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There were wide eyes and a wide smile from Andile Phehlukwayo as he reflected on his second match-winning hand with the bat in a brief international career

Andrew McGlashan20-Feb-2017There were wide eyes and a wide smile from Andile Phehlukwayo as he reflected on his second match-winning hand with the bat in a brief international career.With AB de Villiers, one of the game’s great batsmen at the other end, it was Phehlukwayo who hit the crucial boundaries late in the Hamilton chase. South Africa needed 22 off 12 balls, which became 21 off 10 at which point Phehlukwayo lofted Trent Boult over long-off. Then came an even sweeter blow in the final over as he drilled Tim Southee back over his head to virtually kill the game.”I just tried to watch the ball, swing really hard and hit straight,” he said. “The first one, I was just trying to play straight but the second one I definitely knew when it came off the bat that it was going for six.”New Zealand were marginal favourites when he arrived with 52 needed off 44 balls, on a tricky pitch and three frontline bowlers remaining in South Africa’s tail, but in Phehlukwayo they had someone who had already shown a calmness under pressure early in his South Africa career.Against Australia in Durban he partnered David Miller in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 107 as they hunted down 372. Miller took the headlines, but Phehlukwayo was anything but a silent partner as he hit 42 off 39 deliveries.This time he had de Villiers around, who was concentrating on rotating the strike because he was finding boundaries difficult to come by. “He was one of the very few guys tonight who could pick up the pace of the wicket,” de Villiers said of his junior partner.”From the side it looked like that, but I was just trying to watch the ball and pick what they were trying to do,” Phehlukwayo said. “A lot of information was given to me from AB, what the bowler was thinking and what he was trying to bowl so that helped a lot. It was really exciting, I’ve never batted with him before. Everyone knows his abilities but I’ve learnt a lot from him in terms of game plans and how I need to train.”He has also had his moments with the ball in his first 11 ODIs, including 4 for 44 in his second ODI against Australia, and on the domestic scene has a reputation for proficiency in the death overs. “On the bowling end I probably need to get my pace up and get more consistent with line and length,” he said. “On the batting side I enjoy pressure situations.”South Africa may yet consider the experience of Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander for the Champions Trophy, but Phehlukwayo’s finishing skills with the bat add to his value considerably when decisions have to be made over the final squad. Currently he is one of four pace-bowling allrounders in New Zealand – alongside Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell and Dwaine Pretorius – and there may not be room for all in the final 15.His performances could also help with CSA’s transformation targets because he would be a second black player in the squad – South Africa need to average two per XI throughout a season – with few arguments that he was not worth his place on cricket merit alone.

Learning their trade at the highest level is tough for inexperienced batsmen

George Dobell10-Jun-2021By the time Zak Crawley completed his epic 267 at the Ageas Bowl last August, it appeared England had found a young player of significant ability.It wasn’t just the size of the innings that impressed. It was the range of strokes, the assured way he dealt with periods of pressure and the timing that seemed to have the ball racing to the boundary. It was an innings that bore the hallmark of real class.But Chumbawamba probably thought there were on the brink of great things after their song, Tubthumping, was a huge hit in 1997. The follow-up just wouldn’t come. Sometimes we’re nearer our destination than we think.Crawley may well still have a great future at this level. He’s only 23, after all, and, even now, there aren’t too many obvious flaws in his game. His technical game, anyway.But he is clearly struggling for confidence. And here, having been surprised by a fine inswinger from Neil Wagner the previous ball (he intended to leave it, but felt obliged to jab his bat down at the last moment as it veered towards his off stump), he was drawn into a prod at the following delivery.This time the ball – whether by design or natural variation – went straight on. Crawley could – should, really – have left it. His timid prod produced only an edge to the cordon.It was not so dissimilar at Lord’s. While his first-innings dismissal – wafting at a wide one – was ugly, the reasoning wasn’t so bad: it wasn’t a great ball. His mistake was a failure to move his front foot and, perhaps, an impatience to play himself in. Had he attempted the stroke when he had 25, he may well have picked up a boundary. But on two? The percentages were far less in his favour.In the second innings at Lord’s, he had been tied down for half-an-hour in making two runs. That should have been fine: England were battling for a draw, after all. But it appeared to leave Crawley skittish. As a result, he was just a little too eager to push – bat far in front of pad – at one which left him. Again, it resulted in an edge to the cordon.Zak Crawley rues another failure•PA Photos/Getty Images

These appear temperamental rather than technical errors. And while the slight reluctance of that front foot to get into line might be described as technical, it could equally be a sign of the tentativeness of a man who doesn’t seem to quite understand his role. If the management can assure him he has time to play himself in, that he has to earn the right to unveil the shots we all know he has, he might yet turn things around. He is still a special talent. But, having won his original call-up on potential rather than achievement, he is one who is learning his trade at the highest level. That’s tough.All this means is that, since that double-hundred, he had batted 11 times in Test cricket and passed 13 once. In that period, he has averaged 9.63 and lasted 23.60 balls per innings. In his most recent six Test innings, he has scored just 18 runs in total.There are caveats to all this. In India, in particular, he played on some of the toughest tracks imaginable. And any analysis of his batting in this series has to acknowledge he is up against a fine attack.But Test bowling attacks are always demanding. And that average just won’t do. The England management have some tricky decisions to make. Crawley has been knocked down: can he, like Chumbawamba, get up again?In an ideal world, he might now go back to county cricket and build form and confidence. But with Kent not having a Championship match for more than three weeks – and only two in the next 12 weeks – his options are limited.This is one of the most significant challenges for modern English batters. That white-ball window, whether it’s filled by T20, List A or Hundred cricket, provides little opportunity to prepare for first-class cricket against a red, Dukes ball. And while there are still a few long-form specialists around, most young players have to possess the white-ball skills – the ramps, the flicks, the power – to sustain a career. It perhaps means their embrace of the old virtues – a sound defensive game and the experience of using it for hour upon hour – has been diluted. There are times it shows.It’s not a complete coincidence that England haven’t produced a specialist batter who has been an undisputed success at Test level since Joe Root. And his debut was back in 2012.Dan Lawrence, at least, provided some resistance. His third half-century in his 12th Test innings kept England’s heads above water in this game. It wasn’t hugely convincing at first but there’s fight as well as talent in Lawrence and he backs his own game to find a way.Related

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If we look a little further ahead, though, you wonder where he fits in. With Ben Stokes to return, you would think he is vying for selection with Crawley and Ollie Pope, who looked more comfortable here before edging an attempted cut. The likes of Haseeb Hameed, who is with this squad, and Dawid Malan must be close to a recall. Time is running out to find a settled line-up ahead of the Ashes.With a crowd in full voice and beer snakes in the Eric Hollies Stand, this was a day that really did feel like a return to something approaching normal. You might even say the same about England’s mid-innings stumble.But one man who won’t look back on the day with any fondness is James Bracey. After receiving a fine delivery that beat him through the gate at Lord’s, he found himself taking strike against the great Trent Boult for his first delivery here. For a left-hander, in particular, that is almost as tough as it gets.Sure enough, that first delivery was in that probing area just outside off stump. By the time Bracey made contact, the ball had left him and the stroke looked loose. But this was a man coming off a duck on debut and unsure if the ball was going to come into him on the angle. It was fine bowling. But hey, this is Test cricket: you’re going to receive fine deliveries. It meant Bracey had faced seven deliveries at this level, been dismissed by two of them and not scored a run.Suffice to say, Bracey is a much better player than he has shown in these two innings. But Ben Foakes and Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow (all of whom have made Test centuries as an England keeper) will be available for the India series and he may have only one more innings to prove himself. It can be a brutally cruel game.Dan Lawrence drives down the ground•Getty Images

One of the things this collapse should have put to bed is any criticism of the opening pair. Yes, there were moments during their stand (72 in 30 overs) when they felt like the guy at a party who tells everyone to use a coaster. They’re sensible cricketers. And in age when we have become accustomed to the outrageous, ‘sensible’ perhaps isn’t what everyone pays to see.Sure, it would be fun if they scored quicker. And sure, there may even be a time when that run-rate costs England an opportunity to turn a draw into a win. Perhaps, in a richer playing age, they may struggle for selection.But what should be pretty clear by now is that England are not in an especially strong era of red-ball batting. They’ve a dozen men who could take the white-ball game by storm. They are spoiled for choice at the top of the order, in particular.But their Test batting line-up is as brittle as butterscotch. They need protection. They need caution. Sibley and Burns’ pace of scoring is the least of their worries. Crawley and Bracey’s pace of being dismissed is much more of an issue.

Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph led the way in the final session on day one of the County Championship game against Gloucestershire in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network15-May-2016
ScorecardGraham Wagg picked up three wickets as Gloucestershire were dismissed cheaply•Getty Images

Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph led the way in the final session on day one of the County Championship game against Gloucestershire in Bristol, to leave the Welsh county in a position of relative strength.The former South Africa Test batsman survived the early loss of opening partner Mark Wallace to help Glamorgan to 82 for 1 at the close, in reply to Gloucestershire’s 262 all out. With Rudolph 33 not out and Will Bragg unbeaten on 45, the visitors looked well set to not only consolidate their work on Sunday, but push for a first victory of the new season.The day was not so rewarding for Gloucestershire who, batting first under a near cloudless sky, soon found themselves in trouble. Openers Chris Dent and Cameron Bancroft departed for 6 and 5 respectively, as Glamorgan left-armer Graham Wagg made early inroads.Graeme van Buuren, on his first start for the county since arriving last month, played one or two shots of real quality, but eventually flashed at one too many and was caught, at the second attempt, by Chris Cooke at third slip.By lunch, Wagg, Timm van der Gugten and Harry Podmore had left the hosts struggling on 98 for 5, with captain Gareth Roderick and Hamish Marshall departing too. Roderick was snapped up in the gully by Andrew Salter for 12 before Marshall was trapped lbw by the impressive Wagg.The innings required a steady hand and that, somewhat surprisingly, came from the former Millfield School batsman, George Hankins. The 19-year-old came to the crease at 69 for 4 and batted without fear. After losing sixth-wicket partner Kieran Noema-Barnett, who was run out for a single shortly after lunch, he added 42 for the seventh wicket with the rather fortuitous Jack Taylor.Taylor, who was dropped at first slip before scoring by Bragg, was given another chance off the very next ball when Cooke spilt a straightforward catch, off Podmore, at third slip. Thereafter, he struck 24 in quick time, before being trapped lbw by Michael Hogan.Hankins continued to dominate the bowling and duly reached his maiden first-class half-century off 55 balls. Six runs later, he was bowled by Van Der Gugten, having struck 10 boundaries in his 74-ball stay at the crease.Glamorgan would have been excused for thinking the hard work had been done, as Hankins left to a standing ovation. Unfortunately Craig Miles and David Payne had other ideas and without ever looking in trouble, the pair added 90 for the ninth wicket. Payne eventually perished, for 39, as did Yorkshire loanee Josh Shaw, for 1. Miles was unbeaten on 49 as Gloucestershire were finally bowled out in the 68th over.Glamorgan made a terrible start when Wallace gifted debutant Van Buuren a catch, off Miles, in the second over of the innings. But Bragg joined Rudolph at the crease and the left-handed pair provided an even keel in the 25 overs remaining.

All six territorial boards of the West Indies Cricket Board will find representation for the first time in the upcoming Regional Women’s Tournament, which begins on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016All six territorial boards of the West Indies Cricket Board will find representation for the first time in the upcoming Regional Women’s Tournament, comprising the limited-overs format, starting Thursday. Leewards Islands will field a team for the first time in the tournament, while Windward Islands will play as a single unit, also for the first time.Windwards earlier had each of its four nations – Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenada – playing as individual teams when the regional tournament was an eight-team competition. That changed in 2015 when Windwards fielded only two outfits – North and South.”We want to welcome Leewards Women into the fold and are looking forward to them playing a valuable role in the expansion of the women’s game in the region,” Josina Luke, WICB project officer for women’s cricket, said. “We have spent the last year working with the Leewards in the development of this squad, following a decision by our directors to have them involved this year, so this is another step towards strengthening the base of the women’s game in the region and expanding our talent pool.”The banding together of the talents of the Windwards Women helps us to streamline our tournaments and bring greater competitiveness to the overall women’s game, as the ultimate aim is to create a stronger West Indies Women’s team with a view to winning more global titles.”Leewards will be captained by Shawnisha Hector, the Antiguan pacer, while Afy Fletcher, the West Indies Women’s legspinner, will lead Windwards.The tournament, this year, will comprise the Super50 as well as Twenty20 competitions. “We want to broaden the pool of players for the West Indies Women’s team, bearing in mind two important things,” Luke said. “First, we are well-placed for automatic qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup next year in England and want to remain on that trajectory with important series in the ICC Women’s Championship later this year against England at home and India on the road. Also, we want to fortify our squad in the T20 format, so we can continue to put forward the kind of performances that enhance our position as World champions.”The tournament will begin with the Super50 competition. Barbados, the defending champions, will face Trinidad & Tobago. Leewards will take on five-time champions Jamaica, while hosts Guyana kickstart their campaign against Windwards. Each of the teams will meet the others once in the round-robin stage, which will consist of five matches of 50-overs-a-side. The teams with the maximum points will clash in the final, on July 17.The T20 tournament will take place four days later with three games on each match day, all of them at the Guyana National Stadium, before a final round of play-off matches to determine positions on July 25.SquadsBarbados: Shaquana Quintyne (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Keila Elliott, Allison Gordon, Reshelle Griffith, Malissa Howard, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Shakera Selman, Charlene Taitt, , Shanna Thompson, Tiffany ThorpeGuyana Tremayne Smartt (captain), Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Erva Giddings, Melanie Henry, Mandy Mangru, Plaffiana Millington, Subrina Munroe, Kaysia Shultz, Heema Singh, Latoya Smith, Akaze Thompson, Lashuna Toussaint, Kavita YadramJamaica Stafanie Taylor (captain), Alecia Bookal, Shanel Daley, Keneshia Ferron, Chinelle Henry, Corrine, Howell, Natasha McLean, Jodian Morgan, Chedean Nation, Roshana Outar, Tameka Sanford, Jerona Walcott, Vanessa Watts, Rashada WilliamsLeeward Islands Shawnisha Hector (captain), Jasmine Clarke, Melicia Clarke, Davanna Claxton, Kimberly Dookhan, Amanda Edwards, Sherma Jackson, Rozel Liburd, Terez Parker, Grace Persaud, Kerisha Powell, Jenisen Richards, Eldora Sylvester, Saneldo WillettTrinidad & Tobago Merissa Aguilleira (captain), Kirbyina Alexander, Reniece Boyce, Britney Cooper, Rosalie Dolabaille, Stacy Ann King, Lee Ann Kirby, Shenelle Lord, Anisa Mohammed, Selene O’Neil, Kamara Ragoobar, Karishma Ramharack, Amanda Samaroo, Rachael VincentWindward Islands Afy Fletcher (captain), Stacy Ann Adams, Holly Charles, Roylyn Cooper, Nerissa Crafton, Krisani Irish, Qiana Joseph, Juliana Nero, Akeira Peters, Rosilia Registe, Yasmine St. Ange, Glendeen Turtin, Rackel Williams, Swayline Williams

Retirement hasn’t quite sunk in with the New Zealand batter focused on bouncing back from the Mount Maunganui defeat against Bangladesh

Alagappan Muthu07-Jan-2022Ross Taylor will soon be spending a lot less time on the cricket field and there’s at least one person who’s going to be fairly happy about that.”My daughter still hasn’t grasped the concept of five-day cricket yet. When I got out the other day she said, ‘Come on, Dad, let’s go home’.”Come Sunday, Taylor will be playing his final Test match of a career that began in 2007. He has seen great highs – hitting the runs that made New Zealand the first-ever Test world champions – and great lows, especially during a captaincy stint that went horribly wrong.”It doesn’t feel like it, my last game,” he said. “It hasn’t really dawned on me just yet. I suppose when you’ve still got one-dayers to go… if it was my last game full stop, then definitely it might feel a little bit different.”Related

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New Zealand will play Australia across three ODIs and three T20Is later this year. Perhaps that might be the time Taylor really figures out what it means to hang up those well-worn boots. For now, his focus is on bouncing back from 1-0 down against a fighting Bangladesh in Christchurch.”It’s all to play for here at a ground that we know well. I still think we’re learning how to play in the Mount,” he said. “But we know what to expect a lot more here than we did in the Mount (Maunganui), I think. It’s going to have bounce and carry the whole time. There’s going to be a lot of grass on it. It’s conditions that us batters are used to and I’m sure our bowlers are as well.”So, if we win the toss, we’re more often than not going to bowl and if you’re batting first, you’ve got to scrap through. Sometimes our lower order has got us out of trouble. So just trying to scrap to 200 can be well above par. We’ll just have to wait and see.”New Zealand have played eight Test matches at Hagley Oval. And they have lost only one of them. Mount Maunganui is a relatively newer ground which has hosted only three Test matches so far, and Ebadot Hossain, in particular, used it to throw up a challenge that, in Taylor’s estimation, they weren’t ready for.”They were patient, they brought the stumps into play, they made us hit straight down the ground and a lot of our players probably haven’t faced reverse swing for a majority of their careers,” he said. “It’s probably only been sporadic in the domestic circuit. And they bowled very well with it. Got it going both ways. But here, in Christchurch, the conditions will suit us a lot more than they probably did in the Mount.”So are things falling in place for a memorable Taylor farewell?”As a team, we definitely want to try and turn things around and send him off in a nice, positive way,” team-mate Devon Conway said. “It’s been a real honour to play alongside him even though it’s been sort of five Test matches for me personally but just to be in and around Ross in that change-room, it is an honour.”We spoke about it as the game ended in the Mount last week. We said we needed to try and bounce back and send him off on a positive note and try and remind him as to what he’s done throughout Test cricket.”The last New Zealand player who retired at Hagley Oval went off with a proper bang. Brendon McCullum exited the stage having struck the fastest hundred in all of Test cricket. What’s it like having to be his follow-up act?”Aw, jeepers – he’s set the bar very high,” Taylor said. “Jeepers! As I said, it’d just be good to have a win, I think. Get our first win of the summer under our belt. But in terms of being Bazesque, yeah, I don’t think there’s going to be many people who are going to be able to do what he did in his last match.”If there was one thing that Taylor did want from his final Test, it was to do well for his friends and family. “They’ve been a big part of my career today,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of the young kids that are in the side and I’ve been fortunate now that my kids are a bit older that they’ve been able to see me play, watch Dad go through the ups and downs and they’ve experienced a lot of things that I’m sure if it wasn’t for cricket they wouldn’t have been able to see. So yeah, it’s cool to have them here and hopefully we can turn up and play cool.”And will he miss the grind? “Oh 100%. But there’s aspects that I won’t miss as well,” Taylor said. “But, you know, all good things have to come to an end. I’m just looking forward to this Test match, then hopefully a few more one-dayers, and then on to the next chapter.”

Australia fast bowler John Hastings will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair a tendon his injured during a Sheffield Shield game last week

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-20161:01

John Hastings is currently the second-most successful bowler in ODIs in 2016

Australia fast bowler John Hastings will undergo surgery on his right knee to repair a tendon he injured during a Sheffield Shield game last week.Turning out for his state side, Victoria, against Tasmania, Hastings did “significant” damage to the patella tendon of his right leg, while bowling in the second innings. He had to go off after sending down only 3.1 overs then, and could not bat on the final day.Cricket Australia physio Alex Kountouris said there was no estimated timeframe for Hastings’ recovery yet, but it would likely be a long time before he is fit to play again. “Scans have revealed that John has a significant patella tendon injury and, after being reviewed by a specialist, it was decided that he will require surgery,” Kountouris said. “We expect that John will require a long rehabilitation period after surgery, and we will have a better understanding of his return to play timeframes in the coming weeks.”Hastings, 31, was a regular part of the Australian limited-overs team in 2016 until he was dropped for the Chappell-Hadlee series against New Zealand. He had expressed “shock” at being omitted for those ODIs, having been the overall leading wicket-taker in the format in 2016 (29 wickets at 24.13 from 15 games) at the point when he was dropped. He had topped the list despite missing out Australia’s tri-series in the West Indies due to an ankle injury he picked up in IPL 2016.He had also broken a finger during the fifty-overs Matador Cup in October, but recovered fully to return to the first-class competition for Victoria.Hastings will be replaced by left-arm fast bowler Jackson Coleman in the Melbourne Stars squad for the Big Bash League (BBL).

Keaton Jennings has signed a new four-year deal to remain at Durham after interest from a number of other counties

George Dobell06-Aug-2016Keaton Jennings has signed a new four-year deal to remain at Durham. Jennings, who had been out of contract at the end of the season, had emerged as a target of several rival clubs with Warwickshire having held talks with him in recent days and seeing him as a potential leader of their side.But, despite their well-documented financial pressures, Durham have been able to hang on to Jennings and have now secured him on a long-term deal. He has stood-in as captain in recent days and looks a potential club captain of the near future.Despite being born in Johannesburg, Jennings emerged through the Durham academy and made his first team debut for the club in 2012. A solid, patient, top-order batsman, he is currently the top run-scorer in the top division of the County Championship and has emerged as a valuable medium-pace bowler in limited-overs cricket. Aged just 24, he has the bulk of his career ahead of him.”Durham has afforded me the opportunity over the past few years to learn the trade and start to build a career and I am grateful for their support,” Jennings said. “As a team, we have an exciting future ahead in search of the same success that we experienced in 2013 and 2014. It’s a privilege to be part of this environment and I’m looking forward to adding value where possible.”The singing will come as a considerable relief to Durham. Already resigned to losing Mark Stoneman to Surrey, there have been fears that the club could lose several other top players to rival clubs as money troubles inhibit their ability to pay comparable wages. But news of Jenning’s new contract will boost hopes they can also retain the services of Scott Borthwick and Mark Wood.The news will be a setback to Warwickshire, though. Having lost the service of Varun Chopra, who has announced he is returning to Essex at the end of the season, the club were hoping to sign a replacement top-order batsman with many years in front of him. Jennings fitted the bill perfectly.

Lawrence makes fifty on debut as tourists take commanding lead

George Dobell15-Jan-2021Joe Root’s first Test century since November 2019 has helped England tighten their grip on the second day of the first Test in Galle.Root went through 2020 without a century – the first time in his Test career he has gone through a full year without one – and dropped out of the top 10 in the ICC’s batting rankings in the process.But here he has provided a demonstration of his enduring class in negating the sharply turning ball with calm authority and moving to his 18th Test century in the process. More importantly, he extended England’s lead to 185 with six first-innings wickets still in hand by the time rain returned at tea to bring an early close. Sri Lanka will have to bat substantially better than they managed in the first innings if they are to make England bat again.If they require an example of how to go about things, they could do far worse than emulate Root. With his judgement of when to go forward and back, his ability to manoeuvre the ball into gaps and his ability to sweep both in front and behind square, he has provided a masterclass in playing spin bowling. Kusal Mendis, at short leg, took so many blows, you suspect a boxing referee might have suggested he had taken enough punishment. Never has Root scored so many runs in a single innings from the sweep.Related

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It was Root’s eighth score of 150 or more in Test cricket and the highest score made by an England player in a Test in Sri Lanka. The previous highest was Kevin Pietersen’s 151 made in Colombo in 2012.Root was given assured support from debutant Dan Lawrence. The pair added 173 in 43.1 overs – England’s highest-ever stand in Tests in Sri Lanka – for the fourth wicket, with Lawrence losing little by comparison.Indeed, were you to put together a highlights package of the day, it would be Lawrence’s strokes that dominated. There were cuts, drives, sweeps and, shortly before lunch, he launched Lasith Embuldeniya for a slog-swept six that would have pleased Pietersen or AB de Villiers, the men his father told the BBC he idolised growing up. All in all, it suggested England might just have found a man with the character and skill to flourish at this level. Sterner tests loom, no doubt, but this was an accomplished first international innings from Lawrence.To be fair, Root’s innings was not the sort to be accurately represented by a highlights package. 72 of his runs have come in singles, after all. But while those runs might not have made the immediate impression of Lawrence’s six, his ability to find the gaps and rotate the strike make him desperately tough to contain. He looked hungry, patient and technically excellent.While Lawrence was not able to emulate the achievement of Ben Foakes, who made a century on debut here in 2018, this was a hugely promising start from the 23-year-old. Getting off the mark first ball, Lawrence looked confident from the off and, picking up the length nicely, was comfortable to skip down the pitch or go deep into his crease when required.Joe Root and Dan Lawrence took England past 300•SLC

He did provide one chance. Appearing to lose concentration for a moment, he skipped down the pitch to Embuldeniya when he had 68 and was fortunate to see the keeper, Niroshan Dickwella, parry the ball past the slips. A short while later, he received one from Dilruwan Perera which spat off the surface, took his glove and ballooned to short-leg. It was a disappointment for Lawrence, of course, but England will have noted the signs of deterioration in the surface with interest.Root and Lawrence were helped, it does have to be said, by some loose bowling. While Embuldeniya – who took the first three wickets to fall – continued to ask questions of the batsmen, he lacked the support required to build pressure. Perera, in particular, has struggled with his line and length – a floated full toss allowed Lawrence to ease his second delivery through the covers for four – allowing England to pick up regular singles.The legspinner, Wanindu Hasaranga, was no better. Lawrence was able to cut, sweep and drive him for boundaries as he struggled with his length. Hasaranga has conceded more than four-an-over so far; in a low-scoring game, it is a cost Sri Lanka can ill afford.To be fair to the bowlers, when you have Root’s range of strokes – his ability to find the gaps, in particular – it can be hard to find answers. But the fact that there were only eight maiden overs in the innings (and only three on the second day), reflects both the excellence of the batting and the lack of discipline in the bowling. To have hit ‘only’ 12 fours – 10 of them on the leg side – but still have a strike rate of 66.14 runs per 100 balls, underlines Root’s method: it’s maybe not as eye-catching as soon, but it is mightily effective.Earlier, play was delayed by 70 minutes due to rain. When the resumption eventually came, Jonny Bairstow fell in the second over of the day without adding to his overnight score. While Bairstow may reflect he could have left the ball, Embuldeniya had drawn him forward nicely and gained sharp turn to take the outside edge. Mendis also did well to cling on to a sharp, low catch.At that stage, Sri Lanka still held a narrow first-innings innings. But Root and Lawrence crushed any hopes the home side may have had of making deeper inroads into the England innings. Even the rain that returned at tea to wash out the final session only delayed Sri Lanka’s pain.

A round-up of the National Cricket League 2016-17 matches that ended on September 28, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2016

Tier 1

Rain wreaked havoc in the National Cricket League Tier-1 opening-round match between Dhaka Metropolis and Dhaka Division. Only 15 overs of play were possible over four days in the drawn game and the umpires called off play early on the final day. The other three first-round matches were also affected by rain.Barisal Division held Khulna Division to a draw at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna. Batting first, Barisal were bowled out for 261 runs in 80 overs. Abdur Razzak and Al-Amin Hossain picked up three wickets each while Barisal’s innings was propped up by three fifties by Shahriar Nafees, Fazle Mahmud and Monir Hossain. In reply, Khulna posted 424 runs with Tushar Imran and Razzak scoring 91 and 97 respectively, while Mahedi Hasan and Mehedi Hasan Miraz made 85 and 73. Golam Kabir and Sohag Gazi took three wickets each. Trailing by 163 runs, Barisal reached 248 for 8 on the final day. Nafees struck his second fifty of the match, scoring 72.

Tier 2

In Sylhet, Rangpur Division reached 224 for 5 in a chase of 265 runs in a draw against Chittagong Division in a Tier-2 match. Rangpur scored more than five runs an over in their chase, but couldn’t push their way to a win. Mahmudul Hasan struck an 89-ball 85 and Ariful Haque slammed 63 off 50 balls to control Rangpur’s chase.Earlier batting first, Chittagong put up 368 runs. Yasir Ali top-scored with 90 while Tasamul Haque struck 52. Alauddin Babu took three wickets. Rangpur conceded a first-innings lead of 13 runs after being bowled out for 355. Tanveer Haider fell three runs short of a hundred, while Saymon Ahmed (53) and Dhiman Ghosh (86) also made fifties. Yasir Arafat Mishu took 5 for 65 on his first-class debut. Suhrawadi Shuvo’s 5 for 50 then helped Rangpur bowl Chittagong out for 251 in the second innings, leaving Rangpur a target of 265.In the other Tier-2 game, Rajshahi Division also drew against Sylhet Division at home. Batting first, Abu Jayed’s five-for blew Rajshahi away for 199 runs in the first innings. Then Farhad Reza and Muktar Ali took three wickets each as Sylhet were bowled out for 175, giving Rajshahi a 24-run lead. Rain, however, ate into the game and the match ended with Rajshahi at 120 for 4 in the second innings.

Cricket Australia is keen to press on despite the situation unlikely to improve in the near future

Tristan Lavalette03-Jan-2022Adelaide Strikers
Strikers have had a disappointing season with just one win from eight games but have thus far not been impacted by Covid-19. They still suffered consecutive defeats to a weakened Sydney Thunder in recent days. Left-arm seamer George Garton will return to the UK as part of England’s T20I squad, but he was, in any case, left out for the loss to Thunder on Sunday after a run of poor form.Brisbane Heat
True to tradition, Heat have had an inconsistent season even though they appear to be rounding into form amid some stability, with no player testing positive to Covid-19. They did, however, lose English import Tom Abell to a knee injury sustained while fielding in his second BBL game of the season. To shore up their batting, Heat have signed Pakistan batter Fakhar Zaman as they eye qualification for the playoffs.Joe Clarke is one of the Stars players to have tested positive for Covid-19•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes
One of the fancied teams ahead of the season, Hurricanes have only shown glimpses of their potential in a patchy performance so far. They at least don’t have any Covid-19 drama to deal with and their side is stable in what could be an opportunity for them to finally strike consistency.Melbourne Renegades
Renegades have escaped the Covid-19 upheaval engulfing crosstown rival Stars, though they are waiting on a test result for James Pattinson ahead of tonight’s Melbourne derby at the MCG – which is traditionally the highest-attended BBL game annually.The bottom-placed Renegades have received a much-needed boost with Shaun Marsh set to make his season debut against Stars after recovering from a calf injury. Skipper Nic Maddinson will also return after having briefly been part of Australia’s Ashes squad as cover for Travis Head, who tested positive for Covid-19. But they will soon lose Reece Topley, who is part of England’s T20I squad, although he had claimed just two wickets in his last four games.Melbourne Stars
Stars have been clearly the most-affected team, with openers Joe Clarke and Tom Rogers the latest players to test positive for Covid-19. They now have 12 players, who have returned positive tests, while eight staff members remain in isolation. Victoria coach Chris Rogers has had to take the reins alongside Stars WBBL coach Jarrod Loughman and former wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite.In their loss to Scorchers on Sunday, Stars played without T20 World Cup heroes Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Joe Burns and Beau Webster. They have also lost star import Andre Russell, whose five-game stint ended against Heat on December 27.It led to the unusual situation of a desperate Stars needing to rush in a host of reinforcements plucked from local cricket in a bid to field a team against Scorchers as their sidelined players undergo a seven-day stint in isolation as per government rules.They gladly welcomed the season debut of Haris Rauf, who claimed 2 for 40 having been a late signing. Former Victoria Sheffield Shield-winning skipper Travis Dean and Pakistan quick Ahmed Daniyal have been named in Stars’ squad of 13 for the derby.Tymal Mills, who has nine wickets from five games, will be returning home•Getty Images

Perth Scorchers
Having been forced to stay permanently on the road because of Western Australia’s strict border controls, Scorchers appeared the team set to be most compromised this season. The recent league-wide developments have changed that, although Scorchers have not been unaffected, with batter Nick Hobson testing positive and quick Matt Kelly omitted as a close contact.It threatens to unsettle the three-time champions, who stormed to the top of the ladder with seven wins from eight games despite just one fixture at their Optus Stadium fortress. And their depth will be further tested with star quick Tymal Mills, who has claimed nine wickets from five games, part of England’s T20I squad, while Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis have been called into Australia’s Ashes squad.Sydney Sixers
Sixers have not been hit like the other Sydney team, Thunder, with none of their players currently sidelined. But the two-time defending champions, currently second on the ladder, will bid farewell to James Vince, who is part of England’s tour of the Caribbean. However, he has had a lean season with just 144 runs from seven innings and a top score of 44 achieved in the season opener against Stars. Jackson Bird is available again after injury.Sydney Thunder
Thunder have been the second-most-affected team with key players Alex Hales, Alex Ross, Tanveer Sangha and Sam Whiteman testing positive. It forced them to bolster their squad with the additions of former Thunder player Arjun Nair and NSW Sheffield Shield batter Lachlan Hearne. Thunder have also been further shorthanded by Sam Billings and quick Saqib Mahmood heading home to the UK.They did receive a boost with Pakistan import Mohammad Hasnain starring in his BBL debut with a triple-wicket maiden in his opening over in the win over Strikers on Sunday. Despite the adversity, as they proved in consecutive wins over Strikers, Thunder loom as the team best placed to challenge league leaders Scorchers and Sixers.