A round-up of the matches from the Sunfoil Series that finished on March 6, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Stephen Cook’s 37th first-class century helped lay a solid base for Lions•Getty Images

Centuries from captain Dominic Hendricks and opener Stephen Cook, who made 115 on Test debut against England in January, underpinned an innings-and-78-run victory for Lions over Cape Cobras in Potchefstroom.Having chosen to bat, Lions lost Rassie van der Dussen early, but Stephen Cook and Hendricks combined well in a 261-run partnership to propel their side. Cook and Hendricks fell for 150 and 160 respectively, but there was no respite for Cobras. Yassar Cook, wicketkeeper-batsman Nicky van den Bergh, and Dwaine Pretorious all stroked fifties as Lions stacked up 580, before declaring the innings. As it turned out, they did not have to bat again.Cobras, who had managed only 258 in their first dig, fared worse, after being asked to follow on. Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin finished with a match haul of six wickets to clean up the lower order. Fast bowler Hardus Viljoen, who made light work of the top order, claimed figures of 4 for 42 to dismiss Cobras for 244.Omphile Ramela Stiaan van Zyl, Wayne Parnell all had starts, but failed to push on. Parnell had a start in the first innings as well, which he converted to 62 before being pinned lbw by pacer Pumelela Matshikwe. Andrew Puttick scored 73 at the top of the order, but the middle order fell away. Lions ultimately walked away with 19.1 points to narrow the gap at the top of the table. Cobras, on the other hand, remained rooted to the bottom half of the table with just a solitary win in six matches.
ScorecardMarchant de Lange produced career-best figures to help Titans stretch their lead at the top of the points table with a crushing 359-run win against Knights in Centurion. De Lange took 7 for 76 in the second innings to follow up his four-for in the first as Knights were routed for for 164, chasing 524. Only Michael Erlank provided brief resistance with a patient fifty.Titans, who chose to bat, posted 277 on the back of Dean Elgar’s 79 along with handy contributions from Heino Kuhn (45) and Theunis de Bruyn (40). Right-arm seamer Duanne Olivier took his ninth five-wicket haul to restrict Titans.De Lange’s 4 for 34 and Rowan Richards’ 4 for 41 destroyed Knights in their first innings, bowling them out for 122 and gaining a 155-run lead in the process. Erlank was the top-scorer with 27. Kuhn and de Bruyn then continued their form, sharing an unbeaten 254-run stand to push Titans’ lead to 523 before the innings was declared.Kuhn, the tournament’s top-scorer, struck 20 fours and a six in his 244-ball 151, while de Bruyn, who is currently third on the run-scoring charts, hit his 150 in just 174 balls, including 18 fours and three sixes.
ScorecardMorne van Wyk led from the front with a century as Dolphins beat Warriors in little over three days in East London to register their second win in the Sunfoil series.Warriors, who were asked to follow-on, folded for 187, with Andile Phehlukwayo, the pacer, finishing with 4 for 39. The only semblance of resistance came from Jerry Nqolo (64) and Simon Harmer (25), whose sixth-wicket stand of 59 briefly kept the Dolphins at bay.That the Warriors found themselves in the position they did was due to a strong batting performance from the Dolphins. Van Wyk built on the platform laid by the top five by making a 147-ball 122 from as Dolphins declared on 450 for 8. As many as four batsmen crossed fifty, with the second highest being Imraan Khan’s 90 upfront. Harmer, the only Test cricketer in the Warriors’ XI, was the pick of the lot, finishing with 3 for 70.Warriors were driven by Yaseen Vallie, who held one end up to finish 86 not out, but found little support from the others. Six other batsmen got into double digits, with the highest being 29 by BD Walters, at No. 11. The new-ball pair of Craig Alexander and Daryn Dupavillon picked up four and five wickets respectively to force a follow-on, which eventually paved way for a crushing win.

Arun Lal, the former India opener, is in recovery after being diagnosed with jaw cancer and is hopeful of a return to commentating in “two months”

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2016Arun Lal, the 60-year old former India opener, is in recovery after battling jaw cancer and is hopeful of a return to the commentary box in “two months.”Lal’s cancer, which he described as “rare and dangerous,” was identified in January and he underwent intensive treatment, including a 14-hour surgery and replacement of his jaw.”The symptoms were detected in time before I went through a rigorous treatment process,” he told the . “Thank God, I have been able to hold my place.”Lal was known for his fortitude during a seven-year international career as well. He made six Test fifties for India – one on debut against Sri Lanka in 1982 and two against Pakistan in the same match at Eden Gardens in 1987 – and played his final matches for India on the tour of West Indies in 1988-89.Lal struck an unbeaten half-century in the 1989-90 Ranji Trophy final as Bengal ended a 51-year wait for the title. He played first-class cricket until 1995 and was an active presence in club cricket for a further six years. Lal announced his retirement from competitive cricket at the age of 45.Fifteen years later, having persevered through great personal trauma, he feels he is starting anew: “Obviously it is like a new life. It was tough, but I am indebted to the fantastic job by the doctors.”Lal received “calls from close friends” to help with his recovery. Among them was Yuvraj Singh, who had fought against cancer in 2011 and has since returned to playing international cricket.”I know what it feels like because I have been through this,” Yuvraj said. “It’s nice if you can share someone’s pain and help him overcome it. I always try to understand the mindset of the patient because it mentally defeats you.”

The bowling Sri Lanka faced in practice games ahead of the Test series was of modest quality, opener Dimuth Karunaratne has said

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Jun-2016The bowling Sri Lanka faced in practice games ahead of the Test series was of modest quality, opener Dimuth Karunaratne has said. Karunaratne made scores of 8, 16 not out, 0 and 100 not out in three-day first-class matches against Essex and Leicestershire, but felt those outings had been inadequate preparation for the challenge of facing England’s attack.”I don’t think the century in that warm-up game was very satisfying,” Karunaratne told the . “I don’t think that kind of preparation will do any good ahead of a tough Test series. The oppositions we played were basically second-string teams. In our second warm-up game, there were just two fast bowlers and the rest were spinners. I wasn’t too pleased after getting the hundred.”Though he has not made a significant score in the ongoing series, Karunaratne had been one of Sri Lanka’s better batsmen of the past two years, hitting 1283 runs at an average of 38.88 across 2014 and 2015. He was especially impressive in similar conditions in New Zealand, where he averaged 42.12 after four Tests.He said he would have preferred to play a Division One county side ahead of this series. Essex and Leicestershire are both in Division Two.”During the practice game, of the two fast bowlers, the quickest guy bowled just four overs,” Karunaratne said. “Some of the Division Two bowlers didn’t ask many questions. When we play that kind of opposition and all of a sudden play James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the Test match, the gap is huge. We tend to make more mistakes and get out cheaply. When England come to Sri Lanka, they play our A team as warm-up.”Karunaratne made more significant contributions during the 2014 Test series in England, in which he had scores of 38, 16, 28 and 45, as part of an opening partnership which saw Sri Lanka past the 10th over in three out of four innings. The opening partnership has been less steady on this tour, but did survive 16.2 overs in Sri Lanka’s most-recent innings, in which the team went on to make 475.”When we won the Test series here in 2014, Kaushal Silva and I had batted for more than ten overs and we had seen off the new ball threat,” Karunaratne said. “That made things easier for the guys who followed. This time, I got out in the third or fourth over of the first three innings and then it’s hard on rest of the batsmen. We needed to rotate the strike and put the loose balls away and be active always. When runs are on the board, the opposition’s mentality also changes, and they aren’t too attacking. We can hear them talking that runs are being scored and the need to cover certain areas.”Karunaratne has been out to the series’ leading wicket-taker, James Anderson, twice in his four innings so far. He reported having faced a sharper England spearhead.”Anderson this time around is a changed bowler from what we had seen of him in the past,” Karunaratne said. “He has good rhythm. Last time he was only concentrating on swinging the ball. This time what we have found is that he has got the length spot on too. He was bowling lot of inswing for me last time, but this time not a single inswinger. He hits the deck hard and when he does that with the swing he creates, the ball cuts away too quickly. That makes it even tougher.”Conditions at Lord’s are likely to be the most comfortable for batsmen so far in the series, with temperatures forecast to be above 20 degrees right through the Test and a flatter surface expected. The visitors will likely need to add to the six Sri Lankan names already up on the Lord’s batting honours board if they are to be competitive in the third match.”Last time I had got a start at Lord’s, but didn’t know how to build the innings,” Karunaratne said. “The Lord’s wicket has lot of runs. It’s a batting paradise. The swing will be less and the sun will be out.”Mahela Jayawardene had a chat with me and he gave me some options. Then Kumar Sangakkara called me and stressed the need to remain positive. His tips are useful as he has played here a lot. Sanath Jayasuriya too had a chat with me. Currently I take guard on the middle stump. He suggested that I should maybe move between middle and off stump as that allows me to stop playing outside the body. He had done the same thing during his playing days. These are very useful tips.”

When South Africa’s A squad embarks on tours of Zimbabwe and Australia, the transfer of knowledge between players will be as important as catching the national selectors’ eyes

Firdose Moonda06-Jul-2016When South Africa’s A squad embarks on tours of Zimbabwe and Australia, the transfer of knowledge between players will be as important as catching the national selectors’ eyes. The group is a made up of players with international experience and those on the fringes of higher honours, and captain Stephen Cook hopes they will spur each other on.”It’s a great squad, we’ve got a lovely balance,” Cook said at the team’s training camp in Pretoria. “These guys are all fantastic players in their own right, and I am sure we will all learn from one another.”An experienced leader in franchise cricket, Cook takes charge of the A side with an ambition to cement his own place in the Test team. He made his debut in the fourth Test against England in Centurion, South Africa’s last Test in the 2015-16 summer, and scored a century. Cook was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak period for the side, and he will be one of the players they will rely on as they seek to re-start their climb up the rankings.Despite having been around for a long time – Cook has been playing in the domestic set-up for 16 years – he is still looking to develop, this time under Malibongwe Maketa, a coach he has not worked with before. Maketa, the Warriors coach, has been put in charge of the A side and Cook is interested in his insights. “It’s good to get fresh ideas, some fresh thinking from someone who coaches against you and analyses you in a different way to what your coach does,” he said. “Everyone can learn from each other and that makes for a healthy set-up.”The word health has not been associated with South African cricket over the last year, with severe criticism of the structures at both national and domestic level, so to hear someone use it is refreshing. Cook believes there is strong competition as players hope to break into the national side. “Guys here are putting up their hands to say, ‘Hey I want to make that Proteas side in whatever format is required,'” he said. “The guys are all up for it, they have all trained fantastically, our work ethic has been great.”One area where they cannot be faulted – and Cook singled it out – is conditioning, even in mid-winter. “Everyone is fit. In previous years, I have seen criticism levelled that the guys arrive unfit. This year, guys are all in tip-top shape and rearing to go which shows a good attitude,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. If you can control your attitude, that takes care of a lot of the performance.”A central figure in the fit-again stakes is Vernon Philander, who missed most of the previous season after tearing ankle ligaments during warm-ups ahead of AB de Villiers’ 100th Test against India in Bangalore. Philander made a comeback towards the end of the season and is now aiming to reclaim his place in the Test side to face New Zealand in August. He is also hoping to inspire the younger generation.”As much as it’s for me to get back, it’s also to share my knowledge with these guys out here,” Philander said. “As long as I can help the younger ones coming through as well, I think I’ve played my part in South African cricket.”Someone like Sisanda Magala, a fast-bowling allrounder from the Eastern Cape, could benefit from having Philander around. Magala was the second highest wicket-taker for Warriors in the first-class competition and 13th overall with 27 wickets at 27.00, and is making his debut for the A side. “I am very excited. It’s my first time going overseas and my first time playing for South Africa A, so there’s definitely lots of emotions going around,” Magala said. “I will try and be like a sponge and absorb as much as I can, learn from them, because they have been at this level for a long time.”Another hopeful is Cobras’ four-day captain, Omphile Ramela, who has emerged as a promising top-order batsman. At 28, Ramela, who finished ninth on the first-class run charts with 592 runs at 42.28, seems to be entering his prime, and sees the A tour as taking him a little closer to the South African side. “It’s a stepping stone. I am trying to get closer to playing for the Proteas,” Ramela said. “These tours are important. It’s important that we keep learning as players. I am still learning as a player, but I will be trying to help where I can.”South Africa play two four-day matches in Zimbabwe, two in Australia, and then a quadrangular 50-over tournament in Australia, in which Wayne Parnell will take over from Cook as captain.

Bruce Oxenford wore a shield on his left arm while officiating the second Royal London ODI between England and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.

Melinda Farrell at Edgbaston24-Jun-2016Bruce Oxenford may not leap to mind as the first choice to play Captain America in any upcoming Marvel films.But the Australian umpire could have been mistaken for an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, when he marched onto the field carrying one on his left arm to officiate the second Royal London ODI between England and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.While Oxenford had worn the lollipop-shaped guard in April during the IPL match between Gujarat Lions and Royal Challengers Bangalore, and earlier at a World T20 warm-up match between Australia and the West Indies, this is the first time the protective device has appeared in an international match and represents another step towards greater protection for officials.The issue of umpire safety was thrust into the limelight in 2014 when an official died after being struck in the head by a ball during a league match in Israel.Earlier this year Australian John Ward became the first umpire to wear a helmet in an international match during the fourth ODI between Australia and India at Manuka Oval.The shield worn by Oxenford is made from polycarbonate, weighs one kilogram and is six millimetres thick. The version used at Edgbaston is the second incarnation of the device and it was tested in the nets before being cleared for use during the match.An ECB spokesman confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that, if a batsman struck the ball and it deflected off the shield and was subsequently caught, the batsman would be given out, in contrast to the situation for fielders wearing protective headgear. If the ball strikes the helmet before looping to a fielder, dead ball is called.

A staggering innings by Ashar Zaidi that defied both Middlesex, and more pertinently a tired Lord’s pitch, carried Essex to a crucial victory

Freddie Wilde28-Jul-2016
ScorecardA staggering innings by Ashar Zaidi that defied both Middlesex, and more pertinently a tired Lord’s pitch, carried Essex to a crucial victory to keep their hopes of a top four finish and a place in the quarter finals alive.Zaidi hit nine boundaries, four fours and five sixes, in just 24 balls–one fewer than Middlesex managed in their entire innings–transcending the conditions to score 59 not out and single-handedly propel Essex beyond their target of 127 in a 16-overs-a-side match.Zaidi, who has been a key player in Essex’s T20 campaign, scoring 357 runs at a strike-rate of 167 and bowling economical overs, scored 38 off the last 9 deliveries he faced to reduce an equation of 37 runs required off 18 balls to a victory with three balls remaining.The 18th and the 19th overs of the run-chase brought 14 and 20 runs respectively–the first and second most expensive overs of the match as Zaidi launched his assault. Zaidi combined raw power with intelligent sweeps to do what no other player in the match could do and find the boundary with regularity.Truth be told, Zaidi’s pyrotechnics aside this was a disappointing evening. In yet another week in which incessant debate about the structure of England’s domestic T20 tournament overshadowed the actual cricket, a frenetic finish to a tight match failed to mask the reminder that whatever the make-up of the competition if it is played on tired, tacky pitches it is unlikely to be much of a hit.Exactly a week ago for a televised match in front of a record crowd Lord’s got things so right. Seven days later, again for a televised match and in front of a near-capacity crowd, things were just a little underwhelming in a 16-over-a-side contests.Lord’s is uniquely positioned in that it hosts so much cricket that preparing consistently good pitches can be a challenge, but for the richest cricket club in the world it is a challenge that should be overcome.It is not that the cricket was not skilled – if anything playing on pitches such as this, where the ball doesn’t come onto the bat, where cross-batted shots aren’t rewarded and where edges don’t fly for six demands more of a player than truer pitches – but they are skills that you suspect a big mid-week T20 crowd, even at the Home of Cricket, find harder to appreciate.Essex, who won the toss, opted to field, possibly due to the forecast rain, which proceeded to fall shortly after the toss and delayed then shortened the match. Middlesex, having picked two spinners, said they were happy to bat first but in the end the clarity provided by a run-chase on a pitch such as this probably gave Essex the edge.It was perhaps revealing of qualities that should have caught the eye of England’s selectors that Dawid Malan was the only Middlesex player who could cope with a pitch that required more than clearing the front leg and swinging. If it wasn’t for him they may have struggled to make three figures.Essex deserve credit for bowling intelligently, especially in the Powerplay when they used the large boundary towards the Tavern Stand by bowling lines to suit and Middlesex, Malan aside, struggled to mount a response.For the twenty or so overs between the end of Middlesex’s Powerplay and Zaidi’s assault there was a similar and underwhelming theme. The pitch was slow, the bowlers bowled tight lines, cutters and slower balls as the batsmen swung too hard, too often and were rarely rewarded.The defeat for Middlesex prevents them a home quarter-final but if this pitch is anything to go by, then that should be a relief for everyone.

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has narrowed his focus on high performance failings as a reason for the national team’s dire recent displays in Asian Test matches

Daniel Brettig31-Aug-2016James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has narrowed his focus on high performance failings as a reason for the national team’s dire recent displays in Asian Test matches, adding scrutiny to the roles of the team performance manager Pat Howard and the selection panel.In response to repeated questioning about Australia’s three-nil hiding at the hands of an unfancied Sri Lanka in their recent Test series – a result that cost Steven Smith’s side their No. 1 ranking in the longest format – Sutherland’s rhetoric has shifted from patience to a more urgent tone.His latest words, on the day CA announced an additional $500,000 in funding for the Growing Cricket for Girls fund, followed a raft of criticism from former players, including the ex-CA Board director Mathew Hayden and the recently retired captain Michael Clarke, about the decision to rest Smith from the latter limited overs portion of the Sri Lanka tour. While Sutherland defended that decision as a matter of necessity, he was more questioning of how Australia’s players did not appear to be adding the requisite adaptability to their games.”Are some of the fundamental things that we are doing to prepare our players to perform well and be highy competitive in subcontinental conditions passing the test?” Sutherland told “I think that’s where the review gets a little bit more meaty and challenging and more fundamental, going right down into questioning our high-performance systems as well.”To be a bonafide international cricketer in this day and age, you need to be able to adapt to conditions in Australia, conditions in England, conditions in the subcontinent … wherever you play,” he said. “And that adaptability is something that needs to be reviewed because some are adapting and some aren’t.”Speaking about the longer term, Sutherland stated that Australian cricket had to reach a point where “in 10 years’ time when we tour India there is a pool of hundreds of players that could be on that tour”. These words will not be lost on Howard, out of contract next year, or the selection chairman Rod Marsh, also with a deal due to expire in 2017. CA recently hired Graham Manou to manage the junior talent pathway.On the subject of Smith, Sutherland described the captain’s imposed rest as a product of the game’s increasingly cluttered schedule. “It’s obviously far more preferable for him to stay and see that through,” he said, “but the nature of international cricket today and the calendar is that at times we need to make decisions that are in the best interests of the individual and the team.”In coming weeks at the next round of ICC meetings, Sutherland will re-embark on a task he has championed for some time – that of changing cricket’s global structures to allow more room between matches, and greater context so each contest has an easily understandable reason for existing, and by extension greater value for fans and broadcasters.

Ajinkya Rahane, the only centurion in India’s last home series, has spoken of the need to bat better against the New Zealand spinners, who are a more formidable test than Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir and Dane Piedt

Sidharth Monga in Kanpur19-Sep-20161:20

‘First Test will set the tone for the season’ – Rahane

With all the talk around the pitches and South Africa’s capitulation in the Test series last season, the failure of India’s frontline batsmen against spin didn’t quite come under the scanner. Those were some of the toughest pitches to bat on, but if India continue with their strategy of playing on similar tracks, they can’t always rely on Ravindra Jadeja and the tail to rescue them. Ajinkya Rahane, the only centurion in that home series, spoke of the need to bat better against the New Zealand spinners, who are a more formidable test than Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir and Dane Piedt.”We don’t take anyone lightly,” Rahane said of the New Zealand spinners, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Mark Craig. “While we respect them, our plan is to not let them settle down and dominate them.”India began their training in Kanpur on Sunday before the first Test starting Thursday. After a surprise rain shower cut short their first training session, the Test squad had extended practice a couple of hours on either side of Rahane’s press conference.New Zealand’s practice hasn’t been ideal, partly because of the packed international calendar. Playing in the pre-season, New Zealand got just one three-day game to get some match time before embarking on what could become the toughest test in world cricket today. Even their practice match was played on a flat track in Delhi, far from what they will get in the Tests.On the second day of that match, Mumbai, the Ranji Trophy champions who were missing two of their best batsmen, raked up 400 runs. However, just like Siddhesh Lad, the Mumbai batsman who scored an effortless century against the New Zealanders, Rahane stayed away from trying to score any psychological points.When told of the New Zealand spinners’ performance in the warm-up, Rahane was quick to point out how Test matches have a different intensity altogether. “Sometimes in practice matches, you are trying things,” Rahane said. “It is a different mindset. Tests mindset is entirely different. Their spinners are good, they have played with each other, and we will respect them.”One of the reasons to respect the spinners will be that Rahane expects more turning tracks. “Hopefully it [the Green Park pitch] will turn,” he said. “We all know wickets in India are helpful for spinners, and they will turn. That is our strength. It is important to play to our strengths. But as of now I am not sure how the wicket is going to be.”Rahane also said it didn’t matter how long it took to win as long as the wins kept arriving. “We never go in thinking we have to win in three or four days,” he said. “We just want to win matches, doesn’t matter if it is on the third day or the final session of the final day. That attitude matters.”India last played a Test in Kanpur against Sri Lanka in 2009, where spinners accounted for 20 of the 30 wickets to fall, with the hosts winning in little under four days. Rahane will be hoping for a similar result no matter how much time it takes.”We know we are playing 13 Test matches here [in India],” Rahane said. “The first Test will be crucial. This game will set the tone for the season. Yes we are playing ODIs as well but focussing on Tests first. The first Test of every series is crucial. You get that momentum from that. And I feel we all are ready for that.”

A round-up of the latest round of Group B Ranji Trophy matches, in which Rishabh Pant made one of the fastest hundreds in Ranji history and Arup Das bowled Assam to victory

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2016Rishabh Pant smacked one of the fastest centuries in Ranji Trophy history, off 48 balls, to clinch his second hundred in the match as Delhi saw out a draw against Jharkhand in Thumba. The 19-year old batsman, has averaged 81.87 with a strike rate of 96.75 since making his first-class debut in October 2015.Pant, who scored a 106-ball 117 in the first innings, followed it up with a 67-ball 135 to secure a point for Delhi after they were asked to follow on. Overnight batsmen Dhruv Shorey and Nitish Rana put together an 82-run stand for the second wicket, before the latter was dismissed one short of a half-century by Shahbaz Nadeem. Thirteen runs later, Nadeem got Shorey out on 91, before Pant’s blitz of 13 sixes and eight fours ended any chance of a Jharkhand victory. Milind Kumar (65) and Manan Sharma (53*) chipped in with half-centuries as Delhi finished on 480 for 6 at stumps. Jharkhand collected three points on account of their first-innings lead.Assam beat Saurashtra by nine wickets to record their first win this season in Kolkata. Arup Das returned with another five-wicket haul to finish with match figures of 12 for 70, his best in first-class cricket.Saurashtra were skittled for 81 in their second innings, with only three batsmen reaching double figures. There were five ducks overall. The new ball pair of Arup and Krishna Das shared nine wickets between them to trigger a massive collapse that resulted in Saurashtra losing seven wickets for just 30 runs. Needing 66 to win, Assam missed an opportunity to claim a bonus point when Rahul Hazarika was dismissed for 8. Rishav Das, who made a 41-ball 30, and Sibsankar Royl secured the six points for an outright win.Centuries from Ranjit Singh, Subhranshu Senapati and debutant Abhishek Yadav helped Odisha to a draw against Rajasthan in Patiala after being asked to follow on.Ranjit and Senapati put together a 233-run partnership for the third wicket as both batsmen reached centuries before lunch, before both were dismissed in the space of four runs as Odisha slipped from 318 for 2 to 334 for 5. Yadav then struck a 157-ball 115 supported by Saurabh Rawat as they ended on 508 for 6 at stumps. Rajasthan used ten bowlers in the innings, as they settled for three points due to their first-innings lead. Odisha received a solitary point.

USA wicketkeeper-batsman Akeem Dodson has pinned the team’s batting struggles against Canada during the Auty Cup on a mental block that needs to be cleared before the team opens up ICC WCL Division Four in two weeks

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles15-Oct-20162:12

‘My wicket was the turning point’ – Dodson

USA wicketkeeper-batsman Akeem Dodson has pinned the team’s batting struggles against Canada during the Auty Cup on a mental block that needs to be cleared before the team opens up ICC WCL Division Four in two weeks. Dodson, who top-scored with 73 in USA’s 17-run loss, believes his side but needs a little more time to get comfortable in their new roles to establish a winning mentality.”I think for us right now that area is a mental battle more than it is a physical one,” Dodson said of USA’s batting struggles in the two losses to Canada at Woodley Park on Thursday and Friday. “I think the players themselves need to get set in their roles. Once they’re set in their roles and in their position, they’ll start to play much more fluidly, like the players we’re accustomed to seeing most of the time.”I think we can probably compare it to those first couple of games in Ireland [at the 2015 World T20 Qualifier] where we hadn’t gotten into stride yet and we were losing and no one knew which way to go. But all we needed was that one game to get it right and have things clicking and then everyone was all set, three in a row after that. The same thing needs to happen here.”Dodson and opener Fahad Babar added 127 runs for the fourth-wicket, a USA record, but the batting looked bleak after that with all but Dodson, Babar and Elmore Hutchinson – who made 37 not out – failing to reach double figures.Dodson said the team is trying to remain upbeat taking into consideration the standard of competition Canada provides, sitting above USA in Division Three. “Canada is still a level ahead of us so to be competing with them right now where we’re at to be getting better day by day is definitely a plus for us,” Dodson said. “We need to make we keep improving and keep getting better by the time we come up against the other Division Four teams.””So far I think our biggest lesson we’re learning is how long the 50-over game actually is. For guys who are used to playing 40 overs, when you’re playing 50-overs now especially against top opposition, you start to realize this 50-over game takes a bit of time and a bit of temperament batting and bowling to settle yourself and take your time, assess the game, move forward and close it out.”USA has also been affected by the absence of allrounder Timroy Allen and fast bowler Ali Khan during the Auty Cup. Allen had to withdraw due to personal reasons, while Khan suffered a hamstring injury at USA’s national camp in Indianapolis last month. Both are expected to be back in time for Division Four. Dodson said their absence was felt.”They’re definitely senior members in the team and we need them in Division Four to be at our utmost best. Yesterday we had the opportunity to close out the game against Canada and we let the ninth-wicket partnership score 50 runs. I think with Timroy and Ali Khan in that position there, they would be perfect guys to come on and close it out, get those two wickets and wrap the game up.”Timroy Allen and Ali Khan are also excellent fielders and I think in this team here where a lot of the guys are just coming into the team and fresh to this level of intensity and this level of cricket that they get lost sometimes in the field. It’s a learning curve and they’ll improve as we play and get better.”While some of USA’s squad will be heading home after Sunday’s final match in the three-match series work commitments before returning to Los Angeles on October 23 for a week of training ahead of Division Four, Dodson is one of six out-of-town players who will remain in Los Angeles to train with coach Pubudu Dassanayake ahead of their next assignment. He hopes the time spent together will make an impact by the time USA’s first match begins against Bermuda on October 29.”We’re just getting started,” Dodson said. “There’s a lot of room for improvement and a lot of room for us to grow. We’re definitely here to put in the work. Everyone here is committed and ready to see ourselves grow and put the work in that’s going to help us not just win Division Four and move forward to Division Three but to Division Two and Division One and do all the things that we want to do.”