Hampshire almost pulled off an incredible win, in their delayed NUNCL Division Two match at Southampton on Monday.Set 264 to win by Glamorgan, Hampshire wicket lost their ninth wicket at 205, but the next 53 runs (a Hampshire 10th wicket record) came from just 20 balls.The Hampshire bowlers were still recovering from their NatWest semi-final defeat as Glamorgan amassed 263 for 5 in their 45 overs, which included the highest first-wicket stand between the teams. Newell and Elliott were particular aggressive, with dark clouds over the ground threatening rain, which never came. Steve James became the third player to reach 50, and Hampshire’s task was awesome.Kenway and Smith gave the home side a good start, but the vital wicket of the captain fell to a spectacular slip catch by his opposite number.A partnership of 81 by Kendall and Mascarenhas brought them above the Duckworth/Lewis par score, but Mascarenhas was out to a well-flighted ball from Croft, and Kendall lost his partners at regular intervals.Tremlett joined Kendall with the home crowd drifting to the gates, but those who stayed were treated to a blow-by-blow attack, as Hampshire just fell short.Tim Tremlett, Hampshire’s Director of Cricket remarked about his son, “He has scored more sixes in that innings (3) than I had scored in my career.”This victory keeps Glamorgan in contention for a promotion place, as they move above Middlesex into fourth place.

ScorecardFile photo – Paras Dogra batted through the second day•K Sivaraman

Himachal Pradesh were hell bent on recovering the time lost – two sessions, due to a government intervention – on the first day, as Paras Dogra’s double century powered them to 543 for 5 by close of play – 407 of those scored on the second day in Dharamsala.Dogra’s form from the last season – five centuries, joint highest with Andhra’s Amol Muzumdar in 2012 – went a long way in pummelling the life out of Goa’s attack. He batted through the day, to claim his third double century in first-class cricket, which included 26 fours and a six and led two century stands today alone.Abhinav Bali was playing his first match after serving out a one-year ban for bringing the game into disrepute through “loose talk and unsubstantiated bragging” after a Television sting operation revealed his involvement in alleged corruption in domestic cricket.He announced his return with a confident half-century but was the first to fall, on 73 to left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati. But it was only a momentary stumble. Rishi Dhawan, the Himachal Pradesh captain, had begun his Ranji campaign last year with a typically aggressive century, but though he kept up the pace, the landmark eluded him as he was dismissed for 89 of 92 balls. However, he was bettered by new import, Bipul Sharma, who was unbeaten on a 74-ball 86, which included eight fours and four sixes as three of Goa’s bowlers leaked over 100 runs.
ScorecardMaharashtra-born Yogesh Takawale could not replicate his stubbornness of yesterday as Tripura were dismissed for 304. Tripura’s bowlers, though, mimicked the ineffective start by their batsmen as Maharashtra ended the day at a comfortable 133 for 1.Seamer Sachin Chaudhari ended Takawale’s resistance on 125, and made short work of the tail to finish with 4 for 44. Shrikant Mundhe was next best, though he only added one wicket to his overnight tally.Opener Harshad Khadiwale steered Maharashtra to their position of solidity with a well-compiled half-century. Vijay Zol, playing his first Ranji Trophy match, was just as collected. With Zol, 18, having scored a century on his first-class debut against New Zealand A in August, Tripura must look to break through early on the third day.
ScorecardSeamers Syed Sahabuddin and D Shivkumar knocked off seven of Hyderabad’s batsmen as they were bundled out for 221 in their first innings against Andhra at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Hanuma Vihari was responsible for one-third of Hyderabad’s total and Amol Shinde contributed with a half-century as well.Shivkumar broke through both the set batsmen, as Shinde nicked off to the keeper and Vihari holed out to C Stephen. With the lower order exposed, offspinner Shaik Basha claimed two wickets in the same over to wind up Hyderabad’s innings.Openers Srikar Bharat and Prasanth Kumar gave Andhra a good start, but Ashish Reddy broke through for Hyderabad in the 12th over. Andhra trail by 136, but have nine wickets in hand and the sedate Prasanth still at the crease.
ScorecardKerala lost a couple of wickets late on the second day after a solid start to their innings against Assam, but with Sanju Samson holding one end together, the match in Guwahati was still in the balance. Samson added 64 runs for the second wicket with Nikhilesh Surendran, and was unbeaten on 46, with Kerala still trailing by 204 runs.Assam, five wickets down overnight, stretched their innings for almost 50 overs on the second morning. Syed Mohammad scored a useful 40 in a century stand for the sixth wicket with Niraj Patel, who scored 82. Kerala would have thought of dismissing the team for below 300, but a half-century stand for the last wicket between Arlen Konwar and Arup Das thwarted the bowling. Vinoop Manoharan and Chovvakkaran Shahid shared three wickets each.

ScorecardBen Duckett ended a bad week with his career-best T20 score•Getty Images

Ben Duckett’s career-best T20 score, 24 hours after he was castigated by his county for a drink-driving charge, steered Northamptonshire towards the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast. He made 40 in 26 balls in his side’s six wicket victory with an over to spare against Yorkshire in front of a sold out Wantage Road.On a dry wicket where clean striking was difficult, Alex Wakeley’s considered 46 in 42 balls was necessary to negotiate a tricky target of 154. Northants were in control of the chase throughout, marshalled by captain Wakely, and a jaunty knock from Duckett put Northants on the cusp of the quarter-fianls with Yorkshire already out of the competition.With 25 required from 24 balls. Duckett swung Liam Plunkett down the ground before stepping across his stumps to paddle sweep another boundary. He struck a six over midwicket in the next over to kill the game and a driven four to complete victory and also brought up a career best.The chase began brightly thanks to Richard Levi. Following his match-winning innings against Leicestershire in Northants’ previous T20, he took 25 from the third over, bowled by Plunkett. Two flicks found the midwicket boundary, with one stroke carrying the fence, and a waist-high no-ball was swung for four more fine of long leg.

Insights

Yorkshire have rarely, if ever, fielded such an inexperienced side as that which took the field in Northampton and perhaps that told in their approach. They will look back on their Powerplay with regret. They ended it 30 for 2, a run-rate of jut five, having lost two wickets in the first three overs and responding with defence rather than positivity: the final three overs of the Powerplay yielded 1, 7 and 6 runs. The target of 154 was chased with relative ease by Northamptonshire who remain contenders for a last-eight place.

But trying to come back for a second run on an overthrow, he was run out by a direct hit from Plunkett and then Josh Cobb was caught on the cover boundary first ball to check Northants’ progress. They took 52 from the Powerplay before a stand of 62 in 7.4 overs between Wakely and David Willey – making a much-unexpected return to the side following injury.Willey, as much as he tried, was unable to play his usual free-swinging game. He made his way to 16 from 20 balls before getting a short delivery from Matthew Waite to swing wide of long leg. He lifted his only six into the last row of the stand behind long-on before trying to repeat the stroke and finding the fielder. His wicket brought Duckett to the crease and he saw Northants home.The hosts appeared in control from the start having won the toss, chose to bowl first, and got through a cheap Powerplay that cost only 30. Willey opened with a wicket maiden. Will Rhodes, having been beaten twice outside off stump, received a fuller delivery that he swung his hands at, only to find Ben Duckett at extra-cover. Then Jack Leaning, having not scored off his first three deliveries, took on Josh Cobb at mid-off and was run-out.The first stroke in anger was a sweetly-timed straight drive for six from Alex Lees in the fifth over but his 46 in 42 balls was the only knock of substance for Yorkshire.With the scoring rate flagging at below a run-a-ball in the eighth over, Bairstow heaved Graeme White over long-on and pulled Azharullah between deep square leg and deep midwicket but, trying to hit into the wind, found Duckett at deep midwicket.Glenn Maxwell, who was initially scheduled to miss this match and join the Australia A squad, was left with much responsibility but fired only very briefly, swinging Steven Crook over midwicket. But trying to find the same fence to the next delivery, holed out to Willey to came in quickly to take a solid catch.Liam Plunkett drove White down the ground for four and then lifted Willey over deep midwicket for six but he was bowled trying to paddle sweep Azharullah and Yorkshire began the final two overs on 126 for 6. Rory Klienveldt leaked 16 from the penultimate over before Azhuarullah’s final over went for 11 to give Yorkshire what appeared a competitive score, but it proved too few.

ScorecardRob Key•PA Photos

Kent will start the third day of Glamorgan’s final home game of the season with a commanding lead of 358 runs thanks to an unbeaten century from Rob Key as the veteran batsman found the late-season form to suggest his career is not yet spent.Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly provided solid support with two fifties as Kent reached 256 for 1 at the SSE Swalec on Thursday.Glamorgan have only themselves to blame for a poor first-innings batting performance where they were all out for 207, a deficit of 102.Only Graham Wagg and Craig Meschede were able to counter a steady, but by no means lethal, Kent attack.The other Glamorgan batsmen contributed to their own downfall with some poor shot selection, and far more application will be needed in the second innings if they are to avoid a heavy defeat.Glamorgan had resumed their first innings on 65 for four, but they lost a wicket to the second ball of the morning when Andrew Salter (nought) had his off stump removed by Darren Stevens, who then bowled Aneurin Donald.When Chris Cooke was caught at the wicket off Matthew Hunn for 31, Glamorgan had slumped to 101 for 7, and required a further 59 runs to avoid the follow on.This was avoided as Wagg (58) and Meschede (33) counter-attacked effectively to share 57 runs for the eighth wicket.Only Jacques Rudolph has scored more LV= County Championship runs than Wagg for Glamorgan this season, and the all-rounder has now passed 800 runs for the first time in his career.Glamorgan’s bowlers were again ineffective at the start of Kent’s second innings as Key and Bell-Drummond set off at a rate of five runs an over.The 50 and 100-run partnerships were quickly passed, and the opening pair had added 114 in 27 overs before Bell-Drummond, who made 54, was caught at slip pushing forward to Salter’s arm ball.Key played every ball on its merit, and reached his century from 167 balls which included eight fours.Denly (66 not out) reached his fifty in the same over as Key (117no) and the second-wicket pair will be ready to resume on the third morning having already shared an unbroken partnership of 142.

Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:25

‘Important to deal with the new balls better’ – Borren

Heavy wind and rain from the remnants of tropical storm Henri meant only 19.3 overs of play could be completed upon resumption of Netherlands’ innings against Scotland on the reserve day before the first WCL Championship match in Amstelveen was abadoned.Pieter Seelaar and Roelof van der Merwe continued from where they left off on Monday. They ended up adding 126 for the sixth wicket before Seelaar fell on the final ball of the 43rd over, bowled by Alasdair Evans. Play only started after a 75-minute delay due to morning dampness. Rain had been falling for three overs leading up to the dismissal as well. But it only got heavy enough for the umpires after Sielaar was dismissed.Scotland had an early opportunity to burrow into the Netherlands tail. Only four runs had been added to the overnight score of 74 for 5 when Seelar mistimed a pull off Josh Davey to George Munsey at square leg, who fumbled the head-height chance. Seelar had been 25 then and went on to score his maiden List A fifty. He reached the mark off 77 balls and faced a few more before he was dismissed for 68. The 100-run partnership and van der Merwe’s fifty – also off 77 balls – were raised off back-to-back singles in the 38th over and Netherlands’ recovery was shaping up well when the weather intervened again.The rain abated for an hour, at around 3.30 pm, and the covers protecting the square were also removed for a brief period. The pitch was kept under wraps though. That caution proved helpful since there was another shower not long after. Despite sunshine from 5 pm onwards, the ground had taken too much water, especially at the bowler’s run-ups, and match officials ruled conditions unfit for further play resulting both teams sharing points.

ScorecardSri Lanka Under-19 and Pakistan Under-19 had to settle for a draw for the second game in a row, meaning that the two-match series ended 0-0.Sri Lanka, having been inserted, made the early running in the game, as a century from their captain Charith Asalanka powered the hosts to 305. Asalanka, who had scored a double-century in the first Test, struck 15 fours during his 124. Sixteen-year-old medium-pacer Sameen Gul was the pick of the bowlers, picking up 3 for 56, while 15-year-old Hayatullah collected 3 for 81.Pakistan, in reply, lost early wickets to fall to 71 for 5, but half-centuries from Hamza Khan (81) and Hasan Mohsin (60) steadied the innings. However, no other batsman contributed with a meaningful knock, as a four-wicket haul from fast bowler Geethal Malinga bundled the team out for 252.It meant the hosts had a lead of 53 in hand, but with just over 30 overs of play remaining in the game, their chances of forcing an outright win remained unlikely. The team managed their way to 119 for 5 before stumps were called, with Shammu Ashan top-scoring with 46.

Johnson rouses crowd one final time

Ever since Andy Bichel pulled him up one day at Queensland training, Mitchell Johnson has always concentrated on making sure he didn’t end a spell or match on a bad note.
After being battered by Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor in the first innings of what became his final Test, Johnson turned on the speed and menace one last time to bounce out Tom Latham and Martin Guptill. In those same moments, though, he knew the decision to walk away was right.
“Nice feeling. Definitely put a smile on my face. I still knew I’ve made the right decision even when I was out there and playing like that. I still knew,” he said. “But I really enjoyed it and to play in front of my friends and family, a pretty amazing feeling when the crowd is right behind you.
“The sound that’s going through your ears and emotion running in a few times. Pretty focused on the job. Was hoping for a few more wickets, was nice to finish with a trademark of my career and [Guptill] caught in close like that – really wanted to finish like that and it’s good when you can.”
Johnson was then carried off the field by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, the men who will carry on as the team’s pacemen without him.
“When the boys picked me up that was probably a bit more emotional – I didn’t really want them to do it. They’ve been so great through my whole career, been so supportive and really enjoyed playing cricket with those guys. A little tear in the eye when they picked me up.”
True to Bichel’s instruction, Johnson had finished well.

As he foreshadowed before the WACA Test against New Zealand, Mitchell Johnson has had enough.In the lead-up to the match, Johnson said he was happy to keep playing “as long as I’m performing well and doing my job in the team then mentally I’m feeling pretty good”, but this week, Johnson has been conclusively tamed by Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, returning the figures of 1 for 157, the most expensive by an Australian bowler in all Tests in Perth.His manager Sam Halvorsen was in the Australian dressing rooms on the fourth evening, as Johnson reached the painful decision to end his Test playing days. He conceded afterwards that he was quite simply no longer enjoying the hard days in the field epitomised by this match, the fourth highest scoring Test ever to be played in Australia”I’m really happy with my decision and I just lost that hunger in the end to play out on those tough days, that’s where my decision came,” Johnson said, watched by his wife Jessica, captain Steven Smith, and teammates Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. “That’s something I used to really enjoy about Test cricket, the challenge of those really difficult days out there and I just wasn’t enjoying it out there.”The first innings bowling was my final decision. Spoke to Jess my wife about it and my manager Sam and Smithy and Boof and spoke to the boys and let them know last night that I was finishing up in all forms. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a year now to be honest, on and off. The World Cup I thought that was a good time to go out in one day cricket but also with young guys in the team I also felt like I could help them through. But ultimately I felt like I couldn’t compete at this level any more and lost that hunger.”Johnson’s retirement rounds out a sequence of six exits from the national team around this year’s unsuccessful defence of the Ashes in England. Ryan Harris, Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Shane Watson and Brad Haddin all left the stage before the home summer, and Johnson had admitted to thinking about joining them, only committing fully to playing a few weeks before the season began.He admitted he had spoken at length with his mentor Dennis Lillee about his future during that period, and while his mentor felt it was possible to keep going for several more seasons at reduced pace while concentrating on consistency and movement, the 34-year-old pushed back with the view that he had been born to bowl fast, and would not enjoy the game if he could not.”I spoke to him in the six weeks I had home before this series and he said I at least had another three or four more years left in me,” Johnson said. “Not bowling at 150kph but doing similar to what he did. Just bowling at that lower pace but doing something a bit more with the ball but at the back of my mind I was thinking I only want to bowl fast – that’s how I’ve bowled my whole career.”That was something I remember Brett Lee talking about before his retirement. He said basically he just wanted to bowl fast and if he ever got to the point where he couldn’t bowl fast than he was done as well, so I felt like I was on that wave length as well, but we had a pretty good discussion about it. I sent him a message this morning and he’s been a huge part of my career.”A shattering event in Australian cricket, the death of Phillip Hughes last year also weighed heavily on Johnson, while he also found himself bowling on pitches far less lively than those he had been helped by in previous summers. “Definitely there was a part of me that struggled after Phillip’s death and probably affected me for a long time and probably still does,” he said. “But the final decision was more just the hunger and those tough days I didn’t want to be there.”That’s not very fair on the team and that’s how I play cricket, I always play 100%. Really happy and proud I was able to go out there and finish off really well and having that weight lifted off your shoulders and just go out there and have fun and cherish the moment.”Wickets are definitely getting harder and harder and flatter but it might have played a little part day in and day out, some days you feel like a bowling machine. But I really did enjoy the challenge even though sometimes it felt like an unfair advantage to batters. Never complained about it, and always gave it 100 per cent.”Johnson has played 73 Tests, claiming 311 wickets for Australia, behind only Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee. He was the key figure in Australia’s 5-0 Ashes sweep in 2013-14, claiming a staggering 37 wickets across the five Tests and leaving an indelible mark with his pace and intimidation.”That was definitely a huge moment in my career and it’s something that I guess I would have had regrets if I hadn’t come back from there,” he said. “I spoke to my wife about it and something I really wanted to work hard on coming back into the team and I really enjoyed that challenge and it really made me excited about playing cricket and coming back from injury [in 2011-12] and working really hard and I guess testing myself.”I felt like I hadn’t given my best at that stage in my career and felt like I had a lot to give. The last couple of years were really exciting for me and just became really confident in my ability and in my action. Learn to become more comfortable in myself. Wasn’t content but just knew what I needed to do and what it took to be your best. It was an exciting time throughout my career and something I will always cherish and always have those memories.”A follow-up performance in South Africa further enhanced Johnson’s reputation as one of the most frightening fast bowlers to have played the game, but his returns have trailed off gradually since, and after struggling for impact in the two Tests of this series against New Zealand he has decided to finish – doing so before the inaugural day/night Test in Adelaide, a concept he has been notably sceptical about.His decision has also coincided with the maturing of Mitchell Starc, who has developed consistency to go with his pace and swing and has notably outdone his more senior left-arm paceman at the WACA Ground. The dual use of Starc and Johnson in the same attack has been a source of considerable selection angst for several years, no more so than against England when they struggled for role definition as two strike bowlers in a four-man attack.

Holders Railways sent last year’s runners-up Air India on a leatherhunt on the opening day of their three day CricInfo Trophy Nationalwomen’s cricket championship final at the Jorhat stadium in Jorhat onSaturday. After winning the toss, Railways rattled up 353 runs off89.5 overs before being all out shortly before close.Air India had the initial comfort of taking three wickets quickly.The batswomen to be dismissed were Balvir Kaur (11), Rajani Venugopal(13) and Reshma Gandhi (2) with only 65 runs scored. But then openerRajini Sharma and Hemlata Kale (32) added 54 runs for the fourthwicket off 14 overs to initiate the recovery process. Hemlata faced 57balls and hit five of them the ropes. Rajini Sharma, who anchored theinnings very well despite the early loss of wickets, finally fell inthe 42nd over. She was fifth out at 146 having scored 75 off 129 ballsinclusive of 12 fours. Deepa Kulkarni and Renu Margaret then gottogether to add 46 runs for the sixth wicket off ten overs. Renudominated the partnership scoring 34 off 38 balls with six hits to thefence. This was followed by a seventh wicket association of 47 runsoff 15 overs between Deepa and Rupanjali Shastri (23). Deepa, who wasgoing well, was now joined by Poornima Choudhury and the two increasedthe score by 54 runs during an eighth wicket partnership that lasted11.3 overs. Deepa, who had come in at 119 for four in the 36th over,was finally out with the total 293 in the 79th over. She scored 69off 127 balls with six fours.The tail now wagged to make Air India’s misery complete. Poornima andSunija Kanojia (24 off 22 balls with three fours) added 36 runs off6.3 overs. And finally Poornima and skipper and veteran Diana Edulji(11) put on 24 runs for the last wicket off five overs. Poornimaremained unbeaten with 48 off 72 balls with three fours.It was a tiring day in the field for the Air India bowlers. UshaBogade sent down 28 overs to pick up three wickets for 113. SmitaHarikrishna, skipper Poornima Rau and Seema Pujare picked up twowickets each for 41, 90 and 58 runs respectively.

Ireland today completed a 3-0 ‘greenwash’ in their one-day series with Pakistan. Sometimes the scoreboard doesn’t tell the full story, but today at Sydney Parade on Dublin’s south-side it certainly did.After being sent in by Pakistan captain Shaiza Khan, the Irish women setabout re-writing the record books. After the loss of opener O’Leary for 5,Karen Young and Catriona Beggs assisted by some sloppy Pakistani fieldingposted an Irish women’s record second wicket partnership of 182. Beggs wasfinally dismissed for a hard earned 60, while Young, in only her thirdinternational went on to score a national record of 120 runs from only 157balls.After Grealey chipped in with a fine cameo innings of 32 not out Irelandfinished with an impressive 4 for 269 from their 50 overs. This, judgingby Pakistan’s form in the sides’ two previous encounters at Rush (in northCounty Dublin), was going to be a difficult task indeed.Saibh Young made the task more difficult by having Sharmeen Khan caughtbehind by Beggs with the score on 7. Nazia Nazeer and Kiran Baluch thenhad a steadying 45 run stand which gave one the impression that thePakistan team were now using this game as much needed practice for therest of their tour of Ireland and England. The resistance was short-livedhowever, and with Nazeer and Baluch both falling in their 20s the middleorder failed to make any impact. 2/52 quickly became 3/61, 4/72, 5/89 and6/103. Twelve year old Sajjida Shah hit a couple of bright boundariesbefore falling for 10.The final nails in Pakistan’s coffin were nailed in by Barbara McDonald,whose accurate medium pace, which had been economical against the toporder proved un-playable by the tail. Only a whisker away from claiming ahat-trick, McDonald cleaned bowled the last four Pakistani batters inquick succession to finish with impressive figures of 4 wickets for eightruns off 6.4 overs.Ireland won the game by 150 runs.The Pakistan women have a lot of work ahead of them if they are to becompetitive in the four day ‘test’ at College Park in Dublin’s citycentre, starting Sunday.

New Zealand completed its preparation for the CricInfo Women’s World Cup, starting next week, in Timaru today with its second convincing win of three in its clean sweep over England.The eight wicket margin fairly demonstrated the difference between the two sides on the day.England, who batted first, should have made more of the good start they made to their innings. But just when they needed batsmen to build on the positive start, the middle and lower order faltered in the face of some quality New Zealand bowling.It was as if a tourniquet had been applied to stop the flow of runs. As the runs dried up the panic level in the England batting increased and it was dismissed in the 41st over for only 109, its lowest total of the series.Katrina Keenan polished off the lower order to finish with 3-15 as the last seven England wickets fell for 29 runs.Earlier, Rachel Pullar took 2-21 from seven overs while most encouragingly for New Zealand, given her return to the side after nearly two years out of the game, Clare Nicholson bowled eight overs and took 1-12.Catherine Campbell continued her quest for the world record for most wickets in ODIs. She took two wickets in the series to finish on 71 wickets, two behind Australian slow left-armer Lynette Fullston.Chasing her for the honour however, are Australia’s Cathryn Fitzpatrick and Charmaine Mason with 61, England’s Clare Taylor 59, New Zealand’s Keenan 58 and Zoe Goss of Australia on 57.New Zealand made a superb start to its chase and was quickly in front of what had been a lively England assault.Rebecca Rolls was belligerent at the start and while out for 13, it was in the third over. Anna O’Leary took the chance to play a longer innings than in the first game in Oamaru when she scored eight.She chanced her arm and got reward as the ball flew at good speed over fieldsmen in the gully area and her six from Laura Harper’s bowling was a sweetly-timed shot, the only six of the series.While offering a chance on 29, she went on to score 40 in an 80-run partnership with skipper Emily Drumm.Drumm, after the disappointment of her dismissal for 10 on Tuesday, was unbeaten on 43 at the end and had the satisfaction of scoring the winning runs.”There was no way today they were going to get me,” she said. “My downfall is often because I don’t value my wicket enough.”But she was in full control and was delighted with the series win.”Today’s game was the best chase out of the eight games we have played against England this year. And we have played better against England in this series than we did earlier in the year,” she said.England captain Clare Connor said that as a stand alone series the 3-0 series loss to New Zealand was very disappointing but as preparation for a big tournament it had been useful.”There have been several positive things to come out of it. Some of our bowlers are bowling better than they ever have before. It is disappointing the way we are approaching our batting.”We showed aggressive intent early on.”It is a case of everyone believing in what we have been practising all year,” she said.She was delighted with the side’s effort in the second game when defending 134.”It was fantastic and showed fantastic spirit and we showed some heart and soul. It took a big commitment and it is that which will pull us through the tournament and into the semi-finals,” she said.Both teams have a few days off now. The New Zealanders are going to their respective homes until reassembling on Sunday while England will be doing some sightseeing.