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Essex carved out a first-innings lead but a draw looks the likeliest outcome after Surrey’s openers batted to the close

Alan Gardner at The Oval13-Apr-2019Surrey 395 and 68 for 0 lead Essex 448 (ten Doeschate 130, Lawrence 93) by 15 runs
The Championship season is only just stirring from its winter slumber but already Surrey have experienced the intrusion of a muffled alarm call. Ryan ten Doeschate’s propulsive hundred sent Essex into the ascendency just past the midpoint of this game and it needed some careful batting by the Surrey openers, Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman, to hit the snooze button again as they wrote off a 53-run deficit on the third evening.If Surrey are to build another trophy-laden dynasty to match those of previous eras in south London, they will have to take on all-comers. Being at the head of the pack comes with added challenges, opponents tooled up to knock you down – as in Mario Kart, sometimes a blue leader shell will hit you out of nowhere.Essex felt the heat themselves last season, when they quickly fell off the pace in their title defence, and came into this match off the back of a shellacking at Hampshire. But inspired by their captain they fought tenaciously to reach a position from which the only likely loser was Surrey – even if a benign pitch mitigated against a collapse.With only 20 wickets having fallen across three days a draw beckons, although it would have been interesting to note the effect if Jamie Porter, springing to his left in his follow through, had been able to grasp Burns’ leading edge from the first ball of the innings.Surrey may well end up being thankful for such a vigorous tussle in their first outing. They began the day hoping for a victory push but, with the pennant fluttering above the pavilion, having replaced the Union flag that flew on days one and two – rumour was Surrey’s scorer had been sleeping with it under his pillow – those windcheater-clad faithful who hunkered down beneath a patchwork of cloud cover had to endure a ten Doeschate masterclass as he took his first-class average against Surrey into the 80s with a first Oval hundred.It was ten Doeschate who rolled up his sleeves and got Essex over the line at this ground last year, an unbeaten 53 securing a one-wicket win that ended Surrey’s chances of going through the campaign unbeaten (as Essex had the year before). The captain set his jaw against the prevailing winds – whipped up principally by Morne Morkel – and made sure that the deposed champions would not achieve an unwanted record by losing on the back of a 410-run lead.Ten Doeschate may be approaching 39 and creaking a little more than he used to (he was unable to finish a solitary over of bowling on the first day of this match), but he can still summon bloody-minded belligerence for the cause. Essex’s last recognised batsman when he walked out at 168 for 4 on Friday afternoon, he helped fashion partnerships of 81 and 102 for the next two wickets, doing the bulk of the scoring himself.There were 20 fours in all, including a number of broad-beamed biffs through the off side, and one skip down the wicket to dump the spin of Freddie van den Bergh for six over long-on. No shot was finer than the straight drive off Morkel, armed with the second new ball, that took ten Doeschate to 99; the next delivery was dinked neatly into the covers for the scampered single that raised his 20th first-class hundred for Essex.Having been 20 not out overnight, ten Doeschate hustled another 110 from 140 balls to push Surrey on to the back foot – a turnaround that did not seem likely after Essex had been 20 for 2 in reply to 395. Other than the possibility of an inside edge on 66, with the ball ballooning up for a return catch to van den Bergh, he was as secure as a bank vault during almost four hours at the crease.Essex might have had two centurions but Dan Lawrence departed seven short, steering Rikki Clarke to slip having seen off the opening bursts from Morkel and Tom Curran. Middlesex loanee Robbie White was then neat and tidy in making 39 on his first Essex appearance.When ten Doeschate eventually fell, a first Surrey wicket for the persevering Liam Plunkett who came back well after a chastening start to his debut, Essex were still 10 runs in arrears. But Peter Siddle popped his collar to good effect at No. 9, while Porter got bravely into line against a peppering from Morkel, as the last two partnerships kept Surrey in the field for another 20 overs to secure a fifth batting point and a hard-won advantage.

William Porterfield claims games could end up lasting “15 hours” if all keepers started following Ben Foakes’ lead

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2019Brilliant piece of wicketkeeping or pushing the Laws of the game? Ben Foakes’ stumping of Andy Balbirnie in Friday’s ODI between Ireland and England left many praising his smart glovework, but Ireland’s captain, William Porterfield, was less impressed and afterwards suggested the ball was “pretty much dead”.The issue of a wicketkeeper waiting behind the stumps for the merest hint of a batsman lifting his foot is not quite as contentious as running out a batsman backing up – and Porterfield declined to make a comparison with Mankad dismissals – but similar questions were asked in some quarters about the legitimacy of such stumpings by stealth.Porterfield was more concerned about the tactic delaying play, if wicketkeepers regularly sought to wait for a batsman to accidentally leave his ground, and suggested games could end up lasting “15 hours” .”You can say it was great wicketkeeping or you can say it’s a bit of a grey area of ‘when is the ball dead?'” Porterfield said. “The ball was pretty much dead. The batsman wasn’t going anywhere or over-balanced. The keeper has waited for three or four seconds. If we do that all day, it’s going be a pretty long game. How long do you wait? We’ll be playing 15-hour games if you wait that long.”
On the subject of whether it was similar to Mankading a batsman at the non-striker’s end – recently (and controversially) employed by R Ashwin when running out Jos Buttler in the IPL – Porterfield suggested this was a different matter.”He [Balbirnie] was probably more unhappy that he did lift his foot a little bit as he wasn’t going anywhere or trying to do anything,” he said. “The ball is pretty much dead like. On another day, that ball is probably [thrown by Foakes] into the covers.”Foakes himself saw the dismissal as simply going about his normal business. “When it’s a sweep you think they might fall over and I just saw he lifted his foot and nicked [the bails] off,” he said.

New Zealand’s demolition of Sri Lanka in Cardiff was a powerful display by a team that always seems to figure at the pointy end of World Cups

The Report by Daniel Brettig01-Jun-2019
As it happenedYes it was a good toss to win. Yes it was a green pitch. Yes it was a beautiful morning on which to bowl. All that said, New Zealand’s demolition of Sri Lanka in Cardiff was a powerful display by a team that always seems to figure at the pointy end of World Cups, demonstrating too that the climes of an early English summer (albeit in Wales this day) will only add to the their prospects of progressing to the final four.Equally, Sri Lanka’s meekness – apart from a doughty innings by their captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who was the 12th cricketer and second Sri Lankan to carry his bat in an ODI – underlined the somewhat listless state of their cricket presently. A few months after the horrific Easter terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, the island nation would have hoped for some good news; instead Karunaratne’s men looked overwhelmed by their opponents, the conditions and the occasion.This was also the third match in a row at the World Cup to finish well ahead of schedule with a yawning gap between the sides. On that evidence, notions of a 10-team format reducing the number of “mismatches” and increasing “competitiveness” are already looking shaky.Watch on Hotstar (India only): All the wickets the New Zealand bowlers tookOpportunity often brings discovery, a point underlined by how Matt Henry responded to keeping his place ahead of a not-yet-fully-fit Tim Southee. Taking the new ball, Henry struck with his second ball to put Sri Lanka off balance from the start, and his command of line and length set a strong example for others to follow – something recognised by the match award.Lockie Ferguson’s undoubted pace also turned heads, scything through the Sri Lankan middle order to ensure that Colin Munro and Martin Guptill had only a modest chase to gobble up. Gobble they did, sprinting home with a whopping 203 balls remaining.Matt Henry appeals for the wicket of Lahiru Thirimanne•PA Images via Getty Images

There was a time, after Henry’s initial breakthrough, where Sri Lanka looked capable of more. As Karunaratne dropped anchor, Kusal Perera flayed a quartet of boundaries through the cover and gully regions with the axeman’s relish of a latter-day Sanath Jayasuriya.At 46 for 1 after eight overs they were well and truly in the game, but Perera’s eagerness to get to grips with the New Zealand pacemen got the better of him when consolidation may have been wiser, skying Henry to open up an end. When Henry got his areas exactly right for Kusal Mendis’ first ball, squared up and edging to a diving Guptill at second slip, the game was more or less up.Some may argue that Karunaratne might have tried to exert more of an influence, but he largely played the kind of sensible innings that needed only to have been mirrored at the other end to allow the Sri Lankans to wriggle their way to a tally beyond 200. As it was, only the Pereras, Thisara and Kusal, made it as far as double figures, while a trio of ducks were registered.ALSO READ: Fernando: Cricket can’t undo the horror, but it can be a balmFerguson’s sheer speed to beat Dhananjaya de Silva was one of the more arresting moments of the remainder, and when New Zealand were briefly denied the final Sri Lankan wicket due to hesitance to rule that Mitchell Santner had cleanly caught Karunaratne, the fast bowler responded by rattling Lasith Malinga’s stumps the very next ball.There were a couple of edgy moments at the start of New Zealand’s pursuit, but they were brief. Sunshine and warmth had helped calm the surface and Malinga slipped obligingly into the driving and hooking zones of Guptill and Munro. While a packed Cardiff crowd were able to fill the ground with plenty of time to see the majority of the match, they were left only with memories of New Zealand dominance and Sri Lankan struggle. Some closer games, please.

Birmingham Bears made it back-to-back wins in the Vitality Blast as they beat Derbyshire Falcons by 49 runs in front of 7,500 at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2019Birmingham Bears made it back-to-back wins in the Vitality Blast as they beat Derbyshire Falcons by 49 runs in front of 7,500 at Edgbaston.Chasing a hefty 205 for 5, the Falcons faltered early with the loss of two wickets in the first nine balls and never threatened from there. They finished on 156 for 9.The Bears’ daunting total owed most to a classy third-wicket partnership of 113 in 65 balls from Sam Hain (85, 61 balls) and Adam Hose (69, 35 balls). Ashton Agar added a violent 26 (15 balls) as only Ravi Rampaul (three for 21) withstood the onslaught.The Falcons’ pursuit was then undone by the loss of early wickets, including two careless run-outs. Leus du Plooy defied with a brilliant 70 (43 balls) but was alone in his resistance as nobody else in the top seven reached 15.The Falcons’ defeat, following their victory over Yorkshire in their opening game, means that no team in the North Group won their first two games, though the Bears are the early pace-setters after a washout and two wins.The Falcons chose to bowl and started well by removing openers Ed Pollock and Michael Burgess in the first 23 balls. Rampaul opened up with two overs for just four runs and the Bears ended the powerplay on only 36 for 2 but but Hain and Hose first rebuilt carefully then climbed into counter-attack.They reached their half-centuries, Hain from 42 balls, Hose from 26 in the same over from leg-spinner Matt Critchley and Hose smote 69 with three sixes and nine fours before edging Logan Van Beek behind.Agar hit two of his first six balls into the crowd and helped Hain to add 63 in 27 balls before both fell in Rampaul’s final over. The Falcons’ fans might have wondered why the paceman wasn’t brought back earlier when the Bears’ batsmen began to escape control.The Falcons soon lost Luis Reece, bowled second-ball by Fidel Edwards, and Wayne Madsen, brilliantly run out by Alex Thompson. du Plooy was immediately on the offensive but, having done for his partner Madsen with a dodgy call, captain Billy Godelman was then run out himself by smart work from Jeetan Patel.That was 58 for three and, while Du Plooy galloped to 50 from 33 balls, the rest buckled under the pressure of a steepling run-rate required and accurate bowling led by spinners Patel (4-0-17-1) and Agar (4-0-22-1).

Openers set pace on way to nine-wicket win as Glamorgan remain rooted to bottom of South Group

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2019Sussex 150 for 1 (Salt 78*, Wright 56) beat Glamorgan 146 for 9 (Lloyd 50, Topley 3-20) by nine wicketsSussex’s fifth win out of six – they also tied against Surrey – moved last year’s beaten finalists above Kent Spitfires and they were always in control against a Glamorgan side still looking for their first win of the campaign.After they restricted Glamorgan, who won the toss, to 146 for 9, openers Luke Wright and Philip Salt launched the reply with a withering assault which brought 130 in 12 overs, Sussex’s fourth highest partnership in the format and their biggest against Glamorgan.The pair rattled along at more than ten an over from the start, matching each other shot for shot against a toothless Glamorgan attack which lacked variety compared to Sussex. Salt reached his fifty with a six into the top tier of the pavilion off Andrew Salter and the offspinner was hit for boundaries off the next two deliveries.Salt won the game off the fifth ball of the 13th over with an uppercut over third man which brought him his eighth boundary, he also hit three sixes as he finished on 78 not out from 42 balls – his third half-century of this season’s competition.It looked as if the Sussex pair might win the game on their own but Wright fell to a superb diving catch in the 13th over by wicketkeeper Chris Cooke after making 56 off 35 deliveries with five fours and two sixes. There were 6.1 overs left when Sussex eased to victory.Such a one-sided contest had seemed unlikely with Glamorgan in good shape at 55 for 1 in the ninth over and opener David Lloyd going well. But they lost eight wickets for 87 and were never the same after Lloyd departed to the next ball after reaching his second fifty of this season’s Blast.The 27-year-old hit nine fours from 37 balls faced but he holed out to deep midwicket to give left-arm spinner Danny Briggs his second wicket and Glamorgan struggled for momentum thereafter against some accurate and disciplined Sussex bowling. Skipper Colin Ingram, Kiran Carlson and Chris Cooke all threatened but Sussex maintained a happy knack of taking a wicket just when Glamorgan threatened to put together a decent partnership.Briggs was taken for 18 in his final over and Tymal Mills’ last over cost 11 runs, but Glamorgan lost wickets too regularly to build any momentum and set a challenging total. Ollie Robinson removed Graham Wagg and Cooke with successive balls in the 17th over and finished with 2 for 27 but the pick of their bowlers was Reece Topley, who finished with 3 for 20. Sussex’s fielding was excellent with Salt taking two superb diving catches in the deep to complete an excellent evening.

Hosts seek victory at The Oval to square series as end of the Bayliss era approaches

The Preview by Andrew Miller11-Sep-2019

Big Picture

Well, that feelgood factor didn’t last quite as long as intended for England. The miracle of Headingley – Ben Stokes’ glorious snatching of Ashes salvation from the jaws of ignominy – will live on for all who witnessed it, savoured it (and, yes, despaired of it). But now, thanks to the normality-restoring events at Old Trafford, it stands only as a snapshot of one-off Test glory, rather than a launchpad for that extraordinary series turnaround that England briefly envisioned.Posterity will still judge the events of that unforgettable afternoon kindly – by any criteria, it remains one of the greatest Tests ever played – but its overall impact must now be seen along the same lines of England’s three-run win in Melbourne in 1982-83, rather than the two-run triumph of Edgbaston 2005, let alone Ian Botham’s original Headingley heist in 1981.For Australia, however … the narrative is one of redemption, vindication and, over the course of the next five days, a shot at immortality. It has been 18 long years since the Ashes were retained in England, in that steamrolling summer of 2001, when Steve Waugh signed off a 4-1 series win with a one-legged hundred on this very ground at The Oval, and that is an achievement in itself that Tim Paine and his cohorts rightly celebrated long into the night at Old Trafford over the weekend.But, even allowing for the short turnaround between Tests, there will remain intense motivation in Australia’s ranks to finish what they have started, just as Andrew Strauss’ men achieved in very similar circumstances on England’s triumphant tour of Australia in 2010-11. Then, and now, a 3-1 series win would be a scoreline befitting the dominance that the visitors have exerted at the key moments of the series. A 2-2 draw, the first in an Ashes rubber since 1972, would provide England with welcome succour, but one that, if they are honest with themselves, they would scarcely have merited over the course of the five Tests.If that seems a harsh judgement on an England campaign that has featured Stokes at his superhuman best, Stuart Broad at his fullest and fastest for months, and moments of unforgettable fire and theatre from Jofra Archer, then it is hard to look at the rest of the England line-up and find any unequivocal success stories. Rory Burns has had his moments – certainly relative to any of the other opening batsmen on either side – but the middle order, Stokes aside, has been apologetically poor and showing next to no signs of a functional revival.To a large degree, of course, that is down to the relentless brilliance of Australia’s bowling attack – the most talented and tenacious pack of performers to have visited these shores since that 2001 summer of McGrath, Warne, Lee and Gillespie in his pomp. In Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Australia have a pair of spearheads who have at times seemed, well, possessed, as they have zeroed in on the top of that off stump time and time again and torment the techniques of an increasingly ragged set of England performers.It’s surprising, therefore, that the selectors named an unchanged 13-man squad for this match – although the impending departure of the coach, Trevor Bayliss, does mitigate that decision to a degree. It would arguably have placed the likes of Dom Sibley, Ollie Pope or Zak Crawley on a hiding to nothing to be drafted in at this stage of the series only to have to impress a brand-new regime when next month’s tour of New Zealand gets underway.Besides, it has always been Bayliss’ policy to give his players one chance too many to impress, rather than one too few. So, had it not been for Stokes’s shoulder problem, then Jason Roy (average: 13.75) would surely have been spared the axe. In his absence, the spotlight falls more squarely on Jonny Bairstow (25.42) and Jos Buttler (16.25) – the two other biggest guns who simply haven’t been at the races this series. If they cannot recapture their best in the coming days, there’s a case to be made to purge each of those white-ball heroes from the red-ball set-up, and start afresh with brand new ingredients.For this Oval Test is unlikely to witness any of its traditional farewell performances – certainly nothing to rank alongside Alastair Cook’s bowing-out against India last summer – but the coming five days are sure to resonate as a farewell to a remarkable English summer. The departure of Bayliss confirms the end of a four-year cycle for English cricket, one which delivered untold glory in white-ball cricket, but to the detriment of England’s proud standards in the Test game. No-one in their right minds would argue that the sacrifice wasn’t worth it, but the rebalancing of priorities must begin now. Because the Ashes still matter deeply to all who play and watch it. Perhaps more so than came to be believed in the 18 long years when England victories on home soil were taken for granted.England warm up at The Oval ahead of the fifth Test•Getty Images

Form guide

England LWDLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WLDWW

In the spotlight

How much more of a spotlight does Steven Smith need? After 671 runs in five innings – including three hundreds (one of them a double) and a lowest score of 82 – Australia’s greatest batsman for a generation has moved on to a higher plane this summer. He could even have been challenging the unchallengeable – Don Bradman’s 1930 tally of 974 runs in a single series – had it not been for the concussion injury that caused his absence at Headingley. As it is, he has a maximum of two more innings to complete a simply extraordinary body of work, and confirm beyond any remaining doubt that this series will be recalled as Smith’s Ashes.It’s a massive five days for England’s under-fire captain, Joe Root. Though Bayliss claimed that Root was under “no pressure” from any of the decision-makers within English cricket, the facts of his tenure are stark. His average since taking over as captain in 2017 has plummeted from 52 to 40, and no England captain since Archie MacLaren at the turn of the 20th century has survived the loss of consecutive Ashes series. The difference between 3-1 and 2-2 will be of huge personal relevance therefore, and Root will know that his own return to form would be the likeliest catalyst for an England win. So far this Ashes, he’s scored three fifties and a highest of 77 – tellingly, the most he’s made in any series since the 2017-18 Ashes – but three ducks too, two of them golden ones. It’s been more “nearly or nothing” than “all or nothing”, but if any England batsman has the pedigree to keep up with Smith, it has to be Root.

Team news

England’s balance has been dictated by Stokes’ inability to bowl his expected number of overs, having pulled up mid-over with a shoulder complaint at Old Trafford. He put in an energetic showing at nets on the eve of the game, batting, bowling and running around the outfield with his habitual vigour, but England have decided not to risk his long-term fitness. He plays as a batsman only, with Roy missing out on his home ground. Sam Curran’s all-round abilities will feature for the first time this series, alongside Chris Woakes, who slots back in at the expense of Craig Overton – the nearly man of England’s Old Trafford rearguard.England: 1 Rory Burns, 2 Joe Denly, 3 Joe Root (capt), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Jack Leach.Mitchell Marsh has been drafted into the Australia XII at the expense of Travis Head, who has managed 191 runs at 27.28 in the four Tests. He will provide extra bowling options to a hard-worked four-man attack, albeit that the seamers have been rotated throughout the summer. That could yet continue in this game, with Justin Langer floating the possibility of Cummins being rested after leading the line with 24 wickets in the sharp end of the campaign. James Pattinson misses out, so Peter Siddle comes back into contention.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Marcus Harris, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Matthew Wade, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Peter Siddle/Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch that’s been prepared for this fifth Test looks brown and flat in the truest Oval tradition – a fact that doubtless will not please the onlooking James Anderson, in the wake of his comments yesterday about the conditions not favouring the home side. Similarly, the weather is set to be unexpectedly clement for mid-September. Overcast on the first day, then giving way to sunny conditions heading into the weekend.

Stats that matter

• Smith (current series average: 134.20) is returning to a venue where he has played two Tests, in 2013 and 2015, and scored two centuries at 144.00
• David Warner, by contrast, has scored 79 runs at 9.87 in the series to date, including seven single-figure scores in eight innings – the joint-most by any opener in a Test series.
• Warner has also succumbed to Broad in six of those eight innings. Only Moeen Ali, who fell to Nathan Lyon on seven occasions in 2017-18, has a worse head-to-head record in a Test series.
• Smith’s current tally of 671 runs is more than twice as many as any other Australian batsman in this year’s Ashes, with only Stokes (354) passing the halfway mark for England.
• England have not lost a Test series on home soil since Sri Lanka beat them 1-0 in a two-Test rubber in 2014. They did, however, draw 2-2 with Pakistan in 2016, including a ten-wicket defeat in the final Test at The Oval

Quotes

“It’s bitterly disappointing not to have the won the Ashes back, but we haven’t lost anything yet. We’re fully focussed on doing everything we can to finish the series 2-2.”
Joe Root, England’s captain, is focusing on the positives“There’s no such thing as dead rubbers and certainly against England, there’s never a dead rubber. We’re up for it. We’re ready.”
Tim Paine, Australia’s captain, is gunning to finish on a high

Electoral officer upholds CoA stand, declares 30 out of 38 board members eligible to vote

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Oct-2019The BCCI’s electoral officer has upheld the decision taken by the Committee of the Administrators (CoA) to disqualify three key state associations from participating in the BCCI elections, scheduled for October 23. On Thursday, N Gopalswami, the board’s electoral officer, removed Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Maharashtra from the final electoral roll, thus taking away their voting rights.In another significant move, Gopalswami disqualified Rajeev Shukla and Rajkumar Imo Singh, the nominated representatives of Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and Manipur Cricket Association respectively.Shukla had met Gopalswami in person on Wednesday, but the electoral officer disqualified his nomination because he had not undertaken the mandatory three-year cooling off since wrapping up as the IPL chairman in August 2018. Shukla had already served 11 years as an UPCA office bearer before taking up the IPL job in 2016.Imo Singh, meanwhile, is a Member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and politicians can no longer be administrators or an office bearers thanks to the changes made in the BCCI constitution last year.The draft electoral roll, which was announced on October 4, had 38 members including three government-funded institutions: Services, Indian Railways and Association of Indian Universities. All three institutions had originally nominated a representative to participate in the board elections, but as per the new BCCI constitution, only their player associations are allowed to nominate a person.While announcing the election process, Gopalswami had made it clear that if the nominated person was disqualified, the state association could not appoint a replacement. This was a CoA directive as well. So all five of the UPCA, Manipur Cricket Association, Services, Railways and Universities have also lost their voting rights and can’t attend the BCCI annual general meeting that takes place on the day of the elections.What happens now?As they indicated on Wednesday, the TNCA will approach the Supreme Court on October 14, nine days before the BCCI elections, to challenge their disqualification. It is unclear whether Haryana and Maharashtra will follow suit.If the court upholds the CoA and electoral officer’s verdicts, then the BCCI elections will take place on October 23 and will be contested among the nominated representatives that feature in the final electoral roll.The representatives can list out which posts they will be contesting on October 11, 12 and 14. On October 16, a week before the elections, the final list of candidates will be released.Reasons for disqualificationTamil Nadu Cricket AssociationThe CoA originally highlighted 21 points of difference between the TNCA’s constitution and the BCCI’s. But the state association secretary, R Ramasaamy, told ESPNcricinfo that, barring two key points, everything else was pretty much okay.First, the TNCA appointed a second vice-president when the BCCI constitution allows just one.Ramasaamy said they needed the extra person to ensure proper representation for the numerous districts under the TNCA and that, by his interpretation, the Supreme Court had allowed every state association to amend their constitution to best suit their work. So the TNCA elected an extra vice-president and an assistant secretary to represent the districts.The second violation deals with eligibility criteria.As recommended by the Lodha committee, a person can become an office bearer or an administrator if they are under 70 years old. They can only serve a maximum of nine years at the state association or BCCI separately. They cannot be in public office, including being a government servant or a serving minister. Also, they cannot be a member of another sports body or have a criminal charge.The CoA has been always clear that these eligibility norms apply to both office bearers as well as the administrators. The TNCA, however, has cited a Supreme Court observation of last month saying that the norms covered only office bearers and not administrators. This interpretation was not allowed by the CoA as well as the BCCI electoral officer Gopalswami.Haryana Cricket AssociationThe CoA found that the HCA had carried out their elections without changing their old constitution.Maharashtra Cricket AssociationInitially, the CoA found that the copy of the constitution that the MCA had submitted was not registered. The state charity commissioner (the authority meant to register the constitution) explained that the copy that was with him still needed the approval of the CoA. The CoA then found that the copy of the constitution submitted with the charity commissioner was a different one and differed substantially from the BCCI constitution.Despite all that, the MCA went ahead and conducted their elections. Also, the MCA elected their apex council first, which in turn elected the office bearers, which is totally against the BCCI constitution.

“Seamers as well as spinners are going to find it challenging” if dew comes into play, he says

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2019Sachin Tendulkar believes the introduction of day-night Tests in India is a “good move” except if the dew becomes a factor, as it will create “challenging” conditions for both seamers and spinners. Eden Gardens is gearing up to host the first day-night Test in India starting November 22 against Bangladesh, after the BCB agreed to the BCCI’s request of playing the second match of the Test series under lights.”As long as dew does not become a factor, it is a good move,” Tendulkar was quoted as saying by . “But if dew is going to be a factor, then seamers as well as spinners are going to find it challenging because once the ball gets wet, neither seamers can do much nor the spinners. So, in that way, bowlers will be put under the test. But if there is no dew, then surely it is a good addition.”With the match taking place at the end of November, dew is expected to affect the outfield after sunset, which could, as Tendulkar said, favour the batsmen. Paras Anand, marketing director at SG, which is going to supply the pink balls for the Test, had also said the dew factor remained the biggest challenge for them.”I think the dew factor will play a big role over here,” Tendulkar said. “We need to figure out how much dew is there. The dew will determine to what extent both teams are competing. The conditions shouldn’t hinder anything.”ALSO READ: Monga – Questions facing the first day-night Test in IndiaThe timings of the match, which the BCCI is yet to announce, will help fans increase the attendance as they can now head to the stadium after work.”It is a nice concept, as people would be able to watch a day-night Test after their working hours,” Tendulkar said. “People can come in the evening and enjoy the game. From players’ point of view, it won’t be a bad idea to play with the pink ball and check how differently it behaves from the traditional red ball.”The pink ball has been criticised in the past for not having as pronounced a seam as the red ball and also getting scuffed up or losing its colour soon. Tendulkar advised that to ensure appropriate preparedness against the pink ball, India’s batsmen should face enough deliveries that simulate the nature of the pink ball at various stages of the innings before the game.”The batsmen will need to practice with different balls at the nets,” he said. “A new pink ball, a 20-over pink ball and a 50-over pink ball and an 80-over ball. See how differently a new, semi-new and old ball behaves. Accordingly, prepare your strategy.”In addition, Tendulkar emphasised that relying on the first-hand experience of players who have played the Duleep Trophy with the pink ball could go some way towards equipping the home team to tackle the change.”The India boys should also depend on word of mouth feedback from all those who played Duleep Trophy [with the pink ball] and they would have few things to share,” Tendulkar said.Although pitches for day-night Tests have usually had more grass on them compared to those used in day matches to help retain the condition of the pink ball, Tendulkar believes a deeper tinge of green on the surface at Eden Gardens will not entirely negate the efficacy of skilled spinners.”Obviously, it (the presence of more grass) will help the seamers more, but if you bring in [a] quality spinner, he will find his way to bowl on that surface as well,” Tendulkar said. “For a spinner, it will be important to assess how much bounce is there on the surface and how much the ball is skidding; if there is too much grass [or] whether the ball is gripping on the surface.”A better part of assessing the behaviour of the pink ball on the Eden surface will depend on local wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, who had played the first pink-ball match in India on the same ground: the Super League final between club teams Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore in 2016. The only difference is that match was played with the pink Kookaburra.”The wicketkeeper will play a massive role in providing feedback as to whether the ball is skidding or whether it is not coming onto the bat easily,” Tendulkar said.

England reach the close on 55 for 3 and still a long way from making New Zealand bat again

The Report by Alan Gardner24-Nov-2019The inaugural Test at Mount Maunganui was always likely to likely to be a memorable occasion for New Zealand cricket, but BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner ensured it would be one with multiple entries in the history books after their monumental contributions sent records tumbling and left England facing an uphill task to save the game.Speaking of uphill, there had been some debate about the correct billing of the promontory that overlooks Bay Oval, an extinct volcano known locally as “The Mount”. But there was no disputing that New Zealand had amassed a mountain of runs, as Watling bent himself to the task of batting for almost 11 hours for a maiden double-hundred, while Santner converted to three figures for the first time in his Test career. The innings produced another new peak, with New Zealand’s 615 for 9 declared their highest total against England in 89 years of Test competition.With the deficit a daunting 262, and realistically needing to bat their way through the majority of four sessions in order to emerge with a draw, England lost both openers and their nightwatchman before the close. There was something appropriate about Santner and Watling combining for the initial breakthrough, and although England could cling to the hope that a slow surface might help pave their way to safety on the final day, increasing signs of up-and-down bounce will doubtless nag at the tourists overnight.

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There was no doubting about who were the stars of the show for New Zealand, even if it was a couple of the most unassuming players in a team that has built a reputation for low-key excellence. If there were bragging rights at stake, it would have been impossible to tell, despite Watling and Santner ticking their way through a slew of records.Both notched career-best scores, as the pair eclipsed the previous highest seventh-wicket stand for New Zealand – initially against England, and then overall. Watling surpassed his own record for the most balls faced by a New Zealand wicketkeeper; Santner set a new mark for balls faced by a New Zealand No. 8. For England, kept in the field for more than 200 overs, it was a relentless grind.Only the urgency of an impending declaration contributed to Watling finally being dislodged. By then, he had become the ninth wicketkeeper – and first for New Zealand – to score a double-hundred in Tests, the milestone reached a few minutes before tea with a nudged single off the bowling of Joe Root, England’s increasingly vexed captain.ALSO READ: The records Watling brokeHaving at least limited the scoring rate during the morning session, England were left chasing leather in the afternoon sunshine as Santner showed his claws. His half-century reached from 170 balls, he required only another 82 to convert to three figures for the first time in Tests, taking particular toll on his fellow left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who was three times deposited over the ropes. When Santner finally slogged Sam Curran to long-on for 126, it had been 73.2 overs since England had previously taken a wicket, with the first ball after tea on day three.As Santner buckled his swash, Watling continued to buckle down. He had already demonstrated his appetite for crease-occupation by batting throughout day three, and he slipped straight back into the groove. The nearest England came to ruffling him was when a Jofra Archer bouncer glanced the top of his helmet, as he went past his previous highest score – 142 against Sri Lanka in 2015 – and on to his longest Test innings, surpassing the epic rearguard against India at Wellington in 2014.The end came via a declaration shortly after tea, as Kane Williamson exacted maximum punishment on England. It also allowed for the crowd to salute Watling’s efforts one final time, as his 473-ball epic ended with an edge behind. Watling walked off to an ovation and New Zealand’s last two batsmen jogged the same way an over later.New Zealand resumed on day four in control but not in a hurry. Watling and Santner had adopted a circumspect approach during the morning session, when only 58 runs were scored from 30 overs, but the lack of impact on the wickets column was the chief concern for Root.England dutifully went through the motions with the ball, but there was an air of fatalism about their attempts to finish off the innings. Archer strung together five maidens in a row at the start of the day, but England’s attack rarely threatened a breakthrough as New Zealand set out their stall to try and bat only once in the game.The wisdom of that ploy was proven during the evening session, as Santner stepped into the spotlight with the ball. Dom Sibley and Rory Burns had compiled a watchful 48-run stand to ease English fears about the deterioration of the pitch – only for New Zealand’s spinner to produce a three-wicket burst before stumps. First Sibley, who had already survived one tough chance to Watling, succumbed to a thin outside edge, then Burns was lured into sweeping out of the rough and sent a tame top edge to square leg.In the final over of the day, Tom Latham’s brilliant catch at short leg removed the nightwatchman Leach, though replays suggested he had not actually got any bat on the ball. Leach walked off without using a review, however, to leave England facing an even steeper climb if they are to escape Bay of Plenty with the series still level.

“Earlier I used to put pressure on myself about performing. Now I don’t think too much about those things”

Varun Shetty in Kolkata22-Nov-20192:09

I am enjoying my cricket right now – Ishant

A renewed approach to life has helped Ishant Sharma grow as a bowler, he said after taking a five-wicket haul in India’s first day-night Test. It was his first five-for in India since his first home match in 2007 against Pakistan.Ishant has more or less become a permanent member of this Indian team over the last two years, and is central to the pace attack that has progressively improved as India firmly established themselves in the No. 1 spot in Tests. This permanence and the recent bursts of improvement have not been enough to make Ishant consistently challenge for a limited-overs spot. But 12 years and 96 Tests later, he is not wasting time feeling sorry for himself.”In some sense [it hurts], yes. But I’m at a stage of my life where I’ve stopped worrying about these kind of things. I’m 31 now, I can’t keep worrying now about which format my name has been picked for.” Ishant said at the press conference in Kolkata. “Whether I play for India, whether I play Ranji Trophy – I just want to be playing at this point. It’s a simple thing. If you desire to keep playing, you’ll do well. Cricket’s given us everything. If we keep cribbing about small things like these, we will never improve.”Ishant Sharma’s two five-wicket hauls in home Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Just before Sri Lanka’s tour of India almost exactly two years ago, Ishant had taken 212 wickets at 36.93 in 77 Tests. Since the start of that series, he has taken 76 wickets in 19 games. His career average has gone up by a dramatic four runs per wicket and is presently at 32.94. That is precisely the average at which Zaheer Khan finished his career. If he plays in four more Tests, Ishant will be first frontline fast bowler since Kapil Dev to go past 100 Tests for India. These are all feats that were improbable some five years ago. What changed?”I think I’m enjoying my cricket now,” Ishant said. “Earlier I used to put pressure on myself about performing – that I need to take wickets, that I’m only beating the batsman…a lot of things used to run on my mind. Now I don’t think too much about those things, just how to take wickets. Obviously I’m experienced so I can assess conditions and adjust my lengths quickly, that makes it easy.”Ishant Sharma interview on The Cricket Monthly: ‘If I don’t take wickets even in one innings, I think my career for India is over’Another feat Ishant achieved on Friday was that he bowled India’s first delivery in a day-night Test. Bowling with the pink ball, he said, was not the same.”It was very different. In the start you must have seen that when we bowled a normal length, it wasn’t swinging that much. After that we realised what lengths we need to be hitting in order to get some more help. So the three of us [fast bowlers] communicated about hitting the right length,” Ishant said.Regardless of that rustiness, India managed to be consistent enough to have Bangladesh six down by lunch. The fall of those wickets began with Ishant trapping Imrul Kayes lbw. And it came with a ball he only started developing during the second day in the previous Test.Ishant Sharma picked up the first wicket for India on their pink-ball Test debut•BCCI

“You must have seen that normally I used to swing it away from the left-hander,” Ishant said, talking of his new incoming delivery. “So I needed to add a variation. Your game only improves when you bring variety to it, and build confidence to bowl those in the match. So I was trying to bowl more of that in practice. In this match, the first wicket that I got – Imrul Kayes lbw – I got him with that ball. The two bowled wickets I got were also that ball. The ball lands and stays straight, it doesn’t go away from the batsman.”On the flip side of this contest, Bangladesh have struggled to show any resistance, in any innings, against this Indian attack. While neither of the pitches have particularly difficult to bat on, Bangladesh’s top-order has crumbled in the face of relentless pressure. At the same time, their bowlers haven’t come as close to troubling India. But even as they face a grueling period, head coach Russell Domingo was optimistic, citing Ishant’s steep rise as a potential inspiration for his own bowlers.”I don’t want to keep comparing the two sides but if you think of the number of Tests their pacers have played, and compare that with Ebadot’s fourth Test match, we have a very inexperienced bowling line-up.,” he said.”Look at the way Ishant started, and the way his career is now. It takes a bit of time for these young fast bowlers to find the length and the discipline it takes to bowl to guys like Rohit, Virat or Pujara. It is a steep learning curve at the moment.”