All posts by h716a5.icu

The Bangladesh coach has said he “got everything he asked for” from the BCB during his coaching stint

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2017Coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said he would like to leave Bangladesh in the position Sri Lanka had been in 1996, and that he would happily work with Sri Lanka after his present contract ends in 2019.The mid-1990s were effectively Sri Lanka’s coming of age in international cricket. In addition to winning the 1996 World Cup, they also began to produce players who achieved world renown – such as Aravinda de Silva, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya. Sri Lanka also soon established themselves in Test cricket, beating most oppositions who toured the island.Bangladesh have recently made gains under Hathurusingha, winning a Test against England last year, and running impressive campaigns during 2016’s Asia Cup and the 2015 World Cup. They also qualified for the 2017 Champions Trophy, having missed out in 2009 and 2013.”In 2019, I want to bring the Bangladesh team to where Sri Lanka were in 1996,” Hathurusingha told . “That’s my target. Whatever happens, I’m not going to ask to stay with Bangladesh forever. I will also not resign. The only reason for leaving is if I’m not allowed to do what I want to do, but there’s no such situation at present.”Hathurusingha was complimentary of his dealings with the BCB, saying he had “got everything he asked for”, including a place on the selection committee and broad influence over the team’s development. However, he suggested that he harboured hopes of working with Sri Lanka in future, having made himself available to them before he took the job with Bangladesh, as well.”I will absolutely come [if SLC asks me to],” he said. “I am in this position today because of all the things I learned playing cricket in Sri Lanka. After I learned everything in Sri Lanka for about 20 years, I went to Australia and learned things there as well. But if Sri Lanka invites me at any time, I will happily come back to do something for the country.”Hathurusingha said Sri Lanka’s school cricket system remained much stronger than that of Bangladesh, but was less impressed with Sri Lanka’s senior cricket structure. He joined the chorus of former players lamenting the excessive number of teams in Sri Lanka’s first-class cricket. Twenty-three first-class teams competed in the recently-concluded Premier League tournament, though nine of those sides played in the second tier league.”If there are 22 or 23 first-class sides in Sri Lanka, then that’s definitely not good,” he said. “With the way that Sri Lanka is, I think there should be about 12 or 14 sides. But because school cricket is good here, players are still produced.”In Bangladesh, there is a four-day tournament, a one-day tournament with about eight teams, and their BPL T20 tournament. Because of that, the good players become highlighted. In the last two years, I changed a lot of things in their club cricket, including their pitches.”

The BCCI will need approval from the Indian government before it can play Pakistan in a bilateral series, no matter what the nature of its agreement with the PCB

Sidharth Monga07-May-2017The BCCI will need approval from the Indian government before it can play Pakistan in a bilateral series, according secretary Amitabh Choudhary, no matter what the nature of its agreement with the PCB.The Pakistan board had sent the BCCI a notice under the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee’s terms of reference last week for not fulfilling its commitment according to an MoU, which the PCB said was signed in 2014.The BCCI, however, indicated that the MoU was in fact “just a letter” and not a formal “contract”, but said it wanted to fulfil the commitment because it was written with the intent to do so, provided the government gave the go-ahead.India and Pakistan have not played a full series – apart from two T20Is and three ODIs in 2012 – since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which the Indian government blamed on terrorists based out of Pakistan. Political relations between the countries remain strained as of today.”I can assure you that this is a subject where the government has to accord permission,” Choudhary said. “I must inform you that the BCCI has already written to the government in March with regard to the FTP with Pakistan. Unless we hear from them, I cannot make a comment. As far as cricket concerned, if it is a contract, both would try to honour.”When asked if the MoU could be revoked in the absence of government permission, Choudhary said: “I don’t remember the exact wordings but it is inherent. Honouring of it cannot happen without the government’s permission. In any case it was just a communication, it was just a letter from the secretary of BCCI. So it is not a formal contract as yet.”The BCCI secretary at that time was Sanjay Patel, who could not be reached for a comment.Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman and a former board vice-president, said that the BCCI would not want to play the series at a neutral venue though. “We have had a consistent policy that we will play on each other’s soil,” Shukla said. “Pakistan’s security situation is not such where you can have a series on their soil. Only Zimbabwe has played a series and no other countries are touring Pakistan. They are not being able to provide adequate security. First you make your venues such where you can provide fool-proof security. And for India, the security concerns are even more. How can we risk our players?”The PCB’s position, however, is that it must host the first series between Pakistan and India, as stated in the MoU. The PCB has hosted its home series largely in the UAE ever since the Sri Lankan team was attacked by gunmen in Lahore during their 2009 tour of Pakistan.When told that India had played West Indies at a neutral venue – Florida – recently, Shukla said those T20Is were a home series for India, and the BCCI had staged the games in the USA to explore a new market. “That was done on mutual consent,” he said. “We were exploring the US market. It was our series. It’s not as if we couldn’t play in West Indies and hence played in the US.”

Sunderland have made a positive start to the transfer window with four new faces coming through the door at the Stadium of Light, but the club's need for a new defensive midfielder is 'obvious'.

Who have Sunderland just signed?

Following their play-off semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Luton Town in May, the Wearsiders have been positive in the summer transfer market, bringing in four new players to try and help them avoid the same fate again next year.

The most expensive player signed by the club so far is Dutch defender Jenson Seelt, who cost the Black Cats £1.7m from Eredivisie giants PSV. He moves to Wearside after being named on the bench nine times in the Netherlands but never once stepping onto the field.

Whilst cheaper than his new Dutch teammate, Jobe Bellingham has easily drawn the most attention from the wider footballing world. Jude Bellingham's younger brother, he cost Sunderland £1.5m and, just like his Madrid-based brother, comes from the academy at Birmingham City.

The other two players to make a move to the North East are centre-forward Luis Semedo, who joined from Benfica B for an undisclosed fee, and centre-back Nectarios Triantis, who joined from A-League outfit Central Coast Mariners for an estimated fee of £300,000.

Whilst these are all good signings that could help Sunderland get over the line this year, they still need more cover in defensive midfield, according to Phil Smith of the Sunderland Echo.

He stated: "Cover in defensive midfield would look to be one other obvious priority, but elsewhere it could depend much on how Mowbray’s squad shapes up in the months ahead."

Who are Sunderland targeting in the transfer window?

According to a report from Dutch outlet Leeuwarder Courant, Sunderland have identified 28-year-old Thom Haye as a serious transfer target this summer.

Whilst he is younger than the typical age profile that the Wearsiders have been targeting recently, the club have made it clear that they want to strike a balance between youthful promise and a few older players with more experience.

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman said as much last summer:

"I've had three transfer windows here and I'd like to think if people were going to be critical about the group and lowering the age profile, they would have to say we've got some really talented players in our group and we've got some older more experienced players that are fundamental to that success and we've got some young up-and-coming players that are fundamental to that success. That's the balance we've got to get."

Would Thom Haye be a good signing for Sunderland?

The former Netherlands under-21 international is in the perfect spot to help the club and Speakman fulfil their goal of including more experienced and slightly older players into their exciting and youthful setup.

At only 28, he is still in the prime of his career, but he also comes with bags of experience after playing 175 games in the Eredivisie, with the vast majority of those appearances coming as an out-and-out defensive midfielder.

He also had a strong season last year with, WhoScored giving the "impressive" midfielder a brilliant average rating of 7.05 across his 31 top-flight appearances for his club side SC Heerenveen.

His underlying numbers are equally impressive, with FBref, who compare players in a similar position across their definition of the next best eight competitions, placing him in the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 10% for passes attempted, the top 17% for tackles, and the top 19% for progressive carries and interceptions, all per 90.

If Sunderland could get this deal over the line, they would have some excellent cover in defensive midfield for next season, and who knows, Haye could make that position his own if he can carry over his form from the Netherlands.

An update has emerged on Southampton and their plans to add to the playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign…

What's the latest Southampton transfer news?

According to The Sun on Sunday (16/7; page 61), the Saints are one of the teams eyeing up Sunderland centre-forward Ross Stewart during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Russell Martin's side are plotting a swoop to sign the Scottish finisher in the event of one of the manager's current number nine options moves on over the coming weeks.

It states that fellow second-tier teams Middlesbrough and Stoke City are also keen on securing his signature, as the ex-Ross County star's contract at the Stadium of Light is due to expire at the end of the season.

Burnley, Nottingham Forest, and Everton are all reportedly interested in snapping up Southampton striker Che Adams, who has been valued at £15m, and this could open the door for another marksman to come in.

How many goals has Ross Stewart scored for Sunderland?

The 6 foot 2 titan has been a prolific goalscorer for the Black Cats since joining from Ross County in January 2022 and has racked up 40 goals in 80 competitive appearances to date.

He has proven himself to be an exceptional performer at League One and Championship level, which could make him a big upgrade on Adams at St. Mary's.

His teammate Alex Pritchard once described him as an "unbelievable" player who has been a "revelation" throughout his time on Wearside, which is backed up by the 27-year-old ace's statistics.

Stewart, who scored 26 goals in 49 third tier outings during the 2021/22 campaign, missed 36 competitive games through injury last term but was able to showcase his quality in the final third when he was fit.

The Scotland international averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.40 across 13 Championship matches, which is a score only two players throughout the division managed to better, as the talented hotshot plundered ten goals to go along with three assists.

Adams, meanwhile, is coming off the back of scoring five goals in 28 Premier League games and has never hit double figures for strikes in the top flight.

He did, however, catch the eye with his Championship performances for Birmingham during the 2018/19 campaign. The 27-year-old ace averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.11 across 46 outings to go along with his 22 goals and four assists prior to his move to Southampton.

This means that the Scottish forward averaged a direct goal contribution every 1.77 games on average in his last season at that level, which is unimpressive in comparison to Stewart's sublime return of one every match on average.

These statistics suggest that the Sunderland star has the quality to be a significant upgrade on Adams as his sensational form for the Black Cats has proven that he has what it takes to be a prolific scorer in the second tier.

Stewart's Championship performances and impact at the top end of the pitch have dwarfed the current Saints number nine's achievements at that level, which is why replacing the ex-Birmingham man with his compatriot could be a shrewd piece of business by Martin this summer.

South Africa are aiming for all-out attack in their Champions Trophy opener against Sri Lanka, whose batting line-up they have had the better of in recent times

Firdose Moonda02-Jun-2017South Africa are aiming for all-out attack in their Champions Trophy opener against Sri Lanka, whose batting line-up they have had the better of in recent times. Not only have South Africa won their last seven matches against Sri Lanka, but they have bowled them out in six of those and have reason to believe they can do it again.”We know that we have an opportunity and the ability to bowl the Sri Lankan side out. It’s a matter of getting that combination right and getting the right players on a par to do so,” AB de Villiers, South Africa’s captain, said. “To me it’s really important to get your top three, four bowlers in there. Not that the allrounders can’t take wickets but I’ll probably be leaning towards getting your best bowlers in to make sure we have our best chance to bowl them out and to get 10 wickets in the game.”De Villiers’ desire for an out-and-out strike bowler suggests he will opt for an attack that includes both Kagiso Rabada and Morne Morkel, the only two specialist quicks in a squad with four allrounders. But that does not sync with coach Russell Domingo’s sentiments from three days ago that Morkel’s place in the XI was uncertain because South Africa want a deeper batting line-up. Morkel only played one of the three ODIs against England and before that had not played 50-over cricket since June 2016 which has left him on the fringes of a side that is still searching for an allrounder in the Jacques Kallis mould to complete it.But, South Africa may not see a need to concern themselves too much with runs against Sri Lanka. In four of the last seven matches they’ve played against them, South Africa have bowled Sri Lanka out for under 200. That includes the 2015 World Cup quarter final, where Imran Tahir took 4 for 26, and the home series earlier this year, which South Africa won 5-0. Tahir was the second-highest wicket-taker in that series, with 10 scalps, which is why he is a certain starter in Saturday’s match despite recently nursing a niggle.A hamstring issue kept Tahir out of two of the three England games but instead of giving him a little more time to rest and use their other option Keshav Maharaj – who made his debut at the Ageas Bowl – South Africa will bring Tahir straight back into the mix.”Imran is fit and he’s our No. 1 bowler, our No. 1 spin bowler. And Keshav understands his role when it comes to that,” de Villiers said. “There might be a time in the tournament where we might use a different strategy, if we play against a certain opposition or on a certain field. But for tomorrow, Imran is the No. 1 pick.”It is unusual times for South Africa because they are certain of their spin options but unsure of their pace pack and the England series would only have posed more questions. All four allrounders played at some point in the series and Wayne Parnell had the most convincing figures after an impressive outing at Lord’s where he made the new ball swing. He was also the leading wicket-taker in the Sri Lanka series, with 11 wickets at 17.36, and has been the most successful opening partner to Rabada, which suggests he has sealed a spot for now.That leaves South Africa with a choice between one or two of Chris Morris, Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius. The latter only played once against England so it may just be down to Morris and Phehlukwayo; choosing between the experience of someone who has played at a major tournament in the past and the excitement of someone who has none of the baggage.Morris was batting when South Africa failed to chase of 10 off 10 in Southampton, but he has finished games before – the one against England in Cape Town early last year being a stand-out. Phehlukwayo has done the same, against Australia in Durban and New Zealand in Hamilton but he also stumbled in that same series.Finishers like the two of them tend to need a little bit of luck along with everything else. South Africa will need some too – perhaps not now, in the opening jousts which they go into with confidence – but later when the pressure is on. And they need to make sure they have prepared properly for that, especially in terms of personnel.Their series defeat to England suggests there remains some fine-tuning required and de Villiers admitted they used the three matches to try and smooth things out, perhaps without success. What they did learn was that no matter which combination they chose, they remained competitive and for now, that should be enough.”If you go into a series thinking that you want to play all 15 players, you’re not really focusing on just winning that series because your mind is a little bit elsewhere, so I think that’s what happened,” he said. “But I think we peaked really well throughout that series, and ended up looking back thinking that, you know what, we actually could have won that series, easily, which is a great boost of confidence for us, keeping in mind that we played 15 players and it was a bit of a warm-up for the Champions Trophy.”

Sri Lanka pursued 388 – the highest successful chase on the island – with fifties from Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo18-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details6:06

Arnold: Zimbabwe were tactically superior to Sri Lanka

A lively 121-run stand for the sixth wicket between Asela Gunaratne and Niroshan Dickwella was the centerpiece of a great escape for the hosts, and a sapping defeat for a daring Zimbabwe side.Zimbabwe had never beaten Sri Lanka, of course, but also, the 388 they had set had also never been chased either by Sri Lanka, or by anyone on the island. In the end, Sri Lanka achieved the target with four wickets in hand – Gunaratne having prodded his team sensibly onward. He was on 80 when the winning runs were hit. Dickwella had made 81. Graeme Cremer, who had raised Zimbabwe’s hopes when he dismissed both Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews within the first hour of play, was left with four wickets to his name, as his team failed to claim the chances that might have punctured Sri Lanka’s resurgence. Once the initial disappointment fades, however, Zimbabwe may reflect that they have played with incredible courage here, and at least have that ODI series trophy to take home with them.Three denied or missed wicket opportunities, all of them involving wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva, will haunt Zimbabwe. First, with Dickwella on 37 and Sri Lanka on 237 for 5, Chakabva whipped off the bails and appealed, after Dickwella had overbalanced, missing a ball from Sikandar Raza. It was a close decision: no part of the crease was visible behind Dickwella’s boot. However, no part of the boot appeared to be behind the crease either, so on balance Dickwella should have been given out. But third umpire Chettithody Shamshuddin would rule him not out, and Dickwella would go on produce one of the game’s definitive performances.Zimbabwe should have had Dickwella again on 63, when Sean Williams induced an edge with a sliding delivery, only for Chakabva – who had kept immaculately until then – to fumble the chance. Sri Lanka had at the time been 102 runs from the target. Finally, after Dickwella had eventually been dismissed, Gunaratne would also be reprieved by Chakabva. Running down the track at Cremer on 54, Gunaratne failed to reach the pitch of the ball, and had it turn and beat him down the leg side. Chakabva could not gather cleanly, and Gunaratne made it back into the crease. Had he been out at that point, Sri Lanka would have been seven down, with Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera new at the crease, 50 runs still to get.But aside from that indiscretion, Gunaratne was a calming influence on the chase. He was always on the lookout for risk-free runs, rarely failing to take the most sensible option on offer, hitting boundaries only off the wayward balls, and running hard for his partner – strained hamstring and all. Where others were largely reliant on the sweep for their runs, Gunaratne also had in his repertoire the short-arm pull, which could fetch him runs in a wide arc between midwicket and fine leg. While he was at the crease, there was a steadiness to the chase.Niroshan Dickwella was put down by Regis Chakabva on 63•AFPNot for Dickwella, however, was restraint or control. He swept and reverse-swept merrily, often venturing down the pitch to the spinners, and getting pad or boot to ball on the occasions he could not hit it with his bat. His innings featured only six fours, but that is partly because the energy and ambition he brought to the crease forced Zimbabwe to post more men on the fence than they would ideally have liked. Even before lunch, the rhythm with which Zimbabwe’s bowlers had operated in the early overs, seemed slightly upset.As the stand with Gunaratne grew after the break, nerves appeared to enter Zimbabwe’s game for the first time in two days. Dickwella brought up his fifty off the 69th delivery he faced, clubbing Chris Mpofu to the midwicket fence. He slowed down after the milestone, but had nevertheless changed the outlook of the match. He was caught behind off the glove attempting to reverse-sweep Sean Williams, but Sri Lanka needed only 64 at that stage, and in the end, no further wickets fell. Dilruwan Perera contributed a shaky 29. It would be enough.But how Zimbabwe had shaken Sri Lanka in the morning. Mendis, who had batted with such assurance on day four, attempted to sweep a wide and full Cremer delivery, and wound up sending a top edge to mid-on. That was only the sixth over of the day. When Angelo Mathews then chipped a return catch to Cremer eight overs later, with 185 runs still to get, the chase was in crisis. Zimbabwe ringed the new men, and only an innings as risk-riddled as Dickwella’s could loosen their grip on this game.Relief will be Sri Lanka’s first emotion to the victory, but perhaps there will also be contentment that three of their less experienced players played important roles in the chase. Gunaratne and Dickwella have 12 Tests between them, and the only other man to cross fifty was 22-year old Mendis. While the bowling attack requires substantial inspection, the batting, at least appears in half-decent shape.

Crystal Palace have officially lost Wilfried Zaha to Galatasaray and are now sweating over the future of Chelsea-linked winger Michael Olise.

However, Brazilian outlet O Globo reports that Palace may be about to bring in a new signing of their own in highly-rated young full-back Mateo Ponte.

What is the latest Crystal Palace transfer news?

Jefferson Lerma is the only new face through the Selhurst Park door this summer to date, while Zaha, James McArthur, Luka Milivojevic and Jack Butland are among those to have departed.

Losing Zaha is undoubtedly a major blow, with the Ivory Coast international opting to put pen to paper with Galatasaray rather than prolong his stay in South London – where he has spent 13 seasons across two spells – by signing a new deal.

While the relatively unknown Ponte is not exactly a like-for-like replacement for wide forward Zaha, the 20-year-old is well thought of in South America and would help lift the mood of supporters.

It is claimed that Brazilian outfit Botafogo are close to signing Ponte from Uruguayan side Danubio for around £1.5m, but that could ultimately pave the way for a move to Palace.

That is due to the Eagles, as well as Ligue 1 side Lyon, being part-owned by John Textor, who also has a stake in Botafogo. Ponte is said to be open to using Botafogo as a temporary stepping stone in his quest to play in Europe.

Is Mateo Ponte a good player?

Ponte has made 22 league appearances for Danubio, but it was with his country at the recent U20 World Cup finals that he caught the eye of those outside of South America.

The youngster started five times, and helped his side keep four clean sheets in the process, as Uruguay beat Italy in the final to win the tournament for the first time.

Described by World Football Index writer Tom Robinson as "one of Uruguay's most consistent performers" at the tournament, right-back Ponte now appears ready to make the next step up.

Ponte has scored one goal in his seven Uruguayan Primera Division appearances this season.

While it is incredibly difficult to compare the two divisions, Tyrick Mitchell and Joel Ward – Palace's two most used full-backs in the Premier League last term – scored a combined one goal between them in 2022-23.

The Uruguayan talent has also assisted one goal, showing that he is happy to get forward when required. As per Transfermarkt, Ponte is also capable of playing on the right-hand side of midfield, providing Roy Hodgson with some welcome versatility should he indeed join.

In terms of other qualities, World Football Index points out that Ponte is a strong tackler and has an impressive long throw – something Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Philippe Mateta will hope to take full advantage of.

Palace will surely sign bigger names between now and the end of the transfer window on September 1st, but bringing in Ponte will go a long way to showing that they have a long-term plan in a summer that has seen them lose one of their all-time best players.

Nottingham Forest target Gustavo Hamer is a 'very good' player that could thrive in the Premier League under the guidance of Steve Cooper, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Which clubs are keen to sign Gustavo Hamer?

According to TEAMtalk, Nottingham Forest are keen to strike a deal for Coventry City ace Hamer, which could cost a fee in the region of £16 million.

Premier League newcomers Burnley are also interested in the former Netherlands Under-20 cap, while Fulham are keeping tabs on his situation this window.

Burnley have held talks with Coventry City over the possibility of acquiring Hamer and are trying to structure a deal that the Sky Blues would accept for the 26-year-old, with Clarets boss Vincent Kompany believed to be a big admirer of his talents, as per The Daily Mail.

Last term, Hamer was in an inspired vein of form for his current employers and notched 11 goals and ten assists in 45 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Cited by the Coventry Telegraph, Coventry City manager Mark Robins has admitted that he would like to keep the Brazilian-born playmaker at the Coventry Building Society Arena, stating: "The thing with Gus is that I will keep talking to him and working towards a solution for everybody; the best for everybody and hopefully that will be him staying.”

Nevertheless, speculation continues to swirl over Hamer's future as his stock continues to rise owing to his consistent performances in the Sky Bet Championship.

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones has signalled that although he lacks experience in the Premier League, he believes that Hamer could go on to have a similar impact to that of Morgan Gibbs-White at the City Ground.

When asked if Hamer could replicate Gibbs-White, Jones told FFC: "Yeah, absolutely. I think technically a very good player and if you're going to go shopping in the Championship, it's about as close as you could get to finding a player that can fit into the Premier League. He'd do well under the guidance of Cooper, but still, it's a bit of a risk not to go for someone with more experience because ultimately the first thing they're trying to do next season is survive."

Who else could Nottingham Forest sign this window?

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Anthony Elanga will join Nottingham Forest from Manchester United on Twitter, stating: "Anthony Elanga has already completed medical tests and will sign contract as Nottingham Forest player today. Done, sealed. Here we go confirmed."

Journalist Rudy Galetti has claimed that a second Manchester United player could be set to arrive at the City Ground in the form of Dean Henderson, who spent last season on loan at the Tricky Trees. Personal terms have been shook on between both parties and discussions are believed to be 'progressing with confidence' concerning the England international.

Former Torino defender Ola Aina became the first summer signing of the window for Nottingham Forest after joining the club on a free transfer last weekend, as per BBC Sport.

In the next few weeks, Nottingham Forest fans will hope to see a few more savvy additions as they continue to consolidate their place in the English top flight.

Nottinghamshire can travel to NatWest Blast Finals Day with a virtually impregnible lead at the top of Division Two after dominating Northants on the opening day

David Hopps at Trent Bridge28-Aug-2017Riki Wessels offered most resistance•Getty ImagesWhether that Nottinghamshire touch this summer will turn to gold will only become apparent this weekend at NatWest Blast Finals Day, but certainly they returned to Championship action after the mid-season break against Northants at Trent Bridge with their exuberance undimmed.A 50-point cushion over Northants, who lie third, with six matches remaining, promises immediate promotion from Division Two and most likely as champions – not that they would be so unprofessional as to admit it – and the Royal London One-Day Cup is already won. What chance three trophies in the venerable, chimney-potted pavilion come September to mark Peter Moores’ first season in charge?Nottinghamshire’s 213 was obviously a sturdy total on an extravagantly seaming pitch, but it looked gigantic once Northants took guard. Northants might be many neutrals’ favourite T20 side, a team of considerable heft, but the manner in which they capitulated to 141 all out – itself a recovery from 59 for 7 in 20 overs – suggested they do not remotely envisage grinding out a serious promotion challenge throughout September.As for Notts, assuming the pitch retains its character, they can anticipate the best part of two days off before heading to Edgbaston and switching their thoughts back to T20.For the first time this season a toss at Trent Bridge was contested: both counties eager to bat. The ground gleamed white under sunlit pale blue skies, the colour scheme of a coastal cottage, but a mottled brown pitch resembled the after-effects of an especially high tide. Even as Northants made inroads, they just seemed to be marking time before Notts got hold of the ball. Both attacks bowled splendidly.Azharullah bowled with commendable pep and skill for a season’s-best 5 for 63 for Northants and Richard Gleeson surfed some late waves for four wickets, but their efforts in bowling out Notts in two sessions were to no avail when Northants themselves fell in less than one.Notts’ innings was based around two half-centuries: another worthy affair at the top of the order from Steven Mullaney, fifth out for 58 when Rory Kleinveldt cut a ball back to bowl him, and 69 in 80 balls from Riki Wessels which was drawn increasingly from the limited-overs songbook.Mullaney coped with conditions as admirably as anybody, his streakiest moment coming with his ninth boundary which flashed through the slips to bring up his fifty. Wessels, a T20 opener given licence at No. 6 in the Championship, changed tack after Notts lost their sixth wicket, that of Chris Read, and took five boundaries off Kleinveldt’s next over before indulging in several unsuccessful ramp shots against the seaming ball. A last-wicket stand of 32 with Harry Gurney completed Notts’ escape before he skied Gleeson to be last out.If Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian Test batsman, had returned to county cricket to extend his education in English conditions ahead of India’s tour next summer, the loss of his off-stump as he drove at Azharullah was a degree level question which he flunked by some distance. Samit Patel and Brett Hutton were bowled shouldering arms to Azharullah and the clamour for Alex Hales to be selected for England’s Ashes tour party as a middle-order batsman was briefly silenced when the same bowler dismissed him for 4, on the drive.The call for Hales carries some validity, but even allowing for bursts of brilliance in limited-overs cricket, he will need to add further substance in the Championship to the double century he made against Derbyshire three weeks ago.Northants can’t have been helped by Ben Duckett’s broken finger, nor by the late withdrawal of Max Holden, who had been secured from Middlesex for a second loan period only to be immediately summoned back to London by his director of cricket, Angus Fraser, because of injury concerns surrounding three senior batsmen, all of whom were ultimately passed fit.That entailed an unexpected call-up for David Murphy, a wicket-keeper batsman who has been laid low for much of the season with a back disc problem and who has already announced his intention to retire at the end of the season to take up a law post in London.Murphy and his fellow opener, Rob Newton, fell to catches at the wicket, Jake Ball yorked Alex Wakely, Luke Wood sent Richard Levi’s off stump many a mile and when Rob Keogh, Adam Rossington and Kleinveldt fell within nine balls, Northants were seven down and had still to avoid the follow-on. They did so with Josh Cobb to the fore in an unbeaten 46, but they have quite a task to turn this game on its head.

Sohail Tanvir took a five-wicket-haul, including four in his opening spell, to scythe through Barbados Tridents in their chase

The Report by Peter Della Penna30-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball-details
Sohail Tanvir appeals for a wicket•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettySohail Tanvir’s electrifying opening spell of 4 for 2 ended up short-circuiting the Barbados Tridents batting order as Guyana Amazon Warriors completed a crucial season-sweep over their main competition for the final CPL playoff berth with a crushing 99-run win.In reply to Warriors first innings total of 158 for 8, Tridents were 19 for 5 at the end of the Powerplay after Tanvir ripped out the heart of the Tridents lineup. The left-arm quick came back later to claim his fifth to cap the most economical five-wicket haul in T20 history, ending with figures of 5 for 3 on a sorry night for the Tridents in which they were bowled out for 59, the second-lowest total in CPL history. The result means that the Warriors now have a four-point lead over the Tridents for fourth place on the CPL points table, putting Tridents in danger of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.Scoring by committeeWarriors’ batting performance on the night summed up the saying that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In their first match since captain Martin Guptill went home due to a family emergency, Warriors rallied together with a gritty display that featured several punchy knocks but nothing above Jason Mohammed’s 42 off 35 balls.Warriors were 65 for 4 after eight overs when rain halted play for 40 minutes and grinded their way to 117 for 5 after 17 before Mohammed and Roshon Primus produced a pair of back-breaking overs that put Warriors into the ascendancy. Mohammed was on 28 off 30 balls to start the 18th but tucked into Ravi Rampaul for two fours and a six before falling on the fifth ball of the over. Primus followed Mohammed’s lead in the 19th, smacking Wahab Riaz for consecutive sixes as a fighting total suddenly turned into one that was well over par.Spell of the seasonTanvir was virtually unplayable in the Powerplay, with the only two runs off his bowling coming off an edge to third man and a leg-side wide. Bowling over the stumps to the right-handers, he was getting significant movement in the air and off the pitch in his first over to Kane Williamson, beating the Kiwi past the outside edge four times before ending the over with a slash to third man for his first wicket.He should have been on a hat-trick when Dwayne Smith edged to Assad Fudadin at slip to begin his next over but a simple chest-high chance was shelled. It mattered not as Smith was given out next ball, though there was some doubt as to whether he edged it or the noise was bat on pad as the ball went through to wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi.Eoin Morgan’s season-debut for Tridents lasted all of one ball when he was beaten badly for pace and movement to be trapped in front of middle stump by a Tanvir inswinger to begin the fifth over. Kieron Pollard replaced him in the middle and in a bit of gamesmanship, pulled out of the crease just as Tanvir was set to deliver the next ball. The ploy riled up the entire Warriors infield but if the intent was to throw Tanvir out of his rhythm, it failed miserably as an outswinger angled across the right-hander was fended to Ronchi.Blood in the waterSensing wounded prey at 14 for 5 in five overs, Rashid Khan had three men around the bat when he came on to bowl his first ball. Another brief shower interrupted play in the seventh over with Tridents struggling at 26 for 5, but Rashid struck four balls after play restarted. He got Nicholas Pooran to loft a catch to Chadwick Walton at long-off, as the spinner joined the party too.After Walton pouched another catch on the boundary off Keemo Paul’s bowling in the 11th to remove Akeal Hosein, Rashid nabbed his second when he beat Wayne Parnell’s attempted sweep for a simple leg before decision. His third wicket clinched victory when he bowled Shamar Springer four balls into the 14th for his CPL-best figures of 3 for 15.Yet the night belonged to Tanvir. His fifth wicket came on his final ball of the night when Wahab Riaz played on to end the 13th. Tanvir’s 5 for 3 equaled Rashid’s mark against Ireland earlier this year and Rangana Herath’s epic spell in a virtual-knockout against New Zealand at the 2014 World T20. But those spells came in two and 3.3 overs respectively. Tanvir’s economy of 0.75 across four overs put him in the record books for possessing the best economy in a five-for.