Zaib, Scrimshaw scuttle Notts before visiting captain leads charge to small target

ECB Reporters Network31-May-2024Skipper David Willey smashed seven sixes and seven fours in a 34-ball 79 as Northamptonshire Steelbacks made it two Vitality Blast wins from two with a crushing eight-wicket win over Notts Outlaws.After bowling Outlaws out for 154, Steelbacks knocked off their target with a commanding 40 balls to spare, South African opener Matthew Breetzke hitting the winning boundary in a 30-ball unbeaten 51. Northamptonshire had never won at Trent Bridge in seven previous visits in the shortest format.Outlaws had appeared set for a substantial score after building on a 63-run powerplay to be 104 for 1 after 10 overs, new skipper Joe Clarke and Outlaws debutant Jack Haynes having shared a 95-run partnership from 58 balls.But Clarke fell for 48 and Haynes for 51 and the home side lost their last nine wickets for 50 in 9.2 overs.Left-arm spinner Saif Zaib – only an occasional bowler in this format – took a T20 career-best 3 for 12 in three overs, with 6ft 7ins pace bowler George Scrimshaw claiming three for 16 from 14 balls.Asked to bat first, Outlaws lost Alex Hales in the second over, caught behind after making room to cut Raphy Weatherall, but raced to 63 for 1 in the opening six nonetheless, Clarke hammering two sixes and Haynes another amid a rush of boundaries.The second-wicket pair had added 95 by the end of the 10th over before they were stopped in their tracks by left-arm spinner Saif Zaib – the seventh bowler used by David Willey – as Clarke was caught by off-side sweeper Ricardo Vasconcelos for 48 off 30 balls.A brilliant piece of fielding by Willey from mid-off then ran out Will Young and when Tom Moores holed out to long-on for 9 Outlaws had stumbled from 104 for 1 to 117 for 4 in three overs, with the scoring rate being dragged back for good measure by the slower bowlers.The Northamptonshire fightback continued with Zaib striking twice in his second over as Haynes was caught at wide long-on and Matt Montgomery was bowled sweeping.Willey re-entered the attack to bowl Calvin Harrison off an inside edge before the unravelling continued thanks to two in two by George Scrimshaw as Lyndon James was out via a steepling catch and Dillon Pennington leg before. Scrimshaw wrapped things up by having Olly Stone caught behind as Outlaws failed even to bat out the full 20 overs.The early wicket of Vasconcelos, caught at slip as a scoop went badly wrong, lifted home spirits momentarily but they had fallen flat by the end of the powerplay, with Steelbacks ahead at 68 for 1 after the sixth over saw Willey hammer his one-time Northamptonshire team-mate Stone for 4-4-6-4-4-1, before going 6-2-4 off legspinner Harrison’s first three deliveries to complete a 21-ball fifty.Willey’s explosive innings continued with four more huge sixes off the first four balls of Harrison’s second over. The left-hander clearly had it in mind to go for a full set but his luck ran out next ball, which he mistimed just enough for it to drop into the hands of James at long-off.Nonetheless, with opener Breetzke, who faced only 20 balls in the opening 10 overs, at last getting a look-in to clear the rope off Stone, Steelbacks reached the halfway point needing just 35 more for victory.As it was, it took them only another 20 balls to get the job done, Breetzke and Ravi Bopara picking up two more maximums each before the former lofted Montgomery’s offspin through long-off for the winning boundary, completing his maiden Outlaws half-century in the process.

Fifties for Yates, Davies and Bethell leave Somerset fighting for survival

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2024Half-centuries from Rob Yates, Alex Davies and Jacob Bethell strengthened Warwickshire’s grip on the third day of the Vitality County Championship Division One match with Somerset at Taunton.The visitors earned a first innings lead of 128 when bowling out Somerset for 284 from an overnight 208 for 6. Tom Abell fell for 61 and Craig Overton finished unbeaten on 35, while Oliver Hannon-Dalby added two victims to his second day efforts and ended with 6 for 56 from 18.2 overs.Yates and Davies then produced a century opening partnership and, despite a mid-innings stumble, Warwickshire were able to reach stumps on 284 for 8, 409 runs ahead, with Bethell contributing a sparkling 66. Overton claimed 4 for 57, but his side will have to bat to save the game on the final day.Somerset’s first task on a morning in which they offered free admission to more than 1300 children from 41 schools across the South West was to score the 55 runs needed to avoid the prospect of following on.Abell missed a swinging full toss in Michael Booth’s opening over and departed lbw without adding to his overnight score. And, while Kasey Aldridge struck a couple of delightful boundaries in moving to 14, he undid that good work by chasing a wide delivery from Booth and edging to Yates at second slip.Somerset needed a captain’s innings from Overton, who survived a confident lbw shout from Booth first ball. From then on, he batted with great assurance, hitting 6 fours, and together with James Rew, took Somerset to a batting point at 250 for 8.When Rew ran three off a ball from Ed Barnard, Warwickshire knew they would be batting next. The second new ball was taken at 279 for eight and with three runs added Rew, on 18, drove at a wide tempter from Hannon-Dalby, edging to first slip.Hannon-Dalby then bowled Migael Pretorius with a swinging yorker, the tall seamer somehow gleaning a six-wicket haul from the bland hybrid surface. Overton was left unbeaten, having faced only 36 balls.By lunch, Yates and Davies had added 25 to Warwickshire’s advantage against the new ball and the pattern continued in the afternoon session as the two openers coped comfortably with Somerset’s attack.Yates was first to fifty off 90 balls, with five fours and a six, soon followed by Davies, who had faced 87 deliveries and hit six fours. The stand had reached 106 when the ball after reaching his half-century Davies was bowled by Jack Leach getting into a defensive tangle.Somerset spirits were raised when Yates pulled a short ball from Overton and picked out Josh Davey at fine leg. Sam Hain joined Will Rhodes and the pair opted for caution in taking the score to 125 for 2 at tea, Hain having made 3 off 33 balls.The final session saw Rhodes explode into action, taking successive boundaries off an Aldridge over, which had already seen Hain hit a four, to bring up 150. But just as the innings was gaining momentum Rhodes, on 36, went to pull another Overton short ball and feathered a catch through to wicketkeeper Rew.With the lead just past 300, Dan Mousley advanced down the pitch to Overton and only succeeded in miscuing a catch to Tom Banton at mid-on to leave Warwickshire 175 for 4.Worse was to follow for the visitors as Hain played Leach to mid-on for a single and Ed Barnard was run out by Aldridge’s smart pick-up and direct hit at the wicketkeeper’s end. At 177 for 5, Somerset could consider themselves back in the game.But Hain dug in and Bethell was severe on anything short as they put together a half-century stand off 102 balls to steady the Warwickshire ship before Hain, on 43, ran out of patience and holed out to mid-on off Overton.Bethell reached a 71-ball fifty with his second six, pulled over mid-wicket off Overton and looked in great touch before falling leg-before to Leach with three overs remaining. Leach struck again when Chris Woakes chipped a catch to cover and fell for a duck.

Allrounder top scores then concedes just three runs from final five balls as Invincibles go top of table

ECB Media06-Aug-2024Sam Curran held his nerve to again be Oval Invincibles’ match-winner in a last-ball thriller against Manchester Originals at Emirates Old Trafford.The England allrounder conceded just three runs from the final five balls of the game as Invincibles snatched victory by just three runs to go top of the table.Curran is the form man of the men’s competition, after claiming a hat-trick and hitting a half-century last time out against London Spirit, and was at it again in Manchester clearing the ropes on six occasions on his way to 68 from 38 balls before his heroics with the ball.Defeat ends the hopes of the Originals, finalists in the past two years, of reaching the knockout stage.Young Originals opener Matthew Hurst struck 50 from 29 balls, two days after his first half-century in the men’s competition, to initially put the hosts on course to chase down 164 for 8. The 20-year-old shared an 89-run opening stand from 54 balls with skipper Phil Salt.Salt has made his name as England’s hard-hitting opener and while he made a fast start, it was Hurst who stole the limelight with an array of stunning strokes to get the home crowd roaring.But when both fell in quick succession, Hurst succumbing to some clever bowling from Will Jacks, the Originals started to show signs they were ready to throw away another winning position.Paul Walter unleashed a couple of big hits but Wayne Madsen was retired not out and replacement Sikandar Raza was immediately caught in the deep.Jamie Overton blasted a six, but then edged Curran behind, as Curran got to work on closing out the match.Usama Mir missed a slower ball and, with four needed from the final delivery, he could only pick out Tom Lammonby 10 yards inside the leg-side rope.Curran said: “I thought with the ball it felt like we bowled really well. I think our success at the moment is just the self belief.”Everyone is able to step up and it can always be someone different. The Hundred format is good because you can always feel in the game. You can squeeze the new batter with those 10 balls from one end. We’re winning close games and really pleased.”

Wayne Madsen fights for Derbyshire but huge deficit still in prospect

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2024Sussex took control against Derbyshire at Hove as they pushed for a victory that would strengthen their promotion push in the Vitality County Championship.The second division leaders reduced the visitors to 73 for 5 after Sussex had piled up 607 for 8, their highest total against Derbyshire.Wayne Madsen held them up and was unbeaten on 79 at stumps on day 2 as he put conditions in perspective but Derbyshire are still 429 runs behind on 178 for 6.They were soon in trouble as Indian left-armer Jaydev Unadkat, who is back at Sussex for the run-in, took 3 for 19 in a skilful five-over opening spell.Opener Harry Came edged Unadkat’s third ball to first slip where Tom Alsop took a good, low catch while Brooke Guest drove lavishly at another outswinger but straight to backward point.It was 19 for 3 in the seventh over when Fynn Hudson-Prentice struck with his fifth ball, which straightened enough to pin left-hander Luis Reece, and Derbyshire lost their fourth wicket on 24 when Tom Haines took a fine diving catch low to his left to remove skipper David Lloyd, after Unadkat pushed one across his defences.Madsen and Aneurin Donald added 49 for the fifth wicket but they were parted when off-spinner Carson, who earlier made a career-best 97, nipped one through Donald’s defensive push with his fifth ball.Madsen found another ally in Anuj Dal and they put on 84 for the sixth wicket in 24 overs but Carson made another important breakthrough just before stumps when Dal (45) was caught by Alsop at short leg playing a forcing shot off he back foot.Sussex skipper Simpson had earlier led the successful charge to secure the maximum five batting bonus points – for getting to 450 inside 110 first innings overs – with an early assault on Derbyshire pacemen Daryn Dupavillon and Zak Chappell.Simpson had already taken three lovely offside fours off Dupavillon’s opening over of the day when Alsop chipped Chappell’s loosener, at the start of the second over, straight to short mid-wicket after he had added just a single to his overnight 69, his third successive fifty and seventh of the season.Alsop swished his bat in annoyance at his mistake but Simpson, who had resumed on 25, was in no mood to waste an opportunity to score quick runs.Two extra cover fours off Chappell were followed by a straight driven four off Dupavillon that took him to a 68-ball fifty and another booming straight four, this time off Chappell, to reach 60.Hudson-Prentice (8) edged Anuj Dal’s medium pace to keeper Guest but Carson brought up Sussex’s 450 in the 108th over by slamming left-arm spinner Jack Morley high past mid off for four.Carson swung Morley over the short legside boundary for the first of his three sixes, the final one a massive blow over mid-wicket off Dupavillon as he went past his previous highest score of 87.Simpson eventually holed out to long off on 121, his fourth Championship hundred of a prolific season, after facing 167 balls and hitting a six and 13 fours. He also reached 10,000 first-class career runs in the process.And Carson’s bid for a maiden first-class hundred ended when he was bowled swinging at a full ball from Dupavillon. His excellent effort came from 125 balls, with six fours besides his trio of sixes, and Sussex’s declaration immediately followed. Sussex’s total was their biggest at Hove for seven years.

“We all are safe and representing our country and had a good win in front of a good number of people and back home they were very happy”

Valkerie Baynes03-Oct-2024This was meant to be Bangladesh’s tournament. They made sure it was their match.A first T20 World Cup win in a decade and only their third in 22 matches to deny qualifiers Scotland a fairytale was a scrappy affair all-round, but Bangladesh will take it.Bangladesh successfully defend 119 for 7 winning by 16 runs as Scotland, making their maiden appearance at the tournament, managed just 103 for 7 in reply during a game characterised by dropped catches galore, poor running between the wickets and just 15 boundaries – all fours – on a ground with vast dimensions square of the wicket and with the rope pushed well back.Captain Nigar Sultana, playing her 100th T20I, managed a run-a-ball 18, bettered in her side only by Shobhana Mostary’s 36 from 38 and 29 from opener Shathi Rani. But it was enough against the newcomers, despite the best efforts of Saskia Horley, who took 3 for 13 from two over and Sarah Bryce with an unbeaten 49 in searing heat in Sharjah for the opening match of the tournament.Related

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“It means a lot,” Sultana said after she and her team broke into an emotional on-field celebration at the end of the match.In March, Sultana excitedly told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast of her hopes for the tournament inspiring women and girls playing cricket in Bangladesh. But then civil unrest in the country resulted in a move to the UAE with matches shared between Sharjah and Dubai.”Initially it was very heartbreaking because we were always bearing in mind that we were able to play in front of our home crowd,” Sultana said. “But this team, the people looking here today, it was brilliant, we got quite a few people supporting Bangladesh.”As a professional team, I think we should move on and not be thinking about playing in Bangladesh in front of a home crowd now but still being able to play here and we are pretty fortunate.”We all are safe and representing our country and had a good win in front of a good number of people and back home they were very happy, I think so, when we get the reaction of our family and friends, definitely they are in a very good mood right now.”What Sharjah Stadium lacked in population, it genuinely did a decent job of making up for with atmosphere.At one end, a bank of Scottish family and friends shouted stirring support as their players lined up to belt out at the top of their lungs and a particularly vocal bunch of Bangladesh supporters jumped, shouted and waved signs throughout the match as the ground announcer continued to rev them up – along with anyone else who’d listen.Another swathe of seats was occupied by a large group of schoolchildren who had earlier been on the field, patiently holding up giant flags of both countries and the ICC banner through the national anthems.And, in keeping with the UAE’s penchant for plonking down giant versions of big brands from around the world in the centre of Dubai in particular, a brass band that could have been plucked from St George’s Park in Gqeberha played enthusiastically as more spectators filtered in as though they were being serenaded by the Pied Piper.Despite the win, Bangladesh’s fielders had a day to forget•ICC/Getty Images

And while the win set Bangladesh off well ahead of their second game, against England on Saturday, it also left them with work to do.”Certainly after this game I think we need to work on our fielding because we put down a lot of chances,” Sultana said. “Definitely I missed two chances so I need to work on something. We have some time and we’ll definitely work on that and we’ll take all the positives from this game into the next game.”For Horley, it was a case of “mixed emotions” but she remained upbeat despite arguably Scotland’s best chance of springing an upset having passed them by.”There’s a bit of disappointment, clearly not getting the win, but there’s so much we can take from today’s game, to restrict them to only 120,” Horley said. “There’s definitely mixed emotions, definitely some positive ones still. There’s so many games left, that we’re competing and I’m excited for us to make a bit of a stance in this competition.”We gave it a really good crack today and some things go your way, some don’t. I think we held it together in the field even when we had a couple of missed chances that we would’ve wished we’d taken. But we definitely stuck together.”I think we were in the contest the whole time, to be honest. There wasn’t one person in the changeroom or out in the field that thought we were out of it at any point. Obviously it got challenging towards the end, but definitely we were in the competition the whole time and had belief.”

If they make the World Cup final, both sides will have less than 72 hours to prepare for the series

Shashank Kishore08-Oct-2024New Zealand will tour India for three women’s championship ODIs later this month. The series, part of the women’s FTP for the current cycle, had been postponed indefinitely in July last year due to a crowded calendar, where India hosted England and Australia.All three ODIs, on October 24, 27 and 29, will be played in Ahmedabad, with both teams expected to fly in straight from the women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. If they make the World Cup final, both sides will have less than 72 hours to prepare for the series.The late addition to the cricket calendar means a number of first-choice players across both sides, including India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Yastika Bhatia and D Hemalatha could miss at least the first few games of the 2024-25 WBBL season.Mandhana was among the WBBL’s big-ticket pre-draft signings by Adelaide Strikers. Meanwhile, Sophie Devine, the New Zealand’s captain and Mandhana’s WPL team-mate, will also be unavailable for the first few games of the tournament for Perth Scorchers.Related

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With eight wins in 18 matches, New Zealand are currently placed sixth, a spot below India, in the women’s championship table. With West Indies and, theoretically even Bangladesh, capable of leapfrogging them on the points table, the series is crucial for New Zealand as far as direct qualification is concerned.The hosts along with five top-placed teams will earn a direct entry to next year’s 50-over World Cup in India. Two others will be identified through a global qualifier, where the bottom four from the championships and four associates will compete.New Zealand last played ODIs in India in 2015, during the first iteration of the women’s championships. Back then, New Zealand overturned a 1-0 deficit to clinch the series.

Tim Southee cameo adds late runs after NZ stumble from position of strength

Valkerie Baynes13-Dec-2024Half-centuries to Tom Latham and Mitchell Santner added some gloss to a battling New Zealand innings on the opening day of the third and final Test against England in Hamilton.Whereas the second Test was a maelstrom of match-shaping moments, this Test progressed at an altogether more believable pace but the situation at stumps was similar, New Zealand having blown a position of strength in the face of a persistent England performance that left the day evenly poised, thanks in no small part to Santner’s unbeaten fifty off 54 balls with his side nine wickets down.In Wellington, New Zealand ended the first day on the back foot at 86 for 5 in response to their opponents’ 280, clawed back from 4 for 43. Here, an opening partnership of 105 between Latham and Will Young – standing in while Devon Conway is on paternity leave – had the hosts in unfamiliar territory for this series before they lurched to 231 for 7, losing five wickets for 59 runs.But a neat cameo of 23 in 10 balls from Tim Southee in his farewell match, which included three sixes to take his tally to 98 from his 107-Test career, and Santner’s late charge lifted them to 315 for 9 at the close, the Black Caps adding 76 runs off the last eight overs of the day.England’s bowlers lacked bite in the first session but they frustrated New Zealand through the middle session and lured them into some loose shot selection during the evening.Latham’s half-century underpinned the hosts’ steady start after Young failed to add to his 42 runs after lunch – a staggering 40 of those coming in fours – and Kane Williamson couldn’t convert, falling for 44 when he was bowled in slow-motion trying in vain to kick a Matthew Potts delivery away from his stumps.Were it not for Santner’s freewheeling knock, New Zealand could have been in a worse state with no other batter passing Southee’s score from No. 10.New Zealand’s recalibrated opening partnership of Latham and Young expertly navigated the morning session, reaching lunch at 93 without loss after being sent in by England under skies which had turned from bright to overcast within the hour before play, then returned to blazing sunshine after the main meal break.Young made a watchful start, facing 10 deliveries before he got off the mark with four off Potts, himself making his first appearance of the series in replacing Chris Woakes.Young was into his work after that, no doubt to the delight of New Zealand fans who had been willing his inclusion after his Player-of-the-Series performance on the Black Caps’ successful tour of India which was just a matter of weeks ago but felt so distant as their side slid to a 2-0 deficit against England.He was streaky to begin with, his next two boundaries coming off the edge through backward point and piercing the cordon. But by halfway through the morning session, Young and Latham had negotiated a nibbling pitch to ease their way to 46 without loss, already more than double New Zealand’s previous best opening partnership this series.Shortly after the first drinks break, Young had helped himself to six fours all up, punishing Brydon Carse twice in one over as the England quick struggled to nail his lengths.Latham was dropped on 12 and 53 by Ben Duckett, either side of England breaking his stand with Young, prised out by an excellent Gus Atkinson delivery which drew an edge to Harry Brook at second slip.Williamson – unaccustomed to waiting so long to be called upon in this series – pulled a Carse short ball through deep backward square for four. And, when Potts finally had Latham caught down the leg side, it looked like Williamson would again need to stand up for his team, albeit from a superior position of 142 for 2.Having burned a review as Ben Stokes hopefully sought to have Latham out caught behind off his own bowling, the England captain wisely over-ruled wicketkeeper Ollie Pope’s insistence that he’d snaffled Williamson down the leg side off Stokes for 20, replays vindicating Stokes’ decision.Rachin Ravindra spooned Carse straight to Duckett at gully for a soft dismissal and, apart from Williamson’s freakish dismissal trying to fend Potts back down the pitch only to lose the ball behind him as it evaded his searching boot and dribbled into the base of middle stump, the loose wickets continued.Daryl Mitchell picked out Stokes at mid off, Glenn Phillips swung wildly at a Potts ball outside off and sent it straight to Zak Crawley at backward point and Blundell chipped Carse to cover point, where Jacob Bethell took a strong catch above his head.It took some special fielding by Brook to remove Matt Henry hooking Stokes to the young England star, who pulled the ball down inside the boundary rope and parried it up before he went over, jumping back in to complete the catch.Santner, brought in as a frontline spinner for this game at the expense of Nathan Smith, was hit on the top of the helmet by a Stokes bouncer but he shrugged off the blow to play a key role in New Zealand’s recovery.Southee delighted his home crowd when he swung Stokes for back-to-back sixes, eliciting an involuntary grin from Stokes, who conceded 17 off the over.Seemingly determined to reach his ton of maximums, Southee slammed the first delivery with the second new ball for another six over deep midwicket off Atkinson and a fumble on the boundary by Duckett resulted in four off the next ball. Two balls later, however, Southee’s fun was over when he tried to go down the ground and skied to Carse at mid-off.A four off Potts in the final over drew Santner within reach of his fifty and he grabbed it in style, launching the last ball of the day for six over long-off. Potts ended with 3 for 75 and Atkinson 3 for 55.

England collapse after Archie Vaughan’s 60 before Bennie Hansen steadies run chase

ECB Reporters Network22-Jan-2025Daniel Bosman took three wickets in four balls as South Africa Men U19s clinched the Youth ODI series against England Men U19s with a four-wicket win in Stellenbosch.Young Lions captain Archie Vaughan top-scored with 60 but his dismissal prompted a collapse of four wickets in seven balls as the tourists were bowled out for 156.South Africa skipper Bennie Hansen then hit 56, falling just short of guiding his side home, after Tazeem Ali’s three wickets had caused a mid-innings wobble. The hosts steadied to reach the target in 35.1 overs.It was spinner Bosman who turned the game with his three wickets in the 37th over immediately after Vaughan, who had struck six boundaries, was caught off a miscue to the final ball of the previous over from Bandile Mbatha.Bosman’s key over saw Joe Moores bowled attempting a lap sweep before Harry Moore was stumped thanks to sharp hands from Hansen. Bosman then parried a return catch from Eddie Jack and saw it fall to him as he stumbled to the ground.South Africa made a solid start as Adnaan Lagadien and Chad Mason added 49 for the first wicket before Hansen took up the attack with a 46-ball half-century.The Young Lions battled back through Warwickshire spinner Ali, who returned 3 for 51, but the hosts needed only seven more when Hansen edged Alex Green to wicketkeeper Thomas Rew on 57.The two-Youth Test series begins at Coertzenburg Cricket Club in Stellenbosch on 27 January.

Travis Head is not expected to feature for Adelaide Strikers before the Sri Lanka tour

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2025Mitchell Marsh, who was dropped for the final Test against India, is in line to play his first BBL match for nearly three years after being added to Perth Scorchers’ squad to face Melbourne Renegades at Optus Stadium on Tuesday.Quick bowler Jhye Richardson has also been made available for a BBL return having been part of the Test squad for the final two matches of the Border-Gavaskar series.Related

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Availability of other Test players will be confirmed in the coming days, but Travis Head has effectively confirmed he won’t be featuring for Adelaide Strikers.”I’m wrecked,” Head told Fox Cricket at the SCG on Sunday. “I don’t know what I’m going to do in the next few days but we’ve got 10 or 12 days off now before we go to Sri Lanka and I’m going to use every little bit of that.”Marsh returned to Perth on Monday following Australia’s series-clinching victory at the SCG where he had ceded his place in the side to Beau Webster who went on to produce a memorable debut.Marsh could be available for a longer run with Scorchers through to the end of the BBL if he doesn’t make the squad for the Sri Lanka tour which is due to be named later this week.His last BBL outing was in January 2022, after which he missed the following season having opted to have ankle surgery in a bid to earn a Test recall which came to fruition in the 2023 Ashes, where he scored a century at Headingley. He remained a fixture in the side until a few days ago when he paid the price for a lean series with the bat.Webster could be available for Melbourne Stars’ next game against Sydney Sixers on Thursday and also the return derby against Renegades on January 12.Steven Smith (Sydney Sixers), Sam Konstas (Sydney Thunder), Marnus Labuschagne (Brisbane Heat), Usman Khawaja (Brisbane Heat), Alex Carey (Adelaide Strikers), Nathan Lyon (Melbourne Renegades) and Sean Abbott (Sydney Sixers) are the other players from the Test squad who could turn out for their BBL teams. Scott Boland, who plays for Melbourne Stars, may be rested after his workload in the final two Tests.Most of those names are then likely to be part of the Sri Lanka tour which begins with a training camp in Dubai. Teams that reach the BBL finals will be without any of the players who are on that trip.

New Zealander will captain Spirit in men’s Hundred alongside county stint

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2025New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has become the first direct overseas signing in the men’s Hundred and will captain London Spirit during this year’s competition, as previously reported on ESPNcricinfo. He will also play for Middlesex during a four-month stay in the UK.Williamson, 34, has not played in the Hundred, despite being picked up in the original draft by Birmingham Phoenix, withdrawing from his deal in 2021 to manage an elbow issue. He will make his debut in the season opener at Lord’s on August 5, having agreed a contract with Spirit as part of new rules allowing teams to sign a player outside of the draft via one of their 10 retentions spots.”We’re thrilled to have Kane on board for this summer,” Fraser Stewart, London Spirit’s general manager, said. “For us to be able to make a direct signing of this calibre is truly exciting for London Spirit, and I am sure that he will be looking forward to captaining our talented side.”London Spirit were the most highly valued team in the ECB’s process to sell equity in the Hundred, with a Silicon Valley consortium expected to pay £145 million for a 49% share. Talks have begun with MCC over the team’s name and branding, but they will remain unchanged for this year.Williamson said: “Our international schedule has allowed for a bit of break during the English summer, and I was looking to come to the UK with my family, so when this opportunity arose it was a really exciting prospect. The Home of Cricket is one of my favourite grounds in the world for so many different reasons. I’ve had so many incredible moments there.Related

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“Every player in the world holds Lord’s in the highest regard. They have been able to maintain the tradition around playing there, and that’s what makes it unique to any other place in the world.”Williamson, who has previously turned out for Gloucestershire and Yorkshire in county cricket, is expected to be available for at least 10 of Middlesex’s Vitality Blast and at least five County Championship fixtures during the latter half of the season. He will arrive in May, following his involvement at the PSL with Karachi Kings.While New Zealand will tour Zimbabwe to play all three formats in July-August, Williamson is no longer centrally contracted by NZC and free to prioritise other opportunities.”I’ve played a bit of county cricket in the past, but not for a number of years now, so when this opportunity arose with Middlesex it was a really exciting prospect,” Williamson added.”To be able to play for Middlesex – a fine club with a rich heritage – is really exciting and something that I’m really looking forward to being a part of. There’s a good balance of youth and experience in the Middlesex squad, which is great, and I’m really excited to join up with the team, meet the players in the squad and helping out wherever I can.”Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said: “We are hugely excited about Kane joining Middlesex this summer and are looking forward to him making a positive impact in both our Blast and Championship campaigns.”To have secured one of the most talented players in the world game is a real coup, and we can’t wait to welcome him to Lord’s and to seeing him heading out with the three Seaxes on his chest.”Having a player like Kane in the Middlesex dressing room will be a huge plus for the entire squad, and especially our younger players, who will benefit enormously from playing alongside one of the world’s best.”