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Australia have topped Group A at the Under-19 World Cup emphatically. Yet, their coach Stuart Law recognises there are disciplines his team needs to improve on during Sunday’s quarterfinal against Bangladesh

George Binoy in Townsville18-Aug-2012Australia have topped Group A at the Under-19 World Cup emphatically. They beat England by six wickets and 15 overs to spare, Nepal by 212 runs, and Ireland by six wickets and 57 balls left. Yet, their coach Stuart Law recognises there are disciplines his team needs to improve on during Sunday’s quarterfinal against Bangladesh, and says having won so comprehensively despite not being at their best highlighted the depth of talent within the squad.”We have got through, won three out of three, but I still feel there are some areas for improvement, which is pretty good if you’re winning games and still not playing your best cricket,” Law said. “It doesn’t make you very complacent.”Australia’s bowlers have conceded 25 wides in three games, only one batsman has scored a hundred and some have been getting out in the same fashion, and they haven’t run out a batsman yet. These were the areas Law felt needed attention.”There have been some great areas for us, but there are just those little one per-centers,” Law said. “We bowled a lot of wides with the new ball. Batsmen have got to learn that once you get out a certain way, you shouldn’t be getting out like that time and time again. We haven’t got many run outs in this competition, we’re a better fielding side than what we’re showing. They may not mean much in the whole scheme of things but in big games coming up, if we can get one run out, take a great catch, don’t bowl five wides, it makes it easier to win the game.”While Australia’s captain William Bosisto said he was “rapt” to have won all three games so far, he too wasn’t thrilled with the performance in the last group game against Ireland. “I suppose, with attacking cricket, you can sometimes come unstuck, it’s not going to come off all the time,” Bosisto said. “It’s a learning experience, but I think if we try and be as positive as we can and learn from our mistakes that’s the only way to improve.”What Australia have done during the group stages is manage to give all 15 players in their squad a game, which means no one will have to take the field during the knock-out without match practice. Even the two replacement players they called into the squad because of injuries, seam bowler Alex Gregory and legspinner Shane Cassel, have had success. “Coming into the group stage, we wanted to win all three games but we also wanted to get as many players into form as possible and I think we’ve achieved that so far,” Bosisto said.Australia have two significant advantages going into the quarterfinal against Bangladesh in Townsville. They’ve played at Endeavour Park, in this tournament and during a quadrangular series earlier this year, and know what to expect from the conditions. Bangladesh have been based in Brisbane and will have to adjust to their new environment on the go. Australia have not played this Under-19 Bangladesh side before, but they have Law, who was Bangladesh coach until recently and knows some of their key players. Bangladesh don’t have similar insights.”I’ve spoken to the players a little bit about it [the Bangladesh team],” Law said. “You don’t try and give them too much, if you give them too much information you can lead to paralysing them mentally and you don’t want to do that. You just want them to go out and play good, carefree cricket with discipline.”What Law wants, however, is for the batsmen who get set to play substantial innings when they get the opportunity to. Cameron Bancroft showed that appetite against Nepal, when he scored 125, but some others have failed to score a century or see the chase home because of an error of judgment rather than being dismissed by a good ball.”It’s good to have a sounding board like Greg Chappell in the dressing room. We look at each other and say, ‘These guys don’t like scoring hundreds.’ We tell these players that 20s aren’t going to be enough to put your name up in lights. If you’re 50 not out at the end of an innings, great … but if you get the opportunity, you’ve got to go big. If you’re getting 40 and 50 all the time, it’s okay, but it’s not going to get you far.”Having said that, Law was pleased with the balance in Australia’s line-up. Bancroft and Bosisto are the steady batsmen who have shown the temperament to battle through tough periods, while Jimmy Peirson, Kurtis Patterson and Travis Head have been more aggressive during the group games. “We’ve looked at different combinations, we’ve looked at who’s got the power game, who can constantly hit gaps,” Law said. “It is a good balance, it’s something Greg and I, we’re pretty conscious of keeping that balance going through the next three games. Don’t have too many changes now, everyone knows their role.”Australia will be expected to get past Bangladesh, and they’ll want to do so in a manner that shows improvement from their already impressive performances during this tournament.

Chris Taylor made an unbeaten 192 as Gloucestershire moved into a commanding position in their Division Two game with Kent

21-Jul-2011Gloucestershire 486 for 7 v Kent 205
ScorecardChris Taylor made an unbeaten 192 as Gloucestershire moved into a commanding position in their Division Two game with Kent. The long-serving batsman shared in a fifth-wicket stand of 160 with skipper Alex Gidman (79) as Gloucestershire reached 486 for 7 at Cheltenham in reply to Kent’s 205.Taylor is just four short of his highest score of 196, made against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 2001, and has struck 23 fours and a six in his 246-ball innings. David Balcombe was Kent’s most successful bowler with 3 for 92, but it was an off-day for fellow paceman Robbie Joseph, who could only return 1 for 110 in 19 overs.The promotion-chasing home side started the day on 107 for 3 and an eventful first over from Balcombe brought nine runs and the dismissal of nightwatchman David Payne, caught at second slip by Martin van Jaarsveld. Only another four overs were possible before rain brought a 40-minute interruption to play. After the resumption, Taylor and Alex Gidman took full advantage of the short boundaries square of the wicket at the College Ground to keep the scoring rate above four an over.Taylor took three successive boundaries off Simon Cook, all driven through the off-side, on his way to a 61-ball half-century, which he reached just before the lunch interval with Gloucestershire on 204 for 4. Alex Gidman reached his 74-ball half-century with the second of three boundaries he took from a Darren Stevens over, and soon after hit James Tredwell
for a straight six for the second time in his innings.The pair had put on 160 in 35 overs when Alex Gidman played across the line at Joseph and was trapped leg before wicket. His 115-ball innings contained nine fours as well as two sixes.
Ian Cockbain put on 77 for the sixth wicket with Taylor, who hurried to his second century of the summer by taking 14 runs off a Tredwell over.He cover-drove the offspinner for a boundary, hit the next delivery for six over long-on and then struck him for a four through extra cover to reach a 125-ball hundred. Cockbain departed for 19 when he gave a low return catch to Balcombe, but there was no respite for Kent as Will Gidman and Taylor continued to score briskly and bat with few problems on an easy-paced pitch.Will Gidman had contributed 35 to a partnership of 91 when he was caught at slip by Van Jaarsveld off Tredwell. But Van Jaarsveld dropped Taylor on 185, also off Tredwell, and he had added another seven runs when more rain ended play with 14 overs of the day remaining.

The PCB are expected to meet on Friday to decide on a successor to Shahid Afridi as Test captain for the series against England

Osman Samiuddin16-Jul-2010The PCB are expected to meet on Friday to decide on a successor to Shahid Afridi as Test captain for the series against England. Salman Butt is the tour vice-captain and would normally be in line to take over, but that will not, according the the PCB chairman, happen “automatically.”Afridi caught everyone, including the PCB, off-guard by announcing his retirement from Test cricket immediately after his first Test as captain – and first Test in four years – which Pakistan lost to Australia by 150 runs at Lord’s. He cited a side strain and temperamental incompatibility to the demands of the five-day game as factors behind the decision. The second Test at Leeds -fitness permitting – will be his last.Yawar Saeed, the team manager, told Cricinfo that the vice-captain should take over, as per procedure and Waqar Younis, the coach, also suggested that Butt would take over but it is not inked in stone yet. “Shahid has officially informed me of the decision and we will meet tonight to discuss who will take over,” Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, told Cricinfo.”Salman Butt is the vice-captain but that does not automatically entitle him to take over just yet. A decision will be made soon.” The meeting will include inputs from Waqar and Yawar and given Afridi’s side strain, it could be that the new man takes over from the Headingley Test.Options are not exactly bulging at the moment. The last two Test captains Pakistan have had – Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf – are both out of national reckoning; Yousuf has retired, though that is an impermanent state in Pakistan and though Younis’s ban has been lifted, the PCB is still not keen to bring him back into the squad.Media speculation in Pakistan suggested that Yousuf had been contacted by the board and asked to come to England, though it was unclear whether as a player or possible captain. But Butt said no contact had been made with Yousuf or Younis , who is currently playing for Surrey, though when asked about the possibility of them appearing at some stage of the tour, he refused to rule it out or in. “It is only one Test so far and I have not contacted either of them. I don’t want to comment on it anymore. We will have a meeting and decisions will be made in that,” Butt saidShoaib Malik, who was captain until February 2009, is in England with the side but was not even picked for the Lord’s Test. From the playing XI, only Kamran Akmal and Butt have the kind of experience which might begin to form the basis of a credible alternative. It seems inconceivable that they will appoint someone from beyond that trio.Ijaz Butt had appointed Afridi as recently as the end of May, uniting the captaincy of Pakistan in all formats under one man again. “We must respect his decision,” Butt said. “He came to me and told me categorically that he feels he is not suited to Test cricket and that he has taken the decision himself. It is very honest of him and we must respect that decision.”Afridi is keen to continue his career in ODI and Twenty20 cricket and though he has not clarifiied whether he would do so as captain, Butt hoped that he would.

He put on an unbroken 108 with Navdeep Saini after India A’s pace trio had run through the top order

Shashank Kishore05-Sep-2024From the characteristic crouch in his stance to the backlift and manner of defending, it’s hard to miss Musheer Khan’s uncanny resemblance to older brother Sarfaraz. And the similarities don’t end there. Both have a penchant for big scores, even if their modus operandi are entirely different.Sarfaraz is all about gung-ho aggression and there’s an enterprise to his game that’s hard to miss. On Thursday, the opening day of the Duleep Trophy game between India A and India B in Bengaluru, he arched back to ramp his fifth delivery over the close-in cordon off a rip-roaring Khaleel Ahmed, soon after the openers had departed in quick succession.Musheer is the opposite, even if he can appear crabby and unorthodox at times, and he has been proving to be just as effective. Earlier this year, he finished second on the run charts at the Under-19 World Cup and backed it up with a double-ton, a clutch half-century and a match-winning hundred in the knockout rounds of Mumbai’s victorious Ranji Trophy campaign.India B desperately needed Musheer’s pluck when they were cut to size by the pace trio of Khaleel, Akash Deep and Avesh Khan. And he delivered: batting for over five hours to eke out an unbeaten 105 that helped lift India B from 94 for 7 to 202 for 7 at stumps.Having come in at No. 3, Musheer quickly saw the superstars – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz and Rishabh Pant – fall in a heap post-lunch. While batting was difficult, the wickets largely came from shots induced by the pressure the fast bowlers exerted early on.Abhimanyu Easwaran chased a delivery on the seventh or eighth stump. Jaiswal was caught somewhere in between attempting a drive and a cut, and wafted to point. Sarfaraz was trapped lbw playing around his front pad. Pant was out to a brilliant running catch from Shubman Gill at mid-off, to a leading edge off a ball that bounced more than he may have anticipated. Except for Nitish Reddy, who was out to an unplayable Akash delivery that straightened off the seam to hit the top of off, the top order was largely responsible for their own undoing.Musheer soaked all of this in from the other end. The fast-bowling trio repeatedly tested his edges; he could have been out caught in the slips off Akash, off the second ball he faced. During his first half hour at the crease, he struggled to gauge the zip off a green-tinged surface where there was exaggerated seam movement.In a bid to counter it, Musheer tried to walk down the pitch to the fast bowlers.”It was based on the wicket and the conditions,” he later explained. “The ball was cutting off the wicket and swinging too, so I was trying to get as close to the [pitch of] the ball as possible, not give it the chance to swing.”While this wasn’t a bad ploy in principle, he struggled with his execution early on, especially with Khaleel and Akash darting the ball both ways. Even Shivam Dube’s length balls ducked in faster than Musheer anticipated and hit him on the pad while he was on the move. He survived a close lbw shout on impact.Having been on 6 off 52 balls at one stage, Musheer opened up once the spinners came on•PTI

At lunch, he was on 6 off 52 balls, seemingly unsure of where his runs would come. But where others fell looking to force the pace, Musheer fought through passages even when fluency deserted him and survival seemed his only option.Musheer explained his thinking at the end of the day’s play: “I was looking to collect whatever runs were coming my way, and not going searching for runs.”Every now and then, Akash turned into a wrecking ball of energy, doing unexpected things off the pitch. The ball to Nitish in his second spell was one such example. On another day, Akash could have easily had three wickets in his new-ball spell, but on this day he ended it with figures of 8-3-7-0.There was more of the same energy from Avesh, introduced as first change, as he built on that early pressure by hitting the deck and getting appreciable movement off the seam. And this relentless pressure was thrust on the batters for a better part of the first two sessions.It wasn’t until the first sign of spin that Musheer looked in his comfort zone. He welcomed his Mumbai teammate Tanush Kotian with a delicate paddle. Every now and then, Musheer sensed warning signs to rein himself in, like when a loose drive off Kuldeep Yadav’s first delivery flew wide of slip. And he quickly dusted himself off to refocus and bat time. And as he did, the fluency returned. Out came the full-blooded sweeps and the steps out to loft Kotian with the spin as he charged towards his century.At one point in the final session, with Musheer and Navdeep Saini having batted for over 20 overs, Avesh decided to take the short-ball route with two men back on the leg side for the pull. The same fast bowlers who had dictated terms earlier in the day now resigned themselves to a ploy that Musheer made look futile at the end of a long day. There couldn’t have been a bigger validation for his efforts.As Musheer whipped his helmet off and looked skywards, releasing his pent-up emotions and waving his bat to the dressing room after bringing up his third first-class century, Sarfaraz was among the first to jump out of his seat in applause. It was a poignant moment, too; for the better part of the last four seasons, Musheer has done all the applauding. It was now time for the big brother to return the favour, and he was more than happy to oblige.Musheer is only 19 and has bigger challenges ahead of him. But so far, he’s proved, whether at Mumbai or to the national selectors who handed him a Duleep Trophy debut, that he’s entirely at home at the deep end.

Captain says random encounter during spa break reinforced faith in team’s tactics

Andrew Miller27-Jun-2023Ben Stokes says that a random encounter with a non-cricket fan during a spa break between Tests has brought home to him just how important and engaging this Ashes series is proving to be, and has vowed to continue to push for victory at all costs in this week’s second Test at Lord’s.Australia’s thrilling two-wicket win at Edgbaston in the series opener had left Stokes admitting to being “emotionally beat up” after the contest, a statement that seemed at odds with his previous insistence that England under his leadership are not a “results-driven team”.And, with only one side in Ashes history having previously come back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 – Don Bradman’s team in 1936-37 – the Lord’s Test might ordinarily feel like a match that England dare not lose.Stokes, however, insisted that he and his players are utterly unfazed by the prospect of bouncing back to square the series 1-1, and said that the public’s enthusiastic response to the team’s “Bazball” tactics will only embolden him for the rest of the campaign.”I think Baz has now just come to terms that it’s a thing now,” Stokes said at Lord’s, acknowledging that the Bazball buzzword is here to stay, despite his coach’s previous protestations.”We got a nice little break, and there’s been lots of people come up to me and saying how enthralled they were with last week,” he added, after a trip to Seaham Hall in Durham, where he is an ambassador. “They obviously wanted us to win but they just loved every minute of it.Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will maintain their positive approach to England’s tactics•PA Images via Getty Images

“I had a conversation in a men’s changing-room at a spa about the game, which was a bit awkward. He said, ‘are you the cricketer or do you just look like him?’ and I was like ‘it is me’.”He just said that ‘I went down to the pub after work and I don’t even follow cricket, but I was just going to go down for a quick few’ and he ended up having a few more, and just said he was just transfixed on the game.”So when you hear stuff like that, it obviously makes you feel good about what we’re doing as bringing a new fanbase to the game, and it’s reaching people that it might never have reached before, so that’s what we’re about.”The onus on opening the game up to a wider audience feels all the more important following the overnight publication of the long-awaited ICEC report into the sport’s structural inequalities.Stokes opened his press conference with a pre-prepared statement on the matter, and later added: “We’re all about growing the game and just making it bigger than what it is right now, and I think we’ve managed to achieve that quite well.”England’s plans for the Lord’s Test suffered a pair of set-backs on Tuesday morning, with Moeen Ali deemed unfit for selection after his finger injury at Edgbaston, and Mark Wood omitted in favour of Josh Tongue, with Stokes admitting that Wood needed longer to be ready to play a full part in the third Test at Headingley.Related

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However, Stokes insisted that the selection issues had done nothing to dent the overriding feeling of optimism within the squad, adding that Zak Crawley had addressed the team huddle on Monday with an “unbelievable speech” that referenced an ancient Chinese story about a farmer, his horse, a broken leg and an invading army.”It was basically about ‘we’ll see’, one thing happens and might not mean it’s the end of the end of the world,” Stokes said. “You don’t know why things happen, if it’s for a good reason or not, it’s just one of those things to deal with. The team we’ve picked, I’m very confident we can walk away from here with a win. Rather than worry about things that I don’t have, I’d rather be confident in the things I do have.”I don’t want to get misheard when I say we aren’t a results-driven team,” Stokes added. “As I said last week, losing sucks. We always want to win every game we play, but if we don’t come away with the win at the end, then let’s move onto the next game and let’s keep going.”

After eight innings at No. 3, Shreyas has hit 340 runs at a strike rate of 147

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Feb-20222:13

Shreyas Iyer: ‘Want to enjoy the scenarios provided on the field’

Look, there’s a lot of competition for places in this team, and I’d be happy just to be in the XI, but if I could choose, I’d bat No. 3. This, essentially, was the vibe of Shreyas Iyer’s press conference after he’d struck 73 not out off 45 in the last match, hit 204 runs at a strike rate of 174 through the series, and claimed the Player of the Series trophy for those efforts.It’s kind of a bold thing to say, since the long-term occupant of that No. 3 spot is a guy called Virat Kohli, and now there’s also Suryakumar Yadav to consider.But after eight innings at No. 3 (six of which have come against Sri Lanka, by the way), Shreyas has hit a whopping 340 runs at a strike rate of 147, average up at 68. These are not un-stunning numbers.”When you play the T20 format, if you bat in top three, that’s the only place you can pace the innings,” Shreyas said. “If you bat after that, you can’t give yourself time – you need to go from ball one. If I had to say the best number for me to bat, it’s obviously No. 3.”Related

• Injured Deepak Chahar, Suryakumar Yadav ruled out of SL T20Is

• Shreyas' third straight fifty powers India to 3-0 sweep

Still, such is the depth in the India side, that Shreyas does not take his place for granted, even after a hugely successful series such as this. He was not dismissed across the three matches, hitting 57* off 28, 74* off 44, and 73* off 45. All up, he struck seven sixes and 20 fours in the series.”Coming not out in all three games was a commendable performance for me, I feel. But if you see the competition in our team, it’s immense. Every individual is capable of winning you games. For me, I want to enjoy every opportunity I’ve been provided with. I like to finish off the games – that’s my mindset when I go onto the field.”I can’t talk about cementing my place in the team, because the competition is so much, and you need to be flexible about batting in any position and any given situation. My mindset is just to grab as many opportunities as I can and make use of it. “Although the series turned out to be a roaring success for him personally, Iyer revealed he had had to fight through difficult moments, particularly in the first match, in Lucknow.”In the first game itself, when I’d batted 12 balls and had 12 runs, I thought I need to charge on from there, because I didn’t get that proper start,” he said. “In the last two games, the starts I got were really good, and from there it’s easy to manoeuvre and manipulate the field. But when you don’t get starts, it’s really important you get your eyes in, and you can target a particular bowler. That really worked out for me in the first game.”

“If he gets hot tonight, who knows what could happen in the coming games if we’re to progress” – Brendon McCullum

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2020Andre Russell remains optimistic that he will be fit to bowl in the IPL playoffs should the Kolkata Knight Riders make it there, after returning from a “grade two, grade three” hamstring tear in two weeks to hit 25 off 11 balls in a crucial win against the Rajasthan Royals.Russell had missed the Knight Riders’ last four games because of the injury, which he said should have kept him out for up to eight weeks, but returned to play his part in a 60-run victory, which left his side with a shot to reach the playoffs.”I have a grade two, grade three hamstring tear and I’m just privileged to actually be back running around,” Russell told Star Sports, the official broadcaster. “When I looked at the scan, it was very ugly: that type of result, normally, would be six to eight weeks out.”But with my therapist, the KKR physio and doctor and everyone rallying around me, doing all the rehab and strengthening, I’m happy to be back tonight.”Brendon McCullum, the Knight Riders’ head coach, said in a pitchside interview during the first innings of the Sunday game that Russell was “nowhere near” fully fit, but he was selected despite the fact that he was unable to bowl because of how important the game was.”With the danger that he possesses and the presence that he’s got, in a must-win game, he’s a big player for us,” McCullum said. “He was desperate to get out there: he’s nowhere near 100% fit, but if he gets hot for half an hour then we’re going to post a really big score. Your best players, you try to get [them] out there to win you the most important games.”He is a proven, world-class international T20 player. By his own admission, he hasn’t set the tournament on fire this season, but look: if he gets hot tonight, then who knows what could happen in the coming games if we’re to progress?”While Russell, the IPL’s most valuable player in 2019, has made only 117 runs in nine innings this season, he has chipped in with some important contributions with the ball – in particular at the death, where his yorkers have proved particularly useful. Russell said that he had bowled a few “walk up and bowl” deliveries before Sunday night’s match, but was reluctant to aggravate the injury.”It felt good [before the game] but sometimes with hamstring injuries – I’ve had them a few times now – when it’s feeling good, that’s when it’s healing, and I don’t really want to disturb the healing process,” he said. “We have a good bowling thing going on right now. I think with my yorkers at the back end, the team will definitely benefit from that, but for now, I’m just going to keep taking it one day at a time.”

Under the duo, KKR made three straight playoffs from 2016 to 2018

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2019Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL campaign next year will have a new think-tank after the management announced changes to the franchise’s coaching set-up. The two-time IPL champions parted ways with head coach Jacques Kallis and assistant coach Simon Katich on Sunday, the former ending a nine-year relationship – as player and then coach – with the franchise.Kallis was appointed Knight Riders’ head coach in October 2015, taking over from Trevor Bayliss, the current England coach. Since his appointment, Knight Riders made three consecutive playoff appearances but failed to make the cut in 2019. Under Kallis and Katich, Knight Riders won 32 of their 61 games – a win-percentage of just over 50. In IPL 2019, the side finished fifth, losing out on playoff qualification based on net run-rate, after a six-match losing streak midway through the season.Katich was appointed around the same time as Kallis, and the former Australia batsman also coached the team’s Caribbean Premier League franchise, Trinbago Knight Riders, helping them win back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. The tenure with Trinbago also comes to an end for Katich, who will now coach the Manchester Originals team in the inaugural season of The Hundred.Kallis, however, could remain a part of the Knight Riders brand, according to team CEO Venky Mysore.”Jacques Kallis has been an integral part of the KKR family and will always remain so,” Mysore said, while announcing the changes. “We will be exploring ways of working with Jacques as we pursue our vision of establishing the Knight Riders brand as a global brand.”Kallis, too, released a statement following the decision.”After nine fantastic years with KKR since 2011, as a player, mentor and Head Coach, it’s time to explore new opportunities,” he said. “I would to like to thank the owners, management and fellow players for many happy memories.”Knight Riders are yet to announce replacements for the two coaches.

The ECB’s new city-based T20 competition could be set to be a 100-balls-a-side affair, according to a radical proposal released today

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-20182:58

Faulkner: There’s a danger in getting too funky

The ECB’s new city-based competition is set to be a 100-balls-a-side affair, according to a radical proposal released today.The concept proposes two eight-team competitions – for men’s and women’s teams – consisting of 15 traditional six-ball overs, and a final 10-ball over, a 20-delivery shortfall on traditional T20 matches.The proposed approach was presented by the ECB to the chairmen and chief executives of the first-class counties and MCC on Thursday, and has been unanimously supported by the board of the new competition.The ECB have also confirmed that Southampton, Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester, Cardiff and Nottingham will be the host cities for the five-week competition, with Lord’s and The Oval each playing host to a London-based team.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“This is a fresh and exciting idea which will appeal to a younger audience and attract new fans to the game,” said Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive. “Throughout its development, we have shown leadership, provided challenge and followed a process. We will continue to do that as the concept evolves.”Our game has a history of innovation and we have a duty to look for future growth for the health and sustainability of the whole game.”There are 18 first-class counties, playing red and white ball cricket, at our core and these counties and competitions will be supported, promoted and benefit from the game’s growth.”The radical proposals are an attempt to differentiate the ECB’s tournament from the T20 franchise competitions that have already taken root globally – including the IPL in India, Australia’s Big Bash, and the Caribbean Premier League – as well as the existing Vitality Blast competition, featuring all 18 counties, which will continue concurrently.The loss of 20 balls per innings will help to ensure that the competition fits comfortably into a three-hour window, with all matches expected to finish by 9pm.However, the proposed 10-ball final over may require buy-in from MCC’s law-makers, seeing as Law 17.1 currently states: “The ball shall be bowled from each end alternately in overs of 6 balls.”Sanjay Patel, the ECB’s chief commercial officer, and MD for the new competition, said: “The development team has had strong support and encouragement in its conversations to date and it’s time to take the concept wider as we build the detail.”This is 100-ball cricket, a simple approach to reach a new generation. Based on 15 traditional six-ball overs, the other ten balls will add a fresh tactical dimension.”Crucially, this will also help differentiate this competition from Vitality Blast and other T20 competitions worldwide, maintaining our game’s history of successful innovation.”The players and our valuable broadcast partners under the new TV partnerships from 2020-24 are vital to the success of this competition and they will see the energy, excitement and simplicity of this approach.”The five-week competition will feature both men’s and women’s team in concurrent competitions, as the ECB seek to build on the explosion of interest in women’s cricket since the World Cup win in 2017.”Our World Cup win at Lord’s last July showed what’s possible in terms of our sport reaching a new, younger and more diverse audience,” said Clare Connor, the ECB’s Director of Women’s Cricket.”Kia Super League has had a huge impact on participation, player development and the profile of our game. It was a big investment and a bold decision by the Board and paved the way for this next stage of growth.”To build the women’s and men’s competitions and identities together, side by side, is a prospect that few sports ever have and will give us greater reach, scale and prominence.”It will attract more women and girls to the game, ensure that cricket reaches and entertains more families and give our players an exciting stage upon which to display their talent.”The proposals represent the biggest shake-up to English cricket since the launch of the original Twenty20 Cup in 2003.

Rilee Rossouw and Sarfraz Ahmed combined for the second biggest stand in PSL history to spearhead a seven-wicket win for Quetta Gladiators over Karachi Kings

The Report By Danyal Rasool11-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:20

Watch – Rossouw, Sarfraz fifties flatten Karachi

In a nutshellA 130-run partnership between Rilee Rossouw and Sarfraz Ahmed – the second highest in PSL history – saw Quetta Gladiators beat the Karachi Kings by seven wickets. The pair came together with the Gladiators tottering at 30 for 3 in the fifth over but they combined power hitting with composure, not to mention superb running between the wickets. It was a chanceless stand, a masterclass in how to deal with pressure and gradually take control of a game.On Friday, Mohammad Amir was the Kings’ most impressive opening bowler. This time his opening partner Sohail Khan took up the mantle, bowling a consistently good length on the off stump line, seaming the ball away from the right-hander. It wouldn’t have been out of place on the first morning of a Test match. He got his rewards, dismissing Ahmed Shehzad, Kevin Pietersen and Asad Shafiq in the space of four balls only for momentum to be stolen back by Rossouw and Sarfraz.Karachi had earlier started off quite cautiously. Chris Gayle scratched out an unconvincing 11 and Kumar Sangakkara searching for form holed out to extra cover for 25. By the end of the fourteenth over, they were 87 for 3. From there, they were never going to get a par score, and only poor death bowling by last year’s finalists – Tymal Mills excepted – took Karachi to their final total of 159. But Rossouw and Sarfraz saw to it that it wouldn’t be enough.Where the match was wonWhile the Gladiators fourth wicket partnership was impressive enough, it only really began to pose a threat after a moment Karachi only had themselves to blame. Five balls into the ninth over of the Quetta innings, a no-ball was called because the Kings’ didn’t have enough fielders inside the circle. That bit of self-inflicted harm was punished severely, Rossouw launching the free hit for six over midwicket. The final ball met the same fate as a good over suddenly went for 19. The asking rate came under eight and the batsmen had all the answers.The men that won itRossouw, who was so impressive against Lahore on Friday in holding Quetta’s innings together, was the main architect again, albeit in a more destructive manner. Forty runs came off his first 21 balls before the former South African international slowed down as Quetta’s captain Sarfraz began to find his timing.The pair’s running between the wickets is especially worth pointing out. Pressure was regularly placed on Karachi’s fielders and several ones were converted into twos. At no stage did it look like a wicket was about to fall, from the moment the pair got together right to the last delivery, a full toss which Rossouw dispatched to the extra cover boundary.1:23

WATCH – Rossouw’s match-winning 76*

Tidy Tymal MillsThe only phase where Quetta looked like being outplayed was between overs 14 and 19 of the Karachi innings. From 87 in 14, Sangakkara’s men plundered 64 runs off the next five overs, taking advantage of wayward – and frankly bizarre – lines and lengths from Quetta’s bowlers.At one point, it looked like they might even get to 170. They might have done were it not for Mills, who more than justified his T20 reputation with a superb spell by varying his pace and line regularly to finish with 2 for 21 in four overs. That included a disciplined final over which yielded just eight runs and ensured Karachi’s total didn’t get out of hand.Moment of the matchIt is often said Quetta do not have superstars in their lineup, relying instead on team performances. There is one glaring exception to that of course in the form of Pietersen. However, when he came in today at 23 for 1, he edged the first ball from Sohail to the wicketkeeper. It was a poor shot first up against the seaming ball and it left him with three runs in two matches. Other teams might struggle in the absence of a contribution from such an instrumental player, but Quetta have still managed to win both their games, showing there might be something in their reputation of being a team rather than just a collection of individuals.Where they standQuetta are the only team to still boast a 100 percent record and sit at the top of the table on four points. Karachi, conversely, are the only side to lose both their games and sit at the bottom of the league. This defeat means Karachi Kings have lost 9 of their 11 PSL matches with their only wins coming against Lahore Qalandars.