Plays of the day from the first ODI between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur25-Sep-2016The send-offMashrafe Mortaza has hardly given any batsman an expletive-laden send-off as he did to Mohammad Shahzad at the end of the seventh over. After Shahzad had disdainfully flicked Mashrafe over midwicket for six, the bowler came back and had him caught behind with a slower ball. Mashrafe then laid into Shahzad, who din’t care to look at him. It is rare to see Mashrafe go after a batsman in this manner.The anguishMirwais Ashraf, the medium-pacer, let out a roar after Hashmatullah Shahidi dropped an easy catch at point at the start of the 13th over. Tamim Iqbal had sliced a cut shot straight at the fielder, but Shahidi couldn’t latch on to the chance. Shahidi looked disappointed, but Ashraf didn’t prolong his stare towards the fielder, and walked back to his mark. Having been dropped on 30, Tamim kicked on to make 80.The dropThe second dropped catch came in the 39th over when Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai fluffed a simpler chance, reprieving Mahmudullah on 58. Fielding at cover, Stanikzai misjudged the flight of the ball after Mahmudullah had mistimed a drive off Mohammad Nabi, the offspinning allrounder. Stanikzai immediately gestured towards one of the light towers, suggesting he couldn’t spot the ball in the bright background. Fortunately for Bangladesh, Mahmudullah fell after adding four runs.The T20 bashHaving been given the role of a finisher in T20s earlier this year, Mahmudullah has transformed his batting. One of the big shots he has developed is the blast over long-off after charging at the bowler. He also has the ability to ride high bounce and hit it over extra cover.In the 38th over, he brought out the T20 shot against the pace of Dawlat Zadran, hammering him over long-off for his second six. His first six came when he mostly stood still and cleared long-off in the 25th over off Ashraf.The light complaintLike Asghar Stanikzai, Mahmudullah complained of the light tower coming in the way of him taking a catch in the 38th over, after Hashmatullah Shahidi had pulled one towards him at deep square-leg. The ball fell well short of him, but two overs later, he dropped a chance at deep square-leg again, this time off Taijul Islam, to let off the same batsman. This time though, Mahmudullah didn’t complain about the light, as that would have made him look rather foolish.

Down in Taunton, they knew it was the longest of shots, but since when did knowing ever stop you hoping?

Paul Edwards at Taunton23-Sep-2016They knew it was the longest of shots. The supporters in the Stragglers’ Café knew it; the members in the Colin Atkinson knew it; and the players gathered in the 1875 Club knew it most of all.But since when did knowing ever stop you hoping?All the same it’s the hoping that leads to the hurt. After the pain of 2010 Somerset supporters knew that, too. Yet, here they were at Taunton, just wondering if this could be the one.”Nothing, like something, happens anywhere”, wrote Philip Larkin, and for half a day the nothing that was happening at Lord’s had meant everything to the players in their track suits and the supporters in their polo shirts or sweaters as they gathered together and took comfort from the fact that they were facing this thing together.And when it was all done with and Middlesex were being acclaimed as county champions, there was no bitterness from the runners-up, only congratulations to the victors and recognition of what a wonderful Championship season it had been for Chris Rogers and his side.”Declarations were part and parcel of the game years ago,” said Somerset’s director of cricket, Matt Maynard, as he reflected on the way Middlesex had won the title at Lord’s. “Neither side were going to give us the title. They had to come to an agreement and from the outset it looked like a very fine declaration.”It needed Tim Bresnan to carry on for another three or four overs to take it into that last over with 12 needed but unfortunately it didn’t get to that stage. But fair credit to Middlesex, they’ve gone through the season unbeaten and a number of their players have had outstanding seasons.”They’ve been very consistent and I think they are deserved champions.”Maynard was speaking at the end of a day which Somerset loyalists will remember for one heart-breaking reason and several heart-warming ones. It had been a day which began with a good group of supporters in the ground floor of the new pavilion, although their number swelled very rapidly over lunchtime and into the early afternoon.For a while it had seemed that nothing much was happening at Lord’s, nothing at any rate to indicate that discussions had taken place between the captains. But everyone could see there was not the time necessary for a normal game to take place.Then with the game in stalemate Alex Lees was brought on to bowl deliberate bad balls to set up a declaration and a few comments began, although not too many. Many of those watching were old enough to remember the days of regular three-day nonsense, and those who weren’t received a crash course, m’dear.The loudest protests followed the declaration and the idea that six-an-over represented much of a challenge to Yorkshire’s batsmen. Then people remembered that this was a Yorkshire side without Jonny Bairstow and suddenly the declaration seemed less generous on a lifeless pitch.Not that they prevented them hoping, of course.By four o’clock there was hardly standing room in the Stragglers’ and the members in the Colin Atkinson were trying to look vaguely dignified. They failed, God bless ’em. Some of the players couldn’t watch and took a stroll on the outfield. Busy doin’ nothin’.Very quickly, though, it became clear how difficult Yorkshire were finding their run-chase. People started talking about the tie and how glorious that might be. Wickets fell, although people were unsure whether this was a good or bad thing. Stalemate was needed and that was clearly the one outcome not on the cards.Chris Rogers and some of his players watched the game on the first floor of the Somerset Pavilion. Every dot ball brought a roar of acclamation. In the press box seasoned journos acknowledged that they had seen nowt like this.Then there was that clatter of wickets, a Toby Roland-Jones hat-trick and Middlesex players rolling on the ground in glee. Supporters dribbled out of the Colin Atkinson and others joined them on the outfield. Everyone the roped-off area in front of the Andrew Caddick pavilion – the Caddyshack they call it down here – was ringed by Somerset supporters. There were a few tears and a lot of pride.Somerset’s chairman, Andy Nash, congratulated the new champions and confirmed that Matt Maynard would have done the same as Gale and Franklin. Maynard, himself, and Rogers spoke with dignity and pride about all that had been achieved. And, yes, all that was to come.”There was great belief in the group,” said Maynard, “We played some good cricket without getting results and we then built momentum though winning games and gaining confidence from that.”The contribution of Chris Rogers has been huge. He has been tough on the players in the middle at times and that has taken them back a little bit. You have to challenge them at times. His expectations were terrific and he’s made an incredible impact.”The biggest thing we can do for Chris is continue his legacy. I was in the Glamorgan team included Viv Richards in the latter part of his career, he was very passionate and we continued his legacy. It is now hugely important that we do the same.”We have five youngsters who are coming through and we’ve also signed Steve Davies. I have a clear idea as to who I’d like as captain to take over from Chris Rogers but I’m not at liberty to say who that is yet.”Somerset supporters may take heart from Maynard’s comments but they are getting tired of finishing second in the West Country. Even that most equable of men, Marcus Trescothick, who was one of those ambling on the outfield, is getting particularly tired of it.”It’s a pain in the arse to come second again and it feels just the same as it did last time,” he said. “It’s been such a difficult day and different to the last time we did it because we were playing all day so it has been very strange having to sit around and watch it all on television.””It feels no different than last time to end up in second place, the only difference is that Middlesex have been top of the table for a long time and they have come out and won the competition outright, so they deserve to win.”I think we were all disappointed to see the game set up in that fashion. It was going along and doing exactly what we wanted it to do and had it been any normal game it would have petered out with a 4.30 or five o’clock finish but those are the regulations and it’s not in our control to worry about that.”It was just sad to see because from our point of view we wanted to see the best team win and I guess that Middlesex have at the end of the day, but the fashion in which it was done was disappointing.”And with that, it was done. The players drifted away, perhaps to celebrate a season in which a late charge for victory was not quite enough. The supporters, too, with whom the players have a great bond in this county, left the ground they call a home and some may not return until next April.We also suffer who only sit and watch and wait.

Mitchell Starc has dominated left-hand batsmen; Dean Elgar has struggled against left-arm bowlers. Their contest could set the tone for the series

Firdose Moonda20-Oct-2016A left-arm opening bowler and a left-handed opening batsmen could headline South Africa’s three-Test tour of Australia next month. No, it’s not Mitchell Johnson v Graeme Smith. Their rivalry, which resulted in nine dismissals in 11 Tests and two broken arms, ended more than two years ago; now, a new rivalry could pick up where they left off.Mitchell Starc and Dean Elgar will face off against each other for the first time, and they appear to have all the ingredients for a contest to look forward to. Starc has already proved a menace to left-handers: he has got Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne’s wicket six times in 10 innings. Elgar has been dismissed three times by Johnson.”I have never faced Starc so for me its a totally new encounter but a very exciting one,” Elgar, who made his Test debut against Australia, said. “Starc’s stats speak for themselves. He is a massive asset for the Australian side and with him striking early, it’s something I will have to be wary of. It’s going to be a good challenge. He seems a serious competitor, a guy who I respect a lot in the game.”Apart from Starc’s angle, Elgar and his opening partner Stephen Cook will also have to watch for seam movement. With only 29 Tests between the batsmen, Australia might be able to prey on their inexperience. However, Jimmy Cook, former South Africa opener and father of Stephen Cook, believes 25 years of experience between them at the first-class level will be sufficient to give South Africa solid starts.Much of Mitchell Starc’s recent success has come against left-hand batsmen•AFP”Both Dean and Stephen are technically sound and it’s not as though they are young guys of 20 or 21 going out there. They are experienced,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Against quality bowlers, they know they will probably get out cheaply once or twice on the tour but they also know the importance of their role. In any time, you need your openers to see off the new ball and get the middle order in on 150 for 2 or something like that. I think they will be up for it.”Cook senior’s chief concern is how the pair will handle the pink ball in the Adelaide Test. “The pink ball will be the biggest challenge because I have heard it swings a lot under lights so that will be tough for them,” he said.Although the day-night Test is the last on the tour, South Africa have already begun their preparations with practice sessions and a warm-up match under lights. At training on Tuesday, South Africa focused on adjusting to the “twilight period”. Elgar felt the pink ball “swings a little bit more upfront and for a longer period”. South Africa will have two two-day games to work on how they hope to combat that.The new ball is not Elgar’s only challenge on the tour. His struggles of late have stemmed from an inability to efficiently tackle offspin – R Ashwin and Moeen Ali in recent series. So Nathan Lyon might be itching to have a bowl at him too. “Lyon is a good spinner,” Elgar said. “I faced him a few times, more so in South Africa. It might be a little bit different in Australian conditions but I know he has been a seasoned campaigner for them year in and year out, so we see him as a big asset for them.”South Africa whitewashed Australia in the recently-concluded five-match ODI series. However, neither Elgar or Cook featured in those matches, while Australia’s bowling attack was without Starc, Lyon and Josh Hazlewood. That means the challenge in the Tests is going to be completely different and might turn out to be much more absorbing. Elgar expected as much: “What’s happened in South Africa is the past. I think Australia are hungry to prove a lot of people wrong. That’s what makes them quite dangerous.”

Stats highlights from the second day between Bangladesh and England in Chittagong

Bharath Seervi21-Oct-201664.77 Tamim Iqbal’s average against England in Tests – his highest against any team. He has scored two centuries and five fifties in nine innings against them. His average is the sixth-best by any batsman to score 500-plus runs against England.1982 Last time four spinners (as categorised) bowled for England in the same Test innings – against England in Kanpur. In their first innings of this Test, Gareth Batty, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Joe Root bowled spin.1 Figures better than Mehedi Hasan’s 6 for 80 by a Bangladesh bowler on Test debut – Sohag Gazi took 6 for 74 on his debut against West Indies in Dhaka in 2012-13.14 Wickets by spinners in the first two innings of this match so far, already the joint seventh-most in a Test in Bangladesh. In fact, the first 14 wickets fell to spinners before Ben Stokes struck among the fast bowlers.2 Instances of Bangladesh spinners taking all ten wickets in their first innings of a Test. The first innings of this Test was their second such instance. The only previous occasion was also in Chittagong against New Zealand in 2008-09.1987 Last time England lost all ten wickets in their first innings to spinners – to Pakistan in Faisalabad. This was the 12th instance for them and 10 of those are in Asia.293 England’s total in their first innings, is their lowest all-out total against Bangladesh. Their previous lowest was 295 in Dhaka in 2003-04.10 Spinners who have bowled in this Test so far, is the second-most in any Test. Six spinners bowled for Bangladesh in the first innings.

Australia’s top performers at the Gabba against Pakistan have changed, in varying degrees, from the players they had once been

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane15-Dec-2016To evolve is a good thing. Had humans not evolved from apes, none of us would be here. There would have been no Leonardo da Vinci, no Shakespeare, no exploration of our galaxy beyond Earth. There would also have been no , but you can’t win them all. On the whole, survival of the fittest gets the job done.So it is in cricket too. From slow under-arm bowling in the 19th century to Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding in the 1970s, from timeless Tests through one-day internationals to Twenty20, the game has evolved, and survived. And 26,343 people watched it continue to evolve on Thursday, the first day and night of pink-ball Test cricket at the Gabba.Evolution was evident also in the players. Six years ago at the home of cricket, Steven Smith made his Test debut against this same opposition. Back then he played as a legspinner and batted at No.8. Only Azhar Ali and Mohammad Amir remain from the Pakistan XI that faced Smith in his first Test at Lord’s, and on the first day in Brisbane they saw him complete his 16th Test century.Smith is the No.1-ranked batsman in Test cricket, and now the owner of a Test hundred against every opposition except those that he hasn’t met – Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. He had some good fortune – dropped on 53, caught behind on 97, though Pakistan failed to appeal – but good fortune does not account for 4421 Test runs at an average of 58.94.When he started, Smith had more moving parts than a one-man band. He has tightened his technique considerably, and now relies as much on his brain as his eye. As a batsman he is a great success. As a captain, his evolution continues. His task is to lead Australia out of their recent dark age and into a renaissance.He must do so with a new-look team. Five changes in last month’s Adelaide Test represented an evolutionary jump, and Australia continued with that group in Brisbane – the first time in more than a year that they had used the same XI in consecutive Tests. Of the three Adelaide debutants, only Nic Maddinson is yet to prove himself at Test level. His chance will come on day two in Brisbane.Peter Handscomb impressed with a half-century in Adelaide and brought up another at the Gabba. Brad Haddin recently observed that while coaching Handscomb with Australia A this year, the batsman asked to be taken out of his comfort zone with difficult net drills. Handscomb actively seeks to evolve as a batsman, and in consequence is hard to fluster at the crease.By stumps, Handscomb was on 64 and had combined with Smith for a 137-run partnership. He had built significantly on the work done by fellow Adelaide debutant, Matt Renshaw, who scored 71 and was part of a 70-run opening stand with David Warner and then a 76-run third-wicket partnership with Smith.Matt Renshaw, who was born in 1996 and could not have known cricket before T20, does not have a Big Bash League deal•Associated PressRenshaw is what biologists call an atavism. In simple terms, an evolutionary throwback. He would recall little of life before Twenty20 – he was born in 1996 while T20 began in 2003 – yet idolises Alastair Cook and places on his wicket a price, almost as high as Bill Lawry did. He was at the inaugural T20 international in 2005 as a spectator, yet has never played elite T20 himself.Renshaw is remarkable for a 20-year-old in that he doesn’t have a Big Bash League deal and doesn’t care. Until he was called into Australia’s Test side, he expected December-January to be his golf season. Instead he ended up on the world stage proving his long-form credentials. In Adelaide, Renshaw scored slowly, but steered Australia to victory. Here, he showed he can change gears.Against the new ball, Renshaw was happy to leave anything outside off stump, and waited for his scoring opportunities to come when the bowlers went too straight: nearly two-thirds of his runs came through the leg side. And yet he was willing to use his feet and drive the spinners down the ground, in the air, reckoning it a safe scoring opportunity if executed well.His final tally was 71 from 125 balls, including nine boundaries. It was as if Renshaw had evolved in the fortnight between Adelaide and Brisbane. It should not be forgotten that this was just his 15th first-class match. He is still learning, but has an outstanding base from which to work. His development will be fascinating to watch.Given that Renshaw is a Queenslander, perhaps the most remarkable absentees from the 26,343-strong crowd were his parents. They had been at his debut in Adelaide, but on Thursday chose his sister’s graduation over his first Test appearance at home. Still, the crowd figure was a record day-one attendance for a non-Ashes Test at the Gabba.Among them, Garry Sobers and Alan Davidson watched Test cricket under lights with a pink ball. It looked different, but was fundamentally the same game they had played. Fifty-six years ago this week, they played in Test cricket’s first tied match at this very ground. Before that memorable series between Australia and West Indies, the health of Test cricket was waning. Sometimes, it needs rejuvenation. Or, like teams and individuals, a touch of evolution.

South Africa outdid Australia in the fast bowling department, the lower middle-order contributions and the number of centuries scored

S Rajesh28-Nov-201621.64 The bowling average for South Africa’s fast bowlers in the series, compared to 29.77 for Australia’s pace attack. Kagiso Rabada, Kyle Abbott and Vernon Philander accounted for 40 of those 42 wickets, at 20.30. Australia’s pace attack had a combined average of 29.77. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s leading fast bowlers, had a combined tally of 31 wickets at 25.71. Each team’s spinners took seven wickets collectively, at 50-plus averages (52.42 for Australia, and 58.14 for South Africa). Fast bowlers accounted for more than 85% of the total wickets for each team.82 Total wickets taken by the fast bowlers in the series. There have been only three three-Test series in Australia in which fast bowlers have taken more wickets, and all of them were between 1979 and 1982; two of those featured West Indies.

5 Hundreds for South Africa, out of the six in the series. Australia’s only centurion was Usman Khawaja, while five batsmen got hundreds for South Africa – Dean Elgar, JP Duminy, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and Stephen Cook. (Click here for South Africa’s batting and bowling stats, and here for Australia’s.)

41.25 The average partnership for South Africa’s fifth to eighth wickets; for Australia, the average for those wickets was only 17.15. In 20 partnerships for these wickets, South Africa’s batsmen scored 825 runs, with de Kock being the key contributor: he scored 281 from five innings, and received fine support from Temba Bavuma and Philander in these middle and lower-order partnerships. In contrast, Australia managed only 343 runs in 20 such partnerships. The difference in these partnership numbers was a key reason for South Africa’s series triumph; for the first four wickets Australia had a marginally higher average – 37.82, to South Africa’s 34.05.

100% Success rate for Richard Kettleborough with DRS appeals made against his decisions in Hobart and Adelaide, the two Tests in which he was the on-field umpire in the series. In all, 11 of his decisions were challenged, but none of his calls were overturned. In contrast, the success rate was only 50% for Aleem Dar (six out of 12), and 68.75% for Nigel Llong (11 out of 16).5 Number of times Hazlewood dismissed Hashim Amla in this series, the most times a bowler got a batsman out. The next highest was Starc’s four dismissals of Cook, conceding only 43 from 134 balls. Elgar struggled against Starc as well. There were five instances of a bowler dismissing a batsman three or more times in the series, and they were all by Starc or Hazlewood.97 Runs scored by de Kock against Nathan Lyon, the most by any batsman against a bowler in the series. Lyon didn’t dismiss de Kock even once, though he had him in some trouble in Adelaide. There were only two other instances of a batsman scoring 50-plus runs against a bowler without being dismissed – Warner against Rabada, and Bavuma against Starc.

Kagiso Rabada is the main man in one-day cricket but AB de Villiers believes his team’s strength is their flexibility

Firdose Moonda05-Mar-2017South Africa will not anoint a permanent ODI new-ball partner to Kagiso Rabada, who is himself not always guaranteed to open the bowling, and will aim for a more flexible approach at the Champions Trophy, according to captain AB de Villiers. That marks a departure from the thinking of six months ago, when Rabada and Kyle Abbott were being specifically prepared for that role, before Abbott’s Kolpak-enforced departure required South Africa to change tack.When Abbott’s international career ended in January, South Africa had just 10 matches across two series to search for someone else. In beating both Sri Lanka and New Zealand, they have decided they have not found one solution, but many.

Leading the line

South Africa have used their last two one-day series to work out bowling combinations. This is how the main three bowlers used in the first 10 performed against Sri Lanka and New Zealand
Kagiso Rabada: 32-2-149-3
Wayne Parnell: 24-2-120-8
Chris Morris: 27-2-143-3

“There’s no need to commit to an opening partnership. Whoever is taking the new ball will be taking it for a specific reason, looking at batsmen or conditions,” de Villiers said. “KG also didn’t open the bowling in one of the games so we are quite flexible with that. We wouldn’t like to commit to an opening partnership.”Their reasons are sound because they have several candidates capable of filling the role and they have found success with different combinations, so much so that they have bowled their opposition out six times in the last 10 matches. De Villiers has identified that as a “great sign” of how far they have progressed.”We’ve bowled teams out consistently. Even though we don’t have four or five seamers all around 145kph, we have a variety of seamers, who can bowl really well together with Imran Tahir, who is a strike bowler in his own right,” de Villiers said. “There’s a very nice mix of control, pace, aggression and a bit of calmness, which makes it very nice for me to captain the side.”This is what de Villiers has to work with:The certain one: Kagiso RabadaThe quiet leader: Kagiso Rabada has taken on a leading role•AFPThe leading wicket-taker in the series against New Zealand, with the lowest average – eight scalps at 17.00 – Rabada is the leader of the pack. Although the man himself prefers to steer away from the spearhead label, he will be asked to set the tone and so will open the bowling more times than not. With pace, a mean bouncer and an economy rate that rarely goes over six, Rabada is South Africa’s Mr Reliable and he could be for another decade. At 21, Rabada shows maturity beyond his years but still sees himself as one of the young ‘uns, which suggests a readiness to learn and improve.”It’s a new attack with not much experience and it’s nice that we are going through this together,” Rabada said of his him and his colleagues. “Hopefully we all stay in the team and when other people coming in, we can teach them to learn quickly. We started together Australia and we beat them 5-0 and then we beat Sri Lanka. It hasn’t been easy for the bowlers because pitches these days are really batsmen friendly but we learnt really quickly.”The top contenders: Wayne Parnell and Chris Morris Wayne Parnell has proved effective with the new ball•AFPParnell was used to open the bowling six times in the ten matches mentioned and made early inroads on four occasions. Apart from providing a different angle, Parnell also has pace and is often referred to as an x-factor player for his ability to put in explosive performances. Although Parnell is sometimes expensive at latter stages of the match, he has maintained an economy rate of under six this year and sits second on the list of ODI wicket-takers, behind Imran Tahir.Newly nationally-contracted Morris was given the new ball five times in the ten matches and performed admirably. A hallmark of Morris’ value upfront is how little he gives away, which makes him slightly different to Parnell. Morris has an economy rate of 4.88 when bowling in the first ten overs across the 10 matches, proof that the work he was doing on his accuracy is paying off. Morris has put in several handy performances with the bat as well, which adds to his credentials when South Africa pick their XI.The change-bowlers: Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo Andile Phehlukwayo’s bowling has developed in New Zealand•Getty ImagesPretorius only opened the bowling once, in the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka in Cape Town, and he bowled just one over. He is used more often at first change and in the middle overs, where his control allows Tahir to attack from the other end. Pretorius does not have a need for extreme speed – he is capable of reaching speeds in the upper 130kph – but rather concentrates on keeping things tight. Over the last two series, he has given away less than five runs an over.Phehlukwayo is another 21-year-old showing impressive maturity and prefers the death overs where his slower balls and nerves of steel will serve South Africa well in years to come. Like Pretorius, pace is not high on Phehlukwayo’s agenda but skills are. He has also proved himself a more than able finisher with bat in hand to ensure South Africa’s allrounder cupboard is well stocked.The outsiders: Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel Still a chance? There may be a late recall for Morne Morkel•Getty ImagesNeither of the two Test stalwarts were included in the ODI squads for the last two series but both remain in contention for a Champions Trophy spot. Philander, who has recovered from a slight ankle impingement, has not played one-day cricket for South Africa since 2015 but conditions in England will suit his nagging style and could make him an ideal new-ball candidate. Or South Africa may look to Morkel, who is expected to make a comeback in the upcoming Test series after nine months out of action with a back injury, and can generate fearsome bounce. Both have more experience than any of the rest and both played some List A cricket before making the trip to New Zealand. With only three ODIs against England before the Champions Trophy, and a handful of List A games this season, they may not have enough game time to be included but if they are, it will give de Villiers more firepower than he may know what to do with.

The birthdays of Tom Pritchard and Jack Laver this week draw notice to an exclusive band of cricketers who have lived 100 years and more

Brydon Coverdale10-Mar-2017There is scoring a century, and there is reaching a century. Tom Pritchard never scored a century, not in a first-class career spanning 200 matches. Neither did Jack Laver, who played only 13 first-class games himself. But in a delightful coincidence, both men have now, at long last, reached centuries within a day of each other.Pritchard is New Zealand’s oldest living first-class cricketer; Laver Australia’s. In Tasmania on Thursday, Laver celebrated his 100th birthday; across the Tasman on Friday, Pritchard enjoyed his 100th. Two days, two countries, two tons, two messages from the Queen.”It’s just one after 99,” Laver said this week, in an interview with Launceston newspaper the .Laver’s flippancy aside, his and Pritchard’s achievement is phenomenally rare, considering that more than 33,000 men have played first-class cricket. Of those, more than 8000 are known to have centuries, but only 20 are known to have centuries – though it is necessary to include a caveat that such a list may not be exhaustive.The first cricketing centenarian was George Deane, whose entire first-class career consisted of one match for Hampshire that occurred so long ago that he was bowled by John Wisden – yes, John Wisden. The year was 1848 and Deane made a duck in both innings, but later created history by living until 1929 and the age of 100.The latest cricketing centenarian can boast a much more prolific career. Pritchard claimed 818 wickets and was considered one of the fastest bowlers of the 1940s. In fact, after he took 4 for 46 for Warwickshire against the touring Indians in 1946, India captain Vijay Merchant wrote a letter of thanks to the county, in which he called Pritchard “the fastest bowler in England at the time”.Why was Pritchard, a New Zealander who had earlier played for Wellington, in England playing for Warwickshire? Because he served in the armed forces in Europe during World War II, married an Englishwoman, and set up home there after the war.In an interview this week with Andrew Alderson of the , Pritchard told of how in the post-war era he would have “at least two beers before I went out at lunchtime, some at afternoon tea and a couple afterwards. All with the magnificent people we played against.”

Player Date of Birth Died Country/First-class team Age (yrs) MatsGeorge Deane 1828-12-11 1929-02-26 England 100, 77 days 1Charles Braithwaite 1845-09-10 1946-04-15 English Residents/USA 100, 217 days 4John Wheatley 1860-01-08 1962-04-19 New Zealand 102, 101 days 12Ted English 1864-01-01 1966-09-05 England 102, 247 days 18George Harman 1874-06-06 1975-12-14 Univ. of Dublin 101, 191 days 1Rupert de Smidt 1883-11-23 1986-08-03 South Africa 102, 253 days 4D.B.Deodhar 1892-01-14 1993-08-24 India 101, 222 days 81Jim Hutchinson 1896-11-29 2000-11-07 England 103, 344 days 256Alan Finlayson 1900-09-01 2001-10-28 South Africa 101, 57 days 2Ted Martin 1902-09-30 2004-06-09 Australia 101, 253 days 2Harry Forsyth 1903-12-18 2004-07-19 Univ. of Dublin 100, 214 days 1Syd Ward 1907-08-05 2010-12-31 New Zealand 103, 148 days 10Cyril Perkins 1911-06-04 2013-11-21 England 102, 170 days 57Norman Gordon 1911-08-06 2014-09-02 South Africa 103, 27 days 29Fred Gibson 1912-02-13 2013-06-28 England 101, 135 days 2Neil McCorkell 1912-03-23 2013-02-28 England 100, 342 days 396John Manners 1914-09-25 – England 102, 166 days 21Harold Stapleton 1915-01-07 2015-09-24 Australia 100, 260 days 1Jack Laver 1917-03-09 – Australia 100, 1 days 13Tom Pritchard 1917-03-10 – New Zealand 100, 0 days 200Pritchard bowled fast outswinging offcutters – the change of direction made him a particularly difficult customer for batsmen to face – but playing in England for much of his career limited his opportunities to play for New Zealand. He represented his country only once, in a match against Sir Julien Cahn’s XI in Wellington in 1939.Like Pritchard, Laver served in World War II, though in New Guinea. He was born in Melbourne into a sporting family – he is the second cousin of tennis legend Rod Laver, who sent Jack a card for his 100th birthday, and the nephew of cricketer Frank Laver, who played 15 Tests for Australia.Laver moved to Launceston after the war and played first-class cicket for Tasmania – they were not yet part of the Sheffield Shield competition – including three games as captain. After retirement, he went on to serve as a state selector.”In those days, the NTCA [Northern Tasmania Cricket Association] had all the visiting countries come, and I played against all the countries, two Australian sides, two English sides, one West Indies side and one Indian side,” Laver told the this week.Laver and Pritchard are not the only living centenarians among former first-class cricketers: John Manners, who played 21 matches for Hampshire from 1936 to 1953, is 102. Manners is the only living man to have played first-class cricket in England before World War II, and was the subject of a fine piece in last year’s .The remainder of first-class cricket’s late centenarians form a fascinating bunch.There was the Australian Ted Martin, who upon turning 100 in 2002 – the year after Don Bradman’s death aged 92 – quipped that “it’s nice to have beaten Bradman at something”.Pritchard at 100•Andrew AldersonThere was the Irishman Harry Forsyth, whose entire first-class career consisted of one game for Dublin University in 1926, and whose team-mate in that match was the future Nobel Laureate playwright Samuel Beckett.There was Alan Finlayson, the South African who doubled the age of his brother Charles, who also played first-class cricket but died at 50.There was DB Deodhar, once known as the Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket, who was one of very few people to play first-class cricket both before World War I and after World War II, and whose name lives on in the Deodhar Trophy.There was the 19th-century cricketer Charles Braithwaite, unique in this list in that his entire first-class career of four matches occurred in Philadelphia, USA.There was Fred Gibson, who was born in rural Jamaica, stayed on in England after serving in the RAF during World War II, played for Leicestershire, worked for Rolls-Royce (sometimes surprising opponents by arriving in one of the company’s cars) and served as a Labour councillor.There was Cyril Perkins, the left-arm spinner who made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire in 1934 and, remarkably, made his List A debut for Suffolk at the age of 54 in 1966, and died in 2013 at the age of 102.

Eileen Ash turned 105 last year. She played seven Tests for England either side of World War II, worked for 11 years with intelligence agency MI6, still drives a yellow Mini, and doesn’t look or sound a day over 80

And there have been others, though none who have lived longer than Jim Hutchinson, who began working in a coal mine at the age of 14. A decade later he was spotted while playing for the colliery XI, and a week after that, he was making his first-class debut for Derbyshire. Hutchinson went on to play 256 first-class matches and lived to 104, claiming that his longevity was due to a diet of “pork chops and onion rings”.If Hutchinson is the first-class cricketer with the longest lifespan, the South African Norman Gordon is the Test cricketer who has lived the longest. A fast bowler who played in the famous ten-day timeless Test against England in Durban in 1939, Gordon died at the age of 103 in 2014. He is the only Test cricketer to have reached a century.Actually, that statement must be clarified: the only Test cricketer to have reached a century. For there is one person who surpasses all of these men not only for longevity, but for the remarkable nature of the long life still being lived.Eileen Ash (nee Whelan) turned 105 last year. She played seven Tests for England either side of World War II, worked for 11 years with intelligence agency MI6, still drives a yellow Mini, and doesn’t look or sound a day over 80. She puts down her longevity to the fact that she still practises yoga once a week – see for yourself – and enjoys two glasses of red wine a day.She is so fit that she has not only reached a century but jokes about one day reaching a double-century. “I’d like to know when I’m going to be old,” she said in a BBC interview last year, shortly before her latest birthday. “Do you think it will be when I’m 105?”

The quotes from nine seasons of the IPL that caused laughter, embarrassment and controversy

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2017

“There was a little element of feeling like a cow.”

Getting auctioned for US$700,000 before the 2008 IPL got Adam Gilchrist in touch with his bovine side. When the IPL began, the concept of players being bought and sold was completely new to cricket. Any misgivings Gilchrist had about the auction process didn’t affect his game, though. He went on to lead Deccan Chargers to victory in the 2009 season.

“This is not cricket. This is the greatest divide between the rich and the poor. With that kind of money, you could have built another cement factory.”

Jaswant Singh, then leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, had this to say about the IPL in 2008 during a session of the house. For some, the IPL was a welcome show of financial muscle by Indian cricket, but for others, the idea of a developing country hosting such an extravagant event was abhorrent. That sentiment still exists in some form today. Just last season, games were shifted out of drought-stricken Maharashtra to ensure water was not wasted on maintaining the grounds.

“Violence between players? Scantily clad cheerleaders? Toss in a rant by Charles Barkley and three minutes of commercials for every 45 seconds of actual game time and cricket may finally be ready for a mainstream American audience.”

This excerpt from a article in 2008 predicted the IPL could help cricket appeal to new markets. The IPL was modelled on American sports leagues, but nine years on, cricket is still trying to make serious inroads in the American market.

“I don’t mind really … except she really did seem to be doing her job very well when I was out. She didn’t have to look so pleased.”

Jacques Kallis was supportive of his sister Janine performing as a cheerleader in the 2009 IPL, but wasn’t too happy when it was his wicket she was celebrating. Janine, a dancer and physiotherapist, was part of Chennai Super Kings’ cheerleading squad in 2008 and Delhi Daredevils’ in 2009. When Kallis’ Royal Challengers Bangalore faced both sides, she was obligated to cheer her brother’s misfortune. Janine told an Indian newspaper that Kallis had ribbed her later on Facebook, saying if she ever danced like that again when he got out, he would hit her in the shin with a cricket bat.Gurunath Meiyappan was a bit too close to Chennai Super Kings’ players for people to buy that he was simply “enthusiastic”•AFP

“How can you take this tournament seriously now? All the money in the world, and they can’t get a dog off the pitch. Imagine if it started relieving itself on a good length.”

Rob Smyth wondered on over-by-over commentary why a pitch invasion by a dog during a 2009 IPL match couldn’t be dealt with quickly. This tongue-in-cheek jab sat alongside more forceful criticisms of the IPL by sections of the English press that did not look kindly upon the tournament.

“I know who the favourite son is now. Dad actually said he was keen on me and I didn’t even get one bid off him.”

Australia batsman Shaun Marsh reacted with humour after his father, Geoff, then coach of Pune Warriors, bid only for younger brother Mitchell at the auction ahead of the 2011 IPL. Geoff was in the invidious position of having his sons available in the auction while he was advising a franchise on which players to buy.

“He would go [for the matches]… he was enthusiastic.”

After then BCCI president N Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested for betting on IPL games in 2013, Srinivasan insisted Meiyappan was not a part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise but only a mere cricket enthusiast, despite tons of evidence to the contrary. Meiyappan had been seen sitting in the Super Kings dugout, wearing an official team badge and at IPL auctions. There were also quotes from other Super Kings players and staff confirming Meiyappan was an integral part of the franchise. Srinivasan’s statements were seen as a dishonest attempt to protect the Super Kings from being tainted by Meiyappan’s arrest and were among the many reasons for the loud appeals for him to step down from the BCCI. The Super Kings were suspended after the 2015 IPL. Srinivasan, though not a part of the BCCI, is still active in cricket administration.Piyush Chawla scored the winnings runs in the final of the 2014 edition•BCCI

“Life is all about taking the right decision. Seeing Gayle bat today, I think I took the right decision of being a wicketkeeper.”

This quote from MS Dhoni summed up Chris Gayle’s innings of 175 not out off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Pune Warriors in 2013. Dhoni was not even playing in the game, but Gayle’s knock sent shivers down the spine of every player in the tournament. He had reached his 100 in 30 balls and, for a while, it seemed possible that he might do the unthinkable and get a double-century in the IPL.

“I don’t want to sound politically incorrect, but what will they do if I enter? Shoot me?”

Shah Rukh Khan, co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders, said before the 2013 IPL that he was ready to defy the Mumbai Cricket Association’s ban on him entering the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In 2012, Khan had been involved in a scuffle with security personnel at the Wankhede and had subsequently been accused of being drunk and abusing officials. Khan claimed he had reacted angrily because the security guards were manhandling his children and their friends. In 2015, the ban was lifted, and in 2016 the Mumbai police said that their investigation had revealed no cognizable offence committed by Khan.

“One four and the whole world now knows that Piyush Chawla can bat.”

Piyush Chawla hit the winning boundary for Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2014 IPL final and was not shy about celebrating it. In 10 games prior to the final, Chawla had scored a grand total of 18 runs, but his 13 not out in the final saw his team over the line.

On a tricky surface at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a change of pace may help Mitchell McClenaghan solve what has been a season-long problem of leaking runs in the end overs

Deivarayan Muthu18-May-20172:57

Have Mumbai’s bowlers lost steam lately?

Twenty20 cricket is a freakish format, where your best-laid plans can go to waste if the execution is marginally wrong. Ask Mumbai Indians fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan. In the first Qualifier against Rising Pune Supergiant, McClenaghan clattered through the defences of Rahul Tripathi with a big inswinger in his first over. His first three overs went for 20, and he came on to bowl the 19th over with Rising Pune at 121 for 3 and desperate for a late dash. McClenaghan had sound plans against MS Dhoni and Manoj Tiwary, but his execution was awry. He leaked 26 runs and suddenly the game changed.McClenaghan began that 19th over aiming for a yorker first ball but overpitched and watched as Tiwary swung the beamer to the long-leg boundary. The next ball – a free-hit – offered plenty of width, and Tiwary hoisted it over the bowler’s head for a six. When Dhoni got the strike, McClenaghan finally nailed a yorker, which whooshed past the batsman’s feet. The fourth delivery was a length ball, which was swatted over the midwicket boundary. McClenaghan then switched to Plan B: bowl short and wide, and make Dhoni fetch it. While it appeared logical, McClenaghan ended up bowling two consecutive wides and then panicked and bowled two more length balls, one of which was taken for six. It allowed Rising Pune to run away with the advantage and barge into their first IPL final.McClenaghan is the third-highest wicket-taker this season with 19 wickets in 14 matches, but is prone to leaking runs in the slog overs. His five most expensive overs have all come between overs 15 and 20, and he has an economy rate of 9.50 in this phase of the innings, the second highest among bowlers who have bowled at least 15 overs. He has also bowled 15 extras in the end overs; only Bhuvneshwar Kumar (17) has bowled more.In the middle overs, his returns are worse: one wicket at an economy rate of 12.60. McClenaghan has been most penetrative in the Powerplay, claiming 10 of his 19 wickets in this period at an economy rate of 7.95. In fact, no bowler has taken more wickets than McClenaghan in the Powerplay this season.Mitchell McClenaghan: Decisive in the Powerplay, expensive in the slog overs•BCCISo, perhaps, a case can be made for Mumbai to extract the best out of him with the new ball. Remember, he opened the bowling in the first 22 ODIs he played for New Zealand, and claimed 48 wickets at an economy rate of 5.82 and strike-rate of 23.5.But, with Lasith Malinga himself missing his lengths and conceding at an economy rate of 12 in the slog overs, Mumbai have needed McClenaghan and Jasprit Bumrah. Of the pair, Bumrah has easily been the more impressive, giving away only 8.91 runs an over in this phase.McClenaghan’s regulation pace has allowed the batsmen to line him up better this season. Perhaps he could do well to mix up his pace more, like he did at the World Twenty20 in India last year. His accurate lengths and cutters were so effective that Tim Southee and Trent Boult did not get a game, and New Zealand ultimately made the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by England. Against Australia on a slow track in Dharamsala, McClenaghan cramped the right-hand batsmen with slower short balls, and fooled left-handed batsman Ashton Agar with legcutters. With Australia needing 22 from 12 balls in a chase of 143, McClenaghan took the wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Agar in five balls while conceding just three off a stellar penultimate over. Corey Anderson eventually closed out the eight-run win for New Zealand.Much like that tricky Dharamsala pitch, the M Chinnaswamy track hasn’t allowed batsmen to time the ball this season. Some balls have stuck in the surface, while others have skidded on. Many quicks have taken advantage of this with cutters and cross-seamers. A return to Bangalore might trigger happy memories for McClenaghan: only last month he dismissed Virat Kohli and Mandeep Singh in two slog overs in his side’s four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. He nabbed Kohli with a wide ball – possibly wider than a set of stumps outside off – for 62 and then had Mandeep dragging a back-of-a-length ball onto the stumps for a duck.McClenaghan has the skills and the smarts. He might even have a bunch of plans at the death against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday. But, it all boils down to execution. This time, though, there will be no second chances for him and his team: it’s boom or bust.