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Opener’s 27-ball 77 sets up huge total, before bowlers suppress Karachi’s steady surge to give Peshawar an opportunity to defend their crown

The Report by Arun Venugopal21-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellPowered by Kamran Akmal’s 27-ball 77, Peshawar Zalmi waltzed their way to their second consecutive PSL final, after suppressing a steady surge from Karachi Kings. After Peshawar posted 170 for 7 in a rain-shortened 16-overs a side contest, their seamers teamed up in disciplined fashion to ensure Karachi never outpaced them. Despite half-centuries from Joe Denly and Babar Azam, who stitched together a 117-run partnership for the second wicket, Hasan Ali, Sameen Gul and Chris Jordan choked the flow of runs at regular intervals to crush any aspirations Karachi might have had of a home final.Needing 44 off the last two overs, Denly belted out a few big hits to take 16 runs off Hasan in the 15th over. However, 28 runs off the last over proved a little too steep, even though Wahab began with a no-ball. Karachi were left to rue their inability to accelerate. In the end, they had their strongest finisher Colin Ingram walk in a little too late.Much of Karachi’s discomfort was also a product of some inspired seam bowling from Hasan and Gul early on. Hasan thrived on seaming the ball away from the batsmen late and finished with figures of 4-0-41-1, while Gul conceded only 20 runs from his three overs and removed opener Mukhtar Ahmed, who was brought in for his first game this season. There were backed up by an excellent support cast – Jordan, Umaid Asif and Wahab – that made Azam and Denly work hard for their runs. Captain Daren Sammy didn’t even have to employ left-arm spinner Liam Dawson on a wet day where the opposition’s spinners continually struggled to grip the ball.That, however, wasn’t the only reason Karachi struggled after they put Peshawar into bat. Apart from stand-in captain Mohammad Amir, who finished with remarkable figures of 4-0-16-0, their bowlers fluffed their lines in the face of Akmal’s onslaught. Karachi were also undone by some listless fielding in sharp contrast to the smartness that Peshawar displayed later in the evening.Where the match was won
In taking their time to suss the pitch out, both Peshawar and Karachi began their innings in remarkably similar fashion. Peshawar were on 29 for 0 at the end of four overs while Karachi had scored four runs fewer at the same stage. However, the difference lay in how Akmal and Peshawar took off from there and consistently amped up their scoring rate. The fifth over, bowled by Usman Khan, went for 25 runs and the over after that yielded 15, as Peshawar reached 69 at the end of six overs. They didn’t let the ball drop, as overs six to 10 produced 66 runs.In contrast, Karachi wheezed their way to 37 runs at the end of five overs and never managed the 20-run overs that Peshawar achieved regularly. Karachi did pull it back in the backend as Peshawar only scored 50 off their last six overs, but the belligerent striking at the top had eventually given them enough cover.
The men who won itAkmal was a doubtful starter ahead of the match with a bothersome hamstring. It was thanks to some last-minute repair work from the physio and the trainer that he was able to play. Once on the field, Akmal, like so often during this tournament, set the tempo for the rest of the batting group. He remained true to his methods, and merrily collected boundaries by clearing his front leg and giving the ball a resounding whack. Predictably, a large chunk of his runs came on the leg side, and he finished with five fours and eight sixes.What was more impressive was the manner in which he transferred pressure on to the opposition. Sensing that his opening partner Andre Fletcher was struggling, Akmal counterpunched against Karachi’s bowlers, who had started steadily, and broke their resistance. He disoriented Usman in the fifth over with a sequence of 6,4,4,4,6,1 to open the floodgates. From thereon, it was carnage. It was only after his dismissal off the last ball of the 10th over that Karachi found some respite.Where they stand
Thanks to the win, Peshawar travel to Karachi, where they will meet Islamabad United, the champions of the 2016 edition, in the final. Meanwhile, Karachi would be sorely disappointed at blowing both their shots at making the final, after finishing in the top-two at the end of the league phase.

Wayne Madsen has played many more fluent and attractive innings in his long and illustrious career, but the South African cannot have made a more hard-fought than that which he scored on the first day against Leicestershire

ECB/PA07-Aug-2015
ScorecardWayne Madsen made half Derbyshire’s total on the opening day•Getty Images

Wayne Madsen has played many more fluent and attractive innings in his long and illustrious career, but the South African cannot have made a more hard-fought or more valuable century than that which he scored for Derbyshire on the first day of their Championship match against Leicestershire at Grace Road.Madsen finished unbeaten on 164 as Derbyshire closed on 320 for 8, a score which looked well beyond them after they lost their first three wickets for just 38. In bowler-friendly conditions and on a green-tinged pitch Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove put the visitors in after winning the toss, and his seamers found movement through the air and off the pitch.Ben Raine made the early breakthrough for Leicestershire, swinging the ball in to left-hander Billy Godleman to win a leg before decision, and Ben Slater followed soon afterwards, leaving Charlie Shreck’s first delivery and losing his off-stump.It was Shreck’s 50th wicket in the Championship this season, and he should have had a 51st in the same over, when Madsen, on 11 at the time, edged high to third slip, only for Rob Sayer to put down the chance.The 37-year-old Shreck did pick up a second wicket when Tillikeratne Dillshan edged another out-swinger to Angus Robson at first slip. Madsen and Alex Hughes fought their way through to lunch, but after the break Derbyshire lost Alex Hughes, caught behind fending at Clint McKay, and Wes Durston, who edged an attempted drive at Shreck, to leave Derbyshire teetering on 118 for 5.Madsen enjoyed a huge stroke of fortune when on 54 he cut a delivery from Cosgrove to gully, where Ned Eckersley took the catch above his head – only for umpire Paul Baldwin to signal no-ball after seeing Cosgrove had knocked off a bail in his delivery stride.Madsen and Shiv Thakor then compiled a partnership of 71 for the sixth wicket before Thakor – a former Leicestershire player – attempted to turn offspinner Rob Sayer down the leg side, and was given out leg before to give Sayer, making his Championship debut for Leicestershire, his first first-class wicket.Harvey Hosein leant his captain valuable support as Madsen went to his 100, off 203 balls, and though Hosein was then brilliantly caught by Andrea Agathangelou diving to his right at second slip, Tony Palladino and then Mark Footitt hung around as Madsen went through to his 150, and took Derbyshire through to a third batting bonus point.

A day dominated by the two youngest men to represent Middlesex in first-class cricket ended with Derbyshire in the sort of parlous position that many would have predicted after they had lost the toss and were inserted

Alan Gardner at Lord's17-Apr-2013
ScorecardSteven Finn’s return to action was productive with four wickets•Getty Images

A day dominated by the two youngest men to represent Middlesex in first-class cricket ended with Derbyshire in the sort of parlous position that many would have predicted after they had lost the toss and were inserted. Had it not been for Billy Godleman, who debuted as a 16-year-old for Middlesex in the same match as Steven Finn back in 2005 and made a stoic, 244-ball half-century for Derbyshire here, the situation could have been far worse.In taking 323 minutes, Godleman’s is a contender for the slowest-ever Championship fifty – though he was still half-an-hour quicker than “The Barnacle” Trevor Bailey with his 350-ball effort in the first Ashes Test of 1958-59. Godleman’s innings, assembled in the painstaking manner of a man constructing a model ship in a bottle, was ended six minutes shy of six hours, though it might have felt longer to the smattering of Middlesex members who attended the opening day of the season at Lord’s.”I just love batting,” Godleman said, “I don’t necessarily see it as grinding, although the spectators might have a different view.” When it was suggested he may have set a record, he replied with a grin: “It wouldn’t surprise me, because it was pretty slow.”Godleman is at his third county in Derbyshire, having been released by Essex last year. His first full season at Middlesex, in 2007, brought 832 runs at 38.27 but he has never bettered that return and left his native London at the end of 2009. His Camden twang is still distinct and, although their paths have diverged he refers to Finn – who took 4 for 36 in his first outing of the season – as his “dearest friend”.The innings will undoubtedly long live in the memory – whether those present want it to or not – though it did not provide Derbyshire the platform it might have. Still, Godleman was pleased to have acquitted himself back at HQ. “Lord’s is always a special place but for me specifically, having grown up here and Middlesex being my boyhood club and facing my best friend opening the bowling against me, yeah.”It was a burst of 3 for 11 in six overs from said friend that most severely undermined Godleman’s graft, as Derbyshire’s 132 for 3 at tea rapidly became 150 for 6. In , Laertes warns his sister Ophelia that the “best safety lies in fear” but, having countenanced the danger and avoided it well enough in morning, Derbyshire’s batsmen became comfortably complicit in their demise. Dan Redfern and Chesney Hughes both poked at Finn deliveries they could have left on length, though Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s departure before the interval, pulling loosely to midwicket, was the most surprising.If the morning session had been billed as a horror show, with Division One newcomers Derbyshire put in under cloudy skies against one of the most-vaunted pace attacks on the circuit, it was to prove disappointingly short on video nasties. Finn’s second delivery was a leg-side wide and his opening spell of 7-5-5-0 camouflaged what had been a mixture of the unplayable and the unreachable.Toby Roland-Jones – who took eight wickets in the win over Nottinghamshire last week – was also wayward, though Tim Murtagh should have seen Godleman on his way when he had made just 2 but a low chance to third slip wriggled out of Sam Robson’s grasp.There was one early breakthrough and Wayne Madsen’s eminently preventable run-out foreshadowed the eventual path of the Derbyshire innings. In digging out a Finn delivery, a pinball ricochet sent it via Godleman, the non-striker, towards Chris Rogers at mid-off who was unerring in throwing down the stumps as Madsen belatedly realised his mistake in trying to get off the mark.Wes Durston and Godleman added 83 for the second wicket, the former looking increasingly assured right up until the moment he pulled Finn confidently straight to deep fine-leg and gave the bowler his 300th first-class wicket. That the ensuing collapse unfolded in slow motion was appropriate, though Godleman’s grit may yet prove vital for Derbyshire.

If Pakistan are to turn the corner – and time is of the essence, with the World Cup less than four months away – the senior batsmen have to do some serious introspection

The Preview by Nitin Sundar30-Oct-2010

Match Facts

October 31, Abu Dhabi

Start time 15:00 (11:00 GMT)Hashim Amla will be keen to do better than the 35 he managed in the opening ODI, given his good form•AFP

The Big Picture

Pakistan’s batting is going through one of its worst phases, not far behind the shambolic Sharjah Test in 2002 against Australia when their 20 wickets scrounged a total of 112 runs. For 30 overs of Friday’s game, Pakistan seemed to have overcome their woes: Younis Khan and Mohammad Hafeez resorted to the old-school formula of conserving wickets and setting up a late surge, a method that has been the cornerstone of Pakistan’s many memorable one-day successes. However, the middle order imploded once again; Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq exited to strokes whose replays should have made them cringe, while Abdul Razzaq fell fending lethargically at one that angled in. The fact that some of their most accomplished players were at the forefront of the collapse suggests the current phase is a crisis of confidence and attitude, more than a question of talent.Pakistan’s senior batsmen have to do some serious introspection, and they don’t need to search too hard to find inspiration. After nine months of upheaval, when he possibly visited tribunals and disciplinary committees more often than the batting nets, Younis walked into the middle overs with the assurance of someone completely at ease with his methods. Inevitably, there was some rust – he survived a palpable lbw shout, and managed only two boundaries in the sapping conditions – but unlike his colleagues, the rust was restricted to the physical aspect of Younis’ game, while his mind remained uncluttered. Can Afridi rally his team-mates to follow Younis’ example?Having sealed three easy wins on the trot, South Africa’s main concern will be that they are not being stretched enough in subcontinental conditions, ahead of the World Cup. Their batsmen were challenged more by the elements than by Pakistan’s attack in the opening ODI, and the question mark over Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis’ availability for Sunday could even things a bit. Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been the star of the tour so far, but even he will be a little surprised by the success his honest off-cutters and in-duckers have courted. The conditions, and a look at the schedule, may prompt South Africa to consider rotating their players, but they won’t want to give Pakistan an opportunity to draw level either.

Form guide

(most recent first)
South Africa: WWWWW
Pakistan: LLWWL

Watch out for…

While Pakistan’s middle-overs batting has been a problem, their bowling in the same period, led by Saeed Ajmal, has been impressive. Ajmal’s doosras and changes in length often had Kallis and JP Duminy groping without conviction. Only AB de Villiers seemed to have a measure of his guiles, before he too fell to a floater. Ajmal can pose a huge threat if he has the cushion of runs. Are Pakistan’s batsmen listening?Going by his recent appetite for runs, Hashim Amla will be disappointed with his dismissal after a quick 35 on Friday. His last ten innings have included four centuries, and two near-tons. Sunday could be the day when the ‘Monk’ graces the Middle East.

Team news

Smith and Kallis are both under observation as they recover from a finger injury and cramps respectively. Kallis had to be administered an intravenous drip after suffering dehydration on Friday, and Albie Morkel will fancy his chances of replacing him. X-rays have revealed Smith has not endured a fracture but, given his history with finger injuries, South Africa may want to give him time to recover completely. The lack of a specialist replacement opener in the squad, though, could make things interesting vis-à-vis the batting order. Colin Ingram might be forced to open if Smith does not make the cut.South Africa (possible): 1 Graeme Smith (capt) / Colin Ingram, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 AB de Villiers (wk), 4 JP Duminy, 5 Jacques Kallis / Albie Morkel, 6 David Miller, 7 Johan Botha, 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Robin Peterson, 10 Lonwabo Tsotsobe, 11 Charl LangeveldtWhile Pakistan need massive changes in their approach, they don’t have too many resources available to make changes to their line-up. Umar Akmal, who was excluded for the first game, may return in place of Fawad Alam.Pakistan (possible): 1 Asad Shafiq, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq, 5 Fawad Alam / Umar Akmal, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Zulqarnain Haider (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Shoaib Akhtar, 11 Saeed Ajmal

Stats and trivia

• During the course of his half-century in the first game, Kallis hit his 129th six, the most by any South Africa batsman. Afridi, with 276 sixes, sits atop the overall list
• It has been more than four years since Razzaq either scored a fifty or took more than two wickets in an ODI innings
• de Villiers has so far amassed 806 runs this year, the joint third-highest behind Tillakaratne Dilshan (866) and Cameron White (813). Amla is four runs behind de Villiers

Quotes

“Losing players from your top eleven is never easy. I sincerely hope they are cleared and are available to play for Pakistan because they are key players.”
“I must say I have been working very hard to get where I am now.”

Sri Lankan allrounder Sanath Jayasuriya has signed with Worcestershire as their overseas player for five Twenty20 matches this summer

Cricinfo staff25-May-2010Sri Lankan allrounder Sanath Jayasuriya has signed with Worcestershire as their overseas player for five Twenty20 matches this summer. He will replace allrounder Steve Smith, who was called-up to Australia’s limited-overs squads for the forthcoming tour of England.”Sanath will bring a wealth of experience to the squad during a critical part of the forthcoming T20 campaign gained from playing all around the world, including the IPL and the recent World Twenty20 in the West Indies,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said. “His left-arm spin and powerful batting can only benefit our efforts in this competition and there is no doubt he is still one of the most exciting cricketers in world cricket. He is a proven match-winner and I have no doubt he will prove to be a great entertainer for our supporters.”Jayasuriya will depart for England after obtaining a clearance from Sri Lanka Cricket. At 40, Jayasuriya is one of the oldest international cricketers on the circuit, having played 110 Tests and 444 ODIs since his debut in 1989. However, he hasn’t been able to hold his place in the Sri Lankan limited-overs teams recently after hitting a rough patch with the bat. With the reputation of being a destructive opener, his inconsistency has led to him dropping down the order to No.7, and being used primarily as a bowler.He recently entered politics and won a parliament seat in the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Worcestershire failed to make the semi-finals last year’s Twenty20 Cup, finishing fifth in the Midlands/Wales/West Division.

Sam Hain’s 63 off 39 balls rescued Rockets from 54 for 5 against Southern Brave

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2023Defending champions Trent Rockets kicked off their Men’s Hundred campaign with a six-run victory over 2021 winners Southern Brave in a low-scoring contest at Trent Bridge, Daniel Sams and Lewis Gregory taking three wickets each.Sam Hain’s 63 off 39 balls rescued the Rockets from 54 for 5 with support from Imad Wasim – a last-minute substitute after Rashid Khan’s 11th hour withdrawal – but with Chris Jordan’s 3 for 18 the stand-out performance in a solid bowling display, 133 from 100 looked below par.Yet, on a slow pitch that was offering the bowlers some help, it was too much for Brave, who were 41 without loss from 37 balls but lost five wickets for 32 in the next 28, a position from which they never recovered, despite some late heroics with the bat from Jordan, bowled out for 127 from 99 balls.Related

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Asked to bat first, Rockets lost their top three batters for 25 inside the powerplay. Alex Hales miscued Craig Overton to mid-wicket and Dawid Malan sent up a steepler off the same bowler that James Vince had plenty of time to get under. In between, George Garton produced a beauty to bowl Tom Kohler-Cadmore.Neither Colin Munro nor Gregory fared any better at imposing themselves, the former skying one from Tymal Mills that was comfortably caught at mid-off, with skipper Gregory hit squarely in front by Jordan to perish for two as Rockets reached the 50-ball mark at a miserable 54 for 5. Scoring chances were generally scarce as the Brave attack kept their discipline, backed up for the most part by some excellent fielding.Hain at last gave a subdued home crowd some excitement when Overton returned for his final set to be hit for three boundaries in a row, the middle one a falling-over scoop that carried over the rope and he and Imad were able to put together something of a recovery.They added 78 in 49 balls – 48 of them in the last 25 – before both fell in a dramatic finale to the innings that saw Jordan run out Hain then bowl Imad and Matt Carter with his next two deliveries before Luke Wood survived the hat-trick ball.The priority for Brave in the chase would have been to lose no early wickets and though they were merely level with Rockets for runs after their opening 25, the difference was that the wickets fallen space on the scoreboard still showed zero.Things looked much less comfortable at halfway. Devon Conway’s top edge off Gregory pinged off his helmet to point, then Imad entered the attack with two wickets in eight balls. His first delivery did for Vince, stumped going down the pitch to one that spun away, before Finn Allen, who had looked the man most likely to carry Brave home, holed out to long-on, leaving Brave 51 for 3 from 48 balls.As panic set in, Garton skewed Matt Carter to short fine leg and Tim David, looking to ease the pressure, picked out Hales at long-on, before another slightly freakish delivery saw James Fuller caught behind off glove and pad to leave Brave six down for 89, needing 45 from 22 balls.Leus du Plooy was caught behind in a scoop attempt, Jordan pulled Wood for six, was dropped at short third on 16 – a gallant one-handed effort by sub fielder John Turner – but was yorked by Sams for 22 off 11 with nine needed from three before Overton was run out and Mills leg before.

239-run partnership puts hosts in control at New Road

ECB Reporters Network08-Aug-2020Jake Libby scored a hundred on his home debut for Worcestershire as he and fellow centurion Brett D’Oliveira dominated proceedings after an initial three-wicket burst by Glamorgan paceman Michael Hogan in the Bob Willis Trophy encounter at Blackfinch New Road.The pair came together at 70 for 3 shortly before lunch and Libby, signed during the close season from Nottinghamshire on a three-year contract, completed the sixth first-class ton of his career from 205 balls with 11 boundaries. He ended unbeaten on 142 from 261 deliveries with one six and 14 fours.D’Oliveira went to his century from 183 balls with 14 fours and the stand was worth an unbroken 239 in 64 overs – a new record for Worcestershire’s fourth wicket in matches against Glamorgan. He finished on 123 from 206 balls with one six and 15 boundaries as Worcestershire closed on 309 for 3 from 91 overs.Libby followed on from his 77 in his first appearance for his new county in the eight-wicket success against Gloucestershire at Bristol. He had indicated a willingness to open when he signed for Worcestershire and fill the berth alongside Daryl Mitchell which has often been problematic in recent years.Libby was Nottinghamshire’s leading run-scorer in the County Championship in 2018 but a flux of signings restricted his red ball opportunities last summer at Trent Bridge and he ended his six-year association with the club. Worcestershire are hoping the best years of the 27-year-old lie ahead in the same way as they have recruited Gareth Roderick for next season from Gloucestershire.Libby had one slice of good fortune when dropped on 43 at second slip by Charlie Hemphrey off Timm van der Gugten but otherwise batted with great authority and received a standing ovation from his team-mates when he reached three figures.D’Oliveira also played a sparkling knock which maintained his fine start to the truncated campaign after his unbeaten 91 versus Gloucestershire. He had struck 14 fours before he reached his hundred with a square drive for two off Hogan which then resulted in four overthrows. The 28-year-old was also grateful to Hemphrey for a spilled chance at slip when on 67 as he went to cut spinner Kieran Bull.Hogan had been the star performer during the morning session when two spells produced combined figures of 9-3-15-3. But he was unable to add to his tally during the afternoon or evening session to leave him still one short of 600 first-class wickets in his career.The 39-year-old had dismissed Daryl Mitchell and Tom Fell in his opening spell and returned to account for Jack Haynes shortly before lunch.Worcestershire brought back Dillon Pennington for rested paceman Josh Tongue while Glamorgan recalled Tom Cullen and van der Gugten at the expense of Marchant de Lange and the injured Ruaidhri Smith (hamstring injury).Hogan dismissed Mitchell for a duck with the fourth delivery of the day after he flicked at a delivery down the leg side and keeper Chris Cooke held onto a fine catch away to his left.New batsman Fell had a left off when Cooke failed to hold onto a difficult chance from another testing Hogan delivery – but it did not prove to be a costly miss. On eight, he nicked another ball from Hogan and this time Cooke made no mistake with a sharp low catch.Libby and Jack Haynes attempted to rebuild the innings and experienced few alarms in adding 48 in 16 overs. But then Hogan’s return accounted for Haynes (21) when the England Under-19 batsman went for an ambitious hook and holed out to Dan Douthwaite on the backward square leg boundary.D’Oliveira and Libby batted with plenty of fluency after joining forces. A straight drive for four off van Gugten completed a half century for Libby from 94 balls with seven boundaries. D’Oliveira cut Douthwaite for four to bring up his half century from 78 balls and also the 100 partnership in the 34th over.The fourth-wicket pair both hit two boundaries apiece in successive overs from spinner Bull and accelerated in the final session as the milestones of a personal and team nature were clocked up.

Against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla, an injury-stricken Rising Pune Supergiants fell back on the reliable shoulders of Ajinkya Rahane, Rajat Bhatia and a brisk innings from IPL debutant Usman Khawaja to hand the hosts a seven-wicket defeat

The Report by Vishal Dikshit05-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAjinkya Rahane scored his fifth half-century of the tournament•BCCI

Rising Pune Supergiants had been marred by four major injuries in the last two weeks and were reeling at the bottom half of the points table with six losses from eight matches. But against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla, they fell back on the reliable shoulders of Ajinkya Rahane, Rajat Bhatia and a brisk innings from IPL debutant Usman Khawaja to hand the hosts their second loss in their last four matches.Supergiants first restricted Daredevils to 162 by slowing them down in the middle overs and taking regular wickets. The top order then, led by Rahane’s unbeaten and unflustered 63, made sure the chase, which got slightly tense towards the end, was sealed with five balls to spare.This looked like anyone’s game when Supergiants needed 37 from the last three overs. Captain MS Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 4, struck a four and a straight six off Mohammed Shami, soon after five wides earlier in the 18th over, to bring the equation down to 17 from 12. Iman Tahir removed Dhoni with the first ball of the 19th over but two lusty sixes from Thisara Perera meant Supergiants needed three from the last over and Rahane finished it with a flicked four.Khawaja and Rahane accelerated in the chase after the third over by mainly targeting the quicks. They saw through Jayant Yadav’s three overs of offspin and reached 50 when the Powerplay ended. Amit Mishra’s googly and thrift then combined to stump Khawaja, who had already been dropped on 8 and had survived run-out chances on 9 and 22, for 30.Rahane continued in his usual risk-free and unruffled fashion and he was hardly troubled by JP Duminy and Carlos Brathwaite in a second-wicket partnership of 45 with Saurabh Tiwary. But Tahir had Tiwary caught at deep midwicket in the 14th over. By then, Supergiants were still 59 adrift with 40 balls remaining.Dhoni smashed his fourth ball for a six and after Supergiants took 13 runs off the next 16 balls, they needed 37 from 18. Duminy gave the ball to Shami who sent five wides way down the leg side on the second ball of the over and once Dhoni took strike, he tilted the momentum back with consecutive boundaries to make it easier for Rahane.Daredevils, who were asked to bat, were largely anchored by their stand-in captain Duminy, as Zaheer Khan had a niggle, but other batsmen could not convert starts into big scores. Once Dinda knocked over Rishabh Pant’s off stump in the third over, Karun Nair and Sanju Samson started scoring boundaries on both sides of the pitch to lift the run rate above eight. But Samson handed a simple catch to midwicket on the last ball of the Powerplay.Duminy, meanwhile, kept the score ticking by scoring at nearly run a ball but was running out of partners. Bhatia took the pace off the ball for another economical spell and Nair soon holed out to sweeper cover, for 32 off 23, while trying to break free.Sam Billings combined with Duminy to quickly score 24 runs out of the 45 they put together in five overs. Billings had struck R Ashwin for two consecutive sixes and posed a big threat before a switch-hit ended his innings. Brathwaite then took on M Ashwin for two more sixes but impressive fielding from Rahane and Tiwary resulted in two run-outs. Pawan Negi’s unbeaten 19 off 12 balls provided Daredevils a late push but it wasn’t enough.

Jim Troughton was perhaps never considered an artist as a batsman but he is now reaching for his easel to illustrate a new children’s book.

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2015Jim Troughton was perhaps never considered an artist as a batsman but he is now reaching for his easel to illustrate a new children’s book. Troughton, who captained Warwickshire to the 2012 County Championship, has worked on The Legend of Morvidus, The Bear the bat and the Ragged Staff.All royalties Troughton, now Warwickshire fielding coach, receives from the book, written by local author Rachael Wong with a foreword by Ian Bell, will be donated to the Warwickshire Cricket Board, who support youth cricket across the county.Morvidus was the ancient Lord of Warwickshire and King of Britain, whose bear and ragged staff badge was adopted by Warwickshire.”Warwickshire has been a huge part of my life and the children who read The Legend of Morvidus will understand exactly why it is such as special club to so many of us,” Troughton, said. “Getting involved in the illustrations of the book has been fantastic and hopefully its publication will not only build a greater bond between youngsters and the club, but also encourage many to get involved in cricket.”Wong added: “Jim has put an enormous amount of time and effort to produce these wonderful illustrations and it has been great to work with him on this project, which will appeal to cricket fans of all ages and hopefully provide more cricketing opportunities for youngsters.”The book is based on how a young boy finds the strength to overcome his nerves ahead of his first cricket match. However, after finding out more about the bravery shown Morvidus, he goes on to excel.”

Under sunny skies on a track good for batting, New Zealand failed to take advantage after winning the toss, allowing a disciplined Sri Lankan attack to first make inroads through pace before capitulating to Herath’s left-arm spin

The Report by Siddhartha Talya17-Nov-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
A three-figure score remained elusive for Brendon McCullum•Associated Press

New Zealand’s troubles against spin refused to leave them. They had few answers against R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha during the tour of India, and ran into Rangana Herath in Galle in conditions less lethal. Under sunny skies on a track good for batting, New Zealand failed to take advantage after winning the toss, allowing a disciplined Sri Lanka attack to first make inroads through pace before capitulating to Herath’s left-arm spin. The assistance to the bowlers was limited, but a lack of patience from the batsmen combined with some probing bowling to produce enough mistakes that won Sri Lanka wickets and first-day honours.The highlights for New Zealand on a disappointing day were half-centuries to Brendon McCullum and Daniel Flynn, who put together a 90-run stand after three wickets went down in the first hour. But just as the innings was gaining in momentum after lunch, Herath struck to trigger a collapse that was to fetch him his fourth haul of five or more wickets in Galle.McCullum hasn’t scored a Test century in two years, and the previous time Flynn scored a Test fifty was in August 2009. Today, the pair, for the bulk of their stay, batted with determination after having watched Martin Guptill caught driving inside the line, Ross Taylor bowled trying to defend outside the line and Kane Williamson snapped up behind to a needless poke. Shaminda Eranga, who replaced Chanaka Welegedera, picked up two of those wickets, the extra yard of pace, consistency on a good length and a bit of away movement all contributing to his success.As they were trying to rebuild the innings, McCullum and Flynn had some moments of discomfort but were more watchful than their top order team-mates had been, leaving tricky deliveries outside off, covering the line well and defending solidly. And despite the attacking fields set – Flynn had three slips and two gullies at one stage – they were harsh on a steady dose of bad balls. Flynn cashed in on width by collecting boundaries through cover and point, improvised against spin by using the sweep, and pulled the slower of the seamers, Angelo Mathews, through midwicket.The pull was the preferred attacking shot against spin for McCullum, who smashed four boundaries through square leg, one that took him past 4000 runs in Tests and another that sailed over the ropes. He welcomed Eranga in his new spell by cracking him through extra cover and then behind square for fours, and grew confident against Herath by stepping out and launching him for a straight six. But the bowler wasn’t flustered. If the previous ball was tossed up and bowled on a length, he held back the next from round the wicket, and got it to turn away after it angled in, beating McCullum’s bat to crash into off stump.The turn on offer wasn’t alarming but still significant for a first-day pitch, and McCullum’s dismissal together with spin from both ends brought about a stagnation in New Zealand’s innings that had been moving fluently until then. The next 13 overs yielded just 12 runs as well as the wicket of James Franklin, who was trapped in front by Herath. Flynn had occupied one end safely but his patience deserted him at the stroke of tea, when he chased a wide one from Herath to nick a catch to the wicketkeeper.New Zealand have a long, inexperienced lower order whose ability to resist has not inspired much hope in recent times, but the last four wickets did put together 66 runs today. Doug Bracwell was caught at slip off a Herath delivery that kicked from a good length, and Kruger van Wyk, after working hard to get to 28, misjudged the length while trying to sweep and gave Herath his fifth wicket.New Zealand got some encouragement with the early dismissal of the nervous debutant, Dimuth Karunaratne, who was lbw to an inswinger from Southee. The new ball swung around, came perilously close to the outside edge and promised more anxious moments for the Sri Lanka batsmen in the early part of the second innings. But that was a small victory for New Zealand on a day they won a good toss, only to finish with a below-par total.