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The three-time IPL champions will start training in Mumbai on March 26

Nagraj Gollapudi26-Mar-2021They had their worst IPL season – finishing seventh – in 2020, and as the Chennai Super Kings look to bounce back and add to their three titles, they have received a shot in the arm in the form of Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja joining their bio-secure bubble in Mumbai this week. While Jadeja linked up on Friday, Raina had joined on Wednesday. Both of them will undergo a week-long quarantine before joining the team’s training, which takes off on Saturday.For Jadeja, the IPL will mark a return to cricket since he dislocated his left thumb while batting in the Sydney Test against Australia in early January. Jadeja underwent surgery in Sydney before heading to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to complete his rehabilitation. The injury had ruled Jadeja out of the all-format home series against England.Earlier this week, Jadeja posted a video from the NCA, showing him holding the bat and bowling for the first time since the Australia tour. The franchise had originally expected Jadeja to join in the first week of April, but his early release from the NCA has ensured that he gets at least a week of training before the Super Kings play their first match of the season, against the Delhi Capitals in Mumbai on April 10.Related

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‘Tell them, I have come back’- Raina
While Jadeja would be expected to settle in quickly, the focus is bound to remain on Raina, who entered the Super Kings hotel quietly on Wednesday. This, in a way, is Raina’s re-entry to the Super Kings ranks following a controversial exit on the eve of the 2020 IPL.The Super Kings tweeted a picture of Raina in his hotel room with a title saying: “Vandhutennu Sollu! From namma Chinna Thala!” That translates to: “Tell them, I have come back”, a line from , the popular Tamil film.While there were questions about Raina’s future with the franchise following stern comments from franchise owner N Srinivasan after the developments last season, Raina was retained ahead of the 2021 auction. Raina, who retired from international cricket along with MS Dhoni on August 15 last year, has kept himself fit by turning out for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Raina’s return restores the balance in the batting department for the Super Kings, who struggled to find momentum until the latter stages of the league phase in 2020 IPL. Dhoni & Co to begin training at Brabourne
It was also a particularly bad season for Dhoni the batsman, as he struggled to get into any sort of rhythm, scoring just 200 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 116. As he signed the yellow No. 7 jersey for players for rival teams, speculation grew whether he would be retiring after the season.”Definitely not,” he said after the Super Kings’ final match last season, to put an end to the speculation.Dhoni reached Chennai to be part of the preliminary training camp, which comprised a small group of mainly uncapped Indian domestic players. That camp was also conducted in a bio-secure environment with everyone involved adhering by the mandatory quarantine protocols set by the BCCI.Kasi Viswanathan, the Super Kings’ chief executive officer, told ESPNcricinfo that the players and coaching staff who were part of that bubble wouldn’t need to undergo the seven-day quarantine in Mumbai. “Our first day of practice will be tomorrow (Saturday),” Viswanathan confirmed, revealing that the first two training sessions would be at Brabourne Stadium.Ngidi to arrive on April 5
Head coach Stephen Fleming and assistant coach Michael Hussey are among the overseas members of the set-up to have reached Mumbai already.Viswanathan confirmed that Faf du Plessis would arrive on March 26, and it is understood that Lungi Ngidi would be released from the ODI squad – along with other IPL-bound players – for the series against Pakistan on April 4, the day of the second of three games.The Super Kings are one of the four teams – along with the Capitals, the Punjab Kings and the Rajasthan Royals – who will play the initial part of the league phase in Mumbai.

Second hundred of season drives Worcestershire but Luke Fletcher keeps Notts competitive

Paul Edwards22-Apr-2021
There are times when one thinks no cricket ground could carry the weight of emotion that is borne each April by New Road. Flooded in many Februarys, it emerges on mornings like this, sparkling in Springtime, a testament to hours of labour on bleak days. In drier years, broadsheet editors hoped the season would begin here, for then they could dispatch their photographers to Worcester, comfortable in the knowledge that their back pages would feature sweatered cricketers against the backcloth of the cathedral. And a scene already laden with connotation and symbol was further enhanced today when some marvellous sport was fittingly enriched by Jake Libby and Luke Fletcher, two of the county game’s very many good guys.Libby dominated the first half of our cricket and made his second century in four innings, thereby bringing his aggregate for this immature campaign to 318 runs. Until Ed Barnard and Alzarri Joseph put on an unbroken 89 for Worcestershire’s eighth wicket in the final 100 minutes or so of the evening, the former Nottinghamshire opener’s batting had done most to determine the early shape of this contest.Libby’s cuts and drives had been firm and well-chosen and his leaving the ball was particularly judicious. Nothing expressed his superiority more clearly than the manner with which he reached his hundred after nearly four hours’ batting. That came when Dane Paterson, Nottinghamshire’s South African seamer, attempted an ill-advised bouncer. Instead of being hard and potent, though, the delivery was limp and useless: a clear case of projectile dysfunction. Libby heaved the ball over square leg for six and clenched his fist, a shade ostentatiously, perhaps.At Chelmsford nearly a fortnight ago Libby made 180 and was at the crease for longer than it takes the traffic-jams to clear in that city. The first-class season has now occupied nine days and he has batted for nearly three of them. But while Libby will have taken pleasure from the fact that this hundred was scored against his former colleagues at Trent Bridge, one rather doubts he gloated over the matter. And in any case his innings of 117 was countered by Fletcher, another of the English game’s noble servants, who bowled tightly, took two good wickets, including Libby’s, and pulled off a run-out that will surely feature when Steven Mullaney’s players hold their Christmas party.Fletcher’s value to his team’s attack had been plain well before he enjoyed obvious success. While the other Nottinghamshire bowlers were conceding more than 3.5 runs an over, Fletcher was leaking barely a single. It was, therefore, simple justice that he took the first wicket when Daryl Mitchell drove at a wideish ball ten minutes after lunch but merely feathered a catch to Tom Moores, who was standing up to the stumps, thereby chaining Mitchell to the crease.Related

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• Jake Libby's epic red-inker seals Worcestershire's great escape from Fortress Chelmsford

• Chris Cooke's second century of the season sets Glamorgan off to strong start

Nottinghamshire’s need for a breakthrough was becoming desperate; Libby and Mitchell had put on 140 for their side’s first wicket. Home supporters watching on the live stream will have enjoyed the opening overs when the pair’s cover-drives and cuts ran to the off side boundaries and Mullaney had been forced to post only a single slip after 16 overs. Until Fletcher intervened, distant spectators had been offered the prospect of grand consumption, one that recalled the salad eras of Cyril Walters and Don Kenyon on this ground.Instead, Fletcher’s removal of Mitchell for a well-made 59 began Nottinghamshire’s best period of the day. Almost immediately Tom Fell was leg before when he overbalanced while trying to clip a ball from Zak Chappell to leg. Then Gareth Roderick groped rather stiffly at a wideish delivery from Paterson. But that most conventional of dismissals, an edge to the keeper, was followed by a quite extraordinary one as the formidably proportioned Fletcher ran out Brett D’Oliveira for 3 when the batsman hesitated over an achievable single and was beaten by a direct hit from backward point. Fletcher’s reaction when he saw Russell Warren’s finger raised was to hold his arms aloft in triumph and gallop madly towards the cathedral. Perhaps he thought God would like to exchange a few high-fives with an equal; certainly there was something miraculous about the event.Worcestershire lost their fifth wicket as the Earl Grey was brewing when their slow left-armer, Liam Patterson-White, produced a beauty that turned and hit the top of Riki Wessels’ off stump. Ten minutes into the evening Libby nibbled at a ball he didn’t have to play and Moores completed the catch. But any thought that Nottinghamshire might have to bat tonight on a wicket that is already taking spin was dispelled by Barnard and Joseph, whose partnership offered something of a gentle epilogue to this rich day. Both batsmen resisted any temptation towards wanton aggression, instead settling for careful accumulation in the sunlight. Once again one’s eye was taken by the towered tracery of the cathedral, the improbable beauty of the setting, the familiar things at Worcester of which one never tires. The Ladies’ Pavilion remains closed, of course, but we still had cake for tea.

On an abridged day at Colwyn Bay, Stewart Walters made progress for Glamorgan

06-Jun-2012
ScorecardOnly 34 overs were possible on the rain-ruined first day at Colwyn Bay. Glamorgan, who won the toss, had reached 117 for 3 in their first innings shortly after lunch before persistent showers removed the prospect of any further play.The home side, who have yet to win a game this season, made a solid enough start reaching 55 for 0 with Gareth Rees hitting Azeem Rafiq for six to bring up the 50. But Australian left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc changed the complexion of the morning. removing openers Will Bragg and Gareth Rees in quick succession.Bragg edged a delivery behind and was followed by Rees, who went leg before wicket but only after a delayed decision by umpire Paul Baldwin. Glamorgan had reached 58 for 2 at that stage, which became 79 for 3 when Marcus North fell to a sharp return catch from off-spinner Azeem Rafiq, who dived low to his right.After getting to lunch at 99 for 3 Glamorgan had a profitable opening over after the interval with Stewart Walters taking 18 off Starc – three fours and a six which struck the pavilion roof at midwicket. But the players went off the field straight after that because of rain with Glamorgan 117 for 3 after 34 overs.An early tea was taken and the umpires – Baldwin and Mark Benson – were looking to restart proceedings at 5.15pm. But they were forced to call the day’s action off 45 minutes before the scheduled close because of more rain.

The fast bowler’s remarkable catch to remove Liton Das added to an impressive list in Wellington

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2021Denesh Ramdin, 2013
Boult has done it again, this time in the field! Anderson was certain that was going to be a boundary as Ramdin got up on his toes to play a rasping cut shot but Boult leaps up and was horizontal with the ground as he reaches his left hand out and grabs an absolute stunner! The entire team mobs Boult as Ramdin walks back and the West Indies tail is exposed.Ajinkya Rahane, 2014
Boult has done it again! What is with him and one-handed screamers! It was a fullish delivery with just a bit of room. Rahane makes his own by staying leg side of the ball and lofts it. But he hasn’t got hold of it. it’s a skier. It was always going to need some catching. Boult was hurtling in from the boundary, dives forward and to his right and sticks out his right hand and clings on! Terrific catch to end a terrific innings as the New Zealand players come and shake hands with RahaneKumar Sangakkara, 2015
Boult has just taken a stunner. And should you be surprised? Ends what has been a truly fantastic innings from Sangakkara, who is accepting all the congratulations from the on-field players. This is definitely an early candidate for best catch of 2015 as Boult leapt high to his left to pluck this in mid-air at backward point, before crashing to the ground.Trent Boult claims a stunning return catch to remove Mitchell Marsh•Getty Images

Mitchell Marsh, 2016
How about that for a disgruntled fast bowler? If DRS denies me, I’ll pluck a one-handed, rip-roaring catch all by myself. Falls face-first into the pitch and then comes up with an expression of utter disbelief. Mouth agape in a big ‘O’ and eyes wide as saucers. This was fuller, but might have just held in the pitch considering Marsh was sucked into the drive and was trying to check it. Boult was in his follow through, stuck out his right hand and it was just too magnetic. He has a knack for picking up screamers. Took one that made it to Sportscenter’s Plays of the Year, if I’m not wrongLiton Das, 2021
Trent Boult has pulled off a blinder. A length ball outside off, Liton went for the pull only to top edge it towards third man. Boult ran to his left, dived full length and plucked it out with his outstretched left hand. Fingertips. Henry cannot believe it as he picks up his third wicketVirat Kohli, IPL 2018
Get out of here Trent Boult! Someone check if that isn’t a robot there! This is sensational. A one-handed leap to his right at deep square after being wrong-footed to his left, then a landing backwards and a cobra pose to keep his chest from touching the rope! Soft signal out. Replays say – OUT. Wow. Unbelievable. It’s a full toss on the pads and it’s flying, flat over Boult’s head because Kohli has got good power on that flick. It’s a stunning recovery from Boult. A leap backwards, holding on with the right hand, landing on his stomach and then stopping all that momentum to complete it. Gets back on his feet and even he’s in shock.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ coach Trevor Bayliss has said that Sunil Narine’s “accuracy and extra pace” have made him the most successful spinner in the IPL this season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2012Kolkata Knight Riders’ coach Trevor Bayliss has said that Sunil Narine’s “accuracy and extra pace” have made him the most successful spinner in the IPL this season. Narine has picked up 21 wickets and is currently the joint leading wicket-taker with Lasith Malinga and Morne Morkel.”He is one of the mystery spinners,” Bayliss told the . “That, combined with accuracy and a bit of extra pace, has made him more than a handful. Even if you’re lucky to pick the ball he has bowled, there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually get him away for runs. The more batsmen play, they could pick him better, but Narine has it in him to stay one step ahead. He’s such an unbelievable talent.”Bayliss said that he heard about Narine’s bowling prowess even before Knight Riders signed him for $700,000 in the player auction in February. “I can’t remember who brought up his name first, but I remembered the New South Wales players had been very impressed with him in the Champions League,” Bayliss said. “When his name came up, I felt he’d be a good acquisition. As it turns out, Narine has fitted into the group very well and it’s a pleasure to see him bowl.”Bayliss said that even though Knight Riders have qualified for the playoffs, they must remain focussed. “A good team effort has taken us forward and the boys have shown a lot of character in some of the really close matches. The Twenty20 game is pretty even, so you’ve got to keep giving yourself a chance of winning,” Bayliss said. “We’ve lost a few, but still showed character, such an attitude helps. At this stage, though, we aren’t looking beyond Saturday’s match against the Pune Warriors, because if you get too far ahead of yourself, you could get a nasty surprise.”Bayliss also defended allrounder Yousuf Pathan, who has managed just 138 runs from 13 innings at 15.33. “More than me, I think he’s worried himself. But he’s been working hard and has taken steps forward. He’s doing the right things (before a match), but is going through a phase all players go through,” Bayliss said.He attributed the side’s success this season to strong leadership and quality training. “Gautam Gambhir has done a great job as captain. The way he captained [against Mumbai Indians] was sensational,” Bayliss said. “The squad is like one big happy family, with people getting along with each other. The boys do the right things at training. We may not be practising for long, but there’s quality in what we do. There are no half-measures. Basically, there’s a good feeling in the group.”

Captain hails team’s ability to overcome adversity after hard-fought 2-0 win

George Dobell25-Jan-2021Joe Root believes England will go into their series against India with “a huge amount of confidence” after completing victory in Sri Lanka.England’s six-wicket win in Galle represented their fifth successive Test victory both overseas and in Asia. And while Root, England’s captain, admitted his side’s preparations for the India series were not ideal, he felt their experiences in Sri Lanka held them in “good stead” as they go into it.India have not lost a Test series at home since England’s victorious campaign in 2012-13 – indeed, they have only lost once at home since the end of 2004 – and, despite a host of absences, recently completed a series victory in Australia. On England’s most recent visit in late 2016, Virat Kohli’s men exacted revenge for that previous loss with a 4-0 victory.But Root feels the character England have shown in adversity and the experience they have gained means they “couldn’t be in a better place” to take on such a challenge.”What we have got is a huge amount of confidence coming out of these two games,” Root said. “We’ve had to manage different situations and all of that will stand us in really good stead.”Now we’ve got four very important games against arguably the best team in the world in their own conditions. We’ll have to play right at the top of our game to win out there. But we couldn’t be in a better place to go and challenge them.”England overcame far-from-ideal preparation – including Moeen Ali’s pre-series Covid diagnosis and subsequent isolation, as well as rain during their intra-squad warm-up game – to prevail in Sri Lanka and Root knows they will have to do show similar “resilience” in India. They will arrive on Wednesday and spend six days in quarantine before they have just three days of training ahead of the first Test.James Anderson’s penetration in tricky seaming conditions was a big plus for England•SLC

“It’s going to be strange,” Root admitted. “We’ve got to be quite realistic: we are going to have seven or eight days with no cricket now with six days in quarantine. Then we will have three very important days of preparation ahead of the series.”We had a lot of things out of our favour [in Sri Lanka]. We lost the toss in both games and we managed to find a way in very difficult conditions with very little build-up to the series. In the past, we’ve been guilty of being slow starters, whether it be home or away. So for us to start as well as that was very pleasing, but also to keep growing as a team and improving throughout the two games is quite impressive.”Although Root himself was England’s stand-out performer with two big hundreds and 426 runs in the series all told, a range of different players produced telling moments with bat and ball – including Stuart Broad and James Anderson with their incisive, economical seam bowling; the spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess who picked up 22 wickets between them despite rarely being at their best, and a pair of junior batsman, Dan Lawrence and Dom Sibley, with a crucial half-century in each Test.Related

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• Arthur bemoans batting after second Test goes 'horribly wrong'

“The most impressive thing this week was that, for a large proportion of the second Test, we were behind the game,” Root said. “For our seamers to be effective as they were on that wicket shows the improvement we have made in taking wickets in these conditions. We’ve struggled with that in the past.”More than anything, it was impressive the way we dealt with pressure on the last day, both in the field and with the bat. For our spinners to restrict them to a total we could chase down was a brilliant effort.”And then for our batters to stay as calm and as poised as they did and that partnership [of 75, between Sibley and Jos Buttler] towards the end was really impressive. It’s probably one of the hardest things to manage in this part of the world.”But Root is realistic that India will be another set-up for his improving team, as they build towards the first Test in Chennai on February 5.”Now the challenge is to replicate that over and over again as a team,” he said. “We have to look at this as a platform and not be happy with what we’ve achieved.”We’ve got so far to go, still. We have a lot of young players who are learning all the time. We have to take as much experience from this series as we can and keep looking to build and improve.”We’re going to need everyone to look to improve. We’re going to have different challenges, different surfaces, different situations to manage in India. So it is about reacting to that and having that same attitude, that same character and desire to go on and win like we have here.”Root’s confidence was exceeded by that of Mickey Arthur. The Sri Lanka coach said England “can go to India with every chance of winning” having been especially impressed with their “wonderful” bowling attack. But he agreed the difference between the sides was player of the series, Root.”I thought England have been really good,” Arthur said. “They’ve been very professional. They’ve some players in good form, their bowling attack is wonderful, their seam-bowling attack is great. We saw good signs for England with Dom Bess and Jack Leach and Root has batted at another level on this tour.”

The broadcaster has claimed that starting the BBL in the state was “commercially irrational”

Daniel Brettig02-Dec-2020Tasmania’s state government has emphatically denied allegations from Channel Seven that it provided financial inducement for Cricket Australia to play the opening rounds of the BBL in a hub in the island state.In an affidavit lodged with the Australian Federal Court on Monday, Seven’s head of sport Lewis Martin sought to outline the network’s claims that CA has breached its broadcast contract by not prioritising the broadcaster’s interests at every turn of a year that has been overturned in planning terms by Covid-19.Among the claims was that CA had scheduled the opening matches of the BBL in Tasmania, a decision Martin described as “commercially irrational unless CA were otherwise incentivised, presumably by arrangement with the government of Tasmania, to do so”.ALSO READ: Seven sues CA for not being centre of cricket universeCA has stated that commencing the BBL in Tasmania gave it far greater flexibility to travel elsewhere once the tournament gets underway, due to the state’s low instances of Covid-19 and low risk status with other state health authorities as a result.”It appears to me that CA’s scheduling decisions may have been motivated by CA’s broader interests in relation to the BCCI, Foxtel and also a positive incentive given to CA by the State of Tasmania,” Martin wrote. “If my belief is well-founded I expect that Seven’s damages claim may be for many millions of dollars given the significance of cricket coverage to Seven’s advertising revenue and the magnitude of the scheduling changes made by CA.”The Tasmanian premier, Peter Gutwein, was quick to respond to the allegations on Tuesday night. “The Government welcomes the BBL games being played in Tasmania, in view of the COVID-safe nature of our state and to provide opportunities for Tasmanians to experience world-class cricket. We are thrilled to host the 10 world-class games, which is a huge win for Tasmanians and puts our state on a global stage,” he said in a statement.”The Tasmanian Government continues to provide funding to Cricket Tasmania to support cricket development and the hosting of Big Bash League and Women’s Big Bash League matches in the state, but there were no incentive payments made.”Andrew Gaggin, the long-serving Cricket Tasmania chairman, followed up on Wednesday, referring to Seven’s allegations as “Trump-like” in their distortion. “The Trump-like allegations concerning the Tasmanian State Government are patently absurd and untrue,” Gaggin said. “The Tasmanian Government has certainly provided an incentive. Its proactive and responsible Covid-19 policies have ensured that Tasmania is one of the world’s safest places and the perfect location to host the start of the Big Bash.”However, let it be clear that no financial incentive was provided by the Tasmanian Government to Cricket Australia for BBL matches to be played in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Government continues to be a great supporter of all cricket in Tasmania.”Tasmania has long been the grassroots champion of Australian cricket, having provided a host of great players and the current Test captain. It is pleasing that Cricket Australia has acknowledged this and we look forward to an amazing start to the tournament.”Cricket Tasmania is an equal owner of Australian cricket and will continue to push for world class content to be played in this State. Tasmania has successfully hosted international cricket for over 30 years and will continue to do so.”

Pucovski “not just in good form, he’s in great form,” says selector Trevor Hohns

Andrew McGlashan12-Nov-2020David Warner will be sounded out about his opening partner for the Test series against India, but national selector Trevor Hohns has no doubt that Will Pucovski would be ready for the role despite just two matches in that position in first-class cricket.Those two games have, of course, brought the small matter of two double-centuries – 255 not out and 202 – in recent weeks which have propelled Pucovski to the brink of a Test debut.The big decision for the selectors is whether he now replaces the incumbent Joe Burns, who was part of the side all last summer and has a good partnership record alongside Warner: the pair averages 50.55 from 27 innings opening the batting.ALSO READ: Will Pucovski, Cameron Green and Sean Abbott named in Australia’s Test squad“Of course we talk to David, he’s a very senior player, he’s very experienced and it’s important he’s comfortable as well, provided we are, of course, with the person he opens with,” Hohns said. “It goes a long way in forming an opening partnership. You have to be comfortable with your partner and we certainly do consult players on such issues.”While insisting that the decision between Burns and Pucovski still had to be made – with the Australia A matches shaping as the deciders – Hohns was confident that from both a technical point and regarding his mental wellbeing Pucovski was ready for Test cricket.David Warner congratulates Joe Burns on his fifty•Getty Images

“Will’s in fantastic form. He’s not just in good form, he’s in great form. I think that’s undeniable,” he said. As far as Will goes, and that goes with all our players, we check their health and wellbeing. Not just Will but all of our players. Will’s good to go.”He has the game to handle that [opening] as we’ve seen already. Okay it’s only a couple of games but prior to that he’s been batting at No. 3, he certainly has the technique to handle the opening position if required.”One of the other questions facing the selectors is how to manage the all-format players through the six limited-overs matches which start the tour at the end of November. It is expected that those returning from the IPL – especially Warner, Steven Smith and Pat Cummins – may be rested at some point, but Hohns conceded there was a balancing act to appease broadcasters.”We’re currently working through that right now and waiting for the IPL players in particular to return home,” he said. “We are working on that at the moment in the background and, of course, we have to take into account the broadcasters and make sure if we are going to give a player a break or players a break, they’re not all missing from the one game.”While the majority of Australia’s Test squad have been part of the Sheffield Shield hub in Adelaide this week, those returning from the IPL will not have any long-form cricket before the Test series and instead will prepare with nets in Adelaide while the second Australia A game is going on in Sydney.

A round-up of the preliminary finals and play-offs in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2012

Preliminary finals

The Afghanistan players celebrate after securing qualification for the 2012 World Twenty20•Getty Images

Afghanistan ensured they will appear at the ICC World Twenty20 for the second competition running with a comprehensive win over previously unbeaten Namibia in Dubai. Victory by 47 runs booked Afghanistan a place in the final of the qualifying tournament, where they could meet Namibia again; they will play either Ireland or Netherlands – who both won their first play-off games earlier in the day – for the second berth on offer for the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.Having chosen to bat, Afghanistan were dismissed off the final ball of their innings for 146. Against big-scoring Namibia, other sides may have felt that score was barely enough – but Afghanistan have swept all before them in the last week and the bowlers blew away their opponents’ dangerous top order, effectively ending Namibia’s hopes at 18 for 4 after four overs. Dawlat Zadran was the destroyer-in-chief, taking 3 for 1 in his opening two-over spell, including the wicket of Raymond van Schoor, the tournament’s leading runscorer, for a first-ball duck. Gerrie Snyman was also dismissed for 0 in the same over, before Dawlat had Craig Williams caught behind and Aftab Alam – who went on to claim 4 for 25 – removed Louis van der Westhuizen, ensuring that none of the top four made double figures.After that opening blitz, Namibia’s hopes were in tatters and they were eventually bundled out for 99. Their struggles put into perspective Afghanistan’s score, with several batsmen getting in and then out. Karim Sadiq and Javid Ahmadi put on 57 for the opening wicket in 6.3 overs but they both fell in quick succession as Sarel Burger claimed three for 16 from his four overs. With boundaries drying up – Afghanistan managed 10 fours and no sixes – Asghar Stanikzai and Mohammad Nabi chipped away lower down the order. In the end, their efforts proved more than enough.Ireland swept past Canada in the first play-off stage, winning by 10 wickets at the Dubai International Stadium. Read the full report here.Netherlands edged out Scotland by three wickets at the ICC Global Cricket Academy to set up a meeting with Ireland in the next stage. Chasing 167 to win, Netherlands looked in control thanks to a steady hand from Tom Cooper, but his dismissal for 60 left them requiring 15 from the last two overs, with seven wickets down. The tension was broken swiftly, however, as Tim Gruijters smashed his second ball for six, with 11 runs coming off the penultimate over bowled by Kyle Coetzer, before Tom de Grooth’s top-edged four sealed victory with five balls to spare. Scotland, coming off a surprise group-stage defeat to USA, had earlier given themselves a chance of an upset thanks to another impressive opening stand between Richie Berrington and Calum MacLeod. They put on 59 in 6.3 overs before Berrington’s departure for 37, with MacLeod – a former bowler – going on to pass 50 for the third time in the tournament. Netherlands’ spinners slowed the scoring in the later stages though, with Mudassar Bukhari, Pieter Seelaar and Peter Borren each picking up two wickets as the Dutch kept the target down.

Play-offs

Nepal beat Kenya by five wickets and two balls to spare to win a semi-final for the seventh place play-off in Dubai. After choosing to bat, Kenya were restricted to 139 for 4. Their captain Collins Obuya top scored with 52 off 42 balls. Basanta Regmi took 3 for 23 for Nepal, while Shakti Gauchan conceded only 19 in four overs. Nepal’s openers gave the chase a steady start, adding 64 in ten overs and their captain Paras Khadka remained unbeaten on 26 to secure the victory. Nepal’s chase was aided by 17 extras.Papua New Guinea (PNG) defended a modest total of 118 for 9 against Italy to win the other semi-final for the seventh place play-off in Dubai. Damian Crowley took 4 for 18 to limit PNG after they chose to bat, while Carl Sandri claimed 2 for 18. Opener Tony Ura (37) was the only PNG batsman to make it past 20 and the innings was floundering at 69 for 6 before the tail propped the total past 100. PNG’s bowlers, however, bowled economically and struck regularly to hinder the Italy chase. Hitolo Areni took 3 for 9 in four overs, and had support from the new-ball attack, Willie Gavera and Rarva Dikana. Italy slipped from the comfortable position of 81 for 3 in 14.4 overs and were restricted to 106 for 7 in 20 overs.Hong Kong beat Uganda by five wickets to win one 11th place play-off semi-final in Sharjah. After putting Uganda in, Hong Kong restricted them to 130 for 8. Apart from the openers, Roger Mukasa and Arthur Kyobe, no Uganda batsman made more than 20. Irfan Ahmed to 3 for 32 for Hong Kong, while Roy Lamsam took 1 for 15 in four overs. Ahmed then scored an unbeaten 55 to lead the chase, while Waqas Barkat and Jamie Atkinson made 31 and 30. Hong Kong slipped in the later part of the innings, losing four wickets for eight runs, but still reached the target with four balls to spare.USA beat Bermuda by 34 runs after a powerful batting performance to win the second semi-final for the 11th place play-off in Sharjah. They amassed 193 for 5 after choosing to bat; Steven Taylor made 38 off 22 balls, Sushil Nadkarni 48 off 30 and Orlando Baker 39 off 32 deliveries. The least expensive Bermuda bowler was Joshua Gilbert, who conceded 8.33 an over. During Bermuda’s chase, Lionel Cann struck three sixes and four fours in his 73 off 47 balls but got poor support from his team-mates. Muhammad Ghous took 2 for 20 for USA, while Abhimanyu Rajp and Almore Hutchinson also took two wickets apiece. Bermuda were restricted to 159 for 8 in 20 overs.After losing all seven of their Group B matches, Oman beat Denmark by 17 runs in the 15th place play-off. Oman chose to bat and their openers, Zeeshan Siddiqui and Jatinder Singh, made half-centuries in first-wicket partnership of 113. After that stand was broken in the 14th over, though, Oman’s momentum slipped and they finished on 155 for 5. Denmark were well placed in their chase, having reached 109 for 2 in the 15th over, but then lost frequent wickets to finish on 138 for 6. Hemal Mehta was Oman’s most successful bowler, taking 3 for 29 in four overs, while Amir Kaleem took 1 for 11 in three.

The quality of pitches in English domestic cricket will have to improve if England are to enjoy more consistent success at international level, and avoid the sorts of spin-influenced defeats that they suffered against Pakistan in Sharjah, according to And

George Dobell05-Nov-2015The quality of pitches in English domestic cricket will have to improve if England are to enjoy more consistent success at international level, and avoid the sorts of spin-influenced defeats that they suffered against Pakistan in Sharjah, according to Andy Flower.Flower, the former England coach who is now technical director of elite coaching at the ECB, feels that too many poor surfaces in county cricket are inhibiting the development of players and creating a greater divide between domestic and international cricket.In particular Flower and the ECB’s head spin bowling coach, Peter Such, fear that the development of young spinners is being impeded by pitches that provide too much assistance to medium-pace bowlers.”The pitches are a real problem,” Flower said. “We have a situation now where dibbly-dobbly bowlers like Jesse Ryder – and no disrespect to him, because he’s a fine cricketer – are match-winners in county cricket.”Spin bowlers don’t develop because the medium-pacers bowl their overs and batsmen are not exposed to quality spin. The necessity for fast bowlers is negated because the medium-pacers do the work but, when you get to international cricket, the pitches are completely different and the qualities that proved successful in county cricket will be of little use. Dibbly-dobbly bowlers are not going to win you Test matches. Their abilities are exaggerated by green county pitches.”You can watch a game in Division Two of the County Championship and not see a bouncer bowler. That’s a problem, because the first thing that a batsman will be tested by in international cricket is the short ball.”The pitches are contributing to the divide between county and international cricket and leaving us – the coaches at Loughborough – needing to bridge a significant gap in standard.”Flower’s comments are timely. It is not just that they were made as England subsided to a 2-0 defeat against Pakistan in the UAE with the level of spin bowling proving the key difference between the sides, but that the ECB are currently conducting a review into domestic cricket that seems certain to bring significant changes.Adil Rashid had a taxing Test debut in Abu Dhabi•Getty Images

The statistics of the series in the UAE underline the current gulf between English spinners and the rest. All told, England’s trio of Moeen Ali, Ali Rashid and Samit Patel, with fill-in overs from Joe Root and even Ben Stokes, claimed 20 wickets at 60.1 in 295.1 overs, only 23 of which were maidens. Pakistan’s trio of Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar and Shoaib Malik bowled exactly that number of maidens in the third Test alone, while also claiming 17 wickets at 18.41.”In overseas Test cricket somewhere between 46-48% of overs are bowled by spinners, but in county cricket that figure is around 20%,” Such told ESPNcricinfo. “The pitches tend to start damp, which makes them seam-bowler dominated and makes it very hard for spin bowlers to break through. We need to do more to encourage spin bowling. It’s a tough gig at present.”The most important thing in the development of spin bowlers is that they get match-play overs, so they can use their skills in match situations. There is some talent out there, but at the moment young spinners are hitting a glass ceiling and it has become very hard for them to progress.”At present, the ECB are sending up to 16 young spinners abroad this winter – some just as net bowlers (Simon Kerrigan is unavailable with a stress fracture) – in order that they can gain experience in different conditions and benefit from the volume of overs denied them in county cricket. It is not a scenario that reflects well on the contribution of the domestic game.To that end, a scenario where the County Championship season starts abroad – probably in the UAE or Caribbean – remains possible. While it would not be a popular solution with county members, it currently seems inevitable that the county schedule will be cut to 14 games per side with two windows for white-ball cricket.Scheduling two games overseas would at least enable the competition to remain at 16 games per side and provide conditions in which spin bowlers might feature more prominently. The defeat to Pakistan may concentrate minds on the need to improve the development of spin bowlers.”County cricket is very much part of the solution,” Such said. “It is the biggest part of the solution. But we need to see young spinners bowling overs in county cricket.”