“Catching has not been an issue so far,” says Head, who is yet to go full-tilt on fielding drills

Alex Malcolm22-Oct-20235:06

Should Australia change their batting order to be more effective?

Travis Head is optimistic he could return to play against Netherlands on Wednesday but Australia may err on the side of caution with his hand injury given he is still yet to have a full batting session against bowlers after only recently arriving in India.Head has linked up with Australia’s squad in Delhi having watched Australia’s first four matches of the World Cup from his couch in Adelaide while he recovered from the broken left hand he suffered just over five weeks ago on the tour of South Africa.Australia’s selectors took a huge gamble by keeping Head in the 15-man squad despite the fact he was unavailable for the early part of the tournament with chair George Bailey stating on Saturday that Head would slot straight back in at the top of the order despite the sublime form of Mitchell Marsh.Head revealed he has had four hits in the nets since getting his hand out of a splint. He began by hitting tennis balls only and progressed to facing the sidearm in the nets in Delhi on Saturday. He is optimistic about playing against the Netherlands on Wednesday but Saturday’s clash with New Zealand in Dharamsala looks a more likely return date.Related

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• World Cup trends: Where have all the thrillers gone?

“I had a really good hit yesterday,” Head said on Sunday in Delhi. “I think each session is getting better but again we’ve got to be mindful of the fact that I think it was five weeks [since the injury] a couple of days ago, and I sort of got told [around] that six-week mark.”Everything keeps going well, but again, it’s [about] how I woke up this morning. It’s how I can potentially back up tomorrow and train.”Still a few things I need to tick off but I’m optimistic. We’ll see what happens. If it continues on this rate, who knows. Keep doing things day-by-day to hopefully give yourself the best chance.”Head said he was confident the bone had healed, and it was only a bit of pain and stiffness in the hand that he had to deal with. He also needs to regain strength and mobility in his left hand given it had been immobilised in a splint for four weeks although he does not think it will affect his power.”I don’t hit massive sixes anyway, so maybe I’ll just keep them on the carpet a little bit more,” Head said.Travis Head is back with the Australia squad•Getty Images

He has been able to bowl during his time off but his bowling, whilst useful, is not critical to his return. Fielding is the other major query.”I’ve been doing some catching but not at full tilt yet,” Head said. “So that’s another thing we need to tick off over the next few days. I’m optimistic. Obviously, it’s important to understand the process. Not trying to rush it too much because that can set us back. But it feels good. Catching hasn’t been an issue so far. The progression over the next couple of days is to field and see where I’m at.”[I’ll] take it slow to make sure once I come back that I’m ready just to stay there.”Head was very grateful to the selectors for keeping him in the squad. Having missed out on selection for the 2019 World Cup he thought his chances had evaporated again the moment Gerald Coetzee’s thunderbolt cracked his left hand at Centurion in September.”It was not something that I expected at the time,” Head said. “Obviously [there was] a range of emotions through those three or four days early on to think that I [had] missed a chance again to be involved. And I felt like I was contributing well.”When I left [South Africa] and they put it on the table there was a lot of things that needed to go really well. Very fortunate the group stayed healthy as well because that was another scenario that might not have happened. So very happy the boys were fit and going well which meant they could keep me around, which is nice.”But it’s also nice to have the confidence to potentially do the right things and now it’s a case of hopefully day-by-day getting better and hopefully I can contribute at the end and I guess pay a bit of the faith back.”

India captain also confirms Jadeja’s return to fitness, which gives the team more depth and options

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20245:24

Rohit: ‘When you have an inexperienced attack, you have to show faith in them’

Ravindra Jadeja is fit and available for selection, giving India more batting depth and options when it comes to bowling combinations. He is also the only left-hand batter outside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jadeja had missed the first Test with spasms in the upper back on the morning of the match.While confirming Jadeja’s return to fitness, Rohit Sharma spoke of the importance of not judging inexperienced bowlers too harshly. “Although we’ve had a brief chat with the management, the coaching staff about what we want from this game, and what we want from the bowlers in this game, we’ve not completely finalised our playing XI. Everyone is available for selection. There’s no injury concern. All of them who are here are available to play. We’ll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one.”Having said that, I still feel that, sometimes we’ve got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling, and sometimes when you have that, you’ve got to show some faith in them, show trust in them, and that can happen to any team. Like I said in the last post-match press-conference [in Centurion] about Prasidh [Krishna] playing his first game, we all get nervous when you are playing your first game. It’s understandable, but I thought, and I’ll still back that thought of mine, that he’s got good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it’s just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them.”Related

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• Avesh to join second Test squad to replace Shami

• How India can bowl better in the second Test against South Africa

• Questions aplenty for India as SA look to give Elgar the perfect farewell

Apart from Krishna, it was Shardul Thakur, in his 11th Test, who disappointed with the ball in the first Test. Jadeja’s return opens up the possibility of playing two spinners as R Ashwin brings with the bat more than what Thakur does.However, the conditions might not support that idea. Rohit was asked if he expected the conditions to be less hostile to India in Cape Town. “I honestly don’t know too much about that,” he said. “You know, the conditions look pretty similar to what it was. I mean, the pitch looks similar to what it was in Centurion, maybe not so much grass, but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch.”But yeah, the overhead conditions will matter. I think it’s pretty hot here compared to Centurion, which was a little cooler the first two days. Again, when we played last time here, 2018 and ’21… I wasn’t here in ’21, but the guys were telling me it was pretty similar conditions. We know exactly what is required when the conditions are like that. Based on the pitches, how the conditions are, you gotta respond to that.”India do have reinforcements in the squad. Avesh Khan, who played for India A at the same time as the first Test, has been called up to provide the team management that option of a tall bowler. He took a five-for in that game. That India are giving themselves these options tells you how much they need a hit-the-deck bowler. They already have Mukesh Kumar, who has the best body of work in domestic cricket among contenders for a fast-bowling spot, but is a skiddy, shorter bowler.With Thakur struggling with the ball in his last six Tests, India could even think of sacrificing the batting depth and play four out-and-out fast bowlers. Any two of Thakur, Krishna, Avesh and Mukesh could play at Newlands.

Takes over from predecessor Will Rhodes after signing contract extension

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2024Alex Davies has been named as the new captain of Warwickshire, following Will Rhodes’ decision to step down after four years in the role.Davies, 29, has played more than 50 senior matches for the club across formats since joining from Lancashire in 2021, and in last season’s Vitality Blast, he led the side to ten wins out of ten after stepping into the job following Moeen Ali’s unexpected Ashes recall.His promotion comes alongside a new contract that will keep him at Edgbaston at least until the end of 2026, and he’s vowed to “give absolutely everything” to the club’s pursuit of silverware.”My overriding feeling is pride, It’s an honour captaining any club at any level, but to captain a club as big as Warwickshire is a huge privilege, “he said. “Edgbaston has become home to me. I won’t be leaving anything out there on the pitch, I’ll give it my all.”Taking the T20 reins last year has helped prepare me for the role, to really get to know the lads, their different characters and how they like to be dealt with on and off the field. That experience should stand me in good stead.”Warwickshire’s Performance Director Gavin Larsen added: “I’m delighted that Al accepted the captaincy role. We’ve had a good preview of how he operates after he captained for most of the T20 last year. Al was successful, popular with players, communicated superbly, and worked collaboratively with the coaches.”Al was always a strong candidate for captain given his vice-captain experience last year. He certainly displayed all the right attributes to take over should the opportunity arise.”The captain, ultimately, will only be as good as his team. What a good captain can do is bring out the best in his players and Al demonstrated that last summer in the Blast. He’s a people person, and will now be plotting how he can help to take this great club forward.”A decision will be made on the T20 captaincy once Moeen Ali’s Indian Premier League and England commitments are finalised.

This will be the England fast bowler’s first IPL stint

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2024Mumbai Indians have signed English left-arm fast bowler Luke Wood as a replacement for the injured Jason Behrendorff for IPL 2024.Wood has been signed for his base price of INR 50 lakh.Wood has 147 wickets from 140 T20s, including five matches for England. While he has featured in several T20 leagues like the BBL, PSL and BPL, apart from The Hundred, this will be his first IPL stint.Behrendorff was ruled out of the IPL after he broke his leg in a freak accident while training in Perth last Thursday just before leaving for India.The injury to Behrendorff, who returned 14 wickets from 12 games last season, compounds problems for Mumbai in their fast-bowling department. Sri Lankan left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka picked up an injury during the second ODI against Bangladesh which has likely ruled him out from the initial stages of IPL 2024.Related

• Behrendorff's T20 World Cup hopes dented after suffering broken leg in freak training accident

• Madushanka to miss rest of Bangladesh tour, initial stages of IPL 2024

• Suryakumar Yadav in doubt for Mumbai Indians' season opener

• 'I've been fit since January' – Hardik confirms he will bowl in IPL 2024

South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee is also recovering from a pelvic inflammation and could be unavailable for Mumbai’s first few matches.Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal, Nuwan Thushara and Arjun Tendulkar are the other fast bowlers in Mumbai’s roster, while their new captain Hardik Pandya has confirmed that he is fit to bowl in the tournament. They also have Romario Shepherd as a seam-bowling allrounder.Star batter Suryakumar Yadav, who is recovering after two surgeries, is also a doubt for Mumbai’s opening match against Gujarat Titans.

Injury-prone left-arm seamer plays eight games in a Shield season for the first time in his career including five in a row to bag 39 wickets and lead WA’s title-winning attack

Tristan Lavalette25-Mar-2024With Western Australia just one wicket away from a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles after an electric passage of play late on day four, Joel Paris was in a reflective mood and turned to experienced teammates Sam Whiteman and Hilton Cartwright.”I reckon this means more than the other two [titles],” he told them.Moments later Paris sealed WA’s comprehensive victory over Tasmania with a blinder of a catch in the gully to trigger scenes of jubilation on-and-off the field at the WACA. “The boys reckon I put a little bit of mayo on it,” laughed Paris as he recalled to ESPNcricinfo his diving effort to his right.”I was just happy it stuck. We had to grind away, we haven’t had it all our way. We played unbelievably well in Victoria to get a home final and then we’ve probably played our best cricket this week.”This one probably sits right at the top for me. We haven’t had the quicks available this year that we normally have and we’ve just had to keep going. It’s very special.”Related

• Rocchiccioli fights off flu to elevate his case to be Lyon's heir

• Whiteman: We have to be one of the great WA teams

• Gannon and Rocchiccioli lead Western Australia's surge to Sheffield Shield hat-trick

Without frontliners Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris and Matthew Kelly for most of the season, WA had to rely on their fringe quicks. Cameron Gannon, who took eight wickets in the final, and Charlie Stobo stepped up at the backend of the season, but it was the reliable presence of left-armer Paris that held the attack together.Paris was unlucky to only take two wickets in the final as he again set the tone with menacing new ball bowling in both of Tasmania’s innings. He exploited the grassy surface superbly and consistently beat the bat with sharp seam movement.Paris finished the season with 39 wickets at a remarkable average of just 15.2. In 44 first-class matches since debuting in late 2015, he has taken 174 wickets at 20.05 and striking at 45.9.As can be gleaned from his relatively limited number of first-class appearances, Paris has endured a litany of injuries during his career forcing WA to be cautious with his workload.After a delayed start to the season due to a hamstring injury suffered playing for Australia A against New Zealand A in Brisbane, Paris’ durability impressed as he played five straight Shield matches – along with WA’s triumph in the Marsh Cup against New South Wales – culminating with the Shield final.”When you’re in a situation where you just have to keep going, I think your body senses that and just finds something,” Paris said. “I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve this year. The amount of cricket I’ve been able to play…certainly haven’t been able to do it before.”We’ve probably been in a position in past seasons where I’ve been able to rest a little bit more than what I have this season. To get through was really special.”Paris, 31, played two ODIs against India in 2016, but his injuries and the depth of quicks in Australian cricket have kept him away from the international stage.Paris, however, remains on the radar of the Australian hierarchy. Along with playing for Australia A last year, Paris was in the frame for selection on the last Ashes tour.”That desire to play for Australia is always there. For me that will never go away until I put up the boots,” he said. “If an opportunity comes up, I’ll absolutely take it.”Paris is unsure of his offseason plans, with a stint in the UK a possibility but dependent on his body. Right now, however, he is eyeing a well-deserved breather.”I’ll be putting the feet up for a little bit,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy this one [title] as much as possible.”

Misses out on hundred but hefty stand with Pretorius puts team on course

ECB Reporters Network20-Apr-2024Craig Overton hit an unbeaten 95 off 111 balls as Somerset tightened their grip on the second day of the Vitality County Championship First Division match with Nottinghamshire at Taunton.From an overnight 116 for one, the hosts were bowled out for 454, building a first-innings lead of 261 after being 246 for seven. Sean Dickson made 72, Tom Banton 83, Migael Pretorius 77 and nightwatchman Josh Davey 45, while leg-spinner Calvin Harrison claimed four for 93.By the close, Notts had made 38 for one in their second innings, Ben Slater falling to a brilliant running catch by Dickson at mid-wicket off Davey, and still trailed by 223.It took Somerset until the final over before lunch to score the 78 runs needed for first innings lead as the Notts seam attack performed well under cloudless skies.Dickson had added only two to his overnight 70 when attempting to drive a wide delivery from Luke Fletcher. He made good contact, but directed the ball to Jack Haynes, who held an excellent low catch at cover.Tom Lammonby walked out with 241 runs already to his name in three Championship innings. He and Davey added 41 for the third wicket before he fell leg before to Brett Hutton playing across the line for 17.Lewis Goldsworthy had made only three when edging a defensive shot off Lyndon James to wicketkeeper Joe Clarke and Hutton was unlucky not to add Banton to the list of batting casualties, going past the outside edge of his bat three times in one over.But all the while Davey stood firm, looking in little trouble as he progressed to 44 not out at lunch, with eight fours. Banton survived the early scares to be unbeaten on 13, a single off the miserly Fletcher giving Somerset the lead with six first innings wickets in hand. They lunched at 194 for four from 63 overs, Fletcher having taken one for 36 from 17 overs.Those figures took a hit in the experienced seamer’s first over after lunch as Banton hit him for three fours off as many balls. The England T20 international, who has worked hard to establish himself in red ball cricket, was visibly growing in confidence.He lost Davey as a partner with the total on 218, bowled between bat and pad by Harrison’s third ball of the day. By then the nightwatchman had faced 104 balls and hit 8 fours.Notts were fighting back. James Rew, on 13, was beaten for pace by a short ball from James and top-edged a catch to Haynes at square leg. Then Lewis Gregory fell lbw to a quicker ball from Harrison, having contributed only a single.At 246 for seven, Somerset’s lead was just 53. But that was as good as it got for the visitors as Banton moved to his fifty off 80 balls, with seven fours, while Overton, fresh from a half-century against Surrey at The Oval, looked in prime form from the start of his innings.Notts took the new ball at 262 for seven. Overton greeted it with successive boundaries off Hutton, a sumptuous straight drive and a flashing cut shot. Banton had blossomed from early insecurity and it was a surprise when he departed, chipping a low catch to mid-on off Paterson, having faced 158 balls and extended his boundary count to 11.
Overton’s 67-ball fifty featured some of the best batting of the day. He was unbeaten on 57 at tea, which was taken with Somerset 347 for eight, leading by 154.The final session saw Overton and Pretorius turn the screw with a century stand off just 95 balls. They had extended it to 139 when Pretorius, having moved impressively to a 52-ball fifty and hit 2 big sixes off Harrison, was bowled by the occasional off-spin off Matt Montgomery in what proved his only over.Overton, who had struck nine fours and a six, was denied the chance of his second first class century when last man Shoaib Bashir inexplicably tried to slog Harrison and skied a simple catch. His clearly exasperated partner raced off the field without acknowledging the well-merited applause.

The former Australia fast bowler is all set to coach a Test team for the first time

Danyal Rasool29-Apr-2024Jason Gillespie’s resume makes him a strong contender for most coaching jobs, but there’s little doubt that in Pakistan, his nationality also carries weight. Pakistan’s admiration for, and in some cases obsession over, the Australian style of play has made them look to that country for roles as diverse as dressing-room mentors to pitch curators. Just weeks earlier, they made Shane Watson their primary candidate for the white-ball coaching role but he pulled out. Ever since, Gillespie has been first choice for Test coach and an agreement with him and Gary Kirsten – who takes over as white ball coach – is believed to have been agreed weeks ago.But Gillespie hasn’t become a respected coach by telling sides what they want to hear, and in his first remarks since his appointment, he warned that Pakistan shouldn’t simply look to emulate Australia or any other side. “My philosophy is – don’t try to be something that you’re not,” he told the PCB’s in-house media channel on a podcast. “I simply want the Pakistan cricket team to play the style of cricket that’s going to suit them; for me, that’s important.”You’ve got to be authentic in how you go about it. I will go out there and say: just be positive, aggressive, entertaining. Play with a smile on your faces and entertain our fans. There are going to be times when you have to grind it out, and that’s what Test cricket is. It’s a test of your skills, mental capacity, and patience. There are times to attack and times to soak up some periods of cricket from the opposition. If we can be as consistent as we can, then hopefully, the scoreboard will look after itself, and we can pick up some wins.”The former Australian fast bowler has had several coaches roles since he last played international cricket in 2006. Most successfully, Gillespie was Yorkshire’s head coach from 2011-16, overseeing their promotion from the second division in his first season, and won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. He has also taken up T20 coaching roles with Punjab Kings and Adelaide Strikers, as well as Sussex and South Australia.Related

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• Gillespie appointed Pakistan men's Test coach, Kirsten named white-ball coach

“The opportunity to be the head coach of Pakistan’s Test side is fantastic,” he said. “It’s an honour. I’ve been coaching for quite a while now in various roles around the world, but one thing I haven’t done is coach an international Test side. When this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it.”Just how Pakistan plays, and the talented and skillful players Pakistan has, it’s great to be part of the team, and hopefully, I can help the team progress, improve, and play some entertaining cricket.”Gary Kirsten has three ICC events in the next two years as Pakistan’s white-ball coach•Getty Images

Kirsten also spoke to the PCB, calling it a “wonderful privilege” to be offered the job of Pakistan white-ball coach. “I think Pakistan sits as one of the top four to five coaching jobs in the world internationally,” he said. “What is important is that I have the opportunity to work with some of the best cricketers in the world and that excites me.”Kirsten had arguably the highest profile coaching job in the world when he was appointed coach of India in 2008, famously ending his tenure on the shoulders of Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, who hoisted him up for a lap of honour after India won the 2011 ODI World Cup. If he sees out his current two-year contract, he will oversee Pakistan in three white-ball ICC events: two T20 World Cups and a home Champions Trophy in 2025.”The important thing for me is to understand where the team is at and where we want to go to – whether that is winning World Cup events, which, by the way, is not easy. Often some people think you just pitch in and you’re going to win the championship.”But if you can win one of those three ICC Events, that will be an amazing achievement on its own, whether it’s the upcoming event or it’s two years from now. My job is to make sure that the team operates at its best, it’s as simple as that. And if the team is operating at its best, we will always have a good chance of winning a trophy.”So for me, it is important to understand where is the team now and where its need to go to be able to compete right at the top of the pile, and that’s winning ICC events. You can’t guarantee a trophy, but what you can do is put the steps in place to give yourself the best chance of winning a trophy. And that’s really what I’ll tend to do.”

With India playing their three Super Eight games at different venues in the span in five days, adjusting quickly to conditions will be crucial

Sidharth Monga19-Jun-20246:54

We’ve pushed the needle forward with our batting – Dravid

As this India leadership group starts its last two weeks at the helm, it is a good time to look back. Their biggest legacy will be dragging India towards modern limited-overs batting. Look at its biggest manifestation: Virat Kohli is a much better T20 batter while retaining qualities that made him an ODI great. In India, though, legacy is judged by ICC trophies. That unfortunately remains the yardstick for a team now used to staying among the best at other times.In what has been a bit of an irony, what seems like a last hurrah for Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma at helm and will eventually decide how fondly they are remembered by the wider public, their real legacy of pushing the aggression envelope has had to take a back seat. Two of their biggest hitters, their modern T20 batters, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube, have had to play like they would in the middle overs of an ODI.”Like you rightly said, a lot of the impetus over the last few years – and I think we’ve done it in most parts – has been to push the needle forward,” Dravid said. “If you look at a lot of our stats and numbers, we have pushed the needle forward in terms of our batting.”There’s no question about it. Sometimes in certain conditions – you’ve just got to be mindful of conditions also. I think sometimes we just get carried away in T20 cricket and just talking about pushing the needle forward, pushing the needle forward. But then, it’s also, cricket is a very condition-specific game. It’s one of the only sports left where the surface makes such an impact on the actual skill levels, the actual performance levels, what is an acceptable performance level. It’s one sport that we play where the surface makes a huge difference and it has to be brought into consideration at all times.Related

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• Afghanistan's bowlers will ask questions, and India's batters must answer them

“I think we saw that in the US, and we saw that in New York, that had to be brought into consideration not only for us but for other teams as well. I think everyone had to do that. Actually, even in Australia [during the last T20 World Cup], there were times where you had to bring that into consideration. Not every wicket is Hyderabad or not every wicket can be the same. So, I think that’s something we pride ourselves in as well. I think we are trying to also get that ability to be smart in our decision making, to try and assess situations cleverly.”If India get the kind of pitches they had in New York, they are favourites. In the Super Eight, though, they, like most other teams, will have to deal with the unpredictability of new conditions in every match in the West Indies, and quickly decide how to approach their innings. In cricket’s other formats, batting is a reactive exercise: the bowlers start the action, and batters react to the merit of the delivery. In T20, the batters’ approach plays a bigger role. And it all depends on conditions.Rahul Dravid: Cricket is “one of the only sports left where the surface makes such an impact on the actual skill levels, the actual performance levels, what is an acceptable performance level.”•ICC/Getty Images

In a way, the previous two weeks of the T20 World Cup have been a bit of a lottery. You get put in, you take two extra overs to decide what a par score is, and you could be done for. That’s all it takes. That is likely what happened to Pakistan when they played USA. How do you mitigate the uncertainty, though? Dravid was asked exactly that a day before the start of India’s three Super Eight matches in five days in Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia.”We feel we’ve got the experience and the knowledge and also the ability to counteract different situations that may present themselves,” he said. “And then, of course, we are looking at things that the past games that have been played here, what have been the scores, what’s the level of swing that people are experiencing, amount of turn they’re getting, what’s the bounce. So, you look at all of these factors and you come up with some basic ideas.”But again, I think you’ve got to keep an open mind. I think that’s an important thing. You might have all the stats, you might have all the data, but on the day, sometimes conditions can be very different to what you think it is. Just because a particular ground has produced certain number of runs in the past or even 10 days prior, it can be very different because the preparation of a wicket, the weather, so much can change.”Even in the two or three days leading into a particular game, a lot can change that can force you to recalibrate and rethink. I think we will have to do that, be quick and smart and be able to do that and assess the conditions. I hope we will do that.”If New York was any indication, though, one change, though subtle, is clearly visible. India adjusted down instead of adjusting up. Err high rather than low. The top order, especially Kohli, showed enough faith in the batters to follow. It would have been easy for Kohli to play at a run a ball there but that is not his role. That seems to be the back-up option, and one for someone else to take. Nothing can guarantee success in T20 knockouts but that approach, provided they can manage to retain courage and indifference towards the end result, might just hold India in better stead than on previous attempts.

Once-capped Test legspinner leaves Hampshire after limited red-ball opportunities

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2024Mason Crane, the legspinner who played a single Test for England, has signed a three-year contract with Glamorgan. He is a product of the Hampshire youth system and has spent his entire professional career under contract with them, but has enjoyed a successful spell in Cardiff this season after moving on a season-long loan.Crane, 27, is Glamorgan’s leading wicket-taker in both the County Championship (24 at 42.87) and the T20 Blast (17 at 16.94) this season, and said he has “loved every minute” of his time at the club. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to make this move permanent,” Crane said. “I’m very excited for the next chapter and the years to come.”Grant Bradburn, Glamorgan’s head coach, said Crane had been “an outstanding addition” this season and that his success has been “testament to the culture our players have welcomed him into.” Bradburn said: “We feel very fortunate to have the quality of Mason here at the club and we look forward to building more success with him as part of our Glamorgan family.”Related

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Crane made his professional debut for Hampshire as a teenager, making Kumar Sangakkara his first victim. He quickly rose to prominence, playing two T20Is for England against South Africa in 2017, and found himself in the Test squad for an Ashes tour later that year as the second spinner behind Moeen Ali.He was handed an unexpected debut at the age of 20 at the SCG and took a single wicket for the cost of 193 runs. Since then, he has struggled for regular opportunities due to injury and loss of form – particularly in first-class cricket – though he remained an important part of the sides that won the Royal London Cup (2018) and T20 Blast (2022).”I would like to thank everyone at Hampshire for an amazing journey over the years,” Crane said. “We have created some memories together that will last forever, but now is the time for me to start a new chapter. Thank you also to the fans for all the support and I wish everyone associated with the club all the best for the future.”

Blaze victory rules Thunder out of finals contention, despite career-best 6 for 35 by Fi Morris

ECB Reporters Network04-Sep-2024A career-best 6 for 35 by Fi Morris for Lancashire Thunder was countered by a List A best for The Blaze of 4 for 23 by Grace Ballinger as the visitors ran out winners by 24 runs at Sale to keep their hopes alive in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. Defeat for Thunder ends their hopes of making the knockout stages of the competition.In a low-scoring contest, The Blaze – having started well – were pegged back to 197 all out at the hands of Morris once the spinner was introduced into the Thunder attack in the 30th over.By contrast Ballinger did significant early damage by taking the first four Thunder wickets but the rest of The Blaze attack combined to bowl Thunder out for 173 in the 46th over despite a hard hitting unbeaten 53 by Tara Norris to clinch a vital victory.The Blaze made a good start after being put in to bat with Sarah Bryce and Michaela Kirk laying a good foundation of 66 runs off 87 balls.
But both openers fell in quick succession. Sarah Bryce was caught at mid-off for 34 trying to hit Darcey Carter, making her Thunder debut, over the top with Kirk bowled for 29 by Hannah Jones’ second delivery.And The Blaze were pegged back further when Marie Kelly edged behind for 7 off the first ball of Phoebe Graham’s second spell to leave the visitors 101 for 3 in the 24th over.Kathryn Bryce and Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast rallied with a 34-run alliance off 45 balls before the introduction of Morris transformed the innings as wickets tumbled.The Thunder off-spinner struck with a 17-ball sequence of 3 for 6 that began with her fourth delivery that Kathryn Bryce cut to Norris at gully for 31.Having made an attractive 29 off 34 balls, Prendergast fell lbw sweeping at Morris, as did Lucy Higham for 4.Hannah Jones returned to take her competition-leading 22nd wicket when Kirstie Gordon drove to Eve Jones at extra cover for 4 before Morris ran through the rest of The Blaze line-up in spectacular style bowling Ella Claridge for 6, having Grace Ballinger lbw for 6 and Cassidy McCarthy caught for 8 with The Blaze losing their last seven wickets for 62 runs.It was Ballinger who did the early damage with an impressive spell of left-arm swing that returned figures of 4 for 13 to destroy the Thunder top order, having Eve Jones caught at mid-off for 0, Alice Clarke caught at cover for 8 followed by Morris (10) and Dani Collins (0) bowled in the space of three deliveries.But having completed seven overs Ballinger limped off injured to be replaced by Prendergast who struck immediately with her sixth delivery which Seren Smale cut savagely but straight to Kirk at point for 13 with the Thunder innings in disarray at 41 for 5 after 15 overs.Ellie Threlkeld pulled a short ball from Prendergast to Higham at deep backward square for 10, Carter was bowled by McCarthy for 11 before Grace Johnson holed out to Kirk off Groves for 27 as Thunder continued to struggle.Ballinger returned in time to see Groves trap Graham lbw for 5 but a defiant last-wicket partnership of 50 – the highest of the Thunder innings – between Norris, who hit three sixes in a List A career-best 53 not out off 56 balls, and Hannah Jones, who finally fell to Kathryn Bryce for 17, held up The Blaze who eventually wrapped up victory with 26 balls to spare.