Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood starred with 4-33 in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 11-run IPL win at home against Rajasthan Royals, who won the toss and chose to field first Thursday (Friday AEST).
England’s Josh Hull fired up by Lions beasting and ‘gold dust’ of Anderson
Leicestershire left-armer reflects on ‘surreal’ Test debut last year, fitness work and Anderson’s advice in the nets
Josh Hull returns for Leicestershire this week, his first outing since that fast-tracked Test debut against Sri Lanka last summer. A winter “beasting” by the England Lions fitness coaches has the giant left-armer feeling stronger, with a more robust base from which to attack a potentially huge year of cricket.
Through no fault of his own, Hull was seen as the embodiment of Bazball braggadocio at the end of last season when thrown into Test cricket after just 10 first-class games as England blew their shot at a perfect summer. It was no disgrace – first-innings figures of three for 53 – but ended with a quad strain that underlined the physicality required.
Continue reading...Andrew Flintoff feels cricket coaching chance ‘saved me’ after Top Gear crash
- Former cricketer opens up on dark times during recovery
- ‘I thought my face had come off. I was frightened to death’
Andrew Flintoff has described his return to cricket as a coach over the past 18 months as “the one thing that saved me” as he struggled to come to terms with the mental and physical scars caused in a car accident during filming for the BBC’s Top Gear in December 2022.
Flintoff talks for the first time about the accident and its aftermath in a Disney+ documentary to be released on Friday. “After the accident I didn’t think I had it in me to get through,” he says.
Continue reading...‘Seen it all’: Shock at ‘bizarre’ walk-off as Cummins hints at change after slump continues
Star batsman Rohit Sharma smashed 76 and pace bowler Trent Boult claimed 4-26 as a bizarre walk-off stunned in the Mumbai Indians’ dominant win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.
Andrew Flintoff reveals anxiety after Top Gear accident: ‘I couldn’t get out of the room’
- Former England captain was injured on set in 2022 crash
- Rob Key helped encourage return to the England fold
Andrew Flintoff has spoken about his mental health following his life-changing car crash on the set of Top Gear in 2022.
In one of his first interviews since sustaining severe facial injuries in the accident, Flintoff told former the England captain and the Times’ cricket correspondent Mike Atherton of his initial reluctance to return to public life.
Continue reading...‘I still get flashbacks at night’: England legend Andrew Flintoff opens up in first interview since horrific car crash
Former England star Andrew Flintoff has revealed the extent of the mental health struggles he has endured since his horrific car crash on the set of television program Top Gear.
‘He will be missed’: Former Australian cricketer Keith Stackpole dies aged 84
Former Australian and Victorian cricketer Keith Stackpole has died aged 84 from a suspected heart attack.
KL Rahul powers Delhi towards thumping victory over Lucknow
India’s KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 57 to steer Delhi Capitals to an emphatic eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants and get his side back to winning ways in the IPL on Tuesday.
Ex-Test opener Michael Slater sentenced over domestic violence offences but released from jail
Former Australian Test opener Michael Slater has received a suspended four-year prison sentence but was released from jail after pleading guilty to a raft of domestic violence charges.
County cricket talking points: it’s tight at the top in both divisions
The usual suspects may take the big prizes come the autumn, but it’s been a spring for the underdogs
In a round short on thrills, there was a sensational fourth morning at Chelmsford, where Worcestershire’s Ethan Brookes and Essex’s Jamie Porter were both cast in the role of a hero who wasn’t quite – for different reasons.
Continue reading...Defending champs hammered as Titans batsman stars to extend ladder lead — IPL Wrap
Shubman Gill led from the front with his 55-ball 90 to help Gujarat Titans hammer the defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders by 39 runs on Monday and consolidate their top spot in the IPL.
Wisden calls World Test Championship a ‘shambles’ and makes case for reform
- WTC format ‘as if designed on the back of a fag packet’
- New 2025 edition includes tributes to Graham Thorpe
Wisden hits the shelves this week and, as well as unveiling its latest batch of award winners, it has trained its sights on the International Cricket Council. The World Test Championship, the book argues, is a “shambles masquerading as a showpiece”.
The publication of the sport’s annual bible is timely, with the future of the WTC discussed recently at ICC meetings in Zimbabwe. In typically opaque fashion, the sport’s governing body is yet to announce the outcome of the debate.
Continue reading...County cricket: Sussex v Surrey, Durham v Yorkshire and more on day four – live
- County Championship updates from around the grounds
- Get in touch! Email Tanya here or join the discussion BTL
…Worcestershire have already lost a wicket, and unfortunately for them it was Matthew Waite, a fourth wicket for Porter. The bowlers are in shirt sleeves, the keeper up the stumps, the three slips neatly arranged in height order.
Ali reports from Birmingham, where it is “pissing down”. It isn’t currently raining in Manchester, but is very soggy – think pile of newspapers accidentally left out in the rain by the newsagent. Rain too at Derby. Elsewhere, however…
Continue reading...Kohli breaks Warner’s stunning IPL record as fellow Indian veteran roars back to life – Wrap
Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 73 and Rohit Sharma struck form with 76 not out in match-winning knocks for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians in an IPL super Sunday.
County cricket: Pope and Lawrence hit centuries for Surrey against Sussex – as it happened
Attacking hundreds from Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence helped Surrey to 390 for three on the third day against Sussex, who made 435 in their first innings
A first missive: and a very happy Easter to you Tim Maitland:
“Salutations Tanya!
“I’m struggling to concentrate on the cricket at the moment. It doesn’t help that my beloved Western Bulldogs (Long story short: some disreputable caddies on the LPGA decided I needed an AFL team and I didn’t have the sense to ignore them) are playing St. Kilda right now.
“But it’s not just that.
“I’m finding it hard to get a sense of who is in form, especially with the bat. Maybe it’s because we were distracted by Tom Banton’s 371, which he’s followed with scores of 6, 0 and 5. How long a lead does a triple centurion get before his chain is yanked?
“If Surrey’s Dom Sibley adds significantly to his 40 overnight, does he hold the crown after a 66 at Essex and then 100 not out and 1055 against Hampshire? Incidentally he made 3 in his one game for Khulna Tigers in Chittagong, which is officially called Chattogram, which would be a great name for a social media platform wouldn’t it?
“Or is it Tom Haines? His 174 against Surrey in this round of matches is, weather permitting, potentially match winning and his second innings 141 set up the victory against Somerset last week.
“As for bowlers... have you got anything? [Ed – My immediate thought is Fergus O’Neill?]
“The Bulldogs, incidentally, have living legend Marcus Bontempelli aka The Bont back for the first time this season, but as I speak our 6 ft 10 in young superstar-to-be ruckman Sam Darcy has just hobbled off with an injured knee, which would be a disaster for the Doggies.”