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India’s No. 3 backs the wicketkeeper batsman to keep playing his natural attacking game

Varun Shetty07-Feb-20212:46

Gambhir: Would never want Pant to change

Cheteshwar Pujara is enjoying his budding new partnership with Rishabh Pant. The two batsmen have made timely interventions for India in three consecutive Tests so far, the latest coming on day three of the Chennai Test. Pant joined Pujara when the hosts fell to 73 for 4, 505 behind England, and put up a 119-run stand powered by Pant’s decisive six-hitting against Jack Leach.Pujara said batting alongside Pant almost makes batting easier. “It does. When a batter is going after the bowlers from one end and I’m around, I can always have a chat. There’s a good left and right combination which also frustrates the bowlers.”[…] the way Rishabh bats, especially against spinners, I think he likes to take them on and that’s the way he will go about it. It’s been a crucial partnership for us and I hope it continues, I love batting with him. And if I can be of any help and I can just speak to him – what are the shots he can play and what to avoid at times. I’m really happy overall with the way he’s playing. He still has to learn a few more things – he still has to put the team in a commanding position because he is capable of that and he’s missing out on hundreds. I’m sure that he will learn from this. It’s good that he’s in form,” Pujara said.Their 119-run stand came off just 145 balls as Pant took a liking to Leach, who had gone for 59 off six overs at one point. Pujara also benefited from this assault, picking some boundaries up himself as India kept a decent scoring rate through their innings. That was until an attempted pull from Pujara off a Dom Bess half-tracker ricocheted to midwicket off Ollie Pope’s shoulder at short leg.On the day, it was one of four wickets that India lost playing an attacking shot, but Pujara said there wasn’t really a plan to be aggressive.’It’s been a crucial partnership for us and I hope it continues’ – Pujara on him and Pant batting together•BCCI

“It wasn’t part of the game plan. […] when we’re playing in India, the scoring rate is always on the higher side. And we were getting loose balls. And Rishabh always bats the way he bats. He likes to take the bowlers on. So he just wanted to bat in a natural way, which is fair I think. That’s his game and that’s the way he should play.”I think we could have still batted a bit better. There were some soft dismissals which didn’t go in our favour, like the way I got out, the way Jinks [Ajinkya Rahane] got out. I felt that those wickets were crucial for us. At the same time, we are still very confident because Ash [R Ashwin] and Washington [Sundar] are batting really well. We’ll just have to move on from here and tomorrow I think will be the most crucial day for us.”India finished the day on 257 for 6, still 122 away from avoiding the follow-on. But in Pujara’s view, this is still a good batting surface, albeit one that has begun to take some turn. He said India had expected a little more assistance for their bowlers on the first two days, but have moved on from that and believe they are still very much alive in the Test match.”When we spoke before this series started – what happened in Australia, whether we were able to achieve our goals as a batting unit – we felt we were able to achieve our goals. And same thing applies here,” Pujara said as part of a response to a question about how Bess’ bowling compared to Ashwin’s. “This is the first innings which has just started, and we are still in a decent position. I would still say the way Ashwin and Washi are batting, we can put up a decent total. So we want to achieve our goals as a batting unit rather than focusing on what the opposition is doing.”

Drissell takes career-best five-for but Lammonby 89 gives Somerset the clear edge

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025Durham 145 (Raine 42, Overton 6-23) and 5 for 2 trail Somerset 250 (Lammonby 89, Drissell 5-59) by 100 runsSomerset’s Craig Overton claimed six for 23 as 22 wickets fell on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division One game against Durham at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.Invited to bat first on a green pitch, the visitors subsided to 145 all out, with Overton twice on a hat-trick during ten probing overs from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End. Ben Raine top-scored with 42.In reply, Somerset posted 250 all out, Tom Lammonby putting the pitch in perspective with an impressive 89 off 109 balls, including 8 fours. Off-spinner George Drissell returned career-best figures of five for 59.Durham then lost skipper Alex Lees and nightwatchman Callum Parkinson in the three remaining overs to close on five for two and trailed by 100 runs.There was little sign of the carnage to come when Lees and Emilio Gay launched Durham’s day with a stand of 26 in 5.5 overs before Gay edged a low catch to second slip to become Overton’s first victim.The next ball saw Colin Ackerman taken at first slip by Tom Kohler-Cadmore and before they knew it the visitors were 33 for three, David Bedingham nicking a delivery from Gregory to wicketkeeper James Rew.Overton dropped Ollie Robinson at second slip in the same Gregory over and Durham were relieved when rain arrived at 12.10pm forcing an early lunch half an hour later. The restart saw Overton strike with his fourth and fifth balls, Robinson caught behind off a defensive push and Graham Clark taken at third slip by Tom Abell, both without scoring.Lees had struck five fours in moving to 27 when miscuing a big hit off Overton and providing the bowler with a steepling catch to make it 43 for six. Drissell drove in the air to mid-off to give Overton his sixth wicket with the total on 71, while Raine hit a defiant straight six off Josh Davey before edging a defensive shot off the same bowler through to Rew.Neil Wagner struck 4 fours in a Davey over before a cross-batted shot saw him caught at mid-on off Jake Ball and Matthew Potts had cleared the mid-wicket boundary off Leach when reverse-sweeping the left-arm spinner straight to Abell at short third-man to end a Durham innings spanning just 30.1 overs.Somerset openers Davey and Kohler-Cadmore quickly went on the attack, Davey striking three successive fours off Potts and his partner lofting two sixes over the short boundary on the town side of the ground in the same Raine over.Kohler-Cadmore dispatched three consecutive Wagner deliveries for four as the pair brought up a half-century stand in just 7.1 overs. But the experienced South African took revenge with the total on 62, accepting a skyed return catch as Kohler-Cadmore top-edged a pull shot.Tea was taken with Davey unbeaten on 22. He had added 15 in the final session when edging a back-foot defensive shot off Potts to Bedingham at first slip. The same over saw Rew depart for a duck, cutting a catch to gully, and when Abell also fell without scoring, caught at short-leg in Drissell’s first over, Somerset had slumped to 103 for four.Tom Banton could make only ten before Drissell induced another short-leg catch with a ball that turned. But Lammonby and Archie Vaughan steadied the ship and a swept boundary by Vaughan off Parkinson put his side in front.Lammonby moved to a fluent 52-ball half-century with a reverse sweep for four off Drissell. But Vaughan fell lbw to Parkinson for 15, the first wicket of the day not to fall to a catch, with Somerset just 11 runs ahead.Lewis Gregory hit 17 before fending a catch to short-leg off Wagner and Lammonby’s excellent contribution ended when he edged to second slip off Drissell, who quickly followed up by bowling Overton for 19.A Ball six off Drissell took Somerset to a batting bonus point, but the former Gloucestershire spinner immediately responded by bowling him to complete a maiden five-for.Having seen the ball turn, the hosts gave the new ball to off-spinner Vaughan, who struck with the second delivery, Lees edging to second slip. Leach then pinned Parkinson lbw to cap an extraordinary day.

Going away from the game has helped him come back with a clearer mind and surer feet

Daniel Brettig04-Feb-2020Glenn Maxwell insists he is better equipped to handle the short-pitched bowling he can expect to face on his return to Australia’s ODI team for the first time since last year’s World Cup, having refreshed his mind and renewed his outlook after taking a much-publicised mental health break at the start of the summer.Back in October, Maxwell was not “getting a lot of enjoyment out of his cricket” in the words of national team coach Justin Langer, and gradually found a way back through time at home, club cricket, a Big Bash League campaign as captain of the Melbourne Stars, and now a recall for both the T20I and ODI squads to travel to South Africa later this month.The sorts of pitches and bowlers Maxwell can expect to face across the Indian Ocean are very relevant to the technical and tactical challenge he faced in improving his play against the short stuff, something that Langer had, in typically blunt and honest fashion, spoken publicly about at the back end of a World Cup campaign in which the 31-year-old had failed to exert the sort of influence his outrageous talent demanded. A clearer mind and surer feet should help, as they have done during a BBL the Stars are still fighting to win.”I think I’ve shown during this BBL that it doesn’t really faze me that much at the moment,” Maxwell said of the short ball. “I know that in one-day cricket you get a few extra bumpers an over, that’s fine. But it was probably something I did need to address, and when you have so much scrutiny it can be quite wearing on you. You’re trying hard, trying to find a way to fix it.”I was well aware that I felt confident against the short ball, I knew I kept on getting out but I felt confident against it, so it was sort of a Catch-22, when you try to take it on and getting out to it. I just feel like I’m a bit better at being able to deal with it, choosing which ones to score off and which ones to play, and that does come back to being a bit more still and being able to make a more calculated decision at the crease.”It is probably as simple as getting back to trying to be as still as possible. There might still be some movements but there’s not as big a pre-movement, there’s not as much anxiety around trying to get myself off the mark or get into the game, it’s just being a bit more calm and just remembering the sole focus is to watch the ball and deal with it as best you can.”That calm, focused attitude applies to the season as a whole as much as it does to every ball Maxwell faces. He stressed that he had perhaps looked too far ahead during 2019, creating mental hurdles for himself that did not necessarily need to be there, and subsequently resolved not to worry about Australian selection until it actually took place.”I wouldn’t say I pencilled anything in this year,” he said. “Last year and where I got to mentally, I probably thought ahead a lot, I thought deep into the future and all of a sudden you stop thinking about the now. I’ve literally just been going – as bad a cliché as it is – one game at a time and just making sure I’m putting 100% of my concentration and energy into the next game that I play and I think that’s been showing dividends.”With guys being more open and more honest, being able to actually have the honest conversation that I’m not feeling right, not feeling ok and it being accepted that it’s ok to feel that way. You still need the support behind you from all the boards to grant you the time away and to have that time to get yourself right. It is nice that other cricketers around the world are accepting and supportive of people in that space.Glenn Maxwell hasn’t played ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup•Getty Images

“I knew if I could get things right that I had a game that’s good enough to play at any level and when you’ve got so much going on behind the scenes and in the back of your mind or whatever it might be, to finally clear that away and just concentrate on the things that matter is a sign that it was the right move.”Maxwell will be welcomed back into the Australian set-up, not only the T20I side in which he has always been a central performer, but also the ODI line-up, which is being put together with a longer-term view in mind – the next World Cup in India in 2023.”I’ve always felt extremely comfortable in that T20 side and I feel like I’ve performed extremely well especially over the last three or four years in that squad and been able to get a specific role in that side and be quite welcomed in the way I go about that role, bat No. 4 for Australia,” Maxwell said. “The one-day side there’s been a bit more of a shift and I’ve been up and down the order a fair bit, but the reason behind this is a bit more of a spot on role that they want me to play.”I think I’ve come back a fresher player, being able to work out things off the field and get mentally right to perform and play well without any sort of mental scars going on behind and just be able to concentrate on the things that actually matter.”Hopefully a far better prepared one and a far fresher one and I’ve got a really good understanding of what I need to do to be successful and how to bat well. I feel like I’ve shown that on numerous times during this BBL, I’ve been able to think my way through situations and be quite calm in different positions and hopefully I can bring that to the Australian side.”

England legend hasn’t played competitively for nearly two years

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2021Sarah Taylor, the former England Women’s wicketkeeper, has come out of retirement a month ahead of schedule, and will make her competitive comeback for Northern Diamonds at Emerald Headingley on Saturday, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Taylor, 32, has not played professionally since retiring at the end of the 2019 season due to her long-term struggle with anxiety issues. But, having returned to the sport as a wicketkeeping consultant for Sussex this season, she was due to resume her playing career for Welsh Fire in the augural season of the Hundred.However, she has now answered a call from her former England team-mate, Dani Hazell, Northern Diamonds’ coach, following the loss of both of the team’s designated wicketkeepers. Bess Heath is injured and Lauren Winfield-Hill is away on England duty, so Taylor will slot straight into the side against South East Stars this weekend.”Dani gave me a call and told me that Lauren was going off with England and Bess is injured so they were after a keeper,” Taylor said. “It’s good for me to play in a good competition in preparation for my Hundred stint. It’s kind of a win-win for everyone really, but it was really nice of Dani to think of me.”In the course of an England career that spanned 13 years and 226 matches across formats, Taylor forged herself a reputation as one of the outstanding wicketkeepers – male or female – in world cricket.She still holds the record of 51 stumpings in both the ODI and T20I formats, while some of her dismissals, including a pre-emptive diving catch to dismiss Jodie Fields in the 2013 Ashes – off Hazell’s bowling, no less – have entered folklore.Related

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“It’s going to be a good test for me,” Taylor said. “I might be a little bit rusty but part of the reason for me playing is to get rid of that. Hopefully, I will perform well and can carry on where I left off. If I don’t then it’s okay, it’s just me getting back into the swing of things and remembering what it’s like to keep for 50 overs.”I know the Diamonds squad is a good one and I’m looking forward to joining them at training tomorrow.”Northern Diamonds have won two and lost one of their three matches in the RHFT so far – that defeat coming in a thrilling opening game at Headingley that showcased the best of women’s cricket, as Central Sparks chased a stiff target of 280 to win by two wickets.”You look at the games that have happened so far in the competition and you can really see the development of the women’s game,” Taylor said . “We’re playing on good pitches at good grounds and that is testament to the way the standard is going. Every year it is getting better and better. I’ve got a couple of years to catch up. Hopefully I can do that and we can go well.”I have played at Headingley before, it’s a great ground and I’ve loved playing there in the past when we’ve had the chance. Playing against the South East Stars, there’s a student of mine from my school playing for them so that will be good fun.”Reflecting on her return to the sport, both through her Hundred signing and her consultant work at Sussex, Taylor said: “I had to take some time out of the game to gain a little bit of perspective on it, but after everything had settled down, life got back to normal. It was nice to then have the opportunity to look at the game and throw myself into it.”Once the opportunity came around with Sussex and then the Welsh Fire, it was a really easy decision to come back. Now with the Northern Diamonds, I think I’d be stupid to turn these opportunities down.”

The South Africa fast bowler has partnered with a United Nations initiative for the cause

Firdose Moonda07-Dec-20216:09

Ngidi: “Will do best I can to effect change”

On average, a woman is murdered in South Africa in the time it takes for a T20 match to be played. Over the course of an ODI, two women die. Those are numbers Lungi Ngidi finds hard to ignore.”A woman is killed every four hours in South Africa. That is unbelievable. Mentally, I can’t grasp it,” Ngidi said to ESPNcricinfo. “Just hearing things like that and knowing I have my own mother, cousins, sisters and female friends, it shocks me. It’s not something that you want to be sitting worrying about every day, so something needs to be done about it.”Ngidi’s remarks have come during the annual international campaign against gender-based violence, instituted by the United Nations, that takes place between November 25 and December 10, but he has been thinking about the impact of gender-based violence for months.”This is something that really took off during the lockdown period for me. We are always so busy, we don’t really get time to read up on the stuff that’s happening in the country, but during that period this was something that was highlighted and it stuck out like a sore thumb,” he said.Related

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Many countries reported an increase in domestic abuse during the hard lockdowns of 2020. South Africa confirmed more than 120,000 cases in the first 21-day shutdown. Police figures say 53,293 sexual offences were reported in 2019-20 in the country, an average of 146 per day, up from 52,420 in 2018-19 (143 per day). Most of these were cases of rape: the police recorded 42,289 rapes in 2019-20, nearly 116 per day, up from 41,583 in 2018-19.”I felt that in some way I could contribute and I could make some sort of difference,” Ngidi said. “The main thing is trying to make sure it’s no longer just lip service and that there’s actually something being done. And those who have the power to actually make sure are being held accountable.”Ngidi will be partnering with the United Nations Women for Change programme and the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation, set up in memory of the 19-year-old student of that name who was sexually assaulted and murdered in Cape Town in August 2019, sparking nation-wide protests against the abuse of women.Mrwetyana was also honoured by Springbok rugby player Makazole Mapimpi, who wore a wristband with her name on it at the 2019 rugby World Cup. “With Mapimpi, the tribute to Uyinene was a massive statement because it happened on a stage like that,” Ngidi said. “This is why I believe sport has the ability to effect change. Just that little gesture brought a lot of attention and some people who didn’t know [now] know what happened.”Protest in sport against social discrimination has become common over the last 18 months, since the murder of George Floyd and the rise of the antiracism movement. In South Africa it was Ngidi who sparked a dialogue with the Black Lives Matter movement when he answered a question at a press engagement last July, shortly after England and West Indies became the first international teams to take a knee.”As a nation, we have a past that is very difficult, with racial discrimination, so it’s definitely something we will be addressing as a team, and if we are not, it’s something I will bring up. It’s something that we need to take very seriously, and like the rest of the world is doing, make the stand,” he said at the time.It has taken the South African men’s team 15 months and a board-mandated instruction to reach the point where they are collectively making the gesture. Through that period, Ngidi has been one of the players who has been steadfast in taking the knee on every occasion he could, and in speaking out about injustice.”The way I was raised is to speak about something if it’s not right,” he said. “I believe I have the responsibility as someone who plays for the national team. As someone who can influence change, I feel it’s one of my responsibilities to say something.”It’s not like I am out here looking for attention or trying to rally other people to do what I believe in, but this is what I believe in and I can see there’s other people affected by this as well. I will do as best as I can to try and effect some change.”Ngidi’s work against gender-based violence will focus on education and support for those who are abused, and for the perpetrators of that abuse, he said. “Fundraising is important but the main objective is to start seeing a difference in terms of what is actually being done instead of just financial donations. To actually physically do stuff is the most important.”South Africa’s statistics of violence against women are a consequence perhaps of the overarching environment of toxic masculinity in the country. Ngidi said he “could never explain” why crimes against women take place but that he wants to understand and prevent them from happening as frequently.

Michael Richarson, Alex Lees guide Durham to victory with half-centuries

ECB Reporters network28-Apr-2019Durham made it three wins in a row at home in the Royal London One-Day Cup by defeating Derbyshire by three wickets at Emirates Riverside.The hosts restricted Derbyshire to 255 for 8 from their 50 overs due to tight bowling from Ben Raine and James Weighell, who claimed two wickets apiece. Matt Critchley and Tom Lace led the way with the for the visitors, although neither batsman was able to pass fifty.Durham were measured for the majority of their run chase, despite losing an early wicket. Alex Lees made 55, scoring his third half-century in a row. Michael Richardson (72 not out) saw his side over the line, upping the ante with five sixes to secure the victory for the hosts, leaving them in a strong position in the north group after five matches.Derbyshire openers Luis Reece and Billy Godleman were prevented from scoring freely, which forced a mistake by Reece as he pulled a delivery from Weighell straight to Graham Clark. Godleman had made three centuries in a row, but his outstanding run was ended when he was caught down the legside for 23 off a delivery from Weighell.Wayne Madsen looked in prime touch, dispatching two sixes over the rope. However, the arrival of Liam Trevaskis was to end his innings, bowling the South African for 38. Alex Hughes then became the first victim of Scott Steel in List A cricket, slicing the ball straight to Brydon Carse at backward point.Leus du Plooy and Lace were able to stem the tide. The two players reached their fifty partnership from 52 balls, guiding Derbyshire past 150 in the process. Ben Raine ended their stand as du Plooy smashed an attempted pull straight to Lees for 32, leaving the visitors five down for 157.However, Lace continued his impressive knock, and having already reached his highest List A score, the 20-year-old was on course for a fifty before he edged a Salisbury delivery behind to Cameron Bancroft.Derbyshire were in need of a late surge from the lower order. Critchley provided the power, blasting three sixes in his unbeaten innings of 49 that allowed the visitors to post their highest List A total at Emirates Riverside.Clark lasted just two deliveries into Durham’s reply, slicing a ball from Sam Conners up in the air for Lace to claim with ease. Steel responded to kick-start the innings with a flurry of boundaries. He and Lees put on fifty in 55 deliveries before Steel was run out by a great throw from Conners from short fine leg to the bowler’s end for 32.Lees built his innings steadily with Bancroft before he upped the ante with three boundaries off a Reece over, bringing up the hundred for Durham and the fifty partnership with his skipper. Lees notched his third List A half-century on the bounce before giving his wicket away for 55 tamely driving a Ravi Rampaul delivery to Conners.Rampaul then claimed the major scalp of Bancroft, who edged an attempted hook behind to Harvey Hosein for 45.Richardson and Jack Burnham were able to calm the nerves for the home side, establishing a fifty partnership. Du Plooy had a huge opportunity to break the stand when Burnham skied a Critchley delivery straight to square leg, but the South African shelled the simple catch.Burnham capitalised on his second chance, blasting two huge sixes to take his team within touching distance, although he fell for 45 to Lace. There was still time for Trevaskis and Carse to be dismissed before Richardson took control to blast Durham over the line, earning their fourth win in five games in the competition.

Says she “wasn’t that excited” about the upcoming cricket and is happy to finish off with a Commonwealth gold medal

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2022As she called time on her international career, Rachael Haynes reflected on the “sliding doors” moment where her prolific second phase with Australia nearly didn’t happen.After being dropped in 2013 Haynes was struggling to combine playing at domestic level and working and in 2016 seriously considered walking away from the sport. However, less than a year later she was recalled to the Australia side for a tour of New Zealand – with two days’ notice – and the rest his history.Related

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Though she had scored 98 on Test debut against England in 2009 and had enjoyed moments of success in the ODI side – most notably the 2013 World Cup where she made 273 runs at 45.50 – during the first stage of her career she averaged 31.28 compared to 45.07 following the 2017 recall.In T20Is the rise was even more significant, going from an average of 17.15 and strike rate of 99.11 to 33.00 with a strike rate of 126.15.”I honestly thought that perhaps I was going to walk away from the game at that time,” Haynes said speaking outside the SCG. “But I had a lot of people get behind me and support me through that period and give me another chance and it’s changed my life and I’m very grateful.”It’s always tough being dropped from any side as an athlete, because you’re getting told you’re no longer required to do something that you love, so it definitely takes the wind out of your sails. But somewhere along the way, I found my love for the game again and I wanted to give it one last crack.”It was one of those sliding doors moments where there was a couple of injuries at the time in the team and I was in the right place at the right time. And the thing that I was proud of was that I stayed ready for that moment too. I was able to step into it when it did come.”While Haynes believes she could have pushed through to next year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa where Australia will defend the title, it was a feeling that she had lost a little of the drive that typified her comeback tale that made her feel it was the right time to retire.”I had the opportunity to pause and reflect after Commonwealth Games. Looking ahead, knowing it’s a lot of cricket coming up and probably the thing that stood out for me was that I wasn’t that excited about getting ready and that’s probably the first time in my career that I felt like that,” she said.Rachael Haynes won the ODI World Cup and the Commonwealth gold in her farewell year•ICC via Getty

“I recognised that maybe it was a sign to step away. Perhaps I could have gone on and made it through to the T20 World Cup, but I suppose knowing how I was feeling, I didn’t think it was the right thing to do. In a lot of ways, it’s nice to walk away on my own terms with the experiences of success that I have. I’m very fortunate and to finish off with a gold medal is very special.”When asked to single out her best innings Haynes went for the half-century against Sri Lanka, in Perth, during the 2020 T20 World Cup when Australia were 10 for 3 with their tournament hanging by a thread following the defeat to India in Sydney. It was a performance that summed up Haynes: being there as a cool head in the toughest moments.”It probably wasn’t as clean as I hit the ball or anything like that, but it was probably the most important innings that I played,” she said. “I suppose as a player you always want to stand up when your team needs you. I’ve been fortunate at different stages I’ve been able to pull off some crucial innings for the team. That’ll definitely hold a place in my memories. But the most amazing thing is the success I’ve been able to enjoy over a long period of time with this group of players and the Australian team, and also with New South Wales too. It’s tough in some respects to walk away but I also know it’s the right time.”With uncertainty over when Meg Lanning will return, as vice-captain Haynes could have had the chance to captain Australia again. However, she is confident in the depth of leadership options available for whatever positions need to be filled in the coming months. Australia are not in action again until December when they tour India before facing Pakistan at home in January.”I don’t want to throw names out there, I don’t want to put anyone under too much pressure or anything,” she said. “One thing I will say, behind the scenes they have been preparing for this moment for a little while now so I think they’ve got plenty of options they can draw on. Comes down to whether they’re thinking short or long term. There are some fantastic leaders within that group who don’t necessarily have the titles at the moment. But I’m looking forward to seeing who that might be.”On a personal level, Haynes will play a final season for Sydney Thunder – she missed the previous tournament due to injury and border restrictions – then indicated she would take some time away but was hopeful of remaining involved in the sport.”I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time,” she said. “I finished my MBA last year so I feel like I’m ready for that next chapter and what that looks like I’m not too sure. But I’m sure I’ll stay involved in cricket in some capacity.”I feel very fortunate I’ve been able to play through the professionalisation of the game and I can only see it continue to grow. And I’m looking forward to perhaps sitting in the stands now and watching the game.”

Alex Doolan’s maiden first-class half-century is unlikely to save Tasmania from defeat at the Gabba, where Ben Cutting’s three wickets put Queensland within sight of victory at stumps on the third day

Cricinfo staff03-Nov-2009Tasmania 156 and 6 for 209 (Doolan 59, Cutting 3-33) trail Queensland 382 by 17 runs

Scorecard
Ben Cutting picked up 3 for 33 to drive Queensland closer to victory•Getty Images

Alex Doolan’s maiden first-class half-century is unlikely to save Tasmania from defeat at the Gabba, where Ben Cutting’s three wickets put Queensland within sight of victory at stumps on the third day. At stumps, the Tigers were 6 for 209 and still trailing by 17 runs, with Daniel Marsh on 40 and Brett Geeves on 16.However, the visitors were going to require some individual brilliance on the final day to save the match after Queensland’s bowlers again proved a handful in their home conditions. The key breakthrough came just before tea, when Doolan (59) hooked Cutting and was caught on the boundary.It was an unfortunate lapse in concentration from Doolan, who had batted for more than three hours and had helped his captain George Bailey provide some fight. When Bailey departed shortly after tea for 25, caught behind off Daniel Doran, the Bulls sensed an opportunity.Cutting followed with two more breakthroughs and finished the day with 3 for 33, and Tasmania will need their former skipper Marsh to bat for as long as possible on the fourth day to have any hope of survival. Queensland started the day still at the crease but lost their final wicket, Chris Swan for 82, from the first ball of the morning.

Former captain says preparation has to be intense at the start of a Test series overseas, then it can taper off

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2018Did India learn anything from the defeat in South Africa earlier this year? Did they not learn that match practice is the key to winning Test series, especially abroad? Was playing just a three-day tour match against Essex enough before a big clash with England? These are the questions raised by former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who said the team management had erred by focusing on “simulated” training rather than playing actual cricket matches to prepare for an important five-match series.India lost the first of those games by 31 runs two days ago, with all of their specialist batsmen, barring Virat Kohli, showing weak technique and even weaker temperament. This led Gavaskar to question why the players were given five days off before the start of the England Tests, and took issue with India reducing the proposed four-day match against Essex into three days. He held that while Kohli might have the skills needed to adjust to Test cricket even after time off, the Indian captain and management needed to realise that the others could have benefited from more match practice.The white-ball portion of India’s tour ended with the third ODI on July 17, but there was only one practice game – against Essex – scheduled in the 14-day gap until the start of the first Test on August 1. India lost that Test, despite Kohli scoring 149 and 51.”See Virat Kohli is such an exceptional talent, he can take 15 days off and then score a hundred the next day,” Gavaskar told . “If he takes time off, no quarrel at all. But he has to understand, and the team management have to understand, that others need practice.”I understand the need to switch off, but it can’t be five days. The preparation should have been much more intense at the start of the series. You can taper off later, but not at the start. The last ODI was on July 17, and the Test series started on August 1. There were 14 days in between. And you play only a three-day match in that period? Why have you gone to England – to play cricket or something else? I agree, they have practised for long hours in those days, but like I said, you cannot get by with just practice. You have to play matches too.”Gavaskar also didn’t agree with the notion that arriving in England a month before the Tests began had been helpful, largely because India had spent that time playing one-day cricket.”They deluded themselves, and everybody, by saying they have been in England for a month. But in that time they were playing against the white ball. And the white ball doesn’t move as much as the red one, and the Duke ball particularly moves even more,” he pointed out. “They didn’t learn anything from the South Africa experience. [India lost 2-1 away to South Africa at the start of the year] They didn’t have much time there, but they did have a two-day practice match which they also cancelled. In South Africa, India played well in the third Test, only after playing in two Tests. We’re talking of five Tests here, if you start winning after two Tests, the series can be gone by then.”You can have as many match simulations, as many throw-downs, but it is never the same as a match situations. While taking throw-downs, you can get out, but you know you’ll still be batting the next ball. If a bowler bowls a no-ball in a match, he won’t get a wicket. In the match, if you get out, you’ll be sitting in the dressing room and watching someone else score the runs you should have.”Another error India had made, according to Gavaskar, was going in without an extra batsman. “If it was up to me, in the first Test of an overseas series, I would always go with six batsmen,” he said. “Then with a wicketkeeper and an allrounder like Ashwin, your batting depth increases. If after that, your top four hit form, you can go with five bowlers in the subsequent Tests. The need of the hour now is to strengthen the batting.”Analysing India’s batsmen in the first Test, Gavaskar said only Kohli made the mental adjustment needed. “Virat adjusted temperamentally. The bat-speed in one-day cricket is higher, because you’re looking to play shots. It’s not like that in Test cricket,” Gavaskar said. “The more you leave balls in Tests, the better for you, because the bowler tires. And if you keep leaving balls outside off, you will force the bowler to change his line. Virat made that adjustment, the others didn’t. See Shikhar Dhawan’s dismissals in both innings, Rahul in the first innings, Ajinkya Rahane in both innings – they all went at the ball with hard hands. The secret to batting in England is not to reach for the ball, but let it come on to the bat. If they can make that adjustment, the others can make runs in the next Test onwards.”

The Barbados and West Indies captain had no idea that Dottin was going to retire in the middle of the Commonwealth Games

Valkerie Baynes04-Aug-2022Barbados and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews has said she had no warning that Deandra Dottin was planning to retire from international cricket midway through the Commonwealth Games, and is planning to discuss the matter with her team-mate now that their campaign in Birmingham is over.Matthews, who was appointed as West Indies captain in June, said she was as surprised as anyone by Dottin’s shock announcement via Twitter on Monday, citing concerns over the team environment.Related

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“Thankful to Deandra for everything she’s done for West Indies cricket,” Matthews said when asked about her reaction to Dottin’s decision. “She’s obviously been a wonderful player for us over the last couple of years, and it’s sad to see her go, but at the same time if it’s something that she’s ready for, then supporting her 100%.”Matthews said she hadn’t spoken to Dottin before the announcement and that she had “no interpretation” of Dottin’s comments about the team culture and environment.”[I’m] obviously down here representing Barbados and everything, so probably not looking to speak too much on that at the moment,” Matthews said on Wednesday after her side suffered a 100-run defeat against India in their final Group A game. “But yeah, I definitely would have a chat with her and see how things go.”Barbados won their opening match of the Commonwealth Games against Pakistan by 15 runs before losing by nine wickets to gold-medal favourites Australia on Sunday.The following day, Dottin published a letter addressed to Cricket West Indies on Twitter announcing her “formal retirement from the senior women’s West Indies team effective 1st July 2022”. Dottin, who has a contract to play in the Hundred for Manchester Originals and will captain Trinbago Knight Riders in the Women’s CPL, also said that she was “looking forward to playing domestic cricket around the world”.Deandra Dottin in her retirement note said she was looking forward to play domestic cricket around the world•BCCI

“There have been many obstacles during my cricket career that I have had to overcome, however, the current climate and team environment has been non-conducive to my ability to thrive and reignite my passion,” Dottin wrote in her announcement. “With much sadness but without regret, I realise that I am no longer able to adhere to team culture and team environment as it has undermined my ability to perform excellently.”Dottin, the scorer of the fastest century in Women’s T20Is and West Indies’ most-capped international cricketer, having played 124 T20Is and 143 ODIs for them, had a lacklustre Commonwealth Games. She played three T20Is for Barbados, scoring 8, 8 and 0, and taking 1 for 65 from six overs in the tournament.When she juggled a catch running from point to short cover, the ball bouncing out of her hand and onto her chin before she held on at the second grab to dismiss India’s Taniya Bhatia off Matthew’s bowling on Wednesday, the Barbados team-mates shared a laugh and a warm hug.While Matthews said she was “a bit disappointed with the result” against India, she was proud of what her team had achieved with a mix of seven West Indies-capped players among a clutch of players without prior international experience.”I think we put up a really good fight,” Matthews said. “The highlight was our first game against Pakistan and winning one out of three I think is better than a lot of people expected us to do. So although we didn’t have the result we wanted today, I still think we had a great tournament, and the girls were able to learn a lot for sure.”Hopefully spurs West Indies and the entire Caribbean to want to put more into women’s cricket within the Caribbean. I think they’re doing a great job now. We just had our regional tournament, and if over the next couple of years we can continue to grow our domestic set-up, hopefully, we can see some younger players that we had today being able to compete at the highest level.”Having had her first taste of international captaincy with Barbados, who secured a place at the Commonwealth Games on the strength of being T20 Blaze champions in 2019, Matthews was keen to carry on with West Indies.”I would have learned a lot just throughout these three games, taking responsibility and working with a lot of the younger players who weren’t as experienced at this level,” she said. “The support I’ve gotten from the team has been amazing.”You probably think that the pinnacle of the career is if you can lead out your nation or your country, so I think [it was] definitely something I eyed up. But [I’m] just grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to lead not only Barbados but the region as well and really humbled by it.”