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Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, has won his libel suit against Lalit Modi and has been awarded damages of £90,000

By Alan Gardner at the Royal Courts of Justice26-Mar-2012Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, has won his libel case against Lalit Modi and has been awarded damages of £90,000 ($142,000). Modi was also ordered to pay costs – which amounted to around £1.5 million ($2.4 million) – by the judge, David Bean, who delivered his judgement on Monday morning. Neither Cairns nor Modi was present in court.”Today’s verdict lifts a dark cloud that has been over me for the past two years,” Cairns said. “I am proud that I had the courage to stand up and defend my name and feel great relief that I can once again walk into any cricket ground in the world with my head held high.”Cairns was suing the former IPL chairman in the UK’s first Twitter libel case over a defamatory tweet sent in January 2010, in which Modi referred to Cairns’ alleged involvement in match-fixing as the reason for barring him from the IPL auction. Cairns brought the matter to court, saying the allegations threatened to reduce his cricketing achievements to “dust”.Justice Bean, however, said that Modi had “singularly failed to provide any reliable evidence” that Cairns was involved in match-fixing or spot-fixing or even that there were strong grounds for suspicion that he was.”It is obvious that an allegation that a professional cricketer is a match-fixer goes to the core attributes of his personality and, if true, entirely destroys his reputation for integrity,” the judge said. “The allegation is not as serious as one of involvement in terrorism or sexual offences (to take two examples from recent cases). But it is otherwise as serious an allegation as anyone could make against a professional sportsman.”The judge also said Cairns was entitled to an injunction, preventing the accusations from being repeated.In a brief statement, Modi said: “I have received the judgement and I am immediately considering an appeal with my legal team. It would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment any further at this time.”The case centred on the reason for Cairns’ suspension and dismissal from the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a rival Twenty20 league to the IPL. Cairns captained the Chandigarh Lions in the ICL but had his contract cancelled shortly after the start of the third edition in October 2008. The official reason given was Cairns’ failure to disclose an ankle injury but Modi’s legal team argued that this was an orchestrated “cover-up” to conceal his involvement in corrupt activity.The court heard evidence from several of Cairns’ former Chandigarh team-mates, who made various claims against him. On the witness stand, where he gave evidence for almost eight hours, Cairns vigorously denied the allegations and the judge found in his favour, casting doubt on several of the witnesses’ credibility.Bean said evidence from Gaurav Gupta, TP Singh and Rajesh Sharma was “not to be believed”, adding: “The hearsay evidence of Uniyal and Ablish is inconsistent and unreliable; and Karanveer Singh’s last-minute evidence falls well short of sustaining the defendant’s case.”He added that while there was a “quite a substantial volume of evidence against Dinesh Mongia”, the unofficial vice-captain at Chandigarh, this did not prove Cairns’ involvement. Other players, such as TP Singh, had confessed to fixing themselves. “They had an obvious incentive to put forward by way of mitigation that they were only obeying orders, or at least giving into pressure from their charismatic captain,” Bean wrote in his judgement.The judge also said he was “not impressed” with evidence given by Howard Beer, the former ICL anti-corruption officer who conducted the investigation into allegations of fixing, criticising the Australian former police officer’s conduct as “partisan to the point of being unprofessional”.Bean accepted that Cairns had been dismissed by the ICL for breach of contract over his injury and also dismissed suggestions of impropriety about money Cairns received for work with an Indian diamond trader. “Despite prolonged, searching and occasionally intrusive questioning about his sporting, financial and personal life he emerged essentially unscathed,” Bean added.The aggressive tone adopted by the defence was an aggravating factor in Bean’s award for damages, increasing them by a factor of 20%. Modi was given 28 days to settle with Cairns, as well as to make an interim payment of £400,000 in costs to the claimant’s legal team. His own legal bill was estimated at more than £1m. Modi was granted permission to appeal the level of damages.The news that one 24-word tweet could end up costing Lalit Modi £1.5m may chill the blood of even the most hardened keyboard warrior. Confirmation that UK libel laws apply to Twitter – even if posted half the world away – sets a significant precedent and one that may make some of those who use the social network to engage in bar room discussion hesitate the next time they decide to flame a public figure.Although the tweet was read by only a handful of people in England and Wales, the damages awarded to Chris Cairns reflect the unquantifiable reach of such an accusation. Even without Modi’s hefty legal fees, the thought as you hover over the tweet button of receiving a £90,000 bill is likely to make your finger twitch.However, the law that underpins this judgement is still the same. Cairns’ QC said there was little difference between Twitter and slander (spoken, rather than written, defamation); and the judge referred to internet gossip as being of “little significance” when compared to a statement made by one of “the most powerful men in cricket”. Opinions are as welcome online as in the pub – just be careful how you express them.
Alan Gardner

Jacob Oram is set for his international comeback after being included in New Zealand’s 12-man squad for the first two ODIs against Pakistan that start in Wellington on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2011Jacob Oram is set for his international comeback after being included in New Zealand’s 12-man squad for the first two ODIs against Pakistan that start in Wellington on Sunday.Oram was named in New Zealand’s World Cup squad having completed his rehabilitation from knee surgery and hasn’t played for New Zealand since August last year.Hamish Bennett, the 23-year-old paceman, is also included after playing the last of his two ODIs in October last year while three players named in the World Cup squad – uncapped Luke Woodcock, Kane Williamson and Kyle Mills – have been left out of to play domestic cricket.Williamson was in New Zealand’s side during their recent ODI series against India but has struggled for form in the Test series against Pakistan.New Zealand face a resurgent Pakistan side who completed their first Test series win since 2006 after drawing the Wellington Test. Allan Donald, who has recently been named as New Zealand’s bowling coach, will join the squad ahead of the opening ODI.Squad: Daniel Vettori, Hamish Bennett, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Jamie How, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor.

Harbhajan Singh has come in for criticism after a lacklustre showing during the defeat in Nagpur, but he defended his performance

Cricinfo staff11-Feb-2010Harbhajan Singh, India’s leading spinner, has come in for criticism after a lacklustre showing during the defeat in Nagpur, but he defended his performance in a Test where he was outbowled by South African left-arm spinner Paul Harris. After returning figures of 2 for 166, with only one maiden in 46 overs, Harbhajan praised the manner in which South Africa batted.”You can’t really take five wickets every day,” he told the on Wednesday. “They (the South Africans) have come here to play, they aren’t here on holiday. They are among the best in the world, and have played superbly, you can’t take that away from them, give them that credit.”Despite being the top wicket-taker in the home series against Sri Lanka late last year, a listless tour of Bangladesh followed by the ineffectiveness in Nagpur has put Harbhajan, India’s most successful offspinner with over 300 Test wickets, under pressure. “I have the support of my team and frankly, that’s what matters, not what anyone says,” he said. “I know myself, I know what I need to do. I’ve performed very well over time and the statistics, the records reflect that, that’s for everyone to see.”Anil Kumble, the senior spinner in the Indian team for much of Harbhajan’s career, said he expected a much-improved performance in Kolkata. “I am confident that if he gets some early wickets, he will be a different bowler,” he told the . “It’s only a matter of confidence … Kolkata has been a favourite ground for Harbhajan and I am confident he is going to get back to his old way of picking wickets.”India’s hold on the No. 1 Test ranking is shaky after the embarrassing loss in Nagpur, and though the new-look batting flopped in both innings, there was plenty of concern over the bowling, which despite being at full strength allowed South Africa to pile up 558 for 6. Unless the home side win the second Test in Kolkata, starting Sunday, South Africa will win the series and reclaim top spot in the ICC rankings.

“If you don’t believe you belong at the international level, you start over-respecting the opposition and forget your strengths”

Shashank Kishore15-Sep-20251:14

Maharoof: Bangladesh have been lacking in major tournaments

Belief. That was the buzzword as Mushtaq Ahmed, Bangladesh’s spin consultant, addressed a press conference ahead of his team’s must-win Asia Cup fixture against Afghanistan.Bangladesh’s chastening defeat to Sri Lanka with 32 balls to spare dented a net run-rate that should’ve received a bigger fillip when they beat Hong Kong. That they took 17.4 overs to knock off 144 despite having a platform was criticised from several quarters.That means Bangladesh won’t be able to control their fate even if they win, since Afghanistan and Sri Lanka play the last group game of the pool.Related

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“You have to believe. The coaches and management keep telling the players that belief is very important,” Mushtaq said. “It’s difficult, of course, having to rely on ifs and buts, but you have to concentrate on winning the match first.”Asked of potential dangers to look out for, Mushtaq was clear it would come from Afghanistan’s spinners, led by their captain, Rashid Khan.”Their spin department is very good, especially in the middle overs,” he said. “If we can counter their spin well and put a decent score on the board, we can challenge them because our bowling unit is also strong. My main concern is the middle overs.”This middle phase is where Bangladesh revived their innings in their previous game, with Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain reviving a floundering innings. From 59 for 5, they put together an unbroken 80-run stand to lift Bangladesh to 139.Mushtaq said despite their batting struggles, the messaging has been constant: to try and keep going for their shots, which he also said wasn’t something that can be ingrained instantly. But it’s something they’ve been trying to develop in trying to ramp up their batting methods – like their focus towards six-hitting.”Sometimes, early failures lead to losing four or five wickets quickly,” Mushtaq explained. “We tell our batsmen that such things happen, but they must move on fast. If they dwell on the past, their progress will be slow. As coaches, our duty is to prevent them from going into a shell, maintain their confidence, and keep giving them belief.Bangladesh suffered a heavy defeat to Sri Lanka•Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images

“As I’ve said in press conferences, I emphasise on belief. I played with legends like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, and Wasim Akram. One lesson I learned from them is that if you don’t believe you belong at the international level, you start over-respecting the opposition and forget your strengths. Even failure while playing aggressively makes you a stronger player.”If coaches and management can instill that belief, the team can challenge any side. Players like Litton [Das], [Towhid] Hridoy, Tanzim [Hasan], Jaker and Shamim have shown that even when situations look tough, they can find momentum and score 170-180. With good fast bowlers and spinners, and if we get stronger as a team, we can challenge any team.”Mushtaq also called for some patience while dealing with a player like Rishad Hossain, the legspinner. It’s an art that hasn’t always been explored to its full potential in Bangladesh, primarily because of their battery of traditional left-arm spinners over the years.Rishad, though, has had an impressive initiation into international cricket, even though he hasn’t picked up wickets by the truckloads. His only over the other night against Sri Lanka went for 18.”Sometimes, as a young leg-spinner, you can overthink and try too many deliveries in one over,” Mushtaq assessed. “Especially in the first few overs, you risk losing your line and length. Funny enough, you asked this question [about his form].”I spoke to him today before we came to the nets. His strength is always to bowl the first three balls in good areas. That builds belief and confidence, after which he can use variations. He has to learn these little things quickly and also figure out, situation-wise, which deliveries to bowl more.”If a bowler, like Rishad, struggles in the first three balls, it doesn’t mean he loses rhythm for the rest of the spell. As a leg-spin bowling coach, I remind all spinners to focus on the process. Bowling good balls consistently builds confidence. He’s young and hasn’t played much red-ball cricket, so it’s my responsibility to ensure he remembers his process before worrying about outcomes.”Mushtaq was then asked what Afghanistan are doing in their development of wristspinners and cricketers in general that Bangladesh aren’t.”Afghanistan players have played lots of franchise cricket,” he explained. “You can buy a bed, but you can’t buy sleep. Bangladesh has been strong at home, but in ICC or ACC tournaments, we have to improve.”

Visitors face stiff final day of batting after being set a target in excess of 400

ECB Reporters Network14-Apr-2024Glamorgan pulled in front on day three of their Vitality County Championship match against Derbyshire after they posted 361 for seven declared to set a target of 401 for the visitors.The mainstay for Glamorgan was Chris Cooke who finished on 126 not out, by far the highest score of this match so far. He was well supported by 61 not out from James Harris and a well made 32 from Dan Douthwaite.In the 12 overs that were bowled before the close Derbyshire reached 40 for one with David Lloyd and Luis Reece undefeated.With Derbyshire still 361 runs away from their victory target a Glamorgan victory is the most likely outcome as the match heads into a final day with a mixed weather forecast.Mason Crane had come into bat as a nightwatchman late on day two and he did a good job of supporting Colin Ingram in a 45-run stand for the fifth wicket. Crane was trapped lbw by Thomson for 19 to bring the experienced pair of Ingram and Cooke together. For the first time in this match, batting started looking straightforward.Ingram was batting with great rhythm as he passed fifty from 76 balls. Shortly after reaching the milestone, he called Cooke through for a single and was sent back too late and was run out by a throw from Sam Conners.In the first two innings of the match, it was at this point that wickets had come in a hurry. Here Cooke and Douthwaite put together a partnership worth 109, the highest of the match up to that point. Cooke missed out on a chance to bat during the record-breaking efforts at Lord’s last week and he made the most of his chance in the middle in this game as he made the 13th hundred of his first-class career.After seeing the ball spin appreciably throughout the first two days, it was a lot easier going on day three, but Thomson continued to be a threat. He bowled the first 33 overs of the Glamorgan innings from the River Taff end and sent down 44 overs in total as he finished with career-best match figures of 12 for 201.Cooke was joined by Harris after Douthwaite was dismissed by Thomson to complete his second five-wicket haul of the match and Glamorgan continued to turn the screw with a second hundred-run stand in succession, eclipsing the stand by Cooke and Douthwaite as they made 116 undefeated for the eighth wicket. When the declaration came it set Derbyshire a target of 401.Harris was the man to make the one breakthrough on the third evening when he had Harry Came trapped lbw for three. As the clouds came over Sophia Gardens in the early evening it became too dark for play to continue and the players left the field with three overs unbowled.With the ball still turning on this pitch much will depend on how well Crane bowls on the final day with Glamorgan still needing nine wickets for victory.

A bowler with a Test average of 10.36 could lose his place with the selectors facing one of their biggest calls

Andrew McGlashan19-Dec-2022Australia’s selectors are potentially facing one of their toughest calls for Boxing Day: in one corner you have Josh Hazlewood, 217 Test wickets at 26.16, and in the other you have new cult hero Scott Boland who has an average of 10.36 from five matches with a stunning record at the MCG.With Hazlewood confident in his recovery from the side strain which has kept him out of the last two Tests, allowing Boland to come in having missed out in Perth, the final XI to face South Africa in Melbourne could give an indication of whether the pecking order of Australia’s quicks has been changed.On one hand, how do they leave out Boland? He is a wicket-taking machine who five times in five Tests has taken multiple scalps in an over, the most recent on the helter-skelter second day at the Gabba.Related

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But then there’s Hazlewood, a world-class fast bowler with an outstanding record, albeit one whose Test career has stuttered over the last two years due to injury and conditions-based selection. Perhaps relevant will be Hazlewood’s first-class record at the MCG, where he averages 35.69, which is significantly higher than his career mark. Boland averages 24.35 at the venue.It’s the second time in two summers that a player initially outside the XI is making the case that he cannot be left out. Usman Khawaja returned last season, when Travis Head missed the Sydney Test with Covid, and his twin centuries meant room had to be found for him so Marcus Harris was left out two games after top-scoring on a devilish pitch at the MCG.This time there is not another potential fall guy in the XI to accommodate both Boland and Hazlewood assuming everyone else is fit.”It’s a good problem to have. I can’t state it any other way,” national selector George Bailey said. “Couldn’t ask for anything more…and effectively Uzzie was in the same position last summer. Travis gets the nod in the first Test. Uzzie waits, gets his opportunity and grabs it. And that’s a really important part of what this team is at the moment, that when that opportunity is there you grab it, you come in, there’s a really clear role you can perform. Barrell [Boland] is doing it, he’s been fantastic. Hoff [Hazlewood] has obviously done it for a very, very long time as well.”The South Africa Test will mark a year since Boland’s stunning arrival into the format when he claimed 6 for 7 to roll England on the third morning. At the time he was viewed as something of an MCG specialist, but subsequent success in Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide has reinforced that he is a mighty fine bowler in most locations.”He was on the radar for the MCG last year because of exactly what we’ve seen him do,” Bailey said. “He bashes a length, I think his ability to take multiple wickets in the same over speaks to how consistent he is and the questions he asks of the batter right from ball one. He’s going fantastically. [Josh will] keep building and clearly we’ve got a decision to make. I’m really glad that it is a tough decision to make.”When Hazlewood spoke on Sunday, he admitted it had been a frustrating period of his Test career and conceded being a three-format bowler, having established himself as one of the leading T20 performers, had brought challenges. However, although it is the second summer in a row where Hazlewood has suffered a side injury it has been described as a different problem and the medical teams are not concerned about a pattern emerging.”Let’s be honest, fast bowlers face injury more than any other type of cricketer,” Bailey said. “So they’re constantly under pressure with it. It’s a challenge trying to get [the balance] right. The flip side of that is I think Josh giving himself the opportunity through the IPL has seen him become the T20 bowler [he is]. He’s just a phenomenal bowler. It’s hard work.”Not that it can be a serious selection criteria, but how would the Melbourne locals react to Boland being omitted? Mitchell Marsh was booed during the 2018-19 Test against India after being picked in place of Victoria’s Peter Handscomb whose numbers then were far less compelling than Boland’s.”It’s very important to have two Victorian selectors on the panel,” Bailey joked. “Tony Dodemaide and Andrew McDonald will be in charge of that.”

Both teams were also fined 40% of their match fee by match referee Chris Broad

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2021England and India have been fined two World Test Championship points each for their slow over-rates during the first Test in Nottingham, which ended as a rain-affected draw on Sunday. Both teams were also fined 40% of their match fee by match referee Chris Broad.The teams now take two points each out of the Test match, instead of the four they would normally get for a draw under the new points system for the 2021-23 WTC cycle.Related

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“As a team we were not pleased we lost two points because of factors that were definitely in our control,” India captain Virat Kohli said on Wednesday. “We were short by two overs, but we made up quite a few overs in that second innings. we basically have to keep up to speed with the pace of the game – small little things where we can save 10-15 seconds, that really matters, we practised that in the second innings and we were able to cover up three to four overs. You don’t want to be that far behind in the game that you are not able then to not to catch up and cover your overs in time, as the points are very, very crucial.”A major factor behind the slow over rates was both teams opting for pace-heavy attacks owing to the seam-and-swing-friendly pitch and overhead conditions at Trent Bridge. England picked four fast bowlers and no spinners, and India four fast bowlers and one spinner, Ravindra Jadeja. In the end, the quicks sent down all but 16 of the 250.2 overs bowled during the Test match.The match was also beset by frequent rain interruptions, while the completion of overs was also delayed by batters not being ready to face. As light worsened on the second afternoon, KL Rahul took his time to get into his position against James Anderson. England’s batters, meanwhile, also made Mohammed Siraj wait on more than one occasion.Over-rate-related points deductions could prove costly to teams during the WTC. In the inaugural 2019-21 cycle, Australia were docked four points for their slow over rate during the 2020 Boxing Day Test against India in Melbourne. It ultimately cost them a place in the final, which instead went to eventual champions New Zealand.

Uncertainty means freezing squads for a year would prove close to impossible

Matt Roller05-May-2020Coaches in the Hundred have raised questions about how squads in the competition will look next year, suggesting that a partial re-draft of squads will be necessary ahead of the tournament’s delayed launch in 2021.Players’ contracts were terminated on Monday through a ‘force majeure’ clause following the tournament’s postponement and the ECB has opened discussions with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and other stakeholders in the past few days to work out what will happen to squads.And while there seems to be little appetite for a total re-draft, question marks over Kolpak players, overseas availability, and possible retirements mean that freezing the squads would prove close to impossible.ALSO READ: Hundred delay a knock for women’s game – LevickUnder the competition’s planned retention rules, teams were able to keep up to ten players from their initial squad for the 2021 edition of a tournament, at a salary band negotiated with the player. Another draft would then follow for teams to fill the gaps in their squads during the winter, with the lower number of players to pick allowing a shorter and more focused programme for TV. A modified version of this system seems – at an early stage – to be the most likely solution.Speaking on a Sky Sports podcast, Shane Warne and Tom Moody – coaches of London Spirit and Oval Invincibles respectively – said that there would be issues with keeping the same squads for 2021.”It’ll be two years basically when the Hundred starts from when we did the auction [draft],” Warne said. “There’ll be different players, some players might retire, so I’m not sure how they’re going to – will they start from scratch again, where you have to put together different squads? Will they have a ten-player core of that squad and then you can only pick ten players?”It’ll be interesting to see what the ECB come up with about the rules and whether they say ‘you know what, we’re going to start again’ or another alternative. I think everyone was pretty happy with the squad they had but two years later from when the auction [draft] is, there’s a lot of time passed as to how players develop in that time. It’d be interesting to see how it affects them. People might be playing international cricket then, might have got elevated so they’re not available as much, so you might have chosen a different squad.”In the London Spirit squad Warne picked, there are four players who would be 35 or older at the start of next year’s competition: Joe Denly, Jade Dernbach, Mohammad Nabi, and Roelof van der Merwe. Kyle Abbott, initially selected as a local player thanks to his Kolpak registration, would have to be picked as an overseas player. Moody’s Invincibles squad has fewer issues in terms of age, but he has a similar problem with Kolpak players having signed Rilee Rossouw and Hardus Viljoen for £75,000 and £60,000 respectively.”I think most teams would be pretty comfortable with the squads they’ve got. Not only did most teams plan to have a squad that was capable of winning in the first year, I think they had also a long-term eye as well with regards to making sure that they had players they wanted to be part of their franchise for years to come,” Moody said.”I think there are some tricky little hurdles that the organisers will have to get their head around. One of the ones that really stands out for me is the Kolpak player situation – it [the loophole] is due to expire at the end of December this year, so teams that had picked Kolpak players knowing that they had them for the first year but then would have had to make a decision with them the following year, with regards to whether they keep them on board as an overseas or let them go back into pasture.”Jason Roy models the Oval Invincibles’ kit•Getty Images

PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell has taken the lead in discussions and has led multiple calls with county representatives and other senior players since the tournament was officially postponed last Thursday. Of the 21 county reps (three counties have two), six have contracts in the Hundred: Ben Cox, Luke Fletcher, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, David Payne, Max Waller and Chris Wood. Others, such as Jake Ball and Jack Taylor, would have been well-placed to win selection as a ‘wildcard’ through performances in the T20 Blast.ALSO READ: Where now for the Hundred following ECB postponement?Both men’s and women’s players were notified via a letter on Monday that their contracts had been terminated. An ECB spokesperson said: “This letter is necessary paperwork to legally update and inform players of the situation, which follows a notification last week around the launch of the new competition being moved to 2021. We are currently working with the PCA and other key stakeholders with regard to player selection and retention for the first edition of the Hundred in 2021.”Selection and retention for the women’s competition is less likely to raise concerns, with players signed by teams partly based on location via an informal recruitment process rather than a draft. Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain and Southern Brave head coach, said on Sunday it was a “worrying time” for the women’s game following the tournament’s postponement, with several players set to miss out on deals in the short term.While the Hundred’s postponement has been confirmed, the ECB has downplayed reports that a revised schedule for the summer could include no women’s cricket. “We’re working alongside all international boards whose men’s or women’s teams are due to come here this summer,” said a spokesperson.

Former England captain at the launch of a new schools initiative from the charity, Chance to Shine

Andrew Miller08-Mar-2019Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain, believes that the days of girls being introduced to cricket “by their dads and brothers” are coming to an end, thanks to the increasing profile of the England women’s cricket team, as well as the efforts of the charity, Chance to Shine, which was established in 2005 to help reintroduce the sport in state schools across England and Wales.And, speaking at an event to mark the two millionth girl to have passed through the Chance to Shine primary school’s programme, Edwards welcomed the news that the charity is set to launch a new secondary-school initiative to ensure that this groundswell of interest is not lost during the crucial teenage years.Edwards, who went on to score more than 10,000 runs in an England career that spanned 20 years, developed her own game by playing alongside the boys during her own school days. “For me, when I was young, there were absolutely no opportunities for girls to play cricket in school – zero,” she said.”It’s therefore really inspiring to see so many girls not only playing the game at school, but also learning valuable skills like teamwork, leadership and self-confidence; as well as improving their physical and mental health.”On Friday, Chance to Shine announced that it had secured funding for an extension of its programme into secondary education, with the aim of reaching a further 14,000 girls through after-school clubs, leadership training and cricket festivals.”I think that’s the biggest announcement in many ways today,” Edwards told ESPNcricinfo. “A lot of time the focus has been on primary schools and getting girls and boys involved from an early age, but we’ve got so much interest now, and there’s no cricket at secondary schools. I know from the schools I’ve spoken to, they are desperate for more resources, so this can only be a good thing.”England’s women, who memorably won the World Cup on home soil in 2017, are currently on tour in India and Sri Lanka, with a home Ashes series looming in the summer.”It’s an exciting time to be involved in the game at the moment,” Edwards added. “This money will allow us to have more exposure at school level. I was fortunate that I was good enough to play with the boys, but for some girls that’s not an opportunity, or something that they want to do. To think that there’s all-girls cricket now in state schools throughout country is fantastic, we’ve just got to keep investing in it.”The issue of improving “pathways” from cricket’s grassroots to elite levels is a particularly pressing one for English cricket, with many of the changes being implemented by the ECB from 2020 onwards focussing on that very point.Both Edwards – in her capacity as director of women’s cricket at Hampshire – and her former England team-mate, Lydia Greenway (who recently stepped down as women’s head coach at Kent) are convinced that it’s only a matter of time before a girl who was introduced to the sport through Chance to Shine goes on to represent England. However, they recognise that there’s more work to be done to ensure the sport continues to grow.”With so many young girls learning the game, it’s so important to continue their participation in the game, and the natural stepping stone to that is secondary schools,” said Greenway. “But the overarching aim is to inspire young people to build their confidence, develop life skills, learn to be respectful, and win and lose gracefully. I guess the success of any player in terms of cricket is a by-product of that.”Hopefully it won’t be long until we have that first child playing for England who’s been introduced by Chance to Shine,” said Edwards. “But it will happen soon because there’s so much activity going on, and so many talented girls coming through who want to play the game, which is all we can ask for.”I think what you are finding now is that girls aren’t being introduced to cricket through their dad or their brother. You know it’s having an impact because girls are coming into the county system having played cricket at school, which is great.”

Their victory was set up by new-ball quick Xavier Bartlett, who knocked over the top three Zimbabwe batsmen inside 11 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2018
Lloyd Pope took two wickets against Zimbabwe•Getty Images

Australia scored their first win of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, by a comfortable seven-wicket margin against Zimbabwe in Lincoln.Their victory was set up by new-ball quick Xavier Bartlett, who, after his captain won the toss, knocked over the top three Zimbabwe batsmen inside 11 overs. Zimbabwe never recovered fom 34 for 3, regularly losing wickets to be dismissed for 134 in 33.2 overs. Robert Chimhinya top-scored for them with 27 at No. 8. Bartlett finished with 3 for 20, while Will Sutherland and Lloyd Pope claimed two each.Australia’s openers Max Bryant and Jack Edwards set off at terrific speed in the chase, adding 46 in 4.2 overs before their stand was broken. Edwards was the first dismissed for 40 off 20, while Bryant made 44 off 27. They got home in 18.2 overs.The victory meant that Australia were well placed to progress to the quarter-finals, after having lost their opening Group B match against India. their final group game is against Papua New Guinea.