All posts by n8rngtd.top

Veterans claim nine scalps between them in Derbyshire’s second innings as Lancashire win by 10 wickets

David Hopps at Derby19-Jun-2019With the start of the Ashes six weeks away, the health of Jimmy Anderson is one of England’s prime concerns. MI5 probably have surveillance officers monitoring his every movement, poised to warn of anything disturbing like a bit of a limp or, even worse, the merest sign of a smile.Intelligence reports from Derby will be filed away with satisfaction. Another four wickets on the third morning for Anderson, and nine in the match at a cost of only 47 runs. Fitness and rhythm exceeding expectations at this stage. Grumpiness at a promising level when the ball kept passing the outside edge. Too many of those to count.Recommendation: With Lancashire top of Division Two, and 10 days’ inactivity until their next game, against Durham at Sedbergh School, surveillance can be called back. MI5 resources perhaps better employed taking a closer look at Stuart Broad.The only concern surrounds the fact that the opening day of the Ashes is on Yorkshire Day. As a Lancastrian, Anderson’s mood cannot be reliably predicted.Twenty-eight Championship wickets at 8.64 runs apiece have massaged Anderson’s mood and, if they have come disturbingly easily, his method looks as ingrained as ever. At 36, his fitness and suppleness remains exemplary. He bowls when he wants and comes off when he chooses.

Anderson and Onions “unplayable” – Livingstone

Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone was even moved to fantasise about Jimmy Anderson and Graham Onions as England’s opening pair in the Ashes after they combined for match figures of 17-104 against Derbyshire at Derby.
“They were unplayable at times on that pitch and if they went into the first Test Match as an opening bowling pair I’m sure Australia would struggle,” he said.
“They are bowling as well as I’ve seen and the way they bowled in this game was outstanding. Certainly fielding at second slip you feel you are in the game every ball.”

Derbyshire resumed at 19 for 4, 64 runs away from making Lancashire bat again. It was a modest aim, but as helpful bowling conditions persisted into the third day it was an entirely realistic one. They managed to set Lancashire two runs to win, Keaton Jennings avoided a pair by thick edging the first ball for four and everything was wrapped up five minutes before lunch. As Derbyshire’s director of cricket, Dave Houghton remarked: “It was our first drubbing of the season and we’ve been given a good hiding.”Derbyshire’s fifth-wicket pair survived for 50 minutes more by luck than judgment against Anderson and Graham Onions. Frustration was welling up; the surveillance team by the sightscreen began to fret about possible overload.Anderson, in solemn mood, applauded Alex Hughes with good humour for managing to leave a wide one after endless playing and missing. Four byes when a bouncer sailed over Harvey Hosein’s head did not disturb him, nor did a hook shot from the same batsmen which fell close to Onions at long leg. At least it was Onions who suffered a bad drop at first slip by Jennings when Hughes managed to make contact.Then three wickets in seven balls restored equilibrium and the pessimism of Derbyshire supporters was proved to be based on decades of evidence. Anderson claimed the first two. Hughes got bat on an outswinger and then Matt Critchley, seeking out the leg-side as is his habit, was lbw and left gesturing that he touched it.The third fell to Onions, a simple catch at first slip to remove Luis Reece who had been demoted to No. 8 because of injury and didn’t really look up for it. Logan van Beek drove Anderson to gully and Onions mopped up the last two, including Hosein, who resisted diligently until he was caught behind for 29.Five to Anderson, four to Onions and the promise of a dry afternoon to return to Manchester. When it comes to fast bowlers, especially vintage ones, the fear is that something could go wrong at any moment. Nothing did. Quite the opposite.

Durham dismissed for 117 before home side move into first-innings lead via Paul Horton fifty

ECB Reporters Network07-Jul-2019Leicestershire’s seamers bowled outstandingly to dismiss Durham for just 117, their lowest score of the season, after the visitors had won the toss and chosen to bat first in the Specsavers County Championship match at the Fischer County Ground.Chris Wright was the pick of the attack, picking up 5 for 30, his first five-wicket return since joining the county from Warwickshire at the end of last season. By the close of play Leicestershire had passed their opponents’ score and begun to build a first-innings lead, captain Paul Horton leading the way with a half-century.Mohammad Abbas, who took ten wickets in this fixture last season, was first to strike for the Foxes, trapping Alex Lees leg before with an inswinging delivery which umpire Paul Baldwin adjudged would have gone on to hit leg stump.Durham skipper Cameron Bancroft and Gareth Harte added 34 for the second wicket before Harte also went leg before, Wright seaming the ball back in to hit the right-hander in front of middle. Jack Burnham chipped a leg-stump delivery from Will Davis gently into the hands of Hassan Azad at square leg and Wright struck again with a fine delivery which Graham Clark could only edge to Colin Ackermann at second slip.When Liam Trevaskis went leg before to a Neil Dexter inswinger Durham had lost four wickets for 19 runs, but Bancroft remained unbeaten, going in for lunch on 36, only to fall to the first ball after the break, edging an Abbas delivery to wicketkeeper Lewis Hill.Ned Eckersley and Ben Raine, both of whom were Leicestershire players last season, fought hard to add 26 for the seventh wicket before Raine, looking to force Wright through the off side, inside-edged the delivery into his stumps.Nathan Rimmington drove airily at Wright and edged a catch behind, Eckersley gave Wright the charge and succeeded only in lobbing a simple catch to mid-off and Chris Rushworth swung across the line at Davis to go leg before.Raine did strike a blow for Durham before tea, dismissing the prolific Azad leg before with a full delivery, and the allrounder continued to offer the biggest threat on his former home ground, persuading Dexter to edge to second slip, before Horton, having reached 50 from 75 balls, was bowled by a fine delivery from Rushworth which came back to hit the top of off stump.Raine then picked up a third wicket, Mark Cosgrove leg before to a delivery which kept very low, but Ackermann and Harry Dearden saw Leicestershire through to the close without furher loss.

Sourav Ganguly, who has also faced conflict charges in the recent past, responded to the development by calling it a ‘new fashion in Indian cricket’

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2019Rahul Dravid is the latest big-name Indian cricketer to be served a notice by the BCCI’s ethics officer for alleged conflict of interest. This was in response to a complaint, which pointed out that Dravid was both National Cricket Academy director – as well as coach of the India Under-19 and India A teams – and a vice-president with India Cements, owners of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.In July, Dravid’s appointment to the NCA had been delayed because he was a paid employee of India Cements. As had been reported by the at the time, Dravid would be on a leave of absence from India Cements until such time as he serves as the head of NCA.”Yes, I have sent a notice to Mr Rahul Dravid last week after receiving a complaint,” Justice (retd) DK Jain, the BCCI’s ethics officer-cum-ombudsman, was quoted as saying by . “He has been given two weeks to reply to the allegations of Conflict of Interest. Based on his reply, I will decide whether to proceed further or not.”Dravid must now file a no-conflict reply and, if asked by Jain, appear for an in-person hearing.Like in the cases of Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, and, more recently, BCCI Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) panelists Kapil Dev, Shanta Rangaswamy and Anshuman Gaekwad, the complaint against Dravid came from Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association life member Sanjeev Gupta. Tendulkar and Laxman were both members of the CAC earlier, while also being involved in different capacities with IPL franchises Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively. Separately, there was a conflict of interest complaint against former captain Sourav Ganguly, the third member of that CAC panel, who is president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, mentor of Delhi Capitals in the IPL, while also being a TV commentator.Laxman and Ganguly were found to be in conflict in June. However, Jain ruled there was no issue of conflict against Tendulkar, after the latter submitted that he had decided not to be part of any BCCI committee, and had informed the board about it. As a result, the body was made defunct before being reconstituted with Kapil, Rangaswamy and Gaekwad.As such, Rule 38 (4) of the BCCI constitution prevents individuals from holding more than one of 16 posts, which are listed therein. These are: Player (current), selector/member of cricket committee, team official, commentator, match official, administrator/office bearer, electoral officer, ombudsman & ethics officer, auditor, any person who is governance, management or employee of a franchisee, member of a standing committee, CEO & managers, office Bearer of a Member (state association), service provider (legal, financial etc.), contractual entity (broadcast, security, contractor etc.) and owner of cricket academy.As for the Kapil-Rangaswamy-Gaekwad panel, the question of conflict came up because Kapil is also part of the steering committee on the newly formed Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA) where he is also one of directors. Incidentally, the ICA is funded by the BCCI. Kapil also works as an expert for Indian television channels. As for Gaekwad, it is alleged that in addition to working as a pundit on television channels, he is also part of the BCCI’s Member Affiliation Committee, a sub-committee which grants membership to state associations. Gaekwad, too, is part of the ICA’s steering group, as is Rangaswamy, who is also an ICA director.The three of them, however, have been cleared and tasked with picking the next head coach of the senior Indian men’s team. The decision is expected by mid-August.

Twin fifties keep Hants’ hopes alive, despite AB de Villiers’ best efforts

ECB Reporters Network 29-Aug-2019Aneurin Donald thrashed his first Vitality Blast fifty for Hampshire to keep their quarter-final hopes alive by beating Middlesex by eight wickets.Donald, who joined from Glamorgan last year, had previously scored 48 and 44 in the Blast but finally reached the landmark score to club 51 off 33 balls. He put on 96 with captain James Vince – who clocked up his fourth fifty of this season’s Blast, ending on 66 not out, to take Hampshire past the winning post with nine balls to spare.Hampshire’s win, which came despite South African legend AB de Villiers’ fourth fifty of the Blast, sees them leap up to 13 points, level with Middlesex ahead of both sides’ must-win final group fixtures on Friday night.Donald tore into the Middlesex attack from his fourth ball faced, which sailed over the fine leg ropes after a wayward delivery from Tom Helm. The Welshman used his brute power to hit two boundaries over the covers before relying on his technique to cut Mohammad Hafeez.At the other end, Vince manipulated the ball and ran hard, although he couldn’t resist an immaculate back-foot cover drive as the opening partnership rushed pass 50.Donald was given a piece of luck when he was dropped by deep midwicket Nathan Sowter on 47, before a deft glance took him to his milestone in 31 balls. The 22-year-old fell to the next ball he faced as he reversed to short third man to end a 96-run stand for the first wicket – Hampshire’s highest of the Blast.Sam Northeast arrived at the crease and was dropped on 12 before he was bowled by Steven Finn, but Vince passed his half-century in 43 balls and saw Hampshire over the line.Earlier, Middlesex won the toss, decided to bat and reached a par 153 for 5 thanks to de Villiers’ hitting and a series of starts.Paul Sterling and captain Dawid Malan put on 47 for the first wicket in a little over five overs, both striking the ball cleanly. But they departed in successive overs, the former clothing to mid-off and the latter caught on the square leg boundary after the returning Mason Crane had frustrated him with four dot balls.Leg spinner Crane, who missed six games with a side strain, was the pick of the Hampshire bowlers and added Hafeez to his tally, lbw to end with 2 for 22.Eoin Morgan was leg before to Tabraiz Shamsi and John Simpson was caught at mid-on to give Kyle Abbott his 150th T20 wicket before de Villiers accelerated Middlesex to a decent score.De Villiers had been tempered to reach 28 off 25 balls but back-to-back sixes over the leg side off Shamsi saw him hit his gears and a four from the final ball of the innings handed him a 34-ball half-century – the 57th of his career.

CWI has announced a new selection structure and policy as well as the appointment of Kieron Pollard as the new white-ball captain

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-2019West Indies might have a regular head coach soon, with the board suggesting the recruitment process to find the right person for the job has begun. Former captain Floyd Reifer has been filling in as caretaker boss since Richard Pybus’ sacking in April, but Cricket West Indies is hopeful it can find a more permanent solution by the time the men’s team plays Afghanistan in November.

Main recommendations of the task force

• 1. Implement a new structure of team-specific selection panels

• 2. Dedicate the services of a data-based Selection analyst to the panels

• 3. Accept and Implement a new selection policy (based on form and performance, fitness, team balance, mental capacity, technical ability and commitment)

• 4. Mandate the recently revised fitness and conditioning policy

• 5. Establish a comprehensive stakeholder communications & accountability protocol

• 6. Incorporate Human Resource best practices

• 7. Accept candidates identified to undergo a thorough recruitment process for filling the selectors’ positions for limited terms

• 8. Appoint one white-ball captain, as a medium to long term selection strategy

On Monday, CWI announced a new selection structure and policy as well as the appointment of Kieron Pollard as the new captain of the West Indies white-ball squads, replacing Jason Holder in ODIs and Carlos Brathwaite in T20Is. This came after a “comprehensive review” into the selection process and system for all West Indies cricket, conducted by a task force set up by the Ricky Skerritt regime, with recommendations approved by the CWI board of directors at their quarterly meeting, held for the first time in Tobago on September 7 and 8.A CWI statement said that the task force carried out a “four-month review” and “benchmarked cricket selection systems around the world and incorporated feedback and contributions from current and former players, coaches, administrators, franchise CEOs and nearly 2,700 fans across the Caribbean”. The board will now seek applications, via an advertisement, for the head coach position. Applications need to come in before September 20.CWI further said that its new selection system will “introduce new team-specific selection panels for the West Indies men’s and women’s and youth teams”, comprising “an executive selector (lead selector), a selector and head coach”.The statement added: “The full-time selectors will be supported by a selection analyst to provide performance data to support selection considerations plus a minimum of three scouts to ensure cricketers throughout the region are closely watched and evaluated.”A modernised, transparent selection policy will see players selected against six criteria: form and performance, fitness (based on a new approved fitness and conditioning policy), team balance, mental capacity, technical ability and commitment. The playing XIs will then be selected by the executive selector, head coach and captain.””The end product in the form of eight major recommendations is grounded in a comprehensive methodology encompassing the feedback of some 2700 stakeholders,” Kishore Shallow, the CWI vice-president, said in a statement. “This is a defining document that represents momentous progress for West Indies cricket.”

The Knight Riders captain hammered 71 off 38 balls to nearly pull off a win for his team

The Report by Vishal Dikshit01-Oct-2019It had to take something extraordinary to end Guyana Amazon Warriors’ unbeaten run this CPL and it nearly arrived in the form of a belligerent Kieron Pollard half-century. But his 38-ball 71, and Trinbago Knight Riders’ 75 off the last six overs in the chase of 186, weren’t enough as they fell short by 19 in the end. It extended Amazon Warriors’ stellar run to eight straight wins and confirm a top-of-the-table finish for them with two matches in hand.With Pollard hitting big mercilessly in front of a packed home crowd, the decisive over was the 19th when Knight Riders needed 38 from 12 balls and it looked very much on the cards with the wet ball difficult to grip for the bowlers. However, Keemo Paul kept his nerves and even though he did not get all his yorkers right, and Shoaib Malik dropped Pollard at long-on, his stifling lines allowed only nine from the over to leave Knight Riders with 29 to get from six balls. Malik had kept the experienced Imran Tahir for the last over and the legspinner did his bit by conceding two singles on his first three balls to effectively seal the chase, topping it with Pollard’s wicket on the fourth ball.The Pollard-Bravo assaultOffspinner Chris Green opened the bowling with four straight overs to finish with 2 for 18 with 11 dot balls. His mix of offbreaks and seam-ups accounted for Lendl Simmons and Colin Munro cheaply, before Denesh Ramdin holed out to bring Pollard and Darren Bravo together in the ninth over when the hosts were crawling at under a run-a-ball and the asking rate had shot to over 12 per over. Bravo and Pollard spent only two boundary-less overs before launching into the Amazon Warriors attack that had to keep using the towel on the ball to get their accuracy right.Both Pollard and Bravo targeted the ‘V’ – with Pollard’s net much wider – as the captain pulled, lofted short-of-length balls over the covers, dispatched the fuller ones down the ground, and targeted Ben Laughlin, who had conceded only three runs in his first two overs. He started the 15th with Knight Riders needing a stiff 95 from 36 and Pollard and Bravo smashed two sixes and a four on the leg side to collect 18. After clubbing another 14 runs off Romario Shepherd, Pollard brought up his 27-ball half-century in the 17th over by hammering the ball over bowler Paul’s head, and 12 from that over left Knight Riders with 51 to get from three overs.With Shepherd’s quota over, Malik had one over each left from Laughlin and Paul, which meant he had to give one to a spinner. He decided to bowl Laughlin first, who conceded another 13, but Paul’s effort in the 19th meant Tahir had a cushion of defending 28 in the last over, and he did it comfortably.Hemraj sets the stage for Shepherd Knight Riders’ decision to bowl looked the right one when they dismissed Brandon King early and kept Amazon Warriors’ Powerplay score to just 35 for 1 with Chandrapaul Hemraj and Shimron Hetmyer hardly taking any risks. Apart from the odd leg-side six from Hemraj, Ali Khan’s pace and Khary Pierre’s tight lines delayed the batsmen’s charge, but with some luck. Hemraj was dropped twice: the first one a tough return chance for the bowler Pollard, who nearly injured his right hand in the attempt, and the second was for substitute Tion Webster, who ran in from long-off only to spill a simple chance. Hemraj had already clubbed a six and a four after the Pollard drop, and this time he collected two fours off Chris Jordan right after the second miss to shoot their run rate from under seven to nearly eight per over, with a 34-ball half-century. Hetmyer, meanwhile, wasn’t looking in his element and played second fiddle to Hemraj for a 38-ball 48 in a second-wicket partnership of 98.Scantlebury-Searles v ShepherdAmazon Warriors were on course for a massive total, at 111 for 1 in the 14th over, before Javon Scantlebury-Searles interrupted their charge. Bowling for the first time this CPL in five matches, he first accounted for Hemraj for 66 before dismissing Nicholas Pooran and Hetmyer with wide yorkers in his next over, but by leaking 15 runs between the two dismissals. When Malik fell for a duck – caught by Scantlebury-Searles – and Sherfane Rutherford for 1 in consecutive overs, it looked like they would end on a below-par total, being 143 for 6 with 17 balls to go. But Shepherd, batting at No. 7, heaved sixes over the midwicket fence in the last over off death-overs specialist Jordan, the second off a waist-high no-ball which gave the batsman the chance to smash the free-hit to the wide long-on boundary for a four. With 25 runs off the last over, Shepherd finished with 31 off 13 balls and might have given Amazon Warriors the extra margin they eventually won by.

The opener had fractured her right toe while batting in the nets last month

Annesha Ghosh01-Nov-2019Smriti Mandhana has recovered from her toe injury and will join the India women’s squad in the Caribbean ahead of the second ODI against West Indies on November 3.ESPNcricinfo understands that Mandhana, who had sustained a fracture to her right toe while batting in the nets ahead of the ODI series against South Africa at home last month, will be leaving for the Caribbean on November 2. The BCCI confirmed on Friday that Mandhana will be available for selection from the third ODI onwards. The two teams will also play five T20Is as part of their build up to next year’s T20 World Cup.Mandhana spent a part of her recovery at home in Sangli, from where she posted an update via Instagram of her first running session. She subsequently underwent rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru even as the Indian squad left for the Caribbean on October 21. No replacement for Mandhana had been announced at the time.Mandhana, the vice-captain of the T20I side, had been named in both ODI and T20I squads for the tour, which is India’s final assignment this year. With no India players participating in the ongoing fifth edition of the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, the matches in the West Indies could give Mandhana a chance to regain form ahead of the tour of Australia in January next year, where India will play a T20I tri-series against the hosts and England in the lead-up to the women’s T20 World Cup in February-March in Australia.In her most recent international assignment, the T20I series against South Africa in Surat, Mandhana had scored only 46 runs in four innings. Prior to that, she was below her best in the Women’s Cricket Super League in England too, scoring 268 runs in 11 innings for Western Storm.

The international captain talks about passing on his experience to the youngsters and the potential comeback of Dwayne Bravo

Barny Read23-Nov-2019West Indies white-ball captain Kieron Pollard says it is his will to win that helps drive his franchise cricket career which continues to be littered with success.The 32-year-old allrounder stands on the brink of Abu Dhabi T10 glory after his team Deccan Gladiators made it to Sunday’s final. Pollard is also a multiple IPL champion, has a T20 World Cup winner’s medal on his mantlepiece, is one of the most experienced T20 players in the world.He has taken in franchise tournaments the world over, from his native Caribbean islands to England, Australia, Bangladesh, the UAE and Canada. For Pollard, each stop has been a learning experience and he hopes to feed his gained knowledge back into both West Indian cricket and across the ever-expanding footprint of T20 leagues across the globe.”I think the will to win is what makes you as an individual sometimes successful because you want to pass on the knowledge that you’ve learnt [from] playing international cricket [and] playing franchise cricket on to the players that you have presently and try to educate them. So when you go onto that field, they have that cricketing knowledge to go out and try to execute and be one step ahead of the opposition,” Pollard told ESPNcricinfo.”We play a lot of cricket around the world but it’s about being successful and about winning and that’s my mantra no matter who I play for at that point in time I give my all to win and my will to win is very, very strong.”Pollard proved as much on his latest assignment in the T10, where he helped the Gladiators set up a showdown with the Maratha Arabians for the trophy courtesy of back-to-back victories over the Bangla Tigers and the Qalandars on Saturday night. And for the likes of 22-year-olds Dan Lawrence and Mason Crane, as well as 24-year-old Migael Pretorious in an otherwise experienced-looking Gladiators outfit, Pollard is a great resource to tap into.”With that you can broaden their mindset as to how they go about it because in certain cultures, certain things are embedded in them but when you come out in the wider world it’s not only about that,” Pollard said of his advice for emerging players.”You get a different perspective from different people and that makes you learn and get better as a cricketer. I’ve played all over the world, in different competitions, so I have a fair idea of how to go about it and I’ve been successful as well. So however that conversation goes at that time you share that knowledge of it and what you think. Your opinion might not be right but it might give them a different perspective of how you are thinking about certain aspects.”Once you’re good enough to be here, you’re good enough to go out and perform. All you need to do when you sit in a franchise or in a team where there’s a lot of internationals you try to pick their brains and try to understand different aspects of cricket, different scenarios of what they would have done in certain situations.”Pollard came into the T10 on the back of his first assignment since being named captain of West Indies’ T20I and ODI formats, a tour against Afghanistan that ended in a 2-1 defeat in the former and 3-0 whitewash in the latter.They were his first ODI matches in over three years and now that Pollard is back in the fold, he will do everything in his power, he says, to ensure that when he eventually leaves the international scene, he does so having given back to Caribbean cricket.”The same experiences I’ve learned around the world, the same experiences I can share in the dressing room,” Pollard said.”In our dressing room there are a lot of young guys and they need the experienced guys to try and guide them along and that’s basically my job in terms of trying to guide them, try to set them in the right direction and also trying to lead from the front in terms of performing as well.”I’m pretty excited because I know what the guys can learn from the experienced guys. We have Dwayne Bravo who can come back in potentially, you have Chris Gayle who is still playing T20 cricket around the world and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the T20 arena, in 50-over, in Test cricket, so he can share a lot.”As a staff and management, we look forward to that, trying to build for something in the future. Obviously, we’re not going to be around for too long but whatever I can do in the little space of time to help is going to make me a lot more satisfied than leaving the international side and not being able to help.”

They had lost six T20Is in a row coming into this game, but a below-par Bangladesh never tested them

Danyal Rasool24-Jan-2020It was neither pretty nor particularly engaging, but now isn’t the time for Pakistan to worry about that. They followed a disciplined bowling performance with a gritty chase spearheaded by the returning Shoaib Malik, after a second-ball duck for Babar Azam threatened to turn a straightforward task somewhat hairy. It sealed a five-wicket win for Pakistan, snapping a six-match losing streak in the format, and ensuring they hold on to their No. 1 T20I ranking for now.Malik’s unbeaten 45-ball 58 was the only half-century of the game, coming at something of a canter after Bangladesh spread the field through the middle overs, happy to concede singles that weren’t really theirs to give away, given the modesty of the total they were defending. Debutant Ahsan Ali, and towards the close Iftikhar Ahmed, gave him useful company, but with the asking rate never really allowed to rise above eight, Pakistan weren’t in any imminent danger.The bowlers were due thanks from the batsman for ensuring they never needed to get out of second gear. Shaheen Afridi began tightly, and Imad Wasim gave little away in the Powerplay after Bangladesh decided to bat on what looked, at the time, a belter of a surface. Though Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Naim stuck around for 11 overs, the bowlers kept them on a leash throughout, and their opening partnership only produced 71 runs at 6.45 per over. Shadab Khan ensured the squeeze was maintained through the middle overs, and Bangladesh never got in a position to explode at the finish.Mohammad Rizwan looks on as Tamim Iqbal clips one into the leg side•AFP

A strangely subdued inningsThe caution Bangladesh displayed was surprising, particularly during the second half of the innings when it became clear wickets would no longer be a problem. While Pakistan’s tightness made it difficult to score quickly, there was no evidence Bangladesh were ready to show any more ambition than the odd boundary off the loose ball, and it was only when Haris Rauf’s final over went for 13 that the innings run rate exceeded seven an over.For a team that preferred to deal in running between the wickets, there was a touch of tardiness there too. An ill-judged second run brought the first wicket when Tamim was found well short of his crease when Mohammad Rizwan whipped off the bails, and one of the few moments of genuine quality in an otherwise uninspiring game came when Shadab ran all the way to long-on off his own bowling, and followed up with a direct hit on the turn to catch Liton Das short of his ground.Pakistan lose two in powerplayJust because the target was low didn’t mean Pakistan were set for a canter. They played three T20Is against Sri Lanka on this ground three months ago, had to chase targets of 166, 183 and 148, and fell short each time. Twice, they ended up scoring less than the 142 they needed in this game. When Babar fell second ball, tickling one to the keeper to record his first duck in T20Is, Pakistan looked in for a grind.Ahsan Ali appeared to possess the temperament that will please Misbah-ul-Haq, pouncing on any loose deliveries to relieve the pressure on Mohammad Hafeez at the other end. For his own part, Hafeez began brightly before closing his bat face a fraction early off a Mustafizur Rahman slower ball, sending a leading edge to cover point. At that point, Pakistan were 35 for 2 in five overs.Pakistan gather around Shadab Khan after the dismissal of Tamim Iqbal•AFP

Bangladesh release the pressureFrom that point, Mahmudullah may wonder if he allowed the game to drift. The fields were spread out and the bowling notably defensive, almost as if it were a plan to allow the batsmen to take as many singles as they pleased as long as the boundaries didn’t come. From the middle of the sixth over to the fifth ball of the 11th, when Ahsan holed out to long-off, Pakistan scored off 31 consecutive balls. Forty runs came off those 31 balls, and the asking rate dipped below seven with plenty of batting to follow.Malik cashes inFor at least one of the two men recalled, this could be the beginning of yet another redemption story. Malik, who ended up walking away with the Player-of-the-Match award, milked the Bangladesh spinners, the visitors’ tactics playing right into his hands. With Ahsan gone, he quickly assumed charge, keeping on top of the asking rate without once needing to play a shot in anger. The only time he took a risk, he was dropped at long-off following a valiant effort on the boundary, and when the ball trickled away for four, he had brought up yet another half-century.Bangladesh would continue to plug away, dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed and Imad Wasim, but Pakistan continued to coast, and the match went into its final over without a hint of tension in the air. With two required off four balls and Malik off strike, Rizwan went for a heave, edging the ball straight to deep midwicket. It was the simplest of chances, and could have put a few beads of sweat on Pakistani foreheads had it been taken. Mohammad Mithun, however, made a mess if it, and Pakistan cantered back for the winning second run. It was only fitting that an insipid, indifferent performance from Bangladesh was sealed by a moment of ineptitude, as Pakistan took the lead in lead in a series that will hopefully contain more entertainment than was on display on Friday, in front of a half-full Gaddafi Stadium.

Dom Bess claimed two wickets to leave South Africa wobbling after England’s declaration

The Report by Alan Gardner17-Jan-2020Ollie Pope scored a maiden Test hundred to follow the latest demonstration of Ben Stokes’ immense value to the England cause as South Africa were backed into a corner in Port Elizabeth. The tone was set by England’s fifth-wicket pair during the morning session and followed up with some lower-order humpty, allowing Joe Root to declare – having also un-declared – in pursuit of wickets amid the evening gloom at St George’s Park.Although South Africa responded with their second consecutive fifty stand between openers Dean Elgar and Pieter Malan, there was time for Dom Bess to strike twice before the close. With plenty of runs in the bank, signs of spin from the surface and Mark Wood also pushing the speed gun up to 150kph/93mph, England walked off in the belief that they had the tools to crack the Test open in pursuit of a series lead.South Africa’s day began badly with the news that Kagiso Rabada would miss the final Test of the series after accruing his latest ICC demerit point. Although Keshav Maharaj toiled admirably for a five-wicket haul – at a cost of 180 the most expensive for South Africa in Tests – they were left on the ropes by Stokes and Pope, before the late one-two combo from Bess.South Africa had reached 50 without loss when the early introduction of spin coaxed an error from Malan, who tried to come down the pitch but only managed to chip a return catch. Zubayr Hamza then fenced unconvincingly at an over of short-and-nasty stuff from Wood, before falling in the next to Bess, popping to short leg via his inside edge. The return of the rain, which had earlier delayed the start by 45 minutes, presented South Africa with an escape route.The first part of the day saw England’s middle order flex its muscles in a manner not seen for a long time. Once Stokes and Pope were done adding 203 – the second-highest fifth-wicket stand for England against South Africa in Tests – the home bowlers had been thoroughly pounded into this unforgiving surface, but there was further pain to come as Sam Curran and Wood cut loose before the declaration. A total of 499 for 9 was England’s highest since the 2017 Edgbaston Test against West Indies.There was nothing surprising about Stokes taking centre stage, however. Despite having to battle through at times on the first day, having survived numerous scratchy moments – including a tough chance to short leg on 10 – he resumed his innings in a more recognisably bullish frame of mind. Twice was Maharaj battered on to the grass banks at deep midwicket, as Stokes accelerated past his junior partner towards a ninth Test hundred (and third against South Africa) during a session that saw England score 111 runs without loss.When he moved to 95, via another slog-sweep off the spinner, he became only the seventh man in Test history to have scored 4000 runs and taken 100 wickets. A few overs later, off his 174th ball, came a punch through the covers to take him to three figures, the achievement acknowledged with a crooked-fingered salute in recognition of his father, Ged, who remains in hospital after being taken ill over Christmas.Ollie Pope celebrates his maiden Test ton•Stu Forster/Getty Images

He had been ably supported by Pope, who cut, pulled and drove with what is quickly becoming customary elan to move past 50 for the third time in as many Tests. However, a ball after Stokes reached his century, Pope was given out lbw off the bowling of Dane Paterson; although a review saved Pope and extended Paterson’s wait for a first wicket on debut, the realisation of what was at stake seemed to interrupt the England man’s fluency.Pope spent 53 balls moving from 74 into the 90s, losing Stokes and Jos Buttler in that time – the former giving Paterson some relief by carving to backward point, before Buttler chipped tamely back to Maharaj. Pope survived a close stumping chance off Maharaj on 84, but Curran helped take some of the pressure off, cracking along to 44 off 50 and scoring three-quarters of the runs during a stand worth 59.Suddenly Pope was freed up once again, scooting through the 90s to reach three figures in his sixth Test – at 22 and 15 days the youngest Englishman to score a Test hundred since Alastair Cook. The landmark achieved, he was able to have some fun against a tiring attack, bringing out the uppercuts and reverse-ramps as England drove home their advantage; a glove behind off Rabada on 106 going unnoticed as South Africa began to unravel.Wood, too, geared up for his bowling return after 11 months out of the Test side by throwing the bat around to good effect, five times clearing the ropes – although he was the beneficiary of a bizarre episode on the way to 42 from 23 balls. A slog against Rabada was taken at mid-on, with Root then signalling his men in, only for the umpires to review and find that the delivery should have been called for a front-foot no-ball. Root gleefully reversed his call, with Wood extending their ninth-wicket happy-slap to 73 in 8.4 overs before Maharaj finally put a stop to the antics.