Bangladesh under pressure to stay afloat

Cricinfo previews the Asia Cup Super Four clash between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Kanishkaa Balachandran29-Jun-2008Match factsMonday, June 30, 2008
Start time 16.00 (local), 10.00 (GMT)
Kumar Sangakkara, fresh from his second hundred in a week, will be Bangladesh’s main threat © AFP
Big PictureBangladesh have their backs to the wall after losing their previous encounter to India and must now beat Sri Lanka to have a shot at qualifying for the final. An encouraging batting display against India – who were set a target of 284 – was not backed up by their bowlers and fielders and India sailed to an easy victory. Bangladesh’s inability to push the opposition reflects in their net run-rate, which stands at -0.894. Against an in-form Sri Lanka, they’ll be aware that nothing less than 300 is a safe score, especially on surfaces that offer little respite to the bowlers.A win for Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will seal their place in the final. They had defeated Bangladesh in the group stage, an emphatic 131-run win set up by a total of 357 for 9. This will be Sri Lanka’s second match in as many days but Mahela Jayawardene wasn’t perturbed, stating tough schedules were the norm in international cricket.Form guide (Last 5 completed ODIs; most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWLL
Bangladesh LLWLLWatch out for …Alok Kapali , whose whirlwind 115 off 97 balls at No. 6 against the Indians was easily his most convincing performance with the bat since breaking into the team in 2002. His power-hitting in the slog overs made India sweat it out and, for a change, gave Bangladesh a big cushion of runs to work with.Kumar Sangakkara has two centuries already in the tournament, including one in the last meeting against Bangladesh. However, he got a duck in the match following that hundred and Bangladesh will hope to dismiss him early after his match-winning 112 against Pakistan on Sunday.Ajantha Mendis didn’t pick up any wickets in the previous encounter against Bangladesh, but has picked up nine in the next two matches.Team newsSri Lanka will face a tough choice. They might rest a few players but Jayawardene will want to seal a berth in the final as soon as possible. Veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan were given a break against UAE but Sri Lanka may avoid resting them tomorrow.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Chamara Kapugedera, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Chaminda Vaas, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thilan Thushara 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.Bangladesh have retained the XI that played India on Saturday. However, they will need to pick up on their fielding – both Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir earned a reprieve during their seven-wicket loss to India.Bangladesh 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Nazimuddin, 3 Mohammad Ashraful (capt), 4 Raqibul Hasan, 5 Alok Kapali, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Farhad Reza, 9 Shahadat Hossain, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Mashrafe Mortaza.Stats and trivia Just two Bangladesh batsmen made centuries in 2007 but four have been scored since March this year. Tamim Iqbal’s 129 against Ireland broke the drought, followed by hundreds by Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful and Kapali. In the last three years, Bangladesh have managed to bat out the full 50 overs only six times while chasing a target. They lost all matches. Bangladesh have beaten Sri Lanka just once in 23 meetings.Quotes”All the while I was thinking of the team score and did not for once look at my runs on the scoreboard.”
Another dazzling hundred for Alok Kapali will surely aid his team.”I think in international cricket one has to be used to play such a tough schedule. Our players are fit and have been working hard and preparing for this tournament. In fact conditions were much tougher in Lahore, it is much better in Karachi.”
Mahela Jayawardene has no gripes about the itinerary, in fact he looks at the positives.

Wolves transfer update on Adama Traore

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Adama Traore.

As per Football Insider, Liverpool have told the Midlands club that they are willing to pay up to £25m to sign the Spain international in the summer window, and a source from the Reds has told the news outlet that any potential deal is ‘some way off’ given their difference in valuations.

The Molineux club currently value him at £50m, and Traore has now entered the final two years of his deal in the Midlands.

In spite of what was a relatively disappointing 2020/21 season for Traore, with only three goals and three assists, he is still a key player for Wolves, and many supporters have not forgotten the previous campaign, when he scored six goals and supplied a further 12 assists (Transfermarkt).

It would also be another killer blow for Bruno Lage’s team to lose another one of their assets to Liverpool, given that they sold Diogo Jota to them last summer.

Wolves fans on Traore transfer update

These Wolves fans fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to ask if it was a ‘joke’:

“Haha hilarious”

Credit: @Dan__Vincent

“£25m…..If Wolves did this deal they deserve to get relegated. Traore is Worth double…We know it and they know it…don’t sell players on the cheap.”

Credit: @AndyCra43808611

“That’s an insult to us and their value of the player. Hope the new boss has been in touch with him to smooth things over if he wants him to be part of his plans.”

Credit: @WolvesNewport

“Wolves have reportedly told Liverpool they’d be willing to pay up to £10million for defender Virgil Van Dijk. [source: My Imagination]”

Credit: @ShayGri

“That’s just rude. Come back with £60m+ or don’t bother”

Credit: @HungryLikeThe14

“Bit of a joke?”

Credit: @cjamr97

In other news, find out what other exit rumour has left many Wolves fans talking

Celtic: Hoops set to open talks with Aaron Hickey

Celtic are closing in on a deal for Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey after they submitted a formal approach for his services, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Celtic prepare for 2021/22 in earnest

Moving into 2021/22, Hoops supporters will be eager to see how newly-appointed manager Ange Postecoglou goes about re-shaping a team in need of surgery in order to win the Premiership next season.

Making inroads in the transfer market, the Glaswegians have tied up deals for former Sheffield Wednesday pair Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Shaw.

Parkhead chiefs could now be braced for a third signing in quick succession following recent reports.

The Latest: Celtic set to open talks with Hickey this week

Celtic are set to open talks with Hickey in the next week following the initiation of a £3.5m bid for the 19-year-old [The Scottish Sun].

His current employers are rumoured to be interested in a swoop for now free agent Aleksandar Kolarov, paving the way for the Serie A outfit to cash in on either Hickey or Dutch full-back Mitchell Dijks [The Scottish Sun].

Intriguingly, the former Hearts defender is a boyhood Celtic fan who also spent his footballing upbringing in the Bhoys’ academy. Might this prove pivotal in negotiations?

The Verdict: Hickey would be an excellent asset for Celtic

Upon reflection, Hickey would be an excellent asset for Celtic should he complete a move back to his homeland.

He endured a frustrating 2020/21 campaign in Italy, making just 12 appearances in all competitions due to injury issues and suffering from a viral infection [Transfermarkt].

Nevertheless, his eagerness to progress the ball and awareness of surroundings is commendable. Across the pitch, he recorded an impressive 88.4% passing accuracy which, would suit Postecoglou’s high-intensity possession-based style of football [WhoScored].

He also drew high praise from his former coach Austin MacPhee, who in January 2020 gushed: “He’s so young he could play a lot of positions. He could end up being like Busquets.” [The Scottish Sun]

Needing to play regular football at a critical point in his development, Hickey and Celtic may be perfectly suited should negotiations reach a successful conclusion.

In other news, this Celtic midfielder has been linked with a Premier League move.

Is this Celtic’s new Gary Hooper?

Criticism; that’s a word synonymous with Celtic Football Club over the last 12 months.

The Hoops recruited poorly last summer and after a shambolic start to the new campaign, protests quickly unravelled outside Paradise.

Defensive mistakes were rife and they ultimately surrendered their grasp on the league title to their biggest rivals.

Nick Hammond and Neil Lennon lost their jobs while an arduous campaign proved too much for Peter Lawwell who is due to retire.

There are fundamental issues laying deep beneath the surface at Celtic and they stem a number of years back.

They haven’t managed the squad well and young players are beginning to flee Parkhead after not getting enough opportunities. The biggest example last season was Cameron Harper, who headed back to America.

That’s been one of the biggest concerns for supporters who have seen a plethora of young players not earning regular opportunities.

Luca Connell was signed from Bolton Wanderers two years ago and still hasn’t made his professional debut for the club while remarkably; Karamoko Dembele is yet to start a senior outing for Celtic.

Connell earned valuable game time on loan at Queen’s Park last term while Dembele did, at least, find the back of the net for the first team.

However, it spoke volumes that John Kennedy was unwilling to field members of the reserve side even when they had nothing to play for in the final few weeks.

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Therefore, the recent arrivals of Liam Shaw and Joey Dawson have been met with scepticism. Both are promising players but if they end up in the same way as Connell, they will have been worthless investments.

Shaw looks primed and ready to earn first-team minutes after playing regularly for Sheffield Wednesday last season but Dawson may have to wait more patiently.

His immediate goal is to thrive in the Colts team who will participate in the Lowland League before he realises his ambition of playing senior football.

Nephew to former Spurs defender Michael Dawson and son of Andy Dawson, the 18-year-old has a particularly bright future in the game.

He scored 16 goals last term and arrives from Scunthorpe with shades of Gary Hooper.

The English forward was four years older than Dawson when he signed at the age of 22 for a fee of £2.4m from Scunthorpe.

Hooper lit up Parkhead on a regular basis, finding the net with great regularity. He scored 82 goals in just 138 appearances for the Bhoys, beating the goalkeeper every 135 minutes. For context, that record is better than Odsonne Edouard.

The Frenchman has been superb in Glasgow, scoring a goal for Celtic every 139 minutes.

With that in mind, it would take some doing for Dawson to live up to the dizzy heights of Hooper.

Though, with their Scunthorpe association in mind, there are certainly comparisons to be drawn. Dawson only played once for the Iron’s first team in 2020/21 but has immense potential and a similar ruthless streak in front of goal.

Former Scunthorpe boss, Paul Hurst, said earlier last term: “I think he’s a player with a lot of potential and showed good ability during pre-season in various games at different levels.”

The teenager has so made the jump between levels look easy, something Hooper certainly did after moving from English football to north of the border.

The new Celtic signing is certainly one to watch and alongside Dembele, they could create carnage in the years to come.

To have any chance of that, though, Ange Postecoglou will have to manage them a lot better than Lennon did in his second managerial stint.

AND in other news, Celtic begin talks to sign “remarkable” 22 y/o beast, he’d be a huge upgrade…

CPFC: Eagles express Tammy Abraham interest

Crystal Palace have expressed tentative interest in Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, according to The Sunday World.

The Lowdown: Palace still on the hunt for a new boss

Palace seem to be attempting to make moves in the transfer window despite not having a first-team manager in place.

Steve Parish has come close on two occasions in the club’s attempts to find Roy Hodgson’s long-term successor. Deals for Nuno Espirito Santo and Lucien Favre were verbally agreed, only for talks to then collapse

The Eagles are running out of time to have a new manager in place for pre-season and also have 13 players out of contract at the end of the month.

The Latest: Eagles express interest

According to The Sunday World, Palace have now expressed their interest to the Blues regarding Abraham, however, no decision will be made over a possible deal until a manager is in place.

Reports back in April suggested that Chelsea were willing to sell Abraham for £40m this summer as part of a striker reshuffle at Stamford Bridge.

Abraham, who was described as ‘Drogba-esque’ by Rio Ferdinand, is on £82,000-a-week and has two years remaining on his Chelsea contract.

The Verdict: A club-record deal?

Should a £40m transfer materialise, Abraham would end up smashing Palace’s club transfer record.

The Eagles’ most expensive signing is Christian Benteke, who cost just over £28m from Liverpool.

Benteke has recently signed a new two-year deal at Selhurst Park, while the club also have Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew on the books.

Signing Abraham would bolster the club’s attacking ranks further as he has 26 goals in 89 Premier League appearances.

Palace were planning a £50m summer spending spree, so signing Abraham may well take up a large chunk of their funds.

In other news: ‘Please, please, please’, ‘No way’ – Many CPFC fans react as managerial news emerges, find out more here.

Royals retain leadership – but only just

The race for the Norwich Union title is hotting up after the defeat of leaders Worcestershire Royals

Farid Bakri04-Aug-2002The race for the Norwich Union title is hotting up after the defeat of leaders Worcestershire Royals. It means they now lead by just four points from Warwickshire Bears who have played a game more, and their conquerors at New Road, Glamorgan Dragons, who have played a game less.Dominic Ostler scored an unbeaten 103 to help Warwickshire Bears record a seven-wicket win over Leicestershire Foxes at Edgbaston. Earlier Iain Sutcliffe had fallen narrowly short of a well-deserved century as he put on 107 for the third wicket with Michael Bevan (32). The stand came to an end when Sutcliffe was caught short attempting a tricky run, but Phil DeFreitas (44*) batted until the end as his side made 250 for seven five off their 45 overs. Warwickshire got off to a miserable start in reply. Nick Knight was dismissed early by DeFreitas (two for 36) who then claimed his second wicket when Ian Bell edged to wicket-keeper Neil Burns. Ostler and Jamie Traughton (66) then ploughed into the bowling as they put on 139 to reach their revised target of 203. The home side finished on 206 for three to move into second place in Division One, trailing Worcestershire by four points.Glamorgan Dragons recorded an unlikely win after rain brought an early end to their clash with Worcestershire Royals. The Welsh side were 108 for three when play was interrupted. Earlier Australian Shane Lee, making his debut for the home side, top scored with 41 on a bowler-friendly pitch. Stephen Peters (29) and Ben Smith (25) were the other main contributors as their side made 202 for nine. Adrian Dale (three for 32) was the main wicket taker. Robert Croft (15) again began brightly in reply but was bowled by Australian-born Matthew Mason (two for 27). Mason took his second wicket when Michael Powell (4) was caught by Lee. Matthew Maynard (32*) and Steve James (41*) led the recovery but then the heavens opened with Glamorgan requiring 95 for victory. When play was called off after persistent rain the Duckworth/Lewis method denied Royals their eighth Norwich Union win, as Glamorgan were crowned victors by seven wickets.In Division Two, 22-year-old opener William Jefferson scored an unbeaten 111 as Essex Eagles’ batsmen were unable to overcome Middlesex Crusaders’ bowling at Lord’s. Abdur Razzaq (two for 51) and Chad Keegan (two 42) both made early breakthroughs as Essex collapsed to 131 for seven. Essex were 194 for eight when the rain came down. After the interruption, the home side needed 74 off ten overs for victory. Then came pure nail-biting cricket. Ashley Cowan (two for nine) bowled Razzaq for four. Graham Napier took three wickets in his first over to remove dangerman Shah (25), Aaron Laraman (11) and Simon Cook (0). Jamie Middlebrook (two for five) then dismissed Ed Joyce (8) with his first delivery and bowled Jamie Dalrymple (16) with his fourth. Andrew Strauss (5) had his stump uprooted by Cowan in the final over as did Sven Koenig (0) who was run out. Paul Weekes (5*) hit the winning boundary with a ball to spare.Darren Cousins (three for 36) and Graeme Swann (two for 14) helped Northamptonshire Steelbacks dismiss Hampshire Hawks for 133 at the County Ground as they recorded a ten-wicket win under the Duckworth/Lewis method in yet another rain-affected match. Earlier wicket-keeper Nic Pothas (34*) and John Crawley (33) had been the main run-makers as the visitors put on a poor batting display. Rain intervened with the home side on 54 without loss, well ahead of their required 37 for victory. The Steelbacks lie in second place after their second win in two days and their third in succession.

Celtic: Bristol City open talks with Hoops target Douglas

Bristol City appear to have moved ahead of Celtic in the race to sign Leeds United left-back Barry Douglas after opening talks with the player, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Hoops links

The Hoops were name-checked with an interest in the 31-year-old earlier this month by the Lancashire Telegraph.

Rivals Rangers were also credited with an interest in the full-back, whose Elland Road deal expires in a matter of weeks.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa called Douglas an ‘impeccable professional’ when he moved to Ewood Park on loan last season, with the Scot going on to make 31 appearances under Tony Mowbray.

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The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider ran a story on Douglas on Tuesday morning after being informed by a recruitment source.

They claimed that Bristol City have opened talks with Douglas, who also has interest from Turkey and the United States.

The player’s wish is to remain in England, so it seems as if a potential move to Celtic Park has taken a hit.

The Verdict: Postecoglou could do with a left-back

Diego Laxalt returned to AC Milan following his loan spell at Parkhead last month, so new boss Ange Postecoglou could do with a left-back addition this summer.

It appears as if that may not be Douglas following the latest update, with Greg Taylor the only left-back on the books at Celtic Park at this moment in time.

If Postecoglou is after a left-back who is soon to be available for nothing, he could look at fellow Leeds man Ezgjan Alioski, Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand or even Liverpool youngster Yasser Larouci, with the trio just three left-backs at English sides who could be free agents soon.

In other news: Celtic transfer news emerges on ‘excellent’ ace; Postecoglou edging closer to first signing, find out more here. 

Elyounoussi set for Saints chance

Southampton could be heading for a huge disaster as Ralph Hasenhuttl has seemingly made a decision about Mo Elyounoussi’s future at the club.

What’s the talk?

According to Norweigan outlet VG, Southampton manager Hasenhuttl has decided that he wants to give Mo Elyounoussi a chance next season at St. Mary’s. The report claims that Southampton are lacking options in the wide attacking midfield roles and that Hasenhuttl believes Elyounoussi could return from his loan at Celtic and fight for his place in the team.

VG also claims that several German teams are eyeing up a move for the Norway international. Wolfsburg, Frankfurt and Hertha Berlin are all interested in Elyounoussi and would make a swoop for him this summer if Southampton decides to make him available, although the report rules out any type of loan exit for the forward.

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton labelled Elyounoussi as a “disappointment” earlier this season and said that that he flattered to deceive in the Scottish Premiership.. He told the Record Celtic podcast, as transcribed by 67HailHail:

“With Elyounoussi, I think he’s flattered to deceive at times. His goal tally for club and country surprises me a little bit, but he hasn’t been consistent enough and I think he’s been a disappointment if I’m honest.

“Celtic getting him back was a big deal. I was really excited about that link-up between Elyounoussi and Edouard at the start of the season because in the previous season there were signs in patches that their understanding was really exceptional.”

Heading for disaster

Southampton and Hasenhuttl are heading for a disaster with this decision. Instead of dipping into the market to bring in a top-class addition to the squad to improve the team going into next season, they appear to be exploring the possibility of gambling on Elyounoussi being a different player to the one he was for the club in the Premier League previously.

This could be a cost-cutting method for Southampton rather than one with the best intentions of improving the squad in mind, as it would allow them to avoid spending on a new signing.

Elyounoussi struggled in his first season at Southampton in the Premier League. The winger failed to provide a single goal or assist in 16 appearances, eight starts, as he averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.51. He averaged 0.9 key passes and 0.7 dribbles completed per game, highlighting his lack of quality at Premier League level which led to his loan move to Celtic the following season.

The £60k-per-week flop must have seriously impressed at Celtic for Hasenhuttl to change his mind then? Well, no, not really.

In the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership season, the forward racked up eight goals and two assists in 29 appearances for the Hoops, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.72. This does not suggest that he is now somehow ready to make the step up to Premier League football as he failed to set the Scottish Premiership alight.

Southampton could be making a grave error by rejecting the German interest in his services to give him another chance in Premier League.

AND in other news, Major update emerges over “fantastic” £35k-p/w ace, Saints fans will be fuming…

Hussain hundred puts England in control at Lord's

A century from Nasser Hussain and a partnership of 145 for the fourth wicket with John Crawley put England into a commanding position after the first day of the first npower Test against India at Lord’s

Ralph Dellor25-Jul-2002A century from Nasser Hussain and a partnership of 145 for the fourth wicket with John Crawley put England into a commanding position after the first day of the first npower Test against India at Lord’s. India had enjoyed early success in taking three wickets, but they then had to toil on an increasingly flat pitch so that, by the close, England were solidly in control at 257 for four.Mark Butcher opened the innings with Michael Vaughan in the absence of Marcus Trescothick with a broken thumb. Trescothick’s absence accounted for a much slower scoring rate than usual, but the openers faced considerable movement with the new ball, with Ashish Nehra in particular getting the ball to go up the slope. He sometimes actually got too much movement, as when he bowled a big wide that had wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra scrambling across to prevent more extras.Zaheer Kahn was accuracy personified so it was not until his fifth over that he conceded his first run. By that time he had accounted for Michael Vaughan who was trapped right in front before either he or England had opened their account.Nasser Hussain took some to get going with his emphasis on survival, but he gradually began to extend his ambitions with a searing square drive off the bowling of Zaheer. Butcher too began to appear more comfortable and this pair reached a fifty partnership, albeit off 108 balls.They appeared set to go through until the interval, but Anil Kumble, bowling the penultimate over before lunch, found a ball that turned onto Butcher’s pad off the inside edge of the bat and Wasim Jaffer stretched out to his right at short leg to hold onto a smart catch. Butcher was out for 29 at exactly the wrong time from the side’s point of view.Graham Thorpe announced himself at the crease by square driving his first ball through the off side for four, while Hussain was content to remain until the interval at which point he had 37 and England were 76 for two.Just as England had lost a wicket in the second over of the day, so they lost another in the second over after lunch. Zaheer was the bowler again, finding a peach of a ball that went down the hill enough to beat Thorpe’s tentative push and clip the off stump.Once more, Hussain had to rebuild the innings, this time in company with John Crawley. He went to a necessarily laborious fifty from 128 balls, but it was punctuated with some quality strokes producing nine fours. Crawley, meanwhile was batting with a certain freedom and fluidity that was good to see in a player returning to Test cricket after a lengthy absence.After Thorpe’s dismissal, the afternoon proved to be a good one for England. The 101 runs added in the session came from 30 overs, with both batsmen gaining in fluency. Crawley was particularly successful through the off side, off both back and front foot, while Hussain went about his business in a thoroughly professional manner so that by tea he was on 82 and Crawley 48 out of a total of 177 for three.Hussain had scored a century against India during the NatWest Series final on this ground just ten days ago and now he repeated the feat with what, it has to be said, was a much better innings. His third Test century against India and his eleventh in total came from 192 balls with 17 fours – some caressed through the off side, and others thumped back past the bowler.He received excellent support from Crawley in a partnership that was blossoming into one of sizeable proportions. After the initial movement, the bowlers were struggling to contain the batsmen to the extent that Nehra was operating with a sweeper on the cover boundary in an attempt to stem the flow of runs.Saurav Ganguly’s options were becoming limited with his attack toiling on what was now a flat pitch so he resorted to the somewhat occasional off-spin of Virender Sehwag. As so often happens in these circumstances, it was Sehwag who made the breakthrough. The partnership was worth 145 and Crawley was on 64 when he cut at a ball that bounced a little more than he expected and he chopped it to Rahul Dravid at slip.This was the cue for extended applause as Alec Stewart made his way to the middle in his 119th Test – a record for England. With his radiantly proud parents looking on, Stewart eased himself into his task of keeping his captain company through until stumps.That task was accomplished as Hussain managed to keep his concentration just about intact to close on 120 with Stewart still there on 19 and both ready to press home England’s hard-won advantage on the morrow.

Dragons record their first win of the season

The Glamorgan Dragons opened their Norwich Union League season with a welldeserved 20 run victory against the Durham Dynamos at Sophia Gardens

Andrew Hignell19-May-2002The Glamorgan Dragons opened their Norwich Union League season with a welldeserved 20 run victory against the Durham Dynamos at Sophia Gardens.Such a result though had seemed unlikely in the first hour of the game as Glamorgan slumped to 49-5. But an attractive 58 run partnership between Mike Powell and Mark Wallace restored the Welsh county`s fortunes, and by the end of their 45 over allocation, they had reached a more respectable total of161-8.In reply, the Durham batsmen never got into their stride as Mike Kasprowicz had a dream debut in the Dragons colours, with the Australian taking three wickets in a fiery spell with the new ball.With Andrew Davies in miserly form at the other end, Durham stuttered to 27-3 in the opening 12 overs – a start from which they never recovered.Spinners Robert Croft and Dean Cosker further contained the Durham batsmen,and a measure of their control over the visitors was that the two spinners onlyconceded three boundaries during their 18 over spell.Andy Pratt, the Durham wicket-keeper, made a belated bid to up the tempo, buthe fell to Andrew Davies who returned to pick up two wickets in a disciplinedcomeback spell which helped to settle the game in the Dragons favour.

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