The MCC has named a team featuring five England Test cricketers to play Yorkshire in the Champion County match next month

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2016The MCC has named a team featuring five England Test cricketers to play Yorkshire in the Champion County match next month. Ian Bell had already been announced as captain and he will lead his Warwickshire team-mate Rikki Clarke, Graham Onions, James Tredwell and Scott Borthwick.Kent offspinner Tredwell played for England most recently, alongside Bell in the Caribbean last year, while Borthwick won his sole Test cap to date on England’s ill-fated 2013-14 Ashes tour. Onions took 32 wickets in nine Tests between 2009 and 2012, while Clarke played two Tests in Bangladesh in 2003.Two Essex batsmen who hope to have England futures are included, in Nick Browne and Tom Westley, while England Lions James Harris and Jake Ball will join Onions in the seam-bowling attack. Promising Surrey pair Rory Burns and Ben Foakes make up the XI.The Champion County match, which begins on March 20, will be preceded by the Emirates T20 tournament, featuring MCC, Yorkshire, Lancashire and the UAE. Former Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara will join the MCC side for the T20s.”We have put together a squad with a great mixture of youth and experience that are capable of challenging Yorkshire, and I’m sure it will be an engaging fixture for everyone involved,” John Stephenson, MCC’s head of cricket, said.”In Ian Bell, we have one of the best England cricketers of recent years, and there is plenty of international experience throughout the rest of the group – as well as a number of young players with the potential to play for England. I’m confident our squad can do MCC proud, put on a good performance and uphold the Spirit of Cricket throughout the tour.”MCC Champion County XI: Nick Browne (Essex), Rory Burns (Surrey), Scott Borthwick (Durham), Ian Bell (Warwickshire, capt), Tom Westley (Essex), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire), James Harris (Middlesex), James Tredwell (Kent), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Graham Onions (Durham)

The BCB has made an appeal to the ICC to reconsider Taskin Ahmed’s suspension from bowling in international cricket

Mohammad Isam20-Mar-2016The BCB has made an appeal to the ICC to reconsider Taskin Ahmed’s suspension from bowling in international cricket. The communication was made personally by the BCB president Nazmul Hassan, who said that he spoke to the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar and chief executive Dave Richardson.While Hassan did not reveal what the BCB’s main argument was, he said they were not convinced with the ICC’s independent assessment report on Taskin’s bowling action.”We are not convinced about Taskin as of now. We don’t have any reason to be satisfied with the report,” he said. “And that’s disappointing, so we have appealed to the ICC. We have a few grounds and we have said these things according to logic. Only the ICC can withdraw the ICC’s decision, which is why I am talking to the ICC directly. It won’t be right to disclose what we presented as our logic. I can tell you that we have done everything possible.”Hassan said the BCB was trying to circumvent the normal procedure of appealing in a bid to quickly overturn the decision made on Taskin. The ICC had said on Saturday that “not all of Taskin’s deliveries were legal”.”The promptness with which we have taken the action is quite different to the way we responded to the others,” Hassan said. “I read the [ICC’s independent assessment] report today morning and instantly called the ICC CEO Dave Richardson and chairman Shashank Manohar, who said they will respond to us after talking to their legal team.”We are trying to do something outside the normal procedure where the player requests a reassessment, which we feel is a complex process. I don’t think we can do anything more that what we have done. I believe that the ICC will observe our points and give a logical reply.”Hassan also ruled out the possibility of taking the legal route against the ICC, which he feels will be too lengthy and would not give Bangladesh what they are looking for – a quick return for Taskin.”If we take the legal way, then we can forget Taskin playing in the World T20. I don’t think it will be solved any time in the future. It would be a lengthy procedure but as of now I am trying to avoid that way, and trying to see if something can be done immediately through a shortcut. It’s very difficult, but I have not left hope as yet. I feel that there is a slight possibility for Taskin to join us as soon as possible.”We have never heard or seen a decision getting immediately changed by the ICC but regarding Taskin even if that happens, I won’t be amazed. I am hopeful.”Though the ICC has never lifted a suspension on a bowler at such a short notice, they did lift a ban on Shoaib Akhtar within 11 days in 2000. Akhtar was banned on December 30, 1999, but 10 days later, he played for Pakistan in an ODI against Australia in Brisbane, arriving a few hours after the match had started, having been in Perth when the ICC had taken the decision.

West Indies’ victorious cricketers have been reprimanded by the ICC for their actions and comments in the wake of their World T20 triumph in Kolkata earlier this month

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2016West Indies’ victorious cricketers have been reprimanded by the ICC for their actions and comments in the wake of their World T20 triumph in Kolkata earlier this month.The team, which secured an emotional four-wicket victory in the final against England, had come close to withdrawing from the tournament before a ball had been bowled, due to a long-running contract dispute with the WICB.In a speech on the podium in Kolkata, prior to accepting the trophy, West Indies’ captain Darren Sammy turned on the board in a highly politicised speech in which he thanked his team-mates, the team’s supporters and the heads of CARICOM – in particular Keith Mitchell, the Prime Minister of Grenada, who helped to broker a last-minute deal – but added that no one from the board had been in touch in spite of their team’s triumph.”People were wondering whether we would play this tournament,” Sammy said during the live TV broadcast. “We had a lot of issues, we felt disrespected by our board … I’m yet to hear from [them]. That is very disappointing.”Sammy’s stance was echoed by his team-mates, among them Dwayne Bravo, who went on to describe the WICB as the “most unprofessional” board in the world. The board president, Dave Cameron, Bravo added, was “immature”, “small-minded” and “arrogant”.However the ICC board, which met in Dubai on Sunday, reserved its congratulations for the WICB, whose teams completed an “unprecedented treble” in also securing the Women’s World T20 and the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh that took place in February.Instead, the ICC turned on the West Indies players, describing their comments as “inappropriate, disrespectful and [bringing] the event into disrepute”. Serious consideration, it added, had been given to levelling Code of Conduct charges against the players, which could have resulted in fines and/or bans.”The board considered the behaviour of some of the West Indies players in the immediate aftermath of the final, and unanimously agreed that certain comments and actions were inappropriate, disrespectful and brought the event into disrepute,” read an ICC press release.”This was not acceptable conduct at ICC events played out on a world stage in front of millions of people around the globe.”The board acknowledged an apology by the WICB but was disappointed to note that such behaviour had detracted from the success of what was otherwise a magnificent tournament and final.”Marlon Samuels, West Indies’ player of the final, was also singled out for tacit criticism by Shashank Manohar, the ICC chairman, after his ungracious remarks in the aftermath of victory, not least his disparaging comments about England’s Ben Stokes.”The sport of cricket is proud of its unique spirit and this involves being gracious in victory as well as defeat and respectful at all times to the game, one’s opponents, the sponsors and the fans,” Manohar said.The ICC also praised the BCCI for its staging of the event, in spite of numerous logistical issues including the relocation of India’s group-stage match with Pakistan and doubts as to whether Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium would be cleared to host the first semi-final between England and New Zealand.”The Board also complemented the BCB [hosts of the Under-19 World Cup] and the BCCI for the successful staging of these events and also thanked its broadcasters, commercial partners, fans and media for their support in making these events a success from a fan engagement perspective.”

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been picked for the Test series in England, his first appearance in a Test squad since his return to international cricket after a five-year suspension for spot-fixing in September last year

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-20161:02

Quick Facts – Amir set to play a Test after over five years

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has been picked for the Test series in England, his first appearance in a Test squad since his return to international cricket after a five-year suspension for spot-fixing in September last year. He had made a comeback to Pakistan’s limited-overs’ squads earlier this year.

Changes in the squad

In: Sami Aslam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Amir
Out: Ahmed Shehzad, Bilal Asif, Fawad Alam, Junaid Khan, Shoaib Malik

With the team set to depart on June 18, the PCB is hopeful that Amir will be granted a visa by next week. His application was also supported by the ECB. There were concerns over Amir being granted a UK visa, after the bowler – along with Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt – was sentenced in a London court for his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal in the controversial Lord’s Test against England, and was given a six-month jail sentence, half of which he served at the Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset.Legspinner Yasir Shah was picked for his first international series after the end of his doping ban in March. The bowler had missed Pakistan’s tour to New Zealand, the Asia Cup T20 and the World T20 after he was given a three-month suspension by the ICC.Yasir was provisionally suspended under the ICC’s Anti-Doping Code in December after he tested positive for a banned substance, chlortalidone, and a three-month suspension was given after he pleaded guilty to breaching the code. The penalty, which was backdated to December, ended on March 27. The legspinner, however, did suffer an injury scare last month, when he missed the fitness camp in Abbottabad after aggravating an old knee injury. Zulfiqar Babar was the other spinner named in the squad.Mohammad Hafeez was picked despite suffering a knee injury which had ruled him out of the conditioning camp in Abbottabad. Hafeez, too, had aggravated an old injury, which he suffered during the World T20 in March. With more than a month to go for the first Test, the selectors were hopeful Hafeez would be fit for the series.After a long time, the PCB named a back-up wicketkeeper – Mohammad Rizwan – who is yet to make his Test debut. He has played 15 ODIs and nine T20Is since his international debut against Bangladesh last year. Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said Rizwan was picked to take some workload off Sarfraz Ahmed since it was a long tour.”Rizwan has been playing in T20s and he has been doing well in ODIs,” Inzamam said. “We are sending two keepers because there are four Tests and it will be a good opportunity for Rizwan too.”Inzamam named a back-up opening batsman in 20-year-old Sami Aslam, who made his Test debut against Bangladesh in April last year. Aslam, a former Pakistan Under-19 captain, played both Tests of the series, scoring 47 runs. Ahmed Shehzad, who was left out of the probables list for the England tour on disciplinary grounds, was not picked.Four other fast bowlers, apart from Amir, were named in the squad of 17 – Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan and Imran Khan. Sohail, who last played a Test in September 2011, was part of Pakistan’s squad for the 2015 World Cup, where he played seven matches and was the second-highest wicket-taker for the side with 12 wickets. His tally included a five-for in his comeback ODI, against India at the Adelaide Oval. Inzamam said the selectors were keeping an eye on Junaid Khan’s progress too, but he needed more time to recover before being picked for an international tour.”Junaid had a knee injury and struggled a bit after that,” Inzamam said. “It will take him some time now to get back into rhythm and then we will consider him again. We have picked Sohail instead because his performance has been very good. I saw him bowl during the camp and he is in really good rhythm. he will do well on the England tour.”The last time Pakistan toured England for a Test series was in 2010 and their last Test series outside the subcontinent against one of the top eight sides was to South Africa in early 2013. Pakistan lost all three Tests on that tour and Inzamam admitted touring outside Asia was something that bothered him.”My only concern is that we have hardly played outside [the subcontinent] in the last six-seven years,” Inzamam said. “Otherwise the Pakistani team is known to play aggressive cricket across the world. I think that is the strength of this team – aggression.”Pakistan will undergo a conditioning camp in Hampshire and will play two tour matches – against Somerset and Sussex – before the first Test at Lord’s, which starts from July 14. They will play another tour match, against Worcestershire, between the second and third Tests at Old Trafford and Edgbaston, respectively. The fourth Test will be played at The Oval from August 11.Squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Sohail Khan

Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid have taken part in a high-level meeting, the first of its kind, to discuss the road map for the next one year (2016-17) of Indian cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jul-2016Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid have taken part in a high-level meeting, the first of its kind, to discuss the road map for the next one year (2016-17) in Indian cricket. The meeting, which took place in Bangalore on Sunday, was organised by the BCCI, which said the primary idea was to bring “all stakeholders on the same page”.Apart from the two captains and the coaches of India’s senior and junior sides, the meeting was attended by Sandeep Patil, the chairman of selectors, Venkatesh Prasad, the head of the junior selection committee, WV Raman and Narendra Hirwani (batting and spin bowling coaches at the National Cricket Academy), Patrick Farhat (India physio), Andrew Leipus (NCA physio), Shankar Basu (India trainer), and MV Sridhar, the BCCI’s general manager.The brainstorming session lasted a few hours with the main motive of setting in place plans to lift India to the top of the world rankings, and how the various support systems could play a role in fulfilling that goal. “Issues ranging from domestic cricket set-up, India A tours, injury management and workload of the players, and strengthening the bench strength of Indian cricket were discussed in detail to synchronise the efforts of everyone working for the betterment of Indian cricket,” a BCCI release said.According to Kumble, who was recently appointed India’s head coach, the meeting was a “very fruitful” exercise. “Sitting here, we all have one intention and agenda: To align our actions to maximise the potential of Indian cricket. For that we all need to work as one unit.”Other members attending the meeting said it was a significant development and they welcomed the idea of the free exchange of information and everyone being kept in the loop. It is understood both Dhoni and Kohli were keen to ensure players’ fitness reports were monitored properly so they were in peak fitness and ready to play before they were picked for a series.

A round-up of all DPL matches played on June 18, 2016

Mohammad Isam18-Jun-2016Abahani Limited thumped Victoria Sporting Club by six wickets in a game marred by Suhrawadi Shuvo’s neck injury that put him in hospital, though he was out of danger according to doctors.Shuvo was batting on 21 in the 25th over when Taskin Ahmed’s bouncer struck him, after which he fell at his crease. The Abahani players rushed to him, before the physios and doctors carried him back to the dressing room, following which he was taken to Apollo Hospital.Victoria, meanwhile, stumbled and they were ultimately bowled out for 139 runs in 36.2 overs. Their in-form top and middle-order crumbled as they were reduced to 86 for 5 in the 19th over. Several batsmen got starts but none made it past Mominul Haque’s 23, the highest score of the innings.Taskin (3 for 30) and left-arm spinners Shakib Al Hasan (3 for 28) and Saqlain Sajib (3 for 38) took three wickets each.Tamim Iqbal struck five fours and a six during his 33 to set up Abahani’s chase, which was interrupted by two rain breaks. Liton Das (18), Shakib (9) and Nazmul Hossain Shanto (22) all fell in quick succession, but Dinesh Karthik struck a six and a four to finish the game with more than 20 overs to spare. He remained unbeaten on 32 off 48 balls while Mosaddek Hossain was unbeaten on 18 off 10 balls.Chaturanga de Silva took two wickets, which strengthened the Sri Lankan left-arm spinner’s position at top of the bowling charts, with 30 wickets.Legends of Rupganj consolidated their top spot in the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League with a comfortable five-wicket win over Prime Bank Cricket Club at the BKSP-3 ground. The result meant that defending champions Prime Bank were out of the title race.Nahidul Islam (64*) steered Rupganj’s chase after Pawan Negi’s 2 for 30 limited Prime Bank to 222 for 8. Having walked out to bat at No.6 with Rupganj on 127 for 4, Islam added 77 runs for the fifth wicket with Asif Ahmed, who contributed 51 off 89 balls. Mohammad Mithun pitched in with a half-century of his own while Soumya Sarkar made 47 off 46 balls, after opener Junaid Siddique was trapped lbw by Shuvagata Hom in the first over.Rupganj maintained their spotless record in the Super League by completing the chase with 19 balls to spare. Having been sent in, Prime Bank lost Mehedi Maruf early, but Unmukt Chand and Hom briefly steadied their side with thirties each. Nurul Hasan then pressed on to hit 75 off 96 balls, his third List A half-century, but Prime Bank managed only 29 for 3 in the last five overs of their innings.Raqibul Hasan guided Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club to a crucial seven-wicket win over Mohammedan Sporting Club at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. Doleshwar remained in the race for the title, but Mohammedan, having lost their last two Super League games as well, were out of it.Batting first, Mohammedan were bowled out for 213 runs in 49 overs. They began shakily and lost both openers Ezaz Ahmed and Hamidul Islam for 15 inside eight overs, before Shykat Ali and Mushfiqur Rahim added 58 runs for the third wicket. While Mushfiqur was dismissed for 20, Shykat went on to make a half-century. Mohammedan, however, lost regular wickets and struggled to push on in the slog overs.Sunzamul Islam, Rejaul Karim, Nasir Hossain and Rahatul Ferdous took two wickets each for Doleshwar. Opener Imtiaz Hossain (19) departed early in the chase, but Raqibul and Rony Talukdar added 73 runs for the second wicket, before Faisal Hossain had Talukdar caught behind for 28.Sachin Baby contributed only 17 but Raqibul and Nasir Hossain ensured there were no further hiccups, with their unbroken 79-run stand for the fourth wicket. Raqibul hit 86 off 127 balls with five fours and a six, while Nasir made a 40-ball 52 that included four fours and two sixes.

Lancashire’s two England Lions men took the honours as the NatWest T20 Blast holders finally showed some of last season’s prowess in a four-run win against Durham at Chester-le-Street

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-2016
ScorecardSaqib Mahmood (centre) struck three times to stifle Durham’s chase•ICC

Lancashire’s two England Lions men took the honours as the NatWest T20 Blast holders finally showed some of last season’s prowess in a four-run win against Durham at Chester-le-Street.Liam Livingstone made an unbeaten 43 off 24 balls to lift Lancashire’s total to 176 for 3 and Durham were on target until Saqib Mahmood struck timber three times in four balls.They were revived by an unbroken stand of 48 in 3.5 overs between Paul Coughlin and Keaton Jennings, but when Coughlin needed to hit the last ball from Nathan Buck for six it landed ten yards short at long-on.Durham finished on 172 for 5, virtually ending their hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals, a target already looking beyond Lancashire when they arrived in bottom place in the North Group.After being put in, Lancashire worked the ball into spaces as they ticked along to 88 for 1 after 12 overs before doubling the score in the remaining eight. The only six was a powerful straight drive by Livingstone, who used the ramp shot
to hit four fours.Chris Rushworth’s first 11 balls cost one one run, plus four byes, which proved costly in the end. Alviro Petersen guided his first two fours deftly to third man before left-hander Luis Reece was struck on the helmet, prompting a delay while a new one was sent for. But in the next over Reece drove at Coughlin and edged behind.
With only two runs coming off that over, Lancashire were 36 at the end of the Powerplay.Karl Brown opened up on the return of Usman Arshad for the 13th over, taking 15 off the first four balls before Petersen drove well wide of off stump and edged behind for 42.Brown departed in the next over for 41, lbw trying to sweep Scott Borthwick, but Livingstone and Croft upped the momentum.Durham’s top T20 scorer, Phil Mustard, made only 8 before skying Jordan Clark to wicketkeeper Tom Moores.Mark Stoneman smashed Clark for two big sixes wide of long-on in the sixth over but when Croft, the third of Lancashire’s three spinners, brought himself on for the tenth over Stoneman was bowled for 36 when trying to hit a straight ball over midwicket.Calum MacLeod offered Durham’s best chance of victory as he made 45 off 31 balls. But when stepped back to hit Mahmood through the off side he was yorked and the same fate befell Ryan Pringle and Gordon Muchall.Coughlin hit Mahmood for a big six as the 19th over brought 16 runs, but the youngster still finished with 3 for 31 and Durham had left themselves too much to do.

Bangladesh’s new bowling coach Courtney Walsh has said he wants to help his charges hunt in pairs much like he and Curtly Ambrose had done for West Indies for many years

Mohammad Isam04-Sep-2016Bangladesh’s new bowling coach Courtney Walsh has said he wants to help his charges hunt in pairs much like he and Curtly Ambrose had done for West Indies for many years.”I don’t see myself too much as a coach as I see myself as a mentor,” Walsh said at a press briefing on Sunday. “I have always tried to get couple of fast bowlers under my wing to mentor when I played for Gloucester, Jamaica or West Indies. Curtly Ambrose was one of them. So if I can get a second Ambrose from Bangladesh, I will be happy. When he came into the team, he looked up to me. We formed one of the best striking partnerships in world cricket. If I can pass that to any two Bangladeshi fast bowlers, I will be very happy.”Walsh, who was the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Test history after a 17-year career, hoped to be a “father figure” to the Bangladesh bowlers and wanted to guide them much like his own seniors had done for him.”I can help them relive some of the situations they might find themselves into,” he said. “A player can sometimes help you get out of it. I remember Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Joel Garner. When I just started, that’s what they did for me. I hope to pass that on to the Bangladesh team.”I want to pass on to the Bangladeshi guys that you have to be strong and be prepared for hard work, maintain physically and consistency. If we can work hand in hand with those two, we will be headed in the right path. It won’t happen overnight. We have to put in some ground work. Once we get the basics right, you will see a lot of improvement and consistency.”This was Walsh’s first time coaching an international team and he had been unsure about taking on such a responsibility.”The offer was something that I had to think twice about,” he said. “I remember when Nizam [Nizamuddin Chowdhury, BCB CEO] got in touch with me and said they were interested, I said let me think about it. We went back and forth but when he said, ‘you are our No. 1 target,’ that was something that I gave it a serious consideration. It showed that they wanted take the cricket to another level.”I want to thank Nizam for letting me know that I was their No. 1 target. He said the president wanted to ensure that I was here. I arrived here last night to do the best I can for Bangladesh cricket working with the head coach. Together we can achieve some good success for Bangladesh cricket.”Walsh was the second West Indian in a coaching role with Bangladesh after Gordon Greenidge had steered them to qualify for the 1999 World Cup by winning the 1997 ICC Trophy.”I didn’t get a chance to speak to Gordon [Greenidge] because I actually went away to play a game and he was in England,” Walsh said. “But beforehand, I used to quiz him about Bangladesh and he was happy to be a part of this. That would help me as well.”I am hoping that next time I speak to him, he will be happy with the state of Bangladesh cricket and the direction it is headed.”Walsh has signed a three-year deal with Bangladesh which would end with the 2019 World Cup.

Daryl Mitchell has spoken out about “the devastating news” of his sacking as Worcestershire captain after more than six years in charge

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2016Daryl Mitchell has spoken out about “the devastating news” of his sacking as Worcestershire captain after more than six years in charge.Mitchell, 32, has led Worcestershire to two promotions in the Championship as they have constantly alternated between Division One and Two, but promotion eluded them this season and he had paid the price. Allrounder Joe Leach has been named as his successor.Mitchell was privately informed of his removal by Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, on Monday and rejected the opportunity to resign – preferring to speak openly about the shock that he believes was felt not only by himself but also many of his team-mates.”Being sacked from my role as captain on Monday morning came as devastating news to me” he wrote in a message posted on Twitter. “This is certainly the most difficult thing I’ve had to deal with in my professional career.”As you can probably imagine it came as quite a shock, I am bitterly disappointed and left deeply hurt by the decision. I informed the players and staff last night and their messages of support have been overwhelming. Knowing that my team-mates share the shock is of great comfort to me.”Mitchell, normally the mainstay of Worcestershire’s batting, averaged only 34 in the Championship and failed to reach 1000 first-class runs and admitted that off-field issues had undermined him in the first half of the season.”2016 has been a difficult year for me with a lot on my plate off the field, poor form with the bat in the early part of the season and if I’m honest I haven’t been at my best as captain in certain parts of the year,” he said.”However, I did feel things had turned the corner, I finished the season well, and after a freshen up over the winter I was looking forward to leading the team in competing for trophies in 2017. Unfortunately this was not to be.”I was given the opportunity to resign but I felt it important that everybody knew the truth and the one thing I most certainly am not is a quitter.”Although I disagree with the decision, I do fully respect it and know it been made with the very best intentions for Worcestershire CCC moving forward. I’ve been in professional sport long enough to know, sometimes you just have to take things on the chin and move on.”I would like to thanks Steve Rhodes for giving me the opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream of becoming captain of Worcestershire CCC. I guess like all dreams you have to wake up at some point.”Leach, the county’s vice captain, had a season to remember. He finished as leading wicket-taker in Division Two of the Championship with 65 victims and scoring neary 600 runs.

A round-up of the third day of the third round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group B, also featuring Mohit Sharma leading from the front as Haryana captain

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2016Rana Dutta’s six-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick, put Tripura on track for an innings victory against Himachal Pradesh in Kalyani. Resuming the third day at 50 for 1, Himachal Pradesh were bowled out for 311. They lost their last five wickets for only 30 runs, with Dutta dismissing Rishi Dhawan, Sumeet Verma and Mayank Dagar in the 88th over. Having gained a lead of 238, Tripura enforced the follow-on and in the 2.2 overs possible before stumps got a wicket too, that of Pankaj Jaiswal, who had batted at No. 9 in Himachal’s first innings.Three-wicket hauls from left-arm spinnerShadab Jakati and right-arm seamer Felix Alemao, who was playing only his second first-class game, strengthened Goa‘s grip over Services in Cuttack.In reply to Goa’s 606, which was built on Sagun Kamat’s record triple-century, Services slumped to 228 for 7. Ravi Chauhan was the first to go on the third day when he was bowled by Alemao for 47 off 49 balls. Alemao then had Nakul Verma and Shamsher Yadav caught behind.Captain Soumik Chatterjee resisted with 12 off 77 balls before becoming Jakati’s first victim. Rahul Singh, coming in at No.6, supplied more fight with 89 off 180 balls before Jakati struck in the 92nd over. Services got through the remaining 11 overs with the eighth-wicket pair of Muzzaffaruddin Khalid and Diwesh Pathania at the crease, but they still trail Goa by a whopping 339 runs.After declaring their first innings at 517 for 9, Kerala made deep inroads into the Hyderabad line-up on the third day in Bhubaneswar. Seamer Sandeep Warrier, offspinning allrounder Jalaj Saxena, and left-arm spinner K Monish returned two wickets each to reduce Hyderabad to 212 for 7. B Sandeep was the only batsmen to make a half-century and were it not for some handy contributions from the lower order – Akash Bhandari made 40 and Mehdi Hasan, an unbeaten 26, Hyderabad would have struggled even more.Left-arm spinner Aamir Aziz’s maiden five-wicket haul bowled Andhra out for 255 and gave Jammu & Kashmir a first-innings lead of 79 at Brabourne Stadium. They eventually stretched it past 100, for the loss of two wickets late in the day.Having started the day at 72 for 2, Andhra stumbled to 90 for 5 and then 156 for 6. Dwaraka Ravi Teja and Ashwin Hebbar then mounted a fightback, putting on 94 for the seventh wicket. Ravi Teja top-scored with 81 off 194 balls, including nine fours. Once he fell, the tail was wiped out, the last four wickets tumbling for only five runs.Haryana captain Mohit Sharma took three wickets and left Chhattisgarh at 50 for 6 in a chase of 279 in Guwhati. Earlier Harynana were propped up by fifties from Himanshu Rana and Rajat Paliwal in their second innings. They were ultimately dismissed for 289 from an overnight 121 for 3. Seamer Pankaj Rao, who was playing only his second first-class game, did the bulk of the damage for Chhattisgarh, claiming 5 for 74. His new-ball partner Pratik Sinha, meanwhile, took 2 for 84.