The Australian cited “personal reasons” but it is understood that delays in finalising the deal between him and the PCB may have played a part

Umar Farooq14-Aug-2018The Pakistan Cricket Board will have to start their hunt for a fielding coach afresh after Darren Berry withdrew his interest in the role due to personal and professional reasons. Berry, who played 153 first-class matches in Australia from 1989 to 2004, had been in talks with the PCB for more than a month.Pakistan were looking for a replacement for Steve Rixon, the previous fielding coach who chose not to renew his contract after it expired in June. Berry had emerged as a leading candidate for the post after being endorsed by head coach Mickey Arthur, and official talks between the PCB and Berry began in the third week of June.It is understood Berry was originally due to join the Pakistan team on their tour of Zimbabwe in July, but that was delayed because the PCB’s official procedures took time. The date of Berry’s joining was then pushed to August 25, with the Asia Cup in September set to be his first assignment with the Pakistan team.On the understanding that everything in his contract was principally agreed on to save a few minor tweaks, Berry had let go of a coaching job in the Global T20 Canada. But when faced with more unusual delays from the PCB, he decided to pull out of the discussions. While he won’t be taking up the Pakistan job, Berry has renewed his ties with Islamabad United for the next PSL season, and also retains his Bangladesh Premier League contract.”I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity presented by Mickey Arthur and PCB,” Berry told ESPNcricinfo. “After healthy discussions between the PCB and myself, I have decided that at this point in time with a young family (Berry has three children) that full-time international travel was a bridge too far right now. I will continue to work with Islamabad United in the PSL and will keep an open mind in relation to international coaching opportunities in the future.”Rixon, 64, had his last working day with Pakistan on June 13, when they beat Scotland by 84 runs to seal a two-match T20I series 2-0. Since that game, Pakistan have been without a fielding coach. The PCB did confirm that they have been in talks with Berry and that he was on the verge of being selected for the role, but the deal wasn’t penned down formally. “(There was) no delay,” a PCB official said. “Steve Rixon was contracted to us till end June. We gave an ad that had a deadline of June 27 to hire new coach. After that we were negotiating terms and everything was agreed until he withdrew for personal reasons, but on good terms with PCB.”Berry, a respected name in cricket coaching, had spent four years with South Australia until 2015 and guided them to the 2010-11 Big Bash title, the last before the BBL became a franchise tournament. His luck was different in first-class cricket with the Redbacks finishing last in three out of four seasons.

In more bowler-friendly conditions than Derbyshire’s last home match, the captain stood firm for four-and-a-half hours

ECB Reporters Network04-Sep-2018
ScorecardDerbyshire captain Billy Godleman continued his recent impressive run of form with 95 to steer his side to respectability on the opening day of the Division Two match against Glamorgan at Derby.Godleman, who had scored a century and 71 in his previous four innings, passed 4000 first-class runs for the county as Derbyshire made 251 with their former seamer Graham Wagg taking three wickets.Timm van der Gugten also claimed three wickets and in reply, Glamorgan were 20 without loss when bad light ended play early.Derbyshire’s previous home game had been a batting feast with more than 1300 runs scored but conditions here provided help for the bowlers throughout with the floodlights on from ball one.Given the overcast skies and a green tinged pitch, it was no surprise the toss was uncontested and Tom Lace had already been dropped in the slips before he shouldered arms and lost his off stump to one that came back a long way from van der Gugten.van der Gugten also saw Wayne Madsen put down at point before he had scored in the same over but he clipped Michael Hogan tamely to mid-wicket and when Alex Hughes was caught behind trying to withdraw his bat, Derbyshire were wobbling at 50 for 3.Godleman was beaten several times but showed typical determination along with an awareness of any movement in the media centre to ensure his team posted what looks a competitive total.Gary Wilson shared a stand of 52 but was lbw playing no shot to the last ball of the morning to give David Lloyd his 50th first-class wicket and Matt Critchley batted positively until he played across the line at Hogan.Kieran Bull, in his first game for three years, was rewarded for an impressive spell of controlled offspin when Harvey Hussein was lured down the pitch and after tea was taken early because of rain, former Derbyshire allrounder Wagg had Martin Andersson lbw on his Championship debut following his loan move from Middlesex.Godleman had been in for 270 minutes but with a century beckoning, he dabbed at a wide ball from Wagg and was caught behind.Wagg quickly pinned Lockie Ferguson lbw but Tony Palladino and Ravi Rampaul guided Derbyshire to an unlikely second batting point before Glamorgan were left with 13 overs to negotiate.It was always likely to be an awkward period for the openers but they survived six overs before bad light ended play with Glamorgan 231 runs behind.

The Victoria player, who scored a double-hundred last week, is being treated for mental health-related illness

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2018Will Pucovski, the highly-rated Victoria batsman who made a double-century in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield, will take an indefinite break from the game for treatment on a mental health-related illness.Pucovski, 20, was withdrawn from the latest round of Shield matches on the eve of Victoria’s game against New South Wales and his state has now confirmed it will be an extended absence.”Will’s health remains our highest priority and Cricket Victoria’s medical staff will continue to provide support to Will during this time,” Cricket Victoria’s doctor Trefor James said.Cricket Victoria general manager Shaun Graf said: “Will is a terrific young player and we need to do what’s best for him at this time. We’ll continue to work with our medical staff to determine the best training and preparation plan to support Will at this time.”Pucovski hit 243 against Western Australia at the WACA, his second first-class century in seven matches, and given Australia’s current batting problems he was already been talked about as a potential option for the Test team.He has previously had to battle a series of concussions during his brief career following a number of blows to the head.

New Zealand were 211 for 5 but the India attack was unable to capitalise on the situation and the hosts declared on 458

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2018Associated Press

The New Zealand A lower order and tail piled on plenty of runs against an India A attack that features only two frontline bowlers with international experience under their belt. Soon after losing overnight centurion Hamish Rutherford for 114, New Zealand were reduced to 211 for 5 but the India attack was unable to capitalise on the situation and the hosts declared on 458, only nine behind India’s total.Visiting openers Prithvi Shaw and M Vijay were unbeaten in a quick stand of 35 in eight overs, with the Mumbai batsman scoring 33 off 26 with seven fours.Resuming on 176 for 1, New Zealand lost their early wickets to the pace bowlers when Tim Seifert drove to edge one behind off Mohammed Siraj and Rutherford chopped on against Deepak Chahar. Chahar soon had Rachin Ravindra hole out behind square with a bouncer, and when Glenn Phillips was trapped lbw by Navdeep Saini, India looked set to take a healthy lead with the hosts five down and 256 behind.However, Dane Cleaver (53) stitched crucial stands with Doug Bracewell (48) and Kyle Jamieson (30) to take them towards 350. When Cleaver holed out against Saini off a short ball on the off side, they were 346 for 8, but Seth Rance and Blair Tickner frustrated India further with an unbeaten stand of 83 for the last wicket. Rance was unbeaten on 69 off 57 with four fours and as many sixes, and Tickner was on 30* when they declared. K Gowtham chipped in with three wickets but conceded 107 runs in his 42 overs.

Kane Williamson was delighted with the fighting spirit his charges showed as they snatched a dramatic four-run win in the first Test in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan

Danyal Rasool19-Nov-2018Kane Williamson has hailed the astonishing four-run win in Abu Dhabi as New Zealand’s “best in recent memory” and among the best in his career. Speaking just after New Zealand triggered a Pakistan collapse that saw the hosts lose their last six wickets for 24 runs to be bowled out for 171, the New Zealand captain praised the attitude and “fighting attributes” of his side.”Some of the characteristics we hold very dear is our attitude whenever we had to get back into the game, be it with the bat, ball or in the field throughout these four days,” he said. “I think the fighting attributes of this team really shone through, certainly today. It’s important to build on a number of parts to go into the next game, for sure.”It wasn’t just today that the momentum of the game ebbed and flowed. In truth, it had been a match that, across four days, refused to reveal its hand, with no side able to establish a clear advantage over the other. For the most part, it was Pakistan doing the frontrunning, but whenever it appeared they were pulling too far ahead, New Zealand rallied, dragging themselves back into the contest, refusing to lie down.Consider that New Zealand’s 153 was the lowest ever first innings score by any side in Abu Dhabi. When, two sessions into the match, the visitors had been turned over, it looked like the result was already a foregone conclusion, with Pakistan having historically demonstrated the ability to grind opponents into the desert dust. Here, however, Williamson’s men, playing their first Test match in seven months, kept themselves in the contest. 74 was a sizeable first innings lead, but partnerships in the second innings ensured they would leave themselves with enough to play with to have a shot.”It certainly was dramatic,” Williamson reflected. “Throughout the four days, both teams were put under pressure. I think at the end of the day it was a great advertisement for Test cricket. The wicket was challenging and both teams had to fight hard, and certainly Pakistan had the upper hand after day one.”To get through the four days and stay in the match and come out with this result must obviously rank as one of our best wins. In theory it was an old-fashioned Test match, really slow in terms of scoring. The guys had to really fight hard for the runs and that partnership [112 runs between BJ Watling and Henry Nicholls] was huge for us to get a lead, even though it wasn’t a big lead. But it still kept us in the game. I guess when you look back, winning by such a small margin means every contribution in terms of runs scored and runs saved on the field did matter.”It was a game for partnerships, with one wicket triggering several more on numerous occasions. That meant those pairings that did find a way to spend quality time at the crease made crucial, and in New Zealand’s case, match winning contributions. Of the 402 runs the visitors aggregated over two innings, 270 came across just three partnerships. It was up to the specialist batsmen to make they key difference in the most testing of conditions; only 136 runs were scored by the last five wickets across the four innings, the lowest of any match since 1980.”We saw the nature of how wickets fell in clumps,” Williamson said. “I’m not sure why it was challenging to start as a batsman, and we knew if you’re able to keep the pressure on, who knows what might happen? This game was very close and you can reflect on how you do so many little things differently depending on which side of the result you’re on, but at the end of the day it was a great game.”It certainly was, prompting many to gush about the state of Test cricket, and the value of the format at a time when it is in increasing danger of being marginalised. But across in the other dressing room, Pakistan will draw little consolation about the fillip this match provided to a format that, just two years ago, they were ranked the best in the world in.

The hosts have spent 167.2 overs on the field but their batsmen still have to dig deep and show character if they are to survive in Sydney

Alagappan Muthu03-Jan-2019
4:44

Martyn: Pujara’s centuries take the pressure off Kohli

Sydney offered runs to India and misery to Australia as Cheteshwar Pujara amassed 193, Rishabh Pant cruised to 159*, Nathan Lyon complained about his team’s tactics and the three 140 kph quicks were bowled into the ground.So complete was India’s hold over the final Test match – and by extension the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – that they had Usman Khawaja – a man who’d only ever bowled one over in his life as an Australian cricketer – lobbing his harmless offspin soon after the tea break.Mitchell Starc was stuck on 199 Test wickets. Pat Cummins was down on pace. Josh Hazlewood was left waiting for the third new ball. And Australia suffered an 11th instance of being out on the field for 100 overs or more since January 2018. That is not a nice stat. The key stats on the day, anyway, seemed reserved for India, from Pujara facing 1258 deliveries – the fourth-highest by any batsman in a series not longer than four Tests – to Pant becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century down under.Rishabh Pant congratulates Cheteshwar Pujara after the latter’s 193•Getty Images

Even the man who didn’t trouble the number crunchers did well. Hanuma Vihari looks a safe bet at No. 6 for India, scoring 42 off 96 balls, and was only dislodged from the crease after a slightly contentious catch at short leg. He was judged out on the field. His review was immediate. He indicated the ball had gone off the forearm. The bowler Lyon too appeared to agree as he joined his team-mates to wait on DRS but snicko suggested a spike as the ball passed the top edge of the sweeping bat.Those kinds of shots were more the norm on the second day of the New Year’s Test. Even the phlegmatic Pujara began with an expansive cover drive and later went past 150 with a down-the-track lash through the same region. India’s No. 3 made 51 runs in 82 deliveries this morning and looked set to make his third double-century against Australia but Lyon managed to hoodwink him as he came out of his crease to secure a return catch.That left the stage open to the antics of a 21-year old in his first year of Test cricket. Pant has found stardom with his stump mic cameos. He may also be the most famous babysitter in the world – without actually doing any babysitting. And the day job’s going pretty well too. India already had 329 runs on the board when he came to the crease. He could easily have started throwing his bat around for some quick runs. No one would have blamed him; they might even have celebrated it as the perfect kind of innings from a No. 7.But that only applies to wicketkeepers for whom batting is their second string. Pant doesn’t belong in that box. He has all the shots. Too many shots. There have been times in the past when he indulges once too often and gets out. Remember the two 92s against West Indies last year? So – as if his resolution for 2019 was to show more responsibility – he played like Pujara with Pujara at the other end. Sure, the runs came at rapid pace, but there weren’t too many risks. In fact, through the first 100 deliveries that he faced, there were only five shots hit in the air.That restraint has served Pant well. He now has 350 runs in this series – which is more than Virat Kohli’s tally. It is more than MS Dhoni’s tally combining all three of his tours to Australia.There was plenty of merry-making in the last session of the day with Ravindra Jadeja participating in a seventh-wicket stand that produced 204 runs in only 224 balls, the peak of which was an over when the left-hander crashed Cummins – bowling at 130 kph – to the boundary four times in a single over. His dismissal for 81 off 114 deliveries triggered India’s declaration. With 622 on the board, their bowlers had 10 overs to further torture Australia before the safety of stumps. They would have struck in the third over, with Mohammed Shami drawing Khawaja’s outside edge, but Pant dropped a straightforward catch.Australia managed to keep all their wickets but very little is well with them. Simon Katich said the system was setting players up to fail, pointing to the case of Aaron Finch having to open the batting at Test level when he doesn’t do so for his state. Shane Warne rubbished the team they had picked to play the one-day series against India. Discontent appears to be brewing even within the team with Lyon questioning why the team had to bowl bouncers soon after drinks on the first day when the pitch – at least back then – had enough moisture to keep pitching it up.There are still three days left in the Sydney Test. Conditions are glorious for batting. Australia’s batsmen have to stand up and show their character and earn a draw. Only a draw won’t be enough for them. It would still mean they’d lose their first Test series at home to India.

Hard-fought half-centuries from Ollie Pope and Steven Mullaney ended up in vain during a match that also witnessed an attack by bees

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2019
Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur were instrumental in India A securing a fourth successive victory over England Lions in their five-match unofficial ODI series in Thiruvananthapuram.Thakur picked up 4 for 49, his new-ball spell helping topple the visitors’ top order and leave them 55 for 4 in the 15th over. Half-centuries from Ollie Pope (65 off 103) and Steven Mullaney (58 off 54) helped resurrect the innings, but they still could only muster 221 for 8 at the end of 50 overs.Very few batsmen were able to show any kind of fluency in the game. Among those who faced at least 20 deliveries, only four men from either side were able to maintain a strike-rate above 65. One of them was Pant, who walloped 73 off 76 balls with six fours and three sixes. His unbeaten 120-run partnership with Deepak Hooda, who made a run-a-ball 47, took India to the target with 21 balls to spare.Pant and Hooda’s cool finish was much needed considering England Lions had removed opener Ruturaj Gaikwad for a duck and then posed enough menace through the middle overs that India A were 102 for 4 in the 28th over with KL Rahul falling for 42 off 77 balls. While the visitors may be pleased with their ability to fight back after losing early ground – Pope and Mullaney compensated for a top five that couldn’t get past 25 and later Mullaney and Will Jacks combined to pick up 3 for 61 runs in 20 overs – they struggled to deliver the finishing blow.And so the home crowd were able to enjoy another telling glimpse India’s next generation, their afternoon disrupted only when a swarm of bees decided to attack them.

They put on an unbroken 163-run stand to ensure Sri Lanka became the first Asian side to win a Test series in South Africa

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu23-Feb-2019
Sri Lanka arrived in South Africa in a state of utter turmoil – both on and off the field. After less than seven days of cricket, they have become only the third visiting side – after England and Australia – and the first Asian team to clinch a Test series in South Africa.It was Kusal Mendis, who spearheaded the famous win with a regal, unbeaten 84 off 110 balls in a chase of 197. He found an adventurous partner in Oshada Fernando, who struck 75 not out in 106 balls, and they peeled off 163 off 213 balls – the first century stand of the series to usher Sri Lanka to the target.When the day began, it was still anybody’s game: Sri Lanka needed 137 runs and South Africa eight wickets. But Sri Lanka eventually stormed to victory without losing even a single wicket.Mendis, in particular, rolled out one rollicking drive after another and collared South Africa’s seam attack. Once left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj was recalled, Oshada twinkled down the track and launched him towards the sight screen. Mendis was the first to raise his half-century, off 52 balls, with a straight drive off Dale Steyn in the 29th over. Three overs later, Oshada moved to his maiden fifty in his fourth Test innings with a full-blooded back-foot whip between midwicket and mid-on off Maharaj.Rabada had cranked his pace up to speeds in the higher 140kph range, but Mendis and Oshada diffused his threat without much trouble. And when anything was remotely wide of off, they went after it like they owned it. Duanne Olivier hit the deck hard, like he has been doing through the summer, but Oshada took him on with daring hooks. What about Steyn? Mendis took him for a triptych of drives in his first over of the day, the pick of them a straight hit that nearly put Oshada in danger. And just like that, the hundred stand came off 126 balls.The closest South Africa came close to picking up a wicket was when Mendis flashed an outside edge, but Hashim Amla could not latch on to an overhead catch at first slip. Mendis was on 70 and Sri Lanka needed just 32 at that point. Mendis and Oshada knocked them off in fuss-free fashion to cap another monumental victory for Sri Lanka.

Freya Davies takes wickets on debut as Anya Shrubsole, Tammy Beaumont pass milestones

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2019Another strong performance by England’s bowlers carried their side to a resounding victory in the first women’s T20I against Sri Lanka in Colombo.Just as they had in Katunayake to set themselves up for a 3-0 sweep of the ODI series on Thursday, England’s bowling attack, this time led by Linsey Smith’s 3 for 18, restricted Sri Lanka to a total of 94. Tammy Beaumont’s unbeaten half-century meant the visitors made light work of the chase, reaching 95 for 2 to win by eight wickets with 34 balls to spare.There were landmarks aplenty as debutant Freya Davies and Anya Shrubsole claimed two wickets apiece with only three of Sri Lanka’s batsmen reaching double figures and none of them passing 20. Shrubsole’s 2 for 20 allowed her to overtake good friend Danielle Hazell as England’s leading T20 wicket-taker with 86 wickets at an average of 13.96.It was Beaumont’s second fifty in as matches for England after her 63 in the last ODI against Sri Lanka. Her latest score took her past 1000 T20I runs, making her the fifth English woman to achieve the milestone.”It’s not something you really think about,” Beaumont said of passing the 1000-run mark. “My dad told me the other night how many I needed to get and I forgot when I was out there. For me it’s all about trying to perform for the team and it’s nice to get an accolade like that but more important to go one-nil up early on and put in a good team performance.”The win was England’s eighth in a row since losing their first to ODIs on the tour of India last month and a streak Beaumont was keen to see continue.”Winning is a habit and that’s what were trying to do here,” she said. “Two more games to go here and then a very busy summer of cricket and we’ll try to take that into the Ashes and then the West Indies.”Fast bowler Davies described standing at the top of her mark before bowling in her first match in an England shirt with her parents looking on as “a mixture of fear and excitement”.”It was really exciting to get out there with the girls today and get that win,” Davies said. “It’s a day you look forward to for so long, so reality was strange but really exciting.”It’s nice to have mum and dad here. They’d have been devastated if they’d missed it and it’s always good to get a couple of wickets and get some of the nerves under control a little bit, but just happy that we came out and got a win to go one-nil up in the series.”England lead the three-match series 1-0, with the remaining two matches to be played in Colombo on Tuesday and Thursday.

Playing three spinners “a theme that we would like to follow”, says R Ashwin

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2019The obvious question after the toss in Mohali on Monday was why Kings XI Punjab had picked three spinners when Delhi Capitals had three seamers in their bowling line-up? One of them must have got it wrong.The answer was a combination of the pitch, the form of the three main spinners – R Ashwin, Murugan Ashwin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman – and, importantly, the importance of taking the pace off the ball while defending a target, which, incidentally, captain Ashwin didn’t want to do – he said he wanted to bat first.In the last two matches in Mohali prior to Monday’s game, teams batting second had chased down big scores: Aaron Finch’s Australia chased down 359 with 13 balls to spare in an ODI against India in March, while Kings XI chased down 177 with eight balls to spare in their first home game of IPL 2019, against Mumbai Indians.According to Ryan Harris, the Kings XI bowling coach, the idea was to take the pace off the ball and make scoring as difficult as possible.”It’s really hard to defend, we’ve seen that over the last couple of weeks,” Harris told the host broadcaster after the victory. “You have to get a big score on the board to try and defend and even that’s too hard, we saw in a one-day here a few weeks ago as well.”I think (we took) a bit of pace off the ball. Chris Gayle didn’t play today so we thought bringing Sam [Curran] in as well helped, but with Mujeeb coming back in as well it took a little bit of pace off the ball.”According to Ashwin, once Gayle had been ruled out, the decision to promote allrounder Curran as an opener was taken quickly. Ashwin said placing Curran in the top order also allowed him room to play three spinners, who he was confident would play a dominant role defending the target of 166, which he said was well short of the desired total.”We were probably about 25 short and we backed ourselves to defend it against this batting line-up against our spinners and that’s why we played three spinners and we also got Sam to open the batting,” Ashwin said to the host broadcaster after the dramatic win, where Delhi lost a record seven wickets for just eight runs.”We wanted to bat first and we wanted to back our spinners, because M Ashwin bowled really well in the last game and that’s a theme that we would like to follow but hopefully it depends on the wicket. We thought there was a bit of grip on this one.”All said, the three spinners were the most expensive of the Kings XI bowlers – Ashwin went at 7.75 per over, but the other Ashwin, Murugan, had an economy rate of 9.50, and Mujeeb at 9. Ashwin got two wickets, but the others did not, and Curran (4 for 11) and Mohammed Shami (2 for 27) made the difference in the end, Kings XI picking up seven wickets for eight runs as Delhi sank from 144 for 3 to 152 all out.”We probably haven’t nailed our starts with the ball,” Harris agreed. “We spoke about that a lot as well. (But) we came back well at the death, as we did again tonight. So if we nail our starts, we should be a hard side to beat.”