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Australia’s fast bowlers will not be rotated during the Investec Ashes series but the much-debated rotation policy will live on in one-day cricket, according to the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland

Brydon Coverdale25-Jun-2013Australia’s fast bowlers will not be rotated during the Investec Ashes series but the much-debated rotation policy will live on in one-day cricket, according to the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland. Speaking on ABC radio on the day after the sacking of coach Mickey Arthur, Sutherland said that Australia’s selectors would be choosing the best XI for each of the upcoming 10 Tests rather than resting players based on workload.The rotating of fast bowlers – or “informed player management”, as the national selector John Inverarity called it – caused controversy last summer when Australia left Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus out of the Perth Test against South Africa after their heavy workloads in the previous Test. It was later revealed, though not at the time, that both men were suffering from injury niggles that meant they would not have been operating at full capacity had they played at the WACA.Similarly, Mitchell Starc was left out of the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka at the MCG despite the fact that he had taken 14 wickets in the previous two Tests. Again, it was later revealed that Starc was suffering from bone spurs in his ankle and the team management believed it would have been too great a risk to play him, based on the information they had been given by sports scientists on the likelihood of Starc breaking down.”I think certainly looking ahead to the Ashes series in England and next summer in Australia you won’t see any of that rotation policy, as you call it, in the fashion that we have in the past,” Sutherland said on ABC radio. “It’s about providing opportunities to players for a team that’s in transition so the selectors can see, give players opportunities at international level and see how they cope with that and respond.”For well over a decade the Australian selectors have adopted a policy of doing that particularly with one-day cricket. I’ve got no doubt that will continue but for Ashes Test matches we will day in day out be picking our best team.”The new coach Darren Lehmann, who is also a selector, is known to be an advocate of picking the best side for every game and it appears he will get his wish in Test cricket. But the rotating of players also became an issue during the limited-overs portion of the Australian summer, when Channel Nine was frustrated at the absence of several star players like Michael Clarke (who was injured) and David Warner from the first ODI against Sri Lanka.Earlier this month, at the announcement of a new broadcasting deal, the Channel Nine chief executive David Gyngell said he was not a fan of rotating players but that it was a matter for Cricket Australia to decide. The abbreviated schedule of ODIs this summer – there are only five to be played against England in January – could mean that rotation in home games becomes less of an issue even in the shorter formats.Sutherland also conceded in his ABC interview that Arthur could be considered a scapegoat for the recent on-field and off-field failures in the Australian camp and that everyone involved in Australian cricket needed to take some responsibility.”People will no doubt say Mickey Arthur is a scapegoat in this and to some extent he is but realistically as head coach you need to take responsibility for the performance of the team,” Sutherland said. “The players also need to stand up. We all do.”

Dilawar Mani, the chief executive of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), has completed his three-year tenure and has said he will not pursue a new term in office

Umar Farooq25-Jun-2012Dilawar Mani, the chief executive of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), has completed his three-year tenure and has said he will not pursue a new term in office. Mani, however, will continue in the role until the board of directors finds a successor.”Constitutionally, the term for the CEO is three years and that was up, so I have asked not to be nominated again,” Mani told ESPNcricinfo. “Three years is enough, and there is a need to set a precedent to leave once [you have] served your term and let somebody else work.”The board is well aware about my decision and the ECB chairman [Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan] has respected my decision. I am sure I am leaving the ECB in the best shape and have given the team the best momentum. The process is open to find my successor and once it is done I will move out after handing over the charge.”Mani helped make the UAE an off-shore home venue for Pakistan, who have not hosted international cricket since the attack on the Sri Lankan team in March 2009. The UAE could host the upcoming series between Pakistan and Australia and Mani said his leaving office would not affect the process.”I had a meeting with the PCB official and everything will move on as it is with no impact on the on-going negotiation,” Mani said. “I am happy at what I have done so far, being in the set up for the last six years, [but] now I want to move on.”The ICC approved a six-match Twenty20 series between Pakistan and Australia in UAE, which will be the longest bilateral T20 series, if it goes ahead. “ODI games aren’t feasible in [the] heat [so] it’s good that [the] ICC has approved the request of six T20Is by PCB,” Mani said.

Uncapped opening batsman Niall McDonnell has been included in Ireland’s 14-man squad for the upcoming two-match ODI series against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2011Uncapped opening batsman Niall McDonnell has been included in Ireland’s 14-man squad for the upcoming two-match ODI series against Pakistan.The squad includes 13 of the 15 players who were part of Ireland’s World Cup campaign. The two players to miss out are left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who dislocated his shoulder during the World Cup match against Netherlands on March 18, and still hasn’t recovered from the injury, and allrounder Andre Botha, who announced his retirement from internationals earlier this month.Former New Zealand batsman Hamish Marshall, who became eligible to play for Ireland in April, was not considered because of a fractured right thumb sustained while playing for Gloucestershire against Middlesex earlier this month.McDonnell, 31, scored a century for Ireland A against MCC in August last year and reacted with delight to his call-up. “I can honestly say that I can’t find a word to describe how I felt when Peter Gillespie rang me,” McDonnell said.”I suppose it was a mixture of excitement, raw nerves and a little trepidation at being involved at this level. It’s a dream come true in many ways and the prospect of batting with the likes of Paul Stirling, William Porterfield or Ed Joyce is some motivation.”Coach Phil Simmons said a strong performance against Pakistan would boost Ireland’s chances for the 2015 World Cup with a decision still pending on a qualification tournament for the tournament.”Everyone is aware of the importance of these games, not just in terms of ranking points but also in the bigger scheme of things with a decision pending on a qualification tournament for the 2015 World Cup. Two more strong performances against Pakistan will help in that regard.”The 2007 World Cup win against Pakistan was the catalyst for the exponential growth for Irish cricket. I can see no reason why we can’t repeat that success on home soil given the talent we now possess in our ranks.”There aren’t a lot of surprises [in the squad] as we haven’t had any cricket since the World Cup finished. We’ll train hard in the build-up to the game, and hopefully the conditions at Stormont will suit us. The county players have been playing some excellent cricket, and most of them seem to be in really good form which is encouraging for Irish cricket.”The two ODIs will be played on May 28 and 30 in Stormont.Squad: William Porterfield, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Niall McDonnell, John Mooney, Kevin O`Brien, Niall O`Brien (wk), Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Albert Van der Merwe, Andrew White, Gary Wilson.

Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, has said that he will continue to represent his home state, Kerala, in the Ranji Trophy

Cricinfo staff15-Jun-2010Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, has said that he will continue to represent his home state, Kerala, in the Ranji Trophy. He had earlier hinted at the possibility of switching states for the 2010-11 domestic season.”I always want to represent the Indian team as a Keralite and I will continue to play for Kerala”, he said in Thiruvananthapuram.Sreesanth had been included in Kerala’s 25-man preliminary squad but was not named captain. “Though I have not taken a final decision,I might opt for playing for another state in the coming season,” he had told PTI at the time. “Even if I play for some other state, it is because I want to play more cricket, so that I could do well and get into team India.”However, he said that he would stick with Kerala. “I only mentioned my opinion during an interview and nothing more to be attributed to it. Series and matches are coming and I am working hard to be part of the [Indian] team.”

Barry McCarthy and Andy McBrine took three wickets each, as visitors lost all their wickets for the last 113 runs

Ekanth25-Jul-2024Zimbabwe 210 (Masvaure 74, Gumbie 49, McBrine 3-37, McCarthy 3-42) vs IrelandA wicketless first session gave the impression that Zimbabwe would dominate the first ever day of Test cricket in Northern Ireland, but Ireland took all ten wickets in just over 40 overs to vindicate Andy Balbirnie’s decision to bowl first on an overcast morning.Barry McCarthy’s relentless eight-over spell after lunch denied Joylord Gumbie a half-century, left Dion Myers looking clueless, and set up a 65-run session where the visitors couldn’t get away. Curtis Campher blew hot and cold but dismissed Prince Masvaure, the top scorer with 74, allowing Andy McBrine to run through the lower half of the middle order.Zimbabwe had their share of soft dismissals, and the risks their batters took, particularly after tea, backfired as they lost their last six wickets for 17 runs. A second spell of rain came amid the change of innings and took out about half an hour, which was enough for the umpires to call stumps.Zimbabwe had the upper hand going into the evening session despite losing three wickets in the afternoon. The sun had peeked out, and Sean Williams was off and running. Campher was bowling the odd beauty, but it was an innocuous back-of-a-length ball going down leg that strangled Masvaure.Williams continued to take on McBrine despite Masvaure falling, and hit two fours. The offspinner did create a chance in the 59th over, but McCarthy, running back from mid-on, spilled it. But Balbirnie was rewarded for keeping McBrine on as he turned one away to have Williams edge to slip.An adventurous first-ball swipe from Clive Madande, trying to pump the spinner down the ground, found mid-off. A bouncer from Mark Adair had Brian Bennett edge a pull to the wicketkeeper as Zimbabwe lost two wickets with the score on 193, and the next on 194. The bowling duo took another wicket each before McCarthy closed out the innings. McBrine, who started the session with the ball, bowled 11 straight overs and took 3 for 32.Prince Masvaure scored 74•Cricket Ireland

The initial damage was done after lunch. Gumbie and Masvaure, Zimbabwe’s openers, had batted through a session, softened the new ball and were inching towards a hundred stand. But Gumbie, who went into lunch unbeaten on 49, fell after facing 11 dots as he clipped a leg-stump half volley from McCarthy to Campher at square leg. Four balls later, a brief rain break forced players off the field.Masvaure was getting off strike as the bowlers strayed down leg often. A flick to fine leg was what brought up the opener’s fifty, even as Dion Myers took 14 balls to get off the mark. But Myers pulled Adair for two fours amid leaving balls with exaggerated rotations.But McCarthy bowled a legbreak, angling the ball in before straightening it off the pitch, to Myers to hit the top of off stump. He took two wickets and gave away 14 runs in an eight-over spell. Craig Ervine couldn’t get going, and the first aerial shot he played was a pull that went straight to McBrine at deep-backward square leg. Masvaure, who made 35 in both sessions, was solid all the while.Thick grey clouds, a bit of grass on the pitch, and lush outfield. The conditions couldn’t have been better for the seamers in the morning. But Gumbie and Masvaure saw off the new ball. Gumbie’s early movement across the crease to work the ball leg side resembled Steven Smith’s batting style and allowed him to score off balls in and around the fifth-stump line. Masvaure was more orthodox but just as compact to help see off McCarthy and Adair’s new-ball spell.There were a few nervy moments in the first hour. Gumbie was hit on the pad while offering no shot off McCarthy in the second over but was saved by the bounce. He edged Adair to deep third for four off the next over, fended one that reared off the pitch over the slips in the eighth, and was beaten by a jaffa that straightened off a full length in the 11th.But Gumbie, who hit the first six fours of the innings, was often able to cover the line and duck under the odd bouncer. The tension built up by Adair and Young’s consecutive maidens was dissipated in the following two overs where Masvaure drove overpitched balls. The let-off balls between the good ones allowed Zimbabwe to turn strike and go into lunch unbeaten. But loose batting and luck combined to wreck Zimbabwe’s advantage as they lost all ten wickets for 113 runs.

Limited play frustrates visitors as Kent struggle to make inroads in 32 overs of action

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2023Essex 289 for 1 (Westley 138*, Browne 105*) vs Kent
Tom Westley and Nick Browne both hit centuries as Essex advanced to 289 for one on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship game with Kent at Canterbury.Westley scored a swashbuckling, unbeaten 138, which contrasted with Browne’s more measured 105 not out, but for the second day running conditions halted Essex’s progress, with just 32 overs possible.Kent’s bowlers toiled again and Westley and Browne have now put on an unbeaten 246 for the second wicket.Almost incessant overnight rain left the St. Lawrence outfield saturated, wiping out the entire morning session, but conditions slowly improved.Essex were on 164 for one when play finally got started at 3.15 pm and they carried on where they’d left off on day one, scoring at four an over, with only the occasional alarm.Westley reached three figures, from 129 balls, with a violent straight drive off Conor McKerr that flew to the Pavilion End boundary and it was 245 for one at tea, the duo having added 81 without loss in 22 overs.Browne took almost twice as long to pass three figures, hitting his 236th delivery, from Hamid Qadri, for two through the covers. Browne’s form had dipped since his epic 234 not out against Somerset last July and this was the first time he’d made even a half-century in 14 innings. His relief on making his century was transparent and Westley gave him a bear hug to celebrate the landmark.The leaden skies encouraged him to accelerate and he smacked a four off Evison before bad light forced the players off at 5:40 pm.With the rain falling once again play was subsequently abandoned for the day and just 74 overs have been bowled over days one and two.

ECB told to report back to committee on quarterly basis in wake of Azeem Rafiq revelations

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2022The parliamentary committee investigating the issue of racism in English cricket says that the sport must commit to “cleaning up its act” in order to qualify for future government funding, following the publication of its report in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s allegations at Yorkshire.Rafiq, the former Yorkshire allrounder, told ESPNcricinfo in an interview in 2020 that he had been driven to “the brink of suicide” by his experiences of racial discrimination during two spells at Yorkshire between 2008 and 2018. And though a subsequent internal investigation by the club upheld his claims, it also concluded there was “no conduct or action taken by any of its employees, players or executives that warrants disciplinary action”.However, subsequent revelations from Yorkshire’s then-undisclosed report – most notably the claim that the use of the racial slur “P**i” was “banter” – attracted the condemnation of MPs, including the health secretary Sajid Javid, and led to an inquiry by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).During two days of DCMS hearings in November and December, testimony was heard from various parties involved with Yorkshire and English cricket, including Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, and Roger Hutton, who resigned as Yorkshire’s chairman at the height of the controversy, with Lord Kamlesh Patel appointed as his replacement.But it was Rafiq’s appearance on November 16 that sent shockwaves through the sport, as he related tales of having red wine poured down his throat in club cricket, and being told to change “by the toilets” during his early days at Yorkshire.”All I wanted to do was play cricket and play cricket for England and live my dream and live my family’s dream,” Rafiq told the hearing. “Do I believe I lost my career to racism? Yes I do.”In a summary of its findings, the DCMS committee urged the UK government to limit public funding for the game unless there is “demonstrable progress on ridding racist behaviour from clubs and among spectators”. It also called on the ECB to develop a set of “key indicators” to measure their progress in combatting institutional racism, and to report back to the committee every quarter.”It is evident to us that there is a deep-seated issue of racism in cricket,” the report stated. “More pertinent, it is evident to Yorkshire Country Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board that there is an issue of racism in cricket.”The report added that Nigel Huddlestone, the sports minister, had reiterated the government’s preparedness to take action, after warning the ECB during his own appearance before the committee that they retained the “nuclear option” of appointing an independent regulator if the board didn’t “get its house in order”.”We, like the minister, are watching closely and fully intend to ensure that cricket cleans up its act,” the report stated. “We recommend that the government ensures that any future public funds for cricket are dependent on continuous, demonstrable progress in getting rid of racism in both the dressing rooms and on the stands.”Writing in the Yorkshire Post earlier this week, Lord Patel insisted that Yorkshire was working “hell-for-leather” to prove itself worthy of hosting this summer’s scheduled against New Zealand and South Africa, after being suspended from Major Match status at the height of the crisis, and Rafiq himself subsequently added that the club had made “a step in the right direction”.Related

• PCA to appear before Parliament in wake of Azeem Rafiq's 'inept' claims

• County Championship gets midsummer boost as 2022 fixtures are announced

• Yorkshire racism report ruled Rafiq being called 'P**i' was 'banter'

• Azeem Rafiq was 'on brink of suicide' after experiencing racism at Yorkshire

However, according to the DCMS report, ECB and Yorkshire officials will be called before the committee again “early in 2022″ to update on the sport’s progress.”The powerful evidence given to this committee by Azeem Rafiq convinced us that his story was typical of an endemic problem across the whole of cricket,” Julian Knight, the DCMS chair, said. “We commend him for having the courage to blow the whistle on unacceptable and discriminatory behaviour.”We have been shocked by language people used in correspondence with us after the hearing. That, together with stories run in the media to discredit him, demonstrate that eradicating racism from the game will be a long and difficult road. However, this is a watershed for cricket in this country. Those who love and support the game are part of the solution and must play their part.”Changes introduced by Lord Patel at Yorkshire County Cricket Club give room for optimism, but alone cannot eradicate racism in the game. Public funding for cricket must depend on real leadership and progress by the ECB to tackle abhorrent behaviour, not just in the dressing rooms, but also in the stands.”The government must make future funding conditional on the game cleaning up its act. We put the ECB on notice that we expect regular updates delivered to this committee on progress being made.”Responding on behalf of the ECB, Barry O’Brien, Interim chair, said: “We welcome the committee’s recommendations and the focus of Julian Knight and committee members on achieving real change.”We also embrace the ongoing scrutiny of the committee and all those that love the game of cricket who will be watching closely as we undertake the continuous, demonstrable, progress in eradicating racism from the dressing room and from the stands. We are determined to root out racism – and other forms of discrimination – from our sport.”We look forward to updating the committee on the progress the whole game is making in delivering the 12-point Action Plan agreed in November to bring about the meaningful change we all want to see. We agree that sharing regular, public updates on our progress is important to rebuilding trust in our sport.”We had already taken important steps to make cricket more inclusive in recent years – including our 2018 South Asian Action Plan, our 2019 Inspiring Generations strategy to make cricket a game for everyone, and launching the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket in early 2021 – however, we recognise that more needs to be done.”We are deeply sorry for the pain people have suffered and recognise the courage it has taken to speak out. By working with the game to deliver the Action Plan, and continuing to listen and learn from people’s experiences, we are determined to make cricket a stronger, more welcoming sport.”Lord Patel also welcomed the DCMS report, adding that Rafiq’s testimony had been “a watershed moment for the sport as a whole”.”In the last two months Yorkshire County Cricket Club has made significant progress in our efforts to rebuild, and I am heartened that the Committee considers that there is room for optimism in what we have achieved. We share that optimism and have made some real improvements, but we are only at the start of this long and important journey.”

Second Blast tie of the weekend in London as Surrey, needing one off two, stumble at the line

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2020Ben Foakes’ classy 44 from 37 balls could not prevent Vitality Blast holders Essex Eagles from clinching a thrilling tie against Surrey in an extraordinary finish at The Oval when they grabbed wickets from the last two balls of the innings.Replying to Essex’s 143 for 6, in which Ryan ten Doeschate top-scored with 35, Surrey always looked capable of chasing down their victory target, especially when Foakes was there as wickets kept falling at the other end.An equation of 69 from the last 10 overs became 33 from five and, ultimately, 20 from the final three. Gus Atkinson, having struck Simon Harmer for a straight six, was then leg before for 14 to Cameron Delport’s medium pace from the second ball of the 19th over.Nine runs were needed from the last over, and Foakes made Surrey favourites by clipping Matt Quinn’s first ball to square leg for four. A couple of singles and then a two left the scores tied – but, with the field up except for long leg, Foakes hooked Quinn straight to Paul Walter on the boundary rope.Quinn’s final ball was full, James Taylor missed it, and keeper Adam Wheater took the ball well, standing up. Wheater whipped off the bails but, with Taylor still in his crease, the ball was then thrown to the bowlers’ end to run out Matt Dunn – who had sprinted down the pitch, backing up – to confirm the tie with Surrey finishing on 143 for 8.A disappointed Foakes said: “That’s a game we should have won. Twice in those closing overs we put ourselves in a good position to win it, so we have to be honest with ourselves and say we should have got over the line.”I thought Matt Quinn was bluffing me when he kept looking at the one fielder they put outside the ring, and I was expecting him to go straight and full at that stage. So it caught me a bit by surprise and he also has the ability to bowl his bumper a bit quicker.” It was a clever piece of bowling from Quinn, and he also produced exactly the right ball – full and just outside off stump – to defeat Taylor’s efforts to get a bat on the final delivery. Throughout Surrey’s innings, indeed, Essex showed the experience of T20 champions by hanging in and regularly taking wickets to stall the home side’s progress.Delport’s mix of cutters and changes of pace, bowling his four overs straight through after being introduced for the 13th over, proved vital for Essex. The South African even took a wicket with his first ball, when Rory Burns chipped to midwicket, and although pulled for four by Atkinson in the 17th over he ended up with the superb figures of 2 for 22.Essex used seven bowlers in all, with Walter also taking two important wickets in his two overs – those of Laurie Evans, caught at extra cover for 19 in the seventh over, and Jamie Smith, who hit a short ball to Harmer at cover to go for 30 in the 12th over.On a day when spin was a big part of the strategy of both sides, Harmer’s accurate offspin accounted for Scott Borthwick, caught at deep square leg for 13, and Aron Nijjar’s four overs of slow left-arm were also economical.Surrey, although without a total of 13 players through injury and England calls, played a smart game themselves in the field by employing big boundaries and cleverly employing the spin of Gareth Batty, Borthwick and Dan Moriarty to bowl more than half the 20 overs.But both Dunn and Atkinson also bowled excellently, with fast bowler Dunn removing the dangerous Delport for six in the second over, caught at mid-off, and Atkinson, a 22-year old seamer in his first season, having Dan Lawrence caught at mid-off for 7 mistiming an attempted lofted drive in the eighth over.Ten Doeschate had only 18 when reprieved but hit two legside sixes from successive balls in the next over, when Borthwick offered first a full toss and then one that was dropped short. Another full toss, though, from the last ball of the over, proved to be Ten Doeschate’s downfall. Advancing to meet it, he could only mishit high to deep square leg.Earlier Varun Chopra had pulled one huge six off Dunn, a magnificent blow, before on 16 pulling flat to Borthwick at deep square-leg to give seamer Taylor his first T20 wicket in the fifth over.Tom Westley was bowled for 20 by a quicker ball from Borthwick and, after Lawrence departed at 52 for 4, Ten Doeschate and Wheater decided to rebuild the innings with a series of singles and scampered twos in a partnership of 57 in 8.3 overs.

Rob Keogh and Ben Curran put on the only partnership of substance to put Northants out of reach against their hosts

ECB Reporters Network04-May-2019A century from Rob Keogh was the highlight as Northamptonshire defeated Midlands rivals Leicestershire more comfortably than the winning margin suggested in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon in the North Group of the Royal London Cup.Keogh’s fifth-wicket partnership of 156 with Ben Curran saw his team recover from 104 for 4 off 25.2 overs to post a record score for the Steelbacks against the Foxes in List A cricket.Leicestershire struggled throughout their reply, and there was no way back for the Foxes after Nathan Buck, a former Leicestershire player, picked up the wickets of Lewis Hill and Colin Ackermann, who had added 47 for the Foxes’ fourth wicket, in the same over, though the tail fought bravely to bring respectability to the scoreboard in the final 20 overs.Alex Wakely’s decision to bat first after winning the toss looked questionable after Northants lost two early wickets, openers Ricardo Vasconcelos bowled by a quick in-swinging delivery from left-arm seamer Dieter Klein, and Richard Levi caught at mid-off after attempting to drive a length delivery from Mohammad Abbas.It could and should have been worse for the visitors, Josh Cobb being badly dropped by Harry Dearden, on 1, and then by Ben Mike, on 2, in both cases off the bowling of the unfortunate Klein. The allrounder, formerly of Leicestershire, might also have been run out on 16, but Harry Swindells missed the stumps with Cobb well out of his ground.Wakely, by contrast, played fluently in going to 36, but missed a sweep at left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson and was given out lbw before Cobb’s luck ran out when he was on 43, Foxes triallist George Munsey taking a smart one-handed catch above his head.At 104 for 4 the innings was very much in the balance, but Keogh and Curran batted intelligently in compiling a partnership of 156 for the fifth wicket. Avoiding unnecessary risks, they worked the ball into gaps in the field and ran hard, with Keogh hitting only two fours in reaching his half-century off 56 balls, Curran four boundaries in reaching his, off 55 deliveries.Thereafter they accelerated impressively and although Curran was eventually run out for 69, Keogh’s second 50 took just 28 balls before he holed out to long-off off Abbas the ball after reaching the second List A century of his career.Leicestershire’s reply began badly. Vasconcelos took a fine catch behind the wicket, diving to his right as Dearden inside edged an inswinger from Ben Sanderson, and the Yorkshirman struck again when another full inswinger saw Munsey dismissed leg before.Mark Cosgrove, on 11, shuffled down the wicket, swung across the line at a straight delivery from Luke Procter, missed and was bowled, but Hill and Ackermann had begun to look threatening when Hill pulled a short ball from Buck straight into the hands of Brett Hutton at deep square leg.Two balls later Ackermann contrived to glove a slow leg-side bouncer from Buck, Vasconcelos diving forward to hold the catch, and though there were good late efforts from Tom Taylor, Mike and Parkinson, the Foxes never really looked capable of chasing down their target.

The Bangladesh captain has said he wants his side to remain as relaxed as he had seen them throughout the day

Mohammad Isam17-Mar-2018With just over 24 hours to go before their fifth multi-nation tournament final in limited-overs matches, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said he wants his side to remain as relaxed as he had seen them throughout the day. It encouraged him to hope that the rest of the players would keep out the mental blocks and treat the final like just another game.It is easier said than done, especially against India who have beaten Bangladesh in all seven previous T20s, including the 2016 Asia Cup final. In the two league stage matches in the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh were outplayed and looked short of ideas on occasions. But Shakib is bound to put a brave front. He insisted that if the Bangladesh players treat it as a mere contest between bat and ball, they could remain focused on the job in hand.”We haven’t discussed the final so we are not thinking about it as pressure yet,” Shakib said. “This, I think, is a big realisation of how we are handling this game so far. If you think about pressure, it is pressure. If you don’t think about pressure, it is not pressure. I am sure everyone is relaxed, and if we can be like this till tomorrow’s match, it will be good for us.”We are not thinking too far ahead. We have to be relaxed and open-minded. It is important to be mentally free to do well in T20s. I hope no one takes any pressure, and stays focused on the process. Everyone has a different mentality. I would hope that none of our players have that mental block. It would help us to play well. If we think it is a big final against India, then it is pressure. Rather, let’s think about a bat versus ball contest.”Given how the R Premadasa Stadium’s pitches have remained mostly similar throughout the length of a game, Shakib wasn’t too worried on whether he wouldd want to bat or bowl first, but much of Bangladesh’s focus would be on their start. During this tournament, their opening batsmen have provided them with better starts than their opening bowlers. Against Sri Lanka on Friday, they bowled well in the first eight overs and then gave away a big partnership.”We have a fair idea of what the Indian batsmen like to do,” Shakib said. “They are quite experienced, so we will try not to make it comfortable for them. We have to start well in the game, and then hold on to the momentum.”