Pakistan have already won the series against West Indies but their captain Misbah-ul-Haq has all but said that there are no dead rubbers in Test cricket

Umar Farooq in Sharjah29-Oct-2016Pakistan have already won the series against West Indies but their captain Misbah-ul-Haq has all but said that there are no dead rubbers in Test cricket. Victory in Sharjah will mean Pakistan would have won all nine matches across formats, after 3-0 wins in the ODIs and T20Is during West Indies’ tour of the UAE. It will also consolidate their no. 2 ranking in Test cricket.”Every victory is important, no matter which opponent is up against you,” Misbah said on the eve of the Sharjah Test, his 49th, which will make him the most-capped captain of Pakistan. “Test cricket is Test cricket and it’s always great to win a Test match. West Indies, on a given day, gave us a tough time and they created a situation where they could have won or drawn the game.”So you can’t say that it’s an inconsequential series. In terms of ranking and your team’s reputation – it’s important for you to perform consistently and keep on winning.”West Indies took the first two Tests into the fifth day, batting more than 100 overs in the fourth innings before Pakistan won by 56 runs in Dubai and 133 in Abu Dhabi. Misbah was determined to finish the series with a strong performance ahead of testing away tours during the winter.”We are confident as a team the way we are playing and will try to win this one,” he said. “Because we have a tough series ahead, we want to sign off with confidence and on a winning note. We want to keep it simple for, every game has importance and series victories always carry a unique value.”After the series against West Indies, Pakistan will travel to New Zealand for two Tests and then to Australia for three, one of which will be a day-night contest in Brisbane. Pakistan drew their most recent away series – in England this summer* – and will hope to improve on the 0-3 defeat they suffered in Australia in 2009. Misbah said preparing for such tours was a “continuous process”.”The process for England, the preparation I think started long ago in 2010, with every passing day and every passing series, whatever we gained in experience gave us confidence and actually helped us in England. Now with wins against England and West Indies, we are in better shape and this will help us in New Zealand and Australia.”Perhaps the biggest disappointment for Pakistan during this Test series against West Indies in the UAE was the poor spectator turnout. Barely 500 fans came to watch a day of Test cricket. Not even the novelty of a day-night Test in Dubai drew a crowd, and motivation needed to come from within when playing in an empty stadium.”It’s tough as a player to motivate ourselves,” Misbah said. “You clearly see the difference between England being house full and here in the UAE. There [in England] every good shot, good fielding, even one good ball was appreciated by the crowd.”It was a completely different atmosphere and we play for the crowd that’s the main passion for us. That motivates us, so it’s tough in a stadium without a crowd. Without them, we don’t enjoy as much but we are professional and we eventually have to give 100% and perform.”*4.10pm (GMT), 29 October: This article had erroneously stated that Pakistan won the Test series in England in July-August 2016. This has been corrected

A round-up of the final round of Ranji Trophy matches from Group B on December 8, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2016Saurashtra opener Kishan Parmar, who was playing his second first-class match, struck his maiden century to revive his team from 130 for 5 to 234 for 5 against Delhi in Vadodara. Saurashtra closed the day with a lead of 89 runs.Seamer Navdeep Saini and offspinning allrounder Nitish Rana had done the damage with the ball, sharing four wickets between them. This came after Delhi’s lower order, led by Pradeep Sangwan’s 75 off 100 balls, opened up a first-innings lead of 145. Sangwan was briefly assisted by Manan Sharma (33) in a 62-run stand for the eighth wicket to frustrate Saurashtra. Kushang Patel, the new-ball bowler, picked up his third five-for in first-class cricket as Delhi were dismissed for 237 in 58.3 overs.Half-centuries from debutant Pavan Deshpande and opener R Samarth helped Karnataka gain the upper hand over Maharashtra in Mohali. Resuming on 67 for 1, Karnataka were ahead by 150 as they ended on 313 for 9, with the second-wicket stand of 101 between Kaunain Abbas (41) and Samarth (64) forming the bedrock of the innings. Deshpande then helped consolidate the lead with Stuart Binny and CM Gautam.Karnataka, who could have been down to 10 players after Maharashtra denied them a replacement for Manish Pandey, who was called-up to the India Test squad as a replacement for the injured Ajinkya Rahane, were handed a reprieve after Swapnil Gugale, the opposition captain, did a U-turn. David Mathias, the fast bowler, came in to bat at No. 7 but fell cheaply. Vinay Kumar, the Karnataka captain, struck an unbeaten 36 to all but knock Maharashtra, who need an outright win, out of contention.Left-arm seamer Tanvir Ul-Haq negated Vidarbha‘s advantage as Rajasthan, bowled out for 140, came storming back to dismiss their opponents for 116 in Greater Noida. Tanvir finished with career-best figures of 6 for 21 in 10.3 overs as the Vidarbha innings lasted just 41.3 overs after bad light delayed start of play by over an hour. Siddesh Wath, the wicketkeeper-batsman, playing his second first-class game, top-scored with 50. Rajasthan’s openers Manendar Singh and AV Gautam batted 11 overs to end on 10 without loss.

Wayne Parnell last played a Test nearly three years ago and is hoping to make a comeback with his all-round abilities as well as better accuracy with the ball

Firdose Moonda10-Jan-20173:09

‘We’d love a clean sweep’ – Stephen Cook

Wayne Parnell has promised to prioritise precision over pace as he prepares for a Test recall this week, almost three years since he last played an international in whites. In that time, he has changed aspects of his action to ensure he does not rush through to his delivery stride but arrives at the crease with stability. As a result, Parnell may have lost a bit of pace – he isn’t sure because he has not played in a televised match in the last few months – but he is willing to sacrifice speed for the certainty of landing six balls in the same area.”If I want to play Test cricket and do so successfully, it’s about being consistent rather than bowling quickly but bowling all over the show,” Parnell said. “I’m not sure if my pace has dropped but even if it has dropped by two or three kilometres, my groupings are better, I will be happy with that.”Parnell’s focus on form came in the last two seasons when he chose to concentrate on domestic cricket instead of pushing for a place in the national side, where he knew he has faced serous competition from the incumbents. “I don’t think I have been close to the playing XI and with the likes of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and KG (Kagiso Rabada), there have been five or six bowlers ahead of me in the longer format. I’m not frustrated about that,” he said. “I was not worrying about getting myself back in, it was just about playing good consistent cricket.”The opportunity to have regular game time at franchise level has changed Parnell, especially because it was something he lacked from seasons of touring as a reserve member of the national side. Although Parnell trained throughout those trips, he admitted no amount of net sessions could compare to crossing the boundary rope and being in the heat of a contest.”If you look back, I’ve played two games, gone on tour, then played one game,” he said. “It was about playing consistently. If I practice for five hours a day or if I bowl 10 overs in a game, it’s definitely better bowling in match situations. Sometimes you can practice, you can bowl to beacons and you can hit five out of six but when a batter is there, he is trying different things, shuffling down the wicket, staying leg side, going to the off side so you have to adjust as well. It was about having plans and implementing them.”One of those things was developing his all-round game, something that got lost when he was fast-tracked through as a left-arm seamer. In recent seasons, Parnell has opened the batting in T20s and was even asked to do the job in first-class cricket. Last weekend, he scored a match-winning century for Cape Cobras against Lions for a gripping ending.”I have always had the ability to bat. People haven’t really seen that because when I started at the Warriors, I was batting at No. 9 but given the opportunity I have shown there is something there,” he said. “For me, it’s about winning games, whether it’s scoring 100 not out or getting a tough 30, it’s about what the coach and captain need from me.”South Africa have long stressed the need for more allrounders in their set up and while Philander, Keshav Maharaj and JP Duminy have all emerged as candidates in the Test arena, there is room for more and Parnell hopes to fill that gap. “If I am picked, I am really keen to make a mark,” he said.

Australia allrounder Mitchell Marsh said that time out of the Test side, during the home series against South Africa last year helped him work on a few aspects of his game, which he feels will be beneficial

Melinda Farrell in Bengaluru02-Mar-20171:16

‘Want to continue our winning ways at this ground’ – Marsh

It’s an odd anachronism that 21 is still considered such an important age.In Australia, for example, 21st birthdays are widely celebrated much the same as 18th birthdays, even though minors legally become adults once they turn 18. Cards are adorned with keys, cakes are baked in the shape of them, symbolizing the bestowing of the keys of adulthood to people who have been adults for three years.For whatever reason, turning 21 remains a mystical moment. The coming of age.If Mitchell Marsh plays in Bengaluru, his Test career will turn 21. But it feels as though he’s been coming of age for a very long time.Consider Marsh when he first hit adulthood. After captaining Australia to victory in the U19s World Cup, he was playing for Deccan Chargers in the IPL as an 18-year-old alongside Adam Gilchrist in a team coached by Darren Lehmann, a fact that seems almost ridiculous in its generational incongruity.Seven years and 20 Tests down the track, Marsh has a batting average of 22.79 and 29 wickets at an average of 37.27. That he is blessed with an abundance of talent is undeniable; that talent comes with expectations his critics feel have not been met.Marsh-bashing is a frequent occurrence on social media and the selection of brothers Mitchell or Shaun is guaranteed to spark a new round. The younger brother has the added burden of being an Australian allrounder, a position that attracts more scrutiny and criticism than most.Just ask Shane Watson.In fact, Marsh does just that. Heralded as the natural replacement for Watson at the end of his Test career, Marsh now seeks him out for advice.”I’ve spoken to Watto,” Marsh said. “Since he’s retired he’s been fantastic. He’s always been open to me giving him a call or a text. I could use him a little bit more, he’s always open for a conversation which is great.”Watson could no doubt give just as much advice on how to cope with flak off the field as he could on how to perform on it. When he passed the allrounder’s mantle on to Marsh it came with a target attached, something that unsettled Marsh to the extent he stopped reading comments about himself on social media altogether.”I try not to look too much into it,” said Marsh. “I wouldn’t have too much confidence if I read all the comments on Facebook. That’s part and parcel of playing cricket for Australia at the top level. People are always entitled to their opinion, that’s fine by me. It doesn’t stress me out. I used to read a lot of it then I had 10 innings where I didn’t get over 30, I didn’t have much to read so I stopped reading it.When the selectors cut a swathe through the Australian squad in the wake of the humiliating loss to South Africa in Hobart they didn’t miss Marsh. He had played only the Perth Test and was left out of the Hobart match in favour of Callum Ferguson. With no opportunities available to play first-class cricket, he returned home to join up with the Perth Scorchers.”In a way it was probably a good thing because I just went back to the Big Bash and enjoyed myself, tried to slog a few and managed to get a few out of the middle,” said Marsh. “But away from the game I worked on a few things that I feel will hold me in good stead if I can play in Australia again or play in other conditions. Sometimes it’s nice to get out of the spotlight. I was obviously under a lot of pressure for a while so in a way it was nice to get back to play with the Scorchers and here I am.”Marsh wasn’t required for bowling duties in the first Test but he applied himself for a watchful 31 runs on the crumbling pitch. For a powerful, attacking batsman, it was a commendable show of restraint in such conditions. It was followed by dressing-room celebrations that Marsh described as the best four hours of his life.”It was good, it gave me a lot of confidence,” said Marsh. “Even though I made only 30, being out in the middle for 80 balls certainly gave me a lot of confidence. Hopefully this wicket is a little better and I can turn it into a big score for us.””I think it’s just about adapting. That’s something we always speak about, Steven (Smith) always talks to us about it. In these conditions you’ve got to earn the right to attack and that’s by having a solid defence. That’s what I’ve been working on.”Marsh has also been working on gaining the trust of his brother. Shaun’s nine-month old son, Austin, is on the tour and Uncle Mitch is being allowed to babysit his nephew for the first time.”You earn your trust,” said Marsh, while conceding he wasn’t very confident on nappy-changing.”It’s taken me a while but I’ve got there now.”If he can produce his best in India, that’s a statement he may make for many Tests beyond his 21st.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Suresh Lokeshwar’s unbeaten 92 helped India hold on to a draw on the final day after collapsing to 61 for 6 in their chase of 238

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2017
Scorecard
File photo – Max Holden’s 170 led England to a big total in the first innings•Getty Images

An unbeaten 92 from wicketkeeper-batsman Suresh Lokeshwar helped India hang on to a draw against England in the first Youth Test of the two-match series.India were set 238 to win on the final day, and found themselves four down at the start of the sixth over. Subsequently, they were reduced to 61 for 6. Seamers Henry Brookes (3-56) and Aaron Beard (2-24) took the first five of those, before Arthur Godsal removed first-innings centurion Daryl Ferrario for 37. This left Lokeshwar about 34 overs to survive in the lower order’s company. He did so with a partnership of 39 for the seventh wicket with Sijomon Joseph that took 13.1 overs, followed by more attacking stands of 61 at 4.11 with Kanishk Seth and an unbroken 28 at 4.54 with Vineet Panwar. Lokeshwar hit 14 fours during his knock and struck at 73.60, but India’s early breakthroughs meant 189 for 8 was as far as they could get in the chase.The chase itself was set up with a six-wicket haul by offspinner Joseph, who inflicted a collapse on England that saw them fall from 151 for 4 to 167 all out on the final day. Right-handed batsman George Bartlett didn’t get to bat with Max Holden in the second innings, with whom he had put on a record 321 runs in the first innings, but was involved in England’s biggest partnership in the second innings too, putting on 73 for the fifth wicket with Ollie Pope (26) after the visitors were reduced to 78 for 4. He fell to Joseph for 68 and Pope followed shortly after, falling to Ferrario (2-17) and opening up an England collapse that spanned 11 overs.The second innings for both teams were in stark contrast to the first, where runs were more easily had. England skipper Holden had won the toss, chosen to bat, and gone on to score 170 after his record partnership for the second wicket ended with Bartlett’s stumping off Joseph for 179. Allrounder Delray Rawlins then scored an unbeaten 70 off 94 balls to lift England to 501 for 5. In response, India declared on 431 for 8, with sixties from Abhishek Goswami (66), Saurabh Singh (62) and Joseph (62*) complementing Ferrario’s 117.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the fourth day of the Sheffield Shield match between Western Australia and New South Wales in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Peter Nevill fell just short of delivering New South Wales a place in the Sheffield Shield final•Getty Images

Victoria will play South Australia in the Sheffield Shield final for the second consecutive summer after New South Wales fell seven runs short of victory in a tense finish to the last regular match of the competition in Perth. Chasing 403 to win and gain a place in the decider, the Blues were denied when Peter Nevill reverse-swept and was caught off Ashton Turner for 63.The six-run win was a fine way for Western Australia to farewell their retiring captain Adam Voges, although South Australia’s victory over Tasmania earlier in the day had ended any hopes the Warriors had of jumping from fifth on the table into the final. Instead, Western Australia had to settled for third on the table, with Victoria to host South Australia in the final in Alice Springs.The final morning began with New South Wales in a vulnerable position at 1 for 6, needing a further 396 in a day to secure a place in the final. But a 161-run second-wicket stand between Ed Cowan and Daniel Hughes was the perfect platform. Cowan fell for 80 when he was bowled by Cameron Green, but he finished on top of the Shield run tally for the regular portion of this season with 959 at 73.76.Hughes brought up his first century of the Shield season but was caught by Voges off Turner for 110, although further contributions were to come from the New South Wales middle order. Kurtis Patterson made 39 and captain Moises Henriques posted 66, but both men fell to the offspin of Turner and left Nevill marshalling the lower order for the remainder of the chase.The final partnership began when No.11 Harry Conway joined Nevill with 24 runs still required, although time was also a factor with the number of overs in the day starting to dwindle. Nevill and Conway put on 17 but the drama ended when Nevill reverse-swept on 63 and was caught off the bowling of Turner, who finished with a career-best 6 for 111.

A five-wicket haul from Bhuvneshwar Kumar won Sunrisers Hyderabad a tight game against Kings XI Punjab despite a 50-ball 95 from Manan Vohra

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy17-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:05

Agarkar: 160 was gettable without Bhuvneshwar

Manan Vohra defied a pitch of inconsistent pace and bounce and a situation stacked against his team to produce one of the IPL’s great backs-to-the-walls innings. His 95 off 50 balls revived a floundering chase, taking Kings XI Punjab to within 15 runs of victory, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar would ensure he wouldn’t be able to finish the match, taking two wickets in the 19th over to finish with 5 for 19.In the end, neither of them would be involved in what became the nerviest finish of the season. Eleven off six balls usually favours the chasing side, but seldom is a chasing side nine down at that stage. Siddarth Kaul conceded four off the first two legal balls, slipping in two wides, but pulled himself together to send down the perfect yorker with six needed off three. Ishant Sharma couldn’t put bat to it, and Sunrisers just about held on to their undefeated home record this season.Difficult pitch, quiet PowerplayA pitch full of cracks turned out slower than is usually the case in Hyderabad, with some balls skidding through and others stopping with tennis-ball bounce. Kings XI’s seamers looked to exploit this by bowling at the stumps and pitching just short of a good length.Denied the drive-able ball, the batsmen couldn’t play square with too much confidence either – given the line and the tendency of the ball to keep low. Sunrisers only scored 29 in the Powerplay, hitting just one four and losing the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan, caught behind off the glove looking to pull Mohit Sharma.Warner adapts and prospersSpin came on for the first time in the seventh over, and David Warner immediately picked up his first boundary with a reverse-sweep off KC Cariappa. In his next over, he switch-hit him for six. By the end of Sunrisers’ innings, all but two of Warner’s nine boundaries would come behind the wicket.Wickets kept falling at the other end – Axar Patel dismissed Moises Henriques and Yuvraj Singh off successive balls in the 10th over – but Warner, with a bit of help from Naman Ojha, ensured Sunrisers reached a competitive total. Having scored only 6 off his first 16 balls – all in the Powerplay – Warner went at a strike rate of 168.42 thereafter to finish unbeaten on 70 off 54.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Act 1Interviewed between innings, VVS Laxman, the Sunrisers mentor, felt 159 was a match-winning total given the conditions and his team’s bowling resources. As it happened, it wasn’t the pitch that gave Sunrisers an early wicket but Bhuvneshwar’s swing and full length, trapping Hashim Amla lbw first ball. Glenn Maxwell promoted himself to No. 3 for the first time this season, and Bhuvneshwar dismissed him as well. This time it was the slower ball, coupled with a change of field – he brought third man into the circle, pushed mid-off back, and Maxwell took him on, unwisely.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Those skiddy Afghan spinnersFor the first time this season, Sunrisers were playing both Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan. They bowled expensive first overs – Vohra and Eoin Morgan took 29 off the fifth and sixth overs of the chase – and Warner had to pull both out of the attack. After a quiet over each from Moises Henriques and Kaul, he brought them back.Nabi struck immediately, bowling Morgan with one that skidded on, and skid would give Rashid two wickets in the next over – bye bye, David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha. Kings XI were 62 for 5 after 10 overs, and an offbreak from Nabi at the start of the next over could have easily had them 62 for 6. Vohra, though, was saved by the umpire Anil Dandekar, who saw or heard an inside edge when there was none. At that stage, he was batting on 32. In the last ball of the same over, Nabi dropped the simplest of return catches off Axar Patel.Vohra unrolls his own pitchEven in the early part of his innings, Vohra had timed the ball better than anyone from either side. What he was also doing, better than most batsmen this season, was picking Rashid’s googly out of the hand. Having brought up his fifty in the previous over, the 15th, Vohra went after Rashid again, pulling and lofting him for 4, 0, 6, 6, 4. Suddenly, Kings XI only needed 35 from 24 balls.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Act IIKings XI, however, had already lost six wickets, and they lost a seventh when Mohit Sharma sliced Bhuvneshwar straight to deep point in the 17th over. Two balls later, Vohra timed a back-foot punch so sweetly that he hit it to the same fielder on the full, only for Shikhar Dhawan to drop it. A big six off Kaul in the next over brought the equation down to 16 off the last two, but Bhuvneshwar wasn’t done yet.KC Cariappa, for reasons unknown, decided to slog rather than give Vohra the strike, and Bhuvneshwar went through him with a yorker. Another yorker – or near-yorker – followed when Vohra got back the strike. It struck Vohra on the ankle, on the full, right in front, as he walked across to flick, and Bhuvneshwar had bowled the most important ball of the match.

India’s pacers claimed yet another batting line-up after the batsmen laid the foundation for a 240-run victory at The Oval

The Report by Varun Shetty30-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dinesh Karthik’s fluent 94 set up India’s massive win•IDI/Getty Images

Bangladesh, who face England in the Champions Trophy opener on June 1, collapsed spectacularly, falling to 22 for 6, before eventually getting bowled out for 84 in their chase of 325 against India in the warm-up game at The Oval. After allrounder Hardik Pandya had clattered an unbeaten 80 off 54 balls to propel India to 324, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar ripped through Bangladesh’s top half with the new ball. The seamers utilised the overcast conditions, and extracted sharp movement and bounce from a pitch that had hitherto appeared benign, taking three wickets each.The procession began when Soumya Sarkar slashed away from his body at an Umesh delivery that straightened in the corridor. Sarkar appeared confused when the Indian fielders went up for a caught-behind appeal, walking down the track to consult Imrul Kayes about a possible review, before quickly realising there weren’t be any available. Perhaps, it was an early sign of what was to come for Bangladesh, who would soon lose Kayes and Shakib Al Hasan to misguided hook shots.Sabbir Rahman had his stumps rattled by a full inswinger, while two vicious deliveries that climbed from a length took the outside edges of Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain. The chase had effectively ended with only 45 balls bowled. Mehedi Hasan, who had earlier bowled an economical spell (9-1-39-0), offered resistance with 24, but could not find enough support from the other end.India had lost the toss, but Virat Kohli was happy at being put in. Shakib stood-in as captain in the absence of Mashrafe Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal, who were both rested ahead of Thursday’s fixture against England. Bangladesh’s intention was to give their bowling line-up a lift after they had failed to defend 341 against Pakistan on Saturday.Rohit Sharma, who last played for his country in October 2016, opened alongside Shikhar Dhawan. He, however, lasted only three balls before dragging a short and wide ball from Rubel Hossain onto his stumps. At the other end, Mustafizur Rahman troubled Dhawan outside the off stump, before inducing a loose shot from Ajinkya Rahane – pushed down to No. 3 on Tuesday – and disturbing his stumps via the inside edge.Dinesh Karthik, streaky throughout his nine-ball duck in the previous warm-up game against New Zealand, started tentatively again before finding his timing. He strung together a 100-run stand for the third wicket with Dhawan. The stand, though, ended when the opener played one shot too many against left-arm spinner Sunzamul Islam, hoicking him straight to midwicket after hitting 10 runs off the first three balls of the 23rd over.Karthik, dropped on 29, brought up his fifty in the 26th over, before shifting gears, getting his next 43 runs off only 26 balls. Karthik had to retire six short of a hundred, having staked his claim for a middle-order spot in India’s XI. Yuvraj Singh, who missed the previous warm-up match because of viral fever, did not bat in this game, but the lower-middle order fired.Kedar Jadhav, who did not play against New Zealand as well, made 31 off 38 balls at No. 5. Hardik and Ravindra Jadeja then dominated the last 15 overs. Hardik motored along positively, picking the gaps when he couldn’t find the boundaries, eventually showing his ability to finish the innings with four powerful sixes. Jadeja’s stay wasn’t as fluent. Apart from a release shot that flew over long-on, Jadeja struggled to rotate the strike and his 36-ball innings yielded only 32.

The BCB has decided not to continue with Thilan Samaraweera as Bangladesh’s batting consultant

Mohammad Isam20-Jul-2017The BCB will not extend Thilan Samaraweera’s contract as Bangladesh’s batting consultant beyond the Champions Trophy, the board’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury has said. Samaraweera was appointed in September last year and was given an extension till the Champions Trophy this year, but the board decided not to continue with him any more.”We had a contract with him till the Champions Trophy, so now we have parted ways,” Chowdhury told ESPNcricinfo.The BCB is already looking for a new batting consultant, and among the names being discussed is former Australian first-class cricketer and coach Mark O’Neill. They could also be looking for a new physio if the incumbent Thihan Chandramohan does not report back to duty soon. According to Chowdhury, Chandramohan met with an accident earlier this month, causing him to miss the start of the training camp on July 10.”We have been communicated that he (Thihan Chandramohan) was in an accident so it was impossible for him to join the training camp,” Chowdhury said. “He is in hospital so we will wait for the appropriate time for him to join. We will have to look for a new physio only when he informs us whether he is unable to join the team.”Chandramohan had joined the Bangladesh team during the Sri Lanka tour before his stint was extended till the Champions Trophy in June.

Birmingham’s unsung duo Colin de Grandhomme and Grant Elliott made the difference against Derbyshire at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network23-Jul-2017
Colin de Grandhomme was in destructive mood [file picture]•BCCI

Birmingham Bears stars Colin de Grandhomme and Grant Elliott produced fine displays to beat the Derbyshire Falcons by 20 runs in an entertaining NatWest Blast match at Edgbaston.De Grandhomme went into the tournament with the reputation as holder of the fastest scoring rate in Twenty20 and finally he made someone suffer.Having been invited to bat, Birmingham got off to an excellent start in the Powerplay overs at 49 for 0, with Ed Pollack hitting two huge sixes off Hardus Viljoen and Derbyshire’s overseas player Imran Tahir.Debutant Pollack brought up his 50 off just 31 balls as the Bears threatened to cut loose, and he made it a century partnership with fellow opener Sam Hain in the 12th over of the match.The partnership was broken just two balls later as Wayne Madsen continued to take wickets in the competition, having Hain caught by Tahir at short third-man for 34. The wicket saw New Zealand international De Grandhomme promoted to No 3 in the order.Pollack eventually fell to a smart catch by Matt Henry off Viljoen for an explosive 66 off 40 balls as the Falcons hoped to get a grip on the game and drag back the run-rate.De Grandhomme took on the role of enforcer while new man at the crease Ian Bell anchored proceedings before losing his wicket thanks to a stunning one-handed catch from Henry at deep long-on.That failed to slow down De Grandhomme, however, as he raced to his half-century off just 22 balls, finishing the innings in style along with Ireland captain William Porterfield, who was run out off the last ball for 20.De Grandhomme finished unbeaten on 65, with the Bears reaching 197 for 4 in their 20 overs.The Falcons’ reply began with the early loss of skipper Billy Godleman caught behind by Alex Mellor off Keith Barker, but Matt Critchley and Luis Reece launched a brief counter-attack for the Falcons.Critchley’s bright innings was brought to an end on 17 when Barker’s low full toss was miscued to De Grandhomme at cover, to earn the left-arm seamer his second wicket of the afternoon. At the end of the Powerplay, Derbyshire were ahead of the Bears on 59 for two.Madsen – the leading run-scorer in the T20 Blast this season – soon entered the fray and began to build with Reese, as the Falcons floated around the required run-rate.Wickets were the key component for both sides, and it was the Bears that continued to chip away as Patel bowled Reece, before Falcons captain Gary Wilson was tamely caught at short third-man off Elliott as Birmingham
turned the screw.The loss of Madsen for 16, caught by Hain running in from deep cover off Elliott, dealt a huge blow to the Falcons, and it looked desperate once Alex Hughes went for 25, caught behind off the glove.With the run-rate increasing, the comical run-out of Calum Brodrick by Hain effectively ended the Falcons’ chase and there was a fourth wicket for former New Zealand international Elliott as his fellow countryman Henry holed out at deep midwicket.Barker got his third wicket of the game, bowling Viljoen around his legs as the Falcons finished on 177 for 9 to lose by 20 runs.