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Mohammad Nawaz was oozing confidence after defending six runs in the final over against Peshawar

Osman Samiuddin in Sharjah01-Mar-20170:50

WATCH – Mohammad Nawaz concedes no runs off the last three balls to take Quetta Gladiators to the final

Mohammad Nawaz was having a rough night with the ball in Sharjah. The three overs he had bowled until the 20th had already gone for 46. Excessive dew meant he could barely grip the ball and it hadn’t helped that he was bowling one-over spells. There had been moments of smartness – the key dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez was one, and without the ball the catch to dismiss Shahid Afridi was, in hindsight, the moment the game turned.But he had already conceded four sixes and three fours, thus defending six off this final over, with a two-time World T20I winner on strike, could only produce an unhappy ending.Leaving him, or the rookie left-arm spinner Hasan Khan (3-0-36-0) with the last over, in fact, had seemed like a mistake. And when Tymal Mills’ valiant but unsuccessful effort at short third man off the second ball actually helped the ball along to the boundary, the game was done. Except it wasn’t.Nawaz conceded a single off the next four balls. He dismissed Chris Jordan first, a flatter, quicker delivery that found the edge and which Sarfraz Ahmed did well to hold on to. And then two inch-perfect yorkers in succession forced two run-outs, allowing Quetta to pull off a sensational one-run win – a margin replicating last year’s playoff win over the same opponents.”There was a lot of pressure, the way the ball had been coming on to the bat and how wet it was,” Nawaz told Geo TV. “But our plan was to bowl the first three balls outside off and break it away.”Once the equation came down to two off three, the plan changed. Among others, Kevin Pietersen, playing his last game of the tournament, suggested going for yorkers.”KP said on the fifth ball ‘just bowl a yorker’. It came out perfect. On the last ball a few said bowl length, some said go for the yorker. But we agreed to bowl a yorker and they just came out perfect.”I had a lot going through my mind at the time. But I was also calm, thinking I could do this.”Nawaz was one of the poster boys of the PSL’s first season, the very reason such a league was created in the first place – to bring to the fore young players like him and turn them into big-game players.He was the third-highest wicket-taker last year and his 13 wickets included arguably the ball of the tournament: a delicious, orthodox spinner that undid Brad Hodge, incidentally also in the playoff win over Peshawar.Finding his feet with Pakistan has not been as simple, in any of the formats, even with their desperate search for any kind of allrounder. But bowling an over like this – all of it to international cricketers – can be an important developmental landmark.”Absolutely, this is one of the best overs I have bowled. In such a big match, on this pitch, with so much dew. Especially after that kind of over I can’t help but feel pretty confident.”This is how big players are made, when they perform in big matches like this. This is only the start of my career, but in future I hope to learn more from it and keep performing.”

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is hopeful that the time of the year will help them overcome the loss of legspinner Yasir Shah for the Tests against Ireland and England

Andrew McGlashan25-Apr-2018Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur is hopeful that the time of the year will help them overcome the loss of legspinner Yasir Shah for the Tests against Ireland and England.Yasir has taken 89 wickets in the last two years – more than double Pakistan’s next most successful bowler in the period – but was ruled out of this tour due to a hip injury. Shadab Khan, the 19-year-old legspinner, who has impressed with the white ball but has played just one Test, has huge shoes to fill although there remains a chance Pakistan will decide to go without a specialist spinner given the early-season conditions which are likely to prevail.There has been a significant decline in Pakistan’s Test fortunes since the shared series against England in 2016 which helped them to the No. 1 ranking. They are now languishing at No. 7 following series defeats against New Zealand, Australia and most recently Sri Lanka – their record with Arthur as coach is 11 defeats and six wins from 17 Tests – and are going through a transitional phase following the retirements of batting stalwarts Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq.There are four uncapped batsmen in the squad and the absence of Yasir has shorn Pakistan of a senior figure with the ball while also leaving them with their least experienced spin attack to face England in at least 40 years.”Any team would miss Yasir,” Arthur said ahead of the team’s first warm-up match against Kent. “He has the ability to hold the attack and control the game. Shadab is incredibly exciting but also I am not sure that spin is going to be a huge factor given it’s early season in England, so we have covered ourselves in the seam department. But Shadab can clean tails up because he has all the tricks. It is going to be exciting to see how he goes.”Yasir is a big loss but we have him at the National Cricket Academy [in Lahore] and he is getting fit, his stress fracture is healing and it’s really important for us to have him fit and firing for the Australia and New Zealand series later in the year.”Pakistan’s bowling attack will rest heavily on Mohammad Amir, who arrived in the UK on Wednesday having been granted his visa after a short delay. Two years ago he made his return to Test cricket at Lord’s, following his spot-fixing ban, and since then has not earned the rewards his bowling has often deserved with 44 wickets at 37.25. How Pakistan catch will be a critical factor, with Amir suffering significantly from missed chances, although there is also a belief in the team management that the amount of white-ball cricket he has played has led him into bowling too short with the red ball.”He’s our No. 1 bowler, we back him in tough situations. He generally gets it done for us,” Arthur said. “We need him to get the ball swinging, we need him to get his length slightly fuller and if he gets that he’s going to ask a lot of questions.”Amir’s workload has also become a topic of debate in recent times, with the indication that he may sit out some Test cricket to preserve him for the 2019 World Cup and beyond. Arthur said that Pakistan have “three weeks off” between now and the World Cup, leaving a balancing act between building a new era for the Test side while keeping an eye on the demands of the limited-overs game.”We have had the workload debate for a long time now and every team has to do the same. We only have three weeks off in our calendar now before the World Cup next year, so we’d be silly not to arrive here with our bowlers fit and we know who they are – we have identified them – so we just have to manage them because ultimately want the best team to play in that 2019 World Cup.”But also for us it is so important to win Test matches – we are a young team and we need to get our Test team right and to do that we have to build a core of players who can play at any given time. We are trying to resurrect our Test side, we feel we’ve got our white-ball cricket where we need it now, so we are really excited about this series, really excited to see these young guys come out and perform. There’s some incredible talent in our dressing room, so let’s hope it all goes well for us.”

The American made the most of an opportunity to shine on Wednesday but his future at the City Ground is still uncertain

Matt Turner must have been so damn happy in that moment. His teammates were surrounding him, embracing him one by one. They were chanting "USA, USA USA!" in his honor. He was the hero here, the man who had led Nottingham Forest to victory.

What made that moment so sweet was knowing what came before it and, truthfully, what will come after it. Wednesday was one of few highlights for Turner this season. It's been a season of mistakes and criticism and setbacks, one that has almost certainly cost Turner his position as Nottingham Forest's starting goalkeeper.

Turner had his moment in the sun on Wednesday, having been handed the start due to FA Cup rules. He made the most of it, making the penalty kick save that booked them a spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup and a date with Manchester United.

Realistically, though, Wednesday may end up being as good as it gets this season for Turner, who, despite his FA Cup heroics, now finds himself in a tough, tough spot on the club level ahead of some major moments on the international stage.

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  A series of mistakes

  'Nightmare' may be a bit too harsh, but it's close to being a fair way of painting this picture. Turner's move to Forest was supposed to give him a new stage to shine. It has instead wrecked his confidence thanks to a series of mistakes that seemingly couldn't stop snowballing.

  Turner's shot-stopping ability has never been questioned. It has gotten him this far, after all. Despite a relatively late start as a goalkeeper, his ability to simply keep the ball out of the back of the net got him from Fairfield University to the New England Revolution and, ultimately, to Arsenal. Even that, however, has let him down in this first half-season as a Premier League starter.

  Largely, Turner's errors have come when asked to play with the ball at his feet. Manchester United legend Gary Neville labeled the American as "useless" with the ball after a number of errors culminated in a Marcus Rashford goal in December.

  Those errors seemingly sapped his confidence, as Turner hasn't even looked like his old self when it comes to saving the ball anymore. A recent finish by Gabriel Jesus in a loss to Turner's former club, Arsenal, earned Turner further criticism, as many believe the American could have done more to keep the ball out.

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  Turner responds

  Turner, more than most, knows the loneliness of the goalkeeping position. His first real introduction to an American audience came due to a mistake, with a sequence during his college days landing him a spot on SportsCenter's Not Top 10. Since then, mistakes have largely been few and far between. That is, until this season.

  Turner knows it, too. He's aware that things haven't gone well. And, in a recent interview with ESPN, he took ownership of it all.

  "This is a results business," he said. "And we haven't been getting the results that we probably deserve or need."

  "Everything that could possibly have gone wrong in certain moments has gone completely wrong," he added. "Sometimes as goalkeepers you might get away with one or two things, and it feels like this season I've gotten away with zero. It's tough to take."

  Turner is tied for second in the Premier League in errors leading to goals with three. And, inevitably, those errors led Nottingham Forest, a notably unstable club, to try and shake things up in the January window.

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  Forest make a move

  Turner's status as No. 1 was always on shaky ground. Shortly after signing him from Arsenal this summer, Forest brought in another international goalkeeper, Greece's Odysseas Vlachodimos. For a time in the fall, Vlachodimos took over for Turner, who snatched the job back heading into the new year.

  Forest, though, weren't done wheeling and dealing. Before the January transfer window closed, the club went out and signed Belgian shot-stopper Matz Sels from Strasbourg, seemingly in response to Turner's errors. In just a matter of months, the club went out and signed three legitimate first-team goalkeepers, proving that Forest had little faith in Turner despite their move for him in the summer.

  Upon his arrival, Sels was immediately thrust into the XI, for a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, a potentially key result in the relegation race. It's expected that he'll be back in goal this coming weekend against Newcastle, too.

  But, in between, Turner was handed a chance at redemption in the FA Cup, and he certainly made the most of it.

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  Turner saves the day

  With Sels ineligible for Wednesday's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Bristol City, Forest turned back to Turner. For some, it would have been difficult to rise to such an occasion. Just days after being told you weren't good enough, Turner was thrown back into the team, not on merit but because of a technicality.

  Forest went up 1-0 early, with a goal from Divock Origi easing any nerves. Those nerves came rushing back just moments later, though. After a fantastic diving save from Turner on a long-range effort, Forest still conceded, with the team's inability to clear the ball leading to a looped finish from Jason Knight in the 14th minute.

  Turner, despite his save, earned some criticism for that sequence. It was unfair, truthfully, with those on social media going at him largely basing that criticism on his past mistakes. There would be no criticizing him by the end, though, as he proved to be Forest's hero.

  Long a penalty shootout expert, Turner flexed his skillset yet again on Wednesday. One big stop was all he needed, and it came in the second round of kicks when he pushed away a shot from Sam Bell. Forest's takers took care of business and onto the next round they went, thanks at least in part to Turner's big save.

  “It has to give him confidence," said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo. "We know it is not easy for him after the decision we took to change in the Premier League, but his response is of a top professional. We are so happy. It was tough but it was worth it. The attitude and the character to never give up makes me very happy."

Deepti Sharma is the only player not belonging to the two finalists to make the cut

Vishal Dikshit18-Mar-20241 Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals)
For the second season in a row, Shafali, not surprisingly, finished with the most sixes (20) in the WPL, double that of the second-best. While she continued to target the boundaries to provide Delhi Capitals rapid starts, this season saw a much more consistent Shafali who also took more responsibility towards building a solid opening stand with Meg Lanning. She also finished WPL 2024 with the best batting strike rate (minimum 75 balls faced) and shone in the final too with a 27-ball 44.2 Smriti Mandhana (capt, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The title-winning captain doubled her run-tally compared to her forgettable WPL 2023 and looked more assured and free in her strokeplay. Her runs at the top meant a lot more to RCB because she didn’t find a stable opening partner in the tournament. She also impressed with her astute captaincy, field settings and use of resources to be named captain of this XI. In the modest chase in the final, she steered her team almost all the way.Related

• Anatomy of champions: How RCB went from 0-5 to WPL winners in a year

• Perry and spinners steer RCB to WPL title

• Mandhana shuns the spotlight as 'Queens 2024' party at the Kotla

• Smart Stats – Deepti Sharma bags impact honours in WPL 2024

3 Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals)
As imposing and imperious as she has ever been, Lanning was the solid batter at one end with a regular flow of fours while Shafali targeted the sixes. After taking home the orange cap last season, she finished second on the list this time, just behind Ellyse Perry, with another prolific and consistent season. She was as good as ever at finding the gaps on her way to striking more fours than anyone and struck four fifties, also the most, but couldn’t see her side out of a collapse in the final which left her in tears at the end.4 Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi Capitals)
Barring the two-ball duck in the final, this WPL season saw a different avatar of Rodrigues whose free-flowing strokes were more powerful, more aerial, and more frequent. Otherwise not known for her six-hitting abilities, Rodrigues impressed with her consistency and along-the-ground strokes, especially in the Delhi leg where the lack of bounce suited her natural game. As compared to zero sixes off her bat in WPL 2023, this time she hit eight sixes and played a pivotal role at No. 3 by shooting up her strike rate from 128.57 to 153.59 in the two WPL seasons.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 Ellyse Perry (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The Australian hand in winning the trophy, who first confirmed RCB’s knockout berth with a career-best 6 for 15, then lifted them from the pits of 49 for 4 in the eliminator and stayed not out on 35 when Richa Ghosh hit the winning runs on Sunday night. Her four unbeaten knocks gave her a staggering average of 69.40 in the tournament along with the orange cap.6 Richa Ghosh (wk, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
After starting the tournament with a bang – 62 off 37 against UP Warriorz – Ghosh was putting in blitzy performances in the middle order. Then came her stunning 51 off 29 in a high-pressure chase against Capitals to nearly snatch victory. That she led the team almost single-handedly against a top bowling attack in the second half of that chase spoke volumes of her ability to handle pressure-cooker situations. The Indian team management will hope this has prepared the 20-year-old for the big games in the forthcoming World Cups.7 Marizanne Kapp (Delhi Capitals)
A gun new-ball bowler. Powerplay specialist. Swing and seam movement. Dot-ball pressure. Name the skill and she had it this season, impressing at 34 despite battling recent illnesses and injuries. Coming on the back of solid all-round performances in Australia before the WPL, Kapp thrived in different conditions in both Bengaluru and Delhi. She was the main force Capitals used early on to break through before others rallied around her. She was the purple-cap holder until the final, the only game in which she went wicketless.She also set up a victory against RCB by smacking a 16-ball 32 to help Capitals post an imposing 194 before dismissing Mandhana and Ghosh in the chase.Jemimah Rodrigues and Shreyanka Patil were crucial cogs in their teams’ runs to the final•BCCI8 Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
One of the top India allrounders, Deepti showed a new facet to her T20 batting with a high-octane 88 off 60 against Gujarat Giants, her third fifty in a row, which nearly saw Warriorz mow down 67 in the last three overs. She struck four sixes in that innings alone after not managing even one in the last WPL.She was promoted to Nos. 3 and 4 towards the end of the league and did the heavy lifting when some of the other international players didn’t score as much.With the ball, she got breakthroughs in almost all games, highlighted by her match-turning hat-trick against Capitals and frugal figures of 2 for 22 in their last game. She was hence named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament.9 Shreyanka Patil (Royal Challengers Bangalore
Picked the most wickets, did the victory on Sunday night, held the glittery purple-cap trophy and lifted the WPL trophy – all with a hairline fracture on her left hand, which earned her praise from captain Mandhana and many others. After a lean Bengaluru leg, her campaign burst to life in Delhi when she bagged 4 for 26 – all big international wickets – against Capitals before stifling the Mumbai Indians openers and dismissing Harmanpreet Kaur late in the eliminator to turn the match on its head. In the final, she pounced on Capitals again after Sophie Molineux’s triple-wicket over, starting with the wicket of Lanning, who fell to Patil twice in three games.10 Shikha Pandey (Delhi Capitals)
The oldest bowler in the Capitals set-up also bowled the most overs for them because of her experience and regularity of picking wickets. If Kapp did it with the new ball, Pandey shone in the death overs, being the only quick bowler among the top wicket-takers in that phase. Her accuracy stifled the opposition and even though she didn’t pick more than two wickets in any game, she struck in all games but one and finished with nine scalps, only behind Kapp and Nat Sciver-Brunt among the fast bowlers.11 Asha Sobhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
A woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, Sobhana was among the brightest uncapped stars this WPL along with Tanuja Kanwar, who narrowly missed out in this XI.Sobhana bagged the first five-for of this season – in their opening game – and bowled some ripping legbreaks for an attack that had eight bowling options in the final. She was the most economical spinner for champions RCB and bowled the high-pressure last over ahead of Sophie Devine and Renuka Singh when Mumbai needed 12 runs to win the eliminator. She conceded only six in that over and made a name with her fearless flight and change of pace that also fetched her the wickets of Kapp and Jess Jonaseen in the space of three balls in the final.

West Bromwich Albion have already displayed an outside-the-box approach with their transfer activity this summer.

Whilst Nathaniel Phillips is a well-known name to most Championship fans, Aune Heggebo is definitely more of an unknown entity to the average supporter. Yet, West Brom have gambled on the former Brann goal machine to come good on English shores, having spent £4.7m on the Nordic striker.

It remains to be seen whether Heggebo will go on to be a rip-roaring success in England, but his blistering goal record in his native Norway is definitely encouraging to look at.

Why Heggebo could be a success at West Brom

After all, Erling Haaland infamously hails from the same nation, with the lofty attacker now one of the most feared strikers in world football after beginning his career in Scandinavia.

Of course, nobody will be anticipating Heggebo to storm into his new environment and be as instantly clinical as the Manchester City powerhouse, but the signs are there that he could be a lethal finisher at the Hawthorns if he can manage to navigate the step-up well.

In total, for Brann, the £4.7m forward would power home a potent 51 goals from 146 games, with the Eliteserien outfit no doubt putting up a valiant fight to try and keep their star asset around for longer.

Unfortunately, whilst £4.7m is a steep amount to splash in go, West Brom’s lavish spending has been overshadowed somewhat by near neighbours Birmingham City routinely flexing their muscles.

Across the Midlands, the £10m forked out on ex-Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi around the same time has certainly sent a message to the division’s best clubs.

However, the Baggies could shoot back into the limelight if they manage to get another left-field piece of business over the line, with a new target perhaps going down as Ryan Mason’s very own Kyogo if all clicks into place.

West Brom's answer to Kyogo

Before being renowned as a venomous goal threat with 85 strikes next to his name at Celtic, Kyogo would have been viewed as a bold pick-up by the Hoops, considering the Japanese gem had only ever played in the comforts of the J League, before Glasgow came calling.

West Brom might well look to tap into the Asian markets themselves with their next summer buy, with reports from earlier in the month suggesting that the Championship side had bid £1.1m for Jeonbuk Hyundai attacker Jeon Jin-Woo.

Jin-Woo might well follow in Kyogo’s footsteps in establishing himself as a menace up top when making the same daunting geographical leap, having amassed an electric 52 goal contributions plying his trade in Korea for both Jeonbuk and ex-employers Suwon Bluewings.

The brand-new Birmingham buy was able to devastatingly reach double Jin-Woo’s goal tally when starring for the likes of Vissel Kobe, but the two-time South Korea international will surely feel less nervous about taking that next step to the Baggies, knowing others have moved to the United Kingdom and thrived in some challenging environments.

To help the 25-year-old even more, Mason will also have Heggebo available for selection in attack, who will be equally eager to hit the ground running in his fresh location.

It does remain up in the air how well West Brom will do next season, with Mason also being a rookie manager away from their daring summer business, but Jin-Woo could become a firm fan’s favourite at the Hawthorns if he manages to excel in the English game to the same lofty heights Kyogo managed in Scotland.

Dream Johnston upgrade: West Brom submit surprise offer for £1.1m star

West Bromwich Albion could think outside of the box when pursuing a Mikey Johnston upgrade.

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By
Kelan Sarson

Jul 16, 2025

Royals can control their fate by winning their next three. The first of those is against a side with a history of pulling off late heists

The Preview by Shashank Kishore12-May-20185:06

Manjrekar: Mumbai Indians finally playing to potential

Big Picture

The venue of that famous Rahul Dravid cap fling after one of the most stunning T20 heists will now host another high-voltage clash, even though this isn’t quite a knockout.Such are the dynamics this time that even 12 points could get a team into the knockouts, something each of the bottom four is still in the running for. If they win their last three, or maybe even two, there is a bright chance of Royals entering the top four without a helping hand. The tougher challenge, though, is in trying to win two of these away.

Form guide

• Mumbai Indians: beat KKR by 102 runs, beat KKR by 13 runs, beat Kings XI by six wickets

• Rajasthan Royals: beat CSK by four wickets, beat Kings XI by 15 runs, lost to Kings XI by six wickets

One of those will be in Mumbai, which means a homecoming for not just Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, but also for the core support group – Amol Muzumdar (batting coach) and Sairaj Bahutule (spin bowling consultant). It is this vast knowledge of the conditions that will add a layer of intrigue to the clash on Sunday evening.For starters, they’ll have to find a way around a thin middle order. Stuart Binny at No. 5 is at least two positions higher while Prashant Chopra, who opens in domestic cricket for Himachal Pradesh, isn’t their best option as a middle-order batsman. But given Mahipal Lomror hasn’t managed to make an impression, shunting him out after just two games so far could be a tad too harsh.Mumbai are in a similar position. From being on the brink of elimination 10 days ago, they have come storming back with three successive wins. Among the primary reasons is their batting rejuvenation that has helped blow over patchy death bowling.After shuttling up and down the order, Rohit Sharma at No. 3 has proved to be the steady influence. Ishan Kishan’s injection of momentum, like he did with a blistering half-century against KKR, and their utilisation of Ben Cutting made possible only because they have finally looked beyond Kieron Pollard, have provided them the necessary muscle. Now for the bowlers to hold their own and play the home-advantage card well.

Previous meeting

Jofra Archer, one of their costlier acquisitions at INR 7.2 crores (US$ 1.1 million), made a splash on IPL debut after sitting out of the first two weeks with a side strain. His 3 for 22 helped restrict MUmbai to 167. K Gowtham, among their costlier Indian signing at INR 6 crore (US$ 970,000), walked in at No. 8 with Royals needing 43 off 17, and then clattered an unbeaten 11-ball 33 to seal a win with two balls to spare.

Likely XIs

Mumbai Indians: 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Suryakumar Yadav, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Ishan Kishan (wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Ben Cutting, 8 Mitchell McClenaghan, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mayank Markande, 11 Mustafizur Rahman/Adam MilneRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Ben Stokes, 4 Sanju Samson, 5 Prashant Chopra, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 K Gowtham, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Ankit Sharma/Shreyas Gopal, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Ish Sodhi

Strategy punt

In a tournament of tall scores and big individual contributions, Gowtham’s 100 runs in 10 innings have contributed to two vital wins. After his cameo against Mumbai, he made a six-ball 18* when Royals needed 25 off eight, to take them within one blow against Delhi Daredevils. His two sixes off his first three balls helped clinch a last-over thriller on Friday night against CSK. There’s perhaps a case of promoting him to give him more match time. He’s got numbers to back him: 157 runs off 91 balls with his balls-per-boundary ratio at an impressive 3.95. This could mean trusting Stokes to play finisher despite poor form.

Stats that matter

• Rahane has eight 30-plus scores in 14 innings against Mumbai. Overall, he has made 490 runs at an average of 40.8 and strike rate of 125.6.
• Mitchell McClenaghan has dismissed Sanju Samson four times in five innings.
• Mumbai’s win percentage of 70 is the highest among all sides in their last four league games, since 2013. Royals’ stands second last at 41.6% above Delhi Daredevils’ 21%.
• Jos Buttler is coming off four successive half-centuries. Can he become only the second batsman in IPL history after Virender Sehwag to score five? Familiarity of Mumbai’s bowlers, having represented them for two seasons, could help.

Fantasy pick

Think left field. Ben Stokes has a week left at the IPL, before he links up with the England side for the Test series against Pakistan. His batting numbers – he doesn’t even figure in the top 20 this season – have been ordinary. Fantasy points are maximised when an unpopular pick delivers finally. Stokes is like a ticking timebomb. Surely, there’s a big performance coming, at least to justify the returns on investment.

Callum Ferguson has two centuries in his first two knocks for Worcestershire and, with the help of another hundred for Joe Clarke, it kept them in the higher reaches of North Group

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2018
ScorecardWorcestershire Rapids took a sizeable step towards the Royal London One-Day Cup knockout stages as centurions Joe Clarke and Callum Ferguson powered them to a 34 run success over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Blackfinch New Road.The pair plundered 239 runs in 37 overs for the second wicket as the Rapids amassed 348 for 5 in their 50 overs.Then Northamptonshire, despite half centuries from Rob Newton, Adam Rossington and Rob Keogh, were bowled out for 314 in the final over as the Rapids secured a fifth win in seven games and ended the North Group with a 100 per cent home record from the four matches at their headquarters.Victory moved the Rapids level on points with leaders Warwickshire who they meet in a crunch derby encounter under the Edgbaston floodlights on Thursday.Ferguson is having a start to remember for his adopted county as the Australian batsman followed his record-breaking 191 against Leicestershire Foxes with an unbeaten 159.Worcestershire elected to bat on what was the same wicket used for the highest successful run chase in English one-day cricket against Leicestershire on Tuesday.England all-rounder Moeen Ali was bowled for a second ball duck by Ben Sanderson, but the visitors had to wait another 37 overs for their next success as Clarke and Ferguson dominated proceedings with the bat.It was the county’s highest second wicket partnership in List A cricket, surpassing the 208 by Vikram Solanki and Phil Hughes against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2012.England Lions batsman Clarke and then Ferguson in turn went past Worcestershire’s previous best individual List A score versus Northamptonshire – 120 by Graeme Hick at Northampton in 2007.Clarke reeled off a succession of fine drives and went to his fourth List A century from 105 balls with a hook for four off Rory Kleinveldt. It included one six and eight other boundaries.Ferguson soon followed him to three figures in four balls less than Clarke with the aid of 10 fours and he celebrated by twice lofting Sanderson for straight sixes.The stand was finally broken when Clarke (122 off 117 balls with one six and 12 fours) holed out to deep mid wicket off spinner Graeme White and in the same over he accounted for Ross Whiteley lbw for a duck.But Ferguson continued to score freely and was given excellent late order support by Ben Cox (39) and Brett D’Oliveira (22).The 33-year-old left the field to his second standing ovation in five days after plundering three sixes and 13 fours from 136 balls.Northamptonshire List A debutant Ricardo Vasconcelos clipped Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach to mid wicket with 34 on the board.
Newton and Ben Duckett scored freely in a second wicket stand of 79 in 12 overs with the former pulling Pat Brown over mid wicket for six to reach his half century from 45 balls.But Moeen made a crucial breakthrough when Duckett went for a reverse sweep and top edged a catch to keeper Cox.Then Newton, after making a run a ball 61 with two sixes and six fours, aimed a pull at Brown and also perished at mid wicket.
Skipper Alex Wakely (40) and Rossington (63) kept the Steelbacks hopes alive when adding 95 in 12 oversBut three quickfire wickets swung the game decisively in the Rapids’ favour. Ed Barnard bowled Wakely and had Rory Kleinveldt caught off a skier at point while in between Rossington miscued D’Oliveira into the hands of Leach running back from cover.Saif Zaib and Graeme White perished as the run rate rocketed and in the final over Keogh (51) and Nathan Buck holed out on the boundary off Charlie Morris.

ECB’s standards of corporate governance ‘fall well short of what’s acceptable’, says former Somerset chairman

George Dobell07-Mar-2018A county chief executive has called for an independent inquiry into the ECB’s decision to make payments to Test-hosting grounds, in the wake of the resignation from the ECB Board of Andy Nash, the former Somerset chairman, who cited standards of corporate governance which “fall well short of what’s acceptable”.Nash, once tipped as a potential successor to Colin Graves as ECB chairman, was responding to revelations – published by The Times in recent days – that several Test-hosting counties will receive large payments (understood to be GBP500,000 a year) in years they do not host Tests. These payments, Nash alleges, were agreed without the ECB board’s approval or even knowledge.As a former Somerset chairman, Nash was alarmed that the payments would marginalise the 10 non-Test hosting clubs and “clearly signals to many a move to promote eight counties as the first among equals”.It is not hard to understand Nash’s concerns. In recent days Hampshire – a club who will benefit significantly from the arrangement – have announced the signing of Sam Northeast in the face of substantial opposition from other counties. Kent, Northeast’s club since his schooldays, will not benefit from the payments. Is it fair, Nash asks, for such counties to be disadvantaged in these situations? Equally, is it fair that a club such as Glamorgan – that has seen loans of public money written off and has a modest record of producing England players – is rewarded with extra funds?It is also understood that Nash’s attempts to raise his concerns in recent days have been most unwelcome to members of the ECB executive – especially Graves – and he therefore came to the conclusion that he could serve no further purpose on the board.”I hereby resign with immediate effect from the ECB Board,” Nash wrote in a letter to Graves.”I’ve recently become concerned that the standards of Corporate Governance at ECB are falling well short of what’s acceptable and in all conscience I can’t allow myself to continue to be associated with it.”I would be failing in my duty as a director if I didn’t bring these to the Board’s attention and this I’ve tried to do. The current fiasco over the actual / alleged / planned payments to TMGs is an exemplar. Whether intentional or not it clearly signals to many a move to promote 8 Counties as the first among equals. As an ardent supporter of the 18 FCCs this is not a direction of travel I can live with.”It’s also come to my attention in the last 24 hours that my actions as a listening and conscientious NXD are sadly misunderstood and misinterpreted by yourself. I sincerely regret that because all I want is the best for the game and for good governance of the ECB.”I wish English cricket every future success: it’s been an enormous privilege to serve this great game as a County Chairman and ECB Board Director since 2004.”At this stage, the resignation is only an embarrassment to an ECB executive that have talked a good game about corporate governance – Tom Harrison, the chief executive, even used it as mitigation for Ashes defeat. But it has the potential to become much more serious.In the event of an independent inquiry, one obvious area of interest would be the on-going situation whereby Yorkshire, who fared well both in major match allocations and in terms of being awarded the right to host one of the new T20 teams, owe family trusts set up by Graves over GBP20 million. Those Grave trusts also retain a right of veto over who joins or leaves the Yorkshire board.Graves, it might be remembered, left the room when the ECB Board approved the recent major match allocations, as he accepted there was the possibility of a perception of conflict of interest. But did he leave the room when Durham were stripped of their Test status, or when the chairman’s meeting rejected the ECB’s own working-party recommendation into a future T20 competition featuring promotion and relegation rather than the new-team version?There may also be scrutiny of a letter, signed by Graves and sent to Somerset, at a time when the club was faltering in their support of the new-team competition. In the letter, Graves seems to imply that Somerset would be well placed as a future host of one of the new teams, though they subsequently missed out on that opportunity. ESPNcricinfo understands that Somerset did briefly consider a legal challenge to that decision but have been assured they will be better served, in the long term, if they accept their fate.And that may be considered the nub of the problem. For too long, deals have been conducted out of sight and scrutiny. For too long, counties have been forced into acquiescence by offers of patronage or fears of retribution. The ECB, who insisted on non-disclosure agreements during the debate over the future direction of domestic T20, has now reacted to recent negative publicity by threatening to report anyone suspected of ‘leaking’ information to the media to their new regulatory committee designed to uphold standards of integrity. Does that sound like an organisation that welcomes scrutiny and openness?Nash had served as a board member and county chairman for more than a decade but this act, bringing to light the high-handed management of the game, may prove to be his most influential moment.

“Players on both sides didn’t hesitate at the end and shook hands knowing it was the finish,” the Ireland team manager said

Peter Della Penna18-Jun-2018Team representatives from both Ireland and Scotland camps have said there was no plan in place for a Super Over to be played after their tied match on Sunday in Deventer. The fourth game of the tri-series became the first T20 international that ended in a tie which wasn’t decided by either a Super Over or a bowl-out, even though playing a Super Over is the current provision in the ICC’s playing conditions in T20Is after a match is tied.”We weren’t expecting one,” Ireland team manager Chris Siddell told ESPNcricinfo shortly after the match when he was asked why no Super Over had been played. The match had been livestreamed online by the Netherlands Cricket Board (KNCB), but players on both sides started shaking hands immediately after Stuart Thompson scampered a two to long-on off the final ball to level the scores in Ireland’s chase of 186.”Players on both sides didn’t hesitate at the end and shook hands knowing it was the finish,” Siddell said.Under the ICC playing conditions for T20Is adopted on September 28, 2017, Law 16.3.1 reads: “If the scores are equal, the result shall be a tie and no account shall be taken of the number of wickets that have fallen. In the event of a tied match the teams shall compete in a Super Over to determine the winner.”Siddell said he was well aware of the law. “My understanding is it’s not mandatory and playing conditions of specific tournaments or series dictate if there is or isn’t one,” he said before referencing Appendix F of the ICC playing conditions, which lays out regulations for a Super Over and the reasons for not having one.The reasons given for a Super Over not being played are weather conditions such as rain or failing light between the final ball of the match and the 10-minute interval before the start of the Super Over, or previous delays resulting in the match exceeding its allotted time. However, there were no delays in Sunday’s T20I due to weather or any other reasons. The final ball was bowled at 8.22pm local time and the official sunset time in Deventer was 9.59pm.Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer said that, like Siddell, he was also under the impression that the Super Over had been discarded for the tri-series.”It was just said at the start of the competition that there will be no Super Over,” Coetzer wrote in a text to ESPNcricinfo after the tie. “I think [ICC match referee David] Jukes said it. Not sure where or why the decision was made.”ESPNcricinfo reached out to ICC officials in Dubai for a comment on the matter but repeated emails did not receive a response.In the nine prior ties in men’s T20 internationals, the first three were decided by a bowl-out, with the most famous instance occurring during the group stage of the 2007 World T20 in South Africa when India defeated Pakistan. The subsequent six tied matches were all decided by a Super Over, with the most recent being England beating Pakistan in the third T20I in Sharjah in November 2015.

The incident could end up attracting the attention of match officials, already alert to such moments in a series that is not short of them

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth09-Mar-20184:02

Holding: Rabada needs to control himself a little bit

Kagiso Rabada’s shoulder brush with and send-off of Steven Smith could end up attracting the attention of match officials, already alert to such moments in a series that is – even at just over one-Test old – not short of them. Nathan Lyon, David Warner and Quinton de Kock have all been sanctioned after the first Test, though potential consequences for Rabada could be graver. The match referee, Jeff Crowe, is expected to make a ruling on the incident on Saturday morning.Rabada found reverse swing shortly before tea and angled a length ball in at middle stump towards a shuffling Smith, who was struck on the back pad, in front of middle stump. Smith was given out on-field by Kumar Dharmasena and, in celebration, Rabada continued in his follow-through, shouting “Yes, yes,” in Smith’s direction. With Smith directly in his line of movement, Rabada’s shoulder made contact with that of the Australian captain.Smith reviewed but began walking as soon as replays showed where he had been hit. Rabada went on to take four more wickets, claiming five in the space of 18 balls, either side of the tea interval, to scythe through Australia’s middle order, and made considerable use of the reverse-swinging ball. He also had a small word with Mitchell Starc, the last of the five wickets to fall.Rabada came into this fixture already on notice – he currently has five demerit points to his name and another three will see him sit out two Tests; a tally of eight demerit points within a 24-month period attracts such a penalty as per ICC rules.Rabada’s rap sheet dates back to February last year when he picked up three demerit points and a 50% match fee fine after a shoulder shove to Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella in an ODI. He then earned a another demerit point in July, when he swore at Ben Stokes after dismissing him at Lord’s during the first Test between South Africa and England. Rabada missed the second Test at Trent Bridge as a result; four demerit points lead to a ban of one Test or two limited-overs games, whichever comes first, while eight demerit points result in double the penalty. Each demerit point stays on a player’s record for a period of 24 months, staying active even after the four-point threshold is broken.This year, Rabada added a fifth point to his name when he gave Shikhar Dhawan a send-off during an ODI at St George’s Park last month. Replays showed Rabada waving goodbye to Dhawan and then telling him to “f*** off”.While the punishment for both his verbal transgressions amounted to only one demerit point, physical contact, which is deemed inappropriate and deliberate, falls under a Level 2 offence. If found guilty of such a charge, a minimum of three demerit points are applied. That would take Rabada to eight, which would mean he misses the rest of the Australia series.This series has already been marred by three instances of players committing code of conduct offences. Lyon was fined 15% of his match fee and received one demerit point for dropping a ball close to AB de Villiers when he was run out in Durban, Warner was fined 75% of his match fee and earned three demerit points for his role in the stairwell saga that has dominated headlines between Tests, and de Kock was fined 25% of his match fee and earned one demerit point for his part in the same.