“Days like today show that cricket is in a really good state.” England Test captain Alastair Cook’s words perfectly captured the upbeat mood at Dymock CC during the recent NatWest CricketForce weekend, which saw thousands of volunteers help local clubs get ready for this season. Dymock was one of 2,166 grassroots clubs that opened their doors and toolkits to their local communities in an effort to refresh facilities ahead of…
Rain fills up Ageas Bowl
Warwickshire were frustrated by the weather as no play was able to take place on day two of their Specsavers County Championship clash with Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl. Umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and Martin Saggers twice inspected the sodden outfield with the hope of some action, but despite a dry afternoon they decided the pitch could not dry quickly enough. Birthday boy Ian Bell, 34 today, will be hoping his…
ICC's global development head Anderson to step down
Tim Anderson (R) is being retained part-time to assist with ICC’s continued restructuring and development efforts in the USA © Peter Della Penna Tim Anderson, ICC’s head of global development, is set to step down from his role in June after 16 years of service. Anderson has been in his current role since taking over from Matthew Kennedy in 2010. The announcement was made by David Richardson, the ICC chief…
Sunrisers quicks a test for RCB's top three
Match facts Tuesday, April 12, 2016Start time 2000 local (14.30 GMT) Shane Watson is all set to make his debut for Royal Challengers Bangalore © Getty Images Big Picture On Tuesday, the last two teams yet to join the action in IPL 2016 will battle in Bangalore. The hosts, Royal Challengers Bangalore, are packed with superstars, and in Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, they have a top…
Lions bowl, Stoinis makes IPL debut
Marcus Stoinis was included in Kings XI’s side after Shaun Marsh was hospitalised due to food poisoning © Cricket Australia/Getty Images Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina chose to bowl in the franchise’s first IPL game against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali. “It always does a little bit early on here, and we have good swing bowlers – [Pradeep] Sangwan is there, Praveen Kumar is there,” Raina said. David Miller, leading…
Jayasuriya to return as chairman of selectors
Sri Lanka won the 2014 World T20 and a Test series in England during Sanath Jayasuriya’s previous term as chairman of selectors © Getty Images Sanath Jayasuriya is set to take over as Sri Lanka’s chief selector once more, a little over a year after he stepped down from the role. The board has virtually confirmed Jayasuriya’s appointment, though they have not made a formal announcement yet. “In wanting to…
No play again at New Road
Worcestershire and Kent were unable to start their Specsavers County Championship Division Two fixture for the second day running at a saturated New Road. Umpires Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth ruled out play at 12.45pm after a cursory inspection. The water table is so high that heavy overnight rain stayed on the surface despite a dry spell for a couple of hours. For Kent supporters – and a good number…
Topley breaks hand on Hampshire debut
England seamer Reece Topley has broken his right hand on his Hampshire debut. Topley, who left Essex to join his new county for this season, is yet to discover the full extent of the injury he suffered on day one of the Specsavers County Championship season when he was hit by a bouncer from Warwickshire’s Boyd Rankin. But the 22-year-old, a member England’s squad of ICC World Twenty20 finalists over…
Football delays Barker's media duties
“You might have to wait a while,” Warwickshire’s fast bowling coach Alan Richardson said when asked whether Keith Barker would be able to pop down from the visiting dressing room at the Ageas Bowl for an interview after taking five wickets on the first day of the Specsavers County Championship season. “He’s watching the United-Tottenham game, and they’ve just started the second half.” Barker has always been a Manchester United…
Dwayne Bravo, Aaron Finch Ensure Gujarat Lions Begin Indian Premier League Journey With Easy Win Over Kings XI Punjab
Aaron Finch played a gritty innings of 74 for Gujarat Lions © BCCI Highlights Mohali: Dwyane Bravo recorded his best Indian Premier League (IPL) figures with a four-wicket haul before Aaron Finch smashed 74 runs off 47 balls as Gujarat Lions thumped hosts Kings XI Punjab by five wickets to make a winning entry into the IPL match in Mohali on Monday night. (Suresh Raina Tells His Gujarat Lions Team…