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Peirson made 82 and Steketee added 48 not out after Bartlett took 5 for 32 as Victoria crumbled with the bat

AAP07-Dec-2024Jimmy Peirson has batted Queensland towards hope of their first Sheffield Shield victory of the summer against Victoria, after a helter-skelter day two at the MCG.On a day where 15 wickets fell in the first two sessions, Queensland went to stumps at 195 for 8 in their second innings and leading by 244.Peirson was out pulling for 82 just before the close, but not before combining for a crucial 119-run eighth-wicket partnership with Mark Steketee, who made 48 not out.The two-and-a-half-hour vigil between the pair was at complete odds with the rest of the day, and left the low-scoring match hanging slightly in Queensland’s favour ahead of Sunday’s play.After Victoria began on Saturday at 43 for 2, they lost Peter Handscomb in the first over when he edged Xavier Bartlett to Matt Renshaw at second slip.That set the tone for the next four hours of play, as Bartlett finished with 5 for 32 and rain hovered around the MCG for part of the morning.Only Marcus Harris (42), Handscomb (24) and Tom Rogers (11) reached double figures for Victoria as they were all out for 123 to concede a 49-run first-innings deficit.The chaos then continued into Queensland’s second innings. In-form Fergus O’Neill took two wickets in his first over to remove Bryce Street and Angus Lovell, while having another lbw shout turned down.Renshaw looked in imperious form for Queensland, driving in the air and punching the ball off his pads. But he too fell inside the first 10 overs, caught down legside off O’Neill as Queensland’s batting began to falter.Jonathan Merlo also claimed a brilliant one-handed diving catch at point to remove Ben McDermott, as one of three quick wickets for quick Sam Elliott.Queensland then found themselves 67 for 7 just before tea, and a drought-breaking first win of the season against ladder-leaders Victoria was looking shaky.Enter Peirson.He and Steketee became the only batter to look comfortable all day, with the wicketkeeper-batter driving the Victoria quicks when they erred too full. Peirson also cut and pulled well as the innings went on, and hit spinner Todd Murphy for two boundaries through the covers in one over.Steketee also did some damage, hitting four boundaries in his knock and sending Murphy deep over the long-on boundary.And while Peirson was set up by late by Mitch Perry and caught in a stacked legside field, he and Steketee had given Queensland the slight advantage.

India put on a chasing masterclass in Ahmedabad after their bowlers – led by Deepti Sharma’s 3 for 39 – restricted New Zealand to 232

Ashish Pant29-Oct-20243:55

Mandhana: ‘Team still had half a mind on World Cup, series win will boost confidence’

After scores of 5 and 0 in the first two ODIs, Smriti Mandhana regained her touch in the series decider as she cracked her third ODI century of the year, helping India beat New Zealand by six wickets and take the three-match series 2-1. She was ably supported by first Yastika Bhatia (35) and then Harmanpreet Kaur (59 not out) as India put on a chasing masterclass in Ahmedabad.Batting first, New Zealand rode largely on Brooke Halliday’s career-best 86 off 96 balls as she lifted her side from the depths of 88 for 5 in the 24th over to 232 all out in 49.5 overs. Teams batting first won both ODIs in the series, but India were having none of it as the top order shone through in the chase as they romped home with 34 balls to spare.Mandhana had fallen to the outside-the-off-stump trap twice in two innings in this ODI series. In the first game, she carved Jess Kerr to backward point. Two days later, she did it again, chipping it straight to point for a duck. So, when Mandhana came out in pursuit of New Zealand’s target of 233, she was circumspect to the point that in the first three overs, she shouldered arms to at least five balls. She was ready to be patient and build her innings. The move paid dividends.Mandhana has had a good 2024 in ODIs, having scored two centuries and a half-century in six innings coming into this game. On Tuesday, she played the patient game. She was on 9 off 26 balls at one point, but did not throw it away. She had a slice of luck when she seemingly inside-edged a Lea Tahuhu full-length delivery on to her pad in the third over. Replays later suggested the ball had hit her pad first and had New Zealand reviewed, she would have been out. It was the luck Mandhana needed, and she did not look back.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

At the other end, Shafali, though, had no such luck. She got going with two crips fours, but was caught down the leg side after a faint nick in the fourth over.Mandhana was joined by Bhatia in the middle and the two kept their composure in the chase. Mandhana struck her first four in the ninth over, a swivel-pull against Sophie Devine, followed by a chip down the ground off Eden Carson. Bhatia also struck a few smart boundaries. They added 76 runs for the second wicket before Bhatia was caught and bowled by Devine.Harmanpreet walked out at No. 4 and with a platform set, the two went about their innings calmly. Mandhana brought up her half-century with a short-arm jab through midwicket and soon started finding the fence with more regularity. Harmanpreet, too, was wary initially but soon found the measure of the surface and the runs started flowing from both ends. They brought up the 50-run stand for the third wicket in the 31st over.Harmanpreet did go down with cramps not long after, but that was not going to stop her. She unleashed an array of drives and pulls with Mandhana also going after Devine. Harmanpreet reached her half-century off 54 balls while Mandhana got to her century, the eighth of her career, off 121 balls with a push down the ground. She fell without adding another run, cleaned up by Hannah Rowe, but the job was done by then.Jemimah Rodrigues walked out and immediately got four fours away as India could see the finishing line. She fell lbw to Fran Jonas with India needing a run, and Harmanpreet fittingly finished off the chase in the 45th over.Brooke Halliday hit three sixes despite tiring in the heat•BCCI

Earlier, Halliday braved the scorching Ahmedabad heat as she strung important stands with Izabella Gaze and Rowe, before Tahuhu smashed an unbeaten 24 off 14 balls to get New Zealand past the 230-run mark.It was a much-improved Indian fielding show on display in the third ODI. They had dropped as many as six catches in the second ODI, to go with multiple misfields, as they went down heavily. But they came out as a unit on a mission on Tuesday, led by the two usual fielding stars, Radha Yadav and Rodrigues, as they frustrated the New Zealand openers, Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer, in the powerplay.Rodrigues was into the act in the third over as she almost effected a run-out after a stunning save at short extra-cover, with Bates having to dive full length to just about make her crease. Rodrigues’ brilliance came to the fore in the seventh over again when there was a spot of miscommunication between the two batters and this time Bates was caught well short of her crease despite the dive.Plimmer had, meanwhile, started to find the hang of the red-soil surface. She got her boundary-counter running with a solid on-drive off Renuka Thakur before piercing the gap between mid-off and cover off the same bowler. Saima Thakor was also driven for two fours in three balls in the sixth over, but she bounced back with the wicket of Lauren Down, removing her with a gentle length ball that tailed away late and caught her outside edge.Devine, the star of the second ODI, looked ominous from the get-go, striking two authoritative fours within her first seven balls. But she was undone by a stunning wrong’un from Priya Mishra as she went back to a delivery that she ideally should have been forward to, and the ball crashed into her middle stump.Deepti Sharma was named the Player of the Series•BCCI

Halliday, though, looked the part all the way. She got off the mark with an elegant off drive, but regular wickets at the other end pinned New Zealand down. Plimmer was removed by Mishra, who induced a thick outside edge, with Deepti Sharma taking a sharp catch at slip – she was guilty of dropping three catches in the second ODI.New Zealand then lost half their side when another miscommunication ensued between Maddy Green and Halliday, with the former stuck in the middle of the pitch. Rodrigues was again in the thick of things at point.Halliday had to do the repair job, and she found an ally in Gaze. Halliday struck her first six in the 38th over off Mishra, and soon reached her sixth ODI fifty with a flick in the 40th over.Gaze fell chipping a full toss meekly back to Deepti for her first wicket, but Halliday and Rowe carried on by adding 47 off 41 balls for the seventh wicket. Halliday, who was spent by that time, put her foot on the pedal, even showing off a few innovative reverse hits and paddles. She managed to generate enough power to clear the ropes twice – once off Harmanpreet Kaur and then off Deepti – but fell in the 46th over caught at deep midwicket.Rowe fell soon after but Tahuhu smashed two fours and a six to help New Zealand end on a high. Eventually, they were well below par.

Smriti Mandhana’s half-century took India to 165 but it proved inadequate

Srinidhi Ramanujam28-Jul-2024 • Updated on 29-Jul-20242:58

Sri Lanka show they aren’t solely reliant on Athapaththu

Sri Lanka created history on Sunday, dethroning India to clinch their maiden Women’s T20 Asia Cup. Fighting half-centuries from top order batters Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama, and Kavisha Dilhari’s all-round heroics stood out as Sri Lanka cruised to an eight-wicket victory in front of a packed crowd in Dambulla.Samarawickrama and Dilhari’s valuable contributions in the final once again highlighted a crucial point that Sri Lanka are not just dependent on their captain to deliver. They have now won 14 of the 17 T20Is this year and go into the T20 World Cup slated in October with massive confidence and pride from their performances.Smriti Mandhana’s 60 and quickfire knocks from Richa Ghosh and Jemimah Rodrigues helped India post a competitive total of 165 for 6 but in the end, it proved inadequate.

Athapaththu vs left-arm spin

Things were quiet until the fifth over. Then, with Sri Lanka on 28 for 1, Athapaththu targeted the inexperienced left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar. After lofting a short ball to deep square leg for six, she punished two full length deliveries for a four and a six to score 16 runs off the over and end the powerplay on 44 for 1. Radha Yadav, another left-arm spinner, bowled the next over and conceded nine runs with six coming off Athapaththu’s bat. With only Deepti Sharma as the specialist offspinner, Harmanpreet had to use Radha and Kanwar against the two left-handers Athapaththu and Samarawickrama. In the end, 29 of the Sri Lanka captain’s 61 runs came against left-arm spinners, at a strike rate of 170.58.

Samarawickrama, Dilhari step up

Samarawickrama has been playing at the international level for six years now and her most important knock came in Dambulla. She had hit only four half-centuries in 61 matches prior and her career strike rate in T20Is is less 100. But on Sunday, Sri Lanka needed her to stay as long as possible and not think about those numbers.When Deepti bowled Athapaththu in the 12th over, the crowd was stunned to silence. Sri Lanka needed 72 runs from 48 balls and there was a chance of an Indian comeback. After getting set, scoring 29 off her first 27 balls, it was on Samarawickrama to take her side through and she did it in style. She brought out her A game with pull shots and slog sweeps to eventually top-score for Sri Lanka with an unbeaten 69. When 25 was required from the last three overs, Radha’s 17-run 18th over – where Samarawickrama smashed two fours and a six – blunted India.Smriti Mandhana’s half-century went in vain for India•ACC

Dilhari, a strong bottom-handed player, chipped in with an unbeaten 30 off 16 and sealed the victory with a six in the penultimate over. The duo shared a match-changing unbeaten 73 off 40 balls for the third wicket. Meanwhile, India endured misfields and two dropped catches and were also tactically tested as the game slipped away. This included a fumble from Harmanpreet when she dropped a simple catch in the 15th over when Samarawickrama was on 45.

Mandhana marches on to another fifty

Mandhana brought all her experience to the fore in the final. Sri Lanka dominated the first five overs of the powerplay, and Mandhana made a run-a-ball 14. But in the final over, she tried to up the ante by shuffling across to manufacture runs against left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani. She hit three fours, and India ended the powerplay on 44 for 0. Soon after Shafali Verma and Uma Chetry were dismissed, Mandhana punished anything too short or too full, especially from Athapaththu as she raced to her 26th T20I fifty off 36 deliveries. She was dropped by Samarawickrama at cover on 10 off 10 in the fifth over.Mandhana also got a life when she hit one straight to Athapaththu, the bowler, in the 16th over, but the ball bounced twice before reaching the batter and so was declared a no-ball. However, in the following over, Athapaththu took an excellent running catch off Dilhari’s bowling to dismiss the India opener.

The Dilhari-Ghosh battle

Dilhari has been crucial to Sri Lanka’s recent success. Of her 16 T20Is this year, only thrice has she gone wicketless. She usually doesn’t concede many either. At the end of 17 overs, the legspinner’s had gone for 18 runs and picked up two wickets in her three overs. But her final over, the penultimate of the innings, against Ghosh, was bittersweet. The first ball was a legbreak which Ghosh looked to cut and probably got an edge to the wicketkeeper. There was a huge appeal from the bowler and the keeper, but the umpire was unmoved. Dilhari pleaded and kicked the turf in disappointment, but there was no DRS in this tournament. The next three deliveries saw Ghosh muscling away two fours and a six to take India past 150. Dilhari ended up conceding 18 runs off her final over. Ghosh eventually finished on a 14-ball 30

Melbourne Stars weren’t too far behind, but eventually went down by 15 runs to remain winless

AAP20-Dec-2024Legspinner Lloyd Pope earned redemption and late inclusion D’Arcy Short starred as Adelaide Strikers beat early-season strugglers Melbourne Stars by 15 runs at Adelaide Oval.Short wasn’t scheduled to play but was called up on Friday after a calf niggle sidelined Chris Lynn. The only meaningful support for Short came from Alex Ross as Strikers made 165 for 6 in their first home match of the campaign.Opener Sam Harper kept Stars in the game, but Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell produced cameos rather than a major innings.Strikers’ spin trio took four of the first five wickets and six all up, with Pope spearheading their attack. Pope showed great resilience after suffering the indignity of leaking 31 runs in a match-tilting over in Strikers’ first-game loss to Sydney Thunder in Canberra on Tuesday.

Spinner takes four to restrict Northamptonshire to 189 before fifties from Sam Robson and Ben Geddes

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Aug-2025Middlesex 192 for 6 (Robson 67, Geddes 51) beat Northamptonshire 189 (Vasconcelos 62, Gohar 4-39) by four wicketsSam Robson and Ben Geddes both struck half-centuries as Middlesex coasted to victory over Northamptonshire to maintain their hopes of a knockout place in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.Robson hit 67 from 70 balls, while skipper Geddes followed up his List A best of 141 not out against Kent with 51 from as many deliveries to propel the visitors across the line at Wantage Road with 17.3 overs unused.The Steelbacks were bowled out for 189 in 38.1 overs despite a third-wicket stand of 108 between Ricardo Vasconcelos and Rob Keogh, who both registered their first half-centuries of the tournament.But their last eight wickets fell for 77, with Middlesex spinner Zafar Gohar taking 4 for 39 and all-rounder Ryan Higgins 3 for 34 before weighing in with a lively 48 from 34 as his side sealed the win.Higgins, making his first appearance of the competition, had an immediate impact after his side won the toss, achieving plenty of movement as the Steelbacks were reduced to four for two.Tim Robinson departed first ball, caught at second slip off a Higgins outswinger and James Sales also failed to score, perishing in identical fashion before Vasconcelos (62 from 61) and Keogh (60 from 68) launched the repair job.Keogh drove Noah Cornwell for successive boundaries, while Vasconcelos pierced the field with regularity and capitalised on Middlesex’s decision to forgo a slip with the powerplay done.The left-hander drilled Henry Brookes to the cover fence to post his half-century, but was halted in his tracks when Keogh’s powerful straight drive thudded into his helmet at the non-striker’s end.Although Vasconcelos was cleared to resume, the blow had clearly disrupted his rhythm and when he slapped his next delivery from Luke Hollman straight to midwicket, the innings began to crumble.Ravi Bopara, featuring in his first List A game since 2019, lasted just three deliveries before he was bowled around his legs sweeping Gohar and the spinner also claimed the scalp of Keogh, neatly stumped by Joe Cracknell.Gohar picked up two more, with Aryaman Varma superbly caught by Josh de Caires at full stretch running back from midwicket and Brookes wrapped up the innings by bowling Lewis McManus.Northamptonshire’s hopes were raised when Cracknell chopped on to the first legitimate delivery of Middlesex’s reply, extending a lean run of form that has now yielded five runs in as many innings.They might also have removed Robson who, having dispatched Justin Broad twice to the rope in quick succession, edged the seamer to second slip where Vasconcelos spilled the chance.Vasconcelos made amends in Broad’s next over by snapping up De Caires, but Robson took advantage of his earlier escape with a series of leg-side clips and cover drives, advancing beyond 50 as he and Geddes built a steady alliance that realised 76.Rookie seamer Ben Whitehouse eventually made the breakthrough when Robson miscued to mid-off, but Higgins announced his arrival at the crease by thumping the bowler for two fours to keep the scoreboard ticking over.Meanwhile, Geddes unfurled a string of classy strokes off both front and back foot, driving Liam Guthrie for a straight boundary that carried him to his half-century at exactly a run a ball – only to perish straight after the drinks break, top-edging to deep square leg.It was too late to rescue Northamptonshire from a fifth defeat in seven games and, although Higgins holed out late on, Gohar swung George Bartlett over the top to confirm victory.

Bancroft, Charlesworth build lead with two days remaining to turn the screw

ECB Reporters Network11-May-2024Marchant de Lange’s 13th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket left Gloucestershire anticipating a first County Championship win since the end of the 2022 season on day two of their Division Two clash with Northamptonshire.The South African paceman, who’d already secured a six-fer against Middlesex this season, produced consistently hostile bowling to return 5 for 42, including wickets with successive balls as the hosts were hustled out for 171, 238 behind Gloucestershire’s first-innings total of 409.De Lange played his part in the visitors reaching that tally too, his unbeaten 36, including two huge sixes, helping Josh Shaw add 71 for the ninth wicket, Shaw equalling his career-best with 44. Siddarth Kaul did at least complete a five-fer on debut for Northamptonshire, finishing with figures of 5 for 76.Gloucestershire, who haven’t won at Wantage Road since 2010 declined to enforce the follow-on. Instead, openers Cameron Bancroft (36 not out) and Ben Charlesworth (41 not out) took the visitors to 77 for 0 and an overall lead of 315.Gloucestershire began on 338 for 8 and Shaw and de Lange quickly dampened any hopes Northamptonshire may have entertained of wrapping up the tail with a ferocious assault on the bowling.De Lange glanced an early Ben Sanderson delivery to fine leg for four to set the tone and he followed that up by clubbing the same bowler back over his head for six.When Sanderson gave way to George Scrimshaw, de Lange deposited a short ball over mid-wicket for another six which looked set to endanger the resident ice-cream van, but fortunately it sailed beyond it onto the concourse.Shaw caught the mood, clubbing Scrimshaw over the ropes, meaning a fourth batting point had been secured by the time Kaul pinned him lbw to end the fun.The Northamptonshire reply opened in extraordinary fashion with Ricardo Vasconcelos hooking a short one from Ajeet Singh Dale over the head of long leg for six.Fellow opener Emilio Gay’s experience was at the opposite end of the spectrum as he was pinned lbw first ball by a swinging delivery from Shaw which trapped him plumb in front.Vasconcelos though forged on, adding six fours to his earlier six, meaning Northamptonshire went to lunch on 56 for 1 with little sign of the afternoon’s carnage to follow.De Lange though changed the mood within three balls of the resumption. Vasconcelos hadn’t got his feet moving when nicking one through to James Bracey to depart for 43 and Karun Nair was beaten for pace first ball to be pinned in front.George Bartlett prevented the hat-trick and for a while at least, he and Luke Procter threatened a rebuild.It was spinner Zafar Gohar who cut the revival off trapping sipper Procter on the crease for 32 and Bartlett soon followed undone by a ball of extra bounce from Tom Price, Bracey taking a fine catch standing up to the stumps.Saif Zaib, restraining his usual aggression, resisted stoically for his 23 from 80 balls only for De Lange to return and find the outside edge for Bracey to claim another victim and Zafar returned to have fellow spinner Liam Patterson-White lbw playing no shot.Recharged by his afternoon cup of tea, de Lange helped wrap things up early in the final session Kaul and Sanderson both falling to catches behind the wicket, the latter to a brute of a ball which flew off the shoulder of the bat to slip.

The PCB has adopted a more rigid stance on its hosting of the tournament, ruling out a hybrid model format

Osman Samiuddin10-Nov-2024The PCB is seeking advice from the Pakistan government on how to proceed with its hosting of the Champions Trophy, after the BCCI made clear it will not send India to Pakistan for the tournament in February.The BCCI informed the ICC this week of the decision of the Indian government to not allow India to travel to Pakistan. That decision was formally conveyed by the ICC to the PCB on Friday, who have now gone to their government for next steps.”The ICC emailed the PCB informing them about the inability of the BCCI to send its team to Pakistan,” a PCB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “No reason was given. There is nothing in writing we have received from the BCCI. The PCB has apprised the federal government of the situation.”Related

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• Champions Trophy without India not an option, say ECB chiefs

The PCB has adopted a more rigid stance on its hosting of the tournament – the first ICC event in the country since 1996 – with the board chairman Mohsin Naqvi ruling out a hybrid host model very clearly on Friday. Such a model, used in the 2023 Asia Cup which Pakistan hosted, would see India play its games outside of Pakistan and all non-India games in Pakistan.Given that Naqvi is Pakistan’s interior minister, that stance can be taken as representative of the government’s in this case. An official familiar with the situation said the Pakistan government will consider directing the PCB to stand firm, reject the hybrid model and insist the entire tournament is held in Pakistan. That would be a directive the PCB would be in no position to ignore in much the way the BCCI is unable to act against its own government’s directive.It leaves the ICC, with 100 days to go to the start of the Champions Trophy, in an especially difficult situation with simmering political issues between its two leading Full Members threatening to spill over – unsurprising given that Naqvi’s BCCI counterpart, Jay Shah, is the son of Naqvi’s counterpart in the Indian government, the home minister Amit Shah. The situation will not become any simpler when Shah takes over as the ICC chair, on December 1.The India-Pakistan rivalry is the marquee match in all global events, and organisers have long made sure they face each other at least once in every tournament since the 2013 Champions Trophy. It is regularly the match that draws the most eyeballs. But indications within this PCB administration are that their government might not allow Pakistan to travel to India for future ICC events – the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup is the next such event. On Friday, Naqvi had warned that “gestures” Pakistan had made in the past might not be repeated: he was referring to Pakistan traveling to India for the men’s ODI World Cup in 2023, right after India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.Last month, the ECB chief executive Richard Gould made clear how important India and Pakistan both were to ICC events and the global cricket ecosystem. “If you play the Champions Trophy without India, or Pakistan, the broadcast rights aren’t there, and we need to protect them,” he said, on a visit to Pakistan during England’s Test series in the country.An event in Lahore this week to launch the schedule and start the 100-day countdown has been postponed in light of the developments. Instead, the PCB is expected to push the ICC this week to secure in writing from the BCCI the reason for its decision and on what specific grounds the Indian government is preventing its team from traveling. The ICC has been contacted for comment.As of now, the eight-team event is due to be played between February 19 and March 9, across Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi. Stadiums at all three venues have been undergoing renovation and upgradation to different degrees in order to be ready for the event. Pakistan are the defending champions, having won the event in 2017.

Worcestershire’s 263 was knocked off with 33 balls to spare in professional fashion by group leaders

ECB Reporters Network09-Aug-2024Lewis Goldsworthy led the way with 95 as Somerset boosted their chances of reaching the knock-out stage of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a convincing five-wicket win over Worcestershire at Taunton.The Rapids were bowled out for 263 in 47.3 overs after losing the toss, Tom Taylor lifting a limp batting display with 73, off 65 balls, including seven fours and three sixes. Ben Green claimed 3 for 58In reply, Somerset reached 267 for 5 with 5.3 overs to spare, Goldsworthy hitting his runs off 108 deliveries, with nine fours and a six, while James Rew contributed 70 and Andy Umeed 44. Left-arm spinner Fateh Singh returned career-best List A figures of 4 for 52.Worcestershire openers Ed Pollock and Gareth Roderick set about Somerset’s opening attack with gusto, taking the score to 55 in the eighth over before Pollock lofted a catch to deep square off Ned Leonard and departed for 30.Roderick looked in good touch, moving to 35 off 41 balls but then carelessly helped a ball from Ogborne around the corner to be caught at fine leg. At 68 for 2 in the 13th over, Worcestershire needed to rebuild.Hopes that Jake Libby and Rob Jones could do the job ended with poor shots by both off Green, Jones, on 14, mistiming a catch to mid-wicket and Libby, having progressed comfortably to 24, guiding a short ball straight to Goldsworthy at point.Another soft dismissal saw Rehaan Edavalath offer a simple return catch to Jack Leach and at 117 for 5 the Rapids were in a hole. Ethan Brookes followed the pattern, having struck four fours, when he advanced down the pitch to Goldsworthy and lofted to Leach at mid-off.The same over saw Singh, on four, dropped by Umeed at short extra cover. Singh profited to hit a six off Goldsworthy before being bowled for 14 making room to cut off-spinner Archie Vaughan’s third ball of the game.Taylor cleared the ropes off Kasey Aldridge and Goldsworthy and Tom Hinley followed suit off successive short balls from Aldridge as the pair launched a spirited counter attack. Hinley’s 32 came off just 18 balls before he skyed Green to Ogborne a long-on.Tommy Sturgess was run out in a mix-up over a second run with Taylor, who went to an impressive half-century off 53 balls before being last man out.Somerset’s reply got off to the worst possible start when George Thomas shouldered arms to the first delivery from Taylor, an inswinger that clipped the stumps. But Goldsworthy and Umeed soon settled in to put the outcome beyond much doubt.They had added 96 for the second wicket in 18.4 overs when Umeed was caught at deep square for 44 attempting to slog-sweep Singh in his first over. Goldsworthy went to a 63-ball fifty soon afterwards, having struck six fours.Rew hit two glorious drives through extra cover and then straight and Goldsworthy cleared the ropes at mid-wicket off Hinley to bring up a half-century partnership in ten overs.Rew then smacked fours of three successive Hinley deliveries in the 31st over in reaching fifty off 43 balls. It was young wicketkeeper’s fourth half-century in seven Group A matches and contributed to the stand with Goldsworthy that reached three figures off 88 balls.Rew fell to a catch at cover off Singh trying a reverse sweep and the bowler followed up by dismissing Goldsworthy, bowled by a full ball, and Sean Dickson, caught at slip, with successive deliveries in the 39th over.But by then Somerset only needed 45 and 18-year-old Vaughan’s rapid unbeaten 31 off 24 balls sealed a comfortable success.

Coles half-century not enough for Sussex as visitors take early control with the ball

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay22-Jul-2025Essex 152 for 4 trail Sussex 204 (Coles 52, Porter 4-30) by 52 runsEssex produced an opening day performance against Sussex which belied their disappointing season to date, bottom but one of the championship’s first division, with just one victory. They bundled out Sussex – third in the table – for just 204 in only 52.4 overs and at the close were powerfully placed at 152 for four.Essex’s inability to pair up their opening attack of Jamie Porter and Sam Cook has been a major factor in their poor campaign. Cook has been involved with the England set-up and Porter, on paternity leave, missed the last championship match against Yorkshire.Here, though, they were back in tandem, both hitting a length on a relentless line of third or fourth stump and Porter, with four for 30, was the star of the show. Sussex, though, knowing the Kookaburra ball gets softer, and batting easier, showed a lack of application.Essex won the toss and bowled on a grassy pitch, with a canopy of clouds also promising to assist their seamers.Sussex, who had dropped Tom Clark for the fit-again Tom Alsop, and brought in Ari Karvelas for the rested Ollie Robinson, struggled to overcome the conditions but were also guilty of some indulgent strokeplay.Porter broke through in the ninth over when Daniel Hughes, going for a lavish drive, edged to keeper Michael Pepper. And it was 31 for two in the next over when Alsop, playing forward defensively, edged Cook behind.The relatively inexperienced Khaleel Ahmed replaced Cook at the sea end but there was no let-up for Sussex. Khaleel pitched one up to Tom Haines who went for the drive. But the ball nipped off the pitch and Simon Harmer took the catch at second slip. And it was 64 for 4 in the 18th over when Dan Ibrahim attempted an expansive drive against the same bowler and was caught behind. The players took an early lunch at 69 for four when a second, heavier shower swept over the ground.The in-form James Coles and John Simpson launched a mini-revival with a stand of 56. Coles showed some of the fluency that had brought him 150 against Warwickshire in his previous championship innings. When he played Cook to backward point for a quick single he had reached his half-century from 62 balls, with seven eye-catching fours. But then he played forward to Porter and edged to first slip, and four balls later Fynn Hudson-Prentice nicked off for a duck.Yet again Simpson was required to make the most of diminishing resources. He added 49 for the seventh wicket with Jack Carson, whose five fours included a straight drive off Noah Thain that might have been the shot of the day.The introduction of fourth seamer Thain saw the first drop in the keen accuracy of the Essex attack. But he, too, was good enough to get among the wickets. Carson had made 25 when he edged to Pepper and next ball it was 169 for eight when Simpson prodded only half-forward to Harmer and was caught at slip.When Karvelas flayed to cover for one Sussex had lost three wickets for two runs but last pair Henry Crocombe and Gurinder Sandhu put on 33.When Essex batted Dean Elgar was caught at midwicket, Paul Walter, half forward, was lbw to Carson, Tom Westley was yorked by Sandhu and nightwatchman Cook was caught at leg slip. But they could still be in a very strong position by the second afternoon.