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Champions Nottinghamshire completed a second successive victory, with a bowling attack that showed its experience as the Outlaws beat East Midland neighbours Leicestershire by 19 runs at the Fischer County Ground

ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2018
ScorecardChampions Nottinghamshire completed a second successive victory, with a bowling attack that showed its experience as the Outlaws beat East Midland neighbours Leicestershire by 19 runs at the Fischer County Ground.”They strangled us well in the middle overs,” Foxes’ captain Colin Ackermann said, after seeing his side collapse from 80 for 2 to 102 for 6 when in pursuit of a target that did not look unattainable on a good wicket and with a lightning quick outfield.Nottinghamshire’s Samit Patel said his side had completed a “convincing” win. “The intent we showed when we batted was good, Tom [Moores] and I managed a good partnership, and we accelerated nicely. Then we bowled to our plans and got wickets at the right time, because it’s always tough chasing ten an over.”The visitors’ total was based on a partnership of 97 for the third wicket between Patel and Moores. Coming together when Riki Wessels’ attempt to pull a quick delivery from Zak Chappell gave Mohammad Abbas a simple catch at mid-on, leaving the visitors on 17 for 2, both batsmen made half-centuries, albeit in contrasting styles.Patel, all wristy flicks, timing and placement, reached his fifty first, off 26 balls with ten fours, before holing out to long-on off Callum Parkinson. The young left-arm spinner picked up the wicket of Moores in the same over. Moores had just reached his fifty with a bludgeoned six over midwicket before his attempt to repeat the shot was well held by Raine.Captain Dan Christian, while unable to repeat his heroics of Friday evening, when he hit a century off 37 balls at Northampton, ensured his side would get close to 200 by thumping 47 from 29.Leicestershire’s reply began solidly enough, Cameron Delport and Neil Dexter compiling an opening partnership of 51 before Luke Fletcher yorked Delport for 33 in the final over of the Powerplay.Mark Cosgrove’s immediate dismissal for a duck, brilliantly caught by Steven Mullaney, one handed high to his right at midwicket, was a hammer blow to the Foxes’ chances, but the clatter of wickets that followed the loss of Dexter did not make for pretty viewing for the sizeable home crowd.Lewis Hill was caught slog-sweeping at deep backward square, Ackermann and Raine at deep midwicket, and although Mohammad Nabi, and in the final over, Abbas, hit out to good effect, there was never a sense that the Outlaws’ score was under any real pressure.”That we got quite close without looking likely to chase it down was frustsrating,” Ackermann said. “We’ve had a few decent knocks, but nothing really substantial and match-winning in the last two matches.”

The fast bowler has admitted surgery is the “only chance I’ve got of getting back to full fitness”

Matt Roller28-Jul-2022Chris Woakes is due to undergo knee surgery on Thursday and faces a race to be fit for the T20 World Cup in Australia.Woakes has not played a full game in any format since England’s tour of the Caribbean in March, reporting a sore knee when he returned to the UK. He said that the injury had “teased” him throughout the summer, and he has been restricted to a single second-team appearance this season.”It’s been a really frustrating summer,” Woakes told the BBC’s . “I came back from the Caribbean at the end of March and had a sore knee. I thought I’d just have a few weeks off and then get back up and running, and it hasn’t quite gone that way.”I’ve really struggled with my knee without really knowing exactly what’s wrong. I’ve finally got to the situation now where really the only chance I’ve got of getting back to full fitness is by going for some surgery.”Woakes did not play a T20 international between 2015 and 2021 but became a key part of England’s plans ahead of last year’s World Cup, taking seven wickets in six matches at the tournament with an economy rate of 7.36.With Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood and Mark Wood all expected to miss this year’s tournament in Australia with their respective injuries, England’s seam stocks are depleted, and Woakes said his aim was to be available for selection. However, England will be required to select their provisional squad in mid-September under ICC regulations, and Woakes will have limited opportunities to prove his fitness before then.”Everything that I’m getting from the surgeon who seems to be quite optimistic about it all. He’s saying four to six weeks – more likely to be six than four,” Woakes added. “It all depends really on what they find on the inside but they’re hoping that it’s not going to be anything too drastic. It should be a fairly routine keyhole surgery.”Touch wood, they don’t find anything in there that we’re not [expecting]. I’m pretty excited at the fact that I’m hopefully getting the problem sorted rather than letting this linger on like I have done over the last couple of months which have been really frustrating, to be honest, to miss so much cricket.”It should hopefully be really straightforward rehab and hopefully back – obviously the aim for myself is to be available for selection for that T20 World Cup. Fingers crossed I can be a part of that.”This particular injury has been really frustrating. It’s teased me a little bit. I can do almost everything absolutely fine until a certain level. I get to a stage where I need to bowl at batsmen at full tilt and then it flares up. That’s the annoying thing about this one. It’s not like I can’t do anything, it’s just when I get to that full capacity.”

Buttler pounds 162* as Malan and Salt also notch tons and Livingstone adds rapid 66

Valkerie Baynes17-Jun-2022If the Netherlands needed to enhance its long-held reputation as a prime party destination, it had only to look to Jos Buttler and his mates who strode in, set the records spinning, tore the place up and left their hosts wondering what on earth had just happened here.An ODI world-record total of 498 for 4, built on Buttler’s brutal 162 not out and further centuries from Dawid Malan and Phil Salt before Liam Livingstone smashed 66 from just 22 balls, left Netherlands facing an implausible target after winning the toss on an exceptional surface.It beat England’s own record for the highest ODI total of 481 for 6, made against Australia in 2018, and, despite spirited knocks from Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards, who helped them come within two balls of seeing out their 50 overs, Netherlands lost by 232 runs.Following Jonny Bairstow’s jaw-dropping example to win the second Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, Buttler plundered his score off just 70 deliveries with no part of the VRA ground or its surrounds safe as he launched the ball into trees, onto the Pavillion roof, over the commentary tent and onto the neighbouring hockey fields.Buttler scored England’s second-fastest hundred in ODIs, smashing his way to the mark off 47 balls. He now holds his side’s top-three fastest, his 46-ball effort in 2015 and 50-ball knock in 2019, both against Pakistan, bookending this one. In all, he struck 14 of England’s world record-breaking 26 sixes for the innings.Jos Buttler acknowledges the applause for his hundred•Getty Images

A warm, fine day began brightly enough for the hosts, when Jason Roy fell to his cousin, Shane Snater, on the seventh ball he faced, bowled through the gate by a fuller delivery that caught the inside edge before rattling the stumps and England were 1 for 1.Salt, playing his fourth ODI, scored his maiden international century with an assured knock, reaching 122 from just 93 balls. He signalled his intentions with a gorgeous cover drive to the boundary off Logan van Beek then launched him for six over midwicket.He should have been out for 40 when he hit Bas de Leede straight to deep backward point, where Snater shelled the chance, and he rammed home the mistake by cracking de Leede for four over wide long-on two balls later.Malan survived an lbw decision attempting a reverse-paddle off Pieter Seelaar on 25, his review showing that while the ball struck the front pad low and in line with middle stump, it was tracking past the top of leg.Salt took the lead role, bringing up his second ODI fifty off 39 balls with a four off Seelaar fine of long-off and he powered to 71 with six off van Beek over cow corner.Malan was somewhat becalmed after the powerplay but he raised the tempo by striking Aryan Dutt for four through point and Phillippe Boissevain for six down the ground. His subsequent six off Seelaar hit a tree over long-on and bounced back into the ground, unlike the one he struck in the ninth over that had to be fetched from the woods. He ended up sharing a 222-run stand with Salt, who finally fell top-edging van Beek to Boissevain at point.No matter for England as Buttler arrived at the crease and proceeded to reduce the Netherlands attack to cannon fodder.Buttler was virtually trading in boundaries alone as he reached a 27-ball fifty, including five sixes and two fours. Three of his maximums came within four balls from Seelaar, the first just clearing the rope after Vikramjit Singh had moved in from long-on followed by two more – increasing in distance – over the same area.To make matters worse for Netherlands, Buttler struck the next ball down the ground only for it to pop out of the hands of Musa Ahmed. And, of course, his half-century came up from another six as he muscled a Snater slower ball over long-off.Malan became only third English player behind Buttler and Heather Knight to score a century in each format when he dabbed a leg-side single off Boissevain. Malan’s innings ended when he eventually holed out to deep backward square leg off Seelaar, having notched up 125 off 109 balls and added 184 runs with Buttler, who contributed 139 of those.Liam Livingstone slammed 66 off 22 balls•Getty Images

Eoin Morgan then fell to a first-ball duck, lbw off Seelaar who managed to overturn his initial not-out decision and continue a lean run for Morgan, who has been troubled by injuries this year and managed just one international half-century in 18 months.Livingstone saw off the hat-trick ball nurdling a single through midwicket and, as another renowned heavy hitter in the England line-up, he completed Netherlands’ demoralisation, pummelling 32 runs off the next over from Boissevain.Livingstone raced to 46 off just 13 balls and was within reach of AB de Villiers’ 16-ball record for fastest ODI fifty but he managed just two runs while being dropped by Boissevain at deep square leg off Snater then faced two dot balls. He sent Snater’s next delivery into the sightscreen for six to reach the milestone from 17 balls, narrowly missing de Villers’ mark but claiming the England record for fastest ODI fifty.With the mystical 500-run mark still in England’s sights in the final over, Buttler took them past their world-best score with six off Snater’s third ball. But when Livingstone could only manage four off the penultimate delivery the well-oiled crowd groaned, realising it was now out of reach. Livingstone launched the final ball for six over deep midwicket, leaving them just two runs shy.When cameras panned to masses of schoolchildren at hockey practice next door, it was somewhat reassuring that Netherlands were batting by that stage. That was before O’Dowd got in on the act and became the first player to smash something other than a record when his straight six off Adil Rashid torpedoed into the press box window.O’Dowd was assertive in reaching a run-a-ball 55 but he fell charging at Reece Topley, who pinged the top of off stump. O’Dowd had helped steady the innings with an 80-run stand alongside Ahmed after Netherlands lost Singh in the third over.And so it was that as Netherlands batters made a starts, England’s bowlers plucked them out, sharing the wickets. Edwards was another exception, compiling an unbeaten 72 off 56 balls.Sam Curran made encouraging steps in his return from a back stress fractures, claiming two wickets from his nine overs. Livingstone, meanwhile, left the field twice during Netherlands’ reply suffering from some calf tightness and it fell to Malan to bowl the final over of the match – his first in ODIs. Malan secured his maiden wicket when he had last man out Boissevain caught behind by none other than Buttler.

Cheteshwar Pujara’s failure will be a cause of worry, but on the positive side, the visiting side can take heart from four half-centuries by the batsmen

Nagraj Gollapudi25-Jul-20181:03

How Essex’s Walter and Coles got Kohli and Dhawan

Four half-centuries and a modest total. Those were the couple of positive takeaways for the Indians who got to bat first against an Essex second XI. The pitch was lime green, something coach Ravi Shastri had said India were not shy of confronting.Even before the crowd took their seats, Shikhar Dhawan had edged his way back to the dressing room. And by the time the fans were settled in, Cheteshwar Pujara too walked back disappointed, also edging behind the wicket. But as a scorching sun blazed, India prospered.Here are the gleanings from first day’s play.India’s top order wobblesCheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan both fell cheaply•BCCI

In the limited overs-leg of the UK tour, Dhawan lost his way after strong starts by running himself out twice. Today, even before he got his eye in, he inside edged the third ball of the match, which Essex wicketkeeper James Foster collected neatly. Foster cashed in on another opportunity when Pujara offered a thick edge as he was opened up by Matt Coles.With India opting to shorten this match to a three-day affair, the duo can only hope that they get another opportunity in the game. Of the two, Pujara would be the one more concerned. Despite being the most experienced batsman in English conditions due to his various county stints, the questions are piling up for Pujara.Vijay shows characterHis only error of judgement cost M Vijay his wicket. He had attempted to drive left-arm seamer Paul Walter away from his body, but the ball took out off stump instead. Still, Vijay had done a good job. He was out early in both innings in the India A match against England Lions last week in Worcester, but today, Vijay was solid and patient.Early on, Matthew Quinn used his height to extract good bounce and movement. In the third over after the first hour, Quinn consistently drew Vijay forward with length deliveries that seamed away. One of those induced an outside edge and nearly carried to Varun Chopra at first slip. Vijay, however, remained calm in the face of this early examination. He left the ball confidently and punched fluent drives on the off side to record a patient half-century. He will know that stiffer challenges lie ahead, when the ball comes at a faster pace repeatedly from James Anderson and Stuart Broad over the next month.Rahul fluentIf you look at purely the numbers, KL Rahul might have already won the race against Pujara for the No. 3 spot. Pujara got 1. Rahul got 68. But Pujara walked in against the new ball on a fresh greentop. By the time Rahul arrived, the pitch had dried out. The ball was old. The bowlers had lost a bit of energy. On the other hand, Rahul had walked in when India had lost two settled batsmen in Vijay and Virat Kohli, in the span of four overs, and the total hadn’t even reached 200.It took him a while to find his rhythm, but once he had it, Rahul was convincing. When Matt Dixon bounced him, Rahul was proactive and pulled him for an easy four over midwicket. When Aron Nijjar maintained an outside off stump line, Rahul moved outside the line of the ball to execute a lovely flick that raced past the ropes. Despite being dropped from the final ODI of the England series for reasons he said even he was not aware of, Rahul today showed good composure.But just like all the other men who had 50s today, Rahul too fell when he was going strong. Attempting a premeditated charge against Nijjar, Rahul lofted the ball into the hands of Dixon at mid-off.Kohli survives ‘the Anderson’Virat Kohli taps the ball down the ground•Getty Images

Ajinkya Rahane had walked in as No.4. Having just played the India A match, the think-tank would have wanted to give Rahane enough match time to get mentally ready for the Test series. Although Rahane did get a start, he was scratchy and was beaten a few times too many. Against one of those deliveries, from Quinn, he edged behind the wicket to help Foster pouch his third victim.Kohli did not let that affect him. India were 29 for 2 after the first hour in which 14 overs were bowled, and then 44 for 3. Immediately Kohli upped the intensity. He stood tall on his toes to unleash a powerful square cut against Dixon for his first four.But even though he was settled and nearing a half-century, Kohli faced a stern test from Quinn. On 41 Kohli received an Anderson ball: pitched on a length on off stump, drawn forward to play, bat left hanging, ball almost kissing the outside edge on the way to the keeper. Quinn used the same length and the same ball to beat Kohli thrice in a row. But no sooner did Quinn push the length by an inch, on the last ball of the same over, Kohli pounced on it to drive through cover for four. Kohli would still be annoyed at himself for trying to fetch the ball and edging a fuller one, which Paul Walter had angled towards the fourth stump, to second slip.Karthik cashes inWith Dinesh Karthik, you can never predict what you’ll get. No one, including the man himself, possibly expected to walk back raising his bat, undefeated, as the top run-maker on the day. Karthik played and missed and nearly edged frequently against the seamers. But one thing he did not miss was putting away the bad balls, of which there were many.With Hardik Pandya struggling against the moving delivery and spin, Karthik’s role at No. 6 is vital for India’s lower order. Karthik will be happy he could play his range of strokes despite some edgy moments.

Opening batsman Heino Kuhn will likely be named in South Africa’s Test squad to play in England next month

Firdose Moonda23-Jun-20170:44

Quick Facts: Heino Kuhn

Opening batsman Heino Kuhn will be named in South Africa’s Test squad to play in England next month, ESPNcricinfo has learnt.Kuhn, who scored a century in the ongoing unofficial Test against the England Lions on the back of an unbeaten 200 against Hampshire last week, will be joined by his A squad team-mates Theunis de Bruyn, Temba Bavuma and Duanne Olivier but it remains to be seen if Stephen Cook will keep his place.Cook was dropped for South Africa’s last Test, against New Zealand in Hamilton, and was replaced by de Bruyn, a regular No. 3. Selection convener Linda Zondi confirmed in the aftermath that de Bruyn would not be considered for a permanent place the top two, which suggests his inclusion in the squad is as back-up, especially as South Africa are unsure if Faf du Plessis will play in the opening Test as he awaits the birth of his first child. That means Kuhn and Cook will be competing for the same spot.Kuhn was 13th on the first-class run-charts last season with 527 runs at 43.91 with one hundred and three fifties but topped the list last summer. He scored 1126 runs at 62.55 with four hundreds and four fifties and missed out on selection after Cook, who had been the leading batsman the season before and in the top 10 for seven seasons prior to that, was preferred. Cook scored a century on debut and has two other hundreds to his name but has gone through lengthy lean patches, especially on away tours. He had scored just 75 runs in four innings before his hundred in Adelaide and 17 runs in four innings before being benched in New Zealand.In preparation for the England series, Cook has been playing county cricket for Durham and has scored 348 runs in seven matches at 26.76 with two fifties. In contrast, his Test opening partner Dean Elgar has is the fifth-highest run-scorer overall in Division 1 and has notched up 517 runs at 47.00 for Somerset in six matches with two hundreds and two fifties.This month, Heino Kuhn has hit 200* against Hampshire and 105 against England Lions•Getty Images

In addition to his ability to open the batting, Kuhn will also more than likely serve as the back-up gloveman to Quinton de Kock. Though Kuhn no longer regularly keeps wicket for his franchise, the Titans, he has done the job for several of his 12 years as first-class cricketer and most recently donned the gloves for the entire domestic one-day cup when Heinrich Klaasen was called up for national duty in New Zealand. Kuhn’s move from wicket-keeper batsman to specialist opener came last summer under Mark Boucher’s guidance after Boucher identified the opener’s spot as the only possible gap in the South African side.Kuhn’s selection suggests that South Africa will remain unsettled when it comes to their top two for a while yet. Neither Kuhn, who is 33, nor Cook, who is 34, can be considered a long-term solution but they may be placeholders for another member of the A side, who is expected to miss out this time. Aiden Markram captained the four-day side and scored a century against Hampshire and 71 in the first innings against the Lions but it appears he will have to wait his turn for a national call-up.South Africa’s Test squad will be announced at the conclusion of the A match against the Lions. The A team are headed towards a hefty defeat and after losing to Sussex and in the fifty-over series, there will be questions about the depth of South African cricket following a spate of Kolpak signings last summer.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the first day of the Sheffield Shield match between Queensland and Victoria in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Chris Hartley top scored with 57•Getty Images

Quensland’s retiring captain Chris Hartley and his wicketkeeping successor Jimmy Peirson led the way for the Bulls with the bat but Victoria still enjoyed the better of the opening day of the Sheffield Shield match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Sent in by the first-placed Bushrangers in a match the hosts must win to be in contention to play Victoria in the competition decider, the Bulls struggled for traction despite Peirson’s determination at the top of the order.Arriving at the crease with five wickets down for 120, Hartley played his shots in the company of the Queensland tail, even firing off a trio of sixes.After Hartley was last out at 208, the Bushrangers openers Marcus Harris and Travis Dean reached the close without loss.