All posts by h716a5.icu

Sri Lanka’s hunt for a head coach has gained momentum following applications from heavyweights like Mickey Arthur and Ray Jennings

Sa'adi Thawfeeq10-Aug-2014Applicants for Sri Lanka fielding coach

Manoj Abeywickrema (Sri Lanka), Julien Fountain, Carl Hopkinson, Jonathan Batty and Paul Nixon (England), Mark Atkinson, Lachlan Stevens and Shane Duff (Australia), Andrew Waller (Zimbabwe), Michael Smith (South Africa) and Bazegh Zaka (Maldives).

Sri Lanka Cricket’s hunt for a head coach has gained momentum with around 10 applications, including ones reportedly from former South Africa coaches Mickey Arthur and Ray Jennings.*SLC had advertised for the positions of head coach, fielding coach and trainer on their website in the last week of July, as they look to fill the vacancies of Paul Farbrace, fielding coach Ruwan Kalpage and trainer Darshan Weerasinghe respectively. The closing date for applications is August 10.However, Marvan Atapattu, who has been serving as the head coach, following Farbrace’s resignation in April, has still not formally applied, according to SLC CEO Ashley de Silva.”Marvan has still not applied for the post and today is the final day,” de Silva said. “Normally when a post is advertised you are supposed to apply, but Marvan has already done that earlier and because he is already in the system he may not have applied.”Some have applied to become head coach and others as consultant. We have to sort them out by next week.”Sri Lanka had appointed Farbrace as coach in December last year, following Graham Ford’s decision to step down. Farbrace, however, resigned in April to take up a role with the ECB and is now assistant coach to Peter Moores in the England set-up. Kalpage, was involved in some coaching capacity with the national team for the last ten years, had recently found his job in limbo after SLC announced a coaching shake-up. Kalpage, who was serving as acting assistant coach to Atapattu, has taken up a role as Bangladesh’s assistant and spin-bowling coach.Other individuals who have reportedly applied are: former South Africa allrounder Lance Klusener, former Surrey coach Chris Adams, Australia’s Shane Duff, former New Zealand coach Andy Moles, former England batsman Mal Loye, former Victoria coach Simon Helmot and Somerset’s director of cricket, Dave Nosworthy.Loye, who currently coaches at Wellinborough School in Northamptonshire, also recently showed interest in coaching the Netherlands side, but was eventually deterred by the financial situation in Dutch cricket. “”I was advised to apply a few weeks ago [for the Sri Lanka job],” he told ESPNcricinfo. “International coaching is something that has always appealed to me.”Eric Simons, Paddy Upton and Craig McDermott were reportedly in the fray but all three have denied considering the coaching job*. McDermott, who had re-signed with Cricket Australia as assistant coach of the national team in May, told the board’s website that he was committed to his role in the Australian set-up.Upton also issued a denial, saying he had been approached for the post but was not in the running, while Simons told : “(Agent) Arthur Turner called and asked if I would consider a position as a consultant to the World Cup with Sri Lanka. I replied that, if it was purely as a consultant, and only for the World Cup, then I would consider it. I was asked if I would consider the head coach job but said that [I] was not able to consider that.”*August 11, 2014 0436 GMT: The news story has been updated to reflect denials from Craig McDermott, Paddy Upton and Eric Simons

Bangladesh’s batting woes in the West Indies ODIs mean pacer Al-Amin Hossain has remained out of the spotlight, despite topping the bowling charts

Mohammad Isam27-Aug-2014Bangladesh’s batting woes in the West Indies mean fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain has remained out of the spotlight, despite being the highest wicket-taker in the ODI series from both sides. He’ll he hoping to catch the attention at least in the solitary Twenty20 on Wednesday.He took ten wickets in the three matches against West Indies, including two four-wicket hauls, with early spells that must be heartening for a Bangladesh team management desperate to find a strong performer. Mashrafe Mortaza has been steady and bowled better with the old ball but Taskin Ahmed gave too many in the first game while the spinners and the batsmen were mostly clueless.Things were different for Al-Amin before this tour, though, as he sought to end a wicket shortage. Since his debut late last year, he had often bowled lengthy spells which had momentary sparks and the odd close calls, but he could never sustain the pressure. He has also suffered days when luck wasn’t on his side.Before the series, he had taken just six wickets in nine ODIs, but his tenacity possibly made him an automatic choice for the West Indies series. Now, things are starting to look up for him. “I would say that my fortune has changed just a bit,” Al-Amin said. “I wasn’t getting the wickets before this series but now I have bowled better and got the wickets. It was always important to plan well, and without that it was impossible to be successful at this level.”I will have to remain proactive, and think on my feet. Very few times does a batsman give a chance, but that increases in T20s because of the nature of the game. I enjoy playing in this format and, provided I play, I would look to carry over my ODI form to the T20.”Al-Amin’s T20 performance is unique among Bangladesh bowlers. Without too much flash, he dries up the runs with the new ball and later uses changes of pace to good effect. His best figures in T20 internationals came against West Indies earlier this year, where he picked up 3 for 21.Late last year, he also had one of those T20s that bowlers dream of. He became the first bowler to take five wickets in one over in T20 cricket.He will be facing a much sterner test at Warner Park, much like in the third and final ODI. His second four-for came in that match but apart from his first wicket, the rest came much later in the match, after Denesh Ramdin and Darren Bravo had massacared the Bangladesh bowlers. He admitted that game was particularly challenging.”I really enjoyed taking Chris Gayle’s wicket [in the third game], and the first three I picked up in the first ODI. The margin of error was very small in the third ODI. A bowler was getting smashed if he missed a yorker by a few inches or the slower ball wasn’t landing in the right place. They were hitting sixes off good and bad balls, and the straight boundary was quite short.”On Wednesday, Al-Amin will have to deal with the short boundary again and, given that he has been one of Bangladesh’s few performers on this tour so far, he may have to deal with an extra bit of the spotlight too.

West Indies have recalled a trio of experienced players – Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith and Jerome Taylor – for the one-dayers in India next month

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2014West Indies squad for India ODIs

1 Dwayne Bravo (capt), 2 Darren Bravo, 3 Jason Holder, 4 Leon Johnson, 5 Sunil Narine, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Ravi Rampaul, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Andre Russell, 11 Darren Sammy, 12 Marlon Samuels, 13 Lendl Simmons, 14 Dwayne Smith, 15 Jerome Taylor

In: Leon Johnson, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor

Out: Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Nikita Miller

West Indies have recalled a trio of experienced players – batsmen Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Smith, and fast bowler Jerome Taylor – for the one-dayers in India next month. Guyana batsman Leon Johnson, who made his Test debut earlier this month against Bangladesh, has also been called up. Chris Gayle will miss the series as he is still rehabilitating from injury. Others missing out are batsman Kirk Edwards and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller.Samuels and Smith return after having missed out on the limited-overs legs of the home series against New Zealand and Bangladesh this year. Taylor is back after a more lengthy absence, having last played an ODI in 2010. A series of injuries had taken years out of his international career before he made a comeback in the home Tests this year.Johnson has been out of the one-day squad even longer – having briefly made an appearance on the international circuit back in 2008 for a one-day tournament also featuring hosts Canada and Bermuda. He arrives as a reinforcement for the top order after Edwards failed in the Bangladesh ODIs, scoring 10 in two innings.Miller didn’t get a game during the Bangladesh ODIs but has been left out for India, leaving Sunil Narine as the only specialist spinner in the squad.The first of five ODIs against India is on October 8 in Kochi.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier Division matches on November 11, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2014Defending champions Legends of Rupganj made a rousing start to the Dhaka Premier League with a 247-run win over newly-promoted Old DOHS Sports Club at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Sent into bat by Old DOHS, Rupganj opener Jahurul Islam saw two wickets fall before Ashar Zaidi joined him in the 14th over. The pair added 122 runs for the third wicket in less than 20 overs, which set the tone for the rest of the innings. Jahurul made 78 but Zaidi went on to score his fourth List-A century, which also turned out to be his highest score, 141 off 103 balls, with 18 fours and five sixes.Towards the end, Abul Hasan smashed 35 off 17 balls with a four and three sixes to help Rupganj to a massive 357 for 6 in 50 overs, the fifth highest List-A total in Bangladesh. In reply, Old DOHS were bowled out for 110 runs by the 42nd over, with Alok Kapali picking up three wickets. Mohammad Shahid and Sharifullah chipped in with two wickets each.Partex Sporting Club caused the first upset of the season by beating Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club by 11 runs in Fatullah.Batting first, Partex banked on Roshan Silva’s unbeaten 111 to post a modest 200 for 8 in 50 overs. He added 96 runs for the fifth wicket with Arman Hossain, who made 40. Mehedi Hasan picked up three wickets, while Arafat Sunny and Liam Dawson took two wickets each.Dhanmondi Club lost two early wickets in the chase but recovered through a 75-run third wicket stand between Amit Majumder and Tushar Imran, who made 72. Dawson made 24 and Abu Sayeem chipped in with 34, but once the pair were dismissed, Partex squeezed the stronger opposition and restricted them to 189 runs in 50 overs. Mohammad Azim and Nuruzzaman took three wickets each.Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club cruised to a 139-run win over Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Savar.After Doleshwar decided to bat, Mehedi Maruf and Rony Talukder added 67 in 9.2 overs for the first wicket. It set the scene for the rest of the batting line-up to cash in. Maruf got to 55, while Asif Ahmed struck 63 off 68 balls. Elias Sunny blasted a late 36-ball 41 and later picked up three wickets, as Kalabagan faltered in their chase. Shamsur Rahman, freshly dropped from the Bangladesh Test squad, made 52 for Kalabagan, but he was the only batsman who reached a 50-plus score.

Front and center on this weekend’s agenda at the USACA AGM is a vote to ratify an amended USACA constitution. The result will speak volumes about who holds the power for steering the future of cricket in the country.

Peter Della Penna14-Nov-2014The USA Cricket Association’s Annual General Meeting takes place on Saturday in New York City at a time when emotions are running high for stakeholders around the country. Front and center on this weekend’s agenda is a vote to ratify an amended USACA constitution. The result will speak volumes about who holds the power for steering the future of cricket in the country.US cricketers and administrators have often been accused of being apathetic toward affairs involving governance, most recently by Atlantic Region administrator Shelton Glasgow. In the wake of USA’s relegation two weeks ago to ICC WCL Division Four, players and administrators have been more vocal in expressing their views on the lack of support the organization has provided members, bringing more attention to the desire for change in how the game is governed in the USA.Just what kind of changes are deemed necessary depends on which side of the fence you’re on. More than a half-dozen prominent representatives of the national team, plus administrators like Glasgow, think change should involve the removal of executive USACA board members including president Gladstone Dainty.On the flip side, Dainty supporters like USACA vice president Michael Gale and Northern California Cricket Association president Sunil Kumar are staunch advocates of the current executive remaining in power to right their own wrongs. For them, change equates to revisions in the constitution – authorizing a slimmed-down decision-making authority by eliminating the majority of voting rights for member leagues and redirecting that power into the hands of the incumbent executive. Despite the mounting pressure from those dissatisfied with the current regime, Dainty has an outstanding record in voting processes and the odds are stacked in his favor to receive the necessary two-thirds majority of yes votes for the proposed changes to the constitution to be ratified.Some observers may wonder what a revised USACA constitution would look like. USACA has not made its proposed constitutional revisions accessible in public domains, like its own website. According to a USACA source, an updated constitutional draft was distributed to member leagues in October with a cover page that included the text “Adopted November 2014,” even though nothing yet has been officially voted upon. What has been made public by USACA, though, is an announcement on the AGM meeting agenda that fresh elections will occur within “60 days after the ratification of the Constitution,” but the same promise for fresh elections is not made if the proposed changes are voted down.The vote on the constitution will be decided by USACA member leagues. At the time of the last USACA election in 2012, only 15 leagues were eligible to vote while another 32 were deemed ineligible due to being classified as members “not in good standing”. On Wednesday, a USACA source provided an email sent out by a USACA administrator announcing a list of 40 league members eligible to vote at the AGM, but the email includes no information about how 16 of the 40 leagues regained eligibility to vote which they didn’t have two years ago. Among the 16 are two leagues, Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board and Florida Southeast Cricket League, that have since left USACA to join the American Cricket Federation, which makes their appearance on the list all the more curious.Also on the list are 10 leagues that were unrecognized by USACA prior to 2012. According to the current USACA constitution, leagues are required to apply for membership status and must go through a probationary period that can last anywhere from 12 to 24 months. Such leagues are not eligible to vote in that time frame. Each league must then go through an approval process by the USACA board to attain full member status including voting rights. Nothing is mentioned in any USACA board meeting minutes since 2012 about 10 new leagues applying for provisional associate member status, let alone confirming elevation to full membership.Likewise, no information is included in any of USACA’s board meeting minutes over the last two years regarding the 16 leagues who are now being welcomed back to vote on Saturday, except for a brief mention on March 23 in which Dainty requested that 11 leagues who had their voting status suspended in 2012 should be reinstated based solely on their ability to pay member subscription fees, and that reinstatement should be “fast-tracked” in time for these 11 leagues to vote on the revised constitution. This membership fee could also be deferred for 2014 in lieu of leagues providing evidence that they had budgeted equivalent money to be spent on local development projects rather than sending it to USACA.Another topic on the agenda is the state of USACA’s financial affairs. USACA schedules its annual AGM in November to fall outside of the non-profit filing deadline for US federal tax returns. As of 2012, USACA was more than $3 million in debt, but USACA’s data for the 2013 financial year won’t become public until after the constitutional vote occurs.Whatever the outcome of Saturday’s vote, the American Cricket Federation continues to apply pressure. After the 2012 election, many leagues defected and formed the new group, dissatisfied with USACA’s governance. The ACF announced on Friday that they intend to form a shadow USA national team to rival the officially sanctioned USACA team that is recognized by the ICC. This is the same scenario which earned USA a suspension from the ICC in 2005.The ICC put USA on warning at its annual meeting this year, and could potentially impose sanctions for the third time in a decade during its next annual meeting in June 2015. Regardless of ratification or rejection of USACA’s constitutional proposals, governance will continue to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future in US cricket.

Mashrafe Mortaza felt he was only “80 percent satisfied” with his work though he took three wickets and set up Bangladesh’s victory in the second ODI against Zimbabwe

Mohammad Isam24-Nov-2014As he walked back to the dressing room as night set in at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Mashrafe Mortaza told a confidant he was not “balanced” while bowling. “There is something wrong. I have to figure it out,” he said, and repeated it.He had taken two wickets in the first ODI, ran in hard, was never short of a smile and there was even a sighting of a dive across the pitch to stop a front-foot push. Mashrafe had bowled in three spells, and tested the batsmen each time.Whether he had corrected the balance issue, his three early wickets in the second ODI jolted Zimbabwe. He kept bowling off-cutters – slow or fast – and Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda and Sikandar Raza inside-edged, missed or top-edged. Zimbabwe attempted to fight, but the early setbacks were never mended and Mashrafe was adjudged Man of the Match despite Arafat Sunny taking one more wicket.Again, Mashrafe said he was not fully satisfied with his effort. Perhaps he was thinking of the 18-run over to Elton Chigumbura during the batting Powerplay. But it was sandwiched between two Shakib Al Hasan overs that cost only one run, which meant Bangladesh never really lost grip of the game at that stage.”I got wickets, but I could only hit the right areas 80 percent of the time,” Mashrafe said. “I am not bowling at my quickest and neither have I been able to give my all. I think there is something missing in my bowling. It doesn’t mean that I would have got more wickets, but in terms of satisfaction, it is around 80 percent.”I was completely happy with how I bowled against India and West Indies. It didn’t matter if I took wickets. It is not that I am not happy now. I have the confidence. I haven’t hit my areas consistently. There is still room for improvement. Maybe it is because there has been some gap between the last time I played international cricket and now. I think it will come back in due course.”For a cricketer who is standing on legs that have sustained a number of surgeries, he can be granted a bit of negativity. But it has not crept into his captaincy. Far from it, Mashrafe has always come across a leader who puts across challenges for both his opponents and his team-mates.He has had two stints as Bangladesh captain and stepped in for the injured Mushfiqur Rahim to lead them in the two T20s against Sri Lanka in February. Although both matches were lost, Mashrafe set fields and made bowling changes that were refreshing and also has shown time and again his ability to unite the team, and distribute his confidence among newcomers and those out of form.On Sunday too, he took a couple of risky calls: he decided to bat first even with the possibility of dew later in the evening, and it ultimately worked out despite the other punt nearly ruining his plans. Even if it didn’t pan out, there had been some sense in hiking Shakib and Mushfiqur up the order after a 158-run opening stand, but Sabbir Rahman, who had made his ODI debut in the previous game, was elevated to No. 5 and prolonged the wobble.”We had the confidence that we can win by batting first. We also had the lack of dew from the previous game in mind. We got the ball to turn in the evening. So I thought maybe I can take the risk of fielding in the dew.”If [Sabbir Rahman] had made runs, we would be called successful. He batted confidently in the last game, which prompted us to send him ahead. We thought of giving him more overs to bat. It was a positive move, but he couldn’t pull it off. It can happen. But Mominul is our No. 3 [batsman].”When he was asked to comment on Zimbabwe’s state, Mashrafe did what Mashrafe does. He never minced his words and showed a clear awareness of the bigger picture.”Confidence comes with winning. The team that loses, they are slightly behind in those stakes,” he said. “We should not be focusing on how they feel. For most of the year we have been in their position. We have lost a lot of matches. We have finally got some consistency so we hope to hold on to that going into the World Cup.”

A round-up of the Ranji Trophy Group B matches played on December 23, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2014
ScorecardUnmukt Chand carried on from his overnight 87 not out to complete his fifth first-class century, and half-centuries from Mithun Manhas and Sumit Narwal sent Delhi on their way to a declaration with a first-innings lead of 239. In response, Rajasthan lost two wickets and went to stumps needing 161 to avoid a final-day innings defeat.With fog delaying the start and allowing only 66.3 overs to be played, Delhi scored 179 in 35.3 overs to hasten their declaration and allow themselves both time and a sufficient enough lead to try and force a win.Delhi began the day on 201 for 3, 60 ahead. Chand and Manhas extended their fourth-wicket stand to 97 before Manhas was bowled by Deepak Chahar for a 74-ball 53. More quick runs came in a 58-run stand between Chand and Rajat Bhatia, off just 73 deliveries, before Chand fell for a 235-ball 146, an innings that included 19 fours and a six. Bhatia followed Chand after the addition of only four runs to Delhi’s score, but the momentum wasn’t lost, as Narwal struck a 52-ball 59, with five fours and two sixes, before the declaration came at 360 for 6.Rajasthan lost Vineet Saxena and Robin Bist in the 31 overs that they played, and moved to 78 for 2 at close, with the opener Siddharth Saraf batting on 42.
ScorecardAbhimanyu Khod’s unbeaten 38 enabled Haryana to squeak past Vidarbha’s first-innings total of 154 at Lahli, where only the weather – which has permitted only 139.2 overs over three days of play – seems capable of preventing a decisive result. At stumps, Vidarbha were 21 ahead with two wickets down in their second innings.Resuming on 60 for 2, Haryana lost nightwatchman Mohit Sharma in the fifth over of the morning, before Nitin Saini and Sachin Rana added 34 for the fourth wicket. Rana’s wicket began a collapse that saw Haryana lose six wickets for 27 runs. Only a last-wicket stand of 26 between Khod and No. 11 Ashish Hooda – who made a 17-ball 1 – carried Haryana into the lead. Khod remained not out on 38, having faced 88 balls and struck four fours. Vidarbha’s seamers took nine of the 10 wickets, left-armer Ravikumar Thakur the most successful with figures of 4 for 38.
ScorecardA 212-run third wicket partnership between Arpit Vasavada and Sheldon Jackson steered Saurashtra out of a potentially slippery situation against Gujarat. Starting their second innings trailing by 41 runs, Saurashtra were still a run short of drawing level when they lost their second wicket. Vasavada and Jackson, however, snuffed out the danger and remained together for 60.5 overs, before Akshar Patel dismissed Vasavada for a 211-ball 88. Jackson saw the day through in Jaydev Shah’s company, and went to stumps batting on 124, having faced 203 balls, and struck ten fours and a six.

Tamim Iqbal’s recovery towards full fitness is right on track to play in the World Cup, starting in three weeks

Mohammad Isam24-Jan-2015Tamim Iqbal’s recovery towards full fitness is right on track to play in the World Cup, starting in three weeks. For the first time since his December 29 operation, he played pace bowling in the nets after he had only taken throwdowns and played against the bowling machine over the past week.While the rest of the Bangladesh team leaves for Brisbane on Saturday evening, Tamim will depart for Melbourne on Sunday. He has an appointment with orthopaedic surgeon Dr David Young followed by his third platela rich plasma (PRP) injection on January 27. He hopes to start training on January 29.Tamim complained of pain on his left knee which was later diagnosed as a grade one tear on his meniscus, after which Dr Young performed the arthroscopic evaluation and surgery on his left knee on December 29.He is pinning his hopes now on the PRP injection as well as a running session in Brisbane which he hopes will underline his return to fitness.”I don’t think there is a major problem with my knee,” Tamim said. “I am playing all kinds of shots against all sorts of bowling. My next sprint session in Australia is the most important to me. I had some pain sprinting before the operation, so if my pain goes away while sprinting, the fitness would have improved. But I have to be in rehab even during the tournament.”I will get my injection on the morning of January 27, and I will meet a physio in the evening. They will give me the following week’s instructions. I have completed two of the three injection courses in Australia. I will complete the last one now. I will join the squad on January 28 and start practice the next day.”Coach Chandika Hathurusingha had said on Thursday that Tamim would only be picked if he is 100% fit.”I don’t think anyone would want to play an unfit player, and especially not in a big tournament,” Tamim said. “I hope to play with 100% fitness. I don’t want to be a burden to the team, so I am putting equal importance to my fielding. The next 10-12 days in Brisbane is the most important phase of our preparation.”If we can use this time well, we won’t have many problems going ahead. I missed a few good sessions here, so if I can use the next two weeks properly, I will be happy. Of course I should be able to play at least two practice matches. I will try to play the warm-up matches in Brisbane since I have heard that wickets there are one of the toughest in Australia.”The recovery has not dampened Tamim’s spirits, as he spoke about his goal for this World Cup campaign and explained how he had missed out on his personal target in 2011. Tamim has only two fifties in World Cups, both against India. The first of these, in 2007, was his famous onslaught on the India bowlers, but overall he averages just 21.93 in 15 matches of the tournament.”There are no centuries for Bangladesh in the World Cup so I hope I can be the first to do that,” Tamim said. “If I can’t do it, I would hope someone from this team gets to do it. I didn’t set any goals in the 2007 World Cup. I was too happy to be playing against the big teams.”In the next tournament, I had set myself some goals but I couldn’t reach them. We played at home but I wouldn’t say it was a great World Cup for me. I haven’t started well in this campaign, with the injury. But I hope to finish it nicely.”Tamim trusts that the Australian conditions will suit his style of batting, as there will be true bounce. He also felt that in Bangladesh, those conditions are being overplayed. Overseas, Tamim has a slightly better average than at home though he has only three fifties in nine matches in Australia and New Zealand.”My batting style goes with those wickets,” he said. “I think wickets in Australia and New Zealand are perfect for stroke-makers. I think we have become too concerned about wickets there. We should think about how we can win matches.”If you look at history, you will see that Asian batsmen have done well there. India scored heavily in the Test series. There is no need to think so much about the wicket. I think Australia is best for batting. I don’t think wicket will be a big issue.”Still, he would like to start cautiously in both Australia and New Zealand, particularly against the two new balls. Since the introduction of the new rule on October 1, 2011, Tamim has averaged 30.60 in 31 innings and has had only two substantial scores with a strike rate above 100.”It would be tougher in Australian conditions now that there are two new balls,” Tamim said. “We are the sort of team that has to rely on a good start and good finish, and you can see that in our past.”We have to start more carefully than teams like Australia in their conditions. It would be tough to hit out from the start, but spend six to seven overs which would make it easier for us.”

Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding believes Chris Gayle’s whirlwind double-century against Zimbabwe was his most dominant innings, while England batsman Jonathan Trott felt the knock simply reaffirmed how crucial Gayle was to West Indies’ plan

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Feb-2015Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding believes Chris Gayle’s whirlwind double-century against Zimbabwe was his most dominant innings and would have come as a relief to the batsman, while England’s Jonathan Trott felt the knock simply reaffirmed how crucial Gayle was to West Indies’ plans of going far in the World Cup. Holding and Trott were speaking on , ESPNcricinfo’s match analysis show.Gayle had gone 19 months and 19 innings without scoring an ODI hundred since July 2013, raising questions from certain sections about his place in the team, but Holding said Gayle always had it in him to silence his critics with a big score.”I had a feeling Gayle might come around to the party this time,” Holding said. “He has shown everyone he is still capable of getting runs, and at a fantastic rate. He started slowly, but he has been in bad form, so you could expect that.”You could see that it was a big relief. The catch that he took and then he just rolled about for 50 yards and he was just having a ball. You can see Chris Gayle walking on the field and people say that he looks a little disinterested, moping. He gets a good knock and everything changes.”Gayle took 105 balls to reach his hundred, but as the innings wore, he grew more authoritative, regularly pulling every Zimbabwe bowler over the leg-side boundary. At the end of his 147-ball 215, Gayle had broken a host of records – the highest World Cup score, the fastest double-hundred, and tied for the most sixes in an ODI. Gayle received ample support from Marlon Samuels, with whom he added an ODI record partnership of 372 runs.Michael Holding – “If you’re batting alongside Gayle with the form he was in today, it doesn’t matter how good a player you are. You’ll automatically relax a bit since you don’t have to take any risk”•Getty ImagesSuch was the ferocity with which Gayle played, according to Holding, that it allowed Samuels to go about his own game and compile a handy 133.”Gayle’s innings was special because it was so dominant. Samuels did not look like he was in a rush or that he had to score too quickly. That was because Gayle dominated the entire proceedings.”If you’re batting alongside Gayle with the form he was in today, it doesn’t matter how good a player you are. You’ll automatically relax a bit since you don’t have to take any risk. So all Samuels had to do was push around and put the bad balls away.”Trott said he was reminded of another powerful innings watching Gayle bat: Martin Guptill’s unbeaten 189 which sunk England in 2013. On that day, Trott had replied with a century of his own, but England couldn’t get close to the 360-run target.”You could see the relief on Gayle’s face, and just how appreciative he was of his team-mates. I think only [Martin] Guptill played a similar innings against us. He scored a hundred, Brendon McCullum came a bit lower down, and they just took the game away from us. We then had to chase 360-odd at the Rose Bowl which was really tough.”However, Trott was also quick to point out how Gayle had enjoyed a big slice of luck in his innings. Tinashe Panyangara had an appeal for lbw turned down after curling one into Gayle when the batsman was yet to get off the mark. Panyangara reviewed, and even though the replays suggested the ball would go on to knock the bails off, umpire Steve Davis’ original call was upheld. Then, when he was on 121, Gayle skied one down long-on’s throat, but Panyangara had overstepped his mark while delivering the ball.”The key thing was he could’ve been given out. If that had been given, none of us would have batted an eyelid,” Trott said. “It’s amazing how quickly things can turnaround in sport.”Now everyone has forgotten Gayle’s bad run of form, and will only talk about how his 16 sixes lit up Canberra. Sportsmen should remember that when they get down. Their stroke of luck could be just around the corner. Besides the lbw, Gayle was also caught off a no-ball. Mother cricket really shined on him today.”Holding also pointed out that Gayle’s charge had upset the rhythm of Zimbabwe’s bowlers: “When a batsman is batting as well as that, you tend to lose concentration as a bowler, you’re not sure exactly of where you should be bowling the ball. At one point, Sean Williams looked at Elton Chigumbura as if to say: ‘What should I do next?’ And that is the situation you get yourself into when you’re bowling to someone like Chris Gayle.”

On a suitably hangdog English day, more downcast than overcast, and a match ravaged by rain, an Ian Bell fifty led England to victory with nine wickets to spare

The Report by David Hopps13-Mar-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRain interrupted the Afghanistan innings three times•ICCIt was time for England to bid farewell to the World Cup and Sydney dutifully laid on a suitably hangdog English day, more downcast than overcast, and a match ravaged by rain. A revised target easily achieved; Afghanistan dispatched on a gloomy evening with nearly seven overs to spare in a run chase cut to 25 overs. What a way to go.It could have been worse. When rain intervened for a third time, and eventually curtailed Afghanistan’s innings at 111 for 7, England briefly faced the threat of an abandonment which would have brought with it their worst record in a World Cup: they have never before won fewer than two games.At least they were spared that. They negotiated a revised target of 101 with nine wickets intact, the only casualty being Alex Hales, caught at the wicket for 37. Ian Bell constructed the unbeaten half-century many predicted he would and had the decency to forego a celebration. Playing without fear is easier when you are out of the tournament and there is no fear to be had.They made an entertaining trio, the Afghanistan pace bowlers, awash with physical threat: Shapoor Zadran, intimidating of frame, wild of hair, a left-armer with a run-up so long you could plot it on Google Maps; Hamid Hassan, the fastest of them all, speeds in excess of 140kph, bearing red and green accessories in the shape of a thick headband and war paint on his cheeks; and Dawlat Zadran, more conventional and, on this occasion, less threatening.They are worthy of respect, too. When the match commenced, during this World Cup, Afghanistan’s pace bowlers had taken more wickets, at lower cost and with a faster strike rate in comparison to their England counterparts.Hassan was the best of them and he was rewarded with the wicket of Hales, breaking an opening stand of 83 when he found a thin outside edge with one that held its line. But Afghanistan’s ground fielding was accident prone as they failed to cope with a damp outfield: Hales was dropped twice at backward point, the first time before he had scored, by Najib Zadran, Shapoor frustrated on each occasion, hands flung into a forest of hair.Afghanistan has built an international team out of nothing because of an innate love for the game. England have the resources, but the nation – especially young people – has rarely been more disconnected with its traditional summer game.Afghanistan are desperate for matches; England are so insanely overstocked with fixtures that they play another associate nation, Ireland, the day after they return from a tour of the Caribbean. The first ODI between these two nations could hardly have drawn a starker contrast.Those anticipating that Afghanistan’s ingénues would inflict further misery on England looked mistaken from the outset. There was swing and seam to be had and, by the time the 50 was raised, 21 overs had slipped away with all the appeal of congealed farmer’s broth, Afghanistan had lost four wickets and the mood of the innings was set.England did not have to produce anything out of the ordinary to cut deeply into Afghanistan’s order and accepted the regular fall of wickets like marker points en route to the airport and a glum flight home.Broad and Anderson sought respectability in a match that, emotionally, they would have preferred not to fulfil. There was no sense of fun; this was simply a job of work. The new ball was polished not with love and attention, but as if it was a dreary relationship going through the motions for the last time. Anderson hit 144kph, a sliver below 90mph, surely his fastest ball of the tournament.Two bad shots brought England’s new-ball pair a wicket apiece, both taken by Joe Root at first slip. Nowraz Mangal fenced weakly at a wide one from Anderson; Javed Ahmadi offered an angled bat to Broad.Chris Jordan, bounding warily to the wicket like a rabbit through a field full of ferrets, also benefited with two wickets: enough to bring him a hollow man-of-the-match award. Afghanistan’s batsmen offering their delights like ripe carrots. Afsar Zazai’s furtive push forward brought an edge to Jos Buttler and Samiullah Shenwari, one of their brighter batting stars in this World Cup, drove to Morgan, diving forward at point.Injuries to two England allrounders, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, provided an opportunity for two players who perhaps were involved in an England ODI for the last time. Ravi Bopara and James Tredwell might conceivably suffer from the urge to rebuild in the aftermath of a major tournament. Both took the chance to touch up their international record; smiles proferred perhaps for the final time.As Nasir Jamal defended in search of stability, it was clear that all Afghanistan’s romance rested with the ball. Jamal had crawled to three from 31 balls when he successfully reviewed umpire Ravi’s decision that he had fallen to a leg-side strangle. The combination of a second rain stoppage and a humdrum length ball from Bopara ended his excrutiating innings on 17 from 52 balls.A flurry from the captain, Mohammad Nabi, ending with a slog to mid-on; a fine diving catch at fine leg by Bopara, making light of Jordan’s presence, to silence Shafiqullah. Then the rain arrived; the innings eventually officially curtailed.Afghanistan will return home fulfilled. England not so. Two very different challenges ahead, but challenges nonetheless.