At a Board of Directors meeting on Friday 30 June 2023 at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has appointed Miles Bascombe as the new Director of Cricket, on a three-year contract. Bascombe will take over from Jimmy Adams, who had been in the role for the past six years.

Bascombe, 37, played one T20 International for the West Indies in 2011 and played first-class cricket between 2007 and 2017, for both the Windward Islands and the Combined Campuses and Colleges.  He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies with both Bachelor's and Master’s degrees and is a certified coach.

Bascombe, who was a CWI Men’s Selector between 2019 and 2021, has been the Technical Director at the Windward Islands Cricket Board over the last two years. Under his technical leadership, there have been a remarkable turnaround of fortunes for both male and female cricket across different levels, including an unbeaten first-class season in 2023.

Johnny Grave, CWI Chief Executive Officer said: “Following a thorough recruitment process, Miles stood out to the panel with his skills, experience and intimate knowledge of our cricket system, especially at Territorial Board level. His passion and understanding of the game at all levels are outstanding. He is a critical thinker with a strong analytical and strategic mindset, which will be hugely beneficial to us as we embark on formulating our new 4-year strategic plan. I have no doubt he will hit the ground running and will relish the challenge before us to develop higher standards and better structures within our cricket system.”

Miles Bascombe said: “West Indies Cricket is at a critical stage with an urgent need to improve performances. We have made significant progress with establishing a central High-Performance system that now needs to be rolled out across all of our Territories. I am looking forward to working as a member of the CWI senior leadership team and closely with the Territorial Boards to bring about the necessary improvements that I am confident will lead to more success by implementing a robust system based on achieving world-class standards and by driving a winning culture.”

CWI High Performance Manager, Graeme West will act as the interim Director of Cricket until Bascombe takes up his new role on 1 August 2023.

England were left “angry” and “bewildered” after Ollie Pope was pressed to take the field with a shoulder injury, but expect him to play his part in salvaging the second Ashes Test despite aggravating the problem.

England are 221 runs behind with eight Australian wickets to take and will need every one of their batters for what is shaping up to be a huge fourth-innings chase at Lord’s.

But Pope may struggle to be at his best after hurting his right shoulder for a second time in the match as Australia stretched their lead on day three.

England were permitted to use a substitute fielder after Pope went down in Australia’s first innings, but the situation changed after he came out to bat in his usual position of number three.

Confusion over the vice-captain’s status reigned in the England dressing room and it is understood TV umpire Marais Erasmus may have suggested they would need to field with 10 men if Pope was unfit to join his team-mates. Instead, a replacement should have been approved, with Pope allowed to bat no higher than number seven.

Pope stepped up but was left clutching the joint in pain when he dived at mid-on, departing once again for treatment for what was now considered by the officials as a fresh injury.

Assistant coach Jeetan Patel suggested England were left uncertain by their communication with the officials.

“We’re a bit bewildered by it all, I suppose. We haven’t clarified with the officials yet why he was told he had to get back out there and field. It’s a pretty tough situation when you nearly bust your shoulder,” he said.

“It’s a bit messy if I’m being honest with you. We’re probably as frustrated as everyone else that was out there and saw what happened and he’s probably more angry at the situation than anything else. He’s pretty sore.

“It’s a bit confusing. We think, or we assumed, he had to be back out on the field otherwise we’d have to field with 10 men. That made no sense to me, or us. We threw him out there in the risk that he wouldn’t have to touch the ball.

“But it was always going to happen wasn’t it? He’s so committed to this team, he was always going to fall on something. Now he’s back off icing his shoulder.”

Patel made it clear he would be ready to do his job for the side in the final innings, with England searching for a match-winner after allowing control of the Test to slip through their hands.

“I’m very certain he’ll bat, very certain he’ll bat at three and very certain he’ll be determined to score runs for England,” said Patel.

“He’s a good kid and we know that he’s going to rock up with a smile on his face and put in for the team. He’ll see it as an opportunity to take the game on.”

England were guilty of giving away their wickets far too cheaply in their first attempt, going from 188 for one to 325 all out to hand control to the tourists.

They have fought back from tighter corners than that in the past year but the route to a series-levelling win is narrowing with every run.

“We’ve seen some amazing things from this team, some crazy things,” he said.

“This team is about breaking records. They want to set new standards and sell out grounds. A way to do that is to bowl them out and set the crowd alight, then chase whatever it is down.”

Michael Vaughan criticised England’s “silly and stupid” ploy to keep attacking Australia’s short-pitched bowling after they ended the third day of the second Ashes Test with a 221-run deficit.

England optimism was rife on Friday morning when captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook walked out with their side on 278 for four, hoping to establish a first-innings lead.

While Stokes was out to a beauty from Mitchell Starc’s second ball, Brook followed the downfall of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root on day two in getting out picking out fielders on the boundary rope under a barrage of bumpers from Australia’s attack.

After collapsing from 188 for one to 325 all out in response to Australia’s 416, Usman Khawaja set about increasing the tourists’ stranglehold on the match and the series with 58 not out to help them close on 130 for two.

Former England captain Vaughan told BBC’s Test Match Special: “When you’ve got that field Australia set, if you go at two or three an over and stay in, that is better.

“I am intrigued, not just with Harry, but with all of the batters trying to constantly take it on. It’s silly, it’s stupid, it won’t have constant success.

“I actually thought they (England) bowled well. The seamers bowled nicely and the conditions were perfect.

“They could easily have got a few more wickets, a couple of reviews didn’t quite go the way they would have liked.

“I don’t think it is the bowling you can point the finger at – it is all the batting and the Bazball way isn’t it?

“The mistakes they made with their batting is the reason why they are in the position that they are.”

Australian great Glenn McGrath was under no illusions about where England had gone wrong and warned Brook, who did make 50, to expect more bouncers.

“The second ball of the day set the tone, that was a vital early wicket,” McGrath said of Stokes’ dismissal.

“Good bowling by Mitchell Starc, it just extracted a bit more out of the pitch.

“I don’t think Mitchell Starc likes bowling short, sometimes it finishes your action. Getting that wicket and then seeing how Harry Brook played, they would have seen he wouldn’t like it.

“He’s (Brook) going to cop a fair bit more, if you look unsettled and don’t like the short ball, you’ll get it more.”

Kevin Pietersen, after he described England’s day one efforts with the ball as “shambolic”, was an ally to the home batters, having taken a similar aggressive approach to short-pitched deliveries.

“I played the way they played. I saw the best form of defence being attack,” the former England batter told Sky Sports.

“There is a lot of people that have said, ‘brainless batting, this batting’, but I was pretty brainless too! People hated it, but that’s the way I played.

“Ninety miles per hour, a delivery at your head, it rocks your foundations, it’s not comfortable and sometimes instinct takes over.

“These guys had no respite at all, so you are asking the wrong bloke because I played that way.”

England’s costly habit of unforced batting errors reared its head again at Lord’s as they gifted control of the second Ashes Test to Australia.

The tourists, already 1-0 up after edging a nail-biter at Edgbaston, ended day three with a commanding 221-run lead and a platform to make themselves overwhelming favourites to win both the game and the series.

England were knocked over for 325 in a deflating morning session, losing six wickets for 47 as they turned a competitive position into a first-innings deficit of 91.

At one stage on the second evening they had looked at ease on 188 for one, but 24 hours later they had a mountain to climb.

While a host of England’s leading batters were the authors of their own downfall, Australia once against trusted a more pragmatic approach as they gritted their teeth in awkward conditions to reach 130 for two.

With the ball nipping around under floodlights and murky skies, Australia’s insistence on a more risk-averse strategy than England’s all-out aggression paid dividends.

Usman Khawaja, dropped on 19 by James Anderson, led the way as he did in the first Test at Edgbaston as he compiled a hard-working 58no.

The successes of the ‘Bazball’ era have been built around an ultra-positive ‘no regrets’ policy, but the manner of several dismissals over the past 24 hours may push that rule close to breaking point.

After Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root fell on their swords during an adrenaline-fuelled bouncer battle on Thursday evening, England continued to fold on Friday.

Harry Brook reached 50 but gave up his wicket with a wince-inducing swat at Mitchell Starc, while Jonny Bairstow hacked a rare full ball straight to mid-on.

With Australia spinner Nathan Lyon on crutches with a serious calf injury that may rule him out of the series, Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad even managed to give his part-time understudy Travis Head two wickets in an over during a dispiriting collapse.

England began the day 138 behind on 278 for four, diminished by their losses to the short ball but still well placed to push for a lead of their own.

Instead, they were rocked by the dismissal of Ben Stokes to his first ball of the day.

Having curbed his attacking instincts during a responsible knock late on day two, his reward was a fine welcome delivery from Starc, angled across the left-hander and lifting as it left the bat.

Stokes (17) aimed the bat towards midwicket, Cameron Green swallowed a thick edge and England’s best-laid plans were already up in smoke.

Australia offered no respite, Starc and Pat Cummins bowling with hostility and repeatedly threatening Brook and Bairstow with deliveries that reared up off the pitch.

Brook, resuming on 45, was hit on both glove and helmet before bringing up his half-century, but that was as far as he got.

Faced with a fiercely difficult contest he tried to slog his way out of trouble, backing away to leg and attempting to smash Starc down the ground.

Brook has made his name as a free spirit in the middle order, but as the ball popped up to cover it was a soft and unedifying way to go.

After an hour’s play England had added just 33 for two, but things were only getting worse.

Bairstow reached 16 but surrendered by hacking Josh Hazlewood to mid-on, eyes lighting up at the long-awaited chance to drive.

Australia’s ruthless streak was out in force now, Green rattling Broad’s grille with an 86mph lifter that left the England physio assessing his jaw.

England’s fight had gone and they lost the next three wickets in seven balls, Head having Robinson caught on the charge then trapping Broad lbw. Cummins, tearing in, made short work of Josh Tongue at number 11.

David Warner and Khawaja saw off six overs before lunch, nudging the lead past 100 off the last ball of the session and kicking off a gutsy stand of 63.

Conditions in the afternoon offered some cause for English optimism, with clouds overhead and the floodlights switched on.

But, while their four seamers worked away diligently and beat the bat on a series of occasions, Australia were digging in.

When the chance did come, Khawaja pulling Tongue’s second ball to midwicket, Anderson struggled to pick it up and saw it burst through his hands for four.

The hunt went on as the tourists ground out just 69 runs in the afternoon session, Tongue responsible for the solitary wicket of Warner (25), while DRS was an increasingly big part of the conversation as Marnus Labushcagne struggled to settle.

He overturned an lbw from Tongue and then saw Broad go up with three huge appeals either side of tea.

Stokes was right to wave off the first two, but, when he declined to pursue the third, the technology supported Broad’s shout.

When head coach Brendon McCullum relayed the information from the balcony, the seamer was visibly fuming.

Labuschagne did not make them pay, lazily wafting a wide one from Anderson to point, but England’s muted celebrations told the story.

In May, SportsMax.tv published a story where CWI President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, said that opening new academies across the region was “high on the agenda.”

This was in reaction to the West Indies Academy coming out victorious in the inaugural Headley Weekes Series that same month, a tri series played directly after the conclusion of the West Indies Championship.

Cost and sustainability were the only concerns mentioned by Shallow about the initiative while he also said that the matter had to be discussed further by the CWI’s cricket development and performance and finance management and strategy committees.

On Thursday, Shallow was contacted by SportsMax.tv regarding developments the opening of the new academies.

The Vincentian said that, due to recent developments in West Indies cricket, they have had to focus their attention on other, more urgent matters.

Those matters, according to Shallow, are the recruitment of a new Director of Cricket as well as a new permanent head coach for the West Indies Women’s Team.

“What we are currently doing now is focusing on the recruitment of personnel. One of those positions being the director of cricket and the other being a new head coach of the women’s team,” Dr. Shallow said.

“Over the next few weeks, once we have finalized these two things, then we’re going to address the academy and all other components under the cricket,” he added.

On May 31, CWI announced that Jimmy Adams would not return as Director of Cricket while Courtney Walsh was sacked as West Indies Women’s head coach in April. Robert Samuels, who was an assistant coach during Walsh’s tenure, is currently serving as interim head coach of the team.

Sri Lanka were truly tested for the first time at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023, but big performances from Dhananjaya de Silva and Maheesh Theekshana got them out of trouble against the Netherlands.

Dhananjaya made 93, his best ODI score, to help Sri Lanka recover from 96 for six to make 213.

And Theekshana then took three wickets in the space of two overs to derail the Dutch chase in a 21-run victory.

The Netherlands signalled their intent from the very first ball of their clash with Sri Lanka, with Pathum Nissanka sent on his way for a duck by Logan van Beek.

That was part of a dream start for the Dutch, who quickly had the Sri Lankans 34 for four as Van Beek (3/26) showed his skill with the ball four days on from his heroics with the bat against the West Indies.

It required a sensational knock from Dhananjaya de Silva to get Sri Lanka to 213 all out, and even that did not look like it would be anywhere near enough.

However, just as the Netherlands seemed to be on track in reply, Maheesh Theekshana (3/31) swung the momentum with three quick wickets as the Netherlands eventually fell 21 runs short.

They had started so well. Nissanka departed after just one ball, before Ryan Klein had Kusal Mendis (10) trapped in front in the fourth over.

Van Beek added Sadeera Samarawickrama (1) and Charith Asalanka (2), bringing Dhananjaya to the crease.

He began to rebuild with Dimuth Karunaratne, who then fell for 33, with skipper Dasun Shanaka then departing for five, Saqib Zulfiqar (2/48) accounting for both men.

Wanindu Hasaranga provided some useful runs, making 20 in a 35-run stand with Dhananjaya. And after he fell LBW to Bas de Leede (3/42), Theekshana joined Dhananjaya.

The duo added 77 runs, taking Sri Lanka past 200 before both getting out in the space of three deliveries.

A target of 214 was certainly in reach for the Dutch, albeit on a tricky wicket for the batters.

Their cause was not helped by both openers falling for ducks, Lahiru Kumara removing Vikramjit Singh and Dilshan Madushanka accounting for Max O’Dowd.

However, a 77-run partnership between Wesley Barresi (52) and De Leede (41) got the chase back on track. It was ended by some sharp work in the field by Shanaka, with Barresi short of his ground while trying to steal a single.

Teja Nidamanuru then became the third Dutch batter to go for a duck, bowled by Hasaranga. In came Scott Edwards and the skipper quickly settled in alongside De Leede, the pair adding 36 in six overs.

Sri Lanka were in desperate need of a breakthrough and it came from Theekshana, who snuck one through the defences of De Leede.

He added two more in his next over, including the vital wicket of Van Beek, before another run-out saw Shariz Ahmed depart for two, leaving the Netherlands on 151 for eight.

Edwards and Ryan Klein added 25, inching closer with the required rate not an issue, but a perfect wrong’un from Hasaranga was too good for Klein (5).

That left the final pair with 38 to get in 17 overs and the in-form Edwards helped get them close, but the skipper was left stranded unbeaten on 67 when Aryan Dutt was clean bowled by Shanaka.

With Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe both on six points, the West Indies will have to beat Scotland on Saturday to stay in contention to make it to the World Cup. If they lose, the most points they can end up with is four.

England continued their costly habit of unforced batting errors at Lord’s as they gifted control of the second Ashes Test to Australia.

The home side were knocked over for 325 on a deflating third morning, 91 behind, having apparently taken charge at 188 for one midway through the second evening.

While a host of England’s leading batters were the authors of their own downfall, Australia’s more pragmatic approach saw them reach 81 for one at tea, defying tricky conditions to stretch their lead to 171.

The successes of the ‘Bazball’ era have been built around an ultra-positive ‘no regrets’ policy, but the manner of several dismissals over the past 24 hours may push that rule close to the breaking point.

After Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root fell on their swords during an adrenaline-fuelled bouncer battle on Thursday evening, England lost their last five wickets for 47 in the morning session. Harry Brook reached 50 but gave up his wicket with a wince-inducing swat at Mitchell Starc, while Jonny Bairstow hacked a rare full ball straight to mid-on.

With Australia spinner Nathan Lyon on crutches with a serious calf injury, Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad even managed to give part-timer Travis Head two wickets in an over during a dispiriting passage of play.

The tourists rubbed it in by building their lead with some careful top-order batting as the ball started to nip around under the floodlights, with James Anderson dropping Usman Khawaja on 19 to compound matters.

Khawaja, player of the match in his side’s victory at Edgbaston, was 45 not out at tea with Josh Tongue responsible for the solitary wicket of David Warner.

England began the day 138 behind on 278 for four, diminished by their losses to the short ball but still well placed to push for a lead of their own. Instead, they were rocked by the dismissal of Ben Stokes to his first ball of the day.

Having curbed his attacking instincts during a responsible knock late on day two his reward was a fine welcome delivery from Starc, angled across the left-hander and lifting as it left the bat. Stokes (17) angled the bat towards midwicket, Cameron Green took the catch and England’s best-laid plans were already up in smoke.

Australia offered no respite, Starc and Pat Cummins bowling with hostility and repeatedly threatening Brook and Bairstow with deliveries that reared up off the pitch. Brook, resuming on 45, was hit on both glove and helmet before bringing up his half-century but that was as far as he got.

Faced with a fiercely difficult contest he tried to slog his way out of trouble, backing away to leg and attempting to swat Starc down the ground. Brook has made his name as a free spirit in the middle order but as the ball popped up to cover it was a soft and unedifying way to go.

After an hour’s play England had added just 33 for two and things were only getting worse, Bairstow reaching 16 before hacking Josh Hazlewood to mid-on, eyes lighting up at the long-awaited chance to drive.

Australia’s ruthless streak was out in force now, Green rattling Broad’s grille with an 86mph lifter that left the England physio assessing his jaw. England’s fight had gone and they lost the next three wickets in seven balls, Head having Robinson caught on the charge then trapping Broad lbw before Cummins made short work of Tongue.

Warner and Khawaja saw off six overs before lunch, nudging the lead past 100 off the last ball of the session. Conditions in the afternoon offered some cause for English optimism, with clouds overhead and the floodlights switched on.

But while their four seamers worked away diligently and beat the bat on a series of occasions, Australia were digging in. When the chance did come, Khawaja pulling Tongue’s second ball to midwicket, Anderson struggled to pick it up and saw it burst through his hands for four.

The hunt went on as they ground out just 69 runs in the session, but when the lively Tongue had Marnus Labuschagne given lbw for three, DRS ruled that he had been hit outside the line.

Broad had two huge appeals against Labuschagne in the final over, close calls on caught behind and lbw, but Stokes wisely opted not review either.

England gave control of the second Ashes Test to Australia with a host of unforced batting errors at Lord’s, handing over a big first-innings lead of 91 on day three.

From a serene position of 188 for one midway through the second evening, the hosts collapsed to 325 all out in response to Australia’s 416. An England side who have thrived on a policy of ‘no regrets’ may yet consider reviewing their approach after following some loose dismissals late on day two by losing five for 47.

Openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner took advantage to 103 in a six-over session before lunch and, with spinner Nathan Lyon highly unlikely to play any further part in the match due to a serious calf injury, the tourists will be looking to leave a formidable chase behind them.

England’s travails began almost immediately, Ben Stokes out to his first delivery of the morning. The captain had played a deliberately responsible innings late on Thursday, curbing his own natural aggression to suck some of the heat out of the damaging bouncer battle that cost Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root their wickets.

But his hard work was undone in an instant when Mitchell Starc angled one across middle stump, extracted some extra bounce and took a thick edge as Stokes (17) angled the bat towards midwicket. Cameron Green took the catch and England’s best laid plans were already up in smoke.

Australia offered no respite, Starc and Pat Cummins bowling with hostility and repeatedly threatening Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow with deliveries that reared up off the pitch. Brook, resuming on 45, was hit on both glove and helmet before bringing up his half-century but that was as far as he got.

Faced with a fiercely difficult contest he tried to slog his way out of trouble, backing away to leg and attempting to swat Starc down the ground. Brook has made his name as a free spirit in the middle order but as the ball popped up to cover it was a soft and unedifying way to go.

After an hour’s play England had added just 33 for two with Stuart Broad playing against type in a bid to support Bairstow. But the unforced errors kept coming, Bairstow reaching 16 before hacking Josh Hazlewood to mid-on after his eyes lit up at a rare full ball.

Australia’s ruthless streak was out in force now, Green rattling Broad’s grille with a 86mph lifter that left the England physio assessing his jaw. The next two wickets fell to the part-time spin of Lyon’s temporary stand-in, Travis Head, Robinson caught behind on the charge and Broad lbw on the sweep.

Cummins made it three wickets in seven balls when number 11 Josh Tongue popped a catch to short-leg, ending an innings littered with regrets for the home side.

James Anderson and Broad sent down three testing overs before the break but could not conjure the breakthrough they badly needed as Australia settled on 12 without loss.

Nathan Lyon’s chances of playing any further part in the Ashes look slim after Cricket Australia confirmed he had suffered a “significant” calf strain.

Lyon had arrived on the third morning at Lord’s on crutches after he had to be helped off the pitch on Thursday evening after pulling up with a calf problem during his fielding stint in the deep.

The Australia spinner, playing his 100th consecutive Test, looked distraught as he hobbled around the boundary edge and, when he joined his team-mates at the ground on Friday morning, his reliance on crutches raised alarm bells over his chances of being fit for the last three Tests of the series.

A Cricket Australia spokesperson said: “Nathan Lyon has been diagnosed with a significant calf strain. He will require a period of rehabilitation after this match is concluded.

“A decision regarding his availability for the remainder of the series will be made at the conclusion of the game.”

Lyon had a scan on Thursday night before a further assessment took place ahead of day three getting under way, but no grading has been attached to his calf strain.

Nathan Lyon’s chances of playing any further part in the Ashes looked to be in doubt after he arrived on the third morning at Lord’s on crutches.

The Australia spinner had to be helped off the pitch on Thursday evening after pulling up with an apparent calf problem as he fielded in the deep.

The 35-year-old, playing his 100th consecutive Test, looked distraught as he hobbled around the boundary edge with question marks immediately raised over his continued presence on the tour.

He joined his team-mates at the ground on Friday morning, but his reliance on crutches and the presence of a compression sock told its own story.

It now seems almost impossible that he will be play a role in ongoing match, while the three-day turnaround before the third Test at Headingley means that must be highly unlikely too.

Cricket Australia’s medical staff are monitoring Lyon but offered no official update as he battles to save his series.

Steve Smith admitted he was not optimistic when asked about the injury at the end of day two.

“Obviously it didn’t look good,” he said.

“I mean it doesn’t look ideal for the rest of the game. I’m not sure how he actually is, but if he is no good, it is obviously a big loss for us.

“Fingers crossed he is okay but it didn’t look good.”

Australia have three part-time spinners who may be asked to pick up a share of the workload over the next three days, with Smith joined by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, but should Lyon be ruled out of the next match Todd Murphy is in line for promotion.

Ben Stokes and Harry Brook will aim to help England into a first-innings lead on the third morning of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

England punched back on an absorbing day two, with Australia losing their last seven wickets for 100 runs as they collapsed from 339 for five overnight to 416 all out.

Steve Smith still brought up his 12th Ashes century, but the hosts quickly set about eating into the deficit and Ben Duckett led the charge with a fine 98.

Australia’s tactic of bowling short produced a gripping final session and accounted for Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root.

But Stokes calmed the storm with a mature unbeaten 17 from 57 balls and will hope to push England on from 278 for four alongside Brook (45no).

View from the dressing roomComparisons to 2005 you say?

Nathan Lyon’s calf injury may not just be match-defining, but could have a significant say on who wins the series.

In his 100th consecutive Test, Lyon raced in from the boundary rope to try and catch Duckett’s lofted pull shot in the 37th over of England’s innings, but halted his stride. He immediately felt the back of his right calf and had to be helped off by a member of Australia’s medical team.

Lyon limped back to the pavilion and there are fears about his future involvement in the rest of the Ashes.

It brought back memories of Glenn McGrath’s busted ankle on the eve of the second Test in the 2005 series.

Harry hanging high

Brook was one of several England batters to walk into the face of a barrage of short-pitch bowling during an entertaining evening session on day two.

Runs followed, but so did wickets with Duckett, Pope and Root all picking out fielders on the boundary rope.

It sparked debate over whether a more conservative approach should be taken, especially given the extra load now expected of the Aussie seamers in Lyon’s anticipated absence.

Brook kept up the aggressive ‘Bazball’ mantra and enjoyed one life when Marnus Labuschagne put down a sharp chance, but Stokes was surprisingly more measured.

It was the type of captain’s knock England needed to ensure they did not lose their momentum.

Smith loves Lord’s and England!

Smith produced another superb Ashes innings of 110 and reached three figures with a gorgeous cover drive. Records tumble when the idiosyncrasies of the Test great are on display at the crease.

This effort was not only his second century at Lord’s, after hitting 215 in the 2015 series, but also the eighth time he has scored a Test hundred in England. His tally of 12 in Ashes Tests has moved him up to joint-third on the list of most centuries against one team.

But Don Bradman’s mark of 19 hundreds against England remains a little out of reach though.

Creepy crunches another

Smith had a couple of contenders for shot of the day but Zak ‘Creepy’ Crawley deserves the honour for his sumptuous drive straight after lunch.

It was not punched away like his first ball at Edgbaston, but was played with the pleasing sight of a straight bat and helped the Kent batter make 48.

However, fellow opener Duckett stole the show with arguably his best Test innings for England.

There would be no crowning century, after he pulled Josh Hazlewood to David Warner at fine leg on 98, but his array of square drives and cuts backed up his desire to continuously get bat on ball.

Home of cricket turns red for Ruth

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A post shared by Ruth Strauss Foundation (@ruthstraussfoundation)

It was another hugely successful ‘Red for Ruth’ Day with more than £400,000 raised for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Ex-England opener Strauss set up the charity in memory of his wife Ruth, who died in 2018 from a non-smoking lung cancer.

The foundation supports thousands of families that deal with the impact of a terminal cancer diagnosis. More funds will be raised with items to be donated, including the match-worn clothes of both England and Australia.

Strauss and his sons Sam and Luca rang the bell before day two and witnessed a Lord’s covered in red.

“A tough day, an emotional day and a beautiful day,” Strauss reflected. “It is great to have my boys with me to see everything Ruth stood for. It helps to know we are helping so many families.”

Cricket West Indies (CWI) Men’s Selection Panel has announced the squad for the preparation camp ahead of the start of the two-match Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Series against India in the Caribbean.

Jayden Seales will return to West Indies training following his rehabilitation. The fast bowler last played for West Indies in the first Test at the Perth Stadium, last December. He had knee surgery in December and has subsequently been working on a rehabilitation programme overseen by the CWI Medical Team.

The training squad includes several players who are uncapped at the Test level – including batsmen Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, and Kirk McKenzie; as well as fast bowlers Akeem Jordan, and Jair McAllister.

The camp will be held at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua with training starting on Friday 30 June. The squad for the opening Test will be named at a later date and will travel to Dominica on Sunday 9 July.A

The Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test series will be the first fixtures for both West Indies & India in the new 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. The first Test will be at Windsor Park, Dominica from 12-16 July which will be followed by the historic second Test on 20-24 July at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad – marking the 100th Test match between West Indies and India.

 SQUAD:  Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Alick Athanaze, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Jair McAllister, Kirk McKenzie, Marquino Mindley, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican

TEST MATCH SCHEDULE:

Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Matches (start at 10am local time, (9am Jamaica time))

12-16 July: 1st Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica

20-24 July: 2nd Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad

Ben Duckett insisted England had no regrets about taking on Australia’s short-ball challenge at Lord’s, despite being dismissed by a bouncer just two runs short of a first Ashes century.

England vastly improved their position on day two of the second Test, taking the last five wickets for 77 to dismiss their rivals for 416, then responding with 278 for four.

That represented a sizeable swing in fortunes after a lethargic first-day performance, but it might have been even better. They had Australia boxed in at 188 for one, but saw Ollie Pope, Duckett and Joe Root all lose their wickets during a sustained barrage of bumpers.

A more cautious approach might have helped them negotiate a frenetic passage of play more safely, but would have been out of character for a team who have spent a year steering into risks and taking the aggressive approach.

Duckett is a true believer of the ‘Bazball’ philosophy and was at peace after being caught at fine-leg pulling Josh Hazlewood.

“It’s a shot I play and a shot I’ve scored plenty of runs with in my career. I would have been gutted with myself if I’d gone away from it, gone into my shell and gloved one behind,” he said.

“Ten metres either side and I’ve got a hundred. Falling so close to three figures here at Lord’s, I was obviously gutted for half-an-hour after, but I’m happy with how I played. I thought it was certainly my best innings in an England shirt.

“It’s the way we play our cricket. If they have plans like that and we go into our shell, it would be totally against what we do. We lost a couple of wickets but we’re in a good position.

“I was batting with Popey and Rooty but there was not a lot of chat, it was just ‘how do you want to go about this?’. That’s the kind of fun environment we are creating. If you want to back away and hit it over cover for six or do whatever you need to do, then just commit to it.

“Popey just said ‘I’m going get inside of it and smack it into the stands’. No-one in that dressing room will be disappointed with how Popey got out, everyone will just be a bit gutted it didn’t go for six.”

Earlier in the day Australia’s Steve Smith did manage to make it to a century, scoring 110 as he celebrated his 12th Ashes ton. Only the great Donald Bradman has more in the series, well clear on 19, and Smith had a different perspective on England’s approach.

He felt vindicated that Australia’s seamers kept creating openings at a time when they could easily have retreated into defence and credited Ben Stokes, the chief architect of England’s all-out aggression, for restoring an element of calm at the end.

“Lord’s has deep pockets, so if you are going to hit it for six you’re going to have to get a fair piece of it. The fielders are there if you don’t,” he said.

“We were setting fields and they were taking it on. England are playing this really aggressive brand and they didn’t look like they were holding back. That created opportunities for us.

“It was great that we managed to create so many chances on that kind of wicket. It was just Stokesy who changed it. He was only looking to get underneath it, or ride it out. The rest were trying to take it on and we probably didn’t feel as in the game against him as we did with the others.”

Australia centurion Steve Smith admitted Nathan Lyon’s calf injury does not look good with the tourists’ braced to play the rest of the second Ashes Test without their frontline spinner.

Lyon injured his right calf while trying to make up ground to catch Ben Duckett’s lofted pull shot off Cameron Green in the 37th over of England’s innings.

The sight of Lyon holding the back of his calf and being forced to hobble off the pitch brought back memories of Glenn McGrath’s busted ankle on the eve of the second Ashes Test in the 2005 series.

A Cricket Australia spokesperson later confirmed Lyon was being assessed and while no scan has been booked, his chances of featuring in the rest of the Lord’s Test look over and his whole series could even be in doubt.

“Yeah, I haven’t been up in the sheds yet but obviously it didn’t look good,” Smith conceded.

“I mean it doesn’t look ideal for the rest of the game. I’m not sure how he actually is, but if he is no good, it is obviously a big loss for us.

“He is in his 100th consecutive Test match, which I know he was really looking forward to taking part in and having a role in.

“Fingers crossed he is okay but it didn’t look good obviously.

“It is not ideal, particularly your spin bowler. One player with one role. Batters, I suppose there are loads of us around so it is a bit different.

“Nathan, if he is no good, would be a huge loss. However, we have Todd Murphy waiting in the wings, who has been bowling beautifully in nets and bowled really well in India when he got his opportunity.

“I would be confident if he came in that he would do a terrific job for us but fingers crossed Nathan is alright.”

Smith, who struck 110 in Australia’s first innings total of 416, warmed up for this English summer with a three-match stint for Sussex, where he claimed two for 55 in his final appearance against Glamorgan.

But the part-time leg-spinner insisted: “I haven’t been working on my bowling at all.

“I bowled a few overs at the back end of one of the games – where pretty much the game was dead – just because everyone else was cooked.

“Hopefully I won’t have to bowl too much. I thought (Travis) Heady bowled all right, a bit different to Nathan, just skidding them more than Nathan does.

“Yeah, Heady is probably the one who is going to have to take a fair chunk of the spin overs and maybe myself and Marnus (Labuschagne) will chop in here and there.

“Yeah, not ideal when you lose your spinner on a surface that is not offering a great deal for the quick bowlers.”

England opener Ben Duckett sent his best wishes to Lyon but acknowledged the absence of Australia’s veteran spinner could be crucial in their efforts to level the series.

“It is a huge shame. I really hope it’s not too bad for him,” Duckett said.

“You never want to see anyone go down with an injury. He was going to play a massive part in that fourth innings because he is such a good bowler. If they go bumpers with all three bowlers, they’ll be pretty tired.”

Smith, who was 85 not out overnight, celebrated his 32nd Test hundred in the morning session.

A sumptuous cover drive for four earned Smith his 12th Ashes century, with eight of them occurring in England.

He added: “It is obviously a huge moment, I love playing here at Lords. I have spent a fair bit of time in the middle the last two times here and then this game as well.

“It is a nice place to play if you get in, you get good value for your shots and nice to get myself back up on the honours board again.”

Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosted the Professional Cricketers draft last Thursday for the Territorial Board Franchises. Each Franchise drafted five players to complete their 15-member squads for an interim three (3) month period ahead of the 2023 CG United Super50 Cup, scheduled to take place in October 2023.

Each team had already retained 10 players and the Professional Cricketers Draft enabled each team to add five players to complete their 15-member squads. The Draft took place over five rounds via a videocall with representatives from all six Territorial Board Franchises.  The interim contracts will run from 1 July 2023 to 30 September 2023, with new twelve-month contracts to start from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, following the strategic decision to now align contracts with the CWI Financial Year.

Each Franchise was required to contract two players under the age of 25 as of 1 October 2023 as part of the overall regional programme to ensure playing opportunities for younger and developing players.  Franchises will get the opportunity to revise their squads ahead of 1 October once the West Indies International Retainer contracts for the 2023/24 season have been confirmed. All International retained players and umpires have been offered three-month contract extensions to 30 September 2023.

Two highlights of the draft were the selections of West Indies international players Oshane Thomas and Justin Greaves, chosen by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. Fast bowler Thomas has played 20 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 20 T20 Internationals (T20Is) for the West Indies. He has managed five-wicket hauls in both formats. Greaves is a tall right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler, who played three ODIs for the West Indies against Ireland in 2022.

Windward Islands Volcanoes, who was unbeaten in the last regional First Class season, chose to draft in two overseas players: left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano who previously played for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, and allrounder Shamar Springer, over from Barbados Pride.

 Thomas, 26, said he was pleased to join the Leeward Islands Hurricanes camp. “I’m happy to get this opportunity. I’m really looking forward to joining the Franchise and being part of the unit. I see it as a new start, a chance for me to work way back up to international cricket, where I performed before. I still have a dream of playing Test cricket for the West Indies and the red ball season will be crucial. I’m also keen to play the other formats, but first I have to do it for Leeward Islands Hurricanes and then make that step back up to international cricket.”

The six Franchises will continue their preparations for the upcoming season. The CG United Super50 Cup is schedule to return to Antigua and Trinidad, starting on 21 October with the Final set to take place on 11 November where defending champions the Jamaica Scorpions will attempt to retain their title.

Guyana Harpy Eagles were crowned champions of the 2023 West Indies Championship, lifting the Headley Weekes Trophy, named in honour of West Indies legends George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes.

FULL SQUADS

Barbados Pride: Shayne Moseley, Zachary McCaskie, Raymon Reifer, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Akeem Jordan, Dominic Drakes, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Wickham, Jair McAllister

Draft picks: Roshon Primus, Chaim-Alexis Holder, Jonathan Drakes, Keon Harding, Camarie Boyce

Guyana Harpy Eagles: Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Tevin Imlach, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Ronsford Beaton, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Kevlon Anderson

Draft picks: Shamar Joseph, Rampertab Ramnath, Mavendra Dindyal, Junior Sinclair, Antony Adams

Jamaica Scorpions: Kirk McKenzie, Ojay Shields, Abhijai Mansingh, Jeavor Royal, Marquino Mindley, Derval Green, Peat Salmon, Javel Glenn, Daniel Beckford, Tevin Gilzene

Draft picks: Shalome Parnell, Carlos Brown, Andre Bailey, Gordon Bryan, Brad Barnes

Leeward Islands Hurricanes: Kieran Powell, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Colin Archibald, Kofi James, Karima Gore, Jeremiah Louis, Daniel Doram, Keacy Carty, Javier Spencer

Draft picks: Justin Greaves, Oshane Thomas, Nathan Edward, Miklye Louis, Zawandi White Trinidad and Tobago Red Force: Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Jason Mohammed, Imran Khan, Bryan Charles, Khary Pierre, Terrance Hinds, Tion Webster, Shannon Gabriel, Anderson Phillip

 Draft picks: Kjorn Ottley, Amir Jangoo, Jyd Goolie, Cephas Cooper, Shaaron Lewis

 Windward Islands Volcanoes: Sunil Ambris, Alick Athanaze, Larry Edward, Kavem Hodge, Shermon Lewis, Ryan John, Darius Martin, Preston McSween, Kimani Melius, Tevyn Walcott

 Draft picks: Shamar Springer, Jeremy Solozano, Kenneth Dember, Johann Jeremiah, Nicklaus Redhead.