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Rob Key tried to liven things up with an imaginative declaration but for Kent it still proved to be a long week in Derby

Les Smith at Derby14-May-2014
ScorecardNow how do I liven this up then? Rob Key tried but failed.•Getty ImagesRob Key, now officially in his dotage two days after his 35th birthday, showed himself to have it in him still to be a bold, imaginative and calculating captain. Well perhaps not so very bold because there was no prospect of his Kent side losing at the County Ground, but at least he made a declaration of intent to try to force a win. In the event it came to nothing, but a patient crowd appreciated seeing something resembling a competition for a couple of hours.When Sam Billings skied a crude slog to the wicketkeeper, with Kent 15 runs short of a second batting bonus point and Brendan Nash five short of a century, Key called off Kent’s innings. There were 49 overs left in the day and Kent led by 117.In the first innings they had bowled out Derbyshire for 118 in the same number of overs. Key had a cunning plan.When play began, mercifully on time, the overs count for the match was 52 bowled and 233 lost, and there appeared to be scant prospect of a positive result barring some contrivance, and the captains were unable or unwilling to agree on such a plan.Key’s day began badly. Both openers fell cheaply to catches behind the wicket by Gareth Cross. There was nothing controversial about Sam Northeast’s nick off Mark Footitt, but Key was distinctly disgruntled, in fact nigh on incredulous, when umpire Peter Willey judged that he had edged Tony Palladino.It was a morning mostly for statisticians. When Daniel Bell-Drummond inexplicably shouldered arms and lost his middle stump it gave Tim Groenewald his 250th first class wicket – 50 overs after he took his 249th.When Nash clobbered David Wainwright over mid-on for six he simultaneously brought up his 50 and took his side past Derbyshire’s total. As well his boundaries, 15 of Nash’s runs had come in 3s. After lunch, Ben Harmison and Darren Stevens both fell to outstanding catches in the outfield. When a change of gloves was sent out to Nash, for the next five overs Nash and Billings went for it.Sam Billings sacrificed his wicket and Key sacrificed sentiment when he said to Nash, sorry, no century today. Perhaps it was of some consolation to him that he passed 7000 first class runs when he entered the 90s.In Derbyshire’s first innings swing and seam had done for them, but that was not in warm sunshine on a dry pitch, which is what we had today. Stephen Moore attacked from the outset and his 55-ball half century contained ten boundaries. He proceeded to 73 and he and his fellow opener were still together when a draw was agreed at 5 o’clock. So much then for the cunning plan.Key was a disappointed but realistic man. “I thought if we could get a lead approaching 150 and give ourselves 50 overs to bowl at them, we’d have a chance. But the pitch was unbelievably flat considering it was basically two days old.” He paid tribute to Brendan Nash’s innings, and to the way in which he’s become a more assertive batsman in his two years with Kent. Asked about denying him his century, Key said: “They had nearly all their fielders out and we needed the time to have a chance.” When asked how he would be feeling on the journey down the M1 he said simply: “It’s been a long old week in Derby.”

Kent were not to be denied. As Gloucestershire added 93 for the last four wickets the crowd shouted themselves hoarse and eventually gained their satisfaction

Alan Gardner at Canterbury29-Aug-2014
ScorecardSam Billings’ 61 in 36 balls was by far the best innings of the day•Getty ImagesKent were not to be denied. As Gloucestershire added 93 for the last four wickets, nerves were stretched tight and the crowd shouted themselves hoarse. With 32 required from 23 balls, Ben Harmison could not hold a diving, one-handed catch a long-off. Benny Howell was the batsman to survive but he was bowled off the final delivery of Mitch Claydon’s over, leaving Gloucestershire nine down.When Rob Key stooped to take a catch off Craig Miles from the first ball of the 48th over, cheers rang around the ground, only for the third umpire to rule that he could not be sure it was cleanly taken. Two balls later, David Griffiths broke the bails of last man David Payne and victory was sealed.The plight of the British seaside town has been brought into focus this week by confirmation that Ukip leader Nigel Farage will stand for parliamentary election in South Thanet, the constituency adjacent to Canterbury and Whistable. It is tempting to see this decline as in some ways mirroring county cricket’s struggle for relevancy – both are pleasures from simpler times – but at the St Lawrence Ground, just a few miles from Farage’s prospective Ramsgate base, it was possible to witness something resembling hope.Kent were one-day kings during the ’70s, which was about when it was last cool to spend your holidays messing about with a bucket and spade. They have not won a lot since but reached the semi-finals of the inaugural Royal London Cup with a 24-run win. Farage was spotted at the Tunbridge Wells festival earlier this season, though it is unknown whether the association is mutual. It seems unlikely that real ale and the fight against EU bureaucracy are central to the philosophy of Jimmy Adams’ side.The whirlwind batting of Sam Billings certainly is and his rambunctious 61 made Kent’s wicketkeeper the third-highest scorer in this season’s competition. It was the most fluent innings of the night by a comfortable majority, as both sides battled on a treacle surface that did not benefit from a cloudburst before the start of play.Gloucestershire began with a flurry of boundaries from Chris Dent but, in their haste to make a statement, got ahead of themselves. With the assorted mysteries of Ben Harmison, Darren Stevens and Fabian Cowdrey – as well as the more classical merits of Adam Riley’s offspin – ranged against them, the visitors slipped to 125 for 6 at just past the halfway point of their chase.Kent handed tough semi-final

Kent’s reward for a hard-fought victory over Gloucestershire in the quarter-final of the Royal London Cup is an away tie at Warwickshire.
In a see-saw match, Kent saw off Gloucestershire by 24 runs to extend their excellent run in the Royal London Cup but they will have to overcome the form side in the country to reach their first Lord’s final since 2008.
Warwickshire have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions and will fancy their chance at Edgbaston as they seek a clean sweep of domestic titles.
The other semi-final sees Durham play host to Nottinghamshire. Durham meanly defended their total at Headingley to knock out Yorkshire while Notts hammered Derbyshire and kept their title defence alive.
Semi-finals
Warwickshire v Kent, Thursday September 4 D/N
Durham v Nottinghamshire, Saturday September 6

A stand of 53 between Will Gidman, the folk hero who is set to leave Gloucestershire for the bright lights of Nottingham next season, and Howell ensured home nerves remained taught but Griffiths followed a run of three successive wides by yorking Gidman. Without Michael Klinger, their overseas player and captain who broke an arm in last week’s final group game, this was a chase too far for the last side remaining from Group A.Billings has thrived on the return of 50-over cricket, averaging over 100 at a frankly indecent strike rate of 162.64. With a golden blond quiff and schoolboy grin, he radiates energy. Billings is from Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells, but played the sort of shots that would put creases in the locals’ freshly starched linen.His half-century came from 29 balls, with Dent’s left-arm spin twice crunched over the midwicket boundary. He was lucky not to drag the ball on to his stumps in the following over, bowled by Jack Taylor; he proceeded to launch a six like a mortar round over long-on, followed by a rubber-wristed reverse-sweep for four. Billings is packing heat, that much is clear, though England do not want for an explosive keeper-batsman right now.For both these sides, the Royal London Cup represented an opportunity to gloss another season of bobbing along in the quieter reaches of the county circuit. Kent are the only Division Two Championship side left in the competition. The prospect of a first knockout semi-final in five years and, potentially, a trip to Lord’s thereafter should add frisson to the final few weeks.Kent were without Doug Bollinger, who has returned to Australia ahead of the Champions League, and James Tredwell, on England duty. Suggestions that Tredwell has asked to be released from his contract and allowed to join Sussex, where he has been on loan for Championship cricket, were rebuffed by the club.In preparation for this match, Kent had fielded a strong XI against New Zealand A earlier in the week. They were dismissed for 67, their second-lowest score in List A cricket, to lose by 172 runs. Nevertheless, Key chose to bat on winning the toss, only to become the first of two wickets in two balls for Payne. A score of 11 for 2 in the fifth over did not augur well for the chances of Kent posting something more substantial.Key was back in the side after missing most of the campaign with a hamstring problem, replacing Daniel Bell-Drummond. After his brief return, it was left to vice-captain Sam Northeast and 21-year-old Cowdrey – the name of whose grandfather, Colin, looks down from the stands – to repair the early damage. Northeast is developing into an increasingly proficient limited-overs cricketer and played tidily for 78 but, perhaps inflamed by Billings’ bloodlust, missed a straight ball attempting an ungainly swipe as Kent lost their last six wickets for 27 runs.Will Gidman was treated disdainfully by Northeast and Cowdrey but he removed the latter when a ball stopped in the pitch, after a stand worth 106. Alex Gidman took the catch, a moment for the brothers to savour. There will not be many more.

Goal takes a look at the 20 highest-paid managers in football

France Football are set to reveal their annual lost of football's highest-paid coaches, and Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone leads the way by quite some distance.

The Argentine has led Atleti to one of the most successful spells in their history and has been well rewarded for doing so by his employers. 

Simeone earns a staggering €10 million (£8.6m/$11.2m) more than Jose Mourinho did when the Portuguese was in charge at Manchester United.

In addition, France Football unveiled the list of highest-paid players in the game, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way. 

Below, Goal takes a look at the 20 highest-paid managers in football. 

saudi arabia20Dragan Stojkovic

Club: Guangzhou R&F.

Total income: €7 million (£6m/$7.9m)

AdvertisementGetty Images19Unai Emery

Club: Arsenal.

Total income: €7 million (£6m/$7.9m)

Getty Images18Zinedine Zidane

Club: Real Madrid.

Total income: €7.5 million (£6.4m/$8.4m).

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CHRISTOF STACHE17Niko Kovac

Club: Bayern Munich.

Total income: €7.5 million (£6.4m/$8.4m).

A round-up of the Premier League Tournament matches that ended on March 22, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2014Super EightsTharindu Kaushal’s seven-wicket haul set Nondescripts Cricket Club’s innings-and-49-run win over Ragama Cricket Club in motion, placing NCC in sight of a Premier League title. A loss in the final round next week may make their top position vulnerable, but they are in a position of comfort, 10 points clear of the second-ranked team.Kaushal, the offspinner, was into the attack on the first morning, dismissing both openers cheaply, before his 7 for 79 would prevent any other batsman from crossing 40. That those figures are not even a personal best is testament to Kaushal’s promise, at 21, and though the selectors have been careful to delay his entry to international cricket until he is mature, Kaushal is making a case.Niroshan Dickwella, 20, slammed 128 from 116 balls – an innings that featured four sixes and 11 fours, as NCC scored 393 at 5.25 runs an over. Much of Dickwella’s runs were made in a breakneck 157-run third-wicket stand with Jehan Mubarak, whose 97 off 103 slightly worsened his season average, which is now 103.09. He has now hit 1120 runs in his last eight matches, making as strong a case for inclusion in a Test squad as a 33-year-old can make, in this period of manic regeneration in the top team. Legspinner Malinga Bandara took 4 for 70 for Ragama.Kaushal took three more scalps in the second innings to complete his 10-wicket haul, as Ragama succumbed for 180 in the second innings. Seamer Dushmantha Chameera took 4 for 37, hastening the end of the match on the third day.Second-placed Moors Sports Club took first-innings points in a high-scoring draw against Sinhalese Sports Club, after a 94-run last-wicket partnership between maiden centurion Kaushalya Gajasinghe and No. 11 Vimukthi Perera lifted Moors to 437. Batting at No. 7, Gajasinghe hit 109 not out, forging strong stands with the lower order after arriving at 161 for 5. Perera contributed 46 to their association, before SSC’s right-arm seamer Kasun Madushanka completed his 4 for 83.Test opener Dimuth Karunaratne struck a 75 at the top of SSC’s response, forging a 141-run partnership alongside Tharanga Paranavithana, who also crossed 70. Thilina Kandamby carried the middle order with 147, however, as many of the men around him fell cheaply. SSC finished with 400 in their first innings, as three Moors bowlers picked up two wickets each.Moors opener Oshada Fernando hit 156 and No.3 Irosh Samarasooriya scored 104 in the second innings, as the team strode to 401 for 4 before the match was called a draw.Tamil Union Cricket Club’s mediocre first-class season continued against Colombo Cricket Club, who achieved a six-wicket victory, thanks in part to chinaman bowler Lakshan Rangika’s 7 for 70 in the second innings.Tamil Union captain Jeevan Mendis made 77 after choosing to bat first, but received meagre support from the rest of the top order, who had been felled by CCC seamer Chathuranga Kumara. Kumara took the top four wickets in his first five overs, to have Tamil Union at 37 for 4. Mendis would mount a resurgence, but when he fell with the score on 161 for 8, it seemed Tamil Union would not score 200. An unbeaten 51 off 46 balls for No.10 Nisala Tharaka lifted them to 215, however.That total was easily eclipsed by CCC, whose lower-middle order clicked with a series of 50-plus partnerships. Maduka Liyanapathiranage top-scored with 81, but captain Hasantha Fernando and No. 3 Lasith Abeyratne also chipped in with half-centuries. Right-arm seamer Tharaka took four wickets.Liyanapathiranage took the first two Tamil Union wickets with his offspin, before Rangika split the innings open with a killer spell that accounted for five batsmen in ten overs. That haul meant CCC had only 107 to chase, which they did in less than 20 overs in the fourth innings, though they lost four batsmen in the process.A strong first innings with the bat and Isuru Udana’s five-wicket haul set up Ports Authority Cricket Club’s 10-wicket victory over Army Sports Club, despite an eight-wicket haul for Army offspinner Lakshan Madushanka.A 108-run opening stand between Mahela Udawatte and Gayashan Weerasekara formed the foundation for Ports Authority’s 400, with Udawatte going on to hit 97 before being dismissed by Madushanka. Udawatte also forged a century-stand with Ashan Priyanjan, who slammed three sixes in his 54-ball 57, before both fell in quick succession to Madushanka. Wicketkeeper-batsman Gayan Maneeshan then took charge of the innings, hitting 91 alongside the lower order, as No. 9 Chaminda Bandara also contributed 55.Army was timid in response, as their top order collapsed against Ports Authority’s opening bowlers. Udana had completed a five-wicket haul in the first six overs he delivered, before the other bowlers accounted for the tail. Only an unbeaten 34 for Manjula de Zoysa saw Army limp into triple figures. They eventually finished at 119, before being asked to follow on.They batted better in the second innings, keeping Udana wicketless this time, but only just managed to wipe out their 281-run deficit. Priyanjan was the unlikely destroyer for Ports Authority, taking the wickets of half-centurions Lakshitha Madushan and Lakshan Edirisinghe among his five wickets. Ports Authority were given five runs to chase for victory, which they did without losing a scalp.Plate ChampionshipPanadura Sports Club will face a relegation playoff after finishing a winless Plate Championship with a seven-wicket loss against Colts Cricket Club, in which offspinner Dilruwan Perera took 11 wickets. Panadura will play Emerging League champions Saracens Sports Club next weekend, with the winner to appear in next year’s first-class competition.Bloomfield Cricket Club won a low-scoring thriller against Badureliya Sports Club by two runs, on a seam-friendly surface. Bloomfield managed only 100 in their first innings, losing all 10 wickets to seamers inside 31 overs, but they still managed to take the narrowest of first innings leads, which would prove to be the difference between the sides. They set Badureliya 178 to win in the fourth innings, but fast bowlers Nuwan Pradeep and Vishwa Fernando shared six wickets, and Badureliya fell agonisingly short.Chilaw Marians drew with Air Force Sports Club, as Marians’ Umesh Karunaratne starred with both bat and ball. Karunatne hit 101 in the first innings, as captain Sahan Wijewardene hit 132, before taking five wickets with his offspin, helping secure first-innings points. Air Force’s Dushan Vimukthi hit the highest score of the match, with 174.

Tevin Robertson, a member of the Trinidad &Tobago Under-19 team, has died in a car crash

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2014Tevin Robertson, a member of the Trinidad &Tobago Under-19 team, has died in a car crash. Robertson, 19, was driving on a highway near Gasparillo, a town in southern Trinidad, at about 5am on Saturday, when his car crashed into a fence. He died on the spot.Robertson was a left-arm fast bowler who had played for the T&T U-19s at the regional tournament in Barbados last year. Prior to the accident, he was part of a training camp for the T&T squad.His mother, Rhea St John, told West Indies papers that he was a keen cricketer from an early age. “He had a passion for cricket,” she said. “Since he was three years old he told me he was going to play with the West Indies team and that he would build a big house for me with a swimming pool.”West Indies ODI captain Dwayne Bravo said: “I knew him as a young boy around the Trinidad & Tobago national team. He was very friendly, very polite, and had a good work ethic and it is just sad to hear he is gone. When I got the news I was stunned. He had a bright future ahead of him. He was a talented young bowler and we all had high hopes for him.”Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) president Azim Bassarath said Robertson was a “disciplined and talented young man, who had a bright future in the game”.Team manager Manohar Ramsaran also mourned Robertson’s loss. “The loss of Tevin Robertson will be felt by the local cricket community. He played an important role coming up the ranks and was called by the national selectors for trials. Tevin was a consistent performer who had a bright future ahead.”

Karnataka went through to their first Ranji final in four seasons after the last day of their semi-final against Punjab was washed out in Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Karnataka went through to their first Ranji final in four seasons after the last day of their semi-final against Punjab was washed out in Mohali. Karnataka had already taken a commanding lead by stumps on the fourth day, virtually extinguishing Punjab’s chances. A dull fifth day had been in store, with Karnataka looking to bat out time and Punjab needing a miracle, but the persistent rain wiped out any chance of play.

Sabbir Rahman and Muktar Ali are likely to earn maiden call-ups to the Bangladesh Twenty20 squad, for the two-match series against Sri Lanka from February 12

Mohammad Isam02-Feb-2014Batsman Sabbir Rahman and pace bowler Muktar Ali are likely to earn maiden call-ups to the Bangladesh Twenty20 squad, for the two-match series against Sri Lanka from February 12. These will be Bangladesh’s last matches before the World Twenty20, so the selectors will be trying out players whom they consider possible selections for the March event.Apart from the two new faces, Tamim Iqbal is expected to return to the side, while the rest of the line-up will be reordered. Shamsur Rahman will remain at the top with Tamim, but captain Mushfiqur Rahim or Shakib Al Hasan are set to come up the batting line-up. Sabbir could follow the experience duo, if the management decides to replace Naeem Islam from the last Twenty20 line-up against New Zealand.Ziaur Rahman will likely be retained in the side for his role as a big-hitter and medium pace bowler.Sabbir had a prolific last year in this format, having scored six half-centuries. His part-time leg-spin and athletic fielding could also be important factors when his name comes up for discussion among the national selectors. He first caught the eye when he hit a match-winning 33 off 18 against Afghanistan in the Asian Games final in 2010. He did well in domestic Twenty20 tournaments thereafter, playing for Duronto Rajshahi and Barisal Burners in the two BPL seasons. His ability to read a situation in T20 has been marked out as one of his strengths. But Sabbir’s strike rate still has to improve; that has often been a major problem for Bangladesh batsmen in T20s.Among the bowlers, only Shakib had figures worth mentioning in T20 internationals last year, so the selectors have to look elsewhere. Among the pace bowlers on the domestic circuit, Muktar’s lively action, variation and the fact that coach Shane Jurgensen has been quite impressed by the young pace bowler puts him in contention for a place.Mashrafe Mortaza is also likely to return, while Al-Amin Hossain’s ability to hold his own in T20s would most likely keep him in the starting line-up in the first game.Abdur Razzak will be persisted with on the spin front. In 2013, Enamul Haque jr was the top domestic T20 wicket-taker with 26 wickets. He should be among the spinners looked into, alongside Elias Sunny.The squad is likely to be named on February 3.

Misbah-ul-Haq is satisfied that Pakistan have done enough to strengthen their batting ahead of the Test series against South Africa

Firdose Moonda in Abu Dhabi13-Oct-2013Misbah-ul-Haq is satisfied that Pakistan have done enough to strengthen their batting ahead of the Test series against South Africa. After dropping Mohammad Hafeez, who failed to score more than 25 in last ten 10 Tests innings, Pakistan will have two inexperienced openers in Khurram Manzoor and one of the uncapped duo of Ahmed Shehzad or Shan Masood, but Misbah is certain the new-look top two can produce.”The conditions suit us, especially our batting. Our openers have very good records on these two grounds [Abu Dhabi and Dubai],” he said. “The team is in good shape and we will really give South Africa a hard time.”This will be the first time since 2010 in the UAE, when the venue started being used as Pakistan’s home, that they will not have a top two consisting of Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar, who were successful in these conditions. In eight Tests against South Africa (2), Sri Lanka (3) and England (3), they had three century stands, three half-century partnerships and averaged 44.87. Individually, they had one big hundred – Taufeeq’s 236 against Sri Lanka – and five half-centuries.The lack of experience of that kind could be something for Pakistan to be concerned about, especially when considered in its context. Pakistan’s younger batsmen have not performed up to expectations and have left a large amount of the work for the likes of Younis and Misbah, but the captain is backing the younger guys to come good this time.”We had a few concerns with the batting line-up but over the practice games most of the guys did well,” he said. “We have good confidence going into this Test match, especially in the batting line-up. The runs scored by the openers is a big positive for us and a good sign for our team.”Shehzad and Masood both scored half-centuries for Pakistan A against the South African attack they will face in the Test series. Although the Sharjah pitch did not offer much in the way of seam or spin, they handled South African quick bowlers with impressive patience upfront and good technique later on, and took on the spinners in a way that underlined their ability against slower bowling.The rest of Pakistan A’s line-up also profited in the practice game. Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq scored 54 and 42 respectively. In the other warm-up fixture, Younis carried on from where he left off in Zimbabwe with a century in the Pakistans game against the UAE, while Adnan Akmal scored 71 at the top – perhaps an indication he may be deployed in that capacity – and Abdur Rehman got a half-century as well. Manzoor had slightly less to feel comfortable about, after he was dismissed for 1.Misbah believed conditions which will be less hostile than what they faced in South Africa earlier this year will serve as motivation for the team to continue building on their commendable showing – given that they don’t play at home – during his time as captain. “In my time as captain, this bunch of guys has really performed well. When I took over, we were under pressure because of what happened with the spot-fixing scandal, but this team really kicked off and the young guys played really well. Keeping in mind that we are not playing at home and not playing much cricket, still this team is playing really well.”A lot of the younger generation have never played a match in Pakistan and the adjustment has been challenging for them. Misbah said they are slowly starting to see the UAE as an adopted home and getting used to thinking of it as their own. “We’ve been playing here for the last three years so it feels like playing at home,” he said. “We want to prove to the world we are still a good team.”

Mohammad Hafeez’s elbow extension went as far as 31 degrees under testing, according to an ICC report obtained by ESPNcricinfo

Umar Farooq08-Dec-2014Results of over-by-over testing from the report

First over, offspin around the wicket: Average elbow extension 28 degrees
Second over, offspin around the wicket: Average elbow extension 27 degrees
Third over, offspin over the wicket: Average elbow extension 27 degrees
Fourth over, offspin around the wicket: Average elbow extension 26 degrees

Mohammad Hafeez’s elbow extension went as far as 31 degrees under testing, according to an ICC report obtained by ESPNcricinfo.A bowler is allowed a maximum elbow extension – the extent to which he bends and straightens his elbow while delivering the ball – of 15 degrees, and the report notes that during the test conducted on November 24, every delivery Hafeez bowled was above the permissible limit.The test was conducted by five biomechanics experts, including three PhD students from the Loughborough University, in the presence of ICC representative Ben Leaver, and the coach advisor Karl Krikken. The report stated: “The bowler appeared to emulate his match-bowling action during the assessment. Between the upper-arm-horizontal and ball release, the bowler extended his elbow by well over 15 degrees during all deliveries.”The report concluded that the average range of elbow extension was 27 degrees, with a relatively small standard deviation of three degrees. His average upper-arm horizontal flex was recorded at 23 degrees, while the maximum elbow flexion was found to be between 26 and 27 degrees.According to the report, Hafeez was only tested for his stock delivery, and bowled regular offspin from both round and over the wicket. He delivered a total of 24 balls, of which three were discarded due to a wrong line and length.Hafeez, 34, had been reported for a suspect action after the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi as the umpires were concerned about the legality of four of his deliveries – 28.4 and 51.4 on day three, and 29.5 and 33.4 on day four. He had earlier run into trouble for his action during the Champions League T20, being reported by the umpires after Lahore Lions’ game against Dolphins in Bangalore.Before the tests, Hafeez had stated that he was confident he would overcome the scrutiny on his action. He, however, also emphasized that he had never viewed himself as much of a bowler, and that he was focussed on his batting in international cricket.

VRV Singh, the Punjab fast bowler, marked his return to first-class cricket after an absence of five years with a five-wicket haul against Haryana in Lahli

Devashish Fuloria28-Nov-2013VRV Singh, the Punjab fast bowler, marked his return to first-class cricket after an absence of five years with a five-wicket haul against Haryana in Lahli. He last featured in a first-class match in the 2007-08 season, taking ten wickets in North Zone’s Duleep Trophy triumph, but a series of injuries – first to the foot and the ankle, then a more serious one to the back – threatened to cut his career short.”It feels great, because that’s (playing cricket) what I wanted to do,” VRV Singh told ESPNcricinfo after the first day’s play in Lahli. “Hopefully, I can continue the performance as we go forward in the season.”During his prolonged absence from first-class cricket, VRV Singh did play a handful of domestic T20s, the last one in March 2012, almost a year after his back surgery, but then he disappeared again. On Thursday, bowling in top-flight domestic cricket for the first time in 20 months, he didn’t look like the fittest cricketer, but then as coach Bhupinder Singh Sr had said at the start of the season, he proved to be the “surprise package”. VRV Singh made the batsmen play and got rewards, bowling a spell of 16-4-38-5.”I had some issues with my back, on which I had undergone surgery in the past,” he said. “I was recovering from it and was working on my fitness. Early September, I started playing a few one-day matches in the local tournaments.”His return was carefully managed, according to Bhupinder, because the team didn’t want to rush VRV’s re-entry. He performed well in the last two matches of the inter-district tournament one month prior to the Ranji season, but Bhupinder said the team wanted to start with an attack that did well in the previous season.”There are always question marks on fitness when you don’t have much cricket behind you,” Bhupinder said. “That’s why we wanted to be very sure that the ones we take in should last the entire season. We played some practice matches and he [VRV Singh] did well, so we hoped he would last the whole season.””He is a good bowler and he is coming back from injury after three years. He bowled tight lines and it was a good performance. I am happy for him.”VRV Singh, who has played five Tests for India, said the last few years had been tough, but he was hoping to find his groove. “I was ready for the struggle, that’s what you have to do if you want to play cricket. It was just a start today and as we go forward, hopefully the rhythm, fitness and the pace will improve further.”