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An ECB update at tea stated Stokes will not return to the field for NZ’s second innings

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Dec-20240:48

Trescothick on Stokes injury: We didn’t see it coming

Ben Stokes was forced to leave the field during day three of England’s third Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park after a recurrence of a left hamstring injury. He will undergo a scan this evening to understand the full extent of the injury.England’s captain pulled up after the second ball of the 56th over of New Zealand’s second innings – his 13th, and third of the day – on Monday afternoon, immediately feeling the back of his left thigh after delivering a bouncer that Rachin Ravindra pulled for four. It was the same hamstring he tore in August while batting for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals in the men’s Hundred, which kept him out for two months.Bowling from the City End, Stokes put his hand on his face and kept walking in the direction of the team dressing room away at the newly renamed Tim Southee End. New Zealand were leading by 409 at the time, as left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell finished the over.An ECB update at tea stated Stokes will not return to the field for New Zealand’s second innings while he receives treatment, with a further assessment to be made on whether he will bat. England finished the day 18 for 2, chasing a mammoth 658, though they have already secured the series after victories in the first two Tests.”It’s the same hamstring that he’s had before,” confirmed England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. “He’s been going so well, he’s been bowling and playing the role that he does as an all-rounder and captain.”We didn’t see it coming, you don’t have any signs of these sort of things…generally they just happen.”Stokes’ 36.2 overs in Hamilton were the most he has bowled for in a Test since 40 at Trent Bridge in 2022 (also against New Zealand). On day one, his 23 overs were the most he has managed in a single day, split between spells of eight, eight and seven. It is worth noting England’s first innings capitulation for 143 meant their seamers only had 34.5 overs of rest after 97.1 between them for New Zealand’s opening effort. The hosts went further in their second innings, keeping England in the field for 101.4 overs, eventually finishing on 453.This series has brought Stokes seven dismissals at 36.85 from 66.1 overs – his most as captain – accompanied by a batting average of 52.66 across four innings. After struggling to effectively fulfill the allrounder role, this series had been a welcome return to the Stokes of old.It was only on the previous evening (Sunday) that assistant coach Paul Collingwood lauded Stokes’ return as a talismanic allrounder. Following today’s events, Trescothick stated Stokes might have to tailor his bowling loads going forward.”I still think he’s shown signs over the course of this series that getting back to fitness he is going to have that level. Maybe it’s a case that you manage his bowling loads and he doesn’t bowl the volume that he’s potentially bowled in this game.”Injuries happen, right? they’re always going to be part of the game. he works dramatically well with his fitness. to try and get into the shape he can be. He bowled 24 in the first innings, and he was bowling quite a few in this (second) innings [12.2 overs]. We’ll just have to look at how we manage it.”Stokes looked understandably crestfallen as he walked off, having only just overcome the physical and psychological toil from the initial hamstring tear which derailed his return to full fitness in the summer.Related

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Having arrived into the home summer following successful knee surgery in October 2023, he bowled 49 overs across three Tests against West Indies, with five wickets that took him past 200 career dismissals. The tear subsequently set him back, ruling him out of the three-match series against Sri Lanka at the end of the season, and the first Test of the Pakistan tour.Stokes returned for the final two matches of that series but England lost both, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat having won the first Test. He admitted his drive to regain full fitness led him to “physically drain and ruin himself”. When the squad gathered at Queenstown at the start of the series, Stokes apologised for the negative effect he had on the team environment.Prior to this final Test, Stokes was optimistic he was in a good place, with a better understanding of his body.”I have to work so much harder on the physical side of the job to allow me to go out and do my job but I got a good amount of overs in during the last two games and I am more confident about getting through a lot of spells in a day.”That is where I got to before I pulled my hamstring. I bowled nice in summer, had a setback but now feel out of that and worrying about anything else happening again. As you get older you think about your body a bit more but I work harder because I have to.”Now, the 33-year-old must undergo another period of rehabilitation. England’s next Test match is not until May 22, against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, but a lucrative £800,000 with MI Cape Town in the SA20, which begins on January 9, may have to be forgone. Having signed a two-year central contract in October, the ECB has the power to withdraw him outright from the tournament, even if he is able to regain fitness prior to the end of the group stages, with MI’s final match on February 2.This latest setback also complicates any prospective white-ball return for Stokes. The man himself has remained coy on whether he will make himself available for the upcoming Champions Trophy, with Test head coach Brendon McCullum assuming control of the limited-overs sides. Now, perhaps, the decision has been made for him.

Ben Stokes’ decision to put Australia batters in for four overs a “shot at nothing” for them

Matt Roller16-Jun-2023Ben Stokes’ decision to declare England’s first innings at 393 for 8 after 78 overs, with Joe Root unbeaten on 118, “came as no surprise” to their players. That is according to Jonny Bairstow, who said that forcing Australia’s openers to survive four overs on the first evening represented “a shot to nothing” for them.Root and Ollie Robinson had looted 20 runs from a Nathan Lyon over when Stokes – wearing training kit and a bucket hat at the time – called his batters in, leaving just over a quarter of an hour for David Warner and Usman Khawaja to face the new ball on the first day of this summer’s Ashes series at Edgbaston.Khawaja was beaten by Robinson on the outside edge and neither opener looked comfortable, with a series of near mix-ups as they ran between the wickets. But Australia made it through to the close unscathed, reaching 14 for 0 in four overs to trail by 379 runs heading into the second day.Related

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“I’m sure there are many decisions that Ben has made that have probably taken commentators and some people by surprise,” Bairstow said. “It was no surprise to us. You’ll all be aware that a 20-minute slot for any opening pair is something that’s not very nice and can be a bit niggly.”It was a decision that Ben and Brendon [McCullum] made in conjunction with the bowlers. It’s a shot to nothing, isn’t it? You can walk off and there might be an unbelievable ball in there – there might be a loose shot or whatever.”But we’ll come back tomorrow with a ball that’s four overs old, a fresh bowling attack and a team that are really looking forward to the challenge.”Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: “It’s a bold call. It’s a good call. There will be conversations around it, but no-one likes going out there with 20 minutes and four overs, when you’ve got Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson running in at the end of the day that’s been a bit of a toil.”This was the fourth time that England have declared their first innings within 90 overs since Stokes took over as captain on a full-time basis last year, and the second earliest of those after he pulled the plug 58.2 overs into the Mount Maunganui Test in February.”We didn’t know anything about it [in advance],” said Bairstow, who first knew it was coming at “three minutes past six”. He added: “It was a scramble to get the old tape on, pads on, and the rest. When you’re not expecting [something], it’s sometimes the best form of attack.”Josh Hazlewood, the pick of Australia’s attack on the first day, said they were “not really” surprised at the timing of the declaration. “Once Joe got his hundred they played a few shots,” he said. “We sensed it was coming. That’s the way they are playing their cricket at the moment.”

Tim Paine confident over Steven Smith and Cameron Green is on course to make his debut

Daniel Brettig15-Dec-2020Australia are leaning towards the retention of Joe Burns and the promotion of Matthew Wade to open alongside him in place of the injured David Warner, while Cameron Green is all but assured of a Test debut in the traditional allrounder’s spot at No. 6 in the batting order.This much could be gleaned from the words of Australia’s captain Tim Paine on the morning of match eve, even if the team’s diktat is to keep the identity of the final XI “in-house” until the toss of the coin at Adelaide Oval on Thursday afternoon. There were indicators late on Wednesday that Paine had also pondered the option of promoting himself to open, though this move would shunt Green, very much a batting allrounder at this point of his career, down as low as No. 7 in the wicketkeeper’s usual spot.Paine placed a heavy emphasis on continuity in the side, a tick for Burns in the absence of Warner, and was hopeful that the interrupted preparation of Steven Smith, missing Tuesday’s main session with an apparent back complaint, would actually serve to freshen the No. 4 batsman’s mind ahead of his first Test match meeting with India since 2017.Related

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The team’s final training session featured plenty of batting time for Smith, Wade and Burns against a selection of throwdowns, net bowlers and the reserves Moises Henriques and Mitchell Swepson, as Australia’s frontline bowling attack took their usual match eve rest.”Dave won’t be there but we expect Steve to be there,” Paine said. “Steve’s had a stiff back a number of times before and you do when you bat at training as much as he does. But his preparation has been very good, he’s batted for the last week since we’ve been in Adelaide, so for him to have a day off might actually be a blessing in disguise yesterday.”But when we get our team out there tomorrow, we would love to have David there and he won’t be, but I don’t think our team will look too dissimilar to what it did at the end of last summer and we’ve had a really consistent team for a period of time and that certainly helps us perform well.”Wade, meanwhile, has never opened in first-class but he was endorsed by Ricky Ponting earlier in the week as the man who should partner Burns while Warner is unavailable. “He’s certainly an option to open the batting. No doubt about that. I think we’ve got a number of guys who are willing to open the batting. That says a lot about our group, not just Wadey,” Paine said. “But Wadey in particular, we saw against New Zealand last year with the short-ball stuff, he’s willing to put his body on the line for his team.”We know he’s as tough as nails and he’ll do a good job no matter where he bats. Obviously we have got a scenario where we could have a different opener and we’ve had a number of guys put their hand up to do it if that’s the best thing for the team. That’s a great thing for us as a side.”Smith this week and Warner when fit loom as the biggest differences to this series when lined up against India’s first ever victory in a Test bout in Australia in 2018-19. The hosts were, by Paine’s own admission, still trying to find themselves in the wake of the Newlands scandal back then, and have hardened into a much more settled, accomplished and confident unit in the intervening years.Cameron Green is closing in on a Test debut•Getty Images

“Having them back has clearly been a great thing for our team, certainly for me to have two very experienced players out there with me has helped, there’s no doubt about that,” Paine said. “Those guys are two of the best players in the world, they’ve played in lots of Test matches for Australia, lots of big matches, lots of big series, so their experience not only for me to lean on but for our whole group has been awesome, and the way they’ve been around our group for the last 12 months has been unbelievably good, so we’re very lucky to have them back.”In terms of my captaincy or performance in this team, it’s been okay. I’ve got a role to play in this group like everyone else does, as long as I keep doing that, then we’re all happy. My job is to wicketkeep, captain and try and score some handy runs and bat with the tail and that’s my role and I think I’ve been performing it pretty well.”As for Green, Paine has made no secret of his admiration for the 21-year-old, particularly after seeing him up close in Sheffield Shield matches and more recently for Australia A in their tour game against the Indians at Drummoyne Oval. Concussion protocols dictate that Green must pass his final series of tests on match morning to be right to play, but all indications are that he is, in parallel to a burgeoning cricket career, well ahead of the curve. Paine also hinted Green’s bowling restrictions could be lifted.”[He’s] super impressive, I’ve played against him and seen him score hundreds against Tasmania before,” Paine said. “To be out there with him and talking with him he’s really impressive for a guy his age, understands his game really well, really smart cricket brain for such a young guy and really calm and cool under pressure. From what I’ve seen of him playing against him and the last couple of weeks being around him he’s made for Test cricket and we can’t wait to see him get out there tomorrow and unleash him.”Once you’re selected in a Test match you’re good to go. Having said that we don’t expect him to bowl a huge amount of overs anyway with the attack we’ve got we see him as just a nice change up. He takes 12-14 overs an innings out of our key fast bowlers, which is great. In terms of being able to keep them fresh in a pink-ball Test for the night session and in terms of being able to keep them fresh for the whole series.”If Greeny can continue going the path he is I think having him in the side allows us to have Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood around the Australian Test team for even longer in terms of their careers. He’s going to be a huge asset for us in that sense, we’ll wait and see how many overs he’ll bowl. We’ll know when he does bowl he’ll make an impact. That’s what we’ve seen from him, that’s what we expect him to do again.”

Police also name KSCA administrator Shinde along with several bookies

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Feb-2020Two team owners, two senior Karnataka players including former Karnataka wicketkeeper and captain CM Gautam, and one team official are among 16 accused that the Karnataka Police has filed a chargesheet against in the investigations concerning corruption in the 2019 Karnataka Premier League (KPL). The preliminary chargesheet was filed on Friday by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in three police stations in Bengaluru, with the primary charge of conspiracy to cheat under Section 420 under the Indian Penal Code.Among those named in the three chargesheets are: left-arm spinner Abrar Kazi with Gautam, along with Ali Asfak Thara (team owner of Belgavi Panthers) and Arvind Reddy (team owner of Bellary Tuskers) and another former Karnataka player Sudhindra Shinde, who was also part of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) managing committee.Also named are Nishant Shekhawat and M Viswanathan (both batsmen at Bangalore Blasters) along with the team’s bowling coach Vinoo Prasad. There are also several bookies named including Sanyam, Bhavesh Bafna and one person called Maavi.”We have evidence against all these people and they have been booked under CrPc (criminal charges),” Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police, CCB, told ESPNcricinfo. Patil said that the police will carry forward the investigations and book any further names that they find evidence against.The CCB started its investigations immediately after the 2019 KPL season ended, first arresting Thara for allegedly betting on the matches. Gautam, who was scheduled to play for Goa in the 2020-21 season as a professional, was Tuskers’ captain. The CCB accused him of being involved in spot-fixing along with Kazi during the 2019 KPL final against Hubli Tigers, which the former lost by eight runs.Patil said Thara had revealed Bafna’s name during initial investigation. The CCB said Bafna, who played drums by the boundary during the KPL, was involved with Sanyam and both of them had approached Tuskers’ fast bowler Bhavesh Gulecha to do spot-fixing during matches.Shinde has been accused by the CCB of “match-fixing”. Patil said Shinde had met Thara when the latter sponsored his cricket club – Social Cricketers in Bengaluru. Subsequently Shinde was appointed as the head of cricket at Panthers.The KSCA has put the 2020 edition of the KPL on hold until the police inquiry is completed. The KSCA had also suspended both Thara and Reddy along with all the players involved. Former India fast bowler Roger Binny, the KSCA president, said if the franchise owners are found guilty, the teams would also face the consequences. “In case they are found guilty, their franchise will be terminated,” Binny said in a media release recently. “The decisions taken by the KSCA regarding on [sic] the above players and others will be reconsidered only after the investigation is complete. In case any of them are found guilty, appropriate and stringent action will be taken immediately.”

Windies batsman delighted to deliver a matchwinning hundred at last

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur11-Dec-2018Shai Hope, five runs short of his third ODI hundred but with his side in deep trouble at 185 for 6, told Keemo Paul to hang in there with him.Paul arrived at the crease with West Indies needing 71 runs in the last eleven overs. Hope had just lost the side’s other recognised batsman, Roston Chase, at the other end. Bangladesh’s bowlers had their tail up, but Hope, unsurprisingly, never gave up hope.There was reason to believe, too. Paul’s big-hitting 36 in the first ODI had helped West Indies avoid a really low score, and his reputation as a helpful tail-ender was enough for Hope to cling to. He delivered, despite two dropped catches in the deep leg-side field, with a crucial unbeaten 18 that ensured Hope didn’t have to worry too much even as he went after Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain in the 48th and 49th overs.”[The plan] was just to bat as deep as possible,” Hope said. “We know Keemo has very good batting ability. I had full confidence in him. We just tried to rotate as best as possible. We knew the wicket was a bit difficult to come in and strike from ball one, so he played a very crucial hand here to go over the line.”But the evening belonged to Hope, who was adjudged player of the match for an unbeaten 148 that contained 12 fours and three sixes. Despite spending most of the innings running hard for the 106 singles and 18 twos, it was his first and third six that had stirred West Indies to life.The first came in the ninth over when, after Chandrapaul Hemraj’s early dismissal, West Indies’ scoring rate was dipping, just like it had in all their previous matches on this tour when they had lost an early wicket.Hope drove Mustafizur over long-off, which helped his second-wicket stand with Darren Bravo to pick up the pace. By the time he had to find his third six, West Indies desperately needed some renewed impetus with 32 needed off the last three overs. With Rubel coming around the wicket, he took his front foot out of the way and slammed him straight into the sightscreens.Hope then struck Mustafizur for three fours in the penultimate over, bringing down one of the best death-over bowlers in world cricket.
Afterwards, he admitted it was a happy moment for him to score, at last, an ODI hundred in a match-winning effort for West Indies.”It must be above the other two, because we tied those games. I am just pleased to get over the line. It is great to score a hundred but there’s more joy if you can get over the line as a team.”I just believed regardless of what was happening. We are here to play cricket, compete and win. It is only a matter of time before we get over the line,” he said.Hope said that he grabbed the opportunity to bat the entire length of the innings, but had to adapt to Bangladesh’s spin threat as well as Mustafizur’s cutters towards the end of the innings.”It was about pacing the innings. I knew that someone had to bat deep. I got the opportunity to start at the top of the order. I had all 50 overs. We knew that they will throw spin at us in the first 10 overs of the game. We came with a different plan and it came off this time.”When the bowlers took some pace off, it was a lot more difficult to get bat on ball, especially against Fizz. His offcutters were quite difficult to get away in the crucial stage. The wicket wasn’t the best for strokeplay but it was much better than the last game.”

The adverse effect the pink ball and the dew have on Yasir Shah’s bowling and Pakistan’s iffy results in day-night Tests have led to the move

Osman Samiuddin09-Oct-2018Pakistan chose not to schedule a day-night Test this season because they felt it would hamper their side’s chances against Australia and New Zealand.This is the first season in three that the PCB, hitherto a keen proponent of the concept, has not staged a day-night Test in Dubai. Indifferent results in the two previous Tests prompted the team management to tell the board to opt against one this time round.Pakistan won the first Test against West Indies two years ago, but only after a massive scare in the second half of a game they had initially dominated. Their batsmen first collapsed under lights to Devendra Bishoo’s legspin, and then their bowlers struggled to defend 346 in the fourth innings. Last year they lost to Sri Lanka, when their batsmen failed to make over 262 in either innings.More than the batting, however, the team was concerned about the blunting of their main weapon Yasir Shah, through a combination of dew, the pink ball becoming soft quickly and the pitch not breaking up as much as expected.Though Yasir has taken 15 wickets in the two day-night Tests, they have come at a higher cost compared to wickets in daytime UAE Tests – 31.00 against 24.75. More critical is the rate at which they have come, a strike rate of 60.7 in the two day-night games as opposed to 51.5 in day Tests.The board is understood to have canvassed the team as both the PCB and Cricket Australia have pushed the concept of day-night Tests. But based on those on-field concerns, the PCB decided not to pursue the option.That goes against the grain of most missed chances to play day-night Tests. Generally it is the touring side that has turned down the opportunity to play – and mostly on the basis that they would be unfamiliar, and so uncomfortable, with the conditions. Sri Lanka turned Pakistan down once in 2013, while India and Bangladesh have also refused to play day-night Tests on away tours.It didn’t help that, unlike the rest of the world, a day-night Test makes little difference to attendances in the UAE. Neither the West Indies Test nor the one last year against Sri Lanka attracted a noticeably bigger crowd.As has become the norm for Pakistan’s UAE Tests, the ongoing Test has been played out in front of virtually empty stands, enlivened only in pockets by groups of schoolchildren. Free entry for the Tests hasn’t made a difference, though the fact that it is the case is because the PCB, for the first time since 2009, has negotiated a deal whereby it doesn’t pay a hosting fee for a Test. Usually the PCB would pay approximately USD 35,000 plus expenses per Test as a separate cost in the UAE, something it has avoided this season when they play five Tests there.The fact that the Test began on a Sunday – the start of the UAE working week – is unlikely to have adversely affected that aspect. Sunday starts for Tests are not unusual in any case: the West Indies Test in Sharjah in 2016-17, the England Test at the same venue the year before and the Test against New Zealand in 2014 in Abu Dhabi all began on Sundays. The compressed nature of this tour and season has played some part in this game beginning on Sunday.According to one board official, the PCB wanted to have a schedule whereby as many of the limited-overs games take place on weekends, though ultimately, of the three T20Is Australia play here, only one is on a weekend. And only two of the six limited-overs games New Zealand play here take place on a weekend.

Riki Wessels’ 60 prevented Worcestershire from taking a decisive grip on their top-of-the-table encounter but Nottinghamshire still have work to do to avoid defeat

David Hopps at Trent Bridge06-Sep-2017Nottinghamshire 193 and 138 for 5 (Wessels 60) lead Worcestershire 243 (Barnard 55, Mullaney 4-31) by 88 runs
Riki Wessels kept Notts afloat in their second innings•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire’s faith in attacking cricket on responsive Trent Bridge pitches has been fundamental to their surge to the top of Division Two and their anticipated securing of a treble that already includes both limited-overs trophies.But play with fire and occasionally you get burned. Two days into their final home Championship match of the season, their unbeaten record is in peril. Worcestershire, their closest challengers, hold the edge, with Notts only 88 ahead with five wickets intact, and the batsman most likely to fashion victory, Riki Wessels, dismissed five overs before the close for 60, from 79 balls, cutting at Josh Tongue.For Sussex and Kent, this had promised to be the round when Worcestershire would falter and their own ambitions of runners-up spot, and promotion, would be sharpened as a result. Instead, Worcestershire claimed a first-innings lead of 50 from an unlikely position of 89 for 6 and then bagged four Notts wickets before the arrears were paid off. Sussex, meanwhile, are following on in Northampton and Kent are in quite a scrap away to Durham.When Wessels came to the crease, with Notts still seven behind, it was not inconceivable on such a rip-roaring, fluctuating day that Worcestershire could win in two days and they might well have done so had he not survived an lbw appeal, first ball, from Joe Leach.He has had an outstanding season over both four days and 20 overs and, on a day when many batsmen nicked off as they pushed hard at the ball, he tended to sit back, make the bowlers come to him, and dealt in pulls, cuts and punches. It was Wessels’ innings of 69 and 48 that helped tip the balance against another promotion contender, Northants, last week.Until Wessels’ intervention, Trent Bridge’s “Batman” scoreboard, so called because of its black background and two pointy ears, told a disturbing tale for home supporters. Even Adam West, who played the caped crusader in the kitsch 1960s Batman series – a far cry from the dark and meaningful big budget versions of the 21st century – would have struggled to find a solution conveniently hidden in his utility belt. And this was a man who once pulled out a live fish from his nether regions.Batman was no doubt in evidence when Notts emerged triumphant on NatWest Finals day, along with every other fancy-dress character ever imagined. Four days after the event home supporters were still uplifted, stopping each other around the ground and asking: “How’s your hangover?”The hangover was most noticeable on the pitch as the shift back to the four-day game brought a disinclination to meet a challenging pitch with defensive excellence. The most effective innings were defiant counterattacking affairs in adversity: not just Wessels, but Ben Cox and Ed Barnard for Worcestershire as they recovered to 243.There were some high-profile casualties as 16 wickets fell, with Worcestershire’s starlet Joe Clarke and Notts’ Alex Hales among them. Clarke and Hales are both outsiders for a place in England’s Ashes squad, Hales by dint of a few eye-catching biggies, Clarke promoted as such by his coach, Steve Rhodes, as he played the age-old card of inspiring one of his charges with talk of international honours.So much for that theory. Clarke made a first-baller before lunch, pushing down the wrong line to lose his off stump to Steven Mullaney and, halfway up the pitch, looking round to gaze upon the wreckage. Hales, after tea, got to 12 then pushed forward only to edge Leach.Clarke’s future is uncertain – both Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire are touted as possible suitors, although Warwickshire look about to be relegated which would hardly help their case. Clarke is anxious for wicketkeeping opportunities, doubtless in the belief that it strengthens his England appeal, which overlooks the fact that England are well served by batsman-keepers, but not so overstocked by middle-order batsmen. Perhaps keeping is trendy at the moment, like grey carpets, jogging watches and newsreaders with opinions.Worcestershire were well served in the morning by George Rhodes, whose mannerisms at the crease are the spit of his father Steve a generation earlier. He made 32 before he fell driving at Jake Ball immediately after lunch. R Ashwin’s 19 at No. 6, which included a larrup over extra cover for six, was ended by a good outer in Ball’s next over.Cox announced the Worcestershire fightback, one pull shot against Harry Gurney as good as anything seen all day. Barnard caught the mood and, Wessels apart, is the only player to have passed 50. Leach took a blow on the head from a short ball from Ball, but looked none the worse for wear.The ease with which Worcestershire added 154 for the last four wickets will worry Notts as they ponder what they need. They would take a 220 lead, certainly now, but that remains a long way away. “Holy Crossfire, Batman!” as Robin once wisely observed.

Essex’s square played enough tricks last year to suit the circus troupe across the river, but the mood has shifted as a new coach takes charge at Chelmsford

David Hopps at Chelmsford10-Apr-2016
Scorecard0:48

What effect will one up from Division Two have?

It will be with some relief that the ECB receives reports that Carter’s Steam Fair – the world’s largest vintage travelling fun fair – has this season set up its stalls and marquees on the other bank of the River Can.There have been times in recent seasons when the circus marquees seemed to have been erected on the Chelmsford square with tumblers a plenty to be found on the most responsive pitches in the country.An opposing captain choosing to bat risked being offered a contract with the clowns, and pointed in the general direction of the top hats and red noses, but Gloucestershire’s captain Gareth Roderick did just that and personally ensured that he was not immediately punished by his brazen disregard of history by making a judicious unbeaten 88.There was an influence brought to bear in all this. Considerable evidence will be needed to judge the ECB’s historic decision to give the opposing captain the right to bowl first this season, without recourse to a toss, in an attempt to improve pitches. But there will be initial satisfaction that even in Essex, considering that the opening day of the Championship season had been preceded by enough dank weather for Premier League footballers to be still wearing mittens, there was a learned contest between bat and ball.April pitches, however, are bound to be sappy and, from 164 for 6, Gloucestershire would have been satisfied to emerge with 262, around par, and to have 16 overs at Essex on the first evening. Within six balls, England’s captain, Alastair Cook, had adopted the hands-on-hips stance at the non-striker’s end that signifies the loss of his batting partner – Nick Browne lbw to Liam Norwell – but Cook found a sound ally in Tom Westley, no more damage was done and Essex’s powerful batting line-up has the chance on the second day to make an early pronouncement that this season they can mount a serious Division Two title challenge.Chris Silverwood, Essex’s new head coach, is committed, irrespective of ECB toss regulations, to better cricket pitches and he has recruited with that in mind, strengthening Essex’s seam bowling roster by bringing in two dual-national pace bowlers: Western Australian Matt Dixon and New Zealander Matt Quinn.Quinn had only just arrived so rested out. It seemed wise enough, although he might have been the target of the first utterance overheard on walking into the ground: “It’s a farce – they’re all molly coddled these days.” So another county season begins where ambitious young cricketers are regularly denounced by predominantly elderly members who secretly cherish their presence like little else in the world.Dixon, who has expressed a desire to build a “10 to 15-year career”, looked a solid acquisition as he removed both openers, although there was little distinguished in the ball that bowled Chris Dent, who dragged on a wide half-volley. His slender new-ball partner, Jamie Porter, lacked the same consistency, but included three middle-order wickets in his 4 for 59.Essex caught wonderfully well, Porter the beneficiary on each occasion as Cook snapped up Ian Cockbain at first slip and Jesse Ryder sprung low to his right at backward point to silence Hamish Marshall’s threatening half-century with Gloucestershire wresting control at 143 for 3. The best catch of all, though, was a combo between Westley, who flung himself to his left at second slip to knock up Kieran Noema-Barnett’s edge for Dan Lawrence to complete the job at third.Essex’s balance was slightly batsman-heavy with the new-ball attack supported by a trio of medium-pacers and, although Graham Napier’s burst of 3 for 1 in six balls wrapped up the tail, their effectiveness can be expected to decline as the summer wears on.Ryder’s constitutionals brought him 44 Championship wickets at 25.45 last summer, the most affable of approaches followed by something more threatening when the seam hit the pitch. As he offered up temptation, one wondered how Ryder the batsman would respond to Ryder the bowler. It would not be too long, you would wager, before there would be an almighty flay in the general direction of extra cover.

Faf du Plessis has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand and will be out of action for at least four weeks with a knee injury

Firdose Moonda19-Aug-2015Faf du Plessis has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand and will be out of action for at least four weeks due to a knee injury. Du Plessis did not play the T20s after picking up the injury during training ahead of the series. He should recover in time for South Africa’s tour of India, which starts in October.”It’s frustrating for me because I feel good and in form,” du Plessis said while doing a commentary stint during the first ODI. “Brandon Jackson, the physiotherapist, said I will need about three or four weeks of no running at all and then can get back into training.”This is the second injury du Plessis has had in the last few months after he suffered a broken finger during IPL 2015. Du Plessis played in the final despite the finger injury; he took the injury into South Africa’s tour of Bangladesh but did not miss any matches. “At Chennai, my nickname is Ferrari because everything looks pretty good on the outside but there’s not much going on on the inside.”Du Plessis’ absence means that South Africa are without a third senior player after JP Duminy and Morne Morkel were given time off from the series for paternity leave. Rilee Rossouw will bat in du Plessis’ place at No. 3 with Farhaan Behardien included in the lower middle order. Dean Elgar has been added to the squad as cover.

A round-up of the fourth round of games from the MetBank Pro40 Championship in Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2010Matabeleland Tuskers ran to their third consecutive win in the MetBank Pro40 Championship, Terry Duffin’s 88 guiding them to a four-wicket victory over Mashonaland Eagles at the Country Club ground in Harare. After being put in by Tuskers captain Gavin Ewing, Eagles struggled against seam and spin alike and were bowled out for 196 in the 36th over. Though he fell before the job was quite done, Duffin’s knock set up the win with 25 balls to spare.Mashonaland Eagles are traditionally one of the strongest domestic sides, while Tuskers endured a nightmare season in 2009-10, battling Southern Rocks for the bottom spot. But the roles have been reversed this time around, and this result solidifies Tuskers’ position at the top while Eagles remain winless from four games.After Tuskers’ seamers dealt with the top order, Keegan Meth, Chris Mpofu and Tawanda Mupariwa picking up six wickets between them, the spinners ensured there would be no fightback from the Eagles. Forster Mutizwa blazed to a 25-ball 39 and stand-in captain Ryan Butterworth battled hard for his 45 – his best effort in List A games – but Eagles couldn’t put together any significant partnerships and offspinner John Nyumbu closed the innings by removing Tinotenda Mutombodzi for his second wicket.Duffin, not known for his quick scoring in limited-overs games, seemed to find the boundary with ease and managed 11 fours and a six before falling to Greg Lamb, who was the pick of the Eagles bowlers with three wickets. The 72 runs Duffin put on for the fourth wicket with Charles Coventry swung the game firmly Tuskers’ way, and though both fell before the job was done Keith Dabengwa was on hand to guide the team home.On a batsman’s track at Kwekwe Sports Club, four of the Mountaineers’ top order passed fifty as they reached a massive 301 for 7. Tino Mawoyo continued the good form he showed against New Zealand A with 50, while Jonathan Beukes shrugged off his failures in the opening round of the Logan Cup with a boundary-laden 67. Greg Smith and Timycen Maruma then combined to put on 60 at better than 10-an-over, and despite a lower-order wobble Mountaineers set a daunting target.With stormclouds approaching, Brendan Taylor launched Mid West Rhinos’ chase with a brutal half-century, lacing 12 fours and a six and putting on 90 for the first wicket with Gary Ballance. But after he was dismissed, caught by Hamilton Masakadza off the bowling of Tinashe Panyangara, the innings lost momentum and when the weather intervened Rhinos were 43 runs short on the Duckworth/Lewis method.