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He believes this West Indies unit includes a number of match-winners who can bring home another world title

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Jun-2024After two disappointing T20 World Cups, where they failed to qualify for the semi-finals in 2021 and progress past the first round in 2022, Nicholas Pooran believes that West Indies are now ready to “redeem” themselves. With this year’s edition being co-hosted by the West Indies, Pooran said that the squad is hungry to rekindle that “special feeling” Daren Sammy’s men had experienced when they won the title in 2012 and 2016.”Coming back in here after two years, everybody wants to get that special feeling we had when we won those two T20 World Cups,” Pooran told ESPNcricinfo from his home in Trinidad. “I feel like everybody wants that moment again. They want to be a part of that winning feeling. Doing it in front of our fans is even more special.”Pooran replaced Kieron Pollard as West Indies’ white-ball captain in May 2022, but by November he had stepped down, a decision Cricket West Indies took as part of a review immediately after the 2022 World Cup failure. Rovman Powell leads them now. At the 2022 T20 World Cup, which was played in Australia, West Indies won just one of their three matches in the first round, crashing out as Zimbabwe and Ireland progressed ahead of them.Related

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Pooran, 28, said both him and several members of the current squad have moved on since. “We all have grown as players, as team-mates as well,” he said. “When we played in Australia where we didn’t qualify, everyone was hurt. I resigned [from] captaincy after that as well. Everyone was hurt. But we are no longer that group of guys.”We all know what’s at stake here. We all know that we have an opportunity to obviously redeem ourselves, make our cricket fans in the Caribbean and our cricket fans all over the world proud of us [and] happy. This time around we are much better players as well. Most of our guys that play franchise cricket, they understand what is needed to be a professional as well.”Pooran was among half-a-dozen players from West Indies’ World Cup squad of 15 that didn’t feature in the recent three-match T20I series at home against South Africa, which they won 3-0 under the captaincy of Brandon King. The other five players who had missed that series were Andre Russell, Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Alzarri Joseph and Sherfane Rutherford.Pooran was impressed with how West Indies, despite the absence of the senior players, were “fighting” to perform and win.”If you just look at the series we played against South Africa, a few guys were missing, but we were able to win that series 3-nil,” Pooran said. “You saw the performances, you saw that guys are fighting and that’s really important. We may win, we may not win, but what’s more important for me, as a senior player as well, is that we need to give it 100% on and off the field.”It’s not about us, it’s about our team, 100%. It’s important for me to continue to share that message: that it’s not about me or ourselves. It’s not about us at all. It’s all about what we can do for this team to be successful in the end.”Rovman Powell and Andre Russell lend depth to West Indies’ line-up•Getty Images

‘West Indies have numerous match-winners’

While announcing West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad in early May, batting great Desmond Haynes, who is presently the chief selector, pointed out that they were capable of winning the title. Sitting next to Haynes, the head coach Sammy said West Indies had 15 X-factor players. Along with Sammy, this current West Indies unit has two players – Russell and Johnson Charles – who were part of the T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016. West Indies are now looking to become the first team to win a T20 World Cup at home.While Pooran will clearly be one of the key batters in the middle order, West Indies have more firepower with the likes of Powell, Russell, Hetmyer, Rutherford and Shepherd making them one of the most destructive batting line-ups in the tournament. Russell, in particular, comes into this in top form – both with bat and ball – having helped Kolkata Knight Riders win their third IPL title.Pooran said the presence of Russell, who had returned to the West Indies T20I fold last December after a long hiatus, would no doubt sprinkle positivity across the dressing room. “He’s a winner. He wins T20 games,” Pooran said. “He wins tournaments and whenever you have that experience in the dressing room, it helps a lot, especially in a World Cup. Experience is key.”West Indies, however, are not just about Russell. Pooran stressed that West Indies had a number of other match-winners.”We have Rovy [Powell], we have Hetmyer, we have Rutherford, we have Sheppy [Shepherd],” Pooran said. “These guys have been doing brilliantly for themselves and for their franchises and for West Indies in the last 12 months. And I even think that takes a lot of pressure off Russell as well. It definitely takes a lot of pressure off me.”Pooran cited the example of the third and final T20I against Australia in Perth this February which West Indies won by 37 runs, despite losing wickets in a heap in the early exchanges.”I remember that last game in Perth. We were struggling, we were probably 70 for 4 [79 for 5],” Pooran recalled, “and we scored 215 [220 for 6]. Russell and Rutherford scored 70 apiece [71 and 67 respectively]. They just tore Australia’s bowling apart. Just to have these guys … makes you not worry that much.”In saying that, every single individual still has to do their jobs. But the beauty about our team is that we have players that, on their day, they can win a game for you in T20 cricket. That’s what you want. We have numerous match-winners on our team.”

If England lose in Perth the Ashes will be gone and a whitewash will loom, leaving players, coaches and selectors with tough questions to answer

George Dobell in Perth13-Dec-20171:41

‘If England win it will be a black mark on WACA history’

Just as it is remarkable how a player can make the journey from ‘promising’ to ‘has been’ in the blink of an eye, so a team that looked as if it was rebuilding nicely can suddenly be reduced to rubble.Just three months ago, after they had won Test series against West Indies and South Africa, England were looking forward to this Ashes tour with realistic if guarded optimism. While their squad had some obvious flaws – not least the reliability of the top-order batting, a lack of pace bowling and the on-going issues over spin – it was also given depth by the presence of several allrounders who offered the chance to rebuild with the bat and spread the burden with the ball. They weren’t favourites, but they had a decent chance.Now, as the mushroom cloud from the Ben Stokes affair continues to fall, it seems this England team are coming to a precipice. If England lose the WACA Test – and it bears repeating they have lost their last seven Tests in Australia and their last seven on this ground – the series will be gone and the possibility of a whitewash will rear into view. As a result, there will be scrutiny on both the management – the coaches, the selectors and all those who appoint them – as well as the players. History suggests that someone – maybe several people – will pay with their jobs.So while we become accustomed to hyperbole before games – they’re all huge or massive or big and sometimes all three – when Joe Root said England were playing “one of the biggest games of our lives” this week, he was probably spot on.If England lose, there will be greater reflection on the culture of the team and questions asked about the management style of the coach and the England director. Have the players been given too much leniency and is a firmer hand required? Have England’s Test results improved since Trevor Bayliss was appointed, or might all involved be better served if he concentrated on the white-ball sides? If England lose, both Bayliss and Andrew Strauss will, rightly or wrongly, be left in uneasy positions.If England lose, there will be questions asked about selection. Why was James Vince, for example, recalled to bat at No. 3 despite a County Championship batting average of 32.94 in 2017? What was the experiment with Liam Dawson about and why was Adil Rashid discarded despite the wickets he took in India a year ago? If England lose, James Whitaker will, rightly or wrongly, be left in an uneasy position.Joe Root, James Anderson, Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad at the singing of the national anthems•Getty Images

If England lose, there will be questions asked about whether it is time to invest in younger players. The likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Alastair Cook will all come under scrutiny as questions are asked whether the time has come to make a change ahead of the next Ashes series in 2019. There will be an immediate pressure to bring in new players. We already know that Mark Wood will join the squad for the final two Tests, but the likes of Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone and Dan Lawrence – all in Perth as members of the England Lions squad – could also be added to the party. If England lose, several of this squad will, rightly or wrongly, be left in uneasy positions.Meanwhile, there will be a focus on the county system and the success of the performance centre at Loughborough. Coaches and managers involved will come under greater scrutiny. Why is that England are not producing more fast bowlers – or fit ones, anyway – or potent spinners? Why has it taken so long to find a new opening pair after the retirement of Strauss? If England lose, the likes of Kevin Shine (lead fast bowling coach) and Peter Such (the ECB’s spin bowling coach) will, rightly or wrongly, be left in uneasy positions.There may be further reflection on Stokes, too. Views around the England squad may well have hardened towards Stokes in recent days. While there is still fondness for him as a man and respect for him as a cricketer, there are a few who are only now realising how their own lifestyle has been impacted by that incident. There might well be some resentment. If England lose Stokes will, rightly or wrongly, be held partially accountable.And England will suddenly be, whether for better or worse, at the start of a new rebuilding phase. And that means change, lots of it.The good news – for England at least – is that they can win. They are certainly not favourites, but the margins between these sides are nothing compared to those in 2013-14 and this surface, once so full of pace and fury, has settled into a more sedate dotage. The Australia team is good, but there’s nothing to fear there.In an attempt to close the gap between the side, the England management have decided to make a minor tinker to their batting order. Jonny Bairstow will move back to No. 6, with Moeen Ali returning to No. 7 to ensure there are not left-handers at No. 5 (Dawid Malan) and No. 6. While it does seem fair to ask why they couldn’t have envisaged that problem at the start of the series, it is also probably fair to accept that few could have predicted the extent to which Nathan Lyon should trouble them.Olly Stone was among those at England training on Wednesday. Stone, like Jamie Overton, George Garton, Josh Tongue and Zak Chappell, is the sort of pace bowler who might make a difference the next time England make this trip. If the ECB can find a way to ensure they play enough cricket to develop while not compromising their pace or their fitness, England will have greater firepower next time.But if England lose at the WACA, the future will be a lot closer than many of those involved currently think.

The pair added 111 for the fourth wicket to help their side recover from 2 for 43 in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2018
ScorecardGetty Images

Half-centuries from Jake Doran and George Bailey helped Tasmania build a solid first-innings total on the opening day of their Sheffield Shield clash against South Australia in Hobart.Having won the toss, Tasmania slipped to 2 for 43 before Doran and Beau Webster steadied the innings with a 65-run stand.Webster then fell for 42 but Doran and Bailey put together a 111-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Doran made his third half-century in five innings, having made 95 against Queensland and 97 against New South Wales.But Redbacks left-arm paceman Nick Winter continued his stunning form to remove Doran, Bailey and Simon Milenko in a four-over spell with the second new ball. Matthew Wade and Tom Rogers saw Tasmania through to stumps without any further damage.

He is facing 19 charges in total relating to alleged offences perpetrated between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2024

AAP15-Apr-2024Former Australia Test cricketer Michael Slater has been remanded in police custody after being charged with more than a dozen offences.Slater, 54, had his case mentioned in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday.He is facing 19 charges relating to alleged offences perpetrated on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on various dates between December 5, 2023 and April 12, 2024.The charges include domestic violence offences of unlawful stalking or intimidation, breaking into a dwelling with intent at night, common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and choking or suffocation.The former opening batter and TV commentator was also charged with breaching bail and ten counts of contravening a domestic violence order.Police confirmed they arrested a 54-year-old Noosa Heads man at a Sunshine Coast address on Friday following alleged domestic violence incidents over several days.Slater has been remanded in custody with the case due to be mentioned in the same court on Tuesday.After making his debut during the 1993 Ashes tour, Slater played 74 Tests for Australia, amassing 5312 runs at an average of 42.83 with 14 centuries. He also played 42 ODIs.Slater retired from cricket in 2004, and embarking on a successful TV commentary career.

Birmingham Bears condemned to 55-run defeat after stellar allround display

ECB Reporters Network12-Jul-2024Worcestershire Rapids turned the Vitality Blast North Group table upside-down by beating leaders Birmingham Bears by 55 runs in a rain-reduced 17-overs-per-side match at Edgbaston.Rapids piled up 187 for 6 thanks to star contributions at either end of their innings. Kashif Ali launched it with a sparkling 46 from 30 balls and Matthew Waite concluded it in spectacular fashion by whacking 34 from the last over by George Garton. Waite, who took 5 for 21 against Leicestershire Foxes the previous evening, blasted 36 not out from eight balls.The Bears’ reply never recovered from losing both openers for ducks and closed on 132 all out from 15.2 overs. Only Dan Mousley (68 off 44) threatened for long against a well-focused attack led by Waite (four for 29) and Tom Taylor (3 for 27).Back-to-back wins have retained the Rapids’ sliver of hope of qualification for the knockout stage. The Bears remain very strongly placed but a third defeat in 11 games leaves them with plenty still to do to seal a home quarter-final.The Rapids chose to bat but lost Ed Pollock to the third ball when he pulled Zak Foulkes to mid-on where Sam Hain dived low to take his 71st T20 catch. Kashif got the innings going with an audacious six over mid-wicket off Garton and added 56 in 32 balls with Josh Cobb before the latter chipped Moeen Ali to extra cover. Kashif collected 30 of his 46 runs in fours and sixes but departed furious at himself for nicking a wide long hop from Moeen to the wicketkeeper.Former Bears batter Adam Hose has a lot of happy history at Edgbaston, having scored over 1000 T20 runs there, but added only eight before hammering Danny Briggs to extra cover. When Briggs struck again three balls later, Gareth Roderick top-edging a sweep, the Rapids had lost three wickets in ten balls at a time when they needed to accelerate.The acceleration then came, first from Nathan Smith who socked 33 off 16 balls in a stand of 52 in 28 balls with Brookes (30 not out, 19) and then Waite who left Garton head-in-hands after peppering the leg side boundary with 6-4-6-6-6-6 in the final over.The Rapids’ attack was deprived of Smith, who ended his innings with a runner after damaging a hamstring, but the Bears’ reply started shabbily as both openers bagged blobs. Taylor’s first ball was a wide, then his second was a searing inswinger which bowled Alex Davies. Rob Yates spooned a return catch to Cobb. When Hain chopped Waite on to his stumps, the Bears were 18 for 3.Mousley batted with aplomb on his way to a 34-ball half-century but support for him was fleeting. Moeen was bowled, swishing across the line, by Waite and Chris Benjamin’s counter-attack (21 in eight balls) was ended by an excellent catch on the long off rope by Taylor. Jake Bethell sliced Taylor to deep cover and 56 from the last two overs proved slightly too tall an order for the lower order as Waite rounded off his great day with wickets from successive balls to end the game.

Extra seamer will play regardless as England balance the here-and-now with the upcoming Ashes

Andrew Miller14-Dec-2024England will make a late decision on Kate Cross’s fitness for the one-off Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein, but have opted to play an extra seamer either way, as thoughts begin to turn to their upcoming Ashes challenge in January.Cross, England’s senior seamer, bowled just five balls in Wednesday’s third ODI at Potchefstroom before leaving the field with a back spasm. She will attempt to bowl in the nets on Saturday, but if she’s not deemed fit enough to take part, Ryana MacDonald-Gay – who was drafted into the Test squad as cover – will make her Test debut, with Sophia Dunkley set to miss out among the batters.Speaking on the eve of the contest, captain Heather Knight admitted her team had to balance their desire to cap a successful tour of South Africa against the challenge that awaits in Australia. And Cross, who was instrumental in England’s Ashes Test win in Perth in 2013-14, remains a key part of that consideration.”We’ll have to wait and see,” Knight said. “Obviously, she went down in that first ODI, and it’s pretty rare to see Kate in that much pain. So we’ll have to see how that reacts. She’ll try and have a little bowl today, try and get a couple of spells in, and then we’ll make a call based on what we think is best for the team.”Obviously we’ve got a huge amount of cricket coming up as well, so that’s going be at the forefront [of our thoughts]. Kate’s such a key player for us in one-day cricket and Test cricket. We want to give her the biggest chance, because she’s so desperate to play Test cricket, but we feel like our seam bowlers are going to be so important over the next month, so we want to really look after them.”So, “I don’t know” is the honest answer, but if she doesn’t play, we’ll obviously miss her.”The upcoming Test will be South Africa’s first on home soil in 22 years, and Knight – who still considers the format to be her favourite despite the scarcity of opportunity – said her players were all excited at the prospect of “pulling the whites back on”. The challenge of switching mindsets from white-ball to red-ball cricket, however, would be the biggest factor for the coming four days.Related

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“From my own experiences, I absolutely love playing red-ball cricket,” Knight said. “It’s such a test, such a challenge, and something that I love doing … the mental challenge, the repetition of skills, adapting to so many different situations that you might face. I absolutely love it.”But honestly, in the build-up to the Test, everyone was like, ‘right, what do I do, how do I learn? How to develop?’ Picking a team is pretty hard, just because you’re going on minimal information, from white-ball cricket or from a Test match that was maybe a year ago.”So it’s quite hard thing to prepare for. Mentally, it’s about getting clarity around how you’re going to play. I don’t think that should differ hugely from your one-day mindset, it’s just doing things for a little bit longer and managing situations that change in a game a little bit better.”You have to be okay sometimes with not scoring, and having to soak up pressure for a little bit longer. But also I want the girls have that mindset that, when we get a chance to really put the pressure back on the opposition, can we move the game forward at a rate of knots?”The two teams last faced each other in a Test match at Taunton in 2022, where Marizanne Kapp made a brilliant 150 to set her team up for a hard-fought draw.”She’s certainly high-class, she’s a key player for them,” Knight said. “We have our plans to try and get her out. Laura [Wolvaardt]’s got potential to bat long and score some big runs as well, so she’s another key player. We want real clarity about how we want to go about it, then it’s about adapting to how they’re playing the game in the moment as well.”Despite the proximity of the Ashes, where the Test will be held for the first time at the vast MCG, Knight insisted England’s focus was all in the “here-and-now”.”We’re totally focused on this Test match. It’s been in the calendar, and it’s something that the girls have highlighted that they really want to play in and really want to do well. Any chance to play a Test match is really cool.”We’ve had one eye on the Ashes throughout this series and trying to prep for that, whilst also not looking too far ahead and doing what we need to do to have some success. And obviously we’ve had huge success on this tour. It’s been a brilliant trip for us, a really successful tour. We’ve had loads of learnings as well, and things we can fine tune before we go into the Ashes.”

He will link up with Ricky Ponting in the US, even as he fights for a spot in Australia’s T20 World Cup squad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2024Steven Smith has been confirmed as a signing for Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise Washington Freedom ahead of the second season of the tournament which begins on July 4. The move had been widely tipped, with Smith having signed as a brand ambassador for Freedom last year, and with Australia’s international schedule allowing a clear window for him to participate through July.New South Wales (NSW), Smith’s domestic team in Australia, have a high-performance partnership with Freedom, although NSW coach Greg Shipperd was replaced by Ricky Ponting in February.”I’m super excited about joining the Washington Freedom for season two of the MLC,” Smith said in a video posted on the Freedom’s social media channels. “I can’t wait to meet all of my new team-mates and play in front of some incredible crowds in America. I’m also really looking forward to working with Ricky Ponting again, and his amazing staff.” Freedom recently announced the signing of Rachin Ravindra, the New Zealand allrounder. They retained two overseas players from the 2023 season in Marco Jansen and Akeal Hosein.Smith, who owns an apartment in New York, has previously said it would be “pretty cool” to play in the USA.However, he faces a fight to earn a spot in Australia’s final 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, which will be held in June, having been unable to play much T20 cricket in recent times. Since his prolific return to the BBL for Sydney Sixers in the 2022-23 season, where he made 346 runs at a strike rate of 174.74, Smith has played two T20Is in India, two matches in last season’s BBL and as many games against New Zealand in February, where he made 11 and 4 while opening the batting.But after the New Zealand series, he said he was relaxed about whichever way the selection call for the T20 World Cup fell, with Australia having to name their initial squad by May 1.Related

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“I think they’re pretty settled up top – to be honest – with [Travis] Head, [David] Warner and [Mitchell] Marsh in the top three,” he had told AAP. “I’m not really sure what [selectors] want to do. I’m not really too fussed either way. If I’m there, I’m there; if I’m not, I’m not.”Smith joins Adam Zampa (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Spencer Johnson (Knight Riders) and Tim David (MI New York) as confirmed Australian signings for the second season of MLC, with more expected to join for the tournament which starts immediately after the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies ends on June 29.

Lasting just 107 overs, this was the shortest Test ever to produce a result

Hemant Brar04-Jan-2024Jasprit Bumrah’s 6 for 61 paved the way for India’s seven-wicket win on the second day of the second Test in Cape Town, helping them level the two-match series 1-1.After South Africa were bowled out for 176 in their second innings, India chased down the required 79 runs an hour after lunch. Lasting just 107 overs, this was the shortest Test ever to produce a result. It was also India’s first Test win at Newlands in seven attempts. Mohammed Siraj, who picked up 6 for 15 to skittle out South Africa for 55 in the first innings, was named the Player of the Match.But before all that, Aiden Markram scored a stunning hundred – 106 off 103 balls. It was the first time in Test history that a batter scored a hundred where none of his team-mates reached 20 in either innings; Kyle Verreynne’s 15 in the first innings was the next best for South Africa. Unfortunately for Markram and stand-in captain Dean Elgar, who retires after this Test, it ended in a losing cause.Related

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South Africa didn’t have a great start to the day. Resuming on 62 for 3, they lost a wicket in the first over itself. David Bedingham was looking to be positive and went for an on-the-up drive against Bumrah only to edge it to the wicketkeeper.Verreynne didn’t last long either. Trying to pull Bumrah, he skied one towards mid-on where Mohammed Siraj took the catch. Bumrah completed his five-for when he had Keshav Maharaj caught at gully, leaving South Africa 111 for 7.Markram, though, seemed to be in a different zone altogether and played some stunning shots on this treacherous pitch. Of his 106 runs, 47 came in the arc between backward point and extra cover. Whenever the India seamers pitched the ball slightly full, he brought out the cover drive. When it was on the shorter side, he got on the top of the bounce and punched it through cover-point, forcing India to put a sweeper cover in place.Markram reached his fifty off 68 balls, and took just 31 more to reach his seventh Test hundred. En route, he smashed Prasidh Krishna for two sixes and two fours in a 20-run over. He and Kagiso Rabada added 51 for the eighth wicket; Rabada’s contribution was 2.He also enjoyed a slice of luck when KL Rahul dropped him off Bumrah on 73. Eventually, it was Siraj who sent Markram back when, going for yet another big hit, the batter holed out to long-off.Rabada fell in the next over, and 14 runs later, the innings came to an end.Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal knew they needed to attack straightaway to deny South Africa a sniff. Not many shots came from the middle of the bat, but they had added 44 in 5.4 overs when Nandre Burger removed Jaiswal. Trying to pull a short ball, Jaiswal slipped and his pad brushed the stumps. While the bails didn’t come off, he was caught at deep-backward square leg.Shubman Gill became a victim of low bounce, and Virat Kohli was caught down the leg side, before Shreyas Iyer hit the winning four.

Sam Hain’s 63 off 39 balls rescued Rockets from 54 for 5 against Southern Brave

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2023Defending champions Trent Rockets kicked off their Men’s Hundred campaign with a six-run victory over 2021 winners Southern Brave in a low-scoring contest at Trent Bridge, Daniel Sams and Lewis Gregory taking three wickets each.Sam Hain’s 63 off 39 balls rescued the Rockets from 54 for 5 with support from Imad Wasim – a last-minute substitute after Rashid Khan’s 11th hour withdrawal – but with Chris Jordan’s 3 for 18 the stand-out performance in a solid bowling display, 133 from 100 looked below par.Yet, on a slow pitch that was offering the bowlers some help, it was too much for Brave, who were 41 without loss from 37 balls but lost five wickets for 32 in the next 28, a position from which they never recovered, despite some late heroics with the bat from Jordan, bowled out for 127 from 99 balls.Related

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Asked to bat first, Rockets lost their top three batters for 25 inside the powerplay. Alex Hales miscued Craig Overton to mid-wicket and Dawid Malan sent up a steepler off the same bowler that James Vince had plenty of time to get under. In between, George Garton produced a beauty to bowl Tom Kohler-Cadmore.Neither Colin Munro nor Gregory fared any better at imposing themselves, the former skying one from Tymal Mills that was comfortably caught at mid-off, with skipper Gregory hit squarely in front by Jordan to perish for two as Rockets reached the 50-ball mark at a miserable 54 for 5. Scoring chances were generally scarce as the Brave attack kept their discipline, backed up for the most part by some excellent fielding.Hain at last gave a subdued home crowd some excitement when Overton returned for his final set to be hit for three boundaries in a row, the middle one a falling-over scoop that carried over the rope and he and Imad were able to put together something of a recovery.They added 78 in 49 balls – 48 of them in the last 25 – before both fell in a dramatic finale to the innings that saw Jordan run out Hain then bowl Imad and Matt Carter with his next two deliveries before Luke Wood survived the hat-trick ball.The priority for Brave in the chase would have been to lose no early wickets and though they were merely level with Rockets for runs after their opening 25, the difference was that the wickets fallen space on the scoreboard still showed zero.Things looked much less comfortable at halfway. Devon Conway’s top edge off Gregory pinged off his helmet to point, then Imad entered the attack with two wickets in eight balls. His first delivery did for Vince, stumped going down the pitch to one that spun away, before Finn Allen, who had looked the man most likely to carry Brave home, holed out to long-on, leaving Brave 51 for 3 from 48 balls.As panic set in, Garton skewed Matt Carter to short fine leg and Tim David, looking to ease the pressure, picked out Hales at long-on, before another slightly freakish delivery saw James Fuller caught behind off glove and pad to leave Brave six down for 89, needing 45 from 22 balls.Leus du Plooy was caught behind in a scoop attempt, Jordan pulled Wood for six, was dropped at short third on 16 – a gallant one-handed effort by sub fielder John Turner – but was yorked by Sams for 22 off 11 with nine needed from three before Overton was run out and Mills leg before.

Former bowler steps up after successful interim spell in charge that saw Foxes win One-Day Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2023Leicestershire have appointed Alfonso Thomas as their new head coach, having overseen the club’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup success while doing the job on an interim basis. Thomas, who has signed a two-year contract, will be assisted by James Taylor after his promotion from batting coach.Thomas took over after the departure of Paul Nixon in mid-season, having been Leicestershire’s assistant/lead bowling coach since March 2022. The former fast bowler has previously held coaching positions with Kent, Surrey, Hampshire and West Indies.With Taylor as his assistant, Thomas helped guide the Foxes to a dramatic, last-ball victory over Hampshire in the One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge in September, bringing Leicestershire their first piece of List A silverware since 1985.”It wasn’t something that was planned, but after conversations with people close to me and seeing what we started to build last season I thought it’d be a real shame if I didn’t give it a go,” Thomas said. “James and I complemented each other really well. We communicated strongly and created an environment for the guys to be the best version of themselves, but also one where they were willing to do it together.”I’m very excited by the squad we’ve assembled. We have an opportunity for this club to play a brand of cricket that’s exciting, one which the people of Leicester can be proud of and that will see people queuing up to watch us play.”As well as their One-Day Cup success, Leicestershire were in the hunt for promotion from Division Two until the penultimate round of the season – having finished bottom of the pile in six of the preceding nine seasons.The club has also buoyed by the recent emergence of talented youngsters such as legspinner Rehan Ahmed – the youngest man to be capped by England in all three formats – and tall left-arm seamer Josh Hull.Claude Henderson, Leicestershire’s director of cricket, said: “Alfonso has shown his capabilities as a head coach, and turned a tough time for the club into a successful summer. Along with James and the backroom team, he got the changing room together and organised a high-performance culture.”Alfonso and James have built a solid partnership and we look forward to seeing what they can achieve together with an exciting group of players.”