Key is to “make sure we’re understanding the issues and supporting our people”

Daniel Brettig11-Nov-2019Australian cricket’s new overseer of national teams Ben Oliver admits the game still has a lot to learn about dealing with the mental health of its players, coaches and staff in the wake of the withdrawals of Glenn Maxwell and Nic Maddinson from national duty over the past few days.As one part of a two-man high-performance team – the other being former Olympian Drew Ginn – that replaced Pat Howard earlier this year, Oliver’s commission is to work closely with the national men’s and women’s teams and their coaches Justin Langer and Matthew Mott.He quickly surmised that closer and better management of people would be critical to the role, whether those in the national set-up or others working in the state system. To that end, the bravery of Maxwell and Maddinson to pull back from playing the game in order to look after their own wellbeing, rather than suffering in silence as many past generations have done, has been welcomed, but Oliver agreed that in the tension between a highly competitive sport and the wellness of its practitioners, Cricket Australia was trying to develop better understanding.”Each individual person will have a whole range of different circumstances and that presents a challenge but it also means we can’t make a broad-brush statement about this or in fact a broad-brush approach to it,” Oliver told ESPNcricinfo. “Just because people are going through different challenges in their life doesn’t mean they’re also not able to perform at a really high level and so our aspiration is to make sure we’re giving our players and staff the best chance to thrive on and off the field.ALSO READ: ‘We want guys being honest and able to talk’ – Carey“I’m incredibly proud of both Glenn and Nic in feeling as though they could share what they were experiencing and really be open and honest about that. Equally proud in terms of our response to that. The coaching and support staff response and their care and empathy for both Glenn and Nic. And more broadly my view is it’s a really complex issue, something that all of society is grappling with and, as a sport, we’re part of society.”We’re not immune to it, and we’ve got to continue to find ways to understand the issues and we’re doing all we can and applying our support and resources around players and staff on their own health and wellbeing. There’s lots to do, I think there’s lots to understand and we’re really committed to making sure we give our players and staff the best possible support we can.”Australian players currently have the option of reporting mental health problems or spiralling feelings via the wellness apps used to track their physical and mental wellbeing, but are also able to discuss their state of mind with coaches, medical staff and team psychologists.”We’ve got some systems in place where players are tracking their experience,” Oliver said, “but equally, we’ve got a whole range of coaching and support staff who are working with players on a daily basis and get to understand them very well.”I don’t think there is any one effort that is better or worse in terms of understanding where a player is currently at, I think it’s a combination of those aspects that will ultimately allow us to better understand where a player is at and provide support at any given time. We’ve got a couple of ways in which we are trying to understand where a player is at and how to respond.”In his former role with Western Australia, Oliver dealt with numerous instances of players and staff battling mental health and wellbeing issues. Ashton Agar is one WA cricketer who has spoken publicly about learning how to “ride” the peaks and troughs of personal wellness, having taken time out of the game for that reason in the past.”I spent six or seven years in WA and we had a whole range of challenges on and off field for players and staff and that’s a reflection of the world we live in and some of the challenges people are going through,” Oliver said. “And it reinforced to me the great opportunity we have as a sport to really lead the way and show how we can care and support our people. Whether it was with WA or this role or other states and territories from a cricket perspective, we’re all increasingly aware of the challenges people are going through and we’re learning how they go through that.”Certainly not the first time this has come up, I’m sure it won’t be the last, and our obligation is to really make sure we’re understanding the issues and supporting our people. If and when they’re going through different challenges we provide them with the best care and support. I don’t think they’re necessarily mutually exclusive, there’s certainly opportunity for us to continue to perform at a high level on the field and support people off it.”It’s just a case of building really strong relationships with our players in this case around how they’re travelling, what they’re experiencing and making sure we’re supporting them in that, helping them prepare, and ultimately go out and perform.”Oliver has built up plenty of respect over time as a calm and considered presence in cricket administration, having previously held roles with Cricket Victoria, CA and also the ICC prior to moving to WA. In joining CA less than a year after the announcement of damaging findings from the cultural review that followed the Newlands scandal, he is well attuned to the attitude of listening and learning that so many of the governing body’s partners had demanded.”It’s certainly clear to me and important to me coming into this role that Australian cricket is prioritising its people, players and staff,” Oliver said. “So that becomes a really important part of what we stand for as an organisation. That’s been really clear that is a priority, an important part of what the future looks like, and I’ve been really pleased with the endeavour going in to understand how we best do that. Really proud of the players and their willingness to be open and honest about what they’re experiencing.”One of my initial observations coming into the role is the intensity of international cricket and the complexity of the schedule and those things are obviously real challenges for us to find the best possible solutions for. That’s all part of what players, coaches and staff are experiencing and mechanisms for that. Really comfortable that players are feeling confident to be open and honest and really proud of our staff for being able to care and support them when they do present that way.”One set of fresh information about the mental health of Australian cricket is set to land early next year, with the results of a study begun three years ago by the youth mental health consultancy Orygen to be handed to CA in February.

“You’ll find out in time,” said the BCCI president about one of the big issues in Indian cricket right now

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2019There is “absolute clarity” between MS Dhoni and the BCCI regarding his future, but the details aren’t meant to made public right away, according to board president Sourav Ganguly.India’s premier wicketkeeper-batsman has been on a sabbatical ever since the end of the World Cup, and although the general public – as well as the media – can only speculate about what is going to happen, the administration appears comfortable.”No, no, there is clarity, but certain things cannot be said on public platform,” Ganguly told . “There is absolute clarity on MS Dhoni and you’ll find out in time.”There’s transparency between the board, MS and the selectors. When you deal with such champions – MS Dhoni is an unbelievable athlete for India – certain things have to be kept within the closed doors. It’s very transparent and everybody knows where they stand.”Dhoni hasn’t played any competitive cricket since India’s World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand at Old Trafford in July. He opted out of the West Indies tour that followed the World Cup, in order to spend a fortnight with the Indian territorial army, and since then has not featured in the squads for the home series against South Africa and Bangladesh and the upcoming one against West Indies. He hasn’t played any domestic cricket in this period either.In response to India head coach Ravi Shastri’s comment that IPL 2020 will give a clear picture on Dhoni’s future, Ganguly said, “We will see what happens, there’s enough time. Of course it will get clear (within three months).”On Wednesday, Dhoni himself had added to the speculation on his future with an intriguing comment: when asked the question by a reporter, Dhoni simply said, “January (don’t ask until January).” He, however, did not elaborate on what was meant to happen in January.The selectors, meanwhile, have kept faith in Rishabh Pant as the limited-overs keeper in this time, with Sanju Samson picked as his back-up for the last two T20I series.

“I could just tell by his body language for the rest of his innings that night that he knew he made a mistake”

Alex Malcolm12-Jan-20201:29

Playing in India the biggest challenge in white-ball cricket – Richardson

Marcus Stoinis is still coming to terms with the regret he feels for the homophobic slur directed at Kane Richardson in the BBL which led to him being fined AUD7500 (USD 5200) earlier this month.The incident happened when the Melbourne Stars faced the Melbourne Renegades on January 4 with Stoinis pleading guilty to the Cricket Australia code of conduct level two charge of using personally abusive language and apologising to Richardson.Ahead of the ODI series in India, Richardson said Stoinis had “looked more angry than I have ever seen” but did not know what had sparked the outburst.Other than a brief line in the statement after the fine was handed out, Stoinis had not spoken about the incident but addressed it after his record-breaking 147 not out against the Sydney Sixers at the MCG on Sunday.”There’s absolutely no excuses,” Stoinis told reporters. “I mean he’s a good mate, and he over the last couple of games we’ve played I think he’s wound me up a few times, [but] it’s absolutely no excuse to use words like that. And that’s what he was trying to do. He was trying to get a reaction out of me and that sort of thing and unfortunately, I took that bait and went too far and that’s not acceptable.”I’ve spoken to Kane but then even more than that, I think it’s not the type of person I am. It’s not who I want to be and I understand it’s out of line. It’s not how I was raised. And I’m not proud of it, but I guess I’ve just gonna cop that on the chin and, and roll with it now. And also, look, hopefully other people learn from my mistake.”And unfortunately, that’s all we can do. I guess you can’t take anything back. You’ve just got to show it by your actions from going forward.”Richardson said it was normal for Stoinis and him to exchange words when playing against each other. The two have played a lot of cricket together for Australia and were both part of Australia’s 2019 World Cup campaign, and have often sparred verbally in domestic cricket. However, Richardson said this was different from what he had experienced in the past.”We always talk, we’re both competitors,” Richardson said in Mumbai. “It was just a bit of harmless banter about what was going on on the field and the way he goes about it. I always want to have a chat to him about that. It was just harmless cricket chat. For some reason, he reacted the way he did. You would have to ask him why; it was really out of character. He looked more angry than I have ever seen him. I’m not sure what he was thinking. The learning has to be that it never happens again.”Richardson said Stoinis had contacted him the following morning and while he was not personally offended, he reiterated the words of Australia coach Justin Langer in saying that it was unacceptable for any player to use those words moving forward, particularly as it was the second such incident this season after Australia Test quick James Pattinson was suspended following a similar code of conduct charge in December.”Yeah, a little WhatsApp the morning after, but not a whole lot of conversation about it,” Richardson said. “He realised he made a mistake. I could just tell by his body language for the rest of his innings that night that he knew he made a mistake. I didn’t need an apology for myself, he didn’t offend me. It’s what he said that offended so many people. It was more just his actions and everyone’s actions, we can’t afford to have that happen again.”

Fast bowler fined after being found to have used an “audible obscenity” in Johannesburg Test

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2020Stuart Broad has become the fifth player to be fined and handed a demerit point during the Test series between South Africa and England. Broad was found to have used an “audible obscenity” in an incident that saw Faf du Plessis and Jos Buttler briefly come together on the fourth afternoon in Johannesburg.Broad, who was fielding in the covers, appeared to become involved in a heated discussion with du Plessis, after the South Africa captain had been hit on the pads by a throw to the keeper. Du Plessis said after the match that he had been “trying to show fight as the leader”, as South Africa battled in the face of a hefty fourth-innings target. “It was just myself and Broady having a go,” he said.The match officials subsequently charged Broad with a Level 1 offence, under Article 2.3 of the ICC code of conduct. He was fined 15% of his match fee and now has two active demerit points on his record – following a reprimand for giving Rishabh Pant a send-off at Trent Bridge in 2018.Vernon Philander and Ben Stokes were both hit with Level 1 penalties during the Wanderers Test, a game that Kagiso Rabada sat out after collecting his fourth demerit point within a two-year period in the third Test at Port Elizabeth. Buttler was found guilty of a Level 1 offence in Cape Town, after being picked up by the stumps mics swearing at Philander.England won the Test series 3-1, following a 191-run victory in Johannesburg. The tour will also encompass six limited-overs internationals, starting with the first ODI at Newlands on February 4.

De Grandhomme and Neesham return to strengthen their middle order

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu04-Feb-20206:58

Agarwal, Shaw opening would be great – Bangar

Big Picture

November 25, 2019. The last time New Zealand actually won a game. They’ve been winless in nine matches across formats since, and injuries have weakened them further. Their captain and premier batsman Kane Williamson has now joined Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, and Matt Henry on the injury list. Add to that, they will be without head coach Gary Stead, who has taken a break and has handed over the reins to bowling coach Shane Jurgensen for the three-match ODI series against India.Wednesday’s match will be New Zealand first ODI since Super Over against England last year. New Zealand have lost three more Super Overs since. Having hit rock bottom in the T20Is against India, the only way for them is up.They will welcome back Tom Latham, who has recovered from a finger fracture, and has proven his form and fitness in the 50-over Ford Trophy. In the injury-enforced absence of Williamson, Latham will also stand in as captain and will take back the gloves from Tim Seifert, who isn’t part of the ODI side.Jimmy Neesham, fresh off winning the Super Smash with Wellington Firebirds and a List A best of 5 for 29, returns to the side, as does fellow allrounder Colin de Grandhomme. The comebacks of Latham, Neesham, and de Grandhomme spruces up the middle order that struggled to finish games in the shortest format.India, too, are missing some of their first-choice players, including white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma, who will miss the following Test series as well. However, unlike New Zealand, India have ready replacements who have had a taste of 50-over cricket in New Zealand, having been part of the shadow A tour. They will be buoyed by how they shook off the jet lag and bossed New Zealand in the T20Is, just days after their 2-1 come-from-behind ODI series win against Australia at home.With both Dhawan and Sharma suffering injuries, Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw are set to slot in at the top and make their ODI debuts together. On the eve of the ODI series opener, captain Virat Kohli confirmed that KL Rahul will continue to bat in the middle order. This ODI series could be another chance for Manish Pandey to showcase his middle-order gears.

Form guide

New Zealand TWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWLWWALSO READ: Who is Kyle Jamieson? 0:48

Star Sports Game Plan: New Zealand’s morale will be low – Laxman

In the spotlight

Henry Nicholls is no dasher like Colin Munro at the top, and instead is more adept at building an innings. His solidity could be the ideal foil for the more attacking Martin Guptill at the other end in New Zealand’s post-World Cup period. The left-hander is coming off Ford Trophy scores of 120, 62, and 55.Around this time in 2018 in New Zealand, Prithvi Shaw led India Under-19s to World Cup glory. Two years later, he is ready for his ODI debut, with Kohli stating that India aren’t looking at ODIs as preparation for the T20 World Cup across the Tasman Sea. Having been banned for a doping violation last year and overcome fitness issues, Shaw will be eager to make his second coming count.

Team news

Mark Chapman is likely to take up Williamson’s No.3 position, and New Zealand could consider resting Tim Southee, who had a horror T20I series. Instead, Auckland’s beanpole quick Kyle Jamieson could make his international debut. New Zealand might also have to choose been Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner on the spin front.New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 Jimmy Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner/Ish Sodhi, 9 Kyle Jamieson/Tim Southee 10 Hamish Bennett, 11 Scott KuggeleijnIndia, too, might have to choose between Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Mohammed Shami is likely to return after being rested for the last two T20Is. Neither Kedar Kadhav or Shivam Dube inspire enough confidence and might miss the cut.India: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Manish Pandey, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami/Navdeep Saini, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

The Seddon Park pitch that was used the third T20I wasn’t too flat and the ball did hold up in the second innings then. The weather is expected to be pleasant for the during of the game.

Stats and trivia

• Shaw and Agarwal will be the fourth Indian opening pair to make their ODI debuts together. Incidentally, Dilip Vengsarkar and P Sharma opened together on debut in New Zealand in 1976.
• Latham has an excellent ODI record against India, having made 593 runs in 13 innings at an average of nearly 54 and a strike rate of 90.53
• At six feet and eight inches (2.03 metre), Jamieson is the tallest cricketer in New Zealand.

Quotes

“You want to play every game you can for New Zealand and [I was] pretty disappointed to miss out on the T20 squad for the series just gone.”
“We’re not looking at preparing for the T20 World Cup through this series, IPL will be the right platform.”

The left-hand batsman played 24 Tests, 20 ODIs and five T20Is between 2008 and 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2020Daniel Flynn, the former New Zealand and Northern Districts left-hand batsman, has called time on his 16-year-long career, at age 34.In an international career spanning a little over five years, Flynn played 24 Tests, 20 ODIs, and five T20Is, making a combined 1325 runs, including six half-centuries. He batted almost three hours in the second innings of his debut Test at Lord’s, his 118-ball 29 helping New Zealand salvage a draw. The early days of his international career are also remembered for him walking off Old Trafford with a mouthful of blood and two fewer teeth as a result of a vicious James Anderson bouncer that he copped during the opening day’s play. His last international appearance came in July 2013, during a Test match against South Africa where he made a pair.Flynn played 135 first-class matches and scored 7815 runs, including 21 centuries, at an average of 35.04. He featured in 100 first-class matches for Northern Districts, leading them in 47 of them, aside from making 88 and a record 104 appearances for them in List A and T20 matches respectively. His 20 first-class hundreds for Northern Districts are the most by any batsman from the side.”Representing your country is the ultimate for any cricketer; it’s what you dream of as a kid, so to have achieved it is something I look back on with immense satisfaction,” Flynn was quoted as saying by . “The people I’ve played alongside throughout my career stand out for me; they’re not just good cricketers, but good people, who I’ve learned plenty from both on and off the field.”Winning trophies for ND alongside these guys was always special, and those are memories that I will never forget.”

Two major sponsors – Vivo and Paytm – have Chinese ownership or links

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Jun-2020The IPL has convened a meeting of its Governing Council next week to “review various sponsorship deals” for the tournament following tensions this week on the India-China border. The move reflects the fact that the IPL’s main sponsors, including title sponsor Vivo, have Chinese ownership or links.While there has been tension at the border in the Indian region of Leh for some days, the flashpoint was an incident on the night of June 15; though details are scarce, the Indian government has said that its army lost 20 soldiers, including one senior officer, in the incident.Vivo, a Chinese mobile handset manufacturer, first bagged the IPL title sponsorship for two years in 2015. In 2017 Vivo retained the rights signing a five-year contract, paying about USD 341 million. Soon after, IPL also roped Paytm, the mobile wallet company, as the official Umpires Partner (an on-ground sponsor) between 2018-22 for an undisclosed amount. One of the main investors in Paytm is Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce company.Posting a late tweet on Friday, the BCCI just said it would review the IPL sponsorship deals but did not name exactly which ones. The development comes a day after BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said that although the board was open to reviewing any future deals (post 2022), the current contract with Vivo was not likely to be scrapped. “When you talk emotionally, you tend to leave the rationale behind,” Dhumal told on Thursday. “We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause or taking help from Chinese company to support India’s cause.”When we are allowing Chinese companies to sell their products in India, whatever money they are taking from Indian consumer, they are paying part of it to the BCCI (as brand promotion) and the board is paying 42 percent tax on that money to the Indian government. So, that is supporting India’s cause and not China’s.”The BCCI had recently postponed the IPL indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has already been stressed about losing close to INR 4000 crore (USD 0.53 billion approximately) in case the IPL does not take place this year. The BCCI has been waiting for the ICC to make up its mind on the men’s T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for October-November, in Australia but is likely to be postponed with the Cricket Australia preferring to host the tournament in 2021.

Regional Retainers designed to bridge financial gap in season disrupted by Covid-19

Valkerie Baynes19-May-2020Up to 24 domestic women’s cricketers will receive retainer payments from June 1 as the ECB tries to ease some of the financial hardship of their season being disrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown.The ECB was due to award full-time contracts to 40 domestic players this year under a plan to transform women’s and girls’ cricket, with those players involved in a 50-over competition between eight new regional teams in September. Clare Connor, the ECB’s managing director of women’s cricket, said it was still the intention to award those contracts in 2020, but that the regional retainers were designed to support players financially in the meantime.”The momentum behind the women’s game has been staggering in the last few years and it is still firmly our ambition to build on that,” Connor said on Tuesday. “As we emerge from this pandemic, we believe even more strongly that cricket will be a sport that throws its arms around everyone – truly inclusive, diverse and a sport for modern Britain to be proud of.ALSO READ: Hundred delay a knock for women’s game – Katie Levick“This was due to be the most exciting year in the game’s history for our leading domestic players. A number of them would have been hoping to sign a full-time contract with one of our eight Regions this summer. While we still intend to award those full-time contracts in 2020, we want to try to support our players as much as we can until that point, hence the introduction of these Retainers to provide an interim solution.”As the effects of COVID-19 on the rest of the summer and beyond become more apparent, we will continue to support our players to the best of our ability, and we promise them that our drive for a more gender-balanced sport remains vitally important.”ECB Women’s Cricket Regions•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Earlier this month, Connor said that while the domestic competition had not been removed from this year’s schedule, “we have to plan for it not to happen as much as we have to plan for it to happen”. Meanwhile, the decision to postpone the inaugural Hundred competition until 2021 left a host of women’s players facing the prospect of not playing – or earning an income from the sport – this season.The eight regions will recruit players to the retainer scheme and, in turn, the players will take part in strength and conditioning programmes, online education on topics including anti-corruption and anti-doping, and devote time to activities and appearances aimed at supporting the game.

Outgoing CEO will return to South Africa with daughters after ‘challenging time in England’

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2020Tony Irish, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), has stepped down from his role with immediate effect, and will return to South Africa for personal reasons.Irish, who is also executive chair of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), started his role at the PCA at the beginning of the year, but has struggled to settle with his family in England.In his absence, Daryl Mitchell, the organisation’s unpaid chairman, has been left to shoulder a significant burden as the game attempts to navigate its way through the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.Irish did return to his role briefly in June, initially on a shortened working week, but has since informed the PCA Board that the new arrangement is untenable.”It’s an honour to have served as chief executive of the PCA but it’s also been a very challenging time for me and my daughters in England,” said Irish. “I have made a decision based on what’s best for us as a family.”Rob Lynch, the PCA’s commercial director, has been appointed interim CEO, having joined the organisation in February after a stint as chief operating officer at Middlesex.”I wish Tony and his daughters the very best on their return to South Africa,” said Mitchell. “Tony has had a big influence on the management team, especially in these very testing times.”Having worked in our Oval office during the winter and an increased day-to-day involvement over the past few months, I have full faith in our excellent and dedicated team, led by Rob Lynch to continue championing the ongoing interests of professional cricketers in England and Wales.”Irish’s predecessor as PCA chief executive, David Leatherdale, was also obliged to take several months away from work due to a stress-related illness in 2018. As a result, Mitchell was left at the helm as the PCA negotiated pivotal issues regarding the Hundred and the new County Partnership Agreement.Recognising the huge workload taken on by Mitchell, the PCA recently announced the appointment of two new vice-chairs, Heather Knight and James Harris.Julian Metherell, the PCA non-executive chairman, added: “It is a great disappointment Tony has had to leave the PCA and I want to thank him for all of his hard work during incredibly challenging times.”Tony led the PCA expertly through the initial stages of the Coronavirus crisis which has caused many unforeseen challenges. I am pleased he can now fully prioritise his family, he departs with our understanding and we all wish him well for the future.”

Pair’s seventh-wicket stand of 157 comes on frustrating, rain-affected day for Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2020Paul Coughlin and Ned Eckersley shared a record-breaking stand for Durham on a frustrating rain-affected day for North Group leaders Derbyshire in the Bob Willis Trophy match at Emirates Riverside.The pair took their seventh-wicket stand to 157 in 49 overs, a Durham record against Derbyshire, before Matt Critchley bowled Coughlin for a career-best 90 from 146 balls.The leg-spinner then bowled Matty Potts two balls later but Eckersley was unbeaten on 78 with Durham 337 for 9 when rain arrived shortly after lunch, wiping out 57 overs from the day’s allocation.Derbyshire would have expected to restrict Durham to a lot less when the day began but their bowling lacked intensity and the second new ball failed to trouble Coughlin and Eckersley.Coughlin had set the tone by taking advantage of wide balls from Ben Aitchison to drive two fours, the second one taking him to his first 50 of the season and the eighth of his career from 75 balls.A lofted drive at Ed Barnes only just cleared a leaping Billy Godleman at mid off and Eckersley survived an lbw appeal on 40 when he played across the line at Sam Connors but there were few other alarms for the pair.Eckersley’s 50, his first of the summer, was a more sedate affair and contained only one four but it had helped shift the momentum Durham’s way after Derbyshire reduced them to 155 for 6 shortly after tea on day one.The previous highest seventh-wicket stand against Derbyshire of 130, which also featured Coughlin with Paul Collingwood three years ago, was comfortably passed and a century was beckoning for the all-rounder when Critchley was introduced two overs before lunch.His third ball tempted Coughlin into a cut but he played on and Potts went two balls later when Critchley turned one past his forward defensive push.Matthew Salisbury edged Barnes to first slip in the first over after lunch but Eckersley struck the seamer for two consecutive fours before the weather had the final say.