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Matthew Mott wants players to be “more vulnerable” after becoming “insular” during 50-over World Cup

Matt Roller23-May-2024Matthew Mott believes it is time his England team “get the mojo back” ahead of the T20 World Cup – and has hired Manchester City’s psychologist to help his players be more emotionally vulnerable if they come under pressure in the Caribbean.David Young, who was previously with England from 2016 to 2020, has worked with City during an unprecedented period of success, with the club recently becoming the first team to win four Premier League titles in a row. He has been brought back as a consultant on a short-term basis ahead of next month’s World Cup, with City’s approval.Jos Buttler was influential in the decision and has previously credited Young for helping him perform in the 2019 World Cup final. Young joined the England squad in Leeds ahead of their washed-out first T20I against Pakistan on Wednesday and will link up with them again in Cardiff on Monday, after helping City prepare for Saturday’s FA Cup final against Manchester United.”He’s previously been with the team and he’s already been a great ally in messages back to me, making sure my messages are clear,” Mott, England’s white-ball coach, said. “It’s always good to have someone who’s a little bit removed from the squad to make sure you’re landing your messages… He’s still doing other roles but we’ve got him for this series, and the start of the World Cup as well.”Related

• Jofra Archer impresses on comeback as Jos Buttler makes the difference in 23-run win

• Leeds rain denies England, Pakistan valuable preparation

• Hasan Ali released from Pakistan squad to play for Warwickshire

• After 382 days on the sidelines, Archer set to return for England

• Jos Buttler backs England to learn lessons from 50-over World Cup debacle

England’s management are trying to learn from the mistakes they made at last year’s 50-over World Cup, when they were knocked out at the group stage and won three of their nine games – two of which came after their elimination. Mott described the tournament as “death by a thousand cuts” and said: “When you’ve had the kick in the pants like we’ve had, you can’t just go ‘business as usual’. You have to redefine how you go as a team.”As a group, we’ve made a commitment to be a bit more open in and around our training sessions, to help each other out a bit more. In India, all of us were guilty of being a bit insular, and trying to problem-solve ourselves. We’ve made a commitment to open up and be a bit more vulnerable as a group so that we’re helping each other.”Mott has been watching the IPL from afar and said that England could learn from Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s winning streak to qualify for the play-offs. “The way they had nothing to lose and came out and played a different brand of cricket – could we have done that earlier? Maybe, yes. On reflection, we didn’t react as we should have after the start.”Eoin Morgan, Buttler’s predecessor as captain, was sharply critical of England’s performance in India and hinted there was “something else going on” in their dressing-room beyond collective underperformance. Mott – whose first series as coach was Morgan’s last as captain – said the pair have not spoken since, but that he respects Morgan and his opinion.”Family and friends got more upset about it than I did,” he said. “Initially, of course you take it a bit personally but he’s there to have an opinion… All I’ll say is that only the people within the dressing-room can fully understand what’s going on. Once you leave the dressing-room, you might hear titbits of stuff, but you don’t really know how the team’s operating.””It’s time to get the mojo back and go out and really express ourselves”•Getty Images

Buttler suggested this week that he needs to give certain players more “clarity” than he did in India, and Mott said the squad would drive that change: “My style of coaching has always been more of a cooperative approach – keep asking questions on what does their game look like at its best, and if they’re veering away from that, to drag them back on track.”We feel like it’s time to get the mojo back and go out and really express ourselves as a team. I think T20, as opposed to ODI, is so much clearer in the way the players can approach it. We’ve seen in the IPL, you have to go out and really take the game on from the start. Most teams are going to go that way, so it’s going to be an exciting World Cup.”England will confirm their World Cup squad to the ICC before Saturday’s second T20I at Edgbaston and will name the same 15 players that formed the provisional squad, despite both Liam Livingstone and Mark Wood carrying niggles. “Probably not for the next game at this stage, but definitely later in the series, they’ll be up for selection,” Mott said.Jofra Archer’s return was delayed by the rain on Wednesday and he is likely to play at least two of the remaining three T20Is. Mott said that England are “pretty confident” that they know their best XI for the Caribbean, and said he would be comfortable taking Tom Hartley to the World Cup even if he does not win his first T20I cap in this series: “He’s played a lot of high-quality cricket in the last 12 months.”

The quick’s five-for won the day for the hosts despite Brendan Taylor’s fighting century

Danyal Rasool30-Oct-2020
Pakistan withstood a stunning fightback led by Brendan Taylor to hang on for a thrilling win in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi on Friday. Shaheen Afridi was the architect of the victory, carving chunks out of the Zimbabwean batting line-up when the others appeared to have run out of ideas, and finishing with yet another five-wicket haul, while Wahab Riaz chipped in with four wickets to stop the visiting sides 26 short.The result might appear somewhat routine, but it was anything but guaranteed when Taylor was at the crease, on his way to stroking a glorious century that, alongside a fighting half-century from Wesley Madhevere, took Zimbabwe to the brink of a famous win. But, as the final five overs loomed and the asking rate began to creep up, Madhevere chopped Riaz on to end a 119-run fifth-wicket partnership. Taylor was undone by a slower Afridi delivery soon after, and things unravelled quickly thereafter.Zimbabwe were bowled out for 255, and in a game of fine margins, Pakistan’s wagging tail earlier on made all the difference.Set 282 to win, Zimbabwe looked to have a structured sense of pacing the chase, going hard in the powerplay at debutant Haris Rauf, undeterred by the loss of Brain Chari in the first over. While Afridi, who was tremendous throughout the innings whenever called upon, gave them little to attack, some loose deliveries from the other end were all they needed, and Chamu Chibhabha, followed by Craig Ervine and Taylor, made the most of the fielding restrictions, speeding to 56 in the powerplay. It was well over what Pakistan had managed, and set Zimbabwe the base from which they moulded their chase.Brendan Taylor drives on the up•PCB

While Taylor looked comfortable for much of the innings, Ervine found himself flustered by Pakistan’s tightness in the middle overs, and a rash reverse sweep spelt the end of him. Sean Williams never looked up to the mark on the day, meaning 20-year-old Madhevere was tasked with being the support act for Taylor. He did that with immense class, showcasing an attractive batting technique and, when things got hairier, a certain steel that bodes well for the career that lies ahead of him. The punches off the back foot against pace were especially eye-catching, and out of nowhere, it seemed, he had brought up a half-century.By this time, Taylor had found the zone he occasionally enters, which marks him out as one of the most inventive shotmakers of this generation. The uppercut off the short ball was nigh-on perfect each time, while a scoop over short third-man off a 149kph Afridi yorker is destined to be one of the shots of the series, and when he brought up his 11th ODI hundred, Zimbabwe looked like they were ahead of the chase.That’s when Riaz returned to show why he still remains a firm part of Pakistan’s plans, his sheer pace accounting for Madhevere before the Afridi show took over. Once Sikandar Raza was felled by Riaz, Afridi took charge against the tail, removing Carl Mumba to complete a five-for he richly deserved. By this time, the game was done, and Pakistan would walk away with a win, and a bit of a scare.Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and batted, but the rustiness of not having played an ODI for 13 months was evident. They stuttered their way to 281 for 8, getting there in the end thanks to some untidiness on the part of the visitors at the death after an exceptionally disciplined bowling performance for the best part.Imam-ul-Haq and Haris Sohail finish up at the same end•AFP via Getty Images

Half-centuries from Imam-ul-Haq and Haris Sohail kept Pakistan chugging along without ever really moving through the gears. Zimbabwe picked up wickets quietly from time to time, and, all of a sudden, Pakistan found themselves six down for 205, and facing a battle to post a total their bowlers would feel comfortable defending.They had opted for the more circumspect Abid Ali in place of Fakhar Zaman at the top, and as such, while they made a solid start, there was no evidence of the powerplay aggression that has become the norm for successful ODI sides. It helped Zimbabwe that Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani – back after two years away from the national side – were very disciplined, giving little by way of extras or loose deliveries to either batsman. And when Ali tried to play across the line to Mumba, he was trapped in front.What would – or should – disappoint Pakistan is their overall approach. For all the talk of this series being the beginning of the next four-year ODI cycle, there are few signs that with it has come a change in their philosophical approach to the format, and the lack of intent in the first ten overs was followed by similar wariness through the middle overs. Only Babar Azam tried to up the ante, but crucially for Zimbabwe, he wasn’t at the crease for long, a poke at an outswinger from Muzarabani bringing about his downfall.Thereon, Zimbabwe were on top as Pakistan went into a shell that they really should have stayed away from for much of the innings. Imam and Sohail began a rebuild that ended in a mix of farce and comedy when they found themselves at the same end, both diving to get ahead of the other and survive at the keeper’s end while Raza whipped off the bails at the other. Imam was the unlucky one, allowing Sohail to anchor the innings as Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan came and went.Despite all that, Pakistan ended with a decent total, with the late sloppiness from the Zimbabwe death bowlers proving decisive. At 203 for 6, getting bowled out was a keen possibility, but Imad Wasim and Faheem Ashraf ensured a sharp uptick in runs that seemed to ward off any Zimbabwean ideas of aggression, sending them into run-preservation mode instead. That allowed Pakistan to get to their final tally, setting up a win that might provide them more relief than delight.

India A take two-match series 1-0 after winning the first game by seven wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2019Priyank Panchal scored a century and Karun Nair hit his second half-century of the match on the final day of the second unofficial Test between India A and South Africa A in Mysuru, before the two teams agreed to call off the game after just 64 overs of action on Friday. The result meant India A won the two-match series 1-0.Opener Panchal’s 109 and Nair’s 51 not out from No. 4 took the home side to 202 for 3 in their second innings, with the declaration coming once Nair had reached his milestone. But with not much time left on the day, South Africa opted not to chase their 220-run target.Panchal – who had batted at No. 3 with Shubman Gill opening in the first innings – was on 9 with his opening partner Abhimanyu Easwaran on 5 overnight. The two built on the Indians’ 17-run first-innings lead with a 94-run stand before Abhimanyu fell, bowled by offspinner Dane Piedt, for 37 off 93 balls with three hits to the boundary.That was in the 34th over, and Piedt struck again in his next over when he had Gill, batting at No. 3 this time after top-scoring with 92 in the first dig, caught by Senuran Muthusamy for a duck.Panchal chugged along though, and proceeded to add 92 more with Nair, bringing up his 22nd first-class century in the process. His innings included nine fours and four sixes. It continued Panchal’s rich vein of form, which had hit a temporary snag in the Duleep Trophy with a top score of 33 across four innings.Muthuswamy, the left-arm spinner, did succeed in sending back Panchal, caught and bowled, but Nair, who had settled down by then, continued his own strong form in recent times with a half-century. His scores in first-class cricket this season read: 99, 166*, 90, 20, 78 and 51*. When the teams shook hands, Nair had captain Wriddhiman Saha, unbeaten on 1 off 33 balls, for company.Earlier, after Aiden Markram asked the Indians to bat, they rode on the half-centuries from Gill and Nair as well as Saha’s 60, Shivam Dube’s 68 and Jalaj Saxena’s unbeaten 48 to put up 417.Kuldeep Yadav and Shahbaz Nadeem combined to then reduce South Africa to 142 for 5, before hundreds by Markram and Wiaan Mulder rescued the visiting side. Markram (161) and Mulder (131*) added 155 runs for the sixth wicket, and though Markram was eventually bowled by Mohammed Siraj, Mulder carried South Africa close to India’s total.Kuldeep and Nadeem picked up seven wickets between them, and Markram was named the player of the match.This match marked the end of South Africa A’s tour of India, which started with a five-match one-day series – India took that 4-1 – and concluded with the two four-dayers, the first of which the Indians won by seven wickets.The senior sides from the two countries are currently engaged in a T20I series and will then play three Test matches.

Eleven venues ‘paired’ with men’s grounds, ‘bespoke player selection’ model for women – ECB

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2019The ECB have revealed 11 venues which will host women’s matches for The Hundred, along with the selection process that will determine the make-up of each team.Player registration for the new competition starting next July is open this month but, while the men’s edition will have a player draft on October 20, the women’s version will have a two-stage “bespoke player selection process”, according to the ECB.During stage one, which runs until the end of September, each team is obliged to sign two players from the current England Women’s central contract list. During stage two, from October 1 until May 30 next year, each team will sign their remaining 13 players from three different player pools; remaining England Women’s centrally contracted players, overseas players and domestic players.Teams can sign a maximum of one further England women’s centrally contracted player during stage two and can sign a maximum of three overseas players.The head coach of each team will lead their respective player selection process.Former England captain Charlotte Edwards, recently appointed head coach of the Southampton-based women’s team, said: “It’s really exciting that we’ll have an open market system and that all of the teams will be recruiting their own players for the first time. It shows how the women’s game has evolved and developed.”The depth of the women’s game isn’t yet at a stage where a draft would be the best way forward, and it’s important that we don’t just match the template of the men’s game. There are areas in which the needs of the women’s game are different and it’s right that we find the right approach for them.”The women’s venues have been “paired” with the host grounds for men’s matches, with Old Trafford’s partner ground yet to be announced.Women’s competition head for The Hundred Beth Barrett-Wild said: “The venues for the men’s and women’s competitions respectively are working together incredibly closely and that connection will help The Hundred inspire more people to attend, watch and play cricket.”It’s particularly exciting that the Women’s Competition will be seen by fans across all 18 First-Class counties, this represents a huge opportunity to grow women’s cricket – while the double-headers at the men’s venues provide another chance to present the men’s and women’s teams on the same platform.”Men’s venues – paired women’s venues:Sophia Gardens – The Bristol County Ground, The Cooper Associates County Ground, TauntonEdgbaston – Blackfinch New Road, WorcesterHeadingley – York CC, South Northumberland CCLord’s – The Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, The County Ground, NorthamptonThe Oval – The County Ground, BeckenhamOld Trafford – TBCTrent Bridge – The Pattonair County Cricket Ground, Derby, The Fischer County Ground, LeicesterAgeas Bowl – The 1st Central County Ground, Hove

England’s first appearance in the men’s cricket World Cup final since 1992 will be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2019The first appearance by the England men’s cricket team in a World Cup final since 1992 will be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK. Sky and Channel 4 announced an agreement to share live coverage following England’s victory over Australia at Edgbaston.The subject of the World Cup’s visibility has been much discussed, with the tournament being broadcast behind a paywall in its host country. However, Sky had previously indicated it would be willing to share the feed if England beat Australia in their semi-final at Edgbaston.Sunday’s final at Lord’s will also be broadcast free-to-air on Prime TV in New Zealand. Kane Williamson’s side shocked India in the first semi-final, which was concluded on Wednesday after rain forced the game into a reserve day.Channel 4 has been showing highlights of the competition in the UK, and will now broadcast the final – while managing to also fit in coverage of the Formula One British Grand Prix. Cricket coverage will begin at 9am BST on Channel 4, move to More 4 at 1.15pm while the Grand Prix is on, and then return after the race is over.England’s last appearance in the cricket World Cup final came in 1992, when they lost to Pakistan. They have never won the tournament but were one of the favourites this time around having risen to the No. 1 ODI ranking under Eoin Morgan’s captaincy.”This is fantastic news for cricket fans and the nation,” Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon said. “This Sunday is a massive day for British sport with England tantalisingly close to lifting the Cricket World Cup for the first time and Lewis Hamilton setting his sights on his seventh season win at Silverstone – all live on Channel 4.”The big winners of this strong partnership between Channel 4 and Sky are sports fans and viewers who want to come together for these big sporting occasions.”Cricket has largely been absent from free-to-air TV in the UK since 2005, with some blaming the ECB’s decision to sell the rights to Sky for recent declines in participation.”England in the Final on home soil is a huge moment for sport in this country and we are proud to be the host broadcaster,” Sky UK and Ireland Chief Executive Stephen van Rooyen said. “Thanks to our strong relationship with Channel 4, we are partnering to make the game available to everyone, so the whole country can get behind England, and be part of a special national sporting event.”As well as showing the game on its sports channels, Sky will broadcast the World Cup final on Sky One.

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.

Chris Gayle made his first appearance in this season’s BPL and made it felt straightaway

The Report by Mohammad Isam27-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Gayle struck two consecutive sixes twice•BCB

Chris Gayle, on his first day at this year’s BPL, provided the only entertainment of the day as Chittagong Vikings waltzed past Rangpur Riders’ 124 with nine wickets in hand, their fourth win in a row. The two teams are now on ten points each, though Chittagong are ahead on net run rate.Gayle played cautiously for 17 deliveries for 11 runs before opening his shoulders for two consecutive sixes off Sohag Gazi in the seventh over. He struck Shahid Afridi for two consecutive sixes in the ninth over but fell trying a third, caught by Anwar Ali at mid-on.Mirpur’s well-populated eastern gallery started to empty as soon as Gayle walked back to the pavilion after making 40 off 26 balls with two fours and the four sixes.Tamim Iqbal was not a quiet bystander at the other end, striking nine fours and a six in his third fifty in this season’s BPL. He was unbeaten 62 off 48 balls after he struck two consecutive fours to finish the match with four overs to spare.But it was the Chittagong bowlers’ continued disciplinary vein that rattled Rangpur’s powerful batting line-up. Mohammad Nabi and Taskin Ahmed finished with two wickets while Saqlain Sajib and Subashis Roy conceded 17 runs from their four overs each.Soumya Sarkar was once again cut short after getting a start, falling for a 21-ball 26 with two fours and a six. What mostly hurt Rangpur’s effort was the relative failure of Mohammad Shahzad and Mohammad Mithun, who contributed 21 and 12 respectively.Liam Dawson, who was brilliantly caught by Zakir Hasan running in from deep midwicket, and Afridi also fell cheaply while captain Naeem Islam retired hurt with a leg injury. Anwar struck a four and a six towards the end to lend some more meat to Rangpur’s modest total but it was not enough.

Aaron Finch’s disastrous Twenty20 campaign for Yorkshire has been confirmed as over after scans revealed that he has broken his foot. Finch will return to Australia on Tuesday to see a specialist in Melbourne

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2015Aaron Finch ‘s disastrous Twenty20 campaign for Yorkshire has been confirmed as over after scans revealed that he has broken his foot.Finch has fractured his fifth metatarsal in his right foot. He will return to Australia on Tuesday to see a specialist in Melbourne.The Australia Twenty20 captain picked up the injury during Yorkshire’s NatWest T20 Blast victory over Durham Jets last Friday at Headingley.The injury continues a run of misfortune. He tore his hamstring playing in the Indian Premier League, which kept him sidelined for two months at the start of the summer and last month he bruised his lung when he was struck by a bouncer while playing for Yorkshire’s Second XI in an attempt to find his way out of a mediocre run of form”That’s the end of the season for Aaron, as far as Yorkshire is concerned,” said director of cricket Martyn Moxon. “It is a great disappointment for Aaron and the club and we wish him a speedy recovery.”Yorkshire will seek to extend Glenn Maxwell’s stay to cover for Finch. The Australian batsman plays his last match for the club this evening before a two week tour of India with Australia A.”The plan is for Glenn to return after the India A tour at the back end of July to play in the Royal London One-Day Cup competition and a couple of Championship matches,” Moxon said. “We are finalising arrangements with Cricket Australia, but expect that to be sorted out soon.”New Zealand’s Kane Williamson will join the Club for the final four games of the Championship campaign at the end of August.Finch made only 76 in six innings for Yorkshire and sat out their defeat on Sunday against the bottom club, Derbyshire, which saw their hopes of a stealing quarter-final place hanging by a thread. Any failure to beat Worcestershire at Headingley on Tuesday would see Yorkshire eliminated at the group stage.

For a moment after lunch, with the sun shining and wickets tumbling, there was great intrigue

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford25-May-2013
ScorecardJames Foster used his experience to help guide Ben Foakes•Getty Images

For a moment after lunch, with the sun shining and wickets tumbling, there was great intrigue. But a day which started with deserved applause for a well compiled century from Kent’s Darren Stevens ended in handshakes and cheers for Ben Foakes and James Foster, who saved Essex’s blushes after a top order collapse pried open up the prospect of everything other than a draw.Unbeaten overnight in the nineties is one thing to contend with, but Stevens had to endure two before getting the chance to convert his first fifty of the season. When the formalities of Stevens’ fifth hundred against Essex – a fourth in five years at Chelmsford – and Kent’s innings were completed, the game was in a peculiar place, with 73 overs left in the day and the home side 84 runs behind. When they went into lunch unscathed with 18 on the board and both Mickleburgh and Westley looking comfortable, the feeling was that it would take something truly special – or embarrassing on Essex’s part – to elicit anything other than a draw. What happened in the afternoon session could be chalked up to both.Kent’s new ball duo of Mark Davies and Charlie Shreck hit their marks superbly as they both persisted on a good length and let their natural traits do the rest. Davies’ skid and seam movement drew some false strokes while Shreck’s spell of good pace and steepling bounce would have asked serious questions of some of the best players of the game. If anything, that was the only thing he did wrong – his was too good for the Essex batsmen and, one time, Geraint Jones, who was seemingly powerless to prevent four byes from a delivery that exploded off the pitch and burst through his gloves.While he bowled the unplayable deliveries, Davies dealt in the wicket-taking ones as he saw off Westley, Ravi Bopara (who bagged a pair in the match), Mark Pettini and Ryan ten Doeschate in 11 balls. When Shreck finally some reward with the wicket of Mickleburgh, Essex were reeling on 25 for 5.But Foster, together with Foakes, saw the side through to tea with 57 more runs and no further wickets. A lead was established in the first over of the evening session and from then on master and apprentice went about their business in what looked to be relative ease.There is much buzz about Foakes around these parts – evident in the coos that greeted every drive, push through midwicket and controlled pull. He sets himself early and plays the ball late and there was a hint of a swagger emerging as he skipped through the sixties and seventies. He admitted to having a few technical issues early on in the season which he believes, with the help of Matt Walker, are now a thing of the past.”It’s stupid to say when you’re five down for not very many, but you really do have to forget about the scoreboard completely,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “It also helps being at home, definitely – every run is clapped and you get a lot of support which gives you that extra little push you sometimes need.”The mood around the ground was certainly sprightly. A members’ forum after the second day’s play attended by Paul Grayson – who, to his credit, never misses them – went off without dissent and, with Owais Shah set to return in the next couple of weeks to reinforce the top order, Essex could maintain their position at the business end of the table. And when a 20-year old shows as much maturity as Foakes did today, you would be hard pressed to find something to complain about.Credit, too, for Foster – “the best guy you could ask for in those situations,” gleamed Foakes – whose quest for runs early in his innings helped release some of the pressure that the Kent had created. That afforded Foakes time and space, reeling himself in for 48 balls before scoring his first boundary. By the time he hit had his fifth – a lovely flowing off drive off Matt Coles to bring up his second fifty for Essex in the county championship – Foster had taken a back seat, quietly bringing up his fifty by the time Foakes had got to 77. Three overs later, he came together with James Tredwell and called the game to a close.In the end a draw seemed a fair result with both sides, ultimately, appreciative of the points (Essex’s seven to Kent’s eight) in their respective positions at either end of the table, after a third of the season gone.

Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, has praised fast bowler Aizaz Cheema’s performance in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Sep-2011Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s chief selector, has praised fast bowler Aizaz Cheema’s performance in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe and said it justified the selection committee’s decision to use the tour as an opportunity to blood uncapped but promising players. Cheema finished with match figures of 8 for 103, the second best by a Pakistan debutant.”This tour was the best opportunity for youngsters and they justified our decision, especially Cheema,” Mohsin told the . “I watched each of his deliveries and he impressed me with his fitness and commitment.”I won’t rate the win as a huge achievement. The win wasn’t against a top-class team but we have achieved our target of finding a fast bowler who can support the other pacers.”Pakistan rested their first-choice fast bowlers Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz for the Zimbabwe tour and opted for a new-look pace attack that included Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Cheema and Junaid Khan. Cheema, Khan and Junaid played the Test and picked up ten Zimbabwe wickets among them.”According to our plan, we are giving chances to new players and Cheema with his performance has proved he will be a useful prospect for Pakistan in future,” Mohsin told the . “He bowled with a great heart on a dead pitch. Sohail still has time to prove himself.”The selectors were criticised for the experimental nature of the squad but Mohsin said he was “not afraid of taking these chances for the betterment of Pakistan cricket” and that he had the “full support from the PCB.””I am here to prepare a strong team with a strong back-up for which you have to take calculative risky steps,” he said.Four Pakistan batsmen got past fifty in the Test, though only Mohammad Hafeez went on to get a hundred. Mohsin said Pakistan needed to guard against complacency in the upcoming limited-overs series. “Zimbabwe will be tough in that format and the team should not take the hosts lightly.”Pakistan and Zimbabwe next play three one-day games and two Twenty20s. The first ODI will be played in Bulawayo on September 8.