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Rod Bransgrove had the Ageas Bowl pavilion named in his honour. He has higher ambitions, though, for the relegation-threatened county: he wants a Championship title

Alan Gardner at Ageas Bowl15-Sep-2015
ScorecardRod Bransgrove with Hampshire director of cricket Giles White (file photo)•Getty Images

Sports administrators arriving on the field to exhort their teams to do better will always be treading a fine line – think Delia Smith’s much-mocked “Let’s be ‘aving you” at half-time during a Norwich City football match – but there can be no denying that the appearance of Rod Bransgrove on the outfield of the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday coincided with one of Hampshire’s most complete displays of the season.With the bat, they shifted through the gears from safety-first accumulation to all out dashing, as a burst of 77 runs in 6.4 overs carried them to maximum batting points for the first time this season – a feat all the more impressive considering they were 181 for 4 from 69.1 overs at one stage on the first day. They then added a bowling bonus point to their haul by reducing the freshly re-crowned champions, perhaps already mentally on holiday, to 82 for 4 before bad light prevented any further harrying by Hampshire’s pace attack.A forecast for rain notwithstanding, Hampshire are in complete control in this match. Coming as Bransgrove declared his ambition for the team to compete with the likes of Yorkshire for the Championship, this was a serendipitous performance and, given how tight things could become in the shake-up for Division One relegation, one that could have significant bearing on their chances of survival.At lunch, Hampshire announced that the Ageas Bowl pavilion has been named after Bransgrove, the club chairman and former chief executive who has invested much of his own money into developing the ground over the last 15 years. Bransgrove had hinted last year, after Hampshire failed to win a 2019 Ashes Test in the ECB’s most recent major match allocation, that he could reduce his involvement but, while admitting he was “easing back”, he declared there were still goals to pursue.One of those, unsurprisingly, is realising the dream of hosting a Test against Australia, a topic Bransgrove has long been bullish about. The tender process has begun for the 2020-2023 allocations and Bransgrove was positive about Hampshire’s chances; the Ageas Bowl remains the only Test ground in England not to have been awarded an Ashes Test. The other aim, more pertinent to the state of this match, was for Hampshire to challenge for what would be only a third Championship title.”I’m hoping, and quite confident, that in the year 2023, we will stage our first Ashes Test match,” Bransgrove said at the unveiling. “The other ambition I’d like to focus on now for a few years is to have a pop at the County Championship. We’ve been close once or twice, it’s one competition that’s eluded us but I think we’re going to give it a real crack over the next five years.”The completion of the hotel at the ground earlier this year capped a multimillion-pound redevelopment and Bransgrove suggested that a greater focus on results was now in order. Hampshire have been one of the strongest limited-overs sides in the country but their second-place finish in 2005 is the closest they have come to a Championship challenge under Bransgrove.”I do feel as though we’ve got to an end with this journey but it’s the sort of beginning of another one really, because now we’re up there amongst the big clubs in terms of resource, so we’ve got to make sure we compete with the big clubs on the field as well and demonstrate that Hampshire is up there with the Yorkshires, Warwickshires, Notts and others.”The only way they can do that, at least in the short term, is by avoiding relegation back to Division Two after a single season. Should they achieve that, at the expense of either Sussex or Somerset, it would see eight of the nine counties with Test grounds (Glamorgan being the exception) concentrated in the top tier, a situation that would doubtless increase fears about the sustainability of the Championship ecosystem.While financial heft has allowed Hampshire to bring in internationals such as Fidel Edwards – who completed a miserable day for Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth, dropped from England’s UAE squad, by having him caught at slip second ball – Ryan McLaren and Jackson Bird to bolster their Division One campaign, it was a homegrown player who shone on another murky, truncated day on the south coast. Liam Dawson’s seventh first-class hundred was his first in almost two years and it provided the gangplank for Hampshire to storm to 400 and stir hopes of a remarkable victory.Since retaining their title on the first day of their match at Lord’s last week, Yorkshire supporters have had plenty to mither about. Defeated by Middlesex despite taking a 193-run first-innings lead, they have had their noses tweaked again here. Jason Gillespie made his disapproval clear in the changing rooms afterward.A fifth batting point for Hampshire looked about as likely as a calm day’s yachting on the Solent when they resumed on 219 for 4, the start of play having been delayed by almost two hours by further rain. Dawson was the driving force as Hampshire added 73 without loss during the first session; he finished it by taking 11 off an over of spin from Lyth to reach his hundred, having passed 50 with his first scoring shot of the morning.Dawson had not previously made a Championship half-century for Hampshire this season – though he managed 99 when loaned out to Essex to rediscover some red-ball form – but he led the charge after the lunch, too. Soft when playing late enough to make sure edges went to ground (and often to third man), strong when driving down the ground, Dawson’s knock was also long enough to satisfy the Andrex puppy. When he fell for 140, skying a leg-side hoick at James Middlebrook, Hampshire were still 26 shy of their target with 17 balls in which to get there; Gareth Berg biffed four consecutive fours off Middlebrook to ensure they made it with room to spare.Whether Bransgrove’s clarion call had an effect will be something for local scholars to reflect on. The chairman turns 65 on Sunday but Hampshire’s players have so far done their utmost to provide an early birthday present.

Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, has presented his case to have his ICC ban for spot-fixing overturned to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-2013Mohammad Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, has presented his case to have his ICC ban for spot-fixing overturned to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).Asif appeared before CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday to try and have his seven-year ban, with two years suspended, quashed but will have to wait at least three weeks for an outcome and it could take as many as six.”Today was quite busy,” Asif told AFP after emerging from the CAS headquarters. “They will give us their decision in the next three weeks. Hopefully I am going to win this case. I’d like to play cricket again.”Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, will have his hearing on Friday in an attempt to overturn his 10-year ban following the sting in August 2010 which exposed plans to bowl on-demand no-balls.On Wednesday Butt said in a statement that he wanted the chance to resume his career. “Cricket is my life and every single day that has passed has been so painful because I have not been able to play. All I want is an opportunity to get back into cricket whilst I am still young and I can still play well.”Mohammad Amir, the third player to be caught in the News of the World sting, decided not to appeal against the five-year ban against him. The ban does not permit the players to take part in any official match – international, domestic or club – until at least September 2015. All three players served time.Butt served seven months of a 30-month prison sentence, Asif was released from Canterbury Prison in Kent on June 3 last year after he served half of a year-long sentence while Amir spent three months in a young offenders’ institution after admitting his charge at a pre-trial hearing.

Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan captain, has urged the players in the current national team to assume they are in a war when they take on England in the UAE

Umar Farooq06-Jan-2012Ramiz Raja, the former Pakistan captain, has urged the players in the current national team to assume they are in a war when they take on England in the UAE. The last time Pakistan played England in a Test series, the spot-fixing scandal broke. Ramiz said winning the upcoming series would be the perfect way for Pakistan to seal their strong comeback from that embarrassment, and calm the anger among fans that arose from it.”Players should assume themselves to be in a state of war in every match to maintain consistency in their performances,” Ramiz said at a function arranged by the PCB to celebrate the team’s impressive performance in 2011. “I think this is the best opportunity for the Pakistan team to avenge the disgrace of the spot-fixing scandal; all the frustration in the wake of that embarrassment should be exhibited in the form of performances on the field.”England might be a strong opponent but beating a top team is the only way to become a hero. There is always room for improvement but there must be self-belief and strong body-language. The team must play hard cricket with no smiles or sympathy towards the opponent. Ultimately winning against England is the best way to cool down the anger and frustration that Pakistan fans felt after the spot-fixing scandal.”Ramiz said the current team should try to replicate the culture that Imran Khan had instilled in the team Ramiz was a part of. “During my era, Imran Khan, prior to every match, told us to assume we are in a war and never think about how powerful or depleted the opponent is; what is important is to go onto the field thinking only of victory.”Pakistan went through 2011 without losing a Test series, and go into this series after beating Zimbabwe away, Sri Lanka in the UAE and Bangladesh away. The PCB recognised the successful year by giving the players 300,000 Pakistani rupees ($3,307) each and the supporting staff 100,000 Pakistani rupees ($1,102) each.In a low point for Pakistan cricket, Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif were handed jail sentences for spot-fixing by an English tribunal in 2011. On the field, though, Pakistan won five of eight Tests, reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and won six bilateral one-day series. Ramiz said the team had already won back the fans. “Pakistan have already made a strong comeback in the world of cricket after the spot-fixing scam. They have won back the fans’ faith and have regained credibility.”We have outstanding new faces in the line-up and a heavyweight middle order. Our bowlers, both the pacemen and spinners, are among the best when it comes to taking wickets so I am not worried about that. Umar Akmal [the batsman who is returning to the Test squad after being dropped for two series] is the one from whom I am expecting a lot and I am hopeful he won’t disappoint us.”Pakistan’s recent success has come under the leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq, who was handed the Test captaincy in September 2010, after the spot-fixing episode. Misbah was not even a part of the squad who went on the tour of England but since returning to the side has averaged 75.76 in Tests and 49.75 in ODIs, a major factor in the team’s success.”The journey of the Pakistan team in the past year has been similar to the journey of my life,” Misbah said. “It [not being in the side] was one of the toughest times not only in my career but in my life as well; but I never give up. Since I was called up to lead the team I obviously had to justify my position as a batsman too.”The South Africa Test series in the UAE [that Pakistan drew 0-0 in November 2010] was when we realised we could do it. It was the series that actually gave us the self-belief and confidence that we can move ahead, leaving everything in the past; we never looked back.”I think the success in 2011 was due to the fact that as many as 15 players in the squad fulfilled their responsibilities and I am sure they will keep up the good work in 2012. I am sure the boys will continue their hard work, show responsibility and play to their potential against England, who are the best Test team at the moment. We know how tough it is going to be, so we are ready for that.”

South Africa captain Graeme Smith says he has always dreamed of having an attacking spinner like Imran Tahir in his side

Firdose Moonda in Durban11-Jan-2011Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, says having an attacking spinner like Imran Tahir in his side is “something that I have dreamt of throughout my captaincy.” Tahir, who was born in Pakistan, was named in the South Africa one-day squad for the five-match series against India days after receiving citizenship and has since also been picked in the 30-man preliminary World Cup squad.Smith said he is looking forward to helping the 31-year-old legspinner, Tahir, feel at home in the national set up. “It’s about getting to know him a little bit as a person; spending some time with him is going to be crucial.” Smith said. Tahir’s rise in status, from domestic player with promise to international player on the verge of greatness, has come at lightning speed and the anticipation surrounding his debut is at fever pitch.Smith tried to downplay the pressure factor, saying the most important thing was to manage Tahir properly. “I just want to let him find his feet and grow in the environment.” The hype surrounding Tahir may end in anticlimax instead of crescendo when the first ODI in Durban starts on Wednesday because inside sources say it is “unlikely” he will play.While the spotlight has been firmly fixed on Tahir, there are still 13 other squad members to think about and with this being the last ODI series before the World Cup in February, Smith has a lot on his mind. He is aware conditions in South Africa are totally dissimilar to the conditions in the subcontinent, where the World Cup will be played. “It’s going to be very difficult to produce Nagpur out at the Wanderers.” Still, Smith realised the series was important in terms of getting mentally ready for the World Cup. “Our mindset is very crucial here. We want to play really good cricket and get the confidence up and players need to get good performances under their belt.”South Africa still have a few questions to answer before they pick their World Cup squad and Smith is hoping this series will provide some of those solutions. Being without Jacques Kallis for all five matches allows an opportunity for someone else to establish themselves in the allrounder’s role and Smith hopes it will be Wayne Parnell. “Wayne Parnell heads the pack in terms of developing his batting and his bowling and we are trying to get him to a point where he could play that number eight role, performing with both bat and ball.” Parnell is widely known as an aggressive left-arm seamer but he has shown confidence with the bat and played as an allrounder at national Under-19 level.Parnell is part of a group of youngsters that are starting to form the new core of the South African one-day team. Colin Ingram, David Miller and Faf du Plessis are some of the others and Smith wants to make sure that he, personally, plays a role in mentoring the future stars of South African cricket. “They are young guys trying to stake claims [for a place]. It’s my job to be sort of the more mature figure around the group at the moment and give them the guidance that will allow them to play their natural games.”Smith made clear how much he will rely on vice-captain Johan Botha to assist him in this task. Botha’s worth as a cricketer, which is often questioned by critics, was given a sure-fire validation when he was picked up for $950,000 by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL auction. Smith referred to Botha as one of the premier allrounders in the side and as someone who directs the game for South Africa. “Johan has been excellent; he really controls the game for us.” Botha is being tipped to take over the one-day captaincy when Smith relinquishes his post after the World Cup.Smith had previously said how much he would treasure winning an ICC trophy before stepping down and the World Cup will be his last opportunity to do so. Smith said the team is doing everything they can to ready themselves for February’s tournament. “Everybody is just trying to develop their games in different aspects, trying to bring new shots into their game and trying to move forward with the times. We have been working on certain things for a while now.”

Cricinfo previews the second ODI between India and South Africa in Jaipur

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran23-Feb-2010

Match facts

February 24, 2010
Start time 14.30 (09.00GMT)The bowlers will have to be on their mark in what’s expected to be a batting belter•AFP

The Big Picture

The series opener in Jaipur shouldn’t have got so close. Ashish Nehra should have been bowled off the penultimate ball of the innings. India’s total, as a result of that freakish incident – when the ball deflected off the stumps – should have been four runs less. India’s bowlers shouldn’t have allowed the South African tail to put their specialist batsmen to shame. A more conclusive camera angle/replay would have determined whether Sachin Tendulkar legitimately saved the boundary in the final over. All these significant incidents proved the difference between an Indian win and any other result.The South Africans would no doubt have debated these ifs and buts after that game. Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell scripted a near-Houdini act but it couldn’t hide what was otherwise an unflattering batting performance, Jacques Kallis excepted. It was puzzling why they omitted their in-form player Hashim Amla – not the most well-known limited-overs player around but one who adds glue to the top order. South Africa missed him and could sacrifice one of the openers for him. They have to get their combination right because another defeat tomorrow will render the series lost and the final ODI a dead rubber.The other area of concern is the number of extras. All bowlers, except Johan Botha, conceded wides and there were 12 in all, which made a difference in the final outcome. It doesn’t necessarily warrant wholesale changes to the bowling attack. All they need to focus on is discipline and their ability to vary their pace a lot more to induce mistakes. It’s imperative bowlers from both sides step up because the curator at the Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior has promised another track full of runs.The Indian bowlers have problems too. Their struggles in the death overs are well documented and have become more pronounced in Zaheer Khan’s absence. In Jaipur, Dhoni was unhappy with the way they gave away runs with the new ball, let alone in the tense final stages. Both Nehra and Sreesanth are mercurial in nature – they either have a great day or a forgettable day. Dhoni had to rely on part-timers, and the gamble of bowling Suresh Raina didn’t pay off. Whether India bring in a specialist spinner on not is something that may be discussed behind closed doors.

Form guide (last five completed games, most recent first)

India WLWWW
South Africa LLWLW

Watch out for…

Suresh Raina: On a batting belter in Jaipur, Raina was the only Indian batsman to pass fifty in a total approaching 300. He occupied the crease for nearly 20 overs and collected boundaries with upper cuts and pull shots. His slog sweep is his best shot in the book and we’ve seen that in the IPL. His bowling was a disappointment, but that’s not why he’s in the team.Albie Morkel: He’s not in peak form with bat or ball and must be feeling the pressure. He was the batting Powerplay specialist in Australia last year but has struggled for fluency since then. With the ball, he has struggled in the last seven games, picking up five wickets at an expensive 45.80. Should South Africa opt for a spin-bowling allrounder in Roelof van der Merwe, the axe could fall on Morkel because there are already three specialist seamers in the line-up.

Team news

Virender Sehwag was off the field in Jaipur with a sore lower back but the word from the Indian camp is that they’ll take a final call tomorrow. He batted in the nets without any apparent discomfort. Sreesanth was all over the place, leaking 8.22 an over, despite taking the all-important wicket of Kallis. If they choose to drop him, Sudeep Tyagi could get his chance.India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Sreesanth/Sudeep TyagiThe only possible change for South Africa is the inclusion of Amla in place of someone from the top order.South Africa: (probable) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Loots Bosman/Hashim Amla, 3 Jacques Kallis (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Alviro Petersen, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Wayne Parnell, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Johan Botha, 11 Charl Langeveldt.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch was relaid two years back, and the curator of the Gwalior Division Cricket Association, Ajay Sahasrabuddhe, has guaranteed a 300-plus surface. He says the toss will not be a factor, and the spinners may get some assistance as the match progresses. There is a tinge of grass to bind the surface together, but it isn’t expected to give any advantage to the bowlers. To counter the dew, the groundstaff will use a spray called APSA 80 on the outfield. The same spray was used during the Champions Trophy in India in 2006. It rained on Monday night, but the forecast for tomorrow is sunshine, with a maximum of 28 degrees Celsius.

Stats and trivia

• Gwalior has been a happy hunting ground for India, winning seven out of nine ODIs there.
• India and South Africa last played an ODI at this venue back in 1991, the tourists’ first international series after re-admittance. In a match reduced to 45 overs, India posted 223 and won by 38 runs.
• Amla has opened in 19 of his 21 innings in ODIs and has done well at that position, averaging 48.41. He averages close to 50 in ODIs and made his debut nearly four years after playing his first Test.

Quotes

“Each of the 16 players in the squad is capable. Winning or losing, we will try to get the best combination. The quicker we get the combination the better. Rotation will go much longer than this tour.”
“You have to see the status of player before the World Cup. Injuries keep coming on. We will try to rotate players so that the best 11-12 players are there at that time.”

Home attack thwarted in battle between Division Two’s form sides

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 22-Jun-2025A maiden first-class century from young opener Asa Tribe saw Glamorgan lay the foundations for a substantial first-innings score in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match between Leicestershire and Glamorgan at the UptonSteel County Ground, Grace Road.The 21-year-old Channel Islander, making only his ninth first-class appearance, demonstrated a maturity beyond his years as having got off to a flying start against a much-changed and initially slightly out-of-sorts Foxes attack, he settled down to reach his century off 158 balls, including 14 fours and one maximum.The Leicestershire bowlers improved as the day went on, regaining some control over the scoreboard, but solid contributions from fellow opener Zain-ul-Hassan, Kiran Carlson and latterly Colin Ingram, who ended the day with an unbeaten half-century, ensured the visitors enjoyed much the best of the first day.Given both sides came into the match on the back of a run of victories – four for Leicestershire, three for Glamorgan – the number of changes made to their previous Championship line-ups came as something of a surprise, though injuries played a part. With Ian Holland and Josh Hull unavailable, and Rehan Ahmed nursing a niggle that meant he could not bowl, Leicestershire chose to leave left out regular wicketkeeper Ben Cox – one of their more prolific run-scorers this season – and with Handscomb taking his place behind the stumps, bring in left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis and right-arm seamer Sam Wood for their first first-class outings of the season. Veteran seamer Chris Wright also came back into the side.Glamorgan too gave a spinner, Mason Crane, his first Championship appearance of the season, with Ingram, Ben Kellaway and Ned Leonard also returning. All will have been pleased to see skipper Sam Northeast win the toss and opt to bat first on one of the relaid pitches at the UptonSteel Ground, and certainly there was not too much to encourage the Leicestershire seamers during a first hour in which they gave Tribe in particular too many loose deliveries, meaning that even with his partner playing in a rather more restrained manner, the pair were still able to score at five an over before Zain somewhat unluckily became the only wicket to fall in the morning session, glancing a delivery from Wright down the leg side only for Handscomb to take a diving catch.Leicestershire’s attack improved in both accuracy and length after the break, and Tribe was fortunate when on 72 he edged Ben Green behind the wicket only for Handscomb, diving to his right, to drop the catch. He also lost Northeast, the captain looking less than impressed to be given out caught behind when hooking at a bouncer from Wood, but a cleanly hit straight six off Trevaskis took him into the 90s and he showed few nerves in going on to three figures before edging a tired drive at Logan van Beek, giving Handscomb a third victim behind the stumps.Carlson and Ingram put on 60 for the fourth wicket before Carlson used his feet once too often at Trevaskis and yorked himself, the ball squeezing on to his leg stump. Ingram, in company with Kellaway, worked his way towards his fifty, and although he lost Kellaway, trapped in front by van Beek delivery which came back, reached the landmark off 101 deliveries shortly before the close.

Queensland saw through the opening session without loss before the rest of the day was washed out

AAP28-Nov-2023Matt Renshaw’s search for a pivotal innings in his quest for a Test opening berth was undermined by persistent rain at the Gabba against Western Australia.Renshaw was unbeaten at lunch on 37 with opening partner Joe Burns 19 not out, but that was as far as they got on day one of the Sheffield Shield clash.The visitors won the toss and bowled. Renshaw was confronted with overcast skies, a pitch with a green tinge and a quality pace attack.It was just the test the Australian selectors would have wanted for Renshaw and he started his innings with aplomb. It was tough early with pace bowler Jhye Richardson finding his groove on return from a dislocated shoulder.Cameron Green, who is looking to push for a return to the Test side, sent down four overs for five runs.Renshaw left the ball well, rotated the strike nicely with Burns and played one sumptuous pull shot through midwicket to the boundary off Liam Haskett. He had the demeanour of a man prepared to settle in for a long innings.The 27-year-old is vying with Western Australia’s Cameron Bancroft and Victoria’s Marcus Harris to replace David Warner at the top of Australia’s order for the opening Test against the West Indies in January. Warner will retire after the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sydney.Renshaw will not be hanging his hat on a gritty 30-odd and with the forecast improved for the final three days of the Shield match he has the opportunity to post a big century.The three Shield games in progress that stated on Tuesday are the last of the calendar year but Renshaw, Harris and Bancroft will all get another key opportunity to impress Australian selectors next week when they represent the Prime Minister’s XI against Pakistan in Canberra.

James Vince tweets disbelief at Ben Brown’s dismissal as Hampshire’s frustration flares

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2022Kent 313 for 7 (Robinson 95, Stevens 84*) beat Hampshire 310 for 9 (Gubbins 75, Donald 54, Organ 54) by three wicketsDarren Stevens continued his farewell tour with an outrageous 84 off 65 balls to send Kent Spitfires to the Royal London Cup final and end Hampshire’s hopes of the treble in the process.Veteran all-rounder Stevens is leaving Kent at the end of this season after they decided not to renew his contract. He will round off his Kent List A career at a one-day final after striking a six off his legs and then a driven four to take his side over the line with an over to spare.Ollie Robinson’s 95 and Harry Finch’s 63 had set up Kent’s pursuit of 310 before the 46-year-old marshalled his side to a three-wicket victory.Kent, who lost to Hampshire in the 2018 final, will face Lancashire in the Trent Bridge showpiece on September 17.Kent openers Joey Evison and Ben Compton were both dismissed inside the first six overs of the reply, both edging to Scott Currie at second slip. At the other end, Robinson was playing with a sublime touch, with all 12 of his fours coming on the offside to go with a beautifully flicked six.Joe Denly put on 48 with Robinson before edging behind before Harry Finch arrived to substantially chip away at their task. A quick outfield paired with well-placed shots made scoring seem easy, with the duo’s 100 stand coming in 101 balls. But the momentum swung back towards Hampshire as Robinson spooned to midwicket for 95 and Finch chopped on.Enter Stevens, on the back of 41 off 24 in the quarter-final.He bossed a 60-run stand with Grant Stewart, and then dominated a 45 partnership with Harry Podmore. Power was the name of his game, whether it was down the ground or through point; every other ball had the kitchen sink thrown at it. His 50 came at a run-a-ball, before an extraordinary slapped four over extra cover, off a no-ball bouncer, and a checked straight six combo silenced the Ageas Bowl. He even had time to hug umpire David Millns after smashing back at him.Seventy-two were needed from the last 10 overs, which Stevens expertly systematically knocked off to win with an over to spare.Earlier, Nick Gubbins and Ben Brown had set the platform with 106 for the first wicket – Hampshire’s highest opening stand of the tournament. Gubbins was dropped on 33 at first slip but moved past 50 for the third time in the competition in 54 balls – brought up with a sweetly timed cut for four.The impressive start was halted by leggie Hamidullah Qadri in controversial fashion. Brown was adjudged to have been caught at short fine leg, giving a sarcastic thumbs up and applause to the away side on his way off – with club captain James Vince also tweeting his disbelief at the decision. The next delivery, Hampshire’s leading run scorer Tom Prest edged behind.Aneurin Donald skewed the hat-trick ball away before forging stands of 40 and 42 with Gubbins and, when he had been bowled on 75, Fletcha Middleton, in a controlled half-century.Another pair of wickets – Donald lbw while attempting a one-handed reverse sweep and Middleton tamely caught at cover – dragged the Spitfires back into things, onl for Toby Albert and Felix Organ to thrash 88 runs in 57 balls.Hampshire looked well set for Trent Bridge. Then came Stevens.

Sakariya and Gaikwad talk about their maiden India call-up and what they’re most looking forward to in Sri Lanka

Shashank Kishore11-Jun-2021The year 2021 has given Chetan Sakariya some of his most cherished memories. But it has also taken away the pillars of his life. In February, his younger brother died by suicide days before the IPL auction. In May, soon after Sakariya impressed in his maiden stint with the Rajasthan Royals, he saw his father succumb to Covid-19.At 23, Sakariya is no stranger to hardships and struggle, having been the sole breadwinner of his family for the last three years, but he now wants to live with the happy memories life has thrown at him, like the news of his India call-up for the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka in July.Related

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• How did India build their world-beating bench strength? They have a system

“I would’ve been happy just going to Sri Lanka as a net bowler, so this is a massive surprise,” Sakariya told ESPNcricinfo. “At the IPL, I thought I exceeded my own expectations. Initially, I thought I may have to wait for my turn [at the Royals], but once I got into the camp, the kind of confidence and faith everyone showed in me, I got the vibes that I’ll start. So while it is a surprise [to be picked for India], I’m very much ready and confident with the way I’ve prepared.”After the IPL was suspended, Sakariya, a left-arm medium pacer, resumed training in the third week of May. Much of his routine has been focused on improved fitness and developing a strong core. He has been working under the mentorship of AT Rajamani Prabhu, a renowned strength and conditioning coach, in Chennai. The pair first worked together during a pre-IPL camp.”I enjoyed training under him at Royals, so when I was ready to resume, I expressed keen interest in training again under Rajamani sir. The franchise was very supportive of that and arranged everything – like my accommodation and travel – in Chennai, so that I could become a better version of myself. For the last 15 days, I’ve had two intense training sessions every day, with a short break for lunch and rest.”Sakariya has specifically been working on “energy system development”, a training method he explains as something where you “sustain energy over a long period of time through a dedicated training routines”. Ask him about the benefits, and he spontaneously says it has helped improve his agility.”I feel my movements are swifter, my core is stronger, and I believe I’m bowling a tad quicker as well. This side of training isn’t something I knew a lot of growing up, but I’ve felt a lot of change in the way I feel about myself. It’s been a busy routine in Chennai, but one I’m happy and satisfied with. I’m looking forward to learning a lot more with the Indian team.”Ruturaj Gaikwad is focused on getting “the process right”•BCCI/IPL

Sakariya isn’t the only one to have utilised this break to make changes to the way he approaches his training. Opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad, also part of the 20-man tour party led by Shikhar Dhawan, focused on “sleeping early and become a morning person” so that the 7-11am window during lockdown at home in Pune was utilised in the best way possible.”In Pune, there’s been a lockdown since May, and things have been open only from 7-11am. So I wanted to ensure I didn’t spend that time sleeping,” Gaikwad said. “I wanted to utilise more of that time for my fitness work and gym work. I didn’t want myself to be caught off guard and be in a situation where I was picked but wasn’t conditioned enough.”Because he has tuned himself to going to bed early, he almost didn’t come to know of his India call-up on Thursday night when it was announced – he happened to check his phone only because he mistook the repeated ringing for distress calls from his friends.”When I go to sleep, I generally switch off mobile data. I know if it’s an emergency, someone will generally call twice. When my phones started ringing continuously, I wasn’t first sure what it was,” Gaikwad said, laughing. “Then two journalists informed me of my selection.”I had to wake my parents up to tell them. They were quite deep in sleep, and weren’t fully able to process what I was telling them at first. But this morning they woke up really happy and made some (sweets) at home, and I was happy to make an exception and have them to celebrate the happy news.”Like Sakariya, this is Gaikwad’s maiden call-up. Unlike Sakariya, Gaikwad, has been in and around the India A set-up. While he says the ultimate dream is to earn a debut, he wants to keep his mind blank and soak in the experience of being on tour with the national team.”I had a few good scores for India A two years ago, but I wasn’t thinking much about my selection,” he said. “Even now, I’m not thinking on the lines of ‘will I play’. My main focus is on doing my processes right. I’m looking forward to learning the knack of adaptability, something that will be very important going forward.”Once you play international cricket, teams and players watch you, they make plans against you. Dhawan and a few of the other seniors have played a lot of international cricket, so I’d like to learn from them by chatting to them about how they assess conditions, how they’ve adapted, how they’ve used their experience and learnt from their failures.”I am also really excited to train and spend a month under Rahul Dravid, who was our India A coach when I was part of the team two years ago. He was with us on three tours, and we started to get familiar with each other. So when he was appointed the National Cricket Academy chief, I was personally disappointed at not being able to pick his brains anymore. But now, getting a chance to do that will be very useful for me.”

Four teams will contest the women’s challenge, and concussion substitutes will make an appearance

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Jan-2020For the first time, a one-off all-star fixture, comprising players from all the eight franchises, will precede the IPL. The match will be played three days before the tournament’s opening match, which, as reported in December, is will be played on March 29. Both the opening match and the IPL final will be played in Mumbai, the home base of defending champions Mumbai Indians.ESPNcricinfo understands that the two teams for the all-star match are likely to be formed with players from the four franchises in the north and east of India – Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders – and the four teams in the south and west – Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai. No venue has been finalised for the match yet.It appears that the idea of the all-star match came from BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and IPL governing council chairman Brijesh Patel. Both were present at the governing council meeting on Monday in New Delhi where the decision was made.Timings of evening matches unchangedOne of the key points discussed at the meeting concerned the start timings for the evening matches, an issue both the IPL and host broadcaster Star India have been discussing over the past few years. It is understood that Star wanted an earlier start than 8pm IST, because many matches stretch past midnight. However, several teams pointed out that starting early could hand the advantage to one team because of dew.Consequently, the IPL decided to leave the timing for the evening matches unchanged. Ganguly also said that there would just be four double-headers [days with both an afternoon and an evening match] in the 2020 IPL, continuing with the trend established over the past few years to reduce the number of day matches with the tournament being played in summer.The IPL did not announce the main tournament schedule even though the tournament is starting in two months’ time. BCCI officials did not reveal the reason for the delay, but it is learnt that the schedule is likely to be out later this week. One plausible reason could be to the late arrival of the Australia, England and New Zealand players. As per the availability periods listed pre-IPL auction, players from these three countries will arrive after March 31, as they would be busy with various bilateral series as well as the Sheffield Shield final.Four teams for women’s T20 exhibition matchesTaking another step forward towards a women’s IPL, the BCCI has decided to add another team to the women’s T20 exhibition matches it has been conducting over the last two IPL seasons. In 2018, two teams – Supernovas and Trailblazers – contested a one-off exhibition match, which finished in a last-ball thriller. Last year, a third team – Velocity – was added with four matches hosted in Jaipur, which ran parallel to the main IPL playoffs.For the 2020 season, a fourth team, not named yet, has been added to the mix. It is understood there will be seven matches, including the final, that are likely to be scheduled once again around the IPL playoffs.No-ball umpires get the nodThe IPL has also decided to let an off-field match official to supervise no-balls. The move is bound to be welcomed by the players considering the errors by on-field umpires over the years that have left many captains fuming.Last IPL, Virat Kohli, leading the Royal Challengers in a crucial match against Mumbai, called the umpiring standards “ridiculous” and club standard. Incidentally, the no-ball delivered by Lasith Malinga went undetected by S Ravi, one of the on-field umpires who was removed from the ICC’s Elite Panel last year.Taking cognizance of the players’ complaints, the IPL had discussed the issue last year, with Patel saying that an exclusive match official, separate to the TV and fourth umpire, would be in charge of supervising no-balls. Late last year, the ICC opted to reintroduce the no-ball umpire on a trial basis. The ICC, however, had entrusted the job to the regular TV umpire.Concussion substitutes to be introducedThe IPL governing council also approved the move to allow concussion substitutes from the 2020 edition. The match referee will be the final authority on who could come in as a substitute with the option of disallowing replacements if they are deemed not to be like-for-like.