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Luis Reece left his mark on his former county with a T20 best unbeaten 97 from 55 balls as Derbyshire beat Lancashire by 35 runs in the NatWest Blast game at Derby

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Luis Reece made his best score in T20 of 97 not out•Getty Images

Luis Reece left his mark on his former county with a T20 best unbeaten 97 from 55 balls as Derbyshire beat Lancashire by 35 runs in the NatWest Blast game at Derby.Reece hit 10 fours and four sixes and with Daryn Smit who made 42 from 20 balls added 77 in seven overs to take Derbyshire to an imposing 211 for 5. Liam Livingstone threatened to chase that down by smashing five sixes in an 18-ball 44 and Karl Brown made 41 but the Derbyshire bowlers hit back to end a run of two defeats in the North Group as Lancashire finished well short on 176 for 9.The visitors had elected to bowl first but Reece struck the ball cleanly from the start, driving Ryan McLaren straight for six and pulling him for four as 59 came from the first five overs.Reece dispatched Jordan Clark over the midwicket boundary and drove Matt Parkinson for a third six before Stephen Parry removed the dangerous Wayne Madsen who missed a reverse sweep in the ninth over.Derbyshire were well placed at 103 for 3 at the halfway point of the innings and although Gary Wilson was stumped charging at Parry, Reece drove Parkinson for his fourth six after reaching 50 from 26 balls. Arron Lilley also had Alex Hughes stumped in the 14th over but Lancashire’s bowlers could not exert any sustained pressure and Smit joined Reece to take Derbyshire past 200.Both batsmen improvised well with Smit plundering three consecutive fours from Junaid Khan as 62 came from the last six overs to leave Lancashire facing a tough chase under the lights.Livingstone moved into overdrive from the off, pulling and cutting Matt Henry for three sixes and two fours in the second over which cost 26 and he clubbed Hardus Viljoen over the ropes at midwicket from the last ball of the third.Imran Tahir was driven for a fifth six but Madsen’s offspin ended the onslaught when Livingstone skied a drive to long on where Hughes took a well judged catch. Brown picked up the baton by pulling Madsen and Tahir for sixes before he played on to Matt Critchley and the legspinner Derbyshire hopes soaring in his next over when Jos Butler failed to clear long off.Dane Vilas was run out when he was stranded at the same end as Lilley who kept Lancashire believing by driving Tahir for six but after Steven Croft drilled the South African high over the long-off boundary, Henry returned to york him.When Lilley drove Ben Cotton to cover in the next over, Lancashire were fading fast and Derbyshire comfortably closed out the game.

Bangladesh were “nowhere near their best,” said Shakib Al Hasan, as they succumbed to a nine-wicket defeat at the hands of India in the Champions Trophy semi-final at Edgbaston.They were progressing well at 154 for 2 with Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal well set with more than 20 overs left. But the introduction of Kedar Jadhav’s part-time offspin created “panic” in the batsmen who, in Shakib’s words, “played some silly shots” to be knocked over for 264.Shakib dismissed the idea that inexperience was to blame, pointing out that the players Jadhav dismissed were among the most seasoned in the Bangladesh side.”The way we performed today was very disappointing,” Shakib said. “We were in a good position to get 320 or 330. The batsmen were looking good to make individual hundreds and get us to 320.”But India bowled a few dot balls. And because it was a part-time bowler, the batsmen tried to score more runs and in doing that, they lost wickets. Losing two wickets to an occasional bowler obviously didn’t help. And from there on they kept on bowling in good areas and that put us under a lot of pressure.”We have played enough games to know these things happen. We are all experienced people. Bowlers bowl good balls and sometimes you can’t score runs. It doesn’t mean you panic and play big shots and get out. We played some silly shots. And on this wicket, a score of 260 or 270 is not even par.”In that situation, it was important for them to bat another five or 10 overs, like the way I did with Mahmudullah against New Zealand. If they could have batted until the 40th over, both would have scored their hundreds and we might have made 330 or 340.”That was the game-changing period. It is disappointing. Playing in a semi-final is a big thing for us but we were nowhere near our best.”Shakib wasn’t overly impressed with Bangladesh’s performance in the field, either. While he accepted the batsman had made life “very hard” for the bowlers with an inadequate total, he was disappointed by their response.”We have a solid bowling line-up,” he said. “But there isn’t much help for the bowlers on these wickets unless you are a super quality bowler. Most of our bowlers need a little bit of help from the wicket, but we haven’t been getting any. I haven’t taken any wickets in the tournament.”With our total and that wicket, we knew it was very hard for our bowlers. But still I think we were nowhere near our best in our bowling and fielding.”Shakib insisted there were no divisions in the squad, though, and suggested that the team would learn from the experience.”It’s a group,” he said. “It’s nothing individual. We play as a team, we win as a team and we lose as a team.”Now we have time to regroup and come back strongly. We’ve come a long way and from here we can only go forward. We will have a good break and think how we can move forward.”

While clarifying a previous statement which left open the possibility that he could extend his career if the team needs him, Younis said he would retire even if he “scores a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies”

Umar Farooq23-Apr-2017

Pakistan batsman Younis Khan remains firm about his intent to retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing three-Test series against West Indies. In a clarification of a previous statement which left open the possibility that he could extend his career if his team needs him, Younis said that he will retire even if he scores “a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies”.Younis’ statement around the possibility of reconsidering his retirement raised a number of eyebrows in Pakistan, a country familiar with difficult and prolonged retirements; only two weeks ago he had announced his decision to end his career.”A lot has been said about my retirement from cricket that maybe Younis wants to keep on playing Test cricket which is absolutely not true,” Younis said in a video message released on the second day of the first Test in Kingston. “I had announced my retirement with a plan, with honour after thinking and according to my wish.”The question that was asked to me, what my answer was and what version went out, I don’t want to go in detail. Younis Khan will retire even if he scores a hundred in every innings of every match against West Indies. Please don’t doubt Younis Khan’s credibility and support Pakistan. Pray for Younis Khan and for Pakistan that we can win a Test series for the very first time in West Indies.”

Younis sets the record straight on retirement

Posted by ESPNcricinfo on Saturday, April 22, 2017

Younis, 39, had announced his decision to retire from international cricket on April 8. At the time, when asked if he would reconsider his decision if asked to return by the PCB or fans, he said: “This will be a u-turn and then people will call me u-turn. But the country is always first and we can do anything for Pakistan. I am not saying that I want to captain but I don’t want to make a u-turn. I am for Pakistan and Pakistan is everything for me.”His retirements from T20 internationals and ODIs have not been without some drama. In 2009, he announced his intent to retire from T20 internationals moments after leading the side to the World T20 title. But a year later, he played three T20I matches in New Zealand, after which he was never selected for the format.He announced his retirement from ODIs on the morning of the start of a four-ODI series against England in the UAE in November 2015 and walked away after playing the first match. He had been recalled to the side after losing his place following a disappointing performance in the 2015 World Cup, and had been vocal in his criticism of the selectors in the wake of his axing.With Younis and Misbah-ul-Haq set to retire at the end of the series, Pakistan’s selection committee is looking to induct youngsters in the side with the intention of building a new team after the exits of the senior batsmen. The team’s next assignment is a series against Bangladesh and Pakistan’s chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq was known to be keen to move on beyond Misbah and Younis after the Caribbean tour

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the first day of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and New South Wales in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2017ScorecardFile photo – Cameron Bancroft scored 104 for Western Australia•Getty Images

Cameron Bancroft scored his second century of the Sheffield Shield season as Western Australia piled on the runs on the first day of their match against New South Wales at the WACA. The Warriors began this round fifth on the Shield table but could still reach the final if they win outright and other results fall their way, while the Blues entered the game sitting second.Western Australia’s top order made plenty of runs between them. Hilton Cartwright at No.3 scored 70 before he was caught behind off Doug Bollinger, which then left Bancroft and Ashton Turner to put on 139 for the third wicket.Turner missed out on the chance to bring up his third hundred of the Shield summer when he fell to the spin of William Somerville for 84, but by that stage Bancroft had already brought up his and fallen for 104. The retiring Adam Voges finished unbeaten on 48 with wicketkeeper Josh Inglis on 35 as the Warriors moved to 5 for 360.

Rain brought day two to an early end after three wickets in two overs from Shakib Al Hasan had left the second Test delicately poised

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:33

Isam: New Zealand are under fire

Rain brought day two to an early end after three wickets in two overs from Shakib Al Hasan had left the second Test delicately poised. Replying to Bangladesh’s 289, New Zealand had slid from 252 for 4 to 260 for 7 when bad weather arrived some 20 minutes from scheduled close of play, ending a seesawing day in which New Zealand had routinely held the upper hand only for quick losses of wickets to stall their progress.Taylor climbs up the table

3 New Zealand batsmen with 6000 or more Test runs. Ross Taylor got there in this match and only Stephen Fleming (7172) and Brendon McCullum (6453) sit above him on the list.

6 Fifty-plus scores for Tom Latham in his last seven Tests. No other New Zealand player has made more than four such scores in the same number of successive matches.

3/32 Shakib Al Hasan’s figures, his best across four Tests in New Zealand. This was his maiden three-wicket haul in the country, having picked up only five wickets in previous matches. All three wickets came in the space of nine balls after he was used for only four overs in the first 66 of the innings.

2 Fifties for Henry Nicholls in this series; equaling the number of fifties he had made in nine Tests and 14 innings previously.

First, New Zealand had capitalised on two dropped catches and moved to 46 for 0 before Kamrul Islam Rabbi pegged them back with two wickets in three balls. Then a 106-run third-wicket partnership between Tom Latham and Ross Taylor, which rattled along at 4.41 per over, put Bangladesh on the back foot only for both to fall, against the run of play, in the space of 8.5 overs. Shakib’s triple-strike came after another meaty partnership – 75 for the fifth wicket between Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner. Nicholls was batting on 56 at stumps, with New Zealand seven down and trailing by 29 runs.Shakib, Bangladesh’s most experienced bowler, had only been used for four overs when he came back into the attack to start the 67th of New Zealand’s innings. His under-utilisation may have had something to do with the fact that left-handers comprised four of New Zealand’s top six, but if that was the case, it reflected one-track thinking from their captain Tamim Iqbal, for within four balls of his new spell, Shakib dismissed a stodgy left-hander.Playing for turn, Santner went on the back foot to work Shakib, bowling from left-arm over, into the leg side. The lack of turn, however, left him in a fully open position and he ended up playing across the line and missing by a long way. The ball hit his back pad in front of middle stump. Reviewing Paul Reiffel’s out decision, Santner had to walk back without technology either upholding or rejecting it, as ball-tracking failed to materialise. Umpire’s call seemed the likely outcome, with the ball looking like it may have gone on to clip leg stump. New Zealand got their review back, but not their No. 6.Bowling with a low arm from around the wicket and getting the ball to skid on towards the stumps, Shakib gobbled up BJ Watling and Colin de Grandhomme in his next over. Both played for the turn, and both were bowled playing unneccessarily aggressive shots. Watling chopped on an attempted cut, de Grandhomme played a loose drive, leaving a massive gap for the ball to sneak through.If the scorecard at stumps was an indictment of New Zealand’s batsmen for frittering away their starts, it also flattered Bangladesh’s bowlers, who were frustratingly inconsistent for most of the day. They began excellently in the first session, lost their discipline in the second, and seemed to be letting the game drift in the third before Shakib intervened.Shakib Al Hasan removed Colin de Grandhomme for a three-ball duck•Getty ImagesTaskin Ahmed, though, was excellent with the new ball, beating the outside edge four times in his first three overs, and finding Jeet Raval’s edge in his sixth, only for Sabbir Rahman, moving to his right from second slip, to grass a knee-high catch. Taskin troubled the two left-handed openers so frequently because of his line, which didn’t allow the comfortable leave despite his angle across them, his length, which was usually on the fuller side of good, and every now and again a bit of seam movement towards the slips. He did overpitch on a few occasions – Latham in particular capitalised with three splendid, full-faced drives to the straight boundary – but that did not cause him to pull his length back at any point.Mehedi Hasan opened the bowling with Taskin, extracted bounce, and created a chance in his first over, provoking a drive away from the body from Raval that resulted in a low chance that Mahmudullah, rising too quickly at second slip, shelled. Raval didn’t do much with his two lives. The opening partnership had stretched to 46 before Kamrul, coming on as second change, broke through in the 15th over, his first. Trying to pull one that was perhaps not short enough, Raval was cramped for room and only managed a bottom-edge onto the stumps.Two balls later, New Zealand were two down. Kane Williamson may be among the hardest players in the world to dismiss, but even he could do little when confronted with the perfect late outswinger – full enough to draw him forward but not so full that he could get close to the pitch of it, its initial line close enough to off stump to force him to play, and its movement late enough to prevent him from adjusting and withdrawing his bat. Wicketkeeper Nurul Islam tumbled to his right to take his first catch in Test cricket.Latham batted serenely through the first session, never following the ball with his hands even when he was beaten, and had only one real moment of discomfort, when the slingy Rubel Hossain bowled a bouncer that didn’t rise as much as expected. Latham was unable to sway away in time, and the ball crunched into his helmet grille and sent the protective attachment at the back of his neck flying.By lunch, Latham and Taylor had added 23, and had seen out some tight bowling from Bangladesh’s quicks. Their discipline suffered after the break, though, and boundary balls grew frequent. Taylor, who has looked in excellent touch since the series against Pakistan – thanks in part to adopting a consciously side-on approach, with front shoulder pointing down the pitch rather than opening out to mid-on – drove fluently through the covers in addition to showing off his usual strengths of cutting and working the ball off his legs.The first 13 overs of the post-lunch session brought 83 runs at 6.38, including nine fours and two sixes, and New Zealand seemed to be running away with the game, when Bangladesh profited from a loss of concentration from Latham on 68. Looking to cut one that wasn’t quite wide enough for the shot, he top-edged Taskin in the first over after drinks.Taylor could have followed him seven overs later, when he misread the flight of an offbreak from Mehedi and whipped it in the air to deep square leg, only for Kamrul, diving forward, to drop the low chance. He was on 75 at that point, had already brought up one landmark – becoming the third New Zealander to pass 6000 Test runs – and seemed set to bring up another and equal the late Martin Crowe, his mentor, on 17 Test hundreds. But that wasn’t to be; he had added only two runs to his score when he drove too early at Mehedi in his next over and spooned a catch to short midwicket.

Journalist Dean Jones has suggested that Manchester United outcast Mason Greenwood wouldn't be welcome at any other side in English football amid rumours surrounding his future.

What's the latest news involving Mason Greenwood?

The Sun have claimed that Greenwood could be offered a chance to continue his career at Juventus, with the option of a long-term loan deal said to be a possibility by the outlet.

As per the report, the 21-year-old has not played for the club since last year due to allegations of rape and assault, which were dropped earlier this year. Greenwood has been training alone away from Manchester United's Carrington complex, though Juventus, Roma and AC Milan retain an interest in the player.

The Mirror cite that he is still currently suspended by Manchester United as they carry out an internal investigation into affairs. The Red Devils made a statement following the news of his charges being dropped, stating: "Manchester United notes the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service that all charges against Mason Greenwood have been dropped. The club will now conduct its own process before determining next steps. We will not make any further comment until that process is complete."

It isn't thought that Greenwood has any future at Old Trafford and any decision on this will be dealt with by the club directly rather than management staff.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones has suggested that Greenwood may go abroad as the 'backlash' over the striker signing for another club in England would be immense.

Jones told FFC: "It would be really interesting if Juve went down this route. I can't see Greenwood being welcomed at any English clubs in the near future and I think there'll be a backlash if anyone was just trying to sign him. So you know, there probably is an element of going abroad that might suit him if that can happen."

What next for Manchester United?

Off-field situations will be dealt with by the powers that be at Manchester United, leaving manager Erik Ten Hag to focus on the task at hand on the pitch.

The Red Devils are embroiled in a battle for the Premier League top-four and sit fourth in the table, just one point above Liverpool in fifth; however, they have played a game less than their bitter rivals.

Manchester United face Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham in their last four league fixtures, before taking on Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley in early June for a chance to win another piece of silverware.

Ten Hag will be fully focused on trying to make sure his side finish this term with a flourish and will leave matters outwith his control to whom they may concern.

Steve Magoffin celebrated a 10-wicket haul for the fourth time in his career but he could end up on the losing side with Worcestershire favourites to see off a Sussex run chase in teir bid to finish runners-up in Division Two

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2016
ScorecardSteve Magoffin finished with 10 wickets in the match•Getty ImagesSteve Magoffin celebrated a ten-wicket match haul for the fourth time in his Sussex career but Worcestershire are favourites to beat them and improve their chances of claiming runners-up spot in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship.Magoffin followed his first innings 5 for 38 by taking 5 for 32 from 15 overs as Worcestershire were dismissed for 198 in their second innings on another day of rich entertainment in which 17 wickets fell and 390 runs were scored.It has left Sussex with a victory target of 272 on a pitch still offering plenty of assistance to the seam bowlers and they suffered a big blow in the final over of the day when Chris Nash was leg before to Joe Leach. They will resume on 13 for 1, still needing 259 to win.Worcestershire had claimed a crucial first innings lead of 77 but Magoffin had them in trouble immediately when Daryl Mitchell was caught at cover off a leading edge from the first ball of the innings.Magoffin ‘best in division’

Mark Davis, Sussex coach: “Steve Magoffin bowled magnificently again on a pitch where you can score runs quite quickly. In the last few games he has been absolutely fantastic for us and here he got great support from the other seamers, particularly David Wiese. It was great to see Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer batting so intelligently. CJ is a bit of a mentor to Jofra and it showed – their partnership might turn out to be absolutely crucial.”
Matt Mason, Worcestershire assistant coach: “Our batsmen think Steve Magoffin is the best new-ball bowler in the division and he showed it again, I thought he was magnificent for them.

Magoffin struck again in this second over when Chris Nash pulled off a superb diving catch at second slip to remove Brett D’Oliveira. Magoffin has now claimed the wickets of 22 opening batsmen this season – the best record in the country – but Worcestershire rallied thanks to a stand of 68 between Tom Fell and Joe Clarke.Throughout the game, though, wickets have fallen in clusters and it happened again when three fell in the space of 18 balls. Wiese picked up Clarke (35) when he mis-timed a drive to extra cover before George Rhodes (6) was leg before offering no shot in the South African’s next over.Tom Kohler-Cadmore was leg before to Jofra Archer to register his fourth successive duck and leave his side 76 for 5 but once again Fell led a recovery, this time with Ben Cox. Together they added 113 in 24 overs with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs targeted as he had been in the first innings. Cox struck him down the ground for two sixes while Fell pushed on after being dropped by Nash on 57.Magoffin was summoned back into the attack and immediately made the breakthrough when Fell, trying to cut, was surprised by extra bounce and edged behind for 85, made from 126 balls with 12 fours.In his next over a full-length delivery was too good for Cox (56) and Magoffin completed his five-for when he yorked Miguel Cummins.Wiese gave him excellent support, picking up the last two wickets to finish with 4 for 18, his best figures for the county.Worcestershire would have been in an even better position had Chris Jordan not led some spirited resistance by Sussex’s lower order earlier in the day.From a parlous 71 for 7 he helped the last three wickets put on 158 of which his own contribution was an unbeaten 57. An enterprising stand of 97 with Archer ensured Sussex avoided the follow-on but it was their fellow Barbadian Cummins who stole the show.The Worcestershire paceman finished with figures of 7 for 84 after picking up four more wickets in a high-quality display down the slope on a pitch offering him plenty of encouragement.

Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood has slammed Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa after he gave away a penalty in the club's most recent game.

What's the latest on Wolves and Jose Sa?

The Molineux outfit had to travel away from home to take on Leicester City in a big clash towards the bottom of the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, the threat of relegation is very real for both teams, although the Foxes are in a bit more trouble, coming onto the match stuck inside the bottom three.

Perhaps with that in mind, Wolves – who came into the game five places above the relegation zone – started the game with more confidence and took an early lead thanks to a fine finish from Matheus Cunha.

However, despite dominating the early stages of the game. Julen Lopetegui's men found themselves pegged back in the 37th minute.

Jamie Vardy latched onto a good through-ball, and after his touch took him past Sa, the goalkeeper clattered into the striker.

Referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot and there could be no complaints as Kelechi Iheanacho put the resulting penalty kick away to make it 1-1.

Evidently unimpressed with what he'd just witnessed, pundit Sherwood was far from kind when dropping his verdict on Sa.

Indeed, he told Sky Sports: "Vardy looks like he is hurt. He looks to be in agony.

"He was going away from the goal, l have no idea what Sa was thinking."

Could Jose Sa be dropped after this mistake?

Sherwood certainly was right about Vardy, who had to be replaced by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at half-time after being fouled by Sa.

And it seems as though he was also fair when questioning the £25k-per-week goalkeeper for rushing out of position and bringing the Englishman down.

For example, journalist Liam Keen also slammed the actions of Sa. He wrote on Twitter: "Sa makes a call to come and makes a big error, taking Vardy out. He's booked too."

What's more, according to journalist Alan Nixon of The Sun, Wolves are potentially looking to sign Sunderland shot-stopper Anthony Patterson next summer.

That could mean Lopetegui has some doubts about Sa in the long term and he certainly wouldn't have done his reputation any favours with this major error in judgement.

For now, at least, he has until the rest of the season to prove his quality between the sticks as Wolves fight to avoid the drop.

Fast bowler Pat Cummins is expected to use an Australia A series in August to make his return from a long lay-off due to a stress fracture of the back. Cummins has been named in a 24-man squad for Australia A’s winter games in Queensland, while there were also call-ups for young batsmen Matt Renshaw, Sam Heazlett, Alex Ross, Travis Dean, Kurtis Patterson and Jake Lehmann, the son of national coach Darren Lehmann.Australia A will play a pair of four-day games against South Africa A in Brisbane and Townsville from July 30 to August 9, before a quadrangular one-day series featuring the same two teams, the National Performance Squad, and a fourth international side yet to be confirmed. The one-dayers will be play in Townsville and Mackay, before two more four-day games in September.Cummins is expected to be used in the one-day games, if he continues to recover from the back stress fracture that was diagnosed last September and ruled him out of yet another home summer. Cummins was part of the World Cup-winning squad early last year and remains a Cricket Australia-contracted player, despite injuries having prevented him from playing Sheffield Shield cricket for more than five years.”Pat is tracking along nicely in his recovery from his long term injury and we are hopeful he will be available for the one-day matches in this series,” national selector Rod Marsh said. “However, we will be guided by medical staff on his return.”The list of bowlers in the squad also includes Joe Mennie and Daniel Worrall, the South Australia pair who topped the Sheffield Shield wicket tally last summer, as well as Chris Tremain, and spinner Mitchell Swepson.Australia A squad Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Cameron Boyce, Pat Cummins, Travis Dean, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Sam Heazlett, Moises Henriques, Jake Lehmann, Chris Lynn, Joe Mennie, Kurtis Patterson, Joel Paris, Matt Renshaw, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Daniel Worrall, Sam Whiteman.Four-day matches
July 30-August 2: Australia A v South Africa A, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
August 6-9: Australia A v South Africa A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
September 8-11: Australia A v TBC, Allan Border Field
September 15-18: Australia A v TBC, Allan Border Field
One-day series
August 13: South Africa A v NPS, Townsville
August 14: Australia A v TBC, Townsville
August 16: Australia A v NPS, Townsville
August 17: South Africa A v TBC, Townsville
August 20: Australia A v South Africa A, Townsville
August 21: TBC v NPS, Townsville
August 24: NPS v Australia A, Harrup Park, Mackay
August 25: South Africa A v TBC, Mackay
August 27: NPS v TBC, Mackay
August 28: Australia A v South Africa A, Mackay
August 30: Australia A v TBC, Mackay
August 31: South Africa A v NPS, Mackay
September 3: Final 3 v 4, Mackay
September 4: Final 1 v 2, Mackay

Don Robson, the driving force behind Durham’s emergence as a first-class county, has died at the age of 82

David Hopps11-Mar-2016Don Robson, the driving force behind Durham’s emergence as a first-class county, has died at the age of 82.Durham became the 18th first-class county in 1992, the first since Glamorgan in 1921, defying the general assumption that county cricket was certain to decline rather than expand bravely into what became its most northerly outpost.After difficult beginnings, they went on to dominate the professional game, winning six trophies between 2007 and 2014, including three Championships, and also staging international cricket at their purpose-built Chester-le-Street ground.The death of the man who was chiefly responsible for delivering that dream comes at a challenging time when Durham are under considerable financial strain, inviting questions whether regular England cricket in the north-east is sustainable.Robson, immensely proud of the north-east, would have had no truck with such pessimism. As leader of Durham county council (the youngest ever when he was appointed in 1973) and an influential member of the regional assembly, he had political clout in the region and he put it to good use in a straightforward, immensely committed style.His ambition was to provide a home for the succession of cricketers developed in the north-east but who had previously had to leave the county to fulfil their ambitions to play professional cricket.Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, knew Robson well from his time as commercial director at Durham.He said: “Don played a leading role in gaining first-class status for Durham prior to their inaugural season at the top table in 1992. The north-east was going through a really tough time economically and Don’s efforts therefore didn’t just help cricket, they also helped the region regain some pride.”The success of Durham on the field, the development of several England players and the staging of international cricket at the Emirates Riverside are all achievements that would not have been possible without Don’s contribution”Don was equally committed to the recreational game – I would often see him watching Greenside CC play in the Tyneside & Northumberland league on a Saturday afternoon.”Robson became Durham’s first chairman as a first-class county, but this was no political sop. He led the fundraising drive, lobbying extensively and continuing his involvement in cricket in the north-east.He was involved when Durham were England’s dominant minor county through the 1970s and ’80s – going 65 games unbeaten between 1976 and 1982 – managed the Under-19 team for a while and represented the county at several committees on the Test and County Cricket Board – the forerunner of the ECB.In April 1992 they played their first match as a first-class county – a Sunday League fixture against Lancashire at the Racecourse Ground in Durham. Ian Botham and Wayne Larkins, two high-profile signings, opened the batting and Durham won. It was a decade and more before winning became a habit.Most importantly, Durham secured land for a permanent headquarters on the outskirts of Chester-le-Street, adjoining the River Wear and with Lumley Castle providing a striking backdrop. A Chester-le-Street farmer had been willing to end his lease because the land was too wet. In May 1995, Durham played their inaugural game on the ground against Warwickshire and the pavilion was named in Robson’s honour and opened by the Queen in 1996.Geoff Cook, Durham’s director of cricket – the longest-serving county coach in the game – said on the their website: “You had to be involved at the time of Durham’s emergence from minor counties cricket to appreciate the enormity of Don’s involvement in the whole scheme.”To be the first new county for 70 or 80 years was a big thing in its own right, but the practicalities of getting the finance and the ground in place were vital to us having a realistic chance of succeeding.”A tremendous amount of balls were up in the air at the same time, but Don remained completely focused throughout the process and at the same time he progressed his business as well as his political career.”It was amazing to be on hand to witness his mental and physical energy and the way he was able to pull things together. He really was a remarkable man. He had a ferocious energy and a determination to satisfy his vision.”No matter the size of the hurdles that got in his way, he always felt he could surmount them. He was formidable, but he had a lot of warmth and he was a caring person.”Before awarding first-class status, Durham had to have at least £1m in the bank and guarantee to secure a permanent ground within five years.Robson used his political contacts to win major support from such companies as Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, but he was a politician who also had a strong connection with the public and they trusted him with a rush of small donations and offers of help in the belief that he would achieve his goal.He was awarded a CBE for services to local government in 1997 and received an honorary doctorate from Sunderland University in 2002 in recognition both of this and his role in securing Durham’s first-class status. He also played professional football as a centre-forward with Doncaster Rovers and Gateshead.