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Surrey have signed Ben Foakes in the first major transfer in county cricket’s late-season shuffle – the second young wicketkeeper lost by Essex in two years

George Dobell14-Aug-2014Surrey have signed Ben Foakes from Essex in the first major transfer in county cricket’s late-season shuffle.Foakes, a 21-year-old wicketkeeper batsman, has long been on the radar of the England selectors and has already represented the Lions side.But, frustrated by his lack of first-team opportunities at Essex, where James Foster remains first-choice keeper and is showing no signs of decline at 33, he has chosen to forge his career elsewhere.Surrey insist that Gary Wilson, the current keeper and captain, remains a key part of their plans. Wilson has won many plaudits since assuming the captaincy role vacated when Graeme Smith succumbed to a long-standing knee injury in early season and returned to South Africa.Surrey lie in second place in Division 2 of the LV= Championship, although they have played one more game than their rivals, Essex among them, and have also qualified for Finals Day in the NatWest t20 Blast.But Wilson is expected to have growing commitments with Ireland over the next couple of years, leaving Surrey anxious to strengthen their resources.Foakes’ signing does raise questions over the future of Steven Davies, the former England keeper, who caused widespread surprise by telling Surrey he wanted a break from keeping earlier this season so he could concentrate on improving his batting form.It continued a troubled period for Davies, who also suffered from depression in 2012 after the death of Tom Maynard brought about one of the most troubled periods in Surrey’s history.He has since cut a somewhat peripheral figure at the club. It may well prove hard for him to justify his large salary as the club continue to rebuild the squad.Regarded as England’s deputy to Matt Prior as late as June 2012, when he was called into the squad as cover when Matt Prior had an ear infection, he has since been supplanted by Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow and has international prospects have dramatically receded.Foakes struck a career-best 132 against Gloucestershire at Bristol in April, but he has scraped barely 200 runs in his other 15 innings and has played largely Second XI cricket since mid-July, quickening the impression that a parting of the ways was inevitable.Essex’s head coach Paul Grayson said, “We have been lucky enough at Essex to have had a line of top class wicket-keeper batsmen over the past few years and with James Foster continuing to perform at the highest level as England’s best wicket-keeper, Ben has found his keeping options limited.”We wanted Ben to stay at the club, especially as he is one of our own who we have nurtured through our academy, but we totally understand the reasons why he wants to leave and we wish him all the best.”Foakes is the latest unfulfilled talent to leave Essex in search of greater opportunities. Adam Wheater, another keeper, has made a good impression at Hampshire and and Varun Chopra, the opening batsman, has gained a reputation as one of the county game’s most reliable opening batsmen at Warwickshire.Essex face a fight to retain the service of fast bowler Tymal Mills, whose raw pace has also attracted England’s attention, but who has rarely illustrated his promise with matchwinning performances.

Sunil Narine, who picked up four wickets to set up West Indies’ 37-run win against Pakistan in the second ODI, said that a variation in pace had helped him succeed

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2013Sunil Narine, who took four wickets to set up West Indies’ 37-run win against Pakistan in the second ODI in Guyana, said that a variation in pace had helped him succeed after a poor outing in the first match. Narine dismissed Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez, and took two more wickets to finish with his fourth four-wicket haul and his second best performance in ODIs, conceding 26 runs in ten overs.”I just bowled a little quicker because on this pitch some were staying low and some were bouncing, so it was not an easy pitch,” Narine said after the match.He said he had not yet regained full fitness after suffering a finger injury on his bowling hand during the tri-series game against India in Port-of-Spain. “My finger is 90% okay,” Narine said.West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo was happy with manner in which his team had responded to pressure coming in to the game and said that their pre-match strategies had worked well.”We lost the toss and were sent in to bat, which is something we wanted to do. I wanted a change,” Bravo said. “I wanted the batters to go in there and free themselves, and score without pressure; that change in momentum worked for us.”We lost Chris Gayle early, but the innings my younger brother (Darren Bravo) played with Johnson Charles laid the foundation for us. We know we bat very deep and we have a good lower order. It was not a 250-260 wicket. Our aim was to try and get 235. We knew we had the bowling attack to restrict Pakistan on that sort of wicket, which will play slow and low as the game progresses.”Bravo praised Charles, who kept wicket in the first two ODIs after Denesh Ramdin was dropped from the side. “With Johnson playing that role (wicketkeeper-batsman), it gave us an opportunity to lengthen our batting,” He said. “We know our batting has been a bit on the shaky side and inconsistent. Unfortunately, our best wicketkeeper Ramdin was out but he still has a big part to play in West Indies cricket and one-day cricket for us. But so far, Johnno has been doing a fantastic job.”Pakistan’s batting failed again and their captain Misbah-ul-Haq said that poor shot selection was a major factor for the loss.”It [target of 233] was a good total on this pitch. I got the feeling that it got slower and slower and it got turn, so credit to them, they bowled well,” Misbah said. “There was not much difference in the pitch between the innings, but I think they handled the bowlers better. For us, it was wrong shot selection and we kept losing wickets at the wrong time during the chase. We have been winning games while chasing – we won in South Africa that way – but today, we just played some bad shots.”With the series level at 1-1 and the next three games scheduled in St Lucia, Bravo said he expected a tougher contest because the conditions would favour both sides.”I expect three hard games in St Lucia,” Bravo said. “Hopefully, it will be a better batting wicket and the ball will come onto the bat, which will suit our batters. The conditions will suit both teams, as they are similar. I guess whichever team plays better on the day will win. I would encourage my team to stay focused.”

Melbourne Renegades will replace Marlon Samuels with England player Alex Hales after the West Indian was ruled out of the remainder of the Big Bash League due to an eye injury

Alex Malcolm08-Jan-2013The Big Bash League (BBL) Technical Committee has allowed the Melbourne Renegades to replace Marlon Samuels with England batsman Alex Hales, after the West Indian was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to the injury sustained during Sunday night’s fiery clash against the Melbourne Stars.Samuels suffered a suspected fracture of the eye-socket when struck in the face, via a top-edge, while facing Lasith Malinga.The injury brought to an end a turbulent tournament for Samuels. Brisbane Heat coach Darren Lehmann and Adelaide Strikers coach Darren Berry had been charged for breaches of the Code of Behaviour when they publicly questioned the legitimacy of Samuels’ bowling action. Berry got into a heated discussion with Samuels prior to his side’s match with the Renegades, before Samuels became the pantomime villain again against the Stars on Sunday when he embroiled himself in arguments with both David Hussey and Shane Warne, who was later fined and suspended for the incident.Samuels’ absence won’t create a void as his replacement Hales will be available for the Renegades’ remaining games – their last preliminary match against the Sydney Sixers, and the semi-finals.Hales has played 14 Twenty20 internationals for England over the past 18 months. He made 99 from just 68 balls against West Indies in June on his home ground at Trent Bridge. It is one of four international half-centuries he has scored, the latest coming against India during a two-match tour in December.The final round of preliminary matches begins when Melbourne Stars host Sydney Thunder at the MCG. Malinga has also been withdrawn from the Stars’ team as he joins the Sri Lankan squad in preparation for the ODI series, starting on Friday. The Australian ODI squad members David Hussey, Clint McKay and Glenn Maxwell have been allowed to play for the Stars, as well as Usman Khawaja, who will represent the winless Thunder. But should the Stars make the finals, they will lose Hussey, McKay, and Maxwell, and reports suggest an assessment on Malinga’s availability for the semi-final will be made closer to the time should the Stars qualify for the final four.The Stars called up former England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas as cover for Malinga. Mascarenhas took two wickets in both the semi-final and final of the England domestic T20 tournament last year to help Hampshire win the title. He also represented Hampshire at the Champions League, and played two Twenty20s for Wellington in New Zealand on December 28 and January 1. Mascarenhas must play the Sydney Thunder to be available for selection in the semi-final should the Stars qualify.Meanwhile, Hobart Hurricanes batsman Travis Birt was fined $1000 by Cricket Australia for a Code of Behaviour breach. Birt was initially cited for striking the advertising foam on the rope after he was given out against the Sydney Thunder but was not fined over the incident. Birt was, however, fined for breaching Rule 9: Detrimental Public Comment when he criticised umpires for “ruining games,” on Twitter on December 23.

Angelo Mathews has admitted he was not mentally prepared to take over as Twenty20 captain after Lasith Malinga resigned because of fitness problems

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai09-Mar-2016Angelo Mathews has admitted he was not mentally prepared to take over as Twenty20 captain after Lasith Malinga resigned because of fitness problems. Mathews said he could not refuse the leadership once Sri Lanka Cricket offered it to him.”I was not,” Mathews said in Mumbai, when asked if he was immediately open to taking up SLC’s offer. “But I have the experience of captaining for quite a few years now so it is a challenge. The selectors and Lasith have been planning for this tournament for a quite a long time so they worked together. And now it is a whole different situation, so I have to do the best and get the best out of the team which I have.”Though Mathews is Sri Lanka’s Test and ODI captain, Malinga was appointed as Twenty20 captain after Sri Lanka won the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh. Of Sri Lanka’s 14 T20Is since, though, Malinga has played only six because of injuries. He played only one match this year – the Asia Cup opener – in which he was Man of the Match for taking 4 for 26 against UAE.Sri Lanka hopeful about Malinga

A serious question hangs over the availability of Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka’s most experienced T20 bowler, for the first game of their campaign in India. Sri Lanka play a qualifier from the first round in Kolkata on March 17 but their captain Angelo Mathews said he could only hope Malinga would be fit.
Before that game, Sri Lanka have two warm-up games on March 10 and 14 – New Zealand in Mumbai and Pakistan in Kolkata – but Malinga won’t play those fixtures.
“We are hoping Lasith would be fit for the first game,” Mathews said. “As of now he won’t be playing the practice games. We want him to rest and recover because we know the quality he has in him – he can train a couple of days and walk straight into a match. So we are hoping that he’ll get a couple of net sessions before the first game. That is only a hope. We don’t really know what the doctors and physios (have on) the current situation.”
Malinga did not travel to India with the Sri Lanka squad, remaining at home to focus on his rehab. He has had an injured left knee for a while now and returned to competitive cricket after a three-month layoff only to play one match in the recent Asia Cup. Subsequently he stepped down as Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 captain because he could not guarantee being fit for the entire WT20.
“It is unfortunate that Malinga is not fit as yet so he had to take that call. But he is a very vital, very important person in our team so we kept him in the squad hoping that he will be able to play the first game.”

Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal have been stand-in captains in Malinga’s absence and even now Mathews said he had accepted the captaincy only for the World Twenty20. “I don’t really know what the thinking is after this. I was told to lead the team in the World Cup and how can I say no,” Mathews said. “I can’t let the team down and the country down. I will take this as a positive because I know they trusted me. I will try my best to do whatever possible to get to the top with the team that I have. They have given me the team that I wanted and now it is the matter of going out there and expressing ourselves.”Sri Lanka enter this tournament as rank outsiders. Having twice finished as runners-up, Sri Lanka won their maiden World T20 title in 2014, but the slide has been swift since then: they have won just four T20Is and lost 10. In 2016, Sri Lanka have lost seven out of nine matches.Mathews said he felt like Sri Lanka had “not competed” at all during the disastrous Asia Cup campaign, but he was not too concerned by it. “Not going in as favourites, it is doing a favour for us. We have admitted that we haven’t played good cricket in the Asia Cup. But the morale … well, the moale in the team is quite good. We can’t say that we are all depressed and we are mourning about the Asia Cup. It is done and dusted. It is a new series. It is a fresh start for us. So we are hoping that we’ll click. We are starting our campaign from tomorrow and hopefully we can go right till the end.”Mathews wanted his players to play with freedom and express themselves. “If you look from the outside, no one will give us a chance and that’s a good thing because we can go out there and express ourselves and play with a lot of freedom. That is what I expect from the team. We want to take one game at a time, play with a lot of freedom because if we do play with a lot of freedom I am sure we are going to beat most of the teams. That is all I want from the team, they very well know what I expect.”

After sweeping the T20 series 2-0, Pakistan Women comprehensively beat the hosts in the one-off ODI in Solihull

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2013
ScorecardAfter sweeping the T20 series 2-0, Pakistan Women comprehensively beat the hosts in the one-off ODI in Solihull. Ireland Women painstakingly played out just over 40 overs, but failed to pass 100. Pakistan strolled to the target of 95 in half those overs, with Javeria Khan leading the way with an unbeaten 51.Ireland were struggling after being put in to bat, crawling to seven off as many overs, and losing their top three. Iram Javed, the right-arm seamer, accounted for two of those wickets, including that of the captain Isobel Joyce. Mary Waldron and Melissa Scott-Hayward added 31, the highest stand of the innings. The Pakistan bowlers held control, with Nida Dar, the offspinner, picking up 3 for 18 off ten overs. Only three batsmen passed double figures, with Kim Garth’s 25 the highest score of the innings. Garth, who hit three fours in her 60-ball knock, was the last one out with the score on 94.The Ireland bowlers couldn’t quite apply the same pressure, as the Pakistan openers put on 42. Lucy O’Reilly, the 13-year-old allrounder and the second youngest international woman cricketer on debut (after Sajjida Shah), struck by trapping Javeria Rauf leg before. Garth then accounted for the wicket of Nahida Khan, but Javeria Khan and Nain Abidi ensured Pakistan coasted home by eight wickets.

Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene will be unavailable for selection for the second Test, thanks to a finger injury to his right hand

Andrew Fidel Fernando at Lord's16-Jun-2014Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene will be unavailable for selection for the second Test, thanks to a finger injury to his right hand, which he sustained while keeping during the first day at Lord’s.He will be replaced in the squad by batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage, with Dinesh Chandimal likely to take over the gloves at Headingley. The injury will not prevent Jayawardene from batting in the second innings of the first Test.Jayawardene had had an X-ray on the second morning, leaving Kaushal Silva to keep wicket for a few overs, but that had not revealed a fracture. The bruising around the affected area has not receded, however, prompting the change in personnel as a precaution. Jayawardene will return to Sri Lanka after the Lord’s Test.A Test specialist, Jayawardene had also missed Sri Lanka’s Tests in Bangladesh this year due to a family bereavement. There are two keepers in the Sri Lanka squad as well as Kumar Sangakkara, who can take the gloves at a pinch.

Fourteen overs spread over three sessions is not much to go by but Varun Aaron’s furious seven-over burst before lunch against Mumbai was another indication that his comeback from a long injury layoff is progressing well

Abhishek Purohit in Mumbai07-Dec-2013Fourteen overs spread over three sessions is not much to go by but Varun Aaron’s furious seven-over burst before lunch against Mumbai was another indication that his comeback from a long injury layoff is progressing well. Aaron returned to first-class cricket after two years this Ranji season following his recurrent back troubles. Into his fourth match, he’s taken 13 wickets at an average of 20.30. More heartening than the numbers was the pace, bounce, seam and swing he generated in those seven overs before lunch that claimed Wasim Jaffer and Sushant Marathe.Aaron was unplayable at times during that spell, straightening the ball on a tight line around off stump and getting it to climb sharply. He also slipped in the surprise yorker, nearly claiming Siddhesh Lad after making him think a short ball was forthcoming with a short leg in place. Often, deliveries took off from good length and flew high into the keeper’s gloves.”I think the first spell was very fast,” Shahbaz Nadeem, the Jharkhand captain, said. “I was standing at point and there were one or two deliveries that I could not spot at all. I saw them being released and then straight in the hands of the keeper. He bowled even quicker against Karnataka. If Varun is in rhythm, the nature of the pitch does not matter to him. What he did in the first spell was tremendous. The first two wickets were very important for us.”This wasn’t a helpful pitch, as Mumbai’s seamers had discovered and their keeper Aditya Tare admitted. To beat as good a batsman as Jaffer with pace and bounce on the cut needed some effort. “That [Aaron’s spell] shook us,” Tare said. “Wasim is a big batsman and in good form. That was a big wicket. The pitch isn’t all that great for a fast bowler and is kind of slow. But he bowled quick. But I think Umesh [Yadav] bowled a bit quicker [for Vidarbha in Mumbai’s previous game].”Aaron was used quite sparingly after lunch. He bowled two spells of two overs each in the second session and sent down only three overs after tea. Given his frequent breakdowns, Jharkhand did not want to extend their premier fast bowler as he seeks to rebuild his career. Aaron also did not go flat out like he had before lunch.”He is returning from injury after two years,” Nadeem said. “He is not a bowler who can bowl long spells. He is a bowler who will come for three-four overs and bowl quick. He requires more effort. In the two overs he bowled after lunch, he saw that the ball was not swinging. So I suggested that you stop and I’ll try the other bowlers.Nadeem did not think Aaron was holding himself back at all. “He goes all out each time he plays a game,” he said. “This season, every game he’s delivered spells where you can see he’s bowling quick and is on top of the batsmen. But as your shoulders tire, you automatically slow down. You lose your freshness. A fast bowler cannot bowl 145-146 kph every spell in days’ cricket. It can happen in one-day cricket, but in days’ cricket the second and third spells will come down to 140-141.”As long as Aaron can deliver a similar, energetic spurt on the third morning, Jharkhand will be glad to manage his workload for the remainder, if any, of the Mumbai innings.

Kirk Edwards’ run-a-ball 104 powered West Indies A to a series victory over India A in the third unofficial ODI in Bangalore

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran19-Sep-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKirk Edwards’ knock was a typical one-day innings – steady building followed by acceleration•WICB MediaAfter West Indies A were hammered in the opening one-dayer, they had just one day to regroup against an India A side high on confidence and a captain who made a stirring comeback ton. For the second game in succession, West Indies lost the toss, but it wasn’t a bad thing as their batsmen batted the hosts out of the game to take the series 2-1. ‘A’ tours are essentially auditions for the national side and West Indies ended the series with two gains. The relatively unknown Jonathan Carter sent a message to the selectors with a century in the second match and in the third, Kirk Edwards sent them a reminder with a comeback ton.The tour had a lot of context for Edwards, who said ahead of the series that he was looking to build on this opportunity to make a comeback. He last played for West Indies in May 2012 and his previous ODI appearance was a year earlier. Though he has played an equal number of Tests and ODIs, indications have been that the selectors see a bigger role for him as a Test batsman. Having juggled both one-day and four-day captaincies so far, Edwards was relieved of the duty in the shorter format to allow him to focus on his own batting and give Kieran Powell experience at leading a side.Edwards was guilty of not converting his starts in the first two matches. On Sunday, he edged to the keeper after making a brisk 19; on Tuesday he moved to 36 after smashing a six over square leg but was stumped down the leg side the following ball while trying to repeat the stroke. Today, he held back, initially preferring to play from the crease. Three boundaries off Yuvraj Singh, through the off side and over midwicket, got him going.What would have helped settle Edwards early was the start provided by the openers. Kieran Powell, who had struggled to push on in the earlier matches, made a conscious effort to force his way into form, risking his wicket with a few top edges. When Edwards walked in at No. 3, he had the cushion of 74 runs made in just over 13 overs.The start rubbed off on Jonathan Carter and Leon Johnson as well, who shared stands of 66 and 93 with Edwards. Edwards’ knock was a typical one-day innings – steady building followed by acceleration. He focused on taking singles, and as his fifty approached, had the confidence to waltz down the track to the offspinner Yusuf Pathan and loft over deep midwicket. He reached the mark with a massive six over long-on that was headed perilously close to the press box windows.Edwards took apart the part-timers, cutting the offspin of B Aparajith past the wicketkeeper and short third man for boundaries. Johnson’s more aggressive knock at the other end put West Indies on the path to a big score and after he was dismissed, caught at cover, Edwards took control.He was helped by questionable field placements by Yuvraj after the 40th over. With no Powerplay restrictions, India had as many as five fielders in the ring on the off side, with three in the deep on the leg side. It worked against India as the bowlers repeatedly used length deliveries against the set Edwards, who picked the gaps past point and cover with ease and bludgeoned a six over the clubhouse roof to hasten his progress towards a century.Siddarth Kaul was punished for 23 in an over, and without any protection in the deep on the offside, Edwards picked him for three consecutive boundaries. He acknowledged his century with a simple raise of the bat and the knock was a confidence-booster ahead of the three unofficial Tests, which he will captain. He was bowled for a run-a-ball 104 off a yorker from Jaydev Unadkat, who took his first List A five-for, though the left-arm seamer was gifted his wickets as the batsmen looked for quick runs. West Indies made 100 runs off the last ten overs and that was enough to shut the hosts out.The only passage that kept India in the hunt was the third-wicket stand of 112, off 117 balls, between Aparajith and Yuvraj. An estimated 11,000 filled the seats at the Chinnaswamy – the best turnout of the series – expecting another masterclass from Yuvraj. Yuvraj powered along at more than a run-a-ball, slogging the spinners several rows back. Aparajith, who replaced the out-of-sorts Unmukt Chand, made good use of the opportunity with some positive drives. A worried Powell summoned his troops for a quick chat after the stand grew. When Yuvraj played back to a straight delivery by Ashley Nurse and lost his stumps, India’s resistance receded. India needed another big partnership to wrest the initiative but Yuvraj’s departure proved untimely.

Liverpool suffered a huge injury blow in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea as Ryan Gravenberch was forced off on a stretcher in the first half.

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Liverpool face Chelsea in Carabao Cup finalGravenberch stretchered off earlyKlopp fuming over Caicedo's challenge(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Dutchman's afternoon at Wembley was ended inside the opening half-hour following a late challenge from Chelsea's Moises Caicedo. The summer signing grimaced in pain and could not continue, with Joe Gomez replacing him after 28 minutes. As it became clear the midfielder was set to come off, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, who was already without the injured Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, was seen furiously remonstrating with the officials over the tackle, especially as Caicedo escaped a booking. In the end, it didn't matter a great deal to the result as Liverpool won in extra-time thanks to Virgil van Dijk's header.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool already have a hefty injury list, with the likes of Diogo Jota (knee), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee), Alisson (thigh), Nunez (knock), and Salah (thigh) currently sidelined. With the Reds, who fielded a youthful bench against Chelsea due to their multiple absentees, aiming for a quadruple in Klopp's last season in charge, another injury blow such as this is far from ideal. The 21-year-old was later seen wearing a protective boot whilst on crutches at full time, so he could be out for a while.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Liverpool, who currently sit top of the Premier League and are vying for Europa League and FA Cup triumphs as well, won the Carabao Cup for a record ninth time in 2022 when they beat Chelsea in the showpiece event. Now with this victory, that has risen to 10.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Following this victory, Liverpool are in FA Cup action on Wednesday when they host Championship side Southampton at Anfield, whereas Chelsea entertain Premier League hopefuls Leeds United in the same competition that very night.

Jesse Ryder met with New Zealand coach Mike Hesson following the first Test against Australia, but there appears to be no change in the status quo with regard to his possible return

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2016Batsman Jesse Ryder had met with New Zealand coach Mike Hesson following the first Test against Australia in Wellington, but there appears to be no change in the status quo with regard to his possible return to the national side.Ryder, 31, has not played for New Zealand since January 31, 2014, after he visited a bar along with allrounder Doug Bracewell on the eve of the Auckland Test against India. That incident was the last in a string of alcohol-related discipline issues Ryder had while he was part of the New Zealand set up. His career stands at 18 Tests, 48 ODIs and 22 T20Is at the moment.”Jesse had a coffee with a few of us while we were in Wellington. We had a good chat and he was able to tell us how things were going in his life and in his cricket,” Hesson said in a statement. “We often catch up with players around the country. I don’t want to go into any detail of what we talked about but we agreed to keep in touch. We’ll see how things go.”It was reported by stuff.co.nz that Ryder had initiated the meeting and that it also included New Zealand players Kane Williamson, Tim Southee, team manager Mike Sandle, and Aaron Klee, who was Ryder’s manager until February 2014 and is reported to be working with the batsman again.Ryder did not feature in the Island of Origin T20 that took place at Basin Reserve in Wellington on February 28. He was the second highest run-scorer in the recently concluded Ford Trophy, New Zealand’s domestic one-day competition, making 506 runs at an average of 56 for Central Districts. He scored 62 in the final, which Central Districts won against Canterbury by 156 runs.Central Districts team manager Lance Hamilton praised the influence Ryder had on the side. “We always knew he was going to score runs but the massive bonus was his contribution in the dressing room. He was awesome,” Hamilton said. “When he got 136 in the major semifinal and we were dead and buried, he got out then he was up in the dressing room within 30 seconds telling the boys ‘we’ve got this, come on boys’. It was unreal. Even his contributions in the team meetings, helping the younger guys, the boys all enjoyed having him around.”After the final the boys were partying in the dressing room for a couple of hours and he was drinking lemonade then he got up and shook everyone’s hand and gave them all a hug and jumped in his car and drove back to Wellington.”