12:08 PM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Ajantha Mendis, perhaps cricket’s original mystery spinner in the video analysis age, has announced his retirement from all forms of the game. The 34-year old last played international cricket in 2015, an ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch. The inventor of what became known as the “carrom ball” – legbreaks

5:29 AM ET Usman Khawaja will lead the Australians in their three-day tour match against Derbyshire starting Thursday, with Alex Carey called in from Sussex to keep wickets and therefore give Tim Paine a breather between the Leeds and Manchester Ashes Tests. Usman Khawaja (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell

6:04 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Ben Stokes‘s incredible unbeaten 135 and match haul of four wickets at Headingley have pitched him up 13 places to No. 13 in the rankings for batsmen and No. 2 for allrounders, while Jasprit Bumrah‘s remarkable 5 for 7 in North Sound have put him in the bowlers’ top ten.

3:03 PM ET ESPNcricinfo staff James Anderson has taken another step in his Ashes comeback plan with a solid day’s work for Lancashire 2nd XI. Anderson bowled just four overs on the opening day of the first Test at Edgbaston before he was struck down by a calf injury which ruled him out of the

7:10 AM ET David Hopps Close General editor, ESPNcricinfo David Hopps joined ESPNcricinfo as UK editor early in 2012. For the previous 20 years he was a senior cricket writer for the Guardian and covered England extensively during that time in all Test-playing nations. He also covered four Olympic Games and has written several cricket

2:55 PM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Lancashire have come to an agreement with Durham to host their Vitality Blast quarter-final at Chester-le-Street, due to a clash between the knockout stages and next week’s Old Trafford Ashes Test. Currently top of the North Group, Lancashire are guaranteed to finish in the top two spots and thereby gain

3:00 AM ET ECB Reporters Network Derbyshire 162 for 3 (Madsen 69, Godleman 57) beat Lancashire 151 for 9 (Livingstone 58, Rampaul 3-19) by 11 runs Derbyshire secured a Vitality Blast quarter-final berth with an impressive and pulsating 11-run win over North Group leaders Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford. The Lightning lost for only the

6:14 AM ET ESPNcricinfo staff Kent have announced the signing of Faf du Plessis for the run-in of the Vitality Blast. Du Plessis had been expecting to play in the Euro T20 Slam, but after the tournament’s inaugural season was cancelled, has signed for Kent instead. He replaces Mohammad Nabi in Kent’s squad, who is

Mohammed Shami flattens Roston Chase’s off stump © Getty Images Managing the workload of their fast bowlers is going to be key for India to win the World Test Championship, India’s captain Virat Kohli believes. After the win in Antigua Test, which made him India’s most successful captain in overseas Tests, Kohli spoke of the

3:00 AM ET ECB Reporters Network Lancashire 218 for 5 (Croft 94) beat Worcestershire 193 for 7 (Whiteley 89*, Maxwell 3-23) by 25 runs Lancashire Lightning secured a top two spot – and a home quarter-final – in the Vitality Blast North Group with a 25-run victory over holders Worcestershire Rapids at Blackfinch New Road.