After going nearly six years without an over-rate offence, India have now earned fines in the fourth and fifth T20Is against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2020After picking up a first over-rate offence in nearly six years, India have got two in two games, with the team fined 20 percent of their match fees for a slow over-rate in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand.India’s players had earlier been docked 40% of their match fees for the fourth T20I, bringing to an end a streak that had lasted 264 matches since the Oval Test in August 2014.As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the stipulated time. India had been found two overs short in the fourth T20I, which is why they had been fined 40%. In the fifth match, they were found to be one over short after making time allowances.On-field umpires Chris Brown and Shaun Haig, along with third umpire Ashley Mehrotra, reported the matter to match referee Chris Broad, who imposed the sanction. Rohit Sharma accepted the charge so there was no need of a formal hearing.Rohit, however, didn’t lead India in the field, having hurt his calf while batting, with KL Rahul doing the captaincy duties in the second innings. Rohit’s injury was subsequently found to be serious enough for him to be ruled out of the ODIs and Test series that follow.India successfully defended their score of 163, completing an unprecedented 5-0 sweep in the T20I series. New Zealand lost a third successive close game, having come out on the wrong end of two Super Over defeats in the third and fourth matches, going down by 7 runs in the fifth T20I.

On Australia’s tour of Bangladesh, he says ‘you don’t have to be Einstein to realise it’s probably unlikely to go ahead’

Daniel Brettig31-Mar-2020Australia’s captain Tim Paine says the nation’s cricketers are aware the delay to their central contracting for next season may well lead to pay cuts, and they accept that such a move would be part of the need to “do our bit” to preserve the game amid the coronavirus pandemic.He has also conceded that the scheduled Test tour of Bangladesh is looking unlikely, with the ICC yet to deliberate on what will take place should the remaining series of the World Test Championship be delayed or cancelled due to the need to reset for whenever it is safe again to travel around the world for international series.While Cricket Australia has been highly fortunate in the timing of the pandemic, the governing body and its state association owners have been locked into deep discussions of how to prepare for the broad range of scenarios in front of them, ranging from minimal disruption of next summer to an outlook as bleak as that currently faced by the winter football codes.Paine, who awoke on Tuesday morning to find his wallet had been stolen after he left it in his car in Hobart after moving it outside to make room for a home gym set-up, said that the players were aware of the fact that they may need to make financial sacrifices to help shore up the wider game, under the terms of their collective agreement with CA that affords them around 26% of Australian Cricket Revenue each season.”Certainly discussions will start happening in the next week or so,” Paine said. “There’s obviously the delay in our list announcement if you like. Certainly if things happen similar to what’s happened to football and other sports, then we’ve certainly got to do our bit to make sure the game survives and remains really healthy for years to come.”If it comes to that, I’m sure that’s something that the players will look at. But there are bigger issues going on around the world at the moment than how much our sportsmen are going to get paid. That’ll be a small thing to us if that was to happen.”As for Bangladesh, Paine said that time was running short for the series to be able to be played as scheduled, leaving administrators to weigh up what to do next. “At this stage I think you don’t have to be Einstein to realise it’s probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June,” Paine said. “Whether it’s cancelled completely or its pushed back, we’re not quite sure at the moment, but it’s a couple of Test matches and if at the end of the day we have to miss them, then so be it.”I think whether some series have been cancelled, whether one’s going forward, or we are going to postpone them [we have to wait and see]… And maybe players are going to go through a period where we play five weeks’ cricket [at a stretch] if we can to complete the Test championship.”I think the players are certainly enjoying that points system and the fact that every Test match counts for something and you are playing towards a premiership if you like. I think all players will be in favour of trying to finish that in any way we can. But again if it doesn’t happen as I said there are bigger issues in the world and missing a few Test matches isn’t going to hurt us.”Similarly, Paine spoke with equanimity when asked about the likely need for fixture clashes between cricket and football codes should health restrictions for coronavirus be relaxed late this year.”If that’s what happens, that’s what happens. We’re going through some pretty different circumstances clearly around the world at the moment,” Paine said when asked about the Twenty20 World Cup going head-to-head with the AFL. “I think all sporting codes and businesses are going to have to do things slightly differently going forward. Again it’s about working together, I think footy and cricket can help each other as much as society can in general in difficult times. For me personally I’d quite like to see both if I’m totally honest.”This week brought an end to Steven Smith’s two-year ban from captaincy in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, and Paine indicated that leadership would likely be a conversation topic with his No. 4 batsman. However he clarified that he had no intention to stand aside early to hand the captaincy reins back to Smith, also pointing out that there were a growing number of options around the national teams.”I haven’t had that conversation with Steve, I probably will at some stage no doubt,” Paine said. “But I think if you look at the fact he’s captaining Rajasthan Royals, captaining in The Hundred, it’s obviously something that he loves doing. So if Steve Smith decides that’s the way he wants to go, then I will fully support him in trying to do it again.”I know it’s a really big thing for JL [coach Justin Langer] and [CA chief executive] Kevin Roberts to make sure that we are developing a number of people when the role comes up, whether it’s the Test role or when [limited-overs captain] Aaron Finch decides that he’s had enough. We’ve got a number of guys to choose from.”At the moment, I’d like a Steve Smith who’s done it before or ones that are developing like a Travis Head or Alex Carey, Marnus Labuschagne. Pat Cummins is another one. We are starting to build a real depth and that’s what we want to do to make sure that when my time’s up, there are a number of options.”

CA is in the process of drawing up guidelines for how training will operate

Andrew McGlashan15-May-2020Over the next week or so, professional cricketers around Australia will dig out their kit bags and embark on a lengthy pre-season, which will likely have a very different feel from the usual as sport adapts to the new normal following the Covid-19 pandemic.The centrally contracted Australia players come off annual leave on Monday, a period where like the majority of the population they have been confined to homes, garages, gardens and the local parks for exercise.State squads are due to start filtering back into training and while the winter football codes – NRL and AFL – are preparing to return to action cricket training, at least to start with, will likely take the form of smaller groups.However, while those with Cricket Australia deals have some certainty over their position, state contracting lists remain to be confirmed.A couple of weeks ago, the Australian Institute of Sport issued a framework for the return of sport – CA’s Dr John Orchard was part of the team that put the document together – which included details such as the ban on using saliva and sweat on the ball at training. Since then, CA, led by head of science and medicine Alex Kountouris, has been working on overall guidelines for the states and national set-up.In normal circumstances, a number of players would have been at the IPL or taking up county contracts in England, while members of the men’s Test squad who were based at home would have been gearing up for a two-Test tour of Bangladesh.All of that, of course, was scuppered as the pandemic swept the world. There remains significant doubt as to when the international game will resume, although there are some positive steps being taken in the UK as England players will shortly return to individual training.While Australia’s men’s ODI and T20I sides may yet play their series against England in September, it is quite possible that there will be no international travel for any of the country’s cricketers this winter.International players are likely to be with their states through the build-up to the 2020-21 season, which is due to start in late September with the Marsh Cup and a women’s series against New Zealand. Given the positive progress against Covid-19 in Australia and across the Tasman, that timeline has a reasonable chance of happening.”We’ve got pre-season starting in a couple of weeks’ time. So fingers crossed, we can get back to that,” Travis Head said. “We’ve been fortunate enough in Adelaide with the restrictions starting to ease over the last couple of days. Hopefully it looks like we’ll be able to train in small groups.”For me and for all of us it’s about coming back as fit as we can. I’ve got some goals that I need to tick off going into pre-season, which will then lead me into having a really good baseline to go into pre-season. I’m excited and a bit nervous about the pre-season. I haven’t done one in a few years.”Looking back at the ones I have done, I’ll be hopefully able to come back very, very fit and ready to go. Hopefully I can excel during the pre-season and that will get me in good stead for the season. Being a leader within South Australia, having the whole squad home, myself, Alex Carey, Kane Richardson, those sort of guys home is going to be a really exciting pre-season and important giving the state of where we’re at.”

Tells former team-mate Michael Holding who could be the future of WI’s fast bowling

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Jun-20202:35

Andy Roberts: ‘You cannot coach people to bowl fast’

Former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts has said that Oshane Thomas will be the first name he will “pencil” in for West Indies’ final Test squad for the three-match series in England, which begins in Southampton from July 8. Speaking to his former West Indies team-mate Michael Holding, Roberts also predicted the young pair of Alzarri Joseph and Chemar Holder could grow to become the “backbone” of West Indies’ fast-bowling attack “within the next five-six years.”All three fast bowlers are part of the enlarged squad of 25 players that landed in Manchester on June 8. But while Joseph and Holder are part of the 14-man primary squad, Thomas – along with Shannon Gabriel – is part of the 11 reserves.ALSO READ – Oshane Thomas: ‘Test cricket is what you want to play to be great’According to Roberts, Thomas has the most basic skill of fast bowling, which at the same time is also unique: “pace”. Roberts believed that it could be turned into a “weapon” when used wisely.”Oshane Thomas would probably be the first name I would pencil on this tour because he has what others want: he has pace,” Roberts said in an episode on Holding’s YouTube channel aired on June 20. “And you should always have somebody like that on your team so that he can create uneasiness amongst batsmen.”Holding himself had said recently he was “a little bit surprised” to not find Thomas amongst the primary Test squad of 14, especially after he had gained prominence as one of the fastest bowlers in the previous year. Thomas has also talked up his desire to make his Test debut because that is the format where “greats” are recognised.ALSO READ – Thomas interview: ‘When I look in a batsman’s eyes and see fear, it’ll pump me up to bowl even faster’The current West Indies fast-bowling contingent is led by Kemar Roach along with captain Jason Holder and Gabriel. However, it is the pool of young fast bowlers like Joseph, Chemar and Thomas that has given the Caribbean selectors renewed hope that West Indies’ pace attack could be built into the sort of formidable unit that was championed once by Roberts and Holding.”I am glad to see there is a sort of a resurgence in the last couple of months, not years, just the last couple of months – there are some youngsters are coming through and I hope that we don’t try and expect too much off them too soon,” Roberts said.He also had a word of advice for the young fast bowlers – he wanted them to use their pace smartly and not let it go to waste. “Alzarri is a good youngster coming up. He has some pace, but I don’t think at the moment he is bowling genuinely fast,” Roberts said. “At the [Under-19] Youth World Cup (2016) I think he was bowling faster than he is now. Maybe if he has some experience and he can bowl within himself and produce the odd fast ball which is required. Because I don’t think anyone should try to bowl every ball at 90 mph. I would like to see the youngsters learn (that).”If you have a 95 mph ball in your armoury, that is a weapon. And you need to use [that] sparingly. You need to have the batsman just guessing: when is this faster ball going to come? Then there is young Chemar Holder. I saw a bit of him and I think he, to me, along with Alzarri will be the backbone of West Indies fast bowling within the next five or six years. I’m hoping that I don’t talk too soon. But you need to have two genuine fast bowlers who can bowl in pairs.”Roberts said Roach was a certainty along with Jason to lead the fast-bowling attack. He was unsure whether Chemar would be ready to be blooded on this tour, but felt Thomas could compete with Gabriel for a slot in the team.”I don’t know how fit Gabriel will be because he hasn’t played since last September,” he said. “And he is not one of the most athletic of our bowlers.”‘Batting to come good’Asked by Holding how West Indies could retain the Wisden Trophy, Roberts said that was possible only by playing “good all-round” cricket. According to him, West Indies’ batting remained a concern especially against the “short” delivery.”I hear many people are talking now about the strength of the fast bowling unit, but then we cannot forget the bating because we are not playing against ourselves,” Roberts said. “And England, at the moment, have some very good fast bowlers. Along with the two old stagers [Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad] they have two youngsters in [Jofra] Archer and [Mark] Wood. We have to be very careful because you know some of our youngsters in the region don’t play the short ball as well as we think they should. And so, first, the batting to come good on that tour.”The West Indies selection panel, led by former offspinner Roger Harper, was forced to ring in some last-minute changes after Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer had opted out of the England tour because of health concerns amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently Holding had said that it was “unfortunate” for both batsmen especially Bravo, who has struggled to find consistency, to miss out on the England tour.Roberts agreed, saying: “They would have played an integral part of the batting. As much as we don’t like the way Hetmyer has been playing, he is one of the batsmen for the future. But somebody has to get into his head and let him realise that you can’t score runs sitting in the pavilion.”According to Roberts, the challenge for most West Indies batsmen was they “don’t really train and practise enough to work the ball into gaps. We believe in boundaries.”West Indies coach Phil Simmons had admitted recently that batting was an area that West Indies needed to strengthen to compete in England. Key concern for Simmons would be the form of his two senior batsmen: vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope – both of whom were the best batsmen on West Indies’ previous visit to England, which they lost 2-1 after a thrilling victory in the second Test in Leeds.While Hope has failed to score another ton, after becoming the first batsman to record twin centuries in the same Test at Headingley, Brathwaite has averaged 25.33 in his last 20 Tests.”If our fast-bowling unit can click then may have some hope, but I am not going to put too much emphasis on our batting,” Roberts said. “Speaking, just by listening, watching and hearing people talk about these batsmen that we have there isn’t much to shout about.”

BCCI wants to make radical changes to its constitution which would go against the Lodha recommendations

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Jul-2020With less than a week left before BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is set to enter the three-year cooling off period, the Supreme Court has listed the board’s long-pending case for a hearing on Wednesday. The court is meant to hear BCCI’s plea, which it has filed twice since last December, proposing several amendments to the board’s constitution which, if adopted, could undo some of the most significant reforms recommended by the Lodha Committee.The hearing, which will be conducted virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be in front of a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India SA Bobde and Justice L Nageshwar Rao. As per the notes on the court’s website, the bench will take up the BCCI matter only after other scheduled hearings of the regular court.The hearing is hugely significant for the BCCI because on it rests the future of its two main office bearers – Ganguly and board secretary Jay Shah. Both are part of the new administration that was elected last October under the BCCI’s new constitution framed on the basis of the Lodha Committee reforms, which were mandated by the court in 2016.As per the BCCI constitution, an office bearer is allowed to serve for two consecutive terms spanning six years (at BCCI or state level or a combination of both) after which a cooling-off period of three years is mandatory. That rule was approved by the court itself in 2018, when it modified the clause concerning the cooling period to two terms (six years) instead of the just one (as stated in its 2016 order).ALSO READ: ‘BCCI amendments, if permitted, will mean ridiculing the Supreme Court’Both Ganguly and Shah were scheduled to finish six years this year, having started as office bearers at the Cricket Association of Bengal and Gujarat Cricket Association respectively.While Ganguly’s term reportedly comes to end on July 27, Shah’s has been over in the past month or so although an exact date could not be confirmed. In its second plea filed in April, the BCCI asked the court to consider the amendments to the board’s constitution including tweaking the cooling-off period of the board’s office bearers, modifying the disqualification criteria, giving unprecedented powers to the BCCI secretary, and stopping the court from having any say if the board wants to alter the constitution. The amendments were unanimously approved by the state associations that comprise the BCCI general body.The BCCI has said its two most powerful office bearers – the president and the secretary – should be allowed to serve two consecutive terms (six years) solely at the BCCI (without taking into account terms served at state level) before the cooling-off period kicks in.In the absence of any directive from the court, the BCCI has said Shah, Ganguly and Jayesh George, its joint secretary, who, too, needs to serve the cooling-off period soon, can continue. Recently, a member of the BCCI’s Apex Council, Alka Rehani Bharadwaj, raised doubts about whether Shah could attend the July 17 meeting of the panel which is tasked with making policy and governance decisions. Bharadwaj, who represents the Comptroller & Auditor General of India [CAG], asked Ganguly and George to ensure only eligible members attended the Apex Council meetings.In its April affidavit, the BCCI told the court that the three-year cooling-off period for an office-bearer following a six-year tenure is an eligibility criteria necessary only to contest the elections. The Apex Council was given the same reasoning to justify the presence of Shah at the July 17 meeting.CAG request on relieving nominee on BCCI Apex CouncilThe court is also likely to hear the CAG’s request, too, tomorrow. Recently, the CAG filed a plea asking the court for its nominee on the Apex Council to be relieved on the grounds that it is “unable” to function as an independent voice and carry out its primary job: to provide financial oversight to the BCCI and the state associations.The CAG nominee is the solitary independent voice in the nine-person Apex Council and the seven-strong IPL Governing Council. The inclusion of the CAG official was one of the most significant recommendations of the Lodha Committee. The objective, the Lodha Committee said, and the court agreed, was the CAG nominee would “ensure transparency and financial oversight” in the functioning of the BCCI.Asked by ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday to comment on BCCI’s move to carry further tweaks to its constitution, Justice Lodha politely declined. Last November, immediately after the BCCI amendments were made public, he had said it was “unfortunate” that Ganguly had failed to understand the true worth of the reforms which was the only reason a cricketer had become the BCCI president.”I thought a cricketer at the helm of affairs will understand that it was only our reforms which brought him to this position,” Justice Lodha told the . “If the earlier system was in vogue, perhaps no cricketer could have ever dreamt of heading a body like the BCCI. The way the politics is played in cricket administration, I don’t think any cricketer would have been able to get this position but for these reforms.”That’s all the more reason for those in charge now to respect the reforms and try to fully implement them, instead of changing them”, Lodha added. He hoped the changes do not happen. “Let reforms work over a period of time and see how transparency, accountability come into the administration.”

This comes after the PCB challenged the ban’s reduction from its original three-year term

Umar Farooq20-Aug-2020The legal battle between Umar Akmal and the PCB took another turn after the Pakistan batsman filed an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sports in Lausanne to overturn his ban, which was halved from its original three-year term last month. Akmal’s move came after the PCB had challenged the ban’s reduction in the Court of Arbitration for Sports earlier this month.Akmal had been banned from all representative cricket in April this year after he failed to report details of corrupt approaches made to him ahead of this year’s PSL. He did accept then that the incidents which formed the basis of the two charges pressed against him by the PCB had taken place, but said the circumstances were such that they did not merit reporting. On July 29, the overall sanction was reduced to 18 months by an independent adjudicator, retired Supreme Court judge, Faqir Mohammad Khokhar.ALSO READ: Umar Akmal given harsh penalty because of lack of remorseHowever, after the verdict on the reduction, Akmal’s lawyer argued that the sanction be overturned due to lack of evidence against the player. “We have a wide range of grievances on the decision by the arbitrator and we have reached out to the arbitration court in a motion to set aside the judgement,” Khawaja Umaiz, the lawyer representing Akmal, told ESPNcricinfo. “They don’t have a single piece of evidence that can prove any wrongdoing. The prosecution was based on a phone call, otherwise there is no document, no bank transaction or anything that can substantiate their claim.”The PCB’s decision to appeal against the reduction is understood to be based on its attempt to stress on its zero-tolerance policy against corrupt practices concerning players.Salman Naseer, the PCB chief operating officer, said during a video press conference: “When judgement was reviewed, there were findings in which the judge wrote that the case against Umar Akmal is proven to the hilt. He also said that the statements of the cricketer are self-contradictory and, therefore, not credible.”As far as the verdict goes, the independent adjudicator also wrote that he was looking at the case on compassionate grounds and gave his decision. To us the main question was whether the punishment be reduced on compassionate grounds at all. We also felt that the punishment for the two charges 18 months each should run cumulatively and not concurrently which the independent adjudicator eventually decided on.”In May, Akmal had filed an official appeal against the ban, challenging the length of the sanction and hoping to get it reduced. In similar cases in the past, Mohammad Irfan sat out for six months, while in 2017, Mohammad Nawaz was given a two-month ban. In recent examples outside Pakistan, Shakib Al Hasan – among the senior-most players in the game – was banned for two years with one year of that sentence suspended.Akmal’s case began in March, after he decided against contesting the two PCB charges, foregoing the right to plead innocence. The case was then directed to the chairman of the PCB’s independent disciplinary panel, who after hearing both Akmal and the PCB, handed him the three-year ban. The judge, Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan, had observed that Akmal had failed to give any plausible explanation for not reporting the matter to the PCB’s vigilance and anti-corruption departments and was in breach of article 2.4.4. He was deemed to have engaged in corrupt conduct under the anti-corruption code of the PCB. He had attended that hearing without a lawyer, presenting his case himself.

He expects to bat in the top four at the Hurricanes and also provides a wicketkeeping option

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2020Peter Handscomb has completed a move to the Hobart Hurricanes for the BBL, after he was not offered a new deal with the Melbourne Stars following nine seasons with the club, in what could be one of the higher profile moves ahead of the new season.In 51 matches for the Stars, who he has played for since the BBL launched, Handscomb scored 834 runs at 27.80 with a best of 103 not out – his career-best T20 score – against the Perth Scorchers in 2015.Handscomb has signed a two-year deal and will join a strong Hurricanes batting line-up which includes D’Arcy Short, Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott but has lost George Bailey from the middle order following his retirement and he expects to bat in the top four. He would also provide another wicketkeeping option if needed.ALSO READ: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and Dawid Malan in talks for BBL deals“I had a good chat with some of the boys I’d played with before, so I’m keen to get down there and play with those guys,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to potentially bat in the top four on a beautiful wicket at a nice ground, it’s exciting to be able to come to Hobart and show what I can do.”He has drifted out of the Australia set-up since a strong lead-up to the 2019 World Cup which he was then unfortunate to miss out on due to the returns of David Warner and Steven Smith. He was called into the squad as a late injury replacement and played in the semi-final against England. He then lost his CA contract earlier this year.”Pete has been a fantastic contributor and leader around the group for so many years,” the Stars head coach, David Hussey, said. “I’m lucky enough to have been able to both play alongside him and coach him and he’ll always be part of the broader group.”Scott Barnes, the Hurricanes general manager, said: “We’re thrilled to have Pete join the Hurricanes. There will be a number of first-time Hurricanes this season and we’re confident that the mix of youth and experience will see us through to the finals for another season.””His experience and tenacity at the crease is well known, and for him to be in purple this season provides another level of confidence to our batting line-up and overall team leadership.”England opener Jonny Bairstow is a target for the Stars to fill one of their overseas slots.

Rookie batsman seizes opportunity at top of order with brilliant innings-turning century

George Dobell08-Sep-2020Tom Lammonby’s unbeaten century has given Somerset an excellent chance of making the final of the Bob Willis Trophy.Lammonby, a 20-year-old who made his first-class debut in August, became the youngest man in Somerset’s first-class history* to carry his bat in making 107 of Somerset’s 193. Nobody else managed more than 21.It was the first time a Somerset opener had carried their bat since Dean Elgar did so in Manchester in 2017. Lammonby also becomes just the second man who might be considered locally developed – he was born, to an Australian father, in Exeter – to do it for Somerset this century; his captain, Tom Abell, has done so twice. It was Lammonby’s second century in successive first-class matches.More importantly, Lammonby’s chanceless innings shored up Somerset’s position just as it appeared to be crumbling. There were times on the third morning when it appeared Worcestershire had clawed their way back into this game. At 82 for 6, for example, Somerset were just 133 ahead and in danger of letting their advantage slip.But Lammonby’s impressively calm head, his ability to play to the situation and go through the gears when required, his ability to concentrate for five hours and wear down Worcestershire’s deserving attack left the hosts needing 245 to win. Against a Somerset attack which has not conceded more than 200 in the competition and on a surface that remains helpful to seamers, that is likely to prove a tall order.In normal circumstances, Lammonby may have struggled to win an opportunity this year. Somerset were due to welcome Matthew Wade as their overseas player at the start of the season and Vernon Philander as a Kolpak registration. James Hildreth and Tom Banton might also be considered first-choice options, while Lammonby, a former England U19 player, has very little experience at the top of the order. Instead, he sees himself as a middle-order batsman who can contribute with the ball as a left-arm medium-pacer. He reckons he has opened, at club level, just three or four times previously.But, the absence of most overseas and Kolpak players has provided opportunities for the likes of Lammonby. And in recording successive centuries, he may have gone some way towards filling the Marcus Trescothick-shaped void that has existed at the top of the Somerset order for a while.As a left-handed Somerset opener, the comparisons with Trescothick are probably inevitable. But Lammonby perhaps has more in common with the likes of Alastair Cook or even Peter Roebuck (a right-hander, but a Somerset opener) than Trescothick. He is patient, compact and well-organised. He was, in general, happy to accumulate rather than dominate. And while there were few of the booming drives or dismissive cuts and pulls that characterised a typical Trescothick century, there were arguably fewer nervous moments outside off stump, too. In carrying his bat in a first-class game, he has already achieved something for Somerset that Trescothick did not.Initially, he concentrated on survival. There were just four singles in the opening 45 minutes of the day and, after 104 balls of his innings, he had scored 23. But he had played straight, he had left well and he had still been able to put away anything overpitched or on his legs.He seized on the introduction of Brett D’Oliveira’s leg-spin as an opportunity for easier runs. The first two balls were taken for 10 – a sweep for four followed by a lofted drive over long-on for six – while an over in his second spell was plundered for 20. Lammonby brought up his century with his third six off D’Oliveira. In the context of this low-scoring match, it was agonisingly expensive for Worcestershire.Batting looked a far more tricky proposition at the other end. Abell fell in the first over of the day, a perfect outswinger taking his the edge of his forward defensive prod, before George Bartlett and Eddie Byrom were both punished for playing across straight balls. Steve Davies’ attempt to emulate Lammonby’s aggression against D’Oliveira saw him miss a bit of a heave while Craig Overton, back when he should have been forward, was beaten by a googly.But in Lewis Gregory and Josh Davey, Lammonby found some support. And with Josh Tongue only able to operate off a short run and at half pace due to a back injury, Worcestershire’s support bowlers, notably D’Oliveira and the rapid but raw Dillon Pennington, proved expensive. The hosts’ grip on the situation began to weaken as Lammonby’s final 84 runs occupied only 116 balls and Somerset’s last four wickets added 111 crucial runs. In the context of the match, it felt decisive.Worcestershire’s task looked no easier after the loss of both openers. Daryl Mitchell and Jake Libby are their side’s highest run-scorers in the competition but were both bowled by Lewis Gregory: Mitchell punished for leaving a gap between bat and pad by one that drifted into him; Libby playing on via the inside edge after a somewhat footless drive at one which left him a little. The mountain they have to climb on the final day looms above the Malverns.Lammonby has only visited Lord’s once before – as a spectator at Somerset’s Royal London Cup success last year – and has never played there. It will be a surprise if he is not making his maiden appearance there in a couple of weeks’ time.*The previous youngest was ADE ‘Dudley’ Rippon, in 1914.

ESPNcricinfo’s updates from the 54th match of IPL 2020

Matt Roller01-Nov-2020