Shane Watson believes he made the right decision to prolong his international career following the homework controversy during the India tour of 2013

Melinda Farrell24-Mar-2016Shane Watson believes he made the right decision to prolong his international career following the homework controversy during the India tour of 2013.Watson, who was among four Australia players axed for the third Test of that series in Mohali for ignoring team orders, admitted he was not entirely comfortable with his working conditions at the time, and had even pondered over his future. However, Watson’s “love” for the game ultimately made his decision an easy one.”Absolutely [glad I went on]. That was a time when I certainly was considering my future within the Australian team. Because at that point of time, I certainly was not enjoying the environment at all. I wasn’t enjoying playing,” Watson, who will retire from all internationals after the ongoing World Twenty20, said.”The thing that really shone through at that point of time was how much I loved the game, realising I was living the dream. I just had to get through that period of time knowing – or having faith – that there was light at the end of the tunnel.”That light came in the form of Darren Lehmann, who was appointed as Australia’s head coach in June 2013 following the sacking of Mickey Arthur. Within six months, Watson was part of the squad that whitewashed England 5-0 during the home Ashes in 2013-14. Two years later, Watson would also get his second taste of World Cup success, as Australia lifted the trophy for the fifth time, at the MCG.”There certainly was a change within two or three months, with Darren coming in and really changing things around. There’s no doubt like all situations in life when it doesn’t work out how you want to, or it’s not going on the same lines, if your’e able to stick it out for a period of time there is normally some light there. I’ve been very fortunate that there certainly was with an Ashes win at home and the World Cup at home.”I think its’ a combination of everything. There’s no doubt when Darren took over from Micky, yeah, certainly we got back to playing the Australian way, which everyone certainly enjoys doing and you’re [increasing] the chance of having success.”Watson, who has led Australia in all three formats, felt the team was safe in the hands of the current captain, Steven Smith: “He [Smith] is doing a great job. He’s learning on the job and learning quickly. It’s hard to realise he still is really a very young guy, even though he has achieved a lot of things in his career already.”He is going to continue to get better as a leader as well. I know the guys who have grown up with Steve as well, they love how honest he is. How simplifiied he is with everything he does and how he talks to the group. The guys are certainly very relaxed in that regard.”

Zaheer Khan’s captaincy and the performances of young guns like Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant leave Delhi Daredevils in a good place as they take on Rising Pune Supergiants

The Preview by Sirish Raghavan04-May-20164:59

Zaheer leading Delhi from the front

Match facts

Thursday, May 5, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big Picture

After losing their opening match in horrendous fashion, Delhi Daredevils have turned their season around. They have put in six impressive performances, winning five of them and losing one by a run. They have been led admirably by captain Zaheer Khan, whose creative field settings, mentorship and positivity have yielded rich dividends. That is to say nothing of his own bowling, which has been mostly spot on. As young batsmen like Karun Nair and Rishabh Pant find form, the team increasingly looks to have most bases covered.The opposite is the case for Rising Pune Supergiants, who will make the trip to Feroz Shah Kotla for Thursday’s encounter. Supergiants’ campaign got off to a bright start, with a win over Mumbai Indians, but has rapidly gone off the rails and is now something of a shambles.The bowling has been a weak link, with the pacers leaking runs and the lead spinner, R Ashwin, struggling to make an impact. The batting looked strong, but with the injuries to three of their five leading run-scorers – Kevin Pietersen, Faf du Plessis and Steven Smith – they have a massive hole to fill in that department as well. Having lost six of their eight matches so far, Supergiants are on the verge of entering do-or-die territory.Meanwhile, it is worth keeping one eye on the battle of the captains. Zaheer had served as the leader of the pace attack for India under MS Dhoni. Now, for the first time, he has the chance to pit his captaincy wiles against his former captain. An innovative bowling leader – experienced, yet new to the job – will lock horns with a veteran who has led many a title-winning team.

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils WWLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Rising Pune Supergiants LLWLL

In the spotlight

It is difficult to look past Zaheer Khan at the moment. He has combined figures of 4 for 48 in 7.3 overs in the last two matches, with his guile and penetration supplementing his returns. His captaincy seems to have rubbed off on his team. One feels that as long as Zaheer can continue to fire as bowler and as captain, Daredevils can continue to be greater than the sum of their parts.In a team bereft of fast bowling options, Thisara Perera will have an increasingly important role to play. He has bowled well in patches, including towards the end, and his 13-ball 34 against Royal Challengers Bangalore displayed his usefulness with the bat. Supergiants need him to combine these facets consistently and become the go-to bowling allrounder they desperately yearn for.

Team news

After an impressive all-round bowling performance that set up a clinical eight-wicket win, Daredevils have little reason to change their XI.Delhi Daredevils (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rishabh Pant, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Sam Billings, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Amit Mishra, 9 Mohammad Shami, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Shahbaz NadeemUsman Khawaja and George Bailey have joined the Supergiants set-up and are available for selection. Given Smith’s injury and Peter Handscomb’s unconvincing innings against Mumbai Indians, they might both slot into the playing XI.Rising Pune Supergiants (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Saurabh Tiwary, 4 George Bailey, 5 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Scott Boland, 9 R Ashwin, 10 M Ashwin, 11 Ashok Dinda

Pitch and conditions

The Feroz Shah Kotla tends to favour spinners and slow bowlers. Interestingly, the last three matches played at this venue have been won by the team batting first, bucking the overall trend of this IPL. Two of them, though, were afternoon matches. The evening match saw Gujarat Lions prevail over Daredevils by one run. Temperatures on Thursday are forecast to hit the late 30s. There is a possibility of scattered showers in the afternoon, but that shouldn’t affect the match.

Stats and trivia

• Daredevils’ opening stands amounted to 58 runs in their first 6 matches. In the last match, openers Quinton de Kock and Pant added 115
• Supergiants’ economy rate of 8.14 is second best among all teams; their run rate of 8.38 is fourth

The impression from Joe Root is that he is in no rush whatsoever to lobby for the job of England’s Test No. 3

David Hopps12-May-2016When it comes to batting at No. 3 for England, the impression from Joe Root is that he is in no rush whatsoever to lobby for the job. Why would you when you are averaging 54.93 in Test cricket, you are having so much fun and you are convinced that England’s Test side is on an upswing?The call-up of James Vince for England’s Test squad, one senses, therefore suits Root to a tee. England have not just retained Nick Compton at first wicket down, they have Vince on debut at five with a career history that suggests he would grab the No. 3 role if things worked out that way. Root would therefore have to option to busy himself at No. 4 and leave things to develop as they will.Root suggests he is “not really too fussed to be honest” when the thought of batting at three is put to him, but a place lower in the order has become endearing. It is here where he has discovered an enchanting tempo and become the pivotal figure in an England side proud of its attacking intent.”I feel that I am getting to grips with that role within the side,” Root said. “I just want to keep improving: whether that means moving up the order or staying were I am that’s fine. No. 4 is a position where I do enjoy batting and I enjoy batting with the guys around me there as well so I think it suits the way my game is set up.”Statistically, the case supports keeping Root in the middle order. He averages 54.62 at No. 4 and 73.12 at No. 5, compared to 32.83 at No. 3 and 37. 66 opening the batting – albeit those returns came in challenging circumstance during back-to-back Ashes series near the start of his international career.If Vince’s selection will quicken debate about England’s best batting order, Root regards the internal competition as beneficial. “I think that is a good thing,” he said. “You have got opportunities to press your claims; people will be wanting to prove that they are the man to pick.”I think that is important to have that competition and rivalry – well not rivalry but you know what I am trying to say – where you are always wanting to improve in your practice and I think that sets us up really nicely for the start of the summer.”He has played a lot of cricket with Vince in age group sides – they are the same age, at 25 – and he joined the chorus of approval from Test cricketers, past and present, who look more at Vince’s methodology than his first-class average and see a Test cricketer in the making.”James he’s been around the side all winter in shorter formats and has a fantastic temperament,” Root said. “He has got a solid game which fits beautifully for Test cricket and given the opportunity I’m sure he will take it and perform extremely well and show his class.Joe Root was at Headingley to promote healthy living•Getty Images

“I am really looking forward to him stamping his mark on Test cricket and, if given the opportunity, showing everyone what he can do. In county cricket I honestly think he is one of those players who will come in to international cricket and really raise his game.”Vince’s Test call up has revived the comparisons with Michael Vaughan that have reared their head since early in his career when the former England coach, Duncan Fletcher, made the observation. Vaughan himself has long been a big fan.”I can see he has that very classical cover drive and the swivel pull I suppose – the two shots that Vaughany was remembered for,” Root said. “But I think he is his own player. They obviously go about their business completely differently and he will be desperate to prove a name for himself rather than be compared to someone else. He is a fine player and I am really excited he is in the squad and he has the opportunity to show everyone how good he is.”Vitality is partnering with England cricketer Joe Root, who will take on the role of ambassador. Joe will use his passion for healthy living to inspire everyone to be active and make positive changes to their lifestyles. Visit www.vitality.co.uk for further information

England selector Mick Newell praised the unyielding virtues of Haseeb Hameed and predicted a Test future as Lancashire held out at Trent Bridge

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge06-Jul-2016
ScorecardHaseeb Hameed’s unyielding style won a new fan in England selector Mick Newell•Getty Images

Lancashire’s resilience secured them a draw that is enough to take them back level on points with Warwickshire and ahead by virtue of having won one match more, although now behind Middlesex following their win at Scarborough. Nonetheless, at the halfway stage of the season, it is a position with which they are understandably delighted.They were helped by a docile pitch that was of little real help to any of the bowlers, to the frustration of the legspinner Imran Tahir, to whom Nottinghamshire were looking in particular to lift them out of the doldrums. They are without a win since the opening match of the season.Nonetheless, for all that conditions were not as testing as they might have been, Lancashire still had to pass a test of patience and concentration to come through. Five down at tea and only 51 in front, they lost their sixth wicket soon afterwards as Tahir winkled out Karl Brown for his only success but Steven Croft and Jordan Clark used up another 20 overs before Nottinghamshire made another breakthrough. Lancashire had a lead of 108 and 11 overs remained when handshakes were offered.Croft’s 141-ball 34 was a gutsy, captain’s effort, although it was the opening partnership between Tom Smith and Haseeb Hameed that was the key factor in saving the game. Nottinghamshire needed to part them early but it was almost an hour before Harry Gurney found some extra bounce to have Smith caught at first slip off the shoulder of the bat and there were no further losses before lunch.By then there had been confirmation that their young opener, Hameed, has the attributes required for such circumstances in abundance as he completed a second hundred in three matches.The 19-year-old from Bolton, who delivered an innings of similar match-saving qualities against Surrey in only his third appearance last season, continued until he had batted for almost six and a half hours for a career-best 122, his dismissal coming not until mid-afternoon, more than 24 hours after the innings began on Tuesday.Until that point he had made barely a mistake, certainly nothing that would offer much encouragement to the opposition. But then, faced with a change of bowler and possibly beginning to tire, he was drawn to play a good ball outside off stump and was caught behind.It was his second century in three matches, with an 89 in between. Only Alviro Petersen has made more Championship runs for Lancashire. Mick Newell, momentarily swapping his duties as Nottinghamshire spokesman for his England selector’s cap, described him as a player “born to open the batting in Test cricket.””He is a throwback,” Newell said. “An old fashioned type of cricketer who looks like he was made for Test cricket.”He’s gone out to bat 200 runs behind against bowlers of the quality of Stuart Broad and Imran Tahir and played exceptionally well. I thought he was absolutely terrific. I just hope that Test cricket lasts long enough for him to play!”The young right-hander admitted that taking on two such accomplished international bowlers was as tough a test as he has faced, revealing as he was asked questions that as well as batting with a maturity beyond his years he is as thoughtful and eloquent in his self-assessment, too, as someone much older.”It was a real challenge today against international players but to have that challenge motivates you and gives you that hunger to score runs because they mean more if it is against better opposition,” he said.”You could see how good they are in the spells they bowled. Broad came back with the new ball and got two quick wickets and we have seen in the past that once he gets a couple of wickets he can go through a side.”His patience and ability to concentrate for long periods come naturally, he says. “It is not something I’ve worked towards, it is the way I have always played,” he said.Taking the new ball at lunch, when Lancashire had eradicated their first innings deficit but only just, Nottinghamshire’s hopes were raised when Broad dismissed Luke Procter and Alviro Petersen in the space of four balls to leave Lancashire effectively 15-3 and when Brett Hutton followed up his dismissal of Hameed by having Liam Livingstone caught at mid-on they were five down and just 35 ahead.Time was always against Nottinghamshire achieving a win, even after a stunning catch by Brendan Taylor at short leg helped Tahir remove Brown just after tea.Yet Newell, switching to his Nottinghamshire director of cricket perspective, saw encouraging signs.”There have been parallels with last season in that we have reached the halfway stage looking back at games in which we haven’t batted well enough and not been able to fight back when we have been under the pump,” he said.”But I can’t fault us for effort and commitment and the skill we have shown over these four days. I can’t think of a dropped catch and in terms of batting and bowling we dominated the game.”Now we have to maintain this standard. That’s our challenge because we’ve only got six games left and others have more, and we’re in the bottom three. We do need quite a lot more points.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has outlined an ambitious plan to increase the number of match-day tickets sold to 100,000 per Test series, over the next four years

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Jul-2016Sri Lanka Cricket has outlined an ambitious plan to increase the number of match-day tickets sold to 100,000 per Test series, over the next four years. SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said presently a three-Test series would draw an aggregate of fewer than 40,000 spectators, but the board aims to identify spectator-friendly Test venues and then improve facilities within those grounds to attract a larger audience.Improvements to bathroom facilities and an increase in the number of big screens and televisions will be among the ground upgrades. SLC also announced a move towards online ticket sales, for which Indian company BookMyShow has been contracted. SLC said online ticket sales will begin during the Australia tour, but traditional ticket outlets will also be operational.”When spectators go to a match, they want to be guaranteed their seat, and for it to be as easy a process as possible,” Sumathipala said. “We also want to make sure the spectators are entertained during their time at the ground.”The Galle Cricket stadium, which is located close to the centre of town, ordinarily draws a substantial Test-match crowd, while the Asgiriya Stadium had also been a well-patronised venue during its years of operation. Sumathipala said this suggested that venues within the city limits, where spectators may arrive and leave as their day allows, will be prioritised as Test venues. Asgiriya has not hosted a Test since 2007, but Sumathipala said SLC would look into upgrading facilities there with a view to resuming international cricket at the venue.”At the moment, Galle is a successful venue, and SSC is successful, but I don’t think venues like Dambulla or the Premadasa Stadium are as successful,” Sumathipala said. “The reason is, when people come in a bus, train or three-wheeler, and they see someone is getting close to a fifty or a hundred, they want to come into the ground and see that.”There’s a culture of people participating in a Test match whenever there is some excitement. We prefer to have the Test venues built up in a different way from the limited-overs venues. It has to be done in a scientific way. There also have to be facilities for women and children.”

Nathan Lyon who came in for criticism from Australia coach Darren Lehmann and captain Steven Smith has admitted that Australia have been outplayed in all areas by Sri Lanka in the ongoing Test series

Daniel Brettig07-Aug-2016Over the past few days, the only player singled out for criticism from Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann and captain Steven Smith has been Nathan Lyon, the touring side’s No. 1 spinner. If this seems harsh that’s because it probably is – Lyon’s nine wickets place him second behind Mitchell Starc among Australian bowlers; his 29 runs means he’s made only five fewer than Joe Burns and six fewer than Peter Nevill.But the reason for the criticism stems from the fact that Lyon’s returns are paltry next to those of Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan, the Sri Lankan spin trio who have made fools of a highly paid and seemingly well-prepared Australian batting line-up. The struggles of the batsmen have left Lyon and the rest of the bowlers with precious little scoreboard pressure on their side. Lyon, though, did not fall into excuses or the shifting of blame.”We’ve been outplayed in all areas,” Lyon said in Galle. “I’m not going to stand here and make excuses or blame anyone. We’ve been outplayed and you’ve got to give credit where credit’s due. They’ve totally outplayed us. Yeah it’d be great to bowl with some runs on the board but that’s up to Nos. 1 down to 11 to get those runs.”Lyon spoke of four issues that have contributed to Australian struggles. First he admitted that he and his slow-bowling partner Jon Holland have failed to challenge Sri Lanka’s batsmen down the line of the stumps frequently enough. This angle of attack has been responsible for the majority of Australian dismissals, but precious few among the hosts.”As spinners, we need to keep hitting the stumps,” Lyon said. “If you look at their spinners, that’s what they do really well, they ask questions off the stumps. If I’m being honest enough, I don’t think Duck [Holland] and myself probably did that to the best of our ability in the last Test match. You’ve got to give credit where credit’s due. Sri Lanka plays spin really well.”They know the conditions really well over here and they played really well and put us under pressure. We’ve got to combat that, come the third Test. It’s just about Duck and I finding a way how to best go about it in these conditions. We’re both open to change I guess. It’s different bowling in different conditions over here. It’s a learning curve. If we can keep learning over here and improving, that’s a big tick for us.”Secondly, Lyon acknowledged that the subcontinent method of spin, cutting under the ball on a flatter trajectory, rather than working the fingers up over the top of it in search of over-spin and bounce, was something he and Holland were yet to fully master. Lyon has an outstanding record in Australia where many an Asian spin bowler has struggled, but the reverse is true here.”I daresay there’s an argument for that,” he said. “As a spinner, you need to have all different variations. I’m comfortable going over the top of the ball and also around it. A lot of their spinners go around it and you get that natural variation with the ball going straight on. We’ve put it into play but unfortunately it hasn’t come off for us Australian spinners. If we can keep improving, keep learning from our mistakes in the first two Test matches then we’re going the right way.”I have been bowling with a fair few variations where a lot of people aren’t going to pick up on that. That is a subtle variation in my wrist. So, I think I can probably go a little bit more and experiment a little bit more – I am going down to training today to experiment more of how far my wrist can go underneath it, just to see how the ball reacts. I do believe that we have been doing that but, as I said, they have been playing quite well over here.”Thirdly, Lyon spoke about the use of the sweep as a weapon against his off spin. Lyon is himself a prolific user of the sweep shot, something tried by precious few of the touring batsmen. That and the reverse sweep were both glimpsed more often in the second innings in Galle, amid a rash of experimentation that indicated players racking their brains for better solutions.”I only sweep because I don’t trust my defence, and that’s my only scoring shot,” Lyon said modestly. “But you see the good players of spin, not only here with Sri Lanka, but you look at Younis Khan, Virat Kohli and these guys, they sweep well and they do that to try and out you off your lengths.”As a spinner, you need to be patient enough and be willing to be swept – it means you are hitting the right areas, so that’s the way I am looking at it. If I can keep putting it there, then hopefully, if I can get a couple of defensive shots out of them, I am in the game with the bat-pads and the slips.”Lastly, the issue of economy was confronted, as perhaps the most pressing problem that Lehmann and Smith have laid at Lyon’s door. A strike rate of a wicket every 44.6 balls is excellent for any spin bowler, but the leaking of 4.14 runs per over has lessened Lyon’s threat in a low-scoring series to date. Greater pressure needs to be brought to bear, as he acknowledged.”It’s a challenge for all our bowlers. We don’t like going at four an over, one of our goals is to bowl in partnerships and I don’t think we’ve done that well enough,” Lyon said. “Mitchell Starc was outstanding last game, Josh Hazlewood was brilliant bowling out there as well, but if we can bowl well in partnerships, try to tie down one end, we know they’re going to play some shots.”It’s that type of cricket, they like to hit the boundaries, so if we can try to cut that down then we bring about more patience and more opportunities around the bat.”

Sri Lanka held their nerve to claim the Royal London Under-19 one-day series with one match to spare after a tense finish in Chelmsford

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2016
ScorecardShammu Ashan’s unbeaten 77 led Sri Lanka Under-19s to a last-wicket win•Getty Images

Sri Lanka held their nerve to claim the Royal London Under-19 one-day series with one match to spare after a tense finish in Chelmsford.The tourists, who had won the first match of the series comfortably in Wormsley last Wednesday, seemed to be cruising again at 229 for three in the 36th over, after England had posted 315 for 8. But the dismissal of their opener Avishka Fernando for an excellent 117, run out by a direct hit from Somerset’s offspinner Dom Bess who was again the pick of England’s bowlers, breathed fresh life into the contest.Ben Green, Bess’s Somerset team-mate, took three wickets and there were two more run-outs, leaving Sri Lanka nine wickets down and still needing two to win at the start of the 50th over. But Shammu Ashan, who scored an unbeaten 60 at Wormsley, drove the first ball from Aaron Beard through the covers for the match-winning boundary, to set off wild celebrations among the Sri Lankans – who completed a 1-0 win in the two-match four-day series between the teams earlier this month.Ashan ended with 77 from 75 balls, and England will now be playing for pride in the last match of the series at the St Lawrence ground in Canterbury on Tuesday – a day-night match starting at 2pm and being televised live by Sky Sports.England’s total had been built around three significant contributions from Tom Moores, George Hankins and George Bartlett – all old boys of Millfield School. Moores, the Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper-batsman who has just completed a successful loan spell at Lancashire, came in to open with captain Max Holden, and shrugged off the loss of his partner in the first over to make 70 from 68 balls with nine fours and a six.Hankins, the tall Gloucestershire right-hander who had opened in the defeat at Wormsley, played a sensible supporting role in stands of 123 in 24 overs with Moores, and 148 in 22 with Bartlett. The latter fell in the 47th over for 85 from 68 balls with eight fours and two sixes, one of them soaring over long-on and into the River Can.Hankins then fell agonisingly short of a century, middling a square cut but picking out backward point after making 98 from 144 balls. Worcestershire’s Zen Malik and Surrey wicketkeeper Ollie Pope contributed handy cameos in the closing overs, allowing England to set a tough target.But Sri Lanka made a flying start to their reply, with an opening stand of 67 inside nine overs before Yorkshire’s Ed Barnes had Dilan Jayalath coolly caught on the square leg boundary by Malik for 41 from 34 balls.That was the first of three boundary catches by Malik, and Bess bowled beautifully to concede only 36 in his 10 overs. Worcestershire’s left-arm spinner Ben Twohig took two wickets on his debut, but England paid a heavy penalty for an inconsistent ground-fielding display.

Kent’s irritation at missing out on promotion went some way to explaining the defiance of their skipper Sam Northeast

ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2016
ScorecardSam Northeast signed off the season with another hundred•Getty Images

Kent’s irritation at missing out on promotion went some way to explaining the defiance of their skipper Sam Northeast who, on the final day of the Specsavers Championship campaign, elected to notch his fifth first-class ton of the summer rather than conspiring in any sort of last-day contrivance with Division Two champions Essex.The top two sides in the second tier finally shook hands on a draw at 4.20pm, by which time Kent had reached 288 for 5 declared for an overall lead in the match of 437.Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, presented Essex with their trophy and winners’ cheque soon after, leaving Kent contemplating another season in the lower ranks and to mull over the opening match of the 2016 campaign at New Road, where not a ball was bowled over the four days.

Masters bows out in familiar surroundings

Essex seamer David Masters signed off on his 16-year first-class career with one final maiden on the ground where it all began for him as a Kent rookie.
“The lads said I must bowl the last over of the game which I guess was fitting, but it was a really nice gesture.
“I hadn’t expected Kent to line up in a guard of honour when I went out to bat either, it was a bit of a shock if I’m honest, but it was a lovely touch all the same.
“As farewell games go it doesn’t really get any better than that. On my old ground and with my dad and family all here watching. Added to which I’ve now won both the one-day trophies as well as the Championship Division Two title.
“I’m feeling complete as a cricketer, content with what I’ve achieved and proud of what Essex have done during my time with the club.
“Of course, I thank Essex for giving me so many opportunities and Kent and Leicestershire for giving me such a good start. I’ll never have enough thanks for Alan Ealham at Kent who took a punt on me and was the first to say ‘this boy’s got something’. I hope I’ve repaid his faith.”

The outcome of the Worcestershire match and Kent’s subsequent appeal still raises the blood pressure of supporters down in the Garden of England, and Northeast, as well as the county’s chairman, George Kennedy, have been reluctant to let the matter drop.Ahead of the final round, Kennedy said: “That Kent only received five points from that abandonment, when as the away team we were entirely blameless, still rankles with me. It can be argued it denied us the chance to play for 19 more points.”So, after Kent’s failure to make Essex follow on on the fourth and final morning, the top two sides had only bragging rights and averages to play for on the last day of the summer. And, having seen his side lose four early wickets in the quest for quick runs, Northeast took the pragmatic approach and let his bat do the talking.Starting their second innings within 15 minutes of the final day’s start, Kent – who banked a first innings lead of 149 – lost Daniel Bell-Drummond to the fifth ball of the innings. Playing across a David Masters off-cutter, the right-hander went leg before without scoring.With two boundaries quickly to his name, Joe Denly’s positivity got the better of him when he charged down the track to Matt Dixon only to drive into the hands of Nick Browne at extra cover to make it 13 for 2.Sean Dickson also perished when attempting the extravagant, leaning into a drive to a Will Rhodes length ball the South African right-hander edged to Varun Chopra at slip.The hosts lost first innings top-scorer Darren Stevens in the mid-session when he nicked a leg-glance against Masters to the keeper to depart for 18.Northeast and Will Gidman flourished either side of tea, adding an unbroken 185 for the sixth wicket with Northeast reaching three figures just before the interval from 119 balls and with 15 fours.In the final session Gidman, the on-loan all-rounder from Nottinghamshire, posted his fifth fifty in five starts for Kent, leaving Northeast to make hay against some part-time bowling to add an unbeaten 178 to his season’s previous three-figure scores of 191, 190, 189, and 166* and finish the summer with over 2,000 runs in all formats.Fittingly, Masters, the Essex stalwart who started his career with Kent, sent down the final over – it was a maiden.Essex had started the day on 289 for 9 and needing three to save the follow-on, a target they achieved within nine deliveries when Dixon’s airy drive at Matt Coles flew off a thick inside edge to long leg for the required runs.Dixon heaved at the next delivery to spoon a catch to Mitch Claydon at mid-on to end the innings with Essex on 292 all out.Without collusion between the skippers, the game duly petered out into a stalemate. Kent banked 13 points and Essex 10.

“Moments are going to get heated,” Vernon Philander has said of the upcoming Test series against Australia

Firdose Moonda in Perth01-Nov-20161:43

Rabada an exciting bowler to watch – Philander

While some of Australia’s former players have cautioned the current crop against too much talk in the upcoming Tests, Vernon Philander warned things won’t always stay genteel from the South African side, especially not when they are up against it.”There’s going to be a time when a partnership will develop and it will require one or two bowlers to put up their hands and get a bit ugly and make things uncomfortable,” Philander said.When those times come, Philander seems ready to put himself at the forefront. “That tests your character, it’s a part of Test cricket and testing your skills – you need to get out there and win that moment for your team. It’s going to be fun.”For Philander, it may also be personal. He is perhaps more highly regarded at home than in Australia, – as was also the case when he toured England – despite his eight-for on debut against Australia in Cape Town in the match in which they were bowled out for 47. The Australians want to see him do that in Australia, just like the English wanted to see him to do it England.Then, he responded by taking seven wickets at Lord’s, including 5 for 30 in the second innings, to win the Test and the mace and signed off with a line that is still repeated in South African circles: “Stats don’t lie,” he said, when asked what he would like to say the English after that day.They don’t, and Philander’s numbers against Australia could do with some improving. In seven Tests against them, Philander has taken 35 wickets at an average of 30.24, much higher than his overall average of 22.09. In the past two series against them – 2012 and 2014 – he has taken only 11 wickets at 51.00.His powers are considered to have waned since he became the fastest bowler in over a century to 100 Test wickets and the injury that kept him out of most of last summer has not helped him restore his reputation. On this tour, Philander has everything to prove but pre-series, he chose to play that down.”It’s very important for me personally and it’s also important for us as a unit,” Philander said. “We’ve got to take 20 wickets and as long as I play my part in taking 20 wickets in a Test match, then I’ll be happy.”His first chance at doing that will be on the surface that could offer the most assistance. The WACA is set to have something in it for the seamers, as the Gabba was expected to four years ago. Then, looks were deceiving and the all-pace attack Philander was part of backfired so he is being cautious about whether South Africa will go guns blazing this time. “We’ve always had three seamers with a spinner and a part-timer and we’re pretty used to that,” he said.But with the pace pack at their disposal – Dale Steyn, fit-again Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott and Philander – it will be difficult to decide which two must sit out. And if they do opt for a four-pronged attack, Philander’s advice to his team-mates is not to get too excited by the surface.”The simpler you keep it, the better it becomes,” he said. “You can get carried away by the pace and bounce but for seamers you need to be ultra-disciplined here.”Control is something Philander has built his game on. He is known for being able to hit the area outside off for over after over, and only move the ball off the seam slightly. That is likely to be his line of attack in this series.It’s not as emphatic as Steyn’s swing or Rabada’s pace and in many ways, it is indicative of the bowler Philander is. He does not get throbbing veins or send the speed gun above 150kph, he does not have much to say about the opposition except that they are the “11 individuals who are the best in Australia at the moment and we’ve to to respect that for what they are,” and he does not have much to say to them either.Unlike Steyn he did not name a target or threaten to sink an entire side. He just mentioned that he is capable of not being a nice guy too, if he has to.”Moments are going to get heated,” he said, “but you as a person have to be stay calm and collected.”

While Shikhar Dhawan is set to return after an injury lay-off, Harbhajan Singh will lead Punjab in his first match of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2016 Harbhajan to lead Punjab on returnHarbhajan Singh will lead Punjab in the Group A match against Tamil Nadu in Nagpur in his first Ranji Trophy game of the season; the offspinner will be returning to the squad after a long personal break. Harbhajan will take over as captain from Yuvraj Singh, who will miss the matches against Tamil Nadu and Gujarat (starts from November 29) due to his wedding. Punjab are currently fourth in Group A with 16 points. Yuvraj is among the top five run-scorers this season with 672 runs, including a career-best 260 against Baroda, in five matches at an average of 84. “I am [still motivated],” Yuvraj told . “I got a career-best 260 just weeks ago. I’m not through with the game.”Gambhir set to lead DelhiHaving been released from the India squad, Gautam Gambhir is set to lead Delhi in their Ranji Trophy fixture against Rajasthan in Wayanad. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was named the 16th member of the squad, although he is likely to stay with the national team as cover. Shikhar Dhawan, however, is a certain starter in the Delhi XI, having recovered from a thumb injury he sustained in the only Test he played against New Zealand, in Kolkata. Dhawan will be keen to prove his fitness in domestic cricket, in line with national coach Anil Kumble’s policy, and press his case for the hotly-contested opening spots.Mishra boost for HaryanaLegspinner Amit Mishra is set to turn out for Haryana in their Group C fixture against Goa in Ghaziabad after being released from the Test squad. Mishra picked three wickets in the first Test against England and his economy rate was over four runs per over in both innings. He was dropped for the second Test in Vishakhapatnam, and instead his Haryana team-mate Jayant Yadav was handed a debut. The match against Goa will be Mishra’s first Ranji game since February 2015. Haryana are currently placed second, behind Andhra, in Group C with 19 points from six matches.Vinay targets India returnKarnataka captain Vinay Kumar, who went past 400 first-class wickets with a nine-wicket haul in Karnataka’s 393-run win over Rajasthan, has now set his sights on a return to the national side. Vinay has made 41 appearances for India, with the last one in an ODI against Australia in Bangalore three years ago. “I am not going to be satisfied with this [400 first-class wickets] as my main goal is to make a comeback to Indian team,” Vinay told . ” I am feeling much better even though I am 32. Age is just a number. I will keep working on my batting and bowling and try to keep myself fit. I am never going to give up.”Krishna, Mathias included in Karnataka squadSeamers David Mathias and Prasidh Krishna have been called-up to the Karnataka squad for their Group B clash against Orissa in Delhi, with Abhimanyu Mithun still recuperating from injury. Mathias played two Ranji Trophy games last season, while Krishna is yet to make his debut in the tournament. Left-arm spinner Abrar Kazi, meanwhile, replaced J Suchith in a like-for-like swap. Karnataka are currently on top of the Group B table with 29 points.