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Middlesex have signed New Zealand left-armer Mitchell McCleneghan as a mid-season replacement for Kyle Abbott in the NatWest Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2015Middlesex have signed New Zealand’s left arm paceman Mitchell McClenaghan, as an overseas replacement for Kyle Abbott in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast campaign after Abbott’s spell with the club expires at the end of June.McClenaghan is currently playing for the Mumbai Indians at the Indian Premier League, where he is among the leading wicket takers in the competition, with 14 at an average of 22.50.He will be in contention to make his NatWest T20 Blast debut for Middlesex against the Sussex Sharks at Lord’s on July 2 and will be available for the final six group matches of Middlesex’s NatWest T20 Blast campaign.McClenaghan did not have an impressive stint at Lancashire in T20, but his stock has risen on the back of some skilful, wholehearted displays with Mumbai Indians and his figures have given Middlesex additional confidence that he can answer their needs.Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, Angus Fraser, commented: “Replacing one high quality overseas fast bowler with another was not easy but we have managed to do this with the signing of McClenaghan.”Mitchell’s style, left arm fast, gives him a point of difference and his skill has allowed him to take wickets wherever he has played. We look forward to welcoming him to Lord’s at the start of July, for what we hope will be six important and exciting games.”

Rain came to Lancashire’s rescue in the LV= County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Old Trafford, with the hosts facing almost certain defeat after losing seven wickets in a poor afternoon session

ECB/PA02-Jul-2015
ScorecardOlly Stone burst through Lancashire’s top order after they had formed a strong opening stand•Getty ImagesRain came to Lancashire’s rescue in the LV= County Championship match against Northamptonshire at Old Trafford, with the hosts facing almost certain defeat after losing seven wickets in a poor afternoon session, and left head coach Ashley Giles admitting “we got away with that one.”At the start of play on the fourth day of this entertaining clash, the league leaders knew they needed to break a 105-year-old record if they were to snatch an unlikely victory over Northamptonshire – who were left frustrated by a result which hardly reflected their dominance.”Ultimately you can’t do anything about the rules and you can’t do anything about the weather,” captain Alex Wakely said. “I thought the umpires handled it well at the end because it wasn’t easy. We were on top and it would have brilliant for us to win but it wasn’t to be today.”I am very proud of everyone in the side. From start to finish we played the best cricket and we basically controlled the game.”Giles conceded it was an escape Lancashire did not deserve. “I don’t think we played very well, it was one of our poorer performances. It doesn’t make us a bad side, we have played some really good cricket and are top of the league.”But I thought we were under by quite a distance in this game and we can put it down as a blip, but we need to ensure that when we come back on Monday, we put that right.”From the start of the game with ball and with bat and in the field, it was just a bit lacklustre. I thought we were at 75%. And Northants were desperate to come up here and beat us. And by rights they will be walking away feeling pretty hard done by.”The highest successful fourth-innings run chase by a Lancashire side came in 1910 when they made 404 against Hampshire at Southampton, but Red Rose fans were left dreaming of something special over lunch.By then, Paul Horton and Karl Brown had made half-centuries with relative ease on a cloudy but humid day in Manchester, which saw the players leave the field 20 minutes early following a shower.Horton did receive a life when on 20 after he was put down by wicketkeeper Adam Rossington, diving to his right off the bowling off Steven Crook.However, it was only when the weather intervened later that the significance of the incident was revealed.With speculation growing that Lancashire could pull off an unlikely run chase and reach the target of 414, Olly Stone entered the fray.He produced a brilliant spell of bowling to remove Horton, clean bowled for 65, and then Alex Davies, trapped lbw for one.When Ashwell Prince became Stone’s third victim, after the South African edged behind for seven, thoughts quickly turned from a Lancashire victory to the prospects of a rare Northamptonshire win in Manchester.Skipper Steven Croft was next to join the procession as he was given out lbw off Rob Keogh without scoring, before Brown’s long vigil ended when he was tied up down the leg side by Steven Crook for 81.Further joy for the visitors saw James Faulkner (nine) and Aaron Lilley (13) both falling lbw to spin, leaving the Lancashire innings in tatters when the welcome Mancunian drizzle began falling around 20 minutes before tea with the score 206 for seven.It was hard not to feel for a frustrated Northamptonshire as play was eventually called off for the day with 43.5 overs to bowl, to Lancashire’s.”Ben Duckett was the star for me and he was phenomenal but Olly Stone also bowled brilliantly on a very flat wicket for the seamers,” Wakely said. “Our spinners bowled very nicely too. Ben is class and has so much talent – he will annoy opponents because he hits the ball in funny areas. We’re very lucky that we have a lot of talented young players at the cub and now we have to try to keep them here.”Olly’s spell changed the game for us. I could tell things were drifting out there and he came on and with that burst of energy he got us a couple of wickets. He’s enjoying the fact he’s staying fit and can string some games together and long may that continue.”We have a very small squad and we need a bit of luck with injuries but at the moment we’re playing some great cricket.”They played very nicely in the morning session and blunted us pretty well. We dropped a catch which was massive and if we had taken that we probably would have won the game. But that’s cricket.”

Brendon McCullum blasted into history with the fastest Test hundred of them all to leave Australia speechless and grant New Zealand a first-innings foothold on an unforgettable first afternoon at Hagley Oval

The Report by Daniel Brettig19-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:51

Farrell: McCullum goes out all-tatooed-guns blazing

He’s not going quietly. Brendon McCullum blasted into history with the fastest Test hundred of them all to leave Australia speechless and grant New Zealand a first-innings foothold on an unforgettable day at Hagley Oval.Arriving at the crease with the hosts a floundering 32 for 3 in the 20th over of the innings, McCullum launched an immediate counterattack in the lead-up to lunch. On resumption he stepped things up further in the company of a similarly fearless Corey Anderson, and spanked Josh Hazlewood over wide mid-off to reach his century in a mere 54 balls – two fewer than Viv Richards in 1986 and Misbah-ul-Haq in 2014.Most of Test cricket’s fastest hundreds have been compiled in circumstances that heavily favoured batsman, whether it be the pitch or the match scenario. Not so this time, as McCullum and Anderson overcame the obstacles of a lively pitch, a dominant Australian attack and a day one scenario that would traditionally have called for dogged defence.Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Jackson Bird had all bowled demanding spells with the new ball, but none were able to find an answer for McCullum’s assault. Vitally, an outstanding catch by Mitchell Marsh when McCullum had made 39 was rendered meaningless when the replay showed Pattinson had overstepped.It would have been Australia’s third brilliant catch of the innings, after the captain, Steven Smith, snared a pair of thrilling one-handed takes to dismiss Tom Latham and Kane Williamson. The second of these was made still more impressive by the fact that Smith was partly obscured by a helmet-clad David Warner, posted at a short third slip close to the bat.After useful innings by BJ Watling and Matt Henry, New Zealand were ultimately bowled out for 370, leaving Australia with a testing period to bat in the evening session. The tourists’ over rate was less than optimal during the afternoon, something that may result in a fine for Smith, though more than 12 months after his previous transgression, against India in late 2014.Warner and Joe Burns began carefully, weighing up conditions that still provided some challenges to the batsmen. Boult was particularly testing, gaining just enough movement to draw an edge from Warner that was comfortably held in the slips. Burns and Usman Khawaja did well to get to stumps, but there is plenty of work yet to be done.As was the case in Wellington, Smith did not hesitate in sending New Zealand in on a pitch even greener than that served up at the Basin Reserve. Hazlewood and Pattinson found extravagant seam movement immediately, leaving Martin Guptill and Latham groping for the new ball.Guptill was particularly troubled by Pattinson deliveries that cut back into him, and an inside edge squeezed off the body presented a chance to the short leg, Joe Burns, who grassed it. Another opportunity was not long in coming, and this time Burns did well to propel himself forward for the catch.A period of stalemate followed, as Williamson and Latham tried to dig in. There were multiple plays and misses, and pressure built through some diligent work by Hazlewood, Pattinson and Bird. Eventually, Bird gave Latham one to drive, and the batsman’s slightly hesitant movement drew an edge towards the slips. It was probably Adam Voges’ catch, but Smith removed all doubt by flinging himself brilliantly across for a one-handed classic.Hazlewood had bowled beautifully without reward, but he now homed in on Nicholls, who had edged a ball going across him on day one in Wellington. This time Hazlewood seamed one back down the line, and pinned Nicholls in front of the off stump. Richard Kettleborough gave it out, and the batsman’s review only confirmed the fact.All this time Williamson had been battling for survival, his back thigh taking a battering as he was often turned around by seam movement. Sensing momentum needed to change, McCullum walked out with his mind set on attack, and, after accepting a gracious guard of honour from the Australians, he did exactly that.McCullum’s first shot flew fortunately over the slips, but he subsequently found his range, and one Mitchell Marsh over was dispatched for no fewer than 21 runs including a pair of sixes. The Hagley Oval crowd came to life, and Australia’s grip on proceedings was loosened.They tightened it again when Smith swooped to claim Williamson, but Pattinson’s overstep shifted momentum back towards New Zealand. The reprieve allowed McCullum to carry on charging at the bowlers with all the crazy brave belief of a man who knows his luck is in.There were almost as many edges as full-blooded shots, not unlike Ian Botham at Headingley in 1981, but on a surface offering useful sideways movement this was to be expected. What McCullum did achieve was to throw Australia’s bowlers off the optimum approach for the pitch.Rather than pursuing the edge of the bat, the visiting pacemen dropped shorter and shorter, inviting McCullum and Anderson to use a horizontal bat. What resulted was an avalanche of runs that put New Zealand firmly back into the match and left Australia pondering a more challenging pursuit than they had faced in Wellington.Aside from McCullum’s thrilling display, the overall scoring was equally eye-popping. No fewer than 199 runs came between lunch and tea, 161 in 16 overs after Pattinson’s no-ball. When McCullum finally hit one within reach of an Australian fielder to depart for 145, Hagley Oval stood as one. It may as well have been the whole of New Zealand.

England are confident that Moeen Ali will be fit to play in the second Investec Ashes Test despite the spinning allrounder suffering a side strain

George Dobell15-Jul-2015England are confident that Moeen Ali will be fit to play in the second Investec Ashes Test despite the spinning allrounder suffering a side strain*. Moeen had a scan on the injury, which did not reveal a tear, and was able to bowl in the nets on Wednesday.Provided he does not suffer a reaction overnight, he will take his place in an unchanged XI at Lord’s. England have Adil Rashid in their 13-man squad but he has sustained a finger problem, leaving Alastair Cook to hope that Moeen can make it through five days. No back-up spinner has been called upon.Moeen did not take part in net practice on Tuesday but batted and bowled on Wednesday, with a final assessment on his fitness to be made in the morning. At the captain’s press conference, Cook said he expected Moeen to be okay and that his lack of training was “precautionary”.Rashid, the Yorkshire legspinner who is uncapped at Test level, would have been in line to replace an unfit Moeen but he has also picked up an injury and did not bowl in the nets on Wednesday. Rashid had been told to be ready to play by the England management but reported a minor abrasion to his spinning finger that he felt could compromise his performance.The uncertainty threatens to disrupt England’s attempts to take a grip on the series. Moeen played a key role in England going 1-0 up in Cardiff, scoring 77 in the first innings and following up with five wickets in the match. He has become England’s No. 1 spinner since the retirement of Graeme Swann, despite some attempts to paint him as a “part-time” bowler.Cook said a decision would be made on Thursday morning but he was hopeful that Moeen would be passed fit. Moeen missed England’s first Test in the West Indies earlier in the year because of a side strain and Cook said the medical staff were monitoring him closely with the quick turnaround from Cardiff to Lord’s.”He felt his side a tiny bit after the last game and, with his previous history, the medical team were wrapping him in cotton wool,” he said. “We’ll make a final call tomorrow but it was more precautionary yesterday.””I don’t think it’s the same injury. It’s like always when you’ve got two games back to back, you’re a little bit careful with training. But unless he gets a reaction overnight I expect him to be in our side.”*18.30 BST – This story was updated with new information

Only three months after Northants’ chairman claimed the club was in the best financial position it had been in for 20 years, the board has declared losses of almost £450,000 for the financial year

George Dobell09-Mar-2016Only three months after Northamptonshire’s chairman claimed the club was in the best financial position it had been in for 20 years, the board has declared losses of almost £450,000 for the financial year ending September 30, 2015.That follows a loss of £305,636 for the previous year. Turnover is down (from £3.67m to £3.65m), the operating loss is up (from £269,000 to £357,000) and debt (from £1.48m to £2.66m) has increased substantially. Loans totalling £475,000 were received from “private investors” in 2015, with the club paying annual interest of 7% on a loan of £125,000 from one of its directors.All of which makes Gavin Warren’s claim to the BBC at the start of December that the club is “in a far superior financial situation than it has been in for 20 years” all the more remarkable.But this will not be the first time the words of the club management have been hard to tally with reality in recent times. Shortly after the chief executive, Ray Payne, denied an ESPNcricinfo story detailing the club’s need for financial aid and dismissed any knowledge of plans for a ground move, the club were forced to admit that such plans did exist – ESPNcricnfo has copies of them – and that they had required financial assistance. “It was a reality that Northants might not remain a club,” Warren subsequently told BBC Radio Northampton.The club also informed the ECB – and the media – that there was a covenant on the ground that prohibited its sale or development as anything other than a sports ground and denied ESPNcricnfo’s claim that the club’s chief executive presence at the ground was part-time. It was subsequently proved that the club had been mistaken on both counts. Indeed, ESPNcricinfo understands that more than £10,000 was spent on the plans for a new ground and that at least one senior figure on the ECB board came to view the proposed site. The covenant was lifted several years ago.The financial statement also confirms that Allan Lamb, the former England batsman, resigned from the board in August – a claim that Lamb himself denied in writing at the time.Coming at the end of a year in which the club enjoyed several lucrative but not necessarily repeatable events, the financial results are especially concerning. Northants hosted a three-day tourist match against Australia in 2015, received a payment for the transfer of David Willey to Yorkshire, a payment for the gate of the T20 quarter-final at Hove (the visiting side receives 25% of gate receipts) and prize money for reaching the final of the same competition.The club also benefited from recently upgraded conference and event facilities that had not been completed the previous year and cut their playing staff to reduce costs. There are currently only 15 full-time playing professionals on the staff.They were hit, though, by reduced ECB payments of around £350,000.Which all left the directors to reflect in far more sober terms than Warren’s statement before Christmas. “The directors have a reasonable expectation that with the continued support of its funders the company will have adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the forseeable future [sic],” their financial statements reads.Northants holds an AGM on March 24 at which Warren, and two other board members, must stand for re-election.One potential piece of good news for Northants is the return of Monty Panesar, their former spinner who will take part on their pre-season tour as he bids to rebuild his career after his high-profile departure from Essex last year.

England bowler Reece Topley has broken a bone in his right hand after being struck by Boyd Rankin while batting during his Hampshire debut

Will Macpherson at the Ageas Bowl11-Apr-2016England bowler Reece Topley has broken a bone in his right hand while batting during his Hampshire debut.Topley, the left-arm seamer who recently returned from England’s World T20 campaign in India, suffered the injury while making a career-best 15 on the first day of the season against Warwickshire at the Ageas Bowl. Early in his innings he was rapped on the hand by Warwickshire quick Boyd Rankin but batted on in no obvious discomfort.But an X-ray on Monday morning – the match’s second day, which was completely washed out – revealed at least one broken bone. A visit to a specialist later in the day was due to reveal the extent of the injury. An update on Topley’s condition is expected some time after lunch on Tuesday.Topley told the BBC: “I was hit on the back of the hand and an X-ray this morning has revealed at least one fracture.”There’s one fracture there just below the knuckles and possibly another. I’m going to see a specialist later. It’s frustrating it came while batting, but that’s one of the risks when you play cricket.”Topley, who joined Hampshire from Essex in the close season and has yet to bowl a ball for the county, played in England’s first two matches of the World T20 but had been relegated to the sidelines by the time of the final against West Indies in Kolkata after taking a combined total of one for 55 in England’s opening two games.Topley now faces the prospect of a lengthy lay-off, and while England do not play white-ball cricket again until they host Sri Lanka in the first of five ODIs at Trent Bridge on June 21, a recent reminder of the potential damage of hand injuries comes from Surrey’s Zafar Ansari. The allrounder was selected for England’s tour of the UAE in September, only to injure his thumb fielding on the same day. Eight months later, he will make his return for Surrey’s second team on Wednesday.”We won’t find about how serious Reece’s injury is until tomorrow,” said Giles White, Hampshire’s Director of Cricket. “It is disappointing for Reece and everyone here at Hampshire.”To lose him at such an early part of the season without seeing a ball in his hand is exceptionally disappointing but that is the nature of the game. Reece is a resilient character and it gives us to look at others in the squad.”We suspect he won’t bowl in this game and make it any worse. We just want to get him better as soon as possible. He won’t play against Yorkshire next week.”Hampshire will resume their innings on 189 for 8 on Tuesday at the Ageas Bowl after the entire second day’s play was lost to rain.”A little bit of time out the game isn’t bad for us but we would like to be out there playing cricket as much as we can at this time in the year,” White added. “For us tomorrow we need to carry on batting and get what we can in terms of bonus points and bowl well. The game will take shape from there.”It was a shame to lose a day today but the weather looks better tomorrow and we’ll go again.”

The England midfielder helped Spurs get the better of Chelsea while Alexis orchestrated a victory over Swansea, earning their places in the latest XI

Dele Alli and Alexis Sanchez are the highlight names in this week's Premier League team of the week after helping their respective sides to important wins.

Alli was the star for Tottenham with two goals as they came from behind to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. His first, aided by his wonderful first touch to control a Eric Dier pass before beating Willy Caballero, stunned the onlooking crowd before he put the game beyond doubt to all but secure his side's place in the top four at the Blues' expense.

Alexis, meanwhile, shook off his early struggles at Manchester United to fire them to a win over Swansea City. With a goal and an assist, he gave Jose Mourinho's men a two-goal lead within 20 minutes to keep them in second place.

Check out the full team below…

GettyKasper Schmeichel | Leicester CityThe Leicester City goalkeeper has saved three of the 14 Premier League penalties he’s faced – the same number his father Peter saved during his time in the competition (21 faced).AdvertisementGettyDeAndre Yedlin | Newcastle United

As well as helping his side keep a clean sheet, Yedlin also made six crosses from open play down the right-hand side, creating two chances in the process.

GettyVictor Lindelof | Manchester United

The centre-back had the best pass accuracy of any Red Devils player in Saturday's 2-0 win, with no team-mate making more clearances or interceptions than his three of each.

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GettyJamaal Lascelles | Newcastle United

Lascelles was solid in defence in Newcastle's 1-0 win over Huddersfield – no Magpies player made more clearances than his eight or gained possession on more occasions than the 13 he did.

Over 1,200 players have found the target on the grandest of footballing stages, but only 13 have reached double figures in the competition's history

Getty Images1Best of the rest

Some iconic figures have recorded nine goals at World Cup finals, including Eusebio, David Villa and Roberto Di Baggio. Rivaldo and Diego Maradona are among those with eight efforts to their name, while Davor Suker, Hristo Stoichkov, Dennis Bergkamp, Bebeto, Arjen Robben, Thierry Henry, Mario Kempes and Lothar Matthaus have six. Modern day icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be back for more in 2018, have managed five and three goals respectively.

AdvertisementGetty2Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 10

A Golden Shoe winner in 1974 having inspired Poland to a third place finish. Netted twice against Argentina and Haiti before recording match-winning efforts against Sweden and Yugoslavia. Also grabbed the only goal of the game in a third place play-off win over Brazil. Would go on to find the target twice at the 1978 World Cup and record his last international goal in 1982.

Getty3Thomas Muller | Germany | 10

The fifth German on the list and another player to have been a model of consistency throughout his World Cup appearances to date. Took the Golden Boot in 2010 courtesy of having added three assists to his five-goal haul, with the Best Young Player award also coming his way. Scored a hat-trick against Portugal in 2014, the only goal in a win over USA and the first in a 7-1 mauling of Brazil as Germany restored global dominance.

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AFP4Teofilo Cubillas | Peru | 10

Peru’s all-time leading goalscorer and the first man to net at least five times at two World Cups – a feat since matched by Miroslav Klose and Thomas Muller. Found the target in all four of his outings at the 1970 event, including one effort in a quarter-final defeat to Brazil. Repeated his five-goal haul in 1978 by bagging a brace against Scotland and a hat-trick in victory over Iran.

Who are the highest-rated players in FIFA history? And who takes Messi's place in the starting XI?

Getty/EAHighest-rated FIFA players everBarcelona superstar Lionel Messi is the highest-rated player in FIFA 20, but his 94 rating is not high enough to get him into the best FIFA XI of all-time. If Messi doesn't make the cut, who does?AdvertisementGettyGK: Gianluigi Buffon The highest-rated goalkeeper in FIFA history in Gianluigi Buffon, who had an overall rating of 97 in FIFA 05. The Italian stopper has been one of the top goalkeepers in the game in recent years, but after being rated 88 at Paris Saint-Germain in FIFA 19, drops down to an 83 with Juventus in FIFA 20.GettyRB: Lilian ThuramThe lowest-rated player in the FIFA all-time XI, Lilian Thuram is the best right-back in the game's history. He received a 92 rating in FIFA 05 while at Juventus. Nobody comes close in FIFA 20, with Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich the best right-back thanks to his 86 rating.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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GettyCB: Fernando HierroFernando Hierro represented Real Madrid in La Liga in three separate decades, captaining the club in the early 2000s. His commanding displays at centre-back saw him receive a 94 rating in FIFA 02.

The draw has been made for the Champions League last 16 and there's plenty to discuss ahead of the match-ups

getty images16Napoli

The Serie A side have endured a chaotic few weeks with coach Carlo Ancelotti sacked shortly after securing a place in the last 16.

A civil war inside the Stadio San Paolo hasn't helped with players wanting to leave, president Aurelio De Laurentiis reportedly fining some squad members and fans staying away.

A tough draw against Barcelona will give little to raise European hopes but if they can hold onto Kalidou Koulibaly and Dries Martens in the January transfer window, a shock is not impossible.

AdvertisementGetty15Lyon

Lyon reached the last 16 with a dramatic late equaliser; Memphis Depay's goal saw them snatch a 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig at the death.

The former Manchester United forward will be a huge loss in the knockout stages after he was ruled out for the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury days later.

Lyon are struggling halfway down the Ligue 1 table with seven defeats from 18 games already. A victory over Juventus would be a huge upset.

Getty Images14Chelsea

The wheels have fallen off for Frank Lampard's exciting young side in recent weeks with just two wins from their last seven matches.

A summer transfer ban has seen them put their faith in promising academy products but the squad is short of European experience – they only secured a place in the last 16 on the final day with a 2-1 win over Lille.

Bayern Munich will be a huge test but they do at least now have the option to strengthen in January after the transfer ban was lifted.

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Getty13Atalanta

The Champions League debutants are just happy to be here after their surprising qualification for the last 16.

Home games were switched from Bergamo to San Siro, and despite losing their opening three group games and trailing at half-time to Manchester City in the fourth, they went on to collect seven points to qualify from the group stages.

The draw has been kind, with Valencia a team they are more than capable of beating.