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MCC have departed for their seven-match tour of the USA.

Cricinfo staff15-Mar-2010MCC have departed for their seven-match tour of the USA. The tour starts in California on March 17 before heading east to Florida, culminating in two matches at Central Broward – the new national cricket stadium – against USA and a West Indies XI.The 16-man squad is captained by Michael Foster, the former Australia Under-19 batsman, and includes Matthew Friedlander, who has played for both Northamptonshire in England and Boland in South Africa, and actor Torquil Deacon.MCC’s first match is against the Southern Californian Cricket Association (SCCA) at Woodley CC in Los Angeles. They play two more games at Woodley – against the South West Region of the SCCA, and the Hollywood All-Stars on March 19 and 20 – before moving on to San Jose to play the North West Region and North West Region Under-19s. They then travel to Cupertino, just outside San Jose, to run a coaching session, before flying east to Miami.”North America has great cricket history – USA and Canada played the first ever international match back in the 1840s – and we hope it’s got a bright future too,” said John Stephenson, MCC’s head of cricket. “MCC believes the USA is a massive potential growth area for the game and we’re delighted to do our part to encourage interest in California and Florida.”MCC teams have been regular visitors to the USA, having toured five times in the past twenty years, most recently in 2004.

Abhimanyu Easwaran has been named captain, replacing Anustup Majumdar

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2025Mohammed Shami has been named in a strong Bengal squad for the start of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season. Shami will be partnered by Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar and Ishan Porel in the pace department, with the squad captained by opener Abhimanyu Easwaran.Bengal had earlier named Anustup Majumdar as captain. But the late change is understood to have been made in consultation with Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain who recently took charge as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).Shami hasn’t played for India since featuring in the Champions Trophy in early March. Asked of his omission from the squad for the West Indies Tests, chief selector Ajit Agarkar had highlighted Shami’s lack of match time as one of the reasons.Related

• Suryavanshi, still only 14, named Bihar Ranji Trophy vice-captain

• Akash Deep: I was wondering 'how do I survive five Tests?'

So far, since the end of IPL 2025 in June, Shami has featured in just one first-class game, for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. In that game, he sent down 34 overs across the two innings, picking up one wicket. In the second innings of that match, Shami didn’t bowl much on the final day in a game East Zone lost after conceding a big first-innings lead.The Ranji season is also an opportunity for Akash Deep and Mukesh to get back on the Test selection radar ahead of the South Africa series starting November 14.Akash Deep was part of the England tour in the summer, where he featured in three of the five Tests and starred with a ten-wicket haul in India’s win in Birmingham. However, since his return from England, Akash Deep has had to undergo rehab for a back injury that ruled him out of the Duleep Trophy. He has since passed a fitness test but was not picked in the squad for the ongoing series against West Indies.Mukesh was part of the India A tour of England in the summer, where he picked up three wickets in his only outing. He bowled in just one innings in the Duleep Trophy opener for East Zone before being examined for a hamstring injury. He has since cleared his fitness tests at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.Bengal open their campaign against Uttarakhand at Eden Gardens on October 15. They are placed in Group C, with Assam, Services, Tripura, Railways, Haryana and Gujarat as the other teams.

She will be replaced by wicketkeeper-batter Dilara Akter for the three-match series

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2024Fargana Hoque has been left out from Bangladesh’s T20I squad for the three-match series against Australia. Fargana was among three changes from the ODI series which the visitors won 3-0 quite convincingly.Fargana had scores of 0, 7 and 5 in the three ODIs although the rest of the Bangladesh team couldn’t even cross 100 runs in any of the matches.Dilara Akter has replaced Fargana while Fariha Trisna and Shorifa Khatun have come in place of Disha Biswas and Nishita Akter. All three of those replacements have some T20I experience.”Trisna got the nod ahead of Disha as she is a left-arm pacer and adds variety to the bowling,” chief selector Sajjad Ahmed said. “Dola has been picked over Fargana. She is a wicketkeeper-batter who we believe, has the talent to succeed in the T20 format. Shorifa Khatun is an allrounder who bowls off-spin and bats in the late order. She can also develop into a T20 specialist.”The three T20Is will also be held at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on March 31 and April 2 and 4. All three matches will start at 12:00pm local time.Bangladesh T20I squad: Nigar Sultana Joty (capt), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Sobhana Mostary, Sumaya Akter, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Rabeya, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Farzana Akter Lisa, Fariha Islam Trisna, Shorifa Khatun, Dilara Akter Dola.

Cricket Australia XI were bowled out for 226 despite Kellaway’s ton

AAP10-Dec-2022Two of the brightest young stars on either side had productive days with South Africa quick Gerald Coetzee claiming a hat-trick and Cricket Australia XI batter Campbell Kellaway scoring a century in the four-day clash at Allan Border Field.The 22-year-old Coetzee has genuine speed and had Jordan Buckingham caught in the gully and then dismissed Chris Tremain and Liam Hatcher for ducks.In shattering Hatcher’s stumps he also ensured CA XI were bowled out for 226 in reply to South Africa’s first innings of 347.Unbeaten on 105 for the CA XI was former Australian Under-19s representative Kellaway. The stylish 20-year-old left-hander made his first-class debut for Victoria last month and came to the crease at 4 for 24 with the CA XI under assault from Lungi Ngidi.Jake Doran (78) and Kellaway added 143 for the fifth wicket and went after Coetzee initially in a superb counter-attacking partnership. Kellaway was strong all around the ground and showcased power, touch and concentration in his innings.Ngidi took his early wickets in five fiery and fast overs. He dismissed three of the top four Sheffield Shield run-scorers this season, with Tim Ward caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne with the first ball of his opening spell before he accounted for Sam Whiteman and captain Peter Handscomb.South Africa earlier resumed at 335 for 7 but soon lost Kagiso Rabada and Verreynne. Fast bowler Marco Jansen was then dismissed for a duck.Middle-order batter Temba Bavuma did not feature in the first innings as he is nursing an elbow injury. Captain Dean Elgar, who top-scored with 109 on day one, said after the close of play on Friday he hoped Bavuma would recover and get some valuable time in the middle before the first Test against Australia which starts on December 17 at the Gabba.

Eve Jones top-scored for the home side but a total of 128 was never quite enough

Andrew Miller23-Jul-2021London Spirit overcame a late clatter of wickets to scramble to a three-wicket win with four balls to spare at Edgbaston, as a crowd of 6,317 – a record for a domestic women’s game outside of London in the professional era – were treated to another tense encounter in which Birmingham Phoenix did their utmost to defend a sub-par total of 128.In the end, they fell short, but not before giving their visitors an almighty scare – primarily through the efforts of Emily Arlott, whose two wickets in three balls were followed by a third in four moments later, as the well-set Deepti Sharma slapped an Erin Burns full-toss to deep midwicket, to reduce Spirit to a rocky 108 for 6, with exactly 20 from 20 required.That equation had been chipped down to six from seven by Amara Carr and Charlotte Dean, when Katie Mack swept round from deep midwicket with a bullet return to run out Dean as she raced back for the second. However, Danielle Gibson settled the nerves with a first-ball reverse-sweep to level the scores, and the game too one ball later, as Georgia Elwiss was picked off through backward square for Gibson’s matchwinning boundary.Dattani seizes her stage

Spirit had been streaking away with the game in the early exchanges of their chase, thanks largely to Naomi Dattani, an unheralded allrounder who seized an unlikely chance to set the tempo at the top of the order.Had Tammy Beaumont not been a surprise absentee – she is quarantining for Spirit’s first two games after being given permission to attend a family wedding last week – Dattani may not have played at all. Instead she romped to 34 from 19, outgunning her more vaunted opening partner Deandra Dottin in the process. Dottin made a run-a-ball 9 before falling to the up-and-coming speedster, Issy Wong, who pinned her on the crease for a plumb lbw.Devious Davies does for Verma

After winning the toss and bowling, London Spirit’s early objective was a simple one – get rid of Shafali Verma as soon as feasibly possible. A brace of fours in Dattani’s opening spell served early warning of her power and poise, even as Dottin prised an early opening by luring Mack in a cramped hack at a surprise full toss.But Freya Davies, whose lanky, languid action so had so nearly speared a first-ball yorker into Mack’s off stump, returned for a second set with a stupendous piece of trickery. An outstanding slower ball floated down through Verma’s advances to slap her leg stump and send her on her way for a run-a-ball 13, and when the captain, Heather Knight, popped up with a golden-arm first delivery that Arlott could only flash to short cover, Phoenix’s top order were in ashes.The Jones and Jones show

And yet, from 37 for 3 after 36 balls, Phoenix produced an admirable attempt to live up to their own name, as the Joneses – Eve and Amy – came together in a stand of 64 from the next 31.Complementing one another with their left-and-right combination, just as surely as they confounded Spirit’s lines of attack, the pair took it in turns to propel the score forward – 14 fours and a six between them, the latter a fumble over the rope at square leg as Davies failed to cling on to a crashing pull from Amy Jones.The return of Dean brought an end to their stand, as Amy gave herself room for a wipe over the off-side and had her stumps rearranged, while Eve missed out on a well-deserved fifty when she over-reached on a wide one from Dottin and toe-ended a looping chance to short cover.

Rory Burns scores 90 as England declare before taking two quick wickets before close

The Report by Valkerie Baynes26-Jul-2020You know those times – hopefully they’re rare – when someone says or does something to offend you and you walk away, seething and speechless. You play it over in your mind and then, much later, you think of the perfect comeback: “I should have said this. If only I’d said that. I wish I’d shown ’em.”Stuart Broad had the chance few of us get to set that person we think has wronged us straight and he took it, more than once.Left out of the England side for the first Test, won by West Indies at the Ageas Bowl, Broad made it clear in an interview during the game that he wasn’t happy about it. It probably wasn’t to everyone’s liking, almost certainly not the selectors, but it was decent PR for Broad – he was hungry, driven and eloquent. But he wasn’t done there.”And another thing…” Broad may as well have said has he backed up words with action, his new-ball burst of 3 for 1 from 14 balls helping set up England’s victory in the second Test.”And another thing…” Broad may as well have said as he whacked West Indies’ bowlers round Emirates Old Trafford en route to the equal third-fastest fifty in England Test history on the second day of the deciding match of the series. His 62 from 45 balls batting at No. 9 lifted England’s first-innings total to 369 after a mini-collapse on the second morning had left the hosts 280 for 8.”And another thing…” Broad only went and took 6 for 31 to help bowl West Indies out for 197 in reply before lunch on Sunday, still 172 runs adrift.England’s batsmen rallied round their mate to ensure Broad’s retorts were rammed home, Rory Burns, Joe Root and Dom Sibley all adding their own “take thats” as they each passed 50 in guiding their side to a 398-run lead.Burns fell short of a hundred, caught sweeping for 90 to go with his first-innings 57, before England declared their second innings at 226 for 2. Burns shared a 114-run partnership with Sibley – the first for England’s openers at home since 2016 – and then another 112 with Root, who remained not out after an momentum-stealing knock of 68 off 56 balls.With England needing to win the match to reclaim the Wisden Trophy, their tactics were in part dictated by a poor forecast for Monday.It meant West Indies had to face six overs before the close, and of course it was Broad who helped England make strides towards their goal of taking ten wickets. He had opener John Campbell caught by Root at first slip for a third-ball duck and then removed nightwatchman Kemar Roach, caught behind, to move to 499 Test wickets before stumps.Broad began the day with two wickets already, having combined well with James Anderson in favourable conditions the previous evening. But that was just the precursor to Broad’s spell of 4 for 14 from four overs which ended West Indies’ first innings.Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer opened the bowling on the third morning with Jason Holder not out 24 and Shane Dowrich on 10, their side still 33 runs from saving the follow-on.The batsmen successfully navigated a spell of short-pitched bowling and secured their first target. Dowrich did well to see off the barrage, given the fact England’s bowlers have targeted him with the short ball in this series.But when Broad came on, he struck with his third ball, removing the dangerous Holder four runs shy of his half-century with a lovely length ball that seamed in and struck the knee-roll, breaking up a partnership worth 68.Woakes thought he had Holder out for 38 four overs earlier to a brilliant diving catch by Ollie Pope at midwicket, until it was revealed he had overstepped for only the second time in his 35-Test career.Holder’s eventual dismissal, just after he had reached the milestone of 2000 Test runs, left his side exposed, and Broad swooped.In his third over of the day, Broad had Rahkeem Cornwall out lbw for 10 and, three balls later, he drew Roach forward with a ball that nipped away off the seam, found an edge and was swallowed by Root at slip to claim his five-wicket haul.”And another thing…” Broad wasn’t done. He then claimed last man out Dowrich, who top-edged a pull to mid-on, to give Broad figures of 6 for 31 from 14 overs. Broad is now the leading wicket-taker for the series with 14, despite missing that first Test.England’s second innings started terribly for West indies when Holder had to leave the field after Burns edged a Roach delivery in his direction at second slip and the ball bounced awkwardly into his left thumb.No sooner had Holder returned to the field after lunch, with his thumb heavily strapped, than wicketkeeper Dowrich was off nursing a swollen lip after Burns left a Shannon Gabriel short ball which deceived the keeper with some late swing, hit the top of his glove and smacked into his face.A bleeding Dowrich spent the rest of the day in the changing rooms – he was seen shortly after the incident holding a small piece of ice to his lip – as he was replaced initially by Shai Hope before substitute Joshua Da Silva donned his gear and took over, making his first appearance of the series.In the meantime, Burns and Sibley set about extending the England lead, their union eventually broken by Holder when he had Sibley out lbw for 56, which included seven fours.As soon as Burns was out, Root joined him on the walk back to the changing rooms, where Broad was preparing to return in full flight.

Mumbai did end Chennai Super Kings’ run of wins, but they are missing Lasith Malinga, while Yuvraj Singh’s form is a worry

The Preview by Hemant Brar05-Apr-20194:43

Hodge: Worth giving Bumrah the new ball against Warner-Bairstow

Big picture

Like so often in the recent past, Sunrisers Hyderabad have started the IPL 2019 season as tournament favourites must; they did lose their first match, away against Kolkata Knight Riders, but have won their next three games – two of them at home – comprehensively.But unlike in previous years, this time it’s their batting – specifically the opening pair of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow – that has been the main reason for their success. The two have so far added 118, 110, 185 and 64 for the first wicket, which has firstly not left much for the middle-order batsmen to do and, at the same time, made up for the middle order’s failures. Key fact: Sunrisers are yet to lose a wicket in the Powerplay this season.Their bowling did seem a bit lacklustre in the first two games, but Mohammad Nabi’s inclusion has given it a lift. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, too, ended a poor, wicketless run with 2 for 27 against Delhi Capitals in the last game.

Form guide (most recent matches first)

Sunrisers: Beat Capitals by five wickets, beat Royal Challengers by 118 runs, beat Royals by five wickets, lost to Knight Riders by six wickets
Mumbai: Beat Super Kings by 37 runs, lost to Kings XI by eight wickets, beat Royal Challengers by six runs, lost to Capitals by 37 runs

Come Saturday, Sunrisers will be facing an upbeat Mumbai Indians, who ended Chennai Super Kings’ winning streak with a 37-run win. While two wins and two losses in the first four matches of the season would be an average start for a team, for Mumbai, the perennial slow starters, it might be like a kick-start.However, with Lasith Malinga having left to play the domestic Super Four Provincial Limited Over Tournament in Sri Lanka, Mumbai will be forced to make changes to their winning combination.

In the news

Kane Williamson has missed three out of the four matches so far because of a niggle. In his absence, Nabi has picked up 4 for 11 against Royal Challengers Bangalore and 2 for 21 against Capitals. Not to forget his unbeaten nine-ball 17, which took Sunrisers over the line against Capitals. Will Sunrisers leave Nabi out if Williamson is fit in time for Saturday’s game?Within 12 hours of taking 3 for 34 against Super Kings in Mumbai, Malinga was leading Galle, where he took 7 for 49 against Kandy in a domestic one-day tournament. With the seamer likely to stay in Sri Lanka till the tournament ends, Mumbai will have to look for an alternative.

Previous meeting

The last time these two sides met, back in April 2018, Mumbai were bowled out for 87 in a chase of 119 as Siddarth Kaul picked up 3 for 23, while Rashid Khan and Basil Thampi chipped in with two wickets each.Rashid Khan and David Warner share a light moment•BCCI

Likely XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Vijay Shankar, 4 Yusuf Pathan, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (capt), 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Siddarth KaulMumbai Indians: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Yuvraj Singh/Ishan Kishan, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Jason Behrendorff, 9 Rahul Chahar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan

Strategy punt

• It could be an interesting battle between Mumbai’s top order and Sandeep Sharma. Rohit Sharma has managed just 21 off 28 balls against Sandeep in T20s, while getting out twice to him, and Suryakumar Yadav has managed 17 off 16 with Sandeep getting his wicket twice as well.
• After scoring a 35-ball 53 against Capitals and a 12-ball 23 against Royal Challengers, Yuvraj Singh has struggled. Against Kings XI Punjab, he consumed 22 balls for his 18, while in the last match against Super Kings, he was out for 4 off six balls. Mumbai may ponder replacing him with Ishan Kishan.

Stats that matter

• Manish Pandey’s average of 23.31 since IPL 2018 is the worst among those who have faced at least 250 balls. This IPL, he has scored 19 runs from three innings while being dismissed twice.
• Since IPL 2016, when Rohit has faced 20-plus balls, Mumbai have won 79% of the matches. Their win percentage drops to 38 when he is dismissed under 20 balls.
• Jason Behrendorff’s economy of 6.5 in all T20s since 2017 is the best for any Mumbai bowler who has bowled at least 40 overs.
• Hardik Pandya has scored only a run-a-ball 77 against legspinners since IPL 2017.

Scorchers went top after winning their sixth-straight game at the WACA, this time against third-placed Hurricanes – and Jofra Archer was exciting IPL observers once more

The Report by Geoff Lemon20-Jan-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOnce again, it was the Hobart Hurricanes in third position taking on the team in second. Once again, the team from Hobart couldn’t quite get over the line. Once again, their opponent went top of the table, and now all of Hurricanes’ hopes are pinned on winning their last game of the season against the Melbourne Stars.Perth Scorchers, meanwhile, have the chance of yet another home final after running down Hurricanes’ 167 with four balls to spare. Both sides stuttered at the halfway mark before finding a strong finish and ending up five wickets down. The Hurricanes total was built on the back of a fightback half-century from Simon Milenko, but Scorchers found a couple of fifties of their own from Cameron Bancroft and Ashton Turner to seal a close finish.Wade up your optionsIt hasn’t been the greatest season for Matthew Wade, dumped as wicketkeeper for Australia’s Test and ODI teams, struggling for Tasmania, and failing to set the BBL alight. But a new challenge arose because of Alex Doolan’s recent concussion, with Wade sent up to open the innings with D’Arcy Short.It wasn’t easy, with Mitchell Johnson fast and fiery from the get-go. Wade was nearly knocked over keeping out a yorker, while short balls trampolined to the keeper. Johnson conceded just three runs from the bat in his first over. But Wade did the damage against Joel Paris, slamming four balls to the fence and one over it for 22 from the second set of six.Paris got his man in the fourth over, but 31 from 16 was the fast start Hurricanes required. Short, the talk of the tournament, had only 6.Are you Agar jelly?What T20 side wouldn’t be jealous of having Ashton Agar? He’s a lock for the Australian T20 team, with national selectors bound to further raid Scorchers’ bowling stocks just before the Big Bash final. His economy rate of 5.51 per over puts him among Big Bash royalty.Agar kicked things off by catching Short at mid on before bowling the 7th over. His first eight deliveries were all to George Bailey, and cost one run. Four balls to Ben McDermott cost another single.Starting Agar’s third over, McDermott decided it had to go. Only problem was he missed the ball, giving up a stumping as it dropped shorter and spun past the edge. Then Agar came wide on the crease and angled in to bowl Dan Christian. Three overs, two wickets for five runs, and the Hurricanes were 4 for 69 from 11 overs.Gotta be made of MilenkoNo one could hit Agar, but Milenko got him in the 13th. No one could hit Johnson, but Milenko got him in the 15th. First a sweep, then a hook that went 100 metres, then a couple of sixes off Tim Bresnan. Bailey fell, Jofra Archer came to the crease, but Milenko kept going, pumping Johnson for a straight six that raised his fifty from 29 balls. The all-rounder finished unbeaten with 66 off 37, having masterminded 101 off the last 10 overs. Johnson’s 0 for 35 was his worst return in the BBL, and Hurricanes’ sub-par total had become 167, the exact average winning score when batting first in BBL07.Archer on target againAgainst the Strikers, Archer kept hitting the stumps, either with yorkers or run-out throws. This time he was zeroing in with the short ball to end the fifth over, a nasty bouncer that hit Michael Klinger’s grille and bounced back onto his stumps.Later, in the 16th, Archer produced a frankly absurd piece of fielding, charging around at long-on, picking up cleanly, and throwing down the stumps at the striker’s end of the pitch with a direct hit as Adam Voges tried to complete a second run. Bullseye.Bancroft Turner OverdriveIt wasn’t quite enough, though. With Sam Whiteman superbly caught Short in the first over, and Christian bowling Hilton Cartwright in the 10th, it was 2 for 76, advantage Hurricanes. But Bancroft and Turner put on 38 together before Australia’s new Test opener was caught behind for 54 in the 14th over. At that stage the run rate was 8.31, the required rate 8.59. It was set up beautifully for Turner, one of the more destructive batsmen in the competition.Hobart stayed in it until there were eight balls to go. Christian had bowled a suffocating line and length, aiming at the batsmen’s heels and giving up only singles, but eventually Turner was able to dig him out, first for a four that hit the long-on gap, then for a six. Archer bowled the last, but with only five runs to defend, the ask was too much even for the man with the golden arm.

Stuart Broad has not given up hope of playing in the third Test in Mohali despite suffering an injury to the tendons in his right foot in Visakhapatnam

George Dobell in Visakhapatnam20-Nov-2016Stuart Broad has not given up hope of playing in the third Test in Mohali despite suffering an injury to the tendons in his right foot in Visakhapatnam. The England seamer revealed that he will wear a protective “moon” boot to try and aid his recovery, with four days between the second and third Tests.Broad sustained the injury diving in the field in the opening moments of the match but still produced an impressive performance. He claimed four wickets in India’s second innings and then called upon England to “do something special” on the last day to try and salvage the second Test.”It’s been a pretty sore Test,” Broad said of his injury. “I dived for the ball and my toe slipped the wrong way and I’ve done some damage to my tendon, which has been a bit awkward. If you do that in the second over of a Test, you’ve only got one option and that’s to keep playing or you stuff the team a little bit.”There are plans is to get a moon boot on at the end of this game for a few days to try to offload the tendon. We’ve about 17 days before the fourth Test in Mumbai, which is quite a long time. But it’s less for the third Test in Mohali.”It’s annoying to miss any Test and I don’t know that I will miss it yet. But hopefully I’ll definitely be fit for Mumbai.”England could go to Mohali 1-0 down after being challenged to survive for a minimum of 150 overs if they were to save the match – which, on a deteriorating wicket, seemed an improbable scenario. But, having reached stumps on day four for the loss of only two wickets, Broad said the whole side had taken encouragement from the performance of their opening batsmen and still felt the draw was achievable.”Everyone believes it can be done,” Broad said. “When you watch the way we batted this evening: 60 overs for two wickets; we’ve only got another 90 to go. It shows you can bat on that pitch if you apply yourself.”If two or three batsmen get stuck in like the openers did today, we will save the Test. That’s quite exciting. You’ve a chance of doing something – I won’t say heroic, but doing something quite special. A bit different. It might not be 100 off 150 balls, but it might be 20 of 150 balls that helps your team get in a great position.”We’ve got the characters, the players and the depth of batting to do it. The key is breaking it down into small partnerships: whether it’s 15 minutes, whether it’s 15 balls, or five runs, these sort of things slow the game down for you so it doesn’t feel as if you’re climbing up a mountain.”England’s hopes took a substantial blow when Alastair Cook was trapped leg before to the last delivery of the day. But his partnership with Haseeb Hameed had defied India for 50 overs and, according to Broad, shown the rest of the team what was expected of them on the final day.”It’s always disappointing when you lose a wicket in the final over,” Broad said. “Especially someone as dogged and strong as Cook. But we batted 60 overs for two wickets. That gives us a lot of encouragement. We’ve still got wickets and a lot of batting to come in the changing room.”The way Cook goes about it… the calmness he shows. The courage he shows. He’s set a precedent, if that’s the word. You have to follow his lead.”Broad was equally effusive in praise of Hameed, who endured a testing spell of short-pitched bowling and was finally dismissed by an unplayable delivery that scuttled along the pitch.”He played a tough innings,” Broad said. “It reminded me of the Mike Atherton knock at Trent Bridge in 1998 when Allan Donald was charging in at him. Haseeb was hit first ball, which damaged his hand, but he didn’t show anything and calmly went about his business. He showed a huge amount of courage and didn’t let a bit of indifferent bounce change his movements.”He looks made for Test cricket. As a bowler in his team, he is an enjoyable man to see walk out to bat because you know he has a calm head on his shoulders. He just wants to bat for his team. Today runs weren’t on his agenda. He wanted to bat time to give England a chance to save this Test. It took a beauty of a ball to get rid of him. Not many batsmen are going to hit that, are they?”England’s openers kept India at bay for more than 50 overs•AFP

Despite England’s unpromising match position, Broad felt the side could take “huge credit” from their fightback. After a poor session towards the end of day two, he suggested England had shown character.”We had a bad hour-and-a-half at the end of day two,” Broad said. “But since then we’ve shown a lot of character. To still be in this Test going into day five from the position we were in at the end of day two is a huge credit to us.”Even today, turning up to the ground 300 behind, it is very easy to throw the towel in. But we put a lot of pressure on India. We took early wickets. We didn’t let India control the scoring rate and didn’t let them declare. And that led us into a pretty solid batting display giving us a hope tomorrow.”A lot of Tests have been saved with teams going into the last day two wickets down. And that’s got to be out aim. In Auckland in 2013 we went into the last day with four wickets down and saved the game.”We’re very happy with today. We’ve given ourselves a great chance and if we can keep things quiet for the first 90 minutes, the pressure will only grow on the Indian bowlers.”Despite Broad’s injury, he delivered an impressive eight-over spell on the fourth day and claimed his best figures in a Test in India.”It felt like a decent time to bowl,” he said. “There was a little bit of indifferent bounce and reverse swing. It was nice to play on a pitch that was worn and there was a bit of variable bounce so I was able to use the legcutter a bit more which makes the reversing ball a bit more dangerous.”The batsman is looking for the cutter and then you can wrap them on the pad with a quicker inswinger. Zaheer Khan was very good at bowling off-pace and would then surprise you with a really quick inswinger. Jimmy Anderson and I talked about trying to get batsmen into a routine of facing a slower pace and then hitting them with a quicker ball coming into the stumps. He dismissed Pujara that way.”

George Worker’s all-round performance powered Central Districts to a four-wicket victory in a low-scoring game against Otago in New Plymouth

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2015George Worker’s all-round performance powered Central Districts to a four-wicket victory in a low-scoring game against Otago in New Plymouth. Worker’s 5 for 10 in four overs triggered Otago’s middle-order collapse, and his 26-ball 42 in the chase helped Central Districts achieve a target of 142 with nine balls to spare.Put in to bat first, Otago got off to a strong start with a 58-run partnership between openers Anaru Kitchen and Neil Broom. However, Worker’s left-arm spin cut through Otago’s top and middle-order, reducing them from 58 for 0 in the ninth over to 90 for 5 by the 15th over. Worker struck in each of his four overs and took two wickets in the space of four balls in the 13th over. Broom, however, held steady and it was his unbeaten knock of 70 off 49 deliveries that eventually lifted Otago to a score of 141 for 8.Worker shared a vital 47-run partnership with Will Young for the second wicket. By the time Worker was dismissed by Nathan McCullum in the seventh over, he had scored 42 of the side’s total of 50 runs and Central Districts stuttered again when McCullum dismissed Young in the same over. A 50-run partnership between captain Kruger Van Wyk and Dane Cleaver then revived the chase. Otago struck once again with quick wickets but an unbeaten 32-run partnership between Josh Clarkson and Marty Kain for the seventh wicket eased Central Districts to their first win in the tournament.