Madsen defiant as Chanderpaul fails

Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen made a defiant half-century but late wickets put Sussex in charge after Shivnarine Chanderpaul went cheaply on his 300th first-class appearance.

15-May-2013
ScorecardWayne Madsen made a valuable half-century•Getty Images

Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen made a defiant half-century but late wickets put Sussex in charge after Shivnarine Chanderpaul went cheaply on his 300th first-class appearance.Chanderpaul struggled for 87 minutes for 20 before he fell to Australian paceman Steve Magoffin, who took 2 for 37, and with Madsen falling for 63 just before stumps, Derbyshire were 158 for 6 at the end of a day when 40 overs were lost to the weather.After so much rain overnight and during the morning, it was no surprise when Sussex captain Ed Joyce put Derbyshire in on a green pitch after Madsen lost the toss for the sixth time this season. There was bad news for the home side before a ball had been bowled, with key batsman Wes Durston ruled out with a back injury, while Magoffin returned to the Sussex side after missing the previous game with a sore knee.The overcast conditions and the appearance of the pitch suggested it was a good toss to win but Sussex tended to bowl too short against a team that had lost three of their previous four Championship matches and were bottom of Division One.Billy Godleman twice drove Anyon straight and through the covers for four and Chesney Hughes hooked him over square leg and into a communal garden but both openers also left the ball well until Hughes tried to drive Magoffin and edged high to third slip, where Joyce took a sharp catch above his head.Madsen joined Godleman and they took the total to 71 before Godleman lost patience and chased a wide ball from Chris Jordan and Luke Wells at second slip made no mistake.With Durston missing, even more rested on Chanderpaul who joined Madsen to take Derbyshire to 94 for 2 at tea but it was hard work against an attack which had found a more consistent line. After a brief stoppage for rain, Anyon had a loud appeal for a catch behind against Chanderpaul turned down and he star also played and missed several times at Magoffin.But it was Magoffin who got the wicket Sussex most wanted when Chanderpaul drove tamely to substitute fielder Andy Miller at short extra-cover.Dan Redfern took a painful blow in the box from Anyon and two balls later he was lbw playing across the line to leave his team in trouble on 128 for 4. It was important for Derbyshire that Madsen remained but he got a vicious lifter from Jordan and was caught behind after 196 minutes at the crease. Monty Panesar then trapped nightwatchman Ally Evans lbw with what was the last ball of a day that had swung Sussex’s way.

Tendulkar scores his 100th international century

Sachin Tendulkar has scored his 100th international century, in India’s Asia Cup ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur

Siddarth Ravindran at the Shere Bangla Stadium16-Mar-2012Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to make a 100 international centuries, getting to the milestone against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla stadium in Mirpur at 5:05pm local time on March 16, 2012. It ended a year-long wait for one of the most discussed landmarks in cricket history, and was his first ODI hundred against Bangladesh, completing his set of centuries against every Full Member country in both Tests and ODIs.He reached the 100th hundred in the 44th over with a nudge behind square leg, one of his favoured strokes to reach a century. Despite the huge amount of hype surrounding the landmark, which has shown little sign of abating during the prolonged wait, there was no over-the-top celebration. The helmet came off and there was a wave of the bat, he looked up at the sky, as he usually does on reaching a hundred, and he acknowledged his team-mates by raising his helmet towards the dressing room. Several of the Bangladesh fielders congratulated him, even as the decibel-level in the packed stadium reached new highs.It was not one of Tendulkar’s most swashbuckling innings, more about efficient accumulation early on, before slowing down further as he neared the century, finally completing it off 138 deliveries. Tendulkar’s achievement might have come against one of the weaker teams and in the league game of a low-key competition, but he still had to brave a raucous and partisan crowd. Once he reached the eighties, every dot ball he faced was loudly cheered. The Bangladeshi chant expressing displeasure, Bhua bhua, also rang out from sections of the stadium as he batted.The stadium had been less than half-full when the match started, but as Tendulkar’s innings progressed, more and more people came in and by the time he completed his hundred there weren’t too many empty seats. There were frantic phone calls from reporters in the press box, back to their bosses, discussing long-ready tribute packages and whether the innings should replace the national budget as the front-page lead.Unusually cautious play from Tendulkar suggested the weight of the coming milestone was affecting him. The holiday crowd, excited at the prospect of a terrific “I was there” anecdote to boast about, was egged on further by an enthusiastic DJ. He belted out several local hits, and that familiar background sound at the cricket these days, the bugle, ensured the stadium was a cauldron of noise.The Mexican wave made its way around the ground, and the bouncing fans were rarely more thrilled than in the 34th over, a maiden by Mashrafe Mortaza. First, Tendulkar had to scramble back after attempting a single to mid-off, then a solid push towards mid-on went straight to the fielder before a slash landed just short of backward point. Sensing the batsman’s discomfort, and possible nervousness, the crowd amplified the pressure with loud roars of approval after every delivery. He was nearly run out soon after, trying to pinch a single to backward point.A lofted drive over extra cover in the 40th over and several singles took him to 99, which was when the crowd began to support Tendulkar, standing up and cheering in anticipation. Though India were past 200 with only two wickets down, Bangladesh tried to stifle Tendulkar by keeping seven fielders in the circle. The single to square leg finally brought up another mark of the longevity of the man who already has the most runs and has played the most matches in Tests and ODIs.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Warriors and Cobras earn semi-final edge

The Warriors and the Cobras have the advantage after the first leg of the Pro20 semi-finals after both teams won their matches on their home grounds

Firdose Moonda28-Feb-2011The Warriors and the Cobras have the advantage after the first leg of the Pro20 semi-finals after both teams won their matches on their home grounds.In Port Elizabeth, the Warriors restricted the Dolphins to 128 for 5. Rusty Theron and Makhaya Ntini strangled the Dolphins top order, allowing only 18 runs to be scored in the first five overs and with that control from them came frustration for the opposition.Loots Bosman, Devon Conway and David Miller all fell to Ntini as the Dolphins were reduced to 29 for 3 in the Powerplay. Vaughn van Jaarsveld and Ahmed Amla shared a 63-run fourth wicket stand to keep their team above water. Both scored at more than a run a ball, with Amla hanging around to bring up a half century. Justin Kreusch and Nicky Boje kept a stranglehold during the middle overs to ensure that the Dolphins only posted an average score.Yasir Arafat gave the visitors an early wicket when he had Ashwell Prince trapped lbw for 5, but he went on to bowl costly overs to concede 41 runs in 23 balls. Although the Dolphins attack, and Jon Kent in particular, kept making dents in the Warriors batting, they needed a little more to defend. Davy Jacobs made 27, Mark Boucher hit 20 and 22 off eight balls from Craig Thyssen saw the Warriors canter to victory with more than over to spare.The Cobras also had a relatively uneventful chase against the Titans on Sunday, after bowling first and keeping the Titans to 141 for 6. The Titans innings was not a disaster by any description but not one of their batsmen managed anything more than a start. Jacques Rudolph and Henry Davids with 20 and 24 respectively laid a good platform but it was only built on slightly. Albie Morkel’s 25 off 18 balls added some impetus at the end. Michael Rippon was the only Cobras bowler who conceded less than six runs and over.Richard Levi and Herschelle Gibbs virtually ended the contest with the first-wicket stand of 72 in seven overs. Half the job was done with plenty of time left. Levi fell to Davids but Owais Shah joined Gibbs with an attitude of equal intent. Roelof van der Merwe was the bowler to suffer as his three overs cost 40. When Gibbs departed, Justin Ontong finished the job with Shah.The second legs will be played next week in Durban and Centurion.Bowler of the week: He is rolling back the years with each game, getting better and better as the competition goes on and earns this award for the second week in succession. Makhaya Ntini tore through the Dolphins top order and helped set up the victory for the Warriors.Batsman of the week: Also a blast from the past, Herschelle Gibbs had yet to produce an innings of authority in this season’s campaign but he did it at the right time. His 54 off 42 balls was well paced and as he performed the role of both anchor and the aggressor for his team.

Brett Lee aims for full fitness during IPL

Brett Lee is gearing up for the IPL which starts on March 12 and regards the tournament as the first step towards making the Australian team for the World Twenty20 and the ODI World Cup in 2011

Cricinfo staff02-Mar-2010Brett Lee, who retired from Test cricket last month, is gearing up for the IPL which starts on March 12 and regards the tournament as the first step towards making the Australian team for the World Twenty20 and the ODI World Cup in 2011. Lee had missed the entire Australian summer due to an elbow injury, but is confident of returning to full fitness during the course of the IPL.”I’ve been working very, very closely with Patrick Farhart — he’s been my physio for 16 years — and he’s happy with the way it’s progressing,” Lee, who has been named in Australia’s 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20, told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I’m looking to be up to full pace within a couple of weeks.”Lee added his retirement from Tests had not diluted his ambitions, for he had much to achieve in the limited-overs format. “It was . . . a lifestyle choice through having a young son. I don’t want to be away 11 months of the year,” Lee said, speaking from Dubai at the opening of a training centre for the Kings XI Punjab franchise. “There are many things I want to achieve in the shorter form of the game. One, the Twenty20 World cup for Australia; and two, the 50-over World Cup for Australia in India. I want to be a part of that.”Lee played four matches in the IPL’s inaugural edition, taking four wickets at 28 and followed that up with five wickets in five matches the next year, at 22.20. He was more successful in the Champions League Twenty20. His all-round effort in the final against Trinidad and Tobago won New South Wales the competition, and he was also named Player of the Tournament. The experience of recovering well from injury and succeeding at the highest level, Lee said, was reason to be confident of a strong comeback in the IPL.”Just like anything, experience [matters],” Lee said. “Unfortunately or fortunately — whichever way you look at it — I’ve had a few operations now so I really know what you’ve got to do after it. If it was the first one then I’d be a little bit nervous but I’ve been through it before so I know what I have to do. It doesn’t make it [physically] any easier but it just makes the mental side of things a little bit more relaxed.”In the event of a failure to return to his desired level of fitness during the IPL, Lee said he would opt out of the World Twenty20 but added the possibility was unlikely. “You’ve got to be bowling well and bowling fast. If I can’t get back and bowl the way I want to, whether it’s through [bowling with] pace or through pain, I won’t play. But I don’t think that will be the case, I’m confident my body will stand up to it,” he said.”I’ve got nothing to prove, I’m no out there to prove that I’m bigger and better than ever. I’m just going to keep trying to bowl quick and if I can do the business on the field and still enjoy my cricket that will make me very proud.”

SRH look to do their bit for top-two finish against weakened Punjab Kings

Jitesh Sharma will lead PBKS, who have only two overseas players available

Hemant Brar18-May-2024

Match details

Sunrisers Hyderabad (third) vs Punjab Kings (ninth)
Hyderabad, 1530 IST (1000 GMT)

Big picture – SRH, rusty or rejuvenated?

A washout in their last game against Gujarat Titans means SRH are no longer in control of their fate. Even if they win against PBKS on Sunday afternoon, a top-two finish is not guaranteed. For that to happen, Rajasthan Royals will have to lose against Kolkata Knight Riders later in the day.Before the GT game, SRH’s previous outing was on May 8, against Lucknow Super Giants, when they chased down 166 inside ten overs. That means they will be in action after a gap of ten days. It needs to be seen if they will be rusty or rejuvenated.PBKS were ruled out of the playoffs race long back, and most of their overseas players have returned home for various reasons. Kagiso Rabada left with an infection in his lower limb; Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow and Sikandar Raza for national duties; Chris Woakes for family reasons.Jitesh Sharma, who will lead the side on Sunday, has only two overseas players available: Rilee Rossouw and Nathan Ellis. With nothing to lose, this opens up an opportunity for domestic players to make an impression.

Form guide

Sunrisers Hyderabad WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Punjab Kings WLLWW

Previous meeting

When these two sides met earlier in the season, SRH found themselves on 39 for 3 inside the powerplay after being sent in. But Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 64 off 37 balls lifted them to 182 for 9. In response, PBKS also suffered a collapse before Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma revived them. Eventually, they fell short by two runs.

Team news and impact player strategy

Sunrisers HyderabadWill SRH bring back Aiden Markram for Sri Lankan legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth? Without Markram, the batting looks a bit thin but Viyaskanth impressed with figures of 4-0-27-0 against LSG. Another option is to draft in either Mayank Agarwal or Rahul Tripathi for allrounder Sanvir Singh.Abhishek Sharma could be their Impact Player if they bowl first and T Natarajan if they bat.Probable XII 1 Travis Head, 2 , 3 Mayank Agarwal/Rahul Tripathi, 4 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, 12 Punjab KingsIn the absence of Curran and Bairstow, Rishi Dhawan and Atharva Taide could get a chance. Prabhsimran Singh and Arshdeep Singh are likely to be their Impact Player options.Probable XII 1 , 2 Atharva Taide, 3 Rilee Rossouw, 4 Shashank Singh, 5 Jitesh Sharma (capt, wk), 6 Ashutosh Sharma, 7 Rishi Dhawan, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Rahul Chahar, 12

In the spotlight – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel

Bhuvneshwar Kumar started IPL 2024 with figures of 0 for 51 and 0 for 53. A few games later, he had 0 for 60 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But after just four wickets in the first eight games, he has picked up seven in the last four. As usual, he has been at his best in the powerplay – ten of his 11 wickets have come in this phase, the most for any bowler this season.Harshal Patel has turned it around after a poor start to the season•BCCI

Harshal Patel, too, did not have a great start to the season. He went for 44 or more in each of his first four games. But after that, he turned it around and is currently the leading wicket-taker of the season with 22 scalps. His economy has also come down to 9.51. With Rabada and Curran unavailable, he will have to shoulder extra responsibility if PBKS are to end on a positive note.

Stats that matter

  • Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Prabhsimran three times in 11 balls while conceding only 15 runs.
  • Rossouw has scored only five runs in ten balls (no dismissal) against Bhuvneshwar and 14 runs in 12 balls (one dismissal) against Pat Cummins.
  • Abhishek has hit Arshdeep for 34 runs off 23 balls without getting out even once.
  • Harshal has dismissed Heinrich Klaasen three times in 30 balls while giving away only 38 runs.
  • Reddy has enjoyed batting against Harpreet Brar: 38 runs in 16 balls, no dismissal.

Pitch and conditions

Hyderabad has been a high-scoring venue this IPL, with an average first-innings score of 203. Only the Arun Jaitely Satdium (10.69) has seen a higher run rate than Hyderabad’s 9.94. However, the weather could play spoilsport once again as there is a 30% chance of rain.

Quotes

“I am someone who is never happy [with his performance] but I love it when the team wins. I agree I have been a bit up and down but my intent was very good, my intention was very good. I think I had good learnings this year and because now I have seen this phase, it’s better for me in future.”

PCB's talks with Mickey Arthur to coach Pakistan fall through

The Pakistan board is still searching for a coach to take over from Saqlain Mushtaq

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2023Mickey Arthur will not be returning to Pakistan cricket, after talks with the PCB failed to find a way to make any arrangement work. The PCB had been in discussions with Arthur for a new stint as head coach over the last few weeks. But the PCB announced on Tuesday that Arthur’s long-term contract with Derbyshire meant he couldn’t take the head coach role right away. Both sides had conversations over a looser, consultancy role but the PCB said that proved “difficult to materialise for various reasons on both sides.”The PCB said they would continue their search for a coach to replace the incumbent Saqlain Mushtaq, whose contract runs out at the end of February. Saqlain has been coach of the side since September 2021 and has seen Pakistan reach the semi-finals and then final of two successive T20 World Cups. But a poor home season, especially in Tests, has increased scrutiny on his impact. With a new board regime in charge under Najam Sethi and keen to stamp their authority on the team, Saqlain’s time is effectively up.An Arthur return would’ve been a popular one, at least within the team where a number of current players blossomed during his first stint from 2016 to 2019. It was Arthur’s faith in and work with current captain Babar Azam that proved instrumental in his subsequent rise. A number of other key players, including Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed all flourished during Arthur’s tenure. Under his charge Pakistan won the 2017 Champions Trophy and also reached the No. 1 position on ICC’s T20I rankings; in the first Test series he took charge in, Pakistan became the top-ranked Test side as well (though much of the work to that rise had occurred before he took over).But he was replaced by Misbah-ul-Haq, who had been captain under Arthur’s coaching, after Pakistan’s fifth-place finish at the 2019 ODI World Cup. They narrowly failed to make the semi-finals, despite a stirring turnaround after a heavy early loss.On December 27, ESPNcricinfo reported that Sethi, in effect the head of the current administration was in talks with Arthur over returning to his previous job. Arthur was previously coach during Sethi’s previous stint. Both sides, it is believed, tried hard to find a way through especially with a consultancy role, with a schedule drawn out as to how such a role might work around Arthur’s four-year deal with Derbyshire.The PCB said that “some top names are in consideration” as they continue their search.

Chris Benjamin's 37* seals Phoenix win after Moeen Ali, Will Smeed contributions

Hosts join Hundred front runners with six-wicket victory over Invincibles in Edgbaston run-fest

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2021Birmingham Phoenix jumped right among the Hundred front runners with a thrilling six-wicket victory over Oval Invincibles in a runfest at Edgbaston.A powerhouse innings from Colin Ingram – 81 from 43 balls – lifted the Invincibles to 172 for 3 – the second-highest total in the Hundred.The 36-year-old built on a fast start from Jason Roy (38, 22 balls) and hit eight fours and four sixes, many coming in a third-wicket stand of 72 in 39 balls with captain Sam Billings (24, 17 balls).But the Phoenix reeled in the tall target, reaching 174 for 4 with six balls to spare thanks to Moeen Ali’s 49 off 26 balls, Will Smeed’s 45 from 28 and a dazzling cameo by Chris Benjamin, whose unbeaten 37 from 16 balls tilted a knife-edge contest his side’s way.After choosing to bowl, the Phoenix started well with Adam Milne and Imran Tahir each conceding just a single from their first over. The Invincibles then hit their stride, though, Roy batting with characteristic power, hitting five fours and a six before he was bowled by a slower ball from Benny Howell.Ingram and Billings accelerated in a violent partnership which ended when the latter lifted Pat Brown to long off where Howell took a fine catch. Ingram cleared the ropes in each of the last two overs to provide late impetus and round off a perfectly paced innings from the South African.Finn Allen’s 23 off 13 balls gave the Phoenix reply a fiery start with five fours in eight balls but he fell in strange fashion when he played back to Sunil Narine’s first ball and trod on his wicket.Liam Livingstone heaved one huge six but was denied another when Laurie Evans took a stinging catch on the mid-wicket rope to give Tabraiz Shamsi his first wicket.Sneed stepped it up after a watchful start but skied Saqib Mahmood to extra cover. With such a big target, the pressure on the Phoenix batters was high but Ali responded with a furious attack which included successive sixes off Tom Curran. The skipper was within one run of a half-century when Curran got his revenge, taking a superb catch at deep mid-wicket.That left the Phoenix needing 34 from 25 balls. Benjamin got to grips with the task straight away, trimming the target to ten fom ten and then striking the winning four to continue his fairy-tale rise.

Players' association casts doubt on Cricket Australia's financial warnings

ACA has an ‘optimistic and confident’ outlook for how the sport can cope with the pandemic

Andrew McGlashan06-May-2020Cricket Australia’s financial warnings have been questioned by the players’ association which has said the game’s position remains positive with the sport not yet feeling the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic suffered by the winter codes.The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), led by chairman Shane Watson, met on Monday and will now write to CA chairman Earl Eddings to express their view on the game’s situation.Last month CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said money could run short by August if significant cost-cutting didn’t take place which led to 200 staff being stood down on 20% pay, although that move itself only contributed A$3 million of A$ 20 million in savings. The players expressed their support for those who had been impacted by the cuts.The biggest concern stemmed from the possibility of India not being able to undertake their tour later this year which could cost CA A$300 million if it doesn’t take place. However, there have been questions raised about how open CA have been with their financial figures.Until now only a very small amount of cricket has been effected with the one-day series between Australia and New Zealand called off after one match and the Sheffield Shield curtailed by one round and the final. There are also positive signs as to the chances of hosting international cricket in Australia later this year.ALSO READ: Covid-19 crisis could force Australian players to be more self-reliant“Cricket is yet to suffer a significant negative revenue event associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial position of cricket is therefore very positive relative to Australia’s winter sports,” ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson wrote in an email to members seen by ESPNcricinfo.”The players express their support for staff at CA who have been stood down on 20% of their wages and wish them a speedy return to full-time work.”Cricket is able to express an optimistic and confident posture about its capacity to weather the pandemic, and has the opportunity to put in place effective plans for cricket to be played this summer. With this, cricket’s financial position will likely remain positive.”The impact of Cricket Australia’s cost cutting has been seen around the states in recent days as they brace for a 25% reduction in their grants.The CA contracts for men and women were announced on April 30 although it’s understood players were not told the actual figure they would earn, instead the percentage once the board’s financial position is clearer.The ACA reiterated that the players stand by the revenue share model which sees their payment pool rise and fall with CA’s income and added they had offered an option for further flexibility “should adverse events occur in the future.””The ACA will continue to work with CA and share these positive findings when the Australian Cricket Council is convened shortly,” Nicholson concluded. “United and coordinated, cricket is well-placed to make the most of the opportunities which will emerge as the COVID-19 pandemic eases and more normal life resumes.”The ACA board consists of Watson, Greg Dyer, Moises Henriques, Lisa Sthalekar, Alyssa Healy, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Neil Maxwell, Kristen Beams and Janet Torney.

Harry Gurney signs white-ball-only deal with Nottinghamshire

Bowler plying his trade on global limited-overs circuit

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2019Harry Gurney has retired from red-ball cricket, signing a white-ball-only contract extension with Nottinghamshire until the end of the 2020 season.Gurney’s left-arm pace has made him something of a global commodity, earning him deals to play for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL following a successful stint with BBL champions Melbourne Renegades.”I am very proud of what I have achieved in red ball cricket, but now feels like the right time to focus solely on one-day competitions,” 32-year-old Gurney said. “I am grateful to the Club for understanding and for showing faith in me by giving me a deal until the end of 2020.”I can’t imagine playing my cricket anywhere else in England and I hope I can taste further white ball success with this exciting group of players.”On English soil, Gurney has taken more wickets than any other bowler in T20 cricket over the past two years, claiming 41 wickets at an average of 21.63 with a miserly economy rate for a new ball and death bowler of 8.32.In 2017, he contributed 21 wickets to Nottinghamshire’s T20 Blast triumph and 13 as the Outlaws lifted the Royal London One-Day Cup.Nottinghamshire director of cricket Mick Newell said: “While it’s a disappointment that Harry won’t be playing red ball cricket for us anymore, we’re really pleased to have him committed to us for one-day cricket over the next two seasons.”He’s one of the best white ball bowlers around. Once he made his decision, if we didn’t offer him a white ball deal there would be 17 other counties wanting him to bowl for them.”When he returns from the IPL, he’ll have had a concerted period of T20 cricket behind him and will continue to be an asset to us, as he has been for a number of years.”Gurney, who has played 10 ODIs and two T20Is for England, joined Nottinghamshire from Leicestershire before the 2012 season and has taken 275 first-class wickets at an average of 28.81, including career-best figures of 6-25 against Lancashire last year.Young Nottinghamshire bowlers Luke Wood, Zak Chappell and Paul Coughlin are in line to fill the void left by Gurney in the longer format.

McSweeney 156, Ralston 7 for 15 bulldoze PNG

Half-centuries from captain Jason Sangha and Param Uppal contributed to Australia’s all-round effort, handing PNG a mammoth 311-run drubbing in Lincoln

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2018Australia Under-19 opener Nathan McSweeney’s 156, aided by half-centuries from captain Jason Sangha and Param Uppal, and a seven-wicket haul from fast bowler Jason Ralston handed PNG a mammoth 311-run drubbing in Lincoln.Jason Ralston’s impressive figures•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Having set a target of 371, Ralston ran through the PNG line-up with figures of 7 for 15. While Zak Evans and Ryan Hadley took out one wicket a piece, Ralston’s offensive, across 6.5 overs, proved sufficient to ensure PNG were bowled out for 59 inside 24.5 overs, with only one batsman – Leke Morea (20) – notching up a double-digit score.Much of the trouble for PNG, however, began with the ball as their decision to bowl backfired spectacularly, despite having made the first strike off the eighth ball of the innings. After Semo Kamea removed Max Bryant for a duck, McSweeney hammered 18 fours and four sixes and trotted to a 111-ball 156, putting on 250 runs for the second wicket with Sangha (88), at an astounding rate of 7.28. Left-arm quick James Tau’s double-strike off successive balls in the 36th over accounted for McSweeney and Sangha, following which Austin Waugh (26) partnered with Uppal (61) to add 92 for the fourth wicket. With less than four overs left until the end of the innings, the duo, too, fell off back-to-back deliveries to Dare Aiga, but had done enough to ensure Australia finished on 370 for 8.

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