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Al-Amin’s burst of lively swing bowling on a sluggish wicket proved to be the difference as Barisal Bulls defended 109 in style against Sylhet Superstars

The report by Mohammad Isam24-Nov-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAl-Amin’s burst of lively swing bowling on a sluggish wicket proved to be the difference in a low-scoring thriller•Raton Gomes/BCB

A second five-wicket haul in T20s for Al-Amin Hossain, which included his second hat-trick, helped Barisal Bulls nip out a low-scoring one-run thriller against Sylhet Superstars.After taking four wickets in the first two overs, Al-Amin’s fifth was Nazmul Hossain Milon, who was caught superbly by Taijul Islam at cover in the penultimate over. Crucially however, Fidel Edwards speared a four through the cover off his last ball, ensuring eight were needed in the last over.Taijul took the wicket of Mohammad Shahid in the first ball to make it his third and then Fidel Edwards took two and one off the next two balls, giving Subashis Roy the strike for the fourth ball. He missed that one and then ticked off a single to cover. But with four needed, Edwards and Subashis took two runs to end a thrilling encounter.Al-Amin was the hero. He already has a T20 record to his name after becoming the first bowler to take five wickets in a single over in the Victory Day T20 tournament in 2013. Back then, he took four off four balls to become only the second bowler to do so after Andre Russell.On Tuesday evening, his hat-trick was the second in BPL after Mohammad Sami, incidentally bowling from the other end in this game, did it in the first edition in 2012 while playing for Duronto Rajshahi, against Dhaka Gladiators in 2012.Al-Amin’s day started differently as he got into a tiff by barging into Mohammad Shahid after being dismissed in the final over of the innings. It needed Mushfiqur Rahim and the umpires had to separate the two as the teams walked off.From the beginning of Barisal’s 108-run defense, Al-Amin looked focused. He had one jump on Mominul Haque in his first over, taking the edge to make the first breakthrough. In his next over, he had Bopara doing the same, edging an attempted square-drive to make it 18 for 2.
Off the next ball, he got one to sharply nip back at Nurul Hasan who had no answer and saw the ball thud into his stumps. Mushfiqur came out to prevent the hat-trick that he couldn’t as the ball sneaked through his prod to take the top of middle.Owais Shah and Dilshan Munaweera, who was at the other end during the hat-trick, tried to take stock with a 43-run fifth wicket stand but both fell in the 12th over to Taijul Islam. Munaweera made 36 off 31 balls with six fours.Sami bowled at good pace, picking up the late wicket of Nazmul Islam, giving away just nine runs in four overs to build pressure.
Barisal’s batting however continued to struggle as they never caught on to any rhythm. Rony Talukdar and Shahriar Nafees bettered their start from the previous game but both fell in consecutive deliveries with the score on 34. Paceman Subashis Roy had Rony caught behind for 20 while Nafees top-edged to point where Bopara took a fine catch running backwards for 12.Brendan Taylor was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam before Mahmudullah was run out in the next over. When Sabbir, Seekkuge Prasanna and Kevon Cooper fell in quick succession, the innings looked set to fold under a 100. But Nadif Chowdhury contributed a vital cameo helped take the total past 100, which proved just about enough in the end.

Myles Hodgson at Old Trafford10-May-2013Lancashire 177 (Phillips 3-20) and 253 for 7 (Prince 80, Brown 80, Topley 5-80) beat Essex 226 (Napier 102*, Procter 4-66) and 203 for 3 dec (Cook 60, Mickleburgh 53*) by three wickets
ScorecardSaj Mahmood suffered another head-in-hands moment against his former club•Getty Images

Sajid Mahmood may have pictured a triumphant homecoming on his return to Old Trafford with Essex, who he joined following an acrimonious departure from Lancashire during the winter, but instead he suffered a final day that will haunt him for many years to come.The stage was set for Mahmood, furious that Lancashire were not prepared to offer him a new contract at the end of last season, to deny his former team a thrilling victory as they attempted to chase down 253 off 51 overs on the final afternoon. That target was later reduced by four overs by an interruption for bad light, but it was Mahmood’s intervention that proved decisive.Given the responsibility to bowl the 44th over of the innings, with Lancashire needing 32 to win off the final four overs, it was pretty much the turning point of the match as Steven Croft helping himself to 15 off the final five balls, including a six over midwicket and an all-run four through the covers.If that was not enough of a setback for Mahmood, he was to play an even bigger role in the final over, with Lancashire needing five runs to win having lost three wickets in the previous over. They scored four off the first four deliveries before Wayne White launched Graham Napier to Mahmood at long leg, only for him to spill the regulation catch and allow the single to be scrambled that secured victory.”When we saw that last ball, we all ended up with mixed feelings,” said Karl Brown, whose 80 in a 169-run stand with Ashwell Prince proved crucial to Lancashire’s win. “Saj is a great mate of a lot of the lads, we’ve played with him for a long time and it’s not nice to see that happen. We won the game so we were really happy, but I think we all spared a thought for Saj because that’s not nice when that happens, especially to someone you’re so close to.”Lancashire’s triumph came a week after they dismissed Glamorgan for 139 at Colwyn Bay chasing 154 for victory and boosts their promotion hopes. That the umpires saw fit to dock each side a point for slow over rates was barely noticed in either dressing room after such a compelling advert for county cricket.Essex, in particular, deserve plenty of credit for their role in such an exciting finale. Having reached 203 for 3 overnight and in little trouble, they could have watched from the dressing room for the final afternoon and enjoyed batting practice in the middle.Instead they set up a game to remember and so nearly secured an astonishing win themselves. They began the final afternoon impressively, dismissing both Lancashire openers in the space of three balls to leave them struggling on 13 for 2. Despite an outstanding opening spell from Reece Topley, and Mahood troubling Lancashire’s batsmen with his pace and bounce, Essex could not dislodge Brown and Prince during their 198-ball partnership.Both fell in quick succession for 80, Prince bowled by Topley making himself room and Brown in similar fashion to Napier, only for Steven Croft and Simon Katich to add 41 in four overs to leave Lancashire needing 12 off the final two overs.Just as victory was in sight, Topley responded by claiming three wickets in an over to finish with 5 for 80, with Croft falling to a brilliant diving catch from Rob Quiney in the deep that forced him off the field with a shoulder injury.It left Lancashire facing a tense final over, which was finally settled by Mahmood’s misfield, and left Essex rueing missed opportunities. “We took a bit of a punt, but the way we’d been playing, showing a lot of character and skill, we thought it was an excellent opportunity to get a win under our belts and get a lot of points,” captain James Foster said. “It was a risk but we thought it was a calculated risk.”

With the tour of the West Indies successfully completed, Australia captain Michael Clarke has said he is now looking forward to joining Pune Warriors at the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2012With a successful tour of the West Indies completed, Australia captain Michael Clarke has now shifted his focus to what will be his first stint at the IPL. Clarke is expected to arrive in India on April 30, to join his franchise, Pune Warriors. This will be something of a Twenty20 return for Clarke, who last played in the shortest format in October 2010.”The crowds look fantastic [at the IPL] and it’s going to be nice. To be honest with you, to be back playing some Twenty20 cricket, I’m looking forward to that. I’ve never been to the IPL. I’ve said for a long time that when the opportunity comes up and I feel that it’s right for me, I’d love to get over there and have a crack and see what it’s like,” Clarke said after the Dominica Test. “I am looking forward to it. We [Australia] have a good break this winter. I’ve only got two one-day tours the whole winter, so if I was ever going to go this is the opportunity.”In 2009, Clarke had pulled out of the IPL auction, citing Australia’s busy schedule. He then retired from Twenty20 internationals in January 2011 in order to focus on ODIs and Tests. In fact, the only domestic Twenty20 games he has played were six matches way back in 2004, for Hampshire in England.

The other Australia players headed to the IPL

Shane Watson – Rajasthan Royals
Michael Hussey – Chennai Super Kings
Ben Hilfenhaus – Chennai Super Kings
Ryan Harris – Kings XI Punjab
David Warner – Delhi Daredevils

Clarke said he is happy to play under former India captain Sourav Ganguly and observe his method of working. “I think that Sourav’s always been a nice guy. I’ve always got along with him well and I look forward to playing under him. It seems like he’s doing a really good job as captain-coach over there, I’ve spoken to a couple of the boys and they seem to be really happy about how things are. So, yeah, for me it’s an eye-opener.”At the time of signing Clarke, Warriors captain Ganguly had said the franchise were interested in Clarke, despite his lack of Twenty20 experience, since he has all-round ability. “He can bat and he can bowl. He is a big player,” Ganguly had told ESPNcricinfo. Ganguly will now be hoping that Clarke’s arrival will help thwart what has been a poor run for Warriors – the team had begun the tournament well, winning three of their first four games, but have since lost four of five.

Impressive bowling from Rikki Clarke and Boyd Rankin put Warwickshire on top after the opening day against Lancashire

George Dobell at Edgbaston04-May-2011
ScorecardBoyd Rankin took five wickets against Lancashire but it was Rikki Clarke who impressed the most•Getty Images

Read any article about Rikki Clarke and the word ‘potential’ will occur as frequently as a half-volley used to appear in one of his overs. And that’s pretty often. Indeed, ‘potential’ might just be the most over-used word in cricket. Some players are described as full of potential well into their 30s.Now, however, a decade into a career that has so far promised far more than it has delivered, Clarke finally seems to be fulfilling some of the immense talent that first earned him an England call-up at the age of just 21.The 29-year-old Clarke is now, against all expectations, emerging as the most reliable member of an impressive Warwickshire attack. After several years where his bowling had become almost irrelevant, Clarke has finally found the consistency to add to the pace and skill he has always possessed.Warwickshire were certainly grateful for his bowling on the first day of their Championship match against Lancashire. Clarke, bowling with pace, hostility and, more pertinently, consistency, claimed three top-order wickets, three catches and played a key role in bowling Lancashire out for just 227. So, might he now be fulfilling all that expectation?”That word ‘potential’ has been there ever since I was 18 or 19,” Clarke said afterwards. “And I’ll admit that there were probably times when I played for England and I didn’t warrant a place. I got there on potential.”Why have I not fully fulfilled that potential? Well, it’s not for lack of trying, I can tell you. But maybe I did take that potential for granted a little bit. I’m definitely working harder than ever before and I’ve taken playing for England out of the equation. I’m just not thinking about it.”There’s still time. You just look at other guys like Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett and Ryan Sidebottom. They showed you can come back into the side. If they can do it, so can I. And I know this is a cliche, but the best thing I can do now, is just concentrate on taking each day as it comes and doing my best for Warwickshire.”I know my game far better now. I know my bowling action and I feel really comfortable and confident. I’m at a club where I’m backed and I feel I can relax a bit more and enjoy my cricket.”There are many who doubt Clarke and he knows he’ll have to do perform over a much longer period to win them over. There are few men in county cricket who can bowl at pace and command a place in the top six of their batting line-up, however, so if Clarke continues his current form, he may yet have more of a role to play in international cricket.The first day of this game was not all about Clarke, however. Boyd Rankin bowled equally as well and, thanks to some tailend wickets, ended up with the more impressive figures. The lofty Irishman, extracting nasty lift from the sluggish surface, claimed his second five-wicket haul in three Championship games and wrapped up the Lancashire innings by taking the final three wickets at the cost of one run in just five balls.Rankin, encouraged to bowl short by his captain, Ian Bell, proved too hostile for the lower-order and troubled all the batsmen with his probing line and steep bounce. He, too, may yet have a role to play for England. While there are a couple of similar bowlers ahead of him in the queue at present – Tremlett and Finn spring to mind – Rankin is only 26 and still seems to be improving.”I want to play cricket at the highest level I can,” Rankin said afterwards. “In an ideal world that would be for Ireland but, to be honest, I can’t see Ireland getting Test status in the near future. I can’t see it happening in my playing lifetime.”And if the ICC decide to exclude us from the World Cup, there will be very little incentive for us. The World Cup gives us something to aim for. If they don’t let us play, you’ll see loads more young Irish lads come over to play in England and cricket in Ireland will just fade away.”This was not a particularly impressive batting display from Lancashire, however. Karl Brown and Steven Croft both fell when they left straight deliveries, while Mark Chilton edged a horribly loose drive and Gareth Cross rather spoiled his fine innings when he played on as he attempted to force without foot movement.Their entire innings was built around two noteworthy stands. First Stephen Moore and Chilton added 63 for the third wicket, before Cross and Luke Procter added 90 for the sixth. None of them managed to convert their good starts into the substantial innings their team needed, however. Moore, dropped by Clarke at slip off Rankin when he had 45, was unable to capitalise and was adjudged lbw after he propped half forward to the same bowler. It was the sixth time in nine innings this season that Moore has been dismissed with his score between 45 and 73.When Procter fell, prodding at one outside off stump, it precipitated a dramatic collapse, with. Lancashire losing their last five wickets for the addition of just eight runs in 40 balls. It’s the first time Lancashire have been dismissed for under 450 in their first innings this season. On a pitch of variable bounce, however, it may not prove to be quite such an inadequate total as it seems at first glance.James Anderson, bowling with good pace, soon dismissed William Porterfield with one that nipped back when Warwickshire began their reply. But Bell and Varun Chopra survived a torrid evening session to see their side to the close without further loss. Bell is captaining Warwickshire in place of the injured Jim Troughton, who hurt his shoulder in the field on Monday, while last season’s captain, Ian Westwood, was dropped to make way for Jonathan Trott.Lancashire, meanwhile, are without Sajid Mahmood and Farveez Maharoof, both of whom are suffering from minor injuries. Instead, they are fielding two left-arm spinners, with Simon Kerrigan playing his first Championship game of the season. On a pitch which has so far favoured the seamers, it’s a decision that may come to rue.

Cricinfo previews the return match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai

The Preview by Nitin Sundar12-Apr-2010

Match facts

Mumbai v Delhi, Mumbai
Tuesday, April 13
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Will Delhi’s biggest name fire in a crunch game?•Indian Premier League

Big Picture

Delhi Daredevils have somehow managed to get into a tight spot. After reeling off four successive wins, they misfired against two relatively weak sides to be left competing with the midfield runners in the race to the semi-finals. Gautam Gambhir’s men will be desperate to reverse their losing run against Mumbai Indians, since the margin for error is minimal leading into their final set of league games.
All of Delhi’s three remaining matches are against teams that defeated them in the first half of the tournament. A win against Mumbai, besides taking them to second place, will give them confidence and some elbow-room, while defeat could put them into sudden-death mode. For a side that made it to the last four without much fuss in the previous editions, that will be a tough situation to handle.Mumbai are at the other end of the spectrum: Having almost reached the semis, for the first time in three years, they now have a few games to attain complete perfection ahead of the knockout stage. They were surprised twice in their last three matches and, on each occasion, their batting struggled when Sachin Tendulkar failed. The young Indians manning the top order – Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary – have shown class but not consistency, and Sanath Jayasuriya’s indifferent IPL continued against Rajasthan. In his current form, Tendulkar is capable of taking Mumbai all the way on his own, but it is in his team’s best interests to prepare for every eventuality.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai Indians WLLWW

Delhi Daredevils LLWWW

Team talk

Given Mumbai’s position and the impending World Twenty20, both Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga rightfully deserve breathers. It is unlikely that Mumbai will bench both of them in the same match and, depending on who sits out, either Dhawal Kulkarni or Ryan McLaren can expect to play. Jayasuriya has struggled to 33 runs in four matches and Dhawan deserves to reclaim the opening spot. Can Dwayne Bravo, a match-winner when he gets going, find a way back into the side?
Delhi are unlikely to make any changes despite losing their last game. Ashish Nehra should hold his spot, and so should Mithun Manhas ahead of Kedar Jadhav.

Previously…

Mumbai 2, Delhi 3
When these sides clashed earlier this year, Tendulkar and Tiwary smashed their way to a mammoth 218, which the hosts fell well short of on a Kotla pitch that slowed to a crawl under lights. Thankfully for Delhi, their bowling combination is now quite different to the one that was plundered in that game.

In the spotlight

Virender Sehwag knows he is due for a match-winning innings and must be itching to go after Mumbai’s strong pace attack. Without being even close to his best, he has been Delhi’s best batsman this year, and a Sehwag-special can seal the issue in a matter of overs. Mumbai have used Harbhajan Singh as a striking weapon with the new ball and if these two face off, expect sparks to fly.
It will take a brave man to bet against another Tendulkar show, and Gambhir will have to be spot on with his plans against him. Twice in three games, spin has contributed to his fall and Gambhir’s best bet may be to let his in-form slow men – Amit Mishra and Daniel Vettori – have a go at him.

Prime numbers

• Zaheer, Malinga and Harbhajan hold the 5th, 6th and 8th spots in the race for the purple cap, and have 38 wickets between them. No other team has more than two bowlers in the top-ten
• Sehwag’s 170.52 is the best strike-rate among the top ten run-scorers in the tournament
• Malinga is the only bowler with two entries in the top ten bowling performances of the tournament, with 4 for 22 against Kings XI Punjab and 3 for 12 against Deccan Chargers

The chatter

“I personally would prefer to play away matches as a batsman and bowler.”

“I better make sure I keep scoring fifties.”

It was the third time this IPL that MI failed to maintain a minimum over rate

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2024Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians captain, has been banned for one match for his team’s slow over rate against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium. MI have already played their last match of IPL 2024, which means Hardik will miss the team’s first match next season.In case Hardik moves to another team for the next season, he will miss that particular team’s first game.It was the third time this IPL that MI failed to maintain a minimum over rate. As a result, Hardik, apart from the one-match ban, was fined INR 30 lakhs and the rest of the playing XII, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 12 lakhs or 50% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.Related

• Suryakumar to lead in Hardik's absence in Mumbai Indians' IPL 2025 season opener

• Rahul on LSG missing the playoffs: 'Injuries and the guys that went away really dented us'

• MI finish bottom but Pooran-inspired win fails to take LSG into the playoffs

• Boucher admits off-field noise may have 'clouded' Hardik

It was a forgettable season for both MI and Hardik. The 18-run defeat to LSG meant MI finished with just four wins from their 14 games and finished at the bottom of the points table. Hardik, who had come in as a pre-season trade and had taken over captaincy from Rohit Sharma, was booed by the Wankhede crowd throughout the tournament. On the field, he scored 216 runs at an average of 18.00 and a strike rate of 143.04. With the ball, he took 11 wickets at an economy of 10.75.Mark Boucher, MI head coach, also admitted that the off-field noise might have “clouded” Hardik and played a part in the team’s “below-par” performance.

New Zealand pair will be available alongside Dane Vilas for Blast and Championship during busy summer period

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2023Lancashire have signed New Zealand pair Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomme on contracts that will cover the the Vitality T20 Blast and the start of the LV= Insurance County Championship.In a sign of the changing landscape for overseas players in the county game, Mitchell and de Grandhomme will join the squad alongside Dane Vilas, the club’s long-serving South African batter, who stood down last week as club captain but will continue to play for Lancashire this season.With only two overseas players permitted in the XI, Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, said having the trio available would “provide us with plenty of options for different matches and scenarios”.De Grandhomme, who has previously represented Hampshire, Surrey and Birmingham Bears, will link up with the club for the start of the summer, potentially playing in four Championship matches before the arrival of Mitchell ahead of the Somerset game on May 11. Both allrounders will be involved in the Blast, with Mitchell available for Championship fixtures against Hampshire, Surrey and Essex and de Grandhomme also providing cover during June and July.Related

• Keaton Jennings named Lancashire club captain

• Colin Munro joins Notts Outlaws for 2023 Blast

• Surrey bring in Sean Abbott for Championship and Blast

“We are really excited to add both Daryl and Colin to our squad and to be able to do so for such a large portion of the 2023 season – which was a key factor for us when looking to make overseas additions this year,” Chilton said.”The schedule, as it has been for the last few years, continues to be really challenging particularly in the middle part of the summer throughout May, June and July, due to the amount of cricket we’re playing in a short period. With that in mind, we want to ensure we’ve got enough strength in depth to cover for all eventualities and Daryl and Colin provide us with exactly that.”It has been a tricky process to try and add the right overseas players to our squad – in terms of both availability and quality – but I think we have found the perfect fit with two experienced international cricketers, who will bring quality to our changing room.”Colin will be with us from the very start against Surrey in the County Championship before Daryl joins up in mid-May, the pair will then both be available throughout our Vitality Blast campaign and, alongside Dane Vilas, provide us with plenty of options for different matches and scenarios.”Mitchell, who played for Middlesex in 2021 and was Blackpool CC’s professional in 2016, was New Zealand’s Player of the Series during last summer’s tour of England, when he scored 538 runs at 107.60.”I am delighted to be joining Lancashire this English summer,” he said. “The county has a proud history and having lived in Manchester as a child for a couple of years – it’s special to return in this way.”I had a taste of the Vitality Blast and County Championship with Middlesex in 2021 and I am really looking forward to trying to make contributions in both competitions for Lancashire this summer. The chance to test my skills again in two strong competitions is exciting as a player.”I really enjoy playing in English conditions and the special history of the game around the country. I have very fond memories of my two tours to England with New Zealand and hope to build more with Lancashire. It will also be great to link up with my old Blackpool team-mates Steven Croft and Richard Gleeson having played there for a summer in 2016.”De Grandhomme retired from international cricket last year and has a wealth of experience in T20 competitions around the world, playing in the BBL, IPL and CPL, as well as the Hundred in England.De Grandhomme added: “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of playing for Lancashire this season. I’ve loved playing county cricket previously and I can’t wait to get to England in April to kick off the season with the Red Rose.”Lancashire has an exciting squad who have been so close to silverware in the last couple of years, hopefully I can help to add some experience to the dressing room so that we can go one step further this season.”Emirates Old Trafford is a world-class venue, one which I have played at before in New Zealand colours and I can’t wait to pull on a Lancashire shirt in front of the club’s members and supporters.”

Their spinners were excellent last season while there are high hopes for import Tom Abell

Tristan Lavalette05-Dec-2021Captain Jimmy Peirson
Coach Wade SeccombeSquad
Tom Abell (England), Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Tom Cooper, Ben Duckett (England), Sam Heazlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Chris Lynn, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Mark Steketee, Connor Sully, Mitchell Swepson Jack Wildermuth, Matt Willians, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)In Tom Abell, Ben Duckett, Michael Neser (Strikers), Connor Sully
Out Joe Burns (Stars), Lewis Gregory, Ben Laughlin, Dan Lawrence, Simon Milenko, Morne Morkel, Jack WoodLast season Challenger

Another underwhelming season appeared to be on the cards for Heat after winning just one of their first five games as they lost skipper Chris Lynn to a hamstring injury. But with Jimmy Peirson taking the reins, the rejuvenated Heat lit a fuse and headed into the playoffs as an outside title threat boosted by the dazzling return of Test star Marnus Labuschagne. They lived up to the billing with impressive wins over Strikers and Thunder, where their explosive batting order calmly chased down totals. But they were blown away in the challenger by a rampaging Perth Scorchers to fall short of the final and cap off an inconsistent season.Related

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International impact
Heat could be hit hard by key absences, testing their depth and resolve. Lauschagne will miss most of the tournament due to the Ashes while prized recruit Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson and Mark Steketee are set to miss at least the start of the season due to Ashes and Australia A selections. Tom Abell will be absent at the start due to commitments with England Lions while hard-hitting English batter Ben Duckett will make his BBL debut after starring in the Hundred and is likely to be available for the entire tournament, so too Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman.Player to watch
BBL10 started slowly for destructive batter Chris Lynn, a headline act over the years and two-time Player of the Tournament. After being sidelined by a hamstring injury, the 31-year-old relished a move to the top of the order and finished with 458 runs at a strike rate of 154.73. With Peirson enjoying success as stand-in skipper, Lynn decided to step aside from the captaincy duties in the off-season after three years at the helm to focus on his batting. He was patchy in the Hundred, but a return to his favored BBL – and without the strains of captaincy – could fuel a resurgence for the six-hitting machine.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)
With a bowling average of 17.81 Brisbane Heat’s spinners were the best in the competition last time around by a mile. Mujeeb, Swepson, Labuschagne stole the show taking 33 wickets among them although they may need Matt Kuhnemann to fill some of the holes this season.

Broad will miss a home Test for the first time since 2012

George Dobell07-Jul-2020English cricket could be witnessing a changing of the guard with Stuart Broad set to miss out on a place in the first Test against West Indies.Broad, a veteran of 138 Tests and taker of 485 Test wickets, has not missed a home Test since 2012, a run of 51 matches in succession. The last time he missed one – the Edgbaston Test against West Indies – he was rested with the series already won.But England, and their stand-in captain Ben Stokes, are thought likely instead to opt for the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood with James Anderson back with the new ball after suffering injury in South Africa. Chris Woakes is the other player set to be left out from their 13-man squad.England had originally planned to name their Test team on Tuesday evening. But although it is understood the players have been notified of the final XI, the team management reasoned that, with poor weather around and the possibility a bowler could sustain an injury in the lead-up to the match, there was no need to commit to anything at this stage.If Broad is, indeed, left out, there may be a temptation to write his career obituary, but that would be premature. England are set to play six Tests in little more than seven weeks and some rotation of the seam attack is inevitable. There is a decent chance he could return as soon as next week for the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford. He could still become just the fourth seamer to claim 500 Test wickets.ALSO READ: ‘Do it your way’ – Root’s message to StokesHe has been left out before, too. At the end of 2018, he played only one of the Tests on England’s tour of Sri Lanka while he was also omitted from the side for the first Test of the series in the Caribbean 18 months ago. He demonstrated his undimmed enthusiasm for the challenge, though, by tinkering with his technique – in particular, he shortened his run-up and bowled a fuller, more probing line and length – and enjoyed personally successful series against Australia (in which he claimed 23 wickets at a cost of 26.65 apiece) and South Africa (in which he claimed 14 at 19.42). It would probably pay not to write him off now.But this is another sign that England are looking to the future. And while Broad might have struggled to retain his status as a first-choice bowler in overseas conditions, this is the first time in the best part of a decade that he has not been considered among the first-choice attack in England.It is, perhaps, also an indication that the England management are looking to Wood and Archer, in particular, as the nucleus of the attack that they feel can help them win the Ashes in Australia in around 18 months’ time. Both are blessed with sharp pace and would appear well-suited to the hard wickets anticipated in Australia. Wood also claimed a nine-for in his most recent Test – against South Africa – and took his maiden Test five-for the last time England and West Indies met. Wednesday’s first Test will be their first in the same XI.It might also be relevant that, for the first time in many months, England are blessed with a surfeit of fit, fast bowlers. By the end of the South Africa tour, England were without Anderson and Archer due to injury. Perhaps, had all been available, this decision may have come earlier.Stokes admitted on Tuesday that having five seamers fit and ready to go had presented him with “an absolute nightmare”, and said he would be “dreading” delivering the bad news to the two players that missed out.Mark Wood and Jofra Archer have yet to play a Test together•Getty Images

“You can only pick so many but it’s a great place to be,” Stokes said. “To have so many to pick from is great as a team, I’d rather be in this position. With the amount of cricket we’ve got coming in the next seven weeks I think all the guys will get opportunities. That’s a hell of a workload especially taking into consideration the time we haven’t been on the field. You’ve got to realise there’s no cricket behind anybody.”To play six Tests in seven weeks would be a huge ask for any bowler, but if we are going to rotate it’s not going to affect the standard. The guys we’ve got here are all unbelievable and they’ve all put a good case forward.”I’ve been dreading it for the last two or three days, telling the unfortunate guys. It’s not a nice conversation to think about and I can’t wait to give Joe the armband back for that reason, but that is leadership. It’s great to tell guys they’re playing but with that comes the fact that you have to deliver the bad news. It’s never nice.”Stokes also said that the prospect of Wood and Archer bowling together was “exciting”, adding that it would be difficult to leave Wood out given his “transformation” in the past two years.”The transformation of Mark Wood, more from a mental side, has been phenomenal. He’s obviously had his troubles in the past with injuries. I’m so excited with where he’s at with everything – all the worries and troubles that he would have had two or three years ago about his body seem to have just disappeared.”The skills that he possesses are very, very rare to have in a bowler. There’s been a lot of thought put into the team that we’re going to select.”England were also set to confirm that Joe Denly will bat at No. 3, with Zak Crawley at No. 4.Probable England XI for first Test: 1 Dom Sibley, 2 Rory Burns, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Zak Crawley, 5 Ben Stokes (captain), 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Dom Bess, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson