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Tim Bresnan has declared his Test ambitions after his impressive performance in England’s seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the fourth ODI in Port Elizabeth.

Cricinfo staff01-Dec-2009Tim Bresnan has declared his Test ambitions following his impressive performance in England’s seven-wicket victory over South Africa during the fourth ODI in Port Elizabeth. He displayed control and hostility to take 1 for 15 in eight overs and help England to an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the series.Despite making his Test debut against West Indies earlier in the year, when he filled in for the injured Andrew Flintoff, Bresnan was not included in the Test squad to face South Africa. Instead Luke Wright and Liam Plunkett were selected as England try to find an allrounder for the No. 7 spot. Bresnan admits he wanted to be on the tour but feels he can earn back his Test place.”I’m a little bit disappointed,” he told reporters in Durban. “I don’t label myself as just a one-day cricketer. I want to be in the Test team – it’s the height of cricket, as far up as you can go. But I’ve just got to work my way into that.”Having made his ODI debut almost three years ago, success has been a long time coming for Bresnan. Back then he was given a harsh lesson by the touring Sri Lankans – he took two wickets and conceded 169 runs at 6.76 in his four matches – but he feels a different cricketer from the one who struggled to make an impact.”I’m more confident as a cricketer. Back then, I was like … ‘Should I be here, do I deserve to be – am I good enough?’ Now I think ‘Yeah, damn right I am. I’ll show you what I’ve got and get you out – rather than just try to keep this on the island’.”Now 24, Bresnan has grown into his role as a back-up bowler to James Anderson and Stuart Broad and has contributed useful runs down the order too, most notably a composed 80 that salvaged England’s innings after they collapsed in the semi-final defeat to Australia in the Champions Trophy.”I’m relaxed and enjoying my cricket, and feeling good. That’s pretty much how I operate for Yorkshire. It’s just taken me a while to transfer that into an England shirt. There’s a little bit more pressure obviously, and about 20,000 more people [in the crowd] as well. But you’ve just got to put all that aside and concentrate on what you’ve got to do.”

The visitors, who made five changes heading into the Test, were bowled out for 157 on the first evening

Ashish Pant02-Jan-2025It had taken Zimbabwe 197 overs and over two days to take ten Afghanistan wickets in the opening Test. A few days later, at the same venue, Zimbabwe required just 44.3 overs and less than two sessions to bowl Afghanistan out for 157, and take early control of the second Test in Bulawayo.Newman Nyamhuri and Sikandar Raza picked three wickets apiece while Blessing Muzarabani got two as none of the Afghanistan batters managed to build on starts. In reply, the Zimbabwe openers Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie had a tricky three overs to face which they eventually survived.The conditions were very different at the start of the opening day, with persistent rain greeting the two teams, and the toss delayed by close to four hours.When the conditions improved, Craig Ervine had no hesitation in bowling first on what his opposite number Hashmatullah Shahidi described as a “spicy pitch”. Zimbabwe made two changes to their playing XI from the first Test, bringing in Richard Ngarava and Raza, while Afghanistan made five changes to their side. That included them handing Test debuts to Fareed Ahmad, Riaz Hassan and Ismat Alam.The Bulawayo pitch had a green tinge to it, but Muzarabani and Ngarava failed to extract much movement largely due to them being on the shorter side. The Afghanistan openers Abdul Malik and Riaz largely looked unhurried, and managed just 25 runs in the first ten overs.Blessing Muzarabani got two wickets•Zimbabwe Cricket

But a moment of brilliance in the field gave the hosts the opening. Riaz pushed a full delivery from Ngarava to the right of point, and set off for a single, only to be sent back by Malik quite late. Riaz, who was almost halfway down the pitch, scurried back, but Bennett sprinted to his right, picked up the ball with one hand, and in one swift motion smashed the stumps at the striker’s end to catch the batter short.In the next over, Nyamhuri got a short-of-a-length ball to rear up sharply, thus catching Malik’s gloves through to the wicketkeeper.Shahidi and Rahmat Shah, who had stitched a record stand in the opening Test, then looked to arrest the slide. Shahidi began with a fierce cut off Muzarabani over backward point while Rahmat also got off the mark with a four, albeit a streaky one past the wicketkeeper’s left.Rahmat then struck two more fours off Muzarabani, but got a reprieve when he got a thick outside edge off Ngarava to Dion Myers, who spilled a relatively comfortable catch at gully. Thus, Shahidi and Rahmat moved to lunch unbeaten.But it did not take Zimbabwe long to strike after the break, with 18-year-old Nyamhuri once again getting into the act by squaring Shahidi up, and trapping him bang in front of the stumps for 13. Afsar Zazai, another centurion from the first Test, then came in and immediately found his bearings.But it was Raza’s introduction into the attack which brought about Afghanistan’s downfall. He varied his pace brilliantly, bowled wicket-to-wicket lines, and had both Rahmat and Zazai second-guessing. Nyamhuri also stuck to a plan, and induced multiple outside edges before Raza orchestrated a collapse.Ben Curran and Joylord Gumbie survived a tricky 20-minute burst before stumps•Zimbabwe Cricket

Rahmat, unable to get Raza away, tried to unsettle him by trying a cheeky lap sweep. But Raza fired the ball in on middle, and Rahmat missed it to see his leg stump pegged back. Ngarava then got rid of Zazai with a snorter before Raza cleaned debutant Alam up with a yorker as Afghanistan slipped from 81 for 3 to 84 for 6 in the space of ten balls.Rashid Khan unfurled a number of strokes as soon as he walked in by spanking Raza for three back-to-back cover drives. Shahidullah also got his first boundary away via a wristy flick. Muzarabani, who was wayward all day, finally got the ball to land on a channel outside off and induced a thin edge off Shahidullah’s blade through to the wicketkeeper. Rashid then failed to keep a short and wide delivery off Muzarabani down, with deep point taking an easy catch.When Raza cleaned Yamin Ahmadzai up for his third wicket, the end was nigh for the visitors. But Zia-ur-Rehman and Fareed added a run-a-ball 27 for the final wicket, with debutant Fareed smashing a four and a six in his 19-ball 17 to take Afghanistan past 150.The Zimbabwe openers survived a tricky 20-minute burst from Afghanistan, and will want to wipe off the deficit early on day two. Rain and a wet outfield allowed only 47.3 overs to be bowled on the opening day, but the Test has already moved on at a rapid pace.

BCB official says Tanzim “takes full responsibility” for the posts, and the board will monitor him going forward

Mohammad Isam19-Sep-2023Bangladesh quick Tanzim Hasan has had to apologise to the BCB for a number of offensive Facebook posts from the past, which resurfaced after his international debut at the Asia Cup last week. Some of the posts date back to 2014, and BCB cricket operations chair Jalal Yunus said Tanzim was repentant about his posts and took full responsibility for them.At least four posts, which are now deleted, became viral shortly after his ODI debut against India on September 15, when he picked up wickets in a Bangladesh win.In a Facebook post from September 2022, he wrote in Bangla: “A working woman will not allow her husband or children to have their way with her; she loses her charm, destroys her family, her purdah, and the society.”In April this year, Tanzim, now 20, shared a photo, purported to be from 1954, of a burqa-clad woman travelling in a rickshaw, possibly with her family, and called it the “golden past”.In another post (date unknown), Tanzim wrote: “If you marry a girl who mingles freely in the university, you can’t get your child a demure mother.”In 2014, when he was 11 or so, Tanzim had shared a post about not celebrating Bangladesh’s Victory Day, which is on December 16.The posts were reshared in the last four days and became a topic of discussion on social media and television news and shows in Bangladesh. Women’s right activists, writers and journalists criticised Tanzim for his posts.Yunus, who is also a BCB director, said that he spoke to Tanzim about the matter on Monday.”The cricket operations committee spoke to Tanzim Sakib on behalf of the Bangladesh Cricket Board,” Yunus said at a press conference at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday. “The media committee also got in touch with him. We informed Tanzim about the discussions surrounding his Facebook posts. He said that he didn’t write those posts to hurt anyone. He wrote it for himself, not targeting anyone. If those posts have hurt anyone’s feelings, he said he was sorry.”He said that the posts he has made about women, he takes full responsibility. He said that he is not a misogynist. We have warned him that if he posts something on Facebook in the future, the BCB will monitor him.”We are keeping an eye on this area [his mindset]. We will monitor him. His family is concerned too. They didn’t expect such a situation. They are also sorry. We have given him a warning because he is a young player, and a World Cup is ahead. If he does something like this again, we will take action against him. If there’s a [psychological] problem, we will provide support.”

Sophie Luff hits 95 but Stars captain leads the way with bat and ball

ECB Reporters Network23-Jul-2022Alice Davidson-Richards produced a brilliant all-round performance to inspire South East Stars to a 36-run victory over Western Storm in an entertaining Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy encounter at Cheltenham.Davidson-Richards made 50 with the bat and then weighed in with 4 for 33 with the ball to ensure Stars maintain their pursuit of frontrunners Southern Vipers and Northern Diamonds.Chloe Brewer top-scored with 61 and Rhianna Southby hit 54 as Stars posted a formidable 283-8 after winning the toss, while offspinner Chloe Skelton took competition-best figures of 5 for 54 to keep Storm in the hunt.Sophie Luff and Alex Griffiths made a decent fist of chasing, scoring 95 and 48 respectively in staging a stand of 102 for the second wicket, but Davidson-Richards took key wickets and Alexa Stonehouse returned figures of 3 for 27 as Storm were dismissed for 247 in 48 overs, Stars holding their nerve to see the game out with something to spare.Stars elected to bat and, thanks to Brewer’s initiative, commenced their innings in T20 mode. Playing on the front foot, Brewer succeeded in knocking Storm new-ball stalwart Lauren Filer off her length and putting the home side under immediate pressure.Sophie Luff led from the front•Getty Images

Danielle Gibson had Kirstie White held at slip for 11 in the fifth over, but Brewer was already out of the traps and in full flight, having quickly worked out how to use the College Ground slope to her advantage. Cutting and driving with impunity, the 20-year-old opener raced to a 36-ball 50 as Stars made the most of the fielding restrictions to post 70 from 10 overs. Having set an aggressive tone to raise 61 from 53 balls and garner nine fours, Brewer chanced her arm once too often, miss-timing a drive off Skelton and skying a catch to mid-off, where Gibson took a tricky catch over her shoulder.Storm breathed a sigh of relief and sought to restore order by deploying spin at both ends, Skelton and Sophia Smale at least succeeding in controlling the run rate where seam had failed. Encouraged by her earlier success, Skelton made further inroads, inducing Kira Chathli to drive expansively and hole out to Fi Morris at mid-on for 14.But Davidson-Richards was already displaying immaculate timing and striking the ball cleanly and her alliance with Phoebe Franklin, who adopted the role of chief support in a progressive stand of 56 in 11 overs for the fourth wicket, ensured Stars reached halfway on 144-3 to regain the upper hand.One of four spinners who sent down 32 overs between them for Storm, Morris removed Franklin in the 28th over, the Kent right-hander miss-cuing a drive and offering a catch to the ubiquitous Skelton at mid-off, having contributed a handy 29 from 37 balls. Davidson-Richards went to 50 via 64 balls, with five boundaries, and was looking to bat long when she inexplicably attempted a reverse sweep against Claire NIcholas and was held at backward point.Katie George kept things tight during seven overs from the Chapel End, but Stars again broke loose from any attempt to shackle them, Southby and Lauren Smith wresting back the initiative in an exhilarating stand of 57 in 44 balls for the sixth wicket. Southby demonstrated excellent placement in scoring at a run a ball and she and Australian Smith ran frantically between the wickets to put the fielding side under intense pressure.Southby raised 50 in the grand manner, hoisting a delivery from Gibson over the square leg boundary to register the only six of the innings. She had harvested 54 from 52 balls and accrued 5 fours and a six when she hit the returning Skelton to mid-on with the score on 247. Skelton accounted for Smith and Alexa Stonehouse in quick succession, taking three wickets in five balls to register her first five-wicket haul in the competition, but the damage had already been done.Related

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Constrained by Stonehouse, who sent down five overs for nine runs and clean bowled Nat Wraith for four, Storm battled to 48-1 by the end of the 10-over powerplay. Setting their stall out to bat long, Luff and Griffiths advanced their partnership to 50 from 65 balls, found modest acceleration to raise a three-figure stand from a further 57 deliveries and demonstrated impressive footwork to deal with the threat posed by Danielle Gregory’s legspin.Luff reached 50 from 66 balls and Griffiths, having hewn 48 from 79 deliveries, looked a sure bet to emulate her when she top-edged a drive and was caught at the wicket off the bowling of Davidson-Richards in the 27th over with 123 on the board.The required rate was already above seven an over when new batter Fran Wilson smacked Davidson-Richards straight to midwicket and departed for 15, and Franklin made Storm’s task even more difficult by removing George for 16 in the 38th over. Morris was bowled by Eva Gray in the next over, at which point Storm were 183 for 5 and in need of inspiration.Chasing 86 to win off the last 10 overs, Storm suffered a further blow when the returning Stonehouse bowled Gibson for 9, while Smale was adjudged lbw to Ryana Macdonald-Gay as Stars turned the screw.Lauren Filer elected to throw caution to the wind, scoring at better than a run a ball to put the visitors under pressure, but Luff’s brave pursuit of victory ended when she was bowled by Stonehouse, having made 95 from 119 balls, with 11 fours. And with the captain, went Storm’s last chance.

New Zealand will be without Kane Williamson and Trent Boult among others, as Bangladesh look for turnaround

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2021

Big Picture

Bangladesh will hope a change of format can bring a change in their fortunes in New Zealand after they were swept 3-0 in the ODIs. The three-match T20I series begins in Hamilton on Sunday afternoon, with the home side likely to present a very new look.New Zealand will be without their regular captain Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert, who have all been rested to prepare for a grueling IPL schedule. But they will have the experienced Tim Southee, who is leading the side in Williamson’s absence, as well as Martin Guptill and Ish Sodhi.Bangladesh too are in a similar situation now that they are without Tamim Iqbal, who is not available due to personal reasons. Already without Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s squad has only Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah as experienced players. They will be hopeful that Mohammad Mithun can continue his good form from the ODI series, while Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar can recover from the lean patch. Bangladesh have the likes of Mohammad Naim, Mosaddek Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Afif Hossain among the young batsmen who didn’t play the ODIs.Their bowling has also looked sharp at times, particularly pacer Taskin Ahmed and offspinners Mahedi Hasan and Mehidy Hasan Miraz. But Mustafizur Rahman wasn’t his old self during the ODIs, while Rubel Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin and Hasan Mahmud played only one game each.Bangladesh, however, will be most worried about their fielding. They dropped five catches in the second and the third ODIs, while looking lackluster at the back-end of both matches.New Zealand are a much better fielding side by comparison, and with the injection of newcomers, can expect the standard to rise a bit more. Finn Allen is the most exciting of all the youngsters after his productive Super Smash tournament earlier in the season. Fireworks will also be expected from Guptill, Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman, who will be batting in the top five.Southee will have Hamish Bennett, Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne in his pace attack. Legspinners Sodhi and Todd Astle will also be wicket-taking options for the home side.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches)
New Zealand WLLWW
Bangladesh WWLLLTaskin Ahmed has been Bangladesh’s most impressive bowler on the tour•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Daryl Mitchell has given a major glimpse into his capabilities with a breathtaking century in the third ODI against Bangladesh. He can be termed as a 360 degree batsman and a bowler who can be relied upon in critical situations.Taskin Ahmed has been Bangladesh’s most impressive bowler on the tour. He is fitter and tougher, especially mentally, but will need wickets to spruce up his return to the national side.

Team news

Adam Milne and Todd Astle look likely to start the series for New Zealand. Daryl Mitchell could continue on his ODI role in the T20I side as well, particularly after his maiden ODI hundred in the previous innings.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Finn Allen, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Mark Chapman, 6 Will Young, 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Todd Astle, 9 Tim Southee (capt), 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Adam MilneFor Bangladesh, pace bowler Hasan Mahmud will be returning home having not regained fitness in time for the T20Is. He has not trained or played due to a stiff back following the first ODI in Dunedin. Thus, they may field a similar XI to the last two ODIs, with the addition of Mohammad Naim – who could replace Tamim Iqbal – and Mohammad Saifuddin being the only likely changes.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Mohammad Mithun, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Seddon Park usually dishes out flat batting pitches, with the side batting first averaging 183 in T20I internationals. But during the 2020-21 Super Smash, that figure has come down to around 140. Despite that, mostly dry conditions on Sunday means it is expected to be a big-hitting affair in Hamilton.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh’s lowest total in any format in New Zealand was 78 all out at Seddon Park in 2010.
• New Zealand newcomer Finn Allen hit 25 sixes in this season’s Super Smash.

Quotes

“We have played a lot of T20 cricket this summer, so the guys know how to chop and change pretty quickly these days. It should be good fun.”

Jordan insists focus is on New Zealand series, not next year’s T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2019Chris Jordan hopes that England’s fringe players can give the selectors as many “headaches” as possible during their five-match T20I series against New Zealand.With Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali among the bowling options rested from the series, there are opportunities for young seamers Saqib Mahmood, Pat Brown and Sam Curran, as well as legspinner Matt Parkinson, to prove their worth in international colours.Anything that makes English cricket stronger makes the team stronger and it keeps everyone on top of their game,” Jordan told PA. “The more guys that we can have pushing for selection, the more headaches we can give selectors.”We’ve added a wealth of young talent to the squad which brings in some good energy. It’s an opportunity for everyone. I’ll have to continue to improve myself and stay on top of my game.”Jordan has underwhelmed in T20s this year, conceding more than nine runs per over in the Pakistan Super League, the Blast and the Caribbean Premier League, and insisted he is not getting ahead of himself.”I might be considered a senior player with my experience,” he said, “but I’m always looking to learn off any player whether they’re old or young.”I try to keep my standards as high as possible and try to give my all every day, whether it be in training or a game, so that won’t change.”It’s nice [to be in the squad] but nothing that’s taken for granted at all.”The upcoming series is the first step for England on the road towards the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, but Jordan said the tournament was far enough away that it was not in his thoughts.”Obviously the World Cup is a nice little carrot at the end of that few months but it will be one game at a time,” he said.”If you get too far ahead of yourself, you’re not actually concentrating on what’s in front of you on the day. You can’t build those good habits and that momentum.”Jordan took 1 for 22 from his three overs in England’s first warm-up game on Sunday, though found himself in an unfamiliar role. While Jordan is generally used as a death bowler, captain Eoin Morgan preferred Mahmood, Brown and Adil Rashid in the final four overs.

Sam Robson. Remember him on the list of former England openers? He has just made his first century of the season

ECB Reporters Network18-Sep-20181:55

Yorkshire edge towards safety

ScorecardSam Robson’s first century of the season saw Middlesex get the better of the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match with Derbyshire at Lord’s.The former England opener ended a run drought with 134 – becoming Middlesex’s first century maker since May 6.Max Holden (96 not out) was also closing in on a first century in Middlesex colours as the hosts finished an enthralling day at 350 for 8, only the second time this season they have realised a fourth batting point.But late in the day veteran seamer Tony Palladino (4-66) bowled the visitors back into contention with a spell of 4- for 3 in 15 balls.Given Middlesex’s struggles with the bat this season it was no surprise to see them stuck in under cloudy skies for the sixth time in seven red-ball games at HQ this season.Understandably then it was a nervy start – 20 balls and the odd play and miss passed before the first run clicked up on the board.Robson broke the shackles with two fours in an over off Palladino – the second boundary appearing to lift a season-load of weight from his shoulders as thereafter he settled down to play with increasing assurance.At the other end, left-hander Nick Gubbins found life more of a struggle, a spate of cameos having left him short of confidence.Nevertheless, the pair compiled only their third half-century opening stand of the season, reaching 64 before Hardus Viljoen made the breakthrough trapping Gubbins lbw.Sam Robson eases one through the covers•Getty Images

It would be the visitors’ only wicket of the morning session as Robson moved smoothly to 50 off 83 balls with nine boundaries, ably supported by Stevie Eskinazi who had the honour of receiving his county cap at the start of the lunch interval.There would be no 50 to accompany the honour, the South African-born wicketkeeper/batsman falling for 35, lbw to spinner Matthew Critchley.Skipper Dawid Malan was next to go, a skittish innings of 16 ending when he aimed an ill-advised hook at Viljoen, the ball arrowing its way to the safe hands of Luis Reece at long-leg.His dismissal more often than not this season would have heralded a collapse, but youngster Holden came in and looked composed from his first ball and as a result he and Robson regained the initiative.Robson’s hundred arrived courtesy of a single to mid-on in the last over before tea, the applause from the Middlesex faithful seeing him raise his bat in delight and relief in equal measure.The pair played with increasing authority at the start of the final session, raising the 250 – a figure reached only once previously in the first innings by the Lord’s tenants this season.The century stand came at almost a run a minute and Holden’s 50 arrived shortly afterwards complete with six boundaries.The dizzy heights of 300 were in sight when Palladino new ball in hand changed the complexion of the day. A devastating spell began when he found the edge of Robson’s bat ending an otherwise chanceless innings and a stand of 132. Tail-up Palladino struck again with his next ball, new man Robbie White get a thinner edge to Gary Wilson at first slip.James Harris survived the hat-trick ball only to depart in Palladino’s next over, trapped on the back foot.The hosts had subsided from 298-3 to 304-6 but Palladino wasn’t finished yet, getting another lbw shout upheld to remove Martin Andersson.
With the ball now doing plenty Holden was given a life when Wilson shelled a chance at first slip off Lockie Ferguson.That scare survived, Middlesex briefly steadied the ship until James Fuller, having just hit Ferguson for six top-edged the next ball down to Critchley at third man.Ethan Bamber though helped raise the 350 and kept alive hopes of a Holden century in the morning.

Luke Fletcher ‘feels lucky to be here’ after his blow on the head while bowling in the NatWest Blast and he fears he may not be the last to be injured in this way

George Dobell12-Jul-20172:35

‘I’m lucky to be here’ – Luke Fletcher

Luke Fletcher feels “lucky to be here” after sustaining a ferocious blow to the head during Saturday’s T20 Blast match at Edgbaston.Fletcher, the Nottinghamshire seamer, sustained the injury when his first ball of the match was struck back at him by Birmingham batsman, Sam Hain and hit him on top of the head.While Fletcher didn’t lose consciousness, subsequent scans showed bruising and a small bleed on the brain with a decision taken to rest him for the remainder of the season. He will have a further MRI scan in the coming days to assess his recovery and currently sports a cut held together by eight stitches under the hairline.But while he is naturally disappointed to miss the rest of the season – Nottinghamshire are well-placed to push for promotion and are among the favourites in the Blast – and frustrated at being told he must not drive a car, he accepts his is a story that could have had a far more serious ending.Indeed, he has warned that something similar “will happen again” and said that, at Notts, the bowlers no longer take-part in net sessions with batsmen to avoid such injuries.”I’m really lucky to be here now and speaking to you today,” he said. “The doctors said I pretty much dodged a bullet. A few inches to the left or right and it could have been a completely different story. If it had hit the temple or straight in the face then…. I don’t really want to think about what may have happened.”In a weird way, I suppose I’ve been lucky. It’s hit me on a part of the brain or skull that the surgeon said you don’t use much.”He remembers every moment of the incident. And, having not seen the ball hit back at him – his head was down as he completed his delivery stride – or felt much pain, it was only when he saw the reaction of his teammates and then saw footage of the moment of impact that he started to realise how serious the episode was.”I remember letting go of the ball and I could see that Hain backed away,” he said. “The next thing I remember being hit on the head and thinking ‘I may be in a bit of bother here.’ I didn’t see the ball one bit. I just felt it.”When it hit me I went down and was waiting to go unconscious. When I realised I was all right, I had my hand on my head and the physio, James Pipe was asking ‘How are you?'”I said ‘I don’t feel too bad to be honest.’ And then I lifted my hand off my head. Steven Mullaney ran off – and a few other lads ran off – because of the bleeding. But I got to my feet pretty quickly and never really felt unstable at all and walked off. Which is absolutely amazing having watched it back. You’d probably expect a bit more, really. Having such a big ‘swede’ probably helped me out a bit.”In a weird way, I quite enjoyed watching it back. I quite like stuff like that. As long as I knew I was all right, it was quite good. It was just amazing how far the ball went. I couldn’t believe it. The first time I saw it, I was a bit like ‘off’ and that’s when I realised why everyone was so concerned.”The concern of Fletcher’s teammates was understandable. Not only is he a popular member of their squad, but it is only just over a year since the club was jolted by news of James Taylor’s illness.”Having spoken to a few of my mates – Mullaney and Jake Ball – that’s what was going through their minds,” he said. “And then there was Phil Hughes as well….”But once the lads came off the field and saw I was fine, they got on with the game. James Pipe has been unbelievable throughout; he stayed by my side for the next 48 hours, really. He’s been amazing.”Fletcher is guided from the field at Edgbaston•Getty Images

It doesn’t take long to understand Fletcher’s popularity. He has a good line in self-deprecating wit – “I don’t know how the ball is,” he says at one stage. “Someone had better check up on it; the lads said it was reversing a bit later” and, later “My mum and dad were a bit annoyed as they had paid £30 and they only saw me bowl one ball” – and knows many of his team-mates well having come through the club’s system from his teenage years.He didn’t have things easy, either. When he was initially offered a place on the staff as a 16-year-old, he was obliged to turn it down as it didn’t pay as much as the job he was currently in – he was a grill man at Hooters – so the club arranged for him to have a stint on the gates letting lorries come in and out as the Radcliffe Road Stand was redeveloped. “It was freezing,” he recalls with a smile. “It was much better in the kitchen.”But he has developed into a fine cricketer. While not an especially fast bowler – probably somewhere around 80 mph – he can move the ball in the air and off the pitch, is considered one of the best death bowlers in the county game and was recently run-out just eight short of a maiden first-class century. He is out of contract at the end of the season but the club will look after him: a new contract will be announced shortly.The worrying aspect of this incident is that it could easily have ended much worse. Indeed, Fletcher warns that in training, bowlers are already reluctant to bowl at batsmen practising their T20 skills.”I think it’ll happen again,” he said. “Most bowlers – certainly at Notts – in the nets tend to go away and do target practice on the side in one-day and T20, just because balls are coming back at a speed you can’t react to. You get hit all over your body. I certainly think the chances are it will happen again.”I’m sure after this people will come up with some sort of theories and some sort of technologies or protective equipment. You can’t be running in with a helmet, can you? But maybe something to protect your head?”I’ll certainly bowl again. I’d bowl now if I could.”There are huge questions here for the game. While some level of risk may be considered unavoidable, incidents such as this – coming on top of the incident that caused such devastating damage to club cricketer Alex Tait a few months ago – might be considered warnings. With bats better, batsmen seemingly more powerful and the aggression of the game having undergone a transformation since the introduction of T20, it seems inevitable that, sooner or later, we’re going to see a bowler killed by a return hit. The game, or at least the look of the game, might have to change radically to counteract such a threat.

Kaushal Silva was the only Sri Lanka wicket to fall as a mere 12.2 overs were possible on a rain-wrecked final day at Lord’s

The Report by David Hopps13-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe last day of the series at Lord’s had promised so much. England needed to bowl out Sri Lanka to take a 3-0 clean sweep in the series, but Sri Lanka, driven ahead by a sense of grievance, were not about to relinquish the Test easily. At 32 for 0, requiring 362, they were down but far from out.Then the rain spoiled it. The clouds were so black over Lord’s that one might have imagined St John’s Wood had become the centre of a second industrial revolution which would certainly have disturbed a few people in the posh boutiques in the High Street.Only 12.2 overs were possible all day until the Test was laid to rest with 5.15pm approaching. By then it felt like a blessed relief. Jonny Bairstow was named as England’s man of the series and Kaushal Silva took the equivalent award for Sri Lanka.All that now remains is for the fall-out from a Test, in which Sri Lanka felt they did not have the rub of the green with umpiring decisions, to move on to the ICC annual meeting in Edinburgh later this month. Speeches will be made (again) about the accuracy of DRS, the validity of a 50% margin for Umpire’s Call and a perceived bias in favour of the Big Three. Lord’s has put fresh vigour into an old debate.Silva was the only Sri Lanka wicket to fall on the final day as a mere 3.4 overs were possible up to tea. He departed lbw to an excellent late inswinger from James Anderson, up the slope, and after an unsuccessful review could at least console himself that he had finally broken his extraordinary run of being caught at the wicket in each of his previous nine innings in two Test tours of England.Had Bairstow pulled off something utterly miraculous by diving across first slip to intercept an edge that fell short off Stuart Broad, that record would have remained intact for his next tour.England still theoretically held hopes of victory when the Test resumed after tea at 4.10pm with 47 overs remaining, with Sri Lanka’s prospects of chasing 362 to win effectively reduced to zero because of the rain. There was talk of Cardiff 2011 when England spirited a win from nowhere in the Glamorgan gloom.Kusal Mendis smashed a return catch at Broad’s bootlaces which he could not pick up in his follow-through, while one attempted bouncer that hit a crack and scuttled off down the leg side emphasised that, with a full day to bowl, England could have been in business. The pitch, in fairness to the groundsman, Mick Hunt, had not become the final-day featherbed that has occasionally blighted Lord’s.Nobody believed the game was going anywhere. Alastair Cook even allowed Broad to indulge in a nonsensical wasted review when even the groundstaff, who were prowling the outfield as the rain clouds approached again, could have seen that the ball had deflected off his back as he ducked.England were forced to turn to spin, all eight balls of it, the last of them from Joe Root, who was slog-swept for six into the Tavern Stand by Mendis. Perhaps he knew something we didn’t. The umpires removed the bails and everybody could go home. Sri Lanka, with a one-day series still to play, will hope for some sunshine.

After a sterling IPL, Ashish Nehra has expressed his disappointment at not being considered for national selection for the last four years

Gaurav Kalra01-Jun-2015After a sterling IPL, where he claimed 22 wickets to finish fourth in the wicket-takers list, Ashish Nehra has expressed his disappointment at not being considered for national selection for the last four years. Nehra’s last match for India was the 2011 World Cup semi-final against Pakistan, but despite being a regular on the domestic circuit he hasn’t been considered for either ODIs or T20 internationals.”I don’t speak to media too much but last three-four years have been really harsh,” Nehra told ESPNcricinfo in an exclusive interview in Delhi. “India has tried out a lot of bowlers in T20 and one-day cricket which are the formats I was still playing and I was the highest wicket-taker between 2008 and 2011 by far. In fact, I was in the top three in the whole world.”Till now, I don’t know what exactly happened and nobody ever told me. Whenever I played with the current lot – I am not saying they are not good, I am giving an example – be it in the Challenger Trophy or the Deodhar Trophy, I have been at par with them or better than them at times. They have tried 20 or 25 bowlers but not Ashish Nehra. I don’t know where I went wrong.”Nehra was the standout performer for Chennai Super Kings this season, winning three man-of-the-match awards, and in fact was the top Indian fast bowler in the tournament. He missed only one out of CSK’s 17 games and bowled 62 of the possible 64 overs over the course of the season. Nehra also emphasised that he was called upon to bowl in the most difficult phases of the game – in the powerplay overs and in the death overs – underlining his utility to the team.”It is not like I am bowling the easier overs in the middle,” he said. “I am still doing the toughest job and that gives me a good kick. Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey are there who have played for the Indian team but at the same time I get the satisfaction of bowling the tough overs under the Indian captain. I still miss the India cap when I go to sleep. People were saying I will go to the World Cup after the Champions League but I was not even in the 30 probables. Even after the IPL, in ten days people will forget me.”While 36-year-old Nehra’s performances in the IPL earned him a lot of praise from both observers and fellow cricketers, he was more sanguine about the returns, saying there is greater “recognition” if there is more to show for in the wickets column.”IPL is the kind of format where sometimes you’re bowling well but you don’t pick wickets. People don’t notice unfortunately in this country,” he explained. “I’m the same Ashish Nehra. The way I bowled in 2009, 2010 and 2011, I have been bowling the same way in the last three years. I was trying my best. This year I have picked more wickets. So, people do recognise you more. I got a good team like CSK in the last two years. It does make a difference.”One of the enduring themes over Nehra’s career has been recurring injuries. As a result, his Test career has been limited to merely 17 matches, the last of which came in 2004 against Pakistan at Rawalpindi. Nehra, who was only 25 at the time, says that not returning to the longest format of the game will remain a “regret.””I do miss playing Test cricket,” he said. “I could have played a lot more. I don’t want to give a number. A bowler like me shouldn’t have ended his test career at the age of 25. In 2008-09, Dhoni and (Gary) Kirsten (then India coach) wanted me to play Test cricket. When I look back, I regret not saying yes. I should have worked harder because I was only 30 then.”While a Test recall is no longer viable, Nehra is hopeful that after his IPL success, he may reappear on the radar of the national selectors for the shorter formats. When asked if Harbhajan Singh’s call up for the one-off Test in Bangladesh makes him believe players of his generation can make a case again, Nehra said all he was keen to see was a consistency in approach while selecting Indian teams.”I have always felt that I am good enough to play for India,” he said. “I still am good enough. It is a thought process, not because Harbhajan is back that I should be picked. I believe that whoever performs should be picked. It is not about the age. If I am doing well at 36 and the other guy is 26 and as good as me, you should go with him. You should not pick someone just because he is 20; not just with me but with everybody.”