Tag Futebol

Lower-order batsmen Jimmy Neesham and Neil Wagner scored 74 runs in 7.4 overs together to steer Otago to a close three-wicket victory against Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2012
ScorecardLower-order batsmen Jimmy Neesham and Neil Wagner scored 74 runs in 7.4 overs to steer Otago to a three-wicket victory against Auckland. Despite Nathan McCullum’s 77, Otago were reduced to 169 for 7 in their chase of 218, after Chris Martin and Mitchell Mclenaghan took three wickets each. However, Neesham struck some heavy blows and took his side to the target. A 57-run first-innings lead helped Otago get an achievable target to chase, as Colin Munro’s century had helped Auckland to a strong second-innings total of 274.Auckland, batting first, succumbed to seamer Ian Butler on the first day, and they couldn’t overcome the disadvantage caused due to this throughout the rest of the match. Munro scored 59, but besides him and Lou Vincent, no one provided resistance to Butler as Auckland were bowled out for 196 in the 52nd over. Otago finished the day at 86 for 0, firmly in control of the contest.But this strong foundation of a 103-run opening stand gave way to a lower-order collapse as 25-year old seamer Dean Bartlett took five wickets to bowl them out for 253. At 240 for 4, they lost their last six wickets for 13 runs. Opener Aaron Redmond was the top-scorer with 98, and his opening partner Hamish Rutherford scored 70, but of the following batsmen there were six who scored in single digits, and only one of them scored more than 17 – middle-order batsman Sam Wells. Well’s was the fifth wicket to fall, and it led to the collapse.Auckland’s comeback was undone by Butler again. He dismissed the openers, to contribute to their disarray at 96 for 5. But Munro and Craig Cachopa steadied the innings by sharing a 96-run stand. After Butler removed Cachopa and Kyle Mills to leave them at 198 for 7, Munro rallied with No. 9 Bruce Martin to push their side to 274. Munro’s 118 off 124 deliveries featured six hits for sixes.Martin and McLenaghan consolidated on the platform provided by his knock, and Otago’s top order was rocked early. Redmond and McCullum, and later McCullum and Wells kept them in the hunt for the target. But this time, Wells’ dismissal in the 53rd over did not lead to another collapse, as Otago fought it out to win by three wickets.

Thami Tsolekile, the Lions wicketkeeper, will replace Mark Boucher in South Africa’s squad for the Test series in England

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2012Thami Tsolekile, the Lions wicketkeeper, will replace Mark Boucher in South Africa’s squad for the Test series in England. Tsolekile, however, is unlikely to play the first Test from July 19, with South Africa coach Gary Kirsten saying AB de Villiers will keep wicket at The Oval.”Thami has done very well [for] both the Lions and South Africa A for a couple of seasons, culminating in his South African record [of] eight catches in an innings this past week,” Andrew Hudson, Cricket South Africa’s convener of selectors, said. “With AB de Villiers also able to fill the role of wicketkeeper in the Test series it gives the tour selectors options in this important position.”Tsolekile’s inclusion was necessary because of Boucher’s retirement from cricket, following a severe eye injury sustained during the tour match against Somerset in Taunton. Boucher was struck by a bail and had to undergo surgery for a lacerated eyeball.Tsolekile, 31, played three Tests for South Africa in 2004, when Boucher was left out of the team. He scored only 47 runs in five innings and was dropped when Boucher made a comeback. Tsolekile has vast domestic experience, having played 132 first-class matches over a 13-year career that began in 1999. He has been second in line to the national team for years but did not get an opportunity because of Boucher’s permanence in South Africa’s plans.Tsolekile was given a central contract in February, the first time CSA had contracted a second wicketkeeper in 13 years since contracts were first awarded in 1998.During a recent game between South Africa A and Sri Lanka A in Durban, Tsolekile took eight catches in the first innings, a South African record.

Bangladesh produced most of the unexpected passages in the game. But when it came to the critical moments which decided the match, Pakistan proved superior

The Report by Abhishek Purohit11-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Hafeez followed up his 89 with two wickets, off consecutive balls, in the second innings•Associated Press

Pakistan built, nearly self-destructed and counterattacked with the bat. Bangladesh built, nearly self-destructed and counterattacked with the bat. Pakistan’s base was strong enough to weather the near-self-destruction. Their counterattack proved sharper in the end as they stopped hosts Bangladesh short of what would have been their highest successful chase at home.Bangladesh produced most of the unexpected passages in the game. They reduced Pakistan to 198 for 7 from 135 for 0. They recovered from 135 for 5 to become the favourites towards the closing stages of the game. But when it came to the critical moments which decided the match, Pakistan proved superior.Umar Gul smashed his highest ODI score of 39 from 25 deliveries to convert 198 for 7 into 262 for 8. With Bangladesh requiring 39 off 40 with five wickets in hand, Gul and Saeed Ajmal took 5 for 17 between them to ensure that Shakib Al Hasan’s heroic innings ended in frustration and disappointment.Shakib had induced the Pakistan batting collapse, along with Shahadat Hossain. Like a fighter who has resolutely accepted the fact that he will always have to battle more than his fellow soldiers, he brought his side back into contention after they threatened to implode in the chase.Young Nasir Hossain matched his former captain stroke for stroke in an 89-run sixth-wicket partnership at a run a ball. Shakib drove, Nasir pulled, Shakib slashed, Nasir pulled harder, and Bangladesh hoped.When Nasir took consecutive fours off Gul in the 44th over, Bangladesh seemed to have moved decisively in front. Gul is made of sterner stuff, though. He found nip off the pitch and movement in the air with a 21-over old ball and bowled Nasir for 47. Ajmal, who had gone for 11 in the previous over, stepped in now.With the asking-rate under six, Abdur Razzak decided to slog at a full delivery only to get bowled. Mashrafe Mortaza saw the flight but did not read the doosra. Bowled again. Shafiul Islam had two deliveries to keep out in the next over, the 46th. Gul hurled in the inswinging yorker first up. Gone leg-before.A shocked Shakib steadied himself and squeezed the first ball of the next over, bowled by Ajmal, for four past point. With last man Shahadat at the other end, Shakib was forced to play out most of the over to keep strike for the 48th.He tried to take two off the the first ball of the 48th but managed one. Shahadat blocked out the next five. The equation had rocketed to 22 off 12 by now. Shakib had no choice. He tried to slog Gul but only managed to play on. Game over.Gul had earlier rescued Pakistan with the bat after they lost 7 for 63. He showed that his ODI batting average of 9.28 did not reflect his flicking and pulling capabilities. He savaged Mortaza for 16 runs in the 49th over, hitting the bowler for three consecutive boundaries in his lone counterattack.Pakistan’s innings could be summed up as accumulation, panic and aggression. After Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed put on 135, Shahadat and Shakib brought Bangladesh back with a flurry of wickets before Gul hit back.Pakistan would have never thought that they would need Gul to bail them out after the start given by Hafeez and Jamshed. Hafeez put his lean run against England behind him with a patient knock – his first fifty in ODIs in four months – and along with his latest opening partner, Jamshed, gave Pakistan a strong start to their Asia Cup campaign. Jamshed justified his selection ahead of Azhar Ali with a busy innings that afforded Hafeez the space to overcome his scratchy beginning. Shakib apart, Bangladesh’s attack was steady at best and allowed Hafeez to work himself into some form.As Hafeez and Jamshed brought up their fifties, Bangladesh’s decision to bowl on the flat pitch seemed set to hurt them further, until Jamshed’s slow response to a call for a single gave them an opening. Bangladesh barged into it whole-heartedly as Pakistan’s batting crumbled without warning or justification.Younis Khan succumbed to a leading edge off Shahadat after playing his flick early. Shahadat, who had been average till then, immediately found some menace and produced two sharp bouncers to lure Hafeez and Asad Shafiq into fatal pulls.Umar Akmal, never one to change his hit-everything style, slog swept his wicket away to Shakib, who was to get more reward for being the bowler who troubled Pakistan the most. Shahid Afridi did not get the time to display his brand of hit-everything, as he bunted a return catch to Shakib first ball.Drama has a way of somehow squeezing itself into everything Afridi is involved in. Shakib fumbled the catch on the first attempt, prevented the ball from touching the ground on the second, lobbed it up into Misbah-ul-Haq’s helmet and still had enough balance left to take the rebound on the third attempt. Misbah himself did not get the opportunity to use his crisis-recovery skills as he was soon bowled through the gate. Bangladesh were on top at that stage but would not have accounted for Gul the batsman.Afridi had lasted one delivery with the bat but struck in successive overs to leave the new cautious avatar of Tamim Iqbal and the Bangladesh middle order with a climbing asking-rate. The hosts’ chase was on course at 90 for 1 in the 21st over when Afridi bowled Jahurul Islam and Mushfiqur Rahim in the space of five deliveries. Till Afridi’s strikes, Bangladesh had gone about the chase with unusual calm. With Tamim clearly looking to anchor the innings, Nazimuddin and Jahurul did the attacking.Both batsmen were well-set when they gave away their wickets. Nazimuddin slashed a wide delivery to third man while Jahurul was bowled as he missed a slog off a flighted Afridi delivery. Afridi dealt a bigger blow to Bangladesh when he bowled Rahim who tried to cut his faster one.At the other end, Tamim went on accumulating serenely, finding the boundary every now and then to keep the required-rate in check. He got to his fifty off his 75th delivery, but Hafeez further dented Bangladesh with a double strike. Tamim dinked an innocuous delivery onto his stumps, and Mahmudullah was adjudged leg-before first ball, though replays showed the ball would have missed leg stump.At 135 for 5, Bangladesh were staring at a familiar ending, but Shakib was determined to swim against the tide. His misfortune was that, in the end, he was the only one with that resolve.

After three straight defeats, New Zealand Women finally claimed their first win, coasting home by six wickets in a low-scoring game in Sydney’s Stadium Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2012
ScorecardSuzie Bates led New Zealand’s chase with an unbeaten 40•Getty Images

After three straight defeats, New Zealand Women finally claimed their first win, coasting home by six wickets in a low-scoring curtain-raiser to the men’s Twenty20 international (between Australia and India) in Sydney’s Stadium Australia.In front of a sparse crowd, expected to fill up for the bigger draw in the evening, Australia Women were restricted to 7 for 92 in a match reduced to 18 overs due to rain before the start of play. Kate Broadmore, the right-arm seamer, took 3 for 9 in four tight overs to restrict the Australians. The hosts were limping at 5 for 30 before Jodie Fields and Lisa Sthalekar added 43 for the sixth wicket. Fields remained unbeaten on 37, hitting two fours and a six. She tried to get innovative towards the end of the innings, fetching her only six by moving across to wide of the off stump and scooping Amy Satterthwaite over the fine leg boundary. Sthalekar made 23.Suzie Bates led New Zealand’s chase with an unbeaten 40. The teams will play the fifth and final game in Melbourne in two days.

West Indies women’s cricketer Tremayne Smartt has been suspended by the ICC from all cricket and cricket-related activities for five months after being found guilty of committing an anti-doping violation

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2011West Indies women’s cricketer Tremayne Smartt has been suspended by the ICC from all cricket and cricket-related activities for five months after being found guilty of violating an anti-doping rule. An independent anti-doping tribunal comprising Tim Kerr QC (acting as chairman), Dr Anik Sax and Prof. Peter Sever took the decision at a hearing in London on Friday based on written and oral legal submissions as well as testimony from Smartt, who plead guilty.Smartt has played 15 ODIs and 12 Twenty20 internationals for West Indies.A random urine sample collected in September this year, which was tested at a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), was found to contain a prohibited substance called Furosemide. The tribunal accepted that the substance wasn’t used to enhance performance or mask the use of another performance-enhancing drug, “but that she had failed to satisfy the high levels of personal responsibility implicit upon her as an international cricketer subject to anti-doping rules.””Smartt, 26, provided a urine sample as part of the ICC’s random in-competition testing programme after the conclusion of a Twenty20 International between West Indies and Pakistan, held in Georgetown, Guyana on September 11,” an ICC release said. Her sample was found to contain Furosemide, classified as a ‘Specified Substance’ under WADA’s Prohibited List.Smartt, according to the release, had taken the substance to treat a swelling in her knee. She was found guilty of violating Article 2.1 of the ICC’s Anti-Doping code and stands suspended until March 25 next year. She has three weeks to appeal against the decision should she wish to.In a statement, Smartt conceded she did not effectively check the Prohibited List and would have to accept the consequences.

In terms of value per match, the T20 tournament is now behind only the NFL

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Jun-2022An IPL game is now worth a record INR 105 crore (USD 13.44 million) making it – in terms of value per match – the second-most lucrative sporting product in the entire world, behind only the NFL (USD 35.07 million*). This figure may actually rise considering the e-auction for the T20 tournament’s media rights, which began on Sunday, continues.The combined sum bid so far is INR 38,850 crore (USD 4.97 billion) – that is INR 21,090 crore (USD 2.7 billion) for Package A (TV rights for India sub-continent) and INR 17,760 crore (USD 2.27 billion) for Package B (digital for India subcontinent); it is already 2.38 times or 138% higher than the 2018-22 IPL rights deal, bagged by Star India in 2017 for $2.55 billion.These numbers are based on there being 74 games per season in the next five-year rights cycle starting in 2023. As it stands, the IPL has overtaken the Premier League, whose value per match, as per the 2022-25 rights, is listed at USD 11.34 million**.Doing away with the process of closed bids, the IPL put its media rights up for sale for the first time through an e-auction. In an e-auction, bids are filed through an online portal managed by an independent company. The highest bids across all categories are flashed on screen – simultaneously and live – but names of the bidders are not disclosed to ensure rivals don’t bump up prices.For this auction, the IPL set a minimum base price for each of the four categories and asked bidders to list their price on a per match basis. For Package A the per match base price is INR 49 crore (USD 6.3 million). For Package B it is INR 33 crore (USD 4.2 million) per match. For Package C it is INR 16 crore (USD 2.05 million) per match. For Package D it is INR 3 crore (USD 390,000).On Sunday, Packages A and B went up for bidding simultaneously with all the key bidders among final list of seven keenly contesting. The highest bid for Package A on was INR 57 crore (USD 7.29 million) – 16.3% higher than the base price set by IPL. The highest bid for Package B was INR 48 crore (USD 6.14 million), 45.4% higher than the base price.The combined figure – INR 105 crore – is already 93.6% higher than the per match value in the previous IPL rights deal (INR 54.23 crore).The bidders – Disney-Star, Sony, Viacom-Reliance, Zee, Fun Asia, Super Sport and Times Internet – will resume the auction on Monday 11 am IST. As per the rules set by IPL, the winner of Package A has the right to compete for the digital rights by locking horns with the highest bidder in Package B. The auction process will continue till one of them drops out. Once the highest bidder for Packages A and B are determined, the auction process for Packages C & D will commence.All USD values are approximations where 1 USD = 78 INR

Bowlers then take over to lead TKR to third successive victory in CPL 2020

The Report by Firdose Moonda23-Aug-2020Half-centuries from Colin Munro and Darren Bravo, who also shared in a 98-run stand with Kieron Pollard, propelled the Trinbago Knight Riders to the highest score of this year’s CPL and the top of the points’ table. The defending champion Barbados Tridents made a fist of the chase, and were ahead of the required run-rate after the PowerPlay but could not sustain their scoring. They remain in the bottom half of the table.Knight Riders picked up pace after a watchful start which brought just 27 runs in the first five overs. They scored at more than 10 runs an over for the remainder of their innings, giving Tridents a mountain to climb in response. Tridents’ innings played out in opposite fashion. They raced to 68 inside eight overs, thanks largely to Johnson Charles’ 52, but then lost three wickets for seven runs, leaving the middle order with too much to do in the second half of the innings.Nursing the scoring rate Ashley Nurse was the first spinner Jason Holder turned to immediately after the Powerplay, just as Munro had started to free his arms, and he proved the most economical of the Tridents’ attack. Nurse found turn and grip on a wearing surface and would have had Sunil Narine’s wicket at the start of his second over but Shai Hope could not hold on to a thick outside edge. Narine only lasted until the next over anyway, as Nurse and Raymon Reifer kept the Knight Riders’ fairly quiet. Nurse was the only bowler to concede less than eight runs an over and was eventually rewarded when Munro slogged his final ball to deep midwicket, where Rashid Khan took a tumbling catch. The One-Handed Six Specialist and his 3,000 run partner Knight Riders entered the last four overs with a strong foundation of 116 for 3 and then upped the ante. Mitchell Santner’s only over cost 19 runs and included Pollard fetching a wide delivery with one hand to send it down the ground for six. At the end of the next over, Pollard pulled it off again, this time against Reifer, who bowled it too full. Pollard took his bottom-hand off the bat to get under the ball and hoist it over long-on. And in the over after that, Darren Bravo reached the milestone of 3,000 T20 runs when he belted a low-full toss from Jason Holder down the ground for four. The Knight Riders’ scored 69 runs in the last four overs, 52 of them in boundaries.Not quite brotherly love Only the off-side seemed to get the better of Charles, who all but three of his 52 runs on the other side of the field, but Dwayne Bravo could have caused Charles trouble with his first ball. Charles hit Dwayne to the left of deep midwicket, who just happened to be Bravo’s little brother, Darren, who ran and dived and tried to hold on but couldn’t. Worse than the missed chance, or that Charles was on a roll, was that the wicket would have been Dwayne’s 500th. Darren made amends when he took the catch that dismissed Kyle Mayers but Dwayne will have to wait for the next match to take his milestone wicket.Back of the bat and back to the changeroomPollard was not the only innovative stroke-maker on the day. Jonathan Carter, whose contribution was a mere 8, scored four of them off the back of his bat when he got down on one knee to scoop Dwayne Bravo over fine leg. Carter switched his stance but not his bat and instead of turning it around in his hands, just used the other side. He wasn’t able to provide much more entertainment though. He lost his leg stump to Ali Khan and the most exuberant celebration in the two overs later. Apart from the customary fast-bowlers’ roar, Ali ripped off his sweat band and chucked it away in delight.

The Scorchers have built a new squad after last season’s wooden spoon, and the Stars will hope to top last season’s show

Alex Malcolm15-Dec-2019

Melbourne Stars

Captain: Glenn MaxwellCoach: David HusseyOverseas players: Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Dale Steyn (South Africa – first six matches), Pat Brown (England – expected from January 8)Full squad: Pat Brown (overseas replacement), Hilton Cartwright, Jackson Coleman, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Peter Handscomb, Clint Hinchliffe, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nick Larkin, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Lance Morris, Tom O’Connell, Dale Steyn, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam ZampaLast season: 2ndThey suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the final, collapsing from an unlosable position against the Renegades. But they rode the wave of momentum to make the final after finishing fourth. There were a lot of positives to take out of their best season to date despite the bitter disappointment at the end.What’s changed for the season?They have a new coach after Stephen Fleming stepped down. Former captain David Hussey takes the reigns of a squad that has shaped nicely. They have added Dale Steyn and Pat Brown as their overseas fast bowlers who will play roughly half the tournament each as well as Nathan Coulter-Nile, who is primed to play a big part in what could be his first full BBL for many years. Hilton Cartwright also comes into the squad as an all-round option. He has a modest T20 record with the bat, but he and Coulter-Nile add exceptional athleticism in the field which the Stars view as vital on the wide expanses of the MCG.Australia impactMaxwell’s availability will be a big question. He has been away from cricket since October to manage his mental health, but is back playing club cricket in Melbourne and looks set for the BBL. Normally, he would be an automatic pick for the India ODI tour but the Stars will benefit if he doesn’t go. Marcus Stoinis, Peter Handscomb, and Coulter-Nile could be in the national frame but seem more unlikely than likely, which again helps the Stars. The only man they may miss is Adam Zampa, who will almost certainly travel to India.Player to watchNic Maddinson had also taken a mental health break this season but he is in the form of his life with the bat and seems most comfortable in the Melbourne environment. He could be primed for a big tournament with a settled role.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)Among 32 bowlers who have bowled over 200 deliveries in the last four overs of a T20 match, Pat Brown has the best average – 12.42 – for any pace bowler. His death bowling and variations in the T20 Blast is the reason why the Stars have punted on Brown. It will be interesting to see how he bowls at the bigger grounds in Australia.Chris Jordan ripped through West Indies’ middle order•Getty Images

Perth Scorchers

Captain: Mitchell MarshCoach: Adam VogesOverseas players: Liam Livingstone (England), Chris Jordan (England)Full squad: Ashton Agar, Fawad Ahmed, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Josh Inglis, Chris Jordan, Matthew Kelly, Liam Livingstone, Mitchell Marsh, Joel Paris, Kurtis Patterson, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Sam WhitemanLast season: 8thThe Scorchers had been – and still are – the most successful team in BBL history, having not missed the finals in seven seasons, which included three titles. But after finishing top of the table in BBL07 and losing the semi-final, they finished last in BBL08 winning just four games.What’s changed for the season?They have completely overhauled their list. Simon Katich has been working as a consultant with new high-performance manager Kade Harvey. Shaun Marsh (Renegades), Michael Klinger (retired), Nathan Coulter-Nile (Stars), Hilton Cartwright (Stars), Clint Hinchcliffe (Stars), Usman Qadir (not contracted) and David Willey (not contracted) have all departed. They have signed Liam Livingstone and Chris Jordan as new overseas players. Fawad Ahmed comes in from the Sydney Thunder to change the dynamic of the attack with AJ Tye and Jason Behrendorff out injured. Kurtis Patterson has been signed as part of a new-look top order alongside Livingstone.Australia impactThey won’t be as affected as other teams. Australia’s one-day tour of India could see Ashton Turner and Jhye Richardson leave for five games if selected, but it is highly unlikely they will lose any others. Injuries are a bigger issue.Player to watchMatthew Kelly only played seven games last season but he made an impression with his death bowling, taking 11 wickets at a strike rate of 14.7. Given the injuries to key bowling personnel, he will be a pivotal player this season.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)In this day and age, where spin plays a big role in T20s, the Scorchers have predominantly been dependent on their pace bowling to win titles. It has worked for them until last season. In the last edition, the Scorchers took only 13 wickets with spin at an average of 33. No team took fewer wickets with spin. This edition they are looking to better that record with more variety in the attack.

Concerns over talent pathways may lead to rejig of England’s Performance Programme

George Dobell03-Jul-2019The ECB have announced that David Parsons is to leave his role as England Cricket’s Performance Director in July.Parsons joined the ECB in 2000 as National Coach, was promoted to National Spin Bowling Coach in 2005 and was appointed to role of ECB Performance Director in 2007. Since then, he has overseen the development of the England men’s pathways, including the running of the National Performance Centre at Loughborough University.His departure may well signal the start of a significant restructure of the ECB’s ‘pathway’ programme. There has, for some time, been disquiet about the lack of relative lack of performance of the pathway in comparison to the investment made and, when Ashley Giles was employed was director of the England men’s teams, part of his remit was to both cut costs and improve the output of Loughborough.The development of fast and spin bowling is likely to focus much of his attention. The fast bowling programme has already been discontinued on the basis that it cost lots and delivered little, with recent graduates seemingly more likely to suffer injury than improve in pace or potency.Much the same could be said about the development of spin, with Kent’s decision to release Adam Riley – not so long ago thought of an off-spinner with Test potential – last week adding credence to the theory that Loughborough sometimes does more harm than good. Certainly the inference of comments from Paul Downton, the Kent director of cricket, was not flattering.”Adam has been with Kent for a long time,” Downton told the BBC. “We remember back to 2014 when he had a great summer with Kent, was being talked about in the press as a future England spinner and won a place on the England Lions tour.”Unfortunately, while on that tour working with the Lions coaches he tried to bowl a bit quicker and, in doing so, he lost his action. He’s now spent nearly five years trying to find his way back to that kind of form. But I think we got to a point where we just realised it wasn’t going to work from his point of view, or our point of view.”As a result, the futures of Kevin Shine, the ECB’s lead fast bowling coach, and Peter Such, the ECB’s lead spin bowling coach, would appear to be particularly uncertain.There may be change to the Lions programme, too. While there is an understanding that playing in such a team narrows the gap between the international and domestic games, the reluctance of counties to schedule fixtures during the English season – they play just one first-class game this season – has diminished the need for any sort of permanent restructure around it.That could lead to a change of role for Andy Flower, the former England coach. He is clearly a man with knowledge and experience that is an asset to the ECB, but it could be he has outgrown most of the roles available to him at the organisation. He has recently applied for a county job or two – he narrowly missed out on the Warwickshire role that went to Paul Farbrace – but it may be a job with a county or even another country now beckons.It is likely the ECB will announce more overseas placements for young players in future. Not only would this prove cheaper, it is thought likely to encourage independence and maturity among developing players. Some at the ECB are concerned that some young players have become just a little soft and just a little entitled by their early exposure to England age-group teams. A period fending for themselves, it is reasoned, may do them no harm.Either way, change is coming to Loughborough. A cut in the number in staff is likely, with those who remain asked to be a great deal more accountable.

An attempt to deny Barbados the chance to collect more bonus points fell flat in a dramatic and controversial finish to the match

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2019A bizarre declaration from Leeward Islands to lose a match in an apparent attempt to deny their opposition Barbados the chance to build enough bonus points to overtake them in the WICB Regional Four-Day Tournament, has backfired with Barbados securing second place.Whatever calculations took place from Leeward Islands, who were captained by Rahkeem Cornwall, did not work as the result was enough to put Barbados into second place by just 0.2 points with 17.4 points and end with 134.2, which proved to be just enough to overtake Leeward Islands, who collected 2.8 points from the match and ended with 134.After Guyana had been confirmed as champions the previous day following Leeward Islands’ collapse for 90 in the first innings against Barbados, courtesy a career-best 5 for 29 from Keon Harding, it became a battle between the two for second place.Barbados built a first-innings lead of 101 when they declared early on the second day at 191 with two wickets still in hand, after Alazarri Joseph took 4 for 28, before Leeward Islands moved to 83 for 2, still 18 behind, when they declared about 40 minutes after lunch and conceded the match.