Ben Duckett Archives

Ben Duckett’s ton keeps England afloat in third India Test

RAJKOT: Opener Ben Duckett led England’s fightback with a brisk century and propelled the visitors to 207/2 in response to India’s 445 on Day 2 of the third Test of the five-match series here on Friday.

The left-handed opener amassed his third Test hundred in just 88 balls as England made 207-2 to cut their deficit by 238 runs after bowling out India for 445.

Duckett, unbeaten on 133 alongside Joe Root (nine) will now resume England’s strong reply on Day 3.

Ben Duckett came out all guns blazing and despite disciplined opening spells by the Indian pacers, smashed regular boundaries amid his 80-ball opening stand of 84 with Zak Crawley, who 15 off 28.

The solid opening stand was broken by Ravichandran Ashwin, who dismissed Crawley after Tea to complete 500 wickets in Test cricket, becoming only the second Indian to achieve the milestone after legendary spinner Anil Kumble (619).

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Duckett then partnered with Olly Stone for a 93-run stand and brought up his century in the process by hitting a boundary off Mohammed Siraj, who got out the latter to break the 93-run stand.

“To be that far behind in the game and go out and play like that showed real bravery and skill,” England quick Mark Wood said of Duckett’s knock.

“The way India changed the field and then he’d hit it somewhere else, it was such a skilful innings against a good attack.”

“I’m delighted, the way him and Zak go out together and put pressure on the opposition,” said Wood, who took four wickets in India’s innings.

Earlier in the day, India resumed their first innings at an overnight score of 326/5 with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav on strike.

The overnight pair of Jadeja and Kuldeep could add five runs to India’s tally before both perished in a span of six deliveries, bringing India down to 331/7.

However, important contributions from Dhruv Jurel (46), Ashwin (37) and Jasprit Bumrah (26) lifted them to a formidable total.

Express pacer Mark Wood remained the star with the ball for England, picking up four wickets, while Rehan Ahmed bagged two.

Tom Hartley, Joe Root and James Anderson struck out a batter apiece.

READ: Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the second-fastest to take 500 Test wickets

Duckett backs England’s approach as Australia hit back in 2nd Ashes Test

Ben Duckett insisted England had no regrets about their aggressive game-plan after the opener was one of several batters to fall into Australia’s short-ball trap on a dramatic day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

In reply to Australia’s first-innings total of 416, England had seized back the momentum as they raced to 188-1 during Thursday’s second day of the second Ashes Test.

But Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root all perished playing needlessly attacking hook shots in response to a barrage of Australia bouncers.

That reduced England to 222-4 before captain Ben Stokes restored order with a slightly more cautious approach alongside Harry Brook as the hosts reached 278-4 by the close of play.

Despite handing Australia a lifeline, Ben Duckett was adamant there would be no recriminations in the England dressing room.

“I don’t regret it at all. I would have been gutted with myself if I had gone into my shell and gloved one to the keeper,” Duckett said after he was caught in the deep for 98 by David Warner.

“Ten metres either side of him I would have got a hundred. I’m not happy I got out but I’d rather get out like that.

“There wasn’t really any discussion. No one in that dressing room will be disappointed with how Pope got out. They will be gutted it didn’t go for six.

“Pope said ‘I’m going to smack it into the stands’ and I said ‘do it’. He was so unlucky to get a toe end on it.

“It’s the way we play our cricket. If we went into our shells and got bombed out it would be totally against the way we play.”

Duckett’s refusal to change his go-for-broke style cost him dearly as he was caught on the boundary two runs short of his hundred.

However, he defiantly claimed England’s ‘Bazball’ philosophy could eventually leave Australia, already 1-0 up in the five-match Ashes series, fatigued.

“We fought back so well. The way we batted was amazing. We were going at five or six an over even though we lost a couple of wickets,” Duckett said.

“We are in a good position. If they keep bowling bumpers with all four bowlers they are going to be quite tired, especially with back-to-back Tests.”

Earlier, Australia batsman Steve Smith scored 110 with a far more traditional approach.

Smith said Australia’s decision to switch to a short-ball policy was influenced by England’s aggressive inclinations and the change in weather conditions on Thursday.

After overcast skies that blanketed Lord’s for much of Wednesday, 24 hours later there was sunshine and easier batting conditions as a result.

“The pitch looked flat. But we had some nice tactics with some short stuff. It felt like we were in the game there,” Smith said.

“We were setting the fields and they were taking it on. We were creating chances. The way England are playing this really aggressive brand, it was creating opportunities.”

Asked if he agreed with England’s approach, Smith smiled as he said: “It was interesting. If you get under a few you might stop doing it. They stopped a bit when Ben Stokes came in and ducked a few.

“He was the only one looking to ride them, the rest were looking to take it on.

“If you are going to hit it for six, you are going to have to get a good piece of it and we had fielders there to catch it.”

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Duckett strengthens England’s grip after Broad strikes against Ireland

LONDON: Ben Duckett’s dashing unbeaten fifty after Stuart Broad’s five-for took England to within sight of a first-innings lead over Ireland on the opening day of their Ashes warm-up Test at Lord’s on Thursday.

England were 152-1 in reply to Ireland’s 172 all out at stumps in a Test being played over four days rather than the standard five.

Left-hander Duckett, in his first Test innings in England, was 60 not out.

Together with Zak Crawley (56), he shared an opening stand of 109 at a sun-drenched Lord’s

Crawley’s fifty included 10 fours as England lived up to their aggressive ‘Bazball’ style with the bat.

Earlier, England veteran Stuart Broad took his first five-wicket haul in a Test at Lord’s for 10 years.

Broad reduced Ireland to 19-3, the seamer inflicting ducks on both Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector.

Stuart Broad finished with 5-51 from 17 overs and left-arm spinner Jack Leach took 3-35 although debutant fast bowler Josh Tongue went wicketless.

“I was happy with how we bowled as a group,” Broad told the BBC.

“Conditions were fantastic first thing this morning and that’s what you want at Lord’s because you have to make the new ball count,” added Broad, who has now taken 581 Test wickets.

Ireland, in just their seventh Test and still searching for a first win at this level, were indebted to Paul Stirling for launching a recovery with a quickfire 30. Obdurate opener James McCollum top-scored with 36.

They struggled, however, to contain England, with fast bowler Josh Little, a star of the T20 Indian Premier League, rested ahead of their upcoming 50-over World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.

But debutant Fionn Hand did cling on to a caught and bowled chance at the second attempt to dismiss Crawley.

“If you look at some of our dismissals, a couple of soft dismissals, and obviously the way we bowled at the back end there we didn’t necessarily cover ourselves in glory,” said Ireland coach Heinrich Malan.

England captain Ben Stokes, bidding for an 11th win in 13 Tests since being appointed skipper last year, opted to bowl first after winning the toss.

The overcast conditions promised to aid a three-man pace attack missing England great James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, both rested ahead of this month’s first Test against Australia at Edgbaston.

Test novices Ireland were 15-0 when Broad had Peter Moor, fresh from a hundred in a warm-up match against Essex, plumb lbw for 10.

Balbirnie then fell for a five-ball duck when he edged Broad low to Crawley at second slip.

Two balls later Ireland were 19-3 when Tector clipped Broad straight to Matthew Potts at leg slip.

The next delivery saw Stirling given out lbw.

But the Ireland veteran avoided a duck on review.

Stirling counter-attacked before an innings featuring 20 runs in boundaries ended when he top-edged a sweep off Leach to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow.

McCollum’s contrasting 108 ball-knock finished after lunch when he edged Broad to Joe Root at first slip.

Broad had his 20th five-wicket haul in 162 Tests when he bowled Mark Adair with an inswinger. It was also the first time he had achieved the feat at Lord’s since his 7-44 against New Zealand in 2013.

Campher’s 79-ball stay then ended when he charged at Leach.

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Attack-minded England take control of first Test in New Zealand

MOUNT MAUNGANUI: High-octane batting and a precocious day-one declaration put England in control of the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on Thursday.

The Black Caps limped to 37-3 at stumps in the day-night Test at the Bay Oval, having been thrust on to the back foot by England’s swashbuckling 325-9 declared.

The tourists raced to their total in just 58.2 overs — boosted by blistering half-centuries to Ben Duckett and Harry Brook — as England opened the two-Test series with the sort of attacking approach, dubbed “Bazball”, that has carried them to nine wins from their past 10 Tests under coach Brendon McCullum.

England captain Ben Stokes instructed his lower-order batsmen to throw the bat before calling them in, leaving 18 overs to bowl at the Black Caps under lights with a new pink ball.

The ploy worked as Tom Latham, Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls departed before reaching double figures.

Evergreen seamer James Anderson took 2-11, including the key wicket of Williamson following an lbw review.

Opener Devon Conway will resume on 18 and nightwatchmen Neil Wagner on four, with a deficit of 288 runs staring at them on Friday.

It was a grim response to an England innings that featured 48 fours and one towering six from Brook off the bowling of New Zealand captain Tim Southee, who was lashed for 2-71 from 13 overs.

New Zealand’s depleted attack fought back midway through the second session when Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Stokes fell in quick succession, allowing debut pace bowlers Blair Tickner (1-72) and Scott Kuggeleijn (2-80) to claim their maiden Test wickets.

However, momentum was snatched back by the in-form Brook, who accelerated to 89 off 81 balls, supported by 38 from Ben Foakes.

Playing just his fifth Test, the 23-year-old Yorkshireman Brook was poised to become only the second England batsman after Ken Barrington in the 1960s to hit centuries in four consecutive Tests.

However, he played on to Wagner (4-82), the veteran seamer benefiting from England’s wild approach to the end of their innings.

Like Brook, Duckett was a revelation during the 3-0 series win in Pakistan in December and he maintained his hot streak with a rapid-fire 84 off 68 balls.

The hard-hitting opener had a chance of scoring England’s fastest Test century — surpassing Gilbert Jessop’s 76-ball knock against Australia in 1902 — before he fell to Tickner late in the first session.

Southee, leading his country at home for the first time, asked England to bat with the hope of exploiting the pink ball’s swing on a green-tinged pitch that had been covered for days because of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The hosts’ best spell came when Pope departed for 42 and Root for 14 in the space of four balls, followed soon afterwards by Stokes.

Most of the wickets fell to aggressive shotmaking, including Root’s, whose attempt at a reverse lap off Wagner was steered straight into the slip cordon.

Preparations for both sides had been disrupted by the storms that hit New Zealand and triggered a national state of emergency on Tuesday, but Mount Maunganui avoided significant damage and play started on time.

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