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Darren Beazley has been named as chief executive of the USA Cricket Association

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2012Darren Beazley, former general manager of business development with the Western Australia Cricket Association, has been confirmed as the new chief executive of the USA Cricket Association. He will take up the post in February and will be based in Florida.Tim Anderson, the ICC’s global development manager, and a member of the sub-committee tasked with finding a suitable candidate, expressed hopes that Beazley would be able to bring a greater sense of professionalism to cricket in the United States and satisfy ICC ambitions for growth in the region.Anderson said: “It is critical that cricket continues its growth path globally and helping ICC Associate and Affiliate Members put in place more professional management structures is an important corner stone in that progression.”Having been appointed through a highly competitive recruitment process, Darren will now
have a key role – together with the USACA Board – in developing such a structure for cricket in the USA.”USACA has not had someone working in the position full-time since Don Lockerbie was dismissed in November 2010, although Nabeel Ahmed, a former vice president, has acted as interim CEO since April.Beazley’s experience in sports administration includes periods as chief operating officer of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships and as general manager of strategic partnerships with the Australian Rules side Fremantle Dockers.Gladstone Dainty, president of USACA, said: “This appointment marks a key moment for the growth and development of cricket in the United States as USACA looks to take better advantage of the sport’s widening global appeal for men, women and youth.”The appointment of a competent and motivated chief executive to lead our operations was
a vital component of an action plan agreed by the USACA Board during 2012, and after
completing a rigorous recruitment process, I’m delighted that someone with Darren’s skills
and experience has agreed to join us.”The Board can now focus on developing policy and relationships with partners who share
our vision for the success of cricket in the USA.”Beazley said: “Cricket has always been a major part of my life and I am therefore thrilled to have the opportunity to assist its growth and improvement in one of the most important emerging markets in the world today.”I look forward to leading USACA’s national efforts, as well as working closely with the
member leagues, clubs and partners to ensure cricket’s vast potential in the US is realized.”There is a rich, diverse and long history of cricket in the US. One of my first key projects
will be to talk to a wide selection of league presidents, stakeholders and partners about that
history and the future. My hope is that this will help encourage the levels of collaboration
and compliance critical for the development of the game at all levels and in all forms in the
US.”

The painstaking efforts of Pakistan’s top order put their side in control against a helpless Sri Lanka attack which was taken apart remorselessly on an unresponsive surface

The Report by Abhishek Purohit19-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTaufeeq Umar was in no hurry in making his century, as Pakistan took complete control in Abu Dhabi•Associated Press

The painstaking efforts of Pakistan’s top order put their side in control against a helpless Sri Lankan attack which was remorselessly taken apart on an unresponsive surface, first by the positivity of Mohammad Hafeez and then by the self-denial and accumulation of Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali.After Hafeez had batted with purpose in a productive morning session, Taufeeq and Azhar stonewalled at under two runs an over till tea before displaying some urgency in the final session to leave Sri Lanka deflated in the Abu Dhabi heat. Taufeeq played second fiddle to Hafeez, blocked half-volleys after lunch along with Azhar Ali and displayed refreshing freedom after tea to reach his second century in three Tests. Azhar, mostly bordering on the over-cautious, continued to display the solidity that has marked his short career with another half-century in a partnership which grew to 141 by the end of the day.Nothing worked for Sri Lanka after their batsmen had collapsed yesterday. Mahela Jayawardene – one of the safest slip fielders around – failed to hold on to the only real chance that Pakistan gave during the day. Azhar, on 7, edged Rangana Herath towards slip but Jayawardene could not grasp the ball as it died in front of him. Towards the end of play, umpire Tony Hill failed to spot a clear inside edge off Taufeeq’s bat into the wicketkeeper’s gloves when he was on 102.The tone for Pakistan’s dominance was set by Hafeez in the first over of the day bowled by Chanaka Welegedara which went for 10. Sri Lanka would have wanted more from their seamers in the morning, but an in-form Hafeez proved hard to crack on the flat pitch. The heat also restricted the length and effectiveness of the seamers’ spells; only Herath consistently troubled the batsmen with clever use of flight and variations, something not reflected in his returns of 33-9-53-1 for the day. Herath beat Hafeez with flight and turn off his third delivery and would have sneaked a carrom ball through him but for a late inside edge.Hafeez targeted the seamers and eventually broke free against Herath to loft him for a straight six before being trapped in front with an arm ball. Pakistan stalled inexplicably after Hafeez’s departure, defending everything and refusing to take charge of a second session they should have dominated. They should have taken the lead before tea but with Azhar remaining stuck on 7 for 43 deliveries at one stage as they scraped 59 runs in 30 overs in the second session.They seemed to have woken up at the stroke of tea, though, with Azhar taking Suranga Lakmal for consecutive fours. Taufeeq, on 65 off 200 deliveries, came out a changed batsman after tea. He took 35 off his next 59 balls to reach his century with two boundaries and a tuck off Lakmal in the 86th over. The landmark reached, he shut shop for the rest of the day, scoring only nine off his final 37 deliveries. Pakistan still collected 85 off 31 overs after tea, finally attempting to rub in their advantage. The second new ball came and went, almost unnoticed.At no stage during their partnership were they pretty to watch, but Taufeeq and Azhar will rightly point to the scoreboard, and to Pakistan’s position, to show that it was worth the grind.

Wayamba’s Champions League hopes crashed against a top-quality fielding effort from Victoria, that was backed by purpose with both ball and bat, as they succumbed to a eight-wicket pounding in Centurion

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar20-Sep-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJeevantha Kulatunga was one of the five Wayamba batsmen to depart without scoring•Associated Press

Wayamba’s Champions League hopes crashed in Centurion against a top-quality fielding effort from Victoria that was backed by purposeful bowling and batting. Victoria looked like the side more hungry to succeed in a must-win game for both teams and Wayamba paid the price, losing five batsmen for ducks as they spluttered to 106. Things could have been far worse but for a brief period of sublime strokeplay from Jehan Mubarak and a nervy half-century from Mahela Jayawardene. Those two contributed 95, and extras, at six, was the next highest score in Wayamba’s listless innings.David Hussey and Aaron Finch then bustled to the victory target without too many problems to seal an eight-wicket win. Their urgency, however, wasn’t enough for Victoria to surpass Warriors’ net run-rate, and their semi-final prospects hinged on either a defeat or a comprehensive win for Chennai in the final league game.Victoria’s intensity was epitomised by the second over of the game. James Pattinson struck with his first ball in the tournament, yorking Jeevantha Kulatunga for his second successive duck. Mahela Udawatte, returning to the side after missing the previous game, began with a confident drive on the move that would have eased his nerves in normal circumstances. No such luck today: Clint McKay, fielding well inside the circle at mid-off, scampered to his right and dived full length to stop the shot. Udawatte’s disappointment at being denied four quickly gave way to shock as McKay sat up and threw down middle stump at the striker’s end, beating the batsman’s scramble to the crease.Pattinson finished off the over with three teasers outside Jehan Mubarak’s offstump to complete the maiden. Nine for two in two overs, even before Wayamba knew what had hit them.Wayamba’s two best batsmen then sparked a brief recovery. Mubarak started well, clipping Pattinson twice to the leg-side boundary, before exploiting Peter Siddle’s errant lines to pick up fours either side of the wicket. John Hastings’ slow bouncers had completely undone Chennai Super Kings in the previous game but Mubarak had no trouble against them, pulling two sixes in his opening over.Jayawardene was not at his best, and began with a nervous top-edged six over third man while looking to swing Dirk Nannes across the line. There was more good fortune outside the off stump, as he thick-edged Siddle and McKay for boundaries. In completely contrasting fashion, the pair had raised 72 in 8.3 overs and for the first time in the tournament, Wayamba seemed to be coming into their own. Victoria, though, were not yet done.Andrew McDonald prised Mubarak out with an off-cutter in the 11th over. Kushal Perera was sent back by Hussey’s excellence in the field, plucking a screamer that was flying to his right in the covers. Matthew Wade contributed his bit – a nifty stumping to send back Shalika Karunanayake, and a regulation catch when Thisara Perera edged Siddle. Hastings then pulled off the third fielding highlight of the evening, tumbling low at point to catch Isuru Udana inches from the ground. In 3.2 overs, Wayamba had gone from 81 for 2 to 95 for 7, and even a fast-improving Jayawardene could not save them from there. Siddle and Nannes hit the stumps at will to hasten the end, raising visions of McKay’s spark of brilliance earlier in the day, as Wayamba’s batting fell by the wayside.Their bowlers did not fare much better. Brad Hodge and Wade did not contribute much, but there was no stopping Hussey, who waded into the bowling with the rampant confidence of a man who had just thumped 22 runs in a Super Over. So dominant was his batting, it allowed Finch a rare night of non-violence as he purred along at a run-a-ball. So inept were Wayamba, despite Finch’s not-so-aggressive innings, the game ended with 40 balls to spare.

David Warner, meanwhile, credits Pakistan’s bowling attack for bowling “unbelievable channels”

Danyal Rasool26-Dec-20234:16

How good were Pakistan bowlers on the day?

The scorecard might not suggest too much reason for optimism, but Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali has always tried to look at the brighter side. And on a gloomy Boxing Day in Melbourne where Pakistan toiled hard for the reward of just three wickets in 66 overs despite prodigious swing and several passages of play where Australia’s batters looked shaky, 187 for 3 isn’t exactly the scoreline Pakistan will have wished for after winning the toss and inserting Australia under grey skies.Hasan, though, felt Pakistan’s discipline and ability to keep Australia shackled meant they retained the upper hand. “We are a bit ahead of them right now,” he said at the post-match press conference. “Honestly, it was a good day as a bowling unit. We are a bit unlucky we haven’t got enough wickets, but the best thing is we have not given them enough runs. We’re looking forward to tomorrow, and restricting them to the minimum possible score.”Pakistan captain Shan Masood had effectively thrown down the gauntlet to Hasan and his fellow fast bowlers. After narrowing down the squad for the Test to XII a day earlier, his Pakistan side had made the decision to cut their sole specialist spinner Sajid Khan from the starting XI, thus fielding an all-seam attack for the second consecutive game. Winning the toss and choosing to bowl was a sign he wanted them to do a job for him.Related

• Labuschagne holds fort as Pakistan make inroads on rain-hit Boxing Day

Hasan, left out of the first Test for the uncapped pair of Khurram Shahzad and Aamer Jamal, could argue he did exactly that. Coming on as Pakistan’s first-change bowler, he locked the scoring rate down just as Australia’s openers had begun to cut loose slightly. The helpful overhead conditions saw him generate movement through the air, and coupled with prodigious seam movement, he threatened both of David Warner’s edges.Post lunch, Hasan – and Pakistan – kicked the intensity up a notch. With ominous clouds threatening an interruption any moment, Pakistan began to recover from a wayward final half hour or so before lunch, tightening their lines and squeezing Australia’s run rate. Usman Khawaja had looked the most comfortable of the batters until that point, but a slightly audacious shot against a moving ball from Hasan found second slip, and Pakistan had two in quick succession, bookending the lunch break with the wickets of both openers.”There are certain times when the bowlers are a bit wayward as [we were before lunch], or the bowlers have different plans,” Hasan said. “But there is always a chance to come back. After lunch, we had a small discussion, and we were especially good in that period. We just gave them about 20 runs in that session.”It was the period in the game – indeed, in the series – that Pakistan looked most self-assured. Khawaja’s wicket saw an extended spell of Pakistani bowling dominance over Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, clogging up nearly all scoring opportunities. The 63 balls they survived after Khawaja’s wicket saw just seven runs scored, with every Pakistan bowler who came on probing and prodding, giving little away.Frustratingly for them, they got little back in return, too. Arguably, Australia’s two most stubborn batters saw off that period, and much of an extended session after the weather interruption, thus shielding themselves from the worst of the damage. Even Warner, who had almost chastised Pakistan’s bowlers for being bullied off their lines early on in Perth, gave them credit for “bowling beautifully”.David Warner was dropped on 2 by Abdullah Shafique•AFP/Getty Images

“Credit to the way that Pakistan bowled,” he said. “They bowled unbelievable channels. I think the way that [Mir] Hamza bowled around the wicket and pretty much at the end, it was almost like he was bowling with a Duke ball. He actually used his skills very, very well. Made the boys play and put the ball in the right area. I think going into tomorrow, we’re in a pretty good position. We’re going to have to bat well and try to set up for our bowlers.”If you’re not bowling quick in Australia, you have to have some skill base to actually hit that line and length area to actually create something. I think with these guys, they have actually been very, very good. I think they’ve been outstanding. They came back last Test match after lunch, and bowled a great line and length. With Shaheen Shah Afridi doing his job – and he bowled well today with not so much luck [but] when he’s up and about, I think the rest of the guys follow him – I think they’re fine.”There was, of course, the customary “what if”. Warner shouldn’t have been in the position to notch up a 90-run opening stand, because when he was on 2, Afridi drew an outside edge that floated to Abdullah Shafique at first slip. There was no mitigating factor for the drop; he wasn’t unsighted and no one else distracted him. But as has happened far too often in Australia – and far too often against Warner – Pakistan gave him a chance, and deprived themselves of the opportunity to make an early breakthrough.”If we’d caught it early, maybe the situation would have been different; but this is a part of the game – you drop some catches and you take others,” Hasan ruefully said. However, Pakistan didn’t let it define their day, and Hasan’s attitude suggests they will refuse to let the inability to take the wickets they felt they deserved define this Test, too.

Seamer remains optimistic about playing a part in England’s 50-over World Cup defence

Matt Roller26-Jul-2023Olly Stone has been ruled out of the Hundred with a hamstring injury but remains optimistic about his chances of being fit to play a part in England’s 50-over World Cup defence in India in October-November.Stone hoped to feature in England’s Ashes squad this summer but has been limited to a single appearance since May 4 due to a hamstring injury, suffered while playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship.He made a comeback in the T20 Blast on June 30, during the second Ashes Test at Lord’s, with the intention of playing some part in the fourth or fifth Tests. But he lasted only three balls before walking off the field midway through an over, and has not played since.Stone was signed on a £100,000 contract by London Spirit in March’s draft for the Hundred but has been forced to withdraw from the competition. ESPNcricinfo understands that Dan Worrall, the Australian seamer who qualifies as a local player in English domestic cricket, has been signed as a replacement.Related

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Stone’s injury is not thought to be as serious as the one that ended up ruling him out of the Ashes, but it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for England’s white-ball series against New Zealand, which starts on August 30. Instead, he may target the three-match ODI series against Ireland from September 20 for a potential return.He has only played eight ODIs and one T20I, but as an out-and-out fast bowler who can regularly reach speeds in excess of 90mph/145kph, Stone is seen as an important part of England’s white-ball plans – particularly in the context of a gruelling World Cup schedule.Meanwhile, a number of New Zealand players are negotiating short-term replacement deals in the Hundred. New Zealand will tour England for four T20Is and four ODIs in August-September and NZC announced last week that Matt Henry, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi are due to be involved in the Hundred immediately the series starts.Neesham is expected to play for Oval Invincibles as a short-term replacement for Heinrich Klaasen when he is playing for South Africa against Australia, while Sodhi is likely to replace Rashid Khan at Trent Rockets during Afghanistan’s fixtures against Pakistan. Santner is expected to join Southern Brave on a short-term basis.Their deals will be confirmed later this week by the ECB. The involvement of five New Zealand men’s players – Finn Allen, Devon Conway (both Southern Brave), Adam Milne (Birmingham Phoenix), Daryl Mitchell (London Spirit) and Glenn Phillips (Welsh Fire) – has already been announced publicly.

“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

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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.”

Team overcomes Covid outbreak to outclass England in four-wicket victory

Andrew Miller05-Feb-2022VVS Laxman hailed the “resilience and positive attitude” shown by India’s Under-19 World Cup winners, after they overcame a mid-campaign outbreak of Covid-19 to outclass their battling England opponents in the final, winning by four wickets to lift the trophy for the fifth time in the tournament’s history.”In the middle of this tournament, we all know what happened to the boys,” Laxman, the former India great who now heads their National Cricket Academy, told the host broadcaster. “To test positive, but to show that kind of resilience and positive attitude, was exemplary.”Yash Dhull, the captain, was one of six India players to test positive for the virus during the group stages of the tournament, alongside Nishant Sindhu and Shaik Rasheed, both of whom made half-centuries in India’s successful run-chase in the final. That followed an exceptional effort in the field, led by Ravi Kumar and Raj Bawa, in which England were bowled out for 189 despite a fine 95 from James Rew.”It’s a proud moment to achieve something for India,” Dhull said at the post-match presentation. “At first it was difficult to find our combinations in the tournament but then we became like a family. Sir [head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar] made it a good environment and team strength was good.”After collapsing to 61 for 6 despite winning the toss, England made India work for their victory – first through the efforts of Rew, who found key support from James Sales in an eighth-wicket stand of 93, and then in a spirited defence of their sub-par total. The left-arm seamer Josh Boyden struck in his first over to remove Angkrish Raghuvanshi for 0, and when Sales grabbed two wickets in three balls in the middle overs, India were again vulnerable at 97 for 4.”It was too exciting for my good, but I’m happy with the result,” Kanitkar said afterwards. “But I think we learned a lot from this. [Dhull] led them very well, he has a good head on his shoulders, he read the game situation and what players would want, and I think that really counted today.”Tom Prest, England’s captain, was one of the early wickets to fall as Kumar bowled him for a fourth-ball duck to end a fine campaign with the bat on a low note. But despite his disappointment, he was full of praise for the fight that his team had shown.”Obviously choosing to bat first, we’d have liked a better start, but the way James Rew then batted to get 95 – he deserved a hundred – we got to a score that we felt we were in the game with, and I think we gave that a good crack.”We’ve got a strong bowling attack and taking a wicket in the first over, that got the mood up and got some confidence going. But they obviously batted really well, they had a couple of great partnerships. So credit to them.”Dhull acknowledged that Rew and Sales had made India work for their win, but said his team had remained confident throughout. “Those two batted well and England made a good comeback, but we were cool in the chase,” he said. “It was great for us that VVS sir, Hrishi sir, Sairaj sir, Bali sir, Harsha sir all joined us. Their words will help us all individually.”Despite falling at the final hurdle, Prest was still the first England captain to reach an Under-19 final in 24 years, and he was full of praise for the tournament experience. “It’s been amazing,” he said. “We’ve all really enjoyed it. Not only the cricket, the media exposure that we’ve got, and doing interviews like this. It’s something that we’ll never forget. And we’re very proud of our achievements.”Kanitkar echoed Prest’s sentiments. “I think it’s a fabulous competition,” he said. “Getting this stage to perform at young age. I think for all teams it’s a great opportunity to showcase talent, and also for the academies all over the world. You get a lot of things you can work on now.”Related

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Laxman, whose own experience of Under-19 cricket predated the tournament’s reboot in 1998, added that the players should recognise the importance of the achievement, but use it as a learning process first and foremost.”This is just the start of their journey,” he said. “Everyone in this group understands that, because this is all about development as players, as persons, and it’s great to see the way they have developed and the way they’ve evolved over the last couple of months. It’s very exciting time for all of them but it’s just the start of their journeys as cricketers.”Huge congratulations to the selection committee,” he added. “It was a new selection committee and quite challenging to identify this group. The coaching staff, with Rishikesh as the head coach and all the support staff, the way they brought this group together, they worked really hard. They won the Asia Cup and the preparation to this World Cup was fantastic.”Asked what India is doing right at Under-19 level, Laxman said it was all about “structure”.”The BCCI has to be complimented for the number of matches and the number of tournaments,” he added. “Each age-group level gets to play, whether it’s Under-16, Under-19, Under-23. But unfortunately, over the last two years, because of Covid, they didn’t play any tournaments. And that’s why I think this tournament win is very special.”After the result, BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced an INR 40 lakh prize for every player in the winning squad and INR 25 lakh for every support-staff member. BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly also tweeted: “Absolutely breathtaking and tremendous skills under pressure.”

The allrounder, who had been due to play the T20 Blast, is heading home after just one game

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-2021Sean Abbott’s spell with Surrey in county cricket has ended after just one match with the allrounder suffering a hamstring injury against Gloucestershire.Abbott scored 40 and took 2 for 5 in his first match for the club but did not take the field on the final day at The Oval last week. A Surrey statement said the hamstring was “badly damaged.”He had been due to take a full part in the T20 Blast which begins next week but will now return home immediately to begin his recovery ahead of Australian season.”Sean’s injury is incredibly unfortunate as he made a great impression during his first game and had already become a popular member of the dressing room,” Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said.Related

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Abbott, who was part of various Australia squads during last season and played in the T20I and ODI series against India, was not included in the preliminary group named for the tour of West Indies next month.As with anyone returning to Australia he will have to undergo two weeks quarantine and will then have around three months to recover before the beginning of the domestic season with New South Wales.Abbott is the second Australian to have a county deal cut short by injury following Billy Stanlake who suffered a stress fracture of his back after one game for Derbyshire.There is significant representation by Australians in county cricket this season with more due to begin stints during the T20 Blast.However, the influx of marquee names for the Hundred – across the men’s and women’s competitions – is now in doubt. The men’s tours of West Indies and Bangladesh clash with a large part of the tournament while the quarantine requirements on return to Australia are likely to mean more of the female players will follow Rachael Haynes’ lead and withdraw due to the home series against India starting in mid-September.

The Australia fast bowler has not been able to curve the ball as he once did since returning from a foot injury in September

Daniel Brettig29-Jan-2017Never has Mitchell Starc been more destructive with the ball than on his only previous visit to Eden Park. In a World Cup pool match, his scorching, swinging yorkers fetched him a career-best 6 for 28 and very nearly allowed Australia to defend a puny total score New Zealand in front of a raucous crowd.Two years on, Starc has returned to Auckland in strong physical shape, but still trying to rediscover the curl through the air he showcased that afternoon. It has been a source of puzzlement to many that he has not swung the ball anywhere near as much since his return from ankle and foot surgery, and Starc conceded he and the assistant coach David Saker were none the wiser as to why – despite plenty of tries at working it out.There was hope, however, that the favourable atmosphere of Eden Park will help Starc to get the movement he is seeking once again. Such a turn of events would be encouraging for Australia as well, with the Test series in India weeks away.”It’s interesting. I along with David Saker, the bowling coach, we’ve looked at a lot of footage and my action hasn’t changed at all,” Starc said. “So it’s probably an indication of the cricket balls we’re using this summer, but at the same time it’s a completely different ball we’re going over to India with, the SG.”I think reverse swing is going to play a much bigger part than natural swing over there, as we’ve seen in the last few series that we’ve gone to India. So it’s key to try and get that ball swinging as much as we can naturally up front, it doesn’t generally swing for too many overs, then trying to get that ball to go reverse while it’s still relatively hard. They’re things we’re starting to talk about now as a group.”Starc was happy to admit that while he has harvested wickets consistently while keeping himself fit through a taxing summer schedule, he has not yet been able to return to the aforementioned peaks of 2015. That meant he has plenty more to aim for over the three ODIs in New Zealand and later in India.”It’s been up and down over the last six months,” he said. “Probably still haven’t been where I hope to be in terms of consistency in my bowling as opposed to where it was 12 months ago before I broke down, but looking back to Sri Lanka [where he took 24 wickets in three Tests], that’s a blueprint I’d like to take into India, the way I approached my bowling there and the sorts of plans we talked about in those conditions.”So it’s something I can call upon over the next couple of months when we look forward to that challenge. But there’s still a lot I can improve on over the last six months. I think the way I’ve been able to manage my body through the training accident a few months ago, it’s been pleasing to get through six Test matches this summer, it’s nice to do that for the first time.”The other thing Starc hoped for was a few more runs to defend in Auckland than the last time around. Tallies of 148 and 151 in Australia’s past two visits mean the batsmen have plenty of improving to do, and Starc said there had been team discussions about not surrendering to the siren song of the Eden Park’s short boundaries.”We’ve spoken about giving ourselves a bit more time,” Starc said. “You have those smaller boundaries in the back of your mind but you’ve always got a lot more time than you think, especially in 50-over cricket where you don’t have to score 300 in the first 40 overs – you can probably make it up at the back end.”So somewhere like here where it’s probably going to swing and maybe nip a little bit, just give yourself a chance to get in, see some balls as batsmen, and give yourselves a chance at the back end. We’ve been pretty good against Pakistan at scoring runs late in the innings and the way to do that is to have wickets in the shed. So it’s probably not been our best two outings with the bat here on the last two occasions, but it’s a chance to rectify that and put a good total on the board to start off the series.”

The differing emotions between the two sides told the story: as the Middlesex dressing room reverberated with an exuberant rendition of the team song, Nottinghamshire’s players sat looking tired and dejected

George Dobell at Trent Bridge09-Sep-2016
ScorecardJames Franklin ensured Middlesex did not slip up as they stayed top of the table•Getty Images

The differing emotions between the two sides told the story: as the Middlesex dressing room reverberated with an exuberant rendition of the team song, Nottinghamshire’s players sat looking tired and dejected.Why? Because victory means Middlesex’s title challenge remains alive and well. And defeat leaves Nottinghamshire relegated to Division Two for the first time in a decade.A five-wicket margin may appear comfortable. And, it is true, in the last hour or so, as Nottinghamshire’s head dropped, Middlesex ran away with this result.But until then, until we had enjoyed 10 sessions of uncompromising, unpredictable, undulating cricket where the initiative passed between the sides almost as often as ball beat bat. It will be no consolation to Nottinghamshire, but this was a terrific game of cricket.In a match of blow and counter blow, the defining punch was – arguably, at least – thrown by Nick Compton. Coming to the crease with his side under pressure, Compton negotiated some testing bowling and a demanding chase to break the back of the run-chase.Gone was the stuttering, indeterminate Compton that we have seen at other times this summer and in his place was a man sure of his purpose and his method. He moved with certainty into his defensive strokes and, as he settled, used his feet to skip down the pitch and negate the threat offered by Imran Tahir with a series of fluent drives. It was, like elegantly sedate.His tussle with Jake Ball was a compelling advert for county cricket. Ball, generating sharp pace and generally cutting the ball in, certainly didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Finishing the game with nine wickets – his team-mates claimed five between them – he looked a threat in every second-innings spell he bowled.His first spell of the day – only three overs – did not concede a run, while his second produced the wicket of the increasingly fluent Stevie Eskinazi caught behind after following one outside off. Generally Compton, standing a long way over towards off stump and playing everything as if it would nip back, looked to see Ball off and pick-up runs against the other bowlers and it was noticeable that, as the ball aged, Ball gained less away movement from deliveries pitched on the stumps. Gradually, Compton took control and the target was whittled away.Nottinghamshire’s spinners were a little disappointing. Perhaps the slow nature of the surface did them few favours – they are not the first spinners to struggle here – but on a used pitch, more was expected of them in the fourth innings. Samit Patel, who batted so well in the first innings, did himself few favours in the fourth in front of the watching Andy Flower. You can understand the logic of England taking him to India, in particular, as third spinner but you wouldn’t think Virat Kohli is having any sleepless night about the prospect. To be fair, he is probably not too worried about any of England’s spin options.”These are the moments when you want to be counted,” Compton said afterwards. “As a senior player, it was my job to win us that game and I’m proud of the way I held the team together. I wanted to win this game for us.”I felt under pressure this morning. I thought ‘let this me my calling; let’s get them over the line.’ It feels great to have come back into the team and contributed.”I’ve not been on it like that this season. But that was the real me out there. I decided I was just going to do it and I needed that focus here because Ball bowled really well, especially on the third evening.”It wouldn’t have been Nick Compton though if he had finished with a raised bat and standing ovation. Instead, with the bulk of the job done (Middlesex required 89 when he was dismissed), he ran himself out after being sent back attempting an optimistic single. “I’m happy to do my job for the team and leave out of the back door without any fuss,” Compton said.”He has a technique as good as anyone in England,” John Simpson agreed. “He is a fantastic batsman and he laid the foundations for us.”Simpson himself more than played his part. Not for the first time this season – his unbeaten 79 in Middlesex’s two-wicket victory in Taunton may prove to be one of the defining moments of this campaign – he eased the pressure with the tempo of his batting. He survived one early edge – Eskinazi was also dropped in the morning session – but otherwise looked impressively untroubled. James Franklin, with a typically pugnacious half-century, made sure there was to be no let-up and, in the closing overs, punished a dispirited attack.So for Middlesex, one point clear at the top of the table, the challenge goes on. And, given something most unlikely in the penultimate round of game, the title will be decided in the closing week of the season when they host Yorkshire at Lord’s. It could hardly be set-up better, could it?Nottinghamshire have less to savour. This relegation will sting for some time. There have been setbacks this season, for sure, not least the retirement of James Taylor. But for a squad blessed with this talent and these resources to have failed to win after the opening week of the season is a colossal failure to fulfil their potential.Might a few have simply become a little comfortable? There are some on this staff who are an odd shape for professional sportsmen – sumo wrestlers aside – and their fielding on the final day let down an attack who will at full strength (and Notts expect to have Stuart Broad available a fair bit at the start of next year) prove some way above anything else in Division Two next season.It left Mick Newell, the out-going head coach (and in-coming director of cricket) to face the media. In his gruff, northern way, it was clear that this reverse hurt him deeply.”Relegation isn’t about money,” he said. “It’s about shame and embarrassment. It’s 10 years since I’ve stood here and had to explain a relegation… But that’s the way it is. I guess you have to take it on the chin. It’s disappointing to hand over to Peter Moores this way.”We haven’t played anywhere near well enough this season. You look at our dismissals in the second innings here and they were very slack. They weren’t dismissed by fantastic deliveries. They were a bit casual. That’s what cost us the game.”There won’t be too many changes in personnel at the club. Greg Smith, the batsman, and Ben Kitt, a young fast bowler of some potential, have both agreed new, two-year deals and most of the senior players will be given a chance to put this right. Moores will, without doubt, be focusing on the fielding and fitness. Every team he has coached tells us that. A winter in the gym looms for a few.To talk to some Nottinghamshire supporters over recent days, the blame for recent events lies almost entirely at the feet of Newell. And it is true there have been some unsuccessful signings: Will Gidman and Jackson Bird for a start.Those with longer memories may recall the enormous amount of good he did. The two Championship titles; the List A trophy; the T20 knock-out stages. Sports careers, like those of politicians, almost always end in failure. But one or two of the players, all of which owe him for the opportunity he has provided them, may reflect that they have let him down in recent months.This was also a result that said much for Middlesex’s resilience. They were 39 for 4 in their first innings and 25 for 3 in their second. They were obliged to bat last on a used pitch and in the knowledge that Yorkshire were breathing down their neck. To win in such situations shows character. That last match at Lord’s is already shaping up to be a classic.