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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.
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.
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.
PA Media: SportJofra Archer: I don’t know if I’ve got another stop-start year in me
The seamer last played competitively 11 months ago.
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
AFPJust not cricket: Indian politicians bat for power
Cricket is more than just a game in India: critics accuse ruling-party politicians and the sport's closely linked mega-rich board of exploiting its huge popularity for electoral advantage."Control is exercised not just through its presence of senior officials connected to the ruling party, but through the use of Indian cricket to further their political messaging," she told AFP. Modi's government is far from the first to use cricket for political gain in India, but his populist BJP has tightened
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.
Somerset County GazetteSurrey threaten late heroics before settling for a draw with Somerset
The hosts began the day as favourites, but as the game drew to a dramatic climax, it was Somerset who were in the ascendancy.
PA Media: SportFormer England and Kent spinner Derek Underwood dies aged 78
Underwood has taken more Test wickets than any other England spinner, sitting 42 ahead of nearest rival Graeme Swann.
AFPCummins leads Australia quintet of Wisden award winners
Australia captain Pat Cummins was named the Leading Cricketer in the World by Wisden on Monday to coincide with the publication of the 161st edition of the sport's "bible"."After captaining Australia to success in the World Test Championship, Pat Cummins retained the Ashes –- thanks in no small part to his late-order runs in the first Test at Edgbaston –- then led Australia to victory in the World Cup final in India," said Wisden editor Lawrence Booth.
The Guardian‘Deserved respect not ridicule’: Wisden speaks out over cricket’s ICEC report
Wisden has given a hefty endorsement of last year’s report by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, with the 161st edition of the sport’s fabled annual insisting the panel’s findings and recommendations “deserved respect, not ridicule”. Commissioned by the England & Wales Cricket Board in 2021, and published during last summer’s dual Ashes series, the ICEC report found that 50% of its 4,000 respondents had experienced discrimination in the previous five years – a figure which rises significantly among people from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Despite the ECB saying the findings of the panel chaired by Cindy Butts had “raised serious issues of public concern”, including disparity in representation on the field and in leadership roles, there has been criticism in some quarters.
