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India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate says Sanju Samson is still adjusting to his role in the middle order

Shashank Kishore23-Sep-20253:50

Aaron wants India to save Bumrah for final overs

Jasprit Bumrah has taken only three wickets – with an economy rate of 8.36 – in three games in the 2025 Asia Cup, but the India team management is satisfied with his performances, considering the “exceptionally tough job” he’s been given in the UAE.Bumrah has bowled three overs in the powerplay – and his fourth at the death – in every game so far. Before India’s tournament opener against UAE, the previous time he bowled three out of the first six overs of a T20I was in 2019.”He’s doing a very tough task,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said on the eve of the Super Four game against Bangladesh. “You don’t see many bowlers in this format bowling all three overs in the powerplay. So it’s quite strenuous as well. But we feel it’s the right amount of work going into the Test match [against West Indies] and obviously the importance of this competition as well.”Related

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After taking 1 for 19 against UAE and 2 for 28 in the group game against Pakistan, Bumrah went wicketless and conceded 45 in the Super Four game against Pakistan. “It wasn’t his most polished performance against Pakistan the other night,” ten Doeschate said. “But we also understand that he’s doing an exceptionally tough job to bowl the first three overs, the two [fielders] out, and the last over and the second last over where guys are going as well.”There’s going to be days where he doesn’t get wickets and he’s going to go for runs. But in terms of how we set up the team, obviously with two seamers and going spin-heavy, we feel at the moment that’s the best job.”Bumrah has bowled 11 overs in the Asia Cup so far – he was rested for India’s final group game against Oman – and is likely to bowl another 12 if India get to the final. Ten Doeschate indicated he was unlikely to be rested for another game in this tournament.”It’s very unlikely that you [India] go into the last game knowing you’ve qualified,” ten Doeschate said. “So I’d say it’s unlikely that he’ll get a rest. Also bearing in mind we have a Test match starting [next] Thursday. So it’s actually quite good preparation in terms of workload management … So if we have the luxury to have that option [of resting Bumrah] in the last game, we can look at it. But I’d say we’re going to pick our best team for every game. He obviously fits into that picture.”Sanju Samson is getting used to life at No.5•Associated Press

‘Samson still figuring out how to play at No. 5’

The other player with an unfamiliar role at the Asia Cup is Sanju Samson, who’s batting in the middle order despite having had most of his success for India – and in the IPL – in the top three.Samson didn’t get to bat in India’s first two matches. He was sent in at No. 3 in the dead rubber against Oman in Abu Dhabi, where he top-scored with 56 off 45 balls on a pitch that most Indian batters struggled to get going. He was back down at No. 5 in the Super Four game against Pakistan, and made 13 off 17 before he was bowled attempting to pull Haris Rauf.”There’s two outings now, two decent chances and he’s still figuring out how to play that role,” ten Doeschate said of Samson in the middle order. “I think the wicket was a little bit tired in the Pakistan game. But certainly with the way Shubman [Gill] and Abhi [Abhishek Sharma] are going at the top and you’ve got your captain batting at three and the way Tilak’s [Verma] played, we’re really looking for a No. 5. So we believe Sanju is the best man for that job and we’ve got no doubt that he’ll figure out how to play that role in the future.”Ten Doeschate said the format of the Asia Cup with little room for error also meant there was little room for giving chances to the bench strength – Jitesh Sharma and Rinku Singh haven’t played a game yet. “The boys are doing excellent work with training and you probably have to look at bilateral series more realistically as a chance to get guys in to show what they can do and also to give guys a chance to show how flexible they are with their positions.”But certainly now with the format of this competition, four games, two wins doesn’t even guarantee you going through. So it’s not like you can take your foot off the pedal at any time and that’s been an unfortunate consequence of what we’re trying to achieve by trying guys in different positions.”India go into Wednesday’s game against Bangladesh as favourites. Both teams won their first Super Four game, and whoever picks up two points will be primed to make the final. “Our general principle is – respect everyone, fear no one,” ten Doeschate said. “It’s more about our process and what we’re trying to achieve. We actually thought we were a bit scrappy against Pakistan. We weren’t happy with that performance. We just had a team meeting now and as we always do, we try to address the things we feel we can be better at and more clinical at.”We respect Bangladesh. I think they’re a side on the rise. They’ve kind of adapted their cricket as well to the new style of T20. Some nice attacking players up front and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Fast bowler says team-mate Broad will reach mark, but rise of T20 leagues will end the appeal

Vithushan Ehantharajah15-Aug-2022James Anderson has expressed his sadness at Trent Boult’s request to be released from his central contract to improve his availability to T20 leagues, and fears Test cricket will struggle in the changing landscape.Following conversations with New Zealand Cricket, Boult and the board agreed to a parting of ways that by no means ends the 33-year-old’s international career, but will see it significantly reduced. In lieu of regular appearances for the Blackcaps, his focus instead will be the franchise circuit, including two lucrative new additions in the UAE and South Africa.NZC chief executive David White told ESPNcricinfo he does not believe this will have a knock-on effect to others within the New Zealand set-up. However Anderson, who turned 40 last month and will pick up his 173rd cap in the first Test against South Africa on Wednesday, believes Boult’s decision is a seismic event given where cricket is headed. He expects more bowlers in particular to go down this path given the rewards on offer.Asked if he was saddened by Boult’s decision, Anderson admitted he was “because Test cricket will probably bear the brunt of it. The easiest thing to do for bowlers is bowl four overs or 20 balls. It takes nothing out of you. And if you’re getting paid just as well, it probably makes sense. It will tempt more people than not.”It is [a big deal that Boult made this choice] because he is such a high-profile international player and I can definitely see it happening more and more now, particularly with bowlers.”Boult’s citation of the schedule and spending more time to his family is something Anderson can appreciate. He knows his workload, significantly eased due to playing no white-ball cricket for England since the 2015 50-over World Cup, has contributed to his longevity. Likewise for his opening partner Stuart Broad, who last represented England in the limited-overs format in an ODI against South Africa in January 2016.”I think Broady will say the same: that we were fortunate our white-ball careers pretty much ended after that World Cup and we could focus on red-ball cricket. That worked out great for us. In the future, I can see it definitely being the other way round – with people picking and choosing their formats, tours, whatever it might be.”Already the most successful fast bowler in Test history, Anderson will become the first forty-plus wicket-taker for England since Graham Gooch during the 1994-95 Ashes, assuming he adds to his 657 dismissals at Lord’s. The previous out-and-out quick to do so as many years young was Leslie Jackson, again against Australia, in July 1961. It is apt that Anderson’s Test debut – against Zimbabwe at Lord’s in May 2003 – even came before the first round of matches in the inaugural Twenty20 Cup, which got underway on June 13 that summer.Related

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“I feel proud to have got to where I have,” Anderson said, reflecting on his feat of endurance. “I feel fortunate as well that I’ve still got the love for the game and the desire to get better and still do the training and the nets and whatever else that comes with it. Because with a lot of people that’s the first thing that goes, and that’s when you start slowing down and winding down. But for me, I feel like that passion is still there. So I feel fortunate for that. I feel fortunate that my body’s still functioning properly and allowing me to do the job that I love.”As for who will be the next player to join that age-bracket, Anderson suggested his long-term partner Broad, who is already 36. However, his follow-up of who else spoke of his view of the game at the moment – a time when the future feels far more relevant than the present:”Definitely not after that because no-one will be stupid enough. Everything that has gone in the world with franchise cricket, the Hundred, short forms of the game, I can’t see anyone wanting to play Test cricket for this long.”As for future-proofing Test cricket, while boards need to assume most of the responsibility for doing so – if they wish – Anderson believes the current players are the ones who must continue to do their bit. Since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have taken over as head coach and captain of England’s Test side, much has been made of how their style of cricket is making the longest format more attractive.While most of that talk has been from English players, much to the derision of others, not least the Proteas who are motivated to burst the so-called “Bazball” bubble, the manner of four victories at the start of the summer against New Zealand and India has reignited the good feeling around the format. It is a responsibility Anderson feels should not be ignored.”Even if we didn’t play this way, I still think Test cricket is an amazing format. We’ve had some brilliant series and matches, not just involving us and between other teams around the world that have been brilliant to watch. So I hope people will see that and want to be a part of it, growing up wanting to play Test cricket.”But, yes, 100 percent our job and responsibility as Test cricketers is to promote the game and encourage as many people as possible to watch it and play it when they get older.”

Player of the Series against West Indies, Sarah Glenn, takes next step alongside Sophie Ecclestone and Mady Villiers

Valkerie Baynes01-Oct-2020Sarah Glenn knows she’s part of something “special” so while she appreciates what she has from within, team-mates and fans can marvel at an exciting era in England women’s cricket.Named Player of the Series after England’s 5-0 sweep of their T20I series against West Indies on Wednesday night, Glenn is one element in a three-pronged spin attack that looks set to feature internationally for years to come.The variety offered by left-armer Sophie Ecclestone, the world’s No.1 T20I bowler, Glenn’s legspin and the offspin of Mady Villiers gives England a raft of options. Plus, Ecclestone and Glenn are just 21 and Villiers 22.”It’s really special,” Glenn said of being part of the close-knit trio. “I absolutely love it. We click really well together on and off the field and I feel like I can just go and talk to them about anything.”We help each other on the pitch, talk about what the pitch is doing, how they’re playing, what’s the best ball and then time off the pitch is great, we all have a great laugh. We’re just really happy for each other, seeing each other do well, it’s really exciting to see.”Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn arrive for the final T20I vs West Indies•Getty Images

She echoed similar sentiments at this year’s T20 World Cup in Australia from Ecclestone, who spoke of their “spin companionship”.”They are some of my best friends now, and it’s really nice to have them performing well and winning games for England,” Ecclestone said in March. “It’s a dream come true really.”Heather Knight, the England captain knows she’s been dealt an exceptional hand.”It’s great to have,” Knight says. “We’ve obviously got a lot of experience in our seam department and those spinners just give us a few different options so we can match up against different batters. In T20, that’s very important. They can take wickets, control other teams’ batters in different conditions. It’s really pleasing.”ALSO READ: Knight, five others head to WBBLWhat struck Knight most about her spinning youth brigade during the series against West Indies was their courage, epitomised in Glenn’s lbw dismissal of Deandra Dottin in the second T20I, a full, looping legbreak that Dottin aimed to sweep and missed.”Sophie and Sarah have been consistently in the side for a long time now and really done well for us,” Knight said “To see Mady take her opportunity like that – she obviously didn’t bowl in the first game due to a few tactical bits, but yeah really delighted for them.”They’ve been really brave as well, you saw Sarah Glenn get Deandra out the other day by tossing the ball up, and if you don’t quite get that right you know it’s going to go the distance.”It’s been really pleasing to see them be really brave in how they go about things in looking to take wickets which is something we want to keep on doing as a side – something we’ve addressed since the World Cup that we want to get better at, taking wickets particularly through that middle period – and those spinners are a massive part of that.”Glenn’s seven wickets for the series against West Indies came at an average of 12.00 and an economy rate of 5.60. Her 46 runs included a valuable 26 from 19 balls which rescued England from 96 for 6 and carried them to a what proved to be a winning total in a Player-of-the-Match performance in the second fixture.While Ecclestone played her first T20I as a 17-year-old in 2016, Glenn only made her international debut last December, against Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, and she went on to impress in four matches at the global tournament, claiming six wickets.Villiers also truly came into the reckoning for England during that warm-up series in Malaysia having played just one international match, a T20I against Australia during the Ashes the previous July. She had to wait until the last group match against West Indies to feature at the T20 World Cup, but she dismissed Shemaine Campbelle with her fourth ball, a sharp return catch in a wicket maiden.Villiers’ fielding is seen as a huge asset and there are several observers keen to see her given more of a chance with the bat as well as the ball. Ecclestone has the ability to hit big and Glenn’s innings in the second match against West Indies prompted her to declare her ambition to become a genuine allrounder.Mady Villiers forms part of England’s formidable spin trio•Getty Images

It is a prospect Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain and now Sky Sports commentator, sees in the future for all three England spinners.”They’re so exciting as a three,” Edwards said. “All very different, so young, but in many ways quite experienced now. It’s unbelievable really to think how good they are and how good they can be.”I think with the three of them it’s their batting that’s the exciting element for me as well, not only are they going to be world-class bowlers but I think they’re going to be really handy allrounders.”To have to have some hard-hitting batters coming in down the lower order as well as world-class bowlers, that’s so exciting. The sky’s the limit for them all, I think.”Laura MacLeod, the former England international who is now Director of West Midlands Women’s Cricket – one of the eight regional hubs for the domestic women’s game – played against a teenage Ecclestone at club level. She saw then that Ecclestone was on the right path to the England team. McLeod has also been impressed by Glenn, who played two matches for her Central Sparks outfit in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and by what she has seen of Villiers.”It’s really exciting,” McLeod said. “It’s just a coach’s dream to have a left-armer, to have a leggy and an offie that have all got talent and they’re not just talented with the ball they can all bat as well. The future for England, from a spin point of view is certainly bright.”

Hamish Rutherford leads Worcestershire as Moeen ‘takes break’ from red-ball game, while Sussex recover to 150 for 5 on rain-hit day

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2019Moeen Ali began his break from red-ball cricket as he sat out of Worcestershire’s game at Hove, as half-centuries by Stiaan van Zyl and Delray Rawlins helped Sussex recover to 150 for 5 on a rain-shortened first day.Moeen told ESPNcricinfo he was “not ruling out playing Test cricket in the future” on the eve of T20 Finals Day after he missed out on a red-ball central contract, but was not involved at Hove, as Hamish Rutherford captained in his absence.ALSO READ: Moeen Ali ‘takes break’ from red-ball cricketIn a dead rubber – that both sides might have expected to be a promotion shoot-out at the start of the season – Sussex had been 32 for 3 following an uncontested toss with openers Luke Wells and Tom Haines both dismissed for ducks.But van Zyl and Rawlins led the recovery before both departed in an afternoon session cut short by bad light.Rain arrived shortly afterwards and umpires Jerry Lloyds and Paul Baldwin abandoned play at 4pm with only 50.4 overs possible.Worcestershire’s decision to bowl first was no surprise and they struck with the third ball when Wells, playing well away from his body, was caught behind off Ed Barnard.After a short stoppage for a shower, Haines’ leading edge ended up in the hands of mid-off and Sussex were 32 for 3 when wicketkeeper Ben Cox took a superb catch diving in front of slip to remove Will Beer for seven and reward Barnard for a lively new-ball spell.But gradually conditions eased and van Zyl and Rawlins began their rebuilding job. Rawlins reigned in his attacking instincts and took Sussex past 50 with successive boundaries down the ground off Charlie Morris, while van Zyl passed 50 for the sixth time this season off 91 balls with seven boundaries.They had put on 94 for the fourth wicket when van Zyl was superbly caught diving forward at mid-on by Rutherford to give Charlie Morris his second wicket. He had faced 119 balls and hit eight fours.Rawlins was struck on the shoulder by Morris and needed more treatment a few minutes later when he pulled a ball from Brett D’Oliveira into his midriff. Rawlins drove the next ball he faced from Adam Finch for his eighth boundary but then slashed outside off stump and Daryl Mitchell clung onto a sharp chance at second slip. It was the left-hander’s third half-century of the season but, like van Zyl, he was frustrated to get out when seemingly well set.”It was nice to get some runs today and I was disappointed to get out when I did because Delray and I had put together a good partnership,” van Zyl said.”From a personal point of view, it’s been an OK season, but extremely frustrating from a team point of view. We haven’t put together enough complete batting performances as a batting unit and hopefully the guys can go into their off-season, reflect on what they need to do and be better than we were this year.”England under-19 batsman Tom Clark, who has been in Sussex’s system since he was 10 years old only had time to face one ball from Finch on his debut, a bumper which he only just evaded, before the teams came off.Moeen isn’t the only big name not involved in a game where only pride is at stake. Sussex have rested both Phil Salt, who has been carrying a finger injury for much of the second half of the season, and Chris Jordan.

After White carried Victoria to 424 for 9 declared, Boland rattled Western Australia’s reply with three strikes

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2018
Cameron White’s century and three wickets from Scott Boland put Victoria in charge of the Sheffield Shield clash with Western Australia at the MCG.White scored his 22nd first class century as Victoria piled up 9 for 424 before declaring early in the afternoon. White lost opener Nic Maddinson early in the day for a fabulous 162 but he got good support from wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Harper who made 39.White fell to a stunning catch from Hilton Cartwright peddling back from mid-on. David Moody picked up three of the last four wickets of the innings including White, Harper and James Pattinson.D’Arcy Short made a rollicking start in WA’s innings, striking six boundaries in quick time before Scott Boland and Chris Tremain turned the screws. Tremain knocked over Jon Wells before Boland claimed Cartwright, Mitchell Marsh and Short to leave the Warriors 4 for 96.Marsh was caught behind trying to defend wide of his off stump, while Short fell to a sharp catch from White at second slip after slashing hard off the back foot.The Warriors slumped to 5 for 112 when Marcus Stoinis holed out to mid-on trying to hit Jon Holland into the stands. Ashton Turner and Will Bosisto then steadied the innings with an unbroken 58-run stand to get the Warriors through to stumps but they are still 254 runs behind.

What did Ravi Shastri have to do to the dressing room atmosphere after Anil Kumble’s exit? “Nothing had changed, no special buttons I had to press. It was just that one play button, and off you went,” he said

Sidharth Monga in Colombo01-Aug-20174:12

This team has already done what big names could not – Shastri

The role of a head coach in the Indian cricket team has never been as ambiguous as it has been since the first murmurs of trouble between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble began. Kumble himself didn’t have much experience as a coach, but in the one year he spent in the job, he came across as somebody actively involved in working with bowlers, passing on some tips to batsmen, playing a role in strategising and also keeping an eye on the supply line.However, as each passing day conspired to get Ravi Shastri back as the coach, you wondered what India wanted in their coach. Now there are specialist bowling, batting and fielding coaches in the side. If Shastri had not picked them himself, the Cricket Advisory Committee would have enforced through Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid. What exactly does Shastri do then?”My role is to be in charge of the entire support staff, and to make sure that we get the boys in some great mental space to go out and express themselves with nothing else on their minds but to go out and play a brand of cricket which you have seen India play over the last three years: positive and fearless,” Shastri said, two days before the SSC Test.When asked how exactly he does that, Shastri shot back: “That is a skill, that is why I am here and you are not there.”Later he said, though, that all he had to do to achieve the right atmosphere in the dressing room was “walk in”. “That was enough”It is instructive that a press conference two days before the middle Test of a series revolved more around Shastri’s role in the team than around the Test or the series. “For me, I don’t carry any baggage,” Shastri said about the winning start in Galle. “For me it was like walking into the dressing room as I had left it. Nothing had changed, and no special buttons I had to press. It was just that one play button, and off you went.”The boys were fantastic in the last Test match but what we are striving for is improvement. There are still areas to improve from the last game. And we have discussed that and what we want from this team as a unit collectively is consistency. Not just where you are good in one game and totally the opposite in the other. Your levels of consistency have to be high.”Shastri was even asked how he makes sure he is not “overbearing” and balancing out the need to speak to players and giving them their space. “When you have been around the game for 37 years, you probably learnt a little bit,” Shastri said. “So that experience is very handy for me in knowing exactly how to deal with the players.”Just walk in, press the play button and using his 37-year experience (as player and commentator), coaching India sounds easy. He was asked how easy it exactly was. “I have been manager, director, now I am head coach, and it’s the same role,” Shastri said. “Absolutely the same role. So there is nothing that I have to change. The fact that you played the game and watched the game for long periods of time without a break does help. So you know what’s contemporary and what’s happening at the moment and you relate with people in that fashion.”I don’t think at this level coaching is needed. At this level, it is all about fine-tuning and getting the blokes in a good mental space to go out and play the game. They know they have reached here because they are good. At times you might need to just fine-tune them a bit because the amount of cricket that’s being played you might just get into the odd bad habit without you realising it. That’s where the experience of having played, probably having watched you can pick it up and pass on the message.”Shastri also said this team had achieved what many Indian greats had failed to achieve. “They have already done things that a lot of Indian teams and a lot of big names couldn’t do in their careers,” Shastri said. “Like, for example, to win a series here [in Sri Lanka] for 20 years. A lot of big names have played for 20 years, they have come to Sri Lanka many times, and they have never won a series. But they [this team] have done that. They have won a one-day series in 20 years, which a lot of teams haven’t done.”This team is used to doing things that a lot of other teams haven’t done, and that too overseas. Forget Australia, I am not even touching the Australia tour, so when you say overseas like South Africa, England, it is a lot of tough cricket coming up. I see it as an opportunity. I am very positive here that this team can do things that probably no other Indian team has done.”

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2017
ScorecardBen Cox took his chance at No. 5•Getty Images

Ben Cox successfully filled the No. 5 spot vacated by the departed Tom Kohler-Cadmore before Josh Tongue caused mayhem with the ball for Worcestershire on day one of the Specasavers County Championship clash with Glamorgan at New Road.Cox was promoted up the order for the second game running after Kohler-Cadmore’s release – to join Yorkshire – was confirmed yester and he top scored with 93 out of 267 all out in 70.4.Then Tongue blitzed his way through the Glamorgan batting line-up with five wickets in four devastating overs as the Welsh County closed on 76-6.
Cox went to the middle quicker than he would have wanted after Worcestershire had been reduced to 14 for 3 within the first 45 minutes on being asked to bat.He eventually became the last of four victims of Timm van der Gugten who was well supported by new four-day skipper Michael Hogan, Lukas Carey and Andrew Salter with two wickets apiece.But then Tongue got to work with the ball as Glamorgan nosedived from 39 for 0 to 58 for 6.Worcestershire were looking for a positive response after an innings defeat at Sussex had ended a run of four successive victories.But they were immediately on the back foot as Daryl Mitchell, who had scored 534 runs in the previous five Championship innings, lost his off stump to the third ball of the innings from Lukas Carey.Tom Fell (7) was trapped lbw by Van der Gugten who also accounted for Brett D’Oliveira (7) with Aneurin Donald holding onto a sharp chance at third slip.
Cox was in aggressive mode from the start and Joe Clarke (25) partnered him in a stand of 69 in 16 overs before the latter was bowled by Michael Hogan with a delivery which was angled in.Josh Tongue: five wickets•Getty Images

Van der Gugten bowled a lengthy spell during the afternoon session and accounted for Ross Whiteley (6) who was pouched by Donald via another sharp catch at third slip.Cox was joined by Barnard in another productive stand of 59 in 11.4 overs. The former Bromsgrove School pupil looked set for a deserved century but then became the fourth victim of Van der Gugten as Andrew Salter reacted sharply away to his left in the gully. He faced only 99 deliveries and struck 15 boundaries.Skipper Joe Leach (13) was lbw to Hogan and Jack Shantry ((3) was caught down the legside off Carey but Barnard reached an excellent half century off 86 balls with six fours. The ex England Under-19 batsman finally holed out to mid-off off Andrew Salter for 60.Tongue collected two boundaries in an over from Hogan costing 15 runs to bring up the 250 before Salter brought about his dismissal at deep extra cover.Glamorgan openers Jacques Rudolph and Nick Selman put on 39, although not without the odd scare, but then the wickets started to tumble.
Selman (4) was bowled by a ball of full length from Leach – his 30th wicket of the season – and then Tongue worked his way into the Glamorgan order.
Will Bragg (7) was bowled, Colin Ingram (2) gloved a ball to first slip and Donald edged to second slip.The procession of wickets continued as Clarke pulled off a stunning catch at third slip to dispose of David Lloyd (2) while in the same over Van der Gugten (0) was victim to an excellent catch by Cox. Rudolph was left unbeaten on 49 surveying the wreckage from the non striker’s end.

James Sutherland has made the first conciliatory noises since player pay talks with the Australian Cricketers Association broke down last week, stating the two parties “have a lot more in common than they have not”

Daniel Brettig27-Dec-20163:07

Brettig: Conciliatory words from CA in recent times

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has made the first conciliatory noises since player pay talks with the Australian Cricketers Association broke down last week, stating the two parties “have a lot more in common than they have not” and expressing hope for compromises in what are widely divergent positions at present.CA have made it plain in their submission to the players that they want to break up the revenue sharing model that has existed for the past 20 years, limiting it to only the top 20 male players and excluding domestic cricketers and also women from a guaranteed share of the money earned by the game down under.Other contentions, including questions over whether it is “appropriate” for CA to fund the ACA, have raised eyebrows among the players. Bitter exchanges of views over various clauses in women’s contracts culminated in the suspension of talks by CA last week, leaving the players’ delegation all dressed up at the board’s Jolimont headquarters with nowhere to go.Having worked closely on the relationship with the ACA in the past, principally with the former chief executives Tim May and Paul Marsh, Sutherland said he was hopeful that talks would resume in the new year on a less adversarial basis after both sides had time to reflect on the past few weeks. Kevin Roberts, the former board director and now senior executive widely thought to be Sutherland’s likely successor, is leading CA’s delegation this time around.”It was probably an opportune time, the right time, just to take a little bit of a deep breath with a couple of issues circulating, and to be honest we haven’t properly got into discussions or negotiations,” Sutherland told ABC Radio. “It was really just some formalities at the start in terms of putting each other’s perspectives or proposals on the table.”We haven’t gone into any detail with that, I think it’s a long haul in terms of detail we need to go through, but I think the facts of the matter are that both organisations have a lot more in common than they have not, and from that perspective it’s all in the interest of the game, ensuring the game’s better.”And as I’ve said before, the opportunity around these sort of agreements which come around every five years or perhaps a little bit less sometimes, is to come to a better agreement. An agreement that helps the game to be better and helps all the relevant stakeholders to be supported.”The players are seeking the retention of the revenue sharing agreement, which guarantees around 26% of Australian Cricket Revenue (ACR) goes to the players. At the same time they want the definition of ACR to be expanded to counterbalance the inclusion of women in the same MOU for the first time. Last week Australia’s players were addressed by May, who told them about the history of the accord between players and board.”I talked about the historical battles of 1997 and the incredible similarities that are bobbing up now,” May told the . “I told them that they weren’t selfish then. Yes, they wanted a benefit, but also wanted a system to last into the future. You owe it not only to yourselves, but to future generations and to the players 20 years ago.”Meanwhile, Sutherland also stated that a Christmas Day Big Bash League match was becoming increasingly likely, though probably not as soon as next summer. “The more I think about it… then you see the next day, the NBA and the audiences they get… I think the growing sentiment is that that’s a possibility,” he said.”We’d need to think about the right venue for it, and we also need to consult widely. We understand that it’s not just a narrow-minded cricket decision. There’s a lot more to it than that. And we’ll think that through. But I think it is an opportunity and it would be a good thing for the game and for cricket fans around the country.”The Australian cricket team come in a few days before Christmas and they’re here. I know in Women’s Big Bash League, our daughter, she was on a lunch-time flight to Sydney, Christmas Day. It’s part and parcel of what happens as a professional cricketer today, so I think that’s a concern or a matter that we’ll talk through, but cricketers are on the move at that time of year anyway.”

Ben Dunk gave Tasmania a solid start with an unbeaten half-century but it was rain that dominated the first day of their clash with New South Wales at Bankstown Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2015
ScorecardBen Dunk made a half-century before the rain hit•Getty Images

Ben Dunk gave Tasmania a solid start with an unbeaten half-century but it was rain that dominated the first day of their clash with New South Wales at Bankstown Oval. Only 36.4 overs were possible due to the wet weather, and Tasmania finished at 1 for 127, with Dunk on 68 and Alex Doolan on 44.The day began with a moment of concern when Dunk was struck on the helmet by a Doug Bollinger bouncer in the first over, but he was able to bat on. Bollinger claimed an early wicket when Beau Webster was trapped lbw for 9, but it was the only success of the day for New South Wales.Both teams entered the game hoping to put their seasons back on track, Tasmania having lost both of their matches and New South Wales having forfeited the points against Victoria after the match was abandoned due to the state of the SCG turf.Tasmania made some significant changes to their XI, with fast bowler Andrew Fekete and ex-Test wicketkeeper Tim Paine dropped. Last month, Fekete was to be part of Australia’s Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh, which was ultimately cancelled.