The landscape of how Australian cricketers are contracted is significantly shifting with Ashton Agar, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Behrendorff and Andrew Tye all being left off Western Australia’s contract list, giving them flexibility to take freelance franchise opportunities. All four would be walk-up starts in WA’s first-choice Marsh Cup 50-over team and have not retired from international cricket but none are on WA’s contract list for 2024-25. It comes after Agar…
Davies extends run fest as Warwickshire dominate Hampshire
Warwickshire 340 for 4 (Davies 149, Rhodes 81, Yates 69) vs Hampshire Alex Davies continued his run-fuelled start to the Vitality County Championship season with an immense century as Warwickshire tyrannised Hampshire. New Bears skipper Davies has already totted up 441 runs this season – over 60 per cent of the runs he managed in 2023 – with scores of 36, 256 and on this occasion 149 to lead from…
Higgins to the fore as Dukes return revives Middlesex
Middlesex 84 for 2 trail Yorkshire 159 (Higgins 4-31) by 75 runs From 1306 runs for 15 wickets across four days to 243 for 12 in just 55.4 overs some two weeks later. What a difference a ball makes. At least, that’s how the narrative will play out. The Dukes’ return at Lord’s brought with it a much brighter day for Middlesex’s bowlers, despite clouds obstructing the sun throughout. An…
'We just couldn't kick off' – Gaikwad says middle-overs slowdown cost CSK against LSG
Chennai Super Kings suffered their third loss in seven games going down to Lucknow Super Giants by eight wickets at the Ekana Stadium on Friday, their total of 176 not stretching the opposition. Speaking after the game, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad agreed they were short on runs – by about 10-15, he said – and put it down to their middle-overs slowdown. “I know we finished off really well –…
Smale sets out to cause a storm in allrounder ranks
Sophia Smale ended last season’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy on a personal high and begins this one with big ambitions. A half-century as opener and two wickets for Western Storm, albeit in a losing cause against Thunder, came immediately off the back of a 30-ball 32 batting at No. 8 and 2 for 38 in another defeat, to Central Sparks. But it was the culmination of some hard work on…
Sanderson leads the charge as Northants make most of new Dukes
Glamorgan 203 for 7 (Ingram 69*, Douthwaite 50, Sanderson 3-70) vs Northamptonshire Evergreen Northamptonshire seamer Ben Sanderson led the charge with three wickets as Northamptonshire’s attack made the most of having a new Dukes ball back in their hands on the opening day of this Vitality County Championship clash at Wantage Road. But despite slumping to 27 for 4 after 10.4 overs, Colin Ingram led Glamorgan’s fightback with an unbeaten…
Ollie Robinson fifty buoys Durham as wickets tumble
Worcestershire 78 for 4 trail Durham 244 (Robinson 55, Finch 3-37, Holder 3-47) by 166 runs Ollie Robinson spearheaded a powerful Durham response with the bat after Jason Holder had threatened to place Worcestershire in a position of strength on day one of the Vitality County Championship match with Durham at Kidderminster. The England Lions keeper was responsible for a partial recovery after Durham had subsided to 141 for 7…
Bell-Drummond's elegant 70 steers Kent to calmer waters
Kent 113 for 3 (Bell-Drummond 70, Leaning 30*, Worrall 2-33) vs Surrey Daniel Bell-Drummond hit an elegant 70 as Kent reached 113 for 3 on day one of their Vitality County Championship with Surrey at Canterbury. The in-form Kent skipper put on a stand of exactly 100 for the third wicket with Jack Leaning, who was 30 not out at stumps, after rain wiped out all but 11 balls of…
Gloucestershire batters take first-innings foothold at Sussex
Gloucestershire 319 for 8 (Bracey 69, Charlesworth 62, Hammond 56) vs Sussex Gloucestershire, recipients of the wooden spoon last season, have not won a County Championship fixture since September 2022. Their last red-ball win over Sussex, meanwhile, came almost 20 years ago, when the current head coach, Mark Alleyne, was in the twilight of his playing career. Phil Weston top-scored at Arundel with 81 while Jon Lewis – a Gloucestershire…
Derbyshire rue missed opportunities as Marcus Harris digs in
Leicestershire 168 for 2 (Harris 77*) vs Derbyshire Australian opener Marcus Harris underpinned Leicestershire on a day when Derbyshire fluffed their lines in the Vitality County Championship match at Derby. Harris kept his concentration through lengthy rain delays to score an unbeaten 77 from 147 balls but was dropped twice after Derbyshire elected to bowl first on a chilly opening day at the County Ground. Derbyshire also put down Rishi…