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Jesse Ryder has left Wellington to join Otago for the upcoming New Zealand domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2013New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder has left the Wellington Firebirds to join the Otago Volts for the upcoming domestic season. Peter Clinton, chief executive of Cricket Wellington, confirmed that Ryder had been granted his transfer request.”We wanted him to stay in Wellington, as he’s a world class player,” Clinton said. ”But we respect his decision. He has decided he wants to move away and try it with Otago next season. We wish him all the best.”Ryder, who was assaulted outside a bar in Christchurch on March 27, had been put into a medically induced coma after suffering a fractured skull and collapsed lung. He has been going about his rehabilitation since and, despite his injuries, Clinton insisted that Ryder’s absence would be a big blow to Wellington.”On his day, he’s devastating as a batsman. He’s got a lot of pulling power in terms of the way he plays the game and cult hero status. So he’s a big loss to the team and we’ll perhaps lose a bit of interest around the spectator base as well. But we’re confident that this team is still very strong, even without Jesse in it.”Clinton said that Ryder might have made the move because he wanted a “change of scene”, and insisted that he had every chance of making it back into the New Zealand squad. “He’s obviously still very keen and committed to play for New Zealand, and I certainly hope he gets there. He thinks his best chance is to give himself a new start this season.”Ryder started his first-class career with Central Districts but then moved to Wellington in 2004 during the tenure of the then coach Vaughn Johnson – with whom he will be reunited in Dunedin.Ross Dykes, chief executive of Otago Cricket welcomed Ryder into the fold and was confident of providing all the help he needs for his recovery from the assault. “Well I think one of his prime motivations is to get back in the New Zealand side and we’ll support that one hundred per cent.””We’ve got a structure in place that hopefully looks after all our players and he’ll fit nicely into that. I think it would be foolish to try and do anything special. I don’t think its necessary.” he said.

“Buzzin” was Scott Borthwick’s stock description of how he felt at the end of four days of astute cricket from Durham that saw him take a career best 6 for 70 as Durham recorded their first ever win at The Oval.

Vithushan Ehantharajah at The Oval13-May-2013
ScorecardScott Borthwick took 8 for 92 in the match•Getty Images”Buzzin” was Scott Borthwick’s stock description of how he felt at the end of four days of astute cricket from Durham that saw him take a career-best 6 for 70 as Durham recorded their first ever win at The Oval.You would be hard-pressed to find anything in colloquial speech that could better describe him; a grin from ear to ear, head bobbing from side to front to side as he completed his post-match interviews in such a happy-go-lucky manner that made you appreciate how nice it is to see a talented young cricketer in the process of turning potential into quality – and a legspinner, no less. Enough to make you “buzz”.”It’s nice to bowl the overs and see the ball spin past the bat,” Borthwick remarked on day three here. It is a simple statement but one that must buoy any young English spinner trying to forge a first-class career. Here were two of them – Borthwick in the second innings and Ryan Buckley with his five wickets in the first – out-bowling two stalwarts with more than 400 first class games between them in Gareth Batty and Gary Keedy.Paul Collingwood admitted that he feared the worst when he lost the toss, not least because he was not truly aware of young Buckley’s strengths, having only faced him a handful of times in the nets. But he had full faith in his team’s dexterity and that, in essence, is what won them the game.”We’ve got a very versatile team” Collingwood said. “It was a big loss losing Stokes as a bowler so you’ve got to change the dynamics of the team around and bring in an extra seamer. It’s great when you’ve got someone like Scotty – he’s a genuine allrounder. He can bat at three, so you can be very versatile as a team depending on what the conditions are.”Batty was measured in defeat but unhappy at what he deemed were moments where his batsmen “self-destructed”.”A young fella did really well,” Batty said. “Ultimately did we get ragged out? I’m not entirely sure we did and I think we have to take that on the chin and say we’ve let ourselves down on a few occasions which allowed Durham to come back in. They’re a very good team and they punished us for that.”Gary Wilson and Batty did absolutely the right thing this morning, aiming to get value from every shot, either through good placement or hard running. Dawdling would only lead to panic. But having just taken Surrey past 200, they both fell in the space of three balls – Batty lbw to Buckley and Wilson caught by Collingwood at slip off the bowling of Borthwick – leaving Stuart Meaker and Tim Linley to take Surrey’s lead to 180. The innings came to a close when both presented Borthwick with two return catches, meaning 19 of the 30 wickets to go had fallen to spin.As such, Batty shared the new ball with Linley, as Durham were given a target of 181 for victory in just over two sessions. Linley redressed the balance of match wickets when he found some movement away from the right handed Will Smith to take the edge through to Steven Davies with the last ball of the first over.But that was the only casualty before lunch, as Stoneman and Borthwick looked comfortable going into the break on 39 for 1.The afternoon session started at a canter for Durham, as the pair continued – Borthwick this time playing the lead as he caught up with Stoneman by punishing anything short from Keedy. He put Linley over the rope for six and then took four from Batty to bring up his second half-century of the match. But Borthwick couldn’t follow – trapped in front by Batty, who nearly nabbed Stoneman when he drove wildly outside off that scorched the fingers of Jason Roy at slip.The introduction of Meaker livened things up as he caught Stoneman on the shoulder with a bouncer and then made a complete mess of his stumps with a searing yorker, and when Benkenstein was early into a shot off Linley – spooning it up to Batty at mid-off – Surrey sensed they were onto something.But only one further wicket fell – Collingwood bowled – providing Keedy with a wicket to give him match figures of 1 for 125 – before Ben Stokes finished things off with a brace of stylish fours.It’s now three wins in five for Durham this season and eight in the last 11 with Collingwood at the helm. Tipped by many for nothing more than a relegation scrap, they are now top of the table and playing some very smart cricket.

Hamish Rutherford warmed-up for the Test series next week with an aggressive hundred against England Lions as the second-string bowlers failed to impress at Grace Road

Andrew McGlashan at Grace Road09-May-2013
ScorecardHamish Rutherford’s innings was studded with off-side drives•Getty ImagesHamish Rutherford warmed-up for the Test series next week with an aggressive hundred against England Lions as the second-string bowlers failed to impress at Grace Road before rain wiped out half the overs.Although New Zealand won against Derbyshire, their top order did not cover themselves in glory against what was largely a reserve county attack. The line-up facing them here is a significant step up, and an important increase in intensity ahead of the Test match, although only Graham Onions produced the consistency required on a blustery day, which appeared to impact the bowlers’ rhythmsRutherford’s innings, coming after the visitors were inserted on a green pitch that offered less than appeared likely, contained the hallmarks of his debut series in March: a strong preference for the off side, an attacking mindset, but also the propensity to offer bowlers a chance with a lack of footwork when he drives.He knows the value of warm-up runs, having made 90 in Queenstown before his Test debut where he made 171, and with his only previous cricket in the British Isles coming during two seasons in Scotland, but he also knows this is not his most important innings.”It doesn’t really matter scoring them in the warm-up games it matters in the proper games,” he said. “For me, personally, it’s nice to spend some decent time at the crease in these sort of conditions.”During this innings, the ones he flashed at did not take the edge and the ones he struck regularly came out of the middle but he was handed on life on 85 when Michael Carberry could not hold a swirling chance at deep midwicket off Simon Kerrigan, who then felt the brunt of Rutherford’s bat.His 110-ball hundred included 15 boundaries and three sixes, all straight off Kerrigan, the third of which took him to his century the ball after a similar blow had just failed to be gathered inside the boundary at long-on by Onions. After trying keep himself inside the playing area, Onions turned to the people sat behind him for confirmation of whether it was six or out: it was the New Zealand dugout who were able to confirm.”It was a gameplan,” Rutherford said, “you see the ball tossed up it’s a tough asking for any bowler into that breeze we had today although I did pitching-wedge a couple.”Rutherford continued to latch on to Kerrigan, the Lancashire left-arm spinner who was bowling into the stiff breeze, which enabled the batsmen to hit with it as Rutherford struck his fourth six moments after passing three figures. It was similar to the treatment he dished out to Monty Panesar at stages during the series in New Zealand.Also very familiar from the previous series was his strength through the off side from cover to backward point, an area fed by the Lions bowlers who gave him too many wide deliveries to pick off. Twice he took three boundaries in an over, once off Chris Woakes then again from Toby Roland-Jones who struggled bowling into the strong breeze.”We found him quite tricky to bowl at, he manufactures width pretty well which he showed throughout his innings and he’s pretty aggressive,” Roland-Jones said. “We tried to straighten up on him and restrict his boundaries and I felt as the day wore on we got better with that.”The first wicket came in the seventh over when Peter Fulton played round a full delivery from Onions which would have taken out middle as his tricky start to the tour continued. When England’s attack did not find much movement in New Zealand Fulton was able to play to his favoured leg side with less risk, but the extra nip with the Duke ball on greener pitches makes it a likely mode of dismissal for him.Onions was given an eight-over spell with the new ball and pushed his length fuller than the other frontline quicks. He could have claimed Kane Williamson for 2 but Woakes spilled a rapid chance at gully. Williamson, however, did not build on his reprieve and pulled a short ball from Roland-Jones low to midwicket.Ross Taylor’s first innings of the tour began in slightly uncertain style. Barring the hundred he made in the one-day series against England he has struggled since returning after the captaincy fall-out. He was beaten a couple of times outside off, drove close to point although after the lunch break started to look a little more at ease until, like Fulton, playing round a full delivery to be lbw.That was a second wicket for Roland-Jones, who had changed ends to have the wind behind him and struck in his first over of a spell for the second time in the day, as he clawed back his figures from the earlier punishment.”It was pretty difficult to be honest, combining into that wind with going uphill and it was about trying to do a job,” Roland-Jones said. “There’s always a job to do coming up the hill, but as a tall bloke it’s much nicer to come down the hill.”Dean Brownlie, who eased debate over his Test place with 71 against Derbyshire, survived a strong appeal for caught behind against Chris Wright before rain forced the players off for an early tea. They did not have the chance to resume.

Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, has revealed she is in discussions to play men’s second XI county cricket later this year

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2013Sarah Taylor, the England wicketkeeper, has revealed she is in discussions to play men’s second XI county cricket later this year.Taylor, who will shortly fly to India for the Women’s World Cup, is hoping to play for the Sussex second XI at some point during the 2013 season.Mark Lane, the England Women’s coach, has led the way in trying to secure Taylor a spot in a men’s team and the plan is for her to start with Birmingham League side Walmley. A number of the England women’s team play regular men’s club cricket.”Mark is looking at me getting some games with the second XI at Sussex and that will be just phenomenal cricket,” Taylor told the . “The plan is also for me to play some early season games for the MCC boys. Mark is trying to get me a lot of men’s cricket which can only help my game.”Taylor, 23, would target the longer form of limited-overs cricket where the difference in power would be more easily accommodated. One of the measurable differences between the women’s and men’s game is that it is played with a slightly smaller cricket ball.”There’s part of me doubting myself,” she said. “I’ve just got to start believing in myself a little bit more. But I would love to do it. It would be such a challenge – facing a bigger ball and bigger bowlers. But I’d have to look at myself after the second XI games and say: ‘Can you handle this?'”Taylor is regarded as one of the finest women cricketers of all time. She averages 39.42 from 71 one-day internationals including four hundreds and has a strike-rate of 112 from her 46 Twenty20s (the fifth-highest among players to have made 15 or more appearances) alongside an average of 32.94In 2011, Taylor’s England team-mate Arran Brindle became the first woman to score a hundred in men’s Premier League cricket as she hit 128 for Louth in the Lincolnshire League.

Steve Waugh believes England may fall victim to hubris in the forthcoming Ashes series, suggesting that Australia’s bowling strength means Michael Clarke’s team needs to only find a handful of decent batting performances to regain the urn

Daniel Brettig29-Mar-2013Steve Waugh believes England may fall victim to hubris in the forthcoming Ashes series, suggesting that Australia’s bowling strength means Michael Clarke’s team needs to only find a handful of decent batting performances to regain the urn.Australia’s nightmarish tour of India has lifted English confidence to stratospheric levels, leaving Ian Botham to speak for many when he remarked that “this is the worst Australian team I can remember”. However, Waugh took a brighter view of Australia’s prospects provided the selectors showed faith with the players they had identified to succeed.”I think England aren’t as good as they think they are,” Waugh said at the New South Wales end of season awards night in Sydney. “I honestly think we can win the Ashes. We’ve got the bowlers to take 20 wickets. If that’s the case you can win any Test match. It just needs a couple of batsmen to find a bit of form.”Shane Watson, I think, has the potential to be a really great Test batsman, if he can step up to the mark along with Michael Clarke and some of the younger guys. I like the look of Phil Hughes, he’s got something deep within him that makes him a long-term Test player; we’ve got Dave Warner.”There’s enough talent there, we just need some confidence in that line-up and if we follow on from the damage the bowlers are going to do, I think we can win the Ashes.”The results in India have brought a rush of pessimistic predictions and a vast array of prospective Ashes squads, but Waugh counselled those in charge to persist with the players they had chosen. Waugh is not directly involved with Australian cricket presently, but did sit on the Argus review panel that introduced a raft of changes to the national team’s structure in 2011.”I think we’re just going to have to have patience with the current team,” he said. “It reminds me a lot of 1985-86 when I first came into the Australian side. It took us a couple of years to know how to win … 13 Test matches before I played in a winning Test side; 26 Tests before I scored a century. So, we’ve got to have patience in the side, believe in who we’ve got. We have to pick and stick for a while.”While presenting the medal that bears his name to the young Blues paceman Gurinder Sandhu, Waugh also posited the view that women’s cricket had advanced to the point that Cricket Australia should consider instructing Big Bash League sides to include one female player in each squad. Alex Blackwell was named the NSW women’s cricketer of the year for 2012-13, while the retiring Lisa Sthalekar was also honoured.”I think it’s about time where we could have one female player per Big Bash side,” Waugh said. “Going forward, I can’t see why the girls can’t have representation in the Big Bash. It’s a bit out there, that thought, but I think it might be time.”

Pat Cummins, the Australia fast bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the one-day series against England

Andrew McGlashan at The Oval01-Jul-2012Pat Cummins, the Australia fast bowler, has been ruled out of the remainder of the one-day series against England after sustaining a side strain during the opening match at Lord’s on Friday.Cummins took 1 for 53 in his 10 overs in the first match, having England captain Alastair Cook caught behind, but pulled up with pain after the game and has been diagnosed with a medium-grade strain.Australian team doctor John Orchard, said: “Pat sustained an abdominal muscle strain on his left side during the first ODI at Lord’s. Whilst he was able to complete his ten overs, he was sore after the game and was scanned, the results of which have revealed a medium grade side-strain. This will keep him out of the remainder of the England tour. His return to cricket will be decided in due course, based on follow-up examinations in Australia.”Cummins will fly home to Australia on Monday and the selectors have decided against calling up a replacement player to the squad. Brett Lee and Clint McKay formed a three-man pace attack at Lord’s, while Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson and James Pattinson are the other quicks in the squad.This tour marked Cummins’ return to the international scene following the foot injury he picked up on the tour to South Africa last November, which kept him out of action for the whole of the Australian season. The side strain will put his place on the A-tour to England, which follows the one-day series, in doubt.

Roundup of Under-19 World Cup warm-up games

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2012Seamer Gurinder Sandhu and batsman Jimmy Peirson starred in Australia’s 71-run win over Scotland in Brisbane. Australia put up 315 runs after Peirson smashed his way to a 123-ball 128. Scotland stayed in contention during the chase, courtesy Mathew Cross’ 104, but Sandhu’s five-wicket haul, which included a hat-trick, finished the contest.Sandhu’s effort overshadowed Scotland left-arm seamer Aman Bailwal’s 5 for 52; he ran through the Scotland’s middle and lower-order as the last six wickets fell for four runs to eliminate Scotland’s chances of an upset.In a last-over thriller, captain and opening batsman Chad Bowes’ 104 not out carried South Africa to a four-wicket win against Bangladesh. When the sixth wicket fell in the last ball of the 49th over, South Africa still needed 10 runs to win. But a nerveless No. 8 Prenelan Subrayen, who smashed a six in the last over, helped them reach home with a ball to spare. For Bangladesh, Al-Amin shone with both bat and ball; he scored a 73-ball 60 and later picked up a couple of crucial wickets.Naresh Budayair’s 114 wasn’t enough to help Nepal beat the target of 268 against New Zealand, as the team fell short by 19 runs. In a spirited chase, Nepal was well on course after opener Subash Khakurel, who scored 59, and Budayair added 129 for the second wicket. But only one other batsman made a double-figure score as New Zealand came back into the match by picking wickets regularly. With Budayair’s wicket in the 48th over with 37 runs to win, Nepal lost their chance to inflict an upset.New Zealand’s innings revolved around captain Will Young, who scored 97, and middle-order batsmen Henry Walsh, who scored a half-century, and wicketkeeper Cam Fletcher. Seamer Saurav Khanal took three wickets.Left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh’s five for 32 helped India dismiss Afghanistan for 219 to allow India to record a 52-run victory. India’s innings was based on three half-centuries by the top three batsmen – Prashant Chopra, captain Unmukt Chand and Baba Aparajith. Their innings faltered later with the last five wickets falling for 38 runs, as they ended up with 271 for 7.Afghanistan got off to a positive start with an opening stand of 42 runs, and half-centuries by captain Javed Ahmadi and Shabir Noori seemed to be guiding them towards victory. But a flurry of wickets, similar to the Indian collapse, with seven wickets falling for 56 runs as Harmeet ran through the middle and lower-order, put paid to their hopes.Zimbabwe collapsed for 89 against England to lose by 131 runs, with only three of their batsmen registering double-digit scores. They were in deep trouble at 31 for five before Campbell Light and Nyasha Mayawo briefly led a recovery with a 29-run stand, but the contest was over by then, with a target of 221 well out of reach. Seamer Brett Hutton took three for 28 in his nine overs; Shozair Ali, captain Adam Ball and Tom Knight were the other wicket-takers.Hutton also shone with the bat, with 55 off 66 balls, to rescue his side after they were eight down for 167 in the 42nd over.In a low-scoring match, a six-wicket haul by offspinner Tharindu Kaushal ripped apart Ireland’s middle-order, allowing Sri Lanka to win by 50 runs. A 55 by Ireland opener Ryan Hunter, which was the highest any batsman had scored in the match, was the only contribution of note. Wickets fell regularly throughout the match but unlike Sri lanka, Ireland couldn’t string small partnerships together. Apart from a 65-run stand for the second wicket there was little the Ireland batsmen could offer.The highest scorer in Sri Lanka’s innings was 29 by opener Pabasara Waduge, but with four batsmen scoring in the 20s, and 32 extras, they reached 188.West Indies crushed Namibia under a weight of a commanding total of 328, limiting them to 182 to win by 146 runs, thanks to a century by Sunil Ambris, half-centuries by captain John Campbell and Anthony Alleyne, and contributions from fast bowlers Ronsford Beaton and Marquino Mindley.For Namibia, No. 3 Jano Coetzee put up a resistance with 89, but four wickets by Beaton and three by Mindley put paid to Namibia’s hopes. Beaton destroyed the top-order, reducing Namibia to 41 for 3, and Mindley took the final few wickets to complete the win.Pakistan opener Sami Aslam scored a 99-ball 132 to guide them to an eight-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea. Aslam’s century contained 22 fours and three sixes as Pakistan reached the target of 195 in the 33rd over. For Papua New Guinea, opener Lega Siaka, who scored a century in their previous warm-up game against Nepal, top-scored with 46, as middle-order batsmen Dogodo Bau and Nigel Boge struck a 91-run partnership to help them reach 194. Legspinner Usman Qadir took three wickets.

Kent’s winter recruit Ben Harmison has arrived to put down roots in the garden of England and prove a point to his former paymasters at Durham

Mark Pennell at Canterbury 28-Apr-2012
ScorecardBen Harmison is pleased with his decision to leave Durham for Kent•Getty ImagesKent’s winter recruit Ben Harmison has arrived to put down roots in the garden of England and prove a point to his former paymasters at Durham.At the age of 26, Harmison needed more cricket than Durham were able to offer so, after making only 40 first-class appearances in six years, a parting of the ways was mutually beneficial. When Kent offered a top-four batting berth and the chance to have a bowl from time to time, Harmison – whose brother Steve is best mates with Kent captain Rob Key – jumped at the chance.”There are seven new faces at Kent who bring different cultures and personalities and that has all helped to make for a new vibrancy in the dressing room and lift the players who were already here,” said Harmison.”Speaking to the backroom staff, they told me they can already see a difference to the atmosphere about the place and that reflects in performances on the field.”In explaining his departure from Chester-le-Street, Harmison said: “If I’m honest I should probably have left two years earlier than I did. A few people said I should have looked for opportunities earlier, but I was in the team at the time.”It wasn’t really until last year when things really changed because I picked up an injury and wasn’t bowling much. All of a sudden I wasn’t playing and the writing was on the wall.”They’d also signed a lot of players on long-term contracts and big money at Durham so the finances were stretched. Personally I worry that the wage bill may end up killing the club, and the fact that they had to make cuts somewhere was certainly a factor in me leaving along with four others.”For me the move can only be a good thing. I’m having a fresh start down here, I scored two hundreds in pre-season, I’m also fitter and starting to bowl again.”I know it’s a big challenge ahead but I never shy away from challenges and I’m hugely looking forward to making regular contributions. I see myself as a genuine allrounder and hope to get some more overs under my belt soon and then push on for the rest of the season.”Harmison admits other counties were interested in signing him, but Kent’s early approach, well before Christmas, convinced him that becoming a Geordie Kentish man was the right move to make.Not that there was much satisfaction to be had on the third day of Kent’s Championship match with Yorkshire at Canterbury. Only 53 balls were possible, with Kent advancing from their overnight total of 316 for 6 to 350 for 9. Kent’s West Indies international Brendan Nash consolidated his second-day century and was unbeaten on 132 when the heavens opened at 12.40pm.

Warwickshire increasingly suggest their promise to be title contenders has more going for it than mere optimism.

Jon Culley at The Oval25-May-2012
ScorecardTim Ambrose’s unbeaten 74 left Warwickshire 41 short with five wickets left as they sought to recover the Division One leadership against Surrey at The Oval•PA PhotosWarwickshire increasingly suggest their promise to be title contenders in 2012 has more going for it than mere optimism. With five wickets in hand, they will return to The Oval on the final morning needing 41 runs to secure a fourth win in six.Victory would reassume the leadership of the First Division that Somerset hold after their victory over Durham and ensure that Nottinghamshire, who were in front before sitting out the last round of games, feel under a modicum of mid-season pressure at Hove, where Sussex have already ensured that a win will not be easily gained.Momentarily at the close of the third day in south London, it appeared Warwickshire might attempt to complete the job and give themselves Saturday off. Tim Ambrose and Rikki Clarke, the batsmen on the field, clearly considered taking the extra half-hour, but Jim Troughton, the captain, sensibly decided there was no need to rush.Ambrose is unbeaten on 74, and Rikki Clarke, apart from taking a painful blow on the toe during a hostile burst from Stuart Meaker, has settled in relative comfort to be 18 not out but the pitch in this match has been one on which wickets have come in flurries and the offspinners on both sides have been dangerous.After Gareth Batty’s six wickets in Warwickshire’s first innings, Jeetan Patel countered with half a dozen of his own as Surrey were dismissed for 245 in their second innings. The New Zealander bowled with particular skill in returning his best figures in county cricket and Surrey might have left Warwickshire with much less to do but for Jon Lewis and Chris Jordan, whose bold approach added 54 in 14 overs for the eighth wicket.Patel captured both in the end but their show of aggression, in which Lewis set the tone, left Warwickshire a target of 222 which looked potentially tricky, more so when they stumbled to 37 for 4.Batty again was their tormentor, taking three wickets in his first four overs, but a partnership of 111 between Ambrose and the Ireland captain, William Porterfield swung the balance back towards Warwickshire. So impressive had he been in the first innings that the second innings was only 10 overs old when Rory Hamilton-Brown tossed Batty the ball and asked for a repeat performance.Warwickshire had already suffered a blow with the loss of Varun Chopra to a fifth-ball duck and Batty struck with his fourth delivery, to which Ian Westwood pushed forward and edged to slip, where Tom Maynard took a fine catch. With the third delivery of his second over, Batty had Troughton, on the sweep, leg before without scoring as his thin run continued. It was his first duck of the season but nine innings so far have produced only 50 runs.When Darren Maddy then drove the ball back tamely to offer Batty a straightforward return catch, Surrey sensed they might have the trump card again in the 34-year-old former England bowler.But Warwickshire do not lack self-belief these days and Porterfield and Ambrose plotted a sensible course. Cleverly though he bowled, unchanged at the Pavilion End, getting as much as he could from a slow turning pitch, Batty was made to wait more than two hours for another breakthrough.It was time enough for the fifth wicket pair to re-establish Warwickshire in a position of strength, even though Porterfield, whose conversion rate of 50s to 100s might be better, annoyed himself, after more than three hours at the crease, for playing back to the ball pushed through by Batty that had him leg before for 66.The wicket gave Batty 10 in the match for only the second time in his career, the first since he took 10 for 113 against Northamptonshire for Worcestershire eight years ago.Ambrose survived a confident appeal for a stumping off Hamilton-Brown on 35 (with the total 100-4) and looped a bat-pad chance over the head of Jason Roy on 44 but otherwise cut a secure figure.In the morning, Patel had taken five of the six Surrey wickets that remained overnight. He had Maynard caught bat and pad at silly point, ended Jacques Rudolph’s brief stint at The Oval by bowling him as he tried to clip the ball through midwicket, then had Batty caught at short mid-on. Lewis fell to a catch by the diving Porterfield at midwicket and Jordan was leg before on the back foot, the innings wrapped up when Chris Woakes beat an expansive swing by Jade Dernbach.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Mirpur

The Preview by Siddhartha Talya16-Dec-2011Match factsSaturday, December 17
Start time 0930 (0330 GMT)Nazimuddin stood out among Bangladesh’s batsmen in the first Test•AFPBig PictureBangladesh’s abject performance, their status as a Test-playing nation, the need for their players to play more first-class cricket at home as well as against Associate countries to compete better at the highest level, their excessive reliance on a couple of individuals and their reckless batting dominated talk during yet another capitulation in the first Test in Chittagong.On the same day a revitalised New Zealand pulled off one of their most famous wins, beating Australia by seven runs in a thrilling encounter in Hobart, Bangladesh plunged to another predictable defeat, another innings loss that took their horror run to 10 defeats in 11 Tests. While increasing criticism is something Bangladesh have been at the receiving end of for quite some time, a simultaneous decline in sympathy for their limitations, their results and quality of cricket will be tougher to bear.Their opponents, on the other hand, have achieved what they expected out of this tour so far. Leading up to a much-awaited series against England in ‘home conditions’ in the UAE, Pakistan have been dominating and clinical, sweeping the limited-overs games and being ruthless in a Test that had several notable individual achievements. Asad Shafiq notched up his first international century after promising to reach that landmark on more than a few occasions previously; Abdur Rehman settled in nicely in just his second game of the tour, picking up seven wickets; Younis Khan eased to another double-century and Mohammad Hafeez continued a stellar year.In their final game of 2011, a year of contrasting fortunes for both teams, one emerging strong on the field from the spot-fixing saga and disciplinary issues, and the other seemingly sinking to the abyss after the World Cup, expect another strong show for Pakistan, while Bangladesh will hoping to salvage some pride, if nothing else.Form guideBangladesh: LLDLL
Pakistan: WDWDW
Players to watch out for…Nazimuddin had a memorable Test debut, making 78 in the second innings. As his partners were failing to preserve their wickets, their impatience and lack of determination glaringly on display, Nazimuddin fought hard in conditions that favoured spinners. His resistance stood out, and offered plenty of promise for a team facing serious problems with its batting.Azhar Ali scored his maiden Test ton in his 28th innings, against Sri Lanka in the UAE, after a run of consistent performances in the top order. Pakistan have been grooming him as a Test specialist at No.3. He’s solid, has sound technique and has delivered against tougher bowling attacks. He’ll feel he missed out against Bangladesh in the opening Test, making 26 while the others cashed in, and ahead of the England series he’ll strive for a bigger score.Team newsMohammad Ashraful practiced with the team ahead of this Test, stayed in the same hotel and was, according to the coach Stuart Law, part of the squad before the BCB finally confirmed he was dropped. The late announcement, captain Mushfiqur Rahim said, is something his side had become used to. They’ve replaced him with Shafiul Islam, a seamer. He should take Rubel Hossain’s place; Rubel injured his right shoulder in Chittagong. Naeem Islam missed the first Test due to illness, but should take Ashraful’s place if fit.Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Nazimuddin, 3 Shahriar Nafees, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt and wk), 5 Naeem Islam, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Mahmudullah, 9 Elias Sunny, 10 Shahadat Hossain, 11 Shafiul Islam.Pakistan have two reserve seamers in Mohammad Khalil and Mohammad Talha, but it remains to be seen if either of them is given a go.Pakistan: 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Abdur Rehman, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema.Pitch and conditionsThe weather forecast is encouraging with sunny skies predicted for the next five days. The track in Mirpur has traditionally favoured turn and bounce, something the spin-strong attacks from either team won’t mind. Batting first has been the way to go for the most part here.Stats and trivia Nazimuddin became the 10th Bangladesh batsman to score 50 or more in an innings in his debut Test. Misbah-ul-Haq is 83 short of 2000 runs in Tests. Quotes”We (Pakistan) have to be professional and keep this out of our minds and concentrate on what we are doing.”
“Our target will be to finish off well so that we can go into our next international commitment with the memory that yes, we did well in the last game.”