English duo sign up for maiden BBL campaigns

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2021Perth Scorchers have signed the English duo of Laurie Evans and Brydon Carse for their upcoming Big Bash campaign.Evans, the Surrey batter, has not been capped but built up an impressive record on the T20 circuit in recent years, featuring in leagues in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.Durham seamer Carse made his England debut during the ODI series against Pakistan in the northern summer, when he was called up after a Covid outbreak. Both players were involved in the Hundred and will be making their first appearances in the Big Bash, with the competition due to start on December 5.Related

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“Laurie is a top player who will bring versatility, power and experience to the team, he is a great competitor, and we look forward to welcoming him to the Scorchers,” Perth Scorchers head coach, Adam Voges, said.”Brydon is an impressive young talent who can make an impact with both ball and bat and has the ability to take the game away from any opposition.”Evans, 34, has played 184 times in T20 cricket and averages 33.85 with a strike rate of 133.88. His arrival will help cover for the absence of England batter Liam Livingstone, who made 426 runs at 30.42 last season.”I am chuffed to bits to be given the opportunity to play for the Scorchers this summer, they are a really successful team in the Big Bash,” he said. “I think over my career I have prided myself on being there at the end and winning games of cricket in tight situations, that’s what I’ll be looking to do.Laurie Evans featured for Oval Invincibles in the Hundred•Getty Images

“The Big Bash is certainly a tournament the world looks at as one of the biggest and I’m just really grateful to be given the opportunity to be a part of it.”Carse, a team-mate of Scorchers batter Cameron Bancroft at Durham, has only taken 21 wickets in his T20 career but enjoyed a productive summer across all formats. The 26-year-old claimed a maiden List A five-for in his second ODI appearance for England, and also showed his promise the with bat in scoring a 30-ball half-century in the Vitality Blast.”The Scorchers have been one of the top teams in the Big Bash for a number of years and to have the opportunity to play at Optus stadium in front of Scorchers fans will be special,” Carse said.”I’m hoping to create some match-winning performances with both bat and ball, I like to think I play my cricket with a smile on my face and enjoy it. The squad has a lot of depth in all departments and I’m very confident that we can go all the way – it’s exciting.”

Allrounder prepared to play through pain again but will wait to see how side strain responds to treatment

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2022Ben Stokes has said he wants to play in the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart but admitted his availability to feature as a specialist batter would depend on how his side strain responded to treatment, with the potential to do further damage ahead of England’s Test tour to the West Indies in March.Stokes suffered a “low grade tear” while bowling in Australia’s first innings in Sydney, but played on through the pain, scoring half-centuries in each innings as England fought their way to a draw – thus ending any prospect of being whitewashed 5-0 for the third time in 15 years.England saw a number of players sustain injuries over the course of five days at the SCG, the most serious being a finger fracture that has ruled Jos Buttler out of the final Test. Jonny Bairstow took a blow on the thumb on the way to scoring a first-innings hundred, with his fitness to play in Hobart also to be assessed.Related

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All three played their part in helping England get through the final day: Stokes scoring 60 off 123 balls, Bairstow 41 off 105 and Buttler 11 off 38.Writing in his newspaper column three days out from the fifth Test, Stokes said he couldn’t say “definitively” if he would be involved.”The big question now is whether I can play in the final game as a batsman or not,” he wrote in the . “I’m not going to say definitively just yet because there are still a few days to go and we need to see how I respond to the treatment, but what I will say is that I want to play.”If it is a question of playing through a bit of pain, I know it is not going to be as bad as it was in Sydney and I got through that okay. But there are other things to consider such as the West Indies tour to come and the likelihood of doing more damage.”Stokes came into the Sydney Test with a top-score of 34 from six innings, but found some form with the bat after being forced off midway through an over on the second day. He stayed on the field, despite the injury, to ensure he would not have to give up his spot at No. 5.”I’ve never had a side strain before but when I bowled the ball that caused the low grade tear, it must be what surgery without the anaesthetic feels like, it was agony,” Stokes said. “As painful as it was, amazingly it is not the most pain that I have been in on a cricket field. That will always belong to my broken finger, but this comes a close second.”The medics and Graham Thorpe suggested perhaps I shouldn’t field, but I felt I needed to be out there to give some support to the team especially when the bowlers were having to step up and bowl my overs.”Stokes suffered the strain after being brought on for a sustained spell of short-pitched bowling, but denied England’s choice of tactics contributed to situation.”Some people might have an issue with the type of bowling, but it could happen bowling normally and I can’t start worrying about getting injured, otherwise I’m not doing my job properly. Anytime you bowl in a Test match there is a risk of injury.”

Nation was stretchered off while Taylor was hit on the helmet and suffered concussion

Firdose Moonda03-Feb-2022West Indies lost Chedean Nation and Stafanie Taylor to on-field injuries during the third ODI against South Africa, who won the fixture by 96 runs. The four-match series is level at 1-1, with one game to play.Nation was stretchered off the field in the 40th over of the South African innings after tumbling while trying to stop a Mignon du Preez boundary. She was at midwicket as du Preez swiped, Nation ran in, slipped and fell head over heels. She was unmoved as the ball crossed the boundary and required 12 minutes of on-field treatment before being taken off.Earlier, in the 36th over, Nation had jammed her shoulder into the ground as she attempted to stop the ball and though she appeared to recover quite quickly, it may have been the initial blow which forced her off the field. She was taken to hospital “out of an abundance of caution”, according to the West Indies media manager.A little more than 90 minutes later, Taylor copped a blow to the helmet off a Nadine de Klerk bouncer. That was at the end of the 13th over and by the first ball of the 14th, Taylor, at the non-striker’s end, stood hunched over with her hands on her knees, shaking her head. She faced another delivery, took a single and then decided she could not continue. She received on-field assistance but walked off the field, pointing to her neck. Taylor was found to be concussed, and eventually replaced for the remainder of the game by Aaliyah Alleyne.South Africa posted their highest total against West Indies in a bid to level the series. Laura Wolvaardt scored her third ODI century and first against a top-eight rated team and shared in a 141-run third-wicket stand with Sune Luus to set South Africa up for their highest total against West Indies.”I felt like I wasn’t getting great starts,” Wolvaardt told the television broadcast after her innings. Her previous three knocks have not progressed past 25. “We focused on building a partnership that took up a lot of time and faced a lot of overs. It’s very nice to see what we can do if we actually do what we are supposed to and get it right.”Luus contributed 56 but the innings’ impetus came from Chloe Tyron, who smashed a 24-ball 43 to put South Africa in touching distance of 300. With South Africa scoring at a shade under six an over, Shakera Selman’s return of 0 for 39 in 10 was the most miserly of the bowling. Shamilia Connell, who conceded only 54 runs in her 10, finished with four wickets.The South Africa innings ended a ball short due to an umpiring error, which denied them the opportunity to bring up only their third total over 300. Still, it was too much for West Indies who started the innings without Nation and lost soon Taylor. By then, the series’ leading wicket-taker, Ayabonga Khaka, had removed both openers in her first two overs, making use of swing through the air on a humid Johannesburg evening.Kycia Knight’s 69 kept West Indies in the hunt but she holed out to long-on to become offspinner Raisibe Ntozakhe’s first victim since making her ODI comeback in this match. Ntozakhe was cleared to bowl again in September last year after being reported for a suspect action in September 2018. She finished with 1 for 53.Shabnim Ismail took two wickets in two balls to leave West Indies 170 for 7 in the 37th over. Alleyne batted to the end but was left with too much to do. With Nation unable to bat, South Africa only needed nine wickets and took them before West Indies had faced their full quota of overs.The series finale will be played on Sunday at the same venue, the Wanderers. South Africa will wear an all-black kit to show their support for victims of gender-based violence and West Indies will wear black armbands for the same cause.

He retires as Netherlands’ highest run-getter in T20I cricket, with 1239 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2022Netherlands batter Ben Cooper, 29, has announced his retirement from international cricket.”Today, I announce my retirement from international cricket,” Cooper posted on Twitter. “It has been an absolute honour and privilege to don the oranges and represent the Netherlands for the last eight years.”It’s been a time filled with amazing highs, special moments and tough lows. There’s nothing I would change about it and will look back at my time with very fond memories.”@kncbcricket thank you for the opportunity to live out a childhood dream. To my Netherlands team-mates and coaches (past and present) I thank you all for the amazing memories and couldn’t ask for better people to share the field and change rooms with. I have no doubt the current squad and talent coming through will continue to achieve great things for Dutch cricket.”Cooper, who was born in New South Wales, made his international debut for Netherlands in an ODI in August 2013, against Canada. In all, he played 71 white-ball internationals for Netherlands, scoring 1426 runs. He retires as Netherlands’ highest run-getter in T20I cricket, with 1239 runs at an average of 28.15 and strike rate of just under 125.His last game was at the T20 World Cup in the UAE, where Netherlands failed to qualify for the Super 12s last year. Cooper’s retirement follows that of Ryan Tendoeschate who ended his playing career after the T20 World Cup and switched to coaching.

Shane McDermott has been named Bangladesh fielding coach till November 2023

Mohammad Isam04-Mar-2022Bangladesh have appointed former South African quick Allan Donald as their fast-bowling coach till the 2022 T20 World Cup. He takes over the role from Ottis Gibson, who decided to not renew his contract in January this year.That apart, on Saturday, Bangladesh named Shane McDermott as their fielding coach. The 41-year-old Australian’s contract with the BCB will run up till the end of November 2023.Donald will be linking up with his former team-mate Russell Domingo, who is currently the head coach of the Bangladesh team. Donald was also the bowling coach under Domingo for South Africa in 2013. This will be his first international coaching role since his tenure as Sri Lanka’s bowling consultant during the Champions Trophy in 2017. His and McDermott’s first assignment with the Bangladesh team will be their tour of South Africa later this month, where they will play three ODIs and two Tests, starting March 18.”Donald has worked with plenty of teams in the past,” BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus said. “He was South Africa’s fast bowling coach. He is regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world, counted among the likes of Sir Richard Hadlee, Dennis Lillee and Glenn McGrath. I am sure he will inspire our fast bowlers.”Donald has been working as the head coach of the Knights, the South African domestic side, since 2020. Before the Sri Lanka stint five years ago, Donald worked with the England men (2007), New Zealand men (2010-11) and South Africa men (2013-15), apart from stints with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, Warwickshire and Kent in county cricket and Mountaineers in Zimbabwe domestic. He has also been a frequent commentator.Donald is one of South Africa’s all-time greats, and was the country’s leading wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs when he retired from international cricket in 2003. He was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2019.McDermott will renew an old relationship with the BCB after having served as head coach, fielding coach and high performance fitness coordinator between 2006 and 2008.According to a BCB statement, he will join the South Africa-bound squad in Dhaka this week. McDermott had previously worked as Sri Lanka fielding coach from 2019 to 2021. He had also worked with the Australian men’s team as interim assistant coach and fielding coach in the past, apart from stints with Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory and Cricket Tasmania.

Former captain will continue to play T20Is, having represented South Africa in 154 ODIs and a solitary Test

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2022South Africa batter Mignon du Preez has announced her retirement from ODIs and Tests with immediate effect. She said her decision was based on the need to focus more on the shortest format of the game, and on the need to spend more time with her family.”I’ve been wonderfully fortunate to play in four ICC ODI World Cups to date,” du Preez said in a statement released by CSA. “These have been some of my most treasured memories in life. I feel South African women’s cricket is in a very healthy state, and the time is right to step away and allow the next generation of exciting cricketers to continue to grow this beautiful game of ours.”Related

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du Preez retires from the two formats, having played a solitary Test – which came back in 2014 against India, when she hit 102 in a losing cause – and 154 ODIs where she piled up 3760 runs in a career that started in 2007. The 32-year-old even captained her country in 46 ODIs from 2011 to 2016, with South Africa winning 24 of those.”I would like to take a moment to thank everyone at Cricket South Africa and the Board for their continuous support during my ODI career,” she said. “I am extremely grateful for the honour to have represented my country in 154 ODI games and also for the opportunity to have captained my country at the highest level.”South Africa lost to England in the semi-final of the recently-concluded women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand, which now turns out to be du Preez’s final ODI appearance.She was also the Player of the Match in a must-win fixture against India, where her innings of 52* from No. 5 held her side together in a tense chase of 275, which they ultimately managed to achieve off the final ball.South Africa are next scheduled to play a T20I in England this July, a tour which also comprises a Test and three ODIs before the three T20Is.

The former South Africa spinner says he had “no intention” of singling out Boucher at the SJN hearings last year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2022Paul Adams, the former South Africa wristspinner, has confirmed that he will not testify against former team-mate Mark Boucher at the upcoming CSA disciplinary hearing from May 16 to 20. Boucher, the current head coach of South Africa’s national side, is slated to appear before senior counsel advocate Terry Motau, where he faces charges of gross misconduct for his handling of racial issues, both as a player and as a coach.Adams, at CSA’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) hearings last year, had alleged multiple instances of racial discrimination in the South African side in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which included being nicknamed “brown s***” by his team-mates. Adams, at that time, had identified Boucher as one of the players who used the phrase, mostly in a team song, with Boucher later apologising for his behaviour.Related

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Boucher was heavily criticised at the SJN hearings and charged with “serious misconduct” by CSA, who will argue for his dismissal in the upcoming hearings.However, Adams insists he had “no intention to single out Boucher” at the SJN hearings and does not want that to be the focus of attention during the hearing.”In my testimony, I said that during my time in the national team, there was a culture within that environment, that felt it was fine for a derogatory nickname given to me, to be sung during fines meetings in the changing room, by my fellow team-mates,” Adams said in a statement he posted on social media.”I indicated, upon reflection and after discussing with my wife (my girlfriend at the time) that I felt humiliated by the song. Not at any stage did I mention any player’s name who may have initiated the song.”The only time I confirmed a name, was when the panel asked if I addressed Mark Boucher personally regarding the nickname, and I replied that he was part of a broader group that sang the song and that I never addressed the matter within the team environment at the time. Not at any stage did I go in there with the intention to single Mark Boucher out.”Adams, who played 45 Tests and 24 ODIs for South Africa between 1995 to 2004, said that it was not his job to find out if Boucher was guilty and that he shared his story to help CSA find a way to “make cricket a winning and binding game for all”.”I was young and naive at the time, trying to fit in and represent my country as best I could,” Adams said.”It is not my job or desire to find Mark Boucher guilty or not guilty and to be cross-examined and turned into the main focus of attention. Therefore I will not be testifying at Mark Boucher’s upcoming disciplinary hearing.”I spoke my truth of what happened to me as a young player, as per the process adopted by CSA on a serious issue in the game. The feelings articulated by myself and three dozen other senior players and coaches last year will hopefully help CSA find a new way in making cricket a winning and binding game for all. Again, my wish is that the same environment that existed when we played, must never repeat itself. If changes are made and situations such as these are learnt from, then my purpose of telling my story at the SJN has been achieved.”The SJN commission’s final report, in December last year, had concluded that CSA had in the past unfairly discriminated against players on the basis of race while mentioning that former captain and CSA director of cricket, Graeme Smith, Boucher and former national captain, AB de Villiers had all engaged in prejudicial behaviour.Smith was recently cleared of racism charges in an independent arbitration process.

Home side fall to 11 for 4 inside two overs and end up recording joint-lowest T20 total

ECB Reporters Network31-May-2022Lancashire Lightning ended a run of nine consecutive Trent Bridge defeats against Notts Outlaws by dismissing the home side for 91 – equalling the lowest score in their T20 history – and sending them crashing to a 87-run loss in this Vitality Blast North Group match, their heaviest defeat in the competition.Outlaws felt their bowlers had done enough to give them a chance of taking the points as the visitors, 88 for 1 after 10 overs, finished on 178 for 7, Keaton Jennings top-scoring with 55.But after a catastrophic start to their reply that saw them 11 for 4 after 11 balls, they were dismissed inside the 15th over. It was only through a late thrash by Luke Fletcher, who cleared the ropes three times in his 22, that they managed to drag their total to level with the 91 that Lancashire dismissed them for at Old Trafford in 2006.Outlaws lost Joe Clarke to a catch at long-on in left-arm spinner Tom Hartley’s opening over and then three in four balls in a calamitous over bowled by Richard Gleeson. The Lancashire seamer, who took a career-best 5 for 33 against Worcestershire Rapids on Sunday, had Ben Duckett caught behind, Samit Patel flicking straight to fine leg before Steven Mullaney was run out by a direct hit from mid-off after setting off for a single that was never there, all in the space of four deliveries.More trouble followed as Tom Moores was brilliantly caught behind off his former team-mate Luke Wood – called up earlier in the day by England – and the home side stumbled out of the powerplay at 34 for 5.Alex Hales, scratching around for form so far this season, offered hope of a recovery with three boundaries but managed only to pick out midwicket as he tried to dispatch a poor ball from Liam Livingstone, and after adding 22 with Dan Christian, Matt Carter was leg before to Hartley trying to pick up a second consecutive four.Christian was caught at deep backward square, Jake Ball holed out to long-on and Fletcher, who clubbed sixes off Matt Parkinson and Livingstone twice, fell victim to a third excellent outfield catch by Steven Croft as the rout was completed.After being asked to bat first, Lancashire had emerged in good shape from the powerplay at 56 for 1, although it should have been for two, Jennings given a let-off on 27 when Outlaws keeper Moores failed to take what should have been a routine catch after Ball had found the edge.Clubbed for four and six by Jennings in the same over, Ball could not hide his frustration, sensing he had a second wicket after dismissing Phil Salt via a catch that Moores did take. With Livingstone looking in the mood at the other end, smashing Dane Paterson for six over his head and pulling Fletcher for another, Lancashire were well set at 88 for 1 after 10 overs.But the second-wicket partnership was broken two balls into the 11th as Livingstone, who has an international T20 century on this ground, tried to clear the ropes again off Paterson but merely sent the ball upwards, Christian making himself rock steady to hold the catch at extra cover.After a 20-minute stoppage for rain, Tim David had picked out deep midwicket off slow left-armer Patel, and then Paterson picked up another big scalp as Jennings sent one soaring into the air behind square on the leg side, Fletcher watching it swirl around in the floodlights before completing the catch, keeping the ball firmly in his grip despite hitting the ground with a thud.Although Ball went for 17 in the 17th, the last five overs mainly demonstrated Outlaws’ strength at the end of an innings. Fletcher, mauled for 27 in his first two overs, gave over only 14 in his last two, picking up the wickets of Dane Vilas and Croft for good measure, Ball wrapping up with a much better final over as Lancashire finished with fewer runs than they probably anticipated at the halfway stage, although ultimately more than enough.

Fast bowler returns to Bristol after short-term county stint in early season

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2022Mohammad Amir will play for Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast after signing as a replacement for Naseem Shah.Amir, 30, played two County Championship games for Gloucestershire earlier this season when Naseem was injured and will make his T20 debut for the club against Somerset on Friday night, subject to PCB clearance.Naseem, the 19-year-old fast bowler, returned to Pakistan earlier this month when his father fell ill and while his condition has improved, he will not return to Bristol due to “a hastily arranged Pakistan Cricket Board training camp,” according to Gloucestershire.Naseem played only four games in his time at Gloucestershire due to a shoulder injury which he suffered on debut. “He has shown incredible dedication and work ethic, despite some small issues meaning he couldn’t take the field as much as he and we would have liked,” Steve Snell, Gloucestershire’s performance director, said.”It has been great to see him develop as a young man – his English has improved immensely, which is something he should be very proud of. He is a very popular member of the squad, and we very much hope to see him back playing in Bristol in the years to come.”We’re delighted to welcome Mohammad back to the squad. He’s a proven international performer and to have his experience available to us for the remainder of the Blast tournament will be invaluable.”Just over halfway through the Blast, Gloucestershire sit fourth in the nine-team South Group and are well-placed to qualify. They will be without David Payne, the competition’s leading-wicket taker, for their next three games due to his involvement in England’s ODI series in the Netherlands.

One-wicket win sealed in final over of run chase after Tammy Beaumont’s 70 for Lightning

ECB Reporters Network23-Jul-2022England star Tammy Beaumont’s 70 was in vain as the Northern Diamonds completed a thrilling chase of 200 by one wicket with two balls remaining against Lightning at Durham to close in on the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy knockouts.Since being left out of England’s Commonwealth Games squad last Saturday, opener Beaumont has posted 119, 74 and this 70 off 105 balls in fixtures for England, England A and Lightning.But she was one of nine wickets to fall for 79 runs as her region slipped from 120 for 1 to 199 all out at the Seat Unique Riverside, handing Diamonds the chance of a fourth straight win to maintain pressure on pre-game leaders and defending champions Southern Vipers.It was an opportunity they did not pass up, despite significant alarm at 184 for 8 and then 197 for 9. Jenny Gunn finished with 41 not out off 77, while Katie Levick hit the winning through the covers off Marie Kelly’s offspin.Related

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Beaumont’s former England opening partner Lauren Winfield-Hill fell for 61 having got the chase off to a solid start. But, like the Lightning innings, Diamonds struggled against spin on a slow pitch. Kirstie Gordon, Josie Groves and Lucy Higham (3 for 50) shared seven wickets.Earlier, New Zealand offie Leigh Kasperek impressed with 3 for 39 from 10 overs for the hosts – all Lightning wickets falling to spin as they lost their third game in four.In the final game before the near seven-week break for the Commonwealth Games and the Hundred, the Loughborough-based side lost four wickets for one run in nine balls after electing to bat.They fell from 153 for 2 in the 35th over to 154 for 6 in the 37th on a slow pitch used for Tuesday’s men’s ODI between England and South Africa. Kelly’s run-a-ball 37 included a six over long-off, and she led a 69-run opening partnership in 14 overs with Beaumont.After she fell to a brilliant diving catch by Gunn off Levick – the legspinner’s 150th women’s List A wicket in her 101st match – a 51-run stand followed between Beaumont and Sarah Bryce. However, the signs of a home fightback were there.Diamonds’ spinners slowed the rate, racing through their overs and also applying pressure with some tidy fielding and clever field placing from captain Hollie Armitage.And it worked a treat, as wickets started to fall. The Bryce sisters, Sarah and then Kathryn, both offered up simple catches off Armitage’s leg-spin. The latter was the first of the aforementioned four-wicket middle order slump – the fixture’s key period.Kasperek trapped Beaumont lbw sweeping in that collapse. That was the first of two wickets in the 36th over, Bethan Ellis also trapped in front (154 for 6).Left-armer Linsey Smith, who claimed two wickets to match Armitage and Levick, bowled one over in just 99 seconds. Veteran seamer Gunn bowled another in two minutes, nine seconds. Higham then ensured a target of 200 with an entertaining 27.Diamonds encountered similar issues in their chase, despite a second-wicket 70 partnership between Winfield-Hill and Armitage. Smith had been trapped lbw by Grace Ballinger’s left-arm swing in the second over before the experienced pair settled things down, Armitage contributing 20.Winfield-Hill lofted Gordon’s left-arm spin for an eye-catching six over long-on on the way to a 57-ball 50. But by the time she reached it, Diamonds were 94 for 3 in the 19th over having lost Armitage and Sterre Kalis to Gordon, played on and lbw respectively.Fledgling allrounder Phoebe Turner chipped a return catch to legspinner Groves, and when Winfield-Hill slog-swept Higham’s offspin out to deep midwicket, Lightning believed again at 131 for 5 in the 27th over.England A wicketkeeper bat Bess Heath sliced Groves to backward point shortly afterwards, further strengthening Lightning’s cause. Langston and Kasperek then followed as the equation became 16 needed in eight overs with two wickets remaining.That became three needed with two-and-a-half overs remaining before ousted Emma Marlow caught at slip. The remaining three runs were secured in singles after Gunn had hit four fours.