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Barely 24 hours after Yorkshire’s chairman Colin Graves announced his plans for world domination the Championship celebrations are not going awfully well

David Hopps at Headingley24-Sep-2014
ScorecardNick Compton’s hundred put Somerset in a strong position•Getty ImagesBarely 24 hours after Yorkshire’s chairman Colin Graves announced his plans for world domination – perhaps that is paraphrasing a bit, but you get the general idea – the Championship celebrations are not going awfully well. Rather than do the decent thing and surrender before Yorkshire’s might, Somerset have been stirred into one of their best displays of the season. They might even ensure the champions finish with a poke in the eye.Dominate English cricket for the next ten years was actually the target that Graves has given his coaching staff – and why not, as recently the impression is that their production line of England cricketers is substantially more impressive than the attempts made in certain other counties who Shall Remain Nameless.Nevertheless, Somerset played the role of party poopers with skill. With the Championship already secured, presumably Yorkshire intend to begin world domination next April. Over the first two days, their ambitions have faded and curled like the leaves that are already beginning to fall prematurely on the roads to Headingley.Such was the clatter of wickets around the country as the final round of the Championship season began with autumn officially upon us that Yorkshire’s below-par first innings went unremarked upon. Realisation dawned, however, as conditions eased further and, by the close of the second day, Somerset’s lead was 66 with seven second-innings wickets remaining.Yorkshire’s coach, Jason Gillespie, had sought to maintain his side’s focus ahead of this match by listing the statistical achievements that were still in their grasp, chief among them being the lure of a record points score in Division One if they made Somerset their ninth victims of an impressive season.But the statistics that flashed on the scoreboard 19 balls from the close of the second day were those of Nick Compton: 156 from 232 balls with 23 fours and a six. Around 16 months ago, Compton’s nine-Test career ended on this ground when he entered a strange, strokeless trance against New Zealand. England, fearing a disturbing effect on their captain Alastair Cook, and somewhat suspicious of his dressing room individuality, dropped him.The irony of his latest replacement being Sam Robson, who had even fewer shots, was apparent to some. Compton seethed, protested, responded and became demoralised, as much as he tried not to be. Until today, by his standards, he has had a pretty ordinary season. His Test career is over. But as he shared successive century stands with first Marcus Trescothick, who passed 66 in making 1,000 Championship runs for the season, and then Tom Abell, Headingley saw his more expansive range. On days like this he plays with true stature.Compton’s previous best score of the campaign was exactly 100 against Durham and his composure at the crease was such that it left one wondering why he has not achieved much more. Against the quicks, he stood as guardsman erect as if he was one of the Duke of Wellington’s ablest lieutenants. Yorkshire’s attack was committed enough, but as the sun bathed down upon north Leeds, the Headingley crowd had to pretend that they were perfectly content with the way their celebrations were going.Trescothick was assisted by a dropped chance at third slip by Joe Root when he was 28, and as his innings progressed he discovered, unusually, that Compton was bounding ahead of him. The shock eventually was too much and a gentle dab in Root’s first over fell to Lyth at slip. Root immediately withdrew himself from the attack.Root’s experience as a Yorkshire captain has explored the extremes. Middlesex murdered a supposedly safe declaration at Lord’s; Nottinghamshire capitulated as Root stood in for Andrew Gale at Trent Bridge for the victory that brought the title.As Abell, a product of Taunton, only 20 and with a few weeks of first-class cricket behind him, joined Compton in a stand of serene domination – 154 in 43 overs – and Yorkshire felt the end of the season upon them, Root must have feared a repeat of the former.They say Root will captain England, and they are probably right, but nobody can create miracles to order. Even when they said that about Mike Brearley, it was part miracle, part paper talk. Reclining patiently, beginning to twig that world domination was not going to plan, the cognoscenti faked that they were not overly concerned. If they thought “tek him off” as Yorkshire’s bowlers flagged in the final session, they never shouted it. That a touch of reality had crept in, however, could not be denied.

The league's two top goal-scorers feature in Goal's best XI for the 2020-21 campaign, which saw Chelsea retain their title

Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal dominate Goal's Women's Super League team of the season after once again locking out the top three spots in the league, all clinching Women's Champions League football for next season as a result.

The Blues clinched the title for a second successive year, their fourth title overall, while City came second for the fifth time in six years – the only exception being the 2016 season, when they won the division.

Manchester United, who topped the table at Christmas but just missed out on the European spots in the end, are the only other club represented in this XI, telling of the 15-point gap between the top four and the rest of the league.

GettyGK | Ellie Roebuck

Only Ann-Katrin Berger kept more clean sheets this campaign than Man City's Ellie Roebuck, the 21-year-old having another excellent year after also making Goal's 2019-20 team of the season.

That Golden Glove award would have likely been shared too, had Roebuck not missed the final day of the season through injury.

She has a strong defence in front of her to help, but a save percentage of 68% – the fourth highest of any goalkeeper playing more than 10 WSL games – shows the England international more than plays her part, too.

“The sky's the limit for Ellie," head coach Gareth Taylor said earlier this season. “She’s a great girl to work with, really mature for her age, enjoys the challenge and gets the bit between her teeth."

AdvertisementGettyRB | Ona Batlle

After signing from Levante in the summer, Ona Batlle has quickly endeared herself to Manchester United fans this season with performances that typify the modern day full-back.

As well as being an excellent attacking threat, playing at times in an inverted full-back role that sees her really get at teams in the final third, the Spaniard has shown just what a brilliant one-v-one defender she can be.

Despite playing for a team that are one of the strongest in the league, she is among the top five when it comes to tackles won this year. At 21 years old, she will only get better, too.

GettyCB | Magdalena Eriksson

To understand how good Magdalena Eriksson is, and how important she is to her team, one only has to look at how Chelsea have performed without her this season.

The Blues' captain is the leader of this title-winning side and whole team looks more assured when she is on the pitch, such is her status as one of the best centre-backs in Europe and, arguably, the best in the WSL.

That Emma Hayes touted her as a future Chelsea manager earlier this season tells you everything you need to know about her character and footballing intelligence.

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GettyCB | Alex Greenwood

When Alex Greenwood returned to the WSL in the summer, most expected her to renew a competition for places that she is familiar with when playing for England, battling with Demi Stokes for the starting left-back spot at City.

As the season transpired, Greenwood instead spent most of it as a centre-back – and she has thrived, having the best individual season of her career to date.

Her composure in possession has been essential for the way City play, while her set-piece deliveries have been problematic for every team in the league. Arsenal's Katie McCabe was the only defender to create more chances all season.

Neymar is only one goal away from becoming the most prolific Brazilian scorer outright in Champions League history as he is currently tied at the top

Mike Hewitt10Willian – 17 goals, 64 appearances

Chelsea star Willian has been amassing Champions League goals for the last decade. His first arrived in his second season playing in the competition for Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, a strike in a 5-0 thrashing of Basel at home, with 16 goals following since then.

Curiously, in the season he saw the most European football at this level, the 2013-14 campaign with Chelsea and his first at Stamford Bridge, he failed to score a single goal. Indeed, it took him until his 16th outing with the Blues to net, but since opening his account against Schalke he has barely stopped.

The 2015-16 season was his most successful on a personal basis, as he scored five in eight outings.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Hulk – 17 goals, 50 appearances

Now playing for Shanghai SIPG, Brazil international forward Hulk spent the best years of his career as one of Europe’s most enigmatic strikers in spells with Porto and Zenit St Petersburg, during which time he amassed 17 Champions League goals.

Noted for his sheer physical strength, the 32-year-old waited 13 games to break his duck in the competition but was thereafter a steady scorer, reaching the respectable mark of four goals on three occasions, including his last season in Europe, when he matched that number of strikes with assists.

Indeed, he marked what will likely prove to be his final UEFA Champions League match with a goal, netting against Benfica with what was ultimately a consolation in a last-16 second-leg defeat.

Getty Images8Juninho – 18 goals, 59 appearances

During Lyon’s dominance of French football in the early part of the millennium, Juninho was one of the stars of the world game.

His long-range shooting was a quality that particularly caught the eye, and he can lay claim to being one of the greatest free-kick takers ever, having been one of the pioneers of the ‘knuckleball’ style of effort regularly seen taken today.

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Getty7Ronaldinho – 18 goals, 47 appearances

Before Ronaldinho arrived at Barcelona, the Catalan club had gone 14 years without winning the Champions League, yet he more than anyone allowed them to break that duck and to set the scene for the great teams of the Pep Guardiola years.

The Brazilian, who also played in the competition for AC Milan, is known for his outrageous moments of individual skill, such as the flip-flap, which tied many defenders in knots all over the continent, but he also boasted a pretty strong scoring record. 

An outrageous toe poke against Chelsea will go down as one of his most memorable Champions League goals.

David Hussey will replace Dwayne Bravo in Chennai Super Kings’ squad for the rest of the 2014 IPL season

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2014Australia batsman David Hussey will replace Dwayne Bravo in the Chennai Super Kings’ squad for the rest of the 2014 IPL season. Super Kings announced it on their official Twitter account. They also retweeted Hussey saying, “Just recd some amazing news!!!!! Can’t wait until tomorrow…. Get in there!!!!”Incidentally, Hussey had been involved with the IPL as a television commentator for the host broadcaster. The 36-year-old, who has played 69 ODIs and 39 T20s for Australia, has plenty of IPL experience, having featured in 23 matches for Kolkata Knight Riders and 36 matches for Kings XI Punjab in previous seasons. In all, he has scored 1206 runs at an average of 25.65 and a strike rate of 122.93, with four half-centuries. His brother Michael Hussey was one of Super Kings’ finest overseas players, scoring 1691 runs in 46 games between 2008 to 2013.Bravo, the West Indies allrounder, was ruled out of the tournament after injuring his shoulder while fielding against Kings XI Punjab during Super Kings’ first match in 2014.

Robbie Frylinck defended 14 off the last over and seven off the last ball to give Dolphins their first trophy in seven seasons as they edged Cobras by two runs in the final

The Report by Firdose Moonda09-Feb-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Morne van Wyk laid the foundation for a strong total for Dolphins with a 45-ball 47•Getty ImagesRobbie Frylinck defended 14 off the last over and seven off the last ball to give Dolphins their first trophy in seven seasons as they edged Cobras by two runs in the final. This was Dolphins’ maiden victory in the 20-over tournament and their first individual cup since the franchise system started in 2004-05. Previously, the Durban-based team shared the first-class title on two occasions, but this is their first outright win in over a decade.Former captain Daryn Smit, who has been part of the Dolphins set-up throughout that time, could not hide his emotions after the win. “Eleven years in the changeroom without a hand on the trophy,” he said, through the tears. “This is just special.” Current captain Morne van Wyk also weighed in. “I am so proud of you guys” he said to this team-mates. “We started this journey together and look where we are now.”Van Wyk, who the Dolphins signed from the Knights at the start of the summer, proved his worth as he laid the foundation. He was not rattled by the early loss of Cameron Delport and took charge with a short-arm pull off Jacques Kallis – playing his first match for the Cobras in this tournament – which sailed for six.At the halfway stage, van Wyk and Smit took the Dolphins to 75 for 2 but Smit’s dismissal immediately after that threatened to peg them back. Van Wyk kept the scoreboard ticking almost alone before holing out off Sybrand Engelbrecht at long-off for 47.He left it to David Miller, whose 93-run blitz off 37 balls in the playoff put Dolphins in the final, to accelerate. He showed off one “out of the park” shot off Engelbrecht and put on 32 runs for the fifth-wicket with Khaya Zondo but Dolphins could not take off from there either.Kallis dismissed Zondo with the first ball of his second over, when Justin Kemp held one at long-on. He also accounted for Vaughn van Jaarsveld who pulled straight to midwicket without scoring in that over. Beuran Hendricks found the right length to bowl a tight penultimate over, which cost only two runs, and then Kallis returned to take another two wickets in the last over. Keshav Maharaj’s six pushed Dolphins over the 140 mark, but it was still thought they were about 10 runs short.By the end of the Cobras Powerplay, Dolphins would not have any such concerns. Mthokozisi Shezi, Frylinck and Kyle Abbott reduced them to 20 for 4, removing danger men Richard Levi and Jacques Kallis in single figures.Dolphins loosened the noose after those early strikes and Stiaan van Zyl and Engelbrecht fought Cobras way back in. They rotated the strike well and Engelbrecht was particularly aggressive, taking 17 runs off Smit’s third over. Their partnership grew to 91 as they took the team to 111 for 4 and ensured they required 36 runs from the last four overs.Van Zyl was run out as the 17th over began; Frylinck aiming at one stump from midwicket and hitting. With no boundaries off that over, Dolphins transferred pressure back to Cobras. Kemp eased it somewhat with a six off the second last ball of the 18th over but Dolphins wrested it back when van Zyl was caught at mid-off, trying to clear the inner ring.Dane Piedt’s four to end that over left Cobras needing 14 off the final six balls and with Kemp on strike it seemed possible. A four and a single off the first two put Piedt in the firing line and he was run out by Frylinck in his followthrough, trying to get Kemp back into position to hit the winning runs.Two full, straight balls conceded only singles and Kemp needed six off the final ball to send the match into a Super Over. Kemp cleared his frontfoot and went over deep mid-wicket but the ball bounced inside the boundary to put paid to the Cobras hopes of a third title in this format and give Dolphins their first.The cup is Lance Klusener’s first since taking over as head coach last season. Known for his stoic nature, Klusener gave away little throughout the match but at its conclusion, allowed himself a rare letting down of hair. He joined a team huddle and confessed he spent the three hours watching the match with many nerves.”My emotions were just for the guys,” he said. “My heart was just bleeding for them. They’ve worked so hard for this and they deserve it.” Dolphins will compete in their first Champions League T20 as a result of this win.They were due to compete in the inaugural event in 2008, which was cancelled because of the Mumbai terror attacks and have not managed to finish in the top two of South Africa’s domestic 20-over competition since. Safe to say they are swimming in unchartered territory now.

Sri Lanka Cricket is likely to deliver its final decision on the current contracts dispute with the players on Thursday after the two parties met for discussions on Wednesday, an official board release has said

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Mar-2014Sri Lanka Cricket is likely to deliver its final decision on the current contracts dispute with the players on Thursday after the two parties met for discussions on Wednesday, an official board release has said. The 2014 contracts have gone unsigned for 12 days, as the cricketers await a response on their demand for SLC to share 20% of the ICC events fee with the players.”Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that the office bearers of SLC met with the national team players today and had a discussion with regard to the player contract payments,” the release said. “The players expressed their concerns and the office bearers stated their point of view on the subject, and there was an exchange of views between both parties. The office bearers will communicate the views exchanged at the meeting to the members of the executive committee tomorrow for a final decision.”Most of the 17 players offered contracts were present at the meeting, including captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, as well as seniors Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Lasith Malinga, Rangana Herath and Nuwan Kulasekara. The board officials present included secretary Nishantha Ranatunga, CEO Ashley de Silva and vice-president Mohan de Silva. Board president Jayantha Dharmadasa was absent.Chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya had been expected to mediate discussions between the parties, after the players had made their initial demand for more funds through him, but he was also absent. Earlier in the week, Jayasuriya had said he felt the players should receive some of the disputed funds, arguing that cricketers have limited years in which they earn.”Exactly what that compensation is, is up to the board,” Jayasuriya had said. “I can’t promise anything because I don’t make that decision.”Last year’s contracts dispute had led to the players being locked out by the board, but with the team set to leave for the World T20 on Sunday, 2014’s discussions are less likely to escalate to a crisis.

The curtain came down on Sachin Tendulkar’s storied Test career with one of India’s most comprehensive victories as a hapless West Indies crumbled on the third morning

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran16-Nov-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The curtain came down on Sachin Tendulkar’s storied Test career with one of India’s most comprehensive victories, as a hapless West Indies crumbled on the third morning in Mumbai. Tendulkar walked off the field with a tear in his eye and to a fluid guard of honour from his team-mates, soaking in the cheers of the Wankhede crowd one last time.Pragyan Ojha took his second five-for of the match, and Ashwin finished with seven in the match, but the only spin bowling Indian fans wanted to see was the all-sorts of Tendulkar. Ten minutes before the scheduled close of the first session, by when West Indies had lost eight wickets in another inept batting performance, Tendulkar was brought into the attack. Though the crowd was desperate for a wicket, Tendulkar’s final two overs produced no breakthrough. MS Dhoni brought back his main bowlers and within a handful of overs, the Test was brought to an end with Mohammed Shami flattening the middle stump of the West Indies No. 11 Shannon Gabriel.Sachin Tendulkar was given a lap of honour on the shoulders of his team-mates•BCCIWest Indies’ batsmen hadn’t shown much aptitude for a fight earlier in the day either, as the spinners enjoyed the bounce and turn on offer. In the sixth over of the morning, Marlon Samuels charged out to Ojha, was nowhere near the pitch of the ball, and was yards out of the crease when Dhoni took the bails off. Soon after, another player who has had a rough series, Chris Gayle, was caught-behind for 35 off Ojha and West Indies were five down. With those two big wickets, the question was whether West Indies would last the session.The man brought in to strengthen the batting in this Test, Narsingh Deonarine, fell for a duck, bringing in another player whose critics will only get louder after this game. Darren Sammy had played an atrocious shot in the first innings to bag a duck and he nearly fell first ball this time, a leading edge just landing short of mid-off. The relief for Sammy didn’t last long, though, as after an over in which he was tormented by Ojha, he missed an arm ball to be trapped lbw.Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the only West Indies batsman to have shown the wherewithal to grit it out consistently this series, resisted with 41, and Denesh Ramdin went on to a half-century but given the mammoth lead India had, it was only a matter of time. Chanderpaul was the man to depart, with Ashwin getting him lbw and running off in celebration.West Indies may have come into the series on the back of six victories, but the pitiful challenge they put up shows that they have regressed in the last two years. In those two years, the Indian team has undergone a major overhaul, and while the verdict on their performance will have to wait till they are tested overseas, they have done enough to send off Tendulkar with a record six Test wins.

Bangladesh overpowered Zimbabwe in the second ODI that saw the fortunes of both teams seesawing and consolidated their lead in the five-match series

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Chittagong23-Nov-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBangladesh overpowered Zimbabwe in the second ODI that saw the fortunes of both teams seesawing and consolidated their lead in the five-match series. Mashrafe Mortaza’s three early wickets were followed by a grinding battle which continued till the 42nd over when the home side made the finishing move.Zimbabwe weren’t letting go of the chase until that point, particularly with Elton Chigumbura starting to open up with a flurry of boundaries. At that point, Sabbir Rahman’s direct hit caught the Zimbabwe captain short of the crease, effectively ending their chances of a final assault at the 252-run target. They were eventually bowled out for 183 runs in 44.5 overs, the match ending with Arafat Sunny taking three wickets in one over.Bangladesh appeared to be on shaky ground at the innings break after a collapse from 158 for no loss to 204 for 6 in the space of 10.2 overs. Every fall of wicket was immediately followed by another. Tamim Iqbals’s was the first wicket to fall in the 34th over, ending Bangladesh’s second-highest opening partnership in ODIs and it was followed by the wicket of Shakib Al Hasan off the next delivery. Shakib missed a straight one from Vusi Sibanda to collect his fourth golden duck in ODIs.Anamul Haque was the third batsman to fall, superbly caught by Sibanda at point, after he had made 80 off 110 balls. Two deliveries later, Sabbir Rahman was out for a second-ball duck after being caught at fine-leg off a top-edged pull. Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim added 31 runs quickly before falling off consecutive deliveries to Tafadzwa Kamungozi.Mahmudullah chipped the ball to long-off, while Mushfiqur failed to connect a reverse sweep and was out lbw. Bangladesh eventually made 251, thanks to Mominul Haque providing a late flourish.Anamul Haque scored 80 and his 158-run stand with Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a solid platform•BCBThe Zimbabwe openers could not replicate their opposite numbers, however. Hamilton Masakadza inside edged Mashrafe’s slower offcutter before Vusi Sibanda, in a rush to play shots, was similarly castled by a quicker offcutter. Sikandar Raza was his third scalp, top edging a shortish delivery with Mahmudullah running back from cover to complete the catch.Zimbabwe slipped to 50 for 4 in the 14th over when Brendan Taylor’s attempted reverse sweep took his glove, on to Mushfiqur’s shoulder before Mahmudullah took another good catch, this time at slip. Further slide was prevented by Regis Chakabva, who made 32 off 53 balls, and newcomer Solomon Mire. The pair added 65 runs for the fifth wicket in 14.2 overs, keeping them in the vicinity of the required run-rate at the stage. Mire reached his maiden ODI fifty soon after, off 78 balls with two boundaries, but he fell next ball – caught well by Arafat Sunny at point off Shakib.A game of cat and mouse started with Shakib bowling a maiden and giving away one run in the Powerplay but Chigumbura hammering 18 off a Mashrafe over in between. Zimbabwe needed 77 off the last ten overs, but Sunny came back and gave away just a single and soon, Chigumbura fell to a run-out as the run-rate pressure mounted. The innings ended soon after, with the next three wickets only adding six runs.Bangladesh’s six-wicket collapse hardly did justice to Tamim and Anamul, who had provided a strong platform – Bangladesh’s third 150-plus opening stand and the second-highest after the 170-run partnership between Shahriar Hossain and Mehrab Hossain in 1999, also against Zimbabwe.The pair reached 50 runs in 13.1 overs to bring up Bangladesh’s first 50-plus opening stand since March this year. Twelve overs later, they added Bangladesh’s ninth century opening stand. They added 77 in the first 20 overs but settled down and pushed up the scoring rate, and the next 10 overs produced 57 runs. Bangladesh took the Powerplay in the 29th over and finished the five-over period with 42 runs for one wicket.Tamim played some excellent shots in his 76 off 98 balls, between periods of play when he stalled and waited for the bad balls. There were a couple of edged boundaries but he peppered the cover and point boundaries and brought up his fifty with a straight six over long-on.Anamul took his time to settle down. He miscued a few to the boundary but soon found his way and ensured Tamim had the bulk of the strike. He drove through cover to bring up his 50 off 83 balls and then lofted the ball through the same area for a six. His half-century also made it the ninth occasion when both Bangladesh openers had scored fifties.The home side ultimately prevailed, despite the batting collapse and Zimbabwe threatening give a real go at the chase.

Round-up of all matches in the Plunket Shield that finished on December 7, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2013
ScorecardMichael Papps’ unbeaten 183 went in vain•Getty ImagesAn unbeaten 183 from Michael Papps – his 25th first-class ton – took Wellington close to overhauling 470 for a famous win, but the team fell ten runs short against Canterbury in Rangiora.Chasing a mammoth total, Wellington were propelled by a 139-run stand for the fifth wicket between Papps and Luke Woodcock, who made 51. Woodcock departed in the 77th over, but Papps, who struck 26 fours during his innings, carried the innings to 459 with the tail. Papps and Brent Arnel were the last two batsmen at the crease and, having added 37, they seemed to be heading towards an unlikely victory. However, Arnel was bowled by Hamish Bennett, giving Canterbury their second win of the season. Bennett had made a contribution with the ball in the first innings as well, finishing with 4 for 45 to bowl Wellington out for 130 and secure Canterbury a first-innings lead of 93.The reason Wellington had to chase such a big total was due to a century from the Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis in the second innings. His 109 had helped the team to 376 after they had been reduced to 187 for 6. It was a substantial improvement on Canterbury’s first innings, when they were bundled out for 223, with Tom Latham’s 92 being the only big score of note.
ScorecardRain washed out the first two days in Auckland, consigning their game against Central Districts to a draw. The visitors took five points from the contest, while Auckland earned four.Central Districts, who were put in to bat, began their innings on the third day and produced a strong performance. Four of their top five batsmen made half-centuries, with Will Young and Greg Hay making 87 and 83, the top scores of the innings. They declared only on the fourth day, having scored 402 for 7 in 108.5 overs. Michael Bates was the best bowler for Auckland, taking 3 for 61.Auckland’s reply was also strong: their top three made half-centuries. Jeet Raval and Martin Guptill ad a century opening stand, and Anaru Kitchen made 59 at No. 3. Auckland had progressed to 253 for 4 when the game ended in a draw.
ScorecardNorthern Districts and Otago played out a draw in a low-scoring encounter in Whangarei that was marred by rain completely washing out play in the first two days. Northern Districts needed 154 to win, but their chase was stalled by wickets at regular intervals from James Neesham, who finished with 5 for 65. In the end, the team finished at 124 for 7, 30 runs shy of what would have been their second victory of the campaign.Despite the rain delay, Northern Districts will feel that this was a game they perhaps should’ve won, after securing a first-innings lead of 130, thanks to fifties from the openers Brad Wilson and Daniel Flynn, which lifted them to 223. This had followed after Otago, put in to bat, declared at 93 for 6 on the third day, with their top order all making starts, but failing to push on for bigger scores.Otago however fared much better in the second innings, posting 288 thanks to a 92-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Nathan McCullum and Jesse Ryder, who top-scored with 80. Graeme Aldridge was the pick of the bowlers for Northern Districts, finishing with 4 for 50.

Four Big Bash League matches have been rescheduled as a result of the new dates for the Sydney Test, while Cricket Australia has also confirmed that the next round of Sheffield Shield matches will be delayed by four days

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2014Four Big Bash League matches have been rescheduled as a result of the new dates for the Sydney Test, while Cricket Australia has also confirmed that the next round of Sheffield Shield matches will be delayed by four days. The funeral for Phillip Hughes in Macksville on Wednesday came two days before the scheduled round of Shield games was to start, but those matches have now been pushed back to begin on December 9.In a statement, Cricket Australia said it encouraged all players selected by their states to play, “however will respect the wishes of those players who decide, for grieving or compassionate reasons, not to play”. Pat Howard, the executive general manager of team performance with Cricket Austaralia, said it was only natural the round should be delayed.”We could not ask or expect players to be able to take the field the day after farewelling Phillip,” Howard said. “This is a difficult time and the players’ wellbeing is our priority, so we are taking it day-by-day.”Grief is very personal and we want to give our players every opportunity to feel ready to take the field, though ultimately we recognise that returning to play is a significant milestone in assisting all players to move forward. We are continuing to work with the Australian Cricketers’ Association to ensure all players and match officials are receiving ongoing counselling and support.”There has also been a necessary reworking of the BBL schedule due to the three-day delay to the Sydney Test, which will now start on January 6. The BBL window remains unchanged but Cricket Australia’s executive general manager of operations, Mike McKenna, said four matches had been rescheduled.”The Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder match due to be played at the SCG on January 9 fell during the revised SCG Test dates, and accordingly has been moved to 22nd January,” McKenna said. “With 35 matches scheduled in 39 days, plus taking into account the Carlton-Mid Series in January, it was not possible to reschedule the Sydney Smash without impacting other matches, hence the need to reschedule three other BBL games.”The other affected matches are: Sydney Thunder vs Hobart Hurricanes at Sydney’s Showground Stadium, which has moved from January 7 to January 9; Hobart Hurricanes vs Melbourne Renegades at Bellerive Oval, which has changed from January 15 to January 7; and Brisbane Heat vs Hobart Hurricanes at the Gabba, which has switched from January 22 to January 15.Cricket Australia said pre-purchased tickets would be honoured for the revised BBL dates, and refunds would also be available.