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PA Media: SportTape ball programme can help England find unorthodox talent – Richard Gould
The ECB’s new core cities programme was showcased at an event in Birmingham on Thursday.
The IndependentWomen’s cricket faces third revamp in eight years – this one has to work
The England and Wales Cricket Board have committed to a new women’s cricket structure from 2025
The Guardian‘We have a superior product’: Dukes maker invites Rob Key for talks over ball
The maker of Dukes balls has entered the debate on the trial use of the Kookaburra ball in county cricket and invited Rob Key, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s managing director of men’s cricket, to talk to him about the type of ball he wants to see. Dilip Jajodia, the managing director of British Cricket Balls Ltd which has owned the Dukes imprint since 1987, was responding to a story in the Guardian this week in which Key hailed the trial use of the Kookaburra in the County Championship and called for it to be used permanently. “I can’t speak for the inner thoughts of Rob Key,” said Jajodia.
The GuardianSports quiz of the week: London Marathon, FA Cup and Olympic teams
Have you been paying attention to the big stories in football, athletics, cricket, basketball, snooker and golf?
The GuardianECB denies Yorkshire ‘punished for past sins’ with women’s county team snub
Richard Gould, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, has stressed that Yorkshire initially missing out on the revamp of the professional women’s game is not a case of the club being “punished for past sins”. From next year the current eight-team regional women’s system will switch to 15-strong full-time squads run directly by eight counties. Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Somerset, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and Surrey were those selected this week, before an expansion to 10 counties by 2027 and up to 12 by 2029.
AFPMumbai Indians survive Ashutosh Sharma scare to beat Punjab Kings
Mumbai Indians managed to fend off a valiant effort by Punjab Kings batsman Ashutosh Sharma to win by nine runs in a fiercely fought IPL thriller on Thursday.Invited to bat first, Mumbai Indians started off on a decent note.
PA Media: SportHeather Knight says counties’ frustrations hails ‘progress’ for women’s cricket
Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire were all successful.
AFPRain wipes out first Pakistan-New Zealand T20 after just two balls
Heavy rain caused the first Twenty20 international between Pakistan and New Zealand to be abandoned after just two deliveries in Rawalpindi on Thursday.But as soon as the Pakistan fielders started celebrating the wicket, the rain returned to force an abandonment.
The TelegraphRaman Subba Row was one of England’s finest amateurs and helped save Surrey
Raman Subba Row, who died at the age of 92 on Thursday, was not only one of the last amateurs to represent England at cricket, he was one of the best. Subba Row became known to the next generation as a chair of the England and Wales Cricket Board, or Test and County Cricket Board as it used to be known, in addition to being one of the first ICC match referees.
Evening StandardMiddlesex 'disappointed' after ECB snub over Tier 1 women’s team
Middlesex will now bid for a Tier 2 team but won’t be able to join the top division until at least 2029
PA Media: SportYorkshire ‘surprised and disappointed’ at missing out in women’s cricket revamp
The White Rose have been invited to join an expanded top flight in 2027.
AFPAustralia's Law named head coach of T20 World Cup hosts USA
Twenty20 World Cup hosts the United States have named Stuart Law as head coach, US cricket officials said, with the Australian calling it "an exciting opportunity."The United States will host the World Cup with the West Indies in June.
Evening StandardSurrey awarded new elite women's team but Middlesex and Lord's miss out
Surrey want the women’s team to play half of their matches at the Oval
The GuardianDurham selected ahead of Yorkshire to host professional women’s county team
Durham’s chief executive, Tim Bostock, said he was “delighted” with the England and Wales Cricket Board’s decision to award the county the right to host a professional women’s team, after they beat off strong competition from neighbouring Yorkshire. The first-class counties have spent the past two and a half months competing for the right to host one of the eight new professional “tier 1” women’s teams, and in March presented their bids to a panel which included Kelly Simmons, former director of the women’s professional game at the Football Association, and Maggie Murphy, the chief executive of Lewes FC. At an ECB board meeting on Wednesday, Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire were formally approved as the hosts.
PA Media: SportYorkshire not in ECB’s new ‘Tier 1’ revamp of women’s professional game
Durham, Essex, Hampshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Surrey and Warwickshire have been chosen as hosts.
The GuardianJofra Archer to consider playing future if injuries continue for another year
Jofra Archer has hinted another year of persistent injury setbacks could lead him to question his future as the fast bowler looks to stage his latest comeback for England in time for this summer’s T20 World Cup defence. A 50-over World Cup winner in 2019, not to mention a scorching new arrival in Test cricket during the Ashes series that followed, Archer has spent the bulk of the past two years on the sidelines due to recurring stress fractures in both his right elbow and his lower back. It is something Archer has laid bare in a newly released podcast from 4Cast, the athlete media and investments company set up by himself, Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad three years ago.
AFP'Champion mindset' as Pant-inspired Delhi hammer Gujarat in IPL
Sharp glovework by skipper Rishabh Pant and some inspired bowling set up a crushing six-wicket win for Delhi Capitals after Gujarat Titans fell to their IPL lowest of 89 on Wednesday.India fast bowler Ishant Sharma dismissed captain Shubman Gill for eight in the second over of the match and Gujarat kept losing wickets to some disciplined bowling.
The TelegraphJofra Archer: I could quit cricket if injury struggles continue
Jofra Archer has warned that he might retire from cricket if his injury problems continue, declaring “I don’t know if I’ve got another stop-start year in me”.
AFPPant-inspired Delhi hammer Gujarat in IPL
Sharp glovework by skipper Rishabh Pant and some inspired bowling set up a crushing six-wicket win for Delhi Capitals after Gujarat Titans fell to their IPL lowest of 89 on Wednesday.India fast bowler Ishant Sharma dismissed captain Shubman Gill for eight in the second over of the match and Gujarat kept losing wickets to some disciplined bowling.
The IndependentPakistan vs New Zealand LIVE: Cricket score and updates from New Zealand in Pakistan 2024
Follow all the action from Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
The GuardianBehind the scenes at Wisden: 161 years old and still going strong
The Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack remains a bestseller and headline-grabber, because it acts as the conscience of cricket
AFPButtler ton powers Rajasthan to record IPL chase of 224
Jos Buttler smashed an unbeaten 107 to trump Sunil Narine's first T20 century as Rajasthan Royals pulled off a joint record IPL chase against Kolkata Knight Riders off the final ball on Tuesday.Rajasthan equalled their own record from 2020 when they chased down 224 against Kings XI Punjab in Sharjah.
The GuardianEngland’s Rob Key backs Kookaburra ball for full-time use in county cricket
The early-season trial of the Kookaburra ball in the County Championship has been hailed as a success by Rob Key, with the England men’s team director keen to make it a permanent fixture throughout the domestic first-class summer. Speaking after the second round of fixtures to use the Kookaburra, Key shared his view that using a less bowler-friendly ball than the traditional Dukes had brought out the requisite skills for Test cricket by increasing the volume of spin bowling, rewarding seamers who have extra pace, and allowing batters to go big when set. “I think it’s been fantastic,” said Key.
AFPBabar back as captain as Pakistan face N. Zealand in World Cup build-up
Babar Azam makes his return as Pakistan captain in a five-match Twenty20 series starting Thursday against an understrength New Zealand with the World Cup weeks away.Pakistan suffered major upheaval following their first-round exit from the one-day World Cup last year.
AFPImpact subs add lower order firepower as IPL smashes scoring records
Better use of the Indian Premier League's impact substitute rule has been the big factor behind this season's run spree in the high-octane Twenty20 competition which has seen multiple scoring records smashed, say experts."Impact player rule is benefiting (the) entertainment part of cricket, which is high-scoring games," Pathan told reporters.
