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PCB chairman Najam Sethi revealed at the PSL draft in Lahore, that they have “made a commitment” to hold it in Karachi

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2017Karachi is in line to host the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final next year in what would be the city’s highest-profile game in nearly a decade. PCB chairman Najam Sethi revealed at the league’s draft in Lahore, that they have “made a commitment” to hold it in Karachi. If it does happen, it would be the second year in a row the final of the league is held in Pakistan – the second season final was held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in March this year.”We have made a commitment to try our best to have it in Karachi,” Sethi said. If that sounds a little less than a firm commitment, it is mostly because the National Stadium in Karachi, one of Pakistan’s oldest and most established venues, is currently undergoing extensive renovation work that has been direly needed for some time now.There has been talk that the stadium may not be ready in time, though Sethi felt reasonably confident. “As we speak, the National Logistics Cell (a government body involved in the renovation) is working overtime,” Sethi said. “I talked to the [official] in charge and he has promised me that he will get Karachi stadium ready to host the final in March.”According to a report in , the PCB has allocated a budget of PKR 1.5 billion for the work. The roofs of several stands have already been removed and the work is to be completed within a year. The newspaper quoted the project manager NLC engineering, Mohammad Sohaib: “We are determined and eager to complete the task of the first phase within the allocated time.”The National Stadium hasn’t hosted an international match since the first Test of that ill-fated series against Sri Lanka in February-March 2009. The last time the venue hosted a major international event was the Asia Cup of 2008, when India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan played their games at the stadium – it has hosted more Tests than any other venue in Pakistan and was long seen as a Pakistan fortress.Though the Sri Lankan team was attacked in Lahore, Karachi’s reputation for violence and general instability as an unwieldy mega-city, has meant there has been little realistic talk of it hosting a major game until this year. Gaddafi Stadium has hosted all of Pakistan’s major games since the attack, most recently a three-match T20I series against a World XI and a T20 against Sri Lanka.But the PCB has upped efforts this year to move out of only Lahore as a venue in its efforts to bring more international cricket back to the country. Last month, Reg Dickason, the security expert who advises the ICC and works with FICA and whose firm played a crucial role in the World XI series, visited Karachi and met with senior security and government officials, a preliminary but important step.Talk this year has been of hosting more than one PSL game in the port city but that, for the moment, seems unlikely. In addition, it is believed the PSL is hoping to stage two playoff games in Lahore as well.In the last season, though the final went off without major incident, all of Quetta Gladiators’ first-choice foreign players refused to travel, while Peshawar Zalmi’s did – albeit for extra one-off payments. That spoiled the competitiveness of the final somewhat but it did eventually pave the way for the World XI series to take place. Next March, the PCB is also aiming to host West Indies for a three-match T20 series, one which was meant to be held this month.

Dhaka Dynamites assured themselves an extra shot at making the BPL final, after their 43-run win over Rangpur Riders gave them a second-place finish

The Report by Mohammad Isam06-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBCB

Dhaka Dynamites assured themselves an extra shot at making the BPL final, after their 43-run win over Rangpur Riders gave them a second-place finish. Dhaka will face table-toppers Comilla Victorians in the first Qualifier on December 8.Shakib Al Hasan’s experience came to the fore as he first lifted Dhaka from the depths of 48 for 5 with 47 off 33 balls as Dhaka finished on 137 for 7. He then took two wickets that helped stifle Rangpur to 94 for 7 in 20 overs. Rangpur finished fourth, and will take on Khulna Titans in the Eliminator.Dhaka take a free-fallRubel Hossain bounced out Sunil Narine with his first ball when Narine fended meekly into the hands of short fine leg. Joe Denly survived a stumping chance on 2, but couldn’t capitalise as Samuel Badree, playing his first match, got Denly to hole out to long-on. Another short ball, this time from Ebadot Hossain, accounted for Jahurul Islam, who top-edged to first slip.Mosaddek Hossain and Evin Lewis exited in successive overs as Dhaka were brought down to 49 for 5 at the halfway stage.Shakib to the rescueMehedi Maruf and Shakib began Dhaka’s recovery with a 55-run stand for the sixth wicket. Mehedi made 33 off 23 balls with three fours and a six. It complemented Shakib’s 33-ball 47 that had two fours and as many sixes as Dhaka blitzed 76 runs in the last seven overs. Rubel and Ebadot took two wickets each while Badree, Nahidul and Razzak got one each.Rangpur’s experiment crashesRangpur made as many as seven changes to their XI. And they struggled to piece it all together. Jonathan Charles stood at the non-striker’s end and watched as Adam Lyth, Brendon McCullum and Shahriar Nafees fell cheaply. Charles was trapped lbw by Abu Hider. He had been Rangpur’s only set batsman then, having made 26 off 30 balls. To his and Rangpur’s further misfortune, replays later showed that Charles had got an inside edge. Mohammad Mithun fell two balls later, pinged on the pad by Shakib in front of middle. At the halfway stage, there was little to separate the two sides; Dhaka had made 49 for 5 and Rangpur managed 42 for 5.Ravi Bopara top-scored with 28, but took 30 balls as Dhaka refused to ease their stranglehold on their opponents. Shakib and Hider took two wickets each, while Mosaddek, Narine and Amir took one each.

Following Division Five in Jersey, teams have had to navigate through Division Four in Los Angeles and Division Three in Uganda. Now, another hurdle in Namibia in their bid for a World-Cup spot

Peter Della Penna in Windhoek07-Feb-2018The Kenya players enjoy a celebratory jig after their 42-run win•ICC/Donald MacLeod

Kenya

Some of the east African side’s results in the WCL Championship – wins over Hong Kong and tournament champion Netherlands – show they are more than capable of being a strong competitor should they advance to Zimbabwe. However, they are playing in Division Two because of their wild inconsistency.The biggest positive for Kenya is that they swept both matches in Namibia during the WCL Championship, giving them a leg up with their experience in local conditions. Captain Rakep Patel, Collins Obuya and Irfan Karim all scored more than 300 runs in the WCL Championship and are expected to have strong tournaments on the traditionally high-scoring pitches of Windhoek.

UAE

The only side with ODI status in this event, UAE are under heavy pressure to make it to Zimbabwe, failing which they lose their ODI status until 2022 at the earliest. UAE struggled early in the WCL Championship trying to recover from the retirement of Khurram Khan, but found their feet midway through the competition and finished by winning four of their final six matches, including a series split in Namibia, a win over Papua New Guinea and a sweep of Nepal in Abu Dhabi. Most recently, they knocked off a target of 300 against Scotland to pull off their highest successful ODI chase.Shaiman Anwar did the bulk of UAE’s scoring for much of the WCL Championship, finishing sixth overall with 431 runs. Adnan Mufti and Ghulam Shabber lightened the burden by coming through with big scores in the most-recent series against Nepal while Rameez Shahzad propelled the record chase against Scotland with his maiden ODI ton. A balanced bowling unit, featuring the opening pace pair of Mohammad Naveed and Zahoor Khan, makes up for the absence of Amjad Javed. The spin combo of legspinner Imran Haider, left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza and captain Rohan Mustafa completes the tournament’s most balanced attack.Sharad Vesawkar and Gyanendra Malla get together•Kaushal Adhikari

Nepal

After scoring two wins at the 2014 World T20 against Afghanistan and Hong Kong, Nepal has struggled to stay afloat in the top tier of Associate cricket. Of their opponents in this event, they can take consolation from the fact that they swept Namibia for half of their four wins in the WCL Championship, though that series win was achieved in Kathmandu. They also have positive memories of the last time they were in Namibia at WCL Division Two in 2015, when they secured a spot in the WCL Championship despite a last-day stumble.While the captain and vice-captain duo of Paras Khadka and Gyanendra Malla often get most of the plaudits for their batting acumen, middle-order finisher Sharad Vesawkar actually led the team in runs during the WCL Championship, with 415 runs at an average of 51.87. On the bowling side, spin has been Nepal’s strength over the years with the left-arm tandem of Basant Regmi and Shakti Gauchan. However, most of the attention at Division Two will be on teenage legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who garnered global attention last month after being taken by Delhi Daredevils at the IPL auction.

Namibia

The tournament hosts only managed to win three out of 14 games in the WCL Championship, but two of those – over Hong Kong and Scotland – had a significant impact on the final standings at the top of the table. In particular, the win in Edinburgh showcased what Namibia are capable of when operating at full strength. A rare appearance from Otago allrounder Christi Viljoen severely dented Scotland’s hopes of chasing Netherlands down for the title.Viljoen is back again for this tournament in an effort boost Namibia’s seam bowling and middle-order batting. Stephan Baard offers an explosive weapon at the top of the order while Gerhard Erasmus’ coming-of-age against Netherlands in the final round of the WCL Championship – a fluent 52 and 81 in both innings against the champion Dutch side – shows Namibia’s batting nucleus may be hitting form at just the right time.Oman celebrate after being crowned tournament champions•Peter Della Penna

Oman

Oman is attempting to follow in the footsteps of Afghanistan’s rapid ascent up the Associate ladder that began in Jersey at the 2008 WCL Division Five, by taking an identical journey to the World Cup Qualifiers. Oman secured three consecutive promotions beginning in Jersey in 2015 with a myriad of contributors along the way.In Jersey, it was Zeeshan Maqsood’s explosive batting paired with the swing bowling duo of Rajeshkumar Ranpura and Munis Ansari that took them forward. In Los Angeles, legspinning allrounder Khawar Ali’s Player-of-the-Tournament performance, including 74 and a five-wicket haul in a do-or-die showdown with Denmark, secured another promotion. At Division Three in Uganda, Khawar continued his impact with the ball but it was a host of characters led by Aqib Ilyas with the bat and left-arm swing bowler Bilal Khan who rallied them to the title.Entering Division Two, Ranpura and Ansari have faded out of the squad, but the ICC’s revised eligibility guidelines – which allow players to represent a country after just three years of residency – have opened the doors to two key allrounders: former Sialkot player Ahmed Fayyaz and former Saurashtra player Jayesh Odedra. The lifting of the ICC’s other stipulation, a maximum of two four-year residents in a starting XI, has also allowed for the recall of tall medium pacer Kaleemullah, who troubled batsman with his height and bounce last year at the Desert T20 Challenge. The trio may provide Oman with yet more difference-makers in an attempt to vault into the World Cup qualifiers.

Canada

Much like Netherlands and Kenya, Canada is an Associate that may have once taken a place in the World Cup for granted, having qualified four times including thrice from 2003 to 2011. But Canada not only failed to qualify for the 2015 event but lost ODI status through a poor performance at the 2014 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. However, unlike Kenya and the Dutch, who rebounded at 2015 WCL Division Two to earn a place in the WCL Championship, Canada’s bottom-two finish three years ago dropped them back to Division Three.It took Canada more than two years for the opportunity to climb back up, but they’ve produced a triumphant display in Uganda, propelled by the electric batting and canny medium pace of Rizwan Cheema, who was also named the Player of the Tournament. Teenage opening batsman Bhavindu Adhihetty played a strong support role, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer with 222 runs. Adhihetty’s value to the senior side is such that he stayed away from the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand – having previously captained Canada Under-19 to victory in the Americas Regional Qualifier – so that he could be with the seniors on their Division Three warm-up tour in South Africa.Like Oman, Canada have – for the moment – moved on from someone who helped get them to this point with Cheema not included in the Namibian touring squad. Yet like Oman, they are bolstered by reinforcements that give them an excellent chance of advancing. The recalled top-order duo of Ruvindu Gunasekera, who has spent most of the last two Canadian winters playing first-class cricket in Sri Lanka, and Srimantha Wijeratne provide a fire-and-ice combo that bridges the gap up to captain Nitish Kumar’s class in the middle order.

The allrounder believes South Africa have overcome the problems against wristspin that haunted them through the ODI series

Firdose Moonda23-Feb-2018It has taken South Africa a while but they have finally figured out why they were in such a spin against India in the ODI series, and they’ve managed to avoid falling into the same trap in the T20s.Across the six ODIs, South Africa lost 33 wickets to Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, but with Kuldeep injured for the first two T20s, Chahal has only claimed one wicket and has conceded 103 runs.Farhaan Behardien, Chahal’s lone victim in the T20s, explained South Africa were mostly undone by the lack of pace from the Indian pair, rather than their variations. “We struggled against Kuldeep but he was in form, he took his chances, and we gave some soft wickets away. I’m not sure if we struggled to pick him. His pace has been good,” Behardien said. “He has bowled a bit slower. Not too many bowlers in our country bowl that slowly. Normally, when we play on the Highveld, where wickets are quite good, you bowl at quite a flatter pace with not a lot of revs on the ball.”Behardien’s assessment may sound contrary to JP Duminy’s, who said after the Cape Town ODI that South Africa were not picking the wrong ‘uns. Behardien admitted that Kuldeep in that game was more difficult to pick than usual. “When Kuldeep was bowling here from the Wynberg End and with the sun setting over the mountain, if you are picking it out of the hand, you can’t see the seam because of the glare,” Behardien said. “In that particular game it became a bit tough.”The deciding T20I will be played in similar conditions, with the Cape Town sun setting after 7pm, towards the end of the first innings. So if Kuldeep plays, South Africa will need be mindful of that. But in less harsh light, they are confident they know what to expect from Kuldeep. “He shows you a scrambled seam when he bowls his googly and when he bowls legspin, he bowls seam up,” Behardien said. “That’s some of the hints we have taken from video footage, from watching the games and taking to the batsmen that have played against him fairly well.”The fourth ODI at the Wanderers, which was interrupted by rain, was an example of South Africa’s ability to take on spinners. While Kuldeep still accounted for Hashim Amla and Duminy, the others, notably David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen and Andile Phehlukwayo, managed to attack him and his six overs cost 51 runs. Chahal was even more expensive in that match, bowling 5.3 overs for 68 runs, and his generosity has extended into the T20s. In Johannesburg, Chahal’s return was 1 for 39 in four overs; at Centurion it was 0 for 64.Klaasen was particularly impressive in taking Chahal on, so much so that he has made a case to play alongside, rather than in place of, Quinton de Kock, when South Africa’s No. 1 keeper returns. Behardien, a franchise team-mate of Klaasen’s, admitted he would not be surprised if both Klaasen and de Kock feature in the future and expects Klaasen to be a part of the national squad’s plans. “He has floated around that (Titans) middle order in and amongst some experienced players for the last three years so he has built up his character and his game,” Behardien said.”Mark Boucher (Titans’ coach) has had an influence on the way I play and the way he plays and the way we train and it’s no surprise that he has stepped up. He is a very hard character, he is a competitor, he wants to be on the stage and he wants to play for a long time. That’s the way he is. He is a competitor. He has a similar competitiveness to guys like AB and Faf, guys who want to be in the fight and who wants to pick a fight with the opposition. He is not scared of that.”That bullishness is the one quality Behardien believes sets South Africa’s younger crop apart from their seniors. The likes of Junior Dala and Reeza Hendricks have breathed new life into a squad that seemed spent after the ODIs. “We are a fairly young side but a lot of the guys are playing fearless cricket,” Behardien said. “We don’t carry that baggage from the one-day series.”South Africa have often denied being haunted by ghosts of losses past and have often been shown up as incorrect. They are a team over which these things linger. So it’s refreshing to hear their new approach to exorcising demons ahead of the major competition they are planning for – next year’s World Cup – and it involves calling things by tournament-style names. “Tomorrow is a big game,” Behardien said. “It’s a final and a chance to win a series against a really strong side.”A final.South Africa have never reached a World Cup final or even a World T20 final but maybe the sooner they start seeing finals as just another game, the sooner they get to one.

De Villiers had missed the first three matches with a finger injury he sustained during the Wanderers Test

Firdose Moonda08-Feb-2018AB de Villiers has been added to South Africa’s ODI squad for the remaining three matches against India, but a call on his availability for the pink match on Saturday at the Wanderers will only be taken at Friday’s practice. De Villiers missed the first three matches with a finger injury he sustained during the Wanderers Test.At that stage, de Villiers was the only big name with a niggle but South Africa have since lost two others, and all three matches. Faf du Plessis and Quinton de Kock were ruled out of the ODIs and T20s with a broken finger and wrist injury respectively. In du Plessis’ absence, Aiden Markram was named captain and Heinrich Klaasen replaced de Kock behind the stumps. Though de Villiers has both led and kept wicket in the past, he will not do either this time and will instead just boost the batting.South Africa have been ravaged by India’s wristspinners, who have taken 21 of the 27 wickets the Indian bowlers have taken so far and JP Duminy admitted after the third ODI that the line-up was not able to pick their deliveries, especially the googlies. De Villiers is one of South Africa’s best players of spin and Duminy described the prospect of his return as a “massive boost.”If de Villiers plays, he is likely to slot in at No. 3 or 4 which will push Duminy down the order and allow South Africa to dispense with one of David Miller or Khaya Zondo. Both could miss out if Farhaan Behardien, who was added to the squad when du Plessis was injured, is included in the starting XI.South Africa must win at the Wanderers to avoid losing the series and history is on their side. The match will be played in pink, as a part of a campaign for breast cancer awareness, and is the sixth of its kind, and South Africa have never lost in that colour. De Villiers has performed particularly well in pink, and scored the fastest hundred in ODI history at the Wanderers against West Indies three years ago.ODI squad: Aiden Markram (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Khaya Zondo, Farhaan Behardien, Heinrich Klaasen (wk).

Asif Ali’s three successive sixes off Hasan Ali in the 16th over tilts the scales in Islamabad’s favour after a sensational middle-order collapse

The Report by Danyal Rasool25-Mar-2018Islamabad United 154 for 7 (Ronchi 52, Farhan 44, Asif 26) beat Peshawar Zalmi 148 for 9 (Jordan 36, Dawson 33, Shadab 3-25)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellLuke Ronchi v Kamran Akmal was billed as the deciding mini match-up in the PSL final. Kamran failed, but Ronchi continued showing the dazzling form that will be the trademark of this year’s PSL. His 26-ball 52 helping Islamabad United steer ahead and then overcome a proper collapse to their second title in three years.Islamabad looked like romping home when Ronchi and Sahibzada Farhan put on 96 for the opening partnership in under nine overs, in chase of 155. But an extraordinary collapse resulted in them losing six for 20. All of a sudden, scoring a run became a gigantic task.Then, a moment that will live in Kamran’s memory as a bitter rejoinder to a memorable PSL came when Asif Ali attempted an audacious – and immeasurably daft – pull shot off Umaid Asif with Islamabad needing 30 off 33 balls. Kamran raced almost towards fine leg in a desperate attempt to snare a catch he would have done better leaving to the outfielder. He misjudged it and let it through his gloves. Then Sameen Gul picked up the ball and threw it at the stumps, only to miss and concede four overthrows.That sudden reprieve and the six runs to boot, released the tension in the warm Karachi air, and Peshawar were suddenly deflated again. Asif Ali smashed three sixes on the trot off Hasan Ali, while Faheem Ashraf hooked Wahab Riaz for six with just one required. Eventually Islamabad completed a win that – but for a chaotic 31 balls – had never appeared in any doubt.Peshawar had, in truth, not played their best game. Perhaps a little jaded after winning four do-or-die encounters on the trot, they came out not looking quite as sharp as they needed to be. The in-form Kamran was out lbw for 1 off 8, with Samit Patel inflicting the early damage. It required a gritty fourth-wicket fifty-partnership between Chris Jordan and Liam Dawson to ensure Daren Sammy’s men weren’t blown away. Even so, Shadab Khan, who bowled better than he has in an otherwise slightly off-colour tournament, took three wickets to set Peshawar back once more, and the 148 they mustered owed a massive debt to a priceless cameo from Wahab, who whacked 28 off 14 to take his side to a total that was enough in last year’s PSL final.Where the match was wonRonchi’s consistency has made him a potent asset for Islamabad, far more than they could have imagined at the draft – no matter how well-researched the signing was. He broke the back of a modest target very early on, smashing five sixes in the first five overs as he stormed to 45 off just 15 balls. For a while, the game looked like a replica of the one Islamabad played last week against Karachi to qualify for the final, when Ronchi and Farhan – who played his own part with 44 off 33 balls – took Islamabad to 97 at over 11 runs per over. His timing off world-class bowlers, and the confidence he has shown in backing himself against them, has been one of the surprises of this tournament, and he had one final attack in him to sting Peshawar in Karachi.The men that won it
After a breakout season in last year’s PSL and a fairytale beginning to his Pakistan career, Shadab Khan has had an indifferent PSL this time around. He hasn’t had the best luck, but consistency has been missing from his game, with his varieties not quite as well disguised as they can be. He’s cut a frustrated figure with the bowl at times, but on the biggest domestic stage of all, the legspinner – still only 19, lest we forget – rose to the occasion.He got rid of Andre Fletcher just as the West Indian began to look menacing, with a variation doing the trick, a quicker ball darting into his pads to trap him in front. At the death, he ripped the heart out of Peshawar’s powerful lower middle order, bowling Sammy a beautiful googly that trapped him as plum in front as could be. The very next ball Umaid Asif was on his way, also lbw, as Shadab’s focus on hitting the stumps brought him rich rewards. Ronchi and co. would be thanking him for needing to chase significantly fewer runs than they might otherwise have required.

Essex supporters watched the two standout performers of last season’s title-winning team go about their work under an unseasonable April sun

Alan Gardner at Chelmsford20-Apr-2018
ScorecardIt might be stretching it a bit to suggest the Championship offers a rudder to steer us in these times of change, but in some cases familiarity does breed content. That was certainly the case for those Essex supporters watching the two standout performers of last season’s title-winning team go about their business under an unseasonable April sun. Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer were back in harness, following 147 wickets between them in 2017, and keeping the champions in contention.For a while, it was all threatening to go Pete Tong, as they say in these parts. Essex required some biffing from their No. 10, Australia international Peter Siddle, to reach 150 – hardly the most intimidating of opening batting efforts for the season (having been denied any on-pitch action in the first round at Headingley) but reminiscent of the 159 they managed on the first day against the same opponents last year. And we all know how that turned out.They then went to work with the ball, Porter finding the thudding stride that took him to within a back injury of a Test call-up over the winter. Lancashire’s top three – Keaton Jennings, Haseeb Hameed and Alex Davies, all England prospects – fell in an opening burst of 3 for 11, and he returned to remove Shiv Chanderpaul later in the evening session, as Lancashire stuttered to 109 for 7 before Jordan Clark kept them in with a sniff of a first-innings lead.Andy Flower, coach of the England Lions, was in town to give feedback on the likes of Jennings, Hameed and Essex’s Dan Lawrence, after their involvement in the winter tour of the Caribbean. That Lions series against West Indies A showed up the batsmen’s shortcomings against spin but, if Flower had hoped to watch one of his charges bat through a session in more familiar conditions, he was to be disappointed.Seam had done the trick for Lancashire, but Essex did not wait too long to introduce Harmer: Liam Livingstone, the unused batsman in England’s most recent Test squad, was taken at short leg for an attractive 33 in the 18th over, Harmer’s first – though Livingstone seemed unhappy with the decision. Dane Vilas fell in identical fashion, to similar disgruntlement, as Harmer and Porter – Essex’s HP sauce – threatened to mop up.The topic up and down the country may have been 100-ball cricket, the ECB’s latest grow-the-game wheeze, but the patrons at Chelmsford were concerned only with the old verities. There was humbug to be found, but only in small amounts, as fans returned to what we are bound to refer to as the home of the champions for a while yet, eager to drink in the sunshine and see Essex in Championship action for the first time in 2018.There were queues at the gates ahead of their 10am opening, the Tom Pearce Stand was brimming and – an important ritual, this – the first shirtless patrons of the summer were visible by early afternoon. Not too much had changed over the winter around one of the circuit’s cosiest grounds, but the Division One winners’ pennant hung (somewhat limply) by the pavilion and you can now find such delicacies as bratwurst on the lunch menu.On the field, the white-clad players went about their business, moving back and forth in the timeless manner described in Joseph O’Neill’s , “a repetition of pulmonary rhythm, as if the field breathed through its luminous visitors”.The cricket was somewhat less poetic. Until Siddle brought some fast-bowler’s grunt, whacking sixes down the ground in each direction, Essex’s innings had taken on a bronchial quality, puffing along as wickets fell. Having introduced himself, Essex’s overseas debutant was then engaged by a member of the crowd down at fine leg in a jovial discussion about whether the pugnacious Siddle had ever considered being a boxer.The fighting was one-sided to start with, although Essex might have felt they had denied Lancashire the initiative by reaching 38 for 1 after the first hour. But Nick Browne, having pilfered 23 from 54 balls, received an excellent bail-trimming delivery from Joe Mennie, Lancashire’s Australian pace bowler, coming round the wicket, and batsmen came and went thereafter.The Lancashire attack, now led by Graham Onions – still an insistent, angular menace at 35 – found their range on a pitch that was perhaps a bit soft, with Lawrence the recipient of a particularly good ball from Clark that turned him around like a nightclub doorman. Tom Westley brought coos with one straight drive but fenced to slip, while Ravi Bopara and James Foster were both lured into prods outside off, and Ryan ten Doeschate was adjudged lbw as Mennie brought the ball back in. Essex’s batsmen dragged themselves off but, not for the first time, Porter and Harmer dragged them back into it.

After dismissing the reigning champions for 206 to lead by 174 runs on first innings, Notts decided against enforcing the follow-on

ECB Reporters Network21-Jun-20181:44

Surrey’s Patel reignites the title race

ScorecardA dominant performance with bat and ball over two days carried Nottinghamshire into a strong position to end a run of back-to-back Specsavers County Championship defeats and leapfrog opponents Essex in the table.However, after dismissing the reigning champions for 206 to lead by 174 runs on first innings, Notts decided against enforcing the follow-on. By the close at Chelmsford, their advantage had been extended to 209 in 12 overs in the evening sun, though they lost captain Chris Nash to a catch behind from a tentative prod to Matt Quinn.Matt Carter, the 22-year-old offspin bowler, spun the web that led to Essex’s downfall inside two sessions with 4 for 34 from 15.3 overs. He kept his nerve when he briefly came under heavy artillery from Ravi Bopara, who stood head and shoulders above the carnage before becoming Carter’s second victim.Bopara recorded his second Championship half-century of the season, finishing on 69 from 89 balls, with nine fours and one six. Without his efforts Essex would not have come within 25 of the follow-on target as he led the relative recovery from 26 for 3.It started badly for Essex in their response to Notts’ 380. Varun Chopra scratched around for 21 balls before he played across the line to depart lbw for a duck, the first of Luke Fletcher’s 4 for 43. Tom Westley, standing in as captain in the absence of the suspended Ryan ten Doeschate, followed straight after lunch, pinned on his crease by Matt Milnes.Dan Lawrence had looked uncomfortable during his 18-ball stay for a single before he aimed to play through midwicket, but produced a leading edge to Chris Nash at gully.Alastair Cook and Bopara repaired some of the damage in a fourth-wicket stand of 54 in 18 overs. Bopara outscored his partner by more than two to one, caressing Fletcher through extra cover for four and adding a straight boundary in the same over. After gloriously square-cutting Harry Gurney for his sixth four, Cook edged the one-time England bowler to second slip where the ubiquitous Carter took the catch at the second attempt. Cook’s 33 came off 93 balls.Bopara reached his half-century when he pushed a quick single to mid-off from his 69th ball. That, though, was the prelude to three wickets going down in 15 balls either side of tea. Adam Wheater had looked untroubled in crafting 24 from 31 balls before edging a straight lifter and giving Tom Moores a catch behind the stnmps.Harmer went to the last ball before tea, lbw to Carter without scoring, at which point Essex were still 106 adrift of the follow-on target with four wickets left. That was three wickets left when Coles was lbw to a delivery from Fletcher that beat his defensive push.At 130 for 7, Bopara decided to put caution to the wind and lofted Carter for six in an over that went for 15. It dented the spinner’s figures, which had stood at 7-5-5-1 at its start. But Carter had the last laugh, Bopara taking a wild swing and getting a bottom edge and dragging the ball on to the stumps, via a pad.Neil Wagner picked up Bopara’s mantle, taking 21 from a Gurney over, including sixes off successive balls, and added a third off Carter before top-edging to Fletcher at point. His 37 came off just 23 balls, and also contained four fours. However, it was left to Quinn to bring up an unexpected batting point for passing 200 with a lofted four off Patel before he was caught at deep midwicket.At the start of the day, the last four Notts wickets added 69 crucial runs before Harmer closed the innings with his fourth wicket at a personal cost of 78.Notts lost Moores to the third ball of the day when Jamie Porter had him caught behind for his overnight 28. Harmer claimed his third victim when Carter swung him towards the cow corner boundary where Wagner took a comfortable catch.But the Notts tail made hay against some off-key bowling and chalked up their fourth batting point with five balls to spare. Fletcher launched a six next ball to celebrate and then kept out the rest of Harmer’s over to deny Essex a third bowling point.Fletcher frustrated Essex for 50 balls for his 19. He was spilled to a difficult chance at backward point by a diving Chopra, but next ball spooned Wagner to Coles at mid-on. Milnes was the last man to depart for 22, a carbon-copy of Carter’s dismissal.

Durham put forward a resilient response to Warwickshire’s total of 424 leaving their Specsavers County Championship Division Two contest in the balance after day two

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-20181:34

Surrey hit with five-run penalty

ScorecardDurham put forward a resilient response to Warwickshire’s total of 424 leaving their Specsavers County Championship Division Two contest in the balance after day two at Emirates Riverside.Jonathan Trott continued his fine form from the opening day to remain unbeaten on 170 as the visitors were able to record an imposing score, with Matt Salisbury and Chris Rushworth both notching four wickets. Durham were solid in their reply as Tom Latham and Cameron Steel put on 96 for the first wicket. Oliver Hannon-Dalby struck twice, but Steel and Graham Clark were unbeaten as the home side closed on 138 for 2.The visitors started the day three runs shy of the 300-run mark, with Trott and Keith Barker unbeaten at the crease. Barker guided his side past 300, but he fell for 27 edging a delivery from Salisbury through to Ryan Davies. Rushworth made the next breakthrough for the home side as he clipped Jeetan Patel’s off-stump bail to send the Warwickshire skipper back to the pavilion.Trott continued to frustrate the Durham attack, meandering his way to his 150 off 261 deliveries before the end of the first session. Chris Wright fell to Gareth Harte before his side passed 400, and although Trott remained stoic at the crease unbeaten on 170, Warwickshire were all out for 424 as Rushworth and Nathan Rimmington picked up the final two wickets.Durham needed a strong response from their openers, which had not been forthcoming in the Championship this term. However, Steel and Latham were able to see off the threat of the new ball from Wright and Barker. Patel almost removed Steel with a leg-side delivery, which almost saw the opener stumped by Tim Ambrose.The duo were forced to battle for their runs, reaching their fifty partnership in the 21st over before the second interval of the day. Latham survived a good lbw shout from Sidebottom on 34 against a delivery that nipped back. The New Zealander held his composure to reach his second fifty of the season in the County Championship, taking 120 balls to reach the milestone.Warwickshire made the breakthrough as the openers approached their century stand. Hannon-Dalby found the edge of Latham’s bat, allowing Ambrose to claim the catch behind. Will Smith followed him back to the pavilion suffering the same fate as his team-mate after scoring only 2.Steel and Clark were forced into a defensive stance towards the end of the day as runs were hard to come by. Steel joined Latham in making fifty, highlighting his patience by taking 158 balls to reach the milestone. Durham remained only two wickets down at stumps, although still 286 runs behind Warwickshire’s first-innings total.

The South Africa coach put down the team’s twin collapses in the opening Test to rustiness from a lack of Test cricket, and wanted them to switch into the long-format mode

Firdose Moonda16-Jul-2018South Africa batting coach Dale Benkenstein put his team’s struggles against spin down to their mental make-up after their twin collapses in the first Test in Galle. South Africa were routed 126 and 73 – their two lowest totals in Sri Lanka, and lowest since readmission – and Benkenstein said the poor performance arose from a lack of match practice and, chiefly, an absence of mental toughness on their first tour since early April.”It’s not the standard we want. Technically, you have to face the spinning ball and there’s a few things that you have to adjust to. But 90% of it is being tough mentally, being used to the ball missing the bat or spinning past the bat,” Benkenstein said. “When you’ve had a lot of Test cricket, you are toughened for Test pressures, and I think the guys were low on that as well.”South Africa came into the Test off a three-month off-season, and though some of their players were involved in the IPL during that period, and a few others in the county circuit, the rustiness from a lack of Test cricket showed. Benkenstein admitted that not even intense training at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria helped in shaking off the cobwebs. “We did some pretty good preparation before [the series], but in our conditions. We were trying to simulate the conditions here. We hit quite a lot of balls, but we haven’t had a lot of competition,” Benkenstein said.That competition arrived in Galle, and it turned out to be one in which South Africa lost heavily. But on the upside, it has given them two extra days in preparation for the next Test, and Benkenstein wasn’t necessarily looking at utilizing that time in the nets. “I don’t believe practises are going to make a huge amount of difference. Mentally, we’ve got to remind ourselves we are back in Test cricket again. It’s tough.”Tougher because South Africa’s best player of spin, Hashim Amla, is enduring a lean passage – he averages 25.87 from eight Tests this year, and the only player as adept as him, AB de Villiers, has retired. While de Villiers has been away from the South African Test squad before, when he was on sabbatical, he is now permanently out of the picture, and Benkenstein urged the squad to move on. “You don’t replace AB or Jacques Kallis – they are once in a decade, once in the lifetime [players],” Benkenstein said. “We can’t look backwards. A lot of the guys have played with AB and seen how he has gone about his business. We’ve got a task ahead of us now. The guys that are in the room are going to have to pull together.”Interestingly, Benkenstein made no mention of conditions or of what he wanted the batsmen to do to wrap their heads around the spinner-friendly tracks. All he said was that South Africa are close to getting things right, despite what the scorecard might say. “I don’t think we are far off. It’s actually not such a big gap. It seems like a big gap in the end, but it’s not such a big gap.”