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Australia will be keen to experiment, with Green and Labuschagne coming in for Marsh and Smith; Pakistan will miss injured Shadab

Tristan Lavalette28-Mar-2022

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After a historic and much-hyped three-Test series, comprising 15 gruelling and emotionally charged days, the limited-overs leg of Australia’s tour of Pakistan can feel somewhat neglected by comparison. The anti-climax is heightened by a severely-weakened Australia, who are missing a slew of stars due to rest, injuries and personal reasons.While Australia will undoubtedly experiment and start underdogs against a formidable looking Pakistan, there is a lot on the line for both teams with the three ODIs part of the current World Cup Super League cycle.Related

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• Zampa not worried about three-month break

• Australia set to experiment in Pakistan for 2023 World Cup

Australia and Pakistan will look to make up ground amid increasingly rare ODI scheduling in another T20 World Cup year. Australia have won their three series played during the cycle, but sit seventh due to playing just six matches, while Pakistan are 10th after a 3-0 defeat to England in the UK in July in their last ODI hit out.Similarly, Australia last played an ODI against West Indies in July, and they have only played four ODIs overall since December 2020.As their 50-over droughts end, Australia and Pakistan will be keen to put their best foot forward with an eye towards a World Cup in India only 18 months away.

Form guide

Pakistan LLLWL (Last five completed matches; most recent first)
Australia WLWLW

In the spotlight

After a tough home summer, Aaron Finch has a chance to ease his pressure with a big series in Pakistan. Having memorably become the first Australian captain to lift the T20 World Cup trophy, a laboured Finch struggled through the season with a persistent knee injury during a lacklustre BBL and subsequent T20I series against Sri Lanka. The 35-year-old is keen to continue through to next year’s World Cup but his dip in form has raised eyebrows. Finch has not played an ODI since December 2020, but expressed confidence during his press conference on Monday of being able to slip back into the 50-over format comfortably enough. He will be relied upon to shore up Australia’s inexperienced batting order, and if he fires then that should quell simmering pressure over his position.Australia players train in the heat•Associated Press

Shaheen Shah Afridi lit up the Test series although didn’t quite get the reward for his toil on mostly stale pitches and against Australia’s experienced batting order. Without his new best buddy David Warner, along with Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell also missing, Australia’s top order appears a little shaky and ripe for Shaheen to crack open if he can get the white ball hooping around. He will be eager for a bounce back in ODIs having been expensive during the three-match series in South Africa and in the last ODI in England last year.

Team news

*Mitchell Marsh is going to miss the opening ODI due to a hip injury with emerging star Cameron Green set to be his replacement. Smith was earlier ruled out of the series due to an elbow injury, which could open the door for Test specialist Marnus Labuschagne to add to his 13 ODIs. Josh Inglis tested positive on Monday and will isolate for five days but that’s unlikely to change the team combination with Alex Carey set to keep wicket.Australia will experiment with the squad, including uncapped ODI players Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis and Mitchell Swepson.Australia (possible): 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Ben McDermott, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Travis Head, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Ben Dwarshuis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Nathan EllisPakistan are likely to be without legspinner Shadab Khan for the opening two ODIs after he sustained a groin injury during the PSL. They have a strong squad, including a contingent who played in the Tests, but excluded former captain Sarfraz Ahmed and allrounder Imad Wasim. They included uncapped spinner Asif Afridi and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris after strong performances in the PSL, while an ODI debut for Abdullah Shafique, who starred in the Tests at the top of the order, could be forthcoming.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam (capt), 4 Abdullah Shafique 5 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 6 Mohammad Haris, 7 Faheem Ashraf,  8 Asif Afridi, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Haris Rauf

Pitch and conditions

On the back of the Test match, the pitch is expected to be dry and favouring batting although reverse swing could be a factor amid dewy conditions under lights. Very hot conditions are forecast in Lahore with a maximum temperature of 38 degrees.

Stats and trivia

• Australia have a commanding record against Pakistan in ODIs with 68 wins from 101 completed matches.
• On their last tour of Pakistan in 1998, Australia wrapped up a clean sweep of the three-match ODI series with a six-wicket victory in Lahore to complete the then second-highest successful chase in history. Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist scored centuries to lead Australia’s chase down of 316 with seven balls to spare.
• The world’s No.1 ranked ODI batter Babar Azam has a career average of 56.92 which is the fourth best of all time.*1210 GMT: The preview was updated after Cricket Australia issued a statement.

They will tour Pakistan over the Christmas and New Year season, as well as during the IPL next year

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2022After not touring Pakistan for 19 years, New Zealand are all set to visit the country twice in the space of five months to play two Tests, eight ODIs and five T20Is. It means New Zealand will not play home fixtures over the Christmas and New Year’s season this year, and will have to deal with a clash with the IPL during the second leg of the Pakistan tour in April and May next year.The two Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship and will be played in Karachi (December 27-31) and Multan (January 4-8). The teams will return to Karachi to play three ODIs that are part of the ICC Super League on January 11, 13 and 15.New Zealand then go back to Pakistan in April and May to play five more ODIs, which are not part of the Super League, and five T20Is. The first four T20Is will be played in Karachi on April 13, 15, 16 and 19, before the teams travel to Lahore for the fifth T20I and the first two ODIs on April 23, 26 and 28. The last three ODIs of the series are in Rawalpindi on May 1, 4 and 7.New Zealand’s first visit is a part of the Future Tours Programme, while the second was agreed to make up for the matches lost when they called off their limited-overs tour of Pakistan minutes before the start of the first ODI in September 2021, citing security concerns.”New Zealand is one of the high-performing sides and the more we will play against the top teams in our backyard, the better we will get as a unit, which is crucial to our objective of featuring inside the top three across all formats,” Zakir Khan, PCB director – international cricket, said in a statement. “The New Zealand matches will also provide opportunities to our youngsters to continue to watch and follow their favourite players in action, something they have missed when we were forced to play our international cricket offshore.New Zealand last toured Pakistan in November 2003, and their return follows the tours of Australia and England to the country this year after a gap of 24 and 17 years respectively.”I know our players can’t wait to arrive and savour the experience of playing in Karachi, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi – places that carry a great cricketing heritage,” NZC CEO David White said. “The recent tours from Australia and England have left us in no doubt regarding the quality of the Pakistan side across all formats, and the extent of the challenge that awaits us.”

Adam Zampa also collected three wickets, before Steven Smith batted in T20 mode to finish off the match in less than 43 overs

Andrew McGlashan30-Aug-2022Australia raced to an eight-wicket victory in Townsville as the second ODI lasted less than 43 overs after Mitchell Starc had blown Zimbabwe’s top order away to leave him on 199 wickets, and the visitors dismantled for 96.On a pitch that offered considerable help to the fast bowlers, Starc claimed 3 for 15 in his first five-over spell, and would have become the fastest to 200 wickets had Glenn Maxwell held a sharp chance at backward point offered by Luke Jongwe late in the innings. However, he still has two matches in hand to beat Saqlain Mushtaq’s mark of 104 games.Richard Ngarava struck twice in his second over of the defence, including the wicket of Australia captain Aaron Finch for another low score, but the home side needed just 14.4 overs, with Steven Smith playing the “free” T20 mode he spoke about the day before the match as he finished unbeaten in the 40s again.After a few early wides, Starc found the target with a pinpoint yorker to remove Innocent Kaia and then swung one back into Wessly Madhevere to remove the top-scorer from the previous match for a duck. His third wicket was not quite a classic though, as Tadiwanashe Marumani flicked a ball off his pads straight to square legAt the other end, Josh Hazlewood and been miserly with the new ball, and found significant movement off the seam to cause a host of problems which continued when he changed ends to replace Starc. Briefly, he was put under pressure when Sikandar Raza, who had been on 7 off 33 balls until then, pulled him through midwicket and then drove the next ball over long-off for a spectacular six.But two deliveries later, he top-edged a short delivery to deep square leg to remove one of Zimbabwe’s best hope of making it a contest. Speaking the day before the game, coach David Houghton had said he wanted his side to stitch together runs throughout the order, having had various parts of it perform in different matches; but this would not be the day for it.Steven Smith finished unbeaten in the 40s again•Getty Images

Batters continued to struggle to find the balance between attack and defence, as captain Regis Chakabva followed a couple of handsome shots down the ground by picking out mid-off against Ashton Agar, who had been recalled in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh.Cameron Green, who took a five-wicket haul in the opening match, was the sixth bowler used, but it only took him three deliveries to make an impression with a lifting ball which found Tony Munyonga’s outside edge.Sean Williams, back in the side after an elbow injury kept him out on Sunday, tried to hold the innings together but got a thick edge to short third. That was the first of three quick wickets for Adam Zampa, who helped wrap things up in the 28th over.There appeared to be a Snicko failure when Brad Evans reviewed his lbw, but replays suggested he hadn’t hit it anyway.In the run chase, David Warner was in the mood to get things done quickly but carved down to deep third where Brad Evans held an excellent catch running in. Two balls later, Finch fenced outside off stump and was held at the second attempt by Raza at first slip to once again leave the focus on the captain’s form.There were a few uneasy moments for Smith and Alex Carey as the ball continued to move for the seamers, but the target was quickly hunted down. Smith played one of the shots of the day when he carved a six over deep point and continued to pepper the boundary, but couldn’t take advantage of a free hit from what became the last ball of the game to reach fifty, as it scuttled for four byes.Those attending the final match of the series on Saturday will hope for a better contest, which may require Australia to bat first if they win the toss.

Antigua to host three T20Is and five ODIs starting August 31

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2021South Africa Women will tour the Caribbean for three T20Is and five ODIs starting August 31. The tour serves as preparation for both teams, with just seven months to go for the 50-over World Cup in New Zealand.All the matches will be played in Antigua. While the T20Is and the first two ODIs will be hosted by the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, the remaining three ODIs will be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.”It’s fantastic to be able to announce our schedule to the West Indies,” head coach Hilton Moreeng said. “A timely coming back for us to competitive cricket after a lengthy period without game time.”Every ODI series for us carries even more weight as we have our sights firmly set on the cricket showpiece that will be taking place next year, and I believe it is just as important for our hosts as they strive towards qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup.”South Africa last played an international series in India in March, when they won both the limited-overs series in Lucknow. However, a number of top players have had game-time lately. Mignon du Preez, Laura Woolvardt, Shabnim Ismail, Dane van Niekerk, Chloe Tryon and Lizelle Lee are all currently part of The Hundred in England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In comparison, West Indies are coming off a victorious limited-overs series at home against Pakistan in July. The upcoming series will help them prepare for the World Cup global qualifiers to be held in Zimbabwe this December, after failing to secure a direct entry for the World Cup.West Indies will have their third High Performance training camp, under head coach Courtney Walsh, as part of their preparations for the series. Three of their top players – Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews – are part of The Hundred competition in England, and will likely join the squad ahead of the series.”We are delighted to have more cricket on the horizon as this will be a vital part of our preparations for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers,” Walsh said. “We are at a crucial juncture as we prepare for this big event and again, we want to thank CWI for organising this camp to get the girls up to speed.”We were fantastic against Pakistan last month and we want to bring that winning momentum into this series of matches as well. We are going in the right direction, with the way we want. There is a lot to play for and we will be up for the challenge.”

The 2023 edition will start on Feb 9; PCB and PSL franchise owners discuss possible auction-plus-draft plan for building teams

Umar Farooq02-Sep-2022The PSL is looking to hike its salary cap as it begins to deal with the impact of the two new cash-rich T20 leagues on the circuit – the ILT20 and the SA20. The PCB has also proposed a hybrid model of a draft plus an auction to acquire players for the upcoming season, though ESPNcricinfo understands that the franchises are looking for more clarity about that before taking it on board.After a PSL governing council meeting on Friday, the PCB announced that the 2023 season of the PSL will start on February 9, and the final will take place on March 19. It had been anticipated that the PSL would start mid-February, and while the dates for the UAE’s ILT20 or the South African SA20 are not out yet officially, the earlier start means there might be a small overlap between the leagues.The PSL will also revert to using four venues, as was the case in the fifth edition in 2020. Last year, because of Covid-19, the league was played in two centres, Lahore and Karachi – Rawalpindi and Multan have been added as venues this time. The PSL began in January last year to make room for Australia’s tour of Pakistan in March, but the PSL has never begun earlier than the 2023 edition’s February 9 – the first season, in 2016, also began on February 9.Friday’s governing council meeting was the first in over nine months. The central talking point was the hybrid model for player selection. Some franchise owners disagreed with the change as it was based on allowing four retentions and four rounds of auction, with the remaining 12 players picked through a draft process. There is also a proposal to increase the salary cap from the current US$950,000 to US$1.5million, but the discussion around that didn’t take place after franchise representatives focussed on the structure of the auction and salary caps.Discussions on the change in the player-acquisition structure came about because Ramiz Raja, the PCB chairman, has previously said they need to “elevate the concept” of the PSL, and felt that an auction system could help the PSL rival the IPL. But ESPNcricinfo understands that the franchise owners have asked the PCB to share an estimate of the likely expenses of such a change.Playing at four venues, in any case, will increase their expenses, as well as the broadcast-production cost, which ultimately affects the bottom line for franchises in what is already a difficult time economically for Pakistan. Expanding the salary cap in that environment is not a straightforward task, as the main PSL revenue streams were all locked in last year for multi-year deals and franchises have their returns fixed from the central pool for the next three years. The board and franchises are expected to meet again in a week’s time to take discussions on the hybrid model and the salary cap further.

The doors of Indian cricket remain shut on Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila, after BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said the penalties imposed would not be lifted

Gaurav Kalra and Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jul-20154:16

Anurag Thakur: “I haven’t received any representations from these players, so as of now the ban stays.”

The doors of Indian cricket remain shut on Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila, after BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said the penalties imposed by the board on the three former Rajasthan Royals players for their involvement in spot-fixing in IPL 2013 would not be lifted. Thakur’s comments came on a day when the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) appealed to the BCCI to lift the life ban on Sreesanth, who hails from that state.Though a Delhi trial court had dropped the charges against the players levied under the MCOCA act, a law passed by the Maharashtra government to tackle organised crime syndicates, on grounds of insufficient evidence, Thakur said the BCCI’s decision had been made after an independent investigation.”Criminal proceedings are entirely different to the disciplinary proceedings. The decision has been taken by the BCCI’s disciplinary committee, not by a court of law,” Thakur told ESPNcricinfo. “Action has been taken against the players on the report of our anti-corruption unit. As per the BCCI rules and regulations, the ban on these players will stay.”Sreesanth and Chavan were banned for life by the BCCI, while Chandila’s penalty is still pending because he failed to face the disciplinary panel due to personal reasons, though he too was found guilty for the same breaches as his team-mates.Immediately after the court dropped the charges, Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila had expressed relief and hope of returning to play cricket, and there was support from players’ home states.On Monday KCA president TC Mathew told ESPNcricinfo that he had written to the BCCI asking Sreesanth be given permission to play for Kerala. “Based on the judgement of the Delhi court, we have written to the BCCI asking them that his ban be lifted. He has given his best while playing for India and if the court has exonerated him, the BCCI should also reconsider its decision.”However, Thakur said the BCCI would not change its mind, though he said the players were free to approach a higher court to challenge the ban. He also made it clear that no player had approached the board directly. “Any Indian citizen can go to a court of law if they are not happy with any decision. Delhi police will go to the higher court to challenge the lower court verdict. I haven’t received any representations from these players, so as of now the ban stays.”Thakur said the BCCI had faced turbulence in recent years with corruption scandals taking up most of the administrators’ time. “In the last few years there were certain decisions that had been taken for which the board has to pay. The image of the board has been tarnished in the past few years.”One of those issues was the 2013 IPL betting scandal, which resulted in the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Panel suspending the owners of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – India Cements and Jaipur India Pvt Ltd – for two years. In an immediate response, the BCCI set up a working group to make recommendations on the way forward for the IPL to the board’s working committee within six weeks.Thakur, who is part of the five-member working group, said the BCCI wanted to study the Lodha panel order and did not want to arrive at any decision in haste. “We have made it clear that we will implement the verdict in toto. The working group has been formed so we can take a well-informed, well-thought decision, for the well being of cricket. The Mudgal commission took a year to come out with their report. Lodha committee took six months. We have sought only six weeks to speak to various stakeholders before implementing the report.”When asked specifically whether there was enough evidence established by the Lodha panel to terminate the Super Kings and Royals franchises, Thakur said the BCCI’s primary concern was the welfare of the players involved. “The Lodha committee has looked into each and every aspect of the situation. They have suspended the teams for two years. At the same time BCCI working group is looking into the details of how to implement it so that our players, especially the domestic players, should not suffer because of this verdict.”

Leg-spinner’s 4 for 23 proves decisive after Ami Campbell’s fifty

ECB Reporters Network09-Jul-2022Sarah Glenn played a starring role as Central Sparks inflicted a 22-run defeat upon Western Storm in a sun-drenched Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy encounter at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.Chasing a target of 207, Storm came up short at 184 for 9, their cause fatally undermined by the 22-year-old leg-spinner from Derby, who took 4 for 23 from 10 overs. New ball bowler Grace Potts weighed in with 2 for 33 and seamer Elizabeth Russell took 2 for 48 as the top and middle order were blown away. Only tailenders Lauren Filer and Sophia Smale offered any kind of resistance, these two contributing 58 not out and 32 respectively, and staging a defiant ninth wicket stand of 73 by way of consolation.Ami Campbell proved the mainstay of Sparks’ innings, top-scoring with 50 from 75 balls, while captain Evelyn Jones and wicketkeeper Abi Freeborn grafted their way to 44 and 35 respectively in a total of 206 all out from 50 overs after the visitors had won the toss.Impressive with the new ball and again at the death, Lauren Filer claimed 3 for 36 from 10 overs and was ably supported by Niamh Holland, who took key wickets during the middle overs to return figures of 2 for 17.But Storm lacked the application required with the bat on a typically slow and low Bristol pitch to follow up last week’s opening win over Lightning, handing their opponents the opportunity to atone for defeat at the hands of Southern Vipers in their first game.The game was all but over as a contest when Storm lurched to 48 for 6 inside 14 overs, the victims of poor shot selection and some outstanding bowling.Potts set the tone, having Georgia Hennessy caught at the wicket without scoring and then inducing Alex Griffiths to hole out to mid-off as the hosts forfeited both openers inside seven overs with 17 runs on the board. Fran Wilson was next to go cheaply, bowled playing back to Elizabeth Russell and missing a straight one, at which point Storm were 31 for 3 in the tenth over.A difficult situation became positively parlous when Sophie Luff and big-hitting Dani Gibson succumbed to the first and sixth balls of Glenn’s opening over from the Ashley Down Road End. Caught in two minds, Luff was pinned lbw, while Gibson played across the line and was bowled. When Nat Wraith edged a catch behind off Russell in the next over, Storm were in dire straits.There followed 18 dot balls, a passage of austerity that culminated in Glenn having Holland held at slip. Katie George was then bowled by Glenn, terminating any fanciful notion Storm supporters might have harboured of an against-the-odds triumph.Understanding the risks associated with pushing too hard on a worn surface, Sparks’ top-order batters had earlier demonstrated a willingness to graft for their runs, a quality that set them apart from their opponents.Filer served early notice that this was far from a batting paradise, mustering impressive rhythm and pace from the Bristol Pavilion End to remove Davina Perrin and Thea Brookes while the fielding restrictions were still in place.Campbell rode her luck against Storm’s main strike bowler, cutting hard to backward point and being put down by Wilson before she had scored. She certainly made good her escape, the left-hander surviving a sticky start to match Jones blow for blow in a stand of 64 for the third wicket as the visitors reasserted themselves.Prepared to wait for the bad ball, these two were severe on anything short or wide, advancing the score to 109 for 2 at the halfway stage of the innings. Just when a half-century appeared to be hers for the asking, Jones blotted her copybook, playing across the line to a straight delivery from off spinner Chloe Skelton and departing bowled for 44.Skelton’s clever variations on pace and flight almost produced another wicket, but she was unable to hold onto a hard return catch offered up by the fortuitous Campbell, who went on to raise 50 from 74 balls, with eight fours.Dropped catches looked likely to cost Storm dear when George fumbled at deep square leg to allow Freeborn a life on three, much to the chagrin of the returning Filer. Yet partial salvation was at hand for the home side in the form of Holland, who claimed two wickets in the space of 13 deliveries after being introduced in the 34th over. Campbell clipped a swinging ball to Skelton at short fine leg, while Glenn was bowled for two as Sparks were reduced to 156 for 5. Ria Fackrell contributed 16 in a partnership of 32 in seven overs with Freeborn before being bowled by Gibson as Storm turned the screw.As Sparks attempted to accelerate, so Filer struck to remove Freeborn, caught at the wicket by Wraith having hewn 35 from 58 balls. Gibson ran out Georgia Davis and then bowled Potts, while Wraith ran out Hannah Baker off the final ball of the innings.Campbell’s demise in the 35th over proved a turning point, Sparks adding a mere 63 runs for the loss of six wickets in their final 15 overs thereafter. Yet once Glenn went to work, it proved more than enough.

Matthew Waite and Dillon Pennington share seven wickets after Azhar Ali’s 235

ECB Reporters Network21-May-2022Worcestershire overwhelmed Leicestershire by an innings and 259 runs with more than a day to spare in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at New Road. The home side collected a maximum haul of 24 points to secure their second Championship victory of the campaign.They established a first innings lead of 429 after plundering 120 from 20 overs before Saturday morning’s declaration half an hour before lunch on 577 for 6 – their highest ever total against Leicestershire.Then some fiery bowling from Dillon Pennington, a career Championship best return of 4 for 35 from loanee Matthew Waite and a series of superb catches saw Leicestershire crumble for a second time.”It hurts and this is the lowest point of my head coach role,” Paul Nixon said. “That wasn’t a first-class performance. We have to do some soul searching. We have to reflect and we have to be honest. Our discipline with bat and ball wasn’t good enough.”Worcestershire dominated in all departments with Azhar Ali’s double century the bedrock of their innings and taking the Pakistan batter’s run tally to 465 in the last four innings.Related

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They looked a side capable of mounting a promotion challenge although they will undoubtedly encounter stiffer opposition than that on offer from Leicestershire.The visitors never recovered from opting to bat on a helpful pitch after winning the toss and being bowled out for 148. They remain anchored to the foot of the table without a win heading into the break from four-day cricket and the launch of the Vitality Blast campaign.Worcestershire resumed on 456 for 3 and club captain Brett D’Oliveira added only two to his overnight 52 before he became Wiaan Mulder’s fourth scalp of the innings but Azhar, who resumed on 202, set the tone with a succession of boundaries.He eventually played on to Chris Wright to end his marathon nine-and-a-quarter-hour knock on 225 and left the arena to a standing ovation and the congratulations of several Leicestershire players.An innings full of class spanning three days and 350 balls included one six and 22 fours and was Worcestershire’s highest individual score since Moeen Ali’s 250 versus Glamorgan at New Road nine years ago.Ed Barnard made a breezy 26 as Worcestershire topped the 500 mark for the first time in nine years before the allrounder hooked Wright down long leg’s throat but the significant acceleration was provided by Ben Cox.He cleared the long Cathedral side boundary for the first of his three sixes and two more maximums off new Leicestershire red-ball captain, Callum Parkinson, hurried him to a 42-ball half century. Worcestershire surpassed their 121-year-old record score against Leicestershire of 561 before the declaration.Leicestershire needed a solid start but Rishi Patel managed only a single before he was plumb lbw to Pennington.Hassan Azad had denied Worcestershire victory in the opening day of the season at the Uptonsteel County Ground with an undefeated century so Worcestershire’s joy was understandable when the opener on 18 was brilliantly caught and bowled by Charlie Morris, who was slightly wrongfooted but adjusted to hold onto the low chance one-handed away to his left.There was no respite for Leicestershire and Colin Ackermann, deposed as captain this week, tried to work Pennington to leg and was lbw.