All posts by h716a5.icu

Perth Scorchers will be without Yasir Arafat for the rest of the season, due to a thumb injury

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2014Perth Scorchers will be without Yasir Arafat for the rest of the season, due to a thumb injury. The Pakistan seamer injured his right thumb – his bowling hand – when he dived to field the ball during their game against Adelaide Strikers on Thursday.Arafat ruptured a ligament but continued to bowl despite his injury. He will undergo surgery later this week and will miss the rest of the BBL, the franchise stated in a release.Tournament regulations state that Arafat cannot be replaced by another overseas player as he was already a replacement for the West Indies batsman Dwayne Smith, their original international signing.Arafat is the Scorchers’ leading wicket-taker this season with 12 wickets in six games with a best of 4 for 24. He starred in the match against Sydney Sixers, taking 2 for 1 in the One-Over Eliminator to hand his side the victory.

England will begin the one-day series against Australia with another significantly under-strength bowling attack after Stuart Broad was given the first two matches off following his Ashes exertions

Andrew McGlashan10-Jan-2014England will begin the one-day series against Australia with another significantly under-strength bowling attack after Stuart Broad was given the first two matches off following his Ashes exertions.Broad will spend time in Melbourne and Sydney before rejoining the squad in a full capacity ahead of the third match of the series in Sydney on January 19. It means that the opening encounter at the MCG will not feature the leading bowler of the Test series from either side with Australia opting to rest Mitchell Johnson.James Anderson had already been granted the one-day series off, so England’s pace attack will come from Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin, Tim Bresnan, Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes for the first two matches, along with allrounder Ben Stokes. There remains major concerns over Finn’s form – he was the only member of the Ashes squad not to play a Test – while Rankin suffered from cramps on his Test debut, and Bresnan was dropped after the fourth Test.Jordan, 25, who was born in Barbados, made his England debut in the final match of the previous ODI series against Australia, in September, and claimed 3 for 51 at the Ageas Bowl where he impressed Ashley Giles, England’s limited-overs coach, with his pace nudging the 90mph mark. With England keen to unearth some bowlers quicker than the mid-80s, Jordan is one of those likely to benefit from the resting of others during this series.This one-day series is given added significance by the fact that the World Cup will be staged in Australia and New Zealand next year. England’s opening game is against Australia, at the MCG, and although it is still 400 days away – which allows plenty of time for fortunes to change for any of the teams – it is a chance for them to begin, in a small way, the long rebuilding process after the Ashes drubbing.Eoin Morgan, one of England’s limited-overs specialists not scarred by the recent Ashes drubbing, was the man put forward to portray the image of a new start for the battered tourists: “It’s important we learn from any mistakes we make and build confidence down this side of the world,” he said.He did his best to suggest a more positive mindset around the squad – all the buzzwords where there; “fresh”, “energy”, “excited”, “keen” – but it sounded a bit too rehearsed to be natural. Quite how many of those words are echoing through Alastair Cook’s mind at the moment is unclear as he prepares to revisit the grounds that have brought only misery so far on the tour.However, with a World Cup just over a year away (and a World Twenty20 in less than three months, for which Cook won’t be a part) there is an opportunity for England to see this series as more than just a painful prolonging of their time in Australia.The one-day squad had their first training session at the MCG on a warm Friday and there was a less hang-dog expression than had characterised the final weeks of the Test campaign, although it would have been disappointing if that was not the case given that strong performances over the next five matches can push World Cup, and even Test, claims.By the nature of rotation, England are exposing more players to one-day internationals as Giles starts to put his plans in place for the World Cup, and Morgan went as far as to suggest there was almost an embarrassment of riches, which may provoke some wry smiles from Australians. “We will only be able to take 15 and it will be a tight squeeze because we could potentially take 20, so it certainly creates opportunities for youngsters,” Morgan said.Inevitably, though, the name of one person who isn’t here will continue to dominate: Kevin Pietersen. Now that England have split their coaching structure, Giles’ stance on Pietersen is an intriguing sub-plot to the fall-out that appears set to happen in English cricket, not least whether wants Pietersen as part of England sides. Giles has always been confident that he and Flower would be able to work through any selection differences, but if the two don’t see eye-to-eye on Pietersen, it could be hard to find a solution.Pietersen had already been rested for this series before the rumblings of the last few days. Due to injuries or rotation, since Giles has taken charge of the one-day side he has not had a full complement of first-choice batsmen to select from, so has been spared the ultimate decision on who gets in. It is by no means certain that Pietersen would be in that first-choice side. In the nine ODIs he has played under Giles, against India and Australia, he averages 28.44, but leaving a player out for form-related reasons is very different to other issues that may be put forward.

Eoin Morgan, considered a potential England one-day captain of the future, has been given the chance to hone his leadership skills at Middlesex, where he will captain both limited-overs teams in 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2014Eoin Morgan, considered a potential England one-day captain of the future, has been given the chance to hone his leadership skills at Middlesex, where he will take charge of both limited-overs teams in 2014.Although a combination of IPL and England commitments could limit his involvement in county cricket, Middlesex are confident Morgan’s availability will be enough to justify the promotion. He takes over from Neil Dexter, who has now relinquished all captaincy responsibilities after previously handing over the Championship brief to Chris Rogers.Morgan is in the auction for the IPL, which will take place in Bangalore next week, but will be expected back in England well before the one-off T20 against Sri Lanka on May 20. That should make him available to assume the captaincy when Middlesex begin their NatWest T20 Blast campaign on May 17, with a double-header at Lord’s against Essex and Sussex.The Royal London Cup, the ECB’s new 50-over competition, begins in late July with a four-week group stage, although England’s ODI series against India could clash with the knockout fixtures, should Middlesex progress. The club hope that Morgan will only miss three limited-overs county fixtures, all due to England demands, although that could change substantially if he were to win a recall to the Test team, as some have advocated.The ECB’s decision to exile Kevin Pietersen may also encourage Morgan, with few of England’s middle-order options capable of matching him for skill and impetus with the bat, a modest Test record notwithstanding.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said that the decision to appoint Morgan as captain in the short formats was taken some time ago and was keen to emphasis the abilities that have become increasingly attractive for England. Morgan will serve as Stuart Broad’s deputy on the West Indies tour and at the World Twenty20 and, in time, could succeed Alastair Cook as ODI captain.”Middlesex are fortunate, in Eoin, to have one of the game’s best young cricket brains at the club,” Fraser. “This talent has been identified by England too and everyone at Middlesex is chuffed that Eoin is regarded so highly. I, like many people who know him, am confident that he has what it takes and will prove to be a fine captain for both teams.”When Neil Dexter informed me of his desire to stand down as limited-overs captain before Christmas we were lucky that we did not have to look far for a replacement. I immediately contacted Eoin to see whether he was interested and his response was a firm ‘yes’. We thought it best to wait until Eoin had returned from Australia, so that we could have a face to face chat, before making any announcements. Everyone at the club is excited at the prospect of working under Eoin.”Morgan, who previously served as Shaun Udal’s vice-captain at Middlesex, led England during the ODI series against Australia last year, as well as twice on trips to play Ireland, his former team. He has captained in six one-day internationals and three T20s, impressing with his tactical understanding and cool approach.”I am really excited about the prospect of captaining Middlesex,” Morgan said. “Captaincy has always interested me and it is something I am looking forward to developing over the coming months. I have been at Middlesex for a long time now and in the past I have shown leadership with my bat. I now feel I can expand that leadership role by captaining the side.”Fraser also thanks Dexter for his “significant contribution”, having taken on the captaincy in 2010. He led the county to promotion from Division Two the following season, although his form with the bat suffered, resulting in him stepping down in the Championship in 2012. Middlesex won the Twenty20 Cup in 2008 but since a quarter-final appearance in the Friends Provident Trophy in 2009 have failed to challenge in limited-overs competition.”Middlesex CCC totally understands Neil’s position and his desire to focus on his own game. Captaining a team is an honour but it is also stressful and tiring,” Fraser said. “Neil has led by example and his values have helped create a good culture at Middlesex.”

Sri Lanka Cricket sent its top team to the World T20, but player contracts remained unsigned on the eve of their departure to Bangladesh

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Mar-2014Sri Lanka contracts issue timeline

2003
SLC agrees to share a percentage of ICC event fees with players
2010-11
SLC runs up debts of almost $70 million as it constructs stadiums for the 2011 World Cup
Feb-Sept 2011
Crippled by debt, SLC is unable to pay cricketers salaries for eight months
March 2012
Players refuse to sign fresh contracts due to a number of contentious clauses
July 2012
The issues are resolved, and the players sign
March 2013
SLC strike the players’ share (25%) of the ICC events fees from the new contracts, which the players refuse to sign. After a 24-hour lockout, chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya mediates negotiations and gets the players to sign on the understanding that the players’ share of the ICC event fees may be reintroduced in future years
January 24, 2014
Players give Jayasuriya a letter demanding 20% of the gross sum paid by the ICC to SLC for global events. Jayasuriya conveys this to the board, which is drawing up the new national contracts
February 27
The contracts list is announced and the contracts are sent to the players in Bangladesh. Upon noting that SLC has not reintroduced any clause that would give the players a cut of the ICC events payment, the players refuse to sign the contracts
March 12
The players meet with SLC to negotiate. The board promises to take the players’ concerns back to the executive committee
March 13
The executive committee proposes an incentive-driven payment system for global events, as a partial sop to player demands
March 14-15
The players maintain their refusal to sign contracts, insisting on a percentage cut from the ICC payment
March 16
The players leave for the World T20, although the contracts remain unsigned

Sri Lanka’s top team departed for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh on Sunday morning, but the standoff over player contracts persisted, and will now likely only be resolved when the team returns. A board official had offered players an opportunity to sign when the team assembled at SLC’s Maitland Place offices at 4am on Sunday, but the players had refused.*The players had met late on Saturday to discuss their position, but although SLC had issued threats of sending a second-string team to the World T20 earlier in the day, the players maintained their opposition to a contract that does not feature a percentage cut of the payment SLC receives for the team’s participation in global tournaments.On Saturday night, SLC CEO Ashley de Silva indicated the board was content to defer contract negotiations. “If they don’t sign it before they leave, I suppose we will look at it again when they come back,” he said.SLC stands to gain most from its cricketers playing in the tournament unsigned. The board is no longer bound to pay the $500,000 flat fee, nor the two-tiered incentive payments it had offered as part of its revised offer, which was a partial sop to the players’ demand for 20% of the gross sum received by SLC for tournament participation.As had happened in 2012, when contracts were not signed until mid-July, the players may not even receive match fees or regular salaries as long as the contracts remain unsigned. These funds are likely to be retroactively credited when the contracts are agreed to, however.The players had softened their demands by the eve of their departure, asking for 12% of the tournament fee. The ICC is expected to pay SLC approximately $8.9 million for the World T20, meaning the figure the players had held out for, was about $1.07 million. The difference between the guaranteed flat fee the board offered and the percentage sought by the players amounts to about $570,000 for the tournament. But beyond those sums, the players’ objection to SLC’s proposal is largely driven by the belief they are due a percentage of the ICC payment, primarily as compensation for the use of their images in promotional material for global tournaments.Sri Lanka’s players had received a cut of the ICC event fee from 2003 to 2012, until the board struck that payment from player contracts last year. The players’ grievances are also fueled by the complaint that they are being penalised for the administrators’ misuse of finances. The board had run up debts of almost $70 million when they built two new stadia and renovated a third for the 2011 World Cup. Player payment has caused strife at the beginning of every 12-month contracts cycle since then.The present standoff is also believed to have caused conflict within the board. President Jayantha Dharmadasa had been sympathetic to the players’ concerns, but was outmuscled in the board room by an opposing faction.*0600GMT, March 16: The article was updated with the latest on the contracts issues

A round-up of the Ford Trophy matches that took place on March 26, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2014A six-wicket haul by Ryan McCone sent Northern Districts crashing to 119, thereby helping Canterbury secure a home preliminary final following their six-wicket win at the Hagley Oval. Canterbury chased down the target within 27 overs and the two teams will meet again on Sunday, with the winner progressing to the final and the loser to meet the winner of the second preliminary final.It could have been worse for Northern Districts, who were reduced to 40 for 8 at one stage. Hamish Bennett started the slide by removing the openers before McCone, the right-arm seamer, took three middle-order wickets. Mitchell Santer witnessed his partners collapsing around him and the only player to offer support was the No.10 Anurag Verma who scored 19. The pair added 68, with Santer scoring 61 before he was bowled by Bennett. McCone cleaned up the tail to finish with his best figures of 6 for 19. Canterbury were carried by a third-wicket stand of 79 between Rob Nicol and Dean Brownlie.Auckland came through by five runs in a high-scoring game against Wellington at Basin Reserve. Chasing 303, Wellington were in a good position at 277 in the 46th over but collapsed to 297. Colin de Grandhomme followed up his 84 with 4 for 48 to cap a fine all-round performance.Auckland were given a good start by the openers Tim McIntosh and Anaru Kitchen, who added 86. McIntosh scored 73 but the most vital contribution came from de Gradhomme who smashed 84 from just 53 balls with nine fours and three sixes to power Auckland towards 300. Wellington began steadily in the chase and a third-wicket stand of 97 between Tom Blundell and Stephen Murdoch put them on course. De Grandhomme removed Murdoch for 71 but Wellington took back the initiative with another stand of 97 between James Franklin and Grant Elliott. Franklin’s fall at 55 sparked a collapse, with de Grandhomme taking two lower-order wickets and effecting a run out to highlight Auckland’s dramatic comeback. The win means that Auckland will get to host the second preliminary final against Wellington on Sunday.At the University Oval in Dunedin, Jesse Ryder smashed 96 off just 69 balls to set up Otago’s 106-run win over Central Districts. After being put in to bat, Otago were at an unsteady 80 for 4 before Ryder cut loose. He added 41 with Ryan ten Doeschate and then 72 for the seventh wicket with Mark Craig. He smashed five sixes in his knock before he was dismissed by Tarun Nethula, who took 4 for 35. Central Districts never recovered after they lost their openers to Bradley Scott by the fourth over. Only Kruger van Wyk resisted, with 34, but the middle order collapsed to Ian Butler and Craig who shared seven wickets between them. Central Districts crashed to 127 in the 30th over.

Bismah Maroof was the backbone of Pakistan’s batting as they took the seventh-place play-off against Sri Lanka by 14 runs in the Women’s World T20.

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2014
ScorecardFile photo: Bismah Maroof revived Pakistan from 26 for 3•Getty ImagesBismah Maroof was the backbone of Pakistan’s batting as they took the seventh-place play-off against Sri Lanka by 14 runs in the Women’s World T20. Her 62 off 53 balls resuscitated a top-order collapse to present enough of a score for the bowlers to defend.Pakistan were 17 for 2 when she arrived and lost her partner Nida Dar not long after. Sri Lanka’s control was slowly coaxed out of their grasp by a a fourth-wicket partnership 75 off 67 between Maroof and the captain Sana Mir. A late flurry from Asmavia Iqbal, 16 off 5, hiked the total up to 122. Nilakshi de Silva was Sri Lanka’s best bowler with a double-strike in the fifth over.Anam Amin, the slow left-armer opened the bowling and had Sri Lanka in a tangle with two wickets in two overs. That slip turned into free-fall when Sania Khan’s medium pace made short work of the middle order to leave the score at 37 for 5. Eshani Lokusuriyage resisted with 37 off 29 balls and shepherded to tail until the 18th over. Her fall complicated an equation of 30 off 12 even further and Sri Lanka ended short.
ScorecardIreland end their campaign in the Women’s World T20 without a win as Bangladesh held on to ninth place with a 17-run victory in Sylhet. Panna Ghosh took 3 for 25 as the hosts rallied to defend a below par 105 to record their first win of the tournament.The chase began in dismal fashion with opener Clare Shillington run-out off the second ball. That had a domino effect as the next three players departed for single-figures. Cecelia Joyce managed to stick around for 19 off 32, but became Ghosh’s first victim. The tail couldn’t muster much resolve as Ireland were bundled out for 89, with three balls left.Bangladesh were only marginally better with the bat after they won the toss. Four of their batters could not progress to double-figures, but opener Sharmin Akhter was resolute at the top. However once she was dismissed for 35 off 46, the lower-order crumbled. Three wickets fell for two runs and then further from 88 for 6 to 99 for 7 in the final over. Lucy O’Reilly, the 14-year old medium pacer, claimed a career-best 3-15, but the collapse she set off did not end up hurting Bangladesh

A round-up of IPL news on April 29, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-2014Lendl Simmons, the West Indies batsman, has signed up for the Mumbai Indians after the IPL technical committee approved him as a replacement for Jalaj Saxena. Saxena had been ruled out the season after sustaining a finger injury in his right hand during a training session.Simmons, who has played close to 100 international matches for West Indies, had a stellar season with Guyana Amazon Warriors in last year’s Caribbean Premier League, where he emerged as the team’s highest run-getter with 263 runs from nine matches at 33.25 to power them into the final, which they eventually lost against Jamaica Tallawahs.Since then, however, Simmons’ form has tailed off a little in the shortest format. He managed just 77 runs from five matches in the Champions League Twenty20 for Trinidad & Tobago, and was just as indifferent in West Indies’ World T20 campaign, where he scored just 88 runs in five innings.Simmons is likely to be available for Mumbai Indians’ next match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad tomorrow. His new team have had a dismal start to the season, losing their opening four games and are rooted at the bottom of the IPL table.South Africa’s Rossouw joins Royal Challengers
Royal Challengers Bangalore have named South African batsman Rilee Rossouw as the replacement for Nic Maddinson, who was ruled out of the IPL because of a hand injury. Rossouw, who represents South African franchise Knights, has scored 1362 Twenty20 runs at a strike-rate of 126.81 and was the top-scorer for the franchise in this year’s domestic T20 competition. He had been part of the Royal Challengers squad for the 2012 season. Shouldn’t have batted at No.3 – Gambhir
With three noughts from four matches, Gautam Gambhir has been one of the flops of IPL 2014 so far. After registering ducks in his first three innings, Gambhir demoted himself down to No.3, but found little success even there, as he scratched around for a five-ball 1 against Kings XI Punjab. Gambhir took full responsibility for his decision, which backfired and resulted in a second loss for Kolkata Knight Riders.”I am not sure of my decision to have batted down the order in the last game against Kings XI Punjab,” Gambhir wrote in . “I think it not only made me even more anxious sitting and waiting for my turn but more importantly, it disrupted Manish Pandey’s rhythm who was surely finding his bearings at the No 3 slot.”I wanted to see if I got my form back by dropping down the order. The bigger picture was that if I scored runs at No 3 and got my confidence back then it would surely augur well for the team and I can go back to opening the innings in the next game.”But we missed an equally important aspect: how will the other batsmen react to this shuffle. More importantly, in hindsight, I felt I let down the leader in me. I should have taken the bull by its horns and continued trying to excel while opening the batting.” Sandeep revels under experienced heads While Glenn Maxwell and David Miller have hogged most of the headlines for Kings XI’s perfect start to the season, Sandeep Sharma has quietly been making a name for himself. Boasting an impressive economy rate of 5.63, Sandeep already has seven wickets, as well as two Man-of-the-Match awards to his name, and the medium-pacer credited the senior members in the side for their valuable inputs.”Bala paaji (L Balaji) has been really helpful when it comes to preparing me for situations where I might get hit for runs and will have to maintain my cool,” Sandeep told . “This is his seventh IPL and he has faced a lot of difficult situations while bowling. Talking to him about it will keep me better mentally and physically equipped to face such situations when they arrive.”(Mitchell) Johnson and I are completely different type of bowlers, but what I have been leaning immensely from him is how to prepare yourself for the match in your practice sessions, how to conduct yourself confidently on the field and how to plan your moves based on the batsmen and situation.”For instance, in our last match (against KKR), I was bowling my last over and was hit for boundaries off the first two balls. Mitchell came to me and said that the bowling plan and the field that I was using was for a top-order batsman and it will not work against the tail-enders. He asked me to bowl straight length balls from over the wicket instead of using variations and trying to create angles.” Maxwell catch was easier – Starc Mitchell Starc has described his stunning diving catch to dismiss Glenn Maxwell in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s last game as a “little easier” than his equally brilliant effort near the boundary to get rid of Wriddhiman Saha.”Maxi’s catch was more satisfying because he has been scoring heavily and I was happy to get him out cheaply. It didn’t do us any good in the end but I was happy to take a couple of good ones,” Starc said. “Technically, however, I found Maxi’s catch a little easier. Saha had hit the ball hard and I didn’t know to which part of the boundary it was going. Also, I had to maintain my balance very close to the rope. For me, getting low in front is easier than the balancing act.”With already several deserving nominees for catch of the tournament, Starc’s two grabs are also bound to make the list, and the seamer shed light on his technique which has served him well over the years.”I always have my fingers pointed down; I don’t like to catch with fingers facing skywards,” he said. “Back home, most players favour the reverse cup method and some also say it is easier to get into the right position. But I have been used to the other method since childhood and it has stayed with me.”

An explosive half-century from Jonathan Carter powered Sagicor High Performance Centre to an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh A at the Three Ws Oval and helped them level the two-match T20 series 1-1

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2014
ScorecardJonathan Carter struck five fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 31-ball 53•WICBAn explosive half-century from Jonathan Carter powered Sagicor High Performance Centre to an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh A at the Three Ws Oval and helped them level the two-match T20 series 1-1. Carter struck five fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 31-ball 53, and put on an unbroken 81 for the third wicket with Andre Fletcher as Sagicor raced to their target of 126 with 27 balls remaining. Fletcher finished not out on 44 off 35 balls. Carter came in to bat at 45 for 2 in the eighth over, after fast bowler Shafiul Islam had picked up the second of his two wickets. They were to remain Bangladesh A’s only successes.Sent in to bat, Bangladesh A lost Nurul Hassan in the first over of the match, lbw to left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell. Imrul Kayes and Shuvagata Hom then added 54 for the second wicket, before both fell within an over of each other to leave Bangladesh A 59 for 3 in the eighth over. They never quite regained the lost momentum, and Sabbir Rahman’s 28 was the only contribution of note from their middle and lower order as they finished on 125 for 7.

Hampshire’s last-wicket pair of James Tomlinson and David Balcombe repaired a middle-order collapse to thwart Gloucestershire on a day of fluctuating fortunes.

Press Association07-Jul-2014
ScorecardLiam Norwell’s afternoon wickets kept Hampshire in check•Getty ImagesHampshire’s last-wicket pair of James Tomlinson and David Balcombe repaired a middle-order collapse to thwart Gloucestershire on a day of fluctuating fortunes.Hampshire raced to 69 for 1 and then 144 for 2 after being put in, only for Liam Norwell to induce a slide in which Hampshire lost seven wickets for 38 in 12.1 overs.Norwell took four quick wickets with his medium pace before Tomlinson and Balcombe, not renowned as batsmen, came together in an unbroken stand of 69 for the last wicket as Gloucestershire ran out of ideas.At the close, delayed by rain earlier in the day, second-placed Hampshire had made 251 for 9 from 80 overs with Tomlinson 33 not out and Balcombe unbeaten with 38, leaving Gloucestershire a chance to reflect on why they had been unable to finish off their good work on a helpful pitch.The rain wiped out the entire first session, meaning play did not start until 1.10pm after an early lunch. Gloucestershire captain Alex Gidman noted the green tinge to the wicket and the Ageas Bowl’s reputation for aiding the bowlers and chose to field first.Gidman must have starting to regret his decision quickly as Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams put on 69 in 21.4 overs for the first wicket without alarms. Benny Howell and wicketkeeper Adam Rouse, both former Hampshire players, combined to break the partnership when Carberry was caught by Rouse attempting leave.Hampshire showed no signs of being slowed by the England batsman’s dismissal as Adams and Will Smith took the score to 98 before Will Gidman got Adams to edge to Rouse.At tea, Hampshire were in a dominant position at 106 for 2 with Smith and James Vince well set but the turning point came at 144 in the 50th over when Vince, who had struck five fours in his 25, was leg before to Norwell.The Hampshire batting quickly subsided in his wake as Norwell bowled Smith for 45 and in rapid, unseemly succession Sean Ervine, Joe Gatting, Adam Wheater, Danny Briggs and Kyle Abbott all fell, six wickets going down for 25 in nine tempestuous overs.Ervine gave Iain Cockbain a catch at short leg, Tom Smith deceived Gatting and Wheater edged Norwell to Cockbain at second slip. Briggs went to another slip catch by Chris Dent and Will Gidman returned to dismiss Abbott in identical fashion.At 182 for 9, Hampshire were in disarray and the end looked close as Balcombe was joined at the crease by Tomlinson. Viewed as an old-fashioned No. 11, Tomlinson nevertheless put on 60 with Briggs against Surrey last time out and he and Balcombe defied Gloucestershire despite the many bowling changes made in a frantic last 18 overs of the day by Alex Gidman.Neither batsman looked in any trouble as they complied their face-saving partnership and at the close Tomlinson was nine runs short of a career-best while Balcombe struck Norwell for successive boundaries on the way to his best score of the season.Norwell finished the day with figures of 4 for 87 but they might have been better had it not been for the defiance of the last-wicket pair who plundered runs from him as play drifted beyond 7pm and the attack visibly tired.

Paul Farbrace insisted England’s senior players could not be praised highly enough despite recent results at the close of play on the fourth day of the second Investec Test at Lord’s

George Dobell20-Jul-2014Paul Farbrace insisted England’s senior players could not be praised highly enough despite recent results at the close of play on the fourth day of the second Investec Test at Lord’s.Farbrace, the England assistant coach, pledged full support for beleaguered captain, Alastair Cook, and said the “contribution” of other senior players had been “fantastic.”Farbrace has only been in the job a few months so it would be understandable if he felt he was not in a position to criticise his players. But his comments are sure to raise eye-brows after another disappointing day saw England facing a fight to avoid defeat against India.Of particular surprise will be Farbrace’s suggestion that the coaching team “can’t praise the senior players highly enough” despite evidence that suggests they are the cause of the team’s difficulties.For while Cook has not scored a Test century for 27 innings and Ian Bell not for 17 innings, Matt Prior has conceded the equal most byes by an England keeper in a home Test since 1934. Stuart Broad looks far from fit while James Anderson has not taken a five-wicket haul since the Trent Bridge Test of 2013 and, in the 13 games since, has taken his wickets at an average of 35.59.Matt Prior is one of the senior England players who continue to struggle•Getty ImagesBut Farbrace remains supportive and believes that the worth of such players cannot be rated by their on-field contributions.”The great thing with all of our senior players is that their contribution in and around the dressing room, in and around practice, has been fantastic,” Farbrace said. “It’s been massive. We can’t praise them highly enough.”They’re helping young players that we’re trying to develop and we are trying to develop a squad and a team and trying to take it forward. Yes, we want to win games, but we’re also trying to develop players at the same time as winning games of cricket.”While that does raise the question of the role of the coaches – you might think it was their role to help with the development of younger players – Farbrace did accept that the bowlers had failed to maintain the requisite lengths in India second innings and that Cook needed to produce more runs.”They’re not machines,” Farbrace said. “They are trying hard to get the ball in the right places and sometimes it doesn’t work.”Absolutely, Alastair is aware that he needs to score some runs. He wants to do well for the team. He wants to score runs for them.”He doesn’t need telling. He’s well aware of what he needs to do, and his commitment to the team is fantastic.”In truth, Farbrace’s comments probably illustrate the absurdity of the post-play media conferences more than they do anything else. While he expressed his resolute support for Cook as captain, there really was nothing else he could be expected to say in the circumstances. The fourth day of a Test is hardly the time to suggest it is time for a change of captaincy.”Nothing has changed whatsoever,” Farbrace said. “Absolutely nothing has changed. We all want him to score runs and I think you saw today that everybody in the ground wanted him to score runs. We’re all very much behind him. Everyone in the team is.”He’s feeling that a score is close, and you saw today that he fought and scrapped and worked as hard as he possibly could. There is absolutely no question that he is our leader. He’s a very unflappable character and he’s working very hard. His thoughts are very much on the team and the team doing well.”