Gujarat secured their first-innings lead against Kerala while Tajinder Singh’s maiden first-class century shored up Rajasthan

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2017Ravindra Jadeja’s double-century underpinned Saurashtra’s dominant batting performance against Jammu & Kashmir in Rajkot. Jadeja, who was unbeaten on 150 overnight, struck another 51 runs, while Snell Patel, who resumed on 31, ended up with 94 as Saurashtra racked up 624 for 7 before declaring their innings. Jammu & Kashmir openers Ahmed Bandy and Shubham Khajuria could not build on starts, while Pranav Gupta and Ian Dev Singh were sent back cheaply. The side finished on 103 for 4, with Parvez Rasool, their captain, unbeaten on 23. The left-arm-spinning Jadejas – Ravindra and Dharmendrasinh – combined to take all four wickets, the latter accounting for three of them.Chirag Gandhi’s unbeaten 91 gave Gujarat the first-innings lead against Kerala in Nadiad. Gujarat began the day on 60 for 2 in response to Kerala’s first-innings 208. With Gujarat at 164 for 6, either team could have taken the lead, but Gandhi ensured the hosts would be that team, striking 12 fours and a six in his 142-ball knock. He found support from Rujul Bhatt with whom he added 90 runs for the seventh wicket. Gandhi is in the middle of an unbroken last-wicket stand of 28 with Siddharth Desai, who is yet to contribute a run. MD Nidheesh and Jalaj Saxena took three wickets each for Kerala.Tajinder Singh’s maiden first-class century shored up Rajasthan to 423 in their first innings against Jharkhand at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Tajinder resumed on 66 in the company of the overnight centurion Amitkumar Gautam, who scored just four more before being dismissed. Tajinder finished with 134 with the help of 18 fours and a six before becoming the ninth man dismissed. Rajasthan were also aided by contributions of 35 from their captain Pankaj Singh at No. 10 and an unbeaten 18 from their No. 11 Khaleel Ahmed. Jharkhand lost their openers early to be reduced to 15 for 2 before Saurabh Tiwary (56*) and Virat Singh (28*) rescued them with an unbroken 82-run stand.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators had asked the BCCI to hold a meeting before the ICC workshop, given the importance of the FTP on the agenda, but the board has failed to meet the date

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2017The BCCI has called its emergent Special General Meeting (SGM) on December 11, which means the meeting will take place after the ICC workshop that will be held on December 7-8, in Singapore to discuss the minutiae of the new Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2019 to 2023. The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) had asked the BCCI to convene the meeting before the ICC workshop because the FTP was one of the three important agendas, but the BCCI has failed to meet that date. The agenda for the SGM will now be the settlement of the dispute concerning the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise and the revocation of the suspension of Rajasthan Cricket Association.”The BCCI has convened a Special General Meeting (SGM) on Dec. 11, 2017 in New Delhi at 12.30 PM under the instruction of Mr. CK Khanna, Acting President and as per the directions from the Committee of Administrators,” a board release on Tuesday said, without expanding on the agenda.In the absence of a general body debate over the FTP, despite the request from the CoA on November 15 through an email to Khanna, the committee gave its nod to the board’s plan of the FTP designed by CEO Rahul Johri. At the workshop, the Full Member countries will chalk out a week-by-week plan for the FTP, extending from post-2019 World Cup till 2023. Apart from the global events, the FTP will cover the Test and ODI Leagues, which start in the next two years. It is understood that there has been resistance among the BCCI office bearers and the general body against rushing through with the FTP without “time and documents to study and deliberate on the item”.As per the BCCI’s existing constitution, the president can call for the SGM with a 21-day notice period. However, he also has the power to reduce the notice period to 10 days, which the CoA had asked Khanna to do.The important topic for the SGM now remains the litigation involving the Kochi Tuskers. The BCCI needs to decide whether, and how much, it should pay the owners of the franchise, whose agreement was terminated in 2011, two seasons after it came into existence. The BCCI had also encashed the bank guarantee of INR 153.34 crores at the time of termination, which the owners contested in the court. The court asked the matter to be settled via arbitration.In 2016 the Kochi owners won the arbitration case, which said that the board would not only refund the bank guarantee amount encashed by them, but also pay an additional INR 384.83 crore towards compensation for termination of the franchise. Subsequently, the BCCI’s attempts to resolve the issue amicably failed as the Kochi owners wanted compensation upwards of INR 1000 crore. During the SGM in May, Amitabh Choudhury, BCCI secretary, told the members that the BCCI might negotiate a settlement soon. In October, the IPL governing council resolved that the BCCI was left with no choice but pay the compensation. The CoA now awaits the members’ collective call on the subject.

The Pakistan fast bowler suffered the injury during his stint with Khulna Titans during the Bangladesh Premier League last month

Umar Farooq20-Dec-2017Fast bowler Junaid Khan has been ruled out for four weeks due to a stress fracture of the foot, a setback for the Pakistan team ahead of their limited-overs tour to New Zealand. Junaid fractured his right foot during the Bangladesh Premier League in November.He reportedly hit a ball onto his foot while playing for Khulna Titans in the BPL, and the latest assessment confirmed an unhealed stress fracture, for which the Pakistan Cricket Board’s medical panel – headed by Dr Sohail Saleem – advised the 27-year-old bowler another four weeks’ rest.Pakistan’s five-ODI series in New Zealand begins on January 6, with the three T20Is set to be played between January 22 and 28. The Pakistan selectors are expected to announce a squad later this week, with the team’s departure scheduled for December 26. Junaid is the second injury concern for selectors after Usman Shinwari, another left-arm quick, was sidelined by a stress fracture of the back last month.The injuries could boost the comeback prospects of fast bowlers Mohammad Irfan and Sohail Khan. Irfan was barred from all forms of cricket for a year – with six months suspended – in March, after failing to report details of two approaches to corrupt the game. He returned to competitive cricket in September, but has not played international cricket since September 2016.The injury means Junaid’s likely T20 comeback is set to be delayed. The bowler, who last played a T20I in 2014 and a Test in 2015, has struggled with injury in the past. In 2014, he missed matches on the tour of New Zealand due to a thigh injury and was later ruled out of the 2015 World Cup, before making a return again later that year on the tour of Bangladesh. He made a comeback to the ODI side on the tour of Australia in January this year, replacing Irfan who returned due to the death of his mother. Junaid has since gone on to play 14 of the side’s 18 ODIs in 2017, sharing the new ball with Mohammad Amir.

D’Arcy Short made the highest score in BBL history and took 1 for 20 from four overs, yet it was only just enough for Hobart Hurricanes to squeeze past the Brisbane Heat by three runs

The Report by Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2018
D’Arcy Short made the highest score in BBL history and took 1 for 20 from four overs, yet it was only just enough for Hobart Hurricanes to squeeze past the Brisbane Heat by three runs.Short was magnificent. His 122 not out from just 69 balls featured eight sixes and eight fours. It accounted for 68% of the Hurricanes’ total, with no other player reaching 20.Sam Heazlett and Brendon McCullum lit up the Powerplay in the run chase before Short and Cameron Boyce changed the game with eight overs of quality wristspin. Alex Ross began to dig his team out but was given out obstructing the field in bizarre circumstances trying to avoid being run-out.It left Jimmy Peirson, Mark Steketee and Brendon Doggett to get 48 from 18 balls and they nearly did it. Doggett needed four off the last ball but Daniel Christian held his nerve to finish a well-executed final over.The Hurricanes won their four game in a row to match the Heat on four wins overall.Spin works, pace doesn’tFor as well as Short has played during the tournament, opposition teams know they can contain him with spin, particularly in the Powerplay. The Heat did that in three of the six overs. Joe Burns and Yasir Shah delivered 18 balls for just 17 runs and conceded only one boundary. The problem came in the other three. Short struck four fours and two sixes from the 13 balls he faced from Steketee and Doggett to get the Hurricanes off to a flyer at 1 for 56 after six.Getty Images

One man showShort’s still head is the key to his pure ball-striking. This was his third 90-plus score but this time he had no help from the other end. Alex Doolan, Matthew Wade, Ben McDermott and George Bailey scored just 48 runs from 51 balls between them. Short did give one chance on 60. A towering top edge to midwicket burst through the hands of Joe Burns. The Heat paid a mighty price. Short hit Doggett into the stands to bring up his maiden T20 century in the 19th over. In the 20th, he hit Steketee for three consecutive sixes to set a new record in the BBL, surpassing Luke Wright’s 117 in the first edition of BBL.Mills’ nightmareTymal Mills has been one of the most expensive bowlers in the tournament to date and his opening two overs in the Powerplay did nothing to help those figures. Heazlett and McCullum had already made a rapid start, after Bailey gambled again with Simon Milenko in the opening over at a cost of 16.Mills’ nightmare began without ball in hand. He dropped McCullum at short fine leg off the last ball of the third over. He was immediately introduced to the bowling crease, and McCullum thumped him twice to the boundary. He gave up two more boundaries in the last over of the Powerplay. Heazlett’s striking was audacious in the absence of Chris Lynn. He and McCullum took 62 from the first six overs to get ahead of the required rate.Spin twinsBoyce and Short changed the game. They took 3 for 34 in six straight overs of wristspin. Boyce induced a false stroke from McCullum in the seventh over, with Bailey holding a similar chance to the one Burns put down. Short dropped an easy caught and bowled chance off Burns. But he did not concede a boundary in his first two overs and Burns holed out to Boyce as a result. Short was rewarded with the wicket of Heazlett, who also became frustrated by a lack of boundaries.When Short completed his fourth over, the Heat needed 74 from 36 balls. Ben Cutting and Alex Ross were still at the crease. Jofra Archer then took the air out of the stadium with a stunning one-handed return catch. A slower ball reached the middle of Cutting’s bat at 120kph, and rocketed back at Archer quicker than that. Archer calmly stuck his right hand up above his head and, like a magic trick, the ball disappeared in the blink of an eye.Obstructing the fieldThe moment of magic gave way to a moment of madness. Ross kept pushing. He struck two boundaries off Mills to get the equation to 49 from 19 balls. Then he hit a ball to deep midwicket and pushed for two. The fielder fired wide of the stumps at the strikers end and hit Ross as he was sliding to make his ground. The ball actually ricocheted off Ross onto the stumps. The Hurricanes appealed thinking he might have been short. He made it, but replays showed he had veered off his line. If anything, he appeared to veer away from the ball to avoid being hit rather than intentionally into the line of the ball to block the throw.The third umpire adjudicated differently and Ross was given out. Post-match, the two captains held a long and terse discussion regarding the dismissal. Bailey said he simply asked the question and the umpires made the call. The Heat still needed 48 off 18. Steketee and Peirson gave it an almighty shake. Three sixes and three fours in 12 balls meant the Heat needed 13 from the last over. Christian had not batted or bowled in the match but was called upon to ice the game. Despite a wide first ball, he achieved the task with a mix of quicker and slower ball yorkers that neither Peirson or Doggett could middle.

Fifties from Javed Ahmadi and Rahmat Shah, and the all-round brilliance of Rashid Khan, consigned Zimbabwe to a 146-run loss

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAFP

Fifties from Javed Ahmadi and Rahmat Shah, and the all-round brilliance of Rashid Khan, powered Afghanistan to a 4-1 series win in Sharjah. Their margin of victory – 146 runs – was their second highest in ODI cricket. Their biggest had come in this series as well, in the first game.After opting to bat, Afghanistan had a steady start with Ahmadi and Rahmat putting on 129 for the second wicket following the early dismissal of Mohammad Shahzad. Their partnership contributed 54% of Afghanistan’s total. Ahmadi was particularly fluent against spin, scoring 55 runs off 53 balls. Rahmat hit Chisoro for 30 runs off 23 balls but Sikandar Raza had him slicing a catch to long-off for 59. Rahmat ended the series as the top-scorer with 272 runs in four innings at an average of 68. Three overs later, Ahmadi was run out for 76 off 87 balls. From 142 for 1, Afghanistan slumped to 177 for 7. Rashid’s 29-ball 43, though, hauled the team to 241 for 9.In reply, Zimbabwe collapsed to 95 all out in 32.1 overs with only two of their batsmen passing 20. Rashid took 3 for 13 to finish as the leading wicket-taker in the series with 16 wickets, at an outstanding average of 7.93.Brendan Taylor (27) and Craig Ervine (34) rebuilt the chase briefly with a 46-run stand, before Zimbabwe imploded. They lost their last eight wickets for 23 runs with 16-year old Mujeeb Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, and Rashid sharing the spoils. Rashid took three wickets in six balls to wrap up the tail.

The board, however, is yet to enter into talks with the South African Cricketers’ Association, despite the current MoU expiring at the end of April

Firdose Moonda04-Mar-2018Cricket South Africa has committed to maintaining a revenue-share model with its players as it enters negotiations over a new memorandum of understanding with the South African Cricketers’ Association.The current MoU, which has been in place since 2014, expires at the end of April and is redrafted every four years and has always included a revenue-share model But, in December last year, acting CEO Thabang Moroe and president Chris Nenzani told journalists they might consider rethinking the structure of their player contracts.At the time, Moroe made several suggestions of how CSA could shake up contracts including awarding them across different formats and mentioned that the revenue-sharing model would be re-examined. However, at a board meeting on Saturday, CSA backtracked from that and resolved to keep the financial model, which will go some way to easing player concerns over their financial futures.”We remain committed to the revenue share model,” CSA president Nenzani said. “We are a big employer with many constituencies and have sought over the past few months to engage with them with a view to preparing for the negotiations with SACA. The collective agreement ends in April this year. We will be ready to commence negotiations in advance of that date.”However, that does not mean the situation between CSA and the players has been completely resolved. ESPNcricinfo understands that CSA have yet to hold an official meeting with SACA over the status of the MoU and have delayed talks by at least a month. Usually, meetings between CSA and SACA take place in the first week of February but, to date, there has been no sit-down between parties.A concern for SACA is that the window for contracting franchise players opened on March 1 and will close at the end of April and a delay in talks could hamper the process of completing these contracts. Franchise players were believed to be so unhappy with the lack of clarity over the MoU that they were considering boycotting some parts of the first-class competition, which is in its final three rounds, unless some progress was made.CSA has appointed a four-man task team to deal with the negotiations for the MoU. Franchise CEOs Jacques Faul (Titans), Nabeal Dean (Cobras), Greg Fredericks (Lions) and provincial CEO Thando Booi (Border) will look into how a collective agreement with SACA can be reached.

The former Pakistan captain and coach has inked a two-year deal as head coach of Bangladesh Premier League franchise

Umar Farooq15-Mar-2018Waqar Younis, the former Pakistan captain and coach, has inked a two-year deal as head coach of Bangladesh Premier League franchise, Sylhet Sixers. He will replace Jafrul Ehsan in the BPL for 2018 and 2019.Waqar is presently working with Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United as director – cricket and bowling coach. Along with Dean Jones, he has led the side to the top of the table, the first team to make their way into the playoffs.”Bangladesh is a passionate cricketing nation and it really fun working in the circuit,” Waqar told ESPNcricinfo. “Bangladesh has emerged among the top-eight countries now. They are playing top-class cricket and it’s really satisfying for you as a coach to help them grow.”Sylhet Sixers have been in transition since last year, with new owners among other changes. “We are honoured to have a legend in our team,” Yasir Obaid, their chief executive, said. “We had him as ambassador and mentor last year, and were always [keen] to have him in a full-time role. We couldn’t be happier that he finally agreed a long-term deal with us as head coach.”Waqar had two stints as head coach of Pakistan, which followed two stints as bowling coach after his international retirement in 2004. He had also worked as bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad during the Indian Premier League in 2013.

Bangladesh women bowled out for their second sub-100 score as they go 3-0 down in the five-match series

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2018
ScorecardGetty Images and Cricket Australia

Bangladesh women are yet to bat out 50 overs on tour in South Africa. On Wednesday, they were bowled out for their second sub-100 score after which the dominant hosts, riding on an unbeaten 51-ball 44 from Lizelle Lee, cruised past the target of 72 in just 14.4 overs. The victory gave South Africa an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-ODI series.Barring Nigar Sultana, who occupied the crease for 122 minutes to make an unbeaten 97-ball 33, none of the other Bangladesh batsmen made much of an impression. Panna Ghosh’s 12 at No. 8 was the second-highest score of the innings that lasted 36.5 overs.The top four were blown away inside four overs by the new-ball pair of Ayabonga Khaka and Marizanne Kapp, who picked up two wickets apiece in their first spell. The 23-run stand that followed between Jannatul Ferdus and Sultana was the highest of the innings.Khaka, who was in line to record her ODI best, finished with her second successive three-for, while Kapp didn’t add to her first-spell tally. There was a wicket apiece for Masabata Klaas, Chloe Tryon, debutant Zintle Mali and Raisibe Ntozakhe.Bangladesh struck in the seventh over of the chase when left-arm spinner Nahida Akhter removed Andrie Steyn, but that would be their only consolation on the field. Trisha Chetty finished 15 not out to Lee’s 44, which contained five fours and a six.The fourth ODI will also be played in Kimberley on Saturday.

England missed crucial chances on the second day to leave themselves well behind in the opening Test

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando25-May-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDon’t act too surprised, but Pakistan have played their second consecutive day of consistent, sober, intelligent cricket. For their reward, they have a 166-run lead with two wickets in hand – though one of those batsmen may not return due to injury.England, meanwhile, were shabby on occasion, missing four catches in the day – two in the space of four balls – and missing one tough run out chance. Their bowlers did not succeed going full as Pakistan had, perhaps because the pitch has settled slightly, but also because Pakistan were more skillful on day one.Ben Stokes did lead one resurgence either side of tea, finding success with a series of brutish bouncers. But then the lower order stood firm for Pakistan. They quickly pushed the lead beyond 150. Nos. 9 and 11 even saw out 4.1 overs before stumps.Three partnerships, involving six different batsmen, built this innings. Up the top were the overnight pair, Haris Sohail and Azhar Ali. Adding a 37 together on the second morning, they brought up their partnership tally to 75, withstanding the worst of England’s swing bowling.Haris fell for 39, edging Mark Wood behind. Azhar continued to his half-century, having batted a little more positively in this session, after having scored only 18 off 72 the previous day. He was out lbw, to a seaming delivery from James Anderson.In the afternoon, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam – two men in need of runs for different reasons – took control of the game, and produced Pakistan’s best partnership, amounting to 84.Shafiq, once an excellent No.6 batsman, has seen his average retreat over the past 18 months when he has more often been asked to bat at No. 4. Babar, a blinding limited-overs talent, is yet to crack the Test format, averaging less than 25 before this match.Together, though, the quelled the last of the swing England were able to generate, saw through one short-ball burst from Mark Wood, and batted positively against Dom Bess, the 20-year-old debutant offspinner. Babar’s innings contained some of the regality that has made him a short-format force: the back-foot punches and cover drives in particular were in alluring flow. Shafiq, a little less flash, but more assured at the crease, strode purposefully along.They both made smart fifties. Shafiq was out to a snorting Stokes bouncer on 59, able only to spasm evasively at a ball that was hunting his throat, the resultant catch off the shoulder of the bat floating to the cordon. Babar had moved to 69 when he too was victim to a Stokes bouncer, but in different fashion – the ball hit the bony part of his unprotected forearm as he attempted to duck beneath it. He went off the field, apparently unable to hold the bat, but did not go for an x-ray while play was on.Stokes had also had Sarfraz Ahmed caught at fine leg, hooking irresponsibly just before tea to prompt a frustrated shaking of the head from coach Mickey Arthur on the balcony. But although three batsmen had fallen to stokes in relatively quick succession, a young, inexperienced lower order pair put on Pakistan’s third excellent stand of the day.Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf didn’t just resist England; in fact, they actively attacked. Their 72 runs together came off 92 balls. This was all the more impressive for having come against a mostly-new ball – England’s seamers getting less seam movement this evening, than they had on day one.Anderson had success late in the day, dismissing Ashraf and later Hasan Ali, while another sharp Stokes bouncer had Shadab caught down the leg side for 59. But England’s bowlers will largely be disappointed at having allowed the lead to swell this much. The pitch is flattening out gradually, but they were especially innocuous for stretches. Bess, bowling offbreaks on a still-green surface is yet to impose himself on the game too – his 17 overs have gone for 59 runs – no first Test wicket so far.

Usman Khawaja became the first Glamorgan player to hit hundreds in his first three Championsip figure – then a familiar figure rudely interrupted

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-20181:34

Surrey hit with five-run penalty

ScorecardUsman Khawaja made history on the second day of Glamorgan’s Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Northamptonshire at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.But there was also a century for Northamptonshire’s opening batsman Ben Duckett, as he guided the visitors to 169 for 0 at the close, a sizeable second innings lead of 196. They are in firm control after a lacklustre bowling and batting display by the Welsh county, with the notable exception of Khawaja.After showing glimpses of his best form in Northants’ opening win of the season, this was Duckett at his most destructive and suggests better times ahead for a player who was in England’s thoughts only recently.Khawaja’s 103 made him the first player in Glamorgan’s history to score a century in his first three Championship matches for the county, surpassing the two consecutive hundreds achieved by Javed Miandad (in 1980) and Shaun Marsh, earlier this season, with Khawaja adding to his centuries against Warwickshire (125) at Edgbaston and Derbyshire (126) at Swansea.”I wasn’t expecting the record at all,” Khawaja said. “There were even ifs and buts whether I’d get here at all because I was still waiting for a visa in India. I got over here with not too much time to spare and to get that first hundred alone… It’s nice that it’s flowed on a little bit from there.”The Australian left-hander brought up his century from 138 deliveries, striking 16 fours and two sixes, before he was caught at fine leg by Richard Levi off Hutton for 103, as Glamorgan were dismissed for 254, 27 runs behind in the first innings.Earlier in the day, Luke Procter had taken two Glamorgan wickets in the first session as the Welsh county battled to 115 for three in their first innings reply to 281. Nick Selman was first to depart, touching an outswinger to keeper Adam Rossington off Ben Sanderson for 29.
Jack Murphy was then trapped lbw for 21 from Luke Procter’s second delivery of the day before Owen Morgan was caught behind for 20, having struck four fours. Kiran Carlson, off the mark from the sixteenth delivery he faced, was struck in front by Sanderson, who bowled Chris Cooke two balls later before Andrew Salter was lbw to Brett Hutton, with Glamorgan in trouble on 195 for 6.Ruaidhri Smith was dropped by Richard Levi at second slip on two, before Nathan Buck took three wickets in successive overs, getting Smith caught behind before bowling both Prem Sisodiya and Timm van der Gugten. Khawaja was eventually dismissed for 103 as Glamorgan were all out for 254, a first innings deficit of 27.Northamptonshire’s openers Luke Procter and Ben Duckett started their second innings and the final session aggressively, building a valuable partnership and making Glamorgan’s bowlers suffer as they built a sizeable lead.Duckett brought up his half century from 52 deliveries and his century from 92, as the visitors continued to dominate late into the day. Procter also posted a half-century as the visitors looked to build a comprehensive lead.After completing his 14th first-class century for Northamptonshire, Duckett said, “Tomorrow is massive. In the past, we’ve been on the opposite end of days like this where sides have really hammered us. I think it’s really important for us to do the same in the morning.”