Kent slip into relegation zone after being thrashed by Nottinghamshire

By Sports Desk July 28, 2023

Kent dropped into the bottom two of LV= Insurance County Championship Division One as they crashed to a heavy defeat against Nottinghamshire on Friday.

Dane Patterson took five for 41 and Brett Hutton four for 44 as Kent, set a notional target of 407, were skittled for just 85 in their second innings at Trent Bridge.

The hosts had declared on 372 for six after Will Young and Ben Slater both scored 87 and Joe Clarke a blistering 73 from 40 balls.

Bottom side Northamptonshire batted out for a draw against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

The Red Rose finally declared in their first innings with a lead of 202, having reached 544 for seven with overnight pair George Balderson and Tom Hartley unbeaten on 49 and 24 respectively.

Northamptonshire were 213 for five, with captain Luke Procter and James Sales having shared an unbroken stand of 51, when the players shook hands. Emilio Gay had top-scored with 61.

Derbyshire openers Luis Reece and Harry Came shared in a county record first-wicket stand to earn a remarkable draw against Glamorgan at Derby.

The pair put on 360 as they batted throughout the final day, with Reece hitting 201 and Came 141.

Glamorgan, who had begun the day 125 ahead and hoping to force victory, failed to take a single wicket despite trying nine bowlers.

Worcestershire are in a dominant position after three days of their game against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Joe Leach, Dillon Pennington and Adam Finch all finished with three wickets apiece as the hosts were bowled out for 301 in their first innings, to concede a deficit of 105, despite 115 from Oliver Price.

Jake Libby then top-scored with 117 and Matthew Waite added 62 as Worcestershire built up a commanding lead of 421 by reaching 316 for eight before the close.

Yorkshire’s clash with Durham at Scarborough was abandoned as a draw as play was washed out for a second successive day.

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  • McCullum: England not missing Anderson's coaching McCullum: England not missing Anderson's coaching

    Brendon McCullum does not believe England were missing James Anderson's coaching during a difficult start to the first Test against Pakistan.

    Gus Atkinson got England an early wicket, but they soon struggled as Shan Masood, whose 43-ball half-century is the second-fastest by a Pakistan skipper in Tests, and Abdullah Shafique both struck centuries.

    However, they made a strong finish to the first day, taking three wickets in the final session, with Pakistan reaching stumps on 328-4.

    Anderson, who has been acting as England's fast-bowling consultant since his retirement, was not in Multan on Monday but is set to join up with the team on day two.

    After a tough day in the field, McCullum insisted Anderson was still on hand to coach the players despite not being present, and believes this shows the impact he has already had on the side.

    "Two months ago, you guys were saying that he didn't deserve to be a coach just yet," McCullum told Sky Sports.

    "Now, it's like, 'We're missing him' - and I think that's a great affirmation of how good an impact Jimmy Anderson has made in a short period of time.

    "He's got [WhatsApp] groups set up with the bowlers and is always feeding information through Jeetan Patel. We live in a world where you can still communicate without being face-to-face… I don't have any qualms whatsoever.

    "I'm absolutely delighted for him that he gets the opportunity to do something he loves doing and when he gets here, he'll be right in the thick of it as he has done as bowling coach since he came in."

    Masood and Shafique added a 253-run partnership for the second wicket but fell softly to Atkinson and Jack Leach before Chris Woakes had Babar Azam lbw as England gave themselves some hope in the closing stages.

    Assistant coach Jeetan Patel, who was working with the fast bowlers in Anderson's absence, was particularly proud of how they kept pushing despite the heat.

    "I couldn't commend them any more," Patel said. "I think the toil they put in today was high-end: the way they tried different things to take wickets, the different fields they had, the way they fielded.

    "To take those three wickets tonight was a testament to the work they'd done in the first two sessions. We're pretty happy with how it's ended up, with them four down."

  • Faf du Plessis delighted as St Lucia Kings claim maiden CPL title Faf du Plessis delighted as St Lucia Kings claim maiden CPL title

    St Lucia Kings captain Faf du Plessis expressed his delight after leading his team to their maiden Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title on Sunday night, overcoming the defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors in a thrilling final. Chasing a target of 139, the Kings were in a precarious position at 51-4, but a crucial 88-run partnership between Aaron Jones and Roston Chase guided the Darren Sammy-coached franchise to a memorable six-wicket victory at the Providence Stadium.

    The Kings’ captain, visibly elated after securing the long-awaited title, emphasized the significance of the win for the franchise. “This franchise has been looking to get that trophy for a long time. Against this opposition, in front of a big crowd—there's no bigger place to play a final,” du Plessis said, acknowledging the challenging nature of the contest. “I would have liked it a bit easier, to be honest!”

    Du Plessis praised the Kings’ bowling unit for their disciplined performance, which restricted the Warriors to 138-8. He highlighted the importance of a positive mindset when chasing what was initially thought to be a competitive total. “I was very happy with the bowling. It was a decent decision [at the toss]. We were very positive to get that score. In our minds, we wanted to play very positively.”

     The match turned dramatically in the 16th over of the Kings' chase, when Aaron Jones unleashed a ferocious onslaught, smashing 27 runs off Moeen Ali’s over to swing the momentum in his team's favor. Jones, who had been under pressure early in his innings, finished unbeaten on 48 off 31 balls, while Chase played a vital supporting role with 39 from 22 deliveries. Du Plessis lauded the composure shown by both batters under pressure.

     “For Jones and Chase to absorb the pressure was incredible,” du Plessis said. “If you look throughout the competition, there are no superstars here. Just two or three overs made a really big difference. The ball starts to get wet, and that changed things for us.”

     Guyana Amazon Warriors captain Imran Tahir reflected on his team’s defeat, admitting that their struggles with the bat cost them the chance to defend their title. “We didn't start well with the bat. We knew dew was going to come... Tough luck today. I also want to congratulate St Lucia Kings,” Tahir said. “If we batted better, we could have had 170 or 180. That is a good score on this pitch, especially with the spinners we have. Just one over took it away.”

     Tahir praised Romario Shepherd for his late innings contributions with the bat, but rued the missed opportunities by the middle order. “We were putting pressure on them. It could be one more dismissal, and you never know,” he added.

     Meanwhile, Noor Ahmad was named Player of the Tournament after his impressive performances throughout the season, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 22 scalps. Reflecting on the Kings' victory, Ahmad said, “It's quite a special day for us, and for St Lucia. Everyone tried to give their best. We had good planning, and that's what gave us success.”

     Roston Chase, who was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance, expressed his joy at finally winning a CPL title after losing two previous finals. “It's a great feeling. I made two finals and lost... I told Aaron [Jones] that we needed a big over, and luckily we got it,” Chase said, highlighting the pivotal moment in the match when the Kings took control of the game.

     The victory marks a historic moment for the St Lucia Kings, who finally lifted their first CPL trophy after years of close calls. The team, led by du Plessis and guided by head coach Daren Sammy, showcased resilience and skill, etching their name into CPL history in front of a packed Providence crowd.

     

     

     

  • Late wickets give England hope after difficult start to Pakistan Test Late wickets give England hope after difficult start to Pakistan Test

    Three wickets in the final session kept England within reach on day one of the first Test against Pakistan, for whom Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood struck centuries in an impressive start.

    The hosts reached stumps at 328/4 in Multan, but things could have been worse for England on a day that started with both teams keen to bat on a pristine surface. 

    Masood won the toss and elected to bat, and it was his excellent knock of 155 off 177 deliveries – his first Test ton in four years – that helped to put them in a commanding position at 261/1 soon after tea.

    England actually made a fast start as Gus Atkinson – playing in his first overseas Test – had Saim Ayub (4) caught behind by Jamie Smith, but if the tourists thought they had an early breakthrough, those thoughts were soon dispelled. 

    Shafique put a poor run of form behind him with his watchful century, hitting 102 runs off 188 deliveries as Pakistan batted out the best part of two sessions without further loss.

    He then fell victim to Atkinson in the 60th over of the day, playing a tired shot straight to England's stand-in captain Ollie Pope at cover, and within three more overs, Jack Leach had the wicket the tourists desperately craved.

    Fatigue also looked to play a part as Masood tamely chipped Leach's delivery straight back to the bowler, bringing an end to his magnificent innings.

    It was then time for Chris Woakes, who – like the rest of England's attack – had bowled expensively early on, to get in on the act.

    He pinned Babar Azam lbw for 30, with a Pakistan review in vain as England gave themselves a chance to attack the middle order on Tuesday, the hosts only adding four more runs before stumps.

    Data Debrief: Pakistan's progress slows

    Pakistan knew they needed early runs to put Brendon McCullum's high-scoring tourists on the back foot, and early runs are exactly what they got.

    Captain Masood led from the front, with his 43-ball half-century being the second-fastest by a Pakistan skipper in Tests, as he bids to halt the team's five-match losing run with him at the helm.

    But things became steadier for Masood and his team-mates as the day went on. Pakistan's run rate stood at 4.88 by lunch, 4.48 by tea and 3.81 by stumps. England will hope they have weathered the storm and can go on the attack on day two.

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