All posts by n8rngtd.top

Quicks Sippel and Hancock combined to take five wickets on bouncy WACA pitch to defend 169 against Thunder

Tristan Lavalette28-Nov-2023 125 for 9 (Athapaththu 41, Sippel 3-9, Hancock 2-16) by 44 runsQuicks Courtney Sippel and Nicola Hancock effectively utilised a bouncy WACA surface as Brisbane Heat comfortably beat Sydney Thunder in the elimination final.Heat kept their season alive after allrounder Amelia Kerr top-scored with 48 before Sippel and Hancock combined for five wickets under lights to crash Thunder’s chase of 170.Heat will play in the Challenger against Perth Scorchers on Wednesday at the WACA. The winner of that match will face Adelaide Strikers in Saturday’s final at Adelaide Oval.”Perth are a quality side and they have got world class players, we’re going to have to play well to beat them,” Kerr said after getting the player of the match award. “It’s about recovering tonight and then getting ready to go again tomorrow.”In good batting conditions, Thunder never seriously challenged in a disappointing ending to a bounce back season after last season’s wooden spoon.”It [surface] definitely bounced a lot…we didn’t quite make use of the conditions,” Thunder captain Heather Knight said.Both teams had to endure a cross-country journey after tailing off in the regular season to miss finishing in the top two. Thunder won the toss and elected to field in cool and overcast conditions in a notable change to oppressive recent weather in Perth.Heat’s fortunes of a revival seemingly rested on opener Grace Harris, who had gone off the boil recently mirroring her team’s spiral. After a watchful start, Harris took a liking to the wayward bowling from Thunder’s quicks. She particularly capitalised on seamer Sammy-Jo Johnson, who repeatedly bowled back of a length and was subsequently punished for three boundaries in the sixth over.Harris’ timing was exquisite, but she also showcased her trademark power by smashing offspinner Lauren Smith into the gigantic sightscreen near the rubble where the Prindiville Stand once stood.Courtney Sippel took three wickets for nine runs in her four overs•Getty Images

With her half-century in sight, Harris on the next ball attempted another lusty blow but she mistimed to deep midwicket. Harris had dominated the opening stand with Georgia Redmayne, whose struggles this season with being tied down at the crease continued. She made a sluggish 18 off 24 before being caught behind off seamer Hannah Darlington.Kerr took over with sweet shots around the wicket as Heat eyed a total around 200. She effectively went aerially in the power surge, while Laura Harris was keen to make up for lost time in her second match back after being sidelined for two months with a calf injury.Harris smashed Smith over deep midwicket for six off her first ball then whacked Darlington on her next delivery with a crunching blow through the off-side.But she soon fell lbw to a superb full slower delivery from Johnson, who found her length and ignited a late comeback from Thunder. Left-arm spinner Samantha Bates bowled accurately at the death to restrict Heat to a total that only felt par.Thunder’s batting all season had relied on Chamari Athapaththu, the newly-minted player of the tournament. But she struggled to find rhythm on a hard surface and was left rattled after a disastrous mix-up saw opener Tahlia Wilson run out in the eighth over.But the dismissal seemed to ignite Athapaththu, who went after left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen with decisive footwork. She was less assured against pace and it proved her downfall on 41 when Athapaththu succumbed to a well-targeted delivery from Sippel.When Kerr had Phoebe Litchfield caught and bowled, Thunder slumped to 61 for 3 at the halfway point and they never recovered as Heat lived to fight another day.

The former India captain and Baroda legend died of age-related illnesses

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2024Dattajirao Gaekwad, the former India Test captain and the country’s oldest living Test cricketer at the time of his passing, has died at 95. According to PTI, Gaekwad died at a Baroda Hospital on Tuesday morning of age-related ailments.Gaekwad, whose son Aunshuman also represented India, played 11 Tests between 1952 and 1961 and was captain during the 1959 tour of England. A right-hand batter, he finished with 350 Test runs at an average of 18.42, and his highest score of 52 came against West Indies in New Delhi in 1959.Gaekwad was known for his sound defence and his drives but also made a mark as a versatile fielder. He made his debut under Vijay Hazare’s captaincy at Leeds in 1952 during India’s first tour of England after independence. He started his India career as an opener but settled into the middle-order, with limited appearances in his ten-year international career. Gaekwad’s final appearance was against Pakistan at home in 1961.In the Ranji Trophy, however, Gaekwad was a pillar of strength to Baroda, representing them from 1947 to 1961. In all first-class cricket, he scored 5788 runs (36.40) and 17 centuries with a high score of 249 not out against Maharashtra in 1959-60, one of three double-centuries in his first-class career. Under his captaincy, Baroda also won the Ranji Trophy in the 1957-58 season, beating Services in the final.In 2016, Gaekwad had become India’s oldest living Test cricketer after the death of former batter Deepak Shodhan at the age of 87. The oldest living Test cricketer from India is now Chingleput Gopinath, the cricketer from Madras, who is 93 years and 349 days old.

“I started bowling legspin in nets about nine months ago, and they came out really well,” he said

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2024In the first round of the T20 World Cup 2024, when a lot of cricket was played in the USA, the fast bowlers held sway. Now, with the show moving fully to the West Indies, spin is more likely to be the dominant force, and Tim David is preparing for that: with bat, and with ball.Ahead of Australia’s first Super Eight game, against Bangladesh in Antigua, David, a big-hitting finisher and part-time offspinner by trade, said he has been trying out legspin over the past few months, hoping to give his side another option should they need it.”It just gives you options as a match-up. I started bowling legspin in nets about nine months ago, and they came out really well,” David, who is yet to get a chance to bowl at this World Cup, said. “So just been working really hard on it. And to be honest… I really enjoy bowling. It’s more fun in the game than just sitting there for 20 overs in the field.”Related

• Stats – It's been a bowlers' World Cup, but that might change now

• Warner on sandpaper 'flak': 'I'm not going to cop it anymore'

Australia’s frontline spinners, Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa, have been working with David on his bowling. “It’s been really good to bowl with Ash, [and] bowl with Zamps when they’re around in the nets, [and] rub ideas off them,” David said. “There’s [also] bowling coaches, and it’s really good to get different ideas from people. But again, it’s about what works for me and [about] finding my own method.”Australia are grouped with Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan for the Super Eight, so they are wary of it being a trial by spin. Bangladesh’s new poster boy, legspinner Rishad Hossain, could pose a particular challenge since Australia have not seen much of him, but David said they will not back down.”I suppose that’s the nature of the World Cup, isn’t it? You play every team once,” David said. “You might get a team twice if you play in the final, so you don’t get to face a lot of lot of these guys; you don’t get a big look at them. I don’t think anyone in our team will have played against him [Rishad]. So we’re going to take him on.”David has been batting against spin in the nets in preparation for all this, but at this point in time, so close to the game, it’s not worth thinking too much about it. “I’ve practiced a lot against spin over the last couple of weeks. Day before a game or couple of days before game [though], it’s not that big of a stress,” he said. “You know you can’t change too much in that last stage. You just get feeling good [in the nets], ticking a couple of boxes, having fun at training. That’s the most important thing for me [so close to the game].”One thing he’ll particularly be looking at come game day, is the direction of the wind at the ground. “Yeah, the wind’s really important. You hit the ball into the wind, [and] it goes 50 metres shorter; you get one downwind, [and] you can’t stop it. I think the other night in St. Lucia, if you hit the ball downwind, it went out of the stadium,” David said.”So yeah, that all comes into stuff when you’re out in the middle, you’re weighing up risks, weighing up what the best option is for taking ends down, and I guess… if you can sum it up quicker with your experience, you have an idea of what the risk is like if you have to take it on. You can feel [the wind] out there. It’s pretty strong in the Caribbean. Some islands are windier than others.”

With a small gap of eight points, the positions might change again before the World Cup ends

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2024Sadia Iqbal briefly became the first player from Pakistan to top an ICC women’s T20I player rankings table when she overtook Sophie Ecclestone to become the top-ranked bowler in the world. It didn’t last long, though, as Ecclestone snatched it back by the end of the week when the updates were made public.Ecclestone has been the top-ranked women’s T20I bowler since February 2020 – and continues to be – but for a few days over the week past, the throne belonged to Iqbal. Iqbal first drew level with Ecclestone after taking 3 for 17 against Sri Lanka in Pakistan’s women’s T20 World Cup opener. Ecclestone, in her first match of the World Cup, returned 0 for 21, and slipped behind Iqbal as a result. But Iqbal then took 1 for 23 against India, and Ecclestone bounced back with a Player-of-the-Match winning 2 for 15 against South Africa to claim the top spot again.There’s just an eight-point gap (762 and 754) between the two, though, so it’s quite possible that the positions might change again before the World Cup is done.

Full rankings tables

• Click here for the full team rankings

• Click here for the full player rankings

As such, left-arm spinner Iqbal is having her best year in T20Is. Among all players at the World Cup, she has the most wickets in 2024 – 28 wickets in 17 games. Sana Mir, the former Pakistan captain, is the only other Pakistan woman cricketer to top an ICC player table – she was the top-ranked ODI bowler in 2018-19.The tussle at the top of the T20I bowlers’ rankings aside, a number of other players have made notable movements as the World Cup has worn on.Among batters, Suzie Bates’ 27 against against India has lifted her two spots to seventh, while Harmanpreet Kaur is up to 12th, a jump of four spots, after her 15 against New Zealand and 29 (retired hurt) against Pakistan. One of the top performers at the World Cup so far has been Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who has so far hit 41 and 43 against Bangladesh and South Africa, respectively, helping England win both games. That’s lifted her from No. 20 to joint 18th, where she is joined by team-mate Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was 19th last week, after she scored 48 not out in the win over South Africa.Among bowlers, Megan Schutt has risen nine places to enter the top ten at No. 10 after picking up 3 for 12 against Sri Lanka. Within the top five, Sarah Glenn is up one place to third, behind Ecclestone and Iqbal, after picking up a wicket in each of England’s two games so far. Below her, Ash Gardner is up three places to sixth and Rabeya Khan is up one place to No. 9.Nonkululeko Mlaba, who set up South Africa’s opening win against West Indies with returns of 4 for 29, and has since picked up 1 for 22 against England, has zoomed up nine spots to 13th.

England captain also talks up 21-year-old Bethell who is on his first international tour of Asia

Sreshth Shah21-Jan-2025A belligerent batting line-up is a dream for most international sides. Throw in a coach who firmly believes in that style and a squad where nearly everyone has at least one first-class hundred and the ability to hit monster sixes, and England possess a unit that could blow away the best bowling units on most days.Having batting depth through the team sheet served them magnificently in their ODI World Cup triumph of 2019 and their T20 World Cup victory in 2022. And in their lead up to the T20Is against India and next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, England appear to be shaping up the same way.Bowlers who bat not only shorten the tail but positively affect the top order too. England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged that the batters, consequently, can play with much more freedom.Related

• No issues working with 'good friend' Hardik Pandya for Suryakumar Yadav

• McCullum promises focus on entertainment

• Powerhouse line-ups clash in a series that could test T20's limits

“That gives a lot of depth to the XI and confidence to the guys at the at the top that there’s plenty [of batting] to come,” Buttler said on the eve of the series opener in Kolkata. “So we can be really aggressive and, you know, not worry too much about our wicket, because we’ve got guys behind us who can do exactly the same job.”We’re really blessed actually in terms of the bowlers that we have here, on this tour. They’re all very, very capable bats. I think if you look at guys like Gus Atkinson with a Test hundred, and then Brydon Carse is an excellent hitter of the ball, and then Adil Rashid down at No. 11 [No. 10 on the team sheet for the first T20I] who’s got multiple first-class hundreds. So, yeah, I think we’re very fortunate in that sense that a lot of our bowlers are very, very capable batters.”England announced their XI for the Kolkata T20I more than 24 hours before the game, and on a batting-friendly Eden Gardens track, a score of 200 appears to be the minimum. In Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Buttler himself, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone, England have a plethora of batters who could aim for the roof. The addition of the exciting Jacob Bethell – who averages 57.66 and scores at 167.96 in six T20I innings – has only made them look more lethal. But can he conquer Indian conditions, especially the spinners? Like the other batters, Bethell spent large periods trying to face spin in the nets in the two practice sessions leading up to the first game.”It’s a new challenge for him to come and play in India,” Butter said. “But I know he’s excited [for it].”I think he’s been someone who in English cricket has been talked about for a while knowing the talent he possesses, even when he’s been playing in the Under-19s. So, he was a name you’d hear being talked about that he’s gonna be a special player. And I think, you know, all credit to him. I think he’s done brilliantly well coming into international cricket.”And he has got a good head on his shoulders, and obviously, he’s got the game for it, as you’ve seen in in the white-ball stuff. And then obviously, moving into Test cricket, you know, it’s fantastic to watch him in New Zealand. So, yeah, he’s been playing really well.”Jacob Bethell is coming on the back of decent scores in the BBL•Getty Images

For Buttler, though, having the chance to work with Brendon McCullum for the first time (Buttler has not been in the Test side since McCullum took over as the Test coach) is especially exciting. But even more so that the leadership can work with their best players. Nobody’s workload is being managed, fast bowlers like Jofra Archer and Mark Wood are injury-free, and that’s as perfect a situation as England can imagine as they face a coaching transition that wants to build into the Champions Trophy and next year’s T20 World Cup.”It’s a really exciting tour, coming to India with what I’d say is a full line-up for us,” Buttler added. “You know sometimes there’s so much cricket that certain players have to be rested or managed. But that’s certainly not the case for us at all in this series. So we’ve got a full complement of players, which is really exciting. Obviously, Baz is coming into the white-ball set-up for the first time too.”[I] also want to build that captain-coach alliance. Obviously, it’s not a new set-up because Baz has been around for a while and there are a lot of players in this squad that have been with him in the Test set-up for a number of years already.”So, yeah, just looking forward to building that relationship in the white-ball set-up. It’s going to be a great series against a really top side in their own conditions. So, loads to look forward to.”

Australian agrees short-term deal for first four rounds of red-ball competition

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2024Nottinghamshire have signed Australian seamer Fergus O’Neill for the first four rounds of next year’s County Championship.O’Neill, who has an impressive first-class record of 94 wickets at 19.91, is only eligible for a short-term visa but he will cover for the absence of Dane Paterson for the start of the season, with the South African’s availability uncertain after his Test recall earlier in the year.”It’s really exciting to get Fergus on board as a player who has enjoyed real success over the last couple of seasons for Victoria and I hope this is just the start of the Notts’ relationship with him,” Notts head coach, Peter Moores, said.”Whilst we can only secure his services on a short-term basis due to visa restrictions, it looks like he’s improving all the time and I think his style of bowling will work well in the early season conditions in England.Related

• Silverwood makes Essex return as director of cricket

• Scott Borthwick takes up player-coach role at Durham

• Verreynne seals Nottinghamshire return ahead of potential WTC final

“His strengths are his consistency and lateral movement, which are ideal skills to complement the rest of our bowling unit. He is more than capable with the bat, too, and will bolster our lower middle-order, from which runs are crucial – especially early in the season.”He will, in effect, replace Dane Paterson, who won’t be with us for the start of the season as his re-entry into the Test arena and our desire to strengthen our batting means we have opted for a slightly different style of player.”It is worth highlighting what a fantastic servant Dane has been to the club, though. His record is outstanding; he has built a great legacy with Notts in just a few years and remains an immensely popular character in the dressing room.”O’Neill is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Sheffield Shield with 22 at 19.31. Last season, he took 40 wickets at 17.25.”The opportunity to play in England is really exciting, and one I’m looking forward to,” O’Neill said. “That it’ll be for Nottinghamshire with Trent Bridge as home is extra special – it’s somewhere that, as an Australian, has a real aura, and I can’t wait to step out there.”Hopefully I’ve got attributes with the ball which suit the conditions, and, coming off the back of an Australian summer, I’ll be heading into the Championship with games under my belt which always helps.”Notts finished eighth in Division One of the Championship last season, having been promoted from the second tier the summer before.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz will be full-time Bangladesh captain in ODIs for the first time

Madushka Balasuriya01-Jul-2025

Big picture: A new era for Bangladesh

After a hard-fought Test series, the action now switches to the white-ball format, with the first of three ODIs starting on Wednesday. For Bangladesh it’s the dawn of a new era in many ways. They have a new ODI captain for starters, with Mehidy Hasan Miraz taking over from Najmul Hossain Shanto, but more pressingly are the recent retirements of stalwarts Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah.To say it signals a changing of the guard would be an almost textbook definition of the idiom, in fact, as Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah were the last remaining vestiges of Bangladesh’s fab five, which also included Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan. You would have to go all the way back to September 2005 to find the last ODI that neither of these players took part in – coincidentally, also against Sri Lanka in Colombo.Related

• Asalanka expects seam and batter-friendly pitch at Khettarama

• Madushanka back in SL squad for Bangladesh ODIs

• Freed from the burden of captaincy, Shanto could relaunch his career

• Rebuild, resurrect, recalibrate – Mehidy has an unenviable task as ODI captain

So what does this new look Bangladesh entail? Well, they’ll be hoping recent form isn’t an accurate indicator. They’ve lost their last six completed ODIs, and 8 of their last 11 ODIs since the start of 2024. Though more promisingly, two of those wins were part of a series victory against Sri Lanka.Since that series defeat though, Sri Lanka have been on a bit of a tear, particularly at home. They’ve beaten India, West Indies, New Zealand and Australia on home turf in the past year, with their only ODI series loss coming away to New Zealand.And while Bangladesh are seeking to fill some big holes, Sri Lanka very well might be settling into a favoured setup. Their batting is now replete with ever more dependable performers, while their bench strength is becoming quite formidable.Nowhere is this more exemplified than in the pace contingent with Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka included ahead of the likes of Dushmantha Chameera, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara and Matheesha Pathirana. Meanwhile a spin department headed by Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana is comfortably in world-class territory, and even deadlier in home conditions.But Bangladesh have exciting talents of their own, even if overall depth is still lacking. Rishad Hossain was a key part of Bangladesh’s most recent win against Sri Lanka, while in Mehidy they have one of the premier allrounders in world cricket. Shanto, meanwhile, unburdened by captaincy will be eyeing to turn over a new leaf of his own.So it very well could be a fresh start for this young Bangladesh outfit, and where better to start than by targeting a first-ever series win in Sri Lanka.

Recent form

Sri Lanka WWWLL (most recent first)

Bangladesh LLLLL

In the spotlight: Theekshana & Rishad

Maheesh Theekshana played just one out of a possible three ODIs against India last year, and then two out of three against West Indies. But since then he’s played in every home ODI he’s been available for, while even picking up seven wickets across two games in New Zealand. While Theekshana has for the most part been considered a T20 specialist, it seems the think tank is increasingly more attuned to the utility of his skillset in ODIs as well. And even when he’s not picking up wickets, he’s creating the pressure for the bevy of spinners around him to profit.Unlike Sri Lanka’s, Bangladesh’s spinners haven’t had all that great a time as of late, but in Rishad Hossain they have the kind of talent every team in world cricket is looking for – namely, a leg spinning all-rounder that can hit the ball far. But sadly for Bangladesh and Rishad, neither facet of his skillset has been coming off as of late. His last 10 games, internationally and in franchise cricket, has seen a high score of 13 and 11 wickets. But when Bangladesh last played Sri Lanka in the format, Rishad struck a devastating 48 off 18, with a wicket to go with it. If Bangladesh are to challenge a strong Sri Lankan outfit, Hossain will have to be on top of his game.

Team news: Major changes expected for visitors

Sri Lanka’s XI is largely settled but there are a few areas wherein things might not be as nailed down. An opening partner for Pathum Nissanka is one of them, with Nishan Madushka preferred over Avishka Fernando in Sri Lanka’s last ODI. Eshan had a storming IPL and domestic season, which means it’ll likely be between Asitha and Madushanka for that final seamer spot.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Nishan Madushka/Avishka Fernando, 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Charith Asalanka, 5 Kamindu Mendis 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Maheesh Theekshana 10 Eshan Malinga 11 Asitha Fernando/Dilshan MadushankaThe visitors have to make at least two major changes to their middle-order with Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah gone from ODIs since their last match in this format. Shanto will likely move into the middle-order with Mohammad Naim and Litton Das set to get into the top-order.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Litton Das (wk), 3 Mohammad Naim, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 5 Towhid Hridoy, 6 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Nahid Rana

Pitch and conditions

The weather looks to be mostly clear, so ideally there shouldn’t be any rain interruptions. The pitch itself will likely be your standard Khettarama surface, with any score in the region of 300 a challenging target, while spin is expected to play a prominent role.

Stats and trivia

• Since Mahmudullah’s debut in July 2007, Bangladesh will play their first ODI without any of Mahmudullah, Mortaza, Tamim, Shakib or Mushfiqur
• Bangladesh have never won an ODI series in Sri Lanka
• In five innings, Shanto has a century and two fifties against Sri Lanka, averaging 85.50
• Hasaranga is one wicket away from 100 ODI wickets

Quotes

“Actually, we are good friends. When it comes to playing, it looks like a rivalry. That’s what everyone expects to see – those kinds of games, that kind of heat. But we’re good friends.”
“Our numbers doesn’t necessarily mean we are a bad team. We only played two ODI series last year. We mainly played Tests in 2024. We understand our situation. We are planning to make things better. Hopefully, with regular ODIs, we will be back in full flow.”

Lizelle Lee completed three stumpings and made a blistering unbeaten 77 to lead Hobart Hurricanes to an eight-wicket win over Melbourne Stars in Brisbane

AAP17-Nov-2023Lizelle Lee shone with the bat and the gloves to inspire Hobart Hurricanes to an eight-wicket win over Melbourne Stars and keep her side’s flickering WBBL finals hopes alive.The former South Africa star plundered an unbeaten 77 off 49 deliveries after completing three stumpings in the field. After dismissing a disappointing Stars line-up for 121, Hurricanes coasted to victory with 23 balls remaining at Allan Border Field.Lee found a willing partner in allrounder Nicola Carey in an unbroken 99-run stand for the third wicket. Carey finished 38 not out off 41 balls.The 31-year-old Lee was in supreme form. She was dominant over, and through the offside and was just as destructive on the legside. The ball rocketed off the middle of Lee’s bat throughout a knock that included four sixes.Earlier, Stars captain Meg Lanning played an array of exquisite cuts and drives in a classy cameo at the top of the order but fell for 27 off 19.Melbourne’s batters barely got out of first gear. Just when they looked like doing so, they were dismissed with Maia Bouchier and Annabel Sutherland as prime examples after reaching 20 and failing to kick on.The Hurricanes had been sloppy in the field against Brisbane Heat two days earlier at the same venue but they bowled tightly and took their catches. Lee was superb behind the stumps and set the standard in the field.Five bowlers were among the wickets, including Carey who had a fine match and bounced back after copping severe treatment early off Lanning.Spinner Molly Strano cleaned up at the end, taking 3 for 20, as the Stars collapsed to lose 6 for 22 to be bowled out in the 20th over.The Hurricanes moved to nine points on the WBBL ladder, four points behind fourth-placed Sydney Thunder.

With rivals Kent dominating Nottinghamshire, bottom club need unlikely turnaround at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2023 Warwickshire 142 for 4 (White 3-37) trail Northamptonshire 250 (Nair 78, Gay 77, Hannon-Dalby 7-46) by 108 runs – no play on Tuesday due to rainNorthamptonshire’s Division One status hangs by a thread after the third day of their LV=Insurance County Championship visit to Warwickshire was washed out.Relentless drizzle from a leaden sky left Edgbaston sodden and the match frozen in only its second innings – Warwickshire on 142 for four in reply to 250 – with just one day left.Northamptonshire’s frustration only increased as, while they watch the drizzle fall in Birmingham, there was play in Canterbury where Kent took advantage by forcing Nottinghamshire to follow on.With their remaining fixtures coming up against the title contenders Surrey and Essex, the visitors need to deliver something spectacular on the final day against a Warwickshire side which can, if they wish, bat without taking risks in pursuit of bonus points.

The allrounder claimed the first five batters to fall in the opening first-class game at Cricket Central

AAP04-Oct-2023New South Wales allrounder Jack Edwards continued his fine start to the domestic season, claiming his maiden Sheffield Shield five-wicket haul to leave Queensland in trouble in Sydney.Edwards took all of the first five wickets on the opening day of their Shield clash at the new Cricket Central at Sydney Olympic Park, to finish with figures of 5 for 24.Bowling largely around the wicket and angling in at Queensland’s left-handers on a green pitch, Edwards at one stage had 5 for 14 as he ran through the top-order.Related

• Sheffield Shield previews: Western Australia eye hat-trick, who can challenge them?

• Edwards' onslaught powers New South Wales to emphatic bonus-point win

The 23-year-old’s wickets came after he scored 92 in NSW’s season-opening one-day win over Tasmania last week, and claimed figures of 2 fpr 24.His start to the red-ball season was even more impressive on Wednesday. He bowled Matt Renshaw for 17 with his first ball when it stayed low and beat the left-hander, before having Joe Burns caught behind two deliveries later.He had figures of 3 for 5 when he bowled Queensland’s top-scorer Bryce Street for 45, and removed Jack Clayton in similar fashion for four when he was out leaving.Edwards also picked up the prized scalp of Usman Khawaja for 30 when he had Australia’s Test opener edging behind.Chris Green and Chris Tremain also took a wicket each for NSW, as rain stopped play multiple times after lunch and eventually ended play early.NSW are searching for their first win in the Sheffield Shield since February 2022, after going winless in the first-class competition last summer for the first time since 1938-39.