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Brendon McCullum hit 85 off 110 balls and Dawid Malan produced a telling all-round display the day after his England call-up as Middlesex secured a 28-run victory against Glamorgan in Cardiff

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2016Middlesex 294 for 7 (McCullum 110, Malan 70, Ingram 3-38) beat Glamorgan 266 (Ingram 85, Rudolph 45, Fuller 3-53) by 28 runs
ScorecardDawid Malan enjoyed a good day after his England call with runs and wickets•Getty Images

Brendon McCullum hit 110 off 85 balls and Dawid Malan produced a telling all-round display, scoring 70 and taking two wickets, the day after his England call-up as Middlesex secured a 28-run victory against Glamorgan in Cardiff.Despite another masterful innings from Colin Ingram, who scored 85 from 73 balls, Glamorgan were beaten for the first time although they remain top of the table ahead of their break from this competition before resuming in the first week of August.Middlesex, who were put in to bat on a good pitch, made a respectable 294 for 7, but after an opening partnership of 176 in 27 overs between McCullum and Malan, they would have expected to have reached a total in excess of 350.On the ground where he scored 160 on his Championship debut for Glamorgan against Leicestershire 10 years ago, McCullum was soon into his stride, striking boundaries on both sides of the wicket, but he was reprieved on 49, when a leading edge was dropped off Craig Meschede at mid-off.He then raced to his first century for Middlesex, but after scoring 110 from only 85 balls with 11 fours and five sixes he struck a full toss to long-off.Earlier, Malan, who was named in England’s T20 squad on Monday for the forthcoming game against Sri Lanka, played a composed innings of 70 before touching one to the wicketkeeper.From a strong position, Middlesex then suffered a mid-innings collapse, as Ingram settled into an accurate 10-over spell with impressive figures of 3 for 38. Eoin Morgan played a laboured innings of 10 from 16 balls, which included eight singles, until he swept Ingram to deep square leg.Glamorgan’s bowlers were so effective that no boundaries were struck between the 30th and 46th overs, and it needed a partnership of 46 in 26 balls between Toby Roland-Jones and Ollie Rayner to boost Middlesex’s total.Needing to score at six runs an over, Glamorgan’s openers Jacques Rudolph and David Lloyd made a rapid start, reaching 50 from the first ball of the eighth over with Lloyd striking Roland-Jones for three fours in his third over. He scored 41 from 29 balls, before pulling a short ball from James Fuller to Paul Stirling on the long leg boundary.Rudolph and Will Bragg then added a useful 49 before Rudolph was caught behind from James Franklin’s fifth ball of his opening over. Bragg soon followed and at the half-way stage Glamorgan required a further 174 with seven wickets in hand.Franklin, obtaining movement from the River End, halted Glamorgan’s progress and took his third wicket when Aneurin Donald wafted at one outside the off stump.Ingram and Chris Cooke then settled in to their stand, playing every ball on merit, with Ingram reaching his third consecutive one-day fifty from 47 balls. With ten overs remaining, Glamorgan needed a further 87, but Franklin’s gamble paid off when he brought Malan on to bowl his occasional legspin with Cooke holing out at long-on, and Meschede falling in similar fashion.Ingram, however kept going until the 47th over when he drove Fuller to long-on and with him went his team’s hopes of maintaining a 100% record.

Jason Gillespie said that if it had been up to him to choose from the candidates on England cricket director Andrew Strauss’s shortlist then he would also have picked Trevor Bayliss

Jon Culley25-May-2015Jason Gillespie took the news that he has apparently been snubbed for the vacant England head coach’s job with typically jocular sangfroid and said that if it had been up to him to choose from the candidates on England cricket director Andrew Strauss’s shortlist then he would also have picked Trevor Bayliss.He said that in his final telephone conversation with Strauss before play began on the second morning of Yorkshire’s match at Taunton he had been told only that there was a “preferred candidate” and had been given to understand that his fellow Australian Bayliss was the ECB’s choice to succeed Peter Moores.But he exonerated Strauss from any blame in what appears to have been another embarrassing leak, with news that Bayliss had accepted the job gathering pace even with no official announcement.”I knew before the news came out,” Gillespie said. “That’s one thing the ECB may need to work on because things do seem to be coming out but I spoke to Straussy early this morning and one thing I was impressed with is that Andrew was able to contact me and let me know. So I’ve absolutely no problem with that.”He fully endorsed Bayliss as the best man for the position following his successes in Australia with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers, with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL and with Sri Lanka, whom he took to the 2011 World Cup final.”England wanted a coach with a proven track record, and if it is Trevor, as it appears likely, his track record’s absolutely unbelievable,” Gillespie said. “I’ve got absolutely no qualms about that. If I put myself in Andrew’s shoes, I’d probably make the same decision if I’m honest.”He is a very good operator and I’ve only heard good things about him. Farby [England’s interim head coach Paul Farbrace] speaks very highly of him from the time he worked with him in Sri Lanka so I can’t say anything negative. I wish him well.”Gillespie, the 40-year-old former Australia bowler, admitted he would have almost certainly taken the job had it been offered but found plenty of positives to balance his disappointment.”I have always seen it as a win-win from my end,” he said. “I have got two great jobs – here with Yorkshire and with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash. If I had have got offered an international job I would have had to have seriously considered it, that’s for sure. Either way, I don’t see any negatives.”My thoughts were: ‘what is the worst that can happen?’ Go and sit for an interview, which is another experience for me. I can only be better for that, I saw I had nothing to lose.”Straussy said to me, ‘You interviewed very well, but we have made a decision that we are going to go with another candidate.’ I said, that’s fine, mate. I wish you well. You’ve got to believe in your decisions and this is what your job is.”Gillespie admitted there were elements of the job as it was presented that were not ideal, but that the ECB’s refusal to readmit Kevin Pietersen to the fold was not one of them.”They made it very clear they’ve got a stance with Kev,” he said. “I didn’t have a problem with it. That certainly wasn’t any issue.”Where he might have had second thoughts was over the length of time he would have been required to stay away from his young family. “It is a massive commitment and you are away from home a lot. It would have been something I would have had to consider, but I think if I did get offered it I would have jumped at it.”

Lalit Modi, the former chairman of the IPL, has claimed that he survived three assassination attempts for refusing to fix matches in the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2012Lalit Modi, the former chairman of the IPL, has claimed that he survived three assassination attempts for refusing to fix matches in the tournament.Modi, who was sacked from the IPL in 2010 over allegations of corruption and money-laundering and now lives in London, has made the allegations in written by the British journalist Ed Hawkins.In Mumbai, in March 2009, Modi says: “There was a shoot-out outside my house and one guy got killed and one got picked up.”The other attempts, according to Modi, came in South Africa and Thailand and on each occasion he was warned that he was in danger by police or intelligence agencies.Modi alleges that spot-fixing, in which cricketers fix a particular element of the game but not the overall result, is widespread: “Spot-fixing is rife in the game. And I’m talking globally. It’s a Pandora’s box. It’s staring you straight in the face, but difficult to prove. Almost impossible to prove.”While he remained confident the IPL was clean he could not give 100% assurances and said there were times when he was concerned by certain incidents.”I think it was clean, but I could never, sitting here today, categorically tell you that we picked up everything for spot-fixing, and that goes for all games, not just IPL. We had to warn players from time to time. We found undesirable elements in the stadium and removed them. We found them touring with players or managers of players who were in touch with bookmakers and we removed them.”

A year on from the spot-fixing allegations that rocked the cricket world, Pakistan’s Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif appeared in court as the trial into one of the sport’s greatest controversies began

Richard Sydenham at Southwark Crown Court04-Oct-2011The spot-fixing trial, involving one of cricket’s greatest controversies, has begun with Pakistan’s Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif appearing in court and a jury being picked and sworn in.Former opening batsman and ex-Test captain Butt and swing bowler Asif sat in at the start of the case at Southwark Crown Court in central London. They are yet to speak as two hours of legal arguments ensued and an appropriate jury was sworn in after lunch with a mixture of racial backgrounds and sexes (six men and six women). Both players were asked if they had any objection to the jury formed and they said: ‘No objections’.Just 30 minutes was required after the lunch break to settle on a jury and Justice Cooke informed the court that proceedings would resume at ten the following morning. Cooke told the jury: “I think you will find this an interesting and unusual case.” He also suggested that some of them would be aware of the case because of its high-profile nature but they were ordered not to research it or to discuss the case outside of the jury roomButt and Asif, who flew in at the weekend from Lahore, are facing the possibility of a custodial sentence if deemed guilty, though both are pleading not guilty. They are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord’s Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired to bowl pre-determined no-balls.Both wearing suits, without a tie, they sat in a dock sealed off by a Perspex screen with holes in for hearing purposes. Butt sat alone and listened intently, often leaning forward with a concentrated look on his face. Asif was accompanied by a Punjabi interpreter. Butt’s barrister, Ali Bajwa QC, immediately informed Justice Cooke that his client did not require the services of an interpreter because he had a confident grasp of English.Behind the players’ dock sat interested journalists taking up every seat in the public gallery. They would no doubt have been pleased when Justice Cooke noted early on that they could ‘tweet’ from the courtroom as long as they did it quietly. With reporting restrictions in place, the detail of the legal arguments cannot be repeated at this stage.But Justice Cooke did agree to three clauses that he later read out to potential jurors who were walked into the courtroom. They were told they would need to be available for up to five weeks, and were also informed that they would need to fill out forms asking three questions and if they answered ‘yes’ to any of them they could not sit in the jury.The questions were: 1) Have they or any family members ever worked as a professional journalist or currently work in that capacity. 2) Do they or any family members earn their living from professional cricket? 3) Are they or family members working in the gambling industry?

South Africa are in favour of using the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in their upcoming Test series against India

Firdose Moonda24-Oct-2010South Africa are in favour of using the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in their upcoming Test series against India. Gerald Majola, Chief Executive Officer of Cricket South Africa (CSA), confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the board is still negotiating with its Indian counterparts over whether the system will be used during the end-of-year tour.”We have to persuade India because at the moment they don’t want it,” said Majola. As per ICC regulations, the host team can take the take the call on whether to use UDRS, in consultation with the visiting country. Majola said the South African players want to use the system because they think “it’s the most fair way for decisions to be made.”South African captain Graeme Smith voiced his conditional approval for the UDRS in a more measured manner. “Technology is obviously an important way forward in cricket. It will be beneficial to the game and the players are behind. I think if the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) is going to be successful it needs to be implemented properly by the ICC and not on a 50/50 basis like we have seen so far,” Smith said. “It must be used all of the time and not for selective series’ like we see now.”Recent history may explain Smith’s issue with consistency. In their last four Test series, South Africa have used the UDRS three times. They first used it against Australia in the 2008-09 season, then against England at home last season and, most recently, in their three-test series in the West Indies in June. They did not use it in the series in India in February this year, when the choice lay with the hosts.India have made no secret of their dislike for the system since they first used it in a series against Sri Lanka in 2008. In the three-Test series, India made only one successful review, compared to Sri Lanka’s 11. They haven’t used it since then, with senior players such as Sachin Tendulkar openly saying they prefer Hot Spot, as they feel it is a more accurate tool for establishing contact between bat and ball or pad.There is the possibility that Hot Spot will be used during the South Africa-India series, even though it wasn’t part of the production in the recently-completed series between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Hotspot was used during the home series against England. The broadcasting rights have since changed hands. Previously the national broadcaster, the South African Broadcast Corporation, was responsible for the production; now Supersport is. Both services still broadcast live matches.The exact technology tools to be used in the series will be decided in the coming weeks. It is almost certain that South Africa will have ball-tracking technology, Super Slo-Mo and a clear stump mike, the three requirements needed for the UDRS system, should India change their mind. The first Test starts in Centurion on December 16.

Milne replaces Usama Mir for the first three games, while Renegades have signed USA allrounder Hassan Khan and Hurricanes have signed Afghan spinner Waqar Salamkheil

Alex Malcolm08-Dec-2024Melbourne Stars have signed New Zealand quick Adam Milne for a pre-Christmas stint in the BBL as a replacement for Pakistan legspinner Usama Mir who will miss the first three matches of the season.Stars are also set to unveil a new captain this week after Glenn Maxwell stood down at the end of last season. Maxwell is unlikely to be fit for the first match against Perth Scorchers on December 15 as he continues to recover from his hamstring injury and it remains to be seen whether he will appear in any of the first three games before Christmas.Mir is also unavailable for the first three games against Scorchers, Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers which will be played in three cities in the space of five days. Stars have swooped on Milne to fill in for those three games. He has previously played in the BBL for Sydney Thunder in 2020-21, taking just five wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of 7.56.Related

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“To be able to secure someone of Adam’s talent and experience is a huge boost for the squad for the first three games,” Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch said. “Adam knows Australian conditions well, we value what he will add to the squad and we look forward to seeing what he can produce.”Milne also covers for the absence of Scott Boland who is on Test duty. Stars could also be missing allrounder Beau Webster for at least the opening game in Perth as he looks set to remain with the Test squad for the third match against India in Brisbane which starts on December 14. Stars’ second BBL match against Heat falls on day five of the third Test, meaning Webster could potentially be available if he is released from the Test squad pending Mitchell Marsh’s fitness.Stars are also missing England Test opener Ben Duckett for the opening three games of the BBL season, as he completes his Test duties in New Zealand, with Joe Clarke set for his second stint at Stars as a replacement after playing two seasons from 2021-23. Clarke also played six games for Melbourne Renegades last season and three games for Scorchers in 2020. He recently played for Victoria in the Global Super League in Guyana.Hassan Khan will play for Renegades in the BBL•CPL T20 via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Renegades have signed USA spin-bowling allrounder Hassan Khan as a replacement player. The former Pakistan Under-19 representative has yet to play international cricket but starred for San Francisco Unicorns, a franchise run by Cricket Victoria, in Major League Cricket taking 10 wickets and scoring 204 runs at a strike rate of 143.70 across his nine games. He was named domestic player of the tournament. He also performed well for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the GSL.”Hassan is an exciting young talent who gives us options in both departments,” Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten said. “His ability to contribute in those important middle overs with the ball and add valuable runs down the order will be crucial as we push for success this season.”Hobart Hurricanes have signed Afghanistan left-arm wrist-spinner Waqar Salamkheil as an overseas replacement for Rishad Hossain who has been ruled out of the entire BBL due to international commitments and the Bangladesh Premier League, despite being Hurricanes’ third pick in the overseas draft.Salamkheil will be available for the first six games of the BBL season before departing for the ILT20 in January. He was Trinbago Knight Riders’ leading wicket-taker in the recent Caribbean Premier League bagging 15 scalps in 11 matches, playing alongside two other Hurricanes players in Tim David and Chris Jordan.”Waqar is a tremendous young talent, he adds a different element to our bowling line-up and is a wrist-spinner with a well-disguised wrong-un, similar to Rishad,” Hurricanes High Performance Manager Salliann Beams said.”While we are disappointed that Rishad can’t join us because of the BPL, we know that we have someone who will help us win matches in the first half of the tournament in Waqar.”He was on our radar during the draft, with Ricky [Ponting] and Hopsey [James Hopes] familiar with his talent after seeing him play in franchise cricket, he will complement what we have in our squad already.”

Same sides meet again in Saturday’s Eliminator for chance to face Invincibles in final

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2023Tymal Mills continued his excellent Men’s Hundred campaign with three more wickets to help Southern Brave beat Manchester Originals by six wickets chasing 131 at Emirates Old Trafford and qualify for Saturday’s Eliminator – against the same opponents.Brave leapfrogged Welsh Fire into third place in the table with their fourth win from eight games, which also included a calm 54 off 40 balls from unbeaten New Zealand opener Devon Conway.Mills’ deceptive left-arm was perfect for this used, pace-off pitch. He returned 3 for 27 from 20 balls, and his tally of 15 wickets is now more than anyone else in the competition.Brave, who won with five balls to spare, remain on course to reclaim the title they won in 2021 – the Hundred’s inaugural year – and they will face last year’s finalists Manchester at the Oval on Saturday evening. The winners face the Oval Invincibles in the Lord’s final 24 hours later.Manchester were all but qualified in second place before a ball was bowled. Brave needed to chase their target in 50 balls to knock them out.England limited-overs captain Jos Buttler top-scored with 45 off 42 for Originals, who made 130 for 8 and were never able to break free having been inserted.Phil Salt, with two fours and a towering straight six in 17 off eight balls, was their most aggressive batter, and sluggish conditions were best highlighted by Buttler lacking fluency.Despite all being said about pace off, Buttler had to evade a fabulous early bouncer from left-arm seamer George Garton.Buttler later reverse-swept a couple of his five boundaries but didn’t hit a six before being caught at long-on off Rehan Ahmed’s leg-spin.At 110 for 5 with 16 balls remaining, it was evident the Originals were going to have to bowl well to win.Ahmed finished with 2 for 26 from his 20 balls, while fellow spinners Mitch Santner and Colin Ackermann were miserly. The latter struck once, and the trio’s combined figures were 3 for 53 off 50 balls.Mills had removed Salt, caught at deep midwicket with the new ball, before returning at death to outfox and bowl Jamie Overton off an inside edge and get Tom Hartley caught.Manchester only scoring eight runs and losing three wickets in the last 10 balls of their innings felt decisive, and so it proved.An eventful opening set of five balls at the start of the Brave chase saw Finn Allen hit two fours and an uppercut six before falling caught at short fine-leg against a Josh Tongue short ball.Conway then took on the aggressor’s role as some sweeping rain had everyone looking for the Duckworth Lewis Stern par score. But Brave were well ahead, reaching 25 balls at 51 for 1. Rain did briefly intervene at 52 for 1 after 26, but play resumed and Brave calmly sealed their qualification.Either side of the rain delay, Conway and second-wicket partner James Vince hit sixes over long-on off Hartley in sharing 67, skipper Vince adding 33. His departure, caught at long-on off Ashton Turner’s off-spin started a mini collapse from 81 for 1 after 53 balls to 91 for 4 after 64.Pakistani pacer Zaman Khan’s slingy action had Derbyshire team-mate Leus du Plooy caught and Joe Weatherley lbw. Khan built pressure impressively with 2 for 22 to take the game down to the penultimate set of five balls. But Conway reached his first fifty of the campaign off 38 balls and quelled concerns.

Georgia Elwiss seals six-wicket win after dominant display from bowlers

ECB Reporters Network01-Jun-2022The Southern Vipers are the first team through to Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day – and the final – after beating Thunder by six wickets under lights at Emirates Old Trafford, chasing 95 in 15.3 overs.Vipers have qualified for the Northampton showpiece (June 11) with one Group B game remaining following a superb bowling and fielding display led by England off-spinner Charlie Dean, who returned three for 16 from four overs to limit their hosts to 94 for six.Thunder included England trio Emma Lamb, Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone – the latter pair only just back from IPL Challenge commitments in India. But they were unable to break the shackles imposed on them by a team who have now won all five games in the competition named after their head coach.None of the Vipers’ five bowlers conceded more than 20 runs in their four-over spells, with left-arm seamer Freya Kemp also impressing with two for 20 before Georgia Elwiss top-scored in the reply with a measured 38 not out off 35 balls.The Vipers have also qualified direct for the final a week on Saturday as the best of the two group winners courtesy of a five-point, bonus point win here.They sit on 23 points, while Group A leaders Central Sparks have 17 with only five more points to play for.This was a display from the Vipers which had all the hallmarks of a team who reached last year’s Charlotte Edwards semi-final and are back-to-back Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy champions.Thunder, who elected to bat, lost in-form openers Lamb and Georgie Boyce for five and nine as the score slipped to 44 for three after 10 overs.Kemp had Lamb caught at mid-on and bowled Boyce. Sandwiched in between, Cross, promoted to bat at three, fell victim to a combination of England team-mates Dean and Danni Wyatt for 18.Cross hoisted Dean out to deep midwicket, where Wyatt took a fine low catch on the run.Ecclestone was also promoted to No.4 in a side who have struggled for middle-order runs through the competition.She demonstrated her power by pulling her fourth ball for six over backward square-leg off Kemp as the score moved to 41 for two in the 10th over – shortly before opener Boyce’s dismissal.Unfortunately for Thunder, playing in the primetime slot on a T20 double-header day with Lancashire’s men, there was no more acceleration.While Ecclestone made 28 not out off 32 balls, she was unable to find the boundary again and saw canny Dean trap Danielle Collins lbw and get Thunder captain Ellie Threlkeld caught and bowled cheaply.In all, Thunder only hit four fours and that Ecclestone six, while 21-year-old Dean has now taken eight wickets in her first three games of the summer. This was her best haul so far.Determined to complete the chase in 16.1 overs to secure the bonus point win which qualified them direct to the final, visiting openers Wyatt and captain Georgia Adams were busy from the off.Wyatt slog-swept Ecclestone for six over midwicket to advance the score to 22 without loss after three overs.But there was a stumble as both openers fell in the space of four balls as the score slipped to 34 for two in the sixth over. Wyatt was stumped for 13 by Threlkeld sweeping at ex-World Cup-winning spinner Alex Hartley before Cross had Adams caught at cover for 17.Another left-arm spinner, Hannah Jones, had Maia Bouchier caught and bowled before Threlkeld superbly stumped Kemp stood up to Laura Jackson’s seam as the score fell to 75 for four after 13 overs.But the presence of Elwiss ensured they were only minor blips, hitting five fours in her match-clinching innings.

Sydney Sixers, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Thunder, Brisbane Heat and Adelaide Strikers can all win the BBL

Alex Malcolm27-Jan-2021

Sydney Sixers

Qualified: 1stRoad to the playoffsDefending champions the Sixers were the team that utilised the Bash Boost point better than any other team in the competition, claiming nine throughout the season including the point that sealed top spot against Melbourne Stars. But they also won more games than any other team and proved themselves to be clutch chasers. The Sixers won four games in the last over on the back of their exceptionally experienced middle order. It was back-to-back, last-gasp wins on the Gold Coast against the two Melbourne sides that really kick-started their season and then they completed three clinical chases in January against Brisbane Heat, Perth Scorchers, and Sydney Thunder to qualify for the finals with three games to go. They did lose two of their last three matches with two poor bowling performances but returned to their best against the Stars to claim top spot.Path to the titleIf the Sixers beat the Scorchers in the Qualifier at Manuka Oval on Saturday, they will qualify for the BBL final and likely host it in Canberra. An SCG final hasn’t been ruled out but border restrictions for certain states will make it difficult. If the Sixers lose the Qualifier, they will host the Challenger in Canberra and would need to win that before travelling to Perth for the BBL final, where they were bowled for 97 earlier in the season.How the squad shapes upThe Sixers squad has been boosted by the inclusion of Moises Henriques and Sean Abbott. Mitchell Starc is an outside chance to join them but it depends on his fitness after requiring a scan on his hamstring following the Test series against India. The three overseas of James Vince, Carlos Brathwaite, and Jake Ball, who have been together since Jason Holder’s brief three-game stint ended in late December, are available throughout the finals, but it will be interesting to see how Ball is used after he was the X-Factor sub in the last game against the Stars. The batting order is incredibly deep with Josh Philippe and Vince opening up, Henriques bolstering the middle order, while Jordan Silk and Dan Christian are in red-hot form lower down. The attack is well balanced with a variety of options to turn to depending on the surface and the match-ups.The Scorchers have depth in both batting and pace bowling•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Perth Scorchers

Qualified: 2ndRoad to the playoffsThe Scorchers overcame a horror start to the season to storm into second spot, and probably should have clinched first had they played better against Brisbane Heat in the final match. The Scorchers were winless from their first four games, but they clicked into gear on New Year’s Eve once Jason Roy and Liam Livingstone had shaken the rust from 14-days quarantine. The batting line-up was settled with the English pair moving to the top of the order and Josh Inglis sliding to No.4. It gave them tremendous depth and the well-established attack some scores to defend. The Scorchers won four in a row at home and eight of their next nine before the loss to the Heat.Path to the titleThe Scorchers blew a chance to secure two home finals but they can still host the BBL final at Perth Stadium if they can beat the Sixers in Canberra in the Qualifier. The Scorchers lost both matches they played at Manuka Oval this season including one against the Sixers. But they have won a BBL final at Manuka Oval against the Sixers in BBL03. If they lose to the Sixers, they return home to Perth to host the Challenger. If they win that they will fly back to either Canberra or Sydney to face the Sixers again with just a 48-hour turnaround.How the squad shapes upThe squad is as well-balanced as any with only a couple of concerns. Ashton Agar is unlikely to available for the finals series having not played all tournament due to a calf injury, despite being named in Australia’s T20I squad to tour New Zealand on February 7. Mitchell Marsh, who is also in the Australian squad, is unavailable to bowl due to a side strain but will play as a batsman. Marsh’s inability to bowl does put pressure on the Scorchers’ fifth bowler in Aaron Hardie. He has been targeted in recent games with Ashton Turner forced to get creative in using either himself or Livingstone to make up some overs. Cameron Green is being rested ahead of the South Africa Test tour.Alex Hales has been prolific for Sydney Thunder•Getty Images

Sydney Thunder

Qualified: 3rdRoad to the playoffsThe Thunder won five of their first six matches to sit pretty on top of the table and looked like the team to beat. But when Daniel Sams suffered a concussion in the loss to Brisbane Heat, they lost four of the next five with the balance of the side thrown off when he missed a couple of games. They righted the ship with a dominant performance against the Sixers in Adelaide with Alex Hales plundering a century to help the side post a BBL record score. Hales continued his incredible form against the Strikers to secure third spot for the Thunder and make them a real threat for their second BBL title.Path to the titleThe Thunder will host the Knockout against the winner of the Eliminator between the Heat and Strikers at their home-away-from-home in Canberra. If the Thunder win the Knockout, all roads to the title lead through Perth. They either face the Scorchers in Perth in the Challenger or the Final. Perth Stadium won’t hold as many fears for the Thunder as it does other teams. The Thunder have won two of four matches at the venue and nearly pinched a third against the Scorchers this season. They also have to beat the Sixers in Canberra in either the Challenger or the final. They beat the Sixers in Adelaide but lost the rain-affected clash in Canberra.How the squad shapes upThe Thunder are well balanced but the fitness of Sams is important. He injured his wrist in the loss to the Hurricanes and has missed the last three matches although is hopeful of playing in the finals. Brendan Doggett’s form with the ball gives the Thunder plenty of options from a bowling perspective and potentially a selection headache if Sams is passed fit. Hales and Usman Khawaja are a formidable opening combination but Khawaja is due for a big score and finals may bring the best out of him.Marnus Labuschagne has had a big impact with bat and ball since returning to the Heat•Getty Images

Brisbane Heat

Qualified: 4thRoad to the playoffsThe Heat left it right to the last day to steal a spot in the finals thanks to a nail-biting win over the Scorchers in Adelaide. The Heat’s season started horrendously losing four of their first five games. Ironically, a hamstring injury to Chris Lynn actually kickstarted the Heat’s season. Jimmy Peirson took over as captain and the Heat won three out of four, with the only loss a controversial one-run defeat to the Hurricanes. Lynn returned and promoted himself to the top of the order with good effect but, unlike the three stable sides above them, the Heat continually tinkered with their batting line-up and looked like they would miss the finals after two horror defeats to Perth and Adelaide where they were bowled out for 115 twice. The Heat needed to win their last two matches and did thanks to blistering half-centuries from Lynn and superb allround performances from Marnus Labuschagne on return from the Test squad.Path to the titleThe Heat and the Strikers have the toughest road to the title. They each have to win four games in eight days. The Heat at least get to host the Strikers at the Gabba, a ground that suits them well. Should they win they will then head on the road to face the Thunder in Canberra 48 hours later for the Knockout. Should they win the Knockout, they will need to beat the Sixers and Scorchers in Canberra and Perth to clinch the title.How the squad shapes upLabuschagne’s inclusion initially looked problematic for the Heat but his all-round package gives them a lot of versatility. It gives the dynamic duo of Lynn and Max Bryant at the top some middle-order stability, however their last two innings have stalled a touch with Labuschagne and Joe Denly have got together. But they have power down the order and then a balanced attack that has benefitted hugely from Mitchell Swepson’s return. He has made up for the absence of Mujeeb Ur Rahman who won’t return for the finals. The Heat have been the most adventurous with the X-Factor sub, and can afford to be given the bevy of allrounders and fast bowlers they have in their squad. Their major flaw is there is no left-hander in their batting line-up, with Sam Heazlett on the outer, which leaves them vulnerable given every finalist has either a legspinner or a left-arm orthodox in their line-up.The Strikers have stuttered, but Jake Weatherald has found form•Getty Images

Adelaide Strikers

Qualified: 5thRoad to the playoffsThe Strikers can count themselves incredibly fortunate to be playing in the Eliminator. Had either the Hurricanes or the Stars (including a Bash Boost point) won their last match the Strikers would have missed the finals. Had both results fallen the other way the Strikers would have finished seventh on the table. They have been inconsistent but mainly paid a price for some unforced errors at home. In back-to-back matches they capitulated from strong positions with bat and ball against the Renegades, who had lost seven matches in a row, and missed the chance to claim an easy Bash Boost point against the Stars, although they still won the game. Those two results alone would have secured third spot. They had to rely on favours from the Renegades and the Sixers to finish in fifth.Path to the titleThey have the toughest road to the title. They need to win four games in a row in eight days, all away from home. It starts with the Heat on Friday at the Gabba. If they win that they face the Thunder in Canberra on Sunday. Then they face trips to Perth and back to Canberra or vice versa, to win their second title.How the squad shapes upThe Strikers have tinkered endlessly with their batting line-up but have finally settled on the opening combination that won them BBL07. Alex Carey and Jake Weatherald have found form at the right time, but their middle-order is a worry. Phil Salt is batting out of his preferred position, Jon Wells has failed to fire this season and Matt Renshaw is also battling for runs. The attack has been strengthened by the return of Michael Neser and they do have options depending on the conditions at the Gabba to play an extra seamer or a second spinner. Rashid Khan’s absence has hurt them and he won’t return this season.

Hopes remain of a maiden Championship title despite only 27.5 overs being possible

Paul Edwards at Taunton23-Sep-2019James Hildreth gets inside the line of a ball from Simon Harmer and sweeps it to the boundary just to the right of Gimblett’s Hill. The locals at the County Ground applaud the stroke and are momentarily buoyed by fresh hope. But it is a rare reverse for Harmer, who will shortly trap Hildreth and Tom Banton leg before wicket in the space of three balls. The offspinner has now taken 80 wickets in the Championship and is a bowler of rare skill and subtlety. He dismissed Hildreth for 32 when bowling round the wicket to cramp the batsman for room and then accounted for Banton in more conventional style from over the wicket. Both balls turned appreciably but this pitch has not yet behaved sufficiently erratically to send the pitch inspectors into a ferment.Despite a dismal weather forecast there is a large crowd at Taunton, which is only fitting on the first morning of the match which will decide the destiny of the County Championship. Sky are covering the game and there is a bevy of radio commentaries, both local and national. Everyone is focused closely on the immediate moment and the destiny of the greatest prize in English domestic cricket. In order to accommodate other media, the written press are housed in Portakabins, just as they were when Tom Abell made his maiden first-class century four sweet summers ago. That rehousing was necessitated by the construction of the Somerset pavilion, which is only the latest of Taunton’s new buildings and, in a glorious piece of eccentricity, the fourth of its pavilions.And yet, even on a ground so obviously clothed in modernity, the past exerts a powerful hold, an effect achieved not simply by the large pictures and brief biographies of Somerset cricketers which are placed every few yards on the perimeter wall and inside the Ondaatje Pavilion. Somerset’s history is fondly remembered partly because the county has been freakishly lucky in the quality of its cricket writers, many of whom worked in the old press box with its high desks and its scant acknowledgement of technological change.This was a good day for Essex. Sam Cook removed Murali Vijay and Steve Davies inside the first 20 minutes of the morning and when the predicted rain arrived at 12.10pm Somerset were 75 for 4. Their chances of posting the sort of total that might help them to embarrass their opponents in the remainder of the game have been significantly damaged. Yet this has still been a fine season for Somerset cricket and one wonders what men like David Foot and Alan Gibson might have made of it.Foot worked mainly for newspapers in the West Country and also for the . His books of essays, and , are as good as that form has produced. Rich in knowledge and insight, they capture a cricketer’s character in a phrase. Take this, for example, from “Twelve O’Clock Low”, Foot’s brilliant essay on Bill Andrews:Andrews’ bowling action was known as “Twelve O’Clock High”. The title of the essay refers to the depression with which this fine cricketer was cursed. Foot knew Andrews so well that he was able to see how an apparently extrovert character also suffered the sideswipes of fate.The old wooden stand from which Foot watched countless days of county cricket is gone; the famous Stragglers Bar is gone; and the old press box with those desks and its hot water urn chuntering in the background is gone, too. Yet time was when at least one journalist used to sit in that box comforted by the fact that it was where Foot and Gibson had worked.Alan Gibson’s reports in the were favoured both by those who played the game professionally and those who simply watched it. Sometimes he did not write about the play so much as the experience of attending a match. Railway stations featured as frequently as pavilions, a fact beautifully reflected in a glorious and very honest book, written and edited by Gibson’s son, Anthony, and lovingly produced by Stephen Chalke’s Fairfield imprint.There were occasions when all the inspiration Gibson needed was a chance meeting. Take this from 1971:Gibson concocted fine soubriquets for his favourite cricketers. Robin Jackman was the “Shoreditch Sparrow”; Colin Dredge was the “Demon of Frome”. As one watched Somerset battle away in this game they must win to take their first title, one wondered what Gibson would make of today’s cricketers. Would the Overton twins be “The Instow Monoliths”? Would Jack Leach be “Sainsbury’s Archivist”?But that’s the point about writers so rich in human sympathy and so bounteously endowed with talent as David Foot and Alan Gibson. Their writings live on, even through their palest imitators and even on damp days when the title may be slipping away from Somerset. “The past becomes the present inside your head,” says Margrethe, Niels Bohr’s wife, in Michael Frayn’s play .