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Impressive bowling from Rikki Clarke and Boyd Rankin put Warwickshire on top after the opening day against Lancashire

George Dobell at Edgbaston04-May-2011
ScorecardBoyd Rankin took five wickets against Lancashire but it was Rikki Clarke who impressed the most•Getty Images

Read any article about Rikki Clarke and the word ‘potential’ will occur as frequently as a half-volley used to appear in one of his overs. And that’s pretty often. Indeed, ‘potential’ might just be the most over-used word in cricket. Some players are described as full of potential well into their 30s.Now, however, a decade into a career that has so far promised far more than it has delivered, Clarke finally seems to be fulfilling some of the immense talent that first earned him an England call-up at the age of just 21.The 29-year-old Clarke is now, against all expectations, emerging as the most reliable member of an impressive Warwickshire attack. After several years where his bowling had become almost irrelevant, Clarke has finally found the consistency to add to the pace and skill he has always possessed.Warwickshire were certainly grateful for his bowling on the first day of their Championship match against Lancashire. Clarke, bowling with pace, hostility and, more pertinently, consistency, claimed three top-order wickets, three catches and played a key role in bowling Lancashire out for just 227. So, might he now be fulfilling all that expectation?”That word ‘potential’ has been there ever since I was 18 or 19,” Clarke said afterwards. “And I’ll admit that there were probably times when I played for England and I didn’t warrant a place. I got there on potential.”Why have I not fully fulfilled that potential? Well, it’s not for lack of trying, I can tell you. But maybe I did take that potential for granted a little bit. I’m definitely working harder than ever before and I’ve taken playing for England out of the equation. I’m just not thinking about it.”There’s still time. You just look at other guys like Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett and Ryan Sidebottom. They showed you can come back into the side. If they can do it, so can I. And I know this is a cliche, but the best thing I can do now, is just concentrate on taking each day as it comes and doing my best for Warwickshire.”I know my game far better now. I know my bowling action and I feel really comfortable and confident. I’m at a club where I’m backed and I feel I can relax a bit more and enjoy my cricket.”There are many who doubt Clarke and he knows he’ll have to do perform over a much longer period to win them over. There are few men in county cricket who can bowl at pace and command a place in the top six of their batting line-up, however, so if Clarke continues his current form, he may yet have more of a role to play in international cricket.The first day of this game was not all about Clarke, however. Boyd Rankin bowled equally as well and, thanks to some tailend wickets, ended up with the more impressive figures. The lofty Irishman, extracting nasty lift from the sluggish surface, claimed his second five-wicket haul in three Championship games and wrapped up the Lancashire innings by taking the final three wickets at the cost of one run in just five balls.Rankin, encouraged to bowl short by his captain, Ian Bell, proved too hostile for the lower-order and troubled all the batsmen with his probing line and steep bounce. He, too, may yet have a role to play for England. While there are a couple of similar bowlers ahead of him in the queue at present – Tremlett and Finn spring to mind – Rankin is only 26 and still seems to be improving.”I want to play cricket at the highest level I can,” Rankin said afterwards. “In an ideal world that would be for Ireland but, to be honest, I can’t see Ireland getting Test status in the near future. I can’t see it happening in my playing lifetime.”And if the ICC decide to exclude us from the World Cup, there will be very little incentive for us. The World Cup gives us something to aim for. If they don’t let us play, you’ll see loads more young Irish lads come over to play in England and cricket in Ireland will just fade away.”This was not a particularly impressive batting display from Lancashire, however. Karl Brown and Steven Croft both fell when they left straight deliveries, while Mark Chilton edged a horribly loose drive and Gareth Cross rather spoiled his fine innings when he played on as he attempted to force without foot movement.Their entire innings was built around two noteworthy stands. First Stephen Moore and Chilton added 63 for the third wicket, before Cross and Luke Procter added 90 for the sixth. None of them managed to convert their good starts into the substantial innings their team needed, however. Moore, dropped by Clarke at slip off Rankin when he had 45, was unable to capitalise and was adjudged lbw after he propped half forward to the same bowler. It was the sixth time in nine innings this season that Moore has been dismissed with his score between 45 and 73.When Procter fell, prodding at one outside off stump, it precipitated a dramatic collapse, with. Lancashire losing their last five wickets for the addition of just eight runs in 40 balls. It’s the first time Lancashire have been dismissed for under 450 in their first innings this season. On a pitch of variable bounce, however, it may not prove to be quite such an inadequate total as it seems at first glance.James Anderson, bowling with good pace, soon dismissed William Porterfield with one that nipped back when Warwickshire began their reply. But Bell and Varun Chopra survived a torrid evening session to see their side to the close without further loss. Bell is captaining Warwickshire in place of the injured Jim Troughton, who hurt his shoulder in the field on Monday, while last season’s captain, Ian Westwood, was dropped to make way for Jonathan Trott.Lancashire, meanwhile, are without Sajid Mahmood and Farveez Maharoof, both of whom are suffering from minor injuries. Instead, they are fielding two left-arm spinners, with Simon Kerrigan playing his first Championship game of the season. On a pitch which has so far favoured the seamers, it’s a decision that may come to rue.

Cricinfo previews the return match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai

The Preview by Nitin Sundar12-Apr-2010

Match facts

Mumbai v Delhi, Mumbai
Tuesday, April 13
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)Will Delhi’s biggest name fire in a crunch game?•Indian Premier League

Big Picture

Delhi Daredevils have somehow managed to get into a tight spot. After reeling off four successive wins, they misfired against two relatively weak sides to be left competing with the midfield runners in the race to the semi-finals. Gautam Gambhir’s men will be desperate to reverse their losing run against Mumbai Indians, since the margin for error is minimal leading into their final set of league games.
All of Delhi’s three remaining matches are against teams that defeated them in the first half of the tournament. A win against Mumbai, besides taking them to second place, will give them confidence and some elbow-room, while defeat could put them into sudden-death mode. For a side that made it to the last four without much fuss in the previous editions, that will be a tough situation to handle.Mumbai are at the other end of the spectrum: Having almost reached the semis, for the first time in three years, they now have a few games to attain complete perfection ahead of the knockout stage. They were surprised twice in their last three matches and, on each occasion, their batting struggled when Sachin Tendulkar failed. The young Indians manning the top order – Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary – have shown class but not consistency, and Sanath Jayasuriya’s indifferent IPL continued against Rajasthan. In his current form, Tendulkar is capable of taking Mumbai all the way on his own, but it is in his team’s best interests to prepare for every eventuality.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai Indians WLLWW

Delhi Daredevils LLWWW

Team talk

Given Mumbai’s position and the impending World Twenty20, both Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga rightfully deserve breathers. It is unlikely that Mumbai will bench both of them in the same match and, depending on who sits out, either Dhawal Kulkarni or Ryan McLaren can expect to play. Jayasuriya has struggled to 33 runs in four matches and Dhawan deserves to reclaim the opening spot. Can Dwayne Bravo, a match-winner when he gets going, find a way back into the side?
Delhi are unlikely to make any changes despite losing their last game. Ashish Nehra should hold his spot, and so should Mithun Manhas ahead of Kedar Jadhav.

Previously…

Mumbai 2, Delhi 3
When these sides clashed earlier this year, Tendulkar and Tiwary smashed their way to a mammoth 218, which the hosts fell well short of on a Kotla pitch that slowed to a crawl under lights. Thankfully for Delhi, their bowling combination is now quite different to the one that was plundered in that game.

In the spotlight

Virender Sehwag knows he is due for a match-winning innings and must be itching to go after Mumbai’s strong pace attack. Without being even close to his best, he has been Delhi’s best batsman this year, and a Sehwag-special can seal the issue in a matter of overs. Mumbai have used Harbhajan Singh as a striking weapon with the new ball and if these two face off, expect sparks to fly.
It will take a brave man to bet against another Tendulkar show, and Gambhir will have to be spot on with his plans against him. Twice in three games, spin has contributed to his fall and Gambhir’s best bet may be to let his in-form slow men – Amit Mishra and Daniel Vettori – have a go at him.

Prime numbers

• Zaheer, Malinga and Harbhajan hold the 5th, 6th and 8th spots in the race for the purple cap, and have 38 wickets between them. No other team has more than two bowlers in the top-ten
• Sehwag’s 170.52 is the best strike-rate among the top ten run-scorers in the tournament
• Malinga is the only bowler with two entries in the top ten bowling performances of the tournament, with 4 for 22 against Kings XI Punjab and 3 for 12 against Deccan Chargers

The chatter

“I personally would prefer to play away matches as a batsman and bowler.”

“I better make sure I keep scoring fifties.”

It was the third time this IPL that MI failed to maintain a minimum over rate

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2024Hardik Pandya, the Mumbai Indians captain, has been banned for one match for his team’s slow over rate against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium. MI have already played their last match of IPL 2024, which means Hardik will miss the team’s first match next season.In case Hardik moves to another team for the next season, he will miss that particular team’s first game.It was the third time this IPL that MI failed to maintain a minimum over rate. As a result, Hardik, apart from the one-match ban, was fined INR 30 lakhs and the rest of the playing XII, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 12 lakhs or 50% of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser.Related

• Suryakumar to lead in Hardik's absence in Mumbai Indians' IPL 2025 season opener

• Rahul on LSG missing the playoffs: 'Injuries and the guys that went away really dented us'

• MI finish bottom but Pooran-inspired win fails to take LSG into the playoffs

• Boucher admits off-field noise may have 'clouded' Hardik

It was a forgettable season for both MI and Hardik. The 18-run defeat to LSG meant MI finished with just four wins from their 14 games and finished at the bottom of the points table. Hardik, who had come in as a pre-season trade and had taken over captaincy from Rohit Sharma, was booed by the Wankhede crowd throughout the tournament. On the field, he scored 216 runs at an average of 18.00 and a strike rate of 143.04. With the ball, he took 11 wickets at an economy of 10.75.Mark Boucher, MI head coach, also admitted that the off-field noise might have “clouded” Hardik and played a part in the team’s “below-par” performance.

New Zealand pair will be available alongside Dane Vilas for Blast and Championship during busy summer period

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2023Lancashire have signed New Zealand pair Daryl Mitchell and Colin de Grandhomme on contracts that will cover the the Vitality T20 Blast and the start of the LV= Insurance County Championship.In a sign of the changing landscape for overseas players in the county game, Mitchell and de Grandhomme will join the squad alongside Dane Vilas, the club’s long-serving South African batter, who stood down last week as club captain but will continue to play for Lancashire this season.With only two overseas players permitted in the XI, Mark Chilton, Lancashire’s director of cricket performance, said having the trio available would “provide us with plenty of options for different matches and scenarios”.De Grandhomme, who has previously represented Hampshire, Surrey and Birmingham Bears, will link up with the club for the start of the summer, potentially playing in four Championship matches before the arrival of Mitchell ahead of the Somerset game on May 11. Both allrounders will be involved in the Blast, with Mitchell available for Championship fixtures against Hampshire, Surrey and Essex and de Grandhomme also providing cover during June and July.Related

• Keaton Jennings named Lancashire club captain

• Colin Munro joins Notts Outlaws for 2023 Blast

• Surrey bring in Sean Abbott for Championship and Blast

“We are really excited to add both Daryl and Colin to our squad and to be able to do so for such a large portion of the 2023 season – which was a key factor for us when looking to make overseas additions this year,” Chilton said.”The schedule, as it has been for the last few years, continues to be really challenging particularly in the middle part of the summer throughout May, June and July, due to the amount of cricket we’re playing in a short period. With that in mind, we want to ensure we’ve got enough strength in depth to cover for all eventualities and Daryl and Colin provide us with exactly that.”It has been a tricky process to try and add the right overseas players to our squad – in terms of both availability and quality – but I think we have found the perfect fit with two experienced international cricketers, who will bring quality to our changing room.”Colin will be with us from the very start against Surrey in the County Championship before Daryl joins up in mid-May, the pair will then both be available throughout our Vitality Blast campaign and, alongside Dane Vilas, provide us with plenty of options for different matches and scenarios.”Mitchell, who played for Middlesex in 2021 and was Blackpool CC’s professional in 2016, was New Zealand’s Player of the Series during last summer’s tour of England, when he scored 538 runs at 107.60.”I am delighted to be joining Lancashire this English summer,” he said. “The county has a proud history and having lived in Manchester as a child for a couple of years – it’s special to return in this way.”I had a taste of the Vitality Blast and County Championship with Middlesex in 2021 and I am really looking forward to trying to make contributions in both competitions for Lancashire this summer. The chance to test my skills again in two strong competitions is exciting as a player.”I really enjoy playing in English conditions and the special history of the game around the country. I have very fond memories of my two tours to England with New Zealand and hope to build more with Lancashire. It will also be great to link up with my old Blackpool team-mates Steven Croft and Richard Gleeson having played there for a summer in 2016.”De Grandhomme retired from international cricket last year and has a wealth of experience in T20 competitions around the world, playing in the BBL, IPL and CPL, as well as the Hundred in England.De Grandhomme added: “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of playing for Lancashire this season. I’ve loved playing county cricket previously and I can’t wait to get to England in April to kick off the season with the Red Rose.”Lancashire has an exciting squad who have been so close to silverware in the last couple of years, hopefully I can help to add some experience to the dressing room so that we can go one step further this season.”Emirates Old Trafford is a world-class venue, one which I have played at before in New Zealand colours and I can’t wait to pull on a Lancashire shirt in front of the club’s members and supporters.”

Their spinners were excellent last season while there are high hopes for import Tom Abell

Tristan Lavalette05-Dec-2021Captain Jimmy Peirson
Coach Wade SeccombeSquad
Tom Abell (England), Xavier Bartlett, James Bazley, Max Bryant, Tom Cooper, Ben Duckett (England), Sam Heazlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Chris Lynn, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Mark Steketee, Connor Sully, Mitchell Swepson Jack Wildermuth, Matt Willians, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)In Tom Abell, Ben Duckett, Michael Neser (Strikers), Connor Sully
Out Joe Burns (Stars), Lewis Gregory, Ben Laughlin, Dan Lawrence, Simon Milenko, Morne Morkel, Jack WoodLast season Challenger

Another underwhelming season appeared to be on the cards for Heat after winning just one of their first five games as they lost skipper Chris Lynn to a hamstring injury. But with Jimmy Peirson taking the reins, the rejuvenated Heat lit a fuse and headed into the playoffs as an outside title threat boosted by the dazzling return of Test star Marnus Labuschagne. They lived up to the billing with impressive wins over Strikers and Thunder, where their explosive batting order calmly chased down totals. But they were blown away in the challenger by a rampaging Perth Scorchers to fall short of the final and cap off an inconsistent season.Related

• Alex Hales may need to carry the load for Sydney Thunder

• English invasion leads Big Bash League's overseas player list – again

International impact
Heat could be hit hard by key absences, testing their depth and resolve. Lauschagne will miss most of the tournament due to the Ashes while prized recruit Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson and Mark Steketee are set to miss at least the start of the season due to Ashes and Australia A selections. Tom Abell will be absent at the start due to commitments with England Lions while hard-hitting English batter Ben Duckett will make his BBL debut after starring in the Hundred and is likely to be available for the entire tournament, so too Afghanistan’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman.Player to watch
BBL10 started slowly for destructive batter Chris Lynn, a headline act over the years and two-time Player of the Tournament. After being sidelined by a hamstring injury, the 31-year-old relished a move to the top of the order and finished with 458 runs at a strike rate of 154.73. With Peirson enjoying success as stand-in skipper, Lynn decided to step aside from the captaincy duties in the off-season after three years at the helm to focus on his batting. He was patchy in the Hundred, but a return to his favored BBL – and without the strains of captaincy – could fuel a resurgence for the six-hitting machine.Key stat (Gaurav Sundararaman)
With a bowling average of 17.81 Brisbane Heat’s spinners were the best in the competition last time around by a mile. Mujeeb, Swepson, Labuschagne stole the show taking 33 wickets among them although they may need Matt Kuhnemann to fill some of the holes this season.

Broad will miss a home Test for the first time since 2012

George Dobell07-Jul-2020English cricket could be witnessing a changing of the guard with Stuart Broad set to miss out on a place in the first Test against West Indies.Broad, a veteran of 138 Tests and taker of 485 Test wickets, has not missed a home Test since 2012, a run of 51 matches in succession. The last time he missed one – the Edgbaston Test against West Indies – he was rested with the series already won.But England, and their stand-in captain Ben Stokes, are thought likely instead to opt for the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood with James Anderson back with the new ball after suffering injury in South Africa. Chris Woakes is the other player set to be left out from their 13-man squad.England had originally planned to name their Test team on Tuesday evening. But although it is understood the players have been notified of the final XI, the team management reasoned that, with poor weather around and the possibility a bowler could sustain an injury in the lead-up to the match, there was no need to commit to anything at this stage.If Broad is, indeed, left out, there may be a temptation to write his career obituary, but that would be premature. England are set to play six Tests in little more than seven weeks and some rotation of the seam attack is inevitable. There is a decent chance he could return as soon as next week for the second Test at Emirates Old Trafford. He could still become just the fourth seamer to claim 500 Test wickets.ALSO READ: ‘Do it your way’ – Root’s message to StokesHe has been left out before, too. At the end of 2018, he played only one of the Tests on England’s tour of Sri Lanka while he was also omitted from the side for the first Test of the series in the Caribbean 18 months ago. He demonstrated his undimmed enthusiasm for the challenge, though, by tinkering with his technique – in particular, he shortened his run-up and bowled a fuller, more probing line and length – and enjoyed personally successful series against Australia (in which he claimed 23 wickets at a cost of 26.65 apiece) and South Africa (in which he claimed 14 at 19.42). It would probably pay not to write him off now.But this is another sign that England are looking to the future. And while Broad might have struggled to retain his status as a first-choice bowler in overseas conditions, this is the first time in the best part of a decade that he has not been considered among the first-choice attack in England.It is, perhaps, also an indication that the England management are looking to Wood and Archer, in particular, as the nucleus of the attack that they feel can help them win the Ashes in Australia in around 18 months’ time. Both are blessed with sharp pace and would appear well-suited to the hard wickets anticipated in Australia. Wood also claimed a nine-for in his most recent Test – against South Africa – and took his maiden Test five-for the last time England and West Indies met. Wednesday’s first Test will be their first in the same XI.It might also be relevant that, for the first time in many months, England are blessed with a surfeit of fit, fast bowlers. By the end of the South Africa tour, England were without Anderson and Archer due to injury. Perhaps, had all been available, this decision may have come earlier.Stokes admitted on Tuesday that having five seamers fit and ready to go had presented him with “an absolute nightmare”, and said he would be “dreading” delivering the bad news to the two players that missed out.Mark Wood and Jofra Archer have yet to play a Test together•Getty Images

“You can only pick so many but it’s a great place to be,” Stokes said. “To have so many to pick from is great as a team, I’d rather be in this position. With the amount of cricket we’ve got coming in the next seven weeks I think all the guys will get opportunities. That’s a hell of a workload especially taking into consideration the time we haven’t been on the field. You’ve got to realise there’s no cricket behind anybody.”To play six Tests in seven weeks would be a huge ask for any bowler, but if we are going to rotate it’s not going to affect the standard. The guys we’ve got here are all unbelievable and they’ve all put a good case forward.”I’ve been dreading it for the last two or three days, telling the unfortunate guys. It’s not a nice conversation to think about and I can’t wait to give Joe the armband back for that reason, but that is leadership. It’s great to tell guys they’re playing but with that comes the fact that you have to deliver the bad news. It’s never nice.”Stokes also said that the prospect of Wood and Archer bowling together was “exciting”, adding that it would be difficult to leave Wood out given his “transformation” in the past two years.”The transformation of Mark Wood, more from a mental side, has been phenomenal. He’s obviously had his troubles in the past with injuries. I’m so excited with where he’s at with everything – all the worries and troubles that he would have had two or three years ago about his body seem to have just disappeared.”The skills that he possesses are very, very rare to have in a bowler. There’s been a lot of thought put into the team that we’re going to select.”England were also set to confirm that Joe Denly will bat at No. 3, with Zak Crawley at No. 4.Probable England XI for first Test: 1 Dom Sibley, 2 Rory Burns, 3 Joe Denly, 4 Zak Crawley, 5 Ben Stokes (captain), 6 Ollie Pope, 7 Jos Buttler, 8 Dom Bess, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Mark Wood, 11 James Anderson

A full-strength Australia ramp up World Cup preparations next week against a shadow New Zealand team with fringe players looking to impress

Andrew McGlashan03-May-20194:42

Smith and Warner’s year in cricket wilderness

It is now less than a month until the World Cup starts and with the IPL nearing a conclusion thoughts are turning seriously to the tournament. A full-strength Australia squad have gone into camp in Brisbane to begin their run-in and they will face a shadow New Zealand team, with a number of key players still at the IPL, in three one-day games. Here are a few things to keep an eye on.Australia’s top threeAmong the things that came together for Australia’s one-day side against India and Pakistan was the opening combination of Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja. David Warner’s return means there is now another world-class opener available so that partnership looks set to be split – it is surely a no-brainer that Warner opens. All the indications are that it will be Finch alongside him – the pairing that took Australia to the 2015 World Cup – with Khawaja either moving to No. 3 or, potentially, out of the side altogether, which would be harsh given his recent form.Smith’s fieldingWhile Warner looks primed for his international return, Steven Smith has faced a trickier path due to his elbow injury being the more serious. He found some form with the bat in the latter part of the IPL after being named Rajasthan Royals’ captain, but remained restricted in the field. He said he is another couple of weeks away from full fitness – concern that a diving catch to remove Warner last week damaged the troublesome elbow were downplayed – so it will be interesting to see how much he pushes himself in the field in Brisbane.Fitness of Australia’s quicksThere were a couple of asterisks in Australia’s World Cup squad with Mitchell Starc and Jhye Richardson named subject to fitness. Starc hasn’t played since the Sri Lanka Test series due to a pectoral injury but has returned to full training and Richardson dislocated his shoulder in the UAE although he avoided needing surgery that would have ended his World Cup hopes. The pair will be put through their paces over the next week – but how much Richardson takes part remains to be seen. Kane Richardson and Josh Hazlewood (the latter ruled out of the World Cup with his back injury) are the stand-by bowlers if needed.Mitchell Starc chats to Aaron Finch•Getty Images

Which spinner?During the matches in India and the UAE, conditions meant Australia fielded both Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon in eight of the ten matches. Earlier this week Aaron Finch said he expected spin to play a big role in the World Cup, but it could be difficult to find room for both frontliners in the attack, especially with Glenn Maxwell able to provide a more-than-useful option, so there will be a decision to make for the selectors. Sides are very keen to have a legspinner in one-day cricket to try and strike in the middle overs, but Lyon would be a steady presence. It will also be worth seeing whether Finch takes the opportunity in practice matches to use them in different situations of an innings.Nicholls’ new roleGiven the weakened nature of New Zealand’s squad there is less at stake, but that does not mean there is no significance. During the home season Henry Nicholls usurped Colin Munro at the top of the order and is now the preferred man alongside Martin Guptill. He has only done it on four occasions to date so, against a strong Australia team, the three matches are a good chance for him to further bed into his new position.New Zealand’s depthBy nature of this being a second-string side, the week in Brisbane is an opportunity to assess the bench strength of New Zealand. The non-World Cup players are now those in line for a call-up should injury strike. Doug Bracewell would likely lead the way if another allrounder was needed, while Todd Astle narrowly missed out on the World Cup squad. For Will Young it is a chance to cement his position as the next batsman in line and for George Worker a chance to make a point to the selectors having lost his central contract.

The chase was on with PNG at 140 for 2 in the 55th over, but they collapsed to 185 all out

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2018ScorecardFaisal Jamkhandi runs in to bowl•ICC/Getty Images

Akash Gill held Canada together with a splendid century – at better than a-run-a-ball – to see off Papua New Guinea in the Under-19 World Cup match in Lincoln. Gill was the first Canada player to score a hundred at a Under-19 World Cup.He took a scoreline that read 82 for 4 in the 18th over – with their captain and in-form batsman Arslan Khan back in the pavilion – and dragged it all the way to 247 before he was dismissed. His 120 off 115 balls with 15 fours and two sixes as well.Set a target of 266, PNG struggled to mount any sort of challenge. At one end, opener Simon Atai fought hard, making 81 off 117 balls with six fours, but the other one was a revolving door. There were six single-digit scores as PNG fell from 140 for 2 in the 35th to 185 all out. The damage was mostly done by fast bowler Faisal Jamkhandi, who took 3 for 48, and left-arm spinner Aran Pathmanathan, who finished with 3 for 23.Gill, the Man of the Match, said: “I didn’t really know about that record [the first Canada batsman with a century at the U-19 World Cup], but it’s honestly a great feeling. When I got to that milestone, I was just overwhelmed. It still feels surreal to me, I’m just letting it sink.”

The eight Associate countries with T20I status will take part in a round-robin tournament that is being viewed as a strong signal that the 2018 World T20 will be approved by the ICC

Peter Della Penna22-Nov-2016The eight Associate countries with T20I status are set to take part in a round-robin tournament planned for the start of the new year, multiple sources have told ESPNcricinfo.Although a 2018 World T20 is yet to be confirmed by the ICC, a source said that this tournament is being viewed as a strong signal that the 2018 World T20 will be approved. The tournament would also be separate from a possible World T20 Qualifier involving other Associates advancing out of their regional tournaments that could be held later in 2017 or early 2018 pending ICC approval of a World T20 in 2018.In addition to the top six Associates with dual ODI and T20I status – Ireland, Afghanistan, Scotland, Hong Kong, UAE, Papua New Guinea – the two other participating countries are Netherlands and Oman, who each secured T20I status by qualifying for the 2016 World T20 in India. The tournament is tentatively scheduled for January 6 to 20 at the ICC Academy in Dubai.According to one source, both Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have also been invited, but their participation is not confirmed. For Afghanistan, Scotland, Netherlands, and Oman, this would be their first T20Is since the 2016 World T20 in March. Ireland hosted Hong Kong for a T20I series in September. For UAE, these would be their first T20Is since reaching the main draw of the Asia Cup in February, while PNG’s last T20Is came in February when they lost a series 1-2 to Ireland in Townsville.

Victoria enjoyed a thoroughly dominant day as they gained the ascendancy on the second day of their Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Marcus Stoinis and Rob Quiney stitched an unbroken 149-run stand off 215 balls•Getty Images

Victoria enjoyed a thoroughly dominant second day as they gained the ascendancy against Western Australia in Perth. Victoria first dismissed the hosts for 186, to take a 136-run first-innings lead, and then added 149 in the second innings for the loss of Travis Dean.The Western Australia openers, Cameron Bancroft and Will Bosisto, started well and even put up a 54-run stand before the wicket of Bancroft triggered a match-turning collapse as they were quickly reduced to 88 for 5.Sam Whiteman and Ashton Agar offered brief resistance with a 48-run stand, but another clump of wickets meant Western Australia were staring at a huge deficit. Michael Hogan, batting at no. 11, struck four boundaries in his nine-ball stay but Victoria needed only 68 overs to bowl out the opposition for 186. Chris Tremain was the pick of the bowlers, with figures of 4 for 48.Western Australia responded in positive fashion as Joel Paris had Dean caught off the first ball of the second innings, but Rob Quiney and Marcus Stoinis played out the rest of the day without further loss. Stoinis went on to hit his second fifty of the game and remained unbeaten on 86 off 113 balls while Quiney was more patient, scoring 62 off 102 balls.