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South Africa are ready to welcome Quinton de Kock back into their starting XI after he sat out the match against West Indies when he refused to take a knee, and believe they are closer than ever. Keshav Maharaj said the team is “in a good space,” and has drawn inspiration from the way they responded to a last-minute directive from CSA to collectively take a knee.”No-one is a racist within our team. We all support one another and respect everyone’s cultural, religious and spiritual differences,” Maharaj said. “I am a very religious person so I know that you have got to be accepting of a lot of things and we respect that. We all in the team are in a good space. It’s been a tough week but it’s drawn us together and we’ve drawn some strength and inspiration from this.”Related

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While Maharaj could not answer whether de Kock will definitely be in the team to play Sri Lanka, he gave a strong indication that South Africa would not risk leaving their match-winning opener out. “That’s down to the selectors in terms of whether he starts but if he does get the opportunity he will definitely slot straight back into the team,” Maharaj said. “We know what Quinny can do with the bat, he puts match-winning knocks out. We saw that in Sri Lanka where he was Player of the Series. If he does get the opportunity, I am sure he will slot back into that opening role. He is in a good space. It’s been a tough week for him but he is a very mature character, despite what people may think. Quinny is Quinny and we love having him in the team.”‘We all in the team are in a good space’ – Keshav Maharaj•AFP/Getty Images

Should de Kock reclaim his place, South Africa may then end up with four opening batters – de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram – in their top six, but Maharaj is confident in their ability to adjust and adapt as required. “The good thing about our team is that most batters can bat in various positions, which gives us the depth that we need,” he said. “Come tomorrow we will have a little bit of a shuffle in the line-up to slot in our batters but anyone is adapted to bat in any position and everyone is hitting the ball really nicely.”Maharaj also promised “a lot more energy than you have seen in these last two games,” from the fielding effort, albeit that South Africa have already been clinical with ball in hand in both their previous games. Now, they’re up for more, after what many in the camp have described as their most difficult week in the game. “It’s been a tough week but the boys are mature enough and adult enough to adapt to the situation,” Maharaj said. “The spirits were really high at training today. There’s that buzz and that drive that is back into the team after quite a long two days. Our focus is back on the cricket for now. “Jokingly asked if the team needed the board to issue another directive to ensure they put in a similar performance to the one they delivered against West Indies, Maharaj said no further instructions from the administrators are required. “I don’t think we need any more directives. The only directive we need for ourselves is to bring our best on the field and the right energy and performances.”

Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, says that the “earthquake” of revelations surrounding institutional racism in English cricket could prove to be the catalyst for long-overdue change within the sport, as the board on Friday unveiled its five-point action plan in response to the crisis.The measures outlined include the adoption of a game-wide approach to dealing with complaints of racism, and a full review of dressing-room culture at international and domestic level, as Harrison acknowledged that, with a game-wide fan-base in the region of 11 million people in England and Wales, “we don’t yet have a sport which represents all [communities]” and that “we risk losing these people unless we address this situation urgently”.”It feels like an earthquake has hit us,” Harrison admitted during his first media briefing since last week’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee hearing in Westminster. Azeem Rafiq’s appearance before the committee followed Yorkshire’s botched handling of a report into his allegations of institutional racism at the club and sparked a number of other players to speak out about abuse they had suffered at other clubs.”The last few weeks have been very, very tough for cricket,” Harrison said. “Our game has been portrayed in the worst possible way in the world’s media, and testimony from others has revealed serious issues which we’ve collectively not dealt with as a game for many decades, as well as more recently.”What we’re trying to get to grips with now is it’s a collective response from the game coming together to work out what we’re going to do about this very serious situation that we face. Last Friday was that moment where we came together as a collective, the whole game.”Frankly, it sometimes takes an earthquake like this to provide the kind of courage that we’ve seen from Azeem Rafiq in particular, but others too,” Harrison added. “It’s provided the opportunity to accelerate years and years of change in a very quick period of time. Perhaps this has been the shock that will enable us to bring this game together once and for all. And I don’t mean that as the game as we see it now, but the game which has got 11 million fans who want to be part of it.”Harrison’s own position within the ECB had come under scrutiny going into last week’s meeting, but he reiterated his belief that he has the “backing of the game”, as he pledged to do everything in his power to drive through the changes outlined in the action plan.”I am so committed to sorting this issue with the game,” Harrison said. “We’ve come up with some significant action as a result of what’s happened. I understand I have the backing of the game and I’m very motivated to make sure that we provide a welcoming environment across our sport for everybody. That is that is something I’ve felt passionately about, since the moment I walked into this job. I’m not going to walk away from that now.”In addition to the plan, the ECB has also committed to £25 million in funding over five years to support Ethnicity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) actions and the formation of a new anti-discrimination unit within six months, as well as setting EDI minimum standards for all venues with the power to withhold funding if those standards are not met.Also included is a commitment to conduct a full-scale review into the detection, enforcement, and sanctions against discriminatory and abusive crowd behaviour at all professional cricket grounds before the 2022 season as well as to “best practice governance” with targets for Board diversity of 30% female and locally representative ethnicity by April 2022. Every senior executive employed across the game will also have personal EDI objectives as part of their annual performance targets.The plan was developed in the wake of the Rafiq racism scandal and following a crisis meeting a week ago involving the ECB, MCC, Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and the 18 first-class counties, among other organisations.The five target areas are: understanding and educating more; addressing dressing-room culture; removing barriers in talent pathways; creating welcoming environments for all and publishing localised action plans on a six-month deadline.Under those headings, the plan lists 12 courses of action including “adoption within three months of a standardised approach to reporting, investigating, and responding to complaints, allegations, and whistleblowing across the game”; “a full review of dressing-room culture in all men’s and women’s professional teams, both domestic and international”; and “action to aid progress into professional teams of people from diverse backgrounds (especially South Asian, Black and less privileged youngsters)”.Responding to the threat last week from the sports minister, Nigel Huddlestone, that the UK government could see fit to appoint an independent regulator if the ECB fails “to get its house in order”, Harrison acknowledged that a governance review was overdue, and that the ECB would “have to have a very good reason” not to comply with such recommendations if they were forthcoming.A meeting was held on Thursday with county chairs to discuss the ECB’s dual role of regulator and national governing body, and Harrison added that the same conversation would need to be had with the wider game in due course.”This reflects the changing role of the ECB and the broadening role of the governing body over recent years,” he said. “We haven’t done a governance review since 2017, when we introduced the independent board, so I think it’s the right time for us now to go back as a collective, and work out whether we have got the right governance structures, given the pressures and the uniquely different roles that ECB plays now as a major sport, with the multiple hats that we have to wear while overseeing the game.”Barry O’Brien, ECB Interim Chair, said: ”There is no doubt this is a critical moment for cricket. After our all-game meeting last week, we said we must rise to the challenge and respond with one voice.”We have now set out a series of game-wide commitments so that cricket can start to make the transformation that we know is needed. Change is required as a matter of urgency, but we also recognise that sustained action is required over months and years to achieve fundamental and long-lasting progress. This must begin today.”

Xavier Bartlett bounced back from final-over heartache to help Brisbane Heat to a confidence-boosting 14-run win over the Hobart Hurricanes.Bartlett took a career-best 4 for 30 after the Heat earlier posted 8 for 150 on the back of some late lusty hitting from allrounder James Bazley who top-scored in tricky Bellerive Oval conditions with an unbeaten 44 from 27 deliveries at No. 8.Bartlett struck two big blows early in the chase, getting rid of in-form opener Ben McDermott after his back-to-back hundreds and skipper Matthew Wade in the second over.He returned for the power surge in the 14th over to remove Tim David and D’Arcy Short, who departed off a top edge for a sluggish 27 from 38 balls. Bartlett had bowled the final over in Heat’s two-wicket loss to the Sydney Sixers on Wednesday, conceding a single off the last delivery in a game they should have won.Mujeeb Ur Rahman was outstanding in the middle overs, picking up Harry Brook and Peter Handscomb to finish with 3 for 20 at an economy rate of five runs per over. Hurricanes’ middle order struggled to pick his variations with Jordan Thompson bowled by a carrom ball from around the wicket.Lower-order batter Tom Rogers gave Hurricanes a glimmer of hope in the final few overs but his side finished short.It was an impressive win by Heat who were in a spot of bother at 2 for 16 at the end of the powerplay after being sent in and later 6 for 77.Heat skipper Jimmy Peirson, who has struggled for runs this tournament, was out for 5 in the second over when he edged Meredith to Wade.Bazley shared a crucial 42-run stand with Jack Wildermuth, who hit 28 from 21 deliveries after being brought in as an X-factor player, and also bowled four overs that went for just 20 runs.Rogers earlier starred with the ball for the Hurricanes with 2 for 15 from four overs, while quick Nathan Ellis took 3 for 41 including the big wicket of Chris Lynn.

Paul Stirling has said there is “no doubt” that large numbers of players will pull out of tours and tournaments if they continue to operate in tight biosecure conditions, suggesting that Covid bubbles no longer feel like they are about “our health and safety” and instead are only in place for “financial reasons for companies, organisations and franchises”.Stirling has played overseas in the Hundred, T20 Blast, PSL, LPL and Abu Dhabi T10 in the last two years as well as touring regularly with Ireland. He contracted Covid-19 in Florida at the end of December following their T20I series, and has now joined up with the rest of Ireland’s squad – minus four Covid-positive team-mates and their interim coach David Ripley – in Jamaica ahead of Thursday’s second ODI against West Indies.With Andy Balbirnie among the positive players – along with Lorcan Tucker, Simi Singh and Ben White – Stirling will stand in as captain for the rest of the series. Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, he said that while his introverted character meant he had coped with bubbles, there is “not too much rope left” for many players around the world.Related

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“Will players pull out? One hundred percent,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that. I think the restrictions are now no longer as much to do with our health and safety as they are to do with making sure that competitions go ahead and financial reasons for companies, organisations, franchises and making it work from that point of view.”When that starts happening and that transition is so apparent, and you feel as a player that you’re just being manoeuvred on a chessboard, that’s I think when people are going to be pulling out, fairly swiftly. That’s probably not far away, or else rules will be broken as you go.”As a whole, we’ve done pretty well. Not that you can blame anyone else but it would seem like we’ve had our camp in a good way, our discipline was good, we were sticking to the rules which is easier said than done sometimes.”We had a pretty good record and I think whenever cases came out, we nipped it in the bud. This is the first time where it’s lingered. I don’t know any teams that have completely avoided it, so it’s maybe time to start moving on in that direction a bit quicker.”Ireland’s players are in a strict bubble in Jamaica but were not at the start of their tour in Florida, where they had to abide by Covid protocols as part of a “managed environment”. It was not enough to keep the virus out of their camp, with their ODI series against the USA abandoned at short notice after players’ family members tested positive, but Stirling denied that the decision to avoid draconian protocols had been a mistake.”I don’t think the tour would have gone ahead [in a strict bubble],” he said. “Going away over Christmas in a different country – if you’re going to propose that with a full bubble like we’re in now, who’s going to say yes to that? It could only be relaxed.”And I say relaxed: it’s being allowed outdoors, it’s eating outdoors, it’s 15 minutes in places to get your essentials. I wouldn’t say it was extremely enjoyable. It was certainly the way that we see it going forward – that as an absolute bare minimum as to what we’re allowed to do.”Everyone reacts differently to news of positive tests. Even if you’re negative, you’ve got that anxiety of ‘will it be me next?’ This just seems to be one of those ones where it feels like our turn. It is tough if you’re not used to it. You’re away from home, you’re not sure if you’re going to get home.”Hopefully this is going to ease out with time this year. I don’t think there’s too much rope left with the players with having these bubbles as we go forward. The next three-four months, an easing of these sort of protocols would be pretty high on our list.”Stirling said that he was fit to play on Thursday despite suffering from “two dodgy days” while self-isolating in Miami, and feeling like he was “in the Highlands in South Africa” while jogging at his first training session in Jamaica.”From a health point of view, I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m glad it’s over – the people who have had it are so glad they’ve already had it because that takes you off for six months [due to natural immunity] where we can focus on cricket. We’ve got [T20 World Cup] qualifiers coming up [in Oman in February] and the last thing we want is this sort of environment where people are unsure.”Andy McBrine (concussion) and Mark Adair (foot) are both expected to be available for Thursday’s game, while Singh and White could be available for Sunday’s third ODI if cleared by medical staff.

Axar Patel is back in India’s squad for the second Test against Sri Lanka, which is set to begin on March 12 in Bengaluru. The left-arm orthodox spinner has replaced the left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has been released from the squad.Axar was unavailable for the first Test in Mohali – which India won by an innings, wrapping up the match inside three days – with ESPNcricinfo learning he was recovering from a shin injury as well as a recent bout of Covid-19. The BCCI’s release announcing the squad for the first Test had mentioned that Axar’s fitness would be “assessed later to ascertain his selection for the second Test”.Kuldeep did not feature in the first Test, with India preferring Jayant Yadav as their third spinner. Jayant went wicketless in both innings, while his spin partners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja dominated the match with a combined 15 wickets.Axar is likely to slot straight into the XI in Jayant’s place if India persist with a three-spinner attack, given his outstanding record over his first five Tests, in which he has picked up 36 wickets at an average of 11.86. The fact that the Bengaluru match is a day-night Test involving the pink SG ball will strengthen Axar’s case for selection; in India’s last day-night Test in Ahmedabad last year, he picked up match figures of 11 for 70 to help blow England away in just two days and pick up the Player-of-the-Match award.Kuldeep has slid down the pecking order of India’s red-ball spinners over the last three years, playing just the one Test since picking up a five-wicket haul in the New Year’s Test of 2019 in Sydney. One reason for this has been a preference for spin-bowling allrounders such as Axar, Jayant and Washington Sundar, who have contributed to India boasting formidable batting depth in home Tests.

“Pretty cool,” is how Matt Henry described his feelings after claiming the best figures by a New Zealand bowler at home and the joint-third best overall. He shares the record with Richard Hadlee, who was in the stands at the Hagley Oval, watching Henry claim 7 for 23.”You pinch yourself a little bit when you hear those stats,” a beaming Henry said afterwards, though he hasn’t always had reason to be quite as cheerful in his Test career.Henry made his Test debut almost seven years ago, in May 2015. Since then, New Zealand have played 55 Tests and Henry has featured in just 15. If you’re wondering why you haven’t seen more of him, it’s simply because he isn’t high enough up the pecking order.Related

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With Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner as first-choice and more recently, Kyle Jamieson, who has only missed one Test since his debut, Henry has found himself jostling for a spot that is not always available. “It’s not always easy (to stay motivated),” he said. “You try not to focus too much on those external things you can’t control and make sure I am still in the mindset of trying to keep getting better and when I do get my opportunity, to take it.”And take it he did. On his home ground, where Brendon McCullum in post-play television interviews, said Henry’s first-class record has been “middling” (before this Test, he had claimed 42 wickets in 10 first-class matches at Hagley Oval at 26.59 including 0 for 87 against Australia and 1 for 93 against Pakistan), Henry demonstrated perfectly how to exploit helpful conditions.”He swung the ball a little bit and he brought the ball back. And there was a wobble seam – the odd one. He bowled really well and made our batters play,” an admiring Duanne Olivier said afterwards.Of the 90 deliveries Henry bowled in South Africa’s innings, ESPNcricinfo scoring data shows he forced batters to play at a third of them. With seam movement into the left-handers and away from the right-handers, he created doubt in the batters’ minds and many of the South Africans found themselves stuck on the crease, hanging their bats out. He also extracted good bounce from back of a length and together with Jamieson and Wagner stalled all notion of run-scoring.”We were beating the bat a lot and asked a lot of questions for a good sustained period. That all leads to pressure,” Henry said. “That ability to tie it up at both ends and carry on that pressure is what we managed to do today. As a bowling group, we bowled really well together. We didn’t really let them go anywhere which was key to how we got the wickets.”Between the 11th and 16th over, South Africa only scored five runs. Between the 20th and 28th, they managed just seven. They went to lunch with 44 runs from 28 overs and found themselves having to force things, which only led to more wickets. Temba Bavuma, uncharacteristically, gave his wicket away when he flicked Southee to midwicket, in what could only have been an effort to get things moving immediately after lunch.Zubayr Hamza and Kyle Verreynne gave South Africa their best chance of a fightback but both have work to do on their technique. Hamza’s footwork was severely lacking and Verreynne needs to tighten up around off stump but it’s difficult to be too harsh on a pair that have just nine Test caps between them. In fact, with Ngidi (13) ruled out a back spasm and Keegan Petersen (5) absent, this was South Africa’s least experienced playing XI since March 1998, with only 235 Tests between them. But perhaps experience isn’t everything because as Henry, in his 15th match, showed, application and execution can go a long way.South Africa have had more time than usual to prepare for this series, thanks to the 10-day quarantine period they had to serve, during which they could train at a venue similar to Hagley Oval. “We practiced at Lincoln where the wicket was green as well, similar to this one,” Olivier said. “We knew coming here that it was the most bowler-friendly wicket in New Zealand. It was a touch soft, a bit more tennis-ball bounce and when the sun was out, it was harder and quickened up a little bit. It will just play very similarly right through the four days. It will probably get a bit better for batting depending on the weather.”With bowlers expected to continue to benefit from the surface, Olivier remained hopeful that South Africa can find their way back in this match. “We can still bowl them out for 180,” he said. And Henry remained cautiously confident that New Zealand can press their advantage further on the second day. “The way our batters went about it tonight was really important. Hopefully, we can really knuckle down and have a good day tomorrow. We understand it’s day one of five.”

A Ryan Higgins century revived Gloucestershire’s hopes of claiming an opening-round win to mark their first return to Division One since 2005.Higgins put his stamp on a see-sawing LV= Insurance County Championship contest against Northamptonshire with an unbeaten 134 after he had arrived at the crease with his side facing the prospect of defeat inside three days.Northamptonshire, themselves aiming for a first top-flight win since 2004, had claimed three wickets inside the first hour to reduce the visitors to 21 for 4 and still 44 runs in arears.All-rounder Higgins, without a Championship century in three years, then set about wiping off the deficit in a 77-run stand with Chris Dent (54) before adding a further 165 with Tom Lace (73). By the close on day three Gloucestershire’s lead had grown to 261 with four wickets in hand.It was a position Gloucestershire could only have dreamed of when veteran all-rounder Gareth Berg had seemingly swung the momentum of the match Northamptonshire’s way with three wickets to supplement his heroics with the bat yesterday.Berg helped the hosts to a 65-run lead after sharing a 137-run eighth-wicket stand with centurion Rob Keogh and immediately got to work with the ball this morning with the key wicket of James Bracey.Bracey had himself revived Gloucestershire’s first innings with a century but could only manage eight runs second time round before a leading edge flew to Ben Curran in the covers.The 41-year-old Berg struck again when Graeme van Buuren was trapped lbw on the crease before Miles Hammond’s loose drive at Ben Sanderson was snapped up by Curran at gully.That prompted the arrival of Higgins with his team in deep trouble and desperate for their 27-year-old all-rounder to make good on his pre-season proclamation that he needed to add more runs to his consistent wicket taking if he was to push for higher honours.Higgins struck four centuries in 2019, and none in the Championship since, but afforded more responsibility this summer he set about what appeared an uphill task alongside former skipper Dent.Dent diligently reached his half-century and was perhaps unlucky to be removed by Berg just after lunch when he was adjudged lbw to a ball that he had looked to work to leg, briefly remaining at the crease after the umpire’s finger was raised.Higgins then doubled down on his work as he skipped along at a comfortable rate alongside Lace to avoid further loss in the session. Higgins pulled confidently to bring up their century stand in good time before Lace reached his half-century on the stroke of tea.Higgins’ century arrived after tea, and from 139 balls, when he whipped Emilio Gay to the midwicket rope and, after claiming four first-innings wickets, his first taste of Division One with Gloucestershire was firmly going to plan.Northamptonshire finally managed to end the stand when Gay held a sharp return catch to dismiss Lace for 73. It was a timely breakthrough for Northamptonshire, just before the new ball was due, but again Higgins stood firm when it was required.Higgins remained until the close, with Zafar Gohar alongside him in an unbroken 63-run stand, to set up an intriguing final day when Higgins’ exploits with the ball will likely play a key role as both counties look to end their long waits for a top-flight win.

Ollie Robinson will get another opportunity to prove his fitness for a Test recall this summer, after being named in a County Select XI to face the touring New Zealanders in a four-day warm-up at Chelmsford, starting on Thursday.Dom Sibley is the other England Test-capped player in a 12-man squad that will be overseen by Richard Dawson, the ECB’s elite performance pathway coach. Kent’s Ben Compton is also rewarded with a call-up after becoming the leading run-scorer in Division One with 878 at 109.75 since making his debut for the county at Chelmsford in April.Robinson, who burst onto the Test scene with 28 wickets at 19.60 in his maiden home season in 2021, has been plagued by injury and illness since struggling through the fifth Test against Australia at Hobart in January.Related

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Despite travelling to the Caribbean as arguably England’s first-choice seamer, following the omissions of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Robinson missed all three Tests following a back spasm in the warm-up match in Antigua.He then took five wickets against Middlesex in his first outing of the season, before struggling with food poisoning at Grace Road, in which he at one stage resorted to bowling offspin after being limited to a solitary over in the first innings.However, he found a better rhythm in Sussex’s rain-affected four-day game against the New Zealanders at Hove this week, with 18 economical – albeit wicketless – overs in the tourists’ only innings. Tom Haines, who captained Sussex and made 61 runs for once out in the fixture, has also been included in the squad.”We have selected a strong squad of players who are in form and who deserve the opportunity to test themselves against high-class international opposition,” Dawson said.”Matches like this provide a valuable opportunity to see how the selected players handle a step up from county ranks and I am looking forward to working alongside them.The squad was selected from the pool of available players following consultation with the first-class counties, with the vast majority of players not part of their respective counties’ T20 Blast plans. “I would also like to thank the first-class counties for their collaborative approach during a busy period,” Dawson added.New Zealand’s contingent of IPL players are beginning to link up with the squad, with Devon Conway and Tim Southee having now arrived in the country following their respective teams’ failure to reach the last four, and Kane Williamson due in the coming days after a spell of paternity leave. The new arrivals are expected to play bit-part roles over the coming four days, meaning that the fixture is likely to be downgraded from first-class status.This would be bad news for Compton, who might otherwise have had two last innings to secure the elusive landmark of 1000 runs before the end of May. The last man to achieve the feat was Graeme Hick in 1988, although in 2012, Compton’s cousin Nick reached 1000 runs on June 1, after a rain delay at Worcester had kept him off the field on May 31.County Select XI squad: Jack Blatherwick (Lancashire), Michael Burgess (Warwickshire), Ben Compton (Kent), Ben Gibbon (Worcestershire), Nick Gubbins (Hampshire), Tom Haines (Sussex), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Ryan Patel (Surrey), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Porter (Essex), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire).

If Stuart Broad learned one thing from his dramatic post-Ashes axing, it was to not look too far beyond his next match.The old “one game at a time” phrase couldn’t be more yawn-inducing but Broad’s approach is much more nuanced than that. So, like his wise words to the England team mid-Ashes drubbing about focusing on the present rather than a future that might not come, Broad’s advice to himself about not viewing this week’s clash with New Zealand at Trent Bridge as potentially his last home-ground Test rings true.As things stand, there is no Test scheduled for his native Nottingham next year but, with England looking to take an unassailable 2-0 lead after their stirring win at Lord’s, Broad is revelling in being back in the action alongside fellow seam-bowling veteran James Anderson after both were controversially dumped for the fateful tour of the Caribbean in March.”I’ve changed my mindset over the winter and since Hobart,” Broad said. “It’s not looking too far ahead, it’s just enjoying each week for what it is, give everything, and then reset for the next week.”Jimmy turns 40 this year, four years ago was he thinking 2018 might be his last at Old Trafford? Probably not. That just takes your mind away from enjoying the week.”I started this season not knowing if I’d pull on the England shirt again, I was just enjoying every day for what it was. I wear the Notts shirt with the same pride as the England badge and I’ll attack this week with the same mindset: walk out on that first day, look around the stands, and know how lucky I am to be there.”Related

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• Joe Root ascends snow-capped peaks of greatness, carrying his team on his shoulders

England’s five-wicket victory over New Zealand on Sunday’s fourth morning was their first in 10 matches played since they beat India at Headingley last August and heralded a new era under captain Ben Stokes and Test head coach Brendon McCullum.”It’s been one of the most fun weeks we’ve had as a team,” Broad said, “just the relaxed environment, the way we’re talking as a team. It’s not too structured, it’s just a case of what do you need to do to make you feel you’re 10-foot tall?”To see the way we’ve attacked that target shows that mindset. Things went our way – that no-ball makes it a different game – but it’s no mean feat chasing a score like that. That’s a mindset thing.”The no-ball referred to was Colin de Grandomme’s overstep which would have seen Stokes bowled for just 1. Stokes, who took over from former skipper Joe Root ahead of the New Zealand series, went on to make a valuable 54, sharing a significant stand with Root, who struck the winning runs in an unbeaten century the following day after joining forces with Ben Foakes to guide England past their target of 277.The match was Broad’s first under Stokes as captain – he was memorably dropped when Stokes stood in for Root against West Indies in 2020 – and he gave a positive appraisal of the new leadership.”It’s noticeable from Stokesy and Baz that it’s all about taking wickets,” Broad said. “To start the Stokes-McCullum era with a win is huge for us. To chase 277 is awesome for us as a group.”I don’t think anyone who has come to Lord’s can argue it’s not been fun, the style of cricket, edge-of-the-seat at times, the crowd has got involved and it’s something we want to take to Trent Bridge.”And Broad reiterated that his relationship with Root remained strong, despite hints of tension during the Ashes and Root being part of the selection panel which left him out for the subsequent West Indies tour.”Joe and I spoke at length when he stood down as captain and I said to him how much he’s meant to me as a captain, and what a privilege it was playing under him,” Broad said. “I told him I hope he really enjoys the next few years, all that pressure has gone now, he’s already a legend of the game, so he can just go out there and enjoy it.”Joe and I are great friends and I’ve always been someone who can distinguish between business and pleasure. I can’t fall out with someone because they don’t pick me in a team, that would be a bit pathetic.”Broad took two wickets in three balls in a trademark burst•AFP/Getty Images

Broad, who turns 36 this month, would not have been the most left-field option as captain following Root’s decision to step down – had his place in the side been secure at the time – given his experience and the ease with which he fronts the media.But he played a leadership role on and off the field during the first New Zealand Test, buying into England’s succession planning by joining Anderson and impressive debutant seamer Matthew Potts on a pre-match round of golf. Broad also helped whip the Lord’s crowd into a frenzy in the middle of an extraordinary three-ball turning point during the third day when he dismissed centurion Daryl Mitchell and bowled Kyle Jamieson for a duck either side of de Grandhomme’s bizarre run-out while Broad was belting out an unsuccessful appeal for lbw.”Yesterday was probably using my experience, thinking the team needs something here,” Broad said. “It adds a different pressure though. If you whip the crowd up, then bowl a half-volley and go for four you look daft. But I quite like that pressure. You’ll see this summer, when I feel we need that extra lift and momentum, I’ll do it again.”People say Trent Bridge and Edgbaston are the best Test match atmospheres in the country and after what was a really interesting win at Lord’s, it should see people who are heading to Trent Bridge have a lot of excitement about what is to come.”

Glenn Phillips went out on a high, scoring a brilliant 52 from 39 balls as Gloucestershire successfully chased a victory target of 164 with one ball to spare to defeat Middlesex by five wickets in a dramatic finish to their final Vitality Blast match of the season at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.Overseas star Phillips and Jack Taylor added 81 for the fifth wicket in nine overs as the home side recovered from 73 for 4 in the 11th over to set-up a grandstand finish. And Benny Howell finished things off in fine style, hitting Tom Helm for six off the penultimate ball to snatch a victory that sees Gloucestershire finish fifth in the South Group.Middlesex earlier won the toss and raised 163 for 4, Matt Holden contributing a quickfire 37 and Stephen Eskinazi posting a useful 65 not out. But Howell and Tom Smith returned tidy figures to keep the visitors within sight, both taking a wicket and conceding just 45 runs in eight overs between them.Holden provided Middlesex with a turbo-charged start to their innings, crashing 37 from 19 balls and dominating an opening stand of 57 in 4.3 overs with Eskinazi. The left-hander combined clean hitting with clever improvisation to accrue half a dozen fours and a six, taking advantage of some loose bowling to help the visitors raise 50 from 23 balls.Gloucestershire held their nerve, weathered the early storm and breathed a collective sigh of relief when Holden miss-timed a drive off Phillips and holed out to Tom Price at long-off. Smith had Joe Cracknell held at backward square leg on his way to figures of 1 for 22 from four overs, while Howell bowled John Simpson to reduce Middlesex to 74 for 3 in the ninth, at which point three wickets had fallen for the addition of 18 runs in four overs.Playing a captain’s innings, Eskinazi set his sights on carrying his bat, sharing a stand of 64 in 8.5 overs with Josh De Caires to repair the damage and at least ensure Middlesex posted a competitive total. It may not have been spectacular fare – his 50 occupied 46 balls – but his innings exerted a steadying influence upon a team that has struggled to find a winning formula in the short format this summer.Attempting to force the issue in the closing overs, De Caires skied Jack Taylor to Howell at short extra cover for 24 as Gloucestershire’s bowlers kept a lid on things, Howell returning impressive figures of 1 for 23 from four overs. Eskinazi finished unbeaten on 65 from 55 balls, managing just two fours and two of sixes in a pragmatic knock which proved effective rather than memorable.Gloucestershire’s reply made a stuttering start, openers George Scott and Chris Dent departing cheaply in a six-over powerplay that saw the hosts limp to 38 for 2 in the face of nagging accuracy from Max Harris and Tom Helm. Harris then accounted for James Bracey, the Bristolian holing out to deep mid-wicket in pursuit of a second successive maximum as the hosts slipped to 52 for 3 in the eighth over.Phillips and Miles Hammond advanced the score to 72 for 3 at halfway, at which point Gloucestershire required a further 92 runs to win at 9.2 an over. Under pressure to accelerate, Hammond promptly pulled Thilan Walallawita to deep mid-wicket as Middlesex further turned the screw. Chris Green, Luke Hollman and Walallawita took the pace off to good effect during the middle part of the innings as the required rate climbed to above ten an over for the first time.In his last appearance for Gloucestershire before teaming up with the New Zealand tourists, Phillips responded by driving Walallawita for six over long-on and then plundering another leg-side maximum off Jason Behrendorff, while Taylor played second fiddle and rotated the strike expertly to keep the home side in the hunt.With 31 needed off three overs and the fifth wicket pair well-established, Gloucestershire must have fancied their chances of completing the job. Pacing his innings to perfection, Phillips smashed Helm back over his head for a straight six as the target came down to 21 off two overs.Phillips went to 50 via 37 balls, but Green conceded just eight runs off the penultimate over, leaving Gloucestershire to score 13 off the last to win. Helm responded magnificently under pressure, having Phillips caught at deep mid-wicket to put the outcome in doubt. But Howell remained cool, crashing the penultimate delivery for an almighty six over long-on to win the day.