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N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said that the Indian board does not have any reservations against technology as such, but reiterated its scepticism of the Decision Review System

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2012N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, has said that the Indian board does not have any reservations against technology as such, but reiterated its scepticism of the Decision Review System. Speaking to , Srinivasan said the BCCI’s opposition of the DRS was based on the lack of evidence supporting the accuracy of Hawk-Eye, and the unreliability of Hot Spot.”The BCCI is not against technology at all,” Srinivasan said. “I am an engineer myself. Technology that is not perfect will not add to decision making, it will take away from it. We have explained our position at ICC meetings that the ball-tracking technology is faulty. Even the inventor [agrees] there’s an uncertainty about it. The problem of Hot Spot was very evident in the England tour [where it presented a number of ambiguous verdicts, though the technology has improved markedly since then]. These are the two main elements that make up the DRS, and both do not stand up to the test of perfection.”Srinivasan said that during one of his meetings with the technology providers he had been told that a “leap of faith” was required to believe in the ball-tracking technology being used in the DRS.”I had a presentation made to me by the Hawk-Eye people. Without going into all the details when I finally said, ‘How can one be certain that the track showed by the computers was the actual path taken by the ball,’ I was told, ‘That is a leap of faith you have to take’. I was not prepared to take that leap of faith.”Srinivasan, who juggles the responsibilities of being an IPL governing council member and the owner of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in addition to being the BCCI president, stressed that his multiple roles did not involve any conflict of interest. Srinivasan is the managing director of India Cements, the company that owns the Super Kings franchise.”I don’t agree there is any conflict since no decision has been taken for the sake of one particular franchise,” Srinivasan said. “India Cements is a public company that owns the bid for a team after securing permission from the BCCI. This was a declared situation, that I was the MD of the company.”All decisions [pertaining to the IPL] are taken by the general body of the BCCI – 30 members are there. The governing council has 13 eminent people. There is no decision made exclusively for one franchise. Decisions are made by all these people, for all franchises.”Srinivasan also shot down suggestions that Indian selection panel head Kris Srikkanth’s involvement with the Super Kings – he was a brand ambassador of the franchise in its first season – may have led to the inclusion of a large number of players from the state of Tamil Nadu in the Indian team. Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu.”I will not talk about that,” Srinivasan said. “There are five selectors, and I have no role in selection. I was the board secretary, and I convened those meetings, but I am not a selector. If there was an impression that someone who should not have been in the team [was picked] … the entire cricketing press was there, but not a word, not even a squeak was there.”When the interviewer hinted that the press wasn’t in a position to speak up since the BCCI controlled their access to cricket in India, Srinivasan said: “What access, nothing of that kind.”N Srinivasan: “We don’t give any directions to them, neither do we pull them up for anything”•Sajjad Hussain/AFP

Srinivasan explained the cases of M Vijay and Abhinav Mukund – Tamil Nadu openers who have been in and out of the India side in the recent past – to reinforce his point. “M Vijay was chosen and he performed well; when he did not he was dropped. When he went outside, Zimbabwe and other things, his scores were not there and he automatically got the boot. The only other player was Abhinav Mukund who went to West Indies [and England] but he was not picked [later]. Instead, Ajinkya Rahane has gone to Australia.”Another contentious issue pertaining to the BCCI that gained currency during the England tour, was the potential conflict of interest involving two commentators. Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar, both contracted employees of the BCCI, were perceived to be toeing the board’s line on issues such as the DRS and the influence of the IPL on India’s Test performances. Srinivasan, however, said the BCCI had never sought to control what they said on air.”They [Shastri and Gavaskar] are not ‘hired guns’; saying so is not fair to the two of them. They have a contract with the BCCI, which was decided by the board at that time. I have read criticism on this. I have read people saying that the board gags the commentators or instructs them. I can assure you only one thing: we do not tell the commentator a single word. Suggesting that ‘we don’t have to’ is unfair to the two of them.”You have to understand the type of person that I am. The last thing that I would do would be to talk to a commentator to give a feeling, should we not give this flavour … I would find it demeaning to do. We don’t give any directions to them, neither do we pull them up for anything.”Srinivasan also spoke about the BCCI’s opposition to interference from the Indian government through a planned sports bill that seeks to bring the board under the Right to Information Act (RTI).”The RTI doesn’t apply to the board. It doesn’t take one rupee from the government. There’s nothing secret about the board. Except for the selection committee, what they discuss, that is not discussed in public which is fair enough. Otherwise, in every other aspect we are transparent, we answer to the people. It is on principle. Why should the Sports Law apply to the BCCI? Without any government fingerprint – ok, we may have had the odd bad series – but over a long period of time, we have seen Indian cricket come of age.”

New Zealand Cricket XI, a shadow New Zealand Test team, have come out of the tour match against the Pakistanis in Whangarei with the psychological advantage of having taken a 97-run first-innings lead

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jan-2011ScorecardUmar Gul rearranged Brendon McCullum’s stumps on the third day•Getty Images

New Zealand Cricket XI, a shadow New Zealand Test team, have come out of the tour match against the Pakistanis in Whangarei with the psychological advantage of having taken a 97-run first-innings lead. The match ended in a draw after both teams decided to end the third and final day’s play early, with New Zealand having reached 111 for 4 in 32 overs in their second innings.Misbah-ul-Haq, the visitors’ captain, completed his century on the third day as his team added another 53 runs to their overnight total of 234 for 8. Misbah, who has scored half-centuries in each of his last three Test innings, remained unbeaten, finishing on 126, but New Zealand will be satisfied that he was the only Pakistani batsman to go past fifty. The New Zealand Cricket XI bowling attack was similar to the one expected to take-on Pakistan in the first Test, which starts on Friday, with Chris Martin, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee and Brent Arnel all featuring in the tour match.Martin and Vettori had already taken three wickets apiece on the second day. On Tuesday morning, James Franklin picked up his second wicket of the match, dismissing Sohail Tanvir for a duck. Pakistan’s last-wicket pair put together 51 runs, with Tanvir Ahmed scoring 25 and sticking around for 52 balls to support Misbah. Southee finally took the last wicket, getting Tanvir Ahmed out caught by Tim McIntosh.Umar Gul was able to prevent Brendon McCullum from building on the confidence he earned with his first-innings double-century, bowling him for 18. Gul dismissed Kane Williamson two balls later for a duck to leave the home side at 25 for 2. McIntosh and James Franklin spent some time at the wicket, getting 26 and 30 respectively. Younis Khan took the final wicket of the day with his seamers, bowling McIntosh. Wicketkeeper Reece Young and Southee were unbeaten at the end of play.

Wriddhiman Saha’s selection today in the India squad for the first Test against South Africa, though surprising, has once again put him in the familiar No. 2 spot, this time behind captain MS Dhoni

Judhajit Basu28-Jan-2010It’s a strange case of being behind the pack for Wriddhiman Saha. He rose to become first-choice wicketkeeper for Bengal only after Deep Dasgupta’s exit to the ICL and was mostly going to be behind Brendon McCullum and Tatenda Taibu when it came to doing duty for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. It didn’t help, either, when KKR got Morne van Wyk on board for the second season in South Africa.Dasgupta is now back in the official fray after his two-year stint in the ICL but Saha’s selection today in the India squad for the first Test against South Africa elevates him, if briefly, to the India squad – even though he’s once again No. 2, this time behind captain MS Dhoni. “It’s yet to sink in,” Saha said. “I knew that the team selection was today, but I clearly didn’t expect to be picked. I’m elated nonetheless; it’s certainly a pleasant surprise.”Saha knows his chances of actually playing in the match are slim but he’s looking to make the most of the experience. “It depends on the team management and what decision they take on the day,” Saha said. “I’ll be heading to Nagpur with a positive frame of mind. If I get the opportunity [to play], I will try and make full use. I am not concerned whether I actually do get a chance, but I will try to learn as much as possible from the seniors around me. It’s definitely a great honour and opportunity to share the dressing room with the likes of Dhoni, Sachin [Tendulkar], [VVS] Laxman and Zaheer [Khan].”Saha began his career in style, becoming the 15th Bengal player to score a hundred on Ranji debut against Hyderabad back in November 2007. But it was during the inaugural IPL that he came to prominence. Handed the opportunity following Dasgupta’s exit, Saha finished second, behind Mumbai Indians’ Yogesh Takawale, in the wicketkeeping honours list with 10 dismissals (eight catches and two stumpings). He also scored 159 runs in those 12 matches at 31.80, with a strike-rate of 133.61. His brave 59 in a losing cause against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali, seemingly, had announced his arrival.His performance in the second edition though, was slightly disappointing, managing just 72 runs in eight matches at 24.00, even though his strike-rate improved to 175.60. With van Wyk and McCullum to contend with, he had no dismissals to his credit then.Saha’s domestic form in the 2009-10 Ranji Trophy kept the selectors interested. Though Sourav Ganguly, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Manoj Tiwary hogged Bengal’s batting charts with 50-plus averages, Saha’s 318 runs from five matches at 39.75 could not be ignored. His classy 120 against Delhi in Kolkata during the league stage coupled with his 15 dismissals was bound to work in his favour at some point. Making the cut for the Board President’s XI to take on the touring Sri Lankans in November last year was as close as he got.Even though there was a minor blip ahead of his call-up today – a duck for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final against Central Zone – his first-class average of 44.80 and the corresponding figure for List A games at 43.90, may have prompted Kris Srikkanth and the others on the selection panel to promote him as back-up to Dhoni. He knows his long-term future with India is in his hands.”After Sourav Ganguly, several players from Bengal had got a look-in for the Indian team, but they could not cement their places,” Saha said. “But I intend to perform well to stay there as long as I can. This is just the beginning, and I have a long way to go. I am keen to work hard and improve in all aspects of the game. The upcoming Test may be just a one-off appearance but I would like to make my place in the team certain. There’s definitely scope for improvement in my wicketkeeping skills and I will seek Dhoni’s advice in that regard.”

West Indies bowled out for 141 in a session after Head, Webster and Carey combined to set up a match-winning lead with the bat

Andrew McGlashan27-Jun-20250:47

Hazlewood tears through West Indies’ top order

Josh Hazlewood led Australia’s surge to a 159-run victory in Barbados as West Indies lost all ten wickets in the final session of the third day, the final two falling in consecutive deliveries to Nathan Lyon in what would have been the last over of the day.Australia claimed the extra half-hour with West Indies seven down but with Shamar Joseph throwing the bat, having been dropped in the deep by Sam Konstas, and Justin Greaves playing solidly, it appeared Australia would be forced to return on the fourth day. However, Shamar edged to slip before Jayden Seales was caught at short leg to end the match. It completed a performance where familiar Australia strengths came to the fore amid continued questions about the top order, but they were confronted by challenging conditions.Travis Head, who was the beneficiary of West Indies’ seventh dropped catch of the match, Beau Webster and Alex Carey all played with the proactiveness needed on this surface. Head was named Player of the Match for his twin half-centuries on a tricky surface. Carey’s superb strokeplay gave Australia plenty of buffer zone when it came to defending the target, meaning a repeat of what happened in the World Test Championship final was always unlikely on a surface that remained devilish at times, especially with the harder ball.Related

• Chase calls out 'so many questionable calls' in Barbados Test

• However you get 'em – Head, Carey and Webster show the way

Mitchell Starc struck in the first over of the chase when former captain Kraigg Brathwaite clipped loosely to backward square0leg where Konstas held a low catch. However, that was followed by some adventurous strokeplay by John Campbell, including a sweep against Hazlewood, as he and Keacy Carty made encouraging process.But innovation brought Campbell’s downfall when he attempted to lap-sweep Hazlewood again, and this time could only glove the ball to Carey. Next ball, Brandon King got an inside edge into his pads which flew high towards gully where Cameron Green, who had earlier given Carty a life on 1, used all his height to cling on. Sadly for Hazlewood, he did not make Roston Chase play at the hat-trick delivery as a packed ring of catchers awaited.Not that he was delayed long when, two overs later, Chase got an inside edge that looped to short leg before spearing one through Carty. This was Hazlewood at his very best: hammering away at a back-of-a-length and giving the surface every chance to play some tricks.Pat Cummins was then the beneficiary of those tricks when Shai Hope was cleaned up by a wicked delivery that scuttled under his bat. The run-scoring of Australia’s middle order against an older ball felt a long time ago. The only question was whether the visitors could get the job done in the evening.Marnus Labuschagne, on as a sub, produced a direct hit to remove Alzarri Joseph and Hazlewood removed Jomel Warrican for his fifth wicket. Shamar Joseph launched two balls out of the stadium and some frustration was growing for Australia before Lyon sealed the job in fading light.Travis Head celebrates his second fifty in the match•Randy Brooks/Associated Press

The game was in the balance at the start of the day, Australia ahead by 82, with plenty of eyes on how the surface would play. There was an early grubber to Head, which fortunately for him wasn’t straight, and he responded by flaying the next delivery through the off side. As Head would later find out there was always something lurking, but with a touch of fortune, runs were there to be made when intent was shown.West Indies, though, were their own worst enemy again. On 21, Head was given a life when Greaves spilled a chance at second slip. It was the seventh they had put down for the game and had come after coach Daren Sammy had overseen the morning slips catching practice where nothing had been spilled. Head went to his second fifty of the match from 77 balls.Webster, meanwhile, built an excellent innings, the third of his brief Test career, which has come on a challenging surface following the debut half-century against India at the SCG. He used his reach to good effect to get to the ball but was especially eye-catching off the back foot through the off side.Travis Head and Beau Webster got the first century stand of the Test•Randy Brooks/Associated Press

The stand of 102 was broken when Head received a brute of a delivery from Shamar Joseph that barely bounced, the only success for West Indies in the morning session when they would have hoped to knock over most of the remaining Australia batting.After the break, Webster brought up his fifty from 100 balls with a thick edge along the ground through gully before glancing Shamar Joseph down the leg side to Hope. An on-field not-out decision was overturned by third umpire Adrian Holdstock without any of the drama of the previous day.By then Carey was into his stride after having started positively but went up a gear in the over following Webster’s departure when he took 14 off Seales including the shot of the match: a skip down the pitch and perfectly executed lofted straight drive into the sightscreen. He went on to repeat the stroke against the lesser pace of Greaves, sending him over the stands at long-off, to motor to a 40-ball half-century as the game sped away from West Indies.When joined by Lyon and Hazlewood, he started to farm the strike as West Indies set their entire field back to him before lofting Chase into the deep. Shamar Joseph, who bowled the most overs in a match of his brief Test career, removed Hazlewood to claim the five-wicket haul which eluded him in the first innings.

New Zealand have a stellar record against India in ICC events having lost just one game since 1992

Ashish Pant21-Oct-2023

Big picture: Here comes India’s bogey team

Ask any ardent Indian fan which is their second-favourite cricket team, and New Zealand will remain a common answer. Ask the same set of fans which team spooks them the most when it comes to ICC events: New Zealand will once again be the unanimous reply. Why you ask.Southampton 2021. Nagpur 2016 and Dubai 2021. Manchester 2019.It’s probably the memories of the last one here that has most Indian fans flinch. And as much as India would like to deny it, New Zealand have been their bogey team over the years. There are numbers to back this up. In all ICC events since 1992 (considering only the final from the WTC 2019-21 and 2021-23 cycles), India have beaten New Zealand just once in nine attempts.Which is why when these two teams meet in Dharamsala on Sunday, it won’t be group stage game: there will be a bit of history riding on it. Also the fact that at the end of the clash, one team will no longer remain unbeaten in the competition.Both New Zealand and India have been clinical in their approach and come into the game having won four out of four games. Who continues their winning streak? The answer might well depend on how the fast bowlers go.Related

• Can New Zealand's winning machine suck the air out of India's inevitability?

• In Williamson's absence, Latham steps up as astute leader

• How will India fill the Hardik Pandya hole against New Zealand?

• Matt Henry among the best, and has got better – the numbers show it

As much as the Dharamsala stadium is about the stunning snow-capped mountains of the Dhauladhar range in the backdrop, it is also about the altitude. And with that altitude comes the help for the quicks. Of all the venues that have so far hosted more than one game at the World Cup, Dharamsala – alongside Lucknow – has offered the fast bowlers the most amount of swing in the first ten overs of each innings.Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj become a key component in the Indian attack. They will miss Hardik Pandya, but if Mohammed Shami comes in, he is one bowler, who is certain to extract early movement with that upright seam.While India’s attack seems more well-rounded, the New Zealand unit has been equally good. Their class of 2019 is very much intact with all of Matt Henry, Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson having started the tournament well. On the spin front, Mitchell Santner leads the wicket-taking charts with 11 strikes at 15.09.The batters across both sides have been in impeccable form. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Devon Conway are No. 2, 3 and 4 on the run charts, while the middle order also has been firing. Can they find a way to score big with the ball hooping around?Mohammed Siraj has been up and down at this World Cup•Pankaj Nangia/Getty

Form guide: Whose winning streak ends?

India: WWWWL (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
New Zealand: WWWWW

In the spotlight: Mohammed Siraj and Matt Henry

Mohammed Siraj hasn’t looked at his best so far in the World Cup. In four games, Siraj has managed only five wickets at 42.40. He’s also leaked runs at 6.32 an over. But if there is one venue that will give him a chance to improve on those numbers, it is Dharamsala. Siraj is one of the few bowlers going around who can get the ball to deck both ways. In Dharamsala, though, his wobble-seam deliveries might be the ones New Zealand will have to be most careful against. Siraj has had a dream 2023 in ODIs and will hope India’s next game is where he turns his World Cup around.The Boults and the Southees often hog the limelight when the New Zealand fast bowling battery is spoken of but in the last two years, it has been Matt Henry, who has really been their shining light. No other New Zealand bowler has more wickets than Henry’s 41 in 24 ODIs since the start of 2022. But, it’s the way he has led the attack in the World Cup, which has been impressive. He’s outshone Boult and Lockie Ferguson, kept Tim Southee out of the team and picked up wickets when it’s mattered all while maintaining an economy of 4.83. He is currently fourth on the wicket-takers list with nine in four games at 18.00. A good game and he could zoom right to the top.

Team news: Who comes in for Pandya?

Pandya has been ruled out of the Dharamsala game after hurting his right ankle against Bangladesh on Thursday. The million-dollar question is who replaces him. Rahul Dravid wasn’t forthcoming about the changes, but talked about a few options they considered. There is a chance that India bring in Suryakumar Yadav or Ishan Kishan in place of Hardik and have Shardul Thakur tussle with Shami for the No. 8 spot.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Suryakumar Yadav/Ishan Kishan, 8 Shardul Thakur/Mohammed Shami, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed SirajMatt Henry has been excellent across all phases of the innings for New Zealand•AFP/Getty Images

With the New Zealand attack firing like they have, Southee might have to spend some more in the sheds. Kane Williamson is still out with a thumb injury, so it is unlikely New Zealand will make any changes to the team.New Zealand (probable): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Will Young, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 Mark Chapman, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Pitch and conditions: Beware the quicks

The surface looked very green on the eve of the game but a lot of that grass is likely to be shaved off before the start. Even then expect pace and carry for the fast bowlers. It was bright and sunny on the eve of the match, but it is expected to be cloudy and cooler on Sunday with the temperature likely to hover around the 18-degree mark on the Celsius scale at the start of the game.

Stats and trivia: All eyes on Gill

• The captain winning the toss has elected to bowl in each of the seven ODIs played in Dharamsala.
• Shubman Gill needs 14 runs to reach the 2000 mark in ODIs. If he gets there tomorrow, in his 38th innings, he will be the quickest to 2000 runs in ODI cricket. beating Hashim Amla’s (40) record.
• Rohit has fallen to Boult four times in 13 ODI innings and averages just 22.25 against him.
• Tom Latham has five fifties and two centuries in 20 ODI innings against India

Quotes

“It’s nice to have Ishan [Kishan] playing well, being a left hander. But Surya’s [Suryakumar Yadav] also come into some form against Australia. He played a couple of fantastic innings. Absolutely fantastic player against spin – left-arm spin, right-arm spin, any kind of spin for that matter. And the role maybe for a middle-overs role. We’re pretty clear about the kinds of roles we want to play. If we’re looking for someone who looks to be a bit of an enforcer for us in the lower-middle order, and Surya’s certainly someone who can do it. If we’re looking for someone higher up the order, we might go with Ishan.”
“India’s top order has been fantastic this tournament and again, our bowling attack has done a really good job upfront as well. That’s going to be a great contest with bat and ball and obviously vice-versa with Indian seamers and our top order. Obviously, you look at the match-ups throughout a game against both sides and there is some pretty good match-ups there.”

No play on Friday after first-day washout, match could still begin on Saturday

Vithushan Ehantharajah08-Sep-2022The third Test between England and South Africa at the Kia Oval has been suspended following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.The announcement of the Queen’s death at the age of 96 came at 6.30pm on Thursday, the scheduled first day of the Test, after which the ECB confirmed that no scheduled cricket would take place on Friday. As well as day two of the Test, four fixtures in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy were due to be played.”Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday’s play between England and South Africa Men at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place,” the ECB said in a statement. “For fixtures beyond Friday, updates will be provided in due course.”The ECB is in consultation with government and other sports on the appropriate course of action for the rest of the Test. Ticket-holders for day two will be eligible for a full refund, the board confirmed.No play was possible on day one because of rain throughout the day, with stumps eventually called at 4.44pm, as speculation rose about the condition of the monarch.ESPNcricinfo understands the ECB and the Proteas management team met to discuss options, whether moving day two to Saturday or cancelling the Test altogether. CSA was happy to accept whatever the ECB board deemed appropriate and is willing to extend the team’s stay in the UK to facilitate the completion of the series, which is currently tied at one Test apiece.ECB chair Richard Thompson said: “I’m sure I speak for everyone in the game when I say how truly sad I am to hear of the Queen’s passing. Her Majesty has been such a great supporter of the game and was always so vocal of her and her late husband’s enjoyment around the sport. Her dedication to her country will never be forgotten. For her service and her selflessness over her extraordinary reign, we owe her a debt that can never be repaid.”A period of national mourning is expected in the UK, with sporting cancellations likely. Play was suspended at the PGA Championship in Wentworth on Thursday evening, while the British Horseracing Authority announced the postponement of Friday’s races.England were playing a Test match in India when the death of King George VI was announced in 1952. Day two of the Chennai Test was designated a rest day, with India going on to record their first victory in the format on the fourth day of play.

Twin hundreds for Hameed as Nottinghamshire save the game in glorious fashion

Paul Edwards25-Apr-2021
Ed Barnard bowls to Ben Slater. The match in which they are playing will soon be drawn as firmly as Excalibur was fixed in the stone. Yet the contest will soon be of particular interest to statisticians, for all three innings already boast century opening partnerships and Haseeb Hameed will make two hundreds in a game for the second time in his young career.Hameed and Slater, another centurion, will put on an unbroken 236, thus breaking Nottinghamshire’s first-wicket record against Worcestershire, the now-expunged mark of 220 having been set by George Gunn and ‘Dodger’ Whysall in 1924. But the passage of nearly a century between events is most fitting. No wicket will fall for over a day at New Road and in his two innings Hameed will bat 13 hours 41 minutes and face a total of 635 balls. The latter will set a new record for County Championship matches.In other worlds brilliant men and women are developing advanced vaccines and wise leaders are reaching tentative agreements about climate change.But this afternoon, in crystal sunlight at New Road, Ed Barnard bowls to Ben Slater and number crunchers move into helpful overdrive about a deeply drawn cricket match. What can it matter?For the answer to that question one must consider, as others have done, the wider impact of the past year. Recreation – in part, the act of re-creating valuable experience – has been shown to have a value beyond even our previous conception of that myriad. It has bound us together in the darkest times. Unable to enjoy it in conventional fashion, we have experienced it remotely, thus sustaining the rich sense of community upon which so much else, not least mental health, depends.And community is what we’re preserving in these spectator-free weeks. The doors will be closed for a few weeks yet but the county clubs are available to their supporters in every other way. My colleague David Hopps, no one-eyed optimist he, put it perfectly in a superbly balanced essay written for : “Community and heritage, though, is why county cricket matters… Discover it, nurture it, save it. It has never been more vital.”And county cricket still commands the loyalty of unsuspected thousands of supporters. The live streams and the websites have revealed that. Some Worcestershire loyalists and very many more Nottinghamshire ones would have paid double the usual entry price to watch Hameed and Slater become the first Trent Bridge openers since Tim Robinson and Matthew Dowman in 1995 to share century opening stands in each innings of a game.There is already speculation as to how big the crowds will be for four-day games when spectators are allowed in on May 20. Those that haven’t booked probably needn’t bother. After May 16 they can admit 895 spectators here; after June 21 there are hopes of full houses, maybe even for Championship games. Who’d have thought it?Related

• Matt Parkinson spins Lancashire to innings victory over Kent

• Ricardo Vasconcelos, Rob Keogh tons see Northamptonshire chase down Glamorgan

• Gloucestershire last-wicket heroics thwart Hampshire's bid for three in a row

Today, though, neither the efforts of Joe Leach’s bowlers nor the occasional eccentricities of a fourth-day pitch were enough to bring Worcestershire a victory. One suspects the teams could have played another dozen hours and not produced a winner on a surface that always promised more help than it delivered. Six of the 12 sessions in this game were wicketless. Stump and bail flashed and flew… infrequently. Batters rarely departed, pensively or otherwise. So we were left to ponder Slater’s mercilessness when dealing with short balls and his powers of concentration in making a century on the ground where he revived his career with a 172 for Leicestershire less than a year ago. Loan spells are rarely so pivotal in a player’s career.As for Hameed, the mannerisms remain. Between each delivery there is still the farmer’s gentle amble to square leg with the bat balanced, scythe-like, on his shoulder. He is still occasionally inclined to play two shots to every ball, one real and one yet more perfect as the bowler returns to his mark. The trigger movements and technique have undergone small but significant modifications: the slightest of forward presses, for example. More notably, there is more intent to score by angled cuts to third man or glances to fine leg: they are his staple diet when his punches through midwicket or cover drives are not on offer. Most importantly of all, there is trustworthy judgement and a lovely greed for batting.”Just as we were about to follow-on Ben Duckett told me it was an opportunity to go out and get another century,” said Hameed. “Peter Moores said the same not long after but it’s a great leveller when you go out there and the scoreboard says “0”. Thankfully, though, I was able to start again and go through the processes again. It wasn’t overly difficult to focus again because I was disappointed I’d got out in the first innings and I was in the moment as soon as they asked us to go out there again.”And so two of these four days have been about a 24-year-old cricketer rebuilding his career with the sort of studious, attentive batting that some sceptics doubted they’d see again. That enriching sight has taken its place amid timeless pleasures. So much has changed on this ground but the essential aspect remains the same. A couple of diseased trees have had to be felled; nature does not exist to satisfy poets or painters. But the chestnut in front of the marquee remains and stood in young-leafed grace as Hameed and Slater extended their partnership into its fifth, sixth and seventh hours.And it mattered because county cricket is about the game and everything around the game. This week it has been about listening with agnostic piety to evensong in the cathedral on Wednesday evening, when the choristers gave us George Herbert’s “The Call” in the Vaughan Williams setting that was first performed at Worcester during the Three Choirs festival in 1911. It has been about peregrine falcons in the cathedral tower. It has been about Hameed embracing the rich talent he still possesses. It has been about the black pear tree and the damasked tulips in Cripplegate Park. It has been about chilly mornings on Bromwich Parade and gentle dusks with the Malverns fading from view. And it has been about Ed Barnard bowling to Ben Slater in crystal sunlight.

On Monday, he became only the second Bengal batsman to score a first class triple-hundred

Shashank Kishore21-Jan-2020On Monday, Manoj Tiwary became only the second Bengal batsman, after Devang Gandhi’s 323 in 1998-99, to make a first class triple-hundred, against Hyderabad. It allowed his side to charge to a bonus-point victory that puts them in a good position five games into the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season.Three times previously this season, Tiwary failed to convert his starts into substantial scores. He started the season with 51 against Kerala on a rank turner in Thiruvananthapuram. Then, on a green-top at Eden Gardens against Andhra, he made 46 – a knock he felt needed him to work as hard as he would to make 150 elsewhere.Last week, in a game that barely lasted two days, Tiwary made 48 as Bengal were handed a thrashing by defending champions Vidarbha on a dusty track. Coming back to home comforts, in Kalyani, he knew while the form hadn’t deserted him, he had to make a big one for the team’s sake to put them back in a good position building towards the knockouts.On the first morning, he walked in to bat at 32 for 2. It soon became 60 for 3 when he joined hands with Anustup Majumdar to rebuild the innings. “Initially I counterattacked to just throw them off their plans,” Tiwary told ESPNcricinfo after Bengal’s innings and 303-run victory. “After I raced past a half-century, I knew I had to slow down just a bit. But as the day progressed the pitch eased out, so run-scoring became easy.”The team needed it badly. In the game against Kerala, I kind of felt some pain in my back while evading a short-ball, and lost my focus after getting to a half-century. I could have come off, but I didn’t want a new batsman to come in. So I carried on, but somehow couldn’t get a big one. So I was determined to make this one count once set. In the other two games, as a batsman, you were never in because the conditions were really challenging. So when I saw this wicket, I knew if you spend time, the first hour or so, it will get easier and I was able to make it count.”Tiwary’s return to big run-making mode bodes well for the team heading into the second half of the tournament. They will soon be without Abhimanyu Easwaran, the designated captain, who is set to fly out to New Zealand for the India A tour early next month. There are murmurs that Tiwary could once again be handed the captaincy. For the moment, Tiwary has only a simple request: “Those judging us need to watch our matches before looking at stats, else numbers won’t give you a true picture.”The way I’ve been batting, I would say the season has gone well. Some of the scores have come in challenging conditions, so I’m happy deep down. It’s not always about the big knocks, you have to appreciate and value scores on rank turners or green tops. Every team is looking to maximise their home advantage because the competition in Groups A and B combined is stifling, and I see nothing wrong with that.”Playing on tough wickets adds to the charm of the Ranji Trophy and when you make tough runs, it’s pleasing. But my only request is for the selectors to actually start factoring in surfaces on which runs have come before forming their opinion, instead of just looking at score-books.”On the team front, he is particularly pleased to see Bengal back to winning ways, reserving special praise for Akash Deep, the 23-year old fast bowler, who has so far picked up 16 wickets in four matches. With Ishan Porel away with India A in New Zealand, Akash Deep and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed, who picked up a hat-trick in the first innings and ended with match figures of 6 for 77, have become key components of their bowling attack.”Akash Deep is someone who should be looked after immediately. If India want another genuine quick who has promise, they should give him a try,” he said. “He bowls 140 and above, has an excellent bouncer, bowls consistently. He should be taken into the fast bowling talent pool at the NCA immediately and given chances. I think he’s India A material already. He deserves a proper road map, he could go great things going forward.”Tiwary had told ESPNcricinfo prior to the season that his aim was to play as long as possible, even maybe for another 10 years. He has had time to reflect on those words, but the commitment still remains.”Oh yes, without doubt. I’m ready to do what it takes,” he said. “I’m working hard on my fitness, I know I have to keep scoring runs consistently. I’ve always had to work hard, so that is nothing new. I want my son to see what his dad does on the cricket field, so that remains a motivating factor.”He’s just two, I’ve just started under-arming rubber balls to him at the park. When he’s seven or eight, hopefully he can watch his dad still playing.”

The Ashes series against Australia will once again contested on a points system across all three formats

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2018England women will host West Indies next summer as part of their build-up to the Ashes, with the series against Australia once again contested on a points system across all three formats.Taunton is set to host its first women’s Test since 2006, while the Ashes will begin on July 2 at Leicestershire’s Grace Road ground, venue for the first two of three ODIs. Canterbury will be the location for the third ODI, while the three T20Is will be held at Chelmsford, Hove and Bristol.

Women’s fixtures 2019

• Thursday June 6 – 1st ODI v West Indies, Fischer County Ground, Leicester

• Sunday June 9 – 2nd ODI v West Indies, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester

• Thursday June 13 – 3rd ODI v West Indies, Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford

• Tuesday June 18 – 1st IT20 v West Indies, County Ground, Northampton

• Friday June 21 – 2nd IT20 v West Indies, County Ground, Northampton

• Tuesday June 25 – 3rd IT20 v West Indies, County Ground, Derby

• Tuesday July 2 – 1st Women’s Ashes ODI, Fischer County Ground, Leicester

• Thursday July 4 – 2nd Women’s Ashes ODI, Fischer County Ground, Leicester

• Sunday July 7 – 3rd Women’s Ashes ODI, Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury

• Thursday July 18 – Women’s Ashes Test, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

• Friday July 26 – 1st Women’s Ashes IT20, Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford

• Sunday July 28 – 2nd Women’s Ashes IT20, 1st Central County Ground, Hove

• Wednesday July 31 – 3rd Women’s Ashes IT20, Brightside Ground, Bristol

• Sunday September 1 – Kia Super League Finals Day, 1st Central County Ground, Hove

The West Indies visit will feature three ODIs – which will form part of the ICC Women’s Championship and go towards qualification for the 2021 World Cup – and three T20Is, starting on June 6 at Grace Road. Worcestershire’s New Road ground will host the second ODI, before the series moves to Chelmsford. The teams will then play two T20Is at Northampton, before concluding with a game at Derby.The Kia Super League, the ECB’s domestic women’s T20 competition that is set to be replaced by The Hundred from 2020, will take place in August, with Finals Day at Hove confirmed for September 1.Clare Connor, the ECB director of England women’s cricket, said: “As we have just seen in front of record crowds at the ICC Women’s World T20 in West Indies, both West Indies and Australia will be sure to provide a great challenge for us as well as skillful, entertaining cricket for the growing fan-base for the women’s game.”Every Ashes summer is a privilege for us all to be part of and we’re looking forward to collaborating with all our venues to ensure we deliver high quality match-day experiences throughout the summer of 2019.”England, who finished as beaten finalists at the Women’s World T20 for the third time in four editions of the competition, are also due to play series in Sri Lanka and India before the 2019 home season.

The new Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati will host its first international match, with India up 1-0 in the three-match T20I series

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu09-Oct-20171:38

Agarkar: Can’t see how Nehra can get a chance

Big picture

It is as it never was. But in recent times, and especially in the subcontinent, as it always was. Australia are in danger of losing a series well before its end and their players, by their own admission, seem no closer to solving the issues plaguing them. The remarkable thing is that in each of their matches, including the T20I in Ranchi where they were 49 for 1 after the Powerplay, their initial position was one of considerable strength.Virat Kohli, after scalping the rain-hit first T20I, expressed surprise at having to work hard to chase 48 runs in six overs when his bowlers had kept the opposition to 118 in 18.4. If Australia’s middle order had batted more carefully, the DLS equation might have asked more of India, who like to build in the early part of their batting innings.Such thoughts can be frustrating just as easily as they can be comforting. “We’re just one step away, lads” David Warner might say to his troops at their team meeting in Guwahati. “Tell us what we need to do, skip,” they might reply. “If I knew that, we wouldn’t be losing, would we?” That line has been used more than once in the time the Australians have been in India. Mostly in jest, but perhaps also to prevent airing their weaknesses to the global community, which often tends to include opposition batsmen, bowlers, captains and coaches.India, on the other hand, have dominated all departments. Their newer players have accepted important roles and thrived. While that is cause for celebration, a lot of their success recently has come at home and Kohli himself said, after the Bangalore ODI, that they can’t consider themselves world beaters until they do just as well abroad.

Form guide

India: WWLWW
Australia: LWLLWMarcus Stoinis celebrates after getting Rohit Sharma’s wicket•Associated Press

In the spotlight

If there is one Australian cricketer who has enhanced his reputation during the course of this tour, it is Marcus Stoinis. He looked out of place against spin in the first ODI, but since then has handled the threat quite competently. That he bowled an average of seven overs per game in the ODI series was a sign of his improvement as an allrounder. He was unable to play the Ranchi game, despite being named as a replacement for the injured Steven Smith, because he was back home at the time. But he has joined the squad now and is all but certain to play in Guwahati.He wasn’t at the crease for a long time in Ranchi, but after a little layoff Shikhar Dhawan would have enjoyed it nonetheless. Of course, he would have preferred the opportunity to face more than 12 balls and that may well come his way on Tuesday, with the series on the line.

Team news

India don’t really have much cause to fiddle with their team, unless there are last-minute injuries or thoughts of experimentation.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Jasprit BumrahGlenn Maxwell, as explosive as he is, hasn’t been solid enough to make that matter. He was dropped in the ODI series for that mistake and he may well suffer the same now.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Travis Head, 4 Moises Henriques/Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Dan Christian, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Adam Zampa/ Andrew Tye, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Jason Behrendorff

Pitch and conditions

The new Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati will host its first international match, although the city has already hosted international cricket before – from as early as 1983.

Stats and trivia

• Kohli averages 54 in T20Is, and if he lives up to those numbers, he will comfortably pass Tillakaratne Dilshan and become the second-highest scorer in the format in international cricket.
• Since the last of his 12 fifties for Australia in March 2016, Warner averages 16.5 with four single-digit scores in eight innings.

Quotes

“It’s a nice ground, the wicket looks fantastic. The first game being played here; it’s going to be a special one for both teams. Hopefully we can get across the line and get that first victory here.”