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Former Test offspinner Nathan Hauritz faces an uncertain cricket future after losing his Queensland contract

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2014Former Test offspinner Nathan Hauritz faces an uncertain cricket future after losing his Queensland contract. Hauritz was one of four players cut by Queensland from last year’s contract list, along with fast bowler Matthew Gale and top-order batsmen Alex Kemp and Greg Moller, while Luke Pomersbach had already announced he would cut ties with the Bulls to concentrate on his health.Fast bowler Mark Steketee has earned his first state contract, while three of last year’s Queensland rookies – Nick Buchanan, Nick Stevens and James Peirson – have been upgraded to full deals. Allrounders Jack Wildermuth and James Bazley, batsman Matthew Renshaw and fast bowler Billy Stanlake have joined the rookie list for the 2014-15 season.The absence of Hauritz comes after a season in which he managed only three Sheffield Shield appearances for 10 wickets at 52.90, while the young legspinner Cameron Boyce played nine games for 26 victims. However, Hauritz had been a valuable member of Queensland’s Ryobi Cup-winning side last summer and picked up nine wickets at 25.88.Queensland selector Trevor Hohns said that Hauritz, who played the last of his 17 Tests nearly four years ago, would remain in contention through club cricket. “Nathan had his season curtailed by injury, and during that time Cam Boyce made some strong inroads as our first choice spinner,” Hohns said.”The National Selection Panel has shown their interest in progressing Cam’s career with his selection in the Australia A squad for later in the year and as a young wrist-spinner, we’re obviously keen to continue to provide him with further opportunities to develop. In saying that, Nathan will certainly be in contention to be selected from outside the squad for the coming season, like any other player in the Premier Grade competition, based on their performances.”The bulk of the Queensland squad has been retained from last year, with young batsmen Usman Khawaja and Peter Forrest among 11 players who have signed multi-year deals.”It is a very exciting crop of players that have emerged over the past few seasons and we believe they have the potential to go far in the game,” Hohns said. “But developing home grown talent is one aspect of our charter – the other is to get players into the national line-up and that is an area that the coaching staff and selectors are continuing to work hard at achieving success.”Queensland squad Cameron Boyce, Nick Buchanan, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Luke Feldman, Jason Floros, Peter Forrest, Cameron Gannon, Ryan Harris (Cricket Australia contract), Chris Hartley, James Hopes, Usman Khawaja, Chris Lynn, Alister McDermott, Michael Neser, James Peirson, Nathan Reardon, Mark Steketee, Nick Stevens. Rookies James Bazley, Ben McDermott, Ronan McDonald, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake, Jack Wildermuth.

In another indication that the Rajasthan Cricket Association’s chances of participating in the domestic season are slim, the state association was excluded from a meeting to discuss the itinerary of zonal tournaments

Amol Karhadkar29-Aug-2014Ramesh Powar leaves Rajasthan

Offspinner Ramesh Powar has terminated his agreement with the Rajasthan Cricket Association and has obtained a No Objection Certificate from the BCCI that will allow him to represent another team in the 2014-15 domestic season. Powar had signed a two-year agreement with Rajasthan in August last year and played six games for the side in the Ranji Trophy but with the team’s participation in this year’s domestic season in doubt, the offspinner asked for an NOC from the BCCI.

The Rajasthan Cricket Association was kept out of the BCCI’s central zone meeting to finalise venues for zonal age-group tournaments on Wednesday, indicating that the state association’s chances of participating in the upcoming domestic season are weak.The ad-hoc committee headed by Brijesh Patel, that had been appointed to oversee disputed domestic associations, has already informed the BCCI of its inability to sort out issues with the Rajasthan government. On the sidelines of the BCCI’s marketing committee meeting in Mumbai on Thursday, one of the BCCI’s office bearers also told members he had doubts on whether Rajasthan could feature in the upcoming season.Following its suspension from the BCCI and its exclusion from the board’s domestic programme, the RCA was not invited for the central zone meeting where the associations of Vidarbha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Railways chalked out the itinerary for the zonal tournaments, including the inter-state under-16 and under-19 tournaments.The RCA office-bearers, however, remained confident about being a part of the domestic season and maintained that the selection process for all age-group and senior teams would begin soon.Despite excluding the RCA from its domestic schedule, the BCCI had kept a slot open for the suspended association if the ad-hoc committee headed by Brijesh Patel could sort out the issues with the state government. While the committee did not receive a favourable response during their meeting with the state government, it was considering approaching the authorities again. However, ESPNcricinfo understands that the committee decided against doing so, opting instead to wait for the Rajasthan state government officials to make a move. With the time running out, the forthcoming Ranji Trophy could feature 26 instead of 27 teams.If Rajasthan continues to be sidelined, the junior boys and girls will miss out on one full season of domestic cricket. As for the Ranji cricketers, some of the seniors like Pankaj Singh, Robin Bist, Vineet Saxena along with promising youngsters like Ashok Menaria and Deepak Chahar may play for other teams as professionals. Though the BCCI’s deadline for domestic transfers ends on August 31, the board will allow transfers of cricketers from Rajasthan after the deadline, if required.

As most of the continent's 'Big Five' leagues reach their respective halfway points, Goal picks out the most impressive performers in all competitions

Getty ImagesGK: Alisson

Alisson may have made a couple of errors since joining Liverpool during the summer but the Brazilian has had a massive impact on Merseyside.

His excellent distribution has added a new dimension to the Reds' play, as so spectacularly underlined by his role in the first penalty won in the rout of Arsenal on Saturday.

Alisson has also exhibited a helpful habit of making big saves at big times – it was his ast-minute save against Napoli that saw the Reds through to the last 16 of the Champions League. 

So, while Jan Oblak, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Tomas Vaclik and Samir Handanvoic have all been excellent for their respective sides, none of them have kept more clean sheets than Alisson (14), who also boasts a better save percentage (80.77) than all of his rivals for the No.1 jersey.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Joao Cancelo

Inter's loss has proven Juventus' considerable gain, with Joao Cancelo now excelling in Turin after spending last season in Milan on loan from Valencia.

The Nerazzurri were unable to make the Portuguese's stay at San Siro permanent due to Financial Fair Play restrictions, so the Bianconeri swooped, paying €40.4 million for a player who has made Massimiliano Allegri's defence even stronger.

Compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo is understandably drawing more attention but the versatile Cancelo has been consistently excellent for Juve, offering an outlet down the right flank.

GettyCB: Virgil van Dijk

Andy Robertson has admitted that he has grown tried of talking about the brilliance of Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk.

Just like everyone else, the left-back is running out of things to say about the Dutch giant, who has transformed the Reds' defence and, as a consequence, the team's fortunes since arriving at Anfield for record-breaking £75m during the 2018 January transfer window.

The numbers speak for themselves, though, with Premier League leaders Liverpool having only conceded eight goals in 20 matches this season primarily due to Van Dijk's aerial prowess, fantastic reading of the game and organisational skills.

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Getty ImagesCB: Kalidou Koulibaly

Kalidou Koulibaly has reportedly just signed a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player at Napoli and there is no player more deserving of that status at the San Paolo.

The Senegalese centre-half has once again been immense at the back for the Partenopei, the foundation on which their game pursuit of Juventus has been built, and his dismissal against Inter does nothing to change that.

Indeed, watching Koulibaly win everything that is thrown at him in the air, week in, week out, it's easy to understand why Manchester United allegedly bid €100m for his services last summer – and why Aurelio De Laurentiis turned it down.

As he underlined with his response to the incessant racial abuse he received at San Siro, Koulibaly is as inspirational a character off the field as he is on it.

ESPNcricinfo previews Durham’s prospects for the 2014 county season

David Hopps24-Mar-2014Last year1st, CC Div 1; 3rd North Div, FLt20; 4th Group B, YB40.2013 in a nutshellDurham celebrated their 21st birthday as a first-class club with their third County Championship title in six seasons. To make matters even more impressive, they did so with a squad with a strong team bond and drawn to a large extent from the community they represent.Durham’s success was the product of old-fashioned virtues: a long-term commitment to identifying the best young players in the region and developing them assiduously. In the shrewdest of captains in Paul Collingwood and a long-respected head coach, Geoff Cook, whose recovery from a heart attack in mid-season was a blessed relief, they had two cricketing figures of real stature.The seaming pitches at Riverside helped but this was also a story about how young cricketers summoned great resolve to bring success to the north-east. If ever a county challenged cricket’s tendency to rely upon a narrow talent pool, and emphasised the need to put down links in the whole of the community, it was Durham.2014 prospectsIt will be harder for Durham this time around, especially if injuries take their toll on a small squad. Jon Lewis, the new head coach, has already bemoaned the lack of reinforcements after the release of Will Smith, Callum Thorp, Mitchell Claydon and Ruel Braithwaite, the retirement of Steve Harmison and departure of Dale Benkenstein to coach Hampshire. Add England’s interest, to varying degrees, in Ben Stokes, Scott Borthwick, Graham Onions and Mark Wood and the concerns are understandable.That could see more emphasis on one-day cricket. Stuart Poynter, the Ireland wicketkeeper, trialled late last season and will add some middle-order might to their hitting. Collingwood has also sought to offset the departure of Benkenstein by enticing Scotland’s Calum Macloed over the border on what, initially at least, is a short-term contract.John Hastings, the Australian all-rounder, has been brought in as an overseas player primarily to try to improve Durham’s fortunes in limited-overs cricket – he is a bowler able to mix up his approach and will probably be used as a finisher with the bat – and will arrive as soon as his stint in IPL with Chennai Super Kings has come to an end. Durham calculate that his red-ball skills can mask Stokes’ anticipated absence in Championship cricket, too.Key playerThe key player – or at least one of them – is missing in the most frustrating circumstances. Stokes’ angry punch of a dressing room locker after a first-ball duck on England’s tour of the West Indies resulted in an operation on a fractured wrist and an expected absence from the first six weeks of the season. With so much Championship cricket ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka, for Durham it is a dreadful waste.Bright young thingIt is a bit counterintuitive to praise Durham’s player development and then identify an imported player as worthy of attention, but Stuart Poynter, brought over from Ireland at 23, is an intriguing signing. A former MCC Young Cricketer, he chose cricket ahead of hockey and although he has failed to quicken the interest of Middlesex and Warwickshire, he can find a niche for Durham in the one-day game.Captain/coachCollingwood stays on as captain for a second full season, although England’s obvious interest in bringing him into the inner sanctum – he is acting as fielding coach in World Twenty20 – does invite the question whether he will have his mind more set on coaching qualifications than his playing career come the end of the season. Geoff Cook has been shunted into player development, not entirely contentedly, which puts the onus on Lewis, his replacement, who stepped in after Cook’s heart attack, to foster more of the same.ESPNcricinfo verdictDurham took great delight in confounding the critics last season, winning the Championship when some had expected them to be relegated. For all their admirable qualities, they will confound this one if they repeat their Championship win, but may quietly settle for the top half of the table if they make a mark in Twenty20.

Western Australia have left room in their state squad for the reliable seam bowler Michael Hogan as he ponders whether or not to return for another Sheffield Shield summer in between his commitments for Glamorgan

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2014Western Australia have left room in their state squad for the reliable seam bowler Michael Hogan as he ponders whether or not to return for another Sheffield Shield summer in between his commitments for Glamorgan in the English County Championship.Hogan had been thought lost to the Warriors in 2013 when he chose to use an England passport to play for Glamorgan as a local player, however a tweak of eligibility rules by Cricket Australia – designed principally in a failed attempt to lure Middlesex’s Sam Robson to contend for a berth as an Australia opening batsman – allowed him to play in 2013-14.He proceeded to pluck 36 wickets at 25.80 for WA, helping their thrust towards the Shield final, but is yet to decide on coming back for another season. Hogan is understandably rated highly by Glamorgan having harvested 67 wickets at 20.53 in the northern summer of 2013.WA’s coach Justin Langer is hopeful of retaining Hogan. “We would love to have him back next year, but we need to work closely with Glamorgan, his manager and Michael,” he said when announcing WA’s state squad for next summer. “If we can get him back it’d be a great bonus for everyone.”The recruitment of Michael Klinger from South Australia to cover for the retirement of Marcus North is the only major change to the WA line-up for next season, following a successful 12 months of regeneration and development in the previously moribund west.The talented young batsman Tom Beaton has returned to the contract list after making his debut during Mickey Arthur’s tenure as state coach, while the seam and swing bowler Andrew Tye has been rewarded for strong club form with his first state deal.Burt Cockley, Luke Towers and Liam Davis have all lost their state contracts, the latter humbugged by a serious finger injury that precluded him from playing any Shield matches last summer.”The only reason Liam’s not in there is because he’s had a career-threatening finger injury, because of that we weren’t able to offer him a contract this year,” Langer said. “He’ll need to work out if his finger allows him to play cricket again. If he can get back on the park there’s no reason why he can’t play for Western Australia again.”Western Australia squad: Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Tom Beaton, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ryan Duffield, Marcus Harris, Mitchell Johnson (CA), Michael Klinger, Simon Mackin, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh (CA), Joel Paris, John Rogers, Nathan Rimmington, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Voges, Sam Whiteman. Rookies: William Bosisto, Hilton Cartwright, Matt Dixon, David Moody, Jaron Morgan

A round-up of the final day’s action in the Super Six stage at the World Cup Qualifiers in New Zealand on January 30, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2014Scotland clinched their third World Cup berth in dramatic fashion with a tense three-wicket win over Kenya with three balls to spare at Hagley Oval on the final day of the Super Sixes in Christchurch. Rob Taylor, who came into the match with only 56 runs in six matches at the tournament, entered at No.8 and hit three fours and a six on his way to an unbeaten 46 off 37 balls to take Scotland over the line and back to the World Cup for the first time since 2007.Kenya won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a very competitive 260. Alex Obanda produced 89 at the top of the innings to lay a solid platform. Captain Rakep Patel made a vital contribution with 38 in the middle order but Scotland made life difficult on themselves with 24 extras, including 14 wides.Matty Cross scored 55 to get Scotland’s chase off to a positive start but his wicket in the 20th over was followed a short time later by the run-out of Freddie Coleman to generate a bit of tension. Stand-in captain Preston Mommsen took his time getting set, striking only one four on his way to a half-century off 81 balls. The wickets of Michael Leask and Richie Berrington swayed momentum Kenya’s way making the score at 169 for 6 at the start of the 38th, but Mommsen counterattacked by striking a six and three fours in the space of seven deliveries to get Scotland back on track.Mommsen finally fell for 78 with Scotland needing 35 off 25 balls and only three wickets in hand knowing by this point that only a win would take them through to the World Cup as Hong Kong’s speedy win over PNG allowed Hong Kong to pass Scotland on the net run-rate tiebreaker. Scotland entered the final two overs needing 18 to win but a wide by Nehemiah Odhiambo was followed by a six off the bat of Taylor to bring the equation under a run a ball, and a World Cup berth was in sight. Taylor sealed the match with a pair of twos on the second and third deliveries of the final over, earning Scotland a return visit to New Zealand next year and dashing Hong Kong’s dream of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.”It is absolutely awesome, we have worked really hard to get to this position and to actually get over the line is unbelievable. The feeling is immense,” Mommsen said after the game. “We’ve had a bit of an absence, so to get back in there is unbelievable. The dressing room is very, very happy to say the least.”Khurram Khan once again steered UAE to a total that couldn’t be overhauled in a 36-run win over Namibia at Rangiora to clinch the UAE’s second World Cup berth and first since 1996. UAE won the toss and elected to bat first as Khan (49) was one of three players to get into the 40s without reaching 50 in UAE’s total of 263. The score was 216 for 5 with two balls to go in the 45th but Louis Klazinga wiped out the tail, taking four of the last five wickets to fall, as Namibia bowled out UAE with one ball remaining in the innings.Namibia got off to a slow start in reply as captain Sarel Burger crawled to a half-century, eventually getting dismissed for 54 off 102 balls. Amjad Javed claimed 3 for 35 while Khan completed his solid all-round display with 2 for 45 to restrict Namibia to 227 for 9 in their 50 overs.”You can’t describe in words the feeling. I’ve been playing for UAE since 2001 and it is an amazing feeling to help my team to qualify,” Khurram later reflected. “It’s a great achievement. It’s been very, very hard to make it this far. Most of us are part time cricketers – we are not professionals. This is for everyone who trusted us and believed in us.”Hong Kong completed a furious charge to a three-wicket win over Papua New Guinea at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in a valiant effort to overtake Scotland on net run rate, but did not get the extra help they needed from Kenya to vault into the top two on the Super Sixes table. PNG won the toss and elected to bat first as Geraint Jones made his first major contribution of the tournament to top score with 82 for PNG in their total of 255 for 8. Haseeb Amjad finished with 3 for 70 in 10 overs to extend his tournament tally to 20 wickets, the most in the tournament.Irfan Ahmed spearheaded a frenetic chase with 90 off 82 balls including four sixes before he was dismissed in the 29th over with the score on 193 for 3. Mark Chapman anchored Hong Kong after Irfan’s departure with 64 off 50 balls as other batsmen fell around him while attempting to slog their way to the target as quickly as possible to eclipse Scotland’s net run rate. Chapman was run-out 11 runs short of the target but player-coach Mark Wright and Amjad finished the job, with Hong Kong reaching victory on the first ball of the 37th over after Wright swatted a ball to the mid-wicket boundary.Scotland and UAE will now contest the tournament final at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval on Saturday. The winner will join England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group A at the 2015 World Cup while the loser will slot into Group B alongside South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland.

Graeme Smith wants to keep the focus on getting his team ready for another competitive series and not worry about pre-series talk

Firdose Moonda03-Feb-2014Smith on South Africa without Jacques Kallis

For the first time in 18 years, South Africa enter a series without Jacques Kallis to fill the allrounders’ role. One of Ryan McLaren or Wayne Parnell will likely take over, batting at No.7 and playing as a fourth seamer. Smith gave no hints as to which way the management was leaning but stressed South Africa have to move on from Kallis swiftly and clinically.
“I wouldn’t want to put pressure on any one’s person’s shoulders. I hope the players who get this opportunity really see it as that,” he said. “You can’t hide from the fact that we are going to miss someone of Jacques’ calibre. But there is enough quality and enough talent. I would hate to see Jacques as a burden. The key is to appreciate what he has done. From a playing perspective, we will miss his quality but we must be proud of what he has given us. We’ve got to be smart, we’ve got to be clever and we have to make those decisions that will see us continue to do well.”

The pre-series hype between South Africa and Australia was suitably simmering when Michael Clarke called Australia’s bowling attack the “best in the world,” when Pat Cummins recalled South Africa’s batsmen being “scared,” of Mitchell Johnson in the last series here in 2011-12 and when Peter Siddle earmarked Graeme Smith as the man his team “want to put pressure on.”But all the smoke was coming out of just one pot. The Australian one.Smith changed that today, as South Africa got together for the first day of their preparation and he stoked the flames, albeit in a subtle manner. “When you play against Australia enough, you learn to sift through a lot of the… what’s the word… the bull dot dot dot,” Smith said, at the Wanderers with a wry smile.”We just want to focus on ourselves and get ourselves ready. We don’t feel the need to get involved in other things. We know this series will be decided on the quality of the cricket that will be played.”After months of administrative wrangling, dating back to the circumstances which led to a curtailed India visit, those words will taste like water on a scorching day to parched fans. Cricket, and maybe only cricket, can finally take centre stage.Although this contest will take place against the backdrop of the ICC’s proposed restructure, where Australia could assume an even greater position as haves and South Africa a lesser one as have-nots, it still has the makings of a classic clash. The hosts are the top-ranked Test team and have been for 18 months. They have not lost a series in four summers, dating back to 2008-09.Then Australia were their conquerors. The same Australia they have not beaten in a series at home since readmission. The same Australia who appeared ripe for the picking a few months ago but have since recorded an Ashes triumph. The same Australia whose sternest challenge, it is widely thought, lies in how their batsmen can front up to the South African pack.Australia’s fighting talk has come either by or about their bowlers. One journalist asked Smith if he thought that was an indication Australia knew their batting was going to come under scrutiny. Smith shouldered arms, calling it a “good question,” before offering a cryptic answer. “We are really motivated to expose certain things,” he said.Those things could well be weaknesses in the Australian line-up, who Smith thinks, like many others, will face “unique challenges” in South African conditions. “I’ve opened the batting in South Africa for long enough to know that it’s going to be testing,” he said. “The moving ball is something we have become accustomed to. Our bowling attack knows how to exploit conditions here.”Although Australian surfaces also have pace and bounce, Smith called them “a lot truer to bat on,” because of the lack of sideways movement. “You can hit through the line with more confidence than you can in South Africa,” he said. “Here’s it is guys who have the ability to play the ugly knock that can change games.”Someone like Brad Haddin then, who saved Australia several times recently may find himself right at home. But so could someone like Michael Clarke, whose century in what was a solitary effort in Cape Town in November 2011, was an example of what he can do in tough situations.Smith didn’t say it but as much as the Australian attack will be gunning for him, his own bowlers will go after Clarke. The theory of felling the leader works both ways, after all, and the pressure on both of them will be at its peak.”A large part of captaincy is not just about making a decision on the field. I have a lot of respect for Michael,” Smith said. “It (the pressure) never goes away. I have been in the job for 11 years and every tour I know I have got to front up. When they are big series, it’s heightened.”

Round-up of the games played in the 2013-14 Momentum One Day Cup on October 27, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Justin Ontong shrugged off a stretch of poor form with a belligerent, match-winning performance•Getty ImagesTitans pushed past a wobbly start to set up a competitive target, but Justin Ontong proved the difference, as his whirlwind 97 took Cape Cobras to a thrilling victory, their third in the Momentum One Day Cup.Set 286 to win, Cobras began solidly with Andrew Puttick and Dave Vilas putting on 75 runs, but Titans regained the advantage when both players fell in successive overs. Stiaan van Zyl continued to resist but, with the required rate on an upward trend, things were getting dicey.Titans would have hoped Ontong, coming off a stretch of poor form in domestic limited-overs matches, would succumb to the pressure, but the Cobras captain was unfazed. A century partnership for the fifth wicket between him and Justin Kemp helped overhaul the required 95 in the final 10 overs. Ontong himself scored 55 off 33 balls in that period, capping it off by smashing 19 runs off the penultimate over. He was dismissed three short of a century, but by then, Cobras already had sneaked ahead.Earlier, Titans were nursing a poor start – 67 for 3 in the 19th over – when Henry Davids, with 80 and Farhaan Behardien, who top-scored with 89, pulled off a rescue act. The duo added 96 runs, but it was the fifth wicket partnership that took Titans into a commanding position. Behardien and Mangaliso Mosehle looted 108 runs in 71 balls hoisting their side to 286 by the end of 50 overs. Mosehle was the driving force of the stand, scoring 62 off 43 balls, with 10 fours. Cobras’ 20-year-old seamer Lizaad Williams, with 3 for 41, was the pick of the bowlers.
No result
ScorecardOnly 43.3 overs were possible in Pietermaritzburg, as the match between Dolphins and Lions was abandoned due to rain.Dolphins were losing momentum after a 119-run stand for the second wicket between Morne van Wyk and Cameron Delport when rain put paid to any further play. Van Wyk top-scored with 61 off just 38 balls, slamming seven fours and three sixes while Delport hit eight fours and a six as he made 56.After their departure, seamer Chris Morris and legspinner Eddie Leie picked up four wickets between them to slow the scoring but it was to no avail with weather having final say.Prospects were even worse at East London where the match between Warriors and Knights was called off without a ball bowled.

Yorkshire will begin the defence of their County Championship title at New Road in 2015 as Worcestershire face the toughest of starts to life back in Division One.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2014Yorkshire will begin the defence of their County Championship title at New Road in 2015 as Worcestershire, in their 150th anniversary year, face the toughest of starts to life back in Division One.Yorkshire were comfortably the best team in the country last season and they will hope to lift consecutive titles at Headingley in the final round of the season, beginning on Tuesday September 22, where they entertain Sussex.The 2015 calendar mirrors last season with County Championship matches largely beginning on a Sunday with the first round of matches scheduled for April 12. They will be proceeded by the Champion County match, between Yorkshire and MCC, in Abu Dhabi from March 22.Newly promoted Hampshire will start their first campaign back in Division One for the first time since 2010 at home to Sussex. While relegated Lancashire can plot their immediate promotion from Derbyshire – their first fixture in the second round of the season.The NatWest T20 Blast is again spread across May, June and July, played primarily on Friday nights. The first round of matches is on May 15 with Finals Day back at Edgbaston on Saturday August 29. Warwickshire’s title defence begins with a difficult trip to Trent Bridge.A dedicated window is once more set aside for 50-over cricket where three weeks from July 26 are largely dedicated to long-form white-ball cricket. The showpiece Lord’s final is once again late in the season on September 19.Festival grounds continue to make an appearance on the calendar with favourites such as Cheltenham and Scarborough continuing to attract plenty of matches. Lancashire will also return to Southport for just their third first-class match this century.First XI cricket will also find a new part of the country in 2015 with Nottinghamshire taking T20 matches to Welbeck Colliery CC in the small village of Sookholme, north of Mansfield.For a full fixture list, click here

A lacklustre display by England in Alice Springs has added to the impression of an Ashes tour veering off course

George Dobell in Alice Springs30-Nov-2013
Scorecard0:00

‘Finn and Rankin unlikely to play in Adelaide’

It says much for England’s lacklustre performance in Alice Springs that there were times when it was hard to tell which team was the No. 3-ranked Test side and which was populated with players as green as the lush outfield at Traeger Park.Perhaps it was natural that England produced such a performance lacking intensity in this match. This two-day game was, in reality, little more than a practice session and some of England’s players might have been understandably reluctant to fully extend themselves a few days ahead of the second Test.But there were several players for whom this game presented an opportunity. The fringe batsmen were fighting to earn the final place in the top six; the fast bowlers were fighting for the position of third seamer. Even Monty Panesar might have felt he had a chance of staking a claim for a place in the side.Yet few players made persuasive cases for their advancement and, as England head into the second Test on Thursday, they do so with an uncomfortable number of awkward questions to answer. Thrashed in Brisbane and shocked by the departure of Jonathan Trott, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that England’s tour is veering alarmingly off course.Whereas in 2010-11 they had a settled team – Steven Finn was the only man dropped during that series – this time they have doubts about two of the top three, their No. 6 and their third seamer. For a side that prides itself on planning and preparation, that is an uncomfortable place to be.A couple of issues were resolved, though. On the evidence of this game, it seems most unlikely that Finn or Boyd Rankin – both of whom were out-bowled by 21-year-old Simon Mackin, a man without a first-class appearance – will be considered for Adelaide.Tim Bresnan will be assessed by England’s medical staff on Sunday and, unless his readiness is thought to be beyond reasonable doubt, Chris Tremlett will surely remain the third seamer in the second Test. Both Rankin and Finn bowled themselves out of contention in Alice Springs. Finn, a shadow of the menacing fast bowler that he has shown glimpses he can be, may well have bowled himself out of contention for the series.Boyd Rankin picked up one wicket but failed to stake a convincing claim for inclusion in the second Test•Getty ImagesHaving wasted the new ball through a surfeit of short balls – the Chairman XI’s openers were hardly required to play a shot in the first 40 minutes of play – the pair were thrashed around the ground by 20-year-old tailender, James Muirhead. On a brutally hot day, England looked weary and fed-up some time before the Chairman’s XI earned a 42-run first innings lead.It would be a huge risk to pick Panesar, too. While his bowling improved after a rusty start – his first delivery for England since the Auckland Test in March was a full toss – he looked nervous and fallible in the field. By the time he bowled Steven Cazzulino with a beauty through the gate, Ian Bell rated his bowling “back to his best” but, after Panesar’s experiences in recent months and Trott’s in recent days, to plunge him into the unforgiving atmosphere of an Ashes Test would verge on the reckless.At least Graeme Swann enjoyed a decent day. Against batsmen determined to attack him from the start, he claimed three wickets to failed attempts to hit him over the top and then had 16-year-old Jake Doran, who had earlier pulled Panesar to the boundary, taken at short-leg.A couple of the Chairman’s XI players will have done their reputations no harm. Steven Cazzulino and Ashton Turner were patient, Josh Lalor – a player of Aboriginal descent – attacked effectively, while Marcus Harris, who punished Rankin and Finn with a series of cuts and pulls, looked a fine player who could go on to enjoy a decent career.But Mackin is the one to watch. He dismissed Joe Root with a brute of a ball that reared from just back of a length and took the glove on its way to the keeper. It was a wicket that exposed not just the poor length of England’s bowlers, but the trouble Root has in dealing with the pace and bounce of these wickets. Gary Ballance was also beaten outside off stump by Mackin and looked relieved to reach stumps, though Michael Carberry acquitted himself pretty well.This match was never just about the result. And, in terms of spreading the reach of the game, it should probably be deemed a success: nearly 3,500 spectators attended and the England players took the time to coach groups of local kids. In terms of preparation for the second Test, however, England found little to reassure them.