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With wins vital, exciting finish could be in store, weather permitting

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2020Both captains indicated their readiness to set up a final-day run chase after just 8.5 overs were possible on the third day of the Bob Willis Trophy match between Leicestershire and Durham at the Fischer County Ground.Durham added 23 runs to their overnight score of 227 for 6, but lost the wicket of Paul Coughlin, caught at point by Sam Evans off the bowling of Gavin Griffiths.”There’s definitely a possibility of setting something up, it’s a short competition with wins vital, so it could make for exciting cricket on the last day – if we’re luckier with the weather,” said Leicestershire skipper Colin Ackerman.Opposite number Ned Eckersley agreed: “It’s going to take some positive discussions to find a target we’re both comfortable with – we’d probably want a few more than 250 – but both sides will want a positive outcome. We’ve all spent too much time not playing cricket this year, and every player and every member of the coaching staff on both sides will want an exciting last day. We don’t want to come and bat for bonus points.”

Centuries from Tom Alsop and Aiden Markram set Hampshire up for a commanding 355 for 5 but it went down to the wire

ECB Reporters Network02-May-2019Hampshire edged out a high scoring thriller as Kyle Abbott and Mason Crane held their nerves after Sussex Sharks produced a second unbelievable Royal London Cup match in three days.David Wiese scored an epic 171 to take Sussex within 13 runs of victory after they had slipped to 103 for 5 chasing a massive 356 to win. But Abbott’s 10th over, the 49th of the match saw the game turn back in Hampshire’s direction as he got rid of Wiese and Danny Briggs and only went for nine runs.Crane took three wickets for 55, including two in the final over to put Hampshire on the brink of a knockout spot with a nine-run victory.The result was as dramatic as the Sharks’ one-wicket victory over Essex on Tuesday, which saw Will Beer and Laurie Evans put on a three-figure stand for the seventh wicket before No. 10 Danny Briggs scored the winning runs with a ball to spare.On that occasion, the Sussex players had sung “The Great Escape” on their return to the dressing room. But at the Ageas Bowl, Hampshire sang the theme to the classic film.It looked like a regulation Hampshire win was in order when Luke Wright fell in the third over as Abbott jagged a delivery into his middle-stump before Phil Salt flashed to Aneurin Donald at point. The slide continued when Garton was lbw attempting to reverse sweep Liam Dawson and Harry Finch pulled a James Fuller bouncer to deep square leg.When Dawson bowled Evans, all appeared lost for Sussex – but Wiese and Ben Brown collided to swing the game towards the visitors.Wiese had proven his batting prowess earlier in the tournament when he scored 93 not out to seal a chase against Surrey. Wiese went through the gears effectively as he reached his half-century in 57 balls, and then only needed 26 more to reach three figures, with six fours and three maximums included in the barrage.Alongside Wiese, Brown was quietly accompanying with a pacy half-century of his own.Wiese took the WASP from a 1% chance of victory to 81% as he moved past 150 in 120 balls. Brown departed for 64 with 21 still to win when he reverse-swept to Dawson at backward point.But Abbott found Wiese rarely mishitting to long-on before Briggs chipped to Gareth Berg. And a crazy game was concluded when Crane had Beer and Mir Hamza stumped.Earlier, Hampshire had put up what appeared an unassailable 355 after stand-in captain Sam Northeast won the toss and elected to bat. Hampshire were forced to reshuffle their top order with James Vince on England duty in Ireland, Donald moving up to open with Tom Alsop.The pair put on 78, a best opening stand for the season, in a watchful manner, which prioritised running hard to boundaries.Donald was well caught on the square-leg boundary, while pulling, but that didn’t deter Hampshire as Aiden Markram joined Alsop. Again, the duo refused to take unnecessary risks but when they did they used their power to explosive effect – Markram pumping a pair of sixes over extra-cover a particular highlight from the stand.Alsop looked steady while reaching a half-century in 71 balls. But it was Markram who brought the glamour often provided by Vince, with glittering drives – half of his 16 fours coming between cover and mid-on – and pressure-relieving punches. His fifty came from 48 deliveries.Sussex’s fielding was well-below par, and probably cost them a chunk of runs, with Markram and Alsop both shelled on the way to three figures. The partnership continued to blossom and took Hampshire to the last 10 overs just one wicket down before Alsop, having reached his century off 116 balls, picked out Garton at long-off, with the stand worth 184.Markram continued his fun and reached his maiden ton for Hampshire in his penultimate fixture before the World Cup, from 73 balls.Rilee Rossouw and Fuller were hoisted up the order to boost the run rate but both departed, alongside Markram, in the last five overs while attempting aggressive shots – as in the end Hampshire scored just enough.

James Anderson took over the role for the Ashes in Stokes’ absence, but the allrounder’s return to the fold for the New Zealand tour means it is a situation that needs to be addressed

Andrew McGlashan in Wellington01-Mar-2018Ben Stokes’ position as England’s Test vice-captain will be discussed in the next couple of weeks, following his return to international cricket.Stokes was not stripped of the title in the wake of the incident in Bristol last September that led to him being charged with affray to which he pleaded not-guilty last month.James Anderson took over the role for the Ashes in Stokes’ absence, but the allrounder’s return to the fold for the New Zealand tour means it is a situation that needs to be addressed by Test captain Joe Root and coach Trevor Bayliss ahead of the two matches against New Zealand at the end of the March.Stokes was not the vice-captain of the one-day side – that role belongs to Jos Buttler as Eoin Morgan’s deputy – so a decision was not needed when Stokes made his England comeback in Hamilton.”That’s a decision we’ve not agreed yet,” Root said of the vice-captaincy role. “I think when we get together as a group me and Trevor will discuss a few things but that’s not been discussed [yet].”It could be a tricky balancing act to strike given Stokes’ case is still moving through the legal system, with the first Crown Court date on March 12 – which Stokes won’t attend while he stays on tour in New Zealand.On the field, the early stages of Stokes’ return have been a success. Following an encouraging first outing with the ball in Hamilton, where two wickets almost turned the game for England, he produced a Man-of-the-Match all-round display in Mount Maunganui with an unbeaten 63 to seal victory, alongside two wickets and a brace run outs.Stokes spoke of the emotion he felt after his five-month absence and the privilege of playing for England. He has quickly slotted back into the set-up with team-mates unaware of him being distracted by the lingering off-field issues.”All I can say is what I’ve seen of him coming back into the environment and he’s worked his nuts off as we expected him to,” Root said. “He’s gone about things exactly how you’d expect a really good professional to do and that sort of standard in training is why you get the performances on the field.”He worked really hard back home in Durham to make sure when he did get his opportunity to come back and play he was ready. He loves playing for England and you can see that in the way he plays. He leaves nothing out there on the field, he’s really dedicated to this sport and it’s really nice to be able to look back on the last game and see him have such an influence on the result.”In the build-up to the one-day series the talk had been about how confident Stokes was looking in the nets, but no amount of training can replicate match situations. His first knock of 12 was scratchy but in the second match he showed off some trademark shots, including a straight drive for six off Trent Boult. He has yet to be used for his full 10 overs – sending down two spells of four overs in each match – but he has pushed into the 140kph bracket on occasions.”It’s testament to just how good a player he actually is, to have such a period out of the game and come straight back and perform how he has shows the skill level of the individual really,” Root said. “It’s good to see him back playing, it really is.”

A round up of the fifth round of Ford Trophy matches held on January 28, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2017Nick Kelly struck 118 runs and Scott Kuggeleijn and Jono Boult took three wickets each to lead Northern Districts to a 135-run win against Wellington in Whangarei.Choosing to bat, Northern Districts recovered from 62 for 3 in the 20th over to finish on 285 for 6 in their 50. Kelly was their innings’ primary driver; his 103-ball knock included partnerships of 89 with Daryl Mitchell (27), 52 with Kuggeleijn and an unbeaten 64-run with Brett Hampton, who hit 35 runs off 21 deliveries.Wellington’s chase started poorly. Opener Michael Papps fell in the third over followed by ducks from Stephen Murdoch and Hamish Marshall – all of them being dismissed by Kuggeleijn. Matthew Pollard scored 30 off 52 balls and by the time he was out, Wellington were struggling at 85 for 6. Matt Taylor hit six fours to score 45 runs, but there was too much for Wellington’s lower order to do. They folded for 150 in the 35th over courtesy three late strikes from Boult. The win took Northern Districts to the top of the Ford Trophy table.In Palmerston North, Otago completed a 23-run win over Central Districts after Jack Hunter’s four wickets dented the latter’s chase. This after Michael Bracewell struck 92 to take Otago to 287 in their 50 overs.The chase of 288 for Central Districts was hit by the constant fall of wickets. Hunter removed both openers in his first spell, Christi Viljoen removed the set Will Young (63) while Nathan Smith took two lower-order wickets. Their middle order chipped in with some useful contributions – notably Josh Clarkson’s 44 and Navin Patel’s 37 – but those knocks proved futile.Earlier in the match Liam Dudding took three wickets, but Otago went on to accumulate runs guided by Bracewell’s 92. He was ably helped by Josh Finnie (39), Anaru Kitchen (24) and Derek de Boorder (31).Canterbury chased down the target of 210 set by Auckland to complete a five-wicket win at Rangiora’s Mainpower Oval. The win was set up by a 105-run partnership for the second wicket between Tom Latham (59) and Henry Nicholls (76) after Canterbury’s bowlers troubled the Auckland batsmen.Auckland chose to bat and their openers Jeet Raval (30) and Glenn Phillips (33) gave them a 58-run partnership. But Tim Johnston struck three times between overs 14 and 21 to reduce Auckland from 58 for no loss to 71 for 3. Rob Nicol scored a patient 67 as Auckland managed 209 for 8 in their 50 overs.Canterbury’s chase was driven by the century-stand between Latham and Nicholls. Latham’s seven boundaries and Nicholls’ nine all but secured the win. Despite Auckland’s quick strikes that followed, they reached their target with 70 balls to spare. Todd Astle (24) and Johnston (21) took them home.

Curtly Ambrose, the West Indies bowling consultant, expects his team to defy expectations and compete hard in the Tests against Australia

Melinda Farrell08-Dec-20152:23

‘We are here to win’ – Ambrose

Look Sir Curtly Ambrose in the eye (you may need a ladder) and tell him the West Indies have no hope of beating Australia.Tell him this first Test in Hobart will be over in two days – three, if Jason Holder’s men are lucky – and that more humiliation will follow in Melbourne and Sydney.Tell him that David Warner and Steve Smith will feast on a modest bowling attack and that Australia’s greenest bowling line-up in years will embarrass the West Indies batsmen.Tell him any of this and you’ll be on the wrong end of the fearsome glare that terrorised many a champion batsman throughout his celebrated career as one of the game’s very best fast bowlers.”You as reporters have got to report what you see,” Ambrose said. “So I’ve learned over the years to, I won’t say ignore, but know what to take from the reports and what not to take. But we’re going to be focused. We’re not going to worry about what has been said about us not being a good team or not going to compete … At the end of the day when we perform and beat Australia, then the reporters will have to change their tune.”We played against Australia not so long ago in the Caribbean and even though we lost 2-0 there were moments or periods when we had them on the back foot and had their backs against the wall. And we never really finished them off. So we believe we can compete and not only compete but we believe we can beat them and that’s our focus to beat Australia. Not just to compete but to win and, being the underdogs, sometimes it’s good to be that way.”We have nothing to lose. As far as I’m concerned the Australians are the ones under pressure. They have to beat us because Australians and cricket in general expect them to steamroll us. So they’re the ones who are under pressure, not us. And we’re going to put up a good show.”They are fighting words and there are few who can deliver them with as much conviction as Ambrose, the giant quick who generally let the ball – and his eyes – do the talking on the field.It’s two decades since Ambrose and Steve Waugh conducted one the most famous stare-offs in cricket’s history, the flint-eyed Australian stoic in the face of a blistering spell from Ambrose in Trinidad during the third Test in the 1995 battle for the Frank Worrell Trophy.20 years may have passed since his man-of-the-match performance, but Ambrose’s gaze has lost none of its intensity. And now, as West Indies’ bowling consultant, he wants to use the predictions of impending doom to fire up his charges after an insipid showing in the tour match in Brisbane.”Well first of all we’re not going to be distracted by those comments,” said Ambrose. “We’re here to do a job and we’re going to make a good job of it.”Being here alone should be more than enough motivation for the players but having heard or read those comments should be added motivation for them to prove the critics [wrong], if you will. We are not really distracted. We’re focused and in light of what happened in the warm up game, we are confident that we can put up a good show against Australia.”On its own, the West Indies’ 10-wicket loss to an inexperienced Cricket Australia XI side ahead of the series was a heavy blow. That they avoided an innings defeat thanks only to a stubborn partnership between Holder and Kemar Roach has given former players and current commentators ample fodder to question how the West Indies could take any confidence into the first Test. However, Ambrose pointed to frank discussions in the wake of the match as a potential turning point for the tourists.”We had a meeting, we had a talk about it,” Ambrose said. “And I explained to the guys in no uncertain terms that that’s unacceptable and if we’re going to struggle against an Under-19 team how do we expect to compete against a strong Australian line-up?”But we had a good meeting. Coach Phil Simmons called a meeting and we talked about a lot of things and I expect that, going forward, what’s gone already cannot be changed. So we’ve got to stay focused and move forward. I believe strongly that we’re going to put up a better show against Australia.”Ambrose took up his consultancy role in February 2014 and admits it took time for his charges to “bind” to his concept for their approach to bowling. His status alone ensured the players listened – “Well, I am bigger than most of them so they have to,” he joked – and, while their lack of patience was initially the biggest stumbling block, Ambrose has witnessed an improvement in the control and consistency he believes is necessary to succeed in Australian conditions.West Indies will look to Jerome Taylor, whom Ambrose dubs “the leader of the pack”, to replicate his best spells from the second Test of Australia’s 2-0 series victory in the Caribbean earlier this year. Taylor’s impressive first-innings haul of 6 for 47 off 25 overs in Kingston offered a spark of hope for renewal in his side’s heavy defeat and Ambrose is confident a Taylor-led attack has the ammunition to take 20 wickets, particularly if they can account for Warner and Smith.”Of course they are in some good form at the moment,” said Ambrose. “They are two good batsmen as well, they are going to be key. If you can get them out pretty early for not too many runs and get into the middle as quick as possible, I believe the middle order for Australia is not that solid at the moment.”Once we get them out early that is going to give us some leeway to get into the middle and really test them.”Ambrose isn’t the only member of the 1995 side that defeated Australia in Port of Spain – but, ultimately, lost the series – trying to inspire the current crop of players. Richie Richardson, Courtney Walsh and Stuart Williams all have roles within the West Indies set-up.But whether or not their defiant words can inspire a Test side ranked above only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh to victory over Australia remains to be seen. It will certainly take more than a withering glare. If West Indies manage to pull off an unexpected victory, they will need all the self-belief and passion of their predecessors.”I’m going to do whatever I can, and the coaching staff of course, to put up a good show here,” said Ambrose. “And I believe, once the guys are focused, we’re going to do well.”We’re going to do much better than you think.”

Rory Burns batted almost the entire day for a second Championship hundred in three matches

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Lord's02-May-2013
ScorecardRory Burns batted for most of the opening day, but said he did not feel in his best form•Getty Images

The idea that patience is rewarded was reinforced on the opening day at Lord’s. As Rory Burns batted almost the entire day for a second Championship hundred in three matches, those of the 2,000-odd crowd that hung on till stumps were treated to an entertaining cameo from Vikram Solanki and some neat touch-play from Steven Davies. But for those early deserters, their reasons could not be faulted.In an episode of “The Simpsons” Bart and Lisa, in the midst of an argument, decide that violence is the only answer. In an attempt to exonerate themselves from blame, they both decide to wave their arms (Bart) and kick their legs (Lisa), and inch toward the other in a bid to inflict pain yet no shoulder any of the blame. “If you get hit, it’s your own fault”.That scene came to mind watching the first two sessions; neither Middlesex nor Surrey could be blamed for the scoreboard lethargy but they were both aware that they’d reached an agreed impasse as the run-rate ambled along at under two an over up till tea. The collective hundred took 312 balls and only a fraction of those caused the Surrey batsmen any discomfort. One took a wicket – Graeme Smith nicking off to Tim Murtagh for a duck – but for a large proportion of the game that was Middlesex’s lot as their bowlers erred on the side of cautious attack.The majority of their good work came from Murtagh, whose opening spell from the Nursery End was good enough to suggest Smith’s decision to have first go on a sun-kissed Lord’s wouldn’t be a formality. Hindsight suggests nothing less, but Murtagh beat the outside edge of all three of Surrey’s southpaws at the top of their order with a consistent length and just enough seam movement. His was the only genuine threat in a first session that saw the home side use six bowlers, including the part-time offspin of Paul Stirling on Championship debut.

Luckily I didn’t get lost – Burns

A hundred in his maiden innings at the Home of Cricket, it wasn’t just the pitch that tested the nerve of Rory Burns.

“It was a bit weird walking through the Long Room and having people just roaming around. It’s definitely the longest walk from changing room to pitch; luckily I had Smithy with me so I didn’t get lost.”

“It wasn’t a wicket that I ever completely felt ‘in’ on – it was just a case of getting gritty and getting down to business. Just look at the amount of balls I took; the pitch was giving tennis-ball bounce and it was hard work, especially when the ball got soft.”

And, despite his start to the season, Burns did not feel great. “I don’t feel in form. I certainly feel like there have been other times when I’ve batted better and more fluently, but I think results wise I’d say I’m in good form.”

The pitch was flat but Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones’ line allowed opener Burns and Arun Harinath to leave comfortably; Harinath in particular benefitting from an hour-long period at the beginning of his innings which asked nothing of him but watchfulness. He brought up his fifty soon after Burns but was out carelessly flashing at a wide ball from Finn. The England quick has had better days on the field but his pace picked up as the hours went on, but the more cynical of Middlesex fans would say he was just going through the motions. Meanwhile it was a day of slog for Roland-Jones – after a profitable start to the season – as he went wicketless.The spoils of the day went, undoubtedly, to Burns for a second century in three Championship matches. He may be boyish in age and aesthetics but his reading of certain passages within each session spoke volumes about his batting nous. When Finn and Roland-Jones pushed him onto the back foot he went with it and did some of his best work from there; a thump through midwicket on his tip-toes a particularly pleasing riposte to a Roland-Jones bumper.He had a brace of reprieves – John Simpson put down a tough chance off the glove for a slack attempt at a hook and Sam Robson missed a fairly simple run-out from gully – but he didn’t dwell on them. Instead, he remained purposeful and calm.The presence of Solanki would have reassured Burns as he made his way through the nineties, not least because of the former’s strokeplay. Solanki hit seven fours, three of them coming in one Murtagh over, who was a shadow or his early-morning self. But he was rewarded for his earlier toil with a second wicket late in proceedings, as Burns played him onto his stumps trying to drive on the up, bringing to close a near six-hour display of serene toil.

Deccan Chargers coach Darren Lehmann has said he is confident that a better batting and fielding effort can help them end their winless run in this IPL season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-2012Deccan Chargers coach Darren Lehmann has said he is confident that a better batting and fielding effort can help them end their winless run in this IPL season. He was speaking after Chargers’ five-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday when they took the game to the last over despite defending 126.”I was really proud of the way we fought with the ball. The pleasing thing which I love from a young group of players is that we keep fighting, that’s four games in a row we’ve gone down to the last over,” Lehmann said. “We were about 15 short with the bat but they bowled well. We should have made about 145. I think we lost five for 40 in the last eight overs when we were two down. It was a tough wicket to play on, but we should have made 145.”Lehmann has criticised his side’s fielding in the past and did it again, after Anand Rajan dropped Debabrata Das with 17 needed off 14 deliveries. “You always like to take those catches,” he said. “We needed to take that catch and we’d have been in the game. For me it’s just about getting some facets of our game right. Ticking off the boxes in the middle order, holding our catches and bowling like we did tonight. If we do that, we’ll win games.”He was also critical of Knight Riders’ batsmen and their inability to handle the Chargers fast bowlers. “Manoj Tiwary and Das could not handle [Dale] Steyn or Veer [Pratap Singh]. He [Tiwary] won’t be playing for India much longer.”Tiwary and Steyn shared words in the 16th over, and the batsman was almost run out when he strayed from his crease during the exchange. Lehmann said, “The shorter you bowl to these players the more they struggle. Then they hit one down to long-on.”Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir said that his side did well in testing conditions. “It was a good game of cricket. You want to play such games to test yourself in such conditions. Low-scoring games are very important in the tournament. It should not always be a high-scoring game. There have to be wickets for the bowlers as well, because they also come to play a game of cricket.”He also defended allrounder Yusuf Pathan, who has struggled with the bat through the tournament. “For me he is the biggest match-winner [and] if we can win games without him then that shows the depth in our team. I’m sure he will end up winning two or three games single-handed for us,” Gambhir said. And if Lehmann voiced doubts over Tiwary’s international future, Gambhir backed Das to do well. “Das has a lot of quality. If he keeps playing like this, then he will play for India.”

The series is wrapped up after Pakistan overcame two mini collapses three days ago to complete a three-wicket victory

Preview by Andrew Miller04-May-2011

Match Facts

May 5, 2011, Providence
Start time 9.30am (1330GMT)Lendl Simmons set up West Indies’ win in the fourth ODI, but the series is out of reach•AFP

The Big Picture

The rot has been stopped by West Indies, though it was quite a scramble to get across the line. Thanks to Dwayne Bravo’s premeditated six over midwicket in the fourth ODI in Barbados, the Windies did just enough to sneak ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis calculations before the heavens opened two deliveries later. However, had the match gone the full 50-over distance, Pakistan would have been confident of defending their total of 248 for 9, the highest yet recorded in a low-scoring series.The scoreline now stands at 3-1 instead of 4-0, and though it’s not enough to get them back into the series, it is nonetheless a significant crumb of comfort for a team that had not beaten senior Test opposition for the best part of two years. Their eight-wicket victory at Kingston in June 2009 was the last such occasion, so the opportunity to claw the scoreline back to 3-2, with the two-Test series to follow, is not one that ought to be sniffed at.Pakistan, however, look for the moment to be an enviably settled unit – and given their recent history, that arguably says more about West Indies’ current turmoil than anything else, even if their chief selector Mohsin Khan is getting ready to rock their boat ahead of the Test series. The composure shown by Mohammad Hafeez in his second ODI hundred, and by Asad Shafiq in their 153-run stand for the second wicket, set the tone for what should have been a formidable total, until Devendra Bishoo’s wiles derailed the latter stages of the innings.There are clear signs of life in the West Indies squad, with Bishoo’s exuberance matched by Lendl Simmons’ early onslaught, in which he belted a 36-ball half-century to propel their rain-affected run-chase. But as the recall of Ramnaresh Sarwan demonstrated, not to mention the ongoing issues surrounding Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the changing of the guard in the Caribbean looks set to be a messy and protracted affair. Better times may lie ahead, but one dead-rubber victory can hardly be taken as proof of a new dawn.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies WLLLL

Pakistan LWWWL

Watch out for…

One of the few positives of West Indies’ disappointing World Cup campaign was the emergence of Devendra Bishoo as a genuine wicket-taking legspinner. While he does not give the ball the biggest rip of all time, his composure under fire is matched by an impressive mastery of flight, and his three wickets in the closing stages of Pakistan’s innings at Bridgetown were due reward for his aggressive intent. In particular his dismissal of the centurion Mohammad Hafeez was eye-catching – late dip, appreciable turn and the pleasing sight of the middle stump being pegged back.Mohammad Hafeez waited eight years to record his maiden ODI century, and now two have come along in the space of six months. His classy accumulation and eye for a run-scoring opportunity belie an average that remains stuck in the mid-20s, but at the age of 30, his time -it would appear – has come. When you factor in his invaluable second string as an offspinner, he is a player upon whom Pakistan can rely, especially given the range of mavericks and matchwinners who feature lower down the batting card.

Team news

West Indies took a gamble in the fourth match by reducing their bowling options to include the specialist keeper Carlton Baugh at the expense of the allrounder Andre Russell. However, seeing as they got the result they wanted, there seems little reason to veer away from the winning formula. Sarwan, who also returned for that match, will be a major drawcard for his Guyanese home support.West Indies (possible) 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Kirk Edwards, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Carlton Baugh (wk), 9 Ravi Rampaul, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Devendra Bishoo.Pakistan chopped and changed their options with the series in the bag, and offered ODI debuts to Usman Salahuddin, who was run out for 5 before he could show his full repertoire, and Tanvir Ahmed, who nabbed a maiden wicket in between being tonked by Simmons and Bravo. Both men are worthy of another look, with Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz having little to prove ahead of the Test series.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Hammad Azam, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Usman Salahuddin, 8 Mohammad Salman (wk), 8 Tanvir Ahmed, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid Khan.

Pitch and conditions

After a relatively brisk deck in Barbados, the Providence wicket promises to be slower and lower, which may tempt both teams to bulk out their spin options. Matches in Guyana rarely pass without some interference from the weather, so the Duckworth-Lewis charts will be close at hand once again.

Stats and trivia

• Misbah-ul-Haq finally has a series average after being dismissed for 5 at Barbados. Prior to that he had made scores of 73 not out, 43 not out, and 62 not out, for an overall tally of 183 runs in four innings.
• This will be the 11th ODI at the Providence stadium, although West Indies have only featured in five of the previous ten, and won just twice, against England in 2009 and Zimbabwe in 2010.
• Pakistan have never won more than three matches in a one-day series against West Indies

Quotes

“We needed this win. It’s been a while.”
Darren Sammy acknowledges the recent scarcity of West Indian victories.”The way Mohammad Hafeez played on a difficult pitch, and Asad Shafiq, I think we should have got 270-275. We missed that chance, and didn’t bat that well in the end.”

Shahid Afridi rues the missed opportunities in Pakistan’s innings.

Nottinghamshire took advantage of Hampshire’s lack of killer instinct to shrug off a dangerous situation and close in on their opponents’ first innings total on the second day of the Championship Division One match at The Rose Bowl

05-May-2010

ScorecardSteven Mullaney propped up Nottinghamshire’s innings with a important fifty•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire took advantage of Hampshire’s lack of killer instinct to shrug off a dangerous situation and close in on their opponents’ first innings total on the second day of the Championship Division One match at The Rose Bowl.Beginning the day at on three for no wicket in pursuit of Hampshire’s 300, Notts were left reeling by a devastating opening spell from former England bowler Kabir Ali, who reduced Notts to 33 for 4 and finished the day with figures of 3 for 70.The visitors were struggling again at 122 for 6, but Alistair Brown and the Steven Mullaney hauled Notts back into the game as the visitors closed on 273 for 7, 17 behind with three first-innings wickets in hand.Under a leaden sky which aided swing, Kabir produced a stunning opening burst of three wickets in 18 deliveries for just two runs to leave Notts all at sea. Kabir produced a snorting, lifting delivery which Bilal Shafayat could only edge behind to Nic Pothas and he followed that up with the removal of Neil Edwards, who was judged to have nudged an inside edge on to his pad to loop a catch up to James Vince at point.Former Worcestershire seamer Kabir, who has a solitary England Test cap to his name, had reduced Notts to 17 for 3 when Mark Wagh played over the top of a straight delivery. Notts were staring down the barrel and Hampshire’s modest first-innings total of 300 looked a long way off as Sean Irvine struck with his first delivery to remove the in-form Hashim Amla, albeit with a large amount of thanks to Pothas’ superbly athletic leg-side catch as the South African Test batsman looked to glance the Zimbabwean.Brown began to piece together Notts’ reply, initially with the aid of Samit Patel, as the pair added 69 in 17 overs either side of lunch. Brown reached his 50 off 70 balls including five boundaries. But Patel fell soon after the interval, slicing an attempted drive to Dominic Cork at mid-off to give Rangana Herath his first Hampshire wicket on his championship debut.And when Cork uprooted Chris Read’s off stump to leave Notts on 122 for 6, Hampshire looked well on course for a first-innings lead. But Brown has proved a thorn in Hampshire’s flesh in the past with Surrey and he and Mullaney frustrated Hampshire’s bowlers during an afternoon session firmly won by Notts, who added 102 runs for the loss of Patel and Read.The partnership was approaching dangerous proportions for Hampshire when the pint-sized Herath struck to remove Brown, aided by a sharp catch at mid-wicket by Cork. Brown’s 81 came off 144 balls and including just seven fours, but his partnership of 111 in 31 overs with Mullaney had pulled Notts out of danger.Mullaney picked up the threads left by Brown and, with Paul Franks, inched Notts towards Hampshire’s first-innings total, and when the umpires took the players off for bad light with 11 overs remaining the pair had added 40 untroubled runs. Mullaney was unbeaten on 72.

“We have been talking about what we want to get better at, and that, for me, is the shining light for the way the boys have bowled”

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-20244:04

McClenaghan: RCB’s whole bowling unit made contributions

Faf du Plessis was buoyed by the new-found aggression in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s approach that helped them beat Delhi Capitals by 47 runs to stay in the race for the playoffs in IPL 2024.”We want to play that style of cricket – RCB talks about playing bold,” du Plessis said, “and just proud that we can actually do that now, putting our performance together.”RCB came into the game with the knowledge that a loss would knock them out of the tournament. They even lost their du Plessis and Virat Kohli cheaply after being sent in. But that didn’t stop Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar from putting on a counter-attacking 88-run stand for the third wicket. In the end, they finished on 187 for 9.”It’s just confidence, isn’t it?” du Plessis said of the batting performance. “First half of the season, we were really fighting for it, didn’t quite come together for us; you just need a couple of guys to find their form in the tournament, and it’s happened.”From a batting perspective, we’ve been around that 200 mark six-seven games in a row now [five in their last seven], so boys are batting really well. And then the bowling obviously – I think the first five or six games, we almost couldn’t get wickets at all, and now, this is the third time [in a row] we have bowled a team out. So that’s a good effort. Especially today’s game, with the extra guy batting.”RCB took control in the chase by reducing Capitals to 30 for 4 inside four overs. Swapnil Singh, the left-arm fingerspinner, dismissed David Warner in the first over before Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal settled in with testing lines and lengths. Lockie Ferguson’s 2 for 23 helped them keep a leash on the scoring in the middle overs even as Axar Patel fought back with a half-century.”A lot of work has gone in behind the scenes,” du Plessis said. “I think that’s for me the most obvious thing where the change has happened. I feel that behind closed doors, we are getting it right in our processes – we have been talking about what we want to achieve and what we want to get better at. And that, for me, is the shining light for the way the boys have bowled.”Also, as a captain, I feel we have a lot of variety in our bowling attack. Six or seven options, all very different. So you assess the conditions on the night and you can just pull the best options almost out. But since Siraj has come back, obviously wanting to prove a point, has bowled beautifully. Yash has been exceptional right through the tournament. And Lockie the last few games has been brilliant.”