Jaiswal boost for Mumbai in Ranji semi-final against Vidarbha

Jaiswal was originally picked in India’s Champions Trophy squad before missing the final cut

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2025Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had missed the final cut for the Champions Trophy, is set to play for Mumbai in their semi-final clash against Vidarbha in Nagpur. Jaiswal’s presence bolsters a Mumbai side that already has a number of other internationals in captain Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur.Dube is part of the non-travelling reserves for the Champions Trophy and will travel to Dubai if required.Related

  • Mumbai ride on Dias, Rahane, Shardul efforts to make semis

  • Jaiswal out of India's CT squad

Jasiwal was originally picked in India’s Champions Trophy squad in January before making way for mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy when the final squad was announced on February 11. Jasiwal had made his ODI debut in the first match against England, also in Nagpur, in place of Virat Kohli, who had missed that game with a knee niggle. Opening the batting with Rohit Sharma, Jaiswal scored 15 off 22 balls before Jofra Archer had him caught behind.Before joining the India squad, Jaiswal had already played a Ranji game against Jammu & Kashmir, which they lost at home. Incidentally, that fixture also marked Rohit Sharma’s return to the Ranji Trophy.Mumbai, the defending champions, could face a challenge against Vidarbha in a rematch of last season’s final. In this season, Vidarbha had dominated the group stage, winning six of their seven games – the one against Gujarat was drawn with Vidarbha coming away with first-innings points – before crushing Tamil Nadu in the quarter-finals.

Mumbai squad

Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Ayush Mhatre, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Amogh Bhatkal, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Akash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Shardul Thakur, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Mohit Avasthi, Sylvester D’Souza, Royston Dias, Atharva Ankolekar, Harsh Tanna

Rohit pleased to achieve 'first goal' at the first opportunity

“How we approached the seven games has been quite clinical – everybody put in the effort”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-20231:13

Hayden: ‘Iyer finding his feet is a big step for India’

Twenty-five days after starting their campaign, India have become the first team to qualify for the ODI World Cup semi-finals after a mammoth 302-run win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Thursday.”I’m very happy knowing we have officially qualified for the semi-finals, it’s been a good effort from the entire squad,” India captain Rohit Sharma said after India notched up their seventh win in seven games. “When we started off in Chennai, this was the first goal for us, to qualify first and then obviously, the semis and the final.”But all in all, I thought how we approached the seven games has been quite clinical. Everybody put in the effort. We wanted individuals to stand up and a lot of individuals towards these seven games put their hands up and stood up.”Related

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Rohit said that players hitting top gear augurs well for the team at the business end of the tournament. He was particularly impressed with the likes of Shreyas Iyer, who had a few low scores coming in to the game and hit a quick 82 to lift the team to 357, and Mohammed Siraj, who rattled Sri Lanka with three wickets up front. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah played their parts to ensure Sri Lanka were bowled out for 55 in under 20 overs.”Shreyas, as far as I know him, is a very strong lad, strong in his mind, and today, as you saw… he did what he is known for. And that’s what we expect from him; to take on the opposition and the bowlers,” Rohit said. “The couple of sixes he hit in his innings showed that he is there to take on that challenge in front of him. He’s been working very hard on his game and today we saw what he’s capable of.”As for Siraj, he’s a quality bowler and if he does that, it’s quite a big difference for us with the new ball. He can swing the ball, get the ball to get back in, he’s got a lot of skills when he is operating with the new ball.”

Jamie Overton's six wickets set up Surrey's perfectly judged revenge win over Yorkshire

Forties from Foakes and Hardie see visitors home to move 15 points ahead of Hampshire

David Hopps14-Jul-2022Surrey exacted satisfying revenge for their defeat against Yorkshire in the Vitality Blast quarter-final with another nerve-jangling victory, this time in the Championship, as they completed an immaculately-judged pursuit of 227 in 44 overs by four wickets with three balls to spare at North Marine Road.At 147 for 6 in the 28th over, their chase was faltering badly. But Ben Foakes’ unbeaten 42, astute from the outset, and 40 not out from the Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie on Championship debut, a committed innings which grew in authority as it progressed, brought them home with an unbroken stand of 81 in 16 overs.Hardie was thrilled at his first experience of Championship cricket. “To come here today and win was a bit of a dream,” he said. “Everything had to go perfectly to plan, and it pretty much did. Our plan was to take it deep because we knew we’d be the ones driving the game. It worked.”Surrey needed this victory to consolidate their position at the top of the Championship after Hampshire had won earlier in the day. If Hardie had departed early, they might have settled for the draw and Foakes, dropped back down to No. 7, would have been charged with organising it. But victory leaves them 15 points ahead of Hampshire with five matches remaining, Lancashire now a distant third, their hopes fading.As for Yorkshire, they had shared in a memorable struggle despite a colossal list of absentees, but their second defeat of the season (made worse by the docking of two points for a slow overrate) sends them to Taunton next week fearing they might yet be dragged into a relegation fight. They have taken every game into the final session but have not won since their opening match against Gloucestershire.A season’s best 6 for 61 for Jamie Overton, two on the previous evening, had set up the chase as Yorkshire were dismissed for 220 in their second innings despite a maiden Championship half-century for Matthew Waite. They now must wait for the ECB to confirm which, if any, players will be released for Blast Finals Day on Saturday. The clash of fixtures between England and the climax to county cricket’s biggest week of the season is unconscionable – either greedy, cynical and deliberate or greedy incompetent and lacking in empathy: take your pick.Dom Bess, after his five wickets in the first innings, bore Yorkshire’s hopes. He struck the first blow on the brink of tea, a loopy, turning delivery which drew Rory Burns down the pitch and beat the outside edge, Johnny Tattersall completing the stumping. Yorkshire entrusted the offspinner with a decisive spell, and he did little wrong, but he never asserted the control he would have wanted and finished with 1 for 105 from 18 overs.Not that they had many options. With the West Indies quick, Shannon Gabriel off the field initially because of a hip injury sustained in the field, his presence was delayed until the 20th over. In that time, Surrey lost Ryan Patel, who paid for a wind-up at Steve Patterson, and Hashim Amla, an uppercut against Jordan Thompson which flew to third man. The catcher was James Wharton, shortly after he had passed a concussion check after being struck on the helmet at short leg by Overton. Standing at short leg when Overton is swinging is nobody’s idea of fun.Related

  • Another scintillating Simon Harmer display sees Essex to emphatic win over Gloucestershire

  • Hampshire keep pressure on with sixth win of the season

  • Simon Kerrigan, Rob Keogh spin Northamptonshire to victory

Overton clubs sixes even when his bat is barely in the same postcode and Bess suffered more than once, but Thompson befuddled him with a back-of-the-hand slower ball, leaving Surrey 106 short with 20 overs remaining.Gabriel’s contribution caused a tremor, but only a short one: 2 for 18 from three overs. Jacks pulled him for six, but then fell lbw – unfortunately so as the ball struck him outside the line. There was no doubt about Jamie Smith’s dismissal as Gabriel plucked out his off stump. Short-term overseas signings face quite a task to hit the ground running, and injury problems in the second innings and 16 no balls in the match told its own story.Surrey’s assault on Bess with 43 needed from six overs shifted the match their way. Both Hardie and Foakes swept him for six. With 35 overs behind him in the first innings, and the need to pull off several goalkeeping dives off his own bowling, he was a weary, sweat-soiled figure by the time he was withdrawn from the attack with four overs remaining, but days that will hurt in the here and now will bring long-term benefit.Yorkshire had a 71-run lead banked overnight with eight second-innings wickets left. The loss of two wickets in the penultimate over the previous evening had left them vulnerable and a dank morning suggested that an inexperienced batting line-up were even more up against it. For Yorkshire supporters, it was a folded-arms sort of morning as they sat back, demanding the best but fearing the worst. They were proved right – but had to wait til after half-past six to say they’d always known as much.Only 18 overs into the day, they were 123 for 6. Surrey sensed the game was theirs – and some of their supporters wondered if they would even see it before they had to catch the 5.30 back to London. Those first four wickets fell to lbws, to four different bowlers, as Surrey bowled at the stumps, seeking a bit of seam and indifferent bounce. George Hill, dropped at cover, limped off as Overton had him lbw on the boot. There was a brief interruption for bad light but Will Fraine fell to Dan Worrall immediately on the resumption. James Wharton and Will Luxton were then caught on the crease as Tom Lawes and Hardie maintained the approach.Surrey could not be reliant on a second new ball to finish off the Yorkshire innings – by then there would have been fewer than 30 overs and a successful chase would probably have been beyond them. As Waite assembled a stand of 52 with Tattersall, the imperative for a further breakthrough was clear. Jacks had bowled only five overs of offspin in the first 58 – lightly used compared to Bess, his Yorkshire opposite number, but his first ball brought dividends as he turned one to end Tattersall’s vigil. Another lbw, this one bringing grumbles, but it seemed fair enough.Thompson unsuccessfully tried to shift the equation away from Surrey with a quick salvo, but Overton was hitting his straps for the first time in the match and he claimed Thompson and Patterson in successive balls.With the lead 193, some sort of last-wicket resistance was essential for Yorkshire and Gabriel, for all his hulking presence, came to the crease at No. 11 with a first-class average of 5.17 and a top score of 20. Waite attacked in selective fashion. He was put on his backside as he dug out an Overton yorker, but he hooked him resoundingly to reach a maiden Championship 50. They added 32, and were beginning to scent safety, when Overton had Gabriel caught at the wicket for his sixth wicket. Surrey had time – but only just.

Arshad Iqbal, Joe Clarke dazzle in PSL 2021 opener as Karachi Kings kick off title defence in emphatic manner

Iqbal picked up 3 for 16 before Clarke’s 23-ball 46 reduced the chase to a formality

Danyal Rasool20-Feb-2021Last year’s win was no fluke, and this year’s title defence is no surrender. That was the emphatic message Karachi Kings sent out not just to the hapless Quetta Gladiators, whom they thrashed by seven wickets in the inaugural PSL match of this season, but also to the rest of the teams. The Kings might have copped criticism for letting go of Mohammad Rizwan in the off season, but it was the new wicketkeeping recruit Joe Clarke who was the star of the show for Imad Wasim’s side, taking four catches and blitzing 46 off 23 balls to tear the game away from the Gladiators.The win was initially set up by the Kings bowlers – emerging player Arshad Iqbal chief among them – who punctured the Gladiators with regular wickets throughout the innings, and in the end, bowled them out for 121 in 18.2 overs.After being put in, Quetta, somewhat curiously, opened the batting with captain Sarfaraz Ahmed alongside Tom Banton rather than the more obvious option of Chris Gayle. Banton’s stay was ephemeral, falling to a low-percentage hoick in the first over. Once Gayle settled himself in, he looked the most serious outlet for a potentially match-winning total for Quetta Gladiators. However, no one kept him company, and the Jamaican himself managed more of a cameo before falling for 39 off 24. The next highest for the Gladiators was Azam Khan’s 17.Mohammad Hasnain did briefly threaten to make things interesting by removing Sharjeel Khan in a fiery first over, but a loose one from Qais Ahmed that Clarke spanked for 24, apart from three wides, removed any realistic chances of victory. Hasnain returned to remove Babar Azam midway through the innings, but by this time the Kings only needed to go through the motions to get their title defence off to a resounding start, and when the winning runs were scored, they had 37 balls to spare.Star of the day

While the Gladiators pace unit got most of the attention, with Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain and Usman Shinwari in its ranks, the Kings’ emerging quick Iqbal ended up outshining the lot. Called in to bowl with Gayle having primed himself with 18 off Aamer Yamin, Iqbal held his nerve in the opening salvo, allowing just four in the seventh over. He wasn’t called on again until Ben Cutting and Azam Khan threatened to cut loose; the pair had just taken 11 off a Wasim over.What did Iqbal do? Bowl a wicket-maiden, naturally. He varied the pace beautifully as Cutting and Azam struggled to get a read on the young bowler’s plans before Azam swatted him straight to Daniel Christian in frustration. In his next over, Iqbal sent Cutting’s leg stump cartwheeling, and dismissed Hasnain in his final over, with figures of 4-1-16-3 not flattering him in the slightest.Tom Banton watches on as he is about to be caught by Joe Clarke•AFP via Getty Images

Miss of the day
Erm, the Gladiators batsmen in general? More specifically, Banton. The Gladiators would have plumped for Banton at the auction assuming his miserable outing last year with Peshawar Zalmi was something of an anomaly. But with the young Englishman having skipped the Big Bash League this year, there’s little recent data to gauge his form, and what was on offer today might worry Gladiators.Perhaps too eager to impose himself, he smashed Wasim to cow corner off the second ball he faced, before attempting an ugly smear over midwicket to a ball he never came close to the pitch of. It went a mile up and back down to the wicketkeeper, continuing Banton’s struggles in the PSL. Whether he shakes them off could be pivotal to the Gladiators’ chances in the tournament.Honourable mention

With that boyish innocent smile, the flowing wavy hair and the easy elegant, slender high-arm action, Hasnain can be the most marketable of Pakistan’s fast bowlers once he really gets his career underway. He was at that luscious best today, even if in a losing cause, pace and swing both on offer first up that proved too hot for Sharjeel. He had Joe Clarke on toast off his first delivery, unlucky not to find either the outside edge of the bat or the stumps. Despite little support from the other end, he then dismissed Azam, too, and when he was done, he had leaked just 18 off his four overs. The Gladiators might have had a bad day, but they will have that positive to take out of it.

Australia's spin options behind Nathan Lyon 'a real issue' – Shane Warne

The offspinner has never missed a Test through injury, but it would leave a massive headache if it did happen

Andrew McGlashan24-Oct-2019Shane Warne believes the lack of cover for Nathan Lyon as Australia’s Test spinner is a “real issue” and he has been disappointed with some states not selecting a frontline spinner in the early stages of the Sheffield Shield.While Australia would not want to lose Steven Smith or Pat Cummins to injury, the loss of Lyon could be an even bigger headache given the gap that has developed between him and the rest of the options available around the country.Australia did not select a second frontline spinner for the Ashes with Jon Holland, the Victoria left-arm bowler who was in the Australia A squad, not making the cut leaving Marnus Labuschagne’s improving legspin as the next spin-bowling resource.Labuschagne is a more-than-handy option for Tim Paine to have – as he showed with the ripping leg-break to remove Jack Leach late in the Old Trafford Test – but it would be a tall order for him to be thrust into a Test as the only spinner.It is not a problem Australia have had to confront with Lyon’s impressive durability meaning he has never missed a Test through injury during a 91-match career that has brought 363 wickets, but all it would take is a fielding mishap or blow in the nets to leave a significant problem.Holland probably remains the next in line, but he was left out of Victoria’s match against Western Australia in Perth, Ashton Agar might be a candidate while Queensland’s Mitch Swepson was the second-highest wicket-taker among spinners last season but has yet to play this summer.”Luckily we have such a quality spinner in Lyon, he’s done so well in all conditions around the world, held that attack together, but if something happened to him it would be a real issue,” Warne said at Fox Cricket’s season launch. “It’s important for Australia – I’m not saying Lyon is retiring or anything, he’s got a lot more in him – that if something does happen for Australia that someone could set up.”Only four spinners other than Lyon took more than 10 wickets in the Sheffield Shield last season: South Australia’s Tom Andrews (12 at 14.50), Steve O’Keefe (20 at 27.95), Swepson (24 at 38.16) and Holland (26 at 28.15). In the first two rounds of this season’s tournament, just 18 wickets have fallen to spin. That, perhaps, is partly mitigated by there being two matches at the WACA and the Gabba but Warne said that room should be made for a frontline spinner regardless of conditions for the benefit of Australian cricket.”They should always pick a spinner, it’s disappointing if sides are not picking spinners regardless of conditions we should be encouraging spinners in all forms because they’ll learn how to bowl in different conditions. The job of Sheffield Shield sides is to make sure you are producing international cricketers, it’s not just looking after your own state. You have to make sure Australian cricket is strong and they should be picking spinners.”In terms of Australia’s side for the opening Test against Pakistan next month, Warne endorsed bringing Usman Khawaja back to open alongside David Warner and introducing Will Pucovski at No. 6. “I think it’s time we picked a good, young player in there, bit like the old Australian way. Put him in at No. 6 and he can work his way up,” he said.

Rain thwarts Warwickshire as nearest rivals close in

Olly Stone finished with seven wickets but Warwickshire face an immense task on the final day

ECB Reporters Network06-Sep-2018Warwickshire 310 and 28 for 1 lead Durham 292 (Stone 7-59) by 46 runs
ScorecardWarwickshire’s attempt to press for victory were thwarted by the weather on day three of their Specsavers County Championship match against Durham at Edgbaston.After heading into lunch on 28 for one, a lead of 46, rain started towards the end of the interval and continued throughout the day.The umpires did see an improvement as a 3.20pm inspection was called, but the weather deteriorated and no further play was possible meaning 70 overs in total had been lost.That will surely cause frustration for Warwickshire as promotion rivals Sussex have already won and Kent sit in a strong position again Northants.Jeetan Patel’s side must now bat aggressively in the morning to set-up a Durham run chase and unlikely victory with only 96 overs available on the final day.The day started under blue skies with the visitors resuming on 224 for 7, 86 behind.Olly Stone immediately exposed the tail by bowling Paul Collingwood first ball of the morning for 38, but any Warwickshire expectation of a sizeable first innings lead diminished as Barry McCarthy and Salisbury put on a resolute 42 between them.McCarthy was eventually dismissed, trapped lbw to Chris Wright for 43, but Durham were buoyed as they made inroads to the first innings total set.Chris Rushworth, the last man in, supported Salisbury in another valuable 26-run partnership before Stone struck with his seventh wicket to remove the stubborn number ten, who’d made a career-best 38, and bowl Durham out for 292.With conditions darkening, the Bears faced eleven overs before the interval and they saw opener Will Rhodes trapped lbw by Rushworth for 16.

Gunathilaka, Dickwella thrash Zimbabwe

Sri Lanka’s openers put on 229 and hit their maiden ODI hundreds in the same match as they hacked down a 300+ target more than two overs to spare

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Jul-2017
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDanushka Gunathilaka was named Man of the Match for his maiden ODI hundred•AFP

Mathews fined for slow over rate

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has been fined 20% of his match fee, and his team 10%, for being found one over short of their target during the third ODI against Zimbabwe. If Sri Lanka, under Mathews, commit another over-rates breach within the next 12 months, Mathews will face a suspension.
This is Sri Lanka’s second over-rates offence in six matches. Acting captain Upul Tharanga had been suspended for two games after the team was found to be four overs short of their target in a Champions Trophy match last month.
On this occasion, Mathews pleaded guilty to the charge, so no formal hearing was required.

A score of over 300 used to be safe in Sri Lanka. Before Friday, chasing sides had attempted to run down scores of over 300 on 32 occasions, and failed every time. Now, in the space of a week, two such scores have been hunted down with ease – Sri Lanka today overhauling Zimbabwe’s 310 for 8 with eight wickets in hand and 16 balls remaining, without ever really appearing to extend themselves.Leading the pursuit today were Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka – two first-time centurions – who, in a searing opening partnership that yielded 229 runs, left Sri Lanka in such an ascendant state that the remaining 82 runs almost seemed a formality.Dickwella, forever slinking around his crease, scored well over half his runs behind the wicket, playing sweeps, cuts, dabs and scoops aplenty. Gunathilaka, meanwhile, stood tall in his crease, and played an array of regal drives and disdainful pulls. Having trailed Dickwella for much of the innings, he would finish with 116 runs off 111 balls. Dickwella made 102 off 116 deliveries. Upul Tharanga and Kusal Mendis saw the chase home with little drama – Tharanga making 44 not out, to go with his two unbeaten fifties previously in the series.That the hosts were chasing so many was thanks to a rollicking fifth ODI century from Hamilton Masakadza, which was followed by a rapid finish from Sikandar Raza and Peter Moor during a Zimbabwe innings in which even Lasith Malinga found himself besieged. Masakadza’s 127-run second-wicket stand with Tarisai Musakanda – playing this match in place of Ryan Burl, who was admitted to hospital after aggravating a food allergy – formed the spine of Zimbabwe’s innings, with Sean Williams also making a handy contribution.Zimbabwe’s own bowlers would soon themselves falter, thanks to the challenges of playing at this venue. Not only did the pitch offer little for seamers, such turn as it afforded spinners was slow and unthreatening, while Hambantota’s lively crosswind complicated their quarry further. It also did not help that Zimbabwe dropped four catches, the costliest of which was the grassing of Dickwella at point, off the bowling of Williams, when the batsman had been on 64.Neither team’s bowlers emerged with much credit. Malcolm Waller was Zimbabwe’s best – his tidy offspin accounting for the partnership-breaking wicket of Dickwella. Asela Gunaratne had earlier returned 2 for 53 from 10 overs, which turned out to be the best figures in the game. Malinga’s figures were blown out by a 17-run final over, and he ended with 1 for 71 off nine overs. Lakshan Sandakan’s 1 for 73 off ten did not make for pretty reading either.Dickwella and Gunathilaka were immediately belligerent. Dickwella slapped the first ball of the innings – delivered by Carl Mumba – behind point for four, before Gunathilaka cracked two fours apiece off Mumba and Chatara in the second and third overs. It was a track on which very little sideways movement could be gleaned, and the bounce could be completely trusted. After five overs, Sri Lanka were flying, at 36 for none. After 10, with 11 fours between the openers, they were 69 for none. After 15 overs, they were 101… and well… you get the idea – the chase was almost velvet-smooth.The only major hiccups were in Williams’ first over. Dickwella reverse-swept a ball straight to point, who dropped it, before Gunathilaka briefly left his crease only for Peter Moor to fumble the ball and miss a very difficult stumping chance. But neither batsman appeared flustered at any stage. Dickwella got to his hundred in the 33rd over, and Gunathilaka in the 36th. They were out within six balls of each other, but the chase would pass to good hands.Earlier, Masakadza had also been domineering from the outset, establishing a strike rate of better than 100 in the Powerplay, and maintaining it throughout. Both he and Musakanda appeared at ease during their big second-wicket stand. Sri Lanka’s bowlers raised a few lbw appeals, but they largely came against the run of play, rather than as a result of sustained pressure. Musakanda did not advance quite as quickly as Masakadza, but still received enough loose deliveries to stroke into a favoured legside. Masakadza, meanwhile, hit his first fifty off 47 balls, then sped up, needing only 36 further deliveries to move into triple figures.Wanidu Hasaranga and Gunaratne struck through the middle overs to keep Zimbabwe in check, but they batted deep enough to prosper in the slog overs nonetheless. Raza and Moor hit twenties to plunder 47 off the last four overs, but even a Zimbabwe innings as good as this could not prevent Sri Lanka from taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

Hampshire opening stand revives batting spirit

Hampshire took advantage when their desire to bat first was granted by Durham’s acting captain, Mark Stoneman, in pleasant conditions at Chester-le-Street.

ECB Reporters Network03-Jul-2016
ScorecardJimmy Adams led the way in an improved Hampshire display•Getty Images

Hampshire took advantage when their desire to bat first was granted by Durham’s acting captain, Mark Stoneman, in pleasant conditions at Chester-le-Street.With the top five all passing 40, the visitors built on an opening stand of 160 to reach 319 for 6 at the close of the first day.After Jimmy Adams led the way with 86 greater riches were promised when Michael Carberry and the recalled Adam Wheater were putting on 73 in 15 overs for the fourth wicket.They took 28 off the first five overs with the new ball, only to depart in quick succession.Having played himself in carefully in his new role at No. 4, Carberry moved impressively through the gears to reach 48 before he shaped to pull Graham Onions from outside off and bottom-edged into his stumps.A straight drive by Wheater gave him his seventh four and took him to 44 off 40 balls. But his attacking instincts left him in no position to deal with some skiddy extra pace as Barry McCarthy’s next ball pinned him lbw.McCarthy, who will shortly be on Ireland duty again in the one-day series against Afghanistan, shared the second new ball in the absence of Chris Rushworth.After bowling 16 of the first 40 overs as Durham desperately sought a breakthrough Rushworth was off the field for the rest of the day.He conceded only 30 runs and beat both openers several times, although the greatest scares came in the first four balls.Jimmy Adams, sent back when almost halfway down the pitch after Will Smith played to midwicket, would have been out had the throw throw hit the stumps. Then Smith went perilously close to playing on.Adams drove nicely through the off side and had a couple of leg glances among the eight fours in his 76-ball half-century.Smith needed 121 balls to reach his 50 and continued to leave the many balls wide of off stump before nibbling at one which left him in Keaton Jennings’ second over of gentle medium pace.Smith was caught behind for 67 and Adams drove a head-high catch to Jennings at midwicket off McCarthy.
Tom Alsop played well for 40 before offspinner Ryan Pringle hurried one through to have him lbw to bring in Wheater, who twice reverse-swept Pringle to the boundary.Jennings, deputising at first slip for the injured Paul Collingwood for much of the day, clung on at the second attempt late in the day to remove Ryan McLaren, giving Paul Coughlin a wicket in his first Championship appearance of the season.

Sangakkara and Davies flay Glamorgan

A sizeable crowd had turned up at The Swalec Stadium to see Kevin Pietersen’s return to first-class cricket in his bid to regain his place in England’s Test team, but instead they were treated to fine hundreds from Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies

Press Association19-Apr-2015
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara acknowledges his hundred•Getty Images

A sizeable crowd had turned up at The Swalec Stadium to see Kevin Pietersen’s return to first-class cricket in his bid to regain his place in England’s Test team, but instead they were treated to fine hundreds from Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies.Pietersen, playing his first County Championship for two years, was at the crease for just 37 minutes as he made 19 before edging Craig Meschede to slip. The remainder of the first day’s play belonged to Sangakkara, who was making his debut for Surrey and from his first ball, appeared determined to celebrate the occasion with a big score.Coming to the crease on the back of four consecutive centuries in the World Cup and 45 in the game Sri Lanka were eliminated, he played every ball on its merit and was soon piercing the off side with some trademark strokes. He reached fifty from 83 balls, and went on score a century that had felt inevitable from 162 deliveries which included a six and 14 fours.After Pietersen’s dismissal, ending a brief partnership which provided more than 41,000 international runs at the crease, Sangakarra was well supported by Davies with the left-handed combination sharing an unbroken partnership of 213 for the fourth wicket. Davies, one of four wicketkeepers in the Surrey team also appeared in prime form and shortly before the close reached his century from 154 balls with fifteen boundaries.Earlier, Gareth Batty had won the toss and had no hesitation of batting on a placid pitch that gave the Glamorgan bowlers no assistance whatsoever. Zafar Ansari and Rory Burns launched the innings with an opening partnership of 104, before Burns was caught behind off Graham Wagg shortly before lunch.Ansari departed after the interval, and Pietersen did not stay for long, but thereafter there was no respite for the Glamorgan attack as Sangakkara held centre stage.Meschede obviously enjoys bowling at famous batsmen – his first victim in first-class cricket was Sachin Tendulkar, and the Somerset allrounder, who is on a season’s loan to Glamorgan was overjoyed at another notable scalp.”It’s nice to get a big scalp under my name but my first first-class wicket was Sachin Tendulkar – so I’d have to say he is my number two!” Meschede said. “It was nice to get him with a nibbly one on a flattish wicket.”He was getting quite agitated and tried to move across, but I kept my same line and it worked. But he likes to play in an attacking way and it has worked for him in the past. He’s a fantastic player and he had a lot to prove today but I’m sure he’ll bounce back.”

Warne tells Lyon to stick with basics

Shane Warne has urged Nathan Lyon to simply focus on his stock ball rather than worrying about developing any new tricks as he aims to lock in his place as Australia’s long-term Test spinner

Brydon Coverdale23-Oct-2012Shane Warne has urged Nathan Lyon to simply focus on his stock ball rather than worrying about developing any new tricks as he aims to lock in his place as Australia’s long-term Test spinner. And Warne said a potentially serious shoulder injury to the Victoria left-arm spinner Jon Holland, who he expected to be picked for next year’s Ashes tour, could be a big blow as Australian cricket would need Holland as well as Lyon going forward.Warne, who was at the MCG for his first net session since being named as captain of the Melbourne Stars, said there should be no question that Australia would play a spinner in the first Test against South Africa in Brisbane. The Gabba was Warne’s most successful ground as a Test spinner – he took 68 wickets there at 20.30 – but the seam-friendly nature of Sheffield Shield pitches at the venue often makes four fast men a tempting option for selectors.However, Australia’s desire not to ask too much of its young fast men, combined with the fact that Lyon picked up seven wickets in his only Gabba Test, against New Zealand last year, means he will almost certainly play. Lyon is trying to regain his form in the Sheffield Shield after a disappointing Australia A tour of England this year and Warne believes Lyon, who conceded he had struggled with the avalanche of advice he had received over the past year, should go back to basics.”Graeme Swann does okay [with only] the offbreak and the straight one. I think Nathan Lyon has done very well too,” Warne said. “I think if he can just concentrate on his offbreak and the straight one I’m sure he’ll be fine.”For Nathan it’s just to keep doing well. As a spinner, all you want to do is bowl well. Don’t try too much stuff, just bowl well, and over a period of time you’ll have better games than not. Keep spinning his offbreak, the odd straight one, think about the game pretty well, contribute to the team and that’s it.”Warne believed Lyon and Holland could both play roles for Australia in future and he said he had very impressed with what he saw of Holland last year, when they were both on the Stars roster. Holland had been mentioned by the national selector John Inverarity as one of the two best spinners in the country last week, only to suffer a shoulder injury while fielding in club cricket at the weekend.Holland was due to find out his prognosis after seeing a specialist on Tuesday, but there were strong fears within the Victoria camp that he would need a second shoulder reconstruction, having had one in 2010. Warne said Holland, who usually concentrates on a stock finger-spinner with subtle variations in pace and flight, was the kind of bowler who could provide value to Australia’s Test team.”Jon Holland is a big loss,” Warne said. “I had him pencilled in about 12 or 18 months ago that him and Nathan Lyon would be on the Ashes next year and I was hopeful that both of them would play, especially for the balance of the team when you’ve got guys like Watson, Mitchell Marsh who can play as allrounders, you can play two spinners and one or two other quicks.”It’s a real big loss to lose Dutchy. He’s really improved. I loved working with him last year. We worked on the mindset of bowling, how to approach bowling, and I think he really developed. He had a good finish to last year and he’s been bowling really well. I really feel for Dutch and hopefully he’ll be back as quick as possible because I really think Australian cricket needs him.”

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