All posts by n8rngtd.top

“We tried to hurry up Jasprit Bumrah, and see what has happened,” chief selector Chetan Sharma said

Shashank Kishore31-Oct-2022Did India try to rush Jasprit Bumrah back from injury during their build-up to the T20 World Cup?Chief selector Chetan Sharma seemed to suggest so at a virtual press conference on Monday to announce four squads across two tours – New Zealand and Bangladesh – in November-December 2022.Related

• Bumrah set to miss IPL 2023

• Bumrah to miss Sri Lanka ODIs, doubtful for Test series against Australia

• Rohit Sharma: Saving Bumrah's career more important than this T20 World Cup

• Hardik Pandya, Shikhar Dhawan to lead India in New Zealand

• Ravindra Jadeja returns for Bangladesh tour in December

Not surprisingly, Bumrah missed the cut for those matches as he continues to recover from the back injury that forced his absence from the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia.”I always say that we have to manage players,” Sharma said. “And when we do that, the media sometimes writes about why some players are not playing, different players are playing, different captains are coming.”The selection committee has to deal with workload management which we follow very closely. Now, we tried to hurry up Jasprit Bumrah, we tried to get him with the World Cup coming. And see what has happened? We are without Jasprit Bumrah in the World Cup.”Bumrah was first diagnosed with a stress reaction in his back in August and was ruled out of India’s Asia Cup campaign later that month. However, in September, Bumrah was declared fit and was picked in India’s T20 World Cup squad. The same squad also featured in India’s build-up to the tournament with home games against Australia and South Africa. Bumrah featured in two of the three T20s against Australia, but was pulled out on the eve of the South Africa series, India’s last before the World Cup, after he complained of back pain.Since then, Bumrah has been undergoing a rigorous rehab programme at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Even as he exuded hope of Bumrah being available soon, Sharma was non-committal about timelines.India play six white-ball games in New Zealand before flying to Bangladesh in early December for three ODIs and two Tests. They then host New Zealand and Sri Lanka for a white-ball tour to kick off the 50-over World Cup year, before finishing their World Test Championship assignment with the Border-Gavaskar series at home against Australia (four Tests).”The NCA team and the medical team are looking after him very well. And he will definitely be part and parcel of the team very soon, in the sense definitely against Australia (series in 2023). But for Bangladesh we are a little cautious with Jasprit Bumrah as opposed to like we tried to bring him back early (post the Asia Cup). So we don’t want to do that this time.”That is why I always request the media that when we rest a player there is a reason behind that. No selector fancies that we keep changing the team or the captains – it is only that there is so much cricket, and there is so much workload management to look after that we have to keep looking after the player’s body. End of the day they are humans. He will be back soon. The NCA team is working on him properly and I hope he will return soon to play for India.”

Tourists suffer top-order implosion, losing eight wickets in a session in final bat before first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2022County Select XI 247 and 112 for 1 (Compton 56*, Ajaz 1-12) need 152 runs to beat New Zealanders 362 for 9 dec and 148 (Jamieson 36, Wagner 36, Porter 5-31)After four playing days of largely serene progress in their build-up towards the first Test, New Zealand were blindsided by the County Select XI at Chelmsford. Jamie Porter ripped out five top-order wickets to belatedly remind the England selectors of his prowess in seaming conditions, and despite recovering somewhat from a parlous position of 9 for 5, the tourists have a scrap on their hands if they are to avert defeat on day four.This second four-day friendly, after a rain-affected outing down in Hove, has allowed New Zealand to rotate their personnel with a view to getting playing time for as many of the party as possible. But Kane Williamson, the Test captain, managed a nine-ball duck in his only outing before next week’s encounter at Lord’s, while there were single-figure scores for Tom Latham, Will Young, Devon Conway (his second of the match), Tom Blundell and Colin de Grandhomme – all likely starters in the Test XI.The dismissal of de Grandhomme completed a five-for for Porter inside five overs, leaving New Zealand on 19 for 6. That anaemic scoreline had improved to 70 when the eighth wicket fell, but the County Select XI were still eyeing up a target below 200, only for some timely lower-order resistance from Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson to stave off complete collapse. A 63-run stand pushed the New Zealanders towards something defendable, before Worcestershire left-armer Ben Gibbon picked up both to complete an impressive outing.The New Zealanders’ second-innings 148 meant the County Select XI would need to score 264 for victory – more than they had managed collectively the first time around. But Ben Compton continued his prolific summer with an obdurate, unbeaten half-century and although Ajaz Patel removed Dom Sibley after an opening stand worth 88, the ECB’s scratch team will return needing 152 more with nine wickets in hand in the morning.There had been little to suggest that New Zealand were in for such a torrid morning examination when the unbeaten openers, Young and Latham, resumed the innings in bright sunshine, having played out a maiden from spinner Liam Patterson-White the previous evening. But Porter struck with his third, 12th, 16th and 18th balls to leave the visitors five down and not yet into double-figures.Young was the first to go, lbw for a three-ball duck playing no stroke to one nipping back in. Williamson, who joined up with the squad this week after leaving the IPL early to witness the birth of his second child in New Zealand, had spent some time in the field on Friday and now walked out in place of Conway in his customary berth at No. 3. But quickly heading in the opposite direction was his deputy, Latham, who thick-edged Gibbon’s sixth delivery to third slip.Ben Compton led the chase with an unbeaten half-century•Getty Images

Williamson has not played Test cricket since November, having experienced issues with a chronic elbow problem. Although he was fit enough to play for Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL, his returns were underwhelming, and he would have been hoping for a lengthy stay in the middle ahead of his comeback. Instead, Porter found extra lift from a length outside off stump to induce a startled prod to slip.With Conway, another recent arrival from India, also looking for a workout against the red ball after making 4 off 14 in the first innings, Porter struck again from round the wicket, rapping the left-hander on the pads. Two balls later, wicketkeeper Blundell propped forward to also be given out lbw – although he lingered for some time after the decision, with a strong suggestion that he had got an inside edge.At that stage Porter, who has seemingly drifted out of contention for a Test cap despite being called up to the England squad in 2018, had figures of 4 for 4 from three overs; and they improved still further when de Grandhomme defended the ball softly down into the turf, only for it bounce back and dislodge the bails.The New Zealanders finally got the scoreboard moving with the arrival of Tim Southee, who cracked five fours and a six during a 17-ball innings. He scored 34 out of the 37 added in partnership with Daryl Mitchell for the seventh wicket, before another belligerent slap down the ground off Patterson-White was intercepted by the diving Gibbon at long-on. Mitchell then became the eighth wicket to fall, providing a success for Jack Blatherwick, as his ungainly attempt to pull ended up in the hands of point.From there, Wagner and Jamieson dug in for 20 overs of respectable batting that took the innings into the afternoon session. Gibbon eventually trapped Wagner with a full delivery angled into the pads, before Jamieson’s attempt to thrash the ball into Hayes Close ended up in the hands of Porter at long-off. Wagner and Southee both then delivered ten overs, their first proper bowl before Lord’s, as the County Select XI made a good start in pursuit of victory; Sibley fell cutting at Ajaz but the spinner dropped Tom Haines off Wagner in the penultimate over to sum up New Zealand’s day.

Sydney Thunder beat their crosstown rivals Sydney Sixers by three wickets to win the inaugural WBBL title, in a tense and scrappy game which came down to the last over

The Report by Will Macpherson at the MCG24-Jan-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:13

Collins: WBBL helping new faces rise to prominence

Sydney Thunder beat their crosstown rivals Sydney Sixers by three wickets to win the inaugural WBBL title, in a tense and scrappy game which came down to the last over.Sixers’ innings was messy. Thunder fielded poorly, missing a plethora of run outs and catches, with each of the top four let off. The bowlers continued to create chances, and no mistake was horribly costly, but while seven wickets were taken and the total was underpar, Thunder could have been more clinical.Fortunately for them, Sixers were in merciful mood. Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy have scored 346 runs in each other’s company this season, and are not players to be missing chances off. So when Claire Koski failed to gather Alex Blackwell’s throw to complete a simple run out of a desperately diving Perry, Thunder would have been kicking themselves. But, after adding just one more run, Perry was gone, slicing the superb Rene Farrell – who finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 26 – to point. Likewise, Thunder had reasons to rue when Maisy Gibson dropped a tough caught and bowled chance off Healy on 15. Five runs later, 19-year-old Gibson, one of the finds of the tournament, had Healy leg before.The most costly drop was of Ashleigh Gardner, who made a breezy 20. The ball after Perry departed, Gardner sent the ball to point too, where the same fielder, Rachael Haynes, dropped a dipping chance. Gardner was away with a beautiful straight drive and found the boundary on three other occasions, before Koski sharply stumped her off Erin Osborne. Osborne used all her experience to dismiss Marizanne Kapp, who had threaded a beautiful cover drive between two fielders only to hit it straight back to the bowler next ball, and Sarah Aley cheaply. Between the two, Lisa Sthalekar had slapped Gibson straight to point.With Sara McGlashan at the crease, Sixers still harboured hopes of an imposing score. She leaned into a beautiful straight drive off Nicola Carey, but before long was involved in the second horrid – yet unpunished – mix-up between the wickets. McGlashan pushed past backward point, and ran one with Angela Reakes. McGlashan turned, making it all the way back for a second, only to slip. Stafanie Taylor had thrown to the keeper’s end, and with both batsmen on the ground, Koski just had to gather and throw to the bowler. She could not, as McGlashan got up, turned, and made her ground. She had run three lengths but had just one to show for her efforts. Most importantly, she was still in.Farrell returned at the death, and trapped McGlashan leg before, before conceding just six runs from the final over. Reakes picked up McGlashan’s mantle, twice driving boundaries – in front then behind point – off Carey, and scampering singles hard in the company of Kara Sutherland.Defending 115 was a tough ask. Kapp found a maiden first up, and every fielder ran in to praise her. Runs were scored off the bat just twice in the first 20 deliveries. But the Thunder grew into the innings and the introduction of spin saw them push the score. At the halfway stage, no wickets had been lost, and just 62 was required from 60.The game returned to life in the 11th, however. Taylor found long-on off Aley, who then dropped a return catch from Haynes, only to bowl Naomi Stalenberg two balls later. Blackwell and Haynes remained calm, sharing a busy 44, only for Aley’s next over – the 18th – to throw the game open again. Haynes pulled to Perry to midwicket, who dropped a diving catch, only to get up and run out Haynes on the second. After Blackwell drove a boundary down the ground, her ramp saw Carey run out on the third.Nine was required from 12 balls when Blackwell charged down, swung and missed Kapp’s full delivery. Osborne was run out with some brilliant work from Healy again. Koski then scampered three after more farcical fielding. Kapp’s spell had cost just 11, and Thunder needed four from the last. Perry had Farrell caught at mid-off, before the batsmen sprinted through for a bye off a wide to seal a remarkable win with three balls to spare.Given this was the highest-profile women’s domestic match ever, broadcast not only in Australia, but also in England, India, South Africa, and Bangladesh – it did not necessarily flatter the sport’s standard. Nevertheless, a thrilling contest emerged and a fine competition – that has exceeded all expectations – had an exhilarating conclusion. All that was missing, for most of the match, was the Benny Hill soundtrack.

Worcestershire had recovered from 36 for 4 through debut List A hundred from Kashif Ali

ECB Reporters Network02-Aug-2022Double century-maker Ollie Robinson hit Kent’s highest individual score in List A cricket as they chased down a 352 target with 5.1 overs to spare in their opening Royal London Cup encounter with Worcestershire at New Road.Robinson seized upon the opportunity presented by Kent captain Sam Billings and Jordan Cox’s inclusion for the Hundred after spending the 2022 Vitality Blast on loan to Durham, surpassing the previous best Kent performance in 50 over cricket of 150 not out by Joe Denly against Glamorgan at Canterbury four years ago.A lofted cover drive for four against Josh Baker took Robinson to his double ton from 130 balls and was the cue for a standing ovation all around the ground and he ended on 206 not out.Former Kent Academy player Kashif Ali had scored an impressive 114 on his List A debut for Worcestershire who recovered from 36 for 4 to post what looked like a formidable total. But Robinson received superb support from Ben Compton during a stand of 204, Kent’s highest second wicket partnership against any County in this format of the game.It was a reversal of what happened in last summer’s corresponding fixture when Worcestershire chased down a 323 target.Former Worcestershire pace bowler Matt Henry, in his only match in the competition before linking up with New Zealand, struck a treble blow as the home side slumped to 36 for 4 after opting to bat.Ed Pollock edged the first ball of the innings to second slip, captain Brett D’Oliveira picked out square leg and Jake Libby was taken at short extra cover in an opening spell by Henry of 6-20-3.With Azhar Ali lbw working to leg off Grant Stewart, Kent were very much in the ascendancy before Kashif and Barnard began their rescue act. Runs flowed at a rapid rate once Henry had been removed from the attack and it is testament to Kashif’s rapid elevation that he looks completely at home at this level.He completed a 49-ball half-century and then a regal back foot drive square of the wicket off Hamid Qadri took Barnard to that milestone from 56 deliveries.No one was able to stem the stream of boundaries and the fifth wicket pair had plundered 175 from 28 overs when Barnard, on 79, fell to a head high catch at mid-off against Matt Quinn. It surpassed Worcestershire’s previous best fifth wicket List A partnership of 169 by Ben Cox and George Rhodes against Yorkshire at New Road in 2019.Kashif went onto complete his century with a clip through midwicket in the same over and had moved onto 114 from 99 balls when he drilled Qadri to mid-off where Quinn took a fine low catch.But there was no let-up for Kent with Ben Cox, on his return to action after taking a break for mental health reasons, and Joe Leach adding 74 in just 7.5 overs. Leach had made 48 off just 28 deliveries when he lofted Quinn to deep midwicket but Cox went onto a 43-ball half-century with two sixes and three fours in a vintage knock.When Kent batted, left arm seamer, Ben Gibbon, struck an early blow when Joey Evison turned the ball off his hips straight to fine leg. But then the dominance of bat over ball then resumed after Robinson and Compton came together.Robinson was in particularly destructive form against seam or spin and he reached three figures when lofting D’Oliveira for his 13th four in addition to striking three sixes.The partnership of 204 in 28 overs ended when Compton, on 75, pulled D’Oliveira down Barnard’s throat at deep midwicket.Alex Blake was strangled down the leg side off Dillon Pennington but there was no let-up from Robinson. He reached his double-hundred with a lofted off drive against Baker from just 130 balls with six sixes and 26 fours.

A four-wicket haul from Joel Paris gave Western Australia a thrilling 24-run win over Queensland, after centuries from Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger had powered their charge to a third-innings declaration

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2016
ScorecardShaun Marsh scored a 119-ball 109 to go with his first-innings 95•Getty Images

A four-wicket haul from Joel Paris gave Western Australia a thrilling 24-run win over Queensland, after centuries from Shaun Marsh and Michael Klinger had powered their charge to a third-innings declaration. Paris had replaced Nathan Coulter-Nile in the Western Australia side on the third day of the match.Chasing 282, Queensland were well on course thanks to Charlie Hemphrey, who added 77 with Marnus Labuschagne (52, 49b, 6×4, 1×6) for the second wicket and 97 with Chris Lynn (44, 68b, 8×4) for the third to take the score to 2 for 182. But wickets fell steadily thereafter, as Queensland slipped to 7 for 228, before Hemphrey and Mark Steketee steadied the chase with a 28-run eighth-wicket stand. With Queensland needing 26 with three wickets in hand, Michael Hogan struck, bowling Hemphrey for 102 (144b, 16×4). The end came in the very next over, as Paris broke through the defences of No. 10 Mitchell Swepson and No. 11 Peter George off successive deliveries.Western Australia began the day 1 for 79 in their second innings, their lead 69. They lost Cameron Bancroft in the second over of the day, for 45 (95b, 5×4) before Marsh and Klinger took over, adding 149 off 116 balls for the third wicket. Jack Wildermuth then dismissed Marsh for 109 (119b, 11×4, 4×6) and took the wickets of Ashton Agar and Ashton Turner soon after. Western Australia declared on 5 for 291, with Klinger unbeaten on 102 off 86 balls (10×4, 4×6).

Australia captain says coming away with a draw in sub-continent conditions “not a bad result”

Alex Malcolm08-Mar-2022Australia’s captain Pat Cummins believes Rawalpindi’s lifeless pitch was specifically designed to nullify the visitors’ pace attack and that a draw was a good result despite his team only managing to take four wickets throughout the Test.Just 14 wickets fell in five days, with Pakistan piling up 476 for 4 declared and 252 for 0 across two innings before the game was called off with an hour to go on day five. Australia created some unwanted records with the bowlers claiming just three scalps across 239 overs, with Marnus’ Labuschagne’s direct hit run-out accounting for the fourth. Australia’s combined bowling average of 238.33 and strike-rate of 478 were the second-worst in 145 years of Test cricket, sitting only behind Pakistan’s efforts in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1958 when Sir Garfield Sobers made 365 not out.But Cummins was “not at all” concerned about his side’s lack of penetration across almost three full days of bowling on a surface he rated as one of the flattest he has ever played on.Related

• PCB appeals against ICC's decision to award Rawalpindi pitch demerit point

• PCB summons ex-MCG curator ahead of Lahore Test

• Rawalpindi pitch gets 'below average' rating from ICC match referee

• Imam: 'When we go to Australia, they don't make pitches consulting us'

• Why did Pakistan sedate Rawalpindi, their liveliest Test pitch?

“Turning up to a pitch that’s probably not a traditional pitch you would get here in Rawalpindi, and it’s probably clear they’ve made an effort to try and nullify the pace bowling,” Cummins said post-match.”I think that’s a positive. And, sub-continent conditions, coming away with a draw it’s not a bad result.”Cummins was pleased with the efforts of his bowlers across the Test match and explained that once a result became impossible early on day five, he made a concerted effort to keep his key bowlers fresh for the next Test in Karachi by not over-bowling them.”I think we all tried different things,” Cummins said. “I think all the quick bowlers, although we’ve spent the best part of three days out in the field, I think we’ve all bowled around about 25, maximum 30 overs each, which in comparison to a lot of Australian Test matches is actually a pretty light workload.”Didn’t get a huge look at reverse swing this Test, but that might come into it later on. But I was really happy with how everyone went and everyone’s come through unscathed.”Imam-ul-Haq became just the 10th Pakistani batter to score twin centuries in a Test match. Incidentally the previous three players to do so, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali and Misbah-ul-Haq had all achieved the feat against Australia in the UAE 2014. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc were also part of Australia’s attack in that series.Imam and Abdullah Shafique also set a new record for the most runs scored by an opener pair in partnership against Australia.Cummins admitted the Australians need to review their plans for them ahead of Karachi despite the batting-friendly conditions in Rawalpindi.”I thought the Pakistani batters batted really well the whole game,” Cummins said. “Got themselves in and then once they got themselves in they were able to just tick over the score.”We’ll spend the next couple days reviewing it having a look at maybe different plans ahead of Karachi, expecting probably different conditions as well.Cummins was pleased with the batting performance of his own side with the entire top four passing fifty for the first time since 2015 and Usman Khawaja and David Warner sharing a 156-run opening stand. Given the nature of the surface, there is a case to be made that Australia’s batters could have perhaps prospered even more than they did with none of the top four kicking onto big hundreds, and all four fell to mistakes mainly of their own doing.But given it was their first hit of the series and just the second instance of an Australian team making more than 450 in a Test in Asia since 2011, the skipper was satisfied with the performance.Aside from the pitch turning the game into a turgid high-scoring affair, Cummins was full of praise for the Rawalpindi people who had made Australia’s first Test in Pakistan in 24 years a touch more bearable.”They were fantastic the crowd,” he said.”Really passionate crowd for obviously Pakistan but really respectful and great for our players as well. I loved that. Every time we walked onto the field they’re chanting and trying to get waves from our players, which is awesome.”

England Test captain beefs up his pleas to protect players’ wellbeing upon his ODI retirement

Vithushan Ehantharajah19-Jul-2022Ben Stokes has urged the authorities to stop considering players as “cars” and hopes his ODI retirement will be a wake-up call.The allrounder was speaking ahead of his 105th and final ODI after taking the decision to retire from the format. In a statement detailing his decision, he spoke of a desire to lighten his loads, citing playing all three international codes was “unsustainable for me now”.Having taken on the Test captaincy at the start of the summer, Stokes will continue to give “everything I have” to the longest format, as well as Twenty20. As it happens, the 31-year-old Stokes missed the T20 series against India to rest after Test matches against New Zealand and India, and will not play in the T20s against South Africa that follow the ODI series, or The Hundred ahead of the three Tests with the Proteas.Speaking to the media ahead of Tuesday’s match, he went firmer on his comments the previous day of an unsustainable schedule and believes the on-field product will suffer if nothing changes.”We are not cars,” he stated to Test Match Special. “You can’t just fill us up and we’ll go out there and be ready to be fuelled up again. We had a Test series and then the one-day team had a series going on at the same time – that was a bit silly.”I just feel like there is too much cricket rammed in for people to play all three formats now. It is a lot harder than it used to be. I look back to when I used to do all three and it didn’t feel like it was as jam-packed and all that. Obviously you want to play as much cricket as you possibly can but when it is making you feel tired, sore and you’ve got to look towards five or six months down the road for what you’re doing in the here and now it is probably not the best thing.”The more cricket that is played, the better for the sport, but you want a product that is of the highest quality. You want the best players to be playing as much as you possibly can, all the time, and it isn’t just me or us. You see it all around the world now where teams are having to rest some players in a certain series so they feel like they are getting a break.”Related

• If 50-over cricket is dying, maybe it needs to be put on a pedestal

• Jonny Bairstow vows to play all three formats 'as long as possible', in wake of Ben Stokes' ODI retirement

• Nortje hoping for 'more Test cricket' as Covid restrictions are relaxed

• Ben Stokes rested from South Africa T20Is, Hundred

• Ben Stokes to retire from ODI cricket after Chester-le-Street farewell

Stokes also referenced the examples of James Anderson and Stuart Broad for what he hopes will be a prolonged career in the remaining two formats. Anderson and Broad last played white-ball cricket for England in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and are still vital cogs in the Test attack in 2022. Stokes even spoke to Broad about how the 36-year-old found the lighter workload and was left convinced he had made the right decision, especially if he is to replicate Anderson and Broad’s tally of over 150 appearances in Tests.”I asked Stuart if he felt that not playing white-ball cricket was a reason he is still playing now, 160 Tests. He said without a shadow of a doubt, yes. I want to play 140-150 Tests for England.”It’s come a lot earlier than I would have liked at 31 years old, giving one of the formats up. T20 bowl, 2-3 overs here and there. Longevity I have thought about. Hopefully when I’m 35, 36, still playing Test cricket, I can look back on this decision and say I’m very happy with it.”Stokes also revealed he had come upon the decision after the first ODI against India at the Oval on Tuesday, July 12. As he consulted others, one told him “if there’s any doubt, there’s no doubt” that he should step away from 50-over cricket. He then spoke to Jos Buttler, the limited-overs captain, about his thoughts, which centred initially on not being able to bowl his full complement of 10 overs. That inability to play a full, all-round part in matches was ultimately the deciding factor.”After that one-day game it hit me in the face. A quick chat with Jos after the game, I said that if the game was in a different position I’d have bowled more for him. We had five minutes together, he said you don’t owe the team anything and that I had a lot of cricket coming up. That was nice to hear.”I went away and had five minutes to myself, I told him I almost felt a bit useless that I can’t do that. It’s not a nice feeling, knowing I have to look after myself, the captain is trying to look after me, the medical team and the coach as well. It’s international cricket you can’t be doing that.”

Tamim Iqbal, Minhajul Abedin and Habibul Bashar heap praises on the Bangladesh team following their historic win against New Zealand

Mohammad Isam06-Jan-2022Bangladesh ODI captain and senior player Tamim Iqbal praised the team for crossing “all barriers” to beat New Zealand in their own backyard in the first Test in Mount Maunganui.On Wednesday morning, there were celebrations led by Tamim and other players following the historic win, at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, where the BCL final was taking place.Tamim praised the scale of the victory, particularly keeping in mind Bangladesh’s previous record in New Zealand.Related

• Test failures a worry, but Tamim expects 'very, very good' Bangladesh ODI team if things go to plan

• Shakib: 'I am happy Bangladesh beat New Zealand without me'

• Ross Taylor: 'All good things have to come to an end'

• Ebadot Hossain: 'If you are fit enough as a fast bowler, you can do anything'

• Stats – Bangladesh end jinx as NZ's unbeaten home run stops at 17

“We returned empty-handed from New Zealand for many years, many tours,” Tamim wrote on his official Facebook profile. “The situation was tougher this time. But the team crossed all the barriers to bring a wonderful win. Beating New Zealand in New Zealand is one of the toughest jobs in world cricket. We showed that we can.”What really touched me was that it was a total team effort. It is a team with great spirit. No praise is enough for Ebadot [Hossain]. [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy, [Najmul Hossain] Shanto, Liton [Das], [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz and Yasir [Ali] everyone contributed in the win. Even Taijul Islam took a brilliant catch as a substitute.”Tamim said that captain Mominul Haque deserved special mention for continuing to motivate the team during a “difficult time”.”I will mention someone separately. At a very difficult time, when no one believed in the team, when there was doubt within the team too, only one man didn’t lose his belief. He always tried to motivate the team by saying ‘we can, we definitely can’, despite bad days, bad performances. He has tremendous love for Test cricket. He gives the most priority to Test cricket. I doff my cap to the captain, Mominul Haque.”Chief selector Minhajul Abedin wants the team to use this blueprint to continue their success in Tests.”This is a memorable win. It is a huge milestone for our cricket.” Abedin said. “I think if we hold on to this process for the next three to five years, we can become a good Test-playing team.”People say a lot of things about the cricketers’ ability, but playing while being in a bio-bubble is tough. They have adjusted themselves and given the nation a great gift. Definitely, they deserve a salute.”Habibul Bashar, another senior selector and a former national captain, called the win Bangladesh’s greatest accomplishment in Tests.”I am lost for words. I am extremely happy. We have won a few Tests, done a few good things, but I think this is our greatest achievement as a Test-playing nation.”We played great cricket throughout this Test match. In every department. Top-order batting, fast bowlers, spinners. Even the captain got us breakthroughs. It will be tough to find something negative from this Test win.”

Essex have furtrher strengthened their pace bowling resources by signing the Western Australian fast bowler Matt Dixon on a dual passport basis

David Hopps11-Mar-2016Essex have completed their commitment to strengthening their pace bowling resources by signing the Western Australian fast bowler Matt Dixon on a two-year deal.Dixon, 23, holds a British passport and will be available across all three formats, subject to ECB registration approval.He is the second pace bowler with dual nationality to be snapped up by Essex this close season. They have also signed New Zealand A fast bowler Matthew Quinn on a three-year deal as Chris Silverwood, Essex’s new head coach, has concentrated on stiffening their fast-bowling ranks.Only one county will be promoted from Division Two this season, ahead of a reduced eight-team Division One in 2017, but Essex have been active enough in rejuvenating their squad to suggest that they can be one of the chief contenders.Dixon first received county suitors in 2010 after a spell in the Durham leagues, and Essex have finally tempted him to England to reinvigorate a career that has recently developed quietly since appearances for Australia at Under-17 and Under-19 level.But he did play in Perth Scorchers final group match in the Big Bash League, taking the wickets of Luke Wright and Kevin Pietersen in a return of 3 for 32.Silverwood said: “Matt is a talented young man who bowls at a really good pace. You need a number of seamers in a squad to be able to compete on all three fronts – as we plan to.”Since the accession of Ronnie Irani to the cricket chairmanship, Essex, regarded in the past decade as one-day specialists, have stressed that they intend to make a more concerted effort to returning to Division One of the Championship.A right-arm fast bowler, Dixon will add extra depth to a bowling attack that has also seen the arrival of Quinn, the former Sussex spinner Ashar Zaidi and – for the NatWest T20 Blast only – the combination of New Zealander Adam Milne and Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz.Essex have had quite an overhaul this winter. The departure to Hampshire of Reece Topley, who has forced his way into England’s limited-overs sides, was a blow, former skipper Mark Pettini has moved to Leicestershire and the gamble on Monty Panesar was finally accepted to be a failure as he was released.Dixon made his List A debut for Western Australia against Victoria in October 2010, at 18, removing Brad Hodge with his fifth ball. He was the third youngest player to represent Western Australia at senior level. A first-class debut followed against New South Wales in March 2011.From the outset, Western Australia were aware of rival interest not only from county cricket but also from Australian Rules football where he was a powerful colts footballer for Subiaco.

The sun duly set on Sri Lanka’s tour of England, but the literal setting on a sunkissed day in Hampshire proved infinitely more impressive than the figurative version

The Report by Andrew Miller in Southampton05-Jul-2016England 144 for 2 (Buttler 73*, Morgan 47*) beat Sri Lanka 140 (Dawson 3-27, Jordan 3-29) by eight wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJos Buttler opened England’s innings and ended unbeaten on 73•Getty Images

The sun duly set on Sri Lanka’s tour of England, but the literal setting on a sunkissed day in Hampshire proved infinitely more impressive than the figurative version. As a packed house at the Ageas Bowl revelled in another show of force from an increasingly impressive England white-ball team, the visitors prepared to exit stage left – trampled underfoot at the end of a long and arduous tour from which the positives will only be visible if their talented young players can learn from the experience and turn it to their country’s advantage in the future.For today, however, it was all about England’s here and now. Liam Dawson pleased his Hampshire home fans by starring on debut with figures of 3 for 27 in four overs, before Jos Buttler – offered an unexpected opportunity to open the batting – eased England to a clean sweep of all three formats (and a resounding 20 points to four victory in the inaugural Super Series) with 73 not out from 49 balls, including three fours and four emphatic sixes.

Morgan faces X-ray after dislocation

Eoin Morgan will undergo an X-ray on his left ring finger tomorrow after suffering a dislocation while taking a catch in the covers off Dinesh Chandimal.
“It bent right back, it was dislocated,” Morgan said. “I got it put back in and injected, so I can’t really feel it at the moment. I’ll have an X-ray on it tomorrow afternoon and see what it’s like.”
The incident did not hamper his batting in the short term, as he finished unbeaten on 47 from 39 balls, the most runs he has scored in his last 22 innings for England.
“It’s nice to get some runs,” he said. “I’ve struggled to string an innings together but everyone in the team has dovetailed around that, which has been awesome.
“As a captain you want to lead from the front and, when you’re not doing that, it can leave a bit to be desired. I enjoy scoring runs in a successful team.”

Victory was duly sealed by eight wickets and with 15 balls left unused, thanks to an unbroken third-wicket stand of 114 in 79 deliveries between Buttler and Eoin Morgan, who rose above the dislocation of his left ring finger while taking a catch in the covers to produce his best innings of the year to date, an unbeaten 47 from 39 balls which included a firm swipe for six over wide long-on to cue the fireworks and wrap up England’s first white-ball campaign of the summer.Dawson, who was an unused member of England’s World T20 squad, demonstrated his aptitude for the international stage by striking in each of his first three overs. In a composed and mature performance, he used his local knowledge to gauge the pace of the surface from the outset and cramp Sri Lanka’s ambitions as they sought in vain to accelerate through the middle overs. On his watch, they collapsed from 58 for 1 to 82 for 5, including a crass first-ball run-out for Dasun Shanaka, their ambitions of a defendable total over there and then.Dawson’s fellow England debutant, Tymal Mills, was no less impressive even though his maiden international wicket will have to wait for another day. In two bursts of two overs, at the front- and back-end of the innings, he returned figures of none for 22, conceding a solitary boundary in each spell as Sri Lanka struggled to align his fierce pace with a cunningly disguised slower ball.According to the speedgun, Mills’ fastest ball was also his first – a 92.5mph loosener on a good length outside off stump, and that line rarely strayed at any stage of his performance, allowing Morgan to trust him implicitly at either end of the innings. It is early days in an England career that could have been over before it had begun when Mills was diagnosed with a degenerative back condition two years ago, but the early impressions were exciting in the extreme.Then again, Sri Lanka’s batting was as haphazard as you might expect from a side that has been through the wringer in all formats during their two-month tour of England. Despite Angelo Mathews’ insistence, after winning the toss, that this contest was their opportunity to “end the tour on a high”, many of the dismissals suggested that the only height that mattered any more was the cruising altitude of tomorrow’s flight to Colombo.”That has been the case for us right throughout the summer, we didn’t get enough runs on the board,” Mathews admitted afterwards. “We knew it would be a tough challenge but we just had to compete and give ourselves the best chance to win. Unfortunately either batting, bowling or fielding has let us down in every single game…140 was a very average score.”On a pitch that had been shown, by England’s women during their hard-earned victory over Pakistan earlier in the afternoon, to be somewhat slower than might have been anticipated, Sri Lanka succumbed to a diet of half-formed mows and drives that they might have got away with, had the ball been coming onto the bat.Instead, as Mathews conceded, it was “stopping and turning” a bit off the surface, and, as a consequence, their attempts at acceleration took on, at first, an air of desperation and then, latterly, resignation. Chris Jordan, in particular, took command at the death, returning from a minor mauling in the Powerplay to claim three wickets for six runs in his final two overs of the innings.Liam Plunkett’s heavy artillery accounted for the dangerous duo of Kusal Perera and Seekkuge Prasanna before either could fully cut loose, while Adil Rashid’s wrist-spin was typically slippery and varied, and included a T20 collector’s item – the first maiden of his 20-over career. Ramith Rambukwella, an offspinning allrounder whose only previous match had come against New Zealand at Pallekele three years ago, was tormented as he attempted to swing his way through the square boundaries. Though he eventually connected in Rashid’s next over for one of only three sixes in the innings, he soon departed for 19 from 16 thanks to a direct hit at the non-striker’s end from James Vince at point.In reply, England’s innings stuttered at the outset as Jason Roy – flushed with understandable confidence after his recent glut of ODI runs – stepped across his stumps in Mathews’ first over to be bowled round his legs for a duck, before Vince made it 30 for 2 in the fifth over when he lost sight of a deflection off his pads and was stumped by Dinesh Chandimal as he strayed out of his crease in search of an non-existent bye.By that stage, however, Sri Lanka believed they ought to have had the big one. On 5, Buttler appeared to graze a thin nick through to Chandimal behind the stumps but the umpire was unmoved. Snicko soon revealed a large spike as the ball passed the edge, but with no DRS on offer for the T20 leg of the tour, Sri Lanka had no recourse.”Chandimal was pretty convinced he nicked it, but unfortunately it’s one of those things, it happens,” said Mathews afterwards. “T20 is a fast game and you want it to be fast. It was one of those days when you think you might need that one DRS. But it was human error once again and we couldn’t do anything about it.”The same could broadly be said of England’s run-chase, as Morgan appeared on schedule at No. 4, his finger numbed with painkillers and his timing and placement seemingly restored as a consequence. But it was Buttler’s brilliance that ripped the game away. His promotion may only be a temporary measure, with Alex Hales rested for this game, but such was the clarity of his strokeplay and the inevitability with which he swept England to the spoils, you have to wonder if it may prove to be a longer-term plan.”Certainly it’s something we would consider again,” said Morgan. “It’s about getting the best of this fellow, because you don’t know what his limits are – he’s that good. His potential is as good as anyone’s around the world. It’s up to himself, me, TB [Trevor Bayliss] and Farby [Paul Farbrace] to be as open and honest about where his best position is to bat. But watching him crunch it is pretty awesome.”Where the white-ball game is concerned, however, such thoughts can be shelved until September. For now, England’s attention turns back to Test cricket and the rapidly approaching Lord’s Test against Pakistan. For Sri Lanka, a long flight home awaits. It’s been a bruising visit.