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India haven’t had a perfect game yet, and they head into Vizag bracing for a battle of resilience

Vishal Dikshit08-Oct-20254:10

Two wins in two, but scratchy start for India?

Big Picture

When close to 800 runs were scored between India and Australia 10 days before the start of the World Cup, this tournament was being billed as the biggest run-fest of them all. But since then, we have seen South Africa bowled out for 69, India suffer two collapses, the 275 mark breached just once, and even Australia collapse to 76 for 7.The action now moves to Visakhapatnam, the fourth venue of this World Cup, where the Indian team held preparatory camps in the lead up to the tournament, and where five women’s ODIs have been played before, the last in 2014, but none involving South Africa. They arrive here after contrasting results in their first two games, but they have the personnel in terms of batters, spinners and quicks to adapt to whatever the damp conditions in Visakhapatnam throw at them.India’s first two wins were far from their “perfect game,” as Jemimah Rodrigues put it on Wednesday, and with this fixture, they head into a 10-day period of big clashes against South Africa, Australia and England, which could well decide their fate in this home World Cup. South Africa were the ones who had knocked India out of the semi-final race in the last ODI World Cup but they have since been beaten 5-0 by India, including the three ODIs last year in India and the two in the Sri Lanka tri-series earlier this year.With some rain around in this city too, both teams will be desperate to continue their winning ways.Related

• Brits and Gardner enter top five in women's ODI batters' rankings

• Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana to have stands named after them at Vizag stadium

• From 69 all out to statement win – South Africa restore World Cup credentials

• Stats – Tazmin Brits fastest to seven hundreds in women's ODIs

Form guide

India WWLWL (last five completed matches, most recen first)
South Africa WLLWW

In the spotlight

Between them, Tazmin Brits and Smriti Mandhana have scored nine of the 29 centuries this year by players from teams in this World Cup. Brits’ five are the most centuries in a calendar year, with Mandhana right on her heels with four. Mandhana, meanwhile, has played five innings more than Brits’ 11 this year and has 959 runs against Brits’ 749. And if Brits recently became the fastest to seven ODI hundreds (in 41 innings), Mandhana had recently smashed the second-fastest ODI century, against world champions Australia.Thursday will see a clash of not just two of the most prolific ODI openers but batters in recent times, who have been rewriting one record book after another. While Brits’ 101 against New Zealand got South Africa their first points, India will hope Mandhana follows on Brits’ footsteps having started the tournament with two low scores.3:04

‘South Africa can’t afford to drop points from here’

Team news

India were without Amanjot Kaur for the Pakistan game because of a fever and she will likely be back for this game, having bowled and batted in the nets at length on Tuesday evening. How they slot her back is the question because her replacement Renuka Singh bowled tidily with the new ball and sent down a maiden to finish with 0 for 29 from her 10 overs. India will also wonder if their five-bowler strategy will be good enough against a side that scored 234 in under 41 overs a few days ago. The only way to add a sixth bowler is by dropping a batter, which isn’t straightforward at all.India (possible): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Prtika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Amanjot Kaur, 9 Sneh Rana, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Kranti GoudSouth Africa may not feel the need to change their winning XI from the New Zealand match in Indore although conditions in Visakhapatnam may not be as flat. But the pressure is mounting on Anneke Bosch at No. 5 who has scores of 0, 6 and 10 in her last three ODIs, and South Africa have so far kept out pace-bowling allrounder Annerie Dercksen, being seen as Marizanne Kapp’s successor.South Africa (possible): 1 Laura Wolvaardt (capt), 2 Tazmin Brits, 3 Sune Luss, 4 Marizanne Kapp, 5 Anneke Bosch/ Annerie Dercksen, 6 Sinalo Jafta (wkt), 7 Chloe Tryon, 8 Nadine de Klerk, 9 Masabata Klaas, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko Mlaba

Pitch and conditions

There was a brief shower two days before the game and a slightly longer spell the day before, but neither too threatening to pose a threat of a washout on game day. There are some spells expected on Wednesday afternoon too, but not as bad as the one in Colombo for Australia vs Sri Lanka. While keeping with the theme of the other venues of this World Cup these two teams have played at – Indore, Guwahati and Colombo – Visakhapatnam is going to be muggy too, with temperatures capping in the early thirties, but could feel a lot worse. Rodrigues said on match eve a score around 270-odd could be competitive at this ground.Richa Ghosh was in a cheerful mood during India’s training session•ICC via Getty Images

Stats and trivia

Sparks’ hopes evaporate in steep chase as Davidson-Richards, McDonald-Gay share six

ECB Reporters Network16-Sep-2023South East Stars secured qualification in the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy in the most emphatic style with a 152-run victory over Central Sparks in a winner-takes-all clash at Edgbaston.Stars captain Bryony Smith led from the front with a blistering 97 from 81 balls, with ten fours, three sixes, and supported by Kira Chathli (61 off 92) powered her team to a hefty 283 for 7. Spinners Hannah Baker (2 for 46) and Georgia Davis (2 for 47) imposed some mid-innings control for Sparks.Sparks would have qualified themselves if they had chased down the target but their reply never took flight. Only Maddy Green, with 39 off 48 balls, passed 20 against a disciplined attack led by Alice Davidson-Richards and Ryana MacDonald-Gay, who both claimed three-fors.Put in, Stars lost an early wicket when Alexa Stonehouse skied a slog at Emily Arlott, but it was an isolated success with the new ball for the bowlers as Chathli and Smith added 125 in 21 overs for the second wicket.After Chathli chipped Baker to mid-off and Smith fell three short of a deserved century when she top-edged Davis to midwicket, the innings lost momentum in the middle before a late fillip came from Chloe Hill (34 off 24) and Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones. They batted intelligently to add 57 in 48 balls for the eighth wicket to lift the total from around par to imposing.Under some scoreboard pressure, Sparks needed a strong platform but lost both openers in three balls from McDonald-Gay. Eve Jones was strangled down the leg side and then Bethan Ellis edged a lovely outswinger to wicketkeeper Chathli.Green and Abi Freeborn counterattacked with brief success to take the score to 50 in ten overs but the departure of Freeborn, lbw to Paige Scholfield, triggered a collapse. Davidson-Richards removed Ami Campbell, caught at deep midwicket, and Katie George who top-edged a scoop and was well caught by Chathli running back towards fine leg.When Green, having hit six fours, was bowled by Danielle Gregory, it was 102 for 7. Sparks needed something miraculous from their tail but Stars closed the game out without alarms.

His 206 runs during the Bangladesh series take him past Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, among others

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2023Harry Tector has moved up to a career-best No. 7 spot, which is also the best for an Ireland batter, in the latest ICC men’s ODI batting rankings following his 206 runs during the three-match series against Bangladesh.Tector registered scores of 21*, 140 and 45 across three ODIs. While it wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-0 loss for Ireland, it saw him gain 72 rating points and take his tally to 722, which is also the most for an Ireland men’s batter. The previous best for them was Paul Stirling’s 697 in June 2021.Tector’s performance took him past Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, among others, who are currently at No. 8, 9 and 10 respectively on the table. Babar Azam continues to be the top-ranked ODI batter with 886 rating points .

Full rankings tables

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Since 2022, he has smashed 769 runs in 13 innings – including four centuries and as many half-centuries – at an average of 76.90 and a strike rate of 90.89. The next best tally for Ireland in this period is Paul Stirling’s 352 from 12 innings. Tector will get a chance to further improve his ranking when Ireland take part in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June.Tector’s team-mate Mark Adair also made giant strides in the latest update, jumping 30 spots up to No. 31 on the bowlers’ list and 33 spots up to No. 33 on the allrounders’ list. Adair took seven wickets, and scored 40 runs from two innings, during the Bangladesh series.

Sheffield Shield’s leading wicket-taker Chelmsford-bound following Australia’s Pakistan tour

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2022Essex have signed long-term target Mark Steketee for the first six matches of the 2022 County Championship as they look to regain the title they won in 2019.Steketee, 28, is the Sheffield Shield’s leading wicket-taker this season and his career-best form earned him a call-up to Australia’s Test squad for the ongoing tour of Pakistan.He will link up with the rest of the Essex squad after that tour and is expected to be available for six games, starting with the season opener against Kent on April 7.Related

• Hasan Ali signs for Lancashire for six Championship games

• Bedingham: 'The main thing for me is to play Test cricket'

• Bird, Kelly sign early-season Championship deals

• Siddle joins Somerset on all-format deal for 2022 season

• Harmer signs new long-term Essex contract

“I’m really pleased to be joining up with Essex for the first half of the LV= Insurance County Championship campaign,” Steketee said.”I’ve always wanted to get over to England to play some county cricket. A lot of my team-mates in Australia have had the opportunity to play in the County Championship and all of them only have positive things to say.”Essex are expecting to compete for the title this season after a disappointing 2021 season in which they missed out on the six-team top division but won Division Two at a canter. They were champions in 2017 and 2019, and also won the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020.Peter Siddle, who had played for the club in three of the last four seasons, has signed for Somerset for 2022 and Anthony McGrath, Essex’s head coach, said that he was keen to sign a fast bowler to complement a seam attack featuring Jamie Porter, Sam Cook and Shane Snater.”I’m thrilled we’ve managed to secure Mark’s services,” McGrath said. “He’s someone we identified quite a while ago and his numbers for Queensland this year are phenomenal.”We were keen to bring in another seam bowler to complement our bowling attack and I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a great addition.”Simon Harmer will be Essex’s other overseas player in the early stages of the Championship season and signed a four-year, all-format contract extension at the end of last year – though his availability may be limited at times this summer following his surprise South Africa Test recall.

Planned goodwill trip in New Year off the agenda for now due to cost, availability issues

George Dobell16-Nov-2020England’s tour of Pakistan is set to be postponed until September or October, ESPNcricinfo understands, after plans for the tour to go ahead at the end of January were abandoned on the grounds of cost and availability.With England’s Test squad scheduled for series in Sri Lanka and India in January and a large number of their top limited-overs players scheduled to be involved in the BBL, there had been the prospect of England sending the equivalent of a C Team to Pakistan for what would have amounted to the first official tour of the country in 15 years.However, it is understood that both boards agreed that such a historic occasion warranted a full-strength England squad. It is also understood that some at the ECB had reservations about devaluing international caps by awarding them to players who might, in ordinary circumstances, be considered third- or fourth-choice.Although the trip might have lasted as little as 96 hours – the plan was to play two or three games in Karachi in that period – England were planning on arranging a training camp in the UAE and hiring a charter flight for the team. It is understood costs could have extended to somewhere around £800,000 for the trip.The lack of star players – on the England side, at least – might also have had a knock-on effect on the value of the broadcasting deal in Pakistan.It now seems likely both sides will use the postponed trip as preparation for the T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be played in India in October and November. While the exact dates are yet to be confirmed, it seems England will leave almost as soon as the domestic season finishes in late September and expect to play at least three T20Is in Pakistan with their full-strength squad.England have not toured Pakistan since Michael Vaughan’s team visited in the winter of 2005. Although they are already scheduled to play a Test series there in late 2022, the PCB have expressed their desire for a visit sooner than that to show the ECB’s support for the return of international cricket to the country.With Pakistan’s players having endured less than perfect conditions in helping England fulfil their international fixtures in 2020, there is a sense that the ECB do owe Pakistan a reciprocal favour.The strong working relationship between the two CEOs, Tom Harrison of the ECB and Wasim Khan of the PCB, has also played a part in squeezing the tour into an already crowded schedule.

SRH have named left-arm fast bowler Prithvi Raj Yarra as replacement

Nagraj Gollapudi06-Oct-2020In a significant blow to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, India fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been ruled out of IPL 2020 due to a thigh injury he picked against the Chennai Super Kings last week. The Sunrisers have announced left-arm fast bowler Prithvi Raj Yarra as replacement.Concerns grew over Kumar’s fitness and further participation in the IPL after he sat out the Sunrisers’ last match, on Sunday against the Mumbai Indians. Kumar had limped out of the field in the previous match against the Chennai Super Kings, having bowled just one delivery while into his fourth over.At the time, Kumar was seen holding his hip, but it is understood he has injured his thigh. It cannot be confirmed how serious the injury is. However, the Indian team management and selectors would be concerned, considering he would be in the reckoning for India’s upcoming tour of Australia – which is likely to be start in late November – although no official itinerary has been announced.Kumar is the third player – and second for the Sunrisers – to miss this year’s IPL due to injury. Australia allrounder Mitchell Marsh was the first to be ruled out due to ankle injury in the first week of IPL. Also, on Monday, the Delhi Capitals announced that legspinner Amit Mishra would not participate further in the tournament, having hurt the ring finger on his bowling hand.The Sunrisers are bound to feel the absence of Kumar, their most experienced and best strike bowler. Even though he had just taken three wickets this IPL, he was among the most economical bowlers in the tournament, having given away just 6.98 runs an over.Kumar, who is 30, would be disappointed that another injury has disrupted his return to cricket. Recently, talking on , a show hosted by former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta on ESPNcricinfo, he had pointed out of being wary of picking niggles upon returning to cricket after several months in lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Who is Prithvi Raj Yarra?Prithvi Raj Yarra is a 22-year-old left-arm fast bowler, who has played only ten first-class matches for Andhra. However, he has become one of their prime bowlers whenever available for selection over the last three seasons, having taken 39 wickets at 21.51.His speeds are similar to that of fellow Sunrisers’ fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed. Yarra was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2019 IPL and played only two matches. Incidentally, his only IPL wicket came on debut against the Sunrisers when he foxed David Warner with a slower ball. Despite a low number of senior-level matches since debuting in the 2017-18 season, Raj has already played in the Duleep Trophy for India Red and in the Deodhar Trophy last year for India A. His last T20 match came for the Knight Riders against the Rajasthan Royals in last year’s IPL.Yarra travelled with the Sunrisers’ squad as a net bowler and hence would be automatically assimilated into the squad without having to undergo the six-day quarantine for anyone coming into the IPL’s biosecure environment.

An incisive new-ball display from Ali Khan and Jayden Seales restricted the Jamaica Tallawahs

The Report by Peter Della Penna21-Aug-2020Trinbago Knight Riders 136 for 3 (Narine 53, Munro 49*, Mujeeb 1-13) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 135 for 8 (Phillips 58, Seales 2-21, Ali Khan 2-25) by seven wicketsAn incisive new-ball display from Ali Khan and Jayden Seales put the Jamaica Tallawahs into a hole which they could not climb out of as the Trinbago Knight Riders dominated wire to wire in a seven-wicket win on Thursday night. Sunil Narine and Fawad Ahmed continued to keep the Tallawahs pinned down in the middle overs, including a wicket maiden from Ahmed, while Andre Russell failed to launch at the death – scoring 25 at under a run a ball – as the Tallawahs sputtered to 135 for 8.Fidel Edwards produced a wicket maiden of his own for the Tallawahs at the start of the chase, claiming Lendl Simmons with a skied slog to mid-off. But Narine bashed his second fifty in a row to steady the Knight Riders, and teamed with Colin Munro in a 75-run stand before falling in the first over after drinks on a top-edged sweep off Sandeep Lamichhane to deep fine leg for Carlos Brathwaite’s second catch. But Brathwaite grassed two subsequent efforts in the field to sum up a subpar night for the Tallawahs. Munro ended unbeaten on 49 as a wide from Brathwaite down leg clinched the match with 11 balls to spare.Ameri-KhanThe Knight Riders’ favourite son from the USA struck in the first over for the second match running, this time getting a top-edge from Chadwick Walton to swirl into the hands of Ahmed at short fine leg on the second ball of play. Seales then followed that up by trapping Nicholas Kirton on the back leg in front of middle with a beautiful inswinger before Khan induced a mistimed pull from captain Rovman Powell that travelled gently to mid-on where Dwayne Bravo’s tumbling effort made it 19 for 3 in the third over.Glenn Phillips did his best to breathe life back into the innings. He struck five fours and four sixes in his measured knock but his good fortune departed when he whipped a leg stump half-volley from Seales straight to Bravo on the rope at deep backward square leg in the 16th over to make it 99 for 6. Solid death bowling from Khan and Bravo ensured Russell was held in check until he drove Bravo to Munro at long-off to extinguish the last remaining threat.Narine stays hot at the topThe new-age allrounder pounded the boundary all around the ground in his 53 off 38 balls, but perhaps most impressive were a pair of lofted drives over extra cover on one leg against Russell. The left-hand batsman showed his flair with a pair of pirouette punches to clear the off side and leave the Tallawahs flummoxed.For the most part, both he and Munro countered the challenge of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Lamichhane well. Munro took guard well outside off stump to counter Mujeeb’s line of attack that aimed for the wide lines while both Narine and Munro mostly stayed deep to play Lamichhane late with his steady diet of googlies landing short enough to be worked comfortably through the off side. Narine was finally undone trying to go through the leg side against the turn of Lamichhane’s wrong-un, but not before he had put the Knight Riders on course to complete a mostly stress-free chase.

Dom Sibley gorged plentifully upon a meaningless day, but the real action takes place next week at Edgbaston

Paul Edwards21-Sep-2018
ScorecardAt 4.20 this afternoon Tim Ambrose played an innocuous ball from Ben Brown into the on side. The bowler fielded it, Paul Baldwin called over and Warwickshire declared. The game ended in a draw and the players shook hands. Receiving particular congratulations, perhaps, was Dom Sibley, who had batted through the day for 144 not outThe handshakes marked two events, one of them specific to the moment, the other curiously timeless. They confirmed Warwickshire’s promotion and they brought the first-class season at Hove to an end. The first of these had been certain for hours barring the intervention of God or Jofra Archer. This draw leaves Jeetan Patel’s side equal on points with Kent, who have won two matches more. Whichever side takes more points from next week’s game between the sides at Edgbaston will be Second Division champions.And across England cricket is softly drawing down its blinds. All the counties are playing next week but there are matches at only nine grounds, of course. Most of the season’s serious work is done. Monday afternoon in Brighton seems suddenly distant with its warmth and careless leisure: the aroma of cannabis in North Laine; beach volleyball near Kings Road; the glittering water. Then there were catamarans drawn up on the shingle, their names a curious confection of aggression, fondness and titillation: Tiger, Ethel, Seymour Butts.

Time now to earn the right – Gillespie

Jason Gillespie, Sussex head coach: “We’ve had a couple of losses in the past month but we feel some progress has been made. I wanted to give some young guys the opportunity to show what they can do and they’ve done that. Now I’ve got to find the balance between giving lads games of cricket and earning the right to play first-class cricket. We’ve got to find the right balance between potential and performances. It’s a difficult balancing act but we’ll get there. The lads have played the game the right way, been positive and looked to win games.”

Some mornings this week there have been floodlights, mild air and the churn of the Channel glimpsed through the great arcade of trees on Selborne Road. Today, though, the atmosphere was not so clotted and the sun was in generous attendance. Only the temperature reminded one this is autumn. “Seaward the water / Is satin, pale emerald, fretted with lace at the edges / The whole sky rinsed easy like nerves after pain,” wrote Alan Ross in his poem, “Cricket at Brighton.”Sussex supporters were presented with three wickets as rewards for their loyalty this sparkling day. In the fifth over of the morning Will Rhodes shuffled much too far across his crease and was leg before to Ollie Robinson for 88. Then Ian Bell suffered bruising to his right thumb when hit by a ball from Robinson and had to retire hurt.Out strode Jonathan Trott, a batsman who had spent over five hours earlier this week scoring his seventh career century against Sussex. “Jesus Christ!” exclaimed a blasphemous Sussex adherent with a passing knowledge of the Book of Hebrews. “The same yesterday, today and for ever more.” But his fears were misplaced on the two latter counts: Trott made only 8 before clipping Chris Jordan to Harry Finch at midwicket and he is retiring next week in any case.Despite these two dismissals and one injury, the game was soon ambling quietly towards stalemate. In the afternoon session Robinson sent down some fairly respectable off-spin and Sussex used three wicketkeepers, albeit not all at once. Phil Salt and Michael Burgess bowled their maiden spells in first-class cricket. The flagpoles bent in the breeze and some players’ caps blew off. The game drifted into late afternoon and the over rate was plus 12 at one stage. A draw could have been agreed at teatime and perhaps it should have been.Sibley spent the rest of the day filling his boots which, if his feet are in proportion to the rest of him, was some achievement. He put on 168 for the third wicket with Sam Hain, who had made 90 when he chased a wide one from Salt and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Harry Finch. The ecstatic Salt raced off like Mick the Miller but was eventually mobbed by his equally delighted team-mates. If you had told the uninitiated that the cricket had a gentle, addictive beauty about it, they might have called for an unmarked van and a straitjacket.

Jonathan Trott’s masterful double century stirred memories of his England heyday before exhaustion and anxiety took its toll

George Dobell at Lord's19-Apr-2016
ScorecardJonathan Trott revived memories of when he was indispensible to England•Getty Images

For a few hours, as Jonathan Trott brought calm to the chaos at Lord’s, it could have been 2010.That was the year that Trott followed a career-changing innings of 226 against Bangladesh here with an innings of 184 against Pakistan. On each occasion, without fuss or extravagance, Trott subdued a threatening attack and made batting look as if it were the most natural pastime in the world. He was the eye of the storm.The intervening years have not always been kind. A combination of mental exhaustion and situational anxiety eroded “England’s rock” – as both Andy Flower and Kevin Pietersen have described Trott; and those two don’t always agree on everything, you know – and brought to a premature end an international career that briefly flirted with greatness.He had memories of having played a key role in a side that went to the top of the world rankings to console him – and the ICC’s international player of the year award for 2011 – but the ending and the stigma that went with it brought a sour taste to a career that deserved better.For a while it seemed those demons would defeat him. Struggling for motivation and equilibrium following an ill-fated return to Test cricket 12-months ago, he pondered retirement throughout the 2015 season and ended it without a century and averaging just 25.05. There were whispers around the club that, should he struggle over the first few games of this season, Laurie Evans would replace him in the side.But here, with his side in trouble and against one of England’s most hostile fast bowlers, he produced an innings that was both masterful and fluent and evoked memories of a time when you could set your watch by his reliability.As the sun came out on Tuesday afternoon and Middlesex turned to two part-time spinners and a gentle seamer in an attempt to improve a flagging over rate (they were minus four at one stage) batting became a relatively straightforward business.It will be noted that there have already been four Championship double-centuries this season; there have never been so many before the end of April. Perhaps the tinkering made to the regulations designed to improve pitches has produced the desired results.But such luxury has to be earned. And Trott, by seeing off Steven Finn at his most hostile on Monday night and by demonstrating a strong defensive technique, earned it for sure. He also earned his side, at one stage teetering on 173 for 6 and facing the prospect of the follow-on, full batting bonus points and an outside chance of pushing for victory.And he did it – or most of it – in one of the new-style, ECB approved batting helmets. With the ECB alerted to his use of the non-compliant one on the previous day – and in the previous match in Southampton – they contacted Warwickshire overnight and insisted that Trott adopt the new one. So, when he resumed on 62 on Tuesday morning, it was – for the first time – in the new design.If there was any visual disturbance, it was not obvious. He began the day with a series of flowing cover drives and then produced some sublime straight drives – a sure sign that his game is in top order – as it appeared as if he were batting on a different surface to his colleagues. While Tim Ambrose and Rikki Clarke were undone by deliveries that appeared to keep low, Trott produced those familiar clips through the leg side and pulled with assurance. It’s been a long time since he has batted with such class.Keith Barker was a beneficiary of Trott’s groundwork. After surviving a testing first half-hour or so, Barker was able to capitalise against some modest support bowling that surrendered Middlesex’s dominance to a degree that they will surely look back upon with regret. By the time he played across a straight one, a weary attack was unable to stem the tide. The vision of Warwickshire’s No. 11, Oliver Hannon-Dalby, pulling Finn for six in front of square is not one the fast bowler will want to savour.It was noticeable that, as Trott’s innings progressed and his calm deepened, his movement at the crease became less pronounced. He still tends to walk at bowlers as a trigger movement these days, but this was an increasingly assured performance and will surely provide confidence for the rest of the season.He had broken Middlesex long before he reached the fifth double-century of his first-class career and his first in the Championship since 2005. This chanceless innings was his highest for Warwickshire.The mischievous might suggest that, such was his gratitude towards his new headgear, he kissed it upon reaching the landmark. The more honest version is that he was kissing the Warwickshire badge on the helmet. It will have pleased him enormously to have contributed to the team’s success.”The new helmets fit slightly differently on your head, so it’s about fit and vision,” he said afterwards. “But I don’t have a problem with the new rules. As a kid you get used to using a certain type and you become attached to it, but it’s fine. It didn’t feel that different.”Middlesex, with a first innings deficit of 16, were soon two down in their second innings. Barker’s swing accounted for both left-handers – he is a desperately tough proposition for them – but with Sam Robson and Nick Compton as proficient as most at seeing off the new ball, Middlesex made it to stumps without further loss.A victory for either side remains possible, but Middlesex may reflect their best chance has gone. Their team selection – without a frontline spinner – renders over-rate issues inevitable and will see a repeat of the session where part-time bowlers release the pressure on batsmen in their attempt to avoid penalties.Perhaps Trott’s success will be celebrated beyond the confines of Warwickshire. While his England days are clearly over – he has no appetite for a return – nobody would begrudge a key figure in one of the best England teams in living memory finishing his career with the sun on his back and a smile on his face. This was a vintage performance.

England’s Moeen Ali hit a dominant 90 off 50 balls before Worcestershire elected to field without a wicketkeeper to gain their second NatWest T20 Blast victory by 14 runs over winless Northamptonshire at Wantage Road

ECB/PA05-Jun-2015
ScorecardMoeen Ali’s 90 proved in a winning cause for Worcestershire•Getty Images

England’s Moeen Ali hit a dominant 90 off 50 balls – after being dropped before scoring – and took two catches to give Worcestershire their second NatWest T20 Blast victory by 14 runs over winless Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.But the game will be remembered for one of the strangest field placings seen in English cricket for years.During Worcestershire’s stint in the field, their captain Daryl Mitchell asked wicketkeeper Ben Cox to ditch his gloves and pads and become an extra fielder – leaving no one behind the stumps.The ploy developed as an extension of MS Dhoni’s decision to stand back to the spinners while keeping for India in the Test series in England last summer.The umpires, after consultation, allowed it. “In a game when you’re trying to stop the opposition scoring, it’s a legitimate tactic,” Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire director of cricket, said.Moeen’s second over – the 16th of the innings – saw Cox remove gloves and pads and go to fly-slip, with no one standing up to the stumps. Umpires Nick Cook and Graham Lloyd conferred at length and allowed play to continue, with Mitchell persisting in the tactic for the spinners from thereon.”One of the things I challenged the coaches in the winter to do, was to try and come up with some ideas that might just knock the opposition off their guard a little bit,” Rhodes said. “It came about when I watched MS Dhoni stand back to the spinners for India and I thought that was a great idea. Afterwards, he said he wanted another catcher around the corner and he felt he could do that himself, standing back. That’s how it started us thinking about it.”Cobb said: “I saw Daryl Mitchell tell Ben Cox to go back and I thought he was going to keep from the edge of the ring. Then I turned around and saw him without pads or gloves on. It’s in the Laws and they’ve obviously looked into it and there’s no Law against it. You’ve just got to question whether it’s in the spirit of the game. But that’s probably because it’s never been done before. When they first come out, these things usually get questioned and left alone.”Earlier, Moeen – who scored just 104 runs in the recent Test series against New Zealand – should have been caught from the first legitimate delivery of the game, after Worcestershire won the toss and batted first. Another England hopeful David Willey produced the edge, but Rory Kleinveldt put down the straightforward chance at slip.

Insights

Northamptonshire are bottom of the North Group having played three and lost three and are the only team without a win in the competition. They haven’t come close to winning in any of the three encounters and, looking at their team just look a little short of star quality that can turn losses into victories.
Afridi was a marquee signing but is a player past his best and ends his stint at the county with just 34 runs to his name and having bowled 12 overs with the reward of 3 for 96 – not terrible, but not enough from a team requiring more from their overseas player.

Mitchell was also dropped in the next Willey over by Kleinveldt, albeit to a more difficult opportunity. And the opening pair exploited Northants’ generosity to put on 52 in the first six overs.Northants – the only county without a T20 win so far – appeared to lose confidence when Moeen stepped up the assault against Shahid Afridi. Using his international class, he lofted over extra-cover and cut through backward point, before viciously pulling over midwicket for six that brought up a speedy 50 off 32 balls.Mitchell was bowled by Afridi for 43 in the thirteenth, with 131 on the board, and Moeen’s momentum was only checked by a brilliant one-handed catch by Northamptonshire captain Alex Wakely at cover as he drove at Steven Crook. His 90 included 5 sixes and 11 fours. The home attack looked lacklustre and conceded eight wides in all. Worcestershire’s total of 211 for 3 was the highest on the ground, beating Northants’ 207 for 4 against Glamorgan in 2008.In the chase of 212, Richard Levi and Josh Cobb’s second wicket partnership resulted in 65 runs in six overs but Northamptonshire’s reply never received the same level of impetus. Cobb’s first white-ball fifty in Steelback colours came off 31 balls.Saeed Ajmal’s opening spell – his first in England since remodelling his action in an ICC clinic – produced three overs going for 44 runs.Northants needed 57 off 23 balls when Shahid Afridi came to the crease and despite two big sixes off Joe Leach, Ajmal returned to have his Pakistani colleague caught by Moeen at long-on with Cobb falling two balls later in the same manner. Ajmal finished with figures of 3 for 53.Cobb’s 80 off 44 balls which included six sixes, was his highest score in T20 cricket and it helped Northants post 197 for 7, which in itself was the third highest T20 score on the ground, but it was the visitors who claimed victory by 14 runs and more to spare than the margin suggested.