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Gloucestershire seamer Josh Shaw joins exodus after agreeing Somerset switch

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025Northamptonshire have re-signed Indian legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Australian seamer Harry Conway as overseas players for next season.Conway, who took 20 wickets in four Championship appearances earlier this year, will return for the start of the 2026 campaign. The 33-year-old is expected to be available for the first block of seven games in April and May.Chahal, meanwhile, has agreed to return for a third consecutive summer at Northants, joining for the second half of the season to play in the County Championship and Metro Bank One-Day Cup. Overall, he has taken 44 first-class wickets and seven in List A for the club.”Yuzi is a magnificent asset to this squad,” Northamptonshire’s head coach, Darren Lehmann, said. “His record across his career speaks for itself and he brings so much class and experience to the group. I loved working with him this year and am excited to go again in 2026.””For young spinners in the group like Nirvan Ramesh and Stuart van der Merwe, having Yuzi around to guide them will be a huge plus for their game.”On Conway, Lehmann added: “Harry is an excellent addition for 2026. His form last year was fantastic, and I am excited to work with him for a longer period. His ability to take wickets on all surfaces and presence around the team makes him an invaluable player.”Northants have also signed batter Louis Kimber on a two-year deal from Leicestershire. Largely known as a white-ball hitter and occasional offspinner, Kimber made headlines in 2023 after scoring 243 off 127 balls in the County Championship at Hove.”Louis brings with him a huge amount of knowledge and experience around county cricket as well as boosting our batting firepower,” Lehmann said. “He will no doubt attract people to Wantage Road with his explosive batting and I can’t wait to start working with him.”

Josh Shaw joins Somerset

Josh Shaw spent six years at Gloucestershire•Dan Istitene/Getty Images

Gloucestershire have seen another member of their seam-bowling group depart, after Josh Shaw signed for Somerset earlier this week.Shaw, 29, had been under contract at Bristol since 2019, having previously played on loan from Yorkshire. He follows Ajeet Singh Dale (Lancashire), Zaman Akhter (Essex), Archie Bailey (Durham), Tom Price and Dom Goodman (both Sussex) in leaving over the close season.”We have seen first-hand how impactful Josh can be,” Somerset’s director of cricket, Andy Hurry, said. “He has the ability to swing and seam the ball, and he is an excellent addition to our bowling unit.”We are fully aware of Josh’s strong character traits and his willingness to be the best version of himself, which will add real value to the dressing room as well as on the pitch. These attributes will be vital for us as we continue to compete across all competitions.”

Stubbs’ blazing fifty not enough as Coetzee picks up four wickets to consign Capitals to a fourth loss in five games

Hemant Brar07-Apr-20242:47

Shepherd: ‘I keep a clear mind and try to hit every ball’

Having lost the first three games, Mumbai Indians finally opened their account in IPL 2024 as they beat Delhi Capitals by 29 runs at the Wankhede Stadium.After being sent in, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan gave Mumbai a start of 80 in seven overs. Capitals staged a comeback in the middle overs but Tim David (45* off 21) and Romario Shepherd (39* off 10) muscled 96 in the last five overs – Shepherd hit Anrich Nortje for 32 in the 20th – to lift Mumbai to a daunting 234 for 5.Prithvi Shaw kept Capitals in the contest with 66 off 40 balls. After he got out, Tristan Stubbs took over and ransacked an unbeaten 71 off 25 balls. But that Nortje over proved to be the difference in the end as Capitals fell short by 29 runs.Related

• Super Romario plays to the tutari to signal Mumbai Indians' arrival

• Hardik: 'We needed just one win, and today is just the start'

• Hamstring injury rules Delhi Capitals' Mitchell Marsh out for at least a week

• Shepherd: 'It's my strength vs your strength when I'm at the crease'

• Shepherd blasts 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 off Anrich Nortje in the 20th over

Rohit gives Mumbai a blazing start

Given a flat pitch and small boundaries at the Wankhede, Mumbai knew they needed to score big, and Rohit and Kishan laid the perfect foundation.Kishan started by hitting Khaleel Ahmed for three fours in the seamer’s first two overs. From the other end, Rohit hit Ishant Sharma for two successive fours. He took it a notch higher against Jhye Richardson by launching him for two back-to-back sixes.Seeing the fast bowlers leaking runs, Rishabh Pant turned to his spinners. But Rohit was into overdrive by now. In the next nine balls, he hit four fours and a six against Axar Patel and Lalit Yadav. At the end of six overs, he had moved to 49 off 23 balls and Mumbai to 75 for no loss.

Capitals pull it back

Once the field restrictions were relaxed, Capitals staged a comeback with Axar dismissing Rohit. On the last ball of the seventh over, Rohit stepped out of his crease but Axar bowled it short and fast to beat the batter and rattle his stumps.In the next over, Nortje spoiled Suryakumar Yadav’s return. Nortje welcomed him to the crease with a searing yorker before having him caught at mid-on for a two-ball duck.Thanks to their quick start, Mumbai reached 100 in the tenth over before Axar hurt them again. Having hit a six off the previous ball, Ishan Kishan smashed the next to the left of Axar who stretched out his hand to pull off a stunning return catch.With Hardik Pandya taking his time – he was on 19 off 20 balls at one point – Mumbai could manage only 63 runs in the nine overs after the powerplay.Romario Shepherd muscled away a 10-ball 39 to lift Mumbai Indians•BCCI

The David-Shepherd show

Mumbai were 138 for 4 after 15 overs. At that stage, Capitals must have harboured hopes of restricting them under 200. David and Shepherd, though, had other plans.David started the 16th over by smashing Richardson for a six. In the next two overs, he hit two more sixes and Hardik also chipped in with one but it was Shepherd who made the bigger dent. In the 20th over, he bludgeoned Nortje for 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 to crush Capitals’ morale.

Shaw keeps Capitals’ hopes alive

Shepherd was not done hurting Capitals. In the fourth over, he had David Warner holing out to mid-on with a wide slower ball.Shaw was slow to start. After four overs, he was on 13 off 15 but soon found his range. In the eighth over, he hit Piyush Chawla for 6, 4, 4 off successive deliveries. With a pulled four off Gerald Coetzee, he brought up his half-century, off 31 balls.Along with Abishek Porel, Shaw took Capitals past 100 in the 11th over but Bumrah ended his innings on 66 by uprooting the leg stump with a searing yorker.

Stubbs’ blitz goes in vain

Stubbs wasted no time to get going. Facing his third ball, he heaved Chawla over deep midwicket for a six and repeated the dose three balls later. Bumrah dismissed Porel for 41 off 31, and Pant fell cheaply, but Stubbs kept going.He hit Akash Madhwal for two fours and a six on the first three balls of the 17th over and brought up his half-century – his second in two games – off just 19 balls.His hitting meant Capitals reached 172 for 4 after 17 overs, five runs ahead of Mumbai at the same stage. But Bumrah conceded only eight in the next to make it 55 needed from two overs.Stubbs hit two sixes off Shepherd at the start of the 19th and ended it with another six. But with little support from the other end, Capitals were left needing 34 from six balls. Coetzee conceded only four and also picked up three wickets as Stubbs got stuck at the non-striker’s end.

Aiden Markram returns to the squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies; Rassie van der Dussen left out

Firdose Moonda17-Feb-2023Temba Bavuma will captain South Africa’s Test team amid sweeping changes to the set-up in the post Mark Boucher era. Bavuma’s first assignment will be to lead the side in the two-match Test series against West Indies, starting on February 28, which will be part of the WTC.Bavuma takes over from Dean Elgar, who was named Test captain in mid-2021 and won his first four series, including a home series win over India, but lost in England and Australia. Bavuma will also continue as ODI captain but has relinquished the T20I job, following South Africa’s group-stage exits at the last two T20 World Cups.In Tests, Bavuma will team up with coach Shukri Conrad, whom he credited with helping him revive his ODI game. He scored a match-winning century against England in a series victory in January, which kept South Africa’s hopes of direct qualification for this year’s ODI World Cup alive.”We trust he [Bavuma] will deliver on all our expectations and help carry the team forward after some excellent work by his predecessor Dean during the same period,” Enoch Nkwe, CSA’s director of cricket, said. “At the same time, I would like to sincerely thank Dean for all his commitment to the role over the past two years. He helped the team navigate through some stormy waters and put them in good position on the ICC World Test Championship table.”Both men have made us proud with the work they have done within the wider Proteas group and look forward to the next step in what is a new era for the Proteas under the leadership of dual coaches Shukri Conrad and Rob Walter.”Speaking at the SA20 debrief, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who is the league’s commissioner, said any new captain would have a daunting task ahead. “The important part is for them to understand the strategy of how they’re going to get our team playing well again and dominating the world again,” he said. “That is going to be the most important part. All people in these types of leadership positions are going to have a strong buy-in with the key administrators who can help them grow the game and get better: from the selectors to the director of cricket to the CEO to some of the board members. That support, and that structure and the alignment of the strategy, is so important. They need to invest in that and take things on.”

Van der Dussen dropped, Markram recalled

South Africa’s Test squad saw several changes from the one that lost their last two series. Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne and Lungi Ngidi were left out of the squad, while opener Sarel Erwee was informed that he was no longer part of the red-ball plans after scoring one century but averaging 26.61 in his ten Tests. That opened the door for Aiden Markram’s return after he was dropped in England. Theunis de Bruyn was also told he was no longer required, which prompted his international retirement on Thursday.Rassie van der Dussen last played a Test in December in Australia•AFP/Getty Images

Markram will face competition from Western Province opener Tony de Zorzi, who earned his maiden call-up. De Zorzi is currently the leading run-scorer in CSA’s four-day division 1 series tallying 489 runs with a best of 304 not out.Keegan Petersen returned after recovering from a hamstring injury, and Ryan Rickelton was also included despite carrying a severe ankle injury that required surgery. He too has had a good run in the four-day tournament, scoring 240 runs in four innings with the help of two centuries.The squad will assemble in Centurion on February 24 and the first Test will start on February 28 in Centurion.South Africa squad for West Indies Tests: Temba Bavuma (capt), Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton

JP Duminy is set to be appointed batting coach

There are also changes to South Africa’s coaching set-up. JP Duminy is in discussions to take over as batting coach and will replace Justin Sammons, who was in the role under former coach Boucher. Duminy is currently the head coach of Boland, who are sixth in Division One of the four-day competition and finished in the same position in the One-Day Cup, and he also coached Paarl Royals, who lost in the semi-finals of the SA20.The selection panel, too, has been restructured. Victor Mpitsang and Patrick Moroney, who were in the jobs of selection convener and selector respectively, have been released. Among their more controversial decisions was the inclusion of Simon Harmer in the Manchester Test, which changed a winning attack from Lord’s and forced South Africa to bat first on a seamer-friendly pitch.CSA is reviewing the selection committee procedures. In the interim, the head coaches of the respective teams will play a leading role in squad selections.

Unbeaten 156-run stand puts total out of reach of visitors in 87-run victory

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2021Durham 327 for 6 (Dickson 103*, Doneathy 69, Bedingham 60, Lees 59) beat Lancashire 240 (Jones 65, Bohannon 52, Doneathy 4-36) by 87 runsAn unbeaten century from Sean Dickson and career-best performances with bat and ball from Luke Doneathy provided a winning platform for Durham to beat Lancashire by 87 runs in their Royal London Cup contest at Gosforth.Dickson and Doneathy combined for a partnership of 156, lifting the hosts from 171 for 6 to a total of 327 from their 50 overs. Dickson took centre stage as he scored his first List A century, although Doneathy more than played his part with a career-best knock of 69.Rob Jones and Josh Bohannon notched in-vain half-centuries for Lancashire. However, Doneathy was the visitors’ bane once more with the ball as he claimed four wickets to allow Durham to claim their third win in five matches to lift them above Lancashire in Group A into second place.Lancashire won the toss and inserted the home side, whose solid start to the contest was stymied as Graham Clark, Scott Borthwick and Cameron Bancroft were all dismissed cheaply. David Bedingham announced his arrival with a crisp straight drive down the ground to the fence.He and Alex Lees allowed Durham to regain their footing amid the clatter of wickets. Lees reached his 14th List A half-century in the process from 62 balls, continuing his impressive one-day form. Bedingham’s aggression allowed him to reach his second fifty of the competition in only 40 balls. However, Morley had his revenge to dismiss Lees, who missed a straight ball and was out lbw for 59.Hurt then produced a fine piece of bowling and fielding to prise out Bedingham for 60, leaving Durham in trouble at 155 for five. Dickson and Doneathy responded with controlled aggression.The two players put on a unbeaten stand of 156 for the seventh wicket, propelling Durham into a position of strength at the end of the innings and a total of 327. Dickson led the way his maiden List A century from 75 balls, smashing Danny Lamb to the fence in the final over. Doneathy played his role to perfection clearing the rope, and on occasions the ground, five times with a career-best 69.Lancashire made a steady start, although regular boundaries eluded Luke Wells and Bohannon. Wells attempted to cut loose, but he was caught by Clark off the bowling of Salisbury. The Durham man then notched his second wicket to remove Steven Croft, ensuring there was no repeat of his 99 at South North two years previously.Bohannon made a brisk half-century from 55 balls to end a lean time at the crease. His attempts to push on were ended when Doneathy produced a fine return catch to dismiss the right-hander for 52, forcing the visitors to regroup.Jones and George Lavelle countered with a partnership of 89 keeping Lancashire in touch with the run-rate. Jones notched his second fifty in a row from 50 balls, playing the anchor role for his team.Lavelle hit three sixes, but another lofty blow resulted in his wicket as Salisbury claimed a good catch over his shoulder. Paul van Meekeren dealt a massive blow to the visitors when he bowled Jones, who played onto his own stumps.The Netherlands international then removed George Balderson to allow the hosts to close in on victory. Doneathy surged through the tail with figures of 4 for 36 to secure a dominant win for Durham in their bid to qualify for the latter stages of the competition.

The Report by Alagappan Muthu in Chennai05-Aug-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-balls detailsFast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile and legspinner Cameron Boyce shared five wickets but South Africa A being restricted to 171 was largely a result of their own poor batting. The chase then was rather matter of fact. Australia A won by nine wickets with 19 overs to spare, earning a bonus point to boot.Most of the South Africa A players are coming together after an off-season and they did not look prepared. They had a 10-day camp at home in the hope of getting themselves game-ready and then a few hits in the nets in Chennai. But come game time, the slowness of the pitch provided too many problems.After South Africa A elected to bat, Dean Elgar and his opening partner Reeza Hendricks managed well enough, adding 71 runs. But the other nine could only cobble 77 more and needed a leg up from the 23 extras. There were no fifties and 186 out of the 292 deliveries they faced were dot balls. Only two batsmen managed a strike rate above 60 and they could not last the 50 overs. Not the most ideal audition with the senior team set for a 72-day tour of India in October.Australia A openers Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns, on the other hand, waltzed to their fifties and knocked 142 runs off the target themselves. They stroked 16 boundaries between them.Hardus Viljoen was smeared for a hat-trick of fours in the sixth over as Khawaja put away ordinary deliveries – a wide one driven through extra cover, one on leg stump whipped through midwicket, and a short one crunched through point. Lonwabo Tsotsobe was clattered for successive fours by Khawaja in the next over and in the eighth, bowled by first-change bowler Beuran Hendricks, Burns benefited from easy pickings: two short balls banished to two ends of the ground at point and deep midwicket. The bad balls, they kept on coming. The good times, they kept on going. Representative of that were the seven no-balls South Africa A bowled. Three of the resulting free-hits were smashed to the boundary.In contrast, Australia A bowlers gave nothing away. They had the advantage of playing in these conditions for two unofficial Tests and it showed in how tight a middle and off line Coulter-Nile adopted. His first spell read 5-1-13-0. With the rest of his team-mates keeping that pressure up, he had a more profitable second spell: wicketkeeper Dane Vilas was caught down the leg side. Four balls later Khaya Zondo’s edge was found. South Africa A, caught in a downward spiral, were 142 for 6 in the 39th over.But it was legspinner Boyce, who bowled 10 overs on the trot, and left-arm spinner Ashton Agar who initiated that downward spiral. Agar knew that with the batsmen already struggling to adjust to a slow pitch, his best chance was bowl even slower. Boyce, on the other hand, used the crease well, angling the ball on middle and leg, and created doubts in the batsman’s mind when a few turned sharply while most did nothing. Their 20 overs cost a measly 60 runs and yielded three of the top four wickets.So the story of the match ended up quite simple: In walked a South Africa A batsman, he couldn’t manipulate the field, he got bogged down, played a rash shot and off he went. Then Boyce and Coulter-Nile kept hitting repeat.

Alastair Cook said his side have proved to themselves that they can play one-day cricket in Indian conditions

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2013It will be a big stretch to compare England’s Rajkot ODI win to the famous Mumbai Test victory in November but the common factor in both is that Alastair Cook and his men have beaten India in conditions where the home side were expected to flourish.The Rajkot victory also gains in significance given England’s abysmal recent ODI run in India; James Tredwell showing again that there is talent besides Graeme Swann in England’s offspin department; the handy debut for Joe Root; and the winning start for new limited-overs coach Ashley Giles.”It is important, for the main reason that it gives us the confidence,” Cook said at the post-match conference, which took place amid a deafening fireworks show. “I mean it’s pretty much the same squad that we had last time out here when we lost 5-0. So to get an early win, especially in the first game, it proves to themselves that they can play in these conditions. You know it’s hard, you know it’s tough and it’s different – but I thought the way we fought out there, we’re going to have to do that again in the other games.”The victory, though, hasn’t changed Cook’s pre-series view that India are favourites. “I think we’re still clear underdogs just because of the fact that this is India’s home conditions and they’re so strong at home.”What will be particularly pleasing for England is the performance of Tredwell, who removed four of the top five batsmen to grab his second Man-of-the-Match award in the two ODIs he has played in India. Swann and Monty Panesar outbowled India’s spinners in the Test series and this time it was the turn of Tredwell to show the hosts’ tweakers how it is done. “We know what Tredders does,” Cook said. “To get four from there is really a brilliant effort.” The “there” was a reference to a belter of a track where most bowlers struggled to make an impact.Tredwell had support from an unexpected quarter. Root, the Yorkshire batsman who showed his tenacity with the bat on Test debut in Nagpur, sent down a series of tidy offspin overs to pull back India after their fast start, showing enough ability to hint that he could be counted on to bowl a few overs regularly. “We think of him as a batsman, he’s in there to score runs,” Cook said, after Root didn’t get to bat on debut. “Clearly, with the start we got, we needed the power hitters to come in next but there’ll be other times when he’ll bat at the top of the order. It’s a big bonus that he can bowl more than useful offspinners.”