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Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has been given a break by Middlesex amid a form slump that has not seen him pass fifty since the one-day series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2015Eoin Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, has been given a break by Middlesex amid a form slump that has not seen him pass fifty since the one-day series against New Zealand.He will miss three Royal London Cup matches and the Championship match against Sussex in a bid to recharge his batteries before the limited-overs matches against Australia which begin with the one-off T20 at Cardiff on August 31.In 15 innings since he made 113 in the fourth ODI at Trent Bridge – marshalling an England record run-chase alongside Joe Root – he has a top score of 48 and has made five ducks. His only substantial innings was a century for Middlesex 2nd XI.”Eoin has been on the go since October 2014 and is in need of a rest,” Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director, said. “He has been working his socks off away from matches trying to find the form he wants and it has so far not brought the results he is looking for.”We believe a week or two away from cricket will allow him to recharge and to play the cricket he wants for the remainder of the season.”Morgan had been named England captain for the World Cup just weeks before the team left for Australia following the sacking of Alastair Cook after the one-day series in Sri Lanka last December.He endured a poor campaign during England’s early exit from the tournament – making 90 runs in five innings – and there was a suggestion he would be removed as captain, but he was given a vote of confidence by the new director of England cricket, Andrew Strauss, as soon as Strauss took the role in May.He responded with an outstanding series against New Zealand where he scored 322 runs at 64.40 with a strike-rate of 124.80 as England bounced back to win 3-2.In Morgan’s absence, James Franklin will take on the captaincy of the Middlesex one-day side.

A few weeks after leading England to an historic series win, Alastair Cook and his team are heading back to India for the demands of a one-day series

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Jan-2013There is no need to ask Alastair Cook what his New Year’s resolution is. As he walked with a relaxed stride on Wednesday evening to board the flight to India, to lead England in the one-day series, he only had victory on his mind. And nothing was going to betray his confidence.You can remind him about India being the defending world champions in the 50-over format. You can remind him about the 5-0 annihilation MS Dhoni’s men inflicted on England in late 2011, not to mention the same in 2008 and the 6-1 drubbing in 2005-06. But Cook can equally shoot back out about the historic triumph against India in the Test leg, which allowed the England players to celebrate a lovely Christmas at home. And without being combative, he could at the same time remind you that England, and not India, are the No.1 on the ODI rankings.Of course, Cook did not say any of those things at the team departure press conference. What he did say, though, was the one-day players will do well to adopt a similar approach and work ethic as practiced by the Test squad: adapt, work hard and enjoy.”We can definitely take some confidence as a batting unit, especially the way we handled their spinners after that first innings in Ahmedabad. We have got to do something like that once again in the ODIs if we want to win.”Yet Cook is aware of the challenge awaiting his team. Missing from the first-choice ODI squad are the trio of James Anderson, Graeme Swann and Jonathan Trott ,who have been allowed to rest as part of the selectors’ plan to keep England squads competitive at all times across all formats, along with Jonny Bairstow who is on compassionate leave.”Every time you start the tour it is a huge challenge,” Cook said. “I sat here two-and-half months ago saying to win a Test series in India would be an amazing experience and to do that was a great effort by the whole squad. India in their backyard in one-day cricket is again a huge challenge for us. We lost 5-0 last time, so it will be a good measure of us as a side to see how we have improved. But again we have got a squad that is capable of doing something special.”England have done special things in the last few years but one of the key driving forces, Andy Flower, the team director, will be absent this time India. Flower and the ECB recently agreed that he had to achieve a “realistic and sustainable work-life balance”, he had to take frequent breaks. Under Flower, since May 2007, England’s ODI record win-loss record was 60-52 in 120 matches. In 2012 England won 12 ODIs and lost two with series wins against Pakistan (4-0 in UAE), Australia (4-0 at home) and West Indies (2-0 at home).To try and help ensure a smooth transition as Flower steps aside from the one-day squad, the ECB the former England left-arm spinner and current selector Ashley Giles. Asked if the relationship with Giles, with whom he has never worked in a similar manner before, would be hard to establish, Cook disagreed.He said Giles was an important influence when he entered the England dressing room for the first time in 2006. According to Cook, Giles was the facilitator, acting as the channel between the players and Duncan Fletcher, the then England coach.”He was a senior citizen of the side when I went to Pakistan. He was kind of called the dad in one way,” he said. “He was that gel in the middle of the team, always looking after players. He was the bridge between Duncan Fletcher and some of the players and I see him carrying along that kind of relationship with the players now as a coach.”Flower, Cook maintains, remains the “boss” and is just a “telephone call” away in case of any emergency. But that did not mean they would have to wait for him to take every call as it was the responsibility of him and Giles to take forward the ODI team. The key in making sure this new coaching set-up runs smoothly is to communicate openly and clearly.”It is an unknown territory and we haven’t done it before,” Cook said. “But it is a bit like the three captains. It was new, it was fresh and I thought it worked really well because of the energy those three captains brought to each different side. And I can see this having the same effect on the coaching side with Test and ODIs being split. We all will have to work hard on the relationship and we all are going to have to communicate really well to do it. But as we get used to it, the relationship will improve.”Neither does Cook want comparisons drawn between Giles and Flower. “Of course, they are going to be different because they are different characters, they are different people. What is important is all three of us work together and have a strong relationship because you do need a strong leadership. Gilo will have to get used to me as a captain and I’ll have to get used to him as a coach just like I Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss did.”Like any good forward-thinking leader, Cook did not waste time and has taken the initiative to meet Giles a “few times”, to make sure both men get acquainted to each other’s styles and thoughts quickly. The next few weeks will not define the partnership, but it will lay down some early markers.

Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, will join the national squad for the ODI series in South Africa after four months on the sidelines

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2012Nuwan Kulasekara, the Sri Lanka fast bowler, will join the squad for the ODI series in South Africa after four months on the sidelines. Lasith Malinga, Upul Tharanga and Kosala Kulasekara will also be part of the one-day leg of the tour, while Chanaka Welegedara, Kaushal Silva, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kanishka Alvitigala will not be involved after the Test series concludes.Sri Lanka picked a different spin attack to the one they played against Pakistan in the UAE, their previous one-day series. Suraj Randiv, Jeevan Mendis and Seekkuge Prasanna, who were in the squad against Pakistan, were left out, with the selectors sticking with Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis, who are already in South Africa.Nuwan Kulasekara, who has not played for Sri Lanka since picking up an injury in their home ODI series against Australia in August, was initially set to join the squad for the second and third Tests in South Africa. Sri Lanka’s sports ministry, however, vetoed his selection and the uncapped Kanishka Alvitigala was picked instead. Alvitigala did not get a game in the Test series and has now been replaced by Kulasekara.Malinga, who is retired from Test cricket, and Tharanga were the expected additions to the squad in South Africa, while allrounder Kosala Kulasekara, who played only one Test and one ODI on the tour of the UAE, retained his spot.Herath, who is considered more suited to Tests, was kept for the ODIs after he took nine wickets in Sri Lanka’s upset of South Africa in Durban. Ajantha Mendis, meanwhile, did not play a Test but was picked in the ODI squad after being dropped for the series against Pakistan. He was chosen ahead of Prasanna, who took just four wickets in five ODIs in the UAE.Squad: Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), Angelo Mathews (vc), Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Kosala Kulasekara, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Dhammika Prasad, Dilhara Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne

Allrounder James Franklin has been called up to replace the injured Hamish Bennett for the remaining two Tests against India

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2010Allrounder James Franklin has been called up to replace the injured Hamish Bennett for the remaining two Tests against India. Bennett, who injured his groin while bowling on the first day of the Ahmedabad Test, will return to New Zealand for further testing and rehabilitation.Doubts about Jesse Ryder’s ability to bowl in the next game also factored into the selection of Franklin, as the New Zealand selectors wanted someone who could bat and bowl.”It’s an unfortunate injury for Hamish, which will see him miss the remainder of the Test series against India, Mark Greatbatch, the New Zealand coach said. “However, it does create another opportunity for James Franklin to come back into the Blackcaps squad.”Franklin showed good form with bat and ball in Zimbabwe, where he successfully led New Zealand A to a series win.”New Zealand A won two of the three unofficial Tests they played against Zimbabwe, with Franklin making 180 runs at an average of 60, with one century, and taking 10 wickets at an average of 17.2. Franklin hasn’t played Test cricket for over 18 months though. His last Test came, coincidentally, against India in Wellington in April 2009. Over 26 Tests, he has made 644 runs at an average of 21.46, and taken 80 wickets at 32.65, with a best of 6 for 119.Franklin will arrive in Hyderabad on November 10, two days before the start of the second Test.

Gareth Hopkins and James Marshall, captains of Auckland and Northern Districts respectively, have been accused of collusion to force a result in a rain-affected Plunket Shield fixture at Colin Maiden Park

Cricinfo staff17-Dec-2009Gareth Hopkins and James Marshall, captains of Auckland and Northern Districts respectively, have been accused of collusion to force a result in a rain-affected Plunket Shield fixture at Colin Maiden Park. Both teams forfeited an innings each to set up a result on the final day, after almost three out of four days were washed out, but the captains denied any collaboration and insisted the decisions were taken independently.ND had reached 82 for no loss on the first day before rain interrupted play and prevented any action for the next two days. In a bid to speed up ND’s declaration, Auckland used part-timers like Andrew de Boorder (nine overs for 85) and Reece Young (five overs for 65), to allow ND to reach 290 for 3. They scored 208 runs in 21 overs. Once the declaration was made, Auckland forfeited their first innings, and ND their second, to set the stage for a final-day chase. Auckland, however, fell short of their target by 56 runs after facing close to 73 overs.New Zealand Cricket’s rules do not allow collaboration between captains to ensure a result but the captains said they didn’t speak to each other about the forfeits. An investigation into the matter confirmed there was no collusion.ND lead the points table with 26 points from five games but Auckland are at the bottom, with zero points. Forfeiting an innings, Hopkins, the losing captain said, was a desperate attempt to open Auckland’s account. “I was walking off the pitch thinking I can either play for the two points here, or forfeit our innings and hope James forfeits his, and play for six,” he told the . “It might have left a sour taste in someone’s mouth but it’s solely because we were on zero points and we’re trying to play catch-up.”ND captain Marshall said his decision was not unprecedented, and criticised those accusing him of collusion. “This is my 13th season and it’s not like it’s the first time it has happened in those 13 years,” he said. “Other teams have done it. The teams that might have moaned are the teams that are maybe a little bit negative about the game of cricket.”Central Districts coach and former England allrounder Dermott Reeve was among those who led the criticism. “No captain in his right mind forfeits an innings 290 runs behind if he doesn’t know that the other people aren’t going to enforce the follow-on and play ball,” he said. “It’s disgraceful. This is not playing within the spirit of the game. It could just become farcical if there’s nothing done.”Terming the NZC’s investigation into the incident as “rubbish”, Reeve added: “Auckland and ND should have come clean and said Auckland were aware that we [Northern] weren’t going to enforce the follow-on.”Wellington coach Anthony Stuart echoed Reeve’s statements. “Our jobs are on the line and you get a ridiculous game like this,” he said. “I find it incredibly frustrating. I find it hard to believe the players sat around for 2 1/2 days and didn’t discuss manufacturing a result.”However, NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said the investigations yielded no evidence of collaboration. “It was obviously unusual circumstances in terms of how the game achieved a result,” Vaughan said. “We did a thorough investigation and you’ve got to back the evidence that you receive. Certainly there was no evidence of collusion.”What can you do? Accuse them of being liars? “You’ve got to take them on their word. So as much as you may suspect something, unless you’ve got the evidence, I don’t think that you can act on anything.”

Bangladesh haven’t had a great run in ODIs lately but Shanto believes they are title contenders

Mohammad Isam12-Feb-2025Bangladesh haven’t had a great run in ODIs lately. In addition, they have little to no prep heading into the Champions Trophy 2025. But captain Najmul Hossain Shanto strongly believes Bangladesh are title contenders.”We are going to the Champions Trophy to become champions,” Shanto said. “All eight teams deserve to be champions in this tournament. They are all quality teams. I believe our team has the ability. No one will feel extra pressure. Everyone genuinely wants (to become champions), and believes in their capabilities. We don’t know what Allah has written in our fate. We are working hard and doing our best. I believe we can achieve our goal.”Since 2023, Bangladesh have lost 24 out of the 41 matches they’ve played, which includes series losses against Afghanistan and West Indies. Shanto, too, has not been in great form, as he is coming off an injury and a string of low scores in the Bangladesh Premier League [BPL]. He also hasn’t played international cricket since November after he missed the West Indies tour due to a hamstring injury. Bangladesh last played ODIs at the start of December in 2024, which they lost 3-0.Related

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Bangladesh will also be without senior allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, although his absence was along expected lines. He has been suspended from bowling in top-flight cricket due to an illegal action and recently failed a second independent assessment of his action. When asked whether Bangladesh would miss Shakib’s presence, Shanto said that the team does not linger on hopes of a miraculous Shakib comeback, adding that it was “irrelevant” to discuss the subject before the tournament.”Of course, we will miss him but I don’t know why this question is being asked,” Shanto said. “Everyone already knows the answer, and many players have said it before. Of course, we will miss Shakib . It would have been great if he were here. This question has been answered many times. I don’t think it’s relevant to talk about this before a tournament.”So who will take over Shakib’s role in the team? “Whoever gets the responsibility will have to play Shakib’s role,” Shanto said.There are a few more big names – like Litton Das and Tamim Iqbal – missing from the Bangladesh squad, but Shanto insisted that he was happy with his team. “I am very happy and confident with the 15 players in the squad,” he said. “Anyone who plays has the ability to win a match single-handedly.”Shanto also called for Bangladesh to asses the conditions quickly and raise their game by chasing and defending 320-plus totals. Bangladesh are set to play their first match against India in Dubai before facing New Zealand and Pakistan in Rawalpindi.”I expect the pitches in Pakistan to be 300-plus wickets. If we bat first, we need to put up such scores. Even while defending, we will need to defend such scores. In Dubai, conditions vary at different times. Still, I think scores will be around 260-280. It’s tough to predict exact numbers, but historically, that’s how it has been. We will analyse how many runs are needed on a given day or how many we need to restrict the opposition to.”Shanto also hopes his bowling attack, particularly the pacers, continue to give their best, and believes Bangladesh have a “balanced team”.”Not too long ago, we didn’t have quality pace bowlers, but now we have a strong pace bowling unit,” he said. “We didn’t have wristspinners before, but now we do. Overall, we have a balanced team. If everyone fulfills their responsibilities properly, we can defeat any team at any time.”

India scored 357 for 8 and then their fast bowlers routed Sri Lanka for 55 in 19.4 overs

Deivarayan Muthu02-Nov-20232:20

What sets this Indian pace unit apart from the rest?

Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah razed Sri Lanka for 55 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, sealing India’s seventh successive win of the World Cup and their spot in the semi-finals.India’s fast-bowling trio was so sensational with the new ball that the scores of Sri Lanka’s top five read like a line of binary code: 0, 0, 1, 0, 1. When Shami also had Nos. 7 and 8 for ducks with the score on 29, Sri Lanka were in serious danger of folding for the lowest total in ODI cricket. They were eventually bundled out in 19.4 overs as India completed the fourth-biggest win in the format, and Shami’s 5 for 18 made him India’s highest wicket-taker in World Cups. It was the third time that India had dismissed Sri Lanka for less than 100 in ODIs in 2023, and their second 300-plus-run victory against them this year.Related

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The very first ball from Bumrah was a portent for the carnage that was to follow. He went wide of the crease, got a full ball to angle in and then swing away late to thump Pathum Nissanka’s back pad. Siraj also struck with his first ball, pinning Dimuth Karunaratne lbw. Four balls later, with a reinforced cordon, Siraj had the in-form Sadeera Samarawickrama caught at third slip.But it was the dismissal of captain Kusal Mendis that stood out. Coaches often instruct bowlers to hit that bail-trimming length – too short to drive nor short enough to pull or cut. Siraj not only hit that bail-trimming length to beat Mendis’ outside edge, he also broke the bails. At 3 for 4, with just one of those runs off the bat, Sri Lanka’s batting line-up was also broken.Angelo Mathews and the lower order tried to fix it, but all they could do was to drag Sri Lanka to 55 – five runs more than what they had managed in the Asia Cup final at the Premadasa in September earlier this year.The performance of India’s fast bowlers overshadowed that of their batters and Dilshan Madushanka’s maiden five-wicket haul in international cricket.2:05

Hayden: We shouldn’t take this period of Kohli’s career for granted

Madushanka had hushed the Wankhede with his second ball – a Mustafizur Rahman-esque cutter that sent Rohit Sharma’s off stump cartwheeling. Four of Madushanka’s five wickets were down to his ability to roll his fingers across the ball. But the rest of Sri Lanka’s attack continued to leak runs, as has been the case throughout this tournament.Virat Kohli threatened to join Sachin Tendulkar at the top of this list with 49 ODI hundreds at a venue where a statue of Tendulkar was unveiled on the eve of this game. The Wankhede waited expectantly, but Madushanka had other ideas, dismissing Kohli 12 short of the landmark. Sri Lanka could have cut Kohli’s innings short on 10 had Dushmantha Chameera hung on to a return catch in the sixth over.Shubman Gill was also reprieved in the powerplay when Charith Asalanka dropped him on 8 at cover-point. Gill then combined with Kohli to punish Sri Lanka with a 189-run partnership on a hot afternoon.1:10

Kumble: Madushanka showing maturity at a young age

Kohli got cracking with his trademark cover-drives while Gill often stepped out of his crease to manufacture scoring opportunities. Then, when Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers shortened their lengths to Gill, he put them away with his rasping short-arm pulls. Legspin-bowling allrounder Dushan Hemantha, who is essentially a like-for-like replacement for the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, couldn’t stem the flow of runs either.When Kohli and Gill matched each other shot for shot and moved close to three figures, India’s fans were probably entertaining thoughts of double-hundreds from both batters. But Madushanka returned to the attack and didn’t even let the batters reach triple figures. The left-arm seamer then showed that he’s no one-trick pony. He bounced Suryakumar Yadav out with an on-pace bouncer.Shreyas Iyer then hit full throttle, but he, too, fell agonisingly short of a hundred. He latched on to anything that was remotely full and sent it disappearing from his sight. When Kasun Rajitha pitched one in the slot outside off, Iyer launched it over long-on for a 106-metre six – the biggest in the tournament so far. Iyer brought up his half-century off 36 balls and later lined up even Sri Lanka’s best bowlers on the day – Madushanka and Chameera. Iyer took Madushanka for 18 off nine balls before holing out.Iyer’s assault was central to India racking up 93 off their last ten overs. Ravindra Jadeja also did his bit with the bat in those slog overs, but he was barely needed with the ball on a night that belonged to India’s quicks.

Family drama unfolded in the Edrich Stand as Verreynne prepared to bat on the second day

Firdose Moonda22-Aug-2022Kyle Verreynne batted in the Lord’s Test shortly after his grandfather fell seriously ill in the stands.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Verreynne’s grandfather was struggling to breathe in the Edrich Stand and was stretchered out of the ground before being admitted to an ICU ward. He remains in hospital.Verreynne was listed on South Africa’s team sheet at No. 6 but was held back when his grandfather began having trouble and was helped by medical staff at the ground.That was shortly before Sarel Erwee was dismissed. When Erwee was bounced out by Ben Stokes, South Africa’s team management opted to send Marco Jansen in instead and inform Verreynne of the situation and he batted next.Verreynne provided Stuart Broad’s 100th wicket at Lord’s when he edged behind to Ben Foakes for 11 after spending just over half an hour at the crease. South Africa went on to win the match by an innings and 12 runs.Verreyne will remain with the South Africa squad ahead of the second Test, beginning in Manchester on Thursday.

Competing in events of “national interest” will be one of the criteria used to judge eligibility

Reuters and ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2021New Zealand’s cricketers could be eligible for early Covid-19 vaccines after the government laid out its priority list with competing in events of “national significance” among the criteria.The process will begin on March 31, so it will come too late for the players heading to the IPL but is likely to include those in the squad to tour England from late May.Chris Hipkins, the minister responsible for New Zealand’s response to the global health crisis, said people would be eligible to jump the queue for the vaccine on compassionate grounds or to compete in major global events.The latter category would include Olympians, Paralympians and the cricketers, who will be travelling to the UK to play India in the final of the World Test Championship in June along with two other Tests against England.”The key yardstick here is people travelling in an official capacity and ensuring their participation is in our national interest,” Hipkins told reporters in Wellington. “They will have to make an application and it will depend on what sort of events they are participating in, to whether they fit the national interest criteria.”But certainly, your expectation is that the Olympians would be eligible under the national interest criteria and a national sports team participating in a significant event would also meet those criteria.”There was some controversy earlier this month when Dr Ashley Bloomfield, the Director-General of Health attended the final T20I between New Zealand and Australia in Wellington, where he spoke with NZC officials and spent time in the dressing room after the match.David White, the NZC chief executive, raised the issue of vaccines for players before upcoming travel and Bloomfield said he would take the conversation back to the government for consideration but both parties insisted there was no direct lobbying.However, Bloomfield later donated the value of the tickets to a Wellington charity. “It is important that I avoid any potential for perception of a conflict of interest or personal benefit,” he said.New Zealand has been one of the most successful countries at containing the virus and started the second round of its vaccine rollout for border and quarantine workers last week.International matches throughout the season have mostly been played in front of crowds except for a set of games in Wellington earlier this month involving Australia and the England women’s team when the alert level around the country was raised.

In an open letter to the club, ten Doeschate says he ‘can’t wait to join the troops, focus on my batting’ this year

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2020Ryan ten Doeschate has stepped down as captain of reigning county champions Essex after four seasons at the helm, with Tom Westley taking over the role.In an open letter to the club he led to three Championship titles in four campaigns – once in Division two and twice in the top flight – the 39-year-old ten Doeschate said the captaincy had been “the biggest privilege”.”Now is the right time for someone new to take charge,” ten Doeschate said in the letter, published on the club’s website on Tuesday. “I’d like to thank all our Members and supporters in general who have followed the team over the last four years. I hope we’ve provided much entertainment and that you’ve shared in our pride of representing the club.”Ten Doeschate, who continued to represent Netherlands at T20 level through last year, will continue to play for Essex after signing a one-year contract extension in October following his side’s tense draw in a rain-affected final match of the 2019 season against nearest rivals Somerset which sealed them the Division One title.Ten Doeschate thanked current Essex coach Anthony McGrath and England head coach Chris Silverwood, with whom he took Essex back into the top tier of the Championship by winning Division Two in their first season as skipper and coach respectively, in 2016. Ten doeschate and Silverwood also led Essex to the Division One title in 2017 before McGrath assumed the club’s head coaching role.”I would like to pay tribute to an incredible bunch of players who have given everything to the team over the last four years and to whom I will always be indebted for allowing me to live out my cricket dream,” ten Doeschate added. “I can’t wait to join the troops, focus on my batting, and to give the new captain all of my support in continuing to try to get the best out of our great club.”McGrath described ten Doeschate as “a phenomenal” club captain.”It’s important to remember that Ryan isn’t stepping away from Essex, he’s still very much part of this club and I’m sure he will continue to have a positive presence both on and off the field,” McGrath said.Ten Doeschate captained the side for 58 first-class matches, winning 33 and losing just eight. Having led the club across formats from 2016 to 2018, he relinquished the T20 captaincy to Simon Harmer last year. Ten doeschate has represented the club 477 times in all formats, scoring 27 hundreds and taking more than 300 wickets in the process.Harmer will remain as Eagles captain for the Vitality Blast, while the 30-year-old Westley steps up from the position of vice-captain for the Championship and Royal London Cup.”It’s a real honour for me to be named club captain and it’s a challenge that I’m really looking forward to,” said Westley, who joined the club at the age of 13 and has has made 152 first-class, 80 List A and 74 T20 appearances since making his debut in 2006. “I can’t really put into words how much this means to me. I’ve spent my whole career with Essex so it’s a really proud moment for me and my family.”Ryan has done an outstanding job and deserves every bit of praise he gets. He’s been a fantastic captain, a close friend and an excellent leader who I’ve learnt a lot from. We’ve been so successful as a club under his guidance, and my main goal as captain is to continue the great work he’s done, carry on winning games of cricket and ultimately bring more trophies to this great club.”