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State associations to bear “sole responsibility” for health and safety of all stakeholders

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Aug-2020The BCCI has sent an email to state associations on Sunday, outlining several measures in the form of guidelines that need to be followed in order for domestic cricket to resume safely. Although it did not say the guidelines are mandatory, the BCCI pointed out that the “health and safety” of all stakeholders, including players, would be the “sole responsibility” of the state associations, while also hinting that it didn’t expect domestic cricket to resume very soon.The document, which stretches to 100 pages, was prepared by a team of medical experts including Dr Abhijit Salvi, BCCI’s anti-doping, age verification and medical consultant. The standard operating procedures (SOPs) are meant primarily for players and coaching staff to resume training, help them understand how to operate in a sterile environment, the dos and don’ts of social distancing in a team environment, and what to do if someone tests positive. They also include restrictions on people who are at least 60 years old and/or have an underlying medical condition.ESPNcricinfo lists the key guidelines that the BCCI has said need to be adhered to by state associations at all times to negate or limit the spread of the outbreak, both before and after domestic cricket resumes.First step – Appoint a chief medical officerEvery state will need to have a CMO who will be “responsible for ensuring the biosafety” guidelines are implemented. The CMO will also become the point of contact for the team and the administrative staff, and will also keep them posted on the latest directives issued by the public health authorities within each state, whose permit will be needed to restart training activities.Can players start training en masse?No. The BCCI has suggested “solo training followed by small group activities and progressing to training in larger groups.” Before arriving at training, the player/coaching staff will need to provide his/her travel and medical history for the preceding two weeks. Any person displaying Covid-19 symptoms will need to undergo testing. The BCCI has said: “two tests one day apart (Day 1 & Day 3) should be done to account for false negatives. If both test results are negative, only then they should be included in the camp.”What about wearing a mask?It is “mandatory” for players and coaching staff to wear a mask in public places between the time they leave their home/hotel and reach the ground. The BCCI has said wearing the mask will be “optional” during training. The mask should be a “triple layer or N95 mask (without a valved respirator)” that will cover both the nose and the mouth. In addition, players and coaching staff have been “encouraged” to put on “eyewear” at all times.Any age restrictions or for people with underlying medical conditions? Individuals “over” 60 years old should be “discouraged”, the BCCI has said. These include “support staff, umpires, ground staff, and those individuals with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, lung disease, weakened immunity, etc should be considered vulnerable and are believed to have a higher risk of severe Covid-19. All such individuals should be discouraged from participating in the camp activities until suitable guidelines are issued by the Government.”Will there be regular testing on every day of training?All players and support staff should have their body temperature checked every day. “If a member develops any initial symptoms (cough, headache, chills, fever, body ache, difficulty breathing, loss of smell or taste or any other unusual symptoms) they should intimate the team medical personnel immediately and remain self-quarantined until help arrives,” the BCCI has said.What happens if someone tests positive?According to the protocols “suspected/positive cases” should be “immediately isolated from the rest of the squad and managed in close coordination with local hospitals and treatment centres equipped with COVID-19 testing and treatment.” Along with following all the mandatory norms set by the Indian government, the BCCI has said the state associations should ensure contact tracing is done “immediately”.What about team huddles?The BCCI has said team members need to “avoid physical contact of any form i.e. team huddles, handshakes, high-fives, tackling etc.” as part of the norms to be followed at all times during on-filed training. Also to be avoided is “handing over” a cap, a towel, sunglasses, etc to umpires or teammates.The BCCI has also suggested “team discussions” should “strictly” adhere to social distancing norms and be conducted on the ground “where more space is available.”Saliva on the ball? Like the ICC, the BCCI, too, has said that saliva “should not be used” on balls. Another guideline is to not sanitise balls without getting the nod from BCCI.Can players spit on the ground?Strictly “prohibited”, the BCCI has said. “Spitting and clearing of nasal/respiratory secretions on the ground or at any place other than washrooms shall be prohibited. Members doing so should discard the soiled tissue paper securely in the provided dustbins.”Can players share equipment?Cricket equipment should not be shared. The same applies to not sharing towels in the dressing room, on the ground while training, and in the gym. Ditto with sharing “water/drink” bottles. “Marker pens should be provided for marking each individual member’s bottle once allotted,” the BCCI said.Can a player step out of the bubble during a training camp?The guidelines say team members should “avoid stepping out of the team environment” as well as meeting people outside the bubble during the course of a training camp. This includes family. “If any member is required to travel outside the team environment for unavoidable circumstances, upon his/her return, he/she should be isolated from the rest of the squad and medically assessed, before he/she is allowed back in the team environment,” the BCCI said.

Malan’s 73 and Brook’s unbeaten 66 secure six-wicket victory after delayed start to final day

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street04-Aug-2020
As if to remind us of something else we had missed during four blank months, it rained at the Riverside this morning. Gently at first, the drizzle scarcely compelling the use of windscreen wipers on the 21 bus to Durham, but soon with such severity that the whole square was covered and an early lunch announced. In their dressing room Yorkshire’s cricketers worried, without need as it turned out, whether they would get a chance to score the 68 runs needed for victory, while Durham’s toyed with the notion they might escape with eight points for the draw. Over at the indoor school the county’s Cricket Board held its first summer camp and cars carrying keen young players queued outside the ground at breakfast time. So much, so admirable, so normal.But these are abnormal times and not even the cherished scaffolding of first-class cricket has convinced anyone otherwise. On Monday afternoon Alex Lees made a six-hour century and Matthew Fisher changed the game in four memorable overs. Yet the cricketers were playing in a one-off competition, watched by no spectators and with their lives so wreathed in protocols that Yorkshire’s players have been forbidden to leave their hotel and must drive to grounds singly. Elsewhere in England policies are being contemplated that will affect the livelihoods of millions. Perhaps it was valuable to focus narrowly on the skills of Lees and Fisher; to think about what we can see rather than worrying about invisible threats.But when play got under way at 1.45 the threats to Durham’s bowlers were all too clear. They were apparent in the batting of Dawid Malan, who made 73, and even more so in the cultured hitting of Harry Brook, who finished the game with successive straight sixes off Gareth Harte. And those maximums were only two of four sixes Brook struck during a 50-minute session which was curiously alien to the general tempo of the previous three days’ cricket. He and Malan clearly had little inclination to hang around on a chilly afternoon at the Riverside and the consequence of this resolve was that Yorkshire scored 64 runs in 10.4 overs, Lees’ one over costing 12 runs and Harte’s four deliveries being tanked for 17.Durham did take one wicket during all this mayhem but Lees’ removal of Malan, caught at long-on by Sean Dixon, was only of much interest to collectors of bizarre trivia. The very occasional spinner, though he barely merits that noun, has taken only three first-class wickets but has twice dismissed Malan. On the first occasion Lees was playing for Yorkshire and was trying to give Middlesex runs during the famous championship decider at Lord’s in 2016; this afternoon Malan had whacked Lees for a six and a four before he perished when attempting another mighty heave.Brook’s batting in those final overs had rather less of the Barley Mow about it. He began with a cultured back-foot four off Ben Raine and then hooked Chris Rushworth into the grey metallic splendour of the stand sponsored by Newcastle Airport. When Paul Coughlin also dug it in Brook adjusted his position adroitly in order to pull a straighter delivery slightly backward of square for a second six. Quite regardless of the end-of-term atmosphere then prevailing, this was high-quality demolition and Brook’s unbeaten 66 off 90 deliveries was the final highlight of a match that has rewarded attentive study.The first ball hooked for six was lost. The second was recovered although umpire Graham Lloyd insisted on it being sanitised before Rushworth was allowed to touch it again. The players took advantage of this delay to have a general cleansing of hands. These interruptions have already been labelled sanity breaks by club cricketers and one sees their point.

The Originals had lined up Anrich Nortje as Ferguson’s replacement but the latter returned to fitness sooner than expected

Matt Roller28-Jul-2021Lockie Ferguson, the New Zealand fast bowler, could make his Manchester Originals debut against Welsh Fire on Saturday after recovering from a side strain.Ferguson missed Yorkshire’s final two Vitality Blast group games after picking up the injury. He was not considered for selection in the Originals’ first two Hundred fixtures and has been ruled out of Wednesday night’s match against Northern Superchargers, but is in contention for the weekend game in Cardiff.ESPNcricinfo understands the Originals had lined up Anrich Nortje, the South Africa fast bowler, as a short-term replacement for Ferguson. Nortje, who had been touring Ireland with the national team, had agreed a contract to play up to three matches, but following a delay in the processing time for his visa and with Ferguson returning to fitness sooner than expected, he is now due to return home instead.Simon Katich, the Originals’ men’s head coach, said after their defeat to Oval Invincibles on Thursday night: “Lockie’s got a little bit of a side strain. He got that recently playing for Yorkshire in the Blast – he’s had a fantastic summer for them – and unfortunately he hasn’t come up for the start of the Hundred but he’s getting closer and closer. It’s hard to put a timeframe on it just yet but we’re hoping that he might be ready to play for us soon.”Meanwhile, Carlos Brathwaite has revealed that he is set to captain the Originals for the rest of the group stage following Jos Buttler’s departure on England Test duty. “Obviously Jos is gone, so I’ve been asked to step in and be the men’s captain,” he told the BBC’s podcast. Brathwaite captained West Indies in 30 T20Is between 2016 and 2019.David Willey is due to step in as Ben Stokes’ replacement as captain for the Superchargers on Wednesday night, with Faf du Plessis still sidelined after suffering symptoms of concussion in the lead-up to their first game against Welsh Fire.Elsewhere, London Spirit have signed the Middlesex batter Joe Cracknell as a replacement for Dan Lawrence, who misses the rest of the group stage on Test duty. Cracknell, 21, has averaged 26.93 at a strike rate of 140.27 in 15 T20 appearances to date and impressed the Spirit’s captained Eoin Morgan in the Vitality Blast this year.

Shane Warne has said he wants to see as many countries as possible play in a World Cup and hopes fans now watching the Cricket All-Stars tournament might one day turn up one day at the showpiece event and represent America

Peter Della Penna in Houston12-Nov-2015Shane Warne has said he wants to see as many countries as possible play in a World Cup and hopes fans now watching the Cricket All-Stars tournament might one day turn up one day at the showpiece event and represent America.”We all think it’s a global game and would love everyone to play the game of cricket,” Warne said in the post-match press conference in Houston on Wednesday, after his Warriors beat Sachin Tendulkar’s Blasters by 51 runs.The Cricket All-Stars series has been billed as a means to expand the reach of the game, but it comes at a time when the ICC has shrunk the number of teams participating at a World Cup to 10, limiting the chances of Associates like the USA taking part. Warne was asked of this disparity and he replied by saying he thought the ICC “are trying to do the best they can by the game of cricket.””All we can do is do our part,” he said. “And that’s why we’re [the All-Stars] here in America playing the game of cricket and trying to promote the game of cricket as best we possibly can. We would love to see all the countries play in a World Cup but at the end of the day, the ICC are trying to do the best they can by the game of cricket.”America only just missed out on the last [T20] World Cup. So hopefully we can see America playing in a World Cup down the track and maybe one of these kids or some of these guys that we’ve coached in New York or Houston or maybe in LA, we might see them in one of the World Cups down the track and that would be absolutely fantastic.”The crowd in Houston was modest – the 42,000 capacity stadium was less than half-full – but rowdy. The overwhelming majority at both Citi Field in New York and Minute Maid Park here were either South Asian immigrants, who grew up watching cricket in the subcontinent, or their American-born children. When asked if he felt the matches had succeeded in making a connection with the wider American community, Tendulkar acknowledged that there was still a ways to go.”I think we’ll have to take gradual steps,” he said. “We’re not going to get 25,000 Americans watching overnight but it has to start somewhere. I’m sure among these spectators, even if there are 2% Americans, then that 2% is better than nothing. Over the years, cricket was not played here at this scale. Now slowly, slowly it’s going to start. The whole idea is to try and motivate as many youngsters as possible to pick up a cricket bat, which we’ve been doing.There have been rumours that the Cricket All-Stars plan to come back to the USA annually, but there is no guarantee. If they do come, it’s difficult to envision Houston as a repeat destination based on the crowd turnout when there are alternatives such as Chicago or San Francisco to check out. Despite that, Warne was effusive in his praise for the city and the stadium.”I think all of the players enjoyed the facilities at the stadium here. As an annual event, we’d love to come back to America every year. All of us, everywhere we’ve been so far, we’ve been welcomed. I think everyone, the amount of those who’ve said thank you for bringing cricket to America. It’s our pleasure to be here, to have us in this great country and for all the players to be playing. Whether we come back to Houston? We hope we can because we’ve been treated wonderfully well here.”

England’s wicketkeeper is averaging just 23.14 since the start of the 2019 Ashes

George Dobell in Cape Town01-Jan-2020Jos Buttler has admitted he is “not quite performing to the standards” he would like with the bat in Test cricket.Butter is averaging just 23.14 since the start of the Ashes – a period of 14 innings in seven Tests – with one half-century (70 against Australia at The Oval). His average since he was recalled to the Test team in May 2018 is now 34.10, while his overall Test average, after 38 Tests, is 33. He has made just one century.ALSO READ: Pope fit and raring to make Test spot his ownNow Buttler concedes he is still “trying to work out” a way to play Test cricket with the natural aggression that has rendered him one of the world’s most dangerous limited-overs batsmen. And he has resolved to be “a bit more positive” in the future if the situation allows.”I feel like I’m not quite performing to the standards I need to,” Buttler said. “I’m trying to improve that and affect games in positive ways for England.”Since I’ve come back into Test cricket I’ve tried to trust my defence for longer periods of time. I’ve been able to do that on occasions. But [playing my natural game] is certainly something I’m trying to work out.”You can do a lot of work in the nets but I’m spending a lot of time thinking about the game when I’m sat in my room or trying to visualise things or work through them in my head. Moving forward I’ve got to play the situation, but I will try to be a bit more positive.”He doesn’t have to look too far for an example. For while Buttler made 12 off 39 balls in the first innings in Centurion, failing to marshal much resistance from the tail, his South Africa counterpart Quinton de Kock thumped 95 from 128 balls in the first innings and 34 from 37 in the second, to speed the game away from England.”Quinton played a really good knock and put pressure back on the bowlers,” Buttler said. “He tried to take the initiative and, watching that from behind the stumps, it resonated with me.”When you’re batting with the tail, you try to sum up situations and work out how best you can score. You work out your risk management.: what is too much risk; what is trying to push the game on.”Looking ahead to this Test, I want to look to be a bit busier and try to look a bit more on the positive side.”Jos Buttler has endured a tough run in Test cricket•Getty Images

While some have suggested Buttler would benefit from a position higher up the batting order to allow him time to build an innings, the England management believe that batting him at No. 7 allows him the freedom to play his familiar, aggressive game in the knowledge that he has limited before the lower-order are dismissed.He has batted everywhere from No. 5 (eight times) to No. 8 (twice) since his return to the Test side (he has batted 13 times at No. 6 and 15 times at No. 7) with little obvious change in strike rate or average. Overall, he averages slightly more at No. 7 (33.15, with a strike-rate of 56.77) than No. 5 (28.62; strike-rate of 53.62) with No. 6 (average 39.69; strike-rate 63.15) his best position.”It’s obviously nicer to be 300 for 5 than 100 for 5,” he said. “But you turn up and try to play the situation.”With Jonny Bairstow – who averaged just 18 in 2019 – also having lost form, there is not the pressure on Buttler’s position from within the squad that there might be. But Ben Foakes, who averages 41.50 from his five Tests and is, in the eyes of many, the best wicketkeeper available to England, in the background, Buttler will know neither he or his team can afford a sustained fallow period.

The New Zealand opener has been replaced by the recently-retired Luke Ronchi for the remainder of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2017Martin Guptill, the New Zealand batsman, has returned home from the Caribbean Premier League to attend to an “important family health matter”. Guptill was captaining Guyana Amazon Warriors, currently placed fourth in the six-team competition with two league matches remaining.”It’s unfortunate and hugely disappointing to lose Martin at this stage of the tournament but we empathise with his situation and he has our full support as he returns home to his family,” Omar Khan, the operations manager of Warriors, said.Guptill, who scored 142 runs in seven innings, has been replaced by Luke Ronchi, the recently-retired New Zealand wicketkeeper, coming off a stint with Leicestershire in England’s T20 competition.Ronchi scored 429 runs in 14 innings for Leicestershire, including three half-centuries, at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 180.25. His availability was confirmed after his side was eliminated from the ongoing T20 Blast after a nine-wicket loss in the quarter-final to Glamorgan.

Who makes the ESPNcricinfo XI for the Big Bash?

Andrew McGlashan18-Feb-2019Matthew Wade – Hurricanes (592 runs at 42.28, SR 146.89)Promoted to the captaincy shortly before the tournament, Wade led from the front with a continuation of his prolific domestic form. That it coincided with Australia’s struggles only made it more fascinating yet an international comeback doesn’t seem on the cards.D’Arcy Short – Hurricanes (637 runs at 53.08, SR 140.61; 10 wickets at 29.60, econ 8.00)The Player of the Tournament after an outstanding all-round return. He entered the BBL having struggled for Australia but returned to the form that got him selected in the first place and by the end of the competition had earned an ODI recall. Gave off confidence every time he walked to the wicket and only three times in 15 innings scored below 26.Marcus Stoinis – Stars (533 runs at 53.30, SR 130.63; 14 wickets at 16.14, econ 8.37)After beginning the competition in the middle order he found his ideal T20 home – at least domestically – opening the innings and enjoying a dominant time between Australia duties, not making less than 18 in 10 innings at the top. His bowling, full of variation, continues to develop.Callum Ferguson – Thunder (442 runs at 34.00, SR 134.75)Produced one of the innings of the tournament with his unbeaten 113 off 53 balls against Perth Scorchers and finished very strongly, having previously collected two first-ball ducks, as the Thunder narrowly missed the knockouts. Did enough to keep himself in the selectors’ thoughts having revealed he was one of the players asked to prepare a visa for India.Glenn Maxwell – Stars (331 runs at 33.10, SR 142.06)Although a slightly feast or famine tournament (six single-figure scores and six scores over 33) his 82 in the final group match against the Sixers was an innings of the highest order with progression to the group stages at stake, followed by another fine hand in the semi-final. Until the very end, it appeared it had all been timed perfectly for the Stars.Ashton Turner – Scorchers (378 runs at 31.50, SR 132.63)The Scorchers had a miserable season but Turner enhanced his reputation as a finisher – enough to earn Australia recognition. Faded towards the back-end of the tournament with five single-figure scores in his last six innings, but the partnership with Cameron Bancroft against the Sixers in mid-January was some of the best batting of the tournament.Tom Curran – Sixers (185 runs at 30.83; 20 wkts at 19.85, econ 7.65)The first of the overseas players in this XI, Curran proved excellent value for the Sixers and has since signed a three-year deal. Bowls at the tough times of the innings but was rarely taken apart. His batting provided an unexpected bonus, particularly when the Sixers laboured for runs early season and could have long-term benefits for them, Surrey and England. He was sorely missed in the semi-final.Rashid Khan – Strikers (19 wickets at 18.10, econ 6.14)The defending champions ended up battling to avoid the wooden spoon but Rashid was again impressive, never more so than battling the trauma of his father’s death. Having claimed 5 for 41 in 12 overs during his first three matches, as the tournament developed there were signs of oppositions working out that left-handers are the way to go against Rashid. His hitting power with the bat was under-used.Steve O’Keefe – Sixers (21 wickets at 17.52, econ 6.57)A born-again season for the left-arm spinner who became the go-to weapon for Moises Henriques inside and outside of the Powerplay. Only twice did he go for more than eight an over and only twice was he wicketless. He has burnt some bridges during his career, but looks as good as anyone in the country in the T20 format.Josh Lalor – Heat (20 wickets at 14.85, econ 7.61)Enjoyed a productive second half to the tournament as the Heat tried to cling on for a semi-final spot. Claimed the best figures of the season with 5 for 26 against the Sixers and probably the most emotionless hat-trick in history against the Scorchers when he didn’t realise he sat on three in three. In this XI he also provides the priceless left-arm pace option.Kane Richardson – Renegades (24 wickets at 17.70, econ 7.75)The leading wicket-taker in the competition, Richardson’s haul was enough to get him back in the Australia one-day squad. Five times he took three wickets in an innings and he excelled on the sluggish Docklands Stadium pitches.

The full schedule likely in February but Chennai will host the tournament opener and the final

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Jan-2019The 2019 edition of the IPL will take place entirely in India, and will start on March 23, the BCCI said on Tuesday. The venue had been the subject of speculation given that the dates clash with the general elections, which are expected to take place in April-May. However, a BCCI release said the date and venue had been decided on by the Committee of Administrators after discussions with federal and state officials.It is likely that the full IPL schedule will be out in early February. In addition to the home bases of the eight franchises, around four to six additional grounds have been shortlisted as back-up. Once the Election Commission of India announces the final dates for the polls, the IPL will consider if any of these venues would need changing.Although the IPL has not announced the date for the final, it is likely to be between May 12 and 15. As per norm the defending champion gets the rights to host the tournament opener and the final. So Chennai will get both those key matches. More clarity on the situation is expected once the poll dates in the city are made public.ESPNcricinfo understands that the information has been passed on to, and received by, the franchises.In a press release the BCCI said that decision to conduct the tournament in India was “based on the preliminary discussions with the appropriate central and state agencies / authorities”. A detailed schedule, the BCCI said, “will be finalised in consultation with the appropriate authorities”, after which the Committee of Administrators will have a “detailed discussion” with all the stakeholders.In 2009 and 2014 – the last two seasons that clashed with general elections – the IPL had been moved to South Africa and the UAE (first half of the season) respectively. This time, too, the IPL had been proactive about keeping alternate plan in place. The first priority was always to keep the entire tournament in India but South Africa and the UAE were again shortlisted as alternate venues. Before the auction, held on December 18, the IPL briefed the franchises about the various plans it had chalked out in case the tournament had to be moved out of the country.The biggest challenge for the franchises next season is that the IPL will end a couple of weeks before the World Cup begins on May 30 in England. As a result, the availability of overseas players towards the tail-end of the season is a bit unclear.

Smith united with Labuschagne, his like-for-like replacement in more ways than one

Daniel Brettig in Manchester04-Sep-2019First, there was Steven Smith. At Edgbaston and Lord’s, through three consecutive innings after his return from the Newlands scandal ban, he drove England’s bowlers to distraction. They tried all manner of plans, field placings, too many really, without much at all in the way of success. Two centuries went by and a third beckoned, even as Jofra Archer cranked up his pace on an up-and-down pitch, angling the ball back down the slope.Watching, waiting, anticipating and perhaps dreaming a little, was Marnus Labuschagne. No-one in the Australian squad more closely resembled Smith’s voracious pursuit of batting knowledge, skill and method, with both as likely as each other to keep teammates awake in the middle of the night with the sound of their bats tapping on hotel room carpet, miming shots for the next day. Labuschagne was watching closely when Archer homed in on Smith, felt the jolt alongside 28,000 spectators, and rushed for a vantage point to see if he was ok.Struck down but not out, Smith returned briefly, distractedly, having passed concussion tests in the immediate aftermath of the blow. He did not fare as well the following morning, and as he netted in reserve on the Nursery Ground ahead of the final day’s play, Labuschagne was given the word from the captain, Tim Paine: he was in as Smith’s substitute. Having removed one obstacle, England found another immediately. Labuschagne, too, was hit by Archer, but only on the helmet grille. His resultant half-century scrounged a draw.More was to come at Headingley, in two innings from Smith’s customary post at No. 4. Thrice Labuschagne passed 50, runs that could have, indeed should have, been enough to secure an Australian victory at Leeds and retained the Ashes there and then. If he was the beneficiary of several dropped chances in a second innings of 80, his first-day contribution of 74 out of 179, when conditions were at their hardest, more than compensated for this good fortune. At the end, cruelly, one of Ben Stokes’ match-winning sixes floated a matter of centimetres beyond Labuschagne’s hands on the boundary.Watching it all was Smith, leavening his pain at the result with appreciation of its extraordinary circumstances. Each day of the Leeds Test he gradually increased his level of activity, batting under the studied eye of the team doctor Richard Saw, before facing pace bowlers and taking part in a tour match against Derbyshire. Throughout, he tried to get used to the addition of a protective stem guard to the back of his helmet, even though it wade him so claustrophobic as to feel as though his head was inside an MRI machine. Nets against throwdowns were deemed, subconsciously, as more useful preparation than match batting against Derbyshire spin.In Derby, Smith and Labuschagne played together and did not bat together, but they did not have long to wait. Chosen and Nos. 3 and 4, displacing Usman Khawaja, they trained together pre-match, Smith sidearming balls down at Labuschagne, who also enjoyed the rare sensation of having Steve Waugh clean mud out of his spikes. “A bit surreal, I had Steve Smith throwing sidearms to me for 30 minutes,” he said. “I love talking to him about the game and learning off him, obviously a great experience and a great player. I’m taking it all in as much as I can.”For all the shuffling of Australia’s top order to try to secure a better start, none could be found at Manchester. Again, the openers were separated before the score was into double figures, David Warner edging Stuart Broad when trying to leave him alone for the second time in the series. Marcus Harris, looking a little more comfortable, was nonetheless figured out pretty quickly by Broad, who quite obviously targeted the line of the stumps and won an lbw verdict before the score had reached 30.Also read: The key to Broad’s edge over WarnerLabuschagne had looked comfortable once more from the moment he arrived, leaving the length ball well outside off stump and scoring from anything that drifted either full and wide or too straight onto his stumps and pads. He had spoken before the series of sculpting a game very much around making lots of adjustments within lots of plans for every bowler in every set of conditions, eschewing the time-honoured Australian line of “playing my natural game” for something more scientific.Smith, of course, had rather pioneered this method among contemporary Australian batsmen, keeping at least one step ahead of the world’s bowlers for most of the last six years. Together, they were a hive mind of ideas, adjustments and tweaks, all done within the context of a moving ball and an English pitch. They have one inbuilt advantage, that of being right-handed and so denying Broad and Archer the chance to bend the ball away from them from around the wicket in the manner Warner, Harris and Khawaja have had to contend with, but the rest is skill and forethought.Perhaps the most obvious counter offered up by Smith was in how he played Archer’s bouncers, choosing to ensure he took evasive action to the off side of the ball, to eradicate the chance of him being hit by a delivery that follows him as he tries to sway back away from it. If the Old Trafford pitch was not yet a speedy one, and Archer was somewhat short of his best, the bouncer caused Smith zero trouble at all, leaving Joe Root and company with yet more thinking to do. At the other end, Labuschagne could only admire it.Steve Smith (right) and Marnus Labuschagne bat together at last•Getty Images

“One thing he’s very good at [is problem solving], I see that at the other end but I think you can see that as a spectator,” he said. “When different guys come on, how he changes, different guards, the way he bats, different pre-movements and I think that’s what makes him the best in the world. He’s always one step ahead and thinking ahead, not waiting, not being reactive, he’s being proactive, which makes him very hard to bowl to because he’s always thinking ahead.”We were constantly talking out there about what the bowlers are trying to do, what he’s trying to do and we’re thinking similarly and trying to think about where they’re trying to get us out and stuff like that. Always trying to learn off everyone really, it doesn’t matter whether your’e a batter or bowler, just trying to learn different things off different people and trying to make sure you’re always open to learning off anyone.”It was good fun, good to have some time. I’d never batted with him before so it was a good experience to see how he goes about it and learn from him out there.”Late in the day, heavy winds swept through a shower that was intense enough to have the umpires virtually suspend play, only for the same wind to have it disappear so quickly that Craig Overton, having twice stopped in his run to the wicket due to the rain, ended up bowling uninterrupted. So stop – start was the day that it looked made to ruin a batsman’s concentration, but Labuschagne’s well is clearly deep. When Overton did finally bowl, he dabbed the resultant delivery neatly down through third man to the boundary, and at the end of the over walked down the pitch gesticulating repeatedly how the ball had skidded off the surface.It was a mannerism instantly familiar – not from Labuschagne, but from the man at the other end. Amid the broken nature of this wet and windy day, Labuschagne and Smith were the ideal men for Australia to have in the middle, not only as their leading run-makers this series but as two cricketers never happier than when cocooned at the batting crease. And even though Labuschagne did allow one through his guard in the closing overs, granting Overton access to the top of the off stump, Australia had the platform for the 300-plus score coach Justin Langer has so craved this week.A deal reportedly struck between Labuschagne and Smith after Edgbaston – for the younger man to clean up Smith’s bag at the end of each Test in return for a couple of the former captain’s bats – may need revision should this century stand be the bulwark of the victory Australia need. There will be a few other members of the Australian top six who, on the basis of their runs together, might do well to clean up the bags of Smith and Labuschagne both.

Liam Livingstone’s fifty helps eke out Lancashire advantage before more wickets for Richard Gleeson

ECB Reporters Network21-May-2019Lancashire are on course for their third successive Specsavers County Championship win following another action-packed day at Emirates Old Trafford. The Red Rose started this week second in Division Two, on the coat tails of opponents and leaders Worcestershire, who had also won their first two matches.The advantage has swung back and forth throughout two days which have seen ball dominate on a surface offering some help but not masses. Now, the visitors have a lot of work to do if they are to swing the pendulum back in their favour, although they are not out of it just yet with a lead of 120 and one second-innings wicket in hand.Having conceded a first-innings lead of 29 at lunch, they reached close at 149 for 9, with Richard Gleeson taking 4 for 35.The morning session was one of two halves. Lancashire, replying to a first-innings 172, started the day on 88 for 5 and were boosted by an aggressive 98-run sixth-wicket partnership between captain Dane Vilas and Liam Livingstone, who top-scored with 69.They united for 20.1 overs to share the contest’s highest partnership, while no one has yet bettered Livingstone’s effort. Livingstone hit five successive fours off the first five balls of an Ed Barnard over, the 56th of the innings and the day’s 19th, with his second taking him to a 92-ball fifty and the fourth securing a lead.But Vilas fell in the next over to spark a superb Worcestershire fightback as Lancashire lost their last five wickets for just 15 runs to be bowled out for 201 at lunch. South African Wayne Parnell bowled Vilas, who shouldered arms, and Livingstone to finish with 5 for 47 from 22 overs.Unfortunately for Worcester, wickets continued to tumble, with Gleeson the standout. The Blackpool-born fast bowler claimed 10 wickets on home debut in a win over Northamptonshire last week, and he continued his good form with three wickets either side of tea as the visitors slipped to 77 for 5, a lead of 48.After James Anderson made the initial breakthrough to get Daryl Mitchell caught in the gully by Rob Jones off a leading edge, leaving the score at 8 for 1 in the fifth, Gleeson switched for his second spell to Anderson’s end and struck immediately.Opener Tom Fell and George Rhodes had battled hard against some accurate bowling, but the latter lost his middle stump to one which nipped back and kept low from Tom Bailey.Then came Gleeson’s burst. Five balls into his spell, he had Callum Ferguson caught at second slip by Livingstone and then Riki Wessels lbw with an inswinger on the way to 76 for 4 from 35 overs at tea.In the second over of the evening, he trapped Fell lbw for 40 with an outswinging yorker before Anderson bowled Ross Whiteley in the next.
Bailey struck again in the 47th when Ben Cox was lbw, leaving the score at 99 for 7. The seamer left the field injured not too long afterwards before returning later to bowl again.Barnard and Parnell shared 42 for the eighth wicket to give their side a glimmer of hope, only for the former to be bowled for 18 trying to cut Livingstone’s offspin as the score fell to 141 for 8. Gleeson then had Parnell caught behind for 25 with the first ball of the day’s final over, a significant blow to the visitors.