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Board acts to reduce workforce by 20 percent amid fears that pandemic effects will be lasting

George Dobell15-Sep-2020The ECB has announced a major raft of redundancies as it grapples with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.On Tuesday, it was announced that the ECB are to cut their workforce budget by 20 percent – a sum which equates to the removal of 62 roles from the organisation – with most of those involved informed of the plans on Monday afternoon. In addition, other staff will see their roles become part-time or seasonal.While one or two areas in the business have been ring-fenced – notably safeguarding positions – the cuts will impact all departments.Although news of the redundancies was expected – the new ECB Chair, Ian Watmore, had described them as “inevitable” a fortnight ago – the extent of them is more of a surprise and reflects the growing realisation that 2021 may be no easier than 2020.While some of the cuts will come from a decision not to fill vacant positions, the vast majority amount to redundancies. Insiders say there were tears in the ECB offices at Lord’s as the decisions were communicated to staff.The pay cuts which were introduced for ECB executives in April – 20 percent for most; 25 percent for the chief executive, Tom Harrison – have also been extended, although only until the end of October at this stage.There is no further news at this stage about any decision to move the ECB’s base away from Lord’s. Given the reduced ECB headcount, it would seem the requirement for office space is likely to be reduced though the actual savings, in purely financial terms, are not thought to be significant.In time, however, it still seems likely the ECB will seek a headquarters away from St John’s Wood; an area with an exclusive reputation that may not be appropriate for a national governing body which is intent on proving its accessibility to all.”The COVID-19 pandemic has left cricket facing its most significant challenge of the modern era,” Tom Harrison, the ECB’s CEO, said. “The game has already lost more than £100m, and the financial impact is likely to be £200m if there is further disruption next year, which many are expecting.”When the crisis first hit, the ECB put in place a range of measures to save money in the short term including furloughing staff and significant pay reductions across the organisation, in addition to a recruitment freeze. It is now an irrefutable fact however, that the impact of this pandemic is significant and will be long-lasting. There is also deep uncertainty about the future, and it is vital we take more steps now to ensure the future financial sustainability of cricket in England and Wales.”We must reduce the cost base across the game – and that requires the ECB to lead the way by reducing its own cost base.”Given this new reality, if we are to safeguard cricket’s long-term future and still deliver on the growth ambitions of our Inspiring Generations strategy, it is clear the ECB will need to become a leaner and more agile organisation.”Seven months ago, sharing a message of this nature was unthinkable. The position we had created to come together as a game and grow cricket on the back of a remarkable year in 2019 was truly game-changing. Our ambition and energy are unchanged, but how we get there now needs to look significantly different to what we originally planned for.”

Political tensions between India and China may have played a part in Vivo’s exit

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2020A week after Vivo’s exit, the BCCI has advertised for its replacement as IPL title sponsors for the 2020 season spanning between August 18 and December 31 this year. Interested parties would need to buy the bid document by August 14 with the BCCI announcing the winning bid four days later.The BCCI has made it clear that only companies with an annual turnover of at least INR 300 crore (US$ 40 million approx.) would be eligible to bid for the IPL title sponsorship.The winning bid, the BCCI has pointed out, would not necessarily need to be the highest bidder and would depend on various other factors. “For the avoidance of doubt, it is clarified that BCCI shall not be obliged to award the Rights to the third party which indicates willingness to pay the highest fees in the course of discussions/ negotiations,” BCCI said in a media release on Monday, signed by board secretary Jay Shah.”BCCI’s decision in this regard will also depend on a number of other relevant factors. It includes, but is not limited to, the manner in which the third party intends to exploit the rights and the potential impact of the same on brand IPL as also the fan/ viewer experience, which will be examined and evaluated by BCCI in the course of discussions/negotiations with interested third parties who submit an EOI.”Vivo had bagged the title sponsorship for two years initially in 2015, and retained the rights signing a five-year contract (2018-22), paying about $341 million. Last week, the BCCI said in a media release, spanning one line, that it had suspended the contract with Vivo only for the 2020 season. Although the BCCI did not lay out any reasoning, the political tensions between India and China over border dispute in June is understood to be the key reason behind Vivo’s exit.The BCCI has not specified whether Vivo would make a comeback although some unconfirmed media reports suggested the Chinese handset manufacturer would retain the IPL title sponsorship for two years from 2021 season.

Test bowlers Mitchell Marsh and Mitchell Johnson were among the wickets as Western Australia sealed victory over Tasmania in the final session of the day-night Sheffield Shield match in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2015
ScorecardMitchell Marsh took 3 for 30 in the second innings•Getty Images

Test bowlers Mitchell Marsh and Mitchell Johnson were among the wickets as Western Australia sealed victory over Tasmania in the final session of the day-night Sheffield Shield match in Hobart.The Tigers subsided to 4 for 81 when batsman Alex Doolan fell to Marsh, and a quick finish to the match seemed likely – Western Australia having been in charge more or less throughout.However, the captain George Bailey and the allrounder James Faulkner combined for a stand of 98 that soaked up 36 valuable overs and took the game into the evening.It took the left-arm spin of Ashton Agar to break the stand as he bowled Faulkner for 31. It was another important contribution for Agar, following his fluent first-innings century.Marsh nipped out Tim Paine and Evan Gulbis, and Johnson – ahead of his vital role in the Tests against New Zealand – then managed to defeat Bailey.The Tigers entered the final session with two wickets in hand but were unable to last the distance, having left too much for their bowlers to do.

New South Wales were held up in their push for victory with Nathan Lyon taking their only wicket

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2021Victoria gave themselves a chance to rescuing a draw against New South Wales with their top order putting in a stubborn display in the second innings led by Nic Maddinson’s half-century.They had conceded a lead of 174 on a day interrupted by light rain during the morning session but by the close Maddinson and captain Peter Handscomb had taken them to within sight of a lead.Maddinson and Marcus Harris added 73 for the first wicket before Nathan Lyon broke through when Harris lofted a catch to point as he tried to go down the ground. It was Harris’ third dismissal in four innings against Lyon and another start not converted by the Test opener.The New South Wales quicks went at both Maddinson and Handscomb with the short ball but the pitch at Bankstown Oval does not have much pace in it.Earlier in the day, New South Wales’ last three wickets had added a further 60 to the total either side of the stoppage for rain. James Pattinson removed Trent Copeland and Pat Cummins in the space of four balls before Victoria were frustrated by a final-wicket stand of 37 between Lyon and Harry Conway.If Victoria can save the game on the final day it would represent a good stint in Sydney having secured victory at the SCG last week before they were forced to extend their stay with this match relocated from Melbourne due to Covid-19 border restrictions.

In a mid-game TV interview, the Melbourne Stars coach said he had tested how soft the pitch was before play which the rules do not allow

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2020The Melbourne Stars coach David Hussey has been fined A$ 2000 after claiming during an in-play TV interview that he walked on the pitch while wearing spikes before the match against the Adelaide Strikers at Adelaide Oval.The match officials viewed footage of the interview – which was conducted during the ninth over of the Stars’ innings – and originally charged Hussey with attempting to gain an unfair advantage. Hussey claimed it was a joke and was cleared of the initial charge and instead accepted a sanction under actions contrary to the spirit of cricket.In a cross with the commentary box, Hussey had been asked about the impact the Stars’ spinners had earlier in the match and said: “There was a lot of spin. Early on, you aren’t meant to walk on the cricket pitch, but I did with some spikes and the spikes went in and I thought a little bit of moisture in there so the spin might help.”When pressed by Brendon McCullum, he added: “You just want to see what the pitch is like, Brendon. You want to dot every I and cross every t and try to get the competitive advantage over the opposition.”In a statement, Cricket Australia said what Hussey described during the interview was deemed to be contrary to Section 6.3.4 of the BBL playing conditions, which state: “Prior to the start of play, only the captain and team coach may walk on the pitch to assess its condition. Spiked footwear is not permitted at this time.”Hussey challenged the initial charge under Article 2.18 (attempting to gain an unfair advantage) at an independent code of conduct hearing in Melbourne on Friday on the grounds his comments were made in jest but accepted the subsequent charge and sanction under Article 2.23 which covers “… conduct that either: (a) is contrary to the Spirit of Cricket; (b) is unbecoming of a representative or official; (c) is or could be harmful to the interests of cricket; or (d) does or could bring the game of cricket into disrepute.””I would like to apologise for my comments made at our match against the Strikers on Wednesday,” Hussey said. “These comments were made in jest and in a light-hearted moment with the commentators. I never intended to suggest that I had in any way broken the rules of the game. I realise that my comments, broadcast to our fans and supporters, may have undermined the Spirit of Cricket and for this I apologise.”

The three teams have combined to play just 23 Tests since 2017

Tristan Lavalette17-Feb-2023As they trudged off the Queens Sports Club after suffering a second successive Test thrashing, Zimbabwe were left disappointed at being comprehensively outplayed by West Indies.Defeat in this recently-concluded two-match series, however, was almost inconsequential for a nation emerging from an 18-month hiatus from Test cricket. Before hosting West Indies this month, Zimbabwe played only 14 Tests from 2017-22: in part because ongoing financial strife forced them to, and also because enticing bigger Full Members while not being part of the nine-team World Test Championship (WTC) has proven something of an impossible sell for them.Ireland and Afghanistan, who became Full Members by gaining Test status in 2017, are also not part of the WTC, and similarly have barely played Test cricket; Ireland have had only three Tests since, while Afghanistan just six. But when the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the period 2023-27 was released last August, these three teams were allocated significantly more Tests: Afghanistan (21), Zimbabwe (20) and Ireland (12).Related

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Until that announcement, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan had combined to play just 23 Tests since 2017; none of them played another for the rest of 2022 as well. So while the Test numbers were a positive, the problem was that precious few in the new FTP were scheduled against the cash cows of India, England and Australia. Zimbabwe, notably, were allocated 109 matches across formats, with not a single one – even in the shorter formats – being against cricket’s three biggest draw cards.During ICC meetings in Melbourne last November, while he contemplated running for ICC chair, Zimbabwe Cricket boss Tavengwa Mukuhlani used his leverage to push for a working group focused at looking into current and future FTP bilateral planning arrangements. Mukuhlani, along with ECB’s Martin Darlow and New Zealand Cricket’s Martin Snedden, will be comprising that group, which is expected to be ratified at next month’s ICC board meetings. They haven’t met formally, although they had discussions on the sidelines in Melbourne.The working group is open for Full Members to address concerns heightened amid international cricket’s shrinking calendar as T20 leagues sprout worldwide. It is expected to have a particular focus on the three countries not part of the WTC too, even as the abolition of the ODI World Cup Super League has also raised an alarm for smaller nations over future ODI fixtures.”We believe Zimbabwe is a Test nation. We can’t just let that slip simply because nations don’t want to play us,” Mukuhlani told ESPNcricinfo. “We have something to preserve and defend. We want to play Tests. We know it will cost us money, but we can’t put a value on playing Test cricket.”Zimbabwe have not played any of the so-called Big Three teams in Test cricket since September 2005, when they had hosted India for two Tests. Last year, they ended a 19-year drought of touring Australia other than for a World Cup, for a series which was part of the Super League, and where they famously won the third ODI, although their push for a one-off Test was rebuffed by CA.This year’s match remains Ireland’s only Test against England, India or Australia through to 2027•Getty Images

Mukuhlani said discussions were ongoing over Zimbabwe hosting India for a white-ball series later in the year after the countries played a three-match ODI series last August in Harare. But their relationship with England has long proved thorny due to strained political ties during the latter years of the reign of Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe.The two countries have not played each other bilaterally since 2004 – and not at all since September 2007, when they had met in the inaugural ICC World T20 – although Zimbabwe’s political situation is different since Mugabe was ousted from power in 2017.Both the ZC and ECB have confirmed that there are no longer political issues preventing the countries from playing each other; but such a bilateral arrangement still remains stalled for the foreseeable future.”England for us is big money – the second biggest behind India,” Mukuhlani said. “We want England to tour us. It’s a conversation we’ve had for many years. There is great willingness from the ECB, and there have been signs in recent times. But nothing tangible has ever happened on their end. But we know they – like other countries – are struggling to find gaps in the schedule.”Mukuhlani said he would advocate through the working group for countries touring South Africa to make a stopover in Zimbabwe; even as England last month were in South Africa for a three-match ODI series, but won’t be returning there until 2026-27. He also planned to propose annual triangular or quadrangular white-ball series during April-May for countries with limited or no players competing in the IPL, such as Zimbabwe and Pakistan.”I’ve been trying to raise these issues for a long time, so hopefully now there is a proper platform to air them,” Mukuhlani said of the working group.Afghanistan are set to end a two-year Test wait with a series in Bangladesh mid-year•Abu Dhabi Cricket

Unlike Zimbabwe, Ireland play England imminently with a one-off Test scheduled in June at Lord’s. Cricket Ireland administrators had hoped it would become an annual fixture in the English summer, but this year’s match remains Ireland’s only Test against England, India or Australia through to 2027. Before that fixture, they will be breaking a four-year drought in the format when they meet Bangladesh in a one-off Test in Dhaka in April.”Our players are keen [to play Tests], but we have to be realistic,” Ireland’s ICC board director Ross McCollum said.Ireland’s only home Test was their debut in the format against Pakistan in 2018 which cost around a million Euros; and they aren’t scheduled to host a Test until the middle of next year against Zimbabwe.”With the budget we have, it is much easier to play away,” McCollum said. “Our annual turnover is around 10-12 million [Euros], so it’s a sizeable chunk out of that to host Tests. Ideally we want to play Test cricket. But only a few countries are financially able to play Test cricket and can put bums on seats.”While they strive for more Test opportunities, these smaller nations realise that an expanded WTC remains unlikely.”I think [WTC] is important because it creates context,” McCollum said. “Ideally it would have been expanded to 12 members, and I would have liked to have seen two leagues with promotion and relegation. But some countries didn’t want it because they might have fallen into relegation, and 12 teams in one division is too hard because of the crammed calendar.”Afghanistan, meanwhile, are set to end a two-year Test wait with a series in Bangladesh scheduled for mid-year. Their FTP is marked by a historic tour of Australia in 2026, which includes a one-off Test, but relations between the two countries are currently frayed. CA recently pulled out of an ODI series against Afghanistan set for March due to the Taliban’s ban on university education for girls.It was met with fierce condemnation from the Afghanistan Cricket Board and their players, including Rashid Khan, who threatened to boycott the BBL. But amid the politicking, Afghanistan’s future is murky beyond the playing field, as the sport’s administrators grapple with the apparent erosion of women’s cricket development since the Taliban seized control. The Afghanistan issue is set to be debated at the ICC meetings next month.

Ben McDermott, Jordan Silk and George Bailey hit half-centuries to lead a comfortable chase

Andrew McGlashan23-Oct-2019Nathan Ellis claimed his maiden five-wicket as Tasmania hauled themselves off the foot of the Marsh Cup table by overturning a star-studded New South Wales side at North Sydney Oval.Ellis, who made his Western Australia debut at the start of the competition, claimed 5 for 38 as New South Wales were bowled out for 237 with almost seven overs remaining.They had been set back early in the day when Riley Meredith continued his good time in Sydney by removing David Warner and Steven Smith inside the first six overs to follow the five-wicket haul he claimed in the Sheffield Shield match.On a small ground with a fast outfield New South Wales needed their international attack – featuring Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood in their first matches of the season – to pull the game out of the bag, but Ben McDermott warmed up for his return to Australia’s T20I set-up with a crisp half-century.McDermott began the chase by taking 12 off Mitchell Starc’s opening over with three drives and in all 46 off his 58 runs came in boundaries before he was bowled attempting a reverse sweep off Nathan Lyon.He had formed a brisk opening stand of 61 with Caleb Jewell to set Tasmania on their way in the chase until Jewell was bowled off his pads by Hazlewood as he walked across the crease. Hazlewood returned to trap Beau Webster lbw to give New South Wales a glimmer with Tasmania 3 for 113.From there, however, the stand-in captain Jordan Silk – covering from the injured Matthew Wade – and George Bailey eased towards the target with a stand of 118 in 21 overs. Bailey, who was left out of the Sheffield Shield match, moved to fifty from 59 deliveries and Silk matched that with a top-edged six off Cummins who recorded none for 62 off his 10 overs.Tasmania had put New South Wales into bat on a ground where it is difficult to defend. Meredith struck in his second when Warner toe-ended a pull back to the bowler and then again in his next when Smith clipped straight to square leg, to the disappointment of himself and the crowd that had come to watch in anticipation.Silk produced an excellent piece of fielding with an under-arm flick to run out Moises Henriques after Daniel Hughes called a risky single and Hughes became Ellis’ first wicket when he was given caught down the leg side.Matthew Gilkes gave another glimpse of his talent with some glorious shots in a better than run-a-ball 43 before driving a catch to cover. The lower all managed to chip in alongside captain Peter Nevill but couldn’t transform the innings as Ellis hit the stumps four times, the delivery take Cummins off stump being especially eye-catching.The defeat all-but ends New South Wales’ hopes of reaching the final.

The batsman said Sydney Thunder had dominated all through at the Gabba, so he hoped that ‘at the end of it all we’ll get full points out of the game’

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2019Sydney Thunder’s Callum Ferguson is hopeful his side gets full points out of the no-result in Brisbane on Thursday. The game was called off with Brisbane Heat in trouble at 2 for 10 in three overs, chasing 187, after two of the Gabba’s floodlights failed due to a power outage.Points were split, one apiece, between the sides, meaning the Thunder were denied what seemed like a prime opportunity to go second on the points table. Ferguson told Fox Sports after that game that he hoped the team would be awarded two points in hindsight, given their dominant position in the game.”It’s enormously disappointing, we’ve felt like we’ve dominated the fixture for 23 overs and then the lights go out,” Ferguson said. “It’s a pretty frustrating situation, we’re hopeful that at the end of it all we’ll hopefully get the full points out of the game, but it’s hard to know at this stage.”Obviously they’ll be a lot of water to go under the bridge in the next few days.”Both Ferguson and the Thunder’s coach Shane Bond said they felt the light available to them from the light towers which were still working was enough to keep playing in – bowling only spin – but the umpires disagreed. As per the laws, if the Thunder bowled two more overs, getting to the five-over mark, it would have constituted a completed game. Then, the result would have been determined via the Duckworth-Lewis method, making the Thunder favourites after the Heat’s poor start.”We felt like the light was good enough for us as fielders to be able to keep playing,” Ferguson said. “Obviously it’s a bit darker than normal so we did suggest we could just bowl spin, we were happy to concede that.”I’m not sure with what happened from the discussions there, I wasn’t involved in them but from our side of the fence we were keen to get something happening.”While waiting to see if the lights came back on, Bond had reportedly said similar things: “We think it’s safe enough to play. We said we’d bowl our spinners because we want a game of cricket – obviously we’re in a stronger position. The umpires have said… we think it’s unsafe.”The Cricket Australia website quoted a CA spokesperson on the incident, saying: “This is being looked into as a priority. Further updates will be provided in due course.”The power outage was not confined to only the Gabba, but affected a significant part of Brisbane.

The banned Australia batsman came up against his former captain Steven Smith in a club match in Sydney

Andrew McGlashan in Sydney10-Nov-2018David Warner has not contemplated the prospect of his year-long ban from international cricket for ball-tampering being reduced, as he continues his time in grade cricket, which he said had brought him “perspective” after living in a “bubble”.Warner took the field alongside Steven Smith for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal at Newlands in March, as their respective grade teams Randwick Petersham and Sutherland, faced off in a 50-over match at Coogee Oval in Sydney.The pair chatted regularly during the game and shared what appeared as a warm handshake after the match. Warner insisted that talk of the pair having fallen out over what happened, and claims that he had thrown Smith under a bus by not accepting enough blame, was “comedy.”The last couple of weeks have brought more significant changes in Australian cricket in the wake of events in South Africa following the cultural reviews. The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) has made a submission to Cricket Australia that the bans handed to Warner, Smith and Cameron Bancroft should be rescinded in light of the findings, which painted the entire Australian cricket set-up in a dim light.”I’m sitting here with 12 months on the sidelines, that’s the way I look at it,” Warner said as he spoke for the first time in Australia since his emotional press conference on returning from South Africa. “That’s why I want everyone to keep being positive about the guys who are playing [for Australia]. We can’t just sit here and keep saying ‘are they are going to be in or not’.”There’s going to be some negative impact with what happened, but we have to put our best foot forward to make sure Australians are enjoying cricket. We put our hands up, we were ashamed of what happened, but we are here to try and promote cricket. We are trying to get Australians back loving it.”Warner’s time in grade cricket has not been without controversy, however, when he made headlines for briefly walking off the pitch during a match against Western Suburbs, having taken offence to a sledge from Jason Hughes, the brother of Phillip. He later resumed his innings, going on to make a hundred, but it put Warner firmly back in the spotlight.Of the experience of dropping down to a lower level, Warner said it had been a reality check playing alongside people with weekday jobs who have to fit their twice-weekly training around earning a living and then commit their weekends to playing.”You pinch yourself a little when you walk in the changing room and the guys are talking about the working week,” Warner said. “It puts it in perspective, we have been living in a bubble for a long time.”Of what there is little doubt is that plenty of people still want to watch Warner and Smith, who both spent considerable timing mingling with fans. The match drew a crowd well in excess of 2000 by the time Smith emerged to bat in the run chase, with every possible vantage point taken around the picturesque ground. Multiple trips were required to the local supermarket to replenish the barbecue while the bar needed plenty of extra crates – a large number donated by Warner.Neither player managed to cut loose with the bat: Warner was caught at backward point for 13 and Smith was stumped for 48, having struggled to find his timing. But the crowd was treated to some thunderous hitting from Shane Watson, a century by Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond and a match-winning hand from Austin Waugh, the son of Steve. Waugh had earlier been the man to dismiss Warner, as Smith’s Sutherland team came out the winners with two balls remaining.When they are back together for Australia still remains to be seen.

James Hildreth and Lewis Gregory fired for Somerset before the rain set in with Sussex struggling

Valkerie Baynes at Hove24-Apr-2019Chris Jordan said before the start of the season he was keen to show what he could do with the bat and for a while it looked like he might get his chance – until the rain set in.With Sussex in dire trouble at 48 for 4 chasing 284 to beat Somerset at Hove, England World Cup hopeful Jordan was the next man due in. However, by the time the forecast showers arrived – right on schedule at 4pm – the hosts were 62 for 4 from 16.3 overs and, just as the covers were removed for the resumption after a delay of an hour and 45 minutes, the heaviest rain of the day made itself at home for the evening.Play was abandoned with Sussex well shy of the revised target of 131 and Somerset winning by 68 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to make it three wins from as many matches.Jordan, who had gone wicketless in the first two Royal London Cup matches of the season and made 26 runs in his only batting appearance – against Surrey on Good Friday – made a welcome return to form with the ball against Somerset.It was perhaps a timely boost in his last match for Sussex before joining the England one-day squad for the upcoming matches against Ireland and Pakistan, where he has a chance to change the selectors’ minds after missing the preliminary World Cup squad.Jordan took 2 for 42 off eight overs to curb the damage caused by James Hildreth (81 off 92 balls) and Lewis Gregory (50 off 28). But it was in a losing cause after the Sussex top order capitulated in the face of two excellent catches from Craig Overton, who also dismissed danger man Phil Salt lbw.With the threat of rain looming, Sussex won the toss and sent Somerset in to bat, preferring to chase should DLS come into play later. Stiaan van Zyl entered the Sussex side as a replacement for Luke Wright, a late withdrawal because of a stomach bug, while George Bartlett came in for Dom Bess as Somerset opted for an extra batsman in the conditions.Despite a return to wintery temperatures after a short stretch of glorious spring weather, the match was well attended by an appreciative crowd, their cheerful enthusiasm belying closed body language as they huddled from the cold with arms and legs firmly crossed in unison.The Sussex bowlers kept the visitors reasonably well contained with a total below 250 looking likely, but some smart scoring by Hildreth, Tom Abell and particularly Gregory lifted the score to 283 for 8 when Bartlett was run out on the last ball of the innings after a cameo of 19 off nine balls.James Hildreth rocks back to cut•Getty Images

The Somerset total looked to be about on par, with Surrey having posted 274 for 9 on same pitch last week and Sussex successfully chasing down the target in the penultimate over to win by two wickets.But a woeful start to the Sussex pursuit turned things around very quickly.Salt, who scored a towering 137 not out off 106 balls against Kent on Easter Sunday, started ominously by pulling Josh Davey’s first ball to the boundary. But his stay was short-lived when the hulking Overton trapped him lbw for just 7 in the second over.Van Zyl received a second life when, on just 4, he was put down at slip off Overton’s bowling, but he too lasted only a short while longer after cracking Davey to midwicket where Overton took a brilliant catch diving to his left.When Harry Finch was bowled by Gregory, Laurie Evans was shaping up to steady the innings until he hit Tim Groenewald towards deep backward square leg and Overton pulled off his second impressive catch of the innings.Jordan was pleased to be among the wicket-takers, and was confident his team would move on quickly from the result, after opening the season with two wins.”Maybe all being even and there not being rain about, maybe it goes a little bit different but that’s life and we’ve got to take it on the chin,” Jordan said. “On a personal level, I’ve not been up to the standard I’d like to be and that’s just being brutally honest.”I had a decent game against Surrey with ball and bat without getting any wickets but then it didn’t quite come together against Kent but that can happen at times in cricket. It’s just nice to get a little bit of rhythm today and pick up a couple of wickets.”Azhar Ali knitted the Somerset innings together in the face of some sound bowling from the home side. He and Hildreth put on a century partnership which was broken when Danny Briggs tempted Azhar down the wicket and Sussex captain Ben Brown whipped off the bails for a stumping.Jordan returned to the attack in the 40th over and struck with the fifth delivery, removing Hildreth who attempted to drive at a short ball and skied a catch to Finch at extra cover.Abell was eventually caught at short third man by Will Beer off Mir Hamza for 44 and Hamza picked up his third wicket when he had Overton out lbw with a ball that kept low.Jordan was belted through the covers for four by Gregory, who brought up his half-century with two off the next ball, putting the bowler under pressure as he sought quick runs to finish Somerset’s innings. Jordan stood up to the challenge though, and, three balls later sent Gregory’s middle stump cartwheeling with a delivery that was full, straight and fast.When Bartlett was run out via a sharp throw from George Garton, there was a sense the match could be a close one if the weather held out. The rain – and Somerset – had different ideas.