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Bangladesh Under-19 captain Mehedi Hasan Miraz has praised his “unbelievable” team-mate Zakir Hasan for providing him with a calming influence, after the pair’s 117-run stand guided the hosts to the semi-final

Mohammad Isam05-Feb-2016When Bangladesh Under-19’s captain Mehedi Hasan and wicketkeeper-batsman Zakir Hasan came together in the 29th over against Nepal Under-19, it was amidst much tension in Mirpur. The home side were 98 for 4 chasing 212 with a place in the semi-final on the line. Thankfully for Bangladesh, the pair did not panic and took the game away with their 117-run unbroken stand.The partnership was not completely smooth-sailing; only after the pair had batted together for 13 balls did Mehedi smash one through the in-field and get his first boundary. Singles were not missed at any opportunity, but the run-rate kept rising, and by the time the next four came, at the start of the 35th over, Bangladesh needed 86 off 15.5 overs. For the next 7.2 overs, Mehedi and Zakir only picked singles and twos. Finally, in the middle of the 43rd over, Zakir’s swept four off Dipendra Airee gave Bangladesh a release.From the 42nd to 45th over, the pair took six, eight, 12 and 10 runs, which reduced the target from 63 needed off 54, to 27 needed off the last 30 balls. In one instance, they ran three and then took twos off the next two balls before taking a relaxed single. This was in the same over in which Mehedi lofted Sandeep Lamichhane over extra-cover for a boundary. Some of the pair’s running between the wickets looked risky but their overall maturity proved much of it was calculated.Mehedi said that it was Zakir who came up with the calming influence by giving him a plan and then chiding him when the Nepal captain Raju Rijal missed his stumping in the 38th over.”He [Zakir] was unbelievable today,” Mehedi said. “He got back to runs after a long time with this fine innings. It was great timing for the team, as we really needed him today. There was some pressure when we started our partnership. Zakir told me that we will just play on singles, rotate the strike. We won’t go for fours or sixes. His words worked quite well for us.”When the stumping incident happened, I had lost a bit of focus at that moment. The mid-off was up so I tried to hit it over him. When I had settled down after the miss, Zakir told me it is no time to relax. ‘We have to bat long,’ he said. I was fine from that point.”The fifth-wicket partnership was also the coming together of two young men who made it to professional cricket through contrasting circumstances, about 480km apart. When he was growing up in Khulna and falling in love with the game, Mehedi’s father opposed the idea of his son taking up cricket seriously. But Mehedi would sneak out to play matches, and often get caught. However, after winning an award for Best Batsman in an Under-14 tournament, it became easier for Mehedi to convince his father that cricket was where his passion really lied.It was different for Zakir while growing up in Sylhet. Although there was some pressure on him to take studies more seriously, his elder brother brought news that BKSP were holding a trial nearby. Zakir was selected for the sport institute’s branch in Dinajpur, about 568km from his hometown.Mehedi and Zakir came together for the Under-19 national camp during the 2014 World Cup, and are one of five players to play a second World Cup. But despite spending the last three years together in training camps, hotels and cricket grounds, their understanding frayed at times during their fifth-wicket partnership. Nerves were evident from the beginning as the non-striker, whether it was Mehedi or Zakir, continued to get too far out of his crease even when a single was not on offer.There were plenty of close calls as Nepal missed the stumps on at least five occasions with the batsman short of his crease. Mehedi offered an explanation, suggesting that his team was not accustomed to the dimensions of the Shere Bangla National Stadium”The ground is slightly different, sometimes we didn’t understand where the ball was. Say, when we defended the ball we couldn’t at times tell if it went into the gap or not. The ground is quite large too. But we have good understanding, and there can be one or two mistakes. I don’t think it is a major problem,” he said.Mehedi and Zakir were possibly confused by the pronounced slope in Mirpur, which sometimes makes the ball hard to spot when it goes 15-20 yards from the pitch on either side. No matter, they have to get used to this ground quickly for the semi-final against either Pakistan or West Indies, on February 11.

England’s bowling attack, led by James Anderson and James Tredwell, set up a comprehensive victory completed by Jonathan Trott to secure a place in the Champions Trophy final

The Report by David Hopps 19-Jun-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJonathan Trott made sure England had no problems during their chase•Getty Images

England and South Africa had not met in a major ICC semi-final since the World Cup in Sydney in 1992, a match which AB de Villiers admitted before the start of play ended with him “crying myself to sleep.” Grown man now or not, after the mess South Africa made of this tie, he could be forgiven for repeating the experience.De Villiers is no longer an innocent child, he is captain of a South Africa one-day side which throughout his lifetime has repeatedly flattered to deceive in ICC tournaments. So it proved once more. England rampaged through the top order as eight wickets fell for 80. It was a muggy morning at Kennington Oval, England won a favourable toss, and for once the white Kookaburra swung, but South Africa contributed immensely to their downfall.David Miller and Rory Kleinveldt did at least regain a measure of respectability. A record ninth-wicket partnership for South Africa of 95 in 16 overs took them to 175. But all that did was provide Jonathan Trott with a prolonged opportunity to bat much as he wished, seemingly oblivious to the pressure of a Champions Trophy semi-final. He finished with a spritely 82 not out from 84 balls, a seven-wicket win done and dusted with more than 12 overs to spare.Trott’s rate of progress is constantly pored over, his displays routinely regaled by some, condemned by others. As England lost their openers, Alastair Cook and Ian Bell, with 41 on the board, and de Villiers shuffled his bowlers impatiently, looking for a magic trick, no England supporter was carping. They yearned for his stability.Let me watch in peace, they urged him, build your bubble, do it your way. South Africa wanted his wicket more than any other, but Trott and Root, one imperturbable, the other full of vim, confirmed England’s place in the final with a stand of 105 in 20 overs. Root left cursing himself, bowled behind his legs by JP Duminy for 48, but Trott remained productive to the end, completing his ritual post-match scratching of his guard even as Eoin Morgan tried to offer his congratulations.The match was essentially settled by the 23rd over. South Africa batted skittishly, as if 300-plus and the sooner the better, was essential. Critically, they lost their most influential batsman, Hashim Amla for a single and the reverberations of that were felt deep into the order. The coach, Gary Kirsten, voiced what many were thinking. “We choked,” he said. To some extent it was a traditional exercise in self-flagellation because this was not a hugely strong South Africa side from the off.England’s mood was set by the connoisseur of swing bowling, James Anderson, whose opening spell of 2 for 11 was extended to seven overs as his captain, Cook, sought to break South Africa early while the conventional swing persisted.Wickets in the first two overs of South Africa’s innings got England moving. Anderson can cut a serious, brooding figure, but the closeness of the morning left him full of smiles before the start. He removed Colin Ingram for nought with his fifth ball, outswinger followed by inswinger and an lbw verdictSteven Finn has been stalking around the Champions Trophy, none too happy about his omission from the side, but Tim Bresnan’s absence, to be with his wife Hannah with their baby imminent, gave him his first appearance of the tournament. Cook gave him the new ball and challenged him to channel that anger and his fourth delivery brought England the prize wicket of Amla as he failed to withdraw from an outswinger, the first of six catches behind the stumps for Jos Buttler.Even in the early overs, England were planning for the possibility of reverse swing on a dry square later in the day. Stuart Broad began to bowl cross seam, to encourage wear on the ball, as early as the 10th over – and it brought him a wicket, too, as de Villiers was out without scoring, lashing at a wide one and caught at the wicket off an under-edge.Peterson’s appearance at No. 3 encapsulated South Africa’s confusion. He was a pinch hitter in inappropriate conditions. If his left-handedness was perceived as an advantage, Anderson revels against left-handers when the ball is swinging. It was an unconvincing ploy. He acquitted himself better than most, taking three boundaries off a wayward over from Finn before Anderson had him lbw.But this was not just a story about quick bowling. South Africa were so destabilised that a few overs of routine, if intelligently-delivered, offspin by James Tredwell caused further havoc. Tredwell, who was substituting for Graeme Swann, had 3 for 19 in his seven overs as well as causing the downfall, run out, of Ryan McLaren. The bounty that fell upon him was recognised with the man-of-the-match award.No batsman summed up South Africa’s failures more than Duminy. He was all at sea during his 11-ball stay. He survived a first-ball nought when he reviewed an lbw decision for Broad and was reprieved as replays showed the ball had pitched outside leg stump. He then should have fallen lbw third ball but Tredwell, with everything in his favour as Duminy was beaten on the back foot, politely refused a review as if offered a second piece of lemon drizzle cake. Duminy soon chopped on against Tredwell in any case.Tredwell’s success did not end there. Faf du Plessis, who had been as secure as anyone, fell for 26 when he flashed at a quicker, flatter ball and was caught at the wicket.The wicket, though, that brought hearty applause from Swann in the England dressing room will not appear against his name. It was the run out of McLaren who was so unhinged by flight and turn that he ran several paces down the pitch. Trott, who caught the ball at first slip, had the presence of mind to throw down the stumps to effect the run out.At 80 for 8, South Africa’s one consolation was that they batted deep. They at least avoided the lowest one-day score ever made at The Oval batting first, New Zealand’s 158 against West Indies in 1975.They immediately took the batting Powerplay, which Miller greeted by smashing Finn over long-on for six. Miller unveiled his T20 one-legged slash over point, Broad disappearing for six more, and Kleinveldt slugged away when Cook finally felt obliged in the 30th over to introduce his weaker bowlers in tandem.Broad finally ended the recovery with successive short balls to dismiss Kleinveldt and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, first ball. All that remained for England was a regulation dose of Trott, the finest suppressor of panic disorder on the market.

The Colombo weather hurt Pakistan’s push for a result, allowing only 44.2 overs on the second day, during which the visitors added 154 for 3 to their overnight 334

The Report by Sidharth Monga01-Jul-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Azhar Ali gets the hundred, and makes it a big one•Getty Images

The Colombo weather hurt Pakistan’s push for a result, allowing only 44.2 overs on the second day, during which the visitors added 154 for 3 to their overnight 334. It could have been worse for Pakistan after the slow start they made to the day, but their batsmen showed more urgency as the clouds gathered.Azhar Ali might have slowed down in the 90s, but he made up for it through some urgent accumulation after the mark even as rain and Rangana Herath countered the progress. Mohammad Hafeez fell four short of what would have been a maiden double, and Younis Khan continued to provide a case for DRS. Herath bowled a 23-overs spell – 20 of them today – to provide Sri Lanka some sort of control.Ali, who specialises in scoring inconspicuously, remained the centre of attention on the second day. He spent 45 balls in the 90s, but scored 54 off the next 75 balls he faced, once again through ones and twos, almost unnoticed. This was the first time since the infamous Karachi Test of 2008-09 that two Pakistan batsmen reached 150 in the same innings. The two men, Hafeez and Ali, also put together the highest partnership against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka – 287.Ali faced eight dots each on 98 and 99 as Hafeez added 24 to his overnight 172 while Ali moved from 92 to 99. Hafeez seemed bent on beating Ali to the landmark, but missed with a slog to a Herath delivery that was fuller than expected. As the ball hit the leg stump, Herath avoided conceding 100 runs without a wicket, something he has been guilty of only once in his career.Ali wasn’t to be ruffled, though. He remained patient, waited till the field came up, and went after one wide delivery to go from 99 to 103, his second century against Sri Lanka. That boundary was the morning’s 37th run in 14.2 overs, and it didn’t owe to the conditions, which were about as friendly as on day one. Nuwan Kulasekara once beat the edge, and Herath got one to spin past the edge, but that was about all the assistance the bowlers received on the second morning. There was an obligatory outside edge that fell well short.Ali steadily picked up the pace after reaching his hundred even as Younis Khan felt his way into the innings. An afternoon shower then forced the lunch break 12 minutes before schedule. The rain cost about an hour and 32 minutes of play after which Pakistan were decidedly more urgent. Mahela Jayawardene interestingly didn’t go for pace to make umpires wonder if they should walk off in gloomy conditions.Against Herath’s spin and Angelo Mathews’ medium-pace, both Ali and Younis relished. Pakistan added 84 in 18 overs after the break; they had scored 70 in the 26.2 overs before it. Neither of the two had to play a shot in anger as Sri Lanka operated with fields resembling middle overs in an ODI. After a slow start, Younis was approaching the 50-strike-rate when he was given lbw on 32 even though he was hit outside the line of off, the third dodgy decision against him in three innings. One of these days he might break his Provident Fund to pay for the technology required for DRS in matches involving Pakistan.Ali continued smoothly, and duly reached his 150 with a dink down the ground even as Misbah-ul-Haq improvised at the other end. When Ali tried the same, he top-edged a reverse-sweep to fall for 157, equalling his personal best. It was as if the elements didn’t like Herath’s removal after a spell today of 20-2-57-2. A few overs after he was taken off, the rain arrived again, forcing players to take tea 20 minutes before the rescheduled break at 3.40pm.Persistent drizzle meant it was the end of the day’s play too. An overnight declaration might sound a stretch, but wasn’t completely an outlandish idea given how the track shows signs of life only in the morning session.

Hundreds of Australian cricketers will be chasing lucrative Twenty20 contracts over the next month as the Big Bash League teams begin to sign up players

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2011Hundreds of Australian cricketers will be chasing lucrative Twenty20 contracts over the next month as the Big Bash League teams begin to sign up players. While the Don Argus-led performance review tries to get to the bottom of Australia’s Ashes debacle and slump to fifth on the ICC Test rankings, Cricket Australia’s planning for the expanded Twenty20 tournament is in full swing.The six states are this week finalising their contract lists for first-class and 50-over cricket for next summer, but only 14 to 18 players per state will be given a full contract, down from last year’s number. Meanwhile, the eight city-based teams must each sign up 18 men, a process that will start this Thursday when the contract window begins.The expansion of Twenty20 contracts and the decline in Australia’s Test performance is a combination that has some coaches concerned. The Western Australia coach Mickey Arthur believes the bigger salary cap for Twenty20 sides compared to the state teams is the wrong way around for a country trying to climb the Test rankings, while Michael Clarke’s mentor, Neil D’Costa, is worried that the focus on Twenty20 at junior levels could kill Test cricket in Australia.Each of the eight teams must sign at least 14 players during the first Big Bash League contract window, which runs from June 30 to July 22. By December 9 – a week before the first match – they must have finalised a full roster of 18 players, meaning that 144 Twenty20 contracts will be sealed over the coming months.The scrapping of the traditional state teams for the Twenty20 competition means that every player in the country is up for grabs, although the likelihood is that most players will remain in their home states. Sydney and Melbourne each have two teams that must be filled with talent, and every side can sign two international players, with scope to replace those men if their international commitments clash with the Big Bash League.Cricket Australia has also announced that KFC will be the naming-rights sponsor for the tournament after signing a three-year deal.

Australia are to be denied the chance to have a look at Steven Finn ahead of the Ashes this winter

Cricinfo staff07-Jun-2010Australia are to be denied the chance to have a look at Steven Finn ahead of the Ashes this winter. He will have a break from cricket after playing a leading role with the ball in England’s 2-0 series win over Bangladesh and is set to undertake a strengthening programme similar to that performed by Stuart Broad. As such, he will not take part in domestic cricket or any of the ODIs ahead of England’s Test series against Pakistan.”Steven Finn has had an impressive start to the summer and will now undertake a strengthening programme similar to that recently undertaken by Stuart Broad,” said Geoff Miller, England’s national selector. “This will also rule Steven out of the NatWest Series against Australia and Bangladesh before his preparation for the npower Test series against Pakistan.”However, England coach Andy Flower insisted the move had nothing to do with hiding Finn ahead of the winter’s Ashes tour and preventing Australia make early notes about the tall quick bowler. “It does not have anything to do with Australia, or the Australian [ODI] series,” he said.”I would be very strong in the description that this is definitely not rest,” he added. “He will not be resting; he will be doing a very intensive strengthening programme. He is a young man that needs to develop more physically, and there is a window of opportunity to do that. The reason he is being pulled out of Twenty20 is he needs this in the same way Stuart Broad did.”It is the responsible thing to do for him personally and in the best interests, medium and long term, of the English cricket side.”Andrew Strauss and Graeme Swann are also going to be rested ahead of England’s upcoming one-day internationals against Scotland, Australia and Bangladesh and will be unavailable for any Friends Provident domestic Twenty20 games before their international engagements.Miller explained that while Twenty20 cricket gives the players the chance to switch from a Test to a limited-overs mindset, it is important to be mindful of regulating player workloads.”The coming rounds of the Friend’s Provident t20 matches are an ideal opportunity for several England players to switch their focus from Test cricket to limited-overs cricket as we look ahead to the forthcoming one-day International against Scotland and the NatWest Series against Australia and Bangladesh,” he said.”We must be mindful of the management of the players’ workload and their desire to play in what is a hugely exciting Twenty20 competition. Graeme Swann is in need of a well earned break and as a result won’t play any cricket during this period. We believe the best preparation for Andrew Strauss’s build up to the NatWest series does not involve the Friend’s Provident t20 fixtures and as such he won’t be available for these matches during this period.”James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, and Kevin Pietersen will have a week’s rest but will be available to play domestic Twenty20s from June 13. Alastair Cook will receive treatment for an ongoing back injury later this week before returning for Essex on the same date.”I feel for the counties when we make these decisions on players and pull them out of county games,” Flower said. “The directors of cricket and coaches and captains are under their own pressure with results.”When you pull their best players out of competitive matches it is quite a hit for them. I realise it requires a lot of understanding from them, and we very much appreciate it.”Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Matt Prior and Jonathan Trott will be available for all county fixtures until June 15. England play Scotland in Edinburgh on June 19 before five ODIs against Australia, starting on June 22, and three against Bangladesh.

Misson played five Tests for Australia between in 1960-61 and was a pioneer of physical fitness in cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2024Former Australia and New South Wales fast bowler Frank Misson has passed away at the age of 85.Misson played five Tests across the famous 1960-61 home series against the West Indies and the 1961 Ashes tour to England but his Test career was cut short by an Achilles injury. He took 16 wickets at 38.50 including a career best 4 for 58 against West Indies in Melbourne.He played 71 first-class matches, mostly for New South Wales, and finished with 177 first-class wickets at 31.13 in a short career that spanned from 1958 to 1964.Misson was a stellar athlete in his youth, training with legendary Australian athletics middle distance coach Percy Cerutty who famously coached Australia’s Herb Elliott to Olympic gold and a world record in the 1500m in Rome in 1960.Misson carried that fitness and athletics background into his cricket career, bursting onto the scene to take six wickets as a 20-year-old for NSW on Sheffield Shield debut in the last match of the 1958-59 season. At the end of the 1959-60 Shield season Misson was selected in an Australian second XI that toured New Zealand and he took 17 wickets at 12.47.The following summer he made his Test debut against the West Indies in the second Test in Melbourne that followed the famous tied Test in Brisbane.Misson played two more Tests in the five-match series before being selected on the 1961 Ashes tour. Former Australian captain Ian Chappell wrote about Misson’s incredible fitness regime to prepare for the tour.”The 1961 Australian team travelled to England by boat, but Misson was not to be denied his training regime,” Chappell wrote. “As he ran laps of the deck, some of the less physically minded players sitting in the bar saw Misson flash past the window. Perhaps embarrassed by Misson’s zealous workouts, they decided to complicate his exercise regime by placing deck chairs in his path. When Misson hurdled the first set of obstacles and did the same to yet another layer of chairs, the bar rats relented and left him to train in peace.”Misson played the first two Tests of the Ashes series but an Achilles injury caused him issues for the remainder of the tour and he did not play another Test match.Cricket NSW chief executive Lee Germon paid tribute to Misson following his passing.”We pass on our sincerest condolences to Frank’s family and friends, especially all of those that played with him as part of the NSW Men’s Team and the Australian Men’s Team,” Germon said.”Frank’s career was cut short by injury, which was ironic considering the focus he had on health, diet and fitness in an era where sports science was not very prevalent.”His five Test caps are recognition of his talent and determination and there is little doubt that if it wasn’t for injury he would have played many more times for his state and country.”Misson’s attitude towards cricket fitness would have a lasting legacy on Australian cricket with his son David Misson becoming the fitness advisor for the Australia men’s team between 1998 and 2000 as well as with Cricket New South Wales in the early 2000s.

Nathan Lyon, who will be playing his 100th consecutive Test, is keen to use the slope at Lord’s to his advantage

Andrew McGlashan27-Jun-2023Stuart Broad looked cooked. James Anderson wasn’t given the second new ball and looked grumpy. The opening Test at Edgbaston was decided by very fine margins, but it felt as though England’s pace attack ran out of steam for the final push.There has been a reasonable break ahead of the second Test at Lord’s. But if England go unchanged, there’s an opportunity for Australia to put more miles in their legs and see how two ageing greats can manage, although it’s worth stating their superb records at a ground where Anderson has 117 wickets at 24.58 and Broad 108 at 27.42.Of the fast bowlers on show at Edgbaston, Broad, who had an outstanding match, bowled the most overs with 44, followed by Ollie Robinson on 40.4. Then came Anderson (38) before we reach the first Australian with Pat Cummins on 32.2. Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood did not get out of their 20s. Cameron Green only bowled eight, while even Ben Stokes, with his bad knee, sent down 14.Related

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They are largely small differences at the moment, but could soon add up, especially with Lord’s and Headingley being back-to-back Tests separated by only a three-day break. That is where the respective pace-bowling depths, and endurance of those who play on through, will be on show.One byproduct of England’s rapid batting approach is their innings tend not to give the quick bowlers lengthy downtime – they bowled on each day at Edgbaston, albeit only briefly in the first after Stokes’ declaration. By contrast, Australia are happy to bat time, although it is worth noting that 386 runs in 116.1 overs is certainly not slow, even if it doesn’t match up to Bazball and led to Robinson questioning their approach.”Potentially, for sure,” Cummins said about the prospect of wearing down England’s attack. “I’ve played a lot of Tests back-to-back and you certainly feel much fresher when in the first Test match, you’ve had a big gap in between both innings or you only bowled 30 as opposed to 40, 50. Our number one goal when we go out there is to score runs and it doesn’t matter how long it takes.”Nathan Lyon will be playing his 100th consecutive Test at Lord’s•ICC/Getty Images

Australia may have a change to their attack at Lord’s with Mitchell Starc in the running to replace Boland. It would also be a surprise if Michael Neser did not remain with the squad for the rest of the series when the squad is reassessed after this Test.The other key figure Australia have is Nathan Lyon, who will be playing his 100th consecutive Test at Lord’s. Although he finished with an almost identical economy rate to Moeen Ali (4.32 to 4.34) at Edgbaston, Lyon was a regular wicket-taking threat and claimed eight in the game.”It’s a huge privilege captaining him, it’s so easy – just chuck him down one end and he basically just bowls all day,” Cummins said. “In all conditions, being one of the four bowlers that get picked is just hugely impressive. Just the way he’s a man for all conditions, keeps getting better, so reliable.”The Lord’s pitch may not offer him much. There have been 12 wickets to spin in 13 County Championship innings this season, while Jack Leach went at four-and-a-half an over in the second innings against Ireland when the surface flattened out. But it’s a place Lyon has enjoyed bowling on his previous visits in 2015 and 2019, having been omitted in 2013 – the last Test match he did not play – making use of the slope in both directions, even though his six wickets have cost 41.66.”I actually really enjoy bowling here using the slope to our advantage as bowlers,” he said. “I think you can bowl with it and hopefully spin [it] more or you can bowl up and use the angles and hopefully bring in both edges. I don’t think it’s one end got to be the spinners’ end or the fast bowlers’ end. You’ve got to have that ability to adjust and really enjoy that challenge of bowling with it or against type thing. So I think we can use it as a weapon up our sleeves.”[But] we’re not sure what the wicket is going to look like on day one, whether it’s going to be overcast or whatnot. So if the seamers do work and I don’t have to do much and that’s all well and good, but I’m happy to put my hand up in the tough situations and have a crack.”Steven Smith has a look at the Lord’s pitch•Getty Images

Lyon and Cummins were also central in the cat-and-mouse that went on with England’s batters at Edgbaston, particularly in the second innings when the lead was all-important, and they both bowled impressively. Meanwhile, on the opening day, Australia’s largely defensive fields were much scrutinised but Cummins indicated he would remain happy playing the long game even if it meant England could sometimes make the running.”You’ve got a problem solver out there, which is great fun as a captain and as a bowler,” Cummins said. “It’s just maybe a bit more like T20 and one-day game, where the problems that you try to solve are a bit more like that, as opposed to trying to create something from nothing, which sometimes you have to do in a Test match.”I thought we managed to tempos really well last week,” he added. “When we had to attack, we really went for it, but there’s other times where we just had to suck it up and wait.”One win does not mean they have got it all right, but another one at Lord’s this week and it will be hard to question their approach.

Durham left to rue rain earlier in match as Glamorgan recover from top-order wobble

ECB Reporters Network10-Apr-2022Despite a flurry of wickets in the morning session, the final day of the LV=Insurance County Championship match between Glamorgan and Durham in Cardiff finished in a draw after half centuries from Kiran Carlson and Chris Cooke took the home side to safety.The day started with seven Durham wickets falling for 32 runs as Andrew Salter claimed career-best figures. Durham had a first-innings lead of 149 with Alex Lees finishing undefeated on 182.Four early Glamorgan wickets gave Durham some hope of claiming victory but the stand between Cooke and Carlson took the home side to safety with the teams shaking hands with 16 overs un-bowled.Durham will be left ruing the bad weather that took so much time out of this game on the first two days as they were the team best placed to push for a positive result.Durham resumed their first innings 114 runs in front with seven wickets in hand. In a madcap first hour they went from 351 for three to 383 all out. The destroyer-in-chief was Salter who finished with 7 for 45, his first five-wicket haul in the format, as the Durham middle and lower order attempted to press home their advantage with quick runs.Salter dismissed David Bedingham in the second over of the day, well stumped by Cooke with a ball that appeared to swing away from the batter. What followed was a succession of Durham players giving away their wickets with attempted big shots.As his side collapsed around him Lees stood firm, carrying his bat for the second time in his career on his way to his highest first-class score for Durham. While a quick conclusion of the Durham innings may not have been their plan as they started out the final day of this match, it did give them more time to claim the ten Glamorgan wickets they needed for victory.In the 14 overs they bowled before lunch, Durham claimed three Glamorgan wickets with the home side still trailing by 116 at the break. It could have been four wickets before the interval but Paul Coughlin put down a relatively simple chance at third slip that would have dismissed Colin Ingram without scoring.While the morning session was hectic, things settled down after lunch. Durham had Glamorgan 66 for four when Ben Raine had Ingram bowled but a partnership of 90 between Carlson and Cooke took Glamorgan into the lead.It was a breakthrough year for Carlson in 2021 with the Welsh batter scoring 928 first-class runs at an average of 48.84 and he was playing exceptionally before edging one through to the wicket-keeper on 61 off the bowling of Matthew Potts. Glamorgan will be hoping for more eye-catching innings like this one in 2022.Cooke made 59 in the first innings and was 85 not out in the second, those runs combined with the 205 not out he made in the last match of the 2021 season it is an impressing run of scores for the Glamorgan wicket-keeper.Durham take 15 points away from this match while Glamorgan claim 11.

Gunathilaka’s half-century in vain as Galle slip to fourth straight defeat

Madushka Balasuriya03-Dec-2020Jaffna Stallions 174 for 5 (Avishka 84, Bhanuka 40, Asitha 2-30) beat Galle Gladiators 170 for 6 (Gunathilaka 56, Walton 31, Hasaranga 2-29) by five wickets
How the game played out
An all-round display from Wanindu Hasaranga capped off yet another fine display by the Jaffna Stallions, as they won their fourth game on the trot, and subjected the Galle Gladiators to a fourth straight defeat, with an ultimately comfortable five-wicket win.Despite a 44-ball 56 from Danushka Gunathilaka and cameos from Ahsan Ali, Azam Khan and Chadwick Walton, the Gladiators’ batting line-up exhibited familiar failings as they once more faltered in crucial periods of the game. The Stallions, in contrast, showcased their clutch mentality, on numerous occasions, reining in the Gladiators just as they would have been hoping to do some real damage.The chief culprit as far as the Gladiators were concerned would be Hasaranga, who was not only responsible for breaking a threatening 67-run opening stand between Ali and Gunathilaka – completing a extremely tough return catch – but returned later to dismiss Gunathilaka in the 15th over, just as he would have been looking to launch a late assault.That wicket completely snuffed the momentum from the Gladiators’ innings, though Walton’s 14-ball 31 did briefly threaten to reignite it – taking them from 127 for 4 at the end of the 16th over to 152 midway through the 17th. However, after Walton nicked one through to the keeper, the Gladiators just could not recover, taking just 17 runs off the final three overs to limp to a sub-par 170 for 6.In their chase, the Stallions were in control pretty much from the get-go – largely thanks to a mature innings from Avishka Fernando. After Tom Moores fell with the score on 26, Fernando and Minod Bhanuka put on 99 for the second wicket.With less than 50 runs to get, the Gladiators would make a game of it dismissing Thisara Perera, Avishka, and finally Shoaib Malik (in the final over), but Wanindu would prove to be the bane of the Gladiators one final time – his seven-ball 17, inclusive of four boundaries, ensuring there would be no late drama.Stars of the day
While Thisara has rightfully hogged the spotlight over the course of the Stallions’ unbeaten run, Wanindu has arguably been as, if not more, critical to his side’s success. Quietly going about his business with bat, ball, and in the field, Wanindu once again showed what an invaluable asset he his. His control and variations were a constant thorn in the side of the Gladiators on his way to figures of 2 for 29, before his late cameo extinguished any faint hopes the Gladiators might have had of stealing a win.There was something rather ominous about the way Avishka went about his innings; the period of play from the 11th to the 13th over highlighted this perfectly. At the end of the 10th over he was on 35 off 31 deliveries, but realising the scoring rate needed picking up, he took Dhananjaya Lakshan for a six and four. The next over was a tight one from Lakshan Sandakan, but Avishka didn’t panic, calmly turning over the strike – even playing out a dot ball. It was as if he he could up the rate whenever he so chose. Three consecutive sixes in the arc between long-on and midwicket later, these suspicions were confirmed. At 22, this new-found assurance bodes well for the Stallions and Sri Lankan cricket in general.Chadwick Walton smears one away•AFP via Getty Images

Turning point
It’s unusual that an over in which 26 runs were plundered could be a positive for the bowler, but that Usman Shinwari ended the 31-run cameo from Chadwick Walton – 24 of which came in this over – before he could do any more damage, was crucial in limiting the Gladiators’ late charge. Following Walton’s wicket, just 18 runs were conceded by the Stallions over the next three overs – any more and it could have been a much trickier chase.The big miss
In the 18th over of the chase, Avishka flat-batted one hard to long-off. The man in the deep, Shehan Jayasuriya, however, chose to peddle back and stop the boundary instead of coming in for the catch. To compound matters, a misfield would lead to a boundary as well. Two balls later, Avishka would nick one through to the keeper. The umpire had already raised his finger before realising Azam had dropped a sitter behind the stumps. Fortunately for the Gladiators, Avishka would give another opportunity off the final ball of the over, skying a catch to Jayasuriya.Where the teams stand
The Stallions have firmly installed themselves as the team to beat – four wins in four, bowlers performing, batsmen clicking, what more could you ask for? It would take an astounding drop-off in form for them not to make the semi-finals. As for the Gladiators, they don’t really have much margin for error. Though the format of the tournament – where the top four teams go through as opposed to a play-off system – means they can sneak through with a couple of wins, provided other results also go their way.

Shakib Al Hasan credits Afghanistan for the way “they kept us under pressure and under their nose” in the Chattogram Test

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2019Rashid Khan, not yet 21 and in his first Test as captain, spun Afghanistan to a memorable win, by 224 runs in Chattogram, and picked up the Man-of-the-Match award too, for his 11 wickets and half-century in the first innings. It was a time to celebrate, but also bid farewell to Mohammad Nabi from Test cricket, a job Rashid did in style by dedicating his match award to “the legend”.”He has totally helped me a lot and other spinners a lot as well, since I’ve been in the side, and still he is with us in the ODIs and T20s, but in the longer format that experience was always great,” Rashid said. “I wish him all the best and thanks for all your service for the country. I want to dedicate this Man of the Match to Nabi.”While Nabi played his part with the ball in the Test, the performance from seniors and newcomers alike was heartening for Afghanistan, who have now won two of their three Test matches since becoming a Test-playing country. Asghar Afghan, the former captain, hit twin half-centuries, while Ibrahim Zadran, on debut, scored 21 and 87, and Qais Ahmed and Zahir Khan, both debutant spinners, held their own.”Thanks to the almighty Allah for this performance, under my captaincy we won this game against a big side like Bangladesh. We are new in this format, so the credit goes to the coaching staff [and] the players the way they prepared for this game,” Rashid gushed. “Before coming here, we had a camp in Abu Dhabi, that was one of the hottest games I have ever had. After playing in 46-47 [degrees], when you come in this weather, it is very easy for you.”The plan which was given to the players, each and every one – batting, bowling, fielding – everyone just tried and applied himself. The only thing from my side was to keep going out, keep enjoying yourself, enjoy your batting, enjoy your bowling. Much credit goes to everyone in the batting, and the bowlers, the way we did the job. Especially the youngsters Qais and Zahir, and Yamin [Ahmadzai, the quick bowler], the way he bowled in the first innings. So it was a great team effort and we are really pleased with that.”Rashid credited the Afghanistan Cricket Board for putting in place a four-day system at home, which, he said, has helped the youngsters deal with the demands of the longest format well.”The youngsters who are coming, they are applying themselves really quickly. They are learning from their mistakes. Especially now, we have a good four-day structure back home, we play ten to 12 four-day matches. That is helping the youngsters get used to the longer format and not just the T20s or ODIs,” he said. “Everyone was focusing on his job and trying to give 100%. We are really famous with the shorter format but the challenge was for us, especially with the batsmen, to stay on the wicket and spend as much time as possible. They have done a terrific job.”While Rashid was celebrating, Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh Test and T20I captain, wore a desolate look, after overseeing a below-par performance. They were behind the eight-ball for the longest part but, thanks to the weather, had a good shot at saving the Test on the last day, with four wickets in hand and a minimum of 18.3 overs to bat out, light permitting. They lasted just 15.1.”I think it’s a combination of both – application of our batsmen, and at the same time I think Afghanistan bowled really well, so the credit goes to them for the way they played throughout this Test match,” Shakib said, trying to explain the result. “So we need to do a lot of hard work to become a very good, consistent team. But credit goes to Afghanistan for the way they kept us under pressure and under their nose.”Asked if the build-up was wrong, or that Bangladesh’s lack of Test matches in recent times was a factor, Shakib disagreed: “Well, after playing for 20 years, we can’t say it’s a build-up or something like that. It might be [that] these guys are not playing Test match for a while. It has been a while since we played our last Test match (in March in New Zealand), so that might be the reason.”[But we should] just forget this match as soon as possible and we need to look forward to the T20 series, because Afghanistan is a very good T20 side, and we have to play our best cricket if we want to do well in that tournament. [The T20] World Cup [is] coming up next year and we need to focus on our T20 at this moment.”