Tag Futebol

Zimbabwe came within one hit of sealing their first-ever win in a T20I series of more than one match, but India ultimately prevailed to shade the third T20I by three runs

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy22-Jun-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsZimbabwe had never won a T20I series of more than one match. A chase of 139 presented them an opportunity to achieve this, and a nervy final over from Barinder Sran brought them to within one hit of victory. But Elton Chigumbura, with four needed off the last ball, could only manage enough power and elevation to hit a low, wide full-toss into extra-covers’ hands. India, never quite convincing, won by three runs and took the series 2-1.Until this match, Sran had impressed with his new-ball swing, but had never really come under pressure. Now, India were bowling second for the first time on the tour, and were defending 138. A number of Zimbabwe’s batsmen had got off to starts, but no one had carried on. They now needed 21 off the last over, with Timycen Maruma and Chigumbura at the crease, both batting on 12. Maruma had shaved six off the target with a massive leg-side clout off Jasprit Bumrah in the penultimate over.Now Sran sent down a length ball, and Maruma, clearing his front leg once again, clobbered it over the midwicket boundary. Then Sran brought square leg and fine leg into the circle, and, in looking to deny Maruma the scoop over the infield, slanted the ball too wide outside off stump. The pressure was firmly on, and a high full-toss followed, providing width for a slap to the cover boundary. No-ball, nine runs to get off five balls, free hit to come.It was at this point that Sran pulled his death-bowling skills together, sending down three successive wide yorkers, all there or thereabouts: dot, dot, single. Eight to get off two, and Chigumbura ran down the pitch, slogged, and streaked a lucky edge to the third man boundary.The situation was something like the first ODI of India’s tour to Zimbabwe last year; then it was Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowling to Chigumbura with six to get off the last ball. Chigumbura could only get a single, unable to get any elevation on a yorker despite batting on 103 at the time. Sran couldn’t quite nail his yorker, but his full-toss was low enough to deny Chigumbura and Zimbabwe.That India had 138 to defend was down to Kedar Jadhav, who scored 58 off 42 balls – his first half-century in T20Is – to lift a batting line-up that got into early trouble on a pitch with decidedly low bounce and inconsistent pace: some balls stopped, some skidded, and the batsmen came to realise that a stump-to-stump line was rather difficult to score against. When Jadhav walked in, India were 27 for 3, with Manish Pandey’s first-ball run-out adding to the early loss of both openers.Jadhav added 49 with Ambati Rayudu for the fourth wicket at exactly a run a ball. Both batsmen were kept quiet by the conditions and Zimbabwe’s use of them, before Rayudu ran down the pitch, got too far from Graeme Cremer’s legbreak, and holed out to long-on. Neville Madziva and Tendai Chatara followed that up with three quiet overs, conceding only 15, and Donald Tiripano profited from the pressure built by his seam-bowling comrades, MS Dhoni slogging across the line and inside-edging onto the stumps. In the process, a bail flew into Dhoni’s helmet and hit him close to his right eye; when India fielded, the backroom staff came on at regular intervals to administer eye drops.At 93 for 5 in the 17th over, India seemed to be losing their way a bit, but Jadhav took charge in the next over, jumping out to Chatara to hit his first ball for a clean, straight six, and then staying back to one just short of yorker length to carve it to the point boundary. Jadhav ended the over with an inside-edged flick onto his pad which ran away to the fine-leg boundary to bring up his half-century.Tiripano, mixing up his pace well, dismissed Jadhav in the 19th over, but Axar Patel carried the momentum forward into the last over, launching Madziva for six over long-off. It wasn’t the biggest total, but Zimbabwe would need to bat well to get 139 on this pitch.They did this, in spurts, always staying on course, but losing wickets with enough frequency to keep India in the game. Vusi Sibanda, who replaced Sikandar Raza in Zimbabwe’s XI, came in at No. 3 and gave them early impetus, hitting Dhawal Kulkarni for two straight fours either side of a slap to the cover boundary, all in the fourth over. By the end of the fifth, they were 38 for 1.Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and the spread-out post-Powerplay fields quietened Zimbabwe, and Hamilton Masakadza, who had moved to 15 off 20, was trapped lbw by Axar’s left-arm spin in the ninth over, trying to sweep a stump-to-stump ball. Kulkarni then had his revenge against Sibanda when he nipped one back to catch him falling over, and Zimbabwe, at 60 for 3 in the 11th over, had to start all over again.Yuzvendra Chahal eased the pressure with frequent long-hops. Sibanda had already pulled him for four; now Peter Moor clubbed him for sixes in the 12th and 14th overs, and followed up with another, lofting a flighted ball cleanly over extra-cover. But he fell in the same over, and with Bumrah and Axar coming back for three more tight overs, Zimbabwe were left needing 35 off the last three.Bumrah then pulled off a stunning, leaping catch at short third man to dismiss Malcolm Waller, whose uppercut off Kulkarni had looked destined to go for four, and Maruma and Chigumbura only managed three off that over. Maruma’s heaved six off Bumrah kept Zimbabwe in the game, just about, setting the stage for the tour’s dramatic conclusion.

Shakib Al Hasan and William Porterfield know that if their team loses this game, they can pretty much bid farewell to the quarter-finals, barring rare permutations of course

Sidharth Monga in Mirpur24-Feb-2011On the eve of the big Group B clash – even though it is between two low-ranked teams, neither captain wants to underestimate the other side. Both Shakib Al Hasan and William Porterfield know that if their team loses this game, they can pretty much bid farewell to the quarter-finals, barring rare permutations of course.Shakib said the game became more important for his side because they are expected to beat Ireland in home conditions. “This World Cup is a good chance for us to qualify for the second round, and if we have to qualify for the second round, we have to win this game,” he said. “This is a very important game for us. It is a must-win situation, because if we don’t it will be very difficult for us to qualify for the second round.”There has been talk that this is a grudge match for Bangladesh, having lost to Ireland in both the world events the sides have met in. Ireland won comprehensively in the 2007 World Cup and the 2009 World Twenty20. Shakib, though, chose not to focus on revenge but on how his side can make it to the next round.Shakib knows, though, that spin will be the way to win. “When they played at Mirpur in 2008, we beat them three games in a row,” Shakib said. “So we have the home advantage. I don’t think they like to play in these conditions. Hopefully we will come off good in tomorrow’s game.”They have been playing good cricket, so we are not taking them lightly. They have been playing together for a long time, so that’s a good sign for them. Some guys have been playing county cricket, so they will have the experience to deliver in this sort of pressure. So it won’t be easy for us.”The big challenge for Ireland is that they don’t have the surprise factor like they did in 2007. Teams will have analysed their strengths and weaknesses by now, which will make it that much more difficult for them to win regularly. “Now we have gained more exposure, we are playing more cricket,” Porterfield said. “We have kind of put ourselves on the map in world cricket. We have come on since 2007. There is not much about our side that other sides won’t know about. That itself brings extra pressure if you like. Definitely puts you in a different scenario, a different test. That’s what you want. To test yourself against the best in the world.”Perhaps for the first time, Ireland will also be playing in front of a full house, 25,000 people shouting at the top of their voices. “I think there’s a lot of people who will put them [Bangladesh] as favourites, and us as underdogs. That’s to be expected in a lot of cases with sides playing away from home. We are going to play in front of a full house tomorrow. That brings extra pressure in itself.”Porterfield said the team has become more equipped to play spin since their 3-0 loss to Bangladesh in 2008. “I think not many lads had much exposure to the subcontinent at that time,” he said. “We came out here, the conditions were pretty tough. We played those games in April, which was very hot, and the humidity was very tough. That’s something we weren’t quite expecting, and that took us slightly by surprise, in terms of how hard it was. Three years have passed. The experience we have gained since then is helpful. I think that we are lot better prepared this time.”

The Sri Lanka A openers hit half-centuries on the fourth day as the first unofficial Test against South Africa A ended in a tame draw in Pallekele

Cricinfo staff13-Aug-2010
ScorecardThe Sri Lanka A openers hit half-centuries on the fourth day as the first unofficial Test against South Africa A ended in a tame draw in Pallekele.Set an improbable target of 374, Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne made the most of the opportunity to get some batting practice. Thirimanne made 67 off 129 deliveries with seven fours while Karunaratne got 52 off 85 with five fours and a six. Offspinner Thandi Tshabalala had Karunaratne caught by Jonathan Vandiar for his only wicket of the match. Vandiar later bowled Thirimanne in his only over of the match. With Sri Lanka A on 175 for 2, the match was called off after 48 overs as bad light intervened. Dinesh Chandimal remained unbeaten on 39 off 61 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.The day had started with South Africa A carrying on from their overnight score of 187 for 2. Dean Elgar got to his century, making 105 off 214 deliveries with six fours, before being caught behind by Kaushal Silva off Janaka Gunaratne. Stiaan van Zyl fell to Sachithra Senanayake for 81 off 152, and Heino Kuhn made his second half-century of the match, hitting four sixes in his unbeaten 51 off only 21 deliveries. Kuhn’s frenzied hitting enabled South Africa to get 93 runs off 73 deliveries and they declared on 280 for 5 off 78.1 overs.However, the target of 374 was too steep to interest Sri Lanka A, who made no attempt to reach it. The second and last unofficial Test begins at the SSC in Colombo from August 16.

Danish Kaneria, who was arrested last month on suspicion of involvement in spot-fixing, is free to play for Essex and Pakistan this summer after the ECB confirmed his registration would not be suspended unless he is proven guilty

Cricinfo staff07-Jun-2010Danish Kaneria, who was arrested last month on suspicion of involvement in spot-fixing, is free to play for Essex and Pakistan this summer after the ECB confirmed his registration would not be suspended unless he is proven guilty.Kaneria and Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield were arrested “on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud” but had not been charged. There were newspaper reports suggesting the ECB had moved to suspend both players on the mistaken belief that they had been charged.Keneria has denied any role in spot-fixing and will be with Essex until the end of the month, when he will link-up with Pakistan, who are due to play two Tests against Australia and four against England this summer.With 254 wickets from 58 Tests, Kaneria is Pakistan’s senior spinner but his career was thrown into uncertainty when news broke of his alleged involvement in irregularities during a Pro40 game for Essex against Durham last September.

Auckland’s Craig Cachopa will lead the hosts New Zealand in the Under-19 World Cup that begins in January

Cricinfo staff20-Dec-2009Auckland’s Craig Cachopa will lead the hosts New Zealand in the Under-19 World Cup that begins in January. He was the captain of the Auckland side which finished second in the recent National Under-19 Championship. He was also a member of the youth squad that toured England in 2008.The 15-member squad for the tournament includes players who featured in the 2008 edition in Malaysia such as allrounders Corey Anderson and Harry Boam in addition to wicketkeeper Michael Bracewell, the nephew of former coach of the senior team John Bracewell. Anderson and Boam are in their second year in first-class cricket along with Doug Bracewell, cousin of Michael.”The Under-19 Cricket World Cup gives our younger players a wonderful opportunity to test their ability against the best of their peers in the international arena and to set the platform for successful first-class playing careers” the team’s coach Chris Kuggeleign said. “The team is well balanced, with half the team having already played for the New Zealand Under-19s and a number who impressed at the recent National Under-19 tournament.”New Zealand, who will be based in Christchurch for the group round of the tournament, will begin their campaign against Canada on January 16. The other teams in New Zealand’s pool are Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Prior to the competition, the hosts will take on Pakistan in a warm-up three-match series in Blenheim between January 3 and January 7.Squad: Craig Cachopa (Auckland – capt), Corey Anderson (Canterbury), Tom Blundell (Wellington), Harry Boam (Wellington), Doug Bracewell (Central Districts), Michael Bracewell (Otago – wk), Dane Cleaver (Central Districts), Jono Hickey (Northern Districts), Tim Johnston (Canterbury), Tom Latham (Canterbury), Jimmy Neesham (Auckland), Bevan Small (Central Districts), Mattie Thomas (Northern Districts), Logan van Beek (Canterbury), Ben Wheeler (Central Districts).

Perry’s 81 and Wareham’s three wickets weren’t enough for RCB

Hemant Brar21-Feb-2025Win the toss, field first, win the match. This has been the story of all seven games in WPL 2025 so far. Mumbai Indians (MI) were the latest benefactors of winning the toss as they beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by four wickets in the first game of the Bengaluru leg.Bowling first, MI restricted RCB to 167 for 7 despite a pristine 81 off 43 balls by Ellyse Perry. Then they had the joint-best powerplay of the season, cruising to 66 for 2. Harmanpreet Kaur’s half-century kept MI in a comfortable position until Georgia Wareham dismissed her and S Sajana off successive balls in the 18th over. Amanjot Kaur took over from there and, with 22 needed from 12 balls, hit Kanika Ahuja for two sixes. That brought it down to run-a-ball in the final over. Still, it came down to two needed from two balls before 16-year-old G Kamalini smashed Ekta Bisht through covers to seal the game.

Mandhana vs Ismail – a short story

Shabnim Ismail is the fastest bowler in women’s cricket and it showed immediately. Opening the bowling for MI, Ismail hurried Smriti Mandhana with a bouncer, the RCB captain’s mistimed pull falling short of mid-on. However, Mandhana took just one delivery to adjust to the pace and the bounce of the pitch. Two balls later, when Ismail hurled another short ball, Mandhana quickly got into the position and pulled it over square leg for four.It made Ismail switch to around the wicket. For the last ball of the over, she went short again, this time trying to cramp the batter. Mandhana unfurled another four with a pull.Smriti Mandhana takes on a short ball•BCCI

Nat Sciver-Brunt, who opened the bowling from the other end, does not have Ismail’s pace. That allowed Mandhana to use her feet and launch a straight six.In her next over, Ismail erred in her line, and Mandhana duly cut her to the point boundary twice in three balls. But Ismail had the last laugh. She went short again, angling the ball on this occasion. Mandhana must have been feeling invincible by then. She attempted another pull. But this one took the top edge and Yastika Bhatia settled under it behind the stumps.

Quick wickets leave RCB in trouble

Perry opened her account with a first-ball four, flicking a full delivery from Ismail over square leg. In the next over, she freed her arms and hit Sciver-Brunt over long-on. But MI pulled things back with three quick wickets. Danni Wyatt-Hodge miscued an upper cut against Sciver-Brunt to short third; Raghvi Bist hit Hayley Matthews into the hands of deep midwicket; and Ahuja chopped Sanskriti Gupta onto her stumps. After nine overs, RCB were 62 for 4.

Perry pristine

RCB did not hit a single boundary from overs six to nine. Perry ended the drought in the tenth when she dispatched Matthews for four. She found support from Richa Ghosh, who smashed a six in the same over. The pair combined to pocket five more fours in the next three overs. By the time Amanjot bowled Ghosh for 28 off 25, the partnership had reached 50 in 38 deliveries.Ellyse Perry top-scored for RCB with a pristine 81•BCCI

From there on, Perry carried RCB almost singlehandedly. She hit Amelia Kerr inside out over extra cover to bring her fifty off 30 balls. Two balls later, she jumped out of her crease to deposit Kerr over long-on. In the next over, Matthews paid the price for bowling too short as Perry picked up two more fours. Perry eventually fell to Amanjot on the penultimate ball of the innings but not before hitting the bowler for back-to-back fours.

Matthews, Sciver-Brunt give MI flying start

MI started their chase in an attacking manner, with Bhatia hitting Renuka Singh for two fours in the opening over. Even though Kim Garth trapped Bhatia for 8, there was no respite for RCB. Sciver-Brunt hit two fours off the first two balls she faced to keep the runs flowing. She took it a notch higher in Garth’s next over with three fours.Matthews joined with back-to-back fours off Wareham. Bisht, who came in for the sixth over was not spared either. Sciver-Brunt started with a hat-trick of fours and Matthews chipped in with one. The only solace for Bisht was that she had Matthews lbw with her last ball.

Harmanpreet takes over

Garth provided RCB with some relief when she castled Sciver-Brunt for 42 off 21 balls in the eighth over. Two overs later, Wareham bowled a maiden in which she also had Kerr slicing to backward point.Harmanpreet Kaur’s fifty put Mumbai Indians in a comfortable position•BCCI

Harmanpreet had had a slow start and was on 10 off ten balls after the tenth over. But she put the chase back on track with two fours off VJ Joshitha. MI needed 54 in the last six overs but Harmanpreet was well set by then. She hit Ahuja for successive fours, slog-swept Bisht into the stands, and picked up two more fours of Renuka to make MI firm favourites.

Amanjot’s twin sixes overpower Wareham’s twin strikes

With 24 required from three overs and Harmanpreet batting on 50 off 36, the match looked all but lost for RCB. But in an attempt to cut Wareham, Harmanpreet edged the ball to Ghosh. Sajana lasted just one ball, Wareham’s slider trapping her lbw. Moreover, MI could score only two off that over.It was anyone’s game at that point. But Amanjot, who had been playing second fiddle to Harmanpreet till then, stepped up. She was on 20 off 22 balls when her Punjab team-mate Ahuja started the 19th over. Amanjot went down the ground first ball and cleared long-on. Ahuja conceded only four in the next four balls but Amanjot cleared long-on once again on the final ball.Not only did MI require just six in the final over, but RCB’s slow over rate also meant there was one fielder fewer in the outfield. Bisht tried her best, darting the ball with the keeper standing back for the first two deliveries. But Kamalini kept her cool and took her side to victory with one ball to spare.

They are united in ambition as they attempt to ace one of cricket’s greatest challenges – a Test tour of Australia

Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2022Relationship-building has not been Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) top skill over the last three years. There have been miscommunications aplenty in the hiring of senior staff and the ghosting of former players, including former captain Faf du Plessis. But at least one bond seems to be strong as they enter a new era.Test captain Dean Elgar and interim coach Malibongwe Maketa have sung each other’s praises ahead of South Africa’s three-Test series in Australia, citing similarities in their approach as they embark on one of cricket’s toughest tours.Related

• Will South Africa follow England's Test template? Not quite, says van der Dussen

• 'Back six batters' – Graeme Smith wants South Africa to have an 'aggressive mindset' in Australia

• Kagiso Rabada hopes for Test turnaround in Australia after 'disappointing' T20 World Cup

• 'We enjoy confrontation as a group' – Elgar's South Africa brace for 'feisty' tour of Australia

• Malibongwe Maketa named South Africa interim head coach

“Our relationship is strong and is based on hard work, so we’re similar in what we’re looking for in terms of the team and the performance,” Maketa said in his first media engagement since being appointed in the role. “I’m here to support Dean in every way, to make sure that he not only gets what he wants but that he gets the guys onside in terms of performances.”Elgar has used similar terminology to describe how he sees Maketa’s tenure. On departure to Australia last week, Elgar said Maketa “understands his role, which is going to be a supportive role,” and that Maketa “understands me as a cricketer, as a person and as a leader.”Elgar also revealed how he approached CSA Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe and asked for Maketa to be considered for the post of head coach following Mark Boucher’s departure to Mumbai Indians earlier this year. Now, the pair are putting on a united front as they attempt to defeat Australia.Both Elgar and Maketa have first-hand knowledge of how tense things can get against Australia “on and off the field”. Elgar through Dossiergate in 2012, Mintgate in 2016 and Sandpapergate in 2018, where Maketa was South Africa’s assistant coach. They both described the last of those sagas as “unfortunate” but not defining, albeit that for Australia, ball-tampering remains much talked about and has dominated the pre-series narrative.The South Africa contingent was seen in good spirits ahead of their Test series against Australia•Getty Images

Like Elgar, who told reporters on arrival that he holds “no animosity towards the players involved or CA,” Maketa also played down the impact Sandpapergate would have on the South African side of 2022.”I know it changed people’s careers, but for us, on the other side of the spectrum, it was an unfortunate incident. And, where we are now, it’s way back,” he said. “We’re just looking forward to this opportunity to be here and to compete against a strong team.”For South Africa, this series is crucial to their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final. They are currently second on the points table and have five Tests left to play. For Maketa, this series could also be crucial to his chances of taking over the Test team permanently.ESPNcricinfo understands that he intends to apply for the job and that CSA will split the role between red and white-ball coaches. A strong showing in Australia could make Maketa impossible to ignore.He promised to maintain a brand of “brave” cricket, and has been challenging the players in training. “The guys are not liking me at the moment in the sense that we’ve had some really hard sessions,” he said. “I’m more relaxed when the game starts. I’ll be comfortable that we’ve done all the work and everything else is down to the players.”As a coaching staff, I encourage us not to get in the way of the players, but to trust the work that they’ve done and make sure the environment is conducive for them to perform.”That clear separation of powers between coaching staff and players and the outlining of roles and responsibilities is something Elgar has always advocated as the team tried to block out the administrative upheaval of the last three years. Results have been mixed but Elgar anticipates they will start to curve upwards as the new set-up settles in and cricket can take centre-stage.”For the first time in a couple of years, it’s at its most stable,” Elgar said. “We’ve had a lot of changes with regard to administrators in CSA. As players, those things can’t hinder us from performing. We’ve almost gotten used to those kinds of bad headlines. For now, it’s stabilising quite nicely.”We’ve got a new CEO, we’ve had a new board come in and make good cricketing decisions, and we have a new director of cricket who’s really focusing hard on our Proteas brand. We need to do what we can do to try and get results on the board. That’s our currency as players.”

Michael Bracewell and Ish Sodhi set the tone for New Zealand to register their first points in the tri-series

Mohammad Isam09-Oct-2022
New Zealand opened their account in the tri-series with an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in Christchurch. Their spinners Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell turned the screws in the middle overs before Devon Conway and the captain Kane Williamson put on a match-winning 85-run stand for the second wicket.Conway was undefeated on 70 off 51 balls when New Zealand strolled home in the 18th over, with Glenn Phillips finishing things off with consecutive sixes. The winning shot, hit over long-on, struck a fan sitting on the grass bank in front of the Hadlee Stand, prompting Phillips to run over to check up on her. New Zealand Cricket later said of the incident: “The young girl was struck by the ball just above the eye. She is lucid and has been assessed by doctors at the ground. She will now go to hospital for further checks.”Sodhi, the legspinner, and Bracewell, the part-time offie, had set the tone for the win after New Zealand elected to bowl first, putting the brakes on Bangladesh and claiming four wickets between them. Sodhi became only the third bowler from New Zealand – behind Tim Southee and Sophie Devine – to 100 T20I wickets along the way, and Trent Boult (2 for 25) too, was at his miserly best.Adam Milne’s fitness will be of concern to New Zealand, with the pacer bowling only two overs before going off with an abdominal muscle niggle; he was playing his first competitive match since March this year due to an Achilles tendon strain. They have already lost Lockie Ferguson and Daryl Mitchell to injury this series, two weeks out from the T20 World Cup.Trial by spin for Bangladesh
Bangladesh perhaps left even New Zealand surprised when they succumbed to spin after a decent start against pace. Bracewell broke up a half-century stand with his third ball, and the visitors slipped from the comfort of 53 for 1 to 78 for 5 in the space of six overs.Bracewell had Litton Das caught and bowled for 15, deceiving him with a subtle change of pace, before Najmul Hossain Shanto holed out to long-off off Sodhi to give him wicket No. 100. Shanto had showed a bit of fight with 33 in his first outing since August; his selection had sparked widespread criticism back home in the last few weeks.Sodhi and Bracewell then got rid of Mosaddek Hossain and Yasir Ali cheaply, as Bangladesh’s good start gave away to a middle-order collapse. The spin duo finished with 4 for 45 from their combined eight overs.Hosts clumsy in the field
The home side however had a sloppy evening in the field. They missed a spate of clear – and mostly simple – chances, some of them drawing smiles from the fielders.First, Bracewell missed a catch at cover against Mehidy Hasan Miraz, having had sighting issues due to the setting sun. In the next over, James Neesham dropped Litton’s soft push towards cover-point, before substitute fielder Martin Guptill missed the stumps at the striker’s end with Litton and Shanto involved in a mix-up.Later, Milne dropped Afif Hossain on eight, another sitter at the deep-fine boundary. There was also a chance against Nurul Hasan in the final over when Conway got his gloves in the way of what could’ve been a direct hit and failed to collect the ball with the batter short of his ground. Nurul would go on to hit another boundary, his unbeaten 25 off 12 lifting Bangladesh to a respectable 137 for 8.Conway drives the chase
Bangladesh removed Finn Allen in the fourth over when the opener hit a pull shot straight down Shanto’s throat at deep square leg.Conway however didn’t allow the Bangladesh bowlers to take charge, hitting timely boundaries, while Williamson rotated the strike at the other end. Conway especially went about attacking Shakib Al Hasan – back in the side after visa issues kept him out of the first game – in his first two overs, which went for 18. Given the small target, the second-wicket pair could afford to play out balls when needed, before Conway inevitably found the boundary. He struck two consecutive fours off Taskin Ahmed in the 13th over, leaving New Zealand needing just a touch above a run a ball from there. Williamson and Conway hit one more four each in the following two overs, so that when the captain was out chipping Taskin to mid-on, they needed just 29 runs from 30.That wicket had come all too late for Bangladesh, who remain without a point after two outings in the tri-series, the only team winless after two games each for all three sides.

The pair added 99 off 203 balls in an unbroken stand after the visitors were reduced to 161 for 6

Ashish Pant19-May-2022Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella dug deep with the Chattogram surface staying true to its nature of being a batting paradise as the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ended in a draw. Things, however, could have been different if not for the pair’s dogged 99-run stand for the seventh wicket on the final day.Having started the morning on a brisk note, Sri Lanka lost two wickets each on either side of the lunch interval to stumble to 161 for 6. At that stage, their lead was only 93. But both Chandimal and Dickwella showed grit and determination and kept the Bangladesh bowlers at bay for 203 deliveries to eke out a draw. Dickwella, more adventurous with his shot-making, brought up his 20th Test half-century and finished with an unbeaten 61 off 96 balls. Chandimal, on the other hand, was more measured during his 135-ball 39 not out. The two teams shook hands as soon as the Test entered the final hour, with Sri Lanka on 260 for 6, leading by 192.Related

• Dhananjaya de Silva says Sri Lanka knew Chattogram Test would end in a draw from the first day

• Shoriful ruled out of Test series, likely to miss first West Indies Test as well

The Bangladesh bowlers, particularly Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan, stuck to their lines but were unable to break the seventh-wicket stand. Taijul was the pick of the bowlers, returning 4 for 82.Sri Lanka resumed the day on 39 for 2, still trailing by 29, but it took them only 24 balls in the first session to wipe off that margin with Kusal Mendis taking the attack to Bangladesh. He was the aggressor while Dimuth Karunaratne focused mainly on rotating the strike.Kusal started the day by clattering Taijul for two fours in the first over before slamming Khaled Ahmed for a hat-trick of fours on either side of the wicket as Sri Lanka scored 59 runs in the first nine overs of the first session. It did not help that Bangladesh were a bowler short with Shoriful Islam ruled out of the series after fracturing his right hand, courtesy a Kasun Rajitha bouncer late on the fourth day.Shakib and Taijul then restored some parity, with the latter striking twice. He first removed Kusal, for a 43-ball 48, with a delivery that pitched on the middle stump before spinning away to hit the off bail. Then he sent back Angelo Mathews for a duck with a stunning return catch. Having not opened his account despite facing 14 balls, Mathews was visibly frustrated and tried to go over the bowler’s head. But Taijul got both hands to it and completed the catch.At lunch, Sri Lanka were ahead by 60. After the break, they collected 14 runs from the first two overs. Karunaratne reached his 28th half-century with a thick outside edge off Shakib. However, his joy was short-lived as he fell soon after to Taijul. Taking the aggressive route, Karunaratne skipped down the track but his mistimed flick could only travel as far as Mominul Haque at midwicket, who completed the catch diving to his right.Dhananjaya de Silva continued playing his shots and he did succeed to an extent, reaching 33, before pulling a rank long hop from Shakib straight to Mushfiqur Rahim at midwicket. Shakib could have had another wicket the very next ball but Dickwella’s sweep just evaded a leaping Taijul at backward square leg.Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel at that stage but Chandimal and Dickwella dug in to rescue the visitors.Mathews, who scored 199 in Sri Lanka’s first innings, was named Player of the Match.

He is the favourite to join Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje in the Test squad to face India in December

Firdose Moonda29-Nov-2021Duanne Olivier has made himself available for an international comeback but is not allowing himself to think too far ahead. Olivier, who returned to South African cricket following the end of the Kolpak system earlier this year, is the leading wicket-taker in the domestic first-class competition and has had contact from the national selectors but wants to focus on the Lions, who are the top of the points table.”I am open to everything but I am trying to think of the present and not the future at the moment. Victor Mpitsang (convener of selectors) phoned me and asked me if I was open to playing for South Africa again and I said of course I am. It’s up to the selectors if they want to include me,” Olivier told ESPNcricinfo.Olivier’s eight wickets in their match against the Knights included his second five-for of the season and second in successive matches as he bowled the Lions to a big win after a brave declaration. After knocking the Knights out for 124, the Lions declared on 193 for 3, 69 runs ahead and then dismissed the Knights for 103, leaving themselves a small target of 35 to win. “There was loads of rain around in this match and we thought it was going to be quite difficult to get a result. We made a risky declaration and luckily it paid off,” Olivier said.The Lions, led by Olivier, are the only team to have dismissed all their opposition twice so far, taking 80 wickets from four matches. Although he credited the whole attack for their efforts, he also indicated his time in the county circuit had made him a more skilful seamer. Specifically, Olivier has adjusted his length in order to challenge batters more. “I am bowling a bit fuller here in South Africa, which is something I worked on in the UK. At the Wanderers, you can easily bowl a touch shorter, that normal South African length but that may not be that effective and I really believe you should make the new ball count,” he said. “It’s a bit of a risk and reward playoff. If you bowl a bit fuller you might get hit for a few boundaries but you’re testing the batter’s technique. You’re not just allowing him to leave and get himself in.”Olivier has also had the opportunity to perfect the fuller length on his new home ground, the Wanderers, where, if all goes well, India will play the first of their three Tests from mid-December. With Lungi Ngidi severely lacking match practice after missing the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka for personal reasons, not playing during the T20 World Cup and contracting Covid-19 ahead of the matches against the Netherlands, Olivier is the favourite to join Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje in the Test squad.But at the moment, he is not setting his sights that far. “For now, I am enjoying being back, enjoying the warmer weather and playing cricket in South Africa again. The quality and standard of the cricket has been very good and it’s nice to be back.”

In other results

The Warriors beat Western Province inside two days to remain in second place on the points table and leave the Cape Town based side winless after four matches. Matthew Breetzke scored a century and Rudi Second 76 as Warriors totalled 366. Then, they bowled Western Province out for 79 to force the follow-on and bowled them out again for 173. Left-arm spinner Tsepo Ndwandwa finished with 5 for 46.

With the third day lost to rain in Potchefstroom, the Dolphins and North West played out a draw. Honours were shared between several players. Marques Ackerman scored 123 and Delano Potgieter took 5 for 85 in the first innings, which the Dolphins declared closed on 400 for 9. In response, North West had a second-wicket stand of 169 with Lesego Senokwane scoring 91 and Shaylen Pillay an unbeaten 156. They were 313 for 2 when no further play was possible. The big runs allowed North West to sneak above Western Province on the table, with a 0.78 point advantage.

An exciting clash between Boland and the Titans was also curtailed early, with no play on the fourth day. The Titans were well placed after captain Neil Brand’s 111 helped them to 308 in their first innings and he was unbeaten on 32 as they reached 96 for 3 in their second. That gave them a 170-run lead after they bowled Boland out for 234 with Isma-eel Gafieldien top-scoring with 97. Simon Harmer and Ayabulela Gqamane claimed three wickets each. The match also marked a return for allrounder Chris Morris to the domestic set up. He played his first red-ball match for the Titans since October 2019, scored 36 in the first innings and bowled 17 overs with a return of 0 for 40.