Three-time Ashes winner Steven Finn has announced his immediate playing retirement aged 34 as he “admitted defeat” in a long-running battle against various injuries.
Finn took 125 wickets in 36 Tests at an average of 30.4 between 2010 and 2016 for England, but he had drifted out of contention a while ago and has played no first-class cricket since July last year.
He ended a long association with Middlesex to sign for Sussex last summer, but a setback in his attempt to recover from a long-running knee problem has seen him bring his 18-year career to a conclusion.
He said: “I have been fighting a battle with my body for the last 12 months and have admitted defeat to it.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to play cricket as my vocation since I made my debut for Middlesex in 2005. The journey hasn’t always been smooth, but I have loved it nonetheless.
“I retire with some amazing memories with England, Middlesex and Sussex, shared with fantastic people. Those will live with me forever.
“Cricket has given me a lot and I hope to give back to the game in some capacity in the future. But, for now, I’ll enjoy watching on without wondering whether my body will be able to make it through another day’s cricket.”
Finn took 129 wickets in 90 white-ball appearances for England and helped Middlesex to the County Championship title in 2016.
He became the club’s youngest first-class debutant aged 16 and made his England bow five years later during a winter tour of Bangladesh, while he was an ever-present in the 2010 Test home summer programme.
Finn was England’s leading wicket-taker after three Tests in their seminal 2010-11 Ashes triumph in Australia but was unceremoniously dropped for the Melbourne and Sydney triumphs because of his economy rate, while he featured just once when they retained the urn in the summer of 2013.
He was labelled “not selectable” by then England white-ball coach Ashley Giles a few months later back in Australia, with Finn later admitting he had been set back a couple of years by having to change his technique in 2012 because he kept knocking the bails off at the non-striker’s end with his knee in his delivery stride.
This habit led to complaints from the touring South Africa batters and the International Cricket Council stepped in, deeming it a no-ball – commonly known as ‘Finn’s Law’, with the seamer having to alter his run-up to correct the problem.
Finn returned to the set-up in the 2015 Ashes, with the series level at 1-1, and produced career-best figures of six for 79 at Edgbaston as England went on to claim a 3-2 victory.
Finn took 11 wickets in three Tests during the successful tour to South Africa in 2015-16 while he claimed 31 dismissals in eight matches to end Middlesex’s 23-year wait for the championship crown.
He made his final Test appearance in Dhaka in October 2016 as injuries went on to take their toll, with Finn sliding down the pecking order for both England and Middlesex before joining Sussex last year.
He took 21 wickets in 19 appearances for the south coast club in 2022 and finishes with a total of 947 scalps in 453 matches.
Finn added: “To have played 125 games for England, including 36 Tests, far surpassed what I dreamed of.
“I want to thank Sussex Cricket for their support over the last 12 months especially and for welcoming me wholeheartedly into the club at the beginning of last season.
“It really is a great place to play cricket and I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to play more of a part on the field since joining the club.”
Sussex head coach Paul Farbrace said: “Steven has been a fantastic bowler for Middlesex, Sussex and England.
“Over the next few weeks and months, I’m sure he will look back on his career with great pride and reflect on his huge contribution to the game.
“At this time there is huge disappointment that he can’t continue his career having worked so hard to get back to full fitness.”
CWI President congratulates St. Lucia Kings on historic maiden Republic Bank CPL title
Cricket West Indies President Dr. Kishore Shallow has extended congratulations to the Saint Lucia Kings for their remarkable achievement in securing their inaugural Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title.
In a thrilling final at the National Stadium in Providence, Guyana on Sunday, the Kings defeated the Guyana Amazon Warriors by six wickets to claim their first-ever title at the third attempt.
“The Saint Lucia Kings have etched their names in history, and I commend their performance throughout the tournament which was an exhibition of relentless hard work and unmatched determination,” Dr. Shallow said in his commendation.
“With Aaron Jones and Roston Chase playing crucial innings at a decisive moment and Faf Du Plessis’ outstanding leadership, the Kings demonstrated the resilience and skill needed to succeed. This victory also reflects the tireless efforts of Head Coach Daren Sammy, whose knowledge and belief in the team have shaped their journey to this moment,” he added.
President Shallow further extended congratulations to Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and the people of Saint Lucia, who are in the midst of a period of remarkable national pride.
“This victory comes at an exciting time for Saint Lucia, which recently celebrated the homecoming of their Olympic gold medalist and the fastest woman in the world, Julien Alfred. Prime Minister Pierre and his nation have much to celebrate, and Saint Lucia’s sporting achievements are a source of pride for the entire Caribbean.”
The CWI President noted the impact of the emerging players in the tournament and highlighted the wealth of talent the Caribbean continues to produce.
“This edition of CPL stands out with the remarkable impact of the West Indies emerging stars. It has been a historic year with a record number of appearances by Emerging Players. With over 50 appearances and some impressive performances, the talent pool in the Caribbean remains exciting and surely augurs well for the future of West Indies cricket.”
Saint Lucia Kings featured former West Indies Under 19 captain Ackeem Auguste. Other impressive emerging players in the 2024 Republic Bank CPL were Shaqkere Parris for Trinbago Knight Riders and Jewel Andrew for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons who has just been selected for the West Indies Men's ODI team to tour Sri Lanka.
Cricket West Indies remains committed to the partnership with the Caribbean Premier League which continues to play a pivotal role in the advancement of regional cricket.
Ireland salvage pride to avoid clean sweep against South Africa
Ireland avoided being on the wrong end of a series sweep with a stunning 69-run victory over South Africa in their final ODI.
South Africa won the series 2-1 but finished with a whimper as they struggled to get on the front foot against the attack-minded Irish on Monday.
Captain Paul Stirling spurred Ireland on their way to victory with his knock of 88, including 11 boundaries, before Harry Tector's enterprising 60 gave them a bigger edge.
Andrew Balbirnie (45), Curtis Campher (34) and Lorcan Tucker (26) also strengthened their grip on the encounter before Lizaad Williams found his footing for South Africa.
He finished with 4-56 after an impressive show in the death overs, which was their only positive in the field, as he helped stop Ireland at 284-9. However, the Proteas had given themselves a mountain to climb that only grew as they lost three early wickets.
Graham Hume (3-29) was the standout for Ireland, but Mark Adair (2-54) and Craig Young (3-40) also played their part, even as Jason Smith's 91 gave South Africa some hope.
Kyle Verreynne (38) and Tristan Stubbs (20) had helped steady the ship before that, but after Smith's stand was cut short, a late collapse ensured South Africa would fall short in the chase on 215 with 29 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Ireland finish on a high
Ireland pulled off a shock win in the second and final match in their T20I series against the Proteas last month, and once again ensured they would leave Abu Dhabi in high spirits.
Stirling and Balbirnie combined for their first 100-run partnership in an ODI, helping Ireland to their first-ever win over South Africa in the format.
Smith can leave with his head held high though - having been taken for a duck in his first ODI, he made a vast improvement with his 91 on Monday, getting nine fours and four sixes.
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."
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