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Quick bowler wants role in World Cup but says control and variety will be key to success

Andrew Miller29-Jun-2024Lauren Filer insists that England will not be getting ahead of themselves in their ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, despite a comprehensive nine-wicket victory in the series opener in Durham. Nevertheless, she admits that the T20 World Cup in October, and her potential role on those slower wickets in Bangladesh, will be a factor in her preparations for the rest of the summer.Filer, England’s fastest bowler, made her second ODI appearance of the summer on Wednesday, opening alongside Lauren Bell for the first time, with Kate Cross missing the series with an abdominal strain. She made a strong impact, bowling five powerplay overs for 18 and claiming the key early wicket of Suzie Bates, before passing the baton to England’s formidable trio of spinners, who claimed seven wickets between them in bowling New Zealand out for 156.England’s openers, Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier, then picked off the bulk of those runs in a 137-run stand spanning 17.2 overs, to extend the team’s recent dominance over New Zealand, whom they beat in six matches out of eight across white-ball formats on their tour of the country in March and April.Related

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“We will definitely not underestimate New Zealand as a team,” Filer said on the eve of the second ODI in Worcester. “We know that they can hit a big ball and take wickets as well, so we’ve got to be careful. We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves and throw everything at it, without actually thinking about it, but we’re just all up for our performance, and taking the momentum from the last game into the next one.”Filer herself took particular pride in her economy-rate (3.60) in the Durham fixture. Despite having been told by Jon Lewis, England’s head coach, that wickets were the key thing that she could offer, and that going for a few extra runs did not matter in the grander scheme of things, she conceded just two boundaries and one wide in her pacy new-ball burst, and admitted that it gave her a lift to perform her primary role with gusto without maintaining an extra level of control.”Lewy’s always told me that runs don’t matter as much,” Filer said. “But in Durham it was lovely to have that control. To only go at three and a half, it was really nice to see that on the scoreboard when when I turned around, because I wouldn’t have necessarily had that control this time last year.”It is evidence, Filer feels, of a greater understanding of her own game, and one that augurs well for a potential tweaking of her role at the World Cup, where there may be a greater need to mix up her lengths and paces to mitigate for the slower conditions.”On the pitch we played on in Durham – and most of the pitches in England – the top of stumps is the best option,” she said. “With the slower pitches, I’ll be using that quicker ball, but then it’ll be about having slower balls or yorkers, and anything that grips into the pitch, and using them wisely. I didn’t feel like I needed to do that in the last game, but moving forward, I might be able to show what I could do.”Lauren Filer celebrates the wicket of Suzie Bates in the first ODI•Getty Images

Filer’s raw pace, allied to her growing range of variations, means she could yet be deployed at the World Cup in a similar role to that which Jofra Archer performs for the men – with an impact at the top and tail of the innings, plus an ability to return in the middle of an innings if a breakthrough is required.”I’d love to do what Jofra does,” she said. “Obviously he has a great amount of control and his slower balls take a lot of wickets. But I’m trying not to look too far ahead. I wouldn’t say I’ve had a specific role given to me yet, but we’ll see where we’re at closer to the time.”I feel like I’ve worked quite hard on my accuracy, especially since my debut,” she added. “I think I’m in a good place with that. It’s about trying to move away from my stock ball and show my variations, and actually use them as a threat. When you come up against the best players, you’re not able to bowl the same ball all the time. So I’ll keep working on them until the World Cup.”Filer admits there’s no guarantees of a central role at the World Cup, especially given the ubiquity of England’s spin trio of Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn. “It’s so hard as a seamer, you really want to play but you can’t push any of them out of the team,” she said. “They’re just absolutely world-class. Even if one of them doesn’t have the best day, the other two will come flying in with three or four wickets.But whatever happens, Filer knows she’ll have the support of a dressing-room which she describes as “the best environment I’ve ever been in”.”It’s just somewhere that you can be yourself,” she said. “As a team, we trust each other to do the things we do well, and that’s really important. Even on a day when it doesn’t go well, knowing that you’ve got the support of your team-mates when you come off the field, and a shoulder to cry on, that’s something really special, and something hopefully we can carry on throughout the years.”

Mitchell Marsh has had a lean time with the bat while Josh Hazlewood has yet to make an appearance

Andrew McGlashan27-Apr-20235:15

How long a rope can Capitals afford for Marsh?

David Warner (Delhi Capitals)

One of the major narratives from an Australian point of view has been Warner’s form and it has provided a curious situation. His strike-rate has come under significant scrutiny amid Capitals’ poor start to the competition, but he has consistently produced runs with four fifties. While conditions in the IPL could not be further removed from those that will confront him in the Tests, strike-rate will be less of a concern come June (notwithstanding Bazball). His most recent half-century, a 41-ball 57 against KKR, was much more fluent. Whatever happens over the next few it’s unlikely to be dull.

Cameron Green (Mumbai Indians)

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After a somewhat uncertain start, Green has hit his stride – certainly with the bat – scoring back-to-back half-centuries against Sunrisers and Punjab Kings. The second of them came in defeat, but the first was part of a matchwinning all-rounder display. Ahead of the WTC final and Ashes the selectors will have an eye on his workload and the quick transition from T20 to Test cricket could yet provide challenges for a player who has not made that switch often.

Mitchell Marsh (Delhi Capitals)

After looking a million dollars in the ODI series against India, it’s been a lean time with the bat for Marsh which has contributed to Capitals’ early-season woes. He started with four single-digit scores either side of returning home for his wedding, but getting back into the fray with the ball has been a good sign and will have helped in him earning a recall for the Ashes.Glenn Maxwell reverse-sweeps Yuzvendra Chahal for a six•Associated Press

Glenn Maxwell (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

For someone who suffered what was not far off being a career-threatening injury late last year, the sight of Maxwell launching the ball to all parts has been a heartening story in this IPL. He is not yet back to 100% and continues to play through some pain, but has looked very much like his old self with the bat. Two of his half-centuries have come in defeat as the regular debate about a top-heavy RCB order is revived, but the 77 off 44 against Royals was a matchwinner.

Marcus Stoinis (Lucknow Super Giants)

Stoinis is putting together a handy tournament for LSG. He produced a brilliant 65 off 30 balls against RCB to conjure remarkable chase of 213 after they had been 23 for 3 and has chipped in elsewhere without quite matching that display. In the last couple of matches he has bowled for the first time in the season and with excellent results, playing a key role in a relatively low-scoring affair against Royals (where he was Player of the Match) and again proving effective against Titans.

Tim David (Mumbai Indians)

David has perhaps not hit the heights that he has become known for, but he has still produced some useful displays for Mumbai Indians. He and Green got them over the line in a tight chase against Capitals then David helped ice a substantial target against KKR which they made look relatively simple. He had a big part to play in the field against SRH where he claimed four catches, one short of the IPL record.Nathan Ellis has again produced some clutch displays•BCCI

Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings)

Ellis has continued to enhancing his T20 reputation. He produced a Player of the Match performance against Royals with 4 for 30 in a high-scoring game, including the key wicket of Jos Buttler. Then in a contest against Mumbai Indians with over 400 runs, where he was brought in as the Impact Player, he got the better of Australia team-mate Green at a vital moment.

Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Hazlewood, whose Test career has hit the buffers over the last two years, has yet to make an appearance following his delayed arrival as he continued his recovery from the Achilles injury that ended his India tour. George Bailey, Australia’s chair of selectors, said that four-over spells in the IPL would be a good gradual return to action ahead of the Test matches although questions remain about whether he’ll be ready. He had an extensive bowl off his full run-up in a recent training session.

And a few more

Among the other Australians at the IPL, Jason Behrendorff has picked up eight wickets for Mumbai Indians although his economy rate has touched 10 an over. Matt Short, the BBL Player of the Tournament, hasn’t quite been able to hit his stride for Punjab Kings although a brace of 30s showed what he can produce. In a Royals outfit featuring R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa has not found a regular starting spot and has played just twice – once as the Impact player. Matthew Wade, who is with defending champions Titans, and Daniel Sams (LSG) have yet to make an appearance.

In his official communication to the franchise, Katich said he was uncomfortable staying inside the IPL bubble and away from his family

Matt Roller and Nagraj Gollapudi18-Feb-2022Simon Katich has resigned from his position as assistant coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad, after being in the position for barely two months.While there has been no word from Katich or the franchise, ESPNcricinfo can confirm that he has left his role with immediate effect. It is also learnt that in his official communication to the franchise, Katich said he was uncomfortable staying inside the IPL bubble and away from his family for such a long period.Simon Helmot, who had previously worked as the Sunrisers assistant coach, is understood be Katich’s replacement. Helmot recently won the CPL 2021 as head coach with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and was also head coach of WBBL team Melbourne Renegades, who finished second on the table and lost the Challenger in the playoffs.Related

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It was only last December that Katich was appointed as one of the assistant coaches when the franchise carried out a revamp of its coaching staff which included Tom Moody’s move from director of cricket to head coach.A report in the on Friday, however, quoted sources as saying that “Katich disagreed with the way the team was being managed and felt pre-auction plans were disregarded” in Bengaluru last weekend.Katich, formerly the assistant coach (to Jacques Kallis) at Kolkata Knight Riders and head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore, was present throughout the auction, sat alongside fellow support-staff members Moody, Brian Lara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Hemang Badani, and is understood to have resigned immediately after the auction, which ended on February 13.The former Australia international had also left Royal Challengers midway through the 2021 IPL, during the UAE leg, when Mike Hesson had to double up as head coach as well as director of cricket. The reasons for Katich’s exit from Royal Challengers was never made public.At the auction, Sunrisers spent big on Nicholas Pooran (INR 10.75 crore, USD 1.43 million), Washington Sundar (INR 8.75 crore, USD 1.16 million) and Rahul Tripathi (INR 8.5 crore, USD 1.13 million). They also splurged on Romario Shepherd (INR 7.75 crore, USD 1.03 million) and the uncapped Abhishek Sharma (INR 6.5 crore, USD 866,000).And prior to the auction, Sunrisers retained Kane Williamson, who is likely to lead the side if fit, as well as two uncapped Indians, batter Abdul Samad and tearaway quick Umran Malik.Sunrisers were also in the news during the 2021 IPL, when they first sacked David Warner as the captain and then dropped him altogether, with Warner later saying the whole thing was “a bitter pill to swallow, but I don’t think I will ever get answers and must move on”. Warner, who had led Sunrisers to the IPL title in 2016, was initially barred from sitting in the team’s dugout during games too.As for the support staff, then head coach Trevor Bayliss and assistant coach Brad Haddin left at the end of the 2021 season, paving the way for Moody to return as head coach. VVS Laxman, the team’s mentor, also left to take charge at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

After reluctantly giving up her spot as an opener, Jones is learning to thrive at No. 5

Valkerie Baynes29-Sep-2020Survival of the fittest relies on the ability to adapt, so by following the laws of nature, Amy Jones is making strides in ensuring her longevity in England’s middle order.Moved down from her preferred position as opener towards the end of the T20 World Cup in March, Jones is beginning to thrive at No. 5, as shown by her crucial half-century as England defeated West Indies for the fourth time in as many matches of their T20I series on Monday.Just as she is adapting to her new role, Jones was able to adapt the conditions of the match, producing the knock England needed after slumping to 45 for 3.Reprieved on just 2 when Lee-Ann Kirby put down a sitter at midwicket, Jones raced to a 30-ball fifty and shared a 65-run stand with Heather Knight from just 35 balls that allowed England to recover to 110 for 4 by the time Knight was caught behind off Shamilia Connell for 42.Jones finished with 55 off 37 deliveries, her first T20I half-century in England, helping her side reach 166 for 6. That was their highest total of the series so far, and proved insurmountable for West Indies, who managed only 122 for 9 in reply.”Batting in a different position than I have previously is a new challenge which I’m enjoying,” Jones said after being named player of the match. “It wasn’t my preference at the start when it was decided. I’ve always opened, it’s where I’ve seen myself.”But since doing it it’s definitely a new challenge and I am enjoying it. You have to adapt to the situation at five which makes it a bit interesting.”Amy Jones celebrates reaching her half-century•Getty Images

Jones batted at No. 6 in England’s last group match of this year’s T20 World Cup, also against West Indies. She looked far more comfortable in that match, scoring an unbeaten 23 off 13 balls, than she had for a while with scores of 23, 0 and 2 as opener in the previous three games and reaching double figures just once in four matches while opening in the tri-series against Australia and India immediately before the tournament.Batting at No. 5 throughout the current series against West Indies in Derby, she had innings of 24, 25 and 4 heading into the penultimate fixture.”That should have gone for four so I was annoyed that I picked her out,” Jones said of her second life following Kirby’s shelled catch. “But getting any chance is very helpful and I was happy to sort of cash in after that.”Jones has had the added responsibility of following the retired Sarah Taylor as wicketkeeper and her glovework has been praiseworthy, particularly standing up to the stumps. But one area Jones is keen to work on is her aerial catching after dropping three in this series.”It’s been an annoying one because I feel like I’m keeping as well as I ever have, probably better,” Jones said. “I can feel my game going up a level, felt like I’ve been really tidy, quite sharp. It’s just those skiers, I’m having a nightmare with them.”It’s a real pain. They’re always tough chances but I need to be taking them. I guess I need a more stable base, get there early and try and trust my hands from there.”I’ve had one chance before this and that was in West Indies and I dropped that so my record’s not great. The depth perception out of a black sky is always very difficult. It always feels like it’s coming right at you and then it seems to be a metre in front of me. I think it’s just about getting there early, try and make the ground early, being stable and then sort of reacting from there, which is something I’ve not mastered.”Amy Jones drops an aerial catch during the 2nd T20I against West Indies•Getty Images

Meanwhile, Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies captain, was scratching her head for answers as she looks to avoid a 5-0 series sweep.After making three changes ahead of the fourth match, with Aaliyah Alleyne, Karishma Ramharack and Shabika Gajnabi coming in for Afy Fletcher, Chinelle Henry and Shakera Selman, Taylor didn’t rule out the possibility of more.”I’m not sure what the selection is going to be like, but it’s the last game and we probably have players here who haven’t played much,” she told Sky Sports. “We still want to give players exposure but at the same time you want to keep that core group as well. You don’t want it to be all fresh faces. [I’m] not sure what it’s going to look like, but we’ll see.”I will need more reflection really, just sitting down in my room. But right now it’s pretty much around bowling and batting. We’re still bowling in good areas, but the last five overs they are still beating us.”The batting is still not coming. We’re still leaving it up to one person to get most of the runs, and we didn’t get off to a good start. Today was a perfect time for the other batters to step up, but that just wasn’t the case.”

The big-hitting batsman said KKR could gain strategically by sending him up the order and forcing opposition captains to use their best bowlers earlier

Sreshth Shah in Kolkata19-Apr-20194:18

I wouldn’t mind batting at No. 4 – Russell

Andre Russell’s devastating form in IPL 2019 has raised the question of his batting position for Kolkata Knight Riders. While he has often demolished bowling attacks at the death, experts and laymen alike have asked whether his team would be better served if Russell walks in with more overs remaining. After Knight Riders slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat, Russell added fuel to the fire by suggesting that he should have batted higher up the order, instead of walking in with an asking rate of 16.53 after Royal Challenges Bangalore had piled up 213 for 4.”Look, we were chasing 214 runs and weren’t in the best state when I went out to bat,” Russell said after the match, which Knight Riders ended up losing by only ten runs. “When Nitish (Rana) asked what I thought, I said ‘I bat one way – and that’s positive.’ (But) to go out there and chasing 14-15 per over, it’s not the best way you want to start as a batsman. I’m used to these situations, but why I say it’s a sweet and sour feeling is because we need to learn from this, as a team. We need to learn that we can get 214. And to lose by 10 runs, well, we were just two hits away.”I believe that [I should bat higher up the order],” Russell said as he put a finger to his lips, as if to suggest it was something he wanted, but couldn’t speak about. “Honestly, you have to sometimes be flexible as a team. When you look at the make-up of our team, I don’t mind going to bat at No. 4.”Knight Riders’ first two wins of the season came from near-impossible situations, driven by Russell. They chased down more than 50 runs in less than three overs on both occasions, against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab, but Russell believed those weren’t ideal scenarios in the first place. He pointed out that him batting higher up would force opposition captains to use their best bowlers earlier in the game, thereby leaving their weaker bowlers for the difficult death overs.”When I’m at the crease, Virat Kohli will bowl the best bowlers to get me out, and those best bowlers will therefore have less overs remaining in the back end,” Russell said. “So even if I score 60 off 25 balls and give the team the early pump, then the type of bowlers like Dale Steyn will have only one over to bowl at the death, or they may bowl out. So I think me going to bat early would definitely be good for KKR, but with our make-up as a team… yeah, [stopping himself], that’s a good answer.”Russell also suggested that Knight Riders had suffered against Royal Challengers due to a lack of urgency in the middle overs, which contributed to the defeat. He walked in at No.6, with the team 79 for 4 and needed 135 to win off 49 balls. Russell ended up smashing 65 off 25, adding 118 runs in eight overs alongside Rana (85* off 46), but was eventually left with too much to do as Knight Riders ended on 203 for 5.”You know when you lose cricket games like these, it’s a sweet and sour feeling,” Russell said. “I just think that a four and six could’ve got us over the line. We lost the game in the middle overs. Even though we should’ve restricted RCB for less than 200, I think the ball was in our court and we tossed the ball to their side. That’s what happened tonight.”If we batted faster in the middle period, we would definitely get the runs with even balls to spare. Well batted to Nitish, but this is something [of concern].”Knight Riders sit at sixth on the points table, having lost five of their nine games. With three away games in their last five matches, including two against a Mumbai Indians side that they haven’t beaten in five years, the road to playoff qualification has become a tough one at the business end of the tournament.

This is the Sri Lanka cricketer’s second arrest in 18 months, after having been taken into custody following a car accident in Colombo in September 2016

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Mar-2018Sri Lanka cricketer Ramith Rambukwella has been arrested on charges of assault and drunk driving on Friday night. It is alleged that the assault was made on two university students.The media wing of the Sri Lanka Police confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the arrest had been made on Nawala Road in Colombo, and that Rambukwella will be produced in the Aluthkade Magistrate court on Saturday.This is Rambukwella’s second arrest in 18 months, after having been taken into custody following a car accident – also in Colombo – in September 2016. He had also previously been involved in a bizarre incident in July 2013, when on the way back from the Caribbean with the Sri Lanka A team, he caused mild panic on a flight by attempting to open the aircraft’s cabin door at 35,000 feet. Rambukwella has a history of disciplinary problems dating back to his time with the Sri Lanka Under-19 side.Sri Lanka Cricket officials had not been fully briefed on the circumstances of Rambukwella’s latest arrest, but at least one official said that if the charges against him were true, the board would hand out its own punishment.Rambukwella played two T20Is for Sri Lanka, the most recent of which was in July 2016. He is active in domestic cricket, having played for Tamil Union in the club-based T20 tournament over the past few weeks.

Peter Nevill left the field with an injury during a BBL match for the second time in as many weeks

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2017The Melbourne Renegades’ wicketkeeper Peter Nevill was taken to the hospital after a freak incident at the Adelaide Oval where he was struck in the face by Brad Hodge’s bat. Nevill walked off the field with a suspected broken jaw.The incident occured in the 18th over of the Adelaide Strikers’ chase when Hodge pulled the first delivery from Thisara Perera to the leg side, but his bat slipped out of his hand. Nevill, standing a few yards back, was watching the ball and didn’t see the bat coming his way until its handle hit his right cheek. He tumbled to the ground immediately and was surrounded by team-mates, the two batsmen and the umpires as the medical staff of the two teams scurried on to the field. Nevill stood up after some time to leave the field with a badly swollen face and was taken to a local hospital for X-rays. Captain Aaron Finch kept wicket for the remaining 17 balls.Incidentally, Nevill had left the field with an injury last week, too, during the Renegades’ match against the Sydney Sixers, when a skidding throw from a team-mate landed at the edge of the pitch and the ball hit him in the head. He was asked to leave the field by a doctor for a concussion test and Finch had kept wicket then too. Nevill was cleared to return an over later.

Graeme Smith has confirmed that his role with the South Africa squad is on an ad-hoc basis although added that he was pondering further involvement having been asked to help

Firdose Moonda02-Jan-2016Graeme Smith has confirmed that his role with the South Africa squad is on an ad-hoc basis although added that he was pondering further involvement having been asked to helpSmith spent New Year’s Day at South Africa’s net session ahead of the second Test against England where he worked with the batsmen and Hashim Amla, South Africa’s captain, said although he wasn’t aware of the details of the agreement, he understood Smith would be with them, “for the rest of the series.” But with commentary commitments to and host broadcaster , Smith clarified that there was no official agreements as yet.”There has been a request to join up with the guys and help a little bit. I am considering it, but I had made commitments before the start of this series that it’s important to stick to,” he said during commentary on the first morning. “Obviously my heart will always be with the Proteas and I want to see them as successful as possible, if I can add value. But it’s got to work itself out, it’s not a role that’s been committed to yet.”But Smith and Amla are on the same page about what’s ailing the South African line-up and they agree that it’s lack of confidence. Both the former captain and the current one have spoken about the need for an injection of self-belief to break the streak of seven Tests without a win.”Naturally they’re a bit uncertain I would guess,” Smith said. “The challenge when you’re short of runs and confidence is that you become a very internal person. You almost go into self-preservation mode, you can spend hours in your hotel room thinking about it.”Sometimes you can get out of it by helping your teammates and share the load. I had a few chats with the guys and you can feel there’s a real hunger to be successful.”Smith also spent time with Amla discussing the challenges of leading, both with the bat and on the field. “I had quite a nice chat with Hash about his gameplans with the captaincy, and how he is managing all the new information that’s coming into his head,” he said. “We spoke a lot in Durban of just managing that space, when you’re under pressure with things coming at you from all over the park. As a batter you have to clear your head out. He’s got to find his way, his routine to get that all out of his head so he can focus on scoring runs.”

Friday’s weather changed the shape of this match, denying Durham the opportunity to bat Middlesex out of sight and instead requiring Paul Collingwood to make the right decision on when to declare

Jon Culley at Chester-le-Street25-May-2013
ScorecardJoe Denly steered Middlesex to safety•Getty Images

Friday’s awful weather changed the shape of this match, denying Durham the opportunity from a strong platform to bat Middlesex out of sight and instead requiring Paul Collingwood to make the right decision on when to declare, mindful of the last time he had needed to make a similar judgment, against Yorkshire in April, when it backfired.On that occasion, he gave Yorkshire 103 overs to chase 336 and suffered the embarrassment of watching them cross the line at a relative canter, winning by four wickets with 6.1 overs to spare, albeit after a brilliant innings of 182 by Joe Root.This time he was always likely to err on the side of caution. With Scott Borthwick batting well, scoring a half-century for the second time in the match, Collingwood was in a position to wait for his moment, but the offer to Middlesex of 304 from 51 overs would have needed another exceptional performance, from a bowler if not a batsman, to lead to anything but a draw.In the event, Durham’s bowlers gave themselves a sniff of a chance when Mark Wood and Graham Onions picked up two wickets each in a spell that reduced Middlesex from 96 for 1 to 129 for 5 but a solid, measured performance by Joe Denly, who will have to shoulder the responsibility of opening again when Chris Rogers joins up with Australia, steered his side to a draw that leaves them second in the table, a point behind new leaders Sussex. Durham climb above Yorkshire to go third.Collingwood afterwards said in one breath that he felt the decision was “spot on” but qualified the comment to the effect that “spot on” meant that such gains that the bowlers were able to make came with the security of knowing that defeat was out of the equation.”There was always a temptation to pull out a little bit sooner and give the bowlers a few more overs but we knocked off 180 in 20 overs ourselves only a few weeks ago and you don’t want to gift the opposition a win on a flat wicket,” Collingwood said.”Obviously after Yorkshire I’m going to be a little bit negative but I would be criticised for being too bold. I said after that game that I was still learning about how the wicket here behaves and it was pretty flat again.”If we had not lost so much time I’m pretty sure we would have won. But as it was we were going to have to take a huge risk to try to win the game and we did not feel it was worth the risk. Middlesex might be at the top end of the league at the end of the season and you don’t want to hand them that amount of points.”But we kept taking wickets. Graham Onions was terrific and Mark Wood bowled with a lot of aggression and skill. I was proud of the way we stuck at it.”After eight wins in 13 Championship matches since he replaced Phil Mustard as captain, Collingwood’s record generally is impressive and the effort Durham’s bowlers put in to try to force the issue reflected strong morale in the dressing room.It was a tall order for them to take 10 wickets, regardless of the task facing Middlesex. The aforementioned four wickets did, in the space of 11 overs, place uncertainty in Middlesex’s minds and encouraged Collingwood briefly at least to think a win might be possible.Wood, holding down a place at last, claimed the major breakthrough when he trapped Rogers leg before and then nipped one back to bowl Dawid Malan with a ball the batsman mistakenly felt he could leave. Onions, who has looked in good shape throughout, had Neil Dexter caught behind and John Simpson taken at second slip.At this point an hour remained, time enough for the idea of an early handshake to be dismissed and the moment for Denly to show the tenacity that has seemed to be lacking on occasions lately and see Middlesex to the close.Ultimately, Denly dug in for the best part of three hours for his unbeaten 73 and lost only one more ally when Gareth Berg was caught in a leg gully trap set by Wood.”We missed Tim Murtagh,” Rogers, the Middlesex captain, said. “We probably conceded defeat in the first session on the first day when we won the toss in conditions where it was doing a bit and we didn’t make the most of it. I think Tim would have been excellent in those conditions. as he has been all season.”Then we lost momentum in the evening session with the first two wickets going cheaply and we were up against it from that point. In the second innings it was all about getting out unscathed.”

The fast bowler Brendan Drew and the batsman Nick Kruger are among eight players who will be axed from Tasmania’s contract list for next summer

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2012The fast bowler Brendan Drew and the batsman Nick Kruger are among eight players who will be axed from Tasmania’s contract list for next summer. A fortnight ago, Drew and Kruger were playing in the Sheffield Shield final but neither man did enough to encourage the selectors to retain them on the contract list.The wicketkeeper Brady Jones, the opening batsman Jon Wells, the seamer Ben Laughlin, the batsman Ashton May, the allrounder Matthew Day and the rookie spinner Marc Simonds will also be delisted.”While we are hopeful that some of these players remain in Hobart to chase their dream of playing cricket at the highest level, Cricket Tasmania wishes those who do not all the best with their cricket futures,” Tasmania’s chairman of selectors, Michael Farrell, said.The axing of state players is expected to be significant across most states this year with Cricket Australia keen to reduce the number of players offered central deals. That will create a knock-on effect with many players who were on national contracts needing to be squeezed into state lists.While 32 players held CA contracts by the end of the summer, including seven who were upgraded due to playing enough matches for Australia, that number could be slashed to as few as 15 when the new list is revealed. Tasmania are expected to have to find room on their state list to accommodate Tim Paine and Jason Krejza, both of whom hold CA contracts that are unlikely to be renewed.