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England Men’s managing director unconcerned about throwing fast bowler straight back into Test cricket

Andrew Miller27-Jun-2025Jofra Archer will be ready to hit the ground running, as and when his return to Test cricket comes, despite having bowled just 18 overs for Sussex against Durham in his long-awaited comeback to first-class cricket at Chester-le-Street last week.That is the view of Rob Key, England Men’s managing director, who is confident that Archer’s slow but steady return from a series of career-threatening injuries means he’ll be ready to slot straight back into England’s starting XI, either in next week’s second Test against India at Edgbaston, or – perhaps more likely – in the subsequent third Test at Lord’s, beginning July 10.Archer was this week named in England’s 15-man squad for the second Test, meaning he is in line to play the format for the first time since the tour of India in February 2021. England have played 52 Tests in the intervening years, during which time Archer’s career was left in limbo due to multiple operations on his right elbow, and a stress fracture of the back.However, he made a successful return to white-ball cricket for England in May last year, with appearances at each of the last two ICC global events: the T20 World Cup in June 2024, and the Champions Trophy in February this year.Related

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Though a broken thumb sustained at the IPL delayed his return to red-ball cricket, Archer himself confirmed this week that his body was ready to hold up to the demands of the longer format, having returned figures of 18-8-32-1 on a flat deck against Durham in the County Championship.”To see him back will be brilliant,” Key said at a Rothesay media event in London. “He’s an unbelievable talent, and it’s been such a long road. For two years now, [we’ve] mapped it out: from T20s and four-over spells, into 50-over cricket to build up his robustness, to now. He has been doing so much work in the lead-up – even when he’s not playing – to building up that resilience to being able to play, because he’s a serious talent.”England’s impressive victory in the series opener at Headingley, allied to the nine-day turnaround between games, might persuade the selectors to stick with an unchanged frontline seam attack of Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue. That could also enable Archer to be released for at least two days of Sussex’s next County Championship fixture against Warwickshire, after his county coach Paul Farbrace suggested he might benefit from more red-ball overs under his belt.However, Key liked what he saw of Archer’s rhythm at Chester-le-Street, having tracked his performance on the county live stream, and insisted he was ready for selection, come what may.Rob Key, England Men’s managing director, speaking at a Rothesay media event in London•Getty Images

“Jofra is such a talent,” Key said. “He was straight on the money. Bowling on a slow pitch, with good pace. He ain’t gonna forget how to bowl, so when we have that call, we’re not concerned. He will be fit and available for both [Tests]. Whether he could play both, we’ll find that out afterwards, if he did play at Edgbaston.”Despite his long absence from red-ball cricket, Key likened Archer to Mark Wood – currently injured, but on course to be available for next month’s final Test of the series – for his ability to pick up from where he left off, without the need to build up his workloads.”The spectrum for that is Mark Wood to other guys who you feel need a longer [lead up],” Key said. “You saw those guys playing in the last Test; they got better the more they bowled. Mark Wood is someone that could just turn up after bowling a bit in the nets, like he did at Headingley in the Ashes, and bowl 96mph, swinging in and hitting a length.”On that sort of scale, Jofra is close to the Mark Wood end. He’s a pretty pure talent. There’s not a lot of moving parts to his action in terms of complications, and he’s 30 years old now, so he knows exactly what he’s doing and what he’s about. So it’s more of a question of him just getting back into red-ball cricket.”We’ve picked him in the squad, and we’ll see how the conditions are. We’ve got decisions to make because these next two Tests are very close together, and you want to be able to sustain that pressure throughout these back-to-back Test matches. So we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. At the moment, he’s in the squad [but] any of those players can go back to county cricket as well.”With Jamie Overton and Sam Cook also in England’s Test squad, plus last season’s break-out star Gus Atkinson likely to come into contention later in the series, Key was upbeat about the state of England’s bowling stocks – both for the remainder of this summer, and the Ashes tour to follow.”There was a time where you thought it was all about Wood and Archer, and we needed that X-factor pace – but now we’ve got a few of them,” Key said. “It’s so encouraging. You need bowlers for all conditions, [and] not just the Ashes. You need a pack of bowlers that all complement each other.”Jofra is another piece in that puzzle as Woody will be if he comes back at the end of the series. We don’t know who’s the next great England opening partnership – the next Broad-Anderson – because there’s a number of those options that could be the mainstay of England bowlers for years. I can’t wait to see who that will be.”

Stokes faces both offspinners in floodlit nets session as England consider change to all-pace strategy

Vithushan Ehantharajah01-Dec-2025Around 20 punters watched England’s first evening net at the Gabba ahead of the day-night Ashes Test starting on Thursday.The outdoor facilities at this historic but ageing colosseum are the most amenable in the world for observers, offering a behind-the-batter view of what it’s like to face the fiercest bowlers going. There were plenty of eyes on the lane closest to Main Street, as Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson steamed in with the pink Kookaburra ball.But it was the net furthest away that had the most immediate interest ahead of the second Test. Both Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks were bowling their offspin to England captain Ben Stokes, duking it out for what seems, at this juncture, the last available spot in the XI.Related

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Mark Wood has been ruled out – England are optimistic his heavily strapped left knee will get adequate rest to ensure he is back in the mix for Adelaide – but the other 10 starters from the defeat in Perth are likely to be rolled out again.Josh Tongue is the most like-for-like replacement if the tourists want to repeat their all-pace attack from Perth. But they are understood to be trending more towards spin in their bid to come back from 1-0 down, with the expectation that the pink Kookaburra will soften earlier than the red one.The pair have had very different routes to these Ashes. Bashir has been the captain’s go-to spinner since a shock call-up to the India tour at the start of 2024, with 68 wickets in 19 caps to date. His traits – a high release-point, revs coming from over the top of the ball – were deemed better suited to Test pitches (particularly Australian ones) compared to traditional English, doorknob-turning finger spinners.Jacks, an allrounder, was the first conventional offspinner picked by Stokes, drafted on the tour of Pakistan in the winter of 2022 for his only two Test caps after developing as Surrey’s primary spin option. He took 6 for 161 in his first go on debut – the first Test at Rawalpindi – and showed his dexterity as a batter by slotting in at No. 3 in the second innings of the next Test in Multan to give Ollie Pope extra rest after keeping. That he is on this tour owes as much to his batting – destructive qualities, and comfort filling in any top six position – and his tall action and ambition with the ball.Bashir is understood to be the one in pole position, though it was Jacks who seemed to have the better of it on Monday night, before padding up. Nets can only tell you so much, of course. Stokes and the rest of England’s batters were focused on getting attuned to the shift from day to night, and then how the floodlights transformed the grass beneath their feet. They will have one more hit in similar conditions on Wednesday before they get going in their attempts to square the series.Visiting spinners have had very little success with the pink ball over here, collectively managing just 28 wickets at 64.03. Joe Root’s three in the Adelaide Test on the 2021-22 tour has him joint-second on that list (with Yasir Shah); Dawid Malan is joint-fourth with two picked up from that same game. R Ashwin sits top with six at 20.66.England would not be wrong to look at Nathan Lyon’s impressive record of 43 dismissals at 25.62 from his 13 day-night home Tests and surmise spin is a must. But they may take more meaningful notes from Kevin Sinclair’s cameo in Australia’s one and only pink ball defeat.That came here at the Gabba last year. Sinclair – also an offspinner – struck a vital 50 and then 14 not out, both from No. 7, in a tight eight-run win. He bowled just eight overs, all in Australia’s first innings which sandwiched his batting efforts, but was able to snare Usman Khawaja for 75. Replicating Sinclair’s impact rather than Lyon’s is a far easier task and would favour Jacks.It will be these cues from day-night affairs in Australia, and England’s own learnings from the seven they have played, that will continue to be disseminated among the group over the coming days. The entire top five played in England’s last pink-ball Test – against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui in 2023 – but Jamie Smith, for instance, will be playing his first of any kind.”We’ve spoken with the guys who have played some pink-ball games, and had a look at some of the pink-ball games that have been played in Australia in the past four or five years,” Carse said. His only day-night match happened to be in this country for England Lions against Australia A at Melbourne in January 2020.”On an evening, it does seem to do a little bit more, especially if you have a slightly newer ball, which I’m sure we’ll take into consideration throughout the game. It’s going to be exciting. I’m expecting a massive crowd, a hostile crowd. The guys are really looking forward to it.”I think looking back at a couple of highlights of previous games played in Australia, it’s certainly very admirable how their new-ball bowling goes. You know, they strike early and I think that’s going to be important, whether that’s certain lines we’ll be bowling or maybe bowling a touch fuller to let it swing. They’ve played some really good cricket with a pink ball. So, yeah, I’d like to say that we’ve had a look at some of the stuff that they’ve done over the previous years.”

Superchargers’ prospects of qualifying increase substantially after inflicting Spirit’s second defeat of the season

ECB Media20-Aug-2025Northern Superchargers 93 for 2 (Litchfield 55*, Sutherland 29*) beat London Spirit 90 for 8 (Redmayne 29, Sutherland 3-20) by eight wicketsNorthern Superchargers earned a crucial win at Lord’s to leapfrog hosts London Spirit and take themselves to second in the table in the Hundred women’s competition.It wasn’t quite a must-win game for Hollie Armitage’s side but, having lost to Manchester Originals last time out, their prospects of qualifying have increased substantially after inflicting upon Spirit their second defeat of the season.Superchargers started well with the ball, with both Grace Ballinger and Kate Cross bowling their first 10 deliveries through to take a wicket apiece. When Nicola Carey dismissed Grace Harris and Dani Gibson in consecutive balls, all the wind was taken out of Spirit’s sails and they never threatened to post an overly imposing total.As it was the team in purple made light work of the chase, knocking it off two wickets down with 34 balls to spare.Spirit will want to prove that they’re not reliant on Grace Harris’s runs for success, while for Superchargers they’ll be heartened by the up-turn in form of Phoebe Litchfield – awarded Meerkat Match Hero here for her 38-ball 55 with her customary array of switch-hits dotted throughout.On a day that Southern Brave secured their qualification with their sixth successive win, the fight for the next two qualification spots – and a place in at least the Eliminator – looks set to go down to the wire between today’s two combatants and Manchester Originals (all tied on 16 points), who take on Trent Rockets tomorrow.Litchfield said: “I think losing to Manchester Originals stung for our group. I think we got ourselves in a winning position and it was heartbreaking to not come over the other side. We made a conscious effort to rectify that situation and come out here and win.”We weren’t far off in that last game. We were in a winning position. We’ve just got be ruthless in that moment, and I think we did that today with the ball. The way the girls set it up with the ball, pretty much won us the game in that first innings and then made it really easy for us batters to go out and play with freedom.”The switch hits are fully premeditated, and then I just have to adjust on the length and the line when I switch, but also I have to know how to bail out. So that’s probably the most important thing that I learnt is to bail out, but then if it’s in the area, swing.”

The defending champions lead by just 72 runs with three wickets in hand and an injury concern over Ashton Agar

AAP17-Nov-2024Victoria were in sight of victory over Western Australia and the outright lead in the Sheffield Shield standings, despite resolute innings by Hilton Cartwright and Joel Curtis.Seamers Fergus O’Neill and Sam Elliott made regular inroads at Junction Oval on Sunday to have the visitors 278 for 7 at stumps, a lead of just 72 runs with a day to play.Related

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Western Australia wicketkeeper Curtis played a defiant knock to keep his side’s faint hopes alive. But WA spinner Ashton Agar has a shoulder injury and there is a question mark over whether he will bat.O’Neill ended Cartwright’s 166-ball vigil on 78 with a perfect cutter that tickled the outside edge. The 23-year-old, who also snared three wickets in the first innings, has proven to be a revelation for Victoria, and also starred for Australia A against India A.Cartwright held the three-time reigning Sheffield Shield champions’ innings together with support from skipper Ashton Turner and Curtis.The visitors resumed on day three at 34 for 1 and were made to battle before and after rain took the players off the field either side of lunch.Strapping allrounder Elliott hit the pitch hard and snared Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin in the morning session, both edging into the bucket hands of first slip Peter Handscomb.Victoria, with vital bonus points from the match, will go top of the ladder if they can secure victory.In four Shield matches this year Cartwright has scored 420 runs at an average of 70 in a reminder of why he played two Tests for Australia in 2017.His defiance may not be enough to salvage anything for his side from this match, but along with Curtis he has made the Victorians fight hard.

Pant will join the Delhi squad in Rajkot ahead of their match against Saurashtra, DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma said

PTI15-Jan-2025 • Updated on 16-Jan-2025Rishabh Pant has made himself available for Delhi’s next Ranji Trophy match, against Saurashtra, beginning in Rajkot on January 23, DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma said on Tuesday. Pant last played a Ranji Trophy match back in the 2017-2018 season.Ravindra Jadeja will also make his first-class return. He last played represented Saurashtra in a first-class game in January 2023.However, there is no clarity over the participation of Virat Kohli, who last featured in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi back in 2012.Related

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Both the India players have been named in Delhi’s list of probables for the remainder of the season.”Yes, Pant has confirmed his availability for next Ranji game and will join the squad in Rajkot directly,” Sharma told PTI. “About Virat Kohli, we want him to play but we haven’t heard from him, while Harshit Rana is selected in the T20 squad [for the England games] and hence is unavailable.”Former India players Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri are among many who want the current crop of India Test players, especially the struggling Rohit Sharma and Kohli, to play red-ball cricket following the series loss in Australia.Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also expected to play for their respective state teams, Punjab and Mumbai.Will Virat Kohli return to the Ranji Trophy?•Getty Images

Rohit’s training with the Mumbai team on Tuesday led to plenty of interest but it remains to be seen if he makes himself available for the next round of Ranji Trophy matches.There has also been speculation around Kohli returning to the Ranji Trophy to regain red-ball form. The DDCA naming its star players in the list of probables is the norm, but their inclusion in the final squad is subject to their availability.While Rohit had stood down from the final Test in Australia due to poor form, Kohli’s struggles outside the off stump worsened as his tally of being caught behind swelled to eight over the course of the five Tests.Besides Kohli, Pant and Harshit, Delhi have named 38 probables for the remaining two games. In Group D, Delhi are fourth in the standings with 14 points from five games.

Ireland spinner was suspended from bowling earlier this year after her action was found to be illegal

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2025Ireland left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.Maguire, 18, was suspended from bowling earlier this year after being reported during the first ODI against India in Rajkot on January 10. Her action was deemed suspect under the ICC’s Illegal Bowling Regulations.Maguire has since remodelled her action and subsequently underwent an independent re-assessment at an ICC-accredited testing centre where she was cleared.”An independent assessment of Maguire’s remodelled bowling action at an ICC accredited testing centre concluded that the amount of elbow extension was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations,” an ICC release said.Maguire made her ODI and T20I debut against West Indies in July 2023. She has so far played 11 ODIs, where she has picked 16 wickets, with best bowling figures of 5 for 19 against England last year. Maguire has also played nine T20Is, where she has nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.20.The 18-year-old is not part of the Ireland squad that faces Pakistan in a three-match T20I series, which begins in Dublin on Wednesday.

“Obviously we are down right now but it has to change at some point, and the change can start from now,” Roston Chase says

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-20253:31

Sammy: ‘Our problems are rooted deep into our system’

Away in the Caribbean, Cricket West Indies has got the best minds in the game in the region to chalk out a way out of the abyss – call it 27 all out if you will – the national team has fallen in, at a time when there is talk of the World Test Championship being split into two tiers. Roston Chase, the Test captain, is aware of all this and is hoping for ” that start and to then kick on from there” when they face India for the second and last time in the ongoing series in Delhi.”Obviously we are down right now but it has to change at some point, and the change can start from now,” Chase said a day away from the start of the second Test, where West Indies would be hoping to bounce back after an innings defeat in the first Test. “But it starts with the belief and the mindset of each and every player, and just keep motivating the guys that we can still play some positive cricket.”In Ahmedabad, in the first Test of the series, West Indies put up 162 and 146. They had two individual scores in the 30s – Justin Greaves in the first innings and Alick Athanaze in the second. Their best partnership was worth 46, in 87 balls, in the second innings between Greaves and Athanaze. Not good enough, especially when the opposition has three century-makers in their only innings and have declared on 448 for 5.Related

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“I don’t think the guys are lacking confidence. But it’s just to get that one score, to get that start and to then kick on from there,” Chase said. “It just takes one… get that good innings or that hundred or that big fifty, that then gives you the confidence to actually think ‘I can do it’.”I think everyone is confident, but when we get out there, we didn’t start well as a batting unit and the pressure is on, and it’s for us to soak up that pressure as batters, and still find a way to score, put pressure back on to the Indian bowlers. That is the biggest challenge for us. We just need to get that start and kick on. And we’ll be fine.”Chase’s own Test career has been an intriguing one. He has now played 53 Tests, but has an average of 25.57. To go with a bowling average of 46.25. He scored a century in just his second Test, against India in Kingston in July 2016, and then had two more centuries by his tenth Test. In the 43 since, he has scored just two more, and none at all in his last 24, where he has crossed 50 only four times.”I can’t really speak for anyone [else], but for myself, I just think it’s a matter of confidence and continuously playing quality first-class cricket and so on. Just that knowhow and facing good attacks for longer periods, and obviously, trying to improve on faults you may have picked up early on in your career,” Chase said. “Obviously, when you first start, no one really knows you, and then, obviously, [you] play a couple of games and people see your weaknesses and try to exploit them. So it’s for the players to just improve on those weaknesses from as early as possible. That’s it.Roston Chase hasn’t scored a century in his last 24 Tests•Associated Press

“It’s just digging deep for those four sessions and trying to stay in the now and not what has happened before in terms of the ball before or the over before. Just staying in the present is the biggest challenge for me right now. That’s something I have to go with.”Chase has played franchise T20 leagues in the past, in the ILT20, the Bangladesh Premier League, the Global T20 Canada, apart from the CPL, of course. While he is still a CPL player for St Lucia Kings, he wants to commit his future to West Indies, and to Test cricket.”It was always my dream to play for West Indies. I had a chance to play franchise cricket and I still have opportunities to play franchise cricket. But I have given that up,” he said. “So I cannot say that I am not hungry or not hungry, because this is what I wanted to do. I gave up my chance to play franchise cricket and I have taken up the captaincy role [in Tests], which is a big step.”So that just goes to show that I want to be here. I want to play for the Maroon. And I have always given my all for the Maroon.”

Kieran Elliott had earlier taken a six-wicket haul of his own as the home side were bundled out for 93

AAP18-Feb-2025Paceman Brendan Doggett sparked a stunning South Australian comeback against Tasmania as 20 wickets tumbled on day one of their Sheffield Shield clash.Shield leaders SA were skittled for 98 at Adelaide Oval on Tuesday with Tasmanian quick Kieran Elliott bagging a career-best six wicket haul.Related

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Doggett then shredded Tasmania, taking 6 for 40 as the visitors crashed to 101 all out. He captured five of the initial six Tasmania wickets on a pitch offering considerable movement off the seam.Just three Tasmanians reached double-figures with new Test allrounder Beau Webster top-scoring with 28.Doggett started his spree by dismissing former SA opener Jake Weatherald for a golden duck when the left-hander edged to wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen. Two more batters perished in identical fashion before the end of the fourth over with Tim Ward and Jordan Silk also caught behind off a rampant Doggett.Kieran Elliott continued his stunning form with six wickets•Getty Images

Liam Scott chipped in with the wicket of Doran – the left-hander pulled a short delivery to midwicket where Lloyd Pope plucked a screamer of a one-handed catch.Doggett then returned to take another two consecutive wickets including Hobart Hurricances’ BBL hero Mitchell Owen for a second-ball duck.Webster launched a counter-attack before legspinner Pope helped clean up the tail and ensure opening-day honours were shared.Earlier, SA’s batsmen collapsed amid precision seam bowling from Elliott and Gabe Bell. Elliott took 6 for 23, the best return in first-class cricket for the Victorian born 29-year-old, to follow his 10-wicket match haul against Victoria in the previous round.SA lost 7 for 17 in the middle session and only three batters reached double-figures – Jason Sangha, Conor McInerney and captain Nathan McSweeney.

Defending 14 in the final over, Sutherland took 2 for 4 to help a hobbled Australia reach the semi-final

Valkerie Baynes14-Oct-2024″How was your heart rate?” Tahlia McGrath asked Annabel Sutherland after an extraordinary final over in which she defended 14 runs, took two wickets and denied India the right to decide their own destiny at the T20 World Cup.A high-stakes game played before a sold-out 14,946-strong crowd at Sharjah Stadium made up almost exclusively of Indian supporters had gone Australia’s way by nine runs after the tightest contest of the tournament so far. And Sutherland was “chill as”.It is testament to Sutherland’s character and why Australia see her as such a bright prospect that, having celebrated her 23rd birthday the day before, she took it all in her stride, claiming 2 for 22 from her four overs after adding a vital 10 runs in six balls from No.8.Related

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“She’s so composed,” McGrath said, standing in as captain for the injured Alyssa Healy. “She knew her plan, she executed beautifully. I said to her after, ‘how was your heart rate?’ and she goes, ‘no I was fine, I was chill as’ so I think that just shows the type of maturity that Belsey has.”She’s been in those big moments and delivered for us time and time again, even at the back end with some handy runs for us. She was huge for us today and very cool under pressure.”And it was testament to this Australian side that they were able to shut out all the noise on the night and the upheaval beforehand to seal their place in the semi-finals.A few hours before the match, it was announced that Tayla Vlaeminck would be replaced in the squad by Heather Graham after dislocating her right – bowling – shoulder just four balls into Friday night’s win against Pakistan. Vlaeminck’s plight hit her team-mates hard given her battles with injury which have restricted her to just 28 appearances for her country since her debut in 2018.Australia are also waiting to hear whether Healy will be fit to take any further part in this World Cup after she injured her foot in the same match and turned up to watch the India clash on crutches and in a moon boot, her condition to be monitored over the coming days.Alyssa Healy was unavailable for India clash due to foot injury•ICC/Getty Images

“There’s been a lot going on,” McGrath said. “Friday night, that was a tough night for us and a lot to process but in tournaments like this it’s move on, you’ve got a job to do.”We’ve been really trying to get around each other as a group, whether it be the injured girls, the girls playing slightly different roles, and just really sticking together as a group and focusing on the job at hand. I thought we did a really good job of that and came out and played really well tonight. I’m really proud of the group.”There were elements of chaos as Australia posted 151 for 8 upon winning the toss and opting to bat first. Georgia Wareham chose not to review an lbw decision which would have saved her and Sophie Molineux was run out walking back to the dugout not realising Jemimah Rodrigues had grassed a catch at backward point.McGrath’s handy innings of 32 off 26 balls had moments of drama after she survived India’s review for lbw, then was dropped by Harmanpreet Kaur at cover and finally stumped charging at Radha Yadav, all in the space of six deliveries.But she had kept her cool amid a rejigged middle-order and at the helm while Grace Harris, opening in Healy’s place top-scored with 40 off 41 and Ellyse Perry played a cool 32 off 23.However, it was Megan Schutt’s nerveless over in the 17th, when she conceded just one run and saw Richa Ghosh run out by a superb direct hit from Phoebe Litchfield at short cover, stood out for McGrath.”She bowled outstanding,” McGrath said. “She nailed her plan and that swung the game right back in our favour. That was a really crucial moment in the game for us.”McGrath has now captained Australia three times, twice in T20Is, including a match in India in 2022. Australia also had recent experience of pro-India full houses during their tour there in December and January.”It was very loud,” she said of Sunday in Sharjah. “We’re quite used to that now whenever we play against India. Lots of it was about just making eye contact with bowlers and trying to get everyone to look at me because trying to tell bowlers they’ll bowl the next over or move fielders, is almost impossible with that noise.”But for us it’s almost trying to ignore the crowd at times because they can make you seem like you’re behind the game when you maybe might not be. They’re so passionate, cheer so loud and we love it but at times you can think that the game’s getting away from you just with how loud the crowds cheering so it’s just about staying level-headed, staying focused and getting a good read on the game.”So when Harmanpreet threatened to take the match away from them with her 54 not out, the India captain’s second unbeaten half-century in as many games at this tournament, Australia just had to stay “chill as”. Now, waiting on the result of Monday’s clash between New Zealand and Pakistan, it is India who will have to sweat it out.

Sanjay Govil, US tech entrepreneur, submitted the higher of two sealed bids in a process on Friday evening

Matt Roller31-Jan-2025Sanjay Govil, the US-based tech entrepreneur and owner of Washington Freedom, is set to buy a minority stake in Welsh Fire, the Cardiff-based team in the Hundred. ESPNcricinfo understands that Govil submitted the higher of two sealed bids in a process on Friday evening which was delayed by the three-hour bidding war for London Spirit.ESPNcricinfo understands that the winning bid valued 100% of the Fire at £67.5 million, implying Govil will pay just over £33m for his minority share in the team.He will now enter a period of exclusivity with Glamorgan, the Fire’s host county. The two parties will negotiate contractual details with the help of the ECB and their advisors over the next eight weeks. Glamorgan told their members earlier this month that they intend to retain their 51% controlling stake in Welsh Fire.Related

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• Lancashire want IPL link for Manchester Originals

Govil is the chairman of two tech companies in the US: Infinite Computer Solutions, a leading technology services company, and Zyter, a health technology services company. Two years ago, he made his first substantial cricketing investment by buying Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket and the franchise won the title in their second season, with Ricky Ponting serving as head coach.ESPNcricinfo understands that Govil outbid one other contender in the final round. Capri Global, the Indian loans company who own UP Warriorz and Sharjah Warriorz in the WPL and ILT20 respectively, were understood to be the losing bidder. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, the Hollywood actors and Wrexham AFC co-owners, held talks with Glamorgan but dropped out before the final round of bidding.The Freedom’s bid is understood to have impressed Glamorgan from early in the process, with chief executive Dan Cherry telling ESPNcricinfo last year that the club valued the idea of identifying a “true partner” rather than simply an investor. “We are keen to build a partnership where people can add value to us as a club,” Cherry said.Washington Freedom were MLC champions in 2024•MLC

The Fire have failed to reach the play-offs in the first four editions of the men’s Hundred, but their women’s team have been more successful and were losing finalists last year. They are expected to be the team with the lowest valuation of the eight, having attracted relatively small crowds to date.The valuation means that the ECB has brought around £278 million into the English game with the sale of 49% stakes in four Hundred teams over the past two days. The revenue will be split between the 18 first-class counties, MCC and the recreational game in England and Wales, and is designed to “future-proof” the county game for at least the next two decades.The ECB declined to comment, while Glamorgan were also contacted for comment.