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The allrounder, who was in remarkable form for Nottinghamshire in the county season, will join the team after completing his stint in the BPL

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2017Wellington have added England allrounder Samit Patel to their ranks in their bid for a second successive Super Smash title this season.Patel was in remarkable form for Nottinghamshire in the 2017 domestic season, helping the side win both the white-ball tournaments – the Royal London Cup and the Natwest t20 Blast – and secure a promotion in the County Championship.He was Nottinghamshire’s leading run-scorer in the Championship with 906 at 53.29 and also claimed 19 wickets. He also topped the county’s run chart in the Royal London Cup – and was fourth overall – with 539 at 67.37, before adding 405 runs and 16 wickets in the T20 Blast. His performances earned him the Player-of-the-Year title at the Professional Cricketers’ Awards in October.Patel will join Wellington at the end of his stint with the Rajshahi Kings in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League. While the Super Smash gets underway on December 13, Wellington are scheduled to play their first match on December 15, against Northern Districts.”Our aim is simple: we’re looking to play entertaining, positive cricket. As we saw last year, that recipe leads to success when it’s well-executed,” Wellington coach Bruce Edgar, said. “For the upcoming campaign, we identified a need to complement our squad with a quality all-rounder. With a career featuring more than 200 T20 matches, including 18 internationals, and impressive strike rates with both bat and ball, we’re excited to have Samit joining the team to fill that role.”

Moeen Ali will play in England’s two-day warm-up match against a CA XI as a specialist batsman, regretting an injured spinning finger that has undermined his tour

George Dobell in Perth08-Dec-2017Moeen Ali feels he has “let down the team and the captain” with his bowling in the first couple of Ashes Tests.Moeen, who has struggled with a finger injury throughout the series, has claimed only two wickets in the first two games. And with the Australian off-spinner, Nathan Lyon, both threatening and offering his captain control, Moeen has suffered by comparison. To rub salt in the wound, Lyon has dismissed Moeen in all four innings in the series to date.Moeen’s problems started within the first few days of the tour. After sustaining a side strain in training, he was unable to play in the first couple of warm-up games and, as a consequence, came into the first Test both lacking rhythm and having failed to harden his spinning finger sufficiently after a lengthy rest at the end of the English season.That meant he cut his finger within minutes of starting to bowl in the first Test – he feels the Kookuburra ball has a sharper seam and he was brought into the attack after just eight overs when that seam was still proud and hard – and has been inconvenienced by the injury ever since.While Moeen will captain the England side playing a two-day warm-up match against a CA XI over the weekend – the only man from the Adelaide Test team to appear in the match – he will not bowl. Although he accepts he could do with the overs, he also feels the finger requires more rest if he is to have a chance of bowling pain-free in Perth. He’s heard all the theories about soaking his hands in everything from olive oil to urine – “That cannot be right,” he says of the latter, “I think it’s a myth” – but at this point he is just allowing time to heal.As a result, he will play the warm-up game as a specialist batsman in a bid to both find some form – he scored only 27 in the Adelaide Test – and acclimatise to conditions in Perth. Although the pitch at Richardson Park (the venue for the warm-up game) is not expected to offer as much bounce as the Test surface at the WACA, it is still expected to be fast by English standards. The hot weather in Perth also promises to be a challenge.While he has tended to play down the extent of the injury – “I don’t want to make excuses,” he says, “I haven’t bowled great,” – he does admit, when pressed, that it has “probably played a part” in his underperformance. “I couldn’t feel the ball in my fingers during the first Test, he says. “It was really sore. And at the end of the second, it ripped again.”I need to bowl but I don’t want it to rip again. It’s much better but in the second innings in Adelaide it started to rip again. So I’m not going to bowl. I’m going to let it heal more.”You feel like you’ve let the team down and the captain down especially. Lyon is bowling so well. So you end up comparing yourself to him and then you try even harder. And he’s got me out four times…”I’ve always said ‘it’s just a game of cricket.’ But the only time I feel pressure is when I feel I’ve let the team down. That is the only thing.Moeen was man of the series against South Africa. He took 25 wickets at 15.64 in the four-Test series and scored decent runs at Old Trafford and Lord’s, but he never assumed that further success was inevitable.”I knew when everything was going well in the summer that there would be a time when things didn’t go so well,” he said. “I think this just shows where I am as a cricketer and a spinner.”I was picked as a second spinner, ended up No. 1 and now I’ve come here and not bowled well. I just feel there’s a lot of work to be done with my bowling. It needs to get better. I believe I can turn it around.”Moeen’s innate modesty is usually a fine quality. Coming out to bat in the first Test, he was greeted by David Warner telling him he was batting a place too high at No. 6. He defused any tension, however, by replying “I’m two places too high, mate.” Warner, wrong-footed by a brand of self-deprecation with which you suspect he is not familiar, was silenced. Momentarily, at least.Saqlian Mushtaq examines Moeen Ali’s injured finger•AFP

But there are times when you wonder if the modesty betrays a genuine lack of confidence. With the ball, in particular. Certainly he has always said he prefers to play as part of a two-man spin attack and it was noticeable that perhaps his finest performance to date – the 10-wicket match against South Africa at Lord’s – came after the England management made it very clear that Liam Dawson was the side’s No. 1 spinner.With Ben Stokes unavailable, however, England are struggling to find any balanced side that can contain two spinners in this series. While they might have been able to find room for a spinner who could bat – the likes of Samit Patel or Adil Rashid should surely have been included in this squad once the selectors knew Stokes was likely to be unavailable – it is hard to find room for Mason Crane or Jack Leach without either weakening the seam bowling or the batting. So Moeen has to bowl and he has to bowl better.At least he is not shocked by the intensity of the series. While Joe Root compared his first Ashes tour experience as akin to “stepping into a conservatory door,” Moeen says it has “not been as intense as I thought it would be.”And while he says there has been a fair amount of “chirp” on the field, he does not feel any of the sledging aimed at him in this series has been inappropriate or unusual, even if one comment from a spectator – “somebody asked me when my kebab shop opened” – may well have overstepped the mark. The generous interpretation might be they knew of Moeen’s ambition to open a chip shop – ‘Big Mo’s’ – after his playing career.”I thought Brisbane would have a lot more of a buzz,” he says. “It has been pretty quiet to be honest. There’s been some chirp. Nothing very funny or original. And both sides have done it.”I don’t say anything back. With kids watching at home, I don’t want to let them down. I just get on with my game. It doesn’t bother me at all.”Few players trained on Friday. While a couple of Australian newspapers raised eyebrows at England taking a break after Adelaide (‘They have this cricket lark sorted,’ was the gist of it, ‘so they don’t need to train’), the team management reasoned that a mental and physical break from the game would serve them best. Most of the Test squad will train only once over the weekend, too.The last time England were here in an Ashes series – both literally and metaphorically – the squad was miserable and divided. Towards the end of the series, they underwent a legendarily grim fitness session that resulted only in injuring Boyd Rankin who was then too intimidated by Andy Flower (think of Jack Bauer in 24) to inform him he was unfit for the Test that followed.There will be none of that this time. It remains an upbeat, united squad and it’s that spirit – rather than any benefits that might be gained by another net session in a career that must have already included thousands – that will give them their best hope of achieving a miraculous comeback in the coming days.

The opener smashed an unbeaten 101 off 102 balls to steer a chase of 217 and give the side an unprecedented fourth Under-19 World Cup title

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Mount Maunganui03-Feb-2018
India sauntered to a record fourth Under-19 World Cup title in front of a partisan crowd of 4000 odd at Bay Oval, to finish an unbeaten campaign that had begun against Australia at the same venue three weeks ago. The margin of victory then was 100 runs, and it was comprehensive in the grand final as well – eight wickets.To win the tournament, India pulled off their second highest successful chase in U-19 World Cups, after the 226 to beat Australia in Townsville in 2012. Unmukt Chand had led that chase with a sublime century, and on Saturday another Delhi boy, Manjot Kalra, reprised the feat. In the tournament opener against Australia, Kalra had missed his century by 14 runs in an effort to hit out; he was unbeaten on 101 off 102 balls in the final.Kalra, driven by instinct and hand-eye coordination, powered India along with fellow opener Prithvi Shaw, after a short rain delay four overs into the chase. It began with a free-hit which he biffed for six, and the high notes came when he took Jack Edwards for three boundaries in the 11th over. When Will Sutherland got one to move away and bowl Shaw for 29, India were 71 for 1.0:44

Manjot Kalra: Fifth batsman to score a ton in an U-19 World Cup final

Australia’s relief was short lived, as they watched the in-form Shubman Gill – averaging over 100 in Youth ODIs and having made six successive 50-plus scores – play three exquisite cover drives within five minutes of his arrival at the crease. Kalra went on to bring up a 47-ball half-century. The signs were ominous for Australia there on and Kalra finished with a strike rate of nearly 100, having struck eight fours and three sixes. Wicketkeeper-batsman Harvik Desai chipped in with a spunky 47 and it was his sliced four over backward point that triggered manic celebrations in the Indian camp.However, to say India’s win was down to just their batting would not do justice to left-arm spinner Shiva Singh. Despite not having taken a wicket in the tournament, Shiva had kept his spot because of his economy and ability to maintain pressure in the middle overs. In the final, he made a telling contribution – 10-0-36-2.Nathan McSweeney’s dismissal for 23 was particularly significant because Australia were just starting to accelerate going into the last 10 overs of their innings. Looking to nudge the ball on the leg side, McSweeney was deceived in flight and lobbed a simple return catch. In his next over, Shiva removed Will Sutherland with an arm ball that held its line to flick the inside edge to the wicketkeeper. The catch was the start of a turnaround for Desai, who had earlier missed two half-chances off Australia’s openers.ICC/Getty Images

Max Bryant, who had tallied just 93 runs in five innings coming into the final, looked in sparkling touch until he slapped Ishan Porel’s short ball straight to Abhishek Sharma at cover point to give India an opening. Edwards carried on, hitting Shivam Mavi for back-to-back boundaries in the seventh over to sustain Australia’s aggression. With Australia having raised their fifty in the 10th over and the pitch holding no demons, Edwards and Jason Sangha had an opportunity to press on.That wasn’t to be, as Porel claimed his second wicket when Edwards punched a short delivery straight to Kamlesh Nagarkoti at cover. It should have been 53 for 3 almost immediately, but for Desai’s reprieve of Jonathan Merlo on 0 as he attempted a cut off Shiva in the 11th over. Desai found redemption in the next over , when he dived full length to his right to snaffle Sangha. Australia were in trouble at 59 for 3.Param Uppal, Australia’s top scorer in the domestic Under-19 tournament in the lead-up to the World Cup, brought a sense of calm to proceedings. He exhibited a strong back-foot game against pace and equal adeptness against spin to milk runs through conventional means. Uppal’s confidence rubbed off on Merlo, who wasn’t afraid to experiment. He played reverse-sweeps and delicate paddles and they raised a half-century stand in 11.2 overs.As Merlo grew in confidence, he wasn’t afraid to get across the stumps and sweep left-arm spinner Anukul Roy against the turn. Australia looked to shift gears, but lost Uppal for 34 when he chipped a leading edge back to Roy. The two deliveries leading up the wicket had played their part: Roy had seen Uppal charge down and shortened his length, and then fired the next one full. Off the third, he deceived Uppal in flight as the batsman looked to work the ball against the turn.McSweeney then came in and played some sublime shots, but the pattern of batsmen wasting starts just when Australia looked to take off continued. From 183 for 4, Australia collapsed. losing their last six wickets for 33 runs to leave 16 deliveries unused in their innings.India started their chase aggressively, with Shaw unfurling three exquisite cover drives. Then his trigger movement of having his back foot move towards the leg side worked against him. Gill had the opportunity to move past Alick Athanaze as the leading run-getter in the tournament. His 30-ball 31 was attractive, but he was out charging the offspinner Uppal.By then, India had powered to 131 for 2, and Kalra took charge and led his team to Under-19 World Cup glory.

Seamer Mohammad Naveed contributed much to PNG’s slide, taking career-best ODI figures of 5 for 28

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018Peter Della Penna

Mahuru Dai receives one demerit point

Papua New Guinea allrounder Mahuru Dai has received an official warning and one demerit point for violating Article 2.1.8 of the ICC code of conduct, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match”.
The incident occurred during PNG’s revised chase of 170, after Dai was caught by the substitute fielder off Rohan Mustafa. Dai admitted the offence, and accepted the sanction.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) kicked off their World Cup Qualifiers campaign on a very positive note, easing past Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a rain-hit encounter in Harare. PNG’s target was revised from 222 to 170 from 28 after a rain break, and they didn’t get close, folding for 113. Seamer Mohammad Naveed contributed much to this slide, taking career-best ODI figures of 5 for 28.At one point PNG looked in danger of missing out on triple digits, falling to 70 for 8; none of their top five got past 12, and the innings’ top score was 24 from No. 6 Charles Amini who was eventually run out.It was PNG who chose to chase, and UAE looked like there were keen to make them pay for this decision from the outset. Their openers Rohan Mustafa and Ashfaq Ahmed put on 91 at a brisk pace, but none could kick on to big hundreds. PNG enjoyed some relief after Ashfaq fell for 50 off 56, taking two more quick wickets.The UAE middle order could not quite get going thereafter, and Mustafa was kept in check too – he eventually fell five short of a hundred, having played out 136 balls. PNG must have felt relieved to have only 222 to chase, given UAE’s start. However, rain and Naveed intervened and spoiled those plans.

Luke Ronchi smashes PSL’s fastest half-century in Islamabad United’s record win; Karachi Kings to meet winner of Quetta and Peshawar in eliminator

The Report by Danyal Rasool18-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLuke Ronchi didn’t particularly need to do too much on Sunday to be in contention for player of the tournament, but he almost sealed that award with a blistering innings – by far the most devastating one in the tournament’s short history. Ninety-four were smashed off 39 balls, 78 off which came through boundaries as Islamabad romped to their second final. The margin of victory in terms of balls remaining (45) was the biggest in the tournament.Karachi looked to bowl at Ronchi’s body without a square leg in place, and he dispatched three boundaries off the first over by Mohammad Amir to set the wheels in motion. The Powerplay was just an inexorable tidal wave of fours and sixes, with no bowler allowed a spell of more than one over, such command did Ronchi have over every one of them. Sixty-nine were carted off the first five overs as he raced to the fastest-ever PSL 50 – off just 19 balls, and the contest was over embarrassingly quickly. Sahibzada Farhan, and later Alex Hales and Samit Patel provided able support, but the day was all about Ronchi, who sealed his side’s place in next Sunday’s final with aplomb.Karachi may rue a strangely conservative batting performance. They didn’t look to attack till the 14-over mark. That was especially troubling given Eoin Morgan, who elected to bat, assessed the pitch as “excellent to bat on.” Even though Colin Ingram injected urgency with a strokeful half-century, they were well behind the par score. Seventy-three came off the last six, thanks largely to Ingram’s 29-ball 68. Yet, it never felt enough.Where the match was won
From the start, Karachi’s strategy – if indeed that’s what it was – looked odd. Joe Denly and Khurram Manzoor spent the first over blocking and nudging Samit Patel. Okay, that was Patel, and he has been dangerous early on. Yes, they lost two early wickets, but even that couldn’t explain the decision to persist with that strategy up until the 14th over. This meant they were at least 30 runs behind par, with virtually no chance of making all that up at the death. Ronchi’s innings wasn’t a flash in the pan either; he’s been at his belligerent best all tournament, so they would have been aware of the need for a big total. Whether they got their tactics wrong is a valid question to ask of Karachi.All about Ronchi
Ronchi enjoys width, so Amir tried to cramp him for room. He responded by smashing three boundaries to ruin that plan one over into the innings. He likes pace on the ball, so Shahid Afridi was summoned for the third over despite not having bowled in the Powerplay before in the tournament. He went for 14 off five balls. All this amounted to him eclipsing Umar Akmal’s previous record to bring up the tournament’s fastest half-century off 19 balls. Ronchi now holds the four fastest PSL half-centuries this year.Once he reached fifty, he did give Karachi chances; he was dropped off consecutive balls on 56 and 57, and later by Afridi when
on 74, but by then he had guided the team total past 100. It took Islamabad just 8.3 overs to get there, the quickest in PSL history.Where they stand

Islamabad’s comprehensive victory takes them through to Sunday’s final. For Karachi to get to their home ground for the grand finale, they will have to beat the winner of Peshawar and Quetta in the eliminator.

Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Nasir Hossain struck centuries to help Abahani Limited retain their status as the most successful domestic cricket team in Bangladesh

Mohammad Isam05-Apr-2018Abahani Limited lifted their 19th Dhaka Premier League title following a 94-run win against Legends of Rupganj in the Super League’s last round, retaining their status as the most successful domestic cricket team in Bangladesh. In front of a raucous crowd at the BKSP-3 ground, Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Nasir Hossain struck centuries as Abahani posted 374 for 6, before Rupganj were bowled out for 280.Shanto struck 113 off 107 balls, his fourth hundred in this season’s DPL, and included 11 fours and two sixes. Nasir’s 129 was his first century of the season, coming off just 91 balls with 15 fours and four sixes. He also survived three dropped catches.Shanto added a 91-run opening stand, with Anamul Haque who made 57. Shanto then added 187 runs for the fourth wicket with Nasir, before Mashrafe Mortaza hit four sixes in an unbeaten 28 off just eight balls. Parvez Rasool was the pick of the Rupganj bowlers, taking 3 for 42.Mohammad Naim and Mushfiqur Rahim added 91 runs for the third wicket after Rupganj lost two early wickets. Naim and Mushfiqur made 70 and 67 respectively before Naeem Islam top-scored with 76. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Sandip Roy and Nasir took two wickets each.Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity meanwhile ended Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club‘s title hopes by handing them a four-wicket defeat in Mirpur. Batting first, Dhanmondi Club were bowled out for 160 in 49 overs. Nurul Hasan top-scored with 47 while Robiul Islam, Ashok Menaria and Mohammad Saddam took two wickets each.In reply, Khelaghar reached the target in 36.5 overs with Nazimuddin top-scoring with 61. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam took five wickets.Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club beat Gazi Group Cricketers by five wickets at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed took four wickets while Arafat Sunny picked up three wickets as Gazi Group were bowled out for 95 runs. Doleshwar reached the target in 24 overs, losing five wickets. Abu Hider took three wickets. Abu Sayeem top-scored with 36 off 32 balls.

Olly Stone has the ability to bowl quickly and, even though it is April and wickets are tumbling everywhere, his career-best display at Edgbaston brought excitement

George Dobell15-Apr-2018
ScorecardIt generally pays to apply some scepticism to large hauls taken at this time of year. English pitches in April can flatter bowlers who might, on the surfaces prevalent in international cricket, look relatively toothless.But Olly Stone’s career-best haul against Sussex was a bit different. This haul was largely in spite of the surface – which was, inevitably in the circumstances, not especially quick – and not due as much to a ball that nibbled or swung much, but a ball that was propelled at unusual pace.The wicket of Luke Wright was especially eye-catching. Wright, an experienced international player, attempted to duck a well-directed short ball but could only manage to fend it off his face and to the keeper. It was the sort of dismissal that will have England coach Trevor Bayliss, watching the highlights in Australia, salivating. He has wanted such fire-power for some time.Taken in isolation, some of the other wickets might appear to owe something to fortune. Stiaan van Zyl, for example, edged his attempted upper cut to a short, wide delivery, while Michael Burgess’ impressive innings ended when he edged another attempted cut.But pace can provoke such errors. And, as Stone hurried and harried the batsmen, it became apparent that he rushed them as few can in English cricket at present. After a winter in which England’s lack of pace became painfully apparent – they have not won any of their most recent 13 Tests away from home – his success is timely.Stone has long been well thought off by the England management. He represented England U19, he has been on fast bowling programmes and he was invited to bowl at the Ashes squad during the recent Australia tour, when he was in the country playing club cricket. His success does not come out of the blue.Olly Stone in his Northants days•Getty Images

But there had been doubts over his fitness. This was only his second Championship match since a potentially career ending injury sustained in June 2016 (he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament when celebrating the wicket of Moeen Ali in a T20 game against Worcestershire) and to respond so dramatically – he has taken all six wickets to fall so far – was hugely encouraging.It took Stone only two deliveries to make the breakthrough. Phil Salt, who until then had looked comfortable, was undone by some late swing as he attempted to turn a fall delivery into the leg side only to see it take his leading edge and send a catch to point. Luke Wells wafted at one that may have left him a fraction and Harry Finch attempted to hook one that bounced more than he expected, took the top-edge and looped to short-leg. In conditions where the ball stopped swinging pretty early – Warwickshire’s bowlers felt the wet outfield was the cause – he continued to pitch the ball up, went round the wicket to the left handers and used the short ball sparingly but effectively. Four of the wickets came from shortish deliveries; Sussex’s top five were all dismissed in his first spell.Is talk of an England call-up premature? Maybe. Certainly Stone will have to back this performance up a couple of times before the first Test squad is picked in just over a month. But at a time when there is an acceptance that a new formula is required by England, Stone has skills that render him one to be watched.There are other options, of course. There’s Jamie Overton at Somerset. There’s Zak Chappell at Leicestershire. There’s the Toms – Barber and Helm – at Middlesex and a few more (George Garton, Josh Tongue, Stuart Meaker, Mark Wood etc) besides. But some of them aren’t playing and some of them aren’t taking wickets. A good few weeks here could catapult any of them into the mix. Stone’s early impression is not irrelevant.If nothing else, though, this performance – on his home, Championship debut – marked a heartening step forward. He has endured a long wait since that miserable day when he sustained the injury. There were, he admits, a few dark moments when he wondered if he would ever make it back. Few would begrudge him this success.It might also serve as a reminder of the value of the ‘smaller’ counties. Stone, like Ben Duckett, developed through the Northants youth system. While the likes of Northants and Leicestershire (where Chappell is developing nicely) may not have excelled in Championship cricket of late, so long as they continue to produce players, they serve a valuable function. It’s also worth noting the contribution of Norfolk – and the other non-first-class counties – where Stone’s journey began.Earlier Warwickshire went within one run of gaining a third batting bonus point before Ishant Sharma punished Tim Ambrose’s attempt to flick one into the leg side. Still the thenth-wicket stand of 77 had taken Warwickshire’s total far above what seemed likely when they sank to 147 for six mid-way through day two. It is just a shame that the rain that robbed us of the first four sessions of the match returned for much of the third and looks certain to have the final word.

The team’s visit to the First World War battlefields of the Western front ahead of their England assignment was “a real eye-opener”, according to captain Tim Paine

Daniel Brettig04-Jun-2018If the timing of the Australian team’s visit to the First World War battlefields of the Western front was coincidental with the start of a new era for the side, it was still quite fitting for the group to be humbled by newfound knowledge of history, and to get a fresh perspective from outside the team “bubble”.A three-day tour of Western France and Belgium, culminating in the squad’s participation in the evening ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, had been a discussion point for team manager Gavin Dovey and former coach Darren Lehmann for quite some time, but the Newlands ball-tampering scandal ensured that it would be undertaken by the first touring team helmed by Justin Langer.This, in turn, provided a link to a couple of rather different Australian team trips to scenes of conflict – Gallipoli in 2001 and France in 2005 – that Langer participated in as a player. There had been criticism in 2001 particularly, as the team donned military slouch hats and re-enacted a photograph of cricket being played on Shell Green, but this time the visit was more immersive and low-key, devised to generate deeper understanding of events of more than a century ago.The image of the national team took an amighty battering in South Africa, costing Steven Smith and David Warner their leadership positions and alongside Cameron Bancroft their Cricket Australia contracts. But the sight of a humbled successor Tim Paine reading the ode taken from Laurence Binyon’s poem “For the Fallen” at the Menin Gate, before Aaron Finch, Alex Carey, Jhye Richardson and D’Arcy Short laid wreaths, presented a contrasting picture.”We’ve come over to have a look at the Western Front, something that’s been in motion for probably a couple of years now. We thought was a good idea for the team to come over as young Australian men to retrace the steps of some really brave Australians over 100 years ago now,” captain Paine said. “It’s been a really great exercise for us as young men to come and learn more about that, and there’s lots we can take out of it.”We’ve seen so much stuff that I think we’d never thought we would have seen. I think it’s been amazing to go through the cemeteries and the battlegrounds and see how well they’ve been maintained. It’s been a real eye-opener, just the magnitude of it and the size of the cemeteries, there’s so much we can take away from it individually and as a group.”As a group [we’re] coming over to England now to play cricket, we’re obviously not going to war, but I think the importance of the things we can take from the men who came over so long ago is the teamwork and the mateship and the hard work and the things they did for each other. So we’re very lucky to be here playing a game of cricket, they came over here in really trying circumstances and did their best, and I think that’s something we can take from it going to England this week.”Paine, Langer and the rest of the squad spent time at battlefields including Fromelles and Passchendaele, two sights of enormous sacrifice by Australian troops amid the wider bloodbath of Allied offensive operations. Also contemplated was the vastness of the Tyne Cot cemetery and memorial, Pozieres, Amiens, Villers-Bretonneaux, and the Menin Gate, dedicated to the memory of more than 54,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the campaigns around the Ypres salient but whose bodies were never found.Some measure of the affect of these places came when Paine prepared for his reading of the ode as part of the nightly Menin Gate remembrance ceremony. “I was fine going down there because I thought it was a bit smaller than what it was. But once I got there and was introduced to the people who were running it, the lady said ‘have you got a hand card so you can read it out?’ I said ‘no I’m all good, got it in the mind’ and she said, ‘I think it’d be a good idea if you took a card up, we’ve had army generals here before who’ve forgotten the words’. So thankfully I took a hand card up with me, because as soon as I stood up there I actually forgot the first line.”It was a bit overwhelming to be honest, I was really privileged as a young Australian cricketer getting to stand where we were last night. To read the ode is a bit of an honour to the people who have come over here and fought so hard for us. I probably didn’t realise again the magnitude of that until we got there. I was expecting just us and a handful of people. To see so many people there, and something that’s done every night there, it was amazing, and the magnitude of it hit me when I walked out to read the ode. I realised how privileged and lucky I was to be given the right to go and do that.”After the trip to mainland Europe, the touring party returned to London for more typical training preparation ahead of their five-match ODI series against England, with two warm-up matches to be played against county sides. Paine reckoned that the experience would doubtless enhance his efforts alongside Langer to foster a new attitude in the Australian side, as they juggle the demands of performance but also respect.”The main purpose of the trip was young Australian men coming over and trying to learn more about our history,” Paine said. “But one of the things, certainly, we’ve got out of this trip is two days together as a team and getting to know each other and talking to people and each other about things other than cricket, which we don’t actually get to do. It’s been a really worthwhile exercise, not just learning about our history, but from a team aspect to get to know people [from the cricket set-up] outside of cricket.”

Curran had been looking forward to seeing county attacks trying to keep Kohli quiet but now he knows that demanding task might fall to him

Andrew McGlashan01-Jul-2018Sam Curran has been savouring the “rollercoaster” for the last few weeks after earning England debuts in Tests and ODIs and is now eyeing up a chance to challenge himself against Virat Kohli after missing out playing alongside him for Surrey.Kohli had been due to play a month with Surrey in preparation for India’s tour of England but a neck injury sustained towards the end of the IPL put paid to that. Curran had been looking forward to seeing county attacks trying to keep Kohli quiet but now he knows that demanding task might fall to him as part of England’s T20I squad for the three-match series, which starts at Old Trafford on Tuesday, where Curran would complete a hat-trick of debuts in a little over month should he play.”I was pretty excited when he was meant to be my team-mate at Surrey and I was expecting to be laughing at the other county bowlers,” Curran said. “Now if I get the chance it’ll be my chance to get taken down! It’ll be fun.”You want to play against these big names and test yourself, find out where you need to improve. All the Surrey boys were gutted he didn’t come because we were expecting some big crowds and learning the way he trains, apparently he’s a freak in the gym, so it would have been special to work with him.”India, who completed a 2-0 T20I series win over Ireland last week, should prove a much sterner challenge than Australia provided, with Kohli part of a power-packed batting line-up. England, though, have had a stellar season in the white-ball game having whitewashed Australia in the ODIs, during which they piled up a men’s world-record 481, then careered to 221 in the T20I at Edgbaston.

Sam Curran on…

His first Test wicket “In two years’ time I’ll say Keaton was fielding at first slip! It was pretty special and I won’t forget it for a long time.”
Being England’s youngest ODI wicket-taker “Those are just stats that just come along the way. After my first two overs I thought it would be a pretty long day and that I’d end up going for 100! Luckily enough it swung round quickly and I’ll take those couple of wickets.”
His future role “Definitely I see myself at 4, 5, 6, especially higher up in one-day cricket. Maybe a bit like Stokesy does for England, I could see myself doing that at Surrey. Who knows how it’ll pan out over the next couple of years but I do want to be a batter who bowls, but it will always be tough to get up the order when you’re bowling as much as I am.”
Amar Virdi’s wicket celebrations “I think he is slowly starting to realise he’s got to save his energy in a long four-day game! They are getting smaller and smaller. There was another big one when he got [Cheteshwar] Pujara out. Your emotions take over and you lose control.”
Surrey’s T20 Blast hopes “We go into the Blast every year with some serious names. We have [Aaron] Finch and [Jason] Roy up top who is pretty explosive, and we’ve signed Nic Maddinson to slot in behind them after a couple of games. Morne Morkel is a massive signing, and is scaring a few people in four-day cricket and with a packed house at The Oval it’ll be the same. Everyone wants to get to Finals Day so hopefully we can be there.”

Curran was drafted into England’s ODI squad for the final two matches against Australia and, for a short while, batted alongside Jos Buttler in the early stages of his magnificent century at Old Trafford to seal the whitewash. “Bowling at Kohli is probably like what other teams think bowling at England at the moment,” he said. “They are special, particularly on these wickets.”Curran overcame an expensive start on his ODI debut at Old Trafford to grab two middle-order wickets making him England’s youngest one-day wicket-taker ahead of Stuart Broad and it included the sight of Ashton Agar leaving a straight delivery. “I was surprised if I’m honest. Even Jos, as soon as it left my hand, he said, this is ending badly. One of those, [Kumar Sangakkara] was saying it pitched on middle and hit middle, but I’ll take it!”His white-ball debut followed a maiden Test match against Pakistan at Headingley. He joked that in years to come he’ll describe his first wicket as caught slip, rather than Shadab Khan being taken at deep midwicket, but said it was “surreal” to be part of the attack.”It’s been a pretty special couple of weeks. Wouldn’t have thought it at the start of the summer, thought I’d just deal with my Surrey stuff but that’s how things go, you just get on a roll and ride the rollercoaster and just try to enjoy it. Watching Jimmy and Broad on the sofa and then next thing I know I’m stood at mid-on watching while they are steaming in. It’s pretty surreal. I won’t forget it.”As it stands, Curran is not part of the one-day squad to face India although that may change if his brother, Tom, does not shake off a side strain which will keep him out of at least the first T20I. There could be the chance of an England Lions appearance in the four-day match against India later in July and Curran will remain in the Test mix when Ben Stokes is unavailable for the Lord’s Test against India due to his trial in Bristol.In the shorter-term, however, Curran will switch his focus back to Surrey duty and the Vitality T20 Blast. Curran is one of a host of young players making a big impression with the county who are top of the County Championship. Earlier this season Curran played alongside Ryan Patel, Amar Virdi and Ollie Pope as the first quartet of teenagers in a Championship side in the post-war era and he hopes their success can move into the T20 format.”It’s been pretty mad,” he said. “I started first, then Ollie Pope came through last year in T20s, and Ryan Patel and Amar Virdi in the four-day stuff. This year Will Jacks is in. I have played with them since U-15s and some of them have played together since U-9s or below. It’s pretty cool, some of the wickets Amar Virdi has got this year is amazing. He has got some serious players out when filling the shoes of Batts. Pope has three hundreds this year. He whacked it in T20s and has taken it to four-day stuff. Hopefully it carries on.”

After being dropped first ball, the allrounder smashed the fastest CPL hundred to help Jamaica chase down 224 from 41 for 5

The Report by Peter Della Penna11-Aug-2018
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When Ali Khan took three wickets inside the first three overs to reduce Jamaica Tallawahs to 15 for 3 in a chase of 224, the USA seamer was matching his captain Dwayne Bravo move for move in a Trinbago Knight Riders dance-off. One false step in the field by Khan a few overs later and the party was over for the hosts at Port-of-Spain.Khan spilled Andre Russell’s first ball at deep square leg in the seventh over off a top-edged sweep against Fawad Ahmed. The Jamaican then went onto a 40-ball hundred – the fastest in the CPL – in a record chase as Tallawahs won with three balls to spare.Along with a hat-trick in the 20th over of the first innings, Russell’s 121 not out off 49 balls that included 13 sixes, capped one of the greatest all-round individual performances in T20 cricket.Munro keeps motoring
Colin Munro’s excellent early season form continued. Entering seven balls into the match after Sunil Narine miscued an Imad Wasim arm ball, Munro produced his second half-century in three days, adding 98 for the second wicket with Chris Lynn. However, he was hardly the star of the innings, and would be well back in the queue of spectacular performances by the end of the night.Belligerent Baz
Brendon McCullum was scratchy early on, following the loss of Munro with the score 130 for 3 in the 14th over. He was on 7 off 12 balls before a full toss from Kemar Roach in the 17th over helped to loosen him up. That boundary commenced his second 12-ball stretch which netted 43 runs as Knight Riders raced past 200 on the back of McCullum’s 24-ball half-century. He was especially brutal against Roach in the 19th over, wrecking him for 30 runs that included a no-ball hit for six.Russell tricks TKR
A four by McCullum off the first ball of the 20th over set the record for the highest ever CPL total at 216 for 3, but the next three balls went a long way towards allowing the record-setting first-innings score to become a record-setting chase. McCullum miscued a full toss next ball from Russell to long-on to end an 86-run partnership with Darren Bravo.Darren Bravo then dragged a wide yorker onto his stumps on the next ball before Denesh Ramdin yanked a slower bouncer to deep midwicket to complete Russell’s hat-trick, only the second one in CPL history after a trio of googlies netted Rashid Khan the first one for Guyana Amazon Warriors last season against the Tallawahs. A dot and a six off the final two legitimate balls to Javon Searles ended an adventurous 10-run final over, one in which Russell did far more damage in the final calculation.From hero to goat
Khan built on his brilliant spell from Wednesday night and struck three times in six balls against Tallawahs. He first cramped Glenn Phillips to create a catch at short third man. Two balls later, Andre McCarthy was bounced out and beaten for pace, attempting to pull Khan, which resulted in a simple catch to mid-on. Khan’s adrenaline was pumping when he had Ross Taylor pinned on the crease in his next over. He ended his opening spell with 3 for 15.Shannon Gabriel had Rovman Powell chopping on later in the Powerplay to make it 16 for 4. Fawad Ahmed took over for Khan in the seventh over and just as he did two nights earlier against St Lucia Stars struck first ball once again with a googly, trapping Johnson Charles to make it 41 for 5.It should have been 41 for 6 on the very next ball when Russell’s slog sweep swirled in the air toward Khan at deep square leg, but Khan misjudged the chance and nearly overran it coming in from the boundary, switching his hand position at the last moment to reach behind his head before the ball burst through his fingertips.Russell’s record-setting night
When the ball went tumbling off Khan’s hands to the ground, it set the stage for a series of records to tumble over the course of the next hour. The fastest CPL hundred entering the night had been done by Russell in the 2016 playoffs against TKR off 42 balls. He went two better on this night.If Russell sped along to his century like a Ferrari, Kennar Lewis drove a stagecoach in comparison as he took 34 balls to reach a half-century, though in reality much of his innings was spent tapping singles to get Russell on strike. The pair teamed in a 161-run stand that equaled the best for any wicket in the CPL while setting a world record for the sixth wicket in T20 cricket, going 35 better than Calum MacLeod and John Hastings had done for Durham against Northants in the Natwest T20 Blast in 2014.Russell brought up his century with his 12th six, breaking a CPL mark for the most in an innings jointly held by Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle. Kennar Lewis fell in the next over to Fawad, caught at long-on, but by that point they had narrowed the equation to 22 off 14 balls. Two overs later, Russell clattered his 13th six to end the match with room to spare, putting the finishing touches on a memorable captaincy debut.