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Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner, too, praised Yuvraj Singh, saying if Yuvraj repeated his effort “five or six times” then the defending champions could go a very long way in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2017Yuvraj Singh has said that his return to India’s limited-overs sides has helped him express himself more “freely”, after he struck a match-winning 62 off 27 for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening game of IPL 2017 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.”I enjoyed my batting tonight. My batting has been up and down over the couple of years, but I am feeling really good at the moment,” Yuvraj told . “The comeback into the Indian team has really helped me. I am more free in my mind and I am not worrying anymore about making a comeback. I am just going to play according to the situation and express myself.”Yuvraj was recalled to India’s ODI and T20I sides for the home series against England in January, having previously played for the side in the 2016 World T20. Picked on his form in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, he went on to score 210 runs in the three-match ODI series, including a 127-ball 150 in the second ODI in Cuttack. He scored his fastest IPL fifty on Wednesday, reaching the landmark in 23 balls.Sunrisers captain David Warner said Yuvraj was given the No. 4 slot so that he could get his eye in before getting in the big hits.”Look, it’s superb to see him play the way he did. That’s the Yuvi I used to watch on TV,” Warner said. “Superb stroke-play, hitting it clean, and, you know what, he backed himself. And that’s the way we want him to keep playing. He’s batting at [No.] 4 for a reason and that’s to get himself in and play that way. If he can do that another five or six times for us this year, we are going to go a long way to the finals.”Yuvraj said the game-changing moment was Ben Cutting’s darting throw from fine-leg to run out a set Kedar Jadhav at a crucial stage in Royal Challengers’ chase of 208. Shane Watson, standing in as captain of Royal Challengers, also agreed that Jadhav’s run-out turned the game in Sunrisers’ favour, ending a promising 56-run partnership for the third wicket. Watson also pointed to the side’s sloppy fielding, particularly a dropped catch when Yuvraj was on 26, as a factor in their loss.Yuvraj Singh’s 27-ball 62 was his fastest fifty in ten seasons of IPL•BCCI

“That run-out of Kedar was the turning point, really,” Watson said. “We were neck and neck with Sunrisers and then we lost a couple of wickets especially through the middle period. He is batting beautifully at the moment, so Ben Cutting’s amazing piece of work changed the game. Especially with someone like Yuvi, if he is able to get some momentum, with the dropped catches, he hits the ball so sweet. If you drop someone of his caliber, he can hurt you like he did tonight.”There’s no doubt that <Yuzi [Yuzvendra Chahal] bowled beautifully. More than anything, Sunrisers took the game on in certain parts. A little bit of sloppy fielding, some good batting [from Sunrisers] and some not great execution at times meant they could get away. Unfortunately I didn’t execute what I wanted to do against Ashish Nehra’s left-arm pace. We certainly didn’t click as a bowling unit, and that comes down partly to me. I take full blame for that. Still a big learning curve for me to know how to take to them [bowlers], what fields to set and we will certainly be a lot better from what happened tonight.”

Rangpur Riders inflicted three timely run-outs and then batted well to beat Dhaka Dynamites by six wickets

The Report by Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Jahurul Islam steered Rangpur Riders’ chase of 136•Associated Press

Rangpur Riders inflicted three timely run-outs and then batted well to beat Dhaka Dynamites by six wickets. The win meant that Rangpur, Comilla Victorians and Barisal Bulls now have 10 points each on the table, while Dhaka are in fourth place with six points, and still need to strengthen their lead over Chittagong Vikings and Sylhet Super Stars, who have four points each.The fielding was the main difference between the two sides. Dhaka misfielded several times, especially Sohail Khan at the boundary, while Rangpur made sure that their bowling wasn’t going to be the only thing attacking Dhaka as they limited the side to 135 for 7. Jahurul Islam was in charge of the chase for most of the time, ending with an unbeaten 35 off 26 balls with four boundaries.When Rangpur’s chase began, however, there were plenty of plays and misses from the Rangpur openers – Soumya Sarkar and Lendl Simmons – in the first six overs. Soumya hit just the two fours and a magnificent pull off Sohail Khan in the fifth over but in the following over, Abul Hasan had him caught at mid-off as he attempted to bunt the medium-pacer. Simmons was caught at point off the same bowler, after making only 18. Rangpur’s chase received a further jolt when, in the 12th over, Mustafizur Rahman duped Shakib Al Hasan to give a catch to mid-on to make the score 74 for 3.Sammy had a terrible time at the start of his innings, missing deliveries against Mustafizur and Abul, but just as things were getting tougher for Rangpur, Shykat Ali was given a third over with 54 needed off 42 balls. Sammy struck two fours and Jahurul got one past the wicketkeeper to take 16 runs off the over. In the next over, the pair combined to hit Sohail Khan for three fours in a 15-run over. The target came down to 23 off 30 balls.Mohammad Irfan had Sammy drag one on to the stumps after making a 21-ball 23, with 17 needed off the last 24 balls. Jahurul kept his cool and, with Thisara Perera, made sure the win was achieved with 10 balls to spare.When Dhaka decided to bat, the 45-run, fourth-wicket partnership between Nasir Hossain and Kumar Sangakkara was the best part of their batting. That partnership helped the side overcome a sluggish start after they had slipped to 39 for 3 in the seventh over. Shadman Islam was the first to go, run out by Soumya Sarkar’s direct hit in the fourth over. Shamsur Rahman was struck in front against Shakib, before Shykat, impressive while hitting the two fours and the six, holed out at long-off for 18.Sangakkara and Nasir worked on picking the singles and twos, and occasionally found the boundary; the stand-out shot was Sangakkara’s inside-out six over cover off Mohammad Nabi in the 11th over. The partnership had the potential to push the total past the 150-mark, especially after Arafat Sunny dropped Sangakkara on 29 but, off the very next ball, Shakib’s direct hit from short midwicket found the batsman inches short of the crease.Nasir made a 28-ball 30 and, after Sangakkara’s dismissal, tried to push the run-rate. He even struck a six off Sunny but was gone next ball after the bowler turned it and beat Nasir’s charge. Ryan ten Doeschate swept one straight down deep square-leg’s throat in the 18th over before Mosaddek Hossain was run out trying to run a bye after Thisara Perera bowled a wide at the end of the penultimate over.Apart from Sunny’s two-wicket haul and the three run-outs, Sammy and Shakib had one wicket each.

A round-up of the latest matches from the Metbank Pro40 in Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2010Nick Compton’s powerful form continued with an unbeaten 90 to set up a 36-run victory for Mashonaland Eagles against Southern Rocks. He hit seven fours and two sixes in his 80-ball innings, adding 93 for the third wicket with Forster Mutizwa who clubbed 62. Their stand formed the backbone for a strong total of 257 for 6 and they made the perfect start in the field when Chad Keegan trapped Steve Marillier lbw first ball. Keegan added two more wickets and Rocks slid to 53 for 5 in the 13th over to leave them a mountain to climb. Steve Tikolo threatened to turn the innings around with 68 off 55 balls, but Rocks were well behind the D/L target when rain ended the contest in the 30th over.Mountaineers put in an impressive bowling display to earn a 78-run victory against Matabeleland Tuskers which was enough to gain a bonus point and move them ahead of their opponents on run rate. Donald Tiripano was the star with 4 for 16 to remove Tuskers middle order after Tinashe Panyangara had claimed two important wickets despite being expensive. The Mountaineers top order also struggled, but the difference was Timycen Maruma who hit a brisk 67 off 48 balls to lift them to 205 for 9 which proved more than enough.

Leicestershire finally broke Worcestershire’s Gareth Andrew-inspired resistance to claim their fourth County Championship win of the season by seven wickets with a day to spare at New Road

30-Jun-2010
ScorecardLeicestershire finally broke Worcestershire’s Gareth Andrew-inspired resistance to claim their fourth County Championship win of the season by seven wickets with a day to spare at New Road. Al-rounder Andrew made 79 – the highest score of the match – as the home side reached 315 in their second innings and then took 2 for 24 before Leicestershire cruised to their target of 182.The closing phase was the most comfortable as Paul Nixon completed his fifth half-century of the Division Two season and gave his county a significant boost in a competitive promotion race.At the start of the third day Leicestershire’s first objective was to break a century stand by Daryl Mitchell and James Cameron. The fifth-wicket pair eventually put on 138 before falling in quick succession to Nadeem Malik. Mitchell (77) stepped in front when the former Worcestershire seamer cut one into his pads and Cameron was half-forward when he tickled a catch behind the wicket after posting a career-best 75.Frustratingly for Leicestershire, this was not a passport to an early wrap-up. Andrew saw to that with another example of how his batting has improved since moving to Worcestershire in 2008. At the start of this season the former Somerset player had scored three half-centuries in his career. Now he has doubled the tally – and all at the expense of Leicestershire.At Grace Road in May he made 53 in a comfortable victory and in this match he was top scorer in both innings, starting with an undefeated 53 when Worcestershire collapsed for 175 on the opening day.An uncomplicated left hander who knows how to dispatch a loose ball, he saw his side to the highest total of the game with two sixes off Malik before he was last out. In an error of judgment, he offered no stroke when a ball from Jigar Naik clipped the off bail.Andrew made three-quarters of the 106 runs added in his time in the middle. James Benning dismissed Ben Cox and Richard Jones within three overs but Matt Mason – eventually caught in the deep off Claude Henderson – and last man Jack Shantry faced 42 balls between them.Having worked so hard to get back into contention, Worcestershire let things slip again as Leicestershire’s openers, Will Jefferson and Paul Nixon, punished some erratic new-ball bowling in a stand of 61. Jefferson (32) looked in good form until Phil Jaques held a diving catch in the gully. Jacques du Toit, who did not field in the morning because of a damaged finger, was next to go, lbw for 11 as Andrew claimed his second success.Nixon, dropped twice off Mason in making 55, was caught behind off Shantry after hitting 10 boundaries but James Taylor, unbeaten with 43, and Benning saw the job through.

A round-up of the play-off fixtures from the Under-19 World Cup

Cricinfo staff25-Jan-2010India eased past England in the 5th place play-off semi-final, beating them seven wickets at Hagley Oval. India’s captain Ashok Menaria grabbed four for 35 to help skittle out England for 176. Opener Jos Buttler struck six fours in his 78 but, barring a 59-run stand with Ateeq Javid for the third wicket, failed to receive support from the others. Maneria was backed up well by left-arm seamer Jaidev Unadkat, who picked up two wickets. India’s reply was led by opener Akshath Reddy’s 116-ball 94 who, supported by important contributions from the middle order, ensured victory was sealed with more than 13 overs to spare.South Africa‘s humbling of hosts New Zealand in Lincoln sets up a 5th place play-off final against India. New Zealand, boosted by half-centuries from Jimmy Neesham and Corey Anderson, would have thought they had done reasonably well to post a challenging 250. But their bowling simply failed to measure up to the South African top order. Dominic Hendricks smashed an unbeaten 107, adding 124 with opener Josh Richards, who made 67. David White continued the attack, smacking 72 off 71 balls to ensure victory was achieved with 11 balls to spare.The ninth place play-off semi-final between Canada and Ireland at Palmerston North was abandoned as a result of persistent rain.Hong Kong upstaged Afghanistan by four wickets in the 13th place play-off semi-final in Napier. Irfan Ahmed and Waqas Barkat starred with half-centuries in Hong Kong’s chase of 152 in a truncated 32-over fixture; the pair added a match-winning 95 for the sixth wicket after their side had been reeling at 49 for 5 due to Aftab Alam’s early burst. Barkat, the wicketkeeper, was the more aggressive of the two, scoring at better than a run a ball and remaining unbeaten to see his team home. Afghanistan’s innings had centered around a knock of 61 by captain Noor-ul-Haq but the effort was in vain.Zimbabwe brushed aside USA in the other 13th place play-off semi-final in Napier, coasting home with 12 overs to spare. USA never really recovered from Nathan Waller’s triple-strike early in the match, which reduced them to 40 for 3 in the 10th over. There was another triple-blow later in the innings, by legspinner Natsai Mushangwe, which sawed off USA’s revival efforts at 90 for 5 – they were soon 99 for 9. Chasing 116 in 41overs, Zimbabwe were rarely in trouble, especially after the openers put on 42 by the 10th over. Legspinner Saqib Saleem took four wickets but couldn’t stop Zimbabwe from winning by five wickets.

“We are lucky that we have guys who have played plenty of cricket in these parts of the world,” the stand-in captain says

Sidharth Monga04-Oct-20232:47

Can New Zealand make it to their third straight ODI World Cup final?

New Zealand are usually one of the best-prepared teams for world tournaments, which lets them even the scales against teams that have larger populations to choose from. They need to latch onto any small advantage in order to have the kind of proud record they have: making at least the semi-finals in the last four World Cups.Four years since losing in the final to a cruel boundary countback rule, New Zealand begin what will almost certainly be the most attended World Cup against the same opposition, but without perhaps that extra preparation advantage of advance scouting.This is a weird old tournament. New Zealand made it to the venue of the tournament opener in Ahmedabad two days before the match but had not been to the ground even once when their stand-in captain Tom Latham spoke to the press. The day was jam-packed with a quick training session to be followed by a launch event involving all the captains.India is anyway a tough place to scout. There are so many venues that they have to wait years to get their next ODI, which gives little data about the characteristics of the surfaces. Some venues – such as Ahmedabad – have two different kinds of soil on the square with two completely different sets of behaviour.Related

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To make it worse, the teams have hardly played their full-strength squads between the two World Cups, either through injury or preserving their best players in what have become gruelling schedules.All this makes it critical that New Zealand’s other celebrated quality – adaptability, which is not independent of the scouting – does the heavy lifting. That is what Latham spoke the most about in his press conference on the eve of the World Cup opener.”Obviously, the end goal is to be there at the end [of the tournament], which I’m sure every team has,” Latham said when asked if he was confident they could adapt. “But I think something we pride ourselves on as a group is being able to adapt as best we can. We are lucky that we have guys who have played plenty of cricket in these parts of the world, whether it be against India or in the IPL.Tom Latham says New Zealand will tap into players’ experience of playing the IPL•Getty Images

“We have got that mix of experience where we are able to lean on guys around. [Some] guys have played at this ground, some guys haven’t. So adapting is a really important part of playing over in these conditions that can change throughout the game. It is being able to think on our feet a little bit and make sure we stay ahead of the game.”The build-up to the tournament hasn’t been great for New Zealand. They are effectively selecting from a squad of 13 for the first match: Kane Williamson and Tim Southee are recovering from their injuries and are not yet ready.Since the band is not yet properly together, it hasn’t perhaps put them in a contemplative mood around how some of them might be coming towards the end of a golden run of three or four World Cups.”I’m sure guys don’t want to jump the gun,” Latham said. “Everyone is in a slightly different situation in terms of what the future may look like. But for us, we are trying to enjoy the next sort of couple of months together as a group, and have it however that pans out. Hopefully for the good. We are just trying to enjoy each other’s company over the next period of time at such a special occasion playing cricket over here in India. Embrace what comes with being over here, I’m sure guys will make decisions around what that may look like for them in the future.”

Latham on Williamson: It’s like he had never left

“It’s obviously great to see Kane back, to see him batting. It’s like he had never left to be honest, in terms of with the bat. It’s great to see him moving really well. He is playing all the shots that he used to play, which is great, and to see him back in the field is another stepping stone in terms of where he needs to get to in terms of his recovery. It’s a day-by-day process with him making sure that whenever he is available he has ticked everything off all that he needs to do.”

Southee is tracking along well, says Latham

“He is tracking along really well. He is nearly two weeks post-surgery. So for him, it’s a day-by-day process as well in terms of making sure that he is in the right frame in terms of bowling and fielding. I’m sure once he gets back into his skill, he will be willing to go if that opportunity comes.”

Brisbane Heat will also be missing Marnus Labuschagne and Matt Renshaw for the Challenger final at the SCG

Tristan Lavalette31-Jan-2023Brisbane Heat and Sydney Sixers have been left pondering the sizeable batting holes of their departed Test players ahead of Thursday’s clash at the SCG with a grand final spot up for grabs.Heat captain Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Matt Renshaw, along with Sixers opener Steven Smith, will be unavailable for the ‘Challenger’ final due to being part of Australia’s Test tour of India.The Heat trio sparked a resurgence with the team winning six of their last seven matches after being mired for much of the season near the bottom of the ladder.They each made important contributions in finals victories on the road against Sydney Thunder and Melbourne Renegades to have Heat positioned for an unlikely tilt at a second BBL title.Related

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But without three of their top four, Heat’s batting depth will be tested as they recalled Nathan McSweeney, Max Bryant and Sam Heazlett to curb an expected fired-up Sixers attack, who were clobbered by Scorchers batters Ashton Turner and Cameron Bancroft in the qualifying final.McSweeney has only played three matches this season, but notably smashed 84 off 51 balls against Sixers in Heat’s 15-run victory at the Gabba in a high-scoring contest on January 1.Once part of a devastating opening partnership with Chris Lynn, big-hitter Bryant failed to fire from seven matches this season and averaged just 15.71.The 27-year-old Heazlett has not played this season, but the bright finals lights shouldn’t faze him having mustered 48 BBL matches over the past seven seasons.”We have lost some of our Australian players but the guys we are bringing in have played the format before so I don’t have a problem with it,” said Heat coach Wade Seccombe. “They have performed when they came in.”Sixers don’t have as many holes to fill, but nonetheless need to replace Smith, who lit up the BBL with ballistic batting marked by consecutive centuries.Nathan McSweeney will return to Brisbane Heat’s line-up•Getty Images

“We’ve played 10 games without Steve and had a few wins along the way so we’re familiar with this group,” said veteran batter Jordan Silk, who re-signed with Sixers on a three-year deal.Sixers appear to have a ready made replacement in stalwart Daniel Hughes, who has been a reliable batter for Sixers over the years but restricted to just three matches this season.”[Hughes] has trained well, he’s been great around the group all year. He’s probably one of the more unlucky players in the competition to not be playing,” Silk said. “He’s been a reliable performer at the Sixers for a number of years.”There are other options with Kurtis Patterson, who starred as an opener during Perth Scorchers’ title-winning run last season, possibly being considered to move up the order having batted at No. 3 since Smith’s return.While allrounder Hayden Kerr could rekindle his elevation from last season’s corresponding match, where he memorably hit an unbeaten 98 as an opener to lift Sixers past Adelaide Strikers in a last-ball thriller.”[Kerr] is a vital piece for us down in that middle to lower order,” Silk said. “Whether we’d see his value at the top in a game like this, I’m not sure what’ll happen there. He’s almost been probably too good at the role he’s played at six to warrant moving him.”As they eye a seventh grand final appearance, Silk said Sixers would target Heat’s new-look batting line-up.”They have some big holes from a batting sense,” Silk said. “Looking back to the game at the Gabba, where they were without those [Test] batters, [Josh] Brown and McSweeney stepped up. Queensland produce very good cricketers. We will do our research so we can stop them.”The winner plays Perth Scorchers on Saturday at Optus Stadium with a crowd of more than 50,000 expected.

The head coach said previous series results had convinced him Pakistan were on the right track

Umar Farooq14-Jul-2021After losing 3-0 to England’s second-string side, Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq has admitted he was left shell-shocked, citing the “poor performance” as a collective failure of the players and support staff. He said he was left looking for answers on what went wrong.”You can never defend such performances, it was poor and disappointing,” Misbah said in a virtual press conference. “In the first game, we couldn’t handle the conditions with the bat. In the last match, the batting did well and got a good total which we should have defended but then the bowling and fielding was disappointing, and that has been a problem throughout the series. So overall I think nobody can defend it and we need to pick it up.”Pakistan haven’t won an ODI series in England in the last 47 years, their last win coming in 1974. But despite England’s historical dominance over Pakistan, the 3-0 reverse represented a chastening defeat for Pakistan because of the inexperience of their opposition. England were forced to name a complete new ODI two days ahead of the tournament following a Covid-19 outbreak among the original selections. There were eight uncapped players in the England squad, and a further nine with fewer than five ODI caps to their name, with stand-in captain Ben Stokes the only player with 100 or more games.Related

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Pakistan, on the contrary, came into the series with a full-strength squad but lost all three matches, slipping down the World Cup Super League table in the process. The visitors were thumped heavily in the first two games after effective no-shows with the bat, while England chased down 331 in the final ODI, with Pakistan captain Babar Azam critical of the bowling and fielding efforts.After the 2019 World Cup, Pakistan won three consecutive ODI series, one against a depleted Sri Lanka team, and the other against Zimbabwe, in which Pakistan lost the final game. They were followed by a 2-1 series win in South Africa, which Misbah believed had helped Pakistan gain momentum, but struggles in the middle order have persisted.”If you look back to our recent series, we were satisfied that we are on a right track,” Misbah said. “We had covered almost every department, whether batting, bowling, or fielding, and performed outstandingly. But this series panned out differently and seems like we are still standing where we started and it’s very disappointing. We couldn’t pick up the same thread where we left. There are different reasons and we have to figure that out how and what really effected and how we can move ahead from this point. Why suddenly we had such a poor series [is a mystery], otherwise this team has been doing great for the last four-five series.”I don’t know what changed in the last month. There was nothing much other than just the PSL and now the boys are totally off-colour. So it’s a worrying sign for me as a head coach. I am not looking for an excuse but somewhere we lost the momentum and are struggling to regain it. We have very important T20 series ahead against England, then West Indies and we are looking to sort this out before it.”Misbah, however, urged people to refrain from the blame game.”You can’t just blame coaches or players alone because it’s a team game and you work as a team,” he said. “If they didn’t execute well, then we are equally responsible as well as the players. We do make plans and practice, too. Those bowlers who have to bowl in a certain area and had to hit certain lengths, it was all planned, just not executed on the day. Even when it was executed well, then the fielders didn’t support it. If you drop straight catches in crucial stages then I don’t think you can win. No one individual is to be blamed but we failed collectively as a team, even players or supporting staff.”

“Started in Johannesburg finished in Birmingham,” his retirement post read on Instagram

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2018Allrounder Grant Elliott, who starred in New Zealand’s historic win in the 2015 World Cup semi-final, has quit all forms of cricket after finishing his stint as the captain of Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast in England. After finishing sixth in the North Group in the T20 tournament and not being able to qualify for the quarter-finals, Elliott announced his retirement on his Instagram account on Tuesday evening.”Started in Johannesburg finished in Birmingham,” his post read. “I remember being 12 and writing down my life goals. To play in a World Cup, play international cricket and play county cricket. 27 years on and I have loved every minute of it. Thanks to all the memorable people I have met that have made this journey special. To family and friends who have given me unwavering support despite all the sacrifices I have had to make that have impacted them.”This game is a special one but it doesn’t define us. Looking forward to the future with great excitement and sharing a drink with those selfless players I shared a change room with.”Elliott’s form this year in the Blast was highlighted by his bowling performance, being the leading wicket-taker of his team with 19 scalps from 14 innings with an average of 19.57 and economy rate of 7.91. With the bat, he managed only 80 runs in 10 innings.Elliott, 39, had signed with the Bears last year when he retired from international cricket and signed a Kolpak deal to play in the T20 tournament only. He had earlier retired from ODIs in 2016, two days after New Zealand were knocked out of the World T20 by England in the semi-final.He continued as a T20 specialist to represent Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, Chittagong Vikings in the Bangladesh Premier League, Wellington in New Zealand’s domestic T20s (Super Smash), and was part of the World XI squad that toured Pakistan almost a year ago for three T20 internationals.Born in Johannesburg, Elliott began his first-class career more than 20 years ago, in South Africa in 1996-97. He then moved to New Zealand in 2001 in search of new challenges and made his international debut for New Zealand in 2008. He played five Tests, 83 ODIs and 17 T20Is. His six off Dale Steyn in the dying moments of the rain-curtailed 2015 World Cup semi-final will probably be the highlight of his career. He top-scored with 83 in the final too, against Australia, but New Zealand finished runners-up.

Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard

Daniel Brettig14-Oct-2016Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard on an emotion-charged final day.Counsel assisting the coroner, Kristina Stern SC, submitted that the inquest should conclude that this was a case of “accidental death”, which was not made more likely by the nature of play on the day of the Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. Hughes was struck in the side of the neck on day one of the match, November 25, 2014, suffering an arterial injury that resulted in his death at St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.However both Stern and Greg Melick SC, for the Hughes family, recommended that the wording of the laws around unfair bowling should be examined in light of the episode, citing earlier testimony from former umpire and ICC umpires training manager Simon Taufel. Law 42.2.1 of Sheffield Shield playing conditions, adapted from the MCC’s laws of cricket, states as follows:

“A bowler shall be limited to two fast short pitched deliveries per over. A fast short pitched delivery is defined as a ball, which after pitching, passes or would have passed above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease. The umpire at the bowler’s end shall advise the bowler and the batsman on strike when each fast short-pitched delivery has been bowled.”

Following his own independent analysis, Taufel had told the inquest that of 23 short balls bowled on the day, 20 had been directed at Hughes. However he also submitted that many of these deliveries did not meet the definition of a “fast short-pitched delivery” because they would not have passed Hughes above shoulder height.The gulf between Hughes’ family and Cricket Australia was starkly illustrated when his father Greg, mother Virginia and sister Megan all left the courtroom in the midst of CA counsel Bruce Hodgkinson’s final submissions, leaving his brother Jason to audibly register his incredulity at proceedings.Hodgkinson had recommended to the coroner, Michael Barnes QC, that the “unsworn and unsubstantiated” statement submitted by the Mosman cricket captain Matthew Day on Wednesday be disregarded when he deliberates over the events of the day and how the game of cricket might be made safer. Hodgkinson also insisted that the players who took the stand this week were honest witnesses.Melick had earlier questioned the veracity of the evidence submitted by players on the field that day: Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger, Tom Cooper and David Warner. Melick stated that while “words didn’t kill Phillip Hughes”, their denials of any sledging cast doubt on other evidence about the nature of play. Later, Melick clarified his final submission by stating that he didn’t mean to suggest players had “fabricated” evidence.Though Melick acknowledged that the use of short-pitched bowling was a “legitimate tactic”, he contended that the volume of short balls bowled to Hughes, including an estimate of nine in a row in the lead-up to the ball that struck him, was “going too far”. These words followed on from letters from the Hughes family, which formed part of the inquest and were published on Friday in the . In his letter, Greg Hughes wrote:”Their tactics changed after lunch, which started to slow the run rate down, and this was by bowling short at my son for a good majority of the time. This certainly did restrict the run flow and started to change the game… The umpires did not call them ‘no-balls’ under the Sheffield Shield cricket laws. Those laws are different to the MCC rules. By those balls not getting pulled up, of course this kept the bowlers continuing to target my son in an ungentlemanly way.”Among other recommendations made by the Hughes family were a desire to see neck guards on the back of batting helmets made mandatory, and also the removal of any dismissals for “hit wicket”, should a neck guard detach from the helmet and fall onto the stumps.Stern had recommended wider first aid training, and also work towards greater clarity in signalling between players and officials on the field and medical staff off it. The fact that ambulance services had reached the scene only 20 minutes after the incident illustrated the need for this. However she also concluded that Hughes’ death was inevitable from the moment he was hit and should be ruled accidental.”It is abundantly clear that once the tragic accident had occurred, there was nothing that could have been done to prevent Phillip’s death,” Stern said. She also went on to say that neither the number of short balls bowled to Hughes, nor any alleged instances of sledging, had exacerbated the risk to the batsman, and submitted that no recommendations should be made over the nature of play that day.Outside court, CA’s head of team performance, Pat Howard, spoke about events of the week and defended the conduct of the players who spoke at the inquest. He also stated that the game’s governing body would continue to offer whatever support it could to the Hughes family.”This week provided a confronting reminder of the sad reality that Phillip Hughes is no longer with us,” Howard said. “Our thoughts continue to be with the Hughes family during what is a difficult time for them. Our thoughts are also with Phillip’s cricket friends and his team-mates, all of whom have had to deal with the loss of a great mate as well as the ordeal of being on the field at the time of the incident. I’m very proud of the conduct of the players, the officials and staff throughout.”Formal findings from the coronial inquest are set to be handed down on November 4.