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Investment in league planned for 2022 adds to Knight Riders’ interest in IPL and CPL

Shamya Dasgupta and Peter Della Penna30-Nov-2020The Knight Riders Group will play “a very broad role” in the USA-based Major League Cricket (MLC), the latest attempt to launch a franchise-led T20 tournament that is expected to kick off in 2022. That brings to three the number of leagues in which the Knight Riders Group have a team, after the IPL and CPL, and they will hold a “significant” stake in the tournament.The investment in the MLC by the Knight Riders group, which is owned by Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla along with her husband Jay Mehta, will be strategic and see them playing the role of “consultant” to help USA Cricket run the six-team T20 league.The league will be unlike a number of others at least in one way: the six (to start with) franchises will own a part of it. “In the IPL or the CPL, you own a franchise, and that’s all you own and operate”, whereas in the case of the MLC, “you have a stake in the league”, Venky Mysore, CEO and managing director of the Knight Riders, said.ALSO READ: USA Cricket targets ICC Full Membership by 2030The Knight Riders Group, which owns Kolkata Knight Riders and the Trinbago Knight Riders, was invited by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE), USA Cricket’s partner in developing a professional T20 league in America. The result is what both ACE and Mysore have called “a long-term investment in American cricket”.”When they invited us, we said we want to take a deep dive into this, and not just have a short-term outlook,” Mysore told ESPNcricinfo. “So they see us as a consultant in many ways, apart from being a big part of the league. They want us to play a very broad role, to help and assist them with all aspects of cricket in the US.”USA Cricket are looking at a bigger national cricket set-up, academies, develop talent, and all that is complementary to what the T20 league will do as well. In addition, we will be working hard to build infrastructure there, six world-class stadiums in the next few years.”It will be like a public-private partnership where you have conversations with the city council and they are used to doing it with other sports when it comes to, say, giving you land, or long-term financing arrangements.”Eventually their ambition is to host international competitions, including, potentially, the World Cup. So this could be on the agenda. USA has a strong sports culture. It’s also the No. 1 media market. Cricket is the second-most-watched sport in the world, so you combine it all, it’s got all the ingredients of a very successful product.”Only last week, Greg Barclay, the new ICC chairman, indicated that the USA would likely be one of the places cricket will target in its push for further growth. He had also hinted at the possibility of wresting global events away from India, England and Australia, and that the USA would be “the logical place to start”.If and when it is launched, having been postponed by a year already due to the Covid-19 outbreak, MLC will be the second professional T20 league in America. It is already the latest in a string of attempted professional T20 league ventures in America since the start of the millennium.ProCricket was launched with much fanfare in 2005 and was headlined by numerous former internationals including Mervyn Dillon, Robin Singh and Colin Miller, but it folded operations after just one season. A planned venture by independent New York businessman Jay Mir called American Premier League was targeted for 2008 but never launched.The USA Cricket Association then signed an agreement in 2010 with New Zealand Cricket, Neil Maxwell’s Insite and Podar Enterprises to start a franchise league by the year 2012 but various administrative issues resulted in another failed launch. USACA later signed a $70 million agreement in 2016 with former St Lucia Zouks owner Jay Pandya, once again aimed at launching a T20 league. However, USACA was under ICC suspension at the time, throwing the validity of the Pandya agreement into doubt and plans fizzled out a year later when USACA was formally expelled by the ICC.Pandya’s “American Cricket Premier League” subsequently filed a lawsuit in May 2019 attempting to block American Cricket Enterprises from pursuing a T20 league in partnership with USA Cricket, but the suit was withdrawn a year later.Kieron Pollard with the CPL 2020 trophy after leading Trinbago Knight Riders to 12 wins in 12 matches•Getty Images

“What you are looking at here, is that everyone is aligned,” Mysore said. “You have a stake in the league, and the decisions that are made have a bearing on you and the league. You are also looking out for the health of the tournament. Here, we will be party to the decision-making, which is important.”Normally, the finances flow into the entity that owns the league, whereas here, the stakeholders get a large chunk of it. To that extent, you gain or lose based on the kind of decisions that are made.”From the point of view of the Knight Riders Group, who had also bought a team in the aborted South African T20 Global League – the Cape Town franchise – the aim has been to become a round-the-year entity, something they have made clear for some time now.”Lots of people say we are the only global brand in T20 cricket, and we take a lot of pride in that,” Mysore said. “That was always our vision. The IPL is for two months, and maybe a month leading up to that, but what do you do to keep your brand alive the rest of the year.ALSO READ: Former Dallas baseball ground to become new home of USA cricket“The vision is to build the business at a global level, and own two, three, four, five franchises around the world, and build them on the mother brand of Knight Riders, and use a common template and model about how you operationalise the business, how you do your branding, your sponsorship deals, your merchandising deals, etc.”MLC is expected to be a city-based competition, but while developing six stadia is a big part of the plan, it is likely to start with three venues, according to Mysore: Fort Lauderdale, which has hosted international cricket in the past; a Dallas-based baseball ground that will be repurposed; and one in Morrisville, North Carolina.”They were very encouraged that UAE was able to hold an eight-team event in three cities, and this is a six-team event,” Mysore said. “In five years, they might think about expanding it. That’s the broad thought process.”There is talk of at least some prominent names from Test-playing countries being on the radar of MLC, as and when the time for such a thing comes up, but the player-recruitment process will be the same as elsewhere to start with: a draft or an auction, with players from around the world listed. “Then, over time, when the scouting and grassroots programmes kick in, we are hoping more and more local players get involved,” Mysore said.

CSA also name a mix of experienced and upcoming players for spin camp in India

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2019Rassie van der Dussen has earned a Cricket South Africa contract for the 2019-20 season, having met the criteria to qualify during South Africa’s World Cup 2019 campaign.In an otherwise lacklustre campaign, van der Dussen was among South Africa’s bright spots, scoring 311 runs at an average of 62.20 and a strike rate of 90.40. He will become the 17th player on a national contract, taking the spot left vacant following Duanne Olivier’s decision to take the Kolpak route.In the women’s team, wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta is one point away from qualifying for a full 12-month contract. She could earn that point if she is selected for the women’s upcoming tour of India in September and plays in at least one match.”Rassie’s promotion is thoroughly justified on the back of a brilliant debut season at international level and has also served as an inspiration to all aspiring cricketers at domestic level of what can be achieved by showing top-class form on a consistent basis,” CSA chief Thabang Moroe said.Spin camp in India
South Africa will also be sending several players, including those who have played for the national team and those who are viewed as potential candidates, to a spin camp that will take place in Bengaluru from August 17 to 23. Both South Africa A and the national team will be touring India in the final quarter of the year. But Moroe indicated that the move to familiarise themselves with subcontinent conditions was also keeping in mind the long term, with the 2023 World Cup scheduled in India.The group of players includes Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma and Dane Piedt, who will be accompanied by a number of coaches and technical staff. Former national coach and current South Africa A coach Russell Domingo will head the support staff, and he’ll have former players Ashwell Prince and Paul Adams as batting and spin consultants with him.”We have identified Aiden Markram, Zubayr Hamza and Temba Bavuma as key Proteas batsmen to benefit from this project and we have also included some of our potential stars of the future such as Janneman Malan and Sinethemba Qeshile, who have already both played for the Proteas, as well as Matthew Breetzke,” Moroe said.”The batting group is completed by two of our most consistent runs scorers in franchise cricket in Pieter Malan and Edward Moore. The bowling group is headed by the experience of Dane Piedt and includes highly promising talents, among them being Bjorn Fortuin, Tsepo Ndwandwa and Senuran Muthusamy.”It is a fact that most international cricket is played on the subcontinent these days and we have to look ahead not only to the tours on the immediate horizon but the next edition of the World Cup in India in 2023.”Batsmen for spin camp: Aiden Markram, Janneman Malan, Zubayr Hamza, Matthew Breetzke, Sinethemba Qeshile, Edward Moore, Temba Bavuma, Pieter Malan.Bowlers for spin camp: Dane Piedt, Bjorn Fortuin, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Senuran Muthusamy, Thomas Kaber, Dyllan Mathews, George Linde.Support staff for spin camp: Russell Domingo (South Africa A coach), Ashwell Prince (batting consultant), Paul Adams (spin consultant), Sidwe Hadebe (physio), Vincent Barnes (high performance manager).

Sri Lanka’s batting coach expresses surprise at the composition of South Africa’s attack, and says that as the Test goes on, the pitch will turn even more

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo20-Jul-2018South Africa have picked only one frontline spinner at the SSC, and on a track as dry as this, even their opponents felt that was probably a bad move. The visitors have maintained through the series that pace is their traditional strength and that it is on pace that they will continue to depend, no matter what the conditions. But following a first day in which eight wickets went to the sole spinner in South Africa’s attack, opposition batting coach Thilan Samaraweera gave a chuckle and suggested his own team had got lucky thanks to this opposition misstep.”I was really surprised. I thought they might go with three pace bowlers and two spinners,” Samaraweera said. “But they struck to their strength which is pace. I guess not having the additional spinner is good for us. When you see the scorecard, one spinner has picked up eight wickets. Probably they are short one spinner. At the moment it looks like the pitch is really spinning – but we’ll have to wait for South Africa to bat to make sure. A lot of credit to Keshav Maharaj for the way he bowled to create pressure and deliver some good balls to our top order.”Although Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 41 runs during the third session, and slid from 223 for 4 to 277 for 9, Samaraweera was nevertheless happy with his team’s position. “We are confident with our score. In the last six or seven overs of the day, the pitch behaved differently. The part-time offspinner Aiden Markram was getting a lot of bounce. We have to bowl [in the] right areas and if we do that, we can take wickets. After winning the toss we were looking at 270 to 300 runs. When the game goes on, it will be hard to bat in the third and fourth innings on these kind of surfaces. I am happy that we are where we are at 277 for 9. Had we been 275 for 6 we would have been even happier.”The confidence, perhaps, is down to faith not only in the senior spinners, but also in Akila Dananjaya, the allsorts offspinner, who replaced left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan in the XI. Dananjaya has played only two Tests, but has been a feature of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs sides over the past ten months.”Akila is a quality spinner and very confident about what he can do,” Samaraweera said. “He is a good Test cricketer with nice loop and lot of variation. He bowls legspin, googly and his stock ball as well. He is an attacking option for us. We know that Rangana Herath is reaching the end of his career, and after a long spell, he needs a good 40 minute break. In that time we can use Akila – if he gets one wicket he will become more attacking.”

The 83-year old has said he will step down in June due to ‘health and personal reasons’

Umar Farooq31-Mar-2017Shaharyar Khan has tendered his resignation from the post of PCB chairman and is expected to step down after the ICC’s annual conference in June. Speaking to reporters in Lahore, soon after a meeting with his board members, the 83-year old Shaharyar said his decision was influenced by “personal and health reasons”.Shaharyar was unanimously elected to lead the PCB by the board of governors in August 2014. He had intended to resign with immediate effect – his tenure ends only in August 2017 – but with the ICC in the middle of restructuring its constitution and Shaharyar’s support being vital to the cause, he has decided to continue at the helm of the PCB until the ICC annual conference in June.”I have taken the board in confidence and conveyed my decision that I will not continue after our mandate is ending on August 18,” Shaharyar told reporters after chairing a board meeting in Lahore. “I will not continue after it as chairman or as in any other capacity and it’s my decision on the basis of personal and health reasons. I have also written to the Patron of PCB who is Prime Minister that I am ready to resign and whenever he deems reasonable he can accept it. And thereafter whatever the legal process constituted, allow it to exercised to bring in my successor.”Sources in the Prime Minister’s office in Islamabad confirmed on Thursday that they have yet to receive Shaharyar’s resignation and had only learnt of his decision through the media. According to the PCB constitution, it is the Patron who makes the first move to pick the new chairman. His request to the election commissioner to hold fresh elections prompts a meeting of the board of governors, who would then select a candidate from among themselves through a majority vote. All of this must be done within four weeks of the chairman’s office becoming vacant.ESPNcricinfo understands that Shaharyar has felt under pressure to make way for Najam Sethi, the current head of PCB executive committee and PSL chairman.Sethi has been chairman of the board, several times in an interim capacity between 2013 and 2014. That was during a period of administrative turmoil at the very top of the board when Sethi and Zaka Ashraf alternated as board heads, later resolved by a Supreme Court intervention that led, eventually to the election of Shaharyar.Sethi was appointed head of a newly-created Executive Committee, and though its power was limited only to making recommendations, Sethi has come to exert considerable influence within the board. His position as chairman of the Pakistan Super League has also helped extend his reach into various departments of the PCB including media, social media, marketing and commercial interests.All this led to the potential for friction at the top of the PCB, something former coach Waqar Younis had alluded to after the World T20 in 2016 when he blasted the lack of administrative direction in Pakistan cricket, asserting that “two heads” were pulling the game in “two different directions”.

Afghanistan reinvigorated their hopes of qualifying for the main round of the Asia Cup T20 with a thrilling three-wicket win over Oman in Fatullah on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Dawlat Zadran’s twin sixes in the last over helped Afghanistan seal their first win in the Asia Cup T20 qualifiers•Chris Whiteoak

Afghanistan reinvigorated their hopes of qualifying for the main round of the Asia Cup T20 with a thrilling three-wicket win over Oman in Fatullah on Saturday. The star of the show was Dawlat Zadran, who clubbed two consecutive sixes in the final over bowled by left-arm spinner Ajay Lalcheta as Afghanistan chased down 166 with three balls to spare.Oman, seeking a repeat of their performance over Hong Kong, opted to bat and were powered by the opening combine of Zeeshan Maqsood (52) and Jatinder Singh (23). Adnan Ilyas, the No. 3 batsman, built on the firm base to score an enterprising 27-ball 54 comprising three fours and four sixes. But his dismissal in the 17th over proved to be the difference between where Oman eventually finished and where they would have liked to finish. Gulbadin Naib, the medium-pacer, was the most economical, picking two wickets and conceding just 24 runs off his full quota.For the second successive night, Mohammad Shahzad fell inside the second over as Afghanistan slipped right at the start of their chase. That Afghanistan got into a position from where they could chase down the target was largely due to Noor Ali Zadran, whose quickfire start allowed the middle-order batsmen to settle in. Noor Ali’s second-wicket stand of 54 off just 4.4 overs with Asghar Stanikzai, the captain, helped them steer clear of the asking rate.But the dismissals of Stanikzai and Karim Sadiq, the top-scorer in their loss to United Arab Emirates on Friday, threw a spanner in their works courtesy Mehran Khan as Afghanistan slipped to 60 for 3. The medium-pacer added the scalp of Mohammad Nabi to his kitty soon after to leave Afghanistan wobbly even before they had wiped out half the target.Najibullah Zadran set about repairing the innings, conjuring a 21-ball 23. In doing so, he ensured a lower-order collapse was averted, and more importantly, brought the difference between runs and balls to just three going into the last four overs. But there appeared to be another twist as Bilal Khan trapped Najibullah and Noor Ali lbw within three deliveries in the 17th over.With 21 needed off the last two overs, Samiullah Shenwari, who was left out of their tournament opener, hit two successive fours to ease the pressure, taking the game into the final over with 10 needed. After having nearly taken them home, Shenwari holed out to long-on with five balls to play. The scene was set for one of Lalcheta or Dawlat to be a hero. On the night, it was Dawlat’s ice-cool veins that prevailed in a tense clash.

Medium-pacer Izatullah Dawlatzai capped off a perfect day for Afghanistan’s bowlers with a hat-trick as Afghanistan pummelled Namibia by ten wickets in Windhoek

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMedium-pacer Izatullah Dawlatzai capped off a perfect day for the bowlers with a hat-trick as Afghanistan pummelled Namibia by ten wickets in Windhoek with a day to spare and maintained their second position, behind Ireland, in the ICC Intercontinental points table. Dawlatzai cleaned up the last three wickets in his 11th over to complete his third five-wicket haul in two matches and wrap up Namibia’s innings soon after they had taken a lead. The openers then took just seven balls to get to the target of five runs to continue Afghanistan’s unbeaten run in the tournament.Afghanistan started the day at 345 for 8, already 155 ahead of Namibia, but Asghar Stanikzai was dismissed by Jason Davidson in the second over of the morning without making any addition to his score of 127. The innings folded on 354, but Afghanistan had taken the bonus points for the 164-run first-innings lead and a strong hold of the game.Faced with the task of avoiding an innings defeat, Namibia openers started cautiously, but Rahmat Shah provided the first breakthrough in the eighth over of the innings when he got though the defences of Xander Pitchers. The following batsmen didn’t get many opportunities to score as the bowlers kept the pressure up and the wickets kept falling. When Dawlatzai picked his first wicket, that of opening batsman Pikky Ya France, Namibia were tottering on 84 for 4 in the 39th over.The situation got worse for Namibia as they lost two more wickets with the addition of 22 runs to the total, still 56 runs short of making Afghanistan bat again. A face-saving 55-run stand for the seventh wicket between Sarel Burger and Christi Viljoen helped Namibia reduce the deficit to one run. But the dismissal of Viljoen almost brought an abrupt end to the innings as Dawlatzai mopped the tail, while Burger remained stranded at the other end on 44.

Despite a push that took the game into the last hour, Somerset couldn’t force a win over Nottinghamshire

Alex Winter at Taunton10-Aug-2012
ScorecardJames Taylor made 46 as Nottinghamshire made sure of a draw at Taunton•Getty Images

Despite a push that took the game into the last hour, Somerset couldn’t force a win over Nottinghamshire. The game was hindered badly by the weather and, with the ECB launching more consumer research into the domestic game, attention among members turned to the makeup of the fixture list in the future.A healthy crowd was in to enjoy the sunshine, highlighting Somerset’s good membership and the support for Championship cricket. The county also boast a big following for Twenty20 and the balance between all the competitions gives the chief executive, Guy Lavender, plenty to ponder for his wishes of the schedule.”We’re lucky here; we’re extremely well attended for County Championship cricket,” Lavender told ESPNcricinfo as Notts batted out for a draw on the final afternoon. “We’ve got a very strong membership base and we attach importance to the Championship as the premier competition. But there are different views about it around the country so there are certain things we have to do to make the structure more sustainable.”Number one: the fixture list has to be easy to understand; number two, it has to be interesting; and number three, it has to be at a time where people can come and watch the games. If we just descend into ‘how many matches’ or ‘how many counties’, it misses the point. You don’t need detailed debates, we’ve got to say, ‘What works? What type of structure is attractive to the customer?’ That is what drives the game.”When the counties decided more T20 would drive the game there was a general downward trend in overall profit. Somerset were one of few that thrived. They can make more matches work and saw takings fall back this season with the reduction in games.”We’d like to see the number of T20 games increase,” said Lavender, who wasn’t pleased to see the Morgan Report rejected. “As a club we have the capacity to increase the number of fixtures and not only make them pay but make them good experiences for the supporters. We would have a preference for matches to be spread out across the course of the season because it provides the best opportunity for more people to come and watch. If you schedule T20 at the right time – as with CB40 – then people will turn up. It’s not rocket science.”But finding regularity in the calendar is hampered by broadcasting demands, with Sky keen to screen a match every night of the week – reducing the capacity for T20 to be staged on a regular evening and the scope for matches to be spread out.”Of course there are broadcast demands but I don’t think that drives all of the decision-making about the schedule,” Lavender said. “If we want cricket to thrive then we have to give people the best opportunity to come and watch and I think there is recognition from the ECB and Sky that that needs to happen.”With the Gloucestershire T20, because of the rivalry and locality, that match will sell out whenever it is played but others won’t. So we need to provide something that, perhaps as a not-as-keen follower of Somerset, you can go to every other Friday. It creates regularity and it fits into the way people live their lives and I think that’s really important. And that holds true for other formats of the game.”The problem is every county is looking at the structure of the game through their own lens and it’s the responsibility of the ECB to work for the greater good of the game.”That greater good is being worked out through further consumer research. What it should find – given the backlash the proposed cuts received from players and supporters – is that the County Championship is just fine; and at Taunton both teams lost ground to Warwickshire in the title race that has four more rounds to produce another thrilling climax.Nottinghamshire will be the happier of the teams from this draw. They keep Somerset at arm’s length and survived what could have been a tricky afternoon on a pitch that began to show signs of invariable bounce and some turn. Pete Trego was also getting some deliveries to tail into the right-hander – it was an inswinger that ended James Taylor’s attractive 46. He also had Michael Lumb superbly caught one-handed by Jos Buttler – keeping wicket in place of Craig Kieswetter and suggesting Somerset have enough depth to stay the distance in search of a first County Championship success.They have hung on to the title race despite a host of injuries, their squad so depleted they had to cancel a second-XI match earlier this season. But they now have the chance to make another run for a maiden title and three of their remaining four matches are at Taunton, against Sussex, Surrey and Worcestershire.

England prevailed by 16 runs in a thrilling finale to Sri Lanka’s tour, the bowling attack operating as a unit to defend 268 as the visitors were dismissed for 252 in the penultimate over

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill09-Jul-2011
Scorecard
Tim Bresnan picked up three wickets as England sealed a 3-2 series win with a 16-run victory at Old Trafford•Getty Images

Four one-sided games preceded this match at Old Trafford, but with the series at stake, England and Sri Lanka traded blows in a see-sawing encounter that had no clear winner until the closing minutes of the match. England prevailed by 16 runs in a thrilling finale to Sri Lanka’s tour, the bowling attack operating as a unit to defend 268 as the visitors were dismissed for 252 in the penultimate over.Two fluent partnerships, first between Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter, then from Jonathan Trott and Eoin Morgan, bookended by clutches of wickets, had carried England’s innings. However, offspinner Suraj Randiv helped himself to 5 for 42 to spark a collapse of 6 for 40 as the hosts slipped after being well-positioned to score over 300.Sri Lanka, who showed their vulnerability against the new ball at The Oval, when they stumbled to 15 for 4, and Trent Bridge, when the damage was 20 for 4, once again struggled first up. They needed two fighting stands of their own: the first a counter-attacking 94 between Dinesh Chandimal and Kumar Sangakkara, and the second, a backs-to-the-wall 102 between Angelo Mathews and Jeevan Mendis to get close before Jade Dernbach’s two wickets in consecutive balls sealed the result.Tim Bresnan had done the early damage to Sri Lanka, catching the edge of debutant Dimuth Karunaratne’s bat before Tillakaratne Dilshan, who has managed just 17 runs in five innings since coming back from a fractured thumb, hooked him straight to Dernbach at fine leg. Sri Lanka were wobbling at 12 for 2 and soon lost Mahela Jayawardene, who had been given a reprieve when he was badly dropped by Dernbach but chipped straight to Alastair Cook at mid-off not long afterwards.With England surging, Chandimal, who hit a match-winning – and controversial – century at Lord’s, provided a stylish counterpunch, displaying all the temerity of youth in a series of crisply-hit strokes, stepping out to thrash mighty sixes off both Bresnan and Swann. With Sangakkara ticking along in unpretentious style at the other end, Sri Lanka’s chase was put back on track.Chandimal eventually tried one shot too many, however, and was beaten in the flight by Swann and stumped for a 64-ball 54. When Sangakkara chopped the impressive Bresnan onto his stumps to be out for 48, Sri Lanka were 131 for 5 in the 30th over and England appeared to have complete control.Mathews and Mendis slowly pulled their side out of the mire, and Sri Lanka needed 116 from 18 overs when the batting Powerplay was taken. The batsmen managed to take a boundary from all but one of the Powerplay overs, milking 37 with the field restrictions in place and as they found fluency, the pressure was back on England.Mathews took their stand past 100 with a firm clip to the wide long-on boundary but Pietersen then kept his nerve to hold a good catch running in from the midwicket boundary – and looking into the sun – to get rid of Mendis for a career-best 48. It was now Sri Lanka’s turn to panic; Nuwan Kulasekara and Randiv falling in consecutive deliveries as they stumbled to 246 for 8.Unbelievably, Lasith Malinga strode to the crease and charged down the track to mow the first ball he faced high over long-on for six and the match hung in the balance once more. Cook tossed the ball to Dernbach for the 49th over, with 17 needed, and a contest that could have gone to the wire came to an abrupt end as he deceived Mathews with a slower one that took the leading edge and looped to point. Next ball he fired a searing yorker at the base of Malinga’s stumps to spark frenzied celebrations.

Smart stats

• In eight home series since the start of 2008, England have won six. Three of them have been won by a margin of 3-2 and their worst loss was the 6-1 loss to Australia in 2009. This is England’s second bilateral-series win against Sri Lanka after the 5-0 home defeat in 2006.

• Jonathan Trott’s 72 is his 12th half-century in 29 innings in ODIs. His average of 52.44 is comfortably the highest among all England batsmen with 1000-plus runs in ODIs.

• The 118-run stand between Trott and Eoin Morgan is the second-highest partnership for the fourth wicket for England in ODIs against Sri Lanka. The highest is 154 between Graeme Hick and Neil Fairbrother in 1999.

• From a score of 213 for 3, England lost six wickets for the addition of just 40 runs. The 40 runs added is fifth on the list of least runs added between wickets five and nine for England against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

• The 102-run stand between Angelo Mathews and Jeevan Mendis is the highest sixth-wicket stand for Sri Lanka against England in ODIs surpassing the previous best of 93 between Russell Arnold and Kumar Sangakkara in 2003.

There had been a suspicion before the game that this could be a low-scoring encounter as this was the first international match at Old Trafford since the pitch was rotated 90 degrees. What was once the best strip in the country had now lost much of its pace and bounce, but Kieswetter and Cook showed that a hard new ball could still bring runs as the first Powerplay brought no less than 75 runs, 38 of them in boundaries.England looked to press home their advantage by taking the batting Powerplay in the 13th over after Sri Lanka had set the field back in defence, but it was the Sri Lankans who profited from the restrictions as Cook ran past a fizzing Randiv offspinner to be stumped for 31. Dhammika Prasad removed Kieswetter and Pietersen in quick succession as England lost 3 for 10 in 19 deliveries, but Trott and Morgan settled quickly and complemented each other well in their contrasting styles to keep England on course for a challenging total.They didn’t score many boundaries – England only hit five after the ninth over – but both rotated the strike with ease; Trott reaching a 63-ball fifty and Morgan following him to the landmark soon after, from 54 deliveries. A total of over 300 looked a given, but Dilshan got the vital breakthrough when Morgan was beaten by flight and spin to be stumped for 57.That opened up England’s middle order, and a succession of batsmen fell trying to force the pace before they had been given a chance to adjust to the variable pitch. Randiv bowled with exceptional control as the batsmen tried to get after him, removing Ian Bell and Trott – via a fortuitous inside edge that rolled back onto the stumps, and had his fourth and fifth wickets in the space of three deliveries as Samit Patel and Tim Bresnan both fell to failed slogs.There was a feeling that England had wasted an opportunity when a much more substantial total had loomed, but the good work of the bowlers powered them to a rousing win to extend their successful summer.

Yorkshire pulled off a dramatic six-wicket victory over Warwickshire at Headingley to increase their lead to 21 points at the top of Division One of the County Championship table.

Jon Culley at Headingley08-Jul-2010
ScorecardJonathan Bairstow guided Yorkshire to victory with a calm and measured innings•PA Photos

Yorkshire’s young pretenders revealed real character on a final day that threatened to end in frustration but eventually yielded the win that sends them 21 points clear at the top of the First Division, signalling that their Championship ambitions are no passing fancy.They did so by chasing down a target of 200 from 37 overs with 14 balls to spare, thanks largely to Jacques Rudolph, their stand-in captain, who hit 80 before being run out, and to 20-year-old Jonathan Bairstow, who made light of the responsibility on his young shoulders by hitting an unbeaten 64 off 61 balls.The gap they have opened between themselves and erstwhile title favourites Nottinghamshire is a significant one, even though the Trent Bridge side, beaten at Essex on Wednesday, have played two fewer matches. Equally important to the plot as the race builds towards a climax is the fact that Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire have still to meet, home and away. It means that Yorkshire can in effect control their own destiny, regardless of what their rivals achieve against other opponents.It is to their disadvantage, potentially, that skipper Andrew Gale has made an impressive contribution to England Lions’ success in their triangular one-day competition, making him a candidate, along with Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad, for further international duty in this crowded summer. But, given that they pulled off a tense victory here without that trio, they can reassure themselves that their resources are deep.Lack of experience, particularly in their seam bowling, is the factor most likely to count against them. Lack of spirit or enthusiasm, however, will not. Those qualities they have in abundance. Here they might easily have buckled, defied as they were initially by a magnificent, epic innings by Warwickshire’s Rikki Clarke, whose resilience over six hours left him unbeaten on 127 and gave Yorkshire a target of 200 to win, essentially in one session.It was a good many more than they had expected to be chasing after Warwickshire closed day three only 21 in front, three wickets down and with one man, Jim Troughton, likely to bat only if required, after taking a blow on the head from West Indian pace bowler Tino Best on Wednesday.Clarke survived eight partners in the course of his epic, seven of them on the final day, three before lunch, the first of whom had been the most doughty in 18-year-old Ateeq Javid, who fell two runs short of a maiden half-century but should be proud of his career-best 48, which included a joust with the fiery Best in which he showed character beyond his years.His two-hour stint in Warwickshire’s cause ended in the ninth over of the morning when Adil Rashid found a thin edge as the youngster pushed forward. Ironically, Best had been frustrated again in the preceding over when his lofted drive fell just short of mid-wicket.Clarke needed more partners with similarly adhesive qualities but after Yorkshire had taken the new ball Warwickshire’s innings threatened to subside rapidly. Tim Ambrose lost his off stump to a fine ball from Rich Pyrah for 16 and Steffan Piolet was leg before to Steve Patterson for just 4, at which point, at 244 for 6, Warwickshire’s lead was only 72.In Neil Carter, Clarke now had an experienced partner alongside him at the crease but when Carter fell seven overs after lunch, leg before to a ball from Rashid that the batsman seemed to indicate, through his body language, might have been missing the target, Warwickshire’s prospects looked to be fading at 285 for 7, which put them only 113 in front.Rikki Clarke’s superb innings couldn’t save Warwickshire•Getty Images

The wicket gave Rashid his second five-for in consecutive matches but Clarke was not done. When Best returned at the football stand end he hit a textbook straight drive to complete his hundred, a magnificent effort spanning five and a half hours, with six fours and two sixes. It was his first in the Championship since April of last year and only his second in four years.But the issue for Warwickshire was about the man at the other end. Imran Tahir’s first couple of swipes did not suggest a long occupation but a few carefully chosen words of advice from Clarke seemed to have the desired effect and in the end he stayed with his unshiftable partner for 17 vital overs, in which Warwickshire’s lead grew by 75 runs.In the event, the innings ended slightly farcically, the last three wickets falling in as many overs after Tahir miscued Patterson to mid-off. Boyd Rankin was run out as Clarke decided his shot to cover off Rashid was worth two, Pyrah’s throw to the bowler’s end finding Rankin well short of his ground. Then Troughton, who had retired hurt on day three following a blow on the head from Best, perished with a steer to second slip off Patterson, having faced only three more balls.Nonetheless, Clarke’s superb unbeaten 127 had given Yorkshire a much taller task than they anticipated, making for an exciting final session. The timing of Warwickshire’s last wicket aided Yorkshire, allowing tea to be taken early with no loss of overs between innings, but the start of the chase was less helpful, as leading run scorer Adam Lyth steered the eighth ball straight to second slip.But Rudolph, with the additional incentive of his first win in 11 attempts as Yorkshire’s acting captain, looked determined that his experience would not be wasted, although he lost another potentially vital ally when Anthony McGrath was leg before to a ball from Rankin that kept horribly low.Rudolph kept picking off the Warwickshire bowling, however, with Tahir in particular struggling to keep him in check as he sought the variation that might yield a wicket. The South African went to 50 off 64 balls, by which time Bairstow was beginning to hit the ball cleanly and growing in confidence.The requirement was coming down steadily, dropping below 100 with 14 overs to go. But there was a setback around the corner. Rudolph glanced Piolet to leg, where Rankin fielded. There was an easy single but to come back for a second was to take an unnecessary risk. Rankin’s throw was straight and Rudolph was clearly out of his ground as Ambrose whipped off the bails.With 10.4 overs to go, 73 runs were still needed. But Bairstow was undaunted. Darren Maddy proved no more effective at stemming the tide than Tahir and Warwickshire’s fielding left much to be desired. Two overs conceded 25 in total and a six and a four by Bairstow off Maddy took the requirement down to 39 in seven.Bairstow’s half-century came in 52 balls. The loss of Gerard Brophy, bowled sweeping Tahir, proved nothing more than a momentary interruption. Rashid is never less than positive with bat in hand and he added 16 off 13 balls before Bairstow swept Tahir for four to win the match.”There is a long way to go but this is a young side showing lots of maturity,” Rudolph said. “We still have to play Nottinghamshire twice, which is in our favour.”

Liam Livingstone’s half-century in vain as Phoenix stumble with victory in sight

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2024Birmingham Phoenix 126 for 7 (Livingstone 55) tied with Southern Brave 126 for 6 (Vince 43, Milne 3-18)
Super Five Southern Brave beat Birmingham Phoenix in a thrilling Super Five contest at the Kia Oval to book their place in the Hundred final at Lord’s.Chris Jordan was the match-winner in a nerve-shredding encounter, hitting 10 from three balls after Jofra Archer had limited Phoenix to a total of 7 from their Super Five.Liam Livingstone had looked set to take Phoenix to final with 55 off 34 balls, but when he fell in the final set of his side’s innings, Akeal Hosein defended three from three to bring around the first-ever Super Five in ghe Hundred.In the first innings of the match, James Vince made 43 for Southern Brave and Leus du Plooy 39. Jordan struck two sixes in the final set bowled by Sean Abbott which would ultimately prove crucial – a taste of things to come from the bat of the England allrounder.Phoenix’s run chase got off to a slow start but with contributions from captain Moeen Ali and Jacob Bethell the Birmingham side began to close in on the target.Livingstone was in full control – hitting Archer out of the ground – but his dismissal and some late drama saw the scores level at 126 apiece.Batting first in the five-balls-per-side contest, Livingstone was unable to atone for his late dismissal – falling first ball, flashing a full toss from Archer to backward point.Bethell smashed the second ball wide of long-on for four, but no more boundaries were forthcoming – leaving Jordan and Kieron Pollard needing to surpass 7 to make Lord’s.Jordan got a slice of luck to inside-edge his first delivery for four behind square on the leg side, and followed up with a two and a four to see Brave make the Hundred final for the second time.Meerkat Match Hero, Archer, said: “Just relieved to be honest, I thought I’d given it away in that second to last over.”On his last three deliveries, he said: “You’ve just got to commit to it. Some days it happens for you and some days it doesn’t and I’m just glad today is one of the days that it worked for me.”We’ve got 11 match-winners and the guys that are not in the XI are match-winners themselves, so the team has so much talent it doesn’t matter what team we put out there, I back the guys all the way.”