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Hamish Marshall holds the key to Gloucestershire’s chances of avoiding defeat by Derbyshire on the final day at Cheltenham.

Press Association 16-Jul-2014
ScorecardHamish Marshall propped up Gloucestershire’s listing second innings•Getty ImagesHamish Marshall holds the key to Gloucestershire’s chances of avoiding defeat by Derbyshire on the final day at Cheltenham.Marshall, the experienced former New Zealand Test batsman, was unbeaten on 43 at the end of day three, with his side 137 for 5 and leading by a precarious 121 on a pitch that has offered assistance to the bowlers throughout.An advantage of 200 would give the hosts a sporting chance. Marshall and Will Gidman, with 39, showed what was possible with a stand of 81 in the final session after their team had been reduced to 40 for 4.Earlier, Derbyshire extended their first innings total from an overnight 216 for 3 to 372, Wayne Madsen falling for 80, while Shivnarine Chanderpaul contributed 73 and Wes Durston 58. But it could have been so much better for the visitors, who lost their last five wickets for 12 runs as medium pacer Benny Howell picked up 4 for 68 from 24 overs, having been unusually selected for new ball duties.Derbyshire looked to be moving into a commanding position in the morning session, despite losing skipper Madsen to a gully catch by Will Tavare off Howell, having added only one to his overnight score.A fluent 49-ball half-century from Durston built on the good work of Chanderpaul, who had made 73 when brilliantly caught by second slip Michael Klinger, diving in front of first slip, with Will Gidman the successful bowler. Durston looked in prime form from the start of his innings and helped takeDerbyshire into the lead, striking 10 fours and a six before offering a catch to backward point, accepted by Marshall diving forward.At 360 for 6, the visitors still looked poised for a meaningful first innings advantage. Instead, Howell and off-spinner Jack Taylor mopped up the tail in the space of seven overs to put Gloucestershire right back in the game.The pitch continued to offer assistance to seam and spin, so the hosts knew they would face a testing spell against the new ball at the start of their second innings. So it proved as first innings centurion Tavare edged left-armer Mark Footitt to wicketkeeper Gareth Cross without scoring and the dangerous Klinger carelessly square drove a catch to point off the same bowler when on 13.Tom Taylor forced Alex Gidman to edge onto his stumps and Tony Palladino achieved a similar result against Ian Cockbain as the home side found themselves only 24 ahead with four top order batsmen back in the pavilion.But Will Gidman is in the batting form of his life and was soon counterattacking with the aid of Marshall as some of the shine and hardness went out of the ball. The pair capitalised on anything loose and Gidman launched David Wainwright over mid-wicket for six as the total went past the 100-mark.Durston broke partnership with his offspin by having Gidman caught at slip pushing forward and all results remain possible on day four.”We believe a 200 lead would give us a good opportunity to win because the wicket is starting to turn more and the new ball has nipped about in each innings,” Will Gidman said.Derbyshire’s Durston added: “It’s going to be an interesting final day. We aren’t setting ourselves targets, but we need to get Marshall early as he has played well for a couple of hours. If we can open up that end and bowl well in the morning we will give ourselves every chance.”

Chris Martin, the New Zealand fast bowler, has announced retirement from all forms of cricket

Brydon Coverdale02-Jul-2013Chris Martin, the New Zealand fast bowler, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 38. Martin will leave the game with 233 Test wickets at 33.81, making him New Zealand’s third-highest Test wicket taker, behind only Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori.Martin played 71 Tests, 20 ODIs and six Twenty20s for his country in an international career that began in November 2000 when he made his Test debut against South Africa in Bloemfontein. It was also in South Africa that Martin played his final Test, at Newlands in January this year, when he finished with 3 for 63, the best figures from the New Zealand attack in an innings defeat.Although Martin has had ups and downs over the course of his career and has been in and out of the side – he has missed 32 of the Tests New Zealand have played since his debut – he had picked up 23 wickets at 27.86 over the past 18 months. However, he leaves at a time when New Zealand have found some talented young fast bowlers, with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell all having made their mark over the past couple of years.”It feels like the right time to step down,” Martin said. “I have loved every second and given it everything when playing for the Black Caps, but after 15 years of professional cricket, it’s time to pursue a new challenge. Representing the Black Caps has been a massive privilege, and playing with a group of guys who’re so passionate about doing well for their country has been very special. I wish [captain] Brendon [McCullum] and the team all the best for the future.”Although Martin was rarely the centre of attention in the New Zealand side, he was a reliable performer who in swinging conditions could become a major threat. When Martin passed 200 Test wickets in late 2011, he was described by Vettori as “an under-rated bowler” who “deserves to be regarded as one of New Zealand’s best-ever Test bowlers”.Twice he was Man of the Match in Tests, first with a tally of 11 for 180 in New Zealand’s nine-wicket win over South Africa in Auckland in 2003-04, and then eight years later in Napier, where he collected match figures of 8 for 31 in a crushing innings victory over Zimbabwe. Martin picked up five-wicket hauls on ten occasions in Tests and he saved his best work for South Africa, against whom he claimed 55 wickets at 26.72.The batsmen he dismissed most often in Test cricket tell of his talent: he removed Graeme Smith eight times and Jacques Kallis on six occasions. No bowler from any country has dismissed Smith as often in Tests as Martin. New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said that Martin was one of the most respected players in the New Zealand dressing room and his experience would be missed.”The way Chris goes about his business both on and off the field has made him one of the most respected players in the changing room,” Hesson said. “He’s been a great role model for younger team mates and will be sorely missed. We wish him all the best for the future.”David White, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, also paid tribute to Martin, saying his work ethic helped him become one of New Zealand’s most successful bowlers in Tests.”During his career Chris has formed a reputation as one of the most consistent performers in world cricket, something which can be put down to his relentless work ethic,” White said. “He’s shown all the qualities required to perform on the international scene – fight, determination and a huge passion for the game. It’s his attitude which has led Chris to becoming one of New Zealand’s most successful Test bowlers.”However, as impressive as his bowling was over 13 years in international cricket, Martin became as well known for his comical batting exploits at No.11, which endeared him to cricket fans the world over. In 104 Test innings, Martin managed only 123 runs at an average of 2.36, and the only time he reached double-figures was with 12 not out against Bangladesh in Dunedin in 2007-08.Only Courtney Walsh (43) made more ducks in Test cricket than Martin’s 36, although he can comfortably claim the record for the most Test pairs. On seven occasions, Martin was dismissed for 0 in both innings of a Test – Walsh, Mervyn Dillon, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Muttiah Muralitharan and Marvan Atapattu are all equal second with four pairs each.

Middlesex’s batsman Joe Denly, has flown out of Heathrow bound for Bangladesh as one of a rush of emergency replacements for Bangladesh’s T20 tournament. He will play for Barisal Burners.

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2013Middlesex’s batsman Joe Denly has flown out of Heathrow bound for Bangladesh as one of a rush of emergency replacements for Bangladesh’s T20 tournament. He will play for Barisal Burners.Denly joins the sprinkling of English county players who have ignored warnings from Angus Porter, the PCA’s chief executive, about potential payment problems and instead are gambling on making an impact in a televised domestic Twenty20 tournament.”I’m delighted to have received a call up from Barisal, and am looking forward to joining up with my new teammates,” Denly said at Heathrow Airport. “This is a great opportunity for me, and one that I am really looking forward to.”It’s been a little frantic since getting the call up, and having rushed to get my kit together, I am now thankfully sat relaxing in the departures lounge at Heathrow awaiting my flight out.I’m grateful to Middlesex for allowing me to set off at such short notice.”Denly, who played for England in nine ODIs and five T20s without ever suggesting he would become a permanent fixture, finished third in Middlesex’s FLt20 averages last season, averaging 28.42 in eight matches with a strike rate of 101.The BPL has been thrown into chaos by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s refusal to issue No Objection certificates to 26 Pakistan players, so communicating their displeasure that Bangladesh had abandoned plans to tour Pakistan on security grounds.While tit-for-tat reprisals go on, a few English county players are picking up last-minute deals and rushing to the airport. Mooen Ali, the Warwickshire allrounder, has joined Duronto Rajshahi.Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, Angus Fraser, said: “When Joe told us that he’d been asked to fly over to Bangladesh to join up with the Barisal franchise, and that he was keen to take advantage of this opportunity, we were more than happy to back his decision.”

Andre Fletcher’s Man-of-the-Match performance against Sri Lanka won the praise of the man he replaced as opener, Chris Gayle

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-20162:46

Jayawardene: Controlled West Indies deserved win

Be aggressive in the Powerplay and then bat deep. That is Chris Gayle’s advice to Andre Fletcher, the Man of the match in West Indies’ second win of the World T20 against Sri Lanka on Sunday, and the rest of his team if West Indies are to progress deep into the World T20.Gayle, who did not bat against Sri Lanka because of a minor twinge in his left hamstring while fielding, is understood to be fit and available for selection against South Africa in Nagpur on Friday.”In the second game against Sri Lanka I started, but didn’t get a chance to bat. But Fletcher came in, played his part and grabbed his opportunity with both hands,” Gayle told WICB media in Nagpur. “He played a fantastic knock and carried right through till the end. And that’s the sort of thing batters require – once you are set in these kinds of conditions, it is very important to bat as deep as possible and it just makes it easier for the team to chase or set a target, so it is very important to see Fletcher come on board and be Man of the Match.”Gayle said the key for Fletcher was not to be “overconfident” when he goes in to bat next. Fletcher is likely to open with Gayle against South Africa, considering Johnson Charles made a duck against England and 10 against Sri Lanka. “Just continue to play smartly, pick and choose his bowlers to target at a particular time. Also whatever it is that works for him, like continue being aggressive in the first six. It’s very, very important to try and capitalise on that new ball as a batter. So just keep that aggression going and once you get past that first six, try and take it as deep as possible, look to pick up the odd boundary in the middle overs as well. Just build on whatever start you get.”I’ve opened the batting with him on many occasions so I know what sort of a player he is, he is very dangerous and he’s capable of getting big scores as well. So hopefully he can build on this and carry on, not leave it for anybody and get more Man-of-the-Match awards.”Though Fletcher played an aggressive innings, the crowd in Bangalore was desperate for Gayle to bat. He had sat out for about half of the Sri Lankan innings as a precautionary measure, and despite the crowd’s urging and his own insistence, he had to wait for a certain amount of time to pass before he could bat. By then the match was over. Gayle finally emerged after the win and thanked the crowd, a gesture that was well received by the fans.Gayle had already lit up the tournament and made West Indies a force when he hammered a 48-ball century against England in Mumbai last week. The innings had a characteristic that is usually missed when talking about Gayle: patience. In the Powerplay, Gayle had faced barely six deliveries as Marlon Samuels took charge.Gayle said he was not thinking of the century until he was a handful of runs away. The focus until then was just on riding with the momentum built by Samuels. “I wasn’t really thinking about the hundred because if you look at the way we started, after facing the first over, in the second Marlon came in and he actually batted the entire Powerplay. I was saying to myself, regardless of what happens, I need to be here, and the good thing about it is that Marlon was getting the ball away and keeping the run rate intact so it was very important to be there then. We knew they had two spinners, especially a leg spinner, so being a left-hander it was good to be there in the middle overs, it was crucial.”Talking about the century, Gayle said the turning point was him hitting England offspinner Moeen Ali for three consecutive sixes, when West Indies needed 59 runs from the final seven overs. Andre Russell had just come in after Denesh Ramdin and Dwayne Bravo had fallen. “I got some momentum when I took down Moeen Ali – when I got three consecutive sixes. And then the momentum was actually built from there and when the rest of the bowlers come to bowl in the back end, we’re always going to be on the go at that particular time. That’s when the opportunity presented itself. I had done the hard work already, so I said, ‘I’ve done the hard work, let’s get the hundred’. At that point, we were way ahead, and I wasn’t going to risk it, and batting there with Andre Russell we just wanted to finish off things. When I got to 96 or something like that, that was the time I said I’ll get the hundred.”Gayle said the century brought back memories of his ton in the first edition of the WT20, where he scored a century, too. Having won their first two games, West Indies are now favourites to make the semi-finals from Group 1. “We have a lot of back-up. I shouldn’t be using this word back-up, we have a lot of guys who are match winners themselves who actually can do the same thing and destroy different bowling attacks around the world.”

The Caribbean Premier League announced the team names and logos for the franchises through a media release on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-2013CPL teams

Antigua: Antigua Hawksbills

Barbados: Barbados Tridents

Guyana: Guyana Amazon Warriors

Jamaica: Jamaica Tallawahs

Trinidad & Tobago: T&T Red Steel

St Lucia: St Lucia Zouks

The Caribbean Premier League announced the team names and logos for the six participating franchises through a media release on Friday. The inaugural Caribbean Premier League is scheduled to begin on July 30.Suggestions for the team names were invited through social media and CPL chief Damien O’Donohoe said: “We are thrilled with the final team names and the logos. We believe they are reflective of the character and culture of each country, and I’m sure each team will live up to their name. Our fans had some very inspired suggestions, which were taken into consideration, and definitely contributed to the creative process which resulted in these names.”The 15-man squads for the six teams were finalised through a draft on June 6. The League features top West Indies players like Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo. Among international players, Ricky Ponting, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Herschelle Gibbs and Ross Taylor have been been signed on by franchises.

Everton will submit their official appeal against the 10-point deduction they were handed after being found guilty of breaching financial rules.

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Everton hit with 10-point sanctionToffees admitted to financial rule breachClub to appeal against decision this weekWHAT HAPPENED?

Everton have until Friday to lodge their appeal to the independent commission which decided the punishment and are set to present their case before the deadline passes, reports. Everton admitted to the breach of the rules but were disappointed by the extent of the punishment.

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The Toffees were handed the biggest ever points sanction in Premier League history and they feel the sporting punishment is unjust given the offence was a financial one. The club's fans have demonstrated their outrage, holding a protest during their 3-0 loss to Manchester United on Saturday.

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The deduction saw them drop to 19th in the Premier League table, leaving them in danger of being relegated. Many believe the punishment sets a precedent that could affect Manchester City, who have been accused of 115 counts of breaching financial rules.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON?

Everton have four points following the sanction and are now five points from Premier League safety after 13 matches. Sean Dyche's team can boost their hopes of crawling out of the relegation zone by getting a positive result against Nottingham Forest, who have won just one of their last nine matches.

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.”

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

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With the 2023-24 season just around the corner, teams across the world have been launching their new gear

With the 2023-24 season just around the corner, some of the biggest sporting brands and football clubs around the globe have teamed up to produce some genuinely outstanding kits. The annual glut of new jersey releases always showcases the best football culture and fashion have to offer, because it's always more than just a football jersey.

Kit manufacturers such as Nike, adidas, PUMA, and more vie for the attention of football fans by coming up with fresh looks every year, and the demand is such that there is always room for innovation. The bigger, the better?

If you want a refresher on what was released last season, catch up with our complete guide to all the 2022-23 football kits released.

Whether it's a new direction in a futuristic, experimental style, or a retro throwback effort, there is a vast array of options to choose from. GOAL takes a closer look at what the top teams will wear in the 2023-24 season.

All the top teams' 2023-24 kits released so far

The new 2023-24 AC Milan kit is here, and it has added a touch of flair with a unique take on their iconic stripes. The jersey features a repeated tonal graphic that celebrates the vibrant energy of the city, and the enduring legacy of the club. But, the star of the show is the unique black and red stripes which create an 'M' visual in the centre of the jersey through the tonal stripes.

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Introduced by the Club in 1910, the white away kit became an iconic part of the AC Milan identity, earning the nickname thanks to its triumphant record in six European Finals. For the 2023-24 season, AC Milan and PUMA present a chic new take on the famous away jersey by taking distinct features of the AC Milan crest and forming a graphical all-over pattern inspired by the fashion houses of Milan and traditional fashion patterns.

adidas unveiled the all-new Ajax 2023-24 away kit on May 26,  the first time since 1988/1989 that the Away kit’s colour is white. Before that, Ajax had a rich tradition of having a white away shirt, but due to the tightening of the rules on the necessary contrast colours of the away shirt and the choice of having two shirts, it was impossible for a long time.

The white base of the shirt is elevated with a turquoise and light pink graphic pattern that sits across the front and back of the shirt, accented with dark blue elements. On the shirt and socks, the stripes, logo, and three vertical Adreas crosses are dark blue, just like the shorts.

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The 2023-24 Ajax third kit features an eye-catching diamond print as a symbolic reference to the club’s unique philosophy on scouting and talent development. The Ajax youth academy ‘De Toekomst’ (Dutch for ’The Future’) has been the foundation of the club’s success for decades and continues to be a rich feeding ground for talent and future success as a football club, and a proven stepping stone for players to the Dutch national team and top European leagues.

The predominantly black kit features silver details, such as the club crest, the club’s sponsors, and Amsterdam’s iconic St. Andrews crosses as neck detail and on the socks.

David Saker, the England bowling coach, is to leave his role to become head coach of Melbourne Renegades.

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2015David Saker, the England bowling coach, is to leave his role to become head coach of Melbourne Renegades. He is contracted until the end of September but could leave before the Ashes this summer.Saker, 48, has been part of the most successful era in England’s history but has increasingly come under criticism. Succeeding Otis Gibson in April 2010, Saker was part of the backroom staff that helped England win a first global one-day trophy – the World T20 in 2010 – and a first Ashes series victory in Australia for 24 years.But Saker’s failure to help bring through a new group of fast bowlers, England’s general struggle in one-day cricket, and particularly the Steven Finn fiasco have blotted his record and many anticipated his sacking after the Ashes whitewash last winter. But he remained in place as England disappointed at the 2014 World T20, lost a home Test series to Sri Lanka and last week crashed out of the World Cup.”My first three years in the job for English cricket was a bit of a fairytale,” he told the . “But like most things it’s hard to keep that form up. We lost some senior players, which made it a little bit harder.”He is now keen to return home to Victoria, potentially before the end of his contract in September, and broaden his experience beyond just the bowling brief, with ambitions to take charge of a Sheffield Shield team.”I’m very excited to join the club and come back to Melbourne – which is home – and work with everyone involved,” Saker said. “The Big Bash League is being talked about worldwide in cricket circles and it’s great to be back working in the T20 format.”Renegades’s chief executive, Stuart Coventry, added: “David is the right person to lead the club over the next two years and drive us into winning positions. David has been involved in the high-performance environment at the international level and had great success with England across all formats over the last five years. We’ll now give him time to review our list closely and work out how he wants to mould things in the months ahead.”