Tag Futebol

Sussex are still standing entering the final day as the Division Two promotion scrap gets serious

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Wantage Road07-Sep-2017Sussex 172 (Kleinveldt 5-50) and 382 for 9 (Archer 74*, Robson 72, Nash 66, Wiese 61) lead Northamptonshire 426 (Duckett 193) by 128 runs
Usually, a fightback of this magnitude is saved for the silver screen. But at Wantage Road, in front of a crowd that died down at tea with a Northamptonshire win looking a foregone conclusion, Sussex threw counter-punches that Rocky Balboa would be proud of to take us to a fourth round.
Somehow, they have amassed a lead that, combined with a few more lusty blows tomorrow, could leave Northants facing a difficult fourth-innings chase.The two key protagonists were Jofra Archer and David Wiese – two allrounders in a Jack of All Trades Sussex tail. The pair came together with a deficit of eight set against Northamptonshire’s first innings of 426, with just two wickets left in their follow-on innings. In the space of 15 overs, they dovetailed brilliantly to thrash 124 for the ninth-wicket, taking their side into a lead that by stumps had been boosted to 128.Archer, the more dashing of the two, hit through the line of the ball emphatically, while also finding boundaries square: two back-to-back fours off Simon Kerrigan (through midwicket and then point) took him to his half-century from 80 balls. That’s not to say Wiese was a slouch: his second fifty of the summer came up from 55-balls with a huge six, also off Kerrigan, into the roof of the Lynn Wilson Centre that sits opposite the pavilion.Without wanting to pour too much misery onto the left-arm spinner, who has bowled well in this match, it was his error that let the partnership get this far. When Archer was on 15, the scoreboard reading 249 for 8 (trailing by three), Kerrigan set himself at deep square leg under a wild hook but was unable to take a routine catch. While Wiese was eventually trapped lbw by Richard Gleeson, Archer remains unbeaten overnight having beaten his previous career-best score of 73, achieved last summer against Essex at Colchester.For Northamptonshire, the toil of almost two days in the field took its toll. What control there was to skittle Sussex out for 172 in their first innings on day two and then grind away for the next eight wickets was lost when the second new ball arrived. Rory Kleinveldt, who removed Luke Wright and Ben Brown in the space of three balls, could not persist with an off-stump line that has given him eight wickets in this match so far. Richard Gleeson, troubling batsmen throughout with his extra pace and bounce, particularly from the Wantage Road End, sprayed a few down the leg side and looked fed up by stumps. The enthusiasm in the field was long gone by the time the umpires took the players off for bad light.Northants skipper Alex Wakely talked openly of a quiet dressing room that felt they should have already been tucking into some celebratory beers rather than nursing some wounds and preparing to go again on the morrow. As Archer and Wiese showed, the pitch is still playing true and as awkward as a chase of, say, 150, might be, Northants are still favourites.Sussex were steady for the first 45 overs of the day, which only brought one wicket: Stiaan van Zyl edging through to David Murphy off the bowling of Gleeson. Angus Robson and Chris Nash were any plays-and-misses behind them to bat for the best part of 29 overs. In that time, Robson was able to move to his first half-century of the season, from 100 balls, in his third match for Sussex.Released from his contract with Leicestershire earlier this season, citing differences with the head coach Pierre de Bruyn, who left his post earlier this week, he was taken on for a season-long trial at Sussex. Prolific form in the 2nd XI, combined with a misfiring top-order saw Robson given his full-debut for the club in their win against Worcestershire at New Road.The opening position has been an issue down at Hove. With Luke Wells coming into the season with an injury, Sussex were close to signing Surrey’s Arun Harinath on loan as cover before that did not come to pass. Instead, Harry Finch and Nash took on new ball duties with limited success. While Nash has been moved back into the middle order, Finch has been dropped after averaging just 22.5 from 16 innings and Robson given the chance to do what he has done for most of his career: respect the good ones, go after the bad ones. This was his 28th first-class and one that he could and should have converted to what would have been only his third career hundred.But when he pressed forward and edged Kerrigan to first slip, after the left-arm spinner had changed to over the wicket to make use of the footmarks on leg stump, it set about an almighty collapse of four wickets in the space of six overs. A sound position of 173 for two was decimated to 193 for six.That eventually became 246 for 8, when Nash was helpless to keep out a low delivery from Mohammad Azharullah that left one stump standing. Sussex’s hopes of saving face and promotion had all but gone and plans were made by most to spend Friday elsewhere. Instead, tomorrow brings a fascinating conclusion.

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor leaves Sussex this week with thanks for a committed contribution – and it gives them a chance of avoiding defeat against Kent in Tunbridge Wells

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2016
ScorecardRoss Taylor has made a big impact at Sussex [file picture]•Getty Images

New Zealand Test batsman Ross Taylor proved an immovable rock at the Nevill Ground hitting an unbeaten 142 as Sussex were dismissed for 333 on a day of cut and thrust under the sun.Kent will go into the final day of this Specsavers County Championship clash holding a 242-run lead and with the option to enforce the follow-on and push for their third win of the Division Two campaign.But it was the former Blackcaps Test skipper, Taylor, who batted a shade under six hours on the hottest day of the year, who made Kent work hardest. In praise of his team-mate’s work ethic, Sussex opener Chris Nash, said: “Ross has been brilliant for us in all formats. He’s won three T20s for us off his own back and in four-day cricket he’s shown tremendous application.”He leaves us at the end of the week to go off for a Test series with South Africa and it’s perfect timing for him that he goes with a 140 under his belt. We’re chuffed to bits for him and we all hope he’ll come back to Sussex at some time soon.”As for his early morning battle with Kent’s South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada, who looks set to extend his battle with Taylor in the Test arena later in the month, Nash added: “He tested us all with the new ball, hit good areas and extracted everything he could out of the new ball and a pretty dead pitch.”When he’s been on he’s been very threatening. He was fast with the new ball and then, when he came back with the older ball, he got that reversing. It was really good fun to try and get through it. It really gets your beans going, because you realise you are facing one of the top young bowlers in the world. On a quick wicket he’d be really hard work.”Rabada, who bagged three for 81 on the fairly lifeless Nevill pitch, said: “A lot of the guys are exhausted, that was a hot day wherever you might be in the world. We fought very hard and tomorrow we’ll be looking to finish these guys off. There’s a bit of turn for the spinners, and some footmarks, so hopefully they can create problems.”This has been a magnificent effort by the team and everyone bowled well today and played their part. We’re giving it our best shot and even though some complained about the heat, it was all in good spirits, it was all banter. When we have to do the business and execute our skills we will and hopefully we can come out tomorrow fully rested and blow them away.”Taylor teamed up with England T20 star Luke Wright to add 114 in 34 overs either side of lunch before Rabada broke the stand with the second new ball. Swishing outside off stump and on the back-foot, Wright edged to Kent’s stand-in keeper Callum Jackson to make it 219 for four.Ben Brown sidled out but, with his score on five, proffered no shot to a Rabada length-ball to go leg before and give the 21-year-old his third wicket.Just before a delayed tea, Chris Jordan (7) lent back aiming to force one from Darren Stevens through the covers only to edge to James Tredwell at second slip.Six wickets down at tea, Sussex did their utmost to bat out the session, losing their last man in the final over of the day. Will Beer was run out by a direct hit by Stevens from mid-off and, after taking a fearful blow on the helmet from a Rabada bouncer, Danny Briggs was caught behind off James Tredwell who, together with Imran Qayyum, polished off the innings with lbw decisions.Having resumed on their overnight total of 69 for one – a first innings deficit of 506 – Sussex suffered their first casualty of the day after half-an-hour when Nash fell for 55.Moments after posting a 128-ball 50 with nine fours, the veteran right-hander was pinned on the back foot by a Rabada off-cutter that appeared to keep low. Indian umpire Virendra Sharma, officiating in the game as part of an ECB exchange scheme, duly raised his finger for the first time in the match.Rabada was rested after a morning stint of 5-3-7-1 and replaced at The Pavilion End at The Nevill Ground by Mitch Claydon. He struck in the 51st over to remove Luke Wells for 22. Looking to square drive, the youngster found a thick inside edge to drag the ball onto his own leg stump.

Craig Cachopa smashed his highest career T20 score to end Sussex’s hoodoo against Hampshire as they thrashed the early South Group pacesetters by seven wickets

ECB/PA19-Jun-2015
ScorecardCraig Cachopa’s unbeaten 89 saw Sussex home with room to spare (file photo)•Getty Images

Craig Cachopa smashed his highest career T20 score to end Sussex’s hoodoo against Hampshire as they thrashed the early South Group pacesetters by seven wickets.New Zealander Cachopa struck a fantastic 89 not out at the Ageas Bowl as Sussex chased down a victory target of 158 to beat their south-coast rivals for the first time in eight attempts. Cachopa was brilliantly accompanied by Matt Machan, who scored an unbeaten 52 as the pair put on 144 for the fourth wicket, knocking off the winning runs with eight balls to spare.Sussex started atrociously as they lost former England international Luke Wright in the second over to a stunning catch from Will Smith off Chris Wood. And Wood picked up a second two balls later as Mahela Jayawardene loosely edged behind to end his stint on the south coast with 4 off five balls.The procession to and from the dugout continued in the next over as Gareth Berg took his first T20 wicket for Hampshire as Ben Brown chipped straight to Sean Ervine. That left Sussex in deep trouble on 14 for 3 but Cachopa and Machan reconstructed the innings, striking 50 off 36 deliveries before two monstrous overs off spinners Danny Briggs and Smith went for 32 runs.

Insights

This was Hampshire’s lowest home score of the season and second-lowest score anywhere and they were always going to find defending it successfully hard work. Hampshire’s highest scorer was Vince with 41, which was Hampshire’s lowest high score this season. In all but one other match at least one Hampshire player has scored fifty and they lacked that standout performance in this match. Sussex got that performance and they got it when they needed it most, reeling at 14 for 3 in the run chase. Cachopa’s 89 not out was his highest T20 score and only his second fifty.

Cachopa collected his second career T20 half-century – after earlier passing 1000 T20 career runs – with a late cut for four. The stand for the fourth wicket passed 100, with a colossal Cachopa six over long-off, in exactly 12 overs.The 23-year-old clobbered a six over the concourse and into the Nursery Ground before easing past his previous highest T20 score of 79 with a sweetly timed on drive as the visitors cruised home with room to spare.Earlier, Sussex won the toss and elected to field and restricted Hampshire to a below-par 157 for 6. Michael Carberry began watchfully before clubbing the first boundary of the evening straight down the ground off Ollie Robinson from the match’s fourth ball.Fellow opener James Vince was lucky not to be caught second ball as he gloved behind and the very next delivery the skipper became the fourth Hampshire player to score 2000 T20 runs for the county – after Carberry, Jimmy Adams and Ervine – with a crisply struck cut for four.Carberry was dropped at mid-on by a slow moving Tymal Mills before Vince used the former Essex man’s pace to dispatch the game’s first maximum over square leg in the next over.Mills atoned for his drop as he forced Carberry into looping a top edge off his hips to Chris Liddle at short fine leg to depart for 10. Vince offloaded some of the building pressure with slog sweep six but two balls latter Michael Yardy cleverly dragged the ball wide of off stump to have the recent England call-up stumped for a classy 41.The wicket of the talismanic Vince caused a panic for Hampshire as they lost Adams – who went for well-made 21 to give Machan his first T20 wicket for Sussex – and Ervine as spin became king.Adam Wheater and Owais Shah got Hampshire back on track with a 32-ball 50 partnership – the former reverse sweeping to take the home side past 100 in the 15th over. The pair both departed playing one shot too many, though, as Hampshire disappointed in front of a season-high 7200 at the Ageas Bowl.

If England had any illusions about the enormity of their task in India, they would have largely been dispelled on the second day against Haryana

George Dobell in Ahmedabad09-Nov-2012
ScorecardEngland’s bowlers were made to work hard for their wickets on an unresponsive pitch•Getty Images

If England had any illusions about the enormity of their task in India, they would have largely been dispelled on the second day against Haryana.Having lost their last five wickets for 14 runs in the morning session, England’s bowlers then spent the rest of the day toiling under a hot sun, claiming just four wickets in 61 overs. Matt Prior was forced off the pitch suffering from a stomach upset and, perhaps more worryingly, the Haryana offspinner, Jayant Yadav, delivered a less than glowing review of England’s performance against spin bowling.While England’s total of 521 underlines the ease with which the batsmen flourished for the main, it is worth noting that against 40.1 overs of spin they lost eight wickets for 177. Yadav, an unremarkable bowler playing only his fifth first-class game, finished with 4 for 110, the best figures of his career to date.It may be wrong to read too much into that. In the latter stages of the innings, with the total over 500 and the lack of intensity in the match situation producing lethargic cricket, England played some carefree strokes. But, given England’s recent history against spin bowling, and bearing in mind that this surface is offering precious little help to bowlers of any type, those statistics will be just a little unsettling.England’s top-order looked comfortable against Yadav. Several batsmen, notably Ian Bell, Nick Compton, Prior and Kevin Pietersen, quickly took advantage of the lack of spin to come down the pitch to drive him over the top. But, far from being impressed by such confidence, Yadav interpreted it as a sign of insecurity.”They looked very uncomfortable against spin,” Yadav said. “That’s why they resorted to playing that way. If you are comfortable you play from the crease. You would use your feet once or twice. But from the outset they had a mindset to attack the spinners, because they were unsure how to play them. The wicket was not offering much to the spinners. It was very slow and didn’t turn much at all. There were uncomfortable.”Whether that is fair or not, it is certainl that England’s tail – without Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad – folded quickly. After Bell fell early, attempting to run one to third man but edging to slip, Samit Patel and Prior added 69 in 12 overs. Both looked in fine form, with Patel registering his third score over 50 in succession on the tour. He could hardly have done more to nail down the No. 6 position for the first Test.But when Prior, perhaps already feeling unwell, skipped down the pitch and missed one, it precipitated a sharp decline. Tim Bresnan and Patel, unwilling to grind out runs with the total already over 500, both slogged down the throat of long-on, before Stuart Meaker’s drive was sharply taken by Amit Mishra in his follow through and Graham Onions was bowled playing back to one that skidded on. So, it was five quick wickets, but a far cry from the hopeless displays that characterised the trip to the UAE earlier in the year.England’s bowlers were also made to work hard. While Nitin Saini, unsettled by a good bouncer, soon steered Bresnan to point, Rahul Dewan and Sunny Singh added 97 for the second wicket. At one stage Singh, a man with a first-class triple century to his name, took Bresnan for three successive boundaries and also skipped down the pitch to drive Patel for successive fours, while Dewan, cutting particularly well, hit Onions for two boundaries in a row and looked a well organised, patient batsman. He enjoyed only one moment of fortune when Prior, clearly unwell by this stage, dropped a tough chance down the leg side off Meaker’s second delivery.Poor Prior was obliged to make two emergency dashes for the bathroom, but England’s initial request to use a substitute wicketkeeper from outside their playing XI was declined by the umpires and match referee. While the convention in English domestic cricket permits a substitution on the grounds that the ECB believes that county cricket could be lessened as a spectacle by the use of a make-shift wicket-keeper, the Laws of the game (Law 2:3 specifically) actually forbid it. Ultimately, however, the BCCI, in an admirably magnanimous gesture, were contacted and made a special dispensation towards England. Jonny Bairstow took the gloves and Prior retired to a dark room.England did eventually break through – Jonathan Trott clinging on to the first of two sharp catches in the slips – but Bresnan later rated the wicket the best for batting he had ever experienced.”That wicket out there is possibly the best I’ve ever bowled on,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s easy-paced, has nice bounce and just comes on to the bat lovely. You get the feeling you’re in an ‘indoor school’ scenario. It’s not doing much off the straight, not seaming, not really bouncing much – and it’s not spinning at all. So it’s difficult.”All three of England’s seamers worked up a decent pace – Meaker in particular – but the line was just a little too wayward to build any pressure. Monty Panesar, in stock bowler mode, gave away little and, on a warm afternoon against determined but limited batsmen, the game drifted in somnambulant fashion. Indeed, it will tell you much about the day that the most entertaining moment came when play was briefly suspended while two monkeys ran across the pitch and enjoyed a romantic liaison at third man. You don’t see too much of that sort of thing at Lord’s.There was better news off the pitch for England, though. Steven Finn has improved more than expected and was able to bowl off his full run-up in the nets and, while Stuart Broad continued to rest and Graeme Swann remains in the UK, both are expected to be available for the first Test.”Finn is off his full run now,” Bresnan said. “That’s a very good sign. With six days to go, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be fully fit. If he can bowl at 90mph plus consistently, and get that bounce and lift, he’s going to add to any team. He would probably get in any side in the world at the minute.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the first ODI between India and England in Hyderabad

The Preview by Sidharth Monga13-Oct-2011

Match facts

India v England, October 14, Hyderabad
Start time 1430 (0900 GMT)

Big Picture

India’s winless tour of England has not been without what initially seemed like positives. At least the admen had moved on from the theme that has been the easiest way to sell an India-England series in India. Except that colonial references have now made way for war ones. “There’s no weapon deadlier than vengeance,” says one in all caps. “India takes on England. The war resumes this October.”To give the marketing machinery generous benefit of doubt, India and England haven’t exactly offered them much by the way of close series. India last beat England in England in September 2007. The corresponding date for England in India is April 2006. India have whitewashed only two Test series (longer than two matches); one of those victims was England. Four out of their seven whitewashes (in series longer than two matches) have been handed by England; the last one earlier this year now invokes the deadly weapon of vengeance.Except that this is no revenge series. For one of your three worst tours of all time, including the 4-0 Test whitewash for the then No. 1 side, is not avenged over five ODIs. It will, however, be an opportunity to know what a win feels like. India last enjoyed that feeling in June in the West Indies. It will be an opportunity to arrest a slide, stack up some victories and regain confidence before they leave for Australia, their next really big assignment. It won’t be easy, though, playing as they are without Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel. Given their schedules, though, they better get used to this, at least in limited-overs formats.It will be an opportunity for their opponents to set a record right. That they have won only one of their last 13 completed ODIs against India in India is enough to justify England’s remarkably early arrival and long preparation. Most of those defeats suggest the lack of the power game required in the subcontinent, which along with Test series wins in India and Sri Lanka stands in England’s way of their aim of all-round domination.England can’t quite claim to know the grammar of subcontinent ODIs well. They entertained in the World Cup, but their batsmen tried to win it through cute dabs and paddles. When England were sleepwalking through a 5-0 ODI series defeat in 2008-09, David Lloyd told the story through the way the respective sides’ batsmen prepared to face a delivery. The Indians, he observed, had higher back lifts, ready to impart power into the shots and also trusting the pitches, looking to play down the ground. The England batsmen didn’t lift those bats as high in preparation, they often pre-meditated, the crookedness of the face either way to run the ball behind square for a single, at times two, stood out.England, though, are in a much better mental state than their two previous trips to India. In 2008-09 the captain and the coach weren’t quite moving in the same direction; in the World Cup they were tired, injured and possibly longing for home. They will also gain from an Indian XI weakened by injuries. Still a major part of responsibility to prevent this from being yet another one-sided India-England series lies with their batsmen – crucially missing Eoin Morgan – and their response to the conditions.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
India LTLLL
England WTWWW

Watch out for …

Craig Kieswetter comes with the promise of the power game required in India. He also comes with the confidence of having done well against India in the English summer, and then in the Champions League T20. England will want positive starts from him.Gautam Gambhir will make a comeback not only to the side but also to the opening role, which he had to relinquish during the World Cup. This is the start of a defining season for him, a season he will want to get through without fitness-related layoffs, a season he will want to end with runs in Australia. Form doesn’t really apply after the various breaks, but for what it is worth Gambhir has reached double figures in 17 of his last 18 innings, averaging 58 with two centuries and six fifties.

Team news

Despite Gambhir’s comeback, both Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane are likely to be rewarded for their good work in England. As is the case with Ravindra Jadeja. The bowling, if it was possible, looks even weaker than it did in England. They will be forced to try Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav at some point in the series.India (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Parthiv Patel, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 R Ashwin, 10, 11 two out of Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron and Vinay KumarJonny Bairstow and Ravi Bopara have made strong middle-order statements for England, which leaves a close competition. There is a case for including all five of Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Bopara and Bairstow. There is an equally strong case for playing Samit Patel at 7, as the second-spinner-allrounder.England (likely) 1 Alastair Cook (capt.), 2 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ravi Bopara, 6 Jonny Bairstow, 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Jade Dernbach, 11 Steven Finn

Pitch and conditions

The scores in the two practice games have ranged between 114 and 367, but don’t expect any favours for the bowlers, unless the pitch just turns out to be really slow. An expected high of 31 degree celsius and 61% humidity should test batsmen on the new no-runner rule. If the forecast of “scattered thunderstorms” doesn’t come to fruition, that is.

Stats and trivia

• Andrew Strauss, no longer part of England’s ODI plans, scored 445 runs in his previous five matches in India.
• If they all get picked, Kieswetter, Cook, Bairstow, Dernbach and Finn will be playing their first ODI in India.
• India have lost two of their 19 completed home ODIs, both to South Africa. Similarly they have lost just two home Tests since March 2006, both to South Africa.
  

Mitchell Johnson arrived just in time as Australia earned a surprising 23-run advantage after India failed to build on a series of promising half-centuries

The Bulletin by Peter English03-Oct-2010India 405 (Tendulkar 98, Raina 86, Dravid 77, Sehwag 59, Johnson 5-64) trail Australia 428 by 23 runs

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Sachin Tendulkar was in command for most of the day before narrowly missing a century•Getty Images

Mitchell Johnson arrived just in time as Australia earned a surprising 23-run advantage after India failed to build on a series of promising half-centuries in Mohali. For most of the third day it looked like it would be the hosts who finished with a first-innings lead, but Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina and Rahul Dravid were cut down before the hosts were dismissed for 405.

India were ready to dominate when Johnson struck late to remove MS Dhoni (14), who was given out caught low down by Shane Watson at first slip in a confusing decision, and Harbhajan Singh edged behind next ball. Another key breakthrough came when Raina played back to Johnson and was lbw shortly before the close as part of a collaspe of 5 for 23. The burst left Johnson with 5 for 64 from 20 overs and gained him a sixth five-wicket haul in Tests.It was a timely comeback for the tourists after they experienced difficult periods from their junior and senior opponents. Raina, 23, is 14 years younger than Tendulkar and was happy to take more risks – he out-scored Tendulkar in their stand of 124 – while the older man was typically calculating.Tendulkar first started giving Australians nightmares in 1990-91 and almost 20 years later spent much of the third day introducing himself to some new wearers of baggy greens. At his best Tendulkar has buried Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, so in reality facing Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Hauritz was a pretty comfortable assignment. He still made it a thing of beauty at times, particularly with his effortless pushes through cover and his range of sweeps.Tendulkar now has 10 hundreds and 12 half-centuries in 30 Tests against Australia while averaging almost 57. Bollinger and Hilfenhaus had not bowled to him before in a Test, and Hauritz had run into him only once, getting him in Mumbai on debut in 2004.Hilfenhaus watched Tendulkar caress a handful of memorable cover-drives throughout the display and the batsman started the middle session with a clever late cut against the same bowler. Another cover-drive, this time to Bollinger, was special enough for Tendulkar to punch gloves with Dravid, and then it was Hauritz’s turn to gape. A sweep from outside off went to square leg for four and Hauritz’s next ball was even wider, but it travelled to the rope at midwicket.

Smart Stats

• Mitchell Johnson’s 5 for 64 is his sixth five-for in 37 Tests, but his first in nine matches against India. His previous best against them had been 4 for 70 in Bangalore in 2008.

• This is the eighth time Sachin Tendulkar has entered the nineties in a Test and not gone on to a century. Only three batsmen have more nineties – Michael Slater (nine), Steve Waugh and Rahul Dravid (ten each).

• The 124-run stand between Tendulkar and Suresh Raina was the 78th time Tendulkar was involved in a century partnership, which is third in the all-time list, behind Rahul Dravid (82) and Ricky Ponting (79).

• During the course of their 79-run stand, Tendulkar and Dravid became only the third pair, after Greenidge-Haynes and Hayden-Langer, to score 6000 partnership runs – they’ve scored 6076 in 120 innings at an average of 52.83.

• It’s also Tendulkar’s 22nd fifty-plus score against Australia in 30 Tests. Only Herbert Sutcliffe (24) and Jack Hobbs (27) have more.

• Of the 98 runs Tendulkar scored, 30 came in the cover region. Five of his 13 fours were scored through the covers.

Tendulkar was rarely rushed – a couple of thick edges fell short of the slips off Johnson – and after tea he allowed Raina to aim the bigger shots, although he charged Marcus North and hit over mid-off to go into the 90s. He was two short of his 49th century when he pushed across the line at a quicker ball from North and was lbw, walking off in a silent stadium. North could hardly believe his success in his first Test bowl against Tendulkar.Raina, who entered at No.5 due to VVS Laxman’s back problem, continued to impress in his third Test, adding to his previous scores of 120, 62 and 41 not out. Bollinger, finding some fire in the warm conditions, hit Raina on the shoulder early in his innings as the batsman turned his head away. He also survived a missed stumping on 48 and was almost taken at mid-off on 60 when the ball dropped just short of Johnson.In between he crunched boundaries on the up through the offside, collecting 14 fours from 128 balls, including a glance to bring up his half-century. There was a chance Raina would reach his hundred before stumps but he had to tone down when Johnson removed two team-mates and Hauritz bowled Zaheer Khan. The change in mood was terminal.The first two rewards of the day went to Bollinger (2 for 49), who bowled the nightwatchman Ishant Sharma (18) and took care of Dravid. Hauritz also hung in after some punishment to finish off the innings with 2 for 116.Dravid seemed set for a big score until he pushed at one angling across him from Bollinger and was caught behind by Tim Paine. He had batted for almost half the day, nudging singles and punching boundaries in his watchful way, before the unexpected error ended his fourth-wicket stand of 79 with Tendulkar.The previous series against Sri Lanka was a poor one for Dravid – he got 95 runs in five matches – and this was his first Test half-century since January. However, he joined Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar and Raina in falling before reaching three figures, and keeping Australia in the game.

Ben Stokes, the 18-year old allrounder, has signed a two-year professional contract with Durham, having recently been named in England’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup.

Cricinfo staff10-Dec-2009Ben Stokes, the 18-year old allrounder, has signed a two-year professional contract with Durham, having recently been named in England’s squad for the Under-19 World Cup.Stokes joined the Durham Academy in 2007 and made his Second XI debut in the same year, where he took a career-best 4-19 against Leicestershire. In 2009 he made his first appearance for the senior squad in the Friends Provident Trophy against Surrey at The Oval and went on to feature in the 40-over competition later in the season. He also played an Under-19 Test for England against Bangladesh at Derby in July, making 72 in the first innings and an unbeaten 17 in the second.Stokes said he is looking forward to learning from the senior players in a very successful club. “It’s been an exciting few weeks for me and I’m really happy to have signed my first professional contract. It’s great to be involved with such a successful club and it’s been a real benefit to have a varied group of players around me who I can go to for advice. I can’t wait for the 2010 season to start.”Geoff Cook, the Durham coach, said the Stokes had been rewarded for the hard work he put in this season. “We set Ben a number of challenging targets for the 2009 season and he worked incredibly hard to meet them. The transition from Academy to second XI and on to the first team can be a tough one but I have been impressed by the way he has performed. He’s a great young talent and I’m pleased that he’s going to be part of the squad for the foreseeable future.”

“It was a brain fade moment,” he said as he rued Kerala’s missed chance of winning their maiden Ranji title

Shashank Kishore02-Mar-2025Thirty youngsters, part of the state under-14s and under-16s, had been flown into Nagpur by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) in anticipation of Sachin Baby’s team creating history by winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title. While they didn’t see their illustrious seniors win Indian domestic cricket’s biggest prize, some of them clicked pictures with the replica of the Ranji Trophy, perhaps dreaming of laying their hands on the main one in the years to come.Several members of the Kerala team, heartbroken and lost for words, recognised the presence of these young kids in the stands, posing for pictures even as Baby momentarily brought some comic relief at the presentation. “You guys have beaten us in all three knockout stages. Next time, guys, we’ll beat you. We’ll give you a tougher time,” Baby told the Vidarbha team in jest.In 2017-18, Kerala were beaten by Vidarbha in the quarter-final. In the following season, Kerala were ousted in the semi-final. In 2024-25, Kerala were vanquished in their maiden final. Baby was part of all the heartbreaks. This one may have been the toughest to take, because Baby was at the front and centre of their march. A lead was in touching distance when Baby let the temptation of a hundred in his 100th first-class game get to him.”Brain fade,” he said at the post-match press conference, of the slog he dragged to Karun Nair at deep midwicket on 98. The occasion couldn’t have been bigger; a century in his 100th first-class game may have well killed the game. But it wasn’t to be; it was as if they’d run out of luck in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, which they scraped through courtesy leads of one and two runs respectively.The Kerala side with the runners-up trophy•KCA

“As the leader, I’ll take the blame,” he said. “My shot changed the momentum of the game. I wanted to be there for the team, and we were six down. I wanted to be there till the end to get the lead. I wanted to have a lead of 100-plus if at all we got a lead. That would have made a difference.”Baby couldn’t quite explain why he played the slog – it was instinct more than a calculated risk, one that he will perhaps replay in his mind over and over again. “I was playing all along the ground till that moment, but then I don’t know what happened and why I played that shot. But that and the dropped catch of Karun [Nair] were important moments of the game.”And then he continued. “If I take credit for the success, I will take the blame for failure, too. Nobody plays a shot to get out. That shot was not on my mind, actually. Maybe, it was a brain fade moment. But on this wicket, you had to play shots. If I had played too defensively, there would have been pressure on the team and myself.”At 36, Baby is the oldest member of this side. He hates the use of the word ‘veteran’ to describe ageing stars. He says he’s never felt fitter – all possible signs of him wanting to continue. But without wanting to make it about him, he continued: “We have to improve still. I was telling the team about how Vidarbha came back from the defeat in last year’s final to win the trophy this year.”

The offspinner has been recovering from a shoulder problem that has lingered since the Ashes

Andrew McGlashan29-Nov-2023Todd Murphy is still getting used to the extra workload his body has been put through this year during his emergence as a Test bowler, but is hopeful he will be fit for the Prime Minister’s XI game against Pakistan in Canberra next week.Offspinner Murphy has missed Victoria’s last two Sheffield Shield matches due to shoulder soreness but returned to bowling on Wednesday with a view to fulfilling his selection in what is effectively an Australia A side for Pakistan’s pre-Test warm-up.Murphy made his Test debut against India in Nagpur in February where he claimed 7 for 124 on the back of just seven first-class matches – one of which was last year’s PM’s XI against West Indies – and went on to play all four matches in that series before somewhat unexpectedly being needed in the Ashes after Nathan Lyon’s calf injury at Lord’s.Related

• Green, Harris, Renshaw, Bancroft named in PM's XI to face Pakistan

• Mohammad Hafeez: Australia tour a 'nothing-to-lose opportunity'

• Warner's Test retirement could lead to batting order reshuffle

He had already shelved a county deal before the Ashes to manage his workloads, but he returned from the UK with some niggles which flared again after four Sheffield Shield outings this season – the last of which saw him bowl 45 overs against Tasmania.”It’s been a pretty big 12 months and something I hadn’t been exposed to, so it’s just been about trying to manage myself through that,” Murphy said. “There have been challenges with a few little niggles and think the shoulder is just another one of that.”It was a bit flared up after the UK series then a few Shield games with a high workload and some one-day cricket, it sort of fatigued a bit. So used the opportunity to try and give it a chance to settle down and strengthen it back up for what will hopefully be a pretty busy summer across the board then also some Shield cricket to finish the year. Had in mind it’s a long summer and don’t want to burn myself too early.”Murphy hopes to play the BBL with Sydney Sixers through December and January then the last four rounds of Sheffield Shield although that will depend on whether he is selected as back-up in the squad for the New Zealand Test tour.With Lyon having successfully returned from his calf injury he is likely to have to wait a considerable time for his next Test – unless the SCG offers conditions conducive for two spinners – but his experience of the Ashes tour means he always wants to be ready to go.”It’s one of those ones that you always want to make sure you are ready, but Nath’s been so durable so even going over to England I probably didn’t have it my mind that there would be an opportunity arise that means I would get a game,” Murphy said.”Obviously it was really disappointing to see him go down with an injury, but it probably reinforces the importance of having a squad that is ready to perform. For me it’s really important to be in a position that if that unfortunately does happen again – fingers crossed it doesn’t – but if something does arise that I’m in a place that I can take it.”With the two Tests in New Zealand unlikely to require extra frontline spin resources, Murphy’s next opportunity may not come until the tour of Sri Lanka in early 2025, but whenever he next gets his chance he feels this year will hold him in good stead.”Looking forward it’s about putting myself in the best place I can for any opportunities that arise down the track,” he said. “The intensity of both tours [India and the Ashes] was something I hadn’t experienced before. So being exposed to that early on is going to set me up going forward and it was great to be a part of. Hopefully in a home summer I can build off that and if there is an opportunity I’m set up to go well.”

ESPNcricinfo understands that the ECB’s security team is expected to arrive in Pakistan later this month to assess arrangements

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2022Lahore and Karachi are likely to host seven T20Is between Pakistan and England from September 15 to October 2, PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has confirmed. ESPNcricinfo understands the ECB’s three-member security team is expected to arrive in Pakistan later this month to assess arrangements.Though Pakistan have Multan and Rawalpindi as other venues to consider, Ramiz said that the schedule is “very tight and we can’t go elsewhere”. PCB is yet to announce the fixtures for the series, which will be the first instance of England touring Pakistan in 16 years. Following this series, Pakistan will depart for New Zealand on October 4 to participate in a T20I tri-series (also involving Bangladesh) in Christchurch from October 7 to 14. England, meanwhile, will return to Pakistan following the 2022 T20 World Cup for a three-Test series in November as a part of the World Test Championship.The pitches have been relaid in Karachi and Lahore and are expected to be ready ahead of the series. The tour was originally scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi last October but England had called off their visit following New Zealand’s doing the same at the last minute over security issues.England’s new white-ball captain Jos Buttler had said last week that he does not expect to have his best team available for the series due to fixture congestion. England’s red-ball players are unlikely to be available at the start of the limited-overs series in Pakistan, with England’s third Test against South Africa due to finish on September 12.The upcoming series carries significance as England have not toured Pakistan since 2005 and two of Pakistan’s home series in 2012 and 2016 were forced to be played in UAE. After England decided to withdraw their men’s and women’s teams’ tours to Pakistan last year, Ramiz hit out at cricket’s “western bloc”. The ECB cited bubble fatigue and “increasing concerns about travelling to the region” to pull out of the series.