England’s inexperienced one-day side has been lauded for overcoming a ‘daunting’ experience to halt Bangladesh’s run of six home series win in a row

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-20161:16

England youngsters impress in Bangladesh

England’s inexperienced one-day side has been lauded for overcoming a ‘daunting’ experience to halt Bangladesh’s run of six home series win in a row.Having already been without Alex Hales, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan from their first-choice batting order, Jason Roy was ruled out of the deciding match in Chittagong. However, stepping seamlessly into the breach, Sam Billings struck his maiden ODI fifty while Ben Duckett made his second in his debut series.England also had to respond to the heated conclusion to the second match in Mirpur where Jos Buttler reacted angrily to Bangladesh’s celebrations of his wicket before Ben Stokes and Tamim Iqbal confronted each other during the post-match handshakes. Alongside the unprecedented security which has accompanied the team’s every move, and the partisan home support, there has been plenty for the squad to deal with.”For some of us who have been around for a little while it’s still been quite an interesting, daunting trip,” Paul Farbrace, the assistant coach, said. “There’s been a lot around this tour – whether we should come or not come, whether the players would come. You get here and you see the guns and SWAT team. That’s quite a lot for young blokes to take on board. The ones who have come will go away with a series win in a spicy series, but for a lot of young blokes it’s been a good learning experience too.”On field there are huge positives and, in the end, it is probably a good thing that some didn’t come. When you think about it, last night four of the top six who don’t regularly play chased down a very tricky score. We felt we were very capable of getting it, but it did take some decent batting to get there. To win, but win it with a few different players, as well as the off-field experience, that can only be good.”Farbrace said that Morgan will “definitely” captain the one-day side in India next January, but he praised the way that Buttler had dealt with the various pressures of the leadership experience – not least the lessons learnt from his reaction in Mirpur which led to a rap on the knuckles from the ICC but strong support from former England captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain.”Morgs is the leader, but it’s been great that Jos has had the experience,” Farbrace said. “He will definitely be captain in India. There can’t be any way around it. He deserves it. His team is continually improving, and he has definitely been the leader and allowed so many guys to play that way.”On and off the field, we have seen Jos has more to him than others thought. He doesn’t say a great deal, but when he does, people listen. The cricket challenge is only one side. He has been very impressive with everything he dealt with, even the skirmishes in that second game, the way he dealt with that was very good. It was a great learning experience for him.”The emotional side of it he has found quite tough, and selection is tough too. You go from being one of the lads with mates in the team, to knocking on their door and saying you’re not playing. I don’t think you could get a tougher series to start off with as captain, because there has been as much said about the off-the-field stuff as on the field.”Stokes was named Man of the Series after sealing the decisive chase with a calm, unbeaten 47 to follow his maiden ODI century in the second match. He also made a telling intervention in the field during the opening game when he pulled the team together as the match was slipping away. His maturing role with the bat – he has averaged 49.00 this year in ODIs – was vital in a young batting order.”Stokes is a leader, wherever he goes, people want to go with him.” Farbrace said. “That’s why he can get involved in some spats. We saw last night, he was not getting out and losing that game. He was determined to see it home. The two innings here, are two of his best for England in white-ball cricket. The 100 was about as mature as I’ve seen him play.”

Short-bowling tactics and allegations of sledging were placed under the microscope on day one of the New South Wales Coroner’s inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes

Daniel Brettig10-Oct-2016Short-bowling tactics and allegations of sledging were placed under the microscope on day one of the New South Wales Coroner’s inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes.Witnesses including Brad Haddin, the NSW captain on the day, and pace bowler Doug Bollinger were examined on issues surrounding the events of November 25, 2014, when Hughes, playing for South Australia, was struck on the side of the neck by a short ball delivered by Sean Abbott in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG.The blow caused a severe arterial injury that rendered him unconscious within seconds and ultimately ended his life in St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.Members of the Hughes family, who were present for the inquest at Sydney’s Downing Centre court complex, had raised concerns about the bowling Hughes was subjected to on the day, and also about some of the comments allegedly directed to him prior to the blow.It was alleged, in the examination of detective senior constable Jay Tonkin of NSW Police by the Hughes’ family’s legal representative Greg Melick SC, that Bollinger had uttered the words “I’m going to kill you”, something the bowler strongly denied with the words, “I know in my heart I didn’t say that.” Hughes’ parents, Greg and Virginia, were seen to shake their heads when Bollinger offered his denial.Haddin was queried on tactical discussions about how to dismiss Hughes, given that he had established himself at the crease by lunch. Haddin stated he had discussions with the then NSW coach Trevor Bayliss about how to change the flow of the game, but denied any specific plans to bowl short.The field placings used by Haddin after lunch – interpreted by some as to cater for short bowling – were, he said, devised to reduce the scoring rate. Haddin also stated that if he had wished to deliver a short-pitched attack on Hughes, he would have used other bowlers, pointing out that the spinner Nathan Lyon was operating opposite Abbott at the time.However David Warner, in an earlier statement offered to the inquest, stated that the NSW team had previously formulated a plan for Hughes. “The team had developed a plan of how to get Phil out,” he said. “Basically it was to bowl at or over leg stump and get Phil moving backwards instead of forwards.”Asked initially to recall events, Haddin spoke vividly of the moment Hughes was struck. “It was like something I’ve never witnessed before in my life,” he said. “It was the noise. The groan. The way he fell straight down, motionless without trying to break the fall.” As part of the first day’s proceedings, the inquest viewed footage of the over in which Hughes was hit. Members of the Hughes family left the room at this time.Proceedings had opened with addresses from the NSW Coroner, Michael Barnes QC, and the Counsel assisting the Coroner, Kristina Stern, SC. Barnes spoke about the toll the week’s events were likely to take on the Hughes family in particular. “It is important to note that Phillip Hughes was, before anything else, a son and a brother,” he said.”To his family, who have been devastated, he was much more than a fabulous cricketer. I offer them my sincere condolences. I can appreciate these proceedings may be harrowing for them. It may exacerbate their raw pain. I deeply regret that, and only hope the improved safety that may result justifies that pain.”Cricket is not generally seen as dangerous or violent. But that does not mean cricket can’t be made safer.”Stern’s address laid out numerous avenues of inquiry, and also outlined the timeline of events from the moment Hughes was struck to the time he made it into surgery at St Vincent’s Hospital about an hour later. However she made clear that the type of injury sustained by Hughes meant, “None of the chronologies set out above had any impact on the death of Phillip Hughes, which appears to have been inevitable from the point of impact.”That left much focus to be placed on events leading up to the ball that struck Hughes. “Concerns have been raised in relation to the number of short balls that were delivered by the pace bowlers to Phillip Hughes,” Sterns said. “And as to tactics during the afternoon session that day.”In particular, concern has been expressed that the NSW team may have been bowling short at Phillip Hughes for a good majority of the time after lunch, in order to restrict the run rate and get him out. And as to whether the umpires should have taken steps to prevent this.”There has also been some concern expressed as to any sledging that may have taken place that day. [Phillip’s brother] Jason Hughes has, with the benefit of the video footage available, prepared a ball by ball analysis of the short-pitched deliveries that will assist your honour in understanding these issues.”Before the inquest began, Hughes’ manager James Henderson delivered a statement on behalf of the family. “This is going to be a very, very, very difficult week for Greg, Virginia, Jason and Megan,” Henderson told reporters outside the court. “They haven’t been looking forward to this week, and they’re hoping that perhaps there will be a positive that comes out of Phillip’s death as we go through the next five days in the Coroner’s court.”James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, also spoke before the inquest began. Sutherland had delayed his departure for the next round of ICC meetings in Cape Town, South Africa, in order to be present for the start of the inquest.”We never want to see a tragedy like this happen on the cricket field, and to that end we have the utmost respect for the coronial inquest process that we will need to go through this week,” he said. “We won’t be providing a running commentary dealing with specific issues through the week, but we do hope something good comes from this process.”The inquest continues on Tuesday with further witness examinations.

For the second time in three matches, Mahmudullah defended six runs in the final over to bowl Khulna Titans to a sensational four-run win against Chittagong Vikings

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2016
ScorecardMahmudullah made it a no-contest in the last over•BCB

For the second time in three matches, Mahmudullah defended six runs in the final over to bowl Khulna Titans to a sensational four-run win against Chittagong Vikings at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Chittagong, in pursuit of Khulna’s 127 for 7, began the final over of the chase on 122 for 6, but Mahmudullah took three wickets and conceded just one run to leave Chittagong stranded on 123 for 9. With the win, Khulna rose to second on the table.That one run came off the first ball of the over courtesy Mohammad Nabi. Mahmudullah fired a wide one next ball, and Chaturanga de Silva nicked an attempted cut to the wicketkeeper. Abdur Razzak survived an lbw shout next ball, but fell immediately after when he heaved one to long off. All wasn’t lost for Chittagong, however, as the batsmen had crossed, bringing the set Nabi, on 39 off 21 balls, back on strike. But he failed to connect a cut off the fifth ball to leave them needing five off the final delivery, which he holed out to midwicket. Mahmudullah ended with figures of 3 for 24 in three overs.Before Mahmudullah, Shafiul Islam wrecked Chittagong. After Kevon Cooper sent back the Chittagong openers Tamim Iqbal and Dwayne Smith, Shafiul dismissed Shoaib Malik, Anamul Haque and Zakir Hasan in successive overs. That brought out Nabi, and he kept Chittagong’s fight alive through partnerships of 24 with Jahurul Islam (25) for the sixth wicket and 45 with Chaturanga for the seventh. Cooper was also impressive, finishing with 2 for 17 in his quota of overs.When Khulna batted, they were similarly in the middle of a wobble before being lifted by late contributions. When opener Riki Wessels fell, bowled by Razzak, he had made 28 out of the team’s 42 for 3. That would soon become 77 for 5, before Nicholas Pooran (29) and Ariful Haque (25 not out) shared 48-run stand for the sixth wicket that took them past the 120-mark. Nabi was brilliant with the ball too, taking 3 for 22 in four overs. Taskin Ahmed took 2 for 17 in three overs and Razzak finished with 1 for 23 in four.

Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan picked up six wickets between them to snuff out United Arab Emirates’ challenge in a 190-run chase

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2016
ScorecardAfghanistan players and staff pose for a picture after they blanked UAE 3-0 in the series•Chris Whiteoak

Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan picked up six wickets between them to snuff out United Arab Emirates’ challenge in a 190-run chase; Afghanistan won by 44 runs to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Dubai on Sunday.Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar’s second-wicket stand of 86 off 51 balls helped UAE nudge ahead of the asking rate and set themselves up for a win. But the wickets of Anwar and Muhammad Usman in the space of four deliveries upped the asking rate and eventually led to a clutch of wickets.Nabi, the offspinner, was among the wickets for the first time in the series. He finished with 3 for 30, while Rashid, the legspinner, who scythed through the lower order, finished with 3 for 14 to take his wickets tally in the series to six. UAE didn’t have anyone to build on the twin fifties, with the third-highest score being Rameez Shahzad’s 15.Afghanistan’s top order gave a good account of themselves before the spinners did their bit. Mohammad Shahzad (44) and Najeeb Tarakai (40) justified Asghar Stanikzai’s decision to bat first by putting on 67 in just 7.5 overs. Then they lost three wickets in the space of 18 deliveries, Mustafa taking two of those in an over. But Usman Ghani (27) and Samiullah Shenwari (39) picked up the momentum again. Najibullah Zadran ended with a flourish, making an unbeaten 11-ball 18, as Afghanistan hit 63 off the last six overs.

The two teams are hoping their performances at ICC’s limited-overs world events and the Intercontinental Cup first-class tournament can push their case

Peter Della Penna02-Feb-2017Ireland and Afghanistan are looking forward to a pivotal round of ICC meetings in the hope that they come out the other side as Test-playing countries. Among the topics up for discussion in front of the ICC board this weekend is the structure of Test cricket, and whether the five-day format should be opened up to more than the current ten Test sides. Specifically, it is Ireland and Afghanistan who are knocking on the door and waiting to see if the Full Member boards open up that possibility.Prospects for such a development have become brighter in recent times. Ireland’s inter-provincial competition was awarded first-class and List A status in October 2016. Afghanistan’s application to have first-class status granted to their multi-day domestic competition, meanwhile, is due to be examined at the Chief Executives Committee meeting on Thursday.Afghanistan recently declared their ambitions of achieving Full Member status. Their premier national competition has five teams compared to Ireland’s three-team elite structure, while Afghanistan’s domestic crowd numbers run well into the thousands, helping to satisfy the most nebulous aspect of ICC criteria: proving an established “cricket culture”. As such, Afghanistan’s administrators are confident that at the very least their domestic competition will be awarded the same first-class status as Ireland’s, and perhaps more.”We’ve submitted a proposal for Test status and in February they will decide about it,” Atif Mashal, chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, told ESPNcricinfo in a recent interview. “We had a very positive meeting with ICC. They were very happy for Afghanistan cricket, the development and sustainability of the cricket, the introduction of youngsters to our team.”Now we have many new names in the team and they are performing very well. Introducing new boys to the team is a plus thing because it is becoming a young, sustainable and well performing team. We have already reserved a place for Full Membership and after the criteria is passed by the full [ICC] board and executive committee, we are ready for Full Membership.”For Ireland and Afghanistan, it may help to argue for Test status without necessarily attaching Full Member status to it•AFP/Getty Images

Results at international level will also matter. At each of the previous three 50-over World Cups, Ireland have notched wins against Full Members while Afghanistan added the scalp of West Indies at the 2016 World T20 to their stretch of dominance over Zimbabwe. Both countries are already part of the 12-team ODI qualification table and have demonstrated consistently positive results in the highest multi-day competition available to them, the Intercontinental Cup.Since entering the competition in 2009, Afghanistan have won 14 games, lost once – to Ireland in the 2013 I-Cup final – and recorded four draws, including in their first-class debut match against a Zimbabwe XI in 2009. They beat Scotland in the 2010 final to claim the title in their first appearance at the tournament, and in the current tournament table are in second place behind Ireland. It’s a record that proves Afghanistan are ready for Tests, ACB chief executive Shafiqullah Stanikzai told ESPNcricinfo this past summer.Ireland won three I-Cup titles from 2005 to 2008 when the competition was crammed into a two-year cycle. They won again in 2013 by beating Afghanistan in the final and could have won more titles had the format not been rejigged to stretch out seven group matches over three years. Overall, since 2004, they have won 24 matches and drawn ten while losing only two. One of those losses was to Scotland in the first year of the competition, the other to Afghanistan in 2009. They have been unbeaten in their last 12 matches, which includes four wins in four matches in the current tournament that began in 2015.Despite demonstrating their cricketing prowess, each country’s fate may have just as much to do with their administrative nous off the field. Part of that is garnering support from other Full Members for inclusion. While the two-tier structure proposal was put on the back burner at the ICC annual conference, momentum may be growing for a dual-conference structure, thereby maintaining a semblance of competitive parity. In order to avoid rocking the boat with the ICC’s 10-team financial distribution model linked to Full Membership, it may also help to argue for Test opportunities without necessarily attaching Full Member status to them.One official believes, however, that nothing definitive will emerge until after the ongoing Intercontinental Cup. “One of the key objectives is to try and uncouple Test cricket from Full Membership,” the official said. “I don’t think that is going to be determined through the new membership of the Test cricket until following this latest Intercontinental Cup competition.”

On a difficult batting pitch, Australia fought hard to secure a 48-run lead at stumps on the second day in Bengaluru

The Report by Brydon Coverdale05-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:17