Lancashire reported an operating profit of £763,000 for 2015 despite not hosting a Test match for the first time since completing their development of Emirates Old Trafford

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2016Lancashire joined Surrey as one of the most profitable county clubs in the country as they reported an operating profit of £763,000 for 2015 despite not hosting a Test match for the first time since completing their development of Emirates Old Trafford.They were also successful on the field in Ashley Giles’; first season as director of cricket, achieving promotion back to the first division of the Specsavers County Championship at the first attempt as well as securing a first limited-overs trophy in 16 years in winning the NatWest T20 Blast at Edgbaston with a squad with a strong north-west flavour.The loss of a Test match was offset by a T20 and ODI involving Australia and New Zealand which brought in more than 50,000 spectators, but the club calculates that there was still a fall in cricket revenue of more than £1.3m because of the absence of a Test.Lancashire’s Conference and Events sector proved more profitable and the Old Trafford Lodge again recorded revenues in excess of £1million ahead of its replacement by a new hotel due for completion this summer. Work commenced on a 4-star Hilton Garden Inn, with 150 bedrooms, in February, the final element of the redevelopment of Old Trafford which commenced in 2009.2015 also saw the return of major concerts with 50,000 attending the Foo Fighters gig, the success of which has led to promoters bringing both Rihanna and Beyoncé to the venue in 2016.After a year’s absence, 2016 will see the return of Test match cricket to Manchester with Pakistan providing the opposition in July.

Throughout this game Durham’s players are wearing black armbands as a mark of respect to a man without whose efforts, perhaps, few of them would be professional cricketers

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street12-Apr-2016
Scorecard”We sometimes forget that without Don Robson we wouldn’t have a ground on which to play” – Graham Onions•Getty Images

Throughout this game Durham’s players are wearing black armbands as a mark of respect to a man without whose efforts, perhaps, few of them would be professional cricketers. Don Robson died on March 10, aged 82. A former leader of Durham County Council, Robson was also Durham’s first chairman when the club achieved first-class status. He resolved that Durham would join the County Championship, and they did so; he was determined that Durham would have a ground of which they could be proud, and they have the Emirates Riverside, where Test matches are played. “Si monumentum requiris, circumspice,” indeed. Robson, by all accounts, was a force of nature; he wanted something and he made it so.Yet, as with most of TE Lawrence’s dreamers of the day, Robson’s contribution cannot be measured by the tangible. Jack Burnham is a professional cricketer. He was born nearly five years after Durham made their first-class bow at the Parks. The current game against Somerset is Burnham’s fifth Championship match and in the first innings he helped Keaton Jennings put on 79 for the third wicket. He is batting at No. 4, above both Michael Richardson and Paul Collingwood. Burnham is learning with almost every ball he faces; one can almost see the experience being stored away. And he has a better chance of making it in the game because there is a first-class county about 15 miles away from Esh Winning, where he was born and brought up.Graham Onions knew Robson well and he is a team-mate of Burnham. Not too many people are better qualified to talk about both men. “Don was an absolute gentleman and we’re wearing the armbands to show respect to the man who gave us opportunities to perform at the best level,” he said. “It’s a massive thank you as well as a celebration of a great life. We play so much cricket that we sometimes forget that without Don we wouldn’t have a ground on which to play. We have Brydon Carse, who is making his Championship debut in this game and he’s probably too young to think about what Don did in his life, but I certainly thank Don for what he did. He had a vision and he achieved it.”This is looking like a tough year for Durham’s cricketers, but you sometimes get the impression that is how they like it. The cover of their outstanding yearbook – and how, pray, do some chief executives have the brass neck to ditch these fine productions? – features a grim-faced Collingwood clutching his Durham shirt rather in the manner of one of his beloved Sunderland footballers and brandishing the badge in the lens of the camera. John Hastings will not be playing for the county this season and no replacement for the Australian has been named. Yet that will only give more chances to people like Burnham, Carse and the other academy graduates at the club Robson helped to build. And after all, Chester-le-Street has a decent pedigree as a fortress. Once called Concagium, it was an important military station guarding the Roman road from the Tees to the Pons Aelium.”We read in the paper a couple of weeks ago that people had us odds-on favourites to go down,” said Onions, “but when we won the league in 2013, we began with negative points and we showed people then what we could do. We have the same kind of mindset this year. Missing John Hastings is a big blow but it gives a great opportunity to the young lads to show how good they are. It’s very important that if they do get the opportunity, they show that they’re not just there to make up the numbers. Brydon is sitting in the changing room and I don’t think he realises what he’s done, but he will. He’s young and naïve but that’s fine.”It rained at Chester-le-Street for most of Tuesday. The idea of playing cricket was rather laughable and the players were probably relieved to make a swift getaway just after lunch. Yet even on a bleak day when the rain shrouded the trees on The Haughs in mist and one’s mood was darkened by the news of James Taylor’s enforced retirement, there was still something to learn and think about. That is usually the case at any cricket ground, though, if only one looks and listens.

Worcestershire’s push for a first victory of the season was held up by Ed Joyce after Sussex were forced to follow on 213 runs behind

ECB Reporters Network17-May-2016
ScorecardLuke Wells faced 110 deliveries for his 11•Getty Images

Worcestershire’s push for a first victory of the season was held up by Ed Joyce after Sussex were forced to follow on 213 runs behind on day three of the Specsavers County Championship clash at New Road.The home side achieved their first objective by picking up the remaining four Sussex first-innings wickets in the morning session for 86 runs to dismiss the visitors for 278, although Ollie Robinson provided stern resistance with an unbeaten half-century.But opener Joyce prevented Worcestershire from making significant inroads when Sussex launched their second innings just before lunch, continuing in the form which brought him a career-best 250 in last week’s match at Derby.However, he was not able to see things through to the close as he was finally dismissed with three overs remaining for a well-constructed 74 from 179 balls with eight boundaries. By stumps Sussex had moved onto 137 for 3 – still 76 in arrears.Worcestershire’s desire to take major steps forward on Tuesday was increased with heavy rain forecast during the next 24 hours.They are anxious to avoid further frustration caused by the elements after dominating the opening two days against Glamorgan last week before rain washed out the remainder of the contest at the Swalec Stadium.Sussex resumed at 192 for 6, still 299 behind, and Worcestershire made a good start with stand-in visiting captain Ben Brown caught behind as Ed Barnard claimed two wickets in the space of six balls.He also had Lewis Hatchett caught at square leg but Steve Magoffin made 20 out of 43 in nine overs before he was bowled by Joe Leach. Robinson finished unbeaten with 51 after Brett D’Oliveira bowled last man Stuart Whittingham.When Sussex launched their second innings, openers Joyce and Chris Nash figured in their second half-century stand of the game in relatively untroubled fashion. Jack Shantry broke through on 54 as Nash attempted a cut and chopped the ball onto his stumps.Joyce was joined by Wells and the pair were virtually becalmed for lengthy periods against a tight Worcestershire attack.Their stand of 51 occupied 34 overs before Wells, who made 11 from 110 balls without a single boundary, nicked Matt Henry to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at slip.Then Barnard ended Joyce’s fine knock with Kohler-Cadmore again having a safe pair of hands.

Sussex consider themselves a Division One club in exile, temporarily marooned in Division Two. With three Championship titles this century, that is their right. But their return to Division Two has not been kind: May is almost out, and they have yet to wi

Tim Wigmore at Hove29-May-2016
ScorecardEd Joyce gave another classy display•PA Photos

Sussex consider themselves a Division One club in exile, temporarily marooned in Division Two. With three Championship titles this century, that is their right. But their return to Division Two has not been kind: May is almost out, and they have yet to win a game.No one would have thought it from the swagger with which they have played this match. This was a day so unmatched that it may as well have been Pranav Dhanawade, the 15-year-old from Mumbai, striking 1000 in an innings against boys many years his younger in January.Derbyshire’s bowlers could have forgiven for thinking they had been here before. So they had: at Derby earlier this month, Ed Joyce and Luke Wells added 310 for the second wicket before the hosts were reprieved by inclement weather.Against bowling that was ragtag and both sides of the wicket, and fielding that fell below exemplary, the two threatened to repeat that feat. In the end they had to be content with adding 135, but both made chanceless and utterly dominant centuries.Wells’ hundred was particularly welcome. He has marked himself out as a classic opening batsman of the old-school, using his huge stride forward to inoculate his wicket against harm. But his form has stagnated in recent years, to the extent that he was grateful for his improving legspin to preserve his spot in the team.When Chris Gayle returns to county cricket at Hove on Wednesday, Wells will not be required: the vagaries of the schedule, such a gripe on the county circuit, do not afflict him, because he is essentially a red-ball specialist. Here, though, there were plenty of shots capable of lighting up T20 night at Hove. Several deliveries were flicked impudently from off stump to the leg-side boundary, including a four from Tom Taylor that secured his hundred, and Wayne Madsen’s offspin was even lofted over long on for six.Joyce was even more dominant. He had thundered 250 at Derby earlier this month, fusing his trademark elegance with understated power, and played in the same spirit here. Each landmark was brought up with a six: his 50 with an imperious hook; Sussex’s lead by caressing a ball over Madsen’s head and into the press box; and his century by waltzing down the pitch and lofting Madsen over extra cover.Even if his ending was a little tame, getting caught in a tangle and ballooning a ball to leg slip, Joyce had provided another reminder of what Sussex will miss if, as expected, he returns to Ireland after this season: his first-class record for Sussex is now 7976 at 49.55 apiece. Hove locals say that a bit of Joyce might remain here, in a portrait in Sussex’s legends’ lane: the club just need someone to stump up £250, plus VAT.After this day, Derbyshire’s players might feel like spending rather more at the Hove ale festival, perhaps even trying each of the 38 different varieties on offer.Having decided not to insert Sussex on the first day, when play did not begin until 4pm after the showers, Derbyshire were pummelled under the sunshine. That Madsen, with 11 first-class wickets in 134 games in his career, found himself in the unlikely position of being their leading bowler rather summed it all up: he bowled more overs today than he had the entirety of the 2015 season. Madsen, who bowled tidily enough, was not the cause of Derbyshire’s problems but rather a symptom of them. All the while Billy Godleman could only long to fling the ball to Mark Footitt.Instead, as a funereal air rapidly overtook his fielders, Godleman had to endure the sight of Ross Taylor striding out at 248 for 2, bristling with intent and in the mood to continue his recent T20 pyrotechnics. Taylor did so for long enough to leave the abiding sense that this was, indeed, a Division One batting line-up, gorging themselves against distinctly Division Two bowling.

Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are both set to return to competitive cricket in the coming days as they continue their rehabilitation from surgery

George Dobell24-Jun-2016Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are both set to return to competitive cricket in the coming days as they continue their rehabilitation from surgery.Stokes, who was forced off the pitch during the first Investec Test against Sri Lanka in Leeds and subsequently underwent knee surgery, will play as a specialist batsman in Durham’s NatWest T20 Blast match against Yorkshire tonight. He is expected to field throughout.He was given special dispensation by the ECB to come on as a substitute fielder on the final day of Durham’s Championship game against Yorkshire on Thursday and soon took a slip catch to dismiss former England teammate Adam Lyth.He will not, though, now play club cricket this weekend. Given a choice of whether to play in the T20 on Friday or the club game on Saturday, he elected for the Durham match.Stokes has not yet returned to bowling so the ECB are reluctant to put a date on his likely return. They remain hopeful, however, that it will be in July.Wood, meanwhile, has not played since the end of October when he represented England in the Test against Pakistan in the UAE. He has, since then, undergone two bouts of ankle surgery.But he will play as a specialist batsman for Durham in the four-day match against Sri Lanka A that starts on Sunday and will work on his bowling during the intervals. He also came on as a substitute fielder on the final day of the Championship match against Yorkshire.If all goes to plan, it is hoped that Wood will make his full return in the County Championship fixture against Lancashire in Southport that starts on July 16.

An afternoon of outstanding reverse-swing bowling conjured England a memorable come-from-behind 141-run victory at Edgbaston

The Report by Andrew McGlashan07-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteven Finn was pumped as he ended his wicket drought•Getty Images

An afternoon of outstanding reverse-swing bowling conjured England a memorable come-from-behind 141-run victory at Edgbaston. Pakistan crumbled to 201 all out, at one stage losing 4 for 1 in a 23-ball spell between Steven Finn and Chris Woakes before tea, having been sitting reasonably comfortably at lunch with a draw well within their compass.However, having been set 343 in 84 overs, Pakistan subsided over the final two sessions. Moeen Ali picked the lock when he removed Azhar Ali then the quick bowlers bulldozed through the door. Sami Aslam played his second classy innings of the match, but when he shouldered arms at Finn shortly before tea saving the game was always likely to be too much for Pakistan’s lower orderJames Anderson and Stuart Broad each struck quickly after the break, but England were frustrated by a 50-run stand for the final wicket in 11 overs, a partnership which showed the pitch contained no demons. Saving the game remained a long way off for Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali, and England had four overs with the second new ball up their sleeve. Yet, there was just a bit if twitchiness emerging when Sohail slammed a return catch back to Moeen who, having twice contributed crucial innings, played a crucial role in the victory.It will be a tough defeat to take for Pakistan who were dominant over the first two days of the game before losing their way over the two second innings. Conversely, England’s resilience to fight back makes this one of their finest wins in recent times – they are excellent frontrunners in a game, but questions have sometimes been asked about their ability to claw back.Anderson’s six-over post lunch burst was where the game really changed after Moeen had been rewarded for his best spell of the series by drawing Azhar, who had been worked over by Broad, into loose drive which found Cook at second slip. Anderson had a grumpy match – removed from the attack in the first innings for running on the pitch – but this was him at his best: getting the old ball to talk with immaculate control of line and length. It was not massive swing, but enough to create uncertainty which forced Younis Khan to poke outside off, Jonny Bairstow taking a good catch in front of first slip. Younis looked no closer to regaining his form.The most electrifying period of play, though, was when Finn and Woakes burst through the middle order – two bowlers who have had contrasting summers. Finn’s wicketless run had reached 429 balls when he brought an edge from Misbah, a wicket that brought a primeval roar, a moment of raw emotion, from the pace bowler who has toiled without luck in recent outings.More was to follow as another bowling change paid dividends – Cook had an excellent day in the field – with Woakes nipping a delivery into Asad Shafiq’s pads to trap him lbw for a pair and give another first-over wicket. Then in his next over he found Sarfraz Ahmed’s outside edge which was well held, low at second slip, by Joe Root amid a heady atmosphere. The ground was far from full, but those in cheered every moment. For a second Woakes, bowling with six slips, was on a hat-trick when Yasir Shah was given lbw but he had got an inside edge; the reprieve was temporary.Aslam watched it all unfold from the non-striker’s end having reached his fifty from 124 balls with a slog-sweep off Moeen over midwicket. He became just the fourth Pakistan opener to hit two fifties in a Test in England, a magnificent effort for a player with such little cricket leading into the match. Maybe it was the effect of having Misbah for company for a period, but he suddenly wanted to become more expansive against Moeen. However, the clatter of wickets – and pace from both ends – forced him back into his shell and his dismissal, ironically to the non-stroke he had played so well during the match, left a weak lower order with a task beyond them.Aslam’s performance was in sharp contrast to that of his opening partner. England’s one success in the morning could hardly have come more gift-wrapped if Mohammad Hafeez had come out with a bow on his head. He managed to avoid the pair, but then helped a short delivery down to Woakes at long leg as he appeared to want to hit the ball in the air. There was only one fielder he could pick out – he did it with precision. Broad’s expression was as much surprise as delight. For a while, Pakistan responded well to the early setback. Then it all went badly awry.

Andy Hodd finished four runs adrift of his first Yorkshire century to dull the excitement for bottom club Nottinghamshsire after they had reduced Yorkshire to 51 for 6

Paul Edwards23-Aug-2016
ScorecardAndy Hodd finished four runs adrift of his first Yorkshire century•Getty Images

Even in this age of cash and context, the Scarborough Festival still takes place but its nature has changed. For evidence of this one had only to glance at the Division One table before this match or observe the admirable Steven Mullaney’s reactions as he ran out Adam Lyth and took three vital wickets on the game’s opening morning.Mullaney reckons his team may need three more wins to avoid relegation; meanwhile, near the top of Division One, Yorkshire are 26 points behind Middlesex and this is their game in hand.So a great deal may depend on the result of this seemingly festal cricket match. There could therefore have been few better times for Andy Hodd to make 96 not out, his best score for Yorkshire, or for Azeem Rafiq to help him add 132 for the seventh wicket. Their partnership revived a side whose top-order batting remains very flaky and it snuffed out any Nottinghamshire hopes that they would seize a decisive early advantage.The crowd is wrapped up in it all at Scarborough, too. As at most outgrounds, with North Marine Road and Cheltenham the grandest of the genre, they are closer to the action and their joys are thus plainer than they might be when expressed from half way up a tiered concrete mountain. Their disappointment could also be touched when Whitby-born Lyth was run out at the bowler’s end, Mullaney tipping a fierce drive from Alex Lees on to the stumps and wheeling away in glee like a boy who had snagged an apple.The concern of most of the 5000 folk in the ground turned to plain worry half an hour later as Yorkshire slipped helplessly to 36 for 4. Lees and Jake Lehmann both edged catches in the slips when failing to cover Mullaney’s movement on a heavy morning and Gary Ballance was leg before to an inswinger from Luke Fletcher.Then it all got worse for Yorkshire as Tim Bresnan was lbw when playing no shot and Jack Leaning was caught at second slip by Patel when playing a rotten one. These dismissals sent the North Marine Road diehards into a rumble of discontent and understandably so. Bresnan, normally the shrewdest of cricketers, fell to Mullaney’s umpteenth inswinger of the morning while Leaning played the sort of stroke he might favour when giving his team mates their morning catching practice.This latter limpness was particularly ill-timed, given that Leaning, like Rafiq, had been presented with his first-team cap by the club president John Hampshire 20 minutes before play began. In the old days the former Yorkshire skipper, Brian Sellers, might have advocated that same cap being depetalled at tea. The current Director of Cricket, Martyn Moxon, may have to settle for a bollocking.As it turned out, 51 for 6 represented Yorkshire’s lowest point of the day, just as it may yet be viewed as Nottinghamshire’s best moment of the whole match as Rafiq and Hodd countered. Rafiq hit five boundaries before lunch with a clip square off Brett Hutton offering a portent of his later aggression. Hodd also started as he meant to go on, working his three fours to third man or long leg.In the afternoon, they strengthened the recovery. Rafiq drove Hutton through the leg side for successive fours and went to his fifty off 75 balls. Hodd played the supporting role to perfection, plainly realising that this was a day on which every run was precious.It was Nottinghamshire’s spinners who eventually made the breakthrough, Patel being a trifle fortunate to have Rafiq lbw when the ball seemed to be straying down leg and Imran Tahir dismissing Patterson in similar but less controversial manner. By now, though, Read’s bowlers had lost their grip and every fielding error was chi-iked by the crowd at the Peasholm Park End.Jack Brooks only improved the crowd’s mood during his 66-ball 48, an innings which included seven fours and a hooked six off Mullaney which rather symbolised the changed balance of the game. Hodd again took his cue from his partner, a strange and flattering position for Brooks to occupy but one which he probably rather enjoyed. And Yorkshire’s No 10 was only five short of his best first-class score of 53 when he cut a ball from Brett Hutton onto his stumps, leaving Hodd to negotiate his way to three figures with Ryan Sidebottom for company.A couple of singles took the Yorkshire wicketkeeper to within a boundary of his goal but Sidebottom propped forward to Hutton in a manner which proved to be nothing like as reliable as it used to be in the days before DRS. Hodd took a standing ovation from the crowd as he ran off to get ready to keep wicket.As is so often the case, late resistance, such as Brooks and Hodd’s 88-run stand, helped to take early wickets. Jake Libby was lbw for a first-ball nought to Brooks’s first delivery of the innings and Tom Moores, who was making his Nottinghamshire debut, nicked Bresnan to Lyth at slip in the final over of the day.

Waqar Younis on , on the various issues facing Pakistan cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2016It’s hard for Pakistan to replace cricketers at the national level these days, because there are few top-class replacements coming through from domestic cricket – one of the fallouts of Pakistan’s international isolation, says Waqar Younis.4:37

‘We have forgotten first-class cricket’ – Waqar

‘Passion for cricket needs to be looked after’Cricket brings the nation together, but the lack of cricket in Pakistan means people will move away from the game if their passion is not nurtured.1:02

‘Passion for cricket needs to be looked after’ – Waqar

‘Was more upset with Butt than Amir’Waqar on how he, as Pakistan coach, reacted to the news of the spot-fixing in 2010, in what was a “sickening” time for all involved.4:39

‘Was more upset with Butt than Amir’ – Waqar

‘In our days there was no analytical information’Data analysis is now a part of Pakistan cricket, but one must be careful to not over-coach naturally skilled players, says Waqar Younis.1:36

‘In our days there was no analytical information’ – Waqar

A dominant Australia Women side thumped Sri Lanka Women by ten wickets in the one-off T20I in Colombo with 71 balls to spare, the largest margin of victory (by balls remaining) in women’s T20 cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Sep-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Kristen Beams troubled Sri Lanka Women again, taking 3 for 11 in her four overs•Getty Images/ICC

A dominant Australia Women side thumped Sri Lanka Women by ten wickets in the one-off T20I in Colombo, chasing down a target of 60 with 71 balls to spare, the largest margin of victory (by balls remaining) in women’s T20 cricket. Australia, who had swept the preceding ODI series 4-0, bettered the record of 70 balls set by New Zealand in 2010.Put in to bat, Sri Lanka struggled from the outset, extending their poor form shown during the one-day series. In the middle stage, between the 11th and 14th overs, the team lost five wickets for eight runs, before labouring to 59 for 8. Kristen Beams, who had returns of 3 for 11, took all her wickets during that slide, and also dismissed Eshani Lokusuriyage and Ama Kanchana off successive deliveries in the 13th over. Beams was the top wicket-taker in the ODI series with 13 dismissals.Sri Lanka lost five batsmen to Australia’s spinners – Beams, Jess Jonassen and Erin Osborne – and two to run-outs. Opener Lasanthi Madushani top-scored with 17, and the next best score was 8 from No. 10 batsman Inoka Ranaweera.Openers Beth Mooney and Elyse Villani struck 55 in the Powerplay, and took another 13 balls to wrap up the win. Australia captain Meg Lanning missed the game due to an illness and Alex Blackwell led the side in her place.

Alagappan Muthu in Rajkot07-Nov-20161:17

India’s history with DRS

Ajinkya Rahane’s plate is fairly full in Test cricket. At No. 5, he has often been the leader of an Indian counterattack. In the field, he is the first-choice at first slip for the spinners. Since the away series against West Indies in 2016, he has been vice-captain. One more responsibility has fallen on his shoulders ahead of the five Tests against England at home: helping India make optimum use of the Decision Review System, especially considering the hosts will be using it for the first time in a Test series since 2011, whereas England have rarely ever played without it.”It is a completely new concept for all of us,” Rahane said. “We’ll have to wait and see about the DRS, but yes, we’ve been discussing about this from the last series and we had some plan. Wicketkeeper is obviously very important and as a slip fielder, you have that role to convey that message to the captain and also bowler.”As a batsman, you are completely involved in the game, you have to see where the ball is going and you have to convey that message to your partner. You have to be sure all the time.”When asked if DRS might be a key influence on the outcome of the series, Rahane said: “Yes, but that comes later on, We will spend some time explaining about DRS, how it works and how we should approach it. But the main focus is to play good cricket here. DRS obviously comes later on.”We want to dominate this series, we’ve been playing some very good cricket in the last one, one-and-a-half years. So important to start well here in Rajkot and continue that momentum into the series.”The BCCI had been, for a long time, reluctant to use DRS because it felt the system could not provide 100% accuracy. MS Dhoni had previously wondered if the system existed to reach the correct decision or if it was there to protect the on-field umpire’s call. With time, however, the technology has improved which in turn has helped change the team’s view. Since their visit to Bangladesh in 2015, Virat Kohli’s first tour as full-time Test captain, India have spoken about how they were discussing the implementation of DRS. Anil Kumble’s inputs must have helped – the current India coach is also chairman of the ICC’s cricket committee, which has been working towards eradicating the possibility of faults in the system.In October, ICC general manager Geoff Allardice made a presentation to the BCCI about the improvements that have been made over the years. The HawkEye cameras that were used for ball-tracking in the 2011 World Cup in India recorded 50-75 frames per second. The ones in this series can record 340 frames per second. This means there is more data to calculate the predicted path of the ball – say, after it hits the pad in case of lbw decisions – and therefore less chance of error. Also with respect to the lbw protocol, the ICC has tweaked the rule to effectively make the stumps larger and as such there is the possibility that not-out calls made on the field have a high chance of being overturned by the third umpire.The BCCI is yet to reach a decision on whether it will continue using DRS after the England series.