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Debutant produces key innings as Jamie Porter’s four-for goes vain amid bad weather

ECB Reporters Network15-Apr-2024Essex 530 for 7 dec (Critchley 151*, Elgar 120, Cox 67) and 257 for 4 dec (Cox 116*) drew with Kent 413 (Compton 165, Bell-Drummond 135, Critchley 5-105) and 164 for 7 (Jaydn Denly 41*, Porter 4-20)A combination of Kent’s 18-year-old debutant Jaydn Denly and bad weather scuppered Essex’s hopes of recording back-to-back County Championship wins.The all-rounder joined forces with uncle Joe in a sixth-wicket stand that took 16 overs and contributed 51 runs after Kent had been on the ropes at 65 for 5.Jaydn Denly stood firm for 128 balls on a rain-interrupted final day at Chelmsford, finishing on 41 not out in Kent’s 164 for 7, Jamie Porter taking 4 for 20.Essex had declared for the second time in the match on their overnight 257 for 4, with Jordan Cox unbeaten on 116 after his fireworks of the previous evening.That set Kent 375 to win, initially from 76 overs, then 64 after the morning session was abandoned following another downpour.Kent’s batters donned black armbands to mark the death of their former England spinner Derek Underwood at the age of 78.Essex’s quest got off to a flying start in Porter’s second over when Tawanda Muyeye edged an inswinger to the wicketkeeper and the seamer then had Ben Compton lbw for six.Simon Harmer dropped Jack Leaning first ball but made amends when Daniel Bell-Drummond went to sweep and was lbw for 18.Leaning soon lost his off-stump to Shane Snater before Harry Finch was lbw to Matt Critchley, his sixth wicket in the match.That saw Joe Denly, who twice advanced down the wicket and hit Harmer over long leg for six, joined in the middle by his nephew.The younger Denly rode his luck early on against Harmer and Critchley before rocking on to the back foot to ease the latter through the covers for his first four.When their partnership reached 50, from 88 balls, there was an equal split in contributions, but almost immediately Porter had Joe Denly whipping the ball off his legs and into the hands of Feroze Khushi at bat-pad.Wes Agar drove Porter to Snater to become the seventh wicket to fall.

Defending a mere 99, New Zealand’s bowlers stretched the game to its penultimate ball

Hemant Brar29-Jan-2023In a low-scoring thriller in Lucknow, New Zealand almost defended 99, but with three needed from two balls, Suryakumar Yadav swatted Blair Tickner over mid-off to help India level the series 1-1 with one match to go.Before Sunday, the Ekana Stadium had hosted five T20Is, with the team batting first winning on all five occasions. Keeping that in mind, Mitchell Santner opted to bat after winning the toss. With the red-soil pitch at the Ekana Stadium expected to help spinners, India brought in Yuzvendra Chahal for Umran Malik. That gave them four spin-bowling options, including Deepak Hooda.All of them troubled New Zealand and restricted them to a mere 99 for 8. It was New Zealand’s lowest total against India in a full-length T20I. Still, it was far from a cruise for India.New Zealand used five spinners – and eight bowlers in all – and they were as effective as their India counterparts in strangling the scoring rate. India, though, had the advantage of knowing their target. They took the game deep and crossed the line with one ball to spare.In all, spinners bowled 30 overs in the match – the second-most in any T20I, and the most in a game involving Full Member teams.

New Zealand lose three to reverse-sweep

Finn Allen looked to take the attack to the opposition straightaway. He was lucky to collect streaky, back-to-back boundaries off Hardik Pandya but was at sea against spin.Introduced in the fourth over, Chahal found turn straightaway. His first delivery pitched on the leg stump, beat Allen’s outside edge, and missed off stump. Allen tried to counter him with the reverse sweep, only to be bowled via a deflection off his right leg.After Chahal’s wicket maiden, Devon Conway attempted a reverse sweep against Washington Sundar in the next over. The ball, though, brushed his wrist and lobbed to Ishan Kishan. Glenn Phillips too found it difficult to score against spin and resorted to the reverse sweep. In the process, he ended up exposing nearly all three stumps to an innocuous Hooda delivery and was bowled, leaving New Zealand 35 for 3 in the seventh over.Yuzvendra Chahal set the tone for India with a wicket maiden inside the powerplay•BCCI

Kuldeep dents New Zealand further

If New Zealand had any hopes of a recovery with Daryl Mitchell, the Player of the Match in the previous game, and Mark Chapman in the middle, Kuldeep Yadav shattered them. The wristspinner got one to turn back in sharply from outside off to breach Mitchell’s defence and hit the off stump.Chapman and Michael Bracewell tried to revive the innings. Their stand was worth 20 when Bracewell reverse-swept Hooda uppishly towards short third. Kuldeep slipped and couldn’t go for the catch but his quick throw to Kishan meant Chapman, who had taken off for a single, couldn’t retrace his steps in time.Till the 17th over, Hardik was the only seamer India had used. In the death overs, he and Arshdeep Singh used the bouncer to good effect to pick up three wickets between them. The New Zealand innings featured only six fours and no six. There would be no six in India’s innings either.

India hobble to the target

It was never going to be a cakewalk for India. Jacob Duffy bowled the first over of the chase but from there till the 18th over, New Zealand bowled only spin from both ends.Shubman Gill fell for 11, top-edging Bracewell to deep square leg. Ishan Kishan struggled and was run out for 19 off 32 balls by an excellent piece of fielding. Kishan got an inside edge towards midwicket against Phillips and looked to collect two. The bowler sprinted towards the ball, put in a slide and fired the throw to the non-striker’s end. In the meantime, Rahul Tripathi had sent Kishan back and his bat was on the crease when Santner broke the stumps.Ish Sodhi dismissed Tripathi soon after, reducing India to 50 for 3 in the 11th over. Suryakumar and Washington, promoted to No. 5, calmed the Indian dugout somewhat. The pair largely dealt in ones and twos to take the side to within 30 runs of the target before a mix-up resulted in Washington sacrificing his wicket.In the end, it came down to 13 required from 12 balls. Lockie Ferguson conceded only seven off the 19th over despite Hardik finding a boundary. Suryakumar, though, ensured Washington’s sacrifice didn’t go in vain.

Cricket Ireland high-performance director says Ford wanted to put “his mental health, physical health and family first at this time”

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2021Graham Ford has stepped down as head coach of the Ireland men’s team with immediate effect, with Richard Holdsworth, high-performance director for Cricket Ireland, saying that dealing with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic “has taken its toll and he [Ford] needs a break from the game”.Ireland are getting ready to tour USA in December and then the West Indies in January next year, and Cricket Ireland said in a statement: “Interim coaching plans will be put in place over the coming weeks, while a longer-term plan is developed, which will take into account any recommendations from the current T20 World Cup Review underway.”Related

• Andy Balbirnie: 'We're a Test member but at the moment it only really feels like a name'

• Campher on emulating Malinga: 'Maybe it will set in a bit later'

• Graham Ford: 'Desperate to go through to the next phase'

• T20 WC exit prompts 'serious questions' of Ireland operations

In the meantime, Ford will be on leave as he observes his contractual notice period that runs until mid-December.”The last four years have been very special for me – I have enjoyed many happy days with a cricket squad made up of very special people,” Ford said. “I have also enjoyed watching club cricket and experiencing the passion and club loyalty of many fine cricketing people.”When compared with the other ICC Full Member nations, Cricket Ireland has faced many handicaps and challenges. Despite this, on several occasions the team has competed impressively with some of the top teams in world cricket and it has been a privilege for me to experience first-hand the character and togetherness of the Irish players.”However, over a period of time these challenges and handicaps have taken their toll on me. After much consideration and discussion with my family, I realise that this is the right time for me to step away from Cricket Ireland. I’d like to end by thanking all the players and the support staff for their impressive attitudes and loyal support during the four years and I look forward to watching them achieve big things in the future.”Ford, a South African national, was appointed Ireland head coach in late 2017, initially on a three-year contract that was extended by three years in 2019. He oversaw a transitional phase with the team, that included their Test debut in 2018 and, more recently, the disappointing run at the T20 World Cup.During Ford’s tenure as head coach, Ireland played 101 international matches – 51 T20Is, 47 ODIs, and three Tests. He had also provided insights for the restructuring of the men’s inter-provincial set-up, and the regional performance coaching hubs.Ireland made their appearance as a Test nation during Ford’s tenure•Getty Images

Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie thanked Ford for his “consistent positivity”. “Graham has been one of the best coaches I have ever worked with, and I feel very fortunate that I got to spend four years working with him, not just for the playing development side of my game, but for his incredible support during my captaincy to date,” Balbirnie said. “We have had our challenges over the last number of years as a squad, but his consistent positivity has been infectious and his determination to improve the skills of everyone in the squad has brought some of our young cricketers on leaps and bounds…”Holdsworth said he respected Ford’s decision to put “his mental health, physical health and family first at this time”.”It is a sad day to see Graham bid farewell to Cricket Ireland – he is a truly world-class coach who has incredible respect within the game, both for his achievements on the field and his work in developing players off the field,” Holdsworth said. “It would be sugar-coating the occasion to not acknowledge the challenges that Graham has faced – in many respects, unprecedented challenges. The physical and mental impact of the pandemic has been much talked about regarding players, but the coaches and support staff are equally impacted by circumstances…Graham has been a stoic coach, mentor and support for a squad of players dealing with extremely demanding circumstances. And, as he admits himself, it has taken its toll and he needs a break from the game.”He has barely taken a day off voluntarily in his four years here, such is his commitment, and probably hasn’t had a sustained break from the game for well over two decades. The pace, relentlessness and increasing pressures of international cricket – compounded by the impact of the pandemic – are such that we fully understand and appreciate Graham’s position.”

Can Hope and co. look Gabriel and Roach in the eye after their efforts in this series?

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Jul-2020What exactly did West Indies’ batsmen learn between the second and third Tests? They had to bat time on the final day of both matches. Both days, they walked back defeated.On the final day of the second Test, they managed to survive 70.1 overs out of the 85 they needed to. Today they struggled to last just 37.1 overs, having been tasked to be vigilant for 98.It was shambolic and embarrassing. Every specialist batsman showed the resolve of a child spotting an ice-cream truck. None gave the impression that he understood what the batting group’s main goal was: to bat out the balls they needed to.Jermaine Blackwood was the only visiting batsman today who lasted an hour. The rest of the batting line-up were easily distracted, and lured into the playing shots at balls they could easily have left alone. They were easy pickings for Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes, who barely broke a sweat between them on a breezy, rainy final day of this first-ever biosecure Test series played behind closed doors.Kraigg Brathwaite hangs his head after his dismissal•Getty Images

To understand how listless West Indies and how confident England’s bowlers were, you should have heard Broad recounting an anecdote from fourth day after the victory. Broad said that James Anderson had pointed to Windies opener Kraigg Brathwaite and said it was a matter of time before he would become Broad’s 500 Test victim.Both great bowlers had a chuckle. As it happens, Brathwaite was Anderson’s 500th Test wicket during the 2017 tour of England. Brathwaite might as well make 500 the number he wears on his Test shirt, if the ICC allows.But it is not about being a laughing stock, Brathwaite must understand. His fraught technique, where he bats back and across, not knowing where his off-stump is despite taking an off-stump guard, has contributed to his string of failures, especially in the second innings.Today, he was defeated by a Broad ball that had pitched on the seam, on a good length, on the fourth stump before darting in low and fast to hit his raised back leg. Brathwaite could have played on the front foot, but his defensive mindset exposed him, resulting in him getting squared up.ALSO READ: Why Hope’s Headingley opus might not sustain him much longerOn the flight back tomorrow Shai Hope will definitely think about several what-ifs. One simple question he should be asking himself is: was it really necessary to pull a short ball, trying to shovel it from wide outside off stump, only to balloon an easy catch to mid-on? And that too 45 minutes from lunch, not long after Brathwaite had departed?The stroke that Hope attempted today is a stroke batsmen play predominantly in limited-overs cricket when they spot the mid-on fielder well inside the circle. Were West Indies actually playing for a win today? Hope’s highest score in his six innings in this series was 31, which came today. Questions about his future are certain now.Hope’s was not the only self-inflicted blunder. Similar examples of loose decision-making included: Shamarh Brooks playing at a straight ball that needed to be left alone; Roston Chase – who had proved to be the most reliable player – stuttering to respond to call from Blackwood late and turning an easy run into a run-out; Jason Holder failing to take a stride forward against a length ball that trapped him plumb; and ditto Shane Dowrich. Such benevolence helped Woakes to quietly steal a five-for without being particularly scheming.At about half past two in the afternoon, minutes after he had got out, Holder was caught by the TV cameras holding his head in his hands. That was she same head that was held proudly aloft on the final afternoon in Southampton, after Holder and Blackwood had led West Indies to a historic victory to take the series lead. Prime ministers would call Holder to tell him how proud they were he had kept a cool head to take West Indies past the finishing line.From those giddy heights, about a week later, Holder could not believe his batsmen had failed to show the spine to withstand the mounting pressure from Broad and co. as they were bowled out twice in two days, despite sitting pretty before the final session on the penultimate day of the second Test.Another week later, Holder said he could not explain what exactly had happened that West Indies had lost the series 2-1. England has never been an easy place for visiting teams to win especially in the past eight years, when they have been beaten only once – in 2014 by Sri Lanka.Yet Holder and his troops had been gung-ho having won the home series against England in 2019. That victory was possible because some of their batsmen had excelled at home – including Holder, who had blasted a maiden double-century.This time around, West Indies breached the 300-run mark just once – in the first innings of the first Test. That total had allowed their fast bowlers – led by Holder and Shannon Gabriel – to attack England.Jason Holder reflects on West Indies’ series loss•Getty Images

To put those failings into context, this was first time since 1928 that no West Indies batsman recorded a single Test century against England. It was also only the fifth instance of zero centuries in Test series comprising at least three matches for West Indies.This series West Indies managed just 23.73 runs per wicket which was marginally better than their 2017 trip to England. However, last year when West Indies won the series at home against England that figure was a healthy 31.15. Their top three averaged 20.29 which is the second-lowest against England.At the outset of the series Windies batting great Brian Lara had pointed out that the key to succeed in England is to protect your stumps. However this West Indies batting unit’s defence has been too porous: there were 19 lbw dismissals, which is the second-highest count in a three-Test series for them.West Indies batsmen need to think hard. They are not just letting themselves down, but also their fast bowlers, who strived and fought through the pain of bowling not just in back-to-back Test matches, but also long tireless spells.Can they look in the eye of Gabriel, who was playing in his first Test series since surgery last September and was stiff after his match-winning spell in Southampton? Can they do the same with Kemar Roach, who toiled endlessly throughout the series and finally got to the milestone of 200 Test wickets, but could not celebrate the feat? The fast bowlers need an apology.It is not just about the technique and mental strength that makes Test cricket the pinnacle. To win the minor battles, you need presence of mind, too. West Indies were aware on Tuesday that play would be hampered by frequent showers. West Indies were bowled out six minutes before three o’clock. Less than half an hour later, it was raining heavily at Old Trafford.Michael Holding had the first word in this series, calling “timber” after Gabriel bent back Dom Sibley’s off stump to take the first wicket in this series. Holding had the last word, too. He got a message from a friend in the Caribbean who wanted to check if the rain could save West Indies this afternoon. Holding’s response was: “The Lord only helps those who help themselves.”

Tamil Nadu trump Gujarat in thriller, Khaleel Ahmed’s first T20 five-for goes in vain as Rajasthan lose to Vidarbha

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2019Uttarakhand keep winning streak aliveUttarakhand continued their remarkable run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2018-19, clocking their fourth victory on the trot by beating Tripura by a handy 37 runs. Uttarakhand are yet to lose a match in the competition, and are currently sitting on top of the Group E table with 16 points.Put in to bat, Uttarakhand were well served once again by Karn Veer Kaushal, who hit 58 off 44 balls opening the innings. Vaibhav Panwar also made 46 as Uttarakhand put up a reasonable 147 for five.ALSO READ: Uttarakhand’s rise from Big Bang chaosTripura’s reply ran into early trouble and never recovered, as they were bowled out for 110 in 19 overs, Rohit Dangwal taking 3 for 16. Captain Rajat Bhatia took 3 for 29, and outside of a 56-run stand for the fifth wicket in which Manisankar Murasingh contributed 33 in 18 balls, Tripura didn’t have any substantial partnerships.Tamil Nadu sneak past Gujarat in low-scoring contestA combined effort from Tamil Nadu’s bowlers stopped Gujarat at 124, giving TN a one-run win after they had put up 125 for 6 after being put in to bat.TN were in early trouble at 21 for three, having lost M Vijay and B Indrajith, but steady contributions from the middle order averted a collapse. NS Chaturved (34) and Washington Sundar (33) both scored at less than a run a ball, and N Jagadeesan’s 29 boosted TN towards the end.For Gujarat, Arzan Nagwaswalla had a successful T20 debut with 3 for 11 in four overs, building on the good form he had shown with both white ball and red earlier in the season.CHECK OUT: All the Syed Mushtaq Ali scorecardsGujarat’s reply was helmed by Chirag Gandhi, who remained not out on 68 off 66 balls from No. 4, but the next highest score was Nagwaswalla’s 12 from No. 10. Gandhi ended with his highest T20 score, but could only watch in frustration as Hardik Patel, the last man, was run out at the bowler’s end after a mix up.Gujarat had slipped to 96 for nine in 16.5 overs with Nagwaswalla’s wicket, and Gandhi ensured he farmed the strike as much as possible, facing almost every delivery thereafter. He hit four sixes and an equal number of fours, single-handedly adding 28 runs for the last wicket – 25 off his bat and three extras. With Gujarat 123 for nine and one ball left, Abhishek Tanwar bowled one well wide. The umpire signalled it, but Hardik had run almost down the length of the pitch even as Gandhi stayed put. Before Hardik could scramble back, the ball had been relayed to the bowler, who broke the stumps.Khaleel Ahmed is thrilled after picking up a wicket•Associated Press

Karnewar’s four trumps Khaleel’s fiveKhaleel Ahmed continued his good form with a first-ever five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, but despite his 5 for 18, Rajasthan lost a low-scoring match against Vidarbha by 44 runs.Choosing to bat first, Vidarbha were shot out for 117 in 16.5 overs, with Khaleel doing the damage in just 2.5 overs. Vidarbha had started well, but collapsed after being 61 for two in 5.2 overs. Atharva Taide made 23 off 16 at the top of the order while wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma hit 49 off 29, but the rest couldn’t contribute too much, with Khaleel taking the last three wickets in five balls.Rajasthan began steadily, with opener Manender Singh and No. 3 Robin Bist putting on 45 runs off 41 balls for the second wicket, but went from 47 for one to 73 all out. The wrecker in chief was Akshay Karnewar, who took 4 for 7 in 3.5 overs, his best-ever T20 figures. Rajasthan’s innings also lasted exactly 16.5 overs, and Karnewar replicated Khaleel’s feat in finishing things off with three wickets in the last five balls.Shaw returns to formPrithvi Shaw, who had made a tepid comeback from injury in the tournament, returned to form with a blazing 71 off 47, taking Mumbai to a six-wicket win against Goa. Shaw had scored ten, eight and a duck in Mumbai’s three previous games, but smashed seven sixes and five fours as Mumbai chased down their target of 141 in just 18.2 overs.Goa were restricted to 140 for four after choosing to bat. Each of the top four made more than 25, but only captain Amogh Desai (38 off 24) scored at a strike rate better than 120.In Mumbai’s reply, Shaw and Ajinkya Rahane put on 95 in 11.1 overs to set them well on course. Rahane (31 off 25) played second fiddle in the stand, but even though Shaw fell and Shreyas Iyer had a rare failure, Mumbai’s fast start meant they completed the chase comfortably.

England have retained Jake Ball with the T20 squad for their triangular series with Australia and New Zealand as cover for fellow fast bowlers Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jan-2018England have retained Jake Ball with the T20 squad for their triangular series with Australia and New Zealand as cover for fellow fast bowlers Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan.Plunkett suffered a hamstring strain during the third ODI against Australia, missing the last two games as England won the series 4-1. Jordan had been playing T20 in New Zealand’s Burger King Super Smash competition but is also carrying a hamstring problem, and neither is expected to play in Friday’s warm-up game against the Prime Miniter’s XI in Canberra.Ball has been on tour with England since the start, playing the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. He was then unused until the final ODI, when he had figures of 0 for 58 to help England win in Perth, despite having to go off the field during the closing overs after suffering a dizzy spell.He will stay on as cover and could play at Manuka Oval if England want to rest one of their remaining seamers, Mark Wood, Tom Curran or David Willey. Ball was Nottinghamshire’s leading wicket-taker in their 2017 NatWest Blast success, although has yet to be capped in T20 internationals.Alex Hales is also set to miss the warm-up match after injuring his hand while attempting to take a catch in the Perth ODI. England hope all three players will be fit for their opening tri-series match against Australia next Wednesday.Hales’ absence could give James Vince a chance at the top of the order. Vince remained in Australia to play in the Big Bash League after enduring a difficult Ashes, but he has a better record in white-ball cricket and enjoyed watching on as England recorded a comprehensive victory in the ODIs.”To beat Australia in Australia, especially after an Ashes defeat, is a great response,” Vince said. “There are a few new faces in this squad but we’ll try to take the momentum into this series.”

Following his early success with the ODI team, South Africa have included chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi in their squad for the Tests in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-20160:51

Quick facts: Keshav Maharaj

SA squad for Australia Tests

Faf du Plessis (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Dane Vilas
IN: Morne Morkel, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rilee Rossouw, Dane Vilas
OUT: Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Dane Piedt, Stiaan van Zyl

Two uncapped spinners will form part of South Africa’s attack on their three Test tour to Australia in November. Chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi, who has enjoyed early success in ODIs, and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj have been included in the 16-man squad. They come in at the expense of offspinner Dane Piedt, who had played both home Tests against New Zealand and three of the four Tests against England last summer, and seemed to be establishing himself as first choice.The pace pack has fewer surprises with Morne Morkel returning, subject to coming through a first-class match starting on Tuesday. Morkel sat out the New Zealand Tests and Australia ODIs with a back problem and has since made a come back in club cricket. He forms part of a five-man seam attack with Kyle Abbott, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander.Faf du Plessis will captain in place of the injured AB de Villiers while in-form Rilee Rossouw – who is yet to win a Test cap – has been added as batting cover in place of Stiaan van Zyl. Dane Vilas will travel as the reserve gloveman. Dean Elgar, who sustained an ankle injury ahead of the second Test against New Zealand, has been in action for the Titans and will take his place at the top of the order. With allrounders Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell nursing knee and rib injuries respectively, South Africa are without an allrounder apart from JP Duminy, who has been earmarked to play a role with the ball as well.”Basically, we are following a horses for courses policy as we feel that spinners who turn the ball away from the right-hander are going to be particularly useful in Australian conditions and against the Test batsmen we are likely to face,” Linda Zondi, South Africa’s convener of selectors, said. “I am excited about the cover we have in this area with a wrist spinner and a left-arm orthodox spinner, with JP Duminy able to offer the right-arm variety as well.”Still, the inclusion of two rookie spinners is a bold move from South Africa, and seems to come as a consequence of Piedt’s wickets costing too much. He was South Africa’s third-highest wicket-taker in the England series, with 10 scalps at 45.50, and he was South Africa A’s joint-highest wicket-taker in their two unofficial Tests against Australia A but his six wickets came at an average of 43.66. Piedt had a good first-class run last summer, finishing third on the overall wicket-takers’ list, behind Shamsi and in front of Maharaj.Shamsi was joint-second with 41 wickets at 16.07 while Maharaj was joint-fifth, with 36 wickets at 32.00. While Shamsi has not played a first-class match since April, and his time with the South African ODI squad means he will not feature for the Titans before the Australia tour, Maharaj has started this season with great success. He took a career-best 13 for 157 to bowl the Dolphins to victory over the Warriors in the opening round of the first-class competition.Half of South Africa’s Test squad will not have had long-format game time ahead of the tour as they finish the ODI series but Cook, Elgar, Temba Bavuma, Vernon Philander, Vilas, Dean Elgar, Morkel and Maharaj will all have at least one domestic match under their belts before the squad travels. Cook and Bavuma scored an unbeaten 97 and 76 respectively for the Lions in their win over the Cobras. Vilas and Philander played in the same match, without much success. Elgar scored 33 and 1 for the Titans against the Knights and Morkel will play for the Titans in their fixture this week.South Africa will also have two warm-up matches in Australia – one ahead of the series and another between the second and third Tests. The final fixture is a day-night match at the Adelaide Oval, in which de Villiers is holding out faint hope of being able to participate in.

Thanks to a disciplined pace-bowling attack, aided by mediocre batting from Punjab, Mumbai bundled the visitors out for 154 inside the first two sessions

The Report by Amol Karhadkar08-Oct-2015
ScorecardShardul Thakur carved out Punjab’s middle order to limit the side to 154•PTI

Attitude and discipline. For Mumbai captain Aditya Tare, these were the biggest lessons learnt from a topsy-turvy Ranji Trophy campaign last season and he wanted his team to improve on both aspects this time around. The Mumbai team delivered on both counts on the opening day of their Group B tie against Punjab to take a firm grip on the game at the Wankhede Stadium.Thanks to a disciplined pace-bowling attack, aided by mediocre batting from Punjab, Mumbai bundled the visitors out in a little over two session. And Shreyas Iyer’s blitzkrieg, an unbeaten 61 off 43 balls, then ensured that despite losing both the openers, the hosts were only 51 runs behind Punjab’s tally of 154.If Mumbai can bat through the second day, they will be set to make up for their disappointing start to the season, after they conceded the first-innings lead to Andhra last week.Tare’s decision to field on a typical Wankhede pitch that didn’t look threatening for batsmen was a calculated risk. But the decision also reflected that he had more confidence in his bowling unit than the batting pack. And the pace attack delivered when they were given an opportunity to excel.Manan Vohra and Jiwanjot Singh looked in little trouble for the first half hour, with the former driving the ball elegantly. Once Shardul Thakur couldn’t extract any movement off the pitch or in the air, Tare brought in Balwinder Sandhu. And the seamer’s introduction, aided by Abhishek Nayar’s accurate bowling, dried the run flow.It eventually resulted in Jiwanjot mis-timing an attempted drive and Sandhu latched on to a one-handed return catch in his follow-through. Half an hour and seven runs later, the change of ends worked for Thakur. The fast bowler bowled a short one and although the ball didn’t rise much, Vohra couldn’t take his gloves away in time while trying to duck under it. The ball kissed his right glove and offered Tare a simple catch.Mandeep Singh played a superb cut shot off the first ball he faced but in Thakur’s next over, fell into a short-ball trap. With Thakur bowling with a deep fine leg and deepish square leg, it was obvious that he would pester Mandeep with short balls. And the batsman walked into the trap by top-edging a pull for Harmeet Singh to run in a few yards from square leg and complete the catch.In walked Yuvraj Singh, who had the additional responsibility to take Punjab to safety in the absence of Gurkeerat Singh, who has been called up to the India ODI squad. The Punjab captain played a stylish upper-cut just before the lunch break and in the first over after lunch, he played a trademark straight punch off Sandhu’s fuller ball.While Kulkarni continued to bowl short to Yuvraj in the next over, Sandhu was soon rewarded for his fuller length. In the bowler’s next over, Yuvraj played a tentative drive only to edge it to Tare. At 75 for 4, Punjab were in trouble of folding early. Soon after Punjab went past the 100 mark, Uday Kaul, who had held one end together, and Himanshu Chawla, who replaced Gurkeerat in the XI, perished in the space of six balls and that opened the floodgates for Mumbai. Sandhu and Thakur didn’t take long to wipe off the tail.The Punjab seamers took a cue from their Mumbai counterparts and accounted for both the Mumbai openers in the first ten overs. But Iyer took the game away, displaying his wide range of strokes. He drove when the seamers pitched it full or wide, flicked off his pads with ease. He crossed 50 with a six, a straight hit into the sightscreen, off the 33rd ball he faced. He was lucky to have been given a reprieve soon after at short midwicket but his knock gave an early indication that he was unlikely to suffer any second-season blues.

A round-up of the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on February 20, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2013

West Zone

File photo: Yusuf Pathan scored 86 off 55 balls to give Baroda their second win in the competition•Fotocorp

Gujarat were able to chase Saurashtra’s 269 through a collective batting performance from their top-order. Saurashtra were put in to bat and their wicketkeeper opener Sheldon Jackson scored 109. Contributions from Rahul Dave (36), Chirag Jani (31) and Kuldeep Raval’s quick fire 30 off 18 balls, helped them put up a sizable score, as they finished 269 for 6.Gujarat started assuredly, with openers Priyank Panchal and wicketkeeper captain Parthiv Patel putting up 136 runs for the first wicket. From there a platform was set and Manprit Juneja chipped in with a vital 66. Abdulahad Malik and Juneja steered the team within a few runs of the target before Juneja fell to Saurya Sanandiya. Gujarat won the match with six wickets in hand, in the 47th over.A belligerent 86 not out by Yusuf Pathan, with a combined effort by the bowlers, helped Baroda to a four-wicket win against Maharashtra at the Poona Club Ground. Chasing 178, Baroda were in trouble at 34 for 3 in the 11th over, when Pathan came in to bat. Within the next 61 balls, Baroda added 70 runs via Pathan and Ambati Rayudu, who scored 40. Pathan stuck till the end, hitting six sixes in his 55-ball knock, to see his side home in the 29th over.Maharashtra’s innings was based on short but significant knocks by their middle-order batsmen. After being put in to bat, they lost wickets regularly to struggle to 113 for 7 in the 36th over, before Shrikant Mundhe and Akshay Darekar rescued them by adding 58 runs. But this contribution wasn’t enough as they were bundled out for 177.

South Zone

Half-centuries from Rohan Prem and Sanju Samson helped Kerala to a six-wicket victory against Goa in Porvorim. Kerala were comfortable in their chase of 223, through a strong top-order batting performance. After opener VA Jagadeesh fell in the seventh over, Karimuttathu Rakesh and Prem added 54 runs, before Samson and Prem put on a century stand that virtually sealed the contest.Goa steadily lost wickets after choosing to bat. Their captain and opener Sagun Kamat attempted to anchor the innings, but departed after scoring 71. Towards the latter stages of the innings, Robin d’Souza scored 50 off 42 deliveries to push them beyond 200.Karnataka squeezed home by one wicket against Andhra, with only two balls remaining in the match. After Andhra were put into bat, AG Pradeep (55), Amol Muzumdar (39) and B Sumanth (39) led them to 228 before they were dismissed in 48 overs. Vinay Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 38.Robin Uthappa continued his good form with another fifty, with fellow opener Lokesh Rahul contributing 75. Despite the rest of the Karnataka middle order getting starts, no one was able to push on, with Bodavarapu Sudhakar taking some vital wickets to temper the chase. Ultimately Raju Bhatkal and KP Appanna held their nerve, taking Karnataka to yet another win as they continued their unbeaten streak in the competition.A responsible knock from Dinesh Karthik helped Tamil Nadu beat Hyderabad by 26 runs. Karthik scored a run-a-ball 119, as he put on 108 runs for the third wicket with B Aparajith, who scored 51. Tamil Nadu looked set for a big total before Chama Milind struck twice to help stop the run flow towards the end of the innings. Tamil Nadu ended up with 262 for 9 after fifty overs.Hyderabad started their chase strongly before opener Kolla Sumanth was run out, to leave them at 82 for 1. This was the first of three run-outs in the innings, which hampered Hyderabad’s chase. Dwaraka Ravi Teja (43), Bavanaka Sandeep (42) and Sundeep Rajan (52) all got starts, but couldn’t continue on to take their team home. P Amarnath took three wickets at the end to help dismiss Hyderabad for 236.

Central Zone

An attacking century from opener Puneet Yadav propelled Rajasthan to a commanding victory over Railways, by seven wickets, in Indore. Yadav, with a 117-ball 123 – his highest List A score – put on 112 runs with fellow opener Siddharth Saraf, and 98 runs with captain Robin Bist, to help them reach their target of 232 in the 44th over.Railways’ top order was also productive, but at 215 for 6, they couldn’t accelerate towards the end of the innings, as their last six wickets fell for just 18 runs added. Mahesh Rawat, their captain, top-scored with 81. Seamer Raman Chahar and spinner Madhur Khatri took three wickets each.A five-wicket haul from Jatin Saxena gave Madhya Pradesh a 68-run victory against Vidarbha. After MP chose to bat, seamer Shrikant Wagh, who finished with six wickets, struck early to dismiss both their openers with just 37 on the board. Saxena (61) and Naman Ojha then put together a 136-run partnership for the third wicket to help stabilise the innings. Ojha would finish on 83, with Harpreet Singh contributing an aggressive 39. Wagh returned to pick off three more wickets near the end to leave MP on 263 for 8.In Vidarbha’s chase, legspinner Saxena was instrumental in keeping Vidarbha’s chase under control. Akshay Kolhar (45), Shalabh Shrivastava (33) and Akshay Wadkar (35) were unable to build on their respective starts as Vidarbha were ultimately dismissed for 195 in 47.1 overs.The win gave them top spot in the points table.

The rest of the Plunket Shield will be covered via an internet live stream in addition to the regular updates provided on Radio Sport

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2012The rest of the Plunket Shield will be covered via an internet live stream in addition to the regular updates provided on Radio Sport. New Zealand Cricket and Radio Sport announced there would be a live stream on and that would alternate between the three games played simultaneously in each round. Four rounds of matches in the Plunket Shield have been completed; another six remain.Radio Sport’s decision to replace live commentary of Plunket Shield matches with intermittent updates caused a stir among fans in New Zealand, and an online petition was started to change the network’s mind. The live internet stream will appease the fans, according to David White, the CEO of NZC. “Cricket fans have a strong emotional attachment to the Plunket Shield and they want to be able to remain connected to the matches throughout each day’s play,” he said. “We believe this will provide fans with choice and it will certainly increase the channels by which fans can follow their teams.”Dallas Gurney, general manager of talk programming for The Radio Network, said the response from fans to the decision to scrap live commentary had influence the move to provide a live stream. “There was a strong amount of passion and we are delighted to be working with NZC to respond to that passion with this initiative,” Gurney said.