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Ganguly, however, acknowledged that the tour would be tougher than the last time

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2020BCCI president Sourav Ganguly expects Virat Kohli’s side to register their second successive Test series win in Australia when they tour down under later this year. Ganguly stated the upcoming tour would be tougher than the previous outing of 2018-19 but said India also had the batting and bowling to do well there.”I have said that to Virat also,” Ganguly told India Today in an interview. “I said, ‘because you’re Virat Kohli, your standards are high. When you walk to play, when you walk with your team, I, watching on TV, don’t expect you to just play well against Australia. I expect you to win. So for me, that is what it is. Because you have set the standards. It’s not anybody else. So you have to live up to the standards.'”On their 2018-19 tour, India had recorded their first Test series win in Australia, winning the four-match series 2-1. Australia were then without two of their batting mainstays Steven Smith and David Warner, who were serving a one-year ban each due to their role in the ball-tampering incident in the Cape Town Test against South Africa in 2018. Ganguly acknowledged this “milestone series” would not be as easy this time.”It’s going to be a tough series,” he said. “It’s not going to be what it was in 2018 when they went. It’s going to be a strong Australia but our team is as good. We have the batting, we have the bowling.”Absolutely [hopeful of the team]. We just got to bat better. You know the best teams overseas, they bat well. When we were so successful away from home, in England, in Australia and in Pakistan, we were getting 400, 500 and 600 in Test matches.India’s last international assignment was in March – a three-match ODI series against South Africa, which was called off in the wake of Covid-19 after a washout in the first game. While some of the players, including Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammed Shami, have resumed training, one of India’s major concerns will be to ensure an injury-free return of their players, especially the fast bowlers.”I have been in touch with him [Kohli], telling him, ‘you have got to stay fit.’ You haven’t played cricket for six months, you don’t want your fast bowlers to come back and get injured. They have been training, [but] training and playing cricket is different. You have got to make sure your best bowlers are ready for the tour and fit. Whether it’s Shami, whether it’s [Jasprit] Bumrah, whether it’s Ishant [Sharma], whether it’s [Hardik] Pandya, they have to be at the top of their match fitness when they land in Australia.”Ganguly further said the BCCI had thought about a roadmap to start training camps in India, but with the rising Covid-19 cases, especially in the big cities, it was “too risky” to do anything soon.”We have thought about the roadmap. We have the SOPs [Standard Operating Procedures] in place. The BCCI and the NCA have worked extensively in getting the proper SOPs. That have been circulated to state associations. At the moment, there is no chance of camp because of what is happening, what the situation is in the country. It’s too risky. In Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, it’s just risky. So we will have to wait.”If at all the IPL happens in October – the Asia Cup has been cancelled – so maybe August-September would be the time where we can pull the players out and get them together for 15 days. We have got things in place but at the same time, the safety of the players is very important because they are long-term assets for India. One series, one IPL is not more important than player safety. But we want it to happen provided everything is in order.”India’s tour to Australia is scheduled to kick-off in October with three T20Is, followed by four Tests and three ODIs.”We just hope the number of quarantine days get reduced a bit because you don’t want the players to go all the way that far and sit in hotel rooms for two weeks,” Ganguly said. “It’s very depressing and disappointing. So we are looking at that and December is still a long way.”

No thrilling finish but draw with Gloucestershire is enough for Foxes combined with stalemate at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025There was no thrilling finale on the field but Leicestershire could celebrate nonetheless after securing the draw with Gloucestershire that, in the event, ensured their promotion to Division One of the Rothesay County Championship.With two fixtures still to play, the result at the Uptonsteel County Ground combined with the draw between Middlesex and Derbyshire at Lord’s guarantees that Leicestershire will finish in the top two in Division Two and end a 22-year-exile from the top division.Set 316 to win from a minimum 74 overs when Gloucestershire, who felt their outside chance of a promotion required them to win here, declared four overs before lunch on 175 for 3 in their second innings, Leicestershire were 93 for 1 from 30.3 when the afternoon’s third interruption for rain proved heavy enough for the final day’s play to be abandoned at around 4.10pm.It is a first promotion for Leicestershire since the County Championship adopted its current two-division format in 2000. Led for most of the season by Australian international Peter Handscomb – now back home preparing for his domestic season – Leicestershire have been the dominant side in Division Two all season after winning five of their first seven matches and suffering only one defeat.They last played in Division One in 2003 and have since become almost perpetual stragglers, finishing bottom of DivisionTwo on eight occasions. In four of those, the last as recently as 2022, they failed to register a single victory, famously going 37 matches over 933 days without a Championship win between September 2012 and June 2015.Leicestershire, whose next target is to secure the points they need to guarantee they are crowned Division Two champions, went into the final day in the comfortable knowledge that while a victory would seal the deal in terms of confirming promotion, a draw might do it anyway depending on the result at Lord’s, or at worst leave them needing minimal gains from their final two fixtures.Gloucestershire’s need for a win, therefore, put the onus on them to set up a finish, to which end they added 165 in 21 overs before declaring just before lunch, setting the home side 316 to win in a minimum 74 overs.Against a Leicestershire attack that was a man down because of Ben Mike’s ongoing hamstring problems, 21-year-old opener Joe Phillips further enhanced his growing reputation with an unbeaten 69 from 73 balls.Ben Charlesworth cleared the midwicket boundary off Logan van Beek and landed back-to-back sixes off Chris Wright in his 56-ball 61 before a miscue to deep third man ended his charge. Ian Holland limited Ollie Price to just 8 but Miles Hammond plundered another 28 from 26 before top-edging into the off side, Holland veering away in his follow-through to be under the ball when it came down.Gloucestershire asked Leicestershire to face four overs before lunch possibly more in hope than expectation. The wicket of Sol Budinger perhaps came as a bonus, the opener making no attempt to rein in his natural attacking instincts but perishing after just 13 deliveries, tempted by a widish ball from Ajeet Singh Dale despite having collected three boundaries already and picking out the fielder at wide third.The visitors’ cause was not helped by showers after lunch, which eventually washed out 43.3 overs of the scheduled 74.Yet there never seemed enough jeopardy in the fourth-day surface to make 10 wickets a realistic possibility. Rishi Patel finished unbeaten on 42 with acting captain Holland on 27. Gloucestershire’s frustration was cushioned a little by taking 15 points for the draw, but the gap between themselves and second-placed Glamorgan remains at more than 30 points.

They rescued their team from 153 for 8 to stitch an unbroken stand and knock West Indies out

The Report by Sreshth Shah29-Jan-2020New Zealand’s No. 9 Joey Field and No. 10 Kristian Clarke put on an unbeaten 86-run ninth-wicket stand to take New Zealand through to the semi-finals of the Under-19 World Cup. They knocked out West Indies – who entered the game unbeaten through the competition – in a dramatic two-wicket win in Benoni to set up a semi-final clash against either South Africa or Bangladesh.It seemed New Zealand’s tournament was going to be over when they were reduced to 153 for 8 in their chase of 239. Field and Clarke, however, put on a heroic stand and took the game to the last over to eventually win with two balls to spare. Clarke’s contribution wasn’t only with the bat; his 4 for 25 had helped bowl West Indies out for 238. It wasn’t even the first time Clarke’s heroics with the bat had saved New Zealand. In their must-win game against Sri Lanka in the group stage, he had had struck a final-over six to secure New Zealand’s spot in the knockouts.The game had begun with West Indies opting to bat, but they lost their openers inside ten overs to be 32 for 2. Kevlon Anderson (33) and Kirk McKenzie then added 78 runs to take West Indies past 100, and a 73-run fourth-wicket stand between McKenzie and Antonio Morris (31) set West Indies up for a solid total. However, a collapse triggered by Clarke and left-arm spinner and captain Jesse Tashkoff saw West Indies crumble from 183 for 3 to 205 for 8 in the space of 7.3 overs before they were bowled out for 238 in the 48th over. McKenzie, who had retired hurt earlier, returned to be dismissed for 99 as the last West Indies batsman. Once he was dismissed, New Zealand’s players carried McKenzie off the field since he was suffering from cramps. In reply, New Zealand lost opener Ollie White for a duck early and Rhys Mariu, their top-scorer in the tournament, soon followed for 26. Fergus Lellman and Tashkoff fell within the space of four deliveries as New Zealand’s score read 67 for 4 after 15.1 overs. A brief recovery from Quinn Sunde (32) and Simon Keene took them to 118, but once the former was trapped lbw, New Zealand crumbled again. Ashmead Nedd, the left-arm spinner, was the architect of the middle-order collapse, taking three wickets in a space of 15 deliveries between overs 31 and 35.At 153 for 8, West Indies were roaring and had one foot in the semi-final, but Field and Clarke then put on a show to take the game away from them. New Zealand needed 45 from the last four overs but two expensive overs – by Matthew Forde and Nyeem Young – brought the equation down to 17 off 12. The 49th over, delivered by Forde, lasted eight deliveries and went for 10 runs with the left-arm quick delivering two wides. It meant New Zealand needed seven off the final over, and they got there after Field struck a four on the second ball of the last over. Clarke’s 46 was the highest score by a No. 10 in the Under-19 World Cup history while their partnership was the highest for the ninth wicket in a chase.

West Indies, Pakistan and Australia players’ availability in doubt

Matt Roller17-May-2021A number of overseas players are expected to withdraw from the inaugural season of the Hundred due to clashes in the international calendar and complications regarding international travel caused by Covid restrictions.West Indies, Pakistan and Australia players with contracts to appear in the men’s competition will have their availability limited if they are involved in the two T20I series due to take place in the Caribbean in July and August, while two Australia players – Rachael Haynes and Jess Jonassen – have already withdrawn from the women’s tournament due to quarantine requirements.Cricket West Indies announced its men’s fixtures for the 2021 home season last week, with the end of the T20I series against Australia overlapping with the start of the Hundred. Seven of the nine Australians contracted to play in the men’s competition were named in an enlarged 23-man squad on Monday – Chris Lynn and Nathan Coulter-Nile were the exceptions.Those seven include marquee names in Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner, and while it is possible that they could still play the majority of the eight-game group stage subject to quarantine periods, Cricket Australia remain in talks with the Bangladesh Cricket Board regarding a possible tour which would present a further clash.Related

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Four West Indians are also under contract: Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard are both key parts of the T20I set-up, while Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are likely to come back into the picture ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup. Their series against Pakistan starts on July 27, three days after the Australia T20Is finish, with the fifth and final match scheduled for August 3 in Guyana – which is on the UK’s travel red list, adding to the complications – though it is understood they remain keen to be a part of the tournament if possible.Pakistan stay in the Caribbean for two Tests on August 12 and August 20, which will effectively rule Shaheen Shah Afridi out of his deal with Birmingham Phoenix. Shadab Khan, the other Pakistan player involved, may be available for the second half of the tournament with Manchester Originals if he is overlooked for the Test squad again.The ECB remain confident that the Hundred will feature some of the best overseas players in the world but are realistic about the fact that some players will withdraw in the coming weeks and months. The new 100-ball tournament’s inaugural season was postponed last year due to operational challenges, and is now due to start on July 21. “The realities of Covid mean there remain practicalities that are difficult for some overseas players to overcome,” a spokesperson said.Jonassen was replaced by compatriot Georgia Wareham in the Welsh Fire squad last month, while Haynes’ withdrawal from her Oval Invincibles contract was revealed by London’s last week. They are the only two confirmed withdrawals as yet, but the fact that salaries are significantly lower in the women’s competition (£3,600-£15,000) than in the men’s (£24,000-£100,000) reduces the incentives for players to travel to the UK specifically for the tournament. As such, it is possible that further Indian players will sign deals and stay on following the conclusion of their tour to England on July 15 – six days before the start of the Hundred.Jess Jonassen and Rachael Haynes have both pulled out of the Hundred•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

In the men’s competition, there is a broad pool of nearly 250 overseas players registered as replacements. Several of them, including Dan Christian, Glenn Phillips, Lockie Ferguson and Carlos Brathwaite, will already be in the UK to play in the T20 Blast for their respective counties, and as such may be attractive options, either to fill in for a handful of games or to play the full season in the event of withdrawals.Meanwhile, Manchester Originals can begin to negotiate with county cricketers who were not signed in February’s re-draft following Harry Gurney’s retirement. Gurney was an £80,000 signing in the draft and his withdrawal from the competition means that there is a free slot up for grabs at that price bracket for any domestic player without a contract.The ECB are hopeful that England’s centrally contracted red-ball players will be available for up to three group-stage games at the start of the tournament before the start of the men’s Test series against India, and potentially the eliminator and the final. Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, said last week: “We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up so it’s a difficult juggling act but I know the players are also looking forward to that tournament and would love to be involved at some stage if they can.”England men’s players on all-format central contracts will earn £40,000 for their involvement in up to three matches, and those on red-ball deals will earn £28,000. All centrally-contracted players will then earn £4,608 per match for any additional fixtures. Players with white-ball contracts are due to be available throughout the Hundred, and are paid directly through the draft mechanism.

Jake Libby resists for Worcestershire but Liam Trevaskis seals 46-run victory

ECB Reporters Network10-Aug-2021Durham 289 for 9 (Lees 93, Bedingham 66) beat Worcestershire243 (Libby 76) by 46 runsDurham are through to the knockout stages of the Royal London Cup with a game to spare after defeating Worcestershire Rapids by 46 runs at New Road.They are guaranteed to finish in the top two – whatever the outcome of their final home game against Hampshire – under the average points per game system brought in after Gloucestershire’s game with Middlesex was cancelled due to Covid-19.Only Essex Eagles can overhaul Durham who are assured of a home tie in either the play-off stages or the semi-finals.Scott Borthwick opted to bat first on a pitch being used for the fourth time in the 50-over competition and another fine performance from opener Alex Lees helped them total 289 for 9.Lees top-scored with 93 and he is now the leading run-scorer in the competition with 468 from six innings, overtaking his Durham team-mate Graham Clark (419).The Rapids were then dismissed for 243 in 45.1 overs despite a fine 76 from Jake Libby who was one of three victims of spinner Liam Trevaskis after Paul van Meekeren inflicted the early damage.Lees was the dominant partner in an opening stand of 73 with Graham Clark who on 28 swept a Brett D’Oliveira full toss straight to backward square leg.Borthwick (10) was run out after he failed to beat Ed Barnard’s throw from backward point to keeper Gareth Roderick.Jacques Banton – brother of Tom – struck in his first over as Cameron Bancroft (11) gave him the charge and was bowled.David Bedingham upped the tempo and struck successive balls from D’Oliveira over long off and long on for sixHe survived a caught and bowled off Baker on 41 and brought up his half century in the same over with his fourth six off just 34 balls.Finch was also hit for two sixes in two balls by Bedingham but the same over brought the downfall of Lees.He had made 93 from 109 balls when he was bowled by a ball which nipped back after striking one six and six fours.Bedingham advanced to 66 from 41 balls before he lofted Baker straight to Banton at long off.Sean Dickson (15) failed to beat D’Oliveira’s throw from deep midwicket attempting a second run off Barnard and a slower ball from the all-rounder deceived Trevaskis (10)Ned Eckersley gave the Durham innings some late impetus with 36 off 27 balls before he went lbw to Finch hitting across the line and Barnard dismissed Luke Doneathy (10) in the same manner with a swinging Gaelivery.Van Meekeren made two early breakthroughs for Durham.He pulled off a fine low one-handed catch to dismiss D’Oliveira (5) and then trapped Tom Fell (6) lbw after attempting to pull a ball which kept low.Jack Haynes (20) came down the wicket to Trevaskis and was stumped and Roderick (5) was bowled sweeping at the same bowler.Libby completed a 49-ball half-century but he was fighting a lone hand and Barnard, on 15, swept a Clark full toss straight to deep mid wicket.The Rapids’ last realistic hope ended when Libby, having struck five fours in his 88 ball knock, was caught at extra cover off Trevaskis.

Leicestershire stroll to target for only their second win of the season

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2023A maiden T20 century by Rishi Patel powered Leicestershire Foxes to an impressive six-wicket Vitality Blast victory over Durham at the Uptonsteel County Ground, Grace Road.The 24-year-old right-hand bat – dropped on 38 – struck 103 from 49 balls with 12 fours and four sixes as the Foxes cruised home with 14 balls to spare with comfortably their most emphatic performances of an otherwise dismal season to date, Lewis Hill hitting the winning runs to finish on an unbeaten 54 from 41 balls.It was Durham’s second defeat by Leicestershire in six days although the Foxes remain bottom of the North Group table, having lost their other six games.Aussie Ashton Turner’s unbeaten 60 from 38 balls lifted Durham’s total to a challenging 172 for 4 against a makeshift Foxes bowling attack from which key man Naveen ul-Haq was missing though injury. Ollie Robinson made 30 from 31 balls and Graham Clark 27 from just 14 in the powerplay but spinner Callum Parkinson (2 for 21) and teenage pace bowler Josh Hull (1 for 26) made sure that the visitors were never able to dominate.Asked to bat first, Durham posted 59 for 2 from the opening block of six, 35 of those runs coming in two overs after the visitors went hard against the two new faces in the Foxes attack, with Matt Salisbury and Tom Scriven drafted in for their county Blast debuts after injuries to Mikey Finan and Will Davis as well as Afghan international Naveen.Salisbury, who did not play in the Blast during his four years at Durham but made eight appearances for Essex in 2014, took a wicket with his fifth ball against his ex-team-mates when Alex Lees swung optimistically and was bowled, but took some punishment in his second over as Clark and Michael Jones plundered 17 runs, the pair having taken 18 off Scriven in the previous over, although Clark survived a difficult chance to point on four.Hull finished the powerplay well for the Foxes as Jones miscued to mid-on and when left-arm spinner Parkinson produced a fine, full delivery to trap Clark in the crease in the next over, Durham were 61 for 3. At halfway, with Colin Ackermann and Rehan Ahmed applying the squeeze, they were 80 for 3, advancing to 112 for 4 from 15 overs after Parkinson made another big breakthrough, bowling Robinson to register his 100th Blast wicket for the county.The Foxes would have been disappointed not to claim more wickets in the last five, which saw Turner and Bas de Leede swell the total by 62 runs, both clearing the ropes of Rehan’s legspin, but Hull, the 18-year-old left-arm quick of whom they have high hopes, produced an impressive final over costing just eight runs to finish with 1 for 26.Needing to score at 8.65 runs per over, the home side suffered an immediate setback, losing Nick Welch to the fifth ball of their reply as he missed an attempted sweep against left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis, but recovered well, with Hill pulling and scooping profitably and Patel hitting powerfully down the ground, to be 69 for 1 from six, although the latter had an escape when Ben Raine dropped what should have been a straightforward chance at wide long-on.Back-to-back boundaries off Turner took Patel to a 21-ball half-century and two more off legspinner Nathan Sowter’s next over brought the target down to 70 with 70 balls remaining.And there was no holding the Foxes back on this occasion with Patel in destructive mood, needing just 24 more balls to reach his hundred, getting there his second six in three balls over wide long-on off Sowter, and although it all ended anticlimactically in the next over as an ill-advised decision to go for a second run to de Leede at midwicket off Wayne Parnell saw him run out.Nonetheless, the home side went into the final five overs needing just 21 to win and though Parnell dismissed Colin Ackermann, who chopped on, and Louis Kimber, caught behind, with consecutive balls, to induce a little anxiety in the home crowd, only 14 more were needed, Hill finishing the job by pulling Sowter for his third six before driving the same bowler through extra cover for four next ball.

A round-up of the second day’s play of the third-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Plate League 2009-10

Cricinfo staff18-Nov-2009

Group B

Scorecard
The contest between Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala in Jammu has proved a closely-fought one. A four-wicket burst from Abid Nabi helped the hosts bowl out Kerala for 133, and gain a lead of 31. Raiphi Gomez (39) and Sachin Baby (32) provided some resistance but Kerala couldn’t capitalise after having bowled out the opposition for 164 on the first day. Though they fought back well in J&K’s second innings, the hosts still held the edge at stumps. An unbeaten 57 from Hiken Shah steered J&K to 157 for 6 at stumps – Sony Cheruvathur took three wickets an increased his match tally to nine – and took the lead to 188.
Scorecard
There was no play possible as rain played spoilsport on the second day of the game between Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha in Vijaywada.

Group A

Scorecard
Assam reached a position of advantage against Jharkhand in Guwahati. First, their bowlers, led by Sairaj Bahutule’s 5 for 53, bowled out Jharkhand for 261; then their batsmen responded by notching up 149 at stumps with the loss of just one wicket. Jharkhand will rue the fact that their middle-order batsmen failed to consolidate on starts. Five reached double-figures, while three – Saurabh Tiwary, Rajeev Gupta and Shahbaz Nadeem – reached 30-plus scores but didn’t press on. Assam, in response, were boosted by opener Parvez Aziz’s 85 and an opening stand of 128. Dheeraj Jadhav is still there, unbeaten on 49, and will look to take his team to a substantial lead tomorrow.
Scorecard
Goa, buoyed by Swapnil Asnodkar’s century, reached a dominant position against Rajasthan in Margao. They began the day on even terms, on 149 for 4, but a 128-run stand between the two overnight batsmen, Asnodkar and Rahul Keni, tilted the balance in Goa’s favour. Fast bowler Pankaj Singh bagged 4 for 92, but Goa had posted a competitive 338. In reply, two quick wickets from Saurabh Bandekar dented Rajasthan in their innings and left the visitors in a precarious situation at stumps.
Scorecard
The first day of the game in Nagpur was washed out, but the hosts were pegged back on the second as Tripura limited them to 217 for 9. The Vidarbha score could have been much worse had it not been for a 59-run sixth-wicket stand between Ravi Jangid (45) and Himanshu Joshi (38). The lower order stepped up with some important contributions but Wilkin Mota, who grabbed 3 for 39, ensured Tripura stayed ahead of the eight-ball. Tripura used nine bowlers in the innings, and Mota was supported well by the rest in keeping the opposition in check.

Bangladesh would be wary of slip-ups in the third ODI. Losing wickets in clusters after a big partnership has been a long-term problem for them

The Preview by Mohammad Isam13-Dec-2018

Big Picture

Both Test series between Bangladesh and West Indies this year panned out similarly, with the home team dominating. The ODI series, however, have been closer contests. After Bangladesh won the first ODI convincingly in Dhaka, West Indies bounced back with a tight win to level the series. The teams were in a similar situation in July this year, and it was Bangladesh who prevailed then, winning the final ODI to clinch the series 2-1. While hopes of an encore are alive for the hosts, the visitors, buoyed by the series-leveling win, would for their part hope to keep the trend of the away team winning the ODIs going.While West Indies were not entirely convincing in the second game, their first win on the tour sure was a much-needed boost. Shai Hope displayed guts to take them through in a difficult chase on a challenging pitch in Dhaka. He found little support at the other end but the starts that Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels got are little things the visitors can build on.Like many of them, stand-in captain Rovman Powell too is due runs, particularly quick ones, if West Indies are to impose themselves on the Bangladesh bowlers. Keemo Paul batted well in the first two games but his batting position suggests that his contributions are at this stage seen as a bonus. Overall, West Indies need all-round discipline in their bowling, and a bit more patience from their batsmen.Bangladesh would be wary of slip-ups in the decider. Losing wickets in clusters after a big partnership has been a long-term problem, and both seniors and newcomers have been afflicted with it. It might be slightly easier for batsmen to get going from the start in Sylhet, but guarding against a collapse has to be quite high on their priority list.Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan would all be disappointed with their fifties given how they were well set at the crease for bigger things. Mahmudullah would also not have been too pleased getting out in the 41st over, usually the time when he is at his destructive best.But Bangladesh also have to look beyond these four and Mashrafe Mortaza when looking for performers. Liton Das and Soumya Sarkar are due some runs, while Imrul Kayes may be fighting for his place in the side despite scoring 349 runs in Bangladesh’s previous ODI series, against Zimbabwe. If the trio can step up in this crunch game, it will ease the pressure off the big guns.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWWWW (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies WLLLW

In the spotlight

Analysts have already started to discuss Oshane Thomas‘ pace, which despite being wayward at times, has had somewhat of an impact on the Bangladesh batting. He has so far taken four wickets at an average of 22.00 in the series.Mustafizur Rahman has the best economy rate, 5.30, among bowlers who have bowled in the last five overs of an ODI on at least ten occasions since his debut. Therefore, he should treat his 16-run penultimate over in the second ODI as a one-off.

Team news

As it usually does after one or two low scores, a question mark will hang over Imrul Kayes’ place in the top order with Mohammad Mithun a likely replacement; in that case, Soumya Sarkar will bat at No 3. Rubel Hossain may well have staved off the vultures too, after a decent showing in the second game.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Liton Das, 3 Imrul Kayes, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Soumya Sarkar, 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Mustafizur RahmanWest Indies may not want to tinker with their winning combination, which means Chandrapaul Hemraj gets another go.West Indies (probable): 1 Chandrapaul Hemraj, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Rovman Powell (capt), 8 Keemo Paul, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Oshane Thomas

Pitch and conditions

Sylhet offers an altogether different pitch than Dhaka, with hope for truer bounce and a bit more pace on the ball. There’s usually dew around early evening. Weather is set to be clear.

Stats and trivia

• Shimron Hetmyer has scored three ODI hundreds this year – joint fourth in the world, closely followed by Shai Hope who has scored two.
• Mustafizur Rahman is Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker in ODIs this year with 29 scalps at an average of 20.58. Mashrafe Mortaza has taken 24 wickets, while Rubel Hossain has 23.

Quotes

“We have come here to win the games. We came here to fight and make sure we finish the series 2-1.”

Allrounder’s 27-ball fifty ensures series win with Hope’s century in his 100th ODI going in vain for West Indies

Himanshu Agrawal24-Jul-2022Axar Patel smashed India’s second-fastest ODI fifty against West Indies, leading the way in a collective batting effort in a big chase as India overhauled West Indies’ 311 in the second ODI in Port of Spain. Shai Hope’s hundred in his 100th ODI and Nicholas Pooran’s attacking 74 went in vain, as West Indies lost the match – and with it, the series – despite dominating the majority of their defence.Shreyas Iyer (63) and Sanju Samson (54) also hit half-centuries, but Axar’s unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls turned the tables in the last ten overs.India needed 100 to win from 60 balls with five wickets in hand, and Axar and Hooda were at the crease. Hooda fell for 33 with 56 to get off 36, leaving Axar and Shardul Thakur to complete the job. By then, Axar had already clobbered three sixes. More were on the way.The turning point arrived when 48 was required off the last five overs. Though he dismissed Thakur, Alzarri Joseph conceded 16 – including two above-waist full-toss no-balls – in the 46th, and West Indies missed running No. 10 Avesh Khan out off the last ball. Next over, Axar slammed two fours and Avesh added one more off Romario Shepherd. Suddenly the equation was 19 off 18.Avesh wouldn’t go without collecting his share of runs even though he had earlier leaked 54 in six overs on ODI debut. He hit ten off 12 balls, asking Axar to wipe out the last eight runs in the company of Mohammed Siraj. Axar, in red-hot touch, got a full toss from Kyle Mayers, which he sent flying over the bowler’s head to finish things off with two balls to go.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The chase was set up by a firm start from Shubman Gill, and then a 99-run stand between Iyer and Samson. Gill made up for his partner Shikhar Dhawan’s struggles with a serene 43 off 49 balls. But when he and Suryakumar Yadav fell in the space of 11 balls, India were 79 for 3 in the 18th over.Samson got to his maiden ODI fifty – his knock of 54 off 51 balls included three fours and three sixes – and was at his best when clearing the long-off boundary by lofting the spinners, high elbows and all in full display. Iyer, on the other hand, had had a sedate start, managing only 19 off his first 33 deliveries. That is when he broke free to finish with 63 off 71 balls, cutting, pulling and lifting for boundaries.The fact that India had as many as 312 to chase was down to Hope and Pooran’s fourth-wicket stand of 117, 74 of which came off Pooran’s bat. Hope got 115 – his third triple-figure score in 11 ODI innings.Having taken 124 balls to get to 94, Hope swung back-to-back sixes off Yuzvendra Chahal in the 45th over to get to his landmark and cap an expensive day for Chahal, of whom he took all three of his sixes. Chahal finished with 1 for 69 in nine overs.But it was not just Hope who took a liking to Chahal; Pooran too bashed three sixes – including two in the 39th over – off him. Their partnership, just short of a-run-a-ball, gradually took the momentum away from India, who had struck twice in quick succession after an aggressive start by West Indies.Shai Hope hit a century in his 100th ODI•Associated Press

Through Hope and his opening partner Mayers, the hosts had put on 71 in the first ten overs – their joint-highest score in the period in ODIs since 2020. By the time Hooda broke through, pouching a simple return-catch from Mayers off the first ball of the tenth over, the pair had already smashed ten fours and a six. Mayers led the way in that stand, hitting 39 off 23 balls, as Avesh took the biggest beating.Mayers timed and placed the ball equally well, and thrashed it around too. Once West Indies lost two wickets for three runs, Pooran took over the attacking role.On 11 off his first 26 balls, he hit the first of his six sixes when he went hard and flat over long-off in the 32nd over; three overs later, he skipped down to send Chahal sailing back over his head. While sixes were hit off Axar and Avesh as well, Hope kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end.Hope’s innings was one of three parts: he started with 22 off 21 balls, then got 73 from his next 103 deliveries, and hit 20 off his next 11 balls. It all added up to carry West Indies firmly towards the 300-run mark. He produced impressive drives and punches – and a poke through deep third for four – to start the day with Mayers, accumulated singles and ran well along with Pooran, and went for the slogs in the end after Pooran fell in the 44th over.Cameos from Shamarh Brooks, Rovman Powell and Shepherd helped West Indies’ cause. Brooks got going the moment Mayers fell, and scored 35 off 36; Powell and Shepherd provided the finishing touches.But eventually, the day belonged to Axar and Co despite the heroics of Pooran and Hope, especially the latter, who got to both his fifty and hundred with a six, in Virender Sehwag fashion, even as he played a more anchor-ish role.

Simon Kerrigan, the left-arm spinner who played one Test for England during the 2013 Ashes, has been let go by Lancashire

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2018Simon Kerrigan, the left-arm spinner who played one Test for England during the 2013 Ashes, has been released by Lancashire. Kerrigan made the decision earlier this year to put his playing career on hold and help out with coaching at the club.He did not play at all during the 2018 season and has now been allowed to leave Lancashire at the end of his contract, along with two other homegrown players, batsman Karl Brown and allrounder Arron Lilley.It marks a sad decline for Kerrigan, 29, who played a key role in Lancashire’s 2011 title win – his 9 for 51 sealed a last-gasp victory over Hampshire at Aigburth – and was then handed a Test cap two years later. His appearance at The Oval was wrecked by nerves, however, as his eight wicketless overs went for 53 runs, Shane Watson mercilessly cashing in.Kerrigan’s career seemingly never fully recovered. Having taken 58 wickets at 21.98 in 2013, his returns fell away steadily, and he spent the end of the 2017 season on loan at Northamptonshire. In April this year, he decided to take a break from playing.”My form hasn’t been at the level that it needs to be for a while now and after discussions with head coach Glen Chapple and the cricket management team at the club, we have all agreed that I will remain part of the playing squad and assist with coaching across all areas of Lancashire cricket for the time being,” Kerrigan said at the time.Brown was also a member of the 2011 title-winning team – Lancashire’s first outright for 77 years – contributing 997 runs at 35.60, but he was never able to match those returns in first-class cricket. He did continue to feature regularly as a white-ball batsman, and alongside Lilley helped Lancashire to lift the T20 Blast trophy in 2015.Lilley made his debut in 2013 and featured regularly in the T20 side – 70 of his 96 appearances were in the shortest format. This season, he played in all 15 of Lancashire’s Vitality Blast matches, helping them to Finals Day, but only bowled 13 overs, taking one wicket at 105.00.Lancashire’s director of cricket, Paul Allott, said: “Karl, Simon and Arron have given their absolute all for the club over the years, having come through the age-group and Academy system. The club would like to thank them for their contributions both on and off the field, and we wish them all the best for their futures in whatever paths they take.”