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England v Australia First ODI

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(Match report by Rash Mahmood

The picturesque Littleborough CC near Rochdale was the venue for the first match in the highly anticipated ‘Grey Ashes’ series between England and Australia. This being the first match of a five-match series, the ‘Grey Ashes’ would not be won or lost after this first game, but both sides would be keen to set their stall out to go 1-0 up in the series. 

Australia, on their last visit to England, lost the ‘Grey Ashes’ 3-2 but gained revenge and regained the urn in December last year, as they beat England 3-2 in a wonderfully entertaining and hard-fought series. 

On a beautiful sunny morning, both teams arrived full of confidence. England had started the summer in very convincing fashion, with victories over Scotland and Wales, and then a series sweep over the West Indies, winning that series 3-0. 

Australia had also been in good form, playing three matches in three days to start their tour, with easy victories against a Midlands XI and a Northern XI, before just getting home last Friday at Cheadle Hulme CC against a very tenacious and committed England Lions side. 

The pitch at Littleborough was a superb one, a batter’s dream, evenly coloured and wonderfully prepared; there was very little evidence from the visual inspection that the bowlers would derive any lateral movement, and the overhead conditions meant that movement in the air would be minimal. It was anticipated that the pitch, which had been played on twice during the previous weekend, would be even-paced, with consistent bounce, but would heavily favour the batters. 

Australia made three changes to the side that played at Cheadle Hulme on Friday, with Stuart Ridge, Geoff Patterson and Alan Muggleton making way, but a late injury to Glenn Pearce during the warmup necessitated a further change, so the players coming in were Terry Beks, Stephen Butler, Paul Matthews and John Adamson. 

England also had to make a late change to their published lineup, with Nick Newman suffering a knee injury, and he was replaced by Kevin Watson.

EnglandAustralia
Edward Gordon Lennox (C)Peter Judd (C)
Steve Aston (WK)Claude Orlando (WK)
Razi AhmedJohn Adamson
Phil DeakinTerry Beks
Nick GaywoodBill Blair
Mel HussainStephen Butler
Mike PalmerPaul Matthews
Paul RadageDoug Murphy
Graham ShawPeter O’Reilly
Steve SmallTony Panecasio
Kevin WatsonGraeme Pavey
Mark WilsonDarren Smith
Paul Bradley (Manager)Keith Bridgen (Manager)
David Lees (Umpire)Noel Ford (Umpire)
Allen Murray (Scorer)Roger Bryce (Scorer)

Australian skipper Peter Judd won the toss and elected to bat, and it was Doug Murphy and Peter O’Reilly, who as they did last Friday, opened the batting for Australia, the pair no doubt hoping not to repeat the calamitous run out after a mix-up between them against the Lions. 

Mark Wilson and Mike Palmer opened the bowling for England, and right from the start, you could see that the Australian batters were far happier batting on this pitch than the one at Cheadle Hulme last Friday. The early exchanges saw the Australian opening pair, playing confidently off the front foot, striking the ball well, and an indication of how well the pitch was playing was evident in the fourthover of the game, as Murphy had all the time in the world to set himself and pull a Palmer delivery to backward square leg for the first boundary off the bat. Five overs in, Australia had reached 20-0. 

The first bowling change of the innings took place in the 14th over, with Razi Ahmed replacing Palmer from the far end, but his first over was not the best, Murphy advancing down the pitch to hit a lofted drive back over his head for four runs, which brought up the Australia 50. Two more boundaries in the over followed. 

O’Reilly was slightly fortunate in the next over from Wilson, hitting the ball in the air, and just evading the outstretched hand of Edward Gordon Lennox at mid-wicket, and at the drinks break after 15 overs, Australia had reached 64-0. 

Following the drinks break, Ahmed continued from the far end and bowled a much better over, and Phil Deakin, playing at his home ground replaced Wilson at the scoreboard end and after bowling a maiden over to start with, got the breakthrough for England in his next over, clean bowling O’Reilly for 21, as he advanced down the pitch. Australia losing their first wicket with the score on 73. O’Reilly dismissal

Darren Smith, after his fine innings last Friday, made his way out to the middle to join Murphy, and Murphy reached a very fine 50 from the next Ahmed over, advancing down the pitch to club him over extra cover for four.

Deakin, England’s leading wicket-taker during the summer so far, struck again in his next over, this time removing Smith, who was trying to guide the ball towards the gully region, only to get a thick inside edge, which saw the ball crash into his leg stump. Smith out for two, Australia 81-2. Smith dismissal 

Stephen Butler was the next batter in for Australia, looking to continue his fine run of form on the tour so far, and right from the off, he showed his intent, with some excellent running between the wickets. Mel Hussain replaced Ahmed at the far end, and Australia reached their 100 at the end of the 25th over. 

Murphy, having reached his half century, looked to press on, hitting Hussain for three consecutive boundaries in the 28th over, but he was the next Australian batter to fall, and it was that man Deakin who struck again for England, getting Murphy to reach for a delivery outside the off stump. All the England players went up as the England keeper Steve Aston gathered the ball; however, Noel Ford, the Australian umpire, shook his head, but Murphy had already started walking, showing great sportsmanship. Murphy out for 74 off 67 deliveries, Australia 123-3 after 28.4 overs. Murphy dismissal 

Graeme Pavey was the next man in to join Butler, and Australia had out in the middle, two of the fastest runners between the wicket in Seniors cricket, and the pair demonstrated this fantastically well, guiding Australia past the 150-run mark in the 33rd over and scoring 38 runs from the five overs they were together.  But they didn’t stop there, mixing the excellent running with some fine shots for boundaries, and the 50-run partnership between the pair was reached in the 36th over, as was Butler’s half century. 

England were starting to look a bit weary in the field, and with the sun still continuing to beat down, and with the Australian batters looking well set, England desperately needed a breakthrough. The score had progressed to 196-3 when Pavey slapped a Watson delivery down the ground towards long-on and set off running. Paul Radage moved quickly to the ball and, with a slight hesitation between the batters as they thought about a second run, threw the ball to the bowler’s end, where Watson gathered cleanly and removed the bails, with Butler well out of his ground. A much-needed wicket for England, but a fine innings from Butler came to an end, as he was out for 56 off just 61 deliveries. Bill Blair, the Australian vice-captain, joined Pavey, who brought up the Australia 200 with the final ball of Watson’s over with a boundary.  

The score had moved onto 205-4 in the 41st over, when England struck again. Pavey cut powerfully off Watson towards point, where Nick Gaywood was fielding, the ball arcing away from him as he took a couple of steps to his left and, with a full-length dive, took a spectacular catch. Pavey out for 35 off 31 deliveries, Australia now 205-5. Pavey dismissal 

Terry Beks was the new batsman in for Australia and got off the mark with a single off his first ball, but three balls later, he was making his way back to the pavilion. If the catch by Gaywood was right out of the top drawer, then Watson’s dismissal of Beks was even better. Beks hit Watson straight back down the pitch, the ball travelling really quickly, no more than a couple of inches off the ground, but Watson somehow managed to dive forward in his follow-through to take a simply stunning catch. Beks out for 1, Australia now 211-6 after 40.5 overs. Beks dismissal 

England fighting back, and fighting back well, Australia having lost three wickets for 15 runs, but England knew that Australia normally finish the innings strongly, as they did last Friday against the Lions, plundering 46 off the final five overs, so there was still work to be done to try and restrict the Australian scoring. 

Claude Orlando joined Blair at the crease, which was the cue for Blair to go onto the attack, and attack he did, scoring 13 runs off Watson in the 43rd over, before England managed to get another Australian wicket.  This time, in the penultimate over, Orlando hit a Graham Shaw delivery straight to Gordon Lennox at mid-wicket and set off running. Gordon Lennox gathered the ball cleanly and threw to Aston behind the stumps, who removed the bails, Blair a few yards out of his ground. Blair out for a swashbuckling 30 off 15 deliveries, which included an enormous six which went out of the ground, Australia 242-7. 

Adamson came in for Australia, and he and Orlando completed the Australia innings, getting them to 250-7 from their 45 overs, Orlando 11 not out and Adamson unbeaten on five.

So, at the halfway point, both teams would have been relatively pleased, Australia posting 250, which was probably a par score for the pitch, and England taking those three quick wickets as Australia neared 200, just checking their progress slightly, to chase a score that was well within their reach.  

England opened their innings with the left/right-hand combination of Steve Small and Paul Radage, and it was Blair and Beks opening the bowling for Australia.  

The England innings started much the same way as the Australian one did, with both batters looking comfortable, although the Australian ground fielding was restricting the run rate. However, the England openers made steady progress, with Small in particular looking in fine touch, scoring three boundaries off nine balls between the eighth and ninth over. 10 overs in, England had reached a largely untroubled 39-0.  

Judd, the Australian skipper, made a double bowling change, with Smith replacing Blair and Paul Matthews replacing Beks. England brought their 50 up in Matthews’ first over with a boundary from Radage, who then cleared the boundary with an impressive six off the final ball of the over, 15 runs coming from it, and Radage again went after Matthews in his next over, scoring 11 runs from it. At the first drinks break at 15 overs, England were going along very nicely indeed, sitting at 73-0. 

After drinks, England continued in the same form, with Radage striking back-to-back boundaries off Smith in the 19th over to bring up both his half century and the England 100. It was the Australian skipper Judd, who made the first breakthrough for Australia, with the firstdelivery of the 20th over, with England 106-0, Small coming down the pitch attempting to play an expansive shot through mid-wicket, only to get a top edge that Orlando, the Australian keeper, claimed, running towards square-leg. Small out for 44 after 19.1 overs, but England still firmly in the driving seat. Small dismissal

It could have been even worse for England as Radage was dropped later in the over. Mel Hussain came in for England and got off the mark in trademark fashion, flicking Judd off his hips for a couple of runs.  

However, what took place in the next 20 minutes or so was baffling to say the least. Judd, knowing that Australia had to take wickets, turned to the man he almost invariably calls upon in these situations, Tony Panecasio, and with just six runs being added since the dismissal of Small, Radage was clean bowled by Panecasio with his first delivery. Radage out for 56, England 112-2 after 20.1 overs. Radage dismissal 

The England keeper, Aston, was the next man in for England, and calm heads were required just to get England back on track after those two quick wickets, but Australia were buoyed, and Aston was the next England man out a couple of overs later, when he holed out to Murphy on the deep square-leg boundary off the bowling of Panecasio. Aston out without troubling the scorers, England now 120-3.

So, just as when Australia batted and lost three quick wickets to somewhat check their scoring, England had suffered the same fate, but this was nothing to what was about to befall them. Gordon Lennox joined Hussain, knowing that England, despite losing those quick wickets, were still in a good position, and with the pitch still offering no assistance whatsoever to the bowlers, sensible batting would surely get England to their target of 251, on a big ground where runs were available with judicious running and intelligent shot selection. 

However, the England batter’s nerves were well and truly frayed, and just a couple of runs had been added to the total, when Hussain was run out for 11, after an almighty mix-up with Gordon Lennox. Gordon Lennox chopped the ball into the offside straight to Judd, and Gordon Lennox set off running. Gordon Lennox then stopped and returned to his crease as Hussain reached his end. Judd threw to Orlando, who calmly threw to Panecasio, who removed the bails at the bowler’s end. A calamitous dismissal for England, who were now reeling at 122-4 after 24.3 overs. Hussain dismissal 

Gaywood, dropping down the order as he had done in Australia to great effect, was the next batter in, but after striking Judd for two boundaries in his over, somehow managed to chip the final ball of the over straight back to Judd, who took a very simple return catch. Gaywood out for eight, England 130-5 after 26 overs. Gaywood dismissal

Shaw, so often a match winner for England, was the next batter in, hoping to steady what was becoming a leaky, creaky England ship. The large crowd that were present, who less than 30 minutes ago were all smiles, were now looking on in utter disbelief, and the situation went from calamitous to downright farce as just three balls later Gordon Lennox played what in the circumstances was a very ill advised shot, attempting to hit Panecasio straight down the ground, only to hole out to Blair stationed at the long-on boundary, Blair taking the catch that went straight to him. The England skipper out for 2, England 130-6 after 26.4 overs. Gordon Lennox dismissal 

Deakin, walking out to great applause from his local supporters, joined Shaw in the middle, but the Australians were in no mood to let up, and the fielding, which had been very good prior to England losing those six wickets, became even tighter.  

England, from being in a position of total control, had lost six wickets for 24 runs in 7.3 overs and knew they would have an uphill battle from here on in to register the victory. 

Deakin struggled to get the ball away, and although Shaw played some fine shots and hit some lusty blows, the run rate was climbing ever higher. England passed the 150 mark in the 34th over. The boundaries were few and far between, and to be perfectly honest, the match as a contest was over. Smith bowled the 40th over, and Deakin smashed the ball towards wide mid-off, only to look on in absolute astonishment as the Australian skipper Judd dived full length to his left to somehow catch the ball as it appeared to be behind him. England took two fantastic catches during the Australian innings, but this one by Judd was right up there in terms of quality and athleticism. Deakin out for a laboured 15 off 46 deliveries, England reduced to 179-7. Deakin dismissal 

Ahmed was the next batter in for England, knowing he really had to get on with things, and he hit the first ball he faced from Smith, straight to Stephen Butler at long-on, who took a very well-judged catch diving forward. Ahmed out for nought, England 179-8. Ahmed dismissal 

Palmer joined Shaw, and the pair took England past the 200 run mark in the penultimate over, before Shaw was clean bowled by the returning Blair in the final over, Shaw making 45 off 45 deliveries. Shaw dismissal

Watson took a single from his first delivery faced, and Palmer played out the final two deliveries of the innings to leave England after their 45 overs on 206-9, Palmer 10 not out and Watson one not out. 

In the end, the margin of victory for Australia was 44 runs, and congratulations to Judd and his team as they go 1-0 up in the series. 

Tony Panecasio was adjudged to be the Australian player of the match with bowling figures of 9-3-11-3. 

Phil Deakin was recognised by the Australian team as England’s player of the match for his bowling performance of 9-3-21-3. 

On behalf of both teams, our thanks go to all at Littleborough CC for all their efforts.  

View from the sidelines

Watching England over the past 18 months or so has mostly been a real joy, with some terrific performances; however, the batting frailties that plagued them throughout the ‘Grey Ashes’ series down under last winter came back to haunt them once again.  

England did well to restrict Australia to 250 runs, taking three quick wickets at a crucial time, but allowed 40-plus runs from the final five overs. Deakin was the standout bowler for England with his three wickets, backed up with good fielding and two superb catches from Gaywood and Watson, and at the innings interval, the England team must have harboured high hopes of reaching their target of 251.

On a wonderful batting track and with the talented batting lineup England had put out, sensible batting would get them over the line. The pitch seemingly held no terrors, so any thoughts about movement in the air or off the seam would have been to the back of the batsmen’s minds. 

A century stand between Small and Radage had England well on top, but as mentioned earlier in this report, England found a way once again to simply implode, handing the initiative and ultimately the game to Australia. Much was made of England losing wickets in clumps on that Australia tour, but the wickets lost during this game owed little to any skill or guile Australia showed, more to the mental frailty that seems to go through the side when put under pressure.  

England were still well in the game and ahead even allowing for the loss of Small, but instead of recognising that there were singles and twos to be had by playing sensible cricket shots on a big pitch with long boundaries, batter after batter simply failed to recognise the need for calmness, playing expansive shots when there was no real need to. Add a completely unnecessary run out, and England went from heavy favourites to win, and win comfortably, to underdogs in the space of just over seven overs. 

Cricket, whilst played on the pitch, is as much a game played between the ears, and England seemed to ‘fog up’ during that disastrous seven-over spell that saw them lose six wickets.  

England have much to ponder before the second ODI takes place next Monday at Fairburn CC, but they should at least take heart that they have demonstrated that they can get in and amongst the Australian batting line-up and cause them problems. The fielding needs to remain at a high level, which was demonstrated for most of the game, and with a bit more care, thought and attention in the batting department, I’m sure England will be able to level up the series. 

England Lions v Australia

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Match report by Rash Mahmood

On a slightly damp and blustery morning, the England Lions met Australia at Cheadle Hulme Cricket Club in the first of three meetings between the teams on this Australian tour of the UK. The Australians were playing their third match in three days, having beaten a Midlands XI at Hammerwich CC on Wednesday by 141 runs, and a Northern XI by 128 runs the day before, on both occasions posting scores of 250 plus. 

With overnight rain in the Manchester area, the pitch had some damp patches, particularly at the Pavilion End of the pitch, and as a result, a pitch inspection was carried out, and the start time was pushed back by 30 minutes to 11:30am. 

England made two late changes to the lineup that was published a couple of days prior, with Steve Hunt and Jim Phillips unavailable, meaning Paul Radage and Phil Deakin were brought into the side as their replacements. 

For Australia, well, they made four changes to the side that played against the Northern XI. Out went Terry Beks, Stephen Butler, Paul Matthews and Alan Muggleton. In their place, a formidable four replaced them in: Doug Murphy, Bill Blair, Graeme Pavey and John Adamson.

EnglandAustralia
Jason Caunt (C)Peter Judd (C)
Simon Routh (WK)John Adamson (WK)
Temoor AlamBill Blair
Martyn FordDoug Murphy
David ChristmasPeter O’Reilly
Phil DeakinClaude Orlando
Mel DobsonTony Panecasio
Montie DouglasGeoff Patterson
Mark EamesGraeme Pavey
Paul RadageGlen Pearce
Lee SelfeStuart Ridge
Kevin WatsonDarren Smith

Australia lost the toss, and on a green wicket, with damp patches evident, the Lions skipper Jason Caunt had no hesitation putting Australia in to bat. With a blustery wind, cloud cover and temperatures expected to rise to the late teens/early twenties, there was the possibility of both movement in the air and off the seam for the England bowlers, who would look to make inroads into the powerful Australian batting line-up, early and often. 

Murphy and Peter O’Reilly opened the batting for Australia, and it was Kevin Watson and Deakin opening up for England from the Pavilion and the Far ends respectively. 

The pitch was certainly conducive to the England opening bowlers and the Australian batters were finding it difficult to get the ball away, in the face of excellent bowling and tenacious and spirited England fielding, and it was that fielding effort that got England their first wicket, but it was also down to a complete breakdown in communication between the Australian batters.  

Murphy tucked a delivery from Deakin into the leg side, and set off running, but the chase from David Christmas, and throw to the wicket keeper was good. O’Reilly had run to the danger end and made his ground and stood and watched as Simon Routh gathered the ball. However, Murphy, having got to the non-striker’s end, had already set off for a second run and was halfway down the pitch when Routh gathered the ball, before turning back to try and make his ground at the bowler’s end. Routh, seeing this, calmly lobbed the ball to Deakin, who removed the bails at the bowler’s end, with Murphy well out of his ground. Australia 5-1, Murphy run out for two. Murphy dismissal 

Darren Smith made his way to the crease and, together with O’Reilly, batted well in the face of good bowling and on a pitch that was certainly difficult to bat on. Smith played some nice shots through the offside, and Australia passed the 50-run mark in the 16th over following another Smith boundary, and the 50 partnership followed a few balls later, but having reached this milestone, Australia lost another wicket, as Deakin trapped O’Reilly LBW for 18. Australia 55-2 after 17.4 overs.

Pavey was the next batter in, but England were playing well, limiting the Australian batters to singles, and by the time 25 overs had passed, Australia had reached 75-2, and their struggles were further compounded when Smith had to retire on 39, having suffered a knee injury. This brought the hard-hitting Glen Pearce to the crease to join Pavey. 

Pavey, who had been pretty quiet by his usual standards, scored a couple of boundaries to break the stranglehold England had, but just as he looked to press on, he was the next wicket to fall, having played and missed a couple of times off the bowling of Caunt, he wasn’t so lucky off the same bowler with the first delivery of the 29th over, getting a thin edge to a delivery that just looked like it moved a touch away from him, giving Routh the catch behind. Pavey out for 19, Australia now 89-3. Pavey dismissal 

The Australian vice-captain, Blair was the next batter in. A boundary by Pearce brought the Australia 100 up in the 31st over, and with himself and Blair at the crease, both good strikers of the ball, Australia would be hoping to post a defendable total. 

The score had moved on to 115-3 in the 34th over, when Pearce was clean bowled by Mel Dobson for 16, as he tried to play an expansive shot into the leg side. Pearce dismissal

England, with just over 10 overs to go, were firmly in the ascendency, and knew if they could manage to get a couple more wickets, they had a good chance of limiting the Australians to a score of less than 200. With Australia needing to score runs to post a defendable total, back came Smith, having seemingly recovered from his knee injury. 

England, having been on the attack for most of the innings, now adopted a slightly more defensive stance, content to give up singles and trying to prevent boundaries. This slight change allowed Blair and Smith to rotate the strike, and suddenly Australia started to gain momentum.  

Smith and Blair were scoring nicely, going at six to eight runs per over, and Smith reached a very well-made 50 in the 39th over, and having reached this milestone, brought up the Australia 150 with a boundary off the final ball of the over. 

The 50-run partnership between Smith and Blair was reached in the 41st over, and with two experienced and well-set Australian batters in the middle, and with wickets in hand, Australia looked to accelerate and accelerate they did. Blair reached a fine half century in the 44th over, going at a rate of a run a ball, and the final over saw nine runs scored, to leave Australia at the end of their allotted 45 overs on 204-5. Smith was 75 not out off 102 balls with eight fours, and Blair 58 not out off 55 balls with three fours and two sixes. 

Australia had managed to score 46 runs in the final five overs, and great credit must go to Smith and Blair, who used all their know how and experience to get Australia to what with 15 overs to go, looked a highly improbable total of over 200, but good disciplined batting by the pair, at least gave Australia a total to defend, and on a pitch that was not certain to flatten out and become batter friendly, Australia would look to restrict England when it was their turn to bat. 

England opened their innings with Martyn Ford and Mark Eames, a right/left-hand combination, and Blair and Stuart Ridge opened the bowling for Australia. Blair in particular was bowling with good pace, but the England openers made a fast start, with Ford hitting Blair for two boundaries in his second over, and England had reached 21-0 in the fourthover. England looking good and scoring above the 4.55 runs per over required at the start of the innings.

However, with the final delivery of the fourth over, Eames went back in his crease attempting to cut a delivery that was just a bit too close to him, getting a thick inside edge that cannoned into his stumps. Eames out for five. Eames dismissal 

Radage was the next batter in, but Australia, having struck early, went onto the attack. 32 consecutive dot balls followed, with Blair and Ridge bowling with exceptional accuracy, backed up with superb ground fielding to simply throttle the life out of the England batters. Radage took 15 deliveries to get off the mark. So, after a quick start, England had been pegged back and had reached 25-1 after 10 overs.  

Radage, having scored his first runs, wasn’t able to build on that as he was clean bowled by Blair, playing back in his crease to a delivery that was by far the quickest of the day, beaten for pace, and the ball smashed into his stumps. Radage out for four, England 28-2 after 10.3 overs. Radage dismissal 

The dismissal of Radage brought Montie Douglas to the crease. England had progressed to 40-2 when Tony Panecasio replaced Blair at the Pavilion End, and he struck in his first over, clean bowling Ford, with a delivery that pitched, gripped and turned, clipping the off bail. Ford out for 18, England 40-3 after 12.4 overs. Ford dismissal

Temoor Alam came out to the crease and Geoff Patterson replaced Ridge at the Far End, and like his teammate Panecasio, struck in his first over, as Montie Douglas looked to play on the leg side, getting quite a fair amount of bat on the ball, but the ball went straight back to Patterson who took a simple catch. Douglas out for six, England 41-4 after 13.3 overs. Douglas dismissal 

Routh was the next batter in and, together with Alam, managed to get to the 15-over mark when drinks were taken, having reached 45/4.

The England 50 was reached in the first over after drinks courtesy of a boundary from Alam, and at the halfway point of the match, England had reached 77-4, Alam and Routh steadying the ship for England, batting sensibly. 

The 50-run partnership between Alam and Routh was reached in the 26th over, and Routh brought up the England 100 in the middle of the 29th over. Alam reached a very fine half century in the next over, and slowly but surely, England were making good progress. The pitch was still a difficult one to bat on, but the England pair, whilst not scoring heavily, were not taking too many risks in accumulating their runs. 

The 100-run partnership between Alam and Routh was reached in the 36th over, and England brought up their 150 in the very next over. So, with eight overs remaining, England needed 55 more runs to win, and we were all set up for a very tense and thrilling finale. 

With five overs remaining in the contest, England had reached 165-4, but the result was still very much in the balance. England were still going along at four/five runs per over, but as the overs ticked by, they were scoring in singles, with the boundaries eluding them.  

As the tension mounted, England managed to score 16 runs in the space of two overs, with Routh reaching his half century, and with one over to go, England had reached 190-4, needing 15 runs off the last over to win. Panecasio was given the responsibility by the Australian skipper Peter Judd, to bowl the final over from the Pavilion End and Panecasio showed why he is one of the best bowlers in Seniors cricket, as  England could only score four runs off the first three deliveries of his over, but in and amongst this, Alam and Routh had reached their 150 run partnership. Routh, knowing only boundaries would get England home, came down the pitch to the fourth delivery and was stumped by John Adamson. Routh finally out for a superb 55 off 98 deliveries, with seven fours, England 194-5, with the partnership between Alam and Routh being 153 runs. 

The England skipper, Caunt, made his way out to the middle, knowing only sixes would get England home, but he was only able to take a single from the first delivery he faced, and Alam played the final ball back to Panecasio. England finished their innings on 195-5, with Caunt one not out and Alam 90 not out off 93 deliveries with nine fours and two sixes.  

Australia managed to hold their nerve to register the victory by nine runs, in what had been a superb and enthralling game. As both sides shook hands at the end of the game, they were greeted with loud applause by the sizeable crowd, and quite rightly too, as the two sides had played out a wonderfully entertaining game. 

View from the sidelines

Australia had so far been untroubled during their tour, registering easy victories in their two games, but they knew that today’s game would be their toughest test so far. England started very well, with the ground fielding being of the highest order. Caunt, the England Lions skipper, was astute with his field placings, and with Australia reaching 94-3 after 30 overs, the England team must surely have thought that they would be able to restrict the score below 200.

However, Australia showed how tough and resilient they are, with Smith and Blair batting superbly well, on a pitch that was lively to get Australia past the 200-run mark. England bowled and fielded very well for the first 30 overs, and if there is one observation of the England Lions in their time in the field, it was that they possibly went slightly defensive from that point, content to give up singles to the Australian batters, which allowed them to build momentum and more importantly confidence.  

Good batters will always be difficult to get out once set, and England, having been ahead at the two-thirds point of the Australia innings, were second best for the remainder. However, the England players were determined and committed in their fielding and granted a bit of luck could easily have got another couple of wickets, as Australia looked to press on. Overall, to restrict the powerful Australian batting lineup to 204 runs was a fantastic effort.

In their run chase, England started very well, but that fast start was negated by the loss of wickets, a couple self-inflicted, and at 41-4, England were in a real hole. Alam and Routh batted superbly, with Routh proving to be a superb foil to Alam, who again looked to be a very good player. Ultimately, England fell agonisingly short of registering what would have been a famous victory, but they can take a lot of positives from their performance. In Alam, England have a very astute, tactically versatile player, who will be hoping that his Lions performances will get recognition somewhere down the line in the upcoming ‘Grey Ashes’ series. Routh once again showed he is a player England can always rely on, and Dobson also deserves recognition for a very tidy spell of bowling, even though his final figures do not accurately reflect how well he bowled and Deakin and Caunt showed once again why they are so highly regarded in Seniors cricket, bowling 18 overs between them for just 48 runs, both going at under three runs per over, which is an outstanding effort.  

With a further two games between the sides scheduled and a five game ‘Grey Ashes’ series to come, starting at Littleborough Cricket Club on Monday, the remaining Australian games against the England Lions and England Seniors promise to be tight, competitive affairs, which from a neutral’s point of view would be perfect. 

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England name their squads for the second Grey Ashes ODI and two Lions games

The England 60s selection committee have picked the squads for the next two Lions fixtures and the second One-Day International in the 2025 Grey Ashes.

England fell to defeat on Monday, June 30th, as they fell 44 runs short of the 250 total that was set by the Australian side.

There were some positives to take from the defeat, with Philip Deakin taking three wickets for only 21 runs from his nine overs, as well as a well-made 56 from Paul Radge off only 54 balls, which was part of a 106-run opening partnership with Steve Small.

In 2023, Australia defeated England in the first game, but the hosts bounced back and won three on the spin, so there will be hopes of the same from the current England side.

The second ODI will take place at Fairburn CC on Monday, July 7th, and there are two changes to the first ODI squad with Nick Newman, who is returning from injury, and Temoor Alam, making his debut, replacing Razi Ahmed and Kevin Watson.

It was also a defeat for the Lions in the first match of the series as they fell nine runs short in their chase of Australia’s 204.

The aforementioned Alam alongside Simon Routh combined for a partnership of 153, but it wasn’t enough to pull off the victory from a difficult start to the innings.

Sanjay Beri comes into both Lions squads whilst Tony Birbeck and Nick Gargaro both feature in one respectively, and they are all making their first appearances since the victory over Scotland in May.

Squads

Lions v Australia (July 4th)1st ODI (July 7th)Lions v Australia (July 10th)
Jason Caunt (C)Edward Gordon Lennox (C)Jason Caunt (C)
Gary Joyce (WK)Steve Aston (WK)Simon Routh (WK)
Sanjay BeriTemoor AlamRazi Ahmed
Tony BirbeckPhil DeakinSanjay Beri
Neil BrathwaiteNick GaywoodNeil Brathwaite
Mel DobsonMel HussainDavid Christmas
Montie DouglasNick NewmanMark Eames
Steve HuntMike PalmerNick Gargaro
Nigel MoorePaul RadageSteve Hunt
Nick NewmanGraham ShawNigel Moore
Martin WatkinSteve SmallMartin Watkin
Kevin WatsonMark WilsonKevin Watson
Paul Gelder (Manager)Paul Bradley (Manager)Paul Gelder (Manager)

The squads for the remaining games will be communicated before the fixtures on the England 60s social media.

Fixtures

England Lions vs Australia @ Cheadle Hulme CC (June 27th) – Australia won by nine runs.

England vs Australia (First ODI) @ Littleborough CC (June 30th) – Australia won by 44 runs.

England Lions vs Australia @ Oughtibridge CC (11am, July 4th)

England vs Australia (Second ODI) @ Fairburn CC (12pm, July 7th)

England Lions vs Australia @ Stratford-Upon-Avon CC (12pm, July 10th)

England vs Australia (Third ODI) @ Thame CC (11:30am, July 18th)

England vs Australia (Fourth ODI) @ Sparsholt CC (12pm, July 21st)

England vs Australia (Fifth ODI) @ Royal Ascot CC (12pm, July 24th)

Alongside these fixtures, Australia will also take on the Chairman’s XI as well as Scotland, Wales, Surrey, a Midlands XI and a South East XI. More information about these games, which will take place throughout July, can be found on the England 60s social media pages.

How to follow

The games will be covered live on the England 60s social media channels. You can follow the team on X (@eng60scricket), Facebook (England 60s Cricket), and Instagram (@eng60scricket).

Live streaming details for the games will be communicated on the team’s social media channels, with four of the five ODIs being streamed on the England 60s Cricket YouTube channel.

Follow the team here – bit.ly/m/England60sCricket.

Grey Ashes Preview

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England v Australia – Grey Ashes 2025 Preview

England 60s will be looking to regain the Grey Ashes title when they take on Australia at home this summer in five One-Day Internationals.

Having won the urn in England two years ago, the side travelled down under in November and December 2024, looking to hold on to it, but defeat in the first three games of the series meant that victory in games four and five was only for pride.

Overall, England have had the better of the Australians, winning 25 of the 40 games that the sides have played against each other since 2009.

The 2023 Grey Ashes saw multiple special performances, which included Nick Gaywood’s 108 not out in the third ODI victory and a five-wicket haul from Marcus Young in the fourth ODI, which meant Australia ended up 49 runs short and secured the series win for England.

Despite a disappointing start to the 2024 Grey Ashes, victory in the final two ODIs definitely added some positivity heading into this series. When England looked down and out in the fourth ODI, it was Simon Routh and Razi Ahmed who managed to combine for a 50-run ninth wicket partnership to save the game and in the fifth ODI, Mel Hussain’s 71 off 114 balls put the team in the driving seat.

Paul Bradley’s side in preparation for this series have taken on Wales, Scotland and the West Indies throughout May and June with a perfect record of five wins from the five opening games of 2025.

In the most recent ODI against the West Indies at Handsworth CC, there were three half-centuries for Paul Radage, Graham Shaw, and Edward Gordon Lennox, respectively, and they all feature in the first ODI squad to take on Australia on Monday, June 30th, at Littleborough CC.

After that fixture, there will be a week’s break before the team travel to Fairburn CC for the second ODI, and then they end July with three games in seven days at Thame, Sparsholt and Royal Ascot in what should be a captivating series.

Squad List

The squad for the first ODI against the Australians at Littleborough CC has been announced and is as follows: Edward Gordon Lennox (C), Steve Aston (WK), Razi Ahmed, Phil Deakin, Nick Gaywood, Mel Hussain, Nick Newman, Mike Palmer, Paul Radge, Graham Shaw, Steve Small, Mark Wilson, Paul Bradley (Manager).

For the remainder of the fixtures, the squad will be decided from the overall summer squad announced earlier this year and will be communicated before the games on the England 60s social media.

Australia squad: Peter Judd (C), John Adamson, Terry Beks, Bill Blair, Stephen Butler, Paul Mathews, Alan Muggleton, Doug Murphy, Peter O’Reilly, Claude Orlando, Tony Panecasio, Geoff Patterson, Graeme Pavey, Glen Pearce, Stuart Ridge, Darren Smith, Keith Bridgen (Manager).

Fixtures

England Lions vs Australia @ Cheadle Hulme CC (11am, June 27th)

England vs Australia (First ODI) @ Littleborough CC (12pm, June 30th)

England Lions vs Australia @ Oughtibridge CC (11am, July 4th)

England vs Australia (Second ODI) @ Fairburn CC (12pm, July 7th)

England Lions vs Australia @ Stratford-Upon-Avon CC (12pm, July 10th)

England vs Australia (Third ODI) @ Thame CC (11:30am, July 18th)

England vs Australia (Fourth ODI) @ Sparsholt CC (12pm, July 21st)

England vs Australia (Fifth ODI) @ Royal Ascot CC (12pm, July 24th)

Alongside these fixtures, Australia will also take on the Chairman’s XI as well as Scotland, Wales, Surrey, a Midlands XI and a South East XI. More information about these games, which will take place throughout July, can be found on the England 60s social media pages.

How to follow

The games will be covered live on the England 60s social media channels. You can follow the team on X (@eng60scricket), Facebook (England 60s Cricket), and Instagram (@eng60scricket).

Live streaming details for the games will be communicated on the team’s social media channels, with four of the five ODIs being streamed on the England 60s Cricket YouTube channel.

Follow the team here – bit.ly/m/England60sCricket

Match report – England v West Indies, First Stonehill Cup ODI

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By Rash Mahmood (click the links to watch each wicket)

England met the West Indies in the first match of a three-match series at Littleborough Cricket Club. On a fine, sunny afternoon, the West Indies won the toss and elected to bat, on what looked a decent batting wicket, although, with a bit of cloud cover at the start of the innings, possibly providing the England bowlers with some assistance early on.

Keith Lawrence and Kris Ramdat opened the batting for the tourists, and Mark Wilson and Mel Hussain opened the bowling for England. Right from the start of the innings, the West Indies batters struggled to score, facing some very good and accurate bowling from the England opening pair, backed up by excellent and committed fielding.

Eight overs in, West Indies had crawled to 16-0, when Ramdat pushed a Wilson delivery into the offside and called for a quick single.  However, Kevin Watson, fielding at wide cover, arced his approach to the ball magnificently before picking up one-handed and throwing to the stumps, where the England wicket keeper Steve Aston had the simple task of removing the bails, Lawrence well out of his ground and run out for two (1st wicket).

Keith Seale was the next batter in, but two overs later, he was clean bowled by Wilson for one (2nd wicket) the West Indies reduced to 24-2, and things got even worse for them three overs later. Ramdat slipped whilst attempting a run, leaving him hopelessly out of his ground, giving Watson the simple task of removing the bails. Ramdat out for 17, the West Indies 26-3 after 13.1 overs (3rd wicket)

Zamin Amin, the West Indies skipper, was the next man in, but the introduction of Razi Ahmed into the attack brought about his downfall, as he attempted to sweep a fullish delivery and only succeeded in getting a top edge that Hussain caught easily at square leg. The skipper out for four, and the West Indies in disarray at 35-4 after 16.3 overs (4th wicket).

That disarray was further compounded two balls later when the left handed Hafiz Mohammed prodded forward and got a thick edge, which flew to Phil Deakin at first slip, who produced a magnificent one handed catch, sticking his left hand out to catch a ball that was no more than at ankle height, an absolute stunner of a catch, which drew warm applause from the watching crowd. Mohammed out for two, the West Indies reduced to 38-5 (5th wicket).

A brief flurry by Roy Singh and Emmerson Jordan took the score to 56-5, after 20.3 overs, but England were in no mood to be generous, and made light work of the remaining batters, taking five wickets in 28 balls for the addition of only seven runs. The West Indies were eventually bowled out for 63 in just 25.2 overs. Deakin, having been brought on, finished with figures of 2.2 overs, one maiden, three wickets for one run, but it was Ahmed with 4-19 who took the bowling accolades (6th wicket, 7th wicket, 8th wicket, 9th wicket, 10th wicket).

Following the innings interval, England openers Richard Merriman and Neil Brathwaite made light work of reaching the winning score of 64, this being achieved in just nine overs. Merriman was  22 not out off 32 balls with four boundaries, and Brathwaite 28 off 23 balls with six fours, meaning England comfortably won by 10 wickets.

Phil Deakin was presented with a bottle of champagne, and quite rightly too, for his unbelievable catch at slip, which was adjudged to be the game’s ‘Champagne Moment’.

So, England go 1-0 up in the three-match series, and the sides move onto Dunnington CC near York on Wednesday for game two, before the series wraps up at Handsworth CC in Birmingham on Sunday.

On behalf of both teams, our thanks to all at Littleborough for their help and support.

View from the sideline

Playing back-to-back games after a long flight was never going to be easy for the West Indies, and after being beaten by the England Lions the previous day, surely fatigue would be a factor facing England in the first game of a three-match series.

England bowled and fielded well, make no mistake about that, but they were helped by some pretty inept batting from the visitors. Two run-outs, one unfortunate, did not help their cause. They will look to rebound on Wednesday for the second ODI.

From an England point of view, and trying to be as objective as possible, you can only beat what is in front of you and in that respect, England did their job very well. Wilson and Hussain set the tone with a miserly opening spell by the pair, and with Ahmed and Deakin taking care of the middle/lower order, England made light work of the West Indian batting line up. However, they will surely be hoping for a sterner test on Wednesday, in order to get players some time out in the middle, both with bat and ball.

Changes will be made for that game on Wednesday, when others may well be trying to stake a claim for inclusion for the upcoming series against Australia, but after such a resounding victory, it is difficult to assess the team as a whole, as individuals didn’t bat or bowl. Sterner tests will no doubt await during this busy summer, but congratulations to Edward Gordon Lennox and his side for a thoroughly professional and comprehensive victory.

Roland Butcher to attend Lions Match

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Media release

Elton Cricket Club

9 June 2025

Ex-England cricketer set to appear at club’s first ever international match – and it’s all thanks to Vatican City meeting

A community cricket club in Bury, Greater Manchester is gearing up to host its first ever international match, with a former England player set to make an appearance.

Elton Cricket Club will stage a masters cricket match between England Lions 60s Cricket and West Indies Masters this Fathers’ Day.

Roland Butcher, who became the first black player to represent England in 1980, is expected to attend the game, a historic occasion for one of the town’s oldest cricket clubs.

The invite to be part of the international teams’ 2025 schedule only came about thanks to a chance meeting in Rome by one of the club’s committee members.

Members are now rallying round to host their prestigious guests, with junior players set to form a guard of honour and a post-match celebratory meal planned. 

Elton committee member Mark Burns, who plays for the club, was holidaying with wife Kim and son Luke when he received a call asking if he could fly to Italy to help a cricket team that was one player short for its game against the Vatican Cricket Team.

He said: “It was an opportunity I couldn’t miss, without question, so we jumped on a plane and went to Rome. I got talking with Paul, the manager of England 60s Cricket and, when he found out we were associated with a cricket club, he asked if we’d be interested in hosting a match.”

The game, on Sunday, June 15, will see England Lions 60s Cricket team take to the field for a 45-over match against the West Indies Masters side.

Barbados-born Mr Butcher, who played for Middlesex, is the vice president of the Seniors County Championship, and will be a guest of the club, which is hoping as many people as possible will attend.

Both national anthems will be played before the first ball is bowled at 1pm, with a commentator providing a live overview of events.

Entry is free for spectators and there will be food and drinks available.

Chairman Warren Hornby said it was a proud occasion for the club, which has over 400 members and is a founder member of the Greater Manchester Cricket League.

He said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming the England Lions and West Indies teams to Leigh Lane and hope the community will come and join us for this historic event.

“Bringing international cricket to Elton Cricket Club has really captured the imagination of all of our members, who are rallying round to make sure the day is a huge success. Clubs like ours couldn’t function without the support of volunteers and it seems fitting that people have been working tirelessly to prepare for our visitors during Volunteers’ Week.

“It should be a great day with some fantastic cricket played, a real community occasion, and we’d like to thank the teams for giving us the opportunity to show what Elton Cricket Club can do.”

England 60s squads for the first four games of the West Indies series

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The England 60s selection committee have picked the squads for the first two fixtures of the West Indies series and the two Lions fixtures as the Caribbean flair comes to England.

Only in 2023 have these two sides met before as England defeated the West Indies by 63 runs with current England captain Edward Gordon Lennox achieving a half century whilst Montie Douglas, who returns to the side for the final Lions game, was also on form that day with a 50 of his own.

This series sees the Lions play games on June 15th and 20th at Elton CC and Marton CC, whilst there will be three ODIs at Littleborough CC, Dunnington CC and Handsworth CC on June 16th, 18th and 22nd, respectively.

At the end of 2024, Douglas stood by himself as the only player to achieve 1000 runs for England 60s, but against Wales in May, Richard Merriman managed to climb over that figure with 91 runs off 77 balls in a 137-run victory, and he features in both of the ODI squads.

Tony Birbeck, who scored an unbeaten 130 off 98 balls against Scotland in May, is unavailable for the first two ODIs but does feature for the Lions on Sunday, June 15th, whilst Nigel Moore is also not able to feature.

Jason Caunt will continue in his role as Lions captain after a victorious start against Scotland by seven runs.

That match included an unbeaten 73 for Temoor Alam on debut, who features in both Lions squads, and 65 runs for Graham Shaw who will play in the second Lions game and the first ODI, which will be a return to Littleborough where Shaw hit 10 runs off the last over including the winning runs in the fifth ODI against Pakistan last year.

A name which didn’t feature in the original summer squad list but does appear here is Yorkshire’s Martin Watkin, who has been added to the Lions team, but he isn’t a completely new name to the setup, having featured in that aforementioned Caribbean Cup win.

The team for the third ODI, at Handsworth Cricket Club, will be announced at a later date.

The squads in full

Lions v West Indies (15th June)1st ODI (16th June)2nd ODI (18th June)Lions v West Indies (20th June)
Jason Caunt (C)Edward Gordon Lennox (C)Edward Gordon Lennox (C)Jason Caunt (C)
Andrew Davis (WK)Steve Aston (WK)Simon Routh (WK)Gary Joyce (WK)
Temoor AlamRazi AhmedRazi AhmedTemoor Alam
Tony BirbeckNeil BrathwaitePhil DeakinDavid Christmas
Mel DobsonPhil DeakinNick GaywoodMontie Douglas
Mark EamesMel HussainMel HussainMark Eames
Martyn FordRichard MerrimanRichard MerrimanMartyn Ford
Paul GarlickNick NewmanNick NewmanSteve Hunt
Mike PalmerPaul RadageMike PalmerLee Selfe
Jim PhillipsGraham ShawPaul RadageGraham Shaw
Lee SelfeKevin WatsonMartin WatkinMartin Watkin
Martin WatkinMark WilsonMark WilsonKevin Watson
Paul Gelder (Manager)Paul Bradley (Manager)Paul Bradley (Manager)Paul Gelder (Manager)

The West Indies have also announced their squad for the tour, which is as follows: Zamin Ali (C), Hafeez Ali, Anthony Boyke, Deonarine Deyal, Dave Debidin, Emmerson Jordan, Keith Lawrence, Hafiz Mohamed, Krishendat Ramdat, Keith Seale, Balwant Roy Singh, Chanderpaul Singh, Gerald Singh, Maurice Sukul, Raj Singh (Manager)

Fixtures

England Lions vs West Indies @ Elton CC (12pm, June 15th)

England vs West Indies (First ODI) @ Littleborough CC (12pm, June 16th)

England vs West Indies (Second ODI) @ Dunnington CC (12pm, June 18th)

England Lions vs West Indies @ Marton CC (12pm, June 20th)

England vs West Indies (Third ODI) @ Handsworth CC (12pm, June 22nd)

How to follow

The games will be covered live on the England 60s social media channels. You can follow the team on X (@eng60scricket), Facebook (England 60s Cricket), and Instagram (@eng60scricket).

Also, the second and third ODIs will be live-streamed on the England 60s Cricket YouTube channel, with the remaining games covered by the host clubs.

Follow the team here – bit.ly/m/England60sCricket

England 60’s Live Streaming

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England 60s continue streaming partnership with the University of Gloucestershire

England 60s are delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with the University of Gloucestershire, who will produce all of the live streams on the team’s YouTube channel in the 2025 summer.

Starting with Friday’s game (23rd May) against Wales, the students from the Television Production/Film and Sports Journalism courses and technician Ivor Richards will be at 18 fixtures across the England, Lions and regional XI teams as well as September’s Tri-Nations series.

The streams will feature a camera at either end facing the wicket, one roaming camera and a commentary team.

In 2024, they produced live streams on the England 60s Cricket YouTube channel for the One-Day International against Wales and two games of the Royal Nawaab Trophy against Pakistan.

A year later, 2025 will see full coverage of the series against the USA on the team’s YouTube channel, four of the five ODIs against Australia and the final match of three in the West Indies series.

The games that can’t be covered by the university’s team will be live-streamed on the respective host club’s YouTube channels.

The live streams offer companies a fantastic opportunity to advertise their business by sponsoring the team. This can be done using logos, showreels or information read out by the commentators. If you are interested in finding out more about these opportunities, message the team on either X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Games that will be streamed on the England 60s YouTube channel

23rd May – Only ODI v Wales @ Newport CC

22nd June – Third ODI v West Indies @ Handsworth CC

26th June – Northern XI v Australia @ Grappenhall CC

27th June – Lions v Australia @ Cheadle Hulme CC

30th June – First ODI v Australia @ Littleborough CC

4th July – Lions v Australia @ Oughtibridge CC

7th July – Second ODI v Australia @ Fairburn CC

9th July – Midlands XI @ Loughborough CC

10th July – Lions v Australia @ Stratford-upon-Avon CC

13th July – Chairman’s XI @ Oakamoor CC

21st July – Fourth ODI v Australia @ Sparsholt CC

24th July – Fifth ODI v Australia @ Royal Ascot CC

6th August – First ODI v USA @ Winchmore Hill CC (Penn)

7th August – Lions v USA @ Royal Ascot CC

10th August – Second ODI v USA @ Chipping Campden CC

11th August – Lions v USA @ Eastnor Castle

13th August – Third ODI v USA @ Hursley Park CC

14th August – Lions v USA @ Hamworthy CC

16th-18th September – Tri Nations @ Midlands

England 60s announce their squads for the Wales and Scotland fixtures

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The England 60s international committee have recently named the squads for the team’s upcoming fixtures against Wales and Scotland.

Captain Edward Gordon Lennox will lead the side in the One-Day Internationals against both countries, while Jason Caunt has been named England Lions captain ahead of the Scotland fixture.

The action starts on Friday, May 23rd, when England plays Wales at Newport. The following week, England heads north for games against Scotland on May 29th and 30th at Saltburn and Seaton Carew.

The XII for the Wales game features former captain Richard Merriman, who stepped down at the end of the Pakistan series in 2024 to take a break from international cricket.

All members of the Grey Ashes squad over the winter are present in one or more of the three teams, excluding Melvyn Holmes, who is injured.

Phil Deakin returns after missing the winter tour to Australia, while Tony Birbeck, Neil Brathwaite, Nick Newman and Graham Shaw also return to the England squad.

Plus, there are spots for several debutants. Sanjay Beri, Steve Small and Mark Wilson will appear in England colours for the first time, while Temoor Alam, Dave Christmas, Mel Dobson, Steve Hunt and Gary Joyce are set to play in the Lions XII against Scotland.

Andrew Davis has also been named in this summer’s wider squad, but he is unavailable for May’s games.

Upon the squad being selected, manager Paul Bradley said: “After two successful trials, England 60s and the Lions now take on Wales and Scotland with three strong sides. This will help us pick the England and the Lions sides for the forthcoming series against the West Indies at the end of June.”

Captain Gordon Lennox added: “It is once again a great personal privilege, and an exciting time for England 60s to aim high and seek to make 2025 a golden summer for our Seniors Cricket. The weather has allowed us to get off to a great start.

“To be successful, we will have to be brave, stay fit, work hard for each other and embrace all that representation brings and demands.”

The squads in full

Wales ODIScotland ODIEngland Lions
Edward Gordon Lennox (C)Edward Gordon Lennox (C)Jason Caunt (C)
Simon Routh (WK)Steve Aston (WK)Gary Joyce (WK)
Razi AhmedSanjay BeriRazi Ahmed
Neil BrathwaiteTony BirbeckTemoor Alam
Phil DeakinMontie DouglasDave Christmas
Nick GaywoodNick GargaroMel Dobson
Mel HussainMel HussainMark Eames
Richard MerrimanNick NewmanMartyn Ford
Mike PalmerLee SelfePaul Garlick
Jim PhillipsGraham ShawSteve Hunt
Paul RadageSteve SmallNigel Moore
Mark WilsonKevin WatsonLee Selfe

Fixtures

Wales v England @ Newport CC (12pm, May 23rd)

England v Scotland @ Saltburn CC (TBC, May 29th)

England Lions v Scotland @ Seaton Carew (TBC, May 30th)

How to follow

The games will be covered live on the England 60s social media channels. You can follow the team on X (@eng60scricket), Facebook (England 60s Cricket), and Instagram (@eng60scricket).

The fixture against Wales will be streamed on the England 60s YouTube channel, while live streaming details for the Scotland games will be communicated on the team’s social media channels.

Follow the team here – bit.ly/m/England60sCricket

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