Moeen Ali was a walking wicket against Nathan Lyon this Ashes

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2018Brisbane TestFirst innings: lbw b Lyon 38, double breakthrough! Moeen is given lbw. He’s called for the review but this looks pretty good. Pitches around middle, straightens a fraction. Hits him low on the front pad. No bat involved. It’s hitting the top of middle! (Umpire’s call, so review retained) 249/6Second innings: st Paine b Lyon 40, massive turn, and Paine whips off the bails! This one is going upstairs for the stumping…Moeen’s toe is on the line, but is there anything behind it? I don’t think there is. … this is a big call. The stump cam implies there might be a millimetre in it, but I think there’ll be a riot if this isn’t given. The decision is OUT! 155/6Adelaide TestFirst innings: c & b Lyon 25, flight and dip, it’s chipped back in the air, waaaaaaaaayyyy to the left of the bowler… only for Lyon to pluck a one-handed screamer! Holy smokes! That’s not nice, Garry, it’s sensational! Slightly loose from Moeen, done by the ball dropping on him, but the connection was firm and it brought out the Superman in Lyon as he soared to his left and grabbed it with the surety that characterises everything Australia do right now 132/6Second innings: lbw b Lyon 2, tossed up, Moeen goes to sweep and is hit on the front pad… Up goes the finger! Australia are cock-a-hoop but Moeen delays their gratification by reviewing; this is going to be close but the margins are in Lyon’s favour here. Sure enough, it’s just in line (umpire’s call) and just clipping the top of off (umpire’s call) – and England are truly in the soup! 188/7Perth TestSecond innings: lbw b Lyon 11, does him second time around! This looks a smidge quicker than the last ball, but everything else is the same. Pitches on a good length just outside off and slides on with the arm. Moeen plays for turn, gets beaten on the inside edge, struck in line with all three and walks off knowing not to review. 172/6Melbourne TestFirst innings: c SE Marsh b Lyon 20, super catch! Another wicket for not a great delivery. Short outside off, Moeen rocks back and doesn’t try to keep the ball down, drives in the air and it’s grabbed out of the air at short cover by Shaun Marsh 307/6Sydney TestSecond innings: lbw b Lyon 13, sliding on, raps the front pad – and given! Moeen doesn’t hang around, he’s not even interested in spinning the DRS wheel, Lyon has bagged him for one last time in the series! Looked pretty Tweedle Dum on first glance, Australia have their first of the day 121/5

Malahide is set to lose its status as Ireland’s premier cricket venue as board look for future-proofing

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2018Malahide is set to lose its status as Ireland’s premier cricket venue, after the board of Cricket Ireland performed a U-turn and voted instead for the development of a new permanent stadium in Dublin.The venue, which will be built on a green-field site at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus, has been commissioned in order to meet both the heightened expectations of Ireland’s Test status, as well as their anticipated upsurge in fixtures when the new Future Tours Programme (FTP) is unveiled by the ICC later this year.The board, which has also approved its largest annual operational budget of 9m euro, had initially planned to redevelop Malahide to make it their main national stadium. However, a report instead recommended the campus in Abbotstown, where Cricket Ireland’s new administrative office is under construction and other world-class facilities are already available.

Afghanistan fixtures

• August 20 – 1st T20I, Bready CC

• August 22 – 2nd T20I, Bready CC

• August 24 – 3rd T20I, Bready CC

• August 27 – 1st ODI, Stormont

• August 29 – 2nd ODI, Stormont

• August 31 – 3rd ODI, Stormont

“It has been no secret that our initial thinking was based around a redevelopment and expansion of Malahide Cricket Club,” Cricket Ireland CEO, Warren Deutrom, said.”However, the report informed the Board’s deliberations around a number of important issues around venue access and future-proofing.”When we selected Malahide as the location for our main stadium in Dublin a decade ago, Irish cricket was in a very different position with a much smaller fixture list. By achieving Test status and joining the FTP, we’ve had to ask ourselves the tough question of whether that decision is still fit-for-purpose.”Fundamentally, if we are to request substantial sums from government, we need to be sure we can deliver on our programme of cricket matches at permanently-constructed venues which are commensurate with our new status.”Under the provisions of the new FTP, Ireland anticipate 60 home fixtures for Ireland’s men over the course of the coming five-year period, with additional commitments for women, regional and age-group fixtures. They have already announced an additional six limited-overs matches against Afghanistan in 2018.”What has become abundantly clear to the Board is that this dramatic increase in our home schedule means that we will need to share the load beyond our four existing international-standard grounds around Ireland (Malahide, Clontarf, Stormont and Bready),” Deutrom added.Malahide, which will host Ireland’s maiden Test match, against Pakistan in May, has been a full international venue since September 2013, when England were the visitors.Despite being well placed for transport links, the board decided that its sensitive location – within the grounds of Malahide Castle and in close proximity to residential housing – meant that future expansion of the venue would be too restricted.Cricket Ireland also attracted criticism last summer when their scheduled ODI against West Indies at Belfast, was washed out without a ball being bowled. A bespoke cricket venue, with international-standard drainage, would guard against such situations in the future.

A century from Kraigg Brathwaite ended Kent’s hopes in the West Indies Super50 Cup, as Barbados progressed to Saturday’s final with a 13-run DLS win in a rain-reduced contest in Antigua

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2018Barbados 263 for 3 (Brathwaite 105*, Chase 81) beat Kent 216 for 8 (Dickson 51) by 13 runs (DLS)
ScorecardA century from Kraigg Brathwaite ended Kent’s hopes in the West Indies Super50 Cup, as Barbados progressed to Saturday’s final with a 13-run DLS win in a rain-reduced contest in Antigua.Kent, who had qualified second in their group behind Guyana, were always up against it after losing the toss against a talented Barbados line-up.Brathwaite, the captain, added 93 for the first wicket with Omar Phillips, who made 62, and a further 144 in 21 overs with Roston Chase, whose 81 from 74 balls lifted Barbados to 263 for 3 in their 50 overs.Kent’s spinners were able to keep Barbados’s intentions in check through the middle overs, with Imran Qayyum (1 for 40) and Adam Riley (1 for 34) both returning economical figures. But Chase led the way in plundering 60 runs between overs 41 and 45 to leave the visitors with a stiff chase.With poor weather twice forcing the teams from the field in the opening overs, that challenge was made even tougher, and Kent lost both openers, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Zak Crawley, to the left-arm seam of Dominic Drakes – the son of former West Indies quick, Vasbert.Brathwaite then bowled Alex Blake for 6, and though Sean Dickson and Adam Rouse added 64 for the fourth wicket, Kent were already slipping behind the asking rate when Dickson miscued a return catch off the legspin of Hayden Walsh for 51.After the players had had to leave the field for a fourth time, Kent’s requirement became an unlikely 37 off 15 balls, and despite the efforts of Grant Stewart and Calum Haggett, they finished well short.

With the tournament scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10, SLC is also attempting to lure second-string India players to participate

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Apr-2018Russel Arnold, the former Sri Lanka batsman, and commentator, has been appointed tournament director for the Lankan Premier League, to be played in August and September. Having officially signed on several days ago, Arnold’s work begins in earnest in May.”We consider bringing in a person in the caliber of Russel as the Tournament Director of the LPL will help the process of making it a successful tournament, especially considering his experience as a player and also his knowledge in promoting the game,” said Thilanga Sumathipala, the SLC president.Although planning remains in the early stages, Sri Lanka Cricket is also attempting to lure second-string India players to the tournament, with Sumathipala having repeatedly stated that he plans to appeal to the BCCI about the issue. The presence of Indian players – even those of lesser renown – would be a substantial boon, particularly as LPL match times will be ideally suited for Indian viewers. The BCCI has never allowed its players to participate in foreign leagues, although SLC hopes to change that given the recent co-operation between both boards.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva also said that the board would insist that all its players take part in the LPL instead of the Caribbean Premier League, which is set to take place at the same time.SLC has not had a high profile T20 tournament since the SLPL, which had a lukewarm reception on the island in 2012, and was never played again. The LPL is scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10.

Gloucestershire’s lower order kept the team afloat after a tough start in which Lukas Carey also impressed

ECB Reporters Network20-Apr-2018
ScorecardMarchant de Lange helped himself to his best first-class bowling figures in Glamorgan colours as the Welsh county took the upper hand on day one of their Specsavers’ County Championship game at the Brightside Ground.He took 5 for 62 as Gloucestershire, under a cloudless sky in Bristol, were bowled out for 236. By the close, Glamorgan had reached for 26 without loss.If the day finished with de Lange taking the plaudits, it began with the impressive young seamer Lukas Carey, in centre stage.Having come into the game with 48 first-class wickets to his name, Carey was soon celebrating wickets number 49 and 50. First, he sent back Gloucestershire captain Chris Dent with a ball that knocked the left-hander’s off stump clean out of the ground. Then, with the score on 30, he trapped fellow opener Benny Howell lbw.Although James Bracey looked in decent touch at the one end, Gloucestershire lost a further two wickets before lunch with Gareth Roderick edging Michael Hogan to Nick Selman at slip, and Jack Taylor departing in the same manner as his captain had earlier in the day, bowled comprehensively by de Lange.Sadly, for Bracey, who looked in decent touch before lunch, his 72-ball innings came to an end off the first ball after the interval. Having struck six fours in a faultless 34, the young left hander chanced his arm once too often and was snapped up at slip, once again by Selman, off the bowling of de Lange.Thereafter, it was left to Ryan Higgins and Graeme van Buuren to steady the ship. The pair, who did well to survive some decent bowling from de Lange and Carey, progressed nicely on a wicket that appeared to improve throughout the second session. However, having added 38 for the sixth wicket, van Buuren missed a decent ball from Hogan and was adjudged lbw.Higgins was undeterred by van Buuren’s dismissal and he, along with Noema-Barnett, had the measure of Glamorgan’s five-man attack.Having taken six wickets against Kent on his Gloucestershire debut last week, the 23-year-old batted with due care and attention as Gloucestershire enjoyed their time in the mid-afternoon sun.Unfortunately, like those before him, Higgins, finally departed, for 43, at 168 for 7. de Lange was the wicket taker on this occasion, with Higgins having hit half a dozen fours in his 84-ball stay.Noema-Barnett continued to frustrate either side of tea, as Gloucestershire looked to prevent Glamorgan from finishing the day as they had started it. However, having reached 46, without too many concerns, he became Carey’s third victim of the day, to a ball that cut back off a length.That left Australian Daniel Worrall to carry the side through to a total that many would have felt way beyond them at lunch. He added 23 with Matthew Taylor for the ninth wicket and finished unbeaten on 36 as Gloucestershire were bowled out in the 86th over. de Lange was responsible for mopping up the tail and duly eclipsed his previous best figures for Glamorgan of 5 for 86 against Durham.

CSA will be the majority shareholder and SuperSport a part-owner of a flagship T20 tournament that will take place in South Africa in November and December 2018

Firdose Moonda08-Jun-2018A flagship T20 tournament will take place in South Africa in November and December this year, but not as the T20 Global League. Instead, a yet-to-be-named competition will take place, of which CSA will be the majority shareholder and satellite television company SuperSport a part-owner. Details such as the number of teams, matches and allowances for overseas players are yet to be ironed out.The new league will replace the stillborn T20 Global League, which was due to be played last year, was postponed three weeks before the scheduled start, and caused considerable uncertainty in South African cricket. Chiefly, the T20 Global League accounted for the departure of CSA’s former CEO Haroon Lorgat, who parted ways with the organisation in September 2017 after fallouts with the board over the details of the running of the league, among other things.The original tournament was Lorgat’s brainchild and was launched in June last year in London, with seven foreign owners for the eight teams including three IPL owners and two from PSL. None of those stakeholders will be involved in the new competition, which is essentially a South African product.Thabang Moroe, CSA’s acting CEO, who will remain in place for at least the next two months, told ESPNcricinfo that the eight previous franchise owners have been refunded their deposits of USD 250,000 even though CSA had initially sought to engage them about staying involved. Two owners, however, have denied receiving a refund.The only outside involvement in the new tournament will come from SuperSport, who will be the official broadcast partner of the league. CSA did not have a broadcast partner when it tried to launch the T20 Global League. When the T20 Global League was conceptualised, SuperSport believed it already had the rights to all cricket played in South Africa. However, their deal excluded what CSA defined as “new business”, and the board sought a broadcaster abroad. At the same time, they were engaged in discussions with SuperSport, which is understood to have offered CSA much less than Lorgat wanted.Sources have since revealed that SuperSport was also interested in owning a team in the league and eventually put together a proposal with other businesspersons to buy the league from CSA. Now, SuperSport have confirmed the involvement they desired and will contribute capital, together with CSA, to fund the new league. Moroe called the deal “the biggest in the history of South African domestic cricket, which will ensure the welfare of the game in South Africa.”No other financial details have been released at this stage, including whether there will be a player draft or auction, as there was for the T20 Global League. When the tournament was postponed, South African players were paid out 60% of their contract value and foreign players 50%. In total, the player payout amounted to around R80 million (USD 6.08 million), which made up less than half of CSA’s total loss of USD 14.1 million.There is no indication of whether the new tournament could be similarly lucrative for players this year, but CSA is committed to involving some international stars, which will doubtless increase their wage bill. The specifics around how many foreign players will be included, and other logistical details, will be discussed in the coming weeks.Most importantly, the numbers of teams and fixtures will be of interest. The T20 Global League was due to have eight teams and 57 matches, over 44 days but the new tournament is expected to be played over a smaller window, because of South Africa’s other commitments.South Africa will tour Australia for three ODIs and two T20Is between October 31 and November 17, and then host Pakistan for a full home series from December 26, which leaves a five-week window for the new tournament to be played. The T20 Global League was due to conclude on December 16, a public holiday in South Africa which marks the start of the festive season. If the new tournament takes the same format, that reduces the window to four weeks.The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), that helped negotiate the player payouts from the failed T20 Global League and has been pushing for a tournament in the country welcomed the news as long overdue.”We believe that it is critical for South Africa, as one of the world’s leading cricket countries, to have its own world class T20 competition and that this is as attractive to players as some of the existing T20 leagues in other countries. Players and their performances will be at the heart of the success of the competition,” Tony Irish, the SACA CEO, said in a release.SACA said it has not been privy to any discussions between CSA and SuperSport but hope to engage with the parties as the tournament date draws closer. SACA is also in the process of finalising its MoU with CSA which should conclude by the end of the month.

Birmingham had 33 on the board after Matt Fisher’s opening over and engulfed a target of 158 with 25 balls to spare

ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2018
ScorecardSkilful spin bowling and explosive batting powered Birmingham Bears to an eight-wicket win over Yorkshire Vikings in the Vitality Blast North group at Edgbaston.Yorkshire totalled 157 for 7 thanks principally to Gary Ballance’s high-class 79 (49 balls, six fours, four sixes). But only Ballance batted with freedom against an attack in which the spinners starred with Jeetan Patel taking 4-1-23-0 and the recalled Dominic Sibley 4-0-25-1.If the total looked slightly below par, it appeared even more so after Ed Pollock took 26 off an opening foray from Matt Fisher that left Birmingham 33 for 0 after one over. Pollock’s 14-ball 39 (five fours, three sixes) laid the platform on which Ian Bell and Adam Hose both made half-centuries as they built with an unbroken stand of 83 in 55 balls. Victory arrived with 25 balls to spare.Warwickshire coach Jim Troughton said: “I actually feel like a fan watching our guys bat at the moment. Ed Pollock has got the highest strike-rate in the world now for someone who has scored over 300 runs in T20 cricket. In that first over today he just killed it and that’s what he has done pretty much every innings. Polly takes games away from teams in the Powerplay and he did that today.”Jack Brooks, Fisher’s Yorkshire fast-bowling team-mate, said: “The way they came out they had put the game to bed almost before the innings got going. We’ve told Matt that in Twenty20 cricket you get freak overs sometimes and some really good bowlers have gone for more than he did in that over. Stuart Broad went for 36 once. We said not to get too down about it and laugh it off because we all know what a good cricketer he is.”Put in, Yorkshire slumped to 28 for 3 in the fifth over. Adam Lyth fell to the second ball of the innings, lbw to Henry Brookes, Tom Kohler-Cadmore lifted Olly Hannon-Dalby to deep square leg and Harry Brook sent up a skier off Brookes.Ballance and Jonny Tattersall added 43 from 36 balls before the latter played on to Sibley. As the spinners bowled tightly, Patel, on his 109th T20 appearance for the Bears, delivered his first T20 maiden for the club.Jack Leaning played on to Elliott but Ballance completed a superb half-century from 37 balls including two sixes, both ‘touched over the bar’ by fielders.Brookes’ well-judged boundary catch removed Tim Bresnan off Hannon-Dalby but Ballance and Matt Fisher (17 not out from six balls) thrashed 43 from the last three overs to ensure a competitive total.Fisher’s hitting had given his side late impetus but the 20-year-old then endured a nightmare opening over which included a five-wides, a no ball and two sixes and two fours from Pollock. When the opener departed to a boundary catch off Steve Patterson in the fourth over, his onslaught had already taken his side past 50.Sam Hain soon fell to a fine catch by Bresnan at long leg but if there was a sliver of hope for the Vikings it was quickly snuffed out as Bell and as Hose raised a half-century stand in 33 balls. Hose lifted Azeem Rafiq over long-on for six to take the total past 100 in the tenth over and, in front of a 10,395 crowd, the Bears cruised to their second eight-wicket victory in three games in the competition this season.

The former New Zealand allrounder had been diagnosed with bowel cancer last month, and had a tumour removed

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2018Sir Richard Hadlee will undergo further surgery following the discovery of secondary cancer in his liver. An NZC statement said it was still at a “very early stage”. The former New Zealand captain had been diagnosed with bowel cancer last month, and had undergone surgery to have a tumour removed.”Medical advice is that it’s still at a very early stage and is operable,” the release, issued on behalf of Hadlee’s wife Lady Dianne, said. “Once he has recovered from the operation, Richard will undergo further chemotherapy treatment.”As with the first statement released on this matter, we disclose these details solely in the interests of transparency, and to avoid speculation and gossip. We would again ask that people respect our request for privacy.”

ECB trials for The Hundred in September will feature experiments with “various elements of the playing conditions”, according to the PCA

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2018ECB trials for The Hundred in September will feature experiments with “various elements of the playing conditions”, according to the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), which has been helping to coordinate player availability for the test outings at Trent Bridge and Loughborough.Daryl Mitchell, the PCA chairman, has previously warned that the competition won’t succeed if players aren’t on board. The pilot matches are aimed at informing the ECB’s decision-making process and Mitchell indicated feedback may help determine “if the format is workable”.The PCA has been critical of the way the proposed 100-ball format was announced, with minimal consultation, earlier in the year. However, the organisation has now been in contact with players to help facilitate the trials, with a number of details still to be worked out.Plans for the new competition, to begin in 2020, have reportedly involved numerous tweaks to the game, some more outlandish than others. It is thought that 20 five-ball overs is now the preferred format, but little is set in stone beyond the concept of each side facing 100 deliveries.The PCA hopes that representatives from the majority of the 18 counties will be able to take part in the trials, with men’s games being hosted at Trent Bridge on September 16, 17 and 18. Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire have agreed to cancel a 2nd XI fixture in order to provide players.Women’s matches will be played at Loughborough on September 14, 15 and 27.”The trials will provide an opportunity for players to get involved and to experiment various elements of the playing conditions which will be tested before providing feedback to the ECB on if the format is workable,” Mitchell, who plays for Worcestershire, said.”After the proposed 100-ball format was announced in April, consultation with PCA members has been regular, with numerous conversations and meetings between the ECB, PCA and player representatives to discuss playing regulations. All current male players have been contacted today to notify them of the details for the pilot matches with player availability coordinated via the counties and the ECB.”Mitchell said he expected that “three or four XIs” would be selected, in order to “maximise investigations” into the new format, with all of the players involved set to receive match fees.

He wants to emulate his father Abdul Qadir by playing international cricket. Not for Pakistan, the land of his birth, but for Australia

Daniel Brettig26-Sep-2018Though legspinners are famously furtive about revealing their intentions, there is no such secrecy about Usman Qadir’s desire to emulate his father Abdul Qadir by playing international cricket. Not for Pakistan, the land of his birth, but for Australia, the country he has found increasingly receptive to his maturing repertoire of legbreaks, googlies and topspinners.On Wednesday, Usman made his state debut for Western Australia, and made an instant impression by fooling Cameron White in his very first over before going on to returning the notable figures of 3 for 50 in Warriors’ thumping of Victoria at the Junction Oval. It was fitting that Qadir perform so well in Melbourne, given that two decades ago it was for the city’s Carlton Cricket Club that Abdul Qadir claimed a record-equalling 76 wickets in club cricket, beginning a relationship with Australia that has led to his son’s WA sojourn.Having seen the pathway opened up by another legspinner of Pakistani origin – Fawad Ahmed in 2013 – Usman has identified his qualification for a distinguished talent visa and its attendant fast-tracking of Australian citizenship as means by which to be able to play for his adopted country in time for the 2020 World Twenty20 tournament, hosted by Australia. His application would need to be sponsored by Cricket Australia, and his performances would need to have demonstrated exceptional skill that will be of material benefit to Australian cricket.”When I saw Fawad, the government changed the law for him, I am going to apply for a distinguished talent visa and before that I’ve got permanent residency and hopefully I will get citizenship as well in two years’ time,” he said. “My goal is to play for Australia in the 2020 World Twenty20. Hopefully, definitely [I will be eligible].”It’s been six years since Usman, 25, first loomed as a possible Australian representative. Having played for Pakistan at the 2012 Under-19s World Cup in northern Australia, he was encouraged by then South Australia coach Darren Berry to play club cricket for Adelaide, where he performed well and seemed on course to graduate to higher honours.”All the credit goes to him because he’s a great guy, he supported me as well, but at that time they said you can get the nationality next year and you can get the contract as well, and that’s when I said to my dad,” Usman said after the game. “But that time I was very small, I couldn’t have a mature mind, so my dad said ‘you have to come back and play for Pakistan’, so that’s why I flew back to Pakistan.Usman Qadir is congratulated on his Western Australia debut•Getty Images

“I got named in the Pakistan team and my father was the chief selector at that time and he took my name off because he said ‘everybody is going to say to me that your son is not performing well’, but at that time I got the hat-trick and got seven wickets, and the chairman put my name in the team and he said, ‘no, everybody is going to say that you take your son in the team’.”After that I quit cricket for one-and-a-half-years, and I keep telling him I don’t want to play for Pakistan, I want to go to play in Australia and make my future. He kept telling me, ‘no, you have to play for Pakistan’ but last year he said to me ‘if you want to go you are grown up, you can do whatever you want to do, I’m with you and I’ll support you’.”So it was that two years ago, Usman returned to Australia with the intent to build a new cricket career. At the time, his father suggested that it was fair enough to make the move, having exhausted his options in Pakistan. “I, as a father and a former cricketer, have lost trust in our system to give a fair chance to our players to prove themselves,” Abdul Qadir said in 2016. “I don’t want to see my other son to go down and suffer due to this system which doesn’t respect their legends.”I never went to any selector on behalf of my son and never will. My other sons were also capable enough to represent Pakistan but they didn’t grow, but Usman is very much capable and I know he has potential for top-level cricket. I have allowed Usman to decide about his future. I did hold him back from migrating to Australia in 2013, and asked him to stay in Pakistan. But now after him being ignored for more than three years, I don’t think it’s fair for me to stop him anymore.”Last summer he played for Hawkesbury in Sydney club cricket, scooping 36 wickets in a mere six matches and catching the attention of WA’s then coach Justin Langer in a net session. Langer, of course, is now Australia coach, so it is the commission of his successor Adam Voges to manage Usman’s path. For now, that includes 50-over matches and a Big Bash League contract with the Perth Scorchers; a Sheffield Shield call-up looms next.”There is politics, they’re making their own decisions, they have likes and dislikes and that’s why I don’t like that,” Usman said of his experience in Pakistan. “If I’m performing well you can see, and I did not get any chances to play good cricket. I said to myself that I didn’t want to play in Pakistan anymore, so I moved here.”If I’m performing well, hopefully they give me an opportunity to play four days (Sheffield Shield) as well. I’m living at the moment in Sydney, hopefully I’m going to move to Perth to play in club cricket and performing well there hopefully they give me a chance to perform in four days as well.”