Jason Roy battled against his natural instincts but his dismissal summed up Middlesex’s domination in the London derby

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Kia Oval16-May-2016
ScorecardJason Roy battled against the grain•Getty Images

There was a moment in the evening session, when the working men and women made use of free entry after tea, as the sun seemed to prop itself on top of the OCS stand, that summed up where the honours lay at the Oval.Jason Roy, home favourite, T20 stud, was in the middle of a stern examination from Toby Roland-Jones – a bowler built to hit a deck hard enough to strike oil. This is a Surrey side with a young core against a Middlesex side that have been playing Division One cricket since 2012. Here was south London’s jewel against north London’s piston.Roy, in the middle of playing out a maiden, defended the ball back to Roland-Jones, whose follow through always takes him to within chirping distance of the batsman. Roland-Jones said a few words. Roy kept schtum.The Roy of old might have said a few words back. Middlesex were on top, Surrey were 72 for 4 after they had been thrashed before lunch for the icing on the visitors total of 395. This was a time for resistance rather than words, and Roy knew it.The Roy of old might have also looked over to the short boundary towards the Archbishop Tenison’s School and seen sixes beyond his wildest dreams. During mid-pitch discussions with Ben Foakes, with whom he gritted out a 60-run fifth-wicket stand from 144 balls, he might have even wondered if could spit further than the boundary’s edge. This was a time for patience rather than power. And Roy knew it.He remained diligent, played patiently and, having taken a few blows, decided to help Surrey fight their way out of the corner. Having timed his first ball through midwicket for four, he waited 27 more balls before hitting a second.There were three more in the next 13, including a checked straight drive that is so his that there’d be no need to trademark it because so few others could copy it. But having made it to 47, ticking, he worked a tame leg spinner from Dawid Malan into the hands of Sam Robson at short leg. His walk off was slow but never once did he look back.Middlesex bossed a lot of today and excelled in the moments that mattered. Their 10th wicket stand of 68 between Toby Roland-Jones (44*) and Tim Murtagh (24) took them well beyond par, after excellent bowling from Tom Curran and Gareth Batty upset the stumps of James Harris and James Franklin, respectively. Only 29 had been added to the overnight score when Murtagh began accompanying Roland-Jones, who struck four fours and three sixes – only one of which utilised the shorter side.It wasn’t quite the way Middlesex had intended on pushing for 400 after getting to 166 for one in the 43rd over. Like a kebab in the small hours of the morning, a last stand is not something to be relied upon for sustenance and is certainly not appealing to the senses. But, every now and again, it does the job.So, too, by his own humble sentiments, does Ollie Rayner. After collecting 15-wickets here in 2013 when these two last faced off, Rayner returned to haunt Surrey with the first three wickets to fall. Conditions from the Pavilion End rewarded his use of the foot marks made by the quicks at the Vauxhall End to good effect. “I can’t complain about being used just holding up an end or bringing back the over-rate and then not do a job when conditions are in my favour,” he observed wryly at stumps.The first two came in the same over – one which nearly included the prized scalp of Kumar Sangakkara. For a moment, it looked like Rayner had him first ball. Burns was caught at mid off via a leading edge, bringing the Sri Lanka superstar to the crease. On the money, Rayner drifted one in that beat the left-hander on the inside edge and hit pad. Not out. “I was spewing,” said a smiling Rayner at stumps. “That would have been a nice one for the collection – Sangakkara, first pill.”The wicket of Harinath, lbw, arrived two balls later. He had to wait a bit longer to snare the scalp he coveted: a bit of drift and turn saw a skewed drive finish in the hands of Murtagh diving forward a backward point. He celebrated accordingly.It is now 29 wickets for Rayner against Surrey – his next best opponents are Somerset, against whom he has 18. His contract is up at the end of the summer – “Middlesex are dragging their feet,” he proclaimed, tongue firmly in cheek – and, when asked if he’d like to call the Oval, a more spin-friendly track, home, he laughed off the suggestion. His heart for now belongs north of the river.There were signs of variable bounce today and, with Surrey 111 away from the follow-on target with just four wickets left. Whether that is enforced will depend on the weather, with rumblings of rain on day four. Even so, Middlesex are sniffing a first Championship win of the season.

The BBL’s oldest player, spinner Brad Hogg, has joined the Melbourne Renegades for the 2016-17 season

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2016The BBL’s oldest player, spinner Brad Hogg, has joined the Melbourne Renegades for the 2016-17 season. Hogg, 45, has spent the past five seasons as something of a cult figure with the Perth Scorchers and is their all-time leading BBL wicket taker, and second on the wicket tally for all teams since the tournament began in 2011-12.However, Hogg has decided against remaining in his home state, much to the disappointment of Scorchers coach Justin Langer. “I have been a very fortunate man in every respect and had five great seasons with the Scorchers,” Hogg said on Monday. “It was simply time for me to move on.”I had been rejecting other BBL offers for years, but this year I realised the end is coming closer – hopefully it’s still a few years away yet – but I know this is the time to grab those opportunities and experience everything I possibly can. The competition between the two Melbourne teams is a fierce rivalry and I want to be a part of that intensity over the BBL season.”Melbourne is the sporting hub of the country so I see it as a great honour to play there. It’s also a great team, and the fever pitch of a two-team rivalry, within the competition will be brilliant. Coming from Perth, the only time we get a taste of that is in AFL with the Dockers and Eagles. It’s electrifying.”The Renegades and Stars games will offer an intense rivalry within the competition itself. It adds an element to the game that I haven’t experienced. The Renegades can win this league and I cannot wait to get out there and feel the roar of that competition.”Hogg played in successful back-to-back BBL campaigns with the Scorchers in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and became Australia’s oldest T20 international player at the age of 43. This year, at 45, he became the oldest man ever to play in the IPL.”It’s just amazing when you consider that Brad’s still fit, got the fire and more to the point in-demand around the world,” Renegades coach David Saker said. “I don’t think there are many recent summers where we haven’t stood there and applauded his BBL performances”His experience goes without saying. He’ll be great for the guys in the group to learn from and you can’t teach the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the club. He loves the battle on the field and we can’t wait to see his competitive side come out in red.”

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the size and weight of bats used in Test cricket should be regulated to ensure a greater balance between bat and ball

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2016Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting believes the size and weight of bats used in Test cricket should be regulated to ensure a greater balance between bat and ball.At present, cricket’s laws only limit the length and width of bats, not the depth or weight. That has led to the development of bats made from lighter material but with extremely thick edges, such as the Gray-Nicolls Kaboom bats used by David Warner.Speaking at a recent Australian Cricket Society function, Ponting said he had no problem with such bats being used in the shorter forms of the game but believed they should be banned from Test cricket. The main issue, Ponting argued, was the lightweight materials used, and he said that players should not be prevented from using big bats as long as they were also heavy.”I don’t know how they are doing it to make the size of bats they are making now,” Ponting said. “The modern day bats and weight in particular — it’s just a completely different game. Full credit to them. If they are there use them, if there’s a better golf club or tennis racquet everyone will use it. It’s nothing against the players.”If you are strong enough to use them that’s fine, but you should not get a bat that’s bigger in size than [MS] Dhoni’s but a whole lot lighter. Chris Gayle’s the same. Everyone talks about Chris Gayle’s bat size, but it’s 3½ lbs. He’s big enough and strong enough to use it. I only get worried when they are really big and really light.”Ponting will be at the next meeting of the MCC’s World Cricket Committee at Lord’s early next week, and he said bat size and weight would be one of the topics discussed.”I think it will happen,” he said. “I am going in a couple of weeks for a World Cricket Committee meeting and that will be one of the topics talked about. I don’t mind it for the shorter versions of the game.”I would actually say you’ve got a bat you can use in Test cricket and a certain type of bat you can use in one-day cricket and T20 cricket. The short forms of the game survive on boundaries – fours and sixes – whereas the Test game is being dominated too much now by batters because the game is a bit easier for them than it was.”

Roston Chase, an uncapped middle-order batsman who can be handy with his offspin, has been named in West Indies’ squad for the four-Test series against India

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-20161:08

West Indies pick uncapped Roston Chase for Tests

Roston Chase, an uncapped middle-order batsman who can be handy with his offspin, has been named in West Indies’ squad for the four-Test series against India. Wicketkeeper and former captain Denesh Ramdin has been left out, in keeping with what he had tweeted last week.

WI squad for India Tests

Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice-capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Rajendra Chandrika, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Leon Johnson, Marlon Samuels
In: Roston Chase, Leon Johnson
Out: Miguel Cummins, Shai Hope, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, Jomel Warrican

Left-hand batsman Leon Johnson gained a recall, while there was no place for experienced quick Kemar Roach after his poor showing in West Indies’ previous Test assignment, the series in Australia last December.Fast bowler Jerome Taylor also did not feature in the 12-man squad. Taylor, 32, who had played 46 Tests for West Indies since debuting in 2003, had informed the board that he is retiring from the longest format, the WICB said in a release. He will continue to be available in the shorter formats.The WICB also said that Ramdin was “sanctioned” for his outburst in relation to his non-selection. In Ramdin’s absence, Dowrich will take over wicketkeeping duties. He was designated wicketkeeper in the Indians’ first warm-up game, in which Johnson and Chase also featured for the West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI, though none had much success.Both Johnson and Chase had enjoyed a good run in West Indies’ regional first-class tournament in 2015-16. Johnson was a key cog in Guyana’s triumphant campaign, topping the run charts with 807 runs at 57.64, while Chase was fourth on the table, with 710 runs at 59.16 for Barbados.Shannon Gabriel is the only specialist fast bowler in the 12-man squad, with seam-bowling allrounders Carlos Brathwaite and captain Jason Holder being the other pace options. Legspinner Devendra Bishoo is the only specialist slow bowler in the squad.The others to miss out from West Indies’ squad that toured Australia are left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, fast bowler Miguel Cummins and batsman Shai Hope, who had hit an unbeaten century in the tour game.The first Test against India begins on July 21 in Antigua, followed by Tests in Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad.

Jason Roy, England’s Man of the Match in the first ODI against Pakistan, said that his bout of dizziness while batting was down to a low blood-sugar level

Alan Gardner24-Aug-2016Jason Roy, England’s Man of the Match in the first ODI against Pakistan, said that his bout of dizziness while batting was down to a low blood-sugar level. Roy scored a rapid 65 as England eased to a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern victory at the Ageas Bowl but required the assistance of the physio after feeling unwell in the fourth over of the chase.Roy complained of a headache after running two with his opening partner, Alex Hales. He said it was not something he had experienced before but put it down to a hot day in the field and he was able to bat on for another 15 overs after taking on fluids.”Not really, I’m not a doctor but it was a case of not having enough sugar on me, apparently,” he said when asked to explain what had happened. “I got a headache, felt a bit dizzy, got the doctor and physio on. Stayed calm, got my fluids on, got my sugar on, got away.”I’ll just remember in future on a hot day to be mindful of that. I was able to get my bearings, settle and reset myself and just go again.”Roy’s reluctance to come off was understandable given his rich run of form in ODIs this summer, with his average up at 95.25 from six innings. His aggression at the top of the order quickly helped England get on top of the asking rate of just over five an over and although he and Joe Root fell when apparently set for more substantial scores the result was rarely in doubt before the rain set in for good.”It was really pleasing to get a score like that, and it was pleasing too that we could knock off the runs,” Roy said. “Overall it was a great performance from the boys, we kept them below par, shame not to knock off the runs but we’ll take the win. I thought we were outstanding with the ball.”Azhar Ali, Pakistan’s captain, conceded that his side were at least 30 runs short, having failed to summon a more explosive finish to their innings. Azhar ended a run of 12 innings without an ODI fifty but was dismissed for 82 with 14 overs to go and his side could only managed to post 260 for 6 despite a sprightly fifty from Sarfraz Ahmed.”Obviously we always look to score 300, but definitely 280-290 [was needed],” he said. “One of your top order has to score and bat long, triple figures would be nice and you always build a total when the top order perform. I would have loved to continue but we had to make up for a lot of dot balls, especially in the middle part.”

Pakistan, in their first T20 under Sarfraz Ahmed’s captaincy, secured a thumping nine-wicket victory with a massive 31 deliveries to spare

The Report by Andrew McGlashan07-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSharjeel Khan reached his half-century from 30 balls•Getty Images

New captain, new Pakistan? It’s always dangerous to look too far ahead as far as their cricket is concerned, but after one night in Manchester Sarfraz Ahmed has a 100% record as T20 skipper.It can be difficult at the end of a long tour to lift for a one-off T20 – the Super Series, of course, had already been decided lest anyone forget – but, amid the most frenzied atmosphere of the tour, which was marred by late pitch invasions, Pakistan secured a thumping nine-wicket victory with a massive 31 deliveries to spare.They produced their most vibrant bowling and fielding display of the limited-overs leg of the trip to restrict England, who fielded the side which played the World T20 final in April, to 135 for 7: just 58 came off the final ten overs and only three boundaries were struck after the Powerplay.The chase was a canter. Neither Sharjeel Khan nor Khalid Latif needed to bother with much running, by the end of the fourth over they had equalled England’s paltry tally of 10 fours. Both reached their fifties with sixes, Sharjeel off 30 balls and Latif, who only flew in for this match, brought up his maiden half-century off 34 deliveries.With the ball Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz, the latter smartly held back for the latter half of the innings as he bowled all his overs from the 11th onwards, produced the telling contributions. Imad, who bowled the first over then returned after the Powerplay (and a clonk on the head at point) did not concede a boundary and removed both England openers. Wahab generated fearsome speed, upwards of 95mph on occasion, mixed with smart changes of pace, to leave the middle order in a tangle.After a couple of early overs of assessing conditions, England initially made good progress as Jason Roy and Alex Hales took them to 53 without loss in the Powerplay. Then Roy was lbw trying to reverse sweep Imad and from there England almost went into reverse. Hales fell slog-sweeping at Imad, as he did at Lord’s, and next ball Joe Root uppercut Hasan Ali to third man.Jos Buttler, who missed the final two ODIs with a hamstring niggle, looked in the mood for a rebuilding job, but 9 off four balls became 16 off 14 after two tight overs by Wahab and Hasan. He then carved the first delivery of Wahab’s second over to deep point.Neither Ben Stokes or Eoin Morgan could get going and the harder England tried to hit the ball the worse off they became. England’s batting depth came to their aid in the World T20, most notably against Afghanistan, but there was no late charge on this occasion.When David Willey clubbed Sohail Tanvir through the leg side it was the first boundary for 7.3 overs – and it would be the only one of the final 10 overs, an extraordinary statistic whether you are looking at from an England or Pakistan perspective.Given England’s struggles to find the boundary after the first six overs, it felt a waste to see Liam Plunkett, who has shown this season he can clear the rope from the outset, only come in with three deliveries remaining and end up not facing a ball.Pakistan dealt exclusively in boundaries until the third ball of the third over when Latif, who had taken 20 off Chris Jordan’s first over, tapped a single off Plunkett. The bowler was so shocked, that two balls late he flung a bouncer for five wides down the leg side.After the fours came the sixes. Sharjeel deposited Stokes, playing his first T20I since the World T20 final, over long leg then twice took Adil Rashid over the leg-side boundary. Rashid, at least, had a modicum of revenge when another attempted smite down the ground was skied to cover. He should have had a second wicket, too, but Buttler missed a stumping chance off Babar Azam. It summed up England’s night, as their season ended with a whimper.

Australia’s chairman of selectors, Rod Marsh, will end his tenure in 2017 after telling Cricket Australia he will not continue beyond his current contract

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2016Australia’s chairman of selectors, Rod Marsh, will end his tenure in 2017 after telling Cricket Australia he will not continue beyond his current contract.Marsh was originally appointed to the selection panel in 2011 under then chairman of selectors John Inverarity, and took over the leadership of the panel when Inverarity departed in 2014.”We can confirm that Rod Marsh has decided not to continue on in his role as national selector once his contract expires in June 2017,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said. “At this stage no decision has been made on a replacement.”The 2016-17 summer will therefore be the last under the current selection panel of Marsh, Trevor Hohns, Mark Waugh and coach Darren Lehmann.Marsh’s panel oversaw a period during which Australia briefly regained the No.1 Test ranking earlier this year in New Zealand, but there have also been ongoing struggles, especially on tours away from home.The Australians were beaten 2-0 by Pakistan in the UAE in 2014, lost the Ashes in England last year, and were humiliated 3-0 by Sri Lanka this year.In the shorter formats, the 2015 World Cup triumph was the highlight of Marsh’s time at the helm, and Australia continue to be ranked No.1 in the world in ODI cricket despite their 5-0 loss in South Africa this month.

England may be without James Anderson for the first three Tests in India as he continues his recovery from the shoulder problem which has hampered him since midway through the English season

George Dobell25-Oct-20161:29

Anderson’s comeback remains uncertain

England may be without James Anderson for the first three Tests in India as he continues his recovery from the shoulder injury which has hampered him since midway through the English season.Anderson has not been included in the 16-man squad for the five-Test tour which is unchanged from the group currently in Bangladesh.Alastair Cook had already said that Anderson would miss the opening Test in Rajkot and a decision over the involvement of him on the tour will be taken in the coming days, but it is understood that the Mumbai Test which begins on December 8 is now seen as his earliest return date.

England Test squad for India tour

Alastair Cook (capt), Moeen Ali, Zafar Ansari, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Gareth Batty, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett, Steven Finn, Haseeb Hameed, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

Speaking after the first Test in Chittagong, England coach Trevor Bayliss gave a positive outlook on Anderson. “The medical staff are very pleased with how he has come on in the last week or so. He has had more scans and is looking good. They haven’t given any indication of when he might be available, but definitely out for the first Test in India.”He was described as “the difference between the sides” by India captain MS Dhoni after England won the 2012 Test series between the teams, but it seems increasingly likely that England will have to learn to live without him.When Anderson spoke to ESPNcricinfo earlier in October, he was confident over his recovery. “I’m not going to miss the entire trip, no,” he said. “I’m very confident I’m going to be involved in the India series, it is a frustrating injury, something I want to get right, but it does happen in cricket, in sport, you get injured, you’ve just got to deal with it, and hopefully I can get as fit as possible as soon as possible.”While there might have been a case for calling up another spin bowler for the India tour – England had two seamers (Steven Finn and Jake Ball) and one spinner (Zafar Ansari) on the side-lines for the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong – the England team management have suggested they are likely to retain faith in a six-man attack involving three seamers and three spinners.Mark Wood, the Durham fast bowler, who was part of the original squad for Bangladesh remains unavailable having required another ankle operation.If England do require reinforcements, they have an 18-man Lions squad a short flight away in the UAE.

Six Rangpur Riders bowlers were among the wickets as they strangled Barisal Bulls’ batting to win by 29 runs in Mirpur

Sreshth Shah03-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShahid Afridi celebrates with the game’s highest scorer Mohammad Shahzad after taking a wicket•BCB

Six Rangpur Riders bowlers were among the wickets as they strangled Barisal Bulls’ batting to win by 29 runs in Mirpur. Notching up their first win in four matches, Rangpur moved to third while Barisal ended their season in last place.Defending 154, Rangpur’s bowlers never let Barisal settle. Sohag Gazi struck in the first over, removing Rayad Emrit, who had been promoted to open the innings, and dismissing Mushfiqur Rahim in his next over, before Naeem Islam sent back a dangerous-looking Jeevan Mendis, whose five-ball stay included two sixes.Fazle Mahmud added 39 with the opener Dawid Malan before he was dismissed on 21 by Shahid Afridi’s third ball of the match, leaving Barisal 68 for 4. Four balls later, Malan fell for 30 to Anwar Ali with the team’s score unchanged. Rangpur had sent back half of Barisal’s batting within their first ten overs. Thisara Perera looked to hit out, and struck two sixes as he attempted to chase down a now improbable target before Afridi had him caught by Naeem Islam for a 17-ball 24.Liam Dawson then had Shahriar Nafees top-edging to short third-man before pinning Taijul Islam plumb in front with a yorker to finish with figures of 2 for 11. Rubel Hossain, wicketless till then, ended the match with successive, inch-perfect yorkers – the second one a slower version of the first – to rattle the stumps of Monir Hossain and Kamrul Islam Rabbi.In the first innings, Rangpur’s 154 could best be described as a patchy performance. Opener Mohammad Shahzad scored a 40-ball 48 and added 76 for the second wicket with Mohammad Mithun after Soumya Sarkar fell for 17. Shahzad’s innings, which contained four fours and one six, ended in the fifteenth over after he missed a full ball from Emrit that struck him flush on the pad.The 63-ball partnership ended with the team 105 for 2, bringing Afridi to the crease. He played a typical three-ball innings: taking a single, hitting a six – a short ball dispatched straight over the bowler – and holing out to mid-off, off Kamrul. The pacer was expensive – although he took two crucial wickets – going at an economy rate of 9.75 in his four overs.Just as Rangpur seemed set to post a really big total, Mithun, who made a controlled 41-ball 38 attempted a lofted shot off Perera but failed to connect cleanly, only managing to hit it as far as deep midwicket. Perera then removed Anwar Ali as well, before Ziaur Rahman and Dawson added 16 in the last over – including a last-ball six – to take Rangpur to 154.Rangpur Riders have their future in their own hands. A win in their last match against Comilla Victorians assures them of a semi-final spot, while a loss will leave them waiting anxiously on other results to know their fate.

Auckland’s late surge was in vain as Wellington defended their total of 182 to win off the last ball

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Rob Nicol nearly took his side to victory with an innings of 68•Getty Images

Wellington staved off a challenge from Auckland captain Rob Nicol to defend their total of 182 by two runs off the last ball of the Super Smash match in Auckland.Asked to bowl the last over, with Auckland needing 11 runs, Jeetan Patel dismissed Nicol for 68 off the second ball. The pair of SM Solia and Ben Horne brought the equation down to four off the last ball before Solia’s reverse sweep trickled down the ground to a fielder for two runs.Nicol, along with Hong Kong international Mark Chapman, had put Auckland back on track in the chase of 183 from a position of 52 for 3 in the eighth over. Both openers were dismissed in the first two overs for single figures while Jeet Raval scored 26 off 19 balls before falling to Patel. The fourth-wicket stand between Nicol and Chapman yielded 89 runs, after which Nicol and Solia shared a brisk partnership of 43 to bring Auckland closer. Nicol brought up his fifty with a flat six off 43 balls and his innings of 68 came off 52 deliveries, which included six fours.Earlier, fifties from wicketkeeper Tom Blundell and Michael Pollard held up Wellington’s innings. The pair scored a total of 135 runs in Wellington’s 182 even as only one other batsman got into double-figures. The fifth-wicket partnership between Blundell and Pollard – 116 off 61 deliveries – took Wellington past 150 after they had been struggling at 41 for 4 in the seventh over, with Nicol taking two of those wickets. Blundell scored 61 off 41 but Pollard was brutal, smacking eight sixes and two fours in a 36-ball 74.