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The CoA has asked Johri to submit an explanation in relation to the allegations within a week

Sidharth Monga13-Oct-2018The Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) has asked the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri to “submit his explanation within a week” a day after he was named in an anonymous #MeToo post. An allegation made by a woman claiming to be a former colleague of Johri was posted on Twitter on Friday night.ESPNcricinfo has also seen communication that shows that the BCCI had been alerted as long ago as January 2017 to a harassment case allegedly involving Johri in his previous employment. It is not clear if the allegation made on Friday, to which Johri has to answer, is the same case the BCCI was alerted to in January 2017. Johri has not made any public comment; calls and messages to him remained unanswered.”There are certain media reports today,” said a CoA release initially circulated selectively through Whatsapp messages, “including in the social media, pertaining to Mr. Rahul Johri, CEO BCCI. The reports disclose allegations of sexual harassment made against Mr. Johri, by an unnamed person through a twitter handle. The allegations also relates to his previous employment with a large media house. The allegations have appeared as a part of the ‘me too’ movement. Though, the said allegations do not pertain to his employment with the BCCI, the Committee of Administrators of the BCCI has deemed it appropriate to seek an explanation from Mr Johri in relation to the allegations. He has been asked to submit his explanation within a week. Future course of action will be considered on receipt of his explanation.”The woman behind the Twitter allegation claims to have been a colleague of Johri before he had moved to working with a “niche satellite channel”. It was posted by a verified Twitter account of a person who has published several such anonymous allegations on behalf of others. This is the first high-profile person involved in Indian cricket administration to be named in the #MeToo exposes.An anonymous email, addressed to the BCCI office-bearers Amitabh Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhry, its state units and the Lodha Committee secretary Gopal Sankaranarayanan in January 2017, wrote of a “sex harassment case in Discovery channel” involving Johri. ESPNcricinfo is in possession of the email, which was sent nine months after Johri was appointed the BCCI CEO. The CoA only came into being a few days after this email.The contents of that email were brought to Johri’s attention, who responded by calling the accusation – as well as the allegations of a subsequent financial settlement – a “complete lie” and a “malicious attempt to tarnish my reputation”. He also produced an appreciation email from his previous employers and the briefing pack from the recruitment agency Korn Ferry, which he said didn’t have any reference to any sexual misconduct. This email exchange took place on January 25, 2017 and the CoA was constituted on January 30. There was no further investigation into the complaint.This is not the first time the CoA has been called upon to deal with a case of harassment. In September this year, Aditya Verma, the whistleblower whose original litigation resulted in the Lodha reforms, wrote to the CoA asking for action in a case of harassment within the BCCI, which first came to the fore in February 2018. In his letter, Verma reminded Vinod Rai, the CoA head, that the complaint “of sexual harassment of a very senior official” should have been referred to the District Complaints Committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act because the BCCI did not have an internal complaint committee at the time. The BCCI’s own complaint committee was formed in April 2018, under Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act 2013. The BCCI or the CoA has not spoken publicly about this case.The CoA has not referred the current matter to its complaints committee yet, which could be because it doesn’t pertain to Johri’s employment with the BCCI. Rai has not responded to ESPNcricinfo’s attempts to contact him. Nor does the statement say who will represent the BCCI at the ICC chief executives’ meeting in Singapore on October 17 and 18. Ordinarily Johri would have been the attendee.The BCCI sent out an email later with the same statement though it dropped the words “sexual harassment” from it, and did not specify the nature of the allegations.Johri has been the BCCI CEO since June 2016, and before that he was Discovery Networks Asia Pacific’s executive vice-president and general manager for South Asia. Korn Ferry, a Mumbai-based head-hunting firm, had been appointed by the BCCI to find the board a CEO, and Johri was chosen by the firm after a roughly four-month-long selection process.

Jason Holder was replaced by Guyana allrounder Raymon Reifer for the two Tests in Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Nov-2018West Indies will be without their captain Jason Holder because of a shoulder injury for the entire tour of Bangladesh, starting November 22. They will be led by vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite for the two-Test series in Chittagong and Dhaka.

Sixteen-year-old Rishad Hossain picked in BCB XI squad

Bangladesh have picked Under-19 legspinner Rishad Hossain in the 13-man BCB XI squad that will take on West Indies for the two-day match in Chittagong. Rishad has been in good form for Bangladesh Under-19s this year.
From the current Bangladesh Test squad, the selectors have included Mohammad Mithun, Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Shafiul Islam. Among this season’s performers from the NCL, highest run-scorer Shadman Islam, top wicket-taker Nayeem Hasan, Mizanur Rahman, Robiul Haque and Soumya Sarkar were also picked.
Fazle Mahmud was also given an opportunity, after he had made two ducks in the ODIs against Zimbabwe.
The match is scheduled for November 18 and 19 at the MA Aziz Stadium in central Chittagong.
Squad: Rubel Hossain (capt), Soumya Sarkar, Zakir Hasan , Mizanur Rahman, Fazle Mahmud, Ebadot Hossain, Shadman Islam, Nazmul Islam Shanto, Nayeem Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Robiul Haque, Mohammad Mithun, Rishad Hossain

Holder was replaced in the 15-man squad by Guyana allrounder Raymon Reifer, the only change from the squad that toured India last month. Reifer made his Test debut against New Zealand in Hamilton last year for a total of 52 runs and two wickets in the match. He had played two patient innings at No. 8 in the Test West Indies lost: an unbeaten 23 in the first innings and a 109-ball 29 in the second. He has not played another Test since then.Holder has a partial thickness tear of the subscapularis tendon in his shoulder and will undergo physiotherapy and rehabilitation in Barbados, according to a CWI release. He will be reassessed in four weeks’ time, according to CWI chief executive Johnny Grave.”The medical panel were concerned that if Jason was to bowl in Bangladesh, the partial tear may become a full tear which may involve the need for surgery and/or a significant break from cricket,” Grave told . “It was, therefore, then recommended for Jason not to travel to Bangladesh and instead undergo physiotherapy and rehab in Barbados.”Holder said that he had been troubled with the injury since the World Cup Qualifiers in March. “I am definitely disappointed not being able to make the tour to Bangladesh,” he said. “But based on the advice from the medical team, we felt this was the best course of action to deal with the ongoing issues I have been having with my shoulder and prevent further damage.”I’ve been having issues with my shoulder since the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe in March. Since then I have been trying to manage it and the pain levels, but it has got to a point now where I’ve got to take time to correct it so that going forward I have no further issues. Obviously I am disappointed to miss the tour but I know the boys are capable of beating Bangladesh.”Ten members of the side will arrive in Chittagong on Wednesday, while the rest are scheduled to arrive in three groups on Thursday. West Indies’ first on-field action in Bangladesh is a two-day practice match in Chittagong.The two Test series will be followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is in December to be played in Dhaka and Sylhet.Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Sunil Ambris, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Shermon Lewis, Keemo Paul, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican

‘We feel they have the potential to be important members of Sri Lanka cricket in the future,’ Ashantha de Mel said of the batsmen, who are part of an extended 17-member squad

Madushka Balasuriya 30-Nov-2018According to the new chief selector Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka are hoping to give some of their out-of-favour batsmen a chance by announcing an extended 17-member touring squad for the upcoming two-Test series in New Zealand.”One of the reasons for extending the touring squad to 17 players was so that we could include the likes of [Sadeera] Samarawickrama and [Lahiru] Thirimanne,” de Mel told ESPNcricinfo. “We feel they have the potential to be important members of Sri Lanka cricket in the future.”Samarawickrama, 23, has long been identified as a player of tremendous potential, so despite an unspectacular Test career to date, his selection is a means of rewarding promise. Thirimanne’s meanwhile is a case of hitherto wasted potential; following a prolonged rough patch in 2017, he was dropped from the Test side, but de Mel believes he is someone who, even at 29, can offer something extra to the Sri Lanka team.”We feel he is someone who has the talent, but has been somewhat overlooked in the recent past,” de Mel said of Thirimanne. “Yes he hasn’t managed to put a string of good performances together yet, but it’s important that players like him get longer stints in the side.”Thirimanne’s latest recall is down to recent runs for Sri Lanka A, though his average of 23.06 in 29 Tests will give his detractors plenty of ammunition. De Mel, though, insists that Thirimanne deserves another shot, especially in seaming conditions – like those in New Zealand and Australia – that may bring the best out of the batsman. Indeed, in the three Tests he has played in those countries, he averages 41.90.”We found that he has done better on the faster, bouncier tracks that are likely to be produced in countries like New Zealand and Australia. When we prepare spin-friendly wickets at home, sometimes it’s hard for our batsmen to score runs consistently.”While it remains to be seen if Thirimanne gets a game on tour – de Mel has said he is unlikely to play the first Test – someone who is certain of a place is newly-appointed vice-captain Dimuth Karunaratne.Karunaratne’s promotion is down to his relative security in the side, as well as his analytical nature, explained de Mel.”Karunaratne is a thinking cricketer, and we wanted someone like that in that role, someone who will also help improve those around him,” he said. “His performances, in difficult batting conditions, against England were very impressive, and we hope to see him continue this form in New Zealand.”

A consortium of Blitz Advertising and Techfront beat five other bidders to acquire the rights from 2019 to 2022

Umar Farooq21-Dec-2018The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has secured a 358% rise for their new broadcast deal, which will run from 2019 to 2022. The deal includes TV and digital streaming rights and is said to be worth approximately US $36 million. A consortium of Blitz Advertising and Techfront beat five other bidders, including the state channel Pakistan Television (PTV) and Ten Sports, who hold rights to Pakistan’s international cricket.Blitz is an international media management group, while Techfront is an affiliate of Global Sports Commerce, a sports technology and management company. Techfront is located in Chennai in India, and they own the digital site Cricketgateway, which had shown the PSL online in the past two seasons. The consortium doesn’t have a TV channel, but will now sell its output to TV channels that air the matches, with the production carried out by the PCB on its own.”We have successfully exceeded our targets for the new PSL broadcast and live streaming rights,” Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, said. “I would like to congratulate and thank Blitz Advertising and Techfront for partnering with us once again. This is a time-tested partnership and our joint objective, for the next three years, is to ensure that the PSL continues to grow in terms of fan engagement.”The rights were initially valued at around US $41 million for three years, but a drastic fall in the Pakistan rupee’s value against the dollar in that time has meant that the value was closer to US $33 million. Against that, the final deal has exceeded expectations. PTV and Ten Sports had submitted a joint bid, though it is believed to have been around half the final value.In 2019, as many as eight PSL matches are set to be hosted in Pakistan, with the other 26 taking place in the UAE. With the sixth team renewing the ownership rights with the PCB, the franchises will compete with Islamabad United, who are the defending champions. The opening game between Islamabad and Lahore Qalandars will take place in Dubai on February 14.

England’s new No.3 shows signs of seizing his route back into the side with hard-hitting 98

George Dobell at the 3Ws Oval17-Jan-2019England XI 379 (Bairstow 98, Burns 68) v WI President’s XI

ScorecardJust under four years ago, Jonny Bairstow made an eye-catching 98 at the start of an England tour of the Caribbean to signal a new phase in his career.In that match, Bairstow unveiled his new, shoulder-high backlift; a technical change that helped improve his balance and bring his bat down straighter. By the end of 2016, he had set a new record for the most Test runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year.This time he is facing a different challenge. Having lost the gloves, for a while anyway, to Ben Foakes, he has been forced to reinvent himself as a specialist batsman. And with the middle-order positions taken, he knows that he must establish himself at No. 3 if he is to retain a place in the side.It’s not his ideal position; he makes no secret of his desire to reclaim the wicketkeeping gloves. And there may be, he warns, a “bedding-in period” as he adapts to the mental and technical demands of the position.But the early signs are that the challenge may bring the best out of him. Having ended the Sri Lanka tour with a century in Colombo, he made another 98 here that suggested he could yet develop into the man England have been looking for since the decline of Jonathan Trott.There are, of course, some caveats. This pitch – while better than the surface used in the first warm-up match – is slower than those anticipated in the Test series (in Barbados and St Lucia, in particular) while the attack, despite containing two bowlers with Test experience, is nowhere near as demanding.The fact that England scored nearly 400 in the day – and that they took 19 wickets against the same opposition the previous day – tells you much about the chasm in quality between these two sides.Still, this was a much-improved effort from Bairstow after a loose dismissal in the first warm-up game. England have been struck by how much this version of the Duke’s ball has swung and for how long it has remained hard. As a consequence, top-order batsmen have had to leave well and ensure they remain as compact as possible. His driving and sweeping, in particular, were very impressive.”I just want to be playing,” Bairstow said afterwards. “At this moment in time I’m batting at three; who knows what will happen down the line. Down the line you want to be doing something you’ve done the last 10-15 years.”It’s a case of going out and doing what I need to do and trying to adapt again to a different role in the side. You’re probably going to be facing the new ball, fresher bowlers on fresher pitches, so there will be a bedding-in period and you might not get it right every time. It will be different to batting at No. 5, 6 or 7 and coming in later in the day.”Underlining the low-key nature of this match, Bairstow fell – caught on the midwicket fence – attempting to reach his century with a six.
Moments earlier, when he had 94, he had been reprieved after it transpired Miguel Cummins had over-stepped when having Bairstow caught at mid-off.But such ‘milestones’ hardly matter. Not only will none of the scores from these games count towards the players’ career statistics – these matches do not carry first-class status – they are more about gaining form and fluency ahead of the serious business ahead. Bairstow, at least, should go into the Test series with confidence high.So should Rory Burns. Having seen off the new ball with admirable ease, he appeared every bit as fluent as Bairstow in making a 65-ball 50 with eight fours. Especially punishing against the short ball – be it from pace or seam – he also put away anything over-pitched. He was eventually stumped attempting to drag one from outside off through midwicket.There were runs for Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid, too. Taking full toll of a tiring attack and some support bowlers, all three looked in fine form and underlined the impression that England’s lower middle-order may well prove vital once again.Where once there may have been concerns about Jos Buttler missing out – he fell to an outside edge as he attempted to guide one down to third man and goes into the Test series having had just one bat on tour – these things are viewed differently these days. England will take comfort in the form he showed in the BBL and trust to his training and temperament to ensure he is ready for the first Test. Ben Stokes and Joe Root were both rested, though Stokes may bowl on Friday.Moeen Ali, meanwhile, was unable to take advantage of a let-off on 1 – Jermaine Blackwood, who is having a grim few days, dropped a straightforward chance in the slips – while Keaton Jennings again fell early as he prodded half forward to the admirable Raymon Reifer.Reifer, a left-arm swing bowler somewhat in the style of Keith Barker, was the pick of the bowlers, though Cummins and Chemar Holder also had their moments. Alzarri Joseph was rested in the hope he might be fully fit for the first Test.

After a lean couple of season, South Africa’s wicketkeeper has rediscovered his touch and is holding together the batting line-up in tough conditions

Andrew Fidel Fernando at St George's Park21-Feb-2019Across the world, batsmen are not having a happy time in Test cricket right now. If you’re not being blasted out in Australia, you’re being nicked off in West Indies, turned inside-out in England, ground into the dust in Bangladesh, or – and perhaps this is the worst indignity – smiled all the way back to the dressing room by nice-guy New Zealand, who will later come to a press conference and talk about how beautifully you batted for your 7 off 42 balls.Amidst all this, there is the advent of pink-ball cricket, which is almost unquestionably bowler friendly, while also a global conversation simmers about whether every country should switch to the Dukes ball, which has a prouder seam and is thus better for both quicks and spinners than the widely-used Kookaburra. Meantime, in Sri Lanka, where there hasn’t been a draw for a record 24 Tests, spinners there could conceivably run through a batting line up with a well-chosen tomato.Batsmen had it way too good for way too long, so of course, no one should even think about sympathising. Averages last year were their lowest since 1960, but you only need to cast your mind back around a decade to recall cricketing atrocities such as this Test in St. John’s, or this nauseating run-smorgasbord in Colombo.But if there did exist a country where batsmen deserve a little understanding, perhaps it is South Africa. Since the start of 2017, only in the Caribbean have batting averages been lower than the 24.98 here. And unlike for the West Indies, the figure in South Africa has been achieved despite great batsmen – the likes of Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers – having played in this top order. Amla’s average has retreated over the past seasons. De Villiers’ had slipped slightly from its 2014 peak as well.Part of this batting decline is the doing of coach Ottis Gibson, for whom – understandably – fast bowlers are kings, and batsmen merely the guards sworn to protect the royal bloodline. So, over the last two seasons, South Africa have played on extremely lively surfaces, and batsmen have taken arrows in the backside for their quicks. In this home summer, South Africa have eased to a whitewash against Pakistan, and were only separated from a fourth win by possibly the greatest Test innings ever played, and yet their own batsmen feel as besieged as ever. Since December, every player in their top seven has seen their overall average either stagnate or suffer.Every player, that is, except Quinton de Kock. Not for him the groping, jerking and prodding away of his teammates. Not for him the tearful nursing of red bruises on the edges of their bats, in the dressing room. He had had a poor 2017 with the bat and was even worse for the majority of last year, but this season the man seems to have found his calling. Coming out to scorelines such as 146 for 6, or 93 for 5, or 89 for 4, de Kock has bludgeoned away, often in the company of the tail, making those vital, prise-them-from-your-opponents’-fist kind of runs. Several times, when South Africa have actually been in danger of giving up a first-innings lead, de Kock has ensured that they punched and kicked and somehow wangled their way to an acceptable score.Following his sparkling 86 off 87 balls in Port Elizabeth on the opening day, his average since December has risen to 67.42 – 25 higher than that of his next-best team-mate. Perhaps the most telling number, though, is not his average. In one of the toughest batting summers in South Africa, de Kock has breezed his 472 runs at a strike rate of 85.81. Essentially, he has brought into the Test arena, his batting in ODIs – a format he has been consistently outstanding in. In doing so, he may also have happened upon a vital mantra for bad-pitch batting: score your runs quickly, before inevitably, the unplayable ball comes for you.Twice in as many Tests against Sri Lanka he has forged excellent partnerships with lower order batsmen. At Kingsmead, he and Keshav Maharaj had put on 47 together off 51 balls. On day one at St. George’s Park, his 59-run stand with Rabada, was the best of the innings, and produced more than a quarter of the team’s eventual total.”The runs Quinton is scoring and the way he’s scoring are so important,” Aiden Markram, the only other half-centurion in South Africa’s innings, said. “He really moves the game forward and changes the momentum in our favour. He’s batting at a pretty vital position for the side. When he’s scoring quickly, it really helps us pull away.”Maybe inadvertently, also, in South Africa have got de Kock batting in the best possible position in the order. Low-scoring matches are often turned on counterattacks. And de Kock – the most capable of the South Africa batsmen of producing these definitive salvos – arrives at the crease when the ball is not old exactly, but has lost a little bit of the hardness around the seam that had wrecked the rest of the top order earlier on. He arrives when conditions are not quite so stacked against him, and has lately used that little leverage to propel his side to an un-embarrassing total.It is often said of bowler-friendly tracks that they bring teams closer together. When scores of 250 play scores of 200, and edges through slip comprise a significant portion of a team’s total, the lower-quality team doesn’t always look so bad, as they might in better batting conditions. If South Africa go on to win this Port Elizabeth Test – and they are far from doing that yet – they owe plenty to de Kock’s 86. Just as they do to his 45, 59 and 129 against Pakistan.

While it’s a shoulder injury that sees Nortje out of the IPL, CSK will miss Ngidi due to a side-strain picked up during South Africa’s ODIs against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2019In another blow for Kolkata Knight Riders, South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the 2019 edition of the IPL because of a shoulder injury. His national team-mate Lungi Ngidi, too, will miss his stint with Chennai Super Kings, after South Africa’s team manager said that Ngidi picked up a side-strain injury during the ODI series against Sri Lanka.Nortje’s absence weakens the Knight Riders’ pace reserves further, with the young Indian duo of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi already on the sidelines, and of the two replacements, only Sandeep Warrier a fast bowler. KC Cariappa, the other replacement, is a wristspinner.The 25-year-old Nortje, who was set for his maiden IPL season, had been picked by Knight Riders at his base price of INR 20 lakh at the auction in December, despite having missed part of the Mzansi Super League with an ankle injury. In the three matches he did play for Cape Town Blitz, however, he took eight wickets and hit speeds of 150kph, catching the eye of Knight Riders’ coach Jacques Kallis, himself a Cape Town local.Nortje earned a call-up to South Africa’s limited-overs sides and earlier this month made his international debut in the home ODIs against Sri Lanka. He has taken eight wickets in four matches in the format so far.For Ngidi, the 2019 season would have been his second season with defending champions CSK. He was bought for INR 50 lakh before the 2018 season, taking 11 wickets in seven games for CSK, at an economy of 6 and a strike-rate of less than 15. In the 5th ODI against Sri Lanka, Ngidi felt discomfort while bowling at Newlands and immediately stopped bowling. Further scans revealed a Grade II muscle strain which, his team manager says, “will need up to four weeks of rest followed by a rehab programme” leading up to the World Cup.Both Knight Riders and CSK are yet to announce a replacements for Nortje or Ngidi.

Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s Test captain, was granted bail, having been taken into custody at roughly 5:40am Sri Lanka time on Sunday morning

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Mar-2019Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s Test captain, was arrested for drink driving in Colombo on Sunday morning after he was involved in an accident that put the driver of a three-wheeler in hospital. According to police, the injured driver has sustained only minor injuries.Karunaratne has been granted bail, having been taken into custody at roughly 5:40am Sri Lanka time on Sunday in the Borella neighbourhood. He is expected to appear in court some time this week – perhaps as early as Monday.Beyond the immediate consequences of the accident, particularly with regards to the condition of the injured driver, the arrest may also have professional ramifications for Karunaratne. Sri Lanka Cricket is likely to await further details, but may impose its own sanctions, depending on the outcome of court proceedings. In a press release the SLC said it will “follow the due process as per Karunaratne’s ‘Player Contractual Obligation’ and conduct an inquiry in order to take necessary action.”Karunaratne not only led Sri Lanka to an outstanding Test series win in South Africa in February, he was also being talked about by the national selectors as Sri Lanka’s prospective World Cup captain.Although the Sri Lanka team has been grappling with disciplinary problems over the last year, Karunaratne himself had avoided serious controversy.

When asked what was going on, Ashwin’s response was: “I just play with passion, so does he”

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-20190:18

We just play with passion – Ashwin on Kohli send-off

Did Virat Kohli mock R Ashwin’s controversial mankading of Jos Buttler earlier in the season after he caught his Test team-mate at the long-on boundary? Paul Collingwood, former England captain and a staunch critic of the Buttler run-out, certainly thought so.
With 27 required off the last over against Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab captain Ashwin hit the first ball for a six. The next only made it as far as Kohli at the long-on boundary. Kohli gesticulated after catching the ball before moving his right hand – which held the ball – behind his body, an action not too dissimilar to flicking the bails off behind you when you effect the mankad.Virat Kohli is over the moon as a Kings XI Punjab wicket falls•BCCI

Ashwin walked off, and proceeded to fling his gloves in anger upon reaching the dugout, which may or may not have been a reaction to Kohli’s antics. He was later asked about what had been going on between him and Kohli – Ashwin has been animated whenever his side has got Kohli out – and replied, “I just play with passion, so does he. That’s it. As simple as that.”No current India cricketer has openly come out in support of Ashwin – or made any comment one way or another – on the run-out debate, whereas current England cricketers – and others – have taken to Twitter to criticise him. The support for Ashwin has only come from former Indian cricketers.Ashwin did pull out of his delivery during his match against Delhi Capitals with Shikhar Dhawan, the non-striker, not leaving the crease. When Ashwin ran in to bowl the next ball, Dhawan danced outside the crease but with the bat inside it. Kohli reacted similarly when Sunil Narine pulled out of his delivery stride in another match, but that wasn’t with the intention of running the non-striker out. Kohli squatted low to send the message that he was doing all he could to keep his bat inside the crease.

Raine’s unbeaten 75 lifts hosts from 81 for 7 as Brydon Carse adds 47 not out

David Hopps10-Jun-2019Ben Raine is the sort of cricketer who can make Durham feel Ben Stokes’ perpetual absence with England a little less intensely. To call him a ready-made replacement would be asking too much because there are few players in the world with Stokes’ prodigious ability. But at his best he has the same combative, dog-with-a-bone qualities and against Northants he began to prove as much.Raine once left Durham because Stokes’ brawny frame was blocking his progress. He felt like an excellent signing when he returned to the north-east from Leicestershire during the close season, a player who is combative with bat, ball and in the field. But Durham are bottom of Division Two and he went into the match against the side one place above them with a batting average of 15, suggesting one component of his game was yet to fire: an unbeaten 75 has begun to put that right.Durham were 81 for 6 when Raine came in to bat and a ball later they were 81 for 7. Heavy rain over the weekend had left the pitch responsive to any seam bowler worth his mettle and Northants were in total command. But after 45 overs conditions were beginning to ease, Raine and Brydon Carse buckled down to the task with great deliberation and by the close their eighth-wicket stand had swollen to 128 in 52 overs.Raine’s reward was a career-best in first-class cricket, achieved in the penultimate over of the day when he cut Nathan Buck to the rope. He only has one county hundred – one of the fastest of all time, when he took Birmingham for 113 from 46 balls in the Blast at Edgbaston last season with eight fours and ten sixes. If he was to add a Championship hundred on the second day he would have discovered something very different within himself.Neither Raine nor Carse had not lived up to their potential with the bat in the Championship this season, but their seriousness of intent showed as they laboured 142 deliveries to take their stand past 50. It was as grim-grey gravelly in its nature as the area behind the stand on the non-members’ side of the ground which thankfully is getting a bit of a resurfacing in time for the World Cup.”Sometimes I sound like gravel and sometimes I sound like coffee and cream,” Nina Simone once said. If it was good enough for Simone’s singing, it is good enough for Raine’s batting.Durham pessimists had been dwelling upon their most demoralising batting moments when they subsided to 18 for 4 within 11.2 overs -such as the time last season when they were bowled out twice in two sessions by Leicestershire at Grace Road for 66 and 61. It was Mohammad Abbas, with 10 wickets in the match who played the main hand in that; Raine was not even playing.Ben Sanderson, one of the canniest operators around on a bowler’s pitch, moving it both ways from a tight line, had been the main cause of such pessimism, hitting the stumps three times in a new-ball spell of 3 for 18. Michael Jones was bowled off stump for nought as he left the first ball he received and, remarkably, Durham’s Australian captain Cameron Bancroft offered up a replica for the benefit of late arrivals. At least Bancroft could plead that he was partly undone by lack of bounce. Alex Lees had carried his bat against Derbyshire last week to record his first Durham hundred in similarly exacting conditions, but Sanderson bowled him through the gate.By the time the seventh wicket fell soon after lunch, Matt Coles and Buck had also struck twice. The old roisterer Coles is on a month’s loan from Essex, with Northants’ assistant coach Phil Rowe calling him “a big character and a big personality”.Big is the word. He found enough movement in the pitch to remove Gareth Harte and Ned Eckersley and looked in reasonable order considering his lack of 1st XI cricket, quite an achievement because his natural shape would have been very much in vogue when Northants won back-to-back T20 titles with a side not exactly short of poundage.Arguably the best ball was reserved for Jack Burnham, who did little wrong technically when Buck snaked one back to bowl him. Burnham had a woeful time in league cricket last season during his one-year ban for positive cocaine tests and it is good to see him slowly progressing. Cricket is right to take a tough line on drug abuse, not just because of somewhat dubious performance-enhancing qualities but also sport’s general commitment to health and fitness, but in fairness to Burnham no matter how much he took he didn’t follow it up by condemning such behaviour and standing for the leadership of the Conservative party.