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Enterprising innings by Phillip Hughes and Michael Clarke ensured a vast lead for the Australians over Worcestershire at New Road

Daniel Brettig at New Road04-Jul-2013Worcestershire 284 (Compton 79, Mitchell 65, Bird 4-48) and 64 for 1 need 393 to beat Australians 396 for 4 dec and 341 for 5 dec (Clarke 124, Hughes 86)
ScorecardMichael Clarke made an impact on Australia’s Ashes tour with a quick hundred ahead of the first Test•Getty Images

For most of his first five weeks in England, Michael Clarke has been defined less by what he was than what he wasn’t.To begin with, Clarke wasn’t fit. He wasn’t in Birmingham for the Walkabout fiasco, then he wasn’t taking part in any of the Champions Trophy. When Mickey Arthur was sacked, Clarke wasn’t a decision-maker nor, it emerged, anymore a member of the selection panel. Throughout Darren Lehmann’s assured first 10 days as coach, Clarke wasn’t even the primary spokesman for the team.On the third day in Worcester, in his final innings before the first Test at Trent Bridge, Clarke was back. Taking advantage of a docile pitch and an amiable attack, he bounded to a century in 90 balls, confirming the return of batting touch and confidence at precisely the right moment before the serious stuff begins.Most importantly of all, Clarke played without any hint of the back trouble that had flared on his arrival, and can now travel to Nottingham with confidence about his ability to play the sorts of innings Australia so desperately need from him.Phillip Hughes was similarly arresting as he helped Clarke set Worcestershire a target of 457 to win, which by the close they had reduced to 393 for the loss of Nick Compton’s wicket. The day after asserting that he had not been given “fair crack of the whip” by England’s selectors, Compton was lured down the pitch by the young spinner Ashton Agar and neatly stumped by Brad Haddin. Agar’s teasing spell in the final session was another sign of promise for the tourists, who have rather less to worry about now than a week ago.That is not to say they are in completely fine fettle. Ed Cowan fell for another of his maddeningly mediocre scores, having been dropped without scoring, though he was unhappy to be given out lbw for 34. In four innings on tour so far his top score is 58, not substantial enough tallies should he occupy the No. 3 berth at Trent Bridge as now appears likely.Ryan Harris and Jackson Bird also failed to harvest any wickets with the new ball. They did better in the morning when Worcestershire were rolled up for 284. Bird claimed the standout innings figures with 4 for 48, while Harris showed decent rhythm and speed.Harris was left very much in Bird’s wake on the second day, but regathered some ground on the third morning. Gareth Andrew snicked behind to Haddin before Jack Shantry was beaten for pace and angle from round the wicket to have his stumps splayed.Bird beat the bat numerous times in his early spell but was relieved by James Faulkner, who bowled the last man Chris Russell. It was Cowan who joined Rogers in sprinting off to open the batting, Watson again being held back in the order following his first innings performance just as he had been against Somerset at Taunton.Cowan was handed an instant reprieve, dropped in the slips by Moeen Ali before he had scored. Rogers was also helped by a few fortunate edges before more full-blooded strokes ensued. The Australians appeared likely to reach lunch without interruption, but a few minutes before the interval Rogers was pinned lbw by Ali’s off break from around the wicket.The order then maintained its elastic and preparatory nature, Hughes moving from No. 6 up to 3 and making a fluent start in sunshine that grew brighter by the minute. Cowan played soundly enough into the 30s, before trying to swish Shantry to leg and being given lbw. He looked pointedly at his bat on the way off the ground, but after the dropped catch on nought there was less reason for sympathy.Entering at No. 4 for the fourth innings in succession, Clarke promptly set about Worcestershire’s bowling with freedom of shots as well as movement, his back appearing to be less restrictive than at any stage of the tour so far. He encouraged a more aggressive posture from Hughes, and the pair entertained another plentiful crowd by cavaliering to a stand of 132 in 123 balls.Hughes forged ahead of his captain, clattering three sixes with a backswing that gained noticeably in extravagance. He was on course for a century in the session when he miscalculated a Russell delivery and was bowled, but had shown pleasing freedom and confidence in his final innings before the first Test.Clarke took over the main aggressor’s role upon Hughes’ exit, driving immaculately at some times and swinging more agriculturally at others. Either way, his eye was sharp, and there can now be little concern that he will walk out to bat in Nottingham without sufficient time in the middle.He delayed his declaration for an hour after tea, partly to allow Steve Smith another hit and partly to ensure his own bowlers did not have too many overs required of them in the fourth innings.With the pitch dry and the clouds sparse, Bird and Harris found little early movement on offer, and it took Agar to confound Compton with the kind of delectable delivery that has hastened his rise to the fringes of Australia’s Test match thinking at the age of 19. A few more wickets on the final afternoon and Agar may be bidding to join Clarke at Trent Bridge.

Phillips explains what’s going right with his batting after yet another key knock in what has been a fruitful couple of weeks in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2025Since landing in Pakistan a couple of weeks ago, Glenn Phillips has played four ODIs, scored 215 runs off 162 balls, and been dismissed only once. That dismissal came today, in New Zealand’s Champions Trophy opener against the hosts, but not before Phillips has thumped 61 from 39 to take his side well past 300 on a tricky pitch where run-scoring was hard especially early on.What’s his secret? “I’m just really clear at the moment, I’m seeing the ball really well and I guess being still at the point of contact and I think that goes a long way in being able to be a hitter,” Phillips said after New Zealand’s 60-run win in Karachi. “I haven’t always got it right in the past, but I’ve got a little bit of a feel for it for the moment.”He had scores of 106 not out, 28 not out and 20 not out in the preceding tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa that served as final preparation for the Champions Trophy. Today, he came in at 191 for 4 in the 38th over, joining a well-set Tom Latham, with New Zealand’s run rate at that point hovering at around five to the over. The pair went on to ransack 125 from 74, New Zealand finishing with 113 from the last 10 which was the second-most by any team in the last ten overs (41-50) of a Champions Trophy innings.Related

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What was it that held batters back before this partnership? “I think we’ve played a different pitch and it’s played a different way every time we’ve been here [Karachi].”The pacers I think were definitely harder to play in the day when the ball was going up and down a lot. The way Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke bowled [in the chase], it was a testament to how good they did but I think during the day the way the Pakistan boys bowled, especially at the top, made it quite tough for us to get away early on.”I think we’ve been really adaptable to different styles of pitches, and it was nice to see some turn out there in the evening.”New Zealand’s next game is against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on February 24, before they fly to Dubai to take on India on March 2. They will have to keep adapting for a while more to make the semi-finals and beyond, but this was a fine start in that direction.

Ashley Giles says he ‘encouraged’ spinner not to turn his back on playing Tests in future

Andrew Miller20-Sep-2019Moeen Ali will miss England’s two Tests in New Zealand in November, and may also be omitted from the red-ball leg of the South Africa tour in December and January, after requesting a break from Test cricket in the wake of a gruelling English season.The news came as Moeen was omitted from England’s list of centrally contracted Test players for the 12 months to September 2020, which was announced on Friday at Lord’s by England’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles.Although he retains his white-ball contract, and will be a central part of England’s plans for the World T20 in Australia next year, this was the first time since 2014-15, the year of his England debut, that Moeen had been overlooked for the top tier of ECB contracts – a run that reflects the amount of international cricket, 186 matches in all formats, that he had been playing in the preceding five years.”It’s just to get away from it a little bit. I feel like I want to enjoy my batting and this will give me a bit of a break,” Moeen told ESPNcricinfo on the eve of T20 Finals Day at Edgbaston, where he is hoping to captain Worcestershire to back-to-back titles in the Vitality Blast.”I want to spend some time with the family. I’ve been playing for England for five years and it’s been quite tough. The intensity is obviously higher in Test cricket so this is just to give me a break and then we will see what happens after that.”I’m not ruling out playing Test cricket in the future. I’ve had long chats and thought about it quite a lot. I just want to give myself a bit of time to refresh my batteries and see where it goes after that.”Speaking at Lord’s, Giles was equally keen to stress that Moeen’s decision did not spell the end of his 60-Test career – a period in which he has claimed 181 wickets, second only to Graeme Swann among English spinners this century.However, Giles did indicate that Test retirement had been discussed during their conversations, as Moeen came to terms with a disappointing summer in which he was dropped after England’s defeat in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, having already lost his starting berth in the World Cup-winning team.”For all the guys, not just Moeen, it’s been a really challenging summer,” Giles said. “A World Cup and an Ashes back-to-back has had a massive effect on many of these guys psychologically, as much as physically. And some of those guys are still carrying [those issues], one of them being Moeen.”His experience in the first [Ashes] Test wasn’t a great one, but that’s cricket. He’s has been a great servant for his team. And that’s why I encouraged him to leave that option open to come back. He might just need to go away and freshen up. But he’s been a really good servant for this team. And he’s still relatively young.”England are due to tour Sri Lanka for two Tests in March and April, a country where Moeen last year claimed 18 wickets at 24.50 as part of a successful three-spinner attack, and that could, in theory, be an obvious time for him to return to the fray.However, with Jack Leach established as England’s first-choice spinner and with a new coach likely to be in place by that date, Moeen’s decision to step back from Test cricket comes with obvious risk – especially at a time when England have signalled their intention to redouble their focus on the format after a four-year cycle in which it played second fiddle to the needs of the white-ball squad.”The two Tests in New Zealand are not part of the World Test Championship, but actually they form a really important part of the build-up process to South Africa, which is a series that we’ve got to go and win,” said Giles. “And New Zealand are a strong team. We are not going there lightly, so we’ve got to be ready.”Moeen Ali was dropped for the Lord’s Test after a tough time at Edgbaston•Getty Images

A further consideration for Moeen is that the Sri Lanka tour falls close to the start of the 2020 IPL, a tournament for which he has a lucrative contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore. While Giles insisted that Moeen’s decision would not be solely driven by any desire to play a full part in RCB’s campaign, he was adamant that the rewards of the tournament were not merely financial – as shown by the big-game experience that many of England’s 50-over stars were able to lean upon in key moments of the World Cup.”It is going to be very difficult for us to stop players going [to the IPL] without risking losing them,” Giles said. “We’ve got to accept that and manage our players outside that. They have to be reasonable in accepting we are making space for them, because their main duty is to represent England. But that window [in the schedule] is left open for them for a reason.”Giles acknowledged, too, that the incredible demands placed on England’s cricketers in the summer to end all summers were unsustainable, and that the board had a duty of care towards Moeen, and others who have struggled with the team’s multiple ambitions.”These are extraordinary circumstances, and some players deal with it better than others,” he said. “Some players are in different cycles of their own game, and where they are in terms of confidence – look at where [Ben] Stokes has been all summer compared to Moeen – but we’re going to support these guys to come back into the side. Our whole system has got to be better at picking them up and making sure that they’re better prepared for the rigours.”He conceded, too, that England’s achievement in drawing the Ashes with a memorable victory in the fifth Test at The Oval was a credit to the character of a team that “really ran through the line” for themselves and for their captain, Joe Root.”The players all suffered in different ways really,” said Giles. “But I have to say great credit to every one of them. It would have been easy to roll over and just give in. But they saw it right through, and if you started the summer and offered us a World Cup win and a drawn Ashes series, we probably would have taken it.”‘Neglected’ might be a strong word, but for the last four years, we know we focused primarily on white-ball cricket, and Joe has done a great job in challenging circumstances. And when a team runs through the line like they did for him this year, I think that’s great credit to him.”I said to Joe before Headingley, and this wasn’t a case of taking any eyes off the ball, that if we won this series, it would have been a fantastic effort. But it would have been more on pure performance than anything else.”Additional reporting by Paul Edwards.

All six territorial boards of the West Indies Cricket Board will find representation for the first time in the upcoming Regional Women’s Tournament, which begins on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016All six territorial boards of the West Indies Cricket Board will find representation for the first time in the upcoming Regional Women’s Tournament, comprising the limited-overs format, starting Thursday. Leewards Islands will field a team for the first time in the tournament, while Windward Islands will play as a single unit, also for the first time.Windwards earlier had each of its four nations – Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenada – playing as individual teams when the regional tournament was an eight-team competition. That changed in 2015 when Windwards fielded only two outfits – North and South.”We want to welcome Leewards Women into the fold and are looking forward to them playing a valuable role in the expansion of the women’s game in the region,” Josina Luke, WICB project officer for women’s cricket, said. “We have spent the last year working with the Leewards in the development of this squad, following a decision by our directors to have them involved this year, so this is another step towards strengthening the base of the women’s game in the region and expanding our talent pool.”The banding together of the talents of the Windwards Women helps us to streamline our tournaments and bring greater competitiveness to the overall women’s game, as the ultimate aim is to create a stronger West Indies Women’s team with a view to winning more global titles.”Leewards will be captained by Shawnisha Hector, the Antiguan pacer, while Afy Fletcher, the West Indies Women’s legspinner, will lead Windwards.The tournament, this year, will comprise the Super50 as well as Twenty20 competitions. “We want to broaden the pool of players for the West Indies Women’s team, bearing in mind two important things,” Luke said. “First, we are well-placed for automatic qualification for the ICC Women’s World Cup next year in England and want to remain on that trajectory with important series in the ICC Women’s Championship later this year against England at home and India on the road. Also, we want to fortify our squad in the T20 format, so we can continue to put forward the kind of performances that enhance our position as World champions.”The tournament will begin with the Super50 competition. Barbados, the defending champions, will face Trinidad & Tobago. Leewards will take on five-time champions Jamaica, while hosts Guyana kickstart their campaign against Windwards. Each of the teams will meet the others once in the round-robin stage, which will consist of five matches of 50-overs-a-side. The teams with the maximum points will clash in the final, on July 17.The T20 tournament will take place four days later with three games on each match day, all of them at the Guyana National Stadium, before a final round of play-off matches to determine positions on July 25.SquadsBarbados: Shaquana Quintyne (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Keila Elliott, Allison Gordon, Reshelle Griffith, Malissa Howard, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Shakera Selman, Charlene Taitt, , Shanna Thompson, Tiffany ThorpeGuyana Tremayne Smartt (captain), Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Erva Giddings, Melanie Henry, Mandy Mangru, Plaffiana Millington, Subrina Munroe, Kaysia Shultz, Heema Singh, Latoya Smith, Akaze Thompson, Lashuna Toussaint, Kavita YadramJamaica Stafanie Taylor (captain), Alecia Bookal, Shanel Daley, Keneshia Ferron, Chinelle Henry, Corrine, Howell, Natasha McLean, Jodian Morgan, Chedean Nation, Roshana Outar, Tameka Sanford, Jerona Walcott, Vanessa Watts, Rashada WilliamsLeeward Islands Shawnisha Hector (captain), Jasmine Clarke, Melicia Clarke, Davanna Claxton, Kimberly Dookhan, Amanda Edwards, Sherma Jackson, Rozel Liburd, Terez Parker, Grace Persaud, Kerisha Powell, Jenisen Richards, Eldora Sylvester, Saneldo WillettTrinidad & Tobago Merissa Aguilleira (captain), Kirbyina Alexander, Reniece Boyce, Britney Cooper, Rosalie Dolabaille, Stacy Ann King, Lee Ann Kirby, Shenelle Lord, Anisa Mohammed, Selene O’Neil, Kamara Ragoobar, Karishma Ramharack, Amanda Samaroo, Rachael VincentWindward Islands Afy Fletcher (captain), Stacy Ann Adams, Holly Charles, Roylyn Cooper, Nerissa Crafton, Krisani Irish, Qiana Joseph, Juliana Nero, Akeira Peters, Rosilia Registe, Yasmine St. Ange, Glendeen Turtin, Rackel Williams, Swayline Williams

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has backed his batting line-up to come good in support of their star man, opener Chris Gayle

Arun Venugopal in Mumbai15-Mar-2016Chris Gayle. Destructive. Chris Gayle. Massive. Chris Gayle. Best T20 batsman. Right from the time West Indies arrived in India, Darren Sammy has summoned courage from these words, even using them as incantations to rouse confidence.Unlike some captains who prefer not to talk up their gun player – as much to not add to the pressure as not wanting to jinx him – Sammy has no problem harking back to Gayle every time. Wobbly middle-order? There’s Gayle to make up for it. Areas of concern? There are some… but then we have Gayle.Sammy is confident it won’t overwhelm Gayle. “There is never too much pressure on Chris.” Sammy is probably right. Evidence of that, if you need it, can be seen at West Indies’ practice. Gayle ambles to the nets, pats a few balls, misses some and in due course larrups successive deliveries into the vacant stands over deep midwicket. The routine plays out on loop for some time before Gayle has a seat in the shade.

‘We support Russell’ – Sammy

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has thrown his weight behind allrounder Andre Russell, who faces the possibility of a lengthy ban for committing an “anti-doping whereabouts violation”, according to the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission. Russell reportedly missed three tests in a 12-month period, which equates to a failed test under doping laws, and could face a possible two-year ban if found guilty.
“We always have setbacks. We thrive on things like that to use that as motivation to go out and play well,” Sammy said. “When we especially play well, no other team can match it. The vibes we bring, and we as a team have supported Russell. We are confident he will be taking part in the full tournament and having an impact like he has done in all the four tournaments he has played around the world.”
Russell, who can continue to play while his case is investigated, has been in good bowling form lately and finished as the highest wicket-taker in the Pakistan Super League.

As the sun begins to set he is messing with a media person from the ICC who is interviewing with him. Gayle has taken a liking for his interviewer’s fancy camera and is fiddling with it. It is the media guy’s turn to be asked a question: “Which team are you supporting?” When the answer isn’t West Indies Gayle mock threatens to take his camera away. All in a day’s work.Watching Gayle go about his thing it is hard to imagine a team beset with off-field worries. Equally hard is getting your head round the fact that here is a team preparing for its opening game in the World T20. Gayle’s statesmanlike presence – not that he lugs such baggage around – in a young, exuberant side hits home only when you notice the smattering of grey on his beard”Whichever dressing room Chris Gayle is in, because he such a destructive figure – there always seems to be pressure on him to perform,” Sammy said. “But Chris is just gearing up to do what Chris has done throughout his T20 career. That’s why he is the leading run-scorer in T20s and has, I think, 12 or 13 hundreds [16] and the next person has seven or six.”What is also hard to overlook, however, is how the batsmen that follow Gayle have fared. In West Indies’ warm-up game against India, the middle-order froze against the spinners after Gayle was dismissed for 20 off 11 balls. In their second warm-up game against Australia, they were spiralling downwards at 72 for 6 in a chase of 162 before Sammy manufactured a heist. The likes of Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin did better in their four practice matches in the UAE recently but there are question marks over how consistently they can notch up such performances, especially against spin in the middle stages.Sammy, though, vouches for his senior players, and feels Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali won’t be hard to counter on a surface more hospitable to seam bowling.”If you look at our middle, where you have potentially Marlon [Samuels], Bravo, Ramdin, [Andre] Russell at six. Bravo is one of the most experienced as he has been playing in these conditions,” he said. “Wankhede is a more seamer-friendly track; the games that have been played at the IPL tell you that.”You have Bravo, Russell, Sammy, Jason [Holder], Carlos Braithwaite… that’s a lot of power, so the key for us is each player accepting their own personal role in the team and be responsible and not leaving it for any one person.”Darren Sammy’s hitting rescued West Indies in their warm-up game with Australia•AFP

Sammy cited the Australia game as an example of West Indies becoming more efficient in finishing games. While Sammy ransacked an unbeaten 50 off 28 balls, Braithwaite blasted 33 off 14 and Russell 29 off 15 as they reached their target with a ball to spare. Sammy feels that a robust lower order has ensured his team remained unfazed by tall scores or dire situations. He may not admit to it but they have also covered for the batsmen higher up a little too often, maybe, for West Indies’ comfort.”Playing T20 all over, you gain experience,” Sammy said. “I am 32 years old and I have gained a lot of experience playing and being in the situation, especially batting at six or seven, most of the times you will get maximum eight overs unless the team really collapses.”So I have developed a formula for my game. I have watched [MS] Dhoni do it all the time, just take the game all the way down to the last over, give yourself the best chance. As a captain, that lower order of ours always makes me smile. Russell, the last three tournaments he has played, he has been MVP. You have the young and exciting Carlos, and myself. That game against Australia gave us more belief that from whatever position we are, the job could be done.”At the end of a long training session, though, there were other things to be worried about. Gayle and Bravo were curious to know if a full house would turn up at the Wankhede on Wednesday night. The West Indies are ready to put on a show.

Centuries from James Taylor and Ben Stokes helped England recover from a shaky start to post an imposing 470 for 5 on the first day of their opening warm-up match in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2015Ben Stokes has confirmed what the evidence of his powerful hitting at Potchefstroom appeared to suggest, that he is fully recovered from the shoulder injury that he sustained during last month’s Test series against Pakistan, and will take his place as England’s allrounder for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at Durban.Stokes allayed any lingering doubts about his fitness by scoring a hard-hitting 158 from 131 balls on the opening day of England’s tour match against a South Africa Invitational XI at Senwes Park, including five sixes and 23 fours.It was his first full-throttle innings since landing awkwardly on the point of his shoulder during the third Test in Sharjah in November, an injury that onlookers had initially feared was a dislocation.However, he came out to bat at No. 11 and No. 10 in that match, an early sign that it was not as serious as first feared, and though he missed the one-day and T20 leg of the UAE tour, the month’s rest and recuperation meant that he was back to full power this afternoon.”There’s been no pain and I haven’t twinged it or anything so far, so touch wood nothing bad happens again,” he said at the close of play. “The first two weeks after I did it is was a little bit sore, I was worried about if I was going to be fit, but I did everything to make sure that I was on the plane out here.”I worked really hard with the physios at the ECB and Durham, followed all the medical advice, which is unlike me, as I just wanted to make sure I was fit.”Ben Stokes hit five sixes in his 158•Getty Images

Stokes’ innings was the centrepiece of an impressive first-day performance from England, who recovered from the early loss of both openers – including Alex Hales, who made 8 in his first outing ahead of his planned Test debut on Boxing Day – to reach the close on 470 for 5, with James Taylor (114) also making a hundred before retiring to give others a bat.”It’s always nice to get runs in these warm-up games, it’s what they’re used for,” said Stokes. “But now it’s a case of not getting too far ahead of myself and trying to keep the form I have shown up to the first Test.”Stokes’ next test will come on the second day, when he will bowl in a match for the first time since his injury, and throw himself around in the field as well. However, he has no concerns about coming through that examination, having worked up a good head of steam in the nets already.”I’m fully fit to bowl, I’m 100 percent fit,” he said. “I have done the same amount of bowling work as I have batting work back at home and then out here in the nets.”I’ve been working in a couple of training sessions on diving because I think that’s going to be the main thing, but bowling and batting there’s been no pain.”

A 106-ball 90 from Joyraz Sheik and a four-for from offspinner Mehedi Hasan gave Bangladesh U-19 a close 22-run win against South Africa in Durban

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2015
ScorecardJoyraz Sheik struck six fours and two sixes in his 90•WICB

A 106-ball 90 from Joyraz Sheik and a four-for from captain Mehedi Hasan gave Bangladesh Under-19s a close 22-run win against South Africa Under-19s in Durban. Chasing 267, South Africa needed 26 to win off the last two overs with three wickets remaining, but Mehedi’s double-strike in the 49th over, including the wicket of the set batsman Dayyaan Galiem, effectively closed out the game giving Bangladesh a 5-2 series victory.South Africa began their chase losing opener Matthew Breetzke in the first over and No. 3 batsman Rivaldo Moonsammy 22 runs later. However, Liam Smith’s 89 looked to bring the chase back on track and he shared in partnerships worth 47 and 56 for the third and fourth wickets. He was the fifth batsman to be dismissed, with the score at 159 in the 39th over with South Africa needing 108 in a little over 11 overs. South Africa lost a few more wickets before Galiem(65) with the help of Sean Whitehead (24) shared in a 52-run partnership for the eighth wicket to bring the equation down to 32 off the last three overs. Mohammad Saifuddin conceded just six off his penultimate over before Mehedi capitalised on that pressure with two wickets.Earlier, the Bangladesh openers – Saif Hassan (45) and Pinak Ghosh(31) – got off to a good start after choosing to bat. The pair added 63 before Ghosh was caught off the bowling of Wiaan Mulder. However, partnerships of 60 and 82 for the second and third wickets extended Bangladesh’s ascendancy. Joyraz played the anchor with his 90, which included six fours and two sixes. He started slowly but kicked on towards the end of the innings – scoring 37 runs in his last 17 balls. Brisk cameos from the middle order – with 95 runs coming off the last 10 overs – propelled Bangladesh to 266 for 6. South Africa’s stand-in captain Willem Ludick and Mulder picked up two wickets each.

Pakistan’s raw attack dealt with the loss of Umar Gul and Junaid Khan well till tea, before fading in the final session

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran22-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Rahat Ali picked up three wickets, including the big one of Hashim Amla•Associated Press

Before the start of the Test Pakistan received the unpleasant news that two of their main bowlers won’t be available – Umar Gul out due to a sore throat and Junaid Khan still recovering from the injury that kept him out of the Newlands Test – leaving their pace attack with a total of only two caps coming into the match. South Africa also had an injury-related jolt as Jacques Kallis was forced out with a calf problem he picked up during an optional training session.Two sessions into the game, it was Pakistan who were dealing with the losses better than South Africa, having dismissed five of the home side’s mighty batting line-up. They gave it away in the final session, though, with AB de Villiers marching towards an easy-on-the-eye 16th Test century and South Africa’s lower-order again proving hard to dislodge.Before de Villiers took charge of the innings, it was Hashim Amla who troubled Pakistan. Amla extended the form that made him the world’s No. 1 Test batsman to serve up a stylish 92, and in the company of de Villiers, took South Africa to a position of strength before a double-strike from Rahat Ali lifted Pakistan, and denied Amla another Test hundred.Rahat had also provided the early wicket after Graeme Smith won his third toss in a row and for the third time took the slightly unpopular decision, this time to bat. Rahat began with a wayward over, in which he was caned for a couple of boundaries by Alviro Petersen, bringing back memories of his ineffective Test debut earlier this month in Johannesburg. He made amends in his second over, though, as an incutter had Petersen lbw for 10.The teenager Ehsan Adil, the third fast bowler to debut for Pakistan this series, had an even better start as he struck on the third ball of his Test career, getting Smith to nick a catch to a diving Younis Khan at second slip.South Africa were 38 for 2, and with Kallis missing, they were a batsman light. Pakistan’s raw attack, however, wasn’t consistently threatening and offered plenty of freebies. Amla led the recovery with an innings filled with the whiplash drives and the high-risk strokes that he makes seem routine. He was involved in a couple of substantial partnerships, first with Faf du Plessis and later with de Villiers to keep South Africa motoring along at four an over.The pressure Pakistan had applied through the early wickets quickly dissipated as their bowlers sprayed the ball around, regularly overpitching or providing too much width. There were plenty of boundaries and towards the end of the session, du Plessis took Rahat for three fours in four deliveries as South Africa took 35 runs off the final seven overs before lunch.Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s hero in the Newlands Test, was unable to keep the runs down initially, but he exerted more control after lunch. With only two runs coming off the first three overs after the break, du Plessis decided to try throw Adil off his length by skipping down the track but he could only nick the shortish ball through to the keeper.Still, there was no let-up in the scoring as Amla and de Villiers provided a treat of shots. De Villiers was felled by a beamer from Mohammad Irfan, but that didn’t prevent him from playing his usual inventive strokes, including reverse-sweeps and late dabs past slips. He also regularly picked up singles, and with Amla capitalising on the many overpitched, hit-me deliveries on offer, South Africa coasted towards 200.Amla showed how confident he was by skipping down the track and launching Ajmal over mid-on for four to move to 80. There was a lull in his scoring after that and he survived a loud appeal for caught-behind even after Pakistan used the DRS. Soon after, though, he attempted a drive away from his body – usually not advisable, but Amla plays it perfectly often – and feathered to the keeper. Dean Elgar’s dismissal soon after left South Africa at 196 for 5 and with their bowling allrounder Robin Peterson in the middle.Peterson had been pivotal to turning the Newlands Test South Africa’s way with a combative 84, and he again showed his value with the bat, playing sensibly to forge a 52-run stand with de Villiers. What wasn’t sensible was his running between the wickets, and despite a loud call of ‘No,’ from de Villiers he didn’t turn back from an attempted single till it was too late and was beaten by a direct hit from Mohammad Irfan.If Pakistan were looking to wrap the innings up quickly after that, they came up against Vernon Philander, who has hassled them repeatedly with the ball this series, and now frustrated them with the bat. There were no desperate-tailender swings, as he worked his way to an unbeaten 45, highlighted by a couple of imperious pulls for four.Towards the end of the day, there was plenty of interest around whether de Villiers could complete his century before stumps. He needed nine off the final over, and though he played a breathtaking upper cut for four, de Villiers ended unbeaten on 98.It wasn’t all one-way traffic, but yet again South Africa managed to find a way to emerge on top, as they have so often in recent years.

Full coverage of Bangladesh’s proposed tour of Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2012
December 17, 2011
News – Bangladesh to tour Pakistan in April 2012
March 4, 2012
News – BCB ‘satisfied’ with Pakistan security arrangements
March 7, 2012
News – ICC frames plan for ‘unsafe’ series
March 19, 2012
News – Bilateral ties hinge on tour of Pakistan
March 21, 2012
Rob Steen – International cricket in Pakistan? You gotta be…
April 15, 2012
News – Pakistan to tour Bangladesh at month end
April 15, 2012
News – Pakistan ‘ready’ to host international cricket
April 18, 2012
News – Pakistan tour hit by logistical issues
April 19, 2012
News – Pakistan presents ICC its security plan
April 19, 2012
News – Tour postponed after court order

England’s Kevin Pietersen made his first appearance for Hampshire for two years in today’s Friends Provident t20 clash with Surrey but was upstaged by opening batsman Jimmy Adams

13-Jun-2010

ScorecardJimmy Adams overshadowed Kevin Pietersen’s appearance•Getty Images

England’s Kevin Pietersen made his first appearance for Hampshire for two years in today’s Friends Provident t20 clash with Surrey but was upstaged by opening batsman Jimmy Adams.Pietersen, released by the ECB for one match, came in at number three and made 15 from 10 balls before lifting a catch to long-off. Pietersen hit three fours in an over from Surrey pace bowler and former Hampshire colleague Chris Tremlett but then carelessly drove Chris Schofield to Matt Spriegel.Adams went on to make 101 not out, his first century in the competition, and share in a stand of 144 in 12 overs with Sean Ervine for the third wicket. Adams reached his landmark in the final over but needed a bit of luck – he was caught on the long-on boundary off a no-ball when on 99. Hampshire finished with 201 for 2 and Surrey made a reasonable fist of their chase before going down by 10 runs. They made 191 for 9 but were never seriously threatening the Hampshire total.Adams hit four sixes and seven fours and faced 65 balls. Ervine made 54 not out and all the Surrey bowlers took a pasting on an easy-paced wicket. Surrey made a promising start through opener Steven Davies, who hit two sixes in his 24, and their hopes were renewed when Mark Ramprakash and Andrew Symonds were putting on 64 in seven overs for the fourth wicket.Ramprakash was in dominant form as he hit his side’s top score of 61 before pulling Australian pace bowler Dan Christian to square leg, where Adams held a spectacular catch diving forward. Ramprakash struck three sixes and six fours in his 41-ball innings but his dismissal at 139 signalled a rapid Surrey decline.Left-arm pace bowler Chris Wood finished with figures of three for 30 and veteran Dominic Cork took two wickets in an over, those of Younus Khan and Spriegel, as Surrey lost wickets in a vain chase for their second win in two days. Cork took two for 27 from his four overs while Adams completed a remarkable personal day with a superb run-out of tail-ender Andre Nel.