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Meanwhile, Chris Silverwood has declared an interest in becoming the county’s new head coach

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2024Jonny Bairstow will play his first match of the season for Yorkshire this week when the County Championship returns following a six-week break.Bairstow has only played two first-class games for his home county since the end of the 2020 season due to his England and IPL commitments. He is yet to feature for Yorkshire in any format this season, having taken a short break from the game between the T20 World Cup and the start of the Hundred, where he represented Welsh Fire.But he will return for Thursday’s fixture against Sussex at Scarborough, with Yorkshire sitting just outside of the two promotion places in Division Two. They are four points behind second-placed Middlesex heading into the final five games of the season, and can close the 27-point gap on leaders Sussex this week.Bairstow made 123 runs in seven innings for Welsh Fire this season•Getty Images

Bairstow lost his place in England’s Test team after failing to reach 40 on their tour to India this year, and appears unlikely to feature in their T20I and ODI series against Australia in September. He declared at the start of the Hundred that “all I want to do is play for England”, but was short of runs for Welsh Fire, with 123 runs and a single half-century across seven innings.”I spoke to Jonny, and he still has ambitions of getting back into the England team,” Ottis Gibson, Yorkshire’s head coach, said last week. “When he was coming back from his injury last year, our medical team and coaches – everybody associated with the club – helped him get back into the England fold.”If it’s that we need to do that again with him, give him some love and get him into a position where he puts good performances in, everybody benefits from that. Jonny Bairstow is a serious cricketer anyway, but when he has a point to prove, he’s even more dangerous. Hopefully, we can take advantage of that.”Related

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• Yorkshire begin search for Gibson successor as head coach

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Yorkshire confirmed on Monday that Bairstow is available to play at Scarborough after a shoulder niggle, but his availability for the final four games of the season has not yet been confirmed. They will be without their captain Shan Masood this week, who is with Pakistan’s Test squad ahead of their series against Bangladesh.The club announced earlier this month that Gibson will leave his job at the end of the season, and are also in the process of recruiting a new director of cricket, having advertised for the role earlier in the summer.Chris Silverwood, who recently left his job as Sri Lanka coach, has declared his interest in the head coach vacancy: “I haven’t spoken to anybody as yet,” he told talkSPORT. “Would it interest me? Absolutely, it’s my old county and I have a great love for Yorkshire.”

With one win sufficient to retain Ashes, imposing record since 2017 augurs well for holders

Andrew Miller11-Jul-2023Tahlia McGrath says that a return to Australia’s favoured 50-over format will help their players rediscover their “fearless” mindset, as they seek to close out the Women’s Ashes after a rare setback in the T20I leg.After victory in the one-off Test at Trent Bridge, followed by a tight four-wicket win in the first T20I at Edgbaston, Australia had taken an imposing 6-0 lead in the multi-format points system, and needed just one more win from the remaining five matches to retain the Ashes for the fifth consecutive series.And while still they remain one win away from their goal, the pressure has since been ramped up by England’s stirring fightback in the back half of the T20I series. Consecutive victories, by three runs and five wickets in a pair of tense finishes at The Oval and Lord’s, condemned Australia to their first bilateral series loss since the corresponding leg of the 2017-18 Ashes.But, with the scoreline now a more competitive 6-4 in Australia’s favour, McGrath says the players’ eyes have not deviated from the prize, and they will not be satisfied with a mere retention of the Ashes.”I don’t think that’s enough,” McGrath said in Bristol, on the eve of the first ODI. “We want to win every game of cricket. Yes, first and foremost, we want to retain the Ashes, but we want to win these three games coming up. Winning 8-8 doesn’t sound as good as winning them outright.”To that end, the holders can point to one of the most imposing records ever compiled by an international sports team. In 45 ODIs since their semi-final defeat at the 2017 World Cup, Australia’s women have won a remarkable 43 times, including their last 15 in a row – a span that encompasses their unbeaten run to the 2022 World Cup title in New Zealand.Since securing beating England in the final of that tournament, at Auckland in April 2022, Australia have only played three more ODIs – each of them an emphatic win over an outclassed Pakistan in January. However, McGrath is confident that the more drawn-out nature of the 50-over format will give the matchwinners in their line-up all the more time to produce their very best.”It’s where we’ve been so successful in the past,” McGrath said. “You’ve just got so much more time. You can build your innings a bit more, and we’ve had players cash in and score those big hundreds with players supporting them.”From a bowling point of view, you can build a bit more pressure, work batters out a bit more … we’ve just been consistent in that format. And we play that team-first [brand of] cricket, so players coming in know exactly what they need to do for the team, and then play their role to the best of their ability.Tahlia McGrath celebrates with Ellyse Perry during the T20Is•Getty Images

“The 50-over format is one we’ve been really consistent and really good at, so from there it’s about fine-tuning and playing a little bit more fearlessly.In the last five years, India are the only team to have toppled Australia in the ODI format, and that result – a gripping two-wicket win in a dead-rubber third match in September 2021 – arguably helped to sharpen Australia’s focus going into the World Cup the following spring.England, by contrast, last beat Australia across 50 overs in the 2017-18 Ashes, but despite eight subsequent defeats – up to and including the last World Cup final – McGrath said her side would never under-estimate the threat that Heather Knight’s team would pose, especially after their T20I showing.”Every time we play against England, it’s really good cricket, really hard-fought,” McGrath said. “We get pushed every time we play against England, and they were better than us in the last two games, and we’ve got to acknowledge that and fix some areas of our game.”No game against England is ever easy. It feels as if, every time we play each other, it comes down to the last over. All four games in this series have all been close, or had some key moments to determine the game, so we’re excited for some more good cricket.”That rare sensation of defeat, however, has obliged Australia to embrace their vulnerability on this tour, with McGrath admitting to some honest chats in the dressing-room in the aftermath of the T20I losses.Related

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“People put their hand up when they’re not playing at their best,” she said. “We help each other problem-solve, because everything’s team-first. We put egos aside and we try to help each other improve, and that’s been a strength of this side for so long.”Win, lose or draw, we are always looking to get better. So, yeah, it’s not ideal to lose but there’s always some positives to take out of it, and we’ve had some really good chats as a group.”Individually, we’ve discussed our batting, bowling and fielding plans, but at the end of the day, it just comes down to playing some fearless cricket,” she added. “If there’s something you’re thinking about, or a plan you want to put in place, you’ve just got to be confident and go ahead and do it.”The truth is we weren’t at our best [in the T20Is] and we have to find a way to fix that. Even if we’d have won some of those games, it’s still about having those chats because we want to be the best team in the world in every format. We want to keep evolving.”It’s not nice that we’re losing, but it felt as though there were some moments where we perhaps might have got into our shells a little bit. We’ve just highlighted that maybe we’ve been off the mark there a little bit, so we’re pretty keen to be on the front foot.”An added factor in England’s revival has arguably been their vociferous support for this series, with an average of 20,000 fans attending the three T20Is, and further full houses anticipated for the ODIs in Bristol, Southampton and Taunton. But, with the growth of the women’s game a huge subplot in this series, McGrath has been delighted with the turnout, even if the cheers haven’t always accompanied her own performances.”The crowds have been a real highlight,” McGrath said. “We’ve really embraced it. We’ve loved playing in front of packed houses. We’re hopeful that they continue, because we’ve heard there’s really good ticket sales coming up.”It’s awesome to see the support they get, it’s awesome to hear how loud it gets. And I think it’s pretty cool with the [Barmy Army] trumpet going in the background. We all enjoy playing cricket when you get to play in some really nice iconic stadiums with a packed house.”They let me have it when I dropped a catch,” she added, referring to a bad miss off Sophia Dunkley in the second match at The Oval. “But that’s part of it.”We’re just focused on ourselves. We’re pretty comfortable with what we do and how we go about our cricket. There’s a lot of external things that goes on with the Ashes, a lot of chat, a lot in the media, but first and foremost, we’re just focusing on ourselves. Sticking with our batting and bowling plans, and then going out there and playing some really good cricket.”

The India tour, WTC final and the Ashes in England lie ahead for Pat Cummins’ side

Andrew McGlashan27-Jan-2023Usman Khawaja believes this Australia men’s Test team will be remembered as a great side if they can sweep the three major challenges ahead of them in the next six months.The squad flies to India next week for the first of a trio of overseas assignments that will shape where the team sits in the history of the game. Australia have not won in India since 2004-05 and that will be followed by a likely World Test Championship final in early June before the Ashes, where they will not only look to retain the urn as they did in 2019 but win the series in England for the first time since 2001.Khawaja, who had a prolific 2022 following a last-minute recall and began this year with a career-best 195 not out at the SCG, shapes as a key figure in an experienced batting line-up where the likely top five all average over 45.Related

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“100%, definitely,” Khawaja said when asked if the side would be worthy of the great tag should they collect the three trophies on offer. “But win, lose or draw, we’ve played some amazing cricket. We are the world No. 1 team at the moment, have been for last year, we’ve got some terrific players in this team. [We’ve got] one of the best Test cricket batsmen I’ve seen, Steve Smith, and got some amazing bowlers, too.”Personally, it’s probably the best team I’ve been a part of because even when I came into the side we were sort of in transition. We had some great players, [and] some new players in between, so it’s just really nice to be in a team where everyone trusts each other and looking forward to what will happen over the next six months.”Jason Gillespie, who was part of the side than won in India in 2004 after having seen the 2001 series slip away, added his voice to what victory in India would mean for the team.”Let’s be honest, for this group of Australian players, this could be a career-defining tour,” he said. “All us cricket tragics and fans should be pretty excited about this group of players, I know I’m excited as a cricket fan to see what this group of players can achieve in India.”

Usman Khawaja prepares for first Test in India

Khawaja was part of the squads for the 2013 and 2017 tours of India but has yet to play a Test in the country. He was one of four players suspended for a Test on the 2013 trip for what became known as homeworkgate, when they did not return an assignment ordered by coach Mickey Arthur.This time, Khawaja returns as a more complete player of spin and much more comfortable in a relaxed set-up. He has had an eye on the India tour over the last few months and has tailored some of his preparation during the home summer.”We’ve always got one eye on future tours, no matter what,” he said. “We do take it one tour at a time but you have to have one eye on the tour, especially if you are going from here to India with very different conditions.”Even the way I’ve been practicing, I’ve been practicing for these [home] games here but when I feel I’ve ticked that off I go and do stuff I feel I need to for next two months. I know there’s a lot of other guys who are similar, just comes from maturity. A lot of us are pretty old now, we’ve been around for a while now, with that maturity we understand you need to have one eye ahead.”Some of the 18-player squad will head into a camp in Sydney while others, including Khawaja, will continue with their BBL sides during the first phase of the finals series. The squad heads to India early next week where they will initially be based in Bengaluru before heading to Nagpur for the first Test, which begins on February 9.

Sussex say seamer unavailable for first two T20 Blast fixtures

Matt Roller10-Jun-2021Ollie Robinson will not be part of Sussex’s squad for their first two T20 Blast fixtures as he takes a “short break from the game” following his suspension from international cricket pending an ECB investigation into offensive tweets he posted as a teenager. Sussex condemned Robinson’s tweets and said that they would “turn [their] attention to supporting Ollie in his commitment to continue to educate himself”, but he will not face further disciplinary action from his county.Robinson is not a centrally-contracted England player and the ECB clarified at the time of his suspension that he was available for selection at county level if Sussex opted to pick him, but the club released a statement on Thursday confirming that he would not be involved at the start of the Blast.”After a difficult week, Ollie has decided to take a short break from the game to spend time with his young family,” the statement said. “Player and staff welfare – including mental health and wellbeing – is a priority for the club and, as such, Sussex Cricket fully supports Ollie in his decision.”When he is ready to return, Ollie will be welcomed back to the club, where discussions with the remainder of the squad over the last week have made clear that he retains the support of all his Sussex teammates. We remain in close contact with Ollie from a welfare perspective and will issue further updates on his availability at the relevant times.”Related

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The statement went on to describe Robinson’s tweets as “completely unacceptable”, adding that “their content is totally at odds with our stated ambition to inspire people from every background in our county to say, ‘I feel part of Sussex Cricket’.””Ollie is a very different man from the one that wrote those tweets and has clearly learned much in the intervening years,” the statement continued. “He has made clear the shame, embarrassment, and remorse he feels for the discriminatory comments he made.”As a result of his actions, Ollie has had the opportunity to represent his country suspended, is at the centre of intense public and media scrutiny and faces the possibility of further disciplinary action from the ECB. Sussex Cricket will not be adding to these significant penalties.”The club will turn its attention to supporting Ollie in his commitment to continue to educate himself in the area of equality, diversity and inclusion. Ollie has more to learn in this area. We all do. We all have a responsibility to improve and to make cricket a game for everybody.”The ECB released a statement on Tuesday evening after further unsavoury tweets emerged from England players, including members of the current Test squad, saying that it would “discuss how we deal with issues over historical social media material in a timely and appropriate manner”.England and New Zealand took part in a ‘moment of unity’ on the first morning of the ongoing Edgbaston Test, with England’s players again wearing anti-discrimination t-shirts bearing the message: ‘Cricket is a game for everyone’.

Injuries and departures have derailed the hosts, while the visitors might bring in Sharjeel Khan and Haider Ali

Danyal Rasool09-Apr-2021

Big picture

Given there is a certain other tournament that happens to coincide with this four-match series, South Africa against Pakistan at the Wanderers is unlikely to have global eyeballs fixed firmly upon it. One of the few T20I series longer than three games, it must have appeared, on paper, as the perfect appetizer ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year. These are two evenly-matched sides who have produced some of the most evenly-matched cricket in recent times, with the T20I series in Pakistan earlier in the year producing three enthralling clashes that had ebbs and flows usually only associated with cricket’s longer formats.When Pakistan edged South Africa out 2-1 two months back, South Africa’s squad was severely depleted as they attempted to rest up for a then scheduled Test series against Australia that eventually never ended up taking place. However, the then visitors will have been buoyed by the performances of what was effectively a second-string XI, and must have been confident they would get their first-choice XI back in the return leg with a more seasoned side.But this series’ clash with the IPL has exacted a heavy toll on the South Africans, five of whom are in India at the moment. To make matters worse, injuries have struck a number of those waiting in the wings to replace them, with Temba Bavuma and Dwaine Pretorius – who famously took 5 for 17 in Lahore in February – both ruled out. Rassie van der Dussen is also a doubt, while Reeza Hendricks has withdrawn due to the birth of his child this week.All this gives Pakistan a clear shot at stamping their authority in a country where their T20I series-winning streak ground to a halt in 2019, with the wheels coming off the hottest T20I run since the format’s inception. Two years on, Pakistan are a shadow of that dominant unit but will fancy themselves to avenge that defeat with a squad that has no real injury issues of its own. Shadab Khan’s absence is well covered by Usman Qadir, while Fakhar Zaman’s ODI form has earned him a recall for this format. Mohammad Hafeez, one of the key absences for Pakistan in the home series in February, is also available.The Pakistan bowlers likely to feature are mostly the same personnel who did the job in the ODI series, though should the visitors wrap this series up early, there might be the possibility of younger players being handed international experience. Nineteen-year-old Mohammad Wasim was one of the most impressive PSL prospects earlier this year, and is a part of the squad. As is Arshad Iqbal, who followed up a stellar PSL season last year with another distinguished campaign this time around. With the T20 World Cup fast approaching and the opposition down to bare bones before the series even begins, Pakistan may find they have the chance to flex their bench strength in a way few sides do in South Africa.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WLWWL
South Africa LWLLLKyle Verreynne will be looking to grab a spot in South Africa’s T20I side•AFP via Getty Images

In the spotlight

Kyle Verreynne hasn’t yet played a T20I match, but already seems like he will be one of the key hopes for this depleted South Africa side. The 23-year old has long been regarded as one of the stars of the future generation and in the few ODIs he has had the chance to play, he has shown why. His most recent game – the third ODI against Pakistan – saw him drag his side from a near-certain defeat to well within contention with a 53-ball 62. It is that sort of confidence in his abilities that has sparked comparisons with some of his more decorated countrymen over the years. His domestic T20 record isn’t quite as impressive as his first-class numbers, but if he’s looking to grab a spot in this side, this is an obvious chance.Sharjeel Khan looks set to return to Pakistan colours for the first time in four years. Few selections have been as contentious or had as many points of interest as the inclusion of the left-hand opener. There have been questions about his past as well as his fitness, but despite all the baggage Sharjeel brings with him, there is a reason Pakistan’s selectors have been so keen to welcome him back. Half a decade ago, he was among the most fearsome strikers of the ball, and that hasn’t changed in all these years. A glimpse of his power was on display at the PSL, where only Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan scored more runs than him, though neither could match his strike rate of 170.94. Against this severely-depleted South Africa attack, expect Sharjeel to go in all guns blazing.

Team news

For South Africa, this squad inherently means an uncertain XI. van der Dussen’s inclusion would be a major boost for an inexperienced middle order, while Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder have been called up as cover.South Africa (possible): 1 Janneman Malan, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Pite van Biljon, 4 Kyle Verreynne, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (capt & wk), 6 Andile Phehlukwayo, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 George Linde, 9 Beuran Hendricks, 10 Lizaad Williams, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi/Daryn DupavillonZaman, who wasn’t a part of the original T20I squad, might slot back straight into the side, while Haider Ali might be included after being overlooked for the ODIs. It is unlikely Pakistan will line up with two spinners at the Wanderers, so Zahid Mehmood might miss out.Pakistan (possible): 1 Sharjeel Khan/Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 4 Haider Ali, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Asif Ali, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Hasan Ali, 9 Shaheen Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf/Mohammad Hasnain, 11 Usman Qadir

Pitch and conditions

This should be a high-scoring game, in line with the Wanderers’ reputation. Inclement weather is unlikely to make its presence felt.

Stats and trivia

• Mohammad Hafeez will become just the sixth player to feature in 100 T20Is should he play on Saturday. One Pakistani has achieved the feat so far – Shoaib Malik.
• The Wanderers is the venue of South Africa’s heaviest T20I defeat – a 107-run thumping against Australia last year.

Quotes

“They are a quality side. It’s nice playing against them. We need to win this series to get back at them. They’ve played good cricket against us.”

In Dhaka, Shahriar Nafees’ 82 helped Agrani Bank to a six-wicket win against Rupganj, while Mohammedan signed off their DPL campaign with a hard-fought two-wicket win over Kalabagan in Savar

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2018Sohag Gazi and Elias Sunny powered Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to the Dhaka Premier League’s Super League phase, after their 74-run win over Brothers Union in Fatullah. The spinners took three wickets each as Brothers Union were bowled out for 110 runs.Pace bowler Abu Jayed took two wickets while left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam and pacer Robiul Haque picked one apiece. Earlier, Shykat Ali top scored for Dhanmondi Club with 55, as they made 184 all out in 47.1 overs.Pacer Khaled Ahmed took three wickets while there was two each for Sohrawordi Shuvo, Shakhawat Hossain and Alok Kapali.Shahriar Nafees’ 82 helped Agrani Bank to a six-wicket win against Legends of Rupganj at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Nafees struck 10 fours in his 103-ball knock, in which he shared a 76-run opening stand with Soumya Sarkar, who was among several Bangladesh players to appear in the DPL the day after their return from Colombo.Later, it was another 76-run fourth wicket stand between Shamsul Alam and Dhiman Ghosh that sealed the win. But it wasn’t enough for Agrani Bank who are rooted at 11th place and will have to battle for relegation in the three-way playoffs with Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Brothers Union.Mohammedan Sporting Club signed off their DPL campaign with a hard-fought two-wicket win over Kalabagan Krira Chakra at the BKSP-3 ground. The game was delayed by 30 minutes after both teams and match officials were stuck in traffic on the highway leading up to Savar.Batting first, Kalabagan were bowled out for 260 in 47.3 overs with Mohammad Ashraful reaching his third century in the league. He made 127 off 124 balls with 13 fours and three sixes. He added 85 runs for the second wicket with Waliul Karim, and 82 for the third wicket with Mahmudul Hasan.But the rest of Kalabagan’s batting line-up crumbled quickly, with Qazi Onik picking up career-best figures of 6-49 from his 8.5 overs.Rony Talukdar and Enamul Haque struck fifties and shared a 98-run second wicket stand to provide Mohammedan with a good start.Shamsur Rahman’s steady 38 kept them going for a while but when he fell as the eighth wicket, Mohammedan still needed 27 to win.Taijul Islam and Onik batted well, to add the remaining runs as they won with four balls to spare. Sanjit Saha took three wickets for Kalabagan.

In Sylhet, North Zone and East Zone played out a low-scoring draw with only Mominul Haque hitting triple digits in the match

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2018Tushar Imran passed 10,000 first-class runs while Abdur Razzak took his 500th first-class wicket as South Zone drew with Central Zone in a high-scoring fixture in Savar.After being sent in to bat, South Zone racked up 448 on the back of wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul Hasan’s 133 off 129 balls. Opener Shahriar Nafees, Imran, and Al-Amin hit fifties to help swell the total. Seamer Abu Hider and Ebadot Hossain picked up three wickets each for Central Zone.Central Zone then mounted a strong reply with five of their top seven passing fifties. Though none moved to a hundred, it was enough to secure a 57-run first-innings lead. Razzak was the pick of the bowlers for Central Zone, finishing with 4 for 152 in 52.4 overs.In their second innings, South Zone scored 120 for 3 before the match ended in a draw.In Sylhet, North Zone and East Zone played out a low-scoring draw with Mominul Haque the only one to hit triple digits in the match. The East Zone captain hit 107 off 147 balls around a middle-order wobble in a chase of 261. Alok Kapali then played out an hour for eight runs to ensure a draw.Mominul, though, had bagged a duck in East Zone’s first innings after Abu Jayed’s 5 for 71 dismissed North Zone for 187 in 49.5 overs. Yasir Ali (45) and Mehedi Hasan Rana (46*) were the only East Zone batsmen to pass 30. No. 11 Khaled Ahmed also pitched in with 26 to hand his side a 24-run lead. North Zone then produced a better batting performance in their second innings, making 284 on the back of Farhad Hossain’s 85 to set East Zone 261.

The women’s Ashes will retain the points-based format used in the current series when England travel to Australia in early 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2013The women’s Ashes will retain the points-based format used in the current series when England travel to Australia in early 2014. There will be six points on offer for the winners of the sole Test match (or two for the draw), with two points for victory in each of the limited-overs matches.The schedule and venues have also been announced, with the series beginning in Perth on January 10 with a four-day Test. That will be followed by three one-day internationals and three T20s, which will be played as double-headers with the England and Australia men.The team with the most points from the seven matches will be awarded the Ashes. In the current series, England are 6-4 up, with three T20s still to play. The Test match was drawn and England won the ODI leg 2-1, thanks to a five-wicket victory on Sunday.Schedule for 2014 women’s AshesJanuary 10-13, only Test – WACA, Perth
January 19, 1st ODI – MCG, Melbourne
January 23, 2nd ODI – MCG, Melbourne
January 26, 3rd ODI – Bellerive Oval, Hobart
January 29, 1st T20 – Bellerive Oval, Hobart
January 31, 2nd T20 – MCG, Melbourne
February 2, 3rd T20 – Stadium Australia, Sydney

Rob Nicol’s hundred and James Fuller’s six wickets see Gloucestershire comfortably beat Netherlands in Amstelveen and keep their CB40 campaign on course

27-Jul-2012
ScorecardNew Zealand batsman Rob Nicol scored a century•Getty Images

Rob Nicol and James Fuller were the stars of the show as Gloucestershire boosted their hopes of making the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals with a comprehensive victory over high-flying Group A rivals Netherlands in Amstelveen.New Zealander Nicol scored a brilliant 133 with seven fours and seven sixes as Gloucestershire ran up an imposing 290 for 6 batting first, with his countryman and opening partner Hamish Marshall contributing 47 while Fuller added a quickfire 40 late on.Fuller, who conceded 38 off one over as Gloucestershire lost their Friends Life t20 quarter-final to Sussex on Tuesday, then shone with the ball, taking 6 for 35 off his six overs as Holland were bowled out for 146 in the 22nd over. A rain interruption had seen Netherlands’s victory target changed to 237 off 28 overs, but they never seriously threatened and ended up losing by 90 runs.Tom Cooper top-scored for the Dutch with 51 but he was part of a major Netherlands collapse which saw the home side lose their last eight wickets for 43 runs in under eight overs.Gloucestershire’s victory sees them join second-placed Netherlands on 11 points in Group A, one point behind leaders Middlesex but with the Westcountry side having played a game less than both their rivals. Lancashire are fourth in the group on 10 points but with two games still in hand on Gloucestershire, who they meet at Old Trafford on Monday.

Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain, has questioned England’s status as the No. 1 side in the world Test rankings after their defeat inside three days against Pakistan in Dubai

Umar Farooq20-Jan-2012Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain, has questioned England’s status as the No. 1 side in the world Test rankings after their defeat inside three days against Pakistan in Dubai.Miandad, one of England’s most redoubtable opponents in his playing days, always relishes a chance to revive battles of old and he did so again when he suggested England’s rise to the top of the rankings owed much to home advantage and took little account of their perennial weakness in Asia.”I don’t believe much in rankings because it doesn’t give a clear picture of the team’s overall performance in the world,” Miandad said. “England is mainly the top side without playing in Asia and you must give credit to Pakistan that they have been playing with no home advantage and still they are winning. England are now the No. 1 team because they had the home advantage and never lost in their backyard.”Miandad, who made 260 against England at The Oval in 1987 as Pakistan piled up 708, freely admitted that victories against them had a special piquancy.”I always feel an extra sense of satisfaction when Pakistan beat England or Australia – it always carries a special importance,” he said. “Practically everything clicked against England. A circle that includes every aspect of the game rotated smoothly. Batsman scored runs; bowlers did accordingly to the expectations.””We experienced a very bad time in 2010 and because of that our cricket was suffered a lot. Our victories always were overshadowed by the controversies. But the victory against England was a special one.”More criticism of England’s performance came from Abdul Qadir, a former Pakistan legspinner and selector. He expressed surprise that England had lost in such an “unprofessional manner”.”I was never expecting that England could go that low, to be packed up in just three days,” Qadir said. “The most pathetic things I observed about the England batting was that on the first day, when fast-bowlers were supposed to take wickets they were exposed by spinners and later on in the second innings, when the spinners were supposed to dominate they fell into the hands of fast bowlers.”This is a buzzer for the English think tank, about their strategy. It’s like they didn’t do their homework and that fact was exposed cheaply. I always deemed England a very professional side but the way they played [casts] doubts [on] my views about them.”Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s former fast bowler and coach, said that the spot-fixing scandal had made the players stronger and was a driving force behind their consistency over the last 18 months.”I’m really proud of the way they’ve responded to all the criticism and scepticism that they had to deal with after the spot-fixing scandal,” he said. “The players were determined to show everyone what Pakistan cricket is all about after the scandal. They realised that the only way to respond to the crisis was to perform well and let the results speak for themselves.”