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Bangladesh haven’t won a game in the last four T20 World Cups, and the skipper wants to end that streak

Mohammad Isam24-Sep-2024Nigar Sultana wants Bangladesh to beat Scotland in their opening match of the women’s T20 World Cup on October 3 and set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Beating Scotland would be a “huge achievement”, she said, since Bangladesh haven’t won a match in their last four World Cup appearances, and have won just one game in five editions.Nigar, however, clarified that Bangladesh were not taking Scotland lightly. “We want to win the first match,” she said. “It will be a huge achievement for the team. The team will get into a flow when that happens. We can then dream of something bigger. We are hungry for it.”Scotland, though, are playing good cricket. Generally teams arrive at the World Cup with a lot of expectations. They won’t let you win easily. They don’t give up without a fight. We are mentally prepared to face those challenges.Related

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“I have played four World Cups but we have never won a game in those editions. The last time we won was in the 2014 tournament [against Sri Lanka]. We have played well in previous editions but playing well only means something when you can win.”Nigar and Bangladesh are dreaming big. They want to challenge England, West Indies and South Africa, the others in their group in the first round, and are hoping to get into the semi-finals.”To play in the semi-final, we have to win against those three teams, too,” Nigar said. “We have different plans against each team. If we can execute our game-plan, then it will good for us. We have defeated South Africa in T20Is [twice in 13 completed matches]. We rarely meet England, only in World Cups, so it might be difficult for them, too. We all know that we have a good spin attack.”The tournament was initially supposed to be held in Bangladesh, but following political unrest in the country in July-August, the ICC relocated it to the UAE.”For a long time, we prepared with the understanding that the World Cup will be held at home,” Nigar said. “It is not in our control, so there’s no point thinking about it anymore. We played in Abu Dhabi in 2021, where the wickets were nice. Sharjah is a new venue for us, but we will play two practice matches, which will give us some idea.”Other teams will face similar challenges, so the faster we can adapt to those challenges, it will help us play better in the tournament’s main matches.”Young Rabeya Khan has been a revelation for Bangladesh in recent times•BCB

Batting a concern for Bangladesh

Bangladesh haven’t done well with the bat in their last two home series, against India and Australia, and also lost to India and Sri Lanka in the women’s Asia Cup earlier this year.Giving Nigar confidence, though, are newcomers like Shathi Rani and the uncapped Taj Nehar, who was picked ahead of the more experienced Rumana Ahmed.”Batting is definitely a concern but we saw some improvements among the batters during the ‘A’ team tour [of Sri Lanka],” she said. “We still believe that we can do well as most of our players have also done well in the domestic tournaments. I hope they continue their form in the World Cup.”We included Taj for the middle-order, although she doesn’t have experience. We saw her in the league [Women’s National Cricket League] where she showed good approach and intent. She can play the big shots. If you have followed our recent international matches, we failed in showing intent. Shathi was the highest run-getter in the league. She can go after the bowling, and you can see those in some of her innings. She can use the powerplay quite well. She has proved herself to come at this stage.”Bangladesh have a strong spin attack that includes left-arm spinner Nahida Akter and 19-year-old legspinner Rabeya Khan. Nigar paid a glowing tribute to young Rabeya, who is the team’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is this year [14 wickets in 12 games]. “Rabeya is one of our finest bowlers. She has taken our team to a different level through her contributions in both formats. She is a great fielder. She is good with the bat too but doesn’t take batting seriously. She is maturing slowly. If there’s someone I rely with the ball in tough situations after Nahida, it is definitely Rabeya.”

Tom Moores 81 threatens chance of upset before five Notts wickets fall in 90 minutes

ECB Reporters Network21-Jul-2023Hampshire 166 (Gubbins 49, James 3-38, Hutton 3-40, Paterson 3-56) and 344 for 5 dec (Holland 138*, Dawson 82, Fuller 52*) beat Nottinghamshire 100 (Holland 4-19) and 294 (Moores 81, Clarke 67, Fuller 4-59) by 116 runsTom Moores flailed tired bowlers in the evening with 81, his first fifty of the season, to threaten just the chance of a remarkable upset but he became the first of five final men to fall in 90 minutes as Hampshire completed their fifth win this campaign by 116 runs.Challenged to make 411 in a theoretical maximum of 202 overs by their late declaration on Thursday, Nottinghamshire started the third day of the Trent Bridge LV= Insurance County Championship match with the neat equation before them of exactly 400 runs required and all ten men standing.In fact the more key early stat was supplied by the seamers: Mohammad Abbas struck with his third ball of the day, Kyle Abbott with his second and, after rain stole 13 overs, James Fuller with his fifth and eleventh balls of the match. Hampshire’s formidable pace pack sensed victory at 76 for 4.A stand of 99 slightly shifted the balance until Joe Clarke, twice missed, finally fell for 67 to Fuller, who finished with 4 for 59, and Moores, after adding 64 with Lyndon James, had his off stump clipped still 30 overs from the scheduled close.The home demise began in the morning’s second over when Ben Slater, in what has been a season of struggle, was unable to add to his overnight eight before a beauty from Abbas straightened to hit off stump. When Abbott arrived as first change and found the immediate lift to take the shoulder of Will Young’s bat and see the Kiwi lob to the ‘keeper for the same score, Nottinghamshire were 40 for 2.Rain arrived three balls later and, soon after the afternoon resumption, Clarke was reprieved on one at second slip off the same bowler before Fuller, the fifth seamer employed, ended Haseeb Hameed’s fluent 30 by having the acting captain held high at third slip from a defensive edge. He then disposed of South African Matt Montgomery for a ninth-ball duck.Born in Cape Town but raised in New Zealand, Fuller is one of four bowlers in Hampshire’s pace quintet who all learned their cricket abroad but it was the lone home-grown seamer, Keith Barker, who should have ended a fifth-wicket revival then worth 50.A top-edged cut from Clarke flashed between ‘keeper and slip, the latter only belatedly reacting, as a fortuitous boundary brought up Clarke’s fifty. Next over, another shower forced an early tea but no loss of time.It meant the last session stretched ahead for potentially 53.2 overs and ten of them had gone by the time Fuller, in a second spell, cut one back to remove Clarke’s middle stump for 67. Moores then accelerated until spin made its first Hampshire appearance of the match – and Liam Dawson, aghast, saw him dropped at the wicket from his twelfth ball.It was finally yet another seamer, the Australian-raised Ian Holland, who clipped his off stump, Moores’s 81 coming from 109 balls, before Abbas returned to bowl James, ending 20 overs at the crease for 21. When Brett Hutton edged behind for nine Fuller had secured his fourth success.Refusing runs to farm the strike, Calvin Harrison held out until the new ball was available – and immediately taken in bright sunshine at 6.25 with 13 overs left. But Toby Pettman, left two balls to face from the first of them, fended to short leg off the second. Harrison, last to go, was leg-before to Abbas for 39, 27 balls later.

The allrounder will make a landmark outing against India in Mumbai on Sunday

AAP06-Jan-2024Ellyse Perry is keeping an open mind about the rest of her outstanding international cricket career, saying playing 400 matches could be feasible.The allrounder will become the first Australian woman to make 300 international appearances when India host the second match in the teams’ T20I series in Mumbai on Sunday.Perry is an all-time great of Australian sport and key to the ongoing success of the national women’s team. Asked whether reaching 400 games is a goal, Perry said she had set no ceiling on her playing career.Related

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“I don’t know what’s in store …but if it’s meant to be down the track and I’m still around playing …I’m really open to what happens,” she said from India. “I don’t have a set time frame on it. Either way it doesn’t really matter, it’s just another number.”For as long as I can contribute to the team and it’s something I find really motivating and enjoyable, I’d love to be here.”Perry was left out of Australia’s T20I team early in 2022, but reshaped her game to return as an integral player.The 33-year-old has also bowled less since a serious hamstring injury during the 2020 World Cup. The key for Perry individually, and for the all-powerful Australia team, is to keep evolving.India have beaten Australia in a Test for the first time on this tour and the home side also won their opening T20I clash, while the tourists swept the one-day series in between.”It’s a great time for us, of evolution. You’ve seen a lot of that in the way that Phoebe Litchfield has performed in those one-day matches; Annabel Sutherland, her last 12 months,” Perry said.”That’s something we’re incredibly conscious of – [to] maintain the success we’ve had, but equally evolve that, to look a little bit different in the way the team plays. The game is moving at such a rapid pace. There’s a new environment. In a lot of ways the sky’s the limit in terms of where it can go.”Perry paid tribute to her family, saying she relishes still having net sessions with her dad Mark.”Every time, he bowls me. In general terms, Dad will always have my measure,” she said.Perry has been a key figure in the rapid rise of women’s cricket, which attracted 86,000 fans to the MCG to watch Australia win the 2020 World Cup final.”My first game in Darwin, there were probably about 30 people,” she said, recalling her 2007 debut. “It continues to blow my socks off when stuff like that happens, which has been a true privilege.”

Then opener anchored Western Australia with a fine century while Sam Whiteman and Josh Inglis played their part

AAP01-Mar-2024Jayden Goodwin scored his maiden first-class century to anchor Western Australia’s first innings in their Sheffield Shield match against Queensland at the WACA Ground.On a day when Cameron Bancroft fell for a six-ball duck, Goodwin dug in his heels to help guide WA towards a competitive first-innings total.Related

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Sam Whiteman combined with Goodwin to anchor the innings, while Josh Inglis added a handy 47 before WA lost 4 for 25 late in the day.WA entered the match third on the ladder and knowing a loss could end their hopes of reaching the Shield final to defend their title.Goodwin, the son of former Zimbabwe star Murray Goodwin, was the hero of the day, with his brave knock only brought undone when he was bowled by Mark Steketee soon before stumps.”Credit to Jayden, he batted tremendously,” Whiteman said. “He scored a good 80 the other week [against Tasmania], and he’s scored a mountain of runs in club cricket and second XI.  So it was awesome to see him get the job done in first-class cricket.”We’ve gotten to know Jayden pretty well over the last few years, and he just loves batting. He probably gets that from his dad. He’ll do whatever he can to spend as long as possible at the crease. He leaves really well and sticks to his game plan. It was a joy to watch today.”Bancroft fell for a duck in the first over after edging Xavier Bartlett to third slip, but WA were on top following a 128-run stand between Whiteman and Goodwin.Whiteman’s hopes of a century went up in smoke when he charged down the wicket to Mitchell Swepson and was stumped well out of his crease.Hilton Cartwright fell for a duck two overs later edging Swepson to slip, and WA looked shaky at 151 for 4 when D’Arcy Short nicked Steketee behind.Inglis helped Goodwin settle the ship after that. Goodwin struck 13 fours and one six on the way to reaching his century in 245 balls, and he fell just short of seeing out the day.Bartlett was the pick of the Queensland bowlers with 5 for 45, while Steketee and Swepson snared two apiece.”To get Bangers [Bancroft] out – he’s probably the form batsmen of the competition – to see the back of him early was a nice start to the day,” Bartlett said. “I thought the way Sam Whiteman and Jayden Goodwin batted there, they were superb. They put the pressure back on us, so hats off to them.”

Stand-in captain Jake Libby notches another fifty but injury-hit Derbyshire land their punches

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2023Anuj Dal again enjoyed himself at Worcestershire’s expense as bottom-placed Derbyshire put their injury problems in the bowling department behind them to bring about a collapse by the home side on day one of the LV=Insurance County Championship encounter at New Road.Dal had scored a hundred and a fifty plus picking up a five-for in the corresponding fixture in 2022 after scoring a century in the match between the teams at the Incora County Ground. He continued in that vein by returning figures of 18.3-5-45-5 as Worcestershire, who were 105 for 1 at one stage, were dismissed for 237 in 83.3 overs.The Peakites were without frontline bowlers Saranga Lakmal, Zak Chappell and Sam Conners and in addition Ben Aitchison limped off after being unable to complete an over. But Derbyshire, who signed Surrey’s Conor McKerr on loan for a third spell at the club, stuck to their task against a Worcestershire side who themselves had fitness problems.Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira, Jack Haynes and Kashif Ali were all ruled out and it meant handing a debut to rookie pro Rehaan Edavalath in addition to India pace bowler Navdeep Saini.Stand-in skipper Jake Libby continued his rich vein of form by top-scoring with 78 to take his run tally to 373 in his last three knocks. But only fellow opener Gareth Roderick and Adam Hose offered him much substantial support.Saini, who played for Kent in the Championship last summer, struck with his first delivery to dismiss Harry Came and Derbyshire ended on 32 for 2 after losing Luis Reece to the final delivery of the day from Dillon Pennington.Libby opted to bat after winning the toss and he and Roderick scored freely against the Kookaburra ball which is being used during the next two rounds of Championship matches.They completed their third successive half-century stand since joining forces at the top of the order in the previous Championship game against Sussex. The partnership was worth 70 when Roderick was bowled through the gate by Aitchison with a delivery that nipped back.The game started to swing in Derbyshire’s favour once Azhar Ali was dismissed to the final delivery before lunch when he drove at Dal and was caught at slip.Edavalath came out for his maiden innings at the start of the afternoon session but lasted only three balls before he missed a straight delivery from Dal and was lbw for nought.Libby completed an excellent half century from 106 balls with a push through the covers for two off Dal who bowled a probing 10 over spell either side of lunch of 10-2-32-2.Hose has been in prime form in Championship and T20 cricket and he again looked in good touch and helped Libby add 54 in untroubled fashion. But Hose edged Nick Potts to slip and Libby’s fine knock was brought to an end by Dal with keeper Brooke Guest holding onto the chance. Libby has now scored 614 first class runs this summer, the third highest figure on Division Two.Ed Pollock, recalled to the Championship side, got his head down but was dismissed to the last ball before tea when he shouldered arms to Dal and was bowled.Matthew Waite showed positive after the interval, striking Aitchison for three boundaries in the first over to bring up the 200. But he was bowled on 19 by a delivery from McKerr which nipped back a long way.Joe Leach clipped McKerr tamely into the hands of mid wicket and Josh Baker pushed forward to Luis Reece and was bowled. Dal completed his five-for by shattering Pennington’s stumps.Saini made the perfect start as Came offered no shot to a delivery angled into him and was bowled and then Reece edged the final delivery of the day from Pennington to first slip.

Ravindra Jadeja and Khaleel Ahmed, meanwhile, had memorable outings with the ball

Shashank Kishore23-Jan-2025

Rohit’s big miss on Ranji return

Rohit Sharma’s Ranji Trophy return after nearly 10 years wasn’t as memorable as he’d hoped it would be. His 19-ball vigil brought him 3, and he was out caught off the leading edge while attempting a half-nudge, half-pull into the leg side off a rising delivery from Jammu & Kashmir’s Umar Nazir. It was reminiscent of two recent Test dismissals for Rohit: against Pat Cummins at the MCG, and against Matt Henry at the Wankhede Stadium.Rohit’s dismissal quickly followed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s after Mumbai opted to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, and Shreyas Iyer also managed just 12 and 11 respectively in a first innings that lasted just 33.2 overs with Mumbai bowled out for 120. But excellent work with the ball means Mumbai have a chance of limiting their deficit to under three figures.Related

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Rohit’s return to the domestic set-up comes on the back of the BCCI’s new guidelines, which have come into force since India’s 3-1 reversal in Australia earlier this month. Rohit’s Test future hangs in the balance after he opted out of the Sydney Test, but he has reiterated that he hasn’t retired and is still hopeful of leading the team in Tests.

Gill and Punjab collapse against swing and seam

In Bengaluru, Shubman Gill’s outing was equally forgettable, not just with the bat but on the field as captain too. Punjab, who were missing Abhishek Sharma, were bowled out for 55 with Gill managing just 4 before nicking behind as swing and seam bowlers ruled on a greenish deck at the Chinnaswamy. By stumps, Punjab were so far behind in the game that they’ll probably need a Gill special to even salvage one point from the match.Gill’s return to domestic cricket presented an opportunity for him to get some match time and confidence back following underwhelming returns in Australia where he featured in just three of the five Tests, while aggregating 93 runs in five innings. His returns outside Asia since the 2021 World Test Championship final have been in particular focus – he averages 17.64 across 18 innings.File photo – Ravindra Jadeja picked up his 35th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket•AFP/Getty Images

Pant misses out; Jadeja takes five on Rajkot turner

In Rajkot, Rishabh Pant lasted just 10 deliveries as he was out to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Pant’s dismissal was part of Delhi’s top-order collapse against spin. Ravindra Jadeja, a formidable threat on turners, thrived in conditions tailor-made for him as he picked up his 35th first-class five-for as Delhi were bowled out for 188.In reply, Saurashtra were adrift by 25 at stumps but had lost five wickets, including those of Cheteshwar Pujara and Jadeja, who has top-scored so far with 38. Pujara, who isn’t part of India’s Test plans, made just 6. Apart from the 234 he made against Chhattisgarh, Pujara has endured modest returns so far this season, managing scores of 16, 0, 2, 3 and 14 in his other innings.

Siddarth Desai misses perfect 10

Gujarat left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai picked up nine wickets in the very first session of play against Uttarakhand in Ahmedabad, and was in with a chance of becoming the second bowler – after Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj – to record a perfect 10 this season. That chance ended when Vishal Jayswal picked up the final wicket.Desai ended with 9 for 36, the best figures in first-class cricket by a Gujarat player, bettering the record held by Jasu Patel who picked up 8 for 21 against Saurashtra in 1960-61. Desai who scalped a match haul of nine wickets on debut, against Kerala back in 2017-18, has emerged as Gujarat’s front-line spinner since Piyush Chawla left to return to his home state Uttar Pradesh.

Khaleel takes maiden five-for

Eight years after he made his first-class debut, Khaleel Ahmed has picked up his maiden first-class five-for. This included key Vidarbha wickets including those of Karun Nair who was in prolific form at the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His figures read an impressive 15-5-37-5.Khaleel’s performance coincides with his being on the fringes of the national team, especially with the selectors keen on looking for left-arm seamers, a style of bowler India’s Test attack has missed since Zaheer Khan’s exit. This is only Khaleel’s 17th first-class fixture – three of them have come in the current Ranji season (including this game), and two in August in the Duleep Trophy, in which he took nine wickets at 21.66.

Top-order collapses before Hughes, Ibrahim come together in fourth-wicket stand

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay31-Jul-2025Sussex 222 (Lamb 48, Coles 47, White 3-25) and 115 for 3 (Hughes 56*, Ibrahim 50*) trail Yorkshire 545 for 9 dec (Revis 152*, Lyth 115, Wharton 85) by 208 runsAll-rounder Matthew Revis continued his sparkling run-scoring form in the Rothesay County Championship, posting his third hundred in as many matches to help Yorkshire press for a crucial victory over Sussex at Scarborough.Dating back to late June, in Yorkshire’s last four Division One fixtures, Revis – 23-years-old – has posted scores of 93 not out, 150, 110 not out and a career best 152 not out.He hit the 150 in a victory over Essex at York, 110 not out in last week’s draw here against champions Surrey and now this 188-ball effort with 14 fours and two pulled sixes against spin.Yorkshire declared on 545 for nine midway through the afternoon, leading by 323 with 44 overs remaining in the day, and then restricted Sussex to 115 for three at close. Opener Daniel Hughes gave the visitors something to cheer with an impressive rearguard 56 not out from 131 balls.It would now be a significant surprise if Revis is not selected to tour Australia with the England Lions this winter. Another man who could be on that tour is George Hill, with whom Revis shared an entertaining seventh-wicket partnership of 140 either side of lunch.Fellow all-rounder Hill contributed a season’s best 75 off 93 balls. He has already had Lions exposure this summer, courtesy of his near 40-wicket campaign with the ball.For Sussex, off-spinner Jack Carson plugged away with three for 150 from 43 overs. But he was swimming against the tide.Revis, who started the day on 22, drove handsomely down the ground before pulling a couple of sixes off Carson just before Yorkshire declared minutes before 3pm.Before lunch, Hill lofted Carson over long-on for six and out of the ground at the Trafalgar Square End.Revis reached his fifty off 77 balls and his fifth career first-class century off 137, the latter on the stroke of lunch. Sandwiched in between, Hill’s fifty came up in 65 balls.Sussex started the day nicely by removing Harry Duke and Will Sutherland, leaving Yorkshire 320 for six in the 97th over, the day’s seventh.Duke was caught behind for 21 against an out-swinger from Fynn Hudson-Prentice – Sussex having taken the new ball immediately at the start of play – before Sutherland was bowled by his fellow Australian Gurinder Sandhu for two.Sutherland is playing his last match of the season for Yorkshire this week and had been surfing in the North Sea at the end of day two.Revis and Hill advanced Yorkshire’s cause in entertaining fashion. The aforementioned Hill six off Carson even landed in the back yard of the Air BnB which the county’s live streaming team are using this week.Revis became the first Yorkshire player to score three hundreds in successive first-class matches since Gary Ballance did it back in 2019 and the first non-capped White Rose player to achieve that same feat in 80 years.Unfortunately for Sussex, further trouble was around the corner at the start of their second innings.They faced 12 overs before tea, where they reached at 29 for three.New-ball pair Jack White and Matt Milnes struck once apiece added to the run out of Tom Alsop courtesy of a direct hit from Imam-Ul-Haq at the striker’s end from cover.White had Tom Haines caught and bowled off a lead edge and Milnes got James Coles caught at fourth slip for a golden duck the ball after Alsop had fallen in the sixth over.But just when all seemed lost, left-handed Australian Hughes stood firm with the help of fourth-wicket partner Danial Ibrahim.Hughes was understandably watchful but drove, cut, pulled and deflected 10 boundaries en-route to a 114-ball fifty. The pair have shared an unbroken 95, with Ibrahim 50 not out.Ibrahim reached 50 off 111 balls with the day’s final delivery. But the pair have plenty more work to do on a pitch which is showing increasing signs of turn.

Kiran Carlson, Chris Cooke add fifties as Cheltenham sees 432 runs, five wickets in the day

ECB Reporters NetworkBilly Root fell two short of a century as Glamorgan blitzed their way to maximum batting points on the second day of the LV= County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.Kiran Carlson (76), Root (98) and Chris Cooke (86 not out) smacked 41 fours and two sixes between them to help the visitors extend their first innings from an overnight 152 for 2 to 450 for 6 declared on the fast-scoring College Ground.Paul van Meekeren was the pick of a Gloucestershire attack, who found it hard to extract any help from the true batting surface. The Dutch seamer’s figures of 3 for 92 from 21 overs were reward for sustaining impressive pace on his first Championship appearance for the hosts.By the close, Gloucestershire had moved to 134 for 1 in their second innings, Chris Dent leading the way with 61 not out. With bad weather forecast tomorrow, the match already seems to be heading for a high-scoring draw.The day began well for the home side. With only a run added to the Glamorgan total, Colin Ingram edged the fourth ball of van Meekeren’s opening over to first slip where Ben Charlesworth took a waist-high catch.The lively van Meekeren struck again in the seventh over of the morning, squeezing a delivery through Sam Northeast’s defence to bowl him for 28. At 183 for 4, Glamorgan were in danger of undoing their first-day efforts with the bat.But Root had other ideas, getting off the mark with a sumptuous square driven four off van Meekeren. Soon Carlson was square cutting the same bowler for four before bringing the 200 up with a boundary through extra cover off Dom Goodman.It took the pair just 17 overs to complete a century stand, Carlson reaching a run-a-ball fifty with a lofted shot that almost saw him caught at mid-on off Josh Shaw. The partnership was worth 113 when he pulled van Meekeren to square leg where Dent took a smart low catch.Root also reached an entertaining half-century, off 63 balls, before lunch, which was taken at 311 for 5. Glamorgan had added 159 runs a session prolonged by ten minutes to help make up for overs lost to rain on day one.Cooke had also begun to enjoy himself on a pitch offering consistent bounce and a quick outfield providing full value for shots. He and Root put together a 50-stand in 69 balls before the second new ball was taken at 361 for five.On 29, Cooke appeared to survive a chance to Ollie Price at second slip off Tom Price, but it was a rare moment of alarm as he and Root progressed their partnership into three figures with a succession of well-timed strokes.Root had struck 14 fours and a six during a fluent innings when, on the verge of what would have been his eighth first-class ton, he edged left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar to Ollie Price at slip.Cooke had moved imperiously to fifty off 73 balls and was still there when a fifth batting point was secured, having taken his boundary count to 15 fours and a six. The declaration came immediately and by tea Gloucestershire had replied with 15 for no wicket.The final session saw runs continue to flow, this time for the home side. Dent and Charlesworth had put together an opening stand of 39 when the latter was bowled off an inside edge by leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson for 15.It was a first and last success of the day for the Glamorgan bowlers as Dent moved to a comfortable half-century off 113 balls, with seven fours, finding an equally assured partner in Ollie Price, who was unbeaten on 49 at stumps, having hit eight elegant boundaries.A decent sized Festival crowd, including a host of past players from around the counties attending a Professional Cricketers’ Association lunch, had witnessed 432 runs and only five wickets in the extended day’s play.

The head coach will return home for a break and then to prepare for the Test series against Pakistan in what has been a hectic year

Alex Malcolm15-Nov-2023Australia coach Andrew McDonald will head home after the ODI World Cup to rest and prepare for the Test summer with assistant coach Andre Borovec set to take charge of the senior team for the first time in the five-match T20I series against India which begins next Thursday in Visakhapatnam.Australia are already resting five senior players from the series with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green all returning home. The squad will be captained by Matthew Wade.Related

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McDonald is also taking a break ahead of the Test summer starting against Pakistan in Perth on December 14. He also rested from the T20I series against South Africa in late August where assistant Michael Di Venuto took the reins. With Di Venuto also being given a spell following a long year of touring, Borovec will get his first chance to coach the national side.Borovec, 45, is highly regarded within the Australian team having served a long coaching apprenticeship without playing first-class cricket. He began his coaching career in Victorian grade cricket with Geelong, a club he played 330 matches for over 23 years as a wicketkeeper-batter. He coached McDonald at the club at the back end of his playing career.Borovec then joined McDonald’s coaching staff at Melbourne Renegades and Victoria where he was part of the 2018-19 BBL triumph having been heavily involved in their strategy.His first secondment with Australia as an assistant coach came in 2021 during the white-ball tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh. He also toured with Australia on the 2022 tour of Pakistan. He was then added to Australia’s coaching staff as a full-time assistant when McDonald took the head coaching role in May 2022.Since then, Borovec has combined his assistant duties with the Australia team while taking charge of the Australia A program. He coached Australia A on the tour of Sri Lanka in June 2022 and then oversaw the Prime Minister’s XI team for the tour game against West Indies in November last year. He also coached Australia A for the tour of New Zealand in April immediately after Australia’s Test tour of India.Borovec did not lead Australia A during the home series against New Zealand A in August and September with Western Australia and Scorchers two-time treble-winning coach Adam Voges taking charge.The timing of the India T20I series does allow for a state coach to fill in due to Sheffield Shield, Marsh Cup and BBL commitments.Australia have used coaching secondments regularly in recent years to avoid burnout due to the heavy schedule. Former coach Justin Langer took charge of specific white-ball series during Darren Lehmann’s tenure before taking the full-time job in 2018 while McDonald also took charge for several white-ball during Langer’s tenure.Former WA and Victoria coach and current Cricket Australia head of development Lachlan Stevens will also travel to India to assist Borovec.

James Rew completes eighth first-class hundred as Durham toil at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2024Jack Leach claimed three wickets as Somerset built a strong position on the second day of their County Championship match against Durham at Taunton.Somerset began by extending their first-innings score from an overnight 395 for 6 to 492 all out, James Rew dismissed for 103, having set out on 89, and Kasey Aldridge making 44. Callum Parkinson finished with 4 for 136.By the close, Durham had replied with 272 for 6, left-arm spinner Leach taking 3 for 103. Alex Lees hit a solid 59, but it was an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 102 between Brydon Carse (59 not out) and Ben Raine (51 not out), which kept the visitors in the game after they had slumped to 170 for 6.At the age of 20, Rew already his eight first-class centuries to his name, the latest completed with a streaky edged boundary between wicketkeeper and slip off Carse early in the morning session. He had faced 112 balls and hit 12 fours and a six.James Rew celebrates his hundred•Harry Trump/Getty Images

The impressive innings ended off the very next ball when another drive at Carse saw Rew edge to Ashton Turner at slip. Somerset were 417 for 7 and Lewis Gregory soon signalled his intentions by smacking a delivery from Raine over midwicket for six.The skipper brought up 450 and a fifth batting bonus point with a three through the off side off Carse and Aldridge, unbeaten on 12 at the start of play, celebrated the landmark by clearing the ropes off Parkinson.The score after 110 overs was 465 for seven so Durham had to settle for two bowling points. Gregory and Aldridge completed a half-century stand before Aldridge was caught behind attempting to reverse sweep Parkinson.Overton hit his first ball for four and then launched big sixes off successive deliveries from George Drissell before falling to the offspinner attempting another maximum. Gregory had moved to 31 before being last man out in similar fashion, giving Parkinson his fourth wicket.Durham were left with eight overs to bat before lunch and found themselves facing Leach and young offspinner Archie Vaughan before the interval. It was the 18-year-old son of former England captain Michael Vaughan who struck the first blow on debut with the sixth ball of his first-class career, turning a delivery which pitched on leg stump to pin Ben McKinney lbw for 15.At lunch, Durham were 29 for 1. There seemed little prospect of the collapse to come when Lees and Scott Borthwick began the afternoon session with a half-century stand off 67 balls.But Leach was starting to threaten and Borthwick, having moved to 35, edged a back-foot shot to slip where Overton took a sharp low catch to make it 86 for 2. Still, Lees looked untroubled, largely content to milk singles in moving fifty off 101 balls.Jack Leach celebrates after bowling Ashton Turner•Harry Trump/Getty Images

Ollie Robinson made 26 in helping Lees add 42 for the third wicket before falling to an even better Overton catch, diving to his left to clutch the ball one-handed. Boosted by a second wicket, Leach struck again with the total 136 as Turner was bowled by a delivery that turned and clipped off stump.By tea Durham were 150 for 4 and their plight worsened considerably in the first over after the interval. It was bowled by left-arm spinner Lewis Goldsworthy from the River End and saw Overton pouch a third slip catch as Lees pushed forward outside off stump.The last thing Durham needed was a run out, but it happened with the total on 170 as Carse called for a quick single to cover and Bas de Leede failed to beat Tom Abell’s throw to wicketkeeper Rew.With six wickets down, Carse and Ben Raine went on the counter-attack, Raine hitting two sixes in the same Goldsworthy over as the pair put together a half-century partnership off 71 balls.Raine hit Leach over mid-wicket for another six and Carse cleared the ropes at long-on off Vaughan in moving to an 86-ball half century to mark his return to the Durham team after suspension. Raine followed to the same milestone of 94 deliveries just after the century stand had been completed, much to Somerset’s frustration.