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If Mushfiqur does sit out of the Christchurch Test, Nurul Hasan may get his maiden Test cap

Mohammad Isam18-Jan-2017Mushfiqur Rahim has been kept under observation for multiple injuries but it is his thumb that’s more worrying than the blow to the neck he suffered on the fifth day of the first Test. According to team physio Dean Conway, he will need more time to recover from the finger injury.”His finger injury is worse,” Conway told reporters. “The hairline crack that has been found is new. He will need to give more time for this injury.”At the same time however, local doctors have reportedly advised him not to take the field for at least a couple of weeks even though the neck scan revealed no damage. Conway said that Mushfiqur may need at least three weeks to fully recover from the hit on the neck.”Doctors in New Zealand usually advise not playing for three to four weeks. In England they advise not taking the field for two to three weeks. In that regard, Mushfiqur may need three to four weeks to return,” he said.If Mushfiqur does sit out the Christchurch Test, wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan will step up and make his Test debut.

A round-up of the Ranji Trophy Group C matches on December 4, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Rahul Shukla took his third five-for in first-class cricket•PTI

Jharkhand wrapped up a 10-wicket win against Hyderabad to secure their place in the knockouts. Resuming on 169 for 6, Hyderabad managed 267 on the back of B Anirudh’s unbeaten 78. Jharkhand then chased down 27 in 3.4 overs with 10 wickets to spare to take a bonus-point win as they became the second team from Group C, after Saurashtra, to qualify for the quarter-finals. Anirudh hit 10 fours and a six during his 78 off 135 balls but did not get enough support from the lower order. Rahul Shukla was the pick of the bowlers for Jharkhand, claiming his third five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
ScorecardServices cruised to an innings and 62-run win in Agartala, consigning Tripura to their fifth defeat of the season and leaving them rooted at the bottom of the table. Tripura, who began at 9 for 0 following on, needed to score at least 282 to make Services bat again. Parvinder Singh and Rajesh Banik stroked half-centuries to keep the team afloat, but meaningful contributions from the other players were few and far between, as Services struck at regular intervals to bowl the hosts out for 220. Raushan Raj ended with figures of 3 for 37, while Diwesh Pathania and Muzzaffaruddin Khalid snared two scalps apiece.

Members of the Australia women’s cricket team will be among the country’s highest-paid female athletes as part of a restructure of the Cricket Australia contract system

Brydon Coverdale21-May-2013Members of the Australia women’s cricket team will be among the country’s highest-paid female athletes as part of a restructure of the Cricket Australia contract system. The leading players could earn up to $80,000 over the next year as part of the new payment programme, with the top player retainer having increased from $15,000 to $52,000 and the minimum retainer having been boosted from $5000 to $25,000.There has also been a substantial increase in the player tour payments from $100 a day to $250 a day, which could add up significantly over the next year, when the national team will be touring for 85 days. Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said the move was “a landmark step” for women’s cricket and a fine recognition of the success of the Australians, who currently hold both the World Cup and World Twenty20 titles.”We are still working towards the day when Australia’s female cricketers will be able to earn a full-time, professional living from cricket,” Sutherland said. “But the performances of our female stars justify this step and the day will come when future, full-time professional female cricketers will look back and thank those who went before them.”Sutherland said the success of the national team had contributed to a boost in female cricket participation, which has increased by 18% in the past year to 180,000 female participants across Australia. State players will also benefit from the cash injection, with Cricket Australia to provide each state and the ACT with $100,000 a year to help fund minimum standards for women’s cricketers contracted to play in the national competitions.”This is a massive boost for women’s cricket in Australia and I know all players thank CA and ACA [the Australian Cricketers’ Association] for agreeing to this additional funding,” current Australia player Alex Blackwell said. “Female players have never been better supported. With women’s cricket growing both here and internationally, the opportunities for players are increasing. These extra dollars will help strike a balance between the sacrifices required to reach the top levels and the rewards that come with this. It’s a great time to be playing and makes you look at the upcoming season with a huge level of excitement.”Lisa Sthalekar, who has recently retired from international cricket but remains a member of the ACA executive, said: “For such a long time, female cricketers have trained and played at the highest levels but took a financial hit to do so. From paying for a lot of their expenses to sacrificing earnings for time away from work, the cost has been significant to this point – and forced too many players to retire prematurely. These funds help show how far women’s cricket has come in recent times and will provide a wonderful incentive to current and future players to follow their dreams within a more supportive financial environment.”The first group of national players who will benefit from the new payment system has also been named. Fourteen players will be contracted for the next year, down from 18 last season, with the intention to concentrate on a core group of players.Holly Ferling, 17, has been added to the squad after impressing on debut at the World Cup earlier this year, while other additions from last year’s list include Ellyse Villani and Megan Schutt. Along with the newly-retired Sthalekar, the other players left out from the 2012-13 squad are Lauren Ebsary, Sarah Elliott, Sharon Millanta and Leah Poulton.Contract list for 2013-14 Alex Blackwell, Jess Cameron, Sarah Coyte, Holly Ferling, Jodie Fields, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Julie Hunter, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani.

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL final between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai

The Preview by George Binoy26-May-2012

Match facts

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)When these sides met in Chennai during the league stage, Knight Riders won by five wickets•AFP

Big Picture

They are here, again. Those resilient, stubborn Chennai Super Kings. In another IPL final, their fourth in five seasons and their third in a row, pursuing a hat trick of titles. Love them, hate them or couldn’t care less about them, you have to give it to them – the Super Kings got game. They know when and how to turn it on, too, though this season they dangled off the edge of the precipice, holding on with their pinkies, for longer than was comfortable.Kolkata Knight Riders did not leave their chances hinging on an improbable combination of results over which they had no control. They reached the playoffs with a game to spare and made short work of Delhi Daredevils to enter their maiden IPL final. Their performances have been efficient and consistent and they should logically be favourites tomorrow. But they’re facing a resurgent side on its home turf.Super Kings are blessed with loyal fans and the pricklier among them bristle at insinuations that fortune played a role in their team making it to Chennai on Sunday. They got enough points, didn’t they? And they didn’t design the schedule, so they had to hope three results went their way to make the playoffs. And Kings XI Punjab just weren’t good enough to beat Delhi Daredevils, and Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore weren’t good enough to beat bottom-placed Deccan Chargers. What’s luck got to do with it?That Super Kings had to wait five days to know they would be able to defend their title was because of an out-of-sorts start to the season. At times they, the IPL’s least changed side over five seasons, looked passé compared to some of the other teams, who had strengthened squads with new personnel. Super Kings’ turnaround only began after ten league games, of which they had won four. They won four of their last six matches, so their form, when they entered familiar playoff territory, was satisfactory.And then they were near perfect. After clambering on to level ground, Super Kings’ misfiring batting line-up, the longest in the IPL, found its guns and annihilated Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils with breath-taking confidence.While Super Kings had abundant success in seasons past, Knight Riders had nothing. In the first three years, they were the only team without a top-four finish. So in 2011, Knight Riders abandoned failed strategies, completely overhauled their squad, and climbed to fourth in the league, but lost the eliminator. In 2012, they have gone farther, converting their second-place finish in the league into a berth in the finals by beating Daredevils in the first qualifier.Knight Riders also had an iffy start to the season, losing three of their first five games. Since then they’ve lost only two out of 11, acquiring the rarest quality in Twenty20 cricket – consistency. There were no dramas in their progress to the playoffs. Their success has been built around two people with supporting contributions from the rest. The captain Gautam Gambhir has been a reliable run-scorer, while the spinner Sunil Narine has confounded all and sundry with his unreadable variations.If they perform like they have this season, Knight Riders have little reason to worry. Whether they can perform in their first final, against opponents seasoned to such pressure, is the question.

Form guide

(most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings: WWLWW
Kolkata Knight Riders: WWWLL

Watch out for …

Sunil Narine: At present, he has the second most wickets this season, the best economy rate, and the best average for anyone who’s played more than two matches – 24 wickets, 5.20 per over and 11.95 per wicket. Gambhir’s used him in a variety of situations – early on to drag back a quick start, in the middle to exercise control over the game and at the end, when batsmen have only attack on their minds. Narine’s delivered each time. Gambhir’s utilisation of Narine in the final will be crucial. Super Kings bat until No. 9 so Gambhir will have to decide when and against whom Narine can have the greatest impact.The middle orders: With top orders evenly matched and Knight Riders shading the bowling battle, this is where Super Kings score heavily over their opponents. The line-up comprising MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, S Badrinath and Albie Morkel is far more reliable and powerful than the one comprising Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Manoj Tiwary, or variations of it. Knight Riders are more dependent on their top order than Super Kings are, although Yusuf Pathan did make his first proper contribution in the qualifier against Daredevils.

Team combination

Barring last-minute fitness problems, Super Kings are certain to play the same XI that won them the two knockout games to reach the final.A couple of Knight Riders players have hamstring concerns. Manoj Tiwary missed the knockout against Delhi because of a strain and was replaced by Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who impressed with 24 off 11 balls. Tiwary is likely to be fit, though, so either Shukla or Debabrata Das, who has also performed well, could make way. The bigger hamstring concern, however, is over L Balaji, who injured himself during the qualifier. Balaji has been the solitary Indian seamer in the Knight Riders attack so his absence could cause significant change to the team composition.

Meetings this season

At Chepauk, Knight Riders won by five wickets and two balls to spare. Super Kings were restricted to a middling total and the victory was more comfortable than the margin indicates.At Eden Gardens, Super Kings won by five wickets off the final delivery. Chasing 159, they* had reached 97 for 0 in the 11th over when Narine derailed the innings during a spell of 4-0-14-2. With 5 to get off the last ball, Bravo launched Rajat Bhatia over the long-on boundary.

Stats and trivia

• In the last five overs of the innings, Super Kings have scored at 10.64 per over on average this season, which is the second best after Royal Challengers Bangalore. Knight Riders have scored at 9.32 per over during this period. There is very little separating the sides’ run rates in the first six overs, though Knight Riders are a little faster.
• Knight Riders have had the best spinners of the tournament. They’ve taken the most wickets at the best average and economy rate – 48, 16.20 and 6.09. Their attack of choice in recent games has been Narine, Iqbal Abdulla and Shakib Al Hasan, with Yusuf chipping in. Super Kings’ spinners are second best, but by a distance.

Quotes

“When you go on to the field, you do not go there to make friends but you are there to get results in your team’s favour. You have to be aggressive on the field. That is how we have won matches and now we are in the final and not to just compete.”
.”With his action, it is difficult to catch him as to which side he is bowling, whether it is the one that comes in to a right hander or it goes out. The variation he has got and the consistency that he has got in maintaining line and length has been crucial.”
.*The text said Knight Riders earlier

Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake is confident that his young and inexperienced charges can spring a surprise on England in the upcoming three-Test series

Sa'adi Thawfeeq15-May-2011Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake is confident that his young and inexperienced charges can spring a surprise on England in the upcoming three-Test series. Ramanayake, who played 18 Tests and 62 one-day internationals from 1988 to 1995, will have to make the most of limited resources especially in the pace department.Without the retired Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga the onus will be on Dilhara Fernando, who has played 35 Tests, to lead the attack. Fernando missed Sri Lanka’s first warm-up match against Middlesex, at Uxbridge, but will play against England Lions next week ahead of the opening Test in Cardiff. The total experience of Sri Lanka’s five seam options is limited to 105 wickets in 43 Tests with 90 of those coming from Fernando.None of the fast bowlers picked for Sri Lanka’s last tour to England in 2006 are around in the present squad namely, Vaas, Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Nuwan Zoysa and Farveez Maharoof, although the latter was drafted in for the first week of the tour. Fernando toured England in 2002 and is the only bowler with some kind of experience in English conditions.”Yes, we have one of the most inexperienced fast bowling line ups taken to England. Except for Dilhara Fernando the others haven’t played much Test cricket at all,” Ramanayake said. “It’s an opportunity for the youngsters to take over and continue. We have the disadvantage of inexperience but looking at it the other way none of the English players have played against our fast bowlers before. It’s an unknown attack to them. I think with that we can unsettle them.”England will know plenty about Fernando and did have a brief taste of Chandaka Welegedara, the left-arm quick, when he made his Test debut at Galle in 2007 but their preparation for the rest will rely in video footage and some advice from Andrew Strauss who hit 151 against them at Uxbridge.”The Englishmen don’t know much about these bowlers and they have not faced them,” Ramanayake said. “It will take some time for them to gauge them and get to know what they are doing. They all bowl quite sharp. Nuwan Pradeep and Thisara Perera bowl in the 140s, Suranga Lakmal has already played two Tests against West Indies and bowled really well.”Perera is waiting on the wings to get into the Test team and has done well in the past year and a half in ODIs. We’ve got some good youngsters and I am quite happy to take this squad because we can really work something with these boys. They can improve and you’ll never know they’ll get wickets in English conditions. I have great belief in them that they can do well.”Pradeep, who had an IPL contract but left early along with captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, is one who comes in for particularly praise from Ramanayake. “You take Pradeep he hasn’t played any cricket at all in his younger days and at school,” he said. “He’s got raw pace, beautiful rhythm and consistency. Consistency comes from rhythm. If the rhythm pattern changes then you don’t bowl a consistently good line and length. You’ve got to be smart as well nowadays.”You got to expect what the batsman is going to do, assess conditions and adjust to the situations and bowl. All these young fast bowlers they haven’t got it yet, but they are getting it from the exposure we give them. They got the right ingredients and this is the best bowling unit we have right now.”Ramanayake also hopes that responsibility will help bring the best out of Fernando who has always been foil for the likes of Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan but now has to be a spearhead on his own. “Dilhara hasn’t played much cricket in the last few months but still the selectors have faith in him,” he said. “He has to deliver the goods because he is the only experienced bowler and he has to show that he is good enough to play Test cricket. That will give him a little bit of responsibility to take up the challenge and do well in England.”Ramanayake thinks Sri Lanka will play three quick bowlers in the Test series, although there best chance could come if the dry weather continues and their spinners – Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis and Suraj Randiv – can play both an attacking and defensive role.”The two warm-up games are vital for us and whoever performs well will have a good chance of playing because you got to get used to the conditions,” he said. “Depending on the pitches three will definitely play or maybe four if there is a lot of grass on the wicket. We are expecting some seaming tracks, but you never know.”England has been quite warm. The weather pattern has changed and we might get warm weather but normally in early summer the wickets are expected to seam. We’ve also got three good spinners in our attack. Rangana very experienced, Suraj has been bowling really well and Ajantha has also got some experience.”

Another impressive innings from Chesney Hughes raised Derbyshire’s hopes of
avoiding the follow-on before England all-rounder Luke Wright landed two late
blows at Derby

06-Jun-2010
Scorecard
Another impressive innings from Chesney Hughes raised Derbyshire’s hopes of
avoiding the follow-on before England all-rounder Luke Wright landed two late
blows at Derby.The 19-year-old Anguillan passed 50 for the fourth time in only his fourth
County Championship Division Two match but was out for 62 to the first ball back
after a break for bad light and rain.Wright then bowled 20-year-old Dan Redfern for 44 and at the close, Derbyshire
were 244 for 6, trailing by 185, in reply to Sussex’s 429. Skipper Chris Rogers had continued his prolific form with 75 before he was one of two victims for England spinner Monty Panesar who had figures of 2 for 42 from 17 overs.Robin Martin-Jenkins followed his century by removing Garry Park but the Sussex
bowling was inconsistent on a day when conditions suggested it would be awkward
for batting. Cloud cover and moisture in the atmosphere should have favoured the seamers but
James Anyon struggled with his line and there were too many loose balls for the
batsmen to put away.Sussex had put themselves in a strong position with the last four wickets
adding 303 to leave Derbyshire needing 280 to avoid the prospect of being asked
to follow-on.Yasir Arafat and Anyon put on 64 for the ninth wicket before Anyon swept the
left arm spin of Robin Peterson into the hands of deep midwicket and a direct
hit from point ran out Panesar.Arafat was unbeaten on 34 and he gave his side the perfect start by striking
with the fifth ball of the Derbyshire innings when he trapped Wayne Madsen lbw
playing half forward. But the prize wicket of Rogers fell from the visitors’ grasp when the
Australian was dropped on 15 in Anyon’s second over by wicketkeeper Ben Brown.Rogers had already started to head for the pavilion after he saw Brown take
the edge diving to his left but the ball appeared to slip from his glove when he
hit the ground. The Derbyshire captain made the most of his escape and greeted Panesar by
driving his first two balls to the ropes as he and Park rebuilt the innings.They had added 96 when Park reached at a delivery from Martin-Jenkins which he
should have left alone and was well caught low down at a wide second slip by Ed
Joyce.Greg Smith made only two before he sent a return catch to Panesar trying to
work the ball through midwicket and when Rogers jabbed into the hands of short
leg, Derbyshire were 127 for 4. But Hughes again played with composure and with Redfern was steering Derbyshire towards their target before Wright dismissed them both in the space
of three overs.Hughes, who had pulled Wright for six, was lbw playing slightly across the
line to end a stand of 98 and Redfern was bowled playing back to leave
Derbyshire still 36 short of saving the follow-on.

Rob Jones half-century was also pivotal to Worcestershire success against Kent

ECB Reporters Network07-Aug-2024Captain Jake Libby continued his superb form in the Metro Bank One Day Cup to inspire Worcestershire Rapids to a three-wicket win over Kent Spitfires at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Libby struck his fourth half-century in five knocks in this summer’s 50 over tournament to lead the Rapids to a fourth win and maintain their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages. His 75 off 68 balls was largely instrumental in Worcestershire reaching a 259 target with seven balls to spare.Libby has now scored 287 runs at an average of 143.50 and this after being his side’s leading One Day Cup run-getter in 2022 and 2023.Rob Jones’s half-century was also pivotal to another Rapids success with a side missing nine senior players through illness and injury.A three-wicket blast from 18-year-old Charlie Home had been largely responsible for reducing the Spitfires to 70 for 5.Kent were indebted to List A best batting performances from Charlie Stobo and Grant Stewart as they recovered to 259 all out.Australian overseas signing Stobo surpassed his previous best score of 32 not out in making 72 off 79 balls and he dominated a partnership of 91 with Stewart for the seventh wicket.Stewart then took over the mantle of chief aggressor and he went past his previous highest of 57 before being last out for 78 off 60 deliveries.Home has taken 12 wickets in just three appearances in the One Day Cup and again confirmed his promise although he was latterly on the receiving end of the Stobbo-Stewart onslaught and will learn from the experience.The Kent seamers then bowled a disciplined line and length to put the home side behind the required rate.But Jones dug in to keep them in the hunt and then Libby paced his knock to perfection before he was run out with 26 needed and then Hishaam Khan cut Stobo for the winning boundary.Libby won the toss and put the Spitfires into bat on a slowish pitch previously used for the Vitality Blast game against Lancashire Lightning.Sturgess took the new ball from the Diglis End and struck with his fourth delivery when Marcus O’Riordan went for an ambitious drive and was bowled via an inside edge.Hishaam Khan shared the attack from the New Road and he also made an early breakthrough when Beyers Swanepoel went for a pull and was caught down the legside by keeper Gareth Roderick.Jack Leaning and Joey Evison attempted to rebuild the innings but after adding 41 the latter cut Home, who had taken six wickets against Derbyshire on Friday, straight to Ethan Brookes at backward point.Home then struck twice in an over to reduce the visitors to 70-5.Harry Finch was undone by a delivery which nipped back and became the second player to be bowled through an inside edge.Then four balls later Evison (23) fenced at a delivery and edged through to Roderick.Spinner Tom Hinley came into the attack and he accounted for Jaydyn Denly who was bowled through the game from a delivery which turned.Stobbo went on the offensive against Home when he returned to the attack and pulled the 18-year-old for three boundaries in an over. He and Stewart played sensibly on a pitch where the occasional delivery stopped in the surface.Stobbo completed a 55-ball half-century and the partnership was worth 91 from 15 overs when he was stumped after aiming a big blow at Singh down the ground. He hit one six and six fours.Stewart struck successive sixes on his way to a half century off 49 balls before Singh picked up two wickets in the space of three balls.Hamidullah Qadri was pouched at deep mid wicket and then Singh bowled Matt Parkinson after he pushed forward to claim his third scalp.But Stewart struck two more sixes on the trot off the spinner before being bowled by Khan in the final over after hitting five maximums and six fours.When Worcestershire batted, Ed Pollock despatched Stewart for 6-4-4 in the space of four balls but then nicked a ball of extra bounce from the same bowler through to the keeper.Gareth Roderick and Rob Jones added 49 but they were kept in check by a disciplined Kent attack.Roderick briefly opened out to pull Stobo for six backward of square but then was lbw to a ball of full length from Gilchrist.Jones has struggled for runs in his first full season at New Road but dug in to complete an 80 ball half century with a cut for four at Stewart’s expense.But he fell to a return catch in his next over after adding 70 with Jake Libby.Brookes was soon into his stride with a ramp shot for six off Stewart although he then holed out to deep mid-wicket off Stobo at 177 for 4.Libby completed his half century with successive scoop shots for four from Stobo before Rehaan Edavalath top-edged a return catch to Gilchrist.The game took another twist when Libby turned Stobo on the on side and was run out attempting a risky second run.Singh then drilled Stewart to Gilchrist at cover with 21 required but Khan and Tom Hinley kept their nerve to see the Rapids home.

Colin Ackermann, Rishi Patel, Rehan Ahmed give valiant chase but fall just short

ECB Reporters Network01-Jun-2023 Derbyshire 189 for 5 (Madsen 109*) beat Leicestershire 187 for 5 (Ackermann 59*) by two runsA career-best unbeaten 109 by veteran campaigner Wayne Madsen set up Derby Falcons for a first win of the Vitality Blast season over East Midlands neighbours Leicester Foxes, who ran them close but ultimately fell three runs short of their target.The 39-year-old’s brilliant 61-ball innings, which contained 12 fours and four sixes, was his third hundred in the T20 format and his second in consecutive seasons after he made 100 not out against Durham last season.It helped the Falcons post 189 for five after being put in, Tom Wood making 37 from 24 balls and Brooke Guest 25 from 20, spinners Rehan Ahmed (2 for 20), Callum Parkinson (2 for 36) and Colin Ackermann (1 for 16) sharing the wickets for the Foxes.The Foxes, who have lost all of their opening four matches, put up a decent fight in the circumstances, Colin Ackermann (59 not out) and Ahmed (28) scoring 58 off the last 31 balls after Rishi Patel’s 44 but it wasn’t quite enough.Left-arm spinner Parkinson dismissed both openers in his first two overs, Luis Reece leg before and Haider Ali bowled, both attempting to sweep, yet it was the Falcons, at 52 for two, who came out of the powerplay on top after being put in, despite the return to the Foxes attack of Naveen ul-Haq after his successful stint in the Indian Premier League.Madsen’s timing was immaculate as he dispatched Ahmed, Will Davis and Parkinson in turn for sixes out of the middle of the bat before cleverly reverse-sweeping Ahmed for four to bring up a 29-ball half-century – his fourth in as many innings this season – as the Falcons reached halfway at 96 for two.Wood, after his uncertain start, was beginning to find his range when the Foxes at last managed to stem the flow, Wood reaching for one outside off stump and unable to control his shot, Sol Budinger pouching the catch at deep point.That ended a 95-run partnership for the third wicket, after which the Falcons suffered a wobble as Ahmed struck twice in the space of five deliveries, having Leus Du Plooy caught behind down the legside for a second-ball duck before Anuj Dal fell leg before to the googly, 117 for two replaced by 120 for five on the scoreboard.None of his colleagues could match Ahmed’s economy on a night when the Foxes were sloppy in the field. Naveen conceded 23 off his final two overs as the last four of the innings saw the Falcons’ total swell by 50 runs, Madsen lifting Davis over deep midwicket for his fourth six before driving Naveen through the covers to reach his hundred from 56 balls.After a slow start to their reply in which Budinger lobbed tamely to mid-on as Zak Chappell claimed a wicket against his former county, the Foxes found some momentum in the second half of the powerplay to be 48 for one as Patel and Nick Welch began to find regular boundaries.They lost Welch when the opener clipped a ball from left-armer into the hands of deep square leg and Patel had an escape on 33 when Zaman Khan spilled a chance on the legside off Du Plooy, but skipper Ackermann was into his stride with two fours and a six off George Scrimshaw as the home side reached 90 for two from 10.Patel’s second six, launched over long-on off Mark Watt, and two reserve sweeps for four by Ackermann off Wood kept the scoreboard moving nicely but after Patel holed out off Watt’s left-arm aiming for another maximum the required rate was above 10. Wiaan Mulder thin edged behind off Chappell and the Foxes needed 55 from the last five overs.Lilley fell for three, slashing Scrimshaw to deep backward point, but Ahmed uppercut his first ball for six to keep the Foxes interested and after a generally tidy over from Khan stretched the target to 39 from 18 balls, the sixth-wicket pair innovated nicely and ran well between the wickets to leave the Foxes needing 14 off the last over and put the pressure on Scrimshaw, who conceded a boundary to Ahmed from his first ball but the tall seamer held his nerve to avoid conceding another and the Falcons prevailed by two runs.

The tournament will take place against steeply rising Covid cases in New Zealand

AAP25-Feb-2022Meg Lanning has labelled the ICC’s emergency World Cup rules as “interesting” but stopped short of criticising the governing body as the tournament nears.Australia face England on February 5 to begin their quest to reclaim the 50-over ODI World Cup, lost to the English five years ago.As host nation New Zealand grapples with its worst Covid-19 outbreak of the pandemic, organisers have scrambled to put in place rules that will allow the tournament to continue should players get infections.The most eye-catching is a regulation that teams can take to the field with just nine players and utilise up to two staff in fielding roles to ensure matches get played.Related

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• World Cup matches could go ahead with nine players if Covid hits

“I’ve asked our physio and media manager what their preferred fielding position was if they were to take the field,” Lanning said, only half-joking. “Hopefully it doesn’t come to that for any team. It’s an interesting way to go about it.”If that did occur I think it’d be a pretty interesting situation. Hopefully for everyone in the tournament we don’t get to that point.”New Zealand reported 12,011 community Covid-19 cases on Friday, double the previous day’s count, ahead of an expected outbreak peak during the event. The government and ICC have issued strict biosecurity rules in an attempt to shield players from catching the virus.Asked whether the tournament should have been moved from New Zealand, Lanning said she “hadn’t thought about that at all”, offering her sympathy to the hosts. The ICC have also confirmed they will look to re-schedule fixtures in the event of Covid-19 outbreaks affecting squads.”It would be a nightmare trying to organise these tournaments,” she said. “We want to get cricket in. That’s the most important thing. Teams are going to have to be very flexible and understanding of things that are happening at really short notice.”Hopefully if this or that does happen, you can have a bit of a conversation around things and discuss what the options are and I’m sure that the the ICC will be making the best decision for the World Cup and making sure the games can continue on.”

Financial pressures may persuade clubs to resume action taken at start of season

George Dobell27-Sep-2020Staff at several first-class counties are expected to be put back on furlough at the end of this week.ESPNcricinfo understands that several of those counties not involved in the knock-out stages of the T20 Blast will put a proportion of their staff – including players – back on furlough in October. This could include the Essex and Somerset teams which have been contesting the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s in recent days.The government’s furlough scheme was set up to counter the financial challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. It has seen the government take responsibility for paying employees, allowing businesses to survive without laying off staff. The scheme ends at the end of October.All but Lancashire and Surrey put their players on furlough at the start of the summer when it became apparent that the season would be delayed. While some counties topped up the government’s furlough amount – which was originally capped at around £2500 a month – others did not. Current legislation means the government will be expected to pay 70 percent of employees’ monthly salary up to a maximum of £2,187, with the employer required to top up another 10 percent.Other county employees, including groundstaff and administration teams, are also expected to be put back on furlough at several clubs.Teams involved in the knock-out stages of the T20 Blast will have to wait to make a claim. The quarter-finals are due to be played on October 1 with Finals Day on October 3.It is understood the players at counties due to be furloughed have not yet been notified of the intention.