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England’s smooth build-up hits a snag on eve of warm-up fixture at Southampton

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl24-May-2019An optimist, they say, views the glass as half full. A pessimist, they say, views it as half empty. And a regular supporter of England at World Cups expects the glass to explode at any moment, killing all present with fragments of glass. It is an expectation conditioned by years of grim experience.So there wasn’t a great sense of surprise when news of Eoin Morgan’s injury began to filter around the Ageas Bowl (or the Hampshire Bowl as the ICC, always mindful not to allow ‘ambush marketing’ would have us call it; they’ve spent the last few days putting masking tape over any tradename or logo across all World Cup venues). It was more a sense of ‘here we go again, then’.And then the relief. News a few hours later that Morgan had sustained “a small flake fracture” provided hope that he might – should, even – be fit for England opening World Cup match. Suddenly that glass was looking half full again.In some ways, England are quite well covered should Morgan suffer injury. The team, generally, know their roles inside-out, Jos Buttler has shown himself to be an astute captain and James Vince looks in decent form with the bat. Morgan’s withdrawal wouldn’t necessarily prove a fatal blow.But so important is Morgan to this team – so talismanic his presence, so unblinkingly positive his leadership and such good form is he in with the bat (he is averaging 94.50 at a strike-rate of 105.73 in his last 16 ODIs) – that his absence would surely weaken this side that has been created, in many ways, in his image. Nobody has played more ODIs for England (the opening match of the tournament should be his 200th) or scored more runs. He is probably as close to irreplaceable as anyone in the squad.While the England management insist Morgan will make a “full recovery” and be available for their opening match, against South Africa at the Kia Oval (it’s hard to resist teasing the ICC just a little) on May 30, there must be some doubt as to his fragility. While he should be fine while batting – protective equipment is excellent these days – there may be more concern about how he would fare in the field if he sustained another blow to the same area. He generally fields in the ring so is likely to encounter plenty of balls hit with great power.ALSO READ: Eoin Morgan sustains ‘flake fracture’ in fielding incidentDid the use of the words “small” and “flake” in the ECB media release suggest they were protesting a little too much? Maybe only to those of us who have watched England in recent World Cups – and not so recent, really – and seen them beaten like a snare drum. But this is a different England and maybe we shouldn’t allow bad memories to dim our enthusiasm.England would have been put in a tricky position had the x-ray showed a full break. While that might have put Morgan out of action for anywhere between three and five weeks, they would have been loath to call a new player into the squad. Under tournament regulations, a replaced player cannot subsequently be recalled and England might well have been prepared to carry Morgan for the first half-dozen or so group games in the hope he could make an impact in the final half of the event. There will be great relief in the camp that they have not been forced into such a dilemma.Morgan is not the only injury concern. Adil Rashid also misses Saturday’s match with a view to managing his long-standing shoulder problem. He is not thought to be in doubt for the South Africa game, though it does provide a reminder of how many of these players are going to have to be nursed through the tournament. It is hard to imagine Mark Wood or Chris Woakes playing every game, either. Perhaps partly for that reason, England will utilise 12 players on Saturday to ensure the bowlers’ workload is limited. These warm-up games do not carry List A or ODI status and can involve up to 15 players a side.Rashid’s absence provides an early opportunity for Liam Dawson to slip back into England duty. It is not ideal that Dawson has not featured in the England side this year but he has, at least, been in excellent form for Hampshire. He has played for England in all formats and is, by all accounts, a down-to-earth character. Indeed, in his press conference on Friday, he reacted to questions about his late call-up with all the apparent enthusiasm of a man taking delivery of a new filter for his Hoover-unbranded vacuum cleaner. For journalists hungry for a soundbite it wasn’t ideal, but such an equable temperament may prove invaluable for England over the next few frenetic weeks.It remains a shame that Dawson – and his Hampshire colleague, Vince – should be forced to miss Saturday’s Royal London Cup final against Somerset at Lord’s. The domestic Lord’s final used to be one of the showcase events of the season; now it is not – arguably, anyway – even the biggest match of the day. Both games will be broadcast by Sky with the England game available on Sky Mix, which means it is free-to-air for some customers.How such a clash of events has been allowed to happen remains unclear. The cynical might suggest the ECB are looking to undermine and overshadow their own 50-over competition ahead of its downgrading next year. The cynical are often right.

Bangladesh Cricket Board has left the decision on his future with the ODI captain

Mohammad Isam in Birmingham28-Jun-2019Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has dismissed talk of his possible retirement from the game at the end of the World Cup, saying that he hasn’t given the matter any thought. He did, however, reiterate that this would be his last World Cup.”This is definitely my last World Cup, but I will not be retiring after the tournament,” Mashrafe, 35, told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t want to think about it at the moment, especially with the tournament still in progress. It is a distraction. People become emotional during these times.”But if there’s an instruction from the board, I will have to think about it.”Mashrafe, who became a member of the Bangladesh parliament earlier this year, has never actually hinted at retirement, but speculation has been rife about his future. The move to politics, coupled with his hamstring problems – he has a history of seemingly career-threatening injuries – have only added fuel to the guesswork. But he has led his team well at the World Cup, where Bangladesh have seven points from seven games, and are in the race for the semi-finals.As for Bangladesh Cricket Board bosses speaking to him about his future, Mashrafe has their backing too. “He is leading the side very well, so we are not thinking of anything at the moment,” BCB director Jalal Yunus said. “The decision is up to him, whether he wants to continue playing and leading the side or not. We leave the ball in his court.”The board is fully focused on the World Cup, as we are now in with a chance to play in the semi-finals.”Bangladesh don’t have a lot of ODIs coming up in the next 12 months, although they play a lot of T20Is in the run-up to next year’s World T20 in Australia. As for the World Cup, they have group-stage fixtures lined up against India (Birmingham, July 2) and Pakistan (Lord’s, July 5).

Visitors time chase to perfection to win by eight wickets and boost promotion hopes

ECB Reporters Network21-Aug-2019James Bracey hit an unbeaten century as Gloucestershire pulled off a thrilling run chase to beat Derbyshire by eight wickets and boost their promotion hopes.Bracey scored 116 not out, skipper Chris Dent made 62 and Gareth Roderick 48 from 34 balls as they overhauled a target of 263 from 49 overs to move to second in Division Two.Derbyshire had declared on 481 for 6 with Tom Lace scoring 125 but Gloucestershire timed their chase to perfection to all but end the home side’s slim promotion ambitions.All results were possible at the start of day four with Derbyshire 86 ahead with seven wickets intact and needing to strike a balance where they could get in a position to try and win the game without losing early wickets.Gloucestershire’s bowlers had toiled with little reward for much of the previous day and it was another fruitless morning for them as Lace and Leus du Plooy accumulated steadily on a pitch that was still a good one for batting.The closest they came to breaking the stand before lunch came 50 minutes into the morning when Lace on 82 survived a hard, low chance to cover but that was a rare blemish in what was another impressive innings from the on-loan Middlesex batsman. The 21-year-old had already scored centuries at Swansea and Kidderminster this season and his first at Derby came from 195 balls, reinforcing the impression that he is a player to watch.Derbyshire’s need to press on after lunch resulted in him edging a swing at Ben Allison and du Plooy drove Tom Smith to mid off as the home side trod on the accelerator.Harvey Hosein lofted Allison for three fours in an over and Ravi Rampaul hit two big sixes before the declaration came, challenging Gloucestershire to make their highest successful run chase against Derbyshire.Dent and Bracey took no risks in the 12 overs up to tea, although Bracey survived a fierce chance on 21 to Lace who injured his left hand and immediately left the field in considerable pain.Derbyshire went with spin from both ends after tea and Dent and Bracey raised the tempo with Dent driving Matt Critchley for six to reach 50.Gloucestershire went into the last 20 overs needing 143 but when Rampaul returned to the attack, Dent cut his second ball to point.Bracey kept his side in the hunt with some improvised strokes and Gareth Roderick swept Critchley for six and reverse-swept two more fours to bring the target down to 60 from 10 overs.Roderick drove Critchley to long off in the 42nd over but Ryan Higgins swept the leg-spinner for six as Gloucestershire sealed a 23-point haul with 11 balls to spare.

It is understood that Kings XI are likely to appoint a new captain with India batsman KL Rahul being the favourite

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Sep-2019India offspinner R Ashwin is likely to join Delhi Capitals for the 2020 IPL. ESPNcricinfo understands that Ashwin is on the verge of moving out of Kings XI Punjab, who signed him at the 2018 auction for INR 7.6 crore (then USD 1.176 million approx) and appointed him captain. Although the current move would ordinarily be termed a trade, technically, Capitals are buying out the player in an all-cash deal.It is understood that, Capitals apart, Sunrisers Hyderabad had expressed interest in Ashwin at one point, but talks did not progress too far.Capitals are understood to have made the first move, and the two franchises have been engaged in talks for the past few months. If the deal goes through, Ashwin’s procurement would further swell Capitals’ rich collection of spinners. Capitals’ other Indian and overseas spinners include Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Rahul Tewatia, Jalaj Saxena, Mayank Markande, J Suchith and Sandeep Lamichhane.Capitals will become the fourth IPL franchise for Ashwin, who has previously represented Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant and Kings XI.Over the years, Ashwin has not been afraid to experiment both with his bowling action and his stock balls, and has utilised his variety to create doubt and dominate batsmen. With his experience and skillset, Ashwin has proved to be an asset as he can bowl in the Powerplay, dry up runs in the middle overs, and restrict batsmen at the death. Overall, he has taken 125 wickets in 139 IPL matches at an economy rate of 6.79, which is the best among all Indian bowlers with 50-plus wickets.With Ashwin as captain, Kings XI won 12 games and lost 16 in the past two IPL seasons. Although they were a contender for the playoffs at the halfway stage in both seasons, they eventually failed to advance.It is understood that Kings XI, who recently sacked their entire coaching staff led by New Zealander Mike Hesson, are likely to appoint a new captain with India batsman KL Rahul currently the favourite. One of the Kings XI owners said that the management was keen to have a new captain who would lead the franchise in the future.

Tom Abell’s maiden T20 hundred comes in a losing cause as Middlesex overhaul 227 target thanks to Eoin Morgan 83*

David Hopps30-Aug-2019It is turning into an extraordinary summer for Eoin Morgan. A World Cup-winning captain, he followed up at Taunton with the most extraordinary Blast innings of the season as Middlesex confounded expectations by pulling off a record T20 chase with breathtaking simplicity.No county had ever hauled in a score as large as Somerset’s 226 for 5 but Middlesex did it with six wickets and three overs to spare with Morgan’s coup de grace a startling unbeaten 83 from 29 balls that was such a simple display of uninhibited hitting it almost defied description. Thirteen of the 29 balls he faced went to boundaries.You’re a long time retired and even allowing for the natural adrenalin slump in the weeks after a World Cup triumph, the thought that Morgan might retire at 32 and not lead England in the World T20 in Australia in late 2020 is hard to countenance.”Does an innings like that make playing on more appealing?” he was asked on Sky Sports. “It probably does,” he said, before adding: “It’s a big decision. I don’t want to let anybody down. I want to take time to make my decision.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Somerset’s bowlers cracked under the pressure in a must-win match. As much as Morgan, and others, took advantage of Taunton’s short boundaries, and the flattest hybrid pitch yet seen in English cricket, Middlesex will rarely receive so many please-hit-me deliveries. The omission of Craig Overton, even allowing for his modest season, looked costly.For Somerset’s captain Tom Abell, a maiden T20 century should have been cause for unbridled satisfaction. Instead, there was only heartache. The first thing you spot about Abell in Twenty20 cricket is the desire. He appears to crave victory because it is the right and proper thing to do.A year ago, he struggled horribly, using up 18 balls for an unbeaten 21 as Somerset threw away a chance to chase 232 against Kent at Canterbury and so reach the last eight. This time, every shot he played had Middlesex’s international top five at the back of his mind, but once again Somerset fell short.”At the halfway stage we were a little bit frustrated with the way we had bowled,” Middlesex’s captain Dawid Malan said. “But you only have to get the ball in the air to get six here and if you beat the field it is four.”Malan contributed to an electrifying start. By the time Malan and Paul Striling fell in successive balls from Tim Groenewald, Middlesex were 67 for 2 after four overs.Middlesex’s Powerplay score was their highest ever – 94 for 2 – before Mohammad Hafeez fell to a cute run out at the bowler’s end by Roelof van der Merwe, who fielded a return drive off his own bowling from AB de Villiers in conventional fashion and then rolled the ball through his legs to hit the stumps.Max Waller appeared so overawed by the challenge of bowling legspin to de Villiers on this sort of surface that the South African greeted one mishit six against a long hop with a roll of the eyes. But when de Villiers refocused it was to find Waller pulling off a brilliant right-handed catch above his head at straight midwicket to dismiss him for 32.With 87 needed off eight, Morgan’s eyes narrowed. He took a view on the left-arm seam of Tom Lammonby, taking 23 off the over, the second of three sixes somewhat fortunate as Babar Azam, who had just returned to the field, staggered back stiffly into the rope at long-on. By the end, Morgan had eight sixes, each one more predictable than the last.Tom Abell celebrates his maiden century•Getty Images

There is much talk of Somerset’s bank of young talent, but Abell will have to supervise a difficult transition. Peter Trego has been released and, who knows James Hildreth may not have too many seasons left as far as Twenty20 is concerned, his latest struggle, 18 from 12 balls, having the careworn mood of a senior pro not quite sure of his touch. And, as for Tom Banton, who knows where his future will lie?Babar and Banton have been the source of Somerset’s inspiration – the two leading scorers in the Blast. Babar departed first ball to Toby Roland-Jones but Banton, the darling of the TV cameras in limited-overs cricket all summer, upped the adoration level with 62 from 39 balls.Banton was badly dropped on the shot that took him to his fourth half-century of the tournament, a top-edged pull against Steven Finn which Tom Helm made a mess off, his mouth open like a basking lizard: it was a stressful night all round but it was not the best way for him to regulate his body temperature.It was upon Banton’s dismissal that Somerset’s innings found momentum as Abell and Ed Byrom put on 95 in 43 balls.Abell has been overshadowed by the openers all summer, stout-heartedly developing his own support act. He should have been run out on 4 when Nathan Sowter fumbled a throw from the cover boundary at the bowler’s end, but from that point played the field – in the nicest possible way. Give him a gap in the field and he maneuvered the ball there. This time, his tricky ramp shot which has served him well throughout the tournament was rarely seen as he discovered a more powerful game. “Twenty20 hasn’t really been my thing,” he said.It felt as if Abell’s century might not quite be achieved, but after the dismissal of Lewis Gregory for a first-ball duck (Gregory was not fit to bowl), he found himself on strike on 90 with four balls remaining.Once again his game management came into play. Roland-Jones, Middlesex’s most economical bowler, was twice worked through square leg for boundaries and he scrubbed out a hard-run two for his hundred. Somerset had 133 from the last 10. It felt good, it felt last-eight, but it was nothing of the sort.

India captain concedes that his team has also found it tough to adapt to the challenging conditions at home

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Pune09-Oct-20195:49

‘We look for answers, not excuses’ – Kohli

Left to him, Virat Kohli would give teams extra points for away wins in the World Test Championship. On the eve of India’s second Test against South Africa in Pune, Kohli said that the arrival of the championship had encouraged teams to play positive cricket, and given them the incentive to go for wins when they might have earlier settled for draws. But he did hope there would be one change in the points system, perhaps when the next edition of the championship rolls around.

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“The importance of every game has become that much more,” Kohli said in a press conference. “In situations that, in a three-match series, you probably would have played out a draw, teams are going to go for wins and get those extra points, so I think it’s great for Test cricket. The matches are going to be that much more exciting, is what we feel, and we can already experience that.”We have to be absolutely professional in every session that we play, so yeah, I think it’s much more demanding on the players now, which is a good thing because it will keep the standard of Test cricket high. Yeah, these are the only things we have experienced so far and noticed in terms of changes.ALSO READ: The mystery of the Pune pitch“If you’d have asked me to make the points table, I would give double the points for an away Test win. That is something that I would have definitely liked to see. Maybe after the first edition.”Visiting teams in India would certainly appreciate that extra incentive. India have been an incredibly difficult team to beat in their own backyard during Kohli’s time as captain, India winning 16 of their 22 Tests and losing just one. For all that, though, Kohli said conditions in India are often difficult to negotiate even for his team.”Look, it’s not easy for us as a home side as well,” Kohli said. “When conditions are challenging, when the ball’s spinning, we’ve also found it difficult in the past. But we’re a team that looks for answers, not excuses, so maybe that’s the reason we keep improving, and we’ve been able to win so many Test matches.”We don’t take anything for granted for sure, we can very well be losing four-five wickets a session, so we know that well, as a team. We work pretty hard on our game also, even though we play in our own conditions and we’ve grown up playing in these conditions. So I think the mindset is key for us, and that’s to win every game that we play and not focus on what the conditions are on display, we look to find answers rather than excuses.”Over the first three days of the first Test in Visakhapatnam, South Africa pushed India hard to find these answers, particularly with their aggressive batting approach against spin, which helped them claw back from 39 for 3 to finish just 71 short of India’s first-innings total of 502.Kohli wasn’t surprised by the fight South Africa put up.”How they played in the first innings was very good,” he said. “You have to be positive when the wicket’s nice and easy to bat on, you have to try and get as many runs as possible, and that’s exactly what they did.”I would say the first three, maybe even four days of the game, the wicket was hardly doing anything. After three-and-a-half days, it started to turn a little bit, and then on day five we really got into our own. We expected that. We expected teams to come out and try and be positive against us, and we held our own. We held our own in the second innings, and put up 400 runs for them to gun down again.”Look, we are going to be put under pressure, even though we’re playing at home. Its about how we come back into the game and then put double the pressure on the opposition again and then tell them, let’s see if that can be executed again. So that’s basically what Test cricket is. You have to come back in the second innings and do the job again, it doesn’t end in one innings, but the approach was quite expected.”Mohammed Shami celebrates bowling Temba Bavuma•BCCI

On the final day, India’s match-winner was Mohammed Shami, who came into his own on a wearing fifth-day pitch to run through South Africa in their second innings. What sets Shami apart, according to Kohli, is how much help he can coax out of even the flattest surfaces.”I think on the pitches that we play, I haven’t seen anyone get so much seam movement apart from him,” Kohli said. “Yes, internationally, many bowlers do, but I think on flat pitches he has the ability to pick you wickets in situations that feel absolutely dead. And that’s why he’s such an important bowler for us, that’s why we’ve wanted to manage his workload very precisely – all the fast bowlers.”But he’s someone who can change the complexion of the game totally when you don’t see it coming. That’s the kind of skill he possesses, and now he’s taking the responsibility. We don’t need to push Shami anymore. We don’t need to tell him, come on, you’ve got to get up and bowl this spell for us. He wants the ball. He understands the situation. When he’s given the ball, especially in the second innings when situations are difficult, he comes in and does the job every time.”It’s great. People are taking responsibility in different situations in the game, which is amazing to see and his skill is obviously there for everyone to see, it’s not a surprise anymore to all of us that he gets the ball to do that much more than others in conditions that don’t really offer you much. He’s blessed with that skill naturally, but it’s the mindset that’s changed now. According to me he’s in the best space right now.”India’s other hero in Visakhapatnam was Rohit Sharma, who scored centuries in both innings while opening the batting for the first time in Test cricket. That performance, Kohli felt, should end the debate over Rohit’s place in the team.”It’s overflowing. It’s not been filled,” Kohli said, when asked if the opening slots were taken for the foreseeable future. “Come on, give the guy a break now. He’s done well, let him enjoy his batting at the top of the order, let him just have fun, like he does in white-ball cricket, and stop focusing on what’s Rohit going to do in Tests.”He’s in a great space, he’s playing really well, and he looked relaxed in the first game, which is great to see, all the experience he’s accumulated over the years came to the fore, so he’s feeling absolutely at home at the top of the order, and for us as a team it’s a huge bonus, because if you saw the second innings, the way he’s able to take the tempo of the game forward, that allows the bowlers an extra hour and a half or two hours to bowl the opposition out.”So look, if a guy like him at the top of the order plays the way he did in the last game, we’re going to be in situations to go for victories in most of the Test matches. We’re all very happy for him, and I think it’s time to just move ahead from [debating about] his spot at the top of the order and just let him enjoy his batting.”The Pune pitch had a fair grass cover on the eve of the Test match, and a certain amount of early moisture is expected too, given the volume of rain the city has experienced over the past week or so. Despite this, Kohli seemed to suggest that India would probably stick with an attack containing two seamers and two spinners, and not play the extra fast bowler.”Well, I think more or less our team is settled,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to play that big a factor because when the pitch is damp it turns as well, so it’s not like only seamers are predominantly going to be effective on this pitch, all five days. Everyone will have to play their roles.”Unless you have a pitch which has total grass coverage, only then you think of changes in combination for the match. Because you do know that it’s going to dry out at some stage, and you can’t go predominantly one-sided in your attack and then not have the balance.
“We are pretty balanced in our team composition, and if any changes need to be made looking at how the pitch might behave on the first three days, then we’ll do so, but we don’t see any major things to think about, looking at the pitch.”

Shakib the batsman or Shakib the bowler – who needs to be replaced as priority?

Sidharth Monga in Delhi01-Nov-20194:24

Shakib’s absence is a big loss to us – Russell Domingo

The best allrounder in the world. Bangladesh’s best player ever. Friend. Mentor. At times, the voice of Bangladesh cricket. Two players in one. Now banned because he didn’t report suspect approaches, something you are obliged and taught to do. As the Bangladesh team began its preparations for the tough tour of India, coming to terms with the loss of Shakib Al Hasan was a long way away.For starters, there are disappointed team-mates, for whom Shakib was a role model. Coach Russell Domingo hasn’t even worked properly with Shakib yet, but he can see it in the dressing room.”Everyone is a bit disappointed,” Domingo said. “I don’t think I should be talking too much about it. I’ve been here for a month, and I’ve known Shakib for a month. The relationships the players have with him are a lot deeper than I’ve got because I don’t know him well. But the players speak very highly of him, have a lot of respect for him, admire the way he goes about his business, his performances. Now he’s made a mistake, he’s paying the price.”Shakib is banned for two years, one of which is suspended. That means he will be out for one year, and there is no telling how he will be accepted when he comes back. “One year in cricketing terms is a long time,” Domingo said. “I haven’t even thought about it; how Shakib gets in the game, back into the team, it’s something that hasn’t crossed my mind. It hasn’t crossed anybody’s mind.”He has been a big player for Bangladesh. Very close friends with a lot of the players, so it’s obviously affected some of the players. He has made a mistake and he is paying the price for it. There’s not too much that we can say about it. It’s not something we can control or something that affects us too much at the moment. It obviously affects the team in terms of his performances, but our mindset and our focus will be entirely on the series and the [T20] World Cup in 12 months’ time.”When it comes to performances, Domingo admitted any replacement for Shakib would leave the team one player light. “Shakib bats at No. 3, often opens the bowling or bowls first change,” Domingo pointed out. “He bowls four overs every single game. He’s one of our leading batters. Do I replace the batter or replace the bowler? Because it’s very difficult; he plays both. There aren’t too many players who provide you with both skills.”So you might find yourself short in one department, and strengthening the other department. Depending on the conditions, if it’s a flat wicket, you want to strengthen your bowling. If you think there’s a little bit in for the wicket you might as well strengthen your batting. So, it would very much depend on the conditions. I don’t think there’s anyone earmarked who’s specifically going to do Shakib’s job. Everyone’s going to try to contribute and fill up the numbers as best he possibly can.”India will go into the series without their usual captain Virat Kohli, but Domingo was of the view that Shakib was just as big, if not bigger, a miss for Bangladesh. “There’s no Virat, [at the same time] there’s no Shakib,” Domingo said when asked of the advantage Kohli’s absence might give his side. “So, there’s an advantage for India with no Shakib, and there’s an advantage for Bangladesh with no Virat.”

Holder, however, remained wary of the challenging matches that they now face in 2020: against England, South Africa and New Zealand

Saurabh Somani in Lucknow29-Nov-2019West Indies may be ranked eighth in Test cricket right now, but captain Jason Holder believes that by the time the World Test Championship is done, they have a “realistic” chance of being in the top four.Holder led West Indies to a nine-wicket win against Afghanistan at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, with the match completed in just over two days. Holder himself hastened the end on the morning of day three, making short work of Afghanistan after they had resumed on an overnight score of 109 for 7 on Friday. They were bowled out for 120 with Holder picking up all three wickets, and West Indies chased their target of 31 in just 6.2 overs.”I think by the end of the Test Championship, I don’t see it being impossible for us to be fourth or fifth in the world,” Holder said at the post-match press conference. “That would be a significant achievement in a two-year period. We’ve got some tough series coming up. We’ve got England, then South Africa coming to the Caribbean, then we’ve got New Zealand… all good cricket sides. But I don’t think it’s beyond us to beat them. We’ve just got to make sure we keep building and developing. Once we do that, we can compete with any side in the world. A realistic target in two years would be to be ranked three or four in the world.”This Test wasn’t part of the World Test Championship, though Holder believed his team did most of what could be asked of them. Holder had chosen to bowl on winning the toss, a decision that came under question early on, because West Indies were playing with three spinners and there wasn’t too much on offer for pacers. However, Rahkeem Cornwall’s career-best figures of 7 for 75 meant the desired result was achieved, though via a path that wasn’t envisaged at the start of the match.”We did expect the spinners to play a heavy role in this game, but with the new ball we probably expected a little more from the fast bowlers,” agreed Holder. “As the ball got older, I felt it did a little bit more. Their openers played well and pretty much saw off the new ball. Our spinners really came into effect with the harder ball, so I think it all worked out the way it was supposed to. Credit to Rahkeem [Cornwall]. He bowled an exceptional spell in the first innings and then backed it up really well in the second innings, supported well by the other bowlers.”I don’t regret the decision at the toss. In the end, we played a really good cricket game, and we were clinical. I asked the guys to make sure we don’t leave any stones unturned. Probably would have liked a little bit more in our first innings in terms of our batting, but having said that, we had a lead of 90. I think leads win games. Once you have a hefty lead, it puts pressure on the opposition.”The only point that left Holder unsatisfied was West Indies’ batting, though thanks to a maiden century by Shamarh Brooks and their own bowling performance, the total of 277 that West Indies got in the first innings proved to be substantial enough. Looking at the future though, Holder felt that improving the batting was key to his goal of taking West Indies higher up the rankings.”I’ve said it in the last couple of series we’ve played: more responsibility needs to be taken by our batters,” Holder said. “Once they do that and take the bull by the horns, I think our bowling attack has shown it can compete with any attack in the world. We’ve shown glimpses of brilliance, which is all well and good, but consistency is the name of the game. In order to be a world class team, you have to be consistent with your batting. You have to get 20 wickets of course, but you have to set it up with the bat. First innings’ count for a lot. If we can put teams under pressure with our first innings scores, more often than not, West Indies will be up there among the top-ranked sides in the world.”

Australia women will face a Cricket Australia XI in a practice match at the venue that will host the crucial opening match against India

Andrew McGlashan26-Jan-2020Australia hope to gather some early intel ahead of the opening T20 Women’s World Cup match against India next month as they get a taste for conditions at the Sydney Showground stadium which will host international cricket for the first time.The squad joined up in Sydney on Sunday to begin the final stages of preparations for the tournament, and while the main focus over the next few weeks will be the tri-series involving India and England, which begins in Canberra next Friday, the warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI at the Showground on Monday carries extra significance beyond allowing players a chance to get back into T20 mode.”That’s what it’s all about really, to get used to that ground,” Australia vice-captain Rachael Haynes said. “Particularly this year with the WBBL we didn’t get to play any matches there like we have in the past so it will be a really good opportunity for our players just to adjust to conditions, I guess spend some time in the stadium, too, as it’s a bit different fielding there. So no doubt we’ll try a couple of things and work out how we can help our game under those conditions.”Being a Sydney Thunder player in the WBBL means Haynes does have more experience of the venue than others, but there is a feeling of not leaving any stone unturned as they prepare for the World Cup, especially with the importance of the first match against India in what is viewed as the tougher of the two groups.”It’s certainly different to other grounds and that’s probably the unique thing about playing in Australia, that wherever you play there’s something you need to adjust,” Haynes said. “Showgrounds is no different, for us [the match] is a great opportunity to make sure we are really comfortable with how we need to play in those conditions.”The tri-series, which features matches in Canberra and Melbourne, will also be a chance to size up India under game situations. Their batting line-up was singled out by Australia coach Matthew Mott as being the most feared in T20 and they are one of the teams who could push the favourites in the World Cup.Having talked as a squad already about embracing the expectations around the tournament – which hopes to break the world record for a crowd at a women’s sports event for the final at the MCG on March 8 – Haynes said thoughts are turning to what lies ahead, but it also remains a balance.”I’d be lying if I said people aren’t thinking about the World Cup, I’m sure it’s on lots of players’ minds, but you can only do what’s in front of you and play the game in front of you. The games against India and England will be really important in terms of shaping our preparation for what’s to come. I’d like to think our team will take that opportunity to use it really well.”Australia will head to Canberra on Tuesday ahead of their first tri-series match against England on Saturday.

Chattogram Challengers ensured themselves a second crack at the BPL final by beating Dhaka Platoon in the Eliminator match

Mohammad Isam13-Jan-2020Chattogram Challengers ensured themselves a second crack at the BPL final, after they beat Dhaka Platoon by seven wickets, in the Eliminator match. Rayad Emrit, Rubel Hossain and Nasum Ahmed set up their win, picking up seven wickets in the first 12.4 overs, before Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah completed the chase with 14 balls to spare.Chris Gayle played the anchor role for a change as Ziaur Rahman and Kayes hit five sixes and four boundaries between them, to power Chattogram to 91 in the first 12.3 overs, before Mahmudullah hammered four sixes in his unbeaten 34 off just 14 balls to complete the chase.But Chattogram would have to thank their bowlers for restricting Dhaka to a middling 144 for 8 in 20 overs, which ultimately gave them the easy chase.Rubel v TamimDhaka fell into early trouble when Rubel pinned Tamim Iqbal to the crease in the first over of the match. After surviving a caught-behind shout off the first ball, Rubel delivered a superb yorker as well nearly trapping the left-hander lbw. Rubel would have to wait until the following over to get his man as Tamim fell for 3 off 10 balls.Emrit’s two-wicket overWith Dhaka in early strife, Chattogram sensed the chance to take control of proceedings. Emrit, a BPL regular despite a lack of noteworthy performances, struck twice in his second over. First he removed the dangerous Mahedi Hasan, and followed it up with the dismissal of Jaker Ali next ball, caught behind for a duck. To top off a fine bowling performance, Emrit removed Mominul Haque to reduce Dhaka to 52 for 6 in the 11th over, before finishing with superb figures of 3 for 23 off his four overs.Shadab Khan continues to add to his credentials as an allrounder•BCB

Shadab’s late chargeDhaka have been sending Shadab up the order in many of the matches but it was only in this game when the Pakistan allrounder gave them a batting boost. When his compatriot Asif Ali fell in the 13th over, Dhaka were 60 for 7, but Shadab picked things up with a 41-ball unbeaten 64. He struck five fours and three sixes, most of them coming in the last three overs in which Dhaka took 51 runs.
Shadab’s contribution, much of which came in the two 40-odd stands he had with Thisara Perera and Mashrafe Mortaza, gave Dhaka some breathing space with a 144-run total.Kayes faster than GayleIt was a remarkable sight: Kayes dominating a 49-run stand with Gayle. But by the time he fell to Shadab in the 13th over, Chattogram had set themselves a good platform in the chase. Kayes made 32 of the 49 runs, having struck three sixes and a four in his 22-ball knock. Gayle only contributed 13 runs to the partnership, before falling for 38 off 49 balls in an innings that wasn’t very Gayle-esque.Mashrafe’s one-handed catchFielding at short fine-leg, Dhaka captain Mashrafe must have hoped that none of Gayle’s swipes or sweeps come his way. Mashrafe had injured his left hand in Dhaka’s previous game, requiring 14 stitches. He had faced two deliveries during his 40-run unbroken ninth wicket stand with Shadab, and had bowled four overs.But for any cricketer with a hand injury, fielding must be the most traumatic experience. Mashrafe was at least lucky that the Gayle catch was off a top-edge, and struck quite tamely. He put out his right hand, and took it one-handed, much to the crowd’s delight.
It was all too late though as his opposite number Mahmudullah took care of the business of chasing down the moderate total.