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Lancashire say groundstaff safety taken into consideration over decision not to remove covers

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2024The Vitality County Championship match between Lancashire and Surrey looks certain to end in a draw after only 21 balls were bowled on the third day of the game at Emirates Old Trafford.Surrey had progressed to 15 without loss in their first innings when rain forced an early lunch to be taken at 1.10pm. During the interval, the entire square and bowlers’ run-ups were covered in anticipation of heavy showers, and safety concerns about strong winds prevented the covers’ removal, though no rain was falling when the game was due to restart.Surrey were understood to be confused by the lack of movement with the covers. Head coach Gareth Batty walked out to the middle during this period, clearly irked the defending champions were unable to build on Friday’s work after dismissing Lancashire for 202 inside 73 overs. The expected rain eventually arrived at 2.30pm. Play was eventually abandoned after a 4pm inspection.ECB match referee Mike Smith defended the stance from Old Trafford head grounds manager Matt Merchant that removing the covers would have been dangerous given the conditions, which was backed up by the home club’s safety officer.”After lunch, when it was dry, the head grounds manager, Matt Merchant, said that it was so windy that it would put the health and safety of his staff at risk to ask his staff to remove the covers,” Smith explained. “We didn’t want anyone to be hurt, either by being lifted in the air or slapped by the flat sheets in that wind.”Lancashire’s safety officer thought that was a reasonable position but we did say that the flat sheets should be removed if the wind dropped to an acceptable level. However, we didn’t get to that stage because the rain returned and curtailed the rest of the day’s play.”I haven’t come across such a situation before. But I understand that they were not going to be using the flat sheets at Edgbaston because Gary Barwell, the head groundsman, said he would not be asking his staff to put the flat sheets on in that wind. And it is dangerous to be manoeuvring very heavy flat sheets in wind like that.”Should weather allow any cricket to take place on the final day, the match is now likely to become a battle for first-innings bonus points as Surrey’s batters build a reply to Lancashire’s first innings. Dom Sibley is currently 6 not out and Surrey skipper Rory Burns is unbeaten on 5.

Blair Tickner, who is already in Pakistan with the Test team, has been added to the limited-overs squad

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2023Fast bowler Adam Milne has been withdrawn from New Zealand’s ODI squad for the upcoming series in Pakistan and India in January due to concerns about his preparation. Blair Tickner, who is currently in Pakistan with New Zealand’s Test team, has replaced Milne in the ODI squad.Milne, 30, had some tightness in his hamstring at the end of the home series against India in November 2022 and subsequently missed two Ford Trophy games, New Zealand’s domestic 50-over tournament, for Wellington in December.He played Wellington’s first two matches of the Super Smash, the domestic T20 competition, but the workload of six ODIs in 16 days in Pakistan and India was considered too much of a risk.”Adam was very up front with us about his concerns around the lack of one-day bowling loading for the upcoming tours,” New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said. “After chatting to him, we agreed his preparation leading into the tour wouldn’t be sufficient for him to cope with the demands of back-to-back, three-game ODI series. We appreciate his honesty and his genuine desire not to let the team down.”Blair’s skills at bowling through the middle and his ability to hit the pitch hard make him a similar prospect to what Adam offered us. The fact he’s already in Pakistan experiencing the conditions is an added bonus.”New Zealand drew the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan and begin the second and final Test of the series on January 2 in Karachi. The ODI players will leave New Zealand for Pakistan on January 4 for three matches on January 9, 11 and 13 – all in Karachi – before travelling to India for three ODIs on January 18, 21 and 24.They will also play three T20Is in India on January 27, 29 and February 1; the squad for the T20I series is yet to be named.New Zealand squad for ODI series in Pakistan and India
Kane Williamson (capt – only for Pakistan ODIs), Tom Latham (capt – India ODIs), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman (India ODIs only), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy (India ODIs only), Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (Pakistan ODIs only), Blair Tickner.

Luke Wright, Delray Rawlins overhaul small target to secure quarter-final vs Yorkshire

ECB Reporters' Network and ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2021Jofra Archer made a low-key return from his elbow injury to help Sussex seal a quarter-final spot in the Vitality Blast by beating a depleted Kent side by four wickets at Canterbury.Archer was restricted to three overs as an injury precaution, returning figures of 0 for 20 as he bowled two overs with the new ball and then returned to bowl the 19th. It was his first appearance since May, when he aggravated an elbow injury during a County Championship match against Kent and was required to undergo surgery.

Vitality Blast quarter-finals

• Yorkshire vs Sussex (Aug 24)

• Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire (Aug 25)

• Somerset vs Lancashire (Aug 26)

• Kent vs Birmingham (Aug 27)

Sussex finished on 134 for 6, Luke Wright’s 39 and Delray Rawlins’ 33 steering them into the last eight with 2.5 overs to spare.Earlier Ravi Bopara took 3 for 15 and David Wiese 2 for 16 as a Kent side with 15 first-teamers still isolating struggled 130 for 7, Calum MacLeod – the Scotland batter on a short-term deal – their top scorer with 31.Kent had already ensured top spot in the South Group and will play their quarter-final against Birmingham Bears at the St Lawrence Ground despite tonight’s defeat, while Sussex will play Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street on August 24.Related

• Josh Inglis' second Blast ton sends Worcestershire crashing out

• Calvin Harrison four-for helps Notts polish off Durham

• D'Arcy Short, Joe Weatherley help haul Hampshire through to quarter-finals

• Chris Benjamin fires on Birmingham debut to haul Bears into quarter-finals

Kent won the toss and chose to bat, but Wiese quickly removed the openers, getting George Munsey caught by Oliver Carter for 11. Zak Crawley was given a life when Harrison Ward fell over while attempting to catch him at deep point, but Wiese then deceived him with a slower ball, which he chipped to Ollie Robinson at mid-on for 19.Will Beer caught and bowled Heino Kuhn for four with his first ball, before Harry Finch and MacLeod partially rebuilt the innings with a stand of 44.Finch, however, fell for 30, caught by Ollie Robinson off Bopara and when MacLeod was lbw to Rashid Khan, Kent were 101 for 5.It was left to the lower order to nudge the score towards respectability. Dan Lincoln was caught by Wiese for 10 and the same combination removed Harry Podmore for 0, leaving Marcus O’Riordan and Safyaan Sharif unbeaten on 13 and 7.The target looked low and although Elliot Hooper bowled Phil Salt for a duck with the third ball of Sussex’s innings, Wright and Bopara put on 61 for the next wicket. There was a wobble when the former holed out to O’Riordan and was caught by Munsey for 39, and Bopara was out in the same over for 19, caught by Matt Quinn.However, Crawley stumbled when well-placed to catch Rawlins and by the time Wiese was caught by Kuhn off Podmore for 21, the run rate was down to 2.8.Just two were needed when Kuhn made a diving catch off Podmore to dismiss Ward for 8 and Rawlins skied the next ball to O’Riordan, but Khan hit the winning runs with a four through cow corner.

Australia booked themselves into the final of the World Cup with a comprehensive 48-run win against Sri Lanka

Charlie Austin14-May-2020Australia booked themselves into the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup with a comprehensive Duckworth Lewis affected 48 run win against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, another clinical performance that will only enhance the aura of invincibility that now surrounds Ricky Ponting’s side.Sri Lanka had their moments, making Australia’s top order struggle on the sluggish St George’s pitch at Port Elizabeth, but Australia once again wriggled free of trouble, posting a respectable 212 for seven after an unbeaten half-century from Andrew Symonds, before grabbing an iron-like grip on the game with the ball.Mid-innings the match may have looked evenly poised, but that was before the main contest of the day: speedster Brett Lee versus Sri Lanka’s pace-shy top order. Lee won the contest in convincing fashion, shrugging off the handicap of a turgid surface to take three wickets as Sri Lanka slumped to 76 for seven.Kumar Sangakkara (39*) and Chaminda Vaas (21*) provided some resistance, adding 47 runs in 13.5 overs for the eighth wicket, before rain forced the players from the field with Sri Lanka on 123 for seven after 38.1 overs, well behind the run rate according to the Duckworth Lewis machinations.No further play was possible, meaning Australia, who now have a record 16 successive World Cup wins under their belt, will face either India or Kenya in the tournament final at Wanderers on Sunday.The Sri Lanka innings had started brightly enough with the inform Marvan Atapattu (14) stroking three boundaries but Lee was cranking steadily up through the gears. The disappointment of a spilled catch at cover pushed him to full throttle and a thunderbolt yorker, clocked at a staggering 160.1 km per hour, rearranged his stumps.Sanath Jayasuriya (17), a shadow of his former self after being roughed up and maimed by Lee at Centurion, was snared by Lee’s new ball partner Glenn McGrath, swivel-pulling lamely into the hands of Symonds at backward square.Lee quickly mopped up Hashan Tillakaratne (3) and Avishka Gunawardene (1), both of whom wafted edges behind, before Andy Bichel sealed Sri Lanka’s fate with the brilliant run out of Aravinda de Silva, the last man capable of carrying Jayasuriya’s side to victory.De Silva, playing his last international game, had already signaled the threat he posed with two boundaries when Kumar Sangakkara nudged to mid-wicket and called for a quick single. Bichel, the bowler, quickly chased down the ball and threw down the stumps with de Silva yards out of his ground.The out-of-form Mahela Jayawardene, included in the side in place of paceman Dilhara Fernando earlier in the day as Sri Lanka packed their side with batting, extended his World Cup aggregate to 21 in seven innings before being caught off pad and glove.When Russel Arnold, Sri Lanka’s last recognised batsman, top edged a sweep to deep back square, having spent 27 balls scratching out his three runs, Sri Lanka dead and buried on 76 for sevenEarlier, after Australia had won an important toss, Symonds, a controversial selection when Australia’s World Cup squad was first announced, produced his second match-winning performance of the tournament, scoring an unbeaten 91 from 118 balls.The zinc-lipped right-hander, who would have been stumped on 33 had Sangakkara not spilled a straightforward take, rescued the Australian innings with a 93 run partnership for the fourth wicket.Australia had made a galloping start, racing to 34 off the first five overs as Pulasthi Gunaratne was smacked for 20 runs in his first two overs.But de Silva, called into the attack in just the sixth over, broke through with his second off-break of the day as Gilchrist edged an attempted sweep onto his pad to offer Sangakkara a simple catch. Had the 29-year-old stood his ground then he would have been reprieved by a doubting Rudi Koertzen but, in an act of rare Australian chivalry, Gilchrist walked.Vaas, who produced another skillful display, then claimed a brace of wickets as Ricky Ponting (2) mistimed a drive to be caught at mid-off and Matthew Hayden (20) clipped a stinging catch to mid-wicket. The left-armer extended his record World Cup tally to 23 when he had Lee Harvey caught at the wicket with a jagging off-cutter.Symonds and Lehmann then steadied the innings, never scoring easily against Sri Lanka’s quartet of slow bowlers, but preventing a Sri Lankan rout and laying a solid enough foundation for their bowlers later in the day.Eventually, Jayasuriya broke through with a well-flighted delivery that Lehmann chopped onto his stumps. The spinner had a chance of claiming a hat-trick when Michael Bevan (0), the hero during Australia’s previous two matches at Port Elizabeth, edged a catch behind.Brad Hogg (8) survived the hat-trick ball but did not last long before being smartly stumped by Sangakkara. After Harvey’s dismissal Australia were 175 for seven but Sri Lanka could not finish them off as Symonds and Bichel added 37 runs in the final 6.1 overs.

With the 2019 World Cup being a no-go zone, the focus for Associate countries has shifted to T20 cricket, with an eye on the ultimate aim of qualifying for the T20 World Cup

Peter Della Penna12-Feb-2019The T20 World Cup Global Qualifier may be eight months away, but three sides who will be at that event are getting away from the European winter with an eye towards ramping up their preparation in their quest to secure a spot at next year’s main event in Australia.The 2019 World Cup becoming a no-go zone for Associates has resulted in a shift in focus to the T20 World Cup, which at least has kept the door ajar for emerging nations to have a crack at Full Member countries on the widest platform possible.Here’s a primer on each side ahead of the T20I Quadrangular series that begins on Wednesday at the Oman Cricket Academy.Scotland (ICC T20I ranking – 11th)Coming off their victory in the T20I tri-series held in Netherlands last June combined with their status as the highest ranked side in Oman, Scotland are arguably the favourites on paper. However, they also arrive having the longest layoff, with their last official match taking place on June 20 against Netherlands in the tri-series finale. In the interim, they’ve been building up to this series with a one-week winter training camp in La Manga, Spain.George Munsey’s tri-series tally of 204 runs at 51 concluded with 71 off 34 balls in that encounter, the highest T20I score by an Associate player in 2018, in what was also Scotland’s highest ever T20I total of 221 for 4. Calum MacLeod, who scored 140* off 96 balls in an ODI win against England earlier that month, faced exactly one ball in that romp over the Netherlands, highlighting the depth in firepower. Matthew Cross and Richie Berrington also passed 50 in that record score against the Dutch in a bulky batting line-up led by captain Kyle Coetzer.On the bowling side, Safyaan Sharif has made incredible strides over the last three years to arguably become the leader of the attack. Young left-arm spinner Hamza Tahir’s emergence will help lessen the pressure on the left-right spin combo of Mark Watt and Michael Leask in favourable slow-bowling conditions in Oman.Fred Klaassen gets high-fived by captain Pieter Seelaar after taking a key wicket•Peter Della Penna

Netherlands (ICC T20I ranking – 13th)The Dutch have a beefed up squad compared to the group that finished second on home soil to Scotland, as Ryan ten Doeschate enters the side fresh off a successful stint in the Bangladesh Premier League with Rajshahi Kings. Yet even without ten Doeschate last home summer, Netherlands managed to beat Ireland twice in the tri-series thanks to superb all-round contributions from captain Pieter Seelaar and some fiery starts by Tobias Visee and Max O’Dowd.Like Scotland, it’s a sign of increased depth giving the selectors a good headache they haven’t had in a long time as Wesley Barresi now has the option of playing as a specialist batsman with Scott Edwards taking over the gloves, while Visee and O’Dowd give options to consider at the top of the order alongside Stephan Myburgh.On the bowling front, left-arm medium pacer Fred Klaassen’s excellent ODI series against Nepal in August means he may be hard to leave out in spite of the established group of fast bowlers led by Paul van Meekeren, Timm van der Gugten and Shane Snater. Roelof van der Merwe and Seelaar form a potent left-arm spinning combo, making it hard to find a weakness in an increasingly strong side.Oman (ICC T20I ranking – 17th)The tournament hosts have played T20Is sparingly since securing status at Malahide during the 2015 T20 World Cup Qualifier. But when they have, they’ve made plenty of noise. It was at that tournament that they beat Afghanistan by 40 runs. They showed it was hardly a fluke when they beat Ireland the following March in front of a global audience during the opening round of the T20 World Cup at Dharamsala.With the exception of an agonising loss to UAE at WCL Division Two in Namibia last February that effectively eliminated them from moving forward to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, Oman have hardly taken a step back since that seminal win over Ireland. In 50-over cricket, they are coming off an undefeated run on home soil this past November to win WCL Division Three while the country showcased their depth in T20 cricket this past weekend by virtue of two victories by an Omani Development XI over the touring Ireland side.While they don’t have the depth of other teams, Bilal Khan is one of the most menacing pace bowlers on the Associate circuit and can swing it both ways at 140 kph. Along with the awkward bounce posed by 6’5″ Kaleemullah, Oman’s new-ball attack poses enough problems to keep opponents off balance.Ireland (ICC T20I ranking – 18th)Gary Wilson’s medically-mandated absence has thrust Paul Stirling into the role of stand-in captain on tour as Ireland aim to end a five-match winless streak in T20Is including a tie to Scotland and a pair of series losses at home to India and Afghanistan. After years of opening alongside William Porterfield, the team management tried Kevin O’Brien at the top of the order with Stirling in the pair of losses to the Omani Development side. Though the result was disastrous in the first match, the duo produced 100 runs between them in the second match to demonstrate that it’s an experiment worth persisting with.The tour is shaping up as an opportunity, with 22-year-old Lorcan Tucker one of the young talents to emerge. He scored a century and a fifty in five one-day innings during the recent Ireland Wolves tour of Sri Lanka to create competition for the wicketkeeper spot with Stuart Poynter. Wolves captain Harry Tector was the only other Ireland player to score a century in the one-day series and at just 19 is coming along at just the right time in a side that is desperate to fill the runs that have been lost through the retirements of players such as Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien and John Mooney.On the bowling side, Boyd Rankin provides veteran leadership in the pace unit. Joshua Little, the 19-year-old left-arm fast bowler, was one of the few to come out with his reputation enhanced following the pair of warm-up losses to the Omanis by taking three wickets at an excellent economy rate of 4.86. Under spinning conditions in Oman, it would not be surprising to see Ireland field a trio with George Dockrell, Andy McBrine and allrounder Simi Singh, whose performances were a silver lining in the tri-series defeats last summer.

Australia’s T20 veteran signs three-year deal, will report to Virender Sehwag

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Dec-2017Kings XI Punjab have appointed Brad Hodge, the former Australia batsman, as their new head coach. Hodge, who held a similar role with Gujarat Lions for the last two seasons, will report to Virender Sehwag, the franchise’s mentor-cum director of cricket.The head coach’s job was informally held by Sehwag after Sanjay Bangar resigned in December 2016. Kings XI had a mixed 2017 season, where they were in the reckoning for the play-offs until they lost to Rising Pune Supergiant, the runners-up, in their final league match.At 42, Hodge continues to feature as an active player and will be playing for Melbourne Renegades in the 2017-18 Big Bash League. A current Twenty20 player with an impressive body of work, Hodge is also known for his tactical nous and has consistently been sought after in domestic T20 tournaments around the world.In his first year as coach at Gujarat Lions, in 2016, Hodge helped the franchise finish with the most number of wins at the end of the group phase. However, Gujarat were knocked out of the Qualifier 2 by eventual champions Sunrisers Hyderabad. Hodge was left frustrated in IPL 2017 as injuries to marquee players like Dwayne Bravo and lack of quality replacements meant Gujarat finished second from bottom.However, a new franchise now presents him with a new challenge with Ness Wadia, one of the co-owners of Kings XI, wanting him to build the team. “We have signed a three-year agreement with Brad, who will be our head coach,” Wadia said. “Viru [Sehwag] will be actively involved, too, as our director of cricket.”Wadia also said the franchise would invest in creating a stable set-up now that the team had started to make operational profits. “We really see that after 10 [the tenth season], now that more money is coming, now that the model is bringing in operational income and profit, we can build a proper franchise. We are hopeful of taking things forward and get the best team possible.”

South Africa outbatted Australia to beat them 5-0 in the ODI series but stand-in captain Faf du Plessis believes they will need to outbowl them if they are to win the Test series next month

Firdose Moonda14-Oct-2016South Africa outbatted Australia to beat them 5-0 in the ODI series but stand-in captain Faf du Plessis believes they will need to outbowl them if they are to win the Test series next month. After South Africa went through most of last summer sans Dale Steyn or Vernon Philander, they will travel to Australia with both bowlers plus three other frontline seamers, and du Plessis hopes that collectively, they can carry the team to victory.”For us to have a successful tour of Australia, Dale Steyn will be the guy to make or break that for us because he is a huge player in that Test team. I am confident he will have a really good series,” du Plessis said. “His shoulder looks okay – that’s going to be the challenge. We need to make sure that he stays fit and he can bowl long periods of time. Test cricket is not just 10 overs, he will need to bowl 18 to 20 overs a day for the next month.”Steyn returned, after a broken shoulder kept him out of the England Test and ODI series in January-February, for the World T20, in which he played only two of South Africa’s four matches. He was left out of the triangular series in the Caribbean, officially rested but by his own admission dropped, and given permission to play in the NatWest T20 Blast instead. He took 11 wickets in five matches for Glamorgan and was then included in South Africa’s Test series against New Zealand, where his eight wickets in Centurion secured a series win.Although he has not looked his best with the white ball – he played four of the five ODIs against Australia for five wickets at 50.80 with an economy rate of 6.99 and received treatment on the shoulder throughout the series – Australia still considered Steyn remained a threat. “You’ve always got to respect Dale. He is a world-class bowler, a great athlete and you never want to upset him,” David Warner said. “He is a guy that can really get on top. He has this spark and this spell in him you’ve got to get through that and negate what he throws at you.”At Test level, du Plessis expects that will be even more difficult for the Australians to do. “Dale in Test cricket is a different breed. In one-day cricket, these things are going to happen. KG [Kagiso Rabada] as well, would be the first to say he didn’t bowl at his best. In Test cricket it’s about consistency. When Dale gets that red ball in his hand, he is just a different bowler. He is still our No.1 bowler in Test cricket.”South Africa will look to rise up the rankings again with hopes of having Morne Morkel back for the Tests•AFP

Rabada also played in four matches and took five wickets at 52.80 with an economy rate of 7.33. Both Steyn and Rabada were hurt by the game in Durban, where they conceded 96 and 86 runs respectively. Overall, they were overshadowed by Kyle Abbott and Andile Phehlukwayo, who have come to the fore as part of South Africa’s future. “Our bowling attack needs to be fit if we are to win in Australia,” du Plessis said.The other members of South Africa’s pace pack have also had injury concerns. Philander’s rehabilitation from torn ankle ligaments kept him out of action for almost three months but he also made a comeback against New Zealand while Morne Morkel has been on the sidelines since July with a back problem. Morkel returned to action in club cricket in Pretoria earlier this month and is currently playing for Titans against Warriors in a first-class match as a fitness test ahead of the Australia tour. He bowled 26 overs in the first innings, and picked three wickets, so all indications are that he will travel to Australia.South Africa have won their last two Tests series in Australia, in 2008-09 and 2012-13, although in very different circumstances. Both times, they were coming off series wins in England. This time, they are in the midst of a rebuilding process and recognise that Australia pose a tougher challenge than before. They will hope to carry some of their ODI momentum into the Tests. “Against Australia, any mental edge you can get you will take,” du Plessis said. “It’s the one-percenters that matter.”

In what was almost a dress rehearsal for the semi-finals, Delhi-based Shraddhanand College beat Loughborough Marylebone Cricket Club University England by six wickets in a thrilling chase in their final group-stage encounter at the Abhimanyu Cricket Acade

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2015In what was almost a dress rehearsal for the semi-finals, Delhi-based Shraddhanand College beat Loughborough Marylebone Cricket Club University England, by six wickets, in a thrilling chase in their final group-stage encounter at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy on Thursday.The hosts finished top of Group A after winning three-straight matches. They will take on defending champions Assupol TUKS for a place in Saturday’s final.Loughborough MCC will take on Group B leaders, Sri Lanka-based International College of Business and Technology, in the semi-final.England won the toss, in Thursday’s clash, and elected to bat first, with a view to giving practice to their batsmen. But Shraddhanand College’s fast bowler, Abhishek Vats – who has troubled every team during the tournament so far – maintained his match-winning display.Vats struck in the third over of the match and dismissed opener Anish Parel. He then added to his tally by breaching the defence of Irfan Karim in the ninth over.LMCC’s Nitesh Kumar dropped anchor and smashed seven fours and six sixes in his 51-ball 97, which helped his team gain a strong hold in the match. His innings helped LMCC score 179 in his innings.Shraddhanand College set about the chase confidently and their top-four batsmen found runs. Deepak Khatri’s 46-ball 73 and opener Jitesh Saroha’s 40 helped SC win by six wicket, with seven balls to spare.An impressive bowling-display helped University of Technology Sydney register their first win of the tournament; after they narrowly beat European University of Bangladesh by 22 runs.UTS’s batsmen faltered, batting first, and managed just 118 in their innings. However, their bowler’s helped restore some pride.Harry Dalton and Benjamin Wallis picked up two-wickets each, while James Campbell, Daniel Donaldson and William Dempsey picked up one-wicket each to complete the win.Heriot-Watt University Dubai registered their first win of the tournament after they beat Jinnah Degree College Karachi by 19 runs.Both teams had already failed to make the semi-finals, after repeated failures in the Group stages. Jinnah Degree College didn’t register a win in the tournament.

Batsman Mominul Haque has been picked in Bangladesh’s Test squad for the tour of Sri Lanka

Mohammad Isam24-Feb-2013Left-arm spinner Enamul Haque jnr has returned to the Bangladesh Test squad after more than three years following his selection in the 15-man squad to tour Sri Lanka next month. Seamer Robiul Islam and batsman Jahurul Islam have also been recalled, while Mominul Haque has made it to the Test squad for the first time.The major name that is missing is Shakib Al Hasan, out injured and about to undergo surgery to correct a shin injury. Elias Sunny was not included while Junaid Siddique and Nazimuddin were not in the 25-man preliminary squad, which was announced on February 18.Enamul and Mominul have been taken to replace Shakib, according to chief selector Akram Khan who opted for prior international experience when replacing the allrounder.Enamul has taken 105 first-class wickets in the last two seasons, the highest in the National Cricket League this season. His last Test appearance was in a Bangladesh win, and where he took six wickets. But he made way for a three-man pace attack against India thereafter, though he was in the Test squad, and indifferent ODI form had him excluded for the next three years. This time he was picked ahead of Mosharraf Hossain and Saqlain Sajib, left-arm spinners who have also done well this season.In the case of Mominul, it was his recent ODI experience against West Indies which won him a place for a possible middle-order spot. He pushed aside Marshall Ayub, the season’s most prolific batsman in first-class cricket, Akram saying it was a “50-50 call”.”This was a tough selection, because we had to pick two players to replace Shakib,” Akram said. “Enamul won the left-arm spinner’s position ahead of Mosharraf Hossain and Saqlain Sajib. He is in form and has Test experience. Mominul was also a tough call but we need a left-hander in the middle order, so Marshall Ayub, despite his two double-hundreds, misses out.””I have spoken to Marshall on the phone, told him why he wasn’t taken this time. But the door is still open for him, he should continue to perform as he has been. It is unfortunate that we had to leave him out.”Jahurul returns to the squad after playing three Tests in 2010, but he has played ODI cricket recently. Both he and Robiul have been kept as additional options, although the former has a good chance for a place in the top order, said Akram. “He [Jahurul] could be one of the top three with Tamim [Iqbal] and [Shahriar] Nafees.”Robiul has trained in the National Cricket Academy during the BPL and he has played in the BCL. But we are not sure about Shafiul Islam, and in general we are facing a challenge to form a pace attack,” he said.The two-Test series in Sri Lanka will be Mushfiqur Rahim’s first away Tests as captain after he took over in October, 2011. He will lead the middle order, which will include Naeem Islam, Mahmudullah and Nasir Hossain while it is now likely that Anamul and Jahurul will battle for the position of the other opener with Tamim Iqbal. Shahriar Nafees’ BPL performance saved him a place in the squad after an indifferent showing in the Tests against West Indies.Offspinner Sohag Gazi is also going to be a part of the first overseas Test series, and will be an automatic choice after an impressive start to his career late last year, but the pace attack will have to be assembled in Sri Lanka as only Rubel Hossain looks like a first-choice.Bangladesh will begin the series with a three-day match against Sri Lanka Development Emerging Team at Matara from March 3 to 5, before the Test series, which begins in Galle on March 8. The second Test will be played in Colombo from March 16.Squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Mahmudullah (vice-capt), Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees, Anamul Haque, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Sohag Gazi, Abul Hasan, Rubel Hossain, Enamul Haque, Jahurul Islam, Mominul Haque, Shahadat Hossain, Robiul Islam.

Northamptonshire have concluded their search for a left-arm spinner by bringing in Con de Lange, a 31-year-old South African who qualifies as a UK resident from his time living in Scotland

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2012Northamptonshire have concluded their search for a left-arm spinner by bringing in Con de Lange, a 31-year-old South African who qualifies as a UK resident from his time living in Scotland. de Lange’s signing has been made possible due to the assistance of “external benefactors”, chief executive David Smith said.Northants have been without a left-arm slow bowler for the last two years and recently stated that they were looking to fill that gap before the start of the season. de Lange, who has played all of his cricket in South Africa, has 175 first-class wickets to his name and is a capable lower-order batsman.”I’m very excited to be joining the Northants squad, having noticed how well the team has played over recent seasons,” de Lange said. “I want to be part of a successful squad and help the club gain promotion to Division One of the County Championship. I’m a fighter and I’m determined to always give my best for the team.”The arrival of de Lange will provide competition for offspinner James Middlebrook as the county looks to go one better on last season’s third-place finish in Division Two.David Capel, Northamptonshire’s head coach, said: “We have considered many candidates throughout the past 12 months and I am pleased that we a signed a player of Con’s quality, who will further strengthen the spin bowling department. I’m sure he will prove to be a great addition to the team.”Smith added: “The club has been very fortunate to have had some external benefactors in Northamptonshire assisting us in making this signing possible. At 31 years of age, Con will bring valuable experience to our squad and help us to be competitive in all forms of the game.”