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Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar also miss out on contracts this season

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2024Former captain Nida Dar and Aliya Riaz have been omitted from the PCB’s new batch of central contracts announced on Saturday. Sixteen players were announced in the new contracts, with Fatima Sana, who took over from Dar as captain, moving up to Category A.Dar was in Category A in last year’s contracts, while Riaz had been demoted to Category B, though their omissions are not entirely unexpected. As well as dwindling form, there are believed to have been concerns about their attitude within the team set-up that were discussed with PCB hierarchy.Eyman Fatima, Anoosha Nasir, Sidra Nawaz and Shawaal Zulfiqar also miss out on contracts this season, while Bismah Maroof’s retirement earlier this year means she no longer features. The board said, “these players will remain available for selection, as the PCB shifts its focus towards developing the next generation of cricketers in alignment with the ICC’s Women’s FTP (Future Tours Programme) for 2025-29.”Getty Images

Twenty players were awarded two-year contracts last year, with a significant pay bump, but with the proviso that performances would be reassessed after a year.Sana’s promotion is a reward for a series of outstanding all-round performances in the run-up to, and at the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Pakistan beat Sri Lanka at the tournament but lost their three other group games to India, Australia and eventual champions New Zealand.Muneeba Ali, the wicketkeeper-batter, has also been promoted to Category A, joining Sidra Amin who retains her position. Gull Feroza and Rameen Shamim return to the central-contracts list for the first time since 2018 and 2022-23 respectively, while Tasmia Rubab is included for the first time.The contracts have been pending approval for some time now, having run out at the end of July. Players, however, will be paid backdated amounts from then. The delay in the contracts is part of a general trend of upheaval and uncertainty in Pakistan women’s cricket where the PCB has struggled to get projects off the ground. Most notable among them is the long-promised women’s PSL, which Ramiz Raja first promised as chairman nearly three years ago but is yet to materialise. Tania Mallick, Head of Women’s Cricket since October 2021, told ESPNcricinfo earlier this year she expected a women’s PSL to happen within the next 12 months. Last month, however, she quit the role, with no signs of that tournament being introduced in the near future.”The 2024-25 central contracts reflect our forward-looking strategy as we prepare for the new ICC Women’s Future Tours Programme,” the PCB’s new Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed said. “By further investing in established players through significantly enhanced retainers and offering clear pathways to the emerging cricketer, we aim to strike a balance between nurturing future stars and sustaining competitiveness at the highest level.”Pakistan contracts list:
Category A: Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali and Sidra Amin
Category B: Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal
Category C: Diana Baig, Omaima Sohail
Category D: Ghulam Fatima, Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani

Meanwhile, Former Australia Test paceman Peter Siddle leaves Strikers to join Renegades while Queensland quick Mark Steketee moves from Heat to Stars

Alex Malcolm01-Sep-2023West Indies left-hander Nicholas Pooran and Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan have both withdrawn from the BBL draft while South African Dane van Niekerk is out of the WBBL due to the fractured right thumb she suffered during the recent women’s Hundred.Pooran and Rizwan were set to be platinum picks in the BBL draft and Pooran was potentially going to be a sort-after option given he was likely to be available up until finals before heading to the ILT20. But his West Indies white-ball commitments in December against England may have affected his early availability and he has withdrawn from the tournament.Rizwan was always going to have availability issues given his commitments with Pakistan as they are playing three Tests against Australia in Australia across the first month of the six-week-long BBL.Related

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Van Niekerk did not play in the WBBL last year but has previously played for Melbourne Renegades, Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers. But her fractured thumb means she is unavailable for the tournament.Meanwhile, former Australia fast bowler Peter Siddle has returned to Melbourne Renegades after six seasons at Adelaide Strikers where he captained Strikers 27 times. Siddle, who will be 39 by the time the BBL starts, previously played seven games at Renegades from 2013-15 while he was a mainstay in Australia’s Test attack.Renegades have become one of the oldest lists in BBL history with Siddle joining Nathan Lyon (35) as a new signing. Renegades already have three players over 35 – Shaun Marsh (40), Aaron Finch (36) and Jon Wells (35).”We’ve made a concerted effort to add more experience to our playing list this off-season, so to welcome ‘Sidds’ back to the Renegades, alongside the additions of Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon is a fantastic result,” Melbourne Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten said.”Sidds is well respected not just for his contributions with the ball over a long period of time, but for his leadership, tactical awareness and broader knowledge of players and the T20 landscape.”He has plenty of existing relationships within our playing group and we know he will be an important contributor for us not only on the field but with all the other attributes he brings that help build successful teams.”Peter Siddle returns to Renegades where he started his BBL career•Getty Images

Siddle was thrilled to be back in Melbourne having also moved back to Victoria in domestic cricket after three seasons with Tasmania.”I’m excited to be returning to where my Big Bash journey started and to be back in red this year,” Siddle said.”I’ve loved my time in Adelaide over the last six seasons. But it’s time for a new challenge, and I’m looking forward to reuniting with some good mates of mine at the Renegades.”Looking at the playing list that’s being assembled, there’s no reason we can’t challenge for the title this year.Elsewhere, Queensland and Australia A fast bowler Mark Steketee has signed with Melbourne Stars in the BBL after 10 seasons with Brisbane Heat. Steketee had been a mainstay in all formats for Queensland and Heat earlier in his career but only played eight games in each of the last two BBL seasons. The emergence of Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett forced him out of the Heat side last season and he did not play in their finals campaign.He instead joins the Stars to bolster their bowling stocks alongside the off-season signings of Scott Boland and Joel Paris.”We identified Mark as a target to further strengthen our fast-bowling stocks and we can’t wait to see what he can do at the MCG,” Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch said.”He has been a consistent wicket-taker in the BBL over a number of years now and he’ll bring a lot of valuable experience and cricket IQ to the group.”

He has his sights on another pre-Ashes spell with Glamorgan if the schedule allows him

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2022Marnus Labuschagne will be aiming to copy Joe Root’s playbook in Sri Lanka as he prepares for what he expects will be his toughest challenge yet against spin.Labuschagne completed his latest county stint with Glamorgan on Sunday in an abandoned T20 clash against Surrey, but not before he had taken 2 for 27 from his four overs ahead of a tour were his legspin could be used more regularly by Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins.However, it will be with the bat where he will have his best chance to define games, especially the two Tests in Galle which conclude the tour.Related

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Root had a phenomenal Test series in Sri Lanka in early 2021 where he made first-innings scores of 228 and 186 in Galle which followed a century in Pallekele on the previous tour.Labuschagne’s Test career started against Pakistan in the UAE in 2018 but his only other experience in Asia was the recent series in Pakistan. The home side’s spinners underwhelmed in those three matches where Labuschagne started with 90 in Rawalpindi before collecting first-innings ducks in the next two games.”For me, it’s my first real subcontinent challenge against spin, it’s about conquering that challenge,” Labuschagne told . “Joe Root played phenomenally over there, I’ve learned a lot from how he went about his game there.”As a team we want to be the best in the world, it doesn’t matter where you take us, we want to be winning games and I certainly think we can do that in Sri Lanka. I’ll have to get used to conditions, the heat and sweating it out, which is something we haven’t had the last few games [in the UK].”Although Labuschagne is now returning to Australia duty at the start of what will be a hectic period of national action he is keen for another pre-Ashes stint with Glamorgan next year.Labuschagne’s schedule is not as crammed as some of Australia’s three-format players as he is not yet a regular in the T20I side, but there are 11 Tests scheduled up to next March plus a lot of ODI cricket so he is aware he may need to manage his workload while his wife Rebekah is also expecting their first child later in the year.He has often credited his 2019 spell with Glamorgan as a key part of why he was able to have immediate success when parachuted into the side as Steven Smith’s concussion substitute at Lord’s.”There’s a lot of things in the mix, but I can’t see anything wrong with trying to copy the last time I played in the Ashes here, and play some county cricket with Glamorgan [going] into the Ashes next summer,” he said.”That’s our blueprint but we’ve got so much cricket this year, around 16 Tests and 18 one-day games, so we’re going to have to make sure I’m fit and healthy, and also get to spend time at home with my wife and child at some stage.”

Mike Hesson has backed his IPL team’s million-dollar recruit after the quick proved expensive in the T20Is against Australia

Sreshth Shah05-Mar-2021Mike Hesson, the director of cricket operations at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has backed the team’s INR 15 crore recruit Kyle Jamieson despite the fast-bowling allrounder having a forgettable T20I series against Australia.In the first four T20Is of the series, Jamieson has conceded 175 runs in 15 overs – economy rate of 11.66 – for just one wicket. But Hesson, talking to after the third match – said that Jamieson shouldn’t be judged on his recent outings.”He’s struggled, probably for the first time in international cricket really, which I don’t think is a bad thing,” Hesson said in a conversation with Ian Smith. “He’s battled to find his lengths, which when you’re put under pressure, that can happen. And pressure not only from the opposition but also the weight of expectations. For Kyle, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.Related

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“He’s a smart enough cricketer, surrounded by good people, and he’ll come out of the other side. When you look at a player, you don’t look at a player just over a very short period of time. You look at the characteristics that he’s got. He’s got some good fighting qualities. He struggled, he didn’t find his lengths, he looked like he lost his run-up. We know he’s a very good player and although we would like him to be performing better, we’re not too worried just yet.”The tall right-arm quick had received the second-highest bid at last month’s IPL auction, going at over US$ 2.5 million following a three-way bidding war between the Royal Challengers, the Punjab Kings and the Delhi Capitals.Hesson, the former New Zealand coach, placed the first bid on Jamieson for INR 75 lakh, but alternating bids between the Royal Challengers and the Capitals pushed his price to INR 9 crore. After that, the Kings – who had the biggest purse at the latest auctions – showed interest in Jamieson, which lifted his price to INR 15 crore. He was snapped up by the Royal Challengers in the end. Later, in a video shared by the Royal Challengers on their social media feed, where the think tank was seen discussing their choices before auction day, Hesson was clear in his interest in Jamieson.Hesson has spent large portions of 2021 in India. Having arrived in the country before the IPL auction in Chennai, he has stayed back, shifting base to Bengaluru thereafter, where the franchise is beginning a camp soon. He has also been following the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, India’s premier domestic 50-over competition, some matches of which have been staged in the city.”I’ve been watching domestic cricket for the last week, one-day cricket in Bangalore,” Hesson said. “A lot of our players have been playing there, and we start a camp in two days’ time with six or seven guys who aren’t involved with India or international cricket. We’d like to get the squad together in the early twenties of March when the final IPL dates get settled. There’ll likely be a five-seven-day quarantine period that people will have to go through, and then the tournament is set to start early to mid-April.”

Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner hold their nerve as New Zealand take a series lead

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Sep-2019A bruising 79-run fourth-wicket stand off 37 balls between Ross Taylor and Colin de Grandhomme energised a flailing New Zealand innings, and set them on track for what would eventually become a comfortable victory.The visitors ran down Sri Lanka’s 174 with three balls and five wickets remaining. The pair had come together with the score at 39 for 3, with the required rate climbing toward 11, but blasted four sixes and seven fours between them, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers struggled to contend with a wet, slippery ball. The game was still not quite safe when the two were dismissed, but Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell saw the visitors home with a 31-run stand that came off 16 balls.

Sri Lanka fined for slow over-rate

Sri Lanka were found to be two overs short of their target during the Pallekele T20I against New Zealand and, in accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, all 11 of their players were fined 40% of their match fees [each over comes with a 20% fine].

New Zealand’s victory was despite Sri Lanka having produced the best individual innings of the evening. Kusal Mendis had earlier struck 79 off 53 balls opening the innings, putting on a 63-run partnership with Niroshan Dickwella for the third wicket in the process. But some dawdling in the middle period, and some excellent bowling from Tim Southee at various stages of the innings, prevented Sri Lanka from posting a really big total.Southee took 2 for 20, and was almost matched by Lasith Malinga, who struck the base of Colin Munro and de Grandhomme’s middle stumps with searing Yorkers on his way to 2 for 23. Had he not flung five wides down the legside at the start of the 19th over, Sri Lanka might have had a chance in the final over. As it happened, New Zealand required only three to win off the 20th.It hadn’t taken long for either de Grandhomme or Taylor to begin finding the boundary. De Grandhomme clubbed his second ball for four past cover, and Taylor found his first four via the sweep – various iterations of the shot going on to prove fruitful for him through the evening – but it wasn’t until the halfway mark in the innings that big blows began to come in quick succession. New Zealand made 17 runs off each of the 11th, 12th and 13th overs, the pair hitting four sixes and two fours through this period, in addition to running well between the wickets.It could have gone wrong, though. Sri Lanka would rue the dropped catch off Taylor on 31 – attempting a third six off Akila Dananjaya, Taylor miscued one to deep midwicket, but Dasun Shanaka could not hold on to a straightforward chance.De Grandhomme was out for 44 off 28 in the 14th over, but Taylor carried on until the 17th, before being trapped lbw by Wanindu Hasaranga after 48 off 29 balls. A six apiece from Santner and Mitchell, plus those five Malinga wides, ensured New Zealand’s dominance at the finish.In Sri Lanka’s innings, Mendis’ opening stand with Kusal Perera had been rapid – 41 runs coming off 4.3 overs – but Avishka Fernando’s inability to find the gaps or the boundary helped sap momentum from the innings, as Mendis himself entered a quieter phase of batting with the spinners in operation. Fernando was eventually dismissed for 10 off 17 – the pair going at just under a run-a-ball through the course of their 28-ball association.Sri Lanka’s run rate recovered during Mendis’ next partnership – Dickwella making 33 off 25, before Southee had Mendis caught superbly at long-on by Martin Guptill. Between them, Shanaka and Isuru Udana hit three sixes in the final over, and seemed to have raised themselves to a competitive score. But their bowlers were rattled by that Taylor-de Grandhomme stand, and the spinners in particular could not find the turn that would have envenomed them, as they struggled to grip a wet ball.New Zealand go 1-0 up in the series. The second match of three is on Tuesday.

Slow over rates – a cause for delayed matches – will lead to a net run rate penalty, affecting a team’s chances of progressing in the league

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2018The CPL is set to undergo two major changes in its playing conditions this year. Slow over rates – a cause for delayed matches – will be dealt with severely, as teams failing to bowl their overs within the allotted time frame will be given a net run rate penalty, affecting their chances of progressing in the league.The stipulated time to complete 20 overs in the CPL is 85 minutes, plus any additional time the umpires deem fit due to delays in play. Should a team fall short by one over, a deduction of 0.05 from their net run rate will be the resultant penalty. For every additional over the team falls short of completing, they will face a penalty deduction of 0.10 from their net run rate.The other amendment in playing rules is the introduction of a coin toss to decide which team bats first in the event of a Super Over. Earlier, the team that batted second in a tied match would automatically be the one to bat first in the Super Over.”We work hard each year to ensure that playing conditions are making the competition as fair as possible while also keeping the spectators and viewers at home entertained. We feel both of these changes will help with both of these goals,” Michael Hall, the tournament operations director for CPL, said.The CPL commences on August 8, with trophy holders Trinbago Knight Riders taking on St Lucia Stars in Port-of-Spain. The final will be played on September 16 at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.

Faf du Plessis was involved in two run-outs against India, first involving AB de Villiers and then David Miller, before he fell for 36 against India at The Oval

Nagraj Gollapudi at The Oval11-Jun-2017As soon as he dabbed Ravindra Jadeja towards point, Faf du Plessis set off immediately, saying “yes”, signalling partner AB de Villiers for a single. Hardik Pandya swiftly sent the throw down to MS Dhoni, who brushed off the bails even as de Villiers threw himself forward to complete the run.Five balls later, du Plessis found was involved in another run-out – this time with David Miller. Both batsmen found themselves at the same end after du Plessis responded to Miller’s call for a single, but quickly turned back to make his crease, leaving his partner in an embarrassing position. Those two run-outs were the “turning points” of the match which South Africa went on to lose by eight wickets, according to India captain Virat Kohli.Du Plessis was apologetic after the defeat and owned up to the fact that his call for a run with de Villiers was not wise. “I take full responsibility for AB’s run-out,” du Plessis said at the media briefing. “That’s my fault. Obviously he [de Villiers] is a big player for us and he was looking good and it was a crunch time in the game. Big mistake from my part running AB out.”Asked if he ventured running for a single that another batsman would, perhaps, avoid, de Villiers said he simply responded to du Plessis’ call. “You see, I just tried to take a one with my partner out there and it didn’t work. I wasn’t searching for runs, I wasn’t even facing. So I wouldn’t say it like that. There was a call out there, and I thought we could get through for the one.”According to du Plessis, India’s bowlers and fielders were mounting pressure quickly and with The Oval packed with fans, mostly Indian supporters, it was difficult to hear the calls in the cacophony. He conceded, however, that nothing could absolve him of his “error in judgment” which resulted in de Villiers’ wicket.”I suppose, after that moment, Dave [Miller] came in and we discussed that it is extremely loud out there and difficult to hear each other so the communication between the two of us was just for the next five overs, just play it as risk free as possible. Try and get the partnership going in, settle the partnership because the last thing you want to do is go wicket, wicket,” he said. “And then two or three balls later, obviously a miscommunication, and then Dave came down and ran. Not a great sight to see two guys standing in the crease.”Du Plessis said the run-outs distracted him from trying to focus on batting. Failing to read a slower ball from Pandya, du Plessis chopped on and lost his off stump for 36 runs. Within five overs, South Africa’s three most dangerous batsmen were back in the dressing room.Du Plessis summed up the day as an “average” one for South Africa and gave credit to India to force the mistakes. “That five overs, in a game like today, five overs like that is very, very big,” du Plessis said. “You either settle and get through the pressure. Or you absorb it or you don’t and we didn’t absorb those five overs. I thought India bowled well in the first 10 overs, there was an opportunity there for us to maybe put them under pressure which we didn’t do. It was a day where possibly India dominated us in all aspects and it shouldn’t happen.”He also pointed out that no amount of experience counts in such moments. “When India were batting they took the pressure, created momentum and then just ran with it. We had a similar opportunity where it was needed for someone, or, two guys to just put the pressure back on the Indian team and you run with it. We didn’t do that today. They put us under pressure and we made mistakes and we couldn’t get out of it.”According to Kohli, India were confident of restricting South Africa to a modest target once they had sent back de Villiers and du Plessis. “I think his [de Villiers’] run-out could be the turning point. And David Miller’s [too]. He is a very dangerous player as well. They can drag the team up to 260, 270 from any sort of situations. Those two run-outs were the turning point today.”

Zimbabwe are set to host India for three ODIs and three T20s in June at the Harare Sports Club

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-20162:28

Agarkar: Chance for fringe players to shine

Zimbabwe are set to host India for three ODIs and three T20s in June at the Harare Sports Club. The six matches will be played over 12 days, starting with the first ODI on June 11 and the last T20 on June 22.”After finalising all the formalities with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), we are pleased to announce the incoming tour scheduled for this June,” Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa said.According to the Future Tours Programme, the teams were supposed to play one Test, but it was replaced by the three T20s. A senior BCCI official involved in the tour negotiations said the request to replace the Test with the T20Is came from Zimbabwe Cricket. He did not elaborate on the reason, but said the BCCI agreed readily to the change.The last time India toured Zimbabwe was in July 2015, when the visitors won the ODI series 3-0 and the T20 series was tied 1-1. The tour will be India’s fourth visit to Zimbabwe in the last six years.

England Lions thrashed Bangladesh A by 191 runs in the second unofficial ODI and sealed the three-match series

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2013
ScorecardMichael Carberry amplified his claim for a place in the England ODI squad for the upcoming series against Australia after battering Bangladesh A for 146 in the second unofficial ODI in Taunton, while James Taylor also made his mark in the game with an unbeaten century to remind the selectors and Lions coach Ashley Giles, just what he was capable of. The visitors, unable to handle yet another deluge of runs, were eventually crushed by 191 runs, as the Lions took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.Bangladesh were defeated for the seventh consecutive time on tour, and this result was been made even worse by virtue of the fact that their bowlers conceded in excess of 350 for the second straight game as the home side topped Tuesday’s 353 for 4 with another massive score, this time making 367 for 3 after they decided to bat first.Carberry, while at 59, reached an important milestone by crossing 500 runs in both List A and Twenty20 cricket this season. He struck eighteen fours and four sixes in his innings, and added 70 for the first wicket with James Vince.
But his third wicket stand with Taylor was the clincher, as the pair added 185 in just 165 deliveries. Taylor reached his century off the penultimate ball of the innings with a six off Robiul Islam, and ended up on 106 off 100 balls with seven fours and four sixes as the Bangladesh bowlers were handed a hiding.Left-arm spinner Elias Sunny had been the tourists’ most successful bowler on tour, but he was flogged for 95 off his nine overs. Sohag Gazi, Robiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain and Mominul Haque all went for more than six runs an over, with only Ziaur Rahman bowling tidily and ending with 1 for 41.Captain Jahurul Islam made his first half-century on tour and Naeem Islam scored a 54-ball 31, but with wickets falling at regular intervals, neither batsman was unable to build a significant partnership, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 176 in 44.4 overs.Sussex pacer Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers, ending with 4-38, while David Willey, Boyd Rankin, Ben Stokes, Luke Wright and Carberry all notched a wicket each to complete the rout.

Warwickshire’s response provided the measure of Middlesex’s first innings, which may not have been below par to the extent it was suspected after the Division One leaders made hard work of getting their noses in front

Jon Culley at Edgbaston22-Aug-2012
ScorecardIan Westwood scored his second century against Middlesex this season before Warwickshire’s lower order collapsed•Getty Images

Warwickshire’s response provided the measure of Middlesex’s first innings, which may not have been below par to the extent it was suspected after the Division One leaders made hard work of getting their noses in front. With Ian Blackwell, the former England allrounder, coming in at No. 8, Warwickshire’s batting line-up looked irresistibly strong, yet there were more failures than successes and they take a lead of only six runs into the third day, eight wickets down.Yet they had been 175 without loss as Ian Westwood and Varun Chopra again demonstrated their effectiveness as an opening partnership. The two have shared four three-figure stands this season, three of those in the last six innings. Until Chopra fell to a fine, diving catch by Sam Robson at gully off the first ball of Gareth Berg’s second spell, they seemed capable of establishing a lead all on their own.They had ridden their luck at times, in terms of streaky runs off the edge of the bat, but as on Tuesday nothing went to hand. And as the ball aged their authority grew. Chopra, unusually, was the more passive partner, allowing Westwood to take the lead. The left-hander’s first 51 runs spanned 85 balls, to which he added his next 41 at a run a ball, increasing his boundary count from seven to 16. Only in the 90s did he feel he should take stock, facing 22 balls while scoring only six before his 17th four took him to 102.Westwood gave up the Warwickshire captaincy two years ago after enduring a full season without a first-class century. This was his fifth since then and his second in the space of three weeks, both against Middlesex.It seemed to give Warwickshire a platform for a substantial total yet thereafter the innings somewhat lost its way. No subsequent combination was able to add more than 29 and if Chris Wright and Keith Barker are parted quickly on the third morning Warwickshire will have achieved scarcely better than parity.A hailstorm drove the players from the field with a dozen overs left of day two, leaving puddles on the outfield that had not drained more than an hour after the storm had passed, which illustrated the problems the groundstaff still face after such a wet summer.They were not helped in their attempts to protect the square by the umpires’ indecision about when to take the players off, even though dark clouds were looming ominously. Jim Troughton cannot have been impressed either, given that it was in pretty poor light that he was caught at second slip off Tim Murtagh, who is not exactly on the slower side of medium.Others had less obvious excuses. As on day one, anything bowled too short asked to be hit but fuller deliveries posed problems. There were some notable catches, with Steven Crook matching Robson for athleticism at gully when he held a stunner, diving to his right, to give Neil Dexter the wicket of Darren Maddy.It was Dexter’s medium pace, ultimately, that did for Westwood, inducing a chip to mid-off from a mistimed drive, after facing 183 balls for his 120. There was a maiden Championship wicket for the 21-year-old left-arm spinner Ravi Patel, who started nervously but found some confidence after William Porterfield edged to slip.The innings took a sharp downturn after the new ball became available, with Toby Roland-Jones inflicting the most damage and removing three of Warwickshire’s better bets for another substantial score. He had Rikki Clarke caught behind with a ball that found some extra bounce and followed up when Tim Ambrose edged one that cut away late. Blackwell was leg before to one that nipped back and stayed low.