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India’s bowling coach B Arun has conceded his team’s bowlers need to be more disciplined, and that a lot of work needs to be done on them, after India conceded 348 runs on the opening day of the SCG Test against Australia

Sidharth Monga at the SCG06-Jan-20151:54

‘We are working on consistency’ – B Arun

India’s bowling coach B Arun has conceded his team’s bowlers need to be more disciplined, and that a lot of work needs to be done on them. India are yet to take 20 wickets in this Test series, Arun’s first as India’s bowling coach. Day one of the SCG Test, with an injured Ishant Sharma missing, was possibly India’s worst show in the field yet. Australia plundered 348 for the loss of two wickets on a flat pitch.”It’s been a mixed bag, and we have to be a lot more disciplined than what we are,” he said. “But there have been occasions where we have shown discipline. I think the consistency is going to be the key.”Arun was asked what went wrong with India’s bowlers so often, for nobody wants to bowl poorly. He said: “There is a lot of work that needs to be done on that. Obviously we are working on that for them to be more consistent and disciplined. Every kind of wicket that you bowl on is different. You have got to adjust to the wicket before you do that, and that’s exactly what we are working on.”What kind of work is being done Arun wouldn’t say. “It’s very difficult for me to elaborate on the kind of process that we set to work on these guys. Yes, it’s an issue, and yes we need to be more consistent, we are aware of that.”Arun said the fitness of India’s bowlers vis-à-vis other attacks was not an issue. “Obviously the fittest team is playing here so it’s not a question of fitness,” he said. “I don’t think it is fatigue either. Yes, it’s a big mental thing to be successful in international cricket, and that comes with experience.”According to Arun, it all came down to consistency. “We are a young side, we are in the process of rebuilding and learning,” he said. “We have performed very well so far, we have been competitive. If you notice, the first two matches could have gone either way. There are a lot of lessons to be learnt. The fact is that we are not as consistent as we need to be. That’s a fact, and that’s something we really need to look hard and work on. That’s exactly what we have been doing. I think this is going to be a great learning experience for us to move forward.”Ishant has been India’s best bowler in this series, but he doesn’t have the wickets to show for it, with nine dismissals. Is it because he is forced to bowl restrictively as the other bowlers have not been consistent? “If you look at the trend in this series, it’s been hard work to fetch wickets,” Arun said. “It’s the case for bowlers from both sides. One who is willing to work hard in terms of line and consistency has been successful. Ishant has had a fair amount of success, and by far he was the most consistent Indian bowler on this tour so far.”When told of Ishant’s average of 48.22 in the series, Arun paused for a moment and said: “You can only work, you can never guarantee success.”Arun confirmed that Ishant sat out with pain in the left knee, and that Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped. “Pujara has been exceptional for us earlier, but all the decisions and the composition of the team is decided by the team management,” he said. “People who are benched are spoken to, and they will be given sufficient opportunities to come back too. We are in the process of rebuilding, and we have to try out a lot of people, and see how far it goes. Then we have got to work out the combination.”

Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal have been recalled to Pakistan’s ODI and T20 squads for the limited-overs tour of the West Indies later this month

Umar Farooq03-Jul-2013Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal have been recalled to Pakistan’s ODI and T20 squads for the limited-overs tour of the West Indies later this month. Two notable players who have been dropped from the Champions Trophy squad are wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and allrounder Shoaib Malik.Fast bowler Umar Gul, who last played in March during the South Africa tour, was sidelined again as he hadn’t yet recovered from his knee surgery.The ODI squad features the uncapped 21-year-old wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, as a backup to Akmal, who was picked as the first-choice wicketkeeper. Ahmed Shehzad, the opening batsman, has been recalled to both squads. Zulfiqar Babar, 34, who has been part of the domestic circuit for more than ten years, figures in the T20 squad.Pakistan were let down by their senior batsmen in the Champions Trophy in England as the side failed to pass 200 in their three games – the third match against India was rain-affected – only to be eliminated from the group stage. Malik managed just 25 runs in three matches, Kamran 23 and Farhat four in two. With the pitches in the West Indies expected to be slower, the selectors have gone with one less seamer, dropping Ehsan Adil.Pakistan squads

ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Abdur Rehman, Haris Sohail
T20 squad: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal (wk), Hammad Azam, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Zulfiqar Babar, Junaid Khan

Afridi had been dropped from the ODI squad twice in the last six months after hitting a slump with both bat and ball. He was first dropped for the one-day leg of the India tour in January before making a comeback in South Africa, but was left out again for the Champions Trophy. In the 21 ODIs since January 2012, Afridi has picked up 15 wickets at 57.13 and scored 308 runs at 19.25. He had been training at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore over the past couple of weeks, and passed the fitness test.The captain Misbah-ul-Haq defended Afridi’s inclusion but added that he wasn’t necessarily an automatic selection in the XI. Misbah said Afridi was picked as an ‘optional’ allrounder who can bat at No.7 and bowl spin.”He is an option who can help us on slower tracks (in the West Indies),” Misbah said when asked how difficult it was to pick an out-of-form player. “Malik was the one who had been helping us out with six to seven overs and was handy with the bat as well so Afridi has been recalled in place of Malik as an extra allrounder who can roll his arm on turning tracks and contribute quick runs at No.7.”But it doesn’t mean he is automatically in the XI. We first have to look at the conditions and then take a call. We are happy with the selection of 16 players and I will be ready to shoulder the responsibility of any result.”Umar Akmal was dropped from the Test side last year and was subsequently was axed from the ODI side this year. He had been working on his wicketkeeping skills at the NCA over the last two weeks under the coach Dav Whatmore. When asked if wicketkeeping would be an additional burden on him, chief selector Iqbal Qasim said that Umar Akmal was “comfortable with wicketkeeping and the decision had been taken with his consent.””We have also added Mohammad Rizwan as a backup wicketkeeper but Umar will be doing most of the glove work and Rizwan will also be tried but it depends on the situation,” Qasim said.Umar Akmal has kept wicket in seven ODIs and the selectors have hinted at a short-term and experimental role, as his dual role could help the balance of the side.

ESPNcricinfo previews the chances of the teams in the Friends Life t20 North Group

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Jun-2013Derbyshire (28-1)
Overseas players: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Albie Morkel
T20 pedigree: Not good. Only once have they got past the group stages (a quarter-final in 2005) – the worst record of all the 18 counties. A team exceeding the sum of their parts they might be, but success in this format is built on having one or two expressive players, which they just haven’t had…
Prediction: Until now? The acquisition of Morkel for the nine of the ten group games is a smart one, providing the team with a big hitting allrounder with six seasons of IPL cricket behind him. For all his talents, however, the onus is on ‘home’ players such as Wes Durston, Chesney Hughes and Mark Footitt to get them out of the group. It’s probably too much of a stretch.Durham (20-1)
Overseas players: None
T20 pedigree: Two quarter-finals and one Finals Day appearance to date, all in the last five years. Durham have slowly got to grips with Twenty 20 cricket, coinciding with back to back Championships titles from 2008.
Prediction: An organised unit they will always be, but the responsibility taken on by their younger players should see them reach the quarter finals. Mark Stoneman has been a revelation at the top of the order this season, while Scott Borthwick and Ben Stokes are two of the most in-form allrounders in the country and Graham Onions is a class act. Look out for Mark Wood , too, one of the quickest bowlers around, with good Twenty20 credentials – so much so that he nearly earned himself a contract to play in last season’s Big Bash League in Australia.Lancashire (12-1)
Overseas players: Simon Katich, Mitchell McClenaghan
T20 pedigree: They have appeared at three Finals Days and made the quarter-finals on all but two occasions but, for all their consistency, Lancashire have never won the competition. The closest they came was in 2005 when Graeme Smith ‘s unbeaten 64 won a rain-affected final for Somerset.
Prediction: McClenaghan has taken to English conditions with glee and his searing left-arm pace will had something extra to an attack that has bowled the side to the top of Championship Division Two and third in Group B of the YB40. Quarter-finals are a given.Leicestershire (25-1)
Overseas players: Joe Burns, Shakib Al Hasan
T20 pedigree: The most successful Twenty20 side, Leicestershire have won the competition three times. The squad has a much more youthful look to it than when they were last FLt20 champions in 2011 but, as they have shown before, they possess the raw talent and exuberance that can see them through limited-overs games.
Prediction: Shiv Thakor and Rob Taylor will need to support captain Josh Cobb, who can be a match-winner – he already has three one-day hundreds this season and is useful with the ball, as his match winning 4 for 22 in the 2011 final proved. The invaluable experience of Shakib – ranked the fifth-best T20 bowler in the world – and Niall O’Brien could secure them third in the group.Nottinghamshire (8-1)
Overseas players: David Hussey, Ian Butler
T20 pedigree: Underachievers, when you look at the talent they possess. Runners-up in 2006 is as close as they’ve come to glory but they have reached the quarter-finals in each of the last three years, going one stage further in 2010.
Prediction: Could this be their year? Even with England call-ups, their bowling attack contains handy variety, with Ajmal Shahzad’s speed, Harry Gurney’s left-arm seam, and the orthodox spin of Samit Patel, who also adds to an impressive batting line-up capable of dealing with any of 20-over cricket’s permutations. Add into that the part-time off spin and unparalleled Twenty20 run-scoring of Hussey and you should have one of your Finals Day participants.Yorkshire (12-1)
Overseas players: None
T20 pedigree: David Miller nearly single-handedly dragged Yorkshire to victory in last year’s final with some exceptional hitting but that was the first time they had made it past the quarter-finals. Their previous two forays beyond the group stages came in 2006 and 2007.
Prediction: Flying in Division One yet floundering in the YB40, the discrepancy between their Championship and one-day performances and personnel suggests the former is the main priority. The riches of Twenty20 cricket may have them changing tack but they will miss Joe Root and, perhaps, Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan for most of the group stage. Mitchell Starc was the competition’s top wicket-taker in 2012 and they will need to bring in a player of similar standard to give them a chance of coming close to what they achieved last year.Odds from bet365.com

A round-up of the matches on the second day of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2013
ScorecardCaptain Mohammad Hafeez led from the front to hit his second Twenty hundred that helped Lahore Lions humble Multan Tigers by 47 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium. With a daunting total in sight, Tigers never looked in control during their chase. They lost their captain Shoaib Maqsood in the first over, caught brilliantly by Aizaz Cheema after he had fumbled it on the first go. Tigers started stuttering early as their top three batsmen departed with only 24 runs on the board.Rameez Alam (45) and Saeed Anwar jnr (11) resisted for a while with a 51-run stand for the fourth wicket, but both got bogged down against the spinners. Despite some late fireworks by Kashif Naved, Tigers kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out in the 20th over for 127.Lions, after choosing to bat, lost opener Ahmed Shahzad (2) in the first over as he flicked Rahat Ali straight to Zulfiqar Babar at midwicket. Thereafter, Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed dominated Tigers and added 66 runs for the second wicket before Jamshed was trapped lbw for 26. Akmal brothers, Umar (4) and Kamran (0), were out of successive deliverers – Umar edged one from Rizwan Haider to the keeper, while a mix-up for a single with Hafeez resulted in Kamran’s wicket.Hafeez, however, continued to consolidate. He was dropped three times, twice by the wicketkeeper. Along with Ali Azmat (29), he added 83 for the fifth wicket to take Lions to a formidable total of 175. He reached 102 off 64 balls with 18 boundaries, including two sixes off the last two balls of the innings.
ScorecardShoaib Malik led Sialkot Stallions to a five-wicket victory over Abbottabad Falcons in Gaddafi Stadium. Falcons batted first, but were reduced to 39 for 3 through some incisive bowling from Raza Hasan. Yasir Hameed (43) and Hammad Ali (30) were the only meaningful contributions, as the rest of the batting folded quickly, to leave them 135 for 9 at the end of their 20 overs. Hasan had best figures of 3 for 35.Shakeel Ansar was dismissed for a duck, and Faisal Naved and Shahid Yousuf didn’t last long either as Stallions were at a precarious 18 for 3. An 89-run stand between Shoaib Malik and Adeel Malik categorically took the game away from Falcons. Shoaib Malik top-scored with 68, and Adeel Malik with 36. The chase was finished off by Ali Khan and Mansoor Amjad, as Stallions won with four balls to spare. Falcons have lost two straight now, after losing to Multan Tigers yesterday.
ScorecardYasir Arafat’s four-wicket haul helped Rawalpindi Rams to overwhelm powerful Twenty20 side Karachi Dolphins by eight runs in the final match of the day in Lahore. Dolphins lost their way chasing 158, but bounced back through No.9 batsman Mohammad Sami who smacked a breathtaking 38 off 18 balls. But Rams held their nerves to complete a dramatic victory.Dolphins lost their top order to Arafat earlier who accounted for Khalid Latif (0), Shahzaib Hasan (11) and Asad Shafiq (0) in his first spell of two overs. Fawad Alam (29) along with Sarfaraz Ahmed (26) resisted the tidy bowling in a 40-run stand, but both were out in quick succession. Sami then launched a late attack that included three sixes to revive hopes, but Arafat returned to pick his wicket. Dolphins eventually were bowled out for 149, eight runs short.Rams opted to bat with openers Awais Zia (34) and Naved Malik (12) off to a positive start. But they lost seven wickets for 16 runs towards the end to finish with 157. Anwar Ali was the most successful bowler with four wickets.

Mashrafe Mortaza has been ruled out of the ODI leg of the current Zimbabwe tour as a result of a fat pad contusion on his left heel

Mohammad Isam24-Apr-2013Mashrafe Mortaza has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe. His latest injury, a fat pad contusion on his left heel, is keeping him out of action for yet another international tour, after he had missed the limited overs leg of the Sri Lanka tour as well.”According to the assessment of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) medical team, [Mashrafe] Mortaza has not fully recovered from the injury and still feels pain,” said chief selector Akram Khan. “There is a risk of him aggravating the injury if he returns to play, and he could become susceptible to new injuries also.”Under the circumstances, we felt it was best to allow him more time to continue with his rehabilitation programme. He will not be considered for selection for the ODI series in Zimbabwe.”He suffered the injury during the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) final earlier this year. It has already been more than two months since he has been into his recovery, which seemed innocuous when it first occurred. But Mashrafe has a history of leg injuries and his surgery count is already in the double figures.Mashrafe’s last international appearance was the fourth ODI against West Indies last year, and his last Test appearance was in 2009.

Hashim Amla has admitted that he hasn’t fully come to grips with being South Africa’s captain, but is confident he will “learn more with every series”

Firdose Moonda16-Dec-2014Hashim Amla had just begun to answer the first question at the press conference when Denesh Ramdin spotted a problem. Amla’s voice, which usually barely rises above a whisper, was not being projected at all. Ramdin though, knew how to fix that. He reached across Amla and turned on the microphone in front of him, much to the giggles of the audience who soon realised there is one thing Ramdin has more experience in than Amla: captaincy.Although Amla and Ramdin are almost equally new to the leadership role – Ramdin has been in charge for five Tests, Amla for three – there are some differences that are also underlined in their similar trajectories as leaders.Amla and Ramdin both captained their respective Under-19 sides to age-group World Cup finals but while Amla was a reluctant franchise skipper who stepped down after a season, Ramdin seemed to relish the role for his domestic team Trinidad & Tobago. He was their regular captain for the better part of the last five years before being recently relieved of the job.Ramdin’s familiarity means he did not have to change anything about his own game when he was elevated to the captaincy, but Amla is still easing in to his position and hopes to use this series to make strides as an international leader.”What I’ve learnt is that I’ve got to manage time wisely. That is one of the reasons I am batting at No. 4,” Amla said. “It gives me little bit of extra time gathering my thoughts before going in to bat. That’s been my biggest challenge so far but it’s getting better and I’m sure with every series, I will learn.”This series will also be the first Amla captains at home, and the first home series in more than a decade without Graeme Smith at the helm. Amla knows all eyes will be on him. “Having made my captaincy debut overseas, I didn’t have the hype and the attention, which probably was a good thing because now I am a bit more settled,” he said. “Captaining at home will be something special.”Apart from his own game, Amla is also aware that the South African public are anticipating seeing something new from a team in transition. They will bear witness to Dean Elgar opening in Smith’s place for the first time, Stiaan van Zyl’s debut and possibly, even those of Temba Bavuma or Kagiso Rabada. Amla wants to show them South African cricket is in good hands.”It’s been very exciting. We always knew when Graeme and Jacques retired, we would go through a transition but luckily, there are still a few of us who have played for a long time, who hold the fort,” Amla said. “The core of the team has remained the same and it has allowed the culture of the team to continue. When we leave, these are the guys who will take the team forward. So passing on knowledge and experience is the responsibility we have.”Fostering growth while still focusing on on-field success requires a careful balance, which Amla believes South Africa have struck. “You want to try and make the transition as natural as possible but there is an element of putting the work in. No relationship is without any hard work,” he said. “You’ve got to pass on what you’ve learnt and what the Proteas stand for, but the most important factor is to try and make sure we are winning matches.”Ramdin was listening closely to that answer, perhaps because West Indies need to do something similar in their squad. A mix of youth and experience is what they have to take on South Africa, and gelling that into a competitive outfit that can take on the world’s top-ranked Test team is Ramdin’s mission.”It’s going to be a very challenging series. South Africa are the No.1 team and they have been doing something very good to be at the top of the Test rankings. It’s going to be tough to beat them at home,” Ramdin admitted. “But we have guys like Kraigg Brathwaite, Jerome Taylor, Shannon Gabriel who have all been doing well so we are in good stead.”

Laxmi Shukla, who picked up four wickets, boosted Bengal who are desperately in search of an outright win after having lost two out of four games this season

Siddhartha Talya at the Brabourne Stadium01-Dec-2012
Scorecard
Laxmi Shukla used the helpful conditions to pick up four wickets•FotocorpThe previous time the Brabourne Stadium hosted a Ranji Trophy game, it produced a run-fest, with the first innings staying incomplete at the end of the third day. The shade of green on the track for this game and some gentle breeze in the morning offered greater hope for the fast bowlers, and it wasn’t surprising that Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary chose to bowl. His team responded well, especially Laxmi Shukla, who picked up four wickets, to boost Bengal who are desperately in search of an outright win after having lost two out of four games this season.Mumbai had their share of fortune on a track that had good bounce with the ball often kicking off a good length, especially when Shukla was bowling. The Bengal fielders chipped in to make life easier on occasions as Wasim Jaffer was the beneficiary of a dropped catch. Though Bengal were not made to suffer much – Jaffer only got so far as 80 in a format he’s dominated by making fielders toil for long hours – he stayed long enough to help Mumbai fight back from 46 for 3 in the company of Abhishek Nayar, with whom he was involved in a century stand.Mumbai again picked themselves up after losing Jaffer and Nayar in the second session, with wicketkeeper Aditya Tare and Ankeet Chavan compiling a 56-run stand as part of a lower-order recovery that also acquired considerable momentum through quick runs. The Bengal bowlers worked hard – Shukla, in particular, bowled an extended first spell of nine overs – but weren’t dominant and faced resistance that took Mumbai to 262 for 7.Jaffer, who missed Mumbai’s first three games of this season while on Haj, said the assistance to fast bowlers will last a while and 300 was a good total on this track. “I don’t think it’s going to flatten out,” he said. “The help for the fast bowlers, especially, will remain for a while. The ball is spinning as well. So, if we go to 300, it’ll be a very good score with the kind of bowling we have and the wicket, probably, will get a bit faster. It was a bit damp today, and the ball was swinging, but I think it’s a decent score. We would have been happier if there were one or two wickets less. But the help will remain in the wicket.”Jaffer batted positively, though that also brought with it some risk on a track with a bit of life. He offered a half-chance at short leg at 5, and was put down by Arindam Das at second slip off Shukla when on 16. Shukla also got the ball to move back in, rapped Jaffer on the pads twice, but there were enough scoring opportunities on offer. Jaffer drove Shukla twice through the covers and used his feet well against the left-arm spin of Iresh Saxena, who was brought on, surprisingly, as early as the 11th over.The early introduction of spin was to provide Bengal an opening, however, through the stumping of Kaustubh Pawar and Shukla struck twice in quick time after that to put Mumbai under pressure. Against a disciplined line outside off, and some away movement, Hiken Shah was caught-behind driving on the up. Rohit fell in a similar fashion, reaching forward to be caught by Wriddhiman Saha diving to his right, for 1, as his counterpart Tiwary, also a possible contender for a place in the Indian side, watched on from mid-off.While the seamers tested the batsmen from one end, Jaffer and Nayar scored freely off the sole specialist spinner, Saxena. Jaffer was strong both sides of the wicket, driving him past cover and going over the top past mid-on and midwicket. Nayar swept well, collecting two successive boundaries through deep square leg and deep midwicket, and even launching Saxena for a six towards cow corner. The stand was broken abruptly in the first over of Shukla’s second spell, shortly after the pair had put on 100 together, when Jaffer got a leading edge to Abhishek Jhunjhunwala at extra cover.It got worse for Mumbai when Nayar dragged one back on from Veer Pratap Singh to make it 172 for 5, but there was some spunk left in the batting.Tare has opened the batting for Mumbai, dropping down this time with the return of Jaffer, and had some close shaves as he repeatedly edged the bowlers over the slips and past gully. Chavan gave him good company in a 56-run partnership before adding a further 20 with Dhawal Kulkarni, who struck Saxena for two straight sixes over long-on.But Bengal remained patient and dismissed the pair before stumps, both edging to slip and one of them, Chavan, giving Shukla his fourth wicket. The innings could have been wrapped up today itself had Ramesh Powar, a capable hand in the lower order, not been dropped by Das, again, at second slip. Captain Tiwary appeared happy at stumps, applauding his team-mates, but the let-offs in the field did consume time and cost runs that Bengal will hope do not affect the outcome.

Round-up of the ICC World Cricket League Division Four matches in Kuala Lumpur

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2012Nepal maintained their unbeaten run in the World Cricket League Division Four after completing an easy eight-wicket win over USA in the final of the tournament in Kuala Lumpur. The win was set up by left-arm spinner Basanta Regmi’s five-wicket haul, which limited USA to 145 after they had chosen to bat. USA’s top order was not allowed to settle into any substantial partnership as regular strikes reduced them to 83 for 5. The lower half of the batting order was then skittled by Regmi as Nepal removed the last four batsmen for eight runs.Nepal lost opening batsmen Anil Mandal, who had scored a century in the previous game, in the third over, but a 93-run stand between Subash Khakurel and Gyanendra Malla all but sealed the contest. Malla scored a 65-ball 66 that included seven hits to the boundary and three over it, but was out in the 20th over. Khakurel, who remained not out on 40, shared another unbeaten stand with captain Paras Khadka to help Nepal achieve the target with 22 overs to spare. Regmi, who ended up as the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 21 wickets, was awarded Man of the Match.Both teams, however, had already qualified for Division Three and Nepal’s coach, Pubudu Dassanayake, expressed happiness on his team’s performance: “The team did just what was needed here and deserved to win. When I came to Nepal the goal was always to get this team up to a chance of qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and this Division 4 win now means we’re one step closer. There’s a lot more hard work to do but I’m delighted with the progress so far.”Denmark collapsed to their lowest total in the tournament and ended in fourth position after a five-wicket loss to Singapore. Denmark chose to bat first but lost five wickets within the first 11 overs to Singapore’s opening bowlers Chetan Suryawanshi and Amjad Mahboob. There was a brief recovery as Denmark hobbled to 60 without any further loss, but they lost three wickets on the same score and caved in to 83 in 26 overs.Singapore were given a scare in their chase as Denmark opening bowler Bashir Shah picked two wickets in his first two overs, but by the time the next wicket fell – on 59 – Singapore were well on their way. Shah turned out to be the lone hand for Denmark, picking up all five wickets to fall, as Singapore finished the chase in the 17th over.Although Singapore finished third, captain Saad Janjua was disappointed with the team’s performance: “We came to Malaysia to win this tournament. The third place finish is very disappointing. We trained hard, prepared well but a bit of bad luck with the weather and the fact that our batting didn’t click meant we underperformed.”In the third match of the day, Malaysia beat Tanzania by five wickets to finish fifth in the tournament. Tanzania equalled their best score in the tournament after being put into bat. Opening batsman Abhik Patwa scored 67 off 105 balls and helped Tanzania out from a tricky 45 for 3 after a 66-run partnership with Nasibu Mapunda (30 off 52). But Malaysia chipped away with wickets, while keeping a tab on run-scoring, to leave themselves with exactly the same target to achieve as the day before.Tanzania bowlers responded well to first remove previous game’s centurion, Rakesh Madhavan, in the 11th over. Seventeen overs later, Malaysia were five down on 85, giving Tanzania a sniff of a first win in the tournament. But an unbeaten 103-run stand between Shafiq Sharif (57 off 80) and Khizar Hayat (49 off 60) helped Malaysia cross the line in the 46th over.Malaysia captain Suhan Alagaratnam said: “We bowled well but our batsmen have struggled throughout this tournament and we were in some difficulty until Khizar and Shafiq played well to get us through.”

Calum MacLeod made the second highest score by an Associate player in an ODI and third highest by an Associate player in List A cricket in a 170-run romp over Canada to seal a place for Scotland in the Super Sixes

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2014Calum MacLeod made the second highest score by an Associate player in an ODI and third highest by an Associate player in List A cricket in a 170-run romp over Canada to seal a place for Scotland in the Super Sixes and put an end to Canada’s consecutive World Cup streak dating back to 2003. Scotland join UAE and Hong Kong from Group A in the Super Sixes.Canada won the toss and sent Scotland in to bat in the hopes of restricting them to a low total that they could chase down quickly to pass Scotland on net run rate. MacLeod erased any chance of that happening with 175 off 141 balls in Scotland’s total of 341 for 9.Matt Machan teamed up with MacLeod to add 144 for the second wicket and MacLeod looked to have a rare ODI double-century in his sights before perishing on the first ball of the 46th over to Khurram Chohan – who finished with 5 for 68. MacLeod was left to settle for the highest score by a Scotland player in an ODI.Canada never threatened to chase Scotland’s hefty total, especially after opening bowlers Iain Wardlaw and Rob Taylor wiped out the top four to leave Canada at 42 for 4. Wicketkeeper Matty Cross had a terrific day behind the stumps, taking six catches and also effecting two runouts. Hamza Tariq was last man out for 71 as Canada succumbed for 171 in 39.2 overs. Taylor, Wardlaw and Safyaan Sharif all finished with two wickets apiece for Scotland.Irfan Karim produced a scintillating 108 for Kenya to pave the way for a stunning four-wicket upset of Netherlands on Thursday at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln. The defeat put Netherlands in fourth place in Group B, denying them a spot in the Super Sixes. Kenya go into the next stage from Group B, along with Papua New Guinea and Namibia.Netherlands, the pre-tournament favourites were sent in to bat by Kenya, as the latter team looked for the best chance to progress on net run rate. Wesley Barresi scored 137 not out for Netherlands and was part of a 136-run second wicket partnership with Eric Szwarczynski that spanned 30.4 overs. Netherlands entered the final 10 overs of their innings on 188 for 3, but their steady pace from the start of the innings and an overall lack of a sense of urgency came back to haunt them in the end as they finished on 265 for 5.Kenya needed to achieve the target in 36.1 overs to leapfrog over Netherlands on net run rate into third place in Group B. While Barresi’s first innings ton consumed 150 balls, Karim torched the Netherlands attack to reach his century with his 15th four off just 81 balls. He received excellent support from Ragheb Aga (86) and the pair added 148 for the second wicket in 20.2 overs. Karim was the third wicket to fall with the score 240 in the 32nd over, leaving Kenya with 26 to score in 4.5 overs in order to pass Netherlands on net run rate.After a brief flurry of wickets, captain Rakep Patel and Steve Tikolo held their nerve, striking a pair of boundaries as part of a 13-run 35th over to make it 262 for 5 entering the 36th. Ahsan Malik removed Patel on the first ball of the 36th, but singles came off the next three deliveries before the winning run arrived off a wide. Kenya reached the target with room to spare in 35.4 overs. The win keeps Kenya’s hopes of maintaining their World Cup streak alive.Patel later said the win was a relief. “There was a lot of pressure on the boys today. They really performed and got us through to the next round,” he said. “Chasing 265 could have been very difficult. But the way Irfan Karim and Ragheb Aga batted today was very good, and Collins Obuya finished things off nicely. This win means a lot to the team, and to everyone back home. The boys have believed in themselves and changed their own luck. The senior players are displaying real leadership and commitment.”Netherlands captain Peter Borren admitted the lack of runs in the last 10 overs had made the match difficult for the side.”A lot went wrong today, in the field particularly. Their two batsmen played beautifully, and we didn’t respond well,” Borren said. “We probably didn’t get enough runs in our last ten overs. We could have killed them off there with wickets in hand. But they bowled well and we struggled to get it away. That was pretty crucial.”Papua New Guinea opener Lega Siaka scored his second century of the tournament to ensure his side finished atop Group B courtesy of an eight-wicket thrashing of Namibia at Mount Maunganui. Namibia won the toss and chose to bat first but were under pressure immediately after Pipi Raho and PNG captain Chris Amini nipped out two wickets each in their opening spells to leave Namibia at 16 for 4 in the sixth over.Gerrie Snyman provided Namibia’s best resistance with 54 at number six, but lacked any genuine support. Snyman was dismissed by Mahuru Dai in the 41st over to make it 137 for 8 before Namibia were eventually bowled out for 163 in 48.4 overs. Siaka’s 112 not out dominated the chase and PNG’s next best score was Assad Vala’s 16. PNG needed only half of the allotted overs to reach the target and vaulted to the top of the group in the process.Lega Siaka scored a match-winning century for Papua New Guinea•ICCUAE prevented Hong Kong from going undefeated in Group A, defeating their Asian rivals by 22 runs. UAE won the toss and batted and captain Khurram Khan led the way with 78. Khan’s team-mates wasted the platform he laid for them as his dismissal in the 39th over sparked a mini collapse. UAE went from 185 for 4 to be bowled out for 249 in 48.1 overs. Haseeb Amjad led the way with the ball for Hong Kong taking 3 for 33.Manjula Guruge dismissed the dangerous Irfan Ahmed early in the chase. The best partnership in the innings was 49 for the third wicket between Waqas Barkat (24) and Mark Chapman (59) as Hong Kong lost wickets at regular intervals and struggled to sustain any momentum. Guruge finished with 4 for 39 as Hong Kong was bowled out in the final over for 227.Entering the Super Sixes, Papua New Guinea has a distinct advantage on the other five teams, carrying over four points into the next phase by virtue of their wins over Kenya and Namibia during play in Group B. Kenya has the biggest hill to climb carrying zero points forward after losses to Papua New Guinea and Namibia. Scotland, UAE, Hong Kong and Namibia all carry two points forward from the group stage into the Super Six phase, which begins on Sunday.

Adelaide Strikers’ bowlers backed up a strong batting effort that combined industrious running and power-hitting, to secure a 67-run win against the Melbourne Renegades at the Adelaide Oval

The Report by Nikita Bastian18-Dec-2011
ScorecardMichael Klinger laid the perfect platform for Adelaide Renegades at the top of the order•Getty ImagesAdelaide Strikers’ bowlers backed up a strong batting effort that combined industrious running and power-hitting, to secure a 67-run win against the Melbourne Renegades at the Adelaide Oval.The decently populated Adelaide Oval sported a blue tinge, with the local Twenty20 team swapping their red jerseys for sky blue. There was a sea of blue wigs around, but those who decided to show up in the usual South Australia Redbacks colours were in for a surprise: their red and black ensemble had more in common with the visiting Renegades’ uniform. The home side, however, ensured there was no surprise in the denouement, after dominating the match from start to finish.The Renegades batsmen never looked like chasing down the imposing target of 190. A shower towards the end of the Strikers’ innings resulted in a fresh track, which all of their bowlers used well upfront, extracting movement and lift. As a result, the Renegades limped to 3 for 62 in 10 overs, and with the required-rate almost up to 13 at that point, the game was as good as over. There was no typical late Twenty20 twist this time, as the Renegades folded for 122 in 17.5 overs.After the gloomy weather that threatened to stop play all through the Strikers innings, the Renegades came out to bat in bright sunshine. Alfonso Thomas, one of the better Twenty20 bowlers going around, had Aaron Finch and Meyrick Buchanan in trouble straight up: he had Finch beaten with movement, and Buchanan struggling to prevent the ball from rolling back onto his stumps. In the next over, Kane Richardson followed up two balls down the leg side by removing slip and strengthening the off-side field. If it was a ploy to tempt the batsman, it worked. Finch tried to sweep, top-edged and was caught by Aiden Blizzard at midwicket.Glenn Maxwell came in and the tentative shot-making continued. The pressure got the Strikers a run out. Buchanan pulled and turned for a second, only to be sent back by Maxwell and fall well short of his crease. Shahid Afridi walked out with the required-rate mounting, and got his first boundary off a top edge to wide mid-on. The first convincing shot of the innings came from Maxwell, who stepped out to Aaron O’Brien and lofted him over cover for four. Maxwell, who ended up top-scoring with 46, also hit the first six of the innings – slog-sweeping a flighted ball from Nathan Lyon over midwicket – but the required momentum never came.Afridi fell to Richardson, depositing a length ball on off stump in Lyon’s hands at long-off, and the required-rate touched 12 with a little over 11 overs remaining. Captain Andrew McDonald hung around for a bit, but the rest of the lower order capsized to hand the Strikers an easy victory.Strikers’ innings was set up by a busy opening stand between Daniel Harris and Michael Klinger, in which they put on 86 in 9.5 overs. They complemented the boundaries they hit – Harris favoured the leg side, while Klinger creamed fours through cover – with some fine running between the wickets, picking up a number of twos. Both were out just short of their fifties, but by then the Strikers had a solid platform and the middle order capitalised.Aiden Blizzard kept the runs ticking through the middle overs, before Cameron Borgas and Adam Crosthwaite teed off in the death. The 18th over, bowled by Dirk Nannes, included a pair of sixes from Crosthwaite off consecutive balls. The best over of the innings was yet to come, though. In the next over, Borgas used Shaun Tait’s pace to help him over fine-leg for six before swatting a length delivery over midwicket. He followed that up with two fours, both powerful pulls through midwicket. It was around this point that the rain came down, but the umpires kept the players on, a good move in hindsight as the clouds blew over quickly.