Anaru Kitchen to retire from New Zealand domestic cricket

Anaru Kitchen, a stalwart in New Zealand domestic cricket, has decided to walk away at the end of the 2021-22 season. The 38-year old amassed 10,841 runs, and five trophies, in 348 games across all formats for Auckland and Otago. Kitchen made his international debut in December 2017, nine years into his professional career, and played five T20Is for New Zealand.”Cricket started for me the same as it does for most New Zealand kids, with plenty of backyard cricket and beach cricket on family holidays,” he said in an Otago Cricket press release. “Once I got a hold of the game, I remember the old man making me bat with a stump instead of a bat which was a good challenge.”In December 2008, Kitchen announced his arrival on the domestic scene with a half-century on debut for Auckland against Canterbury in the State Shield, playing against the likes of Shane Bond and Chris Harris in one of the Eden Park Ovals.”I was batting four or five walking out to bat, when Auckland captain Richard Jones walked past me and said, ‘It is hooping out there mate, good luck’,” Kitchen said. ‘I thought to myself, this is Shane Bond, one of New Zealand’s best fast bowlers… let’s see how this goes.”I was lucky to bat with now great mate, Reece Young, who guided me through the innings, and from there I managed to top score with 69 runs”.A solid left-arm spinner as well, Kitchen picked up 130 wickets across formats and was part of Auckland’s Plunket Shield winning side in 2008-09. Four more titles came his way – the Ford Trophy in 2010-11 and 2012-13 and the Super Smash in 2010-11 & 2011-12 – before he eventually moved to Otago in search of a new challenge.”It was a pleasure to have Anaru at Otago,” their CEO Mike Coggan said. “He was an important signing back in 2015-16, a great team man and a consistent performer with bat and ball ever since his arrival from Auckland.”I will not forget the memorable double-century Anaz (Anaru) scored at home versus Northern Districts back in 2017. At his best, he was one the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball in domestic cricket. Otago Cricket wish Anaru all the very best in retirement.”Kitchen paid thanks to his supporters as he prepared to step aside and spend more time with his two boys and partner, before returning to work as an electrician for Aotea Electric.”Reece Young, Richard Jones, Gareth Hopkins and Rob Walter are mentors that have given me all the advice and guidance I could ask for,” he said. “I have also had brilliant support from the players and staff at Otago Cricket, who welcomed me with open arms and gave me a home.”

Rahul 103*, Avesh three-for headline dominant Super Giants' fourth win

KL Rahul’s 103* from 60 balls, his second century against Mumbai Indians and the second century overall in IPL 2022, as well as two early wickets from Avesh Khan and sloppy fielding from Mumbai in the first half combined to extend the five-time champions’ streak of losses to six. The latest defeat all but signals the end of Mumbai’s chances for the season, with eight wins in eight now the requirement if they want to have a chance of making the playoffs. Lucknow Super Giants, meanwhile, jumped to second place on the table with their fourth win.

Super Giants penalised for slow over-rate

KL Rahul will remember his 100th IPL game very fondly thanks to his match-winning and unbeaten century, but his day ended on a slightly sour note when he was fined INR 12 lakh for leading a team that had been slow to finish its overs. It was the first time that Lucknow Super Giants were found guilty of this offence in IPL 2022

Hardly anything went right for Mumbai after they won the toss. Their bowling was wayward, the fielding was forgettable, and the batting lacked big partnerships or big individual innings; all they got were cameos from Dewald Brevis and Kieron Pollard after Suryakumar Yadav kept them steady in the middle overs.Regular loss of wickets in their chase of 200 meant Mumbai were always playing catch-up, but they took things somewhat close in the end. And it was mainly down to Pollard and Jaydev Unadkat. Mumbai needed 73 off 27 when Pollard walked out to bat and they took it down to 26 off the last over, but it was always a bridge too far.2:35

Tahir: Rohit just needs one innings to turn it around

The powerplay mixed bag
Mumbai opened the bowling with Tilak Varma’s offbreaks, and then went on to use six different bowlers in the powerplay. Barring one swinging delivery from Unadkat early on that nearly hit the top of Quinton de Kock’s stumps, the Super Giants openers were unbothered by the bowling changes and were off the blocks quickly. de Kock crunched Unadkat for two fours in that same over, and followed it up with two more in the next against M Ashwin with his trademark slog-sweeps. Rahul, meanwhile, got himself in, trudging to 12 off 15 after a quiet Jasprit Bumrah over before he took on Tymal Mills’ full and short deliveries for two fours and six in a 16-run over. Fabian Allen, getting his first game this IPL, removed de Kock on his third ball but not before leaking a six to him, and then a first-ball four to Manish Pandey, which gave Super Giants a strong powerplay of 57 for 1.Where is Mumbai’s A game?
That Mumbai’s bowlers erred with their lengths on a ground with shortish boundaries and didn’t field like a champion side cost them dearly. Pandey and Rahul were already hitting a boundary nearly every over and Mumbai made their task easier. One fumble at deep square-leg at the end of the eighth over made it two fours in a row off Allen. More of them followed, especially at the deep, and soon after Rahul had struck three sixes for a 33-ball half-century, Brevis stopped a Pandey pull in the deep but he tumbled as he looked like he was slapping it back for another player, and ended up lobbing it over the fence for four. The very next ball, Rahul steered a low and wide full-toss towards third man where a misfield gave him four more.Avesh Khan sent back Rohit Sharma and Dewald Brevis inside the powerplay•BCCI

Rahul’s A game is all there
By now, Bumrah was screaming into his towel, Rohit was down on his haunches, and Rahul was looking better and better. After Mills went for another 18 runs in the 13th over with two fours from each batter, Pandey was bowled by Ashwin for 38, only for Marcus Stoinis to launch a wrong’un over long-on for six off his first ball.Rahul showcased his touch against Allen with another 18-run over that saw two powerful sixes. It was only Bumrah, who stemmed the flow of runs briefly, and Super Giants seemed happy to see him off with ones and twos. For the others, Rahul continued to unleash his drives and scythes, one of which brought up his third IPL century in what was his 100th game in the league.Stoinis fell at the start of the 17th over and Unadkat and Bumrah conceded 22 in three of the last four overs to keep Super Giants just under 200 when 210 or thereabouts looked likely. But Mills bowled the penultimate over and was taken apart for three fours and a six by Deepak Hooda and Rahul to end on none for 54 from four.Avesh rattles Mumbai, Brevis shines again
Avesh already had a stellar record against Mumbai before this game, of five wickets in six overs for just 30 runs. On Saturday he got Rohit to edge behind in his first over and then got Brevis to hand a catch to cover, but only after a stunning show from the South African teenager.Brevis middled his first ball for four past cover point before unleashing some meaty blows for his 13-ball 31. In the fifth over, he smoked Dushmantha Chameera over long-on for a big six before slapping him for two fours. Next over, he smacked Avesh for back-to-back fours as well, one of which nearly took the umpire’s head, but he fell drilling a full-toss straight to cover at the end of the powerplay.Three balls later, Kishan chopped on off Stoinis and Mumbai’s chances started dwindling quickly. Suryakumar and Varma had to consolidate in the middle overs by not taking much risk and even though they collected four fours in the space of eight balls off Krunal Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi, the asking rate had shot up to 12 with 84 needed off 42.Jason Holder’s pinpoint yorker ended Varma’s stay, and the stand at 64, in the 14th over and Suryakumar holed out to deep midwicket off a top edge next over to leave all hopes on Pollard as they needed a steep 68 off 24. Pollard’s consecutive sixes off Chameera and Unadkat’s 14 off six balls reduced the equation but Mumbai were always falling short.

Mushfiqur Rahim becomes first Bangladesh batter to reach 5000 Test runs

Mushfiqur Rahim beat Tamim Iqbal in the race to 5000 Test runs, becoming the first Bangladesh batter to reach the landmark. He achieved the feat with a couple to fine leg off Asitha Fernando on the fourth day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Chattogram.Tamim, who retired hurt on 133 on the third day following cramps on his back and wrist, is currently at 4981 runs.In 2015, Tamim had overtaken Habibul Bashar’s tally of 3026 to become Bangladesh’s leading run-getter in Test cricket. Since then, the record has changed hands a couple of times between Tamim and Mushfiqur. Coming into this Test, Mushfiqur was Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer with 4932 runs, while Tamim was on 4848.Having started his career in 2005, Mushfiqur is Bangladesh’s most experienced Test cricketer, playing in his 81st Test. He is also the longest-serving international cricketer from the country.Starting as a lower-middle-order batter, Mushfiqur took 20 Tests to reach 1000 Test runs. But his role in the Bangladesh team grew when he was made captain in 2011. The subsequent 1000-run milestones took 15, 17, 14 and 15 Tests respectively.Mushfiqur has made 3515 of his Test runs as a wicketkeeper but these days Litton Das, who was batting with him at the time of reaching the 5000-run landmark, dons the gloves for Bangladesh. Mushfiqur has also made 6697 runs in ODIs and 1495 in T20Is.

Australia's twin ambitions: win the ODIs, prepare for Tests

While the ODI series is their next focus, Australia have twin ambitions over the next couple of weeks in Sri Lanka as they look to take advantage of a world returning to something closer to normal after the many restrictions of the last two years.For the first time since the 2019 tour of England, the Australia A side is overseas and while the main group are engaged in five ODIs they will be playing two four-day matches against Sri Lanka A in Hambantota having completed two one-dayers in Colombo that were shared one apiece.The hope is that over the next fortnight as many players as possible can see actual match time rather than be running drinks, although some plans have had to be altered after the injuries to Mitchell Starc (finger) and Mitchell Marsh (calf) in the ODI squad.The most notable decision so far has been to send Travis Head with the A squad for the opening four-day match. He scored a one-day century off 76 balls against Sri Lanka A on Friday to continue his stellar white-ball form following a terrific return to the ODI side in Pakistan, but with David Warner and Steven Smith available again he has been forced aside although there remains a chance he could feature later in the series.Related

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“He’s pushing hard for selection,” head coach Andrew McDonald said. “He got an opportunity in Pakistan and took that with some brilliant ball-striking. Davey comes back into that spot and Steve Smith comes back in as well so there’s two big inclusions so he has to bide his time at the moment.”We see the opportunity for him to get some really good match opportunity within that A game building into the Test series so that’s equally important, his exposure to subcontinent conditions. So that’s been the messaging, the guys on deck over here we’d prefer to see then playing than running drinks.”It’s shifted in terms of having a couple of injuries so it’s changed our initial thinking. There is some desire to make sure our players are playing cricket when they are here…it’s about making sure we haven’t got people sitting on the bench two or three deep in that skillset and just lingering around. We don’t see that as a benefit to anyone.”Cameron Green and Alex Carey featured in the first one-day game for Australia A – with Green scoring an unbeaten hundred – and further mingling between the squads will be assessed after the first two ODIs in Pallekele when the series returns to Colombo.In another sign of Australia’s planning for the Test series, Green will be eased into bowling on the tour and won’t be used with the ball in the first two ODIs. He will have a crucial part to play in balancing the side in Galle and the outside chance remains of three spinners being considered.”He’s important, that allrounder capability gives you the flexibility to potentially pick three spinners – not sure which way we’ll land, we’ll wait until we get to Galle – but his bowling is important to this team,” McDonald said. “We saw it in Pakistan and we saw it in the Ashes. It’s important that we manage him along with the rest of our fast bowlers; when they are fit and available they are a very good combination so we want to protect that the best we can.”Another player who could benefit from a red-ball game before the Test series is legspinner Mitchell Swepson, who is again set to partner Nathan Lyon, but he may feature in the ODIs and could have to make do with red-ball specific training.”We are confident the coaching staff can prepare players whether it be through a match opportunity or whether through scenario training,” McDonald said. “He [Swepson] may get the opportunity to play in the one-day internationals so competitive cricket is always a benefit. You’ve seen over the last 12 months that we haven’t always had match opportunities in the lead-in to series.”It’s something the players are used to so we are confident that whether it’s with Australia A or here in the one-day internationals that we’ll be able to get the players prepared the best we can come the first Test.”There is, though, an ODI World Cup in less than 18 months which is also very central in McDonald’s plans now he has taken the head coach role permanently.”We haven’t played a lot of one-day cricket so the build-up to 2023 is really important,” he said. “We feel as though we have some really good plans in place to play a few different ways come 2023. We don’t know which personnel will be available, who’ll be injured at that time, so you have to cover all bases so it’s about building our capabilities in certain areas, making sure we don’t leave ourselves short, but also concentrating on winning games of cricket which is important.”

Allen, Latham, Bracewell help New Zealand seal series after bowlers' show

A dominant bowling performance from New Zealand pinned down Ireland to 216 and helped the visitors sew up the three-match ODI series, with one game to go. Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips shared the spoils for New Zealand. That Ireland passed 200, on a Malahide track that favoured both the seamers and spinners, was largely down to George Dockrell’s counterattacking 61-ball 74 – his highest score in ODI cricket – and Mark Adair’s unbeaten 27 off 15 balls.Adair then let it rip with the ball, castling Martin Guptill and Will Young for ducks with his first two deliveries. Guptill was yorked first ball and then Young was bowled by a full nip-backer. Finn Allen and Tom Latham then settled the chase with half-centuries, but New Zealand still needed a cameo from Bracewell (42* off 40 balls) to finish it off. He did so in grand style once again, launching a six over mid-on.Related

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With Adair and co. also zipping the new ball around, Allen, who usually loves bat on ball, had to rein himself in. He was on 6 off 18 balls at one point but found the release when he fetched a hip-high short ball from outside off and pulled Craig Young to the square-leg boundary. And when Adair erred too full, Allen pumped him for four successive boundaries, including a six over mid-off, in the ninth over. Allen powered to his maiden ODI fifty, in his second game, off 47 balls. However, when he looked good for more, he toe-ended Curtis Campher to mid-on for 60 off 58 balls. His dismissal snapped a 101-run third-wicket partnership with Latham.Latham was the more circumspect of the two, often cautiously hiding his bat inside the line when Ireland moved the ball away from him and hitting through the line when the ball was in his arc. Andy McBrine and Simi Singh both tested Latham and it was Simi who trapped him lbw for 55 off 71 balls. Phillips then chopped on for a run-a-ball 16, but Bracewell coolly closed it out for New Zealand after having set it up for them with the ball.Bracewell and Santner bowled 20 overs between them in the afternoon, claiming 4 for 58. Bracewell, in particular, made the most of the grip, turn and bounce that was on offer, ending with 10-1-26-2 – the most-economical ten-over spell by a New Zealand spinner since Daniel Vettori’s 4 for 18 against Afghanistan in Napier in the 2015 World Cup.After overnight and early-morning rains delayed the start by half an hour, it was Henry who had set the tone for New Zealand by swinging and seaming the new ball. The mandatory powerplay, in which Ireland managed only 19 for 2, was straight out of a passage of play from Test cricket. Henry relentlessly plugged away in the channel outside off, as did Duffy, who was making his ODI debut at the expense of Lockie Ferguson, threatening both the outside and inside edges.Believe it or not, Henry’s powerplay analysis read 5-3-4-2. He struck in the very first over when he swung a full ball into a crease-bound Paul Stirling’s back pad in a wicket-maiden. Andy Balbirnie misjudged a similar inswinger and watched it thud into the bails after he offered no shot. Much like Henry, Duffy began his shift with a maiden but unlike Henry he extracted significant extra bounce.Ireland needed 21 balls to get off the mark and 57 balls to find the fence. It was McBrine who ended the boundary drought when he belted Duffy through the covers. In the next over, bowled by Henry, McBrine hit two more fours to briefly repair the innings.McBrine scored 28 off 48 balls before Bracewell pushed an offbreak well wide of off stump and had him stumped. It was Bracewell’s second wicket of the day. He had stuck in his first over, too, when he had an advancing Harry Tector slicing a catch to long-on.George Dockrell stood out for Ireland with his ODI best of 74•Sportsfile/Getty Images

Bracewell, who was introduced into the attack in the 13th over ahead of Santner, showed control with his lengths and lines, something that was missing in the Test series in England and also in the first ODI against Ireland.Santner, who was brought into the attack in the 20th over, marked his return from a bout of Covid-19 with a beauty that drifted in and turned sharply past the outside edge of Campher. After turning another stock ball past Campher’s bat, he found the outside edge by shifting wide on the crease in the 28th over. When part-time offspinner Phillips removed Loran Tucker for 19, Ireland were 126 for 6 in the 37th over.Dockrell and Simi got together at this point and struck up a 59-run seventh-wicket stand off 48 balls. After seeing off threatening spells from Bracewell and Santner, Dockrell lined up the seamers by regularly manufacturing swinging room and lifting the ball over the off-side infield. That the ball had now stopped swinging for Henry, Duffy and Blair Tickner also aided Dockrell. He notched up his third ODI fifty off 48 balls and celebrated it with a sequence of 4,4,4, 6 in six balls; the highlight being the straight six off Santner in the 44th over.In the next over, however, Dockrell holed out to long-on to give Duffy his first ODI scalp. Simi rode his luck – he survived a tight stumping on 11 – and miscued a brace of reverse-sweeps before he was run-out for 16. Santner capped his spell by having Craig Young nicking behind to Latham for a duck.Ireland, ultimately, folded in 48 overs and there would be no way back for them, despite Adair’s two-in-two at the start of their defence.

Buttler rues the one that got away as England slump to rare home-series loss

Jos Buttler conceded that his costly missed stumping off Rishabh Pant probably made the difference between victory and defeat in the series-deciding third ODI against India at Emirates Old Trafford. However, he denied that the lapse had anything to do with the extra mental load of taking on England’s white-ball captaincy.Pant’s unbeaten 125 from 113 balls – his first ODI hundred – came after a decisive stand of 133 with Hardik Pandya, one that allowed India to recover from a dicey 72 for 4 and chase down England’s sub-par total of 259 with five wickets and 47 balls to spare.However, Pant himself should have been the fourth Indian wicket to fall, for just 18, when Moeen Ali tempted him down the pitch in the 16th over, and beat him with sharp turn past the outside edge. Buttler, however, could not cling on, and when Hardik, on 6 at the time, steered a loose pull off Brydon Carse over the head of fine leg, who had wandered in from the rope, two big opportunities to access India’s lengthy tail had been gone.In the end, Pant never gave England another sniff in a magnificently composed performance, one which he sealed in style with a flurry of six fours from his final seven deliveries, after Hardik’s own Player-of-the-Series-sealing display had ended on 71 with a fine low catch from Ben Stokes at short midwicket.”Give good players a second chance, and there’s a good chance they’ll hurt you,” Buttler admitted, after England had suffered just their third ODI series loss at home since 2015, all of which have come down to a decider at Old Trafford. “Rishabh Pant is a fearless player, someone who is great to watch in all formats. It’s his mentality that sets him apart. He looks like he gets great backing.”If we took those chances, we would probably have had a good hold in the game with a long tail for India. But with the score we put up, we were going to need to take all our chances to have a chance of winning the game.Jos Buttler brought up his fifty off 65 balls•Getty Images

“We just need to be better,” Buttler added, having also overseen a 2-1 series loss in the T20Is against India. However, with a brand-new ODI series against South Africa looming in Chester-le-Street as soon as Tuesday, he also conceded: “We have to reflect quickly as there isn’t much time.”Buttler himself has endured a mixed time with the bat in this leg of the summer. He made an important 60 from 80 balls at Old Trafford, to shore up England’s innings after their own top-order wobble, but his returns have dipped since his stellar run of form at the recent IPL – not to mention his exploits in the Netherlands last month, where his unbeaten 162 from 70 balls underpinned England’s world-record total of 498 for 4.He has assumed the full-time captaincy from Eoin Morgan since that innings, and has been obliged to forge a new working relationship with the incoming head coach, Matthew Mott. But Buttler was adamant that he would get to grips with the new responsibilities as he grows into his expanded role.”At times, I’ve found absolutely fine, to be honest,” he said. “I missed a chance today, but I don’t think that’s got anything to do with captaincy, so I’m not worrying too much about that. I feel good, I’ve been in some of the best form of my life, and I still feel in great touch. Form isn’t just the score.”I’m learning lots, I found the first week busy but I feel more comfortable now,” Buttler added. “There have been lots of games in a short space of time, which has been a challenge, so it’ll be nice to have a day to reflect. I feel I’m an experienced cricketer but a young captain, with an opportunity to grow and learn about the role. It will take a bit of time, I need to walk before I can run.”More broadly, Buttler recognises that England’s batting has been off-colour this series – partly because of the sustained quality of India’s attack, but also because of a relative lack of familiarity with the 50-over format. It was England’s priority from 2015 to 2019, but with the cycle currently between back-to-back T20 World Cups, the longer white-ball format has been a scarcity of late. Indeed, the five batters in England’s ODI top six who were integral to that World Cup triumph three years ago hadn’t played together since until last week’s Oval defeat.”We haven’t played much ODI cricket recently and it’s about working out the rhythm,” he said. “We’ve played on great batting wickets [in the past] and the balls haven’t done much. Over a period of time, you need to be able to adapt. That’s our ambition.”We just haven’t got in and had long partnerships,” Buttler said. “Every time we have, we have started to score. I’m not concerned, but throughout the whole summer so far, in the T20s and the ODIs, we just haven’t batted our best and we just have to play better for longer.”Related

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One undoubted positive for England was the performance of Reece Topley, who backed up an eye-catching display in the T20I series with nine wickets at 9.00 in the ODIs – all of which came in the space of 16.5 overs at Lord’s and Old Trafford.When Topley backed up his career-best 6 for 24 with three more scalps in his first 4.1 overs of the decider, it seemed England were on course for victory. And yet, he bowled just seven overs all told at Old Trafford – a decision that Buttler said was partly a tactical decision but also involved a degree of player management given Topley’s well-known injury history.”He’s been brilliant,” Buttler said. “He got his opportunity and took Man-of-the-Match at Lord’s and the T20s at Trent Bridge as well. We were trying to search for ways to create wickets and it’s been a tough schedule as well, and Reece is just creaking a bit, so we will just have to look after him a little bit, as we will all our players.”England’s intense schedule – partially caused by the need to shoehorn in the postponed fifth Test from India’s 2021 series – means there is just a 48-hour turnaround until they take on South Africa at Chester-le-Street. But with the need to look after England’s quick bowlers in particular, the chances are that Matthew Potts, one of England’s stars of the recent Test successes, may be given a chance for an ODI debut in front of his home fans.”We have to look after the players, the schedules are incredibly tough,” Buttler said. “The thought of a three-and-a-half hour bus to play on Tuesday… there’s risk with the bowlers. We’ll have to manage guys, and maybe rest a few.”Matthew Potts comes into the squad, there’s a guy who is exciting to see in ODI cricket if he gets his chance. Reece has been through a lot and has a great understanding with what he needs, and all the bowlers need. We don’t want to push guys too far.”

Warwickshire sign up Mohammed Siraj for remainder of 2022 season

Mohammed Siraj is set to play for Warwickshire over the remainder of the 2022 County Championship season. He becomes the sixth India player to be signed by a county team this season, after Cheteshwar Pujara (Sussex), Washington Sundar (Lancashire), Krunal Pandya (Warwickshire for Royal London Cup), Umesh Yadav (Middlesex) and Navdeep Saini (Kent).Siraj is currently part of the India squad that is in Zimbabwe for a three-match ODI series, which began on Thursday in Harare. After the conclusion of the Zimbabwe tour on August 22, Siraj is expected to arrive in Birmingham ahead of Warwickshire’s home game against Somerset, which begins on September 12.

Warwickshire are currently third from bottom on the Division One table, with just one win from their 11 games so far. After their match against Somerset, they are also due to play against Gloucestershire and Hampshire in their push to avoid relegation to Division Two. Siraj will be available for all three matches.The 28-year-old Siraj has established himself as a key member of India’s fast-bowling group in Test cricket since his debut on the 2020-21 tour of Australia, where he finished the series as the highest wicket-taker among the visitors’ injury-hit bowling group. He has played 13 Test matches so far, taking 40 wickets at an average of 30.77. He is also a regular member of India’s ODI attack.Siraj will hope that his county stint will help him in his bid to rediscover his best red-ball form, after a drop-off in his returns during his last two Test tours. After taking just three wickets in two Tests in South Africa at the turn of the year, at an average of 51.00, Siraj had a mixed Test match at Edgbaston – Warwickshire’s home ground – in July, picking up four first-innings wickets but conceding more than a run a ball across two innings as England pulled off a record chase.”I can’t wait to join up with the Bears squad,” Siraj said. “I have always enjoyed playing in England with India and I’m excited to experience County Cricket.”Edgbaston is [a] world-class stadium and the atmosphere it created this year for the Test was special. I’m really looking forward to making it my home in September and hopefully helping the Bears end the season well.”I would like to extend my gratitude to both Warwickshire County Cricket Club and BCCI for this opportunity.”Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s director of cricket said: “Siraj is a fantastic addition to the squad and we can’t wait to welcome him to Warwickshire. He is one of the best fast bowlers in the world right now and his knowledge and experience will help bring an added dimension to our line-up.”It’s been clear that we needed to strengthen our bowling attack for the crucial run-in period and I’m excited to see what Siraj can do in these three games.”

Gareth Roderick, Ed Barnard hold up Glamorgan's promotion push

Worcestershire 285 for 7 (Roderick 88*, Barnard 75, Pollock 54, van der Gugten 3-42) vs GlamorganA fightback by Glamorgan’s bowlers with the second new ball boosted their LV= County Championship promotion hopes after a century stand by Worcestershire’s Ed Barnard and Gareth Roderick in Cardiff.New Zealand Test bowler Ajaz Patel, making his Glamorgan debut, took the wicket of Barnard in the last over before the new ball was taken, with James Harris and Michael Hogan adding late wickets as Worcestershire closed on 285 for 7.The visitors had slipped to 114 for 4, with seamer Timm van der Gugten taking 3 for 12 in 54 balls, before Roderick and Barnard came together to rescue the situation with a stand of 127, Roderick finishing the day on 88 not out.The forecast over the next three days is not good, so every point will be vital for both sides who have this game in hand over second-placed Middlesex, Glamorgan now three points behind and Worcestershire another 28 back.Worcestershire captain Brett D’Oliveira won the toss on a grey morning in Cardiff and elected to bat first, probably a 51/49 decision given the conditions. That meant Welsh cricket fans had to wait to see India star Shubnam Gill with the bat on in his Glamorgan debut, but fellow new boy Patel was in action with the ball before the lunchbreak.The early breakthroughs came from the seamers, Harris getting Worcestershire opener Jake Libby out lbw with a ball speared at leg stump. However it was first change van der Gugten who proved to be the most threatening of the home bowlers, the Dutch international beating the bat at regular intervals and moving the ball both ways.Taylor Cornall shouldered arms to a ball which swung back and took his off stump out of the ground, while Jack Haynes fell lbw to the same bowler.All the while opener Ed Pollock was mixing aggression with watchfulness on his way to a half-century before getting an edge with a push outside off stump to another swinging ball from van der Gugten.That brought Roderick and Barnard together at a crucial time, but the pair have specialised in rescue missions for their county this season and set about doing it again. Barnard overtook his more sedate partner as he moved smoothly to his half-century, Worcestershire reaching tea at 195 for 4.Following the interval Roderick also reached his fifty as the older ball and sunnier conditions were more conducive to batting.Patel, only the third bowler ever to take 10 wickets in a Test match innings, wheeled away from the Cathedral Road end, not afraid to give the ball plenty of air but also keeping that end tight in conceding fewer than three runs an over. He got his reward in the 80th over, Barnard out lbw attempting a sweep shot.Harris got his second wicket and second lbw decision to see the departure of D’Oliveira, before Hogan clean bowled Ben Cox.

Alyssa Healy named Australia's vice-captain, uncertainty remains over Meg Lanning's return

Alyssa Healy is ready to lead the Australian women’s cricket team this summer if called upon after being appointed as Meg Lanning’s vice-captain.Healy was officially named as the retired Rachael Haynes’ replacement on Thursday, after previously filling in as a vice-captain last summer.There is every chance the role could turn into that of stand-in skipper, with Lanning no guarantee to return from personal leave before a December T20 series in India.Lanning is currently overseas after taking leave from the game in August, and while she has been given space by Australian players Healy contacted her personally to deliver the news.Related

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Healy on Thursday stressed the Australian team was still Lanning’s and she is still hopeful her close friend will return to playing with no discussions yet about captaining in India.”I am positive she will be back around Australian cricket and in what role I am not 100 per cent certain,” Healy said. “That is a decision for Meg and one that me in particular I am really supportive of her making.”Whatever role I play in the summer I am happy with. If she comes back and says this is my team and I want to play and captain, it’s a great thing for Australian cricket. But if it’s the flip-side of that and there is a conversation about me having to take over then that is really exciting for me.”Australia also have a home series against Pakistan in January before a T20 World Cup defence in South Africa in February.Healy was confident if called upon she would be able to juggle her many roles, including as both the team’s wicketkeeper and opening bat.She has had experience doing so with New South Wales – a team in transition for the past four years with several older players retiring or moving elsewhere.Australia are also facing a changing of the guard with Shelly Nitschke last month named the team’s new full-time coach and Dan Marsh and Scott Prestwidge announced as new assistants on Thursday.”To have an opportunity to help shape the next chapter of this group, it’s really exciting for me,” Healy said. “If and when called upon [to captain] I would be absolutely chuffed to do that and call on some experience I have had with the NSW Breakers in the past couple of years.”There is also some chance Healy’s appointment could extend her own career after she recently admitted she had considered her own future in recent months.”It probably re-energises and re-focuses too,” Healy said. “There have been little moments and cool opportunities along the way that have reinvigorated me and the way I want to play the game. This is another one of those moments that makes you sit back and think, go: Actually is a really cool time to want to be involved.”

Prolific Daniel Hughes stars as New South Wales crush Tasmania

Daniel Hughes smacked yet another century before spinner Chris Green weaved his magic with the ball to lead New South Wales to a crushing 160-run win over Tasmania in the one-day clash at Blundstone Arena.Just days after missing a Sheffield Shield clash due to Covid-19, Hughes scored 101 off 114 balls as the visitors reached 8 for 300 after being sent in to bat.In reply, Tasmania were skittled for 140 in 28.1 overs, with Matthew Wade (42 off 49 balls) the only home batter to post a score of any substance. Green starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 4 for 20 off nine overs.NSW entered the match yet to taste victory this season in either the one-day competition or the Sheffield Shield.But the 207-run opening stand between Hughes and Kurtis Patterson (92) put the Blues on track to end the rut. Hughes has now posted three one-day centuries this season and he can consider himself unlucky to be overlooked for Australian selection following Aaron Finch’s retirement.Thursday’s innings took his average to 67.8 for the past four seasons with only Shaun Marsh having more one-day domestic centuries – 10 to Hughes’s nine – of current players.The left-hander was strong square of the wicket, cutting, pulling and pushing off the back foot whenever Tasmania dropped short.Sitting pretty at 0 for 194 after 32 overs, the runs dried up slightly for NSW after Patterson picked out the man on the legside boundary while trying to pull Tom Rogers.It kickstarted a collapse of 5 for 35 in the next six overs as Rogers, Nathan Ellis and Tom Andrew pulled back the Blues. Jason Sangha and Baxter Holt were the only remaining batters to pass 20, as NSW took just 63 runs from the last 10 overs.Tasmania’s run chase started poorly with the home side crashing to 3 for 35. Wade sent a scare through the camp when he was struck on the side of the helmet by a Liam Hatcher bouncer. The veteran had raced to 21 off just 11 balls but struggled for fluency after being hit.Wade even fell to the ground later that over while evading another Hatcher bouncer and he eventually holed out 10 overs later in the search for quick runs.The bonus-point win lifted NSW (five points) off the bottom of the ladder, but they are still five points adrift of the third-placed Tasmania (10 points).

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