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Turner made his first Shield century in more than five years and shared in a century stand with Paris who later took three wickets as Victoria’s top order crumbled

Tristan Lavalette25-Mar-2023Ashton Turner struck a memorable drought-breaking century before inspired bowling from Joel Paris and Matthew Kelly tore through Victoria late on day three to put Western Australia on the brink of defending their Sheffield Shield title.Victoria reached stumps in a forlorn position at 6 for 122 in their second innings with a lead of just two runs. Their fading hopes rest with Will Sutherland and Mitchell Perry who combined for an unbeaten 48-run stand before the close. Sutherland finished 40 not out having come in at No.8 due to back soreness after claiming his second five-wicket haul in consecutive Shield finals.WA’s first innings of 315 was dominated by Turner’s career-best 128, his first Shield century in over five years. He rescued WA out of trouble after they slumped to 4 for 53 in his second match since returning from a near three-year Shield exile.”We feel like we’ve got ourselves into a really nice position,” Turner said after play. “It’s our responsibility to play well tomorrow and try and finish the game.”Victoria needs to win the match outright to claim the title having lost out on the bonus points after the first 100 overs of each innings.”I think anything over 100 (run lead) at least gives us something to bowl to. But we would need everything to go our way,” Victoria coach Chris Rogers said.With Victoria trailing by 120 runs, all eyes were on 21-year-old Ashley Chandrasinghe after his remarkable stonewall in their first innings where he made 46 off 280 balls to carry his bat.He started quickly in comparison with a single off his fourth ball before edging through the slips for a boundary to somewhat speed to seven off 14 deliveries.But former Test opener Marcus Harris looked out of sorts and played an uncharacteristically rash shot to hit a rare loose Paris delivery straight to point. It capped a disappointing match for Harris, who made just 19 in the first innings having struck three tons in four previous finals. He was hoping to finish the season strong after missing out on Australia’s Test tour of India ahead of the mid-year Ashes.Joel Paris removed both openers•Getty Images

Left-arm quick Paris was rewarded amid a superb spell by finally breaching the stout defence of Chandrasinghe, who had a rare lapse to be bowled after shouldering arms. He finished with 54 runs off 304 balls overall in his first Shield final.Paris thought he had a third wicket when he hit Campbell Kellaway on the pads but was left frustrated when his confident shout was turned down.Victoria captain Peter Handscomb defied WA’s attack with a slew of boundaries in a contrast to his rusty first innings, where he seemingly struggled to adjust to the pace-friendly wicket in his first match since the tour of India.But he lacked support with Kelly dismissing Kellaway and in-form Matthew Short to leave Victoria reeling at 4 for 70. Handscomb on 49 survived a confident appeal from Paris, who was again aggrieved with a tight lbw call.But Paris finally had a decision go his way when he trapped Sam Harper for a duck before Handscomb holed out to deep point off speedster Lance Morris for 52.WA have gained a stranglehold over the contest after starting day three at 5 for 175, trailing by 20 runs.Turner had started his innings briskly with cavalier batting but struggled on resumption, stuck on his overnight score of 49 in gloomy conditions. Turner finally scored after 40 minutes to register his first Shield half-century since December 2018.Seamers Sutherland, who claimed four wickets on day two, and Scott Boland generated bounce and carry as they tried to fire up Victoria whose momentum had been derailed by rain on day two.The tireless Boland dismissed wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe, brilliantly caught by Sutherland at midwicket with WA still 17 runs behind. But Turner found willing support from Paris, who produced a couple of rearguard knocks during last year’s final, as WA powered into the lead.Turner rediscovered his rhythm as sunshine descended on the ground and the surface appeared to be flattening. He had little difficulty against Victoria’s attack which struggled to probe outside of Boland and Sutherland.Test offspinner Todd Murphy, selected ahead of veteran left-armer Jon Holland, had little impact in his debut appearance at the WACA. Turner treated Murphy with disdain, attempting a reverse sweep first up and then just before lunch nudged a single to reach his century amid rapturous applause.With Murphy ineffective, Handscomb turned to Short’s handy offspin and he promptly dismissed Paris for 31 to end the 105-run partnership.Turner shortly after succumbed to a pumped-up Sutherland snaring a deserved fifth wicket, but there was little to celebrate for Victoria after that.

Surrey keeper “happy with the way things have gone” under Stokes-McCullum regime

Vithushan Ehantharajah03-Apr-2023Of the thoughts pre-occupying Ben Foakes ahead of the 2023 season, his status as England’s No. 1 wicketkeeper is not one of them.The news Jonny Bairstow has requested the keeping gloves upon his return to action for Yorkshire in a bid to boost him claims on a Test place after breaking his leg last September was a shot across the bows for Foakes. The Surrey wicketkeeper has been the go-to gloveman under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, assuming the role for nine of the 12 matches in the new era. Now, with a one-off Test against Ireland and the summer headliner of an Ashes on the horizon, his place is under threat.Foakes drew special praise from head coach McCullum at the end of the New Zealand tour, stating the 30-year-old’s performances to date were “excellent, not just as a wicketkeeper, which is world-class”. The development of his batting was singled out, with some vital innings across the last nine months.But after Bairstow’s 2022, which featured six centuries and 1061 runs at an average of 66.31 before his year came to an abrupt halt, along with the blockbuster returns of his middle-order replacement, Harry Brook, Foakes is aware he has an all-too-familiar fight on his hands to retain his spot. McCullum has said he would not attempt to “crowbar” Bairstow in, but that would not be the case if the Yorkshireman kept – something he has done in 49 of his 89 Test caps so far.Related

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And given Foakes was left out of the second Test against Pakistan back in December, after Ollie Pope deputised as keeper when Foakes was ruled out of the first through illness, it is evidently a decision England are willing to make.It was only really on the tour of the West Indies last year, off the back of England’s 4-0 defeat in the 2021-22 Ashes, that Foakes was given a clear run as Test keeper. His debut in Sri Lanka in 2018 came about after Bairstow damaged ankle ligaments playing football in the warm-ups during the ODI series that preceded the three-match Test series. Foakes marked the occasion with a hundred in his first innings, but soon fell back down the pecking order, behind Bairstow and Jos Buttler. To many, Foakes’ status as England’s first-choice gloveman has been long overdue.”I’m happy with the way things have gone for me,” Foakes said at Surrey’s media day on Monday. “So it is a bit unique to be asked about that [his place]. But I can’t remember a time when I haven’t been asked that stuff to be honest with you, since I started playing.”It is just something I obviously put up with but it is only really times like this where you hear it. Within the camp there is no chat about any selections, whoever it might be at any stage, so it is more just stuff like this.”Blocking out the noise is helped by an average of 38.90 under Stokes. There have been four standout scores above 50, including a second Test century (and first at home) scored during a vital stand with his captain in the series-squaring victory in the second Test against South Africa at Old Trafford. Time away from the field in the four series he has played during that time has also helped him reinforce his ability to cut out negative distractions.”Obviously playing county cricket you don’t get any [media scrutiny] and then all of a sudden it ramps up quite significantly, and that can be a difficult thing. But I’ve found by doing things like staying off social media, not checking Cricinfo during series and things like that just allows me to play the game of cricket again and just be more focused on whatever my job is that day.”I think it’s just a distraction you don’t need, it can just muddle your thinking, if you think ‘this might happen, so I’ve got to do this or I’ve got to do extra’. It takes you away from what you do well and just makes your job more difficult. I think experience over the years for me has showed me that. So nowadays, I just ignore it all.”Nevertheless, Foakes admitted his last outing with England, his 20th cap, still sticks in a craw. He came within eight runs of seeing his side to victory in the second Test against New Zealand at Wellington back in February. Having arrived at the crease with England 201 for 6 chasing a target of 258 on day five, he watched Joe Root fall for 95 one run later before assuming the lead role to marshal the tail through what remained.Foakes walks off after being dismissed on the final day at Basin Reserve•Getty Images

On 35, a pull off Tim Southee in search of his fifth boundary ended up nestling into the hands of Neil Wagner at fine leg, which made it 251 for 9. Wagner went on to dismiss No. 11 James Anderson to give the Blackcaps a famous one-run victory to square the series.While both sides revelled in the part they played got such a thrilling climax, Foakes was visibly distraught at the conclusion. Though he has shaken off that disappointment, it reiterated a sense he needs to expand his repertoire with the bat.”That night, I was gutted,” Foakes said. “I think that’s the area of the game I need to work on. I play a different role at Surrey so that’s the area I’ve been working on the most. I was really happy with the way I stuck to my processes and did what I wanted to do, but obviously gutted to fall just short and get out with seven to go and not quite get over the line.”I think one thing I’ve taken from playing for England is for me, it’s more about how many times can I impact the game. Batting at seven and the style we play you might not often get too long to bat in certain situations. So it’s about how can I impact, how many games can I contribute to in a positive way.”The crux of Foakes’ conflict is his position in the England line-up. Having developed as a top-six batter on the domestic circuit for Essex and Surrey, he is still learning on the job at No. 7 for the national team. The need to switch between batting normally with the top order or aggressively with the lower order is part of the job description. The former comes naturally, but the latter still needs work in Foakes’ opinion.”The challenge I find and the difference is when I go in and someone gets out early and you’re batting with the tail trying to ramp it up and play a slightly different style from say your 10th ball. I think that is the challenge and something you have to train for. Whereas my training over the last few years trying to get into the England team is trying to bat in nets, develop a technique that’s solid and all the old-school stuff. Whereas I think there are different elements to batting at seven you require so they’re the things I’ve tried to work on.”It is worth stating at no point have England voiced any public or private displeasure at how Foakes has operated so far. Those within the camp have been impressed with how he has approached an unfamiliar role, the ownership taken over his game and the manner in which he has carried himself on the field, emerging as a key sounding board for Stokes, whether suggesting shifts in the field or taking it upon himself to stand up to the stumps against the seamers.All told, he has done everything expected of him – and done it well. Regardless of the situation with Bairstow, such self-prescribed improvement will only be of benefit to England and, more importantly, Foakes himself.

Charlie Dean becomes Vipers’ leading wicket-taker as Western Storm limp to 105 for 8

ECB Reporters Network26-May-2023Charlie Dean became Southern Vipers’ all-time leading wicket-taker as Vipers began Champions Day at the Ageas Bowl with a crushing victory over Western Storm.England offspinner Dean overtook Tara Norris as her 2 for 15 catapulted her to 52 wickets for the side across the Kia Super League, Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and Charlotte Edwards Cup.Lauren Bell’s two wickets in the first over meant sure Storm never truly got going, as they only set holders Vipers 106. Maia Bouchier ensured it wasn’t a stressful chase with a measured 45 to bring home the seven-wicket bonus point victory with 35 balls to spare.Storm chose to bat first on a dry wicket under clear blue skies but were 4 for 3 before the end of the second over.Nat Wraith chipped Bell to cover third ball before Dani Gibson edged behind a hooping in-swinging delivery. Anya Shrubsole then had her former England captain Heather Knight stumped off a wide to continue the procession of wickets.Vipers had walked out past the Charlotte Edwards Cup trophy, with Hampshire’s Vitality Blast trophy also on show, as the two sides celebrated their 2022 triumphs.Fran Wilson attempted to settle things down and carved Bell for boundaries through point either side of being dropped at first slip. She was soon stumped off Dean before Orla Prendergast failed to take her life – having been put down by Bouchier – as she stepped across her stumps and was lbw. Alex Griffith didn’t fare much better as she picked out long-on.Around all the wickets, captain Sophie Luff was using her textbook running to good effect, while almost single-handily taking Storm to some sort of respectability with five fours. She fell for 44 when slapping a returning Bell to point – the fast bowler returning 3 for 19. Niamh Holland was the last to depart when she was castled by Linsey Smith as Storm limped to 105 for 8.Danni Wyatt got the reply off to a flyer with a trio of powerfully struck boundaries off the first over before Bouchier took over with some brutal striking down the ground.Wyatt was yorked by Prendergast and Nicole Faltum was bowled through the gate by Lauren Filer. But Bouchier’s effortless run making made sure there was no wobble as she put on 47 with Georgia Adams to take them within 11 runs.Having struck eight fours, Bouchier attempted to reach a half-century with a six over midwicket but was caught on the boundary edge. But Georgia Elwiss clubbed the winning runs after her swing to the leg side was dropped on the ropes and pushed for four to make sure Vipers remain unbeaten since the 2021 Eliminator in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

Issy Wong earns recall after missing out on Test with England needing to win five of six games

Valkerie Baynes28-Jun-2023Uncapped allrounder Danielle Gibson has been called up to England’s squad for the T20 leg of the Women’s Ashes, and Issy Wong has earned a recall.Gibson had been part of a 15-strong squad named for the Trent Bridge Test, which Australia won by 89 runs, alongside her Western Storm team-mate Lauren Filer. She, however, did not make the final XI, while Filer impressed on her international debut, taking four wickets for the match. She has made way for fellow quick Wong in the T20I squad.Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn and Lauren Winfield-Hill, who were part of the squad which travelled to South Africa for the T20 World Cup in February, were all selected in the group of 16 ahead of the first T20I at Edgbaston on Saturday, with Wong back after missing out on selection for the World Cup. Gibson was Western Storm’s joint-highest run-scorer and leading wicket-taker in this season’s Charlotte Edwards Cup and was a travelling reserve for the T20 World Cup.Selectors wanted to rest Filer, the 22-year-old quick who impressed with her raw pace while bowling 33 overs at Trent Bridge – she took 2 for 99 in the first innings and 2 for 49 in the second innings.Tammy Beaumont, who scored a double-century in the Test but has not played a T20I since the last Women’s Ashes series in January 2022, was again overlooked in the shortest format.The Edgbaston fixture will be followed by T20Is at The Oval on July 5 and at Lord’s on July 8, then three ODIs with England needing to win five of the remaining six matches if they are to win the Ashes for the first time since 2013-14. Having secured four points from their Test victory, Australia need to win only two more matches to draw the multi-format series and retain the Ashes.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jon Lewis, England’s head coach, said, “A number of those selected have performed exceptionally well for England A in their short format fixtures and it’s great to have them back with us.”Danielle Gibson is selected for the first time in our T20I squad, she is in great form at regional level and has the potential to impact the game whenever she is called upon. Issy Wong returns to the T20 squad after her success in the Women’s Premier League with Mumbai Indians, it will be exciting to see how she has progressed and grown from those experiences.”Meanwhile, after beating Australia A 3-0 in their T20 series which ran concurrently with the Test, England Women A announced their squad for the opening 50-over fixture against Australia A at Loughborough on Wednesday. Grace Scrivens, who led England’s Under-19s to the age-group T20 World Cup final earlier this year, will captain the A side.Mady Villiers, the Sunrisers allrounder who played the last of her 17 T20Is during New Zealand’s tour of England in September 2021, has been called into the England A squad after an impressive domestic season, particularly with her offspin.England T20I squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle WyattEngland Women A squad: Georgia Adams, Hollie Armitage, Hannah Baker, Alice Davidson-Richards, Kirstie Gordon, Eva Gray, Bess Heath, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens (capt), Bryony Smith, Linsey Smith, Mady Villiers

Florida, Morrisville, Dallas and New York among shortlisted venues inspected by ICC, with USA set to co-host tournament with West Indies

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Jul-2023The 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played from June 4 to 30 next year in the Caribbean and the USA, across 10 venues, ESPNcricinfo has learned.It is understood that this week an ICC team inspected some shortlisted venues in the USA, which will be hosting an international global cricket event for the first time. These include Lauderhill in Florida, which has hosted international matches already (and is set to host West Indies vs India in the coming fortnight), Morrisville, Dallas and New York, for tournament matches and warm-ups.Morrisville and Dallas are currently hosting the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket in the USA. The grounds in Dallas (Grand Prairie Stadium), Morrisville (Church Street Park) and New York (Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx) are yet to get international venue status, which is mandatory as per ICC rules. A final decision on the venues will be taken by the ICC together with Cricket West Indies (CWI) and USA Cricket (USAC) in the next few months.This week Ireland, Scotland and Papua New Guinea qualified for the 20-team T20 World Cup via the regional qualifiers pathway put in place by the ICC. While PNG topped the East Asia-Pacific Qualifer, Ireland and Scotland finished in the top two positions in the Europe Region Qualifier. Qualifiers from the Americas (for one spot), Africa (two spots) and Asia (two spots) regions will be determined in the coming months.Construction workers put the finishing touches on Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, ahead of this year’s MLC•Peter Della Penna

Twelve teams had already qualified for the tournament before the regional qualifiers, including hosts West Indies and USA, and the top eight teams at the 2022 T20 World Cup – Australia, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan and Bangladesh qualified by virtue of their spots in the T20I rankings, completing the 20-team roster.The format for the 2024 World Cup will be different to the last two editions (2020-21 in the UAE and 2022 in Australia), where the first round was followed by Super 12s. Next year, the 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five each for the first round, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the Super 8s. The Super 8 teams will be split into two groups of four each, with the top two in each group reaching the semi-finals.The 2024 T20 World Cup is the first of the eight men’s global events in the ICC’s next commercial cycle from 2024-31, which was finalised in 2021. The decision to appoint the USA as a co-host was part of a strategic move by the ICC with twin goals in mind: one, the North American market was identified as a strong market for growth of the game. And two, the ICC’s ambition to have cricket feature in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games (LA28).The USA being pencilled in to co-host a major cricket event, the ICC felt, would only help in the push for cricket’s inclusion in LA28. The ICC made a presentation to the LA28 team, with a final decision to be taken by the International Olympics Committee later this year.

Ashleigh Gardner and Nigar Sultana’s match-winning performances saw them make gains as well

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2023Beth Mooney and Nat Sciver-Brunt have risen to the top of the ODI batting rankings after their blistering performances in the Women’s Ashes. That has pushed Chamari Athapaththu from the top to No. 3. Sciver-Brunt also became No. 1 among allrounders.The first two ODIs saw Mooney – the new No. 1 – notch up 81* and 33 in Bristol and Southampton respectively to help Australia secure the Ashes.Sciver-Brunt moved to No.2 among batters after her 111* in the second ODI, where the hosts fell short by three runs. But it was enough for her to reach 763 points, her peak, and her joint-best ranking in the batters’ list.For Sciver-Brunt, it is now the third time she has taken No. 1 status among allrounders. Ashleigh Gardner, who took six wickets and chipped in with 21 and 33 in the first two ODIs, has jumped up four spots to take the No. 5 and No. 8 spots in the bowlers’ and allrounders’ lists respectively.Captains Heather Knight and Alyssa Healy also saw upticks. Knight anchored England’s victorious chase with an unbeaten 75 in the first ODI to go up from No.18 to No. 14. Healy, who had a 15-month gap in the ODI circuit after the Women’s World Cup final in April 2022, re-entered the rankings at No. 4.Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh’s captain who led the hosts to their first-ever ODI win against India has climbed up four spots to No. 31. Her team-mates Sultana Khatun and Marufa Akter took major jumps to enter the top 100 among the bowlers. Khatun’s 25-spot jump saw her leap from 103rd to 78th while Marufa’s 33-spot jump took her to 100th.Athapaththu hopped one step to No. 9 in the T20I rankings, thanks to her 80* against New Zealand in the third T20I. Her partner, Harshitha Samarawickrama, who helped stitch a 143-run match-winning stand rose from 27th to 22nd. Inoka Ranaweera’s three-for took her up six spots to occupy the seventh spot, alongside New Zealand’s Lea Tahuhu.

Eskinazi fifty ignites run chase; Fire will reach Eliminator if Originals beat Brave on Wednesday

ECB Reporters Network22-Aug-2023Harry Brook smashed the fastest Hundred century but it proved in vain as Welsh Fire kept alive their hopes of making Saturday’s eliminator with an eight-wicket win over Northern Superchargers at Headingley.Brook reached his ton off 41 balls while crashing a scintillating 105 not out off 42 but found little support as the Superchargers posted 158 for 7. Stephen Eskinazi’s fifty set Fire on their way, before Jonny Bairstow hit 44 and Joe Clarke 42 to lift the visitors to victory.Fire will reach the eliminator if Manchester Originals beat Southern Brave on Wednesday. Superchargers were eliminated with defeat, while the result also ended Trent Rockets and London Spirit’s hopes of finishing in the top three.