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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.”

Nisarg Patel, the Most Valuable Player at the USACA T20 National Championship in Florida, is hoping that his performances during the tournament were enough to catch the attention of the USA team management

Peter Della Penna22-Aug-2014Nisarg Patel, the Most Valuable Player at the USACA T20 National Championship in Florida, is hoping that his performances during the tournament were enough to catch the attention of the USA team management and get a possible call-up to the national team for ICC WCL Division Three in Uganda.”I would love to be in the men’s national team as soon as possible,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “In order to do that, I have to put in performances. Without performances I’m not going to get anywhere.”Patel, 26, top-scored in two of the three matches played by South West Region and was never dismissed at the tournament. On the opening day, he hit an unbeaten 54 off 29 balls against Central West that included three fours and six sixes. He also took 2 for 14 bowling left-arm spin in an eight-wicket win over North East.A former junior representative of the USA, Patel played for the country at the 2006 ICC U-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. He successfully completed bachelor’s and masters degrees in pharmaceutical science and took up a job with a US multi-national pharmaceutical company’s branch in the UK.The left-arm spinning allrounder spent the 2011 season playing premier league cricket for Richmond in the Middlesex County Cricket League and then followed it up with two years playing for Chelmsford in the Essex Cricket League. At Chelmsford, he was the first XI’s second highest scorer in 2012 and their leading wicket-taker in premier league matches for both 2012 and 2013. He took 31 wickets at an average of 12.96 in 2012 where he was fifth overall in the league and just three behind Buckhurst Hill’s overseas pro, former New Zealand legspinner Todd Astle.”Playing in England is always a good experience,” Patel said. “Playing with good international players, county players consecutively for the last six or seven years has been a wonderful experience learning a lot from them. I’ve moved back this year to the States for good. Hopefully I can pass on that knowledge and experience to other players and teammates.”After accepting a job transfer that put him back in Los Angeles, Patel is aiming to become more involved in the US cricket scene. He feels he can be a meaningful contributor to the national team if given the opportunity.”The good thing about my job right now is that it’s a project management role so it gives you a lot of flexibility time management wise and job hours wise,” Patel said. “Obviously it’s difficult when you are doing such a high-prospect job and also trying to play professional cricket but I’ve done it in the past. I’ve done it in England for a few years and I don’t see how there should be any problem doing it in the US as well.””I’ve just come back. It’s been a good eight months since coming back, scored a few runs and taken a few wickets. Hopefully I can carry on that momentum and hopefully I’ll get a call.”

West Indies’ first day of cricket in India was characterised by the batting problems they often encounter when they don the team maroons

The Report by Devashish Fuloria at Brabourne Stadium03-Oct-2014
ScorecardFile photo – Marlon Samuels’ positive strokeplay saved West Indians from embarrassment•Getty ImagesWest Indies’ first day of cricket in India was characterised by the batting problems they often encounter when they don the team maroons. The dual approach of blast out and block out was on show again, which meant there were repeated periods of lull during the innings that allowed the bowlers to dictate. India A’s bowling attack, non-threatening but disciplined, did not have to do anything special as West Indians collapsed to 148 all out within 40 overs. It may be the sign of things to come in the series.The batting performance was being keenly followed in the pavilion by the former West Indies captain and now the chief selector Clive Lloyd and Richard Pybus, the director of cricket. For Lloyd, who had scored 160 runs on his debut Test in 1966, also at Brabourne, it would have been a reminder of the state of affairs.Lendl Simmons was joined by Leon Johnson to open the innings as West Indians chose to bat, but neither looked comfortable against the discipline of Dhawal Kulkarni or against the pace of Jasprit Bumrah. Johnson was the first to depart, outside-edging an angled delivery from Bumrah to second slip in the fourth over. Three overs later, there was more bad news as Simmons trudged off the field with a troublesome back.Darren Bravo had stroked a couple of boundaries but his eagerness to score cost him his wicket. He pushed at a Kulkarni delivery, bowled round the wicket, away from his body only to see his stumps splayed as the ball took an inside edge.Denesh Ramdin, the Test captain, then gave brief support to Marlon Samuels in a fourth-wicket association worth 32 runs. Samuels forced the scoring with powerful shots through off and down the ground, but even then, a big chunk of runs – 21 out of the first 50 – came through extras. Just when the two batsmen appeared to have weathered the initial nerves, Ramdin’s slash at a Stuart Binny delivery was snaffled by a diving Unmukt Chand at second slip.At 70 for 4 in the 17th over, West Indies had plenty of time to build and if a recovery was to come, Samuels, Kieron Pollard, the captain for the game, and Darren Sammy would have been central to it. However, the innings floundered as legspinner Amit Mishra bamboozled Pollard and Sammy with googlies in successive overs to reduce the tourists to 76 for 6.That West Indians were spared some embarrassment was due to positive strokeplay from Samuels. Anything full, and he was prepared to drill it down the ground. He reached his half-century off 53 deliveries and his innings included nine boundaries, two more than the rest of the batsmen combined. Karn Sharma was driven down the ground twice for fours in his first over but he eventually ended Samuels’ stay, trapping the batsman in front.The rest chose the path of least resistance, crumbling against the spinners to be bowled out in the 39th over. Take out the 28 extras and Samuels’ 56 and the contribution of the remaining 10 men was just 64 on a pitch without any alarming turn. The ball did kick from the surface, like it does on all fresh Mumbai pitches, which makes them enjoyable to bat on.The India A batsmen made the most of it. M Vijay and Chand added 71 comfortable runs for the first wicket before Vijay drove Kemar Roach straight to cover. Chand continued to progress without any trouble and reached his half-century off 60 deliveries.”They were quick and one doesn’t get to play 6’6″ bowler like Jason Holder in India, so you have to make adjustments,” Chand said. “I made plans to not go after balls fizzing outside off, or moving away and tried to play only at balls on which I had full control.”One needs to have the right mindset. Initially, I did not go for the hooks and pulls and only when I was settled, I played those shots.”As the target drew near, he opened up and smashed Samuels for consecutive sixes over wide long-on. In company of Karun Nair, he helped India A reach the target in the 26th over.

Mark Pettini’s perfectly paced half-century helped Essex to top spot in the NatWest T20 Blast South Division and inflicted Somerset’s fifth defeat in eight matches.

Press Association27-Jun-2014
ScorecardMark Pettini spearheaded Essex’s run chase•Getty ImagesMark Pettini’s perfectly paced half-century helped Essex to top spot in the NatWest T20 Blast South Division and inflicted Somerset’s fifth defeat in eight matches.The opener contributed an unbeaten 60 to put his side well on course to overhaul their opponents’ modest 150 for 7 at Taunton when bad light intervened with Essex 106 for 2.After a short break, the visitors were given a revised target of 125 from 17 overs, which meant they needed 19 from 15 balls. Ravi Bopara hit the first of them for four on his way to 33 not out and Essex breezed home by eight wickets with an over to spare. Jesse Ryder hit 28 at the top of the innings.Legspinner Max Waller was Somerset’s best bowler, with figures of 1 for 22 from four overs. But their seamers erred on the short side as Pettini and Bopara hit five fours apiece and Ryder four fours and a six.With Hampshire losing to Surrey, victory was enough for Essex to overtake the previous leaders.Somerset’s below-par score was built around a second-wicket stand of 80 in 9.3 overs between in-form duo Craig Kieswetter and Peter Trego after Marcus Trescothick’s miserable T20 season continued when he top-edged a pull shot off Graham Napier and was caught at deep midwicket for 16.Kieswetter’s consistency as a run-maker in T20 is incredible. He has only had one score below 37 in his last 15 innings in the domestic competition spread over two seasons. His 40 in this game included two fours and two sixes, one of them a mighty blow over long-on off Bopara that sent the ball out of the ground.Trego was subdued by his standards, striking four fours before being run-out as he slipped when sent back by Alviro Petersen attempting a single to short fine-leg. Essex never allowed their opponents to break free of the early grip imposed by Napier and David Masters.Left-arm spinner Tim Phillips was the most economical bowler for the visitors, conceding only 24 from his four overs. Petersen did his best to bolster the total with 26 off 17 balls, but 150 did not look a particularly challenging score.After the game Essex head coach Paul Grayson said: “Our first target is a top-four finish in the group to reach the quarter-finals. If we can achieve that and push for the top two then great because home advantage and a quarter-final tie at Chelmsford would be very special.”Kieswetter said: “For some reason we are not coming up with the right formula for T20 cricket this season. All the necessary skills are in the squad, but we are not executing them consistently enough. I think the bowlers are doing a good job, but we are not giving them big enough targets to defend.”

The city of Indianapolis, Indiana has terminated its agreement to host the USA Cricket Association National Championships which were scheduled for August 21-24 in the brand new, $6 million World Sports Park facility

Peter Della Penna31-May-2014The city of Indianapolis, Indiana has terminated its agreement to host the relaunch of the USA Cricket Association National Championships which were due to be held from August 21-24 in the brand new, $6 million World Sports Park facility. Indianapolis Parks and Recreation director, John W Williams, sent a letter to USACA notifying them of the termination on Friday and a city official confirmed that the decision includes not just the 2014 championship but the entire three-year agreement which had been signed in September 2013 under former USACA chief executive Darren Beazley.In the letter, Williams cited a breakdown in communication with USACA following the announcement of Beazley’s resignation in March, a lack of information on qualifying events to determine the players and teams who would actually be participating, and an inability for USACA to work with the city to identify and secure sponsorships for the event as reasons for terminating the agreement. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s office stated in a press release that city officials had gone “months without adequate communication that was jeopardising the success of the tournament.”On Tuesday, USACA had announced the appointment of Sunil Kumar, president of the Northern California Cricket Association, as a project manager to take over Beazley’s role in relation to working with the city of Indianapolis to help coordinate logistics for the event. ESPNcricinfo spoke to Marc Lotter, Mayor Ballard’s director of communications, who said to his knowledge no one at the city or mayor’s office had received any communication of any kind from Kumar prior to Friday. Lotter said the city is still committed to helping develop cricket both locally and nationally, but hinted that they will wait until the battle between USACA and the American Cricket Federation is sorted before they commit to hosting any future events.”It’s been well documented that there’s a lot of organisational changes and things taking place at the national level,” Lotter said. “The city remains committed to working with the international body to help grow the sport of cricket in the United States and we believe we are well positioned to do so. Once the organisational changes and things that are taking place between the national and international bodies are all worked out, we’d be happy to entertain hosting a similar event.”I’m not speaking to a specific body or excluding any specific body. There are a lot of organisational changes that have been widely reported that are taking place within that organisation and its relationship to other bodies. Once all those things are worked out and the organisational changes have had time to take effect, then obviously the city would be open to working with any appropriate groups to restoring this tournament.”When asked about ticket sales at the event, Lotter said he could not provide concrete details, but admitted it had been difficult to market the event to fans and sponsors due to the lack of information provided by USACA as to who would be participating. However, a source involved with the event stated that since tickets originally went on sale in February, none had been sold.Richard J Kaplan, Mayor of Lauderhill, Florida, had told ESPNcricinfo in an interview last year that other cities in the USA looking to build stadium facilities for cricket should be wary of working with USACA following his own city’s experiences. Lauderhill’s cricket stadium opened in 2007 as part of the $70 million Central Broward Regional Park, but the field has rarely been utilised for cricket events. Lotter said that Ballard and the city of Indianapolis were aware of these issues, which is why the World Sports Park in Indianapolis was designed to be a multi-sports venue with no permanent seating structures.”We did see a lot of the media reports and the city did a lot of things differently,” Lotter said. “The city did not enter into its agreement to host these tournaments until Darren Beazley got on board and was making a lot of changes and bringing a lot of professional leadership to that organisation. As noted in that letter terminating that agreement, once Mr. Beazley left the organisation, then that communication stopped and we have taken the action we’ve taken today.”The USACA National Championships were scheduled to mark the grand opening of the park and Lotter says that currently nothing has been lined up as a replacement for those dates.USACA has yet to issue a formal response on their website regarding the termination and it is unknown if any contingency plans are in place to hold the event at an alternate location. ESPNcricinfo sought a comment from Sunil Kumar and first vice-president Michael Gale on Friday but calls and emails to both went unreturned. When ESPNcricinfo contacted USACA president Gladstone Dainty by phone to seek a response, he launched into a personal attack before hanging up.

After two days in the first Test South Africa were all-but out of the contest. After two days at St George’s Park, they have turned the tables to leave Australia under considerable pressure

The Report by Andrew McGlashan21-Feb-20140:00

‘Are South Africa the No. 1 team again?’

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfter two days in the first Test South Africa were all but out of the contest. After two days at St George’s Park, they have turned the tables to leave Australia under considerable pressure. Hundreds from AB de Villiers and JP Duminy lifted them to a strong total, but the most significant advances South Africa made came in the final session when they claimed four wickets including two in Wayne Parnell’s first over in Test cricket for four years.Australia’s dominance of their recent Tests has been almost absolute and worthy of much admiration, but this was a situation they had not been in for some time: replying to a healthy first-innings by the opposition. Australia had not conceded 400 in an innings since the Mohali Test last March – or spent as long in the field as the 150.4 overs here since Hyderabad, on the same tour – and throughout their run of six consecutive, hefty victories their top order has remained vulnerable.Once again they stumbled. Chris Rogers survived a review for lbw in Dale Steyn’s first over, but could not save himself with the DRS when Vernon Philander straightened one into his pads. However, it was Parnell’s introduction in the 10th over that really stung Australia. His first ball angled across Alex Doolan and took a thin edge to de Villiers; on a slow pitch, the first nick off a seamer to have carried behind the wicket in the match. Then, like London buses, there was another two balls later when Shaun Marsh lunged away from his body at a delivery shaping away from the left hander.Australia were 41 for 3, but David Warner, who had already leapt out of the blocks, and Michael Clarke responded with a flurry of boundaries. Clarke, though, was cut off for 19 when he drove early at Philander and gave a catch to short cover and, again, Australia were four down for under a hundred. They have regularly fought back from such positions, but the difference this time is that the opposition have runs on the board.AB de Villiers’ hundred helped put South Africa in a strong position at the end of the second day•Getty ImagesAnd it could have been ever better for South Africa. Morne Morkel bowled a hostile spell, extracting more bounce from the pitch than any other quick, and produced a delivery which climbed at Warner when he had 43. It took the shoulder of the bat, flying through to de Villiers, but the keeper was stood closer to compensate for the low bounce and the ball burst through the gloves above his head. As so often, it was edge-of-the-seat batting from Warner as he moved to a 55-ball half-century. Then to cap a dramatic session, Nathan Lyon survived an edge down the leg side when Graeme Smith was not convinced to review before being dropped by Duminy in the gully in the final over of the day.When South Africa resumed on 214 for 5, the match was still in Australia’s favour after a series of poor shots from the middle order on day one. The hosts desperately needed their last pair of specialist batsmen to form a substantial stand. That is exactly what they delivered as de Villiers and Duminy added 149 for the sixth wicket.De Villiers already had a world record to his name when he resumed on 51 having made it 12 consecutive Tests with at least a half-century and he converted that into his 19th Test hundred from 202 deliveries as he countered a slow pitch with elegant and, at times, powerful strokeplay.While de Villiers stood out, his class and brilliance is in no doubt. But he needed some support, which was horribly lacking at Centurion Park. Duminy’s innings was equally important from both a personal and team perspective. He is battling to cement a permanent spot in the side and came in for significant criticism for his first-innings shot at Centurion when he lofted Lyon to mid-off.He dominated the strike in the early overs the day, when play began 20 minutes early due the bad light yesterday, and gave South Africa a punchy start with four boundaries in the first four overs. Three of those came in one Mitchell Johnson over when he clipped two deliveries off his pads then pulled a third through midwicket. By Australia’s recent high standards, their use of the new ball, which they took when play began, was disappointing. It was the confidence boost Duminy and South Africa needed.For the first time in seven innings Duminy passed fifty and in the knowledge that the ball would not be rearing at his throat – even from Johnson – had a far more confident presence at the crease. He employed the sweep regularly against Lyon (as did de Villiers) and was quick onto any error in length as fatigue started to play a part, causing Lyon to offer up the occasional short delivery. It was a sweep, in front of square, that raised his hundred, which Duminy greeted with understated but satisfied acknowledgement.The contest between de Villiers and Lyon had been fascinating. Back-to-back boundaries, the first a sweep and the second a back-foot drive, showed what makes him a great batsman with impeccable judgement of length and crisp footwork and brought up three figures with another crisp sweep shot. Clarke had taken innovation to a new level in his attempt to conjure a breakthrough. At one stage he had four catchers in the midwicket area, but de Villiers responded in the most brilliant and audacious fashion when he flicked Siddle over the leg side for six.South Africa may have had designs of accelerating when de Villiers pushed a return catch back to Lyon, who took it well diving to his right. During the morning session, largely due to de Villiers, runs came at more than three an over which was significantly above what had been achieved before. However, his departure seven overs into the afternoon slowed South Africa’s progress with Duminy working hard to for his own three-figure score and Clarke, while never abandoning his search for wickets, setting fields to dry up runs.Philander pottered around for 37 deliveries over six runs before driving a low return catch to Clarke who put his back through a rare bowl among a host of afternoon bowling changes and the final four wickets fell for 45 either side of tea. That, though, ensured South Africa did not get drawn into wasting time for a few extra runs; the value of the damage they were then able to do to Australia was worth much more.

Trevor Bayliss has said Chris Lynn’s performance with the bat and in the field against Royal Challengers Bangalore was an extension of his good form in the Big Bash League

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2014Kolkata Knight Riders coach Trevor Bayliss has said Chris Lynn’s performance with the bat and in the field against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Sharjah on Thursday night was an extension of his good form in the Big Bash League. Lynn scored 45 off 31 balls for Knight Riders and then took a blinder in the outfield in the final over to get rid of AB de Villiers when Royal Challengers needed six off the last three balls.Lynn, the right-handed batsman, scored 198 runs in eight games with two fifties for Brisbane Heat in the BBL. Lynn, who was only playing his second IPL game, hit three sixes and Bayliss said he was capable of clearing the big boundaries.”What you saw tonight was only a little bit of what he produced in the BBL. He had an unbelievable season with Heat this year,” Bayliss said. “Obviously, different wickets to what he plays at home, some of the balls were keeping low and some didn’t come on like in his home ground at the Gabba. For a little fellow he has got a power game. He hits the ball as big as anyone that I have seen and as we have also seen, a fantastic fielder as well.”Lynn was fielding at deep midwicket when de Villiers looked to slog Vinay Kumar over the rope. Lynn, however, slipped and fell before the ball got to him but had the presence of mind to gather himself quickly, arch backwards and catch the ball behind his head while still within the boundary. His acrobatics had all but sealed the game as Royal Challengers could only manage three off the next two balls and lost the game.”I felt it was a well connected shot and it was a tough catch to take at that moment,” Lynn told . “I would have taken it comfortably had I stayed on my feet, I slipped a bit, but I clutched on to it at the last moment. I tried my best not to touch the boundary ropes and I am happy I could catch that one.”Vinay held his nerve in the death overs, conceding only seven runs in the 18th over and six in the final over with nine required, as Royal Challengers still looked the favourites to win, with plenty of wickets in hand. Vinay said he enjoyed bowling at the death and said he would take a lot of confidence from this performance.”I love to bowl in the end overs. Last season as well I had defended 10 runs against Mumbai Indians,” Vinay said. “These kind of matches make you a better bowler. When I face these situations when playing for India, I won’t feel under so much pressure because I know that if I can do it in the IPL, I can do it for the Indian team as well.”I had different plans for different batsmen. I knew if I bowled to Albie [Morkel] to his strengths, then he would hit me out of the park. I needed to bowl in the areas that would make it difficult for him to hit. I varied my pace on the first ball to Morkel, then bowled at a good length to AB, and then bowled outside off to Morkel and got AB’s wicket off the next ball.”When asked about how the team managed to stay cool under pressure, Bayliss said the sessions with the explorer Mike Horn before the tournament had helped. “We had Mike Horn with us before the competition started and one of the things he spoke about was to always stay in the competition and always give yourself a chance,” Bayliss said. “To be honest, we have spoken about that in the last couple of years and I thought we did that well today.”

Matt Walker, the batsman who enjoyed a 19-year career in county cricket, is returning to his old club Kent as part of their new coaching setup for 2014.

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2014Matt Walker, the batsman who enjoyed a 19-year career in county cricket, is returning to his old club Kent as part of their new coaching setup for 2014.Walker, who scored over 12,000 first-class runs, returns to Canterbury to become assistant coach under Jimmy Adams, leaving Essex where he held the same role for the past three seasons having finished his playing days at Chelmsford.The change comes following a very disappointing 2013 for Kent where they failed to challenge in all three competitions. Walker is one of a number of new personnel at Kent with Dan George stepping up to become first team physiotherapist.Other changes see Michael Najdan appointed analyst and Jon Fortescue, who previously worked with Surrey, Hampshire and Warwickshire, becoming the club’s strength and conditioning coach.”I am delighted to be returning to my roots,” Walker said. “I cannot wait to get back to Kent and get started in helping the club deliver some on field success. A return to my home club is something I hoped for and I aim to help a talented group of players deliver what they are capable of.”I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at Essex. When I came as a player, everyone has made me feel extremely welcome, for which I’m grateful. I would especially like to thank Paul Grayson for giving me the opportunity as a player and obviously as a coach. He put his faith in me as a coach and I am eternally grateful for that opportunity.”Grayson expressed his disappointment at seeing Walker move on: “It is hugely disappointing to lose Matt as he is an excellent coach. He is a super bloke and we’ve enjoyed him as both a player and also coach.”We completely understand his reasons for going. He’s going to leave us with a lot of memories and will be missed but we wish him all the best in his new career.”Walker will be reunited with Essex when they travel to Canterbury for a County Championship match on Saturday, June 7.

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.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier Division matches that took place in the tournament’s penultimate day

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2013Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club continued their remarkable winning streak, beating Prime Bank by five wickets in Savar. The unfashionable club from Dhaka’s south has now defeated three big names, having slayed Abahani and Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in their last two matches.Offspinners Tillakaratne Sampath and Sohag Gazi made the difference by picking three wickets each. Sampath, Dilshan’s younger brother, removed countrymen Lahiru Thirimanne and Jeevan Mendis to trigger a middle-order collapse. Prime Bank never recovered from losing those quick wickets, getting bowled out for 182 in 48.5 overs.Saikat Ali and Thirimanne scored half-centuries but Prime Doleshwar kept it tight even when Taibur Rahman added 44 for the seventh wicket with Fariduddin.Prime Doleshwar’s reply didn’t start well, losing two wickets at 13, but their Sri Lankan pair of Roshen Silva and Sampath added 89 runs for the fifth wicket to get them very close to the winning score. Silva was unbeaten on 63 off 105 balls with four fours and two sixes.Prime Bank now have two wins and two losses, while Prime Doleshwar lead the table with three wins and a better run-rate than Mohammedan Sporting Club who have also won three games.Scott Styris’ first List A hundred in more than two years helped Gazi Tank to a five-wicket win over Cricket Coaching School at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.The former New Zealand batsman made 102 off 119 balls with nine fours and a six, playing the anchor role in a tricky chase of 256. He walked in at the sixth over with his side two down, but soon turned things around with Imrul Kayes. The pair added 122 runs for the third wicket with Imrul hitting his first fifty of the league.Raqibul Hasan complemented the pair, and continued to milk the CCS bowlers after both Styris and Imrul got out. He remained unbeaten on 58, as Gazi Tank completed the win in the final over.Earlier, the CCS batsman continued their hot-and-cold performance as they put up 255 for 7. They have made two scores of below 100, including being bowled out for 35 in their first game, and also scored 200-plus twice in their four matches.Salman Hossain and Gihan Rupasinghe made fifties, the pair also adding 82 for the fourth wicket which gave the lower order the impetus to push the total past the 200-run mark.A pair of 70s from Anamul Haque and Shalika Karunanayake helped set up Victoria Sporting Club’s second win in the Dhaka Premier League. They beat Kalabagan Krira Chakra by 85 runs in Fatullah after they posted 231 in 48.4 overs.Anamul and Karunanayake added 88 runs for the third wicket after they were 44 for 2 in the 13th over. It was a timely knock for Anamul who is among a few vying for a top-order place in the Bangladesh Test for the upcoming home series against New Zealand. His 70 came off 84 balls with three sixes and three fours respectively. Karunanayake was sixth out in the 42nd over, facing 79 balls with four fours and three sixes.Kalabagan’s chase started cautiously but they soon suffered a middle-order collapse, in which they plummeted from 80 for 2 to 93 for 6. Tasamul Haque made 34, and that was the only score of note as they suffered their third defeat in four games.Nasir Hossain and Enamul Haque took three wickets each for Victoria, while Monir Hossain and Milinda Siriwardena got two each.