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Evergreen Darren Stevens scuppered Surrey and even left Kent wondering if they could mount a late promotion challenge

David Lloyd at Guildford 23-Jul-2014
ScorecardTillakaratne Dilshan could not prevent a Surrey defeat (file picture)•PA PhotosThere is no such thing as a bad win but, boy, didn’t Kent deserve to celebrate this victory long and hard? Put in on the first morning and put under pressure at various stages throughout a riveting contest, they emerged triumphant with 22.1 overs to spare.A month ago, when Rob Key’s team lost to Glamorgan by an innings they looked unlikely to merit even an also-rans mention in the Division Two promotion race. But now, following this third victory on the spin, it would be foolish to discount them. Although still fifth in the table, Kent are only 21 points behind long-time promotion favourites Hampshire with a game in hand – and they have to play that county twice in the final few weeks of the season.For Surrey, the fact they have moved up to second place – now two points ahead of Hampshire, having played a match more – will be precious little consolation. On several occasions over the last four days they fancied their chances of getting the job done at Woodbridge Road but, instead, went under on the final afternoon, having played some aggressive cricket in pursuit of an appetising target of 303 in 76 overs.The hosts had not lost in the championship since Kent beat them at Canterbury in early May, and while this reverse by no means ends their challenge it is a nasty kick in the teeth. Several Surrey players will feel hard done by, but no-one more so than Stuart Meaker, who finished with match figures of 11 for 196 plus a first innings half-century.A pitch of pace, carry and some up and (occasionally) down bounce was right up Meaker’s street. And, for Kent, Mitch Claydon did a good job of trying to impersonate Surrey’s strike weapon. But there is more than one way to skin a cat – and in Darren Stevens Kent had a destroyer of an altogether different type to swing the game decisively their way with his canny medium-pacers.The 38-year-old all-rounder seldom had the chance to bowl when a Leicestershire player. But, having moved to Kent in 2005, he was allowed to develop his second string to such an extent that he is now a key member of the attackStevens has had good seasons with the ball in the past. This one, though, is turning out to be the best of the lot with 43 championship victims already in the bag at just 22 runs apiece. Today, he added five to the collection, at a cost of 68 runs – having seen his first six overs with the new ball go for 40 runs as Surrey tried to crash, bang wallop their way to success.”We thought there was enough in the pitch for us to win,” said Stevens before joining Kent’s post-match celebration party on a still sun-drenched outfield. “If you looked at how many plays and misses there had been on the previous three days we thought, with a bit of luck, they would start to nick them and we would be ok.”And nick them they did with nine of Surrey’s ten wickets falling to edges that flew to keeper, slips or gully. The end result was that Stevens walked away with match figures of 9 for 178 – and Kent were able to look forward to the rest of the championship season with real optimism. “We are in a strong position now,” added Stevens. “We’ve got some big games to come, including two against Hampshire.”For Surrey, there were no regrets about the way they set about chasing the target, only disappointment at failing to make it and frustration that they had not bowled well enough on the first morning of the match.Tillakaratne Dilshan, with 68 off 64 balls, had looked their likeliest hero in mid-afternoon but he eventually succumbed to Stevens, going after a wide one, and thereafter it was only a matter of time.”We needed a bit of luck against the new ball but we lost too many wicket early on,” said captain Gary Wilson. “I still thought we were in a position to win but unfortunately we were not quite good enough today.”

The BCCI is likely to propose a special committee, to be led by interim president Jagmohan Dalmiya, to review the daily affairs of the IPL

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jul-2013With no one currently heading the IPL, an influential section of the BCCI is likely to propose a special committee, to be led by interim president Jagmohan Dalmiya, to look into and review the daily affairs of the league. After Rajiv Shukla resigned as chairman of the IPL, no replacement was appointed as the BCCI was busy sorting out the mess created by the alleged corruption scandals. The proposal is likely to come up for discussion at the BCCI working committee meeting to be held in Kolkata on Sunday.Although the IPL governing council, a BCCI sub-committee, still remains the body to look after the league, some board members feel there is room to accommodate a separate committee that could review the IPL. It is understood that Dalmiya has consulted Arun Jaitley, one of the the BCCI vice-presidents, on the matter and has got the nod. It is also learned that Dalmiya has spoken to a few former Indian cricketers, seeking their opinion about how best to run the IPL.Immediately after he took over as the interim BCCI president, Dalmiya had initiated “operation clean up” for the IPL, wherein he announced proposals to enforce a “stricter code of conduct” for players and match officials, as well as putting an end to the “sleaze” element in the form of entertainment and after-hours parties.Dalmiya took charge on June 2 after N Srinivasan “temporarily” stepped aside pending inquiry into allegations of corruption and spot-fixing during the sixth season of the IPL. Dalmiya recently attended the ICC annual conference as the Indian representative, even though Srinivasan participated in influential meetings such finance and commercial affairs via video conference.It is understood that Srinivasan will not attend Sunday’s meeting, which is also likely to discuss the tour itineraries for India’s tour of South Africa, and their scheduled visit to New Zealand early next year.It is also learned that the working committee will not discuss the findings of the two probe panels investigating the corruption scandals of IPL 2013. Ravi Sawani, the BCCI’s anti-corruption head, has not yet concluded his probe into the alleged spot-fixing by three Rajasthan Royals players. Although Sawani has finished speaking to Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan, he has yet to meet Ajit Chandila, who is still in judicial custody.The inquiry commission appointed by the BCCI, made up of two retired judges, has not yet finished its work. The commission was appointed to investigate charges against Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra, respectively part of Chennai Super Kings and Royals, who according to Mumbai and Delhi Police, had admitted to betting during IPL matches.

Eoin Morgan is a doubt for England’s second T20 against New Zealand after jarring his back in the field during their 40-run win in Auckland

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2013Eoin Morgan is a doubt for England’s second T20 against New Zealand after jarring his back in the field during their 40-run win in Auckland on Saturday. Morgan, who was England’s top scorer with 46 from 26 balls and took a brilliant running catch to dismiss Brendon McCullum, tweaked his back later in the New Zealand innings.The team have moved on to Hamilton, venue for the second T20 on Tuesday, and the England management will assess Morgan’s fitness on Monday. If he is unable to train, Morgan’s place in the side is likely to be taken by Joe Root, who came on as a substitute fielder in Auckland.Losing Morgan would leave England without one of their most experienced T20 players as they look to secure the three-match series with a game to spare. Morgan has played 33 times in T20 internationals, putting him sixth for England, with Stuart Broad and the rested Kevin Pietersen among those above him. The most-capped England batsman in the shortest form, however, is Luke Wright, who has played 40 times since his debut in 2007.Wright joined Alex Hales in making 99, the highest score by an Englishman in T20 cricket, at the World Twenty20 in September. In the first New Zealand T20, Wright hit four sixes in a blistering 20-ball 42, confirming his value at No. 3, and then picked up a useful 2 for 29 with the ball.With Ashley Giles recently installed as England’s limited-overs coach, Wright hopes his consistent T20 form since a recall last year can also push him into Giles’ thoughts for the ODI team. “I have huge ambitions to get back in the one-day side,” he said. “It’s something I’m desperate to do.”I’ve just got to keep knocking on the door, and keep badgering Gilo and saying ‘Look mate, I’m scoring runs – what have I got to do?’ If there’s a spot for me, I hope he’ll pick me. If there isn’t, I can’t do much else. Maybe come the end of the tour, it might be something I could sit down and have a chat with him about, to find out what he wants to see from me or where I can improve and give myself better chances to get in.”The Champions Trophy is a major target for England this year and much of the preferred XI is in place. However, with a technically adept top three of Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott followed by the power of Pietersen and Morgan, England could do with an allrounder to help balance the side. Wright’s ODI bowling average of 57.53 weighs against him but, with Tim Bresnan undergoing further elbow surgery and the likes of Chris Woakes unproven, he could still make a case for his inclusion.”It’s quite tough obviously at the top of the order – with KP, Cookie, Belly and Trotty to come back in,” Wright said of his ODI chances. “But I’d like to come into that middle order if there’s no role for me at the top, and obviously my bowling might help. Batting at number three [in T20], I’m getting a key role in an England side – a responsibility that gives me a lot of confidence, and it’s great to repay that faith.”Wright and Morgan helped England to their record T20 total in Auckland and with the small boundaries at Seddon Park – scene of the fastest T20 hundred, by Richard Levi a year ago – the next match could be another high-scoring one. New Zealand will have allrounders Ian Butler and Grant Elliott to choose from, after they were passed fit, and may be tempted to make changes.The game will provide another opportunity for Ross Taylor to continue his international comeback. Mike Hesson, New Zealand’s coach, was pleased to have the batsman available again, although he agreed with Taylor’s assessment of their relationship, after a controversial change in the captaincy. “It was certainly good to have him back,” Hesson said. “I think ‘work in progress’ is a good term. We’re working well together … and the longer we do that the better that relationship will be. But it’s going to take a while before we’re going out for coffee every week.”

Chris Dent maintained his impressive early season form as Gloucestershire put promotion-fancied Worcestershire under pressure on the third day of the Division Two match in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network26-Apr-2016
ScorecardChris Dent has been the main threat to Worcestershire•Getty ImagesChris Dent maintained his impressive early season form as Gloucestershire put promotion-fancied Worcestershire under pressure on the third day of the Division Two match in Bristol.The 25-year-old left-hander followed up a big hundred against Derbyshire and 59 in the first innings of this game with a rock solid 81 not out off 175 balls to help the hosts to 217 for 6 in their second innings at the close, a lead of 186. Matt Henry claimed 3 for 60.Ian Cockbain (67) gave good support in a second-wicket stand of 108 after Worcestershire had been bowled out for 411, Joe Clarke top-scoring with 135, backed up by Ben Cox (69) and Henry (42 not out).The morning session saw Clarke add 32 to his overnight score after Worcestershire resumed their first innings on 297 for 5. The 19-year-old was dropped on 106 by Cockbain at point off Kieran Noema-Barnett, but otherwise built soundly on his second day hundred.Clarke had hit 17 fours when ninth man out, bowled by Liam Norwell with a good delivery that surprised him by nipping back off the seam.His overnight partner Cox had been equally surprised by the first ball of the day from Noema-Barnett, which somehow split his bat in two as he played defensively.After summoning a replacement Willow, Cox added ten to the 59 he scored on day two before being caught behind by the diving Gareth Roderick off Norwell.Joe Leach was bowled shouldering arms to a David Payne inswinger and when Ed Barnard was well held by Dent at second slip, driving at Norwell, Gloucestershire looked favourites for a first-innings lead.But Henry then contributed to stands of 39 with Clarke and 41 with last man Jack Shantry to ensure his side of maximum batting points and a lead of 31.Gloucestershire overtook the deficit without losing a wicket as Dent and Cameron Bancroft put together and opening stand of 49 before the latter was caught behind off Barnard for 29.Dent was unbeaten on 46 at tea, having added 80 with a confident looking Cockbain, who reached his half-century two balls after the interval by pulling Leach for his tenth boundary.Cockbain was particularly impressive when driving and didn’t play like a batsman who managed only 139 Championship runs last season at an average of 13.9.Dent soon followed him to a more sedate fifty off 102 balls with 8 fours. But, with Gloucestershire getting on top, Leach struck twice in the same over, taking a return catch off a leading edge to dismiss Cockbain and then pinning Gareth Roderick lbw with a full delivery for a third ball duck.First-innings centurion Hamish Marshall had made 17 when bowled by Henry with the lead 159 and the Kiwi paceman followed up by dismissing George Hankins and Noema-Barnett with successive balls in an impressive late burst from the Ashley Down Road End. But Dent stood firm to keep Gloucestershire hopes alive.Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell said: “Matt Henry’s spell at the end of the day has put us in with a great chance. I would be happy to chase any reasonable figure tomorrow because the pitch remains a very good one.”We have a new ball due before too long and it has nipped around more in the morning sessions, so hopefully we can take the last four wickets pretty quickly.”What a prospect Joe Clarke is. He played exceptionally well for his 135 and is a big presence in our changing room for a 19-year-old lad. He has a fantastic future and it was a terrific knock in a difficult situation.”

Lionel Messi “can’t wait” for his ‘Last Dance’ with eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, as Inter Miami prepare to lock horns with Al-Nassr.

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Old adversaries to meet on February 1Could be final clash between the pairBoth remain in trophy hunt for 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

It has been announced that leading sides from MLS and the Saudi Pro League will face off at the Riyadh Cup. Inter Miami will also tackle Al-Hilal at that friendly tournament, but it is a meeting between Messi and Ronaldo that is generating the most interest.

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Said fixture will take place on February 1 – in what will be Ronaldo’s next outing after a mid-season break in the Middle East – and could represent a final meeting between two all-time greats that boast 13 Ballons d’Or between them. Messi has posted on social media of that contest: “I can’t wait to be part of #RiyadhSeasonCup with my team Inter Miami CF as we face top Saudi clubs in a historic championship.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi is back in the United States ahead of Inter Miami’s 2024 campaign, with Herons CSO Chris Henderson having said of the club’s targets: “We’re evaluating every department in our front office and performance staff, to support [Tata Martino] and his staff and all the players to make sure we’re performing everywhere in the club. We’re looking at everything to [improve the squad.] We have high hopes for 2024, and we want to show what we can do as a club. Winning trophies and having high ambition is something we’ve had since day one.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Inter Miami have already added former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez to their ranks, while USMNT star Julian Gressel has been acquired as a free agent. David Beckham and the club’s board are looking to ensure that Messi has all of the tools around him to make bids for more major silverware possible.

In recent weeks, the importance of a cricket nation’s international performance has run secondary to the capacity of its board to deal shrewdly, even secretly, to secure a greater share of the money flowing into the game

Daniel Brettig11-Feb-2014In recent weeks, the importance of a cricket nation’s international performance has run secondary to the capacity of its board to deal shrewdly, even secretly, to secure a greater share of the money flowing into the game. The coup completed at the ICC board table in Singapore on Saturday placed Australia in exclusive company alongside India and England, the “big three” now effectively grasping the sort of influence and financial strength that will leave the rest beholden to their whims.So what irony that in the same instant Cricket Australia were placing themselves at the very top of the game’s decision-making, the national team was battling rain and a cramped time-frame to prepare as adequately as possible for a bout with South Africa, the finest team of the age but a minor player in the new shape of world cricket’s governance. Unlike the boardroom tussle, this conflict will be played out in full public view, with the hosts holding many of the aces.Chief among these is the inherent advantage of playing on familiar soil, a factor that grows evermore influential with each passing year of cramped schedules, jumbled formats and commercial thinking. Not so long ago, India were chastised for wounded talk of “wait until we play you at home”, but the emerging trend of the past 12 months has been that near enough to every team has taken up something of this attitude, for reasons financial as much as practical. In the words of one former administrator, “ultimately what matters most for all your stakeholders is to win at home”. Michael Clarke’s team on the road

Sri Lanka 2011 – won 1-0 (3 Tests)
South Africa 2011 – tied 1-1 (2 Tests)
West Indies 2012 – won 2-0 (3 Tests)
India 2013 – lost 4-0 (4 Tests)
England 2013 – lost 3-0 (5 Tests)
Overall
Played 17
Won 4
Lost 8
Drawn 5

Australia certainly followed this dictum during back-to-back Ashes bouts, planning, scheming and preparing during a series lost in England to mete out fearful revenge in the southern hemisphere. Theirs was a triumph in every sense, not only sweeping Alastair Cook’s tourists on the field but causing all manner of chaos for them off it, with a casualty list now including three members of the touring team plus the coach, Andy Flower.Yet that series is now considered by Australia’s captain Michael Clarke and coach Darren Lehmann to be little more than a pleasant starting point for what they hope will be a far longer run of victories, against all comers and in all conditions. Lehmann likes to say such success is vital “if we’re going to get to where we want to go”, namely to the top spot on the global rankings that South Africa currently possess.That supremacy has been built upon a subversion of the home-ground notion, for Graeme Smith’s side have become much admired for being capable of performing to a high standard anytime, anywhere. Nothing speaks to this quite so strongly as their unbeaten record overseas since 2006, a run outlasting even their string of victories at home. Ricky Ponting’s underrated 2009 tourists were the last team to beat South Africa anywhere.Clarke is old enough to recall the attributes of the great Australian team that had begun to decline by then, namely their mental strength in replicating the command performances of Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in such destinations as Nagpur, Colombo, Bridgetown, Dhaka, and Johannesburg. It is a standard to which he and Lehmann again aspire, following the accumulation of a horrid away record last year – seven defeats from nine Tests.”The fact that not many teams have won away in the last couple of years is what makes it a greater prize, a greater challenge,” Clarke said. “My view is you want to win every game you play, whether I’m playing in Australia or playing in South Africa or the West Indies or India, you want to have success. But it’s obviously extremely hard to win away from home and I think the last couple of years you’ve seen that across the board.”If we want to get back to being No. 1 in the world, we have to have success away from home, we have to beat the best teams, and as tough a challenge as it is we’re excited about it.”Clarke and his team have plenty of reason to think they can measure up to the task, not least because in South Africa they find an environment not too far removed from their own. If India’s turning pitches can seem like playing on the moon, South Africa’s fast and seaming decks are more like venturing from Sydney to Brisbane at the outset of the summer, albeit with a nine-hour time difference thrown in.”It’s probably going to be easier for us to adapt to these conditions, but there’s always a home-ground advantage,” Clarke said. “You’ve got crowd, you’ve got family, you’ve got friends, you’ve got the comforts of if you’re playing in your own state you stay in your own house. The food, the hotels, you know the grounds, you know the change rooms – there’s so much that comes with playing in your own backyard. Hence why it’s so hard to have success away from home. To be the best team in the world you’ve got to be able to adapt.”In Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon, Australia have a bowling attack more than capable of making such an adaptation. Clarke will not want for willing and skilful practitioners in the field, eager also to test themselves against opponents not quite so familiar as England became over the course of 10 Tests. South Africa may even offer an added advantage to the pacemen – swing is often more easily found on the Highveld than at home.But the greater questions will be asked of the touring side’s batsmen, who despite accumulating solid enough aggregates against the Englishmen, showed an alarming consistency in their first innings troubles. They cannot expect South Africa to be quite so courteous to the middle order and tail, even if Brad Haddin and Steve Smith remain in the best batting touch of their old and young careers.There is also uncertainty about the shape and capability of the batting order, a state of affairs created by the dropping of George Bailey, who has been missed as an equable tourist so far, and the latest ailment picked up by Shane Watson. Irrespective of how Alex Doolan, Shaun Marsh and Phillip Hughes fare in the series, they will not prosper without help from Clarke. His run-making trailed off towards the end of the Ashes, and he must locate a far richer seam at Centurion to give his side a chance.Looking on from the boundary’s edge will be those men of the boardroom. They will discuss the game’s new future and its apparent unequal divide, and how South Africa might continue to thrive with what must now amount to patronage from Australia, India and England. Meanwhile the two teams will fight on a far more even footing, a place where negotiations, relationships and political expedience mean far less than skill, courage and resilience. It can only be hoped that this will remain so.

A round-up of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches played on April 11, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2014Group AIndividual brilliance with both bat and ball from Priyank Panchal enabled Gujarat to catch up with Uttar Pradesh in the Group A points table. Opening the innings, the 24-year-old Panchal scored his maiden half-century – 77 off 52 balls – that helped Gujarat set up an imposing total of 184. His 75-run stand for the first wicket with Rajdeep Darbar set the tone for the innings as Gujarat never took the foot off the accelerator. The fifth-wicket pair of Chirag Gandhi and Rohit Dahiya then hit 44 in the last three overs.UP made an explosive start to their chase and were 76 for 2 in the eighth over when Panchal struck with the ball to remove Umang Sharma. It was Panchal’s first T20 wicket and it derailed the innings as none of the following batsmen could script a meaningful stand and UP were eventually bowled out for 150. Panchal picked up three more wickets to return with figures of 4 for 19. Panchal also shone in the field, picking up four catches.Goa outbatted Jharkhand in a 58-run victory that boosted their chances of qualifying for the top four. Four teams in Group A, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat and Haryana are on eight points and have a chance of qualifying depending on their results in the last league round.The openers Sagun Kamat and Swapnil Asnodkar added 88 runs for the first wicket in nearly 11 overs and Asnodkar scored a brisk 47-ball 57. Late cameos from Rohit Asnodkar and Keenan Vaz helped the side reach an imposing 172 for 4.Jharkhand were never in the chase after they were reduced to 39 for 4 in the 10th over and in spite of knocks from Shiv Gautam (30 off 23 balls) and Kaushal Singh (42 off 29 balls), they only managed to reach 114 for 8 in their 20 overs. Gauresh Gawas was the most successful bowler for Goa, with figures of 3 for 18.Group BThe Baroda juggernaut shows no signs of relenting in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. After staying unbeaten in the zonal round of the tournament and winning the first two matches of the Super League stage, Baroda once again produced a dominating performance, this time thumping Rajasthan by ten wickets at the Wankhede Stadium. The win helped Baroda take a four-point lead in the group table over Kerala and Rajasthan with only a game remaining.Opting to bowl, Baroda kept a leash on Rajasthan’s scoring rate in the first half of the innings despite only taking two wickets, but the second half saw Rajasthan stumble spectacularly from a position they could have used as a springboard for late surge. At 74 for 2 in the 14th over, Rajasthan had eight wickets remaining but they lost all of them – three of them in the 18th over bowled by Rishi Arothe – for the addition of only 29 runs to be bowled out for 103. Lukman Meriwala and Hardik Pandya were again economical and shared five wickets between them.In their response, Baroda trolled to the target with utter ease, the openers completing the chase in the 17th over. Aditya Waghmode was unbeaten on 50 off 54 balls while Kedar Devdhar scored 45 in 42 balls.Career-best figures of 4 for 6 from left-arm medium-pacer Unnikrishnan Manukrishnan helped Kerala successfully defend a low score of 101 against Bengal. The 19-run loss was the fourth successive one for Bengal, who have lost all their Super League games after finishing unbeaten in the zonal stage.Chasing a meagre 102, Bengal crumbled for 82. Unnikrishnan dismantled the middle order to leave the side reeling at 46 for 6. In spite of a knock of 27 from Pankaj Shaw, only one of the two batsmen to reach double-figures for Bengal, the side couldn’t resuscitate their innings and were all out in the 17th over.Bengal would have found themselves chasing a much smaller total had it not been for R Prem’s 51. Like the Bengal innings, Kerala, too, had only two batsmen scoring in double digits, but Prem’s 51 led the side to a score that eventually proved to be just enough.

Dawid Malan tamed Essex’s Australian pace ace Shaun Tait at Lord’s as his 55-ball 86 helped to propel Middlesex to a seven-wicket victory

04-Jul-2013
ScorecardDawid Malan’s 86 was the defining innings of the match•Getty ImagesDawid Malan tamed Essex’s Australian pace ace Shaun Tait at Lord’s as his 55-ball 86 helped to propel Middlesex to a seven-wicket victory in a Friends Life t20 South Group game played before a crowd of almost 20,000.Tait conceded 17 runs from his third over as Malan’s assault, including one remarkable six over extra cover, led a thrilling chase after Essex had posted a challenging 170 for 8 from their 20 overs.In the end, with Joe Denly unbeaten on 52 from 35 balls, Middlesex got home with two balls to spare after Adam Voges had been run out for 17 attempting a second to win the game from the second ball of the last over, bowled by Ravi Bopara.Adam Rossington then came in to flick the second ball he faced to the long-leg boundary to complete a fine Middlesex performance, in which a 93-run stand in nine overs between Malan and Denly ultimately made the difference.Malan dominated an opening stand of 37 in five overs with Paul Stirling, who had made only 5 when he lifted a Graham Napier full toss straight to deep square leg, and Denly was soon into his stride when he slog-swept Greg Smith for six.Seventeen runs from the 11th over, bowled by Reece Topley, and then 11 off Bopara in the next prompted Essex captain James Foster to bring back Tait. But three of his first four balls were wides and then Malan hit him for his memorable six and a flicked four behind square leg.He hit three sixes and 10 fours overall before holing out off left-arm spinner Tim Phillips at the start of the 15th over. Denly, however, slog-sweeping Smith for another six, made sure Middlesex’s victory surge did not run out of steam and, with Voges also chipping in, only 10 runs were needed from the last two overs.Earlier, the Essex innings had been launched in spectacular style by Hamish Rutherford and Mark Pettini, who put on 59 with a barrage of big hits before Rutherford, the New Zealand left-hander, was leg-before to Toby Roland-Jones from the last ball of the fifth over.Twenty runs had already come from the over, with Rutherford picking up two of his three sixes with legside blows as he sped to 38 from just 17 balls. He had earlier swung his compatriot Kyle Mills high over the wide long-on boundary and also hit four fours in an excellent cameo.Pettini, who needed a runner after being hit painfully on the inner thigh by a ball from Roland-Jones, still managed a 26-ball 37 with three sixes and three fours before being bowled by Ravi Patel, the 21-year-old slow left-arm spinner making an impressive Twenty20 debut.Patel conceded just 17 runs from his four-over allocation, found good spin and looks a fine prospect. With Voges, the Australian, also picking up 2 for 21 from his four overs of left-arm spin, the Essex innings was reined in somewhat during the middle overs.But Napier – coming in mysteriously low at number nine and ridiculously late with just two overs remaining – blasted two sixes and two fours in an eight-ball 24 to boost the total to defendable proportions.Bopara, meanwhile, batted sensibly to reach 32 not out from 28 balls, slog-sweeping Stirling for successive fours in an 18th over that cost 14 runs. Essex, thanks to Napier and Bopara, plundered 44 from the last three overs after Middlesex had previously pegged back an innings racing along at 63 for 1 after the initial six-over Powerplay to 126 for 6 after 17.Owais Shah was unluckily run out for 11, backing up, when Smith’s straight drive was deflected on to the bowler’s stumps by Patel, but Smith, Ryan ten Doeschate and Foster all fell cheaply to spin – Foster hitting an awful long hop from the first ball of Malan’s leg spin straight to short extra cover.

The Lionesses have lost just once under the Dutchwoman, who has led teams to three successive finals at major tournaments, winning two of them

It’s late June and England’s Lionesses are talking to the press in the traditional whole-squad media day that takes place before each major tournament. As a handful of journalists huddle around Georgia Stanway, there are a lot of questions about Germany, the midfielder having just won the Bundesliga title in her first season with Bayern Munich.

But when one journalist asks if England head coach Sarina Wiegman might tap into her expertise should the two nations meet in the quarter-finals of the Women's World Cup, Stanway is dismissive.

“To be fair, Sarina probably knows everything already,” she says. “She probably knows more than me. She’s a genius that way.” It’s a response that sums up the way the Dutchwoman is viewed by the players she is taking to Australia.

There are a lot of fantastic coaches at this tournament but Wiegman, three times named the Best FIFA Women's Coach, is right up there – and there are a lot of reasons why that is the case.

GettyPlenty of pedigree

After a playing career that brought her 99 international caps, Wiegman took up her first coaching role at the age of 37 with Ter Leede, her first full season with the club ending with a league and cup double. Her time with ADO Den Haag in the newly-formed Eredivisie brought her three more major titles, before the Dutch Football Association came calling.

Wiegman would assist the senior national team, coordinate the Under-19s side and be interim head coach across three years, before finally landing the top job in January 2017 – six months before her country were set to host the European Championship.

The Oranje were not in a good place. Recent results had been poor and morale was low, but Wiegman quickly set about her work and it paid off in the most remarkable fashion. The Netherlands had only played at three major tournaments in the history of the women’s team, but at Euro 2017, they won every single game to be crowned European champions on home soil.

It was an achievement that thrust Wiegman into the limelight and one she has backed up massively in the last few years. In 2019, she led the Netherlands to a World Cup final on their second-ever appearance at the tournament.

Then, in 2021, she took charge of England and would be unbeaten in her first 30 matches with the Lionesses, winning the Euros and the Finalissima in that time. After so many semi-final defeats, the nation is now fully established on the world stage.

AdvertisementGettyGetting the best from her players

So, what makes Wiegman so great? So many players cite her as being able to get the best out of her players. But how does she do it?

“She's always pushing us, whether that's on the pitch, off the pitch, in meetings and things like that,” explained winger Lauren Hemp. “I feel like for me personally, I'm always learning. There's always something that I don't know that she's bringing to the table, that she's explaining to me. I never go into a training session where I don't feel like I'm getting something out of it.

“She knows exactly what she wants and she's always pushing us to be that bit better. Like, 'Yeah, that's the level now but now you need to get higher than that'. We're always pushing on and wanting to do better and Sarina is the driver of that.”

“I think it’s her directness,” said Chelsea defender Jess Carter. “[She and her staff] have a way they want to play and we all get on board with that. It makes it easier going out onto the pitch.

“When we are trying to get different players from different squads to gel together, she’s like, ‘This is how we want to play, these are our values’. It’s that directness. She knows what she wants and she lets us know that really well.”

“What you see is what you get,” added Ella Toone. “Direct but just a leader and someone who is very caring and wants the best for each of us. She really pushes us to be the best. I think the main thing Sarina always says is to make sure we enjoy ourselves.”

GettyWilling to be challenged

Another thing that defender Lucy Bronze highlighted when talking about Wiegman, though, was how the players also have an input on what she wants. She might be concise and to the point – but those points can change.

“They are both very open to being challenged, whether that’s from each other or us,” Bronze said, talking about the head coach and her assistant, Arjan Veurink. “They’re always open to hearing what you have to say.

“Sarina is very head-strong and she knows what she wants and she knows what she likes to do, but at the same time she’s very open to hearing opinions and other experiences. For me personally, that’s what I’ve got out of working with the pair of them.”

Given the experience within this England squad – featuring a four-time Champions League winner like Bronze, four players who just did a league and cup double with Chelsea, and Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway, who both just won titles abroad this past season – that’s a real positive.

Why would you not want players like that contributing to the way the team is set up?

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GettyPart of a fantastic duo

It’s not just about Wiegman herself, though. It’s also about the people that she has surrounded herself with.

The main man alongside the Dutchwoman is Veurink, who used to stand in the opposition dugout for Twente and battle Wiegman for titles. The pair have since struck up a formidable partnership on the international stage, winning the Euros in 2017 and reaching the 2019 World Cup final before moving to England together.

“He’s a great guy – very reserved,” said defender Alex Greenwood. “I really get on with him. He loves football as much as I do and his knowledge of the game is incredible. The way he sees the game is similar to the way I see it, so most of our conversation is just about tactics and football and disagreements and agreements on what we think the game should be played like. He’s so important to this team.”

“He thinks he’s quite funny,” Carter added. “He thinks he’s a jokester. I think he’s great. He and Sarina work really well together – but I think all of our staff do.”

Plays of the day from the rained out game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Apr-2015Having been dropped for a match last week, Chris Gayle seemed to recover his early-overs mojo against Delhi Daredevils. Three balls into his innings here, he had the stands buzzing. Tim Southee’s first ball was hit straight, and might have gone for four if it hadn’t hit the stumps at the other end. The next ball was carved through the offside and the following one lifted into the sightscreen. But just when the Chinnaswamy seemed primed for a Gayle special, he cracked the next ball straight to Deepak Hooda at midwicket.The pincushion
Harshal Patel might have been displeased when Sarfaraz Khan refused to attempt a second run off the last ball of the innings, but the rest of their side had only love for the young batsman. Virat Kohli was first on to the field to congratulate Sarfaraz for his knock. He clasped his hands together and bowed, offering a lighthearted . Other team-mates were a lot more hands on, mobbing Sarfaraz with back pats, bum slaps, and friendly knocks to the helmet. Thoroughly manhandled, Sarfaraz was still smiling when he eventually made it off the field.The mix-up
Dinesh Karthik had already flung his bat several metres when he had played a part in the miscommunication that led to AB de Villiers’ run out. He was cursing again when in the 17th over, he turned back for a second after Sarfaraz had hit one towards deep midwicket, but was sent back by his partner, a tad late. Karthik’s dive could not save him, but Sarfaraz would ensure the innings stayed on course for 200.The backhand
Sarfaraz had not been at the crease long, but having uppercut his first four, felt brave enough to try a rare innovation. James Faulkner sent down a length ball outside off stump and Sarfaraz played a reverse shot of sorts, only he used the back of his bat instead of the face. Though he sent the ball towards the third man area he had been aiming for, he could not get enough power on the shot to fetch more than a single.