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India have an opportunity to lift the Asia Cup and live up to the ‘World T20 favourites’ billing, but it won’t be an easy ride against an improved Bangladesh who will have a boisterous Mirpur crowd behind them

The preview by Mohammad Isam05-Mar-2016

Match facts

Sunday, March 6, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT)2:48

Ajit Agarkar: Can’t look beyond India in the final

Big picture

India have an opportunity to lift the Asia Cup and live up to the ‘World T20 favourites’ billing, but it won’t be an easy ride against an improved Bangladesh who will have a boisterous Mirpur crowd behind them.Neither side thinks this will be an uneven contest. Though India beat Bangladesh soundly in the tournament opener, they are aware of what their opponents are capable at home, especially after a series loss in June 2015. Bangladesh are aware of their own strength, and there is an unmistakable confidence in their approach in T20Is these days. A win in the final would therefore be a watershed moment in this format for them.India have been flawless in the tournament so far. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have made the best of every opportunity in crunch moments, while Yuvraj Singh is slowly coming into his own.Rohit steered India after a sluggish start against Bangladesh; Kohli weathered the Mohammad Amir storm against Pakistan, while Yuvraj was in his elements against Sri Lanka. All this has meant MS Dhoni has faced all of nine balls in the tournament, while Suresh Raina hasn’t had a major impact with the bat.The story with the ball isn’t too different. Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra have done the damage at the top, while Hardik Pandya has played the role of a third seamer to his captain’s liking. The spinners – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – have done what they usually do, even though some of the surfaces they have played on haven’t aided turn.That Bangladesh find themselves in this position has been largely due to the effect their bowlers have had. Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain have stepped up, while Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza have given fine supporting acts in their last three wins. The battle could get more interesting if the hosts decide to play Abu Hider, the BPL bowling hero, and off-spinning allrounder Nasir Hossain in place of Arafat Sunny and Mohammad Mithun.Bangladesh’s top three – Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar and Sabbir Rahman – have all shown good form in T20s this year, while Mahmudullah has been successful in his role as a finisher. There will be some worry over Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib’s form, but they have been known to come good when pushed against the wall.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh WWWLLIndia WWWWW

Watch out for

Every move of Shakib Al Hasan is being followed with bated breath in Bangladesh since he walked off with a limp at training following a burise on his right hip on Friday. Concerns have been raised over his batting form, and he couldn’t have had a better setting than in a grand finale to rediscover his touch that has made him an enigma at home.Ashish Nehra has taken at least one wicket in the Powerplay in the last seven T20Is. His late swing and control with the new ball has given India’s bowling a new dimension. He will once again be a vital cog in MS Dhoni’s scheme of things.

Team news

Hider has been given a lot of attention at training over the last two days. All indications then that he could be the surprise element in the Bangladesh bowling attack. Nasir is also being discussed as a potential replacement for Mithun, who lost his place in the top-order to Tamim. Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nasir Hossain/Mohammad Mithun, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Arafat Sunny/Abu Hider, 11 Taskin AhmedWithout any injury concerns, India are set to go back to their best XI after testing their bench against the UAE. So Ravindra Jadeja, Ashish Nehra and R Ashwin will slot back in for Pawan Negi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harbhajan Singh. India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

There was a smattering of cut grass covering the pitch on the eve of the final, though there is a good chance of it being shaved off. Weather is fine with no forecast of rain but the daytime heat means there could be heavy dew late in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• This is Bangladesh’s first appearance in any T20I tournament that involves three or more teams. India meanwhile is playing their third final in such events.
• Sabbir Rahman and Rohit Sharma have made 144 and 137 runs respectively and have the chance to topple Babar Hayat who is the leading scorer in the Asia Cup with 194 runs.

Quotes

“The flavor of this match is going to be different but if we play the way we have been playing in the last three matches, hope fully we will keep our momentum going and get something good in the end.”
“Last year Sri Lanka were the world champions here [in the Asia Cup and World T20]. Bangladesh has played very good cricket too. Not long ago Pakistan was in the top two. Now it is India. You can never discount teams in the subcontinent.”

Alex Hales continued his prolific form and Eoin Morgan cut loose as England secured a 44-run victory in their T20 warm-up match against South Africa A

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2016
ScorecardAlex Hales continued his blistering form ahead of the T20 series•Getty Images

Alex Hales continued his prolific limited-overs form with a sixth successive fifty-plus score, while captain Eoin Morgan club five sixes in a 13-ball onslaught, to push the England XI to a match-winning total in their T20 warm-up match against South Africa A in Paarl.Hales got his side off to a fast start and nullified the South African attack’s comeback in the latter part of their innings before Morgan, who had a lean one-day series, added the finishing touches. Reece Topley, who was the leading wicket-taker in the ODIs, and Adil Rashid then took five wickets between them to ensure England maintained their 100% record over South Africa’s reserves on this tour.On a traditionally flat Boland Park surface, South Africa A opened with their international spinner Aaron Phangiso but Hales was not concerned with a lack of pace. He took nine runs off the left-arm spinner’s first over to set the tone. Hales went on to punish Wayne Parnell and Beuran Hendricks and England’s fifty was up inside five overs.Jason Roy’s 22 off 14 balls seemed pedestrian in the Hale-storm and he was the first man to fall. Dolphins bowler Andile Phehlukwayo, who has had an impressive domestic season so far, had Roy caught by David Miller four balls before the Powerplay was up.Phangiso bowled the first boundary-free over of the innings in the seventh but his fellow spinner, Tabraiz Shamsi, could not build on the pressure. Hales took 11 off this first over and 17 came off his second with the help of James Vince. Sandwiched in between that, he reached his 50 off 32 balls.England were well poised on 99 for 1 at the halfway stage but South Africa A slowed them down a touch when Parnell had Vince caught by Reeza Hendricks. So began the squeeze which included a tight 15th over from Phehlukwayo which cost just three runs and resulted in the wicket of Hales in the next over.A total that was set for 200 seemed to be stagnating until Morgan announced himself after a quiet run in the ODIs with 24 runs, including three sixes, in five balls off Beuran Hendricks to put England back on track. Morgan pushed England towards 200 before Phelukwayo and Parnell took 3 for 10 between them in the penultimate and final over.The South Africa A line-up, even with internationals Miller and Farhaan Behardien, were always on the back foot. Reeza Hendricks was out lbw in the first over to Topley but Theunis de Bruyn and Morne van Wyk rebuilt. They posted the highest partnership of the match, 88, for the second-wicket and were particularly severe on Chris Woakes. De Bruyn scored 22 runs off the 11 balls he faced from Woakes and then matched Hales with fifty off 32 balls.Woakes had his revenge when he claimed the wicket of van Wyk at the end of the 11th over to start the slide. Rashid dismissed de Bruyn at the end of the next over and South Africa A were wobbling. Worryingly for South Africa’s senior side, Miller, playing in his first match in two-and-a-half weeks after sitting out the ODIs, was stumped for 10 and Behardien bowled for 4 to end the challenge.Jon-Jon Smuts made 30 but became the second of consecutive wickets for Topley in the final over which ensured the England sealed their win emphatically.

Wasim Jaffer, the highest individual run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, has switched to Vidarbha from his home team Mumbai

Amol Karhadkar22-Jun-2015Wasim Jaffer, the highest individual run-getter in the Ranji Trophy, has switched to Vidarbha from his home team Mumbai. Jaffer, who will replace Rakesh Dhurv, would thus join S Badrinath and Karnataka’s Ganesh Satish to complete a solid line-up of Vidarbha’s professionals.”Wasim will obviously bring in loads of experience and expertise. His presence will not only be handy in the batting department but also with regard to helping young batsmen from Vidarbha hone their skills and take their game to the next level,” Prakash Dixit, the president of the Vidarbha Cricket Association president, told ESPNcricinfo.Jaffer, who is currently overseas, said he will speak about his move only after returning to India. After an illustrious 19-year stint in first-class cricket with Mumbai, Jaffer is 241 runs short of becoming the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in the Ranji Trophy.Jaffer will be reunited with Paras Mhambrey, the former Mumbai and India pacer who took over as Vidarbha coach last year. Mhambrey’s move to rope in three experienced professionals worked wonders as Vidarbha finished third in Group B last season and qualified for the Ranji knockouts after almost two decades.Since a domestic team can sign a maximum of just three players on its roster, Vidarbha decided to release Dhurv, the left-arm spinner, once Jaffer agreed to come on board.Jaffer’s decision comes on the back of his most forgettable seasons in first-class cricket, mainly due to the multiple injuries he suffered during Mumbai’s Ranji campaign. He scored just 22 runs from the two games he played. Despite his finger injuries, Jaffer remained with the squad for most of the season and mentored a young Mumbai batting line-up.Jaffer’s move will result in Mumbai being forced to field one of its least experienced squads in the forthcoming domestic season. Last season, Jaffer was the lone player in Mumbai’s ranks with more than a decade’s experience in first-class cricket.Jaffer had been one of the most sought-after professional signings ever since he lost his place as India’s opener towards the end of the last decade. He had been approached by multiple teams even when he was leading Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, but had decided to stick with his alma mater.

Twenty wickets go down on lively first day at Trent Bridge

ECB Reporters Network05-Sep-2022Nottinghamshire 201 (Montgomery 43, Wright 3-26) and 15 for 0 vs Leicestershire 93 (Evans 50, Fletcher 4-23) by 123 runsDivision Two leaders Nottinghamshire are in a strong position with a lead of 123 after 20 wickets fell on the opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire.On a difficult batting surface, Nottinghamshire were bowled out for 201, losing their last eight wickets for 118 as they collapsed from 83 for two just after lunch, Chris Wright and Ed Barnes taking three wickets each. But Leicestershire found conditions no more to their liking, dismissed for just 93 in reply. Nottinghamshire are 15 without loss in their second innings.Luke Fletcher took 4 for 23 with opener Sam Evans carrying his bat for exactly 50 as the only Foxes batter to make double figures as Nottinghamshire made light of the absence of their Australian quick James Pattinson, who was granted an early release from his contract last week.Matthew Montgomery, in for Ben Duckett after the left-hander was added to England’s third Test squad, top scored for the home side with 43 after being dropped on 1 – one of three slip catches put down in the innings, all by Rishi Patel, who held two others.Leicestershire were without key allrounder Wiaan Mulder – picked as cover for England’s opponents South Africa – and England under-19 legspinner Rehan Ahmed, who is injured. They also left out allrounder Ben Mike after his decision to join Yorkshire at the end of the season in favour of 26-year-old left-arm seamer Michael Finan – signed on a two-year contract last month despite never having played a senior match.Wright dismissed both Nottinghamshire openers in his first five overs. Haseeb Hameed, having got off the mark with a beautiful drive to the extra cover boundary, edged to first slip before the left-handed Ben Slater was bowled not offering a shot.With the ball doing plenty, it was tough going for Nottinghamshire, who would have been 26 for 3 had Patel not dropped Montgomery off Barnes at first slip.Joe Clarke, for whom form has been elusive much of the season, took 32 balls to get off the mark but he and Montgomery guided Nottinghamshire to 82 for 2 at lunch. Yet after appearing to have weathered the storm, Nottinghamshire found themselves back in its grip from the start of the afternoon session.Barnes brought one back sharply to have Clarke leg before, picked up a second wicket as Montgomery played a loose shot to backward point and Lyndon James, missed at first slip on 4, edged Wright low to second slip.Roman Walker struck twice as Tom Moores was taken at third slip and Liam Patterson-White – dropped on 15 – offered a low return catch. Steve Mullaney was leg before to a full, swinging ball from Barnes.Brett Hutton nicked to the keeper off Callum Parkinson’s left-arm spin and Dane Paterson lasted just long enough to claim Nottinghamshire a batting point before he holed out to deep midwicket to give Finan a wicket on his first-class debut.It was Nottinghamshire’s lowest first-innings total of the season, yet it looked handsome indeed as Fletcher tore through the Leicestershire top order.After Hassan Azad was caught behind off one that left him late, Fletcher sent Louis Kimber’s off stump cartwheeling, had Colin Ackermann caught at third slip and swung one back into Patel’s pads as the visitors reeled at 32 for 4, which quickly became 33 for 5 as Harry Swindells was trapped in front by Paterson.Hutton made his mark as Barnes was leg before trying to work one off his pads and dismissed Walker via a fine catch by James at third slip. Parkinson nicked Paterson behind – the South African’s 100th first-class wicket for Nottinghamshire in just 22 matches – before Wright chipped Hutton to mid-on.Finan survived just long enough for Evans to complete his half-century – a remarkable effort in the circumstances – off 71 balls, but was bowled shouldering arms to Patterson-White four balls later.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between Pakistan and England

The Preview by Alan Gardner21-Oct-2015

Match facts

October 22-26, 2015
Start time 10am local (0600 GMT)

Big Picture

It took a while for the fuse to burn down in Abu Dhabi but, after four days of attritional accumulation, the series exploded into life on the final afternoon. The sands suddenly shifted and it was Pakistan who were left feeling unsteady, clinging to a draw as the light faded on England’s run chase.Their second-innings collapse was branded “unacceptable” by Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach, and he suggested England could no longer be considered underdogs. Such aberrations have become exactly that since Grant Flower became involved with Pakistan’s batsmen, however, and their top order remains the most prolific over the last 12 months. They will also have fond memories of 2012 to draw on.Three years ago, England chose to bat on the first morning in Dubai and found themselves 52 for 5 at lunch. It set the tone for the series and even though they managed to bowl Pakistan out for 99 in the third Test a couple of weeks later, they were steamrollered by tons from Azhar Ali and Younis Khan in the second innings. Only two England players to managed to pass 50 in either Test – Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior – and both are now retired.Since then, Pakistan’s form in Dubai has been patchy, with defeats to South Africa and Sri Lanka and a draw with New Zealand either side of a big win over Australia. The pitch is expected to be more receptive to pace – especially early on – and spin (you would have to trawl the souks to find something with less life), meaning that batsmen on both sides will have to work harder for their runs.Alastair Cook showed England the way in Abu Dhabi and they will have taken great confidence from the way they wrested control of the match. But the scoreline remains 0-0 and Yasir Shah’s return for Pakistan presents a potent threat: he took seven wickets here on debut exactly a year ago.England hope Ben Stokes will be fit after a stomach upset and•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan DWLWW

England DLWWL

In the spotlight

It is rare that so much attention falls on legspin, simply because opportunities to get all gooey are few and far between, but Adil Rashid’s flip-reverse debut performance and the presence of a fit-again Yasir Shah will have fans of wrist action all hot and bothered. There will be some who contend that Yasir would have made the difference in Abu Dhabi, bowling at a quicker pace and turning the ball both ways, but he has been somewhat upstaged by Rashid running through Pakistan in the second innings. Rashid should consequently be feeling a little less pressure and it is Yasir, expected to be Pakistan’s match-winner, who must be prepared to shoulder a weight of expectation, dodgy back notwithstandingThe runs flowed, thick and slow like treacle, across the first four days at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium but the top orders won’t have it so easy (possibly ever) again. Pakistan’s subsequent capitulation was all the more concerning as it began with a Rash dismissal by Younis and then gathered speed when Misbah-ul-Haq also tossed his wicket away. They have been dismissed for 99 in the first innings at Dubai twice – South Africa did not let them off in the manner England did – and have generally found bigger totals harder to come by. England dealt with some of their UAE demons last week but Cook will not always contribute half of the total and the likes of Moeen Ali, Ian Bell and Joe Root must build on solid starts.

Team news

Ben Stokes missed training on Tuesday due to an upset stomach but turned up to take part 24 hours later, having seemingly recovered. Cook said that his condition would be assessed closer to the time, with England mindful that five days in the heat is a demanding business even at peak fitness. Including Samit Patel as a third spinner is an option that has not been ruled out while Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan – who has arrived as Steven Finn’s replacement – are the other candidates if Stokes is held back as a precaution. Mark Wood has previously suffered from playing Tests in quick succession but Cook suggested there were no plans to rest him.England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Moeen Ali, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James AndersonYasir, who missed the first Test with a back spasm, returned to practice even as his spin partner Zulfiqar Babar was slogging through 72 overs in Abu Dhabi and he is fit to take his place in the XI, most likely at the expense of Rahat Ali. Azhar Ali was expected to have recovered from a toe injury but the death of his mother-in-law means he has returned to Pakistan and won’t be available – which in turn means Shan Masood is likely to keep his place despite ending the first Test in James Anderson’s pocket. Offspinner Bilal Asif has joined the squad and will be considered even though he has undergone testing for a suspect action.Pakistan (possible) 1 Shan Masood, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Shoaib Malik, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Zulfiqar Babar, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Imran Khan

Pitch and conditions

The pitch has reportedly been shaved of grass, though it has tended to offer a little extra pace for the seamers in the past. Misbah called it a “typical” Dubai surface and both captains were expecting a more even contest between bat and ball; Cook suggested a shadow cast by the stand could result in it retaining moisture first thing. Otherwise, the sun will take its toll throughout the five days, though temperatures might be a little cooler than Abu Dhabi.

Stats and trivia

• Fresh from breaking Javed Miandad’s record, Younis Khan is 103 runs short of becoming the first Pakistani to 9000 in Tests
• Two of Sarfraz Ahmed’s three Test hundreds have come in Dubai
• Alastair Cook has now scored 9015 runs at opener. He needs 16 to overtake Graeme Smith in second and almost 600 more to catch Sunil Gavaskar
• Ian Bell is set to go level with David Gower as England’s fourth most-capped player, on 117 Tests

Quotes

“It was just one odd day and I think we have to forget that, but we have to be really professional in the next game.”
Misbah-ul-Haq wants to move on quickly from the final day in Abu Dhabi“No one has beaten Pakistan here yet and it would be great to be the first side to do it.”

A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy Group C matches on October 4, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Adil Reshi made 54 in J&K’s second innings•PTI

Kerala had to settle for just three points instead of six against Jammu & Kashmir in Srinagar, as the visitors ran out of time in their small chase of 71. Kerala, who had secured a lead of 155 on the penultimate day, declared at 485 for 8 in the morning, meaning they had 90 overs to bowl J&K out and clinch an innings win. Despite regular strikes from Raiphi Gomez and Rohan Prem, the hosts, buoyed by half-centuries from Adil Reshi (54) and Ian Dev Singh (50), managed their way to 225. It meant Kerala had eight overs to try and gun down 71 for an outright victory, but the team could only make 44, losing four wickets in the process.
ScorecardGoa and Hyderabad played out a draw in Povorim, but the hosts ended the happier of the two sides, securing three crucial points by virtue of taking a first-innings lead on the penultimate day. Goa, who began at an overnight score of 349 for 5, were driven further ahead by a century from Sagun Kamat, who hit 11 fours and a six for his 109. His knock powered Goa to 425 for 7, and stumps were called soon after his dismissal, meaning just 26.3 overs were played on the final day.

Michael Yardy’s hundred helped marshal a strong Sussex response against the champions and was warmly recognised by the home crowd as he prepares to retire

Tim Wigmore at Hove23-Aug-2015
ScorecardMichael Yardy made his 22nd first-class hundred•Getty Images

The standing ovation that greeted Michael Yardy’s century oozed warmth that cannot be faked. It celebrated not merely his century against Yorkshire, timely as that was, but also the impact an admirable cricketer, who will retire this year, has had over 16 seasons of Championship cricket for Sussex.Many of those applauding would have remembered the state of Sussex in 2000, when Yardy made his first-class debut. The new age of two division Championship cricket began with Sussex the worst first-class county in the land, just as they had been in 1997. Yardy averaged just 9.14 in his four first-class games.No one would have envisaged what has happened to player or county since. Used to being caricatured as an amiable but rather lightweight club by the seaside, Sussex became the most formidable Championship team in the land. They finally ended their wait for the Championship crown in 2003, and added titles in 2006 and 2007 for good measure.If the leadership of Chris Adams, the batting nous of Murray Goodwin and above all the brilliance of Mushtaq Ahmed were the abiding memories of those triumphs, Yardy’s contribution to the last two victories was invaluable, albeit typically understated: 1646 first-class runs at 44.48 across the summers of 2006 and 2007.It was during 2006 that Yardy was first selected for England. He always retained the air of being an accidental international cricketer, his left-arm darts acting as an antidote to an era of mystery spin. But they were unremittingly accurate and, especially in Twenty20 cricket, fiendishly difficult to hit boundaries off. In the Caribbean in May 2010, Yardy became a critical part of the only ever English side to win a global ICC event.It was the most notable professional achievement of Yardy’s career. Yet it could not halt his outbreak of depression, which led him to pull out of an ODI in September 2010 and then fly home from Colombo three days before the quarter-final of the 2011 World Cup.Sussex, who he captained from 2009 to 2013, helped to sustain him through these challenging times. Often it was not easy: Yardy once had to leave the pitch midway through a game against Middlesex, sensing “danger” in the field. He still battles depression today.Just as Sussex are grateful for what he has given them, so Yardy is grateful for what the club have given him. When he kissed the club helmet after reaching his century, it did not feel premeditated or inauthentic. In an age of uncertainty over the county game, with a growing chasm between the quality of the cricket in the divisions, the age of the locally-reared, one club player may be nearing the close. This century, there have been few better than Yardy.It was a truth acknowledged by the Yorkshire players who shook his hand both after Yardy had reached his landmark and after he was dismissed playing across the line to Ryan Sidebottom for 124. The sight of Yardy, eschewing elegance for effectiveness, manipulating the ball into gaps and scything anything wide through point, has become familiar indeed to Yorkshire: this was his fifth first-class century against the champions.And how Yardy’s first hundred since May 2014 was worth savouring. Rain had delayed the start until 2pm, so the applause Yardy enjoyed as he removed his helmet and trudged off came from only a few hundred spectators. In its way that was apt: at its core Sussex remain a familial club, and few members of it have been more valued than Yardy. “It’s a very special club and as Sussex players, coaches and support staff we’ve got to keep it that tight club but also a competitive club that continually achieves,” he said.It was revealing that, asked about the highlights of his career, Yardy first cited being awarded his county cap. “To get the opportunity to play for your county and stay all your career at one county is very special. There’s been plenty of highs and a few lows but that’s the rollercoaster you’re on. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”Having begun his career with Sussex at the bottom of Division Two, Yardy’s resilience has gone a long way towards ensuring they remain in Division One, where they have spent all but one season since 2002.The docility of the Hove wicket highlights the value of a draw to Sussex. But, even so, to reach full batting points against an attack with Yorkshire’s quality and variety was quite a feat, and owed to much more than the efforts of Yardy. Oli Robinson played fluently for two hours as nightwatchman. And in the final session Ben Brown reverse-swept with such alacrity that he reached a century in just 84 balls.With crucial games against Worcestershire and Somerset looming, Sussex’s challenge is to ensure that they do not need to produce something similar in Yardy’s final Championship game, at Headingley next month.

New Zealand gave themselves the opportunity of a substantial lead after their top order dominated the second day at Lord’s

The Report by Andrew McGlashan22-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:01

#PoliteEnquiries: Will Cook ever get good at captaincy?

New Zealand gave themselves the opportunity of a substantial lead after their top order dominated the second day at Lord’s. They had the luxury of a rare century opening stand, as Martin Guptill and Tom Latham added 148, which was then built on by Kane Williamson who will sleep on a graceful 92 having formed an unbroken partnership of 155 with Ross Taylor.By the close, the visitors were within 86 runs of England’s 389, which was substantial after being 30 for 4 but there was not much power to add on the second morning as the last three wickets fell for 26. England’s bowlers toiled as cloud cover gave away to late-afternoon sunshine, their only moments of relief coming in quick succession when the New Zealand openers – who were each given a life – departed in the space of three balls.It might have been three wickets in five balls with Taylor, too, having an early reprieve when Williamson’s call for a sharp single would have left him stranded if Stuart Broad had hit with an under-arm flick in his follow through. Apart from that, and when he was beaten by a Moeen Ali delivery which ripped out of the footmarks in the penultimate over of the day, Williamson did not put a foot wrong.

Smart stats

79.13 Kane Williamson’s batting average in his last 15 Tests. He has scored 1741 runs during this period, with six hundreds and eight fifties.
4 Number of century partnerships in Tests between Williamson and Ross Taylor in 38 stands, at an average of 55.63 per stand. This is their second-best partnership in Tests.
10 Number of times both the New Zealand openers have passed 50 in a Test innings against England.
5 The number of century opening stands for New Zealand in England. The previous one was in 2004, when Stephen Fleming and Mark Richardson added 163 at Trent Bridge in 2004.
324 The number of runs added by England’s fifth, sixth and seventh wickets. The other seven wickets added a combined total of 65 runs.
100 Runs Martin Guptill had scored in 11 previous Test innings, before this one, at an average of 9.09.

Williamson, whose previous Test innings was an unbeaten 242, had not batted in the middle since April 13 having made just two IPL appearances for Sunrisers Hyderabad – perhaps that was a good thing given his natural tempo. He also has an insatiable appetite for nets and is unlikely to have missed the chance for some extensive sessions.He certainly looked like a man who was well in tune with his game, driving England’s bowlers to distraction with his delicate touch through third man – which was left oddly unprotected – and timing each of his 12 boundaries beautifully. A century beckoned on the third day as did the prospect of Brendon McCullum, scorer of a triple, two double-hundreds and a 195 in little more than a year.Opening partnerships have not been a hugely successful part of New Zealand’s history, but on this occasion Williamson and Taylor had a wonderful foundation to build on. This was just New Zealand’s fifth century opening stand on English soil and fifth against any team since 2004 – highlighting the challenge they have had in finding a productive combination. Both openers took advantage of being reprieved: Guptill, on 25, was caught at first slip off debutant Mark Wood, who was denied the wicket by overstepping, and Latham, on 21, was dropped at second slip by Ian Bell off Ben Stokes.Wood nudged 92mph in his first over in Test cricket and got the ball to carry through at chest height to Buttler. In his third over he produced an excellent delivery which climbed outside off, took Guptill’s edge and was well held by Alastair Cook at first slip. The celebrations began, but then agony took over as replays showed he was on, not behind, the popping crease.Wood’s Durham team-mate Stokes was also eye-catching in his first spell, finding help off the surface and troubling Latham in particular who he should have removed when the left hander pushed at one going across him but Bell, moving to his left at second slip, could not hold on.Guptill, showing the form of the last four months, which has included double-hundreds at the World Cup and for Derbyshire then 150 in the recent warm-up match against Worcestershire, went to his fifty from 87 balls and Latham, with a sweet cover drive, from 95 deliveries. The off-side play of both batsmen was a stand-out feature, Guptill opening his innings with a lovely cover drive, while Latham regularly picked off boundaries through the covers.New Zealand’s scoring rate was well above four an over in the afternoon (and did not dip under that for most of the day) as England struggled to gain control. Moeen, who did not bowl until the 33rd over but found some purchase from a dry surface, provided the breakthrough when Latham was trapped on the back foot by one which skidded on. Two balls later and Guptill’s innings was also over when the desire to drive brought his downfall as he played on the up against Broad and was superbly caught, down to his left, by Gary Ballance at cover.Kane Williamson did not look like a man who had not batted for more than a month•PA Photos

Taylor endured a nervous start, greeted by a strong lbw appeal first ball by Broad and then being left stranded by his partner next delivery. He was nowhere near as fluent as Williamson and flirted with being lbw on two further occasions – one of which, against James Anderson, brought a review – but came down the pitch to loft Moeen straight and later uppercut Stokes to third man although towards the end of play, as Broad peppered him with the short ball, he appeared to be struggling with an injury.England had resumed on 354 for 7 following the final-ball dismissal of Jos Buttler on the first evening and the lower order could not push them beyond 400. Moeen made 58 – overall England’s Nos 5 for 8 added 315 runs for the innings – but Trent Boult twice found outside edges during an impressive spell.Moeen had moved to his half-century in the first over of the day when he pulled Southee for his ninth boundary but he only added a further five runs before sparring outside off against Boult and edging through to Latham, who continued to deputise for the injured BJ Watling behind the stumps. Boult had his fourth when Broad feathered an edge, but he could not join Southee on the honours board when Matt Henry chimed in for his fourth courtesy of a fine reflex catch in his follow through to remove Anderson.Anderson, who is sitting on 397 Test wickets and having seen the ball swing for Southee and Boult, sprinted off to prepare to open the bowling on a ground where he has profited throughout his career. But it was a much wearier walk off come the end of the day.

He led the board during tumultuous times in the 1970s and was a key figure in the controversial era of the “rebel tours” to South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2023Veteran South African cricket administrator Joseph Pamensky has died aged 92 on Wednesday.Born in Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) on July 21, 1930, Pamensky, fondly called “Uncle Joe”, notably served as president of the South African Cricket Union until 1991. He led the board during tumultuous times in the 1970s when the game’s authorities in the country sought to unite cricket. He was also a key figure in the controversial era of the “rebel tours” to the country.”Those in cricket will know the magnitude of this loss and how sorely Joe will be missed,” Lions Cricket president Anne Vilas said. “He was a leader, a friend, a catalyst, a risk-taker, a kind and intelligent man who always acted in the best interests of the game and the people who serve it. On behalf of all those at Lions Cricket, our thoughts and prayers are with Joe’s family during this extremely difficult time, and we thank you too for lending us this man who was larger than life in so many ways.”Pamensky was elected to the South African Cricket Association in 1967 after serving as the president of the Transvaal cricket union board, and was one of the main drivers of the negotiations which led to the formation of the South African Cricket Union (SACU) in 1976. He served as president of SACU on a rotational two-year basis along with Geoff Dakin. He was also awarded life membership by the MCC for his decades of service to the game. Pamensky received the Order of Meritorious Service gold medal by the South African government in 1987.”Uncle Joe was an inspiration to many – I would have cherished to work under his guidance, leadership, grit and passion,” Lions Cricket CEO Jono Leaf-Wright said. “The entire cricketing eco-system gives thanks to this well-liked man for we would not be where we are today without the determination, professionalism, and love of cricket he always gave. On behalf of the Lions Cricket Board and our entire Pride, we thank you Uncle Joe and promise to keep flying the flag high for brand cricket in our country – may you Rest in Peace and always know what a blessing you were to our lives. Your legacy will live on forever.”

It continues NZ’s long trip across Europe, following up from tours to England, Scotland and Ireland

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2022New Zealand are set to play two T20Is in Netherlands this August. In an announcement by the two boards, it was confirmed that they will be facing the hosts on August 4 and 6 at the Voorburg Cricket Club in The Hague.”The chance to play the best white-ball teams in the world has always been the goal for this team. To test our young players against them, as well as showcasing our skills in front of our home fans is so extremely exciting,” Netherlands coach Ryan Campbell said. “The Black Caps coming to The Netherlands again shows the respect we are building in world cricket and I hope all Dutch fans come out and enjoy the contest.”New Zealand coach Gary Stead added that Full Member teams playing Associate nations was crucial for the growth of their game.”We’re really excited to be touring the Netherlands,” he said. “Playing against Associate teams as a Full Member nation is a really important part of helping them grow, and that can only benefit the world game long term.”The two teams are also currently engaged in a bilateral series in New Zealand, with Netherlands touring for a one-off T20I and three ODIs. While the T20I was abandoned due to rain, the hosts won the first ODI comfortably to take a 1-0 lead in the series. So far, they have faced each other only five times across formats.The tour of Netherlands continues New Zealand’s trip across Europe, as they are first due to tour England for three Tests starting June 2, followed by three ODIs and T20Is each in Ireland from July 10, after which they visit Scotland for two T20Is and a solitary ODI. And just four days after concluding their Scotland series, they face Netherlands in the first of two T20Is.