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Both teams are coming off fine wins, with Khulna beating Chittagong Vikings by 18 runs while Dhaka crushed Sylhet Sixers with eight wickets and 73 balls remaining

The Report by Mohammad Isam14-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAshley Allen – CPL T20 / Getty

Kieron Pollard nicked the battle of big-hitters against Carlos Brathwaite as the Shere Bangla National Stadium were enthralled by both batsman’s six-hitting abilities. Pollard’s 24-ball 55 – that had six huge sixes – helped Dhaka Dynamites to their third win in a row, this time beating Khulna Titans by four wickets in the final over.Khulna had earlier made 156 for 5, a remarkable recovery from a sluggish 47 for three in the first 10 overs. The late addition came mostly through Brathwaite’s unbeaten 64 that included six sixes in the last 5.5 overs. Abu Hider took two wickets while Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Shahid Afridi took one each.Dhaka’s chase, however, started even poorer. They were 41 for 5 at one stage, but Pollard’s cluster of sixes bought them back into the game, before Jahurul Islam and Mosaddek Hossain took them to victory with a ball to spare.Slow to startKhulna struck only five boundaries in the first 10 overs after being sent to bat. They also lost Michael Klinger, Dhiman Ghosh and Nazmul Hossain Shanto during the same period. The lack of boundaries played a big factor in each of these batsmen’s dismissals.Klinger’s cross-bat took a top edge and was well caught at mid on by Hider, off Shakib. The bowler-fielder combination then switched roles as Hider took Dhiman’s wicket in the sixth over, the skier taken in the second attempt by Shakib.Narine easily scalped Shanto in the tenth over when the batsman charged him needlessly, only to be stumped by Jahurul Islam for a 25-ball 24.Khulna’s late burstEerily similar to their previous game, Brathwaite got into his stride soon after Mahmudullah got out. He first struck Afridi for two sixes in the space of three balls, first over the bowler’s head and then over midwicket. Shakib then went for 17 runs in the 16th over, which included another six over midwicket that went deeper than the one in the previous over.Rilee Rossouw got out in the next over to end the rapid 54-run fifth-wicket stand but Brathwaite struck his fourth six before reaching his maiden T20 fifty off just 25 balls. In the final over, both his sixes off Hider went straight, the second slightly bigger than the first. He finished with six maximums in his unbeaten 29-ball 64.Pollard’s reply to BrathwaiteDhaka, too, slipped like Khulna in the first half of their innings. Abu Jayed had Evin Lewis skied to mid off in the first over, Afridi slammed one to cover in the second over before Jofra Archer bowled Cameron Delport with a quick delivery. Mahmudullah took a sharp catch to remove Narine and Dhaka’s crisis deepened further in the ninth when Shakib was caught for 20.But the scenario changed in the space of five balls, of which four went for sixes off Pollard’s bat. All of those went over long on, despite Mahmudullah’s varying lengths. That over, the innings’ 11th, cost 25 runs. Pollard didn’t spare Brathwaite either, hitting his compatriot for two sixes, both on the leg side in the 13th over that cost 20 runs. From a precarious position, Dhaka had reduced the chase to 58 off the last seven overs.The pullback via ArcherJofra Archer, whose pace has troubled a few batsmen in the BPL, used it to good effect in the 14th over. He gave away just three runs, after which Shafiul picked up the key wicket of Pollard in the following over. Much of the credit for Pollard’s wicket, however, should go to Archer for bringing some control to the Khulna attack. Between the 14th and 17th overs, Khulna conceded only two fours as Dhaka went left needing 27 off the last three overs.Some local creditThe lack of contribution from the local players had been a concern in the BPL but the way Jahurul and Mosaddek played out the last 5.1 overs should be appeasing. They narrowed the chase down with two balls to go, but Jahurul’s reverse off Brathwaite, with four needed, was a was superbly executed. The pair added 43 in their unbroken seventh-wicket stand.What they said“I gambled with that reverse scoop off the second last ball. This is the first time I played in a match.”

The Delhi coach has said his players were fired up by the Bengal captain needling them about conceding the first-innings lead in their last meeting in 2015

Arun Venugopal in Pune19-Dec-2017Delhi coach KP Bhaskar has said his players were fired up ahead of their Ranji Trophy semi-final as a result of comments from Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain. On the eve of the match, Tiwary had brought up the fractious 2015 meeting between the two sides, in which Bengal had taken the first-innings lead. It was also the match that saw Tiwary and Gautam Gambhir get into a heated exchange on the field.”Delhi would not have forgotten that we had taken the first-innings lead against them in 2015,” Tiwary had said. “And if they have forgotten that, we will remind them on the field from tomorrow.”Before the semi-final, Bengal had been getting the better of Delhi in recent meetings, taking the first-innings lead four times in five matches and winning the other one outright. On Tuesday, Delhi broke that run of results, bowling Bengal out for 86 in their second innings to wrap up victory by an innings and 26 runs.Speaking to the media after the match, Bhaskar said Tiwary’s comments had been needless, and also questioned Bengal’s tactics.”It was uncalled for,” Bhaskar said. “I thought they were probably overconfident, getting 850 [695 for 6] against Gujarat. How can you go with four bowlers against a side like Delhi with Gautam and some of the youngsters around? Probably that means they were relying more on their batting.”Tiwary, though, remained defiant and reasoned that a bit of chatter was necessary.”We did remind them [about Delhi having conceded the lead],” he said. “There is no two ways about it. I haven’t said that we we were going to beat them hands down. Let them say whatever they want to. It’s our fault and we didn’t capitalise on the start we got. Obviously we have to disturb the batsmen in the middle. But we have to give credit to their openers who played really well. But that’s the way the game goes.”On Bengal’s capitulation in the second innings, Tiwary said the batsmen lacked “a little bit of skill, a little bit of determination and mental strength.””In a game, there are periods where the time comes where you have to be mentally prepared and determined, which we didn’t do,” he said. “But I am proud of them and credit to them for doing well all season. It’s a time where people want quick results but we need to give time. There were 15 centuries in the season which something Bengal isn’t used to. We are producing [quality] players as well.”Bhaskar said he didn’t expect the match to finish so early, and reiterated his surprise at Bengal’s decision to bat first on what he felt was a damp pitch. He was also effusive in his praise for his young team.”Guys like Kunal Chandela have been a revelation,” he said. “Vikas Tokas played a gritty innings today along with Himmat Singh. Tokas has a slight hamstring tear, but he should recover [ahead of the final]. He bowled his heart out today.”

The teams set to start the tri-series are Bangladesh and Zimbabwe but much of the focus in Mirpur on Sunday was on Hathurusingha who returned to Dhaka after his acrimonious exit as Bangladesh coach last year

Mohammad Isam14-Jan-2018The teams set to start the tri-series on Monday are Bangladesh and Zimbabwe but much of the focus at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Sunday was on Chandika Hathurusingha who returned to Mirpur after his acrimonious exit as Bangladesh coach last year.In the Sri Lankan camp now, Hathurusingha was speaking publicly in Bangladesh for the first time since he quit as their coach and there were bound to be questions about that. In particular focus was his resignation which reportedly came in the middle of Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa but was announced a month later by the BCB. The building excitement, however, gave way to one cool response after another.”I am excited to be back again in Bangladesh. I am looking forward to the series.””I think it is very challenging for us. Bangladesh has been really competitive at home lately.””Unfortunately, I am not going to go into details about my professional commitment or my dealings with BCB. So I can’t answer that.”Then came a minor slip-up, when he said “we” when referring to Bangladesh but quickly clarified which “we” he was talking about.”We haven’t lost a series, one series, in the last two and half years. When I say ‘we’, I mean Bangladesh. They have been playing good cricket in ODIs. They know their roles and game plan well. It is a big challenge for any team to play here,” Hathurusingha said.Only once his tone touched a higher note, when he was asked if it was irresponsible of him to quit in the middle of Bangladesh’s tour to South Africa. He said it wasn’t.Although Hathurusingha returned to Dhaka in December to tie up loose ends with the BCB, it is understood he did not submit a written report and board president Nazmul Hassan said that the coach’s decision to quit was prompted by the BCB allowing Shakib Al Hasan to rest during the South Africa Test series.The only time Hathurusingha spoke to the media during that tour was before the first Test, which prompted questions about his accountability to the Bangladesh fans who looked to him for answers after every thrashing on that winless tour. Hathurusingha remained steadfast with silence, only sending the BCB his resignation letter after the Test series, and not returning to Bangladesh for a debriefing.Ultimately, it was Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s ODI captain, who eased the situation by giving Hathurusingha his due but at the same time pointing out how many of the players also did their jobs properly to bring Bangladesh the success.”Our dressing room has big-hearted players. On behalf of the Bangladesh players, I salute Hathurusingha,” Mashrafe said on Sunday. “We had success under him. I have no problem in giving him credit but the player did the job in the 22 yards.”The coach didn’t have to do anything special to Tamim, Mushfiqur, Shakib or Mustafizur. They did it themselves, and ultimately took on the pressure. When Mahmudullah made that hundred against New Zealand, I didn’t think anyone had to guide him through that innings. He performed according to his ability.”We backed the coach 100%, and we will keep backing the current coaching staff – Richard Halsall (interim coach), Sujon (Khaled Mahmud Sujon, the technical director). They are going to do the same, with full professionalism. But good luck to Hathu. We are more concerned about ourselves right now.”Some may expect Mashrafe’s statement to end all questions to and about Hathurusingha, but it is unlikely to be the case. The Bangladesh media is huge, and this is only the start of Sri Lanka’s tour.

A 32-run win against UAE, however, will not mask the team’s worries over their batting leading into the tournament proper

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2018Spinners Nikita Miller (5 for 20) and Ashley Nurse (2 for 21) rescued West Indies after yet another batting collapse, helping bowl UAE out for 83 in a chase of 116 at the Harare Sports Club. With this performance coming close on the heels of a chastening defeat to Afghanistan, West Indies will worry about their form leading up to the tournament proper, which begins on Sunday.West Indies slumped to 110 all out against Afghanistan, and they didn’t do too much better against UAE. They made a decent start after being put in to bat, with openers Chris Gayle and Evin Lewis putting on 31 before falling within six balls of each other to the seamer Mohammad Naveed. Shimron Hetmyer and Marlon Samuels added 34 for the third wicket, before spinners Imran Haider (4 for 16) and Ahmed Raza (2 for 14) effected a major collapse, as West Indies slipped from 66 for 2 to 115 all out, with no one outside the top four getting into double figures.In reply, UAE slipped to 36 for 3 by the tenth over with Kemar Roach dismissing their top three batsmen. Wickets fell steadily thereon, as Miller and Nurse ran through rest of the line-up to bowl them out in 29 overs.

Karachi Whites chased 282 with ease to beat Peshawar by five wickets in the first semi-final

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2018
Khurram Manzoor made 100 off 70 balls•PCB

A century from Khurram Manzoor guided Karachi Whites to a five-wicket win over Peshawar in the first semi-final on Thursday. Peshawar, who had decided to bat first after winning the toss, posted 281 before they were bundled out in the final over.Eight of the top nine batsman reached double figures, with captain Mohammad Rizwan top-scoring with 72. Regular wickets in the final third of the innings derailed Peshawar in their quest for a 300-plus score. Anwar Ali and Mohammad Asghar were the pick of Karachi’s bowlers, taking three wickets each to chip away at Peshawar.Karachi Whites led an impressively strong reply, with an 80-run opening partnership between Manzoor and captain Asad Shafiq setting them on course. Akbar-ur-Rehman, at number three, linked up with Manzoor in the match-defining partnership. The pair contributed 113 runs for the second wicket as Rehman scored 82, with the game effectively done.Quick wickets made it a tense affair towards the end, but Danish Aziz ensured the good work of the top order would not go to waste. He hit two sixes and a four in an 8-ball 20 to see his side home with five balls to spare.

The Pakistan wristspinner was docked 20 percent of his match fee and handed one demerit point for his send-off to Chadwick Walton

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2018Pakistan wristspinner Shadab Khan has been fined 20% of his match fee after being found guilty of verbal abuse during the second T20 international against West Indies in Karachi. Shadab’s offence amounted to a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s code of conduct, which also earned him one demerit point.The incident occurred in the ninth over of the West Indies chase, when Shadab dismissed Chadwick Walton. After being taken for 11 runs in his first over by the batsman, Shadab returned to clean him up with a wrong’un off the first ball of his next over. Shadab then followed up by pointing his finger at the departing Walton, and made an inappropriate comment. Shadab, who is Walton’s teammate at Islamabad United, admitted his offence and accepted the sanction proposed by the match referee David Boon.As per the ICC’s code, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, and a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. This is the first time Shadab has been caught breaching the player code. If he accumulates three more demerit points within a 24-month period, it will translate into suspension points that will earn him a one-match ban.Pakistan are presently hosting West Indies in Karachi, and have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-T20I series. The third and final game takes place on Tuesday.

Mark Footitt has been loaned to Derbyshire after failing to break into Nottinghamshire’s all-England attack in the early rounds of the Championship

David Hopps02-May-2018Nottinghamshire’s left-arm fast bowler Mark Footitt has joined Derbyshire on an initial 28-day loan deal where he will be available to play Specsavers County Championship and Royal London One-Day Cup cricket.The 32-year-old, who spent six seasons with Derbyshire between 2010 and 2015, is earmarked for two four-day matches and five 50-over games, starting against Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Thursday.”Mark’s pre-season has been affected by injury and we feel it’s a good opportunity for him to get out there and get some cricket under his belt,” said Nottinghamshire’d director of cricket Mick Newell.”Our pace attack has started the season in fine form and Mark has found himself short of game time so far. Hopefully he can get some overs under his belt and come back ready to go when the season ramps up from June onwards.”The move suits Derbyshire who have fielded a high-class pace attack this season in three bowlers with international experience – Duanne Olivier, Ravi Rampaul and Hardus Viljoen – but who have limited stocks in reserve and fear the danger of overbowling their prize assets as a conequence.Derbyshire’s cricket advisor, Kim Barnett, said: “We’re grateful to Nottinghamshire and Peter Moores for allowing Mark to join us for this busy period, and I’m sure this arrangement will be good for all parties.”This move for Footitt is not as angst-ridden as the last, involving just a few miles up the A52. He admitted that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders when Surrey gave him permission to return to Nottinghamshire in the middle of last season on a two-and-a-half year deal. The strain of hotel living, away from his fiancé and daughter in London had become too much.Footitt has travelled this way before. He first joined Derbyshire in 2009 after Nottinghamshire released him from his contract as injuries bedevilled his early career. He became a firm favourite at Derbyshire, taking 82 County Championship wickets in 2014. He moved south to Surrey, fired by England ambitions, and came close to a Test debut when he was chosen for the South Africa tour of 2015/16 but never played.

Joe Weatherley had put Hampshire within a single of keeping up their 100% record in the Royal London Cup by scoring his first professional century

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2018
ScorecardKent bowler Matt Henry kept his cool in the final over to stun Hampshire and hand Kent a sensational one-run victory at the Ageas Bowl.Henry only conceded two runs in the final over to deny Hampshire – who only needed four off the final six balls.Joe Weatherley had put Hampshire within a single of keeping up their 100% record in the Royal London One-Day Cup by scoring his brilliant first professional century.Batsman Weatherley, who spent last season on loan at Canterbury, struck three figures in 99 balls in an incredible 133 run stand with fellow academy star Brad Taylor – who crashed his maiden half century.Allrounder Taylor had also earlier taken 2 for 35 in an excellent spell, with Kent setting 297, thanks to a late surge, after Daniel Bell-Drummond scored 82.Opening the batting, Rilee Rossouw failed to replicate his scores of 90 and 111 earlier in the week despite a cameo of 24, including a thumping six.After a lively opening stand of 54 with Tom Alsop, he slapped a cut to Bell-Drummond at a wide short third man. Alsop, on his first appearance in the tournament, ticked along nicely for 36 before chipping a caught and bowled back to Joe Denly. Two overs later James Vince, having made a decent start, followed when he was bowled attempting a sweep.Jimmy Adams and Weatherley started to rebuild as scoring appeared to become more difficult but after adding 51 the former miss-hit a straight drive to Sean Dickson at mid-off. Weatherley posted his fourth List A half century, from 59 balls, before seemingly taking the game away with Taylor who fired fifty from 59 deliveries before he was caught at mid-off.And then Henry pulled off a nail biting final over.Put in by Vince on a good track under perfect sunny conditions, Kent initially struggled to get going, scratching 37 off the first 10 overs. Despite the steady scoring, Kent and in particular Bell-Drummond steadfastly protected their wickets, although Zak Crawley was undone by a superb ball by Taylor.Offspinner Taylor produced a miserly spell, bowling his 10 overs straight through, with a straight six the only boundary scored off him. His temperament was rewarded with a second wicket when a frustrated Denly picked out Alsop on the long-on boundary.Heino Kuhn patiently accumulated 25 before Bell-Drummond pummelled a straight drive into his arm at the non-striker’s end, after a short period of medical decided to retire hurt.Amongst the wickets and injury, in form opener Bell-Drummond had amassed a quality 82, including bringing up fifty in 69 balls, to steer his side to a comfortable four and a half runs an over before he was narrowly run out by a Mason Crane direct hit.Kent looked set for a modest total, but Alex Blake, Sean Dickson and Darren Stevens smashed them above par with a mixture of canny shot selection and good field splitting in a stunning final 12 overs.Blake and Dickson slammed 67 runs from 43 balls, the former taking a liking to Crane by plundering him for a pair of sixes, but the legspinner won the overall battle when a reverse sweep found Weatherley on the square-leg boundary.At the other end, Dickson belied his List A strike-rate of 72 to pump a half century from 35 balls, eventually ending unbeaten on 68. He added another 57 in 31 deliveries with Stevens for an unbroken fifth-wicket to take the visitors to 296.

The quick took 5 for 8 to raze Bangladesh for 43 and set West Indies up for a 158-run lead at stumps on day one

The Report by Mohammad Isam04-Jul-2018
Kemar Roach celebrates a wicket•AFP

Fast bowler Kemar Roach’s blistering five-wicket haul dismissed Bangladesh for 43 – their lowest total in Test cricket – and helped West Indies tighten their grip on the Antigua Test. The hosts went to stumps at 201 for 2, with a lead of 158.After being put into bat on a well-grassed pitch, Bangladesh could not even last the first session. Their 43 all out was the lowest total in Test cricket in 44 years and the second-shortest first innings.In response, West Indies’ openers showed good application and added 113 for the first wicket. Kraigg Brathwaite was at his dogged best, making an unbeaten 88 off 204 balls, while Devon Smith provided able support with a fifty of his own – 58 off 123 balls. After he became Abu Jayed’s maiden Test wicket, Kieran Powell lifted the scoring rate with 48 off 65 balls.But the day belonged to Roach. Backed up by Shannon Gabriel who was fresh from a 20-wicket series against Sri Lanka, the new-ball pair put Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das under early pressure with a clever mix of full and short deliveries, beating their inside and outside edges repeatedly with the new ball.Tamim fell when he was squared up by a Roach delivery that held its line and found the outside edge. Mominul Haque then dangled his bat at a delivery that was moving away from him, only to be caught at gully.Roach, who by now was struggling with a knee injury, wasn’t done yet. He removed Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah in a space of four deliveries in his fifth over. Nurul Hasan somehow managed to avert the hat-trick. His 5 for 8 in five overs broke Bangladesh’s spine and possibly ruined their West Indies tour as early as the first hour of the first Test. The following 40 minutes saw Miguel Cummins and captain Jason Holder taking the remaining five wickets.If Bangladesh’s hare-brained approach was the highlight of the day’s first session, the post-lunch session belonged to Kraigg Brathwaite and Devon Smith, who patiently built the West Indies’ lead.They first moved to 90 for no loss in 32 overs at the tea and soon brought up their fifties. Bangladesh were also guilty of squandering a chance. Nurul Hasan, playing his first Test since January 2017 and given the designated wicketkeeper’s job ahead of Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das, dropped a regulation catch off Smith’s edge when he was on 34.Nurul made up in the third session when he held Smith’s catch to give debutant Abu Jayed his maiden Test wicket. It came the ball after Brathwaite had reached his fifty, for which he took 121 balls.Powell’s arrival then raised the tempo. His first four was a powerful cut off Mehidy Hasan before he hit fours off Jayed and Rubel. He was also adept against Mehidy Hasan’s offbreaks.But there were some lapses in concentration as well. In the final hour, Brathwaite and Powell were involved a mix-up that could have had the latter in trouble. Mushfiqur also dropped Brathwaite at mid-on, on 78. Mahmudullah, eventually, broke the 81-run second wicket stand when Liton took a fine catch at slip to dismiss Powell. Devendra Bishoo, the nightwatchman, and Brathwaite then saw West Indies through to stumps.

ECB Reporters Network22-Jul-20182:03

Clark’s stunning Roses hat-trick stuns Yorkshire

ScorecardA maiden first-class century from Ryan Higgins put Gloucestershire in a decent position on the opening day of the Specasavers County Championship match with Durham at Cheltenham.The 23-year-old former Middlesex all-rounder was out in the last over of the day for 105 as his side ran up 315 for seven after winning the toss. Miles Hammond (51) and Gareth Roderick (67) were the other main contributors.Chris Rushworth and Ben Stokes each claimed three of the wickets, Stokes beginning with a seven-over spell that brought him 2 for 10. But Durham’s other England bowler Mark Wood was off the field having physiotherapy during the afternoon and, although he returned to the field, he bowled only six overs in the day.Stokes was the star of the early exchanges, generating pace and bounce from the Chapel End after coming on first change.He pinned Chris Dent lbw for 19 and had Benny Howell taken at gully off a sharply lifting delivery for four after Gloucestershire had elected to bat in bright sunshine.In between the two wickets Stokes struck James Bracey a painful blow on an elbow. After treatment the 21-year-old batsman headed off to hospital for a more extensive examination.Ben Stokes was back in action•Getty Images

Hammond, already a centurion at the Festival, again looked in fine form, putting on 40 with Dent for the first wicket. The left-hander was unbeaten on 36 at lunch, which was taken with Gloucestershire 80 for two off 28 overs.Hammond went on to a half-century off 97 balls, with 9 fours. But he fell early in the afternoon session, bowled by Rushworth, who beat his defensive shot.Roderick survived a couple of blows to the helmet on the lively pitch to post fifty off 93 deliveries, with 8 fours, and shared a fourth-wicket stand of 107 with Higgins to put their side on top.Tea was taken at 218 for three, with Higgins having brought up his half-century off 67 balls, hitting six fours. It was an untimely interval for Roderick, who in the first over after the resumption fell lbw to Salisbury on the back foot.Higgins went past his previous best score of 63 and set his sights on three figures. The injured Bracey returned to help add 64 before departing to the second new ball, an lbw victim for Rushworth.Kieran Noema-Barnett fell cheaply to the same bowler, but Higgins punched the air at reaching his ton off 141 balls, having increased his boundary count to 12.He was caught at backward point off what proved the final delivery of the day to his intense frustration, Stokes claiming a third wicket. He ended the day with three for 40 from an impressive 18.4 overs, while Rushworth had three for 82 off 20.