Category Uncategorized

Shafiul Islam raised Bangladesh’s World Cup campaign from the dead, as he turned yet another astonishing contest on its head

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller11-Mar-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMahmudullah kept his cool alongside Shafiul Islam to take Bangladesh home•Getty Images

Shafiul Islam raised Bangladesh’s World Cup campaign from the dead, as he turned yet another astonishing contest on its head with a breathtaking assault in the batting Powerplay to leave England stunned by their fifth cliffhanger in consecutive contests, and facing their own make-or-break encounter with West Indies in Chennai next week.In another unbearably tense finale, Bangladesh’s ninth-wicket pair of Shafiul and Mahmudullah transformed a futile situation with a glorious blaze of strokeplay, as they turned an asking rate of 57 in 62 balls into an emotional victory with an over to spare. The honour of the winning hit went to Mahmudullah, who belted a Tim Bresnan full-toss through the covers for four to cue pandemonium among the most passionate cricket supporters in the world, but it was Shafiul’s refusal to accept defeat that ultimately paved the way for glory.On a sluggish track in which runs had, for the most part, to be grafted, England batted first and were bowled out for 225 – a total that was no better than par, and which owed everything to a chalk-and-cheese stand of 109 between Jonathan Trott and the fit-again Eoin Morgan. In reply, however, and in dew-laden conditions that made the ball tricky to grip – particularly for their cantankerous spinner, Graeme Swann – Bangladesh were on cruise control at 155 for 3 in the 31st over, before a calamitous run-out gifted their opponents a way back into the game.The man who had the game in the palm of his hand was the eventual – and rightful – Man of the Match Imrul Kayes, the less-vaunted of Bangladesh’s opening batsman, who slipstreamed Tamim Iqbal during a captivating 38 from 26 balls that put Bangladesh firmly ahead of the run-rate, before settling down to play the holding role with a chanceless 100-ball 60.Chanceless, that is, except for his sketchy running between the wickets. For it was his ill-advised decision to take a second run to deep square leg that ended a fourth-wicket stand of 72 with Shakib Al Hasan that looked to have broken the back of England’s resistance. In the next five overs, as Bresnan and Paul Collingwood applied the emergency brake, Bangladesh were limited to seven singles before Shakib – gasping to lift the tempo after a doughty 58-ball innings – aimed a loose sweep at Swann and was bowled for 32.Mushfiqur Rahim had been virtually strokeless since the run-out, with two runs from 18 deliveries before the re-introduction of Ajmal Shahzad persuaded him to drive expansively through the covers. But one ball later he edged a beauty on off stump through to Matt Prior, and before another run had been added, Shahzad produced another superb delivery to take out Naeem Islam’s off stump for a duck.It was a near-replica of the delivery that had earlier sent Raqibul Hasan on his way in the same manner, and with eventual figures of 3 for 43, Shahzad was England’s most successful bowler of the day. In between whiles, however, his line had been all over the shop – a performance that too many of his team-mates had been willing to emulate, not least James Anderson, who had borne the brunt of Tamim’s early onslaught, and later served up a dreadful nine-ball first over of the batting Powerplay – including five wides first-ball – to give Bangladesh real belief in the closing stages.That belief had been ignited by the swinging blade of Shafiul, who turned a bad day for Swann into a dreadful one by leathering his final over for 16, including the only six of the day, over wide long-on. Up until that point, Swann had been more preoccupied with the wet and slippery ball, with Andrew Strauss forced to intervene during a heated row with umpire Daryl Harper, but those blows brought the requirement down to 39 from 48 balls, and brought an abrupt halt to the flow of disgruntled fans who were trooping out of the stadium.This was the day that Bangladesh had been rehearsing for all through 2010. They got to know England’s cricketers and strategies through the course of back-to-back series at home and away, and having ended their run of 20 consecutive defeats with a tight victory at Bristol in their last-but-one encounter in July, they knew they had what it takes to spring a surprise. But, having collapsed in a heap to be bowled out for 58 in their last World Cup fixture against West Indies, the chance to start from the position of rank outsiders seemed to suit their purposes every bit as much as the favourites’ tag unsettled their opponents.

Smart Stats

• Bangladesh’s two-wicket win is only their second against England in 15 ODIs. It is also their fourth win over a Test-playing team in World Cups.

• The target of 226 chased by Bangladesh is the highest successfully chased one in ODIs in Chittagong. The previous best was 222 for 9 by Bangladesh against Zimbabwe in 2009.

• The 58-run stand between Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam for the ninth wicket is the third highest for Bangladesh in ODIs.

• Eoin Morgan scored his first fifty in World Cups. He now has 154 runs from ten innings at an average of 15.40. In ODIs overall, he averages nearly 39 with four hundreds and 11 fifties.

• Ajmal Shahzad’s haul of 3 for 43 is his third-best in ODIs and his best performance in World Cups.

• The two-wicket win is the fourth in World Cups and the third such win to come against England.

With the honourable exception of the fit-again Morgan and the unflappable Trott, England simply did not look comfortable at any stage of the day. After losing the toss and being asked to set the agenda, they shipped three tame wickets in the space of their first 17 overs, as they dribbled along to 53 for 3, and though Trott was admirable in grinding out a 99-ball 67, it was Morgan’s departure for 63 to a fine catch by Kayes at backward square that derailed their ambitions of a 250-plus total. Their batting Powerplay once again proved problematic, with 33 runs and two wickets coming in five overs, and from 162 for 3 with 11.3 overs remaining, England were bowled out for 225 with two balls of their innings remaining.The left-arm spin of Abdur Razzak was especially impressive. It was he who stunted England’s ambitions with his first-ball removal of Matt Prior (who produced one of the doziest dismissals of the tournament to date, when he set off for a single with the ball already nestled in Mushfiqur’s gloves) and he did not concede a single boundary until Ravi Bopara larruped the third ball of his final over through the covers. Even then, Razzak had the last laugh, as two balls later Bopara tried the same trick and picked out Naeem Islam in the covers.It was Razzak’s earlier spell that set the tone, however, as he and Naeem squeezed all ambition out of England’s top-order in a boa-like alliance that resulted in 19 singles and nothing else between overs 7 and 16. Strauss reclaimed his status as the tournament’s leading run-scorer in the course of his 31-ball 18, but the fluency that had been the hallmark of his previous performances was nowhere to be seen as he eventually took on a cut shot that was too close to his body, and skidded a fast edge to Junaid Siddique at slip. And then Ian Bell, nominally England’s best player of spin, produced a timid aberration of an innings, which ended with a flaccid flick to short midwicket off Mahmudullah.England’s own trump spinner couldn’t come close to matching the efforts of Bangladesh’s quartet. Right from his first over, Swann was troubled by the dew-sodden ball and struggled to locate the flight, line and length that had proved so devastating in a similar situation against South Africa last week. England regained a small measure of control when the umpires agreed to a ball-change after 21 overs, and Swann was instantly in the thick of things with a tidy fourth over that went for two runs. However, the more notable aspect of the over was Swann’s petulance when called for a leg-side wide that might have brushed Shakib’s pad. Aside from the extra run, it was a sign that England were getting very seriously rattled.In the final analysis, however, there could be no quibbling with the result. The only reason that England were even given a chance of victory was that both sides knew of Bangladesh’s tendency to collapse under pressure. Sure enough, the choke when it came was dramatic and could have been game-changing, but thanks to the guts of Shafiul and Mahmudullah, justice was served in the end.Last week Bangladesh were being showered with brickbats – literally – after a spineless surrender in Dhaka. This evening those same players will be garlanded by a jubilant nation, and with a match against Netherlands still lying in wait, they now have a real chance to propel themselves to the quarter-finals. England, meanwhile, must ride the rollercoaster for the sixth match in succession. Another slip-up, and this time it really will be the end.

Match Timeline

Bermuda have announced their 14-man squad for the tour to South Africa and Namibia, which takes place from March 23 to April 12.

Cricinfo staff09-Mar-2010Bermuda have announced their 14-man squad for the tour to South Africa and Namibia, which takes place from March 23 to April 12.The tour includes a week-long High Performance training camp at the University of Pretoria prior to the team’s departure for Namibia, where they will first play a Twenty20 match on April 1 before the four-day Intercontinental Shield fixture against the hosts from April 3 to 6. Then follow two 50-over games, on April 7 and 8, before the team returns home.”The team selection was based on attendance, ability and availability,” explained Lionel Thomas, the chairman of the selection committee. “We know it is not our strongest team due to withdrawals for personal reasons from some players and school commitments, but we are cautiously optimistic that the team selected will equip themselves admirably.””I am pleased to be able to confirm that David Moore has received his work permit and hopes to be able to join the team for the tour,” added Reginald Pearman, the BCB president. “I know the boys have been putting their all into training and I am confident they will do their best.”Bermuda squad: David Hemp (Capt), Stephen Outerbridge, Jekon Edness, Stefan Kelly, Irving Romaine, Rodney Trott, Fiqre Crockwell, Chris Foggo, Jordan DeSilva, Justin Pitcher, Malachi Jones, Shannon Rayner, Ryan Steede, Jim West
Standbys: Regino Smith, Kevin Tucker, David Lovell, Joshua Gilbert

The ex-Kent batter struck 207, following up the 116 not out he scored last month against his former club

ECB Reporters Network25-May-2024Jordan Cox hit a double hundred for on his return to Canterbury as Essex dominated on day two of their Vitality Championship game, declaring on 591 for 7 before they reduced Kent to 118 for 4 in reply. Cox made 207 on his first game back at the Spitfire Ground, in a 255-ball innings that included 21 fours and five sixes.Shane Snater hit a career-best 83 not out and Michael Pepper made 82 before Matt Critchley took 2 for 19, including the key wicket of Kent’s top scorer Ben Compton, who made 41. Joe Denly and nightwatcher Matt Parkinson were not out on four and 10 at stumps, with the hosts still trailing by 473.With Essex on 287 for 4 overnight, both sides felt the first hour would be crucial and it unfolded exactly as the majority of the crowd feared it would. It quickly became obvious this was going to be exactly the sort of day Kent supporters have endured too often this season and the news that Wes Agar was unable to bowl after injuring his shoulder yesterday did nothing to improve morale.Cox had averaged just 24.06 in 2023, his final season for Kent, but he was averaging 66.66 coming into this game. Having already scored a century in the fixture at Chelmsford, there was an air of inevitability about his march to three figures this time round.There was polite applause when he reached the landmark with a cover-driven four off Parkinson and he celebrated by gyrating his hips like a middle-aged uncle who’d accidentally wandered into a rave.Kent then enjoyed a spasm of hope when they took two wickets in nine balls. The breakthrough came when Pepper slashed at Arafat Bhuiyan and was caught by the sub fielder Jaydn Denly at slip.Simon Harmer then holed out to Parkinson for six, caught at the second attempt by a juggling sub fielder Joe Denly on the deep cover boundary, only for Snater to come in and join Cox for the biggest partnership of the innings, taking Essex to 449 for 6 at lunch.Cox took a single off Bhuiyan to reach 150, then hit the same bowler for successive sixes, before Snater reached 50 with a single off Denly.
As Cox neared 200 Kent put every single fielder on the boundary, but he still found the backward square leg boundary to get to 199. The field duly came in and he drove Evison for a single, also bringing up Essex’s biggest seventh wicket partnership against Kent, beating the 152 set by Nadheem Shahid and Derek Pringle in 1992.When Cox was finally bowled by Marcus O’Riordan Essex immediately declared and as much as it must have hurt the home fans to see a homegrown talent torment them, he walked off to applause from every section of the ground.Zak Crawley immediately went on the attack, but he’d made just 16 from 12 balls when he edged Sam Cook to Dean Elgar at first slip.
Daniel Bell-Drummond was on 0 when he was dropped by Aaron Beard, but the fielder atoned when he strangled Bell-Drummond for 16 in the penultimate over before tea, leaving the hosts on 48 for two at the end of the session.Cook limped off injured after pulling up during a run-up, and O’Riordan seemed to be coping well until he was lbw to Critchley for 30. The bowler celebrated the wicket with a Cristiano Ronaldo-like leap.Ben Compton was perhaps unlucky to be lbw for 41, trying to sweep Critchley. This left Matt Parkinson to come in as the nightwatcher with over five overs left, a dangerous spell that he just about survived.

The three have replaced the retired Lizelle Lee, Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty in the list

Firdose Moonda20-Mar-2023Anneke Bosch, Delmi Tucker and Nadine de Klerk have replaced the retired trio of Lizelle Lee, Dane van Niekerk and Trisha Chetty in South Africa’s central-contracts list for the 2023-24 season.All of Bosch, Tucker and de Klerk were in the squad for the recent T20 World Cup and have been around South African squads in the recent past. The only player not on the contract list from the T20 World Cup squad is Annerie Dercksen, with Tumi Sekhukhune, who missed the tournament, keeping her spot.Following the retirements of van Niekerk and Chetty last week, there are no surprises in the 15-player list. As ESPNcricinfo reported on Thursday, van Niekerk’s wife Marizanne Kapp has committed to the national team and signed a new deal. So, too, has 34-year-old Shabnim Ismail, who is the oldest player in the group, but remains committed to playing international cricket.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“With the current group of players going from strength to strength, we are pleased to retain the core of the squad for what is set to be another exciting chapter in the Proteas Women story,” Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket, said.South Africa’s next assignment is six months away, when they travel to Pakistan and India for back-to-back tours which form part of the Women’s Championship, and would determine qualification for the 2025 50-over World Cup. The tours are also expected to help with preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in Bangladesh.Next summer, South Africa will host Bangladesh and Sri Lanka before traveling to Australia for an all-format tour – including a Test match, their second in two years after playing England last June.South Africa’s contracted players: Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon, Delmi Tucker, Laura Wolvaardt

Travis Head returns to the middle order while the attack is still to be confirmed although signs were promising for Scott Boland

Alex Malcolm13-Jan-2022Marcus Harris has been dropped for the final Ashes Test in Hobart with Usman Khawaja to open alongside David Warner and Travis Head returning to the middle order.Australia’s bowling attack is still to be finalised with captain Pat Cummins confirming Scott Boland would need to pass a fitness test on his rib injury to play in Hobart. The signs were promising with a team spokesperson confirming Boland came through training with “no issues” but would face a final assessment in the morning. Jhye Richardson will likely come into the side if Boland does not come up. Mitchell Starc is set to play after pulling up well having played all four Tests so far.Khawaja had made an irresistible case to be retained in the side for the fifth Test after twin centuries in Sydney. Head was guaranteed to return after missing the SCG Test due to Covid-19 and the selectors made the tough decision to leave Harris out.Related

• Pat Cummins backs Alex Carey's 'class' after difficult SCG outing

• Rest not on Mitchell Starc's mind with more pink-ball wickets in his sights

• Stokes and Bairstow to be assessed on fitness ahead of Hobart

• Joe Root backs Chris Silverwood to continue as England coach despite Ashes disappointment

“I think he knew was it was coming,” Cummins said on Thursday. “The message to Harry is we think he is going really well. It’s really tough on him. It’s not too often someone comes in and hits two hundreds in the same game. But I thought Marcus has been really good I think he’s been growing with each game he was a huge part in how we won that MCG Test with a crucial innings.”So he’s certainly part of the future. We’ll keep investing in him. I think he’s been going really well.”It is the third time Harris has been dropped in his 14-Test career. The selectors were determined to give him a run at the top of the order and he has played in Australia’s last five Test matches after coming in for the final match against India last summer. But he has passed 50 just three times in 26 Test innings and only once in his last five matches, albeit a match-winning 76 in the third Test at the MCG.It has been a tough series for openers on both sides due to the bowler-friendly surfaces and Harris has reached 20 in four consecutive innings but only has one half-century to show for it. His overall Test average of 25.29 left him vulnerable to the selectors’ axe. However, Cummins stressed Harris would not be cast aside as a Test player.Marcus Harris has lost his place in the side for the fifth Test•Getty Images

“No, absolutely not,” Cummins said. “I think Uzzy and Davey have really earned that spot to open the batting but the reality is they’re both 35 years old. So whilst that doesn’t mean anything in the short, short term there will be a day where we need to find some other openers. Marcus is still absolutely got a huge future with us. He’ll be around the squad. I think there might even be an Australia A tour go overseas in the off-season. Of course, there’s heaps of Shield cricket and county cricket as well so for sure this is probably more a case of someone demanding a spot as opposed to Marcus losing his spot.”Khawaja averages 96.80 and has made two centuries in seven Test innings as an opener, including 145 in a pink-ball Test against South Africa in Adelaide in 2016. He averages 39.30 opening in first-class cricket across 36 innings with four centuries, although three have come on the subcontinent. But he hasn’t batted higher than No. 4 in his last 22 first-class innings, during which time he has compiled six first-class hundreds and has averaged 65.94.”Really confident with Uzzy opening,” Cummins said. “He’s a class player. He can bat anywhere in the order. Even at the start of the summer when he was part of the squad, from the selectors’ point of view and being his captain I felt like he could bat anywhere from one to six so he’ll slot straight into one, everyone else stays where they are. Trav Head really owned that No. 5 spots the first few games.”Meanwhile, Boland needed to show he had overcome his rib concern with Cummins stating that the selectors would wait until after the final training session to confirm his fitness. He needed pain-killing injections to get through the SCG Test after his heavy fall on his ribs in the first innings but he still bowled beautifully picking up seven wickets.”We think he should be right,” Cummins said. “I don’t think he’ll be getting injections down here. I think he’ll just have a bowl and judge if he feels a bit better than he did a few days ago. He bowled 30-40 overs after he did the injury which gives us a lot of confidence he can get through it. Just speaking to him he says it’s an injury that he’s confident doesn’t get worse with heaps of bowling. It’s just a lot of pain. So hopefully he can manage that. He said he’ll have a bowl. He’s played enough. He’ll be honest.”Boland does have a good pink-ball record in first-class cricket averaging 22.64 overall but he has a poor record at Bellerive Oval in both pink and red-ball games averaging 64.Richardson took seven wickets in his one and only Sheffield Shield red-ball match at Bellerive earlier this season and took five wickets in the fourth innings of the pink-ball Test in Adelaide but missed the MCG and SCG Tests due to shin soreness.

England will wonder what brings out Holder’s best against them – last year’s double ton, now his bowling best

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jul-2020Without Statsguru-ing, who’s the best one-change fast bowler in Test cricket since 2018?How many of you guessed it was Jason Holder? Pat Cummins, Neil Wagner, Mohammad Shami; any of these would be valid, understandable guesses. All three have over 60 wickets each in that period, compared to Holder’s 39 but it is Holder who has the best average (14.66) among bowlers with more than 20 wickets. He also has the best economy rate (2.66). He has the best strike rate of the three. He has four five-fors in that period, the joint-most with Wagner.ALSO READ: Holder’s career-best haul puts Windies in controlUsually, when we think fast bowling, we think speed. More so when we think Caribbean fast bowling. Holder is the tallest fast bowler in Test cricket. He is strong. Yet he is not quick. And so the perception builds about him, that he’s somehow lesser.Yet fast bowling is not just speed. Control, discipline and, most importantly, skills – it is this package that makes a fast bowler complete and this that has made Holder one of the best fast bowlers in all conditions, on any continent, with any ball in the past few years.Since 2017, in countries where the Dukes is used – England and West Indies – Holder is on par with the master – James Anderson.The England strike bowler has 82 wickets in 19 Tests at 17.10 with an economy of 2.43. Holder has played three fewer matches, but has picked 67 wickets at 17.97 with an economy of 2.49. In the rest of the world, where the Kokaburra and SG Test balls are used, Holder has played just five Tests, taken 14 wickets (one five-for) at a healthy average of 25.92. He’s still not easy to score off, conceding just 2.44 per over.On Thursday, Holder put that complete package on full display to rack up his best Test bowling figures of 6 for 42. Asked to bowl, in the first match of a series away from home, playing their first Test match since last November, the stakes were high. The onus was on his fast bowling attack, which Roddy Estwick, the Windies assistant coach, said in June could better any team in the world.Jason Holder leaves the field with the ball after taking six wickets•AFP

At Bridgetown, a year ago, Kemar Roach had skittled out England for 77. At lunch on Thursday England were struggling at 106 for 5 with Shannon Gabriel snaring three wickets with extreme pace. But Ben Stokes had a reprieve on 14 when Roach dived to pouch a dying ball at deep square leg in response to a perfect short-pitched delivery from Alzarri Joseph. Immediately after the break, Shamarh Brooks dropped a sitter at short cover off Roach.Stokes, along with Jos Buttler, took the charge to Gabriel, who pitched wide and short in contrast to the fuller lengths in the first session. Holder was in the slips watching the drama unfold. He took over from Gabriel straightaway.In the morning, as ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data recorded, Holder hardly bowled a full delivery. But as he built up his rhythm he improved. Post-lunch, Holder bowled only a dozen deliveries short of good length. The best length to bowl on a pitch with variable bounce and conditions that supported seam movement was on a good length. Post the break, Holder capitalised, pitching 20 deliveries on a good length, which fetched him three wickets.Two of those were Stokes and Buttler, men who were threatening to take England swiftly into a commanding territory. From the slips, Holder would have observed Stokes stepping out of the crease to negate any swing and take advantage each time the ball was pitched fuller. Without getting distracted Holder continued to attack the off stump. Off the second delivery in his second over, Stokes attempted to outsmart Holder by charging his counterpart. The ball pitched on length and straightened. Stokes let out a smile.Next ball Stokes was on the march. Holder pitched slightly fuller from wider of the crease. But the ball pitched again on off stump and this time took the outside edge as Stokes attempted to play across. Stokes shook his head in disgust. Holder celebrated.An over later, Holder came closer to the stumps, pitched on a length, drew Buttler forward as the ball once again took the outside edge which Shane Dowrich pouched smartly. Holder had snatched the momentum back.ALSO READ: Taking the knee ‘meant the world to me’ – HolderAs a fast bowler, Holder has plenty of strengths: the height from where he delivers, his wrist is straight, as is the seam most times, and he actually moves the ball in the air and off the pitch most in this Windies bowling line-up. And he uses the crease wisely. These are things he has observed and learned from the likes of Anderson and Glenn McGrath, Holder told Sky Sports.Holder has now seven five-fors, which puts him fourth on the all-time list of captains. In addition to getting the milestone four times at home, Holder has taken at least five wickets in an innings in India (2018) and Sharjah (2016) – with non-Dukes balls – and in two places that pose unique challenges for fast bowling.Jason Holder celebrates with team-mates after dismissing Jofra Archer•Getty Images

In a chat with Ian Bishop after West Indies had won the Wisden Trophy at home last year, Holder had said that his performance in the UAE against Pakistan four years ago was the turning point of his career. Remember he was just one year into his international cricket then. Pakistan were leading the series 2-0 going into the final Test in Sharjah. Holder went wicketless in the first innings. On the third evening he had three wickets. The next day, he grabbed his maiden five-for to set up the victory.During the CPL a few years ago, Mel Jones, the broadcaster, asked Holder if he fights fire with fire. Holder said he fights fire with water. That is Holder’s character: he is naturally aggressive, but does not like to wear it on his sleeve. He knows his job is that of a leader: to motivate, guide, mould West Indies into a successful unit.England will wonder what is it that brings Holder’s best against them. In 2019, it was Holder’s maiden double-century that set the tone for the series win. Holder became the No. 1 allrounder in ICC rankings. A year later Holder now has his best bowling figures against them in Test cricket.He is not like West Indian fast bowlers we are used to. He is an understated personality and he is not spoken about as much. But right now, Jason Holder is one of the best fast bowlers in cricket.

He has been the best death bowler in the IPL this season, and CSK have won most of their matches by being unflappable in that phase. What will happen when the two meet?

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu16-Apr-20198:09

Will Sunrisers break their losing streak against Super Kings?

Big picture

The tables have turned. Chennai Super Kings come into this game as the best bowling side of the IPL with the second-lowest economy rate (7.1) in the Powerplay and the best in both the middle overs (6.5) and at the death (8.3).

Form guide

• Sunrisers Hyderabad: lost to Delhi Capitals by 39 runs, lost to Kings XI Punjab by six wickets, lost to Mumbai Indians by 40 runs

• Chennai Super Kings: beat Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets, beat Rajasthan Royals by four wickets, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets

Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, have slacked off a bit in the back end. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, for example, has an economy rate of 12.6 from overs 16 to 20 and was seen practicing various versions of the cutter with head coach Tom Moody on the eve of the game. Much of this contest will hinge on how Sunrisers can stop CSK in the back end (and so much of this preview will focus on that)

In the news

• CSK have a couple of injury worries: Harbhajan Singh did not travel to Kolkata for their last game with a stiff neck and while playing that game, MS Dhoni pulled up with back spasms.
• It is reported that Bangladesh will call Sunrisers’ Shakib Al Hasan back from the IPL next week for World Cup preparations.
• Former Sunrisers captain David Warner put down their 8 for 15 collapse in the last game to a lack of experience in the batting order. So based on that, it would seem Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan have a good chance of returning to the XI.

Previous meeting

The 2018 final, which CSK won, chasing down 179 thanks to Shane Watson’s century.

Likely XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner, 2 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Deepak Hooda/Yusuf Pathan, 7 Abhishek Sharma, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Khaleel AhmedChennai Super Kings: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Shardul Thakur, 11 Imran Tahir.Rashid Khan celebrates a wicket•BCCI

Strategy punt

• The Sunrisers middle order is pretty crumbly, especially if Vijay Shankar can be knocked off early. And the best bet to do that seems to be with a spinner. The allrounder has made only 80 runs off 86 balls against them since IPL 2018. Moreover, in that same period, his dot-ball percentage (44%) and balls-per-boundary rate (14.3) are the third-worst of all the batsmen who have faced at least 75 deliveries of spin.
• To sweeten the deal for CSK, Vijay has already been dismissed twice in 12 balls by Mitchell Santner and he’s only ever made 13 runs off 20 balls against Ravindra Jadeja. (PS – he’s never faced Imran Tahir in a T20)
• There’s a similarly large head-to-head bulls-eye on Dhoni. He’s made only 14 off 22 against Rashid Khan and over half those deliveries have ended up being dots. The Super Kings captain is a massive force in the final overs of a T20 game but can he defy data (again) if Sunrisers save a couple of Rashid’s overs specifically for him?

Stats that matter

• Even otherwise, Rashid is Sunrisers’ best death bowler. He may have only taken six wickets in seven matches this season – but four of them have come from overs 16 to 20. His economy rate – 6 – and dot-ball percentage – 50 – are the best out of everyone who has bowled at least five overs in this phase of an innings in IPL 2019.
• Sunrisers would certainly need performances like that because they have a terrible record against CSK: 10 matches, 8 losses.
• There is a very clear vulnerability in the defending champions’ game plan, though. Their line-up is filled with slow starters. Listing this year’s batsmen with the lowest strike-rates in the first 20 balls of their innings, Ambati Rayudu at No. 1 (77), Dhoni at No. 4 (108) and Suresh Raina at No. 5 (110). Each of those batsmen, as is the CSK mantra, backs himself to make it up in the end but if Sunrisers can reprise their death-bowling masterclasses from 2018, we could be in for a great contest.
• Since 2015, the average total in T20Is and IPL matches played in Hyderabad is 158.

Mennie has played one Test and two ODIs for Australia will bolster an attack that lost Kyle Jarvis and Ryan McLaren at the end of the 2017 season

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2018Lancashire have signed Australia pace bowler Joe Mennie as their overseas player for the majority of the 2018 season.Mennie, 29, who has played one Test and two ODIs for Australia, will bolster an attack that lost Kyle Jarvis and Ryan McLaren at the end of the 2017 season and play across all three formats although he won’t be available for the final three Championship matches in September.Mennie’s signature completes Lancashire’s off-season recruitment following the signings of Graham Onions and Keaton Jennings from Durham and Australia allrounder James Faulkner for the T20 Blast.”It was really important that we brought in a high-quality overseas player to the club who has good availability and this is exactly what we’ve got with Joe as he’ll be involved in all three competitions throughout the season,” Lancashire head coach Glen Chapple said.”It was vital that we bolstered our fast bowling ranks within the squad after the departures of Kyle Jarvis and Ryan McLaren at the end of last season. We have now done that with the signing of Joe and Graham who will complement our current group of home-grown fast bowlers.”Joe will add quality to our squad and we believe his bowling style will suit English pitches and conditions. We’ve heard only good things about his character and personality and we’re confident that he will slot straight into the changing room when he arrives.”Mennie’s one-off Test appearance was a tough affair against South Africa at Hobart in November 2016 when Australia were bundled out for 85 on their way to a series defeat. Mennie took one wicket, that of Temba Bavuma, before being one of the players cast aside by the significant changes which followed that heavy loss.However, he has 200 first-class wickets at 26.17 – including 51 at 21.21 in the 2016 season – often operating in the favourable batting conditions of his home ground of the Adelaide Oval.

Umpire Paul Reiffel will not stand for the remainder of the Mumbai Test after suffering concussion because of a blow to the back of the head on the opening day

Sidharth Monga in Mumbai08-Dec-2016Umpire Paul Reiffel will not stand for the remainder of the Mumbai Test after suffering concussion because of a blow to the back of the head on the opening day.Reiffel was helped off the field by England’s medical staff and went to hospital where tests cleared him of serious injury, but he was advised to rest. Marais Erasmus, who was the TV umpire, will continue in the on-field role for the rest of the match.*An ICC statement said: “Paul Reiffel underwent precautionary tests yesterday, which came back all clear. Paul, however, has been advised to rest, which is the normal course prescribed following a concussion. As such, he will not take any further part in the Mumbai Test and has been replaced by Marais Erasmus.”The accident took place in the 49th over of England’s innings, when Keaton Jennings worked R Ashwin past the square leg. From three-fourths of the way to the fence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar lobbed a throw back to Cheteshwar Pujara, who stood between Reiffel and the stumps. The throw didn’t have enough power, and Pujara seemed to warn Reiffel late, leaving him time only to duck. Had Reiffel stood upright the ball might have glanced the top of his head; but now it hit the sensitive area on the back of the head.The other umpire Bruce Oxenford, who wears an arm guard in limited-overs cricket, rushed to provide Reiffel shade with his hat and the England medical team looked after the 50-year-old umpire as he collapsed to the ground. Play was held up for 10 to 12 minutes shortly before the scheduled afternoon drinks break. Erasmus took Reiffel’s place on the field as he walked off for a medical examination.It helped that there was an understudy for the third umpire: C Shamshuddin, who has stood in ODIs, was at the ground as part of a programme to train local umpires on the DRS. Shamshuddin, who was better versed with DRS protocols than fourth umpire Nitin Menon, moved into the TV umpire’s seat.Reiffel is scheduled to be an on-field official during the final Test in Chennai.* December 9, 2.15pm IST: This story was updated with news of Paul Reiffel not returning for the Test

Fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza has been named captain of the BCB XI that will play against the touring Zimbabweans in a one-day game on November 5

Mohammad Isam03-Nov-2015Fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza has been named captain of the BCB XI that will play against the touring Zimbabweans in a one-day game on November 5. Four other members of the current ODI squad – Liton Das, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman and Jubair Hossain – will also play in the warm-up game at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, two days ahead of the first ODI.This will be Mashrafe’s first competitive game since July 15 after his planned return in the National Cricket League – Bangladesh’s first-class competition – had to be cancelled last month after he was hospitalised with dengue fever. He started training with the squad on October 29 but the team management is carefully managing his recovery from the illness.Das, Mushfiqur, Sabbir and Jubair will feature in the practice game in a move focused on giving them batting and bowling practice ahead of their first international encounter in nearly four months, a period in which these four players have played domestic first-class cricket.The selectors also included Shahriar Nafees after he finished as the highest scorer in this season’s National Cricket League with 715 runs at an average of 79.44 in six matches for Barisal Division. In the last match, he struck 168 and 174 not out.The uncapped members of the 13-member squad are Mehedi Maruf and Sunzamul Islam, and pace bowlers Delwar Hossain and Tawhidul Islam. Maruf, Sunzamul and Tawhidul have been impressive performers in this year’s first-class tournaments but Delwar’s inclusion came as a surprise given that he has only played a single first-class game so far in the 2015-16 season.BCB XI: Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Liton Das, Shahriar Nafees, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahman, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Mehedi Maruf, Jubair Hossain, Sunzamul Islam, Delwar Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Tawhidul Islam.