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He will join the team during their ten-day preparatory camp in St Kitts and Nevis

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2024The Afghanistan Cricket Board has appointed former West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo as their bowling consultant for the 2024 T20 World Cup, to be held in the Caribbean and the USA. Afghanistan have already arrived in St Kitts and Nevis and are expected to begin a ten-day preparatory camp, during which Bravo will join the team.Bravo, part of the two-time T20 World Cup-winning West Indies side, called time on his international career after the 2021 T20 World Cup but continues to play in T20 leagues around the world. Earlier this year, he featured in the ILT20, where he played for the eventual champions MI Emirates. He is currently the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket with 625 scalps in 573 games.Apart from his playing experience, Bravo is also the bowling coach of five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings, a position he took over after retiring from the IPL in December 2022.Afghanistan play their first warm-up game against Oman on May 29 followed by the second one on May 31 against Scotland. At the World Cup, Afghanistan are placed in Group C alongside West Indies, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Uganda. They start their campaign against Uganda on June 5 in Providence.Kieron Pollard, another former West Indies player, will be at the England camp having been appointed their assistant coach for the tournament.

Will the 2021 Women’s World Cup go ahead? Who will host the 2021 and 2022 men’s T20 World Cups?

Nagraj Gollapudi06-Aug-2020The fate of the women’s ODI World Cup in 2021 and the choice of venues for the next two men’s T20 World Cups are the two key issues that the ICC’s Board is set to discuss on Friday.This is the second time the ICC Board is meeting in the past three weeks, having given the nod on July 20 to defer the men’s T20 World Cup, which was originally scheduled for October-November 2020 in Australia.At that meeting the ICC Board agreed to fresh windows for three men’s events: T20 World Cups in October-November 2021 and October-November 2022, and the ODI World Cup in October-November 2023, pushed back from its original March-April window.ALSO READ: ICC wants a biosecurity manager for 2021 Women’s World CupThe ICC Board, though, did not announce who would host the next two editions of the T20 World Cup: would it be India in 2021, as per the original schedule, or Australia who were forced to hold back the 2020 event due to the Covid-19 pandemic?After the July 20 meeting, the ICC said it would take in the “rapidly changing” environment during the pandemic and would take a “considered decision” before determining the hosts for the next two editions of the T20 World Cup.It is understood that although there is no cut-off point, the ICC is under pressure to not delay the decision on the host venues for two reasons: taking a quick decision would provide clarity to all commercial partners including the host broadcasters who would be planning their budgets for the next calendar year, and it would also allow member boards to plan windows for bilateral cricket.While Cricket Australia had raised concerns over its inability to host the event this year, its chairman Earl Eddings had written recently to the ICC, proposing that India swap hosting rights with Australia for the 2021 edition. Doing that, Eddings suggested, would financially help all members. If not, Eddings said it would be “detrimental to cricket” in case the “cancellation” of the World Cup in Australia this year was “replaced by award of” the tournament in October-November 2022.CA has reiterated at ICC meetings that it was halfway through creating the structure for the event, so it would be easier for them to complete the process if they get the rights for the 2021 edition.The BCCI has not revealed its position. Board president Sourav Ganguly has been attending ICC Board calls since March, and is understood to have empathised with CA during ICC Board meetings. Internally, however, the BCCI is understood to still be keen on retaining its right to host the T20 World Cup in 2021. At least that was the BCCI position at the July 20 meeting.One key determining factor, an intangible, would be how the host country has dealt with the pandemic. Currently both Australia and India remain seriously affected, with the latter among the top five countries in terms of official number of cases, which as on Thursday was approaching 2 million, with over 40,000 dead.Doubts linger over Women’s World CupThe women’s event, comprising eight countries, is currently scheduled between February 6 and March 7 in New Zealand, a country that has kept Covid-19 cases in check. The New Zealand government was also the first to remove restrictions on spectators at sporting events.Greg Barclay, the New Zealand Cricket chairman, recently said a final decision on whether the Women’s World Cup would go ahead as scheduled was imminent. Qualifiers for the event, however, have not been conducted yet. It is understood that if the World Cup is given the go-ahead, the plan will be to stage the qualifiers in the UAE at the end of November.Currently New Zealand has kept its borders closed – anyone entering the country would need to undergo a two-week quarantine. It is understood that teams would not be allowed to train if that norm remains in place and would need to isolate in their hotel rooms. Add to that a week-long preparation period which would mean at least 21 days before the event starts. It is understood that the ICC is also concerned about who would bear the costs. The member boards would assume it would be the ICC, since it is a global event.Since the 2017 World Cup in England, women’s cricket has gradually gained global recognition with the T20 World Cup final in March 2020, between Australia and India, witnessed by a record crowd of 86,000-plus at the MCG. Commercially, though, women’s cricket does not fetch ICC big money.Either way the ICC Board will be hard pressed to make a decision sooner rather than later. If it postpones the Women’s World Cup, the ICC would go without organising a global event for 18 months until the men’s T20 World Cup in October 2021.

Playing his first Shield match since April 2021, Marsh helped lift WA to a first innings total of 336 and a lead of 157

Tristan Lavalette03-Mar-2023Captain Mitchell Marsh smashed a belligerent century in his first Sheffield Shield match in almost two years to power Western Australia into a commanding position over Tasmania at the WACA.Marsh, playing as a specialist batter, returned to his best with an unbeaten 108 from 111 balls to lift WA to a first innings total of 336 and a lead of 157.Tasmania reached stumps on day two at 1 for 27 with Caleb Jewell on 21 and Jake Doran on 1.Opener Tim Ward, who top-scored with 44 in the first innings, fell lbw to left-arm quick Joel Paris for five to leave Tasmania facing an uphill battle to keep their final’s hopes alive.Having recently returned from a three-month layoff after ankle surgery, Marsh was in commanding form and hit nine fours and four sixes. He combined with Charlie Stobo in a last-wicket partnership of 113 to thwart Tasmania’s attempts at a comeback.After a subpar opening day, where they were bowled out for 179 in their first innings, Tasmania had clawed back into the contest with regular wickets through the opening two sessions.Offspinner Jarrod Freeman, who had claimed in-form Cameron Bancroft late on day one, dismissed opener Sam Whiteman for 64 to leave WA wobbling at 4 for 132 at lunch.Freeman added another after the long break when allrounder Aaron Hardie smashed a long-hop straight to midwicket with WA still 25 runs behind.Marsh, playing his first Shield match since April 2021, came to the crease looking to step up his preparations ahead of the upcoming ODI series in India.He was run out for a duck in his return against Tasmania in the 50-over Marsh Cup, but Marsh showed little rust as he navigated a short-pitched assault from speedster Riley Meredith who is arguably the fastest quick in the country.After a searing Meredith bouncer sailed over his head for byes, Marsh then counterattacked with a beautiful drive to the boundary followed by a six over midwicket.But Marsh was running out of partners with WA slumping to 9 for 223 with a lead of only 44 runs. He was on 38 when Stobo joined him and then hogged the strike by resisting singles.Marsh quickly sped past his half-century as he targeted Freeman straight down the ground while taking on Meredith’s sustained short-ball line.Tasmania had taken the extra 30 minutes before tea in a bid to claim the final wicket but their flagging attack was left frustrated as Marsh closed in on his century.He smashed a six off Freeman to move to 94 before reaching his ton moments later much to the delight of the smattering of fans in the terraces.Marsh received strong support from Stobo, who made a first-class career-best score of 38 off 84 balls to prove his worth having batted in the top-order for his local club in Perth grade cricket.Stobo finally fell as the shadows crept onto the WACA turf as WA moved closer to securing a home Shield final.

Cameron Green will play his first day-night first-class match at the SCG on Friday

Andrew McGlashan09-Dec-2020Adam Gilchrist believes the Australia selectors should rubberstamp Joe Burns’ place in the Test line-up before the pink-ball warm-up game against India at the SCG to allow him to play with a freedom that may help break his run drought.It is a conversation that may well already have taken place and Burns has had plenty of backing in recent weeks from selectors and team-mates, but two more low scores at Drummoyne Oval for Australia A – caught behind trying to leave a ball and then dragging on a drive – left him with a tally of 61 runs in seven innings for the summer.The subsequent concussion suffered by Will Pucovski and the groin injury that has ruled out David Warner have added to the question marks over the opening positions for the day-night Test in Adelaide.The wording of national selector Trevor Hohns’ remarks on Wednesday – where he said Burns had enjoyed “excellent” preparation and that the second Australia A match would “round it out nicely” – did not suggest a player about to be jettisoned.ALSO READ: David Warner ruled out of first Test against India“It may be the sensible thing to do, say don’t worry, you are going to walk out there in Adelaide now gain some exposure against Bumrah and whoever the Indians serve up under light,” Gilchrist said at a Fox Cricket BBL launch event.”That would be a good sensible approach to clear any doubts out, that he has the backing, he’s not playing a trial game, he’s just having a practice game to sharpen up for Adelaide.”Nothing ever seems to be a perfect science. You can get nicked out and go into the Test a big negative of mind because you haven’t got the runs, but 10 balls into your Test innings you can that’s what it feels like and you are away.”The selectors have yet to add any batting reinforcements to the squad but it is expected that Marcus Harris, who will open with Burns for Australia A, will be added as cover for Pucovski. However, they may need to consider more than one extra batsman given that very last-minute additions are still not possible under the Covid-19 protocols for the tour.That could open the door for an experienced player such as Usman Khawaja although there was no indication that he was about to leave the Sydney Thunder BBL squad currently in Canberra.”If you went to Khawaja, I don’t think he’d see it as just one game, he’d say he’d make it hard to drop me now and eye a few more years in the Australian team,” Gilchrist said. “Marcus has had some Test experience, done a lot right in the Shield season. I don’t think we are bereft of strong options, just working out which is the correct one.”The second Australia A match will also be another chance for Cameron Green to impress in what will be his first experience of pink-ball cricket. It remains unlikely he will force his way into the Test side for Adelaide, but his unbeaten 125 and a brace of wickets at Drummoyne continued to mount his case. He will likely be facing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami as they prepare for the Test series.”I’ve never faced it [the pink ball] before, for whatever reason I keep dodging the day-night games in domestic cricket, so I’ll have a training session today and that will be the first time I’ll face it or bowl with it so that will be pretty interesting,” Green said. “There’s a lot of guys in the team who have played pink ball before so will try to bounce as many ideas off them as I can.”I’ve spoken to a few guys, they say if you are batting at night but you are already in it seems okay, just when you are new to the crease it’s very tough to get yourself in.”From the India attack he faced in the first game, he picked out the “world-class skill” of Umesh Yadav as the most challenging of the bowlers. “He was bowling down breeze on a wicket that had a bit in it so that was incredibly tough,” he said.Bowling-wise, Green said he was on track with where he and the coaching staff had hope he would be as he continues to be limited to a handful of four-over spells. He expects that level to be maintained for at least another couple of weeks before any increase is considered.

Pakistan team director was particularly unhappy with Rizwan’s dismissal, saying “there was no conclusive kind of evidence” for the umpire’s initial not-out decision to be changed

Alex Malcolm29-Dec-2023Pakistan team director Mohammad Hafeez believes “inconsistent umpiring” and the “curse” of the decision review technology cost Pakistan a famous Test victory over Australia at the MCG.Chasing 317 for victory in the fourth innings, Pakistan needed 98 runs with five wickets in hand when Mohammad Rizwan was adjudged caught behind off the wristband of his glove via a DRS review from Pat Cummins having initially been given not out on field by umpire Michael Gough.Third umpire Richard Illingworth decided there was conclusive evidence via both Hotspot and Real-Time Snicko that the ball had come off the wristband of the right glove and not off his forearm as Rizwan had protested to the on-field umpires.Related

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That decision sparked a massive collapse as Pakistan lost 5 for 18 to lose the game inside four days and lose the series 2-0 with one Test remaining. Hafeez blamed the umpiring and the use of the DRS technology for the result.”We made some mistakes as a team, we will take that, we will address those things, but at the same time I believe inconsistent umpiring and technology curse [has] really given us the result which should have been different,” Hafeez said in the post-match press conference.”I feel like these are the areas that need to be addressed. I spoke to [Rizwan] and he’s a very honest person. He said he did not even feel that it touched anywhere near the gloves. And what we saw, there should be conclusive evidence to reverse the decision of the umpire. That’s what I know. The umpire gave it not out and there was no conclusive kind of evidence where the decision has to be turned over.”Former ICC umpire Simon Taufel spoke on Channel Seven’s broadcast in Australia in the aftermath of the Rizwan decision and believed that the third umpire had made the right call.”For me, conclusive evidence was the ball on top of that wristband attached to the glove, with the spike [on Snicko],” Taufel said. “Very comfortable from where I’m sitting that Richard Illingworth the third umpire had conclusive evidence to overturn that decision.”Cummins, who claimed the wicket of Rizwan and finished with five wickets in the innings and 10 for the match, also felt the evidence was conclusive.”I thought it was worth review and then [it was] clearly off the gloves strap,” Cummins said.Hafeez was also aggrieved about the umpire’s call aspect of the DRS in reference to the lbws in the game. He did not specifically mention which decisions he was unhappy about but Pakistan were left frustrated on day three when both Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith had survived tight lbw calls via umpire’s call during their match-winning 154-run stand.Marsh shouldered arms to a ball that nipped back from Hasan Ali on 26 and was given not out by Gough who deemed it wasn’t hitting off stump. Pakistan reviewed with ball-tracking showing it was clipping off stump but not enough to overturn the decision. He went on to make 96. Smith was later hit on the pad by Aamer Jamal on 45 and was also given not out by Gough, who deemed it was missing leg. Ball-tracking showed it was clipping leg but it was umpire’s call and the decision remained. Smith only made five more runs.In the fourth innings, Imam-ul-Haq was given out lbw to Cummins by Gough on field. Ball-tracking said it was umpire’s call on hitting the middle and leg bail and Imam remained out.Earlier in the second innings of the match, Shaheen Shah Afridi was given out lbw to Nathan Lyon by Gough and it remained out on umpire’s call.Hafeez felt that the technology was inconsistent and unacceptable.”Technology, I’m in favor of that, but [only] if it’s giving you benefit,” Hafeez said. “But if it’s bringing some doubts and bringing some curse into the game, it should not be accepted by anyone.”Sometimes the technology brings some decisions which obviously, as a human we don’t understand.”The ball hitting the stump is always out. Why is it umpire’s call? I never understand that. So I think there are a lot of areas that need to be addressed for the betterment of cricket in general. I think technology is something that is taking away from the instinct of the game.”Cummins was the victim of a DRS decision himself while batting in the third innings. He was given out caught behind off Jamal by Gough. He reviewed it convinced he had not hit it. There was no evidence on Hotspot of the ball making contact with the bat, but there was a tiny murmur on Snicko as the ball passed the bat and that was enough for the third umpire to uphold Gough’s decision.”I didn’t think I hit it,” Cummins said.”I thought I missed it by a bit. So obviously something showed up on Snicko. Again, one of those ones that can go either way. Kind of got to accept this decision.Cummins believed the technology is as good as it can be and tends to even itself out across the course of a game or a series.”I don’t know what the alternative is,” Cummins said. “I think it’s pretty good. Umpire’s call is obviously 50-50. But I think it does even itself out. I think it’s as good as it can be. So I think it’s good for the game. There’s always going to be moments that you kind of rue or you wish were looked at a little bit differently or maybe technology picked up a little bit differently, but I think it’s pretty good.”The two sides had one umpire’s call each go against them in the first Test in Perth. Hafeez said he would not raise the issue with the umpires or the match referee as he didn’t think it would make a difference despite maintaining his view that it had affected the result.”Personally it won’t bring any difference because at the end of the day we all watch the game and we will notice some of the areas obviously as a cricketer we don’t understand,” Hafeez said. “And we play this game for the fans and the fans will never understand why this technology is inconsistent. And the result of the game basically comes up differently.”

Her captaincy appointment had been expected and was ratified on Friday, with Tahlia McGrath named vice-captain

Andrew McGlashan08-Dec-2023Alyssa Healy wants to create a “new legacy” for Australia’s all-conquering women’s cricket team after officially replacing Meg Lanning as captain across all three formats.Wicketkeeper-batter Healy filled in for Lanning as captain for extended spells over the past two years, including this year’s Ashes. Now the 33-year-old, who had always been expected to earn the elevation, will step into the role full-time after Lanning’s shock international retirement last month.Allrounder Tahlia McGrath, who recently led Adelaide Strikers to back-to-back WBBL titles, has been named vice-captain.Healy, a matchwinner across her 255-game career, will lead Australia’s attempts to keep international cricket’s chasing pack at bay which will include defending the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh next September.”For me to be able to present to the powers that be about who I am and what I can bring as a leader and what I can hopefully help this side do in the next couple of big years with a couple of World Cups on the horizon was a really great experience for me,” Healy said. “And [it] probably just ratified things in my own head about, ‘Yep, this is exactly what I want to do’. And I want to help create a new legacy for this Australian team.”The legacy that Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes had for a really long period of time and the success they had was outstanding, and I was a part of that, which is really cool. But it feels like we’re a little bit new. We’re a new side, we’ve got talent coming through. We’ve got older players coming in and out and it was sort of an opportunity to reset and refresh.”Healy’s reign will begin in earnest later this month after she declared herself a near-certain starter for the Test against India at the famous Wankhede Stadium on December 21. She missed the entire WBBL after badly hurting her finger while trying to break up a fight between her two dogs but has returned to training.Seeing the opportunity that lay ahead for her when Lanning retired helped clarify Healy’s career-goals, in terms of both building more success for this team and ensuring a successful future.”I’ve always been a little bit wishy-washy, and you guys in the media can probably attest to that,” she said. “I always play games about how long I’m going to play for, but in my own mind it sort of gave me an opportunity [to say] that, ‘Yep, this is what I want to achieve and this is where I’d like to take the group for a certain amount of time’. And I think we can achieve great things in that time, but more so set it up for the next 10 years to be really successful.”Alyssa Healy can now start to rubberstamp her imprint on the team•Getty Images

Healy admitted the last 12 months had brought a degree of uncertainty with her filling in on a temporary basis for Lanning. Australia’s white-ball form has slipped this year with ODI and T20I series defeats against England while they also gave up a T20I to West Indies when Hayley Matthews played a spectacular innings at North Sydney Oval.”I think both Tahlia and I have probably felt like we’ve been warming the seat and I think that’s probably been really tricky for [coach] Shelley Nitschke as well who’s new into the role,” Healy said. “We were all just a little bit unsure about what was going happen and obviously we wanted Meg to come back and we wanted her to lead the side.”But it was filling in while we could and also probably living series to series which we identified that’s not probably doing us any favours. We actually need to look long term and work towards World Cups and work towards big series and tournaments.”She added that Lanning’s ability to carry the team “on her shoulders” is something she would aspire to do even if it meant slightly adjusting her mindset as a player.”That probably hasn’t always been the way that I’ve played my cricket and it’s probably not been the way that I’ve led either,” she said. “But if I can find some sort of middle ground in that regard and go, ‘You know what, it’s my time to go out there and win the game or play the innings or take the catch that wins it’, then I’m going to do that as a leader and hopefully show the others that we can do it.”The decision to appoint Healy and McGrath was ratified at a Cricket Australia board meeting on Friday.”Alyssa is an outstanding player and leader who has earned enormous respect both on and off the field,” CA general manager of high-performance and national teams Ben Oliver said.”Alyssa brings a wealth of experience to the role, and we have great confidence in her ability to successfully lead the Australian women’s team in tandem with Tahlia as vice-captain.”We are extremely fortunate to have a talented and experienced group of players who will provide great support to Alyssa and Tahlia as the team evolves and seeks to build on its outstanding performances.”McGrath, who looms as the heir apparent, relished the opportunity to support Healy.”Alyssa and I have played together for a long time, we know our respective leadership styles well and I look forward to helping her lead our group as we embark on a busy but exciting international schedule,” she said.

Women’s team to face South Africa for the first time in a four-day Test; West Indies come visiting as well

ESPNcricinfo Staff and AAP14-May-2023Test cricket will return to the WACA in Perth, with the Australia women’s team set to face South Africa for the first time in the format as part of their multi-format series early in 2024.It will be one of three Tests Australia will play in nine months following the Ashes encounter in June and one on the multi-format tour of India set for December and January. However, unlike the five-day Ashes Test, the match against South Africa will be over four days.Cricket Australia (CA) announced the home fixtures for the 2023-24 season on Sunday, which sees Pakistan men visit for three Tests, including the traditional Melbourne and Sydney fixtures, while both West Indies men’s and women’s sides will feature.West Indies men are touring in consecutive seasons due to a quirk in the next FTP, with their Tests taking place in Adelaide, which will revert to a day game for one season, and then Brisbane which will host a day-night encounter.Australia men’s home summer schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The men’s Test summer stretches deep into January next season due to the 2023 ODI World Cup then a five-match T20I series tacked on afterwards, meaning Australia won’t return home until early December. However, the T20 and Test teams are likely to look very different.Their summer begins with the first Test against Pakistan in Perth from December 14, before the teams meet in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test at the SCG.Adelaide will host a red-ball Test against West Indies from January 17, before a day-night Test at the Gabba from January 25. It means all Tests will fall in the holiday period.White-ball players will be available for the entire men’s BBL, before they enter camp for three ODIs and three T20s against West Indies between February 2 and 13.But the opening of the international season risks being completely overshadowed by the National Rugby League (NRL), with the first match scheduled for Sydney on grand final day with Australia’s women playing West Indies in a T20I at North Sydney Oval on October 1.That game will finish only hours before the NRL grand final, asking fans to choose which event to attend and viewers to switch off rugby league’s grand final lead-up games.CA takes the view that in a cluttered schedule, a Sunday start in Sydney is the right way to go, hopeful they can benefit from Channel Seven promoting the match during the AFL grand final the previous day.They are also adamant October 1 should be the start of the cricket season, that scheduling clashes with other sports are inevitable and that their world champion women’s team can win out.But privately there are concerns from some over the significant challenges the sport will face promoting the T20 match in Sydney, with a second game to be played the day after the grand final.Australia women’s summer schedule•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Australia vice-captain Alyssa Healy was hopeful the situation would not impact crowds while acknowledging there could be some hurdles to overcome in drawing fans.”It could be [a problem], maybe we might get washed out a little bit in that,” Healy told AAP. “But in saying that, it’s the start of the cricket summer. So hopefully that is spoken about that week.”Yes, the headlines will be dominated by AFL and NRL, but they are anyway. Come and watch some world-class athletes do their thing at North Sydney if the NRL is not your thing. I don’t think we need to compete against the NRL grand final, we can work around it.”It is not the first time concerns have been raised around the scheduling of women’s fixtures.Players were unhappy when they were switched to play on January 26 last summer, with Indigenous woman Ashleigh Gardner vocalising her opposition to the decision.Another match in the same series, against Pakistan at North Sydney Oval, clashed with the Sydney Smash in the BBL.There is some good news for the women in the upcoming fixtures, however. After three T20Is and three ODIs against West Indies early in the summer, they host a multi-format series against South Africa in January and February.Included is a day-night ODI at a major venue, Adelaide Oval, on February 3, followed by the Test on the pacy WACA wicket from February 15.

Opener was high on Arthur’s wish list in new role as club’s head of cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2021Shan Masood will join Derbyshire as an overseas player after being recruited by former Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur for the 2022 county season.Left-handed opener Masood played under Arthur during the latter’s three-year tenure as Pakistan head coach from 2016-19 and was a key target for Arthur upon being appointed as Derbyshire head of cricket last month following a stint as Sri Lanka head coach which started in early 2020.”Playing county cricket in England is something I’ve always wanted to do, so when Mickey approached me to join Derbyshire, I jumped at the chance,” the 32-year-old Masood said. “He’s perhaps been the greatest influence in my career and I’m looking forward to working with him again at Derbyshire.Related

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“It’s an exciting time for the club and hopefully I can contribute at the top of the order and use my experience to help the younger players in their development.”Masood has made 25 Test appearances for Pakistan, scoring four centuries – including 156 against England at Emirates Old Trafford in 2020 – and has six Test fifties to his name. Despite an impressive record in List A matches in Pakistan, Masood has played only five ODIs.In T20s, he captained the Multan Sultans side which topped the PSL table before being knocked out during the play-off stages in 2020 and was part of the team which won the 2021 PSL title last June.Masood first played in England early in his career, scoring a Stamford School-record 1,237 runs at an average of 103 in 2009, and he played three first-class matches for Durham University.He will be available for all formats throughout Derbyshire’s 2022 campaign, starting with their first LV= County Championship fixture in April.Ryan Duckett, Derbyshire’s chief executive, said: “Shan is an immensely talented batter and was a key target for head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, in his plans to develop the Derbyshire squad.”He knows Mickey’s standards and what is expected both in training and out in the middle and I’m looking forward to seeing what his experience brings to Derbyshire.”

Sterre Kalis fifty sets foundation for Birmingham side as The Blaze suffer first defeat of campaign

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay20-Jun-2025Warwickshire handed The Blaze their first defeat of the Women’s Vitality Blast campaign, by 25 runs, in a clash of two of the competition’s front-runners at Edgbaston.Warwickshire’s total of 172 for 6 was built upon strong contributions from their top three with Sterre Kalis hitting 54 (41 balls), Meg Austin 39 (30) and Davina Perrin 25 (18). Thereafter runs came less freely as Kathryn Bryce dismissed those three on the way to an excellent 4 for 21.The Blaze replied with a scrappy 147 for 8. Tammy Beaumont hit 44 off 29 but the rest of the powerful batting line-up misfired against the home side’s excellent and varied attack led by the pace of Em Arlott, with 3 for 33 and the spin of Millie Taylor (2 for 23).Warwickshire chose to bat and were given a strong foundation by openers Austin and Perrin who added 59 in 40 balls. Both then fell to the Bryce sisters – stumped by Sarah off Kathryn. In each case it was excellent glovework by the wicketkeeper as Perrin was lured down the pitch and Bryce (S) did well to take a ball that bounced, and then Austin missed an attempted cut and lifted her back foot just momentarily but long enough for Bryce to pounce.Kalis added another polished half-century to the one she lodged for Netherlands against USA in Utrecht eight days ago but the rest came and went fleetingly.Laura Harris tried to slog-sweep from outside off stump and skied Kirstie Gordon to midwicket. Pavely, Warwickshire’s match-winner two days earlier, lifted Grace Ballinger to long-on.Kathryn Bryce returned to have Kalis caught at mid-off and Nat Wraith pouched at extra cover as Warwickshire came in with a decent but by no means daunting total on a good batting pitch.The Blaze soon lost former Warwickshire batter, Marie Kelly, who pulled Issy Wong to deep square. Beaumont, who hit seven fours and a six, and Kathyn Bryce added 49 from 48 balls but then fell in successive overs, caught in the deep off Taylor and Georgia Davis respectively. When Heather Graham chipped Hannah Baker to midwicket, three wickets had fallen for 12 runs in 18 balls and the required rate had climbed above ten per over.As the equation came down to 64 from the last five overs, the Blaze needed a huge over but it never came. Georgia Elwiss sought six over midwicket off England pace bowler Arlott but was well-caught by Perrin just inside the rope. Ella Claridge lifted Taylor straight and Perrin was under that one too as Warwickshire’s diverse and disciplined attack extinguished the Blaze chase.

Fire fight back late with the ball but pay price for timid powerplay and costly early no-ball

ECB Media24-Aug-2025
Joe Root delivered a batting masterclass at Sophia Gardens, hitting his second successive half-century as Trent Rockets snuck past Welsh Fire with a ball to spare to confirm their qualification for the knockout phase.In a frenetic match, David Payne thought he had dismissed Root for a duck, only for the umpire to signal a no-ball after replays showed the bowler had over-stepped. The England run-machine promptly hit the subsequent free-hit for six over long-on and eventually finished unbeaten on 64 from 41 to secure a three-wicket win, keeping his composure in a chaotic finale.Set 151 for victory, the Rockets appeared to be cruising after a 66-run opening stand between Root and Tom Banton (32 from 20) but when Rehan Ahmed fell to Saif Zaib and Max Holden holed out to deep cover off Chris Green, the nerves began to show.Tom Moores went for a big shot and was caught at mid-on to give Green his second and then three wickets fell in the space of seven deliveries as the Fire set alarm bells ringing.The Rockets were left needing 14 from the final set, bowled by Green, but Root, entirely unruffled, belted the spinner’s first delivery for six and then found a boundary through mid-wicket from the second. A single brought Sam Hain on strike, and he crunched the ball through the covers to seize a thrilling victory.The Fire have had a tough season, winning just two of their seven matches, but they had given themselves a fighting chance after Steve Eskinazi’s first half-century of the campaign headlined a competitive total of 150-6.Runs were hard to come by early on as the Rockets seamers bowled tightly, conceding just 47 from the first 45 deliveries. Steve Smith gloved behind for 8 off Sam Cook (2 for 17), who then dismissed Jonny Bairstow, caught at backward-square by Lockie Ferguson for an uncharacteristically scratchy 13-ball 8.Eskinazi (53 from 42) and skipper Tom Abell (48 from 29) picked up the pace in the second half of the innings before falling to consecutive deliveries in the penultimate set – the former run out after a mix up and the latter caught behind off David Willey – and a breezy four-ball 11 from Green took the hosts to 150, but it wasn’t enough to lift them from the bottom of the table.The Rockets, meanwhile, have secured a top-three finish with a game to spare as they aim to repeat their title triumph of 2022. Victory in their home fixture against Birmingham Phoenix on Wednesday could yet see them top the table and progress straight to the Lord’s final if other results go their way.”Way too tense for my liking,” said Joe Root, the Meerkat Match Hero. “They pulled it back, this format is difficult to gauge. The majority of the game, the wicket played fine.”Green’s over, I thought I’ve got to hit a six here. We needed a boundary in the first two balls, I had a good idea of what he was trying to do to protect that long side, and I put a couple away. “