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Consistent Ruhuna enter Super Fours

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Round 3

Shanuka Dissaayake, the left-arm spinner, took 3 for 17 and effected a run-out to help Basnahira North to a 14-run win over the Schools Invitation XI at the Burgher Recreation Club Ground. Tharindu Thushan scored 36 opening the Schools’ innings, but they collapsed once he was bowled by Dissaayake. Earlier, Basnahira North were bowled out for 117 after choosing to bat, with legspinner Udara Jayasundera claiming figures of 3 for 14.Wayamba’s seamers, Chanaka Welegedara and Tissara Perera, took three wickets each in their thrilling three-run win over Kandurata at the Colts Cricket Club Ground. Chasing 128, Kandurata slipped to 58 for 5, before they were rescued by a 54-run stand between Jeewan Mendis (27) and Chintaka Jayasinghe (33). Kandurata lost Mendis and allrounder Kaushalya Weeraratne in the penultimate over, and needed 14 runs when the last over began. But their chances of a win received a setback when Jayasinghe was dismissed in the first ball of the over, and while Akalanka Ganegama struck a six, he could not follow it up with another big hit. Earlier, Wayamba lost their top-half with just 66 runs on the board, but Asela Jayasinghe blasted 41 off 21 balls to ensure that they had a total to defend.Sri Lanka opener Upul Tharanga stroked a fluent unbeaten 36-ball 58 which featured six fours and six sixes, to take Ruhuna to a comfortable seven wicket win over Basnahira South on the second game of the day at the Colts Cricket Club Ground. He was given support by Dilhara Lokuhettige, who made 37 off 23 balls, before Ruhuna finished off the chase with 52 balls to spare. Basnahira South, after deciding to bat, has made their way past fifty in the ninth over, but they fell apart once Hemantha Wickramarathne, who made 30, was dismissed.

Round 4

Ruhuna captain Indika de Saram slammed an unbeaten 43 not out off 13 balls with the aid of five sixes and two fours, in their eight-wicket trashing of the Schools Invitation XI at the Burgher Recreation Club Ground. Ruhuna were also aided by a 45-run second-wicket stand between Tharanga (28) and Lokuhettige (31). Earlier, Kushal Perera, who plays for the Sri Lanka Under-19s, scored a 46-ball 56 before the Schools XI were bowled out for 126.Wayamba, aided by an unbeaten 48 by Jeevantha Kulatunga, claimed to a thrilling one-wicket win over Basnahira South at the Colts Cricket Club Ground. Kulatunga was involved in an unbroken 46-run stand with Chanaka Welagedera to take Wayamba home. Earlier, Shalika Karunanayake, the right-arm seamer, took 3 for 20 as Basnahira South were limited to 119 for 9.Kandurata rode on Thilan Samaraweera’s 46 to beat Basnahira North by a three-wicket margin in the afternoon game at the Colts Cricket Club Ground. Samaraweera got Kandurata’s innings back on track as he added 40 runs with Weeraratne after they had slipped to 41 for 3 chasing 123. Prior to that, wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva carried his bat, scoring an unbeaten 51-ball 60. Left-arm spinner Sachith Pathirana was the most successful bowler from Kandurata, finishing with figures of 3 for 16.

Round 5

Basnahira South defeated Kandurata 3-1 via a bowl-out after their match at the Burgher Recreation Club Ground was washed out. Basnahira were 33 for no loss chasing Kandurata’s imposing 200 when the rains came down. Earlier, Chamara Kapugedera struck 67 off 33, before Jeewan Mendis took centre stage, hammering 48 off only 18 balls aided by four sixes and as many fours.Michael Vandort, who remained unbeaten on 30, and Mahela Udawatte (33), added 65 runs for the first wicket before Wayamba beat the Schools Invitation XI by 27 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method at the Colts Cricket Club Ground. Put in, the Schools XI made 141 with Rangana Herath taking 3 for 20. Angelo Perera, with 47, was the Schools’ top scorer.Basnahira North’s bowlers were on target as they overcome Ruhuna by a 3-1 margin in the bowl-out after their match at the Colts Cricket Club Ground was abandoned without a ball being bowled.The Super Four matches along with the final on May 1 will be played at the Welagedera Stadium in Kurunegala.Points table

Team Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against
Ruhuna 5 4 0 0 1 19 +3.904 365/39.0 360/66.0
Wayamba 5 4 1 0 0 16 -0.316 543/85.2 511/76.3
Basnahira North 5 2 2 0 1 12 +0.066 533/78.5 520/77.4
Kandurata 5 2 2 0 1 9 +0.749 440/59.2 440/66.0
Schools Invitation XI 5 1 4 0 0 4 -1.627 556/86.3 588/73.0
Basnahira South 5 0 4 0 1 4 -1.168 500/80.0 518/69.5

O'Brien called up as cover

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Mark Gillespie, 12th man during the Tests, has been added to the ODI squad © Getty Images

Iain O’Brien, the Wellington medium-pace bowler, has been called up as cover for Michael Mason and Mark Gillespie during the first ODI against Sri Lanka on December 28 at Napier’s McLean Park. Gillespie, on international debut, suffered a knee injury during New Zealand’s Twenty20 win on Tuesday, while Mason is reportedly not fully fit.O’Brien, 30, served as 12th man for both the Tests. He has previously played two Tests, against Australia, in March 2005.John Bracewell, New Zealand’S coach, hinted that Daniel Vettori, who will captain in the first two ODIs place of a rested Stephen Fleming, will bat at either No. 5 or 6. “There may be a surprise in that we use Daniel Vettori in the middle because of his ‘gapping’ ability, in particular against spin,” he told . “So there may be a shift there.”Nathan Astle, whose unbeaten 40 helped New Zealand to a five-wicket victory on Boxing Day, underwent an x-ray on his hand, with Craig McMillan on standby. “We’re delighted with the progress he’s [McMillan] made,” Bracewell said. “We’re in constant touch with him and his domestic coach.”Brendon McCullum will open the innings with Astle and keep wickets, though it’s assumed that a second ‘keeper, probably Gareth Hopkins, will be named in the squad later in the series.

Kaneria flaps his wings at last

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How very appealing: Danish Kaneria hasn’t had the best of series, but turned it on today against England © Getty Images

Not much has gone Danish Kaneria’s way this series. At times, it has looked easier to extract blood from stone than it has for him to get an appeal to go his way. The only way out then is to hit the stumps, which he did today, with a ball legspinners live for, a delivery that makes all the shredded fingers and rickety shoulder worthwhile.Before the afternoon drinks break, Kaneria was laboured, ineffective, broody. His drink must have been spiked during it, for he came out a different man. His colleague at Essex, Alastair Cook, had so far in the series benefited from the familiarity, but he was bamboozled for an over before being sent back. Enter Kevin Pietersen.He knows how to make an entrance too, and twice in his next over from Kaneria he swept him for boundaries. Words and macho glares were exchanged, Pietersen keen as ever to assert himself, Kaneria equally keen to hand it back. In his next over, Kaneria cut his pace significantly, in exchange for greater loop; Pietersen strutted out a cut through covers for four but the next ball was slower, loopier and dropped on a good length. It drew Pietersen forward to either drive or flick, spun through a gap as wide as the Grand Canyon and bowled him; the googly as it was originally conceived. Cue a re-run of Shoaib Akhtar’s famous but cryptic chicken-run celebration from the Faisalabad Test last year.”It was a disguised googly for him. He played very well in first innings but this one landed on with the right spot and it just hit the stumps,” Kaneria explained later. He also spoke of the running exchanges that marked the brief confrontation. “I wanted to show aggression to him as a spinner because he wants to kill the bowler’s line and length, get runs on the board and make the team go faster.”And much to the relief of all who viewed it, he also sought to explain the chicken-run celebration, drawing inspiration clearly from Marty McFly and the popular ‘Back to the Future’ trilogy. “He walks in, opens his feathers. I called him chicken and he got angry. I said okay, chicken is the word to scare him out, and that worked out for me. It was just a joke because Pietersen likes to play strokes to the bowlers. When the spinner’s bowling he just wants to slog him everywhere. It was a good wicket for me but what was said is between me and him.”Handbags aside, Kaneria was relieved to finally get some wickets and importantly, put in a biting spell. “It’s always nice to get wickets and I should have more wickets but the luck has been up and down and things haven’t gone my way. I’m still trying my best.” Try he certainly has and he won’t, you suspect, ever die wondering. He even confessed to being tired from appealing so much.What his spell contributed to today was a potentially tantalizing final day and Kaneria argued that his side was happy to chase a target of 323. “It’s a good score to chase. It’s been a fascinating day and we came a long way to play positive cricket and show the world we are the better side. It’s a slow wicket and Monty Panesar is a finger spinner but our batsmen are positive and looking forward to getting the runs.”

'1996 World Cup side was better' – Murali

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The key ingredients to a better side? © Getty Images

While Sri Lanka’s name does the round of pre-World Cup predictions, Muttiah Muralitharan believes the side that lifted the 1996 World Cup was superior to the current contenders. “Some experts are tipping us to surprise a few at the World Cup and maybe even win it. I think we have a good chance but I still believe the Sri Lanka team of 1996 was better,” he told the website bigstarcricket.com.Muralitharan, 34, insisted the Arjuna Ranatunga-led side was a stronger batting unit, full of experienced attacking players. “When we won the World Cup in 1996, batting-wise the team was more experienced, had flair, everything was there in that team in 1996. This team now has a better bowling attack than what we had that time but we had a better balance in the 1996 World Cup because there were four spinners in the side and only two fast bowlers.”With 432 one-day international wickets, it would be easy to pinpoint Muralitharan as a threat on the slow and low pitches in the West Indies, but he felt spinners would struggle. “The rules have changed now with the 20-over power plays coming so the spinners go out of the game, you can’t play two or three spinners any more,” he said. “We have only one spinner at the moment so fast bowlers have more chance [of success] because they bowl in the power play.”Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas, the other veteran bowler in the Sri Lankan side, were both rested for the recent ODI series against India. Both will play their final World Cup. Sri Lanka have been drawn in Group B along with India, Bangladesh and Bermuda.

England make spirited response to New Zealand's 277

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary
How they were out

Daniel Vettori cracked 48 on a slow-going day at Lord’s © Getty Images
 

England finally injected some life into a deathly slow second day’s play at Lord’s with Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss trotting to an opening stand of 68. With four breaks for bad light – the fifth, terminal – it was a thermals and thermos day for the diehards, but England made a solid start in reply to New Zealand’s 277 to give hope of resuscitating the match.There are few aspects of the game more infuriating than bad light. A torrential downpour can be absorbed by advancing technologies in drainage – Lord’s has one of the best in the world – but murky, dusky light is a no-man’s land of indecision, inexact science and archaic rules, at the mercy of the cloud and sun. Consequently, the game petered and dribbled along without direction.The disruptions affected New Zealand’s batsmen in particular, though they showed admirable determination in the face of aggressive spells from Stuart Broad and James Anderson in the morning. In cold, overcast conditions, Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram dropped anchor, defending cautiously on the back foot while wary of anything swinging outside the off stump. They needn’t have been too wary, however; so cold was it that neither Ryan Sidebottom nor Broad – who found some marked movement yesterday – moved the ball to any alarming degree. That is, until eight minutes before lunch when Sidebottom – with the new ball – finally found one to swing back through Kyle Mills’ lazy defensive.Anderson, who bowled with such verve yesterday, produced a fine opening spell from the Pavilion End again, conceding nine runs from six tight overs. With a selection of bouncers and bumpers, Oram was particularly unsettled and received a nasty blow on the shoulder before another short delivery hammered into his gloves. The occasional edge flew over the slips, but England’s bouncer policy was ill-advised and – for all the bruises New Zealand took – their wickets remained intact. At last, however, Sidebottom pitched one up to Oram – who lacked any sort of rhythm in his 28 and sent a thick outside edge to Strauss at first slip.Vettori, though, revelled in the dogfight, nudging Sidebottom past square leg and working Monty Panesar into the gaps out to cover to keep the runs ticking over. At the other end Broad was in the middle of an aggressive spell but, like Anderson, continued to attack the middle of the pitch – though he produced a beautiful yorker to Vettori, on 15, which somehow he managed to dig out. It was wonderfully well disguised and yet more evidence that England’s young thinking bowler never stops planning. New Zealand, however, were nudging their way up to 250. 10 minutes before lunch, however, Sidebottom took the new ball and bent one back to crash into Mills’ off stump to hand the morning session’s honours to England.Bad light only allowed two balls after the lunch interval but, 25 minutes later, Sidebottom struck to bowl Southee to pick up his fourth. With just Chris Martin for company, Vettori understandably went on the attack in a last-ditch attempt to shift New Zealand’s total up to 300, and took 12 from one Anderson over with three consecutive fours, all audaciously cut. After another break for bad light, Sidebottom bowled Vettori who inexplicably left a straight one.In such favourable bowling conditions, England initially batted with similar caution as New Zealand’s top-order, though were helped by a run of poor fielding from James Marshall in the slips. Strauss, clearly nervous, twice edged Chris Martin – the ball falling short – which Marshall parried away down to third man, and a third time handed Cook more easy runs. Martin bowled a tidy spell from the Pavilion End, bowling wide of the crease, while Mills found a touch more swing from the Nursery End. It was Southee who struggled, though. So impressive on debut – in Napier last March – today he was either too short – feeding Strauss’s favoured pull – or much too full, allowing both left-handers to climb into him on the front foot.The pair looked in excellent touch, enlivening a dull day with a spirited 42 runs in nine overs before the close. Cook carted Southee for three fours in succession off one particularly wayward Southee over – the first past third slip; the second elegantly flicked off his toes, while number three was pounded through extra cover – as England’s fifty arrived from 98 balls.The forecast for tomorrow is marginally worse, and damper, than today, but the match remains intriguingly poised.

The lowest I've seen England – Vaughan

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Michael Vaughan: ‘At the end of a long, hard tour like this one, it is a mental problem’ © Getty Images

Injured captain Michael Vaughan fears for the mental scars inflicted on England during their tour of Australia, which has so far brought just one win, and says the state of the side following their awful showing on Australia Day was the lowest he’d seen the team.Vaughan, who is sidelined as he continues to battle to overcome a hamstring strain, said the self-doubt permeating the team was “cancerous” and a real threat to England’s hopes in the World Cup.A loss against New Zealand at Perth, on Tuesday, would all but end England’s hopes of reaching the tri-series finals and Vaughan said the biggest challenge for his side was shedding the mental frailties so evident in their two losses in Adelaide, when they made just 120 and 110.”At the end of a long, hard tour like this one, it is a mental problem,” he admitted. “Tuesday’s game will be a real big game mentally for the guys, to see if they can come back from the disappointment of Adelaide.”In eight years in the England team, that was as low as I have ever seen players feel. That is what tours like this can do to people. You are getting beat up most days for the whole tour. It has to have some kind of effect.”Vaughan, who again backed besieged coach Duncan Fletcher, has missed the past three England games with his injury and admitted it was hard to watch the side play so poorly from the stands. He said England’s dismal batting reflected their muddled thinking after a string of defeats in Australia.”You can’t defend the way we have batted… We have to work out what is going wrong with our thought processes in the middle. A lot of the times we are getting out, it is the thinking that is wrong and that is purely mental. It is not technique.”However, he dismissed suggestions the English were already marking time and simply waiting to go home, saying it was crucial they left Australia in improved form. “We need to change the momentum fast on this trip and make sure we try and win a couple of these last three games to get into the finals. You can’t keep performing to the standard we have in the last week or so and expect to go to the World Cup in good shape, that is nonsense.”Vaughan said he was shocked by England’s poor efforts in the last two matches. “The two games in Adelaide came a bit out of the blue, to be honest. I just didn’t see those batting performances coming. I watched the guys in the nets and they were all hitting it pretty well.”To further add to England’s problems Vaughan continues to struggle with his injury and looks unlikely to play in Tuesday’s match against New Zealand at the WACA. He is desperate to play again, but said he felt a twinge in his left hamstring during training on Sunday. “I’d have to play a full part in all training tomorrow. We’ll have to monitor how I wake up tomorrow.”Opening bowlers James Anderson and Jon Lewis also remain in doubt after failing to train on Sunday. But Vaughan did hint at changes to the team with Chris Read having a chance to be recalled for Paul Nixon, while Ravi Bopara, the Essex allrounder, is in line for an international debut.

Malik needs to be a tougher captain – Afridi

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Shahid Afridi: “[Shoaib] Malik needs to be confident ahead of the second Test and must push the players to do better” © AFP

Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi wants Shoaib Malik, the captain, to be “tough and demanding” to get the most out of his players in order for Pakistan to fight back in the Test series. Pakistan are trailing 0-1 in the three-Test series after India won by six wickets in Delhi.”If a player is not performing to his optimum level, the captain must be tough and demand more. I think our team was in a position to win the first Test,” Afridi, who was omitted from the Test squad after the one-day series defeat, told PTI.”Experience counts for a lot and [Anil] Kumble led their team well and intelligently. Malik can also do a similar job but he needs to be confident ahead of the second Test and must push the players to do better.”However, Moin Khan, a former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper, said that Malik could not be blamed because captaincy happened too suddenly for him.”He [Malik] doesn’t have the captaincy experience,” Moin told Cricinfo. “He just captained his regional side for some Twenty20 games and suddenly he becomes the captain of the national side. It is going to take time for him to develop. The problem lies with the board. They should have groomed a captain.” Moin felt the Test captaincy could have been given to Mohammad Yousuf while Malik could have continued to be the captain in the ODIs.Afridi said that Pakistan were in a strong position when they gained the lead on the third evening in Delhi. However, on the fourth morning, they lost their last five wickets for 35 runs and set India a target of only 203. Afridi said that the batsmen needed to apply themselves more.”The batting didn’t go all the way after a good start. I have no doubt if we had got another 80 to 100 runs, we could have won this Test match,” Afridi said. “It was disappointing to lose out in the end. I am sure the rest of the team will be eager to make a comeback in the second Test in Kolkata. But the other bowlers also need to give more support to Shoaib Akhtar.”Shoaib, who took six wickets including all four to fall in India’s second innings, received little support from the other bowlers. Danish Kaneria, the legspinner, was especially disappointing, going for 0 for 50 in the final innings.”They must have tried hard but the results are important,” Afridi said. “I was surprised that Kaneria didn’t take more wickets on this pitch. I think he was not as effective because of his shortened run-up. He will get more bite into his bowling if he goes back to his old bowling action which allows him more flight and turn.””It is just a matter of getting back the confidence. In 2005, when we were down in the series, we only came back in the final Test in Bangalore because we believed we could do it and Inzamam [ul-Haq] kept telling us we were close to squaring the series. But the batting must click big time like it did in Bangalore.”

SA and England target short-form gains

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Match facts

February 3, 2016
Start time 1330 local (1130 GMT)

Big Picture

In an act of typically perverse scheduling, the limited-overs leg of England’s tour of South Africa includes five ODIs and just two T20Is, despite the fact that the World Twenty20 is looming in barely a month’s time, and both sides would doubtless benefit from a bit more sprint training in the intervening weeks.Nevertheless, such is the cross-over between the shortened formats in this day and age that the 50-over showdowns, which get underway in Bloemfontein tomorrow, still retain a relevance to both teams. If South Africa’s imperative is to cultivate that winning feeling after a chastening Test series, then England want only to carry on where they left off in a riotous finish to their tour of the UAE before Christmas.Eoin Morgan’s England are an unrecognisable outfit from the one-paced shambles that bombed out of the World Cup in Australia almost exactly 12 months ago. They bat without fear, they field like panthers and their bowlers – if still a touch raw in the post-Anderson and Broad era (albeit that the latter has been drafted back into the squad after a glut of injuries) – have shown promise that augurs well for the challenges to come.No-one would pretend that England are a finished product, but with Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s new director of cricket, preaching a more open-minded attitude to white-ball cricket, their squad has a focus that has been lacking in one-day cricket almost since the dawn of the format. Adil Rashid and David Willey even arrive in South Africa with their horizons broadened by successful stints in Australia’s Big Bash, which would have been an unthinkably progressive move in England’s not-at-all-distant past.Whether England are yet good enough to beat South Africa on home soil is a moot point, however. South Africa’s recent tour of India was a disaster in almost every facet, yet they still proved strong enough to muscle their way to a 3-2 ODI victory. This time last year, AB de Villiers was slamming a 31-ball century to trounce West Indies at Johannesburg, and after ducks in each of his last three Test innings, the only way for South Africa’s captain, surely, is up.

Form guide

South Africa: WLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

England: WWWLL

In the spotlight

Alex Hales endured a torrid Test baptism in the recent series against South Africa. His technique and temperament received equally searching examinations and both were found wanting, as he struggled to 136 runs at 17.00 in four matches. However, a return to the shorter formats may be just what his game needs – a chance to see ball, hit ball, and worry rather less about the consequences of the wrong shot at the wrong time. The concern, however, may be the knock-on effect of his struggles on the tour so far. As his opening partner, Jason Roy, told ESPNcricinfo last week, confidence is everything for a one-day opening batsman. Hales hasn’t displayed much of that in recent times.Hashim Amla’s stunning return to form in the latter stages of the Test series was a reminder of how quickly a change of scene or circumstances can transform a player’s fortunes. Amla’s match-saving double century in Cape Town was made possible by the decision he had made earlier in the match, that the time was right to offload the burden of captaincy, and he confirmed the wisdom of that move with twin scores of 109 and 96 to set up a consolation win at Centurion. His task is now to translate that free-spirited strokeplay to the top of the one-day order. But, to judge by the serenity of his cover-driving in recent days, he’s perfectly poised to make any start count.

Teams news

Marchant de Lange is a strong bet to add to his tally of three ODI caps as South Africa look to cover the gap in their fast-bowling ranks amid the long-term absences of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbott. Although there are concerns about Kagiso Rabada’s workload following his Test heroics, he seems likely to be given the chance to start the series, while Imran Tahir – overlooked through the Test series after struggling to make an impression on the tour of India – is back in the frame as the first-choice spinner.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Farhaan Behardien, 8 Chris Morris/David Wiese, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Morne Morkel/Marchant de Lange, 11 Imran TahirRoy is a major doubt after suffering a back spasm during training on Monday. His place at the top of the order is likely to be filled by Moeen Ali, which is not the worst rejig imaginable given that Ben Stokes’ availability after injury in the UAE would otherwise create a logjam of stroke-makers in the lower-middle order. Adil Rashid, flushed with confidence after a breakthrough winter in the Big Bash, may be given the chance to take that form straight into the 50-over format.England (probable) 1 Moeen Ali, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 James Taylor, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 David Willey, 11 Reece Topley

Pitch and conditions

A flat deck, a large outfit, and intense heat. It promises to be a sapping day’s work for whichever side gets to field first under the afternoon sun.

Stats and trivia

  • AB de Villiers made his ODI debut on February 2, 2005 against England in Bloemfontein. The match was tied. Eleven years and one day later, he will play his 196th ODI at the same venue, and against the same opponents.
  • South Africa have won each of their last six ODIs at Bloemfontein since that tie, most recently by 125 runs against Pakistan in 2013.
  • Quinton de Kock, fresh from his maiden Test hundred at Centurion, needs seven runs to reach 2000 in ODis.

Quotes

“I focus so much on winning the game that before I realise it I’ve scored a hundred off close to 30 balls. Things like that are always possible when you aim bigger and have a bigger cause.”
AB de Villiers admits that superhuman batting feats are just one of those things.“We are not quite there yet in terms of catching up with the World Cup teams that went out there and scored 300 on a regular basis – but we are making strides towards that.”

Sri Lanka board to amend players' contracts

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Marvan Atapattu’s decision to opt out of the Bangladesh series has forced the Sri Lankan board to try and alter the players’ contracts © Getty Images

Jayantha Dharmadasa, the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, has said that the board will take steps to modify the players’ contracts to prevent them from finding excuses not to honour their commitments with the national team.Dharmadasa’s statement was with reference to the issue surrounding Marvan Atapattu, who got away with any reprimand after he decided to pull out of the three-Test series against Bangladesh citing personal reasons. “We had to be lenient with Marvan because of the reasons he had stated in his letter explaining why he had pulled out,” said Dharmadasa.According to Dharmadasa, Atapattu had said that ten days was insufficient for him to prepare himself mentally for a Test series after the trauma he had to undergo by being overlooked for the World Cup matches and the matches in Abu Dhabi. SLC decided against taking any disciplinary action on Atapattu but they will impose a three percent penalty from his total earnings. Atapattu is at present playing league cricket with Lashings in England.Dharmadasa also questioned Sanath Jayasuriya’s decision to play county cricket for Lancashire when he was being ‘rested’ for the Bangladesh series. Jayasuriya is expected to replace Muttiah Muralitharan, who will return home to play against Bangladesh. Dharmadasa said that due to these incidents SLC will seriously review players’ contracts in future and amend certain clauses that would include disciplinary action and heavy fines if players refuse to represent their country due to reasons other than injury.Dharmadasa also accused Ashantha de Mel, the chairman of selectors, of helping the players play outside the national team’s interest by resting them from international series.Relations between de Mel and SLC have been somewhat strained in the recent past. The SLC excluded de Mel from the list of ten candidates they sent to the sports minister to form the next selection committee.

Jahurul, Nabi take Rangpur to the top

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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRangpur Riders kept chipping away at the wickets regularly to pull the plugs on Comilla’s chase in a top-of-the-table clash•BCB

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJahurul Islam held the batting line-up in shape before Mohammad Nabi’s accurate off-spin gave Rangpur Riders a 21-run win over Comilla Victorians. The win put Rangpur atop the points table with 14 points, two ahead of second-placed Comilla.For once Comilla couldn’t get control with their bowling as Rangpur piled 153 for six in 20 overs on another double-paced pitch. Imrul Kayes’ hard-hitting 38 gave them a good start, but the rest of the batting line-up were caught in the rut before giving their wickets away.That they posted a competitive total was courtesy Jahurul, who played his best knock of the tournament so far and is aiming at regaining his spot in the national team for the Asia Cup T20 and World T20. Jahurul previously had two match-winning efforts against Chittagong Vikings and Dhaka Dynamites.He got to work in the second over when opener Soumya Sarkar checked drove Abu Hider to Shuvagata Hom at cover. In Hider’s next over, Jahurul scooped, slogged and flicked for three boundaries in a row. Lendl Simmons watched the show briefly from the other end, before being sent back in the seventh over for 13.Shakib got stuck into paceman Kamrul Islam Rabbi for two fours before slogging one to deep midwicket. When Andre Russell took a stunning catch at the long-off boundary to get rid of Thisara Perera in the 13th over, Rangpur were in the dumps. Jahurul however kept finding the boundaries and duly reached his fifty off 43 balls. He added 39 runs for the fifth wicket with Darren Sammy, who made 24 off 20 balls with two fours and a towering six, to revive the innings.Jahurul was aggressive on anything short, and his only six came off Russell when he smashed him over midwicket in the penultimate over. Hider finished with two wickets while Malik, Zaidi, Russell and Rabbi took one each. Mashrafe bowled one over although he is carrying a grade 1 hamstring tear.Comilla’s chase started with an action-packed 20-minute from Kayes. He smacked Shakib through point and backward square-leg in the first over before latching on to Arafat Sunny. The treatment continued in the next over when Kayes hit two fours between point and cover. He was dismissed off Sammy’s first ball, giving third-man a simple catch after making 38 off 20 balls with six fours and a six.Comilla then lost three quick wickets. Mahmudul Hasan was given out leg-before before Nabi removed Ahmed Shehzad and Zaidi. Shuvagata Hom and Russell tried to give the chase some impetus with a six each, but fell in the 13th and 16th overs. Mashrafe Mortaza, who has shown sparks of brilliance with the bat in the tournament, also struck a six over long-off before falling to Saqlain Sajib, all in the same over.Their last hope was Shoaib Malik who fell in the 18th over but it was Hider who struck Sammy for two sixes in an 18-run penultimate over, to bring the equation down to 24 off the final over. But Perera removed Dhiman Ghosh with a superb yorker off the first ball and Rabbi in the fifth delivery to seal the deal.