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Prime Minister appears to pour cold water on hopes for imminent restart

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2020UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has seemingly put paid to the hopes of recreational cricketers across the country that a return to action is imminent.Responding to a question from Greg Clark MP in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson said that it was too soon to lift current restrictions preventing the return of recreational cricket, describing the ball as “a natural vector of disease”.His comments will have no bearing on England’s Test series against West Indies, which is due to start on July 8, or on the possible return of county cricket, both of which are governed by guidance for elite sport.ALSO READ: Recreational cricket suspended by ECBUnder current regulations, socially-distanced training sessions are the only permissible form of cricket. Some leagues have begun to cancel their formal calendars for this season already, though others had anticipated that a start date could come quickly, with the Prime Minister announcing that businesses in the hospitality and tourism sectors could begin to re-open from July 4.Mr Clark, the Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, asked the PM to clarify whether “the ban on cricket has come to an end”.”Cricket is perhaps our most socially-distanced team sport,” he said. “We’ve lost half the summer but there is another half left to be enjoyed by players and spectators alike.” On Saturday, he tweeted that it was “absurd that no cricket can be played this midsummer weekend”.Mr Johnson said: “The problem with cricket as everybody understands [is] that the ball is a natural vector of disease, potentially at any rate. We’ve been round it many times with our scientific friends.”At the moment, we’re still working on ways to make cricket more Covid-secure but we can’t change the guidance yet.”The ECB, which has been working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) throughout the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, said it was “keen to see the imminent and safe return of our sport at recreational level”.”We believe that cricket is a non-contact sport, with very low risks of exposure, and that it can be played as safely as many other activities being currently permitted,” the ECB said in a statement. “It is our strong desire to work with Government to see the return of recreational cricket on or around 4th July, as they continue to lift other restrictions more broadly across society.”We are heartened that the Government has already permitted the return of other ball sports, including tennis and basketball, and we are sure that our interpretation of the risks around ball transmission is consistent with these other games.”We can confirm that any guidance we share with the game will include directions on how to mitigate any risk from handling the ball as we continue to prioritise the health and safety of the cricket family in all our decision-making.”According to its most recent roadmap for the return of recreational cricket, England was in ‘Step 3’ of a five-stage process. The next step would involve adapted matches which allowed cricket “to remain socially-distanced”, before the final step of unrestricted play which would be adopted once social-distancing measures were removed.Mr Johnson later attempted to clarify his comments at a government press conference. “I want to make one thing clear – I would love to play village cricket again. I want to stress that we are working on all of these things,” he said.”We are working with all the industries, all of the performing arts, the theatres, gyms, all the bits that we can’t quite do at the moment… sports such as cricket, we’re trying to make it work as fast as we possibly can. So don’t think that this package represents the summit of our ambitions – it’s as far as we can go for now.”

Fast bowler made debut against India recently, and is rated one of the best prospects in the Caribbean

George Dobell in St Kitts06-Mar-2019Obed McCoy is set to be called into the West Indies squad.McCoy, the 22-year-old left-arm fast bowler, replaces Andre Russell who has been forced to pull out after a recurrence of a long-standing
knee problem.McCoy, blessed with pace, control and one of the best slower balls in the business, has long been seen as one of the most exciting bowling
prospects in the Caribbean. He made his international debut in India in October and, while he has played just three first-class games, impressed with St Lucia Stars in the CPL and for West Indies B in the Global T20 Canada.He played for the University of West Indies Vice Chancellor’s XI in the limited-overs warm-up match in Barbados in February and, having flown into St Kitts on Wednesday, is expected to be available for the final two matches of the T20I series against England.

Doug Bracewell and Todd Astle combined for seven wickets to help New Zealand cruise to a five-wicket win in the first ODI in Whangarei

The Report by Nikhil Kalro19-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The early bird often gets the worm, but there is an equally good chance of nocturnal birds catching it. There are also significantly different approaches to ODI cricket. New Zealand are a disciplined team, insistent on doing the basics right. West Indies rely on their strength: a batting approach that revolves around attempting to find the boundary more often than gaps through the field. The longer the duration of a game, the better the chances of discipline trumping aggression.West Indies weren’t able to sustain their approach for long enough, but New Zealand did as they limited the visitors to 248 for 9, and then chased it down clinically in the first ODI in Whangarei. Doug Bracewell, on his return to international cricket after pleading guilty to a drink-driving offence, picked up 4 for 55 from eight overs, and legspinning ODI debutant Todd Astle finished with 3 for 33. New Zealand’s openers, George Worker and Colin Munro then blazed away with a 108-run stand off just 100 balls to effectively kill the game on a surface that got progressively better to bat on.Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis began cautiously, playing out three successive maidens. The first five overs produced four runs. Both batsmen soon found their hitting rhythm, combining for five fours and a six in a 40-run opening stand. At no point did they consider singles as a scoring option. Bracewell then had Gayle caught behind off his first ball. A thick inside edge had Shai Hope two balls later.West Indies enjoyed their best period of batting thereafter, as Shimron Hetmyer and Lewis picked their deliveries to score off. Unsurprisingly, both batsmen were in most control when they were attacking. Hetmyer, though, failed to pick a googly from Astle in the 24th over, chipping a catch to long-off, an indicator that Hetmyer hasn’t found his batting tempo just yet.As has happened so often on their tour already, West Indies’ middle order was again done in by a combination of pace and the lack of it. Lockie Ferguson, generating 145-kmph speeds, had Jason Mohammed caught on the crease and chopping onto his stumps. Jason Holder was caught at gully, a one-handed stunner from Ross Taylor to his right, off a legcutter from Bracewell. West Indies had quickly slumped from 103 for 2 to 134 for 5.After a 43-run partnership that stabilised West Indies, Lewis misread a googly, missing a sweep off a full delivery on 76. Umpire Shamshuddin, it seemed, misread the variation too, as replays showed the ball would have missed off stump. West Indies didn’t have a review left.Rovman Powell displayed admirable patience, biding his time to carry West Indies to 50 overs. In Kesrick Williams’ company, he struck a belligerent 50-ball 59, which included two fours and four sixes.New Zealand’s top order, led by openers Worker and Munro, showed up West Indies’ woefully under-par total. West Indies’ seamers bowled two lengths: too short or too full, struggling to find the perfect length in between. Both batsmen laid into short and wide deliveries, scoring a combined 47 runs square on the off side.West Indies, though, hit back quickly with wickets in consecutive overs. Munro lobbed a catch to short cover in the 17th over, beaten slightly for pace off the bowling of Williams. Worker then misread the trajectory of a dart from Ashley Nurse, missing a cut that was far too close to his body.With no lateral movement on an even surface, conditions were perfect for batting. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor looked largely unflustered in a 57-run partnership at 4.12 per over.One of Williamson’s strengths is his ability to rotate strike through third man with an angled bat, but with the line close to off stump, that stroke becomes risky. He chopped one such delivery from Jason Holder onto his stumps on 38.Taylor stayed circumspect through his innings, displaying a keenness to take New Zealand home. His unbeaten 76-ball 49 included just two fours, but like New Zealand’s way, it got the job done.

A round-up of the final day of Group B matches in the second round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2016Maharashtra picked up the all-important first-innings points, despite a triple century from Rishabh Pant, as their run glut against Delhi, which was only the second first-class match to have two triple centuries, ended in a predictable draw at the Wankhede Stadium. The first match took place in the 1988-89 edition, between Tamil Nadu and Goa, which saw triples from WV Raman and Kripal Singh.Delhi had ended the third day on 376 for 5 in their first innings. That, after Maharashtra had piled on 635 for 2 declared, courtesy Swapnil Gugale’s triple century and Ankit Bawne’s double century, and the duo’s unbeaten, record-breaking third-wicket stand of 594 – the second-highest for any wicket in first-class history.Pant, resuming on 155, scored 308 at breathtaking speed, off just 326 balls, studded with 42 fours and nine sixes. He became the third-youngest Indian to score a first-class triple century, after Wasim Jaffer and Abhinav Mukund, as well as the second wicketkeeper to score a triple ton in the Ranji Trophy, and seventh in first-class cricket. When he fell, stumped off the left-arm spin of Satyajeet Bachhav, Delhi were 577 for 7, still 58 shy of Maharashtra’s total. However, they were bowled out 46 balls later, for 590.Maharashtra reached 58 for no loss in the second innings when play ended.A low-scoring encounter between Odisha and Saurashtra ended with Odisha picking up a narrow 32-run win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, thanks to right-arm medium pacer Suryakant Pradhan’s 5 for 69. Odisha had taken 42-run first-innings lead, before getting dismissed for 169 in their second innings. Set 212, Saurashtra had limped to 96 for 5 at the end of the third day, with Sagar Jogiyani on 42 and Arpit Vasavada on 1. The two added 60 more, before Jogiyani fell lbw to Deepak Behera for 68. Vasavada fell for 45 eight overs later, and was the ninth man dismissed. Soon after, Saurashtra were bowled out for 179, having lost their last four wickets for 23 runs.Karnataka collected first-innings points, courtesy their first-innings lead of 203 against Jharkhand in Greater Noida. Karnataka had put up 577 for 6 after making first use of the surface, courtesy R Samarth’s maiden double century. Jharkhand were 309 for 6, with Ishan Kishan unbeaten on 118 when the final day began. They folded for 374, with Kishan unbeaten on 159.Legspinner Samar Quadri dismissed Karnataka’s top-three, before unbeaten half-centuries from Karun Nair and Kaunain Abbas took them to 162 for 3 when play ended.

Nihaduzzaman, who played for Bangladesh at the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, was injured in a bus accident near Sirajganj on Wednesday

Mohammad Isam11-Sep-2015Bangladesh Under-19 cricketer Nihaduzzaman was one of nearly 40 individuals to suffer injuries in a bus accident near Sirajganj, about 100 km northwest of Dhaka, in which seven people died. Nihaduzzaman needed 12 stitches to his skull and forehead and said he was released from hospital under the condition of full rest at home in Rajshahi.He was heading back after completing a BCB High Performance training programme in Bogra when the incident happened. The bus, run by Desh Travels, collided with another one, and within seconds a truck rammed into the rear of the Desh Travels bus.Nihaduzzaman said medical help had been scarce and thanked his friend Naeem Islam jnr for making sure he did not lose consciousness until he was put on a bus to Natore, the nearest town in the area. Naeem hurt his leg in the ordeal.”I was bleeding from my forehead and two other places,” Nihaduzzaman told ESPNcricinfo. “Naeem called our physio Moon who told him to make sure that I don’t go unconscious or start to vomit. I was losing a lot of blood but there was nothing in sight, not even a hut.”So I wrapped my head with my T-shirt while Naeem tried to get me into the ambulance. The problem was, seven people had died and more than 40 people were injured so there was not enough room for me in the ambulance. After about two hours we got a bus and were taken to Natore town nearby. I couldn’t find my phone but thankfully Naeem was there. I really needed someone to help me to the bus to Natore.”In Natore, the doctors hurriedly gave me the stitches, but it wasn’t great. I couldn’t blame them since they were only three and we had about 40 people looking for medical attention. I managed to call a friend in Rajshahi, who came quickly and picked me up. I was admitted to Islami hospital in Rajshahi where they re-did my stitches and I was released this afternoon. I am at home now.”While trying to locate him, this reporter spoke to his father who said, “It is Allah’s grace that he is still among us. It was a horrific accident.”Nihaduzzaman said he was feeling better and was out of danger. He will undergo a CT scan and pass on the results to the BCB by Saturday. “I think I have to submit all my medical reports to the BCB. I am not sure if I will be going to Dhaka though. The Rajshahi divisional team’s first National Cricket League (first-class) game is in Rajshahi so I don’t know if I should stay here. The doctors have asked me for rest. I still have pain in my head.”The BCB has offered him full support, and is likely to ask him to come to Dhaka for precautionary measures.

Scotland ended day two battling to avoid an innings defeat after a second slump with the bat against Izatullah Dawlatzai.

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2013
ScorecardScotland ended day two battling to avoid an innings defeat after a second slump with the bat against Izatullah Dawlatzai. He added a second five-wicket haul to take Afghanistan to the verge of victory with Scotland still six runs away from forcing a fourth innings.Dawlatzai added 5 for 37 to his first-innings 6 for 57 to send Scotland spiralling towards defeat. His wicket of Kyle Coetzer late in the day raised the possibility of a two-day finish. Coetzer was the only batsman in the top order to have any kind of an innings but his half-century was a lone hand in a miserable batting display that saw Scotland 27 for 4 against the new ball.There was, at least, some response as wicketkeeper David Murphy survived 59 balls for 23 but his dismissal brought four wickets for just 14 runs – one them Coetzer – and it was left to Gordon Drummond and Safyaan Sharif to scrap Scotland into a third day.

Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, has been ruled out of the ODI series against South Africa because he has not recovered from a calf injury

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2012Ross Taylor, the New Zealand captain, has been ruled out of the ODI series against South Africa because he has not recovered from a calf injury. He is expected to be fit for the first Test, and until then Brendon McCullum is likely to continue as stand-in captain.”He [Taylor] has started running and is ready to have a bat in the nets,” New Zealand’s physio Paul Close said. “He is on track to return to international cricket in time for the Test starting on March 7.”Taylor sustained the calf injury during the only Test against Zimbabwe in Napier and was forced to retire hurt on 122. He missed the limited-overs games against Zimbabwe and had been initially ruled out of only the three Twenty20s against South Africa. Now he will miss the three ODIs as well.New Zealand began their home series against South Africa with a six-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 in Wellington.