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Liam Plunkett will try to sit down with England coach Trevor Bayliss when the tour of the UAE concludes early next week and get a full explanation as to why he did not make the squad for the Test series in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2015Liam Plunkett will try to sit down with England coach Trevor Bayliss when the tour of the UAE concludes early next week to get a full explanation as to why he did not make the squad for the Test series in South Africa, but for now is just enjoying the chance to bowl quickly in the middle.Plunkett was a surprise omission from the names for the four-Test series in South Africa, which starts on Boxing Day in Durban, after he was overlooked in favour of Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes and the uncapped Mark Footitt despite having been in the squad for the series against Pakistan.He was close to playing the final Test in Sharjah, before England opted for a third spin-bowling allrounder in Samit Patel, and his subsequent ditching has left him pondering what he has to do to get back in the Test squad and have a chance of adding to his 13 caps.”I’m gutted I’m not going. I’ll try and catch the coach later on and speak to him to see what I can do to get back amongst the Test squad,” Plunkett said after his Man-of-the-Match performance of 3 for 33 in the second T20 in Dubai. “I was obviously disappointed but you just have to move forward. In the middle of the one-dayers, I was going to leave it and have a catch up with him to see what went on, see what I did wrong or what I need to improve.”At least the T20 series against Pakistan has provided a slightly unexpected chance for him to get back into action after nearly two months on tour. He had only ever played one previous T20I, against Sri Lanka in Southampton in 2006, but has claimed six wickets in the two matches and has bowled with eye-catching pace – nudging the speed gun to 90mph – which has troubled the Pakistan batsmen.But he has shown some subtlety, too, which came to the fore in the second T20 when, having seen Mohammad Hafeez flick a short delivery to the boundary, he pitched the next ball up and produced a leading edge which found mid-off.”To say I’m fresh is an understatement,” he said. “I’ve been here for seven or eight weeks now, I feel like I’ve worked hard on my game and on fitness and I feel I’m in good nick. I’ve bowled plenty of overs in the nets. I didn’t think I’d get a run out in this form of the game but I wanted to take my chance and I felt good. It was nice to run in, bowl quick and get a few wickets.”With his services not required for the Tests in South Africa – barring injuries to others – Plunkett will be taking a holiday to the USA before returning linking back up with Yorkshire in the New Year. He then talked of pre-season with his county, which will include a trip back to the UAE, although his performances in these two matches could yet earn him a World T20 berth for the tournament in India during March.

A preview of the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya06-May-2013

Match facts

Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Mitchell Johnson has bowled with intensity for Mumbai Indians•BCCI

Big picture

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders still stand a theoretical chance of making it to the play-offs, and are better placed than some other teams to spoil a party or two. They have made Rajasthan Royals’ job tougher after beating them comprehensively at Eden Gardens, and will be a threat to Mumbai Indians, who they face on Tuesday.Knight Riders may need to win each of their remaining matches to entertain hopes of staying alive; Mumbai could jump to second place should they win, else will feel a little less secure, especially if Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils in the afternoon. Mumbai, though, are on a high after inflicting a thrashing on Chennai Super Kings, who, by their own captain’s admission, were complacent after seven wins in a row. And in a season where playing at home has played a decisive role, they’ll be favourites when they take on Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.

Form guide

Mumbai Indians: WLWWW (most recent first)

Kolkata Knight Riders: WLLWL

Players to watch

Mitchell Johnson has bowled with intensity this season, something that was evident when he helped Mumbai defend 139 against Super Kings. He bowled with pace, got the ball to move about and, in the company of Lasith Malinga, is perhaps part of the best fast-bowling duo this IPL.Amid the clutter of stars in each team, the contributions of players like Rajat Bhatia are sometimes overlooked. If the track at the Wankhede Stadium plays as slow as it did in the game against Super Kings, Bhatia, with his medium-pace cutters, will be hard to dispatch. He’s picked up nine wickets in 11 games for Knight Riders this season, at 27.88 with an economy-rate of 7.41.

Stats and trivia

• Sunil Narine is six short of 100 wickets in T20 cricket. His career economy-rate in T20 cricket is a remarkable 5.40.
• Jacques Kallis has scored the most runs off Lasith Malinga in the IPL, 74 off 56 while only being dismissed once. Shane Watson has taken him for 67 off 38. Yusuf Pathan is sixth on the list, with 42 off 35.

Quotes

“It’s a very good start that I have got. Out of five games I have won four and lost one. I would take that result as a captain. But I am not going to relax. We still need to play good cricket for the next five games and get to the play-offs comfortably.”

Tillakaratne Dilshan remains convinced he did not edge the delivery to which he was given out on the fourth day against England

Andrew McGlashan in Colombo06-Apr-2012Tillakaratne Dilshan remains convinced he did not edge the delivery to which he was given out on the fourth day against England at the P Sara Oval and has called for Hot Spot to be made mandatory in all Test and one-day cricket.Dilshan was adjudged caught at slip off Graeme Swann by Bruce Oxenford and immediately signalled for a review. The third umpire, Rod Tucker, took an age looking at the images but without the infra-red cameras he ruled there was no conclusive evidence to advise the on-field umpire he had made an error.”I feel 100% that I didn’t edge the ball that’s why I went straight for the review,” he said. “I can’t control the decisions. You have to respect it. But I can suggest one thing. The DRS that applies to Test or one-day cricket should have Hot Spot then there will be more correct decisions. Unfortunately Hot Spot is not there and a few decisions were very difficult for the umpire without it.”When Oxenford confirmed his decision Dilshan stood, dumbstruck, at the crease for a moment before slowing trudging to the pavilion where he threw his helmet to the ground. Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach, also visited the match referee to demand answers about the incident.Earlier on Friday Dilshan had been fined 10% of his match fee for excessive appealing during the third day and his frustrations at his dismissal could prompt another word from the match referee. “I was just a bit disappointed and my helmet when a bit further than I meant,” he said. “I wanted a big score and that’s why I was disappointed.”It is the second time in the match that the lack of Hot Spot has been highlighted. On the first day England thought they had Thilan Samaraweera caught at short leg and asked for review but it remained a not out decision. Following that Steven Finn, who was the bowler involved, said he would like to see Hot Spot available all the time.However, due to the cost of the cameras, which is carried by the host board and host broadcaster, that remains out of reach for the likes of Sri Lanka, who are struggling financially. The full DRS, including Hot Spot, was only available for the Pakistan-England series in the UAE because the PCB found a sponsor to offset the cost.Sri Lanka’s mood stemming from perceived injustice at Dilshan’s decision will not have been improved by the two late blows from Swann that left them 33 runs ahead with four wickets left and struggling to hold onto their 1-0 series lead. However, Dilshan was confident they could still save – or even win – the match, especially after England’s failed attempt to chase 145 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.”We believe if we can bat the first session tomorrow we can win the Test,” he said. “It’s not an easy wicket and won’t be easy to chase 130-140. They couldn’t chase 140, this is a five day wicket and Rangana Herath is in good form.”Edited by Alan Gardner

As part of the ongoing Wisden City Cup, a promising young cricketer from outside the existing structure of the counties and ECB Premier Leagues will be fast-tracked into a potential career as a professional cricketer this summer

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2011As part of the ongoing Wisden City Cup, a promising young cricketer from outside the existing structure of the counties and ECB Premier Leagues will be fast-tracked into a potential career as a professional cricketer this summer.The WCC was set up to foster the playing and watching of cricket in Britain’s inner cities, with the initial competition held in North London. At the end of the current season, one member of the Leicester-London Combined XI that will play a Twenty20 against MCC Young Cricketers on Sunday September 11 at Grace Road will be picked to become an MCC Young Cricketer himself in 2012.”The Wisden City Cup is doing some great work in reaching out to find undiscovered talent,” said Mark Alleyne, the former England cricketer and current head coach of MCC who will select the lucky player.”MCC Young Cricketers exists to identify promising players and support them through to the first-class game, so the coming together of the two is a perfect fit. I’m looking forward to seeing the ability on show this year and working with their best player next season.”The player picked will receive access to world-class facilities and top coaching at Lord’s, and could also play in the Second Eleven Championship and Second Eleven Trophy, in which the MCC Young Cricketers take part. Recent alumni of the Young Cricketers programme include Darren Sammy, the current West Indies captain, Ross Taylor and Nottinghamshire’s Alex Hales.

Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman, has picked up a side strain during the preparatory camp for the ICC World Twenty20 but is expected to be fit in time for the tournament which starts on April 30

Cricinfo staff10-Apr-2010Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman, has picked up a side strain during the preparatory camp for the ICC World Twenty20 but is expected to be fit in time for the tournament which starts on April 30.Akmal has stopped taking part in the nets sessions at the training camp in Lahore, and is the fourth player to be injured since the camp started – Pakistan’s leading Twenty20 bowler, Umar Gul, injured his shoulder earlier this week, while allrounder Yasir Arafat and batsman Fawad Alam are also facing fitness problems.Shahid Afridi, who will lead Pakistan’s defence of their World Twenty20 crown, was convinced his players would recover in the three weeks remaining before the competition starts in the West Indies.”There is nothing serious about the injuries, which is why I’m confident that the boys will be ready to give their best in the World Twenty20,” he told the .He said both Akmal and Gul will return to practice in a few days. “Umar is getting troubled by the injury because it becomes painful when he bats which is why he is not attending the nets,” he said. “[Regarding Gul] We are expecting to get the (MRI) report soon but I’m hoping that Gul will be back to training within the next three days.”The Pakistan squad is undergoing rigorous training in Lahore in a bid to improve fielding and general fitness. They are slated to play Bangladesh and Australia in the league phase, on May 1st and 2nd respectively.

SRH captain said he loved how “brave the guys were in a high-pressure situation” like IPL and that there was a “lot of fun”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-20241:09

Moody: SRH’s batters have failed to adapt to conditions that are not batting friendly

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were “totally outplayed” by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final of IPL 2024, Pat Cummins has conceded.Their eight-wicket defeat, completed with 57 balls to spare, was set up by Mitchell Starc’s blistering new-ball spell, in which he swung the ball around corners and took out the big-hitting Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi.”I thought they bowled fantastically,” Cummins said at the post-match presentation. “Unfortunately, [my] old mate Starcy turned it on again. Obviously, not enough tonight, [we were] totally outplayed.”Related

• Starc hints at leaving ODIs to 'open doors for more franchise cricket'

• Shreyas Iyer: 'We played like invincibles throughout the season'

• 'GG has not just been a mentor, he's been a leader in every department'

• Stats – KKR's season of dominance

• KKR's bowlers rip through SRH to win third IPL title

SRH didn’t recover from the damage caused by Starc and the other KKR quicks, and were eventually bundled for 113. The longest partnership SRH managed was for the ninth wicket, and it lasted just 22 balls, which meant they could neither hit their way out of trouble nor take the innings deep and explode at the end.”It was a bit of a tricky wicket,” Cummins, who had won the toss and opted to bat, said. “I think if we got 160, it would have been like we were in the game. [It] didn’t feel like a 200-plus wicket, again [we fell] well short. But maybe, [if] we found a few extra runs [it] might’ve given us a chance.”You hope you get a few boundaries away [early on], you’re into the game. But they bowled fantastically well, didn’t give us anything [to work with]. Similar [to Qualifier 1] last week in Ahmedabad. They bowled really well, so, full credit [to them].”Despite the failure in the final, SRH’s batting line-up pushed the boundaries of aggression during the course of the tournament. Their openers, Abhishek and Travis Head, were key to this IPL being a high-scoring season. SRH broke multiple records and did it repeatedly to set the benchmark regardless of the risk involved, which pleased Cummins.”The style that the guys played,” Cummins said, “particularly with the bat, takes a lot of skill to not only get 250, [but] also [to do it] three times. You put yourself out there a fair bit. So I loved how brave the guys were in a high-pressure situation like the IPL. They took the game on, there was a lot of fun. [The] fans seemed to like it, back in Hyderabad. So, great season.”

Brook century and trio of wonder-balls give England scent of famous series win

Andrew Miller11-Dec-2022Close Pakistan 202 (Babar 75, Shakeel 63, Leach 4-98) and 198 for 4 (Shakeel 54*, Faheem 3*) need another 157 runs to beat England 281 (Duckett 63, Pope 60, Abrar 7-114) and 275 (Brook 108, Abrar 4-120) For the best part of 32 overs, Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel thwarted an England attack that had been buoyed by a trio of superb deliveries in the first hour after lunch, to take a stiff Pakistan chase down to a potentially gripping fourth-day climax, and keep England’s hope of a famous series win on ice for another day … and potentially another Test.But then, with the shadows lengthening, and England starting to sweat on a route through a doughty 107-run stand for the fourth wicket, Imam leaned into an expansive drive out of the rough against Jack Leach, and scuffed a fast edge to Joe Root at slip to fall for 60 and crank the door ajar once more.Though Saud Shakeel endured to the close on 54 not out in partnership with Faheem Ashraf, the equation at stumps was simple. Six more wickets for England to take a 2-0 series lead with Karachi still to come, or 157 runs for Pakistan to draw level at 1-1 with their second-highest successful Test run chase of 355.Related

• England seek to sweep away the mystery

• Pakistan, and the curious case of collapsing on flat tracks

• Duckett: 'No real mystery' to Abrar's spin

• Jack Leach takes the risks, earns the rewards in embodiment of England's new world

• Abrar: come for the mystery, stay for the legspin

It had been another gripping day of ebb-and-flow Test cricket, with Pakistan’s evening alliance mirroring their free-flowing opening stand of 64 in 15 overs before lunch, in which Mohammad Rizwan – promoted to open after Imam was sent for a scan on a damaged hamstring – and Abdullah Shafique saw off the new ball at a brisk tempo of 4.27 an over.Prior to that, England themselves had effectively auto-completed their second innings, with Harry Brook’s second Test century the highlight of a fast-forwarded hour of batting in which they lost their last five wickets for the addition of 73 runs. Despite the Test still having the best part of nine sessions to run at that stage, England’s approach reflected their belief that the surface still had plenty to offer their own bowlers, and – as with their 342-run declaration in Rawalpindi – by leaving Pakistan a nominally feasible target of 355, they would be all the better placed to induce errors.Harry Brook celebrates his second Test hundred•AFP/Getty Images

And, as had also been displayed in that first Test, England possess in James Anderson a trump card every bit as unique as Abrar Ahmed had proven to be in the course of his 11-wicket debut, but also 177 Tests and 20 years more experienced. Now as then, Anderson had been a notable absentee in the opening exchanges, as Stokes held his main man back to exploit the possibility of reverse swing. When he arrived for the first over of the afternoon, he quickly transformed the innings prognosis.Anderson’s first four deliveries of the session were negotiated safely enough, but the fifth was simply unplayable – a full-length seaming delivery that angled in at Rizwan then jagged wickedly around his outside edge to hit the top of off. Rizwan looked dumbfounded as he turned to survey the wreckage, but he had to go for 30 from 43 balls, and England had their opening at 66 for 1.Leach had been warming up to share the afternoon honours, but Stokes immediately signalled for Ollie Robinson to make it an all-seam attack. In his second over of the session, he too had produced a wonder-ball. With a hint of uneven bounce forcing Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, to play watchfully against the straight ball, Robinson instead hit the seam a full foot outside off, and Babar, seemingly grateful to be able to leave one, could only look on aghast at the ball zipped back to hit the top of off too.Babar Azam had his off stump pegged back by Ollie Robinson•Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Shafique all but succumbed to a near-identical delivery in Robinson’s next over, but he wouldn’t survive for much longer. Stokes rang the changes once more, recalling his quickest bowler, Mark Wood, in the final over before drinks, and with his very first ball, he burst another off-stump rattler through Shafique’s defences, again from wide of the crease, but keeping low as it skidded on with extra oomph.At 83 for 3, Pakistan’s innings was pinned to the ropes. But with his notable willingness to save his seamers for the key moments, Stokes instead leaned heavily on his spinners with in-out fields, tempting Pakistan to hit through the phalanx of close catchers. Once again, his first-innings weapon, Jack Leach, was Stokes’ most trusted option, but with two left-handers lining him up, Leach endured some rough treatment, going at 4.40 in the course of his 20 overs. Until, of course, he produced the moment that repaid the faith, and unlocked England’s prospects of closing out the game.The opportunities had kept coming regardless, up until that moment – on 4, Shakeel top-edged a slog-sweep off Root that fell short of Wood, set a few metres too deep at midwicket, while on 19, Imam drilled a hard chance back down the pitch at Will Jacks, who couldn’t cling on. The biggest let-off, however, came deep into the final session, as Imam, then on 54, flicked his bat at a leg-side lifter but Stokes declined the review that would have shown a faint tickle. It was the slightest indication that England’s captain was starting to feel the heat, as Imam and Shakeel grew in confidence with a series of sweetly-timed cover drives, particularly off the then-leaky Leach.Despite the excitement generated by England’s trio of early wickets, England found little in the way of reverse-swing as the innings progressed, on a day-three pitch that was arguably playing at its best. Stokes himself resisted any temptation to break the emergency glass and bring himself on for a spell, although that prospect remains for an intriguing fourth-day finish, when only the draw will be off the table.Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel’s partnership frustrated England•PCB

In spite of Pakistan’s relative success in the morning session, the major milestone had belonged to Brook, who converted his overnight 74 to his second hundred in four innings on this trip. By the time he holed out to deep square leg for 108, Brook had racked up 14 fours and a six in his 149-ball stay, replete with powerful strokeplay and impressive judgement of length, particularly against the spin of Abrar, who was once again Pakistan’s most threatening bowler, as he finished with 4 for 120, and an 11-wicket match haul on debut.Abrar came in for some heavy blows in the first hour, however, with Brook seizing on a series of drags to the leg-side, and Stokes launching the same bowler over the straight boundary for six, to draw him level with his coach Brendon McCullum on 107 Test sixes, the most by any player.Before he could convert that start into anything more meaningful, however, Stokes got underneath a heave to leg, where Ali on the midwicket boundary ran round for a well-judged catch. Robinson then missed a slog to leg as Abrar skidded a googly through his gate for his 11th wicket, before Wood poked a fast legbreak from Zahid Mahmood to slip and Anderson missed a reverse sweep to wrap up the innings. At that stage, and again after lunch, England were perfectly content with their match situation. By the close, notwithstanding Leach’s late breakthrough, they were a touch less comfortable.

Former England seamer said challenging period at London club had “taken its toll”

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2021Angus Fraser has stepped aside from his role as director of cricket at Middlesex as part of a restructuring of management at the club. Fraser will move to overseeing the academy and county age-group squads, with men’s team head coach, Stuart Law, now reporting directly into the chief executive.Fraser took over at his old club as managing director of cricket in 2009, having spent several years as the cricket writer at the , and saw the club lift the County Championship in 2016 for the first time since his playing days in the early 1990s.However, Middlesex were relegated the following season and struggled to adapt to life back in the second tier. Several members of the title-winning side have moved on, including Dawid Malan and Nick Gubbins in recent seasons, while success in limited-overs cricket has also been sporadic. This summer, Middlesex finished bottom of Group Two of the Championship, with one win from ten, and second-bottom of the Vitality Blast South Group.Related

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Fraser said that the recent challenging period had “taken its toll”, but was proud of his record in bringing through homegrown players – with six academy graduates given their first-team debuts over the last two seasons.”I have been enormously proud to hold the role I have with this great club, but the time is right for change,” he said. “I have found the last 16 months incredibly challenging on and off the field of play, and I could not have given more or shown more care for the club than I have, but it has taken its toll on me.”We all know that results this season have not been good enough, but I believe there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future. In the last few years Middlesex have chosen to invest in and develop its own home-grown cricketers, which can be seen from the teams that have represented the club. It is the right thing for a club like Middlesex to do and something we should be proud of.”These young men are benefitting enormously from the opportunities they are being given and I believe a number of them will become fine cricketers; players that will represent Middlesex and England with pride and will entertain cricket lovers for many years to come.”It is with a heavy heart that I step aside from this position, and I would like to thank all those that have helped and supported me over the years. I still believe I have a huge amount to give Middlesex Cricket and I look forward to helping the club in any way I can.”Law started work under Fraser in 2019, but saw the club finish eighth in Division Two in his first season and there has been minimal progress since. They won two games out of five in the Bob Willis Trophy last year, and finished fourth in the truncated Blast South Group, before results dipped again.The club has also experienced financial difficulties owing to the pandemic and the discovery of a historical administrative error in paying pension contributions. Richard Goatley, Middlesex’s chief executive since 2015, stepped down last month due to ill health.Andrew Cornish, Middlesex’s acting chief executive, said: “There is no hiding from the fact that performances on the pitch over the past couple of seasons have not met the expectations of the players, the coaches, the board and most importantly our members.”Like many organisations we face challenging financial times due to the pandemic, so never has it been more important to nurture homegrown local talent, whilst making strategic external signings. The board and I believe this new structure will provide the focus and clarity the club needs at this time.”I would like to personally thank Angus for all he has done for Middlesex Cricket to this point, for his commitment to the role and for his dedication to the club, and I am very much looking forward to continuing to work closely with him as we move forward.”

Chief executive insists new competition remains ‘cost centre’ at DCMS hearing into Covid-19 outbreak

George Dobell05-May-2020Tom Harrison has reiterated the ECB’s commitment to The Hundred despite facing accusations of gambling cricket’s future on the tournament’s success, but concedes that English cricket’s losses this summer could reach £380 million if the entire season is wiped out.Appearing in front of a panel of MPs as part of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) inquiry into the impact of Covid-19 on sport in the UK, Harrison was accused of “betting the house on red” in terms of investing so heavily on the controversial competition.But despite accepting the ECB could be facing losses of £380 million as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Harrison insisted “even more effort” would be put into The Hundred once cricket resumed and maintained the tournament would be a “profit centre” for the game from its launch.At one stage Julian Knight, the DCMS chair, put it to Harrison that the ECB had taken “a huge gamble” on The Hundred. In doing so, he alluded to the relatively heavy start-up costs of launching a tournament which feature a new format of the sport and a decline in the ECB’s financial reserves – they have fallen from £73 million in 2016 to £11 million when the last set of accounts was published 12 months ago – which has left the game less well placed to deal with the pandemic than might have been the case.”When you say it’s a profit centre,” Knight said, “there’s been widespread disquiet over the advent of The Hundred and the fact there was a large outlay to bring it about. You’ve bet the house, effectively, on red and unfortunately, the casino is closed.””I wouldn’t categorise The Hundred as a gamble,” Harrison replied. “It’s a profit centre for cricket as has been demonstrated. It was going to bring in £11 million of profit to the game this year. It carries with it an extra dividend to the counties, which is critical revenue to them.”At a time like this, when we are facing enormous pressure on finances, it seems to me even more important we focus on the areas of the game which are going to generate interest, audience and commercial revenue. Especially with the weight of evidence we had behind the Hundred in terms of the ticket sales, in terms of traction the competition was getting in the very audience we were setting out to get.Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive•Getty Images

“I understand there is significant resistance to The Hundred. There has been for two years. That does not make it a bad idea. Or an idea that’s not likely to succeed. We will put even more effort into The Hundred post this crisis because I think cricket will desperately need, in a hugely competitive landscape, cricket will need to pull every lever to ensure cricket remains relevant in a society that has so much choice.”Later, Harrison was pressed on his claim that The Hundred was projected to make a profit in its first year. For while Harrison suggests the costs of the tournament are £39.1 million – against a projected income of £51 million – it is understood that figure excludes the £1.3 million a year guaranteed to each of the first-class counties for the five-year duration of the tournament.”Is it correct the Hundred will only make a profit if you exclude the £1.3 million payment guaranteed each year to each first-class county?” Giles Watling asked.ALSO READ: Case for Hundred ‘much greater’ due to Covid-19 outbreak – Harrison“Yes, but the £1.3 million every year to each county is a dividend and not part of the P&L (profit and loss) of the tournament,” Harrison said. “That is part of the deal, if you like, that was done with the counties to give the ECB permission to create a new tournament with all the objectives sitting behind it. It’s is not linked to the P&L. It’s a dividend that is a crucial part of the agreement that we have with the first-class counties.”Harrison believes the Hundred’s significance is more than financial, though. He also told the MPs the ECB had evidence the tournament was appealing to a new audience that could help the game broaden its appeal and move away from its reliance on the broadcast deal with Sky.”We’d sold 170,000 tickets in February for this year’s men’s and women’s Hundred,” he said. “The game had never sold that number of tickets at that speed before with the exception of the Cricket World Cup. So we were in a very strong position to achieve exactly what we set out to achieve in terms of growing the audience for cricket in this country.”The profile of ticket buyers was extremely encouraging. The evidence we have from the data behind those ticket sales it that was largely under-40s with the intention of taking children to those events. In some circumstances as a first opportunity to see live cricket. That’s precisely the kind of audience we were after.ALSO READ: ECB, CWI hold ‘positive talks’ on rescheduling Windies Tests“But let me be clear: we are heavily reliant on cricket’s existing audience as well. The more we can create a groundswell of audience that is representative of our country – multi-cultural, diverse, men and women, boys and girls, from all parts of the country – the better prepared we will be to sustain our wonderfully diverse sport in this country with all its weird and wonderful formats.”At the moment, we’re very heavily [reliant] – to the tune of three-quarters of our revenue – on one broadcaster. Anyone looking at a business plan for the long-term health of a sport will be looking at that number and thinking it’s a big risk. The Hundred helps us look at different ways of diversifying our revenue in the future and securing the future of 18 first-class counties.”Despite his confidence in The Hundred, Harrison admitted the game was facing “the most significant financial challenge cricket has ever faced”. Having previously suggested the game could be facing losses of up to £300 million if the entire season was lost, he now feels that figure could be significantly higher, and conceded that the sport was already “staring at a £100 million loss this year, whatever happens”.”It could be as bad as £380 million,” he said. “That’s the worst-case scenario. It’s the loss of 800 days of cricket across the ECB and professional clubs.Unquestionably, it’s the most significant financial challenge cricket has ever faced.”

Young Hampshire legspinner is itching to return after two back fractures and a long stint on the sidelines

Matt Roller01-Apr-20190:44

Crane ‘feeling strong’ after 2018 injuries

“I just want to get on the field. I’ve had enough now, I just want to get back out there.”It’s nine months since Mason Crane last played professional cricket. He started 2018 with a Test debut at Sydney, where he became England’s youngest-ever legspinner, but ended it as a forgotten man, on the slow road to recovery after a pair of back fractures.”I’ve had the definition of an up-and-down time of it,” he reflects on a sunny spring afternoon at the Ageas Bowl. “If you go back 18 months, I’ve been on an Ashes tour, and ended up in New Zealand where [the injury] happened.”It was difficult to come to terms with it at the start. It took a lot of getting used to – not playing cricket, not being able to do pretty much anything.”But I’ve come through the other side now. It’s been a lot of days in the gym, a lot of slow progress, but I’m feeling really strong now, really good about it. So hopefully, come the first time I’m out in the middle, I can perform.”The story of Crane’s Ashes debut, when he was thrust onto the biggest stage as a 20-year-old, is well-known, and his figures – 1 for 193 in 48 overs – barely told half the story. But it was the weeks that followed which summed up a difficult year.After a long, gruelling tour of Australia, it would surely have made sense for Crane to be given some time at home to rest and recover.But England had other ideas. Instead, Crane was sent to the West Indies with the Lions. He started to lose form, and captain Keaton Jennings trusted him less and less. As Jomel Warrican and Jack Leach thrived on turning wickets, Crane took one wicket across 27 overs, and was dropped for the third and final unofficial Test of the series.”Personally, I don’t think I should have been there,” he says. “It’s one of those things. I can see why I was sent there, but hopefully people can see why I was against going.”ALSO READ: Dawson lurks as England narrow World Cup optionsBy the time he landed in New Zealand ahead of the Test series, Crane was in no place to play international cricket. Injury soon followed, and after an initial recovery, a recurrence during the county season ruled him out for six months.”The way it’s gone, after the injury, I feel like a better player now. Hopefully in a couple of years, I can look back and be almost grateful that I’ve had this experience, and now I feel like if I can combat that, I can combat pretty much anything.”Crane does not expect to play in Hampshire’s first two Championship games – “as a legspinner in England with Liam Dawson in the squad you have to be realistic” – but this summer’s schedule is perhaps the most conducive to spinners since the turn of the century.Crane was the leading wicket-taker for Hampshire as they charged to the Royal London Cup last year, and after that tournament’s early finish, he will have a run of four-day games at the height of summer before the start of the Vitality Blast.”This schedule is better,” he says. “It helps us. It gives us a slightly different role: in April or September, if you do play you’re normally trying to hold an end. As a legspinner, you’re not really expressing what you can do.””Hopefully, this gives me an opportunity. We’ve got a couple of outground games this year too – hopefully it’ll spin and I’ll get to play. I also have to realise that I’m 22 years old, that I’ve got time on my side. I feel like I’m improving all the time, and hopefully I’m able to force my way into the team no matter what time of year it is.”Mason Crane in action on his Test debut•Getty Images

Indeed, it is easy to forget how young Crane still is, since he talks with a maturity that is not found in every young cricketer. After a whirlwind start to his career, time away from the game seems to have helped him.”I’ve blinked and this is my fifth season here – it’s crazy really. I think this injury really has given me a different perspective on it, and how much I just really enjoy playing as much as anything else.”As much as I want to do well, play for England, win a Championship, win a T20 competition, I’m just happy to be out there. At the start of this season especially, I’m happy to be here, happy to be fit, and hopefully I can be on the field to contribute to some Hampshire wins.”I don’t see why we can’t do well in all three formats – it’s an exciting team, we’ve got a new coach who has taken us in a really good direction so far. I’m really excited for us, and hopefully we can add some silverware.”It is a theme that Crane keeps coming back to: hope. After so long out injured, there is a tantalising uncertainty about what the future holds, containing within it that sense of mystery on which legspinners thrive.But for now, the day that has been nine months in the offing is in touching distance. For Hampshire, for England, and for the man himself, the idea of Mason Crane at the top of his mark again is a compelling prospect.”It’s been tough to get here,” Crane concludes, “but I’m really looking forward to getting started.”