Victory for Bangladesh will knock hosts Ireland out of the race for a spot in the final

The Preview by Mohammad Isam12-May-2019

Big Picture

West Indies have already sealed a spot in the tri-series final, while Bangladesh beat them in their previous face-off in the tournament. Ireland, the hosts, have lost two of their three matches, with one washed out, and if Bangladesh beat West Indies on Monday, the home side will be out of the running for a spot in the final. Ireland, therefore, will follow the goings-on in Malahide on Monday with interest, but the competing teams will have more at stake than just tournament standings – there is the World Cup looming, and Bangladesh and West Indies have a few areas they will want to improve on.West Indies have blown hot and cold in this tri-series. Between beating Ireland convincingly in the first game and in a more closely fought encounter in the fourth, they lost handily to Bangladesh.In the match against Bangladesh, Shai Hope followed his first-game century with another one. But he might have wanted to accelerate sooner than he did. West Indies also ended up making only 64 runs in the last ten overs, and their bowlers were blunted once Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar got off to a good start for Bangladesh.However, they put that defeat behind them to complete their highest successful run chase in ODIs after Ireland had put up 327 for 5, with Sunil Ambris smashing 148. West Indies have had four centuries in the tournament so far, though one of the centurions – John Campbell – hasn’t been seen in action since his first-match 179, sitting out with a sore back.Bangladesh have had only one full game, and it resulted in an eight-wicket win with plenty to spare against West Indies. Tamim and Soumya put on 144 for the opening stand then before Shakib Al Hasan took control of the chase.Bangladesh will also be quietly confident after seeing their bowling improve as the game progressed. Mashrafe Mortaza and Mohammad Saifuddin took crucial wickets, while Shakib and Mehidy Hasan gave them control in the middle overs. Mustafizur Rahman’s form was a concern, but there is still enough time before the World Cup to address that problem.

Form guide

West Indies: WLWWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh: WLLLWSunil Ambris punches gloves with Roston Chase after his maiden ODI century•Getty Images

In the spotlight

Shannon Gabriel, playing his first ODI series in 18 months, has taken six wickets in three matches so far. The Bangladesh batsmen took 58 off his ten overs, but because of how much Gabriel dominated them in the Tests last year, they will certainly be wary of him.There’s always a question-mark hanging over Soumya Sarkar, but having made 73 in the previous West Indies game, the management will have greater confidence while picking him as Tamim’s opening partner. Soumya, too, will be glad that the long tour of Ireland and England has started on the right note.

Team news

After a good win against Ireland, there might not be much reason to change the XI, but West Indies could perhaps consider bringing in Raymon Reifer, the 28-year old allrounder from Barbados, especially with Fabian Allen bowling only three overs in the previous game.West Indies (probable): 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Jonathan Carter, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Fabian Allen, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Shannon GabrielTheir last game against Ireland was abandoned, and Bangladesh are likely to continue with the same line-up that beat West Indies by eight wickets.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mohamad Saifuddin, 9 Mehidy Hasan, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The fourth game of the tri-series, on Saturday, showed that the pitch was a batting beauty, with West Indies successfully chasing Ireland’s 327 for 5. That promises a run-filled game this time too, although it is likely to be cloudy.

Stats and trivia

• Bangladesh have won four of their last five ODIs against West Indies.
• West Indies have had four individual centuries in an ODI series or tournament for the first time since the 2006 Champions Trophy.
• West Indies’ 331 for 5 against Ireland in the previous game was their highest successful chase in an ODI.

The match against Bangladesh is shaping up as a crucial one, but Eoin Morgan said there was no panic in the ranks

George Dobell in Cardiff07-Jun-2019A glance at the fixtures list for this World Cup will tell you the knock-out section of the tournament does not start for another month. But England, at least, could be forgiven for feeling it starts on Saturday.If that sounds like hyperbole, it’s worth musing on likely scenarios. It looks, at this stage, as if teams with up to three losses will probably qualify for the semi-finals. And, with England having won one and lost one of their two games to date, defeat in Cardiff on Saturday would leave them going into their final six group matches with little margin for error. Especially as they face a tough final three games against India, New Zealand and Australia.But the weather has added something of a wildcard element to that equation. Washouts – especially washouts in games involving Afghanistan and Sri Lanka – could prove definitive, as Australia (who were eliminated from the 2017 Champions Trophy having managed to play only one game to completion) could testify. In short, defeat at the hands of Bangladesh could leave England facing an uphill challenge to qualify.They will not, therefore, require any reminders about the importance of this match or the quality of their opposition. Not only did Bangladesh defeat England in the previous two World Cups – the loss in Adelaide in 2015 sealed England’s early departure from the tournament – but Cardiff was the scene of the defeat that ended England’s Champions Trophy run in 2017. “Bangladesh are a side with a huge amount of potential,” Eoin Morgan, the England captain, said. “It is going to be a difficult game because they’re a good side. I think people under-estimate them.”All of which could leave the England environment just a little tense. So it is hardly surprising that the last few days have seen the management focus on attempting to alleviate that pressure and focus on the qualities – the joy and fearlessness – which sparked such a resurgence after the debacle of the 2015 World Cup. There have been no extra fielding sessions, no talk of the importance of this game and no thought of changing tactics.”The last couple of days for us has been a case of getting away from the game,” Morgan said. “I watch a lot of horse racing and speak to friends and family.”No, there have been no extra fielding drills. Absolutely not. Fielding for us has been an extremely strong point. We proved that in the first game. We had a bad day in the field at Trent Bridge. That can happen. I wouldn’t say we were more anxious than normal.”As a team, all we’ve talked about is sticking to what we do well and looking to our strengths. Before the tournament started we talked about losing games and how we would. Everything goes back to focusing on our strengths and how to get the best out of ourselves.”There’s no panic. We’re very realistic about performances whether we win or lose. If it doesn’t go our way next game or the game after, there’s no panic. It’s all about sticking to the process.”At such moments, Morgan sounds increasingly like a motivational speaker. And if it’s a temptation to lampoon his positivity – defeat against Pakistan is described as a “huge opportunity to learn more” while Jofra Archer’s struggles at Trent Bridge are interpreted as a positive: “If he doesn’t get hit, he won’t learn,” – but England are surely fortunate to have such a calm figure leading them. While previous campaigns have seen panic-driven changes of strategy at the last minute – dropping the captain just before the 2015 tournament, for example – Morgan is steadfast in his plans, equable in his temperament, and confident in the team he has assembled.His reaction to Archer’s outing at Trent Bridge is a decent example. Rather than seeing Archer’s figures – he conceded 79 from his 10 overs – and his fine for dissent as grounds for concern, he sees it as an inevitable step in the young player’s journey. Next time, he reasons, Archer will be better.”Jofra had never been hit before,” Morgan said. “He just didn’t go for any runs and eventually he went for runs. If he doesn’t get hit, he won’t learn. He has very rarely failed but when he does, he is quite chilled. After the game he was very relaxed. He is at the point in his career where he is picking up everything very quickly.”Yes, learning in a World Cup brings pressure. But he has played in the IPL, which is as good as you can replicate in the World Cup.”Morgan is not convinced that the 2015 defeat in Adelaide was especially traumatic, either. While it sealed England’s fate, he feels it was the loss in Wellington – where New Zealand won with almost 38 overs remaining – that was more reflective of how far off the pace England had fallen and more relevant in proving a catalyst for change.”We were knocked out after that Bangladesh match,” he said, “but I wouldn’t say it was a watershed moment. The big contributor to changing the way we played was the New Zealand game in Wellington. That made a big contribution to us making steps forward and good decisions.”We weren’t humiliated by Bangladesh. We were beaten again by a better team who deserved to win on the night. The humiliating games were the ones that happened previously. Ones where we were blown away.”It remains likely England will recall Liam Plunkett in place of one of the spinners – probably Adil Rashid – on Saturday. While the wicket has not played quite as green as it has looked here in recent games, those short boundaries are a nightmare for spinners, so England’s attack may be more seam heavy than usual. And that might present a challenge to Morgan in ensuring his side bowl their overs within the three-and-a-half hour window allowed.”There’s a chance we might go to four seamers,” Morgan said. “The wicket that we saw on Thursday looked similar to the wickets that have been played on here previously. There’s a bit of extra green grass. And it’s been under the covers for another day. So yes, there’s a chance we will change the team.”Sides have struggled with the over-rates so far, it’s not just us that has to keep an eye on it. I certainly don’t want to get suspended. Hopefully we can stay on top of it.”

India captain refuses to believe Dhoni’s slow pace of batting in the middle overs is a matter of concern

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-20191:13

Hussey: India’s well-balanced bowling unit makes them extremely hard to beat

Virat Kohli is least affected by the criticism surrounding MS Dhoni’s batting approach in the middle overs of an ODI innings, particularly against spin. This even as Dhoni’s former team-mates Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman questioned the logic of his slow pace, arguing that it hasn’t helped India’s cause in the death overs.For Kohli, Dhoni’s late flourish en route an unbeaten 61-ball 56 which helped put on 268 against West Indies was a job well done. Asked specifically if Dhoni’s game plan of delaying the slog was hard to fathom from the outside, Kohli vehemently defended his senior player.”He knows exactly what he wants to do out in the middle. Anyone has off days. When he has an off day here and there, everyone gets up and starts talking,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation. “What we have always maintained in the change room is backing him, and he has won us so many games. The best thing about having someone like him is when you need those extra 15-20 runs, he knows exactly how to get them with the tail.IDI via Getty Images

“Keeping strike in the end and finishing off with two big sixes gave us a boost as a team. We were looking at 250 but we got close to 270-odd because he was out there in the middle. Hardik [Pandya] also played really well, but his experience has come good eight out of ten times for us.”Kohli also insisted in a batting line-up such as India’s, where there’s a fine mix of stroke makers and finishers, Dhoni’s calculated approach was much needed. He underlined how it brought balance, especially if they found themselves in a spot, like they did against Afghanistan or on Thursday against West Indies.”We have quite a few players who play instinctive cricket and follow their positive game plans,” Kohli said. “He is one guy in the middle who always sends out a message for the team. ‘I think this is the par score on this pitch.’ Understanding how our bowlers bowl as well, he has such a keen understanding of the game. So he is always giving us feedback, in terms of ‘okay 260 is a good score, 265 is a good score.’ So that we don’t look at 300 and end up getting 230.”He has always been that way, that is his strength, to play calculated cricket, to always stay in the game, equal to the opposition and then find ways of winning. He’s a legend of the game, we all know that. He’s doing a tremendous job for us and hope he can continue.”

Jimmy Adams, CWI Director of Cricket, said the duo’s involvement in the pre-Test series camp would help the younger batsmen in the side

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2019Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan will be part of West Indies’ pre-series camp in Antigua ahead of the first Test against India.Jimmy Adams, Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Director of Cricket, said Lara and Sarwan’s involvement would help the younger batsmen in the side.The 13-men West Indies squad for the two-match Test series includes John Campbell who has played just three Tests, and the uncapped Shamarh Brooks and offspin-allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall. Shimron Hetmyer, who made his red-ball debut in 2017, has featured in 13 Tests.”We have some good young batsmen in the team who we believe will form the future of West Indies cricket,” Adams said. “We saw some very good signs of development earlier this year in the Test matches when we played so very well to beat England and we want to see them grow and become outstanding players for the West Indies.”We have taken the step to have Brian and Ronnie [Sarwan] work with these players, who have demonstrated a will to learn and succeed. We know they still have the passion and love for West Indies cricket and are eager to assist and share their information with the present generation.”The Test series, starting on August 22 in Antigua, will mark both India and West Indies’ debuts in the World Test Championship. So far, India have been undefeated on their tour to the Caribbean, winning the T20I series 3-0 and the ODI series 2-0.

Bhuvneshwar was the only player left out from the T20I squad that recently played against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2019Hardik Pandya is back in India’s 15-man T20I squad, that will play three matches against South Africa starting September 15. His addition, in place of fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar, is the only change India have made to the squad that recently beat West Indies 3-0 away.MS Dhoni missed a second successive T20I series, with reports suggesting he was unavailable for selection, and joining him on the sidelines was Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested from the white-ball leg of the Caribbean tour.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The absence of Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah means India will face South Africa with an inexperienced fast-bowling line-up – Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar and Khaleel Ahmed have played only 11 T20Is between them. Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, the frontline white-ball spinners, have been rested too, but the spin department remains well stocked, led by left-arm-spinning allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Krunal Pandya. Offspinner Washington Sundar and legspinner Rahul Chahar are also in the mix.Hardik was rested from the tour of the Caribbean from all three formats after a long season that included tours of Australia and New Zealand followed by the Indian Premier League and the World Cup.Hardik’s workload had been a concern for the team ever since he picked up a stress-fracture injury at the Asia Cup last year and the lower-back stiffness that forced him to miss the ODIs against Australia at home in March.Among the batsmen, Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer keep their spots along with KL Rahul. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and the captain Virat Kohli complete the squad.

The left-arm spinner shone in a low-scoring encounter as India defended 106 in a rain-interrupted encounter in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-2019Left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar broke Bangladesh’s spirited late resistance to help India defend 106, taking them to a seventh Under-19 Asia Cup title with a five-run win in a rain-interrupted, nerve-wracking encounter in Colombo. Needing 29 runs to win after being reduced to 78 for 8 in 21.1 overs, Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Rakibul Hasan put up a patient 23-run stand, taking Bangladesh close to their maiden title, before Ankolekar struck twice in the 33rd over to finish with figures of 5 for 28 in eight overs.India started poorly after they elected to bat, reduced to 8 for 3 by seamers Sakib and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury within the first six overs. A 45-run stand between Dhruv Jurel and Shashwat Rawat helped rebuild the innings, before offspinner Shamim Hossain broke through, picking Rawat and next batsman Varun Lavande in the same over.Karan Lal at No. 8 then shored up India after having walked in at 61 for 6 in the 20th over, hitting the day’s highest score of 37, which played a major part in getting India to a three-digit score. He was the last batsman to be dismissed, bringing the Indian innings to a close in 32.4 overs. Chowdhury and Shahin Alam cleaned up the tail to finish with three wickets each.Atharva Ankolekar in his delivery stride•Asian Cricket Council

In reply, Bangladesh too were dealt early blows with fast bowlers Akash Singh and Vidhyadhar Patel striking in succession to reduce them to 16 for 4 in 4.1 overs. India seized control when Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali and Chowdhury – who were the only ones to cross 20 in the innings – fell within a space of three balls. However, that led to the fight back by Sakib and Rakibul for the ninth wicket, with the duo batting for 11.2 overs.Ankolekar ended the stand by trapping Sakib in front, leaving Bangladesh needing just six runs with one wicket remaining, and the match still poised on knife’s edge. It ended two balls later, when Ankolekar bowled No. 11 Shahin Alam to wrap up a win for India. Ankolekar also finished as the tournament’s highest wicket-taker, with 12 wickets in three matches.

India’s Smriti Mandhana slipped to the second spot after missing the ODI series against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2019If there isn’t a “World’s No. 1 Mom” mug at Amy Satterthwaite’s home, it’s time to get one. The New Zealand captain has been on maternity leave since August 2019 expecting her first child with wife and team-mate Lea Tahuhu but, due to a quirk of the ICC rankings system, she has become the world’s top-ranked batter in ODI cricket despite not playing a 50-over game in seven months.The 33-year-old had been in glorious form in 2019, scoring 346 runs in six innings, including a best of 92 against Australia.India opener Smriti Mandhana had held that position at the last update but she missed the recent three-match series against South Africa with a toe injury and has now dropped four points behind the new leader.South Africa’s young opener Laura Wolvaardt climbed six places to break into the top ten after her scores of 39, 69 and 23 against India this month. She is currently on the eighth position with 685 rating points. South Africa’s fast bowling duo of Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail also strengthened their position in the bowling chart. Kapp climbed two places and occupies the fifth spot while Ismail gained one place to move to seventh.India’s Jhulan Goswami, who failed to pick any wickets in the second ODI and didn’t play in the third, slipped four places and is currently at the sixth spot in the table headed by Australia’s left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen.Apart from picking up four wickets, Kapp also scored 94 runs in three innings that helped her jump six spots in the ODI allrounders’ rankings. She is in the second place with 370 points, but well behind Australia’s Ellyse Perry, who has 523 points.

Bangladesh got off to a bright start in the Powerplay, but India’s spinners pulled things back to restrict them to a below-par 153

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy07-Nov-20193:56

Rohit Sharma dazzles in Rajkot to help India level series 

A 43-ball 85 from Rohit Sharma, in his 100th T20I, helped India chase down 154 with 26 balls to spare and draw level in the T20I series against Bangladesh. It was Rohit’s third-quickest innings of 50 or more in T20Is, and it made a below-par Bangladesh total – at the presentation, their captain Mahmudullah reckoned they finished 25-30 runs short – look utterly inadequate in great batting conditions in Rajkot.India have been a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde T20I team of late. Since the start of 2018, they have a 7-7 record while batting first, but they have done much better while chasing: Thursday’s win was their 13th in 16 completed games.Rohit extends his sublime runRohit came into this series having just scored three hundreds, including a double, in three Tests against South Africa, and all that form was on display on a Rajkot pitch brimming with runs. Every shot he played along the ground seemed to find a gap, whether he was pulling or driving or cutting or even occasionally when he was simply defending with a slightly open face – one such shot, off Al-Amin Hossain in the fifth over of India’s innings, raced away unstoppably between backward point and short third man.The results were even more spectacular when he went aerial. There were six sixes in his innings – everyone else, on both sides, only managed two between them – including three in a row off Mosaddek Hossain’s offspin in the tenth over. The second of them, which brought up the century opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan, took Rohit to 70.Dhawan, at that point, was batting on 28 off 24 balls. Bangladesh managed to keep one opener quiet by denying him width, but none of their plans had any impact on the other.Bangladesh make bright startSent in to bat, Bangladesh enjoyed a productive Powerplay, getting to 54 for 0 courtesy a mixture of urgency from their openers and some erratic bowling and fielding from India.Khaleel Ahmed, the left-arm quick, had been hit for four successive fours off his last four balls in Delhi. He conceded three successive fours off his first three balls here, making it seven in a row. Khaleel was guilty of bowling a touch too short on a pitch where the ball sat up nicely, and Mohammad Naim put him away whenever there was a chance to play the pull or the straight-bat jab through midwicket.At the other end, Liton Das enjoyed a massive stroke of luck when he was stranded yards down the pitch by a Yuzvendra Chahal legbreak in the sixth over. Rishabh Pant gathered the ball without trouble and stumped him, but third umpire Anil Chaudhary ruled that he had collected the ball marginally in front of the stumps. Liton hit the next two balls – the first of them a free-hit – for fours, to add insult to injury.Spinners strike backThere would be a near-repeat in the 13th over when Chahal beat the advancing Soumya Sarkar with a wrong’un, but on that occasion Chaudhary ruled that Pant had gathered the ball behind the stumps – replays suggested it was another marginal decision.At that point, Bangladesh were 103 for 4. Their last seven overs had only brought them 49 runs for the cost of four wickets. India’s two main spinners, Chahal and Washington Sundar, were chiefly responsible for keeping them quiet. Chahal, getting the ball to grip, used his variations well, and picked up two wickets. He could have had a third if he had had an lbw appeal against Liton upheld in the eighth over after beating him with his googly, but Liton, unaware of where the ball ended up after hitting his pad, hared out of his crease and ran himself out anyway.Washington, varying his pace intelligently and bowling an irritating length – he later said he looks to get the ball to bounce up to hip height when it reaches the batsman – proved difficult to go after, and Bangladesh only managed 25 off his four overs.Bangladesh never really regained the lost momentum. There were a pair of bright knocks from Sarkar (30 off 20) and Mahmudullah (30 off 21), but the rest of the Bangladesh batsmen didn’t really get going. Khaleel continued to go for runs, conceding 22 off his two overs at the death, but the rest of the bowlers didn’t give the batsmen the pace or the lengths to work with. Chahal, dangling the ball wide of off stump and denying the right-hand batsmen easy access to the leg side, and Deepak Chahar, using the slower bouncer adroitly, gave away only eight runs between them in the 18th and 19th overs.

BP Sandeep will take over the captaincy in the former India batsman’s absence

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2019Ambati Rayudu has opted out of representing Hyderabad in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. Rayudu had come out of retirement only in August, a few months after he had ‘retired from all formats’ following his non-selection in India’s squad at the 2019 World Cup. According to an interview with , Rayudu said “a lot of politics” in the team made it “uncomfortable” for him to represent Hyderabad.Rayudu, who was Hyderabad captain in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, said: “In all honesty, I was looking forward to play for Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy this season. But unfortunately, the script did not go on the expected lines. There is a lot of politics in the team and the atmosphere was not conducive for good cricket. I felt very uncomfortable.”Rayudu even tweeted to Telangana’s Municipal Administration and Urban Development minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday, asking him to look into the “rampant corruption prevailing at HCA.” In the interview, Rayudu said that he had informed Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohammad Azharuddin, who took over the role in September, about his decision, and felt “election promises” got in the way of the team’s progress. He even alleged that “rich, influential and politicians’ children” get preferential treatment for selection into the Hyderabad team.”I did have a talk with the president. He always said he was trying his best. But it never happened,” Rayudu said. “I feel he should have initiated stronger measures but he did not do that. I feel there were more election promises and as a result, the game suffered.”It hurt me a lot. A few players, who did not deserve to be in the team, were included in the team because of the election promises. If this happens, how can a team improve? My hands were tight (sic) for the playing eleven when it came to few players and they were untouchable during the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.”If you look at the team, some of the players are selected because of the influence of some club secretaries. Sometimes, merit takes a back seat. This is unfortunate. Rich, influential and politicians’ children get preferences in Hyderabad teams. This is a true fact. We have to stop this buck. Since someone had to speak out, I thought I should do this. This is how bad the system has become in HCA.”Rayudu was also displeased at the choice of Arjun Yadav, the former Hyderabad allrounder, as coach. Rayudu claimed Arjun became coach due to the influence of his father, the former BCCI interim president Shivlal Yadav.This is not the first time Rayudu and Arjun have made news together. During the 2005-06 season, Arjun, who was then the Hyderabad captain, and Rayudu, then playing for Andhra, had been involved in a physical altercation during a Ranji Trophy match.”He is not a qualified coach and has conflict of interest which has not been addressed yet,” Rayudu said. “He is not fit to be the Ranji coach. It is because of his father’s influence he has been able to become the coach. I feel it was an election promise to make him (Arjun) as the coach.”In Rayudu’s absence, left-hand batsman BP Sandeep, who was Hyderabad’s highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, will take over as captain.

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.”