There will be an intriguing subplot that is easily overlooked whenever Durham face Warwickshire in the summer of 2016 – starting with the Specsavers County Championship match at Edgbaston in May. Scott Borthwick, Durham’s leg-spinning all-rounder, has spent the winter in Wellington working closely with Jeetan Patel, the former New Zealand off-spinner who has proved such a consistent overseas performer for the Bears in six of the last seven seasons….
SA wait nervously for Phangiso retest
Aaron Phangiso will not be selected for the first two T20Is against Australia © Getty Images South Africa have put a player on standby to take Aaron Phangiso‘s place in the World Twenty20 squad, but remain hopeful they will not need to replace the left-arm spinner. Phangiso’s action was found to be illegal when he was tested on Friday after being reported during a domestic game. Phangiso will undergo five…
Australia wary of Tahir spin threat
Imran Tahir is likely to be a key player for South Africa at the World T20 © Getty Images Ah, Australia. Just the team South Africa want to see. Never mind that the Australia Test side now holds the mace that was in South Africa’s cabinet little more than a month ago, that the Australia one-day side thrashed South Africa 4-1 the last time they met and that the T20…
Pakistan seek to clear path to final
Match facts Wednesday, March 2, 2016Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT) Tamim Iqbal will likely return to the XI in place of Mohammad Mithun © AFP Big Picture Teams are getting close to that stage of the Asia Cup when a place in the final is the only thing in their mind. Pakistan, who opened their account against UAE on Monday night after getting walloped by India, have a lot…
Shikhar Dhawan returns as India opt to bowl
Toss India chose to bowl v Sri LankaLive scorecard and ball-by-ball detail File photo – Shikhar Dhawan was back in the side after recovering from injury © BCCI Sri Lanka were without Lasith Malinga for the second successive game, as India won the toss and chose to bowl on a Dhaka surface topped with a layer of short grass. Angelo Mathews, who stepped in as captain again, said he would…
Derbyshire add Neesham to Kiwi contingent
Derbyshire have announced the signing of New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham for their NatWest T20 Blast campaign. The 25-year-old, who has represented his country in all three formats, will be available throughout the campaign. He joins fellow Black Caps Hamish Rutherford and Neil Broom at the 3aaa County Ground. Neesham said: “The opportunity to play the entire NatWest T20 Blast this summer with Derbyshire is fantastic and it’ll be great…
Yorkshire in profit but face Boycott rumble
Yorkshire’s financial performance in 2015 mirrored their continued on-field success © Getty Images Yorkshire have returned to profit for the first time since 2009, as the club’s on-field success was matched by an improved financial position. The positive news threatens to be overshadowed, however, by a disagreement with Geoff Boycott over his desire to rejoin the Yorkshire board. According to the Yorkshire Post, Boycott has gathered the necessary support to…
Asia Cup 2016: Pakistan Set to Face Stiff Challenge From Bangladesh
Bangladesh and Pakistan have clashed eight times in Twenty20 internationals with the latter winning seven games. © AFP Mirpur: Having registered resounding back-to-back victories, hosts Bangladesh are expected to put up a tough fight against Pakistan despite the absence of their main strike bowler Mustafizur Rahaman in an Asia Cup Twenty20 round robin league encounter on Wednesday. (Malik, Umar Guide Pakistan to Seven-Wicket Win Over UAE) It will be a…
Pillans lands Surrey deal
South African paceman Mathew Pillans has opted to leave Sunfoil Dolphins in his homeland in favour of joining Surrey on a three-year deal. Pillans becomes the second South African fast bowler to arrive at the Kia Oval in the space of as many days after the signing of Conor McKerr. Surrey have moved to bolster their bowling department, which already includes the likes of the Curran brothers, Jade Dernbach, Matt…
Political tussle clouds India-Pakistan World T20 match
Play 01:47 ‘We must not politicise sport’ – Thakur Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, has expressed strong concerns over a reported letter written by the Himachal Pradesh chief minister to the Indian government, expressing his state government’s difficulty in providing security for the marquee World T20 match between India and Pakistan, scheduled to be held in Dharamsala on March 19. It is understood that Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh,…