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Steven Finn made the most of the 28.5 overs allowed by rain and bad light on the third day at Lord’s to further enhance his reputation with three wickets as Bangladesh limped to 237 for 7 under overcast skies

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan29-May-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Steven Finn was the star for England as they made good use of a short day•AFP

Steven Finn made the most of the 28.5 overs allowed by rain and bad light on the third day at Lord’s to further enhance his reputation with three wickets as Bangladesh limped to 237 for 7 under overcast skies. With James Anderson bowling himself back into rhythm, claiming a confidence-boosting brace, it was tough for the visitors who had performed so admirably on Friday but are still 69 runs away from saving the follow-on.English bowling attacks always look far more threatening when they have overhead conditions to help them and they were transformed from the below-par performance of the previous afternoon. Finn was given his favoured Pavilion End and reaped the rewards by causing continued problems with his bounce, while Anderson began to rediscover his outswinger.With a view to the future it was Finn’s performance that was most eye-catching. Significantly he was handed the second new ball and struck with his second delivery to remove the stubborn Mushfiqur Rahim as one nipped between bat and pad, not dissimilar to now Glenn McGrath, Finn’s idol, took many of his wickets at Lord’s.It wasn’t until 3.20pm that the players managed to take the field and England were clearly keen to take advantage of the conditions, but had also talked about their tactics as the lengths were much better. Finn, operating from the end where he does most of his bowling for Middlesex, struck in the fourth over when Junaid Siddique – after a resilient 58 – couldn’t withdraw his bat in time; a problem caused by the extra bounce.Mohammad Ashraful, who was dropped for the series in Bangladesh a couple of months ago, came in at No. 5 and opened his account with a positive square drive before being unluckily sent on his way. Finn nipped a ball back into his pads and Asoka de Silva answered the bowler’s appeal though subsequent replays showed it was missing leg.At the Nursery End Anderson continued to battle against himself following an inactive three-weeks in the Caribbean which has left him short of bowling. However, slowly he began to rediscover the outswinger which barely made an appearance the previous day and produced a lovely delivery which went away from Jahurul Islam to nick the outside edge.Shakib Al Hasan, short of match practice after suffering chicken pox at the start of the tour, began in positive fashion but had to be very watchful as conditions continued to aid the bowlers. Tim Bresnan replaced Finn after a seven-over spell and was much improved as he found a fuller length to regularly beat Mushfiqur’s outside edge.It was Anderson, though, who made the next breakthrough when Shakib’s concentration wavered and he pushed hard outside off stump to a ball that moved away. Matt Prior made a hash of a simple catch, but fortunately for the wicketkeeper Andrew Strauss was on hand at first slip to pouch the rebound much as Graeme Swann had been in the World Twenty20 final when Craig Kieswetter spilled an edge. However, given the scrutiny on Prior’s place it won’t be a good idea to do it too often.Mushfiqur, five years after making his debut on this ground as a 16-year-old, gave another demonstration of the technique that makes him Bangladesh’s most solid batsman. But in gloomy light after tea he couldn’t keep out Finn’s excellent start with the new ball during a seven-ball period between stoppages. Jamie Siddons, the Bangladesh coach, was clearly annoyed by the umpire’s judgement on the light as the players left the field again after the wicket.Play resumed for another nine deliveries – three of which Shahadat Hossain swung wildly at to suggest he wasn’t keen on the fight – and although England were denied the chance to wrap up the innings they will be confident of putting Bangladesh back in again on the fourth day.

ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB is likely to reject NOCs to several all-format players for upcoming franchise tournaments

Danyal Rasool13-Jul-2024The PCB is set for a collision course with some of the biggest names in Pakistan cricket after deciding to refuse an NOC to Naseem Shah for the Hundred.ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB is likely to reject NOCs to several all-format players for upcoming franchise tournaments. While the Global T20 League in Canada has not yet been officially sanctioned by the ICC – without which the PCB cannot issue NOCs to centrally contracted players – it is believed Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will not be allowed to play there either way, with workload management likely cited as the reason.The immediate implications of the decision mean The Hundred’s Birmingham Phoenix will lose out on Naseem next month, while Afridi, Rizwan and Babar will be unavailable for the Global T20 League Canada. Neither tournament directly clashes with any international cricket Pakistan play, but with a busy upcoming schedule for the national side, it is understood the PCB wishes to see their all-format players rest up ahead of Pakistan’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which starts on August 21.Related

• Shaheen, Babar, Rizwan denied NOCs to play in Global T20 Canada

• PCB mulls 'key changes', says domestic cricket 'compulsory' for players

• Wahab and Razzaq sacked from PCB selection committee

Though the GLT20 awaits official ICC sanction, the Pakistan players drafted were fully expected to be allowed to play the league; Afridi is scheduled to travel to Canada shortly, with the tournament officially slated to begin on July 25. Naseem, meanwhile was set to earn £125,000 for his time at The Hundred, which starts on July 23.This doesn’t necessarily mean no NOC requests will be entertained, with the latest NOC repressions likely to only affect those considered all-format regulars. Usama Mir, who had his NOC denied last month for the T20 Blast, will be allowed to play The Hundred, as will Haris Rauf.The NOC rejections are set to go further than just the leagues over the next month. Pakistan have a virtually non-stop cricketing schedule from October to May the following year. They play three Tests against England at home that month, followed by limited-overs series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, a Test series in South Africa, a home Test series against the West Indies, a home tri-series featuring South Africa and New Zealand, a home Champions Trophy, and the PSL. It is understood the PCB will entertain no NOC requests during that period for all-format players, which coincides with a spate of T20 leagues.The three-year central contracts the PCB and the players signed last year allowed for two overseas franchise leagues per year, as long as those tournaments did not clash with the player’s international commitments. While the contracts do state the PCB has the right to refuse NOCs if they feel it is in the best interests of Pakistan’s international obligations, the decision to withdraw the players from leagues which do not directly clash with international cricket is set to cause discontent among players affected, and questions around whether the allowance made in central contracts is being respected in spirit.The past month has seen an uneasy quiet take hold after Pakistan’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign which saw them exit in the first round. Initial reports suggested PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wanted to enact “major surgery” on the side, but no immediate ramifications followed in the wake of the exit. Of late, however, there have been signs that events are beginning to gather speed, with Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq sacked from the PCB selection committee.

Young batters Ashley Chandrasinghe and Campbell Kellaway face a winter of developing their skills

Tristan Lavalette26-Mar-2023On the resumption of the Sheffield Shield season last month, an inexperienced Victoria didn’t set outlandish goals or plot a barnstorming title run.Boasting just one win from their first six matches, Victoria were content with backing youth in a bid to mould together a talented core who could help build a foundation for sustained success.”When we came back after the BBL we spoke about how we’re on a journey. We didn’t talk about playing in the Shield final,” Victoria coach Chris Rogers said.Surprising their own modest expectations, with skipper Peter Handscomb and frontline spinner Todd Murphy on Australia’s Test tour of India, Victoria led by 23-year-old stand-in captain Will Sutherland got on a roll.Related

• Shield final specialist Marcus Harris is keeping Ashes in perspective

• Chandrasinghe bats the day for an unbeaten 46 against disciplined WA

• WA's trophy surge continues with back-to-back Sheffield Shield titles

• Talk of a dynasty unavoidable for Western Australia's cricket powerhouse

They won four straight matches to leapfrog into second-place and book a spot in the final against defending champions Western Australia.In a rematch of last year’s decider at the WACA, Victoria had their moments in a see-saw but couldn’t quite get the job done in an eventual nine-wicket defeat.Rather than be battle-scarred, they are hoping to take heed of the adversity experienced amid the cauldron as Victoria aims to chip away at WA’s stranglehold of the domestic competition.”The challenge is to reach the top of the mountain and get past WA. That’s the challenge for everyone,” Rogers said. “With a bit more experience…[we] might have been able to hang in a bit longer. It’s a young group and I think they’ll learn a lot out of it.”As Victoria stared down the barrel heading into day four, Rogers had a frank conversation with 20-year-old batter Campbell Kellaway who had helped spark Victoria’s season turnaround with a half-century against New South Wales in a comeback 69-run victory.His breakout season has him on the radar of the national selectors with Kellaway selected in the Australia A tour of New Zealand next month. But promoted to No.3 in the final, Kellaway was particularly scratchy on a green-tinged surface against WA’s strong attack as he mustered 6 off 23 balls in the first innings before looking somewhat overwhelmed late on day three in a painstaking 7 off 63 balls.”I spent a good 45 minutes with him, talking about these experiences,” Rogers said. “He’s figuring out answers to questions. He tried too hard this game. He was fighting so hard that he wasn’t giving himself a chance to score. He’s going to be a really important player for us for a number of years.”Ashley Chandrasinghe carried his bat for 46 off 280 balls: ‘It’s an extraordinary effort and he’s got attributes to build on’•Getty Images

In similar fashion to Kellaway, 21-year-old opener Ashley Chandrasinghe carried his bat in the first innings in a remarkable 280-ball stonewall worth 46 runs.It was a rearguard that polarised the public but made more meritorious with Chandrasinghe, in his Shield debut season, only making the line-up after veteran opener Travis Dean suffered an injury on the day before the match.Chandrasinghe received little support from his more senior players and also copped mocking applause from the typically rowdy WACA faithful. But he remained unruffled to produce an indefatigable batting effort that he can build on in the off-season.”There’s room for improvement in his game,” Rogers said. “He doesn’t want to play that style of cricket, he wants to be scoring runs.”It’s a measure of the man that he can bat a whole day. It’s an extraordinary effort and he’s got attributes to build on. That determination and to never quit is something in-built. I’m so proud of him.”A gallant Victoria remained in the contest largely due to a lionhearted allround performance from Sutherland, who further enhanced his growing reputation with a five-wicket haul and an aggressive 83 in the second innings. But it ultimately wasn’t enough although there is the sense that something is percolating within this emerging team.”It still bloody hurts we lost another final. I don’t want that to be a habit but we’re heading in the right direction,” Rogers said. “To win five games on the bounce is quite exceptional. They’ve played with discipline beyond their years and they had a lot of fun doing it. We are going to get better.”

Haider Ali’s enterprising 49 and Kamran Akmal’s attacking 41 not enough as Zalmi fall short in 200 chase

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2022Haider Ali’s enterprising 49 and Kamran Akmal’s attacking 41 weren’t enough for Peshawar Zalmi, as a whirlwind knock of 66 by Fakhar Zaman helped Lahore Qalandars to a 29-run win.After Shaheen Afridi bowled Hazratullah Zazai off the third ball of the 200 chase with no run on the board, Akmal and Hussain Talat added 62 as Akmal went for the boundaries while Talat struggled to get going. But Zaman Khan got them both off back-to-back balls in the ninth over, first having Talat caught at deep midwicket before getting Akmal to chop on to his stumps.Akmal’s 41 came off 24 deliveries, including 4, 4 and 6 off successive balls in the fifth over against Rashid Khan, while Talat couldn’t make the most of three drops to limp to 15 from 24 deliveries.But after Akmal fell, Haider ensured Zalmi didn’t lose the momentum, getting off to a rapid start after himself being dropped. With Mailk also gone and the required run rate up to nearly 15 with seven overs remaining, Rutherford also targeted Rashid, cracking 6, 4 and 4 off consecutive deliveries. However, Zaman Khan dismissed Rutherford for 21 from 11 balls, and despite Haider’s effort, Zalmi were left with too much to do in the end, as David Wiese nearly had a hat-trick for Qalandars with DRS reversing the umpire’s initial out verdict.And with the bat, Qalandars were set up by an aggressive 94-run opening stand between Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique. Initially, Fakhar Zaman was the one who went after the bowlers, scoring 26 off his first 13 balls after four overs. Shafique then upped the tempo, slamming Arish Ali for 6 and 4 off the first two balls of the next over. At least one boundary was hit every over until Usman Qadir got Shafique for 41 off the last ball of the ninth to break the partnership.But Fakhar Zaman pumped Qadir for two more boundaries – the ball drooping off Haider’s fingers at deep square leg facilitated the six – before Talat got him for 66 in the 13th over. That is when Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Ghulam and Rashid combined to provide the finishing touches to Qalandars’ innings, as they crashed 82 off the final seven overs, with Rashid hitting three sixes in an unbeaten eight-ball 22.

Can Australia bounce back from their horror collapse when they had the series for the taking?

Andrew McGlashan15-Sep-2020

Big Picture

Somehow there is a decider to this series. That looked a very small chance when Australia needed 88 to win with eight wickets and 19 overs in hand two days ago. But as well as the middle order staged a recovery in the opening match there remains a vulnerability and England were able to seize on it, albeit on a tricky pitch that made their total of 231 more demanding that it may have appeared.A key factor for this final game – the last of an extraordinary men’s international season that will be completed amid the Covid-19 pandemic – is that it will be played on a fresh pitch, although it’s worth saying how superbly the two groundsmen at Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl have done to sustain the quality of surfaces over such a high turnover of matches.Who holds the advantage heading into this one? You would have to say England given the confidence boost of coming back from the brink on Sunday and an unbeaten home record that dates back to 2015 (when Australia were the last side to win a bilateral series in the country). However, perhaps due to the stop-start nature of the format since the World Cup, England have not quite hit their straps consistently in ODIs since then. For now, the top order has lost just a little of its aura – not that it would take much for it to return, and winning in different ways is certainly a good thing.Australia came into the tour having not played cricket for six months and perhaps a little lack of match hardness is partly to blame for their two defeats-from-the-jaws-of-victory performances in the first T20I and then the second ODI. However, particularly the way the collapse unfolded at breakneck speed two days ago will have been of concern.What they do have, though, is a very impressive pace attack with Josh Hazlewood outstanding in the two ODIs – conceded just 26 and 27 in 10 overs – while Adam Zampa is picking up wickets for fun. Bowling has never really been a massive concern for Australia; it’s the batting that continues to hold unanswered questions. Still, as shown in the opening match of the series, they are good enough to beat the world champions. England will need to be at their best to end this summer-like-no-other with a trophy.Jofra Archer celebrates as Marcus Stoinis departs•Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches)
England LWLWW
Australia LWWLL

In the spotlight

Jos Buttler was outstanding in the two T20Is he played, taking the Man of the Series award despite being allowed to step away for the final match, but he has not been able to rekindle that feeling in the first two ODs with scores of 1 and 3 as Australia have made inroads into England’s middle order. He has had a magnificent season, all amid the challenges of being in the bubble almost from start to finish, so if his powers are waning a touch towards the end (his keeping is still good) then that would be understandable. However, the prospect of a series to win could just be the moment to bring a final flourish.With one innings to go, it has been another low-scoring tour of England for David Warner. After a half-century in the first T20I he has made three single-figure scores and been dismissed by his newest nemesis, Jofra Archer, in all four innings. As in the Ashes when he became a walking wicket for Stuart Broad he has received some superb deliveries from Archer, notably the two in the one-day series, but he will be keen not to finish another trip to these shores with the memory of him falling regularly to the same England pace bowler.

Team news

The Curran brothers had a big impact after replacing Moeen Ali and Mark Wood in the XI. It would be tough on either of them to miss out for the decider. It might hinge on whether Wood’s ankle niggle was anything more than needing a match off to rest amid a tight turnaround. If Moeen didn’t play on the previous pitch, it’s unlikely he’ll be recalled on a new one.England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Sam Billings, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Jofra ArcherThe key decision will be again around whether Steven Smith is able to return after the blow on the head before the opening game. He has passed all his concussion tests but a cautious approach has been taken so far, and Justin Langer says a late decision will be made. Despite the middle-order collapse it’s unlikely the selectors will be drawn into any knee-jerk decisions.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Marcus Stoinis/Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

A new pitch offers the prospect of something more in favour of the batsmen, although Old Trafford is usually a good battle between bat and ball on any surface. The forecast is for another dry and bright autumn day, although there have been a few signs of dew being a factor at the very end of the game.

Stats and Trivia

• Joe Root needs 38 runs to reach 6000; Aaron Finch needs 29 to reach 5000 and Glenn Maxwell 45 to reach 3000
• Josh Hazlewood has conceded just 2.65 runs per over this series. Since 2010, the lowest economy rate for an Australia bowler to play at least three matches in a series and bowl at least 20 overs is Doug Bollinger’s 3.28 against Pakistan in 2009-10
• Tom Curran’s 0 for 28 was the most economical wicketless 10-over spell by an England bowler since 2006

Quotes

“Jofra Archer’s an incredibly talented bowler. Equally, David Warner – what a player. I was looking over numbers last night and Davey’s record over the last little bit, I know when he gets in, he scores hundreds in one-day cricket. It’s been a great contest, some of these one-on-one match-ups, and often the fast bowler against the opening batter, that’s why we get up to watch the game. I’m sure Davey, he’s a superstar, he’s working overtime to be up for tomorrow night’s game.”
“I think we’ve earned that respect over a four- or five-year period. Teams do realise that we can potentially win from any position and the game is not done until they get over the line. We’ve got that character and belief that we can win from any position.”
Chris Woakes reflects on England’s ability to overturn the odds as a 50-over team.

Batsman content with unglamorous remit as Eoin Morgan steals the show at Old Trafford

George Dobell at Old Trafford19-Jun-2019Of course the headlines were dominated by Eoin Morgan. His innings, variously described as “phenomenal”, “ridiculous” and “astounding” by his team-mates clearly stole the show in Manchester on Tuesday. This England ODI team have produced several remarkable performances over the last four years; this was up there with the best of them.But just because few people leave the Louvre talking about the foundations of the building does not mean these things are not important. And there were other performances in Manchester that will have encouraged England as they move into the final four matches of their qualifying campaign.The batting of Joe Root is one such example. He managed only one six, fell 12 short of a century and had to be content with a strike-rate of 107.31 – that’s more than 100 fewer than Morgan’s – against Afghanistan. On an extraordinary day, it was a performance that barely gained a mention in match reports.But it was a masterful innings. And it sustained a run of form that saw Root rise to second on the competition’s run-scoring table – only Shakib Al Hasan has more – with two centuries, two half-centuries and an innings of 21 from his five matches to date.More importantly, it provided the platform that allowed England to accelerate so dramatically in their final 15 overs. On a wicket that started just a little damp and therefore provided some help for the bowlers, Root (and the equally efficient Jonny Bairstow) ensured England negotiated that tricky period to ensure there were wickets in hand for a final attack that realised 198 from the final 15 overs and 125 from the final eight. Not only that, Root kept the scoreboard ticking over – he scored 43 in singles – ensuring Morgan was given as much strike as possible. Root’s innings enabled Morgan’s. Or at least assisted it. Just as his century in Nottingham helped Jos Buttler to make a quicker century at the other end.But it’s not the glamorous role. It’s the straight foil to Morgan’s comedy genius, or the friend who does the washing up after a party. It’s valuable and it’s appreciated, but it’s not what the spectators go home talking about. And, as he reflected on the game, Root admitted it can hard for him – a star used to top billing as he is – to accept his part in a supporting role.”It can be difficult for me,” Root said. “You look at the scoreboard and see someone is going like that and think I have to try and get involved.”But you have to weigh it up and see what’s best for the team. On that wicket it was quite hard starting; especially teeing off from ball one. Morgs made a very good point out there that it’s always easier for the two guys that are in, especially on a surface like that. So it was important that we took it deep. That was a reason we managed to get as many as we did.Watch on Hotstar (India only): England’s record 25 sixes in the innings“I think one of the reasons Morgs managed to score so quickly is I managed to give him so much strike. The reason I felt like I batted for the whole innings and only ended up on 88 is because I didn’t have that much strike. Towards the back end, if someone is going like that, it’s exactly what you want. It wasn’t that I was chewing up balls or wasting time.”If you’re batting with someone and you’re putting them under pressure because they feel like you should be playing in a certain manner and you’re not, then that’s not beneficial to the team. If you are all on the same page and are very clear about how you’re going to approach things, that’s when it makes life a lot easier. That’s one of the reasons why, over the last couple of years, we have managed that in 50-over cricket: there’s a really good understanding of how we operate as a group.”When Root did fall – caught at long-on trying to heave a six when some batsmen may have nudged their way to a century – it was noticeable that both Buttler and Stokes struggled. But Root knew, with such men to follow, that he could afford to play high-risk strokes. He accepts his role because he knows he doesn’t have the big shots of his colleagues and he knows it is best for the team.As it was, Moeen Ali was the man to finish the England innings with a bang. While we have become used to his miserly bowling, he has struggled to rediscover the batting form he showed in the IPL. So the nine-ball 31 he smashed towards the end of the England innings will have given him a little more confidence going into the second half of the tournament. Not so long ago, he might have been considered as an alternative opening batsman for Jason Roy – he has two ODI centuries in that position, after all – which would allow space for two spinners and five seamers. That is not on the cards at present, but if Moeen can find some form, it gives the battling line-up a daunting depth.There was good news, too, on Liam Plunkett. While the team management insist he could have played on Tuesday, he had been ill on Monday and was quarantined away from the other players until mid-way through the game. He is now said to be fully recovered and available for selection on Friday.England will go into that game – against a Sri Lanka side in transition – as heavy favourites. Increasingly, they are looking comfortable with that tag, though they know tougher foes lie ahead in the coming days. If they win on Friday, however, they will probably need to win only one of their final three group matches to ensure their place in the semi-finals. Despite the concerns over Roy’s on-going involvement, they are in a good position at this stage of the tournament.

New Zealand’s batting mainstay of the 60s and 70s, who led them to their first Test win over Australia, has died one day short of his 80th birthday

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2018Bevan Congdon, who led New Zealand to their first Test win over Australia, has died one day short of his 80th birthday. He passed away in Auckland after a long bout of illness.Congdon made his New Zealand debut in 1965 and played 61 Tests in a career spanning 13 years. Batting mostly at No. 3, he scored 3448 runs at an average of 32.22, his seven hundreds including two in back-to-back innings in England in 1973, at Trent Bridge and Lord’s. The fourth-innings 176 at Trent Bridge very nearly took New Zealand to an improbable win; chasing 479, they lost by 38 runs. One of the many qualities the innings showcased was Congdon’s bravery – he battled on despite being hit in the face by a John Snow bouncer.In all, Congdon captained New Zealand in 17 Tests – they only won one of those matches, but that one win was momentous. Congdon sent Australia in to bat in the Christchurch Test of March 1974, and took three first-innings wickets with his medium-pace – including those of Greg Chappell and Rodney Marsh – as New Zealand triumphed by five wickets. In all, Congdon took 59 Test wickets at 36.50.Congdon also finished with a fine record in ODIs, scoring two fifties and a hundred in 11 matches and finishing with an average of 56.33 – still the best for any New Zealand batsman with a minimum of 10 innings – and a strike rate of 71.61, an impressive figure in the early years of limited-overs cricket.”Bevan was at the centre of the New Zealand team at a time it started gaining attention on the international cricket scene for the all the right reasons – in no small part due to his leadership and ability,” NZC chief executive David White said. “He’s left a real legacy in terms of putting New Zealand cricket on the map, and I know the wider cricketer family – not just in New Zealand but worldwide, will be mourning his loss.”Congdon is survived by his wife Shirley, his daughters Ali and Sandy, and grandchildren Matthew, Joshua, Lily and Reeves.

Chris Rogers is returning to Somerset as coach-cum-mentor as he still harbours the ambition of helping them to their first Championship title

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2017Chris Rogers, the former Australia batsman, is refusing to abandon hope of helping Somerset to a first Championship title.Rogers retired at the end of last season in emotional circumstances as Somerset, Championship leaders going into the last day of the season, watched on TV at their Taunton headquarters as Middlesex stole the prize with a last-gasp victory against Yorkshire.That seemed to be it for Rogers, as far as Somerset were concerned, but he will return as a batting coach and player mentor for the first half of the forthcoming season.As yet, there seems no possibility that Rogers, at 39, will strap on the pads again – even if an obvious opportunity will open up mid-season when Dean Elgar, the batsman signed to replace him, heads off for South Africa’s Test series in England.And if Somerset are harbouring even the tiniest hope that Rogers might make a dramatic comeback they certainly aren’t saying.Matt Maynard, Somerset’s director of cricket, is just delighted that Rogers will be returning to the southwest. “Chris made a massive impact both on and off the field last year,” he said. “He was a huge part of what we achieved in the summer and was by far the outstanding candidate for the position. It goes without saying that we are delighted he will be working with us again in 2017.”He knows exactly what we expect from our players and is familiar with the culture that we have created within the dressing room. He will join us on March 1 and will be with us until June 30 and in that time he’ll act as our batting coach. In addition to that he’ll also work with the whole squad in a mentoring capacity.”The young players will learn a tremendous amount from him and he’ll ensure that the more experienced guys maintain the high standards that they set last year.”Regarding his return Rogers said: “Last year Matt Maynard and I floated the idea of coming back in a coaching capacity if I did retire and I’m greatly appreciative that he and the club have given me this opportunity to work with the players and develop my own skills.”Coaching is something I feel passionate about as well as giving back to the game and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than at Somerset and learning from the staff there.”The club made some significant strides last year and hopefully I can help Somerset achieve some silverware in 2017. It’s nothing more than the supporters deserve.”

Joe Burns has retained his place for the Boxing Day Test, with Shaun Marsh dropped after scoring 182 in Australia’s win over West Indies in Hobart

Brydon Coverdale in Melbourne25-Dec-20151:02

Shaun Marsh unlucky to miss out – Smith

Joe Burns has retained his place for the Boxing Day Test, with Shaun Marsh dropped after scoring 182 in Australia’s win over West Indies in Hobart. Usman Khawaja’s return after a month out with a hamstring injury meant that someone had to make way, and Australia’s selectors preferred to leave Marsh out rather than split up the opening partnership they believe is the future.Burns and David Warner began their opening partnership with three successive century stands against New Zealand, including a 237-run effort in the second innings at the Gabba, where Burns also registered his maiden Test hundred. However, since that innings Burns has made starts but failed to reach fifty, while Marsh helped Australia to victory with 49 in the second innings in Adelaide.Marsh followed that with a huge 449-run stand with Adam Voges in Hobart, the highest fourth-wicket partnership of all time in Test cricket. However, captain Steven Smith said the selectors had viewed the Burns-Warner partnership as important to stick with going forward, given the successful way they had started as a combination this summer.”That was a big part of it,” Smith said. “Joe has been playing quite good cricket. He scored a hundred only a couple of Tests ago so that was a big part of it. They average 80 as a pair and it’s pretty important to have a good opening stand. They’ve been doing a very good job so the selectors thought that was the right way to go.”We’re always talking about what’s coming up as well. There were a lot of conversations around it. Shaun is obviously extremely unlucky to miss out after scoring a brilliant 180 in the last Test match, and 49 under a bit of pressure in the Test before that. There were lots of talks about it but they believe that’s the best way to go, going forward.”The return of Khawaja will allow Smith to move back down to No. 4 after he filled the No. 3 position in Adelaide and Hobart. Smith sat out of the opening week of the BBL season to rest his sore knee and hip, and he said he was better for the time spent off the field.”It’s been good, actually,” Smith said. “My knee is probably feeling as good as it has all summer. That’s all good. The hip has settled down. I’m good to go.”Australia made no other changes to their XI, with Scott Boland the bowler to miss out, and Victorians Peter Siddle and James Pattinson to join Josh Hazlewood in the Boxing Day pace attack. West Indies are yet to confirm their XI and while captain Jason Holder indicated on Thursday that allrounder Carlos Brathwaite was the front-runner to replace the injured Shannon Gabriel, Smith would not be surprised to see legspinner Devendra Bishoo included.”I think there’s a possibility of them playing two spinners,” he said, “we’ll just see how it goes in the morning.”

The BCCI has convened an emergency meeting of its working committee to discuss the fall-out of the IPL spot-fixing controversy, while Rajasthan Royals have begun their own investigations into the matter

Amol Karhadkar17-May-2013A day after suspending three Rajasthan Royals cricketers who were arrested for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing during the IPL, the BCCI has convened an emergency meeting of its working committee, the panel responsible for its functioning, in Chennai on Sunday.”The Working Committee will discuss, among other things, the fallout of the spot-fixing controversy in the ongoing IPL, in which three players have been arrested by the Delhi Police,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement issued on Friday. Jagdale also confirmed the arrest and suspension of Amit Singh, the Gujarat and former Rajasthan Royals cricketer who was caught in the spot-fixing scandal as a bookie.Despite the Delhi Police interrogating all the four cricketers that have been arrested so far, there is a growing feeling among the BCCI members that all the players should be “banned for life” even before the investigations are over. “These players have tarnished the image of the game so much that it would take a long time for us to restore it,” a member told ESPNcricinfo, preferring anonymity. “It would be prudent to act swiftly and not lose the BCCI’s and Indian cricket’s credibility any further.”However, the BCCI president N Srinivasan is likely to play it safe and constitute an internal inquiry panel that will work with BCCI’s disciplinary committee.IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, addressing the media for the first time since the controversy erupted, stated that the board would take action against players found guilty of spot-fixing. “We will be taking some important decisions [at the working committee meeting]. The strongest possible action will be taken against the guilty. Whoever is found to be involved in spot-fixing will not be spared,” Shukla said.Shukla also revealed that BCCI’s anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU), headed by Ravi Sawani, has been asked to investigate the matter and submit its report. “If we have Sawani’s preliminary report by Sunday, we will go through it and discuss it,” Shukla said. It has also been learned that Srinivasan has also asked the ACSU to be represented at the meeting.Rajasthan Royals on Friday announced that they had begun their own investigations into the matter.While Srinivasan had started consultations with his colleagues for the Chennai meeting, the city also had a lot of action on the spot-fixing front since Thursday night. The Tamil Nadu police took a cue from their Delhi counterparts and conducted several raids on bookies, arresting six of them, besides seizing numerous gadgets and Rs 40 lakh (US$73,000) in cash.However, the Chennai Police clarified in a media briefing that their raids had revealed only “betting” syndicates and hadn’t established links between the bookies and IPL players.