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Adrian Barath says West Indies’ improved batting performance in the second innings shows it was just a lack of application that let them down first time around

S Aga16-Nov-2011After subsiding meekly in the first innings, West Indies dipped in to the Bob Marley catalogue to get up and stand up the second time, progressing to 195 for 3, still 283 in arrears, by stumps. Adrian Barath and Kirk Edwards added 93 for the second wicket, preventing any repeat of the morning collapse that saw West Indies skittled out before lunch for just 153.”We did not bat as well as we should have in the first innings,” Barath said afterwards. “Basically we learnt from our mistakes in the first innings and we applied ourselves a bit more. It shows that as a team we are capable of playing spin well. I think it was just a matter of application in the first innings. The conditions were a bit difficult for the openers to bat in.”Barath said West Indies’ cause wasn’t helped by an early start after play had ended 50 minutes early on the second day. “The game starting at 8.30am, it’s probably the first time I have ever seen that. I think it was obviously difficult for us batting that early in the morning. Usually, the warm-up starts at 8.30 and we were facing the first ball at that time. It was something new for us.”He didn’t play the first Test and failed in the first innings here, and there was more than a hint of disappointment at the manner in which he was dismissed for 62 so soon after tea. “I went out there and tried my best to get West Indies off to a good start. Our objective was to go there and just apply ourselves once again. I have been away from international cricket for probably around a month. So it was important for me to get back in the groove. I am thankful for getting a half-century but I think I should have carried on and got a big one.”Barath became the youngest West Indies player to score a century in 2009 – beating George Headley’s record – when he hit a stroke-filled 104 in an innings defeat at the Gabba. Things haven’t been quite as easy since.”That’s something I have been trying to cope with in the past year or so where I have had good starts. Obviously it’s a very frustrating period in my career after just coming into the team and getting a century on debut and not playing as consistently as I should have after that.”The learning process has been helped by the presence of Desmond Haynes – one half of West Indies’ legendary opening partnership – as batting coach. “It is a privilege to have someone like Desmond Haynes as part of our team,” Barath said. “Being an opening batsman it is great for me because he has the experience of playing on different pitches around the world against different opposition. It’s obviously a work in progress and there is nothing he could do overnight as a batting coach.”Part of Haynes’ mandate has to be to change the mindset of the West Indies batsmen, especially against spin on the slow and low pitches of the subcontinent. Barath said Haynes has told them to be positive against spin. “He was the sort of guy that took the bowlers on. He definitely dominated some of the best bowlers in the world. He always tells us that we should be positive as batsmen and not allow bowlers to get on top of us. It’s all in the mind.”On the Eden Gardens pitch, chances of saving the game rest largely on Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the one individual in the batting line-up with more than 50 Test caps to his name. “He is the key player for us tomorrow. He can bat through tomorrow and make it difficult for the India bowlers and take the game into the fifth day and make them bat again. He looks very determined and he is eyeing 10,000 Test runs.”It’s important to make India bat again. It will be important tomorrow morning for [Darren] Bravo and Chanderpaul to continue. I think they just need to continue batting as long as possible and come back on the fifth day.”One man they’ll have to see off to accomplish that task is Umesh Yadav, who has impressed with his wholehearted attitude and bustling pace. “I think he’s bowling 90 miles an hour,” Barath, who fell to him in the first innings, said. “Any bowler who can bowl at that speed is special. There are not many around who bowl at that speed. He has what it takes, and these pitches can help him develop as a player.”After a frustrating period, Barath too is eyeing the next level.

Fast bowler Lasith Malinga has become such a precious commodity that Sri Lanka are considering not risking him in any of the upcoming three Tests against West Indies

Sa'adi Thawfeeq13-Nov-2010Fast bowler Lasith Malinga has become such a precious commodity that Sri Lanka are considering not risking him in any of the upcoming three Tests against West Indies. The spearhead of the Sri Lankan bowling attack in one-dayers along with Muttiah Muralitharan, Malinga was left out of the first Test in Galle starting Monday. He may not play in the rest of the series because Sri Lanka intends keeping him injury-free, fit and fresh for the 2011 World Cup which begins next February.”With the injury he has, it could easily come back,” Mahela Jayawardene said. “It’s a very rare injury on the knee and him playing three Tests against West Indies would definitely hamper him. I don’t think we’ll risk playing him in Test cricket just before the World Cup. The selectors [will] probably play him in a few of the one-dayers against West Indies.”Malinga, who bowls with a slinging action, is the third highest wicket-taker in Tests for his country with 101 wickets from 30 Tests. In the last Test series Sri Lanka played at home against India in June, Malinga played in the first and third Test and was rested for the second. He played a stellar role in Sri Lanka’s historic 2-1 maiden one-day series victory in Australia this month winning the Man-of-the-Series award for his contribution with the ball as well as the bat.”We’ve got enough ammunition now with Dilhara [Fernando] and Dammika [Prasad] who bowled really well in Australia, Thilan Thushara coming back from injury and playing in the three-day game, and [Chanaka] Welegedara as well,” Jayawardene said. “Plus, the two young boys, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep, who bowled really well with the A team. It’s a great opportunity for these guys to show what they are capable of.”Jayawardene said that after the World Cup Sri Lanka will have to assess whether they could play Malinga in Test matches depending on his work load. “We’ll have to monitor him and Lasith could think why risk bowling a lot and get injured again and be out for a year and a half. It’s a career-threatening injury where he might not be able to bowl again. It’s a bit too early for us to totally write him off from Test cricket but we have to manage him, that’s how I would put it.”The West Indies series is the first that Sri Lanka will be going in without the redoubtable Murali, who retired earlier this year. “I don’t think you can replace guys like Murali who’s taken 800 Test wickets and [Chaminda] Vaasy 355 wickets. That’s going to be a tough one.”It can be very exciting as well because rather than depending on one of the bowlers now we have to play as a unit of five bowlers who are going to take 20 wickets rather than one of them picking up eight or 12. What we have to realise is that it is quite difficult to replace players just like that but given opportunities and having a lot of faith we’ve seen in the last year or so it has happened in one-day cricket where all the youngsters have delivered. We have to have the same plan of pacing them in Test cricket as well and give them enough opportunities and encourage them to do things with a free mind.”Jayawardene said that the best thing to happen to Sri Lanka cricket was the advent of young allrounder Angelo Mathews. “If there is an allrounder (we never had a genuine allrounder for a long time) like Angie who could deliver with the bat and the ball for us, it makes a huge difference,” said Jayawardene. “The confidence he shows and the way he learns about the game everyday is good for us and for the future of cricket. There are a few other younger boys who are doing very well like Jeevan Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal who’s been used as well in the system. If these guys make the rapid progress that Angelo has done, in another four-five years time when the senior boys leave these guys will be quite adequate to take those roles and take Sri Lanka cricket forward which is the most important thing.”Looking at his future, Jayawardene said, “Honestly I haven’t thought about it. But this is going to be a very big World Cup for me. I’ve just kept everything for that. After the World Cup we got two years (with) a lot of Test cricket ahead of us. I just need to refocus and see what my priorities are going to be.”I am not going to be very selfish. It’s going to be what the team requires and how we need to progress. Definitely after the World Cup I need to sit with the selectors and discuss those options of what plans they have, where we need to go and depending on that I’ll make my decision.”

Mark Lane, the England women’s coach, was named UK coach of the year and high performance coach of the year at the UK coaching awards ceremony in London on Tuesday.

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009Mark Lane, the England women’s coach, was named UK coach of the year and high performance coach of the year at the UK coaching awards ceremony in London on Tuesday.Lane, 44, has overseen a memorable year for England, guiding them to the World Cup, the World Twenty20, a 4-0 triumph over Australia in the Natwest Series and a draw in a one-off Test to retain the Ashes.Hugh Morris, the ECB managing director, said the dedication Lane has shown since taking up the position alongside the money put into Women’s cricket has been behind England’s success.”Mark has been working with the England women’s team since April 2008 and his passion for the game and the hard work of all involved have helped the team achieve a huge amount in the last 18 months.”This, coupled with the increased investment into women’s cricket particularly in the last four years, has helped England become the dominant force in the game.”Clare Connor, ECB’s head of England women’s cricket, said that the team were looking forward to building on this year’s success next season.”I know that Mark, the rest of the management and the entire team are already focussed on 2010 and beyond and ensuring that the team maintains its position as the best in the world and continues to inspire girls to play the game.”Cricket received a third accolade at the ceremony, winning the coaching intervention of the year award.
This was for ‘cricket’s education offer’ in the form of eight members of the England women’s team working as coaching ambassadors for the ECB’s Chance to shine programme.

Wicketkeeper insists team will continue to ‘inspire and entertain’ despite insipid Ashes showing

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2025Amy Jones has insisted there’s still a “lot of love” for Alex Hartley within the England Women’s squad, as she sought to play down the row over Hartley’s claims that she has been “given the cold shoulder” by certain players during her duties as an Ashes broadcaster.England go into Thursday’s second T20I in Canberra needing nothing less than a win to maintain their hopes of salvaging a drawn series after four consecutive losses. But their on-field struggles have been overshadowed by the team’s alleged response to Hartley’s criticism of their fitness levels, which began with their T20 World Cup exit in October.Speaking on a BBC podcast on Monday, after Australia’s 57-run win had confirmed that they will maintain their decade-long hold on the Ashes, Hartley claimed that Sophie Ecclestone had refused to do a TV interview with her, and that other members of the squad were no longer talking to her on the boundary edge.”The reason I said that they were not as fit as Australia is because I want them to compete with Australia,” Hartley had added. “I want them to be better than Australia, and I want them to win Ashes and World Cups. I’m giving my opinion, and I’ve been given the cold shoulder from the England team ever since.”Replying to the row, Jones acknowledged that the squad had fallen well short of its own expectations during the Ashes, but denied that the players had taken Hartley’s comments personally.”I don’t think it is the case,” Jones said. “I think we all respect that commentators have their own opinions and it’s Alex’s job to say how she feels. And I think we all respect that. Hartley’s a great personality, and we have a lot of love for her within the group. So, I definitely don’t think that’s the case.”Jones herself has been a qualified success in a misfiring batting line-up, making three 30-plus scores in four innings to date, including an unbeaten 47 in a low-scoring ODI in Melbourne.Related

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However, England’s missed opportunities in this series were epitomised by Jones’ glaring lack of game awareness at the culmination of that Melbourne innings, when she failed to run on a free hit that could have kept her on strike going into the penultimate over of the innings. No.11 Lauren Bell was bowled one ball later to condemn England to a 21-run loss.”That one in particular was hard to take, for many reasons,” Jones said. “I felt emotionally drained afterwards [because], with the obvious mistake at the end, you definitely feel responsible for the loss. But the support from all the girls and the staff emphasised that long games don’t often come down to one specific moment, so I guess that definitely helped.”I’ve obviously made contributions along the way, but as a player, you definitely judge yourself on matchwinning contributions. I’ve been lucky to be in a position where I could have really helped influence a few of those games, especially in the ODIs, and I’m disappointed not to be able to get the team over the line. There’s a lot of learnings in there.”Alex Hartley claims she has been given the ‘cold shoulder’ by England players•Getty Images

Even with the series all but lost, Jones says that the squad will be sticking to the same mantras and methods that have been in place since the start of Jon Lewis’ tenure as head coach, in particular their desire to “inspire and entertain” – traits that have arguably been in scarce supply in a dispiriting campaign.”We’re still working hard at training and in team meetings to try and put our best foot forward,” Jones said. “We’ll be very excited to come out play tomorrow, and hopefully get some points on the board.”There was a bit of reconnection after the second ODI about how we want to play, making sure we’re still trying to inspire and entertain,” she added. “That’s worked really well for us in the past, and it’s something that all of us connect to really well.”It brings out more of a fearless playing style, which suits us. I think we’ve lifted a bit away from that, and so reconnecting to that is important for us. We play our best when we take the game on, put their bowlers under pressure with the bat, and have a wicket-taking mindset with the ball. In the field, it’s around energy and enjoyment. When all those things come together, we’re obviously a very good side.”

Zampa enters top five and Kuldeep the top ten for bowlers; Bavuma has shot up to a career-best No. 11 in the batters’ list after a string of good scores

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2023Shubman Gill has moved up to a career-best No. 2 in the ICC ODI rankings for men’s batters, with only Babar Azam ahead of him.Gill scored 58 and stitched a 121-run opening partnership with captain Rohit Sharma in the Asia Cup Super Four fixture against Pakistan, which helped him move up one spot despite just 19 against Sri Lanka in the next game.Virat Kohli, who hit an unbeaten century against Pakistan, and Rohit, who has hit 53 and 56 over the past week, after 74 not out against Nepal on September 4, have gained two places each and occupy the eighth and ninth positions, respectively.

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This is also the first time since September 2018 that three Indian batters are in the top ten of the ODI rankings. Four years ago, Rohit, Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan were all in the top six.Pakistan also have three batters in the top ten, with Babar still at the top with a lead of more than 100 rating points over Gill, while Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman are fifth and tenth, respectively.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Elsewhere, Temba Bavuma has advanced 21 places to reach a career-best No. 11 after scoring three centuries and two half-centuries in his last eight ODIs. In the past week, he has hit an unbeaten 114 against Australia, followed by scores of 46 and 57. His previous best position was 25th.Among the other major gainers were David Warner, who has risen from fifth to fourth, Travis Head (jump of six places to 20th) and Marnus Labuschagne (up 24 places to 45th).KL Rahul is also ten places up to 37th, while Ishan Kishan has moved to 22nd, gaining two spots.Related

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Among bowlers, Trent Boult has moved up to joint-second with Josh Hazlewood after picking up 3 for 37 in his 100th ODI, also his first in almost exactly a year, while Adam Zampa has entered the top five for the first time after picking up four wickets in the second match against South Africa.Kuldeep Yadav’s nine wickets in the last two Asia Cup matches has helped him rise five positions to seventh.Haris Rauf has gone up eight spots to 21st, while Jasprit Bumrah (up eight places to 27th) and Hardik Pandya (up 21 places to 56th) have also gained. Hardik has also moved up four places to sixth among allrounders.

Hosts trail by 16 runs at Canterbury with five first-innings wickets in hand

ECB Reporters Network12-Jul-2022Kent 287 for 5 (Cox 63*, Denly 63, Leaning 63) trail Northamptonshire 303 (Gay 112, Rickelton 55) by 16 runsKent were 287 for 5 after day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Northamptonshire at Canterbury, trailing by 16 with five first-innings wickets remaining.Hefty partnerships of 91 between Joe Denly and Ben Compton and then exactly 100 between Jack Leaning and Jordan Cox helped Kent close in on Northamptonshire’s first innings score of 303.Cox was unbeaten on 63 at stumps, while Denly and Leaning also both made 63.Jack White had the visitors’ best bowling figures with 2 for 40.Having dismissed Northamptonshire with the final delivery on day one, for a total they felt was around 150 to 200 below par, Kent were confident going into the second day, but any hopes that Zak Crawley might find some form after his struggles with England were dashed in the fourth over, when he was out for five, chipping White to Luke Procter at mid-wicket.Daniel Bell-Drummond had looked comfortable, but when he nicked Jimmy Neesham to Emilio Gay at second slip for 17 Kent were wobbling on 30 for 2.Ben Compton and Denly responded with a stand of 91 for the third wicket. It was a partnership of contrasting styles, with the former England player Denly’s innings initially seeming like it could end at any second, while the possible future England player Compton’s felt like it might never end.Denly was nearly out first ball, but his shot just eluded mid-wicket, while Compton took 85 minutes to reach double-figures.Kent were 74 for 2 at lunch, after which Denly looked significantly happier. He reached 50 by cracking successive Neesham deliveries for four and six and it was Compton who went first, caught at first slip by Neesham for 34 after edging White.Denly followed soon after, clipping Procter straight to Emilio Gay at midwicket and juggling his bat in frustration as he walked off, leaving Kent on 136 for 4.Leaning and Cox took the hosts to 181 for 4 at tea, after which the latter survived a strong run out appeal following a direct hit from Ryan Rickelton. Leaning passed 50 when he pulled Rob Keogh for four to the deep-midwicket boundary but after completing their century stand he fell to the new ball when he was caught behind off Ben Sanderson.Although the wicket temporarily slowed the scoring rate, Cox reached his half-century by swatting a short-pitched ball from Neesham for a single and Sam Billings played some elegant shots on his way to an unbeaten 24 at stumps, the duo completing the third fifty partnership of the innings in the final over.

“I told Sachin that if both of you and Dravid do not want to lead the side, how will we go about things?”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2021Former BCCI president Sharad Pawar has said that Sachin Tendulkar had suggested MS Dhoni’s name for India’s captaincy in 2007, when the board was running out of options. Pawar, who was the board chief from 2005 to 2008, said that India’s then captain Rahul Dravid approached him during the 2007 tour of England saying he “no longer wanted to lead India” and when Pawar asked Tendulkar to take over the reins, he declined as well.”I remember India had gone to England in 2007,” Pawar was quoted as saying by ANI. “At that time, Rahul Dravid was the captain. I was there in England then and Dravid came to meet me. He told me how he no longer wanted to lead India. He told me how the captaincy was affecting his batting. He told me that he should be relieved from the captaincy. I then asked Sachin Tendulkar to lead the side, but he refused the role.”I told Sachin that if both of you and Dravid do not want to lead the side, how will we go about things? Then Sachin told me that we have one more player in the country who could lead the side and his name is none other than MS Dhoni. After that, we gave the leadership to Dhoni.”India’s captaincy had become a big talking point in 2007 after their shock exit from the ODI World Cup in the first round. Ganguly had already stepped down, and Dravid and Tendulkar were 34, which meant India would anyway need a younger player to lead the side in the long run.The selectors first picked Dhoni as captain for the T20I series in South Africa – while Dravid was still leading in ODIs – in August that year before naming him captain for the inaugural T20 World Cup that India went on to win. ODI captaincy also followed naturally, and so did the leadership in Tests a year later after Anil Kumble stepped down.With his inimitable captaincy style, Dhoni went on to achieve unprecedented success in all three formats: the T20 World Cup title aside, he sealed the 2011 ODI World Cup victory in the final with a six, lifted the Champions Trophy in 2013 in England, and led the team to the top of the ICC Test rankings for 18 months starting December 2009.

Batsmen spend valuable time at the crease in Benoni as Boxing Day Test looms

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2019Joe Root, Joe Denly and Dom Sibley posted half-centuries to open England’ s tour of South Africa with a first-day score of 309 for 4 against a Cricket South Africa Invitational XI in Benoni.Root backed up his previous innings of 226 in the second Test against New Zealand a fortnight ago by top scoring for England with 72 off 86 balls on day one of two at Willowmoore Park before he retired not out. With Denly and Sibley also retiring not out after reaching 60 and 58 respectively, England were effectively seven wickets down at stumps as Zak Crawley closed unbeaten on 28 accompanied by Sam Curran, who was not out 18.ALSO READ: Returning Anderson in ‘great place’ – SilverwoodEngland will bowl on Wednesday, when they hope to have the services of Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad, who were feeling unwell on Tuesday.Rory Burns, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow were out to soft dismissals in the teens on Tuesday, while Ollie Pope was out lbw for 20.Denly made the most of surviving a dropped catch when he was on 28 and Sibley showed no ill effects after being struck on the helmet towards the end of his innings, which lasted more than three hours. The pair put on a 103-run stand, which Sibley thoroughly enjoyed, having not had the chance before after falling for 22, 12 and 4 while opening in his only three Test innings to date, on the recent tour of New Zealand.”It’s the first time I’ve batted with Joe,” Sibley said. “I didn’t make it long enough in New Zealand. We complement each other quite nicely.”Burns and Sibley put on a chanceless 37 runs in the first hour before Burns threw away his wicket, taking on left-arm seamer Stephan Tait and top-edging a hook to fine-leg.Root set about scoring quickly and finished as he began, taking 16 runs off the final over he faced, including a last-ball slog-sweep for six.”He played well, he’s coming off a double hundred in New Zealand so he looks in good form, so hopefully he continues,” said Sibley, who was content to come off after reaching his fifty despite not having had as much batting time as he would have liked during the two Tests he has played so far.”It’s all part of warm-up games, making sure everyone gets enough time in the middle,” he said. “You can’t really beat time at the crease so I was happy with the amount of time I got out there especially after having a couple of days in the nets.”Dom Sibley is struck on the head by the ball•Getty Images

Sibley’s disappointing returns in the New Zealand Tests followed a century in a warm-up match and prompted him to spend time with Warwickshire batting coach Tony Frost and freelance consultant Gary Palmer making “little tweaks” to his technique before flying out to South Africa.”Nothing major, just getting back to what I was doing well in the summer for Warwickshire and hitting past mid-on, which I did well today, so I was pleased with that,” Sibley said. “I felt balanced, so that’s good. I want to peak at the right times and hopefully that happens.”I’ve only had three innings and I think especially in the first innings I felt good, I felt at home, and then in the second Test match I probably put myself under a little bit too much pressure to get a big score. I’m just going to play my game, stick to my strengths and be nice and chilled out there.”I’ve got to start getting some scores and stuff but hopefully Boxing Day will be my day so hopefully I play.”Buttler was dropped at slip on just five but he offered a repeat chance to depart for 15 while Bairstow’s return to England’s red-ball side following his omission for the New Zealand Tests ended when he smacked a rank full toss to mid-on.England will play one more tour match, a three-day fixture against South Africa A starting on Friday, before the first of four Tests starts on Boxing Day.

Jack Leach advances claims for a Test berth, but does Joe Denly’s struggle open a door for Ben Foakes?

George Dobell in Colombo02-Nov-2018Johnny Nash probably wasn’t thinking about England’s selection for the Galle Test when he sang ‘There are more questions than answers’ but, as the selectors sit down to pick their side in the coming days, it would make a suitable soundtrack.With the warm-up games now over, England’s plans are far from clear. They have choices to make on the identity of their keeper, whether to play two spinners or three, who should bat at No. 3 and which seamer – or seamers – should play alongside James Anderson and Ben Stokes.A couple of weeks ago, it seemed they had pencilled Joe Denly in as their No. 3. Joe Root had confirmed he would bat at No. 4 – a decision that could now be rethought – and Moeen Ali had confirmed he would not bat at No.3.But Denly has struggled in these red-ball warm-up games. After an unconvincing 25 in the first warm-up game, he was out second ball here pushing half-forward to a full, straight delivery.The hope that his legspin might be useful at this level have been diminished, too. While his bowling may have a role to play in T20 cricket, here the batsmen were able to sit in and wait for the bad ball. They didn’t have to wait long, either, as he conceded three sixes and two fours in five overs that cost 43 runs. A relatively simple dropped chance in the first warm-up game didn’t do him any good, either.As a result, his chances of making a Test debut in Galle have diminished. And, because of that, he could well have opened the door to a debut for Ben Foakes instead.Jack Leach finally got the chance to press his case•Getty Images

It’s not a like-for-like change by any means. But with Jonny Bairstow most unlikely to be considered for Galle – he didn’t take any part in this match and England do not want to jeopardise his availability for the second Test – they must pick from either Foakes or Jos Buttler.It’s no secret that Trevor Bayliss is a fan of Foakes – or that Foakes is the superior keeper – and would like to find a way to slip him into the side. And, on a surface that is expected to spin, his excellence in standing up to the stumps could be crucial. Buttler will certainly play, but he could do so as a specialist batsman and allow Foakes to slot in at No.7. It may be relevant that England said before play they expected Buttler to keep throughout the innings but that after 25 overs, Foakes took over.It does look, however, as if the batting will be opened by Keaton Jennings and Rory Burns. While Burns fell early here – he was beaten by the lack of pace in this sluggish surface and pulled to midwicket – he was impressive in the first game, while Jennings looked more solid this time. While he seems over-reliant upon the sweep and reverse-sweep to combat spinners, England are not flush with other options and his 45 in 33 overs here – he retired to provide others with opportunities – settled the debate for now.Other performances provoked equally tricky dilemmas. Sam Curran, skipping down the wicket to the spinners, batted beautifully and claimed an early wicket when Stokes and Root combined to pull off an outstanding slip catch. But unless his control is immaculate and he can find some swing, he looks worryingly innocuous. At one stage here he conceded 28 – two sixes and four fours – in eight deliveries. Given the prospect of playing him as one of a three-man seam attack, that is a concern.Stuart Broad, by comparison, offered control and could yet prompt a rethink of his absence for this game. But he cannot offer what Curran can with the bat, which perhaps leaves Chris Woakes as a compromise candidate. Despite the slow surface, Olly Stone made a couple of batsmen look uncomfortable, too. It’s hard to see a way in for him, but he does offer a point of difference.Jack Leach, at least, enjoyed a fine day. If the highlight was the wicket of the left-hander Kamindu Mendis, bowled by a beauty that deceived him in the flight, then turned and hit the top of middle, there were several other pleasing moments. He conceded only one boundary – and that came in a nervous first over – and made a compelling argument for his Test selection.Earlier Stokes batted nicely after England had collapsed from 28 without loss to 28 for 3 in ten deliveries. Ollie Pope, pushing at one on off stump, was unable to press his claims for a place and Buttler fell to a forcing shot off the legspin of Jeffrey Vandersay. At one stage, England’s massage therapist had to sprint to the nets on the ground over the road – where England’s middle-order were training – to get them to pad-up. But Stokes, who looks a fine player of spin these days, waltzed to fifty before retiring.For the Sri Lanka side, Avishka Fernando (who took Curran for successive sixes) looked a fine player, while Shehan Madushanka swung merrily and took a shine to Denly, in particular. Lahiru Kumara again looked a fine seamer, too, and took three wickets – all of them top-order batsmen – in five balls at one stage.At no stage was this treated as a serious game. Batsmen and bowlers came and went throughout and there was never any intention of either side defending or chasing a total. It was all about warm-up and preparation. But while England suddenly grew warm, they still have a lot of thinking to do before settling on their side for the first Test.Meanwhile it is understood that the number of tickets bought by England supporters for this series has dropped sharply since the the last series here between these teams in 2012. Perhaps due to the scheduling – the entire tour is being played during monsoon season – and perhaps due to a perception (it may well be more than a perception) that England supporters are being charged far than home supporters, it is understood that around 2,500 Test tickets have been sold to overseas visitors. That number was at least 2,000 higher in 2012. Talk of the possibility of a tropical cyclone developing in the coming days will encourage few last-minute arrivals.

The BCB is looking at the BKSP grounds or Sylhet as alternative venues for the two-day match, which is scheduled for August 22 and 23

Mohammad Isam12-Aug-2017The Bangladesh Cricket Board faces a race against time to host Australia’s practice match later this month at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, which has been inundated with contaminated water. The BCB is now looking at Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan or Sylhet as back-up venues for the two-day practice match scheduled for August 22 and 23.Over the last few months, contaminated water from adjoining factories has leaked into the ground and its surrounding premises. Seasonal rainfall has compounded the problem, with large parts of the ground and its surrounding premises waterlogged. The weather has also hampered the BCB’s efforts to drain out the excess water through the installation of pumps. The National Sports Council, the government body that effectively owns and maintains all sporting venues in the country, including Fatullah, has been criticised for its lack of initiative in dealing with the problem.Jalal Yunus, the BCB’s media committee chairman, said on Saturday that the BCB will discuss alternative venues with another Cricket Australia security team that arrives on August 15, three days before the full touring party is set to reach Dhaka.”We are still trying to get Fatullah ready,” Yunus said. “We are using pumps to drain out the water. Fatullah was set as the venue for the practice match almost a year ago, when we had done the tour MoU with Cricket Australia. As the rain falls every day, the situation is becoming more delicate. The possibility [of holding the match in Fatullah] is falling, but we are thinking of alternative venues like the BKSP.”We will hold talks with CA’s security team about the venue, whether we can have it somewhere other than Fatullah. If we can shorten the travel time to BKSP, maybe there can be a solution. Sylhet is also an option but we have to see how viable it can be.”BKSP, Bangladesh’s largest sporting institute, has three cricket grounds, one of which has hosted practice matches for touring sides in the past. But it is 36km north of Australia’s team hotel in Dhaka, and would take at least 90 minutes to reach. Fatullah is 25.5km to the south of the team hotel in Dhaka, while Sylhet, which hosted matches during the 2014 ICC World T20s, lies 240 kms to the east of the capital.