Plays of the day from the second quarter-final between Bangladesh and India at the MCG

19-Mar-2015The celebration ()Ajinkya Rahane’s less than fluent innings ended with a less than fluent kerplunk to mid-off, mistiming a drive at the feisty young pacer Taskin Ahmed. Shakib took the catch, and Bangladesh, after an ominous first ten overs, had India 115 for 3 after 28 overs, and had established themselves in their first World Cup knockout match. They celebrated with the zeal of a team relishing this competitiveness. Taskin and captain Mashrafe Mortaza bumped chests, shouted at each other, bumped chests again, and fell over. It was a high-tariff celebration that previous Bangladesh teams might not have had the confidence even to attempt.The dubious call ()Bangladesh had been admirably disciplined in the first 35 overs of India’s innings. Then, in the Powerplay, Raina and Rohit began a charge that would produce 147 in the final 15. In the 40th over, with Rohit on 90 and India’s innings poised for a last-ten-overs onslaught, Rubel – 1 for 25 off 7.3 impressively controlled and hostile overs at that stage – erred for almost the first time with a high full toss. A high, rapid full toss. A high, rapid full toss that was homing in unerringly on a place where batsmen do not like cricket balls to home in. Rohit, in probably the least elegant shot of his mellifluous career, clumped it straight to deep square leg.The umpires instantly called a no-ball – perhaps in line with what Rohit was fearing – and Bangladesh were denied a potentially decisive wicket. Was it a hasty decision? Was it a wrong decision? Perhaps the umpires were swayed by the manner in which Rohit played the shot, a curious flinching thwamp from a crouched position, that suggested that he was extremely and understandably concerned that 5½ ounces of hard leather, travelling at close to 90mph, was about to hit him, shall we say, slightly below the waist. It made the delivery look dangerous; technically, it should not have been called a no ball, and Bangladesh were denied a wicket that might have restrained the Indian charge to a less imposing target.The Dive ()It’s rarely seen but when it appears, it strikes. Or rather the bowler strikes. MS Dhoni has been guarding his hands, his knees, his back and all other bruised parts of his body over the last few years. Many days only stopper, not keeper, at the MCG, Dhoni turned into an acrobat from the past. As Soumya Sarkar tried to fend one from Shami that climbed slowly and followed him from midriff to chest to face, the best that could happen for it was a slow looping edge. Sniffing an opportunity to get rid of one of the gems revealed in the Bangladesh line-up in this World Cup, Dhoni went for it full stretch. In fact, he had to, there was no slip waiting and Dhoni got to it, one-handed with his left hand, and leapt up claiming it fair and square. Bangladesh four down. Not quite game over, but really…The send off ()The last time Rubel Hossain had dismissed Virat Kohli in an ODI, he had already scored 136 off 122 balls. This time, he took just four balls, limiting Kohli to 3, and set off on a celebratory run worth three wickets, at least in terms of time. He ran up to the batsman, kept jogging in his place, making sure he was always facing Kohli who was slowly trudging past him, then punched the air while letting a scream out. The celebration had it’s roots in the past too. Youtube it.The hokey-pokey ()The hokey-pokey catch has become such a regular feature in cricket that teams spend time working on it during their practice drills. It was no wonder Shikhar Dhawan completed one with a smile. He showed poise at the fine-leg boundary to take Mahmudullah’s top-edge in the 17th over. He took it with both hands, realised he was off balance, tossed the ball up, went outside, came in and completed it. But it wasn’t the catch that was the lead story. Dhawan’s left foot was a bit too close to the skirting that some saw move and some didn’t. The third umpire thought it was fine, but was it?

Stats highlights from the last match of the group stages, between Pakistan and Ireland in Adelaide

Shiva Jayaraman15-Mar-20154:51

Insights: Pakistan’s tight death bowling

0 Hundreds by Pakistan batsmen in this World Cup before Sarfraz Ahmed’s unbeaten 101 in this match. Before this game, Pakistan were one of two teams – Afghanistan being the other – whose batsmen hadn’t hit a century in this World Cup.0 Centuries by Pakistan wicketkeepers in the World Cup before this game. Moin Khan’s 63 against South Africa in 1999 was their highest before Sarfraz’s 101 in this match. The last century by any Pakistan batsman in the World Cup was Imran Nazir’s 160 against Zimbabwe in 2007. This was also Sarfraz’s maiden ODI hundred.7 Hundreds by wicketkeeper-batsmen in this World Cup. Overall, there have been 15 centuries by wicketkeeper-batsmen in World Cups, 11 of which have come in the last-two World Cups. Kumar Sangakkara has hit five of these.0 Captains from Associate Member teams to hit a century in the World Cup before William Porterfield. Canada’s Ashish Bagai and Netherlands’ Peter Borren had both scored 84 in the previous World Cup against New Zealand and Ireland respectively, which was the previous highest by an Associate captain in the World Cup.Sarfraz Ahmed’s maiden ODI century was the first by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in the World Cup•Getty Images4 Hundreds by Ireland’s batsmen against Test teams including Porterfield’s in this match. Apart from Ireland’s four hundreds, there have been only three hundreds from Associate Nations against Test teams in the World Cup. Kyle Coetzer of Scotland, Ryan ten Doeschate of Netherlands and John Davison of Canada are the three batsmen to score them. As many as five of the seven hundreds by Associates against Test teams have come in the last two World Cups.4 Number of century partnerships by Pakistan openers in the World Cup. Before the game against Ireland, the last such stand was between Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez against West Indies in the last World Cup.32 Runs conceded by Pakistan in the batting Powerplay – the most they have conceded in these overs in this World Cup. Pakistan have had the best economy in the batting Powerplays in this tournament, conceding runs at just 4.31 runs an over.1999 The last time both Pakistan openers got 50-plus scores in a World Cup game was when Saeed Anwar hit an unbeaten 113 and Wajahatullah Wasti got 84 against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 1999 edition. Including this match, there have been only four such instances for Pakistan in the World Cup.52 Runs Pakistan’s first wicket had added in five innings in this World Cup before this game. The partnership between Sarfraz Ahmed and Ahmad Shehzad was Pakistan’s first fifty-plus opening stand in this World Cup.8 Number of batsmen to get out hit-wicket in the World Cup before Misbah-ul-Haq in this match. Regis Chakabva was the last player to be dismissed in this manner, against UAE earlier in this World Cup.

He was stifled by slower balls, tucked up by short ones and undone by a straight one by which time Royal Challengers were well on their way to losing the game

Alagappan Muthu in Bangalore19-Apr-2015Chris Gayle was 6 off 18 balls at the end of the Powerplay chasing 210. He had been dropped once, would be dropped again, but when he ran and swung blindly outside the line of a relatively straight and flat delivery, he trudged back to the pavilion with 10 to his name. Off 24 balls. At a strike rate of 41.66.And yet it began in much the same template as any of his innings. The shadow practice in the middle of the pitch. A leave outside off, the bat whisked inside the line of the ball, which was then free to thud into the keeper’s gloves. Mitchell McClenaghan liked the carry, and that Gayle wasn’t keen on the shortish length. Full speed ahead.Two bouncers came on cue. One was not bothered with. The other beat Gayle for pace. Neither ball was legal according to the umpire, but it didn’t matter to Mumbai Indians. They knew it was a chink in Gayle’s armour. They knew it has been exploited before, especially by quick bowlers who can will the ball up to his ribs. Tucking him up so that he doesn’t have the room to unfurl his powerful hands through the ball. The eye of the Gayle storm, and Mumbai’s bowlers had found a way to make that their home.As ever Lasith Malinga was the lynchpin. He doesn’t have the pace he used to, and on occasion can be lined up. Gayle is a stand and deliver kind of batsman and his success depends on being able to read a bowler. That tends to get a smidge harder with a slingy action and terrifically disguised slower balls. The contest began with a maiden – five balls off pace, one of them beating Gayle’s lead-footed flailing cut, and one stinging leg-stump yorker. There were two more balls for the blockhole, both only barely handled, and finally the slower ball to finish. Gayle was able to take only two runs off Malinga.No pace to work with. Nothing to get underneath for leverage. No longer quick on the pull, not against balls on leg stump and rising above his stomach. He is too rigid as opposed to still and balanced when he times the ball. He doesn’t flow into the shot. Those big, burly shoulders can’t get moving. The best Gayle can do is nurdle and try to get off strike but midwicket and mid-on do not allow him the luxury. Nor does that notorious back.It has been eight overs and he has been unable to cope. His greatest weapon – power – has been negated by the lack of balls in his half of the pitch. Thirteen of his 24 balls were short or shortish. He wrangled three runs from them. As cool as Gayle seems, he was neck deep in hot water. Something had to give. And it would be the off stump. He was walking back for 10 runs. Off 24 balls.For context, AB de Villiers faced less than half as many and came away with 41 runs to his name – 11 deliveries, eight of them banished to the boundary. There was only one dot ball in the mix. Rohit Sharma faced 15 and sent seven of them to the ropes.Keeping batsmen quiet in T20 is no mean feat. Keeping a batsman like Gayle quiet in T20 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is like walking on a tightrope across two skyscrapers with greasy feet. You are bound to slip. But Mumbai just did not. At least, not until de Villiers went on a rampage.Royal Challengers had gone into this game with one hand behind their back and the other pumped full of performance enhancers. All four overseas players were batsmen, leaving the bowling attack under the care of Varun Aaron, who has never played an T20 international, David Wiese, who is more a batting allrounder, two uncapped spinners and one uncapped medium pacer. And they had stuck this motley crew into the fire by opting to field. Virat Kohli was gambling here. But one thing he would never have seen coming was this Gayle innings.

Plus, highest match aggregates and teams without centuries in World Cups

Steven Lynch10-Mar-2015In New Zealand’s match against Australia, 14 of the wickets fell to left-arm bowlers. Was this the best in a World Cup? asked Stephen Anderson from New Zealand

The 14 wickets by left-armers in that New Zealand-Australia match in Auckland was indeed a record for the World Cup, beating 11 in the 2011 semi-final between India and Pakistan in Mohali, which was equalled by Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Brisbane in 2015. There’s only a single one-day international in which more wickets fell to left-armers: 16 in the match between India and Australia in Mumbai in October 2007 – Murali Kartik led the way with 6 for 27.Was the Australia-Sri Lanka match aggregate a World Cup record? asked Tom McAdam from Australia

The match aggregate of 688 runs by Australia (376 for 9) and Sri Lanka (312 for 9) in Sydney last week was a World Cup record, beating the 676 runs scored in the tied match between India (338) and England (338 for 8) in Bangalore in 2011. There have been six other World Cup matches with an aggregate of more than 650 runs, two of them from this year so far (West Indies-Zimbabwe in Canberra, and Ireland-Zimbabwe in Hobart). There have been 11 one-day internationals overall with higher aggregates than the Sydney 688, the list being headed by the amazing 872-run match between Australia (434 for 4) and South Africa (438 for 9) at Johannesburg in March 2006. For the full list, click here.Who has played the most World Cup matches without ever winning one? asked Nick Marston from England

The owner of this melancholy record is the Sri Lankan fast bowler Vinothen John, who took part in 11 World Cup matches in 1983 and 1987 but lost the lot. Next comes Roland Lefebvre, who lost all his nine matches for Netherlands in 1996 and 2003, while Gavin Hamilton (Scotland) and Alexei Kervezee (Netherlands) both played eight matches without winning one. The overall list is headed by three unfortunate Bangladeshi players: Al Sahariar played 29 one-day internationals without winning any, Sanwar Hossain 27, and Hannan Sarkar 20. Then comes the Bermudian Malachi Jones with 12.I was surprised to hear that Mahmudullah’s century against England was Bangladesh’s first in the World Cup. Was that right? Are there any other countries without one? asked Michael Smart from Australia

Yes, Mahmudullah’s 103 against England in Adelaide was Bangladesh’s first century in their 30 World Cup matches. Their previous-highest was Tamim Iqbal’s 95 against Scotland, four days previously in Nelson, while their best going into this year’s tournament was Mohammad Ashraful’s 87 against South Africa in Providence in 2007. Kenya have also played 29 World Cup games without an individual century: Collins Obuya was stranded on 98 against Australia in Bangalore in 2011. There have also been no hundreds so far for Namibia (six matches), Afghanistan (five, before their final one of 2015), Bermuda and East Africa (three apiece). Leading the way at today’s date are Australia, with 25 World Cup centuries, India 22, Sri Lanka 21 and West Indies 17.In their World Cup match against Scotland, Afghanistan reached their target of 211 in the final over. Is this the lowest target to be successfully chased in the 50th over of a match? asked Kaushik from the United States

Actually Afghanistan’s well-paced performance in that match against Scotland in Dunedin wasn’t that unusual: there have been around 40 one-day internationals in which the side batting second won in the last over when chasing less than 211. The lowest of all was a remarkable match in Mirpur in January 2009. After Bangladesh were bowled out for 124 in 48.1 overs, Zimbabwe crawled to their target, reaching 127 for 8 when Ray Price conjured two fours from the first two balls of the final over. In the 1979 World Cup at Headingley, New Zealand overhauled India’s modest total of 182 in the 57th of the 60 possible overs, despite losing only two wickets.Do Ireland hold the record for most 300-plus totals by an Associate nation? asked Mohsin Zunzunia from India

There have been 20 totals of 300 or more in one-day internationals by non-Test countries, and you’re right in suspecting that Ireland lead the way – they have made eight of them, including three successful World Cup run-chases. Netherlands come next with four, Kenya and Scotland have three each, while Afghanistan and Canada have managed one apiece. The highest ODI total by an Associate team is Kenya’s 347 for 3 against Bangladesh (not a Test nation at the time) in Nairobi in October 1997. Ireland’s 331 for 8 against Zimbabwe in Hobart earlier this month is the highest in a World Cup.

After the slower conditions in Dominica, Sabina Park’s early life was a decided shock for Australia’s batsmen. The situation required calmness, versatility and sharpness of reaction. In other words, Steven Smith.

Daniel Brettig in Kingston12-Jun-2015They are fewer and further between these days, more prevalent in cricket hotbeds like Antigua and Trinidad than elsewhere. Even so, an observant traveller to the Caribbean can still glimpse the numerous informal versions of the game that for years helped sustain the region’s talent growth where system and infrastructure were lacking.While beach cricket is the most famous of these, tape ball cricket and tennis ball cricket are two of the more distinctive sub-genres, requiring different sets of skills and testing different elements of a young player’s technique and mental application. The separation of these two competitions is a feature of many islands, some played at night and some during the day.A similar sense of duality was evident on day one at Sabina Park, where Australia’s batsmen faced an entirely different set of questions from those presented to them in Dominica. For one, they were batting first, and duty-bound to set the agenda for the Test. For two they were confronted with a pitch offering far more initial life than Windsor Park’s slower, dustier strip. And for three, Jerome Taylor summoned an opening spell of the rarest quality.For batsmen who had become used to playing for lower bounce and slower pace over the past three weeks, Sabina Park’s early life was a decided shock. David Warner barely had time to prod the pitch before he had fended the sharpest of lifters into the slips, and Shaun Marsh’s defence against steep bounce was to be so far back in his crease that Richard Kettleborough could give him out lbw to a ball swinging and seaming in from around the wicket.What the situation required was calmness, versatility and sharpness of reaction. In other words, Steven Smith. This, at the 28th time of asking, was the first time Smith had found himself batting in the opening over of a Test match. Some No. 3 batsmen like Ricky Ponting were not obliged to do this terribly often. Others like Ian Chappell have had to cope with it an awful lot. Smith responded in the unflappable manner of a quality “first drop”.That first three balls, Smith played a flick to midwicket, a watchful push back down the pitch and was beaten by Taylor as he played down the line. The last delivery was significant, for the younger, jerkier Smith would have pushed out further, following the movement. By covering his stumps but venturing no further he diminished the chances of an edge as the best top-order batsmen have often tried to do.”Batting at number three now that’s going to happen here and there,” Smith said of his early entry. “I guess my game’s got to be up to it, to the challenge of a new ball. Sometimes guys are going to miss out and I could be in on the first ball. I’ve got my head around that. I know what I need to do if I get out there, and I guess that’s do what I did today. Give myself a chance, be patient, watch the ball closely and try to build an innings.”Smith’s collected, concentrating mien was to be demonstrated across the rest of the morning. There was a hint of how he handled Pakistan’s menacing Wahab Riaz in a tense World Cup quarter-final in Adelaide, all straight bat and risk aversion. He had no concern about taking his time, allowing the bowlers to tire themselves out by being brought back for multiple spells.One man brought back for those spells was the only member of the West Indies attack who looked capable of defeating Smith. After Taylor’s outstanding first spell of 5-5-0-2, he did not bowl again until the penultimate over of the morning session. Later on, he was not allowed to take the second new ball late in the day, and bowled only 15 of the 90 overs required. Smith wondered why.”I actually thought he might have bowled a few more to start with,” Smith said of Taylor, owner of an enviable bowling record at his home ground. “He only bowled five overs in his spell and he had two for nought. I was a little bit surprised with that and I was very surprised they didn’t take the new ball at the end tonight. Worked out well for us, I guess.”The rest of the day contrasted enormously with the first hour, as much as tape and tennis balls. From a start where the ball was flying around, swinging and seaming, Smith ended the day having faced as many balls twirled down from the spinners as he did from the pacemen. The ability to pull back against a softer ball and slower bowling, to not be lured into searching too hard for the ball, was critical.Neither Michael Clarke nor Adam Voges were able to master it, as both batsmen perished when going out searching hard for runs. They were left, alongside Warner and Marsh, to watch Smith calmly accumulate with a combination of deft leg side flicks, strong off side forcing strokes and cuts, and the occasional sally forth to loft down the ground. A rare stumping from a Devendra Bishoo leg break in Dominica did not dissuade him from this brand of adventure.”I think last week that sort of thing happens,” Smith said. “He bowled me a ball out the front and it spun quite sharply. I felt last week that I wasn’t going to get beaten on the outside of my bat and today it was a little bit the same. It doesn’t really matter if you get stumped by an inch or a metre. It’s about covering that as much as I can and just trying to get the bowler off their lengths.”All told, it was another significant step forward for Smith during a phase in which he has made them virtually every innings. There will be greater challenges than that of West Indies, of course, but by starting calmly against the new ball, establishing partnerships and then surviving to bat another day, Smith showed he had the stuff of the best No. 3 batsmen. And that includes against tape ball or tennis ball.

England’s Test attack from Antigua was given a day off on Sunday and the same quicks are likely to face more hard work in the second Test with them unable to find much movement

George Dobell in Grenada19-Apr-2015England’s bowlers could be forgiven for letting out a sigh of desperation when they arrived at the Grenada National Stadium on Monday.They will fear a repeat of Antigua. They will fear another flat track offering them little other than hours of toil. Little pace, little bounce, little movement. A tough week looms.Those England bowlers who took part in the first Test were given a day off on Sunday. In their absence, Liam Plunkett bowled with sharp pace in the nets – he clean-bowled Ian Bell at one stage – while Mark Wood continues to impress all who see him. With 16 more Tests to come over the next nine months or so, both are likely to win their chance sooner or later.It is unlikely to be here. This pitch may be a fraction quicker than Antigua, but it may still largely negate pace and, with Ben Stokes and Chris Jordan – who bowled the quickest delivery of the Antigua Test – already in the side, England have that base pretty much covered. However Plunkett, in particular, can expect to feature in the Ashes.While Bell suggested that England’s tactics in the remainder of the series would mirror those adopted in Asia, it seems unlikely they will field two specialist spinners. Instead, Moeen Ali is expected to come in to the side in place of the unfortunate James Tredwell, who picked up an arm injury towards the end of the first Test, with Joe Root used in support. The rest of the side is likely to remain unchanged.The lack of lateral movement is the most concerning aspect of England’s bowling performance in Antigua. While Jerome Taylor found extravagant swing and Jason Holder sharp seam, England’s seamers struggled to gain swing – conventional or reverse – and were reliant on cutters for several of their wickets.”If this pitch has the same characteristics, which I’m sure it will, we’re going to have come up with a lot of different ideas how to get those 20 wickets,” Bell said. “We’re going to have to change our plans. We’ll have to work out a formula in the next couple of days which helps us get 20 wickets.”There was actually quite a lot to admire about England’s performance in the first Test. The continued development of the young batsmen, the pace and consistency of the younger fast bowlers and the commitment in the field all promised better times ahead.But the problem for Peter Moores – and to a lesser extent Alastair Cook – is that they have little time. With Paul Downton sacked and the incoming chairman, Colin Graves, suggesting West Indies are a “mediocre” side against whom failure will be unacceptable, there is a sense of impatience for progress. As if there are those waiting for them to fail.In time, it may come to be that Graves’ comments – and his comments about Kevin Pietersen’s return, the future of domestic T20 cricket and four-day Tests – may come to reflect rather worse on Graves than anyone else. But for now they have just heaped pressure on Moores and co.”We’re not in control of those comments,” Bell said. “We know and respect this West Indies side. We knew the kind of attritional cricket we were going to be playing.”We didn’t turn up here expecting for them to roll over and this to be an easy series. You never expect that in any international cricket, let alone a Test team. I expected competition. To win this series we have to play very well.”The on-going speculation about the identity of the next director of England cricket is hardly helping, either. While there may well be a role for someone to plan overseas tours at age-group, Lions and England level, someone to negotiate central contracts and integrate the county and domestic programmes more successfully, there is little sense in adding another high-profile individual to the coaching or management unit. As Moores put it on Saturday: “When you coach, you watch a lot to say a little. You don’t want too many voices in the dressing room.”It probably didn’t help that Michael Vaughan was in the same hotel as the team last week. While Vaughan – who has recently called for Moores to be “removed” as coach – has a decent relationship with some of the younger players, some of the older ones are far less keen. It is understood his attempt to have a clear the air chat with Alastair Cook did not go well and his presence was interpreted, by some, as a constant reminder that the axe is hovering.With such turmoil in the background, England require stability and assurance from their senior players. And in Antigua Bell, playing his first Test as official vice-captain, answered the call with a century of high class.”I’ve been striving to be that player,” Bell said. “In a tough situation I want to get tough runs. I’ve always said that. In the second half of my career I’ve probably done that a lot more than I did at the start. It was nice to start the tour getting runs but in a tough situation it’s even more pleasing.”It’s nice to have the responsibility of vice-captaincy, officially as well. In the last 12 months of Test cricket I’ve tried to pass my experience on to young guys and be right there for Cookie when he needs it. It’s nice to get that responsibility confirmed.”So with change in the air, it is possible that Bell could be England’s Test captain by the end of the year?”I’ve not really thought about it,” he said. “For me it’s always been about performing as a batsman. It’s nice to be vice-captain, having good conversations about how we go forward. But for me it’s always been about scoring runs and trying to win games of cricket for England.”The last 12 months have been great in terms of preparation and practice. Our results, certainly in one-day cricket, haven’t been fantastic but the way we practice, talk in the nets and pass on information has been as good as I can ever remember in an England team.”All the indications are that what this England set-up requires more than anything is time. Whether they will be granted it remains to be seen.

Misbah-ul-Haq said the victory in Galle was a great result, especially because the result was built on the performances of the less-experienced players in the team

Umar Farooq in Galle21-Jun-20152:01

Arnold: Yasir Shah will get better and better

Pakistan’s ten-wicket win in Galle was their 123rd Test victory and their first in Sri Lanka for nine years. It took them past India as the subcontinent’s most successful Test side, an achievement Misbah-ul-Haq said was great, especially because the result was built on the performances of the less-experienced players in the team.Sarfraz Ahmed’s 96 off 86 balls wrested the first-innings advantage from Sri Lanka, Asad Shafiq’s hundred consolidated the lead, and legspinner Yasir Shah’s career-best 7 for 76 knocked over the hosts, leaving Misbah’s team with a straightforward run chase on the final day.”It’s good to have youngsters performing, that actually takes away the pressure from us [Younis Khan and himself],” Misbah said. “This is the future we are building with these youngsters and these players are coming of age now to take the team ahead. Sarfraz is a key player, Azhar [Ali] is performing in the top, and the way Sarfraz and Asad played it further stamps our faith in them.”It’s just a start for Yasir, look the way he has performed to step up and become Pakistan main bowler and to contribute in Pakistan’s victories. So we are getting a good bunch that is grabbing every opportunity and applying themselves as a unit. The batting line-up is now getting mature and performing consistently. So overall it’s a great win.”The Test started with four sessions lost to rain, after which Sri Lanka made 300 and then reduced Pakistan to 96 for 5. It was late on the third day that Sarfraz and Shafiq began their match-winning alliance with Pakistan facing the prospect of a follow-on. They added 139 runs in 31.4 overs to turn the game. Misbah said that Pakistan were always looking to force a win.”Actually we were positive right from the start to win this,” Misbah said. “But when one and half days were wasted without play, we got the only opportunity to win this by winning the toss, bowling first and getting them out as early as we could.”The thought behind every move was eventually to win this match and not just go with the flow. They scored well in the first innings, but once we managed to go beyond 400 and take an ample lead, we never looked back. So after all it’s a great feeling to win this in Galle, especially after losing the previous three Tests here.”In 2014, Pakistan lost 23 wickets to Rangana Herath alone and were blanked 2-0 in the two-Test series. Before this tour began, Misbah said the result would depend heavily on how Pakistan played spin and they adopted an attacking approach against Herath. They scored 129 runs off him for only one wicket.”That was the key for us,” Misbah said. “Good thing that everybody was using their feet, playing him confidently and keeping his wicket column empty. That’s really a good sign for us because he is a very good bowler could have done a lot more. But we were working to tackle him for the last three or four months and it eventually worked. We need to keep this going in the coming Test matches because he is a tough competitor capable of doing anything, so we really have to concentrate on what we have planned against him.”The weak links for Pakistan in this Test were the form of Junaid Khan – wicketless in 23 overs – and the openers failing in the first innings. Misbah, however, was not fussed. “It’s not a big issue because these guys have been playing for long now. They have scored a lot of runs recently and now everybody is into the centuries. Hafeez scored a double-hundred recently in Bangladesh and Shshzad also has enough hundreds to keep him going. We have confidence in them.”For Junaid, I think it’s natural after coming from major (knee) injury. It takes time when you are out for some time and are trying to get settled, which is a natural process. In this Test, some of his spells were good enough for him to gain the momentum. It’s not like we are losing confidence in him after he didn’t take wickets. Going into the next Test, we will see tactically if he still is in our plan or not, but we do have full confidence in him otherwise he wouldn’t have travelled with us.”Apart from Wahab Riaz, who was superb with his short-pitched bowling, Yasir restated his value to the Pakistan side. “He is giving us a good advantage, especially on these pitches where other spinners are not getting any sort of spin. He was the difference with the kind of turn and bounce he was getting. Seven wickets against an opponent who is good against spin is something that speaks a lot. He is doing well and improving with every game he is playing.”To became one of the greats, I think he still has to improve a lot. He might be performing well in Asian conditions but there are a lot more tests ahead of him when he will be abroad, like in England and Australia, but at the moment he is bowling tremendously.”

What is truth and what is fiction about this England Test side? The next few weeks will show us, but for all the talk of youthful exuberance they will need senior players to lift and a good start is vital

George Dobell in Cardiff07-Jul-20154:35

Simon Jones’ keys to victory

It was telling that, amid all the talk of “turned corners” and “new ages” on the eve of the Investec Ashes, the Test rankings should be published showing England down to No. 6 in the world.Such a lowly ranking should hurt England. It should hurt a side who have advantages of which Pakistan, for example, can only dream. It should hurt a side whose board, not so long ago, carved up world cricket to try and ensure they retained such advantages. It should hurt.And it should provide a reminder, if any were required, that for all the positivity following the limited-overs win against New Zealand that this England side are, to date, strong on potential and weak on achievement. It was a reminder that they have won only one of their last five Test series and that the last time these two old foe met, Australia were the overwhelming victors. Nobody should doubt the enormity of the task in front of England in this series: Australia are strong favourites.And yet, hope continues to smoulder. It is not just that there are more than a few chinks in the Australian armour – they have won only two of their last 15 Ashes Tests in England (or Wales) and lost 10 of their last 16 away Tests – but that, irrespective of the statistics, the sense is that England have a few young players who have the talent and character to lead England to higher ground.Ben Stokes, for example, may well be England’s most talented allrounder since Ian Botham. Jos Buttler has the strokeplay to drive bowlers to distraction and Gary Ballance recently entered the top 10 quickest men to reach 1,000 Test runs. They have no shortage of talent, motivation or potential.But potential is the most over-used word in cricket. It is, rightly or wrongly, still Ashes series that define the reputation of an England player and, against this opposition, all three men are unproven. While Stokes enjoyed some good moments with bat and ball in the 2013-14 Ashes series, Ballance and Buttler have played only one Ashes Test between them and even Joe Root knows that his average against Australia – 33.18 – is modest for one with such ability. All face tests that will go some of the way to defining their careers over the next seven weeks.In reality this series may have come slightly early in the development cycle of the England team. It may be we reflect that Mark Wood and Adam Lyth, with just two Tests each, were a little green and that Ballance and Root and Stokes and Buttler were still learning their trade as international players. It may be that we come to reflect on this series as the Australian team reflect on the Ashes of 2013. They were defeated, yes, but they learned plenty under their new coach, Darren Lehmann, and were better equipped for the challenges ahead.But England cannot go into this series looking for moral victories. They cannot use it as a training ground or as a rehearsal studio. They cannot accept defeat on the basis that they have learned from the experience. This is the Ashes. This is the final destination. As Andrew Strauss stated last week: “Ultimately it’s very hard to come out of an Ashes series as a loser and be pretty happy with yourself. It is about winning and losing, as professional sport is, generally.”The burden for England is that victory alone is not enough. As the lukewarm reaction to a perfectly respectable 3-0 victory in 2013 showed us, they are not only required to win but win with style.Perhaps because of raised expectations caused by T20 cricket, perhaps because of the variety of competing leisure pursuits, perhaps because of the long-term damage caused by the lack of cricket on free-to-air TV, the game in the UK finds itself fighting for the oxygen of publicity. Winning would help it inspire more supporters, certainly, but winning with style would help far more.England have talked a good game in this regard over the last few weeks. Even in his pre-match media conference, Alastair Cook admitted that, at the start of his period as captain, he had become accustomed to leading “a methodical team” which contained bowlers who were expert in “really banging out areas time again” and batsmen who “relentlessly ground down opposition” whereas now, with “a more free-spirited” side, he had to “be able to get on that front foot as captain.” In short, he had to captain the aggressive team he has now to their strengths, not attempt to mould them into the team of 2012.It is debatable that such a narrative stands up to scrutiny. While England have lost players such as Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott since Cook was appointed captain on a permanent basis, they have also lost Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann and Matt Prior. None of those three could be described as methodical. And while there are a couple of dynamic new players in the side – the likes of Stokes and Buttler – the opening bowlers are the same and Ballance, at No. 3, has done an admirable job of providing a like-for-like replacement for Trott.But sometimes it does not matter what the reality is. Perception is everything. And if England feel they are more comfortable playing aggressive cricket, they should play it. And they should play it in the knowledge that they will face far less criticism if they go down fighting than if they adopt a safety first approach.For that reason, they have an opportunity. They have an opportunity to play the sort of exciting cricket that can capture the hearts of a nation and the sort of exciting cricket that can knock Australia off their game. They have an opportunity to show they have learned from New Zealand and that, playing with a smile and respect for their opposition, is not a sign of weakness, but a hallmark of strength. They have an opportunity to leave the snarls and sledges to Australia and to win the arguments with skill and flair. They have an opportunity, with no major football or athletics events to share the headlines, to put cricket at the centre of the British summer. They have an opportunity to not just earn respect for winning, but affection for winning with style. They have an opportunity to prove that the No. 6 ranking is wrong.England can win. If Moeen Ali can rediscover the consistency he demonstrated against India, if James Anderson and Stuart Broad can utilise the new ball, if Ballance and Cook and Lyth can see off the new ball, if Root can sustain his magnificent form and Stokes can prove himself to be the player many suspect he is, England can win. The time for talk is over.

Brian Close had the magical ability to defray pain as if it wasn’t there

Geoffrey Boycott15-Sep-20155:04

Boycott: Close intimidated batsmen without saying anything

I believe Brian Close will always be sort of an iconic Yorkshire cricketer. He played for a long time for the club, he was captain of four championship winning teams, two Gillette Cups and I think that’s what he’ll be remembered for. People will say he’s the youngest player ever to play for England at the age of 18, he went to Australia. It was not his batting or his bowling for which he’ll be remembered. They built up over many years for Yorkshire, they weren’t particularly special for England, but what was special were his captaincy and his legendary courage. His courage against Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith at Lord’s and the courage against Michael Holding and the West Indies attack at Manchester when he was 45 years of age.I saw at Yorkshire he would field very close to the bat. Remember, no helmets then, no protection so if he got hit it could be serious. And he did get hit from time to time, he caught many catches, he intimidated many batsmen without saying anything, just by his presence and he was good enough to catch many batsmen but he did get hit on the head, the legs. I’ve seen him go down twice, hit on the head and blood coming out of his head, everybody rushing to him and all he could say is, “Did you catch it?” In other words, “Did you catch it off me head?” and then one of them said no and he gave him a few swear words. One time the other guy did catch it off his head.He was a rare individual that put pain to one side. He had this very strong mind over matter, and that’s all it was. While he was playing, batting or fielding, if he was hurt by the ball, he would tell himself he wasn’t hurt. And it was only when he’d come off the field and if you pushed the area where he got a bruise or something, he’d jump up and down and it would be painful just like the rest of us. But while he was playing he had this magical ability to just defray pain as if it wasn’t there.Then his captaincy was very good, he was very positive. I can’t remember him ever being negative, it was all about winning, how do we get a win, take a risk and I learnt a lot by watching him and asking him questions. When I was in the dressing room as a young kid, I would ask him at lunch or tea or end of play, “Why did you only bowl Fred Trueman two overs?” And he’d give you a reason, maybe the pitch or something else and why did he switch so-and-so ends. And by asking questions and watching, and the answers I got, I learnt a lot about cricket. He’ll be remembered for his captaincy and his courage.I wasn’t keen on [opening against] the Duke ball, I had been batting in 1963 most of the season down at No. 5 or 6 and sometimes behind Ray Illingworth, who was the offspinner but a very good batsman. And I was doing quite well, I gave up my job in the civil service and I had no contract, I just had match fees so I had to play well.And it was at Scarborough actually and he just called me to one side after breakfast, I think it was early August, and said, “I want you to open.” I said, “Ooh, no, no, no! I’m not interested. I’m all right where I am, at 5 and 6, I’m doing all right.” But he said, “Well, I think you’ll make a good opener,” and I told him I was not keen. He said: “Well, you’ve got two choices, you can either open or do 12th man.” I said, “You can’t do that.” He said, “I can, I’m captain.” So I had no choice. I made 68, I think, and 28 and we won the match against Warwickshire. Then the very next match I went to the big Roses game at Old Trafford, which was huge for Yorkshire then – full houses, 25,000-30,000, people stood. And I got a hundred, so next year I opened for Yorkshire for about five weeks and then I was playing for England. So I think he got it right.I didn’t know him particularly as a human being, I knew him as a person in the dressing room as a human being. In the dressing room, that’s what I want to remember him by, because he was a very fine cricketer.

Plus: golfing with chavs, the burning to desire to deliver punches to the groin, and other delightful stuff

Alex Bowden04-Sep-2015Beyond the cricket field, few players are held in such high regard as Kumar Sangakkara. People seem incapable of writing about what his future might hold without using the word “statesmanlike”. It was therefore something of a surprise when his post Test career Twitter output followed the lead of that famously dignified ex-cricketer, Ian Botham.Sangakkara says his account was hacked. How many hackings featuring genital photographs do we need before we can start referring to it as a “spate”?Perhaps it’s a lesson that even the greatest among us can be diminished by events beyond our control. Or, as Saqlain Mushtaq cheerily puts it:

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Thanks for the uplifting message, Saqlain.Things have been either squalid or dark thus far. Maybe it’s time to embrace innocence. Sometimes a simple gesture can really make someone’s day.

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You’d think after countless summers in England, Shane Wane would have got to grips with the climate like now.

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Summer in England is no drier than any other time of year. It’s just less cold.Shane should try and be more like Nasir Jamshed and just try and enjoy it.

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What do you mean, sarcasm?Rain or shine, you can always play golf. Alex Hales and Ben Stokes took on Sam Billings and Jason Roy this week in what Hales branded a “chavs v toffs” match.So who won?

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But in this writer’s eyes, Hales was the true winner for this tetchy retort.

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Yorkshire have got a major win under their belt as well.

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Meanwhile, it was Tino Best’s birthday.

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Don’t encourage him. He doesn’t need compliments from other people. He’s perfectly capable of supplying them himself.

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Nor has age mellowed Tino.

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Best’s sometime team-mate, Kemar Roach, learnt that every action has a consequence.

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It may sound pretty self-indulgent, but soon enough that bed becomes a prison cell.

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Get up. Walk to the fridge.Finally, somewhere in the world, there is always a cricketer complaining about some aspect of air travel.

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