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Gary Ballance led the way for Yorkshire with a dazzling career-best one-day score of 139 in their 32-run win over Unicorns at Headingley.

13-Aug-2013
ScorecardGary Ballance smashed 139 in 113 balls•Getty Images

Gary Ballance led the way for Yorkshire with a dazzling career-best one-day score of 139 in their 32-run win over Unicorns at Headingley.It was just the sort of warm-up that Ballance wanted ahead of England Lions’ two-day encounter against the Australians starting on Friday at Northampton, and his two other county colleagues in the national side also enjoyed an outstanding match.Alex Lees scored a faultless 63 off 74 balls with six boundaries and put on 134 in 23 overs with Ballance, who was later joined in a frenzied stand of 76 in only 35 balls by Liam Plunkett, the allrounder striking 25 not out off 16 balls and going on to take a couple of wickets..But the star of the batting show was undoubtedly Ballance in making Yorkshire’s only century in the competition so far this season, his runs coming off 113 deliveries with 15 fours and three sixes, but off-spinner Jack Leaning hogged the limelight later on with an astonishing return of 5 for 22 off four overs.Unicorns, who had a worthy century-maker of their own in Matt Lineker, were set 267 to win the Group C clash, but were eventually out for 234 in 38.2 overs.Yorkshire made a poor start with captain Andrew Gale pushing forward to Dominic Reed in the third over and caught at second slip by Lineker. It became 16 for 2 in the following over as Dan Hodgson hung out his bat at Chris Skidmore and was held at first slip by Keith Parsons.Lees and Ballance soon mastered the situation and began to score freely although Lees had a fortunate moment when he narrowly avoided disturbing the bails while trying to prevent a ball from legspinner Josh Poysdon rebounding into his stumps. Both batsmen reached their half-centuries in the same over from Garry Park that the century partnership was raised, Lees off 56 balls with five fours and Ballance off 52 deliveries with seven boundaries.Park eventually made the breakthrough by trapping Lees lbw as he attempted to reverse sweep a ball which was too full and some of the rhythm went out of the batting for a few overs, Adam Lyth being bowled by Park when aiming through midwicket and Jack Leaning falling to Aneurin Norman.That made it 185 for 5 in the 34th over but Ballance and Plunkett suddenly unleashed a torrent of strokes which kept the scoreboard constantly on the move, Reed bearing the brunt of an assault from Ballance which saw him concede 17 off 1 over and 24 off his next, two of Ballance’s shots clearing the rope in between him galloping to his century off 98 balls with 10 fours and a six.During this assault, the unfortunate Reed saw Ballance dropped off a skier to Luke Beaven at square leg soon after completing three figures. Ballance’s run spree continued until the last over of the innings when he went for another big hit, this time off Beaven, and was caught in front of the football stand by Park.Yorkshire’s 266 for 6, their highest score of the season, was always going to prove challenging for Unicorns but they went about their task with gusto and kept themselves up with the required rate.
Tom Lancefield and Lineker, who had a first-class season with Derbyshire in 2011, put on 77 in 14 overs for the first wicket before Lancefield slashed at Plunkett and was caught behind for 39.While the stylish Lineker was still there Unicorns were always in with a chance and he reached his 50 off 56 balls with five fours. At the 30-over stage they were 176 for 4 compared to Yorkshire’s 169 for 3, but Lewis Hill was caught hitting out at Plunkett and there was relief in the home camp when Lineker tried to sweep the offspin of Leaning and was lbw for 107 from 105 balls with nine fours and a six.Leaning also got rid of the dangerous Parsons and was far from finished because in the 38th over, with 38 wanted, he bowled Beaven and had both Norman and Reed caught to finish with 5 for 22, Yorkshire’s best figures of the season.

Andre Russell, the West Indies quick, has said opening the bowling for his team suits him

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2012Andre Russell, the West Indies quick, has said opening the bowling for his team suits him. Russell set up West Indies’ huge win in the first ODI against New Zealand in Kingston, striking with his first ball and carving up the visitors’ top order with a three-wicket opening spell.”I am very comfortable using the new ball,” Russell said after the match. “I look forward to the opportunity. But we have a good balance in the team, anyone can start the attack; we have several options when it comes to the new ball. So it is all about what the team requires at that time.”To bowl first at Sabina Park, I knew I would get assistance from whatever moisture was in the surface. I decided to run in with purpose, hit the deck hard and look for wickets. Before the match we said wickets with the new ball would be vital and my focus was on getting it right from the very start.”Russell, who returned to pick up another wicket and complete the fourth four-wicket haul of his 23-match ODI career, is coming off a short injury lay-off. He had hurt his shoulder during West Indies’ first one-dayer against England in mid-June, and missed the rest of that series. He did not play the Twenty20 series against New Zealand in Florida either.He was happy to hit stride right away, Russell said. “It was good to come back into the team after I missed the Twenty20 series in Florida and make an impression right away.”After I came back from England I came here, did my homework, spent some time with my family, regrouped and got ready for this series. I came out today and wanted to do it for my home crowd. I will have another rethink and come back ready for business on Saturday.”

Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has said it is up to the hosts to force a result in the second Test with India

Sriram Veera at the Kensington Oval02-Jul-2011Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has said it is up to the hosts to force a result in the second Test, since India are ahead 1-0 in the series and hence may not chase a victory. India led by 240 runs with seven wickets remaining at the end of the fourth day, and though Gibson said West Indies would aim to bowl India out on the fifth day, he also had some hope that West Indies’ frailties with the bat through the series may actually encourage India to make a daring declaration.”We need to hope to bowl them out and see if there is a possibility of a run-chase,” Gibson said. “The way we have batted, they might still think they can win the match and give us an opportunity.”If they are generous, they might give us a target. It could be an interesting last day. We bowled them out for 200 in the first innings and couldn’t get those runs in our innings. They might think they have enough. We tried to chase 300 in Jamaica and though we fell short by 63 runs we did well at the start of that chase. We’ve got to believe that our batsmen will come good at some point. If there is a chase tomorrow the batsmen might be spurred to perform.”The opener Lendl Simmons’ performance has come in for criticism. In 13 innings since his Test debut in March 2009, Simmons has failed to score a half-century and averages 16.38. Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler and currently a commentator, said Simmons isn’t Test material yet. Gibson, however, backed him. “He is one guy who works very hard at his cricket.Lendl Simmons hasn’t scored a half-century in 13 Test innings•AFP

“You don’t want to single out an individual in a batting order that is not performing. Everyone is encouraged to play their natural game. Simmons is an attacking batsman and has got the freedom to play that game and the liberty to smash his way through the new ball. He did that in Jamaica. We don’t restrict him.”Gibson said Simmons was restraining himself against the new ball. “You’ve got to give credit to Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar for the way they’ve bowled with the new ball. Simmons needs to free himself up and have a go at it a bit more. It’s difficult to single out Simmons. He has got good starts but hasn’t gone on. It’s the hallmark of our batsmen at the moment. They get starts but don’t go on.”In a game marred by rain delays, the fourth day was largely unaffected with 83.2 overs being bowled. Though India consolidated their advantage, Gibson praised his bowlers for keeping the batsmen in check and defended the decision to opt against the second new ball when it was due.”The plan the captain employed was the right one. We are behind the game at the moment. Every time we’ve taken the second new ball, in the Pakistan series and here, it’s been with tired bowlers and the opposition have made quick runs against us. To not let them get away too far from us was a good job. They have to bat again tomorrow, which means we have taken some time out of the game.”For the umpteenth time, Gibson was asked why West Indies had left out Kemar Roach and, as ever, he defended the decision to go in with four bowlers and called on his batsmen to step up. “Our batsmen are not giving the bowlers enough time to rest. We have shown, with our four bowlers, we can be a potent attack. We bowled Pakistan and India out twice. We just need our batsmen to back them up.”We have changed from being a team that never used to bowl out oppositions and lacked energy. We just need our batsmen to come good. Then we can be a competitive unit.”

The Plays of the Day from the third day at Old Trafford

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford06-Jun-2010Decision of the dayIt was by no means a given that Andrew Strauss would enforce the follow-on when England ended Bangladesh’s first innings on the second evening. However, the damp Manchester morning that greeted the team on Sunday did Strauss a massive favour. If he was pondering extending the lead and letting the pitch wear, overcast skies meant it was a no-brainer to stick Bangladesh back in – 34.1 overs later the match was over and England had earned themselves two days off.Failure of the dayThe stuffing was knocked out of Bangladesh’s effort with just the second ball when their swashbuckling hero, Tamim Iqbal, fended at a rising delivery from James Anderson and feathered an edge to Matt Prior. The visitors have ridden on Tamim’s outstanding form during this tour, a continuation of what he showed in Bangladesh earlier this year, but he was due a failure after six fifties in seven innings. His success has clearly rattled England and Anderson’s pumped-up celebration when he claimed the scalp showed how vital they knew the wicket was. And that is the biggest compliment Tamim can be paid.Action replay of the dayWith Tamim gone early England sensed blood with Anderson hooping the ball away from the Stretford End and Steven Finn steaming in from the Brian Statham End. Finn was gaining considerable bounce off a length and had Imrul Kayes in an almighty tangle with a bouncer that the left-hander fended off his gloves. His demise didn’t feel far away and he soon top-edged his second hook of the match to find the man at deep square-leg, giving an identical entry in the scorebook to yesterday: c Shahzad b Finn. Meanwhile, England will feel their plans have worked with Kayes falling to the short ball – and Finn – in all four innings.Pain of the dayMushfiqur Rahim is a gutsy cricketer and a mighty fine batsman who, in the long term, may be better suited to shelving the keeping gloves and being in the top five. When he walked to the crease his team was in tatters at 37 for 5 but he still tried to battle it out in stronger fashion than some of his top-order team-mates. During a testing spell from Ajmal Shahzad, Rahim took a nasty blow on the bottom hand as some extra bounce caught his glove and left him in considerable discomfort.
After some treatment from the physio he fought on, but grimaced more than once and the pain probably played a part in his limp chip to midwicket. Finn claimed the wicket, but Shahzad’s role was key.Sub of the dayWhen England play Test matches at home they rely on the local county to supply the substitute fielders so that squad players can return to their domestic teams. It means the opportunity for someone to grab a moment in the spotlight. Occasionally they play a vital role in victory, as when Paul Weekes took two sharp chances at short leg against West Indies, at Lord’s, in 1995. This time, the catch struck the way of Karl Brown, the Lancashire batsman, at midwicket was a simple affair but it will have given him great joy to cling on and savour helping England take a wicket.

“It didn’t put any more pressure on me at all, being the only black player in the team; that would’ve been torture”

Firdose Moonda30-Jul-2024If Kagiso Rabada had kept thinking that he was the only black African player in South Africa’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, he would have gone through “torture” through the tournament. He said bearing that burden “didn’t put any more pressure on me at all”. Instead, Rabada embraced his role and encouraged a broader discussion on issues of transformation.”I’m a black player, yes. If I don’t feel like I should have been there on merit and if people don’t feel that way, then it’s fine. I’m not invincible. I can be dropped as well but I believe in myself,” Rabada said from Trinidad, where South Africa are preparing for a two-Test series against West Indies.Asked whether he was aware of the focus being put on the numbers of players in the squad – and in particular the black African contingent – and whether that created more expectation on him, Rabada said, “It didn’t put any more pressure on me at all. It would be such a heavy thought, during a World Cup, thinking about yourself being the only black player in a team. That seems like torture for me. That just takes away from focus.”Related

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If there’s one thing South Africa were at the tournament, it was focused. They enjoyed their most successful men’s World Cup and went on an unbeaten eight-match run to reach their first final. They lost, narrowly, to India but earned praise for their progress. However, they also faced criticism from various political and administrative quarters over the composition of the squad, which was also a major discussion point at CSA’s recent Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Indaba (DEI conference).CSA has acknowledged the failure of its policies to produce sufficient black African players, in particular, for the national squad, and has promised to respond to white-ball coach Rob Walter’s plea for the domestic system to “up the ante” ahead of the home World Cup in 2027. But the board also recognises the need to keep the current transformation numbers at an acceptable level for the sports ministry to be happy and has had to answer questions over why its T20 World Cup 2024 squad included only one black African player. So Rabada understands why he is in the spotlight.”These are certain challenges [we face] and you ask a valid question because you wonder how players must have felt in the past, how players in the future might feel. And these are things we need to address,” he said. “For me, it was just about winning [the World Cup]. But for other players, you never know how it feels. And also, what the media has to say about the situation can really mess up the players’ psychology or psyche. Those are certain things that we have to make peace with in South Africa because there’s a very unique landscape. And this whole transformation thing, it always seems to bubble up when we’re at World Cups for some reason.”A quick history lesson: South Africa have had transformation targets in place since 1999, seven years after readmission, which means the impetus to change has existed for 25 years. Initially, the national team was required to field four players of colour (any players who were not white) in every XI but since 2016, the target has become more specific but less rigid. Now, the national men’s team is required to field, on average over the course of a season, six players of colour of which at least two must be black African.The calculation of the target as an average means that the numbers do not apply to individual games, which meant they could go into the T20 World Cup with only six players of colour in the squad, and just one black African, but make up the target elsewhere in the season. This was the first time since 2016 that a South African World Cup squad only had six players of colour and the first time since 2015 that they have only had one black African player.Kagiso Rabada and South Africa fell at the final hurdle at the T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

It was in fact, the 2015 ODI World Cup that caused a rethink, after Aaron Phangiso – the only black African player in that squad – went through the tournament without playing. It was also the 2015 World Cup where the transformation agenda resulted in interference in selection when then CEO Haroon Lorgat called coach Russell Domingo the night before the semi-final to remind him of the commitment to fielding four players of colour in each XI. Vernon Philander was then picked ahead of Kyle Abbott for the match against New Zealand.At this T20 World Cup, South Africa only ever fielded four players of colour per XI, and only one black African – Rabada. Although it was never explicitly stated that Rabada would be expected to play every game, had South Africa gone into a match without him, they would have had no black Africans in the side. He ended as their second-highest wicket-taker behind Anrich Nortje.The inclusion of Rabada, as a South African all-time great, in XIs is hardly ever up for debate but he explained there may be instances in which players of colour have cause to question themselves.”You ask yourself, what are some of these factors that might make a player feel that way [that they are only included because of their colour], and it’s factors such as we lost because of transformation or because we had to include players of colour or black Africans. And that always happens in World Cups,” he said. “When we’re winning series and we’re winning or losing other games, it’s not so much of an issue, so that’s where it might be a bit inconsistent. And if you ask yourself truthfully, looking back in the past, have we not won a World Cup because of transformation? You know, I mean, like, really? So sometimes things can get blown out of proportion.”Looking at 2015, it cannot be argued that South Africa lost because of transformation. The selection interference came in the semi-final, and there’s no knowing how they would have played against Australia in a final in Melbourne.The 2022 T20 World Cup was different, where South Africa committed to picking an underperforming Temba Bavuma, because he was the captain. But they had little chance of lifting the trophy in any case. They were eliminated in the group stage after losing to Netherlands in one of their worst World Cup shows.So Rabada, and CSA DEI Mudutambi Ravele, who last week asked whether the 2024 T20 World Cup squad did well “because they didn’t have black players” are right: South Africa have not lost a World Cup because of transformation. But there are still discussions to be had about how best to manage the issue of redress and a player like Rabada, who carries the current baton for black cricketing excellence, understands that.”It’s a unique system and a lot of people have different opinions on it because of where our country comes from,” he said. “And it’s not a system that is particularly easy to just understand and move on from. It’s something that has to be looked at in context.”And he is also able to separate those thoughts from the idea of celebrating achievement in whatever colour it comes. Asked to respond to South African swimmer Tatjana Smith winning the Olympic Games gold in the 100-metre breaststroke in Paris, Rabada did not miss a beat in celebrating her while identifying the similarities and differences between them.”She’s been making us proud. She’s phenomenal and really inspiring. When I look at that as an athlete, it makes me want to achieve the same feat,” he said. “She’s a white swimmer and I’m a black man, but as an athlete and as someone who wants to aspire to be better and better, I think she’s done a remarkable job. And people are watching. And they want to emulate that. Whatever field that they’re in, they just want to do the same things that these people are doing, representing us all over the world.”

Sam Hain unbeaten overnight as visitors seek to put final-day pressure on Hampshire

ECB Reporters Network08-Apr-2023Warwickshire 307 for 5 (Davies 118, Hain 83*) lead Somerset 269 for 8 (Gregory 65*, Barnard 3-54) by 23 runsAlex Davies hit his seventh first-class century as Warwickshire built a narrow first-innings lead over Somerset on the third day of the rain-affected LV= County Championship game at TauntonAfter dismissing their hosts for 284 from an overnight 269 for eight, the visitors had replied with 307 for five when bad light ended play nine overs early, opener Davies leading the way with 118, off 153 balls, with 21 fours and a six.Sam Hain contributed an undefeated 83, Will Rhodes 39 and Michael Burgess 36 not out, while Jack Leach was the most successful Somerset bowler with three for 93.The day began with Somerset’s Lewis Gregory and Leach looking to guide their side towards a second batting point.Those hopes faded when Gregory pushed forward to Chris Rushworth in the second over of the morning and departed without adding to his overnight score of 65 as Rob Yates pouched his fourth catch of the match at first slip.Oliver Hannon-Dalby wrapped up the innings by pinning Peter Siddle lbw for ten and Leach was left unbeaten on 27.Warwickshire’s reply got off to a poor start when Yates edged the third ball, bowled by Josh Davey, to Tom Lammonby at fourth slip and fell for two.But Somerset’s seamers were soon struggling to find as much assistance from the pitch as their Warwickshire counterparts, Davies and Will Rhodes batting with increasing confidence.Rhodes was the more aggressive and had moved to 39 off 52 balls, with 6 fours, when aiming an aggressive shot off Leach and picking out Craig Overton at wide mid-on.Undeterred, Davies slog-swept Leach for six on his way to a 63-ball half-century, also featuring 6 fours. He was unbeaten on 51 at lunch with the scoreboard reading 108 for two from 23 overs.The afternoon session saw Davies and Hain progressing serenely against an impotent looking Somerset attack on a pitch that appeared to offer little seam movement.Skipper Lewis Gregory had turned to Leach as early as the 15th over, but the England left-arm spinner found it hard to stem the run-rate as Davies and Hain batted positively.Davies moved to a chanceless ton with a single off Leach, having looked untroubled in facing 140 balls and extending his boundary count to 17 fours and a six.He and the equally comfortable Hain had taken their third-wicket stand to 133 in 34.1 overs when it was broken by Leach.Davies looked to increase the tempo with a reverse sweep and only succeeded in dragging the ball onto his stumps.It was 203 for three and the error was compounded with only a couple of runs added as Dan Mousley fell lbw to Leach for two.Hain had been content to play second fiddle to Davies, but when Craig Overton was introduced for a new spell from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End, he produced a classic cover drive to register his fifth boundary.Ed Barnard helped Hain add 31, contributing 19 on his Warwickshire debut before being bowled by Siddle playing inside the line.All the while Hain was staying rock-like, reaching his fifty with his sixth boundary, a sweetly-timed back-foot shot through the covers off Gregory, He had faced 140 balls, the same number as Davies required to reach three figures.Burgess secured a first batting point for Warwickshire with a flashing cut for four off Gregory, taking the total to 253 for five.Burgess then edged Leach between wicketkeeper James Rew and first slip at catchable height, taking advantage of the narrow escape by lofting the next delivery for four as Warwickshire closed in on Somerset’s first innings total.They were three runs ahead by the time the second new ball was taken. It had little effect and the game looked to be meandering towards a draw following the first day washout when, with the floodlights on at the Cooper Associates County Ground, the umpires took the players off at 6.35pm.

Decision part of Ramiz Raja’s plans to overhaul state of pitches in Pakistan

Umar Farooq15-Mar-2022The PCB has sought the services of former MCG and ICC academy curator *Toby Lumsden for a 10-day period to oversee pitch preparation ahead of the third Test against Australia in Lahore. He will also assist local curators as part of chairman Ramiz Raja’s broader plan to overhaul the process of pitch preparation in the country.Australia’s first Test tour to Pakistan in 24 years has been marred by plenty of criticism over the state of the pitches. Last week’s series opener in Rawalpindi ended in a tame draw, with the surface being rated by the ICC s “below average,” leading to the venue getting a demerit point. ‘Only 14 wickets fell across five days. While Pakistan managed to take all 10 Australian wickets in the first innings, the visitors managed just four overall, with Pakistan making 476 for 4 declared and 252 for 0 when the match was called off.Related

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ESPNcricinfo understands the surface for the ongoing Karachi Test was originally meant to assist the spinners. However, it has also been deemed too slow and not to its character. Australia batted for over six sessions after winning the toss to put up 556, with the Test very much in their control despite Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam having put together an unbroken 171-run third-wicket stand in pursuit of 506.Raja has initiated an overhaul of pitches, and is set to look at installing readymade drop-in pitches from Australia in Lahore and Karachi as early as next year. The PCB is understood to have ordered two drop-in pitches in a bid to simulate Australian surfaces, which they believe would help their players acclimatise better on overseas tours.Lumsden landed in Lahore earlier in the week to begin work. He began at the ICC Academy in 2010 and held the job for two years before rejoining in 2017 as head curator. 1600GMT The story had earlier stated Tony Hemming as the curator PCB had summoned. This has been corrected.

The Super Kings bowlers set up the win on a slow, low Abu Dhabi track that might have reminded them of Chepauk

Deivarayan Muthu01-Nov-20205:00

Tom Moody: Kings XI Punjab paid the price for poor first half of the season

After messing with the playoff chances of the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Kolkata Knight Riders, the already-ousted Chennai Super Kings took down the Kings XI Punjab along with them. The 23-year old Ruturaj Gaikwad, the second-youngest member in the Super Kings squad, provided another glimpse into their future with his third successive match-winning half-century in a chase. He calmly batted on around the more experienced Faf du Plessis, who was back from injury, and Ambati Rayudu, as the Super Kings knocked off a target of 154 and knocked out the Kings XI.The Rajasthan Royals, the Knight Riders, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Delhi Capitals, and the Royal Challengers will tussle for the three playoff spots that are still up for grabs.It was the Super Kings’ bowlers who had set up the victory on a slow, low Abu Dhabi track that might have reminded them of Chepauk. Lungi Ngidi had the returning Mayank Agarwal chopping on with a cross-seamer and then knocked over KL Rahul with a slower dipping yorker that was straight out of Dwayne Bravo’s playbook. Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja squeezed the Kings XI so much that they went nearly eight overs without a boundary following the powerplay.
Deepak Hooda then got on top of the conditions and the Super Kings attack, cracking an unbeaten 62 off 30 balls, but it wasn’t enough in the end for the Kings XI.Rahul, Agarwal reunite at the top
Agarwal, who had been sidelined for the last three games with injury, marked his comeback with a first-ball four off Deepak Chahar. He hit four more fours off his next 13 balls before Ngidi foxed him. With Agarwal back, KL Rahul took more chances in the powerplay, swishing Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Ngidi for boundaries. The powerplay ended with Kings XI at 53 for 1, with Rahul and Agarwal scoring 26 each.Ngidi then took pace off and removed Rahul as well, with the Kings XI slipping into a mid-innings comatose. Thakur hit a hard length and had Nicholas Pooran nicking off for 2 off six balls in the 11th over and Tahir trapped Chris Gayle for 12 off 19 balls with a skiddy legbreak. After having topped the wickets charts in IPL 2019 with 26 strikes, Tahir ended this season with a solitary wicket in three games.The Kings XI then probably missed a trick by not promoting Jimmy Neesham ahead of Mandeep Singh to counter Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm fingerspin. After the two big-hitting left-hand batsmen Gayle and Pooran were dismissed, MS Dhoni drafted Jadeja into the attack, and he knocked over Singh with a 992kph arm ball. When Ngidi had Neesham holing out, the Kings XI innings was crying out for a finishing kick at 113 for 6 in 17.1 overs.Hooda tees off
It was Hooda who gave that kick as the Kings XI took 40 off the last 17 balls. On a pitch where all the other Kings XI middle-order batsmen went at less than a run-a-ball, Hooda struck at over 200. After getting himself in with hard-run singles and doubles, he launched Tahir over extra-cover with the spin, clearing the bigger boundary.He then lined up Ngidi, smashing him for 27 off a mere nine balls. The fast bowler’s plan was to bowl wide yorkers, but he missed his lengths and Hooda punished him by repeatedly shuffling across off and hitting him cleanly through the line.CSK sign off on a high
In their last fixture, against the Kings XI in Dubai, du Plessis kept hitting over the top in the early exchanges, allowing Shane Watson some breathing space at the other end. On Saturday, du Plessis reprised that role and claimed 31 of the 57 runs the Super Kings made in the powerplay.Du Plessis’ innings could have been cut short at 5 had Hooda hung on to a difficult catch running back from mid-on off Neesham. Du Plessis finally fell for 48 off 34 balls when Jordan ditched his on-pace balls for cutters and had the batsman scooping a catch behind to Rahul.As for Gaikwad, he was middling balls, but he couldn’t quite find the gaps. He was given out caught at point by Singh on 20, but TV umpire Chris Gaffaney overturned the on-field call after checking that the ball had momentarily touched the ground before Mandeep grabbed it.It was Gaikwad who finished another chase, along with Rayudu, leaving the UAE with scores of 62*, 72 and 65* that gave him an average of 51 in the tournament, the best for a Super Kings player this season.

Middlesex bowlers toil for little reward as Derbyshire batsmen shine

Jon Culley in Derby30-Jun-2019Middlesex’s decision to forego the toss and bowl might have looked the logical route to follow given the colour of the pitch here. Instead, it exposed their bowlers to a day of mostly unrewarding toil on a slow surface that offered them little apart from the slightly unreal experience of watching Billy Godleman, once a Middlesex player, compile a 115-ball hundred.By his own confession, Godleman’s default approach in red-ball cricket, for the most part, in a career that had him tipped to play at the highest level in his formative years at Lord’s, has been based on survival first.This is the Godleman who went back to Lord’s in only his second match as a Derbyshire player in 2013, opened the batting on day one against his former employers and took 244 balls to reach fifty, the slowest in the history of the County Championship, allowing himself the liberty of just one boundary. He is not quite so conservative these days, yet still hardly a dasher.So it must have been quite an eye-opener for the likes of Steven Finn and Dawid Malan as Godleman took it upon himself to throw caution to the wind and attack the new ball in a way that had seasoned followers of the Derbyshire captain scratching their heads to recall anything quite like it.Wielding the bat in a way that suggested he had woken convinced that the day would be his, even the fact that his first boundary almost took out his stumps off an inside edge and the second flew over the slips did not alter his mood. At one point, to general consternation, he went down the pitch to Toby Roland-Jones and belted the ball over long-off for six.This time he reached his half-century in 35 deliveries, which a check through his career record confirmed was unprecedented, as everyone watching suspected.He should have then been out almost immediately, dropped at backward point by Steve Eskinazi without adding to the 51 he had scored up to that moment. It was the leg-spinner Nathan Sowter’s first over and the chance could not have been more straightforward.Now Godleman became a little more watchful. His next 12 runs took him seven balls longer to acquire than his first 51. Luis Reece began to catch him up, reaching his own half-century from 92 deliveries. Curiously, given that he had batted with a much more conservative approach than his partner, he should have been out twice, dropped by Max Holden at midwicket without scoring off Roland-Jones and again at slip by Sam Robson on 33, in the unlucky Sowter’s second over.They reached lunch on 113 without loss. The Middlesex bowlers may have bemoaned their luck but they had also offered too many relatively easy run hits, either by bowling too short or too wide.Godleman pushed on again in the second session, completing what was also the fastest hundred of his first-class career when he cut Sowter to the third-man boundary for his 16th four, raising his arms above his head in celebration and shouting something as he looked towards the heavens. Again, he offered a chance immediately after passing the milestone. This time it was taken, at slip, as Sowter’s luck improved as he found some turn and bounce to find the edge.Reece, joined by the splendidly-named Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who will never be troubled to remember his Championship debut for Derbyshire, was by now scoring runs with increasing confidence and a hundred seemed to be his for the taking too. It was no wonder, then, that he threw his head back in disbelief as he was dismissed on 96, wondering what had possessed him to meet a seemingly innocuous ball from seamer George Scott straight to Roland-Jones at mid-on.Yet if Reece could consider himself unlucky, it was nothing compared with the agony that would befall Hudson-Prentice, whose maiden Championship innings for the county was just one run from turning into a dream start.A 23-year-old all-rounder who was released by Sussex, his home county, at the end of the 2016 season, Hudson-Prentice has been given the chance to resurrect his county career after spending last season and the start of this one on the MCC Young Cricketers’ programme at Lord’s, where his progress will have been noted by Steve Kirby, the former MCC head coach who is now Derbyshire’s assistant coach.He made a good enough impression there to earn some Second XI cricket with Derbyshire this early summer, two hundreds in May convincing the county to offer him a contract until the end of 2021.So far, it looks a good decision. Well organised at the crease, he took on a high-quality attack with confidence and no little skill, numbering some crisp drives among his 13 fours and lofting Sowter for a towering six. Middlesex took the new ball and Tom Helm had him edging to second slip only to be called for over-stepping. It seemed destined to be a perfect day.Yet, on 99 and facing the same bowler, an attempt to pull away a short ball went just wrong enough for the ball to travel upwards rather than flat. He looked on from the crease, willing Middlesex’s bad day in the field to continue, before dropping his head in stricken resignation as square-leg Finn clasped the ball safely to his chest. Helm struck again in the same over, dismissing Alex Hughes with the best delivery of the day to claw back something for Middlesex.

Growing up and hoping to emulate his famous uncle, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imam wanted to play Tests for his country – even if he did not expect his first to be in Ireland

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-20181:06

Imam-ul-Haq warns against underestimating Ireland

It will be a dream realised for Imam-ul-Haq, should he make his Test debut as expected this week. Growing up and hoping to emulate his uncle, former Pakistan captain and now chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imam wanted to play Tests for his country – even if he did not expect his first to be in Ireland.Imam has already played four ODIs, scoring a century on debut against Sri Lanka last year, and he is set to slot into the top three of the Test side. In two warm-up matches over the past fortnight, Imam, 22, has scored two half-centuries – 61 against Kent and 59* against Northamptonshire. Now he hopes to provide some batting fibre in a side that has struggled somewhat since the retirement of two Pakistan greats last year.”It’s a very proud feeling,” Imam said. “Everybody knows that Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan have just retired and our young guys have to do a lot of work. It’s always good to come and prove a point, and we’re looking forward to this series. I have been scoring runs in the two four-day matches and that gives me confidence. I’m very hopeful that I’ll do well in this series.”Obviously it will be my first Test match, my first pressure match. I will be very nervous, I won’t lie – that’s what we play for, that’s my dream since I grew up, to play Test cricket for your country. I didn’t think I would play my first Test match in Ireland, so it’s different but as a sportsman you have to be ready for everything.”Malahide will be the scene for not only Imam’s Test bow, but that of the Ireland men’s team. Granted Test status last year, Ireland will welcome Pakistan as their first five-day opponents, looking to revive memories of the famous 2007 World Cup upset at Sabina Park.”I remember that match, it was a very big day for Ireland cricket and a very sad day for Pakistan,” Imam said. “But in sport, these things happen. On the same day, India lost as well against Bangladesh, so we were happy. Jokes apart, it was a sad day for Pakistan as a nation, so hopefully we’ll get our own back by winning the Test.”They are playing their first Test match, so we want to give them good luck, it’s very good for Irish cricket. We hope they will play good and be a very good side in future.”While Ireland will go into the Test as firm underdogs – a position Pakistan often revel in – Mickey Arthur’s team will have to guard against complacency. Pakistan briefly topped the Test rankings in 2016, after drawing 2-2 with England, but have since slipped to No. 7 in the world and will be hoping to avoid an ambush in what could be challenging conditions for batting.”Cricket is a funny game and you can’t take any side lightly,” Imam said. “We have to do our best, and we have to prove a point and win the game. It doesn’t matter, against Ireland or England, we have to play good cricket and that will give us confidence, and make our youngsters to do well in the England series. The conditions are difficult, as you see the rain and the wicket will be tough because it’s early [summer] here.”It’s a very young side … Test cricket is different, you need patience over here and it tests your fitness as well. Back home we had a very tough camp, so we are very hopeful and very excited. We’re hoping to do something very special here .”While Pakistan’s opening tour game was a soggy affair at Kent, they show some impressive form to brush aside Northamptonshire by nine wickets on Monday. Asad Shafiq’s 186 was the highlight, while Shadab Khan claimed a ten-wicket haul, and Imam said the players were confident of rising to the occasion.”We’ve been working hard, as a subcontinent nation it’s difficult to perform over here in England and Ireland. We’ve had two very good four-day matches, the guys were working hard and talking to our batting coach. There are personal goals there, we’re working on it and we’ll do well.”