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Sanjay Bangar, currently India’s batting coach, joined Kings XI Punjab as an assistant coach in 2014 before being promoted to head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2016

India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar has stepped down as coach of the Kings XI Punjab franchise in the IPL. “I submitted my resignation in the last week of November. They [the franchise] came back to me around the second week of December,” Bangar told ESPNcricinfo. “I was totally engrossed in the [England] series and that is the reason why I sort of waited till the end of the series.”In 2014, Bangar, 44, was initially appointed assistant coach before being promoted to head coach. The results were instant as Kings XI made the final of the IPL for the first time. However, the team’s performance nosedived just as swiftly as they finished at the bottom of the table in the next two editions.Bangar did not elaborate on whether the alleged misunderstandings with one of the team’s co-owners had played a part in his resignation. “It is a professional set-up. The IPL is a model which is run on producing results,” he was quoted as saying by the . “In the course of the tournament, there are debates and deliberations. You take certain decisions and there are some which are right and there are some which don’t go your way. It is all a part and parcel. We as professionals need to accept this thing. (For the last) two seasons we didn’t get the results we wanted. It was time to move on and let fresh ideas come in.”Bangar, however, acknowledged the franchise’s “huge help” [ahead of his role with the Indian team]. “You don’t have much time to work on the players during the IPL. It is about man-management of players of various international credentials, managing young players and finding the right balance,” he said. “It is a very profit-driven model where cost has to be managed, the dynamics of the auction need to be understood and manage a large group of players in a short time. Those are the valuable lessons I have learnt.”It’s been a fabulous journey. It gives me immense satisfaction to see the players whom I picked – from when they were in their formative years – to benefit from the exposure. There are a number of players who were able to showcase their talent like Manan Vohra, Sandeep Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, who weren’t getting the opportunities. Axar Patel, who was last IPL’s best young cricketer, went on to play for India. Their progress gives me immense pride. We topped the league and reaching the final was the best part of my time with Kings XI,” he saidBangar said he hadn’t decided on his future course of action yet. “I am not in talks with any other franchise as of now,” he said. “I will weigh my options.”

حقق فريق ريال مدريد فوزًا أمام ديبورتيفو ألافيس، خلال مباراة الفريقين مساء الأحد، ببطولة الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025-2026.

واستقبل ديبورتيفو ألافيس خصمه ريال مدريد في إطار مباريات الجولة السادسة عشر للدوري الإسباني “الليجا” للموسم الجاري.

وحصل الفرنسي كيليان مبابي، مهاجم ريال مدريد على جائزة رجل المباراة أمام ألافيس، بعد الأداء الذي قدمه خلال المواجهة.

وكان مبابي قد أحرز هدف ريال مدريد الأول أمام ألافيس، ورفع رصيده في جدول ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني إلى 17 هدفًا.

وحقق ريال مدريد الفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف، وأصبح يملك 39 نقطة في المركز الثاني بجدول ترتيب الليجا.

ويتصدر برشلونة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني بـ43 نقطة، وتوقف رصيد ألافيس عند النقطة 18 في المركز 12 بالترتيب.

The current trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the pace trio of 2013, according to Ryan Harris

Daniel Brettig07-Nov-2017

Ryan Harris rates Australia’s Ashes pace battery of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins as superior to the trio he formed with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle to inflict a 5-0 sweep on England in 2013-14, but believes both teams face potential trouble in the form of unsettled batting line-ups.In a judgement some may find surprising, given the older group combined for a total of 627 Test wickets, including 75 in that Ashes series alone, Harris said that this summer’s combination boasted a more outstanding collection of fast-bowling attributes than the one he was a part of, starting with Hazlewood’s greater height.”I think so. Hazlewood’s probably doing the job that I did and he’s quicker than me, and he gets more bounce,” Harris said in Adelaide when asked if the current attack was better than his own. “And you’ve got Starc who can definitely do a Johnson role, and you’ve got Cummins so you’ve probably got an extra bit of pace.”Cummins on his day, he’s fast as well. Obviously we did a good job last time but the key is going to be working as a team, as a bowling unit. That’s what we did well last time and obviously got the results.”Australia and England each enter the series with doubt swirling around their batting line-ups – for the visitors at the top of the order and the hosts in the middle order. Then there is the uncertainty around the possible participation of Ben Stokes – pending a police investigation and an ECB internal investigation – after his involvement in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub during the northern season. Harris said these issues raised the potential for a closer series than four years ago.”I think both squads are a bit unsettled, more on their batting line-ups, which I think brings them closer together,” Harris said. “I think Australia have got a pretty good idea of who they want to pick but having unsettled feelings going into that first Test – the bowling line-ups are fine – but I think they’re on even par with their batting line-ups.””[Stokes missing] it’s huge. He’s the one that if England lose wickets at the top he is the one that comes out and steadies or counter-attacks. It’s a big hole for England to be honest. I’m sure Australia will be happy he’s not here but they’d also want him here because you want to play against and win against the best. I guess time will tell whether he comes but I think it’s a big hole for them.”Joe Root’s tourists are in Adelaide preparing for a four-day floodlit fixture that will give them a first look at the conditions in which the inaugural day-night Ashes Test will be staged in early December. Harris is coaching a Cricket Australia XI that lacks bowlers of the sort of velocity expected from Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood, but he still expected the adjustment to be a challenging one for England.”The ball will probably swing early around start time, it may stop swinging in that sort of 30-45 overs and then when it gets to dusk the grass seems to stand up and it zips around,” he said. “We saw in the Shield game the other week that Starc got it to talk a bit around that time when the sun goes down.”Talking to a couple of boys they find it tough to bat around that time so that’s where we’ll try to make it as hard as we can for them. Hopefully we’re not batting around that time, that’s my plan. But they’ll have to get used to that real hard seeing time, and we’ve got some good bowlers here. We haven’t got the pace of Starc or Cummins or Hazlewood, but they’ll have to get used to it.”As for the possibility that the moving pink ball would provide an advantage for England, Harris said he saw bowling attacks as the strong suit of each team. “The bowling line-ups are world class and I think they’re going to have a big say on each Test match,” he said. “With the ball moving around, it’s been well documented that we’ve had trouble with that, but we’re in our own conditions.”But Anderson and Broad – I’m not sure about England’s third quick, probably Woakes – but those two blokes can destroy games and destroy line-ups and they’re proven good bowlers over here. Anderson’s gotten better in these conditions, it’s pacey and Broad likesthe pace.”Having met with the national coach Darren Lehmann before venturing to Adelaide, Harris said the invitational side was not planning to “bat for four days” but would endeavour to make life difficult for the tourists, while also keeping a close eye out for any information that might be useful once the Test matches start.

Dimuth Karunaratne has become the latest player to advocate for a stronger first-class competition in Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando at SSC04-Aug-2017

Dimuth Karunaratne has become the latest player to advocate for a stronger first-class competition in Sri Lanka, suggesting that India’s comparatively sturdy domestic infrastructure has seen them thrive in Test cricket.The number of players – both former and present – who have called for drastic change in first-class cricket now represents a consensus. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have been the most vocal critics of the present system, but virtually every former player, from Thilan Samaraweera to SLC cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha (who played as far back as the 1980s), have said domestic cricket is substantially weaker now than it had been when they were emerging as top players.Test captain Dinesh Chandimal and batsman Lahiru Thirimanne have at times spoken of the chasm in quality between domestic cricket and internationals as well. Despite this, the incumbent SLC board has failed to reform the club structure during their two years in office. However, board president Thilanga Sumathipala has promised a stronger five-team, four-day competition for next year – though those schedules have not been finalised yet.Where most players have asked for a higher standard of cricket, calling for a drastic reduction in the number of first-class teams, Karunaratne has said Sri Lanka’s players must play more games in the domestic season. This year a player from one of the top eight clubs played six three-day matches, and four four-day matches. In terms of one-day cricket, SLC hosted a 23-team District Tournament, in which a cricketer could expect to play a maximum of seven games, and most played only four, before hosting a much stronger provincial tournament, in which some cricketers played seven games. There was no domestic T20 cricket.”India have played a lot of good cricket,” Karunaratne said of the manner in which India have rebuilt their team. “They’ve played a lot of IPL and first-class cricket. In Sri Lanka, we only have eight to ten domestic matches in first-class. Then we have five one-dayers. That’s it for the season. I think that’s the main reason. We have to play more first-class cricket and then we can find more players who can dominate the game. That’s the thing SLC have to work on for the players.”Questions over the quality of Sri Lanka’s domestic cricket have also arisen in this match on the basis of left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara’s first-innings performance. He had 558 first-class wickets at 19.85 apiece before he made his debut in this match, but conceded runs at four an over, and finished with figures of 2 for 156 for the innings. Karunaratne, who himself has been through an extended weaning period at the top level, spoke also of the challenge bowlers might face in adjusting to Test-match intensity.”In Test cricket all best batsmen play, and we have to bowl intelligently,” he said. “We have to bowl on one side of the pitch and set the field accordingly. It takes 10-15 overs to get a wicket here. In the domestic level, sometimes you can get five wickets from five overs. International cricket is very different, and we need to get used to that. Like it’s tough to get a run, it’s also difficult to get a wicket.”

ICC chief executive David Richardson stated that until the laws of the game are amended, the practice of charging players when evidence shows a breach will continue

Firdose Moonda25-Nov-20162:03

David Richardson: “Unless the Laws are changed, the current practice of charging players when the evidence shows an obvious breach will continue”

The ICC has said it does not agree with Cricket South Africa’s assertion that law 42.3 is unclear in its definition of what constitutes an artificial substance and is “disappointed” with Faf du Plessis’ decision to appeal his guilty verdict for ball-tampering. Although the ICC cannot comment about the matter in detail until the appeal is heard, CEO David Richardson addressed the media in Adelaide and emphasised his organisation’s understanding of the fair- and unfair-play laws.”These state that a player should not use artificial substances to shine the ball,” Richardson’s statement read. “The ICC understands that to include, but is not limited to, sunscreen, lip ice and residue from sweets.”He confirmed that the ICC “does not wish to prevent players from using these substances for legitimate purposes. However, any deliberate attempt to apply such substances to the ball, as was the case here, will not be acceptable.”Richardson did not rule out the possibility that the law could be changed, but stressed that until such an amendment, the laws in their current form will be applied. “This will continue to be reported and the ICC confirms that unless the Laws are changed, the current practice of charging players when the evidence shows an obvious breach will continue. ICC Umpires will remind all teams of the Laws as they stand.”While CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said he hoped to engage with the ICC at their next cricket committee meeting in May – and said it was due for discussion even before the du Plessis incident – Richardson confirmed it could be put on the agenda in light of the recent saga. “I think he (Lorgat) jumped the gun in saying it’s on the agenda. But I think that in light of this incident and of other comments being made by players around the world, I think it’s fair to say it should be discussed by the cricket committee going forward.”Any discussions would be part of what Richardson called a “two-stage process”, the first of which would concentrate on the appeal. A date has not been set but the ICC said the appeal would be heard at “the earliest convenience”. Although the ICC recognised du Plessis’ right to appeal, Richardson maintained that CSA’s conduct, in particular the press conference at the MCG when Hashim Amla stood with the entire squad alongside him and dismissed the allegations against du Plessis, was disrespecting the process.”I think it’s fair to say I’m disappointed that they don’t respect that the laws are there. They are there and the process is not necessarily respected. I was disappointed in the initial sort of comment that this is a joke – that kind of comment,” he said. “But full marks to them, subsequent to that they’ve acknowledged we attend the hearing, go through the process and follow it. So perhaps that initial reaction I thought was uncalled for but subsequently it’s within their rights.”David Richardson on the decision against Faf du Plessis: “These decisions are not taken lightly because it was just so obvious under the current laws that we thought we had to report him.”•Getty Images

Richardson did not read too much into the role broadcaster’s play in bringing transgressions of this law to light, comparing it to instances when the stump microphones pick up players bringing the game into disrepute. “I don’t think the players – or we – should be too worried or concerned about that (the broadcasters). It’s a similar argument when it comes to bad language used around the stump microphones. If you’re going to use bad language and somehow it is picked up by somebody – you’ve got to live with it. So decide what kind of behaviour you want to show and behave accordingly,” he said.And, because it is not easy to monitor which artificial substances are being used, Richardson maintained that if someone is caught, they will be punished.”This has always been an issue that’s been quite difficult to police,” he said. “Even before we spoke about using mints and sweets, lip ice – and we’ve been using lip ice and sunscreen on our faces for years – we understand that inadvertently in shining the ball there’s a potential for it to get onto the ball. And for that reason we’re not going to go around wildly accusing players of cheating and using the lip ice, sunscreen or sweets. We’ve taken the approach that we will only really charge someone if it’s obviously being done for that particular purpose.”There’s two examples in the past. One was Rahul Dravid where he actually took the sweet and rubbed it on the ball, you probably couldn’t get more obvious than that. And in our opinion this instance. So if anyone does something similar we will hopefully get to see it, treat it in exactly the same way we’ve treated Faf in this case. These decisions are not taken lightly because it was just so obvious under the current laws that we thought we had to report him.”Asked what he thought about Steven Smith’s acknowledgment that all players shine the ball the same way, Richardson distanced himself. “I’m not sure he exactly went that far as to say the same way he was talking about shining the ball.”He moved even further away when asked to respond to Lorgat’s comment that Richardson himself was part of the South African brigade that shined the ball.”I thought that comment was probably inappropriate but I can speak for myself and I can confirm I never – probably because I was the wicketkeeper and had no real need to shine the ball in any way, but I can confirm I never used – and I used lip-ice and sunscreen religiously for 30 years – and never put it on the ball.”

Australia have fought India all the way through the series, and now find themselves needing only a draw to go home with the Border-Gavaskar trophy

The Preview by Daniel Brettig24-Mar-2017Match factsMarch 25-29, 2017
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)4:30

Chappell: One of the best series since 2005 Ashes

Big pictureIn a series that has hit plenty of heights, the mountaintop locale of Dharamsala seems as fitting a place as any for the fate of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to be decided. India’s players, and doubtless a few on the other side, probably expected the fourth Test to be a festive occasion, completing a marathon home international season with the completion of a comfortable series win over Australia against the most picturesque background possible. But as the former BCCI president Anurag Thakur found out when the match was first scheduled at the ground of his home association, things don’t always go to plan.Instead Dharamsala plays host to a match that will be anything but valedictory. Australia have fought India all the way through the series, having started with a stunning upset in Pune, and now find themselves needing only a draw to go home with the trophy. India, by contrast, have had to dig particularly deep to avoid defeat, first getting decidedly pugilistic in Bengaluru, then relying heavily on the serene Cheteshwar Pujara to forge ahead of the contest in Ranchi. Even so, Steven Smith’s team refused to buckle under last-day pressure, allowing them to travel to Dharamsala with confidence they can handle just about any situation.There remain questions for both sides to answer. Virat Kohli’s sore shoulder is yet another obstacle for him in a series where the Australians have kept him exceptionally quiet in terms of runs if not words. Quite apart from the physical infirmity, Kohli must find a way to escape the funk he has entered when coming out to bat all series, either attacking too soon as in Pune or finding himself starved into error as in Bengaluru or Ranchi. Equally, Australia’s vice-captain David Warner reaches Dharamsala having not yet made an impression on India’s bowlers; the helmsman of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 2016 IPL title has far more to offer, and in the series’ decisive match he will be straining to prove it.Among the bowlers, the physical strain of back-to-back matches at the end of a long season will loom large. Neither R Ashwin nor Nathan Lyon had as much impact as expected in Ranchi, and only partly because they missed the footmarks provided by the injured Mitchell Starc. Australia’s concern about Pat Cummins’ ability to cope with his workload in the third Test was underlined by precautionary scans on his back that showed no damage done. India have extra pace options in reserve, depending on how the pitch and conditions reveal themselves on match day.In a crucible of this kind, there may of course be further flashpoints between the two opposing sides. The joking observation of Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland – in a radio interview this week – that he’s not sure Kohli “knows how to spell” the word sorry was an unexpected quarter from which to stir things up once more. But as this series has shown and Dharamsala will doubtless confirm, expectation is always a chance of being confounded.If Virat Kohli plays, he will still need to find a way to score runs this series•AFP

Form guideIndia: DWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: DLWWW
In the spotlightBy playing the longest innings ever by an Indian Test batsman, Cheteshwar Pujara made himself Australia’s No. 1 wicket-taking priority in the final Test. The tourists have enormous respect for Pujara’s concentration and shot selection, but also feel that a little extra bounce could be the way to defeat him. As Josh Hazlewood put it: “Any sort of bounce is an added bonus for the quicks against most of their batters, and probably him in particular. But he’s got a great temperament and I guess you’ve just got to try and get under his skin somehow, but he just loves batting and loves batting a long time. He’s definitely a key wicket for us.”By David Warner’s logic, the wheel of his overseas under-performance is bound to turn soon. This series he has hinted at taking control of a match on several occasions, whether the first morning of the series, or the start of the second-innings chase in Bengaluru. But there has also been a sense that India’s bowlers know how to find a way past him, so long as they stay patient. Every other member of Australia’s top six has made a major contribution at least once in this series; Dharamsala could be Warner’s turn.Team newsKohli will undergo a fitness test on Friday night or Saturday morning to determine whether he is able to play. If he is ruled out, Iyer is likely to slot into the middle order to make his Test debut, and Ajinkya Rahane will captain the side. M Vijay may also be a doubtful starter – he did not train on Friday, and had missed the Bengaluru Test with a shoulder injury. If either or both miss out, India are unlikely to tamper with their six batsmen + keeper + four bowler combination, given the loss of so much experience from their batting line-up.India still seem unsure whether Mohammed Shami is fit enough to last five days, so if there is any change in their bowling attack, it is likely to be the inclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in potentially swing-friendly conditions, possibly at Ishant Sharma’s expense.India: 1 M Vijay/Abhinav Mukund, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt)/Shreyas Iyer, 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Karun Nair, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 9 Ravindra Jadeja, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh YadavPat Cummins has been cleared of any back trouble after his return to Test matches in Ranchi, so the likelihood is for an unchanged Australian side after Glenn Maxwell’s first-innings century at No. 6.Australia (probable) 1 David Warner, 2 Matt Renshaw, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Shaun Marsh, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Steve O’Keefe, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.Expectations are that the Dharamsala pitch will have help for all disciplines•AFP

Pitch and conditionsDharamsala’s location and altitude have tended to offer some help to pace bowlers in the past, though during last year’s World Twenty20 the pitch was slow and assisting spin. The surface has a thin film of green grass that is expected to be shaved off by match morning and some help for spin can be expected.Kohli expected it to offer “good bounce for the spinners” and “good pace off the wicket for the quicks”. Dharamsala should have pleasant weather through the Test, with maximum temperatures in the low-to-mid-20s, with forecasts of rain towards the second half of the match.Stats and trivia Australia are seeking their first series win in India since 2004 Dharamsala will become the 27th Test venue in India Should he play, Kohli will need 89 runs to avoid completing his least productive Test series as a batsman – previously 134 runs at 13.40 in England in 2014Quotes”I’m focused on what we can control, and that’s playing each ball one at a time and concentrating on the processes of what we need to do in the middle and doing them for just a little bit longer than we have perhaps in the last two Tests. It’s a really exciting time for this team to be involved in this game.”
“I think the series is beautifully placed and everyone’s really excited for the Test match, both sides and people watching as well. It’s been a very, very exciting series of ups and downs, [a] roller-coaster ride. I hope it finishes really well and people get to see some really good cricket here as well.” 

Leigh Kasperek’s outstanding bowling performance of 3-0-7-4 set up an easy win for New Zealand Women over Australia Women in the first T20 at the Basin Reserve

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2016
ScorecardLeigh Kasperek cut through Australia’s middle order•Getty Images

Offspinner Leigh Kasperek’s outstanding bowling performance of 3-0-7-4 set up an easy win for New Zealand Women over Australia Women in the first T20 at the Basin Reserve.Australia were at a comfortable 54 for 1 in the tenth over when Kasperek wrecked the visitors’ middle order by picking up four quick wickets – two each in two consecutive overs. On the second and last ball of the tenth over, she got the huge wickets of Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning, both of whom were stumped. She followed that up by sending back Alex Blackwell and Alyssa Healy on the first and fifth ball of the 12th over; and by the end of the next over, Australia were 71 for 6. Jess Jonassen then came in and scored 17 to push the visitors towards 100, but fell with the score at 95. Australia eventually made it to 113 for 7 thanks to Erin Osborne’s unbeaten 17 at No. 8.Captain Suzie Bates gave the hosts a strong start in their chase with a quick 33. The support roles were played by Sara McGlashan and Amy Satterthwaite, both of whom scored 22. Despite Australia’s timely strikes, Bates and McGlashan’s brisk scoring always kept New Zealand ahead in the chase. Katey Martin sealed the win in 18.3 overs after her side had lost Bates, McGlashan and Satterthwaite by the 17th over.

The ICC has approved six Caribbean Premier League matches set to be played in Florida, but the USA Cricket Association has asked for their cancellation

Peter Della Penna16-Jun-2016

The USA Cricket Association has asked for the cancellation of the six Caribbean Premier League matches to be played in Florida from July 28 to 31. They claim the CPL and Broward County in Lauderhill did not receive proper sanctioning to host the event.However, ICC head of global development Tim Anderson pointed out that USACA did not have the authority to sanction matches since it had been suspended in 2015 and said the CPL fixtures were okay to go ahead as planned.”Please be assured that the CPL has indeed completed the due sanctioning process required by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in order to host these matches in Florida,” Anderson wrote to WICB president Dave Cameron and the Lauderhill officials. “The USA Cricket Association (USACA) is currently suspended by the ICC, and as part of this suspension does not hold the right to sanction such matches in the USA.”The uncertainty began when USACA’s legal representative and former executive secretary Kenwyn Williams emailed Broward County Parks manager Duncan Finch that the CPL officials had not followed protocol to host matches in Florida.”We understand that the CPL is slated to hold several cricket matches over several days at the Central Broward Regional Park,” Williams wrote on June 13. “The organisers of the CPL matches did not apply for and receive the requisite sanctions for holding the slated matches in the United States. We request that you cancel the scheduled events until further notice.”The Broward County officials, though, are proceeding with plans to ready the stadium for the CPL games next month.Lauderhill Mayor Richard Kaplan had stated that the city had plans to host several other events at the $70 million Central Broward Regional Park, which opened in 2008. According to Kaplan, those plans were regularly undermined by USACA and the mayor approached the ICC in 2013 for help with the matter.

Moeen Ali returned to his first home at Edgbaston with runs and wickets to take Worcestershire into the semi-finals and bring heartache for his former county

George Dobell07-Jun-2018

ScorecardWhen Moeen Ali left Warwickshire a dozen or so years ago, the club made a point of confirming that he would always be made welcome on his return.But they probably didn’t mean like this. For here Moeen, with three wickets and a century of the highest class, guaranteed his ‘new’ side,Worcestershire, a home semi-final and at the same time sentenced Warwickshire, their local rivals, to the exit.In what became, effectively, a knock-out match – Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire both leapfrogged Warwickshire with their victories – Moeenhelped Worcestershire withstand a blistering opening spell from Olly Stone on the way to his first List A century in domestic cricket forfive years. The previous one was also against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. There’s no place like home.In truth, a wonderful game – full of moments of youthful brilliance – deserved better than the moment that sealed it: Keith Barker skiddingon a dewy outfield and allowing a single to become a boundary. That tied the scores and meant there was no way Warwickshire couldprogress. Worcestershire’s home semi-final was guaranteed moments later when Ed Barnard, admirably calm amid the mounting drama, forced one through the off side field for four.It is often said there is no pace in county cricket. But here Warwickshire – even without the injured Chris Woakes – fielded twoyoung men capable of generating 90 mph. Both Stone – who was timed at 91.4 mph at one stage – and Henry Brookes – who was timed at 89.6 – hurried and harried the Worcestershire batsmen and shared seven wickets between them. To see an international batsman, CallumFerguson, beaten for pace by Stone was heartening. To see 18-year-old Brookes – who beat Brett D’Oliveira for pace – lose little bycomparison will have had selectors taking note. To see Brookes relishing the responsibility and rising to the moment was to see aspecial talent start to blossom. Warwickshire – and probably England – may well have unearthed a gem here.Only Moeen appeared to enjoy the extra pace. Upon a surface on which Worcestershire’s attack had relied on cutters, Warwickshire’s somewhat unsophisticated approach – if fast doesn’t work then bowl faster – played into his hands a bit. Moeen equalled his own record (Joe Leach shares it) for Worcestershire’s fastest List A half-century: a 25-ball affair that included three sixes; the best of them a drive overlong-on off Stone.He hasn’t been in much form since returning from the IPL. His last three innings had produced 10 runs and two ducks. But here, presented with a relatively big occasion – there was a time such a game would have generated a crowd in excess of 10,000 – and a chance to put one over on Worcestershire rich neighbours, he looked imperious.With nobody else in the top five able to make 20, Moeen was grateful for the arrival of Ben Cox. The pair added 95 in 12 overs, with Moeennegating the threat posed by Jeetan Patel and punishing Warwickshire for their absence of a fifth bowler. Aaron Thomason, who has a sidestrain, was missed.It’s probably churlish to find fault in such an innings. But, by the time Moeen mistimed a rare slower ball to mid-off – DominicSibley making a tricky catch appear straightforward – Worcestershire needed 105 from 24.4 overs; a rate only a fraction over four-an-over.The hard work had been done. It seemed an unnecessary stroke.The same might have been said for Cox. Having just seen Ross Whiteley superbly caught at short third-man, Cox’s well-paced innings endedwhen he attempted to pull one too full for the stroke and played on. It left Worcestershire, with seven wickets down, chasing 19 more runs.Sam Hain has had an excellent tournament•Getty Images

That set-up a nerve wracking finale. With Patel forced to go all-in in the search for wickets – Worcestershire were miles ahead of therun-rate and had more than 10 overs to score those 19 runs – Brookes, Stone and Barker bowled out their allocation. Time and again, ballbeat bat but, though Brookes yorked Leach, Dillon Pennington – on first-team debut – somehow survived for 23-balls in helping Barnardadd nine runs. It doesn’t sound much, does it? But every one had to be chiselled from granite and, by the time Barker trapped him leg before,just four were required for the tie.Earlier Warwickshire’s batsmen appeared to struggle for fluency on a pitch that may have been a little slower than they wished. DespiteWorcestershire being without Josh Tongue, who was ruled out with a foot injury, and soon losing their skipper, Leach, to a back injury – he was required to come back out and field for a few overs before George Rhodes arrived from a second XI match in Stourbridge to lendsupport – Warwickshire were unable to progress as they would have like against a disciplined attack.It took a stand of 133 in 25 overs between Tim Ambrose and Will Rhodes to drag Warwickshire to respectability. The pair helped their sideplunder 103 in the final 10 overs of their innings – and 66 from the final five – as Worcestershire started to wilt in the field. Twice balls that should have cost a single – at most – were allowed through legs and to the boundary, while there were four wides in the final two overs; one of them going down the legside for four.For a while it seemed Warwickshire’s superior fielding may prove the difference. But if the highlight was Patel’s direct hit from mid-off to run-out Daryl Mithcell, it was all forgotten when Barker’s slip let through the ball at a crucial moment.As an aside, it will never be Trott’s fault again. The result confirmed that this was the final List A match of his career. The game has, in many ways, moved on in recent years but Trott’s record – the 23 List A centuries, the ODI average of 51.25 – remain exceptional. But for a few minutes of madness at this ground in the Champions Trophy final of 2013, he would have been part of a side that won England’s first global List A trophy. It wasn’t to be but, for a while, England went to No. 1 in the world and he won many games – and a few trophies – for club and country.Worcestershire need not worry about that. For a second year in succession, they have earned themselves a home semi-final. To have done it with a largely home-grown squad – and Moeen didn’t have to come too far, either – provides an excellent example to many richer rivals.

Matthew Wheeler is to take on ‘many of the roles and responsibilities’ of PCA chief executive, in the continued absence of David Leatherdale

George Dobell27-Mar-2018

Matthew Wheeler is to take on “many of the roles and responsibilities” of PCA chief executive in the continued absence of David Leatherdale.It was announced a few weeks ago that Leatherdale, the official chief executive of the PCA, would be taking a break from work to deal with what the organisation have now termed “an acute stress reaction” to a demanding workload and family health issues. News that Wheeler is “to take on more PCA business” suggests Leatherdale’s return to work is not imminent.”Following professional advice, Leatherdale is taking a break from his role as Chief Executive,” a PCA statement said.”Leatherdale recently developed an acute stress reaction as a result of a number of personal life events coinciding with a period of intense work commitments.”This will enable him to rest, focus on supporting his family and allow a smooth and robust return to his full duties at the appropriate time.”Wheeler is not coming into the role completely cold. He played a couple of first-class games for Northants in 1985 (he claimed Kepler Wessels as his only first-class wicket), has been on the PCA board as a non-executive director since 2009 and was appointed non-executive chairman in 2014. He has enjoyed a successful business career in the sports, entertainment and leisure sectors. He is a managing partner in Sports Investment Partners – who describe themselves as “a bridge between the worlds of commercial sport and financial investment” – and, while he will not be working full-time for the PCA, says he be at their officers at The Oval “on a regular basis over the coming weeks”.Daryl Mitchell, the Worcestershire batsman, will continue in his role as PCA chairman and as the players’ representative on the ECB cricket committee.”In David’s absence I will be spending more time on PCA matters,” Wheeler said. “We all wish him a speedy return to full health and we ask for you to respect his privacy at this time.”The PCA is extremely fortunate to have an excellent group of staff who will continue to deliver services to members with the association operating as usual.”It is a busy time for the PCA. With a former ECB board member, Andy Nash, warning that the domestic game in England and Wales is moving towards a future involving as few as eight full-time, professional teams, the PCA would be expected to take a leading role in the fight to preserve their members’ jobs. They are also involved with negotiating the next Team England deal – negotiations in which former CEO Richard Bevan, currently CEO of the League Managers’ Association, and Wheeler are now expected to take leading roles – and ensuring players benefit from the new broadcast deal which brought unprecedented wealth to the game.With all involved keen to provide Leatherdale with the time and space required to make a full recovery, no time frame has been set for his return. It is, however, thought likely to be two or three months rather than two or three weeks. While the PCA has, in the past, had an assistant chief executive – Jason Ratcliffe filled the position until stepping down – they have no plans to utilise such a role in the future.