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Dirk Nannes, the former Australia fast bowler, has pulled out of a planned spell as one of Glamorgan’s overseas players for the Friends Life t20

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2013Dirk Nannes, the former Australia fast bowler, has pulled out of a planned spell as one of Glamorgan’s overseas players for the Friends Life t20 after suffering a stress fracture in his back while playing in the IPL.Nannes, 37 and a T20 specialist these days, is second only to Alfonso Thomas as one of the leading wicket-takers in the format. He was set to join Marcus North, also a former Australia international and Glamorgan’s limited-overs captain, at the Welsh county but was injured during his stint at the IPL with Chennai Super Kings, for whom he took four wickets in five appearances.”We were disappointed to hear that Dirk will not be able to join us this season – he is a quality bowler and would have been a valuable addition to our squad,” Glamorgan’s head of elite performance, Matthew Mott, said. “We are now considering different replacement options and have already spoken to a number of players.”Glamorgan would have been Nannes’ fourth county, after previously appearing in the T20 tournament for Middlesex, Nottinghamshire and Surrey.

Four wickets in nine balls for Jack Brooks were to no avail for Yorkshire asthey lost their opening Friends Life t20 match with Derbyshire by two wicketswith three balls to spare.

28-Jun-2013
ScorecardChesney Hughes set up Derbyshire’s chase but it nearly went badly wrong•Getty ImagesFour wickets in nine balls for Jack Brooks were to no avail for Yorkshire asthey lost their opening Friends Life t20 match with Derbyshire by two wicketswith three balls to spare.Having been restricted to 119 for 8 after losing the toss at Headingley,Yorkshire seemed to have pulled the game their way as Derbyshire slumped to 70for 7 inside 13 overs after being 56 for 1. But Jon Clare, partnered by Tim Groenewald, slammed an unbeaten 35 from 29 balls in a ninth-wicket stand of 28 to see the visitors home in front of 3,700.Chesney Hughes and Wes Durston gave Derbyshire just the start they needed withan opening stand of 40 in seven overs, Hughes blasting Brooks for two fours anda six off the second over of the innings. But Richard Pyrah, who began with a maiden, then had Durston well caught byAzeem Rafiq at gully and Shivnarine Chanderpaul held by wicketkeeper JonnyBairstow attempting to cut.Yet it was the return of Brooks that did the real damage by grabbing twowickets in each of two consecutive overs to return career-best figures in thecompetition of 4 for 21.Hughes chopped into his stumps and Wayne Madsen edged a catch to Bairstowbefore Dan Redfern slashed and was brilliantly caught above his head at gully byRafiq and Tom Poynton holed out to Dan Hodgson on the midwicket boundary. It got even better for Yorkshire as Rafiq’s first ball was driven by AlbieMorkel low to Adam Lyth at long-on and the offspinner later trapped DavidWainwright lbw.But Clare had already thumped Rafiq over long-off for six and two foursin the 18th over from Liam Plunkett added further impetus to the Derbyshirefightback, which was nearing completion when 12 came off the penultimate over.Apart from Gary Ballance, who scored 44 from 45 balls with three fours and asix, Yorkshire’s innings never really got into gear and the highest partnershipthey could muster was only 28 for the sixth wicket between Ballance and Pyrah.Hodgson had threatened to break loose by smacking Groenewald for two fours anda six off four deliveries but he was run out for 17 when Bairstow, in what willbe his only Twenty20 appearance for his county this season, played his secondball to point and sent back his partner who could not beat Redfern’s directhit.

Worcestershire’s Joe Leach scored his maiden first-class hundred to hold up Gloucestershire’s victory charge at Cheltenham

19-Jul-2013
ScorecardJoe Leach continued to defy the Gloucestershire attack•Getty ImagesWorcestershire’s Joe Leach scored his maiden first-class hundred to hold up Gloucestershire’s victory charge at Cheltenham.Leach, who top-scored with an unbeaten 82 in the first innings, made 103 not out as Worcestershire reached 296 for eight at stumps on the third day to hold an overall lead of 152.Thilan Samaraweera also scored 63 for Worcestershire and his fifth-wicket stand of 109 with Leach did much to keep the visitors in contention, although Gloucestershire remain favourites to register their third win of the season. Will Gidman was the most successful of the Gloucestershire attack with 3 for 72, while on-loan left-arm spinner Tom Smith took 2 for 85.Worcestershire began the day on 31 for no wicket and an attritional morning session brought just 53 runs from 29 overs. Gloucestershire had to wait until the final half hour of the session to celebrate a wicket, and it came when Daryl Mitchell pushed forward to Smith and edged to Michael Klinger at slip.Smith, on loan to Gloucestershire from Middlesex, struck again four overs later when Moeen Ali gave a bat-pad catch to Hamish Marshall at short leg. Matt Pardoe’s obdurate innings of 39, from 168 balls, ended in the fifth over after lunch when he was caught behind by Gareth Roderick off Will Gidman.It became 102 for 4 when Alexei Kervezee was run out at the striker’s end by James Fuller’s throw from mid-off after being sent back by Samaraweera. Gloucestershire had to wait 27 overs for another wicket as Samaraweera and Leach put on 109 in largely untroubled fashion.Leach reached a fluent 53-ball half-century with a cover-driven boundary offspin bowler Miles Hammond, and Samaraweera reached his 121-ball fifty in the next over with a single off Smith.Gloucestershire took the second new ball immediately after tea and it was only four overs old when Will Gidman won a lbw verdict against Samaraweera, whose 134-ball innings had contained nine fours.Ben Cox departed soon after, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Roderick off Craig Miles to depart for six, and Gareth Andrew went for 14 when he edged a drive off Will Gidman into the hands of Alex Gidman at first slip.Leach continued to bat impressively and he surpassed his previous best score – the 82 he made in the first innings – with a straight-driven boundary off Will Gidman.Shaaiq Choudhry helped Leach add 28 for the eighth wicket before he was bowled by Fuller for 10. Leach survived a head-high caught and bowled chance to Benny Howell on 91 and went on to reach his century with a cover-driven boundary off Smith from the second ball of the last over.

Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim wants to put the BPL corruption controversy behind and shift focus back to cricket as the team begins their final stretch of the training before the home series against New Zealand in October

Mohammad Isam18-Aug-2013Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, wants to put the BPL corruption controversy behind and shift focus back to cricket as Bangladesh begin their final phase of the training before the home series against New Zealand in October.”It is distracting our attention,” Mushfiqur said. “But we are trying to concentrate on New Zealand who did well against England recently, a great achievement. I hope the problems [regarding the BPL controversy] will be sorted out soon. The good environment that we had should return.”It is always difficult to keep the concentration. Everyone knows it is a mental game. So you have to keep yourself focused to keep your concentration. The 12 players who are here are trying to do that. Those who are outside are also trying to do that.”Mushfiqur stated that many players suffered injuries during the BPL, an example of their commitment towards the tournament. But, he said that team owners and officials had to reciprocate that commitment.”Apart from the fixing and the payment, the standard of cricket in the BPL was good and a lot of individuals were helped by it. We always want that the BPL should continue. But as we give 100%, the involved parties should also give 100%,” he said. “Only then it should be played, otherwise it’s a waste of time. A lot of players got injured playing in the BPL. That indicates they are trying to give their 100%.”Naeem Islam and Mashrafe Mortaza were among a group of players who got injured during the BPL, and subsequently missed tours to Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in April and May respectively.Mushfiqur had previously suggested stringent punishment for Mohammad Ashraful, after his team-mate had admitted to involvement in the corruption scandal. The young captain reiterated the views, saying that the ICC and BCB should take deal with the accused in the BPL corruption issue.”I was shocked, but the guilty should be taken to task. There is the ICC and the BCB to do that. From the age-level players to everyone [involved in cricket], this should be a lesson,” Mushfiqur said. “If one of your colleagues is engaged with this sort of thing, it will hurt you. At the same time, it is not the first time in cricket. There were big names that were involved in it. But it is painful because it has happened in our country for the first time. But this should finish quickly and a normal atmosphere should return.”

Warwickshire’s dismal limited-overs campaign went from bad to worse with a five-run defeat to Netherlands at Edgbaston

11-Aug-2013
ScorecardVarun Chopra’s hundred did not stop Warwickshire sliding to another limited-overs defeat•Getty ImagesWarwickshire’s dismal limited-overs campaign went from bad to worse with a five-run defeat to Netherlands at Edgbaston.Warwickshire have endured a season to forget in the shorter formats and were out of the Yorkshire Bank 40 qualification race almost before it had started.And when Netherlands, having chosen to bat, charged to 100 without loss in the 16th over, it seemed that more misery was on the way for a Warwickshire side resting key bowlers Chris Woakes, Keith Barker, Rikki Clarke and Boyd Rankin to safeguard them for the LV= County Championship run-in.Netherlands’ charge slowed so that they eventually totalled 248 for 7, no more than par on a good batting pitch. And an opening stand of 134 in 24 overs between Varun Chopra and William Porterfield then put Warwickshire well on the way to their target.But after Porterfield perished for 62 from 70 balls, there was a loss of momentum. Chopra posted a polished century but found no support from the middle order and an equation of 49 from the last four overs proved too demanding.Warwickshire’s inexperienced bowling attack suffered early on as Stephan Myburgh and Michael Swart put 50 on the board in seven overs. Abetted by some wayward bowling, the openers added 125 in 21 overs and were only parted by their own misunderstanding. Both ended up at the same end and Myburgh’s aggressive knock was terminated as he was run out for 76 from 72 balls, with eight fours and three sixes.Swart found another assertive partner in Eric Szwarczynski, who thumped 28 from 19 balls in a third-wicket stand of 51 in six overs. When Netherlands passed 200 with eight overs left, they appeared to be heading for 270-plus but after Swart (67 from 85 balls) was well caught by wicketkeeper Pete McKay off Darren Maddy, the innings lost momentum.Wesley Barresi swiped 37 from 28 balls but the target was much smaller than had appeared likely – and was soon looking very small indeed as Chopra and Porterfield worked the ball round adroitly against a workmanlike but limited attack.But after Porterfield fell to Pieter Seelaar, Jim Troughton made 17 from 18 balls on his return to the side after six weeks out with a back injury. He perished on the offensive, though, as did Maddy and excellent bowling from Ahsan Malik further tightened the screw.Chopra was stumped off Peter Borren, having made 111 from 117 balls with 11 boundaries, and Netherlands were soon celebrating a West Midlands double having already beaten Worcestershire in this season’s competition.

Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann have both been made available for Nottinghamshire in the Yorkshire Bank 40 final on September 21.

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2013Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann have both been made available for Nottinghamshire in the Yorkshire Bank 40 final on September 21.Broad and Swann were both rested from England’s ODI series against Australia but could play one final match this summer if Notts decide to select them for the Lord’s showpiece against Glamorgan.The issue of selecting England players for county duty is a contentious one. Swann has only played twice in the YB40 this season while Broad did not appear in the group stages or semi-final. But both players have been included in a 15-man squad for the final and will travel to Durham next week for Notts’ penultimate County Championship match to train alongside their team-mates.In 2007, Warwickshire declined to select Ian Bell when he was released by England for their Friends Provident semi-final with Hampshire and there is a school of thought that it is only fair in high profile matches to stick with the players who regularly appear for their county.Swann’s two appearances in the YB40 both came in victories in Group A at the start of May. He sent down seven overs for just 15 runs and also removed Steven Crook as Notts easily defended 287 against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. Three days later he went wicketless but his eight over spell cost only 24 as Kent were restricted to 220 for 6. Notts went on to win via the Duckworth-Lewis method.Notts finished top of Group A before brushing aside Somerset in the semi-final at Trent Bridge. They are highly fancied to beat Glamorgan at Lord’s.

Neil Wagner said it was “tough” to miss out on the first Test and the made the most of his opportunity in the second, picking up his maiden five-wicket haul

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur22-Oct-2013The last time Neil Wagner played a match in Bangladesh was also the last time he played for his native South Africa at any level. That knowledge of conditions and pitches, albeit more than five years old, played a part in his maiden five-wicket haul during the second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand.”Of course I remember that tour,” Wagner said. “I remember the fields, the wickets and the players. Nasir [Hossain] and Mushfiqur [Rahim] were playing in that series too, it was my first subcontinent experience and was a learning experience that helped this time, definitely.”Wagner opened the bowling for South Africa Academy when he came to Bangladesh for a four-week tour in 2008. He took four wickets in two four-day matches and two more in a one-day tri-series also involving the Pakistan academy. A few weeks later, he played in the Liverpool league before heading to New Zealand to play in the State Championship the following season. He cut off his South African connections and four years later in July 2012, made his Test debut for New Zealand in the West Indies.This was his best bowling performance for New Zealand since his debut and while the five-for made him happy, Wagner was cautious about whether it could help him seal a permanent place in the side. Nonetheless, when Rubel Hossain nicked to the keeper to become Wagner’s fifth wicket, it was just reward for the best bowler on show.”It is tough work out there. You have to keep running in, keep fighting. It is pretty slow but I enjoy bowling on a wicket like that,” Wagner said. “You have to make sure you don’t leak too much runs. Dougie [Bracewell] and Trent [Boult] started off well. They created the pressure for me to take the wickets.”Wagner’s first four wickets were decisive to New Zealand’s progress in the game. When he removed Marshall Ayub in the first morning, it ended a strong second-wicket partnership that promised more than its final yield of 67 runs.Tamim Iqbal and Marshall were dominating the bowlers, forcing Brendon McCullum into thinking about containment before lunch on the first day. But Wagner drew Marshall forward, created a gap between his bat and pad, and got one to swing back onto the stumps. Wagner provided another crucial strike, removing Tamim for 95, to offset the balance in New Zealand’s favour. His dismissals of Mushfiqur and Sohag Gazi early on the second day prevented any fightback from the home side.Wagner didn’t play the Chittagong Test with New Zealand opting for the extra spinner, and he wanted to produce a good account of himself this time around. “I want to put my hand up and make most of every opportunity I get. I think for me personally it was tough to miss out on the first Test but it is one of those things.”He brought a bit of aggression to the proceedings, which would be needed once again in the second innings on a pitch that is likely to deteriorate further. But he likes a bit of a scrap, and that is exactly what could happen if the next three days have no more rain.”When you get another chance, you have to grab it with both hands. I have to put my head down and try to do this again. There’s always a couple of plans in place [when I bowl]. At the end of the day if the plan comes off it is a pretty good thing.”

Ryan Carters and Doug Bollinger put New South Wales in a strong position against Queensland on the second day in Sydney

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Doug Bollinger’s three wickets pushed Queensland to the back foot•Getty ImagesRyan Carters and Doug Bollinger put New South Wales in a strong position against Queensland on the second day in Sydney. Carters scored his maiden first-class hundred to take NSW close to 400, and Bollinger picked three wickets in five overs to leave Queensland at 21 for 3 in the seventh over.NSW started the day at 140 for 3 but lost Moises Henriques on the first ball of the day to Michael Neser. Once Kurtis Patterson was bowled by Cameron Boyce for 22, NSW were struggling at 187 for 5. Carters and Peter Nevill took them to safety by stitching a 144-run partnership and crossed 300. Carters scored 154 with the help of 17 fours, before being trapped lbw by Nathan Hauritz. Carter’s ton and Nevill’s 70, along with useful contributions from Trent Copeland and Sean Abbott, helped the team put on a formidable 397 before declaring.In the 15 overs Queensland batted, they lost all three wickets to Bollinger, who trapped Greg Moller lbw for a duck in the first over and then bowled the other opener Nathan Reardon for 3 in the fifth over. Just when Usman Khawaja reached double-figures, he was caught behind in the seventh over. Queensland avoided any more damage in the next eight overs with the help of Chris Lynn and Peter Forrest, who were unbeaten on 18 and 13 respectively.

A comprehensive bowling performance from England Under-19s, led by legspinner Rob Jones, set up a seven-wicket win over United Arab Emirates Under-19s in Sharjah

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2013
ScorecardA comprehensive bowling performance from England Under-19s, led by legspinner Rob Jones, set up a seven-wicket win over United Arab Emirates Under-19s in Sharjah, keeping them in top spot, but tied on four points with Pakistan who still have a game in hand.England began dominating proceedings soon after putting UAE in. Pacer Jack Winslade dismissed both openers within the first four overs to leave UAE struggling at 10 for 2. Fast bowler Harry Finch pitched in with two wickets in the ninth over before a 41-run, fifth-wicket stand between Shorye Chopra and Qazi Ayub tried injecting some resistance into the innings. Chopra was eventually dismissed for 46 off 57 balls by Jones, with the score at 66 for 5, and the legspinner combined with Miles Hammond to dismiss the rest of the UAE line-up for 94. Jones finished with figures of 3 for 19, while Winslade, Finch and Hammond took two wickets apiece.In spite of a few quick wickets, England took a little more than 21 overs to overhaul the 95-run target. Opener Jonathan Tattersall, the captain of the side, scored an unbeaten 42 off 63 balls to guide England to its second win in the tournament.

Ian Bell could hardly hide his frustration after seeing his England team-mates deliver another batting performance of striking incompetence

George Dobell at Adelaide Oval07-Dec-20130:00

‘Johnson is blowing us away’ – Bell

Ian Bell could hardly hide his frustration after seeing his England team-mates deliver another batting performance of striking incompetence.Bell was one of only three England players to reach double-figures as they were brushed aside for 172 in their first innings in Adelaide and afterwards admitted the performance was “just not good enough”.Bell finished unbeaten on 72, but could do little to stop England conceding a first-innings deficit of 398 runs. By the end of the day, Australia had extended their lead to 530 and have an excellent chance over the final two days of extending their series lead to 2-0 with three to play. England, whose top score in the series so far is 179, will probably have to bat for five sessions to save the game.”We can’t afford to be bowled out for under 200,” Bell said. “You’re not going to win anything like that. There are no excuses; it’s just not good enough. It’s another disappointing performance. There’s no getting away from it, we haven’t played very well. We’ve got to improve and improve fast.”While Bell played Mitchell Johnson with something approaching ease, his colleagues struggled. The fast bowler finished with figures of 7 for 40 with several England batsmen, especially in the lower order, looking far from comfortable when confronted with his hostility.Ian Bell kept his head – and his wicket – while all about him others were losing theirs•PA Photos”When you’re playing pace, you have to have serious courage,” Bell said. “We have to make sure that’s the first thing we have. When someone bowls at 150kph, you have to be switched on every ball. Am I scared? No, not at all scared. I can’t speak for everyone, but no.”Despite the poor start to the series, Bell remained confident that the team were capable of saving the game and clawing their way back into the series. Earlier this year, England resisted for 143 overs in Auckland to save a Test against New Zealand and a year ago, they came from 1-0 down to defeat India in India.”You’ve seen what this team has done in the past,” he said. “These games are saveable but someone is going to have to play an incredible innings. If you want to bat for a day, this is the ground to do it.”But what we’ve done in the last three innings isn’t going to get us close. So someone – or probably two or three guys – have to step up. It’s a challenge but that leads to opportunity and we have to take it.”