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Any hopes that Lymington had of making a positive start to their Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 campaign was shattered by an 86-run defeat at Hungerford.Relegated from the ECB-accredited Division 1 last summer, Hungerford have recruited heavily, with Hampshire’s Jason Laney, former Sussex wicketkeeper Nick Wilson and Steve Wyatt all returning to play under new skipper Owen Dawkins.It was all too much for Lymington, who found themselves looking down the barrell of a 250-run mauling from Hungerford, before being dismissed for 164 themselves.Laney (67) and Danny Williams (29) laid the foundations towards a big total with an opening stand of 80, which the middle-order gradually enhanced.Wyatt, with a lively 48, Wilson (25) and Dawkins (25) all profited, with Western Australian youngster Aaron Heal (3-50) removing three of the top six.But Lymington’s resourceful batting failed after left-arm spinner Andy Ford (2-26) had made two important early breakthroughs. Martin Hunt (43), Daniel Peacock (35) and Neil Trestrail (25) guided Lymington to 164 all out, with Laney (3-6) removing the lower-order.Newly promoted Winchester KS also endured a miserable start, losing by a massive 145-run margin against United Services at Burnaby Road.There was little joy for the cathedral city club as US built a sizeable 257-7 around Gary Hounsome (44), John Robson (40), John Mann (29), Mark Toogood (28) and Matt McKeever (28).Martin Taylor (4-35) made inroads for WKS, whose batting fell away badly with only Jimmy Taylor (26) making a worthwhile contribution in a disappointing 112 all out (Damian Carson 3-25).Andy Birch found himself demoted to eighth spot in the order, but turned out to be Easton & Martyr Worthy’s trump card in the three-wicket win at Trojans.Easton, chasing Trojans’ 181-7, were in trouble at 71-5, but Shaun Green (45) and Birch, with an undefeated 43, got the tractor boys home with an over to spare.Mark Stone took 3-33 but Trojans, through James Donaldson (35), Mike Goodall (30), Mario Mohammed (32) and Nigel le Bas (29) got to 181-7.Max Smith, with 58 not out, and Nick Wood, who took 4-38, were match winners in Old Tauntonians & Romsey’s 18-run victory over newly promoted Rowledge. Smith, Ian Tulk (45) and Mike Trodd (25) took the batting credits as OTs reached 196-6 (Ricky Yates 4-35).The Rowledge reply centred around Queenslander Jeff Annings (76), who was eventually eighth man out at 157.Cardiff UCCE’s Chris Yates (34) played well earlier on, but it was Wood’s flight and guile, supported by a handy 2-50 return by Smith, that left Rowledge 18 runs short on 178 all out.

Bangladesh Biman mangled Young Pegasus, the weakest among the teams in Super Six, by a massive margin of 102 runs in a low scoring one-sided match of GrameenPhone Premier League held in Fotullah Stadium today. Responding to Biman’s meager 168, Pegasus were bundled out for 66, so far their lowest total in this tournament.Biman embarked on with the loss of two openers early, but came back into the game with a partnership built by Imran Farhat and Aminul Islam. Farhat scored a blitzing 50 off 49 balls that had six fours and a couple of sixes in it, while Aminul Islam made 33.Hasanuzzaman, another notable scorer, contributed with a sturdy 34 off 55 balls, but a horrible collapse in the tail restricted Biman’s progress, as they had to content with 168 all out in 42.1 overs. Kamrul Hasan Jhoney pulled off with a haul of 4 wickets for Pegasus giving away 23 runs.Al-Amin, the medium pacer, mauled the Pegasus top order by removing three batsmen early. To add insult to injury, Anisur Rahman, Imran Farhat and skipper Khaled Mahmud battered the rest of the order within a very short time. They all claimed two wickets each while Pegasus were wrapped up with the total on 66. Faisal Hossain (13) was the leading scorer for the club and turned out to be the only man to reach the double figure.There was no question on Imran Farhat’s being the man-of-the-match for his all round performance (50 runs & 2 wickets).

Somerset coach Kevin Shine has some early season injury headaches with Rob Turner still suffering from a persistent foot injury, Joe Tucker who has a stress fracture and had his left ankle put in plaster, and now Steffan Jones who injured his ankle before the start of play at Millfield today.Regarding Steffan Jones the coach told me: "Steffan suffered an ankle injury, but he should be fit to play in the first championship match of the season at Hove next week against Sussex."Earlier this evening wicket-keeper batsman Rob Turner the 2002 beneficiary, who has missed out of the early season friendlies told me: "Hopefully I should be fit to play in the one day friendly against Hampshire at Taunton on Wednesday."

Going into the third and final National Bank Series Test, England fast-medium bowler Andy Caddick could hardly have dreamt that his four wickets to reach 200 Test wickets would come so quickly.But he went to lunch having just trapped New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan leg before wicket to secure his fourth and to become the ninth English bowler to take 200 Test wickets.He is in esteemed company. The list reads: Ian Botham (383), Bob Willis (325), Fred Trueman (307), Derek Underwood (297), Brian Statham (252), Alec Bedser (236), Darren Gough (228) and John Snow (202).Caddick thought he may have picked up one or two on the first morning.When he came back for the last over before lunch he felt it was because England captain Nasser Hussain felt he needed a change of variation. It worked and also got his 200th out of the way so he could get on with the business England were here for.Caddick said it had been a highlight in his career but not the most satisfying moment. There were games he had played in that had been more satisfying.He said there had been times when he felt he could have been playing, which would have allowed him to achieve the goal earlier, none moreso than when he was not selected for the last Ashes tour.Despite having been told by the selectors that all he had to do to be selected was keep taking wickets obviously the 105 he took during the English summer had not been enough to convince them.Injuries and different selectors did come along and all players went through bad patches but he had been fit for the last five years and felt there was more left to chase other milestones along the way.”The body is getting tired and weary but I will keep going as long as I enjoy it,” he said.Having Hussain as his captain was an advantage as he was a captain who backed his bowlers, and who understood what they were trying to do.”There are a few dos and don’ts as far as bowling is concerned but I have a good relationship with Nasser and with Duncan [Fletcher] as well,” he said.Caddick said the absence of Gough had placed him in a position he enjoyed of having to shoulder more responsibility.Achieving the feat against New Zealand had not made the occasion any more special as he treats every opponent in every Test as just another Test.The pitch was one where players didn’t hang around in going for their shots, he said, and they had to play their shots as there was no guarantee how long they would last if they pottered around.Chris Harris had shown that in his innings “for the second time today,” he said, a reference to a let-off Harris was given after being caught off his gloves from Matthew Hoggard’s bowling by short leg fieldsman Mark Ramprakash.But Harris and Adam Parore had established a good partnership and there was a lot of work to be done by England tomorrow, Caddick said.

Monday 28th May sees the start of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union’s great winter experiment when India play Zimbabwe A at Mutare Sports Club. Never before has Zimbabwe seen first-class cricket in the off-season. Mutare’s pipe opener precedes Test and one-day series with both India and the West Indies in the next few weeks.The Indians have never played at this end of the country and will need their wits about them, particularly when fielding on Mutare Sports Club’s hard, bumpy outfield. The local administrators are holding their breath that no late-season rain interferes, as the new covers planned for the pitch have not yet been purchased.Despite this, regular visitors to the ground will notice plenty of new developments. The old timber shack score-box that suffered at the hands of Cyclone Eline last year has been pulled down and replaced by a grander, timber “media center”. Care has been taken to ensure that this new edifice is not in the path of any falling trees. The men’s changing rooms have been renovated, the toilets given smart new pine seats and the basement showers upgraded. The dining room has been partitioned and a new mobile metal scoreboard has been built.New full-time groundsman Joel Muzeya and his small work force have been working feverishly for the last few weeks getting the field prepared. Joel was formerly the high-density schools coach and this game will be his first major test. It’s envisaged that he will divide his time between the ground and coaching next season. It is hoped to send him to local Test venues to understudy professional groundsmen as they prepare for Test matches later this year.The farmers’ league got under way last Sunday with Makoni hosting Ruzawi River at Rusape Sports Club. Having unilaterally withdrawn from the competition last year, they re-entered this year after realizing how much they missed it. Nigel Hough in his third season as captain has at his disposal no fewer than four golden oldies with first-class experience. As well as himself, there is batting to follow in Kenyon Ziehl and Kevin Curran with Terry Coughlan to bowl leg-spin. Northamptonshire’s ex-skipper Curran has been managing the family farm recently, but hasn’t played cricket for over two years.In a competitive but mostly friendly league, each side bats for 50 overs whilst bowlers are limited to 10 overs per man. That’s where the similarity with one-day internationals ends as field placements, wides and bouncers are played to normal cricket rules. Official umpires are rarely seen, wives keep the score and tea and lunch breaks follow timeworn traditions.Batting first, Ruzawi River only managed 178/9 with Ian Duvenage hitting 67. Zeihl mopped up the tail with 3/17. In reply Makoni coasted home to 180/5 with two overs to spare. Young Richie Blyth-Wood hit 30 at the top of the order; Curran added 56 not out whilst Hough in his normal restrained fashion whipped 38 not out off 20 balls.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Thursday named virtually unknownDaryl Foster as the national team’s bowling coachcum consultant fortour to England another mind boggling decision which will be debatedfor days to come.An official of the PCB revealed that Foster would also work asconsultant of the team but his contract was only for the two Tests”which is extendable upto the tri-nation one-day series”.The first Test at Lord’s begins May 17 while the second Test at OldTrafford concludes June 4. The 18-day one-day series, also involvingAustralia and the hosts, will kick off at Edgbaston June 7.The PCB spokesman added that a full-time coach to replace sacked JavedMiandad would be named `soon’ but confirmed that Foster would join theteam in England where it is due to arrive May 2.Although no details about the financial package offered to the formerKent county coach were released, but was anybody’s guess that ifGeoffrey Boycott can claim 30,000 pounds for a 15-day coaching stint,Foster would be getting the same if not more.The free-spending PCB sustained the criticizm of wasting money onBoycott saying the Yorkshireman was sponsored by a food chain. But itwill have to come up with a sound explanation to justify theinvestment on Foster.It means all the current expenses to run the establishment are beingmet from previous earnings whether they be the 1996 World Cup profits$6 million from PILCOM or television rights of the recent home series.It may not be out of context to mention here that the PCB has notconducted any audit of expenses for the last 18 months. And ifanything has been done, the official document has not seen thedaylight.On the face of it, it appears that Foster has been hired specificallyfor controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar, who underwent remodelling ofhis bowling action in the University of Western Australia in Perth.The PCB has been emphasising for the last two days that it has proofthat Shoaib’s action was clean a claim based on the report submittedby Foster’s university.The PCB admitted that Foster’s appointment did have an influence ofhim working with Shoaib. Which means that in Foster, the PCB has hireda “lawyer” for Shoaib to counter the hostile British media which iscertainly not going to make the pacer’s life easy.Foster’s job description as bowling coach is nothing but a belatedattempt to give a legal cover because it is anybody’s guess that inthe presence of Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, if selected, who couldbe better persons to guide the young pacers.Wasim and Waqar together have around 20 years of experience of playingin England while the second Test is at Wasim’s home countryLancashire.Besides, if Wasim and Waqar are so deadly, it is not because they gotthe guidance of a bowling coach. They were nurtured by Imran Khan whotutored them and passed on valuable tips on the field rather than onthe drawing board.It is the second time that a specific person to handle and look afterShoaib has been appointed. Earlier Dr Tauseef Razzak toured NewZealand with the Pakistan cricket team specially to look after Shoaibwho has become a regular “tourist” than a playing member.Shoaib, on whom the PCB has already spent millions, has failed tosustain a series in his previous three tours. The same is likely tohappen again no matter whom the PCB appoints considering Shoaib’s pastrecord.

Coming into the Mount Maunganui Test, Rachin Ravindra had never batted in the top six in Test cricket and had all of 73 runs in six innings at 14.60. In just one innings here, the left-hander has more than tripled his numbers on both counts. Given the all-important No. 4 slot, Ravindra cashed in scoring a sparkling 240 to help New Zealand extend their dominance over South Africa on day two of the first Test.South Africa captain and debutant Neil Brand finished with figures of 6 for 119, but Ravindra’s double on the back of Kane Williamson’s 118 helped New Zealand amass 511 in their first innings. Kyle Jamieson struck twice as South Africa ended the second day 80 for 4 still trailing the hosts by a massive 431 runs.Resuming their day on 258 for 2, New Zealand lost Williamson early, but Ravindra continued from where he left on day one. With the second new ball just six overs old, South Africa surprisingly did not go with Tshepo Moreki first up on the second day, instead starting with allrounder Ruan de Swardt and Dane Paterson.Paterson got the wobble seam going his way and induced an edge off Ravindra’s blade with just his second ball but there was no third slip in place to take the catch. Williamson got his first boundary of the day with a thick edge past gully but failed to carry on. Looking to unsettle de Swardt’s consistent wicket-to-wicket lines, he eyed an uncharacteristic cross-batted hoick, but all he could manage was a top edge that ballooned straight up with Moreki taking the catch at mid-on. That ended a 232-run association between Williamson and Ravindra off 472 balls.Having been padded up for ages, Mitchell immediately got going with a full-blooded lofted drive past mid-on. Moreki didn’t have the same kind of nip that he found on day one and was pulled stylishly by Ravindra through midwicket. Duanne Olivier was handed similar treatment before two delicious straight drives helped Ravindra breach the 150 mark in Tests for the first time.Having played circumspect cricket for about four sessions, New Zealand notched up a gear after lunch. Ravindra got his second session underway with a delightful drive past mid-off off de Swardt while Mitchell pulled Dane Paterson with disdain through square leg.Mitchell lofted de Swardt for a straight six but fell soon after courtesy of a stunning caught and bowled by Neil Brand. Mitchell pummeled a tossed-up length ball back but Brand stuck out both hands to his left and plucked out a quite spectacular take much to the shock of Mitchell.Tom Blundell came in and struck a four but soon mistimed a heave to short midwicket who took a low catch. Meanwhile, it was a nervous wait for Ravindra on 199. With Blundell falling and Glenn Phillips not able to hand him back the strike, the youngster had to endure close to 20 minutes on the score and go through a drinks break as well.Kyle Jamieson took two wickets in his first spell•AFP/Getty Images

Ravindra finally reached the milestone by cutting a short-of-a-length ball towards cover as he removed his helmet to soak up the applause. With the double-hundred checked, Ravindra and Phillips decided to go into overdrive adding a 82-run stand off just 71 balls for the sixth wicket.Ravindra notched up the highest score by a New Zealand batter for his maiden Test century when he went past Matthew Sinclair’s 214 but fell minutes before tea cleaned up by Brand for 240. South Africa struck four times in the session, but New Zealand had added 145 runs in 27 overs going at over five an over.New Zealand came looking for some quick runs in the final session and Matt Henry provided that by smashing one four and three sixes in his nine-ball 27. Brand, however, picked the last three wickets first going through Mitchell Santner’s defences and then taking out Henry and Tim Southee in one over to become the first South African spinner to bag a six-for on Test debut.In reply, the South African openers, Brand and Edward Moore, both on debut, held their own for nine overs and a bit. Moore got going with a fierce cut off Southee through point before repeating the shot for a similar result. Brand was more solid in defense getting right behind the line of the ball.Jamieson, however, came on and changed the face of the match. He first sent back Brand with a fuller delivery that threatened to come back in but held its line. Brand, unsure whether to play or leave the delivery fathered a tiny edge to the wicketkeeper. Two balls later debutant Raynard van Tonder was trapped right in front of the stumps by a Jamieson inswinger. Henry then got rid of Moore with a snorter that he could only glove to Conway who rushed in from cover-point to dive and complete a stunning catch as South Africa slipped to 30 for 3 after 15 overs.David Bedingham and Zubayr Hamza, however, took the attack to the opposition. Hamza first struck Henry for two successive fours before Bedingham cracked Southee for three fours in the next over. Bedingham was dropped by Henry at deep backward square leg but barring that looked largely untroubled. The duo added 44 off 53 balls for the fourth wicket before Hamza was castled by Santner.At the end of play on the second day, Bedingham had reached 29 off 39 balls with five fours to his name and had Keegan Peterson for company on 2.

Shimron Hetmyer, Sheldon Cottrell and Roston Chase are set to make ODI comebacks during West Indies’ upcoming three-match series against Australia, which will begin on July 20 in Barbados.Related

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The trio had missed out on selection for the team’s last 50-overs assignment, against Sri Lanka in March, for failing to meet the team management’s fitness standards.Allrounder Chase and middle-order batter Hetmyer featured in the Test and T20I legs, respectively, of the just-concluded home series against South Africa, but Cottrell, the left-arm quick, has not played for West Indies since November 2020.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Batting allrounder Kyle Mayers, who made his ODI debut against Bangladesh earlier this year, and offspinner Kevin Sinclair, who is uncapped in ODIs, didn’t find a place in the squad, but Anderson Phillip, the fast bowler who made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in March, kept his place in the side.”This squad is coming off a comprehensive series win against Sri Lanka which should boost their confidence going into what is expected to be a tougher contest against Australia, chief selector Roger Harper said. “The return of Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase and Sheldon Cottrell adds greater depth and experience to the squad.”Playing in familiar home conditions, hopefully will bring out the best in each player thereby enabling the team to perform at a consistently high standard.”The ODIs will be played on July 20, 22 and 24, and will be part of the ODI Super League for automatic qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.Before the ODI series, West Indies will face Australia in five T20Is in St Lucia, from July 9 to 16. The same squad that featured in the T20Is against South Africa is set to play this series and the upcoming one against Pakistan as well.

Tony Palladino has launched a legal action against Derbyshire CCC, alleging wrongful dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of mental health.Palladino, who became something of a club legend as he carried the Derbyshire attack for season upon season with his probing swing bowling, was released by the club at the end of the 2020 season in which he didn’t play a game.While Palladino, who made his first-class debut in 2003, enjoyed a long career in the game and was 37 years old by the time he was released, it is understood he was very keen to extend his contract into this season.The case is believed to hinge on whether a long-standing mental health issue which contributed to his unavailability in 2020 was held against him when it came to making a new contract offer, and whether he was led to believe he would be offered another year’s contract.In his final two seasons, 2018 and 2019, Palladino claimed 78 first-class wickets for the club at an average of 21.69, making him the club’s top wicket-taker over the period. He also operated as the club’s bowling coach for a couple of years until the start of 2019. In all, he claimed 347 first-class wickets for Derbyshire at an average of 26.68, having moved to the club from Essex ahead of the 2011 season.Related

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Before that, he played a significant role in cricket history as the whistle-blower in the spot-fixing case that eventually exposed Danish Kaneria and saw Mervyn Westfield sent to jail.He now coaches at South Wingfield, in division two of the Derbyshire Cricket League.Both Palladino and Derbyshire declined to comment when approached by ESPNcricinfo. A spokesperson for the PCA (the Professional Cricketers’ Association; the players’ union) confirmed, however, that the organisation “had been aware of the issue from the early stages” and had “supported Palladino with legal advice”.An initial hearing is scheduled to take place in Nottingham on August 6, with a full hearing set for June 2022.

Reg Dickason, England’s security advisor, has played down concerns lurking within the England camp that their players of Pakistani origin, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid may encounter hostility touring India after media reports that Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar would not stand in the series because of the further potential for nationalist protests.Dar was never scheduled to stand in the India vs England Test series, according to ICC, so cannot properly be said to have been withdrawn, but that might be regarded as a pragmatic decision a year after he was pulled out of a one-day series between India and South Africa last year because of threats.England have been full of praise for Bangladesh’s high-level security operation during their recent Test series and, although Dickason indicated that protection levels will be less apparent in India, he suggested that he was content with anti-terrorism arrangements in general and, additionally, that England’s players of Pakistan heritage had not expressed particular misgivings that they might be singled out for protests. Moeen was subjected to abuse from England-based India fans during India’s previous tour of England in 2014.”We have no real concerns but we’re certainly aware of the issues Aleem Dar has,” Dickason said. “I know it was reported that he wasn’t going, that he’d been pulled out, but according to the ICC he’s just been rostered at another event. But Shiv Sena had some issues with Aleem there and went to the BCCI offices. So we’re certainly aware of that but we don’t expect any real issues.”I’ve spoken to him and Adil and they seem ok to me. They haven’t expressed any doubts to me.”The ICC withdrew Dar from the last two ODIs between India and South Africa, stating at the time that the “incident in Mumbai where a group of extremists stormed into the BCCI office” was the reason for its decision. Former Pakistan cricketers Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar, also missed the Mumbai ODI as a security precaution in response to anti-Pakistan protests by the Shiv Sena, a regional political party, about a scheduled meeting between BCCI and PCB officials.England might have left Bangladesh, but such is the way of the world that security – and the more likely threat of extremist Islamic terrorism – remains on the mind of the entire touring party.Dickason also expressed general satisfaction that the security plans drawn up in India were appropriate to withstand any threat from wherever it might arise. England abandoned their last two ODIs in India in 2008 in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, but returned to fulfil the Test series under heavy security.”It’ll be similar to Bangladesh but a different layout,” he said. “It was very overt here and it won’t be as overt in India. The road clearances that we got here that are usually reserved for heads of state we probably won’t get in India. But we’ll get adequate transit protection.”The BCCI get a host-city security plan which is a generic issue from a master security plan which is put across the whole event. There will be some subtle differences but it won’t be too many.”It appears, however, that England’s players will be expected to withstand a further period inside a security cordon and that the India tour will be a sequence of journeys from hotel to cricket ground and back again.”It’s certainly much better if the group stays as a group,” he said. “Then we can concentrate the security resources on the group rather than people star bursting.”