All a Bit Batty

Clear changes make CA U-turn






Andre Russell has been cleared to use his black bat in Australia's Big Bash after making modifications to it.

The West Indies player used the bat, which has a black blade and pink handle, while playing for Sydney Thunder last week against the Sydney Sixers.

Cricket Australia banned it after it left black marks on the match ball.

"A clear laminate cover has been applied to the bat," explained Big Bash chief Anthony Everard.



Players can use a coloured bat in the Big Bash as long as it is the same colour as their team's primary kit colour, or black.
Any colour you like, so long as it's not black, Andre!

West Indian Andre Russell unveiled a mainly black bat in the opening match in Cricket Australia’s (CA) opening Big Bash League (BBL) Twenty20 match in Sydney on Tuesday.  While it was initially deemed to be legal and he used it in the game, CA has since announced it cannot be used again as it discolours the white ball.

Russell went in at number seven for Sydney Thunder with the bat and Brad Haddin, opposition team Sydney Sixers’ captain, immediately turned to umpires John Ward and Paul Wilson to ask about the legality of the bat.  However, CA has allowed coloured bats in the BBL in the past as long as they match franchise colours.  Electric green and gold coloured bats have been used in previous seasons, however, neither interfered with the colour of the ball.

After examining feedback provided by match officials following Tuesday’s game, BBL chief Anthony Everard said: “The bat used by Andre left black marks on the match ball.  As a result, we have decided to withdraw our approval for Andre to use the bat that was used last night as the colour solution used by the manufacturer was discolouring the ball". 

Everard said: “Should Andre, or any other BBL or [Womens’ BBL] player wish to use a bat with a different colouring solution to the one used last night that doesn’t result in the discolouration of the match ball, they will be permitted to do so subject to [CA] being satisfied that the bat won’t compromise the integrity of the game, which we believe discolouring the match ball does”.

Surely, what happens in Loughborough should stay in Loughborough

but as it's now in the public domain, does it mean it's now been sorted or just a figment of the boffins' minds?

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have confirmed that Jack Leach, the leading English spin bowler in county cricket this year, was found to have an action that did not meet the 15 degree arm flex the limit prior to his recent tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with England’s A side.  Although coaches are confident that the degree of straightening in his left arm can be reduced such that it meets requirements, Leach was overlooked when a back injury forced Zafar Ansar to leave England's tour to India this month.

Leach's kink was detected during routine profiling of bowlers at Loughborough in October prior to going to the UAE.  He will be measured again at the ‘A’ side's camp next month before heading to Sri Lanka for two four-day games, but his place is not in jeopardy. Indeed, he played one-day games against the UAE and a first-class match against Afghanistan this month without alarm.

“When I did the test and they told me I was as shocked as anyone”, said Leach, who took 65 championship wickets for Somerset last northern summer.  “It was only a very small thing in terms of my body position, and it wasn’t helping me to bowl a doosra or anything like that”.  He said that he has “made a hell of a lot of progress” working with Peter Such, the ECB lead spin bowling coach, and Jason Kerr at Somerset. “The important thing is that I’ve come to terms with it and feel I’m going to be a better bowler for sorting it out”, Leach said.

Now the issue is in the public domain umpires may keep a closer watch on his delivery. ECB regulations decree that if a bowler is reported for his action in a match for a first time, the report remains confidential. However, one senior county umpire said when contacted about the matter: “This is a surprise. I had not heard a whisper about him”.

The Somerset riposte came via the Times on Friday....




The kink in his action, which exceeded the permitted 15 degrees of straightening in his arm, was detected during testing with the Lions. Leach underwent remedial work while continuing to play in the UAE this month, taking three for seven in a one-day game and two for 25 in a first-class match.

Matthew Maynard, the Somerset head coach, believes that any issue with Leach’s action has been quickly rectified. “At the end of the season, the lads who are new to the England programmes go through a screening process and during that it was found that Jack’s action from the 90 degree measurement had a kink, which was all to do with the position of his hand on the ball,” Maynard said.

“It was quickly rectified and with just three weeks of work he was fit to play and take up his role with the Lions and has now been again selected with them for the new year. As far as we’re concerned, the issue was resolved. So to hear the news come out was very disappointing. The fact that it has come out was very strange. It was disappointing for England to have gone for over 750 runs and for it then to come out — I thought that was very harsh on Jack.”

Maynard insisted that Leach would not be put off by the controversy. “He’s a resilient player,” he said. “It did knock Jack a bit but he has bounced back as he does. The small tweak hasn’t stopped his spinning ability. No one would have known anything about it had he not been routinely tested because his action just looks so clean.”

Born in Taunton, Leach rose through the Somerset age-group sides before going on to be part of MCC’s university programme at Cardiff. His first-class debut came in 2012 and he first made a name for himself by taking 11 wickets against Warwickshire in 2015 to secure first-division survival for the county.

The 25-year-old is in the mould of a traditional specialist spinner given that he bats at No 10 and is rarely seen fielding at cover point. His left-arm bowling developed steadily until his rapid progression last summer when he came into the England reckoning.

Somerset’s recent policy of preparing spin-friendly pitches at Taunton, earning it the moniker “Ciderabad”, has led to accusations that Leach relies solely on helpful pitches, although a third of his 65 championship wickets came away from home, including six for 64 against Yorkshire at Headingley .

However, Jason Gillespie believes that he has the potential to play at the highest level. The former director of cricket at Yorkshire, said: “He has really good control, he spins the ball and has a good mentality — he doesn’t get put off if he is hit for a few.”

Ian Blackwell, the former Somerset left-arm spinner and now county umpire, has worked with Leach. He has been impressed with his control and believes that he is developing into a “canny spin bowler”.

Leach has also made an impression on Gary Keedy, the Lancashire spin coach and a former left-arm spinner, who told The Times: “He was by far the best spin bowler in division one last season, displaying all the qualities of an attacking left-arm bowler. Jack is developing into a fine bowler and definitely has international potential.”