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Thursday, September 26, 2024

Lancashire restrict Worcestershire to boost County Championship survival hopes

Pamela Rios September 26, 2024 Leave a Reply
Lancashire restrict Worcestershire to boost County Championship survival hopes

Lancashire raised hopes of escaping relegation from Vitality County Championship Division One as bowlers Tom Bailey and Anderson Phillip shone against Worcestershire.

Bailey and Phillip reduced Worcestershire to 22 for five and then 56 for seven in seamer-friendly conditions at New Road.

The duo both picked up three wickets to give Lancashire an ideal start to a game they must win to keep alive their chances of remaining in the top flight for another season.

Worcestershire had already guaranteed their safety with three wins in in four matches, and their eighth-wicket pair of Matthew Waite (47 not out) and Logan van Beek (24 not out) led a partial recovery to 119 for seven.

Lancashire began the game 15 points adrift of third from bottom Nottinghamshire, who managed only 15.2 overs in their relegation scrap against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge.

A Nottinghamshire victory would ensure they retain their top-tier status, while Warwickshire need five points to confirm survival.

Nottinghamshire were 33 for two at the close of a truncated day as Ed Barnard and Oliver Hannon-Dalby – with his 49th wicket of the summer – claimed the respective scalps of Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater.

Glamorgan v Somerset – Metro Bank One Day Cup Final – Trent Bridge
Jack Leach took three wickets to put Somerset back in contention against Hampshire in the battle for second spot at Taunton (Mike Egerton/PA)

On a rain-ravaged day across the country most of the action came at Taunton, as 15 wickets fell on the first day of Hampshire’s trip to Somerset.

Somerset were dismissed for 136 in 53.5 overs with Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s 63 supplying almost half their total.

Liam Dawson (four for 28) and Kyle Abbott (four for 37) did most of the damage with the ball.

Hampshire, two points above Somerset in second place and seeking their highest Championship finish since 2005, struggled in reply, especially against Jack Leach.

The England spinner was nearly unplayable with figures of three for nine from nine overs as Hampshire – with opener Toby Albert unbeaten on 38 – ended proceedings on 62 for five.

Champions Surrey saw only 28.3 overs possible on the opening day of their Chelmsford clash with Essex.

Dean Elgar and Tom Westley shared an unbeaten second-wicket stand of 112 before persistent heavy rain drove the players off the pitch nine minutes before lunch.

Elgar passed 1,000 runs for the season on his way to 54 not out, and captain Westley (52 not out) ensured that Surrey suffered a rare day on the back foot as Essex closed at 116 for one.

An overnight downpour ensured no play was possible between Durham and Kent at the Seat Unique Riverside.

There was no play in Division Two, with all four games failing to get under way.

Promotion favourites Yorkshire and visitors Northamptonshire were left frustrated with puddles visible across the outfield when play was abandoned for the day at 1.30pm.

Yorkshire sit second in the table, 15 points clear of Middlesex in third with 24 points to play for.

Middlesex’s opening day against already-promoted Sussex at Hove was also ruined by rain.

Bottom-placed Derbyshire’s hopes of avoiding a 16th wooden spoon were hit by inclement weather ruling out a start in the East Midlands derby with Leicestershire.

Glamorgan are the only team that Derbyshire can overhaul, needing only to avoid defeat against Gloucestershire in Cardiff to make that impossible. That prospect was aided by heavy rain that left the Sophia Gardens outfield waterlogged.

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Josh Hull ruled out of England’s tour to Pakistan because of injury

Pamela Rios September 26, 2024 Leave a Reply
Josh Hull ruled out of England’s tour to Pakistan because of injury

Josh Hull will miss England’s Test tour of Pakistan because of a quad injury.

The 6ft 7in left-arm seamer was catapulted into the Test team for their final assignment of the summer against Sri Lanka earlier this month despite a thin first-class record of 16 wickets in 10 matches.

He finished with creditable match figures of three for 91 runs but his Test debut had an unpleasant ending as a thigh complaint meant he was unable to feature in the T20 and ODI series against Australia.

It was initially thought the problem would not be serious enough to rule the 20-year-old rookie out of the three-match Test series against Pakistan, which gets under way in Multan on October 7.

However, Hull has conceded defeat in his bid to be on his first international tour, and the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced there will be no replacement player called up.

Hull is now turning his focus to being fit for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in late October and November, while England have another Test trip on the horizon against New Zealand in December.

Speaking to The Cricketer about the last few weeks with England, he said: “It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. It’s been a crazy experience but I’ve got a little niggle at the minute.

“I think I’m off Pakistan. They fly on October 1 so it was a bit of a push but there are a few opportunities for the winter now and we’ll see what happens.

Josh Hull, centre, celebrates a wicket
Josh Hull, centre, took three wickets on Test debut this month (John Walton/PA)

“It’s come at an annoying time because we had the white-ball stuff. When you get an opportunity like that to get in the mix, you want to keep on going.

“It’s given me a lot to think about in terms of where I want to improve to get to play at that level. It was hopefully the start of a journey.”

Hull’s absence leaves Chris Woakes, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse as the frontline fast bowling options in a 16-strong squad for Pakistan.

Ben Stokes is unlikely to bowl at the start of the series but an ECB statement on Wednesday said he “remains on track” to captain the side after tearing his hamstring in The Hundred last month.

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England quick Mark Wood waiting to see if elbow injury is a stress fracture

Pamela Rios September 26, 2024 Leave a Reply
England quick Mark Wood waiting to see if elbow injury is a stress fracture

England bowler Mark Wood faces a nervous wait to see if the elbow injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the year is a stress fracture.

Wood has not played since the first Test against Sri Lanka in August and had already been told he would not be fit for the winter tours of Pakistan and New Zealand before Christmas.

The 34-year-old quick was initially sidelined with a minor groin complaint and only had soreness in his right elbow checked as a precaution, given previous problems in the joint. England later said he would play no further cricket in 2024 due to a ‘bone stress injury’ – carefully avoiding any reference to a break.

But Wood, commentating for BBC Radio’s Test Match Special during the third match of the Metro Bank ODI series at Durham, revealed that specialists were still attempting to get to the bottom of the issue.

He is set to have a new scan this week, when the extent of the problem should become clearer.

“It was a bizarre injury. I had a bit of a groin tweak and went for a scan with a stiff elbow, which is not uncommon for a fast bowler,” he said.

“I was thinking I might need an injection which would give me a perfect time period with having the groin injury. When I was having the scan the doctor looked a little bit concerned and said, ‘you better get this checked a little more’. They said I have some bone stress in my elbow… I must have been playing with it.

“They were worried it would be a stress fracture but I have got to see a specialist in another few days to determine that.”

With a hint of his customary humour, Wood offered an optimistic prognosis for his rehabilitation.

“There is nothing I can really do on my right side, I have been told to stop picking my kids up with my right arm,” he explained.

“I have to do everything with my left, so I’m hoping I am going to come back like (Rafael) Nadal with one big left arm and a skinny right arm.”

The idea that Wood was carrying a serious injury while playing this summer is all the more remarkable given the pace and hostility he bowled with against the West Indies in July, at one stage clocking a lightning fast top speed of 97.1mph.

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Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Will Jacks feels England ODI team making progress despite lack of 50-over games

Pamela Rios September 25, 2024 Leave a Reply
Will Jacks feels England ODI team making progress despite lack of 50-over games

Will Jacks admits England’s new-look one-day side need time to get to grips with an unfamiliar format but says a lack of 50-over experience is “out of our control”.

Jacks played a key role in keeping the Metro Bank ODI series against Australia alive on Wednesday, hitting a brilliant 84 as he and centurion Harry Brook led the hosts to a rain-affected win in Durham.

That was a morale-boosting result for a revamped side who had been comfortably beaten in the first two games, but Jacks is under no illusion about where England stand in their journey.

England's Will Jacks raises his bat to mark an ODI half-century against Australia as Harry Brook looks on.
Jacks hit a crucial 84 as England secured a vital win in Durham (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Without seasoned campaigners like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali, they are relying on a new generation to carry the torch. But, unlike those who came before, players like Brook and Jacks have scant experience in the 50-over game.

Neither has featured in county cricket’s One-Day Cup since 2019, with leading white-ball players routinely skipping the tournament following the advent of The Hundred and the packed calendar that followed.

“With the lack of 50-over cricket that we play now, finding that tempo can be difficult,” Jacks said ahead of another must-win clash at Lord’s on Friday.

“Of course it is difficult. The schedule only allows what it allows and that’s for people above us (to determine). We just go where we’re told. I think when you’re leading up to a major event, you are going to play more but with the way TV is… no, that’s out of our control.

“This is our first time together as a squad so it’s going to take time to get there but we’re progressing every game and hopefully when we come back next time we’ll be one step further.

  • 1st ODI, Trent Bridge: Aus won by 7 wkts
  • 2nd ODI, Headingley: Aus won by 68 runs
  • 3rd ODI, Riverside: Eng won by 46 runs (DLS)
  • 4th ODI, Lord’s: Sep 27
  • 5th ODI, Bristol: Sep 29

“We’re very happy with the win and I’m very pleased for Harry as well. He’s openly said he’s struggled to find the right tempo in 50-over cricket but that was the perfect innings. We’re growing together as a team and this is a good stepping stone in that.”

Despite his lack of miles on the clock – just 32 List A appearances in the six years since his debut – Jacks has shown a liking for the one-day arena.

Tuesday’s knock at the Seat Unique Riverside was his fourth half-century in 10 ODIs and his second in a week in his new position at number three.

That slot has belonged to Root for most of the past decade and the country’s record century-maker, rested ahead of the Test tour of Pakistan, is expected to be back in the harness for the Champions Trophy campaign in February.

Joe Root leans into a classical drive in an ODI against New Zealand.
Joe Root is likely to reclaim Jacks’ current spot at number three for next year’s Champions Trophy (Joe Giddens/PA)

Where that leaves Jacks, who has also operated as a lower-order six-hitter and at opener, remains to be seen, but for now he is keen to make the biggest impact he can.

“Who knows what’s going to happen there?” he said. “Rooty is England’s best ever batter in 50-over cricket. You can’t say any more about what he does.

“What will be, will be. I just have to try and win games when I can. This one was nice and I’d like to have a few more of those. We’re all just trying to win games, do as well as we can on any given day. For me it’s just giving it everything I can.

“I’m pretty relaxed about that. I’m just really enjoying playing for England and every opportunity to put the shirt on.”

England must decide whether to field Jofra Archer at Lord’s as they continue to manage the seamer’s workloads. Saqib Mahmood and the uncapped John Turner stand by.

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Ben Stokes ‘remains on track’ to captain England in Pakistan Test series

Pamela Rios September 25, 2024 Leave a Reply
Ben Stokes ‘remains on track’ to captain England in Pakistan Test series

Ben Stokes has been given the green light to captain England’s Test tour of Pakistan next month but he is still unlikely to bowl at the start of the series.

Stokes missed his side’s last three matches against Sri Lanka after tearing his hamstring while playing for Northern Superchargers on August 11 and has stepped up his recovery in recent weeks.

The 33-year-old has been back in the nets ahead of final scans on the injury, with the results showing he is on track to lead his side out in Multan on October 7.

But it appears increasingly likely that he will operate as a specialist batter, with England unwilling to take any risks over the long-term health of their skipper.

A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board read: “England Men’s Test captain Ben Stokes today underwent planned scans on the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Test series against Sri Lanka.

“The results of the scans were positive and confirmed that his recovery, since sustaining the injury six-and-a-half weeks ago, remains on track to participate in the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.”

Stokes oversaw a 3-0 clean sweep in Pakistan two years ago – his first overseas assignment after taking over from Joe Root – and his presence will be a major boost to England’s prospects.

Ben Stokes, with his bat in his right hand, trudges off the field while playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred
Ben Stokes suffered the injury playing in The Hundred (Nick Potts/PA)

It will, though, restrict England’s options in terms of balancing the team.

With his ability to take up a place in the top six as well as shouldering some of the seam bowling burden removed, the make-up of the attack is likely to be a compromise.

Speaking to Sky Sports during England’s ODI victory over Australia at Durham on Tuesday, Stokes said: “Rehab has gone really well. But there’s a lot more than just my hamstring that I need to get back firing and working up again in terms of bowling, because you use everything.

“I need to get that all right to make sure that I don’t do any damage to other parts of my body. It was a hamstring tear which sneaked into my tendon, that’s why it takes a week or two longer than a normal hammy.”

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Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Steve Smith and Alex Carey half-centuries put Australia in strong position

Pamela Rios September 24, 2024 Leave a Reply
Steve Smith and Alex Carey half-centuries put Australia in strong position

Alex Carey’s unbeaten half-century piled the pressure on England as Australia surged to 304 for seven as they looked to wrap up the Metro Bank ODI series with a third straight win.

Carey, whose form fell off a cliff after his role in last summer’s controversial Ashes run out of Jonny Bairstow, followed his decisive knock of 74 last time out with a transformative 77 not out at Chester-le-Street.

England, who have lost 10 of their last 14 ODIs dating back to last year’s miserable World Cup campaign, appeared to be holding their own when they had the tourists at 200 for five off 40 overs but failed to finish the job.

Perhaps lacking an extra seam option they found their resources stretched as they leaked 104 off the last 10 overs and 55 off the final four.

Steve Smith had earlier anchored the first half of the innings with 60, but it was Carey’s 65-ball salvo that took the game away from England.

Brydon Carse had earlier been the pick of the home attack, underserved by figures of one for 55.

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Relief for Harry Brook as maiden hundred sets up much-needed win

Pamela Rios September 24, 2024 Leave a Reply
Relief for Harry Brook as maiden hundred sets up much-needed win

Harry Brook breathed a major sigh of relief after chalking up his first ODI century and a first win as England captain on a memorable day in Durham.

After heavy losses to Australia at Trent Bridge and Headingley, England knew nothing less than victory would be enough to keep themselves in the five-match series and Brook’s masterful innings delivered.

Coming to the crease at 11 for two after both openers had fallen to Mitchell Starc, he peeled off a sensational 110 not out. Rain meant England were unable to complete their pursuit of 305 but the hosts still walked away with a 46-run win on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern thanks to Brook’s brilliance and a stand of 156 with Will Jacks (84).

It was a mature display from a novice skipper with just 18 caps in the format and a further reminder of the remarkable talent England have on their hands.

But, after a tricky start to his temporary reign, he was happy just to get back in the groove.

“I’m relieved, for sure. It’s just nice to see some rewards,” he said.

“I’m just glad I managed to play the way I wanted to. It’s nice to get that first hundred on the board and hopefully there’s plenty more to come.”

“I feel like I’ve been a little bit stop-start this summer, I’ve had a lot of starts – 30s and 40s – and then not managed to convert, which is frustrating. To do that today, I feel like I’m back in a good place. Obviously it’s nice to score runs against Australia but scoring runs is amazing no matter who it is against.”

Brook raised eyebrows with some of his comments after England’s loss in the series opener in Nottingham, reflecting on some loose dismissals by saying: “If you get caught somewhere on the boundary or in the field then who cares?”.

Some interpreted that as a flippant approach to what is being billed – and priced – as an elite contest – but he suggested there had been a misunderstanding of his words.

Harry Brook, left, is patted on the back by Liam Livingstone as England's batters leave the pitch for rain
Harry Brook, left, is patted on the back by Liam Livingstone as England’s batters leave the pitch for rain (Owen Humphreys/PA)

“I think people took that a little bit the wrong way. You’ve got to go out and play fearlessly and almost have that ‘who cares?’ attitude but that’s not a ‘who cares if we lose?’ attitude,” he said.

“We all want to win, but you don’t want to go out and have that fear of getting out. You’ve seen it so many times in the Test environment, at the start Stokesy (captain Ben Stokes) was getting out caught at mid-on which is unheard of before, so you’ve got to go out with that fearless attitude and try to take it to the bowlers.”

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald bemoaned the absence of key spinner Adam Zampa, a late withdrawal through illness, but doffed his cap to Brook.

“Full credit to Harry. He’s an impressive player and he’s going to have a long career for England,” he said.

“He’s going to give us some headaches over the journey. The way he played, the way he led today…sometimes you’ve got to take your hat off to the opposition. This is one of those moments.”

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