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With less than a month to go for the board elections, N Srinivasan, the BCCI’s sidelined president, is working to strengthen his support base in the east zone, a region that could be important in the forthcoming election

Amol Karhadkar27-Oct-2014With less than a month to go for the board elections, N Srinivasan, the BCCI’s sidelined president, is working to strengthen his support base in the east zone, a region that could be important in the forthcoming election. During a personal visit to Guwahati and Kolkata on October 26, Srinivasan met with top officials from the Assam Cricket Association [ACA] and Cricket Association of Bengal [CAB].India’s Supreme Court had asked Srinivasan to step aside as BCCI president until the Justice Mukul Mudgal panel’s investigation into allegations of corruption in the IPL 2013 were complete. Despite the court-imposed rider that he could not announce his candidacy until the end of the investigation, Srinivasan first visited the new Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati and promised to work towards allotting Test status to the ground. Before attending a charity event in Kolkata, Srinivasan also had a long meeting with CAB chief Jagmohan Dalmiya.The developments are significant given that the east zone’s role may be decisive in the BCCI presidential election. According to the BCCI rules, each of the five zones nominate a president by rotation and this year, it is the east zone’s turn to nominate a candidate for three years starting with next month’s AGM. Following an amendment of BCCI rules in 2012, an individual who is not from a specified zone can contest for the president’s post with official support from two member organisations of that zone.Srinivasan has thus been trying hard to ensure that all six members from the east zone are on his side to seal an unopposed election, despite their presence in a show of strength last month. While the Jharkhand State Cricket Association and Orissa Cricket Association are Srinivasan’s trusted allies, Tripura Cricket Association has also assured its support.This leaves Assam and the two votes of CAB and the National Cricket Club, which are both headed by Dalmiya. It is believed that Dalmiya, who has had a topsy-turvy relationship with Srinivasan, may have asked for a plum position for himself in order to support Srinivasan’s candidacy.Following the corruption scandal in the IPL last year, Dalmiya had stepped in to run the daily affairs of the board in place of Srinivasan for a short period. In the build-up to last year’s AGM, he was also in the running for the post of IPL chairman, a position that was eventually allotted to Ranjib Biswal of Orissa, who does not share a rapport with Dalmiya. The position of the chief of new area development committee was seen as a consolation for Dalmiya.Interestingly, while Dalmiya isn’t fond of Srinivasan, the rest of CAB is backing the ICC chairman. This was evident when nearly every club affiliated with CAB felicitated Srinivasan during a charity event held for an NGO run by association treasurer Biswarup Dey.A CAB insider confided that Dalmiya’s role in the coming years may have been discussed during Sunday’s meeting. Biswal and Amitabh Chaudhary, the Jharkhand association chief who heads the board’s marketing sub-committee, have emerged as contenders for the secretary’s post, and one of their vacated positions may be offered to CAB. The equations depend entirely on the Supreme Court allowing Srinivasan to contest the election.Earlier on Sunday, Srinivasan praised the stadium in Guwahati and, in his capacity as the ICC chairman, assured ACA officials that he would do his best to help the ground get Test status. According to ACA secretary Bikash Baruah, Srinivasan also assured that he would impress upon the BCCI to allot a few IPL games to Guwahati.”The ICC chairman is very impressed by the quality of the stadium we are building and described it as one of the best in the world. He inspected almost every nook and corner of the infrastructure, including the dressing rooms, water-treatment plant, back-up generator, galleries, pitch and practice ground,” Baruah said. “Srinivasan also appreciated the location of the stadium and other requirements for a Test venue as well as IPL matches.”The last international game in Guwahati was held in November 2010 at the Nehru Stadium, when India took on New Zealand in an ODI.

A month into the new season, Yorkshire and Durham, the two best sides in the County Championship last season, have won one match between them, and that against the side currently in last place

Jon Culley in Chester-le-Street07-May-2014
ScorecardBrigadier Block was on display as Paul Collingwood staved off Yorkshire•Getty ImagesA month into the new season, the two sides who showed themselves to be the best in the County Championship last season have won one match between them, and that against the side currently in last place. Something to worry about? At this early stage, perhaps not, but something to ponder.This match ultimately gave Durham a feather in the cap for character, given that they batted continuously for more than two days, even taking into account the rain that trimmed 11 overs off the time available to Yorkshire to bowl them out for a second time.Yet their bowling and fielding in the Yorkshire innings had been well below par, allowing Andrew Gale’s team to build a total of a size almost unheard of at this ground. Paul Collingwood, the Durham captain, said at the close that he would have bowled without hesitation had he had the choice, and put Yorkshire’s 589 at about 300 runs above par.For their part, Yorkshire must see the draw as an opportunity lost to score a significant win over a key rival. If, as Collingwood insisted, their first innings total was a freak, then they ought to have been capable, with their bowling resources, of dismissing Durham twice for fewer, within the seven sessions, or the best part thereof, that they gave themselves.However, while each of their key bowlers at different times in the match bowled spells of high quality, as a collective they fell a little way short. Yorkshire were ruthless in defeating Northamptonshire in their one win so far, but they conceded more than 500 runs to Somerset in their drawn opening match at Taunton and their failure to prevent Middlesex chasing 472 to win at Lord’s was a chastening experience, to say the least and Durham’s 388 in the first innings here was perhaps a few too many.Yet credit is due to Durham, who showed commendable resilience to bat through those seven sessions, having been asked to follow-on, and did find themselves in a crisis on the final afternoon, when their first four wickets fell for 42 and Yorkshire had their tails up.With 60 overs to face in which not to lose 10 wickets, a little better than it might have been after 11 overs lost to rain, they endured a first 18.1 overs that were catastrophic, in terms of their chances of doing so.Mark Stoneman, one of their two century-makers from the first innings, was out in the most unfortunate way, run out at the non-striker’s end when Liam Plunkett deflected a Keaton Jennings drive into the stumps.Then Scott Borthwick, a doubt for Durham’s trip to Hove next week because of a finger injury that stopped him bowling here, succumbed to a ball from Jack Brooks that was the best anyone faced all match, rearing up and taking the glove as he tried to take evasive action, with Andrew Hodd taking the catch.Kumar Sangakkara, out second ball in the first innings, was lucky not to be given out caught behind for nothing, was dropped at gully on four, just missed the fielder at point with his first boundary and got his second off an inside edge, none of which augured well. Then, with the streakiest 14 runs he may ever score to his name, he followed a wide one from Ryan Sidebottom to be caught at second slip.Adil Rashid, who bowled superbly, dismissed Michael Richardson, the other big success from the first innings, with his first ball, at which point Yorkshire had 42 overs still to work with and a sense of gathering momentum.But there were still some craggy rocks to shift, the craggiest of all being the captain, Collingwood, who joined Keaton Jennings, first offering sage advice to the 21-year-old at the other end and then setting about leading by example, facing 91 balls, 83 of them dots, enjoying a little luck at times, particularly against Rashid, but earning it. And, while doing this for more than two hours, guiding Jennings astutely enough through his business at the other for the young opener to finish with a highly creditable half-century.Collingwood praised Jennings for having the character to finish the job in the face of bowling which, he said, touched on international class at times, particularly when Plunkett got up to speed and when Rashid was employed all the guile he could muster.Equally important, though, had been the strength of will shown earlier by Jamie Harrison and Graham Onions, the overnight batsmen, whose 26-over, 45-run stand held back Yorkshire’s quest for the last two first innings wicket until the day was into its second hour.

Sanju Samson is “definitely the future” for India, according to his India A fielding and wicketkeeping coach Abhay Sharma

Abhishek Purohit02-Aug-2014Sanju Samson is “definitely the future” for India, according to his India A fielding and wicketkeeping coach Abhay Sharma. Samson, who turns 20 in November, was the leading run-getter for India A in their victorious campaign in the quadrangular one-day series in Darwin, Australia, with 244 runs from seven matches.”He is definitely the future for the country,” Abhay told ESPNcricinfo. “As a batsman, he is a very sensible player. He understands situations and adapts his game to them. His innings against Australia A in the opening match was outstanding. He took us close in a game we had almost lost.”Samson came in at 70 for 4 in a chase of 253, and saw his side slip further to 84 for 6. He responded with an 81 that brought down the equation to 29 needed off 23 before he was last man out. Though he failed in the final, he guided India A home in successive chases before that with scores of 55 and 49, both unbeaten.Samson, who has been prolific at Under-19 tournaments, also had a productive season with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2014 with 339 runs at an average of 26.07 and a strike-rate of 124.17. Before that, he made 530 runs in the Ranji Trophy 2013-14 at 58.88. While he batted at No. 3 mostly for Royals, he moved down to No. 6 for India A in Darwin.When asked if there was a case for making better use of Samson in the top order in the future, Abhay said his workload would have to be managed considering his dual utility as a batsman and a keeper. “Going forward, we will have to handle him very well, for he has to bat and keep too. He took that responsibility very well this time but we will have to work on him very carefully.”Abhay, a former Railways captain and wicketkeeper, said that Samson’s keeping was also coming along quite well, and he was keen to learn. “His keeping is improving day by day. A little more work has to be done on a couple of technical things and constant monitoring is needed. He is a very good learner. He readily understands what I want to communicate and implements my plan. At times there is not even the need to speak to him and he will pick up even little signs. He has adapted very well to these conditions. A stumping he pulled off down the leg side was simply outstanding.”Abhay was also pleased with the standard of India A’s ground fielding. The side claimed four run-outs in a match against the Australian National Performance Squad, and Abhay said that game stood out for him for the number of times India had found their target.”We had 18 direct hits in that match, four of which resulted in run-outs. We had been working on target-hitting and it was great to see the intensity and momentum we created on the field. We even worked on slip catching on the second attempt when someone drops a chance the first time and Manoj (Tiwary) took one such catch in a game. It was very satisfying to see that.”

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to set up a new unit called the Sports Frauds Investigation Unit (SFIO) to specifically investigate corruption in sports, including match-fixing, the has reported

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2014India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to set up a new unit called the Sports Frauds Investigation Unit (SFIO) to specifically investigate corruption in sports, including match-fixing, the has reported. The formation of the unit is likely to be formally announced on April 15, a day before the start of the IPL 2014.One of the primary roles of the SFIO will be to build capabilities to tackle corruption in sports by liaising with law-enforcement agencies, sports federations and local police from around the world. The unit will also help in training and educating other agencies by acting as a resource base. It will engage with the sports ministry, which is in the process of finalising a bill – the Prevention of Sporting Fraud Bill, 2013 – that criminalises sports fraud, and help it in the framing of policies that deter instances of corruption.IPL 2013 was first hit by allegations of spot-fixing on May 16, in relation to which three Rajasthan Royals players were detained by Delhi Police. Then, on May 24, Gurunath Meiyappan, an official of Chennai Super Kings franchise and son-in-law of the BCCI president N Srinivasan, was arrested in Mumbai on charges of cheating, forgery and fraud following which he was suspended by the BCCI.

Leicestershire allrounder Shiv Thakor is set to be out of action until the end of June after undergoing a second operation in two months to fix a troublesome broken finger

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Feb-2014Leicestershire allrounder Shiv Thakor is set to be out of action until the end of June after undergoing a second operation in two months to fix a troublesome broken finger which he played with throughout the 2013 season.Thakor initially broke the middle finger of his left hand in the opening game of the England Under-19 tour of South Africa in January of last year, with the ECB insisting he return to the UK to have an operation as soon as possible.But Leicestershire asked him to delay surgery so that he would not miss the start of the summer. As a result, the middle finger set in a position overlapping his ring finger, meaning he could barely grip his top hand onto the bat. Fielding was almost impossible, with Thakor having to go for almost everything with his right hand.ESPNcricinfo understands Thakor wanted to undergo surgery straightaway, which would have meant missing the beginning of the summer. After consulting with specialists, Leicestershire advised against an operation, telling Thakor to manage the injury throughout the season, before seeking further help at the end of the year.Despite the appearance of his finger and the pain he was suffering, he was not offered the option of a mid-season operation, despite consultations with a hand surgeon in London who felt the finger needed treatment straight away.Eventually, almost 11 months after the break occurred, he went for surgery in Leeds, by which time complications had arisen. The first operation last December was supposed to correct the shape of the finger and allow it to bend, but the bone graft dissolved and the main joint was allowed to slide back into a bad position, making matters worse.Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, director of cricket Phil Whitticase admitted the decision to play on with the injury had not worked: “It’s a shame because ourselves and Shiv decided to go into the season and manage the injury and it hasn’t worked out. He played through the pain and perhaps it affected his performance. The hope is that this second operation fixes things up and Shiv is able to make a full recovery.”Thakor is currently in the last year of his current deal with Leicestershire and Whitticase confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that an offer of an extension has been turned down. Talks are ongoing, with both parties keen to progress, but the feeling from those close to the player is that Leicestershire have not managed him well over the last 12 months. Despite this, Thakor is keen to contribute all he can to his home county in 2014 upon successfully completing his rehab.Last season was a disappointing season for both himself and Leicestershire who finished bottom of the County Championship without a victory. Thakor, however, managed to play 35 matches in all three competitions and registered a maiden Championship century against Kent in April.The whole affair has been a major setback for Thakor, a level-headed individual who has been touted for international honours after an impressive start to his professional career. In 2011, he became the first Leicestershire-born player to score a century on first-class debut (134 against Loughborough MCCU). A surprise omission from the Under-19 World Cup squad in 2012, he was appointed captain of the side at the beginning of 2013.

A round-up of the Group A matches of the Ranji Trophy that took place on December 8, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2013
ScorecardJiwanjot Sigh scored an unbeaten 188•ESPNcricinfo LtdWith Vidarbha holding a lead of 148 runs overnight, and still with three wickets in hand, it was imperative that their tail wagged as long as possible. That, however was put to rest quickly in the first over of the day itself when Amol Jungade failed to add to his 59, getting caught behind off the bowling of seamer Sandeep Sharma.Punjab struck again four overs later when the No. 10 Sandeep Singh was dismissed for 8. Ravi Thakur, the last man, scored 8 himself as Vidarbha were dismissed for 360, holding a lead of 176 runs. Sandeep finished with 5 for 90, his sixth five-for in first-class cricket. VRV Singh, in his comeback season, continued his fine form with 4 for 89.Punjab started brightly, with openers Manan Vohra and Jiwanjot Singh adding 94 for the first wicket. Vohra fell soon after passing his fifty, getting run out in the 21st over. The wicketkeeper, Uday Kaul, came in at No. 3 and the pair batted till the end of the day, finishing on 330 for 1, and with a lead of 154 runs. Jiwanjot was not out on a massive 188, while Kaul was unbeaten on 88.
ScorecardParvinder Awana 10th five-for in first-class cricket helped Delhi secure a crucial first-innings lead. Odisha began the day on 121 for 3, still trailing Delhi’s first innings effort by 321 runs. Opener Natraj Behera, who was unbeaten on 53, helped add another 36 runs with Biplab Samantray, before Samantray was bowled on 48 by Awana. This brought Abhilash Mallick to the crease, and with Natraj, the pair helped double the score with a 157-run stand, before Mallick was caught behind on 71. Natraj crossed three figures, bringing up his fourth first-class century, and finished on 158, matching Rajat Bhatia’s effort in Delhi’s first innings. Odisha reached 379, with Awana picking up a five-wicket haul, and Varun Sood supporting him with 3 for 67. Delhi still had a 63-run lead going into their second innings. However, both openers perished with just 25 on the board, as Delhi finished at stumps on 49 for 2.
ScorecardKarnataka were bundled early on the third day to finish on 256, with Haryana’s Harshal Patel taking 6 for 55. Trailing by just nine runs, Haryana knew a strong effort would be required to create a sizable challenge for Karnataka. This notion, however, was tested early when opener Avi Barot was run out in the second over. Wickets continued to tumble at a regular rate, as Haryana’s batsmen failed to put on meaningful scores. Rahul Dewan, the captain, was the highest scorer with 31 as Haryana were bundled for 105, with seamer Ronit More inflicting the most damage with 5 for 20 in 14 overs. The target for Karnataka was set at 97, and despite losing four wickets to get to 62 at stumps, the visitors will still fancy themselves to get the 35 runs needed for victory on day four.

Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm chinaman bowler, took a hat-trick to set up India Under-19s five-wicket win against Scotland Under-19s in Dubai

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran in Dubai17-Feb-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKuldeep Yadav picked up the wickets of Nick Farrar, Kyle Stirling and Alex Baum in successive deliveries•ICCKuldeep Yadav became the first Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in Under-19 World Cup history and in the process, sent Scotland Under-19s crashing to 88 all out in Dubai. But India ended up making heavy weather of the chase after what was predicted to be a cakewalk, given the gulf between the two sides. Scotland’s spinners had entertained thoughts of an upset, having pinned India down at 22 for 5, but Sarfaraz Khan and Deepak Hooda held their nerve and ensured India didn’t lose any more wickets.Kuldeep, the left-arm chinaman bowler is among the few of his type in world cricket, and Scotland batted like they had never faced anyone of his type before. Yadav’s spin partner, Aamir Gani, was just as incisive and their four-wicket hauls ended Scotland’s innings within 30 overs.Kuldeep’s mystery element claimed the wickets of Nick Farrar, Kyle Stirling and Alex Baum in three successive balls spread out over two overs. Farrar looked to sweep, but got a top edge that lobbed to fine leg.Kuldeep didn’t need any assistance for his next two wickets, relying on his own skills to fox the batsmen. Bowling round the wicket to Stirling, Kuldeep generously tossed it up but the batsman was caught in two minds about playing a shot. In the end, he merely padded up and the ball straightened and struck him in front of middle and leg stump.Kuldeep’s hat-trick ball was a spinner’s dream. It was a combination of flight and sharp turn from outside off stump that snuck through the big gap between Baum’s pad and bat, and dismantled the stumps.Scotland were already struggling for control before Kuldeep struck. The seamers, Chama Milind and Avesh Khan took a wicket each before both were taken off after ten overs. From then on, it was the Kuldeep-Gani show. Gani is an offspinner in the Ramesh Powar mould, with a similar approach to the crease and tendency to bowl much slower through the air. Zander Muir went a bit too deep in the crease trying to cut and was out hit-wicket.Kuldeep’s hat-trick then reduced Scotland to 59 for 5, before Chris Sole edged Gani to the wicketkeeper Ankish Bains who took the catch in the second attempt. The opener Andrew Umeed, the only batsman who looked like getting a fifty, was squared up by a quicker one from Gani for 44 before Kuldeep took his fourth wicket, getting Mark Watt to edge to slip. A brilliant running catch by Sanju Samson running to his left in the deep ended the innings on 88. It was a bizarre scorecard which read – 44, 7,1,7,0,0,5,2,16,0,1*.While Scotland hadn’t prepared for Kuldeep and Gani, India looked just as shaky against one of their own – Chayank Gosain. The Delhi-born left-arm spinner was given the new ball and he triggered early panic when he got rid of Akhil Herwadkar and Vijay Zol in his first two overs. Gosain bowled round the wicket to both left-handers and Herwadkar perished trying to cut while Zol failed to cover the line and edged to slip.Gosain bowled his ten overs in one spell and he nipped out another wicket, getting Bains to chip to midwicket. The pressure was starting to tell on the Indian batsmen, with fielders in catching position and the urgency to score eventually cost Bains his wicket.Gavin Main, the right-arm seamer, was lucky to get Samson lbw as replays showed the ball missing leg stump. Four balls later, Ricky Bhui played too early and chipped it low to short midwicket. The attacking field had claimed another wicket and India were reeling at 22 for 5.Sarfaraz found himself in a pressure situation greater than that against Pakistan. With the reliable lower-order batsman Hooda, the pair slowly got India back on track. They were initially watchful against Gosain before Sarfaraz broke a boundary drought that lasted nearly six overs, by cutting Watt to cover. They released the pressure by pushing the ball into gaps and pinching as many singles as they could.Hooda had gained enough confidence to charge Gosain and loft him for consecutive boundaries and at 60 for 5 at the end of 17 overs, India were on track. Sarfaraz hastened the chase with a four and a six off consecutive balls over cover off Watt, and finished the game in style with another four towards the same region.

Unseasonal rain in Ranchi washed out the fourth ODI after 4.1 overs of India’s chase, after 90s from Maxwell and Bailey lifted to 295

The Report by Abhishek Purohit23-Oct-2013Match abandoned
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGeorge Bailey and Glenn Maxwell put on 153 for the fifth wicket in 22.4 overs•BCCISmart stats

MS Dhoni led India for the 146th time in an ODI. He joins Sourav Ganguly at second place in the list of captains to lead India in most ODIs. Mohammad Azharuddin leads the list with 174 ODIs as captain.

George Bailey has scored 318 runs in this series – the most by any Australia captain in a bilateral ODI series. The previous best was 295 runs by Ricky Ponting against West Indies in 2010. Overall, AB de Villiers leads the list with 367 runs from five matches in South Africa’s bilateral ODI series against Pakistan earlier this year.

The 153-run partnership between Bailey and Glenn Maxwell is Australia’s highest for the fifth wicket against India and the fifth-highest for them against any team in ODIs.

Australia have hit 38 sixes in this series – the most sixes ever hit by the side in a bilateral ODI series. They beat their previous best of 34 sixes in a series, also against India, in 2007. With three matches still to be played, they are likely to beat the record for the most sixes hit by a team in a bilateral series – 40 by West Indies against New Zealand in 2012.

Maxwell and Bailey were both out in the nineties, only the seventh instance of two or more batsmen in an innings getting out in the nineties. This was the third such instance for Australia.

Unseasonal rain in Ranchi washed out the fourth ODI after 4.1 overs of India’s chase, ensuring the series moved 2-1 in favour of Australia to Cuttack, which was experiencing more inclement weather. There had been a brief shower soon after the match began, but it dissipated to allow Australia to complete their innings. The second instalment was heavier and prolonged, and though it relented with enough time to squeeze in a 20-over chase, the umpires ruled the outfield had been rendered too soggy to allow any play.Before the damp end, George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell had revived Australia from 32 for 3 with a massive fifth-wicket stand following Mohammed Shami’s opening burst. However, their dismissals in the batting Powerplay robbed the visitors of a 300-plus total for the first time in the series, albeit narrowly. Bailey and Maxwell added 153 in 22.4 overs but after both fell in their nineties to Vinay Kumar, Australia’s lower order was able to add only 57 in the last ten overs.Shami’s sharp first spell had challenged Australia for the first time in the series with the new ball. The attack, however, lacked the same intensity afterwards. India also put down five catches, and only a couple of them were tough takes. Bailey was put down first ball off Shami by Virat Kohli at third slip, and on 35 by R Ashwin off Vinay, both takeable chances. Maxwell was dropped on 44 by Yuvraj Singh off Jaydev Unadkat, a rather difficult diving opportunity at point, before MS Dhoni reprieved him on 69 behind the stumps off Suresh Raina.Bailey went on to make his third half-century of the series and India were fortunate to see his back two short of a century, when he top-edged a Vinay long hop. Maxwell kicked on from the cameos he has been getting to inflict punishment on India with a 77-ball 92 before falling lbw.Bailey and Maxwell hardly allowed the spinners to settle, and were also presented with regular long hops. India weren’t able to exert pressure at all on the duo, who turned the strike over consistently. Vinay delivered an entire opening over of gentle looseners, and Bailey drove and pulled him for three boundaries. Maxwell was given plenty of leg-side offerings to indulge in his quick-arm powerful swing. He countered Ashwin’s line from round the wicket, powering him for successive reverse-swept boundaries, the first of which went for six.After India sent the duo back, Dhoni didn’t give the ball to any of his seamers, opting for spin for nine of the last ten overs before he brought back Shami for the last one. Australia ‘s lower order, tied down by Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, promptly took 12 off it, despite atleast three deliveries finding the blockhole.Bowling at a testing length at pace and generating movement under some cloud cover, Shami had delivered an opening spell of 6-1-21-3. The lowest opening stand for Australia had been 68 so far this series. Shami sent back the openers by the sixth over, and also claimed Shane Watson. India’s decision to play a fresh new-ball pair in place of Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had paid off. They even managed to avoid leaking runs at the death, but Bailey and Maxwell caused considerable damage in the middle.When the chase began, Mitchell Johnson sent down a couple of menacing overs filled with bouncers to let India know they were set for a testing evening. Shikhar Dhawan countered by charging and hitting Clint McKay for a couple of fours. And then the rain arrived. Dhoni said after the abandonment that India would have been happy with a 20-over chase with all wickets intact, which would have meant a target around 150. The rain, however, wasn’t ready to allow an ODI to be decided by a T20 innings.

Sohag Gazi has highlighted Bangladesh’s self-belief after they defended 247 in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2013Sohag Gazi, the Man of the Match in Bangladesh’s 40-run win over New Zealand on Thursday, has highlighted the team’s self-belief after they defended 247 in Mirpur.After New Zealand had slipped to 45 for 3 in their chase, Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson added 61 before the latter guided the ball towards slip, only to see wicketkeepr Mushfiqur Rahim dive across to his left and grab the half-chance. Gazi attributed his wicket to the patience that Bangladesh had developed as a result of their new-found confidence.”The turning point was when we broke that partnership,” Gazi said. “We didn’t give up, thinking that a stand like that is inevitable. We tried to build on dot balls, and made them commit a mistake.”We could win today because we believed that it was possible to defend 247. The coach [Shane Jurgensen] and captain [Mushfiqur] told us before we went out on to the field that everything is possible today. We had to give 100% to make it possible.”Before the 61-run stand, Bangladesh had grabbed the initiative early on in the New Zealand innings. Mashrafe Mortaza quickly removed Hamish Rutherford, before Gazi made way for Rubel Hossain after bowling one over. Gazi came back in the ninth over, and shortly afterwards, caught Anton Devcich’s simple offering off his own bowling. Abdur Razzak worked on that opening by dismissing Grant Elliott.”I am accustomed to bowl with the new ball,” Gazi said. “That is how I started my career and I remember Saqlain [Mushtaq] telling me at the time that all spinners are hammered but I should bowl to my strength. I do the same with the new ball, and I hardly have any trouble.”The Bangladesh spinners got less turn than is expected from typical sub-continental tracks, as the pitches on this tour have been generally slow, and offer low bounce. New Zealand have often said that it was a challenge to bat on these surfaces, but Gazi believes that the Bangladesh spinners did well despite the conditions, rather than because of it.”If we took home advantage, the ball would have turned miles. We could have taken it in the Test series, but as you have seen, it didn’t help us.”We have to play on any wicket we are asked to do so, whether it is a turning wicket or a flat one. The toss is a matter of luck, because we have to be prepared for any kind of situation.”Gazi was adjudged Man of the Match for picking up three scalps, as well as scoring a vital 26 when Bangladesh had lost quick wickets and slipped to 173 for 6.”The team needed me to score today, and because I could do something substantial, I was chosen the best in the match,” he said. “I think this team has players who will do their respective jobs very well. Rubel did well in the last game. Nobody relies on one person. We have to go ahead like this, so that someone or the other stands up when needed.”

As a weapon to defeat Australia, poetry does not spring immediately to mind. But that is what the ECB hopes will fill England with strength after the publication of a poem to mark the arrival of the Investec Ashes series.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2013As a weapon to defeat Australia, poetry does not spring immediately to mind. But that is what the ECB hopes will fill England with strength after the publication of a poem to mark the arrival of the Investec Ashes series.We would like to know what you think of it.Cricket has inspired a fair deal of poetry over the years. There is nothing more rose-tinted in the canon than Vitai Lampada by Sir Henry Newbolt in 1892 with his exhortation to ‘Play up ! play up ! and play the game!’#RISE has something for everyone.Lord’s will delight in the attention given to the honours board, no player can resist imagining himself with a set jaw and white knuckles and, as for the obsessive scorers among you, there is even a mention of dot balls. In an age of Twenty20, an homage to the dot ball is soothingly traditional.The poem will take pride of place on the Trent Bridge programme when the Ashes begins on July 10.We think it has a bit of Jerusalem about it, although even that is not entirely a good thing as Jerusalem tends to be removed from hymn books these days. But they will still be bashing it out in Nottingham on July 10 no doubt as England seek to fill Australia with trepidation#RISEHistory will soon be made,
Upon the board,
Their honours engraved.
Nerves on edge, muscles tighten.
Jaws are set, knuckles whiten.
A dot ball passes, atmosphere heightens.
Those left standing: gods among titans.
They’ll deliver the fight, session by session.
The nation’s pride their only obsession.
For one. For all.
The bat.
The ball.
Old scores. New clashes.
Together we’ll Rise
For The Urn.
The Ashes.