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Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel have all levelled up

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Mar-2022India allrounder Hardik Pandya and senior batter Shikhar Dhawan have suffered the biggest slides in the new set of annual contracts finalised by the BCCI and its selectors. Also getting demoted are the senior trio of Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. In contrast, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel have all levelled up.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The annual contracts – running from October 2021 to September 2022 – were ratified by the BCCI’s Apex Council late on Wednesday. The Apex Council also finalised former India fast bowler Abey Kuruvilla as the general manager cricket development, a position that was left vacant since February after Dhiraj Malhotra left on January 31.No fresh additions were made to the A+ category, worth INR 7 crore (USD 930,000*), with the trio of India captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah retaining their contracts.It was the Grade A slab (INR 5 crore or USD 660,000) that was trimmed severely from 10 in the last cycle to half that number. Pandya and Dhawan have dropped from Grade A to C. Pandya, who had moved from Grade B to A in the 2020-21 cycle, has suffered with fitness issues over the last two years and has not played for India since the T20 World Cup last October. Dhawan, meanwhile, has become more of a one-format player in the least year, with the selectors favouring him in 50-overs cricket and little else.Many will wonder as to why Rahane, Pujara, Ishant were handed Grade B contracts (down from Grade A last season) when none of them were considered for the two-match home Test series against Sri Lanka starting on Friday. Chetan Sharma, India’s chairman of selectors, had pointed out that he had spoken to all three players, along with Wriddhiman Saha, about how his panel wanted to give youngsters more chances without closing the door on the seniors. Barring Saha, the other three players have featured in the league phase of the Ranji Trophy, to keep their chances of returning to the national team alive.Iyer, Siraj and Axar, who featured in the last cycle in Grade C (INR 1 crore or USD 130,000), have all been moved one rung up on the back of their consistent performances over the last year. Another key player, who has featured for India in all three formats, bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur, retained his Grade B contract.* All USD values are approximations where 1 USD =75 INR

Bereaved fast bowler says he’ll be playing now to fulfil his late father’s dearest wish

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2020Mohammed Siraj, who opted to stay on with the India squad in Australia after his father died recently in Hyderabad, said the words of his mother and captain Virat Kohli helped him make the decision.”In this situation, the way the whole team has supported me felt very nice,” Siraj told . “They ensured there were no difficulties. Virat said, ‘, don’t take tension. Stay strong because it was your dad’s dream that you do this (play for India), so do that. If you stay strong through this, it will be good for both you and your family.’ That was a very positive message for me, and I felt very nice.”Siraj was offered the option to fly back home by the BCCI, but given the quarantine rules in place, he would have had to spend 14 days in isolation if he had travelled home and then flown back to rejoin the team in Australia.”I spoke to my mom and she told me, ‘Son, everyone has to go some day. Today dad has gone, tomorrow I will have to go, you will also have to someday. Dad always wanted you to play for India, so you stay there, and do that. Perform well for India.'”The person who used to support me the most is gone, it’s a big loss for me,” Siraj said. “He always wanted me to play for India and bring glory to the country. So my mindset henceforth is just that I fulfil his dream. My dad is not there in this world, but I know that he’s always there with me. I’m going ahead thinking that.”Siraj is part of India’s Test squad, part of a strong pace attack that has Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini, with Ishant Sharma also a possibility to join the team.India coach Ravi Shastri said the fast-bowling attack was capable of delivering a second successive series victory in Australia if the batsmen put runs on the board.”We have a fabulous five,” Shastri was quoted as saying by . “Yadav has the experience. Saini is young and fast. Bumrah one of the best in business. Shami is raring to go. Siraj is an exciting prospect. You put up runs on the board and watch these fast bowlers hunt the opposition. They can beat Australia in their own den.”

West Indies fought back late in the day after two half-century stands had taken India to relative safety following a fiery opening spell

The Report by Varun Shetty22-Aug-20193:00

County stint really helped me – Rahane

Stumps
West Indies fought back late on the first day after two half-century stands had taken India to relative safety following a fiery opening spell that had left the visitors at 25 for 3 inside eight overs. Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul led the first fightback with a 68-run stand, and Rahane then put on 82 with Hanuma Vihari as India dominated briefly in the middle session. But Kemar Roach, the architect of the early collapse, returned to cause trouble with the old ball and, alongside opening partner Shannon Gabriel, kept India to 203 for 6 by close of play.However, the delicious ebb and flow of the game was cut short by the weather. Intermittent rainfall meant a 15-minute delayed start, an early finish to the last two sessions, and, ultimately, only 68.5 overs of play. Left-handers Rishabh Pant (20*) and Ravindra Jadeja (3*), at the back end of India’s elongated batting order for this Test, were unbeaten when the players went off.The resultant moisture from the rain was what had prompted Jason Holder to elect to bowl, and his bowlers delivered immediately with a superb opening spell. In a largely cloudy first hour, Roach bowled the fullest length and was rewarded for it. With steep climb from a length, he pinned the openers to the crease, and it didn’t take him long to get one of them to poke with hard hands, Mayank Agarwal left with little choice against a ball holding its line after coming in. He got a thin outside edge, as did Cheteshwar Pujara four balls later. India’s No. 3 was rooted to his leg stump guard and pushing away from the body, although based on the off stump line, he too had little choice. Both nicks went to Shai Hope, stand-in wicketkeeper for the injured Shane Dowrich.While nagging in the corridor did the job for those two, West Indies needed a little more brute force with Virat Kohli. Gabriel had been spliced through point and then driven down the ground by India’s captain, who, as is often the case, had looked the most confident batsman within minutes of arriving. That was until Gabriel’s burst of three consecutive short balls. One had him hopping, one snuck under an early pull to hit him on his right elbow, and against the third, Kohli jabbed away from the body, lobbing one harmlessly for debutant Shamarh Brooks at gully.Walking in at 25 for 3, Rahane showed immense restraint against a red-hot West Indies pace attack that greeted him with a short one into his midriff. At one point early in the day, Holder even bowled four consecutive maidens to him.Ajinkya Rahane plays a pull•Associated Press

He hung in with Rahul, another Indian batsman with a point to prove, and the pair made it past the opening hour. The two batsmen seemed to have made a concerted effort not to drive away from the body, a decision backing their many straight drives through the day. While not all of these drives produced runs or boundaries on a two-paced pitch, both seemed content to wait it out.They only gave themselves permission to expand their games in the second session, when the sun was out and there was no swing on offer. The first cover-driven boundaries came during this period.But, just as he looked like he had set himself up for a big one, Rahul was caught sharply down the leg side by Hope off Roston Chase. Rahul’s disappointment was visible as he walked off. With the chance to make a substantial overseas score gone in somewhat unfortunate circumstances, it wasn’t surprising.One of the most stirring passages of the day came after tea. After an afternoon of figuring out the pace of the wicket, Rahane and Vihari began aggressively. Off the second over of the session, Rahane dismissed a Chase short ball and set off a ripple that carried into the next 30 minutes, with the two batsmen one would typecast into anchor roles scoring briskly. At one point, the session run rate was over seven per over.Inside this phase was an over where Miguel Cummins had Vihari edge past second slip, beaten him on the straight drive next ball, and drew an edge that flew over slip off the next one as the batsman looked to cut a short ball. They were possibly the best few minutes of Cummins’ day. The fast bowler struggled to hit consistent lengths and after being too short most of the day, was removed from the attack after his next over when Vihari drilled him down the ground.But it was this change that eventually paid off. Roach and Gabriel were back bowling in tandem, and Vihari’s aggressive streak led to him opening the face slightly as he tried to defend against Roach and edging to Hope, who took a dipping ball well in front with a dive.Rahane’s three boundaries in the session had come with horizontal-bat shots, including a picturesque square drive on the rise against Roach. It was perhaps this confidence that led to him chasing Gabriel away from the body, on his toes trying to punch through the covers, but, similar to Kohli, he was through the shot too early as the pitch took some pace off the ball. He chopped on and kept his two-year wait for a Test century going. Rahane did, however, play the kind of innings for which India have continued to back him during his prolonged lull in form.

The players are owed three months’ salary and match fees from their tour of Sri Lanka last July and have already opted not to train ahead of the tri-series with Australia and Pakistan as a first sign of protest

Firdose Moonda04-Jun-2018Zimbabwe’s players have given their board an ultimatum to pay outstanding salaries and match fees by June 25, failing which they will boycott July’s T20 tri-series with Australia and Pakistan.The cricketers are owed three months’ salary and match fees from their tour of Sri Lanka last July and have already opted not to train ahead of the tri-series as a first sign of protest. New interim coach Lalchand Rajput is expected to arrive in Zimbabwe on June 10 but it may be to the sight of empty nets.Zimbabwe are also due to host Pakistan for five ODIs later in the year but the fate of those matches has not come under the spotlight yet.In a bid to revive their union, last seen in 2015, the players have appointed lawyer Gerald Mlotchwa to be their spokesperson. However, several sources have revealed they do not know whom Mlotchwa will be negotiating with since the board has failed to appoint a new managing director following Faisal Hasnain’s depature at the end of April.A ZC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo that a solution to this situation is nearly at hand. “Due to a very difficult financial situation beyond its control, ZC has been unable to meet some of its obligations, including paying player and staff salaries in time. However, because this is a matter of top priority, ZC has been working round the clock to address the challenge and, as promised to the players by our chairman, ZC expects to start processing payments this week.”However, many insiders remain skeptical. ZC is as cash-strapped as ever, with debts in the region of USD 19 million. It is expecting an ICC payout in July but that may come too late to meet the players’ demands.To secure the payout, ZC needed to see the domestic season to a close. The board suspended it in January to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers but it resumed in April – even though several national players chose not to take part over unpaid salaries – so that Zimbabwe could meet its Full Member requirements.”It’s a complete joke at the moment,” one player told ESPNcricinfo. “ZC made out as though some players were injured to save face. They didn’t bother that the big-name players weren’t available, they just needed to get the games out of the way. No-one knows how things will work going forward”Late on Monday afternoon, ZC attempted to provide some direction, announcing the acquisition of Vince van der Bijl, the former South African fast bowler who was the ICC’s umpires and referees manager, as a consultant with immediate effect. In a release, ZC said van der Bijl’s appointment was part of a “major initiative by ZC to restructure its domestic and international cricket.”

Needing to win the match to stay alive in the series, West Indies demolished Pakistan with the help of Evin Lewis’ 91 off 51 balls

The Report by Alagappan Muthu01-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEvin Lewis belted nine sixes in an innings of 91 off 51 balls•AFP

In a nutshellThis was the batting performance everyone was waiting for from the world champions. West Indies had only 138 to chase down, but it was still five runs more than the target they couldn’t get to two days ago. But, making sure those bad memories didn’t well up, and more importantly that the series stayed alive, was opener Evin Lewis. The 25-year-old smashed his first T20I fifty – he already has a hundred – countering everything that was thrown at him. Perhaps the only thing he wasn’t tested against was scoreboard pressure, because Pakistan didn’t have any to apply. Their batting underwhelmed so much that they lost two wickets in the first over and suffered five single-digit scores.Where the game was wonIn the chase, because West Indies’ batting seems like a chocolate eclair right now: solid on the outside, but gets all gooey in the middle. And when Chadwick Walton fell in the second over, Pakistan were starting to lick their fingers. Then came two successive fifty partnerships. Lewis led both of them, putting on 56 runs in 40 balls with Marlon Samuels and 76 off 40 with debutant Jason Mohammed.The men who won itMan, actually. Lewis, standing tall and smashing sixes like the legends of old. There were nine in all – one of them brought up his half-century – and each of them was an event. The flourish of the bat, the arch of the back, the sheer power and the disdainful look. He finished with 91 off 51, the highest score by any batsman against Pakistan in T20Is and his lasting 14.4 overs in the chase completely nullified Shadab Khan’s impact. Until this match, the 18-year old legspinner had taken seven wickets at an average of 3 and strike-rate of 6.8. On Saturday, he went for 38 runs in 3.5 overs, 25 of which came off Lewis’ bat.Moment of the MatchIt was the start of the 13th over of the Pakistan innings. Facing it was Kamran Akmal. He had helped steady the team after a dramatic wobble and was on 48 off 36 balls. The full toss that Marlon Samuels bowled should have been reward for all the good work he had done until then. But it ended up dismissing him, as he pulled straight to Lendl Simmons at deep midwicket. West Indies took control from that point on, picking up six wickets and conceding only 45 runs in the last eight overs. Kesrick Williams’ slower offcutters – rather similar to Mustafizur Rahman’s – were vital towards the end, having been set up by Samuel Badree’s 2 for 22 earlier.Where they standWest Indies’ seven-wicket victory, with 5.1 overs to spare, meant the fourth and final T20I on Sunday becomes a decider. If the hosts win it, they level the series. Otherwise, Pakistan get to take home the trophy.

India have an opportunity to lift the Asia Cup and live up to the ‘World T20 favourites’ billing, but it won’t be an easy ride against an improved Bangladesh who will have a boisterous Mirpur crowd behind them

The preview by Mohammad Isam05-Mar-2016

Match facts

Sunday, March 6, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT)2:48

Ajit Agarkar: Can’t look beyond India in the final

Big picture

India have an opportunity to lift the Asia Cup and live up to the ‘World T20 favourites’ billing, but it won’t be an easy ride against an improved Bangladesh who will have a boisterous Mirpur crowd behind them.Neither side thinks this will be an uneven contest. Though India beat Bangladesh soundly in the tournament opener, they are aware of what their opponents are capable at home, especially after a series loss in June 2015. Bangladesh are aware of their own strength, and there is an unmistakable confidence in their approach in T20Is these days. A win in the final would therefore be a watershed moment in this format for them.India have been flawless in the tournament so far. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made the best of every opportunity in crunch moments, while Yuvraj Singh is slowly coming into his own.Rohit steered India after a sluggish start against Bangladesh; Kohli weathered the Mohammad Amir storm against Pakistan, while Yuvraj was in his elements against Sri Lanka. All this has meant MS Dhoni has faced all of nine balls in the tournament, while Suresh Raina hasn’t had a major impact with the bat.The story with the ball isn’t too different. Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra have done the damage at the top, while Hardik Pandya has played the role of a third seamer to his captain’s liking. The spinners – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – have done what they usually do, even though some of the surfaces they have played on haven’t aided turn.That Bangladesh find themselves in this position has been largely due to the effect their bowlers have had. Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain have stepped up, while Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza have given fine supporting acts in their last three wins. The battle could get more interesting if the hosts decide to play Abu Hider, the BPL bowling hero, and off-spinning allrounder Nasir Hossain in place of Arafat Sunny and Mohammad Mithun.Bangladesh’s top three – Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman – have all shown good form in T20s this year, while Mahmudullah has been successful in his role as a finisher. There will be some worry over Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib’s form, but they have been known to come good when pushed against the wall.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh WWWLLIndia WWWWW

Watch out for

Every move of Shakib Al Hasan is being followed with bated breath in Bangladesh since he walked off with a limp at training following a burise on his right hip on Friday. Concerns have been raised over his batting form, and he couldn’t have had a better setting than in a grand finale to rediscover his touch that has made him an enigma at home.Ashish Nehra has taken at least one wicket in the Powerplay in the last seven T20Is. His late swing and control with the new ball has given India’s bowling a new dimension. He will once again be a vital cog in MS Dhoni’s scheme of things.

Team news

Hider has been given a lot of attention at training over the last two days. All indications then that he could be the surprise element in the Bangladesh bowling attack. Nasir is also being discussed as a potential replacement for Mithun, who lost his place in the top-order to Tamim. Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nasir Hossain/Mohammad Mithun, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Arafat Sunny/Abu Hider, 11 Taskin AhmedWithout any injury concerns, India are set to go back to their best XI after testing their bench against the UAE. So Ravindra Jadeja, Ashish Nehra and R Ashwin will slot back in for Pawan Negi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harbhajan Singh. India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

There was a smattering of cut grass covering the pitch on the eve of the final, though there is a good chance of it being shaved off. Weather is fine with no forecast of rain but the daytime heat means there could be heavy dew late in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• This is Bangladesh’s first appearance in any T20I tournament that involves three or more teams. India meanwhile is playing their third final in such events.
• Sabbir Rahman and Rohit Sharma have made 144 and 137 runs respectively and have the chance to topple Babar Hayat who is the leading scorer in the Asia Cup with 194 runs.

Quotes

“The flavor of this match is going to be different but if we play the way we have been playing in the last three matches, hope fully we will keep our momentum going and get something good in the end.”
“Last year Sri Lanka were the world champions here [in the Asia Cup and World T20]. Bangladesh has played very good cricket too. Not long ago Pakistan was in the top two. Now it is India. You can never discount teams in the subcontinent.”

Michael Richardson scored his maiden first-class hundred as Durham piled up 573 to bat Division One leaders Yorkshire into a tight spot

David Hopps at North Marine Road29-Aug-2013
ScorecardMichael Richardson went to his maiden first-class hundred with a six•Getty Images

Advertising your failings seems to be all the rage in Scarborough. A few miles from the town centre there is a banner proclaiming: “Lodges for hire, no hot tubs.” Proudly flaunting what you don’t have must be a peculiarly Yorkshire phenomenon.Negative advertising would surely have been Yorkshire’s best refuge as the crowd trailed out after Durham made 573 and Michael Richardson produced an entirely unflustered maiden Championship hundred batting: a specialist batsman and wickekeeper in waiting who regularly appears for Durham at No 8.Banners outside North Marine Road stating: “Nothing’s meant to come easy” or “It’s tough up north” would at least have helped to create the impression that it was all part of the grand design, and nothing at all to worry about, as Yorkshire’s bowlers, with the exception of the exemplary Ryan Sidebottom, foundered on a decent batting surface.Yorkshire’s charge to the title, for the time being at least, has stalled. Richardson, son of David Richardson, the ICC chief executive former South Africa wicketkeeper, guided Durham from an overnight 406 for 6, which had been galling enough, to the sort of total which barring something extraordinary has batted Yorkshire out of the game. They still need another 242 with seven wickets left to avoid the follow-on.It was not what most of a crowd of 6000 had come to see and they streamed out early, many heading back to dinner at their seaside guest houses, with troubled expressions. It could only get worse if they were offered a Lebanese starter.Yorkshire, 25.5 points ahead of Durham, who have a game in hand, must steel themselves for the likelihood that they will have to try to spend the last two days batting out time. In the New Zealander Kane Williamson, a late-season overseas acquisition, they have a batsman attuned to such a task, and he remained unbeaten on 76 at the end of the second day. Yorkshire will hope he wins a match during his short stay, but for the moment he can help draw one.Whatever occurs, a Yorkshire recovery or gradual subsiding to defeat, Saturday is unlikely to be too appealing for home supporters. Scarborough is hosting a cycling festival this weekend ahead of the prologue of the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire next summer and it might be a tempting alternative after two days in which Yorkshire’s bowlers might have been climbing Buttertubs Pass.Durham extended their first innings into the afternoon as Richardson neared his century and, although it was logical enough, tactically, spectators on the popular bank became increasingly agitated. He was 77 when he was joined by the last man, Chris Rushworth. Less than five overs later he had his hundred.”Game’s going nowhere, do they want to win or not?” asked one observer to his mate, as Richardson was actually advancing the game at quite a rate. He had already added 86 in 22 overs with Jamie Harrison for the ninth wicket and the follow-on figure was getting more daunting by the minute. Finally, he sallied down the pitch to Williamson’s offspin and hoisted him over long on for a second six – with a foot or two to spare – to reach his hundred. He was last out two balls later, skying Williamson into the leg side.”I wanted to take it out of Rushy’s hands as much as I could,” he said. “I thought I would make it my responsibility and take a few risks rather than just ticking over the strike. I was watching that last six just creep over the fielder’s head. The relief was quite evident because I have been waiting a while to get that hundred.”It could have been worse for Yorkshire. If Paul Collingwood, 74 not out overnight, had joined Mark Stoneman, Ben Stokes and Richardson in reaching 100, it would have been the first time in Yorkshire’s history that they had conceded four hundreds in a Championship innings. They were doubly grateful therefore for Sidebottom’s upheld lbw appeal after Collingwood had added only seven to his overnight score.Yorkshire’s reply, as stoutly as Williamson played, never possessed the same sense of security. Adam Lyth, preferred to Alex Lees, fell in the slip cordon during Rushworth’s new ball spell and Harrison had Andrew Gale lbw after tea. But the instructional comparison was between Adil Rashid, who delivered his leg spin in such a routine manner he might have been stacking supermarket shelves, and his fellow legspinner Scott Borthwick.In such a warm, dry summer, neither has made the impact they might have hoped for – Rashid has 25 wickets at 41.84, Borthwick 20 at 37.40 – and both have enhanced their reputation by achievements with the bat. But Borthwick bowled with more vigour and, if he dragged down short balls now and then, he did seem to be trying to spin the ball. It was this energy which had Phil Jaques caught at short leg in his first over. Durham’s close fielders felt in the game, and in his 25 overs Rashid never achieved that.

Ali de Winter, the Tasmania assistant coach, has been confirmed as the man to replace Craig McDermott as mentor to Australia’s bowlers, after beating Waqar Younis to the job

Daniel Brettig03-Aug-2012Ali de Winter, the Tasmania assistant coach, has been confirmed as the man to replace Craig McDermott as mentor to Australia’s bowlers, after beating Waqar Younis to the job.The choice of de Winter was likely from the moment Waqar confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he had been knocked back for the position, with numerous other potential coaches under contract to other countries or provincial sides.Cricket Australia’s team performance manager Pat Howard, coach Mickey Arthur and captain Michael Clarke had taken a close look at de Winter’s ways of working during the recent ODI tour of the UK, on which de Winter impressed with his intelligence and affable nature despite the poor results of the team in losing 4-0 to England.Apart from working out how Australia’s bowlers managed to take only 13 wickets in four completed matches during that series, another of de Winter’s major objectives will be to help preserve Australia’s bowling resources. Injuries have become an unhappy recent tradition, its most recent example having Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Ben Cutting all unable to take part in the current Australia A tour due to physical ailments.”We’re very pleased to have secured Ali’s services for the role from a wide field of international candidates,” Howard said. “Ali presented well on how he would manage the role on a day-to-day basis and has impressed through his work with bowlers such as Ben Hilfenhaus and Jackson Bird in Tasmania, and while he was the interim bowling coach on the recent tour to England.”We feel Ali has skills that will complement those of Mickey Arthur, Justin Langer and Steve Rixon and is well equipped to pick-up on Craig McDermott’s previous good work.”While de Winter’s ascension to the role may be defined as much by those who were not available for it as those who were – the likes of David Saker, Jason Gillespie, Damien Wright and Joe Dawes could not be considered due to their current employment – it should not be forgotten that he only narrowly lost out to McDermott last year.”I don’t think it is too complicated – it’s about having a strong work ethic, building good relationships and doing things like attacking the top of off stump in Test cricket,” de Winter said. “I am particularly excited to get this chance, particularly now as Australia has such a deep pool of fast bowling talent with 10-12 young bowlers featuring at the moment.”There is a great group of young bowlers coming through to complement the experienced names who are also performing well.”Like his fellow Tasmanian bowling coach Troy Cooley, de Winter was a modest first-class bowler, but set about learning how to get the best out of bowlers after his playing days ended. His work with Tasmania has been consistently strong since he became state bowling coach in 2007, resulting in a promotion to be Tim Coyle’s assistant while also coaching the Hobart Hurricanes in last summer’s BBL.He has been closely associated with the success of bowlers including Hilfenhaus, Luke Butterworth and more recently Bird, last summer’s Sheffield Shield player of the year and a member of the Australia A touring side currently in England.Hilfenhaus relied heavily on de Winter to correct flaws in his bowling action that emerged as he favoured an injured knee during 2009 and 2010, resulting in a wretched 2010-11 Ashes series. Reconfigured ahead of last summer, he emerged as one of the most incisive members of the bowling attack that routed India, and gave de Winter much of the credit for his resurgence.”He noticed my action had changed a little bit and realised what we needed to change to get back to where we wanted it. He definitely played a very big role in that,” Hilfenhaus said. “I personally find that he is very good technically to me, he understands the way I bowl pretty well, and he picks up things really easy.”Tactically he is very good as well, but for me personally it is more the technical side of things. I am sure he is having a look at everyone else’s actions as well and trying to find ways to help them improve. If I am doing things technically correct, that will help my chances at the other end, and some other people might be different.”Some people need to be told all these tactics about bowling and these sorts of things, someone like myself I need to be told to keep things technically correct to give myself the best chance to perform my skills. I rate Ali pretty highly and I’m sure once the other blokes have had a bit more to do with him, they’ll say exactly the same thing.”Other bowlers like Pattinson and Peter Siddle benefited greatly from McDermott’s simpler advice and guiding presence beyond the long on fence during Test matches, but by choosing de Winter, CA have decreed their view that he is the best man to carry on the Queenslander’s legacy.

Marcus Trescothick’s fifth career double hundred enabled Somerset to take a stranglehold in their County Championship clash with Worcestershire at New Road

28-Jul-2011
ScorecardMarcus Trescothick’s fifth career double hundred enabled Somerset to take a stranglehold in their County Championship clash with Worcestershire at New Road. With Trescothick’s 203 in nearly six and a half hours underpinned by four individual half-centuries, the west-country side clearly had thoughts on burying Worcestershire under an avalanche of runs.Trescothick’s opening stand of 207 with Arul Suppiah (88) set the stage for remorseless progress to 591 for 9 declared – a lead of 103 and their highest-ever score against Worcestershire. The one tiny flaw was that they missed a fifth batting bonus point by 28 runs
but they go into the final day sniffing a chance of victory with the home side
on 4 without loss after two overs.Somerset’s powerful position developed as Nick Compton (95) completed 1,000
runs in a season for the second time. The former Middlesex batsman put on 151 with Trescothick and 97 with James Hildreth (67) before Craig Kieswetter rammed home their advantage in a post-tea charge to 68 from 73 balls.Worcestershire initially pinned their hopes on Saeed Ajmal getting the ball to turn and, although a profitable final spell gave him figures of 5 for 150 in 51 overs, it was mostly a day of toil. Yet it began well for the Pakistan offspinner with a misjudgment by Suppiah in playing no shot to a ball that did spin sharply. With his off stump taken out of the ground, the opener missed a first championship century of the season after batting for nearly four hours.Trescothick, though, had no intention of passing up the milestones that came his way. Unbeaten on 106 overnight, he went beyond 150 for the 22nd time and then onto his double hundred after facing 293 balls. With most of his 30 boundaries crunched from the full face of the bat, it came as a surprise in mid-afternoon when a six-and-a-half-hour masterclass ended with
a catch at mid-off by Alexei Kervezee.This wicket went to left-arm seamer Jack Shantry and in the next over Worcestershire claimed their only bowling point when Chris Jones played forward to Ajmal and edged to Vikram Solanki at second slip. Hildreth upped the tempo in reaching 50 in 62 balls but the more conservative
Compton hit only seven fours in 240 minutes before he was taken at slip off the second spinner, Moeen Ali.Hildreth’s departure, drilling a catch to short midwicket off ex-Somerset allrounder Gareth Andrew, only turned up the heat on Worcestershire as Kieswetter hit six fours and a six until he became Ajmal’s fifth victim with another catch at slip.

Worcestershire seamers Matt Mason and Alan Richardson dismissed
Northamptonshire for their lowest County Championship total of the season as
17 wickets fell on the second day at New Road

30-Jul-2010

ScorecardWorcestershire seamers Matt Mason and Alan Richardson dismissed
Northamptonshire for their lowest County Championship total of the season as
17 wickets fell on the second day at New Road.The experienced pair – Mason at 36 and Richardson a year younger – made the
most of favourable conditions in claiming six of the dismissals at a miserly
cost of 62 runs in 40.4 overs. Worcestershire’s batsmen then took their turn to struggle on a seaming pitch
when crashing to 72 for 8 – a lead of 201 – after Lee Daggett’s lively
opening salvo of 4 for 25 in 10 overs.Northamptonshire only dodged the follow-on thanks to a couple of dropped
chances when David Murphy (26) and David Lucas (24) put on 43 before Richardson
accounted for the tail-end pair in six balls.Finally bowled out for 158, the visitors were still in a tight corner, trailing
by 129, but Daggett kept them in the game with his best performance in two
seasons for his third county. The former Warwickshire and Leicestershire bowler landed a double blow in the
space of nine deliveries. First he removed Daryl Mitchell, brilliantly caught by
James Middlebrook at backward point, and next he had Vikram Solanki taken at
second slip by Stephen Peters.With David Wheeldon and Moeen Ali also falling in an inspired spell,
Worcestershire were rocking at 43 for 5 when Shakib Al Hasan played on to
Lucas.Alexei Kervezee (24) fell to Andrew Hall and with the light fading prior to an
early closure because of rain off-spinner Middlebrook played an influential part
with 2 for 11. There was an extra problem for the batsmen as the bounce became steeper on the
unpredictable surface.Resuming at three for one, Northamptonshire lost Middlebrook to a catch behind
the wicket in a testing opening spell by Mason and the pressure built up as
Richardson’s figures showed only three scoring shots after 11 overs. Ben Howgego succumbed when Richard Jones ran out the opener from mid-on and Mason found some extra lift when David Sales registered his fourth duck in six Championship innings.Alex Wakely (20) and Rob Newton, with a promising knock of 23 on his debut,
steadied the ship for a while before medium-pacer James Cameron bagged the first
two wickets of his four-match Championship career. Elton Chigumbura quickly fell to another rising delivery from Mason and Northamptonshire’s last hope appeared to have gone when Richardson pounced from
short mid-wicket to run out Hall for 28.Murphy atoned for his part in going for a dodgy single with four fours and the
follow-on threat disappeared in an erratic over from Jones. Shakib dropped Lucas
at point and the next four balls went to the boundary – three of these off the
pads for a dozen leg byes.