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A look at how the Australians have fared in the county circuit as the ‘A’ tour and the Ashes edge closer

Alex Malcolm21-May-2019#AsheswatchJoe Burns’ stint with Lancashire lasted just one game – in which he made 10 – as he flew home for personal reasons. No date has been set for his return. He was signed for 10 games. Queensland Cricket has asked for his privacy at this time in a statement. “He has advised his goal is to be back playing cricket as soon as possible.” Cricket Australia has also been kept in the loop with Burns’ situation.South Australia’s Jake Lehmann has replaced Burns in the Lancashire squad for their clash against Worcestershire. Lehmann had been playing for the club in the Royal London Cup as Glenn Maxwell’s replacement. He made just 8 on Monday as the bowlers dominated in Manchester, with England’s spearhead James Anderson taking 5 for 25.Marnus Labuschagne found some form after a lean spell at the start of the Royal London Cup. He made 54 in Glamorgan’s last one-day game before peeling off a second century for the season in Division Two of the County Championship. Labuschagne and Nicholas Selman both scored centuries and shared a 231-run stand to give Glamorgan a chance to win the game, after being made to follow-on. However, it ultimately ended in a draw. He fell for 14 in the next game against Derbyshire after taking 1 for 46 with the ball.Cameron Bancroft led from the front in Durham’s loss to Worcestershire. Batting at No.3, he made a patient 70 in the first innings after Durham slumped to 3 for 14, but only managed 25 in the second innings. Durham were again 4 for 17 after being sent in by Gloucestershire on Monday, with Bancroft falling for a duck.Matt Renshaw’s early season stint with Kent came to end last week with scores of 16 and 13 in a loss to Yorkshire. Outside of a century in the Royal London Cup against Sussex, Renshaw was nowhere near as prolific as he was last season with Somerset, although early season weather did not aid his cause.Peter Siddle was back to his miserly best in Essex’s win over Nottinghamshire. Coming in fresh after two weeks without playing, Siddle sent down 32.3 overs for the match, taking 3 for 65.James Pattinson bowls•Getty Images

Injury listJames Pattinson missed Nottinghamshire’s last three fixtures due to a niggling side strain. He missed the semi-final loss to Somerset in the Royal London One-Day Cup and then missed the next championship fixture against Essex. It was expected he would return for the match against Hampshire which began on Monday but he didn’t take the field. Pattinson is part of both Australia A squads, but those who are currently in the UK do not need to join the squad until June 15, meaning he could be available for Nottinghamshire’s next two fixtures if he is fit. Daniel Worrall’s county season with Gloucestershire is already over after he was diagnosed with stress fractures in his lower back.Performance of the weekLabuschagne’s second century of the English summer will certainly have pleased Justin Langer and the selectors. He had to play in Glamorgan’s second XI during the Royal London Cup to find some touch but he has bounced back in great style. The manner of the century, coming under pressure after his team followed on, would also please the selectors. He is not in the Australia A four-day squad but the selectors were firm in stating that those playing county cricket would still be heavily considered for the Ashes.

“I guess the one person you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes”, says assistant coach

Andrew McGlashan31-Oct-20221:21

Collingwood: It’s been a little more difficult than usual for the batters

With England now virtually playing knockout cricket at the T20 World Cup, assistant coach Paul Collingwood has backed Ben Stokes to come the fore after an indifferent start to the tournament as questions linger about his position in the side.Stokes made 2 off 4 balls against Afghanistan in Perth, and then was cleaned up by a wonderful delivery from Ireland’s Fionn Hand at the MCG for 6 off 8 as England fell to a shock defeat which left their tournament on a knife-edge.Related

• England in must-win territory against New Zealand in replay of last year's semi-final

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Stokes, who was rested from the seven-match series in Pakistan ahead of the World Cup, was unconvincing in the lead-in matches against Australia too, although he hit a quickfire 36 in the warm-up against Pakistan in Brisbane, the scene of their crunch game against New Zealand on Tuesday.Overall, Stokes’ T20I record is comfortably the least impressive of the three formats. In 33 innings, he averages 18.57 with the bat and a strike-rate of 132.02 although he has rarely had a settled position or role in the team, which is one of the reasons he was given certainty by being locked in for the No. 4 job before this tournament.Ben Stokes gears up to bowl at training•Getty Images

“I guess the one person that you want in your team when the pressure is on is Ben Stokes,” Collingwood said. “We all know what he’s capable of, and not just match-winning innings, but match-winning innings under serious amounts of pressure. I know well that if it comes down to the crunch that you want a man like Ben Stokes walking out.”Stokes has been given a new role with the ball in this tournament, opening the attack to try and exploit early swing before returning later in the innings, and has claimed three wickets in the two games. He is also an asset in the field as he showed against Australia in Canberra with a stunning boundary-saving flick back.”Not just what he gives with the bat, [it’s] the options with the ball, and the skill level he brings into the field as well.” Collingwood said. “It’s not always just the runs that he makes, but it’s everything else that he gives. But I’m pretty confident there’s an innings just around the corner, and now we’re coming into the crucial part of the World Cup, and it’s almost a knockout stage for us, it’s must-win games, you always see Ben come to the fore in those situations.”For England to win, however, they need to get on the field and the forecast isn’t overly promising for Brisbane on Tuesday, although there is a chance that the worst of the rain could clear through earlier in the day. That won’t be much consolation for Afghanistan if they get their third washout in a row when they face Sri Lanka in the first game of the day. Shared points would not be curtains for England, but it would leave them needing favours elsewhere.”In World Cups you want to see sides competing against each other, the best sides competing against each other in an equal game,” Collingwood said. “Hopefully tomorrow night the rain stays away and we can manage to do that.”

Pakistan batter will retire with 97 Tests to his name – the sixth most for his country

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2022Azhar Ali will retire from Test cricket after the Karachi Test against England, bringing to an end one of modern Pakistani cricket’s more accomplished careers. If he does play – and captain Babar Azam was unwilling to confirm that he would – he will finish three Tests short of 100 Tests (becoming only the sixth Pakistan player to that landmark). But he will finish either way in fifth on their all-time runs-scoring charts, an immense achievement for a player who started out as a legspinner.Azhar made the announcement on the eve of the third and final Test of the series against England. “It has been a great honour and privilege for me to represent my country at the highest level,” he said. “Deciding on when to call it a day is always tough, but, after contemplating deeply, I realised that this is the right time for me to retire from Test cricket.”There are many people who I am grateful to in this strenuous, yet beautiful journey. I want to make a special mention of my family without whose sacrifices I would not have been where I am today. My parents, wife, siblings, and children have been my strength throughout.Related

• Harry Brook's third century secures slender lead after spinners turn screw

• Everything goes to plan for Pakistan, but not quite their day

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• Ben Stokes on Rehan Ahmed: 'We're very impressed with what we've seen'

“I have been blessed to share a dressing room with some of the most outstanding cricketers with whom I share a strong bond. I feel much richer by calling these people my friends. I am also blessed to have played under some wonderful coaches to whom I will always remain grateful.”I retire from international cricket as a fulfilled cricketer who ticked most of the goals he had set for himself. Not many cricketers go on to lead their countries, and that I was able to captain Pakistan is a matter of great pride for me. From being a kid who started as a legspinner to becoming a mainstay in the Test batting line-up, I had the loveliest moments of my life that I will cherish forever.”Whether or not he plays will only be known on Saturday morning at the National Stadium. He was dropped after a failure in the high-scoring series opener on a flat pitch in Rawalpindi. Pakistan captain Babar Azam said later a decision had not yet been made. “We’ll decide tonight, so let’s see,” he said. “But I’d like to congratulate him on his career, and how much he inspired us. He gave Pakistan some great performances. When I came in he was a senior player and gave us a lot of confidence. He backed the players and was someone who brought positive vibes to the dressing room.”Azhar, 37, captained Pakistan in nine Tests, appointed full-time captain after Sarfaraz Ahmed was sacked in 2019. Pakistan won two home series under him, against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, but a slump in personal form and growing criticism of his methods meant Babar took over less than a year later. He had also overseen Pakistan in ODIs from 2015 – taking over after the World Cup, from Misbah-ul-Haq – to 2017, a tumultuous period in the format for them, when they slipped to No. 9 in the ODI rankings.”Everything has an end just like it has a beginning,” Azhar said. “My heart and head told me this was the right time. It’s been an honour for me to represent Pakistan. Great memories. I’d like to thank all my coaches and colleagues. I haven’t seen a better bunch of players.”The writing appeared to be on the wall after the Rawalpindi Test. Azhar managed 67 runs across both innings and was the only member of the top three from either side not to score a hundred. And though he was dropped, Azhar said he had made the decision by himself.Azhar will finish with 97 Tests to his name•AFP/Getty Images

“It’s my own decision. Nobody coerced me into it. I’m very happy with the way youngsters are coming through. This was going to be my last season anyway. I wanted to play 100 Tests, and if I’d played every Test this season, that would have happened. That won’t happen, so it’s better to make way for youngsters. I’d also like to consider my own well-being and the life I have ahead of me. It was my own decision, not someone else’s.”I’d like to thank my parents. My dad, who believed in me more than I did. And my mother, who’s no longer around. Her sacrifices meant the world to me. I miss her.”Azhar ends his career as one of Pakistan’s most prolific Test batters, with over 7000 Test runs and 19 hundreds. His unbeaten 302 against the West Indies in Dubai makes him one of just four Pakistan cricketers to have scored a triple century, and the only cricketer to have scored one in day-night cricket – that came in the purplest of patches for him across 2016-17, when he also hit a double hundred at the MCG. Among Pakistanis, only Younis Khan, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousaf have scored more Test runs.Azhar Ali made his debut in 2010 against Australia in the wake of the 2009 terror attack on Sri Lanka in Lahore that forced Pakistan to play home matches outside the country. He soon established himself as a mainstay, making the number three position his own for several years. In the second half of his career, Pakistan’s opening struggles meant he was deployed in that position too, scoring 1556 runs at 45.76 in 37 innings.But it wasn’t until 2019, nearly a decade after he made his international bow, that he played an international match in Pakistan. It finally came in 2019 against Sri Lanka, and in just his second Test at home proper, he scored 118. A dip in form soon after followed, though there remained flashes of the trademark grit that saw him squeeze so much out of his abilities. There was an unbeaten 141 in Southampton, 93 in Christchurch, as well as 185 at home against Australia in Rawalpindi.”It was massive to play at home,” he said. “I genuinely thought a few years back that I would not be able to play a Test at home because of the duration of the game and no one would come to play just one Test to give us home Test but credit to Pakistan Cricket Board and government to making that happen and making other teams believe that it was safe to play in Pakistan. To score a hundred on home ground was massive.”

Our live report from Taunton for the opening rounds of the Women’s T20 Triangular

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2018Welcome to our live blog for the opening matches in the Women’s T20 Triangular between England, South Africa and New Zealand. We will be bringing you updates, stats and colour from the first two games at Taunton, starting with New Zealand v South Africa at 1pm, and continuing with England v South Africa at 5.40pm

The medium-pacer took four wickets off four balls in a sensational finish, helping Abahani Limited to an 11-run win

Mohammad Isam06-Mar-2018Mashrafe Mortaza’s four wickets off four balls in the last over made for was a sensational finish as he powered Abahani Limited to an 11-run win over Agrani Bank in the Dhaka Premier League.

Mashrafe on his four in four

Mashrafe Mortaza said that he used the offcutter to take all four wickets in the last over against Agrani Bank in the Dhaka Premier League.
“My performance is helping me prepare for the rest of the year,” Mashrafe said. “With the old ball, my strength is the cutter and it is with this delivery that I took the last four wickets. There’s always pressure on the bowler. I was bowling with the third-man up so an edge was going to go for four. I thought of pushing him back but then again, being positive is very important in these situations.”
Mashrafe has already taken 25 wickets at 11.92 bowling average in eight DPL matches. He said that it has been a great way to keep himself in form as he has to wait till mid-July to play ODIs again.
“Others may be playing Tests and T20s but this tournament is a great chance for me to stay fit and in form. I want to play all 16 matches so that I can start the next ODI series with the same rhythm I finished the [January] tri-series,” he said.

At the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, Agrani Bank needed 13 runs off the last over with four wickets in hand, but after Abdur Razzak took a single off the first ball, Dhiman Ghosh holed out to long-on after making a 27-ball 46. In the next two balls, Mashrafe had Razzak caught at short fine-leg and Shafiul Islam at deep midwicket to complete his first hat-trick in a List-A match.
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To top off the celebration, Fazle Rabby’s top edge was comfortably caught by wicket-keeper Mohammad Mithun as Mashrafe became the first Bangladeshi bowler to take four wickets in four balls in List-A cricket, finishing with 6 for 44 in 9.5 overs. He became the seventh bowler in List-A history to achieve the feat, while this was the third hat-trick in this season’s Dhaka Premier League.Mashrafe’s performance completely upended the other performers in this match. Up until that last over Agrani Bank had reached within 12 runs of Abahani’s 290 for 6, thanks mainly to Shahriar Nafees’ 121 off 119 balls with 13 fours and three sixes. Nafees added 146 runs for the third wicket with Raza Ali Dar, who contributed with 62 off 80 balls.But the pair fell within 16 balls of each other, but Dhiman was holding firm until Mashrafe struck four times.Earlier, Nazmul Hossain Shanto took Abahani to the big score with his unbeaten 133. He struck 11 fours and three sixes as Shanto added 140 runs for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Mithun.Getty Images

There was drama at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, too, where Gazi Group Cricketers beat Mohammedan Sporting Club by 29 runs in a low-scoring contest.The defending champions’ struggle in this year’s competition continued having been bowled out for 137 in 35.4 overs, batting first. But Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Nayeem Hasan led a fine bowling effort; they took three wickets each while Mahedi Hasan and Tipu Sultan took two each as Mohammedan were bowled out for 108 runs in 33.2 overs.Sultan took the first two wickets before the lunch break. Raqibul Hasan and Shamsur Rahman, whose 22 and 19 respectively were Mohammedan’s highest scores, both fell to Nayeem. Bipul Sharma, Mohammedan’s foreign recruit, lasted 35 minutes at the crease before getting caught behind off Rabbi for fourShafiul Hayet’s brilliant one-handed reflex catch at silly mid-off to remove Qazi Onek was one of the highlights of Gazi Group’s performance.

Rabbi finished the game getting Mohammad Azim’s wicket, to hand them only their third win this year, though they remain in the relegation zone.Raton Gomes/BCB

The dramatic day was rounded off at the BKSP-3 Gound where Prime Bank Cricket Club plundered 16 runs off the last over to beat Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club by one wicket with only two balls to spare.Mamun Hossain dismissed Monir Hossain off the first ball of the 50th over, before Sajjadul Haque struck a six. But he fell next ball, having made 51 off 38 balls. No 10 Shoriful Haque took two runs off the next ball before depositing Mamun’s next delivery, a no-ball, for a six. He bowled another no-ball to concede the game.Prime Bank were kept on track of their 287-run chase by Mehrab Hossain jnr and Mehedi Maruf who added 147 runs for the opening stand. Mehedi made 82 off 90 balls with six fours and three sixes but Mehrab stuck around after Prime Bank suffered a batting collapse in their middle-order. He fell in the 44th over, having made 102 off 125 balls with 13 fours. Sajjadul had kept them afloat with his three sixes and one four, before Mamun’s meltdown.Earlier, Marshall Ayub’s 135 took Doleshwar to 286-5 in 50 overs. Marshall struck 14 fours and two sixes; he added 124 runs for the third wicket with Fazle Mahmud, and another 132 runs for the fourth wicket with Farhad Hossain, who chipped in with a 53-ball 67 that had two fours and three sixes.

He will miss the matches against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday and against Rajasthan Royals on April 20

Deivarayan Muthu12-Apr-20182:45

Dasgupta: Raina is the batting fulcrum of CSK

Hours after Chennai Super Kings lost their home advantage for the rest of the 2018 season, they suffered another blow with Suresh Raina being ruled out of the side’s next two matches because of a calf injury. Raina will miss a Super Kings match for the first time in his career when he won’t appear against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Sunday and against Rajasthan Royals in Pune on April 20.Raina had sustained the injury during Super Kings’ successful chase of 203 against Kolkata Knight Riders in their first match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in nearly three years. Raina needed medical attention on Tuesday after completing a single against Sunil Narine in the 10th over of the chase. He struggled to run between the wickets before eventually holing out for 14 off 12 balls.Raina’s absence further depletes a middle order that is already missing Kedar Jadhav, who had been ruled out of the the tournament with a hamstring injury.However, Faf du Plessis could be available for Sunday’s match as he is recovering from a finger injury and a side strain. M Vijay, who had missed the tournament opener against Mumbai because he was hit in the ribs while training before the match, was available for selection for the match against Knight Riders, according to batting coach Michael Hussey, but was not picked. Raina’s injury could push Vijay to the top and Ambati Rayudu into the middle order.Delhi’s Dhruv Shorey and Kshitiz Sharma and Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan are the uncapped Indian batsmen in the squad. Jadhav’s replacement David Willey “hasn’t joined the squad as his visa process is not complete yet,” a CSK official told ESPNcricinfo. “He will not be available for the Mohali match but could be expected to be available for the Rajasthan match.”Super Kings had also lost New Zealand allrounder Mitchell Santner to injury before the tournament began and have not named a replacement for him yet.