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It is understood that Mayank is recovering from a lumbar stress injury and has just resumed bowling at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Mar-2025Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler Mayank Yadav is set to miss the first half of IPL 2025. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mayank is recovering from a lumbar stress injury and has just resumed bowling at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he has been undergoing rehab after getting injured following his India debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh last October.There is no firm date set by the BCCI for Mayank’s return yet, but if he meets all the fitness parameters alongside increasing his bowling workload, he could feature in the latter half of the IPL.Mayank’s unavailability in the first half of the tournament is a setback for LSG, who had retained him for INR 11 crore ($1.31 million approx.) ahead of the mega auction. It was an astronomical leap monetarily for Mayank who had been bought for INR 20 lakh ahead of the 2024 season as an uncapped fast bowler.Mayank commanded such a huge salary primarily because of his ability to bowl at breakneck speeds, crossing 150kph-plus consistently, which earned him back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two matches in the IPL. Encouraged by his potential talent, the national selectors added Mayank to the pool of quicks given fast-bowling contracts.Related

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Mayank’s time in IPL 2024 was limited to just four matches due to a lingering side strain in the last two matches he played. During rehab, Mayank picked a separate injury which delayed his comeback but he eventually played the Bangladesh T20Is. However, he picked up another injury immediately after which forced him to return to rehab. While the BCCI has not officially shared details on Mayank’s injury, it is understood that Mayank has a stress-related injury in his lower back on the left-hand side.In February, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who has taken over as LSG’s team director, said that the franchise was working closely with the BCCI’s medical team to chart a roadmap for Mayank’s return. However, Zaheer stressed he would only want a totally fit Mayank back in the saddle. “As much as we are keen on having him [play IPL 2025], we want him 150% fit not just 100% fit so we’ll do everything possible to get him there,” he had said.LSG are set to play their first match of the season against Delhi Capitals on March 24 in Visakhapatnam, under new captain Rishabh Pant.

CSK’s batting coach also backs Ravindra Jadeja, saying that the allrounder has a “difficult role” to play for the team

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-20182:14

Dhoni is the key on and off the field – Hussey

Kohli says Dhoni form great for Indian cricket

After MS Dhoni took CSK to victory, India and RCB captain Virat Kohli had this to say at the post-match presentation: “Everyone loves to see MSD striking the ball. It is phenomenal the way he is doing it. The bigger picture is that it is good for Indian cricket. His form is a great sign for Indian cricket.”

Last year, on the eve of the IPL auction, MS Dhoni was cut as Rising Pune Supergiant captain following the team’s poor showing in 2016. In IPL 2017, he went on to make 290 runs from 15 innings at 26, struggling for momentum most of the time – his strike rate was 116. Fast forward to May 5, 2018. Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings are serious contenders to finish top of the table, and Dhoni the batsman has been key to their fortunes. He currently sits at No. 3 on the runs charts, with 360 from 10 innings at 90; most importantly, he has been striking at 166. Fair to say, Dhoni the IPL batsman has had quite the revival. According to CSK batting coach Michael Hussey, “it’s the best I’ve seen him play for quite a few years”.Hussey’s comments came after CSK’s six-wicket win over RCB in Pune, where Dhoni – yet again – finished the chase off with 31 not out off 23. Speaking at the post-match press conference, he had good things to say of Dhoni’s appeal on and off the field: “[Dhoni] is such an important player for the team. He’s the captain for one, he’s a fantastic keeper, he’s been in unbelievable form with the bat. It’s probably the best I’ve seen him play for quite a few years.”He’s [a big draw] away from the game as well. We saw the packed house tonight, so many Dhoni fans out there. He’s the key man in our [CSK’s] whole organisation both on and off the field. What I like about him, apart from watching him play in the middle, is the character of the man off the field. He’s very calm and relaxed.”Allrounder Ravindra Jadeja echoed Hussey’s opinion, saying in an interview posted on the IPL website that Dhoni binds the team together. “Our team has one motto: irrespective of win or loss, we shouldn’t blame a single person for it. It’s our mantra,” Jadeja said. “Mahi [Dhoni] keeps saying that we should swim or sink together. It’s great that our leader is giving us so much confidence.”BCCI

Jadeja was one of the key performers for CSK against RCB, finally coming good with the ball 10 games into his tournament. He claimed 3 for 18, including the wicket of RCB and India captain Virat Kohli with the first ball he bowled. Hussey applauded Jadeja for his performance, saying that despite his patchy form he had to be given a long rope since he had a “difficult role to play” for the team. “I think it’s about keeping Jadeja in a positive frame of mind,” he said. “It’s the nature of T20 cricket. If you look at his role, it is one of the difficult roles to play in T20s.”With the bat he might come in with a handful of balls left to play and everyone expects him to hit sixes. It’s not easy to come straight out and hit the ball out of the park. With the ball, he hasn’t got doosras and mystery balls. He does what he does, and he does it very well. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way. From outside, it’s about keeping him positive and keep backing him.”Jadeja said he was happy to finally contribute to a victory, especially with the wicket of Kohli. “Feels so good that after so many days I bowled a good spell and put up a winning performance for the team. It personally feels good that what I was working on in the nets all these days finally worked well for me in this match.”When I saw Virat Kohli on strike I thought, since a right-hander is on strike, I’ll bowl normally as the wicket looked dry. I was trying to bowl in the right area. I never thought I’d get his wicket in the first ball because he’s a good batsman and always reads the wicket well. I was glad it was from the first ball. Kohli’s wicket is always special.”

‘Don’t you accept the challenge of playing England in overcast conditions in their country?’ the offspinner asked. ‘If we could take up that challenge why not pink-ball cricket?’

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-20187:18

Gloves Off: Were India right to refuse to play with the pink ball?

Harbhajan Singh has asked India to embrace day-night Test cricket on a day when top BCCI officials said they declined to play a day-night Test in Australia to give India the best chance of winning the series. Administration and former players in Australia and believe India have rejected the offer to deny a potential advantage to an Australian team already weakened by bans to their two best batsmen, Steven Smith and David Warner.”I believe every team wants to win the series and that’s why we want to give our team the best possible chance,” the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai said at an event in Delhi. “What’s wrong in us wanting to win all the matches? Any team that steps out on a pitch wants to win. Thirty years back they said India play Test matches only to draw but they don’t say that anymore.”Harbhajan was also present at the function, but speaking on the sidelines he chose to differ with the opinion of the administrators. “I don’t know why they don’t want to play day-night Test matches,” he said. “It’s an interesting format and we should try it. I am all for it. Tell me what’s the apprehension of playing with pink ball? If you play, [then only] you can adjust. It may not be as difficult as it seems.”India’s team management is believed to look at this tour as their best opportunity to win a series in Australia. Australia have already played four day-night Tests, which gives them a big advantage according to India, who have played none so far.”So what if you get out?” Harbhajan said. “We have fast bowlers to trouble them. And what makes us think our batsmen can’t take up the challenge of facing Aussie pacers? It’s a challenge, and what’s the harm in taking up the challenge? When we were new to Test cricket, we had only learnt how to bowl with SG Test ball and then slowly learnt to bowl with Kookaburra and Dukes.”Don’t you accept the challenge of playing England in overcast conditions in their country? Isn’t that a challenge? If we could take up that challenge why not pink-ball cricket?”The board’s CEO Rahul Johri held a different view, though. “Who we play, when we play, where we play and how we play is our prerogative,” Johri said. “We will back everything for the Indian team to play to win.”Technically India are well within their rights to not play the day-night Test. The playing conditions in bilateral series state that both sides have to agree for a day-night Test to take place. However, once the Test championship kicks in, India might not have that choice. The host side can schedule up to one Test under lights without needing the consent of the touring side.Harbhajan was not the only one in disagreement with the administration. India are believed to have learnt their lesson from the defeat in the Test series in South Africa, and are travelling to England a month in advance, but former opener Gautam Gambhir is not impressed. Most of that month will go in playing ODIs and T20Is, and India will go into the Test with one tour game with Duke balls behind them. Gambhir believes playing the white Kookaburra on flat limited-overs surfaces is no preparation for Test cricket in England.”Playing with red Dukes in Test is completely different from playing white-ball cricket,” Gambhir said. “The three T20s and three ODIs isn’t an indicator of how well you are prepared for the Tests.”At the function, Gambhir asked the board to focus less on limited-overs formats to ensure the primacy of Test cricket.”I don’t think BCCI has marketed Test cricket as well as they have done with ODIs and T20s,” Gambhir said. “I remember a Test match at Eden Gardens against West Indies [in 2011-12]. India batting on the first day and there were [just] 1000 people. Imagine Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman playing and there are only 1000 people.”

Bess snares five-for, Leach three as hosts lead by 92 runs

Paul Edwards at Taunton 08-Jul-2019″What news of Essex?” It sounds like the opening line from a scene in one of Shakespeare’s history plays but perhaps that is fitting. This might be a dramatic summer in the West Country. “Not good, my liege,” the line might be completed. “The varlet Westley doth our cause confound.” It is only July, for heaven’s sake, but the anxiety-meter is already high among Somerset supporters. By far the most carefree citizens on the County Ground this lunchtime were the thousand or so children who trooped happily round the perimeter as part of the county’s schools day.Those who had turned up to watch a full day’s cricket already had the worry beads out. Many Somerset supporters were fretting their side had taken only one Nottinghamshire wicket in the morning session. That fell when Ben Slater, having helped Jake Libby put on 35 for the first wicket – a stout effort for Nottinghamshire openers this season – attempted an inelegant thrash at a short ball from Jamie Overton but only skied a catch to Tom Abell at cover.So Nottinghamshire were 91 for 1 when supporters in the Colin Atkinson Pavilion tucked into their enormous carvery lunches. But that score worried visiting fans, too; they knew it was too good to last. And they were dead right mi’ duck. For even after they had got to 189 for 2 at tea, Nottinghamshire’s batsmen were still vulnerable; and those weaknesses were exploited to the unalloyed delight of home supporters in one of the most rapid confloptions seen at Taunton in recent seasons.After looking as though they might bat only once in this game, Steven Mullaney’s side lost seven wickets for 40 runs in 21.1 overs, all seven falling to the spinners, Dom Bess and Jack Leach, who finished the innings with 5 for 59 and 3 for 79 respectively. By the close Somerset’s unexpected 85-run lead had been extended to 92 for the loss of Tim Groenewald, who had opened to protect Azhar Ali. Somerset folk who gathered in the Stragglers’ Coffee House to hear Vic Marks talk about the county’s glory days could bask in their fresh memory of one of their own. They had just seen the sort of session which helps win titles.No one, except those who have watched their cricket at Trent Bridge this summer, had seen the visitors’ disintegration coming. Near the midpoint of the day Libby and Chris Nash were batting serenely against spinners who were struggling to find the right pace or length to bowl on this pitch. Their partnership neared a hundred. Even the diehards on Gimblett’s Hill were subdued and they can normally be relied upon for raucous encouragement or frank suggestions. This seemed a quiet day at home for Somerset; summer at half mast, some thought. The only entertainment Bess had provided came when he performed a handstand on the outfield. “We’re going though ’em like a butter through knife,” said one supporter.But having failed to make a breakthrough in a conventional fashion Somerset removed Nash from the game by whacking him on the head with the ball. Predictably, Overton literally did the damage, bowling a delicious bouncer which the batsman neither ducked under nor swayed away from. The blow did not immediately appear serious but the Notts physio quickly led the player from the field. Nash received a consoling pat from Overton and Ben Duckett replaced him. Somerset hoped it would destabilise their opponents at a time when normal methods had never threatened to. Eventually it did.Yet such fond aspirations seemed optimistic in the extreme when Duckett took 14 runs off four balls from Leach with three varieties of sweep – conventional, slog and reverse – and then whacked Bess into the Somerset Stand next over. As so often, though, Duckett wasted a promising start by attempting to cut a ball from Bess that was far too close to him. He had flirted with the same danger a couple of overs earlier and now he had gone for 38.That dismissal seemed to refresh Somerset’s bowlers. Both Bess and Leach gave the batsmen more problems in the six overs before tea than they had in the twenty previous and there was slight cause for home supporters to hope that the evening’s cricket would rescue their day.And suddenly Nottinghamshire collapsed like a hyper-sensitive drama queen. First to go was Libby, caught at slip by Lewis Gregory off Leach for a fine 77. Then Mullaney pulled a long hop to midwicket and Tom Moores was taken at short leg by Tom Banton off Leach. The same combination accounted for Liam Patterson-White, who having spent his first day as a first team cricketer laid low with tonsillitis spent his second getting a four-ball duck. Welcome to the county circuit, Liam. It really does get better.Bess took the last three wickets, the first of them being R Ashwin, who was bowled when attempting to reverse sweep a full toss. News filtered down that Samit Patel would play as a concussion replacement for Nash, although it is not yet known if he will be allowed to bowl his left-arm spin. That was really the only encouragement visiting supporters could take from this glorious evening in the West Country. Their cricketers must try to wrench a victory from somewhere and perhaps they will do so in the next 48 hours. But Somerset are in the seven-and-six seats in this game and another victory is beckoning, Their supporters will be worried about that.

Liam Livingstone dismissal derails Lancs chase as Somerset seal another final appearance

Alan Gardner13-Sep-2025Somerset fought their way past a severely depleted Lancashire and into a third consecutive T20 Blast final at Edgbaston. Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s 81 off 52 underpinned the batting after his side were put in, and although Lancashire got off to a good start in their chase, led by powerful cameos from Keaton Jennings and Liam Livingstone, Somerset’s greater experience helped claw things back.Lancashire were shorn of six first-choice players, and had two making their first appearances of the season, which included giving a full T20 debut to 21-year-old spinner Arav Shetty. They looked well placed at 102 for 3 in the 12th over, but the controversial dismissal of Livingstone, whose lbw was upheld by the third umpire despite the suggestion of an inside edge, triggered a collapse.Shetty, who in the event did not bowl, was snapped up by a diving Lewis Gregory in the covers – Somerset’s sharp fielding in contrast to a messy Lancashire effort – and although Michael Jones attempted to keep the chase alive with some defiant blows, Migael Pretorius and Ben Green combined for five wickets to close out the game. Somerset were not at full strength either, with Pretorius playing only his second game after Riley Meredith was recalled to Australia ahead of Finals Day, and Tom Banton absent with England.The game ended in slightly farcical scenes, as Lancashire retired out George Balderson, only for his replacement, Tom Hartley, to be dismissed first ball. Rain then began to fall during the final over, with the ground fully covered moments after the players left the field.

Jennings fires up

“Feels slightly tacky, nice to know what you’re chasing.” So said Jennings at the toss, and Lancashire’s captain was intent on getting his side ahead of the asking rate at the start of their innings. He swung his third ball, from Craig Overton, nonchalantly over fine leg for six, following up with back-to-back fours. Luke Wells was plucked out by a brilliant catch at short fine leg by Pretorius, before Jennings again deposited Overton over the ropes.Overton struck back by pinning Matty Hurst lbw, but there was more punishment to come as Livingstone joined Jennings in the middle. Livingstone pinged Somerset’s premier new-ball bowler over deep square leg, before Jennings flat-batted him down the ground for six more; Overton’s first three overs costing 39. Jack Ball was then welcomed into the attack by Jennings top-edging him all the way over the keeper, and another Livingstone hoick across the line made it six sixes in the powerplay, with Lancashire flying on 73 for 2.Liam Livingstone queries his dismissal•Getty Images

Livingstone dismissal turns chase

Livingstone had powered Lancashire to Finals Day with an unbeaten 85 against Kent in the quarters, having found his form during the Hundred – during which he calls Edgbaston home with Birmingham Phoenix. He looked to have the measure of the ground once again, crunching Lewis Goldsworthy into the crowd for his third six, as Lancashire continued to make good progress despite the loss of Jennings for 44 off 28.When Gregory won an lbw decision with Livingstone trapped on the crease, the Lancashire man reviewed straight away. But with the aid of UltraEdge, third umpire Sue Redfern determined that there was no bat involved before the ball hit the back pad – although it seemed impossible to be conclusive. Livingstone, however, obviously felt otherwise and made his opinion clear after seeing the decision on the big screen. His long walk off marked the beginning of the end for Lancashire’s hopes of a second Blast title, 10 years on from their first.

Depleted Lancashire strike first

Lancashire absentees included four on international duty with England – Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Luke Wood and Saqib Mahmood – and both of their overseas being employed elsewhere (Chris Green at the CPL, Ashton Turner with Western Australia). That Salt and Buttler had helped England put on a record 302 against South Africa the previous night hardly helped the Red Rose mood. Somerset, meanwhile, were without New Zealand quick Matt Henry, as well as Banton and Meredith.Winning the toss felt like an advantage on a brisk, mid-September morning – and two tight overs, from James Anderson (who last played at Finals Day in 2014) and Tom Aspinwall, were followed by Balderson, playing his fourth T20 and first of the season, finding the perfect amount of nip back with his first ball to clatter Will Smeed’s off stump. But it didn’t take long for Somerset’s batters to start wresting back the initiative.Kohler-Cadmore had struggled to lay bat on ball and was on 1 off 9 when he collared Balderson for the first six of the day, a rustic heave that just had enough on it to land beyond the rope at deep midwicket. He repeated the shot, but added about 20 yards, in Balderson’s next over, and before Tom Abell audaciously ramped Anderson all the way over fine leg in a sequence of 6-4-dot-4. Anderson struck back to have Abell bowled off an inside edge, as Somerset finished the powerplay on 49 for 2.

Kohler-Cadmore pumps the tires

Lancashire continued to chip away, James Rew held at midwicket off Aspinwall, as Kohler-Cadmore dropped back down the gears. Somerset were 78 for 3 at halfway, and then 95 for 4 after losing Sean Dickson to a smart stumping in the 13th over. Kohler-Cadmore responded by pumping Livingstone’s legspin straight back down the ground for six, then raising a 38-ball fifty off the next delivery – aided by another misfield at midwicket that enabled them to come back for two.Hartley was boshed down the ground for Kohler-Cadmore’s fourth six, and he found a useful ally in captain, Gregory, who scooped Aspinwall for his first boundary. Jack Blatherwick was then taken for four consecutive fours by Kohler-Cadmore, as 18 runs came off the 17th. By the time the returning Anderson removed Gregory via a slap to deep cover, the partnership had realized 57 off 31 balls. Kohler-Cadmore might have had the first Finals Day century in his sights, but he only added one to his score before holing out off Balderson. Nevertheless, Overton and Pretorius hammered 21 off Aspinwall’s final over to take Somerset to an imposing total.

Spinning allrounder was dropped after a poor showing at Edgbaston, where he was out-bowled by Nathan Lyon

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2019Moeen Ali will take a short break from cricket after his omission from the England squad for the second Ashes Test at Lord’s this week.Moeen struggled badly in the first Test of the series, taking 2 for 130 in Australia’s second innings on a turning pitch and twice being dismissed cheaply by Nathan Lyon, who has now dismissed him in nine of his last 11 innings against Australia.He was left out of the squad for Lord’s in favour of Jack Leach, the Somerset left-arm spinner, and was expected to return to Worcestershire’s squads for the Vitality Blast.ALSO READ: The triumphs and travails of Moeen Ali’s Test careerInstead, Worcestershire announced that he would be stepping away from cricket for a “short break” after a “hectic and high-intensity period of international cricket” before linking up with the county again.Despite Moeen’s brief break, England’s captain Joe Root said that he remained integral to England’s long-term success, and backed him to bounce back after a spell in county cricket, just as he did against India last summer, when he returned to the side for the fourth Test at Southampton with a Player-of-the-Match-winning nine-wicket haul.”I spent a good while chatting to Mo, making sure he understood where he’s at, and where we’re at in terms of getting him back to his best,” said Root. “We felt it was best for him to play some county cricket, and perform well for Worcestershire.”Now, as he proved last summer, coming into that India series having a massive influence on it, there’s no reason why he can’t go back and do the same again, and try and force his way back into the squad.”You know, he’s been a big part of English cricket and he’s done some fantastic things in a Test shirt. And it’s certainly not the last we’ll see of him, he’s a fine character, a great man and gives so much to this team. I’m sure that it won’t be long until you see him back involved.”Worcestershire coach Alex Gidman said: “Mo is spending a little time away from the middle recharging his batteries and putting in some quality practice time which he feels he needs, and we completely respect. He has had an intense schedule of international cricket involving the ICC World Cup and the start of the Ashes.”Mo loves playing for Worcestershire and he gives a lift to everyone in the dressing room when he comes back and plays for us. We saw at Trent Bridge [in the Blast] what he gives to us and we look forward to when he returns soon.”The announcement, in addition to Adil Rashid’s season-ending shoulder injury, suggests that Leach is likely to be England’s spinner for much of the ongoing series – though it is possible Moeen could return for Sunday’s Championship match against Northamptonshire.Leach told the BBC this week that he had been in conversation with Moeen after the squad announcement.”Mo sent me a text wishing me all the best,” Leach said. “He said he hopes that I do really well. He’s been so supportive of me coming into this environment and helping me with my bowling. I actually told him to be ready for the third Test, so we had a little laugh.”

Andre Russell, Alzarri Joseph and Kieran Powell have been recalled to the West Indies side for their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh beginning July 22

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2018Allrounder Andre Russell is set to play his first ODI for West Indies since November 2015 after being named in a 13-man squad for the three-match series against Bangladesh beginning on July 22 in Guyana.Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and batsman Kieran Powell also earned recalls while Marlon Samuels, Carlos Brathwaite, Nikita Miller, Sheldon Cottrell and Kesrick Williams were dropped from the ODI squad, after they played in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe to clinch a spot for West Indies at next year’s World Cup.

West Indies ODI squad

Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell
In: Alzarri Joseph, Kieran Powell, Andre Russell
Out: Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Nikita Miller, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Kesrick Williams

Russell’s last ODI for West Indies came nearly three years ago against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Colombo. He scored 41 off 24 balls but also suffered a leg injury that kept him out of the following two matches in the series. That match is the only ODI Russell has played since the 2015 World Cup.He had been suspended for a year in January 2017 after he was found guilty of an anti-doping violation. Russell was charged with failing to file his whereabouts paperwork three times within a year, which amounts to a failed doping test under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.After the ban, he returned to 50-over cricket for Jamaica in the Regional Super50 tournament but withdrew himself from consideration for the West Indies squad for the World Cup Qualifier in March, allegedly because he wanted to regain his confidence in the format first. Instead, he chose to play in the Pakistan Super League during the same time frame.”Great to have Dre Russ back as well,” West Indies coach Stuart Law said in a CWI press release announcing the squad for the Bangladesh series. “His explosive power and energy will breathe life into an already motivated squad.”Aside from the five players dropped, Kemar Roach was rested for the ODIs in what the selectors described as managing player workloads in the lead-up to next year’s World Cup. Roach was also rested for the second Test against Bangladesh after picking up a hamstring strain in the first Test and was replaced in the squad by Joseph.

Ben Cox makes defiant 70 on return to New Road but old team-mates have the final say

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jul-2025Worcestershire Rapids delivered a complete performance with bat and ball to secure an impressive six-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes at Visit Worcestershire New Road, keeping their quarter-final hopes alive heading into the final round of fixtures.Chasing a target of 174, the Rapids timed their pursuit to perfection, anchored by a stunning, unbeaten 56 from Ethan Brookes, his clean ball-striking and composure under pressure proving the decisive factor.The all-rounder arrived with the match finely poised at 134 for 4 and accelerated superbly through the closing overs, hitting five sixes and four boundaries in just 28 balls to seal the win with 13 deliveries to spare.The chase was set up by a positive start from Isaac Mohammed and Brett D’Oliveira, who added 50 for the first wicket inside the power-play.Though both openers departed in quick succession, Gareth Roderick’s punchy 26 from 13 balls kept the tempo up and ensured the Rapids never lost control of the required rate.When Kashif Ali fell for 16 in the 15th over, there was a flicker of opportunity for the Foxes.But Brookes, alongside a composed Henry Cullen (18 not out off 12), ensured there would be no further stumble, launching a fearless assault on the Leicestershire attack.Earlier in the day, Worcestershire’s bowlers had combined well after the Foxes opted to bat first. Tom Taylor was the standout, picking up 3 for 25 in an outstanding spell that dismantled the top order and removed both openers inside two overs.The Foxes were reduced to 5 for 2, and when Rehan Ahmed was dismissed for 32, they had stumbled to 59 for 4 inside eight overs.Former Worcestershire wicketkeeper Ben Cox, however, produced a determined recovery.The Foxes wicketkeeper played with authority and placement en route to a defiant 70 not out off 44 balls, guiding his side to a competitive total.His partnerships with Louis Kimber (32) and Tom Scriven (9*) helped stabilise the innings, but the Rapids’ bowlers held their nerve well at the death. Ben Dwarshuis, Khurram Shahzad, and Adam Finch each picked up a wicket, and boundaries were largely kept in check after the 15th over.Despite Cox’s efforts, Leicestershire’s total of 173 for 6 always felt slightly under-par on a quick-scoring surface, and Worcestershire’s clinical response with the bat proved just that.The win keeps the Rapids back in the mix in the North Group standings ahead of the final round of fixtures, with one of their most complete performances of the campaign so far.

The opener made 155 out of a second innings total of 291 to leave Victoria a testing target

AAP10-Feb-2025Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield pacesetter Jake Weatherald blazed another big century to put the heat on Victoria ahead of a final-day run chase in Hobart.The hosts began their second innings 22 runs behind Victoria, but the former South Australian opener turned the tables with a blazing 155 off 212 balls on Monday as Tasmania made 291.Related

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Victoria, second on the Shield ladder with three rounds remaining, were 55 for 2 at stumps They need a further 215 to deny the last-placed Tasmania just their second win in the seventh match of the season.Weatherald found some support from Jake Doran and debutant No. 9 Raf MacMillan, whose bright innings came to an unfortunate end when he miscued a juicy Harry Dixon full toss.Weatherald clattered 20 boundaries in his innings, lathering drives through point and cover, and latching on to anything short with sweetly timed pull shots that sounded like cannons echoing around the Bellerive stands.He was the last man out, his crisp knock following 185 against Queensland in November to put him on top of the Shield run-scoring list this season.Opener Marcus Harris was an early casualty in the chase, trapped in front by Gabe Bell. Bell then dismissed Campbell Kellaway in similar fashion, Jon Merlo and Sam Elliott the unbeaten pair at stumps.

Bittersweet emotions in victory and defeat ahead of conversion to county competition in 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network21-Sep-2024Kate Coppack, Sunrisers’ matchwinner in the last-ever staging of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, paid tribute to the resilience within the squad, as they capped the competition’s short history with victory over South East Stars in a rain-affected final at Grace Road.Coppack chose the perfect moment to produce career-best figures of 4 for 27, as South East Stars stumbled early in the powerplay then lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter, with only Alice Davidson-Richards’ superb 93 from 105 balls providing any lasting resistance.In pursuit of a sub-par 213, Sunrisers got themselves ahead of the rate early thanks to Cordelia Griffiths’ boundary-studded 57, and though they shipped three wickets in the first half of their innings, Grace Scrivens had the chase firmly under control with her unbeaten 39 from 47 balls, before a thunderstorm forced an early end to the contest.The victory, albeit via DLS, completed one of the more remarkable turnarounds in the short history of women’s professional cricket, given that Sunrisers did not win a single contest in each of the first three stagings of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.”There have been a lot of highs and lows as the Sunrisers so to end like that is really special,” Coppack, 30, told the ECB Reporters Network, having been a regular in their squad since 2021.”I wasn’t involved in the first year but Danni [Warren] and people have been building a team over the years. It was always going to take a while.”I think you have to give credit to Scrivens coming in as captain. She is still really young but has learned quickly and is good at balancing people and when to bowl them. Having the same group around for the last few years, and people having trust in us has really helped as we could have tried to start again when things weren’t going well.”Away from cricket, Coppack is a lawyer, while her family also run an alpaca farm. “I’ve always been a pay-to-play player and try to balance work as well,” she said. “There have been a couple of us who have been doing that, but it is nice to see the game go more professional.”For Warren, Sunrisers’ director of cricket, the victory was vindication for the team’s perseverance, even when the going was particularly tough in the early years of the competition. It also provides the squad with a fillip ahead of next year’s switch to a county format, with Essex taking over the management of the Tier 1 team that will represent the region.”It is the culmination of a lot of hard work for a lot of people, for players and backroom staff,” Warren said. “We started this era with a group of players who were untested and untried at this level and we have identified some gems.”They have done it as an exciting group of young players who are probably come together slightly more than the sum of their part. We are the underdogs – and we like that term.”There have been a lot of tears and a lot of soul-searching from a lot of people. The lowest point was the four overthrows off the final ball against Storm in 2022. The story of that time was that we found a way to lose, now we have found a way to win – and that’s a brilliant thing.”With this group of girls you don’t know who the hero is going to be, any of them can put in a performance. There will be a happy person sat in the corner later looking around the room and seeing how far we have come. But I don’t see this as the end of an era, I just see it as momentum into the next one.”Alice Davidson-Richards held the Stars top order together•Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Emma Calvert, South East Stars’ director of cricket, was understandably disconsolate as her team finished on the losing side in two finals this summer, following their defeat to The Blaze in the Charlotte Edwards Cup in June.”It is gutting,” she said. “It is the end of an era and a sad way to end that era. We wanted to go out there, put on a performance and win the trophy but we have no control over the weather.”DLS is a funny thing. I backed us to take those wickets and see it through to the end. But what happened, happened and congratulations to Sunrisers. I have seen how much effort has gone in to building that program and it is an incredible end to that journey.”Alice Davidson-Richards is an incredible player, we all know that. She is disappointed more than anyone because although she put on that performance her team didn’t win and that is what means the most to her.”South East Stars are set to be absorbed into Surrey’s all-conquering set-up from 2025 onwards, but Warren admitted it was a bittersweet moment as this initial domestic era comes to an end.”We are incredibly excited to become Surrey but in this moment it feels quite hard,” she added. “The girls are so excited to start the journey with the three feathers on our chest.”We have been on a journey and to get to two finals this year is an incredible end. November 1 is the official day we go live as Surrey, but before then we’ll have words tonight and have our awards and really celebrate what we have achieved.”Although we haven’t lifted a trophy today, we have achieved a lot and I think it is worth celebrating that.”