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The former Australia captain has revealed that he has been undergoing intense radiotherapy

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2019Former Australia captain-turned-commentator Ian Chappell has revealed he has been undergoing intense radiotherapy after being diagnosed with skin cancer.The 75-year-old Chappell, who played 75 Tests for Australia from 1964 to 1980, said he had completed five weeks of treatment, having cancers removed from his shoulder, neck and underarm. The pathology has come back clear, according to him, and he expects to be fit to commentate during ‘s Ashes coverage in August.”I didn’t tell too many people early on. Mainly because I just wasn’t sure what the radiotherapy would involve and how weary I’d be,” Chappell told .”But as it turned out, it wasn’t so bad. A bit of tiredness at night and a bit of skin irritation, but other than that I’m feeling pretty good. I told family and gradually a couple of my team-mates and I’ve been getting calls from them pretty regularly which is nice.”With the Ashes coming up now, I’ll speak to Nine and just say, ‘look, I’m ready to go if you need me.”Chappell, who made 5345 Test runs at an average of 42.42, also revealed that he enjoyed a family reunion with his brothers Greg and Trevor.”When you hit 70 you feel (vulnerable) anyhow, but I guess I’ve got so used to bloody skin cancers over the years, and the fact that none of them have been melanomas, probably provides a bit of comfort. It may be naivety on my part,” he said. “I’ve had multiple skin cancers cut off, burnt off and every other way you can get rid of them.”When Richie [Benaud] and Tony [Greig] went … again, it was just a reminder that it happens to everybody.”Benaud, who also suffered from skin cancer, died in 2015 after a long battle with the illness, while Greig died in 2012 having battled lung cancer. Both were Chappell’s long-time commentary colleagues.Chappell had reportedly continued to commentate for Macquarie Sports Radio during his radiotherapy, but had stepped back during the World Cup due to late working hours.

Ireland are on a seven-match losing streak against Afghanistan in T20Is going into the three-match series in Dehradun

Peter Della Penna20-Feb-2019Coming into last week’s Oman T20I Quadrangular series, Ireland were winless in their previous five T20Is and had also lost five straight T20Is to the Netherlands. It took a last-ball six by Stuart Poynter in a thrilling one-wicket win to break the latter streak and batsman Andy Balbirnie is hoping Ireland can use that as a turning point to break another lengthy losing streak against Afghanistan.”We would have liked it a bit easier than it was but when you’re a team that haven’t won a lot of games recently in T20 cricket, just to get over the line anyway is a big relief, particularly going into a big series against Afghanistan who are one of the top T20 teams,” Balbirnie told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the T20I series opener.The two sides play the first of three matches in Dehradun on Thursday before subsequent games on Saturday and Sunday. Balbirnie says Ireland showed great resilience against the Dutch, who were 116 for 0 in the 10th over before being held to 182. The win helped Ireland move up one spot in the ICC’s T20I rankings to 17th and for Balbirnie, who top-scored with a career-best 83 off 50 balls, the fight they showed is evidence that they have turned a corner in T20s after recent struggles.”If we play good cricket and compete like we did [against Netherlands] in the field when we were staring down the barrel, we should come out with some good results,” Balbirnie said. “As long as we’re playing good and we’re fighting in the field, we should be okay.”Balbirnie is well aware of the recent history between the two sides though, with Ireland having lost seven straight T20Is to Afghanistan. The last time Ireland beat Afghanistan was in the final of the 2013 T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi when the side posted an Ireland record total of 225 for 7 in a 68-run win.Only three Ireland players remain from the last starting XI that beat Afghanistan: Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien and George Dockrell. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s reversal of fortunes has coincided with the emergence of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, a dual threat that Balbirnie is keenly aware of.”We know what threat Rashid and Mujeeb have and people like [Mohammad] Shahzad in their squad,” Balbirnie said. “So there’s a lot of threats all over the park.”We’ve not been playing great T20 cricket so to go into a series like Afghanistan who have world class players in their side that are playing franchise cricket at every franchise opportunity, playing in their backyard is gonna be a huge ask. In T20 cricket there’s no denying that we’re massive underdogs against them but I think we’ve got a bit of freedom in our squad at the moment. We’ve got some players that can come in and out and do a job. I think we’re gonna enjoy it.”

The Pakistan bowling coach said that the pitch had flattened out and his was a young attack which, admittedly, could have bowled better

Danyal Rasool at the Wanderers13-Jan-2019Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood admitted that his side could have bowled a lot better in the morning, as South Africa set the visitors a colossal 382 to avoid a whitewash in Johannesburg. He also added, however, that the pitch appeared to have flattened out, allowing South Africa a degree of comfort with the bat they had not enjoyed on Saturday.”We could have bowled a lot better today, and there were patches we didn’t bowl well in Centurion and Cape Town as well,” he said. “But as you see, our bowling line-up is very inexperienced, and this is a learning curve for them. Apart from Amir, no one came here before. These are different pitches, different atmosphere, so it’s a learning curve for them.”I think the pitch flattened out a bit. For the last three days, all sides opted for the heavy roller and the pitch flattened out. I think our plan was to get them out for less than 50 or 60 runs today, so we’d have to chase 270 or 280. But credit goes to de Kock and Amla. They played really well. They left the ball well, and when they got opportunities, they hit boundaries. On this ground, there are a lot of boundary options. You don’t get lot of runs by singles, because boundaries can be had on both sides.”South Africa had begun the day still slightly precariously perched at 135 for 5, but 129 from Quinton de Kock, a half-century from Hashim Amla, and contributions from the lower order took South Africa to 304. It was de Kock’s innings however – his first century in two years – that most impressed Azhar.”De Kock is a class act. He’s one of the best players in the world. We know when he’s at the crease he will get runs, because he likes ball on bat. He has the ability to hit good balls for four, and the innings he played was very good.”Pakistan still need 232 runs to win, with seven wickets in hand. The chase, if it were to be completed, would break all sorts of records, but will require the Pakistan batsmen to show a command over South Africa’s all-pace attack that they have not come close to achieving. Mahmood, however, still felt his side were in with a shot, pointing to the sturdy little 48-run partnership brewing between Babar Azam and Asad Shafiq.”We’ve done this before [in Pallekelle in 2015, where Pakistan also chased 382]. Babar and Asad are batting really well. If they bat for a long period of time, we’ve got a really good chance. Like I said in the morning, when you get 50, you have to turn it into 70, and then on to 100. If one of these guys can get a hundred like de Kock did, then I think we’ve got a chance.”Another slight peculiarity of the day was legspinner Shadab Khan, who had enjoyed turn since day one, not being called upon until the 34th over of the day. He sent down just under five overs, but caused the batsmen the greatest discomfort during that time, taking two wickets, including de Kock’s. Azhar admitted he may well have come on earlier, but said that the early swing made Pakistan stick with pace.”That’s the decision we had to take. The ball was doing a bit and there were a lot of plays and misses. We were hoping the fast bowler did the job for us and the captain thought that was the way to go. But when he came back, he bowled really well. I’m satisfied with the bowlers’ performance overall this series. As you can see, not only did the Pakistan batting line-up struggle, but the South Africans did too.”The issue about the performance of the bowlers has become a major talking point over the past week, with Sarfraz making his frustrations with their reduced pace obvious after Pakistan succumbed to a nine-wicket defeat in Cape Town. On the first day here, Amir, too, had made it clear that he would not take questions on the subject, abruptly ending a press conference when asked. But Azhar, who has been in charge of the bowlers, used the example of Shaheen Afridi, sitting this game out with an injury, to illustrate their workload of late.”Look at Shaheen: he’s a young guy. He only played six first-class games, out of which three were Test matches. He’s bowled a lot, and we’ve been playing Test-match cricket for the last three months. The boys played eight Test matches in a few weeks. It’s tough on a young guy, because he’s not used to the workload. We miss him, but we have to manage his workload for the ODIs as well, because he’ll be crucial in the ODIs for us.”

Coming in at 41 for 4, left-hander smashes Chris Wood for two final-over sixes to seal consecutive wins for Kent

ECB Reporters Network21-Jul-2019
Alex Blake dragged Kent Spitfires to an incredible two-wicket Vitality Blast victory over Hampshire to replicate his 2015 heroics.Big-hitting Blake powered 57 off 38 balls to maintain the Spitfires’ 100 per cent record in the competition, having come to the crease with his side in dire straits.Four years ago, Blake left the Ageas Bowl open-mouthed as he crashed 71 in 30 balls, having arrived at the crease at 70 for 5 chasing 178.On this occasion, the 30-year-old walked out at 41 for 4, still requiring 105, and took Kent over the line by striking back-to-back sixes from the final Chris Wood over to secure two points from a tight encounter with a ball to spare.”I obviously have good memories here like that game in 2015 and like playing here,” said Blake. “David Griffiths, who was a Kent and Hampshire player, sent me a [photo] of after the 2015 game when we were in the changing room with champagne earlier, and said ‘same again today’ which jogged my memory.”I was struggling against the spin but we were saying out there that if we could set it up towards the end then you never know if you could sneak over the line. You are never out of the game, and I have the confidence that I can clear the ropes.”After Hampshire had scored a par 145 from their overs, Kent lost stand-in captain Daniel Bell-Drummond to the fifth ball of the reply when he chopped Chris Wood behind.Ollie Robinson clubbed Liam Dawson, returning after being unused in England’s World Cup campaign, over the midwicket boundary but only picked out Aneurin Donald when attempting an action replay.The Spitfires were then stunned to 32 for three when overseas star Mohammad Nabi mistimed a pull off Kyle Abbott to Vince at mid-off.Abbott, who only played three times in last season’s Blast, picked up a quick-fire second when Zak Crawley leading edged to mid-on.The slide continued when Sean Dickson was stumped off Mason Crane, although Blake powered the legspinner to two straight sixes to keep the run-rate manageable.At the other end, Dawson pinned Jordan Cox lbw, Abbott bowled Adam Milne, Chris Morris caught and bowled Hardus Vijoen but Blake was still there.And with 16 needed from the last over Hampshire were still favourites.But two twos and a pair of enormous straight sixes sent Blake running around in delight.Earlier, Hampshire elected to bat first in front of the Ageas Bowl’s highest domestic crowd for two years, with around 10,000 packing the ground including thousands of youngsters on All Stars Day.They weren’t treated to an electric start from Rilee Rossouw and Aneurin Donald as the former was dropped at midwicket.Donald did smash Hampshire’s first maximum of the competition, over fine leg, but departed next ball when he skied straight up in the air, before Rossouw nicked off.James Vince proved his hangover had abated a week after the thrilling World Cup final at Lord’s when he drove and then cut his first two deliveries the boundary.The Hampshire skipper then dispatched two sixes off an Imran Qayyum over as he reached 29th T20 fifty in 33 balls.But two balls later he handed Nabi a caught and bowled which the hosts failed to recover from.Fred Klaassen, who dismissed James Fuller and Sam Northeast in consecutive balls, and Viljoen ended with figures of two for 27 and two for 20 respectively as Kent strangled Hampshire – with only 42 runs coming in the last six-and-a-half overs.

Knight Riders now await the winner of the Eliminator between Patriots and Tallawahs; they will face the winner of that match in the second qualifier for a spot in the CPL final

The Report by Peter Della Penna12-Sep-2018Sohail Tanvir slams one away•CPL via Getty Images

In a tense low-scorer, hometown boys Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford reprised their heroics from Sunday, against the same opponent, before Sohail Tanvir struck the game-clinching blow, with a ball to spare, as Guyana Amazon Warriors made their fourth CPL final, with a two-wicket win over Trinbago Knight Riders at the Providence Stadium.Amazon Warriors made the most of home-field advantage in the early phase of the playoffs as the home team’s spinners held Trinbago Knight Riders to 122, before surviving their own testing times against the opposition spinners to scrape home in the final over.The list of dubious calls continueThe CPL organizers made the decision last week to have DRS in place for the second Qualifier and the final, in response to more than a dozen howlers this season. Unfortunately for the Knight Riders, the organisers decided to not extend DRS for all the playoffs, and it resulted in the visiting side receiving two decisions that more than likely would have been overturned on review.The first came at the end of the opening over, bowled by Tanvir. Brendon McCullum played well outside the line of a hooping inswinger that struck him in line with middle stump. However, he was also hit extremely high on the thigh guard. Umpire Leslie Reifer felt the line was a more compelling piece of evidence than the height and gave him out, much to the batsman’s dismay. Replays showed his frustration was justified as the ball would have likely carried over the stumps.Reifer then made another questionable call, in the fifth over, that accounted for Denesh Ramdin. The batsman swept at a very full ball from Imran Tahir and was struck on the front heel, which replays indicated was fully positioned outside the line of off stump. Instead of being able to review both decisions, Knight Riders lost both batsmen.Sticker shockKnight Riders lost not so much due to bad umpiring as due to their own inability to adjust quickly to a wicket that offered tremendous assistance to the slower bowlers. Finger spinners, in particular, found great success, starting with the Amazon Warriors captain Chris Green. The Australian struck in the second over, when a short of a length ball to Colin Munro stuck in the pitch, and the CPL’s leading scorer couldn’t keep his hands back on an intended cut and spooned a catch to extra cover.Green struck in near identical fashion in the sixth. Sunil Narine, promoted back to opener after scoring just 57 runs in the league stage, tried to swat a short ball through cover, but, due to the slowness of the surface, instead dragged to mid-off, offering a simple catch. By the end of the Powerplay, Knight Riders were 26 for 4. Colin Ingram and Darren Bravo’s partnership that followed lasted nearly half the innings, but only accounted for 48 runs. A late boost from Kevon Cooper and Dwayne Bravo helped the visitors claw past 100 and gave them a fighting chance.Dueling banjosNarine practically matched Green note-for-note with his spell, ending with 1 for 9 in four overs as he produced grip and rip on virtually every ball, starting in the second over. TKR had the advantage of playing one more specialist spinner than Guyana, and it almost won them the match in the end. Following Ali Khan’s opening over, Narine, Fawad Ahmed and Khary Pierre bowled 12 straight overs of spin to strangle the hosts.Fawad struck first in the third, getting Cameron Delport to hole out to deep midwicket. Luke Ronchi then top-edged a pull off Pierre to Narine at square leg to make it 23 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay, and by the halfway mark the hosts had added just 14 more to their score. Pierre swung the chase TKR’s way with a spectacular diving stop, scoop and run out off his own bowling to dismiss Chadwick Walton, and then found Green’s edge two balls later with the final delivery of his spell to leave Guyana 55 for 5 after 13.Keeping up the paceKnight Riders’ 12 overs of spin were complete, and despite an imposing required run rate of close to 10 on a tricky pitch, Hetmyer and Rutherford capitalized with pace back on the ball. Rutherford pierced Khan for two boundaries in the 15th, before driving Bravo for six early in the 16th. Another six over long-on by Hetmyer off Cooper in the 17th took the equation down to 21 off 20 balls.TKR sprung back to life, though, courtesy a mix-up between the batsmen that resulted in Hetmyer’s run out through a direct hit from point by Ingram. Rutherford drove Cooper to Bravo at long-off off the very next ball, leaving the tail to get Amazon Warriors across the line. Bravo had Rayad Emrit edging behind in the following over to put Knight Riders two wickets away from victory with 18 still to get.But Romario Shepherd clubbed his first ball for six to bring the equation down to a run a ball heading into the final two overs. Shepherd struck another crucial boundary through backward point off Cooper in the 19th, and took a single off the first ball of the 20th to make it three off five to win. Tanvir failed to put away three consecutive slower balls from Bravo, before a length ball was heaved back over Bravo’s head and over the rope to seal the match.

M Vijay showed sparkling form, hitting a brisk century, while KL Rahul broke a lean run with a half-century on the final day of the India’s tour match

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-20181:18

‘Australian conditions suit my game’ – Vijay

A solid top-order show from Murali Vijay and KL Rahul headlined the final day of the drawn encounter between India and Cricket Australia XI. Vijay demolished an inexperienced host bowling attack as he made a 132-ball 129 laden with 16 fours and five sixes, while Rahul hit form with a 98-ball 62, following a string of low scores.Australia batsmen made the Indian bowlers toil at the start of the day, as they amassed 544 from 151.1 overs, after beginning the day 6 for 356. Harry Nielsen, who added 44 runs to his overnight score to bring up 100, was dismissed by Virat Kohli in the 21st over of the day. Aaron Hardie’s 86, and three 30-plus contributions from the tail, helped the hosts take a 186-run lead.In reply, Rahul reached his half-century shortly after tea in the 25th over, while Vijay was batting on 33. There was a short break in play in the 30th over, when a grimacing Vijay sought medical attention to his right thumb, and he resumed playing with a bandage on the finger. In the very next over, D’Arcy Short got the much-needed breakthrough as he dismissed Rahul for 62.Overcoming the pain in his thumb, Vijay set off to entertain the sizeable crowd at the SCG once he crossed 50. He destroyed the young Western Australian offspinner Jake Carder for 26 runs in an over, including three fours and two sixes, to move from 74 to 100. He smashed three more fours and two sixes before falling to Daniel Fallins in the 44th over, following which the teams shook hands with 15 minutes left to play.Vijay had been recalled for the Australia tour after losing his place due to poor form in the last two away Tests against England earlier this year. He impressed in a county stint with Essex and his first-class form was enough to get him picked for the Tests. Speaking about his comeback after the match, Vijay said his focus, even when he was out of the team, was on making sure he was always ready for the top level.”You’ve got to find ways to be in that positive frame of mind, where even if you’re not part of the team, you’ve still got to make sure you keep your work ethics to the top level, and once you get a chance, you should be ready to go,” he said. “That’s my basic funda. Once you play international (cricket), you’ve got to handle responsibility well. Whether it is four years or your first year, it’s about taking the responsibility and doing it for your team. Age doesn’t matter here.”

McCullum made a 42-ball 66 after Trinbago Knight Riders’ spinners had blunted the home team’s batting after they’d elected to bat

The Report by Peter Della Penna27-Aug-2018
Brendon McCullum brings out his unorthodoxy•Getty Images

Trinbago Knight Riders joined Jamaica Tallawahs at the top of the table on eight points after a dominant display in a four-wicket win over Barbados Tridents. The final margin painted the Tridents in a flattering light, but they were out of the game by the second over when left-arm spinner Khary Pierre singlehandedly wrecked the Tridents top order with two wickets and a run-out off his own bowling in the space of four balls.From 3 for 3, Tridents scratched their way to 128 for 8, a total that was easily overhauled by a brisk half-century from Brendon McCullum. Trinbago needed five runs to win off the last 25 balls when Denesh Ramdin and McCullum fell on consecutive deliveries, a minor pair of blemishes in what was a comprehensive team performance.Oui, Oui Khary!Tridents’ night was virtually over not long after it began, after Pierre struck three times in the space of four balls in the second over of the match. Dwayne Smith was yorked by a quicker, fuller ball from Pierre. Shamar Springer, who took the place of an out of form Martin Guptill in the XI, did little to justify his inclusion ahead of the Tridents $160,000 man after he scampered down the track in search of a non-existent run to short midwicket as Pierre fielded off his own bowling and fired back to Ramdin with Springer four yards short.The biggest blow by Pierre was struck two balls later to round off the sequence. Steven Smith, who only arrived in the closing overs in Tridents previous match and faced three balls, had plenty of time to get his eye in but lasted one ball fewer than he had 24 hours earlier against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. Steven’s charge down the track went awry, fanning on a flick as Ramdin stumped the Aussie with ease for a second-ball duck to leave the Tridents three down just 10 balls into the match.Nick of Time Typically best utilized as a finisher, Nicholas Pooran joined Shai Hope at the crease in the second over and did his best to spare the Tridents from total humiliation. Counterattacking from ball one, he drove the first delivery he faced from Pierre through the covers for four to spark a 70-run partnership.Three boundaries off consecutive deliveries by Hope off Javon Searles in the sixth over stabilized the Tridents further and they ended the Powerplay on 46 for 3 before Pooran unloaded on Pierre again in the seventh over, striking him clean through the line over long-on for a colossal six. Pooran took Dwayne Bravo over the ropes for six more to start the ninth, but Bravo got his revenge to end the stand three balls later, fooling Pooran with a slower ball full toss that dipped late to clean up his Trini compatriot.Fawad it’s worthAustralian legspinner Fawad Ahmed removed Hope off the first ball of the 13th over with a luscious googly to clip the top of off. It was the start of a double-wicket over that may have intensified scrutiny over the Tridents bold selection calls for this match.The decision to drop Guptill for Springer had already returned zero dividends and Tion Webster’s call-up into the XI over Roston Chase was almost as fruitless. Entering at No. 7, Webster lasted just four balls before he sauntered down the pitch and fanned on a regulation legbreak from Fawad to be stumped for 1. At 92 for 6 after 13 overs, a few late swats from Jason Holder in his 30 off 33 balls managed to lift Tridents past 100 but nowhere near a defendable total.Mac AttackFor the second night in a row, Mohammad Irfan’s sensational opening spell was wasted on his teammates. Irfan snagged the opening pair of Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine inside the first five overs to leave the Knight Riders at 30 for 2, but McCullum entered at No. 4 and ensured that was the last genuine sniff the Tridents had at victory.McCullum cracked eight fours and three sixes in a typically aggressive knock. More than half the runs in TKR’s chase were scored in his 66-run fifth-wicket stand with Ramdin. With 36 to get off the last seven overs, McCullum scorched Wahab Riaz for three consecutive boundaries in the 14th over to bring up his fifty off 32 balls. He reached 66 before trying to end the match by slogging Steven Smith’s legspin over the midwicket rope, but a swirling top edge was taken by a backpedalling Smith. Two balls later, Bravo punched a drive through the covers for the winning runs.

Saurashtra are looking for their second 50-over title, while Maharashtra are in the final for the first time

Shashank Kishore01-Dec-2022

Big Picture

Saurashtra’s previous Vijay Hazare Trophy success came in the pre-IPL era, around the time Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja were beginning to make a mark in domestic cricket following their success at the India Under-19 level.Current captain Jaydev Unadkat, who hails from Porbandar, a town remembered by history as the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, was inspired by their heroics as he took to cricket. Both Pujara and Unadkat would make their Test debut two years after that Hazare triumph to put Saurashtra firmly on Indian cricket’s map.Related

• Gaikwad smashes List A record with seven sixes in 43-run over

• Maharashtra to take on Saurashtra in Vijay Hazare Trophy final

Pujara and Jadeja have gone on to have stellar India careers and Unadkat has established himself as a bona-fide domestic legend, spearheading a revolution in Saurashtra. In 2020, they won their maiden Ranji title with Unadkat picking up 67 wickets in the season, one short of the all-time record. It was the result of several years of trying and being blown away at the final hurdle, most notably twice against Mumbai.When red-ball success was achieved, Saurashtra decided to rewrite their white-ball template. A team that didn’t have a full-time fitness trainer until the start of this season vowed to become better tuned to the one-day game. Players who would take the safe option were told to be bold, while receiving unequivocal backing.Where teams struggle to have one seam bowling allrounder, Saurashtra have unearthed and nurtured two – Prerak Mankad and Chirag Jani. Unadkat too has reinvented himself as a handy lower-order hitter. In between, they’ve helped wicketkeeper Harvik Desai, who played a crucial part in India’s Under-19 World Cup win in 2018, by backing him ahead of some tried and tested options. On top of all that, Sheldon Jackson is back.Saurashtra were unlucky at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, where they dominated the group phase before enduring a final-over heartbreak against Mumbai in the quarter-finals. Here, in the 50-over tournament, they have set the record straight, comprehensively beating two white-ball giants Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.Standing in their way is Maharashtra, fuelled by Ruturaj Gaikwad’s glut of runs and their itch to win a maiden List A title. They may be in uncharted territory, but Maharashtra are riding a wave of confidence like never before, overcoming stiff competition from Mumbai and Bengal to come through the group stage unscathed.File photo – Ruturaj Gaikwad comes into the final in red hot form•Maharashtra Cricket Association

Where Saurashtra have had different players step up and deliver, Maharashtra have relied almost solely on Gaikwad and Ankit Bawne’s power-packed show at the top of the order. Bawne has hit 571 runs in eight innings. Gaikwad is a shade behind with 552 in just four games, including a record-breaking 220* where he hit seven sixes in a single over. They are third and fourth on the top run-getters list this season.Like Saurashtra, Maharashtra too are punting big on a young allrounder – Rajvardhan Hangargekar. A success story from India’s Under-19 World Cup campaign, the 20-year-old brings with him the heady cocktail of lively pace and big muscles lower down the order. These have translated into two impact performances in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, apart from winning a game out of nowhere in the group stage when he hit the six Maharashtra needed off the last ball against Bengal.On Friday, one of them will walk away champions. If Saurashtra do, it will be another step towards becoming a formidable force across formats. If Maharashtra win, it’ll be the first step towards a larger goal of reclaiming their glory days of the past.

Form guide

Saurashtra WWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Maharashtra WWWWW

In the spotlight

Sheldon Jackson has had a disappointing tournament by his standards. In nine innings, he’s managed all of 164 runs with a solitary half-century. He’s also been released from his IPL contract by Kolkata Knight Riders. With franchises keeping a close eye on the action, it’s a chance for him to once again prove that even at 36 he has what it takes. Oh, and the India selectors, whom he’s been sounding out time and again, will be watching too.Left-arm swing bowler Mukesh Choudhary has had a breakthrough year. Having made waves in the IPL under MS Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings, he would’ve been expected to spearhead the Maharashtra attack with some degree of success. That hasn’t been the case so for – he has only six wickets in six matches – but the final is another chance for him to deliver a knockout blow.File photo – Sheldon Jackson has had a disappointing campaign so far•PTI

Team news

Pujara, who was available for the group stage, won’t be playing the final. He’s with the India A team in Bangladesh preparing for a Test series. Saurashtra also won’t have the services of left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya, who is nursing a finger injury he picked up in the quarter-finals against Tamil Nadu.Saurashtra (probable): 1 Harvik Desai (wk), 2 Sheldon Jackson, 3 Jay Gohil, 4 Samarth Vyas, 5 Prerak Mankad, 6 Arpit Vasavada, 7 Chirag Jani, 8 Jaydev Unadkat (capt), 9 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, 10 Parth Bhuth, 11 Kushang PatelMaharashtra, meanwhile, won’t have the services of Rahul Tripathi, who is also away on national duty. He is one of two uncapped players part of India’s ODI squad for the three-match series in Bangladesh beginning December 4.Maharashtra (probable): 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 2 Pavan Shah, 3 Satyajeet Bachchav, 4 Ankit Bawne, 5 Azim Kazi, 6 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 7 Kaushal Tambe, 8 Shamshuzama Kazi, 9 Saurabh Nawale (wk), 10 Mukesh Choudhary, 11 Manoj Ingale

Pitch and conditions

With the match beginning at 9 am, the team winning the toss could claim the advantage of bowling on a moisture-laden surface. A red-soil strip will also aid good bounce and carry. It’s all set up for a fascinating contest between a fantastic Saurashtra seam-attack and a marauding Maharashtra batting line-up.

Stats and trivia

• When Gaikwad and Bawne hit their 11th Vijay Hazare Trophy century in the semi-final against Assam, they equalled Robin Uthappa’s tally for most centuries in the tournament’s history.
• Saurashtra have conceded an opening stand in excess of 35 just once in nine innings this tournament – the 214 against Hyderabad in the group phase.

The visitors made steady headway on the second day, first through Rajitha and later through their openers, after Mushfiqur’s unbeaten 175

Andrew Fidel Fernando24-May-2022StumpsSri Lanka made steady headway on day two of the second Test in Mirpur, first through Kasun Rajitha, who completed a five-wicket haul, in the first hour, then later through Dimuth Karunaratne and Oshada Fernando, who hit half-centuries in response to Bangladesh’s 365.By stumps, Sri Lanka were 222 runs behind, eight wickets in hand, and Karunaratne still going strong on 70 not out. Although Bangladesh could yet take control of the Test, Sri Lanka perhaps ended the second day in a stronger position than they had begun it. They conceded only 90 further runs as their seamers hunted down the last five Bangladesh wickets. And, they now have a base for their own first innings, with in-form batters still to come.There were times in the morning in which Bangladesh frustrated Sri Lanka, however, and this was largely down to Mushfiqur Rahim. Having lost overnight partner Litton Das early, Mushfiqur doggedly pressed his team’s total forward in the company of the tail, himself striding to an unbeaten 175. He was especially effective in a 49-run eighth-wicket stand with Taijul Islam, in which Mushfiqur scored 34 off 42 deliveries. He crossed 150 during the course of that partnership – the fifth occasion he had passed that mark, out of nine trips to triple figures.Related

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As had been the case on the first day, it was Rajitha who set the major events in motion, when he dismissed Litton in the seventh over of the morning. The seamers having conceded only two boundaries in the first six overs, Rajitha delivered a length ball in the channel outside off, which Litton prodded at and sent off the outside edge to second slip. Kusal Mendis, who had recovered from the chest pains that saw him hospitalised on day one, took an excellent catch diving forward to end Litton’s innings on 141.Three balls later, Rajitha struck again, shaping the second new ball away from left-hander Mosaddek Hossain to have him caught behind. Rajitha had easily been Sri Lanka’s best bowler in the innings, probing the channel consistently. Mosaddek’s wicket completed a much-deserved five-for.With his last recognised batting partner now out, Mushfiqur kicked into a busier gear. He searched proactively for scoring opportunities, resorting even to the reverse sweep he had shunned for much of his innings. The first 127 runs of his innings had come off 277 balls; the last 48 off 78.Mushfiqur Rahim remained unbeaten on 175 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 365•AFP via Getty Images

Asitha Fernando struck twice with bouncers to take two tail-end wickets, before last man Ebadot Hossain frustrated Sri Lanka for the extra half-an-hour the umpires granted the visitors beyond the scheduled lunch. But Bangladesh could only add four further runs after the break before Ebadot was run out at the non-striker’s end, attempting a second run to keep Mushfiqur on strike early in a Rajitha over.In response, Sri Lanka’s openers began confidently enough. Oshada survived a review for caught behind down the legside in the first over, but got early boundaries away to get himself into the innings. Karunaratne was more assured at the other end, both batters progressing busily against the new ball. Oshada survived another review – this time for lbw – on 39, but Taijul’s excellent, straightening delivery was projected only to hit the outside of off stump, resulting in umpire’s call. Soon after, he came down the track and smashed one back at Shakib Al Hasan, who got both hands to the tough chance to his right, but could not hold on. Oshada charged Shakib again shortly before the tea break, this time to launch him for a straight six that took him to his fifth Test half-century.Karunaratne was content for Oshada to have the majority of the strike early on, but took more control once his opening partner had edged Ebadot to slip for 57. As usual, he rarely went after the big boundary shots, but did not miss out on the chance to pick up singles square of the wicket on either side.He had some fortune too. On 36, a full Ebadot delivery hit him on the boot as he missed a clip to the legside, and although the lbw appeal was turned down, it would have been overturned had Bangladesh reviewed. Shortly after, he was dropped at short leg off Taijul’s bowling on 37, although this was a ball that travelled rapidly to the fielder, off the middle of the bat as Karunaratne whipped square.The rest of his innings was uneventful, however, as he made his way to his 29th half-century and onwards. Through the late stages of the day, he watched Kusal’s laboured 11 off 49, before Shakib trapped Kusal in front. Karunaratne went to stumps in the company of nightwatchman Rajitha, who had faced 11 balls and not scored a run.

Bangladesh have finally managed to challenge the hosts on this tour, and that has set up an interesting contest in Guyana – conditions that should remind the visitors of home

The Preview by Mohammad Isam24-Jul-2018

Big Picture

Bangladesh have a chance to wrap up the three-match ODI series with a win in the second game at the Providence Stadium, just as West Indies will be looking to level it. The visitors’ first good day in nearly a month in the Caribbean has suddenly livened up the tour.Tamim Iqbal scored a century, Shakib Al Hasan came within three runs of a century, Mushfiqur Rahim struck his fastest innings in ODIs and Mashrafe Mortaza got his first four-wicket haul in nearly two years. It all managed to bring back a cricket team battered and bruised in the Test series. The format surely helped, as Bangladesh have been more consistent in ODIs than in Tests and T20Is.Wednesday should also be an opportunity to rectify their bowling in the death overs, after they conceded a 59-run stand for the tenth wicket with tail-enders Alzarri Joseph and Devendra Bishoo making 29 runs each. They would also look into how they bat in the last 10 overs, given the slow gear change that nearly derailed their innings. Anamul Haque too has to contribute, given how Liton Das is breathing down his neck.The home side has more to worry about. Their bowling attack lacked the killer instinct that was omnipresent in the Test series, while their batsmen looked to be waiting only for boundary balls. Chris Gayle battled 60 balls for his 40, but he was perhaps the only one who looked to have read the pitch properly. Shimron Hetmyer who made a half-century, was guilty of a mix-up with Gayle. West Indies also have to take their catches properly, having given Shakib and Tamim a number of chances to regain composure.

Form guide

West Indies: LLWWL (last five matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: WLLWW

In the spotlight

In his ODI comeback, Andre Russell was too short at the start and not full enough towards the end, feeding Mushfiqur Rahim in his hitting zone. Russell did slam a huge six but it wasn’t enough for West Indies who would expect a little more from this blockbuster allrounder.After almost two years, Mehidy Hasan Miraz has started to look like a confident bowler. His six-wicket haul in the second Test has boosted a career that looked to be going stagnant. He took just one wicket on Sunday, but Mehidy had better control against a volatile batting line-up.

Team news

Kieran Powell and Keemo Paul are waiting in the wings but unless West Indies decide to add an extra batsman, it is likely to be the same XI.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Ashley Nurse, 11 Alzarri JosephWhether they stick with Anamul Haque or bring in Liton Das is perhaps the only question the Bangladesh team management has to ponder.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The visitors will once again pin their hopes on a Providence Stadium pitch that offers turn and bounce, although how it behaves in the second session would be a mystery to them.There’s a lot of rain in the forecast, so delays and disruptions wouldn’t be a total surprise.

Stats and trivia

• After his four wickets in the first ODI, Mashrafe Mortaza has now taken at least four in a match on eight occasions in ODIs. For Bangladesh, that ties him with Rubel Hossain and Shakib Al Hasan, with only Abdur Razzak up ahead with nine such performances
• Alzarri Joseph’s unbeaten 29 is West Indies’ second highest score for a No. 11, behind Joel Garner who made 37 against India during the 1983 World Cup

Quotes

“Guayana is much like Bangladesh, if you look at the pitches, the soil, etc. It is a positive thing for us. We have an important match tomorrow, so we are looking forward to it.”
Shakib Al Hasan