Michael Lumb endured the frustrations of another day interrupted by squally showers to set a new career-best of 221 not out

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge15-Jun-2013
ScorecardMichael Lumb continued his rich vein of scoring to reach a new first-class best•Getty Images

In danger of being pigeon-holed as a one-day batsman, perhaps even a Twenty20 specialist, Michael Lumb’s mission when he arrived at Trent Bridge the winter before last was to leave no one in any doubt that he was a player for all forms of the game. After six centuries in red-ball cricket in a season and a half, any such doubts have surely been removed. Unbeaten on 115 overnight, Lumb endured the frustrations of another day interrupted by squally showers to set a new career-best of 221 not out before the match reached its inevitable conclusion.Setting aside the fact that he might have been out for 2 on Friday afternoon had third slip Billy Godleman not tried to take an edge heading for second slip, Lumb batted superbly, imposing himself on the Derbyshire bowling and taking the spotlight that was denied him at Scarborough last week, when his own brilliant 135 was overshadowed by a double-hundred from Yorkshire’s Andrew Gale.That had been a special moment for Lumb, back in his father’s county. This was equally good. There are not many environments more testing of a batsman’s technique than Trent Bridge yet Lumb has two doubles there now, and a 171.”I think you have to be disciplined here and I have always been disciplined in my game, playing straight and not flirting outside off stump,” Lumb said. “You learn not to drive too early in an innings, to try to score off the short stuff and to play the line. If you get a good one, you get a good one but if it does a bit it can do too much.”I had an escape early on. It was swinging as it always does here and I got a good one but fortunately there was a bit of confusion between the slips and it went down. Happily I didn’t give another chance.”Naturally, Lumb remains integral to Nottinghamshire’s one-day team and it may be that the FL20 or the YB40 are the competitions in which they are more likely to be successful this year. Yet he draws a strong sense of satisfaction from making such an impact in four-day cricket.”When I moved here there were questions about whether I could be successful in four-day cricket,” he said. “But I always knew I could and Mick Newell brought me here to do so. It is nice to prove those doubters wrong.”It was Lumb’s third hundred of a season in which he now has 693 runs at 69.30, putting him in the top three run-scorers in Division One, behind the Middlesex pair, Chris Rogers and Sam Robson. At 33 he accepts that he may not be “on the radar” in terms of aspirations to play Tests but believes Nick Compton’s example shows that runs in county cricket carry some value.”I’ve felt good all year, really,” he said. “I’ve worked hard at what I do and when it’s your time you have to cash in. I’m a bit more mature now and where in the past I might have taken form for granted I don’t now. At 33 I’m probably not on anyone’s radar but as Comptom proved, weight of runs in county cricket is important and if I can keep scoring runs for Nottinghamshire who knows what can happen.”With so much time surrendered to the weather – more than half the game, in terms of overs lost – the final day became a chase for bonus points after the captains talked but failed to find any common ground in the search for a way to a result. The cricket was absorbing enough though to keep spectators interested.The home contingent drew particular enjoyment from watching Luke Fletcher turn his nightwatchman stint into a half-century, the second of his career.Fletcher, 6ft 6ins and broadly built with it, is a popular character at Trent Bridge, where they appreciate a local lad who has earned his place in the side. Born just outside the city in down-to-earth Bulwell, Fletcher still plays club cricket in the Nottinghamshire Premier League when time permits. He has shown he can bat before, making 92 against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl in his debut season, and there was nothing swing-and-hope about this innings. Faced with a hostile spell from Mark Footitt he played solidly and straight; and when opportunities came, he took them, notably against the less-threatening Tim Groenewald, whom he hit for four boundaries in a single over.

Dinesh Chandimal will become Sri Lanka’s youngest ever ODI captain, at 23, after being handed the reins for the first two matches against South Africa in Colombo

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jul-2013

Sri Lanka squad

Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Perera, Jehan Mubarak, Rangana Herath, Sachithra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Lasith Malinga, Shaminda Eranga, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal
In Thisara Perera, Jehan Mubarak, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Perera
Out Kusal Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Jeevan Mendis

Dinesh Chandimal will become Sri Lanka’s youngest ODI captain, at 23, after being handed the reins for the first two matches against South Africa in Colombo. Regular captain Angelo Mathews was unavailable after earning a two-match suspension for an over-rate offence in the West Indies tri-nation series. Lahiru Thirimanne was named vice-captain.Middle-order batsman Jehan Mubarak earned a recall, four years after his last international appearance. Now 32, Mubarak did not show sustained aptitude at the top level in his previous stints with the national team, despite a fine domestic reputation. He hit 42 in the practice match against the South Africans on Wednesday and had been the top-scorer in Sri Lanka’s inter-provincial List A competition in January, with an average of 60 and a strike rate of 120.96. Uncapped middle-order batsman Angelo Perera was named in the 15-man squad as well, after top-scoring for his side in the warm-up match, with 46.Allrounder Thisara Perera reclaimed his place after missing the West Indies tri-series. An injury to Nuwan Kulasekara’s left ring finger, which was sustained in the Caribbean, ruled him out of the first two matches and Suranga Lakmal retained his place as Kulasekara’s replacement. Tillakaratne Dilshan is also recovering from a tear to his right medial calf muscle, but was named in the squad and is expected to be fit for the first match. Upul Tharanga, who hit a career-best 174 not out in the West Indies after being picked as Dilshan’s replacement, was also retained, at the expense of Kusal Perera, who opened for Sri Lanka in the Champions Trophy.Ajantha Mendis kept his place as well, despite having played just one match in the tri-series, but will compete with left-arm spinner Rangana Herath and offspinner Sachithra Senanayake for a place in the XI. Sri Lanka also have part-time spin options in Mubarak and Angelo Perera, but legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis was omitted, after an unconvincing run.Both matches will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium, but the squad may be changed ahead of the third ODI in Pallekele on July 26. The teams play five ODIs and three Twenty20s.

The second semi-final in Cardiff was played out among security concerns after pitch invasions and fracas outside the ground.

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2013The second semi-final in Cardiff was played out among security concerns after pitch invasions and fracas outside the ground.Protesters invaded the pitch during both innings of India’s eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. The first saw two men attempt to get onto the field; one was stopped by the security cordon but the other broke free and ran to the middle brandishing a placard.In the second innings, six more protesters invaded the field, with several running into the Sri Lankan players and one even laying hands on Kusal Perera, who backpedalled and escaped his grasp.The protests continued after the match had finished, and a fight broke out outside the ground between protesters and supporters – replicating scenes outside The Oval on Monday after Sri Lanka’s victory over Australia.South Wales Police broke up the incidents but Sri Lanka’s departure from the ground was delayed until their exit could be secured.The Sri Lankan High Commission in the UK had raised fears about such incidents and had written to Scotland Yard requesting special security measures be put in place for the Sri Lankan team.The events raise questions over the security of the Champions Trophy, which is provided by G4S, the same firm who were heavily criticised over their handling of security for the London Olympics. The firm’s chief executive, Nick Buckles, resigned in May.

Sussex all-rounder Chris Jordan became the first man to reach 50 Championship wickets for the season to maintain the impetus in their title challenge on the second day of the Division One game against Derbyshire at Hove.

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2013
ScorecardThe wickets keep coming for Chris Jordan, who became the first player to reach 50 Championship victims for the season•Getty Images

Sussex all-rounder Chris Jordan became the first man to reach 50 Championship wickets for the season to maintain the impetus in their title challenge on the second day of the Division One game against Derbyshire at Hove.Jordan reached the landmark when he had Tim Groenewald well caught by Michael Yardy at second slip to give him his third wicket of the day.Derbyshire, still looking for their first win of the season, were made to battle hard for runs, even though the ball did not swing as generously as it did on the opening day. They were bowled out for 274, conceding a first innings lead of 40 runs.At stumps Sussex had extended their lead to 51, although they did lose Chris Nash who was bowled by Groenewald just before the close.Derbyshire’s captain Wayne Madsen was the only specialist batsman to offer strong resistance, batting four minutes short of four hours for 97 but there was valuable support lower down the order from Peter Burgoyne, who scored his maiden Championship fifty in only his second match.Burgoyne, 19, went to Zimbabwe with Derbyshire’s batting coach Dave Houghton in the winter and scored two first-class hundreds and he and Madsen briefly gave the visitors a period of ascendancy.Sussex, looking for their fifth win of the season, took their first wicket of the morning when Jordan had Chesney Hughes caught behind for 16. Three overs later Steve Magoffin had Ben Slater caught behind for 16.Luke Wright, operating off a shortened run, appeared to be the least threatening of the Sussex bowlers but he put his side well on top with two quick wickets. First, he had Shivnarine Chanderpaul brilliantly caught by Jordan, low to his left at first slip, and then dismissed Richard Johnson, who played a weak shot to short cover.When Jordan had Alex Hughes – making his first-class debut – caught at short leg Derbyshire were in trouble at 103 for five.But Madsen led the recovery, first adding 36 with Tom Poynton and then 78 with
Burgoyne, who finished unbeaten on 62 from 105 balls, with eight fours and a
six. Madsen was seventh out at 217, missing out on his hundred as he was lbw to Monty Panesar, playing to leg.Groenewald was eighth out to give former Surrey man Jordan his landmark and
then Matthew Higginbottom, on his Championship debut, was bowled for nine. Ed Joyce ran out last man Mark Footitt for six but Derbyshire struck a late blow by dismissing Nash before Luke Wells and nightwatchman Lewis Hatchett saw their side through to stumps.

James Faulkner was unimpressed by England’s defensive approach and suggested the Oval crowd should have got a refund after a slow third day

Brydon Coverdale at The Oval24-Aug-2013James Faulkner has learnt the Australian art of sledging the English. Even after only four days of his Test career. Even when he hasn’t taken a Test wicket. Even at 3-0 down in an Ashes series. Not surprisingly, Faulkner is a favourite of Shane Warne, the man who captained him at the Melbourne Stars, promoted him as a Test cricketer and presented him with his baggy green on the first morning at The Oval.”The way they batted yesterday, they chose to bat that way. If you’re 3-0 up there’s no reason why you shouldn’t push and try to be 4-0 up,” Faulkner said after the washed-out fourth day at The Oval, and following a third day on which England had scored 215 in 98 overs. “That’s their choice … I know the fans get a refund for their ticket today but maybe they should’ve for yesterday.”There is no question that Faulkner was selected in part to see what he could bring to Test cricket and to assess him ahead of the home Ashes, and because it was believed that he would add some toughness to a side that had perhaps been lacking it. In the Sheffield Shield, Faulkner is a wicket-taker – he has picked up 111 in his past three seasons – but he found it tough going on day three against England, who took only 29 runs from his 12 overs but offered no real chances.”It didn’t surprise me. Any time they feel threatened they sort of go in their shell and play pretty defensive cricket. That didn’t really surprise me at all,” Faulkner said of England’s approach. “I think when they come to Australia it’s going to be played on our terms and I think they’ll be in for a hell of a challenge back home.”Whether Faulkner is part of that home series remains to be seen. Graham Gooch, as England’s batting coach, will have a major role in preparing his batsmen for the different challenges of an Ashes series in Australia, where the pitches are expected to have more bounce and carry. He said it was understandable Australia would be frustrated at the match situation but that England were comfortable with their position.”The Australian fast bowlers have bowled exceptionally in the last two or three Tests and they’ve really put our top order under pressure,” Gooch said. “Credit to them. Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle in particular have been exceptional. We’d have liked to be in a slightly different position, a more advanced position, but it didn’t happen. It’s not the end of the world. We’re not frustrated, because we’re the ones with three Test wins, they’re the ones with nil Test wins.”I don’t think any team goes out there to bat slowly. Sometimes you find the conditions a little bit easier to score than others. We certainly would’ve liked to have scored quicker. But we want to compete every ball and play tight, and we didn’t move the score along as we’d have liked. Sometimes that happens in Test cricket. Sometimes you score 300 in a day, sometimes it’s a bit harder work.”

Only 17.1 overs were possible as Northamptonshire began their penultimate match of an impressive season

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Wantage Road17-Sep-2013
ScorecardNorthamptonshire fans will get a chance to see the team parade the FLt20 trophy next week•PA Photos

Only 17.1 overs were possible as Northamptonshire began their penultimate match of an impressive season. As incumbents in the promotion spots for most of the season, the hosts are on the verge of promotion from Division Two, needing to better Essex’s result against Glamorgan by four points to return to the top flight for the first time since 2004.During the tea interval throughout this match, spectators will be invited to have their photo taken with the FLt20 trophy, which will also be taken around the streets of Northampton next Friday on an open-top bus.The plan is for the team to set off from the County Ground at 6.15pm, parade through St Giles Street before attending a civic reception in their honour at the Guildhall at 6.30pm. By then, promotion could – and should – have been wrapped up. But it could all be very tight, regardless of whether Essex manage to push them close.Northants are at New Road next week for their season closer against Worcestershire starting on Tuesday. They might be playing until 5.30pm on Friday, meaning they would have 45 minutes to complete an hour-and-a-half journey.There was one wicket to fall in the small window of play – that of Sam Northeast, who fended at an outswinger from Andrew Hall that got big on the opener at the last moment. Standing up to the stumps, David Murphy took an exceptional catch.All things considered, Kent will be happy to have nine wickets in reserve, with the ball seaming and swinging on a damp, overcast morning. After some diligent work on the ball from the Northants fielders, it began to move so dramatically that even a skilled operator like Hall was unable to tame it.A handful of his deliveries curved so much from middle stump that they ended up at second slip, jarring the tops of Murphy’s fingers on the way through. Predictably, when Hall readjusted to wide of leg-stump, the ball continued on down the leg-side, leaving Murphy sprawling to his left in vain.At 12.09pm, the rain came and settled in for the rest of the day. Play was eventually called at 4:25pm.

The hosts are in good position to topple their 0-8 record, stretching back 14 years, against Pakistan

Mohammad Isam in Khulna27-Apr-2015

Match facts

Tuesday, April 28 to May 2, 2015
Start time 1000 local (0400 GMT)1:19

Isam: Team that wins toss likely to bat first

Big picture

An 8-0 streak, stretching back 14 years, for Pakistan over Bangladesh in Test cricket is now under legitimate threat after the hosts won the ODI series 3-0 and the lone T20 in Mirpur.However, with the change to whites comes the addition of captain Misbah-ul-Haq and the veteran Younis Khan to a batting line-up that will also have the in-form Azhar Ali at No 3. The onus will be on Misbah to change the mood within the team. His exit from the ODI side has coincided with immediate losses for Pakistan, so a lot will be expected of him. Younis had a forgettable World Cup campaign, but it is not quite so easy to forget his five Test centuries in 2014.Pakistan have a few other players whose experience worked last year but lately have run into poor form. Mohammad Hafeez, who has made 34 runs in four innings on tour, will be important at the top. Asad Shafiq, who has been limited to the nets and the bench so far, and Sarfraz Ahmed, who was “rested” in an ODI, are likely to shore up the middle-order batting at Nos. 6 and 7.The seam attack will be led by Wahab Riaz, with only Junaid Khan for company, and both have been off colour in Bangladesh. Saeed Ajmal too hasn’t had a good return to international cricket. So Pakistan could prefer a second spinner who can contain like Zulfiqar Babar rather than Yasir Shah, who missed the ODIs with injury but has since been bowling in the nets. The Khulna pitch turns from any point after the third day, so Ajmal will be more influential as the match progresses.Similarly, Bangladesh will expect Shakib Al Hasan to find his rhythm in the longer format, with Jubair Hossain and Taijul Islam for assistance. Their major concern will be the pace attack, which looks thin on threat and experience. Rubel Hossain and Shahadat Hossain have been around for a number of years, but have never come of age in Test cricket.Bangladesh’s batting resources are a bit more exciting. Most of the top and middle-order are in form and greater solidity can be found if Soumya Sarkar is used well. Much, however, will depend on Tamim Iqbal at the top and Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib in the middle.

Form guide

(Last five matches, most recent first)

Bangladesh WWWLL

Pakistan LDWWW

In the spotlight

Mominul Haque has a 60-plus batting average after 12 Tests but he will face a fresh challenge after losing his place in the ODI side. His role at No. 3 will be vital, so will be the way he handles the Pakistan attack in early and late spells.Sami Aslam made an impressive ODI debut and is likely to get his first Test cap in Khulna. A compact left-hander, Aslam has a first-class average of 37.65 with five centuries.

Team news

Bangladesh are set to hand Soumya Sarkar a Test debut at No. 7. Imrul Kayes will open with Tamim Iqbal. And among the seamers, Shahadat Hossain might be picked ahead of Mohammad Shahid.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Soumya Sarkar 8 Taijul Islam, 9 Jubair Hossain, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Shahadat Hossain/ Mohammad ShahidSami Aslam is likely to pip Babar Azam for the opening position, while Haris Sohail would have to wait his chance now that Younis Khan and captain Misbah-ul-Haq are back. Pakistan are also expected to pick two pace bowlers, which leaves no place for Imran Khan. Zulfiqar Babar could play ahead of Yasir Shah.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sami Aslam, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfaraz Ahmed, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Zulfiqar Babar

Pitch and conditions

Spin has been king at the Sheikh Abu Nasir Stadium, unless someone with high pace creates enough chances. Batting will get progressively harder. There are chances of rain in the forecast for the first four days as well.

Stats and trivia

• In the last Test held in Khulna, Shakib Al Hasan became the first spinner to take to score a hundred and taken 10 wickets in the same Test.
• Among the current players, Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez (418 in five matches) have the most runs in the Bangladesh-Pakistan contest while Saeed Ajmal has taken the most wickets (9 in two matches)

Quotes

“Our expectation is to win every series. We don’t take opposition for granted or overconfident. We try to do our best and if we do that, I think we have the ability to beat any team.”

All must live in a post-Phillip Hughes world, where the protection of the head and the region around it is given far greater attention due to the unimaginable events of last summer. As a result, Chris Rogers has been ruled out of the first Test in Dominic

Daniel Brettig in Roseau02-Jun-2015Chris Rogers complained of a headache the morning after his blow to the head, but had felt worse. Peter Brukner had certainly seen worse, including when Rogers himself was struck in the back of the helmet when fielding close to the bat at the Gabba last year. Michael Clarke and Darren Lehmann want to choose their best XI, and for the past 19 matches that has included Rogers as the steady, calming presence at the top of the order.On Monday morning before training at Windsor Park, these four men debated Rogers’ availability for the first West Indies Test in Dominica. It was a lengthy and at times animated exchange, with plenty of arm waving evident from a distance. The final result had Rogers ruled out of the match due to signs of concussion after the impact from a local net bowler that momentarily stunned him on Sunday.Once upon a time, this dialogue would have gone another way. As the player protested his readiness, the coach and captain would have allowed him to continue batting in the nets and let him take his place in the side unless there was major evidence of trouble. The advice of the team doctor – or physio in earlier years – would have been just that.In the extreme case of Justin Langer, he fought through repeated blows to the helmet until 2006, when a particularly sickening hit from Makhaya Ntini in Johannesburg left him badly shaken and set him on the road to retirement within a year. Nevertheless, in the second innings Langer was physically blocked from leaving the dressing room in his batting gear by the captain Ricky Ponting and team manager Steve Bernard, as Australia stuttered through a nervy fourth innings chase.Now, however, all must live in a post-Phillip Hughes world, where the protection of the head and the region around it is given far greater attention due to the unimaginable events of last summer. Brukner, of course, had flown instantly from Melbourne to Sydney upon word of Hughes’ injury reaching him, and stood ashen-faced alongside the family as they dealt with the pain of a loss that will forever influence thinking about the dangers inherent in the game.”I think there’s probably a few players that wouldn’t have played as many Test matches as they did if that was the case long ago,” Clarke said of changing times. “But, I think there’s obviously a lot of research done by the experts in all sports. You know, it is spoken about a lot – certainly when I spent some time at home before coming here – in the AFL and in the rugby league in particular.”There’s been a lot spoken about with concussion and as hard as it is on Chris, I think credit needs to go to Peter Brukner, our team doctor. He’s an expert in this field and he believes Chris has those symptoms and it wouldn’t be smart form him to take the field. So, look, I always want to win, I always love seeing Australian cricket have success. But at the end of the day I’d rather see the health and safety of the individual come first and foremost, and in this case that’s exactly what we’re doing and I think it’s a really smart decision.”The smartness or rightness of the decision will be of only scant solace to Rogers, who finds himself out of the Test team at the outset of dual tours that have been billed well in advance as his final cricketing lap of the world. Ruled out for medical reasons is not the same as being dropped, but now the opportunity passes on to others, likely Shaun Marsh and Adam Voges, to seal their places in the Test team. Brukner said that Rogers tried to talk him around “as they do”, and Clarke placed himself in the opener’s shoes.”Oh, look, I think Chris is exactly like me,” he said. “He wants to play, as I want him to play, but he also understands and respects that there is a lot more to it than just walking back out onto the field and playing again, as I’m sure the doc would have said, if he gets hit again who knows what the consequences are, and I don’t think anybody wants to see that happen for the sake of missing one game. You know, that’s the way it is.”In some ways, it appeared as though Rogers knew he was in trouble from the moment of the ball after he was hit. He had shrugged off the blow in the nets, as is traditional, but a wild haymaker at the next delivery drew a self-recriminatory scythe at the stumps. Rogers has been so prolific for so long it can be easy to forget there is a fragility to him common to all batsmen, and whether he appreciates it or not, some time to take stock before returning in Jamaica may not be a bad thing.Meanwhile, Australia will try to go on without him in Dominica, much as West Indies will battle without their own left-handed limpet Shivnarine Chanderpaul. They will do so because they never again wish to feel the way they felt on November 25, 2014, a day that ensures no doctor’s opinion will ever be taken lightly.Asked about this episode in light of that one, Nathan Lyon conveyed its scarring by saying very little at all. “You know the answer to that,” he said. “So I don’t really need to go into that over here, sorry.” Australia never want to go back there, and so Rogers must sit out this match.

Stuart Broad has lost the England T20 captaincy to Eoin Morgan, but his limited-over ambitions remain and he retains the desire to be play in the 2019 World Cup in England

David Hopps18-May-20151:27

Stuart Broad has lost the T20 captaincy, but he is not ready to be written off just yet

Stuart Broad is concentrating on the start of an arduous Test programme involving 16 Tests in a year when New Zealand roll up for the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday – some of them presumably with flight tags still tied to their bats – but at the back of his mind will be a creeping uncertainty about his one-day future.Almost unnoticed during the official traducing of Kevin Pietersen, Broad has been replaced as England’s Twenty20 captain. That has encouraged the impression that Broad might struggle to remain a fixture in England’s one-day sides, leaving a central role in the 2019 World Cup in England a distant ambition.Strauss, England’s director of cricket, prefers to recognise the growing affinity between the 50-over and 20-over games and has therefore opted for Eoin Morgan to take charge of both formats. As for Broad, four World Cup wickets in Australia and New Zealand at 63.50 and a batting approach that has disintegrated, even extending to an admission of nightmares about being hit by a short ball, and his place is far from secure.Broad, though, has no thought of winding down and concentrating on a future – a very busy one at that – as a Test specialist. A World Cup in England matters.”I certainly want to be a part of that,” he said. “World Cups are very special, especially in your own country and I feel I have things to offer in white ball cricket still, at the age of 28. But it is such a busy year with the red ball that you can only look at that in the months to come.”It’s disappointing to lose any sort of captaincy especially an England captaincy but the way Andrew Strauss spoke to me was like how Straussy does: he was logical, he had thought out all his points and he made a lot of sense.”He potentially sees a slightly different make-up in the white ball / red ball teams and Morgs would be a good man to lead the one-day and T20 stuff forward in that, having played a lot of cricket around the world in that format.”I fully agree with him. I think Morgs, although he didn’t score the runs he would like to in the World Cup 50-over, he led the team well and he had the respect of the team in the changing room and I wish him all the best in taking that team forward.”Stuart Broad fell victim to the pantomime season on the last Ashes tour in Australia•Getty Images

For the next few months, though, it is a New Zealand Test series followed by the Ashes, with Broad already revelling in what he called “the pantomime stuff” as every Australian cricketer who gets near a microphone speculates about how England will be debilitated by the controversial exclusion of Kevin Pietersen and former Australian captains, Ian Chappell on these pages among them, wonder if Alastair Cook can possibly survive the summer as captain.”It’s what the Ashes is about – this hullabaloo,” said Broad, who had to withstand a fierce media assault on England’s last tour of Australia as retribution was taken for his butter-wouldn’t-melt failure to walk for a thick edge in the Trent Bridge Test.
“I have grown up with the pantomime of the Ashes. It’s what fans want to hear – Glenn McGrath predicting 5-0 wins, Warne naming players he wants to get out. It’s what the Australians do. I don’t know if they think it builds their confidence or whether it takes chunks out of England’s confidence.”It’s not something we comment on, it’s not in our culture particularly, but I do enjoy the pantomime. But cricket isn’t played with words is it? It’s not played in the media, it’s played on the field and we will only find out whose tactics work when those Investec Ashes are lifted at the end of the summer.”Stuart Broad was speaking in his capacity as an Investec Test cricket ambassador

Ashwell Prince, Arron Lilley and Kyle Jarvis all starred as Lancashire wrapped up a three-day win over Leicestershire at Old Trafford by an innings and 157 runs.

ECB/PA16-Jun-2015
ScorecardKyle Jarvis helped bring about a Leicestershire collapse•Getty Images

Ashwell Prince, Arron Lilley and Kyle Jarvis all starred as Lancashire wrapped up a three-day win over Leicestershire at Old Trafford by an innings and 157 runs.Prince completed a fourth century of the season during a morning session which saw Lancashire score 169 runs in 29 overs to advance their first innings from 314 for 4 to 483 all out. Prince, the veteran South African, moved from 74 not out overnight to 104 off 171 balls, while offspinner Arron Lilley’s 59 off 41 marked his second successive fifty after one against Derbyshire at Southport last month.Lilley then took three wickets in 13 balls shortly before tea as Leicestershire, faced with a first-innings deficit of 276, slumped to 90 for 6 inside 32 overs. He finished with 4 for 28 from 15 overs. The visitors were bowled out for 119 inside 49 overs as Jarvis finished with 5 for 44 from 15.4.While Prince is the country’s leading Championship run-scorer with 939 runs, Jarvis is the leading wicket-taker with 55 from nine matches, six of which the Division Two leaders have won. Here, they claimed 23 points to move to 167, and it is difficult to see how they cannot achieve an immediate return to Division One.Seventh-wicket pair Prince and Lilley shared 57 in 8.2 overs during the morning, with six of Lancashire’s first seven wickets all sharing half-century partnerships as Leicestershire toiled. Offspinner Jigar Naik claimed all of the six Lancashire wickets to fall during a 9.3-over spell which cost him 53 runs. He finished with a career best 8 for 179 from 44.3 overs, including getting Prince, Tom Bailey and Lilley all stumped.Jarvis trapped Niall O’Brien lbw and bowled Angus Robson with an in-ducker as he offered no shot, leaving the score at 47 for 2 in the 12th over. James Faulkner had Mark Cosgrove caught at deep point in the 19th with 58 on the board.Lilley then had Umar Akmal caught behind on the sweep, with the ball ricocheting up off the batsman’s boot, Ned Eckersley caught at first slip and Ben Raine caught at second slip, the latter two in the 32nd over – 90 for six. Jarvis trapped Naik lbw and bowled Taylor with successive balls in the 41st over as Leicester slipped to 107 for 8.Lilley had Andrea Agathangelou caught behind in the 48th before Jarvis got Charlie Shreck lbw in the next to wrap up the win. Leicester have now lost five of their eight matches.”That was a great week,” Lancashire cricket director and head coach Ashley Giles said. “I guess at the start of the season, you identify these two games against Leicester, with all due respect to them, as games you really want to win. We’ve done that home and away. There might be a bit of weather around tomorrow, so we stressed the importance this morning of trying to force a result today if we could. That meant batting well this morning and bowling well, and we did exactly that. All credit to the guys.”Leicestershire head coach Andrew McDonald bemoaned his side’s performance: “We were pretty poor over these last three days, in particular with the batting efforts. Collectively, in two innings just over 300 runs, we’ve got to get better and we’ve got to improve. We were never in the game, and we’ve got to get back to the drawing board. We won the toss on a nice surface, good for batting, and we threw away the opportunity to drive the game. 207 on a good wicket after winning the toss was well below par. It’s really disappointing to have this game over before the end of day three.”