Ranji Trophy Live, round eight
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2015
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2015
Mitchell Johnson said that Williamson’s combination of superior technique and even temperament had surprised him
Daniel Brettig at the WACA11-Nov-2015Australia’s fast bowlers underestimated Kane Williamson during the Gabba Test and have resolved not to make the same mistake a second time on what looks already to be a parched white WACA pitch.Lack of Tests between Australia and New Zealand over the past four years had one obvious drawback for the hosts, as they appeared to have missed Williamson’s emergence as one of the game’s best and brightest young batting talents.Mitchell Johnson said that Williamson’s combination of superior technique and even temperament had surprised him; a fact borne out by the freedom with which New Zealand’s No. 3 batsman was able to take Australia’s pace spearhead for runs. With the backing of what appears likely to be a decidedly rapid WACA surface, Johnson said the Australians would be keener hunters for Williamson’s wicket this time around.”It is a bit of a surprise to me the way he played – I hadn’t seen a lot of him,” Johnson said. “I knew about him [but] I didn’t realise what a good player he is. He can play all of the shots. He looked good in defence and I am really looking forward to playing him out here on a ground that I really enjoy bowling on and really test myself against him.”He is obviously in very good form and he is going to go into this game with a lot of confidence. We can bowl better to him. If we put some good balls on him and use our short ball, then I think we are going to be in the game a bit more. I think we have got a lot to improve on with our bowling. I thought we got better and better as the game went on. We didn’t start as well as we would have liked to in that first innings but I think we just got better and better.”He is definitely one who we will talk about in our team meeting today after training. He is very difficult to bowl to. If we build up enough good balls on him, he is going to be like any other player and nick off. I think it is just being a bit more patient. I think we played into his game a little bit. He is really good off the back foot as we saw and he scored some easy runs through that point region and backward point.”Another inattentive element of Australia’s Brisbane performance was a substandard fielding display. They dropped catches, including one that cost Johnson the chance to overtake Brett Lee on the list of Test wicket-takers. This will be an area for considerable work in the lead-up to Friday, as evidenced by a one-to-one session between the fielding coach Greg Blewett and Joe Burns, who dropped two chances at short-leg.”It’s disappointing at the time, especially when you’ve worked so hard on a plan, and you’re in your 30th or 40th over and you’re absolutely stuffed and a catch goes down,” Johnson said. “But look, we all drop them. I’ve dropped some simple ones and it’s not the nicest thing when you’re on the other end of it.”Something we pride ourselves on very much is our fielding, and I don’t think we fielded as well as we could have. New Zealand really did show us how it was done, just the way that they went about it, but I can’t sit here and worry about those things, otherwise I’d probably be bald.”Of less concern to Johnson and Australia was the bowling performance put in by Trent Boult, the left-armer, who was expected to do so much in the series. After recovering from back stress hot spots that afflicted him at the end of the tour of England earlier in the year, Boult looked short of rhythm and accuracy at the Gabba. Having prepared to face a more fluent Boult in Brisbane, Johnson was mindful of not relaxing against him here.”I was surprised with the way he bowled, full stop,” Johnson said. “We talked about him in our team meeting. He generally gets the ball nice and full and he has got good pace. I think in one- dayers you know you have got 10 overs and you can really go for it. He has probably been a bit underdone. He has come back from injury and he hasn’t had a lot of cricket. That was good for us that he has played the way he has.”From his point of view he wouldn’t have liked that. There was pressure on their two opening bowlers really; they are the two spearheads that they rely on so much, [Tim] Southee and Boult. Hopefully we can put that pressure on them here if Southee plays as well. He wold have been disappointed. It was certainly a surprise to us that he didn’t bowl the way he normally does so we are expecting him to bounce back and bowl well out here.”
BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has taken exception to the ICC’s assessment of the Nagpur pitch for the third Test between India and South Africa as “poor” and said the debate over the quality of pitches in the ongoing Test series between India and South Afr
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2015BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has taken exception to the ICC’s assessment of the Nagpur pitch for the third Test between India and South Africa as “poor” and said the debate over the quality of pitches in the ongoing Test series between India and South Africa is “overhyped”. He has also expressed reservations over the views of Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president and ICC chairman, that India cannot dominate the world body by virtue of its financial clout.
Anurag Thakur was non-committal on the resumption of bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan and said the matter was out of the BCCI’s hands, and that India’s Ministry of External Affairs would have to issue clearances.
“We play Pakistan in World Cup events. We played them in the 2015 World Cup, we’ll play them next year in the Asia Cup,” Thakur said. “We’ll play them in March in the T20 World Cup. So when you play them in multi-national tournaments, what stops you from playing them in a bilateral series?
“Mr Shashank Manohar met the PCB chairman in Dubai and both of them decided to play in Sri Lanka. For permissions and political clearances, we have written to the Ministry of External Affairs to give us the sanction. It is their call, whenever they take it.”
Thakur’s views now are markedly different to those in August when he had all but ruled out resumption of bilateral cricketing activity between the two countries.
Thakur, who is also a member of parliament from the ruling party, the BJP, said it was a tough decision for the government to make.
“When it comes to Pakistan, it’s not that easy to take calls,” he said. “Five years ago, social media didn’t play a role. Today you see a lot of reactions on social media, but you can’t go only by social media, you have to look at the interests of the nation,” he said. “I think diplomatic relations are also very important — whether you want to remain at loggerheads or you want to sit across the table and discuss things. We have been discussing cricket, trade, terrorism, PoK and Kashmir with Pakistan.”
Speaking at the earlier in the week, Thakur reiterated the observations of India team director Ravi Shastri and Test captain Virat Kohli that there were no problems with the pitches produced for the Tests against South Africa.”I think the debate on the quality of pitches is overhyped. When a match gets over in two days – maybe in some other part of the world, like Australia in three days – nobody raises that question,” Thakur said. “But when we see a lot of drawn matches, like in the last few years, we say nobody will come and watch Test cricket.”I have a question to ask about the Nagpur match. Ask any ex-cricketer, how many players from the two teams played a bad shot? Was there uneven bounce? No. Was there more turn than expected? Yes, maybe.”What is the criterion for a good pitch and bad pitch? Was the bounce uneven, were there injuries? The ICC has sent us a letter and we will soon reply to that. But I think there is nothing wrong if a Test match finishes on the fourth day or the third day. You should also look at the batting standards. Remember how [Rahul] Dravid, [VVS] Laxman played on these kinds of tracks?”Thakur maintained there was nothing wrong in exploiting home advantage and said the preparation of turning tracks wasn’t a worrying trend.”Nobody questioned the T20 and the ODI games. What about the pitches when South Africa won?” Thakur asked. “But when India won two Test matches, you start raising questions.”In many parts of the world such as Australia and South Africa, you will see much more bounce. In England, you will see more seam and swing. So how do you compare that? In India and Pakistan, you may see more turning tracks. That is the nature of our pitches, which we call home advantage.”Thakur also clarified that Manohar’s views on the ICC’s restructuring were personal. Manohar recently said the revamp was tantamount to bullying, and that he didn’t agree with the revenue-sharing formula that guaranteed India a significant chunk of the revenue. While his thoughts were endorsed by a section of the board’s members, there has also been considerable resistance. Thakur said there was nothing wrong in India receiving a larger slice of the financial pie.”The [BCCI] president said this in his personal capacity. He made it very clear that it was his personal opinion,” he said. “The Indian subcontinent contributes close to 70% of the ICC’s revenues. To take 21% of that is not much. That was the position with Australia and England earlier, and no one objected to it then. If this happens to India today, we shouldn’t object to it.”You have to understand that India plays a very, very important role in world cricket. It’s only India which has a stadium in virtually every state. The money we have been generating in the last so many years has been spent on the ground.”Thakur also said the larger interest of BCCI’s units would have to be looked into before arriving at a decision on Manohar’s proposals, which have already received support from boards like Cricket South Africa and Sri Lanka Cricket. The BCCI, however, will be keen to not ruffle the feathers of its own units. Senior administrator and Saurashtra Cricket Association president Niranjan Shah, who is known to be close to Manohar, had advocated a “middle path”, which would strike a balance between extending a helping hand to financially weaker boards and securing the monetary rewards the BCCI deserved.”We have to look at the overall picture and individual opinions could be different,” Thakur said. “I may disagree, but the final call has to be taken by the BCCI because it is not only in the interest of one association, it is in the interest of 30 units of the BCCI.”
If what MS Dhoni says is to be gone by, another good start by the top three in the final T20I could mean no batting for Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya
Sidharth Monga29-Jan-20162:39
‘Didn’t want to play spinners in first six overs’ – Dhoni
Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya were brought into the Indian T20 side to address the lack of big hitters, but there is a good chance they might come back from Australia having contributed only with the ball and in the field. If what MS Dhoni says is to be gone by, another good start by the top three in the final T20 international could mean no batting for Yuvraj and Pandya. Dhoni said he was against experimentation even though India wrapped up the series win in Melbourne, but then again Dhoni also ruled out playing Rishi Dhawan precisely two days before he was picked in the ODI XI.The final T20I in Sydney on Sunday will be a dead rubber, and Dhoni was asked if India would go out of the way to see what potential Pandya held and what kind of form Yuvraj was in. “It is a difficult one,” Dhoni said. “Experiment word is never there with the Indian team. It is never there. Yes we want to see what Yuvraj will do in the batting, we want to see what Hardik can do, but where is the opportunity? That also we have to see.”We can’t make them open. Virat [Kohli] is batting very well at No. 3. If the partnership goes on, and if it is the 15th or the 16th over, then it is my time to come in and play the big shots. It will be difficult for them, but with a few of the games coming up maybe they will get better chances. But as I said there won’t be any experimentation. If an opportunity arises definitely they will get a chance to bat.”Yuvraj and Pandya, though, have freed Dhoni up to play around with his bowling options. After Australia got off to a good start in their chase, R Ashwin picked up a wicket to give India a sniff, but by that time India’s four main bowlers had exhausted 10 of their overs. This was a crucial period with Australia past half of their target at the halfway mark. The next two overs were bowled by Pandya and Yuvraj, and both brought a wicket each.”The strength of the piechucker [Yuvraj] is his bowling,” Dhoni joked. “He bowled really well. You need more individuals who can do more than one job in the field. Especially if all of them are good fielders, and if they can contribute with bat and ball if needed. Just adds to the strength of the side. Sometimes in T20 you need to bowl only one over, and once the captain has given you that one over, irrespective of whether it is good or bad that one over is out of the equation. That actually helps you. That one over. By the time the batsman figures out what you are trying to do you get rid of one over.”It helps us because Pandya also bowled decently well (1 for 17 in two overs). Both of them together will be very good. Not to forget we have [Suresh] Raina too. If needed he can also bowl if there are many left-handers in the opposition. Yuvi bowled really well, hit the areas, and with time he will get better and better because he is that sort of player.”Pandya has really impressed Dhoni, and might leapfrog Rishi and Stuart Binny as the seaming allrounder in ODIs too. While counting the positives from the tour, Dhoni said: “Also the performance of Hardik as a bowler. Still it will be tough for him to bowl 10 overs in an ODI game but if others are contributing a few overs here and there then we can look to have him in the side. That can strengthen our batting also and at the same time put pressure on the opposition.”It is in foreign conditions that India really need that extra seamer because the spinners become less effective, and this is where Dhoni wants the ICC, too, to stop experimenting. When asked about the luxury his spinners provide him, Dhoni said: “All of a sudden the spinners are bowling well. Not like they were bowling badly but we have to see the rule changes also. I think it is quite against the spinners. I feel they will have to do something with the rules [in ODIs]. In T20 you have the five fielders outside throughout. You have that extra fielder [as opposed to ODIs where only four fielders are allowed outside the circle until the start of the 41st over]. Let’s see how it goes.”
A match-shaping 146 by the talented teenager Matt Renshaw put Queensland in a strong position over South Australia after day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2016
ScorecardMatt Renshaw struck his second first-class century on the trot and both have been big – 170 v NSW followed by 146 v SA•Getty Images
A match-shaping 146 by the talented teenager Matt Renshaw put Queensland in a strong position over South Australia after day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval.In a fixture that features two members of the Australian Test squad for New Zealand in Joe Burns and Chadd Sayers, neither man was able to have a major impact on proceedings. Burns reached 35 in partnership with 19-year old Renshaw before he was bowled by the left-arm spin of Tom Andrews. Further partnerships ensued between Renshaw and Chris Lynn, then Sam Heazlett capitalised on the platform he was given by spanking 75 from a mere 83 deliveries.Renshaw himself as many as seven sixes in his second consecutive first-class hundred, having compiled 170 for the Bulls against New South Wales at Mackay before the Big Bash League break. He was ultimately dismissed by Joe Mennie with the second new ball, edging through to wicketkeeper Tim Ludeman.Sayers, meanwhile, was taken for 76 runs from his 22 overs for the sole consolation of Lynn’s wicket. Mennie and Andrews claimed two wickets apiece.
Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani feasted on a toothless Sri Lanka Women attack as Australia Women revived their World T20 campaign with a nine-wicket win in Delhi
The Report by Shashank Kishore in Delhi24-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMeg Lanning formed an unbeaten 98-run stand with Elyse Villani to take Australia home•IDI/Getty Images
Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani feasted on a toothless Sri Lanka Women attack to convert a tricky chase of 124 into a cakewalk as Australia Women revived their World T20 campaign with a nine-wicket win at the Feroze Shah Kotla in Delhi.The match was set up by legspinner Kristen Beams and Jess Jonassen, the left-arm spinner, who broke Sri Lanka’s back with the wickets of Dilani Manodara and Chamari Atapattu, who made 38 apiece. Then, an unbroken second-wicket stand of 98 that was studded with two belligerent half-centuries studded Australia’s dominance as they won with 14 balls to spare.Sri Lanka opted to bat, but didn’t help themselves by gifting wickets away on a platter after a platform was set by Atapattu and Manodara. The pair put together 75 off jut 61 balls as Sri Lanka’s hopes of touching 140 received a boost, before the slow bowlers, who were flat and fast to begin with, found their bearings to stem the run flow.Beams drew Manodara forward, only to deceive her in the air as a thin inside edge rattled into the stumps in the 11th over to give Australia brief respite. Then in her next over, she had Anushka Sanjeewani stumped as relief turned into delight for Australia. Atapattu’s wicket completed the collapse as Sri Lanka, motoring along at 75 for 1 hit a road block at 93 for 4.From there on, the innings was largely reduced to a struggle as the batsmen struggled to put bat to ball. Megan Schutt, was particularly impressive, as she brought out different variations of her cutters to pick up the wickets of Eshani Lokusuriyage and Prasadani Weerakkody to prevent a late onslaught. The last four overs yielded just 19 as Sri Lanka finished at least 15 short of what they looked set to get.Australia’s top order was blown away inside the first three overs in both their previous outings. But that had little bearing on their approach as Alyssa Healy and Villani came out playing shots. While Healy was bowled for 12 after being deceived by Inoka Ranaweera’s left-arm spin, Lanning threw the bowlers off guard by improvising on the face of a largely one-dimensional attack that failed to create enough opportunities.Eight boundaries in the first six overs gave Australia enough leg room to nurdle the bowling. But Lanning wasn’t in the mood for charity as she kept Australia in fourth gear throughout, displaying ability to not just bring out the big shots but also use her wrists and delicate dabs to pinch runs at every opportunity. Lanning’s effervescence seemed to rub off on Villani, whose belligerence left Sri Lanka with no answers, her fifty coming off just 36 balls, severely denting Sri Lanka’s net run-rate and with it their aspirations of a berth in the final four.
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
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
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.
Delhi Daredevils WWLWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Rising Pune Supergiants LLWLL
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.
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
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.
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.”