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Essex 16 for 1 trail Warwickshire 166 (Bresnan 50, Siddle 6-38) by 150 runsHuddled beneath a flimsy canopy at the Hayes Close End, in a poised-for-action outline uncannily similar to that of Scrat, Ice Age’s perma-frozen sabre-toothed squirrel, there would appear to be some long-lost lumps of immoveable organic matter at the Cloud FM County Ground.Forgotten by the winds of time and the rains of desolation, outnumbered by Chelmsford’s overkill of underemployed stewards, and undeterred by the futility of the long-range forecast, they cling instead to cricket’s oldest adage, that the umpires’ decision about the likelihood of a resumption of play is final.And so, with “Gunner” Gould still hedging his bets at 5pm on the second afternoon, after more than four hours of inactivity and with winter coming so fervently that Jon Snow was already deep in hibernation, still they loitered, stretching for that elusive shaft of sunlight that would allow them to break their icy bonds and resume their quest for that one perfect nut. As it were.Rarely has the lot of a county supporter seemed so lonely. Chelmsford’s concourse right now is a maze of futile detours, the sort of forest of deserted roadworks that once persuaded John Major to set up a national cones hotline. Endless channels of crowd-control barriers, syphoning the non-existent hordes to their various and inviolable destinations – and who knows to what end, given that some of us have traversed entire capital cities and mingled with all manner of be-plagued masses, to get to the gates of the Fortress.Fans? Turn right. Media? Straight ahead, but filter to your left as you do so. Players? Plough on through the middle but don’t dare touch the sides. It’s impractical, unworkable, and entirely out of keeping with the bucolic traditions of county cricket. Oh, and don’t forget your picnic because you’re a prisoner for the rest of the day, and the tea-bags are already rationed. God forbid you should be allowed out at lunchtime to cross-pollinate in the Moulsham Street farm shop, and render your morning temperature tests redundant.None of this is Essex’s fault, clearly. They cannot be blamed for the cramped dimensions of their venue, nor for the nonsensically confused Covid policies that have allowed snooker’s crowds to share the same canned air at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield before any outdoor gatherings, let alone Parkrun. And they certainly can’t be blamed for possessing antiquated architecture that has scarcely altered in the 50-odd years since Warwickshire’s Supporters Association (no, really) lent the club the funds to buy their own ground after years of nomadic penury.This lack of overheads has, for the most part, played to Essex’s favour in these locked-down times. Not for them the sort of eye-watering losses that Surrey reported earlier this week – £1.2 million in the red for 2020-21 with an eight-figure collapse in turnover, thanks to the reallocation of a Test match and the closure of their myriad banqueting suites. By contrast, the cancellation of a few nets sessions in Goochie’s indoor school and the lost revenue from a few speed-awareness courses in the Scrutton Bland Premier Suite was never going to make much of a difference to the bottom line of county cricket’s premier red-ball outfit.The inability to bring back a workable crowd, on the other hand… well, that is a different matter. Who knows what awaits come June 21 and the prospective lifting of the government’s remaining Covid restrictions. But right at the moment, Chelmsford’s crowd of 200 – less than a quarter of the capacity at Derbyshire, the next least-workable venue, and barely a graze on Surrey’s welcome-home figure of 4,000 – is a slow puncture of a scenario.It costs the club more to marshall their hardy few than they can ever hope to recoup on either the gate or their one desultory snack stall. And have any of these patrons actually enjoyed their return to the county plein air after 600 days of stasis? Your guess is as good as mine, as we can’t even get within hollering distance. And I’ll bet the wifi in that far-distant corner of the ground wasn’t strong enough to support live streaming either. I doubt they even had Darren Stevens’ Canterbury tonkings to raise an envious grin.Still, at least the Essex faithful had their 15 minutes in the morning session. A passage of play as distant and discombobulating as a fever dream, in which Tim Bresnan made his second fifty of the season, Peter Siddle celebrated his county cap with his county-best figures of 6 for 38, and Warwickshire lost three wickets for no runs in seven balls to tumble from 159 for 7 overnight to 166 all out.It wasn’t the ideal scenario for a side that had elected to bat first, and some way short of Dom Sibley’s bullish insistence that 200 could be a competitive total if “Bressie Lad” was able to land a few blows upon the resumption. Unfortunately he was out of support almost before he could get going.Siddle needed just four balls to bring up his five-for, as Paul Walter’s dive at point scooped up a limp back-cut from Danny Briggs, and he had six in the same over, as Liam Norwell lost his off stump first ball. And before Bresnan himself could take the Stevens route, he was gone as well, supremely dispatched for an even fifty, twice Cook-ed like a biscuit as Alastair clung at first slip, on behalf of the little chef, Sam.There was time before the apocalypse for Olly Stone to crank down four overs of Test-ready #wheels, and for Norwell to atone for his batting by nicking Nick Browne’s outside edge for 4. Oh, and Sir Alastair served up that perfect nut – a glorious cover drive, more perfect in its functionality than anything we’ve witnessed all week, most particularly the return-to-stadium provisions. The fact that the shot rolled out towards his smattering of diehards was an added bonus. There was little else to warm their frozen cores.

Mumbai Indians allrounder Hardik Pandya on Saturday announced that his entire family, including brother Krunal Pandya, will donate 200 oxygen concentrators to help the rural areas of the country fight the raging Covid-19 pandemic.Talking ahead of his team’s match against the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Hardik said his family had been looking for ways to help those in need.”Gratitude to all the medical staff, frontline workers and all the individuals who have come out and held their hands at such times to fight out the battle,” Hardik said during a pre-game chat on Star Sports. “Krunal, myself and my mother – basically our entire family – we were finding ways at trying to help out. We decided to donate 200 oxygen concentrators to the rural parts of India where I feel the medical infrastructure needs more support.”Related

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India is reeling under the second wave of the pandemic with cases rising rapidly, the crisis compounded by shortage of some crucial medicines and oxygen supplies. The country recorded over four lakh cases since Friday.”We all understand it’s difficult, we want to show our gratitude, support and just want to tell everyone that they’re always there in our prayers,” Hardik said.Several cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, Shikhar Dhawan and Jaydev Undakat, Australians Pat Cummins and Brett Lee, and West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran also stepped up to help in the fight against Covid-19.IPL sides are also pitching in. The Rajasthan Royals have raised INR 7.5 crore (US$ 1 million approx.) while the Delhi Capitals contributed INR 1.5 crore ($20,2500 approx.) for the cause.

Ollie Robinson has “unreservedly apologised” after admitting posting “racist and sexist” comments on Twitter while a teenager.The tweets, sent between April 2012 and June 2013, included use of the ‘N’ word, comments suggesting Muslim people were linked with terrorism, and derogatory comments about women and people of Asian heritage. Robinson was aged 18 and 19 at the time, and representing either Leicestershire, Kent and Yorkshire in second-team cricket.”On the biggest day of my career so far, I am embarrassed by the racist and sexist tweets that I posted over eight years ago, which have today become public,” Robinson said in a statement released shortly after stumps on the opening day of the two-Test series against New Zealand. “I want to make it clear that I’m not racist and I’m not sexist.”I deeply regret my actions, and I am ashamed of making such remarks. I would like to unreservedly apologise to anyone I have offended, my teammates and the game as a whole in what has been a day of action and awareness in combatting discrimination from our sport.”There was some irony in the timing of the discovery. Both England and New Zealand joined in a ‘moment of unity’ ahead of play in an attempted to show a collective stance against any form of discrimination in cricket. England also unveiled training t-shirts to be worn all summer which bear slogans declaring that ‘cricket is a game for everyone’ on the front and denouncing racism, sexism and religious intolerance among other things on the back.”I don’t want something that happened eight years ago to diminish the efforts of my teammates and the ECB as they continue to build meaningful action with their comprehensive initiatives and efforts, which I fully endorse and support,” Robinson continued.”I will continue to educate myself, look for advice and work with the support network that is available to me to learn more about getting better in this area. I am sorry, and I have certainly learned my lesson today.”Ollie Robinson has apologised for offensive tweets posted as a teenager•PA Images via Getty Images

The tweets may also expose the ECB to allegations of a failure to conduct due diligence. Robinson has been close to the England team for some time – he has toured with the Lions and spent months in the senior team’s bio-bubble in recent times – so it may raise eyebrows that nobody at the organisation had noticed such comments. Questions might also be raised of Yorkshire, who are currently facing an enquiry into their attitude towards race and inclusivity. Robinson made his first-team debut for the club in August 2013.While the comments were made several years ago, it is possible Robinson could still face disciplinary action from the ECB. A statement from ECB chief executive Tom Harrison made it clear that a “zero tolerance” attitude to such behaviour will be taken and committed to “a full investigation as part of our disciplinary process.””I do not have the words to express how disappointed I am that an England Men’s player has chosen to write tweets of this nature, however long ago that might have been,” Harrison said.”Any person reading those words, particularly a woman or person of colour, would take away an image of cricket and cricketers that is completely unacceptable. We are better than this.”We have a zero-tolerance stance to any form of discrimination and there are rules in place that handle conduct of this nature. We will initiate a full investigation as part of our disciplinary process.”Our England Men’s Team, alongside others from the ECB and our partners across the game, worked together today to create a moment of unity. Using today’s spotlight to reaffirm our commitment to driving forward an anti-discrimination agenda. Our commitment to that effort remains unwavering, and the emergence of these comments from Ollie’s past reiterates the need for ongoing education and engagement on this issue.”England players and staff stand for a Moment of Unity whilst wearing anti-discrimination T-shirts•Getty Images

Until the emergence of the tweets, Robinson had enjoyed a memorable day for almost entirely positive reasons. Having been presented with his Test cap by former Sussex colleague Jon Lewis, who is now the bowling coach with England, he impressed in taking two of the first three wickets on a flat pitch. Delivering an excellent probing length, he generated movement in both directions and looked to have the talent to forge a decent career at the top level.”Today should be about my efforts on the field and the pride of making my Test debut for England, but my thoughtless behaviour in the past has tarnished this,” Robinson’s statement continued.While Robinson made no attempt to excuse his behaviour, he did suggest he had “matured as a person” since the tweets were posted. In a subsequent media conference, he also suggested they had been sent in a period of turmoil after his release from Yorkshire. While the tweets came to prominence shortly after lunch, it is understood that the England management did not tell Robinson until the close of play.”I was thoughtless and irresponsible, and regardless of my state of mind at the time, my actions were inexcusable,” Robinson continued. “Since that period, I have matured as a person and fully regret the tweets.”Over the past few years, I have worked hard to turn my life around. I have considerably matured as an adult. The work and education I have gained personally from the PCA, my county Sussex and the England Cricket Team have helped me to come to terms and gain a deep understanding of being a responsible professional cricketer.”Related

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It was not until July 2014 that Yorkshire terminated Robinson’s contract due to “unprofessional” conduct. The club’s coach at the time, Jason Gillespie, was quoted at the time as saying: “When a player consistently displays behaviour that isn’t professional, there has to be a point in time when you say, ‘look, this isn’t really working, you’re obviously not bothered about playing for the club’.”Robinson’s current club, Sussex, issued a statement saying they were “beyond disappointed to read these tweets when they were brought to our attention today” and that “their content was wholly unacceptable”.”We are pleased that Ollie has apologised unreservedly and taken responsibility for a significant mistake that he made as a teenager,” the statement said. “His age does not excuse the content of these tweets in any way and he will now suffer the consequences of his actions.”We know he recognises the severity of the situation and that he is devastated that what should have been a proud day has been overshadowed in this manner. We know also that Ollie will learn some very important lessons from this experience. We will be here to offer any support Ollie needs during that process.”There will be some who dismiss the tweets as the work of an immature young man and suggest Robinson should not be defined by them. Others will point out that we may all have once been young and foolish, but we have not all been young, foolish and racist. Either way, they will be an acute embarrassment to the individual as well as the ECB and do nothing to convince the doubters that the sport is inclusive and welcoming.In the longer term, though, Robinson’s tweets may serve to provide a reminder of where we are as a sport and a society on such issues. By doing so, they underline the importance of the England’s team’s current campaign in ensuring there is greater awareness and education in such areas.

The debate as to who will bat No.3 for England in the first Ashes Test has been all but settled with Ollie Pope’s standout performance in the warm-up match against England Lions locking up his familiar spot for Friday’s opener in Perth.Scores of 100 and 90 saw Pope emerge from Lilac Hills in credit, hurdling the challenge put forward by Jacob Bethell, who scored 3 and 70. Named in the England side for the warm-up match while Bethell was carded three for the Lions, Pope was comfortably the best batter on show across both innings. He looked more composed, and authoritative, even if this match was a far cry from the intensity the tourists will experience at the Optus Stadium from November 21.It effectively ended what has been months of speculation over Pope’s place in the side for the start of this Australia tour. Initial doubts were triggered by Bethell’s form at the back end of the summer, including a maiden professional century in an ODI against South Africa. They then gained momentum when Pope was ditched as Test vice-captain for Harry Brook. “I respect the decision they’ve made,” Pope said. “If they think that’s the right thing for the team going forward, and obviously Brooky captaining the one-day stuff and the T20 stuff as well, then that’s absolutely fine by me and I respect the decision they’ve made.”Perhaps spurred on further by the loss of an official leadership role, Pope reinforced his reliability on the eve of the biggest Ashes series in generations. Along with an accomplished body of work at No.3 – averaging 41.60 from 57 innings since the promotion up the order, while scoring eight of his nine career centuries – he feels confident this week has ended speculation, in his favour.”I hope so,” Pope said, when asked if he had ended the debate. “I’ve got so used to those conversations being had (about the No.3 position). I don’t go looking for them but it’s pretty hard to avoid sometimes. I’m so used to seeing it, I’ve just learned to focus on my game.Related

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“I’m just trying to become a better player each time I step out and that’s all I can do. Fingers crossed to get the nod, but all the trust is in those guys and I respect the decision they make.”Pope revealed he had made a few technical tweaks which he was workshopping this week, though was unwilling to disclose what they were ahead of the series. However, he did acknowledge the challenge posed by Bethell had narrowed his focus.Both have been pitted against one another since Bethell impressed on his maiden tour of New Zealand in 2024. That opportunity was ultimately provided by Pope, who ceded the No.3 position so he could bat lower and keep wicket after an injury to Jordan Cox in the lead-up to the series, with Jamie Smith on paternity leave.It was a selfless act from Pope that, in hindsight, looked a grave error. But he believes dealing with the extra scrutiny and fighting for his place will serve him well. Amid the huge clamour for Bethell to start against India last summer, Pope struck 106 in his first innings of the series. “It’s been good for me that I’ve learnt that, under the most pressure, I’ve been able to deliver, especially in that Headingley Test. I know that I can learn how to deal with that and get the best out of myself at times.”Everyone wants to be the first name on the team sheet, that’s pretty clear. But at the same time we’re playing international sport. I’ve got to remind myself of that at times – there’s always going to be someone on your heel if you haven’t quite scored the volume of runs that you would have liked.”I’ll try and use the pressure I’m under to get the best out of myself. I think I’m a far better player than I was the last time I came out to Australia. I’ve got those experiences behind me and I know how I want to go about it. So fingers crossed that I can deliver with a lot of runs.”In truth, Pope only really had one way to go after that last tour. A torturous 2021-22 campaign saw him average 11.16 from six innings. He played the first two Tests before being axed, only to be brought back for the last match in Hobart, which Australia won to confirm a 4-0 hammering.Can Pope make this tour count? Time will tell, but the signs are promising. He has faith in the batting improvements he is keeping close to his chest, and, for the first time in a year, has certainty over his place. He may also enjoy the liberation of not having to wonder if he might have to captain, in the event Stokes gets injured, having done so five times in the space of 12 months. Whatever happens, he is raring to go again.”Everyone is just so excited for it,” he said. “There’s obviously a lot of chat from the media, everywhere you look it’s Ashes, and for us it is enjoy that, enjoy the experience of it. But let’s just remember what’s made us a real good side over the last few years, and hopefully if I do get the nod on Friday, then it’s going to be an amazing series to be a part of.”

Carlos Brathwaite has been forced into isolation and is in doubt for Jamaica Tallawahs’ opening match of the Caribbean Premier League on Friday after a positive Covid-19 case was reported on his flight from the UK to St Kitts and Nevis.Brathwaite travelled from Manchester to Basseterre ahead of the CPL after captaining Manchester Originals in the Hundred. A fellow passenger tested positive for Covid-19 and he was told to isolate until further notice.”My tests have been negative as far as I know,” Brathwaite said. “We’ve been asked to be in quarantine. I still don’t know the full extent of it. I’ve just been told I need to continue to quarantine as opposed to being allowed to walk around the hotel as was initially allowed. So I’m just as much in the dark as you are, unfortunately.”Related

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Speaking from his hotel room following the announcement that he re-signed with Sydney Sixers for the upcoming BBL season later in the year, the allrounder said he was unsure whether he would be available for the Tallawahs’ opening clash with Saint Lucia Kings on Friday.”Not sure,” Brathwaite said. “I haven’t actually received anything official yet to know when day one is and how many days of quarantine, etc. So yeah, I’m just skipping in my room and doing sit-ups and hoping to be at least physically ready to go if I can.”Brathwaite was retained by Tallawahs along with Andre Russell after they were knocked out in last season’s semi-final by eventual champions Trinbago Knight Riders. He believes Knight Riders won’t have it all their own way this season.”The tournament is going to be interesting,” Brathwaite said. “I don’t think it will be an undefeated run to the finals as Trinidad had last year. I think it will be a little closer. I think all the teams are more evenly matched.”Brathwaite said runs from the top order will be key to Tallawahs’ chances given the quality of the allrounders and spin-bowling.”I feel as though we have a few potential match-winners. Myself, Russell, Rovman Powell obviously in the middle. Our spin attack, we’ve lost Mujeeb and we’ve lost Sandeep but we have Qais Ahmad, Veerasammy Permaul, and Chris Green. So when you look at it that’s a real balanced spin attack, left-arm orthodox, right-arm offspinner, leg-break bowler.”I think we just need to get some runs at the top of the ordr and middle order to provide a good platform. I think too many times last year we were 30 for 3, 40 for 4 and we didn’t really have a good platform to go on and get big scores.”So this year, setting a good platform and if we add the firepower that I know myself, Russell and Rovman can give, added with the spin stocks that we have and the whole bowling unit actually, I think we’ll do well.”

Pakistan might have ended up losing at Sabina Park on Sunday but bowling coach Waqar Younis said he is “proud” of the bowling unit that kept creating opportunities in a low-scoring Test.The match, which had one of the most thrilling finishes in recent times, was just the 15th instance of a one-wicket win in Test history. The visitors had taken some extraordinary catches but had dropped several crucial ones too – they dropped three in the final session, two of which involved Kemar Roach who later went on score the winning runs.”There was no better Test match than this to advocate Test cricket,” Waqar said in a virtual press conference. “Unfortunately we were on the wrong side as we should have won the game. But that’s the way it is.. one team had to lose and unfortunately it was us, and of course, it happens only when you commit mistakes and [dropped] catches played the big part. When you miss so many opportunities in such tense moments then that will definitely hurt you.Related

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“But overall if you analyse the bowling I must say all the bowlers bowled really well throughout the Test match. Despite the small target, they put in all the hard work, responded well, the way they fought in the game, and never let it go easily. Bowlers are meant to create opportunities. Yes, West Indies were 114 for 7 but then after that, there were three opportunities as well and if you are not grabbing them it won’t help you. They kept on taking wickets and creating opportunities so with all this I feel very proud of this bowling unit.”Pakistan were originally scheduled to play three Tests but both boards reworked the series to play two extra T20Is instead. This tour has been affected by rain right from the start, with three out of four T20Is washed out. The first Test was disrupted by rain too but the overcast conditions allowed fast bowlers to dictate terms.The second Test starts from August 20 at the same venue. Waqar wasn’t too optimistic about the weather but he expects help for the fast bowlers once again.”There was a lot of support especially for fast bowlers,” he said about the first Test. ” Ball was seaming, conditions were overcast at times and it wasn’t easy for batting. Bowler had more say on it hence it was a low-scoring Test match. One has to apply himself on such pitches and has to be positive as a bowler and as a batter.”Sometimes you have to take risks to score runs and whoever scored runs was taking risks to build up the board. So with the new ball, you have to remain positive, and going forward if the conditions remain the same it won’t be easy for batters. There was bounce and I don’t know what we will get in the next game and it’s hard to tell but looking around from the first Test expect grass on the pitch. The ball will seam around and expect us to play with the same spirit.”Waqar added that the experienced Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah were match-winners and have done well to stay relevant. Abbas picked up three wickets in the first innings with the new ball and though his tally dried up with the older one, he kept the scoring rate in check, giving away only 1.95 runs per over.”Abbas – I thought he bowled beautifully,” Waqar said. “On some days in cricket – especially in Test cricket – luck isn’t with you. Otherwise, the way he was bowling he should have taken a lot more wickets. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get the edges and that’s part of the game. But I have no doubt that Abbas is a wonderful professional with the sort of effort he puts in but he was bowling great though the wickets tally isn’t what we were expecting.”Yasir’s track record against West Indies is great. He overall has 250 wickets and has tons of experience with him. His past performance is very good and he is a match-winner and you can’t really ignore him. Sometimes the pitch isn’t conducive enough for spinners in fact both sides haven’t got enough for spinners. Nauman Ali is a wonderful cricketer but the pitch wasn’t supporting a fingerspinner”

Somerset 153 for 8 (Abell 50, Green 35) beat Hampshire 150 (Weatherley 71, Davey 4-34) by two wicketsIf Hampshire could have designed a pitch on which to put Somerset in their place, it would have looked something like this. Edgbaston was slow, grippy, inhibiting. Somerset might have been packed with audacious young strokemakers, but it was Hampshire who were capable at winning ugly.After five defeats in Edgbaston semi-finals, it seemed for all the world as if Hampshire would finally win one. Somehow, in a most unlikely twist, Somerset pulled off a stunning heist.Tom Abell, who has endured a disheartening few weeks as Somerset’s Championship captain – three thrashings in a row – must have wondered when his torment would ever end. When he was the seventh Somerset player to be dismissed, they were 48 short with 20 balls remaining.Abell’s half-century had glued Somerset together, although when he reached it, he offered the most token acknowledgment of the applause, bat raised and lowered in less than a second: impressive bat speed. When he struck Scott Currie to deep midwicket later in the over, the game appeared to be up only for Ben Green (35 from 18) and Josh Davey (11 from 3 to follow his four wickets) to turn the tables.It has been a packed season and the pitches on the international grounds are pleading for mercy, especially the pitches in line with the TV gantrys. This Edgbaston surface was sound enough but it invited speculation that batting could be even harder work by final time. What joy for Hampshire. They had defended 125 on a crabby Trent Bridge surface in the quarter-final and, with their own surface at the Ageas Bowl not exactly a batting haven, they were well versed in doing a dirty job well.With 150 in the book, they had assembled a defendable score – and Joe Weatherley carried their fight almost single-handedly. His 71 from 50 was an impressive finish to a strong T20 season and left him with 365 runs at 36.50 and a strike rate of 143. He has grown markedly as a player this summer and slog-swept well. When a slog-sweep went awry, he was savvy, too, winning a reprieve on 20 because of his own game awareness.Hampshire finished the Powerplay at 43 for 3. But they should have been 37 for 4. Weatherley’s top-edged slog sweep against Davey was pouched in the legside by the wicketkeeper, Tom Banton, but Weatherley is clearly a sharp sort and, as Somerset celebrated, he advised the bemused umpires that Somerset did not have enough players in the circle.Josh Davey’s four wickets were just the start of his day’s efforts•Getty Images

With the umpires off the pace, and third umpire Neil Bainton trying to study an aerial shot that would not have been a prototype on Google Earth, Weatherley’s protestations needed a fielder to fess up that he had been dozing and the suggestion was that Marchant de Lange did just that. Weatherley, by way of celebration, chipped Davey’s Free Hit straight for six.Hampshire have had a split personality in T20 this summer – abysmal in early season, yet somehow making a remarkable recovery to reach Finals Day. The old Hampshire turned up for much of their innings. Then, from 111 for 7, they roused themselves with 39 off the last three overs.Hampshire are a thin batting side and the loss of early wickets constrained them. Two teenagers, Toby Albert and Tom Prest, were both confounded by Davey. Albert, an 18-year-old from Basingstoke, and perhaps the youngest player to play on Finals Day (although Sussex’s Archie Lenham was about to trump him), perished to a ramp shot. Prest was bowled first ball by a good nip-backer.The prize wicket, though, was Vince, the prince, and his first attempt at aggression saw him caught at the wicket, cutting. It was a relief for the bowler, Craig Overton, who had dropped a simple return catch from Vince at the end of his first over.Hampshire’s innings hung in there long enough for James Fuller and Chris Wood to provide some power at the back end. Weatherley should have been run out as he took an uncertain single to reach his fifty but Lewis Gregory’s underarm throw was weak. De Lange, who bowled four overs at the death, found little to cheer him after his daydream in the field. Overton, oddly, did not bowl a final over. But Davey, the pick of the attack, added two late wickets to finish with 4 for 34. He knew it should have been five.Related

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Somerset’s Powerplay was as troubled as Hampshire’s, a grind to 30 for 3. Tom Banton, willowy and long-levered, gave deep midwicket catching practice. Will Smeed, who could audition for The Incredible Hulk (Early Years) charged a few and then picked out Vince at mid-off. The pinch-hitter at No 3, Roelof van der Merwe, fell there, too, a tougher catch, Vince diving forward, rightly confirmed as clean by the third umpire.When Lewis Goldsworthy was run out by Fuller from midwicket, sent back attempting an unlikely second, and the legspinner, Mason Crane, turned one to have the left-hander, Tom Lammonby, first ball, Somerset were 34 for 5 after 6.5 overs.Unlike Somerset, Hampshire had two quality spinners, in Crane and Liam Dawson, to squeeze the middle. In Dawson’s last over, Abell rallied spirits with a beautiful inside-out six over long off, but his contentment was shortlived as Gregory was bowled, pulling a shortish ball. By the time Hampshire’s spinners were done, Somerset were 91 for 6, still 60 needed from five, and Abell on 41. It was time to find out the truth and he probably sensed it would not be the answer he wanted. How wrong could he be.Green then turned the match on its head, taking Brad Wheal and then Wood for three sixes but holed out with seven balls to go.Somerset needed 10 from the final over, bowled by Wheal. Some of us wanted the muscular smiter, De Lange, to come in at no 10, but Davey drove the third ball over long-on before flicking off his toes for four to win it.

Lancer Capital, whose principal is Avram Glazer, a member of the family that owns a majority stake at Manchester United football club, is one of the 22 business entities to have picked up bid documents for the two new IPL franchises. The details of the franchises are likely to be announced by the BCCI next week.Among the other notable potential bidders are Adani Group, the Ahmedabad-based infrastructure giants, the Sanjeev Goenka-owned business conglomerate RPSG, the Naveen Jindal-owned Jindal Steel, Torrent Pharma, Aurobindo Pharma, and Hindustan Times Media, along with a number of private equity companies.The bids will be opened at a walk-in event to be held in Dubai on October 25.The teams, which will be a part of the IPL from 2022, will have to be based in any two out of six Indian cities listed in the tender document listed by the BCCI: Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Dharamsala, Guwahati, Indore and Lucknow. While investors can bid for more than one city, they will eventually have to settle for one.A senior BCCI official said that based on how soon the technical evaluation of the successful bids are done, the board will determine whether to announce the two new franchises and the cities on the same day or later.According to the original timeline, the bids were meant to be opened on October 17, but it was delayed as the BCCI deferred the deadline to buy the tender twice – first October 10 and then October 20 – citing wide interest from potential bidders.This is the first time the BCCI is adding two new franchises since Rising Pune Supergiant/s and Gujarat Lions took part in the IPL for two years – 2016 and 2017 – when Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were suspended.The BCCI is eyeing a big purse from the two new IPL teams. The BCCI has set a base price of INR 2000 crore [US$ 267 million approx.] for each of the two new franchises. One of the requirements listed in the tender document is that the bidders must show a turnover of at least INR 3000 crore [US$ 400 million approx.] for the previous three years. If it is a consortium, then each investor would need to show a turnover of at least INR 2500 crore [US$ 334 million approx.] for the previous three years.Large numbers they might be, but some of the potential bidders have vast and diversified business interests globally. For example, on the company website, the Adani Group lists its “market cap of over USD 122.45 billion comprising six publicly traded companies”. Another Indian business heavyweight, Jindal Steel & Power, has put its annual turnover at “USD 5.5 billion” on its website. Incidentally, Naveen Jindal’s brother Sajjan Jindal owns Jindal Steel Works, who is the co-owner of Delhi Capitals.This is the second time RPSG is attempting to buy an IPL franchise after owning the Pune-based Supergiant/s for two years. The group also owns teams in other franchise-based sports, including the ATK Mohun Bagan in the Indian Super League and the RPSG Mavericks in the table tennis league.

Big Picture

Bangladesh will look to bridge the gap in experience, skills and temperament with Pakistan, who have so far looked to be in control on this tour, when the two teams meet for the first Test in Chattogram on Friday. The 3-0 series win in Dhaka didn’t just show the difference in the two teams’ T20 skillset, but also their overall moods. Pakistan seem more organised and clear in thinking while Bangladesh cricket is in disarray.The only saving grace for the home side is the change in format, although Pakistan too would be glad to take a break after a period of busy T20 cricket.Pakistan’s middle order has to be assertive as they struggle to put together an opening combination. Azhar Ali and captain Babar Azam lend class and experience while Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam tend to consistently contribute valuable runs lower down the order. Babar and Rizwan’s success in opening in T20Is will need to be translated into middle-order dependency in Tests.Related

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Imam-ul-Haq and Abid Ali will be Pakistan’s opening pair – the Abid-Imran Butt opened in their last six Tests. The 22-year-old Abdullah Shafique, who has struck two centuries in three first-class matches, is an interesting inclusion in the 12-player squad that was announced on Thursday.Pakistan will have Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali to take up the new ball with Faheem Ashraf being considered the pace-bowling allround option at No 7. Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali and offspinner Sajid Khan, who made his debut earlier this year against Zimbabwe, will be the likely spinners.Bangladesh will look at captain Mominul Haque and the experienced Mushfiqur Rahim to do the heavy-lifting for the batting line-up. The hosts will be without the injured Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, and the recently-retired Mahmudullah, which will be a huge void to fill in.Top-order batters Shadman Islam and Najmul Hossain Shanto have to tackle Pakistan’s new-ball force before the experienced Mominul and Mushfiqur come in. There might be a debut on the offing for both Yasir Ali and Mahmudul Hasan Joy, with Liton Das coming in at No 7. Yasir has been warming the bench for some time now after being in all the squads for the Tests this year, while Joy, who has mostly batted at No 3, was picked on the back of a promising domestic return where he hit back-to-back first-class centuries recently.Bangladesh will mostly go with seven batters with Taijul Islam and Mehidy Hasan Miraz as the main spinners. Both have been in good form in domestic cricket lately and will be expected to bowl the bulk of the overs in Shakib’s absence.However, their pace attack seems to be lean as only Abu Jayed has been in some kind of rhythm. Rejaur Rahman Raja, the surprise pick in the Test squad, could be handed a debut after getting rave reviews from high-performance bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake.

Form guide

Bangladesh WLDLL
Pakistan WLWWW

In the spotlight

Pakistan will look at Shaheen Shah Afridi</a to lead the bowling attack and give early breakthroughs. Afridi may not find a lot of help from the Chattogram pitch which usually assists spinners, but he should use the breeze that blows across the ground.Najmul Hossain Shanto scored two hundreds in Bangladesh’s last three Tests, against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka respectively, and also made a first-class century recently. Despite being in form, Shanto could be troubled by Pakistan’s quality fast bowlers. His role at No. 3 will be crucial for Bangladesh.

Team news

Bangladesh are considering as many as three Test debutants in this game. Mominul has hinted that Joy may open while Yasir is a strong candidate at No 6. Rookie fast bowler Raja may also play ahead of Ebadot Hossain.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Shadman Islam 2 Mahmudul Hasan Joy, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Mominul Haque (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Yasir Ali, 7 Liton Das (wk), 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 10 Abu Jayed, 11 Ebadot Hossain/Rejaur Rahman RajaSajid Khan could partner Nauman Ali in the spin attack, which would leave batter Shafique out of Pakistan’s XI. They are without Imran Butt, who was dropped from the squad, and Mohammad Abbas, from their last Test against West Indies.Pakistan (probable): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Azhar Ali 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Sajid Khan

Pitch and conditions

West Indies successfully chased 395 runs in the fourth innings in the last Chattogram Test, which suggests that the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury pitch will generally hold up for the entire five days. Temperatures are expected to be mild.

Stats and trivia

• Abbas is ten wickets short of completing 100 Test wickets.
• Yasir has already taken six catches as a substitute fielder before making his international debut.

Quotes

“It is a challenge for a young captain like me to head into the new WTC cycle with a young team. We have always required senior players on the Test side. Shakib , Tamim and Taskin are regular players. But it is a continuous process. We have to move on. We cannot be disappointed all the time. I firmly believe it is a huge opportunity for the younger players.”

Travis Head thumped a century in a session to rip the game away from England after they briefly clawed their way back into the contest following another morning of self-destruction.Head made the joint third-fastest Ashes century, off 85 balls, and became the first to score a Test century in a session at the Gabba, to torch any hopes England had after Australia had lost 4 for 29 in the afternoon to lead by just 48 with five wickets in hand. Australia finished the day with a lead of 196 and three wickets in hand with Head still unbeaten on 112.Related

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Head’s century came on the back of a supreme 156-run stand earlier in the day from David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, with Warner making an eventful 94, while Labuschagne a masterful 74 in difficult batting conditions to set the game up. Ollie Robinson bowled superbly to take 3 for 48, but limped off with a hamstring injury late in the day while Ben Stokes also battled a leg issue and a host of no-ball problems, including bowling Warner on 17 when he overstepped. Mark Wood also bowled whole-heartedly all day for little reward.Halfway through the day, Australia were ready to make England pay as their calamitous start to this series had turned from bad to worse. Australia were 166 for 1 with Warner and Labuschagne having passed England’s first-innings total on their own, with Warner having survived being bowled off a no-ball, dropped at slip, and missed being run-out.A rare mistake from Labuschagne opened the door for England to keep the door ajar thanks to a superb spell from Robinson, only for Head to all but slam it shut. He tore into England’s weak links, thumping a struggling Stokes for three boundaries in an over to get his innings going. He then latched onto Jack Leach, just as Labuschagne and Warner had earlier in the day, hammering him with lofted strikes over long-on and powerful cuts and pulls. Leach took 1 for 95 from 11 overs, which did include four overthrows as England unravelled.Ollie Robinson took two wickets in two balls•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Head brought up his third century against the second new ball with a superb drive down the ground and celebrated to a standing ovation. Head had entered the Test as the last man picked for Australia, having beaten Usman Khawaja for the No. 5 spot, and might have cemented his place long term.England only have themselves to blame for their predicament. Warner could have been out on 17, 48 and 60.England bowled well in the first session without much luck as they induced a host of false strokes from Australia’s batters but only claimed one wicket. Marcus Harris’ lean run in Test cricket continued as he edged Robinson to slip for just 3. None of the 16 deliveries he faced until then would have hit the stumps but the slips cordon was ready and waiting for the eventual chance after he had played and missed a number of times.But while they may rue their luck in some ways, England were culpable in a variety of ways.Stokes added his name to a long list of culprits who have dismissed Warner off a no-ball, and has been guilty of doing it previously. The mistake was made worse when it was revealed he had bowled three no-balls in the lead-up without being called and 14 in total in the session, as the third umpire was unable to intervene due to a technology issue.Rory Burns added to his dismal Test match by dropping a simple chance off Warner at slip on 48. He also should have been run-out on 60 after he clipped a ball off his toes and took off only for Haseeb Hameed to stop it. Warner slipped and dropped his bat as he groped for safe ground but Hameed’s throw missed the stumps.Warner played 30 false shots in all including the chipped drive to mid-off which saw him fall six runs short of his 25th century. But his 94 was invaluable to Australia’s cause, and just one run short of his entire 2019 Ashes series tally.