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Brunt strikes twice in first over as England defend 128 with ease

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2021England fast bowler Katherine Brunt led the way in a commanding bowling performance in Wellington, as her team comprehensively beat New Zealand by 32 runs to complete a 3-0 series sweep.Six different England players got among the wickets, as New Zealand, chasing 129 for a consolation victory, failed to get any sort of momentum going, eventually being dismissed for 96 in 18 overs.The hosts were pegged back very early in the chase, as Brunt trapped the openers Sophie Devine and Hayley Jensen lbw for ducks in the first over. Amy Satterthwaite at No.3 provided a brief resistance, top-scoring with 25, but once she was dismissed by Sarah Glen in the eighth over, New Zealand withered away, losing at least one wicket each over till the 13th. Offspinner Mady Villiers struck three times in the space of 10 deliveries to reduce the hosts to 60 for 8, before Sophie Ecclestone and Natalie Sciver mopped up the tail to seal the win.England had earlier recovered from a slow start to post 128 for 9, thanks largely to Fran Wilson’s unbeaten 23-ball 31, while Sophie Dunkley chipped in with 26. For New Zealand, Devine was the pick of the bowlers, ending with figures of 4-0-30-3.Sciver stood in as England captain – her first time leading the side – after Heather Knight pulled up from the second match of the series with a hamstring injury. Sciver was pleased with England’s bowling performance after the efforts of Wilson and Dunkley, who are both trying to establish themselves as regulars in the team, had lifted them to a competitive total.”We didn’t really have a big partnership,” Sciver said. “With that I think we could have got up to 140, 150. But in the end, over the tour, our bowlers have done really really well to take take wickets, especially in the in the T20 series. We’ve been hot on that, so yeah, we managed to defend it pretty well.”

“I have started to understand more about my own game and leadership skills,” says Zimbabwe’s captain

Firdose Moonda03-Mar-2021Zimbabwe’s captain Sean Williams hailed his side’s ten-wicket win over Afghanistan in the first Test in Abu Dhabi as a coming-of-age performance from a young group of players, and particularly important for his fledgling captaincy. Three Tests into his captaincy, Williams has lost once, and averages 80.50 with two hundreds and a fifty, and is enjoying the additional responsibility.”To win a Test match in two days with a young side is an extremely big feat for us as a team,” Williams said. “And for me it’s huge. As I have got older and taken on more responsibility as captain and a senior player, I started to understand more about my own game and leadership skills, and how important my performance is through tough times. As a leader, you can’t show weakness, You need to be strong. That’s a big thing for me. I’ve had it tough, I’ve had it rough and I’ve just kept on pushing. I feel like I didn’t come this far, to just go this far.”Williams was handed over the captaincy early last year, and his first assignment was a home series against Sri Lanka. After Zimbabwe were beaten by ten wickets in the first Test in Harare, he scored 107 and 53* in the second fixture that helped them post 406 in the second Test and set Sri Lanka 361 to win though eventually the match was drawn. In Abu Dhabi, Williams’ 105 rescued Zimbabwe from 38 for 4, helping post a match-winning 250 in their first innings on a tricky pitch.Related

• Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan in record stand as Afghanistan grind Zimbabwe

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He described it as a “carpet on one side and a dustbowl on the other”, and acknowledged it was a good toss to lose because he would have batted first as well, like Asghar Afghan did. There was plenty in the surface and through the air for Zimbabwe’s seamers, as Blessing Muzarabani and Victor Nyauchi made a successful new-ball pair that Williams hopes will continue to operate together in future. “When you have Blessing on one end and Victor on the other end, it’s not going to be easy,” he said.He singled out Nyauchi, who had made his debut in Williams’ first Test as captain after finishing second in Zimbabwe’s first-class competition in two out of the last three seasons, as being particularly deserving of the opportunity for a long run at the international stage. “He is something special for us,” Williams said. “He came from a difficult place in that he performed for three or four seasons without getting a look into the national side. He is a work horse. He has got good skill and his skills are developing.”Nyauchi finished the Test with six wickets – and Zimbabwe’s seamers with 16 between them – justifying the team selection to go without a specialist spinner. Afghanistan went the other way, with only one frontline pace bowler and three spinners. And though turn was evident from the first day, apart from Amir Hamza, they did not have a significant enough say in the Test. Had there been more overs for each side to face and more days in the match, that might have changed. Also, Williams noted that the pitch seemed to be getting slower, especially against the older ball, which meant batting would have become more difficult.Even in the two days that were played, patience was key to run-scoring and it was in short supply across both sides. Afghanistan’s line-up played at many balls they could have left – especially in the first innings – and were loose in defence. And Williams thinks it is the mental – and not the technical – aspects of the game they need more practice in.Victor Nyauchi, who had debuted under Sean Williams last year, grabbed six wickets against Afghanistan•Abu Dhabi Cricket

“It’s pressure. When you’ve got that many debutants (Afghanistan had three while Zimbabwe one) and you lose quick wickets, it’s pressure,” Williams said. “Afghanistan are a very strong white-ball team, and we saw a lot of nick offs (nine out of 20). There are certain disciplines in Test cricket that you can get away with not having in ODI cricket because the slip cordon is not there. So It’s a mental battle. It’s almost like a war going in your mind when you’re out there. Once you can learn to go and control that, you will be ready for Test cricket.”Zimbabwe’s only newcomer, Wesley Madhevere, had a maiden Test to forget and was dismissed for a first-ball duck. But Williams heaped praise on him as well as Tarisai Musakanda, who was returning to the side for the first time since 2017, for their efforts in the field and behind the scenes. Musakanda took a good catch at gully to dismiss Ibrahim Zadran in the first innings and Madhevere took a diving grab at deep square leg to get rid of Hasmatullah Shahidi.”They bring a lot to this team,” Williams said. “Tari has got speed, talent and he is an excellent fielder. So is Wesley. The catch he took set the tone for the rest of the innings. They are young. They are full of beans in the change room. They bring support, energy and enjoyment. They bring a lot.”Crucially, they also point to depth in the Zimbabwean set-up, which is much needed in the absence of several senior players like Brendan Taylor, Craig Ervine and Kyle Jarvis who are sitting out of the tour with illness, and Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha and PJ Moor, who are absent through injury, thus forcing Zimbabwe to find new heroes. Williams hopes that process is now well underway.”For the future this win is huge,” he said, while also cautioning his men not to get too carried with what is just a single win. “It’s important that we stay humble. There is still another Test to go.”

A round-up of the President’s Trophy matches on October 12

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2012Seamer Ehsan Adil and left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam took nine wickets between them in Water and Power Development Authority‘s chase of 336 to power Habib Bank to a 184-run victory in the President’s Trophy in Lahore. Aslam ripped through the top order before Adil, who ended with nine wickets in the match, mopped up the lower order as WPDA lost seven wickets for 41 runs. Opener Mohammad Ibrahim was their highest scorer with 46 runs.This bowling performance steered the match towards Habib Bank, as in the entire game before, the contest was largely even. Although there wasn’t any century, six half-centuries and four scores of more than 40 by the team in the match helped both sides to match their opponent’s scores.Habib Bank, after put in to bat, started well with a 94 from No. 3 Shan Masood and 84 from Usman Salahuddin, as the duo added 149 runs for the third wicket, the highest in the match. But they slipped from 225 for three to 228 for seven, to finally be bowled out for 288. Junaid Khan accounted for maximum damage, with six middle-order scalps.His team, though, was in trouble early in their innings, as they were reduced to 13 for seven before Bilal Khilji led their recovery with a 75, as seven single-digit scores hurt them in their innings of 235. Adil took four wickets.Habib Bank’s second innings was based on consistent batting from the middle order. Three fifties and two scores of more than 30 took them to 282, and an overall lead of 335 proved enough for victory eventually.In Faisalabad, legspinner Yasir Shah bowled Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to a commanding 219-run victory over Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) with a six-wicket haul. Chasing 304, KRL were all out for 84, with a 36-run stand being the only resistance put up by them as Shah mopped up the tail. Their first-innings score of 183 also hurt them, as they fell behind in the match with a deficit of 108 runs.Fast bowler Samiullah Khan was responsible for most of the damage done in that innings, as he took six wickets. The highest score in the innings, 32, scored by Saeed Anwar junior, turned out to be the highest score for KRL in the match.For SNGPL, a confident batting performance with effective contributions from the top and middle order helped them to 291. Mohammad Hafeez was their major star, with a 95 in their second innings, as their first-innings lead enabled them to make a declaration at 195 for four. The 300-plus target proved far beyond KRL.Despite National Bank of Pakistan‘s spirited chase of 390, led by captain Fawad Alam’s unbeaten 112, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) inflicted an 84-run defeat in Sialkot. The 150-run first-innings deficit proved decisive as NBP’s chase was kept alive by the lower order led by Wahab Riaz, who scored a fifty and stuck with his captain, adding 88 runs for the eighth wicket. But at 275 for eight, Junaid Zia helped ZTBL snatch victory by taking the last two wickets for 18 runs.The victory was set up by their commanding batting in their first innings. Opener Sharjeel Khan scored a century, and Atif Ashraf and Zohaib Khan were dismissed for 79 and 80 respectively to take them to 372. Although NBP started their reply strongly to be 171 for three at a stage, their innings fell thereafter, courtesy wickets off seamers Mohammad Khalil and Rehan Riaz to be dismissed for 222.A 92 by opener Afaq Raheem and a 57 by fellow opener Sharjeel Khan laid the base for a strong second-innings total by ZTBL. They lost their way towards the end of their innings, but at 239 for eight, decided to declare. NBP gave them a scare, falling short of the target by 85 runs.State Bank of Pakistan‘s confident chase of 200, led by half-centuries by captain and opener Kashim Siddiq and Usman Saeed, took them to a six-wicket win against Port Qasim Authority (PQA) at the National Stadium in Karachi. In a low-scoring game, with five fifties in the match, PQA were dismissed for 160 in their second innings, helped by a total of seven wickets between left-arm spinner Hasan Maqbool and offspinner Adnan Rasool, for SBP to end up with a gettable target.PQA, after electing to bat, scored a modest 218 with half-centuries from opener Shahzaib Hasan and Umar Amin. Seven single-digit scores couldn’t allow them to a strong total to be in a strong position early in the match. Maqbool was the highest wicket-taker with four wickets – he eventually ended up with eight wickets in the match – in a collective bowling effort by SBP.They, however, kept losing wickets in their reply, and apart from contributions from Gulraiz Sadaf, who scored 50, and Mohtashim Ali, no one provided any resistance to PQA’s bowling. Seamer Abdur Rauf took four wickets. PQA’s low second-innings total pegged them back, and SBP seized the chance to chase a small target.A low first-innings total of 125 hurt United Bank Limited as they were defeated by 69 runs by Pakistan International Airlines at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex in Karachi. Chasing 312, they were bowled out for 242, which had contributions mainly from No. 3 Saad Sukhail, who scored 93, Ali Asad and Abid Ali. They lost their last five wickets for 38 runs, which ended the contest.PIA’s second innings score of 222 helped them set a 300-plus target. Although left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti took five wickets and Shabbir Ahmed four, fifties by opener Agha Sabir and captain Kemran Sajid, and a 41 by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed helped them finish strongly.The turning point, it seemed, was their bowling UBL out for a paltry total in their first innings, with eight single-digit scores to concede a deficit of 89 runs. Akhtar Waheed and seamer Aizaz Cheema took three wickets apiece.The team’s foundation of the match was laid by fifties from opener Shehzad Mohammad and Sarfraz Ahmed, which took them to 214.

The new management team has changed South Africa from predictable and stoic to dynamic and creative. But can they deliver?

Firdose Moonda19-Sep-2012

Overview

Everybody’s favourite major tournament side, if only because they routinely arrive with their own hangman and noose. South Africa are the team that’s always supposed to win and never do, except for once in 1998 in the ICC Knock-Out, a tournament that was the precursor to the Champions Trophy. This time, they say – just as they have all the other times – things will be different.For the jaded South African fan, those words are no comfort. The wound inflicted by New Zealand in the quarter-finals of last year’s fifty-over World Cup has not yet healed completely because then too, things were supposed to be different.But this time, things have really changed. South Africa’s new management has taken a squad that is scared of the shine of silverware and given them sunglasses. And a hat. And an umbrella. And the materials to make sunglasses, a hat and umbrella if the existing ones break.Gary Kirsten, with the help of Paddy Upton and Mike Horn, has thought of everything either side of the box to change South Africa from predictable and stoic to dynamic and creative. In doing so, he has also made them lighter.Not since the chokers tag was pinned on them have South Africa seemed so relaxed, controlled and honest before a major tournament. AB de Villiers, their captain, even went as far as to use the once-banned c-word, turning a that-which-shall-not-be-named into something he is willing to take about maturely. This from the same man who stunned a Chennai media session 19 months ago with his “we’re the opposite of chokers,” tirade of the 2011 World Cup is a sign of how much South Africa have grown.Their mental side will be more on display than anything else, because it is what has let them down in the past. Never short on talent or skill, the South Africa squad at this tournament is as strong as it has been in many others. The experience of Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla and soon-to-depart-to-South-Australia Johan Botha, South Africa have shrewd heads. JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis and Wayne Parnell provide the youthful heart.Their one concern could be the shape of the batting order which has not settled yet. Middle-order collapses have often been the cause of South Africa’s downfall and they will want to prevent being the weak spot again.

Key players

After being dropped from the national T20 side at the end of the 2010 edition of this competition, Jacques Kallis is back. Not the Kallis that singlehandedly derailed South Africa’s chase against Australia in the 2007 World Cup or the one who bats for time rather than runs but a new, improved, refreshed, refound-zest-for-life Kallis. Impressive performances in opening both the batting and bowling for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL helped Kallis force his way back into the squad even though his international twenty-over career was thought over.More important than Kallis performances or presence of mind will be his influence over the side, which has grown since Kirsten took over. Kallis was previously content to allow others to lead while he did his own thing but under Kirsten he has become more outspoken (his tirade against DRS in New Zealand is one example, his handling of Mark Boucher’s retirement another) and forthright. Kirsten has encouraged players to take responsibility and Kallis has taken on more than his share to emerge as a whole character, not just a cricketer. Personally, the tournament is an important one for Kallis. His career is studded with achievement and the absence of an ICC medal is becoming more glaring with each passing milestone. He has admitted that he would love nothing more than to have one slung around his neck and South African cricket would love to give that to him.

Surprise package

South Africa’s turning attitude to spin has just about come full circle and they will more than likely field two frontliners in the starting XI. Robin Peterson will partner Johan Botha, and although he is no newbie, Petersen’s performances may come as a surprise. Peterson has been playing international cricket for longer than every member for the South Africa squad besides Kallis but only became a regular in the team last year.He finished the 2011 World Cup as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker and has blossomed with the confidence shown in him. Peterson will likely open the bowling, giving him an opportunity to display his much improved abilities with the ball and could also come in handy in the lower middle order. With Botha being released from his CSA contract at the end of the tournament, Peterson could establish himself as the premier spinner in the side.

Weakness

South Africa’s middle order could be exploited as a technical fault by opposition teams. The real way to get under South Africa’s skins will be to get into their heads. Pressure is to South Africa what the red flag is to a bull and we all know who ends up second best in most bull-fights. What has most puzzled analysts for years is how that pressure is applied to South Africa. A careful concoction of mind games has combined to force the worst cricket out of them, usually striking when they are in confident positions to start with.On their recent tour of England, South Africa showed that they can hammer home an advantage and come out on top in big moments. That is a new development, though. History says that South Africa can be dismantled piece by piece from any situation if the right mix of mental strain is put on them. Over the years, teams have tried and succeeded with various recipes of that mix and may have cooked a few more up for this event.

World T20 history

In two of the last three World T20s, South Africa seemed destined for the trophy but were booted out by the eventual winners.The inaugural event, in South Africa, saw them win all their matches until the final Super Six game against India in Durban. Truth be told, South Africa could have afforded to lose the match, as long as their run-rate didn’t dip too low but they slumped to 31 for 5 in chase of 154. RP Singh’s four wickets derailed them and India went on to win the competition.In 2009, South Africa were again on a roll and beat England and India, among others, on their way to the semi-finals. There, Shahid Afridi and a spirited Pakistan ensured South Africa would keep their record of never winning a knock-out match intact as they won by five runs and sent South Africa home.The following year, South Africa seemed to have lost all interest in the tournament. They lost their opening match to India but beat Afghanistan to advance and then only won one match in the Super Eight stage. Losses to England and Pakistan ended a forgettable campaign.

Recent form

South Africa have played a higher number of T20s than usual in preparation for the tournament. Their six scheduled ones for 2012, saw them win three. In New Zealand, South Africa rallied from 1-nil down to take the series 2-1 while they drew 1-all in England with the third match abandoned because of the weather.An unofficial T20 tournament was also organised, between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare in June. South Africa took an experimental squad, leaving out Kallis, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and de Villiers, and were surprisingly outplayed. The team lost to both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in the group stage and were defeated by Zimbabwe in the final, with the middle order once again an issue.

Essex have signed James Franklin, the New Zealand allrounder, as their second overseas player for the Friends Life t20

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2012Essex have signed James Franklin, the New Zealand allrounder, as their second overseas player for the Friends Life t20.Franklin, 31, joins Peter Siddle, the Australia fast bowler, in Essex’s line-up and has plenty of previous experience in county cricket Gloucestershire and Glamorgan. He is currently playing in the IPL for Mumbai Indians and was also part of the Big Bash League in Australia with Adelaide Strikers.Paul Grayson, the Essex coach, said: “We are delighted to welcome James to the club. He obviously has huge county experience having played here a few seasons. He has shown his ability in the 20-over format of the game with his outstanding IPL record. He is a genuine allrounder in this format and adds further quality to the talented and strong squad.”In his Twenty20 career Franklin has made 2086 runs at 33.11 with a high score of 90 and taken 49 wickets at an economy rate of 8.31. Essex begin their FLt20 campaign against Surrey, at The Oval, on June 13.

Three defeats for Lancashire in the opening four matches of their title defence will have alarm bells sounding at Old Trafford, at least those that are wired up on this construction site of a ground.

Jon Culley at Old Trafford05-May-2012
ScorecardAlarm bells are ringing amid the rubble for Lancashire after a disastrous start to theior championship title defence•Getty Images

Three defeats for Lancashire in the opening four matches of their title defence will have alarm bells sounding at Old Trafford, at least those that are wired up on this construction site of a ground.Five down overnight after only 15.2 overs, Lancashire at least managed to delay the inevitable by a session before succumbing to defeat against Nottinghamshire.Glen Chapple, the captain, much in the manner of a coalition politician, insists there is no need to panic, and that the collection of largely unsung talents that ended the county’s 77-year Championship drought is only a couple of out-of-form batsmen away from coming good again.”We have some players who are searching for form but it is the same lads who won so many games last season and we are still very competitive in the field,” Chapple said. “We need a couple more batters in form, and a bit more of a contribution from the tail, myself included. We have to remain level-headed; there is never any point in panicking. All you can do is believe in your players and I’m not disappointed in any of them, just the results.”Lancashire were not helped in this match by the hamstring injury that restricted Tom Smith’s contribution to three overs with the ball and two one-legged innings with the bat, nor by the injury and illness that disrupted James Anderson’s bowling schedule, but it was difficult to avoid musing on the question of how exactly they did come out best last year.Then again, Nottinghamshire asked similar questions of themselves at times last season as they failed to defend the 2010 Championship and are scratching their heads a little over how they have come to win three of their first five matches, particularly while managing to bank only one batting bonus point from a succession of poor first-innings scores.”We go away after the first day thinking we’re rubbish and by the end of the game are thinking we’re not too bad,” their director of cricket, Mick Newell, said on Friday evening. Chris Read, the captain, more or less echoed those thoughts.”I wish it wasn’t like that, or that they’d give us some points for second innings batting,” Read said. “That’s something we have to address. The wickets have not been particularly batsman-friendly but we have always got to grips with conditions as the game has gone on. We just need to adjust a little bit earlier and start posting some decent first-innings scores.”We have shown in all the games we have played that the addition of Michael Lumb and James Taylor has given us the capacity not only to score at a good rate but to graft when the situation arises.”Those qualities were key to Nottinghamshire’s improvement in the second innings, which contrasted typically with the first, when only Samit Patel managed to sustain the necessary application on a pitch on the realigned Old Trafford square that was both slow and prone to unpredictable variations in pace and bounce.Lumb, showing he is more than a short-game dasher, spent almost four-and-a-half hours making 69, Taylor two-and-a-quarter over his 46, showing particular resilience against the second new ball.The other factor was Andre Adams, who took 10 wickets in a match for the sixth time in his career, conceding only 50 runs in 30 overs overall. At nearly 37, he has honed his bowling technique to such a level of consistency that there are few bowlers on the circuit a batsman would be more keen to avoid.”He does it for us week-in, week-out,” Read said. “He puts the ball in areas that make the batsman uncomfortable, whether right-handed or left-handed. He is not a huge swinger of the ball but he moves it both ways and with the majority of his balls he will be looking to hit off stump. He is always modifying it and he seems to get better with age.”Adams took the first of the five wickets needed for Nottinghamshire to complete their win, trapping Gareth Cross leg before on the front foot. Stuart Broad, still looking a little rusty after his injury lay-off, had the stricken Smith, batting with a runner, caught off what was judged to be glove; Graeme Swann bowled Chapple when the Lancashire captain gave him the charge; and then Patel, his left-arm spin belatedly pressed into service, had James Anderson caught at slip and Simon Kerrigan at mid-on.Chapple’s surrender rather let down Luke Procter, the 23-year-old all-rounder, whose application was the main reason the result was not reached more quickly. He had offered good support to Chapple with the ball during the period in which Anderson could not bowl and his unbeaten 41 was a gutsy and disciplined effort.Of the England bowlers put through their paces, Swann looked in good order, accounting twice in the match for Ashwell Prince, Broad less so. Anderson, despite a bout of tonsilitis, still demonstrated what a class act he has become, bowling brilliantly without reward in the first innings, perversely picking up five when less consistent in the second.”It was a great effort by Jimmy,” Chapple said. “Even when he was really crook and had nothing in his legs he wanted to have a go. When his fever subsided he bowled superbly.”Read agreed that Broad, in his first match since a calf injury caused him to be sent home early from England’s tour of Sri Lanka, has room for improvement. “He is coming back from injury and it took him a little bit of time to get into the game but once he did he managed to swing the ball and come through at a reasonable pace,” Read said. “He showed that he is fit, that there is no reaction to the injury and I don’t think he is far off his best.”

Praises Thirimanne for his commitment, hints at a hard call on Kusal Mendis

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Jan-2021The quick turnaround from a South Africa series may have led to the rapid Sri Lanka collapse on day one, which went on to define the Test. This was the reading of coach Mickey Arthur, who said that Sri Lanka’s 135 all out may have been a result of forgetting the batting tempo that is required on local surfaces.Due to the pandemic, Sri Lanka have not played at home since August 2019. Their recent Tests in South Africa were their first in the format in over 10 months, and having left South Africa on January 8, the team had only about five days in which to prepare for the first Test against England.Before the series, regular captain Dimuth Karunaratne (who was ruled out of this Test through injury) had said that returning to play in Sri Lanka should not pose major problems to players who have played in such conditions all their lives. But after the Test, Arthur believed Sri Lanka’s batsmen had not quite made the adjustment.Although Sri Lanka lost both South Africa Tests comfortably, they were never skittled for as low as 135. They did, however, recover in Galle to post 359 in the second innings.”The first innings was very poor – it was an unacceptable batting performance,” Arthur said. “I’m not one to ever look for excuses, but it was like we were batting at the Wanderers and Centurion in terms of tempo. We hadn’t changed our tempo to bat in the subcontinent – coming back and batting in Sri Lanka, where it’s all about patience, trusting your technique, wearing the opposition down and grinding away.”We got that in the second innings after we had a long, hard chat after day one, and we spoke about how we’re going to make it better. And the guys responded nicely in the second innings. But it was too late. Even if we get 220 in the first innings, we would have kept ourselves massively in the game. That was disappointing. But we’ve put it right in the second innings.”Arthur was full of praise for Sri Lanka’s centurion in that second dig – Lahiru Thirimanne, whose 111 helped ensure England would at least have to bat again, where an innings defeat once seemed possible.It was only Thirimanne’s second ton in 72 innings, however, and he had been severely criticised for his long-term failures. Arthur had some insight as to why Thirimanne continued to be selected in the years between those tons (the first century had come in 2013).Sri Lanka had less than five days to prepare for the first Test after South Africa tour•SLC

“I’ve heard all the rhetoric that’s gone with Lahiru Thirimanne, but since I’ve worked with him, all I’ve seen is a player that works incredibly hard at his game,” Arthur said. “He’s a player that’s got a really good technique. I don’t know what’s done before.”I can only talk about what I’ve seen. We took him to South Africa befause we felt as a reserve batsman, he was a player that played fast bowling well. I thought he played the quicks well at the Wanderers. [He got 17 and 31 in that game.]”We want him to turn those 30s into hundreds, and he came out here and he proved his worth. He’s a very hard-working, likeable team member to see him get a hundred for me was really nice. Just rewards for a lot of effort that he’s put in with his batting.”Kusal Mendis, meanwhile, may be left out for the second Test, after collecting his fourth consecutive Test duck in the first innings of the first Test, before making just 15 in the second dig.”I’ll keep reaffirming I think Kusal Mendis is a wonderful player,” Arthur said. “I think Mendis will score a lot of runs in the future, for Sri Lanka. But he’s been under pressure – of course he has. We spoke long and hard about him playing this Test match.”We thought coming back into local, familiar conditions might trigger it for him. That’s a discussion we’ll have in the next day or two. But he is under pressure. It’s how you come out of that that’s the key. As a leadership group we’ll sit down and make that decision in the next day or two.”

Ireland batsman Paul Stirling’s belligerent 71 guided Middlesex to a six-wicket Friends Life t20 win over Hampshire at West End

18-Jun-2012
ScorecardTony Roland-Jones took four wickets to help restrict Hampshire•Getty Images

Ireland batsman Paul Stirling’s belligerent 71 guided Middlesex to a six-wicket Friends Life t20 win over Hampshire at West End.Stirling clubbed eight fours and two sixes in his 49-ball innings and was ably supported by Dawid Malan’s 46 as Middlesex bounced back from their opening two defeats in the competition and ended Hampshire’s impressive home run of eleven successive wins – dating back to July 2010 – in the process.Hampshire, put in by Middlesex captain Neil Dexter, made 157 for 6 from their 20 overs, with James Vince putting behind him a disappointing season thus far to top-score with 64 not out. At one stage Hampshire were 83 for 5 but Vince and skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas began a recovery with a stand of 44 for the sixth wicket.Toby Roland-Jones conceded only nine from his first two overs while taking three wickets and finished with impressive figures of 4 for 25. The fast bowler dismissed openers Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry while Neil McKenzie, making his first appearance of the season, was caught by Ollie Rayner at short fine-leg off his second delivery.Roland-Jones returned later to bowl Mascarenhas but Vince moved to his half-century off 42 balls and at the close of the innings had hit five fours and a six from 47 deliveries.Middlesex made a poor start to their response with Kabir Ali bowling Joe Denly and Mascarenhas having danger man Chris Rogers snapped up by Sean Ervine with only 18 on the board.But then came the match-winning partnership between powerfully-built Stirling and Malan for the third wicket. Stirling and Malan put on 107 in 13 overs and there was no way back after that for Hampshire.Malan went for 46 in the 16th over but big-hitting Stirling took Middlesex within sight of victory before lofting Ervine to Carberry at midwicket. Middlesex coasted to victory, requiring ten from the final two overs and a single from Kabir Ali’s last over of the match, with Berg duly hitting the second ball for four to ensure an unexpected win.

New Zealand seamer Doug Bracewell has said his team has the “mongrel” to topple Australia on their own turf, ahead of the two-Test series that gets underway at the Gabba from December 1

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2011New Zealand seamer Doug Bracewell has said his team has the “mongrel” to topple Australia on their own turf, ahead of the two-Test series that gets underway at the Gabba from December 1. Bracewell, now in his second tour with the national team, said New Zealand are capable of playing a tougher brand of cricket.”There’s definitely no fear of Australia at all,” Bracewell told the . “We’ve spoken about being more ruthless and having more mongrel as a team. Whether that’s guys sledging or however they go about their business, we just want to be a tougher, more consistent team.”New Zealand haven’t beaten their trans-Tasman rivals in a Test since 1993, and have not won in Australia for 26 years. However, the current Australian line-up they’re up against at the Gabba is already depleted with the loss of Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, Patrick Cummins, Ryan Harris and Shaun Marsh. The bowling attack features three rookie fast bowlers, with Peter Siddle leading the attack.Despite Australia’s early setback with injuries to key players, Bracewell called his side the “underdogs” who have nothing to fear.”Before we came over we said we want to be more aggressive and ruthless, especially playing the Aussies,” Bracewell said. “They like to think they’re the best team in the world and what not. We are the underdogs so it gives us that mongrel to go out and show that we’re better than them – that we can beat them. We’ll be looking to take it to them and show no fear.”New Zealand are coming off a short series in Zimbabwe, where they sneaked a Test win despite a spirited fightback by the home side. Bracewell said certain senior players and the coach John Wright are responsible for shaping the team’s self-belief.”It’s mainly come from the coach and the likes of Rossco [captain Ross Taylor], [Daniel] Vettori and [Brendon] McCullum,” Bracewell said.He said a win in Australia is long overdue. “We owe it to the New Zealand public to try to get a win over here,” Bracewell said. “I know our followers will respect us a lot more if we beat Australia over here. We’re thinking about that. It’s something to get inspired about.”Bracewell, who took a five-wicket haul in his debut Test in Zimbabwe, was in good form in the drawn tour match against Australia A, scoring an unbeaten 73 and taking four wickets.

Seamer scores vital late runs before delivering double-wicket maiden as Bears crumble

ECB Reporters Network01-Sep-2020Nathan Buck’s interventions either side of the interval helped Northamptonshire to a 38-run win over Birmingham Bears and gave them a third straight win in the Vitality Blast to extend their lead at the top of the Central Group.Buck swung 16 in eight balls from the final 10 deliveries of the Northamptonshire innings to lift them to 158 for 7 having been sent in, before his double-wicket maiden in the fourth over of the chase rocked the Bears who never recovered and were bowled out for just 120 in the final over.That Northamptonshire would win so handsomely did not seem likely when they were 135 for 7 in the 19th over. But Buck pulled Henry Brookes over midwicket for six and steered Olly Stone wide of third man for four.He then removed both openers with slower balls as Ian Bell and Ed Pollock swung to Ben Sanderson on the edge of the ring. And when Graeme White bowled Adam Hose, with a beauty that turned just enough, and dismissed Will Rhodes reverse sweeping, the Bears were out of the chase at 38 for 5 after 8.1 overs.Buck’s late runs grabbed the momentum at the halfway stage after Northamptonshire had drifted badly having made 66 for 2 in the Powerplay. But only 57 runs came in the next 11 overs.They were dragged back by left-arm wristspinner Jake Lintott, 27, who began his career in the Somerset age-groups but here was only playing his sixth professional match. He took 2 for 18 from his four overs, the best figures of his short career.Jeetan Patel’s offspin was also typically miserly as he took 2 for 27. Patel removed Paul Stirling for 14 but he and Richard Levi, who made 35 in 28 balls, helped Northamptonshire to a promising start.Levi struck Stone, back on his old home ground, over long-on and cover for two sixes in Stone’s first over. Tim Bresnan was then pulled over midwicket as his first over was taken for 17 before Levi backed away to cut Brookes for six over third man. But he miscued another pull and was taken by Sam Hain running to his left from deep square in the final over of the Powerplay.The hosts then stalled. Josh Cobb lifted Lintott to deep cover for 1 and Alex Wakely pulled at Bresnan, missed and was bowled for 6.Ricardo Vasconcelos captained the side in the absence of Adam Rossington – rested after a blow to the hand on Sunday – and began a rebuilding job. He cut and swept Patel and then drove and cut Lintott for fours on the way to 34 in 29 balls. But advancing at Lintott, was beaten by a flatter delivery and comfortably stumped by Vikai Kelley, an under-17 wicketkeeper from Staffordshire deputising for the ill Michael Burgess. Kelley also stumped Gareth Berg.Vasconcelos’ departure began a slide but Buck’s cameo and a flat six over cover from White brought 23 runs from the final 11 balls of the innings to swing the match decisively Northamptonshire’s way.