Financial threat to obstructionist counties

There is yet to be consensus on the way forward for English T20 © Getty Images Counties delaying the ECB’s plans for a new domestic T20 competition could be penalised according to a new document circulated by the ECB. While the ECB has previously guaranteed counties a minimum payment of £1.3m a year, they have now warned that only those counties which have signed their media rights over to the…

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Rashid's 5 for 3 keeps Afghanistan's streak alive

Afghanistan 184 for 8 (Tarakai 90, Nabi 34, McCarthy 4-33) beat Ireland 93 for 9 (Stirling 34, Rashid 5-3) by 17 runs (DLS method)Scorecard and ball-by-ball details File photo: Ireland’s middle order could not handle Rashid Khan’s clever changes of pace © Peter Della Penna Twelve little balls of legspin. How much damage could it really do? Well, it could change the fate of a T20I, vault the practitioner to…

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Cartwright ton keeps WA in the match

Western Australia 146 and 7 for 238 (Cartwright 101, Klinger 55, Pattinson 4-48) lead Victoria 322 by 62 runsScorecard File photo – Hilton Cartwright registered his third first-class century © Getty Images Hilton Cartwright scored the third first-class hundred of his career, and his first of this Sheffield Shield season, as Western Australia clung on to hope in their match against Victoria in Alice Springs. Having conceded a hefty first-innings…

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Saker to stand-in for Lehmann during India ODIs

David Saker: ‘My ambition is to coach Australia full-time’ © Getty Images Australia’s assistant coach David Saker will stand in for Darren Lehmann on the ODI tour of India that takes place later this year, but admits the fact that he has not played international cricket will count against him in calculations to replace Lehmann after the head coach’s contract expires in 2019. Lehmann has previously indicated that the conclusion…

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Sri Lanka in control after setting 457

Stumps Bangladesh 312 and 67 for no loss (Sarkar 53*, Tamim 13*) need 390 to win against Sri Lanka 494 and 274 for 6 declared (Tharanga 115, Chandimal 50*, Mehedi 2-77)Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Upul Tharanga struck his third Test century as Sri Lanka piled on a substantial lead on the fourth day © AFP A sparkling Soumya Sarkar fifty set Bangladesh’s fourth innings off apace, but the visitors remained…

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De Villiers back at No. 1 in ODI rankings

AB de Villiers top scored in the ODI series against New Zealand © AFP South Africa’s AB de Villiers has displaced Australia’s David Warner at the top of the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen. This the tenth time de Villiers has climbed to the top since 2010 – when he first went to No. 1 – and this latest stint comes after he top scored in the recently concluded series…

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ECB retreats from regional academies plan

Andrew Strauss has given assurances that the ECB is not about to scrap county academies © Getty Images The ECB has privately indicated that it has retreated from proposals to downgrade the 18 county academies in favour of creating “regional training hubs as opposed to county programmes” as part of a plan to “define a new pathway for English cricket”. ESPNcricinfo revealed last month that independent consultants had concluded in…

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Injured Taylor in doubt for rest of South Africa series

Ross Taylor returned to bat on the third day despite an injury © AFP New Zealand will wait until the end of the Dunedin Test before making a call on Ross Taylor‘s availability for the rest of the series. Taylor was diagnosed with a low grade tear in the right calf on Friday morning, after he underwent scans, but returned to bat, although he appeared restricted in his movements. Taylor…

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Fire alarm forces stoppage in Dunedin

Players and match officials were sent to the field while the fire alarm was investigated © Getty Images A fire alarm prompted a full ground evacuation at the University Oval, where play was stopped for 20 minutes in the third session. There was neither imminent danger nor any damage caused after steam caused the alarm to go off in the grandstand, which was the first to be emptied. Spectators, numbering…

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Cartwright ton keeps WA in the match

Western Australia 146 and 7 for 238 (Cartwright 101, Klinger 55, Pattinson 4-48) lead Victoria 322 by 62 runsScorecard File photo – Hilton Cartwright registered his third first-class century © Getty Images Hilton Cartwright scored the third first-class hundred of his career, and his first of this Sheffield Shield season, as Western Australia clung on to hope in their match against Victoria in Alice Springs. Having conceded a hefty first-innings…

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