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The South African will slot into a batting line-up that already includes Chris Gayle and Alex Hales

Mohammad Isam27-Oct-2018

How the BPL squads look before the draft

Rangpur Riders: Chris Gayle, Mashrafe Mortaza, Nazmul Islam, Mohammad Mithun, AB de Villiers, Alex Hales
Dhaka Dynamites: Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Rovman Powell, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Hazratullah Zazai
Sylhet Sixers: Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Liton Das, Sohail Tanvir, David Warner, Sandeep Lamichhane
Khulna Titans: Mahmudullah, Ariful Haque, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Carlos Brathwaite, Dawid Malan, Ali Khan
Comilla Victorians: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoaib Malik, Asela Gunaratne, Liam Dawson
Rajshahi Kings: Mominul Haque, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Zakir Hasan, Qais Ahmed, Christiaan Jonker
Chittagong Vikings: Sikandar Raza, Luke Ronchi, Najibullah Zadran, Sunzamul Islam, Mohammad Shahzad, Robbie Frylinck

Rangpur Riders have signed up AB de Villiers for the 2018-19 BPL season as their second signing outside the player draft, which is set to take place on Sunday. It sets up the mouthwatering prospect of a Rangpur batting line-up that also includes Chris Gayle, whom the franchise retained after his fireworks in last year’s final, and Alex Hales, whom they signed earlier this month.Apart from de Villiers and Hales, other prominent recent signings in the BPL include David Warner for Sylhet Sixers and Andre Russell for Dhaka Dynamites. There was interest shown in players from Associates nations too, with Sylhet roping in Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane and Khulna signing USA fast bowler Ali Khan, who impressed in the CPL this year. Dhaka have picked up Hazratullah Zazai, who recently hit six sixes in an over in the Afghan Premier League.Each team has six players in their squad ahead of the draft. In all, each team can sign a maximum of 12 local and nine overseas players. Every side must include four overseas players in their playing XI this season.Dhaka already have five overseas players among their current squad of six, which means they will focus mostly on local players in the draft. Rangpur could add allrounders and spinners to their squad to complement their star-studded batting line-up and a bowling attack containing Mashrafe Mortaza and Nazmul Islam. Sylhet have their top four sorted with Warner, Liton Das, Nasir Hossain and Sabbir Rahman, so they would look to strengthen their lower middle order and bowling attack which already includes Sohail Tanvir and Lamichhane.In the draft, the A+ category (USD 200,000) will include Shahid Afridi, Imran Tahir and Evin Lewis, while category A (USD 150,000) will include Mohammad Hafeez, Faheem Ashraf, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga and Darren Bravo.The BPL which is scheduled from January 5 to February 8, will clash with the UAE T20x and the Big Bash League in Australia.

Lancashire have offered Steven Finn a lucrative, long-term deal in an attempt to lure him away from Lord’s

George Dobell12-Aug-2017Lancashire have offered Steven Finn a lucrative, long-term deal in an attempt to lure him away from Lord’s.Finn made his debut for Middlesex as a 16-year-old in 2005, the youngest man to do so since Fred Titmus in 1949. He is out of contract with the club at the end of the year, though, and has so far not signed the new deal offered him by Middlesex.Finn’s attraction to Lancashire is obvious. The sort of fast bowler who relishes a heavy workload and has a relatively good injury record, he appears to have dipped behind a few others in the England pecking order – he hasn’t played a Test since October 2016 or an ODI since May – so could be expected to be available for county action for most of the season. He also has a good record in all formats of the game and is bowling well enough that he was called into the England squad as cover when Mark Wood was injured.He might also feel that moving from Lord’s – where the pitches tend to offer bowlers very little – might provide more opportunities to impress. Aged 28, he should have several good years ahead of him.Finn currently has an ECB central contract, but it not certain to see it renewed in the next round of deals which kick-in from October.”There have been approaches for Steven,” Middlesex’s director of cricket, Angus Fraser, told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve been in negotiations and he’s asked for a bit more time. But he’s a Middlesex boy and we very much want him to say.”Lancashire’s leading seamer this season has been their overseas player, Ryan McLaren, and they may be concerned that Kyle Jarvis could be persuaded to return to international cricket with Zimbabwe.

Alex Hales might have missed out on a maiden century for the third time in the series but he could console himself with the knowledge that he has established himself in England’s top order for the foreseeable future

George Dobell at Lord's12-Jun-2016Alex Hales might have missed out on a maiden century for the third time in the series but he could console himself with the knowledge that he has established himself in England’s top order for the foreseeable future and given his side a decent chance of completing a third successive victory over Sri Lanka.Hales, who followed innings of 86 at Headingley and 83 in Durham with 94 here, admitted he was “frustrated” at failing to convert such scores to three figures. But, having answered many of the questions about his technique that hung over him at the start of the summer, he reasoned that, on balance, he had still enjoyed an encouraging series. He also conceded that he benefited from some significant luck during the course of this innings.Quite apart from being dropped twice, Hales also saw the DRS go his way when Sri Lanka reviewed an lbw shout and survived being clean bowled by Nuwan Pradeep when umpire Rod Tucker incorrectly called a no-ball.”It is frustrating,” he said. “But if someone had offered me nearly 300 runs at an average of 60 at the start of the series [he has scored 292 at 58.40], I’d probably have taken it. To have gone into the final Test 2-0 up and helped get the team off to some good starts, it could hardly have been a better. Well, it could if I had converted some starts, but so far so good.”I’d had my fair share of luck. I was bowled off that close no-ball and there were umpire’s calls and edges, so I guess my luck ran out. It’s disappointing to come so close and miss out again. When you get so close you have to be converting. But it was pretty decent delivery.”Hales was particularly pleased with his increased assurance outside off stump. While his tour to South Africa was dogged by dismissals to edges behind the wicket – he averaged 17.00 in the four-Test series, with a top-score of 60 – here he has dealt with Sri Lanka’s seam attack relatively comfortably and felt that he was also improving against spin bowling.”I had a lot of questions to answer after South Africa,” he said. “The biggest thing I’ve improved is my decision-making outside off stump. Whether it is leaving the ball or attacking the ball.”In South Africa, a few times, I was tentatively hanging my bat in the channel. So I’ve tried to be more positive. Positive in my leaving and positive when I’m looking to attack. It’s still something I’m improving on each game and there are other areas to work on as well, but I feel I’m heading in the right direction.”Maybe in the first couple games this summer, I have tried to go after the spinners more than should have. But this game I have played a lot better and picked my attacking options better against Rangana Herath. I’m learning from my mistakes and looking to build on this later in the summer. I know there are tougher challenges to come.”Hales admitted he had not changed his shot when bowled by the no-ball – it is doubtful whether a batsman has time to do so against a fast bowler at Test level – but suggested that, had a spinner been bowling, there may have been time to change his stroke. For that reason, it remains hard to envisage a scenario where an incorrect on-field no-ball call could be rescinded by TV evidence.”If the spinners are bowling, I guess your eyes could light up if hear the no-ball call,” he said. “But I have a bit of sympathy with Rod Tucker. You think about how fast the game moves and how close he was to the front line and it’s a split decision he has to make at the time. Rod had told him a few times that over he was getting close to the front line.”Perhaps the England declaration was also significant. While the first few years of Alastair Cook’s captaincy were marked by some low-risk, attritional cricket, here he has risked the possibility of losing in the attempt to win the game.The England side of a couple of years ago may well have batted on ensure they could not have lost the match before attempting to bowl out Sri Lanka but, in keeping with the more positive style that has characterised much of their cricket in the last 12 months, England have given Sri Lanka an outside chance of victory. Memories of West Indies’ run chase in 1984 were revived for some, though this pitch – offering a bit of spin and some uneven bounce at one end – looks considerably more demanding.”We could have batted on,” Hales said. “But this is the positive option. There’s still plenty of life in the pitch, so if they chase 350 or whatever it is, they deserve to win.”

A second Championship win for Essex, this one by an in innings, sees them get off the bottom of Division Two. Their 23 points achieved in three days work here takes them to sixth in the table, with nine left to play.

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford16-Jun-2015
ScorecardGraham Napier helped whittle out the Derbyshire lower-order•Getty Images

A second Championship win for Essex, this one by an in innings, sees them get off the bottom of Division Two. Their 23 points achieved in three days work here takes them to sixth in the table, with nine left to play. Should they go on a run reminiscent of last season’s home-straight of six wins out of their last seven they would be, as they say, “in and amongst it”.Certainly Essex are a side that thrive of momentum – not too surprising given the players they have: an array of attackers in each discipline that thrive with time on the field and wither without it. No one typifies that more than Graham Napier who has gradually been building up to a performance like today.His 4 for 64 in 23 overs, a season best, was a triumph of the endurance he has built up through managing niggles in the middle of an unrelenting schedule. At times in four-day cricket he has switched to an abbreviated run-up, mid-spell. On the third evening, there was nothing by half as he produced a match-winning cameo of six overs, 3 for 13. As the ball approached its seventies, it started showing signs of reversing. With that, it was handed to Napier at the Hayes Close End and he used it to gut the Derbyshire middle order. It was a reminder that Napier is one of the best reverse-swing bowlers on the county circuit.

Paul Grayson, Essex head coach

On day one “It was a very important toss to win on day one with those cloudy conditions, but we exploited those conditions well. Young Jamie Porter bowled outstandingly well and we probably could have bowled them out for a bit less if we took our catches.”
On Essex’s sole batting effort “It was an interesting scorecard because we didn’t get a hundred – quite rare when you get a good score like that. It was great to have Cookie back, especially when he’s in this form. Browne looked great again and it was just a great first innings performance that we’d talked about as a group. We’ve got to take control of games more.”
On results up till now “We’ve felt like we’ve played some half decent cricket but we’ve been punished from mistakes in previous games. There were signs against Northants last week where we showed character and fight to get back into that match. We got a strong side out this game and I was expecting a strong performance.”
On Napier’s 23 overs, 4 for 64 “I think Napes was outstanding today when we needed him. He’s put a massive shift in today. He looks fit at the moment, he’s signed a new contract and he’s bowling well – long may that continue.”

Essex added 24 runs to their overnight score, 21 of which came from the bat of James Foster. It was Wayne White who kept the home entertainment to a minimum by removing Aron Nijar lbw and then dismissing Foster, who guided him perfectly to Billy Godleman at third man. The wickets gave White his second consecutive six-wicket haul, after a career best 6 for 25 against Kent in the previous round of matches.Derbyshire, 325 behind, got off to the worst possible start when Ben Slater chipped Jamie Porter’s fifth ball to Napier at mid-on, who pulled off an impressive jumping catch. It looked from a distance that the ball might have stopped in the pitch; Slater seemingly checking his drive, as if reacting late to the ball not quite coming onto the bat. Soon after Billy Godleman followed him back to the pavilion when he flicked Porter straight to Ryan ten Doeschate, who had been moved to leg slip a couple of balls earlier.And so began a third wicket partnership that would take 43 overs to break. The respective shapes, mannerisms and backgrounds of Chesney Hughes and Wayne Madsen suggests more buddy-cop flick than strong-willed resistance. Hughes used his power to punish anything juicy that came his way; Madsen simply drove and guided out of habit. Against the spin of Tom Westley and Nijjar, Hughes at times looked edgy, and frenetic. As it started to look like Westley had Hughes’ number – with Hughes on 25, Westley had a big lbw shout turned down – the Derbyshire No. 3 ended a sequence of nine dot balls against the offspinner with a powerfully struck six over midwicket. Madsen on the other hand was a picture of serenity. Still, they both took it in turns to pummel the back of Ryan ten Doeschate who, at short-leg, felt the full force of their cuts and pulls on five or six occasions.Their partnership of 166 showed that the pitch rewarded patience. But when Hughes departed for 80, bowled so emphatically by Ravi Bopara that just one stump was left standing, that was the end of any real accompaniment for Madsen.By the time the Derbyshire captain had reached his hundred from his 179th ball faced – his first of the season and career-first against Essex – Wes Durston had perished to the second ball after lunch. At that point, the deficit was down to 70 and there was a chance that Essex would need to bat again. Then Napier happened. The last six wickets fell for 33, with Ryder removing Scott Elstone thanks to a brilliant catch from Foster, diving high to his right, bowling White and then having Mark Footitt caught at mid-off to finish the match.But it was Napier’s spell that allayed any fears that Essex might not convert this to a win. When Madsen nicked him to Alastair Cook at first slip, the crowd jumped to their feet – well rose slowly, carefully and surely – in appreciation that one of their experienced first team bowlers was fit and firing.Speaking at stumps, Essex coach Paul Grayson confirmed that David Masters, who missed this match with a groin strain, is likely to play back-to-back on Thursday and Friday night in the NatWest T20 Blast. Currently, it remains to be seen whether he will be able to make it through a four-day game. An assessment will be made after Friday night as to whether he will make the squad for Gloucestershire on Sunday.As for Reece Topley, who spent the day as a net-bowler for England at Trent Bridge, things are a bit different. With the back problems he has had over the last year, a specialist has advised the club that the left-arm seamer cannot play two four-day matches in a row. Having played at Northampton, he was subsequently unavailable for this game and will come back into squad for the trip to Bristol. Essex and Grayson will operate on those terms until the end of the season before reassessing Topley in the winter.

Pakistan’s first cricket tour to India in five years faced a media blackout after international news agencies, including AFP, suspended coverage.

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2012International news agencies have suspended coverage of Pakistan’s cricket tour of India – the first in five years – over the BCCI’s decision to bar some of their photo counterparts.The blackout continued a stand-off with the BCCI that first began during England’s Test series in India in November and which shows no signs of being resolved.News outlets said they would not be filing any text or pictures after the BCCI again refused to accredit the international picture agencies Getty Images and Action Images as well as two Indian agencies. Some news organisations, including ESPNcricinfo, that have depended on these agencies have used the pictures made available on the BCCI website.The BCCI’s stance is based upon the belief that it has a monopolistic right to all commercial revenue from photographic coverage of the games it stages, immediate news coverage apart. Support is coming from behind the scenes from key commercial figures in Cricket Australia.”It is regrettable that the politically-charged Pakistan tour will be affected by the BCCI’s failure to recognise the long-standing importance of photographic news agencies in the flow of sport and news images every day,” said the News Media Coalition, which represents a group of media organisations.International agencies who are members of the coalition, such as AFP, Thomson Reuters and the Associated Press, will halt text and photo coverage.English newspapers and some websites refused to use images supplied by the BCCI during the England tour and instead used file pictures, cartoons or hurried paintings by the cricket artist Jocelyn Galsworthy.Great moments in England cricket history, such as the 19 wickets shared by the spinners Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar in the Mumbai Test, have only scant photographic record. Getty Images’ Gareth Copley and freelance photographers such as Phil Brown and Graham Morris have a worldwide reputation for the quality of their cricket photos and all were either barred or supported the dispute during the England tour.”As a direct result of the BCCI stance, great sporting moments from the cricket tours to India are going unrecorded and therefore lost forever. England’s games were the hidden series and the Pakistan tour is heading for the same fate,” said Andrew Moger, executive director of the NMC.The World Association of Newspapers is backing the suspension, saying the BCCI was “denying the ability of editors to select from the best of photography for the benefit of readers”.A BCCI spokesman declined to comment but did refer reporters to a statement issued for the England tour, which said there was “no intention to censor or limit bona fide news reporting” and emphasised that news agencies had been accredited.The photo agencies however had been refused as the BCCI deemed “their primary businesses involved the commercial sale and licensing of images rather than the supply of images to news publications for bona fide editorial purposes”.The BCCI has refused to draw up specific agreements with these photo agencies so that they can cover the tour under new terms and conditions.Pakistan’s tour begins with a Twenty20 fixture in Bangalore on Tuesday.

A round-up of the action from the fourth day of the third round of matches from the Ranji Trophy Elite 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2011

Group A

A hat-trick from Siddharth Trivedi helped Saurashtra complete an innings and 144-run win over Punjab at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. This was the only outright win in the third round of the Ranji Trophy Elite matches and pushes Saurashtra to fourth on the Group A points table.Trivedi, who is in his first season with Saurashtra after transferring from Gujarat, picked up the wickets of Karan Goel, Harbhajan Singh and Manpreet Gony in his eight over. This was the third hat-trick by a Saurashtra bowler, the other two being D Narottam and S Nyalchand, both of whom claimed hat-tricks against Boroda. Trivedi is also the second bowler to take a hat-trick against Punjab, behind Delhi’s Bishan Singh Bedi, who claimed his in 1968-69.Punjab had resumed on 44 for 4, with Uday Kaul and Mandeep Singh batting. Opening bowler Sandip Maniar had Mandeep caught in the first over, following which Karan Goel, who had retired hurt the previous evening, returned. He did not last long though, trapped lbw by Trivedi for 10. Harbhajan and Gony were caught off the next two deliveries as Punjab slipped to 78 for 9, still trailing by 186. A 42-run last-wicket stand between Amitoze Singh and Brainder Sran only delayed the inevitable. Punjab were eventually bowled out for 120, without managing to bat out 24 overs on the final day.Mahesh Rawat recorded his highest first-class score, 145, to help Railways secure an unlikely first-innings’s lead against Rajasthan at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. Rawat was backed up by Yere Goud, Marripuri Suresh, Sanjay Bangar and Shivakant Shukla, as Railways piled up an impressive 525 for 8 in reply to Rajasthan’s 521, before declaring. Their bowlers then knocked over four of Rajasthan’s top order cheaply, to finish the game with the upper hand.Railways had begun the final day on 274 for 4, with Rawat and Goud at the crease. The pair went on to add 153 runs before Goud edged Sumit Mathur behind on 70. Rawat found another reliable partner in Suresh, and they added 90 for the sixth wicket before Rawat finally fell, one of legspinner Vivek Yadav’s six victims. Once Bangar declared, offspinner Arlen Konwar and medium pacer Anureet Singh reduced Rajasthan to 20 for 4, and play was ended soon after.An unbeaten double-century from Parvinder Singh and Arish Alam’s 118 not out gave Uttar Pradesh the first-innings lead against Orissa at the Veer Surendra Sai Stadium in Sambalpur. UP had started the day on 287 for 3 facing Orissa’s 482, and moved to 590 for 4 by the end of the day thanks to Parvinder and Alam’s 267-run unbeaten partnership. Parvinder took his score from 39 not out overnight to 202 not out off 331 balls, his highest first-class score. Alam was playing just his fourth first-class match and got his maiden century.Karnataka declined the opportunity to enforce the follow-on against Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium and instead settled for the three points and opted for batting practice. Mumbai were bowled out for 441 after being 354 for 8 overnight and Karnataka then reached 147 for 3. Read the full report here.

Group B

Baroda hung on for a draw at the Moti Bagh Stadium keeping Haryana‘s return to three points. Baroda were faced with a target of 372 in just under a day. They played for the draw and reached 228 for 7 in 85 overs, earning a point. Haryana lost their last three wickets in just 2.4 overs on the fourth morning and managed to add eight runs to their total. Irfan Pathan took three wickets to complete his second five-wicket haul of the season.Irfan then opened the batting but was dismissed in the third over. Baroda were struggling at 31 for 2 but Ambati Rayudu dug his heels in and played a match-saving knock of 83 not out off 222 balls. Amit Mishra, who had taken four wickets in the first innings, took three this time around but Baroda’s middle and lower-middle order spent enough time at the crease to support Rayudu. The point keeps Baroda top of the table in Group B.Fog and then bad light prevented Tamil Nadu from pushing for an outright win against Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla, and they had to settle for three points. Delhi started the day 139 runs ahead with five wickets in hand. Fog delayed the start on the fourth morning and when play started Tamil Nadu took 23.4 overs to take the last five wickets. There was resistance from Puneet Bisht, who scored 53, but L Balaji took three quick wickets to finish with four in the innings and leave Tamil Nadu with 218 to chase.They scored at a fair rate of 3.68 runs an over in the chase but the light faded, denying them an opportunity to go for the target. Dinesh Karthik managed a half-century, his second of the season.A strong performance from Madhya Pradesh‘s lower order earned them three points for a first-innings lead against Bengal at the Jadavpur University Complex in Kolkata. MP started the day on 344 for 3 and were relying on Mohnish Mishra, who was on 130 not out overnight, to take them past Bengal’s 496. Mohnish was dismissed in the fourth over of the fourth morning but Nos. 5 to 10 all got more than 20 to give MP the lead.Bengal were kept in the hunt by seamer Shami Ahmed, who completed his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. When he dismissed Ankit Sharma for 31, MP were 477 for 8 and Bengal would have hoped to get the last two wickets quickly. But No. 10 Anand Rajan scored 21 and MP reached 533. Bengal had 20 overs to bat; Sourav Ganguly used the opportunity to open and raced to 42 off 28 balls before being dismissed. Parthasarathi Bhattacharjee remained unbeaten on 51.

Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting has admitted to having one eye on his legacy as he approaches the final years of a formidable Test career

Andrew Miller in Brisbane22-Nov-2010Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting has admitted to having one eye on his legacy as he approaches the final years of a formidable Test career, but insists that his future as an international cricketer will not be dictated by the outcome of the Ashes.Ponting’s place among Australia’s all-time great batsmen is already guaranteed thanks to his national record of 12250 runs in 148 Test appearances, while his credentials as a leader include a tally of 47 victories in 73 Tests as captain, a win-loss ratio that is second only to Viv Richards and Steve Waugh among men who’ve led their country more than 50 times.In addition, Ponting led his side to consecutive World Cup victories in 2003 and 2007, as well as the first Ashes whitewash since 1920-21. Nevertheless, with England launching their latest tour with ominous purpose, Ponting knows he is in danger of being remembered as the first Australian captain since Billy Murdoch in 1890 to lead his country to three Ashes defeats. Given the status of the rivalry between the two countries, that would be an indelible stain on his CV, regardless of his personal achievements.”Of course I’m worried about a legacy, but if it is how I’m remembered, so be it,” he said. “The reason I play the game and cherish the captaincy so much is that I want to make sure the team are in a better position when I leave than when I started. I want to make sure I’ve got a good group of leaders under me when my time comes to move on and that’s why I spend so much time with the younger group. I’m always the first on the training track and the last one to leave, and most of that time is spent helping the younger guys understand different things about the game. Of course I’m worried about the legacy because I want to leave a great legacy for Australian cricket.”There’s not much more I can do,” he added. “I’ll do everything I can to play well and give the team the best chance to win. That’s all I can do and all I’ve ever been able to do. I’m really excited about what I think this group of players is capable of. If we play to our levels for five days, I think we’ll have the results go our way this time. I’m not worried about the other stuff. How I am as captain or player, people will have different opinions.”For all his bravado, Ponting knows that the buzzards are circling. Since launching the last Ashes with a bloody-minded hundred at Cardiff in July 2009, he has managed just one more hundred in 29 Test innings, and even that effort – a masterful 209 against Pakistan at Hobart last year – relied on him being dropped by Mohammad Amir on 0. He turns 36 on December 19, and goes into the Ashes on the back of three consecutive Test defeats against Pakistan and India. Despite his own desire to push on until the 2013 Ashes in England, he knows – like Allan Border and Steve Waugh before him – that selectorial pressure tends to bear down on ageing Australian captains sooner rather than later.In fact, Ponting was already feeling that pressure in England back in July, when he said in an interview: “I’d probably be looking for a new job if we lose [the Ashes] again”. On the eve of the series, however, he played down those remarks. “I said it as a throwaway line that turned into something a bit more than that,” he explained. “I’m probably the wrong bloke to ask. I’m giving myself the best chance possible. I’ve worked pretty hard on the physical side of my game over the last few months, and I just want to enjoy this series for what it is.”This week is the most exciting week you have as an international player,” he added. “The first Test of the summer is always a big one, and when it’s an Ashes series there’s always a little bit extra on the line. I will enjoy this week as much as possible. Hopefully we have a good game, the boys play well and the next few months go to plan. That’s all I can say.”Despite the pressure, Ponting still retains the support of his team-mates, who believe his desire for revenge will be a major motivating factor. “Without a doubt,” said Simon Katich. “We sensed that [during the Test series] in India, which in the past has probably been a tough place for him, but the way he batted – he didn’t get a hundred, but he got three 70s in four innings and he was in ominous form all those times. There’s no doubt he’s primed for a big summer. We’re all disappointed about what happened in England so hopefully that will be a big spur for us to put the past year behind us.”As for the strategy required to wrest the Ashes back from England’s grasp, Ponting was unequivocal. “We have to play at our best for longer periods – simple as that,” he said. “Every series in the last couple of years we’ve played some really good cricket but not for long enough. India is a good example. By not playing that brand of cricket for long enough, we’ve allowed other teams back into the game and they’ve pinched Test matches we should’ve won. That’s the way I look at it and it’s what we spoke about yesterday. If we don’t play five days’ good cricket, we don’t win. We know what we have to do and we’ll train to give ourselves the best chance at Brisbane.”On a personal note, Ponting fully expects to be targeted by England’s bowlers, especially their tall quicks who have noted a susceptibility to the short ball in recent seasons. But, he pointed out, he’s not the only leader in the firing line in this series. “I don’t think I’m any different to [Andrew] Strauss,” he said. “Captains are always expected to be that way, especially if you’re a top-order batter. You need your top order to score consistent runs, and if you’re doing that as captain, captaincy is a bit easier. I don’t see how it’s different from any other series I’ve played in. I’m always expected to score runs and to lead. There has probably been a bit made of that, but I honestly feel it’s been that way the whole time.”

Sulieman Benn and Kemar Roach dragged West Indies into an unexpectedly strong position with two days to play in Adelaide

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale at Adelaide Oval06-Dec-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSulieman Benn stood tall for West Indies with 5 for 155 from 53 overs in a marathon effort•Getty Images

On a day of good old-fashioned Test cricket, a persistent Sulieman Benn and a powerful Kemar Roach dragged West Indies into an unexpectedly strong position with two days to play. Half-centuries from Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin guided Australia to within 12 of West Indies’ first-innings 451 but having resumed at 0 for 174, Australia had anticipated batting out the day and building a lead from which they could push for victory.Instead it was West Indies who finished with an advantage. They had reached 0 for 23 with Chris Gayle on 12 and Adrian Barath on 10, and although the odds of a draw have shortened, the visitors will undoubtedly have victory on their minds when they begin their charge 35 runs in front on the fourth morning. They could be helped by the potential absence of Peter Siddle, who has stiffness in his hamstring.Progress wasn’t easy for either side. The towering Benn was forced to send down 53 overs for his 5 for 155 and Roach worked hard, regularly in the 150kph region for his three wickets. Clarke reached 71 but had trouble against Roach, Michael Hussey compiled a painfully unconvincing 41 and the top-order players struggled early against Benn’s turn and bounce. Haddin looked as good as any of Australia’s batsmen in a confident 55 before he ran out of partners.The star of the day was Benn, who had endured some long spells in Test cricket, including 47 overs in an innings against Australia in Bridgetown last year, but had never bowled this many. He toiled unchanged for the first three hours and was rewarded with the first five-wicket Test haul from a West Indies spinner since Gayle four and a half years ago. And he was the first specialist to achieve it since Dinanath Ramnarine nearly nine years ago.By the time he grabbed his final wicket, Siddle caught edging to gully, Benn was understandably tired but still smiling. He had his moments of good fortune – Marcus North was caught at leg slip when he tried to sweep and the ball ran off the back of his bat – but it was Benn’s drift and spin and lift that created the opportunities.Having removed both openers with little addition to the overnight total, Benn also picked up the major wicket of Clarke with a delivery that dragged him wide outside off and his drive was snapped up at slip. Clarke had his sights set on a fourth century in five Test innings at Adelaide Oval and although he played some luscious strokes, including a cover-driven boundary off Dwayne Bravo, he was never overly comfortable against Roach.The youngest of the West Indies fast men, Roach, 21, was still hitting the mid-140s in his final over of the day and none of Australia’s batsmen played him with ease. Hussey in particular looked vulnerable and was so cumbersome that he didn’t score his first four until his 115th delivery. The pressure almost led to Hussey being run-out attempting a suicidal single when he was on 24, but he was fortunate that Brendan Nash’s throw from mid-off missed the stumps.Hussey’s second boundary came with a lucky top edge when he tried to withdraw from a pull against Roach. Next ball he was put out of his misery when he was late on a cut and the ball flicked the toe of his bat on the way through to Denesh Ramdin. The wicket was well deserved for Roach, who finished with 3 for 93 and shouldered much of the fast-bowling load.He had earlier accounted for Ricky Ponting, who looked positive in reaching 36 but fell when he directed his pull straight to Bravo at midwicket. Ponting had opened his account with a punishing boundary cut square of the wicket off Benn, which added to the hurt for Shane Watson, who had just departed needing a similar four for his maiden Test century.Watson might have had a restless night having gone to bed on 96 but was given plenty of time to catch up on his sleep during the afternoon after he went for a pull from the second delivery of the day, only to lose his middle stump. It was a long, sad walk back to the dressing room for Watson. He is not the sort of man to disguise his emotions and he hung his head in disappointment.Benn followed soon after by turning one enough to just clip the face of the bat of Simon Katich (80) as he attempted a drive, and the ball lobbed off his leg to Barath at bat-pad. The Australians hoped that would be as close as Barath came to a bat for the rest of the day. Instead, it is now up to him and Gayle to lead West Indies’ push for victory.