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Vithal Patil, former Mumbai fast bowler, and a stalwart at the Dadar Union Sporting Club, passed away in Mumbai due to old age. Patil was 86

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Jun-2014Vithal Patil, former Mumbai fast bowler, and a stalwart at the Dadar Union Sporting Club, passed away in Mumbai due to old age. Patil was 86.Despite getting only two matches for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy Patil gained eminence in the once prestigious HD Kanga League club tournament, which used to be played in the monsoons. Patil, who would be nicknamed “Marshall”, joined Dadar Union in 1952 and continued to play even at the ripe age of 59 till he retired in 1984. During that span he picked 759 wickets, a record that stands till today.Dilip Vengsarkar, former Mumbai and India batsman and captain, met Patil for the first time as a 12-year-old. Patil was a coach for King George High School and mentored Vengsarkar from the Giles Shield school tournament onwards and later at Dadar Union. “He was a very punctual, disciplined, dedicated man,” Vengsarkar said. “He used to be there at 6.45 am sharp when the training was scheduled for 7 am. He would bowl tirelessly for hours in the nets. The one good thing about him was he would never interfere with the natural technique of a player,” Vengsarkar said.Loyalty, Vengsarkar pointed out, was something Patil valued above everything else. “He took serious pride in playing for Dadar Union. He was always concerned about the club and its players’ form. He paid attention to every minor detail even after he retired,” Vengsarkar said.Vasu Paranjpe, former Dadar Union captain and Mumbai batsman, met Patil only recently when the pair visited former India Test cricketer Madhav Mantri’s funeral. Incidentally Mantri, who also played for Dadar Union, was Patil’s mentor. Paranaje was Patil’s captain at Dadar Union and the duo shared a 30-year-old long relationship from the mid-1950s till 1984 when Patil retired. “He was an excellent team man and probably finest new ball bowler I saw in club cricket,” Paranjpe said.Patil was about 5’9″ tall but never strived for pace. “He had nothing to do with pace. He had everything to do with craft,” Paranjpe said of Patil’s strengths as a fast bowler. From beginning till the end Patil always was fascinated and keen to bowl with the new cherry. “My only question to him was which end, Marshall? He would respond saying ‘Any, but give me the new one'”, Paranjpe said.What stood out for Vengsarkar was Patil’s relentless thirst to bowl. “He and Urmikant Modi would bowl 25 overs each since there were no restrictions on bowlers. Little wonder he remains still the highest wicket-taker in Kanga League still,” Vengsarkar said.In addition to his cricketing discipline, both Vengsarkar and Paranjpe pointed out Patil paid a lot of attention to his appearance. “He always used to wear spotless cream shirts and trousers, shoes polished. I never saw him in a shabby attire,” Vengsarkar said. Paranjpe echoed that sentiment: “He was the most immaculately dressed cricketer I ever saw in my life.”For Vengsarkar commitment, dedication and discipline is something every player and administrator could learn from Patil.

VS Patil's words that will always ring in my ears. "It remains to be seen how he bowls with the old ball" RIP Sir

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) June 10, 2014

The end of another era,V.S.Patil Rest in peace,my coach

— shishir hattangadi (@shishhattangadi) June 10, 2014

Sri Lanka Women have named uncapped Imalka Mendis in their 14-member squad for the forthcoming home series against South Africa Women, which starts from October 15

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2014South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka

1st ODI – October 15, Colombo

2nd ODI – October 17, Colombo

3rd ODI – October 19, Colombo

4th ODI – October 21, Colombo

1st T20 – October 23, Colombo

2nd T20 – October 25, Colombo

3rd T20 – October 26, Colombo

Sri Lanka Women have named uncapped Imalka Mendis in their 14-member squad for the forthcoming home series against South Africa Women, which starts from October 15.The other notable changes to the Sri Lanka squad are the inclusions of Hasini Perera, Ama Kanchana, Sanduni Abeywickrema, Nilakshi de Silva and Prasadani Weerakkody. Wicketkeeper Dilani Manodara, who played for Sri Lanka in their last ODI series against India in January and in the recent Asian Games, has been left out while Chamari Polgampola, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Chandima Gunaratne, Yasoda Mendis have been named on the list of standby players.Both Hasini and de Silva were a part of the Sri Lanka squad for the Women’s World T20 in March this year, while Kanchana last played an international game in March last year. Abeywickrema, a middle-order batsman, last played an international game for Sri Lanka in 2010 and played one game for Sri Lanka A against Australia A earlier in the year.Sri Lanka and South Africa are scheduled to play a four-match ODI series, followed by three T20s. The first three ODIs will also be counted in the ICC Women’s Championship, and will allow both teams to make a mark on the points table. The four ODIs will be held on October 15, 17, 19 and 21, while the T20s will be played between October 23 and 26.Sri Lanka Women: Chamari Atapattu, Hasini Perera, Shashikala Siriwardene, Eshani Lokusuriyage, Sripali Weerakkody, Anushka Sanjeewani, Maduri Samuddika, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Ama Kanchana, Prasadani Weerakkody, Sanduni Abeywickrema, Imalka Mendis, Nilakshi de Silva
: Chamari Polgampola, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Chandima Gunaratne, Yasoda Mendis

GOAL has put together a stellar line-up made up solely of players from countries that failed to qualify for this year's finals

Qualification is not yet complete for the 2022 World Cup, with three spots still up for grabs, but we already know that some of the game's greatest players won't be travelling to Qatar.

Indeed, GOAL has been able to put together a stellar line-up comprised solely of superstars who will be sitting at home when the tournament gets under way later this year.

You can check out our adventurous 3-4-3 formation below and feel free to post your own selections in the comment box provided….

GettyGK: Gianluigi Donnarumma

It's a real shame that we won't get to see Slovakia and Atletico Madrid ace Jan Oblak at the finals but the absence of Gianluigi Donnarumma is even more shocking.

After all, the giant goalkeeper was named player of the tournament at Euro 2020, after playing a key role in Italy's surprise triumph.

Donnarumma, though, was powerless to prevent the Azzurri from sensationally failing to qualify for Qatar, with Roberto Mancini's side upset by North Macedonia in the play-offs.

The Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper is still only 23 and should get plenty more chances to grace a World Cup but elimination was the last thing he needed right now, given his poor form and ongoing struggle too establish himself at the Parc des Princes this season.

AdvertisementGettyCB: Milan Skriniar

Slovakia may have finished third in their UEFA qualifying group but they didn't really come close to securing even a play-off berth.

It's a shame for Milan Skriniar, who played every minute of his nation's unsuccessful campaign.

The much-coveted Inter defender is widely regarded as one of the finest centre-backs in the game today but the 27-year-old may never get the chance to compete in a World Cup.

GettyCB: Giorgio Chiellini

Giorgio Chiellini was almost at a loss for words after Italy's shock 1-0 loss to North Macedonia, admitting he was "crushed" by his nation's failure to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.

It's easy to understand why. The veteran centre-back will turn 38 later this year. Chiellini may have played a pivotal role in Italy's emotional Euro 2020 victory but he will never get another chance to take to the game's greatest stage.

That's good news for forwards all over the world, of course, but a blow for neutrals, who felt one of the great defenders of the modern era deserved to bring the curtain down on his international career at World Cup 2022.

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GettyCB: David Alaba

We could have put David Alaba in several positions in this team. The Real Madrid ace is that versatile. And he's that good.

It was tough, then, to see Austria beaten in the UEFA play-offs by Wales, as there is now a very real prospect that Alaba will never play in a World Cup.

At 29, he should definitely have one more crack at qualification, but it's worth pointing out that Austria haven't made it to a finals since 1998.

With three wins in seven games, Royal Challengers Bangalore have plenty of catching up to do. That their next three games are at home is encouraging

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran08-May-20143:48

Huddle – ‘Expect a run-fest’

Match factsFriday, May 9, 2014
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Where they standKings XI Punjab: First, with 12 points from seven games
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Sixth with six points from seven gamesBig PictureWith three wins in seven games, Royal Challengers Bangalore have plenty of catching up to do. After their defeat to Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, captain Virat Kohli said they needed to win at least five of their next seven to qualify for the playoffs. The good news is Royal Challengers are playing their next three games in Bangalore, where they have a strong record. The potential bad news? The weather. Rains have hit the city over the last couple of days and if the evening rain continues, there could be a truncated game.Royal Challengers were set to chase more than they should have against Mumbai, due to the number of extras (25, including 12 wides). Having been set 188, they took the challenge to Mumbai at 94 for 1 near the halfway stage, but their second block of ten overs did not pan out so well. AB de Villiers was not as fortunate with the ramp shot like in the other night against Dale Steyn, and following his departure and Kohli’s in quick succession, the fight was all but over. Back on home turf, however, Royal Challengers can be a handful. That is if the weather cooperates.Kings XI Punjab went back to the top of the table after blanking out Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday by posting 231. While their batsmen have hogged the attention, their coach Sanjay Bangar gave due credit to the bowlers, pointing to the number of times they had taken ten wickets. Kings XI have achieved this twice and in their last game against Royal Challengers, they claimed eight. It is hard at this point to pick holes on Kings XI. The only thing that could bring them down is complacency.Royal Challengers will be up against a side that has hardly any apparent weaknesses•BCCIForm guideRoyal Challengers Bangalore LWLLL
Kings XI Punjab WLWWWWatch out forGayle v Maxwell – When the teams last met in Dubai, the same contest was a dud. Both players didn’t last longer than seven balls each. But both have shown that the size of the ground hardly matters, and at the Chinnaswamy, even spectators at the highest tier can’t afford to nod off. Gayle has shown a weakness against swing with the new ball. Maxwell ripped into Super Kings’ spinners so Royal Challengers may look to test him with pace.Yuvraj Singh has had only one match-winning knock in seven games and his price tag is still weighing on him. Against Mumbai, Royal Challengers’ hopes rested on him after de Villiers and Kohli departed, but he could only manage 6 off 10 balls. But Royal Challengers have kept their faith in him, knowing how he has shrugged off criticism with career-defining knocks in the past. But will they be willing to extend the rope?Stats and trivia Out of 37 IPL games played at the Chinnaswamy, Royal Challengers have won 20. Last season alone, they won seven home games and their only defeat was against Kings XI Glenn Maxwell’s 435 runs so far have come at a enormous strike-rate of 203.27. That’s more than two runs per ballPrevious encounterThe teams last met in Dubai where Royal Challengers posted a below-par 124 for 8. They were done in by a combination of swing from Sandeep Sharma and reckless batting from the top order. Kings XI were in a spot of bother at 88 for 5 before George Bailey and Rishi Dhawan saw them home by five wickets.Quotes”We are really pleased to have George in the leadership role and he has made a lot of effort in getting to know the local boys. So the dressing room atmosphere is very good at the moment.”
“I haven’t recovered fully. Still having some discomfort at this point in time, so I am just trying to monitor things as I go on.”

Bob Carter, New Zealand’s assistant coach, will leave his role with the national side to take up the position of high-performance coach

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Apr-2014Bob Carter, New Zealand’s assistant coach, will leave his role with the national side to take up the position of high-performance coach.Carter will be responsible for developing the New Zealand Under-19s and A team sides, and will also coach New Zealand A on their tour to England in July.Carter was appointed assistant coach to Mike Hesson in August 2012 and worked primarily with the side’s batsmen. He had also worked under John Bracewell in the same role for four years until 2008.”Over the past twenty months I have enjoyed working with the players and support staff to mould a Black Caps side which is capable of beating the top teams in world cricket. The team can move forward with confidence towards the ICC 2015 World Cup,” said Carter. “I am very excited to take up this new position and look forward to helping the next group of players make the right preparation for the jump to international cricket.”Carter, 52, is a former first-class cricketer who played for Northamptonshire and then moved to New Zealand in the early 1980s to play for Canterbury. He coached Northamptonshire in the late 1990s and took charge of Canterbury in 2008, steering them to the Plunket Shield title in 2010-11.New Zealand Cricket will advertise for an assistant coach to travel with the team on the West Indies tour, which begins on May 29.

Scotland and UAE will play Saturday’s World Cup Qualifier final, with a higher seeding and a far less demanding schedule in next year’s tournament at stake

The Preview by Peter Della Penna31-Jan-2014Match factsSaturday, February 1, 2014
Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln (10:30 local, 21:30 GMT Friday, January 31)Big PictureThe hardest part of the World Cup Qualifier may be over for Scotland and UAE but both sides still have something to play for heading into Saturday’s tournament final at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval. Both teams managed to navigate their way through the Super Sixes to finish in the top two spots and in the process, secured qualification to the 2015 World Cup. Saturday’s final will determine the teams’ seeding for the main event next year in Australia and New Zealand.The winner will join Afghanistan in Group A along with Australia, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while the runner-up will drop into Group B with South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe and Ireland, who won the World Cricket League Championship, Intercontinental Cup as well as the World Twenty20 Qualifier in 2013 to stamp their authority as the kings of Associate cricket.At first glance, it may not appear to be too significant which group Scotland or UAE gets placed into, as each draw poses hefty challenges. Group A contains both host nations, a formidable obstacle for the Full Member participants to overcome let alone the Associates, while Group B contains the defending World Cup champions India.However, a subtle yet important reward for the team that wins the final is a far less demanding travel schedule within the tournament next year. Qualifier Three, the winner of the Scotland vs. UAE match, will play their first four Group A matches in New Zealand’s south island in Dunedin, Christchurch and Nelson before traveling to Tasmania for their last two Group A matches in Hobart. It means a relatively light travel schedule of just 2,084 miles.The loser of Saturday’s final will have to endure a far more taxing flight schedule, shuttling between New Zealand and Australia. Their adventure will begin in Nelson before heading off to Brisbane and then all the way to Perth before flying back to New Zealand again to round out their Group B matches in Napier and Wellington. By the end of their six group matches, that team will have traveled 7,456 miles. Professionals might have no issue with it but for a semi-pro or amateur squad like the UAE, a little thing like this can make a big difference.In the spotlightStand-in skipper Preston Mommsen stepped up in a big way following an injury to Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer. After scoring 118 earlier in the qualifier against Hong Kong, Mommsen scored 94 in a 52-run win over Papua New Guinea before following it up with arguably a more valuable 78, steering his side out of trouble in a tense three-wicket win over Kenya to earn Scotland a trip to the World Cup.Heading into the tournament, UAE captain Khurram Khan was the oldest player at 42 years and 206 days, beating out Kenya’s Steve Tikolo by four days. He hasn’t showed any signs of wearing down though, and is the leading scorer at the event with 547 runs, 146 more than Scotland’s Calum MacLeod at number two, at an average of 78.14 including one century and four fifties.Team NewsScotland entered the tournament on the back of a disappointing seventh-place finish at the World T20 Qualifiers. A shake-up occurred in the aftermath of that failure with longtime coach Pete Steindl stepping down to make way for Paul Collingwood. The move has had the desired effect in New Zealand. Scotland won their two pre-tournament warm-up matches against Papua New Guinea and Namibia before suffering a hiccup in the first official match, a 17-run loss to Hong Kong.From then on though, they mowed through the competition by posting three emphatic wins over Nepal (90 runs), UAE (53 runs) and Canada (170 runs). Calum MacLeod was the catalyst for their success in Group A, posting 113 against the UAE and a Scotland record 175 against Canada to propel the team to the top of Group A. They extended their winning streak to six games with victories over Namibia, PNG and Kenya to reach the final.Scotland: (possible) 1 Matty Cross (wk), 2 Calum MacLeod, 3 Matt Machan, 4 Preston Mommsen (capt), 5 Freddie Coleman, 6 Richie Berrington, 7 Michael Leask, 8 Rob Taylor, 9 Safyaan Sharif, 10 Majid Haq, 11 Iain WardlawEven though UAE’s array of left-arm spinners are their biggest strength, they have adapted to New Zealand conditions well. Pace bowlers Manjula Guruge, Amjad Javed, Kamran Shazad and Mohammad Naveed have all taken 10 or more wickets at the qualifiers. They’re the only team in the 10-team event to have four pace bowlers take double-digit wickets.On the batting side, they have a pair of explosive middle-order players to complement Khurram. Shaiman Anwar has one century in the tournament already and was the leading scorer in the World Cricket League Championship, 150 runs ahead of Ireland’s William Porterfield and 30 ahead of Scotland’s Coetzer. Swapnil Patil is the second-highest run-scorer at the tournament behind Khurram with 265, and can score quickly when the occasion calls for it.UAE: (possible) 1 Amjad Ali, 2 Salman Faris, 3 Khurram Khan (capt), 4 Shaiman Anwar, 5 Rohan Mustafa, 6 Swapnil Patil (wk), 7 Vikrant Shetty, 8 Amjad Javed, 9 Mohammad Naveed, 10 Kamran Shazad, 11 Manjula GurugeStats and trivia Khurram needs 11 runs to break the record for the most runs scored at a single World Cup Qualifier. The mark is currently held by Bermuda’s David Hemp, who scored 557 in the 2009 edition to break the mark that had been set by Canada’s Paul Prashad with 533 in 1986. Khurram will be 43 by the time the World Cup rolls around next year, but he won’t be close to breaking the mark for the oldest player ever to play in the event. That distinction is held by Nolan Clarke, who played for Netherlands at 47 years and 257 days against South Africa in the 1996 World Cup. The Bert Sutcliffe Oval has also hosted two other notable ICC tournament finals, including one with a special place in New Zealand cricket lore. Australia defeated Pakistan by 25 runs in the final of the 2010 ICC U-19 World Cup. In the 2000 Women’s World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand, the hosts prevailed by four runs after bowling out Australia for 180 on the first ball of the final over.Quotes”You can’t describe in words the feeling. I’ve been playing for UAE since 2001 and it is an amazing feeling to help my team to qualify.”
“We had heard the news that Hong Kong had a pretty convincing win, so it might have added a bit more pressure. But we wanted to win and we got over the line. It was a massive team effort.”

Nepal captain Paras Khadka has said that his team will play the same brand of cricket against Bangladesh which earned them an 80-run win over Hong Kong

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong17-Mar-2014Nepal will face Bangladesh on Tuesday evening, but the two teams go back a long way, all the way back to 1996 when Nepal played their first ever cricket match, when both of them were Associate Nations. During the ACC Trophy in Kuala Lumpur that year, Nepal lost to their World T20 Group A opponents by a margin of a faster run-rate.Their paths have crossed at other levels of cricket: Under-15s, Under-17s, Under-19s, Under-21s, their women’s teams as well as the blind cricket teams of the two nations. But that ACC Trophy game was of utmost significance as it happened 50 years after the Cricket Association of Nepal was formed, and started their journey.Paras Khadka was too young to remember the particulars of that game but like most cricket fans in Nepal, they have followed the Bangladesh team on TV.”We have watched every player on TV and now we are playing against them,” Khadka said. “So we are looking forward to it. We get all the TV channels that you get here. More than pressure, it is an opportunity. We should not be thinking too much about being explosive. We should take it nice and slow, build it up.”Their 80-run win over Hong Kong in their World T20 debut was widely followed back home. Large crowds gathered in Durbar Squares in the capital Kathmandu, while the result was the front-page lead in several newspapers.On Tuesday, they will have another opportunity to gather their fans in front of large screens when they take on Bangladesh in their second Group A game in Chittagong.Khadka said that one of the biggest motivations for the team had been the support from back home, here in Chittagong and from the Nepal fans everywhere.”I think that (the fans) will be the next cover photo on my Facebook page,” Khadka said. “It was amazing, the kind of response we are getting back home. I think we have had this from the time we have qualified for this tournament. The interest has always been there, it is not that we have qualified and people are following us.”Every time we play in our home ground, there are 15-20,000 people who support us. People getting into a square and watching the game, such photos really motivates us to do better. The biggest factor for all our cricketers is for the fan following and passion. So we want to do well for the people and ourselves.”But the Nepal team hardly had the time to celebrate their win over Hong Kong, and Khadka added that they treated it like any other win over their Associate opponents. “There was no party. By the time we reached the hotel it was midnight. I think it is more about being happy to do well.”We have been playing against Hong Kong regularly, so it was another win. Of course it came in our debut match, but we didn’t want to be too overjoyed. We want to continue from what we have done yesterday and move forward.”Khadka is impressive on and off the field, and is perhaps the perfect ambassador for cricket in Nepal. He led the team very well against Hong Kong and has now stressed on the need for his players to play the same brand of cricket, against much stronger opponents. He is confident that they will play more comfortably, and will be geared up for a good contest.”We will play the cricket that we know. We can’t change anything. We are here to compete. We are not here for participation. Everybody is keen to do well. The nervousness of the World T20 debut is gone. We have managed to win well, but we have to start from scratch, from ball one.”We need to think positive.”

A round-up of the second day’s play of Group B’s fifth round matches from the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2013
ScorecardYusuf Pathan smashed a 101-ball 104•Cricket KenyaYusuf Pathan scored his eighth first-class century on a day when 15 wickets went down, to set Baroda on course for their first victory of the season, over Madhya Pradesh in Vadodara. 14 of those wickets were taken by spinners.Offspinner Jalaj Saxena ran rampant on the Baroda batting-line up, accounting for seven scalps and recording his best innings-haul in first-class cricket. Six Baroda batsmen were dismissed for single figures and Saxena took credit for four of them, finishing with 7 for 82. Yusuf, however, proved the decisive factor. Coming in at No. 6, he laced five sixes and six fours during his 101-ball 104. The next best contribution was 28, by opener Aditya Wagmode, as Baroda made 244, securing a lead of 336 runs.Madhya Pradesh’s chase began slowly, as they lost Saxena in the fourth over and their progress was regularly stalled by wickets. Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt was the pick of the Baroda bowlers, finishing with 3 for 25, while Ketul Patel chipped in with a couple of wickets as the visitors ended day two staring at a deficit of 279, with only 5 wickets in hand.
ScorecardUttar Pradesh seamer Amit Mishra recorded his maiden five-wicket haul to help his side gain the ascendancy in their match against Rajasthan in Jaipur.Opener Siddharth Saraf endeavoured to provide a semblance of stability to Rajasthan as he battled for 191 balls. His patient 56 included 10 fours, as he partnered with captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar to add 70 runs for the third wicket. Their hard work was undone as Mishra claimed six of the top seven batsmen. Ramesh Powar provided a useful cameo, scoring 32, but Mishra and Ali Murtaza bundled Rajasthan out for 185.Uttar Pradesh lost their openers inside eight overs, but Mohammad Kaif, the captain, and Prashant Gupta remained unbeaten at the crease, with the score at 42.
ScorecardSaurashtra chased leather for the second day in succession, on a pitch that had flattened out considerably at Chepauk. Abhinav Mukund occupied the crease for a marathon 240 and, along with Dinesh Karthik, who scored a brisk 133, took Tamil Nadu to their second first-innings score in excess of 500 this season.Read the full report here.
ScorecardAllrounder Saurasish Lahiri made full use of a lifeless track, scoring a century which propelled Bengal to a respectable first innings score of 431 in 166.2 overs against Services, in the Group B encounter in Palam.Read the full report here.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier Division matches played on December 27, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Dec-2014Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club picked up their second win in the Super League phase, beating Prime Bank Cricket Club by seven wickets in Mirpur. The defeat left the top two positions unchanged, with Prime Bank tied on 20 points with Abahani but below the count in head-to-head.A foggy morning reduced the game to 38 overs a side and after being put in to bat, Prime Bank were reduced to 64 for 5 in the 18th over. Taibur Rahman and Shuvagata Hom added 60 runs for the sixth wicket before Delwar Hossain cleaned up the lower order to finish with figures of 5 for 26 in seven overs. Elias Sunny took three wickets while the other two went to Habibur Rahman as Prime Bank were bowled out for 153 in 35.4 overs.Rony Talukdar provided Doleshwar with yet another good start, adding 46 for the first wicket with Mehedi Maruf and 60 for the third wicket with Mushfiqur Rahim. Talukdar made 77 off 60 balls with seven fours and four sixes. Doleshwar won with nearly ten overs to spare.In Fatullah the weather was similar, and allowed only 40 overs a side. Legends of Rupganj didn’t mind the delay as they stopped Abahani’s juggernaut with a 76-run win.Batting first, Rupganj built their 221 in 39.5 overs around Jahurul Islam’s 93. He added 68 for the second wicket with Junaid Siddique, who made 42. Jahurul continued to bat positively, hitting three fours and four sixes in his 108-ball innings, and was sixth out in the 37th over with the score nearing the 200-run mark.Abahani’s Subashis Roy took his second successive four-wicket haul while Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam hurt his right hand while fielding off his own bowling and only bowled three overs. The team management revealed the injury would keep Nazmul out of action for two weeks.Rupganj also had to defend the total without Abul Hasan, who was hit on the box by Subashis in the 37th over. He didn’t come out to bowl but Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets with the new ball and set Abahani back in the chase.Raqibul Hasan made 45 while Ziaur Rahman blasted three sixes in his 36-ball 38 but it proved inadequate as Shakib and Rubel Hossain finished with three wickets each and Mosharraf Hossain picked up two. Still, Abahani remained on top of the points table.Courtesy of Nabil Samad’s four-wicket haul, Kalabagan Cricket Academy picked up their first win of the Super League phase, beating Mohammedan Sporting Club by 63 runs.KCA were bowled out for 200 in 43.4 overs with opener Imtiaz Hossain top-scoring with 56. Rahatul Ferdous and Naeem Islam took three wickets each while the Afghanistan legspinner Rahmat Shah picked up two wickets. Mashrafe Mortaza didn’t bowl at all, even though he fielded through the KCA innings and came out to bat at No. 7 during Mohammedan’s chase.Mohammedan made a slow start to their 201-run chase, their openers scoring just 10 runs in 8.5 overs. They were stifled by offspinner Mahmudul Hasan and left-arm spinner Nabil. Mahmudul took three wickets while Nabil picked up four for 10 in nine overs. Naeem made 56 off 80 balls but none of the other batsmen made even 20.

There was rain and Alex Hales in Hobart but no result was achieved as inclement weather allowed just 36 deliveries to be bowled

Alex Malcolm22-Dec-2013
Match abandoned
ScorecardThere was rain and Alex Hales in Hobart but no result was achieved as inclement weather allowed just 36 deliveries to be bowled. It was enough time, however, for the Englishman and his opening partner, Michael Klinger, to provide some spectacular highlights in the gloomy conditions.After a 96-minute delay, the game was reduced to eight overs-a-side. There were two tosses that ended in one win apiece, as Strikers captain Johan Botha kindly offered to redo the first after the coin slipped out of the young mascot’s hand.Alex Hales hit nine fours and a six in his 19-ball 49•Getty ImagesBotha was regretting that when George Bailey won the toss the second time and inserted Adelaide in to bat, but Klinger pulled the first ball of the innings powerfully for four to appease any frustration.The Strikers took 15 from Joe Mennie’s first over before finding the pace and angle of Doug Bollinger harder to get at. The greasy ball was a nightmare for spinner Xavier Doherty to grip in the third over and Klinger cashed in, lofting the bowler inside-out over wide long-off for six and thrashing a knee-high full toss through point.Then Hales swung violently at Bollinger in the fourth over and top-edged three times over the wicketkeeper’s head for two frustrating fours and a two.There were no edges thereafter, as Hales took down Evan Gulbis, striking four boundaries and a six in an over, hitting all corners of the Bellerive Oval with crisp blows on both sides of the pitch. Gulbis got his revenge with a missile throw from the fence to run Hales out for 49. Klinger faced just one more delivery before rain had the final say and the points were shared.