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Ireland’s second successive half-century stand for the last wicket keeps them in the fight

The Report by Shashank Kishore17-Mar-2019
So what should James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Co know about Ireland when England host them at Lord’s in July? One: Tim Murtagh is by no means a No. 11 batsman, although he’ll proudly take the No. 4 spot he occupies in the all-time list for most runs by the last man in a Test. And two: Don’t relax if you’ve picked up nine Ireland wickets quickly. It definitely doesn’t end there.After an epic 87-run last-wicket rescue act with George Dockrell in the first innings that gave Ireland’s total some amount of heft, Murtagh added 58 with James Cameron-Dow in the second to stretch Ireland’s lead to 146 when, at one stage, it looked like it would be a double-digit target for Afghanistan. This after Rashid Khan had run amok, picking up Afghanistan’s first Test five-for after an unimpressive show early in the day, where he struggled for consistency. His performance also dispelled doubts over a finger injury that he picked up while batting at the nets prior to the Test.Then, with the bat, Afghanistan played right into Ireland’s hands up front. Mohammad Shahzad’s decision to cut out all scoring shots, even to deliveries pitched up, seemingly to play for stumps, resulted in Ireland bottling up runs and creating pressure. As it often happens when a batsmen goes into the shell, Shahzad was out to a rank bad ball, getting a faint tickle to one going down leg from Andy McBrine.However, the good work done by their bowlers meant that Afghanistan might not have to bear the brunt of Ireland’s lower-order jailbreak. They ended the third day in Dehradun on 29 for 1 after 16, needing 118 more. Not an utterly dire situation, even though strange things are known to happen on a wearing pitch.Andrew Balbirnie led the Ireland batting charge•AFP

Back to the Ireland second innings – their meltdown against Rashid and left-arm wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil, brought about by fizz on a wearing pitch, was as glaring as some debatable umpiring calls. As many as four decisions went against Ireland, three of those leading to dismissals of key batsmen Paul Stirling, Dockrell and Kevin O’Brien.Dockrell’s in particular came against the run of play, after he’d bunted the bowling for more than an hour to make 25, using his height and solid technique to add 63 for the seventh wicket with O’Brien. He was rooted to the crease, and made the mistake of playing around a quicker delivery, but replays suggested the ball might have missed leg stump.Next was the huge scalp of O’Brien almost immediately after. He had constructed a back-to-the-wall 56, in which he shunned his natural see-ball-hit-ball game to match the situation. It was a slider, which O’Brien looked to play across and was hit on the pad. Once again, replays suggested that the point of impact was on the outer bit of leg stump. No DRS meant no review in either instance.The two wickets came immediately after the tea interval to hurt Ireland, and much like they had lost the well-set Andy Balbirnie and James McCollum immediately after the lunch interval, it set them back by a big way.Balbirnie displayed exquisite technique and resolve against spin to make 82, his first double-digit score in Tests after a pair on debut and 4 in the first innings here, while McCollum was rewarded for his decision to play the spinners out of the hand rather than just off the surface.They added 104 runs to bail Ireland out from a morning wobble when they lost Stirling in the fifth over off a thick inside edge on to the pad off fast bowler Yamin Ahmadzai. S Ravi gave it out and Stirling walked back calmly, not showing a hint of anger or dissent at the decision he had just received.While a number of decisions went against Ireland, it wouldn’t be fair to not laud the Afghanistan spinners. Equally commendable was the show by debutant wicketkeeper Ikram Ali Khil, whose catch off Balbirnie was outstanding. Salamkheil’s flatter trajectory married with bounce off the deck resulted in questions being asked of the batsmen, and eventually resulted in wickets too.Soon after Balbirnie came the wicket of a nervous Stuart Poynter. He glided a shortish delivery to Ihsanullah Janat, who instinctively moved low to his right to pouch an excellent catch at slip. This had Ireland slipping from 137 for 2 to 150 for 5.The trouble didn’t end there, as another umpiring error came back to hurt them when Stuart Thompson was wrongly given out caught at slip by umpire Richard Illingworth. He got outside the line to a sharp-turning legbreak that lobbed off the pad to slip. It couldn’t have been lbw, as the impact clearly outside off. Later, it was clarified on the scoreboard that he had been out caught. However, replays confirmed there was no edge.As much as these decisions may have prevented Ireland from gaining a bigger lead, they could yet make a match of this. If that happens, they will have the lower order and Balbirnie to thank big time.

A loss won’t finish off Sunrisers Hyderabad’s playoff chances, while a win will almost certainly give them the final spot in the last four

The Preview by Saurabh Somani03-May-20193:26

Murali Kartik: Kane Williamson’s form is a big worry

Big picture

One team has everything on the line. The other team has nothing to aim at.If Sunrisers Hyderabad had won their Super Over against Mumbai Indians, they would have been sitting pretty on 14 points and a net run-rate far in excess of what any of the teams that can get to 14 points could realistically get. That would have pretty much guaranteed them a playoff spot, but Jasprit Bumrah proved too difficult to handle, leaving Sunrisers in a must-win position against Royal Challengers Bangalore in what is the last league game for both sides.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Lost to Mumbai Indians in the one-over eliminator, beat Kings XI Punjab by 45 runs, lost to Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets
Royal Challengers Bangalore: No result against Rajasthan Royals, lost to Delhi Capitals by 16 runs, beat Kings XI Punjab by 17 runs

Royal Challengers were the first side to be knocked out of the running for the playoffs, hardly surprising given that they have spent the majority of IPL 2019 at the bottom of the points table. Virat Kohli has reiterated for the past few matches that his side has nothing to lose and will only ‘enjoy themselves’ in the game, and he was right for all practical purposes. This time, he will be right mathematically too, with Royal Challengers truly having nothing to lose, or gain, for that matter.This will once again be a contest between the Sunrisers bowling and the Royal Challengers batting. The departures of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, coupled with Vijay Shankar’s tapering off, has meant Sunrisers’ batting wears a thin look – only Manish Pandey is carrying it at the moment. For Royal Challengers, losing Dale Steyn was a big blow, and now they’ll be without Marcus Stoinis too. Navdeep Saini has been impressive in patches, but even with the last game here, they still seem unsure of what their best pace attack is. In contrast, Sunrisers’ bowling has looked in fairly good shape, while Royal Challengers’ batting has been spearheaded, as ever, by Kohli and AB de Villiers.

In the news

• Stoinis has left Royal Challengers to link up with the Australian team for their World Cup camp. With him in the XI, Royal Challengers were playing only three overseas players. Without him, they have the option of bringing back Shimron Hetmyer, or giving another go to Colin de Grandhomme or Tim Southee.
• Billy Stanlake hasn’t got a game yet for Sunrisers, but his pace and bounce could be useful on a batting-friendly venue. But including him will mean dropping Martin Guptill and an Indian pacer, and probably bringing back Yusuf Pathan to the middle order.

Virat Kohli reacts after dropping a catch•BCCI

Previous meeting

Centuries by Bairstow and Warner were followed by Mohammad Nabi’s 4 for 11 as Sunrisers trumped Royal Challengers in style. Both Bairstow and Warner are no longer there, but Royal Challengers will no doubt remember that exchange, and will want to exact revenge – for pride, if nothing else.

Likely XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Vijay Shankar, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Abhishek Sharma, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Basil Thampi, 11 Khaleel Ahmed Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Strategy punt

• Given Royal Challengers’ opening combination of Kohli and Parthiv Patel, it might be a good idea for Nabi to take the new ball for Sunrisers. This year, Nabi has bowled ten overs in the Powerplay for an economy rate of 4.5 – the best in IPL 2019 (with a minimum of ten overs). His numbers against left-handers are also striking, with an average of 11.5 and an economy rate of 4.5. With Parthiv taking on the aggressor’s role for Royal Challengers and Kohli preferring to play himself in, the introduction of Nabi could stifle Royal Challengers in the Powerplay. Parthiv’s own numbers against offspinners are among his weakest – his strike rate is just 73.7 and he averages only 7.
• Royal Challengers’ run rate in the middle overs since IPL 2018 is 7.6, the lowest among the eight teams. They are particularly vulnerable against spinners, scoring at just 6.6 against them in the middle overs. Can Hetmyer provide the middle-overs thrust they need? Hetmyer’s returns against spin in this IPL haven’t been encouraging but, on the flip side, he’s not had too many opportunities either. If he comes off, he could provide the cushion that Kohli and de Villiers seem to perennially lack.

Stats that matter

• This will be Parthiv’s 200th T20 match.
• Kohli is six runs away from completing 4,000 runs as a captain in the IPL.
• Sunrisers have won four of the last five meetings between the two sides, and hold an 8-5 edge overall.
  

Taylor claims career-best figures after middle two days lost to weather

ECB Reporters Network30-May-2019Matt Taylor claimed career-best figures of 5 for 57 as Gloucestershire’s County Championship Division Two match against Lancashire at Cheltenham ended in a draw, after days two and three were lost to a wet outfield.Gloucestershire had reached 68 for 2 by 4.50pm local time, when the sides shook hands after an eventful match which will be remembered for the freak storm on the first night.Gloucestershire’s opening pair – Miles Hammond and Chris Dent, who reached 8,000 first-class runs during his innings – had put on 55 in 25 overs on the first day as the home side reached 205 in their first innings. Dent and Jack Taylor added 83 for the fifth wicket.England Lions seamer Saqib Mahmood was the stand-out bowler on day one, picking up 4 for 48, with Hammond scoring 82.Lancashire had lost Haseeb Hameed and Jake Lehmann, with David Payne conceding just four runs in an eight-over spell, meaning they resumed the final day on 47 for 2. They set out with a flurry before being reduced to 149 for 5 at lunch.Rob Jones dealt in boundaries, striking a four from the first delivery of the day, as he and Keaton Jennings doubled their side’s score within the first hour. Jones brought up his half-century from 70 deliveries, with nine fours. But they fell in successive Matt Taylor overs, as Jones was caught behind, before Jennings was caught at slip for 52, having just reached his half-century from 141 balls.Dane Vilas gave Gareth Roderick a second catch and Taylor a third wicket, as the visitors went from 105 for 2 to 126 for 5 in just six overs.After losing Liam Livingston five balls into the afternoon, Steven Croft and Tom Bailey led the visitors’ recovery as they gained a first batting point before bringing up their fifty partnership.Taylor claimed his fifth wicket when he had Mahmood caught behind. Croft then drove at David Payne at mid-off from Ryan Higgins, who almost picked up a second wicket in two balls when a Jimmy Anderson edge fell just short of the slip cordon. Anderson survived a similar delivery in the following over before sending Taylor over the Chapel End boundary for the first and only maximum of the match.Payne rounded off the Lancashire innings, when he had Richard Gleeson caught at slip, with an early tea taken.Gloucestershire began their second innings 39 runs adrift, and lost Hammond in the tenth over when he was caught at slip off Bailey. James Bracey, glancing down the legside, was caught behind off Richard Gleeson in the 18th over, by which time the home side were marginally ahead.

Ali Khan and Hayden Walsh Jr have turned down contracts, and can participate in T20 leagues around the world as free agents

Peter Della Penna21-Jul-2019The USA men’s national team players are starting to reap the rewards of gaining ODI status, with a total of 17 players awarded central contracts through funding supplied by the recent investment deal signed with American Cricket Enterprises. However, it has also sparked a tipping point in the club v country debate as some have pulled out of the Global T20 Canada after signing a USA Cricket retainer, while others have opted to forgo a central contract to keep their options open for franchise cricket.According to multiple ESPNcricinfo sources, two key USA players have turned down central contracts: Ali Khan and Hayden Walsh Jr. They are the only two USA players who were drafted in both the Global T20 Canada – where they will be teammates at Vancouver Knights – and in the Caribbean Premier League. Ali Khan is returning to Trinbago Knight Riders while Walsh Jr. has switched from St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to Barbados Tridents for the 2019 season. Accepting a USA contract would have opened up the possibility that they would be denied No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in these, and other, T20 leagues. However, both Ali Khan and Walsh Jr can play for USA on a match-fee basis, even though they chose not to accept a contract.Conversely, five USA players have received one-year central contracts while 12 others have received three-month deals. The five players to secure one-year deals are batsmen Steven Taylor, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel and Aaron Jones, and medium pacer Jessy Singh. Both Taylor and Jones had recently lost their central contracts with Jamaica and Barbados respectively in the Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League after not being retained in April’s PCL draft.However, USA captain Saurabh Netravalkar and vice-captain Jaskaran Malhotra were not given one-year deals. Instead, they have been given three-month contracts along with the majority of those who made up USA’s squad from WCL Division Two in Namibia this past April that secured ODI status for the country through 2022. The only player not offered a contract from that squad was Roy Silva, the 39-year-old allrounder.Consequently it means that Taylor, Singh and Timil Patel have withdrawn from the Global T20 Canada which starts on July 25 in Brampton, Ontario. It represents a shift in priorities for Taylor, who in the summer of 2015 had withdrawn from USA’s squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland to take up a rookie contract with Barbados Tridents and had stated ambitions to one day represent West Indies.Two other USA players taken in the Global T20 Canada, fast bowler Kyle Phillip and batsman Sunny Sohal, were not offered USA Cricket contracts and have remained in the tournament. The availability of Netravalkar, Marshall and Jones for the CPL – drafted by Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots respectively – is unclear.Aside from that group, six other players have been given three-month contracts by USA Cricket in the buildup to the T20 World Cup Qualifying. They are former South African international Rusty Theron, former USA vice-captain Timroy Allen, Hampshire medium pace allrounder Ian Holland, former Guyana Under-19 batsman Akshay Homraj, left-arm spinning allrounder Nisarg Patel and batsman Sagar Patel.The three-month contracts are dated to begin on July 22 when all contracted players will fly to Los Angeles for the start of a three-week training camp at Woodley Park, the site of USA squad trials that were held last month. The training camp is in preparation for the next round of 2020 T20 World Cup Qualifying, when USA travels to Bermuda to take on the host side, Canada and Cayman Islands in a double round-robin event from August 18-25. The top two teams advance to the global T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE from October 11 to November 4.Following the conclusion of the qualifier in Bermuda, USA’s next action is their first home ODIs against Namibia and Papua New Guinea from September 7 to 14.The series was originally announced by the ICC in May to be hosted at Church Street Park in the Raleigh, North Carolina suburb of Morrisville. But USA Cricket officials have confirmed that Raleigh will no longer host the matches. A new turf facility paid for by ACE funding which is nearing completion in the Silicon Valley town of Morgan Hill, California, is a leading candidate. If the facility does not receive clearance from the ICC in time, then Woodley Park in Los Angeles is the most likely alternative. The most recent international cricket to take place at Woodley was in November 2016 when USA hosted WCL Division Four. ACE hired a full-time groundsman for Woodley Park in June, brought in from India, to get the pitches at the facility back into suitable condition.After the completion of USA’s home ODIs in September, all USA contracted players who are not part of CPL squads are expected to be flown to Bangalore for another three-week camp at India’s National Cricket Academy. The camp will serve as their final preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE in October.USA Cricket 12-month contracts: Aaron Jones, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor.USA Cricket three-month contracts: Timroy Allen, Karima Gore, Ian Holland, Akshay Homraj, Elmore Hutchinson, Nosthush Kenjige, Jaskaran Malhotra, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nisarg Patel, Sagar Patel, Timil Patel, Rusty Theron.

England’s leading players will be made available for the first couple of weeks of The Hundred, as well as the tournament’s final

George Dobell09-Aug-2019The ECB is set to confirm a window for The Hundred which will allow England’s best-known players to participate in the first few games of the tournament next summer.A 13-day window in England’s international schedule will enable some England stars to participate early in the tournament, giving it a better chance to attract public interest. Several games in the tournament will be shown free-to-air on the BBC.The first match in the competition will be played on Friday July 17 (the day after England play Australia in an ODI) with two games on each of the following days. The final will be held on August 15, with a reserve day in case of rain. England players are also expected to be made available for the final.The new format could have implications on the legislation that allows foreign players to participate in it, with the ECB having second thoughts over a request to the Home Office to change the eligibility for work permit criteria specifically for the competition. The ECB have now asked the Home Office to grant work permits for all competitions if players have “played 20 ICC Full Member country domestic T20 matches between October 2017 – September 2019 (appearances are aggregated across all ICC Full Member T20 competitions)”, in addition to the existing criteria which relate to international appearances. The Home Office have yet to confirm that criterion but are highly likely to do so.The ECB has also relented on a previous decision to bar cricketers unqualified for England from next season’s 50-over competition. While they had said previously the tournament should be viewed as a “development competition” – with no overseas players eligible to participate – they have subsequently had a change of heart on the grounds that the standard of the competition, which is taking place at the same time as The Hundred, could be diluted beyond an acceptable level. As a consequence, one unqualified player will be allowed per team, per game.In recognition of the crowded schedule and the time required to register players, counties will be permitted to increase the number of overseas players registered at any particular time from the start of next year. It will not affect the number permitted to play in each game – which will remain two in T20 and one in the Championship – but next season counties will be allowed to have three overseas players registered at any one time in recognition of the crowded schedule and the time required to register players.In a new look to the English season, the first Test of the summer of 2020 will start on June 4, with the final one starting on August 20. The schedule will also see a return to more T20 Blast games taking place on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays – the counties’ favoured days for the tournament – with 105 of the 126 fixtures played on those days. The first round of Championship cricket will start on April 13; the final round is scheduled to finish on September 30.The ECB are expected to announce in the coming weeks that there will be limited-overs games between the National Counties – the new name for the Minor Counties – and the first-class counties ahead of the 50-over competition that starts in mid-July, though games between counties and university centres are to have their status downgraded.

Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood manage two wickets in the day as Worcestershire recover from 75 for 8

Daniel Brettig at New Road08-Aug-2019During a pesky lower order stand between Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad that looked to have given England a significant advantage at the midpoint of the Edgbaston Ashes Test, a common refrain throughout was how the pace of Mitchell Starc and perhaps the bounce of Josh Hazlewood might have been handy to clean up the tail.Certainly both have been known to do the trick at times in the past, but their chances of selection for the Lord’s Test next week were not exactly aided by a day on which Worcestershire, having limped to 75 for 8 after a flurry of morning wickets, wriggled their way to 201 for 9 and gave their captain Joe Leach the pleasure of declaring the innings closed.Starc and Hazlewood’s chief frustraters were Worcestershire’s second-string wicketkeeper Alex Milton and the right-arm seamer Charlie Morris, who played their shots with steadily increasing ferocity across a stand of 88 that was only ended by the part-time legbreaks of Marnus Labuschagne.The union may have been ended somewhat earlier, only for Starc to have bowled a no-ball when he sent Morris’ off stump cartwheeling out of the ground on 12, before he and Hazlewood were spelled for much of the latter part of the partnership. Starc was back on, however, for the subsequent partnership of 38 between Morris and the last man Adam Finch, concluding an analysis that read 11.5-2-29-1 for the day.Hazlewood, with 3 for 34 from 15 overs for the innings and 1 for 32 from 11 for the day, took the best innings figures, though he too would have been somewhat nonplussed to have a diminishing impact as the innings went on. Michael Neser (2 for 32 from 12 overs) fulfilled the role he is on tour to perform as a back-up merchant for the frontline.Whether that is enough to convince the selectors that Australia could do with Starc’s speed or Hazlewood’s trajectory at Lord’s will be more or less up to the selection chairman Trevor Hohns and the captain Tim Paine, with the coach Justin Langer not venturing to Worcester and taking a brief sojourn in London between Tests – likewise Steven Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.The closure from Leach – who took some time to get the attention of Morris and Finch to actually do so – provided the Australians with the full final session in which to bat. Cameron Bancroft spent 40 halting balls over 7 before edging behind, but Marcus Harris was rather more fluent in gliding to 62 from 78 balls by stumps.Mitchell Marsh was promoted to No. 3 to be given the chance for some time at the crease. In being beaten numerous times outside the off stump he showed himself still to be more of a lower-middle order player on a pitch that had, by the evidence of Worcestershire’s tail, eased considerably on the seam it offered on day one.What happens next in this match will be largely determined by the forecast for Worcester over the next 24 hours, with heavy overnight rain predicted, almost to the level of the storms that forced Australia A’s earlier fixture here to be shifted to Kidderminster.

India swiftly ended West Indies’ innings, went 299 ahead, decided to bat again, collapsed against Kemar Roach, and still ended the day comfortably ahead

The Report by Varun Shetty01-Sep-2019Stumps
India ended West Indies’ first innings without much fuss, took a 299-run lead, decided to bat again, faltered against Kemar Roach, and still ended the day comfortably ahead of West Indies. Having set the home side 468 to square the series, India dismissed both openers to reduce West Indies to 45 for 2 at stumps.For the first time in three innings, West Indies’ top-order batsmen looked like they were comfortable against India’s fast bowlers, although much of that was down to a lack of swing in the evening. Left-handers John Campbell and Darren Bravo nailed the timing on many of their favourite front-foot strokes, scoring rapidly after Kraigg Brathwaite had edged behind off a straightening Ishant Sharma delivery. But shortly after he was dropped at first slip by Hanuma Vihari, Campbell threw his bat at a wide delivery from Mohammed Shami and found Virat Kohli at third slip. West Indies then slowed down for the last five overs of the day, the only notable incident being a bouncer from Bumrah that struck Bravo on the helmet in the last over. Bravo chose to stay on for the last two balls of the day.Quick scoring was also a feature of the partnership between Vihari and Ajinkya Rahane, who rapidly turned the game after tea, scoring at nearly six per over to add 95 as India declared to put West Indies in for the last hour. They put up a hundred stand in the process, got to individual half-centuries, and finished the series with two fifties and a hundred each.Unlike the afternoon session, where ball dominated bat, West Indies had little control over the two, who clearly had the declaration in mind. It began with two glorious Vihari on-drives early in the session, followed by both batsmen stepping out to Rahkeem Cornwall and chipping him either side of square leg.West Indies went on the defensive and bowled spin from both ends. The move almost paid off, with Rahane sweeping one straight to Shannon Gabriel at deep backward square, only for the fast bowler to lose balance and fluff the chance. That over ended with Vihari chopping one to point and Rahane drilling a full toss to the cover boundary.The move to bowl spin played into India’s hands, and might have been a relief in comparison to when they came together at 57 for 4 in the post-lunch session, when West Indies, and Roach in particular, had given them a jolt. The seamer went past Wes Hall’s 192 wickets into ninth place overall for West Indies. He also came close to emulating another Wes Hall feat – a Test hat-trick – but missed out by inches.Not much had changed about Roach’s attacking strategy. It was the same length – just full enough to get batsmen forward – and the same line, just outside off, with which he’s troubled India all series. Having already pinned Mayank Agarwal deep in the crease and poking across the line before lunch, he persisted with the attack in KL Rahul’s corridor after the break.Rahul once again showed indecisiveness outside off, often finding himself halfway between a guide to third man and a leave. This was a telling feature through his entire innings, which lasted 63 balls and during which he scored only 6 – he added no runs in the 11.1 overs after the break.His dismissal was built upon that indecisiveness. Roach went stock – wide of the crease, angled into off stump, moving away off the surface. Rahul, in similar fashion to his first-innings dismissal, was caught inside the line and followed the ball with his hands a touch, guiding it straight to wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton.The very next ball, he got one to straighten even more subtly from wide of the crease. Virat Kohli’s guard and shuffle across got him well into the off side as he looked to defend on the front foot, but Roach had done just enough to find the edge and get him for a first-ball duck.For the hat-trick ball, Rahane walked into yet another tricky situation, and with catchers all around him, looked tentative as he got on the back foot to try and poke one into the off side. The resulting inside edge narrowly missed leg stump, as all the leg-side catchers tumbled in despair. It seemed Roach’s bad luck, briefly forgotten, had returned.Earlier in the day, India took just over an hour to end West Indies’ innings, with Shami, Ishant and Ravindra Jadeja splitting the last three wickets between them. West Indies were bowled out for 117.Shami got a sharp, well-directed bouncer up at Cornwall’s throat and had him fending. He could only manage to get his gloves on it from that position, a gentle lob for Rahane to hold on to coming in from gully.Roach, who has also been one of West Indies’ most confident batsmen in the series so far, looked it when he came out. He played stylish square drives off both Jasprit Bumrah and Shami, with a neat tuck through midwicket sandwiched in between. At the other end, for almost ten overs, Hamilton added no runs to his overnight score of 2.He became Ishant’s only wicket of the innings. Hamilton’s 57-ball 3, an exercise in survival, ended with an outside edge to slip as he went with his trusted forward block. Jadeja extracted prodigious turn in his very first over of the day and soon had Roach slicing one to cover.With that turn, he activated a potential fourth menacing bowling option for India, and a follow-on wouldn’t have been out of the question. But conditions have been humid and sapping fast bowlers all through the match, and that is likely to have influenced Kohli’s decision.

Hughes hit 112 off 96 balls but New South Wales fell short in their DLS-adjusted chase

Andrew McGlashan30-Sep-2019Western Australia 6 for 210 (Shaun Marsh 82, Nair 2-18) beat New South Wales 7 for 235 (Hughes 112*, Henriques 75, Coulter-Nile 3-47) by eight runs (DLS method)Nathan Coulter-Nile and Andrew Tye used all their experience to secure Western Australia a nail-biting eight-run win over New South Wales on the DLS method to put them top of the Marsh Cup table.For much of the afternoon, it looked as though Daniel Hughes would take New South Wales to victory as they chased a DLS target of 244 following a two-hour rain delay during Western Australia’s innings. However, when his 142-run stand with Moises Henriques was broken in the 24th over, the rest of New South Wales’ middle order could not quite keep up the tempo, leaving Hughes’ 112 off 96 balls in vain.Following a sluggish start to the chase, which included Jack Edwards being caught at point, New South Wales were never comfortably ahead of the rate despite the crisp stroke play of Hughes and Henriques, which meant that when wickets started to fall, Western Australia were back in the game.Coulter-Nile had Henriques caught in the deep and then returned to bowl his last two overs in the closing stages, removing Daniel Sams and Nick Bertus in the process as the equation swung further in Western Australia’s favour.It came down to New South Wales needing 14 off the last over and that proved too many against Tye, who conceded just five – despite bowling a wide – and claimed two wickets.Western Australia had been solidly placed at 3 for 151 off 29.5 overs when the rain arrived and it lingered long enough to cause a significant reduction in the contest. On resumption, they did well to make 59 off the remaining 5.1 overs although New South Wales were hampered somewhat with Sean Abbott and Harry Conway having already bowled out.Shaun Marsh had a half-century when the rain came and he added two more sixes to his tally after the break, one a huge pull, which went out of the ground, and the second a one-handed slice over backward point which he played from down on his back knee.Henriques, who was entrusted with two of the death overs, struggled to land his attempted slower balls and was no-balled three times for big full tosses but the umpire did not rule them dangerous deliveries so he was able to continue bowling.

‘I’ve played so many T20s around the world that I feel I can manage that period for maybe another two years.’

Barny Read19-Nov-2019Lasith Malinga has his sights set on captaining his country at the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, and possibly beyond, firm in the belief that his body has two more years of cricket left in the tank.It is somewhat of a change in tune from the 36-year-old, who previously stated that he would retire after next year’s tournament.Malinga, who stepped into the role for a second time when Sri Lanka left both former captain Angelo Mathews and the experienced Thisara Perera out of a youthful squad that took on New Zealand in September, seems to have been rejuvenated by leading the inexperienced side. But without official sign-off from SLC on his role at the 2020 event, Malinga is certainly not counting his chickens.”[SLC] said for the World Cup I have to be lead there but you never know in Sri Lanka,” Malinga told ESPNcricinfo. “T20 is four overs and I feel with my skill, I can manage T20 as a bowler. As a captain, because I’ve played so many T20s around the world that I feel I can manage that period for maybe another two years.”And Malinga, the only man to 100 T20I wickets and first in history to reach a century of scalps in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, still believes he is more than capable of leading a youthful Sri Lanka team’s transition into a new era.”Sri Lanka are lacking that skillful bowler, they lack those consistencies. We can’t get one year, one and a half years, all fixed, it might be that we need to get patience, maybe two or three years,” he said. “Consistency is very important. I feel whoever is doing the next selection have to understand that [for] people [to learn], they have to be there. If he’s on the bench, nobody can learn.”If I believe I can give something for the youngsters, then I need to be there. I can tell, but now I can show them ‘this is the way how you do it.’ But if I don’t play then I can’t do that.”Since Malinga’s return as captain, Sri Lanka have won one, tied one, and lost eight of their ten T20Is under him. Malinga, though, showed he is still more than capable of leading by example in his side’s sole victory during that spell.Malinga took 5 for 6 in the third and final T20I of the New Zealand series, taking four wickets in four balls for the second time in his career en route to his best ever T20I figures. It was an astonishing spell, littered with the late swing, dipping yorkers, devious cutters and menacing bouncers that have made him one of the premier bowlers of his generation.Malinga’s toolkit is as well stocked as ever, currently being sharpened at the Abu Dhabi T10 where he believes bowlers require all the tricks of the trade to succeed.”We need skills on the spot, otherwise I don’t think anyone can survive this game,” said Malinga, who represents Maratha Arabians in the 10-over competition. “This is the format, I feel, that tests the skill of all the bowlers.”Malinga has done it all in franchise cricket and earlier this year provided further evidence that while he may be in the twilight of his career, he is still one of the best in the world. His defence of just eight in the final over of this year’s IPL final made him a four-time winner with Mumbai Indians.In addition, the vast experience – let alone immense talent – he brings to any bowling attack in the world made him a hot favourite to be picked up in The Hundred’s inaugural draft. However, alongside fellow T20 forefather Chris Gayle, he was overlooked by the eight franchises having set his base price at the maximum £125,000 mark.It came as a surprise to Malinga but he sees it as yet another opportunity for a young player to benefit.”I think that format looks suitable for me, so I don’t know why they didn’t pick me,” said Malinga, the IPL’s all-time leading wicket-taker. “I play IPL and so many leagues but some leagues didn’t pick me. This is not disappointment; I think [it’s good that] another young player gets an opportunity to play this format.”

The allrounder, who underwent back surgery in October, has returned to training but is yet to bat or bowl

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2019India allrounder Hardik Pandya is targeting an international return during the tour of New Zealand which begins in the last week of January 2020. Pandya, who underwent back surgery in October, indicated that, as per the plan worked out with India’s team management, he is scheduled to join the squad “midway” into the New Zealand series, then feature in the IPL, and then be ready for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October 2020After hosting Australia for the three ODIs at home in January, India will travel to New Zealand to play five T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests. Pandya last played for India during the T20I series against South Africa at home in September. That marked his return to the team following a period of rest after the World Cup in England, with the team management wanting him to focus on his strength training. Pandya, however, complained of back trouble during the South Africa series, according to the BCCI, and this eventually culminated in his undergoing surgery.On Monday, speaking to a small group of mediapersons over conference call, Pandya pointed out why he and the team management felt delaying the surgery was not an option. “We decided to do the surgery now because we saw the future and thought this is the right time,” quoted Pandya as saying. “We thought this was the right time because even if I take four months, I will be coming back before the New Zealand series, mid-way actually. That was the plan that I play some international games, the IPL and then the World T20. The biggest concern was the World T20 which touch wood is now in place.”Incidentally, Pandya said he had been carrying the injury, and “managing” it, for five years. But he realised that the back pain was hampering his performance. “I could have done the surgery a month later, but it would not have helped me in any way,” he said. “I was feeling the difference in my back and wasn’t able to take it.”I was managing the back, tried everything possible not to get into surgery or anything. After trying everything, we came to the conclusion that it wasn’t working. I noticed that I was not able to give my 100 per cent and that meant I was not doing justice to myself and the team. That is when I decided to go for the surgery.”In the spotlight: Hardik Pandya leads India off the field•Getty Images

The back problems have persisted since the Asia Cup in 2018, the first time Hardik complained of a stiff back. Since then the team management along with the selectors have monitored and managed the allrounder’s workload. Before his return in September, Pandya was gung-ho and had told that his “fitness had gone to the next level”, only for the issue to flare up again.Pandya said the long period of rehabilitation has been difficult for him, mentally. “It might sound cool, but it is not easy to keep coming back as you need motivation. Yes, we all have motivation, but you need to be sure that you do not go down the wrong path. You don’t question yourself and why is it happening to you. I try and back myself and stay positive. I have understood that every comeback gives me an edge and makes me stronger. I want people to say I learnt something when I was away due to injury. Physically I can always come back, but mentally it is important to stay healthy.”Pandya said he was focusing on staying patient and cited the examples of fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah, who have had to spend time away from the game to recover from career-threatening injuries. “It is very important that you don’t rush. If your body is not ready and force yourself to come back right now, without being prepared, you might break down again,” Pandya said. “So that is the thing why people call for patience. Injuries are not easy, but being patient is important.”I have seen Pat Cummins coming back from injury being stronger than before. I have seen Jasprit Bumrah having a knee surgery and coming back and be what he is right now. I have seen cricketers come back from bad injuries and surgeries and I have spoken to them and learnt that patience is very important. After a knife touches your body, it becomes fragile. So, you have to give 200 per cent while making the return.”In the last week Pandya has returned to training in Mumbai, but said he was yet to bat or bowl. He did not rule out featuring for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy, but did not specify any date of return. “Just going step by step. Right now haven’t started bowling or any cricket-specific activity. We are following all the routines and touch wood everything is going as per plan. I am sure that I will make a strong comeback. We have to be a little careful and go with the flow, seeing the body and then take a call on coming back. Once we start cricket, it won’t take much time. Just need to be ready for the international standard.”