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Sunday, September 29, 2024

Ben Duckett leads England’s bid for a series-clinching victory over Australia

Pamela Rios September 29, 2024 Leave a Reply
Ben Duckett leads England’s bid for a series-clinching victory over Australia

Ben Duckett ended his wait for a three-figure score before England were undone by spin in their one-day international series decider against Australia at Bristol.

Duckett’s 107 off 91 balls was his first century of the summer after a series of near misses in both Tests and ODIs, with the opener sharing a 132-run stand in 98 balls with stand-in captain Harry Brook.

England were on course for a mammoth total when they were at the crease but Brook holing out for 72 off 52 balls to Adam Zampa after hitting him for five sixes sparked a collapse from 202 for two in the 25th over.

Duckett was one of four wickets to fall to Travis Head, the fifth spinner Australia used, on a wearing pitch as England were all out for 309 in 49.2 overs – although weather might still have the final say.

The forecast is for heavy rain later on Sunday afternoon, which could lead to a second washout in 12 months at this ground. Australia need to bat 20 overs to decide who wins the series 3-2.

The uncertainty contributed to Steve Smith, standing in as Australia captain, asking England to bat first, with the hosts electing to rest Jofra Archer after his standout display at Lord’s on Friday.

Both Duckett and Phil Salt rode their luck against Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood early on. Salt was especially frenetic with a slice off Starc sailing over the slips and disappearing for six.

Two more authoritative strokes went the distance off Aaron Hardie but, tempted by a fuller and wider delivery, he miscued to Marnus Labuschagne at deep backward point to depart for 45 off 27 balls.

Hardie then produced a jaffa that nipped off the seam and clipped the top of Will Jacks’ off-stump, leaving Duckett to rebuild alongside Brook, who exploded after a watchful start of nine in 20 balls.

Zampa was treated with particular disdain, with Brook exploiting the shorter straight boundaries to take three sixes in an over as the leg-spinner conceded 30 in two overs before being replaced.

When he was brought back, Brook went again but, having conceded 44 from 17 deliveries, he was rewarded for continuing to offer the bait, tossing up and the Yorkshireman obliging by skewing to long-off.

As at Trent Bridge in the series opener, England fragmented against spin with Jamie Smith bowled through the gate by Glenn Maxwell and Liam Livingstone over-balancing and nicking off to Zampa.

Duckett had steadily moved through the gears, confident on both front and back foot and typically strong on the pull to seamers and sweeping assertively off the spinners.

He brought up his ton off just 86 balls – his second at this ground – but then became Head’s first victim. Seeking a second successive six off the part-timer, Duckett instead lobbed to Hazlewood.

When 400 looked a decent bet with Duckett and Brook batting, England unravelled to the extent that they only limped past 300 in the penultimate over, largely thanks to Adil Rashid’s 36 off 35 balls.

He perished in the final over, giving Head, bowling the final over for the second time in this series, ODI best figures of four for 28.

The post Ben Duckett leads England’s bid for a series-clinching victory over Australia appeared first on Cricket365.



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Saturday, September 28, 2024

Lancashire relegated from Division One as Yorkshire earn promotion to top flight

Pamela Rios September 28, 2024 Leave a Reply
Lancashire relegated from Division One as Yorkshire earn promotion to top flight

Lancashire’s relegation from Division One of the Vitality County Championship was confirmed on the day when rivals Yorkshire were promoted to the top flight.

After bowling out Worcestershire for 180 on day three at New Road, Lancashire were themselves then dismissed for 177 in 55.1 overs.

The Red Rose county’s fate was sealed as relegation rivals Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire picked up sufficient points from their Trent Bridge clash to both guarantee their own safety.

It was Lancashire’s fourth relegation from the top flight since last winning the title in 2011 – having previously gone down in 2012, 2014 and 2018 – and came two years after finishing runners-up.

No Lancashire batter passed 40 with Luke Wells and George Balderson both making 38.

Hampshire sealed the runner-up spot behind champions Surrey with a five-wicket victory over Somerset at Taunton.

Needing 121 to beat third-placed Somerset – who were dismissed for 180 in their second innings – Hampshire lost two wickets to the first two balls of their chase.

Toby Albert and Nick Gubbins fell to Somerset skipper Lewis Gregory, who was denied a hat-trick when Kasey Aldridge spilled a low chance at second slip offered by James Vince.

It was to prove a costly drop as Vince’s 68-ball 54 led Hampshire to a five-wicket victory, with Liam Dawson’s unbeaten 44 ensuring the visitors would finish second.

Warwickshire made 143 for four in reply to Nottinghamshire’s 487 – South Africa Test wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne (148 not out) completing his first century in England.

Will Rhodes (37) passed 1,000 runs for the season for the first time in his career and Sam Hain stood unbeaten on 59 at the close as Warwickshire recovered from being six for two.

Warwickshire v Lancashire – Bob Willis Trophy – Final – Day Two – Lord's
Warwickshire batter Will Rhodes passed 1,000 runs for the season against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge (Adam Davy/PA)

Essex batters Dean Elgar, Tom Westley and Matt Critchley all scored centuries as Surrey conceded over 500 at Chelmsford.

Former South Africa captain Elgar led the way with 182, while Westley made 135 and Critchley 112.

Elgar and Westley put on a record 253 in 59 overs to eclipse the 95-year-old best of 206 for the second wicket against Surrey.

Surrey closed on 30 for one in reply to Essex’s massive 508 for eight.

Alex Lees made his fourth first-class century of the season as Durham amassed 360 against Kent at Chester-le-Street.

Lees compiled 144 from 180 balls and had solid support from David Bedingham (66) and Emilio Gay (52). Kent were 96 for three at stumps.

Yorkshire sealed promotion back to Division One after dominating day three against Northamptonshire.

Promotion rivals Middlesex were bowled out for 271 by Sussex – who finished the day 112 for two – which left Yorkshire needing 350 in their first innings to secure second place in the table.

Adam Lyth (147) and James Wharton (162 not out) hit centuries as Yorkshire got the three batting bonus points they required and reached the close on 371 for two – a lead of 224.

Glamorgan ended their Division Two campaign on a high with a crushing 192-run victory over Gloucestershire at Cardiff.

With heavy rain forecast for day four on Sunday, captains Sam Northeast and Graeme van Buuren agreed to make it a one-innings contest.

Glamorgan declared at 381 for four after Northeast had reach 1,000 runs for the season and Chris Cooke reached an unbeaten 101.

Gloucestershire collapsed to 189 all out with Andy Gorvin (three for 22) and Ben Kellaway (three for 24) the pick of the home bowlers.

Leicestershire’s home game with Derbyshire finally got under way on day three, Sol Budinger top scoring with 87 in the Foxes’ 264 for eight.

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Friday, September 27, 2024

Harry Brook says improved form was ‘a matter of time’ as England beat Australia

Pamela Rios September 27, 2024 Leave a Reply
Harry Brook says improved form was ‘a matter of time’ as England beat Australia

Harry Brook feels he is getting some overdue rewards with the bat after helping England to a 186-run thrashing of Australia to set up an ODI series decider at Bristol on Sunday.

After a maiden ODI century at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, Brook appeared to be at the top of his game as he peeled off 87 from 58 balls at Lord’s in a contest reduced to 39 overs a side because of rain.

The stand-in England captain’s innings underpinned a mammoth total of 312 for five – requiring Australia to go at eight an over in reply and they duly subsided to a sorry 126 all out in 24.4 overs.

Coming back from 2-0 down at the start of the week to level at 2-2 to set up a winner-takes-all showdown this weekend was all the sweeter for Brook following his uptick in form.

The Yorkshireman averaged a respectable 37.7 in Tests this summer but he made one hundred and passed fifty only once in his last seven innings, while he was singled out for criticism in the defeat against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval this month by former England captains Michael Vaughan and Sir Alastair Cook.

Any concerns are now in the background after back-to-back innings of substance, in which Brook injected some impetus after a tricky start and manoeuvred the field at will.

“It felt like only a matter of time for me,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been playing well all summer, everything just needed to click. The last couple of games for me have been really special.

“It’s definitely the best I’ve hit it this summer. That’s how I feel like I play at my best and thankfully it came off.”

Liam Livingstone batting for England in the fourth ODI against Australia
Liam Livingstone belted seven sixes in a swaggering 62 not out (John Walton/PA)

Ben Duckett came through a probing opening spell from Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to contribute 63 off 62 deliveries before Liam Livingstone’s jaw-dropping demonstration of six-hitting.

Livingstone belted seven in total, including four in Mitchell Starc’s final over which yielded 28, to equal Andrew Flintoff’s record for the most sixes in an ODI at Lord’s.

His 25-ball fifty is the fastest in this format at the home of cricket and he finished on a swaggering 62 not out off 27 balls to leave Australia reeling, with only 20 minutes between the change of innings.

“He was striking it unbelievably well,” Brook said. “We all know what he’s capable of doing at the back end and he did it immensely well.”

After Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh had put on 68 inside nine overs, Australia imploded with Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer in a pace race and exploiting helpful conditions under the floodlights.

Jofra Archer celebrates taking a wicket
Jofra Archer exceeded 90mph in the reply (John Walton/PA)

They took five of the first six wickets to fall, Archer getting up to 93mph and Carse not too far behind, before Matthew Potts took four for 38 to hasten Australia’s demise.

“It was phenomenal to watch,” Brook said. “We knew the seamers were getting the most out the pitch so I just tried to bowl them as many overs as possible.

“Carse is a little bit ill so he was struggling with his chest but they all bowled unbelievably well. We’ve got an awesome bowling attack with those three seamers.”

Momentum is firmly with England after winning the last two ODIs but their bid to finish their summer with a flourish could be spoiled by the weather in Bristol, with rain forecast.

“It would be good to get over there and have a deciding game,” Brook added.

The post Harry Brook says improved form was ‘a matter of time’ as England beat Australia appeared first on Cricket365.



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England’s bowlers put Australia to the sword to set up series decider

Pamela Rios September 27, 2024 Leave a Reply
England’s bowlers put Australia to the sword to set up series decider

England set up a decider against Australia at Bristol on Sunday after levelling the ODI series in emphatic fashion with a rain-affected 186-run victory at Lord’s.

In a contest reduced to 39 overs per side, Harry Brook followed up his maiden ODI hundred on Tuesday with a scintillating 87 off 58 balls before Liam Livingstone’s staggering demonstration of six-hitting.

Livingstone belted seven in total, including four in Mitchell Starc’s final over which yielded 28, to equal Andrew Flintoff’s record for the most sixes in an ODI at Lord’s as England posted 312 for five.

Australia raced to 68 without loss in reply but stumbled to 96 for six after Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer, in his first ODI at the home of cricket since the 2019 World Cup final, turned up the heat.

On a sticky pitch offering assistance under lights, the pair each exceeded 90mph to take five of the first six wickets. Carse finished with three for 36 with Archer collecting two for 33.

Matthew Potts claimed four for 38 as England backed up their win in Chester-le-Street this week and the momentum is now firmly with them, having come from 2-0 down to level the five-match series at 2-2.

Another triumph over the 50-over world champions was built on a fantastic batting display after rain delayed the start by more than two hours although Australia were initially on top having won the toss.

Starc and Josh Hazlewood were exemplary, settling into Test-match lengths in helpful conditions to repeatedly trouble England’s openers. While Ben Duckett showed his experience by battling through, Phil Salt sliced Hazlewood to Marnus Labuschagne while Will Jacks did likewise off Mitchell Marsh.

Harry Brook plays a pull shot during his innings of 87
Harry Brook led from the front again (John Walton/PA)

Brook looked to be on his way for 17, strangled down leg, but replays showed the ball had grazed the turf before reaching Josh Inglis. Jeers rained down but this was more of a storm-in-a-teacup than what unfolded after Alex Carey’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in last year’s Ashes.

Duckett (63 off 62 balls) thrashed the first of England’s dozen sixes – a Lord’s record in an ODI – when he advanced to Adam Zampa but the leg-spinner had his revenge when a top-edged sweep sailed to Sean Abbott.

Brook, though, looked in irresistible touch, piercing the gaps for back-to-back fours off both Zampa and Glenn Maxwell. Zampa’s mixed fortunes continued when he overpitched to Jamie Smith and went the distance before a drag down to Brook three balls later was also clattered over the leg-side boundary.

Even Hazlewood’s brief return did little to discourage Brook, who scooped then swivel pulled the seamer for fours. Another century seemed to be there for the taking but he could not get enough elevation to clear long-on off Zampa, who conceded 66 in eight overs on his comeback from illness.

After Smith lost his shape attempting to tee off at Maxwell and miscued to Hazlewood to depart for 39, Livingstone finished England’s innings in a blaze of sixes.

The last over was particularly brutal as England threatened to fall short of 300, with Starc laced for 28 as Livingstone swung with carefree abandon, taking four sixes and a four en route to a 25-ball fifty, the fastest in an ODI at Lord’s.

With Australia set the equivalent of 400 in a regulation ODI, Marsh and the returning Travis Head tried to lay down an early marker. Matthew Potts struggled with his line and bowled a nine-ball over, although Archer repeatedly beat the edge of Head and was unlucky a top edge off Marsh hit the turf.

Head seemed to have found his range when he hammered Carse over the Mound Stand but Australia’s innings was sent into an irreversible tailspin when he was castled in the fast bowler’s next over.

Steve Smith inside edged Potts through to Jamie Smith before a fired-up Archer beat Marsh all ends up, with the Australia captain groping forwards only to have his off stump emphatically knocked back.

Marnus Labuschagne reacts after being hit on the arm
Marnus Labuschagne reacts after being hit on the arm (John Walton/PA)

Labuschagne was greeted with a vicious short ball that rapped him on the forearm before being bowled by a borderline unplayable delivery that pitched on middle and knocked off stump out the ground from Archer, who earlier in the over accounted for Josh Inglis.

When Maxwell under-edged Archer to Smith, Australia had lost six wickets in 43 legitimate deliveries as their hopes of moving into an unassailable lead in the series evaporated.

Potts claimed a further three wickets as Australia were all out for a sorry 126 in 24.4 overs.

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Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone help England amass over 300 at Lord’s

Pamela Rios September 27, 2024 Leave a Reply
Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone help England amass over 300 at Lord’s

Harry Brook relegated another Australia wicketkeeper controversy at Lord’s to a mere subplot with a sparkling 87 off 58 balls to lift England to 312 for five in the must-win fourth ODI.

Brook, England’s stand-in captain for the series, was given out on 17 after being strangled down leg by Mitchell Starc but an umpire’s review determined the ball had bounced before reaching Josh Inglis.

Jeers rang around the ground, harking back to Alex Carey’s controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at this ground in last year’s Ashes, but Brook ignored the minor drama to follow up his maiden ODI hundred at Chester-le-Street this week to reduce Australia’s lead to 2-1 with another substantial knock.

Brook hit the ground running after England had been straitjacketed in a contest reduced to 39 overs per side because of rain, with Phil Salt and Will Jacks both miscuing to point cheaply.

Brook shared stands of 79 with Ben Duckett (63 off 62 balls) and 75 with Jamie Smith (39 off 28) before Liam Livingstone’s thrilling unbeaten 62 off 27 deliveries, including 28 in Mitchell Starc’s final over.

Starc and Josh Hazlewood were initially superb after England were asked to bat under murky skies more than two hours after the scheduled start time, exploiting helpful conditions to initially subdue Salt and Duckett.

Duckett was dropped on nought by Starc one-handed in his follow through then survived an lbw review on 10, with the ball trimming the bails.

Duckett, though, seemed more assured than Salt, who departed after skewing Hazlewood low to Labuschagne, while Jacks did the same in Marsh’s first bowling spell since the 2023 World Cup final.

Brook was purposeful from the off, using his feet and manipulating the field, but when he inside edged to Inglis, who took the gloves off Carey, the umpire’s finger went up.

A close-up replay showed the ball grazed the turf on the way through and the decision was reversed, prompting the ‘same old Aussies, always cheating’ chant that became a hallmark of last year’s Ashes.

Brook refused to let the issue bog him down and after Duckett thrashed Adam Zampa, back after illness, over long-on en route to fifty, the Yorkshireman smeared back-to-back fours off the leg-spinner.

Zampa had a measure of revenge when Duckett top-edged a sweep to Sean Abbott but was then belted in his next over for sixes by Smith then Brook over the leg-side.

Zampa conceded 66 from eight overs but there was a silver lining as he accounted for Brook, unable to get the elevation to clear Glenn Maxwell in the deep when another ton seemed there for the taking.

Smith lost his shape trying to take on Maxwell and sliced to Hazlewood but Livingstone closed the show with a special finisher’s innings, thumping seven of England’s dozen sixes – a Lord’s record in an ODI.

Four of them came in Starc’s last over just as England looked likely to fall short of 300, with Livingstone swinging hard and freely en route to a 25-ball fifty – the fastest at Lord’s.

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