The Cricket Drop ๐ issue #4 - Wednesday April 30, 2025
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ The fight to open for England in this year's Ashes hots up... ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ ICC refuse to bow to Ben Stokes ๐ Nationwide ban on broadcasting major tournament
Good morning, cricket fans. And welcome to todayโs The Cricket Drop (edition number four, would you believe?!) on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Todayโs Cricket Drop headlines
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ There are 200 days until the Ashes gets underway in Perth. Ahead of it, Englandโs Ashes squad could be quietly beginning to take shape, writes Simon Wilde from the Times.
Whether itโs Sonny Baker, Ben McKinney or Jacob Bethell heading out at the Optus Stadium in November, Wilde writes the decision will be made using a data-driven approach.
โ๏ธ Wilde writes:
One of the most consequential, if not controversial, aspects of the analytical tools used by England is โimpact dataโ, which attempts to measure the effect performances have on overall outcome. In other words, even if a playerโs contribution was not numerically eye-catching, did it help win the game?
So if Zak Crawley gets the nod, you know what is to blame. The hierarchy are all in on Crawley and it looks unlikely that faith will wane just yet.
But Crawley averaged just 8.66 in New Zealand late last year, with a top-score of 21 in six innings and four single-digit dismissals, and he has only passed fifty once in his last eight Tests stretching back to last summer.
England begin a huge nine months of red-ball cricket with a one-off game against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge from May 22. It is probably a good time for the England openers to find some runsโฆ
County Championship ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ โฆ speaking of which, hello, Ben Duckett! Division One leaders Nottinghamshire eased to a nine-wicket win inside three days after outplaying Sussex. Needing 148 to win, Nottinghamshire were home and dry in 25.5 overs after unbeaten half-centuries from skipper Haseeb Hameed (62) and Duckett (59).
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Champions Surrey recorded their first win of the season in emphatic style, beating Somerset by eight wickets at the Kia Oval. Dan Worrall and Jordan Clark shared six wickets as Somerset were bowled out for 119. Surrey knocked off their target of 36 in 5.2 overs and moved up to second in the table.
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Elsewhere, Durham beat Worcestershire by six wickets inside two days in a bowler-dominated match at New Road, and Leicestershire beat Gloucestershire within three days.
There was only one draw - Derbyshire versus Middlesex - which was the only match of the round to go the full allocated four days.
RESULTS IN FULL:
Division One
Nottinghamshire vs Sussex - Nottinghamshire win by 9 wickets
Surrey vs Somerset - Surrey win by 8 wickets
Worcestershire vs Durham - Durham win by 6 wickets
Division Two
Derbyshire vs Middlesex - Match drawn
Gloucestershire vs Leicestershire - Leicestershire win by 2 wickets
Ashes stock watch ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
STOCK UP
โฌ๏ธ Josh Tongue picked up a second consecutive five-wicket haul for Nottinghamshire. Tongue generated some rapid pace. Could he play a major role in Englandโs attack Down Under?
โฌ๏ธ Farhan Ahmed, Nottinghamshireโs 17-year-old off-spinner, delivered another stand-out display with the ball, taking four for 54. Time to get him and Rehan on the plane?โฆ
โ๏ธ โฆ. or, on second thoughts, The Telegraphโs Scyld Berry writes:
Farhan was mature far beyond his years when he made his first-class debut last summer for England Lions against the touring Sri Lankans aged 16. Now he looks as dynamic as any spinner in England, certainly any finger-spinner, but it says a lot about the cupboard when that accolade goes to someone aged 17.
โฌ๏ธ Gus Atkinsonโs performance for Surrey, meanwhile, shows he is gearing up well, writes The Telegraphโs Will Macpherson.
โฌ๏ธ HEโS BACK. Jacob Bethell made his return from injury as Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets to go top of the table in the Indian Premier League, as per India.com. Jacob, my boy.
โฌ๏ธ Sussex's Tom Haines is the leading run-scorer in County Championship Division One at time of writing. Breathing down Crawleyโs neckโฆ
โ๏ธ Sky Sports explains:
We know England director of cricket Rob Key is a fan, with his last tweet before taking that role three years ago saying Haines "looks a bloody good player in my humble opinion." The numbers back Key up as Haines' career average is a shade under 40.
STOCK DOWN
โฌ๏ธ Chris Woakes says a setback while recovering from an ankle injury makes him a doubt for the start of England's Test summer. The bowling allrounder has been suffering from an ankle injury, reports The Cricketer.
โฌ๏ธ The more things change, the more they stay the same. Ollie Pope was bowled for just one run at the Oval. Aiming a cut at a ball from Lewis Gregory that nipped back sharply, Pope ended up dragging on to middle stump.
Around the world ๐
๐ฑ My goodness. There is only one place to start. 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest centurion in menโs Twenty20 cricket on Monday.
โช๏ธ There were 11 sixes and seven fours in his 101 off 38 balls. The teen reached his 100 in 35 balls to register the second-fastest century in IPL history.
โช๏ธ Footage from Sky Sports here.
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Ben Stokesโ plea for changes to the system of over-rate penalties that led to England being docked 22 points in the World Test Championship and condemned them to a fifth-place finish has been rejected by the International Cricket Council. Booooo.
๐ฃ๏ธ Stokes said:
The most frustrating thing is that itโs an issue depending on where you are in the world and the style of cricket thatโs played.
More from The Guardianโs exclusive story on Monday here.
๐ต๐ฐ As the HBL PSL looks to the next decade, its stakeholders need to take control, writes Profitโs Abdullah Niazi. In 2015, people doubted whether the tournament would even happen. Now, it is a certainty for years to come. Is it time for the early investors that believed in it when no one did to take control?
๐ฐ The BCCI are considering expanding the Indian Premier League (IPL) season to 94 matches and adopting a full home-and-away format from 2028.
๐ฃ๏ธ IPL chairman Arun Dhumal told ESPNCricinfo:
"Ideally, we'd want a larger window, or to maybe go on from 74 to 84 or 94 at some point. So that every team gets to play against every team home and away, for that, you need 94 games.
Itโs what we all needed: more cricket.
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ From cricket we really donโt need any more of, to cricket we need plenty more of. The rebooted women's county game is at the vanguard of an exciting new era, Andrew Miller from ESPNCricinfo reports.
โ๏ธ Miller writes:
At a time when the depth of English women's cricket is under scrutiny like never before, amid the failings of the national team at the T20 World Cup and the Ashes, the rebooted county game is intended to create the sort of pyramid structure that has never previously existed within the sport.
๐ Several high-profile players have been shamed with bats that infringe laws but manufacturers are still trying to have final say, with ever-more creative ways to win battle against bowlers, reports The Times' Simon Wilde (warning: behind paywall).
๐ฆ๐บ And Andrew Ramsey from Cricket.com.au remembers Norman Callaway, who finished with a first-class batting average twice that of Bradman after his career โ and his life โ was tragically cut short.
๐ฐ Lancashire's chief executive believes that the ECB should offer the BCCI a minority stake in the Hundred if it wants to attract Indian men's players to the tournament, reports ESPNCricinfoโs Matt Roller. Pat Brown tearing in at Virat Kohli? Count me in.
๐ฃ๏ธ Daniel Gidney said:
"If I was the ECB, I'd be talking about perhaps bringing the BCCI in as a minority ownership partner in the tournament as a whole. If you do that, then you are aligning interests. That is probably your best chance of getting [Indian men's] players in the Hundred. It comes down to the will, and the individuals on both sides.โ
โฆ and in other news
๐ต๐ฐ After the heinous terror attack at Pahalgam where militants killed 26 Indians and injured another 10, the Pakistan Super League will not be broadcast in India, reports The Indian Express.
๐ต๐ฐ And a 12-member Indian crew and a producer, who were handling the broadcast of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL), are stranded in Pakistan in a dilemma over whether to leave the country over an escalation in tension across the border, News18 reports.
๐ฃ๏ธ A crew member - who doesnโt wish to be named - said:
โWe have sought advice from the company that hires us. Our visas are special, so it seems there wonโt be any problem.โ
๐ฎ๐ณ Cricbuzz, meanwhile, delves into Pakistan and India ties in the wake of the attack. "What lies ahead in ICC and ACC events?" Vijay Tagore asks.
Quote of the day
โIf one thingโs come out of it which is positive itโs being back in cricket. Itโs probably the one thing that saved me. Iโve been welcomed back into that fold. Itโs such a good place. I feel itโs safe. I have moments when Iโm sat in a dressing room and Iโm watching a game of cricket surrounded by cricketers and friends, and Iโm able to forget.โ
๐ฃ๏ธ Freddie Flintoff has described his return to cricket as a coach over the past 18 months as โthe one thing that saved meโ as he struggled to come to terms with the mental and physical scars caused in a car accident during filming for the BBCโs Top Gear in December 2022.
Flintoff is available to stream on Disney+.
Throwback
Josh Hull is back in the wickets, claiming three for Leicestershire this week. Hull reflected on his โsurrealโ Test debut last year just last week, chatting to Ali Martin from the Guardian, as well as his fitness work and Jimmy Andersonโs advice in the nets.
With the English Test summer less than two months away, letโs journey back to last year, and Hull taking his first wicket for Brendan McCullumโs boys.
The Cricket Drop Community Noticeboard๐
๐ Jimmy Anderson (sorry, Sir Jimmy Anderson) is returning to the stage in 2025 for an unrivalled evening of never-before stories from inside the changing room. Appearing alongside Tailenders co-host and musician Felix White, the duo will visit Warwick Arts Centre on 25 October. ๐ซ Tickets here.
๐ The Grade Cricketer returns to England with their biggest live shows to date. Join Pez, Higgos and some very special guests this English summer, as England and India go toe-to-toe in a battle of imperial power, ownership, and who can cry more. ๐ซ Dates include Birmingham Town Hall (3 July) and London Eventim Apollo (13 July).
๐ Jarrod Kimber's The Art of Batting is out 8 May, 2025 - in less than a fortnight's time.
A blurb for the forthcoming book on Amazon (pre-order here) explains:
โTheir methods and stories are different, but their currency is the same: runs. Through interviews with cricketing greats such as David 'Bumble' Lloyd, Nasser Hussain, Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara, this book shows you the science, skill and culture that made the 50 greatest batters of all time - and, ultimately, how they conquered leather with willow.โ
This weekโs fixtures โฐ
Men's One Day International Series
Sunday 4 May
UAE vs Scotland
County Championship
Friday 2 May
Division One
Hampshire vs Durham
Somerset vs Essex
Yorkshire vs Warwickshire
Division Two
Glamorgan vs Derbyshire
Lancashire vs Gloucestershire
Leicestershire vs Northamptonshire
Middlesex vs Kent
Metro Bank One Day Cup Women
Wednesday 30 April
Lancashire Women vs Hampshire Women
Surrey Women vs Durham Women
Warwickshire Women vs The Blaze
Thursday 1 May
Somerset Women vs Essex Women
Saturday 3 May
Derbyshire Falcons Women vs Yorkshire Women
Gloucestershire Women vs Glamorgan Women
Kent Women vs Leicestershire Foxes Women
Northamptonshire Steelbacks Women vs Middlesex Women
Worcestershire Rapids Women vs Sussex Sharks Women
Sunday 4 May
Durham Women vs Somerset Women
Essex Women vs Lancashire Women
Surrey Women vs Warwickshire Women
The Blaze vs Hampshire Women
Tuesday 6 May
The Blaze vs Essex Women
Vitality T20 Women's County Cup
Monday 5 May
Lincolnshire Women vs Cheshire Women
Staffordshire Women vs Cumbria Women
Yorkshire Women vs Derbyshire Falcons Women
Shropshire Women vs Norfolk Women
Cambridgeshire Women vs Herefordshire Women
Northamptonshire Steelbacks Women vs Worcestershire Rapids Women
Sussex Sharks Women vs Buckinghamshire Women
Hertfordshire Women vs Bedfordshire & Huntingdonshire Women
Middlesex Women vs Kent Women
Cornwall Women vs Berkshire Women
Falmouth Wiltshire Women vs Oxfordshire Women
Corsham Dorset Women vs Devon Women
Glamorgan Women vs Gloucestershire Women
IPL
Wednesday 30 April
Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings
Thursday 1 May
Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians
Friday 2 May
Gujarat Titans vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Saturday 3 May
RCB vs Chennai Super Kings
Sunday 4 May
Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals
Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants
Monday 5 May
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals
Tuesday 6 May
Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans
Podcast and video watch ๐ง
๐ฅ Reports from Arbroath (from Brian Halford and Sean Miller) is a new series of exclusive in-depth interviews with leading figures from the world of sport. In the latest episode, Chris Woakes shares his journey as a cricket player and his deep-rooted passion for Aston Villa. Watch the YouTube video below, or catch it on Spotify here.
๐ง On this week's Wisden podcast (via Spotify here), Lawrence Booth joins Ben Gardner and Yas Rana to talk about the release of this year's prestigious Wisden Almanack, including the award winners for 2025. Elsewhere in the show there's chat about round three of the County Championship, the latest from the IPL, Mark Butcher on finger spin and much more.
๐ฅ On PakPassion this week, Bazid Khanโformer Pakistan Test cricketer, son of legend Majid Khan, and celebrated cricket commentatorโdelivers a raw and insightful analysis of Pakistan cricketโs structural flaws, PSLโs evolving role, and the road ahead. With decades of experience on and off the field, Bazid unpacks the systemic issues plaguing the nationโs cricket and offers bold solutions.
Just a note to sayโฆ
๐ฎ Iโll end this weekโs edition of The Cricket Drop by saying a whole-hearted โthank youโ to all who have read, subscribed and engaged. Weโre four editions (and one month) in. The sun is shining, the nights are getting longer, and the England international summer is within touching distance. As ever, you can get in touch with me via this simple form. Thanks again!