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The former BCCI women’s cricket head details the areas that need urgent attention

Shamya Dasgupta29-Jun-2021Women’s cricket in India has been making headlines since India made the finals of the 2017 50-over World Cup and the 2020 T20 World Cup. By the end of 2021, India would have played two Tests after a gap of almost seven years: One just ended, in England, and there’s another lined up, a pink-ball Test – the second for women – in Australia in September. The BCCI has also been tapping talent with the T20 Challenge that is played alongside the IPL playoffs’ week every year.All of that would make it appear that women’s cricket in India is heading in the right direction. However, Saba Karim, who was until December the BCCI’s general manager for cricket operations, feels that the board needs to make the administration of the women’s game more professional and have a plan that is separate from that for men’s cricket. Only then, he says, can women’s cricket grow faster.Related

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“It is a good start, but there needs to be a solid plan, a plan different to that for the boys and men, for things to move forward and for us to build on it,” Karim said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. “I feel the way to go forward is to make it much more professional, and growth of women’s cricket has to be different from boys’ cricket, and the planning has to be different. One has to have a different plan, a constructive plan, with lots of outreach programmes.”While Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami Smriti Mandhana and a couple of others are household names in India, Karim said the pathway for young women to move from the lowest rungs to the top are yet to be properly put in place. “In India, we don’t have many girls who come and play, even now. One has to ensure that their passage from entering the system to the time they exit is without obstacles,” he said. “For instance, for a boy to walk two kilometres to play cricket, or to go to school, is easy. But it’s not for a girl. So how do we remove that? How do we make it more accessible?”Also, the BCCI has Under-19 and Under-23 cricket, but 40-50% of the girls end up playing [both] Under-19 and Under-23 for certain teams, because there aren’t too many girls playing. We had to have separate calendars so there was no clash. That isn’t the case with the boys, because there are so many players and there is so much talent. So the plan for women has to be different.”When India played the Bristol Test earlier this month, it wasn’t just the team’s first Test match in seven years. It was also the first long-format game the players had been involved in in years, with the BCCI discontinuing its women’s domestic first-class competition after the 2017-18 season.During Karim’s three-year term in the BCCI, domestic and women’s cricket were among his primary responsibilities, his mandate being to draw up roadmaps and structures for holistic development. There was the occasional chat at the BCCI – run by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) for the best part of his time there – about women’s cricket, Karim said, but nothing that suggested a revival of the first-class and Test formats so soon.”Only England and Australia had Test matches, and no country was very keen to play, there were lots of constraints: lots of women cricketers are not professionals, getting out for so many days was a problem; not just in India, but elsewhere too,” Karim said. “I think that’s why the BCCI took the decision not to have Test matches, and therefore no first-class tournament.”There were discussions, there were talks, between some of the other nations too. More so after England and Australia introduced the points-system-based multi-format Ashes. This gained momentum in India too; the BCCI wanted to be in that position. I am glad it has happened. But to sustain it, we need multi-day cricket for women in the domestic circuit also. It might start from the Under-23 level, and take it up to the seniors.””The women’s IPL will have the same quality as the men’s IPL if there is a strong foundation”•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It is, however, easier said than done, and Karim accepted that. “The only way forward is to have a full-fledged three-day competition. But the issue is not conducting the matches; the BCCI hosts an incredible number of matches anyway. The issue is the calendar – it’s packed, and we have limited time to conduct so many tournaments,” he says. “You can’t start before September, even mid-September, to accommodate the increase in the number of matches. It was possible because so many new venues came up, but it was a logistical nightmare for sure.”For a women’s multi-day event, we need to look at some more venues. Plus, don’t forget, this means an increase in the number of match officials, scorers, groundspersons, video analysts, the entire contingent. It’s not only about grounds. All that needs to be considered.”Karim, often in consultation with National Cricket Academy director Rahul Dravid, had chalked out a comprehensive plan to try and take Indian women’s cricket to the next level, and much of it involved a greater focus at the lower levels, and a lot of collaboration with the state associations.”Outreach programmes with Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns, schools, those were in the pipelines. The Women’s IPL [in discussions for a while now but yet to become a reality] is at the highest level, and that we can have. But for it to be successful, we need a stronger domestic circuit, a better structure,” Karim says. “The women’s IPL will have the same quality as the men’s IPL if there is a strong foundation. The way men’s cricket is played in India, we don’t need to do too much, because there is so much talent, so many players in the system. That has to happen for the women.”The onus, Karim said, was not just on the BCCI, but primarily with the states. “Initially, the responsibility of the state associations and the BCCI is to come up with a proper plan. A proper roadmap needs to be in place. That will come from the BCCI. But the BCCI can’t do everything. The states need to play their part to make it happen.”

All the stories and reaction following the death of one of the game’s greatest

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2022March 30
As it happened – Shane Warne’s state memorial service
News – Shane Warne Stand unveiled as MCG crowd bids their hero an emotional farewell
March 29
Interviews – Tendulkar, Lara, Dravid, Jayawardene, Younis, Kirsten and Bell on the magic of facing Shane Warne
Video – Tendulkar: Warne could spin the ball from day one on Australian surfaces
Video – Lara: ‘Warne never gave up, he always produced that miracle delivery’
Video – Dravid on Warne: ‘What amazed me was the amount of time he spent discussing cricket’
Video – Shastri: ‘Warne’s knowledge of cricket was unreal’March 21
Video – Ponting: ‘Warnie would’ve said don’t sit back and do what you love’March 20
News – Shane Warne’s funeral takes place in MelbourneMarch 12
Shannon Gill – Warne’s magic was made for televisionMarch 10
Osman Samiuddin – What Shane Warne’s greatest deliveries tell usMarch 9
Photo feature – Goodbye, Hollywood: pictures of Warne’s life off the fieldMarch 7
Mark Nicholas – Warne gave us so much and he had so much more to give
News – ‘Dad, this doesn’t feel real’ – Shane Warne’s family speak of their pain and loss
March 6
Brydon Coverdale – In praise of Shane Warne, cricketing genius
News – Warne had chest pains before leaving Australia – Thai police
Ian Chappell – ‘People put down their beer every time Warne came on to bowl’
Reactions – Matthew Hayden – ‘Shane Warne mesmerised the best of the best’
Reactions – Brett Lee: ‘Every young kid that watched Test cricket wanted to be Warne’March 5
News – Great Southern Stand at MCG to be named after Shane Warne
Andrew Miller – Shane Warne: the showman who could do hard graft
Alex Malcolm – Everyone wanted to be ‘The King’
Mark Nicholas – ‘Warne never gave us someone he was not
Ian Chappell – Warnie was a generous, honest champion
Feature – Shane Warne’s greatest hits: bossing World Cups, to blindsiding England
Reaction – Border: Warne is the Bradman of legspin
Reaction – Kumble: ‘Next generation will miss experience he had to offer’
Reaction – Jadeja: ‘Thankful to Warne for providing me the IPL platform in 2008’
March 4
News – Shane Warne dies aged 52
As it happened – Tributes and reaction
Reactions – Warne’s death leaves cricket fraternity ‘shocked and gutted’
Timeline – The highs and lows of Shane Warne’s cricketing career
Stats from the archive – A magician and a match-winner
In photos – Remembering Shane Warne
Reaction – Cummins: ‘Rest in peace, King’
Reaction – Root: Warne ‘loved the game of cricket and was a joy to be around’

Northamptonshire seamers keep it tight at start of Warwickshire reply

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2022Oliver Hannon-Dalby celebrated 250 career first-class wickets as he ran through Northamptonshire’s lower order on day two of this LV= Insurance County Championship game at Northampton.In a miserly four-over spell, Hannon-Dalby claimed four victims for just five runs as Northamptonshire added 31 runs to their overnight total to close on 451 all out. The 33-year-old-seamer is now the second leading wicket-taker in Division One with 29 scalps, just behind Keith Barker’s 32.But despite his efforts Warwickshire still face a tough task in this game after some highly disciplined Northamptonshire bowling restricted scoring to just 1.8 an over with only two boundaries coming in the first 25 overs of the visitors’ reply.Alex Davies looked to regain the initiative with some lusty blows but Jack White soon ended the resistance when he trapped him leg before for 31. Dom Sibley was still there at the close unbeaten on 30 as Warwickshire ended the day on 71 for 1, still a mammoth 380 behind.Play did not start until 3.10pm after heavy rain but Hannon-Dalby struck immediately with the second ball of the day. Tom Taylor became his 250th victim when he was caught behind playing an expansive shot.In his next over Hannon-Dalby picked up Lewis McManus in similar fashion, to give Warwickshire keeper Michael Burgess his 100th career dismissal.Ben Sanderson was greeted with some short stuff from Nathan McAndrew but responded by hooking him twice to the boundary and then punching him through the covers for four more before he edged Hannon-Dalby to Sibley at first slip.Simon Kerrigan, who was struck on the helmet trying to take evasive action to a short ball from McAndrew, hit the same bowler through midwicket and cover to take Northamptonshire past 450. But Hannon-Dalby ended proceedings soon afterwards by knocking White’s stumps out of the ground.Northamptonshire’s seamers Sanderson, White, Taylor and Luke Procter found plenty of movement on offer to beat the bat and keep openers Davies and Sibley contained. There were few signs of aggression and any attempts to find the boundary were hampered by some ill-timed shots. Just two balls crossed the ropes in the first 25 overs with Northamptonshire turning the screw further with four consecutive maidens.Davies had a reprieve when he offered a sharp return catch but Taylor could not quite hold on in his follow-through. Davies started to find his groove against Procter, dispatching him for three boundaries in two overs including an imperious drive down the ground, before White trapped him lbw for 31 with Warwickshire on 53 for 1 in the 28th over.Chris Benjamin nicked his first ball from White but the ball bounced just in front of first slip. He remained 8 not out with Sibley as the day ended in bright sunshine.

Only 36 overs possible on opening day as other games enjoy best of summer conditions

ECB Reporters Network11-Jun-2023Only 36 overs were possible on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship game between Gloucestershire and Leicestershire at Bristol.While there was plenty of action at other venues around the country, heavily overcast skies greeted the players when they arrived at the Seat Unique Stadium and there was always the threat of a downpour until a curtailed final session.Rain caused two long stoppages after Gloucestershire had won the toss and elected to bat. By the close of a frustrating day, they had posted 108 for 3, Ollie Price unbeaten on 26.Openers Chris Dent and Ben Charlesworth failed to cash in on positive starts as Chris Wright, Tom Scriven and Callum Parkinson picked up wickets late on.What little play was possible before lunch saw 11.2 overs bowled and the home side progress with few alarms to 38 without loss.
Dent took a heavy toll on Leicestershire’s teenaged left-arm seamer Josh Hull, who was withdrawn from the attack having bowled the opening two overs from the Pavilion End at a cost of 22 runs. Five times Dent rocked onto the back foot to dispatch short-of-a-length deliveries from Hull through the off side for boundaries.Wright bowled a much tighter line and length from the Ashley Down Road End, but lacked penetration on a typically docile Bristol pitch.Scriven was introduced for the fifth over of the game. He also made the batters work for their runs, but Charlesworth, who has been in good form in the Championship and Vitality Blast, confidently helped Dent launch the Gloucestershire innings.At 36 for no wicket, Leicestershire introduced spin in the shape of left-armer Parkinson, but he had sent down only two deliveries for two runs when rain forced the first stoppage at 12.45pm.Lunch was taken at the normal time and after two inspections umpires Paul Baldwin and Graham Lloyd decided play could restart at 2.45pm.
With his score on 25, Dent edged Wright just short of Colin Ackermann at second slip. It was the nearest Leicestershire had come to a wicket and seven had been added to the total when the rain returned with Gloucestershire 45 without loss off 14.4 overs.Tea was taken at 3.10pm. Light rain persisted and by the time the covers were removed for a further inspection, the umpires ordered a 5.15pm resumption with 21.2 overs to be bowled.They were delivered in the brightest conditions of the day. Charlesworth brought up the fifty with a four through the leg side off Hull before Wright made a much-needed breakthrough. A ball that nipped back off the seam trapped Dent, on 29, in front of his stumps without getting forward and earned a merited lbw verdict with the total on 55.Parkinson turned one past the outside edge of Ollie Price’s bat before Leicestershire struck again, Charlesworth carelessly offering a catch to Hull at square leg, playing a ball from Scriven off his hip, and departing for 21.Leicestershire could reflect that, Hull’s early profligacy with the new ball apart, they had given little away. It was 83 for 3 when left-hander Miles Hammond fell for a duck, driving loosely at a wide ball from Parkinson that turned and hit his off stump.With the light closing in, Leicestershire opted for spin at both ends, Rehan Ahmed sending down some leg-breaks from the Ashley Down Road End, in tandem with Parkinson.

Moeen four-for seals series as Southee thumb fracture leaves NZ with World Cup worry

Andrew Miller15-Sep-2023England 311 for 9 (Malan 127, Ravindra 4-60) beat New Zealand 211 (Ravindra 61, Nicholls 41, Moeen 4-50) by 100 runsDawid Malan completed the century that eluded him on Wednesday, and in the process surely confirmed that he will be the first name on England’s team-sheet for their World Cup opener in Ahmedabad in three weeks’ time, after underpinning his team’s emphatic 100-run victory with a display of unrelenting serenity at Lord’s.Moeen Ali duly sealed the match, and the series, with figures of 4 for 50, including two in two balls under the floodlights. But Malan’s innings – 127 from 114 balls all told – remained the stand-out performance on a night when only Rachin Ravindra, with some entertaining late blows to go alongside his own four-wicket haul, passed fifty.By the contest’s end, however, all thoughts were already turning to more pressing matters looming in India next month, and on a day when Jason Roy’s hopes of a World Cup berth were left in limbo as he missed out on selection once again, New Zealand were left with worries of their own after a string of injuries in the field, most devastatingly a blow to the right thumb for Tim Southee, which was later confirmed to be a potentially tournament-ending fracture.For Malan, however, this was just another opportunity to live in the present – and in a peculiar era for English ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup, few players have done so with more gusto than he. His fifth 50-over century in 21 innings also took him past 1000 runs in the format, equalling the England record set by Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott, while his haul of 14 fours and three sixes by far outshone the rest of his team-mates. It showcased a player flushed with form, focus and utter confidence.With 54 and 96 to his name in this series already, Malan displayed his compact power from the get-go, smoking a brace of fours through the covers and point in Southee’s opening over, to reaffirm the sense that the “shirt is his”, as Stuart Broad once put it when his Test place was under threat. Roy, who was not considered match-fit after a series of back spasms, may yet be given a chance to prove himself against Ireland next week, but already it feels he’s fighting for a back-up role.After England won the toss and chose to bat, Roy’s habitual partner, Jonny Bairstow, fell in Matt Henry’s third over, flinching outside off for Daryl Mitchell to scoop up the chance low at slip. Bairstow initially stood his ground, doubting whether the ball had carried, but though the third umpire confirmed he had to go, the chance had not been entirely cleanly taken – Mitchell quickly followed him off the pitch nursing a dislocated finger, though he did return to bowl a useful spell with the ball.Jos Buttler ran out Devon Conway with a direct hit•PA Photos/Getty Images

Out came Joe Root – a lock in England’s World Cup plans, no doubt, but even a player of his indisputable class needs the reassurance of form ahead of such a marquee tournament. Instead, he arrived at the crease with scores of 6, 0 and 4 to his name, and proceeded to grind out his scratchiest display of the lot.Root has form for this lack of form on this ground. In the World Cup final four years ago, he was hounded by Colin de Grandhomme’s lack of pace and limited to 7 from 30 balls. Here, he was dropped twice in the gully before he had reached double figures, and incredibly on both occasions it was the offending fielder who left the field instead – first Finn Allen, nursing a cut finger, and then, more ominously, Southee, who looked in some pain after a hard blow to his thumb. NZC subsequently confirmed a dislocation and fracture, adding that he would undergo further assessment on Saturday. Ben Lister, himself a replacement in the party for Adam Milne, later hobbled off the field with a hamstring strain, and likewise did not return – although, unlike Southee, he did come out to bat in the contest’s final throes.As in the World Cup final, Root found his options limited by the presence of a deep third to deny him value for his deflections down through the cordon, let alone his trademark scoop shot, and it wasn’t until his 24th ball that he finally got his first boundary away, a cathartic pull through wide long-on off Ravindra. The drinks break seemed to have settled him down as he took Ravindra for two more boundaries through midwicket in his next over, the latter a flat six, only for the shot to let him down soon afterwards, as he mowed across the line to be bowled for an unconvincing 29 from 40.Root wasn’t alone in finding the going tough, however. Harry Brook, recalled at his preferred No. 4 berth with Ben Stokes understandably resting up after his record 182 on Wednesday, made a scratchy 10 from 15 – and 37 from 68 for the series, which is hardly the form he required to demand a rethink in England’s World Cup plans. His innings ended in grim fashion too, as he yanked a half-tracker from Ravindra straight to mid-on.Even Jos Buttler, with 36 from 31 including a trademark wristy thump for six over long-off, was arguably a notch below his fluent best, as he attempted to launch Mitchell’s medium-pace in a similar direction only to pick out the substitute Trent Boult at mid-off.Malan, by contrast, was unperturbed by the struggles around him. Having ignited England’s powerplay with three fours in a row off Southee, the best of them another crunching drive through the covers, he cruised through to his fifty from an even 50 balls, then reset his focus to complete the landmark that had eluded him twice before in the series.He accelerated into the 80s with a vicious burst of speed – three fours in a row, including the reverse-sweep that he reserves for his most composed knocks, then a massive flat six over midwicket off Kyle Jamieson to reach his 1000th ODI run. He had a moment of alarm with his century looming, edging Henry inches past the keeper to move to 99, but after permitting himself three dots to recompose himself, he tucked a brace off his pads, before peeling off his helmet to salute an appreciative Lord’s.Tom Latham was bowled swinging across the line•Getty Images

And, having matched one Viv Richards record, for a time it looked odds-on that Malan would surpass another – Richards’ 138 in the 1979 World Cup final, still the highest ODI score on this ground – and maybe even, with ten overs remaining, Stokes’ newly minted England record. Instead, on 127, he chased a wide one from Ravindra and slumped to the crease in self-admonishment after feathering a nick to Tom Latham.Not for the first time this series, however, Malan’s efforts were made to look even better once he’d left the field. Much as they had done in adversity at The Oval too, New Zealand turned the screw on England’s lower-order in the death overs. Moeen chased an even wider one from Ravindra to hole out for 3, while Liam Livingstone was repeatedly guilty of losing his shape on the big wind-up, as he drifted along to 28 from 38 with a solitary six, before being nailed lbw by Jamieson.Sam Curran connected lustily on three off-side boundaries in his 20 from 13, before Henry scrambled the seam to nip one down the slope, but not for the first time, David Willey applied some late humpty with 19 from 11, before Brydon Carse launched the final ball of the innings for a massive six over long-off, as England pushed their target well past 300.If New Zealand were to pose any threat, then Devon Conway – the star of their startlingly comprehensive win in the first ODI – was the obvious man on whom to anchor their chase. However, on 7 from 12, he called himself through for a sharp single off Will Young’s pad, but Buttler scooted round quickly behind the stumps, discarding his glove in the process to ping down the stumps with the batter a foot short.Young himself couldn’t hang around to pick up his partner’s mantle, nicking an excellent delivery in the channel from David Willey through to Buttler for 24, while Daryl Mitchell – still batting at No. 4 despite his finger injury – managed just 4 from 14 balls before the impressive Carse bowled him through the gate with the third delivery of his spell.And from that point onwards, there was little threat of a fightback, particularly once England’s spinners, Moeen and Livingstone had settled into a constrictive tandem spell.Moeen could have struck first-ball had he reviewed an lbw against Latham, but then got him two balls later anyway as Latham swung across the line to be bowled off his pads for 13, and though Henry Nicholls shored up New Zealand’s challenge with a doughty 41 from 48, he became Moeen’s second victim after Buttler this time decided to gamble on the review, and got three reds.When Glenn Phillips took on a rare full-toss from Livingstone, and launched it down Brook’s throat at deep midwicket, New Zealand knew it was not going to be their night. Ravindra resisted with a flurry of boundaries, including three in a row to ruffle Carse’s figures, but Curran yorked him for 61 to cement the 3-1 win.

Sussex captain will be without Jofra Archer due to England’s T20Is against Australia

Matt Roller05-Sep-2024Tymal Mills’ delight at leading Sussex to Finals Day in his first season as their T20 captain was tempered by his frustration that Jofra Archer will be unavailable, due to a scheduling clash that he described as “pretty stupid” and “a real shame”.Blast Finals Day – which sees the two semi-finals and the final played back-to-back-to-back at Edgbaston – will be staged on September 14, with England playing the second and third T20Is of their series against Australia on September 13 and 15. The ECB is working through scenarios but players will only be released if they are not required for the final two T20Is.”As far as I’m aware, no England players will be available – which is pretty stupid, to be honest,” Mills said after captaining Sussex to an eight-wicket win over Lancashire in Wednesday night’s quarter-final at Hove, in which Archer took 2 for 20. “Obviously no England players will be there from any side, but it is a real shame for us to lose a player like Jof. Whoever comes in for him will have big boots to fill.”Surrey, who beat Durham at The Oval on Tuesday, will be worst affected, with Jamie Overton called up by England as injury cover on Thursday and joining Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Reece Topley in the T20I squad. They are waiting for confirmation of the availability of their four Test players: Gus Atkinson, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope and Jamie Smith.Dan Mousley and Jacob Bethell, the uncapped allrounders, are also in England’s T20I squad. “I know Warwickshire will be without Mousley and Bethell – two of their better players – if they beat Gloucestershire on Friday,” Mills said. “It’s disappointing. This is a big day of the year and you’d like your best players there.”For us, it hurts us a lot, because you take Jofra Archer out of your team and it is a huge loss. Other counties – Surrey, for example – can maybe cover their losses a bit better than what we can, but it is what it is. The XI that’s taking the field on the 14th will have to step up. But I’m sure you won’t find many people that will agree with the schedule and say, ‘Yeah, it’s great.'”Surrey will be without Sam Curran on T20 Finals Day•Harry Trump/Getty Images

The Blast’s quarter-finals took place more than six weeks after the end of the group stage, which Kent captain Sam Billings branded “ridiculous” earlier this year. But many counties prefer a long gap as it allows them a bigger window to sell tickets, with a record quarter-final crowd at The Oval on Tuesday and a sellout at Hove on Wednesday.Sussex have thrived under Mills’ leadership this year. They missed out on the quarter-finals under Ravi Bopara’s captaincy in 2023, but have won 10 out of 15 games this season. Daniel Hughes, their Australian overseas player, is the Blast’s leading run-scorer, Mills himself is the third-highest wicket-taker and James Coles has enjoyed a fine all-round season.”I love the club,” Mills said. “This is my 10th year now, and I don’t just want to waste my last few years ticking over and then ride off into the sunset without anything to show for it. I put myself forward for the captaincy when Ravi left… I could have gone elsewhere at some point over the last few years and gone to a bigger club but I live here and this is where I want to be.”I’ve never even captained in a club game before, but I’ve really loved it. I’ve always been a senior player and I like to think about the game a lot: I don’t just stand at fine leg, look at the sky and twiddle my thumbs… One thing I’ve learned is just to trust your gut. There were a couple of times when I’ve got a little bit defensive with fields or bowling changes, and it comes back to haunt you.Related

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• Robinson shows Sussex he's still got it, as England turn the page

• Sibley, Curran power Surrey to Finals Day at Durham's expense

• Cayman T10 injury rules Bopara out of Northants' Blast QF

• Phil Salt to captain England in Australia T20Is with injured Jos Buttler out

“I take T20 cricket very seriously, because it’s all I do, whereas I felt maybe as a club, there were players that maybe didn’t quite take it as seriously – which is hard, when guys are playing all formats. I’m 32 now. I’m not going to be playing forever. I want to win as many games as I can and nothing would mean more to me than winning [the Blast] for Sussex.”Mills has been particularly pleased at Sussex’s aggression with the bat, having reached 200 in five out of seven innings while batting first. “We’re playing positive, entertaining cricket,” he said. “We were poor here [at Hove] for the last few years, and our record here has really improved. I’m really proud of everything that the coaching staff and the players have done to get this far.”First of all, you want to get out of the group. We did that, and to win a knockout game against a very experienced and talented Lancashire side was obviously really pleasing as well. We’ll wait to see who we will play at Edgbaston next Saturday, but we’ll turn up expecting to win. That’s the attitude now that the team have.”

England seamer starts to see rewards of revamping her action while playing on the international stage

Valkerie Baynes03-Jul-2024Tears, drama and disagreements… but it all felt worth it as Lauren Bell claimed her maiden international five-wicket haul to help seal a 3-0 sweep for England in their ODI series against New Zealand.Speaking after her figures of 5 for 37 from nine overs had helped contain an improved White Ferns batting performance, Bell went into detail for the first time about the difficulties of remodelling her bowling action while playing on the international stage.”It’s been a tricky few months, so yeah, it was nice to come out of today with some real success, it was a great day,” Bell said, after half-centuries from Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones had helped ensure her efforts did not go to waste. “I got back from the series in New Zealand and we just thought to push my career on, make me a better bowler, we’d changed a few things with my action.”But obviously when you bowl a certain way for however long, it has been tricky. I don’t really have a training block, I’ve just been playing, but it’s definitely for the best in the long term and I guess today shows that it is going to push me forward. But yeah, it is obviously hard doing it on an international stage.”Related

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• England's in-game tinkering means wait for perfect performance goes on

• Lauren Bell stars with five wickets as Nat Sciver-Brunt puts seal on 3-0 sweep

• Plenty left on Sophie Ecclestone's to-do list

Bell returned from England’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year with a remit to bowl more upright, and an emerging by-product of that has been an ability to swing the ball both ways.Hints were there during successful her white-ball series against Pakistan at the start of the English summer and Heather Knight, England’s captain, lauded Bell and others for their bravery in trying new things in match situations.And while Bell’s wickets on Wednesday – her first five-wicket haul since she played at Under-15 level – largely came from a back-of-a-length, top-of-the-stumps approach, the tall seamer said she had felt immense support from her team-mates and England’s coaching staff throughout the process.”I fell away a lot, and so we thought if we could get me more upright, it’d be safer. It means I can bowl more and it means I should be quicker and from being taller I get more bounce,” she explained. “So it came from that point of view initially, to add pace to my bowling, pace and bounce, and leading me to be more upright allowed me to then be able to swing it both ways.Key among her supporters has been England Women’s fast bowling coach Matt Mason.”I think he would’ve felt like a proud dad today,” Bell said. “There’s been tears, there’s been drama, there’s been disagreements. We work really closely and he’s put in a lot of time to get me here.”I think my bowling coach knew that one thing was going to lead to another,” she added. “I guess it got really exciting and now it’s just honing in on the consistency of being able to swing it both ways and bowl a wobble-ball obviously. It’s something I’m just going to learn, but hopefully in the long run will be really exciting.”The breakthrough, lightbulb we’ve had in the last couple of weeks has been a lot to do with the mental side of it and how I approach it in a game. Training’s been great, but you get to a game and it’s a totally different story, so I’ve done a lot of work on my focus and my concentration. I think I’ve gone in two-feet, I’m in now, there’s not really any turning back. So I’m committed to it and I know it’s for the best.”I’ve gone a long time not really having to think much about how I bowl. Now, my change in action, I very much have to concentrate on it, so I’ve learned that I need to focus and I’ve got a couple of cues that help me with that. I reset every ball and I focus in on my cues. It is a bit of a routine that I’ve picked up in the last couple of months that I think will take me a long way, especially in pressure situations.”Bell, who is just 23, made her England debut in the 2022 Test against South Africa at Taunton, where she was presented with her cap by Anya Shrubsole, the World Cup-winning seamer who had just retired at the time and for whom Bell was seen as a replacement.Since then, she has played three Tests, 14 ODIs and 20 T20Is and is seen as a linchpin of England’s seam attack, which has made it all the more difficult for her see beyond the short-term effects on output, and focus on long-term benefits – until now.”I definitely haven’t been used to having a few games in a row not quite going my way,” Bell said. “But everyone I’ve spoken to has said, unfortunately that is what professional sport is, whether it’s because you’ve changed something or you just go through a tough patch of form, it’s going to happen and it’s probably going to happen again, and it happens to the best players in the world. It’s another experience I’ve got under my belt that should push me forward in the future.”

The home side had their target adjusted due to rain and couldn’t get close

AAP28-Nov-2022Queensland kept their Marsh Cup campaign alive by defeating New South Wales by 31 runs via the DLS method in their rain-affected one-day clash at North Sydney Oval.Queensland had blasted 5 for 298 from 43.2 overs, with Max Bryant making 88 off 53 balls, when lightning and rain brought a premature close to their innings on SundayThe home side’s original DLS target following the first 80-minute delay was 329, before further showers halted play for a further 80 minutes with NSW 2 for 75 after 11.3 overs.The target was revised to 225 off 24 overs and the new asking rate of 150 from the next 75 balls proved well beyond the home side when a third downpour ended proceedings permanently.Kurtis Patterson and Matthew Gilkes both holed out to pull shots prior to the second delay as Queensland asserted their dominance early in the chase.In-form Daniel Hughes, who had amassed three tons from his previous four competition knocks, was scratchy early before finding his best form after play resumed. Hughes looked the Blues’ best hope of pulling off a miracle, top-scoring with 43.But when he was run out in the 16th over via a direct hit from Sam Truloff, just one ball after Moises Henriques skied a catch to Max Bryant, the home side’s hopes went out the door.The first rain delay denied the blazing Bryant the opportunity to notch a maiden ton, but he revelled in the victory nonetheless.”It’s always good to play at North Sydney as a batter,” Bryant said. “It’s pretty small so you have to go 100 percent hard or nothing. You don’t really have those in-between shots where you get caught on the boundary.”I’m not going to go down without a fight – it’s the Queensland way. Getting a win against NSW is always special.”After the early loss of Bryce Street to a contentious lbw decision, fellow opener Sam Heazlett and first-gamer Jack Clayton impressed before Bryant ripped the match away from NSW.He hit five sixes in his swashbuckling knock, dominating a 122-run sixth-wicket stand with captain Jimmy Peirson, which came from just 12.1 overs and put Queensland right on top.The result meant Queensland leapfrogged NSW and Victoria to rise to fourth spot on the points table.

Australia are relying on him to be their second spinner in the World Cup

Deivarayan Muthu07-Oct-2023The Chepauk pitch for Australia’s World Cup opener against India is set to be a black-soil one, which generally offers more purchase to spinners than the red-soil variant. It is in anticipation of such conditions that India have made room for R Ashwin’s return and he may very well be part of the XI on Sunday as part of a three-man spin attack alongside Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.Australia, however, have gone down a different route. They were forced to look beyond Ashton Agar when it was revealed that he had suffered a calf injury but instead of picking another spinner in his place, they chose Marnus Labuschagne, and are at this World Cup with only one specialist slow bowler – Adam Zampa. They will also have to do without Travis Head’s offbreaks for at least the first half of the tournament too.Australia’s answer to these concerns starts with the letter G and ends with the letters lenn Maxwell. Their management has already backed him and on the eve of their opening game of the campaign against one of the tournament favourites, their captain Pat Cummins gave his own seal of approval as well.”Yeah, I think so,” Cummins said when asked if Maxwell is capable of bowling eight to ten overs every game. “You know, again, it’s good that we’ve got plenty of bowling. But yeah, we’ve seen Max – he’s a frontline spin bowler. In the 2015 World Cup, he was the sole spinner in basically every single match I think – other than one – so really happy with how he’s going. I thought he bowed really well in that third ODI against India [just before the World Cup]. So yeah, we’ve got 20 overs of spin out there if we need it.Related

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“He is always working on some things, even if it’s not variations. It’s [about] different fields, different ways you bowl – and yeah, I think with age and experience as well, you just get a bit more clever and you need that as a spin bowler. So he’s got an amazing knack of – if he misses out with the bat – with the ball, and vice versa. He’s always in the game. So yeah, no doubt expecting a big tournament from Maxi.”In the warm-up game against Pakistan earlier this week, Cummins had matched Maxwell’s offspin with the left-hander Fakhar Zaman in the powerplay. Maxwell responded by striking in his first over, having Fakhar skewing a catch to cover-point. With India likely to have an extra left-hander at the top in the form of Ishan Kishan in the place of an ill Shubman Gill, Cummins could once again turn to Maxwell’s offbreaks for early breakthroughs.Maxwell’s dynamic batting also lends greater depth to Australia’s line-up, though Marcus Stoinis remains a doubtful starter for Sunday’s fixture. Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s six-hitting machine, has also resumed bowling in the lead-up to the World Cup. Then there’s also Cameron Green, who will compete with Stoinis for a spot in the XI. Cummins was pleased with the flexibility offered by his allrounders.Adam Zampa had a gash on his face during training, but Pat Cummins said it was “all good”•AFP/Getty Images

“I guess the luxury about the allrounders is they do make the side as the top-seven batters,” he said. “You know, they genuinely pick themselves from their batting, and their bowling is kind of a bonus. So, yeah, we’re lucky that we’re going to have seven or eight bowlers to choose from. But no doubt you’ll see more from the specialist overs, and the allrounders will chip in when they need to.”Zampa’s ten overs will be especially key for Australia right through this World Cup. He has grown into an extremely versatile one-day bowler. In fact, he is the most prolific ODI spinner among Full-Member nations since the end of the last World Cup, with 77 strikes in 37 games at an economy rate of 5.29.Zampa has already left his mark on India too. He and Agar had spun Australia to a bilateral series victory right here in Chennai earlier this year. Can he do it once again, along with Maxwell, this time when the stakes are higher, and with the odds that are stacked against Australia even higher?Yes, if the swimming pool gods have any sway. Alex Carey walked straight into one in Karachi and for a little while he was unstoppable. (Test average from 10 innings pre-dip: 20, Test average from nine innings post-dip 71). Now it looks like its Zampa’s turn, because when asked in the press conference about the gash on his lead spinner’s face, Cummins said, “yeah, he swam into the pool wall apparently. He said he had his eyes closed and thought he was swimming in a straight line and swam into the step in the pool. Yeah, no, he’s all good. He’s just a little bit sore.”

England legend steps into new role at club despite controversy for remarks on ICEC report

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2024Ian Botham has been elected as honorary president of Durham, after completing a seven-year term as the club chair, with Phil Collins, his vice-chair, stepping into the role with immediate effect.Botham, who was appointed in 2017 having played for Durham in the club’s maiden seasons as a first-class county in 1992 and 1993, attracted controversy last year for his scathing response to the report into cricket’s racism crisis by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC), which he described as “nonsense” and claimed he “threw down on the floor”.In response, ICEC chair Cindy Butts told MPs at a Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing in February that the ECB lacked “a moral backbone” in failing to distance itself from Botham’s comments, adding that Botham himself had been asked to give evidence to the inquiry, but had not responded.Speaking after the end of Botham’s Durham tenure was confirmed, ECB Chair Richard Thompson said: “Over 50 years, Lord Botham has made a huge contribution to English cricket and in particular to Durham, first as a player before returning as chair in 2017 at a very challenging time for the club.”Collins, who became vice-chair and a director of Durham in 2017, enters the role with over 35 years’ of commercial and marketing experience in various industries, along with a lifelong passion for cricket.He takes over with Durham restored to the top flight of the County Championship, having been relegated back in 2016 as punishment for a financial crisis that required the ECB to bail them out.Botham took over as chair soon afterwards, and said in a press release from the club: “I am delighted with what has been achieved at the Club during my tenure both on and off the field.”Our men’s team have performed superbly in recent times and this was evident with our promotion to Division One and our performances last year in the topflight.”Our successful Tier 1 bid is huge for the region and we are absolutely delighted to bring professional women’s sport to the region.”It’s a huge endorsement of the pathway we already have at Durham and the potential of the region and our squad and coaching staff is coming together very nicely.”I look forward to working with Phil to achieve our goals and build on our successes, as I wish him all the best as our new Club Chair.”Collins added: “I’m delighted to have taken on the role of chair in what is a very exciting time for Durham Cricket. Lord Ian and the board has laid strong foundations for many years and I am looking forward to building on the work which has been achieved.”The response to my election has been magnificent and everyone has been very supportive. “I can’t wait for the season to start and for our men’s and women’s teams to get competing on the field, while we work on some exciting projects off it too.”