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How to watch Tottenham against Bournemouth in the Premier League in the USA, as well as the kick-off time and team news.

Tottenhamwill host Bournemouthin aPremier League fixture at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Watch Tottenham vs Bournemouth live on Sling TV in US!

The hosts have won all five of their home Premier League games against Bournemouth between 2015-16 and 2019-20. Moreover, since a 3-1 defeat at Leeds in May 2021, Tottenham have won 10 of their last 11 Premier League games against promoted sides (D1), including all five this season.

Tottenham also boast a bright home record having won each of their last five Premier League matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They are chasing a top-four finish this season and currently find themselves in fifth spot, three points behind Manchester United having played an extra game.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth have won three out of their last five Premier League matches to climb to the 15th spot. However, they are just three points off the relegation zone and can hardly afford poor results. Philip Billing's seven Premier League goals have been worth nine points to the Cherries this season and will once again hope that he will be able to beat Hugo Lloris between the sticks.

GOAL brings you details on how to watch the game on TV in the USA.

GettyKick-off timeGame:Tottenham vs BournemouthDate:April 15, 2023Kick-off:11:00 am EDTVenue:Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

The game is scheduled for April 15 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It will kick off at 11:00 am EDT in the USA.

AdvertisementGettyHow to watch Tottenham vs Bournemouth online – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & streaming options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.UNIVERSO NOW, UNIVERSO, USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo.

Sling TV, NBC Sports App/website

In the United States (US) it can be watched on UNIVERSO NOW, UNIVERSO, USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo and will be available for streaming via Sling TV.

GettyTeam news & squadsTottenham team news

Ryan Sessegnon, Emerson Royal, Yves Bissouma, Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur are out due to injuries.

Meanwhile, Lucas Moura remains suspended as he is serving a three-game domestic ban. Manager Cristian Stellini is also suspended so Ryan Mason will be in charge of the team for this match.

Position

Players

Goalkeepers

Forster, Whiteman, Lloris

Defenders

Romero, Dier, Sanchez, Lenglet, Tanganga, Porro

Midfielders

Skipp, Hojbjerg, Sarr, Perisic

Forwards

Son, Kane, Kulusevski, Danjuma, Richarlison.

Bournemouth team news

Bournemouth will definitely miss Ryan Fredericks (calf) and Junior Stanislas but Marcos Senesi (thigh) and Hamed Traore (ankle) are racing against time to become available for this match.

Dango Ouattara might lose his place to Marcus Tavernier whereas exiled left-back Jordan Zemura remains out of contention and will join Udinese on a free transfer this summer.

Position

Players

Goalkeepers

Neto, Travers, Randolph.

Defenders

Kelly, Mepham, Stephens, Vina, Stacey, Smith, Lerma.

Midfielders

Billing, Tavernier, Cook, Rothwell, Christie.

Forwards

Anthony, Ouattara, Solanke, Semenyo, Moore.

Head-to-head record

Date Result Competition

29/10/2022Bournemouth 2-3 TottenhamPremier League09/07/2020Bournemouth 0-0 TottenhamPremier League17/03/2022Tottenham 3-2 BournemouthPremier League6/02/22Bournemouth 1-0 TottenhamPremier League1/02/2021Tottenham 5-0 BournemouthPremier LeagueENJOYED THIS STORY?

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(C)Getty ImagesUseful links

Bournemouth team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Tottenham team page

Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the season with a 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League.

Another game for Real Madrid and another win – even with Karim Benzema sidelined to a knee injury.

That's now seven games played in 2022-23 for Los Blancos and maximum points taken every time.

In truth, the European champions weren't particularly impressive against RB Leipzig but they still managed to get the job done. It's something they did last season on their way to the double and they have picked up where they've left off in the current campaign.

RB Leipzig had their moments but couldn't find a way past Thibaut Courtois. In contrast the visitors toiled for large periods and didn't manage a shot on goal until the 72nd minute.

Yet when Real Madrid did finally manage to click and put together a moment of quality it proved to be absolutely crucial.

It will surprise absolutely no-one that Vinicius Junior was involved. The Brazilian played in Fede Valverde, who curled home a superb finish and continue his excellent form. Substitute Marco Asensio then doubled the advantage in stoppage time to bring up a century of wins for Carlo Ancelotti in the Champions League.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Fede Valverde

The Uruguayan scored an absolute screamer last time out for Real Madrid and made the difference again on Wednesday night to snatch all three points.

The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw until the hosts finally managed to come up with a moment of real quality to break Leipzig hearts.

Vinicius Junior was the creator with a run and a wonderful ball for Valverde to fire a lethal low shot home and into the bottom corner.

It's the Uruguayan's first Champions League goal and means he's been involved in six goals in his last nine games. He really is in the form of his life right now.

Marco Asensio:

Asensio was actually whistled by supporters after coming on as a substitute just after the hour. Fans clearly weren't impressed with his angry outburst after being left on the bench last time out.

It looked like being another tough evening too with Asensio scooping a poor shot over the bar on a rare sight of goal.

Yet Asensio managed to turn the jeers to cheers in stoppage time. The substitute curled home Los Blancos' second for his 50th Real Madrid goal.

Carlo Ancelotti:

The Real Madrid manager hit a very special landmark against RB Leipzig, picking up his 100th Champions League win.

It's a very rare milestone that only Sir Alex Ferguson has achieved previously with Manchester United.

The win came on a night when Real Madrid did little to impress but showed again their incredible mentality by grinding out the three points.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Timo Werner:

Saw plenty of the ball against Real Madrid and looked to have the pace to trouble the home defence but never really looked like scoring.

The former Chelsea man has only netted once against top-flight opposition for RB Leipzig since returning in the summer transfer window and his goal drought continued at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The rest of Europe:

Real Madrid have dominated this competition in recent years and it might take something special to prize the trophy off Los Blancos this season too.

Ancelotti was again without Benzema and saw his team put in a pretty lacklustre performance against the Bundesliga side.

Yet the defending champions still had enough to claim victory and now top Group F by two points after two matches and are yet to concede a goal.

Eden Hazard:

The Belgian continues to find life tough at Real Madrid and didn't even make it off the bench against RB Leipzig on Wednesday night.

Ancelotti was without Benzema once more due to injury but overlooked Hazard, perhaps a result of the forward's underwhelming performance at the weekend.

Getty ImagesReal Madrid Ratings: Defense

Thibaut Courtois (7/10): Was one of Real Madrid’s busiest players, particularly in the first half, but kept out everything that came in his way.

Dani Carvajal (6/10): Had some tricky moments up against Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku and found both players a handful.

Antonio Rudiger: (7/10): Solid in defence and went close with a header from a David Alaba free-kick in the second half. Great tackle to deny Werner late on.

Nacho (7/10): Captain for the night and will be happy with the clean sheet against spirited opponents.

David Alaba (6/10): Played at left-back against RB Leipzig and did a solid job for his team but didn't offer too much going forwards.

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GettyMidfield

Eduardo Camavinga (5/10): Was on the fringes of the game and couldn’t get going. Looked lost for long periods of the game and was hooked just after the hour for Marco Asensio.

Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10): A pretty solid performance from the summer signing but Real Madrid will still want more. Won every single tackle and barely put a pass astray.

Luka Modric (7/10): Became the oldest outfield player to play in the European Cup for Real Madrid since Ferenc Puskas in 1965. Fired a shot just wide before half-time and wanted a penalty too but didn't receive the call.

Which alterations could the Super Eagles boss make for Tuesday’s make or break World Cup qualifier?

GettyNigeria vs Ghana

Friday’s goalless encounter between these West African giants has set up a hugely-awaited decider in Abuja on Tuesday, with observers closer to finding out which nation will be in Qatar later this year.

Nigeria boss Augustine Eguavoen may have seemed somewhat pleased with the 0-0 result, even though he still hinted a win could have been claimed at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Having assessed Friday’s performance, GOAL suggests tweaks the trainer could make for the reverse fixture.

AdvertisementBackpagepixFrank Onyeka

While there would be a temptation to play Peter Etebo instead, the Watford midfielder’s lack of match sharpness means Eguavoen should opt for the Brentford man from the start.

Whether the trainer selects Onyeka from the off remains to be seen, yet there is unlikely to be another Innocent Bonke experiment owing to the defensive midfielder’s underwhelming showing and subsequent injury in Kumasi.

GettyMore minutes for Ademola Lookman

Having waited so long before introducing the Leicester City winger on Friday, Lookman has to start in the reverse fixture.

The RB Leipzig loanee not only offers his aggressive ball carrying and dribbling ability, but he backs that up with the all-important end product.

With Samuel Chukwueze a doubt for Tuesday, Lookman should be trusted from the off for his home debut.

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Watford.Start Emmanuel Dennis

Kelechi Iheanacho may have fashioned Nigeria’s best chance of the night at the Baba Yara Stadium, but he offered little else for the remainder of the game.

Admittedly, it could be a risk playing Dennis and Victor Osimhen in tandem up front, so Eguavoen may alternatively choose to introduce the Watford man for Moses Simon from the start.

Ailing Northamptomshire want to put the club up for sale and are aiming to raise a minimum of £1m by offering the chance of group equity investment in a new company

George Dobell24-Mar-2016Ailing Northamptonshire are aiming to raise a minimum of £1m by offering the chance of group equity investment to buy the county cricket club.Northants announced losses of £449,127 after tax earlier this month – a deterioration of some £144,000 from the previous year – with gross turnover also down and membership falling.The size of the deficit was a surprise in what was generally a highly successful year for county clubs bouyed by a payout from an Ashes summer and rising T20 attendances.Only a few days ago, the club’s chairman, Gavin Warren, said Northants was in a “strong position”. Such assurances sounded hollow after the club issued a statement on Thursday evening, saying: “While the current cash-flow situation has been stabilised – and the club is embarking on the new season with confidence – it doesn’t provide the long-term financial security that the club requires to prosper and grow.”While it recently emerged that the club had invested in plans for a new ground on the outskirts of town – a claim published by ESPNcricinfo and originally denied by the club management, many of whom have a background in property development – the board insist that they have no intention of moving from Wantage Road and that legal provision will be made to prevent development of the site for any non-cricket purpose.Northamptonshire say they hope to be able to bring in 10 to 15 major investors, most of whom they say already have links to the club as supporters and benefactors, to provide some £50,000 each to allow for a reduction in the short-term debt and give additional working capital.Current directors, some of whom have loaned funds to the county at commercial rates of interest, would be able to transfer those loans into shares.They also intend to offer existing members of the county cricket club the opportunity to buy shares, with a minimum subscription of £250. Under the proposals, members would also elect a director on the new board.”The proposal is to allow 10 to 15 major investors to provide a minimum of £50,000 each,” a statement read.”Existing members will also have the opportunity to buy shares with a minimum subscription of £250.”A new limited company will be formed which would become the owner of Northants, subject to the consent of current members.”It is expected that the current board of directors will remain in place to ensure continuity and a smooth handover.”An emergency general meeting is expected to be convened “within the next few months” with the aim of forming a new limited company to own the club.It remains to be seen if Northants members will accept the proposal and if they will regard the legal protection foir cricket at Wantage Road as strong enough once further details are released.

Rain, snow, sleet and even a dead pigeon prevented a positive result at The Oval as Chris Rogers was left to hail the continuing influence of Marcus Trescothick

Vithushan Ehantharajah at The Oval27-Apr-2016
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara drives on his way to another half-century•Getty ImagesWhen the start of play was delayed to remove a pigeon’s dirty protest to the side of the pitch, you wondered if that was a sign of things to come. In the end, both Surrey and Somerset played some impressive cricket even if it was to no avail. Had rain, snow, sleet and avian intervention not taken time out of this game, both teams would have been able to state their cases for a win.The match went as far as 5.45pm, at which point hands were shaken and a draw was officially called. That option was available to Gareth Batty from 5pm but, with Somerset 54 for 3 and no intention of chasing their target of 292, the Surrey captain sensed a collapse might be forthcoming. Only one more wicket would fall as composed knocks from James Hildreth and Peter Trego saw Somerset through to safety.The evening session and Somerset’s chase had started with Ravi Rampaul dismissing Tom Abell at the end of the second over, with no run scored, for the West Indian’s 14th wicket of the season. Zafar Ansari then accounted for the other three to fall. Along with his wicket in Somerset’s first innings and 67 runs in the match, Ansari put in a tidy shift in the field which was capped off with a stunning catch to remove Craig Overton off Rampaul on day three. It was a quietly impressive return to first-team action.Earlier on, both sides had shown a willingness to move the game along but it was the timing of wickets that prevented both from following through.Trescothick ‘inspiring’ – Rogers

On Marcus Trescothick’s three hundreds in six innings: “I thought Marcus’ innings in the first innings was world class. It’s kind of great to play with a guy and see that kind of innings at his age. That’s quite inspiring.”

On Somerset’s display: “I thought we reacted really well to losing the toss. I’d say we created 30 chances with the ball and put down 12. That’s where we let ourselves down and we need to improve on that.”

On captaining Somerset: “It’s different from Middlesex. There’s an interesting mix of senior players and young players who could be very special. A lot is to do with the development of those younger players. It’s been challenging but I’ve really enjoyed it. They’re a great bunch of guys and that’s a good recipe.”

For Surrey, any impetus for quick runs was curtailed at regular intervals. The loss of Rory Burns and Arun Harinath in the space of six balls, caught behind off Overton and Lewis Gregory respectively, meant Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies had to rebuild. After one run in his first 21 balls, Davies hit three fours in his next six before his wings were clipped for 26 – stumped off Jack Leach.Even Jason Roy, whose default is to press fast-forward, was unable to get going. Chris Rogers took a smart low catch at cover to give Leach a second wicket to remove him and it was only when Sangakkara fell for 71 – his fifty coming off 86 balls – that others tried to get the scoreboard moving along. With Batty’s dismissal came the declaration, which asked Somerset to get 292 in 42 overs.At stumps, Batty ceded that their original plan had been quashed by a disciplined Somerset bowling effort. “The perfect scenario would have been that we would have got into a better position quicker,” he said. “Somerset put up a real fight this morning, making it real tough for us to score.”He was also mindful of leaving Somerset too much time, referencing Surrey’s match with Leicestershire in May of last season. On that occasion the hosts, on a pitch not too dissimilar to this one, which took a bit of turn and was away to the side of the square nearest the Archbishop Tenison’s School, chased down 216 inside 22 overs to snatch the game at the death. With Somerset possessing big hitters such as first-innings centurion Marcus Trescothick, Peter Trego, Gregory and Overton, he didn’t want to risk it.”It was respect to them more than anything,” Batty said. “We were always very confident but we felt like we played a lot of good cricket in the game and we didn’t want to put ourselves in a compromising position against some very dangerous players.”Somerset, on the other hand, couldn’t quite get enough wickets at a rate that would have provided them with an appropriate target and ample time to chase. Gregory and Overton shared three wickets each – the former in particular exhibiting good control while the latter tested outside off stump, then ripped out middle when he yorked Tom Curran.While Somerset’s nerves were tested in the final session, they survived to register a second draw on the road this season.”It was pretty tough out there, actually,” said Rogers, who was impressed with his side’s scrapping throughout the match. It was his decision to call for the toss in the hope that Somerset would benefit from batting first and bowling last on what turned out to be a decent wicket for both disciplines. From the point they had lost the toss, Somerset were always behind in the game but performed admirably to not crumble in the face of Surrey’s first-innings 463 and then hold their own at the end.He did, however, deride his side’s inability to take their chances, particularly against Sangakkara, who he believed benefited from “four chances over two innings”. That really hurt us and I think he was the difference.” He highlighted that lack of ruthlessness in the field as something that needed to be addressed.Both sides, after two matches, are winless.

Jonny Bairstow is not yet a great batsman but he is capable of playing brilliant innings. He has the rare gift of being able to transform a cricket match

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street28-Jun-2015
ScorecardJonny Bairstow is enjoying playing at Chester-le-Street this season – it was where he played a match-winning hand for England•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow is not yet a great batsman but he is capable of playing brilliant innings. He has the rare gift of being able to transform a cricket match, of taking rules of engagement that apply inflexibly to other players and disregarding them in a welter of magnificent strokes. “Youth is to all the glad season,” wrote Thomas Carlyle, and Bairstow is a mere 25 years old. Who knows what this game might yet have in store for him?Bairstow’s gifts were on display in abundance on the first day of the match between Durham and Yorkshire at Chester-le-Street. Until he arrived at the wicket, the match between Division One’s top two sides had been characterised by understandable caution and orthodoxy. On a slowish wicket and under cloudy skies in the morning session, Yorkshire’s top-order batsmen had taken no risks at all. When Bairstow came to the wicket, Andrew Gale’s side were 124 for 3 in the 54th over. Then Yorkshire’s wicketkeeper-batsman hit his first ball for four and the whole day’s cricket began to change.Having made a very fine hundred against Hampshire at Headingley and an even better one against Middlesex, also on his home ground, Bairstow, whose attendance was not required at England’s pre-Ashes training camp in Spain, now topped the lot, and this in one of his team’s most important games of the season. He has a sense of occasion, too.Three balls after arriving at the wicket, he watched Gale fend John Hastings to Paul Collingwood at slip, the Durham skipper making a one-handed acrobatic catch look absurdly simple. Bairstow then shared brief partnerships of 22 with Aaron Finch and 39 with Adil Rashid. Yet when Rashid was caught by Collingwood off Chris Rushworth, Yorkshire were 191 for 6 in the 68th over and Durham’s bowlers could feel perfectly satisfied with their work.It was three overs after tea when Tim Bresnan arrived at the middle. What happened over the next two hours or so will be cherished by the good number of Yorkshire supporters who made the journey to the North-East. On a pitch which remained tricky, Bairstow and Bresnan added 138 in an unbroken stand for the seventh wicket with Bresnan making an immensely valuable unbeaten 66 off 85 balls while Bairstow went from 34 to 102 not out, reaching his century off the final ball he faced in the day when he drove Collingwood to extra cover.What was noticeable in that glorious evening session was the way in which Bairstow took virtually no risks. His drives, cuts and pulls were pure but his ability to seize on the even slightly loose ball is, on his day, as rare a talent as there is in the English game. Bowlers like Hastings and Jamie Harrison, who had bowled economically against Yorkshire’s other batsmen were suddenly being milked for boundaries and on many of these occasions, they were doing little or nothing wrong.Since returning from England’s tour to the West Indies, Bairstow has now scored 519 County Championship runs at an average of 86. In eight innings he has passed fifty on six occasions. He is in some of the form of his still developing career. Trevor Bayliss is surely taking note and maybe wondering what to do about it. At least James Whitaker will be able to advise him. The national selector was in attendance to see Bairstow’s innings and one would love to overhear their conversation.In a way, it was almost unfair on some of Yorkshire’s other batsmen that Bairstow should bat quite as brilliantly as he did on the first day of this game. Until he took Yorkshire’s innings and shaped it differently, opener Alex Lees could feel quite pleased to have made 40, his highest score in ten innings; and Lees had added 56 for the first wicket with Will Rhodes before Rhodes was bowled for 24 by left-arm seamer Harrison, who was making his first appearance of the season.Harrison was later to take the wicket of the in-form Jack Leaning, who was bowled for 28 runs carefully accumulated in two hours’ concentrated effort. Indeed, the first four in Yorkshire’s order had all done their best in difficult circumstances against accurate bowling. But when it is Bairstow’s day, there is little bowling to him and spectators at this game may have left the ground feeling privileged to have seen him bat as he did.

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has expressed concern at the way his side stumbled during their chases in both Twenty20s against Zimbabwe in Lahore, even though they emerged with victories in both games

Umar Farooq25-May-2015Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has expressed concern at the way his side stumbled during their chases in both Twenty20s against Zimbabwe in Lahore, even though they emerged with victories in both games.The Pakistani bowlers conceded over 170 runs twice and despite a solid chase from the top order had to crawl hard to make it. In the first match on Friday their pursuit of 173 was threatened by the loss of five quick wickets and on Sunday Pakistan won by just two wickets with two balls spares.”We were fifth (in the rankings) and remained fifth,” Waqar said after the second win. “We were expecting that we would win this but never thought of such tight matches. We might have won but without the sense of jubilation. We are a better team than this. We actually have to improve a lot and the middle order and should have to take responsibility, so I can say that it didn’t delight me.”A win is a win and I am proud of my boys but definitely there are quite a few loopholes which we have to fix, but overall if you ask honestly I am not satisfied because we are better than this and should have performed well and won it more convincingly.”Mohammad Sami, who surprisingly returned to the national side from nowhere and was making yet another comeback, wavered with his line and length and collected 3 for 36 and 1 for 38 in two games. “In Twenty20 cricket it happens and you got to understand that the Lahore pitch was always flat and it’s not easy to bowl on it,” Waqar said. “But indeed we gave away a lot of runs in both matches, however the good thing was that we fielded well, but if you want to challenge other teams we have to do a lot and get better in many other departments.”Sami should be given more time and any bowler should be given ample time to get settled. I think he bowled relatively well from the previously match. One over might have gone badly but it happens in the slog overs, but overall he started well. Looking forward in Twenty20 cricket I think the role of both (Sami and Malik) important as in middle order I still feel it’s tough to over-rely on youngsters.”In the end, though, Pakistan swept the series, a win that marked the return of international cricket in Pakistan after six years of isolation. “These two matches obviously carried some weight as the way the crowd came in to support us it was just outstanding,” Waqar said. “It was a great response and nothing was hidden we all saw that, so has the entire world. It has cast a positive effect on the sovereignty of the country and gave out a positive message to the other countries. So I am proud of the nation, proud of the government and the crowd who came for us.”Zimbabwean allrounder Sean Williams said his team were short of runs but taking a lot of positives. “Obviously they were a much stronger side than us,” he said. “I won’t say I am satisfied from today’s game but there are a lot of positives taken from these last two games.”I feel we were short of runs in both innings but our fielding and discipline in the bowling haven’t been good. The first game was with no extras, the second we had extras, dropped catches and in the field things were going wrong. Obviously taking catches you win matches and what happened today was that we put down three catches … and smaller things makes a difference at the end.”

Stifling spells by Anya Shrubsole and Heather Knight dismantled New Zealand’s batting in the first of the three T20s in the series helping England Women to a crushing win in Whangarei

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2015
ScorecardStifling spells by Anya Shrubsole and Heather Knight dismantled New Zealand’s batting in the first of the three T20s in the series helping England Women to a crushing win in Whangarei. Only one of New Zealand’s batsmen – Erin Bermingam – registered a double-digit score after the home side opted to bat before being bowled out for 60 in 19.4 overs.Knight triggered the collapse with a three-wicket haul early in the innings. She struck with the first ball of her second over, then picked up two more wickets in her third to register here best T20 figures and leave New Zealand reeling on 11 for 4 after five overs. New Zealand’s slide continued as Danielle Hazell’s double-strike reduced them to 18 for 6 in the eighth over. An embarrassing end looming over, New Zealand’s bottom order survived long enough to stretch the innings till the 20th over, but were not able to avert the disaster totally. Shrubsole picked up three of the last four wickets to end with figures of 3 for 6. The scale of England’s dominance was such that only one boundary was hit in the innings.England’s reply didn’t start in the most convincing fashion, with Lauren Winfield falling to Bermingham in the third over for 1. England captain Charlotte Edwards then stitched a 30-run partnership with Sarah Taylor and remained unbeaten on 32 to see the side through with 50 deliveries to spare.New Zealand’s coach Hamish Barton observed that the players found the transition from 50 over to cricket the T20 format a little challenging. “We didn’t make the right decisions or execute our shots with the accuracy. We just got ourselves into a hole, and then couldn’t get ourselves out,” he added.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza hopes that their ODI form can rub off on the solitary T20 against Pakistan on Friday

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur23-Apr-2015Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza hopes that their ODI form can rub off on the solitary T20 against Pakistan on Friday. However, Bangladesh are still some way away from becoming a highly-regarded T20 side, which Mashrafe feels Pakistan are.Bangladesh’s eleven wins in this format have been spread over nine years. Although they qualified for the main competition of the World T20 last year, they were humiliated by Hong Kong in the qualifying stage and lost all their matches in the main round. Their only match in the format since the World T20 last year was washed out, while the BCB last hosted a domestic T20 tournament in December 2013.Mashrafe said that Bangladesh’s lack of experience in T20s is a major hindrance. He said that they lacked a big hitter down the order while Shakib Al Hasan, inarguably Bangladesh’s most sought-after T20 player, needs helping hands in the bowling department.”We can hope for a win tomorrow especially seeing how our batsmen and bowlers are doing their job,” Mashrafe said. “But if we are looking to raise a genuine T20 team, we have to get rid of our shortcomings. We need an extraordinary hitter at No 7 or 8. We need more good bowlers to work along with Shakib.”T20 has always been difficult for us. We don’t play enough except Shakib. Still we are very confident because the boys are in good touch. We haven’t played many matches, neither have we won many against top sides. But I still feel we are equals. If we play like we did in the ODI series, we can win the game.”Mashrafe said that Bangladesh are unable to produce good T20 players because four-day and one-day cricket are given more emphasis in the domestic arena. He said that talent alone is giving him the confidence that they can beat Pakistan on Friday.”Skill is not a problem because everyone tries to play their natural game. The problem is that we hardly play T20s even at domestic level. We mostly play four-day or one-day cricket, so there is lack of practice. You cannot prepare for T20s as well as you do for Tests and ODIs. We don’t have those extraordinary T20 specialists.”Many of our players like to play shots while we have bowlers like Rubel (Hossain) and Taskin (Ahmed). But we have to rest Rubel for the Test series. If we play more T20s, we can be a better team. We have the ability. At the moment we haven’t reached a higher level.”Mashrafe said that Sabbir Rahman is possibly the best hitter in their current line-up while the best batsmen of the ODI series, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar will be handy in T20s.”Sabbir is a good striker of the ball. Soumya, Tamim and Mushfiqur, despite his size, can play shots. Shakib is there. The problem is that in ODIs and Tests you have time to get set. You can’t take more than five-six balls to get set (in T20).”Lack of match practice is a huge factor. Experience in this format matters. If everyone can play their natural game, we will have a chance. The top four has to do well, at least one of them, if you look at the format’s structure.”Mashrafe said that he wants to use only six batsmen. Anything extra is a negative move, he felt. He has placed a lot of trust instead on the fast bowlers, who he thinks will be able to make the difference.”All T20 teams have six batsmen, but playing eight batsmen is quite a negative move. T20 is also a bowler’s game, since they hold the key to winning matches. I don’t think we need a spare batsman. But it all depends on our confidence and performers. Playing three pace bowlers is the right decision. We have to keep believing in them.”Mashrafe agreed that Bangladesh remain some way behind Pakistan in T20s. But he is still counting on his form batsmen and bowlers to pull the rug from below the visitors, who have lost a tour match and all three ODIs.”Shahid Afridi was right [in saying they are a stronger T20 side]. They are playing T20s for a long time, some like Afridi and (Sohail) Tanvir have played in excess of 100 T20s. It would be great if we can perform in the field, and beat their experience.”

A round-up of the Plunket Shield matches that ended on December 21, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2014Third-innings eighties from Ben Smith and Will Young helped Central Districts pull away to a 245-run win over Auckland at Eden Park. Smith and Young put on 146 for the third wicket, and four other 20-plus scores lower down the order helped Central Districts set a target of 376. Auckland never got close, with the new-ball pair of Doug Bracewell and Ben Wheeler picking up three wickets each, for the second time in the match, to bowl them out for 130.Both first innings had produced low scores, with eighteen wickets falling on the first day. Matthew Quinn and Michael Bates combined to bowl out Central Districts, who had been sent in to bat, for 159, before Bracewell and Wheeler returned the favour to skittle Auckland out for 117. Auckland were well in the game when Quinn struck with successive deliveries to reduce Central Districts to 11 for 2, but the Smith-Young stand turned the tide. Smith made 89 off 195 balls and Young 87 off 171, with each of them collecting 10 fours.A five-wicket haul from Neil Wagner proved decisive as Otago beat Canterbury by 82 runs in Rangiora. Replying to Otago’s first-innings 369 – which contained half-centuries from Aaron Redmond, Michael Bracewell and Mark Craig – Canterbury were bowled out for 201, Wagner finishing with figures of 5 for 76.Opener Ronnie Hira put Canterbury in a strong position with a 125-ball 100, studded with 15 fours and a six, but his dismissal triggered a collapse that saw the last eight wickets fall for 46 runs. The first-innings lead of 159 was to prove crucial, as Otago managed to set Canterbury a daunting total despite folding for 139 in their second innings, with Hamish Bennett picking up four wickets.Chasing 299, Canterbury were in with a shot at 98 for 2, before Wagner dismissed Peter Fulton to break an 82-run stand with Neil Broom. Broom was out for 58 after the addition of nine runs to Canterbury’s total, and wickets fell steadily thereafter. Henry Nicholls was the only batsman to resist, before he was last out for a 107-ball 59.