All posts by h716a5.icu

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson knows they have a tough task on their hands in the Pakistan series in the UAE next month

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2014New Zealand haven’t beaten Pakistan in a Test series since 1985, and their coach Mike Hesson knows they have a tough task on their hands in the series in the UAE next month. One of the main challenges will be adapting to the heat in the UAE, where the mercury rises to the 30s while in New Zealand the temperatures are mostly sub-20 degrees.”Temperatures will be in the mid-30s with a dry heat that really saps your energy,” Hesson wrote on his blog on the New Zealand Cricket website. “They don’t call Test cricket a war of attrition for nothing, so the warm-up match against Pakistan A starting on Monday will be critical to acclimatising to those conditions.”We now have a lot of experience both within the players and the management group in terms of dealing with the heat, but we’re not in denial that it’s going to be extreme.”Hesson set two main targets for his team in the Pakistan series: “The first is our ability to take wickets on unresponsive surfaces, and the second is that our batsmen all have a method to cope when the ball starts turning, to both defend and to score. If we can achieve those two tasks, we’ll go some way to improving our poor record against Pakistan.”New Zealand have just seven wins and 23 defeats in 50 Tests against Pakistan, who are currently dominating a two-Test series against Australia in the UAE.

Hampshire’s slow left-armer Danny Briggs claimed four wickets to leave Division Two’s bottom side Derbyshire in trouble at the Ageas Bowl

Press Association02-Jun-2014
ScorecardDanny Briggs’ four wickets left Derbyshire struggling to avoid the follow on (file photo)•PA PhotosHampshire’s slow left-armer Danny Briggs claimed four wickets to leave Division Two’s bottom side Derbyshire in trouble at the Ageas Bowl. They finished the second day on 166 for 7, still 222 runs behind and, with no recognised batsmen left, facing an uphill struggle.The visitors had done a good job of polishing off the leaders’ innings in the morning as once Michael Bates was removed having made his half-century, Mark Footitt finished off the tail.With only 56 added to the overnight total Derbyshire at least had some momentum but the loss of Paul Borrington to Briggs just before lunch curtailed their progress. Sean Ervine had Wayne Madsen caught at slip and bad light forced an early tea with Stephen Moore still unbeaten on 48.Upon the resumption, the 23-year-old Briggs was back in the action, trapping Marcus North lbw but Kyle Abbott’s removal of Moore for 53 in similar fashion dealt the real blow.At 101 for 4, Derbyshire were in trouble but Scott Elstone and Alex Hughes fought back with a partnership of 59, which was eventually broken when Ervine took another good catch at slip to give Briggs his third victim.Gareth Cross fell cheaply to Abbott before the Briggs-Elstone combination accounted for Hughes to leave Derbyshire still needing 73 runs to avoid the follow on. Briggs closed with 4 for 29 off 22 overs with his sights set on eclipsing his career-best figures of 6 for 45.

Michael Carberry and Matt Coles silenced the Chelmsford crow as Hampshire beat Essex, South Group leaders, to underline their NatWest t20 Blast qualities

Ryan Bailey at Chelmsford23-Jul-2014
ScorecardMichael Carberry gave Hampshire a blistering start (file picture)•Getty ImagesAs England plunge deeper into disarray, several discounted players could, if they so wish, look on rather smugly. Michael Carberry, it could be argued, is sitting prettiest. If anything, his repute has been enhanced as he channels his indignation into scoring runs for Hampshire. A swashbuckling fifty at Chelmsford silenced the crowd and got his message across.Carberry was one England’s more defiant players during a chastening winter, producing some stubborn displays at the top of the order, but he was overlooked by Peter Moores’ new regime. It is unlikely a recall will come, particularly in the longer-format, as England look to the future, but the manner in which he disdainfully clubbed and swatted the Essex bowling to, and over, the fence had an element of wrath about it.He spanked 25 off the third over of Hampshire’s chase, despite James Vince falling first ball to Graham Napier, and welcomed young Matt Salisbury into the attack the next over by bludgeoning him for three further boundaries. By the time his defences were breached by Ravi Bopara in the eighth over, he had struck six fours and four maximums – destruction had well and truly been done.Matt Coles – promoted up the order in an attempt to improve Hampshire’s run rate – took great pleasure in dishing out more punishment to Essex’s helpless attack in scoring the quickest half-century of the season as Hampshire reached their target of 168 with 15 balls left.Essex’s total was always likely to be inadequate on a bountiful surface and village-green sized boundaries. At one point, the umpires radioed upstairs asking for more balls to be sourced; it was lucky they did as the carnage escalated. In all, the rope was cleared 19 times but Hampshire suffered less damage as their slower bowlers operated acutely.Jesse Ryder, for a player who has built his repute in the shortest-format, has failed to provide the pyrotechnics he’s capable of on a regular basis up front. Ryder’s footwork, particularly against spin, is questionable at the best of times but the manner in which Will Smith fired one through his shadowy defences, trying to force one into the off side, set a precedent.The ease in which Essex have coasted through the group stage without him firing regularly is a testament to the subordinates below him. However, Paul Grayson will be hoping a below-par performance, in all disciplines, is nothing more than a blip in a near faultless season to date.Tom Westley has stood tallest as top-scorer and coming in at the fall of the first wicket, with Ryder’s indifferent form, there has been weight on his shoulders to direct the innings. He briefly did so with a quickfire 31 but after ignited the innings with a couple of glorious shots through the covers, Hampshire put the brakes on their charge.Essex lost four for 36 in the final five overs, however, as Hampshire’s spinners mixed their pace to great effect. Smith led the way with career-best figures of 3 for 17 as James Foster followed Ryder’s suit and Ryan ten Doeschate holed out to Glenn Maxwell at deep midwicket. Coles conceded 42 runs in his four overs but repaired the damage with the bat in some style.

The WICB and the USA Cricket Association have announced a “long-term joint partnership” to help develop cricket in the USA

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2014The WICB and the USA Cricket Association (USACA) have announced a “long-term joint partnership” to help develop cricket in the USA. The plan includes bringing the best performing players in USACA leagues and clubs into WICB development programmes, and having a member of West Indies’ board of directors sit on the USA board to prop up cricket administration in the country.The focus will be on bettering player performance, administration and the financial state of the game in the USA, the joint statement from the two boards said. To facilitate the third point, USACA’s chief executive “have a position” on the WICB’s executive committee.WICB president Whycliffe Cameron said the West Indies board was supporting the USACA’s attempt to bring in governance changes. “We are going to be engaged on a day-to-day basis on the three core pillars for development,” Cameron said. “We will rapidly build plans and open up infrastructure for bringing top US players into the West Indian development system, and we are supporting the finalisation of the current USACA governance changes.”Gladstone Dainty, the USACA president, said the “access to a very close geographic Full Member” was a great chance for his administration and the players. “Having the opportunity to work closely with another Full Member country offers exciting opportunities for US players looking to sharpen skills and experiences with world-class cricketers. The WICB will also, via their board member on the USACA board, support the governance change programme that the USACA board is currently managing. This is a long-term strategy to help build the three foundations for a highly successful US cricketing market: high performance development, models for economic growth and modern-day governance.”Prior to establishing a formal partnership, the WICB had invited USACA to send a USA national team to participate in the Nagico Super50 regional tournament this past January and February, according to a USACA source. USA would have joined Ireland as Associate nations in the event but USACA had to decline the invitation in part because of the costs USACA would have incurred in order to send a team to play three group stage games in Trinidad and Tobago. A Combined Campuses and Colleges team wound up participating instead.In November 2009, USACA announced a “strategic partnership” with New Zealand Cricket which was intended to also facilitate the sharing of resources between the countries. Dipak Patel traveled to Florida to conduct a preparation camp for the USA U-19 squad ahead of their participation two months later in the 2010 U19 World Cup in New Zealand. Patel also served as a consultant coach for the USA senior team in February 2010 at that year’s World T20 Qualifier in the UAE and ICC WCL Division Five in Nepal. Although there were initial plans to send USA players to New Zealand to develop and get experience in their professional setup, those plans eventually fell through.New Zealand Cricket also signaled their intentions as part of the partnership to stage games in the USA, including the proposed launch of a professional T20 league. New Zealand played Sri Lanka in two T20Is at Central Broward Regional Park in Florida in May 2010 followed by two more T20Is against the West Indies in the summer of 2012. USACA sold the hosting rights for the pair of 2012 matches to the WICB for $1. However, the WICB and NZC chose not to stage any further matches at the Florida venue for the upcoming New Zealand tour to the West Indies this summer, which includes two T20Is to be held in Dominica and three Test matches.This WICB partnership comes at a vital time for the USACA. The organistaion is on shaky ground, given it could be facing suspension from the ICC with its control over the sport in the country slipping. Under ICC rules, Associate membership is dependent upon a board proving it is “the sole recognised governing body for cricket in the country”. But dissatisfaction with the USACA had meant around a third of the country’s senior hard-ball leagues signed up with the rival organisation, the American Cricket Federation.In another setback, apparent frustration at the USACA’s failure to accept governance reform was said to be a contributing factor the board’s chief executive, Darren Beazley, recently quitting – his yet-to-be-named replacement will sit on the WICB’s executive committee. High performance manager Andy Pick also resigned, citing political interference in his selection and development plans. The board is believed to be around $3m in debt and if the ICC suspend it and withdraw funding – believed to be around $400,000 a year – it could spell the end for it.The USACA had twice before been suspended by the ICC, both times with Dainty at the helm; in 2005 and 2007 the ICC took the action due to governance issues.

Kevin Pietersen’s taped little finger on the right hand is giving Delhi Daredevils some anxious moments ahead of their game against Royal Challengers Bangalore

Nagraj Gollapudi13-Apr-2014Kevin Pietersen’s taped little finger on the right hand is giving Delhi Daredevils some anxious moments, four days ahead of the their first match in the IPL. Pietersen, appointed the captain by the franchise, arrived last week in Delhi to join the squad with what is being described as a “niggle” in his finger. He subsequently avoided batting during the training sessions in Delhi. Pietersen continued to wrap his last two fingers on his right hand during the team’s training sessions to raise concerns.However, Daredevils’ chief executive Hemant Dua remained confident on Pietersen being fit for the team’s first match on April 17 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah. “He has said he will be fine. He has done a little bit of batting,” Dua said. According to , Pietersen is carrying a fracture but Dua was not ready to ring out the alarm bells yet. “I can’t comment on that. He hasn’t told me that he will not be playing the first game. It is a niggle he has told me.”Pietersen himself has sounded relaxed about the taped finger and even joked that he would avoid shaking hands in public as it would aggravate his injury. “I hit my little finger last week, but I will be okay. Just protecting it ( with the bandage covering) so I won’t be shaking hands with anybody ( laughs) in the next few weeks. It’s just a niggle, but I will be good,” Pietersen had told the earlier this week.The tournament will be Pietersen’s return to active cricket since his England contract was abruptly terminated by the ECB in February, less than a week before the IPL player auction. The sack, though, did not hurt Pietersen’s stock at all as Daredevils bought him for INR 9 crore (US $ 1.4 million) and a month later, unveiled him as the franchise captain.

An unbeaten century by opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq helped Pakistan crush Afghanistan in the first of the three-match Under-19 ODI series in Lahore

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2014
ScorecardAn unbeaten century by opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq helped Pakistan crush Afghanistan in the first of the three-match Under-19 ODI series in Lahore. Imam hit 15 fours and two sixes in his 91-ball 106 and added an unbeaten 129 for the third wicket with Saud Shakeel to overhaul Afghanistan’s total with 14.1 overs to spare.Chasing 181, Pakistan lost their first two wickets for 52 runs, but Imam and Shakeel not only prevented any further damage, they also kept scoring at a brisk pace. Imam reached his half-century – in 55 balls – with consecutive boundaries off Hashmatullah Shaidi, but then increased the pace further, reaching his hundred off the 88th delivery, an over before the finish. Shakeel, too, completed his half-century in the same over, reaching the landmark in 58 deliveries.Barring Abdullah Adil, none of the Afghanistan bowlers were able to put a check on the scoring. It was in contrast to how Pakistan had operated after losing the toss. Left-arm seamer Zia-ul-Haq had batsman Ishanullah lbw off the fourth ball of the third over, after opener Shahidullah was run-out three balls earlier. A half-century stand between Shaidi and Usman Ghani lifted Afghanistan to 72 from 18 for 2, raising hopes of a 200-plus total. But once Ghani was dismissed, Afghanistan struggled to put together any other meaningful partnerships, eventually folding for 180 off the last ball of the innings. Left-arm spinner Kamran Ghulam chipped in with four wickets, while Zafar Gohar picked up three.

Shane Watson will not return to Australia’s Test XI in South Africa until he can bowl, effectively ruling him out of the second Test in Port Elizabeth

Daniel Brettig16-Feb-2014Shane Watson will not return to Australia’s Test XI in South Africa until he can bowl, effectively ruling him out of the second Test in Port Elizabeth where the tourists will hope to seal the series following their enormous victory over the bedraggled hosts at Centurion.While Watson has returned to running and batted in Centurion’s indoor nets towards the end of the Test, following a calf strain, he has not yet attempted to bowl and cannot be expected to push out any of the incumbent batsmen given their recent performances. The returning Shaun Marsh and debutant Alex Doolan each made telling contributions to the 281-run hiding, even if they were overshadowed by the brilliance of Mitchell Johnson on a pitch of variable bounce.Australia’s coach, Darren Lehmann, who rated the result alongside any he had been involved in away from home, expressed his preference for Watson being able to bowl before he returned, while also adding that it would be extremely difficult to change the combination that had so humbled Graeme Smith’s side inside four days.”We’ll have to see if he’s fit and ready to play, and then we’ll make a decision. That’s what we did with the touring party and with this Test match, the next Test match is the same,” Lehman said. “It’s always very hard to fit him in if you’re winning. We don’t like to change the side too much, but if he’s fit and ready to go we’ll have to wait and see.”You’d like him to bowl. Firstly we’ve got to get him fit, then we’ll see what happens from there. From my point of view we’ve got to get him fit. He’s pretty close. He was running [on Saturday], but at the end of the day we’ve got to get him fit and right and ready to go to play cricket at this level.”Australia’s ambush of South Africa on a ground where they had previously boasted a dominant record bore comparison to the seismic defeat of England in Brisbane to set the tone for a 5-0 Ashes sweep. However, Lehmann observed this match was of even greater import in the context of the series, as South Africa now had only two matches left to re-group.”It’s a three-match series, it’s pretty important isn’t it?” he said. “If it’s a five-match series then obviously you would like to win the first one but it’s not as important as it is in a three-match series. It was a great result for us, away from home. We spoke about that at the start of the tour … that you have to start winning away from home to get noticed and climb up the ranks and be respected by your opponents, but also play the brand of cricket you want to play. We need to do that day-in, day-out. That’s no different next week.”Apart from the efforts of Johnson, Marsh, Steven Smith, Doolan and David Warner, Lehmann also highlighted the committed and thorough nature of the team’s fielding. Next to a South Africa side that looked rusty and vulnerable in the field, putting down numerous chances, the Australians did not miss a single one, and were still diving around as if their lives depended on it well after victory was in sight.”Obviously we caught very well in this game – I don’t think we put down a catch, so that’s good,” Lehmann said. “The pleasing one for me is at nine down when Chris Rogers dived for the boundary. That means the hunger [is there]. That’s what we want from our side. Each and every day we represent Australia we want to have that hunger and drive to play the best we can. At nine down … when you’re seeing blokes dive, I like.”I’m proud of everything we did, we ticked off everything we wanted to do in this game, now it’s a case of backing it up.”One man Lehmann expected some improvement from in Port Elizabeth is Ryan Harris, who looked short of rhythm in the first innings before returning to his more familiar high standards in the second. At times he appeared to struggle with the chronic knee problem that will require surgery after this tour, but Lehmann reckoned he would be better for the run.”He struggled a bit,” Lehmann admitted. “I think not playing for a while hampered him a little bit. But he certainly bowled better [second innings], in his second spell, it was a bit more like the Ryan Harris we know. So I expect him to get better.”

Left out of India’s Test squad, Suresh Raina nudged the national selectors with an attacking century on the opening day of Uttar Pradesh’s second-round match against Baroda at Moti Bagh

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2013
ScorecardFile photo – Suresh Raina hit 12 fours and four sixes•Associated PressLeft out of India’s Test squad, Suresh Raina nudged the national selectors with an attacking century on the opening day of Uttar Pradesh’s second-round match against Baroda at Moti Bagh. Raina’s 123, off 154 balls, helped UP to 291 on an evenly-matched day. Baroda struck with quick wickets on the final session and had all but wrapped up the innings before stumps.The pitch at Moti Bagh wasn’t as tranquil as the surroundings, though. There was bounce and plenty of turn for the spinners as the day wore on and Raina did well to overcome those challenges, and in particular the left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt, who took 5 for 98.UP lost all nine wickets to the spin duo of Bhatt and the offspinner Utkarsh Patel. Bhatt had Mukul Dagar caught at backward short leg before Utkarsh got one to turn square to induce a thin edge off Tanmay Srivastava to the wicketkeeper Pinal Shah. It was the first of five dismissals for Pinal, who was impressive behind the stumps off the spinners.Mohammad Kaif and Raina settled in after lunch to add 85 for the third wicket before Kaif was caught behind trying to cut Bhatt. Raina and Parvinder Singh played aggressively in their stand of 110 for the fourth. Raina smashed four sixes and one of those, over long-on, brought up his century.Raina is among several possible contenders for a Test spot, one of which will be vacated by Sachin Tendulkar at the end of the West Indies Tests. Rohit Sharma was given a chance thanks to his splendid limited-overs form and he grabbed the opportunity with century on debut in Kolkata in a pressure scenario. Simultaneously, across the country, Raina scored a century to give the selectors something to think about before they pick the team to South Africa.Aggression, however, got the better of both Raina and Parvinder. Parvinder gave Bhatt the charge and was stumped, before Raina charged the same bowler and was caught at deep cover. UP lost their way after tea and Bhatt brought up his five-wicket haul with a swagger, taking a low return catch that rocketed towards him. As a send-off, Bhatt showed five fingers to the departing Praveen Gupta, as West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards does. UP collapsed from 249 for 3 to 291 for 9 at stumps.

The cricketing gods seem to have had enough of batsmen ravaging helpless bowlers, and have called up a friend: the weather gods

The Preview by Sidharth Monga25-Oct-2013Match factsSaturday, October 26, 2013
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)An Odisha Cricket Association press release wasn’t too optimistic about chances of play•Odisha Cricket AssociationBig PictureThe cricketing gods seem to have had enough of batsmen ravaging helpless bowlers, and have called up a friend. The weather gods have swooped in, washed out the Ranchi ODI – 312 in 54.1 overs before their intervention – and now pose an even bigger threat to the game in Cuttack.The organisers already sound resigned. An Odisha Cricket Association release said: “We deeply regret to mention that the sunny weather that we have been expecting has failed to come true. The ground is completely water-logged and the chances of its drying up are extremely remote.”It has rained in Cuttack for five continuous days in the lead-up to the match, and the forecast for Saturday is similar. More than two balls and new field restrictions, the words that have been uttered regularly in Cuttack has been: helicopters – to dry the ground should it stop raining; wells – being dug up around the ground to help drain the ground; and of course Duckworth-Lewis.The helicopter, too, didn’t prove effective. “The operators of the helicopters visited the ground and expressed that they could dry the pitch but were unable to remove the mud that has accumulated through the playing area.”Ravindra Jadeja – although he added his side was prepared to play whatever the duration of the match presented to them – was candid enough to say in his press conference, “It doesn’t look like there will be a match tomorrow.” Shane Watson was less optimistic about the game, and already seemed to be thankful the rain might have cut short the series significantly. “A five-match series is a bit more enjoyable anyway,” Watson said. “The rain has sort of made it that way.”For the Cuttack groundstaff and locals, this isn’t a matter of relief. They badly want the game to happen. The challenge for the groundstaff begins once it stops raining for a considerable period of time, signs of which have been scarce ever since Cyclone Phailin crossed Odisha earlier this month. The outfield isn’t quite submerged like the Indian roads in rain, but it gives the impression you will sink ankle deep once you step on it. The water level in the drain outside the stadium is pretty high too, which is why the wells are being dug.If the game indeed is abandoned India will be left with a more difficult task in the series. Down 1-2 after four games, they will need to win the remaining two matches to win the series.Form guideAustralia WLWWL (most recent games first, completed matches)
India LWLWWIn the spotlightRavindra Jadeja loves the Barabati Stadium. One of his fabled three first-class triples came here, he took four wickets in an ODI against Sri Lanka here, and is quick to remind that he even scored a quick fifty in an Deodhar Trophy match in Cuttack. Even in this series so far, Jadeja has bowled all his 40 overs at 4.85 an over, by some distance the best economy-rate among the specialist bowlers in this high-scoring series. And he says he doesn’t even care if you use one ball or two balls; if there is turn in the pitch, he will extract it.
Before the start of this series, we knew George Bailey as the nice Tassie bloke with a Paul Collingwood-like game who could fight it out and make crucial if not big contributions in tough conditions, but we didn’t expect him to be anywhere near the highest run-getter in a series played on flat pitches surrounded by quick outfields in India. After four matches, Bailey stands at the top, with more runs at a higher average and a higher strike-rate than even Virat Kohli. The lack of centuries, though, will irk the Australia captain, who could be getting close to an Ashes ticket with his performances.Team newsThe changes in the bowling combination seemed to work at the start of the Ranchi ODI. Mohammed Shami took the wickets, Jaydev Unadkat was tight, ad for the first time in the series India kept Australia to under 300. The two quicks could retain their places, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar possibly replacing the profligate R Vinay Kumar.India (probable) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/ R Vinay Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Mohammed ShamiAustralia have played the same XI in the first four games, and are likely to do so again.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Phillip Hughes, 3 Shane Watson, 4 George Bailey (capt.), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Johnson, 10 Clint McKay, 11 Xavier DohertyStats and trivia The last – and the only – time India and Australia decided to play in Cuttack, rain joined in, and the captains couldn’t even come out for the toss. If he scores another 196 runs in his next three innings, Virat Kohli will be the fastest man to 5,000 ODI runs. He has played 111 innings so far; Viv Richards reached 5,000 in his 114th innings.Quotes”We are 2-1 behind, so we want to win a match whenever we get an opportunity. It’s a home series, so obviously everyone wants the match to happen and for us to do well.”
“Doesn’t look good at the moment. That’s for sure. We will be very surprised if we get on tomorrow after seeing how wet the grounds were even when coming from the airport to this hotel.”

A rapid hundred from Nic Maddinson showed why he is among the best young batsmen in Australia, but also why he still has a way to go

Daniel Brettig in Bristol21-Jun-2013
ScorecardNic Maddinson peppered the boundary with regularity during his hundred•Getty ImagesBoom. A lofted straight drive clatters into the construction site at the Ashley Down Road End of the County Ground in Bristol. Whoosh. An attempt to repeat the shot next ball draws a wild swing and a near outside edge. It is 45 minutes before lunch on day one of a first-class match. This, more or less, is the existence of Nic Maddinson, arguably the most conspicuously talented of Australia’s young batsmen in England in 2013.On a day when Australia A clambered all over Gloucestershire, Maddinson’s ball-striking – and occasional ball-missing – left the most lasting impression. In a little more than three hours he crashed 181 from 143 balls, and spent just 34 balls hurtling from three figures to his final tally. Unbridled flair taking hold of modest bowling on an unexpectedly sunny Friday made for pleasant, light-hearted viewing: the Ashes are not at stake here for the tourists, nor any Division Two points at risk for the hosts.Less jaunty was Gloucestershire’s batting in response to Australia A’s 331 for 4. Jackson Bird and Ryan Harris are working back into fitness and form while Chadd Sayers has only one full first-class season behind him, but all were made to look piercing as the shadows lengthened. Sayers could count the wicket of his South Australian team-mate Michael Klinger among three victims, while Ashton Agar also nipped out the wicket of Dan Christian. Gloucestershire’s two Australians could manage only 14 runs between them.Earlier it had been possible simply to sit back and enjoy Maddinson’s spectacle, studded with 22 boundaries and a blink-inducing nine sixes. Yet amid the flurry of runs, Maddinson showed why he has some way to go before maturing as a batsman, and why at 21 he is still deciding what sort of player he will become: a Twenty20 blaster or a more rounded Test match contender.Regular visitors to Nevil Road could be forgiven for wondering aloud why a batsman so obviously gifted as Maddinson was not in the Ashes squad proper. Their answer can be provided by a record that shows that days like these do not come as the result of an easily repeatable approach to batting.The best Maddinson can offer is unforgettable, as a wonderfully free swing of the bat can send perfectly presentable deliveries soaring into the stand at square leg or bouncing percussively off the top of Gloucestershire’s new pavilion under construction. But he remains an unfinished article, vulnerable early on when the ball is new and the bowlers fresh, and prone to frequent lapses of concentration thereafter. In the early overs Maddinson struggled by comparison with the more obdurate Jordan Silk, beaten often outside off stump even if he was not aiming an almighty heave towards the cover fence.Later, well after a more experienced player would have settled in, Maddinson showed a tendency for the over eager, often following a pristinely struck boundary with a six, and then a swing-and-miss. In this he recalled nothing so much as the former Australia coach Bob Simpson’s line that Ian Healy “bats faster and faster until he gets out”. At one point Maddinson offered a vertical bat in some kind of outlandish ramp shot attempt that fell just out of reach of the field. Somewhat fittingly he was to be dismissed the ball after clouting his biggest six of all, skying Benny Howell to mid-off.Maddinson was certainly playing a game not familiar to his batting partners, two of whom have greater challenges ahead. After Silk offered no shot to be bowled by Gloucestershire’s Twenty20 signing Christian, Phillip Hughes strode out at No. 3. A few balls after his arrival Hughes faced up to Liam Norwell, who shares some quirks of a bowling action, if not a common level of skill or pace, with Andrew Flintoff. The Gloucestershire captain Klinger posting a leg slip. This show of 2009 Ashes nostalgia did not overtly perturb Hughes, and his dismissal cutting at Howell was a surprise.Usman Khawaja followed Hughes to the middle, and set about batting in an unhurried manner that did not suggest too much anxiety about not having topped 51 on tour so far and therefore not really enhancing his claims to an Ashes batting spot. He was comfortable without dominating, composed without looking commanding. Perhaps bigger runs will come in the tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire, but it was difficult to imagine Khawaja being entirely thrilled when the captain Steve Smith – leading in place of a resting Brad Haddin – declared at tea.Smith’s decision granted his bowlers the chance of an afternoon run, and the pacemen were to find enough movement in the air and off the pitch to be dangerous. Sayers showed his command of line when Chris Dent shouldered arms and was bowled, and Harris coaxed a feather-edge from Dan Housego after he was swung around to the pavilion end in place of Bird, who was tidy in his opening spell.Sayers would go on to have Klinger taken at mid-on, and Gareth Roderick losing his off stump. Like Maddinson he is not in direct Ashes contention, but may be attracting the interest of several Championship sides with his consistency and knack for wickets. The left-arm spinner Agar had Christian snaffled at short midwicket and Fawad Ahmed, now eligible for his passport thanks to the passing of new legislation back in Australia, twirled through two overs before the close.