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India U19s set home side target of 350 in 63 overs but unable to force victory in final session

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay15-Jul-2025
A thrilling Under-19 Test match between England and India at Beckenham ended in draw, after England reached 270 for 7 at stumps on the final day.India set England a target of 350 to win from 63 overs, after making 248 in the second innings: Vihaan Malhotra hit 63 and a there was a late charge by RS Ambrish, who made 53, while Archie Vaughan took 6 for 84 after bowling unchanged from the City End.After losing three early wickets Hamza Shaikh and Ben Mayes gave England hope of a win with a stand of 119. Mayes went for 51, but Shaikh made 112 before he was run out. When Thomas Rew went for 50 India scented blood, but Ralphie Albert and Jack Home batted out 11.5 overs to secure the draw.India began the final day with a lead of 229 and seven wickets remaining, with Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu the not out batters on 34 and nought respectively. The former took just 15 minutes reach his half-century with a cover driven four off Vaughan, but he was caught behind by Rew trying to fend off Alex Green and a downpour then caused a 30-minute delay.When play resumed Rew took two more catches before lunch. Green strangled Kundu down the leg side for 11 and Rahul Kumar tried to hook James Minto and gloved him behind, also for 11.Vaughan bowled Mohamed Enaan for 5 and got his fifth when Rocky Flintoff caught Henin Patel for a four-ball duck, grabbing a top-edged sweep one-handed at the second attempt, leaving India on 209 for 8 at lunch.Deepesh Devendran was Vaughan’s next victim, caught behind for 4, but Ambrish went on the attack, taking 12 from one Vaughan over and reaching his 50 after a misfield before he was run out by Mayes.It looked evenly poised, but India made early inroads. Perhaps exhausted by his marathon bowling spell, Vaughan was out for just 3, caught behind off Devendran. Jaydn Denly attempted to hook Ambrish and was caught on the boundary by Vaibhav Suryavanshi for 19, while Flintoff tried to drive Singh and was caught by Chavda at long-on for 11.Yet Mayes was on 7 when Devendran missed a difficult chance to catch him one-handed off and by tea England were 83 for 3 and at that point the chase was still on.Shaikh brought up his 50 with a six driven back over Singh’s head, but England had a major let off when both batters ended up at the keepers end and India threw at the wrong set of stumps, allowing Mayes to scramble back to safety. He reached 50 with an elegant swept two but slashed at Ambrish and was caught behind. Any thoughts that the teams might shake hands were banished when Rew came in and immediately went on the attack.When Shaikh scrambled a single from Devendran to reach his century England looked favourites, but two run-outs tilted the game back in India’s favour. Singh got Shaikh and Ayush Mhatre got Ekansh Singh for 1, both chasing suicidal seconds, before Rew holed out to Malhotra and was caught by Kumar. However, Albert and Home survived with few serious alarms.

Taskin Ahmed, who had the triple contract last year, now has the ODI and T20I deal

Mohammad Isam13-Feb-2024Tamim Iqbal has opted out of the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s central contracts list for 2024. Among the 21 cricketers who were handed national contracts, Shoriful Islam and new captain Najmul Hossain Shanto got the all-format deals.Taskin Ahmed, who had the triple contract last year, now has the ODI and T20I deal with the BCB. He had reportedly sent a letter to the BCB recently, asking to not be considered for Tests. Taskin is managing a shoulder injury that he suffered during the World Cup in India last year. He missed the home Tests against New Zealand thereafter, as well as the white-ball tour to New Zealand in December. He is currently playing in the BPL for Durdanto Dhaka.Tamim had retired from international cricket in July last year but it lasted less than 24 hours, with the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina talking him out of the decision. He resigned from captaincy and made himself available for the World Cup, but not before falling out with the BCB.Related

• Shanto wants Tamim 'available in all formats' for Bangladesh

• New Bangladesh chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain promises independent decision-making

• Najmul Hossain Shanto named Bangladesh captain in all formats

Tamim’s relationship with the board, though, has been mostly amicable in the past few months. He has said he will make an announcement about his status as an international cricketer during the BPL.Meanwhile, Ebadot Hossain, Afif Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain have been left out of the central contracts list. Among the new entrants for 2024 are Towhid Hridoy, Tanzim Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Naeem Hasan and Nurul Hasan.Also, the BCB has approved the first-class cricketers’ salary contract for 2024, with 85 players receiving contracts.

2024 Bangladesh central contracts

All formats: Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Shoriful IslamTests and ODIs: Mushfiqur RahimODIs and T20Is: Taskin Ahmed, Towhid Hridoy, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan MahmudOnly Tests: Mominul Hoque, Taijul Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Khaled Ahmed, Naeem HasanOnly ODIs: Mahmudullah, Tanzim HasanOnly T20Is: Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Nurul Hasan

A brilliant catch by James Bazley sparked Tasmania’s second-innings collapse

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2022Three sensational individual displays by Queensland players inspired an innings win for their side in the Sheffield Shield season opener.Wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson played an aggressive and classy hand to lift his side to 458 in reply to Tasmania’s first innings of 147 at Allan Border Field.Tasmania’s openers were looking comfortable at 0 for 41 in reply when Bulls allrounder James Bazley threw himself to his left at square leg to snaffle a one-handed screamer to dismiss Caleb Jewell. Bazley also claimed a scalp with his first ball of the innings and the wickets tumbled.Bazley’s timely catch was vital in the scheme of things as rain was forecast for the final day of the clash and Queensland needed wickets.Related

• Paine falls cheaply on first-class return as Queensland take charge

• Labuschagne starts his Shield season with classy century

Queensland pace bowler Gurinder Sandhu ripped through the Tigers who were bundled out for 139.Mark Steketee almost claimed a hat-trick when he removed Jordan Silk and Jarrod Freeman in consecutive balls, only to see a tough chance for the third wicket spilled at slip.Queensland’s win by an innings and 172 runs inside three days was the perfect start to their season and the Tigers were never in the hunt.Australian Test stars Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja made massive contributors to the Bulls’ win and struck early form ahead of the Test series against the West Indies and South Africa.Quick bowler Riley Meredith was the pick of the Tasmania bowlers who fought back to take 6 for 101 on the third morning after the Bulls were 4 for 357 overnight.Peirson’s innings knocked the stuffing out of the Tigers who were left with too much to do to save the game.Tim Paine claimed five catches on his return to first-class cricket. His performance was typical of a master of his craft.  The former Test captain was hardly noticed, as all good wicketkeepers are, but when a chance came his way the 37-year-old pounced to reveal that he has lost none of his touch despite a lengthy absence from the game.

Existing majority owner Emerging Media increase their stake from 51% to 65%

Reuters24-Jun-2021Private investment firm RedBird Capital Partners, which has interests in the parent company of Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox, has picked up a 15 percent stake in Rajasthan Royals for an undisclosed amount.The Royals, winners of the inaugural IPL in 2008, are majority owned by London-based venture capitalist Manoj Badale’s investment firm Emerging Media.Emerging Media and RedBird, which is founded by former Goldman Sachs Partner Gerry Cardinale, announced the stake acquisition in a joint statement on Thursday, but did not disclose financial details of the transaction.”The IPL is a dynamic league with a global audience and forward thinking mindset regarding fan and player engagement,” Cardinale said in the statement.A source close to the deal placed an enterprise value of the franchise at between USD 250 million to USD 300 million.Badale said the Redbird deal was an illustration of how popular the IPL had become.”Such an investment is testament to the global standing of the IPL and India as an attractive investment destination,” Badale said.The television and digital rights for the tournament went for INR 163.48 billion (approx USD 2.2 billion) to STAR Sports for a five-year period from 2018-2022.The eight-team IPL normally takes place during April and May, although the Covid-19 pandemic has forced an alteration in schedules for IPL 2020 and IPL 2021.It also hit the IPL’s finances, and according to financial consultancy firm Duff & Phelps, the IPL’s brand value shrunk by 3.6 percent to USD 6.19 billion last year because of the pandemic.The Royals brand value dipped by over 8 percent in 2020, to INR 2.49 billion.Emerging Media also said in the statement it had separately increased its stake in the franchise, going from 51 percent to 65 percent.RedBird also recently picked up a minority stake in Fenway Sports Group, who own English soccer team Liverpool, and baseball’s Red Sox, the XFL, and they are also the majority owner of French football team Toulouse.

Soumya Sarkar, Rubel Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain have also been left out

Mohammad Isam16-Feb-2020Bangladesh have dropped Mahmudullah in one of four changes to the squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe next week. Rubel Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain and Soumya Sarkar have been axed, while there were comebacks for Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman. Rookie medium-pacer Hasan Mahmud and batsman Yasir Ali have also earned their first Test call-ups.

One-off Test v Zimbabwe

IN: Mushfiqur Rahim, Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Yasir Ali
OUT: Mahmudullah, Al-Amin Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Soumya Sarkar
Squad: Mominul Haque (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Nayeem Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Yasir Ali

Chief selector Minhajul Abedin suggested that senior batsman Mahmudullah needed a break from red-ball cricket, after scoring just one half-century in his last ten Test innings, before which he had hit centuries in back-to-back Tests in Dhaka, against West Indies, and in Hamilton.”We felt that Mahmudullah needed a break from the red ball,” he said. “Al-Amin has niggles and that’s why we thought he should be given the time to be fully ready for the limited-overs matches [three ODIs and two T20Is] where he is more important. Rubel is not part of our red-ball plans for the moment. Soumya had applied for a leave and therefore has not been considered.”I believe we have selected the best possible Test squad under present circumstances. There is a very nice blend of experience and potential. It is unfortunate that some players had to miss out but our priority has been to ensure balance and continuity.”ALSO READ: Can Bangladesh bank on Mahmudullah in Test cricket?About the two newcomers, Minhajul said, “We think Hasan Mahmud and Yasir Ali Chowdhury have tremendous potential and they are very much part of our future plans. Yasir is from our high-performance squad, and he has done well in the BCL recently. We want to develop upon his potential.”Yasir has averaged 60.28 in five first-class matches in the last 12 months, while Mahmud has been picked based on his potential even though his recent form hasn’t been great: he has picked up only six wickets in three matches at an average of 40.83 in the last year.Meanwhile, Mushfiqur has returned after opting out of the Pakistan Tests because of security concerns. Mehidy and Taskin have been recalled after regaining full fitness following injury layoffs, and Mustafizur convinced the selectors of his ability in the long-form game with six wickets in Central Zone’s last Bangladesh Cricket League game.”We picked Taskin as we need a consistently quick bowler,” Minhajul said. “I believe his fitness problem during the BCL is now over.”

New Zealand piled on 364, before a familiar middle-order collapse left Thisara Perera waging a lone battle as Sri Lanka sank to a 115-run defeat

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jan-2019New Zealand 364 for 4 (Taylor 137, Nicholls 124*, Malinga 3-93) beat Sri Lanka 249 (Thisara Perera 80, Ferguson 4-40, Sodhi 3-40) by 115 runsThe third ODI betweeen New Zealand and Sri Lanka was just like the two that had gone before, only more so.

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Sri Lanka won the toss and had made three changes to their side, but despite their best efforts, a familiar sequence of events unfolded in Nelson. New Zealand lost early wickets but recovered emphatically, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls hitting fine hundreds, while Kane Williamson made an effortless half-century. Sri Lanka failed to take wickets through the middle overs again, which allowed New Zealand to float into the final 10 overs with 234 for 3 on the board, before plundering 130 further runs to finish at 364 for 4.Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls both hit centuries•Getty Images

The visitors’ reply then began gallantly, the openers hurtling to a half-century stand, and the 100 coming off just 86 balls, before a clutch of wickets fell, and the innings flatlined as the middle overs began. Niroshan Dickwella had produced the rocket-powered start, and Thisara Perera was on hand to tonk a valiant 80 off 63, but for the majority of their innings, Sri Lanka did not have the measure of the mammoth target. They fell 115 runs short, leaving 8.2 overs unused.New Zealand swept the series 3-0, perhaps saving their best batting effort for last. Sri Lanka, whose attack continues to ail, no matter which bowlers are playing or how many, are yet to win a match on tour.Taylor, for who had come into this match with five consecutive fifty-plus scores behind him, cracked 137 off 131 to raise New Zealand from 31 for 2, to a position of outright command in the match. He was involved in two century stands that formed the body of this New Zealand innings. With Williamson, he put on 116 off 130 balls, before Nicholls joined him for a partnership worth 154 off 120.He had begun with a little fortune, almost run out within minutes of arriving at the crease (he would have been on his way had Thisara hit the stumps), before nearly chopping the ball back onto his stumps in the next over. He was strong square of the wicket as usual, while Williamson prospered down the ground. Taylor’s first few boundaries came on the legside, as Sri Lanka continued to bowl into his pads, but he would later unfurl that punishing cut shot as well. He got to his 20th hundred off the 112th ball he faced, by which time the slog overs had arrived, and Taylor found himself in a position to surge. He took an especial liking to the bowling of Lasith Malinga, hoisting him for four sixes in the arc between long on and midwicket between the 41st and 45th overs. He was eventually out trying to hit Malinga for a fifth six, ending up only pulling him into the hands of deep square leg.Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls both hit centuries•Getty Images

Nicholls, meanwhile, had arrived in the 27th over and had the opportunity to get his bearings and build an innings, Taylor doing a lot of the legwork at the time. Once he was set, though, he became almost as comfortable as the senior partner. Like Taylor, he found plenty of boundaries on the legside, and took an especial liking to Nuwan Pradeep, hitting him for 41 runs off 16 balls. He reached his half century in the 41st over, and was unstoppable after Taylor’s dismissal, looting 47 off the 18 balls he faced in the last five overs. He thumped Malinga over deep square leg for six to bring up his hundred, and finished on an outstanding 124 not out off 80 balls – his maiden trip to triple figures in ODIs.Sri Lanka had hoped Dushmantha Chameera would help take wickets through the middle overs, but unable to find much movement from the pitch, he proved to be ineffective, with Lakshan Sandakan also proving largely modest through that period. The bowling effort was not helped though, by the fact that the two most experienced bowlers often missed their lengths at the death. Between them, Malinga and Pradeep gave away 170 runs off 114 balls.They did, however, produce another bright start with the bat – Dhananjaya de Silva opening alongside Dickwella, after regular opener Danushka Gunathilaka went off the field with a stiff back halfway through New Zealand’s innings. They raced to 66 at the end of the first eight overs before de Silva was trapped lbw by Tim Southee. It was at Dickwella’s demise for 46, however, that the innings hit a wall. Kusal Mendis was run out without facing a ball (not without mild controversy – the replays did not seem to definitively show that his bat had not crossed the crease), Dasun Shanaka was lbw to Ish Sodhi after missing a sweep, and Kusal Perera was caught behind – all this happening in relatively quick succession, which meant that Sri Lanka slipped from 107 for 1 to 143 for 5.Thisara then played himself gradually into the game in the company of Gunathilaka, who came out at No. 7 visibly hampered by his injury, but despite another fine display of hitting – Thisara crashing three sixes and seven fours – the requirement always seemed beyond him. He had been dropped twice, by Tim Seifert on 62 and Ross Taylor on 74, but was out to perhaps the catch of the series. Top edging a cut off Lockie Ferguson, Thisara probably would have cleared backward point had any other fielder been stationed there but Martin Guptill. Back-pedalling quickly from his position, Guptill leapt backwards like a high jumper and with one hand reeled in the ball that was dropping quickly behind him.With that wicket went Sri Lanka’s last glimmer of hope. Within four overs, the remaining four wickets had been taken – Ferguson taking two of those to finish with an analysis of 4 for 40, while Ish Sodhi took the other two and ended with 3 for 40.

The board is preparing for a net loss of US $25 million from the inaugural edition of the T20 Global League, an amount that accounts for more than half its current cash reserves

Firdose Moonda06-Oct-2017Cricket South Africa is preparing for a net loss of US $25 million (approx R342.58 million) from the inaugural edition of the T20 Global League, an amount that accounts for more than half its current cash reserves.In its 2016-17 integrated report, CSA reported a bank balance of $47.8 million (approx R655.44 million) at the end of April but the costs of running the tournament with reduced revenue and stadium upgrades of $25.5 million (approx R350 million) spread over three years, means the glamour competition will initially cost much more money than anticipated.While CSA had always predicted it would take at least three seasons before the T20 Global League turned a profit, much like the Big Bash League, the extent of the losses was alarming. Cricket Australia incurred similar losses over the first two years but offset that with revenue from the Champions League T20, a luxury that CSA don’t have. With the broadcast deal and sponsorship yet to be sewn up, there could be more bad news to come for South. Africa.Revenue from television rights and sponsorship has been reduced from what CSA hoped for, as acting CEO Thabang Moroe explained in Bloemfontein. “The numbers have changed, not as drastically as has been reported. Initially we were looking at a total net revenue of $32 million (approx R438.50 million) as far as broadcast and central sponsorship is concerned. At the moment it will be in its 20s.”Moroe expected the broadcast deal, which was due to be completed on Thursday but has still not been signed, to be worth between US $17 and 18 million dollars (approx R233.35 million and R247.09 million). At the same time, Moroe and his team are also seeking out a title sponsor and cutting costs on everything from the opening and closing ceremony to marketing, to cushion the blow.”We have cut down, but it’s not to wane the quality of the tournament. We are making sure our members don’t get hurt the most. As CSA, we have decided to absorb some of the losses that our members would have incurred, but we’re doing so because when we look at our numbers, we’re pretty confident that we can help them regain them in the following year,” Moroe said. “We as CSA and the team owners will still suffer losses. Hopefully, depending on how well we negotiate with all the broadcasters, the team owners will break even in year three. Our model is pretty watertight, it’s now just a matter of making sure that we deliver operationally.”Morne Morkel, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis at the inaugural player draft of the T20 Global League•T20 Global League

The team owners, of whom all but one are from overseas, were aware that losses were expected. Moroe said the “bigger teams,” referring to those owned by IPL franchises, for example will have to incur a loss of $1.5 million (approx R20.5 million). Despite that, Moroe, who has had meetings with the owners, was reassured they were all on board. “All owners are committed to staying in the league. The owners are happy to accept those losses for the first two years.”While that may buy CSA some time to make the T20 Global League financially viable, it does not decrease the pressure to produce a product that can be profitable. For that, a broadcast deal must be secured and Moroe understood the seriousness of that. “Obviously everything is tied to the broadcast deal,” he said. “When you go and see a sponsor the first thing they ask is, ‘Where is my brand going to be seen?”CSA has been in protracted negotiations with Africa’s biggest sports broadcaster, , for months and while all indications are that they will air the tournament, a sticking point is the price. Former CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat is believed to have turned down previous offers while also excluding CFO Naasei Appiah from meetings, but CSA has been forced to go back to their long-time television partners and will likely have to accept a lower deal.CSA President Chris Nenzani did not blame Lorgat for the current predicament, and said Lorgat’s failure to sign the broadcast deal was not the only reason he and CSA parted ways last week. Nenzani would not go into detail over why Lorgat’s relationship with the CSA board had become untenable but would only say the issues began in January and came to a head at a board meeting on May 13. Though Nenzani himself believed the relationship could be saved, the board did not.CSA is in the process of negotiating a payout with Lorgat, which is believed to be between $218,823 and $437,646 (approx 3 to 6 million rand), small change compared to the other losses.Ironically, the initial idea behind the creation of the T20 Global League was to enable CSA to become financially self-sufficient, so it would not have to rely on incoming tours from India, England or Australia to make money. Now, this summer’s visit by two of those teams, India and Australia, will bring in much-needed money to pump up the depleted reserves.*One US dollar = 13.71 Rand as on October 6, 2017

Allrounder Salma Khatun will miss Bangladesh Women’s tour of Ireland next month, where they will play two ODIs and two T20s

Mohammad Isam28-Aug-2016

Bangladesh Women’s squad

Sanjida Islam, Fahima Khatun, Ayasha Rahman, Jahanara Alam, Farzana Hoque, Nahida Akter, Lata Mondol, Panna Ghosh, Rumana Ahmed, Khadija Tul Kubra, Nigar Sultana (wk), Suraiya Azmin, Ritu Moni, Jannatul Ferdous

Allrounder Salma Khatun will miss Bangladesh Women’s tour of Ireland next month, where they will play two ODIs and two T20s. Salma injured her shoulder during training a couple of weeks ago and hasn’t sufficiently recovered.Apart from Salma, Sharmin Akhter and Shaila Sharmin have been dropped from the squad that played their last international assignment – the 2016 World T20 – with pace bowler Suraiya Azmin and allrounder Jannatul Ferdous being their replacements in the 14-member squad.They will play the T20s on September 5 and 6 while the two ODIs will be held on September 8 and 10. All four matches will be held at the Bready Cricket Club in Londonderry.Athar Ali Khan, the selector for women’s team and the tour manager, said that the team will miss the services of Salma but they have legspinners and a left-arm spinner to counter Ireland.”We will definitely miss the experience of Salma who is one of the leading players in the world,” Athar said. “She did join the camp but could not bowl and we thought it was in the best interest of the team that she was given time to recover as we have a long season ahead with the Asia Cup, World Cup qualifiers and hopefully the World Cup coming.”However, we still have a lot of variation in bowling, especially in the spin department. There are two legspinners (Fahima Khatun and Rumana Ahmed) and Nahida (Akter) is a wily left-arm spinner. Newcomer Jannatul Ferdous is a very exciting prospect who bowls offbreaks, can bat in the middle order and is a fine fielder. She has caught the eye.”Athar said that batting remains a worry but expects someone like Farzana to come good on tour. “The batting is a little bit of a worry as the openers Ayasha Rahman and Sanjida Islam have not been among the runs recently,” he said. “I am expecting Farzana Hoque who has been our best batter for a while to take the lead here and the others can bat around her.”We are a confident unit. Bangladesh is ranked above Ireland and our goal is to win the matches but the different conditions will be a challenge and we have to work really, really hard.”In the World T20 this year, Bangladesh lost all their group matches. Their last ODIs were in October 2015, when they lost both games to Pakistan. They have, so far, played two completed ODIs against Ireland, winning one. In the two teams’ T20I head-to-head, Bangladesh lead 2-1.

Graham Napier and James Porter bowled Essex into a winning position on the second day of the Championship match with Gloucestershire at Bristol

ECB/PA22-Jun-2015
ScorecardGraham Napier picked up five wickets in the day as Gloucestershire were made to follow on•Getty Images

Graham Napier and James Porter bowled Essex into a winning position on the second day of the Championship match with Gloucestershire at Bristol.The two seamers shared seven wickets as the hosts were bowled out for a paltry 116 in reply to 319, Napier finishing with 4 for 27 and Porter 3 for 30. Both struck again to reduce Gloucestershire to 10 for 2 following on before a battling half-century from Michael Klinger saw his side close on 126 for 3, still 77 behind.After rain had delayed the start of play by 50 minutes, with five overs lost, the home side began their response to Essex’s first day total. Porter produced a fine six-over spell of 2 for 20 from the Pavilion End with the new ball that saw the 22-year-old claim the wickets of Will Tavare and Klinger.That set the tone for a day in which the ball continually swung and nibbled about off the seam. By lunch Gloucestershire’s first innings was in tatters at 61 for 5, with Chris Dent, Gareth Roderick and Geraint Jones all dismissed.It was a similar story in the afternoon session as five more wickets tumbled for 55, Napier wrapping up the innings with three of them – all bowled – in the space of five balls. Benny Howell top scored with a meagre 29.The Essex seamers had given their Gloucestershire counterparts a lesson in consistent line and length. With the follow-on imposed, Napier and Porter set to work again. Dent fell lbw to a Napier inswinger without a run on the board and Tavare departed for four to a thin edge behind off Porter. At tea Gloucestershire were 36 for 2, with hopes of a recovery resting on Klinger.Roderick needed a fair amount of fortune to post 24, being dropped twice and escaping a run-out chance. With the total on 65 in the final session he flashed at a wide ball from Jesse Ryder and nicked a catch to wicketkeeper James Foster.Even Klinger needed some luck in the bowler-friendly conditions, which included some uneven bounce, but scrapped it out to reach his half-century off 97 balls, with seven fours.At last Gloucestershire managed to put a decent partnership together as Ian Cockbain contributed a solid 25 to an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 61.
Klinger ended the day 62 not out and Gloucestershire may well require a big hundred from the in-form Australian to get back into the game.

Graeme Swann has urged caution ahead of England’s final Test against India, warning that the hosts will be desperate for a victory in Nagpur that would tie the series

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2012Graeme Swann has urged caution ahead of England’s final Test against India, warning that the hosts will be desperate for a victory in Nagpur that would tie the series.Back-to-back wins in Mumbai and Kolkata have put England on the verge of their first series victory in India since 1984-85 and, while Swann expects to play a prominent role alongside Monty Panesar on another spin-friendly pitch, he recognises the danger of playing a team looking to salvage their eight-year unbeaten run at home.”It is tough, but sometimes it’s a good position to be in,” Swann said of India’s situation. “If there’s only one possible result you can get, you can go all out fighting. The last Test of a series, if you know the result hangs on it, is normally a very exciting one.”India have rung the changes ahead of the final Test, which starts on Thursday as they look for a response from their under-fire squad. Batsman Yuvraj Singh and seamer Zaheer Khan have been dropped, while spinner Harbhajan Singh misses out despite playing no role in the defeat in Kolkata.”I’m sure India will come out fighting because they have to win the game,” Swann said. “Equally so, I’m sure we’ll approach the game thinking attack is our best form of defence. I think that’s what has proved crucial in the last couple of games.”Swann and a number of his England colleagues have been in a similar position before, winning the final Test in Sydney in 2011 to claim a 3-1 Ashes victory in Australia, England’s first triumph Down Under in almost a quarter of a century.”Back in Australia, we didn’t get carried away before that Sydney game,” Swann said. “We spoke of how important it was to keep our feet on the ground. That’s all we’re doing here. We’re not taking anything for granted, we don’t sit down and pat ourselves on the back and say ‘Look how well we have played the last two games’. That’s a very dangerous place to get in.”On Thursday morning we’ll assess the pitch, play accordingly and hope to win this game, because we obviously want to get home for Christmas having won this series 3-1. Whatever the pitch is we’ve got to try and win the game, that’s all we ever try and do.”