[embedded content] Having announced his retirement from professional cricket, Rob Key will be remembered for his lengthy career at Kent but one knock will stand out amongst his career highlights. Despite a spell out of the England side, after making his Test debut in 2002 against India, Key bounced back by scoring over 1,000 first-class runs in the 2004 county season, earning a recall for the Test series against West…
Wagner's 11 puts Lancs on short road towards victory
Nottinghamshire 242 and 175 (Wagner 5-45) lead Lancashire 332 (Livingstone 70, Davies 55, Ball 4-63) by 85 runsScorecard Neil Wagner finished with 11 for 111 on his Lancashire debut © Getty Images There was a point in the second hour of this day’s cricket when it was possible to believe that Brendon McCullum had never played the game, that the 20-over format was still an evening entertainment for club thrashers…
'All credit to the new helmet' – Chris Nash
Chris Nash gets checked over by the physio after the blow to the helmet © Getty Images Sussex opener Chris Nash has credited wearing a helmet with a fixed grille from preventing a broken nose after he was hit on the head while batting in the County Championship match with Essex at Hove. The issue of ECB safety regulations requiring players to wear helmets that comply with a new British…
Trott's masterful double stirs England memories
Middlesex 452 (Robson 231, Patel 4-80) and 76-2 lead Warwickshire 468 (Trott 219*, Murtagh 3-68, Finn 3-110) by 60 runsScorecard Jonathan Trott revived memories of when he was indispensible to England © Getty Images For a few hours, as Jonathan Trott brought calm to the chaos at Lord’s, it could have been 2010. That was the year that Trott followed a career-changing innings of 226 against Bangladesh here with an…
Napier and Porter's hard yards revive Essex
Sussex 360 and 282 for 9 (Nash 92, Napier 5-86, Porter 4-82) lead Essex 320 (Westley 86, ten Doeschate 51, Ryder 51) by 322 runsScorecard Ryan ten Doeschate was brilliantly caught by Danny Briggs © Getty Images At one stage in this match, it looked as if Sussex were disappearing off into the distance over the South Downs. Building on a second significant score from opener Chris Nash, the lead…
South Africa's day-night Test concern not 'knee-jerk' says Tony Irish
Play 03:08 Cullinan: Teams need time to adjust to the pink ball South Africa may have considered playing a day-night Test in Australia had they been given more time to prepare with the pink ball in domestic matches at home and if the stakes of the series were lower but for now, they are “not in favour,” of the idea. Tony Irish, CEO of the South African Players’ Association, told…
Wagner heroics leave Lancs on the brink
Neil Wagner continued his outstanding Lancashire debut with five more wickets to keep them on course for victory in their first game back in Division One of the Specsavers County Championship. The New Zealander had taken 6-66 in Nottinghamshire’s first innings and followed that up with a devastating burst in the evening sunshine which scuppered the visitors’ hopes of setting Lancashire a testing victory target. Wagner ended with 5-45 in…
Impressive all-round show puts Leicestershire on victory course
Glamorgan 348 and 172 for 8 (Donald 57, Raine 3-48) lead Leicestershire 427 (O’Brien 93, Horton 67, McKay 65, White 58)Scorecard Ben Raine struck twice during Glamorgan’s collapse © PA Photos Leicestershire are poised for victory on the final day against Glamorgan and, if this all-round performance is an indication of how much they have improved, they are unlikely to finish bottom this season – a position they have occupied…
Vince and Ervine make life difficult for Yorkshire
Centuries from James Vince and Sean Ervine provided bumps in the road for champions Yorkshire as the White Rose’s hopes of kick-starting their Specsavers County Championship season with an opening victory faded at Headingley. Yorkshire’s mammoth 593 for nine declared left them with two-and-a-half days to bowl out the visitors twice, and get their bid for a third successive Division One title up and running. But after one-and-a-half of them,…
Vince's class and Ervine's grit lift Hampshire
Hampshire 450 for 8 (Ervine 123, Vince 119, Wheater 62, McLaren 55*) trail Yorkshire 593 for 9 dec by 143 runsScorecard James Vince could soon be adding Test honours to his England limited-overs caps © Getty Images Hampshire’s coach Dale Benkenstein had been scathing about Hampshire’s inadequate display in the field on the second day at Headingley. He would have been happier with the response. The polish of James Vince,…