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Mashonaland Eagles held their nerve on a tense final day to earn a draw against Mid West Rhinos and so win the Logan Cup

Steven Price in Harare04-Apr-2010Mid West Rhinos 364 (Taylor 131) and 335 for 6 (Wessels 108*) drew with Mashonaland Eagles 451 (Lamb 159, Chigumbura 105, Rainsford 6-66) and 67 for 5

ScorecardMashonaland Eagles celebrate their victory•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mashonaland Eagles held their nerve on a tense final day at the Harare Sports Club , to earn a draw against Mid West Rhinos and so win the Logan Cup by virtue of topping the league table in the round-robin stage.A high-scoring match appeared to be heading towards a soporific conclusion on the fourth afternoon when the Rhinos declared leaving the Eagles a target of 249. In the circumstances, they were never likely to take the bait, and the assumption was they would bat out time with ease.However, Graeme Cremer and Taurai Muzarabani caused panic in reducing the Eagles to 36 for 5, and only 27 overs of dogged resistance from Forster Mutizwa and Mark Mbofana averted a shock defeat.Until then, the match had been going as expected. The Eagles won the toss and drew first blood when Rhinos opener Friday Kasteni was sent back by Elton Chigumbura for one. Brendan Taylor then led a strong batting performance as the rest of the top order chipped in with useful contributions.Malcolm Waller and Cremer went past the fifty-run mark to support Taylor who compiled an aggressive 131 off 155 balls, with 20 fours. Prince Masvaure was the most successful bowler, picking 3 for 49, as the Rhinos finished on 364.Ed Rainsford rocked the Eagles’ reply at both ends of their first innings, but two big partnerships in the middle gave the Eagles a significant lead. Greg Lamb struck 159 off 352 balls, while Chigumbura was equally patient in compiling 105. They added 211 runs before Regis Chakabva struck 74 and added 104 with Lamb. Rainsford finished with figures of 6 for 66 as the Eagles ended 87 runs ahead.Kasteni failed in the second dig as well, but Taylor and Innocent Chikunya had no troubles in taking the Rhinos past Eagle’s lead. A succession of wickets left them in some trouble at 174 for 5, before Riki Wessels and Cremer set the tone for a tricky fourth-innings chase. Cremer was stumped for 56, while Wessels was unbeaten on 108 when the declaration came about. Then came the final twist.

Jason Holder stars for Worcestershire but visitors hit back on 14-wicket day in Kidderminster

ECB Reporters Network19-Apr-2024Ollie Robinson spearheaded a powerful Durham response with the bat after Jason Holder had threatened to place Worcestershire in a position of strength on day one of the Vitality County Championship match with Durham at Kidderminster.The England Lions keeper was responsible for a partial recovery after Durham had subsided to 141 for 7 midway through the afternoon session.Former West Indies captain Holder, who is available for the opening five Championship matches, had bowled an inspired spell of 8-2-26-3 to remove David Bedingham, Graham Clark and Paul Coughlin post lunch. But Robinson went on the offensive to such an extent that his half-century came up in only 41 balls with three sixes and five fours.Ben Raine and Matthew Potts provided useful lower order support and then made early inroads with the ball but Jake Libby dug in for an unbeaten 35.Worcestershire were back playing first-class cricket at Chester Road for the first time in four years because of the series of eight floods which have engulfed New Road this winter. At least the first two home Championship matches after Worcestershire’s promotion with Durham from Division Two are being staged at Kidderminster.Groundstaff are hoping for a dry spring to enhance hopes of playing the third home match against Nottinghamshire – beginning at May 24 – at the county’s headquarters.Both sides were forced into changes because of injury setbacks. Worcestershire’s in-form batter Kashif Ali was ruled out with a back injury suffered during training, while Durham pace bowler Scott Boland suffered a foot injury during the drawn game with Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Brydon Carse was also unavailable due to his match play management schedule.Play got underway half an hour late and Durham captain Scott Borthwick opted to bat on his 34th birthday as the Dukes ball returned to the bowlers’ armoury. But it was not a happy anniversary for Borthwick as the home side struck two early blows.Borthwick had failed to trouble the scorers when a delivery in the first over from Joe Leach beat his outside edge and hit the top of off stump. And it became 19 for 2 when Alex Lees pushed forward to Nathan Smith and fell to a low catch by Holder away to his right at second slip.Colin Ackermann had an escape on 18 when he flicked Holder off his legs and saw the chance put down at midwicket. The third-wicket pair of Ackermann and David Bedingham had to fight hard for runs although the latter greeted Matthew Waite’s entrance into the attack with successive cover drives for four.Durham reached 89 for 2 at lunch but Holder switched to the pavilion end and struck in the first over back. Bedingham on 38 went to cut the former West Indies captain but only succeeded in chopping onto his stumps.Leach bowled a probing post lunch spell and was rewarded when Ackermann (47) went lbw to a delivery angled back in.Holder was constantly asking questions and struck again when Graham Clark was lbw working to leg. Adam Finch then replaced Leach and immediately tasted some success as Bas de Leede played a similar shot and perished in the same fashion.Robinson decided attack was the best policy and received excellent support from Ben Raine during a stand of 61 in 8.4 overs. The Durham wicketkeeper struck Waite for two straight sixes in an over and raced to his half-century. But Waite had the final say when Robinson pushed forward and keeper Gareth Roderick held onto a low catch.Finch wrapped up the innings with two wickets in three balls as Raine top edged a pull through to Roderick and Callum Parkinson missed a full toss and was lbw.But Worcestershire quickly ran into trouble against the new ball attack of Raine and Matthew Potts. Raine had Roderick caught behind and club captain Brett D’Oliveira offered no shot and was bowled by Potts.Libby and Rob Jones initially dug in but then started to reel off a series of fine strokes. The stand was worth 60 when Jones (32) pushed forward to Coughlin and was lbw and then Adam Hose chopped the same bowler onto his stumps.

Behrendorff starred with three wickets to restrict Heat to 155

Tristan Lavalette11-Jan-2023Veteran quick Jason Behrendorff took three wickets then Josh Inglis and Aaron Hardie blasted half-centuries as Perth Scorchers continued their stranglehold over lowly Brisbane Heat with an eight-wicket victory in Brisbane.After captain Ashton Turner elected to bowl on a batting-friendly Gabba surface, Behrendorff led a typically disciplined Scorchers attack to thwart the return of Australia Test players Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Renshaw.Inglis and Hardie then chased the sub-par total of 156 with ease in a brutal 132-run partnership as defending champions Scorchers claimed their second win over Heat in four days.

Behrendorff claims 100th BBL wicket

For the second straight game against Heat, Scorchers were thrashed early and Turner decided to use returning left-arm spinner Ashton Agar in the third over.It failed to do the trick with Agar, who usually bowls after the powerplay, as he conceded 13 runs.Scorchers would have been in worse trouble if not for Behrendorff, whose in-swinging deliveries targeting the leg stump were kryptonite for rampaging opener Josh Brown.The left-arm seamer bowled five dot deliveries in a row at one point before dismissing Brown, who unluckily played on in a tangle much like David Warner against Tim Southee at the recent T20 World Cup.Behrendorff then dismissed Labuschagne and Renshaw with help from superb catches from Stephen Eskinazi and Andrew Tye.He impressively mustered all his experience to limit Heat during the power surge as Behrendorff joined Tye as the only Scorchers bowlers to have claimed 100 BBL wickets.Jason Behrendorff celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Bryant overshadows returning Test players

Struggling Heat needed a tonic and the return of captain Khawaja, Labuschagne and Renshaw fitted the bill. But switching formats just three days after the third Test against South Africa proved difficult amid an underwhelming Heat display in favourable conditions.Khawaja opened in his debut for Heat after crossing from Sydney Thunder on a multi-year deal. He struggled early and was hit in the helmet after attempting a scoop shot. He also survived a confident shout for caught behind off Behrendorff that wasn’t reviewed. Khawaja then built a platform but couldn’t convert and so too Renshaw.Labuschagne, who sports an underwhelming BBL record, entered at No.3 and started sedately before holing out to deep cover.It was left to big-hitting Max Bryant, who smashed three sixes to lift Heat to respectability, but it proved well short. Once part of a devastating opening partnership with Chris Lynn, Bryant has struggled this season but might have found a niche batting at No.6.

Inglis has point to prove

Scorchers were in trouble at 25 for 2 after the powerplay, but the pressure was released when Khawaja gambled by using part-time spinner Labuschagne in the fifth over.Inglis smashed a six off his first ball then struck consecutive boundaries in a momentum-changing over. He was in sweet touch and showcased his deft use of the feet by counterattacking spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, including one gorgeous six over cover.Wicketkeeper-batter Inglis notched his third half-century of the BBL season and this would have been particularly satisfying, having earlier in the day missed out on Australia’s upcoming Test tour of India.He combined superbly with Hardie, who started with an elegant drive to the boundary en route to his second straight half-century against Heat. Scorchers passed the target with 22 balls to spare, with Hardie sealing the deal with a six.

Johnson menaces on BBL debut

Heat had a new-look attack without fringe Test bowlers Mark Steketee and Mitchell Swepson. It didn’t change their fortunes, but towering quick Spencer Johnson grabbed his opportunity in an eye-catching BBL debut.The left-arm quick bowled particularly sharply, with one delivery clocked at 147kmph, as his great height extracted considerable lift from a benign surface.The 27-year-old had played in the 50-over Marsh Cup previously for South Australia and was on Adelaide Strikers’ list last season. For many, however, it was the first time they had watched Johnson in action and he showed enough to warrant a sustained run with Heat.

Despite Chase’s five-for, visitors are 273 runs behind Sri Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Nov-2021Stumps West Indies worked themselves back into the game in the first two sessions, taking Sri Lanka’s last seven wickets for 105. But then they gave up all the ground they had gained in the evening, losing six wickets for 54 runs.Essentially, what this means, is that despite Roston Chase’s five-wicket haul, West Indies are 273 runs behind Sri Lanka, with only four wickets remaining. They bat deep, but the pitch is already taking substantial turn, particularly for Sri Lanka’s spinners. So dominant were the slow bowlers of both sides on day two, that no batter could make a half-century; Dinesh Chandimal and Kraigg Brathwaite came closest, hitting 45 and 41 respectively.Sri Lanka lost their overnight pair in the first hour, and lost the remainder of their batters either side of lunch, but still, it was the last session of the day that was most dramatic. West Indies had restricted Sri Lanka to 386 – a good score, but not the gargantuan one that the hosts had threatened at the end of day one. Brathwaite and makeshift opener Jermaine Blackwood (he was taking the place of the concussed Jeremy Solozano, with concussion substitute Shai Hope to come in at No. 4) made a half-decent start, too, putting on 46 for the first wicket. But as is often the case in Galle – though often not as early as the second day – once one partnership is broken, several wickets fall in quick succession.Blackwood was the first to be dismissed. He had been lbw on 2 against Dushmantha Chameera, but the umpire turned down the appeal and Sri Lanka did not review. He had seemed to have become comfortable at the crease, particularly against Lasith Embuldeniya, whom he launched for a straight six, but then missed a straightening delivery from the same bowler, and was correctly adjudged lbw (Blackwood burned a review).Four overs later, Praveen Jayawickrama – the other left-arm spinner in Sri Lanka’s XI – got a ball to erupt from the straight, and take Nkrumah Bonner’s glove on the way to slip, where Dhananjaya de Silva took a sharp catch to his left.Roston Chase had figures of 5 for 83•AFP/Getty Images

Offspinner Ramesh Mendis then took two wickets in two big-spinning balls, split across two overs. His first victim was Brathwaite, who was caught at leg slip. His second was Shai Hope, who was snaffled at short leg – both batters having been out off the inside edge. Mendis would also have Chase caught at short leg before the day was out, after Jayawickrama had nightwatchman Jomel Warrican caught behind. Although West Indies have Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers at the crease, and Joshua de Silva and Rahkeem Cornwall to come, it is not guaranteed, on what has suddenly become such a devious surface, that they will surpass the follow-on score.The first dismissal of the day, however, had been the strangest. Dhananjaya de Silva had added five runs to his overnight 56 and seemed to be batting nicely, when he was a touch late playing a defensive shot to a back-of-a-length Shannon Gabriel ball. He made a good connection, but the ball dropped by his feet and seemed to be bouncing into the stumps, so he turned around to swipe at it. He only nicked it the first time, and had to swipe again, but on that second occasion, dislodged the bails with his bat, and was out hit wicket.Dimuth Karunaratne, who was on 132, had started the day nervously, and was out to some excellent wicketkeeping having added only 15 to his score – Joshua da Silva whipping off the bails after Chase had drawn Karunaratne forward with a loopy offbreak.Jomel Warrican, who had gone wicketless on day one, took three wickets either side of lunch – the dismissal of Ramesh, whose glove Warrican collected with a delivery that leapt off the surface, being the most spectacular of the three. Chandimal, who had battled the spinners as well as anyone on day two, was out to Chase, after Rahkeem Cornwall anticipated and intercepted a reverse sweep. Chase dismissed Embuldeniya to complete his fourth five-for in Tests. At the time, it had seemed like West Indies had clawed themselves to near parity by keeping Sri Lanka’s total under 400.

ECB events director confident venues will withstand external factors during West Indies series

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2020Steve Elworthy, the ECB’s director of events, believes that the plans for July’s Test series against West Indies are robust enough to withstand a second wave of Covid-19 outbreaks, following this week’s announcement that the Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford have been chosen to host the three games.Speaking on Sky Sports’ Cricket Show, Elworthy went into greater depth on the rationale behind the selection of the two venues, both of which have on-site hotels – which was the primary reason why grounds such as the Kia Oval, where the first Test of the summer had been due to get underway today, were ruled out in the ECB’s search for “bio-secure” environments.West Indies are due to arrive in England next week, with their initial training block set to take place at Old Trafford before England themselves gather at the Ageas Bowl in the build-up to the first Test on July 8. The two squads will then practice in closer proximity in the days leading up the match, before relocating to Old Trafford for the final two matches of the series, commencing July 16 and July 24 respectively.ALSO READ: Oval ticket-holders show faith in Test cricket after cancellationAnd while there have been concerns in the local media that Manchester, in the north-west of England, is particularly susceptible to a surge in Covid cases, Elworthy is confident that the series will go ahead without a hitch, especially if the ICC agrees to sanction the introduction of like-for-like replacements in the event of infection within the secure environment.”The way we have structured the ‘bubble’ is that it can operate under the most extreme circumstances,” said Elworthy. “All of our planning has been based on the worst-case scenario, from an infection and a rate-spike point of view. So external factors should not affect that because, if you are secure within the venue, and you don’t break the confines of that venue, then your game should be able to go ahead with no problems at all.”The likeliest opportunity for that bubble to break will come when the teams make the 220-mile journey from Southampton to Manchester, but Elworthy justified the need to vary the conditions in which the series is played from the point of view of cricket “integrity”, and also to provide a change of scene for players, support staff and media who might otherwise be confined to one place for up to a month.”If you were to hold your first two Test matches at the same venue, you could end up possibly winning a series in the same conditions in the same venue, back-to-back,” he said. “We felt that, to win a series, you should have to win it in two separate sets of conditions.”We’re trying to reduce the amount of time that stakeholders or groups of people are locked down in [a particular] venue for periods of time,” he added. “We’re trying to cover as many of those bases as possible.”ALSO READ: West Indies confirm 25-man squad for bio-secure England tourThe Ageas Bowl, Elworthy added, had been chosen for the series opener because its out-of-town location includes a full-sized practice pitch, situated right next to the main venue. “We wanted both teams to be able to practice and train and prepare for a Test match, and having two full grounds available to be able to train was key.”The provisions for bio-security, as outlined by the ECB when announcing the match allocation, include controlled access at the perimeter of the venues, as well as on-site medical screening and testing provisions, including designated areas for isolation of anyone presenting symptoms.Steve Elworthy has played a leading role in the ECB’s planning for behind-closed-doors cricket•Getty Images

“It’s not only the players we thinking about,” said Elworthy. “With circa 250-odd people within the venue, any one of them could possibly test positive in a period of a five-day Test match.”They would immediately be put into isolation, and our on-site Covid medical practitioner and Public Health England would be informed immediately,” he added. “And that player or person would then be put into isolation for a period of time based on the government guidance and the medical overlay.”Earlier this week, West Indies confirmed their squad for the England tour, and while it will be missing three players who chose not to travel due to fears of infection – Keemo Paul, Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo – Elworthy preferred to focus on the 25 names who had chosen to trust the contingencies that have been put in place.”Everybody was given the right to make their own decision, and that’s not the first time that’s happened across cricket, even with the England team at times,” he said. “But I look at it glass-half-full. It’s incredibly positive that we have a West Indian squad of 25 players who are coming to compete in a Test series against England. I think that’s fantastic for the game.”It’s incredibly challenging putting this all together, but at the same time I think it’s hugely, hugely rewarding for the game. As a cricket family, we’ve got to come together on this to make it work.”

BCCI asked to work out fresh and appropriate sanction for the former fast bowler, ‘preferably’ within three months

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Mar-20192:01

‘Life ban lifted feels like a lifeline for me’ – Sreesanth

In what has come as a relief to former India fast bowler Sreesanth, the Supreme Court has “set aside” the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI for his alleged role in the 2013 IPL corruption and spot-fixing scandal. The apex court of the country has asked the BCCI to “reconsider” and “revisit” the length of any fresh ban, “preferably” within three months.Under the BCCI’s new constitution (registered in August 2018), all the duties earlier discharged by the disciplinary committee, made up of BCCI officials, will be performed by the ombudsman going forward. Therefore, Sreesanth’s fate will now be decided by Justice (retd) DK Jain, recently appointed for the job.Welcoming the court judgement, Sreesanth said he was positive about returning to the game. “The Supreme Court has given me a lifeline and it has helped me restore my dignity,” he said after the court delivered the verdict on Friday. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get back on the field.”The case dates back to 2013, when the BCCI disciplinary committee had penalised several players including Sreesanth on the basis of an internal probe conducted by Ravi Sawani, then head of the board’s anti-corruption unit. Along with Sreesanth, then with Rajasthan Royals, two of his team-mates – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – also received life bans for their alleged role in the spot-fixing scandal.The BCCI action followed the arrest of Sreesanth and the others by Delhi Police for alleged promises made to bookmakers during the 2013 IPL. The charges against Sreesanth pertained to the match against Kings XI Punjab, played on May 9.’It’s a great opportunity for me to get back on the field’ – Sreesanth•PTI

In the Friday judgment, the court was told that in “exchange” for the sum of INR 10 lakh, Sreesanth had “agreed to concede 14 or more runs in the second over” of his spell. And in order to “confirm the fix”, he was “required to place a hand towel in his visible pocket while ensuring there was no such towel during the first over”.That information was extracted from a taped conversation between Jiju Janardhan, Sreesanth’s close friend and team-mate at an Ernakulam club, and alleged bookie Chandresh Patel by Delhi Police on May 6, 2013, three days before the match.Sawani, a former joint director of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, had prepared two reports – a preliminary one (based on the taped conversations mentioned above), and a supplementary one, which was prepared after questioning Sreesanth in person and taking a written undertaking from the player.Based on Sawani’s findings, the BCCI disciplinary panel, comprising then president N Srinivasan along with the two vice-presidents, Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah, held Sreesanth guilty of “match-fixing and non-reporting of offences” under the BCCI’ anti-corruption code.The Supreme Court was hearing the matter because earlier this year, Sreesanth had challenged last August’s order of the division bench of the Kerala High Court, which had negated a judgment issued by the same court asking the board to lift the ban. The two-judge division bench had ruled that the BCCI ban could not be overturned or reduced.Sreesanth’s lawyer Salman Khurshid, a former Indian minister of external affairs, plead his case in the latest instance, and said that the BCCI had not followed the laws of natural justice while determining the sanction, and pointed out that a life ban was “excessive and maximum”. Khurshid argued that Sreesanth should have been penalised with a five-year ban at the most for not reporting the approach made by bookies, an offence under the BCCI’s code of conduct.In its judgement, the court concluded that BCCI had “not violated” any principles of natural justice while determining the sanction. However, the court did point out an anomaly in the BCCI verdict, that the disciplinary committee did not “advert to the aggravating and mitigating factors” as listed under its code.”Without considering the relevant provisions of Anti-Corruption Code, the disciplinary committee has imposed a lifetime ban on the appellant [Sreesanth] which sanction cannot be held to be in accordance with the Anti-Corruption Code itself,” the court said in the 73-page judgement. “When range of ineligibility which is minimum five years, maximum life time ban is provided for, the discretion to which, either minimum or maximum or in between has to be exercised on relevant facts and circumstances.”The court also said that Sreesanth had conducted himself with dignity by not immediately challenging the original ban. Keeping that in mind, the court said the BCCI ought to review its original sanction on the player.”The order dated 13.09.2013 of the disciplinary committee only to the extent of imposing sanction of lifetime ban is set aside. The disciplinary committee of the BCCI may reconsider the quantum of punishment/sanction which may be imposed on the appellant as per Article 6 of the Anti-Corruption Code. The appellant may be given one opportunity to have his say on the question of quantum of punishment/sanction.”

The ICC has laid out three charges against Rajan Nayar, including offering a player cash to improperly influence play in an international match

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2018Rajan Nayar, a Zimbabwe domestic cricket official, has been charged with breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code on three counts, including offering a player cash to improperly influence an international match. Nayar is the treasurer and marketing director of the Harare Metropolitan Cricket Association (HMCA), the association that runs league cricket in Harare and oversees domestic franchise the Mashonaland Eagles.He has been charged with breaching Article 2.1.1 of the ICC’s code (being party to an effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspects of an international match or matches) and offering a player US$30,000 for the same. Subsequently, he has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect from his roles at the HMCA.ESPNcricinfo understands that Nayar was the man who had approached Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer in October last year with an offer to engage in corrupt activities. When the Cremer news was reported, an ICC spokesperson had confirmed that an Anti-Corruption Unit investigation was “ongoing in Zimbabwe”.At the time, the Cremer incident was the second time in two months that news had emerged of a corrupt approach made to an international captain. Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan captain, also reported an allegedly corrupt approach in October. Also, days later, senior Indian curator Pandurang Salgaoncar was dismissed by the BCCI for “malpractice” after a sting operation by a TV channel produced footage of him talking to reporters allegedly posing as bookies about the Pune pitch ahead of an ODI between India and New Zealand.Nayar is an official who is well known to players, a number of whom have expressed surprise that he has been implicated in such an investigation. He has 14 days, starting from 16 January, to respond to the charges.

Surrey have introduced a ballot to cope with demand for their NatWest T20 Blast match against Middlesex at The Oval.

George Dobell25-Nov-2016Surrey have introduced a ballot to cope with demand for their NatWest T20 Blast match against Middlesex at The Oval.The match has sold out for the last three seasons so, in an attempt to meet demand and gain data from the largest possible audience, the club have now decided to treat the game as they would an international fixture.It is anticipated that attendances for the T20 Blast will rise beyond a million for the first time in 2017. The tournament has been moved back into high summer – it has started in mid-May for the last couple of years – meaning it can take advantage of the warmer weather and school holidays. Surrey’s home match against Middlesex will take place on Friday, July 21.”Over the last four years, half-a-million people have seen Surrey play T20 cricket at The Oval,” Surrey chief executive Richard Gould told ESPNcricinfo. “65% of those people had never previously attended a professional cricket match and 125,000 of them were either women or U-16s.”The current competition, when well marketed and staged, is very effective at reaching a new audience.”The timing of the announcement comes not only as the ECB release the domestic fixture list for 2017 but as they renewed calls on the counties to sign a document (a redrafted version of which was circulated this week) handing over their media rights to the ECB until the end of 2024. As things stand, several of the counties argue that there is no specific agreement preventing them from selling domestic matches at their own grounds independently of the ECB.The original version of the document found little support – ESPNcricinfo understands that about a third of the counties signed it – and while the new version clarifies a few details (the counties are guaranteed £1.3m each a year on top of their current ECB income if they all sign), it specifies that they agree to all aspects of the new team T20 competition the ECB is planning from 2020.As counties do not currently know where or when those games will be staged, what the teams will be called, what other cricket will take place at the same time and the value of the alternative broadcast deal, there are several – perhaps even a majority – that are reluctant to sign. Until they do so, the ECB cannot be certain that they can prevent a breakaway league, though in reality that remains unlikely.Meanwhile a report commissioned by Surrey – who are leading the opposition to the eight-team competition favoured by the ECB – and distributed among the counties has cast doubt on the valuations obtained by the ECB for the relative worth of the different T20 competitions. While the ECB valuation suggested broadcast rights for the current competition were worth between £5-7m a year and a new eight-team competition worth between £30-35m, the new report concludes that they “are significantly undervaluing the broadcast appeal of county T20 cricket.”While domestic cricket is officially ascribed a nil value in the broadcast deal between the ECB and Sky, the new report suggests that Sky unofficially ascribed 20% of the value of the deal with the ECB (currently £65m a year) to county cricket when tendering for 2009. That provided a value of £13m to domestic competitions. With the “increased profile” of modern T20, the report suggests that value can now be increased to 20-25%, providing a value of £16.25m between 2014-2017 and £23.12m between 2018-2019, when the worth of the current broadcast deal increases to £92.5m a year.The report also notes that, since BT Sport added competition to the broadcast market, the value of deals for domestic football and rugby has increased markedly.The report concludes that a re-launched T20 competition involving all 18 first-class counties, sold on the open market and starting in 2020 could be worth “around £35m a year.”It would seem to underline the findings of an independent report by Oliver and Ohlbaum, analysts of the media and entertainment industries, from August which concluded “there is little consumer demand for the proposed city-based T20 competition even among younger and currently more casual fans of cricket.””Over 80% of sports fans surveyed by O&O this summer showed no interest at all in a city-based T20 competition,” it said.That report concluded that the ECB had “lost out on” an “estimated £60m” of potential broadcast revenue “when it did its last TV deal, back in 2011 just before BT Sport entered the market.”

England’s coach Trevor Bayliss has said there should be no reason why Adil Rashid’s Test appearances are restricted solely to Asia

Andrew McGlashan18-Oct-2015Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, believes Adil Rashid can play a role in all conditions – not just Asia – after the legspinner produced an immense show of resolve in Abu Dhabi with a five-wicket haul to almost conjure a stunning victory.Bayliss said Rashid had remained “pretty philosophical” after his record-breaking none for 163 in the first innings. But even if he had not responded in such dramatic fashion it is very unlikely England would have lost faith so quickly. They see Rashid as a long-term investment, an attacking spin bowler who can add a vital component to a developing side.If he continues the form he showed late in the first Test – coming into his own against a nervous batting line-up with only survival to play for on a pitch that had, at last, developed some wear and tear – there is a chance England will try to fit him into their line-ups in conditions where they may previously have not considered two spinners.After the UAE tour they head to South Africa for a four-Test series followed by a home summer against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. A 2016-17 season in Asia then beckons with series against India and Bangladesh where Rashid should expect to be a key figure if his development continues.”He’s definitely not a selection for just here,” Bayliss said. “It will come down to whether he is bowling well enough to stay in the team and it’s a lot easier to keep him in the team if you’ve got Moeen Ali batting in the top six or seven and Ben Stokes in there as well. The possibilities of combinations we are able to play with those guys in the team are there.”Bayliss, who played against Shane Warne during his Sheffield Shield career and then coached Stuart MacGill at New South Wales, has brought an Australian understanding of legspin to the England coaching role. However, he said the desire to find a place for Rashid also stemmed from Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, during early discussions the pair had when he was appointed in May.Rashid is just England’s fourth legspinner since 1971 following Ian Salisbury, Chris Schofield and Scott Borthwick who have a combined total of 18 caps between them. Salisbury, who curiously also took five wickets on his debut against Pakistan at Lord’s in 1992, although spread across two innings, played 15 times over eight years. Schofield, picked in haste as a 21-year-old in 2000, was discarded after a two-Test series against Zimbabwe where he bowled in just one innings (although did make a brief, unexpected return in the T20 side in 2007) while Borthwick, so far, only has his appearance from Sydney when England were in disarray at the end of the 2013-14 Ashes.While not able to offer a definitive view on why English cricket has had such a difficult relationship with legspin, Bayliss suggested that too much emphasis on economy rates, and holding the game, had made them wary of a style of bowling that needs courage of conviction and often a few deep breaths. Along with England’s new approach to one-day cricket and their increasing expressiveness in Test matches – when conditions allow – Rashid is a part of New England.”Usually legspinners are a little more expensive and maybe not quite as accurate,” Bayliss said. “Maybe English cricket over the last few years has had a bit too much of an emphasis on not going for runs. My belief is that the best way to stop the runs is by taking wickets.”I think a legspinner brings a little bit of unpredictability. They spin it both ways so the batter has got to make a decision on what way it’s spinning as well as line and length. They get more work on the ball so that it can drop and a leg-spinner just seems to take wickets from nowhere. Come the fifth day that’s what you want to see from your leg-spinner. You want him to use the conditions and, especially, clean up the tail.”The other element to Rashid’s debut was the captaincy of Alastair Cook. Although Cook was skipper when Borthwick played in Sydney, he and the team were in such a bedraggled state that little worthwhile could be learned. In Abu Dhabi it was the start of a fresh contest and the building of a Test-match relationship between Cook and Rashid that will hopefully have some longevity.Bayliss praised the advisory role played by Mahela Jayawardene – who has now completed his stint with England in the UAE, although Bayliss said he would be very keen to have him back in the future – while adding that Cook will be better for the experience of the first Test.”Mahela was fantastic. Like anything for the first time, there are small tweaks with field placements we can look at – it needs the bowler bowling well – and don’t forget these Pakistan players are very good players of spin which makes it more difficult. We have recognised a few things from this Test that will hopefully be a bit different for the next that will give us a bit more of an advantage.”

Zimbabwe lifted themselves above Bangladesh’s international stature with the whopping 335-run win in the first Test in Harare

The Report by Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrendan Taylor scored his second century of the match•Associated Press

Zimbabwe lifted themselves above Bangladesh’s international stature with the whopping 335-run win in the first Test in Harare. Brendan Taylor’s twin centuries and skillful swing and seam bowling finished off the game inside four days, as Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.The game ended when Kyle Jarvis took a magnificent catch at deep fine-leg to give Graeme Cremer his fourth wicket, that of Robiul Islam, to bowl out Bangladesh for just 147. Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe declared their second innings on 227 for 7, setting Bangladesh an improbable 483.Bangladesh, a long-time rival at the bottom of the world rankings, brings out the best in Zimbabwe, who came into this series on the back of five consecutive Test defeats. This time, Zimbabwe were far ahead mentally as they used their familiarity with the conditions in Harare to mighty effect. It was a crushing loss for the visitors who are at the backend of a much better season, and it will set them back a few steps as they head into the second Test in a must-win situation.Taylor made 171 and 102 not out in a Test match that, till date, has been his most prolific. He was almost a one-man show, especially in the second innings when one wrong shot from him could have given Bangladesh a sniff. Zimbabwe were 84 for 6 in the second innings, but Taylor took Graeme Cremer under his wing as they staved off a rampant Robiul Islam.He broke several records on the way too. He became the first Zimbabwe captain to have scored two hundreds in a Test and also has the highest score for a Zimbabwe captain. He also beat his previous best of 117 in the first innings, and added the highest score against Bangladesh under his belt.With the ball, Zimbabwe were led by the impressive Jarvis. It was a complete domination of the Bangladesh batsmen as he, Shingirai Masakadza and Keegan Meth kept the ball up and used excellent lines. Jarvis finished with figures of 7 for 115 in the match, doing justice to the hype around him. Masakadza took five wickets in the game while Meth kept one end quiet as the other two went about knocking the batsmen over.Cremer too played a useful hand with the bat, scoring 42 and 43. These were vital runs, as he added two big seventh-wicket partnerships with Taylor that frustrated Bangladesh greatly. He ended the game with four cheap wickets, capping off a fine all-round display.
If Bangladesh’s first-innings collapse of 9 for 32 was bad enough, their second-innings showing was equally poor. Shahriar Nafees’ extra keenness at the start of Test innings cost him yet again. After scoring two consecutive boundaries, he created a big gap between bat and pad, played all over a full delivery from Jarvis and lost his off stump.After the lunch break, Ashraful hardly got out of his self-induced shell as he looked to drag the game for as long as possible. Mahmudullah at the other end went after the bowling, and soon enough, perished. Whether he had seen substitute Sean Williams stationed at deep square-leg cannot be a valid point for a batsman at this level of cricket, but his innocuous pull shot said much about his muddled mindset. His dismissal again triggered a collapse as Shakib Al Hasan and captain Mushfiqur Rahim fell soon after. Similar to the first innings, Shakib was caught at gully but this time he wasn’t fending. He has a unique way of playing a late cut which he guides past gully and point, but this time he couldn’t keep the Jarvis delivery down.Luck too wasn’t on Bangladesh’s side as two of the dismissals showed. Jahurul Islam was given out caught behind when the ball had appeared to flick his shirt on the way to the wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami. A prolonged appeal from the slips created enough pressure on the umpire Tony Hill.Mushfiqur was brilliantly caught at second slip by Taylor, who jumped to his right and grabbed it one-handed. The Bangladesh captain’s dismal Test was in far contrast to his opposite number.Mohammad Ashraful’s dim-witted run-out close to the tea break rounded off a forgettable session for the visitors. Cremer spun one past Ashraful’s bat and wicketkeeper Mutumbami’s gloves, but Taylor saved the ball at slip. Ashraful, thinking it had beaten Taylor, went off for a run and was duly run out amid loud laughter among the Zimbabweans, as he wasted another opportunity and the home side basked in the glory of a great performance.