Hogg and Smith give Lancashire control

A total of 12 wickets fell on the opening day of the County Championship match between Lancashire and Hampshire at Liverpool but it is the hosts who will rest the easier

31-Aug-2010
ScorecardKyle Hogg took 4 for 53 as Hampshire collapsed on the opening day•Getty Images

A total of 12 wickets fell on the opening day of the County Championship match between Lancashire and Hampshire at Liverpool but it is the hosts who will rest the easier. Kyle Hogg and Tom Smith shared seven wickets as they skittled former team-mate Dominic Cork’s men for 160.The seam duo were recently awarded their first-team caps at Old Trafford and were major players as Hampshire lost five wickets for just one run in 16 balls to slip from 62 for 1 to 63 for 6. Hogg, 27, finished with a season’s best 4 for 53 from 14 overs and Smith 3 for 40 from 12, taking advantage of some movement off the pitch after Glen Chapple had won the toss and elected to bowl.Conditions for batting were not treacherous by any means but there was pace and carry, uneven bounce at times and sideways movement. But, despite Cork trapping Paul Horton lbw early in Lancashire’s reply, the hosts responded with authority.Mark Chilton (47 not out) closed in on his fourth fifty in his last seven innings as the hosts reached 124 for 2 from 46 overs at close, 36 runs behind.Hampshire had made a commanding start thanks to Michael Carberry (30) and Australian Phil Hughes in particular. They put on 43 for the second wicket before the dramatic spell undid their good work.Carberry was caught behind by Gareth Cross off Hogg before Neil McKenzie was trapped lbw by the same bowler for a three-ball duck in the same over, the 23rd. Hughes then edged Smith to Horton at first slip in the next over. And it was the first of two in two balls for Smith because he also trapped Sean Ervine lbw for a golden duck.Wicketkeeper Michael Bates then completed the handful of wickets when he edged Hogg to Smith at second slip for the third duck of the innings. Smith later bowled James Vince and Hogg had James Tomlinson caught by Horton.But debutant Chris Wood top scored with 35, sharing crucial eighth and ninth wicket stands of 30 and 43 with Cork and Tomlinson, to at least bring some respectability. Chapple also claimed two wickets but struggled for much of the innings with an ankle problem.Lancashire opener Karl Brown was dropped on 14 by Hughes in the slips but edged Ervine behind to Bates after tea to leave Lancashire at 49 for 2 in the 21st over. Chilton, who hit eight fours, was particularly strong on the straight drive, while he also top edged a pull off Wood over long leg for six.

Rahane and Shedge help Mumbai knock off 222 to make semis

Vidarbha knocked out despite racing to 221 for 6 in six fest at KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur

Himanshu Agrawal11-Dec-2024″Beware of us,” was the message Mumbai seemed to convey as they marched into the semi-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Six days after hunting down a record 230 against Andhra, Mumbai mowed down a target of 222 against Vidarbha, with six wickets and four deliveries in the bank.Ajinkya Rahane showed the way by bashing 84 off 45 balls, and adding 83 in just seven overs with Prithvi Shaw. Dipesh Parwani had Shaw caught at long-off to check Mumbai’s flow, and the wicket slowed them down for just a little while. Shaw had cracked 49 from 26 deliveries, including five fours and four sixes.Yash Thakur eventually dismissed Rahane to start the 16th over, by which time he had carved ten fours and three sixes himself but Mumbai still needed another 65 to win. Seeing the hefty requirement, Suryansh Shedge went 4, 6, 6, 6 off Mandar Mahale to pick up 24 runs off the 17th over. Shivam Dube then started the 18th by clubbing two more sixes, off Parwani, to all but kill the contest.That Vidarbha had 221 on the board was down to half-centuries from Atharva Taide and Apoorv Wankhade, who added 81 for the third wicket. Vidarbha were 100 for 2 after ten overs – by then, Taide had reached his fifty – before both batters smashed 46 off the next four overs. Atharva Ankolekar then trapped Taide in front for 66, and Shedge bowled Wankhede for 51, but Shubham Dubey (43 off 19 balls), Mahale (13 off 5) and Jitesh Sharma (11 off six) blasted 54 off the final three overs.By the time the game was done, a total of 39 fours and 22 sixes had been smacked in Alur.

Issy Wong's woes put a dent in the optimism of England youth policy

Troubling display from out-of-sorts quick leads to questions about wisdom of selection

Andrew Miller02-Sep-2023Heather Knight, England’s captain, admitted her young team had been handed some “humble pie” after a chastening eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in the second T20I at Chelmsford. However, she defended the decision to give a recall to the visibly out-of-sorts Issy Wong, whose troublingly erratic display put an extra dampener on what Knight admitted had been a case of her team “all [having] a bad day at the same time, unfortunately”.England had come into the contest brimful of optimism after an emphatic victory in the series opener at Hove on Thursday. However, faced with a sensational captain’s performance from Chamari Athapaththu, they were this time routed for 104 in 18 overs, then clubbed to defeat with a massive 40 balls to spare. Athapaththu herself led from the front with 55 from 40 balls, as Sri Lanka secured a famous maiden T20I victory over England at the tenth time of asking.”We’ve had a bad day, we’ve lost a game of cricket,” Knight said. “There’s not going to be a big inquiry about it. We haven’t played well and Sri Lanka have played very well, and given us a bit of humble pie to be honest.Related

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“Credit to Sri Lanka, but sometimes that happens in cricket,” she added. “We’ve got a very inexperienced side, a lot of guys are learning their trade, and we can identify some areas we can get better at. It’s obviously quite a humbling day, but also an opportunity for us to really home in on what we need to do better, moving forward.”England’s batting was clearly to blame for the defeat, as a succession of players succumbed to the hard lengths of Sri Lanka’s spinners – most notably the recalled Inoshi Fernando, who offered little width on a hybrid wicket and turned the screw relentlessly after a dominant powerplay.However, it was Wong’s performance with the ball that attracted the most attention after the match. She was visibly struggling with her run-up in a grim first over that contained a wide and three front-foot no-balls, and it was something of a surprise when Knight entrusted her with a second over with Sri Lanka needing just 13 runs to win. Three driven fours later, the scores were level and Wong’s comeback figures read 2-0-24-0.”It was a tough day and sometimes, when you’re exposed to that sort of pressure situation, it can make it tougher, but she’s a pretty resilient character,” Knight said. “She’s a pretty positive person, so I don’t think it will affect her too much.”Nevertheless, Wong’s display – in her first international appearance since December – was an alarming one for those who recall the ebullience and optimism of her initial England performances, particularly her three-for on her ODI debut against South Africa in July 2022, when she was being earmarked as the obvious pace-bowling successor to Katherine Sciver-Brunt.Since then, however, Wong was a notable omission from England’s T20 World Cup squad in South Africa, and this summer she has seen the likes of Lauren Filer and, latterly, Mahika Gaur leapfrog her in the pace pecking order.And though she remains a hugely marketable asset for English cricket, as evidenced by her memorable hat-trick for Mumbai Indians in the inaugural WPL in India earlier this year, Wong’s performance in this year’s Hundred – a total of 30 balls and one wicket across five matches as Birmingham Phoenix finished rock-bottom and winless – left England, as Knight put it, “looking for a bit of context for where she’s at”.”She’s been struggling a little bit for rhythm the whole summer,” Knight said. “She’s been given five balls at a time in the Hundred. She hasn’t had a chance to come back from spells, and that’s probably put a lot of pressure on how she starts.”She has been trying a few things and listening to a lot of different voices, which has probably led to her run-up issues. She didn’t really have those earlier in the summer. We know what sort of cricketer she can be, which is why we’ve backed her when she’s been struggling a little bit.”Knight added that Wong’s next step would be to work closely with Matt Mason, England women’s bowling coach, “to get back to where we know she can be”.”Issy’s got a clear plan over the next month about what she’s going to do. Matt Mason’s an outstanding bowling coach. We wanted to get a bit of context of where she’s at, and Issy wanted a bit of context of where she’s at as well. She had a few good sessions, and don’t regret playing her at all.”Overall, however, Knight insisted that the lessons that Sri Lanka had meted out at Chelmsford would be valuable ones for her young team, and far from exposing the limitations of an untested group of players, the added jeopardy of a series decider in Derby on Wednesday would be a further chance to fast-track their growth.”It wasn’t about underestimating Sri Lanka at all,” Knight said. “It was about what’s best for us as a side, moving forward. We want to expose people to international cricket, we were pretty clear that that was the goal at the start of this series, and no one was [complaining] at Hove when we were smashing 180 off 17 overs, so I wouldn’t change anything.”It’s a good lesson for youngsters that, if you’re not able to execute your skills how you want to, you’re going to get punished. Unfortunately it’s gone wrong for pretty much everyone, so it’s a bad day at the office. But we’ll go to Derby, still looking to play exactly how we want to play, and obviously it’s a series decider, which is exciting.”

'I owed Madhya Pradesh the trophy that I missed out 23 years back'

Reactions from former Madhya Pradesh players after the team’s maiden Ranji Trophy victory

Shashank Kishore, Nikhil Sharma and Afzal Jiwani26-Jun-2022Chandrakant Pandit, title-winning coach of Madhya Pradesh (as told to the BCCI website)
“It is becoming a little emotional because missing out when I was captain to win this trophy on the same ground after 23 years. Some say father could not do it but son has done it. Aditya Shrivastava has done it. I owed Madhya Pradesh the trophy that I missed out.”I used to play for Madhya Pradesh in ’94-’96 [1994-95 to 2000-01]. Almost six years I played. The offer [to coach them] came to me in March and I didn’t hesitate. Before that I had a couple of offers and then I thought about going back to Madhya Pradesh because I had left something 23 years back. Probably God willed me back to the same place and we came back to play the final at Chinnaswamy Stadium.”I would definitely say Aditya Shrivastava has been an outstanding captain with his plans and strategy. Whatever we discussed, I think he has never hesitated to implement on the ground. The captain makes the team win 50% according to me and that is what I wanted him to do. He has done a fantastic job and though he wasn’t getting runs I always had confidence in him. At the same time, Rajat Patidar, Shubham Sharma, Kumar Kartikeya, there are many many guys – young guy Akshat Raghuwanshi – has also come out well for MP.”Jalaj Saxena, former Madhya Pradesh allrounder
“It’s been seven years since I moved from playing first-class cricket for Madhya Pradesh but my heart has been pounding away watching the final. The only thought that kept playing in my mind at the start of the day were the memories of 1998-99, where we took a lead and had the final under control before one bad session cost us the game. I’m so happy to see how calmly they approached it.”When I started for MP 17 years ago, it was a dream to play in a Ranji final. We had talent but as a group, winning remained just a dream. To see these guys lift the trophy is a gift to the entire cricketing fraternity in MP. It has the potential to open several avenues.”Coaches and talent scouts will keenly look out for talent from MP even more now. We’ve already seen so many names coming through – Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Kumar Kartikeya. Many more could emerge. These guys have all been trendsetters for the younger players. So many youngsters in MP are now encouraged by seeing these guys perform on the big stage, and a platform like the IPL only magnifies your performances and provides a lift to the region.”We always knew MP had a strong team, but it was always a question of being able to hold our nerves on the big stage. After this win, that perception is bound to change. This win has the power to transform the direction of MP cricket for the better.

Sanjay Jagdale, former MP cricketer and veteran administrator
“Two years ago, I heard from Kiran More [former India wicketkeeper] that Chandrakant Pandit was looking for a team. I immediately conveyed to Sanjeev Rao (MPCA secretary and former MP player) that we should immediately get him on board. When his name was doing the rounds, there was a lot of opposition in MP, particularly Indore. The opposition, I felt, was personal. But they somehow moved past that and brought him on board.”Chandu’s only condition was he needed a free hand when it came to cricketing matters, and if that was met, he was ready to come on. He knows which player should be put under pressure, which player needs to be spoken to with love. After his arrival, we’ve seen a great transformation in the team’s body language and attitude, because he has built that kind of confidence in them. There is proper role clarity.”The biggest change is how teams are selected. Earlier in MP, selection used to be a big headache. Things happened differently. Since he is the coach, he sits in selection meetings, and he comes prepared. He clearly states what he wants. No deserving player has missed out in his time so far.”Akshat Raghuwanshi, for example, wasn’t even with the Under-19 team last year. He single-handedly brought him on board; look at the way he has responded: three fifties and a century, a match-turning knock in the semi-finals. When he picks a young player, he backs him, gives him the security.”What also makes him stand out is he takes responsibility for failure. If something is unsuccessful, he takes the responsibility and when some players do well, he gives them the credit. Few people can do this. If his strategies or decisions fail, he doesn’t play the blame game. He gives credit to the guys who do well. Players now know if Chandu has picked you, you will have his full backing.”Devendra Bundela, former MP captain and third-highest run-scorer in Ranji history
“I followed every moment of the game. It’s a brilliant feeling to see MP dominate and win the Ranji Trophy. I can say for sure the best squad was picked. Their methodical approach was outstanding. The effort of many years has finally borne fruit.”I was part of that 1998-99 final and can tell you how much of a heartbreak it was. That is still fresh in my mind, but seeing these guys take a step further makes me feel very proud. This group has the potential to dominate for the next three-four years. It’s largely a young team. Someone asked me if we’ve hit a purple patch. I said, ‘no, this is a purple batch.'”

Tabraiz Shamsi jumps to career-best second in T20I bowling rankings

Mohammad Rizwan, the leading run-scorer, jumped 116 places to 42nd in the batting list

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2021South Africa’s left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi has risen to a career-best second position in the ICC T20I rankings for bowlers, following his four-wicket haul against Pakistan in Lahore. Shamsi was the joint leading wicket-taker in the three-match series, picking up six scalps at an average of 10.16 and an economy rate of 5.08. He went past Adam Zampa, Adil Rashid and Mujeeb ur Rahman on the list, and is now just three points behind Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, who occupies the top spot.Related

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For Pakistan, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan was the biggest mover, jumping up 116 slots to 42nd position in the T20I batting list. Rizwan was the leading run-scorer in the series, having hit 104*, 51 and 42 in the three matches. Rizwan had also been named the Player of the Series in the recently concluded Tests.The other Pakistan players to get a boost were Haider Ali (137th), Shaheen Afridi (11th), Hasan Ali (82nd), Mohammad Nawaz (64th) and Usman Qadir (92nd).Fast bowler Dwaine Pretorius, who shared the wicket-taking honours with Shamsi, also made a significant climb in the rankings, moving from 121st to 51st on the list; his previous best ranking was 107th. Reeza Hendricks’ 98 runs in the series lifted him to 17th in the rankings, while David Miller, who smashed an unbeaten 85 in the second match, gained seven places to take the 22nd position. England’s Dawid Malan is still the top-ranked batsman in the T20I list.Pakistan, despite winning the series 2-1, remained in fourth position in the T20I ranking list with 260 points, while South Africa stayed at fifth with 259.

'Shami a strike bowler for us in the second innings consistently' – Kohli

The India captain praised his pace bowlers for their attitude on unhelpful home pitches

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2019Star Sports.On why India’s pacers have been effective in home conditions
“It’s all about the attitude. If the fast bowlers step out on the field thinking spinners are going to do all the work, then it doesn’t do any justice to them playing in the XI. I think the attitude and the mindset they have created for themselves, it’s been outstanding in the last two years. Even in India, they are looking to make a contribution. It’s not like it’s hot and humid and they give up. They would ask for shorter spells so that they can give 100%, which is communication that’s required from both ends. I think they have been brilliant in terms of doing that for the team.”You see guys like Shami, Ishant [Sharma], Jasprit [Bumrah] recently and Umesh [Yadav] in the past as well doing those important things in the game, which we want them to do. Even a couple of wickets in a spell help the spinners – who might be dominating from the other end – to get a bit of a breather. So it’s all about wanting to make a play for the team that’s setting them [the pacers] apart even when the conditions are difficult.”Mohammed Shami shows off a stump his delivery broke•Associated Press

On R Ashwin, Jadeja and Shami’s performances in Visakhapatnam
“Jaddu and Ash again – really, really good. Ash in the first innings was very good given the conditions. The pitch was flat, they got a few boundaries away but you have to accept that because we also got 500. It wasn’t like there were any demons in the pitch. We always knew it was always going to be a second-innings game. The fact that he picked up six [seven] in the first was a great effort from his end, and Jadeja in the second making those quick breakthroughs for us in that spell.”But Shami has been a strike bowler for us in the second innings consistently now. If you see all his four-five-wicket hauls, they come in the second innings invariably when the team needs it, the ball is reversing a bit, that’s his strength. All the guys stood up. The batting heroes were obvious but the bowlers had it tougher in this game, to keep going in these conditions. So they deserve a lot of credit.”

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On the pick of India’s batsmen in Visakhapatnam
“Rohit [Sharma] was outstanding in both innings, Mayank [Agarwal] along with him in the first innings was brilliant. And in the second innings as well he started off so well. [Cheteshwar] Pujara played with the tempo that allowed the rest of us to come in and get those extra runs so that we have ten, maybe 12 extra overs to bowl at the opposition. It was a hard grind, though, because of the conditions, especially the weather conditions and the pitch slowing down as well.”On the quality of SG balls
“This lot is much better than the last lot we played with. So some improvement has been made. We would like the ball to be hard and consistent throughout the 80 overs. If it softens up after 40-45 overs, you have nothing happening in the game, which is not ideal for Test cricket. The hard ball obviously kicks a bit more, makes it difficult for batsmen.”We would like to see that happen on a consistent basis, the ball remaining hard for at least 60 overs, if not 80. So that we are [all] in the game through and through, that’s the fun of Test cricket. Bowlers keep coming at you and trouble you, you need to be able to score runs then, and both teams are in the game. That’s the whole fun and essence of Test cricket.”

Raine hits second fastest hundred to set suitors abuzz

Ben Raine hit the second-fastest century by an Englishman – from just 41 balls – as Birmingham Bears suffered a shock at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network13-Jul-2018
ScorecardA brilliant century from Ben Raine lifted Leicestershire Foxes to a 102-run victory over Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast at Edgbaston.Former Durham all-rounder Raine smashed his way to 100 from just 41 balls, the second-fastest T20 century by an Englishman, on his way to a blistering 113 from 46 balls with eight fours and ten sixes.Leicestershire are desperate to keep Raine on their books, valuing his combative talents with bat and ball, but he is being pursued by a number of counties – and nights like this will not do anything to calm them down.His first century in any format for Leicestershire featured some magnificent straight hitting and lifted the Foxes to their record T20 total – 229 for five.

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Raine then took two wickets in his first over to leave Birmingham’s reply in early disarray 36 for three. There was no way back from that for the Bears who folded to 127 all out with five overs unused to leave the Foxes – the North Group dark horses – with their record T20 win and both teams with two wins and two defeats from four games in the North Group.Raine said: “It was one of those night when everything came off. You have got to back yourself and I am not worried when I come up against good teams like these. The coaches have come up with a lot of strategies for my white-ball game and I have come up with a method which has been working for me this season. “For me, it’s not a shock that an innings like this has come along. I knew I had it in me.”Put in, the Foxes were flying from the word go as Cameron Delport blasted 27 from 14 balls before sending up a skier off Olly Hannon-Dalby. Four balls later, Dom Sibley took a smart catch at cover to remove Neil Dexter but the fielder might soon have reflected that he’d have been better off dropping it as Raine launched his onslaught.He raced to 50 from 21 balls, reaching his half century in the midst of a barrage which brought 20 from four balls from off spinner Sibley.Raine sustained his punishment of a Bears team which was untypically ragged in the field. He dominated a third-wicket partnership of 142 in 66 balls with Mark Cosgrove (42, 41 balls, three fours, one six) and departed, having skied a return catch to Colin de Grandhomme, to a standing ovation from the home fans who appreciated the quality of Raine’s hitting even at the expense of their own team.Under immense pressure from the word go, Birmingham took 17 from the first over but that pressure soon took its toll. Ed Pollock (25, 14 balls) was bowled by Colin Ackermann’s third ball before Raine’s golden day got even better as his fourth and sixth deliveries removed Ian Bell and Sam Hain, caught at deep fine leg and extra cover respectively.Raine had not finished, taking a fine catch to remove the dangerous de Grandhomme, and when skipper Grant Elliott was stumped off spinner Callum Parkinson’s second ball, the Bears’ last vestige of hope disappeared.The Foxes’ perfect day ended with Parkinson rifling through the lower order for a T20 career-best four for 20.

Kohli fumes at lack of intent, fear of failure

Virat Kohli thinks it was a clear case of RCB losing rather than Pune winning, after they slumped to a 61-run loss to see their Playoff hopes take another massive hit

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-2017After Royal Challengers Bangalore ambled to their second sub-hundred total and lost by 61 runs, a visibly disconsolate captain Virat Kohli conceded that his team lost the game rather than Rising Pune Supergiant winning it.”I think it is everyone for see. We lost that game. It is hard for a captain to stand here and speak after performances like these,” Kohli said after the side’s third successive loss. “But, [I have] got to embrace it, got to take it in the journey, take it in my stride and move forward and learn from these kind of games, these kind of days.”We are just not getting good performances together. It is lack of intent, guys fearful of getting out and failing and that’s never a good feeling. So, that’s all it boils down to. We lost the game rather than them winning it.Royal Challengers barely escaped being bowled out for the third game in a row after totals of 49 and 134 in their last two completed games. With the exception of Kohli – he made 55 of the team’s total of 96 for 9 – the other batsmen finished with single digits. Royal Challengers were on 49 for 5 at one stage and didn’t strike a single six until the 17th over. Kohli couldn’t point to any specific reason as to how how a batting line-up consisting of himself, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle could fail continuously.”Could be a few reasons, could be expectations, could be even looking at our side,” Kohli said. “We made the playoffs last year, good batting line-up, so all kinds of things play in your head. You can’t really pinpoint something unless you know as an individual. It could be hesitation to get out, hesitation to get runs, all those sort of things as batsmen, you know, they can creep in very quickly.”Mathematically, Royal Challengers could still make the playoffs, but Kohli didn’t rate their chances too highly. “We are almost not in the race for the playoffs now, pretty much All we can do now is just enjoy the four games,” he said. “Not worry about failing, not worry about not getting runs and just go out there and express ourselves.”Coach Daniel Vettori reiterated Kohli’s statements on staying focused for the next four games. “There are still four more games to go and they are really important for the pride of the franchise,” Vettori said. “We travel to Mumbai tomorrow. We need to play well there.”Vettori was pleased that Royal Challengers’ bowlers had restricted Rising Pune to 157. He was particularly appreciative of Pawan Negi, who conceded only 18 runs in his four overs and picked up Rahul Tripathi’s wicket. “Our bowling performances throughout the season have been exceptional. A real improvement from where we were last year and some of that is down to the wickets we have played on,” Vettori said.When asked about the batting failures, Vettori admitted that they had a different batting line-up in mind at the start of the season, but injuries to KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan forced a rethink in strategy. “A number of guys I suppose, aren’t in the form expected of them,” Vettori said. “Virat has led us exceptionally well, not only with the captaincy but with his batting. The group knows where we haven’t performed, that’s what we need to rectify.”Rising Pune, on the other, had no problems with either fear of failure or expressing themselves, as they completed their fourth win in five games. While lauding his team’s “complete” performance, captain Steve Smith singled out pacer Lockie Ferguson for doing everything asked of him.Ferguson, playing only his second game, finished with figures of 2 for 7 in four overs, including the wicket of de Villiers. “That’s a magnificent effort, isn’t it?” Smith said. “Three overs of dot balls from Lockie, hit good lengths and bowled good bouncers as well. He is an exciting player for the future.”Smith, however, admitted Rising Pune didn’t get the runs they were looking for. “We didn’t know what was enough at the halfway point, to be fair. The wicket was a little bit slow and obviously Bangalore players have some quality plyers in their line-up. I thought we came out and bowled really well. We executed our plans really well tonight.”

Hurt teams out to salvage pride after early exit

Defending champions Sri Lanka and heavyweights South Africa are both out of the World T20, meaning there is little at stake in the teams’ final group game in Delhi

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Delhi27-Mar-2016

Match facts

March 28, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)1:52

Manjrekar: Back South Africa to win this one

Big Picture

There were no visible tears when Sri Lanka were knocked out of the World T20, but to see Angelo Mathews and his men speak, and to read their tweets the next day, there is clearly some hurt. More than one member of the team has expressed a feeling of letting “the whole country down”. As doomed as this Sri Lanka campaign had always seemed, pain still struck when failure became tangible. For someone like Mathews, this is the first time in his career the team is exiting a world tournament before the knockouts have begun.South Africa’s exit was not as dramatic as their penultimate-ball loss to New Zealand in the World Cup last year, but they will be no less affected. Players like Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers are into their 30s now, and have limited chances to taste big-tournament glory – particularly now that the World T20 has switched to a four-year cycle. This time, at least, they will be saved the “chokers” tag. Despite their hoard of monumental talents, South Africa just did not get going in this tournament.As each team attempts to pick itself up to play for pride, South Africa do appear the better team. Sri Lanka’s top order did not play seam well against England, which is a weakness the likes of Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris, and – if he gets a game – Dale Steyn could exploit. With so many South Africans in the IPL now, it is difficult to say which team will be more comfortable in these conditions.Sri Lanka also have a little more than their self-esteem on the line: they are looking to snap their seven-match losing streak against Full-Member opposition.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: LWLLL
Sri Lanka: LLWLL

In the spotlight

In an up-and-down few months for South Africa, Imran Tahir has been among their most consistent performers. He has taken five wickets in his three games this tournament, and was excellent against West Indies, returning figures of 13 for 2. Sri Lanka’s right-handers have not fancied legspin in recent months, and what’s more, some of the players in this team will have bad memories of last year’s World Cup quarter-final in Sydney, which Tahir had excelled in. His bowling may define Sri Lanka’s middle overs.Picked, then dumped, then picked again, Jeffrey Vandersay has come into the side and been perhaps the find of Sri Lanka’s woeful tournament. He was outstanding against West Indies, delivering four gripping overs on a turning track. Though his control was slightly wonky in the next match, he still took 2 for 26, and showcased a venomous googly. A third good performance in a row will give the team and its fans hope that the future can be brighter than the present.

Teams news

South Africa may give Farhaan Behardien a match, with Aaron Phangiso also likely to retain his place. David Wiese could be rested.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis (capt.), 4 Rilee Russouw, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 David Miller, 7 Farhaan Behardien, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Aaron Phangiso, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir.With Angelo Mathews likely to be ruled out with a hamstring injury and Dushmantha Chameera also having sustained a blow to a finger, both are likely to be left out for the dead rubber. Dinesh Chandimal is the likely replacement captain. Suranga Lakmal and Shehan Jayasuriya are likely to come into the XI.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dinesh Chandimal (wk)(capt.), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Milinda Siriwardana, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Chamara Kapugedara, 6 Shehan Jayasuriya, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Dasun Shanaka, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Suranga Lakmal

Pitch and conditions

There was a little slowness to the Kotla surface on Saturday evening, but batsmen who had their eye in were also able to play their shots. The weather is not expected to impede play.

Stats and trivia

  • South Africa have won three T20Is and lost two against Sri Lanka. Their World T20 head-to-head is even, at 1:1.
  • Of batsmen who only played in the Super 10s stage of the tournament, Quinton de Kock has the third-highest run-tally, of 144 from three innings.
  • This is only the second time in six World T20 tournaments that Sri Lanka missed out on a knockouts spot. The other occasion had been in the inaugural tournament in 2007.

Quotes

“We’ve got a lot to play for. You never want to leave the World Cup on a bad note. We are hoping we put things back together and come up with a good victory.””This year it was helpful for spinners. A lot of spinners have done well – especially the leg-spinners. Though we are out of the competition, we fight hard – that’s the Sri Lankan spirit.”

Trego cements Somerset position

Peter Trego took his run tally in this season’s Yorkshire Bank 40 to 705 with an unbeaten 140 as Somerset boosted their hopes of a semi-final appearance with a three-wicket win over Yorkshire at Taunton.

15-Aug-2013
ScorecardPeter Trego took his List A tally this season to 705•Getty Images

Peter Trego took his run tally in this season’s Yorkshire Bank 40 to 705 with an unbeaten 140 as Somerset boosted their hopes of a semi-final appearance with a three-wicket win over Yorkshire at Taunton.The visitors posted 261 for 8 after losing the toss, Alex Lees, Jack Leaning and Adam Lyth being the main contributors. Adam Dibble returned career-best List A figures of 4 for 52 runs, while Alfonso Thomas claimed 3 for 49.Somerset reached their target with five balls to spare, Trego leading the way with an 85-ball ton to confirm his position as the competition’s leading runscorer. He was well supported by Craig Kieswetter and Alviro Petersen, who made 51 on the final appearance of his spell with the county.The result kept Somerset top of Group C with one fixture left against arch-rivals and fellow semi-final candidates Gloucestershire at Bristol on Monday week.Yorkshire’s innings was built around a third-wicket stand of 118 in 20 overs between Lees and Lyth, who came together with the total 39 for 2. Lees was first to his half-century, off 51 balls, with three fours and a six. Lyth soon followed, having faced 48 deliveries and hit seven fours.It was 157 for 3 in the 27th over when Lees was yorked by Thomas and two overs later Lyth was also back in the pavilion, caught by Thomas at long-on off legspinner Max Waller, who went for 52 off his eight overs.Leaning then assumed major responsibility for seeing the visitors to a challenging total, reaching the quickest fifty of the innings, off 42 balls, with four fours and a six. Strapping pace bowler Dibble accounted for him with a full toss in the penultimate over, having earlier dismissed Andrew Gale, Ryan Gibson and Rich Pyrah.Marcus Trescothick got the hosts’ reply going with a six off Iain Wardlaw, but departed for 10 to the next delivery, swishing his bat in frustration after driving a catch to mid-off. The skipper need not have worried. Trego and Kieswetter added 103 in 14 overs, mixing power and finesse in some sparkling strokeplay.When Kieswetter fell to a catch at mid-off to give young Ryan Gibson a wicket, Petersen came in to join the run feast, striking two successive sixes off Gibson in the 21st over, on his way to a half-century off 51 balls.For all that, it was Trego’s day. Occasionally riding his luck, the allrounder blasted 19 fours and two sixes in a memorable exhibition that rendered a late flurry of wickets meaningless and took his average in 11 YB40 games to a staggering 88.12.

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