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After a bit of a break in bilateral series, the clichéd India-Sri Lanka rivalry resumes on Sunday

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Nov-2014Match factsSunday, November 2, 2014
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)Big PictureThe only thing more clichéd than India v Sri Lanka matches now, are jokes about how clichéd India v Sri Lanka matches are. There was a time when incessant reciprocal tours between these teams had begun to grate, but lately, Pakistan has played more against Sri Lanka, and the six most recent India v Sri Lanka ties came at multi-team tournaments.It is not quite a storied rivalry, but interesting sub-plots have brewed in recent years. MS Dhoni hit six off Nuwan Kulasekara to claim the World Cup in 2011, and this year, Thisara Perera got a little revenge for Sri Lanka, when he clobbered R Ashwin over the straight boundary to seal the World T20 final. Virat Kohli rarely fails to dominate the Sri Lanka attack, but Thisara likes playing India almost as much, having first made his name against them. Angelo Mathews and Virat Kohli are the shiny young leaders in world cricket, and with both teams prime contenders for the World Cup next year, the series will see the sides size each other up, perhaps knowing they could be crossing swords in the knockouts in Australia or New Zealand.But India v Sri Lanka matches could also quickly regain their reputation for monotony if Sri Lanka cannot de-rust quickly. India are fit and firing after their clinical victories against West Indies and England. The Sri Lanka team have had six weeks of fitness training on end, so they should all have six-pack abs, but as they have barely netted in the past two months, they may need reminding which lines on the pitch mean what, or where their feet should move when the bowler does that thing with his fingers and wrist that makes the ball bounce weirdly.There is pressure on Sri Lanka’s batting to come good in the series, in order to give the green attack a little breathing space. India’s top four, meanwhile, will expect to take full toll of the opposition’s inexperience. They have rattled plenty of better attacks in recent years.Form guideIndia: WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka:WWLLWIn the spotlightOnly 27, and on the cusp of the 200-ODI milestone, Suresh Raina has divided opinion in the past, but has continued to make brisk, meaty contributions from the middle order. He is going into his 200th ODI with some form. He hit 62 and 71 – both at better than a run-a-ball – against West Indies, and had hit a hundred against England in Cardiff. With MS Dhoni not playing in this series, Raina may have to pick up some slack when it comes time to finishing the innings.There is perhaps no current cricketer who would hate skimping on preparation more than Kumar Sangakkara. Planning and practice are the cornerstones of his game, and when the sudden tour of India was announced, Sangakkara’s displeasure at having so little time to gear up found voice on Twitter. He has been typically prolific this year, hitting 728 runs in 18 ODIs so far, but will his experience see him maintain that productivity? Or will his cricket be more sensitive to less-than-ideal preparation than some others’?Teams newsMohammed Shami’s undisclosed injury will create an opening, and Amit Mishra, Akshar Patel, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav are competing for the two places up for grabs. With two frontline spinners already in the XI, Umesh and Aaron may have the inside track. Wriddhiman Saha has recovered from a finger injury and is all set to take the gloves in Dhoni’s stead.India: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Varun AaronSri Lanka have plenty of gaps to fill in the absence of their two best bowlers, and two batting spots still up for grabs. Upul Tharanga’s 76 in the practice match will probably see him take guard opposite Tillakaratne Dilshan in Sunday’s match, while Ashan Priyanjan is the most likely man to slot into the middle order. Suraj Randiv may play his first ODI in three years, but will probably have to keep seam bowler Lahiru Gamage out to do so. Niroshan Dickwella may play if Sangakkara’s back complaint has not cleared up.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene 5 Ashan Priyanjan, 6 Angelo Mathews (capt), 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Seekkuge Prasanna, 9 Dhammika Prasad, 10 Nuwan Kulasekara, 11 Suraj Randiv/Lahiru GamagePitch and conditionsThe Barabati Stadium groundsman has promised a track full of runs – one on which he expects 280 to 300 to be a good score. Dew may form in the early evening, however, making bowling first the obvious choice for the captains, so long as the pitch looks like it will stay together.Stats & trivia Sri Lanka have played eight bilateral ODI series in India with their best result being a 1-1 draw in 1997-98. India won the other seven India have never lost more than one match in a bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka at home Suresh Raina’s first match of the series will be his 200th ODI. He will become the 12th individual to play 200 ODIs for India. This does not include Zaheer Khan who has also played 200 ODIs, but only 194 for India and 6 for Asia XI. Overall, 66 players have already been part of 200 ODIs If Raina posts a 50+ score in his first ODI of the series, his 200th overall, he will have exactly eighteen 50+ scores in his first 100 ODIs and eighteen in his next hundred ODIs. If he goes on to score 111, his average in both sets of matches will also be exactly the same – 36.45Quotes”I always like being captain of the side. It gives me an opportunity to test myself in different aspects of the game. It’s something that I enjoy, especially having a young side with not so much of experience is always an exciting thing.”
“We are giving opportunities to our bench strength, and [will try to] also see that we keep the winning momentum going. It’s about balancing both the things.”

Ishant Sharma, one of the key figures in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s seven-wicket win against Mumbai Indians at Uppal on Wednesday, has said he is pleased with the way IPL 2013 has gone for him so far

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-2013Ishant Sharma, one of the key figures in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s seven-wicket win against Mumbai Indians at Uppal on Wednesday, has said he is pleased with the way IPL 2013 has gone for him so far. In the Mumbai Indians game, he said, he just looked to stick to his plans and that worked for him.”I assessed the conditions and tried to execute whatever set plan we had for each batsmen. I bowled according to my strengths without thinking about the batsman,” Ishant told the IPL site. “I am pleased that we did well as a collective bowling unit. We kept things simple, without trying anything extraordinary, and did our basics right today.”I have been going in with a relaxed mindset these days, which is something that has worked for me in the IPL. I have been consistent throughout the tournament. My economy rate has been close to seven, which I feel is fair enough to have in this format of the game. I am pretty happy with the way I am bowling.”Sunrisers kept Mumbai Indians to 129 and then chased down the target with a couple of overs to spare. Ishant was the most effective of the home side’s bowlers, taking 2 for 15 in his four, including a maiden over and the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and the in-form Dinesh Karthik. “It is a tremendous feeling to get Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket,” Ishant said. “When I started playing cricket, I never felt I would someday bowl to Tendulkar or be playing against him. It is a big moment for any bowler to get the wicket of one of the best batsman in the world.”Sharma had got both Tendulkar and Karthik in the same over, the fifth of the innings. Mumbai Indians suffered another double-strike in the 13th over, losing Dwayne Smith and Rohit Sharma to legspinner Amit Mishra. Ishant said Mishra’s contribution was vital: “He did a great job by keeping the Mumbai batsmen silent and taking crucial wickets. I guess we bowled well in pairs and did a great job in restricting Mumbai to 129.”Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai Indians captain, said the credit for curbing his side had to go to the Sunrisers bowlers. “Probably we were 10-15 runs short. You have to give credit to Sunrisers bowlers. They bowled well, stuck to their plan,” Rohit said. “Sometimes it doesn’t come off. It was one of those days where our batting didn’t click. In the last nine games we scored more than 70 runs in last five overs but today was one of those days when things didn’t go our way. I thought they played better cricket than us so they won the game.”

Shashank Manohar, the former BCCI president, has said the Indian board should seek a probe into all the IPL 2013 matches by an external investigation agency

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2013Shashank Manohar, the former BCCI president, has called for an investigation by an external investigation agency of all the IPL 2013 matches. Manohar said the BCCI should not solely depend on the board’s and the ICC’s Anit-Corruption and Security Units (ACSU) to keep cricket clean as they do not have the authority to track illegal activities – tracking phone conversations, for example.”The BCCI should immediately file a criminal complaint with the investigating agencies, urging them to probe all 75 games [76] in the current IPL edition,” Manohar told the . “The board should provide them [the investigating agency] with a raw feed of the games as well as CCTV footage recorded at every venue.”It has to deal with this menace with an iron fist. The board or ACSU do not have any machinery or legal authority to track the illegal activities, so it should not depend on these agencies alone.”His comments come in wake of the alleged spot-fixing in IPL 2013, in relation to which three Rajasthan Royals cricketers were arrested on May 16. The controversy has since grown, with top Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan being arrested for allegedly betting on IPL games, and his father-in-law – who is also the BCCI president and managing director Super Kings’ owner, India Cements – N Srinivasan refusing to resign from his post with the Indian board despite mounting pressure to do so.Manohar said in an earlier interview with the that he had spoken to some of the BCCI officials before their emergent working committee meeting on May 19, and told them if they wanted “to clean things up, then do it thoroughly. If, at the end of it all, 13 and not three players are involved in fixing, so be it”.Apart from making sure the IPL is clean, now Manohar said it’s important to have stringent processes in place for international cricket played in India too. “The board should approach the central home minister, requesting governmental support in investigating the criminal actions in any event run by the BCCI, which would also include international fixtures. It should request [the minister] to send an advisory to all states one month before the start of an event, so that the investigating machinery can swing in action well in advance to prevent any match-fixing , betting or spot-fixing.”The BCCI, he said, should ask players to register their mobile-phone numbers with the board, so that the investigating agencies could monitor things with more efficiency.

Rangpur Riders returned to semi-final contention, riding on Shamsur Rahman’s sixth half-century in this season of the BPL

The Report by Mohammad Isam11-Feb-2013
ScorecardShamsur Rahman hit his sixth half-century of the season as he moved to the top of the runs chart•Bangladesh Cricket BoardRangpur Riders returned to contention, riding on Shamsur Rahman’s sixth half-century in this season of the BPL. They beat a weakened Duronto Rajshahi by 19 runs, and replaced them in fourth place on net run-rate.Without Tamim Iqbal (rested after being advised by BCB) and Chamara Kapugedera (also rested according to team owner Mushfiqur Rahman Mohon), chasing nine runs an over was always going to be difficult. Though the decision to give Tamim a break can be justified considering the BCB request, it was bizarre to drop Kapugedera, who had been captain of the side, at such a crucial stage of the tournament.As a result they hardly had a go at the 180-run target, losing their top-half in the sixth over before Mukhtar Ali and Ziaur Rahman hit some big ones to keep some interest towards the end. They added 71 runs for the sixth wicket, but both fell in the 14th over to Abdur Razzak. Ziaur was unlucky to be run-out at the non-striker’s end when Mukhtar’s drive struck Razzak’s boot and hit the stumps. Next ball, Mukhtar edged on to the stumps to end all Rajshahi hopes.The Riders’ bowlers gave little away but during the Mukhtar-Ziaur partnership, newcomer Saju Dutta and Danza Hyatt looked helpless. Kevin O’Brien took three wickets while Razzak and Dutta took two.Shamsur’s 51 helped him take over as the highest run-getter with 418 runs. He continued to give the Riders a brisk start at the top, hitting seven boundaries in his 36-ball knock, and forging important partnerships.He shared a fast 88-run stand for the first wicket with Junaid Siddique before falling in the 13th over to a catch at long-on off Mukhtar. The pace of the Riders’ innings stuttered in the second half as they couldn’t force the pace and lost wickets.Mukhtar chipped in with three wickets, perhaps inspired by being made the captain for the game. But in a side increasingly mired in off-field trouble, he failed to inspire the rest. Abul Hasan, brought back into the side in place of Ben Edmondson, gave away 20 runs in his only over while Isuru Udana, Monir Hossain and Taijul Islam all leaked runs as Riders put up a total which proved too tall for Rajshahi.

Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of all cricket for up to eight weeks by the knee injury which has been troubling him during the New Zealand tour

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland20-Mar-2013Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of all cricket for up to eight weeks by the knee injury which has been troubling him during the New Zealand tour. He will miss the deciding Test in Auckland, which starts on Friday, as well as the IPL with a view to him being fit for the Champions Trophy and the Ashes.The estimated recovery time makes Pietersen doubtful for the return series against New Zealand, beginning on May 16 at Lord’s. He first felt the problem, which could be caused by cartilage damage, during the warm-up match in Queenstown, although it only really came to light when he was absent for a session of the Dunedin Test. England were fielding at the time and it was played down as nothing serious. He made 0 and 12 in the first Test, and although he responded with 73 in Dunedin, he was never fluent but remained on the field.”Pietersen experienced knee pain while fielding in preparation for the four-day game in Queenstown earlier this month, ahead of the Test series,” the ECB said in a statement. “This has failed to resolve satisfactorily.”Recent scans confirm an injury to the right knee with bone bruising and possible cartilage damage to the kneecap. The 32-year-old will return to the UK for further investigations and specialist review.”The injury is likely to require ongoing assessments and a likely six-eight week period of rest and rehabilitation. Pietersen has therefore been withdrawn from all cricket including the Indian Premier League.”The fact Pietersen has not been kept on in New Zealand with the series at stake shows that time is already of the essence to get him ready for the main events of the English season. In 2009 he was forced out mid-way through the Ashes series with a career-threatening Achilles injury.Pietersen’s withdrawal will mean a likely recall to the middle order for Jonny Bairstow, the Yorkshire batsman who has not played since the Twenty20 series earlier in the tour. His previous Test was against India, in Mumbai, when he stood in for Ian Bell who went home for the birth of his child.It won’t be the first time Bairstow has replaced Pietersen in a Test line-up. He came in for the deciding match against South Africa, at Lord’s, last year following Pietersen’s dropping after the text-message controversy. Baristow responded with scores of 95 and 54. In five Tests he has scored 196 runs at 32.66.England will now be sweating on the fitness of two key players over the next two months. Graeme Swann is currently in the early stages of his recovery from elbow surgery after he was ruled out of the New Zealand tour on the morning of the first Test.

With nothing except pride and records to play for, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will both be looking to make more use of their reserves for the final ODI

The Preview by Mohammad Isam30-Nov-2014Match factsDec 1, 2014
Start time 12:30 local (06:30 GMT)Mahmudullah’s return to form has been a huge boost to Bangladesh•AFPBig pictureNo matter the circumstances, there has always been a recurring theme in this series. Zimbabwe lose a game, fight back harder in the next, but Bangladesh somehow just strive to stay on top. There is every chance Bangladesh might take their foot off the pedal sitting on a 4-0 lead, but then again, there is also every chance that Zimbabwe, completely sapped of their confidence following the whitewash in the Tests and the defeats in the ODIs, have already lost hope.With nothing except pride and records to play for, both teams will look to make more use of their reserves. Soumya Sarkar, a seam-bowling allrounder, has been added to Bangladesh’s squad. He is, however, unlikely to bat in his usual opening position as Bangladesh would not want to disrupt the momentum of Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque. Sarkar would possibly bat down the order and be picked as a third seamer.Bangladesh have had a lot of positives from this series, starting right from Tamim and Anamul. Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan have been regular contributors, but the most eye-catching has been Mahmudullah’s return to form. Mominul Haque has been shifted around and rested, but his replacement Imrul Kayes failed to make most of the opportunity in the fourth ODI. Sabbir Rahman has scored on and off, so there will be expectations for him to finish well. Arafat Sunny is no longer part of the squad, perhaps being prepared for the World Cup. Bangladesh have unsurprisingly been comfortable on the spinning front, but there is still scope for improvement from their seamers, as none apart from Al-Amin Hossain have been able to create an impression.For the visitors, Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbura and Solomon Mire are the only players to have scored more than 100 runs. They have looked the most confident too. The likes of Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda have promised much, but delivered little. With the ball, Tinashe Panyangara has been effective while Tafadzwa Kamungozi’s discipline has been quite impressive. Mire and Neville Madziva have had good spells at the top, but they have struggled in the last ten overs. Zimbabwe will ultimately need improvements in all departments if they are to clinch a much-needed morale-boosting victory.Form guide(last five completed games, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWWWL
Zimbabwe LLLLL
In the spotlightTafadzwa Kamungozi has been Zimbabwe’s most economical bowler, giving away 4.05, in the first four matches, without delivering a single maiden from his 38 overs. He is an accurate legspinner who can become a dependable cog in the bowling attack.Mahmudullah got to his first half-century in 18 months, and it ensured Bangladesh got a decent score despite two collapses. He is in his element when either playing attractive shots or rescuing the team. He did both, and finally looks to be back in form.Team newsSoumya Sarkar is set to make his ODI debut but it is not certain if he will replace Imrul Kayes or Sabbir Rahman. Rubel Hossain may be rested to give Taijul Islam a chance, especially if Soumya is used as the third seamer after Mashrafe Mortaza and Abul Hasan.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Imrul Kayes/Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Sabbir Rahman/Soumya Sarkar, 8 Abul Hasan, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Jubair HossainIt has become quite tricky to predict the Zimbabwe line-up in this series. Richmond Mutumbami and Craig Ervine have not played a single game, while Elton Chigumbura has said Sikandar Raza’s injured finger has improved. Timycen Maruma and Peter Moor have also struggled, so the visitors could make quite a few changes.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Timycen Maruma/Sikandar Raza, 4 Brendan Taylor, 5 Regis Chakabva/Craig Ervine, 6 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 7 Peter Moor (wk), 8 Solomon Mire, 9 Tendai Chatara, 10 Neville Madziva, 11 Tafadzwa KamungoziPitch and conditionsThe talk in the air is that it will be a seamer-friendly wicket to give Bangladesh a taste of what they might expect Australia and New Zealand. Mirpur has had sporting pitches in June, so such a surface is expected. The weather has cooled down in Dhaka too, but dew has not appeared in a big way yet.Stats and trivia When he reached 10 during the fourth ODI, Mahmudullah became the seventh Bangladeshi to score 2000 ODI runs. Solomon Mire became the 10th Zimbabwe player to take three wickets and score a half-century in an ODI. Quotes”We are not thinking about the World Cup today. It is definitely our next preparation but right now we are thinking of tomorrow’s game.”
“We haven’t really been outplayed in all of the games. So I think that’s given us a lot of confidence that we have been in the game a lot.”

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the 1st SLPL semi-final between Wayamba United and Uva Next

The Preview by Andrew Fernando28-Aug-2012Match factsTamim Iqbal will be a key player for Wayamba United•Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS/SLPLWayamba United v Uva Next, SLPL 1st semi final
August 28, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
Big PictureBut for a two-run loss when their captain and best bowler were rested, Wayamba United have seemed nigh on unbeatable during the round robin. Their attack had not promised to be one of the best in the competition before the tournament, but in six matches, only once has the opposition been able to breach 150. Mahela Jayawardene’s keen eye for talent has played a role here, as Wayamba picked up two of the tournament’s finds in Akila Dananjaya and Chathuranga Kumara in the local draft, while a host of allrounders and part-timers have also contributed. The batting, meanwhile, has been the strongest on show by a distance. Kamran Akmal has now left for national duty, but he and Tamim Iqbal have been prolific at the top, while Mahela Jayawardene and Dinesh Chandimal have also played big innings.Uva Next have achieved quietly, claiming wins over each of the three weakest teams in the SLPL, but they have not made a strong statement against the other semi-finalists. Hamstrung by the withdrawal of Chris Gayle days before the tournament began, Uva Next have made do with a low-key cast who have pulled together tight performances with the ball and in the field. They’ve been unlucky during the tournament as well, losing their leading wicket taker, Dilhara Fernando, to injury after three games. Their record suggests they are no match for Wayamba United, but if openers Dilshan Munaweera and Upul Tharanga can consolidate on the glimpses of form they have shown so far, perhaps they can put a largely inexperienced Wayamba United bowling attack under pressure.Round robin resultsWayamba United
Beat: Uthura Rudras, Basnahira Cricket Dundee, Uva Next, Nagenahira Nagas, Ruhuna Royals
Lost to: Kandurata Warriors

Uva Next
Beat: Uthura Rudras, Basnahira Cricket Dundee, Ruhuna RoyalsLost to: Nagenahira Nagas, Wayamba United
(Drew with Kandurata Warriors, when rain forced abandonment)
Watch out forTamim Iqbal blazed a ravishing 93 not out in Wayamba United’s opener, but had since played second fiddle to the tournament’s top scorer, Kamran Akmal. With Akmal gone and the less aggressive Dinesh Chandimal likely to be pushed up the order again, the job of providing the rapid starts Wayamba United have grown accustomed to in the powerplays will fall to Tamim.Jacob Oram was not initially picked up in the draft, but has become key to Uva Next’s campaign after flying in as a late overseas replacement. His economy rate of 3.93 is the best in the tournament, thanks partly to the four maidens he has bowled in five matches. If he can keep Chandimal at the striker’s end during the opening overs, early breakthroughs may be in the offing.Team newsUva Next may be even more impaired for the semi-final, after both Andrew McDonald and Upul Tharanga left the field with injuries during the match against Nagenahira Nagas on Monday. Management could not confirm whether either would be available for the match against Wayamba, but if both miss out, it will stretch a side already running thin on big names.Uva Next (probable) 1 Dilshan Munaweera, 2 Upul Tharanga (wk), 3 Thilina Kandamby (capt), 4 Chinthaka Jayasinghe, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Andrew McDonald/ Fawad Alam, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Hammad Azam, 9 Seekkuge Prasanna, 10 Sachithra Senanayake, 11 Charith JayampathiWayamba United have had Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez exit the fray, but have had the local replacements to replace them, and they even chose to play their final round robin match with only three overseas players. Whether seamer Azhar Mahmood gets to play on Tuesday night may depend on the pitch.Wayamba United 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Shehan Jayasuriya, 5 Abdul Razzak, 6 Kaushalya Weeraratne/ Azhar Mahmood, 7 Milinda Siriwardana, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Chathuranga Kumara, 11 Akila DananjayaStats and triviaWayamba United have the two highest totals in the SLPLUva Next have bowled the most maidens in the tournament with six – triple the tally of the next teamDilshan Munaweera is Uva Next’s highest scorer, with 145 from five inningsQuotes”The crowd support we’ve had has been a big plus for us. It really helps us raise our game and we are hoping it will get better for the semi-finals and final.”
“It’s been the ideal scenario to have a month over here before the world T20 which is in these same conditions, so it really couldn’t be any better.”
13.50GMT, August 28: Umar Gul has not left to join the Pakistan team in the UAE as the article originally stated

Lancashire completed a comfortable seven-wicket win over Middlesex at Old Trafford to round off a miserable night of Clydesdale Bank 40 action for the visitors, who were without Eoin Morgan due to travel problems.

16-Jul-2012
ScorecardLancashire completed a comfortable seven-wicket win over Middlesex at Old Trafford to round off a miserable night of Clydesdale Bank 40 action for the visitors, who were without Eoin Morgan due to travel problems.Glen Chapple’s side dragged themselves back into contention in Group A with their fourth win from six matches after restricting Middlesex to 97 for 8 in a match reduced by rain to 16-overs per side. Lancashire were then left to chase a further revised target of 97 off 15.Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Stephen Parry starred with career best figures of 4 for 21 from four overs before Steven Croft and Karl Brown, with 36 not out, anchored the chase with a third-wicket stand of 79 in 10 overs. Croft top-scored with 45 off 34 balls as the hosts moved to joint second with Middlesex on eight points having played one fewer match.Middlesex’s problems began before they had even taken the field because England one-day batsman Morgan failed to make it to Old Trafford in time for the start of the match after his train from London Euston had been cancelled. He had to take an alternative route via York but Ollie Rayner took his place when the toss was made at 4.20pm.The match was reduced from a 40-over match to 32 to 22 to 18 and then 16 due to numerous rain showers. Having been invited to bat first, Middlesex had reached 4 for 0 from two and a half overs when play, having started at 6pm, was halted approximately 15 minutes later. When play finally resumed two hours later, only opener Dawid Malan adapted to the bowler-friendly conditions as he hit a season’s best 48 off 36 balls, including two sixes off Glen Chapple and Ajmal Shahzad.Parry had Joe Denly stumped by Gareth Cross and Paul Stirling caught behind down the leg-side to leave Middlesex 45 for 2 after nine overs. He returned to bowl the last over of the innings, bowling Rayner and having Jon Simpson caught at long-off before Gareth Berg was run out with the last ball as he went for two. Shahzad, Tom Smith and Gary Keedy also struck as only two batsmen reached double figures.Lancashire made a shaky start to their chase by losing Stephen Moore caught at mid-on off Toby Roland-Jones. Smith was then brilliantly caught one-handed at mid-wicket by Berg off the bowling of Steven Crook.But Croft and Brown batted with caution before putting their foot on the accelerator after further rain accounted for the loss of one over. Both hit sixes over long-on – off Middlesex’s Tom Smith and Berg respectively – as the win was secured with 10 balls to spare.

Callum Ferguson and Phillip Hughes both reminded the national selectors of their presence with centuries that kept South Australia firmly on top on the second day against Victoria at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2013
ScorecardCallum Ferguson brought up his ninth first-class hundred (file photo)•Getty ImagesCallum Ferguson and Phillip Hughes both reminded the national selectors of their presence with centuries that kept South Australia firmly on top on the second day against Victoria at the MCG. The Redbacks had claimed first-innings points on the first day after the Bushrangers were skittled for 118, and the second day was largely about South Australia extending their lead in the push for victory.That was achieved with the help of a 98-run fourth-wicket stand between Hughes and Ferguson, which ended when Hughes was lbw to Fawad Ahmed for 103. The century was Hughes’ second from six innings in this Sheffield Shield campaign, and it was followed by a hundred from Ferguson, who has always been a stylish batsman but over a near decade-long career has struggled to pile up enough hundreds to make him a strong Test contender.Ferguson brought up his ninth first-class century with three boundaries in five deliveries from Clint McKay, and his innings ended on 110 from 187 balls when he was caught behind down leg side off the bowling of Scott Boland, who finished with 4 for 62. Ahmed collected 3 for 47, but one of the most interesting wickets of the day was that of Johan Botha, who was out hit wicket when he tried to get his bat out of the way against Daniel Christian and struck his stumps.South Australia finished with 343 and a lead of 225, although that had been reduced to 147 at stumps as Victoria moved to 0 for 78 with Rob Quiney on 31 and Aaron Finch on 39.

Pakistan’s exit from the World Twenty20 has drawn criticism from several former players

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2012Pakistan’s exit from the World Twenty20 has drawn criticism from several former players. Having restricted Sri Lanka to 139 in the semi-final in Colombo, Pakistan were beaten by 16 runs. The team has qualified for the semi-finals in each of the four World T20s so far, winning the title in 2009 and going down to India in the final in 2007.The inconsistency of Shahid Afridi and Imran Nazir prompted former fast bowler Aaqib Javed, who has also been Pakistan’s bowling coach, to question their place in the side. Former captain Zaheer Abbas and legspinner Abdul Qadir were surprised at the decision to exclude allrounder Abdul Razzaq from the playing XI in the semi-final.”I don’t know why these players don’t show the sportsmanship and walk away themselves as he should have gone after Mohali semi-final [in the 2011 World Cup] against India”,” Aaqib said about Afridi. “He had scored fastest hundred 16 years back, it’s the past and it has nothing to do with the present. I don’t understand why Imran Nazir is still there despite previous several unsuccessful comebacks and this is yet another one.””It’s been 12 years that Imran has been playing around the national team and he’s yet to settle. In a player’s career, a one-time sacking is enough [for one] to realise but as many as nine comeback [in his case] are still not enough to learn a lesson,” Aaqib added.Former fast bowler Sikander Bakht echoed similar views about Afridi and called for dropping other senior players in the side as well. “Its time for a change and drop Imran, Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, and ensure they don’t come back again.”Razzaq was selected in the squad after a gap of nine months, but he played just one game in the World T20 this year, scoring 22 off 17 balls in the Super Eights win over Australia.”I don’t think Abdul Razzaq has been treated fairly and given the respect he deserves as a senior player with many match-winning performances to his credit,” Qadir said. “There was no way you could go in to the semi-final without Razzaq after the way he performed against Australia. Unfortunately the truth is he has never been treated properly by the team management and we paid the price today.”Abbas said the captain Mohammad Hafeez had made some poor decisions, leaving out Razzaq being one of them along with not trying Kamran Akmal as opener. “The batsmen didn’t play according to the situation and pitch conditions. I thought 140 was gettable in the match but the execution was missing, and Hafeez got out at a very crucial time. He should have finished off the game.”