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An increased level of intensity, thanks in part to exposure against Sri Lanka, is leading to better results for Scotland cricket according to allrounder Richie Berrington. Speaking after his side’s 51-run win over Namibia, Berrington credited the aggressiveness of the team for playing a key role in coming out on top.”I thought just the way we turned up today, the bowlers were excellent and had clear plans and just kept coming with that intensity which created chances throughout the innings,” hetold ESPNcricinfo after the win. “It’s something that our bowling attack have really been working on, bringing that intensity from ball one.

Berrington on Mommsen

Scotland’s win marked the return of former captain Preston Mommsen. The 29-year-old had announced a shock retirement in November but later declared his availability again for the matches against Namibia and the two ODIs against Zimbabwe.
Despite being away for seven months, he hardly skipped a beat in his return with an unbeaten 49 off 35 balls, including a century stand with Berrington.
“It was great to have him back in the team obviously, such a quality player,” Berrington said. “To know he’s coming in at No. 5 is really good for us. We’ve played together quite a lot so we both have that understanding when we’re batting together and I think that showed when we managed to get a lot of twos in the outfield, which is massive on this ground. I also forgot how fast he is and how much he does make you run.”

That intensity was personified best by 23-year-old fast bowler Chris Sole. Though he didn’t bowl in the 5.1 overs of Namibia’s innings completed on Sunday, Sole was given the ball right away for the resumption of play on Monday and turned in a hostile spell that ended with two wickets. One of those deliveries included a first-ball bouncer to Christi Viljoen that tagged the Namibia allrounder flush on the helmet, a sequence that set the tone for the rest of the day.”Soley has done that excellently in the games he has played,” Berrington said. “Looking back to [the win over] Sri Lanka as well, that’s where he had a lot of success running in with that intent, so that’s something he’ll keep looking to do.”Berrington said the higher-intensity approach was also evident in the late surge in Scotland’s own innings; he shared in a turbocharged stand of 101 in 9.4 overs with Preston Mommsen to rocket Scotland past 250. Berrington ended with a career-best 110 off 90 balls after having started on 14 off 35 balls. However, Berrington said the true catalyst for that surge was the earlier role played by Craig Wallace, who repeatedly pulled out a slog sweep for use, not just against Namibia’s spinners but their medium pacers as well.”The Namibian bowlers bowled really well after they got those two wickets, put us under a bit of pressure, bowled really tight lines which on that surface wasn’t always easy to get away,” Berrington said. “So it probably took us a bit longer to get ourselves in. Going on and off wasn’t particularly easy but we’re used to those kinds of scenarios. I think once we did come back on, Craig Wallace came in and managed to lift the intensity a bit which helped myself as well.”The wind also played a role in the match with the Berrington-Mommsen stand aided in part by their utilisation of a strong cross-breeze which made scoring easy on the eastern side of the ground. Namibia tried to get Scotland’s batsmen playing against the turn to counter the breeze, but Berrington says their batsmen were not fazed taking on the left-arm spin of Bernard Scholtz.File picture – Chris Sole set the tone for Scotland on Monday with a first-ball bouncer to Christi Viljoen that hit the Namibia batsman flush on the helmet•Peter Della Penna

“I think we do have to use the conditions here when it’s windy like that because there is a big advantage to scoring on one side of the field at times,” he said. “We back ourselves to hit strong areas of the field and for most of us that is a strong area. There wasn’t particularly a lot of turn in the pitch so that wasn’t a concern to be honest.”Conversely, Namibia captain Sarel Burger said he was disappointed with the shot selection of his top-order batsmen despite the wind being even more of an aid during their own innings on Monday. Tailender Zhivago Groenewald top-scored with 42 off 20 balls through orthodox strokeplay, further underscoring how good the pitch remained until the end of play, and Burger says his batsmen needed to show more responsibility.”I think it was obviously very disappointing, especially in the top order, the shots the guys got out to,” Burger said. “Besides the wind blowing in that direction, I think the shot selection itself wasn’t that great. Early in the innings, the idea was for guys to get in and from there get going. Not getting in and spending time at the crease makes life even more difficult hitting into the wind. So I think it was the shot selection that was the bigger factor, not the wind itself.””I felt 268 was always chaseable, especially looking at the condition of the wicket which was playing really good. The way Richie batted, it was a great innings he played and he kept the innings together and I think that’s where Namibia fell a bit short. He took his time during the difficult stages while the ball was still new to get himself in. I think that made life a bit easier for him. Unfortunately on our side, we didn’t have anyone taking responsibility hanging around for a while to do a similar type thing.”

Angus Robson has been granted an immediate release from his Leicestershire contract after concluding that his relationship with the club has broken down.Robson, a key figure in the side under previous coach Andrew McDonald, has requested his release in pursue his career elsewhere. He is not thought to have a deal with another club at this stage.Robson, aged 25 and a fixture in the Championship side over the last three seasons, had appeared to be a pillar on which a new Leicestershire side could be built. While he has scored only two centuries in 53 first-class games, nobody in either division of the County Championship has reached 50 more often (28 times; Marcus Trescothick has recorded the same number over that period) over the last three seasons. He has been out four times in the 90s in first-class cricket.But he has been unable to build a relationship with the club’s new director of cricket, Pierre de Bruyn. De Bruyn made it clear over the winter that Robson’s place in the side was in doubt and has preferred 19-year-old Harry Dearden and 34-year-old Paul Horton at the top of the order at the start of the season.Robson has sensed he was “on the outer,” as he puts it, and decided to build a new future at a club where he feels he will have more chance of progression. Robson’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season.It is a brave decision. The market for solid, red ball players is not vibrant at present – Jaik Mickleburgh is another fine player who finds himself without a first-class county at present – and some would have been content to sit in the seconds, accept their salary and wait for another opportunity. But not Robson.”I need to be playing,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m an ambitious player and I feel I’m good enough. I realise I’ve not scored enough hundreds, but nobody has scored more 50-plus scores and I feel my career will best be served with a fresh start elsewhere.”Over the years Leicestershire have been very good to me and I thank them for the opportunities. But the relationship has broken down of late so I went to the club and asked for my contract to be terminated. I’m very disappointed by the way it’s ended, but I have a lot of friends in that dressing room and I’ll be wishing them well in the future.”Yes, some people would sit in, but I’m not that sort of player and not that sort of man. I don’t want to waste time in my career and I feel that to give myself the best chance of having the career I want, now is the time to accept a new challenge. I’ve nothing specific organised right now, but I’m pretty confident something will come along.”Leicestershire’s chief executive Wasim Khan said. “We are disappointed to lose Angus at this stage of the season but we have a big squad and fully understand that he wants to have an opportunity to start a new cricketing chapter in his life. We thank Angus for his contribution over the last four years and wish him well for the rest of his career.”The episode sustains a turbulent start to de Bruyn’s career with the club. His determination not to accept the mediocrity that has characterised much of Leicestershire’s cricket over recent seasons is admirable, but there does seem to be something of a culture clash between his intense approach and the more relaxed attitude of his predecessor, McDonald.And, while there will be respect for de Bruyn’s decision to grant more opportunities to young players and there should be some acceptance that such a tactic will take time to bear fruit, the fact that Leicestershire were bowled out for 81 in the second innings of their opening Championship match against a very strong Nottinghamshire attack and penalised 16 points for disciplinary issues will provide his critics with ammunition.”It’s not been ideal,” de Bruyn told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m shocked and disappointed that Angus has gone. He was next in line and he leaves a big gap in the squad. His agent first approached us about five months ago and asked if they could look elsewhere, so I presume they have now found something.”But we are at the bottom of county cricket and things needed to change. We were averaging something like 14 for 2 in terms of our starts at home in the Championship last season, so I wanted to encourage healthy competition in the squad and provide opportunities for young players.”We’ve raised the bar this season and everyone has brought in. We’re a solid, happy club and, over the next three years, you’ll see progress.”As for the 16-point penalty, it was a massive blow. I largely consider that something I inherited but what can you do? It’s happened and we move on. It may take some time to build the culture we want at Leicestershire, but we’re heading in the right direction and I’m excited by the challenge.”

New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne is in discussions to play in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast as an overseas player. Milne’s agent has confirmed that, while a number of clubs were interested in signing the 24-year-old, he has only entered into talks with two, one of which ESPNcricinfo understands is Kent.The signing of Milne would be a boost for Kent, who have struggled to get new recruits through the door at Canterbury. Visa issues have so far prevented Allan Donald from taking his position as assistant coach, though Jason Gillespie provides more than adequate cover as Donald sorts the relevant qualification.Kent were understood to be close to acquiring South Africa pace bowler Duanne Olivier as an overseas player for the first three months of the season. However, just as the club were preparing to announce his signing, Cricket South Africa intervened at the 11th hour to block the move, on the ground of managing Olivier’s workload ahead of the Champions Trophy. Further misfortune arose when two other potential signings on their shortlist went down with injuries.Milne has now emerged as an alternative. One of the quickest bowlers in the world – he has been clocked above 95mph – he is also a fine death bowler, with a record of 21 wickets at an average of 21.80, and an economy rate of 7.36, in T20 internationals. He also offers excellent fielding and runs lower down the order.As ever with Milne, there will be questions over his fitness. This year’s NatWest T20 Blast takes place in a block, with each team playing 14 matches in a six-week period between July 7 and August 18. While a condensed schedule has made it easier for counties to obtain players of Milne’s profile, they will also have to consider managing the workload of a player with Milne’s injury record.He has not played for New Zealand since the World T20 and, while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL last April, he suffered a hamstring tear – the first of three issues that meant he did not play again in 2016. Elbow surgery in the summer saw him unable to fulfill a seven-match commitment for Essex in the Blast.He sat out an ODI series in India to regain his fitness but picked up a side strain in the nets at the end of 2016, meaning he had to bide his time until March for a competitive comeback. Both New Zealand and his suitors will be encouraged that he has emerged unscathed from three Plunket Shield matches for Central Districts in the last four weeks.Milne is set to travel to India in the hope of completing his first full IPL with RCB (he missed the 2015 season with a heel injury) and is expected to make New Zealand’s squad for the Champions Trophy in England, which starts in June.

ScorecardFile Photo – Amy Satterthwaite equalled Kumar Sangakkara’s record of four consecutive ODI centuries•IDI/Getty Images

Amy Satterthwaite’s unbeaten knock of 102 helped New Zealand women achieve their target of 276 with five balls to spare against Australia women in Auckland to go 1-0 up in the three-ODI series. Tight bowling from Lea Tahuhu, Holly Huddleston and Suzie Bates bowled Australia out in 48.4 overs after a flying start from opener Beth Mooney (100), and fifties from Rachael Haynes and Elyse Villani, had led them to 237 for 3. Satterthwaite, whose past three ODI scores were 137*, 115* and 123, compiled a record fourth consecutive ODI ton and sixth century overall.Satterthwaite came to the middle after the dismissal of opener Rachel Priest, who had added a solid partnership of 58 with Bates. Satterthwaite and Bates then added 41 runs for the second wicket before Bates fell for 55 in the 21st over, after completing her 22nd ODI half-century. The left-handed Satterthwaite then partnered Katey Martin (43) and Katie Perkins (29) in stands of 74 for the third wicket and 77 for the fifth wicket respectively to take New Zealand past the finishing line off the first ball of the final over. Satterthwaite, who reached her hundred with a four in the 49th over, was declared Player of the Match.File photo – Lea Tahuhu’s four wickets ensured Australia could not build on Beth Mooney’s century•Getty Images

Late wickets from New Zealand’s bowlers meant the last six Australia batsmen tallied only 28 runs among them. Mooney struck her maiden ODI century, while identical scores of 50 from Haynes and Villani – the latter’s first ODI half-century – gave Australia a platform to aim for a large total. But it wasn’t to be as Tahuhu finished with figures of 4 for 59, while Huddleston took three wickets.Satterthwaite said she was pleased beating a “classy” Australian side but remained wary of the opposition, to whom they lost the series last year after taking a similar one-nil lead.”Australia are a classy unit and they don’t roll over easily,” Satterthwaite said. “We were in this position [1-0 up] last year and Australia came back and ended up winning the series so we have a lot of hard work to do. We need to step up a notch because Australia will be coming back hard.”The win was New Zealand’s third straight limited-overs victory over Australia, after they clinched the three-match T20I series 2-1 in Australia last week.

Thirty-two-year-old Sarah Aley has been added to Australia Women’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand on February 17. She was called in as cover for Lauren Cheatle, who sustained an injury to her shoulder during training last week.Aley – who finished as the highest wicket-taker in the recently concluded Women’s Big Bash League – would be the fourth-oldest Australian woman to make a T20I debut if she plays, behind Cathryn Fitzpatrick (37), Belinda Clark (34) and Lisa Keightley (34).She was the player of the match during the WBBL final. In 10 matches in the tournament, Aley took 19 wickets with three three-wicket hauls, including 4 for 23 in the final.National selector Shawn Flegler said Aley’s consistent performances in both the 50-over and 20-over versions have earned her a spot in Australia’s squad. “Sarah had yet another consistent season in both the T20 and 50-over competitions this season and there’s no doubt she has earned her selection,” Flegler said. “She has got a wealth of experience and we know that if the opportunity arises she will be able to perform the role she’s given. You always know what you are going to get with Sarah.”Cheatle is expected to be available for the second and third matches of the series. The three-match T20I series starts in Melbourne, before moving to Geelong and finishing in Adelaide on February 22.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:54