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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hartley back with England after shifts in garden centre
Tom Hartley is England's forgotten man of 2024. The leading wicket-taker on the tour of India in the winter, he took nine wickets in the all-timer of a win in Hyderabad but has not featured since England returned home. When Ben Stokes' side were playing their Tests in Pakistan in October, the left-arm spinner was listening to Test Match Special while working a shift at the family garden centre. "I have found my plant knowledge has come on loads," he tells BBC Sport. Hartley, 26, could make his England return this week in the one-day international series against West Indies, which starts on Thursday at Edgbaston. He has had a decent start to the season with Lancashire but has still been putting in the hours amid the perennials. "It is a 5am or 5:30am wake-up, walk the dogs, water the plants and then set up jobs for the staff, supervise and help where I can," Hartley says. "They clock off at 5pm and I get organised for the next day. "It probably is too much and I feel myself getting tired at times. "If my on-field wasn't going well I would have to change things but I am doing all right on the field at the minute so it must be helping me." The garden centre - Hartley's Nurseries to give it its proper name - is 10 miles or so outside of Liverpool and is a sixth-generation family business. Hartley's father, Bill, won 4x400m gold at the European Championship in 1974 and later took on the company. The plan remains that Tom will do the same one day. "My dad helps me out a bit but you have got to learn on your feet," he says. "It is a bit of trial and error. Some prefer a lot of sunlight, some prefer the shade. "It settles me on the field knowing there is something for me there after cricket and it takes the pressure off a little bit. "If you have a bad game or season it is not the end of the world." Hartley holds no hard feelings over his England omissions since India. After the series concluded in Dharamsala coach Brendon McCullum, the one to call him last week to inform him of his recall, said "you would have taken that at the start of the winter". Lancashire's Evertonian, who was originally picked because of his similarities to India's tall left-arm spinner Axar Patel and was smashed by Yashasvi Jaiswal in an opening nine-over spell which cost 63, is inclined to agree. "It beat any of my expectations," he says. "To say you have a Test five-for and debut it is something you can always fall back on." On returning to the UK, Hartley had his appearances for Lancashire in the County Championship limited by the arrival of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon. This winter his appearances were limited by a broken hand - an injury picked up on England Lions' tour of Australia. He turned out for his club side Ormskirk in the Liverpool and District league to keep his arm turning over at the start of the season, as he had done at the end of the 2024 campaign. "I came away tired in the face from laughing so much," he says. "It is nice to take a few wickets. Sometimes here [at Old Trafford] you can go weeks and weeks without four or five in the bag." Time out of the side has also provided moments for reflection. Under Stokes and McCullum, England are aggressive with the bat but also with the ball - where the message is always to hunt wickets. Hartley does not disagree with the mindset but is keen to remember his own strengths. "Sometimes you look at why you are not being picked and the people who are being picked and think 'if I do that maybe that will help me get back in'," he says. "Personally I have to think 'that is not me'. "I hate going for runs, especially in white-ball. If I can go at six an over or less I will naturally pick up one or two wickets." Hartley's return also comes at an interesting time for him personally and for England's limited-overs cricket. They have lost 10 of 11 white-ball matches this year and Harry Brook has been appointed captain after the dismal Champions Trophy exit. In the weeks since, England's supremo Rob Key has flagged the importance of England improving their batting against and bowling of left-arm spin if they are to return to the summit of the white-ball game. They have bowled the fewest overs of left-arm spin of all of the Full Member nations in ODI cricket since the start of 2022, and England's left-arm spinners - Hartley, Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell - have taken just seven wickets. The result has been Hartley's recall to England's ODI squad and Dawson's return for the T20 series against West Indies that follows. "You look at a lot of the top sides around the world and they do have a left-arm spinner," Hartley says. "For whatever reason it seems to work." At 35, Dawson's recall looks to be one with an eye on next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. With Hartley, nine years Dawson's junior, in the ODI squad, he has the first chance to stake a claim for a place at the 50-over World Cup in 2027. "Bumble [the former England coach and iconic commentator David Lloyd] came up to me the other day and said you don't know anything about spin bowling until you are 27," Hartley says. "You don't realise you are learning but you are, always. "It comes up in certain situations and then pops into your head what you have to do. "You end up having more options, especially when it is not spinning as much - come over, go wide, use the footholes more, change the fields. "You need that experience and game knowledge." Blooms and bowling might be more similar than he knows...
United News of India
27-05-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Hartley back with England after shifts in garden centre
London, May 27 (UNI) Tom Hartley is England's forgotten man of 2024, the leading wicket-taker on the tour of India in the winter, he took nine wickets in the all-timer of a win in Hyderabad but has not featured since England returned home. When Ben Stokes' side were playing their Tests in Pakistan in October, the left-arm spinner was listening to Test Match Special while working a shift at the family garden centre. "I have found my plant knowledge has come on loads," he tells BBC Sport. Hartley, 26, could make his England return this week in the one-day international series against West Indies, which starts on Thursday at Edgbaston. He has had a decent start to the season with Lancashire but has still been putting in the hours amid the perennials. "It is a 5am or 5:30am wake-up, walk the dogs, water the plants and then set up jobs for the staff, supervise and help where I can," Hartley said. "They clock off at 5pm and I get organised for the next day. "It probably is too much and I feel myself getting tired at times. "If my on-field wasn't going well I would have to change things but I am doing all right on the field at the minute so it must be helping me." The garden centre - Hartley's Nurseries to give it its proper name - is 10 miles or so outside of Liverpool and is a sixth-generation family business. Hartley's father, Bill, won 4x400m gold at the European Championship in 1974 and later took on the company. The plan remains that Tom will do the same one day. "My dad helps me out a bit but you have got to learn on your feet," he said. "It is a bit of trial and error. Some prefer a lot of sunlight, some prefer the shade. "It settles me on the field knowing there is something for me there after cricket and it takes the pressure off a little bit. "If you have a bad game or season it is not the end of the world." Hartley holds no hard feelings over his England omissions since India. After the series concluded in Dharamsala coach Brendon McCullum, the one to call him last week to inform him of his recall, said "you would have taken that at the start of the winter". Lancashire's Evertonian, who was originally picked because of his similarities to India's tall left-arm spinner Axar Patel and was smashed by Yashasvi Jaiswal in an opening nine-over spell which cost 63, is inclined to agree. "It beat any of my expectations," he said. "To say you have a Test five-for and debut it is something you can always fall back on." On returning to the UK, Hartley had his appearances for Lancashire in the County Championship limited by the arrival of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon. This winter his appearances were limited by a broken hand - an injury picked up on England Lions' tour of Australia. He turned out for his club side Ormskirk in the Liverpool and District league to keep his arm turning over at the start of the season, as he had done at the end of the 2024 campaign. "I came away tired in the face from laughing so much," he said. "It is nice to take a few wickets. Sometimes here [at Old Trafford] you can go weeks and weeks without four or five in the bag." Time out of the side has also provided moments for reflection. Under Stokes and McCullum, England are aggressive with the bat but also with the ball - where the message is always to hunt wickets. Hartley does not disagree with the mindset but is keen to remember his own strengths. "Sometimes you look at why you are not being picked and the people who are being picked and think 'if I do that maybe that will help me get back in'," he said. "Personally I have to think 'that is not me'. "I hate going for runs, especially in white-ball. If I can go at six an over or less I will naturally pick up one or two wickets." Hartley's return also comes at an interesting time for him personally and for England's limited-overs cricket. They have lost 10 of 11 white-ball matches this year and Harry Brook has been appointed captain after the dismal Champions Trophy exit. In the weeks since, England's supremo Rob Key has flagged the importance of England improving their batting against and bowling of left-arm spin if they are to return to the summit of the white-ball game. They have bowled the fewest overs of left-arm spin of all of the Full Member nations in ODI cricket since the start of 2022, and England's left-arm spinners - Hartley, Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell - have taken just seven wickets. UNI BM
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hartley back with England after shifts in garden centre
Tom Hartley is England's forgotten man of leading wicket-taker on the tour of India in the winter, he took nine wickets in the all-timer of a win in Hyderabad but has not featured since England returned Ben Stokes' side were playing their Tests in Pakistan in October, the left-arm spinner was listening to Test Match Special while working a shift at the family garden centre."I have found my plant knowledge has come on loads," he tells BBC Sport. Hartley, 26, could make his England return this week in the one-day international series against West Indies, which starts on Thursday at has had a decent start to the season with Lancashire but has still been putting in the hours amid the perennials."It is a 5am or 5:30am wake-up, walk the dogs, water the plants and then set up jobs for the staff, supervise and help where I can," Hartley says."They clock off at 5pm and I get organised for the next day."It probably is too much and I feel myself getting tired at times."If my on-field wasn't going well I would have to change things but I am doing all right on the field at the minute so it must be helping me."The garden centre - Hartley's Nurseries to give it its proper name - is 10 miles or so outside of Liverpool and is a sixth-generation family father, Bill, won 4x400m gold at the European Championship in 1974 and later took on the company. The plan remains that Tom will do the same one day."My dad helps me out a bit but you have got to learn on your feet," he says."It is a bit of trial and error. Some prefer a lot of sunlight, some prefer the shade."It settles me on the field knowing there is something for me there after cricket and it takes the pressure off a little bit."If you have a bad game or season it is not the end of the world." Hartley holds no hard feelings over his England omissions since the series concluded in Dharamsala coach Brendon McCullum, the one to call him last week to inform him of his recall, said "you would have taken that at the start of the winter".Lancashire's Evertonian, who was originally picked because of his similarities to India's tall left-arm spinner Axar Patel and was smashed by Yashasvi Jaiswal in an opening nine-over spell which cost 63, is inclined to agree."It beat any of my expectations," he says."To say you have a Test five-for and debut it is something you can always fall back on."On returning to the UK, Hartley had his appearances for Lancashire in the County Championship limited by the arrival of Australia spinner Nathan Lyon. This winter his appearances were limited by a broken hand - an injury picked up on England Lions' tour of turned out for his club side Ormskirk in the Liverpool and District league to keep his arm turning over at the start of the season, as he had done at the end of the 2024 campaign."I came away tired in the face from laughing so much," he says."It is nice to take a few wickets. Sometimes here [at Old Trafford] you can go weeks and weeks without four or five in the bag." Time out of the side has also provided moments for Stokes and McCullum, England are aggressive with the bat but also with the ball - where the message is always to hunt does not disagree with the mindset but is keen to remember his own strengths."Sometimes you look at why you are not being picked and the people who are being picked and think 'if I do that maybe that will help me get back in'," he says."Personally I have to think 'that is not me'."I hate going for runs, especially in white-ball. If I can go at six an over or less I will naturally pick up one or two wickets."Hartley's return also comes at an interesting time for him personally and for England's limited-overs have lost 10 of 11 white-ball matches this year and Harry Brook has been appointed captain after the dismal Champions Trophy the weeks since, England's supremo Rob Key has flagged the importance of England improving their batting against and bowling of left-arm spin if they are to return to the summit of the white-ball have bowled the fewest overs of left-arm spin of all of the Full Member nations in ODI cricket since the start of 2022, and England's left-arm spinners - Hartley, Liam Dawson and Jacob Bethell - have taken just seven wickets. The result has been Hartley's recall to England's ODI squad and Dawson's return for the T20 series against West Indies that follows."You look at a lot of the top sides around the world and they do have a left-arm spinner," Hartley says. "For whatever reason it seems to work."At 35, Dawson's recall looks to be one with an eye on next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. With Hartley, nine years Dawson's junior, in the ODI squad, he has the first chance to stake a claim for a place at the 50-over World Cup in 2027."Bumble [the former England coach and iconic commentator David Lloyd] came up to me the other day and said you don't know anything about spin bowling until you are 27," Hartley says."You don't realise you are learning but you are, always."It comes up in certain situations and then pops into your head what you have to do."You end up having more options, especially when it is not spinning as much - come over, go wide, use the footholes more, change the fields."You need that experience and game knowledge."Blooms and bowling might be more similar than he knows...
Mint
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
England brush aside Zimbabwe with innings victory in one-off Test at Trent Bridge, to take on India next
England have started their Test summer with a win after they coasted to a comfortable win over Zimbabwe in the third day of the one-off Test match at Trent Bridge. Off spinner Shoaib Bashir was named player of the match. He took 3-62 in the first innings and 6-81 in the second for a career-best match figures of 9-143. Speaking to Test Match Special after collecting his award, Bashir feels he still has to work on certain aspects to his game. He said: "I went on loan to Glamorgan at the start of the season, just to get some overs under my belt. It was nice to join up with the England boys and bowl in front of an English crowd. 'There's always room to improve, I want to work on my consistency, especially when you come up against right-hand/left-hand, it takes me a while to ease into my spells.' After 21-year-old Brian Bennett created history on Day 2 of the Test by smashing Zimbabwe's fastest Test century in 97 balls, the team crumbled under the pressure of chasing a huge first innings total. Bennett top-scored with 139 but has no real support at the other end as Zimbabwe were skittled for 265, short of England's first innings total by 300 runs. England had no problems enforcing the follow on as the African side were looking to avoid an innings defeat. The veteran pair of Sean Williams (88 of 82) and Sikandar Raza (60 of 68) did put on a fight for the touring side. However, off-spinner Bashir broke the 122-run third-wicket partnership of the duo and snapped both their wickets before cleaning up the tail. Zimbabwe were all out for 255 in the second innings before the Tea break as England made the perfect start to the summer. England have had the best warm up possible ahead of their gruelling home series against England, which begins on June 20. The Indian team will sport many new faces as they start a new era under a new captain. Shubman Gill was named captain of the Test side earlier today, as he is set to take over the reigns from Rohit Sharma. Rishabh Pant was named his deputy while Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran both received their maiden call-ups. Karun Nair returns to the Test fold after last playing for India in this format in 2017.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Channel 5 to show four England T20s per summer
Channel 5 will show four home England T20s per year for the next four years under a new deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), keeping the matches on free-to-air television. The two men's and two women's matches, previously shown on the BBC, will also be available on Channel 5's streaming service 5. They will still be broadcast on Sky Sports, which shows all of England's home matches. Channel 5 will also stream highlights of the T20 Blast. The first match on the channel is the women's T20 between England and West Indies at Chelmsford on Monday. It will also show England's men against the Windies on Sunday 8 June, then Nat Sciver-Brunt's England against India on Saturday 28 June and the men's match against South Africa on Sunday 14 September. The BBC signed a new deal with the ECB this year, which includes highlights of all red and white-ball internationals across television, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website. There will also be in-play clips of all matches on the BBC Sport website and app, plus live TV coverage of eight double-headers in each season of The Hundred. The BBC's audio deal also means Test Match Special will have commentary of home internationals until at least 2028, along with the new four-year contract to broadcast men's and women's county cricket. BBC and ECB agree new four-year rights deal Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
