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Action shifts to Mount Maunganui with the series now a two-match contest

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2022India’s white-ball tour of New Zealand began with the first T20I in Wellington being washed out without a toss.Both sides were consigned indoors due to continuous rain. Barring a very short dry spell, it was wet throughout.That was disappointing news for the fans in attendance at the Sky Stadium, which was set to host its first men’s T20I match in 20 months.Even while it was drizzling, on-field umpires Chris Brown and Wayne Knights seemed to be inspecting the outfield to gauge the earliest time a match could start once the rain stopped.However, that never happened, with the game called off at 8.52pm local time, roughly 54 minutes before the cut-off time for a five-over shootout.The T20I series now moves to Mount Maunganui for the second match on Sunday, after which the teams will move to Napier for the third T20I on Tuesday.A young India squad is being led by Hardik Pandya for the T20I series with many senior players rested. New Zealand are competing without Martin Guptill and Trent Boult with both sides looking to move on from their respective semi-final defeats at the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Whitewashing by second-string ODI team leaves visitors short of answers

Danyal Rasool15-Jul-2021

Big Picture

English eyeballs might have primarily focused on football heartache over the past week, but those who tuned into the cricket received the fillip they might have craved. An ad-hoc English squad cobbled together from a motley crew of country cricket staples and international reservists overwhelmed a Pakistan side that, despite its recent travails, will have felt fairly star-studded in comparison. The visitors were swept aside 3-0, an England team that will never again play together did what was expected of them, and plenty more.The sight of John Simpson being put out to pasture, only to be replaced by Jos Buttler, and the general return of a near-full strength England side for the T20I leg should send a shudder down Pakistani spines. The tiresome cliché about Pakistani cricket’s unpredictability continues to hold, but the ODI series threw up very few of the highs and far too many lows for a casual observer not to suspect the hangover to bleed into the shorter format. It’s quite all right to succumb to England in an ODI series away, but the embarrassment around the circumstances of the defeats are set to define this tour, no matter what happens in the T20Is that follow.Some English fans – and many, many Pakistani ones, rest assured – might worry England’s full-strength squad threatens to make this even more of a no-contest than the ODI series was. However, Pakistan retain the uncanny ability to drop or raise their level, especially in T20I cricket, in accordance with the quality of opposition they face. The most recent T20I series ended in a narrow 2-1 win for Babar Azam’s side in Zimbabwe, which included a game where they were bowled out for 99. Two series against rather stiffer opposition, South Africa, ended in 2-1 and 3-1 wins for Pakistan earlier this year. And when they last played England in this format? A creditable 1-1 draw last year. Mercifully for England, when cricket throws up that scoreline, there’s no penalty shootout to follow.The return of some of their more renowned power-hitters is timely for England, given the venue of the first T20I. Trent Bridge is among the more conducive venues to run-scoring in T20s around the world, what with its short boundaries and flat wickets. Pakistan will remember England chasing down 340 in an ODI against them at this ground two years ago, with Jason Roy, among the returnees for England, smashing an 89-ball 114. Not to mention the 444 for 3 and all that at the same venue in 2016.However, Pakistan should find some joy in playing T20I cricket at Trent Bridge too, whatever the relative strength of their opposition. For inspiration, they need only rewind to their last meeting on this ground, in the World Cup group stage in 2019. Pakistan’s ODI middle order is notoriously porous, which forces conservatism up top, but that shouldn’t shackle the batsmen when they have only 20 overs to get through. Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan might not be around for long, but they continue to be explosive in brief cameos, and if Mohammad Rizwan’s form up top continues, that might just be good enough to give what is still a quality bowling line-up a fighting chance.

Form guide

Pakistan WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

England WWWLL

In the spotlight

Tom Banton might argue that England owe him an outing. He would have been an ideal candidate for their emergency ODI squad last week, except that his non-playing presence on England’s bench during the Sri Lanka series meant Phil Salt claimed the stand-in opener’s role while he served his period of self-isolation. Prior to that call-up, Banton had been setting the Blast alight, as he seems to do year after year, but puzzlingly, that form hasn’t quite translated into white-ball explosiveness for England, either in T20Is or ODIs. The sample size remains small – he has played just nine T20Is, but crossed 20 just twice. The last series he played, against Australia last year, he managed 12 runs in three innings. His showings in the Pakistan Super League haven’t exactly burnished his reputation back in Pakistan, where only 83 runs across nine innings and two seasons saw him left out of his franchise sides. However, Pakistan might do well to remember both innings of consequence he has played in T20I cricket came against them in last year’s series, in the shape of a 42-ball 71 and a 31-ball 46.Related

• James Vince trumps Babar Azam's 158 as England seal stunning 332 chase

• Stats: Babar Azam fastest to 14 ODI tons, hammers career-best 158

• Babar Azam consolidates top spot among ODI batters after career-best 158

• Misbah: Can never defend such poor and disappointing performances

Everyone knows Babar Azam scores runs, but that’s really not enough in T20 cricket. He was the highest scorer at the PSL this season, with seven half-centuries across 11 innings, and two fifties and a hundred in his last six T20Is. However, criticism over his strike rate has mounted, especially over the past year, and many feeling his side was hampered the longer he stayed at the crease, particularly with Karachi Kings. He comes into this series fresh off the memory of a career-best 158 in the final ODI, an innings he took time to settle into, only for England to chase their target down with time to spare. In high-scoring T20s, as the one at Trent Bridge is overwhelmingly likely to be, the role of an anchor is especially reduced, and the Pakistan captain might find he needs to be at his sizzling, stylish best if he is to give his side the best shot.

Team news

England’s primary headache revolves around how many of their ODI heroes deserve to get a go at Trent Bridge, now that the big boys have turned up. Saqib Mahmood might retain his place ahead of Tom Curran, though Matt Parkinson has a struggle on his hands now that Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have turned up. Skipper Eoin Morgan slots back into the middle order comfortably, with Jason Roy and Jos Buttler likely to open. In Sam Curran’s absence, there’s a potential berth for Lewis Gregory as their all-sorts allrounder.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Lewis Gregory/Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib Mahmood/Tom CurranHasan Ali will miss the first match as a precautionary measure due to a strain in his left leg, which he picked during a training session at Trent Bridge on Thursday. Mohammad Hasnain may get his first outing of the tour. There are more Pakistan batters eyeing a spot in the top order than there are slots to accommodate them, so some will play outside of their preferred positions. Shadab Khan will vie with Usman Qadir for the spinner’s role, though it might not be a surprise to see both line up in the starting eleven.Pakistan (possible): 1 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Sharjeel Khan, 4 Sohaib Maqsood, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Faheem Ashraf, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Haris Rauf, 9 Mohammad Hasnain, 10 Usman Qadir, 11 Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pitch and conditions

The weather across the UK has been grim for weeks, but Nottingham is braced for a relative heatwave in the coming days, so the conditions on Friday evening are expected to be balmy. The wicket should be true, despite the rain that’s been around, and the boundaries small. Expect a run-fest.

Stats and trivia

• Only four venues have seen runs come at a greater rate than Trent Bridge’s 8.70 in T20 cricket over the last five years. Three of them are in New Zealand, with Eden Park leading the way (9.01). Taunton (8.92) is the other.
• Should Fakhar Zaman play, he needs just 52 runs to become the 7th Pakistani batter to reach 1,000 T20I runs
• This is the first T20I to take place at Trent Bridge in nearly a decade. The last one, in which England beat West Indies in 2012, included three players from the current English side – Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow
  

  Quotes

  “We’re treating it as if it’s our last chance to look at guys in various positions”
  
  England captain Eoin Morgan suggests there might be an element of rotation to the home side’s line-up this series

Health, family, security behind Paul, Bravo, Hetmyer’s decisions

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Jun-2020Concerns about their families are understood to be the primary reason behind Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul declining to be part of the West Indies Test squad for the England tour. Both the prospect of leaving their families for seven weeks and concerns about how quickly they would be able to see them on their return to the Caribbean at the end of July are understood to be key factors in the players’ decisions, with uncertainty around the quarantine requirements that may be imposed by their respective governments.On Wednesday, Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced a 25-man squad including 11 reserves for the three-Test series in England which is scheduled to start in Southampton on July 8 subject to the UK government’s approval. CWI said it “fully accepts and respects” the decision taken by Bravo, Hetmyer and Paul to opt out of the tour and would “certainly not hold it against” them in future selections.Talking to ESPNcricinfo, Johnny Grave, CWI chief executive, said that the board wanted players who were “comfortable” travelling without any “nagging doubts” as otherwise it might impact their performances. Grave said he totally understood the doubts and fears expressed by the three players after speaking with Bravo last Friday and receiving emails from the other two players over the weekend.Grave said Paul, the 22-year-old allrounder, wrote an email to CWI explaining how difficult a decision it was for him to not travel to England. “Keemo Paul is the sole breadwinner in his entire household and wider family,” Grave said. “He was really concerned if something happened to him how his family would cope.WATCH: CPL Life Stories: Keemo Paul on growing up in Saxacalli“He wrote a personal note to us to explain it was with a heavy heart that he had decided not to tour but that he just didn’t feel comfortable going to England. He wrote passionately about how hard a decision it was for him and how much he loves playing for West Indies, but with consultation with his family he doesn’t feel he can leave them and doesn’t want to go on the tour.”According Grave, Hetmyer said that he “didn’t feel comfortable from a safety point of view, leaving his home, leaving his family and heading over to England”. Paul and Hetmyer both come from Guyana, where the number of Covid-19 cases is under 200.As for Bravo, who lives in Trinidad, Grave said he was concerned about the situation in the UK. “Darren Bravo had concerns about his health and any consequences that it may have on his young family. He also mentioned he made his decision with great remorse as it was always a huge honour for him to play for West Indies. So, yes, perfectly valid reasons and the ones that we fully respect. We were never going to force or try to coerce and we didn’t ask them to reconsider.”Bravo, Hetmyer and Paul are centrally-contracted, all-format players. Among the three, only Hetmyer has consistently featured in the Test team since his debut in 2017, but all three have struggled with form in the last year. Last year, Bravo managed just 106 runs at an average of 13.25 which included the two-Test series against India. The selectors dropped him for the one-off Test against Afghanistan with chief selector Roger Harper saying Bravo needed to be “away” from international cricket to find his form back. Hetmyer, too, had a forgettable 2019 in Test cricket, scoring 244 runs at 24.40, while Paul has played three Tests in his career with six wickets to his name.Keemo Paul “wrote passionately” to explain his decision•AFP / Getty Images

In May, Grave had pointed out that he understood why players who come from smaller Caribbean islands would be nervous about going to England, which was seen as “one of the eyes of the storm” with the official death count due to the virus nearing 40,000. Subsequently, the players grew more confident once they heard of the “robust and safe plan” the ECB had put in place to conduct the tour within a bio-secure environment behind closed doors.ALSO READ: Bio-secure venues can withstand second wave – ElworthyOn June 1, both ECB and CWI medical experts had another call before the tour schedule was made public. On the same day, CWI had a call with the wider pool of players from which the final squad would be picked to update them on the final arrangements. “We gave them all the most up-to-date information on the tour,” Grave said. “All I clarified to them on Monday on the call with Professor Nick Pierce (ECB chief medical officer) and our medical practitioners was: were they happy that they had all the information and did they have any further questions.”I then explained that Roger Harper, CWI lead selector, would contact them regarding whether they were selected or not and that they had until the following day, having slept on it, to confirm their position.”Ultimately, we want a group of players that are comfortable to be there so that they are not worried about these things and therefore they have got a chance to perform at their best. If they have got nagging doubts or worries about their families they are not going to be performing at their best.”It is in everyone’s interest if you are not comfortable to say so and not tour and be certain that it is not going to be held against you. Rather than go, be worried, and ultimately don’t perform or want to come home. So it is a good decision all round. We are still taking a strong Test side to England.”CWI is now waiting for the test results for the squad to come back from Miami, which are expected within the next 48 hours. Anyone who tests positive for the virus will almost certainly not take the charter flight that is set to leave on June 8 from Antigua.

The consortium will take over from IMG-Reliance, which pulled out of its deal following the suicide bomb attack in Kashmir that has strained relations between India and Pakistan

Danyal Rasool19-Feb-2019Two days after IMG-Reliance pulled out of its deal to produce television coverage of the fourth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), a replacement for the remainder of the tournament has been found. The PCB has declared that a consortium of Blitz and Trans Group will produce TV coverage throughout the course of this season’s PSL from now on.”The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the consortium of Blitz and Trans Group as the new live production partner for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2019,” the PCB said in a press release. “Blitz are the PCB’s broadcast partners in Pakistan, while Trans Group are the event management partners.”Blitz and Trans Group will start their coverage when the matches resume on Wednesday, 20 February, and will continue to provide the same high quality coverage which the followers experienced in the earlier games of the event.”The announcement by IMG-Reliance, an Indian company, that they would not be producing TV coverage of the PSL came on Sunday, three days after a suicide bomb attack in Kashmir killed 44 Indian paramilitary troops, severely straining relations between India and Pakistan. The acrimony spilled over into cricket, not just with IMG-Reliance’s decision, but with TV channel DSports ceasing broadcasting of the PSL in India. Cricketgateway’s website, which has provided online coverage of the PSL for the past two seasons, has also stopped providing its coverage in India.IMG-Reliance’s decision left the PCB scrambling to find a replacement within the two days that the PSL was on a break for before games resume in Sharjah on Wednesday, The deal with Blitz and Trans Group goes some way to assuaging fears that the PSL would be left without a production partner, a major concern given TV revenue was overwhelmingly the largest source of income for the tournament.There was also speculation that the India-Pakistan clash at the World Cup on June 16 in Manchester may be in jeopardy. It led to outgoing ICC CEO David Richardson to say that “no indications” had been sent from either board that the match would not take place but that the ICC was “monitoring” the situation.

The Renegades used their two biggest strengths – their bowling and their experience – to pick up a win against Brisbane Heat and go top of the table

The Report by Tim Wigmore23-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
The Melbourne Renegades have a dreadful record in the Big Bash, with just one semi-final appearance in six seasons. Yet they are the first team in the 2017-18 season to win two games, and, brimming with options with bat and ball, have the feel of a side well-primed to challenge for the title this year. This was a triumph for the nous of Brad Hogg, Dwayne Bravo, Cameron White and Tom Cooper, who all produced exemplary performances, while Jake Widermuth’s three wickets showed the Under-30s could contribute too.The night after one teenage legspinner called Khan won a Big Bash game, another teenage legspinner called Khan briefly threatened to do the same. Shadab, who took the new ball, actually recorded better figures than Rashid – 2 for 17 from his four overs, compared to Rashid’s 2 for 22 – but received nothing like the same support.What happened to the Bash Brothers?
The irrepressible duo of Chris Lynn and Brendon McCullum are one of the main drawcards of the Big Bash League. Not on Saturday night, though. This was meant to be the night when Lynn – player of the tournaments in the last two editions of the BBL – returned after a shoulder injury for his first game in seven months. Instead, Lynn was omitted as a precaution – a decision made easier by Brisbane’s opening victory and the expansion of the group stage this year. That left McCullum left to try and provide double the pyrotechnics. He thumped Cooper – unusually bowling the second over, rather than the first – through midwicket for four, and was then clean bowled attempting a reprise, just his second ever dismissal against offspin in the BBL. All that hype, and only five runs from the two Bash Brothers.The squeeze
When Wildermuth, enjoying the best night of his T20 career, snared two other wickets in the Powerplay, Brisbane Heat were floundering at 3 for 28 off 5.2 overs. They needed to consolidate, but they also needed to improve their lame run rate. For much of the alliance between Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Ross, the Renegades seemed almost as happy as the Heat. While the Heat had stopped collapsing, the two added only 39 in 6.3 overs, at exactly a-run-a-ball, and, as they manoeuvred spin as if it were the middle overs of a 1990s ODI. Only Ben Cutting, briefly, shook the Heat out of their torpor.The maestro
Dwayne Bravo took five wickets in the Renegades’ opening game, thereby becoming the first man ever to 400 wickets in T20 cricket. Here he had to be content with two – both in the final over, when another slow ball almost yielded a hat-trick. But as the Heat attempted to salvage a working total, Bravo conceded just 12 across the 18th and 20th overs. He was simply too precise and too smart – again.McCullum’s gambit
In T20, conservative tactics have seldom defended a score as underwhelming as Brisbane’s 8 for 132. Just as well, then, that McCullum is their captain. He made a between-innings decision to entrust Shadab with the new ball, and was not dissuaded when a misfield by Sam Heazlett allowed a four through midwicket in the opening over. In his second over, Shadab’s quicker ball snared Aaron Finch, who is markedly less effective against spin than pace.Given a third straight over, a delivery that skidded on upended Marcus Harris’s middle stump to provoke a little trepidation among the home supporters. But Shadab only had one over left, which McCullum used in the 11th over, in desperate pursuit of a wicket. The trouble was, the asking rate was so untaxing that Cooper and White had no need to take any risks. Shadab’s final delivery was a googly which Cooper just jammed his bat on in time. He had bowled wonderfully in taking 2 for 17, but it would not be enough.Experience wins the day
The Melbourne Renegades are easy to mock for their age – they have seven over-30s and two players, Hodge and Hogg, into their 40s. Yet T20 has proved the format most conducive to veterans. White and Cooper used all their game sense as they navigated the Renegades towards their target without discernible risk. And then victory arrived with a certain swagger: Hodge pulled a six third ball off the 19th over, before, two balls later, Cooper thumped a six of his own, to seal his half-century and the win.

David Warner credited a change in approach to ODIs – constructing an innings and even slowing down – for his supremacy in the format since 2015

Daniel Brettig06-Dec-2016
David Warner and Australia picked a good time to return to their strongest format since Darren Lehmann became coach. Under Lehmann, Australia have won 25 ODIs at home and lost only four, picking up the 2015 World Cup and being unbeaten in the other five series’ they have hosted.It is in Warner that Australia have found their most prolific century-maker this year, six hundreds in a format that he once regarded as his weakest. Intriguingly given Lehmann’s high-tempo approach to the game, Warner said in the aftermath of his Man-of-the-Match winning hundred to defeat New Zealand at Manuka Oval that composure and even slowing down a little had been key to his success.”First and foremost it’s been the format I struggled at early in my career,” Warner said. “The last 18-24 months I’ve really worked hard to try to construct my innings and build an innings, and not play too many big shots early in my innings. If the ball’s there I’m still going to go after it, but that’s just what I put it down to, trying to construct an innings and relay that Test match attitude into the one-dayers.”You do get a few more balls in your area in the one-day stuff where you can actually play through the line, and there’s probably not as much movement off the wicket as well especially when you play on grounds like Manuka. It was an absolute belter to play on.”The “belter’ was handed to Warner and the rest of the home side by the New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who wagered on some early assistance for his swing bowlers. However, Australia were always going to bat first, not only because of how the Canberra pitch would behave in the afternoon but also how it was expected to later on – making it easier for the bowlers to place their opponents under pressure.David Warner raced to his sixth ODI hundred of the year in Canberra•Getty Images

“Their best attribute is probably swinging the ball with the new rock and I think they tried to make the most of that,” Warner said. “We knew batting here first is always a plus and we knew we had to try to keep wickets in hand for the last 10 overs.”We’ve seen that with the away teams that have come here, they’ve got into great positions but really not been able to finish off the games, it just gets too far ahead. You can still finish off well, but I think when opposition teams come here they see that big gap in the run rate go up and try to up the ante too early later.”The victory gave Australia a trio of wins, including the dead rubber Test match against South Africa in Adelaide. Warner reckoned the change in momentum had been driven in the first instance by personnel changes, which in turn provided senior members of the team with greater impetus to push forward.”It’s one of those things where if you get some fresh faces in and around, your energy gets up and going, and I can’t really put my finger on it,” Warner said. “I just think the boys took it hard, it really hurt us down in Hobart. Losing that series, we saw it really does hurt. I think it was the kick up the backside that we needed to get us back up and going.”We don’t want to lose too many series’ at home especially, but the guys have worked out a way out to come back. If it was a bit of [lost] form from people. The senior players have to keep stepping up, if we do that then the other guys will follow us.”

A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy Group A matches on October 23, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Haryana’s seamers played a containing role, allowing the spinners to trigger Karnataka’s collapse in Mysore

Haryana took control of their fixture against Karnataka in Mysore after the defending champions were bowled out for 221 to concede a 110-run lead. Rahul Dewan and Nitin Saini then saw off nine overs late in the day as Haryana ended the day at 27 without loss, ahead by 137, to take pole position, one from where they can entertain thoughts of forcing their first outright win of the season.KL Rahul top-scored with 63 to steady Karnataka after the early loss of Robin Uthappa, but his run-out soon after lunch triggered a slide. Jayant Yadav, who struck his second first-class century on Thursday, broke Karnataka’s back in the middle. He had the vital strikes of the well-set R Samarth (30) and Karun Nair (28), before part-time offspinner Rahul Dagar ran through the tail by picking up three wickets in an over as Karnataka’s innings came to a grinding halt in 75.4 overs.CM Gautam, the vice-captain, tried to resurrect the innings but regular loss of wickets at the other end prevented Karnataka’s late quest towards parity. Vinay Kumar, the captain, resisted for 65 deliveries and made 34 during the course of a 67-run stand for the seventh wicket, the highest of Karnataka’s innings. Earlier in the day, HS Sharath, who picked up a hat-trick on Thursday, picked up his first five-wicket haul of the season, finish with figures of 5 for 48.
ScorecardA lower-order collapse undid all the good work done by Sudip Chatterjee (116) and Wriddhiman Saha (72) as Bengal collapsed from 286 for 4 to 357 all out at Feroz Shah Kotla. Delhi then overcame a top-order wobble before Nitish Rana (30*) and Milind Kumar (20*) repaired the early damage, with the unbroken third-wicket stand of 54 taking them to 100 for 3 at stumps.Bengal looked set for a bigger score than they eventually finished with as they lost both set batsmen – Chatterjee (116) and Saha (72) – in the first half hour to hand Delhi the advantage. But Ashok Dinda dismissed Gautam Gambhir early to give Bengal an opening. Pragyan Ojha then got into the act to dismiss the in-form Unmukt Chand. Before long, Delhi were in trouble at 56 for 3, and in dire need of a partnership, which Rana and Milind came up with.
ScorecardAnother lackluster batting performance from Vidarbha resulted in them conceding a 52-run lead to current table toppers Assam in Nagpur. As many as 12 wickets fell in the day, with spin accounting for 10 of them. Swarupam Purkayastha, the highest wicket-taker last season among the slow bowlers, led Assam’s dominance with four scalps.Vidarbha briefly challenged Assam when Wasim Jaffer (40) and Ganesh Satish (67) kept the bowlers at bay, but a lower-order implosion resulted in Vidarbha losing their last six wickets for 53 runs. Assam then lost the openers in their second dig to end the day at 36 for 2, the overall lead standing at 88 with two full days to play.Rajasthan v Maharashtra – Maharashtra’s slide tightens contest for first-innings points

Another rapid start for Sri Lanka was halted, then aborted, by persistent rain in Hambantota, which arrived at 2:52pm and did not cease until officials were forced to call off the match at 6:44pm

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hambantota25-Mar-2013

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
It kept raining for almost four hours in Hambantota, ensuring the game was called off•AFP

Another rapid start for Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kusal Janith Perera was halted, then aborted, by persistent rain in Hambantota, which arrived at 2:52pm and did not cease until officials were forced to call off the match at 6:44pm. Sri Lanka were 33 without loss after five overs when the covers were called on, with Perera on 18 from 21 balls and Dilshan on 10 from 9 deliveries.Sri Lanka’s openers did not quite match the breakneck pace of Saturday evening’s opening stand, but were brutal on errors in length, which the Bangladesh seam bowlers provided regularly. Dilshan leant back to crash his first ball through cover-point, when Rubel Hossain dug it in short, before Perera blasted two more short deliveries to the leg-side boundary in the next two overs. Dilshan was dropped on 9, by a diving Mushfiqur Rahim, who failed to cling to an under-edge lying low to the left, but there was hardly any time for the mistake to cost Bangladesh, as the rains arrived at the end of that over.The hosts now head to Pallekele for the final ODI with a 1-0 lead. Southwest monsoon rains have arrived early in much of the country however, and a wet finish could well be in store for the series.

Thami Tsolekile has been identified as the successor to Mark Boucher in Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) first decisive move to find a replacement wicketkeeper

Firdose Moonda13-Feb-2012Thami Tsolekile has been identified as the successor to Mark Boucher in Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) first decisive move to find a replacement wicketkeeper. Tsolekile was named as one of 22 contracted players for the 2012-13 season, the first time CSA have contracted a second wicketkeeper in 13 years since contracts were first awarded in 1998.”There’s definitely intention there for him to play for South Africa in the longer formats. We’ve showed our hand and said we think he is ready to be a successor,” Andrew Hudson, convenor of selectors told ESPNcricinfo. “But the selection decisions still have to happen and there are no guarantees.”Tsolekile has been playing first-class cricket since 1999 and represented South Africa in three Tests in 2004, when Boucher was dropped after a lean patch. He took six catches but scored only 47 runs and Boucher was soon back at the helm, a position he has occupied for the last 15 years.However, Boucher has suffered a dip in form himself, having last scored a Test century in November 2008 and has faced mounting pressure over his place in the side. He acknowledged that he is considering retirement soon saying that he knows, “everything has to come to an end,” and has forced CSA to intensify their search for a successor.In previous years it has been difficult to isolate one of the franchise ‘keepers as the next best in the country, but the selection committee was forced to do so in the most recent meeting. Contenders included Heino Kuhn, who has played a handful of Twenty20 matches for South Africa, Dane Vilas, who is taking lessons from Boucher at the Cobras and Daryn Smit, who bowls legspin occasionally. But, the selectors have settled on Tsolekile, saying his recent form with the bat and maturity behind the stumps gave him the edge.”He has always impressed at South Africa A level and he scored runs in England and Sri Lanka. The 58 he scored against the Australians in Potchefstroom at the start of the summer was also important,” Hudson said. Tsolekile has averaged over 50 with the bat in two of the last three domestic seasons while his glovework has remained, according to Hudson, “outstanding.”Although he has not been included in the national side for next month’s tour to New Zealand, Hudson said he would be considered for the England series later in the year. It is hoped that Boucher last act, which he has hinted could be on that very tour, will be to play an active role in grooming his successor. “His contribution to the national squad has been immense,” Hudson said. “Maybe it can be part of his farewell to leave a legacy and teach his understudy.”

Full list of CSA contracted players

Graeme Smith (Test captain), AB de Villiers (ODI and T20 captain), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Thami Tsolekile

Tsolekile has shown that he is willing to learn and had made significant improvements from when he first appeared for South Africa. “I was very surprised to get a national contract but all the hard work I’ve put in has paid off,” he said. “As a cricketer I have matured with age and experience and I am more ready now than when I made my debut and I would love to get another chance.”Tsolekile is one of three newly contracted players, with the other two being Jacques Rudolph and Faf du Plessis. Rudolph was recalled to the South African Test squad at the start of the season for the series against Australia. After seven innings opening the batting without a half-century, Rudolph was moved down the order to No. 6 and said that with his place in slight limbo, did not expect to get a contract.”I was surprised but it’s very nice that they have invested their trust me and I would like to repay that,” he said. “I would like to have performed better because I got a lot of starts but did not capitalise on that. Gary [Kirsten] (the coach) has made it clear that he wants to give players extended runs so it’s nice to know I have his backing.”With Rudolph’s place at No.6 still an experimental one, Ashwell Prince’s contract was renewed despite him being dropped from the Test squad after the second Test against Sri Lanka. “We never want to write people off and the No. 6 position is still open,” Hudson said. “If Ashwell is playing well it can only benefit South Africa. He has been a great servant of the game and is still in our plans.”Those cut from the contracts list include Loots Bosman and Ryan McLaren. Bosman has struggled to find form after undergoing knee reconstruction surgery two seasons ago while McLaren has been left out despite good form. He was the leading allrounder in the recently completed four-day SuperSport Series with 576 runs and 26 wickets.Another name of interest left off the list is young tearaway Marchant de Lange, who is currently on his first full tour with the national side. de Lange has played just one Test and Hudson said he will be a part of South Africa’s future plans. “If you look at it, it took Vernon [Philander] two full series, against Australia and Sri Lanka, before he was offered a contract. We can’t always relate contracts to who we will play going forward because selection decisions still have to be made but Marchant is definitely part of the plans.”

Australia’s World Cup campaign has been dealt a blow even before the squad leaves Australia, with Michael Hussey and Nathan Hauritz ruled out due to injuries

Brydon Coverdale08-Feb-2011Australia’s World Cup campaign has been dealt a blow even before the squad leaves Australia, with Michael Hussey and Nathan Hauritz ruled out due to injuries. Callum Ferguson and Jason Krejza will replace the pair in the 15-man squad, which flies out to India on Wednesday to defend the title under Ricky Ponting.And if losing a key middle-order batsman and the first-choice spinner was not bad enough, Australia could not even opt for their second choices in each discipline, with Shaun Marsh and Xavier Doherty not considered due to injuries of their own. It has meant a rapid promotion for the aggressive offspinner Krejza, who made his ODI debut on Sunday, while the inclusion of Ferguson was less of a surprise given his solid performances at international level over the past couple of years.Hussey in particular will be a massive loss, as he is the only Australian in the top ten of the ICC’s one-day batting rankings, and he is a renowned finisher who can rescue the side after top-order trouble. However, the selectors decided they could not risk Hussey, who suffered a serious hamstring injury during the one-day series against England that resulted in surgery, and he conceded he would be unlikely to be fit for the first couple of World Cup matches.Hauritz seemed a more likely candidate to make the cut, after he dislocated his shoulder while fielding during the one-day game in Hobart on January 21 and had surgery in a bid to be fit for the World Cup. He bowled in the nets on Monday and sent down a dozen deliveries at what he called 60 to 70%, but it was not enough to convince the selectors that he was worth the risk in such a big tournament.”The National Selection Panel has determined that the best strategy to ensure a successful campaign is for Australia to enter the tournament with a fully fit squad of fifteen from the first game,” the chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said. “We’ve applied to the ICC Technical Committee for Callum Ferguson to replace Mike Hussey in the squad.”Callum has an excellent record in one-day international cricket and played well in the one-day game against England in Sydney recently. We think he’ll play well in sub-continental conditions. We’ve also applied to the ICC Technical Committee for Jason Krejza to replace Nathan Hauritz in the squad. Jason toured India with the Australian Test team in 2008 and understands those conditions. We’re certain he’ll be a key member of our squad.”Krejza picked up 2 for 53 in his debut one-day international on Sunday and, although he dragged the ball short too often and threatened to leak big runs, he will enjoy the prospect of returning to India, where he collected 12 wickets on his Test debut in 2008. He was only called up in Perth due to Doherty’s back problem, which also ruled him out of replacing Hauritz, while Marsh’s hamstring strain meant Ferguson got the nod.However, there was some good news for the Australians, with Ponting and Steven Smith both deemed fit enough to fly to India, while Brad Haddin was also cleared after hurting his knee during the final ODI against England. Smith will share the spin duties with Krejza, while nothing was going to keep Ponting from his fifth World Cup.”Ricky Ponting is going well in his rehabilitation following his finger fracture,” the team physio Alex Kountouris said. “He is batting regularly and is expected to transition into unrestricted training soon after the team arrives in India.”Brad Haddin was struck on the knee whilst batting during the seventh ODI against England. During the batting innings the knee became swollen. We expect this to resolve soon after we arrive in India. Steve Smith is making very good progress from the groin injury he sustained in the sixth ODI against England.”The Australians fly out on Wednesday and play their first of two warm-up matches on Sunday, against India in Bangalore. Their opening match of the tournament proper is against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad on February 21.Squad Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Cameron White, Callum Ferguson, David Hussey, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, John Hastings, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Krejza, Brett Lee, Doug Bollinger, Shaun Tait.