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PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell believes the proposed new T20 competition in England is likely to dilute the quality of domestic 50-over cricket and provide “another kick” to its future

George Dobell17-Feb-2017The proposed new T20 competition in England is likely to dilute the quality of domestic 50-over cricket and provide “another kick” to its future, according to new PCA chairman, Daryl Mitchell.While Mitchell, the Worcestershire top-order batsman who was recently elected to the PCA role, regards the launch of the eight-team T20 competition, scheduled for 2020, as “inevitable” he has reservations about several aspects of it and promised to work hard to ensure the interests of all 400 PCA members are protected.”The new T20 competition looks like a great opportunity for the 90 to 100 lads selected to play in it,” Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo. “But the role of the PCA is to look out for the other 300 players, too.”The plan at the moment is to play the 50-over competition during the window when the new T20 competition will be on. But if you take the best 100 white-ball players out of the tournament it is pretty inevitable there will be a dilution in quality.”We’re told players not in action in the new T20 competition may be made available to their counties, but 50-over cricket is probably already the format given the least priority by the players – something that is reflected in the prize money – and this will be another kick for it.”Our role will be to ensure the money we’re told will come into the sport trickles down for the benefit of everyone.”Mitchell’s personal views would appear to conflict quite sharply with the ECB’s approach in several areas. He believes a partial return to free-to-air broadcasting is essential if the game is to reach a new audience, he preferred the idea of a two-division solution (with promotion and relegation) in the T20 debate, and he argues for a need to increase the wages of young players.He accepts, however, that the ECB has “an incredibly difficult job” in trying to “look after so many stakeholders” and that his role is to communicate not his own views but those of his membership. “It’s about feeding back the views of the collective,” he said.”One of the challenging parts of the job is the need to balance the long-term health of the game with the short-term benefits to our current member. We have to remember that, if we don’t look after the game, we might not have any future members.”We appreciate that the ECB are trying to ensure the health of the game in the long-term and we appreciate we’re one of many stakeholders. We know we have to balance our aspirations with the aspirations of everyone else and I’m looking forward to working with the ECB to that end.”But he believes the players may have been “a bit naïve” in their enthusiasm for the new T20 competition and that reality has “hit home in recent times”.”As a Worcestershire player, we really look forward to the T20 competition as it provides us with a chance to play in front of packed houses and on big grounds,” he said. “As things stand, we go into that competition each year with a chance of winning it. To have that taken away from us is a bit of a blow.”When the new competition was first talked about, I think everyone thought they were about to become millionaires. Now people are realising that only about a quarter of us will play. We’re going to need quite a lot of info from the ECB.”From a personal point of view, I liked the two-division idea and, from a personal point of view, I think we need to get some cricket back on free to air. I think the ECB recognise that, too, and they are very clear about trying to raise the profile of the game.”Responding to the ECB’s reported attempt to change the mechanism by which the domestic salary cap is calculated, Mitchell suggested his attention was more on players at the lower end of the salary spectrum.”The salary cap isn’t relevant to many clubs,” Mitchell said. “I’m more worried up upping the minimum salaries. There are players in county cricket earning around £15,000 a year, which I don’t think reflects the skill and dedication required to be a professional athlete.”I’m told that nothing is decided about the salary cap yet, but I think our main priority will be making sure some of the money coming into the game filters down to the lower ends.”

After announcing nine months ago that he was retiring from Test cricket, West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor has once again made himself available for selection

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2017Jamaican fast bowler Jerome Taylor has informed the West Indies Cricket Board that he is ending his Test retirement to make himself available for selection with immediate effect. Taylor, 32, initially called time on his 46-match Test career ahead of India’s tour of the West Indies last July but may be in line to return against Pakistan for the three-match series beginning April 21.”I believe I still have a lot of cricket left in me and I know I can still offer a lot to West Indies cricket in the Test arena,” Taylor said in a WICB press release. “If selected, I will look to put my best foot forward and give my all for the team. We have some young players in the group at the moment and I believe with my experience, I can add to the team going forward.”Despite remaining available for selection in the T20 and ODI squads for West Indies, Taylor was not picked for either series against Pakistan that preceded the upcoming Test series. His last match in any format for West Indies came in a T20I against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi last September when he took 0 for 19 in an eight-wicket loss.Taylor’s last Test match was more than a year ago against Australia in Sydney where he bowled just four overs in a heavily rain-affected draw. The Jamaican has 130 Test wickets at an average of 34.46 since making his debut against Sri Lanka in 2003, though his record at his home island ground of Sabina Park is outstanding with 29 wickets in five matches at an average of 13.58. Three of his four five-wicket hauls have come at Sabina Park, site of the upcoming first Test against Pakistan, including a career-best 6 for 47 against Australia in June 2015.West Indies selection chairman Courtney Browne welcomed Taylor’s decision to make himself available once again for Tests.”It is good to see that Jerome has decided to come out of retirement and make himself available for Tests once again,” Browne said. “When you look at the volume of cricket we have this year, we will need to look at all the resources we have available, and having someone of his ability and experience adds value to our player pool.”

A century from Samit Patel helped propel Nottinghamshire into the knockout positions in the north group of the Royal London Cup

ECB Reporters Network14-May-2017
ScorecardHaseeb Hameed made an unbeaten half-century but Lancashire’s total was comfortably chased down•Getty Images

A century from Samit Patel helped propel Nottinghamshire into the knockout positions in the north group of the Royal London Cup.Patel scored an unbeaten 103, getting his runs from 104 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes, as Notts defeated Lancashire by seven wickets at Trent Bridge.The 32-year old was joined in an unbroken fourth- wicket stand of 183 by Steven Mullaney which spanned 28.3 overs.Mullaney finished on 77 not out, with four fours and four sixes as Notts chased down a victory target of 261 to win with 24 balls to spare.Earlier, Lancashire scored 260 for 6 after winning the toss and opting to bat first. They lost their way somewhat after a fine opening stand of 98 and were indebted to Haseeb Hameed’s unbeaten 75 to hold the innings together. Mullaney, with 2 for 31, was the pick of the home attack, although Australian international James Pattinson’s 2 for 38 altered the course of the contest with his initial, fiery burst.Notts had lost their three previous one-day matches at Trent Bridge but overcame the early loss of Alex Hales to successfully chase down a sub-par target.Hales followed up Thursday evening’s century against Durham with a quick exit as he tamely helped James Anderson into the hands of Stephen Parry at mid-on.Danny Lamb, a 21-year old medium pacer on debut, experienced a harsh introduction to first-team action as Michael Lumb despatched his second delivery into the stands.The young seamer from Preston bounced back in style, bowling Riki Wessels for 25 before having Lumb, who made 47, caught at mid-on.Mullany and Patel both gave difficult caught and bowled opportunities as they looked to rebuild the innings, with Parry spilling Mullaney on 11 and then the ball just wouldn’t stick in Anderson’s out-stretched right hand as Patel drilled the ball back towards him.Patel reached his 50 from 60 balls and his partner got there from one fewer, reaching the landmark with an enormous six off Stephen Croft.As the finishing line came into sight both batsmen began to find the ropes with increased regularity and Mullaney’s fourth six, off Parry, settled the contest.At the start of the day Lancashire’s openers made the most of friendly batting conditions to put on 98 in 17 overs before both fell in quick succession.Karl Brown had just brought up his third 50 of this season’s competition, getting there from 54 balls, when he pushed hard at Stuart Broad and picked out the safe hands of Patel at extra cover.Alex Davies made 45 before being knocked off his feet by an explosive yorker from Pattinson which thudded into his boot and gained a positive leg before verdict from umpire Baldwin.Pattinson’s pace also accounted for Liam Livingstone, who had a brief and frenetic stay at the crease before nicking behind. The catch was Chris Read’s 258th one-day catch for Notts, a county record, taking him past Bruce French’s tally.Mullaney, playing against his first county, bowled a miserly spell from the Radcliffe Road End that tempted Dane Vilas to hit straight to mid-off and then he knocked back Steven Croft’s middle stump.Ryan McLaren made 42, during which he struck Patel away for the only six of the Lancashire innings but was bowled to become Harry Gurney’s 100th one-day victim.Hameed improvised to good effect towards the back end of the innings, hitting five fours in his 79-ball undefeated knock.Lancashire’s acceleration possibly came a few overs too late and in the end they were well short as Notts clinched victory with four overs to spare.Notts travel to Northants on Tuesday, knowing that victory will guarantee their spot in the qualifying phase.Lancashire finish their programme away at Durham on the same evening and must win and hope other results go their way.

India have missed the April 25 deadline to submit their Champions Trophy squad to the ICC

Sidharth Monga and Nagraj Gollapudi26-Apr-2017India have missed the April 25 deadline to submit their Champions Trophy squad to the ICC. ESPNcricinfo understands the BCCI told the ICC that it could not submit the squad for “operational” reasons. The other seven countries have all announced their squads.According to a BCCI official, the delay was inevitable. With the BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhury and CEO Rahul Johri attending the ICC meetings this week, and captain Virat Kohli playing the IPL, all concerned parties couldn’t be in one place at the same time to pick the squad.”We have told the ICC the reason behind the delay,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “We have told them we will announce it soon.”However, the delay is being seen as a message from the BCCI to the ICC that it can still withdraw from the Champions Trophy should its demand to retain its share of revenue not be met. The ICC had earlier initiated reforms to undo the big-three revenue model, which could have brought the BCCI’s share down from $570 million to $290 million.Earlier in the week, ESPNcricinfo revealed negotiations in the lead-up to the crucial ICC meetings, in which the ICC offered to raise the BCCI’s share to close to $400 million.

Can India withdraw from Champions Trophy?

6.4 Member may terminate this Agreement as a whole (but not in part only)
(c) if there are any material changes that are materially adverse to Member to (i) the structure of the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee of the IDI Board; (ii) the structure of the Executive Committee of the ICC Board; (iii) the membership of (i.e. the ICC Members represented on) the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee of the IDI Board or the Executive Committee of the ICC Board; or (iv) the percentage of “Contribution Costs” of IDI receivable by Member as approved by the IDI Board; or
(d) if there is any other material change to any of the resolutions passed by the ICC Board in Singapore on 8th February 2014 (as amended by the ICC Board in Dubai on 9th April 2014) that (i) has not been approved in advance by Member; and (ii) has a materially adverse effect on Member.

The ICC board meets on Wednesday and Thursday to ratify the proposed reforms. These changes are part of the draft constitution, which comprises key resolutions like the latest finance model and the governance structure reforms devised by a five-man working group led by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar.Although the BCCI official denied there was any realistic chance of India pulling out of the Champions Trophy, there has been growing speculation that the BCCI might issue the threat. The ICC will not be perturbed at this juncture: the threat has to be presented in a written form, and neither of the BCCI office bearers attending the ICC board meeting has the power to renege on the Members Participation Agreement (MPA). The Supreme Court has given that power to the Committee of Administrators (COA).”To pull out you have to revoke the MPA, which is a legal document,” the board official said. “All the legal authority sits with the COA. The office bearers will need to consult the COA. You can make a threat, but you have to follow it up with a letter to become a reality. Then if the COA approves then it will direct Johri, who is the only one authorised to sign such a letter.”The ICC said it was “working with the BCCI to ensure that it meets its obligation under the MPA”. According to the MPA, which has been signed by all eight participating teams, the squads had to be submitted – but not necessarily publicly announced – a month before May 25, which is when the tournament’s support period begins. During the support period, teams will play warm-up matches leading up to the start of the tournament proper on June 1.Teams are free to make changes to their submitted squads until May 25. From then on, changes can only be made on medical grounds, and only after they have been approved by the event technical committee.The April 25 date was not necessarily a deadline for boards to announce their squads publicly. The BCCI could have submitted a provisional squad to the ICC by April 25 without making an announcement. The main reason for the early deadline was to ensure the smooth completion of flight and hotel bookings, promotion, publicity and merchandising. This practice is similar to those carried out before other major world events.In the past, teams have asked for extensions of a day or two, and have been granted that extension by the ICC, but the BCCI had not made such a request. There is no sanction or penalty if a member board fails to meet the deadline. The BCCI has not told the ICC when it will submit its team.

Kent have signed New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne who will take up his stint after the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2017Kent have signed New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne who will take up his stint after the Champions Trophy.ESPNcricinfo revealed that Milne had been in talks about a deal for the NatWest Blast and he will also be available for County Championship cricket in a significant boost to Kent’s bowling attack.Milne, 25, recently played his first international in more than a year, against Ireland, during the tri-series in Dublin having completed his season at the IPL where he made four appearances for Royal Challengers Bangalore.He was recalled to New Zealand’s squad for the Champions Trophy following a series of injuries which sidelined him from all cricket for almost a year.The condensed nature of county cricket, particularly now the four-day game is part of the deal, will be a challenge for Milne but he is excited by the prospect.”I’m delighted to be joining Kent and working with such a talented squad pushing for promotion,” he said. “The County Championship is one of the best first-class competitions in the world and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and taking some wickets. I also can’t wait to experience the atmosphere at The Spitfire Ground in the NatWest T20 Blast.”Kent’s chairman of cricket Graham Johnson said: “Adam is capable of bowling in excess of 90mph and will add even more penetration to our attack in red-ball and white-ball cricket.”It’s a long season so we will need to rotate the bowlers and we hope Adam’s arrival will add impetus with the ball.”

Zimbabwe must now win both remaining matches, if they are to avoid a series defeat, but a newly inspired Sri Lanka top order stands in their way

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jul-2017

Match Facts

July 8, 2017
Start time: 0945 local (0415GMT)Can Graeme Cremer tighten up things on Saturday?•Peter Della Penna

Big Picture

Who would want to be a limited-overs bowler? For so long, Sri Lanka had been the home of the lower-scoring ODI, but in the past week, two totals of more than 300 have been mowed down, which suggests the island’s tracks are also beginning to conform to a global trend. As with so many of the pitches during the recent Champions Trophy, two of the three pitches in this series have afforded virtually no seam movement, and no menacing turn.While the bowlers have been defanged – Zimbabwe especially having failed to take more than five wickets in any of the three innings so far – Sri Lanka’s batsmen appear to be in a good rhythm. Chief among them is Upul Tharanga, who, batting in an unfamiliar no. 4 position, has scored 198 runs in the series without having been dismissed. The openers have been in strapping form, and virtually everyone else in the top six has contributed a score as well.Zimbabwe must now win both remaining matches, if they are to avoid a series defeat, but a newly inspired Sri Lanka top order stands in their way. The key, for them, is the discipline in their spin bowling; on Thursday, the hosts’ openers were fed too many wayward deliveries in the middle overs, and found it too easy to work the ball around.Both sides’ catching is under the microscope too. On batting-friendly surfaces, wicket-taking opportunities are at a premium, and bowlers need their team-mates to convert every chance that comes their way.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLWWL

In the spotlight

While Asela Gunaratne‘s batting has been required only once in the series, he has contributed nonetheless with the ball, breaking substantial stands in each match. His presence in the attack is vital. While Sri Lanka wean young spinners at the top level, Gunaratne has been sort of an insurance policy – a bowler to fall back on when the front-liners are having an off day. Where Lakshan Sandakan went for 73 runs on Thursday, for example, Gunaratne returned 2 for 53 from his 10 overs, and prevented Zimbabwe’s total from getting completely out of hand.Graeme Cremer came into the series with some form from the Scotland tour, and also the Pro50 at home, but is yet to make a substantial contribution in this series. Partly this is down to indiscipline. On Thursday, there were five wides down the leg side in his first over, and errors of length in most of his overs after that. As Imran Tahir has repeatedly proved this year – this Sri Lanka top order does not enjoy accurate legspin. If Cremer can tighten up his bowling, he could find himself among the wickets. It might also help if he could win a toss on occasion – by his own count, he has lost nine on the trot so far.Nuwan Kulasekara might replace Nuwan Pradeep in the fourth ODI•AFP

Team news

Nuwan Pradeep, who had left the field with a thigh strain on Thursday, has been ruled out of the rest of the series. This means a spot may be open for either Nuwan Kulasekara, or 19-year-old quick Asitha Fernando, who have been drafted into the squad.* Lahiru Kumara is the other seamer in the squad. Sri Lanka may want to keep the top order and the spin attack intact.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Wanidu Hasaranga, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Nuwan Kulasekara/Lahiru Kumara/Asitha Fernando, 11 Lasith MalingaRyan Burl had been unavailable for the third ODI after being briefly admitted to hospital, having unwittingly consumed food he was allergic to. Though he comes back into contention for this game, Zimbabwe may be tempted to stick with his replacement Tarisai Musakanda, who hit 48 from no. 3. Tendai Chatara had an indifferent outing in the last match, but as he remains Zimbabwe’s top wicket taker in the series, will likely retain his place. Carl Mumba may also get another run as the second seamer, having returned an economy rate of 5.68 in 6.2 overs.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Solomon Mire, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Tarisai Musakanda, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Sean Williams, 6 Malcolm Waller, 6 Sikander Raza, 8 Peter Moor (wk), 9 Graeme Cremer (capt.), 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Carl Mumba

Pitch and conditions

There is likely to be more of the crosswind that was seen on Thursday, though apparently there is also some chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. The pitch may not be quite as batting friendly, but is expected to have plenty of runs in it.

Stats and trivia

• Thursday’s century was the fifth of Hamilton Masakadza’s ODI career. He now sits at fourth on Zimbabwe’s century-makers’ list, behind Brendon Taylor (8), Alistair Campbell (7) and Grant Flower (6).
• Since his return to ODI cricket following a 19-month layoff, Lasith Malinga has taken five wickets at an average of 63.60, with an economy rate of 6.25
• If Sri Lanka win either of their remaining games, this will be the first ODI trophy they have won since November last year, when they beat Zimbabwe and West Indies in a tri-series.

Quotes

“There’s not much you can change in one day. We will take the positives and try and and restrict them.”
“What we need is consistency. We can lose one or two games, but if we bat well every day that’s great. Some days we don’t do well. If we want to improve we need to be consistent.”
*13.57 GMT, July 7: The story has been updated to reflect the inclusion of Nuwan Kulasekara in Sri Lanka’s squad.

Leicestershire remain the only county without a victory in Division Two after rain intervened on the final day at Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network31-Aug-2017Mark Cosgrove played an eye-catching one-over cameo•Getty Images

Two lengthy rain showers ensured Kent’s entertaining Specsavers County Championship clash with Leicestershire ended in a draw when a tea-time deluge put paid the fourth day’s play.The result means the Foxes will go into a 12th game looking for their first win of the Division 2 campaign, moreover, a fifth draw in 10 starts for Kent, will put a severe dent in their hopes of winning promotion to the top tier.Having secured a modest first-innings lead of 17, Leicestershire wobbled badly when batting second time around and had limped to 135 for 6 and a lead of 152 when the players left a floodlight field of play in light drizzle for the tea interval.The rain intensified thereafter, leaving umpires Martin Saggers and Russell Warren with no choice but to abandon the match as a draw with Kent banking 11 points to Leicestershire’s 12.Batting for a second time with a modest first-innings lead of 17, Leicestershire lost both openers in the space of seven overs. Harry Dearden shouldered arms to a Darren Stevens inswinger to depart lbw then Michael Carberry’s unhappy return to Canterbury continued when he was snared full in front by a shooting off-cutter from Adam Milne.Foxes’ skipper Mark Cosgrove appeared to treat his innings like a T20 Blast net session, spanking 34 off 19 balls – including 24 from five successive deliveries from Matt Coles – before top-edging an attempted paddle off Coles to the keeper.Then, on the cusp of the lunch break, Ned Eckersley went back and across his stumps in aiming to leg to also go leg before, this time to Mitch Claydon.Rain during the interval led to the loss of an hour’s play and 19 overs but Kent were soon back amongst the wickets when Colin Ackermann (34) swept across a quicker one from left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum to become the 11th lbw victim of the game.Foxes’ first-innings top-scorer Lewis Hill soon departed to the same bowler without scoring. Seemingly troubled by a man in at silly point, he drove hard only to miscue to Joe Denly at cover as the Foxes went in at tea on 135 for 6 – an overall lead of 152.The final day started with Kent batting on in search of a fourth batting bonus point only to fall 17 runs short despite an eye-catching career best 39 by Imran Qayyum and 22 from Adam Milne. Qayyum was the last man to go, edging an attempted steer to third man to the keeper, while Neil Dexter was the clear pick of the Foxes attack with figures of 5 for 76.Kent’s rookie spinner Qayyum, who continued his steady progress with three wickets in the match, summed up the dressing room mood as disappointed. “It is a shame because we were in the game with Darren’s eight wickets and batted reasonably well on that second day, but the rain on that third day really hurt us. We needed a win in terms of our promotion push, and although we’ve got four games left, it’s bitterly disappointing that we’ve only come out of this with a draw.Leicestershire skipper Cosgrove also found it a frustrating last day. “There was possibly a very good game building up here so it was disappointing that we lost that third day to rain.”We could have set up a game and had a really exciting day, but it wasn’t to be. It was always going to be hard to bowl them out on that pitch, we needed time, but they didn’t let us get going with the bat.”Explaining his own 19-ball cameo, he added: “I was just trying to get rid of some frustration. That and Matt Coles got the better of me in the end – I guess he’ll be happy with 1 for 24 in the over!”

Karn Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem took four wickets each to bowl New Zealand A out for 147 on the first day in Vijayawada

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Vijayawada23-Sep-2017Karn Sharma made the most of his opportunity with four wickets•BCCI

Players coming off a blustery New Zealand winter found themselves in a cauldron of heat and humidity in Vijayawada. New Zealand A, having had barely three net sessions on the current tour of India, failed in their first trial-by-spin bout, having been bowled out for 147.R Samarth, the India A opener, drove home that point. He overcame a testing new-ball burst of genuine pace and late swing from Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry, to ease the nerves. But Priyank Panchal and Sudip Chatterjee’s dismissal in the last hour to Ish Sodhi helped New Zealand A pull things back.New Zealand A’s decision to bat first should have negated India’s spin threat, and at 72 without loss, it looked like the hosts would be challenged. But jittery footwork, which India A capitalised on through attacking fields and well thought-out plans, left New Zealand A shortchanged. Barring three batsmen – Tim Seifert, who top-scored with 35, Jeet Raval and George Worker – none of the others gave themselves time to grind the bowlers down.India A’s relentless attack that involved having slip catchers and close-in fielders to spin throughout the day, left Seifert struggling to rotate strike. Seifert, unbeaten on 33 when the seventh wicket fell, could add just two more with the lower order in the next 10 overs.Shahbaz Nadeem, the left-arm spinner, was India A’s bowling lynchpin, snuffing out two wickets either side of lunch to leave the visitors at 81 for 6 after openers Raval and Worker laid the strong foundation. Karn Sharma, drafted in to the squad on match eve as a replacement for the dropped K Gowtham, continued his Duleep Trophy form – he picked two five-fors in consecutive matches – by scything through the lower order, finishing with 4 for 58.Jeet Raval is a picture of concentration•Getty Images

Raval’s first big knock in the subcontinent promised much more. Barring an early reprieve behind the stumps by Rishabh Pant when he fished at an away-going delivery, he was solid. Worker, slightly more flamboyant, was happy to force his way through some runs, at times even looking to hit on the up against the moving ball. But their dismissals in the second hour resulted in a meltdown.While Worker was caught at short leg, Raval was bowled attempting to pull a ball that came back in to cramp him for room. Henry Nicholls was beaten by Nadeem’s turn and was out lbw while Will Young, who trained for a week on dustbowls In Chennai in preparation, didn’t give himself an opportunity to be tested as an ill-judged leave to an in-dipper from Mohammed Siraj flattened his off stump.In contrast to New Zealand’s efforts, India were much more serene. In the two hours he batted after tea, Samarth showed exemplary judgment against the short ball. This was a direct consequence of his ability to pick lengths early against two new ball bowlers capable of cracking over 145 kph. His pull shot to deep square leg off Henry was a stand-out. This even as Panchal fought to survive, taking 20 deliveries for his first runs that came through a thick outside edge to third man.Where India’s spinners were relentless in their attack, New Zealand’s slower bowlers were short and wayward to begin with. When they finally got it right, they had a wicket as Ish Sodhi had Panchal nicking to the slips. He was to be rewarded for a second time when Chatterjee played down the wrong line to be adjudged lbw.

The visitors will play three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is over 37 days in November and December

Arun Venugopal02-Oct-2017Sri Lanka arrive in India next month for a cramped tour that will have them playing three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is in 37 days, with the first Test likely to begin in Kolkata on November 16, and final match to be played on December 24.

India v SL fixtures

1st Test: November 16-20, Kolkata
2nd Test: November 24-28, Nagpur
3rd Test: December 2-6, Delhi
1st ODI: December 10, Dharamsala
2nd ODI: December 13, Mohali
3rd ODI December 17, Visakhapatnam
1st T20I: December 20, Cuttack
2nd T20I: December 22, Indore
3rd T20I: December 24, Mumbai

Nagpur and Delhi will host the second and third Tests, before the limited-overs leg kicks off with the first ODI in Dharamsala on December 10. Mohali and Visakhapatnam complete the ODI fixtures, after which the T20Is will be held in Cuttack, Indore and Mumbai. While the BCCI hasn’t made an official announcement yet, ESPNcricinfo verified the schedule with most of the hosting centres.The second Test will be Nagpur’s first Test since the ICC gave the Jamtha surface a ‘poor’ rating during the series against South Africa in 2015. The pitch in Nagpur has since been relaid, and it hosted the fifth ODI between India and Australia on October 1.Indore and Mumbai will be staging their second international games in the space of a few months, both hosting T20Is against Sri Lanka. Indore hosted an ODI against Australia, and Mumbai will host a New Zealand ODI. Thiruvananthapuram, which had been initially allotted a T20I against Sri Lanka, will now host a T20I against New Zealand on November 7 after swapping fixtures with Cuttack.”We were initially supposed to host Sri Lanka in December and Odisha [Cuttack] were supposed to host the New Zealand game in November,” Kerala Cricket Association secretary Jayesh George told ESPNcricinfo. “But, there is a festival in Odisha in November, so we are now hosting the New Zealand game instead.”This will be the second bilateral series between the two teams in the space of a few months. In July-August, India traveled to Sri Lanka and thumped the home side 9-0 across all formats.

Colin Ingram’s refashioned career as a specialist white-ball cricketer will come with leadership duties at Glamorgan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2017Devastating South Africa batsman Colin Ingram and veteran Australian seamer Michael Hogan will share Glamorgan’s captaincy duties next season.The decision comes in the wake of Jacques Rudolph’s retirement. Rudolph stood down in the Championship in May, with Hogan stepping in on an interim basis, but he led Glamorgan to Finals Day in the NatWest Blast before his career came to an endIngram has turned himself into a white-ball specialist after a prolific limited-overs season fired his ambition to play in more global T20 tournaments worldwide.The standout performer of any county in limited overs cricket over the last two seasons, Ingram struck 1,026 runs and five centuries in white-ball competitions during 2017 and was named the PCA MVP award winner for the T20 Blast in 2016 and One-Day Cup in 2017.Ingram will feature for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash later this year but his only experience in the IPL came with the Delhi Daredevils before he joined Glamorgan at the end of 2014.Hogan will now continue to lead the side in red-ball cricket next term, while Ingram will have the captaincy duties in the One-Day Cup and T20 Blast competitions.In the first two games under Hogan’s leadership Glamorgan secured back-to-back victories against Durham at Swansea and at New Road over Worcestershire, the eventual Division Two champions, before finishing seventh in Division Two with a line-up featuring up to eight Academy graduates towards the end of the season.Glamorgan Chief Executive Hugh Morris, said: “We are very fortunate to have two excellent leaders within the squad and the decision to appoint Michael and Colin was unanimous by our Committee. By splitting the captaincy during a busy season both players can bring fresh impetus across the different formats.”