was then out lbw with a nip-backer and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai’s drive took an edge to the keeper as Ranpul’s early burst left Afghanistan at 26 for 4.However, a brief recovery followed as Allah Noor (25) and Abdul Hadi (37) battled out the middle overs to get Afghanistan close to triple digits. While relying mostly on running between the wickets, the stand also featured its share of pulls and attractive drives against the turn.After Wellalage broke that stand, Hadi and the attacking No. 8 Noor took Afghanistan past 130 in an seventh-wicket stand worth 48. Noor smacked four sixes in his 33-ball 30 to give Afghanistan a batting impetus. He went over cover, down the ground and over long-on, before Ranpul returned in his final spell to break the stand. At 132 for 7, Afghanistan looked on course for a total in excess of 150, but they lost their last four wickets for only two runs.

Glamorgan ended the second day of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at St. Helen’s in Swansea on 225 for 6, a first innings deficit of 117

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2017
ScorecardAneurin Donald made a half-century to keep Glamorgan afloat•Getty Images

Glamorgan ended the second day of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at St. Helen’s in Swansea on 225 for 6, a first innings deficit of 117.Due to a combination of rain and bad light – in stark contrast to the first day – no play was possible before lunch. However, when play got underway just before 2.30pm, Glamorgan’s openers Jacques Rudolph and Nick Selman came out showing a real attacking intent, reaching 23 without loss inside the third over.Things quickly changed, however, when Selman played a loose shot to Cameron Steel at point off Chris Rushworth. The Australian-born youngster was unable to rediscover the form which led to his first first-class century at St. Helen’s last year, when he carried his bat on his way to 122 against Northamptonshire, the first Glamorgan batsman to do so since Matthew Elliott at Cardiff in 2004.A second wicket soon followed, Rudolph finding Paul Collingwood in the slips, Glamorgan finding themselves 39 for 2. Colin Ingram joined Will Bragg at the crease needing just 39 to reach 1,000 runs across all formats this season. The South African fell 21 runs short of the milestone, giving Collingwood a second catch at slip off Coughlin for 18.More composure was evident with Aneurin Donald and Bragg at the crease, before the latter needlessly skied one to Rushworth at mid-on off James Weighell’s bowling and Glamorgan were once again struggling at 92 for 4. New batsman David Lloyd could have gone third ball, but a simple chance went begging for Ryan Pringle at slip.Having restricted Glamorgan to 112 for 4 at tea, it took just 10 balls into the final session for Durham to pick up their fifth wicket, as David Lloyd was removed by ul Collingwood at slip off Paul Coughlin for 16.Donald had reached his half-century off 74 balls before a one-handed mid-wicket catch by Keaton Jennings off James Weighell brought an end to a 42-run partnership.Andrew Salter joined Chris Cooke at the crease and an unbeaten partnership of 58 saw Glamorgan through to the close of play after the latter had reached his half-century off 83 balls, having hit eight fours along the way.

The recalled opener hopes that a combination of technical work and a fresh mental approach will result in better returns this time

George Dobell at Headingley30-May-20181:12

Jennings skips exam to be at Headingley

Keaton Jennings hopes a more relaxed approach can help him make a successful return to “one of the toughest jobs in Test cricket.”Jennings, who has been recalled for a second stint as Alastair Cook’s opening partner, knows full-well the challenges of the job and refers to a “dark period” around the time he was dropped previously. But he hopes that a combination of technical work and a fresh mental approach will result in better returns this time.His recall is, in some ways, quite a surprise. While he has scored centuries in his two most recent first-class innings, they are the only time he has reached 50 in 22 first-class innings since he was dropped last August. In that period, he has averaged just 26.18 in the first-class game after 22 innings realised 576 runs. All of which is hard to square with the coach, Trevor Bayliss, stating that “averaging 40 isn’t enough” for county players trying to force their way into the team. Jennings averaged 24.50 in his first six Tests as an England player but, after a century on debut in India, suffered six single-figure scores – including three ducks – in his next 11 innings.He does, at least, come into this game after those two centuries. While the first game on a flat pitch at Old Trafford, the second was in a low-scoring match at Trent Bridge and against a strong attack that included Stuart Broad, Jake Ball, Luke Fletcher and Harry Gurney.Whatever happens, Jennings is determined to enjoy the experience. He hopes to not only block out any criticism but not be too critical of himself. And, most of all, he wants to simply focus on the pleasure of playing Test cricket.”It might be the last Test that I play,” he admitted. “So I really want to enjoy the feeling and the five days of tough, hard cricket. I want to play with a free, happy heart and take in every moment I can.”I’m always determined and I’m never the sort of guy to take things for granted. I’ve never taken my foot off the gas in life. If anything, I’ve pushed the gas too hard to try to make things work. That’s why I stress that I want to enjoy this week.”It’s special being here, special being in front of a variety of cameras and people and playing in front of big crowds and big viewerships. I’m in a really privileged position.”While he admits he has tinkered with his technique since he was dropped – and various England coaches, including Mark Ramprakash and Graham Thorpe continued to work with him – he suggests that the more important progress came in his mental approach and his determination to see cricket as just one aspect of his life.Keaton Jennings prepares in the nets•Getty Images

“The England team management give you as much support and assistance as you need,” he said. “The support is there. I’ve worked pretty closely with Andy Flower and my dad – Ray Jennings – is always a big supporter. And my uncle is a sports psychologist.”Opening the batting is one of the toughest jobs in Test cricket, especially in England. The new ball is obviously a crucial phase of four-day cricket and Test cricket. That’s what makes Alastair Cook invaluable to our environment. But it’s tough, hence the fact there’s been a lot of guys rotated around him.”I’ve tried to address as much as I can. At the end of the week, I suppose there’ll be more talk about anything technical and if changes have worked and if there are runs on the board that’s great. If not, there’s more addressing to be done. I suppose that will only be answered at the end of the week. You will only get judged on the amount of runs you score.”I’d like to think I’ve addressed certain issues, but I won’t come out and start batting right-handed. I won’t suddenly start triggering or moving around because the product I’ve had for the last 25 years has worked. It’s about fine-tuning to try to better myself. I’ve looked at myself personally and addressed bits and pieces in my life to get better.”I don’t think we sometimes realise that cricketers are people. There’s a lot of things that impact your performance. With cricket, you can do everything right and things just don’t work out sometimes. So, I’m really excited for this week. I want to play with a happy heart and a big smile on my face.”One of those things he has continued to involve himself in away from cricket is a degree in accountancy. Indeed, with this call-up coming as something of a surprise, he was forced to miss an exam in London on Wednesday afternoon. And for the first time, either; he confesses he has been pursuing the degree for eight years.”It seems to be taking forever to complete,” he said. “I’m really trying to get it finished.”I’ve tried to focus on myself and my own internal processes and belief systems. I’ve moved to address certain things, not just technique but also in my life and the way I go about things. I’ve tried to not read things or be on Twitter and really enjoy my cricket again. Having moved to Lancashire over the winter, I’ve really found that flow and that enjoyment around it.”How did I cope with the scrutiny last time? You try and lean on your support structure; lean on people you trust. You lean on anybody at the time that you feel is going to make a difference and pull you through that dark period. That’s one of the things I’ve tried to address: the way I deal with media and when I walk into a room with 25 cameras. There’s a variety of things that come with being in the position I’m in right now.”But this is a special moment and I want to enjoy it.”While Pakistan’s Wednesday training session was badly hit by rain – they were forced into the indoor nets – England enjoyed a long outdoor session in the afternoon. As well as Jennings, other familiar faces returned to training, including Ryan Sidebottom, who is now on the coaching staff at Surrey, and Ant Botha, who is on the coaching staff with Nottinghamshire.

Dhananjaya de Silva played a crucial hand with both bat and ball in a last-ball thriller

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jun-2022Australia seemed to be flying towards their target at one point, but were ambushed by Sri Lanka’s spinners with 70 to get. They limped their way through the late overs, and fought valiantly to take this twisting match to the last ball. But Sri Lanka held on by their fingertips to send a raucous Khettarama into raptures.Having let what seemed like a comfortable final over become dire by conceding three fours to Australia’s No. 10 Matthew Kuhnemann, Dasun Shanaka bowled a slower ball with five to defend and had the batter sky the ball to Charith Asalanka, who took a comfortable catch at cover.Sri Lanka’s phalanx of spinners, especially Dhananjaya de Silva and Jeffrey Vandersay, scripted the victory, but the biggest contribution came from the bat of Asalanka, who scored his maiden ODI century after he and de Silva lifted Sri Lanka from 34 for 3 with a century-stand, de Silva making a smooth 60 off 61.De Silva then claimed two wickets in a crucial middle-overs passage that sucked the air out of Australia’s chase. Among his victims was David Warner, whose 99 off 112 seemed to have set Australia on track for a series-levelling victory.The four-run win sealed the series 3-1 – Sri Lanka’s first bilateral series victory at home over this opposition in 30 years.That Shanaka was bowling the final over at all was somewhat counterintuitive. With Australia needing 19, perhaps the thinking was that a No. 10 could smear a spinner out of the ground with more ease than a seam bowler. Legspinner Vandersay, however, had been bowling beautifully from that end, having claimed two wickets in the night, and conceding only 10 from his two previous death overs.Having missed the first ball, Kuhnemann blasted a four past point, shovelled Shanaka over his shoulder to the fine leg boundary, then bashed him over mid-on to set up the last-ball finish. Following several mid-pitch conferences and messages from bowling consultant Lasith Malinga, who was prowling the boundary, a Sri Lankan heartbreak was avoided.Warner’s wicket in the 38th over was a turning point in the chase•AFP

Australia too may reflect that they were surging toward victory at one point. With Warner closing in on a well-deserved hundred, and Travis Head batting comfortably, they had 70 to get with 86 balls available, with six wickets in hand and likes of Glenn Maxwell still to come. The series seemed to be headed to a decider. But in nine balls the chase nosedived. Head was out first, as de Silva pushed one through quickly, and the batter played around it, his feet glued.The next two wickets were huge: those of Maxwell, perhaps Australia’s best batter of the tour so far, and Warner, who had paced his innings beautifully. Maheesh Theekshana got Maxwell lbw through a review. He turned his googly sharply, and hit the batter above the knee-roll, pleading in appeal. When it was turned down he was adamant the decision be sent upstairs. The result was three reds – the ball hitting the batter in line with off, and projected to crash into leg stump.Then, next over, de Silva pulled Warner out of his crease with a flighted, hard-spun delivery, which beat the batter’s outside edge. Wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella took the bails off before Warner could regain his ground. If he had hit that extra run, it would have been his 19th ODI ton.Australia continued to fight, primarily through Pat Cummins whose 35 off 41, which comprised mostly singles, as he took the game deep. With 19 needed off 8, though, Chamika Karunaratne hit him in front of the stumps with a yorker, as he attempted to whip the ball to leg. With Australia’s No. 10 and 11 now together in the middle, that should have been the death of Australia’s chances. Then Kuhnemann made a stand in the final over.

Asalanka and de Silva set-up Sri Lanka’s innings

Although de Silva’s half-century was full of all the delectable de Silva strokes – the square drives, the jaunts down the ground, and the sweeps, including the lofted one over midwicket that he used to particularly good effect – Asalanka’s innings began nervily. Having arrived while Australia’s quicks were dominant, he could have been out twice in his first six balls, most extraordinarily when a Cummins delivery shaved his leg stump but failed to dislodge the bail.De Silva kept the bowlers at bay during their 101-run partnership, but after he left, Asalanka took control, peppering the midwicket boundary in particular, with runs generally flowing heavily on the leg side. It took him 60 balls to get to 50, then only 39 more to complete his first international hundred. He forged significant partnerships with Dunith Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga, and at one stage seemed to be taking Sri Lanka to a score of around 280. But then, he holed out to deep midwicket against Cummins, in the 48th over.Then Sri Lanka lost their two final wickets to silly run outs – having earlier also lost Shanaka the same way – and ended up with a competitive total instead of an imposing one.Australia’s bowling had largely been carried by their quicks. Cummins and Mitchell Marsh took two wickets apiece. While Kuhnemann also claimed two, he went at seven an over, where Cummins and Marsh maintained economy rates of a little over four. The other spinner, Maxwell, had provided the first wicket, but conceded runs at 6.12.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, had fielded four frontline spinners, and no specialist quick. Eight bowlers were put to use in the defence of 259.

Harper set to join Stars as clubs exchange a “non-binding correspondence” for the trade to go ahead once the window opens for next season

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2023Legspinner Adam Zampa is on the verge of being traded from Melbourne Stars, the franchise he captained this Big Bash League season, to crosstown rivals Renegades.Renegades, on Thursday, confirmed that Zampa had requested a trade to the club. Still seeking an elusive title, with Hobart Hurricanes the only other franchise who have never lifted a BBL trophy, Stars are set for a major revamp with Zampa poised to be traded for Renegades wicketkeeper-batter Sam Harper.”This trade would allow us to target several other quality players, and we look forward to making a number of announcements regarding new signings once the contracting window re-opens,” Stars general manager Blair Crouch said.No trade can be processed, and binding agreements between clubs cannot be made, during Cricket Australia’s contracting embargo period. According to a Renegades statement, the clubs have exchanged a non-binding correspondence for the trade to go ahead once the window opens for next season.Zampa, Australia’s frontline white ball spinner, took the leadership reins after regular captain Glenn Maxwell missed the entire season due to a serious knee injury.The Zampa-led Stars endured another disappointing campaign to finish last on the BBL ladder.Having initially played with Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers, Zampa joined Stars in 2015 and the move elevated his career leading to being a regular in Australia’s white ball teams.The 30-year-old Zampa ended a three-year first-class drought in December when he appeared for New South Wales against Victoria, but was subsequently overlooked for Australia’s tour of India.Renegades are hoping the recruitment of Zampa can help build on a bounce-back season, where they qualified for the finals series after three consecutive bottom-placed finishes.While their attack is set to regenerate, Stars’ batting will be strengthened by the inclusion of hard-hitting Harper who will return to his initial BBL franchise.Harper was part of Renegades’ title-winning team in 2018-19, where they thrillingly defeated Stars in an epic final.The 26-year-old Harper endured patchy form this past season although he did reel off three consecutive half-centuries to underline his destructive capabilities.

Azhar Ali’s position as captain of the ODI side seems to be under threat after Pakistan’s 4-1 defeat in Australia

Umar Farooq26-Jan-2017Azhar Ali is likely to be removed as Pakistan’s ODI captain after his side lost the series in Australia 4-1. Pakistan were beaten in the final ODI in Adelaide, slumping to the same score line they had suffered in England last year, and the PCB is keen to use it as an opportunity to replace Azhar with the T20 captain, Sarfraz Ahmed.The move, ESPNcricinfo understands, could be the precursor to eventually appointing a single captain for all formats, though any such decision will have to wait until the Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq takes a call on his future.Leadership issues were discussed in a meeting in Lahore during the fourth ODI of this series by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Mushtaq Ahmed, the head coach at the National Cricket Academy. They are thought to be united in their belief that Sarfraz should take over the ODI captaincy but will wait until Misbah retires to name a new Test captain.They differ as to whether Pakistan should move ahead with a single captain, but if they do go down that route it could mean that Azhar is overlooked as the Test successor to Misbah; Azhar is the Test vice-captain and, in Misbah’s absence, led Pakistan recently in a Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. It could also mean the end of an experiment begun after the 2015 World Cup, when, for the first time, Pakistan had three different captains – Shahid Afridi was then the T20 captain.If Azhar is axed, it will end a difficult tenure that began right after the 2015 World Cup. He was not in the squad for that tournament and had, in fact, not featured in an ODI since January 2013. What he did have going for him was a secure position in the Test side, and good form in List A cricket: in the domestic Pentangular Cup that season he was the leading scorer with 302 runs at an average of 60.40 and strike rate of 86.28. In the President’s Gold Cup, he scored 234 runs at a strike rate of 86.98.Under Azhar’s leadership, Pakistan’s slipped to a record-low ninth in the ODI rankings. They have since risen one place to at least be in the running for direct qualification to the 2019 World Cup, but they only scraped into this year’s Champions Trophy. Much of their decline in the limited-overs formats has been building for some time, but it has become much starker under Azhar.Pakistan have won only five out of ten bilateral series under Azhar, two of them against Zimbabwe, and one each against Ireland, Sri Lanka and West Indies. In all, Pakistan won 12 and lost 18 games.The PCB has been thinking of removing Azhar for some time. In September last year, following a 4-1 thumping in England, Shaharyar had asked Azhar to consider stepping down. Azhar decided to stay on, however, and led Pakistan to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in the UAE. That win left the PCB no choice but to retain him for the Australia tour. A day before the first Test in Brisbane, however, Shaharyar again raised concerns, telling ESPNcricinfo that Azhar’s place in the ODI side was on shaky ground and that they were considering replacing him.Azhar’s individual performances have not been poor in that time – he has scored 1152 runs at 37.19. He has expanded his limited-overs game, evident in the improvement of his strike rate. In his first 14 ODIs between 2011 and 2013, his strike rate was 64.84 – during his captaincy that jumped to 79.90. However, that improvement might not be enough to save his place as captain, or even in the side. Last year, Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalanders also removed Azhar from the captaincy.What the PCB will be weighing up is the potential impact such a move could have on his position in the Test side. He was Pakistan’s most prolific batsman last year, scoring a hundred in England, a triple hundred in Dubai and then crowning it off with a double at the MCG in the Boxing Day Test; he scored more runs in a three-Test series in Australia than any Pakistan batsman before him.

Ollie Pope cashes in on extra life to build spirited England response after early wobble

Valkerie Baynes11-Jun-2022Stumps Daryl Mitchell’s prize innings put New Zealand in a commanding position at stumps on the second day of the Trent Bridge Test, despite a couple of late blemishes proving he’s only human and that England must take whatever chances they get.Led by Mitchell’s 190, New Zealand posted a first-innings total of 553, their highest score on English soil, after he and fellow centurion Tom Blundell put on a 236-run stand, their country’s highest-ever fifth-wicket partnership.England wobbled, losing Zak Crawley in the second over of their response, but then Ollie Pope showed intent with an unbeaten half-century as he made use of an excellent batting pitch – and some good fortune.Mitchell, dropped on 3 and 104 amid a rash of fielding errors by England, soured a memorable day somewhat when he put down a simple chance at first slip off Tim Southee when Alex Lees was on 12. England were already one down after Trent Boult had Crawley caught behind for just 4 with an excellent cross-seam delivery.Pope pressed the accelerator after facing 45 balls for his first 11 runs, racing to 37 from 56 as he twice pulled Matt Henry for six, the second instance prompting a ball change. Pope should have been gone shortly afterwards but Mitchell spilled another slips catch off Boult which raced away to the rope at third man.Pope set about making New Zealand pay as he moved to fifty with two fours in three Kyle Jamieson deliveries, driven with aplomb through the covers and cut through backward point. Lees, meanwhile, got in on the boundary action too, with five fours on his way to 34 not out at the close.It wasn’t until well into an extended evening session after rain had forced an early tea break that England finally broke the tourists’ stride after they had marched on from Blundell’s dismissal for 106.His exit brought debutant Michael Bracewell to the crease and he played impressively during a 91-run partnership with Mitchell before falling one run shy of his fifty.It was James Anderson who struck first after tea, drawing an outside edge from Bracewell and Joe Root held on firmly at slip, still clenching the ball tightly in his right fist as he animatedly gestured that it was staying put this time after contributing two of England’s five costly missed chances for the New Zealand innings.Joe Root reacts after taking a catch to dismiss Michael Bracewell•AFP via Getty Images

So began a run of dismissals in which New Zealand lost four wickets for 24 runs in the space of 3.4 overs and, all told, their last five wickets for 57 runs. Stuart Broad claimed two in an over when he had Jamieson caught behind gloving a short ball then removed Tim Southee with another short ball which bobbed up off the splice and sailed to Root at gully.Jack Leach chimed in when he had Matt Henry out slashing to Crawley in the covers, but then Boult added 33 runs with Mitchell, during which time Boult drew level with Muthiah Muralidaran for the most career Test runs scored at No. 11 with 623. Boult remained unbeaten with 16 from 18 balls when Mitchell finally perished for 190 reaching for a slow, wide ball from Matthew Potts and edging to Ben Foakes behind the stumps.Earlier, Mitchell had backed up his century in last week’s first Test at Lord’s by reaching his second consecutive ton in the morning session after resuming on 81.He stared in slack-jawed astonishment when another fielding error saw him survive – then cash in – shortly after posting his ton. On 104, Mitchell lofted Leach down the ground and Potts, running round to his left from long-on made the distance comfortably but somehow managed only to get a fingernail to the ball before it bounced onto his knee and over the rope for four.Potts bowled the next over, only to concede back-to-back fours to Mitchell, the first bringing up the 200-partnership that had narrowly eluded him and Blundell at Lord’s, via an outside edge behind point and the second a crunching drive through mid-off.Having moved to 90, Blundell paused for treatment after copping a heavy blow to his finger whilst facing Potts. After that, however, he made fast work of reaching his hundred with two fours from three Leach deliveries, the latter as he advanced down the pitch and pummelled the ball back over the bowler’s head for one bounce over the rope, and then a scrambled single off the last ball of the over.Blundell, who managed 96 in a 195-run stand with Mitchell at Lord’s, fell when he took Leach on once more and chipped to Ben Stokes at mid-off.Mitchell carted Leach for 17 runs in the second over after lunch, striking fours through cover and long-on and six down the ground. He launched another six over wide long-on in Leach’s next over and by the end of New Zealand’s innings they had plundered 84 boundaries. That included four sixes in all to Mitchell and nine fours to Bracewell, who impressed on his first Test outing.

Middlesex have become the first county to publicly declare opposition to the ECB’s move to change its constitution

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2017Middlesex have become the first county to publicly declare opposition to the ECB’s move to change its constitution in order to pave the way for a new, eight-team T20 tournament.The ECB proposed amending its Articles of Association last month, in order to remove the stipulation that any new competition had to involve all 18 counties. Letters were sent to the ECB’s 41 constituent members (the first-class counties, MCC, Minor Counties Cricket Association and 21 recreational boards), with 31 positive responses needed to pass the change.Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, called it a “watershed” moment for the game that would help to attract new audiences. The counties have been promised a fee of £1.3m a year in order to compensate them for the creation of new teams to take part in the competition, scheduled for 2020.However, while the changes to the constitution are expected to be voted through, reigning county champions Middlesex have announced that they will not be supporting the move after consultation with members at the club’s AGM.Middlesex chairman, Mike O’Farrell, said the planned tournament represented “great risk” to the club’s financial position – citing their tenancy agreement with MCC to play at Lord’s – and suggested that removing the requirement for all 18 counties to be involved could lead to a reduced status for some.”Whilst Middlesex is fully supportive of the creation of a new T20 tournament to drive the future of the game, we are unable to support this proposal at the current time,” O’Farrell said. “Middlesex has a unique position in playing at a ground that is likely to be a host venue at the tournament, yet not benefiting from the revenues associated with that status. Therefore, the financial impact on Middlesex is still very uncertain and contains great risks to our current revenue streams.”Additionally, the current governance of the ECB means that this article change creates a significant risk that counties that are not host venues for the new tournament may, in the future, be downgraded both in status and in revenue terms.”We welcome the ECB’s commitment to a further revision to its articles to provide the protections that we require but, until these commitments become legally binding, we cannot support the current change of articles of association. We look forward to working with the ECB in the near future to developing a proposal that alleviates our concerns and provides a solution to domestic cricket that meets all our collective objectives.”Several counties have expressed reservations about the ECB proposals – Middlesex’s London neighbours Surrey foremost among them – but it is not known how many are prepared to oppose them. Yorkshire, Sussex, Somerset, Leicestershire and Derbyshire have come out in favour. Replies must be received by the ECB within 28 days of the letters being sent out, with a non-response effectively a vote against.