Hosts without Colin Ackermann, struck on forehead while fielding, replaced by concussion sub Rishi Patel

ECB Reporters Network23-Apr-2021Leicestershire 233 and 48 for 3 (Patel 27*, Overton 2-4) trail Somerset 318 (Abell 88, Davies 59) by 37 runsHalf-centuries from Tom Abell and Steven Davies helped Somerset to an 85-run first-innings lead in their LV=Insurance County Championship match against Leicestershire, who were three down in their second innings and still 37 behind at the close.The home side must also contend without skipper Colin Ackermann, who will take no further part after being struck on the forehead fielding at first slip just before lunch. Rishi Patel, his 22-year-old replacement under the concussion protocols, is not out overnight having made a gutsy 27 under pressure against a fired-up Somerset attack.Abell played beautifully at times but rode his luck in making 88, surviving a close run-out call on 15 before being dropped on 54. He shared a 112-run fifth-wicket partnership with George Bartlett and although both were dismissed in quick succession by seamer Ben Mike, who finished with 3 for 50, Davies made a typically elegant 59 to give Somerset the upper hand.Craig Overton then removed Harry Dearden and Marcus Harris in a devastating spell with the new ball, the former brilliantly caught by Abell diving to his left at slip before Australian Test opener Harris fell for just seven, miscuing a hook to square leg to leave them 21 for 3. Josh Davey had already found the edge to have Hassan Azad caught behind.Somerset had been 53 for 3 overnight, but nightwatchman Jack Leach was Leicestershire’s sole scalp as 104 runs were added in an eventful morning that ended with Ackermann’s injury.Leicestershire were convinced Abell was gone to a direct hit by Lewis Hill, swooping to field on the leg side as he scrambled a single off Chris Wright, although it looked a difficult call for standing umpire Tim Robinson without the aid of technology.After Leach was bowled off an inside edge by Mike, Abell was dropped on 54 off left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson, Ackermann shelling the chance at slip after the ball glanced the gloves of wicketkeeper Harry Swindells.It was from a similar, turning delivery that Bartlett looked to have had an escape on 21, although in his case the ball turned past the edge before again being deflected by Swindells and this time felling Ackermann.After treatment on the field, the 30-year-old South African-born all-rounder continued to field for the last two overs of the session but did not reappear after lunch.Having added 55 to that point, the fifth-wicket pair continued to profit, Abell reeling off some beautifully timed off-drives and cuts to take their partnership into three figures.When Mike had Abell caught at second slip, undone by a ball that swung away late, and Bartlett, on 48, pulled him straight to short mid-wicket, Leicestershire sensed a chance but Davies, though out tamely when he clipped a ball from Gavin Griffiths straight to leg gully, made sure the advantage was with his side.

Takes over from Kane Williamson, who dropped five ranking points after missing the second Test against England

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2021Australia batter Steven Smith has returned to the top of the Test batting rankings for the first time since the Boxing Day Test last year.Despite not having played a Test since January this year, Smith took over from Kane Williamson, who dropped five ranking points. Williamson scored 14 runs in the first Test against England at Lord’s before missing the second Test because of a persistent elbow injury. Williamson, now on 886 ranking points, is second in the rankings.Smith has now been at the top of the batting rankings for 167 Tests, according to an ICC statement, behind only Garry Sobers and Viv Richards, who were No. 1 for 189 and 179 Tests respectively.South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada also gained two spots to move to seventh in the bowling rankings after a five-wicket haul in the second innings against West Indies in St Lucia in the first Test. Anrich Nortje’s seven-wicket match haul carried him into the top 30 for the first time in his career, while Quinton de Kock moved to 12th in the batting rankings, a position shared with Cheteshwar Pujara, after he was named player of the match for his unbeaten 141 in Gros Islet.England’s Test captain Joe Root dropped one spot, to fifth, after the series against New Zealand in which he scored just 97 runs in four innings. Root has still been England’s most prolific run-scorer in the last year, having totalled 1115 runs at an average of 50.68, close to double the next highest run-scorer, Dom Sibley (623 runs).

Allrounder steps down from 50-over format but will continue in Tests and T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2021Kevin O’Brien, the Ireland allrounder whose record-breaking hundred stunned England at the 2011 World Cup, has announced his retirement from the 50-over format.O’Brien, 37, will carry on playing at Test and T20I level, but has chosen to bow out of the format in which he made his debut against England as a 22-year-old in 2006, in Ireland’s first full ODI. He went on to make 3618 runs from 153 ODIs, and claim 114 wickets, the most by any Ireland bowler. His 68 outfield catches is another national record, while he played 95 of his matches alongside his elder brother, Niall, who retired in 2018.”After 15 years playing for Ireland, I feel now is the right time to step away and retire from ODI cricket,” O’Brien said. “It has been an honour and a privilege to represent my country 153 times. The memories I take from them will last a lifetime”.Those memories include appearances at three World Cups, including the 2007 event in the Caribbean, the moment when Ireland truly made their mark on international cricket.Their historic victory over Pakistan at Sabina Park sent shockwaves through the sport, and O’Brien played an integral role in Ireland’s tense run-chase, digging in from an unbeaten 16 from 52 balls to guard against a collapse before the captain Trent Johnston struck the winning six to seal a three-wicket win.However, it was four years later at the 2011 event in India that O’Brien played the innings for which he will forever be remembered – a breath-taking knock of 113 from 63 balls in Bangalore, including a century from 50 balls that remains the fastest in World Cup history.Replying to England’s imposing total of 327 for 8, Ireland had slumped to 106 for 4 when he arrived at the crease, which soon became 111 for 5. But he responded to the adversity with an outrageous counterattack, cracking 13 fours and six sixes, before falling in the penultimate over with 11 runs still needed. However, John Mooney kept his cool to seal the chase, with Johnston again unbeaten at the other end.Related

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“That innings alone probably gave many of us the opportunity to become professional cricketers in Ireland,” Andrew Balbirnie, Ireland’s captain, said. “I think everyone within Irish cricket owes a huge amount to Kevin O’Brien for what he’s done for the sport in this country.”We’re losing a big personality in the ODI squad, and a really good friend, but this is not the end of Kevin O’Brien and I look forward to seeing what he can do in the other two formats.”O’Brien featured again for Ireland at the 2015 World Cup, but the team missed out on qualification in 2019, and his form in recent campaigns has slipped away. He made a highest score of 31 in 11 ODIs since the start of 2020, and has decided the time is right to cut back his commitments.”This has not been an easy decision, but after ongoing consideration I don’t feel I can contribute to the ODI team as much as I have in the past,” he said. “The hunger and love for the ODI format is no longer the same as it was and it wouldn’t be fair to continue to play while no longer feeling at 100%.”I’ve had some unbelievable moments with the team since 2006 – the three World Cups, the personal successes and spending time travelling and playing all over the world, but I will now shift my focus and remain fully committed to T20 cricket – with two World Cups in the next 18 months – and hoping to add to my three caps in Test cricket.”The first of those T20 campaigns looks set to take place in the UAE in October and November, while O’Brien also holds out hope of adding to his three Test caps – having become, in May 2018, the first Test centurion for Ireland, after making 118 in the country’s maiden Test against Pakistan at Malahide.Graham Ford, Ireland’s head coach, added: “Kevin has played an enormous role in the development of Irish cricket and has delivered regularly on the world stage – particularly in the ODI format.”It’s been a pleasure to work with him as part of the ODI squad, and he has been a true role model for many teammates over the years.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Kevin in other formats, and while his decision to step away from ODI cricket is sad, he can do so in the knowledge that he leaves an indelible legacy on the ODI game in Ireland and around the world.”

Experience at IPL has helped allrounder push his case in white-ball formats

Andrew Miller02-Jul-2021Graham Thorpe says that Sam Curran’s composure in pressurised situations is the trait that has propelled him to the heart of England’s white-ball plans, following his series-sealing five-wicket haul in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at The Kia Oval.Curran, who has played ten ODIs in his young career compared to 21 Tests since his debut in 2018, claimed three wickets in his first nine balls, en route to figures of 5 for 48, his best in List A cricket. England eased to an eight-wicket victory with 42 balls to spare, and head to Bristol for Sunday’s third match with options aplenty given the dominance they’ve shown against a sub-par opposition.Curran’s display, however, will have confirmed to England’s management that they have a rising star in their ranks. At the age of 23, he is already a pivotal figure with bat and ball for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, as they seek to rebuild their team around a younger core of players, and with the next T20 World Cup due to follow on from the IPL’s resumption in the UAE this winter, Thorpe recognises that his experience at that tournament could be invaluable.”I think it’s helped him enormously,” Thorpe said of the IPL. “Every environment Sam has gone into, he’s shown that ability to compete and an ability to find a way of putting performances in. From that perspective, playing in the IPL has put him in high-pressured situations and pushed him.Related

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“His hitting ability with the bat was always there. I think that’s progressed to a really good level. He’s bowling at important times in the IPL, so he’s put under pressure and challenged. At 23, he’s getting some really good experiences.”Curran has had to bide his time in England’s ranks, with just three appearances across all formats in the 2020 home summer – a Test apiece against West Indies and Pakistan, and a solitary ODI against Australia. However, he has not looked back since his maiden campaign for CSK in November, and has been a first-choice pick in each of England’s subsequent white-ball fixtures in South Africa, India and now on home soil.”When he comes back and plays with England, he’s having to challenge for a place so he’s being put under pressure there too,” Thorpe said. “That’s not a bad thing. One of his great personality traits is that he’s a real competitor. We have seen that ever since he was a young lad, and his skill level is going up. For a 23-year-old it’s a good place to be. We want him to keep getting better and better.”Curran’s first England five-for came only two matches after he capped their ODI tour of India with a remarkable unbeaten 95 from No. 8 in Pune, but Thorpe – who is standing in for Chris Silverwood as England’s head coach for the Sri Lanka series – warned against expecting too much, too soon from a player whose stamina, as well as his skills, are bound to be tested by the intensity of England’s workload.”Given where he’s at, the amount of experience he’s got as a 23-year-old in terms of international cricket and franchise cricket as well, makes us believe he’s just starting out,” Thorpe said.”Of course, he’s still got to work really hard. His T20 cricket has progressed really well, but I think establishing himself as a 50-over player as well is a really important part of it. He’s got to try and be in the mix as well for Test cricket.”It sounds like quite a lot of cricket. As you know, with someone like Ben Stokes, the amount of work and fitness levels that are required for that is huge. So the challenge for Sam to be a multi-format cricketer is delivering that consistency as well for England time and time again.”That’ll be one of the bigger challenges for Sam going forward. But that very much lies on his shoulders to do that. We know we’ve got a very exciting cricketer with us, and we just have to keep encouraging him to improve and keep getting better as a player all the time.”Sam Curran leaps in celebration•AFP/Getty Images

With a 2-0 lead in the ODI series, and having eased to a 3-0 clean sweep in the recent T20Is, Thorpe hinted that England would take the opportunity to test some new faces in Sunday’s match – with Sussex’s left-arm quick George Garton potentially in line for a debut.”We know he’s got a bit of pace on him,” Thorpe said of Garton, a player who has been on England’s radar since he was called up as cover during the Ashes tour in 2017-18. “But he’s also got some good tricks up his sleeve. It’s one thing seeing it at a county level, but it’s another thing stepping up and doing it in international matches as well. There’ll be interesting discussions about whether we can get him into the side down at Bristol.”However, Curran’s recent performances have also reiterated the importance of seizing those chances when they arise, given the competition for places that is hotting up in England’s white-ball ranks.”I think the players know that as well,” Thorpe said. “Having good healthy competition keeps players on the edge. All the players are aware that every time they put a shirt on in the white-ball format, and in our red-ball team, that it’s an opportunity for them to establish their place and be in a position where they’re picked for squads, and to perform at a high level in tournaments for us.”Asked if England had been disappointed by the quality of Sri Lanka’s cricket during the white-ball series, Thorpe admitted that the Pakistan series, which gets underway later this month, was likely to prove more challenging.”Potentially the Pakistan series could push us further,” he said. “The Sri Lankan bowling attack has been decent, but they’ve been weakened more on their batting side. I think Pakistan will be a team that’s further ahead in terms of experience and how they’ll be able to challenge as well. It’ll probably be a tougher contest.”

Stand-out side rack up highest team total of women’s competition to date with 166 for 3

Matt Roller11-Aug-2021Southern Brave sealed their place in the inaugural final of the Hundred after Smriti Mandhana and Danni Wyatt’s half-centuries helped them rack up the highest team total of the women’s competition to date.Charlotte Edwards’ side have been the stand-out team in the Hundred, winning six out of their first seven group games, and are guaranteed a spot in the final at Lord’s on August 21 after a 39-run win. They will play the winner of the eliminator, which takes place 24 hours earlier at The Oval between the teams finishing second and third.They cruised to 166 against Welsh Fire – with Mandhana and Wyatt putting on 107 for the first wicket – and defended their total without breaking sweat. The result means Fire are mathematically out of contention for the knockout stages with a game to spare, though their chances were already slim after defeat to Birmingham Phoenix earlier this week.Mandhana magicMandhana has had a mixed season in the Hundred, making 61 not out against Welsh Fire in Southern Brave’s second game but failing to reach 20 in her five other innings. She thrived on the chance to play the same opponent – Brave’s nominal local rivals – at the Ageas Bowl.Mahela Jayawardene, Brave’s men’s coach, told ESPNcricinfo earlier this week that he “didn’t know how Lottie [ Edwards] managed to get that top order together”, in awe of her ability to recruit three of the most destructive players in the world and an experienced anchor to bat in their top four, and they lived up to that billing, surpassing Trent Rockets’ tournament-high total of 151 with eight balls left in the innings.

He’s also keen to lead Australia at 2023 50-over World Cup despite revealing his surgically repaired knee flared up again in the recent tournament

Alex Malcolm18-Nov-20212:28

Aaron Finch: Back against the wall brings best out of David Warner

Aaron Finch has declared he wants to lead Australia’s T20 World Cup title defence at home next summer and at the 2023 50-over World Cup despite revealing he had rushed his return from knee surgery to lead his nation to the recent T20 World Cup title in the UAE.Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis gathered at the MCG on Thursday to celebrate with the trophy having flown home separately from those in Australia’s Ashes squad to avoid 14-days hotel quarantine due to different restrictions in Victoria compared to Queensland.The captain revealed he had struggled in the field with his surgically repaired knee throughout the tournament and could be in doubt for the start of the BBL with Melbourne Renegades’ first game set for December 7.But Finch is adamant he wants to continue leading Australia for the next two World Cup campaigns over the next two years.”If I can get there, absolutely,” Finch said. “I probably need a little bit of extra time to get my knee right now. I pushed the rehab really hard and probably paid the price for it a little bit throughout the tournament. So yeah, maybe a little bit more time off at the moment to just make sure I get that right.”I’ll wait and see over the next couple of weeks and not sure when our first game is for the Renegades [against] Adelaide but we’ll wait and see to see if I’m right.”Finch has stood down from captaining Melbourne Renegades with new recruit Nic Maddinson taking over for the upcoming BBL season with Finch to play a senior mentoring role.But there has been no formal plan of a similar type of handover with Australia’s limited-overs captaincy but Finch revealed he has had informal discussions with chairman of selectors George Bailey.”I’ve spoken a Bails about that over the last probably six months that,” Finch said. “There’s going to be a period over the next two or three years definitely but that was all. That wasn’t an in-depth conversation. [It was] was just more to put on the to-do list over the next couple of months.”Finch did note that his vice-captain Pat Cummins provided a key moment of leadership after the England loss during the World Cup that helped solidify Australia’s intent for the rest of the tournament.”I think Patty Cummins was the one who spoke about it after the England game,” Finch said. “Just about the intent to be to be really aggressive and make sure that you’re putting as much pressure on the opposition as you can.”I was really proud. That the commitment that we made to keep being really aggressive as a team was the most important thing. And especially after the England game, we felt as though we were a little bit timid and got outplayed. And once we were on the back foot we never transferred the pressure back to England at any point. So the fact that we committed to playing our way and being as aggressive as we could be, I think played a really big part in that.”Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell pose with the T20 World Cup trophy at the MCG•Getty Images

The players were frustrated that their World Cup celebrations were spoilt by the fact that the Test squad had to depart at 8am the next morning while the rest of the group travelled home separately. But the squad tried to make a pact of sorts to stick together and defend their title at home next year.”There was a call made to George Bailey, between the stadium and the hotel, and a real push from everyone to name the squad for the next World Cup now,” Finch said. “So that was quite funny.”Finch also praised coach Justin Langer for helping create a great atmosphere within the group after he had entered the tournament under some pressure following a turbulent lead-up after a disastrous tour of Bangladesh.”It was a great feel amongst the coaching group and the playing group for the whole World Cup,” Finch said. “I think JL took all the advice on board from the players and no doubt it was really tough. It was confronting and that goes both ways. You have some really honest conversations which aren’t always the easiest ones to have. But he took that all on board and probably handed the reins over a little bit more to the playing group and his assistant coaches in their various areas. Andrew McDonald with the with the assistant coaching in this sort of strategy side of it with and the fast bowling, Michael Di Venuto batting, Jeff Vaughan fielding and [Sridharan] Sriram as the spin coach to allow them to work a little bit closer probably one on one with players a little bit more. So it was a great tour.”

England allrounder to stay at Riverside at least until end of 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2021Ben Stokes will remain a Durham player at least until the end of the 2024 season, after signing a new three-year contract extension with the club.Stokes, 30, recently returned to action with England in the first Ashes Test at Brisbane, after missing much of the 2021 season to manage his mental health in the wake of a badly broken finger.Much of Stokes’ rehabilitation work ahead of his comeback was done at the Riverside, where he made his County Championship debut against Essex in 2010. He has since gone on to play 64 first-class matches for the club, scoring 3611 runs, with a best of 185 against Lancashire.More recently, however, his demands as an England player across formats have limited his availability to Durham. He has so far played 72 Tests, scoring 4650 runs at 36.61 and taking 163 wickets, as well as 101 ODIs and 34 T20Is.”I am delighted to commit to a further three years with Durham,” Stokes said. “I have had some fantastic memories playing for the club over the years and I look forward to experiencing more of this in the future.”Durham’s Director of Cricket, Marcus North added: “Ben is one of the finest players in the world and while we may not see him as much as we would like, his influence around the club remains huge.”It’s fantastic to see Ben back fit and well following his time away from the game and now back playing for England in the Ashes. We are extremely happy that Ben has agreed his future to Durham for a further three years.”

“He has cited family reasons for his decision,” as per BCB cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus

Mohammad Isam09-Feb-2022Ashwell Prince has resigned as Bangladesh’s batting coach, according to the BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus. Prince, whose contract was supposed to run until the end of 2022, was in the job for less than a year.”We have received his resignation letter on email a few minutes ago. He has cited family reasons for his decision,” Yunus said.BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said in a statement*: “The board respects Ashwell’s decision and accepts the resignation. We thank him for his service and professionalism and his dedicated work with the national team batsmen and wish him the very best for his future endeavours.”Related

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Prince’s decision comes a month after the BCB’s appointment of Jamie Siddons, the former Bangladesh coach, as batting consultant. When Siddons was appointed in December, board president Nazmul Hassan had said it was “not yet finalised in which area he will work in, whether it is the High Performance, Under-19s or the senior team”. The board is allowing Siddons a few weeks to observe the BPL to find out more about the local talent before firming things up.Prince joined the Bangladesh team last July during their tour of Zimbabwe. The following month, the BCB extended his contract till the end of the 2022 T20 World Cup. Prince had resigned as the head coach of South Africa’s Western Province side to take up the Bangladesh role permanently.Prince oversaw a difficult period for Bangladesh when they struggled with the bat in last year’s T20 World Cup, as well as the home series against Pakistan. But, during his tenure, they also bounced back superbly in the Mount Maunganui Test, which they famously won by eight wickets against New Zealand.*1420 GMT The copy was updated with Chowdhury’s quote