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The Guardian
02-08-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
England left in Deep funk by nightwatchman Akash's unexpected half-century
The match between Bengal and Jharkhand in the 2022 Ranji Trophy – bear with me here – was something of a curiosity. Jharkhand won the toss, decided to field and came to regret it immensely: Bengal's openers both got half-centuries, their next two batters both reached triple figures and then numbers five, six, seven and eight all eased past 50. Akash Deep, scourge of England on this third day at the Oval, came out at No 9. His was a first-class innings in name only: he faced 18 balls and hit eight of them for six (it stands as the joint 15th fastest half-century in the long-form game) as he careened to 53. By which point they were well into day three, the team's score was an unnecessarily healthy 773 for seven, and Bengal declared. It was the first time in the history of first-class cricket that there had been nine half-centuries in a single innings, erasing from the record books the Australians who scored 843, with eight fifties, against a combined Oxford and Cambridge University side in 1893. Until this game it was the only half-century of Deep's career and his highest first-class score. In 37 innings between that game and this he averaged 10.73. Yet here he was, batting at No 4 after coming in as nightwatchman, facing for large parts of the third morning a bowler in Jamie Overton who had played seven red-ball games in the past two years and taken wickets in two of them. For a while it felt like this Test match was testing, more than anything, the definition of first-class cricket. Midway through the 26th over Deep, on 21, edged Josh Tongue to third slip, where Zak Crawley continued the theme by fumbling the catch. This is obviously unfair on Deep, who played an innings which was, whatever your allegiance, remarkably controlled, and potentially, depending on your allegiance, also wildly infuriating. Nightwatchmanship is a strange concept, suggesting a degree of cowardice on the part of the actual batter who was carded to come in instead – and if, as here, it is the captain who seeks their protection, something of the General Melchett style of leadership. As Jason Gillespie put it, writing about his world-record unbeaten 201 for Australia against Bangladesh in 2006: 'When your captain says he doesn't fancy it and wants you to do his job, you just nod and say: 'Yes skip, no problem, I will step up and do your job.'' So Deep's primary task had been to protect Shubman Gill as the evening gloom descended towards the end of Friday, but he returned on Saturday determined to generate a different kind of gloom in his opponents. He heaved the third ball of the day through midwicket for four, and was on his way. Precisely 19 overs later he smeared a Gus Atkinson delivery to the square leg boundary to reach his half-century and the residents of the one pocket of the ground overwhelmingly populated by India fans leapt to their feet, singing his name with the uniquely delicious relish that results when delight is blended with disbelief. He was accompanied throughout, sometimes a little awkwardly, by Yashasvi Jaiswal. The two seemed to communicate rarely, most deliveries followed with them both setting off slowly towards square leg, heads down, on parallel paths 22 yards apart. But it was not until lunch approached that the method showed signs of failure. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion In the 41st over, Deep edged Overton along the ground and through the gap between third slip and gully, those four runs establishing his new first-class high score; in the 42nd he did it again off Josh Tongue, aerially this time, those four runs taking the partnership into triple figures; and in the 43rd he finally fell, sending a leading edge looping to point when trying to work Overton into the leg side. By then he had scored 66, and had watched the night all the way to 12.50pm the following afternoon. Jaiswal will steal much of the attention, having neatly bookended his series with another century to go with the one he scored at Headingley. But for a while at the Oval, the India opener was outshone, and he contributed precisely half as many runs as his teammate to a partnership of 107. Given the freedom with which Jaiswal had batted at the start of his innings this was unexpected: at the point the nightwatchman walked out he had sprinted to 51 off 47, and at the point Deep walked in again he had added a humble 33 off 56. For all the delight that greeted the achievements of the morning's unlikely hero in the stands and on India's balcony, Jaiswal – like England – had got stuck for a while in what can only be described as a Deep funk.
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
All-rounder Green extends Leicestershire loan
Somerset all-rounder Ben Green has extended his loan spell with Leicestershire for two further County Championship has been an ever-present for Leicestershire in first-class cricket this season, scoring 283 runs and taking 29 wickets for the Division Two 27-year-old is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the second tier and registered his maiden first-class five-wicket haul during the Foxes' win over Gloucestershire in Holland also returns to the Leicestershire attack after missing the Championship draw with Glamorgan and defeat by Middlesex while on duty with Major League Cricket side Washington Foxes hold a 31-point lead in Division Two and return to four-day action on Tuesday away to Derbyshire.
Khaleej Times
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Sri Lanka's Rathnayake changes bowling arm to target batter's weakness
Ambidextrous Sri Lanka spinner Tharindu Rathnayake said he switched his bowling arm according to the weakness of the batter on strike as he took two wickets on the first day of his debut test match against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Both of Rathnayake's wickets came from right-arm deliveries in the first session, but the 29-year-old also bowled with his left arm as visitors Bangladesh posted 292-3 at stumps in Galle. "We talked about what each batsman is better at facing, and which sides they hit to. So I try to create plans around their weaknesses, and change which arm I'm bowling with according to that," Rathnayake was quoted by ESPN Cricinfo as saying. Rathnayake is not the only ambidextrous spinner in the Sri Lanka team, with Kamindu Mendis also known to bowl with both arms. But all-rounder Mendis has taken only 31 first-class wickets in 56 matches while Rathnayake, primarily a bowler, has 337 in 73 appearances. "I don't know which arm I've taken more wickets with. I've never looked at it properly. I've bowled a lot with both my arms," Rathnayake said. "When I started first-class cricket, I bowled a lot with my left arm. But later, after a couple of years, it became about 60% right arm and 40% left arm." Sri Lanka will play two Tests against Bangladesh this month, followed by three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals in July.
Reuters
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Sri Lanka debutant Rathnayake changes bowling arm to target batter's weakness
June 18 (Reuters) - Ambidextrous Sri Lanka spinner Tharindu Rathnayake said he switched his bowling arm according to the weakness of the batter on strike as he took two wickets on the first day of his debut test match against Bangladesh on Tuesday. Both of Rathnayake's wickets came from right-arm deliveries in the first session, but the 29-year-old also bowled with his left arm as visitors Bangladesh posted 292-3 at stumps in Galle. "We talked about what each batsman is better at facing, and which sides they hit to. So I try to create plans around their weaknesses, and change which arm I'm bowling with according to that," Rathnayake was quoted by ESPN Cricinfo as saying. Rathnayake is not the only ambidextrous spinner in the Sri Lanka team, with Kamindu Mendis also known to bowl with both arms. But all-rounder Mendis has taken only 31 first-class wickets in 56 matches while Rathnayake, primarily a bowler, has 337 in 73 appearances. "I don't know which arm I've taken more wickets with. I've never looked at it properly. I've bowled a lot with both my arms," Rathnayake said. "When I started first-class cricket, I bowled a lot with my left arm. But later, after a couple of years, it became about 60% right arm and 40% left arm." Sri Lanka will play two tests against Bangladesh this month, followed by three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals in July.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sam Curran steers Surrey to draw while Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire earn wins
Sam Curran's second consecutive first-class fifty helped Surrey bat out a final-day draw at home to Essex in Division One of the Rothesay County Championship. Champions Surrey started 386 runs short of an improbable victory target of 418 and when Simon Harmer accounted for openers Rory Burns (39) and Dom Sibley (40), Jamie Porter's three wickets in quick succession – on his way to five for 88 – set up a tantalising evening session at Kia Oval. Struggling on 167 for five, England outcast Curran backed up his first-innings 80 with another mature knock of 77 from 121 balls before his dismissal sparked brief hope for Essex. Match drawn 🤝 We take 12 points from a tense game at the Kia Oval. 🤎 | #SurreyCricket — Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) May 26, 2025 Further light showers in a rain-affected day four halted the visitors momentum before Surrey's fifth draw from seven fixtures was confirmed after they got to 289 for seven from 84 overs. Leaders Nottinghamshire strengthened their grip at the top of the table, seeing off Yorkshire with five wickets on the final day at Headingley. The Division One pace-setters racked up their fourth win of the campaign by 163 runs, with Dillon Pennington making the running. Pennington, an unused member of the England Test squad last year, had two wickets overnight and finished with five for 106 as he prised out the defiant Matthew Revis, stand-in skipper Dom Bess and tailender Ben Coad. 💬"We've got to find some answers because as much as we talk and everything like that, it's about performances." Anthony McGrath spoke on Yorkshire's defeat to Notts and upcoming player availability.#YorkshireGrit — Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC) May 26, 2025 Yorkshire batted for 120.3 overs to show some grit but were finally dismissed for 299 when Mohammad Abbas claimed the final wicket. While Nottinghamshire ride high, question marks are piling up for the White Rose, who sit second-bottom of the standings with one win from seven, and have just lost captain Jonny Bairstow to the Indian Premier League. Chris Woakes claimed three wickets for Warwickshire, but they were denied victory by rain at Worcestershire. Worcestershire resumed on 57 for two and, while Woakes finished with three for 30, Matthew Waite hit 44 not out amid plenty of showers to help the hosts escape with a draw after they battled to 181 for eight. In Division Two, Derbyshire ended a sequence of five successive draws at Kent's expense, skittling the visitors before lunch to win by an innings and 14 runs. Mickey was delighted after the win over Kent. Watch the full interview ⤵️ — Derbyshire CCC (@DerbyshireCCC) May 26, 2025 Needing six more wickets overnight, they picked them up for the addition of just 90 runs as Kent subsided for 247 after following on. The writing was on the wall when Zak Chappell had Tawanda Muyeye caught behind for 55 off the first ball of the day. A knock of 49 from tailender Grant Stewart was the only real resistance as a cheap double from all-rounder Luis Reece and Jake Ball's injury absence helped Derbyshire to take the result. Rain forced Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire to settle for a draw. After Northamptonshire declared on 259 for six, it set the visitors 350 for victory and a thrilling finish was on the cards when Gloucestershire slipped to 214 for six before wet weather after tea ended the chances of a winner.
