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The Independent
01-08-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
England make rapid progress after Gus Atkinson ends India's innings
Gus Atkinson completed a five-wicket haul before a rampant opening stand put England in charge on day two of the decisive fifth Test against India. England bowled the tourists out for 224, taking the final four wickets for six runs as Atkinson wrapped up figures of five for 33 to complete an outstanding return to the side. Zak Crawley's unbeaten 52 and a livewire 43 from Ben Duckett ensured a dominant first session at the Kia Oval as England took lunch on 109 for one. India looked badly rattled by the sheer pace of the hosts' scoring, which sat at more than seven an over when Crawley and Duckett were together, with England already well positioned to build a big lead. They wiped out the remainder of the Indian innings in quick time after play resumed on 204 for six, with the dominoes falling quickly once Josh Tongue removed Karun Nair for 57. After blowing hot and cold on day one the Nottinghamshire quick was trusted with the first over and continued to produce a mixed bag. Two of his first balls disappeared to the boundary and he sent four byes down leg. But he also has a habit of producing magic deliveries and mustered another, beating Nair with one that clocked in at 91mph and had him plumb lbw. From there it was over to Atkinson, who crushed the tail in ruthless fashion. Washington Sundar was bounced out, taking on a bumper and feeding a catch to Jamie Overton in the deep, Mohammed Siraj lost his off stump and Prasidh Krishna nicked off for a duck. If the clatter of wickets gave England's openers the jitters it was impossible to tell, with Crawley instantly on the offensive as he slapped three of his first nine balls for four. Duckett overcame a couple of early scares, a loud lbw shout shown to be going over and a possible catch landing safe as the fielders at gully and point left it for each other. But his response was emphatic, reversing his hands and launching Akash Deep for six over the slips before hitting the ropes three more times in the seamer's next visit. The score raced beyond 50 in the sixth over as Duckett ramped Siraj for six more. The runs kept flowing as the stand reached 92 in 12 overs but Duckett eventually paid the price for his leftfield strokeplay. Aiming another pre-meditated reverse scoop at Deep, he edged through to the keeper and offered up the simplest of catches. The bowler grinned as he draped an arm over the departing Duckett, who did well not to react to the apparent provocation.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Impressive performances from pathway cricketers
The Somerset Pathway players have produced some impressive performances over the last few days including a century and several five wicket hauls, all of which have contributed to some good results, writes Richard Walsh. In the Boys Under 18s ECB County Championship match against Worcestershire at Bromsgrove School 16 year old Will MacDonald claimed a five wicket haul in both innings and Seb Linnitt score a century to see the visitors to an innings victory, After being put in Worcestershire were bowled out for 159 in 52'5 overs, MacDonald who is in his first year on the Academy taking 5 for 31 from his 12 overs two of which were maidens, while Jamie Ogborne ended with 4 for 34 from 12.5 with four maidens. In reply Somerset made 469 for 9 declared of which Linnitt coming in first wicket down contributed 107 which he scored from 134 balls with 10 fours and four 6s, and Zach Vukusic made 91 from 110 deliveries with nine 4s and three 6s. Batting for a second time the hosts were all out for 292 in 82,4 overs, MacDonald claiming 5 for 52 from 18 overs, two maidens, to see Somerset to victory by an innings and 18 runs. MacDonald ended with match figures of 10 for 83. Somerset Girls Under 18s played two matches against Essex in Group 2 of the ECB County T20 competition. In the opening match Somerset chose to bat first and posted 129 for 7 from their 20 overs, Brooke Whittaker top scoring with an unbeaten 48 and Lucy Ashman making 21. Essex in reply reached 120 for 9 Ashman taking 5 for 17 from her 4 overs, while Bella James took 2 for 23. In the second game Somerset were put in and made 138 for 8, Whittaker top scoring with 27 and Lola Harris hitting 25. Essex were restricted to 98 for 9 Poppy Hatcher ending with 2 for 7 and Ami Balasubramaniam taking 2 for 17. Somerset Boys Under 16s have recently recorded two wins in the ECB County Cup Group 3. Against Devon at Torquay Somerset posted 292 for 8 from their 50 overs of which Ralph Dunn made 50 and Sam Price 47 and then bowled their hosts out for 177, James Baker ending with 4 for 46 and Thomas Watson 3 for 35. In the match against Cornwall at Falmouth the home team posted 149 for 8, Peter McGivern taking 3 for 24, in reply to which Somerset made 153 for 2 Sam Price making an unbeaten 75. Somerset Girls hosted Gloucestershire in the ECB Under 15 One Day Cup at Wembdon where after being put in the hosts posted 267 for 8 from their 40 overs of which Emma Mason made 56, Isobel Glynn Jones hit 50 and Pippa Stephens remained unbeaten on 50. When the visitors replied they were restricted to 230 for 5, Stephens the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 34. Meanwhile three Academy players made good contributions p[laying for Somerset Seconds against Surrey at New Malden last week. Kian Roberts hit 62 out of Somerset's first innings total of 383, and in the Surrey reply Mo Kaleem who is a left arm orthodox and leg spin bowler, in his first year on the Academy, claimed 3 for 106 from his 24 overs with 5 maidens. In Somerset's second innings of 115 all out Bertie Michael opened the innings and made a patient 47 from 73 balls, while Kaleem took 2 for 36 as Surrey reached 89 for four to win.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How personal tragedy motivates India seamer Deep
"Why didn't you tell Siraj to bowl outside the off stump so that you could take five wickets?" That's what Bengal team-mate Shreevats Goswami jokingly asked Akash Deep after the first innings of the second England versus India Test. "No, no, whatever the team requires, we have to do that," Deep replied. The right-arm pacer, who had featured in just seven Tests for India before, eventually claimed a five-wicket haul in the second innings, helping India seal an impressive win. Deep stepped up in style, even earning praise from England captain Ben Stokes for "his ability to use and change his angles consistently and still be so accurate". 'He thought only the rich could play cricket' While Deep's name only began resonating in cricket circles after his 10 wickets at Edgbaston, his story stretches far deeper. Born in a small village in Bihar, one of India's most economically challenged states, Akash grew up believing cricket was a game for the wealthy. It was his childhood friend Vaibhav Kumar who first instilled belief in him. "Cricket wasn't very popular in Bihar back then. In our entire district, barely 20 to 25 people were playing leather-ball cricket," Vaibhav says. "Akash mostly played with a tennis ball, but whenever we took him along for a leather-ball match, he would always help us win. But Akash thought that only the rich could play cricket." Vaibhav, a cricketer himself, became convinced of Deep's talent after watching professional players up close. "We went to Jamshedpur, where a few Ranji Trophy and IPL players were playing in an academy. When I saw them bowling, I was like 'Akash is faster and better than them'," he recalls. "I asked the coaches there to take a look at him, and they were impressed too. They said if not India, Akash could definitely play IPL as long as he works hard." But before Deep could fully commit to the sport, tragedy struck. His father died in 2015, followed by his elder brother just six months later. With no primary breadwinner in the family, cricket was put on hold. "He bought a dumper on partnership after saving some money from farming and used it to earn a living. His mother also received half of her late husband's salary, which helped the family get by," Vaibhav says. Deep left the game for nearly three years, but his passion for cricket never fully disappeared. Determined to chase his dream, he decided to relocate to Bengal. "My father was posted in Bengal, and we decided to rent a flat there. I went to different clubs and asked them to consider Akash, but they would make fun of me," Vaibhav says. "But I didn't give up and requested one of the coaches multiple times to take a look at him just once. After seeing him, they agreed to play him." 'He had to believe in himself' That proved to be the turning point. Deep soon began playing in Bengal's domestic circuit and was quickly noticed. "He was on the fringes. But it was pretty evident that he was an exceptional talent. He had a lot of strength, good pace, and a natural ability to swing the ball. So, we brought him into the team and he did exceedingly well," says former India cricketer Arun Lal, then Bengal's coach. "He was so good that I am rather disappointed that it has taken him so long to surface on the international stage." But talent alone wasn't enough. Arun had to work on Akash's mindset. "He underestimated himself. So the idea was to work on his temperament rather than technique and try to get him to believe in himself," Arun says. His domestic performances eventually earned him a spot in the IPL, and soon after, in India's Test squad. Deep made his international debut in early 2024 against England, picking up three wickets. It seemed his fortunes had finally turned. But more hardship was around the corner. "His sister was diagnosed with cancer. He went through a lot of stress and would even turn his phone off. He was feeling mentally down since he had already lost his father and brother. But thankfully, she is fine now," Vaibhav says. Deep later dedicated his performance at Edgbaston to his sister. "Every time I picked up the ball, her thoughts and picture crossed my mind. This performance is dedicated to her. I want to tell her, 'Sis, we are all with you.'" After Edgbaston, Deep struggled at Lord's and missed the Old Trafford Test through injury, but his absence was felt as his replacement, Anshul Kamboj, struggled to adapt to English conditions. His return to the team cannot come quickly enough. Get cricket news sent straight to your phone
The Independent
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Linsey Smith: It's surreal to celebrate five-for on my ODI debut for England
England bowler Linsey Smith admitted it was a 'surreal' feeling to claim a five-wicket haul on her one-day international debut after the hosts earned a convincing 108-run victory over the West Indies in Derby. Tammy Beaumont (107) and Amy Jones (122) put on a stunning 222-run partnership for the first wicket which saw both openers claim their centuries, while captain Nat Sciver-Brunt added 52 late on as England climbed to 345 for six at the halfway point. West Indies struggled with the bat in the previous T20 series but put up a bit more a fight this time around. Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph's opening stand of 91 had them in the contest until the former was caught behind and – despite Joseph's 62 – the visitors slipped to defeat. Smith ripped through the West Indies middle order and marked the occasion with a five-for haul which sealed a dominant performance from the hosts with both bat and ball. The 30-year-old was happy with her performance but quickly switched the focus onto game two in Leicester next week. She said: 'It's pretty surreal to be honest. Today feels like a bit of a blur but I guess initial feelings are, pretty over the moon. 'One, to make my debut; Two, to put in a performance and help the team win so I'm pretty proud of myself right now. But, there's another game coming up quickly and we want to win the series as well. 'I was just telling myself to try and hit the stumps and then obviously saw it go up in the air for what felt like about five minutes. But yeah, saw Dunks (Sophia Dunkley) underneath it and obviously she'd had a really good day in the field. 'So yeah, I felt pretty confident and it was nice, obviously fitting. She did my cap this morning as well, so to top it off with her was really nice.' Smith made her England T20 debut against Bangladesh in 2018 and had to wait seven years to get her first cap in the 50-over format. Smith became only the second woman to take a five-wicket haul in her first ODI for England and insisted she did not want to give up on her dream of playing in an ODI for her country. She added: 'I've been reminded quite a few times today how many days in between debut I've had, but I just feel quite proud of myself because it's a dream that I didn't want to give up on. 'I know for quite a while I only played T20 and I knew deep down within me that I wanted to play every format and really push my case for that. 'I started off with Hampshire this year, putting in some good performances and then to carry that into this series to get the win is a good feeling.'
