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The sun was shining for most of the day in Cardiff as Glamorgan took on Essex but the outlook is very gloomy

Peter Miller at Cardiff22-May-2016
ScorecardIt has not been an easy start for Robert Croft as head coach•Getty Images

The sun was shining for most of the day in Cardiff as Glamorgan took on Essex but the outlook is very gloomy. The home side sit at the bottom of the County Championship table and are already 50 points off the solitary promotion spot that is available to them. The last time a season started this poorly was Glamorgan’s most recent appearance in Division One of the Championship in 2005 where the side won only once and lost 14 times. But that was in the rarefied air of the top flight, this is in a second division in which there is no real stand out team.Having taken a punt on preparing as green a pitch as you will ever see in County Championship knowing full well that Essex would put them into bat, they started off well enough. At lunch they were 91 for 1 with Mark Wallace and Chris Cooke both looking secure enough. It looked horrible but the surface had pace, carry and even bounce. Then the inevitable Glamorgan collapse happened, something that has become so familiar for this team this year. Their average score when the fifth wicket has fallen this season is just 135. This time they lost six wickets for 73 to find themselves scrambling for late-order runs to rescue their innings.It wasn’t supposed to be this way. The off-season departure of Toby Radford as coach and the ushering in of Robert Croft as a replacement was meant to be the making of this team. There are few people that are as inspiring for Glamorgan supporters as Croft, barring maybe Don Shepherd. If anyone was going to bring Welsh pride to a club that craves just that it was Croft. Quite why Glamorgan seem so short of confidence in 2016 is not clear, but Croft admitted it was a major problem in a supporters Q&A session in the lunch interval today.”Confidence has been low and by our own admission there’s too many of us not performing, junior and senior players, and it’s the role of every player and every coach to try and turn that around,” he said.”Losing the first game here [against Leicestershire] affected confidence and we’ve missed Colin Ingram [who is injured], but I’m not in the business of excuses and our performances from every player and coach is not good enough at the moment and we have to dig deep.”This game against Essex is Glamorgan’s sixth match of the season, they are yet to win and are the only team that have lost more than one match. They suffered their third loss of 2016 at Gloucestershire last week and it was as close to a metaphorical kick in the nuts as cricket is capable of throwing up.Having been in front in the game for three days they needed 269 runs to win on a decent pitch with almost a whole day to get there. They started well, an opening stand between Mark Wallace and Jacques Rudolph taking the team to 87 without loss. From there it was more farce than tragedy as eight wickets fell for 33 runs. Glamorgan eventually lost by 125 runs, in a game they had looked like winning for nearly four days, the whole thing falling apart in less than a session.So much of cricket is about self-belief and as Croft admitted when he spoke to the county’s most loyal of supporters that is missing from this team right now. As they succumbed to yet another middle-order capitulation against Essex it is difficult to know where they will find that much needed confidence boost.There is a huge amount of goodwill towards Croft and that is still evident from the reception that he got from members today. Once he mentioned that he was a proud Welshman just like them, and wanted nothing but success for a county that he has dedicated his entire professional life to, they were as much under his control as a cricket ball during his most brilliant of bowling spells. But history and affection for a favoured son are a currency that only last for so long. Eventually this side need to start winning or the locals will become restless.Croft was keen to point out that things weren’t always rosy for him and the other great players of Glamorgan’s past; that poor runs of form do happen regardless of how good your players are.”I played in some very bad Glamorgan sides as well that had Glamorgan greats in it, and it just didn’t happen at the time. We had some slumps believe you me. I believe in the players we do have and we have to turn it round,” he said.Glamorgan’s director of cricket, Hugh Morris, said that results are analysed and discussed after every game but is backing and his coach and his players to come good.”The margins between success and failure in the Championship are small particularly at this stage in the season. We’re mindful it wasn’t the plan to start the season the way we’ve done and we revaluate our performances after every game and we need to put it right,” he said. “Robert Croft, his coaching team and all the players are working very hard to make sure that happens.”There is no doubting that everyone at the club is aware that this has been a terrible start to the Croft era and that they are redoubling their efforts to turn things around. The issue is that as Glamorgan were bowled out before the close – green pitch or not – and then failed to make significant inroads into the Essex top order there is little evidence that a change is just around the corner.

A hurricane century off 60 balls for Adam Lyth set up Yorkshire for victory by two wickets over Northamptonshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup at sunny Scarborough

ECB Reporters Network14-Jun-2016
ScorecardAdam Lyth’s rapid century helped Yorkshire chase down a stiff target•Getty Images

A hurricane century off 60 balls for Adam Lyth set up Yorkshire for victory by two wickets over Northamptonshire in the Royal London One-Day Cup at sunny Scarborough.Lyth thrashed eight fours and seven sixes in completing the second List A century of his career and he went on to make 125 off 78 deliveries with ten fours and eight sixes before thumping Graeme White to Richard Gleeson at deep mid-on.Yorkshire were then 189 for 3 in 25 overs as they chased 311 and although Lyth was the first of three wickets to go down in nine balls for three runs, they still made it to their first one-day win of the season after four consecutive defeats and two ‘no results’.It was a hard earned win against plucky opponents who were splendidly served by a belligerent Ben Duckett, who hit 121, and Alex Wakely with 71.Lyth totally dominated an opening stand of 106 in 12 overs with his captain, Alex Lees, who had contributed 20 when he played Steven Crook to square leg where Ben Sanderson took the catch after not holding it cleanly at the first attempt.Lyth’s fierce blows early on included two consecutive sixes off Azharullah, the second of them crashing into the mobile fish and chip van.New Zealand captain, Kane Williamson, in his first innings of the season for Yorkshire, played Gleeson into his stumps for 10, and after Lyth had gone, Jack Leaning was caught and bowled by Josh Cobb without scoring and Adil Rashid drove White gently to mid-on.But Gary Ballance and Bresnan steadied Yorkshire with a 58 stand which closed when Bresnan became White’s third victim, caught on the cover boundary for 38.Ballance’s nicely judged 50 came off 62 balls and David Willey soon made an impact against his old club with a couple of big sixes but as Yorkshire were approaching the winning line, Azharullah shook them by bowling Ballance and Liam Plunkett in the space of three balls to leave them on 303 for eight in the 47th over.Willey kept his nerve however and he blasted Crook for six to win the game with 15 balls remaining.Put in to bat on a greenish pitch and soft outfield, Northants batted with positive intent from the onset of their innings and although luck was sometimes with them they thoroughly deserved their competitive total of 310 for 7.Duckett’s maiden century in List A cricket – his previous best score was achieved only last week when he struck 98 against Lancashire at Northampton – contained cleanly timed strokes of the highest quality.He was joined by Wakely after openers Cobb and Rossington had gone with 35 scored and the pair brought momentum to the innings with a 166 stand in 27 overs.It was Northamptonshire’s highest third wicket stand against Yorkshire in List A matches, overtaking the 131 by Rob Bailey and Allan Lamb at Headingley in 1995.Whereas Duckett was virtually faultless, Wakely had two escapes, first on three when Plunkett failed to hold on to a sharp return chance low to his right and then on 38 against Bresnan when Ballance got underneath the ball at deep square leg but the catch dropped out of his hands.Neither batsman wasted scoring opportunities as Northants cruised in into three figures in the 25th over and Duckett hurried to his third consecutive one-day half-century from 61 balls with six fours.Their century stand arrived in 18.5 overs, the second 50 taking them only 32 balls, and Wakely celebrated by smacking Rashid through the leg side for six to register his 50 from 60 deliveries with four fours and two sixes.Yorkshire were forced to bring Lyth into the attack with his offspin and it was he who made the breakthrough. Wakely, in two minds over what stroke to play, gave a gentle return catch and was out for 71 from 79 balls with five fours and two sixes.Rob Keogh fell to Plunkett without scoring but Duckett swept Rashid for two to complete a run-a-ball century which contained 11 fours and two sixes and he added a couple further boundaries before skying the leg-spinner to Leaning just inside the midwicket rope.Northamptonshire were 246 for 5 in the 43rd over and they remained in control as Rob Newton hit 26 from 15 balls with a four and two sixes and Crook went in unbeaten on 46 from 41 deliveries with three fours and a six. It was a particularly expensive day for Bresnan whose ten wicketless overs cost him 76 runs.

Chris Jordan scored a maiden first-class century to steer Sussex from choppy waters (a collapse of 6 for 49) to a handsome lead of 90

Will Macpherson at Colchester06-Aug-2016
ScorecardChris Jordan’s century kept Sussex in command•Getty Images

At some stage around 11.15 on the second morning, Chris Jordan ambled over – as Chris Jordan does – located the scruff of this game’s neck and promptly grabbed it. He has not let go since, picking up the final four first-innings wickets in double-quick time, then scoring a maiden first-class century to steer Sussex from choppy waters (a collapse of 6 for 49) to a handsome lead of 90.When Essex batted for a second time, Nick Browne turned Jordan’s fourth ball straight to square leg, and he summoned the last of his seemingly boundless energy to end a dangerously pesky third-wicket stand, with Dan Lawrence trapped in front. Even his withdrawal from the attack had a touch of class, as Tom Westley feathered his replacement David Wiese behind first ball. He will return on Sunday, rested and raring for Essex’s final six wickets.If he can find those wickets, Sussex – even as the old lags Ryan ten Doeschate and James Foster shared a streaky but vital 52 late on, extending Essex’s lead to 73 – have the chance to kickstart a curious season that sees them unbeaten after nine games having won just one. As long as Leicestershire fail to beat Derbyshire, Essex need a draw to go back past the new leaders Kent. The chase for the single promotion spot is set to be a barnburner, and this – a fine match on a fair, fast-scoring pitch – is crucial for both sides.Jordan’s was a magnificent, measured innings that eked every run out of Sussex’s tail. In Jofra Archer and Danny Briggs, Jordan found a pair of able deputies, sharing 140, then 92, and still he found 43 thereafter. When the more extravagant Archer fell early for a superb 73, caught behind off David Masters, Jordan simply regrouped, stuck his head down and strolled along, adding a patient 40 – the last four of which came from a delicate sweep off Ashar Zaidi – to his overnight 59 to sit tantalisingly short of his maiden century as he settled down for lunch.Was he nervous? Was he heck. Nerves, it’s fair to say, are not Jordan’s bag; angsty sorts do not death bowlers make. “I wasn’t too worried!” he laughed, “I just had to keep a level head and if it was meant to be it would be… I knew that if I kept doing what I’d been doing I’d get there in the end, although it ended up being a bit streaky!” Streaky it was, as he inside-edged the fourth delivery of the first over, his 164th, after the break to fine leg to move to 103. “Ah, it would have been nice to bring it up in style but that wasn’t meant to be. I’d worked hard to get to that stage, so maybe I deserved a bit of luck!”He had, as that was his first false stroke. Graham Napier, who took the wicket of Briggs for a composed and fun-filled 49 an over later (before mopping up the rest to finish with five wickets), noted that Jordan “played like a man who has scored 100 hundreds,” not just one.The innings’ tempo was the key, as Jordan allowed those he trusted – particularly Archer, but also Briggs (who drove beautifully having joined him still 45 behind) – to play their strokes, before accelerating himself. There were two extremely handsome sixes, straight and over extra cover – when joined by the injured Harry Finch and limited Steve Magoffin. His strokeplay in front and behind point stood out, but so did his ability to find a single; vitally, Jordan tired Essex out.When he finally fell, carting to cow corner, a clinic in revitalising a lame and tame tail came to an end. “I’m pretty happy with the tempo that I batted at,” Jordan reflected, “I came in when we were in a bit of trouble but I took one ball at a time, trying to build partnerships with anyone who was out there with me. Credit to Jofra and Briggs who put on key partnerships with me.”At one stage, when Wiese prized out Westley, who lost his trademark fluency after an attractive start, it appeared Jordan’s efforts would be rewarded with a day off on Sunday. But thanks to ten Doeschate and Foster, back Essex will charge. Ten Doeschate, particularly, played within himself, weathering a barrage of bouncers – and verbals, some of which were returned, with interest (and interest from the umpires) – from Archer, who had earlier dismissed Jaik Mickleburgh lbw.Jordan felt the pitch so free-scoring that Sussex would chance their arm to chase upwards of 200, but Napier knew Essex required – especially after their lanky-looking tail was so easily cleaned up on Friday morning – more of the same from ten Doeschate and Foster. “We’re going to have to bat out most of the day tomorrow,” he said bullishly, ahead of his final day on his home ground. “We cannot give them anything in the first session.”

The ECB have confirmed that the England tour of Bangladesh will go ahead as planned.

Andrew McGlashan at Lord's26-Aug-2016Jos Buttler has admitted England’s players have been forced to think about issues they have not previously considered, after the tour to Bangladesh was given the go-ahead but with the option remaining open for individuals to decide if they would travel.Late on Thursday evening, the ECB confirmed that the tour – scheduled to start on September 30 – would proceed, following the security assessment undertaken earlier this month. The one-day squad, plus Alastair Cook, were briefed at the team hotel in London with the players making use of the time to ask a significant number of questions.The squads for the tour will only be named after the current series against Pakistan is completed, so the question of whether any players will pull out may remain unclear for a couple of weeks. Buttler would be a certain selection for the one-day leg of the trip, but would not comment on whether he would tour despite describing the meeting as “positive”.”There are things that people have probably never even considered before about cricket, and things people probably didn’t realise went on for every single tour we go on,” he said. “They are normally never privy to these conversations behind the scenes.”It’s probably new ground for a lot of people, some guys in the meeting – Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook – were part of the team that went back to India in 2008 so have been in this situation before and probably know how to deal with it. But it’s new ground for people and it’s important we try to deal with it the best we can.”It was a positive meeting with lots of information to digest. All you can say is it’s something you have to digest. It’s tricky for us at the moment, we’ve got a game tomorrow and international cricket needs your full focus to perform well.”Buttler would not divulge details of what was discussed at the team hotel but indicated there had been a reassuring level of information from Reg Dickason, the ECB’s head of security, PCA chief executive David Leatherdale, head of operations John Carr and team director Strauss.However, Buttler was keen not to take his focus off the second one-day international against Pakistan at Lord’s on Saturday.”It was a private meeting, there was a lot of information. As a player you felt there was a great duty of care from the board and a lot has been considered which was put across to the players,” Buttler said. “There was lot to digest which is tough to do mid-series – there’s no good time for these things to happen – but they have to be discussed. It’s paramount we are as professional as we can be and think about it when we can, but 11am tomorrow is not the time.”

Pakistan have recalled batsmen Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq for the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies in the UAE

Umar Farooq25-Sep-2016Pakistan have recalled batsmen Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq for the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies in the UAE. Fast bowlers Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali have also been included in the 16-member squad. Sami Aslam and Umar Gul, who were in the squad for the England ODIs, have been excluded, while Mohammad Hafeez will miss the series due to an injury.

Pakistan squad for WI ODIs

Azhar Ali (capt), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (vice-capt), Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Sohail Khan
In: Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali
Out: Sami Aslam, Umar Gul

Both Shafiq and Akmal last played in the format in 2015. While Shafiq’s previous match came in October 2015 against Zimbabwe in Harare, Akmal has not been part of an ODI XI since the 2015 World Cup.Shafiq was picked after a strong showing in the recent National T20 Cup. He was the fourth-highest run-scorer with 310 at an average of 51.66 and a strike rate of 139.01. Akmal was recently recalled to the T20I side after assuring the PCB that there would not be any further issues with his conduct. He had been left out of the training camp in May, before the England tour, due to disciplinary reasons.Hafeez has been rested after suffering a calf injury. Earlier, a similar injury had forced him out of the England series after the first ODI. The injury also kept him out of the T20I series against West Indies. Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam and captain Azhar Ali will fulfill the top-order responsibilities. Azhar’s captaincy will also be under scrutiny in the series, following the 4-1 series defeat to England earlier this month.Sohail, who has played 12 ODIs between 2008 and 2015, with the last one during the 2015 World Cup, was picked in place of Gul who had a disappointing series against England. Gul took 3 for 23 against Ireland but had a tougher time in the ODIs against England. He took three wickets in as many matches at an average of 54.The squad also includes a specialist spinner in Yasir Shah and three spin-bowling allrounders – Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim and Shoaib Malik.The first and second ODIs will be played in Sharjah on September 30 and October 2 respectively, with the third match scheduled for October 5 in Abu Dhabi. Both teams will be looking to improve their rankings. West Indies are currently eighth on the ICC ODI Championship table with 94 points, while Pakistan are ninth on 86 points.

Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has identified the paucity of fifty-over cricket at domestic level as the main cause of the team’s current ODI struggles

Umar Farooq18-Sep-2016Pakistan Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq has identified the paucity of 50-over cricket at domestic level as the main cause of the team’s current ODI struggles. Pakistan’s domestic structure has undergone several changes in recent years and Misbah said the one-day game has been getting the short shrift.”While a Pakistani domestic cricketer may play at least ten to twenty first-class matches a season, he doesn’t get the same match practice in the 50-over format,” Misbah told ESPNcricinfo. “I have long been saying that we need to lay greater emphasis on one-day cricket in our domestic system, and play more one-day games, because you can’t evolve by playing a maximum of five 50-over matches a year in the domestic circuit.”While Pakistan are the No. 1 Test team in the world, they languish at No. 9 in the ODI rankings. Misbah was clear the discrepancy in the team’s fortunes was due to lack of exposure, and not talent.”We have just one fifty-over tournament and the format is not even played at club level anymore,” he said. “Most of the cricket at grassroots level is 20 to 25 overs; this is one big reason that our ODI cricket has deteriorated and we are standing at No. 9. We needed and still need to develop our resources and we can only do so by increasing the number of games in our domestic tournament. The reason we are on top in Tests is because our players are getting enough games and exposure at domestic level. That is the only reason I see.”Otherwise, these players are talented and they have shown glimpses of their flair, though not consistently. So this talent needs to be nurtured by giving them more games at domestic level. Exposure to a lot of competitive cricket will enable them to polish their skills.”Misbah took over the ODI reins in May 2011 and led the side for almost four years, before stepping down after the 2015 World Cup. Having won 13 of their first 14 matches under Misbah, Pakistan’s results took a nosedive with 38 losses in the remaining 72 matches of his tenure. Azhar Ali has managed only nine wins in 25 matches. Misbah, however, insisted that the captain should not be the only one blamed for poor performance.”In Pakistan, there is a perception that the captain is the only one responsible for everything. Cricket is a team game and every player has to contribute,” he said. “We used every possible talent in the country but it didn’t work. Whenever you are forced to change, that is because team isn’t performing. Unfortunately, in one-day cricket, the boys haven’t performed well, like they have done in Test cricket. The bowling, after Saeed Ajmal, hasn’t done enough and the batting has never been consistent.”In the search for solutions to the team’s ODI slump, Pakistan’s selectors have tried well over 40 players since the start of Misbah’s captaincy, in a seemingly never-ending transition.”When the team doesn’t perform and keeps losing, then changes are necessary,” Misbah said. “But when you start winning then you can back the talent and just go into the future with that. But that wasn’t really the case for Pakistan. We tried a lot of players in a bid to find a good combination, but it didn’t give results and players were dropped because they never gave us a chance to retain them.”Nobody wants to carry on with failure and if a player is stuck with his weakness and not improving, regardless of his potential, you have to drop him and move on. This not only good for the team, but also for the player because you can’t allow him to play with consistent failure – it is really unfair as it can cost him his career, so you have to be think tactically as well.”Pakistan have 14 ODIs scheduled before the window for direct qualification into the 2019 World Cup in England closes and Misbah has backed coach Mickey Arthur’s efforts to make sure they are among the top eight teams by the September 2017 deadline.”The important thing is that he is trying to bring a structural change from top,” Misbah said. “There was connection missing in between and that is being connected. Players’ fitness, bowling actions, batting techniques are being taken into consideration before selecting a squad to represent the country. Fitness is a major component and players must realise that.”

A round-up of the second round of matches from the Sunfoil Series 2016-17

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2016Robbie Frylinck broke the South African franchise record for best figures in a match when he took 14 for 62 to bowl the Dolphins to victory over the Lions in Potchefstroom. In February 2015, Kagiso Rabada, who took 14 for 105 for Lions against the Dolphins, surpassed Dale Steyn’s 14 for 110 for the Titans against the Eagles seven season’s earlier.Frylinck’s haul made Dolphins, who have two wins in as many matches, the early leaders in the first-class competition.Having played some of his cricket on the Highveld, Frylinck was fairly familiar with a surface that offered some pace, bounce and rewarded good lengths. Yet, he may have not expected to bowl the opposition out twice for under 150. The Dolphins won by 77 runs.The first innings proved batting would be tough. Only one of the Dolphins’ batsmen, Khaya Zondo, managed fifty plus, but 72-run seventh wicket stand from new Test call up Keshav Maharaj dragged the total past 250.If Maharaj wanted to celebrate his maiden international call up, he was left disappointed as Frylinck ripped through the Lions before he could be given a bowl. Frylinck took 8 for 30 in the first innings to blast the Lions out for 110, to give the Dolphins a 143 run lead.But the Lions had a ready response. Wiaan Mulder, their schoolboy protege, took seven for 25 to bowl the Dolphins out for 83 and keep the Lions in the game. Zondo was the standout, again, with 44, with only one other batsmen got into double figures.The Lions were set a gettable 227 for victory but Frylinck was at them again. He took three of the opening five wickets at the Lions were struggling on 115 for 5. They went into the third morning needing 107 to win but when top-scorer Kagiso Rapulana was dismissed for 42, the writing was on the wall. The last five wickets fell for 17 runs to end the match inside three days.The Cobras slipped to a second big defeat, as they lost to the Knights by 175 runs in Bloemfontein. In-form fast bowler Marchant de Lange topped up on his seven wickets in last week’s fixture against the Titans, with 6 for 61 in the second innings to dismiss the Cobras well off their target of 444. The loss adds further pressure on Paul Adams, whose job as coach has been under scrutiny ever since the season began.On what is usually a flat pitch in Bloemfontein, the Knights chose to bat first but were in early trouble. They lost both openers with only nine on the board, before Theunis de Bruyn and Pite van Biljon put on 109 for the third wicket, both scoring half-centuries. Fast bowler Dane Paterson broke the partnership, before Test discard Dane Piedt took two wickets off consecutive overs to engineer a collapse that saw the Knights lose 4 for 60 and slip to 178 for 6. Former Cobras player Robin Peterson led the second recovery, which saw batsmen from No.7 to No.10 all post scores in the forties to take the Knights to 342.If the Knights were anxious about whether they’d scored enough, the Cobras put any doubts to rest when they slipped to 96 for 4. Stiaan van Zyl, who was also left out of the Test squad, held them together with 83 and was supported by Aviwe Mgijima who scored 50. However, the Knights kept them in check. Left-arm fast bowler Mbulelo Budaza picked up 4 for 45, while Duanne Olivier and van Schalkwyk chipped in with two each to give the Knights a 101-run lead.The Cobras fought back to take the first three Knights wickets for 43, but van Biljon and Rudi Second scored 123 and 106 respectively to consolidate the Knights’ advantage. Although the rest of the Knights line-up didn’t contribute, they scored 342 and set up a 444-run target. Cobras captain Omphile Ramela was the surprise pick of the bowlers, taking a career-best 4 for 39 with his part-time left-arm spin.The Cobras started solidly and went into the final day needing 376 runs with nine wickets in hand. However, they collapsed from 114 for 1 to 164 for 6, as van Schalkwyk and de Lange shared the five wickets. Jason Smith had enough partners to see him through to his third first-class hundred – 100 not out off 88 balls – but not a run more. The Cobras were bowled out for 268 and now find themselves at the bottom of the table, having managed just 10.82 points from their first two fixtures.File photo – Morne Morkel returned to action with three wickets against Warriors•AFP

The Titans have not fared much better, with 12.28 points from their first two matches in the absence of new head coach Mark Boucher, who had a prior arrangement. His team, who have yet to post a total of more than 300, lost by six wickets to the Warriors in Port Elizabeth.Trouble began early for the Titans when they lost Dean Elgar in the second over after opting to bar. Heino Kuhn managed 52, but the rest of the Titans line-up could not come to terms with the Warriors bowlers, led by Basheer Walters and Simon Harmer who picked up three wickets each.With Morne Morkel in their ranks, the Titans might have been hopeful of defending their 227, especially after he had Michael Price caught behind with his first ball. However, Colin Ackermann scored his seventh first-class century as he put on 135 for the second wicket with Edward Moore (69), and 90 for the third with Lesiba Ngoepe (45). He took the Warriors comfortably past the Titans score, before being dismissed for 136. The tail then stretched the lead to 131. Morkel finished with 3 for 54.The Titans were looking at an innings defeat when they crashed to 108 for 8 in reply, and had to rely on a 100-run ninth-wicket stand between Heinrich Klaasen and Morkel to stay in the game. Harmer broke the stand with his fourth wicket of the innings, before Rowan Richards’ run-out left Klaasen stranded on 97, and the Warriors with only 105 to get. They lost four wickets in getting there, but Moore’s second fifty of the match, an unbeaten 58, saw them home comfortably.

WICB president Dave Cameron has said Darren Bravo was offered a Grade-C contract because his “poor” recent performances did not merit a higher pay grade

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2016WICB president Dave Cameron has said Darren Bravo was offered a Grade-C contract because his “poor” recent performances did not merit a higher pay grade. Cameron also revealed that of the 15 players who were recently offered WICB contracts till September 2017, only Kraigg Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels had received contracts higher than the C category. Along with Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite and Samuels, who was given a Grade-B contract, had declined the board’s offer.This is the first time that the WICB offered an explanation of the contract Bravo was offered. “It is explicit that if your averages are not above a certain level it tells you what contracts you get. It is very, very explicit,” Cameron told , a Caribbean television network. “His averages in the last two years have been declining, so what do you do? Reward poor performance or do you encourage him to get better?”Bravo is one of the most experienced players in the West Indies Test squad and when Cameron asked if it was demotivating for the batsman to be offered a low contract, he said: “If you continue to keep giving him an A contract then what is the motivation to get better? He has been on an A contract and he hasn’t done well.”Bravo responded with a tweet saying he had never been offered a Grade-A contract. “You hav been failing 4 d last 4yrs. Y don’t u resign and FYI I’ve neva been given an A contract. Big idiot @davec51,” he said on Twitter.Bravo, 27, was West Indies’ second-highest run getter in the recently concluded Test series against Pakistan in the UAE. Before that, he had a poor Test series against India at home, scoring only 139 runs in seven innings. Since November 2014, Bravo scored 1089 runs in 17 Tests for West Indies, a tally that is second to Kraigg Brathwaite’s 1258 runs in 20 matches. Bravo scored two centuries and seven fifties in this period, and was also the second-highest run getter for the side in away Tests in this period, with 391 runs at an average of 43.44. Bravo’s overall batting average in overseas Tests is 51.18.The WICB retainers comprise five categories – A+, A, B+, B and C – and the eventual grades are based on a points system used for players. These points are calculated by an appraisal formula that compares the player’s performance over the last 12 months to his overall career figures. In 2015, Bravo scored 644 runs in nine Tests at an average of 35.77, with his best performances coming overseas. In Sri Lanka, he scored two half-centuries from four innings before racking up 247 runs in five innings at 49.4 in Australia. In, Bravo aggregated 300 runs in five matches at an average of 37.50.Cameron did not provide the specifics of how many points Bravo had scored. “Every single player got C contract except Kraigg Brathwaite and Marlon Samuels,” he said.

The visitors have not beaten Australia in Australia – in any format – for the last 15 games; but with a World Cup qualification battle looming, they need to overturn history

Brydon Coverdale12-Jan-2017

Match facts

January 13, 2017
Start time 1320 local (0320 GMT)1:12

Pakistan face an upward challenge in ODIs

Big Picture

After Pakistan’s losing streak last week extended to 12 consecutive Tests in Australia, they must be hoping that a change of format will bring a change of fortunes. Perhaps it will, though much remains stacked against them as they begin a series of five ODIs with the opener at the Gabba on Friday. Their record in ODIs against Australia in Australia isn’t a whole lot better than their Test history, having lost their last eight. In fact, across all formats, Pakistan have lost their last 15 games against Australia in Australia, their last win having come in an ODI at the WACA in 2005.Adding to the challenge for Pakistan, they are facing the No.1-ranked ODI side in the world, and are themselves ranked eighth. It is a precarious position for Pakistan, who are at serious risk of failing to qualify directly for the 2019 World Cup. The eight highest-ranked sides as at September 30 this year will earn automatic qualification, while the remainder will be forced to take part in the World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh in 2018. Every ODI win in the next nine months is therefore critical for Pakistan.And they will begin this series with a weakened squad, having lost both Mohammad Irfan and Sarfraz Ahmed, who have both flown home to Pakistan for family reasons. But Australia also enter this series with a new-look side, which might give Pakistan a glimmer of hope. The tall and very raw fast bowler Billy Stanlake will make his debut at the Gabba, along with middle-order batsman Chris Lynn. And David Warner will have a new opening partner – Travis Head – after Aaron Finch was dropped. George Bailey has also been axed, and it means that for the first time since June 2012, Australia will play an ODI with neither Bailey nor Finch. Josh Hazlewood is also out of this first game, being rested after a heavy workload in the Tests.

Form guide

Australia: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)


Pakistan: WWWWL
After a difficult summer, Glenn Maxwell has finally broken into the playing XI•Getty Images

In the spotlight

It has been a difficult summer for Glenn Maxwell, who was named in the squad for the Chappell-Hadlee Series in December but was left out of all three games. Before the series, Maxwell had caused controversy with comments about batting behind Matthew Wade in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield side, and was fined by Australia’s team leadership group. But perhaps it’s a case of new year, new beginnings. Finally, he is back in Australia’s XI, and will play his first ODI since the tri-series in the West Indies last June. And expect him to be ahead of Wade in the batting order.Nearly two years have passed since Umar Akmal has played an ODI. His most recent appearance was in the World Cup quarter-final between Pakistan and Australia at Adelaide Oval in March 2015, a match best remembered for Wahab Riaz’s fiery battle with Shane Watson. But Umar is back in favour, and is coming off an innings of 54 from 39 balls in the tour match against a Cricket Australia XI at Allan Border Field on Tuesday. Having spent so long out of the ODI setup, he may just have something to prove.

Team news

Steven Smith confirmed Australia’s XI on the eve of the match, with Head named to open alongside Warner, and Lynn and Stanlake set to debut. Legspinner Adam Zampa and batsman Usman Khawaja miss out.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Chris Lynn, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Mitchell Starc, 11 Billy Stanlake.Mohammad Hafeez was a late addition to the squad and could be rushed in for the first game. With Sarfraz unavailable, Mohammad Rizwan is expected to take the gloves. The make-up of Pakistan’s attack is uncertain, though it is likely only one of Imad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz will play.Pakistan (possible) 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 8 Imad Wasim, 9 Mohammad Amir/Junaid Khan, 10 Wahab Riaz, 11 Hasan Ali.

Pitch and conditions

High scoring is possible at the Gabba – in the two most recent ODIs there, targets of 300-plus were successfully chased down. However, if the conditions suit, the ball can also swing around a lot – in 2013, Australia were rolled for 74 by Nuwan Kulasekara and the Sri Lankans in a Brisbane ODI. The forecast for Friday is for a hot day and a top of 34C.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have dominated recent encounters between these sides, winning 16 of their past 20 ODIs against Pakistan
• It may not quite match Australia’s Test record at the so-called Gabbatoir, but of their past nine completed ODIs at the ground, Australia have lost only one
• Pakistan would need to win the series in order to move ahead of Bangladesh and into seventh position on the ODI rankings

Quotes

“It’s nice to have three guys who can get it up around 150kph – it’s never nice to face.”

Matthew Wade, the captain of Victoria and Australia’s incumbent Test and ODI wicketkeeper, appears likely to move home to Tasmania next summer

Brydon Coverdale25-Jan-2017Victoria could be set to lose their captain for next summer, with Matthew Wade likely to return home to Tasmania after a decade in Melbourne.Wade was born and raised in Tasmania and played a single match for the state at the age of 19, back in February 2007, before moving to Victoria later that year to further his chances of playing state cricket. At the time, Wade viewed himself as third in line for Tasmania’s wicketkeeping duties, behind Sean Clingeleffer and Tim Paine.His career with Victoria led to selection for Australia in all three formats, and he is currently the incumbent Test and ODI wicketkeeper. Wade has also captained Victoria to two Sheffield Shield titles in the past two years, having previously played in two other triumphant Shield finals for the Bushrangers under Cameron White’s leadership.Tasmania have struggled to settle on a wicketkeeper in recent times with Paine having been used in the Matador Cup this summer and both Jake Doran and Tom Triffitt taking the gloves in the Sheffield Shield over the past year. Although Wade could miss large chunks of the domestic season if he remains Australia’s preferred wicketkeeper, he is keen to move to Tasmania having become a father last year.”Having Winter [my daughter] for 11 months now and being on the road almost full time has probably fast-tracked when I thought I was potentially going to be moving down,” Wade told Hobart’s newspaper. “I’ve had some contact with Tassie and hopefully we can a deal done. It is purely family-based for sure.”To be honest, everyone I’ve spoken to has been really good. They’ve understood the situation, they understand how much I’m away and the opportunity to get home and have family to give us a bit of a help out is obviously really attractive for us.”It gives me a good opportunity to come into a different environment and a different team. Where I’m at in my career, it will be a good thing. It will freshen me up as well and make me get the best out of myself and obviously I’d love to see the Tassie Tigers improve and get better year by year.”Andrew Dykes, the general manager of cricket with Cricket Tasmania, said: “Matt is very keen to relocate back to Tasmania for family reasons, so we will continue ongoing discussions with him in the coming months.”Due to the ongoing Australian Cricket Association and CA memorandum of understanding negotiations, we are unable to progress any further with state contract negotiations. Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia are aware of the discussions.”