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Fast bowler has been with the squad for four years and is their leading wicket-taker as well

Umar Farooq20-Dec-2021Lahore Qalandars have named Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain for the upcoming PSL season. He replaces Sohail Akhtar, who led the team for the last two seasons. This will the fast bowler’s first time in charge of a team at senior level but he isn’t coming into the job completely cold. He was captain of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Under-16s at the PCB’s Cricket Stars tournament in 2016.Over the last two years, Afridi has become one of the best players in the world. He has represented Pakistan in 21 Tests, 28 ODIs and 39 T20Is and has been with the Qalandars squad since 2018. In that time, he’s picked up 50 wickets from 37 games, which is a record for the franchise.”Shaheen is our asset and has stuck with us through thick and thin,” Sameen Rana, Qalandars owner and manager, told ESPNcricinfo. “I still remember the day when a young, 18-year-old boy came to Lahore Qalandars for the first time in 2018 and over the years he has developed as one of the finest fast bowlers in the world. He grew with us and helped the franchise to become stronger. He is Pakistan’s top-notch bowler at the moment and over the last three years he gained all the necessary experience playing in all formats of the game. I think this is the best time to give him a chance to show his leadership qualities.”One thing that impressed us all is that he is an excellent learner and I have absolutely no doubt that he will come good as captain. With his performances he has earned enormous respect. It’s a remarkable journey for Shaheen becoming the premium fast bowler and we are extremely happy to be a part of his development first as a player and now allow him to thrive as captain. I wish him very good luck.”As for Afridi, he is relishing the additional responsibility for the forthcoming season. “I am very excited and honoured to accept the role as captain,” Afridi said. “I hope I can give my best as captain. This is a big responsibility and I am happy that they trusted me with this leadership role. Leading a side is the highest role in cricket and equally a privilege for a cricketer. I am grateful to the Lahore Qalandars management and looking forward to the new season next month.”In isolation, Qalandars qualified for the final in 2020, but overall they have struggled to make a mark in the PSL. They have tried various captains in the past, starting with Azhar Ali who was removed from the leadership role in 2016. With most other teams retaining their local core across the first three seasons of the league, Qalandars didn’t have enough options to choose their captain. As a result, they turned to an overseas option in Brendon McCullum before Fakhar Zaman took over as captain.Akhtar, who is uncapped in international cricket, then stepped up as captain over the past two seasons. Under his leadership, Qalandars won the 2018 Abu Dhabi T20 trophy and finished runners-up in the PSL in 2020, but lost their way last year when they finished fifth in the six-team league earlier this year.Akhtar, however, is still an integral part of Qalandars’ core group having been retained by the franchise ahead of the draft.

Kyle Verreynne and Andile Phehlukwayo almost pulled off a coup, but South Africa eventually fell short

Firdose Moonda07-Apr-2021Pakistan have become the second team after Australia to win two bilateral ODI series in South Africa after successfully defending 321 in the decider in the third ODI at SuperSport Park. They earned 20 points in the World Cup Super League and move to the top of the table, level with England and Australia.In a match that tested both teams’ depth with 11 changes across the two teams – South Africa made seven and Pakistan four – one player’s touch remained exactly the same. Fakhar Zaman scored his second successive hundred, and on the way, became the first Pakistan batsman to score more than one ODI century in South Africa and score the most runs by a batsman in a three-match series against South Africa to set up the victory.Between him and Babar Azam, who notched up 94, they asked their hosts to pull off the highest successful chase at this ground, as Kyle Verreynne and Andile Phehlukwayo almost pulled off a coup. Their 99-ball 108-run sixth-wicket partnership steadied South Africa from 141 for 5 and put them 73 runs away from a win. But in the end, the tail was left with too much to do after most of the rest of the top six were undone by spin, with Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Qadir taking four wickets between them.While South Africa will once again have cause to examine their approach against the turning ball, they also missed their frontline attack, all of whom have departed for the IPL. With Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi absent, Daryn Dupvaillon, Lutho Sipamla and Beuran Hendricks bowled 18 overs for 118 runs without taking a single wicket. Instead, it was Keshav Maharaj, brought in for Tabraiz Shamsi, who enjoyed the most success, supported by allrounder Jon-Jon Smuts and part-time offspinner Aiden Markram. In total, South Africa bowled 28 overs of spin – the most in a home ODI – and they collectively picked up six wickets.In a left-field move, Markram opened both the bowling and the batting, which made him only the second South African after Robin Peterson to start in both disciplines in the last two decades. He will be happier with his performance with the ball than the bat though, after he took 2 for 48 in ten overs but was out for 18, inside-edging onto his pad before being caught behind.Markram and South Africa began well with the ball and Pakistan only got one boundary away in the first six overs, but that was the calm before the storm. When Zaman hit the first six of the innings – off a Sipamla short ball that he muscled over midwicket – the openers seemed to find rhythm. Imam-ul-Haq, meanwhile, took on Dupavillon’s short ball with his trademark pull and brought up his half-century off 60 balls.Their century stand came up in the 19th over and made the first Pakistan opening pair to record five century stands in ODIs, but were separated just as an acceleration appeared on the cards. Imam went down the track to try and hit Maharaj over long-on but did not time his stroke and was caught by Verreynne.Enter Azam, who signalled his intent with a gorgeous back-foot drive through point off the eighth ball he faced. Zaman continued as the anchor, cashing in where line and length allowed such as in a Sipamla over, where the young quick sprayed it on both sides of the wicket and Zaman plucked three boundaries. His hundred came with a short-arm jab to midwicket and with more than 15 overs left, he had enough time to finish what he had started in the second ODI at the Wanderers, where he was run-out for 193 but Maharaj prevented that.Kyle Verreynne shared 108 with Andile Phehlukwayo for the sixth wicket•AFP via Getty Images

He had Zaman given out lbw when the batsman missed a slog sweep and was hit on the back pad but Zaman reviewed. Ball tracking showed it was missing leg. Off the next ball, Zaman tried to paddle Maharaj away but got an inside edge on to his pads to instead give Heinrich Klaasen a simple catch.That dismissal sparked a mini-collapse that saw Pakistan lose 5 for 51 in 64 balls. Maharaj, Smuts and Markram were responsible for the squeeze and could have kept Pakistan to under 300 before Azam and Hasan Ali came together for a final flourish. They took 56 runs off the last three overs, with Azam finishing one shot away from a century.With South Africa needing to score at close to 6.50 runs an over from the get-go, they needed a good start. Markram and Janneman Malan, both powerful hitters, laid the groundwork with boundaries on both sides of the field including Markram’s classic cover drive and Malan’s front-foot pull off Shaheen Afridi. Their partnership was worth 54 when Markram was dismissed in the ninth over.With Jon-Jon Smuts, a new – and as yet untested – batsman at the crease, Azam waited for the powerplay to end before introducing Qadir. Smuts showed some aggression with a strong sweep through square leg but never looked entirely comfortable as Qadir bowled him with a flipper.Soon there was spin from both ends, with Nawaz into the attack but captain Temba Bavuma and Malan negotiated them fairly well. Bavuma relied on his sweep and Malan waited for width, bringing up fifty with a cover drive off 63 balls. The pair still maintained a degree of caution, especially with Bavuma battling a hamstring niggle.Their partnership grew to fifty before Nawaz removed them both in his fourth over to expose South Africa’s middle order. He had Malan trapped lbw when he played down the wrong line to a delivery that straightened and three balls later bowled Bavuma, who played all around a straight one. Four overs after that, Nawaz got Klaasen, who missed an attempted mow and was hit on the back pad. He reviewed the lbw but ball tracking showed the ball would have hit the stumps.At the end of the 28th over, South Africa were 141 for 5, without the injured Rassie van der Dussen or the IPL-bound David Miller, leaving it to Verreynne and Phehlukwayo to score at above eight runs an over. Verreynne’s first boundary came off Faheem Ashraf – a top-edge over the wicketkeeper – before he unleashed the pull and the back-foot punch. Phehlukwayo took on spin and hit Nawaz over cover and Qadir over deep square leg for six, with both hitting anything wide from Rauf.Verreynne brought up fifty in the 40th over – off 40 balls – while Phehlukwayo reached the milestone in the 42nd off 56 balls. South Africa then needed 76 runs off the last ten overs but had to contend with Rauf’s changes of pace. He snuck in slower balls at opportune moments and got Verreynne to drag on to deep-square leg, attempting to clear the rope.Six balls later, Phehlukwayo went in similar fashion when he swung at a Hasan slower ball and skied it. Sarfaraz made good distance, and called for and claimed the catch to end South Africa’s hopes of winning a third trophy in nine series under Mark Boucher. Pakistan, though, have now won series in South Africa with Misbah-ul-Haq as captain (2013) and coach (2021).

There has been no international cricket for women since the T20 World Cup final in March

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2020When Austria and Germany hit the field for the first of their five women’s T20Is at Seebarn Cricket Ground earlier today, it marked the return of international women’s cricket after a gap of more than five months. The T20 World Cup final, where Australia beat India at MCG, was the last international fixture for women before the Covid-19 pandemic brought the game to a standstill.Germany, who are ranked No. 27 in the format, last played a T20I series against Oman in February when they won 4-0, while Austria, ranked 50th, haven’t played since taking part in a quadrangular series in France in July-August last year, with Jersey and Norway the other teams. Austria finished third, only above Norway.”We are excited to take the field again after a seemingly long break,” Anuradha Doddaballapur, the Germany captain, said in a statement released by ICC. “The girls have worked hard in the last few months to stay fit and to up their skills, so I am confident we will put on a good show. We look forward to some exciting games against Austria whom we haven’t faced in T20 cricket in a long time.”Andrea Mae Zepeda, the Austria captain, said: “The team is really excited, and we are looking forward to some competitive cricket in Europe after months of lockdown due to Covid-19.”Some teams could not take part in this tournament due to travel restrictions, but we are happy those restrictions have been eased between Austria and Germany and we are able to get some international cricket this year.”All the five T20Is will be played in Seebarn, and after the opener, two games will be played on August 13, and one each on August 14 and 15.

Daryl Mitchell reiterates call for new teams to have independent coaching set-ups rather than be run by host counties

Alan Gardner26-Feb-2019Daryl Mitchell, the chairman of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), has warned that The Hundred, the ECB’s new format slated for introduction next year, needs to be a success or risk having “serious damaging effects for the counties”.Mitchell and David Leatherdale, the PCA chief executive, have also questioned suggestions in recent weeks that the eight new teams – to be based at Lord’s, The Oval, Southampton, Cardiff, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Old Trafford and Headingley – could be overseen by coaching staff from their respective host county. “I think as soon as you start controlling two budgets there will be a massive conflict of interest,” Mitchell said.Speaking on the day of the PCA’s AGM at The Oval, where Mitchell was re-elected for a second two-year term as chairman, he described it as “imperative” that everyone in the English game gets behind the new competition, which is “front and centre of everyone’s mind now”. The ECB last week announced near-unanimous agreement from the counties on the playing conditions, and the focus will now turn to settling on the eight team identities, as well as details for the player draft, scheduled to be held in October.However, while it was initially envisaged that squads for The Hundred would be looked after by completely independent coaching structures, it was reported earlier this month that the counties had defeated the ECB on this point. Instead, it could mean that the team based at Lord’s, for example, are in turn managed by Middlesex’s director of cricket, currently Stuart Law, with the potential for significant overlap between county and The Hundred coaching and playing structures.As the head of the players’ union, Mitchell’s first concern is ensuring that all PCA members have a fair chance of winning selection in the draft – rather than county coaches picking their own. But he also suggested that smaller counties agreeing to let the host grounds take control would be equivalent to “signing your own death warrant” due to lost revenue from the ECB’s central pot.”From our point of view, initially it was sold as something completely different and new,” Mitchell said. “If you have a director of cricket in charge of both lists, both sets of players at the same home ground, I think that is inherently not different. I also think as soon as you start controlling two budgets there will be a massive conflict of interest and there will be severe issues.”I’m amazed that the non-host venues that are paired up with these counties would even contemplate letting it happen, to be perfectly honest. I think it’s sort of signing your own death warrant, or making life extra difficult for yourself.”It’s something the PCA and the ECB initially were completely aligned on, I’ve sat on two cricket committee meetings where it’s been passed that it has to be independent, that’s paramount to the integrity of the competition. I sat on the working group, and it was pretty much unanimous there as well, that it needed to be independent people in charge of selecting these teams.”From the players’ point of view, it’s imperative that you have the best 96 players. What you don’t want is to have bias, or even the perception of bias, from people picking their own men, shall we say. This competition, to be a success, needs to have the best 96 players and everyone should have a fair and equal opportunity of being in that, by performances in the T20 Blast or the previous two-three years.”Each of the counties is already guaranteed an extra £1.3m, after agreeing to the ECB’s plans for its new tournament. But with further money set to be allocated depending on the players and staff involved, Mitchell suggested it could lead to a situation where the rich get richer.There are also potential issues with the constitution of the boards to manage each team in The Hundred. While some have multiple representatives – Middlesex, Essex and the MCC will jointly take charge of the Lord’s outfit – the Manchester team currently only has involvement from Lancashire.”The big ground has his director of cricket, I’m sure there’d be a nice little claw-back on his salary,” Mitchell said. “He might employ a coach, he might employ eight or nine of his players, all the percentage of their salaries is going to go back to the big county to spend again, on top of the staging fee that they get. So from a financial point of view, all the big host venues are winning and all the non-host venues are losing severely, I would suggest.”On the possibility of conflicts of interest when managing two supposedly separate squads, Leatherdale referred to the concept of “bundling”, allegedly practised by Perth Scorchers in Australia’s Big Bash League, whereby players could be encouraged to switch counties based on the potential for greater opportunities in The Hundred.”It’s all perception,” Leatherdale said. “You’re trying to create a competition that’s got clear integrity about what you’re trying to do to make it different, and all of a sudden you might have something that … gives the opportunity for someone to say ‘That doesn’t look right’. You’ve got the Andrew Tye situation that happened in Western Australia. He was picked up by Perth Scorchers, didn’t play four-day cricket but had a contract managed by the same people.”That would be the key bit that Daryl said, you want everybody to have the best opportunity to be selected, the best 96, but also that person that’s done very, very well, as opposed to a coach who feels he can pick four or five people that he knows… It’s not a question of integrity, it’s just perception.”In response to Mitchell’s criticisms, an ECB spokesman said: “We have worked closely with the whole game to create a big opportunity for the whole game. The Hundred has already helped cricket in England and Wales to secure powerful partnerships with Sky and BBC, get live cricket on terrestrial TV and attract fresh revenues that will benefit cricket at all levels.”Players are core – it has been important to have the PCA involved, players’ feedback from the pilot days was invaluable and we welcome their ongoing insights. Within the game’s formal governance process, support for the new competition and playing conditions has been overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to developing the competition even further over the next few months.”Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, has previously described the The Hundred as crucial to the future of the game in England. And while Mitchell, who was encouraged by his involvement in September’s trial events, admitted that “there’s still some to be convinced” among the PCA membership, he said it was now important to get behind the new format.”These decisions have been made. It’s imperative that everyone gets behind it, it needs to be a success – probably for all stakeholders. My concern is the players but from a broadcast point of view, from a supporter’s point of view, it needs to be a success because I think the ramifications if it fails over the next four or five years could be quite serious and have serious damaging effects to the counties.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore might have to start IPL 2017 without their captain Virat Kohli, as he battles against time to recover from a shoulder injury

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-20171:00

Quick Facts – Virat Kohli in the IPL

Royal Challengers Bangalore might have to start IPL 2017 without their captain Virat Kohli, as he battles against time to recover from the shoulder injury he picked up during the Australia Tests. The IPL starts on April 5, with Royal Challengers playing defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener.”It’s still a few weeks to go before I can be 100% on the field,” Kohli said at the end of the Dharamsala Test, when asked about his fitness. “But these things happen in your career. Got to take it in my strike and move forward.”Kohli had hurt his right shoulder during the third Test in Ranchi, when he dived in an attempt to stop a boundary. He sat out the final Test as a result.Royal Challengers were yet to offer an official comment on Kohli’s availability. Kohli has missed only one game for the franchise so far, in the inaugural season in 2008. In 2016, he scored 973 runs for RCB and could have become the first player to score 1000 runs in an IPL season.

Virender Sehwag has said his shoulder is feeling better and he hopes to return to the India side for the Test series against West Indies that starts on November 6

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2011Virender Sehwag has said his shoulder is feeling better and he hopes to return to the India side for the Test series against West Indies that starts on November 6. Sehwag played for Delhi in a domestic Twenty20 match against Jammu and Kashmir on October 21, his first competitive game since returning prematurely from the tour of England. He was dismissed for 1 but notably bowled two overs, something he was not able to do before undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in May.”This game helped me test my fitness,” Sehwag told after the match. “I can bat and bowl as well. I am still having trouble with my throwing. I am doing my strengthening exercises and following the fitness routine.”Sehwag had been rushed back into the India Test team after his surgery, but after poor performances in the last two Tests in England it was determined that his shoulder had not fully recovered and he returned before the one-day series. Sehwag said he wanted to be completely fit before making his next comeback.”My target is to get fit for the West Indies series,” he said. “But before that I need to undergo a fitness test. I will play only if I feel fit and fine.”Sehwag will not play in Delhi’s next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Punjab on Saturday but may play against Hyderabad on Monday or Services on Tuesday.

Jon Kent and Yusuf Abdulla will not be retained by the Dolphins franchise while the Titans’ Blake Snijman had retired from the game

Firdose Moonda05-Apr-2011The Dolphins will not renew the contracts of allrounder Jon Kent and left-arm seamer Yusuf Abdulla for the 2011-2012 season. The decision was made in keeping with the franchise’s policy of blooding young talent, which started in February 2010 when they axed five senior players, including Andrew Hall.Kent, who will turn 32 next month and represented South Africa in two ODIs, has played for the Durban-based team for 11 seasons. He has a first-class batting average of 35.77 and was one of their strike bowlers. Although an experienced campaigner, he will be out of contract because the Dolphins have decided that they need to focus on development.’Unfortunately for Jon, the focus of Dolphins is to develop a team that will be successful in a couple of years. In order to achieve this, opportunity needs to be given to younger players to develop their skills and gain match experience,” Jesse Chellan, chief executive of Kwa-Zulu Natal Cricket Union said. “Going forward, it is a concern that Jon would block the path of a young player.”Abdulla, who made his name during second season of the IPL in 2009 in South Africa with the Kings XI Punjab, has played two Twenty-20s for South Africa, but has seen his career slide downhill in the past 18 months. He has struggled to recover from injury, battled with his weight and failed to make the Dolphins team this season. “Yusuf has struggled with fitness and form for the past two seasons and moving forward we will be investing in a younger generation of bowlers,” Chellan said.While both Kent and Abdulla have fallen out of favour with their franchises, up north at the Titans, Blake Snijman has voluntarily opted to end his career. Snijman announced his retirement, even though he is only 25 years old, in order to further his business interests. Snijman made his debut for Gauteng in the 2003-04 season, where he become an accomplished opening batsman. He leaves the game with a first-class batting average of 31.36 and a List A average of 32.75.He moved to the Titans during the 2006-07 season and was part of the squad that won the SuperSport Series in 2008-09, the MTN limited-overs competition twice and the Standard Bank Pro20 in 2007-08. “I have been giving my career much thought over recent months and have decided that I will be retiring from cricket at the end of the current 2010/2011 season. I would especially like to thank the players. I have loved spending time with them and building friendships,” Snijman said.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the opening day in Adelaide where England made a stunning start

Andrew Miller and Peter English in Adelaide03-Dec-2010Diamond duck
Simon Katich joined an exclusive list of Australian batsmen run out without facing a ball when he was left high and dry by Shane Watson four balls into the game. Watson survived an lbw appeal but took off for a risky single without consulting Katich and Jonathan Trott’s superb direct hit from square leg left Katich a couple of metres short. He was so angry at his dismissal that almost two hours later he was still stewing as he sat on his own below the dressing room. Scorers recording balls-faced is a relatively modern measurement, but in the past 40 years only two other Australians have had so little to do before being dismissed. The opener Wayne Phillips lasted four minutes at Port of Spain in 1983-84 while Rodney Hogg was caught short at Edgbaston in 1981.150 and a duck
At the Gabba, Andrew Strauss’s bid to set the tone for England ended in catastrophe with a third-ball steer to gully; now, down at Adelaide, it was Ricky Ponting’s turn to register an untimely blob. Unlike his opposite number, Ponting was offered not a hint of width as Jimmy Anderson racked in the good fortune that had eluded him in the first Test, and grazed his outside edge for Graeme Swann to scoop low at second slip. There was an uncanny symmetry in the dismissal as well, for Ponting is playing in his 150th Test. The last Australian captain to reach that milestone was Steve Waugh, who also picked up a first-baller at Sharjah in 2002. In the final analysis of that match it scarcely mattered, however. Pakistan were shot out for 59 and 53.Flukey Finn
The talk before the Test was that Steven Finn might miss out despite his six-wicket haul at the Gabba last week. On a legendarily flat deck, and with fearsome temperatures predicted for the coming days, the temptation to include the reverse-swing specialist Ajmal Shahzad was genuine. But in the end, England stuck to their first-choice attack and while Finn was once again slow to locate the ideal length, his ability to make something of nothing remains an undeniable asset. Australia were regrouping and Marcus North had moved into the 20s, an achievement that promised riches of the highest order. But then, with less than three overs to go until tea, he poked at a short wide one and snicked through to the keeper.Swann comes to the party
Swann was not at his best throughout the first Test. Instead of an early wicket, his first one-off over went for 10, his first three for 26, and thereafter he was never allowed to settle as Mike Hussey got on his case and clobbered the short ball with unyielding power and accuracy. Today was different, right from the word go. Though he had to wait for his wickets, the incredible dominance of England’s first-hour performance meant he could attack from the word go and keep the Cathedral End tied up while the seamers rotating from the City. He had to wait 25 overs to strike, but when it came it was crucial, as his nemesis Hussey poked to slip, before Ryan Harris, on his home debut, was adjudged lbw for the second first-baller of the day.Technically out
Harris, however, was convinced he inside-edged his first ball, an offspinner from Swann, and immediately called for a review as umpire Marais Erasmus’s finger went up. The benefits of technology have been a regular issue during the first six days of the series and though the ball would have done little more than graze the outside of leg stump, this debate was over whether Hotspot showed a small spot on the side of Harris’ bat. Billy Doctrove, the third umpire, wasn’t convinced by the tiny mark that was visible on the replays, so Harris had to walk.Chappell’s near missA few people are grumpy at Greg Chappell and his fellow selectors after they dropped Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson, but are they disgruntled enough to take aim at his car? Chappell was on the phone when he opened the door of his taxi and it was ripped off by a passing vehicle. Eyewitnesses couldn’t confirm whether the car that caused the damage was steered by a supporter of two unhappy fast men. Chappell was fine and at tea was in the back of a ute, being paraded around the ground with his brother Ian and Greg Blewett.

Marcus Trescothick led Somerset to a crushing 95-run win in a spicy encounter with Essex at Taunton to book a place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 final next Saturday.

The Bulletin by Sahil Dutta11-Sep-2010

ScorecardMarcus Trescothick treated the Taunton crowd to an array of attacking strokes as he booked his side a Lord’s final•Getty Images

Marcus Trescothick led Somerset to a crushing 95-run win in a spicy encounter with Essex at Taunton to book his side a place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 final next Saturday at Lord’s.Batting first in front of a passionate and packed home crowd, Trescothick launched the innings with a Man-of-the-Match winning 79 from 62 deliveries and was supported by a muscular 55 from Nick Compton and three bright performances from James Hildreth, Jos Buttler and Arul Suppiah as Somerset’s imposing 312 for 6 proved too much for Essex, despite a brave half-century from captain James Foster.Somerset were clear favourites coming into the game and did not disappoint. While their young and talented line up has challenged for silverware in all three domestic competitions, Essex have been relegated from the First Division of the County Championship and lacked the class to really challenge the home side on the day.The gulf between the sides was all too apparent after David Masters and Tony Palladrino’s first three overs of the day disappeared for 29. The new-ball pair were both trundling in below 80mph and, with the fielding restrictions in place, Trescothick simply helped himself. He unleashed an array of trademark clunking off-drives and displayed some deft class with a couple of fours glided past short third man off the hapless Palladrino.Having raced to 50 from 32 balls he looked set to make plenty more but was undone when a gentle off-cutter from Chris Wright snuck past the outside edge to rattle off stump. The glee on the face of the Essex fielders was surpassed only by their surprise as they hoped to stage a fightback.It proved not to be, however, as from that point on Somerset’s progress was relentless. Hildreth’s prolific season continued with him running Essex ragged in partnership with Compton. He picked off five classy boundaries before spooning Danish Kaneria tamely to cover but the dismissal only heightened the visitor’s pain by bringing Buttler to the crease.Just 20 years old and in his first full season at Somerset, Buttler has saved his most impressive performances for the TV cameras this summer and once again was immediately into his audacious stride. Mirroring his captain’s stillness and clarity at the crease he launched 36 from 21 balls, including a straight six off Ryan ten Doeschate that ended up on the roof of the stand behind the bowler’s head. Somerset looked already to have too many before Arul Suppiah bludgeoned 42 from 23 balls in an innings that included two more enormous sixes off ten Deoschate. The late charge carried Somerset beyond 300 and out of sight.Facing such an imposing total Essex needed a bright start to give them any semblance of hope. Instead they lost Mark Pettini to the first delivery of the innings, chipping a tame leading edge to mid-off off Alfonso Thomas. The innings went from bad to a lot worse in the sixth over as, in the space of two deliveries, Somerset demonstrated the well-honed professionalism that has underlined their whole season.First Trescothick pulled off a blinding, one-handed catch diving to his left at short cover to remove Cook before ten Doeschate was run out next ball, risking a sharp single to Hildreth who swooped low and threw down the stumps in a flash to catch the speedy ten Doeschate short. Essex were reeling three down for 33 and the game looked in danger of slipping away quickly.Grant Flower, in his last appearance for Essex after six seasons at the club tried his best to go out with a bang, smiting five boundaries before becoming the second of three run outs in the innings. Attempting a sharp second to Buttler on the square-leg boundary a rifle throw came in and caught him just short of his ground.A brief revival came in the shape of the bulky Matt Walker and Foster. Suppiah was treated to some of the savage hitting he earlier dished out as Walker thumped a full toss out of the ground over deep square and deposited a length ball miles down the ground as Essex upped the rate. The bowler almost got his own back immediately but the catch Walker offered on the long-on boundary was spilled by Thomas.Thomas then put down another, much tougher chance next ball, diving one-handed to his right at short third man off a top-edged cut from Foster, as the fifth-wicket pair brought up a 50 partnership off 32 deliveries and carried Essex to level par with Somerset by the 20th over. It became third time lucky for Thomas soon after, however, when he snaffled Walker’s powerful sweep off Murali Kartik on the deep square-leg boundary and, tottering at 139 for 5, the game looked up.Foster, though, had other ideas. He thrashed 12 off Kartik in the first over of the batting Powerplay before his adrenalin-fuelled charge was interrupted by a Thomas beamer in the next over. Though the bowler apologised immediately, Foster was furious and ended in up in a bug-eyed exchange with both Thomas and Trescothick.Visibly riding on the drama of the occasion he brought up his fifty, off just 35 balls, by rocketing a drive through cover and when he struck another powerful boundary down the ground off Thomas, Essex might just have dared to dream of pulling off an incredible heist.Instead Thomas had his final revenge as Foster tried one shot too many, trying to clear long-on only to offer Buttler a simple catch on the boundary. Thomas stood triumphant with his arms aloft but he even would concede it was a brilliant innings from Foster. The dismissal signalled the end of Essex’s fight and they crumpled in a heap thereafter.Somerset are still in the Championship title race and as the form side must go into the final at Lord’s against Warwickshire as strong favourites.

Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle feels that captain Daniel Vettori should step down as a national selector because it might create a sense of insecurity among his team-mates

Cricinfo staff31-May-2010Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle feels captain Daniel Vettori should step down as a national selector because that responsibility could create a sense of insecurity among his team-mates. Astle fears the team spirit may be affected if the captain has a major say in selection, and added that if Vettori gave up that role, it would allow him to focus on his job as the team’s leading strike bowler, and captain.”He’s capable but deep down I think it is too much to take on. Being captain means you take on a certain role and while he should definitely have an input, he shouldn’t be a selector,” Astle told the . “You want your team-mates to be able to discuss things. Players won’t do that if they think it might hinder their selection.”Former New Zealand wicketkeeper Warren Lees was also concerned that Vettori’s role as a spinner may become redundant if he puts the team’s concerns before his own. Vettori is currently the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand, behind Richard Hadlee, with 325 wickets. “If he’s a good captain, there’s a risk he won’t get the most out of himself as a bowler because he’ll spend the whole time thinking of others,” Lees said. “He might need to be more selfish.”The former players also discussed another vital member of the New Zealand side, Brendon McCullum, whose dual role as a wicketkeeper-batsman in all forms of the game has been debated of late. McCullum, who gave up the gloves in Twenty20 internationals to focus on batting alone, isn’t sure whether he will follow suit in Tests and ODIs. He said he would take a decision in the coming months on the best way to preserve himself for New Zealand.Astle felt McCullum should give up keeping because New Zealand needed him as a batsman to shore up an inexperienced batting order. “Giving up the keeping should allow him more time to work on his batting. From what I’ve seen, it’s not that he doesn’t want to do it but it’s more of a physical thing and he’s looking for longevity in the game,” Astle said. “I think some people have been too quick to judge.”Lees, however, felt New Zealand couldn’t afford to lose him as a keeper. “We don’t know how bad his back is. I was surprised coach Mark Greatbatch did not originally know about that,” he said. “We are a weak team and need Brendon keeping to have the balance to beat the best in world.”Former New Zealand fast bowler, Danny Morrison, now a commentator, spoke out on the team’s recent performance. He felt the senior batsmen weren’t putting their hands up enough, going by New Zealand’s performance in the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean and in Florida, where they were bowled out for 81 in a Twenty20 against Sri Lanka.”I think more onus needs to go on McCullum, [Ross] Taylor and [Jesse] Ryder as a core group of senior batsmen, who have a responsibility to perform. There was a glaring lack of runs in the Caribbean and it wasn’t good enough.”Shane Bond’s retirement from all forms has weakened the bowling attack, and Morrison called for the youngsters to fill the breach quickly. “It’s time young guys stepped up because big Daryl [Tuffey] and Chris [Martin] haven’t got long left at the top. They’re still useful, especially in New Zealand conditions with their pace and bounce, but aren’t getting it through at real pace. Brent Arnel is a prospect. He looks like he’s modelled himself on Shane Bond with a nice action and small delivery stride,” Morrison said.”I also saw Corey Anderson up close at the Hong Kong Sixes last year, albeit off a shorter run-up. He had a strong, powerful action with a top speed of over 140km/h. Andy McKay gets it through too.”