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The players had taken part in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe; unclear whether the positive tests were for the new Omicron variant

Reuters29-Nov-2021Six Sri Lanka women cricketers who took part in the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe have tested positive for Covid-19, the SLC said on Sunday.The ICC had called off the qualifiers in Zimbabwe on Saturday after discovery of a new variant in South Africa, which has prompted widespread travel curbs. It was not known whether the Sri Lankan players’ positive tests were for the new Omicron variant of the virus.Related

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• Women's World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe called off

• SA vs Netherlands: New variant forces postponement of last two ODIs

The ICC took its decision after Saturday’s game between the West Indies and Sri Lanka was called off when a member of the Sri Lankan support staff tested positive for Covid.”The team is still in Zimbabwe, and we’re talking with the ICC to try and get them back to Sri Lanka as soon as possible,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “The players who have tested positive will have to stay there until they test negative. There is a doctor traveling with the team who will stay behind with them.”Although the non-infected members of the squad could come back sooner, they will still have to undergo quarantine upon arrival in Sri Lanka, as the island’s government has just reimposed mandatory quarantines for arrivals from southern Africa, following the news about the Omicron variant. All of Sri Lanka’s squad members are currently in isolation in Zimbabwe.After the cancellation of the qualifiers, the ICC said that Bangladesh, Pakistan and the West Indies will progress to next year’s World Cup in New Zealand by virtue of their rankings. The three teams will join New Zealand, Australia, India, England and South Africa.South African sport began to shut down on Friday as the travel bans forced rugby teams and golfers to scramble to try to leave the country.

Scorchers will spend the rest of the entire season on the road after WA government changed the border restrictions

Tristan Lavalette and Alex Malcolm15-Dec-2021Perth Scorchers will spend the rest of the BBL season on the road with their December 20 home fixture against Hobart Hurricanes moved from Perth Stadium.Cricket Australia was left scrambling on Wednesday to reschedule the fixture after the Western Australian government tightened its border with New South Wales, which has a surge of Covid-19 cases amid the Omicron variant. Under a reclassified “extreme risk” category, travel from New South Wales to Western Australia will not be permitted effective from December 18 unless approved under the strictest of conditions. Victoria is already classified as “extreme risk” by the WA government.Scorchers and Hurricanes both played matches in Sydney in recent days meaning they would not be allowed entry into Western Australia. It was confirmed on Thursday that the December 20 fixture had moved to Tasmania with the teams, currently in Hobart, having played each other on Tuesday night at Bellerive Oval.Having played their season opener against Brisbane Heat at home, Scorchers will be locked out of Western Australia until the state’s hard border comes down on February 5 with players and coaching staff planning to spend the remainder of the BBL interstate. Their second match of the season against Adelaide Strikers was moved from Perth Stadium to Sydney Showgrounds and played behind closed doors after Strikers weren’t allowed into Western Australia because they had played their season opener in Melbourne.Scorchers’ home fixtures against Melbourne Renegades on December 26 and Melbourne Stars on December 30 have been moved to Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Scorchers’ home games against Sydney Thunder on January 5 and Sydney Sixers on January 6 are also likely to be played in Sydney.But the upheaval has not affected the unbeaten Scorchers, who can take heed of last season’s runners-up finish after playing only four games at Optus Stadium.”We are accepting the challenge and look forward to embracing it,” Scorchers batter Cameron Bancroft told ESPNcricinfo earlier in the week. “We have to enjoy this time together and just try to have fun with it.”The fifth Ashes Test, which was originally scheduled to be played in Perth, was recently shifted to Hobart, while the ODI between Australia and New Zealand on January 30 at Optus Stadium remains in doubt.

CSA wants players to prioritise immediate international and domestic commitments

Danyal Rasool08-Jan-2022South Africa will not issue NOCs to any centrally contracted players for the Pakistan Super League. Graeme Smith, Cricket South Africa’s Director of Cricket told ESPNcricinfo that the board had opted to prioritise CSA domestic competitions.”It is true that contracted members of the proteas team had their NOCs for the Pakistan Super League refused due to the Proteas international schedule and domestic competitions which must always be prioritised,” Smith said. “With an away tour to New Zealand and a home tour against Bangladesh, our contracted players have to be available for their national team duties first and foremost. The same applies with regard to our domestic franchise tournaments which will be starting up soon.”If and when opportunities in other international T20 tournaments arise and the timings and fixtures do not clash with our own, CSA will happily approve NOCs, as we have always done in the past.”CSA’s decision to bar centrally contracted South African cricketers doesn’t directly affect any players picked up in last month’s PSL draft; Marchant de Lange, Imran Tahir and Rilee Rossouw, the three South Africans part of PSL squads, are not centrally contracted by CSA.However, the replacement draft, due to be held before the start of the PSL, had been relying on the availability of South African cricketers, an option no longer available to the league. The PSL is understood to have been keen on using South African cricketers to bolster their squads, but those hopes have now been dashed.The replacement draft saw the PSL pick primarily local players, with Mohammad Huraira (Islamabad United) and Sahibzada Farhan (Karachi Kings) among the more significant recruits. Multan Sultans picked David Willey, Johnson Charles and Ben Dunk, while Quetta Gladiator’s big-name replacement signing saw Shimron Hetmyer drafted in.Replacement draft picksIslamabad United: Musa Khan, Zahir Khan, Muhammad Huraira
Karachi Kings: Sahibzada Farhan, Jorda Thompson, Muhammad Taha
Lahore Qalandars: Muhammad Imran Randhawa, Aqib Javed, Ben Dunk
Multan Sultans: David Willey, Rizwan Hussain, Johnson Charles and Dominic Drakes
Peshawar Zalmi: Mohammad UmerQuetta Gladiators: Ghulam Mudassar, Luke Wood, Will Smeed, Ali Imran, Shimron Hetmyer

Molineux’s foot injury hasn’t healed in time as Australia pick two legspinners in 15-strong squad

Alex Malcolm26-Jan-2022Australia allrounder Sophie Molineux has been ruled out of the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand due to a foot injury. It paves the way for Amanda-Jade Wellington to be included in the 15-strong squad after missing out on Ashes selection.Molineux suffered a stress fracture in her foot during the WBBL late last year but it was hoped she would be fit for the World Cup. However, Australia selector Shawn Flegler confirmed she would not be available until late in the tournament and coupled with the 10 days quarantine on arrival it was too much of a risk. Australia have called in Wellington as a second legspinner alongside Alana King.”Sophie Molineux, unfortunately, misses out due to injury,” Flegler said. “She was unlikely to be available until the backend of the tournament and with limited match time and having to complete ten days managed isolation, it was a tough call, but we weren’t prepared to take the risk.”She tried her best to get up. We left it until the last possible moment.”Amanda-Jade provides us with another quality spin option and has the potential to play an important role spinning the ball away from the bat. Leg-spin has been a big part of our success in recent years and while Alana King is currently doing that role for us, there’s no reason we couldn’t play both in the same team if conditions and match-ups suit.”Related

• Molineux ruled out for up to 12 months after rupturing her ACL

• 'Unplayable' Stella Campbell added to Australia's squad amid hunt for 20 wickets

• Tayla Vlaeminck ruled out of Ashes and ODI World Cup with stress fracture

Tayla Vlaeminck and Georgia Wareham had already been ruled out due to their respective long-term injuries. The loss of Vlaeminck last week forced Australia’s heirarchy to get creative with her replacement.”We’ve had to adapt our thinking a little bit in terms of the make-up of the team and the make-up of the squad,” Flegler said. “Tay is obviously very unique in the way she bowls. There’s not a like for like replacement really for her so we’ve changed our thinking a little bit.”Wellington returns after the disappointment of being overlooked for the Ashes with King claiming the spot as the sole legspinner. Wellington hasn’t played an ODI for Australia since 2018 but Flegler said she was never far from a return.”She’s always been in our thinking and she’s a fantastic bowler,” Flegler said. “That’s why we picked her in the first place a few years ago, and she’s continued to perform. She’s in the squad now. Doesn’t mean she’s in the team now but she’s got a chance if something does happen. Again, if conditions suit and match-ups suit, then we’ll look to play her.”Queenslander Grace Harris has been included as the extra batter who can bowl some off-spin after being a late addition to the Ashes squad. Harris hasn’t played an ODI since 2016 but has forced her way into the squad after excellent domestic form.”It’s a good story for Grace,” Flegler said. “She’s continued to perform well domestic cricket. I think if you ask around the country, who do you not want to bowl to, Grace’s name is right up the top of the list. She’s a hard-hitting batter at any position in the top to middle-order. She bowls off-spin as well. We thought with the conditions in New Zealand, particularly the longer tournament, if wickets start to turn Grace comes into her own with off-spinning options as well.”Hannah Darlington and Georgia Redmayne will travel with the 15 to New Zealand as reserve players. Stella Campbell, who has been added to the Ashes squad after Vlaeminck’s injury, hasn’t been included in the final 15. But Campbell, Elyse Villani, Maitlan Brown, Molly Strano and Heather Graham will all be with the Ashes squad on standby for the final two ODIs of the Ashes series in Melbourne in case of injury or Covid issues.Australia squad: Darcie Brown, Nic Carey, Ash Gardner, Grace Harris, Rachael Haynes (vc), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (capt), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Legspinner, Player of the Match in Bangladesh’s win over Pakistan, is hoping her team gets to play the likes of Australia, England and New Zealand more

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2022Legspinner Fahima Khatun was brought back for her second spell in the 40th over of the Pakistan run chase. At that stage, Pakistan needed 72 in 66 balls with eight wickets in hand. After a quiet first over, Fahima dismissed Omaima Sohail, Aliya Riaz and Fatima Sana in the space of four deliveries, and that turned the game, decisively, in Bangladesh’s favour.”When I bowled, I was happy to repay the faith the captain and other senior players had placed in me,” Fahima said. “She [Nigar Sultana, the captain] is very involved. When she brought me in today, she said that she believed in me, and that she expected good things from me. (She) just asked me to play normally.”I just wanted to bowl in the right areas and bowl as many dot balls as possible, and the wickets would come. If the scoreboard pressure is there, they will give us wickets. The asking rate was 6.5-7 when I came to bowl (in the second spell). So I just had to bowl normally, and I was successful.”Pakistan fell short by nine runs in their pursuit of 235, handing Bangladesh their first win in a World Cup match in what is also their debut in the tournament. The collapse, from 183 for 2 to 225 for 9, was triggered by the two legspinners, Fahima (3 for 38) and Rumana Ahmed (2 for 29).”I was confident that the batters would not be able to hit me for over-boundaries,” Fahima, who won the Player of the Match award, said. “I was trying to bowl in the blockhole in the second spell, so they couldn’t hit me over the field. I was trying to mix it up. They needed six-seven runs per over, so I was trying to give away two-three runs.”Related

• Mooney praises 'extremely crafty' Khatun after jailbreak

• 'Player safety is the most important thing' – Nigar Sultana

• Pakistan stay bottom as Fargana, Fahima lead Bangladesh to first World Cup victory

Bangladesh came into the game visibly high on confidence. While their openers got going against the seamers before falling to spin, Fargana Hoque and Nigar kept them going with a 96-run third-wicket partnership. Even when Pakistan openers Sidra Ameen and Nahida Khan had set up the chase with a 91-run opening stand, Bangladesh kept their cool. After all, they had won three of the last four matches the two sides had contested.”I have said this before and will say it again, that I, and everyone else, we are always very hungry to play well against Pakistan and beat them,” Fahima said. “We have always said that our bowlers win matches for us, and the batters don’t contribute so much. But at this World Cup, the batters have contributed a lot and the bowlers are doing a good support job. If there is a good stand at the start, and the pressure builds, it is a cause for concern.”But we wanted to keep the run-pressure on them even though we weren’t getting wickets. We didn’t panic, even though we dropped some chances and missed a couple of run-out opportunities. We bowled well, and did well on the field, which is why we won.”Nigar Sultana and Fargana Hoque set the base for a strong total•ICC via Getty Images

At the World Cup, Bangladesh are playing teams they aren’t too used to playing in ODIs. While they went down to New Zealand, whom they played for the first time, they will later face Australia and England, new opponents for them.”We haven’t played much against England and Australia and New Zealand. So we are also unknowns to them, like they are to us,” Fahima said. “This is the first time we have qualified for the World Cup. I am hoping we would get more chances going forward. Our average age and experience are low. But all of us can bat, right down to No. 10, all of us are allrounders. We have played Pakistan and India, and South Africa (before).”After wrapping up the game, the Bangladesh players, led by Fahima and Nahida Akhter, were seen celebrating with a gig.”We always try to do something special when we pick up wickets… it lifts us,” Fahima said. “I feel that this win, the winning habit, is good for us for the future. Since it’s our first World Cup, we want to take back some good memories. We have worked very hard to get here. I hope this has a big impact on women’s cricket in Bangladesh.”

Australia allrounder says “we’ll probably need to make a decision in the next day or two”

Annesha Ghosh28-Mar-2022Ellyse Perry’s availability for Australia’s World Cup semi-final against West Indies on March 30 remains uncertain two days out from the fixture, she confirmed before heading into her first training session in nearly a week.Perry, who had suffered back spasms and had to go off the field during Australia’s win in the league-stage fixture against South Africa last Tuesday, said she hadn’t trained or “done anything cricket-wise” since.”My back’s going pretty well,” she said. “Obviously, a couple of days still before the match, so I think we’ll still just keep playing that by ear, but [by] bearing in mind that we’ll probably need to make a decision in the next day or so.”At this stage, it’s going really well. But obviously just need to make sure that I’m in the best possible spot to be able to contribute if I was to play, so I think we’ll do a couple more things at training in the next few days. If I get there, I do. Fingers crossed.”During the South Africa match, she appeared to be hurt when tumbling over a boundary rope in a fielding attempt. She didn’t bat as Australia romped to a sixth consecutive win in the tournament.Perry said on Monday she had never had back spasms before in her career, but she made clear the injury was “not hugely serious” and that it “definitely has been improving.” She added “there’s a pretty high percentage that I’ll be able to play at some point” and Australia’s practice session on Monday was likely to offer more insights on her recovery.Before being sidelined from title favourites Australia’s last league game – against Bangladesh on Friday – Perry contributed with both bat and ball in her side’s undefeated campaign. Having shouldered new-ball responsibilities regularly, she took five wickets in six innings, and also scored 146 runs in five innings while being the Player of the Match in back-to-back matches against New Zealand and West Indies.Asked if she would consider missing the semi-final if that makes her a definite inclusion for the final, Perry said such an approach doesn’t sit well with the unpredictability of knockout matches.”I think that is largely up to what’s best for the team and what our team management want to do,” Perry said. “But no, I don’t think you can have that approach to World Cup games, and semi-finals and finals. You just got to play each game, and that’s the most important thing at the time rather than casting your mind ahead to the next match and the final.”West Indies would dearly love to be in that final on Sunday and they will do everything they can to beat us to get there. So it’s the most important match for us this Wednesday at the moment.”Australia had routed West Indies when the two teams met in the league stage at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, the same venue as their semi-final.But despite that result, and their unbeaten run so far, Perry said Australia would not let their guard down against a side they had defeated in the 2013 ODI World Cup final but lost to in the 2016 T20 World Cup equivalent.”They’re a great side. They’re somewhat mercurial in the way that they play,” she said of West Indies. “But they’ve got some incredible weapons – particularly with the bat, [and] with the ball as well. Looking at the way that a lot of teams have played against us and bowled a lot of spin, I think Hayley Matthews has been particularly successful for the Windies with that in this tournament. We will sort of probably face a bit of that.”Deandra Dottin is unbelievably potent with the bat up at the top, especially if she gets going… They pose a great challenge because they’ve got a really good history of finals cricket in World Cup events. They’ll be right up for it, and I kind of hope it’s really cold here in Wellington because that’s a lot different to the Bahamas. Whereas we get a bit cooler weather in Australia sometimes. That’ll be interesting.”A hamstring injury during Australia’s last league fixture in the 2020 T20 World Cup on home soil had ruled Perry out of the semi-finals and the final. So regaining fitness to play this World Cup’s semi-final, she said, would mean a “tremendous amount” to her.”But I think that [feeling] is not new unique to me; the whole team’s really excited about it,” she said. “This tournament’s been coming for a little while too, with the delay last year not being able to stage it. So it’s really exciting that we’re finally at this stage of the tournament, like we’ve been here for a long time as well if you include the quarantine that we had to do before starting out the campaign.”It’s kind of the reason why you play I suppose at this level is to compete in big events and in big moments. So certainly the girls are really excited for that. It’s certainly great to be here. I’m really looking forward to it and seeing what we’re capable of.”

The visitors fell short by seven runs as Tendai Chatara did a good job defending14 runs off the final over

Firdose Moonda17-May-2022Tendai Chatara defended 14 runs off the final over as Zimbabwe beat Namibia by seven runs in the first T20I between the two countries. Chatara delivered a final over laced with yorkers and claimed the wicket of Zane Green, who had breached the boundary twice at the death, to seal a memorable win.Namibia were in the hunt throughout their innings chasing 154 to win, and in the driving seat in the first half after a 67-run opening stand between Craig Williams and debutant Divan la Cock, before the Zimbabwe spinners stalled their charge. Brandon Mavuta had Williams caught at deep midwicket and, in the next over, Milton Shumba dismissed captain Gerhard Erasmus thanks to a good catch from Donald Tiripano, who ran back from point to take a skier.

Raza fined 50% match fee

Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza earned two demerit points and lost half his match fee for showing dissent to the umpire’s decision after dismissal. The incident happened in the 16th over when given out LBW. An ICC statement said: “He questioned the decision by showing his bat to the umpire, used inappropriate words about the decision numerous times as he was leaving the field of play, and shouted his displeasure again as he entered the dressing room.”

Shumba had Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton stumped four overs later, the delivery after la Cock had brought up an aggressive half-century, off 36 balls, and then claimed the key wicket of la Cock, in the 17th over. With 35 runs required off 21 balls, la Cock dragged a wide delivery from outside off stump to deep midwicket, where Luke Jongwe took a few steps to his left to complete the catch. That left it to David Wiese and Green to finish off, but Wiese could not find the boundary and Namibia ended a shot away from forcing a Super Over.Zimbabwe, who are using this series as preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in July, will breathe a sigh of relief after they were kept in check by a disciplined Namibia attack. Wessley Madhevere and Regis Chakabva put on 33 in the first four overs but were dismissed within two overs of each other to leave Zimbabwe 44 for 2 just after the powerplay. Bernard Scholtz took both wickets and finished as the best of Namibia’s eight bowlers with 2 for 19 and an economy rate of 4.75 runs. He was also one of only two Namibia bowlers – Jan Frylinck the other – who completed their full quota of overs.Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza put on 71 runs for the third wicket and lifted the scoring rate above seven runs an over to take Zimbabwe to 114 for 2 after 15 overs. Then Raza was dismissed lbw by Erasmus and Shumba caught for four, which threatened to leave Ervine without a finishing partner. The Zimbabwe captain took on the big-hitting role himself and brought up his fifth T20I half-century off 38 balls with a six in the final over of the innings, but may have wondered if they had enough on the board after the way Namibia began their reply.

Brooks, King hit impressive fifties in win; debutant Nidamanuru impresses for Netherlands

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2022Shai Hope’s 11th ODI century studded West Indies’ domination in the first of three ODIs against Netherlands in Amstelveen. On a blustery Tuesday with sheets of rain that reduced the game to 45 overs per side, West Indies made light work of a 247 chase, as they got home with 11 balls to spare and seven wickets in hand. There were also bruising half-centuries from Shamarh Brooks and Brandon King to help West Indies along.The tone of the chase was set early as Hope and Brooks added 120 for the first wicket. While their approach wasn’t explosive, they reeled off enough runsto always stay ahead of the asking rate.Then there was a stutter when seam-bowling allrounder Logan van Beek picked up two wickets off successive deliveries. First, he sent back Brooks by taking an excellent return catch, and then had Nkrumah Bonner lbw with an inducker. When Nicholas Pooran, the captain, fell cheaply three overs later, Netherlands may have sniffed an outside chance of winning. But Hope and King extinguished any such hopes with an unbroken 116-run stand to seal the deal.Despite the loss, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Netherlands as they fought hard to construct an innings that centred on rookie opener Vikramjit Singh and the experienced Max O’Dowd. They added 63 in 12 overs to set a solid base. Then they had small contributions from every member of the top order, but without any substantial score. It wasn’t until Teja Nidamanuru, the 27-year-old allrounder, top-scored with 58 on debut that they managed to get to a respectable position.Nidamanuru faced just 51 balls and struck three fours and two sixes in his knock. This helped Netherlands post 240 for 7, which was then readjusted to 246 through the DLS method. As the chase went on, it became increasingly evident that they were well short.”I think we need to adapt a bit faster,” Hope said after the match. “Obviously, we have seen what they have got with both bat and ball. Hopefully, we can score a bit faster, just need to make sure we acclimatise ourselves to the conditions as quickly as we can and hopefully, get on early wickets to bowl and top them with the bat.”Despite the win, West Indies stay tenth, and outside the direct qualifying zone in the ODI Super League that serves to identify seven direct qualifiers – plus the hosts – for next year’s 50-overs World Cup in India. Netherlands are last, with just two wins in 11 matches so far.The second and third ODIs will take place on June 2 and June 4 respectively.

Gripping two-wicket victory at Ageas Bowl keeps Hampshire firmly in the hunt

David Hopps15-Jun-2022Hampshire 410 (Brown 83, Dawson 61, Gubbins 58) and 198 for 8 (Dawson 67, Gubbins 42) beat Yorkshire 428 (Hill 131, Brook 76, Bess 51*, Wheal 4-59) and 178 (Wheal 3-32, Barker 3-48, Abbott 3-50) by two wicketsFor Yorkshire’s Championship challenge to have lasted so long in this troubled season is something of an achievement, but realistically it ended at the Ageas Bowl, shortly before six o’clock on the final day, when Hampshire took a two-wicket win from a gripping final day.Hampshire are a resilient bunch, and deserve better than the dismal Championship crowds often seen at the ground. Their pursuit of 198 in 59 overs was wracked with uncertainty, but Nick Gubbins and Liam Dawson summoned the enterprising innings required to secure their fifth win in seven with more than 18 overs still to bowl.Yorkshire can be forgiven for feeling disorientated this season. A new management team, defined by its necessary commitment to diversity as well as the need to promote cricketing success, must now defend the county against ECB charges of breaching anti-racism rules. They must do so even though they are uncomfortable with defending the indefensible and, in any case, those involved at the time under scrutiny probably won’t want to talk to them anyway. Yorkshire are likely to just point to their plans for a better future and otherwise take the hit.Add to that, David Willey has had a pop about the politics on the day it was confirmed he will return to Northants next season on a four-year contract, quite a gesture of faith at 32. For him to suggest that Yorkshire are putting cricket second to repairing their reputation sounded unfair to the coaching staff who have done much to rebuild morale in difficult times and who entrusted him with the T20 captaincy, even though he didn’t get back to England from the IPL until May 30. Nevertheless, it will find favour in much of the dressing room among many young pros whose priority is simply to play cricket and who prefer others to consider the bigger picture and resolve differences as fast as possible.Somehow, amid all the noises off, Yorkshire have been mounting a Championship challenge that few expected. At least they think they have been, because if they are docked points after the end of the season, once the ECB disciplinary commission determines its verdict, they might actually be fighting against relegation.The Championship contenders are now realistically reduced to three – all of them winners in this round. Hampshire remain within three points of the leaders, Surrey, with Lancashire a further 16 points back in third. Yorkshire drop to fourth.After victory in their opening match of the season, and five successive draws that have revealed the limitations of their bowling attack, Yorkshire finally experienced defeat. Their faith that they could force victory appeared to waver once the off-spinner, Dom Bess, who briefly appeared to be a potential matchwinner, was driven from the attack by Dawson, whose 67 from 68 balls rescued Hampshire from 103 for 6.Dawson might have played on against Steve Patterson on 14, but he took the target below 50 when he drove Bess for six over long-on and, one bounce, into the hotel, then swept him for four next ball. In Bess’ defence, nobody knew better than Dawson that this final-day pitch, as scruffy as it looked, would not easily bestow its favours upon slow bowlers: Dawson himself had been wicketless in Yorkshire’s second innings. This surface produced an excellent match but, just for once, it would be nice to see a surface, somehow, somewhere, break up for the spinners.”I feel like I’ve been in decent form all year without big scores and I’m really happy with that innings,” Dawson said. “I was in a bit of a daze, just watching the ball and reacting to it and luckily it paid off. It’s a brilliant comeback and it shows the character in the group. It is probably one of the best wins I’ve been involved in with Hampshire in four-day cricket.”Yorkshire’s spirit was equally evident as, five-down overnight with a vulnerable lead of 128, they survived the loss of three wickets in the first 20 minutes to stretch their second innings into the afternoon thanks to the defiance of Matthew Revis and Dominic Drakes which burned overs and added runs. A target of 198 left the match perfectly balanced.Considering that Hampshire are pushing so strongly for the Championship, their opening partnership of Felix Organ and Ian Holland fails to convince. Whether you consider their Championship averages this season, or over their career, the mid-20s is as high as it gets. In some ways, they might be representative of the shortage of quality opening batters across the entire professional circuit.In the first innings, they were two-down for 12; on this occasion, two down for 23. Jordan Thompson, who did not set the tone with his first two balls, stiff-limbed efforts which Organ cut to the boundary, perked up to remove them both. Organ edged to third slip and Holland played around his front pad to be lbw.Gubbins, though, has been at a more elevated level since his move from Middlesex. His run-a-ball 42 promised to ease Hampshire’s chase. Revis’ introduction as first change backfired as two overs leaked 18, Gubbins pulling him for six and four in successive balls.Patterson restored order. That’s what Patterson does. You could imagine him calling Give Order like an MC at an old-style working men’s club, his common-sense cutting through the stale cigarette smoke. This season of all seasons, with players understandably unsettled over what the future holds, his attributes have been invaluable.He had Gubbins lbw, striking him low on the thigh as he tried to sweep. James Vince then feathered Bess behind six balls later. Hampshire still 117 runs away from the target. When Lyth plucked out a slip catch above his head as Ben Brown lay back to cut Bess, and Patterson bowled Aneurin Donald through the gate, Yorkshire were favourites.Dawson then cut loose, supported by Keith Barker who looked solid enough apart from on the pull. Two lobbed tauntingly over slips, Patterson and Thompson despairing, before a third pull, against Drakes, gave Harry Duke a catch down the leg side as Barker tried to move his hefty frame inside the line of the ball.With seven down and 27 needed, Dawson was grateful for a couple of Thompson half-volleys. Revis had him caught, hooking, at long leg with the runs required down to eight, but a driven boundary by Kyle Abbott and, lo and behold, a ramp over the slips by James Fuller took Hampshire home.”The difference in the end is the experience in their team,” said Ottis Gibson, Yorkshire’s coach, who is squeezing everything he can out of this Yorkshire attack.Yorkshire were left with a long journey north. A quick update on the politics and then headphones in, trying to block out the noise, the only sensible way to survive the season.

One-Test batter selected in eight-man group to head to MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai in August

Alex Malcolm24-Jul-2022Will Pucovski remains part of Australia’s long-term plans, and has been named in an eight-man group of emerging batters and spin bowlers to head to the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai for a ten-day training camp in August.Pucovski, 24, has played just three first-class matches since making his Test debut in January 2021 against India in Sydney. He suffered a shoulder dislocation in that game and required surgery. He then suffered a concussion at Victoria training last October that kept him out of cricket for three months and then another incident in his first-class return in February triggered concussion symptoms forcing him into another break given his extensive history of head trauma.He made a successful return for Victoria at the end of the season, making 59 in the Sheffield Shield final against Western Australia. Selectors opted not to take him to Sri Lanka with the Australia A squad, with chairman George Bailey saying they were keen for him to have an extended run of uninterrupted cricket before calling him up for Australia A or national duty again.But the selectors have named him in a group of emerging prospects to head to Chennai for a training camp from August 7 to August 17. Pucovski joins fellow internationals Josh Philippe and Matthew Kuhnemann in the group, while Australia A players Henry Hunt, Tanveer Sangha and Todd Murphy have also been named. Two of Australia’s Under-19 World Cup representatives, Cooper Connolly and Teague Wyllie, will also make the trip. Wyllie made his first-class debut late last summer and was part of WA’s Sheffield Shield-winning team.Will Pucovski made a half-century in the Sheffield Shield final•Getty Images

The eight players will integrate with local Indian players for training sessions, and play one one-day match and a two-day game. Former Sri Lanka batter Thilan Samaraweera will coach the group after being part of the coaching staff for the Australia A team in Sri Lanka. Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath will also be there as a coach as part of his role as a consultant to the MRF Pace Foundation. Selector Tony Dodemaide will be the tour manager.”It is exciting to renew the partnership with the MRF Foundation and provide this group of young players with a truly unique experience,” Dodemaide said. “Some players have toured the subcontinent in the past so this trip will further refine their skills while others will gain valuable new experience in these testing conditions.”The news follows Chetan Sakariya and Mukesh Choudhary being named to play in the KFC T20 Max series in Queensland next month as part of the exchange programme with the MRF Pace Foundation. The duo will also train at CA’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and be involved in Queensland Bulls’ pre-season preparations.