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“As far as being a fast-bowling coach for a team, this is as good as it gets, working with some great talent”

Umar Farooq19-Mar-2022Bringing in more intensity and aggression, and helping everyone showcasing how good they can be – that’s Pakistan bowling coach Shaun Tait’s mantra for a job that, he says, is “as good as it gets” for someone in his position.”Pakistan is known for some very good things and one of them is producing fast bowlers,” Tait said in a press interaction ahead of the Lahore Test against Australia. “As far as being a fast-bowling coach for a team, this is as good as it gets, working with some great talent. Obviously, they have had quite a bit of experience, but they’re also very young. So just getting to know them the last week or so and finding out how they tick going forward now is going to be exciting and, hopefully, I can help them out there.”I haven’t got a specific task but right now it is to keep the ball rolling from the start. I mean, that’s what you talk about with [batting coach] Matthew Hayden, aggression; that’s part of the way I play cricket, and certainly some stuff I can bring to them as well as their intensity and their aggression, is going to be a big part of fast bowling. It has to be. That’s something I can pass on to the boys as well.”Tait retired as a player in 2017, and after a short stint with Afghanistan, joined the Pakistan team on a year’s contract. He was expected to link up with the team before the start of the three-Test series, but his arrival was delayed because of a death in the family, and he only joined the squad last week in Karachi.Looking at the pool of fast bowlers at his disposal, Tait said, “There’s nothing [shortcomings] and there’s no issue that stands out. It is a very good bowling group and bumping into people since I got the job, chatting to people, whether it’s back in Australia or here in Pakistan, that just talks about how good this bowling is.”I suppose part of my job is going to be to show everybody how good they can actually be. All the talent is there and a lot of these guys have played enough now and are doing well in international cricket, and some guys that sort of just started out their journey. In 12 months’ time, if you guys sit back and see some results and, hopefully, I can be a part of showing you, that how good they can actually become.”Related

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After the Australia series, Pakistan have an away assignment in Sri Lanka, followed by the Asia Cup, then the T20 World Cup in Australia, and are later in the year scheduled to host England and New Zealand.”This 12-month calendar, possibly as busy as it’s ever been,” Tait said. “I think with all three formats being played quite heavily over the next 12 months, it’s a great time to come in. I’ve had a bit of experience, obviously, with all three forms, and then been around enough to know that there are pressures that come with playing international cricket. So, if I can help take the pressure off the fast bowlers by being there for them and helping them through the next 12 months, that’s probably a big part of my job.”Speaking specifically about the Pakistan bowlers’ inability to run through Australia – in Karachi, the visitors declared at nine- and two-down respectively – Tait said, “They didn’t struggle. I don’t think that’s a problem at all. I thought they bowled quite well. Obviously the wickets… it’s been tough going for the fast bowlers. It’s been a real grind for both teams, as we’ve seen from the results.”That sometimes is what happens in Test cricket in tough fast-bowling conditions. We don’t know what the next Test is going to bring, so I’m just working through that with the players and moving forward to the next match.”Also, in the Karachi Test, the Australia quicks bowled better reverse swing as compared to the local boys. “They did reverse the ball. Pakistan did get the ball reversing,” Tait said. “The Australian thing with this [Karachi] Test match, if you watch closely, there wasn’t a cluster of wickets from reverse swing, there was a couple of wickets from reverse swing. But I don’t think anyone sits back after the Test match and goes, well, reverse swing played a huge role, because it just didn’t. It didn’t play a big role at all for either side.”

Teenager avenges last year’s semi-final defeat to seal spot against Lancashire

Matt Roller16-Jul-2022Hampshire are one win away from equalling Leicestershire’s record for the most English domestic T20 titles after a clinical 37-run win against Somerset set up a final against Lancashire at Edgbaston.Last year, Somerset snatched an improbable victory against Hampshire in the day’s first semi-final, recovering from 34 for 5 to chase down a target of 151 with two wickets and two balls remaining. This time, Hampshire were ruthless, posting 190 after winning the toss and taking regular wickets to defend that score comfortably.Hampshire lost their first four games of the Blast this season but have now won 11 of their last 12. “It’s 10 years since we won our last semi-final,” James Vince said. “After 10 overs we set out to get 200 but the wicket lost a bit of its pace. The guys have been outstanding with the ball defending targets all year and that’s exactly what we’ve done. That was the way we wanted to go. It’s set up for a good final.”A young talent announcing themselves on county cricket’s biggest stage has become an annual feature of Finals Day. This year, it was Tom Prest’s turn. Prest, a 19-year-old top-order batter from Dorset, made the highest score of his fledgling T20 career to hold Hampshire’s innings together and propel them to a match-winning total. He was the youngest half-centurion in Finals Day history.”It’s amazing to get that win after last year’s disappointment,” he said. “It’s just been about playing with that freedom. We started firing at the right time and once you get on a roll in T20, it’s hard to stop. It’s what dreams are made of: I’ve always wanted to play in a final.”Related

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Prest captained England to the final of the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year and has been backed throughout this season despite a relatively lean return from No. 3. He made a triple-hundred in the Second XI Championship last season but most of his first-team opportunities have come in T20, where he looks to accumulate early on before cashing in.He had the chance to take his time in this semi-final thanks to a bright start from Vince and Ben McDermott, the most destructive opening partnership in the Blast this season, who put on 47 for the first wicket in 4.2 overs, flogging Jack Brooks and Peter Siddle. Both were caught at extra cover looking to loft over the infield, but from 69 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, Hampshire were able to consolidate.Prest was 30 off 27 balls when he was hit on the helmet looking to scoop Brooks and Hampshire’s innings looked in danger of petering out, but reached his half-century nine balls later. He was strong off his pads, whipping Lewis Gregory for consecutive boundaries through square leg, and by the time he holed out to long-on in the final over, Hampshire had ensured they had a total they could defend.Somerset were missing two of their best T20 bowlers in Craig Overton, with England ahead of Sunday’s deciding ODI against India, and Josh Davey, who injured his hamstring in last weekend’s quarter-final against Derbyshire. Perhaps they could have coped without one, but their attack looked toothless without both.Nathan Ellis celebrates after picking up Peter Siddle•Getty Images

Will Smeed and Tom Banton both started brightly but the depth and variety of Hampshire’s attack was too much for them: Smeed plinked Nathan Ellis to mid-on, and Banton was run out at the bowler’s end by Mason Crane’s direct hit after failing to dive to make his ground. “It’s Finals Day, man,” Simon Doull fumed on Sky’s commentary. “Do you not want it enough to get your clothes a little bit dirty?”Rilee Rossouw held the key against his old county and started brightly, hammering Brad Wheal onto the roof of the Hollies Stand. But he holed out to deep midwicket off James Fuller and despite Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby’s cameos, Somerset never managed to keep the required rate in check.”I think they got 10-15 more than we’d have liked,” Abell said. “We’ve chased really well through the competition but we obviously didn’t quite get it right. We just wanted to build a partnership and tried to do that. We just couldn’t quite get our flow with the bat in the second innings and that cost us.”Ellis finished with three wickets, mopping up the lower order, but Liam Dawson’s four miserly overs were crucial: they cost only 20 runs, and he could play a key role in the final as the Edgbaston pitch slows up.

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.

Mitchell and Young hit half-centuries for New Zealand, while India lost three wickets in two overs just before stumps

Sidharth Monga01-Nov-2024Stumps Ravindra Jadeja bowled 22 unchanged overs in the oppressive heat and humidity of Mumbai to pick up his 14th Test five-wicket haul and help bowl New Zealand out for 235. However, India threw away the advantage with the loss of three wickets in the last two overs of the day to end at 86 for 4.Jadeja had to work much harder for his wickets than New Zealand did at the fag end of the day. It included bowling through the whole middle session, during which Washington Sundar, who took four wickets, went off the field to rehydrate, and the batters got drinks almost every three overs.Jadeja’s was a timely intervention, as Daryl Mitchell and Will Young, half-centurions both, threatened to run away to a big total on a pitch that showed enough signs – with puffs of dust and variable turn – that it was going to be a nightmare for the side batting last. Mitchell and Young added 87 runs in a fourth-wicket partnership that looked under more threat from dehydration than the bowling.The collapse from 159 for 3 to 235 all out brought some respite for India, playing to avoid their second-ever series whitewash at home (of two or more Tests) and also vital WTC points. However, the last two overs – Yashasvi Jaiswal bowled to a reverse-sweep, the nightwatcher Mohammed Siraj burning a review, Virat Kohli running himself out – were a downer for them.Virat Kohli was run out looking for a quick single•BCCI

That’s because they had got into a desirable position after Tom Latham won another important toss and got the right to bat in the best batting conditions of the match. He led New Zealand’s initial progress even though he lost Devon Conway to Akash Deep from around the wicket. A pace attack missing Jasprit Bumrah was only going to go so far. R Ashwin came on to bowl as early as the eighth over, the last time of the day he would be considered the likeliest spinner to get wickets.Latham scored 28 off 44 before a vexing one-two from Washington sent him back. From a near identical spot, with near identical seam orientation, Washington beat the inside edge one ball and the outside edge next ball to take out top of off stump. For the third time in three times of asking, Washington hit the off stump of Rachin Ravindra with a near identical delivery to leave New Zealand delicately poised at 72 for 3.The half-an-hour to lunch was a nervous period for Young and Mitchell as both their edges were threatened regularly. Post lunch, though, the pitch settled down for an hour and a bit. With the temperature hitting 37 degrees, the high humidity of the coast and little breeze, this session tested everybody’s fitness. The batters got a drink every couple of overs to go with iced towels or ice packs around their necks.Every now and then, the ball turned if Jadeja slowed it down, but he was looking for quick turn. Young and Mitchell, though, looked at ease. The sweeps and reverse-sweeps were employed to good effect, but Young also danced down the wicket to languidly loft the ball. This was Young’s first fifty of the series even though he has given the impression he has been the most comfortable batter on either side.Ravindra Jadeja acknowledges the cheers after his 14th Test five-for•BCCI

Washington, Siraj and Ashwin bowled from the other end, but Jadeja kept going from his. Towards the end of the session, he got what he wanted: turn at high pace. Now he was in it. Young edged to slip one that turned at 94kph. Three balls later, Blundell saw one pitch on leg and hit off at 92kph. Puffs of dust started making more regular appearances.Now Jadeja took full control. He kept attacking the stumps with subtle changes of pace and the occasional undercutter. He took out Glenn Phillips with one that didn’t turn to go past Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma into the list for top-five wicket-takers for India.India began the final session with Jadeja and Washington again, something that will hurt the competitor in Ashwin. Jadeja wasted little time to dismiss Ish Sodhi and Matt Henry in the same over. Sodhi fell to one that turned and stayed low, and Henry was bowled on the off to Jadeja’s slowest wicket-taking delivery: at 90kmph.Whatever the support staff did to Mitchell during the tea break worked wonders as he found enough energy to hit three sixes in three Washington overs after having struggled to run during the middle session.Mitchell didn’t farm the strike with the No. 10 for company, but eventually made a mental error by guiding a flat delivery straight to slip just like how coaches do during catching drills. Not before having scored 82, though. Ajaz Patel, on whom lay the onus to improve dramatically from Pune, hit a six before padding up to one that didn’t turn, giving Washington his fourth wicket.Daryl Mitchell celebrates his fifty•Getty Images

Rohit Sharma enjoyed some early luck as Will O’Rourke dropped him at long leg, but his attacking mindset meant he had committed too much to a forceful shot when Henry seamed one ball away. The Rohit that went to England in 2021 would have had time to bail out, but now he just edged it to second slip.Jaiswal and Shubman Gill weathered the storm to assuage fears of a repeat of what happened in Pune. They even began to dominate the bowling in a 53-run second-wicket stand. Then, with about ten minutes to stumps, Jaiswal was beaten on the reverse-sweep, the first time he has got out to the shot in Test cricket having tried it 14 times previously for 36 runs. Ajaz then bowled perhaps his best delivery to Mohammed Siraj first up, pitching on leg and hitting off. For some reason, though, Siraj decided to review it.Amid the DRS drama, Kohli walked in for the first time this series without an applause for the wicket preceding him. Part-time spinner Ravindra tried the old left-arm-spinner-full-toss trick but Kohli got past the lethal delivery – it had been his downfall in the previous Test – with a boundary. However, he couldn’t get the better of his own instinct of running with the shot despite hitting the ball firmly enough to mid-on. The only way Kohli could survive this was if Henry misfielded or missed. He did neither.

England opener says crowd “saw quite a good day’s cricket” after early close greeted by boos

Valkerie Baynes06-Sep-2024As the booing sounded from a good-sized Oval crowd who felt they were being robbed when the umpires ushered players from the field for a second and final time on a weather-blighted day, Ben Duckett, for one, didn’t see the need to argue.He was already out, having scored a rapid-fire 86 in conditions that should have suited Sri Lanka after they had won the toss, his innings having laid the foundation for England’s impressive 221 for 3 from just 44.1 overs possible on the opening day of the third and final Test. Given the scoreline – and storyline – with Ollie Pope making a defiant run-a-ball 103 not out, Duckett felt spectators had got their money’s worth.”I think they saw quite a good day’s cricket in the short amount of time there was,” Duckett reflected at the end of a day which had included an earlier stoppage for bad light, which lasted nearly three hours through the middle of the day, and the another just before 6pm that sparked the angry reaction in the stands and ultimately led to stumps being called half an hour later.”That’s living in England and playing cricket in England, they’re the conditions. It’s very easy to sit there as a supporter and want to see more cricket but if it does get really dark and more dangerous, we’re the ones out there playing. I did make a joke saying if they wanted to bowl double spinners before lunch they could do. They weren’t conditions for that. Both sides did it at Old Trafford, went double spin, but when the lights were on and the ball was nipping around a bit, the umpires were taking us off and we’re going to have to go with their rules.”Related

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The earlier interruption seemed particularly contentious with conditions not appearing vastly different to those that greeted an on-time start. It did become darker and the faintest mist gave way to a light rain shower while the players were off for the first time but in an afternoon session that ran from 3.10pm to 5.10pm the light was as good as it had been all day. As the gloom threatened to return, it signalled the beginning of the end.Duckett said the batters weren’t consulted ahead of either stoppage, with the umpires directing the players from the field, and while he gave no indication that he wanted to go off for the first – on the contrary he highlighted having to “start again” afterwards – he was resigned to having to abide by their decision.”I’m sure if it was that same Aussie attack last summer, bowling in those conditions, you’d probably want get off the field,” Duckett added. “It does have a big impact when those lights are on and they’re fully on and the ball starts swinging and nipping around a bit more. To be honest, it’s got nothing to do us. You don’t really get the option any more. If the umpires take you off you’ve got to go with their decision.”Sri Lanka had opted for a pace-heavy attack, dropping spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, and clearly missed a trick by failing to take early wickets under overcast skies and following heavy rain through the early hours of the morning.Aaqib Javed, Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling coach, put that down to his charges becoming carried away by the promise of the conditions and failing to execute as a result.”What we did wrong is we didn’t get the good areas because there was a lot going on in the mind, ‘oh this is the best day of swing bowling,’ and that chance of taking wickets and sometimes trying to calm them down, excitement levels, it’s sometimes too much,” he said. “So far I think we’ve been doing really good with the new ball, the bowlers, but today I would say they got carried away with the expectations. When you have high expectations, then you go down very quickly because there are bowlers looking at each other, [saying] ‘oh my God, that was the best opportunity, missed it!'”A little bit of disappointment but there’s still a lot in this game so we have to show our character tomorrow morning, the bowlers will rest and come up with something better than this. We got it wrong in the morning with excitement, overexcitement, I would say.”Lahiru Kumara conceded 81 runs in 12.1 overs for his two wickets, while Asitha Fernando went wicketless for 58 runs from 14 and Vishwa Fernando ended the day with 0 for 29 from seven. Milan Rathnayake was the other wicket-taker with 1 for 34.

Hridoy, Shamim step up in chase of 155; Nabi’s fighting fifty in vain for Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam14-Jul-2023Bangladesh overcame a scare to beat Afghanistan by two wickets in the first T20I in Sylhet. Down to 64 for 4 in a chase of 155, Bangladesh owed their turnaround to Towhid Hridoy and Shamim Hossain, whose 73-run stand put them in a comfortable position. But with two needed off the last five balls, pacer Karim Janat took a hat-trick to keep Afghanistan in the game with Hridoy stuck at the non-striker’s end. Shoriful Islam, at No.10, then took Bangladesh home with a cracking cut shot for four.Six runs were needed from the final over when Mehidy Hasan Miraz crunched a cover drive off the first delivery, before throwing his wicket away with a pull to midwicket. Taskin Ahmed was caught behind the following ball, and Nasum Ahmed top-edged a catch to deep third as Janat completed the hat-trick. Hridoy was unbeaten on 47 off 32 balls with three fours and two sixes and did not face a ball in that final over.Earlier, Mohammad Nabi’s fifth half-century in T20Is lifted Afghanistan to a modest total from 52 for 4. He made 54 off 40 with six fours and a six. Azmatullah Omarzai struck a 18-ball 33 with four sixes as the pair added 56 for the sixth wicket in 5.1 overs.

Shamim, Hridoy lift Bangladesh

At the start of the 13th over, Bangladesh’s required run rate was 9.5 per over and they had six wickets in hand. Hridoy began the assault by slamming Omarzai’s first ball for four over mid-off. He followed it up with a brutal pull shot for another four. Shamim then struck an awkward-looking pull for another boundary. Three more runs in the last two balls fetched Bangladesh 21 runs in the over, which brought the asking rate down to 7.85.With Shamim on 23, Najibullah Zadran dropped a sitter at deep square leg, which proved to be a game-changing moment. Hridoy and Shamim then scored 16 runs in the next over, bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi. While Shamim got into an awkward position to play a scoop over fine-leg for four while losing balance, Hridoy pulled away a six in that over to ease tension. Shamim eventually fell for a 25-ball 33 in the 18th over, bowled by Rashid Khan.Fazalhaq Farooqi celebrates a dismissal in his first over•AFP/Getty Images

Afghanistan strike early

Defending 154, Farooqi got the ball going through Rony Talukdar’s bat and pad to rattle his stumps early. Mujeeb Ur Rahman was lucky when his delivery struck Najmul Hossain Shanto’s hip before hitting the stumps. Bangladesh were sluggish in the powerplay, reaching 37 for two. Omarzai had Litton Das caught at mid-off in the seventh over for 18 off 19.Shakib Al Hasan tried to accelerate with some unusual shots – a scoop, a ramp and a lofted straight one off the back foot – but his stay was short-lived. He slapped a ball straight to Janat at deep point to leave Bangladesh at 64 for 4.

Bangladesh start well with the ball, too

After choosing to bowl, Bangladesh’s bowlers responded to their captain’s words on the match eve, about the need to start well. Taskin Ahmed led the charge with ten dot balls in his first three overs in the powerplay.Nasum had Hazratullah Zazai miscuing a whip to Hridoy at square leg in the third over. Rahmanullah Gurbaz swung Taskin to fine leg where Mehidy took a good tumbling catch. Shoriful removed Ibrahim Zadran for the fifth time on this tour, when the young batter was caught behind. When Shakib had Janat caught at mid-off, Afghanistan had lost four of their batters for 52.

Nabi ensures Afghanistan’s great finish

Nabi put on 35 runs for the fifth wicket with Najibullah Zadran, who was sharply caught by Litton in the 14th over. He then shared a crucial stand with Omarzai to give Afghanistan something to defend. Omarzai upper-cut Taskin for his first six, before smashing three fours.Afghanistan took 53 runs in the last four overs with overs 17-19 going for 14 runs each. Shakib removed Omarzai in the 19th over after he struck him for two sixes.Nabi reached his fifty in the last over. His only six came in the 17th over when he deposited Takin over midwicket. His innings ensured Afghanistan got to a competitive total.

Australian Craig Howard, meanwhile, takes over as spin-bowling coach

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2022Former New Zealand men’s international Dean Brownlie has been named batting coach of the New Zealand women’s team. Joining him in the White Ferns set-up is spin-bowling coach Craig Howard.Brownie, who retired at the end of the 2019-20 season with a total of 14 Test caps and 21 white-ball caps, was New Zealand men’s interim batting coach in March 2022 when the side played Netherlands at home. More recently, he served as network coach at Northern Districts and also joined the Black Caps coaching staff for the T20 World Cup in Australia.”I’ve been fortunate to experience cricket all around the world in different conditions, and I want to be able to share my knowledge of the game to help take this batting group to the next level,” Brownlie said via an NZC statement. “This batting group has a mix of world-class players and exciting young players coming through as well, so there’s a unique playing dynamic that I hope to add value to.”There’s some really experienced players in this group that know their game really well and will require support when needed, and there’s younger players who are just starting out on their international cricket journey who I can provide a bit more guidance with, so it’s individual with how I will contribute.”Howard, a former first-class cricketer with Victoria, will work closely with spinners Amelia Kerr, Eden Carson and Fran Jonas. He has been involved with the White Ferns on a tour-by-tour basis in the past, and will be with the side for the home series against Bangladesh and then stay on at least until next year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in February. He has previously been spin consultant with Cricket Australia, South Australia and Adelaide Strikers, where he worked with Nathan Lyon, Georgia Wareham and Sophie Molineux.”With the World Cup around the corner we will mainly continue to work on their strategy and mindset in the different formats and phases – making sure they’re high percentage and giving them the best chance of performing their role which will be to limit the oppositions ability to score and take wickets,” Howard said.New Zealand are set to play Bangladesh at home for three T20Is and three ODIs starting December 2, and then go to the T20 World Cup where their first game is scheduled against Australia on February 11.

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.

Pooran, who has asserted his position as an exciting limited-overs batsman, has been given the chance to stake his claim for future involvement in West Indies’ Test squads

Matt Roller28-Nov-2020Nicholas Pooran has been given the opportunity to stake his claim for future involvement in West Indies’ Test squads, after his inclusion in a 14-man ‘A’ squad to play a pair of first-class matches in New Zealand next month.Pooran, 25, has asserted his position as one of the most exciting young limited-overs batsmen in the world in the last two years, making a flying start to his ODI career and continuing to impress on the global T20 circuit.

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That form has led several prominent voices within West Indies cricket – most notably Michael Holding, the commentator and former fast bowler – to suggest he should be considered for Test selection, despite his first-class experience extending to three games for Trinidad and Tobago back in 2014.But Pooran will have the chance to face the red ball for the first time since then in December, after being named in the West Indies A squad to play two fixtures against New Zealand A. The squad comprises eight members of the team currently playing a T20I series in the country, and six reserves from the Test party. There are two four-day matches scheduled, due to start on December 3 in Mount Maunganui and December 11 in Nelson.”This series will give our players an opportunity to play first-class cricket against foreign opposition as well as experience different conditions here in New Zealand,” Roger Harper, Cricket West Indies’ lead selector, said. “It will also help to keep them in the frame should the need for replacements for the Test team arise, as we will have players who have been playing red-ball cricket and in form to consider.”While it is highly unlikely that Pooran will play any part in the Test series against New Zealand even if he scores heavily – the A-team fixtures run in parallel to the Tests – he could feasibly be considered for the planned series in Bangladesh in January, where his ability against spin could come to the fore.Pooran is due to link up with the Melbourne Stars for six matches in the BBL season following those fixtures, with the New Zealand-Australia travel corridor meaning that he will not have to quarantine on arrival in Australia.West Indies A squad vs New Zealand A: Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Joshua Da Silva (wk), Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Preston McSween, Shayne Moseley, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden WalshFixtures: December 3-6, Mount Maunganui, December 11-14, Nelson

Building on good work by Ed Barnard and Will Rhodes, Burgess is 126 not out against Somerset

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2024Michael Burgess hit his seventh first class century to cement a determined Warwickshire fightback on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.Going in at No. 8, the 29-year-old wicketkeeper made an unbeaten 126, off 167 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, to build on the good work of Ed Barnard (92) and skipper Will Rhodes (63) after their side had slumped to 40 for 4 on losing the toss.Chris Woakes contributed 39 to an eighth-wicket stand of 110 with Burgess that enabled Warwickshire to close on 373 for 8. Migael Pretorius was the pick of Somerset’s bowling attack with 4 for 72 from 20 overs.Josh Davey made the first breakthrough with the Warwickshire total on 19 as Alex Davies edged a defensive push to Tom Abell at first slip in the fifth over.It was 34 for 2 when Rob Yates, on 15, nicked a lifter from Pretorius and Kasey Aldridge accepted a sharp chance at second slip. The South African struck again in his next over with an excellent delivery that clipped the top of off stump to send back Sam Hain for a duck.Warwickshire were in a deep hole at 40 when the inspired Pretorius induced Dan Mousley to edge an attempted leg-side shot to give Aldridge another slip catch at which point the seamer’s figures were 3 for 6.Rhodes survived a couple of scares before lunch, which was taken at 97 for 4, the skipper having made 42 and added 57 with Barnard, who was unbeaten on 25.The afternoon session saw Rhodes move to fifty off 87 balls, with seven fours, and the partnership with the unflappable Barnard extend past the century mark before Somerset struck two blows in rapid succession.Jack Leach, preferred to Shoaib Bashir as the only specialist spinner in the side, tempted Rhodes into an error as an ugly mishit saw him cloth a gentle catch to Andy Umeed at mid-on. The following over saw Craig Overton force a defensive edge from Jacob Bethell through to wicketkeeper James Rew.Barnard remained a solid presence, having moved to a chanceless half-century off 94 balls, with eight fours. He was unbeaten on 79 at tea, sensibly picking the right balls to attack, and had helped his side to 214 for 6, with the help of Burgess, on 33 not out.Somerset began the final session with the occasional leg-spin of Umeed, who was quickly dispatched for six by Burgess over a short leg-side boundary. It proved a solitary over as Leach changed ends to good effect.Burgess moved to an impressive fifty off 87 balls, with five fours and a six, but Barnard fell unexpectedly with the stand on 99 as the England left-arm spinner bowled him attempting to cut a slightly quicker delivery.Barnard had faced 159 balls and struck 12 fours on the ground where he claimed his best Championship bowling figures of 6 for 37 (11 for 89 in match) for Worcestershire in 2018.A Burgess single of Leach took Warwickshire to a first batting point at 250 for 7. As the time for the second new ball approached, Burgess went on the attack, launching Leach for two sixes over long-on.It was 291 for 7 when the new ball was taken, with Burgess and Woakes looking well set. Woakes brought up 300 with a glorious cover driven four off Overton as Somerset’s bowling lacked the accuracy of the pre-lunch session.Burgess went to three figures with a straight drive for two off Overton, having faced 146 balls and hit 10 fours and three sixes. The pitch was offering precious little seam movement as he and Woakes batted with increasing comfort and aggression.Woakes suffered a couple of painful blows, one to his right hand, but the England allrounder battled bravely through until chipping a catch to Umeed at mid-on to give Pretorius his fourth wicket. Michael Booth then survived a caught and bowled chance to Davey to increase Somerset frustration.