Sir Andrew Strauss has given his clearest hint yet that his high-performance review will push for the volume of cricket in the men’s domestic schedule to be reduced, and denied that England’s Test results this summer have rendered the review obsolete. “Naturally I’m delighted to see this change in fortunes and I’ve loved watching the thrilling way the team have been playing,” Strauss wrote in a blog on the ECB’s…

Big picture This is not an ODI World Cup year. The series between West Indies and India is not part of the World Cup Super League. Both teams finished their previous 50-over assignments less than a week ago. So what can one expect during these three ODIs? After clinching both white-ball series in England, India have rested Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah,…

Melbourne Renegades will get the first pick in the BBL overseas player draft next month while Hobart Hurricanes will be the last to go in the opening round. The order of the draft was determined through a weighted lottery which took place on Wednesday based on the finishing positions in last season’s BBL. This is how the final draft order came out: 1. Melbourne Renegades2. Melbourne Stars3. Brisbane Heat4. Sydney…

West Indies’ head coach Phil Simmons has said that batting out 50 overs is their top priority as they rebuild for next year’s ODI World Cup. Since the 2019 World Cup, West Indies have played out 50 overs just six times in 39 innings, and have lost nine of their 13 ODI series since that tournament, including a series defeat against Ireland at home earlier this year. “The main thing…

Yorkshire 167 for 4 (Kohler-Cadmore 68, Brooks 3-38) trail Somerset 424 (Abell 116, Gregory 77, Aldridge 41, Bess 4-68) by 257 runs Jack Brooks bit the hand that used to feed him as Somerset gained the upper hand on the second day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Yorkshire at Taunton. Facing his former club, the veteran seamer turned back the years with 3 for 38 from ten…

Essex 271 and 19 for 2 (Browne 9*, Westley 2*, Worrall 2-11) trial Surrey 319 (Jacks 150*) 29 runs Will Jacks hit eight sixes in a remarkable 150 not out against Essex to spearhead a stunning Surrey recovery on day two of a so far memorable LV= Insurance County Championship match at the Kia Oval. Jacks, 23, batted with a maturity beyond his years to turn a superb contest on…

Gloucestershire 43 for 2 (Price 17*, Hammond 12*) trail Hampshire 457 (Organ 120, Vince 95, Barker 50) by 414 runs Two things happened on this dark, drizzle-haunted day at Cheltenham. The first was that Hampshire made 457 and then took two prime Gloucestershire wickets, thereby establishing a position from which they will hope to force a vital victory in the second half of this match. The second was that James…

Northamptonshire 235 (McManus 61, Keogh 54, Washingston 5-76) and 25 for 1 (Young 8*, Gay 7*) lead Lancashire 132 (Bohannon 31, White 5-14) by 128 runs Northamptonshire seamer Jack White claimed his maiden five-wicket haul for just 14 runs as Lancashire were skittled for 132 on day two of this LV= County Championship match at Northampton. White, 30, had a late introduction to professional cricket, making his first-class debut in…

Derbyshire 164 for 2 (Madsen 57* Guest 50*) trail Nottinghamshire 618 for 8 dec (Duckett 241, Hameed 196, Patterson-White 54) by 454 runs “Too much too soon” is the sort of phrase that sticks in the craw of many ambitious people of talent, and often with good reason, but watching Ben Duckett and Haseeb Hameed complete the final touches to their stand of 402 it was tempting to imagine that…

Kent 165 and 198 for 4 (Denly 70*, Cox 40*) lead Warwickshire 225 (Hain 99, Saini 5-72) by 138 runs Joe Denly‘s compact unbeaten half-century dug Kent out of trouble and left their vital LV=Insurance County Championship tussle with Warwickshire finely poised at the halfway stage. Trailing by 60 on first innings, the visitors closed the second day at Edgbaston on 198 for 4 – 138 ahead – with Denly…