All posts by csb10.top

Kane Williamson says he remains committed to playing for New Zealand, and has half an eye on the next ODI World Cup in 2027, but acknowledges that his life priorities have shifted as he prepares to play for his country for the first time since the Champions Trophy final in March.Williamson, 35, was not considered for last week’s three-match T20I series against England, as he was recovering from an unspecified medical issue. However, he is back with the squad for the ODI leg of England’s visit, which gets underway at Mount Maunganui on Sunday.”It’s nice to be back amongst the group,” Williamson told NZC, after linking up with a squad that is now coached by Rob Walter, following Gary Stead’s departure in the off-season. “There’s been quite a bit of change since the last time I was here, so it’s nice to meet the new coach and some new players as well. And I’m looking forward to the start of the series.”Williamson spent much of New Zealand’s winter in England, on an extended contract with Hundred-franchise London Spirit that included a multi-format stint with Middlesex. As one of a group of senior players on a casual contract with NZC, he missed New Zealand’s tour of Zimbabwe in order to fulfil that deal, and also made himself unavailable for this month’s early-season T20Is against Australia.However, Williamson reiterated his commitment to international cricket, while also acknowledging that his involvement with New Zealand’s squads could not simply be a case of him doing all the picking and choosing.”It’s just an ongoing communication with New Zealand Cricket and with Rob, and I’m grateful for that,” he said. “It’s a lot about the balance, with family and time away, but also the delicate balance of being a part of this team that I’ve really loved and enjoyed for such a long period of time.Kane Williamson spent much of New Zealand’s winter in England•Getty Images

“Your life situation changes, as mine has, and I’m incredibly grateful as well for that,” he added. “With three young children, the balance between where you spend your time and [who] give your attention [to] is really important to me. Still being able to play for New Zealand, and play the sport that I love at the highest level, is great, but the balance is the most important thing for me.”I still love the game. I still have a strong desire to get better and train hard, and offer whatever I can for the team. It’s been a huge part of my life for 15-plus years, we’ve been through a lot as a group, and a number of transitions. But I’ve just loved playing with a bunch of people that are really committed to each other, and to the team.”New Zealand’s run to the Champions Trophy final was a continuation of their strong showing in ICC events during Williamson’s career. When asked what ambitions he still harboured, he acknowledged the 2027 ODI World Cup – scheduled for Southern Africa in 24 months’ time – remained “at the back of my mind”.”There’s always other things,” he added. “Test cricket is pretty dear to me as well. So it’s a little bit about what I want, and little bit more about what the team wants, and where it’s going, and what we’re buying into.”We’ll keep those lines of communication open to make sure that we’re focused and clear on what it looks like,” he added. “I’m respectful of the fact that this is a team and a special place, and that they’re always trying to build towards something. For me, in this phase of my career, if I’m there and able to add to it, then brilliant.”

Hundreds from opener Priyansh Arya and captain Shreyas Iyer set up India A’s demolition of Australia A in the first unofficial ODI in Kanpur on Wednesday. After rain allowed no play on Tuesday, the weather cleared for the series to get underway on the reserve day.After being asked to bat, India A posted 413 for 6 on the back of Arya’s 101 and Iyer’s 110. In response, Australia A were dismissed for 242 in 33.1 overs.Each of India’s top six had a strike rate of over 100, and five of their top six scored at least 50. Arya and Prabhsimran Singh, who had combined powerfully for Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2025, were reunited at the top for India A, putting on 135 for the opening stand in 20.3 overs. Iyer then took charge of the innings, hitting 12 fours and four sixes in his first List A match since the Champions Trophy in March earlier this year.Related

• Iyer to lead India A in one-dayers against Australia A

• BCCI okays Shreyas Iyer's request for six-month break from red-ball cricket

• After years in Chennai heat, Gurjapneet Singh is now in India A spotlight

Rajat Patidar was originally named captain for the 50-over series against Australia A but Iyer replaced him, with Patidar taking charge of the Rest of India side in the ongoing Irani Cup in Nagpur. Iyer is on a break from red-ball cricket due to concerns about his back, but continues to be available for white-ball cricket.Riyan Parag (67) and Ayush Badoni (50) also hit half-centuries to propel India A to a mammoth total. Iyer’s dismissal in the 47th over left India A at 380 for 4, but Badoni and allrounder Nishant Sindhu took them past 400.Australia A used seven bowlers, with only Liam Scott going at less than seven an over.Chasing 414, Australia A had a good start: they were 116 for 1 in the 13th over, but Cooper Connolly’s wicket triggered a slide. They lost their last nine wickets for 126 and left almost 17 overs unused in their chase.Opener McKenzie Harvey top-scored for the visitors with 68 off 62 balls while captain Sutherland made 50 off 33 balls. Spinners Sindhu, Bishnoi and Badoni shared seven wickets among them.Gurjapneet Singh, who was making his List A debut, having been fast-tracked into the India A side, came away with 1 for 40 in five overs.India A will be bolstered by the arrival of Asia Cup hero Tilak Varma for the remaining two one-dayers.

The men’s Vitality Blast will be reduced from 14 to 12 group-stage matches next season as part of a broad overhaul of English domestic white-ball cricket in the men’s and women’s game. However a mooted revamp of the men’s first-class cricket has yet to be agreed upon, with parties hopeful of a decision before the end of the month, ahead of the return of the County Championship in September.Following agreements from the required two-thirds majority of the 18 Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCCs) and in collaboration with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), the men’s county T20 competition will shift from two groups of nine to three six-team regional groups, as it was during the Covid-affected summer of 2020.Each county will play the others in their group home and away (a total of 10 matches), with an additional home-and-away fixture against a side from the two other groups. The top two teams in each group plus the best two third-placed teams will progress to the quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals will progress to Finals Day. The competition will be played in a block and completed in July, before the start of the Hundred.Related

• Croft bemoans 'stupid' schedule as county review gathers pace

• Players want cut to 12 County Championship games, says PCA

• Reduced County Championship on agenda for latest domestic review

The reduction in group matches follows recommendations from the county-led men’s Domestic Playing Programme (DPP) review. While the limited-overs portion of the review has been heeded, the PCCCs are yet to agree upon a preferred layout of the County Championship.It is understood that at present there are three red-ball options on the table, with no clear favourite. There is a strong desire out of necessity to establish a preferred option by the end of August to ensure counties know what they are playing for in the final rounds of this season.The most innovative would see a 12/6 split between Division One and Two, with the top-tier made up of two groups of six. Each Division One team would play home and away plus two further fixtures against teams in the other group. The top two will then go into a final for the County Championship title, mooted for the middle of September.The bottom team in each Division One group would subsequently be relegated, replaced by the team that finished top of Division Two, with the last promotion spot determined by a play-off between second and third. Despite only having six teams, Division Two sides will also play 12 fixtures; home and away against the other five teams, followed by home-and-away fixtures against two others.The other alternatives are a two-division split (10 in Division One, eight in Division Two) with 12 matches played; or a continuation of the existing 14-match set-up. At present, four counties – Middlesex, Somerset, Surrey and Yorkshire – have publicly stated their preference to retain a 14-match County Championship season.In a statement released by the ECB on Tuesday, Mark McCafferty, chair of the Professional Game Committee (PGC), which was set up in 2023, lauded the changes confirmed so far. He said: “These changes to the men’s Vitality Blast will be a springboard to further investment in a historic and much-loved domestic T20 competition which is recognised as one of the world’s best.”The new group format intensifies the importance of many of these local derbies, and brings the quarter-finals and the iconic Finals’ Day back into July, so improving the sporting and commercial narrative for sponsorship and TV partners, as well as meeting player wellbeing objectives by improving the group-stage schedules and travel demands to allow players to perform at their very best.”The revamp is part of the current work to further strengthen all our men’s and women’s domestic competitions and on behalf of the PGC, I’d like to express my thanks and appreciation to the counties and to the PCA for their ongoing collaboration on this work, as we progress in the next phase to the Rothesay County Championship and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.”The women’s Vitality Blast will also reduce to 12 matches next season in Tier 1, the result of a separate vote from the 18 PCCCs that was not linked to the men’s changes. With Yorkshire moving up from Tier 2 in 2026, making nine teams in the top tier, each county will play six home and six away matches, playing four counties twice and four counties once.Tier 1 Finals Day will expand to house two semi-finals and the final, meaning the top four teams progress to the showpiece event. Previously the team finishing first went through to the final automatically, to play the winner of second versus third earlier in the day. The Vitality Blast Women’s League 2 (Tier 2) will maintain eight group-stage matches, but move to a single group – changing from North and South Groups in 2025 – with a second-versus-third eliminator before the final.The Tier 1 Metro Bank One-Day Cup competition will increase to 16 matches from 14, with a shift to an eliminator instead of two semi-finals. League 2 will be reduced from nine to eight group-stage games with each county playing each other once. The top four at the end of the group stage will progress to the knockouts stages. The winners of the two semi-finals progress to the final.”The changes for 2026 were developed in consultation with the game and the players,” Beth Barrett-Wild, ECB director of the women’s professional game, said. “The player representatives did voice a desire to increase the volume of cricket, to allow an even home-and-away Vitality Blast in Tier 1, but also recognised the scheduling challenges that would cause.”There was always going to be a settling-in period across Tiers 1 and 2 during these first few seasons, and these changes are set to be for next summer only with a planned review again ahead of the 2027 season, when Glamorgan will move from Tier 2 into Tier 1. This will also follow another phase of learning as the new women’s competitions embed into the overall county structure.”Speaking on the overall changes to limited overs cricket, ECB chief executive Richard Gould said: “County cricket in England and Wales has long been the gold standard and it has been important that the counties have led the discussion in consultation with the game as we look to make all of our men’s and women’s county competitions the best they can be.”

Men’s Vitality Blast from 2026

Group A: Derbyshire Falcons, Durham, Lancashire Lightning, Leicestershire Foxes, Notts Outlaws, Yorkshire
Group B: Bears, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Somerset, Worcestershire Rapids
Group C: Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Kent Spitfires, Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex Sharks

Women’s Vitality Blast (Tier 1)

Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Yorkshire

Women’s Vitality Blast League 2 (Tier 2)

Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids.

Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup (Tier 1)

Bears, Durham, Essex, Hampshire Hawks, Lancashire Thunder, Somerset, Surrey, The Blaze, Yorkshire

Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup League 2 (Tier 2)

Derbyshire Falcons, Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire Foxes, Middlesex, Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Sussex Sharks, Worcestershire Rapids

Lucknow 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

• Zaheer wants to get Mayank Yadav to a place where he can 'play longer without breaks'

• Eden Gardens to host IPL 2025 final on May 25

• Harry Brook pulls out of IPL for second year running

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.

Injury-hit Australia retained the Women’s Ashes after Beth Mooney’s assured innings led them to a thumping 57-run victory in the first T20I at the SCG.A spirited 59 off 30 balls by Sophia Dunkley kept England in the contest with superb placement and power after they were asked to equal their highest successful run chase in T20Is. But spin duo Alana King and Georgia Wareham claimed five wickets between them as England were bowled out for just 141 in 16 overs.The hosts were missing regular captain and keeper Alyssa Healy, who was ruled out with an injury to the same right foot in which she ruptured the plantar fascia at the T20 World Cup in October, and Ashleigh Gardner, the star of their 3-0 ODI series sweep, to a calf strain.It was the first time Australia had played a T20I without both Healy and Gardner in their XI in 12 years and the first international match both had missed since an ODI in February 2016. That gave young opener Georgia Voll her T20I debut after she had impressed in Australia’s ODI series against India in December, replacing Healy who had a knee injury at the time.But it was Mooney, also standing in as wicketkeeper for Healy, who anchored Australia to an impressive 198 for 7 in their 20 overs with her 51-ball 75 amid a spate of sloppy fielding from England. Tahlia McGrath was Australia’s next-best batter with a rapid-fire 26 from nine deliveries. Mooney also claimed two catches.With Australia now holding an eight-points-to-nil lead, the best England can hope for is to win both remaining T20s and the Test to draw the series, which would still see the hosts retain the trophy.While a crowd of 9,279 turned out on a pleasant Monday night in Sydney during the summer school holidays, the lopsided Ashes contest overall doesn’t auger particularly well for Cricket Australia’s hopes of luring a big crowd to the MCG for a day-night Test that could well be a total dead rubber.

Handy replacement

Voll planted her front foot and heaved the fourth ball she faced in T20Is – off Freya Kemp – powerfully over mid-on for four. A couple of fielding errors by England were exacerbated when Lauren Bell dropped Voll on 13. Bell couldn’t look as the ball ran down to fine leg for a second of three consecutive fours off Charlie Dean, bookended by two convincing slog-sweeps through square leg.But Bell made amends when she pinned Voll in front of leg stump for 21 off just 11 balls in the next over with the Australian burning a review in the process. Voll’s exit brought Phoebe Litchfield to the crease and, as she foretold in the lead-up to the match, she took a liking to England’s spin attack. She slammed legspinner Sarah Glenn’s third ball through cover for four, followed immediately by a stunning switch-hit for six over cover point.Beth Mooney swings into the leg side•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Mooney shines

Mooney, meanwhile, rode her luck, dropped by wicketkeeper Amy Jones on 16 after overturning an lbw decision, she skied the last ball of Glenn’s opening over towards cover only to see the two close-by fielders watch it fall to the ground between them. But then Heather Knight saved England’s blushes straight after the drinks break with an excellent direct hit from mid-off to remove a diving Litchfield at the non-striker’s end as she chanced a single.England’s fielding picked up for a time, albeit from a low base, with Jones completing a sharp stumping to remove Ellyse Perry, Danni Wyatt-Hodge proving reliable running in from deep midwicket as Annabel Sutherland holed out and Maia Bouchier almost coming to grief with a good diving effort at long-off to prevent a four by McGrath. Bouchier appeared to hurt her shoulder badly but recovered to remain on the field. All the while, Mooney kept the Australian innings going apace. She brought up her fifty off 37 balls and she and McGrath helped themselves to 17 runs off Bell’s third over. While Sophie Ecclestone ended McGrath’s innings with an excellent delivery that dipped and skidded onto the stumps between the batter’s legs, Mooney pressed on until she was stumped strolling past a Kemp delivery, by which point, her work was done.Georgia Wareham and Alana King took five wickets between them•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Dunkley keeps England in it

England’s pursuit began poorly when Bouchier sent the second ball of the innings, from Megan Schutt, straight to deep backward square and Wyatt-Hodge followed driving a Kim Garth outswinger to Litchfield in the slips. Dunkley picked off three sixes and 22 runs in all off Garth’s next over though. King, playing her first T20I in nearly two years, struck with her first ball, a short legbreak that beat Nat Sciver-Brunt’s attempted pull and clattered into middle stump. But Dunkley’s timing was superb as she picked gaps with precision and cleared the boundary four times. She raised her fifty off just 24 balls, the second-fastest scored against Australia in T20Is and equal to second-fastest in the format.King claimed her second wicket straight after drinks when Australia appealed to the DRS to remove Knight lbw trying to reverse-sweep and McGrath’s cutter crashing into Dunkley’s leg stump felt like the end for England. So it proved as the visitors lost their last five wickets for 25 runs in 3.1 overs with Wareham removing Jones, Ecclestone and Dean.

Gautam Gambhir, India’s head coach, will rejoin the touring party in Australia on Tuesday, having flown out of India after having returned home because of “personal reasons”.Gambhir missed India’s two-day tour game – which was later reduced to a limited-overs contest following rain on the first day – against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, having flown back home at the conclusion of the first Test in Perth on November 25. Gambhir left on November 26, the scheduled final day of that Test.The second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a day-nighter in Adelaide, will start on December 6.Related

• Rohit's turn to lead from the… middle

• What do India, Australia, South Africa et al still have to do to make the WTC final?

• Siraj finds joy in his bowling again as the wickets follow

• Pujara: Rahul should bat no lower than No. 3 if Rohit opens

In Gambhir’s absence, the support staff of Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel had overseen the team’s training, and were part of the Canberra fixture, which the Indians won by six wickets, with Harshit Rana (4 for 44) and Shubman Gill (50 in 62 balls) playing key roles.Now, Gambhir will have to be part of the tricky discussions around India’s playing XI, with Rohit Sharma, the full-time Test captain, having linked up with the team after skipping the first Test to be with his wife for the birth of their second child. Jasprit Bumrah had led India to the comprehensive 295-run win in the Perth Test in Rohit’s absence.Gill, who had also missed that Test after fracturing his right thumb during a training session, is also back in the reckoning.Even if India bring in Rohit and Gill for Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel, who were part of the XI in Perth, there is the question of the opening combination, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul having put on a double-century first-wicket stand in India’s second innings in Perth. Indications from the pink-ball tour game, though it wasn’t a full-fledged contest, are that Jaiswal and Rahul will continue to open with Gill replacing Padikkal at No. 3, and Rohit possibly going in the middle order behind Virat Kohli. Rishabh Pant is the other certain starter in the middle order.

Zafar Gohar, the former Pakistan spinner, has joined Middlesex on a two-year contract after qualifying as a local player.Gohar spent four seasons with Gloucestershire as an overseas signing, but has now received British citizenship. He last played for Pakistan in 2021, when he won his sole Test cap in Christchurch. He was also capped in an ODI against England in 2015.”Zafar is a player that we have admired for some time now and have been keeping a watchful eye on,” Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, Alan Coleman, said. “We are delighted to have secured his services as a local cricketer for the next two seasons.”In Championship cricket we have identified the need to increase our wicket-taking threat in all conditions and adding an international quality spinner to our line-up will strengthen us and add a greater threat on all types of surfaces.”Adding a senior bowler to our white-ball teams will also help the side in those situations where we’ve lacked some experience in the shorter formats in recent years.”The addition of someone like Zafar to our squad adds not only quality, but also invaluable experience, and our young spinners will benefit enormously from having him in the playing group. We are excited to see what Zafar can do for Middlesex and are delighted to have him on board.”Gohar claimed 118 wickets at 31.71 in first-class cricket for Gloucestershire, as well as 17 List A and nine T20 wickets, while also contributing handy runs down the order. He was only involved in six County Championship fixtures in 2024, however.Gohar said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Middlesex and making Lord’s my home ground for the next two years. It’s a club steeped in history and to be a part of this next chapter is hugely exciting.”The opportunity to contribute to both the red-ball and white-ball teams formed a big part of my decision to make Middlesex my home, and I can’t wait to play my part in what I hope will be a successful 2025 for the club.”

Australia have been dealt a potential injury concern heading into their title defence at the Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, with batter Phoebe Litchfield being ruled out of the warm-up games with groin soreness. The news came in ahead of Australia’s first warm-up fixture against England in Dubai on September 29.Grace Harris, who has not played competitive cricket since April 2024 because of calf strains in both legs, was also deemed not quite ready to take the field yet because of a “new niggle”, though she is back in training.”Grace has resumed training following a new niggle sustained in her preparation to return to play,” Cricket Australia’s (CA) update said.Harris is making her way back after a first calf strain kept her out of the Women’s Hundred in the English summer, and then a second, in the other leg, kept her out of the recent series against New Zealand.CA said an update on both players’ availability for the T20 World Cup opener will be provided over “the next few days”.Australia play a second warm-up on October 1 against West Indies, before opening their tournament against Sri Lanka on October 5.India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the other teams in Australia’s group – Group A. The top two teams from each group will proceed to the semi-finals on October 17 and 18, before the final on October 20.

Josh Brown and Will Sutherland have been included in the Melbourne Renegades Academy squad for the Top End T20 series in Darwin while Australia quick Scott Boland will be part of Melbourne Stars Academy.Sutherland, who made his ODI debut against West Indies last season, will captain Renegades. He has spent the winter recovering from another stress fracture of the back which ruled him out of a second consecutive county stint having lined up a deal with Somerset.Brown, meanwhile, was one of the big off-season moves after he was lured away from Brisbane Heat having lit up last season’s BBL with some spectacular innings include a stunning 140 off 57 balls against Adelaide Strikers. While the much-anticipated pairing with Jake Fraser-McGurk will have to wait for the BBL in December, the Top End tournament will be Brown’s first outing with his new club.Renegades have also included Kane Richardson and Victoria opener Marcus Harris who does not currently have a BBL deal. Harris made one appearance for Perth Scorchers last season, in the Eliminator final, having been signed as a late replacement.Meanwhile, Boland will have a dual role for Stars having been included in their academy squad for the tournament where he will also serve as a bowling coach. Should Boland play it will be his first competitive cricket since April when he had a county deal with Durham cut short by a heel injury.Stars have also included the experience of Hilton Cartwright who is part of their BBL squad.Alongside the Stars and Renegades academy sides, the Top End T20 features Northern Territory Strike, Adelaide Strikers, Perth Scorchers, Tasmania, ACT Comets, Pakistan A and a Bangladesh High Performance side.Jake Weatherald (Tasmania and Adelaide Strikers) and D’Arcy Short (Western Australia and Strikers) will play for NT Strike.

All the squads for the Top End T20 series

Northern Territory StrikeJacob Dickman, Lachlan Bangs, Harshtik Bimbral, Connor Carroll, Isaac Conway, Coby Edmonstone, Matt Hammond, Hamish Martin, Cadell McMahon, Tom Menzies, D’Arcy Short, Charlie Smith, Caelan Maladay, Jake WeatheraldMelbourne Stars AcademyAustin Anlezark, Max Birthisel, Scott Boland, Dylan Brasher, Liam Blackford, Ashley Chandrasinghe, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Elliott, Jaga Koduru, Reiley Mark, Joe Medew-Ewen, David Moody, Arjun Nair, Connor RutlandMelbourne Renegades AcademyWill Sutherland, Tom Brooks, Josh Brown, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Matt Hennig, Jai Lemire, Blake MacDonald, Fergus O’Neill, Tyler Pearson, Kane Richardson, Callum StowAdelaide StrikersLiam Scott, James Bazley, Jordan Buckingham, Hamish Case, Josh Kann, Ryan King, Harry Manenti, Harry Matthias, Tim Oakley, Tom O’Connell, Lloyd Pope, Sam Rahaley, Jake WinterPerth ScorchersSam Fanning, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Baxter Holt, Luke Holt, Bryce Jackson, Matthew Kelly, Lucas Martin, Declan Power, Jhye Richardson, Matthew Spoors, Josh Vernon, Corey Wasley, Teague WyllieTasmaniaGabe Bell, Lachlan Clark, Zac Curtain, Nick Davis, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott. Rafael MacMillan, Jack Montgomery, Will Prestwidge, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, James Scott, Louis Smith, Charlie Wakim, Tim WardACT CometsTyler van Luin, Scott Murn, Nick Allen, Nic Broes, Kai Brunker, Tom Hogan, Zak Keogh, Tyler Hays, Hanno Jacobs, Zac Maron, Mikey McNamara, Esam Rahman, Jake Smith, Hayden WatlingPakistan AMohammad Haris, Abdul Faseeh, Arafat Minhas, Arif Yaqoob, Faisal Akram, Haseebullah, Jahandad Khan, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Imran, Mubasir Khan, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan.Bangladesh High PerformanceTanzid Hasan, Jishan Alam, Parvez Hossain Emon, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Ariful Islam, Akbar Ali, Wasi Siddiquee, Rakibul Hasan, Al Islam, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby, Abu Hider, Mukidul Islam, Ripon Mondol, Maruf Mridha

Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, overlooked for England’s Test squad, bounced back to equal his season’s best tally of four wickets for 42 as Northamptonshire were skittled for 97 on an eventful opening day of this Vitality County Championship match at Wantage Road.Robinson, who claimed identical stats against Yorkshire at Hove, took some stick in his opening overs, but found more control and a better line as he switched ends amid a Steelbacks collapse. This after the hosts had raced to 43 without loss inside six overs before Nathan McAndrew started the slump with two wickets in two balls.On a day which saw 22 wickets fall, Sussex had themselves been bowled out earlier for 143, Northamptonshire seamer Jack White striking with four wickets for 23 runs, his first scalps of the summer since returning from injury. The visitors were undone by some testing seam bowling on a green top with bare ends, the bowlers finding plenty of movement to beat the bat consistently with Sussex losing six wickets for 47 in 19 overs after lunch, despite a series of dropped catches from the hosts.The clatter of wickets meant Sussex were batting again at 5.20pm when, with the sun putting in a late appearance, conditions started to ease. Tom Haines took advantage, hitting 45 as Sussex closed on 83 for 2, 129 ahead.Earlier Haines was first to go in Sussex’s first innings, flashing outside off stump, caught at fourth slip by Matthew Breetzke to give White his first wicket.Daniel Hughes top scored with 35, stroking five boundaries before he was dropped by a diving Prithvi Shaw at second slip off Luke Procter. His reprieve was shortlived as he edged the next delivery behind. Procter soon picked up another when James Coles fell to a good low catch by Breetzke at midwicket.Tom Alsop then departed on the stroke of lunch when tried to work Justin Broad off his hip and was caught behind.After the interval, in-form Sussex captain John Simpson took Sussex into three figures, before the innings swiftly fell apart.Oli Carter was first to go. He had hit consecutive boundaries through the covers before lunch but was undone when White used his height to gain some extra bounce drawing him into pushing outside off stump, keeper Lewis McManus taking the catch.Simpson almost fell soon after, but Shaw shelled a simple chance at second slip off White. The bowler persevered, striking later in the same over when he jagged one back in to trap Fynn Hudson-Prentice lbw.Simpson offered a second chance in the slips off Ben Sanderson, but this time a diving Breetzke could not hold on. He finally fell when Broad gratefully pouched a catch at second slip to give White his fourth wicket. Next Procter had McAndrew caught behind by a diving McManus before Robinson fell first ball, top-edging a return catch to Sanderson.Jack Carson meanwhile took the aggressive route as wickets tumbled around him. He clubbed the ball through the on side and scooped for six before holing out off Sanderson.When Northamptonshire batted, Ricardo Vasconcelos pummelled 16 off the opening over from a wayward Robinson, including a six and two fours before pulling Sean Hunt out of the ground for another maximum. He had moved to 33 when he tried to steer Hunt past fourth slip, Carson taking a superb diving catch.McAndrew then picked up two wickets in two balls thanks to some stunning fielding at third slip from Haines, who first took a good low grab to dismiss Emilio Gay, before an even more spectacular diving catch away to his left as Procter went first ball. South African T20 international Breetzke, playing his first Championship match, was then adjudged lbw to give McAndrew, Northamptonshire’s fourth wicket to fall for 16 runs in three overs.Shaw looked a class apart, driving his first two deliveries from Hunt square for four. He took a liking to McAndrew too, smashing him through the covers and cracking him away off the back foot.But Robinson found a better line and control from the David Capel End and struck on the stroke of tea, Rob Keogh falling to a juggling catch by Coles at slip. He struck again soon after the interval when McManus drove loosely outside off stump and was well caught by a leaping Simpson.Hudson-Prentice made the key breakthrough, removing Shaw, caught by Carson off the leading edge for 31, before Robinson claimed a third wicket, shaping one back in to bowl Sanderson. In his next over he had Raphael Weatherall brilliantly caught by Carson at short cover before taking a catch in the deep himself as Broad holed out off Hudson-Prentice.When Sussex batted again, Northamptonshire made an early breakthrough when White trapped Hughes lbw for 13. Haines though decided attack was the best option, smashing eight boundaries as he and Alsop shared a stand of 63 before he was caught behind off Sanderson.