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Division One leaders reach 444 for 9 declared as they look to turn screw on Lancashire

ECB Reporters Network23-Aug-2024Rory Burns led from the front with a magnificent career-best 227 as Surrey reached a second day 444 for nine declared to take total control of their Vitality County Championship match against Lancashire at the Kia Oval.Surrey captain Burns was well supported by Ben Foakes, who hit a fine 82, as the Division One leaders and defending champions built a potentially match-winning halfway lead of 240 after bowling Lancashire out for 204 on day one. In five balls’ batting before bad light ruled out the last scheduled 7.1 overs of the day, Lancashire reached four without loss in their second innings.Burns and Foakes put on 197 for the fourth wicket, with England’s erstwhile Test wicketkeeper eventually out to the second new ball – bowled through a weary-looking flip towards mid-on by George Balderson’s medium pace.Former England opener Burns’ 26th first-class hundred was his second of the season and his highest score, surpassing the unbeaten 219 against Hampshire at the Oval in 2017. He batted for seven and a half hours, facing 348 balls and hitting a six and 29 fours.Dom Sibley, Will Jacks and Sam Curran all missed out in warm sunshine, with batting markedly more comfortable than on the opening day, while India white-ball international Sai Sudharsan also made only 6 after coming in at 377 for 5 and at least seeing Burns through to his double-century before edging Tom Aspinwall to second slip.But Jordan Clark made 25 not out, helping Burns to add a useful 50 for the seventh wicket before Surrey’s captain skied Balderson and keeper Matty Hurst sprinted thirty yards to take a good tumbling catch. Both Tom Lawes and Conor McKerr then came and went for nought, bowled and leg-before respectively to left arm spinner Tom Hartley, sparking Surrey’s declaration.It was, overall, a chastening experience for a young Lancashire team containing seven homegrown players and with an average age of 25, as Surrey moved remorselessly into a position from which to force a seventh Championship win of the season and boost their chances of three titles in a row.Surrey resumed on 83 without loss and, to Lancashire’s credit, they were initially checked as Sibley fell early for 39, shouldering arms to depart leg-before to a probing Will Williams after adding just two runs to his overnight score.And they were 97 for 2 when Ryan Patel, after one resounding pull off Balderson, nibbled at one from the same bowler to edge behind on four.Jacks, in at No. 4 for his first Championship innings of the summer, was soon driving Balderson high and handsomely over long-off for six, but he was later fortunate to see another mishit lofted drive just make it over the head of a deep extra cover fielder on the short boundary for another maximum.On 31, however, Jacks drove Aspinwall’s first ball of the day straight into the hands of short extra cover to leave Surrey 149 for 3.But Burns and Foakes saw their side not just through to lunch but well beyond. Between lunch and tea they added 136 in 32 overs of steady accumulation and, towards the end of the session, a burst of legside hitting by the left-handed Burns to the short boundary on the old gasholders’ side.Burns greeted the reintroduction of Luke Wells’ leg spin by slog-sweeping him for a succession of fours and one six that brought up Surrey’s 300.And, after tea, they put on another 39 to blunt the second new ball before Foakes fell, after hitting 11 fours from 158 balls, Curran got off the mark by flashing Aspinwall through first slip’s hands but then soon departed for eight when he miscued a pull at Aspinwall to mid-on.

Sport’s failings laid bare in 317-page document, including 44 recommendations to improve equity

Andrew Miller26-Jun-2023The leadership of the ECB has issued an unreserved apology to “anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don’t belong”, and has promised to “use this moment to reset cricket”, in the wake of the hard-hitting findings of the long-awaited Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report, published on Tuesday.The 317-page report, titled “Holding Up A Mirror To Cricket”, features evidence from more than 4000 people, including players, coaches, administrators and fans, and drills deep into the sport’s historical structural inequalities – with special emphasis on its post-colonial heritage – to reveal a pattern of deep-rooted discrimination within the game, in particular on grounds of race, class and gender.The commission was established in March 2021, in response to the murder of George Floyd in police custody in the USA and the Black Lives Matter movement, which prompted numerous claims of institutional racism within English cricket, not least Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about his treatment at Yorkshire, which culminated in his emotional testimony before a Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select commitee in November that year.”For many involved in the sport (including the ECB) the revelations and recommendations of this report will make for uncomfortable reading,” Cindy Butts, the commission’s chair, writes in her foreword to the report. And while she commends the current ECB management for being “brave enough” to open up the sport to such forensic independent scrutiny, she also adds that previous initiatives – not least the ECB’s “Clean Bowl Racism” campaign, launched in 1999 – had done little to address the “sirens of concern”.A total of 44 recommendations have been outlined in the report, the first of which is the ECB’s public apology for its previous failures – as issued by Richard Thompson, the chair – which is described by the commissioners as an “essential first step … to help to rebuild trust and signal a clear future direction”.”On behalf of the ECB and wider leadership of the game, I apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don’t belong,” Thompson said in a statement. “Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that this has not always been the case. Powerful conclusions within the report also highlight that for too long women and Black people were neglected. We are truly sorry for this.The ICEC commissioners (L-R): Michelle Moore, Sir Brendan Barber, Cindy Butts (chair), Dr Michael Collins and Zafar Ansari•ICEC

“This report makes clear that historic structures and systems have failed to prevent discrimination, and highlights the pain and exclusion this has caused. I am determined that this wake-up call for cricket in England and Wales should not be wasted. We will use this moment to demonstrate that it is a game for all and we have a duty to put this right for current and future generations.”In an open letter to Butts, Thompson went on to thank the commission’s five-person secretariat – which also includes the England cricketer-turned-barrister Zafar Ansari – for their “rigour” and for holding up an “unfiltered mirror to all cricket in England and Wales”.”I am determined that this wake-up call for cricket … must not be wasted,” Thompson added. “We will use this moment to reset cricket. This cannot and will not be a quick fix – we must take the time to put in place meaningful structural reforms. As your report rightly points out, cricket has been here before. This time our response will be different. Our response must be wide-ranging and long-term.”The next step of the ECB’s response will be a three-month period of consideration, with the ICEC’s 44 recommendations – many of which are multi-faceted and contain sub-recommendations – due to be discussed at both the professional and recreational levels of the game.This consultation process will be led by Clare Connor, the ECB’s deputy chief executive, with the support of a sub-group of the ECB board including Baroness Zahida Manzoor, Pete Ackerley, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Sir Ron Kalifa, Richard Thompson and Richard Gould.The ECB acknowledged in its statement that some reforms can be “implemented swiftly”, and that others are achievable under the current framework of cricket but will require “time and investment over the coming months and years”.Others, however – perhaps most significantly the call for women’s cricketers to achieve equal pay at domestic level by 2029 and at international level by 2030 – will require “fundamental, longer-term changes to cricket in England and Wales, and its funding model”.The report also recommends the establishment of a new independent regulatory body, in light of persistent criticism of the sport’s existing disciplinary processes – such as those raised at the select committee hearings, and at the subsequent Cricket Discipline Commission hearing into Yorkshire’s dressing-room culture, the sanctions for which are due to be revealed later on Tuesday.”The ECB’s dual roles of promoter and regulator have the potential to give rise to conflicts of interest,” the report states. “The phrase ‘marking your own homework’ was often used in evidence to us.”Separately, Marylebone Cricket Club – for centuries the most powerful body in world cricket and still considered, through the grandeur of Lord’s, to be the game’s spiritual home – comes in for significant criticism.The report recommends that the venue’s hosting of annual fixtures between Eton and Harrow, and Oxford and Cambridge, should be ended after 2023, and replaced with a national finals’ days for state school Under-15 competitions for boys and girls, and a similar event for men’s and women’s university teams. The commission also expressed “alarm” that the England’s women had never yet played a Test at Lord’s, adding: “The ‘home of cricket’ is still a home principally for men.”Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, reiterated that work was already underway to make English cricket more inclusive, including an increase in funding for the African-Caribbean Engagement Programme for young Black cricketers and increased provision of cricket in state schools, and was grateful for the report’s assessment that “green shoots of progress” are already visible. However, he also acknowledged that the governing body “needs to go further and faster in our efforts”.”Making cricket more inclusive and reflective of the communities it serves is my number one priority,” Gould said. “This cannot and will not be a quick fix. We are committed to taking the time to work with everyone in the sport, and especially with leaders of cricket’s clubs and institutions, to put in place reforms that are wide-ranging, long-term and meaningful. We should view this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore trust in the game we love.”

Run-a-ball 65 helps visitors overhaul target of 211 with six wickets to spare in Bristol

David Hopps17-Apr-2022Yorkshire have endured a rancorous winter, with racism allegations to the fore, but victory in their opening match of the season will sustain the belief that on the field they are in good order. They overhauled a target of 211 in 60 overs with six wickets and 11.5 overs to spare, and have looked a happy and confident unit throughout. Their MD of cricket, Darren Gough and coach Ottis Gibson can take considerable credit for creating that mood of positivity, but ultimately matches are won on the field and until Dawid Malan took charge with a run-a-ball 65, the outcome felt as if it might be tighter.In an awkward chase, the sight of Malan at the crease conveys the impression that the grown-ups are in charge, and he fashioned the task with the professional air of a man who had done it countless times in the past, finally seeing off Gloucestershire’s challenge after four days of hard-fought cricket which showed the Championship in a favourable light.When Yorkshire enticed Malan from Middlesex in time for the 2020 season, they imagined they had made a perfect signing, a high-class player who possessed international pedigree, but whose England career – for all his ambition – might well be over. Best-laid plans and all that. Days later, Malan hit the fastest T20 hundred in England’s history, won an IPL contract with Punjab Kings and then regained his Test place.Two years later, with Malan now 34, Yorkshire will hope once again that he can be the ever-present, dominant figure in their middle order, not that it would be wise to tell him as much. He got on with the job unfussily and, by the time he was fourth out, slog sweeping to deep midwicket, Yorkshire’s confidence that they could chase down another 65 in 23 overs was cemented in.That was the perfect scenario for Harry Brook’s unbeaten half-century, a succession of blissful drives and two successive pulls against the left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar to reach his 50. Harry Duke even had the luxury of practicing some cheekie-chappie paddle scoops. They had Malan to thank for that.Harry Brook played two excellent innings•Getty Images

“Winning in the way we did is fantastic, especially under new leadership and new direction,” Malan said. “The pitch became a little bit dead, but because the boundaries were quite short on one side and there was a wind, we were able to target their quicker bowlers, which we did quite well. The original plan was to just bat and see where we were with 20 overs to go, but I managed to find a bit of momentum and just went with it. It’s up to us senior professionals to bring the younger ones along. We’ve seen that with Harry Brook in this game. He is learning how to play certain situations and is fast becoming a senior player himself.”Gloucestershire hung in there determinedly until the final session – showing the same resolve as in their nail-biting draw against Northants last week. But gnawing away at their self-belief would be the knowledge that counties like to chase at Bristol, where the pitches can encourage bowlers on the opening day but which become overly placid, lacking pace and turn, in the later stages of the match. Lancashire’s Kyle Jarvis and Imran Tahir, for Derbyshire, are rare examples of bowlers who has pulled off a match-winning fourth-innings display on this ground in the past decade.Gloucestershire had little leeway if they were to avoid defeat, but their challenge wilted markedly after tea. They will find optimism, however, as far as their bowling attack is concerned, in the six wickets in the match for Ajeet Singh Dale, who looked lively throughout.Yorkshire’s chase was cagey until tea, 53 on the card for the loss of Adam Lyth and the debutant, James Wharton, and only two boundaries managed in 23 overs. Lyth fell at fine leg, hooking Matt Taylor from well outside off stump when a cut would have been a better option. Wharton, who might have fallen to Taylor from the first three balls he faced, was bowled through the gate by Singh Dale.A wearing fourth-day pitch, with turn for Gohar, would have made Yorkshire’s chase more challenging, and his immediate introduction into the attack when Malan came to the crease appeared to be an intended match-up, but there was no purchase to be had. Malan soon had the upper hand. George Hill, a patient soul, was also showing signs of opening up when he overbalanced and clipped a half-volley from Singh Dale to midwicket.Gohar exhaled in disbelief when Malan lobbed one over his head, but it was to be his last scoring shot. The next ball, he slog-swept Gohar to the longest boundary where Ryan Higgins, on the line and at full stretch, calmly knocked the ball up to complete the catch at the second attempt.Related

• James Bracey rediscovers his focus but Yorkshire eye path to victory

• Ben Compton scores twin tons in extraordinary losing cause for Kent

Gloucestershire, six down for 253 overnight, and the second new ball only four overs old, resisted gamely until the sixth over after lunch, adding another 106 runs. Another half hour might have been enough. The dominant figure was again James Bracey, who resumed on 112 and who was last out for a career-best 177, a valiant but ultimately unavailing innings spanning more than seven-and-a-half hours, when he drove Steve Patterson to short extra. Patterson is 38 now, one of the slowest third seamers around, not much above 70mph, but he bowled with great nous and control for his 3 for 43.What does this mammoth effort say about Bracey’s suitability for England? There is no doubt that he is in form, as hundreds in the first two matches of the season testify. He is one of the most disciplined top-order batters around and such attributes among top-level players are in short supply.But slow county surfaces such as these can only reveal so much and do not provide ideal preparation for a Test career; in that, Bristol is no different to many squares up and down the country. Most disconcertingly perhaps is that Bracey was struck on the helmet for a second time by the one bowler in the match with true pace, Haris Rauf. Saturday’s blow was full-on when he failed to hook. On this occasion, he ducked, calmly enough but not quite low enough and the ball skimmed the top of his helmet.As he tired, Rauf caused him more trouble than most. Just before the physios came on with his third helmet of the match, he survived a vociferous appeal for a catch at the wicket – the ball brushing his trouser pocket – and almost chipped up a catch down the leg-side off his hip, the ball falling just short of a scrambling wicketkeeper. Two emphatic pulled sixes against Rauf in a calculated final assault will have been confidence-restoring.Rauf gives Yorkshire’s attack an extra dimension. He has scant first-class experience, but he maintained an impressive pace and, at the very least, could mop up a few tails in quick succession before his stint comes to an end.

The pair made 83 apiece and shared a 135-run stand while Cameron Green stuck on his return to bowling

Alex Malcolm31-Oct-2020Captain Matthew Wade and Ben McDermott produced a classy century stand to help Tasmania close in a first innings lead against Western Australia.Wade made 83 in his first match of the season after being rested from the opening two Shield rounds to spend time with his family following Australia’s tour of England, and with the heavy forthcoming international schedule in mind.McDermott finished the day 83 not out to continue his excellent early season form. It was his third half-century in four innings this season and he will be hoping to reach his second first-class century on the third day.Tasmania battled through the first hour without loss until Cameron Green’s first spell of bowling in a match in 12 months made a mark. Charlie Wakim edged Green’s first ball through a vacant third slip then the extra pace and bounce of Green removed Jordan Silk, who was left inspecting the blow on his right thumb as he trudged off after ballooning a simple catch to gully.Green bowled just eight overs for the day in two spells of three and five overs, as was forecast pre-game, but was impressive nonetheless taking 1 for 15.Wakim also fell to a short ball from Aaron Hardie five overs later leaving Tasmania vulnerable. But Wade walked out at No. 3 and looked every bit the Test incumbent that he is. His footwork was sharp and his intent to rotate the strike was a feature.After combining with McDermott for a 135-run stand Wade had a brain-fade charging Ashton Agar only to miss a wild swipe and be stumped by a wide margin.Hardie and Lance Morris delivered late blows for WA removing Jake Doran and Tim Paine but McDermott was resolute, guiding Tasmania to stumps just 30 runs shy of the first innings lead.

Birmingham Bears made it back-to-back wins in the Vitality Blast as they beat Derbyshire Falcons by 49 runs in front of 7,500 at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network24-Jul-2019Birmingham Bears made it back-to-back wins in the Vitality Blast as they beat Derbyshire Falcons by 49 runs in front of 7,500 at Edgbaston.Chasing a hefty 205 for 5, the Falcons faltered early with the loss of two wickets in the first nine balls and never threatened from there. They finished on 156 for 9.The Bears’ daunting total owed most to a classy third-wicket partnership of 113 in 65 balls from Sam Hain (85, 61 balls) and Adam Hose (69, 35 balls). Ashton Agar added a violent 26 (15 balls) as only Ravi Rampaul (three for 21) withstood the onslaught.The Falcons’ pursuit was then undone by the loss of early wickets, including two careless run-outs. Leus du Plooy defied with a brilliant 70 (43 balls) but was alone in his resistance as nobody else in the top seven reached 15.The Falcons’ defeat, following their victory over Yorkshire in their opening game, means that no team in the North Group won their first two games, though the Bears are the early pace-setters after a washout and two wins.The Falcons chose to bowl and started well by removing openers Ed Pollock and Michael Burgess in the first 23 balls. Rampaul opened up with two overs for just four runs and the Bears ended the powerplay on only 36 for 2 but but Hain and Hose first rebuilt carefully then climbed into counter-attack.They reached their half-centuries, Hain from 42 balls, Hose from 26 in the same over from leg-spinner Matt Critchley and Hose smote 69 with three sixes and nine fours before edging Logan Van Beek behind.Agar hit two of his first six balls into the crowd and helped Hain to add 63 in 27 balls before both fell in Rampaul’s final over. The Falcons’ fans might have wondered why the paceman wasn’t brought back earlier when the Bears’ batsmen began to escape control.The Falcons soon lost Luis Reece, bowled second-ball by Fidel Edwards, and Wayne Madsen, brilliantly run out by Alex Thompson. du Plooy was immediately on the offensive but, having done for his partner Madsen with a dodgy call, captain Billy Godelman was then run out himself by smart work from Jeetan Patel.That was 58 for three and, while Du Plooy galloped to 50 from 33 balls, the rest buckled under the pressure of a steepling run-rate required and accurate bowling led by spinners Patel (4-0-17-1) and Agar (4-0-22-1).

Both MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina, who are recovering from injuries, trained on the eve of the match against Rajasthan Royals and could be fit to play on Friday

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan19-Apr-20184:31

Agarkar: Royals missing the X-factor

Big Picture

Much has changed since Chennai Super Kings last played Rajasthan Royals in 2015. Shane Watson has switched camps. Suresh Raina has missed an IPL game in yellow jersey. Ajinkya Rahane hasn’t conformed to the hold-my-end-up-and-let-the-rest-hit-around-me norm. And the MA Chidambaram Stadium will not host CSK’s home matches this season.

Form guide (most recent matches first)

Chennai Super Kings: lost to Kings XI Punjab by four runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets, beat Mumbai Indians by one wicket
Rajasthan Royals: lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 19 runs, beat Delhi Daredevils by 10 runs (D/L method)

It’s the last two of those that have the most bearing presently. This new-found aggression of Rahane has been abrupt. T20 logic dictates that your most effective batsmen get the maximum opportunities to score. With a smart strike-rate of 109, Rahane didn’t fit that bill. But with 72 runs off the last 39 balls he has faced, Rahane has understood the need of the hour better. It is a significant shift in strategy, which could have a ripple effect on the rest of the batting line-up.This isn’t the first time that CSK have had to move to a new home – MS Dhoni’s hometown of Ranchi hosted them in 2014 and 2015. But with 34 wins in 48 IPL matches, the MA Chidambaram Stadium has for long been a stronghold, and how they adapt to a forced change of venue will be key to the remainder of their season. With a run rate of 13.22 in the last five overs so far, CSK have redefined death-overs batting, with each of their innings being characterised by manic late surges. But it is their bowling – they have conceded an average total of 188 so far – and fielding that will worry them the most.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the news

• MS Dhoni batted through a back injury in their previous match against Kings XI Punjab, but he trained with the team on the eve of the game against Royals. Raina, who had missed CSK’s previous match because of a calf injury, also resumed training and could return to the team on Friday.
• David Willey, who was Kedar Jadhav’s replacement player for CSK, was seen bowling extensively in the nets on match eve. Does that mean an IPL debut for the England allrounder?
• Ben Laughlin has fared poorly, going at 10.39 an over. Royals have a potential replacement in Jofra Archer, although it isn’t clear yet if he has recovered from the side strain that kept him out of much of the Pakistan Super League and the start of the Indian Premier League.

The likely XIs

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Ambati Rayudu, 3 M Vijay/Suresh Raina, 4 Sam Billings (wk), 5 MS Dhoni/Dhruv Shorey, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Imran TahirRajasthan Royals: 1 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 2 D’Arcy Short/Heinrich Klassen, 3 Sanju Samson, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 K Gowtham, 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Dhawal Kulkarni, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Ben Laughlin/Joffra Archer

Strategy punt

• While opening with spin has become a common theme this season, CSK will want to have enough overs of spin left when Ben Stokes arrives. In four innings this season, Stokes has fallen twice to spin, and has managed only 22 runs off the 25 balls from spinners.
• Royals have steered away from using their spinners in the slog overs so far, but they may be forced to change that. Laughlin and Jaydev Unadkat, their two strike bowlers, have fared poorly in this phase. While Laughlin has conceded 46 runs off 3.5 overs and doesn’t have a single wicket, Unadkat has fared worse, going at 16.5 an over while also being wicketless.

ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Stats that matter

• Both teams have had an equal level of success and failure in Pune. While CSK have won one and lost one, Rajasthan Royals have won and lost two games each.
• While CSK have an overall record of 11 wins and six defeats against Royals, the last five matches between these two teams have been more closely fought, with CSK winning three and Royals winning two.
• Ben Laughlin has dismissed Dwayne Bravo on each of the three occasions he has bowled to the batsman in T20s. Off the nine balls he has faced from Laughlin, Bravo has seven runs.
• Sanju Samson needs 66 more runs to become the fifth batsman to score 1000 runs for Royals in the IPL.
• Imran Tahir has an excellent record in Pune, averaging two wickets per match, with an average of 15.1 and economy rate of 7.8.
• Both Sanju Samson and Ben Stokes’ only T20 centuries have come in Pune.

ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Fantasy picks

• Big hitter, electric fielder, and a bowler who can give you four overs: Ben Stokes is an excellent T20 package. Even if he does fare badly in one of those areas, there are plenty of other ways he can help you recover those points.
• Sanju Samson has a good record at Pune, where he scored his only T20 century. That, coupled with his current form – he has scores of 49, 37 and 92* in four innings – should make him a tempting pick.

Quote

“It looks a good pitch to me. Nice covering of grass, more grass than probably what we are used to seeing on an Indian pitch.”

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the fourth day’s play between Victoria and Western Australia in Alice Springs

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2017
Scorecard File photo – James Pattinson finished with match figures of 6 for 93•Getty Images

Victoria will have the chance to win a third consecutive Sheffield Shield title after winning through to the final thanks to their victory over Western Australia in Alice Springs.The Warriors began the final day on 7 for 238, hoping to build a defendable lead, but managed to add only 20 to their total for the loss of their last three wickets. James Pattinson finished with 5 for 58, his first five-wicket haul in a first-class match since December 2015.That left Victoria chasing 83 and they did it comfortably, losing only two wickets along the way. Opener Marcus Harris top scored with 43 and Marcus Stoinis, who is about to join Australia’s Test squad in India, finished unbeaten on 25.The result means Victoria are guaranteed a place in the Shield final, although their opponent is yet to be decided. Depending on results in the final round of matches, any of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia or even Western Australia could yet make the decider.

Bangladesh will be keen to carry on their form from the tournament into the semi-finals against a resurgent West Indies outfit

The Preview by Vishal Dikshit10-Feb-2016

Match facts

Thursday, February 11, 2016
Start time 0900 local (0300 GMT)Bangladesh will bank on their middle order, led by the in-form Nazmul Hossain Shanto, on a slow pitch•ICC

Big picture

West Indies’ ability to surprise made sure that it wasn’t going to be an all-Asian last four at the Under-19 World Cup. While Bangladesh reaching the semi-finals wasn’t unexpected after they started the tournament with a resounding win against the defending champions, West Indies’ journey has been more topical.Unlike the hosts, West Indies started their campaign with a loss and then showed their batting firepower against Fiji. They entered the knockouts in controversial circumstances and jolted the Pakistan line-up with impressive fast bowling. Alzarri Joseph’s ability with the ball will be vital to a start that could prove to be decisive.Challenging Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla Stadium is going to be a tough task. Bangladesh are unbeaten but have faced only one Full Member so far – South Africa. They have put up strong totals batting first, strangled oppositions with their spin attack, and also chased a 200-plus target against Nepal under pressure. However, their pace attack is not as menacing, and they would also be under pressure on Thursday while playing their first World Cup semi-final. They will have an edge over West Indies, though, having beaten them 3-0 in a bilateral series just before the World Cup began.

Form guide

Bangladesh WWWWW
West Indies WWWLL

Strengths

Bangladesh’s power lies in their middle-order batting. It shone against South Africa to post a stiff 240, scored 256 against Scotland and rescued the team in the quarter-final against Nepal. The West Indies bowlers’ biggest challenge will be to find a way to curb the batsmen in the middle overs.West Indies, too, were led by their batsmen – opener Gidron Pope’s attacking mindset at the top and Shamar Springer producing scores in the middle order – until pace bowler Chemar Holder arrived. But now the new-ball pair of Alzarri Joseph and Holder have given their team a new dimension to topple any opposition by taking the pitch out of the equation.

Star performers

Nazmul Hossain Shanto has been the hosts’ middle-order mainstay. He has fallen for only one single-digit score so far in the competition and is their leading run-scorer with an average of 104. If the top order crumbled, Shanto is the player the middle order revolved around as he rotates strike with ease and doesn’t rely on the big shots.With his pace and troubling lengths, Alzarri Joseph has always struck with the new ball in the World Cup so far. He showed against Zimbabwe that he can be a force in his second spell too and West Indies will come to Mirpur depending on him quite a bit.

Key players

Mehedi Hasan Miraz, the Bangladesh captain, has struck two quick fifties so far and is one of the main players in the middle order. What is also key is his offspin. Once the opposition builds their platform for a strong finish, Miraz brings himself on to thwart their plans. He hasn’t failed so far, picking up seven wickets with an economy rate of 3.47. He will hope to do the same against a team that is not the best against spin bowling.Holder flew to Bangladesh as a replacement after his team had already reached the knockouts. He was drafted into the XI on recent form and lived up to expectations with a stellar new-ball show against Pakistan. West Indies will hope for him to be the X-factor on Thursday too.

Underperformers

Saif Hassan has already been criticised for his defensive approach, although that is the role given to him. Since Joseph and Holder will come out all guns blazing with the new balls, Saif’s ability to soak up the pressure and play them out will be crucial.Shimron Hetmyer, the West Indies captain, is the only player in their squad who played the previous Under-19 World Cup. He has enough experience behind him, but not as many runs. He started the tournament with low scores but showed good signs in the chase against Pakistan. He scored a positive fifty and will look to stretch his form against the hosts’ spin attack.

Pitch and conditions

The Mirpur pitch has helped the pace bowlers a lot so far in the morning. It might be overcast on Thursday too, but don’t expect another pace-friendly track in the second semi-finals. It won’t come as a surprise if a much slower and spinner-friendly pitch is on offer with more than 10,000 fans expected to cheer for the Bangladesh.

Quotes

“We are playing them at home so it’s going to be a tough game for us. And possibly I would say a grudge match for us.”
“If we are happy already, we will have to end our tournament here and now. We are not entirely satisfied with our performance. We are taking it one game at a time. We are not taking it as a semi-final, rather a match that we have to win.”
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Mohit Sharma revelled in a “dream” debut after he helped skittle Zimbabwe for just 144 in the fourth ODI in Bulawayo

Liam Brickhill at Queens Sports Club01-Aug-2013Mohit Sharma revelled in a “dream” debut after he helped skittle Zimbabwe for just 144 in the fourth ODI in Bulawayo. Entrusted with the new ball, as he had been through most of the IPL by MS Dhoni, Mohit made the first incision for India with the wicket of Sikandar Raza and then returned to remove Malcolm Waller in the batting Powerplay to snap a stubborn middle-order stand.”Yeah, it all feels like a dream,” Mohit said. “But I have worked on my bowling and it is showing. I am ready to do well in whatever opportunity I am going to get. I was just focusing on keeping things simple and sticking to basics. I did not want to try too many things and it worked for me today.”It was that same formula that first brought Mohit success in the Ranji Trophy with Haryana and it also worked a treat at this year’s IPL, where he emerged as one of the most miserly and effective new-ball bowlers of the tournament. It was also noticeable that, during every Indian nets session on this tour, Mohit consistently impressed with his ability to hit a length on or around off stump with almost every delivery.A correct call at the toss by Virat Kohli supplied Mohit with almost ideal conditions this morning and, apart from a single wide probably brought about by nervous excitement, his first over in international cricket was exemplary. He beat Vusi Sibanda’s bat four times in that first over, and it wasn’t until his third that a run was scored off the bat.It was his stock outswinger that brought his maiden wicket, with Raza feathering one behind, and Mohit’s opening six-over spell yielded just 13 runs. After a brief turn in the middle overs, Kohli brought him back for the Powerplay, with a well-set Waller and Elton Chigumbura having taken 11 runs from the first over under the fielding restrictions. Sharma responded to his captain’s call with Waller’s dismissal, also via the outside edge. A battling 80-run stand was broken, and Zimbabwe quickly subsided.”It is difficult to bowl in Powerplays but we work hard in practice sessions,” Mohit explained. “We create match situations during training and bowl a lot and that has helped in matches. And that is why we don’t feel much pressure in matches. Playing under Mahi [Dhoni] and in pressure conditions has taught me a lot. I am just carrying that experience into the international level.”Everyone already knew that Mohit could do a job with the new ball, and such was the ineptitude of Zimbabwe’s batting that his ability to vary his bowling with slower balls – which, again was on prime display in the IPL – and yorkers has not yet been tested. He’s in no rush to add new strings to his bow, however, and given his successes so far that’s understandable.”After coming into the Indian team I have learnt a lot from bowling coach Joe Dawes. It’s just about sticking to the basics and working on your strengths and improving on that. As far as learning new things in bowling, I can do that later and not in match situations. Now I want to focus on the next game and doing well in that as well.”

South Africa will start their two-day tour match against Somerset on Monday with two members of the squad carrying injuries

Firdose Moonda08-Jul-2012South Africa will start their two-day tour match against Somerset on Monday with two members of the squad carrying injuries. Opening batsman Alviro Petersen has an inflamed toe on his left foot, an injury sustained while jogging, and fast bowler Marchant de Lange has not fully recovered from lower-back spasms picked up in the Twenty20 tri-series in Zimbabwe last month. However, both could feature in the match at a later stage as the teams will be allowed to field more than 11 players.”We don’t want to risk either Alviro or Marchant but we will see how they feel as the match goes on,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager, told ESPNcricinfo. Both are expected to play in the second fixture of the tour against Kent, which starts on Friday.With only five days of match time before the first Test, Gary Kirsten, South Africa’s head coach, was unperturbed by the lack of cricket before his team starts their quest to dethrone England as world No. 1. Kirsten said the hours of practice required before a series is not an “exact science”, adding that South Africa’s players believe the time they will get “should be sufficient”, if the weather holds. The team were forced to have an indoor session at Taunton after arriving on Saturday but trained outside in the sun – which the locals claimed showed itself for the first time in two weeks – on Sunday.”We know we have got to get our intensity up as soon as we can,” Kirsten said. “We’ve got a really experienced team and a good side that has been here and had success before. It’s about who can win those big moments; that’s how the series will be decided. Where we might lose out on match intensity, we will pick up on mental freshness.”Kirsten’s emphasis on training the mind was emphasised by the squad’s recent camp in Switzerland, conducted under the guidance of adventurer Mike Horn. Graeme Smith described it as a mentally challenging experience and said that for some players it had been the “toughest three days of their careers”. The squad engaged in activities such as climbing mountains and Kirsten said it helped them learn about each other.”It’s something we wanted to work hard on as a team. We can put ourselves through some challenges, not necessarily cricket challenges, just to test us a little bit as a unit,” he said. “Everyone pulled together and the stronger guys pulled the weaker guys through. We feel that when you pull a team together and tighten a unit and go through those challenges it will help in those pressure moments where it counts.”Thinking outside the box is what Kirsten hopes will give South Africa that “10% tweak that will take us to the top of the pile”. Having already got India there in Tests, Kirsten is hoping to replicate his success with his home country and feels that the preparation they have done will stand them in good stead to achieve that. “I am very happy with where we are at the moment,” Kirsten said. “The guys aren’t letting up, they want more.”