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As some unlikely heroes emerge, we pick our team of 2019

Deivarayan Muthu13-Oct-2019Brandon King (Guyana Amazon Warriors)King, a ninth-round pick in the draft, is the first name on our team sheet. True to his name, he rolled out a number of regal strokes, reeling off 496 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.11 and strike-rate of 149.94. King’s tally included an unbeaten 132 off 72 balls – the highest individual score ever in the CPL – that extended Amazon Warriors’ winning streak to 11 and vaulted them into their fifth final.The record-breaking hundred moved Amazon Warriors coach Johan Botha and his family to tears and perhaps signalled the change of guard in the league. Notably, King also had the maximum batting impact as per ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats with a score of 662.58.

ESPNcricinfo’s team of CPL 2018

Glenn Phillips, Chris Gayle, Colin Munro, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Darren Bravo, Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Fawad Ahmed, Ali Khan, Imran Tahir

Lendl Simmons (Trinbago Knight Riders)Simmons wasn’t supposed to be part of CPL 2019 in the first place. After finding no takers in the draft, Knight Riders picked him as a temporary replacement for Colin Munro, who missed the early stages of the tournament because of international commitments. Then, after regular captain Dwayne Bravo was sidelined from the entire season with injury, Simmons became a permanent part of the side.While one end was a revolving door at the top – partly due to a finger injury to Sunil Narine – Simmons established himself as Knight Riders’ No.1 opener and cracked five half-centuries, including a measured 51 off 47 balls that secured his team a home qualifier against eventual champions Barbados Tridents. All up, Simmons made 430 runs in 11 innings at an average of 39.09 and strike-rate of 150.34.Glenn Phillips (wk) (Jamaica Tallawahs)Having racked up 457 runs in 11 innings in 2018, Phillips followed it with another productive season that netted him 374 runs in 10 innings at a strike-rate of nearly 145.For Jamaica Tallawahs, the story of the season was Phillips or nothing. He struck three fifties, including a boundary-laden 87 off 49 balls, which in isolation was among the knocks of the tournament. By the time Phillips was dismissed, Tallawahs were 123 for 6 in pursuit of 177 and they eventually fell short. Phillips was also sharp behind the stumps and left some of our collective jaws on the floor when he flew to his right and plucked a one-hander to send back St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ Devon Thomas.ALSO READ: Della Penna: Hayden Walsh Jr.’s moment of truth, at 36,000 feetShoaib Malik (capt) (Guyana Amazon Warriors)The ice-cool Malik proved the perfect foil for King’s fire for Amazon Warriors. In addition to seamlessly closing out the innings with the bat, Malik marshalled his attack expertly and his tactical nous came to the fore when he unleashed Imran Tahir on Chris Gayle at Kingston and shut down Tallawahs’ chase by giving his spinners nine overs in a row first-up.And when Tallawahs reduced Amazon Warriors to 8 for 4 in the return fixture, Malik soaked up all the pressure and rescued his team to 156 for 6 with a match-winning 73 not out off 45 balls. The title slipped away from Amazon Warriors’ grasp once again, but Malik left his mark with 317 runs in 12 innings at an average of 63.40 and strike-rate of 124.31ESPNcricinfo’s Team of the Tournament for CPL 2019•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Kieron Pollard (Trinbago Knight Riders)Pollard marked his debut for his home franchise with a violent 47 and although the rest of the Knight Riders lost steam towards the end of the season, Pollard kept blowing hot, especially in the slog overs. He blasted 223 runs off 117 balls between overs 16 and 20. Only Fabian Allen and JP Duminy had a greater strike-rate than Pollard among batsmen who had faced at least 50 balls in this phase.When Knight Riders seemed to have dug themselves into a hole in the Eliminator, it was Pollard who hauled them out of it with an unbeaten 26 off nine balls.ALSO READ: Barbados Tridents end Guyana Amazon Warriors’ 11-win streak to win second CPL titleFabian Allen (St Kitts & Nevis Patriots)Power-hitter. Electric in the field. Bowls fast-ish left-arm spin. Allen has all the makings of a T20 star, and this season he even had Ian Bishop tweeting: “Lots of sparkling batting, but Fabian Allen is so cool. I hope West Indies target him for a special course of development”. This, after Allen had followed his two wickets with 37 not out off 15 balls in a successful chase of 242 against Tallawahs in Basseterre. Allen shellacked 177 off 79 balls between overs 16 and 20 at a strike-rate of nearly 225. Allen’s Smart strike-rate, meanwhile, soared to 235.24.Chris Green (Guyana Amazon Warriors)Bowling the tough overs in the Powerplay with just two men outside the circle could be a nightmare for the bowlers. But this seems to be Green’s dream destination: he bowled 168 balls in the first six overs this season, conceding just 151 runs while picking up five wickets. Only Sunil Narine (3.50) had a better economy rate than Green (5.39) in the Powerplay in CPL 2019. Green’s handy batting and leadership qualities add more value to the team.Chris Green points to his team-mate after getting a wicket•CPL T20

Romario Shepherd (Guyana Amazon Warriors)In a season where bowlers travelled for runs, Shepherd impressed with his hit-the-deck bustle and was the joint second-highest wicket-taker for Amazon Warriors with 13 scalps in nine innings at an economy rate of 8.32. In addition to being a safe outfielder, he can also swing the bat, as he showed during his unbeaten 32 off 13 balls against Knight Riders.Raymon Reifer (Barbados Tridents)Reifer didn’t have too much to do with bat or ball until the knockouts. In the second qualifier against hosts Knight Riders, he silenced a vociferous crowd with a crucial all-round performance. After helping Tridents loot 42 off their last two overs, he pinned a rampaging Seekkuge Prasanna and then Khary Pierre to put Tridents in the final. And on the big night, his left-arm angle and variations snapped Amazon Warriors’ stellar winning run and gave him figures of 4 for 24 – the best in CPL finals.Shoaib Malik leads the way as Guyana Amazon Warriors players take a victory lap around the ground•Getty Images

Hayden Walsh Jr (Barbados Tridents)After playing understudy to Sandeep Lamichhane in the early half of the league, Walsh Jr set the tournament ablaze once the Nepal legspinner left the Caribbean to join the national side. Despite playing just nine matches this season, he claimed 22 wickets at an economy rate of 8.28. The USA legspinner was also a fireball in the field and ran out Pollard in the second qualifier to tip a thriller Tridents’ way. From warming the benches to the MVP of the tournament: it was one hell of a season for Walsh Jr.Imran Tahir (Guyana Amazon Warriors)The South African took at least two wickets in seven of the nine games he played this season. He often shared the Powerplay load with Green and was also thrifty outside of that phase, excelling with his stock ball as well as the wrong’un. His 16 wickets and vaudevillian celebrations jazzed up the tournament further.Imran Tahir is pumped up after taking a wicket•Getty Images

12th man: Phil Salt (Barbados Tridents)The Sussex batsman was vacationing in Miami on Saturday and on Sunday, the day of the final, jetted to Trinidad and joined Tridents as a replacement for the injured JP Duminy. He bagged a duck but by the end of night lifted the title with Tridents. As simple as that.

The pacer quits with 56 wickets from 68 T20Is, and will remain available to play in the other formats

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2018India women pacer Jhulan Goswami has retired from T20Is, calling time on a career that began 12 years ago with the first ever T20I for India women in August 2006. The announcement comes with the Women’s World T20 – to be played in the West Indies – less than three months away.In a statement released by the BCCI, Goswami thanked the board and her team-mates for all the love and support she garnered during her stint with the T20I team and wished them luck going forward.With India last having played a Test match almost four years ago, Goswami quitting T20Is means that for all practical purposes she will now be playing only the ODI format for India.Goswami is the leading wicket-taker for India women with 56 wickets in 60 T20Is. Her 5 for 11 against Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in 2012 are the best bowling figures for India in the shortest format.The Bengal pacer’s last appearance in a T20I was the Asia Cup final against Bangladesh women in Kuala Lumpur, which India lost by three wickets.Goswami, who made her debut international debut in 2002, is also the highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 203 scalps from 169 games, the only bowler with more than 200 wickets in the format. She has represented India in ten Tests, taking 40 wickets at 16.62. She remains the only Indian bowler so far with five-wicket hauls in each of the three formats.

England’s players open up on the “turbulent” circumstances that saw Charlotte Edwards retire after being removed from the captaincy in 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2017England’s players have discussed, for the first time, the “turbulent” circumstances that saw Charlotte Edwards retire after being removed from the captaincy in 2016.Mark Robinson, England women’s head coach, made the decision to shake things up after the team’s failure at the 2016 World T20, telling Edwards – still a world-class batsman and a pioneer of the game – she would not be part of his plans. Heather Knight was subsequently appointed as captain and went on to lead England to victory in the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday.Speaking before the final against India, Robinson said he believed he had made the right decision and that the team “had to go in a different direction”, having come to the conclusion that his players didn’t have enough belief.”I just knew it was right,” Robinson said. “When it’s that simple in your mind – and it wasn’t against Charlotte because Charlotte was still a very good player, but the team had to go in a different direction and we had to put things differently in place and it was something like 18 months before the next competition, this one. It was too long to wait and get through to before you start making changes.”During interviews to chart the team’s progress from the defeat in the semi-finals of the World T20 last year to their success at Lord’s, Jenny Gunn, the experienced allrounder who had been Edwards’ team-mate for more than a decade, said the decision to move on had come as a “bit of a shock”.Fran Wilson, one of the younger players who has enjoyed increased opportunities over the last 12 months, expressed similar feelings but felt Robinson’s call had been vindicated.”It was quite a turbulent time because Charlotte’s always been a part of the England team, as long as I can remember,” Wilson said. “So when it first all happened it was quite a big shock and probably affected the girls a little bit. But, I think in the long-run, what Mark Robinson has done has been really good for the team. That’s just testament to Robbo and the kind of faith he’s shown in all of us.”The change of leadership had immediate benefits, as England’s new opening pair of Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield flourished during a run-soaked series win over Pakistan last year. Beaumont, in particular, has thrived under the guidance of Robinson, and was named Player of the Tournament after finishing as the top scorer in the Women’s World Cup.Beaumont won her first cap under Edwards, in 2009, and they opened together on several occasions. She gave credit to Edwards for laying the foundations for England’s future success.”It was a tough month or so,” Beaumont said. “Charlotte has been probably quite a big influence on the first half of my career. She’s also a good friend. It was hard to see her go through that but she’s moved on into the commentary box with dignity. She can look back at her career knowing that she did a great job for England and left us in a good place.”

Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed has declined the BCB’s offer for the post of Bangladesh’s bowling coach

Mohammad Isam06-Jun-2016Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed has declined the BCB’s offer for the post of Bangladesh’s bowling coach. Javed’s response came a day after BCB president Nazmul Hassan said the board was in talks with the ex-UAE coach.Javed declined the offer to continue in his new role as director of cricket operations with the Pakistan Super League franchise, Lahore Qalandars, but said he may be open to a short-term consultancy stint after the second season of the PSL later this year. Javed had stepped down as UAE coach in April, after a four-year tenure, to take up the role offered by Qalandars.”I have recently joined Lahore Qalandars and started working from last Friday only, so it’s not possible for me to take any other job,” Javed told ESPNcricinfo. “But I may be open for a short-term coaching consultant job after the second edition of PSL, not as full-time [coach]. Right now I am in a long-term relationship with the Qalanders and I am committed to them, and it’s not really reasonable for me to take up role with Bangladesh.”BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury confirmed that Javed had communicated his decision and the board is now looking at other candidates.”After we contacted him, Javed considered our proposal but [declined] because it would be very difficult to handle two important positions at the same time,” Chowdhury said. “As we were doing before, we are looking for other options in this position.”

Ruvindu Gunasekera made the most of an early let off to make 62 off 54 balls and guide Canada to a 34-run win over Bermuda via Duckworth-Lewis Method on Monday afternoon at Indianapolis World Sports Park

Peter Della Penna in Indianapolis04-May-2015Ruvindu Gunasekera made the most of an early let-off to make 62 off 54 balls and guide Canada to a 34-run win over Bermuda via Duckworth-Lewis method on Monday afternoon at Indianapolis World Sports Park. Canada moved to 2-0 with the win while Bermuda dropped to 0-2 and must now claw out of a major hole to have any shot of finishing in the top-two for a spot in the World T20 Qualifier later this summer.After having won the toss, Canada’s top order batted fluently, reaching 48 for 0 after the six-over Powerplay in cool conditions. The hard-hitting Gunasekera offered a simple chance in the next over on 19 when he mistimed a pull to fine leg, but was put down. Rizwan Cheema got out off the following ball from Janeiro Tucker for 29 but Gunasekera went on to add another 45 runs for the second wicket with Nitish Kumar.Canada’s aggressive mindset backfired a few times, most notably with Nitish who looked set to bat through the end of the innings but was bowled for 20 by Jacobi Robinson attempting a reverse sweep to make it 94 for 2. Robinson continued to burrow through Canada’s middle order by claiming Srimantha Wijeratne at cover for 9 and Jimmy Hansra at long-off for 8 to make it 119 for 4.Gunasekera was still around at the start of the 19th over and looking set to push for 160 but the wheels came off two balls later when the left-hander was bowled by Stefan Kelly attempting a flick. Kelly bowled Navneet Dhaliwal for 4 to end the 19th and spinner Delray Rawlins darted in a quicker ball to knock back Hamza Tariq’s stumps for 2 at the start of the 20th.Bermuda made it four wickets in 10 balls when Tucker ran out Satsimranjit Dhindsa on the second run after a poor backup, and Canada ended on 143 for 8.Moments later, rain started to fall and play did not resume for another two hours and 15 minutes. Bermuda eventually had their target adjusted to 105 off 13 overs.The chase got off to the worst possible start when Dion Stovell skied a chance first ball off Cecil Pervez and was caught running back from mid-off by Hansra. Two overs later, James Celestine fell in similar fashion for 2 before David Hemp got into a tangle with Tucker over a single to backward point. Nitish swooped in and fired a direct hit with Hemp five yards short of making his ground as Bermuda were reduced to 8 for 3 in three overs.Tucker provided a brief counterattack with a pair of lusty blows for six over long-on but he fell quickly for 20 to Hansra, attempting another hoick after backing away from his stumps. Dutta was brought on in the sixth over and struck in the eighth and tenth, causing Oliver Pitcher to hole out to long-on for 3 before bowling Robinson for 6. Tre Manders, who remained unbeaten on 17, ensured Bermuda batted out their overs to end on 70 for 8.

A commanding performance from Shane Watson delivered a handsome opening World Twenty20 victory for Australia over Ireland

The Report by Daniel Brettig19-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Shane Watson had an impressive day, and the O’Briens were among his victims•AFP

A commanding performance from Shane Watson delivered a handsome opening World Twenty20 victory for Australia over Ireland, as George Bailey’s team showed aggressive intent to pursue the one trophy missing from the national team’s display cabinet.Ireland had fancied their chances of upsetting Australia, but were left with their odds of progression diminished and their ears ringing from a few verbal barbs delivered by opponents in no mood to be accommodating to a team they had briefly been ranked below on the ICC’s T20 rankings earlier this month.Watson influenced proceedings from the first ball of the match, a bouncer Ireland’s captain Will Porterfield hooked to fine leg. He returned to the bowling crease to snuff out a mid-innings revival, then smashed 51 to ensure a modest chase that never assumed anything more than nuisance dimensions.Mitchell Starc and Hogg also delivered telling spells to help keep Ireland quiet, their 20 overs devoid of sustained momentum save for a rearguard stand of 50 between Kevin and Niall O’Brien from the depths of 33 for 4. Kevin O’Brien hinted at the mastery he had shown against England in the 2011 World Cup, but both he and his brother were out-thought by Watson in the same over.Aside from Watson’s all-round prowess, the other hallmark of Australia’s display was their aggression, manifested in a series of verbal stoushes with their opponents. The umpires intervened more than once, and no-one was left in any doubt about the Australians intent to make life as uncomfortable as possible for their opposition.Australia’s pursuit needed to be dogged by early wickets for Ireland to have a chance, but Watson and David Warner played with plenty of sense. They were helped by a wayward Boyd Rankin, who gave away four wides on the way to conceding 12 runs from the third over. Trent Johnston was taken for 19 in the fourth, and from that moment the result never seemed in any great doubt.George Dockrell accounted for Warner, who punched to deep midwicket, and Paul Stirling almost grasped a one-handed return catch from Watson. Having failed to take the half chance, both Stirling and Dockrell were to feel the brunt of Watson’s power, Australia’s vice-captain posting a half century from his 28th ball. An overly languid run through to the non-striker’s end was punished by Johnston’s direct hit, but by then Watson had done more than enough to put victory within sight and also underline his importance to Australia’s campaign.Michael Hussey was lbw to Kevin O’Brien, and Cameron White offered a difficult chance that Johnston put down off Rankin, leaving Australia to conclude their chase with less certainty than Watson and Warner had started it.Watson had taken the new ball for Australia, a move Ireland’s captain Porterfield would have noted from the warm-up games. What he did not expect was a first-ball bumper, as Watson tested the bounce to be extracted from a flint-hard Premadasa pitch. The ball was well-directed, Porterfield’s hook shot was hurried, and Mitchell Starc sauntered in from fine leg to take the catch.There were runs to be found in the pitch, Stirling cracking the final ball of the over to the cover fence to prove it, but Australia’s bowlers were sharp and varied enough to prevent Ireland from finding any sort of rhythm. Starc found a little swing but it was bounce that did for Stirling, his top edge sailing high for Watson to make a testy running catch look routine.Bailey introduced Maxwell’s off-breaks for the sixth over, and was rewarded when Ed Joyce toe-ended a drive to mid off. Brad Hogg’s introduction followed, and he too struck in his opening over when Gary Wilson played around a delivery pitching in line and straightening to win Aleem Dar’s lbw verdict. None of Ireland’s batsmen looked entirely capable of reading Hogg’s variations.Ireland were stuck in the T20 predicament of early wickets, the halfway point passing at a wobbly 46 for 4. The brothers O’Brien were left to fashion a salvaging partnership, Kevin O’brien hinting at his potential for destruction with a handful of boundaries. He responded to taunts from the Australian fieldsmen by clattering Starc through midwicket and cover, and the 50-stand was raised. But Niall O’Brien was unable to follow suit, bowled by Watson’s slower ball when trying to heave across the line.Watson was delivering a keynote spell, and he made it more so by coaxing Kevin O’Brien to touch a shortish, sharpish delivery on its way through to Matthew Wade. Called on to deliver the last over of the innings as well as the first, Watson allowed the innings’ only six to Nigel Jones, but the concession of 12 from the final six balls still left Australia’s batsmen with a chase they were always likely to negotiate in some comfort.

Five English cricketers were named in the ICC’s Test team of the year, reflecting England’s rise to the No. 1 spot

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2011Five English cricketers were named in the ICC’s Test team of the year, reflecting England’s rise to the No. 1 spot, achieved during their 4-0 whitewash of India earlier this month. Two batsmen, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott, and three bowlers, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and James Anderson, made the XI, but there was no place for Ian Bell despite his averaging 89.50 and making four hundreds during the qualifying period from August 11, 2010 to August 3, 2011.Dale Steyn, the South Africa fast bowler, made the team for the fourth straight year, while Sachin Tendulkar was named to the team for the third consecutive year. Three South Africa batsmen, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis, plus Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain, made up the rest of the XI, while India fast bowler Zaheer Khan was named 12th man. Sangakkara was named captain and wicketkeeper, though he no longer performs either role for Sri Lanka in Tests.”While selecting the squad, the selectors didn’t rely only on statistics only, but took into account all other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation etc,” Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain and chairman of the ICC Awards selection panel, said in a release. “But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out. In the panel’s expert opinion, it has selected the best team based on performances over the past 12 months.”The ICC also released the short-list for its annual awards and Tendulkar will have a chance to repeat as Cricketer of the Year award but will have to fend off challenges from Amla, and the England pair of Cook and Trott to do so. Tendulkar wasn’t quite as prolific as last year, but still managed to score 973 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 64.86 and 513 runs from 11 ODIs at an average of 46.63.Cook and Trott were also short-listed for the Test Player of the Year award alongside their team-mate Anderson, with Kallis the other nominee. Cook was in particularly inspired form in Tests, making 1302 runs from 12 games at an average of 76.58 with six centuries and four half-centuries. Trott was almost as good, accumulating 1042 runs from 12 Tests at an average of 65.12 with four centuries and three half-centuries. Anderson meanwhile was a handful with the ball, picking up 50 wickets in 11 Tests at an average of 25.48 and a strike-rate of 54.00.Amla was nominated for the ODI Player of the Year award as well, along with Kumar Sangakkara, Australia allrounder Shane Watson and India opener Gautam Gambhir. Watson continued to excel in the 50-over game, making 955 runs in 19 matches at an average of 59.68 and a strike-rate of 111.17, while also chipping in with 15 wickets.New Zealand’s Tim Southee’s five-wicket haul against Pakistan was up for the Twenty20 International Performance of the Year, alongside England’s Tim Bresnan, Watson and South Africa batsman JP Duminy.Test team of the year: (in batting order) Alastair Cook, Hashim Amla, Jonathan Trott, Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), AB de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Dale Steyn, James Anderson, Zaheer Khan (12th man)

The short-lists

Cricketer of the Year: Hashim Amla, Alastair Cook, Sachin Tendulkar, Jonathan Trott
Test Player of the Year: James Anderson, Alastair Cook, Jacques Kallis, Jonathan Trott
ODI Player of the Year: Hashim Amla, Gautam Gambhir, Kumar Sangakkara, Shane Watson
Emerging Player of the Year: Azhar Ali, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Wahab Riaz
Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year: Ryan ten Doeschate, Hamid Hassan, Kevin O’Brien, Paul StirlingTwenty20 International Performance of the Year: Tim Bresnan 3-10 v Pakistan,
JP Duminy 96* v Zimbabwe, Tim Southee 5-18 v Pakistan, Shane Watson 59 v EnglandWomen’s Cricketer of the Year: Charlotte Edwards (England), Lydia Greenway (England), Shelley Nitschke (Australia), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies)Umpire of the Year: Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Ian Gould, Simon TaufelSpirit of Cricket: MS Dhoni for his recall of Ian Bell during the second Test match between England and India at Trent Bridge, July/August 2011, and Jacques Kallis for walking twice during the World Cup 2011 after clarifying with the opposition fielder if they had caught the ball cleanly
People’s Choice Award: Hashim Amla, MS Dhoni, Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Jonathan Trott

Members of the voting academy

Former players: Andy Bichel, Naimur Rahman, Aamir Sohail, Pat Symcox, Nasser Hussein, Russel Arnold, Robin Singh, Shane Bond, Grant Flower, Desmond Haynes, and John Davison (Associate Representative Cricketer)Media: Greg Buckle (Australia), Abdul Majid Bhatti (Pakistan), Azad Majumdar (Bangladesh), Kevin McCallum (South Africa), Stephen Brenkley (England), Chris Dhambarage (Sri Lanka), Ayaz Memon (India), Tony Becca (West Indies), Bryan Waddle (New Zealand), John Ward (Zimbabwe) and KR Nayer (Associate Representative) Elite panel of ICC referees representative: Chris BroadElite panel of ICC umpires representative: Aleem DarChairman of ICC cricket committee: Clive Lloyd

Neil McKenzie used all his experience gleaned over a long career in international cricket with South Africa to guide Hampshire to a two-wicket win

Cricinfo staff18-Aug-2010
ScorecardNeil McKenzie continued his fine form as Hampshire secured victory•Getty Images

Neil McKenzie used all his experience gleaned over a long career in international cricket with South Africa to guide Hampshire to a two-wicket win over Leicestershire in their Clydesdale Bank 40 at the Rose Bowl. As wickets tumbled around him, McKenzie held firm with an unbeaten 51 to help his side get home with 13 balls to spare in a rain-affected match.Leicestershire, choosing to bat first, made 176 for 8 from their allotment of 35 overs, rain having knocked five from their total available. With McKenzie in control, Hampshire reached their target in 32.5 overs, keeping alive their hopes of qualifying for the latter stages of the CB40 competition.Leicestershire struggled to get going with Hampshire captain Dominic Cork taking two wickets before rain came and on the resumption Jacques du Toit and Matt Boyce contrived the best partnership of the innings, 71, for the fourth wicket. Du Toit was caught at mid-wicket for a valiant 45 and Boyce made 37 before he became a victim for Benny Howell, a 21-year-old allrounder making his Hampshire debut.Hampshire’s young side contained eight players who had come through their academy system and one of those, left arm pace bowler Chris Wood, ripped through the middle order, dismissing Wayne White, Tom New and Jigar Naik in rapid succession to finish with figures of three for 39.Leicestershire’s total never looked likely to be enough although Nathan Buck got rid of Jimmy Adams and Howell to leave Hampshire 45 for 3 in the 12th over. But then came two substantial partnerships involving the durable McKenzie, 52 for the fourth wicket with Michael Carberry and 55 for the fifth with Liam Dawson.Nadeem Malik kept alive Leicestershire’s outside hopes of snatching an unlikely win when he had Dawson caught at square leg for 30 and then dismissed Wood next ball to leave Hampshire 153 for 6 at the end of the 29th over.Malik knocked back the off stump of Michael Bates when the scores were level but McKenzie kept calm to see Hampshire complete their fifth win. McKenzie’s unbeaten innings came off 62 balls and including five fours while the persevering Malik took 4 for 40, the best bowling of the match but it was not enough to earn his team victory.Buck also caused Hampshire plenty of problems with a sharp opening spell and concluded with 2 for 16 from seven overs but in the end Leicestershire did not have enough runs to play with.

New policy will not apply at grassroots or in new Tier 3 county competition

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2024Transgender women who have gone through male puberty will be excluded from Tiers 1 and 2 of the ECB’s new women’s county competition, as well as the women’s Hundred, after the ECB chose to bring its eligibility policy into line with that adopted by the ICC in 2023.In a statement, the ECB acknowledged that the transgender issue was a “complex area” in which it was “impossible to balance all the considerations”, but cited concerns about player safety at the sport’s elite level in explaining its new position.The clarification comes ahead of the relaunch of women’s domestic cricket in 2025, and brings the English game into line with other elite sports in the UK, including swimming, cycling, athletics, rugby league and rugby union.The policy will not, however, be extended to the grassroots game, nor to Tier 3 of the county competition, which at this stage will comprise teams from the ECB’s national (formerly minor) counties, but which will be subject to promotion and relegation from higher tiers from 2029 onwards.”Considerable time has been taken to reach this policy position,” the board said in its statement. “The ECB recognises that transgender participation is a complex area, with many strongly held views, and it is impossible to balance all the considerations.”We want everyone to feel included and welcome in our sport, and believe the position reached strikes an appropriate balance by ensuring fairness in the elite game while ensuring inclusivity at a recreational level, with specific safeguards in place to manage disparities and ensure safety.”Related

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The ECB’s previous policy had permitted any player who identified as female to compete in professional club and England pathway teams, so long as they had written clearance.In November 2023, the ICC tightened its eligibility policy at the culmination of a nine-month consultation with its stakeholders, and stated that it had based its findings (in order of priority), on “protection of the integrity of the women’s game, safety, fairness and inclusion”.The most prominent player to have been affected by the rule-change was Canada’s Danielle McGahey, who featured in the ICC Women’s T20 Americas Qualifier in September 2023, but acknowledged soon afterwards that her career was over.The ECB added: “Having considered wide-ranging views gathered during the consultation, as well as in consultations conducted during 2023, and the relevant science and medical evidence, the ECB has decided that from 2025 it will adopt the same approach as the ICC for women’s professional domestic cricket. This provides consistency, given that a primary purpose of the top end of the domestic structure is to produce international players.”The detailed policy will now be developed over the coming months, in consultation with stakeholders, and is due to be formally in place in time for the 2025 domestic season. It will apply to Tiers 1 and 2 of the new women’s domestic structure from 2025, as well as the Hundred women’s competition.”

Brothers Jack and Matt fight in eighth-wicket stand but Gloucestershire succumb in final hour

ECB Reporters Network29-Jul-2023Worcestershire’s seamers demonstrated admirable resolve to forge a dramatic late victory over Gloucestershire on the final day of an enthralling LV=County Championship match at the Cheltenham Festival.Adam Finch claimed 4 for 83, Dillon Pennington 4 for 63 and Joe Leach 2 for 57 as the visitors bowled out their neighbours for 311 to win by 110 runs with just 8.5 overs remaining.Worcestershire had earlier declared their second innings on 316 for 8, setting Gloucestershire a notional 421 to win in 96 overs. They looked on course to achieve a routine victory when reducing the home side to 190 for 7 shortly before tea, only for brothers Jack and Matt Taylor to stage a defiant stand of 95 in 27 overs.It took a late burst from Pennington with the second new ball to finally end Gloucestershire resistance, the Shrewsbury-born seamer removing Jack Taylor for a season’s-best 98 and Zaman Akhter in the space of three balls. He then bowled Paul van Meekeren for seven to seal victory, leaving Matt Taylor stranded on 49 not out.Achieving back-to-back victories for the first time since 2019, Worcestershire’s fourth win of this season saw them bank 23 points, while Gloucestershire picked up five. Worcestershire have moved above promotion rivals Glamorgan into second place in the table behind runaway leaders Durham, and they boast a handy 14-point advantage over the Welsh county and are 21 clear of fourth-placed Sussex, who have a game in hand.For their part, Gloucestershire are still seeking their first win of the season after 11 matches and only Yorkshire, docked 48 points by an ECB Cricket Discipline Commission panel earlier this week, sit below them in the table.Required to score at 4.39 runs an over if they were to break their long winless run, Gloucestershire never seriously considered the prospect of victory after losing three wickets during the morning session.Eager to make amends following his first-innings failure, Chris Dent played fluently in accruing five boundaries and moving smoothly to 24, only to then push tentatively at a delivery from Leach and offering Jake Libby a straightforward catch at third slip with the score on 37.Joe Phillips and Ollie Price had staged a superb stand of 100 on day two, but were unable to repeat their first-innings heroics on this occasion, both falling in quick succession to Adam Finch. Attempting to work a ball just short of a length to leg, Phillips top-edged a catch to Brett D’Oliveira at point and departed for 26 in the 16th over.Having posted scores of 85 and 115 in his last two Festival innings, Ollie Price blotted his copybook, taking on Finch and directing a top-edged hook straight to Leach at deep fine leg. He had made just 13 and Gloucestershire were 76 for 3 and in need of a reassuring partnership.Hammond and James Bracey did their best to keep Worcestershire’s seamers at bay in a stubborn alliance of 53 in 19 overs either side of the lunch interval. Although looking out of touch and vulnerable throughout, Bracey battled hard in scratching 19 from 64 balls, before pushing at a ball from Leach and falling to a fine diving catch by Gareth Roderick behind the stumps.Wickets have fallen in clusters throughout this fluctuating contest and, sure enough, the returning Dillon Pennington had Tom Price caught at the wicket without scoring in the next over, further reducing the home side to 130 for 5.Gloucestershire’s most effective batsman in red-ball cricket this season, Hammond continued to serve up resistance, going to his eighth 50 of the summer from 72 deliveries. It is perhaps revealing that he has yet to convert a single one of those half centuries into a hundred, and this innings proved no exception to that rule, the Cheltenham-born left-hander attempting to pull Finch and playing on, undone by a ball that kept low.He had contributed 64, faced 106 balls and struck half a dozen fours and a six, and with him went Gloucestershire’s best chance of saving the game. Fired up and in the zone, the aggressive Finch generated additional pace to bowl Zafar Gohar for five in his next over from the College Lawn End.With 40 overs still to negotiate, Gloucestershire were 190 for 7 and reliant upon their last recognised batsman, Jack Taylor, who at least reached the sanctuary of the tea interval unbeaten on 40 in partnership with younger brother Matt.Attack proved the best form of defence for the elder Taylor, who drove Leach down the ground for his ninth four to raise his first Championship 50 of the season from just 54 balls.He was just two runs short of his hundred when controversy flared. Taylor blocked a ball from Pennington, who then attempted to shy at the stumps only to hit the batsman. Umpire Martin Saggers intervened as tempers flared, awarding five penalty runs to Gloucestershire and issuing Pennington with a verbal warning.Pennington had the last laugh however, Jack Taylor dragging the next delivery onto his stumps and departing for 98. Akhter fell two balls later, edging Pennington low to first slip, leaving Gloucestershire on the brink.