All posts by h716a5.icu

Delhi coach KP Bhaskar has hit out strongly at the lack of a proper system in Delhi cricket – especially off the field – which is costing the team in the Ranji Trophy

Shashank Kishore in Kolkata22-Oct-2016KP Bhaskar, Delhi’s head coach, has said a systematic overhaul of Delhi cricket is needed if they are to stay competitive in the Ranji Trophy. His comments followed Delhi’s meek surrender to Karnataka inside eight sessions in Kolkata. Bhaskar, who himself had played 95-first class matches over 14 years and was a prolific run-scorer for a strong Delhi side in the ’80s, termed the current system “ineffective”.The chaos surrounding their build-up to the domestic season every year, he said, was one of the reasons why Delhi struggled. The chaos isn’t entirely of the team’s making; administrative hassles, Bhaskar said, couldn’t entirely be looked at in isolation as it impacted both age-group and senior sides competing under the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) banner.This year, the coach’s appointment was made with less than a month to go for the season, and the team didn’t get together until two days before their Ranji Trophy opener against Assam in Vadodara. A two-day practice game that was scheduled for September 26 and 27 against Uttar Pradesh was called off because the DDCA couldn’t find a ground to host the match. This even as curators and ground staff threatened a strike for unpaid wages and bonuses.”I got the team two days before the season started,” Bhaskar said, when asked about Delhi’s preparation when compared to some of the other sides which had pre-season conditioning camps and tournaments. “There was not much of mental preparation. Whatever was happening was whatever they were doing on their own, so I really don’t know. That is something which we need to work on. The system has to fall into place; we have to have more opportunities of playing exposure, and try to build a team before getting into the Ranji Trophy.”Last year, too, the team had to wait till the eve of their Ranji Trophy opener to know who the coach was. Ajay Jadeja, initially appointed head coach, didn’t travel with the team because he felt “his opinions and inputs don’t matter”. He was replaced by Vijay Dahiya. Then there was also the issue of factions within the DDCA naming three different probables lists for the Ranji Trophy. Their pre-season camp was further mired in controversy, with nobody to oversee the initial nets sessions at the Feroz Shah Kotla and no certainty over who was running the team.Expecting the players to perform without a proper system in place, Bhaskar said, was tough. Among the things that needed to change, he said, was the system of merely playing in 40-over games in the build up to the Ranji Trophy. “Look at our batting,” he said. “We don’t have three-day formats; we don’t really play in pre-season tournaments like Buchi Babu or KSCA invitational. So currently we are only finding ways to work around it.”Another aspect Bhaskar wanted looked into was the talent pool; he said it wasn’t being streamlined properly because of selection issues. “Last season, we had 45 different players playing for Delhi Under-23s. So think of it, how long it is going to take for the talented players from there to reach the Ranji Trophy?”Tomorrow, if things don’t improve, we may have 50 players playing across eight games in the Ranji Trophy. Things need to be put in place, but at least we’ve made a start now. Things are looking good. Justice Mudgal has taken the initiative [of cleaning up the DDCA mess]. Let’s hope things improve.”

Sean Ervine and Ryan McLaren scored hundreds on the third day at The Oval to help Hampshire to a commanding 582 for 9 before finally the declaration came

Will Macpherson at The Oval08-Sep-2016
ScorecardSean Ervine punches the air after reaching his century•PA PhotosIt does not take a particularly long memory to recall July 18. But Hampshire certainly can. On July 18, Surrey batted Hampshire into submission. Six-hundred-and-thirty-seven first-innings runs worth of submission. Ben Foakes, who scored a ton, admitted that Surrey’s captain Gareth Batty, who also scored a ton, carried on batting for a couple of overs after tea on day two “just to piss them off”.Here was Hampshire’s retribution. They had built a fine base on the second day, but lost Tom Alsop and Liam Dawson, both to Mark Footitt, within the third morning’s first 30 minutes. First-innings parity did not look beyond Surrey.At the other end stood Sean Ervine, who just batted. He batted his way to his third century in three matches. He batted through Hampshire’s highest sixth-wicket partnership against Surrey – 186 with Ryan McLaren, who also scored a century, his first in the Championship (this was the first time three Hampshire batsmen had reached three figures in an innings in 24 years). Then there was 65 with Lewis McManus, the impish keeper-batsman who held up Surrey at the Ageas, and 48 then 44 with the tattooed Gareths, the belligerent Berg and brutal Andrew.The declaration had felt like it might never come. Berg smote Batty for 22 in four balls to take Hampshire past 500, which felt like a convenient juncture. But no. Leading by 200; not enough. Then Berg went, caught by Batty at mid-on, to become Footitt’s sixth wicket, and the Surrey players set off with him, seemingly expecting James Vince to wave his arm. Not yet. Ervine brought up 1000 runs in a first-class season for the first time, then his 150, Hampshire’s 550, and also their highest score at The Oval, 559. When Andrew’s romp ended, Ervine appeared to start wandering in, only to see Brad Wheal bound out. Wheal had bounced out Stuart Meaker on the second morning, and he won again: a pulled six and a top-edged four finally bringing the mercy blow, 253 ahead.Ervine said that Hampshire actually declared an over earlier than planned, giving them nine overs of bowling, which Surrey survived unscathed, before stumps. But how Hampshire had enjoyed their jaunt; nine of the 11 players here were the victims at the Ageas, a game they came within minutes of saving after batting two days in sweltering heat. “It was nice,” said Ervine of getting some payback. “It was a pity we couldn’t get to the third new ball, that would have been fun.”Ervine’s was a magnificently measured innings. He had 37 when joined by McLaren, with the second new ball three overs away. McLaren’s dashing array of cuts, pulls and drives meant he soon caught Ervine (when they both had 59) and, as Hampshire’s lead grew to 100, they were going tit for tat, their scores never more than eight runs apart all the way through to their centuries in quick succession. Both were cautious when necessary – Tom Curran bowled particularly well, even if Footitt claimed the rewards – but cashed in as Surrey’s attack flagged. McLaren, one of the shrewdest overseas signings about – he balances Hampshire’s side just as Tim Bresnan does Yorkshire’s – found mid-off a ball after a beautiful straight drive took him to a raucously celebrated ton.After a stylish, steadying showing from McManus, the baton was picked up by Berg and Andrew and their focus on flaying was singular – “that was great to watch from the other end,” Ervine laughed. Ervine, hellbent on being there to the finish, credited his best year with the bat for Hampshire to a beery chat with his compatriot Murray Goodwin during pre-season. He is playing the ball later and, while there are moments of brutality, such as when Batty was thumped into the OCS Stand, he is leaving more too. He is 33, and it feels like he has been around longer, but there is life in the old dog yet. “It’s a huge thing for me,” he said of reaching 1000 runs. “I’ve come close a few times, so I’m over the moon, especially having missed a few games through injuries.”A draw would confirm Surrey’s own survival, and Rory Burns and Dom Sibley batted well to reach stumps, but Hampshire were encouraged by the bite and turn found by the single over from Liam Dawson, England spinner elect. Remarkably, victory would take Hampshire to fifth with just a home game against fellow strugglers Durham to come. Never has the gap between the divisions been wider, seldom has more been at stake.A second Great Escape, according to Ervine, after the illness of Michael Carberry, the injuries of all and sundry, and the departure of Dale Benkenstein, would “top any season I’ve ever been involved with Hampshire. Given all that’s gone on, staying up would feel like winning the Championship.”Ten Surrey wickets, it seems, would mean far more than just revenge.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has decided he does not want to keep Juventus loanee Denis Zakaria, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Which Chelsea players are leaving?

Pochettino is planning a huge overhaul of his squad this summer, with The Daily Mail reporting up to 15 out-of-favour players are set to head for the exit, including Joao Felix, who is poised to return to Atletico Madrid after his loan spell.

With six players set to return from loans elsewhere, Pochettino's squad is set to become even more bloated this summer, and the new manager will have to create some space in the squad by allowing a number of players to leave.

The aforementioned report names Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Edoaurd Mendy and Callum Hudson-Odoi as the main players expected to move on, while the situation surrounding a number of other first-team players remains unclear.

Taking to Twitter, Romano has now clarified that Zakaria will move on in the summer, with Pochettino coming to the conclusion that he is surplus to requirements. The transfer guru said:

"Mauricio Pochettino has decided also on Denis Zakaria: Swiss midfielder’s set to leave Chelsea in June, he’s not part of the plans."

"Chelsea will not trigger the buy option clause, Zakaria will return at Juventus and then will assess his options."

Should Chelsea let Denis Zakaria leave?

Chelsea bolstered their midfield options during the January transfer window, bringing in Enzo Fernandez for a British-record £106.8m fee, and they have since been linked with a number of other players, including Romeo Lavia and Manuel Ugarte.

As such, the Blues have no real need to keep hold of Zakaria, particularly considering he failed to hold down a consistent place in the starting XI, often being utilised as a substitute or benched.

The Switzerland international did manage to impress at times, being lauded as "fantastic" by members of the media for his performance against Manchester City back in January, but too often he failed to make an impact on the game.

In his most recent outing, the 26-year-old was ranked as the worst-performing player on the pitch by SofaScore, failing to win any of the four duels that he contested, and that display meant he did not make another appearance during the remainder of the campaign.

It appears to be the right call from Pochettino to let Zakaria leave, and the manager's focus should now be on bringing in a top-quality replacement.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second one-day international between Ireland and Pakistan

The Preview by Alan Gardner19-Aug-2016Match factsAugust 20, 2016
Start time 10.45am local (0945GMT)Big PictureWell, at least things can only get better for Ireland. It would be hard to go worse than a 255-run shellacking and they will be aiming to narrow the appreciable gap between the sides when the rematch gets underway with only 48 hours in which to recover their composure.Pakistan have had their difficulties against Ireland in the past but, on the back of Sharjeel Khan’s mighty hitting, they breezed to a confidence-boosting victory to start off the limited-overs leg of their tour. There is not much to be gained in the way of rankings points by beating Ireland but winning has yet to become a habit for Azhar Ali’s ODI side.Azhar did not gain any respite from his own trough of 50-over form but Pakistan appear to have a better balance to their side, with several allrounders and a blend of youth and experience. Mohammad Nawaz enjoyed his debut, with fifty and a key wicket, while a successful comeback for Umar Gul was also encouraging.It would be in Pakistan’s interests to come up against a stiffer test ahead of their five-match series against England. Ireland have stuttered through their busiest-ever home season but the incentive of a Full Member scalp remains on the table; they will certainly want to finish without chants of “Pakistan Zindabad!” ringing in their ears.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland LWLWL
Pakistan WLLLLIn the spotlightWith only one fifty in 12 innings, William Porterfield has come in for increasing scrutiny at the top of the order. The long-serving Ireland captain moved down to No. 3 for the first match against Pakistan – though he was at the crease inside the first over after Paul Stirling’s two-ball duck – and he will need to draw on a decade of experience to lift a side that has just posted its lowest total at home.Sharjeel Khan became the seventh opening partner for Azhar Ali since he was made ODI captain after the World Cup and, at a stroke, the most successful. Having scored fifty on debut in 2013, Sharjeel failed to nail down a position and spent two years out of the side. He won a recall in T20s after an impressive PSL and, having swelled his ODI average from 17.63 to 28.83 in one boundary-filled innings, has earned an extended crack.Teams newsIreland are likely to stick with most of the team that were so ignominiously manhandled the other day but Peter Chase – whose seven overs cost 70 – could make way for Craig Young.Ireland (probable) 1 Paul Stirling, 2 Ed Joyce, 3 William Porterfield (capt) 4 Niall O’Brien, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Gary Wilson, 7 Stuart Poynter (wk), 8 Andy McBrine, 9 Tim Murtagh, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Peter Chase/Craig YoungYasir Shah and Wahab Riaz were rested after their Test exertions but may want a white-ball game to tune up for the resumption of competition with England. Mohammad Amir could be in line for a break.Pakistan (probable) 1 Azhar Ali (capt), 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Babar Azam, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Imad Wasim/Yasir Shah, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Hasan AliPitch and conditionsPorterfield said the surface for the first match “wasn’t a 330-all-out pitch, but it wasn’t an 80-all-out pitch either”. It should provide something for everyone, provided the teams can get on – rain is forecast for much of the day in Dublin.Stats and trivia Pakistan’s 255-run win on Thursday was their biggest in ODIs; Ireland’s total of 82 was their second lowest Sharjeel Khan’s 61-ball hundred in the first ODI was the fourth fastest for Pakistan Niall O’Brien needs 34 runs to become the fourth Ireland player to 2000 in ODIsQuotes”It’s a tough learning curve for the younger lads coming into the team – it is a tough school coming in to bowl at the best players in theworld.”

Glasgow Rangers have confirmed that several members of their first-team squad will be departing the club upon the expiry of their respective contracts this summer.

Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield, and Allan McGregor are just a few of the players who are going to be moving on from the Light Blues ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The summer transfer window will provide Michael Beale with an opportunity to replace them but the Gers head coach could save the club millions by looking to the B-Team to find new first-team stars next season.

Robbie Ure, Ross McCausland, Arron Lyall, and Alex Lowry were all brought off the bench in the 3-1 win over Hibernian last weekend in the Scottish Premiership.

Lyall, in particular, could earn himself a regular senior role for Rangers next season after reportedly agreeing a new contract with the club.

Who is Arron Lyall?

He is a 19-year-old winger who has caught the eye with his performances for the B-Team this term and the youngster could be a dream replacement for Kent.

The current first-team attacker has played 29 matches in the Premiership in 22/23 and chipped in with three goals and eight assists from out wide. This comes after he produced two goals and eight assists in 26 outings in the competition in 21/22.

Kent has, therefore, contributed with 21 direct goal involvements in 55 appearances in the Scottish top-flight since the start of last season, which is one every 2.62 games.

Meanwhile, Lyall has scored 13 goals and provided two assists in 34 Lowland League clashes for the B-Team in the current campaign. He has also scored two goals and assisted one in five outings in the Challenge Cup and UEFA Youth League combined this term.

This means that the teenager has been directly involved in 18 goals in 39 games at youth level for the Gers – a contribution every 2.16 appearances.

These statistics indicate that the youngster has the potential to make a similar, and possibly greater, impact to the one that Kent has made in the Premiership this season if he can translate his form over to the first-team.

Lyall, who ex-boss Neil McCann dubbed "exciting", has also been rewarded for his efforts by being named the club's Academy Player of the Year and the B-Team's Players' Player of the Year.

This shows that the club and his teammates have recognised his exceptional performances and Beale has clearly taken notice of his progress as the manager handed him a debut in the win against Hibs.

He is clearly, based on the overwhelming evidence of his form for the academy and his individual honours, a promising young talent and the manager could unearth the magician as the dream heir to Kent's position on the wing in 23/24.

There is no harm in using pre-season as an opportunity for the 19-year-old to showcase his quality in a first-team environment, and it could be the perfect chance for Lyall to prove that he can make the step up to fill the void left by the Englishman.

Mitchell Starc has forecast a concerted Australian attack on Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews in the three-Test series that begins in Pallekele on Tuesday

Daniel Brettig in Pallekele23-Jul-2016Freed of ankle pain that halved the range of movement in his right foot, Mitchell Starc has forecast a concerted Australian attack on Sri Lanka’s captain Angelo Mathews in the three-Test series that begins in Pallekele on Tuesday.Following a dispiriting tour of England and amid a surfeit of injuries to Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers, Mathews is set to face a searching examination from the No. 1-ranked Australians, who have often worked diligently to undermine the authority of opposition captains by limiting their capacity to perform on the field.Starc contrasted Mathews with his opposite number Steven Smith, who has so far performed very strongly as both batsman and captain for Australia. “Look, he’s under pressure,” Starc said of Mathews in Pallekele. “He’d be under pressure after the English tour and as a captain he’ll have to go through that pressure and perform as well. And that’s something that Steve, for us, does really well.”He’s been fantastic as a captain and led from the front as well, so no doubt we’ll put a lot of pressure on Angelo to perform. He’s got to lead as captain, so he’ll be a big wicket for us along with [Dinesh] Chandimal. For their bowlers [Rangana] Herath is the most experienced one and one that we’ll try and counter.”Starc came unscathed through the ODI tri-series in West Indies in June, and found some useful new-ball rhythm during Australia’s tour match at the P Sara Oval in Colombo. He has now gotten used to the unusual experience of bowling without discomfort in his right foot, and will seek to swerve the ball through a Sri Lankan side that has lost Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan since he last bowled to them, in Australia three years ago.”It’s fantastic to not see the three big names line up against us,” Starc said. “There were a few tough moments with those experienced batsmen in the line-up. They’re obviously a bit light on [experience] in the Sri Lankan team. They are coming off a series defeat in England, but back in their home conditions, they know it best and they’ll be up for a fight.”We’ll have to be at our best, but at the same time if we can make some early inroads and expose that inexperience, we’ve definitely got a fantastic bowling line-up to go through them.”From the more pleasant vantage point of seven months after surgery, Starc outlined exactly how much his right foot had degenerated before he surrendered to the surgeon’s knife. A two-centimeter fragment of bone broke off his ankle during last year’s first Ashes Test in Cardiff, before painkilling injections were required to deaden all feeling in the foot.He carried on despite this obvious handicap until the third Test of the home series against New Zealand in November 2015, where he broke another bone in the same foot and hobbled his way to the winning runs under lights at Adelaide Oval when clearly restricted. That second injury provided the catalyst for surgery, including the removal of the aforementioned fragment, the shaving of three bone spurs from the ankle and the excision of plenty of scar tissue besides.From days when he could only flex his ankle around two centimeters, Starc now has a range of movement closer to 14 centimeters. “It feels great. Having that bone taken out has done wonders for it,” Starc said. “That movement has been fantastic, ever since I started bowling again from surgery. There has definitely been no pain there through the West Indies and through the start of this tour. It’s a fantastic result and I’m looking forward to hopefully playing a much longer period of cricket now.”No longer needing to worry about physical restrictions, Starc has concentrated on tactical and technical work with the interim bowling coach Allan Donald, with whom he also shares an IPL team.”We’ve been working with Craig [McDermott] for a number of years now. To bring in AD (Donald) with a different set of eyes and a different set of theories is nice. It’s always nice to freshen things up and see what he’s got to offer on that topic as well,” Starc said. “We all reverse the ball pretty well, it’s just about doing it more often and getting it in those right areas here in Sri Lanka where it’s going to be needed a lot more.”I will always bowl my own way and if it means bowling a few yorkers here and there which I probably normally do anyway. It’s about getting that consistency a lot of us have had through the last 12 to 18 months. Josh Hazlewood has been fantastic at that, hitting a spot and really wearing batsmen down and taking a lot of wickets. I’m trying to get back to that consistency I had before I broke down.”I was feeling really, really good through that Perth Test (against New Zealand) and even through the few overs I had in Adelaide was where I really wanted to be in Test cricket. I’m always going to attack and try to take those early wickets, and I’m happy to go for a couple of runs if I can take early wickets.”Given the likelihood of two spinners being chosen, Starc can look forward to short, sharp spells at the other end, where Smith will seek to keep his pace up at its most destructive pitch. If he can do that, the pain he once felt in his ankle will instead be felt by the batsmen.

Before Newcastle United took to the pitch against Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday night, supporters knew that ceding ground in the Premier League for a third successive match could prove detrimental to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Trepidation was in short supply from the bellowing St. James' Park home faithful, supporters turned from doubters to believers in their swathes after the exploits of the past 18 months, having cast aside the cynicism that in football is so often interlinked in negative results on the pitch.

Despite the recent defeat against Arsenal, and despite the away draw to imperilled Leeds United, the Magpies knew that victory would return and against high-flying Albion Eddie Howe's outfit produced a scintillating display of control, composure and creativity, emerging 4-1 victors and illustrating their Champions League credentials with a uniform display of steely conviction.

There were laudable performances from all angles, but it was Miguel Almiron, who didn't get on the score sheet himself, who dazzled with a dynamic performance for the ages on the right flank.

How did Miguel Almiron perform vs Brighton?

The high-octane Seagulls simply couldn't keep up for large portions of the affair, with Howe lauding his squad as "relentless" after a win which now leaves his side requiring just three more points to confirm top four.

And while Callum Wilson, Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn all etched their names onto the score sheet, it was the Paraguayan Almiron who truly stole the show, with podcaster Alex Hurst stating it was "one of the great non-goal scoring performances".

Wilson in particular caught the eye with his late surging run to make it 3-1, latching onto Almiron's through ball and clinching his 18th Premier League goal of the season, but Almiron was indeed the orchestrator.

As per Sofascore, the 29-year-old produced an impressive match rating of 7.6 and earned a late assist after playing Wilson through on goal in the closing stage of the match, but it was the expansive scope of his showing that cemented his "excellent" night on Tyneside, as he was praised by Chris Waugh.

Making four key passes and completing 89% of his total passes, Almiron's ball-playing aptitude was on full show, while his tenacity was also evident after making two tackles and interceptions apiece, winning nine of his 19 ground duels and picking up four fouls; he also succeeded with three of his five dribbles and forced a stunning save from Brighton stop-stopper Jason Steele.

Hailed for “one of the finest” displays out of possession by one analyst, the £42k-per-week star reminded English football of his prowess on Thursday night, and while he couldn't add to his 11 divisional goals this term, he has seemingly returned to top form at the optimum moment, steering his club toward Champions League nights.

Everton have had a surprise contract offer for Liverpool midfielder James Milner rejected, according to reports.

What's the latest on Milner's future?

The Premier League veteran has made 329 appearances during his time at Anfield which is more than any other club he’s played for throughout his professional career, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, he’s about to become a free agent on the market.

The Reds were reportedly looking to offer the 37-year-old a new deal but the fact that it wasn’t high on their list of priorities mean that he is keen to seek a new challenge elsewhere to a destination he’ll be needed more often, and he isn’t short of potential suitors queuing up to recruit him.

90min report that Leeds United, who are his boyhood club, and Nottingham Forest were both hoping to get him on board, but Fabrizio Romano soon put an end to their ambitions after revealing that he’s agreed a one-year deal to join Brighton and Hove Albion, but it turns out they weren’t the only side that submitted a proposal.

According to Football Insider, Everton actually made a “late move” to sign Milner but had their offer personally “rejected” by Liverpool’s long-term servant. The Toffees are believed to have tabled a “lucrative” contract in the hope of bringing him to the blue half of Merseyside, but he “turned down” the opportunity and instead chose to link up with the Seagulls. Sean Dyche is “likely” to target the free agent market for new signings as a result of Financial Fair Play rules and regulations, so this will be a transfer setback.

Is Milner's contract rejection a blow for Everton?

Everton will know that Milner would have only been a short-term signing given his age, but having been hailed a “role model” to his Liverpool teammates by Jurgen Klopp, Farhad Moshiri and Dyche will definitely have suffered a blow in missing out on securing his services.

England’s former international is naturally an aggressive player and loves to get stuck in having won 189 tackles from 193 players challenged throughout the latest stage of his career, but can also contribute to efforts in the final third having posted 221 goal involvements since bursting onto the professional scene.

The Nike-sponsored athlete, who is a versatile operator with his ability to play in 11 various positions across the pitch, also knows what it takes to be successful and compete at the highest level having secured 12 pieces of silverware so could have passed his winning mentality onto the rest of the current squad at Goodison Park, but that now won’t be the case.

India fast bowler Mohammed Shami and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha have offered positive reviews of the pink ball, two days into the first pink-ball match in India

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2016India fast bowler Mohammed Shami and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha have offered positive reviews of the pink ball, two days into the first pink-ball match in India: the Super League final at Eden Gardens between club teams Mohun Bagan and Bhowanipore. While Shami was excited by the swing on offer, Saha termed the pink Kookaburra ball’s visibility “perfect”.”It’s very bright and glows like radium,” Shami said, according to PTI, after claiming a five-for for Mohun Bagan. “With red or white balls, there was some visibility problem as it took [on] the colour of grass. Definitely I will prefer this ball, this is much better. The biggest plus point is [the swing] under lights, what else does a bowler want?”There was a bit of moisture in the afternoon, so it helped initially. But then, under lights, there was more movement undoubtedly. It’s challenging for both batsmen and bowlers.”In response to concerns raised after day one over whether the pink ball would reverse-swing, given the ball does not deteriorate much, Shami said: “[Yes] the ball retains it colour and shine. But if we can maintain the dryness, I’m sure it will reverse. It did [reverse], I noticed.”Saha agreed the ball offered the fast bowlers quite a bit, but said there should be few problems picking it up under the lights. “Every ball is swinging a bit either way, which was never the case with the red Kookaburra. [But] the visibility is perfect.”Red or white, the ball invariably lost its colour after it became old. But here there’s no such difficulty at all. The pink ball has better visibility. But batsmen will have problems if a pacer consistently bowls 140kph.”Saha had referred to the demands the pink ball makes of the batsmen after the first day as well, pointing out how they had taken guard outside the crease to counter the swing. After adding 81 for the fifth wicket with Anustup Majumdar for Mohun Bagan, he had told the : “The ball continued to swing even during the latter stages, which doesn’t happen with a red ball. [But] if you apply yourself against the pink ball and on this kind of a green wicket, you will surely get runs. That’s what Anustup did. I too could’ve got more if not for [a] false stroke.”

Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are both set to return to competitive cricket in the coming days as they continue their rehabilitation from surgery

George Dobell24-Jun-2016Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are both set to return to competitive cricket in the coming days as they continue their rehabilitation from surgery.Stokes, who was forced off the pitch during the first Investec Test against Sri Lanka in Leeds and subsequently underwent knee surgery, will play as a specialist batsman in Durham’s NatWest T20 Blast match against Yorkshire tonight. He is expected to field throughout.He was given special dispensation by the ECB to come on as a substitute fielder on the final day of Durham’s Championship game against Yorkshire on Thursday and soon took a slip catch to dismiss former England teammate Adam Lyth.He will not, though, now play club cricket this weekend. Given a choice of whether to play in the T20 on Friday or the club game on Saturday, he elected for the Durham match.Stokes has not yet returned to bowling so the ECB are reluctant to put a date on his likely return. They remain hopeful, however, that it will be in July.Wood, meanwhile, has not played since the end of October when he represented England in the Test against Pakistan in the UAE. He has, since then, undergone two bouts of ankle surgery.But he will play as a specialist batsman for Durham in the four-day match against Sri Lanka A that starts on Sunday and will work on his bowling during the intervals. He also came on as a substitute fielder on the final day of the Championship match against Yorkshire.If all goes to plan, it is hoped that Wood will make his full return in the County Championship fixture against Lancashire in Southport that starts on July 16.