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Hollioake too won’t join the depleted coaching staff as planned due to covid reasons

Andrew McGlashan02-Jan-2022Covid continued to stalk England’s preparations for the Sydney Test with Adam Hollioake unable to join the depleted coaching staff as planned, a scare involving the net bowlers at the ground on Sunday and a positive test for head coach Chris Silverwood.Hollioake, the former England ODI who now lives on the Gold Coast, had been due to join the squad which has seen Silverwood, pace bowling coach Jon Lewis, spin coach Jeetan Patel and strength and conditioning specialist Darren Veness all isolating in Melbourne. However he became a close contact and was forced into seven days isolation.It was confirmed later on Sunday that Silverwood had now tested positive. “He will remain in isolation until January 8. Silverwood is asymptomatic and is fully vaccinated,” the ECB said in a statement. “He is expected to return to the England party in Hobart ahead of the fifth Ashes Test.”During the team’s first training session at the SCG the net bowlers had to be withdrawn after one returned a positive test and the others were deemed close contacts.Both squads have been undergoing regular Covid-19 tests since the first case emerged in the England touring party on December 27. So far Travis Head is the only case among the Australia squad.England’s lack of coaches and net bowlers meant that captain Joe Root was among those who spent time giving throwdowns during today’s session. Assistant coach Graham Thorpe has taken charge for the Sydney Test supported by Ant Botha and James Foster.”We’ve had a lot of support staff missing,” Zak Crawley said. “But the lads have all worked together today, we’ve tried to all help out. We’ve all pulled together and have pulled through.”Crawley added that he would be comfortable if protocols were increased around the teams to ensure the series could be completed. Currently, the squads are under CA’s Level 4 restrictions which means they can still dine outdoors and have some level of freedom. New South Wales reported over 18,000 Covid-cases on Sunday.”We haven’t got long left,” he said. “I can’t speak for everyone on that but I want to play the two Tests.”Glenn McGrath has also tested positive meaning he will be unable to take part in events leading into the Test which raises money for the Jane McGrath cancer foundation.

The 33-year-old was part of the Sri Lankan side that won the T20 World Cup in 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2023Sri Lanka batter Lahiru Thirimanne has announced his retirement from international cricket after a 13-year career.”As a player I have given my best, I have tried my best, I have respected the game and I have done my duty honestly and ethically to my motherland,” Thirimanne posted on Facebook on Saturday.”It was a difficult decision to make, but I cannot mention here the many unexpected reasons that influenced me to take this decision willingly or unwillingly. I take this opportunity to thank the SLC members, my coaches, teammates, physios, trainers and analysts for their support and encouragement.”Thirimanne, 33, played 44 Tests, 127 ODIs and 26 T20Is after making his international debut in 2010. He was part of three T20 World Cup campaigns, including Sri Lanka’s win in 2014, and played two ODI World Cups. He also led Sri Lanka in five ODIs.”Absolute honor to have the opportunity to represent the country,” he posted on Instagram. “Thanks a lot for the 13 years of amazing memories and well wishes thru out my journey (sic). See you on the other side.”His last international match was the Test against India in Bengaluru in March 2022. The last of his three Test centuries came against Bangladesh in 2021 when his 140 helped Sri Lanka win the match in Pallekele. He was especially impressive in ODIs in 2015 when he scored 861 runs in 25 games with one century and six half-centuries.Thirimanne played first-class cricket in the most recent season in Sri Lanka, but has lived in Australia for much of the past two years. He has not been consistently available for Test selection, and has since been replaced at the top of the order by the likes of Nishan Madushka and Pathum Nissanka.

Manchester Originals take their defence of 120 to the wire in low-scoring thriller

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Sep-2022Trent Rockets 121 for 8 (Malan 19, Little 2-18) beat Manchester Originals 120 for 9 (Turner 26, Cook 4-18) by two wicketsOne of the many criticisms of the 2022 edition of the men’s Hundred was the lack of close finishes. The kind which build legends and tear down legacies, or even simply give mortals a taste of nectar or soul-crushing agony. Now, in the 32nd and final game, we had it.Trent Rockets won the Hundred, and to work out how would require starting right at the end. A chase of 121 which always felt on the verge of going off the rails had somehow stayed upright until the final five deliveries, with a seemingly unlikely 11 required for victory. Lewis Gregory, captain of the Rockets, Somerset till he dies, England once in a while, found them within three.A miraculous flat six over square leg from a near-perfect leg-stump yorker was the surprise knife into the side of Manchester Originals. The four flicked around the corner from a next-ball full toss, then the single to take Rockets over the line, simply twisted it.As Gregory roared like a man finally being allowed to exorcise the tension he had managed so well up to that point, Richard Gleeson fell to his knees, eyes red from the pain of knowing he was most to blame. More so through having the courage and trust to deliver that final set. His second ball could have been better, but the first was more or less exactly what he wanted. It didn’t matter what the third was.Having been there at the end of Lancashire’s last-ball defeat in the Vitality Blast final against Hampshire, this was another demoralising moment for Gleeson – at the end of an otherwise breakthrough summer in which he’s made his England debut and earned a role as a designated reserve for the T20 World Cup. One crumb of comfort was how quickly he rose to his feet to congratulate the victors. The 34-year-old is no stranger to returning from adversity.How we got to this finish will remain a mystery, because nothing about how the match’s previous 195 deliveries suggested anything close to a high drama, high-quality finale. There was ebb and flow, which isn’t exactly what this format is supposed to be about. The scores and balls go up, then they come down, while the broadcasters assure you this is the best thing ever. By the end, they weren’t even hamming it up.Everyone got what they wanted at the toss. Manchester Originals chose to bat first, which suited Trent Rockets who were going to bowl. Midway through the fifth set, with Originals reeling on 22 for three – captain Laurie Evans, wily fox Wayne Madsen and soon-to-be England’s T20 starting opener Phil Salt all seen off in the space of 23 balls – it looked like one team had it very wrong.Sam Cook made the initial breakthroughs•Getty Images

Perhaps cues should have been taken from the women’s game. Oval Invincibles played a tacky pitch better than Southern Brave, in part because they could plan a route to their target of 102 rather than thrash around blindly on a pitch that wasn’t conducive to an engaging spectacle. By CricViz’s metrics, this was the toughest surface for batting in the Hundred this season.It was made that little harder by Sam Cook and Samit Patel, whose variants of seam and spin claimed four for 18 and three for 23 respectively. Cook’s were split evenly between the first 20 and final 20 deliveries. Evans was trapped lbw and Madsen bowled, before he returned at the death to remove Tom Lammonby with a leg-stump yorker and then castle Gleeson.Patel’s work, however, kept an explosive middle-order under wraps. Tristan Stubbs was undone by a bit of bounce – a top-edged sweep to fine leg taken superbly by wicketkeeper Tom Moores as he tracked the ball towards fine leg. The long levers of Walter came and went, as a leading edge found a sprawling Dawid Malan at cover to leave Patel on a hat-trick.The third did not come immediately, but it was perhaps the most valuable of the lot. Ashton Turner, Originals’ replacement for Andre Russell, was finding more joy than any of his team-mates, even striking Patel into the stands at midwicket for the only six of the innings. An attempt to repeat the shot against the 37-year-old found Cook in the deep. Nevertheless, the Australian’s jolt of adrenaline was enough for the tail to sneak to 120.Even with the deck as it was, the expectation was of a comfortable Rockets win, given a line-up packed full of international experience. However, their three T20I centurions all underwhelmed: Alex Hales clubbed Little to cover, Malan (19) gifted Stubbs a leading edge into the covers off Walter, and Colin Munro (16) gave Parkinson the last laugh with a catch at long-off after striking him for back-to-back fours.Patel offered little with the bat. He was struck on the head by a Walter short ball and then fell for just nine from 13 to leave a testing yet achievable 36 from 26. By the final 15, just after Moores had become Walter’s second, there were 24 required which became 15 from 13 when a scampered three was followed by a Daniel Sams heave to leg off Tom Hartley that was carried over the boundary by Lammonby.Related

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Another go at clearing that region went too straight and into Stubbs’ mitts at long-on, the first of two wickets for four runs in the eight balls that led to Gleeson’s fateful final five.The journey to that point had been long and winding, beginning at the start of August and featuring a Friday-night detour to the Ageas Bowl for Manchester Originals to earn the right to be here. And now, thanks to two wickets each for Little, Walter, Hartley and Parkinson, they were on the verge of doing it the hard way. Now they’ll have to start from the beginning and do it all again.As for the Rockets, this was no less than they deserved. They have set the standard in the men’s competition, right down to leaning on Nottinghamshire’s fashioning of Trent Bridge into one of the best short-form venue experiences in the world. For the longest time, the ground and the county have set a high standard for white ball cricket. Now they have another trophy to show for it, after a match that served a timely reminder that, no matter the format, cricket always wins.

The opener has arrived home from India after injury but will return for the ODIs

AAP23-Feb-20232:35

Chopra: Head is potentially Australia’s long-term Test opener

David Warner is not feeling the pressure and has vowed to play international cricket until 2024 even if the selectors end his prolific Test career.He arrived back in Sydney on Thursday after his tour of India was cut short due to a fractured elbow. Warner also suffered a concussion during the second Test defeat in Delhi and was subbed out of the match before play on day two.Related

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But the 36-year-old believes he is the right man to open the batting on this year’s Ashes tour despite scoring just one Test century during the last three years.”I’ve always said I’m playing to 2024; if the selectors feel that I’m not worthy of my spot, then so be it, and I can push on to the white-ball stuff,” Warner told reporters at Sydney Airport. “I’ve got the next 12 months, a lot of cricket’s ahead for the team and if I can keep scoring runs and putting my best foot forward for the team and I can help my spot, it’d be great for the team.”It’s easy pickings [for critics] when you’re 36 going on 37. I’ve seen it before with the ex-players as well. So for me if I’m taking pressure off the rest of the other guys, and no one’s worrying about the rest of the team, I’m happy to do that.”David Warner has left the India tour early•Associated Press

When asked if Warner was still in Australia’s plans for the five-Test tour of England in June, Australia selector Tony Dodemaide declined to commit to the aggressive left-hander.”We’re worried about what we can get out of these remaining two Tests [in India], obviously that’s a clear focus for us at the moment,” Dodemaide said on Wednesday.”We’ll address the Ashes planning [at a later time], but we are committed to picking the best fit and available players for Test series, particularly something as big as the Ashes.”That’s not a question that we’ve addressed so far. We are very keen, as everyone I’m sure at home would be, for us to get something out of this remaining series.”Warner has been joined by fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and bowling allrounder Ashton Agar in exiting the troubled tour, with Australia trailing 0-2 and their hopes of regaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy already over.

Trio of middle order fifties see hosts recover from 46 for 3, with Tom Banton unbeaten on 57

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay29-Jun-2025Somerset 275 for 6 (Abell 64, Rew 58, Abbas 2-45) vs NottinghamshireHalf-centuries from James Rew, Tom Abell and Tom Banton dug Somerset out of trouble on a compelling first day of the Rothesay County Championship match with Division One leaders Nottinghamshire at the Cooper Associates Ground, Taunton.A crowd of just under 3,000 saw the home side slip to 46 for three after winning the toss before Rew (58), Abell (64) and Banton (57 not out) guided them to 275 for 6 at the close. There were two wickets each for Mohammad Abbas and Brett Hutton.All the Notts bowlers displayed commendable accuracy to ensure their opponents could never cut loose and the pitch offered them just enough assistance to ensure an absorbing contest between bat and ball.Somerset opted for a new opening partnership of Sean Dickson and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, but were soon in trouble as, with only ten runs on the board, Dickson fell lbw to Hutton for a duck, advancing down the pitch.Soon it was 22 for 2 as Tom Lammonby, on two, played forward and edged a catch to wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan to give Hutton a second wicket. Kohler-Cadmore had begun positively and hit five fours in scoring 31 off 55 balls before getting a good delivery from Mohammad Abbas that left him off the pitch, forcing an edge that was again snapped up by Kishan.At 46 for three in the 15th over, Somerset were in hole. But there was no great movement in the air or off the pitch for the seamers and Patterson-White’s left-arm spin was soon introduced from the River End as Rew and Abell went about rebuilding the innings.By lunch they had taken the total to 100 for 3 from 31 overs, Rew looking the more fluent in moving to 41, while Abell had battled for his 17. The afternoon session saw Rew move to a half-century off 86 balls, including 8 fours, making good use of the sweep against the spinners.Abell had gradually found his timing and placement, but when the stand had progressed to 99 from 34.4 overs, Rew straight drove a delivery from seamer Lyndon James, who stooped to take a sharp return catch.It looked an important breakthrough for the visitors, although Abell was looking an increasing threat as he moved to fifty off 126 balls, with five fours. Banton, struggling for form since a triple century in the opening game of the season against Worcestershire, was given a life on two when Patterson-White spilled a relatively straightforward chance at first slip off James.Patterson-White quickly atoned by taking the valuable wicket of Abell, who spared the umpire a decision by turning to walk off after feathering a catch to Kishan down the leg side. At 179 for 5, Somerset were back under pressure and just six runs had been added when tea was taken.Notts had bowled well all day, giving little away, and that continued in the final session, which saw Banton and Archie Vaughan made to fight for every run on the normally fast-scoring ground. Both displayed exemplary concentration and careful shot selection to put together a half-century stand from 83 balls.Despite a short boundary on the town side of the ground, the scoring rate was only fractionally above three an over when the second new ball became available at 243 for 5. The impressive Abbas struck with it in the 83rd over, as Vaughan, on 35, aimed a back-foot forcing shot and was caught at a wide third slip by Jack Haynes.Banton, who loves nothing more than dominating a bowling attack, showed the required degree of restraint to reach fifty off 103 balls, having hit five fours. Kasey Aldridge, recalled to the Somerset team, proved an equally determined partner in taking Somerset through to the close, scoring just four off 34 balls.

Rajah managed the men’s national team from 1992 till his retirement in 2011

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2021Goolam Rajah, the former manager of the South Africa men’s cricket team, has died of Covid-19-related complications in Johannesburg. Rajah was 74. He had spent most of the last two months on ventilator in a hospital in the city, but succumbed as South Africa, and the Gauteng province in particular, deals with a massive surge in Covid-19 cases.Related

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Rajah, a pharmacist by profession, managed the national men’s side from 1992 until his retirement in 2011, and was known to be much loved by the players. He was in the dressing room for many big moments, including the memorable 1999 World Cup semi-final, where he remembered seeing the players cry after South Africa were knocked out.Rajah had been with the team for more than 600 matches, working alongside as many as 107 players.”It is a very sad day for the South African Cricket Family,” CSA Acting Chief Executive Pholetsi Moseki said. “Goolam was a very special human being who has touched so many lives in a positive way in the 30 years we have enjoyed being a democratic cricket organization.
“We all have our special memories of him which we will treasure. He was truly a man who gave a great deal to the game of cricket and to everybody involved in it. “Former captain Graeme Smith said Rajah was like a “father figure” for most of the players.”He took care of everything with such detail that the players were able to focus totally on the cricket and that was why his tenure was so successful,” Smith said. “The players were particularly appreciative of the way he looked after their wives and partners on away tours. We will indeed be fortunate to see his like again.”