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Somerset’s slim hopes of a quarter-final berth were extinguished by a powerful Kent display

Ryan Bailey18-Jul-2014
ScorecardSam Northeast swung to good effect for Kent•Getty ImagesIt is no coincidence that Somerset’s period as a regular contender for T20 titles was underpinned by the belligerence of Marcus Trescothick up-front. Accordingly, it is hardly surprising that in a season in which their captain has struggled to find any semblance of form, his side have failed to qualify for the knock-out stages of the T20 Blast for the first time in six years.Much like the cataclysmic storm that descended on the south coast, Somerset’s hopes of staging a late charge for the quarter-finals were blown asunder, not by the weather – they were already down and out by that stage – but by a Kent side playing with far fewer inhibitions.In the end, the intervention of the weather was probably a welcome one for the visitors who had plunged to 59 for 5 in pursuit of Kent’s fifth highest total of 195 for 7 in the shortest-format. By the time the umpires ordered the floodlights to be switched off and lowered in the interest of safety, the lights had gone out on Somerset’s limp effort.As he undertook the wicketkeeping duties once again, Trescothick was in prime position to watch another peerless display from Rob Key, whose half-century was the foundation of the hosts’ innings. They are batsmen of the same generation, if not the same ilk but while Key is regarded as a more restrained operator during the twilight years of his career, he has struck a formula in the short-form that Trescothick may take notice of.Trescothick’s average of 5.50 in the T20 Blast is made even more perplexing by a masterly return to form in the Championship. True, Trescothick was unfortunate to clip Ben Harmison to short fine-leg where Daniel Bell-Drummond took a smart catch, high to his right, but it is often said you make your own luck. Key certainly did.Key played with fewer worries. His side’s interest in the competition ended on the back of a six game winless run that sabotaged a promising start and he is rarely considered as a short-form virtuoso in the same way as Trescothick. Yet, his understated approach has been as effective as anything up-front in the Blast this season.An innings that contained four sixes – all of which came from Key shuffling across his steps and utilising Canterbury’s slope towards the car park – broke the back of Somerset. He, alongside Sam Northeast, had the hosts motoring despite losing Bell-Drummond first ball of the match to Dirk Nannes. That was as good as it got for Somerset though.Lewis Gregory, playing in place of the injured Nick Compton, tamely chipped Darren Stevens to mid-on, Peter Trego was undone by one that nipped back down the hill and both James Hildreth and Chris Jones followed in equally docile fashion, for nought. Stevens finished with 4 for 17 including a double wicket maiden.His fireworks with the bat have rarely been required this campaign though. Kent’s fledging batsmen – along with Key – has given them cause for optimism and there was further evidence here that had they not been hit by injuries to their bowling resources, they could and probably should have been challenging for a quarter-final berth.As it was, playing without the pressures that a must-win game brings, they could loosen the shackles and entertain the crowd. Northeast enjoyed his fair share of luck but his stay bookended two drops – one guilt-edged chance by Colin Ingram in the slips which split his webbing – with an array of powerful blows and astute flicks. In putting on 131 with Key for the second wicket, they poured cold water on Somerset’s hopes of a revival.With a first T20 century well within his sights, Key’s dismissal was wholly atypical of what had gone before. Indeed, his lackadaisical approach led to his downfall as a lazy effort in sliding his bat into the crease saw him found wanting when Tim Groenewald exhibited his footballing skills to dislodge the bails.It mattered little, however, as the damage had already been inflicted on Somerset’s campaign and that was before the storm had arrived.

Lancashire put one foot in the Friends Life t20 quarter-final after annihilating their Roses rivals Yorkshire by eight wickets at Old Trafford.

Myles Hodgson at Old Trafford24-Jul-2013
ScorecardTom Smith got the chase off to a blistering start•Getty ImagesAn electricity failure may not have been the perfect dress rehearsal for hosting the third Investec Ashes Test in a week’s time but as omens go, an emphatic hammering of your fiercest rivals to all but secure your place in the Friends Life t20 quarter-finals was almost as good as it gets for Lancashire.Dominant throughout in front of a partisan 12,151 crowd, Lancashire will qualify for the quarter-finals if Derbyshire fail to beat Leicestershire on Friday. It was the perfect send off, almost, for the refurbished Emirates Old Trafford before it is handed over to the ECB in preparation for potentially the decisive Test in the Ashes.Yet only a week before the ground will hold 26,000 for the opening day of the Test, Lancashire suffered a 20-minute power cut at the Statham End, which wiped out electricity to the dressing rooms and two floodlights at that end of the ground, and was only resolved shortly before the start. It was perhaps fitting, given his recent form, that Jimmy Anderson should rectify the problem, although not England’s premier swing bowler, but his namesake who performs as Lancashire’s resident electrician.That problem apart, which ground officials insisted would not have delayed the start, it was a triumphant evening for Lancashire. The temporary seating area, which will hold 9,000 for the Ashes, was utilised for the first time and they delivered one of their best displays of the season to all but end Yorkshire’s slim qualification hopes and boost their own with a fourth win in their last five matches.Having won the toss and decided to bat first, presumably to ensure Lancashire had the potentially more difficult task of batting under floodlights, Yorkshire’s plan backfired spectacularly and they struggled to 124 for 8 on a sluggish pitch. Restricted to 23 for 2 at the end of the six Powerplay overs, they were unable to regain any momentum after being confronted by an electric display in the field from Lancashire.Their only partnership of note, 33 off 27 balls between Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance, had limited effectiveness because of the athleticism of Lancashire’s fielding display that frustrated their desire to show more aggression. Lyth fell to a catch at fine leg attempting to scoop Tom Smith and Ballance fell to a brilliant diving catch by Steven Croft, who ran in from the long-on boundary.Attempting to gain momentum, Yorkshire suffered two run outs in a desperate chase of runs and recorded only one boundary in their final four overs, which provided a stark contrast to Lancashire’s approach when they began their reply. From the moment Stephen Moore pulled two boundaries in the second over from Iain Wardlaw, the contest was all but over.Moore and Smith added 88 in only 7.4 overs and although Lancashire lost two wickets in Azeem Rafiq’s first over, Smith stumped as he advanced down the wicket for an aggressive 42 and Ashwell Prince brilliantly caught at cover by Lyth, any anxiety from the mainly Lancastrian crowd was brief with Moore’s unbeaten 66 off 35 balls securing victory with nine overs remaining.

Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, has asked for a chance to resume his playing career as he prepares to challenge his ICC ban handed down for spot-fixing

Andrew McGlashan and Nagraj Gollapudi06-Feb-2013Salman Butt, the former Pakistan captain, has asked for a chance to resume his playing career as he prepares to challenge his ICC ban handed down for spot-fixing during the Lord’s Test against England in 2010.Butt, who was banned for 10 years with the possibility of five suspended, and Mohammad Asif, currently serving a seven-year ban with two suspended, will appear at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, over the next two days in a last-ditch attempt to appeal against the bans.In a statement released through his lawyer on Wednesday, Butt said: “It may be easy for some people to say that a five-year ban from cricket is all right but what they don’t realise is that for a sportsman like me – this is like a lifetime ban,” he said in a statement issued by his solicitors this afternoon.”Cricket is my life and every single day that has passed has been so painful because I have not been able to play. All I want is an opportunity to get back into cricket whilst I am still young and I can still play well.”Asif’s hearing is scheduled for Thursday and Butt’s for Friday. Unlike criminal trials, CAS hearings are held in private and not open to either the public or media.Lawyers from both parties – the ICC and the player – will present arguments in front of the three-strong arbitrators panel, including the current president of CAS. Butt will be represented by Yasin Patel, a London-based barrister, who was also part of the legal team that fought his case in the UK.”We are appealing the sanctions that were imposed upon us and they should not have been so high,” Patel said. It is understood that Asif’s arguments will be similar.CAS, which was formed in 1983 to rule on a variety of disputes within sport, is widely regarded as the final point in the appeal process. It cannot reverse the UK court rulings because the criminal proceedings were under UK laws, but it does have the power to reduce or overturn the ICC sanctions as they are part of the appeal system laid down in the ICC anti-corruption code. If the outcome was an alteration to the bans it is unlikely that there would be a counter-appeal process open to the ICC. No new witnesses or evidence can be produced by the players.It is not yet clear whether the CAS will issue an instant verdict and that will depend on the arguments they have heard and if they are satisfied or if they require more time to study the case.Mohammad Amir, the third player to be caught in the sting, has decided not to appeal against the five-year ban against him. The ban does not permit the players to take part in any official match – international, domestic or club – until at least September 2015. All three players served time.Butt served seven months of a 30-month prison sentence, Asif was released from Canterbury Prison in Kent on June 3 last year after he served half of a year-long sentence while Amir spent three months in a young offenders’ institution after admitting his charge at a pre-trial hearing.

New Zealand’s record in World T20s has been disappointing, but with a promising squad coming off dominant T20 wins at home, they will be confident of their chances this time

Brydon Coverdale14-Mar-20167:08

O’Brien: Taylor’s form will be pivotal to New Zealand’s campaign

Big picture At the 50-over World Cup, New Zealand are often a bridesmaid, never the bride. Seven times they have reached the semi-finals, though not until last year did they win one and gain maid-of-honour status. But at the World T20, not since the first tournament back in 2007 have they so much as passed the group stage. Forget being a bridesmaid, New Zealand go home before the speeches even begin. It is a surprising record for a team like New Zealand, a side that generally boasts a few big hitters, some canny bowlers, and is viewed as a perpetual danger at world events. At least they enter the 2016 World T20 with some sort of form behind them, having won their past two series, against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, albeit in home conditions.This is also the start of a new era for New Zealand after the retirement of Brendon McCullum last month. He farewelled international cricket in front of a sparse crowd on the fifth day of a Test against Australia in Christchurch. The post-McCullum age begins on Tuesday, half a world away in Nagpur, where Kane Williamson will lead his country in a T20 against India. Not that New Zealand should be unprepared for change. In fact, McCullum had not played a T20 international since June last year, Williamson having led the side to six wins from their past eight matches.They have batsmen capable of quick scoring – Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Luke Ronchi and Williamson himself. They have all-round talent – Corey Anderson, Grant Elliott, Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Santner. They have quality specialist bowlers – Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan, Ish Sodhi. But the challenge is to transfer their recent form to spinning conditions against quality teams – India, Pakistan and Australia – in the group stage. New Zealand are No.4 on the ICC’s T20 rankings, and will feel they have something to prove.At the helm No one could accuse McCullum of going with the flow as captain. He instilled in his team a distinct ethos and was always trying new tactics on the field. He is a hard act to follow. Williamson might be the best batsman New Zealand will ever produce, but how will he lead? Will we see a less adventurous New Zealand? Will the spirit of the side carry on as if nothing has changed? Williamson has stood in as captain on many occasions, but this is the beginning of his own era. And he is only 25, so it could be a long one.Key Stat11That’s the number of wins New Zealand have managed in World T20 matches, from 25 games. Among ICC Full Members, only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have had fewer victories than New Zealand at the past five tournaments. Incidentally, New Zealand have a remarkable habit of tying T20 matches. There have been nine ties in the history of T20 international cricket, and New Zealand have played in five of them.Martin Guptill – with the bat – and Kane Williamson – as captain – will play decisive roles in New Zealand’s campaign•Getty ImagesLeading MenMartin GuptillOnly McCullum and Tillakaratne Dilshan have scored more T20 international runs than the 1666 Guptill has made. Notably, though, his best work has been done in bilateral series rather than at the World T20, where he has managed only 269 runs at 19.21 and has yet to score a half-century. He has the potential to dominate a tournament like this and at 29 years of age, the time is now to do so. In the absence of McCullum, New Zealand need Guptill to step up.Grant ElliottAt the World Cup last year, Elliott showed that he can rise to the occasion. When he launched Dale Steyn for a six from the penultimate ball of New Zealand’s semi-final chase against South Africa in Auckland, he lifted a giant weight off the collective shoulders of New Zealand cricket. Before that moment they had appeared in six World Cup semi-finals for six losses. How New Zealand would love Elliott to bring his big-moment mentality to the 20-over version as well.Adam MilneTrent Boult and Tim Southee might be the big names in New Zealand’s attack but in conditions that are unlikely to offer much swing or seam, Milne’s pace through the air could be key to New Zealand’s hopes of restricting their opponents. A fast bowler who can crack the 150kph mark, Milne also has recent form on his side, as New Zealand’s leading T20 international wicket-taker over the last 12 months.Burning Question How will New Zealand go without Brendon McCullum?
It is one thing to lose McCullum the captain, quite another to lose McCullum the batsman. McCullum is the all-time leading run scorer in T20 internationals, the only man with 2000 runs in the format, the only man with two centuries. He chose to depart from international cricket in what he called “the purest form of the game”, but New Zealand could really have used him in this tournament. Williamson’s class will be important to New Zealand’s hopes, but there can be no passengers among the rest of the batting order. There will be plenty of pressure on Guptill, Williamson, Taylor and their more junior colleagues to cover for the loss of one of the shortest format’s finest exponents.World T20 history If New Zealand often perform above themselves at the 50-over World Cup, you would have to say they have underachieved at the World T20. Only once have they progressed past the group stage, and that was at the very first tournament back in 2007, when they lost a semi-final to Pakistan.In their Own Words “It’s important that we adapt. We’ve been playing some good T20 cricket but at the same time you want to play smart, and over here cricket can be quite different to our conditions.”

Michael Lumb’s hundred came at a good moment for Nottinghamshire with concerns over their top-order batting

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge14-Jun-2013
ScorecardMichael Lumb’s hundred helped compensate for problems elsewhere•Getty ImagesAfter Yorkshire’s victory over Middlesex and Durham’s defeat of Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire are in danger of losing contact with the leading group and this is not the moment they would want to start feeling pressure to keep up, not least with another crisis looming at the top of their batting order.Having beaten Derbyshire once already, this is a match they would have earmarked as a win, but with less than half the allotted overs possible in the first two days and a further two hours lost on the third, it is difficult to foresee anything but a draw as the outcome, unless the captains can reach an agreement to contrive a run chase.This is the last match in which Nottinghamshire have Ed Cowan at their disposal, while Alex Hales, who has opened with the Australian since the beginning of the season, is so out of form he has been sent off to the 2nd XI in a bid to rebuild his confidence. Dismissed for 0 and 8 in the fixture with Derbyshire 2nd XI, that exercise has not started well. Riki Wessels, promoted to open in Hales’ place, retired hurt after taking a blow on the right hand, although the diagnosis is bruising rather than a break.It is just as well, then, that Michael Lumb has hit a vein of good form that promises to continue, and which he has underpinned with his second century in as many matches after making 135 against Yorkshire at Scarborough. The 33-year-old left-hander, who still has ambitions to play Test cricket, resumes on 115, having hit 17 boundaries in an innings notable for his eye for an opportunity and the crisp timing of his execution. He had an escape early in the innings, when an edge off Mark Footitt went between second and third slips, but was otherwise, for the most part, in control.”He just carried on from where he left off at Scarborough,” the Nottinghamshire assistant coach, Wayne Noon, said. “When he came to us last season he had a point to prove to one or two people about what he could do in red-ball cricket and he was our leading run-scorer. He was short of 1,000 runs, but only because he had to go off and play Twenty20.”This season, after a bit of a dodgy start, getting a pair in the first game, he has worked hard and prepared well and is seeing the benefits.”He has a presence at the crease, hits the ball straight and clean and once he gets in he is a pleasure to watch. He was up against a couple of quick bowlers today in Footitt and Turner but he has matched them, hitting them in front of square and I hope it continues tomorrow.”His was an innings Nottinghamshire needed to keep in touch in this match, let alone in any broader context. Wessels had made only 9 when he decided, after treatment on the field, that he could not continue. Cowan again played himself in only to get out disappointingly early, this time taking three fours in a row off Tim Groenewald before edging the next ball to second slip.James Taylor reached 40, he and Lumb having added 121, when he misjudged a ball from Groenewald that bowled him off an inside edge; Samit Patel had not settled by time he went to help a ball from Footitt make its way to the long leg boundary only to lift it into the hands of Shivnarine Chanderpaul.Derbyshire had earlier added 85 to their overnight position before Nottinghamshire could claim the last four wickets, with every lower order batsman bar Groenewald chipping in with runs that gained a fourth batting point comfortably and almost a fifth. Nottinghamshire are 187 behind and with more rain likely it is difficult to envisage as positive result, although both sides will be willing to look for a way.

Duncan Fletcher has said that the India players were “overconfident” on the tours to South Africa and New Zealand and ended up complicating their games, something he wants them to avoid in England

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2014Duncan Fletcher, the India coach, has said that his players were “overconfident” on the tours to South Africa and New Zealand and ended up complicating their games, something he wants them to learn from and avoid in England.India lost their last two Test series overseas by a 1-0 margin. They set South Africa a target of 458 in the first Test in Johannesburg, before the hosts held on for a thrilling draw, finishing within striking distance of the target. The second Test was claimed by South Africa, who won by 10 wickets, chasing down India’s target of 58. In New Zealand, India fell 40 runs short in the first Test and were then thwarted by New Zealand, who saved the second Test after being dismissed for 192 in the first innings.”With these young boys I felt they could have been a little overconfident when they went to South Africa and New Zealand because they had done so well in India,” Fletcher told . “As the series went, it made them realise that playing away from home is very difficult. They believe that they have learnt from those tours and so there is positivity in the camp but the overconfidence has gone. But again, until you actually go out there and play a game, you will never know if you actually have learnt.”The biggest mistake the India players committed, according to Fletcher, was making their games complicated. “The batsmen, for instance, tried to bat a little too differently than they would in India,” he said. “The only actual difference was they had to get used to a bit more bounce. Because of this bounce, when it comes to the short ball, you just have to make up your mind whether you’re going to play or leave it. In India, you can play it on a consistent basis.”For the bowlers the length changes a little; you have to bowl a bit fuller when you go overseas. And it’s not an easy thing to do, especially for a young bowler. You’ve been groomed and trained your brain to bowl a certain way and even if the difference is only 6-12 inches, it’s not easy to make the change instantly and that too under pressure.”We see experienced international players’ games altering under pressure. Now here is an inexperienced side with players who are still learning their game and they will take time to get used to the varied challenges.”India are without Zaheer Khan in England and though Ishant Sharma has played 55 Tests, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Varun Aaron have a combined 13 Tests between them, and Ishwar Pandey and Pankaj Singh are yet to debut. Fletcher said that while his pace attack was raw, it had a lot of variety.”The bowlers are pretty inexperienced. We haven’t really got anyone to lead the group and we haven’t taken 20 wickets in a Test since quite a while now. But for once we have a good variety in our pace attack. They are still pretty inexperienced but experience can also come from learning quickly, and we hope they have done that. It will be so very crucial for them as a unit to stay disciplined and not try too much. It’s just about ensuring that we get these young men’s minds right.”The BCCI had asked former India captain Rahul Dravid to spend some time with the team ahead of the series on the team management’s request. Fletcher said Dravid’s presence would help not only the batsmen, but also the bowlers, who the coach wanted to think like batsmen do.”People would think I have called him to help the batsmen,” Fletcher said. “But actually it’s as much for the bowlers. What people don’t understand is that the bowlers think like bowlers. I want Rahul to talk to them and make them think like batsmen. That way they will know what areas a batsman likes and doesn’t like, which will help them a great deal in forming their strategies. The problem is that the Indian bowlers don’t bat or practise batting when they’re playing domestic cricket. And so, while they understand their bowling, they don’t understand batting.”Rahul can play a role right through. His approach and his character is so good. I’ve really enjoyed talking cricket with Rahul. I really rated him and wanted him back in the side for some time now. We’ve had some chats since he got here and discussed various ideas and possibilities. What I also like about him is that he can relate to the players culturally. Also, if a player gets the same message from more than one person, he is going to be more convinced about it.”Dravid was India’s most successful batsman on the previous tour of England in 2011 and since then, the team has been in transition since with several experienced players retiring or being dropped. Fletcher said his coaching methods had also changed as he had to deal with young players now.”Fortunately for me, I went through a similar phase with England where the older players were left out or retired and a whole new generation of cricketers came in. The major difference is that with the older ones you just sit back and let them come to you. No matter how good and experienced one is, bad habits sometimes creep in and you’ve got to help them get rid of those small bad habits without being too overbearing.”The younger players are a bit reluctant because they don’t understand their game fully. So, you’ve got to go to them and talk to them. However, you have to make sure you send the message very clearly because otherwise they can get confused and start making their game more difficult. You keep the communication very simple and don’t make more than one change at a time, even though some players might require more than one change – technically and mentally. The key is to change only one link of the chain at a time. If you change two, you don’t know which one will confuse the player. That’s why it takes time. Cricket is not an easy game to improve at in a short time.”

Kusal Mendis has been named captain of Sri Lanka’s 15-member squad for the Under-19 World Cup, which begins next month in the UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2014Kusal Mendis has been named captain of Sri Lanka’s 15-member squad for the Under-19 World Cup, which begins next month in the UAE. Mendis captained the team during the recent ACC Under-19 Asia Cup, and scored 166 runs at an average of 41.50, including a century against Bangladesh and 52 against India.The squad contains one survivor from the 2012 Under-19 World Cup in Australia in Anuk Fernando. The left-handed allrounder played only two matches, but has since assumed an important role for the side with his left-arm seam and his batting down the order.Hashan Ramanayake, Harsha Rajapaksha and Hashan Vimarshana have replaced three members of the squad for the Asia Cup, where Sri Lanka lost to Afghanistan in their group, but recovered to make the semi-finals. They then lost to eventual champions India.The team will be coached by Naveed Nawaz, who played for one Test and three ODIs for Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka, who have been drawn in Group D alongside New Zealand, England and the hosts UAE, will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Sharjah on February 14. The team will undertake a training camp in Dambulla before leaving for the UAE.Sri Lanka Under-19 squad: Kusal Mendis (capt), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Minod Bhanuka, Hashan Dumindu, Kavindu Kulasekara, Priyamal Perera, Thilaksha Malshan Sumanasiri, Hashan Ramanayake, Binura Fernando, Anuk Fernando, Hashan Vimarshana, AK Tyronne, Lakshan Jayasinghe, Ramesh Mendis, Harsha Rajapaksha

James Hildreth batted beautifully, scoring at roughly a run a ball for his entire innings, and soothed talk of a possible Somerset relegation

David Hopps at Trent Bridge25-Sep-2013
ScorecardJames Hildreth made a timely hundred to ease Somerset’s relegation fears•Getty ImagesSometimes in late season you can become so obsessed with the intricacies of promotion and relegation – how this bonus point lost will affect this bonus point gained – that something dreamily proficient can almost pass you by. James Hildreth’s unbeaten hundred at Trent Bridge felt like that.Hildreth batted beautifully, scoring at roughly a run a ball for his entire innings, and soothed talk of a possible Somerset relegation, yet did it in a manner which made no grand statement, a west country lad protecting their Division One status in understated fashion. Like many Somerset batsmen this season, he has been short of his best, but here was a reminder of his mellifluous talent.Given a Derbyshire win 20 miles or so down the A52, the side that loses at Trent Bridge could be relegated. If that sounds unlikely now thanks to Derbyshire’s struggles, it was not the case in early afternoon. Nottinghamshire’s total of more than 400 had left them feeling comfortable. Attention was very much on Somerset.Notepads were grabbed, calculations hastily scribbled. Finally, after many crossings out, everybody concurred: Derbyshire would have to manage one more batting point than Somerset as well as beating Warwickshire. Somerset would have to lose. Given that scenario, Somerset would be relegated.Somerset were 11 for 2 in as many overs when Hildreth came to the crease – Marcus Trescothick lbw to a decent delivery from Harry Gurney, Chris Jones caught at the wicket off Luke Fletcher. They seemed destined for an afternoon of pain. Pessimistic talk abounded about how they would be relieved just to avoid the follow-on and collect a couple of batting bonus points to put Derbyshire under pressure.It is doubtful that Hildreth busied himself with working out the Division One table. He has had a largely unproductive season and, even though he has nearly 11,000 Somerset runs to his name, England have stopped looking. But in most situations he bats agreeably and then when the day is done he often slopes modestly away.Hildreth dealt with Notts’ attack in wristy fashion from the outset, reminding onlookers that his talents deserve this stage. He made his move just before tea: three boundaries in an over by Paul Franks, repeated by Nick Compton off Brett Hutton in the next over.Compton also played with certainty in a third-wicket stand that had swollen to 172 in 33 overs when bad light brought a premature end to a day restricted to 51.5 overs. Considering the unsettled weather, the odds on a draw that would automatically spare both sides from the drop are shortening – with Tony Pigott, the ECB pitch inspector, on hand to ensure there is no hint of collusion.Nobody much believes the national selector, Geoff Miller, when he says the door is not closed on Compton – it feels made of foot-thick English oak, with sentries stood above it with vats of boiling oil – but Compton is within range of 1000 Championship runs for the season nonetheless. He reached his 50 with an emphatic straight six off the left-arm spin of Samit Patel.Such meagre rewards were less than Notts must have expected after vigorous new-ball spells from Gurney and Fletcher. Charles Dickens, who liked names to give a clue to his characters would have named the Notts pace attack the other way round. Harry Gurney would have been the big, broad-beamed fast bowler, whilst Luke Fletcher would have been the slim whip of a lad. But we’re not in Dickens country – more DH Lawrence around here.As for Hildreth, in a Dickens novel, he would have been a bank clerk, unassuming , perhaps ill-treated at times, never entirely achieving the fortune he deserved, but with enough talent to ensure that his end was a happy one.

Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard took a shot at Tottenham Hotspur as he claimed that the north London side are not better than the Blues this season.

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Hazard savagely trolled TottenhamAdmitted Liverpool and Man City are better than ChelseaThe Blues are 12 points behind SpursWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues legend, while speaking to former colleague John Obi Mikel on his podcast, admitted that clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool are currently performing better than Chelsea but dismissed Tottenham Hotspur's name.

AdvertisementWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Speaking on , Hazard said, "But the Premier League is so hard. You see now, I think, Manchester City, they are better than Chelsea. You see Liverpool, they are better than Chelsea."

Obi Mikel then briefly interrupted the Belgian to bring up Tottenham's name to which he mockingly replied, "No, no, Tottenham no. They play good football, yeah but you know Tottenham. As a Chelsea legend, you can't say that man."

The Nigerian then stated, "I'm not saying they gonna win the league though. For sure, they are not going to win the league."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Since Todd Boehly took the reins from Roman Abramovich ahead of the 2022/23 season, Chelsea have seen their performance go downhill. Despite spending close to £1 billion (€1.1 billion) to set up the squad, the Blues did not see much success in the past one and a half years. After finishing 12th in the 2022/23 campaign, they currently find themselves 10 in the Premier League, 12 points behind fifth-placed Tottenham.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Mauricio Pochettino's side, who held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in the last game week, will be next seen in action in the final of the Carabao Cup against Liverpool on Sunday.

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News – Supreme Court brings in CSK conflict angle
News – Supreme Court sticks to its stand on not naming playersNovember 25
News – Staggered judgements on IPL case, says court
November 27
News – Why can’t CSK be disqualified, asks Supreme Court
December 8
News – No let-up for BCCI in Supreme Court
December 9
News – Court gives Srinivasan option between BCCI, CSK
December 15
News – Supreme Court to hear BCCI clause amendments 2015January 22
News – N Srinivasan’s election in jeopardy
News – Full text of the court order
News – The Supreme Court judgment explainer
Video – ‘BCCI may not mess with court again’
Video – ‘BCCI won’t be treated as a private body anymore’
News – Court strikes down controversial BCCI clause
News – New panel to take call on Kundra, Meiyappan
News – Srinivasan faces time squeeze
News – IPL 8 on track but franchises remain edgy
April 13
News – Board panel has 82 questions for BCCI bossesFebruary 23
News – Supreme Court ‘not happy’ with Srinivasan chairing working committee meet