At the 24th time of asking Derbyshire have finally won a Championship match at home. When the run was broken, it came in the most unlikely circumstances

David Hopps at Derby23-Apr-2018
ScorecardAt the 24th time of asking Derbyshire have finally won a Championship match at home. When the run was broken, it came in the most unlikely circumstances: Middlesex, the big boys from the smoke, champions in 2016 and the most unlikely relegation victims a year later, vanquished by 101 runs.Derbyshire have got a monkey off their backs, although as it was St George’s Day, it should be conceded that as achievements go that is not quite as exciting as slaying a dragon.When release came at 5.12pm, with 14 overs to spare, a modest crowd let out a brief cheer then got up and went home looking mightily relieved. Middlesex’s last seven wickets had not been relinquished readily.That was particularly true of the ninth-wicket pair of James Harris and Tom Helm who added 106 in 31 overs, taking the game deep into the final session, Helm registering a maiden first-class fifty and Harris, who Middlesex believe can develop into a fully-fledged allrounder, providing evidence for the cause with an unbeaten 62.Although 24 matches might be a long time, Derbyshire have endured worse. Dave Houghton was their coach for the longest unsuccessful home Championship run of all, at the turn of the century, and as fate often has it, he was looking on again in his current role as Middlesex’s batting coach.Then there is always the comparison with Derby County FC. From September 2007, the football club embarked upon a run of 38 league games without a win. During that run they were relegated from the Premier League with a record low number of points and a bookmaker paid out on them being relegated after only six matches.Derbyshire have not remotely reached those subterranean standards. Their home ground has improved markedly in recent seasons, a pleasure to visit, so any sense of better times ahead should be celebrated. And last season they reached the quarter-finals of the NatWest Blast.If they have not yet had cause to move the trophy cabinet out of the Boardroom, where pride of place is given to the 1936 Championship-winning side, at least they have had cause to remember where it is.All in all, they are inured to lean spells in these parts and regard them as good for the soul – something akin to a cricketing diet: you feel all the better when you get the chance to gorge on something tasty. Not many counties have been asked by a senior executive at the ECB: “Why do you bother?” How many reasons did he want? And failure does give the members something to grumble about at the AGM.But things are rarely as bad as they sound. Nearly all bleak runs carry memories of great finishes, of entertainment provided, of chances spurned. Since Derbyshire’s previous home win, against Leicestershire in September 2014, three missed opportunities stand out.Leicestershire might have been beaten at the end of 2015 but when Derbyshire’s eighth wicket fell, with 10 still needed off five balls, the coach at the time, Graeme Welch, insisted that they blocked out because he could not countenance losing to Leicestershire twice in the same season. If only he had known what was to befall them.The following season, they were well placed against Gloucestershire only for the final day to be washed out. And in 2017 most regrets centre around the visit of Northamptonshire when some fine smiting by Richard Levi, who made 99 from 79 balls, enabled their opponents to chase down 326 with three wickets and a ball to spare.Derbyshire had declared on the third evening, setting Middlesex 442 for victory, the highest chase achieved against them in their history. The loss of three wickets by the close had emphasised that the target was purely notional and two wickets fell early on the fourth morning – the nightwatchman, Ollie Rayner, slickly caught to his left at first slip by Wayne Madsen and Max Holden nibbling at a ball from Hardus Viljoen that was angled across him.Derbyshire’s pace bowling stocks are not deep, so it is hard not to watch Viljoen, Duanne Olivier and Ravi Rampaul with a sense of trepidation that they might come to grief at any moment. As lunch approached, Derbyshire were forced to look to more part-time practitioners and it paid better dividends than they would have dared to hope as Paul Stirling, on 42, gave Luis Reece a return catch and Simpson was lbw to Wayne Madsen’s offspin in the final over of the session.Seven down at lunch was a comfortable place to be. Two injured Middlesex seamers, Harris and Toby Roland-Jones, the extent of their injuries not yet known, then resisted until mid-afternoon at which point Roland-Jones’ enterprising resistance was broken by the legspin of Matt Critchley.But the second new ball brought nothing, apart from some playing and missing at wide balls and Derbyshire entered tea still needing two wickets. It seemed to be taking an age. To think that Bob Taylor, one of Derbyshire’s most famous sons, once stood behind the timbers long enough to take 2,069 dismissals: by now two seemed taxing enough.At tea, the Derbyshire photographer, historian and former committee member David Griffin was giving Jigar Naik a mention. “I have nightmares about it still,” he said. Nine years ago, Derbyshire had Leicestershire seven down, and more than 200 behind, entering the final day at Grace Road. They shook hands on a draw that evening as Naik celebrated what remains as his only first-class century.Helm’s previous first-class best was 28, but he made untroubled progress, striking Critchley’s legspin for six shortly before reaching his maiden first-class fifty. He fell lbw soon afterwards, struck on the back leg by the same bowler.Fourteen overs were left when Tim Murtagh, no mug at No. 11 but another Middlesex seamer clearly struggling with injury, was bowled by Olivier as he failed to get in line – the South African’s eighth in the match. Derbyshire had their home win after 1306 days, manufactured by three bowlers with Test credentials;, for Middlesex, it was a reminder that even though they are overwhelmingly fancied to return to Division One at the first time of asking, nothing comes automatically. They know that and they will prosper.

After decimating Sri Lanka by 226 runs at Port-of-Spain, Jason Holder will hope for a repeat showing from his side

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Jun-2018

Big Picture

Sri Lanka had hoped this would be one of their easier away tours this year. West Indies’ home record was modest; Sri Lanka’s Test side was picking up some momentum. But the Test in Port-of-Spain wasn’t merely a defeat, it was a decimation. Twice West Indies’ quicks scythed through the visitors’ top order. Although Sri Lanka had fielded five frontline bowlers, they still could not capitalise on having the opposition 147 for 5 on the first day. On a batting track, only Kusal Mendis could muster a score of over 45 – and even that, only having given two clear-cut chances.When these teams had last met, in Sri Lanka in 2015, West Indies had shown flashes of individual brilliance but had failed to come together as a team. In the first Test, they had no such problems. Commitment to the team cause was visible in the way Devendra Bishoo and Kemar Roach buckled down alongside Shane Dowrich, to haul West Indies to a formidable score. Even with the ball, there were unlikely contributors – Roston Chase running through Sri Lanka’s tail on the fifth day, after the quicks had knocked out the top order.While the hosts surge, Sri Lanka have tactical questions to answer. Is the five-frontline bowler strategy worth persisting with, given Dilruwan Perera’s modest returns with the ball? Kusal Perera is likely to make way for Dhananjaya de Silva at the top of the innings, but can Sri Lanka accommodate Kusal lower down the order, now that Angelo Mathews has left the tour? And is the attack dynamic enough? Or does it require the insertion of Akila Dananjaya?However Sri Lanka chooses to answer those questions, they will be in flux – Lahiru Gamage also having left the Caribbean, with a fractured finger.West Indies are in the unusual position of having to follow up a supremely dominant performance. One fact that may give Sri Lanka some hope is that it has been almost four years, and 31 Tests, since West Indies won back-to-back matches.

Form guide

Sri Lanka LWDDL (completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies WLLDW

In the spotlight

While the opposition struggles with balancing their XI, the man who ensures West Indies have no such issues is Jason Holder. He was part of his team’s the first-innings resistance with the bat in game one, before supporting the frontline bowlers through the remainder of the Test. That he is growing in confidence as a leader was evident from his first-innings declaration – pulling the batsmen out with the score at 414 for 8, in order to bowl at Sri Lanka late on the second day. His batting average is on a gentle forward march, but it is a breakdown of his bowling figures that provides the biggest surprise. In West Indies victories, Holder averages a staggering 17.69, compared to his average of over 50 in drawn and lost Tests. If Holder gets wickets, West Indies tend to be competitive.It was a surprise that Lahiru Kumara took twice as many wickets as any other Sri Lanka bowler in Trinidad. Although he is still hugely indisciplined, the pace and bounce he generated made him effective on a largely unresponsive track. Kumara’s issue, though, has been consistency. He excites on occasion, but can just as easily go wicketless and leak a hundred runs in the next match. With Gamage out of the side, Sri Lanka are desperate for Kumara to provide the same intensity in St Lucia that he had shown in Trinidad.

Team news

Devon Smith’s comeback Test did not go well. But it is possible West Indies will give him another shot at the top of the order, which will, of course, keep Shimron Hetmyer out of the XI. If Hetmyer does play, he will probably bat at No. 3 and Powell will open the innings again. Elsewhere, West Indies are unlikely to make changes.West Indies (possible): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Shane Dowrich (wk), 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Devendra Bishoo, 9 Miguel Cummins, 10 Kemar Roach, 10 Shannon GabrielIf Dhananjaya de Silva plays, Sri Lanka not only gain a batsman averaging over 45 after 13 Tests (though his best performances have come in Asia), they also have a half-decent offspinner in the top six. Perhaps this will prompt them to return to a 7-4 combination, fielding an extra batsman in place of another bowler. Dilruwan Perera, the most orthodox of Sri Lanka’s spinners, also stands to lose his spot to Akila Dananjaya – a far less experienced but more aggressive option.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis, 2 Mahela Udawatte, 3 Dhananjaya de Silva, 4 Roshen Silva, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 6 Kusal Perera, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Lahiru Kumara

Pitch and conditions

The weather is forecast to worsen in Gros Islet over the weekend, possibly causing interruptions.Seam bowlers had done well in the most-recent Test played at this venue – the India-West Indies Test of 2016. Given the home quicks’ dominance in Trinidad, a lively pitch could be expected.

Stats and trivia

• Rangana Herath is now on 418 Test wickets, making him the most-successful fingerspinner in Test history (Muttiah Muralitharan primarily used his wrist to impart spin, though he was an offspinner). Only Murali, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble sit ahead of him on the spinners’ list.
• West Indies’ last back-to-back Test victories came against Bangladesh, at home, in September 2014.
• Three of the five Tests played in Gros Islet have been draws, but the two most-recent matches have produced results. West Indies beat Bangladesh there in that 2014 series, then lost to India in 2016.
  

After a stellar List-A season, Tiwary was left out of six possible supplementary squads named by BCCI for upcoming tournaments. He doesn’t understand why

Sreshth Shah25-Jul-2018Manoj Tiwary, the India and Bengal batsman, feels like he’s stuck in limbo. In a conversation with ESPNcricinfo, Tiwary expressed his disappointment at not being selected in any of the six squads named by the BCCI last week for three upcoming competitions: the four-dayers against South Africa A, the three-team Duleep Trophy, and the quadrangular series involving Australia A and South Africa A, where India will send two teams.”I was hoping to be picked in the India A squads,” Tiwary said. “When somebody performs to his highest, then he should be rewarded. And I had an outstanding 50-over tournament last season, creating a record that no one else has had in Indian cricket history.”In the 2017-18 domestic season, Tiwary scored 507 runs at 126.70, the highest-ever List-A average in a single domestic season in India (minimum 400 runs). He also averaged more than 100 in both the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy, a feat no other batsman has achieved in a season. These distinctions were revealed in a conversation between Tiwary and a statistician he had reached out to on Twitter on Monday evening.

When asked whether a shift in focus on younger cricketers could be the reason for his omission, Tiwary quoted MS Dhoni’s example and said that a lack of communication from the selectors had left him with no clarity on his future.”Everybody in the world knows, age is just a number,” Tiwary said. “At the age of 32 to get cornered for age – that should not be the reason. Everybody heard MS Dhoni’s response to the average age of the Chennai franchise in the IPL. He looked at a player and assessed whether he was quick in the field, whether he has ball sense and if he has agility. That’s how players should be looked at. And as far as fitness is concerned, I’m always up there. I don’t know what more I have to do, there is no clarity from the selectors. And I would love to hear from them. If I can get to know what the parameters are, then obviously I will plan accordingly.”Even I have a dream to play for India, and the only way forward is step by step. I’ve never got an opportunity to play under Rahul [Dravid] , the India A coach, so I wanted an opportunity, to be honest. It’s difficult to make it to the senior team right now, but every time India A plays, it’s important because it allows players the opportunity to go to the next level. But I would really love to hear from the people who are overlooking me. I can’t recollect the last time the selectors spoke to me.”If IPL is the main cause behind the selection, then I had an outstanding 2017. I won the most number of FBB awards [for most stylish player] with Gautam Gambhir, and I was one of the top performers in my team. So that’s why I say I don’t know what metric is being used for selection. That’s why I want to hear from the selectors.”Tiwary, Bengal’s captain for the past season, also said that an intention to win games may have led to lower first-class scores from him, because he had always placed the team above his personal big numbers.”I’ve realised that what you do for the team’s cause, it doesn’t get recognised,” Tiwary said. “People just want to see the numbers on the scoresheet, but forget to notice what sort of pitch we played on or what the game’s result was.”In last season’s Duleep Trophy, I scored 35 on a rank turner in Lucknow, and I was not out, but the umpire gave me out. He apologised later, but when I look back at the wickets I’ve thrown for the team’s cause – knowing that people will look at these numbers at the end of the game – I don’t feel bad, because for me victory has always been first and personal numbers have come later. I used to think they [selectors] looked at how much a player contributes to a team’s success, but seeing the squad selections, it does not seem that way.”Manoj Tiwary in his bowling stride•BCCI

Tiwary last played for India in 2015, when a second-string side toured Zimbabwe for an ODI series, scoring 34 runs in three ODIs. Before that, Tiwary was given a short run in the India squad during the 2011-12 season, when he made his highest score of 104* against West Indies in Chennai, before being dropped soon after. Looking back, Tiwary said those moments stung, and are rather reminiscent of the situation he faced seven years on.”Although I have matured as a cricketer, as an individual, those experiences have stuck with me,” Tiwary said, “After scoring a hundred for India, I was out of the playing XI for 14 games. That’s also understandable because it’s the India team. But you do get frustrated. I’m human too.”It was a team decision and I accept it, but I cannot forget that. I cannot recollect anyone scoring a 100 and getting dropped. I was one of them. So when you get ignored after a good season of cricket once again, all those past memories come back to your mind. And you cannot control the thoughts in your mind. It comes back to you even if you want to push it away.”As a cricketer, we work so hard pre-season for what? To win championships, to be recognised and rewarded, and you know how tough it is to perform at an average of over 100 in both List-A formats, it’s not possible every year. I will try my best to replicate that, but it’s very difficult.”On what the future holds for Tiwary, he said that he has no plans to hang his boots anytime soon. League-cricket commitments keep him occupied when the Indian domestic season is closed, and in his own words, Tiwary is “still very hungry” to make it to the senior side.”I am still optimistic to make it to the India A squads. I am quick on the field, I can read the game well and I have the belief in me to make it to the teams. I also want to go strong like Ambati [Rayudu] and Suresh [Raina]. I know how to make it to the team, all I need is an opportunity. I want to make it to the India A team, but not at the expense of another injured player. I want to make it on my own ability.”The only thing I can do is continuing to play. I am currently playing club cricket in Kolkata, because of which I skipped my stint in Dhaka Premier League this season. Provided I get an opportunity next year, I will again to go Dhaka. I will keep playing until I can push for a senior-team recall. See, the only thing I can do is keep playing. But Dhaka traffic brings the city to a standstill, and I hate traffic,” he said with a laugh.

The match provides Malan a chance to find some form ahead of the Test series while Sam Curran also leaves the one-day squad to face India A at New Road

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2018James Vince has been called up to England’s one-day squad for the deciding match against India at Headingley with Dawid Malan released to take up his place in the Lions side, to face India A in a four-day match at New Road, ahead of the Test series against India next month.Sam Curran, the Surrey allrounder, has also been let go from the one-day side to face India A which he was originally selected for. He made his debut against Pakistan at Headingley and further opportunity could arise when Ben Stokes is unavailable because of his trial in Bristol which starts the day after the first Test is due to finish.Malan is likely to feature in the middle order although he is under some pressure after two lean Tests against Pakistan where he made 46 runs in three innings. Since that series finished in early June, Malan has only played five matches – all for Middlesex – and his last four innings across various formats have been 0, 0, 2 and 0 including a pair in the pink-ball Championship match against Kent.He had been called into the one-day squad on the day of the first match after Alex Hales injured his side. After the England Lions game he has a Championship fixture against Warwickshire – there is a round of matches shoe-horned in amid the ongoing T20 Blast – before the Test series against India begins on August 1.

England Lions team to face India A

Rory Burns (capt), Alastair Cook, Nick Gubbins, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Dom Bess, Matt Fisher, Jack Leach, Jamie Porter

As was the case with Malan, Vince won’t feature unless there is an injury to one of England’s top order ahead of the match on Tuesday but his call-up is acknowledgment for an impressive Royal London Cup campaign where he made 527 runs and captained Hampshire to the title.Vince, who lost his Test place at the start of the season, played the last of his five ODIs back in 2016 on the tour of Bangladesh when Hales and Eoin Morgan both opted out of the trip due to security concerns.He has been selected ahead of Sam Billings, who has been a regular part of the one-day squad but made precious few appearances. He was left out after the series against Australia and said there had been discussions between him and national selector Ed Smith that it was better to get a run of matches for Kent rather than carry the drinks for England. Billings has since found some form with 75 in the Royal London final and a T20 career-best of 95 not out, both against Vince’s Hampshire.There remains the possibility that there is one batting berth up for grabs in England’s World Cup squad next year with Billings, Vince and Malan perhaps in a three-way tussle.Surrey’s Rory Burns will captain England Lions against India A – a side that will also feature Alastair Cook and Chris Woakes – with a chance to further press his claims for Test selection. He is the leading run-scorer across all Championship cricket with 722 runs at 65.63 and could be the next man in line for a chance at the top of the order if another change is needed.Keaton Jennings was recalled in place of Mark Stoneman for the second Test against Pakistan, so will likely start the series against India, but Burns is breathing down his neck along with Nick Gubbins who is also part of the Lions side.

The telecom company’s decision to terminate a contract that was due to run until the 2019 World Cup has caught the BCB by surprise

Mohammad Isam27-Aug-2018Robi Axiata, the telecom company, has ended its title sponsorship deal with the BCB. The board has expressed surprise over the decision, stating it had been in the process of getting players to terminate individual endorsement deals with rival brands – the reason behind Robi pulling out of their second two-year contract, which was due to extend until the 2019 World Cup.”Robi has withdrawn from their sponsorship deal of Bangladesh national team,” BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said. “They have said that since individual player endorsements with conflicting brands wasn’t getting solved completely, they took this decision. But we felt that that they had a different strategic reason.”We couldn’t entirely accept their way of thinking. We took a number of steps after discussing this with Robi. Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal discontinued their individual deals with mobile companies. [ODI] captain Mashrafe Mortaza is also in the process of discontinuing his deal with Grameenphone. Since we were going through this process and they were informed about it, Robi’s decision has surprised us.”In its statement on Sunday, Robi Axiata only said the current deal “falls short in upholding the spirit of the agreement”, without divulging any more details. Robi had first signed a two-year contract with the BCB for BDT 41.41 crore (USD 5.32 million) in 2015, after Amby Valley, an affiliate of Sahara India Parivar, had also prematurely ended their title sponsorship contract with the BCB.Chowdhury said individual players’ endorsements with conflicting brands had been included in the terms with Robi in their second two-year deal, so Mashrafe’s personal deal with Grameenphone, the country’s leading telecom company, wasn’t a problem. Still, Chowdhury said the BCB had asked the ODI captain to end his deal with Grameenphone, who had parted ways with Tamim following the board’s directive earlier this year. Shakib terminated his deal with Banglalink, another telecom company, for the same reason.”Individual players’ conflicting brand has been in discussion for quite some time,” Chowdhury said. “It was a matter of time before they were told to come out of their contracts. We needed breathing space, and we were reaching a settlement with Robi. So this sudden decision is disappointing. Still, we thank them for their support.”These deals were done in different times. Mashrafe signed up [with Grameenphone] when there were no terms with Robi regarding the conflict, during the first two-year deal. It was added later. We addressed it accordingly when Shakib and Tamim did their deals. We mentioned in the settlement agreement with Robi that we are trying to come out of these deals.”Chowdhury, however, said such conflicts would not be allowed in the future. “Players’ freedom and team sponsorship doesn’t really go hand in hand,” he said. “When a player does a deal, the company’s massive branding dilutes the team sponsorship’s own branding. So the board will have to stop players from going into these deals with conflicting brands.”The BCB will now look for a title sponsor ahead of the Asia Cup, which is three weeks away. “Legal teams from both sides are settling the matter,” Chowdhury said. “We will claim the full amount during the course of our contracted period.”We will send out a circular in the next day or two, as we are looking for a new sponsor before the Asia Cup.”

The board also divulged details around team composition and the competition format, as well as the bidding process, which will decide the six venues

Liam Brickhill26-Sep-2018Cricket South Africa will receive help from some of BCCI’s senior administrators in running their new T20 cricket league, CSA’s chief executive Thabang Moroe has announced.”I am delighted to announce that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has accepted our invitation to make some of their senior administrators, who have extensive experience in running the Indian Premier League (IPL), available to assist with the smooth running of our tournament,” said Moroe. “Their experience will be invaluable and will assist in ensuring that the League is one of international standing.”CSA also divulged details around team composition and the competition format, as well as the bidding process, which will decide the six venues. Each franchise’s squads will have 16 players, with a minimum of three and a maximum of four overseas players. Any Kolpak-contracted South African will be regarded as overseas players for the event. The bidding process will be decided by a bid “open to all ICC-accredited CSA Members that will include an independent analysis by an appropriate consultancy firm”, and no venue will host more than one team.The CSA board unanimously approved the six-team format, which would appear to put them on a collision course with previous franchise owners of the original, eight-team event. Some former owners are either considering or pursuing legal action against CSA, who have also recently changed attorneys from Mota Attorneys to Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, Africa’s largest law firm.The announcements came as CSA took a further step forward, a day after announcing public broadcaster SABC as their exclusive broadcast partner for the event, towards the realisation of the T20 league originally pitched early last year by opening applications from South African and overseas players interested in participating in the SA T20 League.The closing date for players to register is October 2, and the player draft will take place on October 17. The inaugural edition of the league will run during the last quarter of 2018, with the tournament starting on November 9 and culminating in the final on December 16.Moroe suggested that CSA are hoping to retain the marquee players – the likes of Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen, Dwayne Bravo and Eoin Morgan – who were part of the original draft for the first, postponed edition of the league last year.”The time is now right for us to register players who would like to participate in our League,” said Moroe. “We will be seeking to secure the services of the foreign and South African marquee players who were recruited for the previous league on two-year contracts. In addition, subject to our international commitments, all the Proteas-contracted players are expected to participate in most of the League.”Any unavailability of Proteas players only affects the first few days of the league when the Proteas will be involved in their limited-overs tour to Australia which finishes with the T20 match on November 17.”

With the ODIs against Zimbabwe beginning later this month, a lot of key Bangladesh players are carrying injuries

Mohammad Isam04-Oct-2018Mashrafe Mortaza and Mushfiqur Rahim, who had injuries during the Asia Cup, are expected to recover in the next two weeks to add experience to Bangladesh’s squad for the ODIs against Zimbabwe from October 21.With the selectors likely to name a preliminary squad by next week, the injuries to Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal have already left a gaping hole in the batting line-up. Bangladesh are scheduled to start a training camp in Dhaka from October 15.According to BCB’s chief physician Debashish Chowdhury, Mashrafe will need two more weeks to recover fully from his finger injury, which he sustained during the Asia Cup match against Pakistan on September 26.”The injury on his little finger is quite serious,” Chowdhury said. “It takes about three weeks to recover. We are hoping that Mashrafe can come back from that injury within two weeks. He was struck by a ball directly. We will have a further scan tomorrow to ascertain how much of a blood clot there is. Once we know about it, we will go for our next course of action.”Mashrafe is not too bothered about the injury though. He said he has already played two matches with it, and his bowling isn’t affected by the injury. The finger comes to use for his batting, of course.”Chowdhury said Mushfiqur, who injured his rib during the pre-Asia Cup training camp in Dhaka, has been rested for a week. “[Mushfiqur] has a cracked rib which usually takes four to six weeks to heal. Ribs usually take time as it is constantly moving. There’s no rest. We have asked Mushfiqur to rest for a week after which we will determine the next course of action.”If their recoveries don’t go to plan, Bangladesh might find it difficult to replace Mushfiqur in the middle order and Mashrafe as captain.The opening partnership was an issue for Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. Mehidy Hasan, who had a 120-run opening stand with Liton Das in the final, was last-gasp measure after Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Soumya Sarkar failed throughout the tournament.Even if the team management is looking to continue with Mehidy as opener in the Zimbabwe series, they would still want back-up. Despite scoring only 20 runs in three Asia Cup matches, Shanto remains the long-term option. Soumya could, for the fourth time this year, sneak into the squad despite a number of failures, as he has always been preferred either by the team management or by the BCB officials.Imrul Kayes could also be in contention for his experience, though he made only one fifty in three Asia Cup matches. Mominul Haque, Mosaddek Hossain and Ariful Haque will be competing for middle-order slots. Mominul and Mosaddek struggled in the Asia Cup while Ariful, who didn’t get a game, recently struck a maiden double-hundred in the first-class competition’s opening round.Mohammad Mithun made two vital fifties in the Asia Cup and would be crucial in the middle order, along with Mahmudullah. However, Tushar Imran, who scored twin hundreds in the opening first-class match of the season, might have to wait till early November as he may be considered for the Test series against Zimbabwe.Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain are likely to partner Mashrafe – if he is fit – in the pace attack, while Abu Hider is likely to continue as their understudy. Bangladesh could pick an extra pace bowler as cover for Mashrafe.Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam could be leading the race to replace Shakib the bowler, though in the recent past the more experienced Abdur Razzak has had more success in domestic cricket. Offspinner Sohag Gazi also made a strong case for selection with a number of notable performances in the last 12 months.Chowdhury said Shakib’s recovery would be determined after a surgeon in Australia assesses him next week. “We have removed fluid twice within the last two-four days from Shakib’s infected finger. He is improving. His infection will come under control in a week through medication. He is likely to go to Australia on Friday, to determine whether he needs surgery,” he said.An update on Tamim’s injury might take about three weeks.

A torrential downpour on the Gold Coast dampened the mood before South Africa inflicted Australia’s third loss in four matches

The Report by Alex Malcolm17-Nov-2018A torrential downpour on the Gold Coast dampened the mood before South Africa inflicted Australia’s third loss in four matches to leave the home side down right miserable.Australia have now lost their last four T20Is and five of the last six on top of losing a one-day and Test series in between times.The rain reduced the game to a 10 overs-a-side on a surface at Metricon Stadium that was hosting international cricket for the first time.South Africa coped with the unknowns of the conditions and the pitch better than their opponents, piling on 108 in 10 overs thanks to a power-packed Powerplay from Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks.Australia’s chase drowned under the scoreboard pressure. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi built the pressure before Chris Morris delivered the knock-out blow in the third over removing D’Arcy Short and Chris Lynn and Australia never recovered.Rain, rain go awayMetricon Stadium on the Gold Coast had set itself for its first international cricket match, just seven months after hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games. But a deluge of rain pre-game, 18 millimetres in total, nearly ensured the match never started. Fortunately, the heavy rain cell passed due to strong winds. The game did start after a delay of nearly two hours, with the playing conditions changing to 10 overs per side, two overs maximum for each bowler, with a three over Powerplay.Pace gets burntAustralia opted for an all specialist pace attack, leaving out Adam Zampa and relying on the part-time spin of Glenn Maxwell and Short. They paid a price in the three-over Powerplay. Jason Behrendorff, Billy Stanlake and Nathan Coulter-Nile were clubbed for 42 in three overs. de Kock and Hendricks feasted on the shorter lengths and inconsistent lines that were offered before Hendricks holed out from the second last ball of the Powerplay. Finch turned to spin post Powerplay and it put the brakes on. Maxwell and Short bowled the next three overs for 28 runs and it could have been far less with a bit of luck. Maxwell had de Kock stumped and should have had du Plessis stumped as well and numerous mis-hits fell safely into the gaps.Chris Morris cleaned up Chris Lynn with a superb yorker•Getty Images

Maxwell’s catchThe innings changed with du Plessis’ dismissal. With 3.1 overs left South Africa had a score of 120 on offer. Du Plessis hammered Stanlake to deep midwicket. Very few fielders in the world could have saved six let alone completed the catch. Maxwell leapt high and took the catch at full stretch above his head while momentum carried him over the rope. He threw the ball up just before his left foot hit the ground over the rope, he balanced, got back inside the rope and made the end result look exceptionally simple despite the incredible degree of difficulty. Coulter-Nile and Andrew Tye then closed the innings brilliantly conceding just 24 runs from the last 18 balls and claiming three wickets with some well-executed slower balls.The old-fashioned yorkerLynn opened the innings in the shortened chase and held the key. He was missed fourth ball of the innings at deep square when Hendricks misjudged a catch that sailed over his head and landed inside the rope. Finch was tied down by some strategic straight bowling and was clean bowled by Ngidi. Short fell first ball picking out cover off Morris. But Lynn is capable of anything. Morris, in his first match of the tour, delivered the perfect yorker. It was fast and straight, tailing in a touch, it slid under Lynn’s bat and crashed into middle. Australia slumped to 3 for 27 at the end of the Powerplay and never recovered. Morris was magnificent taking 2 for 12 from two overs with almost flawless execution throughout. Tabraiz Shamsi bowled very well claiming 1 for 12 from his two overs of left-arm wrist spin and earned the Man of the Match award. Maxwell tried in vain to chase the target down making 38 from 23 balls, which was remarkable in itself as he faced three consecutive dots from Morris while he struggled to keep his shape trying to clear the rope.

The allrounder secured victory and reached her century with the final hit of the match

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2018Ellyse Perry thumped a 59-ball hundred on the ground where she struck a Test double-century a year ago in a fantastic display of striking for Sydney Sixers in the WBBL at North Sydney Oval.After a wide from Heather Graham brought the scores level, Perry crunched the next delivery straight down the ground to bring up three figures.Perry had been moved down Australia’s T20 batting order at the recent World T20 in the Caribbean amid concerns about her strike-rate and the fact the team had so many top-order options.But given the chance to open the innings in the WBBL, alongside Alyssa Healy who was bowled for 2, Perry grabbed her opportunity with a display of wonderful clean hitting that included 14 fours and two sixes.Perry’s hundred was the second of this season’s WBBL following Lizelle Lee’s on the opening weekend of the competition.

Sheldon Jackson also completed a century to help them set up a title bout against defending champions Vidarbha

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy at the Chinnaswamy28-Jan-2019Just over ten years ago in Mumbai, Cheteshwar Pujara had scored an unbeaten 112 to steer Saurashtra to a fourth-innings target of 325 against Karnataka in the quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy. On Monday, he completed a #10SeasonChallenge of sorts, his unbeaten 131 against the same opponents, this time at their backyard, leading Saurashtra home in another tricky fourth-innings chase, sealing a spot in their third Ranji final in seven seasons.Starting day five at 224 for 3, Saurashtra took 17.4 overs to knock off the 55 runs they still needed. Karnataka had too little to defend, with seven wickets still to get, but they made sure they made Saurashtra work for those runs.Sheldon Jackson, who put on 214 with Pujara for the fourth wicket, reached his hundred in the fourth over of the morning with a hooked four off Abhimanyu Mithun. He made a difficult shot look easy, meeting the ball in front of his right shoulder and rolling his wrists over to keep it down. In the very next over, though, Vinay Kumar got one to scoot through low and bowl him.Vinay, Karnataka’s talisman for so many years, and their captain when they won back-to-back domestic trebles in 2013-14 and 2014-15, has endured an ordinary season with the ball, ending with only 14 wickets in seven matches at an average of 33.71. On his last day of the season, however, he was a constant menace through his spell of seven overs, at one point beating Pujara twice in a row, first going past his inside edge and then the outside edge.Ronit More bowled a testing spell at the other end, using the short ball frequently with close catchers on the leg side, and Arpit Vasavada fell to this line of attack, fending one off his ribs to short leg.But, by then only five runs were required, and Pujara, who had calmly weathered all the pressure put on him by Karnataka – which was given an edge by what the home side perceived to be an umpiring error on day four, when they were sure he had nicked Vinay to the keeper – and whittled down the target effortlessly with clips into the leg side and steers down to third man, was still there.He would, however, be at the non-striker’s end when the winning runs came. After ducking three successive bouncers from More, Prerak Mankad got a half-volley next ball, and drove it through mid-off to spark raucous celebrations in the Saurashtra dressing room.