The bowlers also contributed greatly to fashion a 97-run win for Ireland in their first game of the World Cup Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2018Andy Balbirnie in action at the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe•Getty Images

Ireland opened their World Cup qualifiers campaign with a 93-run win against Netherlands in a rain-affected game in Harare. After a fifty from Andy Balbirnie – who anchored the full 50-over innings despite being struck on the helmet by Ryan ten Doeschate – Netherlands fell nearly nine overs short of batting 41 overs in their hunt for a revised target of 243. Seamers Tim Murtagh and Boyd Rankin were Ireland’s most effective bowlers.Balbirnie said he was struck fairly early in his innings – “I must have been on 30” – but continued batting and finished with 68 off 75 balls. But once he returned to the change room, things started to go wrong. “I didn’t field. I obviously got hit in the head while I was batting. Didn’t feel it that much batting. Came off. Sat down. Had a break, and then got a bit dizzy and a bit of blurred vision. So saw the doctor, did a concussion test, it was okay, but he wanted me to get a scan. Scan was clear so it’s gradually got better as the day’s gone on.”Ireland began with a series of contributions from their top order, most notably a 101-run stand for the fourth wicket between Balbirnie and Niall O’Brien. Their partnership followed stands of 59, 35 and 24 respectively for the first three wickets before Netherlands staged a comeback in the slog overs, picking up 4 for 49 in the last 7.2 overs.Netherlands, meanwhile, did not find partnerships from their top order. Inside 16 overs, they’d lost five wickets and any chance of recovery was regularly thwarted by Ireland’s bowlers. Timm van der Gugten’s 33 off 25 at No. 9 was their most significant contribution as they folded for 149.

Neeraj Kumar, the former police commissioner of Delhi, has been retained as Advisor for the unit till March 31, 2018

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2018

The BCCI has appointed Ajit Singh, a former DGP of Rajasthan, as the head of its Anti-Corruption Unit ahead of the 2018 IPL season. Neeraj Kumar, the former police commissioner of Delhi, has been retained as Advisor for the unit till May 31, 2018.According to a BCCI release, Singh retired from his role as DGP in the Rajasthan Police in November 2017 and has 36 years of experience with the Indian Police Service. He has worked in various anti-corruption operations apart from investigative work and field policing. Singh also headed Rajasthan’s anti-corruption bureau for four years.Apart from its own ACU, BCCI will also engage with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit for the 2018 IPL season.

The Australia spinner did not contest the charge and is believed to have contacted AB de Villiers to apologise for his conduct

Daniel Brettig in Durban05-Mar-2018Nathan Lyon has been fined 15% of his match fee by the ICC for dropping the ball near AB de Villiers after the South Africa batsman was run out on day four of the Durban Test.After the incident was reviewed by the match referee Jeff Crowe, Lyon was charged with conduct contrary to the spirit of cricket, a level one offence.He was found to have breached Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game”.In addition, Lyon has had one demerit point added to his disciplinary record, a first offence for the player since the introduction of the revised Code in September 2016. If a player accrues four demerit points within 24 months, he receives a one-Test or two-limited-over game ban.Lyon is believed to have contacted de Villiers overnight to apologise. He had also accepted the charge and no hearing was required.The ICC decided, however, that no action would be taken following a confrontation between David Warner and Quinton de Kock during the tea break on day four.Adam Gilchrist, the former Australian wicketkeeper and captain, said the team would need to reassess how they reacted to such incidents.”As an outside observer, I think you would find that a little bit off-putting at times, a little bit bad taste at times,” Gilchrist told . “And the question may even come over all those eras as a general statement. Australian teams have generally been at the top of the pile, not every minute of those times, but generally they’re a very competitive, world class team,and some would say they don’t need to do that.”Why do you need to present that somewhat ugly look if you’re playing such good cricket? And they’re not good images and it’s hard to know, to comment specificially about this incident overnight, and any other time, unless you’re there and know the ins and outs of what was said and what sparked it and the verbal volleys that would have been thrown around.”Very hard to comment on the detail of it but no denying that some of the parts of the celebration of the run-out of de Villiers and then obviously this incident that I’m sure you’re getting to, of this leaked dressing room footage, it’s not a very good look. I think it needs to be considered how to react in certain scenarios and learn from the scenarios.”Speaking about Warner, Gilchrist said the Australian vice-captain was not projecting the image of a leader. “I think with Davey…there is no one denying his capabilities with the bat in hand. It’s funny…he came into cricket and had his natural aggression mindset both with bat in hand and in the field,” Gilchrist said. “He used to pride himself being the guy that got into the verbal stoushes and was a leader of the aggressive mindset. But he then went the other way and he was very, very outright in saying ‘I’ve put that away, that’s not me any more’.”It was really extreme the opposite way, and now he’s come back again saying ‘old Davey’s back’ and all his team-mates are saying ‘the Reverend’s gone, Bull’s back’. It’s always a worry in any situation when someone is so extreme on one direction or the other. I think Davey’s got to find somewhere in between that. He does pride himself in being a leader of the team, he did that very well in the T20s [against New Zealand and England recently] as captain but what we’ve seen in the last 24 hours probably isn’t the images that you want your captain projecting.”

Liam Livingstone and Joe Root were the only England batsmen to really shine against the pink ball and batting coach Graham Thorpe said it was a reminder of the performances needed

Andrew McGlashan at Seddon Park15-Mar-2018

England had gone into their four days of practice in Hamilton treating it as a Test match. Halfway through, after finishing the two days with the pink ball, they will be hoping things go better at Eden Park next week.In truth, it was always going to be difficult to replicate any sense of intensity in this mish-mash of a fixture, which is essentially glorified middle practice where teams just bat all day. Regardless of how England fare in the two Tests, the game as a whole really needs to address the lack of quality warm-up fixtures for touring sides.Still, and with those caveats in mind, it has not been an impressive two days for England. With the bat the New Zealand XI recovered from 30 for 5, then with the ball managed to take 14 England wickets on the second day, dismissing the likely Test top three of Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman and James Vince twice.Liam Livingstone, who impressed with 88 on his first appearance in whites for the senior side, and captain Joe Root were the only two players to reach fifty (Root’s in his second knock of the day). Alastair Cook, though, looked in reasonably good order and Vince settled second time around.Livingstone, the Lancashire captain, remains unlikely to feature in the Test series and batting coach Graham Thorpe said the fact he was the standout performer was a reminder to the established top order that they don’t have much time to get into shape.”The first two sessions were indifferent for us but it was about getting the guys up to speed and making them aware they’ve got a Test next week,” Thorpe told . “A few of them will be disappointed they didn’t spend longer at the crease.”But Liam Livingstone played very well. He’s been given an opportunity here and has fitted in very well. He’s not in the potential starting XI but he’s shown the head coach what he’s capable of and that’s what you want. For a few of the guys it’s a reminder, a bit of a kick up the backside, that you’ve got to get up to speed pretty quickly.”Before the tour Livingstone, who played two T20Is against South Africa last year, told ESPNcricinfo he was more comfortable as a first-class player. He admitted the day hadn’t gone as planned for England, but was satisfied with his own performance in his first knock since rolling his ankle playing football on the Lions tour of the Caribbean.”It was a bit of a tough day really,” he said. “But a few of us have got what we wanted out of the day. Obviously a few boys have still got another two days to go – so I hope they can get what they need from those.”I was obviously pretty nervous coming on a first England Test tour but I settled in very quickly and felt really good going out to bat today. I felt really relaxed, which is a good thing. It’s been down to the lads who made it really easy for me to settle quickly.”It would probably take an injury for him to come into contention for either Test, so he is keen just to soak up as much experience as he can over the next few weeks.”It’s my job to come out and score as many runs as I can when I get the chance,” he said. “I’m just here with open ears and open eyes to learn off the best players in the world, which we have in our dressing room. It’s a great experience for me whether I play or not. It’s everyone’s dream to play Test cricket and it may not happen this trip, but it’s been great fun getting in and around the lads in this environment.”This match has also been a chance for players in the New Zealand XI to add to their credentials. On the opening day it was Tom Blundell and Kyle Jamieson, then, with the ball, the pace bowlers all impressed with 19-year-old Nathan Smith claiming the handy trio of Livingstone, Cook and Jonny Bairstow. Seth Rance, who has played two ODIs and four T20s for New Zealand, also took three, striking with the new ball at either end of the day.”You watch those guys on TV, then you go out and are bowling and batting against them, so it’s pretty special,” Rance said. “You have to pinch yourself and take time to enjoy the moment, but at the same you want to do well and push your case for higher honours.”The players involved in these first two days who are in the New Zealand Test squad – Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme – now head to Mount Maunganui for a two-day training camp. Their replacements, and those that remain such as Rance, now have two days with the red ball to try and make life difficult for England again.

Neither team has really dominated yet this season, and both need to iron out niggling issues before the competition truly heats up

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy14-Apr-20184:04

Agarkar: RCB need to consider McCullum’s spot

Big PictureThe IPL is a long tournament in terms of just how many matches there are, but it’s also a short one in terms of the length of time those matches are squeezed into. Form, personal and collective, can therefore begin to snowball before you even realise it, and minor areas of concern can turn into season-destroying weaknesses.Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals have each played two games, losing one and winning the other, and neither team has really clicked into gear yet. RCB’s middle order and sixth-bowling option remain worries, despite their having assembled a squad that should, in theory, contain solutions to both issues. Royals’ Indian bowling contingent looks less than frightening, and it remains to be seen if their batting order truly makes best use of their best players. Big-name players from both sides are yet to find their best form too.A sense of unsettledness, therefore, hovers over both teams, and where they finish on the league table could well depend on how quickly they banish it.In the newsJofra Archer, who missed much of the PSL with a side strain, is yet to feature for Royals. He only arrived in India on the eve of their second match, against Delhi Daredevils on Wednesday, but the three-day gap between the two games could possibly have given him enough time to gain full fitness. On the eve of the game, Archer was one of only two people along with Ben Stokes to both bat and bowl in the nets. If Archer does make Royals’ XI, he will most likely come in for the Australian seamer Ben Laughlin.Stokes, who has bowled only two overs in two games to begin the IPL, bowled for over 45 minutes, dispelling concerns over how his back is holding up.Big hitting South African batsman and wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, who is yet to play this season, also had a bat in the nets.The likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Sarfaraz Khan, 6 Mandeep Singh, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Kulwant Khejroliya, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 D’Arcy Short, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Rahul Tripathi, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 K Gowtham, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Dhawal Kulkarni, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Ben Laughlin/Jofra ArcherESPNcricinfo Ltd

Stats that matter In the three previous seasons of the IPL, Sanju Samson had a Smart Run Index of -3.71, which means he scored 3.71 runs less than the average batsman who came in to bat at a similar stage of the innings. He has made a much stronger start to this season, returning a Smart Run Index of 22.10 in his first two innings. Ajinkya Rahane loves batting in Bengaluru in the IPL. In five innings here, he has scored 245 runs at an average of 61.3 and a strike rate of 145.8. That tally includes his only T20 hundred, an unbeaten 60-ball 103 in 2012. Washington Sundar is one of eight bowlers with a Smart Economy Rate of less than 6 an over among those who have bowled 100 or more balls in the IPL since the start of the 2015 season. His traditional economy rate is 6.72 and his smart economy rate is 5.95. AB de Villiers has only managed to score 13 off 15 balls against Ben Stokes across two T20 meetings so far. Yuzvendra Chahal has taken 71 wickets for RCB, and needs two more to surpass Vinay Kumar and become their all-time leading wicket-taker.Strategy puntIn RCB’s last match against Kings XI Punjab, Virat Kohli did not bowl any of his spinners during the Powerplay overs. That could change against Royals’ openers. In all T20s, D’Arcy Short scores at 7.73 per over against spin and at 9.90 against pace. Ajinkya Rahane, meanwhile, scores at 6.92 against spin and 7.28 against pace, and has been out to Yuzvendra Chahal twice in three innings while scoring 17 off 18 balls against him.Fantasy pickD’Arcy Short has made a slightly freakish start to his IPL career, getting himself run out in his first two innings for Royals. He’ll be keen to make amends, and he has the game to do so most spectacularly, having come into this tournament after top scoring in BBL 2017-18 at a Smart Strike Rate of 164.36. If either Tim Southee or Colin de Grandhomme play for RCB, they’d better watch out too: Short hammered a combined 54 off 22 balls against the two of them during the recent T20I tri-series featuring Australia, New Zealand and England.

New Zealand wrapped up the series 4-0 against the visitors in Hamilton

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2018A disciplined bowling performance from New Zealand’s bowlers set up their seven-wicket win over West Indies with 3.4 overs to spare. The win helped New Zealand stay unbeaten and wrap up the series 4-0. Chasing 140, New Zealand lost openers Natalie Dodd and Sophie Devine, and Maddy Green inside the first three overs to slump to 27 for 3. Katey Martin and Amy Satterthwaite then put on an unbeaten 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket to take the hosts home. Martin finished with a 41-ball 54, while Satterthwaite finished a run-a-ball 43.West Indies had had a much better start after being put in to bat by New Zealand. Openers Hayley Matthews and captain StafanieTaylor put on 60 runs for the opening wicket in 7.2 overs before Leigh Kasperek struck to remove Matthews. Chedean Nation departed soon after when she was caught behind by Martin off Lea Tahuhu. Then, Taylor and Deandra Dottin added a 33-run stand before Taylor was removed by Devine. Dottin was the third-highest scorer for the team with a 31-ball 33, but even she couldn’t ensure an end-over acceleration.Thereafter, West Indies began their end-overs crawl as they managed only 35 runs in their last 33 balls despite losing only five wickets in all. Three of New Zealand’s bowlers finished with an economy rate of less than seven. Kasperek finished with 2 for 19 from her four overs, while Tahuhu claimed 2 for 27 in her quota. Devine picked up 1 for 23 from three overs.Seamer Shamilia Connell provided early hope for West Indies with three strikes, but that was the only high point for their bowlers as Martin and Satterthwaite took the game away from the visitors.

Mick Newell has urged the English game to resist the temptation to restructure the County Championship into conferences.

George Dobell26-Apr-2018Mick Newell has urged the English game to resist the temptation to restructure the County Championship into conferences.Newell, director of cricket at Nottinghamshire (and, for now at least, an England selector), has instead pleaded for the ECB to persist with promotion and relegation and suggested the reorganisation into conferences would only allow mediocre sides to “hide” in mid-table without the scrutiny that relegation can bring.His comments come just as the ECB announced a working party, chaired by Wasim Khan, charged with looking into the future structure of the domestic game. And while no conclusions have yet been reached, it is clear the popularity of the conference idea is growing among coaches at the first-class counties.They argue that it would lessen the urge to make short-term decisions – such as preferring Kolpak registrations over opportunities for young players – and reinvigorate the competition by providing all teams involved an opportunity to win the trophy at the start of the season.But Newell, at least, is not convinced. As a coach that twice led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship trophy (in 2005 and 2010) and also oversaw relegation (in 2006, 2016), he feels the meritocratic element of two divisions – and the drama the battle that promotion and relegation brings – is an integral part of the domestic structure.”I love two-divisional cricket,” Newell said. “We’ve been relegated and it hurts. I don’t know why it hurts so much as there’s no financial penalty, but it makes you look at what you do. People either lose their jobs, or they change jobs – as I did – and players have to look at themselves, too.”The popularity of the conference idea is definitely growing. But I’m not a fan. In a conference system, we can all just hide in the middle and be like, ‘oh, we were twelfth’. To me that’s not good enough.”Mick Newell takes fielding drills•Getty Images

Newell also revived the idea of playing a couple of rounds of Championship games overseas. With many counties spending their pre-season in the UAE, South Africa or the Caribbean, he believes there is an opportunity to play some games in March in conditions that might encourage spin or fast bowling. He accepted, however, that the idea had all but gone in terms of being implemented.”A few years ago there was talk of taking a couple of rounds overseas,” he said. “I think, for lots of reasons, that’s a bloomin’ good idea. If we’ve only got time and space for 14 rounds of Championship matches here, why don’t we play two abroad and go back to 16? That’s a method of getting more games in the space available. But that idea seems to have gone.”I’m all for playing abroad. I don’t know about this year, but generally 12 to 13 counties are going abroad in March anyway. Why don’t we play proper cricket instead of knockabouts against each-other?”We went to Barbados for six years in a row and one year there were six teams there. We’re all spending the money in one way or another already and there’s more money coming into the game. Let’s make sure we target some of that money in making sure four-day cricket so important.”But the idea has gone. We’re moving towards a conference system. I’ve made my thoughts known but I’m in a minority.”Newell also welcomed the ECB’s proposals for a new 100-ball competition in 2020. “It’s certainly grabbed people’s attention,” he said. “It’s an idea that will spark a lot of debate and I want people to talk about cricket.”My worry is that cricket isn’t relevant to people, isn’t interesting to people. We need to get more people interested in more types of cricket. So, from that perspective, I think it’s a good idea.”

The allrounder has changed domestic teams, leaving Auckland, following on from a change in address

ESPNcricinfo staff21-May-2018

Allrounder Colin de Grandhomme will turn out for Norther Districts in the 2018-19 New Zealand domestic season. His decision to leave Auckland, whom he has represented since 2007, follows on from a change of address. Moving house to Tauranga means playing for Northern Districts would be logistically easier.”I have a lot of respect for Auckland Cricket and want to thank the team and the staff for everything they’ve done for me over the years,” de Grandhomme said, according to a New Zealand Cricket press release. “It was a hard decision, but I’m looking forward to representing Northern Districts in a big season ahead.”De Grandhomme is just done with IPL 2018, where he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore. In nine games for RCB, he scored 131 runs at 26.20 and a strike rate of 155.95, and picked up two wickets.

5:01

Manjrekar: Afghanistan batting’s defensive technique needs most attention

Afghanistan brought out their best in the final session once again, but the game had swung so far out of their reach that the second day of their first Test proved to be the last one.Purely on numbers it was a colossal defeat, by an innings and 262 runs, and the flattening reality of being bowled out twice in a day – only India and Zimbabwe had suffered that before – will take a while to get over. At different points in the day, Afghanistan were done in by different bowlers. Ravindra Jadeja got the last piece of the pie, finishing the second innings with 4 for 17.Their first innings of 109 lasted a session, between lunch and tea, and their second innings of 103 did not last much longer. India needed only 66.3 overs to take 20 wickets and complete their first ever two-day Test win.The flailing effort was best signified by how Afghanistan lost their three most experienced batsmen in the first innings: in complete surrender.Mohammad Shahzad’s innings was a race to the finish the moment it began. His first boundary came off the outside edge, his second off the inside edge, and the odd ball that hit the middle was often one he was trying to leave. After all that and several attempts to tap and run, he chose to take on Hardik Pandya at point and was promptly run-out at the non-striker’s end in the fourth over. Asghar Stanikzai came in at No. 6 and lasted 14 deliveries before stabbing ambitiously at a loopy R Ashwin offbreak without getting his foot forward. He almost fell over as the ball knocked the top of middle stump.Mohammed Nabi, the top-scorer in the first innings, looked okay for his 24 at No. 7 before miscuing a slog and being the ninth man out. The only solid batting effort by a visiting player came from left-hander Hashmatullah Shahidi, who battled 88 balls for an unbeaten 36 in the second innings.Hashmatullah Shahidi showed great heart during his resistance lower down the order•BCCI

Scattered all around these efforts were batsmen rooted to the crease in anxiety against a vastly experienced bowling attack. Unlike their opposition’s debutant seamers, India’s fast bowlers sustained both a predominantly full length and near-140kph speeds in getting all three of their first-innings wickets either bowled or lbw. They stuck to the plan in the second innings as well. Umesh Yadav brought the flair, moving the new ball considerably in both innings, and Ishant Sharma looked content playing workhorse.It was Ashwin, however, who accelerated Afghanistan’s downfall and eventual folding-up before tea. At that point, given the extended final session ahead, perhaps only the probability of a follow-on was higher than that of Afghanistan being bowled out a second time.Earlier in the day, Pandya snuck in a breezy and mature innings. India didn’t have as subdued a session as they did at the end of day one, striking at more than four an over despite the four wickets they lost in stretching the overnight score of 347 to 474. Pandya was patient against Yamin Ahmadzai, who impressed with his lengths once again. He wasn’t rewarded with the new ball, however, with Rashid Khan bowling predominantly from the other end. Pandya saw through this phase before opening up.His go-to defence mechanism against pace bowling – walking across into the off side – which didn’t quite work out in South Africa was a lot more effective against the late-120 kph pace of Wafadar. And while Pandya did eventually cramp himself against the 18-year-old, it wasn’t before he had swatted the bowler into the leg side several times from various lengths, in control every time but one – and even on that occasion, deep square leg gifted him four overthrows. When the line wasn’t straight, Pandya also managed to pick up boundaries through the off side. He got out looking to accelerate but what the Indian dressing room would have particularly liked was the uncomplicated, organised manner in which he managed an innings with a 75-plus strike rate during his 94-ball 71.

Tom Moores, batting with a runner, struck 27 off one over from Simon Harmer as his do-or-die innings turned the match in Nottinghamshire’s favour

ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2018

ScorecardA hobbling Tom Moores, batting with a runner, launched a blitz of sixes in a whirlwind 87 that enabled Nottinghamshire to set a beleaguered Essex a near-impossible target of 441 in 131 overs. Notts had four Essex batsmen back in the pavilion by the close.Moores, the 21-year-old son of head coach Peter, took a particular shine to Essex spinner Simon Harmer, who he deposited all around Chelmsford in an over that went for 27. In all, Moores hit seven fours and seven sixes in an 80-ball knock, and was the only contributor to a last-wicket stand of 58 from 52 balls with Harry Gurney, who was not out nought from 13 balls.With a series of pulls, straight drives, many lofted, and unorthodox shots out of the one-day repertoire, Moores followed up his maiden century in the last Specsavers County Championship match, at Taunton. He recorded his second highest first-class score despite turning his right ankle during wicketkeeping drills before the start of the third day.Notts assistant head coach Paul Franks said: “We’re not sure at the moment how serious it is. But we could see that he was in a bit of discomfort and would not be able to run between the wickets. He is in a bit of pain but these things can settle down overnight. He’s had a fantastic season and really made his mark on the team. He’s had to follow in some big footsteps.”He has a good range of shots, and sometimes it looks like he doesn’t always use them. But his ball-striking was outstanding and he managed the situation really well. Sometimes when you have a runner, batting with tail-enders chaos can ensue. But he handled it well.”Essex had agreed at lunchtime that Moores could bat with a runner, and Jake Libby duly walked out alongside him at the fall of the seventh wicket on 143. His efforts almost doubled Notts’ score and put the game far beyond Essex’s reach. Moores did not appear behind the stumps later with Riki Wessels taking the gloves briefly before young 2nd XI player Tom Keast arrived from Trent Bridge.Essex’s chase got off to the worse possible start as their top-order folded again. Alastair Cook went lbw in the second over without scoring, playing back to a ball from Matt Milnes that kept low, and Varun Chopra’s middle stump was knocked out of the ground in Milnes’s next over. To compound that, stand-in captain Tom Westley was beaten by one from Luke Fletcher that nipped back and struck off-stump.It was Cook’s second duck in nine innings for the county this summer, Westley’s fifth single-figure score in 11, while Chopra has totalled just 92 from eight Championship outings.Dan Lawrence and Ravi Bopara set about trying to save the game in the early evening, and their patient partnership reached 55 in 20 overs when Lawrence was caught and bowled by Samit Patel.But the day belonged to Moores. At the start of his innings, he was struck firmly on the boot by Neil Wagner. It did not discomfort Moores in the least as he was soon pulling Harmer for four and sweep-swiping his first six from the following ball. He went down on one knee to cart Jamie Porter over midwicket for his second six.But it was the return of Harmer, who went for 78 from his 15 overs, that sparked the fireworks. The first ball was thumped over long-off for six to reach a 63-ball fifty. The next was driven for a one-bounce boundary, followed by a swept four. There were further sixes, one on to the press-box roof and another to long-leg, before the over was completed with a single into the deep.Moores’s sixth six brought up the fifty partnership for the last wicket, and he added a second in the only over of the match bowled by Ravi Bopara. Moores finally departed, edging Porter behind.The day had not started so promising for Notts when they lost nightwatchman Milnes without addition. Patel pushed forward to Coles and sent Adam Wheater tumbling to his right to take the catch low down. Ross Taylor, centurion in the first innings, lasted just seven balls second time around, bowled trying to cut.Libby perished on 51 as Wagner found some exaggerated movement off the pitch. Switching around the wicket, the New Zealand pace bowler slanted one in to remove leg-stump.Wagner added his second straight after lunch when he got one to climb and take the edge of Wessels’s bat. Billy Root had just reverse-swept Harmer for four to reach 29 when he popped the next ball into Cook’s hands at third slip. But the Tom Moores show was about to begin.