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Former England star continues burgeoning coaching career with Hundred appointment

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2022Sarah Taylor, the former England wicketkeeper, says that more female coaches would “benefit the game as a whole”, after joining Manchester Originals as an assistant coach for this year’s Men’s Hundred.Taylor, who is widely regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers in the history of the game, male or female, has been working with Sussex’s men’s squad as a specialist keeping coach since the start of 2021, and more recently took up a role with Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10.Her appointment comes after a playing role with Welsh Fire in last season’s inaugural competition, when she came out of retirement to also feature for Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.While she admitted to the BBC that she had been tempted to continue with her on-field career, Taylor also recognised she would be “stupid to turn down” the chance to enhance her coaching credentials with another high-profile appointment.”These roles are coming around now and any woman that gets offered an opportunity, they should take it with open arms,” Taylor said. “I’m extremely grateful to Manchester for giving me this opportunity.”There is no rush for me. I’m still young enough and fit enough to play, so if an opportunity comes around I will absolutely consider it.
But right now coaching is the opportunity I was happy with, so I’m going down this route.”Taylor will be working under head coach Simon Katich, and alongside her fellow World Cup-winning wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, one of 11 men’s squad players to be retained by Manchester. Other England players in the set-up include Ollie Robinson, Matt Parkinson and Phil Salt – with whom Taylor has previously worked at Sussex.”I fell into the men’s game and I’m taking every opportunity I can to keep learning,” Taylor added. “We have to keep pushing. There are some brilliant women’s coaches out there and I hope they get recognised, in the male or female game.”Although her primary role will be with the men’s squad, Taylor will also work with the Manchester women’s set-up when the chance arises – including her former England team-mates Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone, and South Africa’s Lizelle Lee.”I absolutely loved playing last year,” Taylor added of the Hundred experience. “It’s an exciting tournament and I loved how the boys and girls were treated as one unit.”

Former captain praises successor for supreme batting focus but fears his message is getting lost

Andrew Miller04-Apr-2022Alastair Cook says he is in awe of Joe Root’s ability to stay focused on his run-scoring amid intense speculation about his future as Test captain, but has warned his successor that the relentless focus on the “positives” within England’s dressing-room is running the risk of sounding “deluded”.Root is currently taking a break from cricket in the wake of England’s series loss to West Indies, having overseen a run of one Test victory out of 17 since February 2021. And Cook – who is gearing up for his 20th season of county cricket with Essex – knows better than most how his predecessor will currently be feeling, having come through his own torrid year as captain in 2014, when England’s 5-0 whitewash against Australia gave way to the controversial sacking of Kevin Pietersen.However, while Cook acknowledged that his own Test form suffered amid the furore, Root’s own batting standards remain a class apart. Despite a relative lull during the Ashes, in which he was still one of only two England batters to average more than 30, he returned to form with twin hundreds in the Caribbean, making it eight in 20 Tests, and a total of 2066 runs, since the start of 2021.”The amount of runs that Joe Root has scored is an incredible effort,” Cook said. “I really struggled in 2014, scoring runs with that KP stuff going on the background, that really affected me. For him to be able to handle that and not let his personal performance go, that’s an unbelievable sign.”He’s England’s most complete batsman I’ve ever seen, but if [juggling the captaincy] was going to affect him, it would have affected him in the last eight months or so,” Cook added. “To score 1700 runs [in 2021], 1200 more than anyone else, it’s laughable, and normally it’s untenable to do that. But the way he’s scored those runs, and singlehandedly carried England’s batting, is an extraordinary effort, with all the other stuff going on.”Nevertheless, Cook also warned that the singlemindedness that has allowed Root to block out the criticism and concentrate on his run-scoring could also be a double-edged sword when it comes to recognising when and if his tenure as captain has run its course.Writing in his Sunday Times column, Cook had praised Root’s determination to “get England’s sinking ship … floating again”. However, having spent the winter as an at-times outspoken pundit for BT Sport, Cook also admits his concerns that the players will stop listening to their captain’s belief in the team’s progression if – as seemed to be the case in the immediate aftermath of their ten-wicket loss in Grenada – it seems too far removed from the reality of their performances.”I am a bit bored of all the positive chat, because I don’t think it was a sense of reality in that changing room,” Cook said. “All the noise was that ‘we’ve turned a corner and our attitude is brilliant’. Some of that stuff should have been a given.Root speaks to his team during the tour of the Caribbean•Getty Images

“And it looked like a dig at the Australia tour, that their attitude there wasn’t great,” Cook added, after a raft of senior players were dropped for the West Indies – most notably James Anderson and Stuart Broad, but also Rory Burns and Dawid Malan.”Actually, from watching, I never saw them throw the towel in. They just weren’t good enough to compete, and their batting under pressure folded, and the same thing happened in Grenada.”I compare it to Toto Wolff and the Mercedes [Formula One] team,” Cook continued. “They’ve been the outstanding team for the last eight years, and they’ve obviously designed a car which isn’t quite as quick as their rivals, and [Wolff] comes out after two races, and says ‘that’s totally unacceptable’.”Now that’s not slagging off his team. It’s just the reality they’re in, and I’m sure he would have said ‘we will be good enough to turn it round’. But some of the stuff coming out [from England], with all this positivity. We’ve just lost again, we’ve won one in 17. That’s the reality, and it hurts. But if you own that, as a side, that could be a step forward.”Cook, however, also recognises there are extraordinary external circumstances dominating England’s current agenda, and that nothing significant can change within the existing set-up until a raft of permanent appointments are made at the ECB.”It’s maddening to think that a company as big as the ECB has got no chairman, no director of cricket and no coach,” Cook said, following the departure of Ian Watmore before Christmas and the sackings of Ashley Giles and Chris Silverwood after the Ashes. “How it’s got there shows where English cricket is at this point. It’s an amazing challenge for whoever does get that job to turn it around because there’s been some dark days for English cricket.”Maybe dark isn’t the right word, because actually there’s a huge amount of talent around and I think everyone can see that. But you can’t have no coach, no director of cricket and no chairman – if you’re running a business that doesn’t seem to make much sense. So it’s an exciting time. You’re actually thinking if the next appointment is a good appointment, it’s a total and utter fresh start because that’s what English cricket needs.”With that in mind, there remains an awkward piece of unresolved business for whoever does take over, given that Anderson and Broad, 39 and 35 respectively, have both made it clear they are not ready to accept their time in the England team is over just yet – and that, with the possible exception of Saqib Mahmood, few of the seamers selected for the Caribbean tour enhanced their claims to be long-term replacements.Related

• Root insists he wants to remain England captain

• Ex-England captains call for Root to step down after Windies defeat

• England at rock-bottom but rudderless ECB will struggle to cast Root adrift

• Root rested for opening rounds of County Championship

Cook himself bowed out of Test cricket on the ultimate high in 2018, with a matchwinning century in his final Test innings against India. But he recognises that not everyone gets the chance to go out on their own terms, even when their records and reputation merit a perfect send-off.”Absolutely they [deserve it], but professional sport doesn’t always work like you want it to,” Cook said. “We know they are legends of the game. They’re legends of English cricket, they’re right up there with the best bowlers ever to play the game.”Hopefully they do get a chance [for a send-off], but tell that to Jimmy, he’ll slap your hand off and say ‘I’m not thinking about retiring, I’m still playing until I’m 75’. He’s thinking, I want to get back in that Test side and prove that they shouldn’t have left me out.”But it makes it an interesting summer doesn’t it? Do they play or who is the new line-up? Are they good enough? Absolutely. Do they still warrant their places? Yeah, you’d say so with the quality they’ve got. But this is where England need to be clear.”

India opener is recovering from dengue and has missed the first two games of their World Cup campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2023Shubman Gill will re-join the Indian team in Ahmedabad but remains doubtful for their World Cup fixture against Pakistan on October 14 as he recovers from dengue.Gill did not travel with the team to Delhi for their second fixture against Afghanistan on Wednesday, after missing India’s opening game of the World Cup against Australia on October 8. He was taken to hospital in Chennai for treatment but was subsequently discharged after his health improved.”Gill is doing absolutely fine and is set to leave Chennai for Ahmedabad today,” a BCCI official told PTI. “It is still not clear whether Gill will have a light training session at Motera on Thursday. His recovery has been fine but can’t really be sure if he can play against Pakistan.”In Gill’s absence, Ishan Kishan opened the innings against Australia along with Rohit. Though India were reduced to 2 for 3 in a chase of 200 – Kishan, Rohit and Shreyas Iyer were dismissed for ducks – they recovered to chase down the target with six wickets in hand and 52 balls to spare.Gill is the leading run-getter in ODIs this year with 1230 runs at an average of 72.35 and a strike rate of 105.03. In his last four ODIs, he has hit two centuries and a half-century.

Harris scores unbeaten 52 in front of selectors but Smith waits in wings after bowling one over in comeback match

Daniel Brettig29-Aug-2019Not even present for the tour game at Worcester, Australia’s coach Justin Langer underlined the impending pointy end of this Ashes series by intently watching day one of the encounter with Derbyshire from behind the wicket, accompanying the selection chairman Trevor Hohns for long segments of play at the county ground in Derby.What they saw, joined at various junctures by the captain Tim Paine, the resting David Warner and the former New Zealand coach John Wright, was more or less as might have been expected, save for the curious initial decision to field rather than bat first on a straw-coloured pitch.Michael Neser claimed two wickets in as many deliveries with the brand new ball and later added a third, Mitchell Starc went wicketless for 12 overs before blasting out three Derbyshire batsmen in his 13th, two by splaying the stumps, and Peter Siddle bowled eight overs for 11 runs while accounting for the hosts’ top scorer, the elegant Leus de Plooy.Wrapping up Derbyshire’s innings shortly after tea, the acting captain Usman Khawaja and the opener Marcus Harris then got comfortable against modest bowling, taking their time in the knowledge that only one of them is likely to play in the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford. Khawaja, as the senior player of the two, appears more certain of retaining his place, and one or two of Harris’ signature airy cut shots through a gully area not overly staffed by Derbyshire did not inspire a great deal of confidence.Nonetheless, he scored more freely of the batsmen, and in staying undefeated to the close, Harris and Khawaja ensured that Steven Smith’s return to the middle following his concussion substitution at Lord’s and subsequent absence from Headingley would be delayed by another day.”He’s always looking to score,” Paine said of Harris. “I think if you bowl a bad ball to Harry he puts it away and I think that puts guys under pressure. He’s just an attacking opening batter and he keeps the scoreboard moving, but as he’s shown in Shield cricket he’s got the ability to bat for a long time and score big hundreds when he gets in, we know that Harry’s got Test runs in him, and when he gets set hopefully he starts well tomorrow, gets a big score and he can continue putting runs on the board like he has for the last 18 months.”Steve Smith is going to come back in and play. So obviously someone from the last Test is going to miss out. There’s no doubt about that. You have the best player in the world coming back into your line-up. I suppose this tour game is important for guys to make sure that you’re keeping your name up in front of the selectors. And so far a few guys have done it, which is very pleasing. That’s what we want. We want to have depth and we want our selectors to have to make difficult decisions.”Steven Smith had an over before lunch on his return to action•Getty Images

In fact Smith’s only involvement was a single over of ropey off-spin, including one practice delivery that sailed over the head of a startled Siddle at mid off. Neser, Starc and Siddle all bowled better than that, demonstrating what the selectors could expect should they choose any for Manchester. Paine said that Starc’s bowling was steadily on the improve in terms of what the team needed him to do in English conditions.”I think if anyone’s stops trying to get better, that’s a problem,” Paine said. “We know what Starcy can do in terms of blowing teams away. We also know that coming to England in the past that hasn’t worked. So he’s been working really hard on getting his length right more so than anything. I think his opening spell today was really good. I thought he bowled in very good areas.”He bowled with good pace on a wicket that was very slow. So I thought the signs that he showed with the new ball were really good. And then, like we saw again at the end, when he can go back to what his strengths are, attack the stumps and use his short-balls, he’s a handful for the tail as well.”He’s been working on his length and I think he showed some really good control in his first spell. He bowled a long spell too [seven overs and eight overs] which he doesn’t do a lot when he plays for Australia. I thought he controlled pretty well and, the areas he has been trying to improve so he can be important for us in English conditions, I thought he showed today he’s going really well with that.”Rather less of a chance to figure in Lancashire is Cameron Bancroft, who must have been informed of a fairly lowly posting in the batting order after heading, at change of innings, for an extended practice session in the Derby nets. Langer, meanwhile, kept both eyes firmly on the middle.

Former England legspinner had been in job since late 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2022Sussex have announced that Ian Salisbury, the club’s Championship and 50-over coach, will leave his position at the end of the season. Salisbury had reportedly been placed on gardening leave following a non-cricketing dispute with one of his players.Salisbury was appointed as co-head coach, alongside James Kirtley, in 2020. He inherited a young squad and, despite several players making good progress, Sussex have won just twice in red-ball cricket over the last two seasons – although they did make a run to the semi-finals of this year’s Royal London Cup.”We would like to thank Ian for his contribution to the club over the last couple of years and wish him well for the future in whatever this may hold,” Rob Andrew, Sussex’s chief executive, said. “He has helped develop a very promising group of young players and we are looking forward to seeing them develop further in the next few years.”Kirtley admitted the situation with Salisbury, who had not been involved with the first team since mid-August, was “an obvious distraction” during Sussex’s final Championship game of the season, against Glamorgan at Hove, which ended on Thursday in a draw, leaving them second from bottom in Division Two.Salisbury was described as being “not part of the business” earlier this week, with the BBC reporting that the issue centred on his handling of young offspinner Jack Carson.On leaving the club where he played between 1989-1996, Salisbury said: “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Sussex for last two years and the journey has really helped me after the loss of my wife. However it’s the right thing for myself and daughter to look for a fresh challenge.”I want to thank the backroom staff, ground staff, foundation, office staff, catering and stewards for their support throughout my time at Hove. Whoever takes over from myself will inherit a very talented homegrown squad who if supported from above are ready to fly in the next few years.”

The selectors have named five fast bowlers in the squad to face Pakistan but there is some genuine uncertainty among them as to who will play

Alex Malcolm15-Nov-2019Strength in depth is something the Australian selectors would dearly love with their batting options. They have in it in spades with the fast bowling, however, and that creates a different problem.The selection of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Michael Neser in the Test squad to face Pakistan looks like a luxury teams the world over would love to have.Now it’s about which three to pick for the Gabba. The selectors rotated their fast bowlers with mixed success in England. Heading into the final Test at The Oval they seemed genuinely unsure of their best trio, with Peter Siddle playing ahead of Starc and Pattinson who were both fully fit.Pattinson, perhaps to his own detriment given his desire to play his first Test on home soil since January 2016, thinks the New South Wales trio of Cummins, Hazlewood, and Starc will line-up in Brisbane.ALSO READ: James Pattinson wants to play back-to-back Tests“I think those three are probably going to get the first look in, realistically,” Pattinson said on Thursday. When probed as to whether the selectors had indicated that to him he responded, “Not really, that’s just my personal opinion.”The New South Wales trio tuned up for Brisbane by dismantling Western Australia on a slow dry SCG track, the antithesis of what will be presented at the Gabba. The trio took 13 wickets between them on a spin-friendly surface to bowl WA out for 191 and 128. All three were outstanding with a reverse-swinging ball.They were the trio that secured the Ashes for Australia at Old Trafford, in Starc’s only Test of the campaign, but he was unsure whether they would get the nod together in Brisbane.”We’ve all said we are here to win games for New South Wales and the rest of it will take care of itself,” Starc said. “For this week it was nice to have everyone back in blue, Patty’s [Cummins] first game and was nice seeing him bowl fast as well. We’ve played a lot of cricket together for New South Wales and Australia and if that’s the way they go in the first Test then great, if not keep pushing for the next one.”Starc’s form probably makes him the favourite to be named alongside Cummins and Hazlewood, who appear certain starters. After a lean match at the Gabba against Queensland, where he claimed 1 for 129, some remedial work with NSW bowling coach Andre Adams propelled him to a man of the match display against Tasmania at Drummoyne Oval where he took 10 for 60 from 43.2 overs.He then took eight wickets in six T20Is but stepped back into Shield cricket without missing a beat, claiming 4 for 57 in the second innings against Western Australia with some vicious reverse swing and six wickets in the matchJosh Hazlewood and James Pattinson bowl in the nets•Getty Images

“I’ve just been happy with the rhythm and things I’ve worked on, just to get into a clearer mindset,” Starc said. “The things I worked on coming out of the Gabba Shield game and into Drummoyne I’ve been pretty focused and clear since the Gabba – in the T20s as well – so that’s pretty pleasing. Hopefully having that mindset can carry on through the summer.”Pattinson’s form in the Sheffield Shield should not be overlooked. He consistently troubled opponents with pace and hostility on three very flat surfaces at the Junction Oval, the WACA and the MCG. He was rested for the game against Tasmania on a bowler-friendly surface in Hobart. He has 11 wickets in four innings thus far this season with two four-wicket hauls but has bowled without luck at times.The squad mentality has been spoken about at length, with Australia’s hierarchy keen to sell the idea to the fast bowlers to both keep them fresh and extend their careers.Pattinson spoke last Friday of his desire to play back-to-back Test matches and his envy of the batsmen being able to find form through continuity of playing.But it seems the bowlers, begrudgingly or not, have accepted their fate that they may not play every game.”We spoke about the squad mentality during the Ashes and having five fast bowlers again it will be the same thing,” Starc said. “Whether that’s conditions-based, Nes [Neser] bowled really well in that A game from what I’ve heard and Patto has been bowling really nicely. Joshy, Patty and myself are pretty happy with how we’ve been progressing.”While Pattinson believed he would not play in the first Test he did believe that his opportunity would come depending on conditions.”I think it’s just a game to game basis, however, they pull up. If I’m just there staying fit and bowling well and putting my name forward, hopefully at some stage I’ll get the nod.”

Hayley Matthews provides bedrock for West Indies but England reach target with 5.3 overs to spare

Alan Gardner11-Feb-2023England swept aside the challenge of West Indies in a punchy opening Group 2 encounter in Paarl, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight sealing the chase with an unbroken 67-run stand. Hayley Matthews struck the ball cleanly with 42 off 32 for West Indies but a solid total of 135 for 7 was made to look far from adequate by England as the top order dealt in boundaries to hunt down victory with 33 balls to spare.West Indies were buoyed at the toss by the return of Stafanie Taylor and were given a fast start by Matthews, reaching 47 for 0 at the end of the powerplay. But Taylor looked rusty, falling for 3 off 15 soon after, and when Matthews was second out in the 11th over – one of three wickets for Sophie Ecclestone – it was left to Shemaine Campbelle to try and hustle a defendable total.West Indies’ No. 3 made 34 from 37 before falling to some smart glovework from Amy Jones and England pulled off two run-outs to help keep the shackles on through the closing stages. It was, nevertheless, West Indies’ best total batting first in a T20I against England since they made 140 for 6 at Bridgetown in 2013.In reply, England’s spark came from Sophia Dunkley, who belted 34 from 18 as the powerplay yielded 58 runs – their best in World Cups. Both of the openers had departed by then but Alice Capsey continued the freewheeling approach before Sciver-Brunt and Knight ensured there would be no slips-ups in the manner experienced by the hosts, South Africa, during their opening-night defeat to Sri Lanka. Victory was sealed in emphatic fashion by Knight pumping Chinelle Henry over long-off for six.

Slam Dunkley sets the tone

England have talked up the aggressive approach adopted since the arrival of Jon Lewis as head coach, and they walked the walk at the start of what could have been a tricky chase. Dunkley was the aggressor in chief, the opener taking particular liking to Matthews’ offspin when the West Indies captain brought herself on in the third over.Matthews’ first ball was dumped serenely over long-on for the first six of the match, and she proceeded to go over the top twice more with a pair of controlled lofts towards long-off. England had 37 on the board when Danni Wyatt holed out to deep cover in the next over, and raised their 50 from just 29 balls before Dunkley’s fun was cut short by a magnificent reflex caught-and-bowled from Henry.

Sciver-Brunt and Knight keep the foot down

England were already more than halfway to their target when Capsey was stumped yards out of her ground giving Afy Fletcher the charge. After eight overs, the requirement was a comfortable 61 from 72 but Sciver-Brunt and Knight ensured they would not get bogged down by scoring at almost ten an over during their partnership.Zaina James, the 18-year-old spinner playing her second T20I, saw her first ball – a high full toss that was a called a no-ball – swatted disdainfully over the rope at deep square leg by Sciver-Brunt, while Knight brought out the reverse sweep for her first boundary later in the over. In all, there were six overs in which England scored two or more boundaries, and no letting up as West Indies were handed their 14th consecutive defeat in T20Is.Hayley Matthews drives through the covers•ICC/Getty Images

Matthews flies, Taylor stalls

Having won the toss, West Indies sent out their two most-experienced batters at the top of the order. Matthews has been carrying her side in recent times, but the return of Taylor for her first T20I since July 2021 following a back problem came with the promise of greater support – although, in the event, Matthews continued to do the bulk of the hard work.She was in regal touch during the powerplay, during which eight fours flowed off her bat. Matthews got stuck in to Lauren Bell’s wayward third over of the innings, cutting and driving successive boundaries, took a brace of fours off Ecclestone and then three more from Katherine Sciver-Brunt – two deftly steered to deep third, the other a rocket pull – in the sixth to leave West Indies in a healthy position.Taylor had been far less fluent, struggling to get bat on ball and taking 10 deliveries to get off the mark. She was given out in Bell’s first over but successfully overturned Vrinda Rathi’s lbw decision. After six overs, she had 3 off 13 – while Matthews had peeled off 37 from 23 at the other end. But then, to the second ball after the powerplay, Taylor played back to Sarah Glenn and was put out of her misery.

Campbelle keeps Windies out of the soup

The dismissal of Matthews, lbw attempting to sweep Ecclestone, was the point at which England began to exert their grip. Shabika Gajnabi was run out in the next over attempting to come back for two, and West Indies were grateful to Campbelle’s nimble feet and hands during a stand of 41 from 31 with Henry. Campbelle struck four fours and five twos but was brilliantly held by Jones standing up to the wicket, before Knight’s direct hit ran out Henry.Ecclestone helped prevent any lower-order heroics, finish with tidy figures of 3 for 24, as England conceded just one boundary from the final 23 balls of the innings.

The competition, featuring seven matches, will be held in Jaipur like last year

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Feb-2020This year’s four-team Women’s T20 Challenge will be played on the sidelines of the IPL playoffs at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, which had also hosted last year’s competition.The BCCI confirmed via a release on Saturday that the expanded tournament – seven matches as against four last time and just one the year before – would be played “during the IPL Playoff and Finals week”, which will be after the league stage of the competition ends on May 17.ALSO READ: The case for a bigger, better Women’s T20 Challenge next yearThe first edition in 2018, had a one-off game between Harmanpreet Kaur’s Supernovas and Smriti Mandhana’s Trailblazers at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, while a third team – Velocity, led by Mithali Raj – was added in 2019, where the matches were played in a single round-robin format followed by a final, where Supernovas beat Velocity. They had won the inaugural edition too.Last year, 39 players including several top overseas stars, were divided among the three teams.

Notts allrounder continues stellar form as batters flunk on “blameless pitch”

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2023Brett Hutton claimed a five-wicket haul as Nottinghamshire took control on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.The hosts could post only 163 all out after winning the toss on a bright morning, Tom Kohler-Cadmore top-scoring with just 38 and Kasey Aldridge contributing 35. Hutton’s 5 for 34 and Matt Carter’s 3 for 43 did most of the damage for an accurate Notts attack.In reply, the visitors slipped to 105 for 4 on a seemingly blameless pitch, but opener Ben Slater’s unbeaten 67 saw them to 145 for 4 at the close, just 18 behind.With the sun shining brightly for most of the day, it was strange that 14 wickets should fall. Inability to post meaningful first-innings totals has been a long-standing problem for Somerset, and again there was a fragility about their top order as Hutton maintained an exemplary line and length from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End.Sean Dickson and George Bartlett were both dismissed shouldering arms to the experienced seamer; the former bowled for 1 and the latter leg before for 13 to a ball that nipped back. Sandwiched in between was the wicket of Tom Lammonby, who edged Hutton to first slip having made 24.From 48 for 3, Tom Abell and Kohler-Cadmore added 40 in positive style before the introduction of Carter’s offspin from the River End. With the first ball of his second over, he had Abell caught at slip, driving, for 19. Kohler-Cadmore looked strong through the off-side, producing some sweet drives and depositing Carter over long-off for six. By lunch, he had helped Somerset to 106 for 4.The afternoon session began disastrously for the home side as, with only four runs added, they lost first James Rew, caught at short leg off bat and pad to give Carter his second wicket and Kohler-Cadmore lbw to Dane Paterson, having faced 53 balls and hit four fours and a six.There was no way back from 110 for 6, despite the valiant efforts of Aldridge, who reverse-swept Carter for six and struck five fours. He quickly ran out of partners as Craig Overton edged Hutton into the slips where Carter’s left hand scooped the ball up for Joe Clarke to complete the catch.Hutton returned after an opening spell of 3 for 27 from eight overs to mop up the tail, bowling Matt Henry and having the advancing Aldridge caught behind. His wickets were largely the result of keeping the ball on the spot and taking advantage of batting errors.Somerset had been bowled out in just 48.1 overs and it looked like a well below par total in the conditions. Henry struck an early blow in the Notts’ reply by beating Haseeb Hameed’s defensive push and bowling him for a duck. By tea, the visitors had reached 23 for 1. Soon Slater and Matthew Montgomery were building confidently on that total under increasingly clear skies.They had put together a stand of 71 in 23 overs, with few alarms, when Montgomery, on 33, got an inside edge onto his leg off Aldridge and was powerless to prevent the ball rolling back onto his stumps.Slater edged Aldridge just short of wicketkeeper Rew and Somerset’s fightback continued when 19-year-old off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, making his first Championship appearance at the Cooper Associates County Ground, pinned Clarke lbw on the back foot for 12 to make it 94 for 3.Slater went to fifty off 104 balls before Henry struck another blow for Somerset with the total on 105, Lyndon James edging to Abell at first slip and departing for the second duck of the innings. But Steve Mullaney hit a six and two fours off a Bashir over as Notts regained some momentum before the close.Before the start of play, the teams lined up for a minute’s applause in memory of 19-year-old local club cricketer Barnaby Webber, who lost his life in the Nottingham stabbings earlier this month. Signed shirts from both counties were laid on the pitch at the toss and then presented to his mother, father and brother as tokens of support.

Pool of money for professional and recreational game follows initial bail-out of £61 million

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2020The ECB has committed a further £35.7million to support professional and recreational cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic.The support package, agreed by the ECB board in a bid to mitigate the financial issues caused by the suspension of the 2020 season, follows on from the initial sum of £61 million that was announced back in March.The bulk of the figure, £30.22million, will be released to the first-class counties and MCC on August 1, and will comprise the early release of six months of core payments from the County Partnership, as well as the remainder of the annual payments of £1.3million that were promised to the counties with the establishment of the Hundred.The remainder of the sum, £5.5 million, will be made available to the county boards on August 1, again from core payments from the County Partnership distributions.In addition, recreational clubs will continue to have access to an interest-free pot of £20million through the ECB’s ‘Return to Cricket” scheme, and will also be given a 12-month holiday on loan repayments.”It is the ECB’s responsibility to protect the whole game’s future during the financial uncertainty we face as a sport,” said Tom Harrison, the chief executive.”We continue to work closely with all levels of the game to understand the challenges that are being presented and to map out a plan for the future. While I am pleased the ECB Board has been able to approve this financial support package for the remainder of this year we are still only at the beginning of addressing the impact of this crisis on cricket.”We still should not underestimate the significant financial burden that is ahead of us across all levels of the game. We must seek to reduce the cost base across the game, as we face up to the sobering reality of what lies ahead of us.”The response we have seen within the game has been reassuring and I know how much a return to the field of play would mean to clubs and players of all ages across England and Wales.”It remains our priority to get cricket started again this summer, from the grassroots to the elite level, and we will continue to work with Government to try and do that in a way that keeps people safe but that limits the ongoing impact of this crisis on our game.”