Vintage Maynard leads Glamorgan to thrilling victory

A vintage display of batting by Matthew Maynard saw Glamorgan to a thrilling two wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham and a place in the cricket record books.Maynard, who compiled a cultured 140 in the first innings, hit an unbeaten 118 with 10 fours and 3 sixes from 104 balls as Glamorgan successfully chased a target of 317 in 75 overs, with the 36 year old guiding his side home with a memorable display of strokeplay.When Glamorgan last visited the College ground in 1991, Maynard hit 129 and 126 in the draw against Gloucestershire, so his 118* today was his fourth century in successive innings at the Cheltenham ground. No other batsman in the history of the game has ever achieved the feat of a century in each innings of a match twice at the historic Cheltenham Festival. This was also his 9th hundred against Gloucestershire, and no current batsman has scored more centuries against the West Country side.Despite the flurry of wickets around him, Maynard remained calm and in supreme control, despatching the Gloucestershire spinners for a flurry of crisply struck boundaries. He also reached his record-breaking century in the grand manner, with a huge six over deep mid-wicket and into one of the gaily decorated tents that lined the boundary at the College ground – evoking memories of his debut hundred against Yorkshire back in 1985 at Swansea when he reached his century with three successive sixes off the bowling of the late Phil Carrick.It was also the 50th first-class century of Maynard`s career, and when he reached 88 he also passed 20,000 first-class runs for the Welsh county. Only Alan Jones (34, 056 runs) , Emrys Davies (26, 102) and Gilbert Parkhouse (22, 619) had previously reached this landmark for Glamorgan.Thanks to Maynard`s wonderful batting, Glamorgan recorded their first win at Cheltenham since 1970. Their victory came with 16 balls remaining as Simon Jones, who had earlier taken four wickets in Gloucestershire`s second innings, smashed successive deliveries from Ian Fisher for 4 and 6 high over long-on to secure a well-deserved victory.

New Zealand to tour Pakistan twice in 2022-23 to make up for postponed series

New Zealand are set to tour Pakistan twice next season, the two boards confirmed on Monday.The two teams will first face each other between December 2022 and January 2023 for two Tests, which will be part of the World Test Championship, and three ODIs, which will be part of the ODI Super League (for qualification for the World Cup). New Zealand then return to the country in April 2023 for five ODIs and five T20Is – the ODIs, in this instance, will be solely for ICC rankings points and not part of the ODI Super League.Related

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The first visit will be a part of the Future Tours Programme, while the second was agreed to make up for the matches lost when New Zealand called off their limited-overs tour of Pakistan in September this year minutes before the scheduled start of the first ODI, citing security concerns. The limited-overs tour in April 2023 will have two additional ODIs being played, along with those scheduled in the 2021 series.”It’s good to be going back,” NZC chief executive David White said in a statement. “Our respective chairmen, Ramiz Raja and Martin Snedden, had very fruitful and constructive discussions while in Dubai, further strengthening the bond between the two organisations.”After being especially critical of the NZC’s decision when they abandoned the tour this year, Ramiz said that the board was “pleased with the outcomes of our discussions and negotiations”. “This reflects the strong, cordial and historic relations the two boards have, and reconfirms Pakistan’s status as an important member of the cricket fraternity,” he said.

David Lloyd announces retirement from commentary after 22 years with Sky Sports

David Lloyd, the former England batter and coach, has announced his retirement from Sky Sports after 22 years working as a commentator.Lloyd, 74, said that “the commentary box feels a little emptier” following the departure of three long-term colleagues in David Gower, Ian Botham and Michael Holding, and the passing of the late Bob Willis.”I’ve decided the time is now right to pass on the microphone,” Lloyd said in a statement. “It’s been an immense privilege to try and bring the sport I love into people’s homes up and down the country.”Sharing a commentary box in Australia in 2013 with my broadcasting hero Bill Lawry was a real highlight. It has been a great pleasure to work alongside Ian Bishop, Ravi Shastri, Shane Warne, Shaun Pollock, and Ian Smith amongst many others.”With the passing of Bob Willis and after the decision to move on by my good friends David Gower, Ian Botham and more recently, Michael Holding, the commentary box feels a little emptier. And so I feel it is time for me to do the same and move on to the next chapter.Related

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“I leave the Sky box now in immensely capable hands led by my pals Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Ian Ward and Rob Key. To those that follow, cherish that mic. Inform and entertain, so the next generation can fall in love with this wonderful game.”Sky said in a statement that Lloyd had been “a star of the Sky Cricket commentary box for over two decades, with an extraordinary ability to inform and entertain in equal measure” and that he had played “a huge role helping Sky launch Twenty20, taking cricket to new audiences in 2003 – a format that has changed the sport forever”.Lloyd’s retirement comes a month after he issued an apology to Azeem Rafiq over an exchange in which he had questioned Rafiq’s personal life and made disparaging comments about the UK’s Asian cricketing community.”I deeply regret my actions, and I apologise most sincerely to Azeem and to the Asian cricket community for doing this, and for any offence caused,” Lloyd had said. “I am strongly committed to making cricket a more inclusive sport.”It is very obvious now that more work needs to be done and I will do everything I can to remove discrimination from the sport I love, and the sport that has been my life for over 50 years.”Sky said at the time that it was “committed to actively championing inclusion in cricket – and in all sports – and opposing all forms of discrimination” and that it would investigate Lloyd’s comments.

Ashes bolter: Scott Boland strengthens his case for Australia call-up

Last week, Victoria coach Chris Rogers said he wouldn’t swap Scott Boland “for just about anyone”. After a match-winning display against New South Wales at the MCG, the caveat is perhaps not needed.In the early-season discussions about who could join the big three in Australia’s Test squad for the Ashes, there have been the usual suspects: Michael Neser, Sean Abbott and Jhye Richardson. Mark Steketee, who was part of the squad for the postponed South Africa tour, also pushed his name up there with a seven-wicket haul against South Australia.There wasn’t really much talk around Boland although he has been a hugely consistent performer for Victoria. In two matches this summer, however, that has changed. At the very least he now deserves a place in the expanded party that will form an Australia A side ahead of the first Test. The closest he has so far been to a Test cap was when he was added to a squad against West Indies in 2014-15.Related

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Following his five-wicket haul on the final day he was reluctant to talk himself up too much. “It would be very nice to be recognised like that…all I can do is control what I’m doing,” he said. “You’d have to ask [national selector] George [Bailey], but think I’d be there or thereabouts but it’s not up to me.”Boland’s eight wickets at the MCG followed seven at the Drummoyne Oval to give him 15 at 10.80 this season. Since the start of last summer he has 45 at 19.60. Boland is 32, and had earned the last of his 17 limited-overs caps in 2016 which is perhaps a reason why his name hasn’t been as prominent in the debate until now. But as Rogers put it, “he’s the finished article”.One of the hallmarks of his recent performances has been his ability to take wickets on flat surfaces or with an older ball. Last season he toiled magnificently on flat Adelaide wickets, and in the early stages this summer was a constant threat on a Drummoyne Oval surface that had less life for the quicks the longer the game went on.In this latest match at the MCG, although there was always more on offer for the quicks in what was an excellent pitch, his delivery with a 62-over old ball to remove Jack Edwards and break a lengthy stand was another example.

There was some symmetry in the fact that it has been the international retirement of James Pattinson, the man he took the new ball alongside at the MCG, that has shaken up Australia’s reserve pack of quicks ahead of the Ashes.”I know there’s so many good fast bowlers around it’s going to be hard for me to get a crack but all I can do is keeping doing what I’ve been doing for the last few years and if the opportunity comes I’ll be really happy,” Boland said earlier in the game.His captain Peter Handscomb was more than willing to push his claims. “I’m happy to talk about Scotty for as long as you want,” he said. “He’s been doing this for five, sixers years, it’s nothing new. It’s incredible bowling, his figures speak for themselves. He comes out here today, breaks the game open and wins it for us in the last hour.”I’d love to see him have a crack at that next level. He’s been ready for a couple of years so if that moment does come for him I’m sure he’ll grab it with both hands and show what Australia what he’s been doing for us for a long time.”

Ingram's 46-ball hundred sets Glamorgan record

ScorecardColin Ingram achieved Glamorgan’s fastest T20 hundred•Getty Images

A record-breaking century by Colin Ingram at Arundel on Sunday propelled Glamorgan to their first victory in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast.Glamorgan, who were beaten by Hampshire in their opening fixture on Friday, beat Sussex by 18 runs, despite the almost equally violent Luke Wright equalling Ingram’s score of 101.Ingram’s century was the fastest in the county’s history in this competition. He reached his hundred from just 46 balls, and there were eight fours and seven sixes. He and Jacques Rudolph put on 130 from only 71 balls, a third wicket record for Glamorgan and their third highest for any wicket.”I’m not too fazed by records,” he said. “But it was nice to get a win under our belts in this competition. It was a beautiful day, a good crowd, a good wicket and I just went out there and enjoyed the conditions. “Glamorgan had made a slow start to their innings, with just eight runs coming from the first four overs, by which time they had already lost two wickets..Danny Briggs had Aneurin Donald lbw, sweeping, in the third over and in the next David Lloyd played on to Jofra Archer as he swung to leg.The first four did not arrive until the fifth over, when Ingram got Chris Jordan away to the fine leg boundary. And it was only in the seventh over, bowled by Nash, which went for 14, that the innings really got going.Sussex had varied their attack cleverly, with six different bowlers involved in the first nine overs. But once Ingram and Rudolph got into their galloping stride there was little any of them could do. The 11th over, from Briggs, went for 18 as Ingram raced to his fifty from 25 balls.Sussex almost dismissed Rudolph in spectacular fashion when David Wiese, on the leg-side boundary parried the ball but it fell just short of he supporting fielder Wright.Rudolph fell to a skier off Chris Jordan for 49 but Sussex could find no way to stop Ingram, now joined by Chris Cooke, as the pair put on an unbroken stand of 61 in 4.3 overs. When the 18th over, bowled by Archer, went for 19, Glamorgan looked likely to top 200. They fell just two runs short.The Sussex innings, just like Glamorgan’s got off to a stuttering start. Nash had his off-stump knocked back by Michael Hogan for a run-a-ball 12 and then Stiaan van Zyl was lbw to the same bowler, first ball.Sussex suffered an even heavier blow when captain Ross Taylor, who looked in good touch with a six and a four in his brief came, top-edged Marchant der Lange to fine leg for 17, heaping even more pressure on Wright. When Ben Brown skied Colin Ingram to deep mid-wicket for 14 Sussex 97 for 4 in the 12th over.Sussex needed a daunting 70 from the final five. When Hogan went for 16, with Wright thumping successive deliveries for six and four, it looked on. But Sussex’s chances disappeared when Wright fell for a 53-ball 101, with five fours and seven sixes.

Pacers, Yasir spur Pakistan to victory

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

West Indies fined for slow over rate

Match referee Chris Broad has fined West Indies for their slow over rate during the Jamaica Test against Pakistan. West Indies were ruled to be one over short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.
As per the ICC code of conduct, captain Jason Holder has been fined 20% of his match fee, while the rest of the West Indies players have been fined 10%. Holder will face a suspension if West Indies commits another minor over rate breach in a Test match within 12 months of this offence with Holder as captain.
Holder pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the fine, which meant there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough, third umpire Bruce Oxenford and fourth umpire Gregory Brathwaite levelled the charge.

Pakistan took a giant stride towards winning their first-ever Test series in the Caribbean, after an efficient bowling performance helped ease to seven-wicket win in Kingston. After Yasir Shah’s six-for in the second innings left Pakistan chasing 32, Misbah-ul-Haq, who walked in at the fall of Younis Khan’s wicket with the side needing eight, hit two successive sixes to complete the formalities.Pakistan, emboldened by pushing West Indies to a tight corner last evening, spent the morning session closing in. They picked up six wickets for 59 as West Indies, resuming 93 for 4, were bowled out for 152.Misbah was in no mood to experiment, getting his two best bowlers – Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah – into the attack straight away. At perhaps no stage of the Test did a wicket look as imminent as it did in the first 10 overs. Amir tormented nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo with an unwavering line outside off stump. Or perhaps it was the other way round, as Bishoo kept missing, somehow managing to keep his outside edge from making contact with the ball.Lesser bowlers – or indeed, Amir with lower levels of confidence – may have been frustrated, but Amir kept plugging away, and was duly rewarded. Vishaul Singh had just cut a rare poor Amir delivery away for four, but the bowler’s comeback was destructive. He went slightly wide of the crease to the left-hander, the ball shaping in sharply from the moment it pitched, destination: top of off. Singh, who had seen Amir move the ball the other way all morning, shouldered arms, and was every bit as much a spectator as everyone else when the off stump cartwheeled.Yasir Shah’s ninth five-for hastened West Indies’ collapse•AFP

Yasir was menacing from the other end, getting sharp turn off what was beginning to look like a standard day-five pitch, but it was Mohamamd Abbas who struck the next damaging blows with two wickets off three balls. Bishoo was the first to go, flashing at a short and wide delivery with Younis Khan pouching it in the slips. Two balls later, Shane Dowrich played across a straight ball that struck his pads in front of middle stump.Wahab, who has had a slightly disappointing Test with the ball, then got into the act, removing Jason Holder, West Indies’ highest scorer in the first innings. Yasir came in to clean up the lower order, just like he had the top order, removing Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel within four balls of each other to take six wickets this Test match, bolstering his ever-burgeoning credentials as a lethal second-innings bowler. This was the fifth time two Pakistan bowlers had taken six wickets in a Test innings of a Test, and the first since 2002.The chase of 32 was one perhaps not even Pakistan could stuff up, but they can’t be accused of not trying to make things interesting. Ahmed Shehzad tentatively pushed at the Gabriel delivery outside off stump for a simple catch to the wicketkeeper in the third over. Three balls later, Azhar Ali was making the walk back, having made a mess of trying to leave a ball from Joseph, only to somehow end up dragging it onto his stumps.After lunch, Younis fell trying to work Bishoo to the leg side with the side two boundaries away. But Misbah needed just three balls to put West Indies out of their misery. Thirty six for three may not look too clinical, but, as is so often the case, their bowlers had left the batsmen ample room for error.

Younis firm on retiring after WI Tests

Pakistan batsman Younis Khan remains firm about his intent to retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing three-Test series against West Indies. In a clarification of a previous statement which left open the possibility that he could extend his career if his team needs him, Younis said that he will retire even if he scores “a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies”.Younis’ statement around the possibility of reconsidering his retirement raised a number of eyebrows in Pakistan, a country familiar with difficult and prolonged retirements; only two weeks ago he had announced his decision to end his career.”A lot has been said about my retirement from cricket that maybe Younis wants to keep on playing Test cricket which is absolutely not true,” Younis said in a video message released on the second day of the first Test in Kingston. “I had announced my retirement with a plan, with honour after thinking and according to my wish.”The question that was asked to me, what my answer was and what version went out, I don’t want to go in detail. Younis Khan will retire even if he scores a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies. Please don’t doubt Younis Khan’s credibility and support Pakistan. Pray for Younis Khan and for Pakistan that we can win a Test series for the very first time in West Indies.”

Younis sets the record straight on retirement

Posted by ESPNcricinfo on Saturday, April 22, 2017

Younis, 39, had announced his decision to retire from international cricket on April 8. At the time, when asked if he would reconsider his decision if asked to return by the PCB or fans, he said: “This will be a u-turn and then people will call me u-turn. But the country is always first and we can do anything for Pakistan. I am not saying that I want to captain but I don’t want to make a u-turn. I am for Pakistan and Pakistan is everything for me.”His retirements from T20 internationals and ODIs have not been without some drama. In 2009, he announced his intent to retire from T20 internationals moments after leading the side to the World T20 title. But a year later, he played three T20I matches in New Zealand, after which he was never selected for the format.He announced his retirement from ODIs on the morning of the start of a four-ODI series against England in the UAE in November 2015 and walked away after playing the first match. He had been recalled to the side after losing his place following a disappointing performance in the 2015 World Cup, and had been vocal in his criticism of the selectors in the wake of his axing.With Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq set to retire at the end of the series, Pakistan’s selection committee is looking to induct youngsters in the side with the intention of building a new team after the exits of the senior batsmen. The team’s next assignment is a series against Bangladesh and Pakistan’s chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq was known to be keen to move on beyond Misbah and Younis after the Caribbean tour

Shield return puts Cummins in Ashes frame

Pat Cummins will officially return to contention for a place in Australia’s Ashes team for next summer when he plays his first Sheffield Shield match in almost six years, for New South Wales against South Australia at the SCG from Tuesday.Cummins made his state debut at 17 and his Test debut later that year, before a series of foot and back injuries prompted the national selectors and Cricket Australia’s medical staff to drastically alter their plans for him.Now 23, Cummins’ body is approaching a point of maturity that is hoped will reduce his risk of injuries, after the fashion of the incumbent Test bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. As such, he is now in line to play in the Shield for the Blues and possibly Australia A in South Africa later this year ahead of next summer’s home Ashes series.”There’s the Ashes, which is a goal for probably everyone playing Shield cricket this year at the moment,” Cummins told reporters in Sydney. “I think for me getting back into first-class cricket was the No.1 goal for the year and I’m absolutely pumped to be back. I think if I get through these games then hopefully next year I can start off the year just like any other cricketer.”Cummins’ bowling action has gone through numerous adjustments over time, while his range of skills and experiences have broadened to add to his capabilities this week. While Cummins always demonstrated exceptional intelligence for a fast bowler, as evidenced by his memorable display against South Africa at the Wanderers on his 2011 Test debut, it has taken time for his body to catch up to his mind.”Probably given the extra week that we waited after the T20s has just given me a chance to prepare for the game once I got back in the frame for playing Shield cricket,” Cummins said. “I just wanted to go in [to Shield cricket] with no restrictions and not have to think about my body really, so all good.”I feel like I’m a lot more consistent now than I probably was a couple of years ago, and I think that’s put down to a few things. I think having a long pre-season, I was able to just work on quite a consistent rhythm and tempo rather than trying to bowl 180kms every ball.”I think the beauty of red-ball cricket is the ball normally swings out here [in Sydney]. After some rain hopefully it might seam around a little bit so actually bowling within yourself that 5 or 10% can actually provide some better results. Pace is one tool a bowler uses, but it’s not the be-all and end-all.”NSW have also added the English wristspinner Mason Crane to their squad for the match after a series of stand-out performances in Sydney grade cricket. However, the same overcast and damp weather that may aid Cummins to swing the ball may work against Crane’s chances of a Shield debut as the second spinner behind Will Somerville’s off-breaks.The Blues need to win both their remaining matches outright to have a chance of making the Shield final, while their opponents South Australia are in second place and can solidify their own chances with victory at the SCG.

Former Karnataka batsman K Sriram dies aged 43

Former Karnataka batsman K Sriram died at the age of 43 in Bangalore on February 16, following a cardiac arrest. Sriram, who was unwell for the last two months, is survived by his wife and two children – a son and a daughter.Sriram played 15 first-class matches for Karnataka and scored 644 runs, including a hundred and a fifty. He was also part of the Anil Kumble-led Karnataka team that won the Ranji Trophy in 1995-96. In the final against Tamil Nadu, Sriram was pitted against his older brother Srinath, who opened the batting and made 85 runs in the first innings.Sriram, who had worked with Canara Bank, was a qualified BCCI level-two coach.

Lord to leave ECB after 25 years to take up role in rugby

Gordon Lord, the ECB’s head of elite coach development, is set to swap his role in cricket for a similar position in rugby union, after being appointed as the new head of professional coach development at the Rugby Football Union (RFU).Lord, 55, has spent 25 years at the ECB (formerly TCCB), following a decade of first-class cricket with Warwickshire and Worcestershire. He has held his current role since 2006, during which time he has been responsible for the development and leadership of the ECB elite coach development strategy and of a new game-wide coach development strategy.He also leads the delivery of level three and four coaching and the personal development and succession plans for all elite-coaching roles at the ECB.In his new role, starting from April, he will report to Dean Ryan, the RFU’s head of international player development, and be responsible for implementing a coaching development and education programme to further the development of world-class England rugby players.”I’m delighted to be joining at such an exciting time for England rugby,” said Lord. “This new challenge offers the chance for me to help enhance the coaching culture in English rugby and build on an established coach development programme.”Commenting on the appointment, Ryan said: “Gordon is well-regarded throughout sport for his work developing coaches and has proven experience in effective coaching processes and mentoring coaches at an elite level. He has built an outstanding elite coach development programme in cricket and we look forward to welcoming him to the RFU in April.”It is understood that the ECB will be seeking a replacement for Lord but Andy Flower confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that he does not intend to apply for the role.

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