George Bailey, Australia’s stand-in captain for the Champions Trophy, has admitted that Australia are low on confidence, reasoning that the fate of the Ashes hinges on the result of the first couple of Tests

Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval18-Jun-2013George Bailey, Australia’s stand-in captain for the Champions Trophy, has admitted that Australia are low on confidence, reasoning that the fate of the Ashes hinges on the result of the first couple of Tests. Australia, the defending champions, failed to make the semi-finals of what is supposed to be the last edition of the Champions Trophy, after they lost to Sri Lanka on Monday at The Oval narrowly by 20 runs, finishing at the bottom of Group B behind England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.It has been a demoralising few weeks for Australia, starting with the loss of their regular captain Michael Clarke to back injury, following by the David Warner controversy after the player admitted to being involved physical altercation with England batsman Joe Root in a pub in Birmingham last week before culminating in their exit from the tournament on Monday. With the first Investec Ashes Test commencing on July 10 at Trent Bridge, Australia could not be in a worse state of mind.However, Bailey felt that the switch in the formats, the change of the ball, the infusion of fresh legs and the probable return of Clarke in to the squad could reinvigorate an Australia and arrest the downward spiral.”There is probably not a great deal of confidence there,” Bailey said at the Oval. “But it’s just a very different mindset, I think, going from a one‑day tournament to a Test tournament. I don’t think it’s mattered where sides have been ranked going forward or in the past.”The Ashes just tends to bring out something special in both sides. Whatever can be written and said leading up into those games, but until that first Test and the result of that first Test, I think that will dictate how the summer plays out. I think there is a huge importance in the results of the first couple of Tests.”Whatever Bailey’s thoughts, the worries will persist. The biggest concern would be the slump the top-order pair of Shane Watson and Phillip Hughes. Watson had an aggregate of 34 runs while Hughes finished with 43 runs in the three Champions Trophy matches. Add to that the failure of Warner, who managed nine runs in the match against England and successive ducks in two warm-up matches, and the fragility of the Australian batting order becomes that much prominent.There were only four half-centuries by Australia’s batsmen including one from the James Faulkner, a bowling allrounder. Bailey and Adam Voges, the best performing batsmen, are not part of the Ashes plans. Australia, Bailey pointed out, would need to forget the Champions Trophy as soon as possible to move into the Ashes with a positive frame of mind.”All of these guys will have to put this tournament behind them whether they’ve scored runs or not, and just focus on going forward,” Bailey said. “That’s no different for an Australian player to any other international player. Everyone has form slumps, everyone has their ups and downs. As a team, I think there is a really big challenge that’s going to be ahead of them in the next couple of months. I think what Australia have done this time is they’ve got a really good preparation.”I think a couple of the guys, the batters from this group, will maybe even join up and play the Australia A game that’s due to start later this week. So, there are going to be plenty of opportunities for those guys to get some match practice in. Plenty of opportunity to get lots of practice against the Dukes balls in.”What would help the Australians immensely would be the return of Clarke who, Bailey reckoned, was likely to return for the first Ashes warm-up match, starting next Thursday, against Somerset in Taunton. According to Bailey even though it might seem Australia had been mortally wounded in the Champions Trophy there were still some positives to take forward. One reason for encouragement was Faulkner, the left-arm fast bowler, who might have just had three wickets, but his rich mix of variations could make him the surprise weapon during the Ashes.”Faulkner has been really impressive. I think it’s been good to have a lot of guys over here playing a lot of cricket in the lead‑up to the Ashes. So it’s not necessarily just on the Champions Trophy group, but a lot of guys that have been playing county cricket,” Bailey said. “Obviously, the Australia A groups are over here. The Champions Trophy boys that have been here for a number of weeks have been getting used to the conditions, different color ball and different format. But all of that plays a part in getting settled in. So I think all of those things will take some positives out of.”

Australia’s captain Michael Clarke was far from alone in fuming as the umpires made the unilateral decision to take the teams off for bad light

The Report by Daniel Brettig04-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDavid Warner gave Australia impetus at the start of their second innings•Getty Images

Australia’s captain Michael Clarke was far from alone in fuming as the umpires made the unilateral decision to take the teams off for bad light with the tourists leading by 331 runs on the fourth evening of the Old Trafford Test. To widespread incredulity around the ground and the world, Tony Hill and Marais Erasmus judged conditions to be unsafe for play, maintaining the officials’ unedifyingly scene-stealing role in this series.Clarke’s disgust was as clear as the barely concealed relief of his opposite number Alastair Cook, for England need only a draw in Manchester to retain the Ashes. Rain arrived subsequently to end the day, but the umpires’ enthusiasm to get the combatants off the ground cost 30 minutes of possible play, a figure that may prove critical should the skies clear enough on the final day to allow a full allotment of overs.Speaking to the host broadcasters, Hill and Erasmus stated that they had deemed conditions unsafe, even though Australia had been motoring along at close to six runs per over. They also revealed they had asked Cook to bowl spin, a request England’s captain understandably refused given the series scenario. Clarke remonstrated at length when asked to depart, but under current ICC regulations had no say in the matter.No side has chased more than 294 to win in the fourth innings at the ground, but Clarke appeared to be pushing towards a lead of around 350 with more than 30 overs still scheduled to be bowled on the fourth evening. The hosts had reduced Australia’s chances of forcing the victory they need to keep the series alive with doughty lower order batting on the fourth morning, but were then conspicuous in their time-wasting tactics in the field.Matt Prior and Stuart Broad put together a critical stand of 58 that averted the follow-on, before the last man James Anderson aided England’s wicketkeeper in another pesky union that pared back the tourists’ first innings advantage to 159. From there England played the situation with pragmatism but little imagination, letting their over rate sag and then being happy when Hill and Erasmus made a ruling that left spectators almost as nonplussed as Clarke himself.A series of cameos by Chris Rogers, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Shane Watson and Steve Smith had kept Australia’s runs ticking over, though a wicket fell every time they threatened to go from a canter to a charge. Watson’s absence at the top of the order reflected his lack of batting confidence in the first innings, but also allowed Warner the chance to make a decent contribution to the match after his brief and less than illustrious visit to the middle on the second day.Rogers appeared fluent again but sacrificed his wicket to an attempted ODI dab towards third man, resulting only in an edge off Broad, well held by Prior. Warner played with good sense after lunch, finding gaps on the offside and behind square leg, though England felt they had him snicking a Broad bouncer behind. A referral was used, but amid scant evidence to overturn the original decision Warner stayed, leading to a petulant reaction by Cook’s men.Eventually Warner would fall, hooking into the hands of his Birmingham Walkabout target Joe Root at deep square leg. Khawaja played neatly until being bowled around his legs by a Swann delivery that drifted and spun, Watson made his usual start before upper cutting to third man, and Smith unfurled a pair of handsome lofted straight drives before falling victim to a run out as Clarke forgot to run the first one hard.Broad and Prior resumed in the morning with a simple goal – avoid the follow-on and then let a bleak weather forecast conspire with them to thwart Australia. Clarke opened up with a weary-looking Ryan Harris, his usual vim sapped by the previous day. Prior and Broad seemed wise to this and attacked, while at the other end Broad kept Nathan Lyon out.Runs accrued quickly, to a combination of decent shots and fortunate edges, the vacant third slip region getting particular attention. Australia’s lead was quickly diminished, and with a slashing Broad drive off Harris the follow-on was saved. Now sensing his primary task had been achieved, Broad had no qualms about turning on his heels to the pavilion after Lyon procured the thinnest of edges through to Brad Haddin.Prior continued to attack and was dropped at shortish midwicket by a lunging Smith from Lyon. Graeme Swann did not last long, also walking after doing well to inside edge a searing delivery in Siddle’s first over of the morning, but Prior and Anderson then did their best to prolong England’s innings and thus reduce the time available for Australia.This resulted in some curious shot choices and equally odd field settings, the crowd growing restless as Prior farmed the strike and Anderson looked safe enough against the few deliveries he did have to face. Drinks arrived after 67 runs had been added for the loss of two wickets – a ledger most favourable to England.Prior did not last too much longer, skying Siddle to hand him a deserved fourth wicket. From there Cook’s team would take on a decidedly defensive if not outright cynical posture, until Hill and Erasmus joined them in reducing the chances of an outright result.

Kumar Sangakkara’s ravishing international form continued into the second match of the Super Fours provincial Twenty20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2013
Scorecard
Kumar Sangakkara continued to be in top form, smashing 49 off 35•AFP

Kumar Sangakkara’s ravishing international form continued into the second match of the Super Fours provincial Twenty20 tournament, as the Kandurata Maroons overcame the Ruhuna Reds by 13 runs. Sangakkara’s 49 from 35 drove Kandurata’s innings during the middle overs, before cameos from captain Lahiru Thirimanne and Nuwan Kulasekara lifted the total to 159 for 8. In reply, Yashodha Lanka and Angelo Perera embarked on innings that attempted to set their side back on course after early losses, but neither could muster a knock of enough substance to force a win.Shehan Jayasuriya was starved of the strike while Upul Tharanga steered the Kandurata innings with a pair of off-side boundaries in the first three overs, and before Jayasuriya could kick his own innings into gear, he was run out for three.Sangakkara then came to the crease, and if there were any thoughts that a lower-profile match would have dulled his hunger, Sangakkara lofted his third ball over cover, and did not allow his scoring rate to dip thereafter. A spate of singles followed that early boundary, as Tharanga struck two sixes off spin and then got out at the other end, but Sangakkara soon freed his arms as well, taking 14 runs off Kaushalya Weeraratne’s 10th over, and found regular boundaries off the other bowlers as well.He fell in the 15th over, top edging Dilruwan Perera as he attempted to slog-sweep against the turn, but his demise brought Thirimanne, who played the sort of innings that might encourage the national selectors that he can be persevered with in the shortest format. Thirimanne struck two fours – inside-out over cover and behind point – and a slog-swept six in his 14-ball 25. Kulasekara turned aggressor after Thirimanne fell, and took Kandurata to what was a daunting total on a slow track.Tillakaratne Dilshan hit two boundaries off Kulasekara in the first over of Ruhuna’s chase, but he was soon out nicking behind, and the struggling Kusal Perera handled domestic bowlers no better than he has played international attacks in the past two months. Two more quick wickets united Angelo Perera and Lanka, but their 41-run stand only promised revival instead of producing it. Some hard hitting at the death from Dilruwan Perera made the end result appear closer than the match had been.

T&T Red Steel’s star-studded batting line-up let them down badly, paving the way for Guyana Amazon Warriors to enter the final of the first Caribbean Premier League with a seven-wicket win.

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTillakaratne Dilshan finished with figures of 2 for 14 off four overs and scored 39•Getty Images

Given that they made the semi-finals on the back of three successive wins, the Trinidad & Tobago Red Steels would have backed themselves to qualify for the final of another T20 competition. Their star-studded batting line-up, however, let them down badly, paving the way for Guyana Amazon Warriors to enter the final of the first Caribbean Premier League.Guyana chose to bowl first and opened with Krishmar Santokie and Tillarakaratne Dilshan. The pair were immediately effective – Dilshan dismissed Kevin O’Brien in the second over, while Santokie’s slower delivery had Mahela Jayawardene lob a simple catch to Ramnaresh Sarwan at cover.Having softened T&T up, Sarwan, the Guyana captain, then brought two of his most experienced bowlers into the attack. Lasith Malinga and Sunil Narine came on for just one over each but further stifled the struggling batsmen, conceding only six runs between them. The pressure got to Ross Taylor, who fell trying to attempt a slog over deep midwicket.The misery continued for T&T and they found themselves at 32 for 5 in the ninth over and they slid to 56 for 6 before a crucial 45-run seventh-wicket partnership between Dwayne Bravo and Kevon Cooper brought some semblance of respectability back into the innings. Their stand also managed to lift the run rate and take the score past 100. The end of T&T’s innings, however, seemed to mirror the start. Cooper was out at the end of the 18th over for a 17-ball 27. Sulieman Benn departed in the next over for a duck and Malinga, bowling the last over of the match, dismissed Bravo and Fidel Edwards off successive deliveries to wrap-up the innings for 103.In spite of the early wicket of Lendl Simmons, Guyana were hardly troubled in the chase. Tillakaratne Dilshan, having finished with bowling figures of 2 for 14, anchored the Guyana reply with a 29-ball 39, which included three fours and a six. T&T’s bowlers did manage to take two more wickets but it hardly improved their chances, as Guyana eased past the target with 22 balls to spare.

Matt Coles finished with match figures of 10 for 154 as Hampshire crushed Essex by an innings and 31 runs soon after lunch on the third day at the Ageas Bowl

26-Sep-2013
ScorecardMatt Coles collected the first ten-wicket haul of his first-class career•PA Photos

Matt Coles finished with match figures of 10 for 154 as Hampshire crushed Essex by an innings and 31 runs soon after lunch on the third day at the Ageas Bowl. Pace bowler Coles, on loan from Kent and now a free agent, took 4 for 83 in the Essex second innings to add to his 6 for 71 in the first as Essex, without several key players, lost all their batsmen in fewer than 43 overs.The batting strip, so bland all summer, sparked to life in the overcast conditions and left-arm pace bowler James Tomlinson was as destructive as Coles, taking 4 for 63, as Essex revealed little determination to make Hampshire bat a second time.Following-on 249 behind, Essex were all out for 218 and it would have been less but for a typical big-hitting cameo from Graham Napier of 53 in a 60-ball innings which included two sixes off Coles before the inevitable conclusion.Essex went into the match without David Masters, Ravi Bopara and Reece Topley, who were all rested, Owais Shah who had retired and Ryan ten Doeschate, away playing in the Champions League. In addition, their captain James Foster allowed Ben Foakes to replace him behind the stumps. All this when Essex needed to gain maximum points to snatch the runners-up spot ahead of Northamptonshire.Resuming the third day at 44 for no loss, Essex still needed another 205 to avoid being beaten by an innings but wickets tumbled at regular intervals in the morning session so that a big Hampshire win – only their second at home – came within an hour of the resumption after lunch.Coles had Jake Middleburgh leg-before eleven balls into the day’s play and Gautam Gambhir edged Tomlinson to Liam Dawson at first slip in the next over to make Essex 49 for 2. Tom Westley became the first of five catches for wicketkeeper Michael Bates at 69 and Greg Smith went the same way, a second victim for Tomlinson, at 73 as Essex quickly subsided.At 117 for 6, Essex were already doomed but Ben Foakes and Napier at last applied some resistance in a stand of 39 for seventh. It was too little and far too late to alter the course of a one-sided match.Coles and Tomlinson returned later to wipe out the Essex tail, Tomlinson removing Napier and Sajid Mahmood while Coles, who said he is talking to several counties about his destination next season, finished off by dismissing Foakes for 27 and last man Monty Panesar in the 58th over.Coles’ five-match spell with Hampshire earned him a total of 21 wickets, including his best match figures here, helping his temporary club to 24 points from the win. Essex collected eight from a match they had to win but never looked like doing so once Foster had won the toss and watched as Hampshire amassed a first-innings total of 456.

Former England batsman Mark Butcher believes people are beginning to “see the merits” of ensuring more England players are involved in future editions of the IPL

Gaurav Kalra02-May-20155:02

Should more England players be part of the IPL?

Former England batsman Mark Butcher believes people are beginning to “see the merits” of ensuring more England players are involved in future editions of the IPL. Butcher, who is India on assignment with British broadcaster , told ESPNcricinfo that watching games from the grounds has been like “nothing else I’ve ever seen at cricket grounds around the world.””It’s quite remarkable, the fervour for the game and the atmosphere and the skill level,” he said. “When the IPL first began, it was more about what was happening off the field; giving the older players a bit of a pay day. In the last three-four years, though, the standard of cricket and the way that the game is being taken a lot more seriously and the way that the skills have been elevated to a new level has made it a wonderful combination. I have no doubt whatsoever that any players – whether they being young or old – will only improve by experiencing it and playing it.”Butcher is convinced that young England players, especially those identified as key to their limited-overs plans in the years ahead, such as Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Chris Woakes and the likes, will benefit immensely from playing in the IPL. However, he said, they can only hope to attract interest from franchises if they are available to participate in the entire season and not for a short period, as is the case currently.”At the moment, because English players initially couldn’t stay for the entire duration of the tournament which meant that their price was not worth paying, people are not even looking at English players to play in the competition,” he said. “So, that’s going to change. I have no doubt about that. It will take us a little while because it always takes us a little while to catch up with things but people are now beginning to see the merits.”England’s shocking early exit from the World Cup has led to considerable churn in the country about how to bridge the gap with other countries in the limited-overs formats. Butcher believes that outcome has put “more pressure” to try and find ways to get more English players involved in the IPL.”If you play all your domestic cricket in one country, you do not know how cricketers do it in other countries like Bangladesh or India or South Africa,” he said. “Everybody has their own different things that they bring to the table. What we’re seeing with these players is that with them being exposed to more leagues around the world, it is no longer difficult for a New Zealander to come out and play brilliantly on slow Indian pitches. They know how to do it. That’s the learning curve you get by being here for six weeks.”While Butcher didn’t think it was possible to tweak the county season to allow English players to play the IPL, he advocated considering what he described as a “short-term loss” over “long-term gain”.”I think what the ECB and the counties have to look at is how much we gain in the long run by exposing some of our brightest and the best to competitions like the IPL,” he said. “You might lose out a little bit in the short term by missing your best players but what you will gain in the long term is the knowledge of playing under pressure when they come back which will pay dividends later on in the long run. So, you have to speculate a little bit to accumulate.”Former England batsman and coach David Lloyd, who also had his first first-hand experience of the IPL as a commentator this season, was equally enthused after his stint. Writing in his blog on , Lloyd conceded that while cricket won’t enjoy the same following in the UK as India, a template similar to the Big Bash League in Australia should be considered by the ECB.”We can certainly stage something very similar to the Big Bash. That would be our template – have eight teams, who play everybody twice,” Lloyd wrote. “If we could find a three-to-four-week window and block it off – that’s what all the players want but you’ve got to sell that idea to 18 counties so there’s got to be a will to do it that way. You’d have to play it alongside Test-match cricket – as they do in Australia – to fit it into the schedule and you’d have to try to attract the best players in the world and make it a real event.”

Ian Bell rarely misses an opportunity to shine when available for his county and his 90 off 65 balls guided the Birmingham Bears to a seven-wicket win

ECB/PA06-Jun-2015
ScorecardIan Bell made his highest T20 score in Birmingham’s victory•Getty Images

Ian Bell rarely misses an opportunity to shine when available for his county and his 90 off 65 balls guided Birmingham Bears to a seven-wicket win in their NatWest T20 Blast match at Chester-le-Street. Bell put his poor recent form for England behind him and won the contest with his international colleague Ben Stokes, who scored 40 from 28 balls but then saw three overs disappear for 44.In the windswept battle between the reigning Blast champions and the North Group leaders, Bell gave the Bears the initiative when he drove and pulled successive balls from Stokes for six.That was in the fourth over of their reply to 163 for 7, but they fell behind the rate when Paul Collingwood’s gentle floaters yielded only six runs in his first two overs. Needing 95 off the last 10, William Porterfield stepped on the gas by driving Collingwood over long-on then Bell twice cut Scott Borthwick wide of backward point.There was no let-up and when Stokes returned for the 16th over, as Bell straight drove two fours and guided two more to third man either side of a high full toss. Stokes had already had one warning for a full toss above waist height but this was deemed a slower ball and he was allowed to complete the over, which cost 21.Bell departed in the next over when he hit a short ball from John Hastings to mid-off, but the stand of 96 had left only 16 needed off three overs. Laurie Evans fell lbw to an Usman Arshad yorker, but Porterfield’s unbeaten 41 completed the task with five balls to spare.Durham were put in and had made only 6 when Phil Mustard fell in the third over, tamely pulling Oliver Hannon-Dalby to midwicket.Calum MacLeod survived a leading edge straight back to Recordo Gordon on nine to make 41 off 27 balls. The acceleration began when Boyd Rankin came on for the sixth over. Two of Rankin’s first three balls were short enough for Mark Stoneman to pull and, although he top-edged them, both flew high to fine leg, for four and six. MacLeod also cut a four as the over cost 15.But Stoneman departed for 18, lbw to a yorker from Gordon to bring in Stokes, who pulled the offspin of Ateeq Javid for six two overs later.With Jeetan Patel at the other end, both batsmen proved very adept at finding the gap between long-on and deep mid-wicket as the total reached 82 at the halfway point. But the momentum stalled as MacLeod drove Javid to long-on then Collingwood was run out for 4, sent back at the non-striker’s end and beaten by Porterfield’s direct hit from backward point.Stokes gave himself room to swing through a leg-stump ball from Rankin and hit it for a straight six, but the Bears’ gamble in leaving Javid on paid dividends when he had Stokes lbw for 40 attempting a reverse sweep.Hannon-Dalby came back for the 18th over in preference to Rikki Clarke and his first ball was driven for a straight six by Hastings as 14 came off the over. Hastings made 21 off 12 balls before driving to extra cover in the final over then Gordon Muchall straight-drove his only boundary in an unbeaten 30 off 20 balls.

At tea Hampshire were 66 for 6, a sequence of numbers appropriate for a disastrous day that left their chances in this match in ruins

Freddie Wilde at the Ageas Bowl22-Jun-2015
ScorecardAlfonso Thomas gave a swing bowling masterclass to knock over Hampshire’s top order•Getty Images

At tea Hampshire were 66 for 6, a sequence of numbers appropriate for a disastrous day that left their chances in this match in ruins. If it wasn’t quite hell, then they were certainly in the outer circles. Winston Churchill famously advised that if you are going through hell you should keep going, and after tea Hampshire kept going – the only trouble was they kept going deeper into its fiery bowels. They ended the day 41 for 2 following on, having been bowled out for just 147, their lowest completed first-class total for four years.Despite losing the entire morning session to rain the match hasn’t so much slowed down as accelerated, and rapidly at that. Sixteen wickets fell on a day in which the rain and a few hours under covers perhaps spiced up an already difficult pitch.It was movement in the air, rather than off the pitch, that was the factor most instrumental in Somerset’s success with the ball. Alfonso Thomas tore the heart out of Hampshire’s top order with a classical display of swing bowling, taking 3 for 15 in a superb seven-over spell, four of which were maidens. Thomas used the fading outswinger as his stock ball and the angled inswinger as his shock ball, and was rewarded justly for his mastery.It was batting ineptitude that took the first wicket though, as Jimmy Adams clipped Thomas straight to Tom Abell at short midwicket. Michael Carberry was the next man to fall, pushing forward to Thomas to be caught behind. In Thomas’ next over Sean Terry, who had survived a huge appeal for lbw the ball previously, was trapped in front shouldering arms to leave Hampshire reeling at 21 for 3. The ball was not swinging massively but enough to find the edges and muddle the minds of the Hampshire batsmen.Somerset may perhaps regret giving the new ball to Lewis Gregory, who bowled too wide in his first spell and was removed from the attack after five overs, although not before Terry had slashed a remarkable six over backward point and Liam Dawson had hit back-to-back fours.The introduction of Craig Overton, fresh from his time with the England ODI squad, immediately brought a wicket. Will Smith, driving expansively at a wide ball, was caught brilliantly in the slip cordon by Gregory. While Thomas found movement in the air, Overton found it off the pitch and for an enthralling period the two bowled wonderfully in tandem as Dawson and Adam Wheater battled hard to find a foothold in Hampshire’s innings.A flurry of boundaries took Hampshire past 50 but Overton then got one to jag away from Dawson who only succeeded in edging it to wicketkeeper Michael Bates.Bates received the loudest reception of any player, on either side, when he walked out to bat earlier in the day. By contrast, there was an almost awkward silence when his replacement at Hampshire, Wheater, walked out to bat. Wheater did not last long, scoring 13 before he was bowled by Gregory to leave Hampshire six down.With the sun out after tea the pitch seemed a little easier and Sean Ervine and Gareth Berg put on 40 for the seventh wicket, the largest partnership of the innings, before Jim Allenby joined in on the wicket-taking fun, bowling Ervine, who had taken a nasty blow on the hand earlier, for 23.Going purely by first-class averages, Berg and Danny Briggs existed as the last line of defence between Hampshire and the follow-on. Although they battled admirably, a rip-snorting delivery from Overton that rose sharply to take the gloves of Berg and was caught at gully ended their resistance. Hampshire were bowled out shortly after and Marcus Trescothick had little hesitation in putting the home side back.Two more wickets would fall, those of Adams and Terry, to complete a remarkable day that left Hampshire trailing by 158 runs and staring at a huge defeat.Their efforts in taking 4 for 36 in just under 45 minutes to leave Somerset four runs short of the fourth batting point had long since faded. Berg, who toiled hard on day one, was rewarded with three of the four wickets to fall. In the innings break Hampshire would have been quietly pleased with themselves, given that Somerset had been 286 for 4. By the time they were next off the pitch, things were very different.

ESPNcricinfo previews the latest round of matches in the T20 Blast as a bunched field heads towards the final straight

Freddie Wilde10-Jul-2015

North Group

Worcestershire v Birmingham, New Road, Worcester, 5.30Second-placed Worcestershire host top-of-the-table Birmingham in what promises to be a hard-fought, high-quality match. With 16 points, defending champions Birmingham are the most successful team in the country this year, while only Kent in the South Group can match Worcestershire’s tally of 14 points. Both teams should qualify comfortably for the quarter-finals but a win in this match would all but confirm it and both will also be keen to guarantee a home quarter-final. History favours the defending champions with Birmingham having won five of the last six matches between the two teams.Leicestershire v Lancashire, Grace Road, Leicester, 5.30Leicestershire are in sixth place and Lancashire are in fourth but both teams are level on ten points in a very tight North Group. Indeed, given their proximity in the league table, this match could prove to be pivotal for both teams.Leicestershire and Lancashire have both had inconsistent seasons. Leicestershire were arguably playing some of the best cricket in the country when they registered three convincing wins in four matches; Lancashire’s victories, by contrast, have generally been tighter, but they have a formidable record against Leicestershire having gone unbeaten in the last eight matches, with six wins and two ties.James Faulkner is set to return to Lancashire’s squad following his drink-driving charge after he was involved in a collision in a Manchester suburb while Leicestershire will miss Kevin and Niall O’Brien who are playing in the World T20 Qualifiers for Ireland and seamer Rob Taylor who is playing for Scotland.Yorkshire v Durham, Headingley, Leeds, 7.00Durham, who are fifth, have had one of the more bizarre campaigns this season, and have not won twice consecutively since their opening two matches. Five of their matches have been either won or lost by less than 20 runs; fine margins define the position they find themselves in now. They have an opportunity against a struggling Yorkshire to turn themselves into serious contenders for a quarter-final place.Yorkshire promised to give T20 greater importance to the NatWest T20 Blast this season, but such emphasis has not translated into results and they will need a miracle to qualify for the quarter finals, having registered just three wins in nine matches so far. They do welcome back Liam Plunkett from injury and have included Adil Rashid in their 14-man squad after he was released by England. Youngsters Ben Coad, Ryan Gibson and Josh Shaw have all been included and could make their senior T20 debuts.Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire, Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire, 6.30Derbyshire’s quarter-final chances are over with them having won just three times in 11 matches. Nottinghamshire, meanwhile, are not much better placed, having won four from 10 and none consecutively. The addition of Peter Moores to the coaching staff brought no miraculous change in fortunes last week. However, sitting in seventh place, they are just two points off the quarter-final places. “We’ve backed ourselves into a corner where we need to win all four,” said Nottinghamshire head coach Mick Newell. “If we do that, I’m pretty sure we’ll get through, but we have no room for manoeuvre.”Can Steve Finn pump up ailing Middlesex?•Getty Images

South Group

Hampshire v Surrey, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 7.00This crucial match in the South Group brings together Hampshire who have lost three in a row and Surrey who have won three in a row. Only a fortnight ago Hampshire were seemingly well on course for a quarter-final place alongside Essex at the top of the table while Surrey were languishing right at the very bottom. Two weeks on and how things have changed.Hampshire are seeking their sixth consecutive appearance at Finals Day and began the season strongly, but close observers noted cracks appearing in their tried and tested formula. Seam bowling in particular has been a problem.Surrey’s season turned around following a stunning comeback victory away to Glamorgan on an inauspicious cold Friday night in Cardiff. They will be without Gary Wilson who is playing for Ireland in the World T20 Qualifiers, while Matt Dunn is ruled out with a side injury. Hampshire, who have won their last six home matches against Surrey, have named an unchanged squad from last week’s match against Glamorgan.Sussex v Glamorgan, The County Ground, Hove, 7.00Sussex in second and Glamorgan in fourth are in strong positions in the South Group and are both just a win away from top spot. However, with just two matches left after this fixture they will recognise the importance of a win over a quarter-final rival.Sussex’s defeat against leaders Kent last week ended their streak of four consecutive victories and they will be keen to recapture their form against Glamorgan, who have included Michael Hogan in their squad.”We’ve tended to play better away than at home in T20 so far this season,” said Glamorgan head coach Toby Radford. “So we’re looking forward to the game at Hove off the back of two good wins on the road against Somerset and Hampshire.”Kent v Somerset, The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence, Canterbury, 7.00Although Somerset are languishing in eighth place in the South Group they are only three points off Essex in third and still have a chance to make a late push for a quarter-final spot.”Every game is important,” said head coach Matt Maynard. “We have to look to try and win all four of our remaining matches to make sure that we qualify for the quarter finals. To do that we need to get out of the powerplay with the ball and with the bat because that has cost us big time. If we can get out of those first six overs in good shape we tend to win the matches. We have had a chat about it and we have put a system in place.”Somerset will have their work cut out against Kent who are have surprised many onlookers with their strong form this season, winning seven of their ten matches so far despite not signing an overseas player. Kent have made one change to their squad from their victory against Sussex last week, with Calum Haggett replacing the injured Ivan Thomas.Middlesex v Essex, Old Deer Park, Richmond, 5.30Middlesex won two matches in Game Week 2, but either side of that have not managed a victory and have now lost seven in a row. With four points from ten matches their quarter-final chances are all but over. With two top-four sides, Sussex and Glamorgan, in opposition, third placed Essex will sense an opportunity to move one step closer to the quarter-finals against a struggling team.Essex have turned their season around excellently having lost three of their first four matches and head coach Paul Grayson is thrilled with the progress. “If someone had said seven or eight games ago that we could have a chance of finishing in the top-four, we would definitely have taken that,” he said.Liam Dawson, on loan from Hampshire, is expected to make his T20 debut for Essex while Tom Westley has been included in their squad after recovering from injury. Middlesex welcome back international pace duo Steven Finn, released by England, and Mitchell McClenaghan, back from injury.

Having pulled off a thrilling win in the first ODI, Zimbabwe will want to show they can carry the momentum forward and keep New Zealand under pressure to stay alive in the ODI series

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Aug-2015

Match facts

Tuesday, August 4, 2015, Harare
Start time 09.00 local (07.00 GMT)3:27

‘We will look to improve on certain areas with the bat’ – Williamson

Big Picture

Zimbabwe’s rollicking chase in Sunday’s first ODI was the ideal start to the series. It heaped pressure on the favourites, New Zealand, and showed that the gap between the two sides, particularly in Zimbabwean conditions, wasn’t as wide as originally perceived.For New Zealand, the defeat revealed a possible lack of depth in bowling resources. While Tim Southee and Trent Boult are world-class new-ball operators in most parts of the world, Sunday’s second-string seam attack looked a little one-note and lacking in guile on a surface without too much help for the quicks. They will have learned a few things from the loss, though, and the second ODI is an opportunity for them to reveal a couple of new tricks.Otherwise, there isn’t too much wrong with this New Zealand side. Their batting is full of class and experience, and will test Zimbabwe’s bowlers again.Zimbabwe’s performance with the ball on Sunday – a good start with the new ball, a struggle for wickets in the middle overs, and a complete loss of control at the death – was a repeat of the pattern that has troubled them all year, and solutions still remain elusive. If anything, the exploits of Craig Ervine and Hamilton Masakadza deflected attention away from the issue.But the win validated the statement the team management has made on multiple occasions recently, that Zimbabwe are only a couple of steps from translating their potential into more consistent performances. On Sunday, their batsmen kept their heads, trusted their methods, and handled the crunch moments brilliantly. Zimbabwe’s fans will hope they can do all those things a lot more often.

Form guide

Zimbabwe: WLLLL
New Zealand: LLLWW

Players to watch

Having sat out the last two ODIs and the one-off T20 against India, Tinashe Panyangara slotted back into the Zimbabwe side and bowled with impressive control on Sunday. He moved the new ball, and bowled intelligent lines at the death even while the other bowlers leaked plenty. In a bowling attack that often lets teams off the hook after strong starts, there will be pressure on Panyangara to maintain his level of performance and keep New Zealand in check.Nathan McCullum was New Zealand’s only wicket-taker in the first ODI, and his dismissals of the Zimbabwe openers showed off his craft and guile perfectly. He will want more support from the rest of the attack, but he will continue to shoulder a large part of the wicket-taking burden on a Harare surface that always has something in it for the spinners.

Team news

Christopher Mpofu went for 84 from his 10 overs in the first ODI, and his place in the Zimbabwe attack might be under threat from Neville Madziva, who picked up six wickets in two ODIs against India.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Regis Chakabva, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Prosper Utseya , 10 Tinashe Panyangara, 11 Christopher Mpofu/Neville MadzivaJames Neesham’s seam-up looked ineffective in the first ODI, and while his batting is his primary skill, New Zealand might be tempted to go with an extra spin option and choose George Worker ahead of him. Matt Henry looked out of rhythm too, and Adam Milne could take his place.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 James Neesham/George Worker, 7 Luke Ronchi, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Matt Henry/Adam Milne, 11 Ish Sodhi

Stats and trivia

• Martin Guptill needs 56 runs to become the tenth New Zealander to make 4000 ODI runs
• Four Zimbabwe batsmen likely to play the second ODI – Chamu Chibhabha, Elton Chigumbura, Sean Williams and Craig Ervine – have 40-plus averages this year. Of the four, only Chibhabha has a strike rate below 100
• Elton Chigumbura is three big hits away from becoming the first Zimbabwe batsman to 100 ODI sixes