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Former Maharashtra batsmen Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Dheeraj Jadhav have joined Goa as coach and professional respectively for the forthcoming domestic season

Amol Karhadkar24-Jul-2015Former Maharashtra batsmen Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Dheeraj Jadhav have joined Goa as coach and professional respectively for the forthcoming domestic season. Both men have been handed one-year contracts by the Goa Cricket Association.While Kanitkar announced his retirement from competitive cricket earlier this month, Jadhav has moved closer to his hometown Pune after playing for Assam for six seasons, starting from 2009-10.”After helping Assam qualifying for the top tier as captain, there was a sense of achievement. When the Goa opportunity cropped up, I took it up since it is again a new challenge to help the team into the elite,” Jadhav told ESPNcricinfo. “And it is a great feeling to be able to be reunited with Hrishi. We had some great memories as team-mates. Let us hope we can revive the same magic for Goa this time around.”Kanitkar was the captain when Jadhav scored more than 1000 runs to help Maharashtra win the Ranji Trophy plate group in 2003-04. While Jadhav left Maharashtra to join the Indian Cricket League in 2007, Kanitkar joined Madhya Pradesh the following year. Kanitkar then joined Rajasthan and led them to consecutive Ranji titles, in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Jadhav, meanwhile, signed for Assam after returning to the BCCI fold and made 3256 runs, including 12 hundreds and 10 fifties from 44 matches at an average of 56.13.While Kanitkar played two Tests and 34 ODIs for India, Jadhav never got an international cap, though he managed to make the Test squad for three matches.The Goa stint will be Kanitkar’s first full-time coaching responsibility. In 2011, he was appointed as Kochi Tuskers Kerala’s assistant coach, but walked out of the contract even before the IPL season began because of disputes with the owners.”Coaching is something I am very keen on. If I get an opportunity to work with teams, it would be a great learning experience,” Kanitkar had said at the time of his retirement.The GCA has also announced former India wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra as its Under-19 coach. Ratra, who too announced his retirement earlier this month, has also played for Goa as a professional.

A wrap of the final day of the ninth round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group A

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2013
ScorecardAround noon, during their lunch break, Railways came to know Saurashtra had won their match. That meant Railways would not qualify for the knockouts even if they won. Around that time, Sanjay Bangar, one of the most respected domestic workhorses, made up his mind it was time to end his 20-year first-class career.Bangar’s team-mates were stunned at the decision, but they delivered him and Railways a consolatory win. One for the road. Or track, in the case of the team made up for Indian Railways’ employees.Bangar himself took two important wickets, those of opener Arindam Saha and captain Wriddhiman Saha. It went into the final session, though, and towards the end Anureet Singh began Bengal’s final slide with the wicket of Debabrata Das, who scored 44 off 55.
ScorecardRajasthan had taken the lead on the third day, sending Hyderabad into relegation, and day four was pretty academic. However, Vineet Saxena used the day well to sign off the season with an unbeaten 146.
ScorecardAlong with the paucity of quality spinners in India, probably as big an issue could be the inadequacy of domestic batsmen against good spin bowling. Madhya Pradesh provided the latest example of that, losing eight wickets for 45 runs in 22.1 overs to hand the remaining quarter-final spot in Group A to hosts Saurashtra. And it wasn’t even an experienced slow bowler who did the damage. It was 22-year old debutant left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, bowling with a classical pivot, who ran through MP to finish with six wickets in the innings and nine in the match.Click here for the full report.

ScorecardMumbai aborted a chase of 135 off a minimum of 41 overs and instead settled
for three points for the first innings lead against Gujarat in their last
Ranji Trophy Group A game at the Dr DY Patil Sports Stadium.Click here for the full report.

A round-up of two matches of the SuperSport Series 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2011The Dolphins made a brave fist of a target of 442, riding on Divan van Wyk’s century, but fell 91 short against Warriors at St George’s Park. van Wyk’s was a lone effort, considering that no other batsman managed to cross fifty. Basheer Walters and Simon Harmer shared seven wickets between them in the second innings to hand Warriors their first win of the season.The Warriors opted to bat but found themselves in trouble on the first day at 26 for 3. Colin Ingram and Wayne Parnell began the repair work with a stand of 81 for the fifth wicket. Parnell struck Tabraiz Shamsi for a six to bring up the 150, but at 44 perished to Robert Frylinck, who took two wickets in an over. Ingram was supported by Walters, who made an exact 50 at No.11. Ingram went on to score 121 before he was dismissed by Kyle Abbott, who took four wickets. Frylinck too finished with a four-for.Parnell was in good form with the ball on the second day, taking 3 for 17 and sharing six wickets with Rusty Theron as the pair shot out Dolphins for 223. Friedel de Wet made 73, but he was the only batsman to pass fifty as his team conceded a lead of 72.The Warriors strenghthened their advantage the following day, thanks to JT Smuts, who made a century, and Arno Jacobs, who made 51. The opener Kelly Smuts gave Warriors command with 49, before his brother took over. Jacobs and JT Smuts added 110 for the third wicket but the Dolphins hit back with middle-order strikes. Parnell and Athenkosi Dyili frustrated the opposition with a stand of 65 for the seventh wicket. The Warriors declared at 369, with Abbott and Frylinck taking three-wicket hauls.Faced with a target of 442, Dolphins took off confidently. Van Wyk and Khaylihle Zondo scored quickly, adding 80 for the first wicket before Harmer got one to turn and bounce, forcing Zondo to fend to silly point. Van Wyk progressed to 102 on the final day. Harmer had him caught eight overs before lunch. The Dolphins went into the final session at 310 for 6 but failed to stick it out as they were bowled out for 350.In another high-scoring encounter, at Bloemfontein, Knights and Titans played out a draw, as the latter came close to chasing down 336. Martin van Jaarsveld blasted an unbeaten 167, off 161 balls but it wasn’t enough as the Titans fell short of the target by 33 runs.The Titans chose to field, but were made to regret that decision as the Knights piled on 438 in just a shade over 90 overs. Riley Rossouw and Morne van Wyk smashed 145 and 139 respectively, to guide Knights’ first-innings effort. Rowan Richards, the left-arm seamer, finished with 5 for 87.The Titans hit back with a first-innings lead of 23, helped by centuries by Farhaan Behardian (141) and Faff de Plessis (153). Quinton Friend took 5 for 53. Boeta Dippenaar (112) and Obus Pienaar (83) led Knights’ effort in their second innings as they were bowled out for 358.van Jaarsveld led by example on the final day, smashing 18 fours and three sixes in his knock. Malusi Siboto, the right-arm seamer, took three wickets as Titans ended on 303 for 6.

If the Indians thought they had hit rock bottom on the opening day, they were in for the most unbelievable of shocks as they crashed through that bottom and continued their free-fall

The Bulletin by George Binoy18-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
AB de Villiers was a man in a hurry, and scored South Africa’s fastest ever Test century•Getty Images

South Africa’s powerful performance during the first half of the third day added so much ground to the territory captured on the previous two that the dominance of India’s openers for 29 overs, their half-centuries and three dropped catches made no dent in the home team’s ironclad prospects of taking a 1-0 lead in the series.If India thought they had already hit rock bottom, they were in for the most unbelievable shock as they crashed through that and continued to free-fall. Their bowling was toothless, and South Africa infinitely more ruthless. Under blue skies in Centurion, AB de Villiers pulverised the featherweight attack like a heavyweight might, and scored a hundred in under two hours. South Africa’s lead swelled by 225 runs in 36 overs before lunch and Jacques Kallis reached his maiden double-century soon after the break. Graeme Smith declared shortly after on 620 for 4 – when de Villiers fell – with a monstrous lead of 484.In cloudier weather, Virender Sehwag and Gambhir gave India a modicum of respite by surviving the new ball and scoring briskly. Their partnership was worth 137, but the battle was for longevity and both batsmen lost it. Their dismissals left India with eight wickets in hand and two days to survive. They’ll need a batting performance without precedent, and perhaps substantial rain as well.That India were attempting to avoid an innings defeat so early was because their bowlers were helpless in the morning: unable to make a breakthrough, unable to control the run-rate, unable to do anything to help their cause. Ishant Sharma was gifted a wicket but de Villiers seamlessly picked up where Hashim Amla left off. His 76-ball century was the quickest by a South African. Kallis, who until today averaged about 14 after resuming on an overnight century, added plenty more.The maiden over de Villiers played out against Jaidev Unadkat soon after he came in – on 396 for 3 – was the lull before the hurricane. His first forceful shot was the straightest of drives, bisecting the gap between Ishant on his follow-through and the stumps. de Villiers then executed the plan to target Harbhajan Singh to perfection. He stepped out to the offspinner’s first delivery, but had to readjust to a fuller length and squirt it through point. In Harbhajan’s next over, de Villiers nimbly got down on one knee and launched the ball over deep square leg. Soon he was reverse-sweeping and his aggression rubbed off on Kallis, who had been restrained for the first hour.The century partnership came when de Villiers danced towards Suresh Raina and caused some of the fans on the grass banks at wide long-on to rush to catch the ball. Two more consecutive sixes off Raina, a muscular pull and a slog-sweep, took de Villiers to his century. Kallis helped himself against Raina’s long-hops as well and also dismissed Sachin Tendulkar over deep midwicket.

Smart Stats

• South Africa’s total of 620 for 4 is their sixth-best in Tests, and their highest against India.

• South Africa’s first-innings lead of 484 is their second-highest in Tests. The only occasion they managed a higher lead was against England at Lord’s in 2003, when they took a lead of 509 and eventually won by an innings and 92 runs.

• For India too, it’s their second-highest first-innings deficit: they’d fallen behind by 490 runs against West Indies at Eden Gardens in 1958-59.

• AB de Villiers’ 75-ball century is the tenth-fastest in all Tests, and the quickest by a South African.

• Jacques Kallis’ unbeaten 201 lifts his overall average against India to 67.78, with four centuries in 14 Tests. At home, he averages 88 against India.

• The 224-run stand between Kallis and de Villiers is South Africa’s second-highest for the fourth wicket, and their best against India.

• Kallis’ 230-run partnership with Hashim Amla is the second time they’d added more than 200 against India in 2010: in February, they’d put together 340 in Nagpur.

• The Amla-Kallis and Kallis-de Villiers pairs are among the top five pairs in terms of runs scored for South Africa.

India were using part-timers because the form of the specialists left MS Dhoni with few options. After the battering on the second day, India were desperate for a stronger start, and Sreesanth began with a no-ball, complementing his first-ball wide yesterday. Ishant was better but one of his fielding efforts was indicative of India’s morale. Sreesanth had delivered a short ball, Amla had pulled, and Ishant, having just completed an over, jogged along the boundary and made no effort to save the four. Some Indians glared at him, but no one’s performances lifted.Smith might have declared at lunch but Kallis was 18 short of a double-hundred. He got there by glancing Jaidev Unadkat to fine leg to spark off tumultuous applause at SuperSport Park. de Villiers was celebrating for his partner with arms aloft, and the South Africans in the dressing room clapped vigorously. Kallis took off his helmet, revealing his flushed face and full shock of hair, and raised his arms aloft. He had flung that monkey off his back after 142 Tests and his fans cheered for longer than usual.The pitch had certainly eased for even Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were unable to extract as much assistance from it on the third day. Their pace and bounce made a difference though. Gambhir was hit on his glove and thigh off successive short balls from Morkel, but grew more assured once he survived that period.Sehwag, bristling after his first-innings duck, slashed and drove repeatedly square on the off side, even though several fielders were waiting for the catch. Smith brought Tsotsobe into the attack in the eighth over and Sehwag blazed his second ball over wide long-on for six and the fourth over point. He continued to attack Tsotsobe but one powerful but airy drive was dropped by Amla at short cover. The chance was extremely difficult and Sehwag was on 34.With few men protecting the boundary on a fast outfield, Sehwag and Gambhir got terrific value for their shots and scored at around six an over. On 43 and 62, Gambhir was put down by Alviro Petersen at point. Sehwag, however, skied Paul Harris to Smith at deep cover, and Gambhir was lbw to one that kept low from Steyn. Those blows before the light faded in Centurion tightened South Africa’s vice-like grip on the Test.

The possibility of the Feroz Shah Kotla being disqualified from hosting the 2011 World Cup remains high

Cricinfo staff29-Dec-2009The possibility of the Feroz Shah Kotla being disqualified from hosting the 2011 World Cup remains high after ICC match referee Alan Hurst classified the pitch as “unfit” in his official report to the ICC, which was forwarded to the BCCI. The report was submitted in the aftermath of the abandonment of the fixture between India and Sri Lanka due to a dangerous pitch.The classification is the harshest among the six stated categories – very good, good, above average, below average, poor and unfit. The venue could have got away with a fine had Hurst classified the surface as “poor” but given his most critical assessment, the consequences could be much worse.”This pitch did not meet the requirements for an ODI match,” Hurst is quoted by the as saying in his report. “This meant the players were unsure of what the ball would do. Playing shots was risky because of the unpredictable bounce. However, of more concern was the dangerous bounce that occurred randomly and accounted for batsmen being struck on a number of occasions.”At the other extreme, bounce was often very low. This pitch did not allow players to play with any confidence and was totally unsuitable for international cricket.”The ICC’s latest code of conduct regarding poor pitches states that a first such breach should be met with “a suspension of the venue’s international status for a period of between 12 and 24 months together with a directive for appropriate remedial action and the need for prior ICC re-accreditation as an international venue”.The BCCI has been given 14 days to respond to Hurst’s report. Its reply, in addition to the report, video footage of the abandoned game and other significant documents, will be studied by the ICC’s chief referee Ranjan Madugalle and its cricket operations manager Dave Richardson, who will determine the penalty.In his report, Hurst also enumerated 14 points to chronicle the lead-up to the abandonment. “Early on Saturday morning the fourth umpire Subrat Das went to the ground to check that a number of things were in place. He reported to me that the wicket was quite green in patches, but the Curator had told him that extra rolling during the day would mean that ‘the green would turn to brown’. It was still quite green tinged when the umpires and I did our ground inspection later that afternoon,” he wrote.Hurst recorded that the Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss and manager Brendon Kuruppu approached him at two stages during the game – in the tenth and the 24th over -expressing concern over the behaviour of the pitch. The report noted that play had to be stopped on three occasions — at 9.54am, 10.05am and 10.46am — for Sri Lanka’s batsmen to receive medical treatment after being struck by the ball.Of all the deliveries that bounced excessively or kept low over 23 overs, the umpires estimated that six were outright dangerous. Following complaints by players, the field umpires Shavir Tarapore and Marais Erasmus consulted Hurst, who walked out onto the field and spoke to the two captains, who agreed the pitch was unfit for play.”At the edge of the ground I spoke with President DDCA (Delhi & Districts Cricket Association) Mr Arun Jaitley, Mr Narinder Batra DDCA Treasurer, BCCI Hon Secretary Mr Srinavasan, DDCA Vice-President Mr Chetan Chauhan and other local officials. I was asked whether another prepared pitch on the square could be substituted,” Hurst said. “I went to the square with Mr Chauhan to look at the option, which had been partially prepared as back-up prior to the game.
Although reasonably hard, it was quite heavily, but unevenly grassed. In keeping with the Playing Conditions, I then spoke with the Captains about this option. Both gave emphatic negatives.”Following the embarrassment, and facing the prospect of a dire penalty, the BCCI, in an act of damage control, moved quickly to dissolve its grounds and pitches committee. The DDCA pitch panel members resigned soon after, but any moves to rectify the situation may have come too late.The ICC had warned the DDCA in November about the condition of the pitch and said it required “considerable improvement” before hosting its next fixture. “There is an ODI at this venue on 27th December 2009 and considerable improvement of the pitch block will be required by then to make the pitch provided more acceptable” said the report, a copy of which is with Cricinfo. The inspection was carried out on November 4, three days after third ODI of the India-Australia series.

One-wicket win leaves Leicestershire floored after Budinger fifty

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay06-Jul-2025Notts Outlaws kept alive an outside chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast as they chased down a target of 189 to beat North Group rivals Leicestershire Foxes, winning by one wicket with just a ball to spare in a breathtaking finish at Trent Bridge.The only one-wicket victory in the county’s T20 history was achieved when last man Farhan Ahmed squirted the penultimate ball into the offside off Logan van Beek (three for 25) and, running back for second run, scrambled home as Foxes wicketkeeper Ben Cox fumbled his take from the boundary fielder’s throw.It capped a superb fightback by the Outlaws, who had looked out of contention at 100 for four in the 11th over, despite skipper Joe Clarke’s 50 from 24 balls.The chase was reignited by Daniel Sams smashing 33 off just 12 balls and Tom Moores 42 off 30 only for three quick wickets to tip the pendulum back towards the visitors, before 17-year-old Farhan had the last word in a thrilling finale.Former Nottinghamshire batter Sol Budinger made his second fifty in as many games and Rishi Patel his first of the season, the two sharing a 114-run opening stand as the Foxes made 188 for two, Pakistan Test star Shan Masood chipping in with an unbeaten 40.A profitable and wicketless powerplay justified Leicestershire’s decision to bat on a slow pitch. After a tentative start, Patel and Budinger gained momentum rapidly to put 61 on the board in the first six overs.Budinger and Patel took turns to clear the boundary with nicely timed pick-ups as their partnership moved into three figures in the 11th over, Budinger completing his third fifty of the campaign from 38 balls, Patel reaching the milestone from 32.Outlaws finally hit back by removing both in consecutive overs – Patel stumped after going down the pitch to Calvin Harrison and Budinger undone by a slow and low delivery from Sams.Masood and Rehan Ahmed (30 not out) added 72 from 39 balls to set a challenging total.The Outlaws’ chase began badly, Lyndon James bowled first ball by Van Beek, but Clarke looked in ominous form as he creamed sixes off Josh Hull and Sam Wood – twice – in going to fifty off just 23 balls only to be bowled making room to cut spinner Liam Trevaskis without addition as Notts ended their batting powerplay at 62 for two.Moises Henriques, making only his fourth appearance after suffering back problems, fell for six and the Outlaws were well behind the required rate at 77 for three after a maiden over from Foxes skipper Louis Kimber closed out the first half of the innings.Jack Haynes tried to reignite the chase but fell for 30 from 25 after a fine catch by Van Beek at deep midwicket, giving occasional off-spinner Rishi Patel a maiden T20 wicket from only his fifth ball in the format.But just as the Foxes were eyeing up a “double” over their near-neighbours, Sams turned the game with a stunning knock, including back-to-back slog-swept sixes off Kimber, and although the innings ended tamely with a swing-and-miss off the same bowler, the target was down to just 34 off 24 balls, from which Matt Montgomery trimmed 13 from seven balls before Moores hit Van Beek for six and four, then finding a fielder.After Harrison fell for two, the last over arrived with five required. As Patterson-White was caught at deep cover with two needed, one wicket remaining and two balls left, any result was possible, but Farhan kept his nerve when it mattered most.

There was no place for Rahmat Shah and Ikram Alikhil, with Afghanistan including Mohammad Ishaq and Wafadar Momand

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2024Afghanistan will continue to miss the services of their T20I captain Rashid Khan as he recovers from back surgery and has thus not been included in the 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who, as per a release by the ACB, had sustained “a sprain in his right phalanx (hand)” before the start of the ODI series against Sri Lanka, is also ruled out. Fast bowler Mohammad Saleem, who has failed to recover from a hamstring injury, is missing too.Afghanistan made four changes to the squad that faced India in a T20I series last month. While Mujeeb and Saleem are out injured, Afghanistan have dropped wicketkeeper-batter Ikram Alikhil and top-order batter Rahmat Shah.Related

• Rashid Khan withdraws from PSL as he continues rehab

• Binura comes in for injured Chameera for Afghanistan T20Is

Mohammad Ishaq, the wicketkeeper-batter who was also named in the squad for the one-off Test against Sri Lanka, has received a call-up to the T20I side. In addition, fast bowler Wafadar Momand has been recalled in place of Saleem.Mujeeb played two T20Is against India, and then turned out for Gulf Giants in the ILT20 before flying to Sri Lanka for the ODI series, where he suffered the injury. Saleem, on the other hand, played the third T20I against India and the lone Test against Sri Lanka but was ruled out of the ODI squad due to a hamstring injury.Rashid, meanwhile, has not played competitive cricket since the ODI World Cup in November. He withdrew from the BBL this season, after which he underwent back surgery and was subsequently ruled out of SA20 as well.More recently, Rashid also pulled out of the upcoming PSL as he continues his rehab. Rashid was originally part of the series against India but was ruled out even before the T20Is began, though he did travel with the team throughout.In Rashid’s absence, Ibrahim Zadran will continue leading the T20I side, like he had against both India and UAE. He will have Gurbaz at the top of the order, with the likes of Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Hazratullah Zazai and Azmatullah Omarzai to follow. Fazalhaq Farooqi will lead the fast-bowling attack, which also has Naveen-ul-Haq, Fareed Ahmad and Momand. Noor Ahmad and Qais Ahmad, alongside Sharafuddin Ashraf, will form a young spin-bowling unit.Afghanistan have not had a great time in Sri Lanka so far. They lost the only Test by ten wickets, and are currently 0-2 down in the three-match ODI series. The T20I series gets underway on February 17, with the second and third games slotted for February 19 and 21, respectively. All matches will be played in Dambulla.Afghanistan squad: Ibrahim Zadran (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Wafadar Momand and Qais Ahmad

Limited play enhances Middlesex’s hopes against promotion rival

Paul Edwards13-Sep-2022
The floodlights were on at the start of play today but only meteorologists would have called the morning autumnal. Although leaves on trees close to traffic lights or busy junctions have been exhausted to crisp death, most of the others remain green in the suburbs this September. It was shirt-sleeve order in MCC’s pavilion yesterday and London retains the lingering sense of summer that Clarissa Dalloway recognised nearly a century ago: “The King and Queen were at the palace. And everywhere, though it was still so early, there was a beating, a stirring of galloping ponies, tapping of cricket bats; Lord’s, Ascot, Ranelagh and all the rest of it; wrapped in the soft mesh of the grey-blue morning air…”By noon, though, we were taking an early luncheon and the light rain may have come as a relief to Glamorgan who had neither taken a wicket nor looked like doing so. The obstacles blocking their path towards bowling bonus points and parity in the game were all too predictable. Mark Stoneman and John Simpson had scored 1501 first-class runs this season before this match began and their 134-run stand for the fifth wicket earned Middlesex a first-innings lead whose final size has yet to be determined. And after that early lunch, the umpires also opted for an early tea when bad light and then rain returned just before four o’clock.So it was Stoneman’s day and certainly the first session had reminded us how well-organised a player he is and how many productive strokes he possesses without having recourse to his muscly thumps to leg or his iron-wristed cuts past point. By contrast, there was something damagingly soporific about the opener’s batting this morning; he didn’t destroy David Lloyd’s attack or smack boundaries to all parts. He merely went about his professional business so efficiently that by at lunchtime he was on 96 and Middlesex’s deficit was 30.This pattern changed a little in the afternoon session, although Stoneman would insist that he was simply responding to the balls he’d received. Soon after reaching his third century of the season he took three fours in an over off James Harris: a squeeze past the slips, a pull and a cut. Simpson took up the theme with a couple of boundaries off Michael Hogan before reaching his own fifty off 109 balls. Then two overs later, Stoneman was gone for 128 when fishing limply at a ball outside off stump from Ajaz Patel.Nevertheless, as he stomped off unhappily – another good sign – one was reminded that he might be one of the ex-England openers in the county game with a chance of returning to the Test team. There is, of course, so much competition that one wouldn’t be astonished to hear that the group hold self-help meetings in which they share their experiences and their woes: “My name is Haseeb and I opened for England.”As it stands, Rory Burns, Ben Duckett, Haseeb Hameed, Keaton Jennings, Adam Lyth, Jason Roy, Sam Robson and Dom Sibley are all playing county cricket and each of them probably nurtures hopes of receiving that call from Brendon McCullum. So long is the list that Chris Dent is entitled to wonder who he’s upset. There have been summers in which he would have let no-one down.After much umming and ahing and standing about, we got back on at 4.45 with a fond hope – it was more statistical calculation really – that we would play another 25 overs. It turned out to be as realistic as an NHS target. Simpson and Higgins tucked into some loose stuff from the spinners before Lloyd took the new ball and the rain returned just after five. Before long, the umpires had given the day up as a bad job.Not for Simpson, of course. His fidgets have become mannerisms and they are barely separable from his cover-drives, his firm persuasions through midwicket or his extraordinary value to Middlesex’s cricket for a dozen summers. He is unbeaten on 72 and he will resume his 60-run partnership with Higgins, secure in the plain assurance that his team is winning a game that should go far towards deciding the second promotion place.They are not winning by much, though, and not irrecoverably, but a lead of 72 and five wickets to fall still suggests a match-shaping advantage. And suddenly one was beguiled by the simple prospect of watching 104 overs tomorrow; 624 tiny segments of action that should make up a full day’s cricket. That is an end-of-season reflection, of course; every defensive prod, every smart stop is suddenly precious. Maybe it is autumn, after all.

Sanju Samson’s side will need to find a recipe for success. And soon

Alagappan Muthu21-Apr-2021

Big picture

AB de Villiers is in form. Glenn Maxwell is thriving. A hard-hitting team somehow found a way to adapt to the slowest pitch in the IPL.When Chennai provided even the slightest hint of a batting track, Royal Challengers Bangalore racked up 29 boundaries against a pretty decent bowling team.Imagine the damage they can do at a place like Wankhede. An unbeaten start to the tournament with their key players clicking. All they need now is a Virat Kohli masterclass.Rajasthan Royals are just as dangerous with the bat. They’ve threatened to chase down 222. But they’ve also crumbled from 87 for 2 to 95 for 7. Sanju Samson, their captain, had a wry smile on his face when he spoke about this nature of theirs at the presentation in the last match. He’ll need to find a fix for this, fast.

Team news

While he did not play any part in the Royals’ games so far, one of their batting options, Liam Livingstone, has left the IPL with bubble fatigue.Finn Allen is a big hitter. Wankhede is a tiny ground. It’s a match made in T20 heaven and on a podcast with commentator Ian Smith, Royal Challengers coach Mike Hesson suggested they might take advantage of that. Allen hit 71 off 29 the last time he played a cricket match.

Likely XIs

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Finn Allen, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Kyle Jamieson, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shahbaz Ahmed, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalRajasthan Royals: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal/Manan Vohra, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Shivam Dube/Shreyas Gopal, 5 David Miller, 6 Riyan Parag, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Jaydev Unadkat, 10 Chetan Sakariya, 11 Mustafizur Rahman13:15

जिंदगी की जद्दोजहद से सोना बनकर निकले साकरिया

Strategy punt

• Shreyas Gopal has dismissed de Villiers four times, and Kohli three times in T20 cricket. Royals might find that head-to-head is worth exploring again.
• Yuzvendra Chahal has dismissed Samson five times in T20 cricket. He has also dismissed David Miller three times in five innings in the IPL. The Royal Challengers already use their ace legspinner as a middle overs wicket-taker. Based on those head-to-heads, wickets are likely to be on offer.

Stats that matter

• Even though he has had to deal with Chennai slow, spinning conditions, de Villiers has been IPL 2021’s most destructive death-overs (16-20) batter. He has made 75 runs off 30 balls at a strike-rate of 250. Thanks to him, Royal Challengers have maintained a run-rate of 11.75 in this phase of the game
• Royals, meanwhile, have one of the worst performing death bowling attacks this season, leaking 12 runs per over. This match-up is not going to go well.
• Royal Challengers bought Maxwell to attack spin and to give them power through the middle overs (6-16). So far, it’s worked a treat. He is the only player in this IPL to have scored more than 100 runs against spinners, he hasn’t been dismissed by them. He has also made 125 runs in 87 balls in the middle overs (6-16) this IPL. Only Shikhar Dhawan (145 off 93) has done better.
• Chetan Sakariya has used his left-arm angle very shrewdly against right-hand batters. Of his six wickets this season, five have been right-handers. There are three huge ones in the Royal Challengers line-up that Royals will want him to take out.

Head coach says stats suggest “seam is the way forward” at Centurion

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2019England are contemplating whether to field an all-seam attack for the second Test running, according to the head coach, Chris Silverwood. The tourists’ build-up for the Boxing Day Test at Centurion has been disrupted by illness in the camp, with frontline spinner Jack Leach one of the players affected, and Silverwood said the stats suggest “seam is the way forward” at SuperSport Park.In their previous outing, on last month’s tour of New Zealand, England picked four seamers and Ben Stokes at Hamilton, but only succeeded in taking 12 wickets in a rain-affected draw.England’s selection discussions this time around will be coloured by the fact that Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer missed both warm-up games with sickness, while James Anderson is in line to play his first Test since August, after suffering a calf injury that ruled him out of the Ashes. Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Craig Overton are the other quicks in the party, along with Mark Wood, who is working his way back to fitness and won’t be available until the third Test.ALSO READ: England’s bug-struck trio play no part in warm-up“Yeah, I think it is,” Silverwood said in response to whether it was possible England could play an all-seam attack. “Obviously in Hamilton we looked at all the stats, who took wickets at the ground, and it showed that spin didn’t really play much part in the games, or certainly have much effect on the games.”We look at the stats for this ground, it’s the same thing, you’re looking at wickets taken by seam, wickets taken by spin and the averages that go along with them, it suggests that seam is the way forward, and the thing that has most effect on the game here, so we’re certainly looking at that.”Leach played in Mount Maunganui at the start of the New Zealand series, taking 2 for 153 as England went down by an innings, but was then hospitalised by a bout of gastroenteritis in Hamilton before falling unwell on the team’s arrival in South Africa. Uncapped legspinner Matt Parkinson was the back-up slow bowler originally selected in the party and England have also called up Leach’s Somerset team-mate Dom Bess as cover.”We’ve got some good resources in the spin department, Leachy is coming back to fitness now, we’ve got Dominic Bess here as well, Parky who bowled nicely in Benoni. So we’ve got the resources but we’re looking at it for what it is, what has most effect in this game. We’re not definitely going down the road of all seam, but it’s something we’ve got to discuss over the next few days.Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad were both fit to train•Getty Images

“It’s not rocket science, every team has these stats. You look at what’s effective on that ground and then you look at what you’ve got in your arsenal and try to put out the best side you can.”Broad and Archer both delivered five-over spells at training in Centurion on Monday, as well as batting in the nets, as they looked to prove their match fitness for the first Test. Silverwood echoed Joe Root’s view that England will be relying on “trust” when it comes to their capability of getting through a full five days, although he admitted there “maybe a little bit more caution” over Archer, who is just six Tests into his career.”I think they’re exactly where we’d hope they would be really, if they continue with another couple of good days training, all being well they’ll be able to throw their hats in the ring for selection for the first Test,” he said.Asked if it might be considered a gamble to go into the Test with Broad, Archer and Anderson in the same XI, Silverwood replied: “I don’t think so, as long as from the medical point of view they feel good.”Anderson was the pick of the England bowlers in their three-day game in Benoni that finished on Sunday, claiming tidy figures of 3 for 41 as South Africa A made kept Root’s men in the field for 93.2 overs. With the bat, England saw Joe Denly and Ollie Pope score centuries, and Silverwood was pleased with the application that underpinned a total of 456 for 7 declared.”I thought both teams came away with something positive, I know we certainly did,” he said. “If you look at it from a first-innings runs point of view, we’re continuing to build those methods and create good habits there. From a bowling perspective we got over in the legs of Jimmy and the rest of the bowlers, and they all started finding their rhythm, which was great.”