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Samit Patel top-scored for Nottinghamshire but controversy attached itself to Stuart Broad’s first-ball dismissal on his return from injury

Jon Culley at Old Trafford02-May-2012
ScorecardStuart Broad was unhappy about the manner of his dismissal by Simon Kerrigan•Getty Images

The first County Championship match at Old Trafford since the square was rotated 90 degrees was hardly less eventful than the last one at its former angle, upon which Nottinghamshire clinched the 2010 title 17 months ago.The talking points all involved a different England player, and none of the storylines they generated was in any way contrived, which is not always the case. James Anderson suffered an injury scare, Stuart Broad landed himself in (another) potential disciplinary pickle and Samit Patel, who desperately needs some runs, managed to get some, shoring up an otherwise — all too familiar — dismal batting performance from Nottinghamshire.In the event, what was feared to be a broken right thumb for Anderson turned out not to be and, provided the X-rays did not lie, England’s principal fast bowler should be fine for the opening Test against West Indies, which begins on May 17. He had not played competitively since the second Test in Sri Lanka a month ago but bowled beautifully, sending down 17 exemplary overs that lacked only wickets.He left the field first at the end of his 10-over morning spell, having moments earlier winced in pain as he fielded a drive from James Taylor off his own bowling. After his trip to hospital, he bowled a further seven overs between lunch and tea before another bang, more or less on the same spot, precluded any further activity.”I felt I bowled really well and felt good so it’s good news there is no real damage,” he said afterwards. “It’s pretty sore but I’ll just have to man up and get on with it. If I carry on bowling like that the wickets will come.”Broad, whose enforced absence goes back six weeks to the calf strain that ended his Sri Lanka tour early, was also wicketless, but it was his one-ball innings with the bat that brought him unwelcome attention. Given out caught at short leg by Steven Croft as he attempted to sweep Simon Kerrigan, the left-arm spinner, he made it absolutely clear he disagreed with the verdict.Broad is not without form, of course, in matters of dissent. He has twice been fined half his match fee for transgressions in Test matches and has gone close to being punished on other occasions.This time he was convinced the ball had hit the ground before Croft scooped it up. Lancashire celebrated en masse but Broad waited for umpire Stephen Gale to consult Rob Bailey, his colleague at square leg, before reluctantly walking off, appearing to aim words at both Croft and Gale as he did.Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, believed Broad would escape censure on this occasion. He said: “Stuart has been to the umpires to explain his behaviour. He told them he felt it was not unacceptable and they have not come back to us to say that it was, so hopefully the matter is closed.”We have looked at the replay and you can’t tell [if it was caught cleanly]. You would like to go back to the days when Stuart might ask if it was a catch, Croft would tell him it was and he would walk off. But sadly I think those days have passed.”Gale encountered more dissent only minutes later when Graeme Swann, another England player making his first domestic appearance of the season, lingered in his crease after being given out leg-before to Kerrigan.At least Patel made his news by doing what he set out to do. His was the batting performance of the day amid another Nottinghamshire innings characterised by batsmen underperforming, the only difference from their previous sub-par returns this season being that Chris Read won the toss and chose to bat.With Glenn Chapple bowling as impressively as Anderson — and getting wickets — Nottinghamshire slumped to 16 for 3 and 50 for 4 as the veteran worked his magic. Even Read, normally their doughtiest fighter, succumbed to a poor shot. In this context, Patel’s four hours-plus at the crease was a valuable vigil. He applied himself with the conviction he has to show to stand a chance of pipping Ravi Bopara – or Jonny Bairstow – to a place in the first Test team, although he was suckered a little at the end, hitting Luke Procter for one six but fatally going for another as Chapple dropped back the field.The immaculate Chapple took 4 for 44, the hugely promising Kerrigan 4 for 45, although it is not all good news for Lancashire on the bowling front. Their allrounder Tom Smith who is playing his first match of the season after hamstring problems, pulled up after three overs with another injury of the same nature and will not bowl again in this match.Lancashire are in a potentially strong position, nonetheless. Their openers put on 48 before Paul Horton was leg before to Andre Adams to the last ball of the day.

Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan captain, could be on his way out as Afghanistan coach as a result of differences that have arisen between him and certain board members and players

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2011Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan captain, could be on his way out as Afghanistan coach as a result of differences that have arisen between him and certain board members and players following the team’s recent tour of Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Latif suspects some of the players deliberately underperformed in an attempt to have him removed as coach, and may not be willing to extend his contract when it expires on July 31.Afghanistan were whitewashed 3-0 by Pakistan A and Latif expressed disappointment with the attitude and effort put in by some of the players, who he believes did not give 100% because they would like to see their former coach, Kabir Khan, back in the post. He had previously said the team’s poor results were down to a lack of regular international cricket.However, team manager Shafiq Aswat told ESPNcricinfo that while Latif was indeed unhappy with the performance of the team, he hadn’t noticed any signs of disagreements or general unhappiness. “Atmosphere is very pleasant in the dressing room. The players respect Latif as the coach.”Aswat said Latif and the Afghanistan board are still negotiating the terms of a new contract but hopes “both sides agree and we will bring him back”. Otherwise, he said, they would have to get a new coach.This is not the first time Afghanistan board officials have been rumoured to be meddling in team affairs. The team’s biggest win under Latif came in last year’s Asian Games, when they upset Pakistan in the T20 competition.

Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, will not captain Kerala in the 2010-11 domestic season but has been included in a list of 24 probables for the same

Cricinfo staff29-May-2010Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, will not captain Kerala in the 2010-11 domestic season but has been included in a list of 24 probables for the same. Allrounder Raiphi Gomez replaces Sreesanth at the helm with batsman Robert Fernandez as his deputy. The reason for a change in leadership was the uncertainty over Sreesanth’s availability.”We need a captain who can lead the side for a few years at least to help develop our young team,” TC Mathew, the Kerala State Cricket Association secretary told Cricinfo. “The last time Sreesanth was appointed he had to leave after the first Ranji Trophy match because he had to join the Indian team last year. So we felt the need to appoint Gomez, who has been leading right from age-group cricket.”A significant exclusion from the list is medium-pacer and India’s first Test cricketer from Kerala, Tinu Yohannan. He played three Ranji Trophy Plate League games last season and went wicketless.Sreesanth was only marginally better, grabbing one wicket in three games while conceding 146 runs at over four-an-over.Kerala drew their first two games Ranji Trophy last season before losing the next two to Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana by substantial margins.Kerala probables list: Raiphi Gomez (capt), Robert Fernandez (vice-captain), Sreesanth, Rohan Prem, Abhishek Hegde, Karimuttathu Rakesh, VA Jagadeesh, Sony Cheruvathur, Sachin Baby, Arun Paulose, Sebastian Antony, Padmanabhan Prasanth, Sambasiva Sarma, CP Riswan, Arjun NK, Jineesh, Ramesh Kumar, Surjith, Kanakkatharaparambu Sreejith, Sunil Thomas, Chandra Tejas (wk), Prasanth Pramaeswaran, Manu Krishnan, Nizar Niyas.

Thushara’s 4 for 18 made life difficult for Bangladesh, but Mahmudullah’s experience saw them through

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Jun-20241:38

Tamim: Happy for Bangladesh, they have silenced the critics

Nuwan Thushara’s last over brought Sri Lanka screaming back into the match late in the contest. He first bowled Rishad Hossain, and then nailed Taskin Ahmed in front of the stumps with a pinpoint swinging yorker. This left Bangladesh eight wickets down, with 12 runs still to get, and the game looked set to turn on its head.However, the experienced Mahmudullah was at the crease for Bangladesh, and despite some further nervy moments, pushed his side across the line off the last ball of the 19th over to give his side victory in their opening encounter of T20 World Cup 2024.The late Sri Lanka surge aside, this was a match chiefly decided by Bangladesh’s own outstanding bowling in the first innings. Mustafizur Rahman was the best among them, using shorter lengths and his cutters efficiently, to claim figures of 3 for 17. Rishad’s three-for through the middle overs also pegged Sri Lanka back.Mustafizur was especially instrumental in Sri Lanka’s downward spiral through the middle overs, which culminated in a crash-and-burn end. Ultimately, Sri Lanka’s inability to find boundaries, or even rotate strike against good Bangladesh bowling resulted in their downfall. A score of 125 for 9 always seemed poor on a decent pitch, even if their bowlers made a match of it in the end.

The tight finish

It should never have got so close. With five overs to go, Bangladesh had only 25 runs left to get, five wickets in hand, and their two most experienced batters – Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah – were at the crease.But then Shakib uppercut a Matheesha Pathirana short ball, and Maheesh Theekshana took an outstanding diving catch at deep third, surging in from the rope to intercept the ball inches from the ground.And then Sri Lanka’s other slinger, Thushara, took two wickets in two balls in the next over – the 18th of the innings, first bowling Rishad who had tried to hit him inside out over cover, and then nailing Taskin with a toe-crusher that would have hit leg stump.Thushara had three more balls left in the over, with Bangladesh still needing 12. Sri Lanka’s best chance of stealing victory was for him to get another wicket before his spell ended. But Tanzim Hasan Sakib survived, and Mahmudullah was on strike next over.Next over, bowled by Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka had used up all their frontliners hunting for wickets), Mahmudullah bludgeoned a thigh-high full toss into the deep square leg stands to ease Bangladesh’s nerves.But there was more drama to come. With two runs needed – but desperate to keep strike off the last ball of the 19th over – Mahmudullah ventured a risky single to mid-off, and would have been out had Wanindu Hasaranga connected with his shy at the stumps. But the Sri Lanka captain didn’t, and the overthrows helped Bangladesh limp over the line.1:32

Tamim: Hridoy’s 20-ball 40 changed the game

Bangladesh boss bowling death overs

The definitive period of play, though, were the last seven overs of Sri Lanka’s innings. They had arrived at the start of the 14th over in okay shape – 100 runs on the board and seven wickets in hand.But then they nosedived. Rishad first dismissed Charith Asalanka, having him caught slog sweeping at deep square leg, after his teammates had kept Asalanka quiet through much of the middle overs. Next ball, he had Hasaranga caught at slip with a ball that dipped and gripped.This double strike pushed Sri Lanka into a tailspin, losing their next six wickets for 25 runs. Only one boundary would be hit in the last six overs, as batters repeatedly tried cross-batted shots against bowlers varying their pace and got themselves out, almost in frustration. Rishad got his three wickets in this period, and Taskin, Mustafizur, and Tanzim Hasan got one each.

Nissanka’s bright start

That Sri Lanka even got to 125, rather than crashing out in double figures as they did against South Africa, was down to their best batter – opener Pathum Nissanka. He struck seven fours and a six, favouring the leg side, and maintained a strike rate of 168 across his 28-ball innings.The turning point for Sri Lanka’s innings, after which they struck only two intentional boundaries (seriously), was when Mustafizur dismissed Nissanka with a cutter towards the end of the ninth over. Until that point, Sri Lanka’s run rate was above 7.50. Afterwards, it was less than five.

Hridoy’s sixes

Given how close the match was in the end, Towhid Hridoy’s four sixes – all of them against Hasaranga – also had an impact. Three of them came back to back to back, at the start of the 12th over. The first two came off slog sweeps, and the third off a beautiful inside-out shot over cover.Hasaranga would trap him lbw next ball, but Hridoy had already landed the important blows. It was these sixes that gave Bangladesh the room to stutter towards the end and still win with two wickets in hand and one over to spare.

Australia left the ground on Tuesday still in the dark over which of the two surfaces would be used for the match

Andrew McGlashan08-Mar-20235:23

Will Ahmedabad give the best batting pitch of the series?

Steven Smith could not remember another occasion where he had been unsure which pitch he would be playing on for a Test match two days out from it starting.That was the situation which emerged on Tuesday in Ahmedabad with Australia leaving the ground still in the dark over which of the two surfaces would be used for the final Test. However, after the visitors had departed the picture became clearer. India’s hierarchy focused their attention on the drier, black-soil pitch, instead of the red-soil one which also appeared significantly greener – although the groundsman had told Smith both would have been significantly trimmed of grass.”[There] might have been a couple of [pitches] prepared maybe a bit longer out than two days but I can’t remember two days,” Smith said.Related

• India seem to have forgotten how they won in Australia

• All to play for in Ahmedabad as fascinating series reaches climax

• Dravid: Need to be realistic about batting in these challenging conditions

• Record crowd and spinning pitch add to Australia's excitement

• Cummins will miss final Test too, Smith to lead in Ahmedabad

Even by the time Australia had finished training on Tuesday, around four hours after arriving at the ground, the likely Test pitch had already started to change character.”I didn’t go out and have a look in the afternoon but Alex Carey did,” Smith said. “It looked completely different, a lot drier in the afternoon. It’s very hot here, 37 degrees, which gives it a chance to dry out and I think that the cover was on for a bit today. So they’re potentially worried that it’s drying out too much. It certainly changed in a few hours. Having a look today we’ll be able to potentially see what it’s going to do.”With three three-day Tests so far – and the latter barely reaching that far – this series is well on track to finish with the fewest balls bowled in a four-match series. However, Smith said the groundsman had indicated that this game would go longer than the othersIt all points to Australia again fielding three frontline spinners particularly now Cameron Green is available to balance the side. He was only needed for two overs in Indore, while Mitchell Starc was called on for 12.Smith took the opportunity for a little swipe at some of the punditry that suggested Australia should have stuck to their fast-bowling strengths with three quicks and just one spinner. That was the model which brought the 2004 series victory but on very different surfaces.Scott Boland partnered with Pat Cummins in Nagpur before Cummins was the lone quick in Delhi. Then Starc and Green both returned in Indore. Victory in the third Test has left the team with a sense of vindication that their planning has been correct.”It’s been weird with a bit of the commentary back home, people talking about us playing three quicks and one spinner,” Smith said. “It’s kind of mind-boggling to me when we look at these surfaces and we see what we’ve had, 11 innings in six days or something like that, and spinners have taken the bulk of the wickets and you see how difficult it is to play the spin.”It’s kind of odd to hear that kind of commentary, but we’ve had faith in what we’re trying to do and it’s good that we are able to show that we can play with three spinners and win. We weren’t too far away in Delhi either, outside of that hour of madness. Nice to know our plans and everything we are trying to do can work.”

Smith looks for more lower-order runs

One area where Smith would like to see improvement is the productivity of the lower order, where India have overwhelmed what Australia have been able to produce. Even in the victory they lost 6 for 11 on the second day.Axar Patel is the second-highest run-getter in the series with 185 runs in four innings at an average of 92.50•BCCI

From No. 8 onwards, India have scored 307 runs at 25.58 in the series compared to Australia’s 84 and 4.94. In comparison, although Rohit Sharma has scored the lone century, the top seven are all-but identical: Australia have made 776 runs at 22.92 and India 709 runs at 22.15.Australia are not expecting the level of contribution that Axar Patel is able to provide – he would not be out of place in the top six – but want to find a way to eke out partnerships.”The tail is something we’ve spoken about, probably as batters [they] haven’t contributed as much as we would have liked,” Smith said. “That’s been a big difference when you see someone like Axar who has been incredibly difficult to get out. And in terms of our top six versus their top six, there’s not a huge difference in averages for the series.”There is a considerable amount at stake in this final match. A 3-1 scoreline would suggest that there is still a gap when playing India in their conditions, albeit not as wide as some had considered, whereas a 2-2 share would be a remarkable outcome for Australia, especially considering where they were after the second Test in Delhi.”I think it would be a huge achievement for this group, or any touring team, that comes here to India and wins two Test matches,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do it earlier in the series and give ourselves a chance to win but to draw the series here would be a huge plus and positive.”

Ireland captain opens up on dealing with the uncertainty of playing or not, and isolation in hotel rooms

Vishal Dikshit07-Jan-2022The Ireland squad that has moved from Florida to Jamaica is not only dealing with the challenges of a depleted squad – they have left Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate behind – but also with the mental challenges of dealing with Covid-19, which cancelled their recent ODI series against USA after a spree of positive cases.Captain Andy Balbirnie said the team’s morale is now “pretty good” compared to how it was in Florida, but opened up on the stressful time the squad went through as positive cases spread in the camp.The touring Ireland side now prepares for three ODIs and a lone T20I in Jamaica, starting on Saturday. A string of Ireland players had tested positive before the T20Is against USA last month and once the ODIs were called off, Stirling and Getkate tested positive as well. They are expected to join the squad in Jamaica on Sunday.Related

• Shamarh Brooks sparkles on ODI debut as West Indies go 1-0 up

• Balbirnie: 'We're a Test member but at the moment it only really feels like a name'

• USA-Ireland ODI series cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak

• Paul Stirling, Shane Getkate test positive for Covid-19

“The morale is pretty good, it’s better than Florida,” Balbirnie told reporters during a virtual press conference a day before the first ODI. “It was very difficult, some of us had to leave our family members in Florida and come here for this series. I was one of them.”But as soon as we got into training and international series mode, your focus comes back. You can’t dwell too much on what’s happened. If you do that you’re going to some pretty dark places. We’re lucky we get these opportunities to bounce back on a regular basis.”Playing with Covid is more challenging off the pitch than on the pitch because you’re worrying about tests, then told to stay in the room till the tests come back and you’re told it’s going to be delayed and you’re literally sitting on the edge of your seat in your room wondering if you have it. At the same time we’ve got a job to do once we cross the white line, no matter what’s going on.”Even though a lot of players around the world are now vaccinated and squads live in bio-bubbles to play international cricket, Balbirnie said the stress of going through tests again and again was draining and affects players’ mental health.”It’s hugely challenging. It has a massive effect on your mental health. Like getting a PCR test and sitting in your room for 24 hours, not knowing if you’re going to miss the whole series and to spend 14 days in a room with no balcony, it’s not healthy. I don’t really think you can continue [like that], there need to be ways to look after the players’ welfare or they’ll decide not to go on tour and that’ll be completely understandable. You have to look after them first and foremost as an individual before a cricketer.”With Stirling and Getkate unavailable for the opening ODI, Balbirnie said it would give one of the youngsters a chance to shine, especially in Stirling’s absence. He also confirmed Ireland would stick to the same top three that played in the warm-up against Jamaica on Wednesday in a five-wicket loss.”It’s very strange [to be without Stirling],” Balbirnie said. “I think I played a series against Scotland back in 2014 which was the last time I lined up in an ODI without him. It’s massively disappointing to lose him for the first game but at the same time it means someone has to step up now. We need to produce match-winners. Hopefully one of the young guys can have the experience of winning a game for Ireland, that’s why you play the game.”

Jamaica Tallawahs lose Andre McCarthy and Jeavor Royal, who had come into contact with a player who had tested positive for Covid-19

Shashank Kishore03-Aug-2020St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have had to rejig their backroom staffers’ line-up just two weeks before CPL 2020 after Simon Helmot, their head coach, and Malolan Rangarajan, the assistant coach, were forced to miss the tournament for different reasons. The franchise has brought in former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh and Mark O’Donnell from New Zealand, who had worked together with Jamaica Tallawahs in 2015, to fill the gaps.Helmot tested positive for Covid-19 on July 27, the day he was to fly out of Melbourne to the Caribbean, while Rangarajan is a talent scout at Royal Challengers Bangalore, and is expected to be involved in the team’s pre-season camp in the UAE from the end of August. Rangarajan will, however, continue to assist the Patriots remotely as a strategic consultant.Current CPL guidelines require all players and support staff to clear Covid-19 tests before they fly out to the Caribbean and fulfil a two-week quarantine period in Trinidad & Tobago, where the entire season will be played.”I tested positive five hours before I was to fly out, and I’m shattered that I won’t be able to be part of Patriots this season,” Helmot told ESPNcricinfo. “I was asymptomatic, and my second test has come back negative, but I’m still in home isolation until the department of health and human services give me a green signal.”Victoria is currently in stage four of lockdown, after a recent spike in cases. Because of my quarantine restrictions, I wouldn’t have been able to make it in time for the season owing to the quarantine protocols. I’m incredibly thankful to Mahesh Ramani, the franchise owner, and the CPL team of Pete Russell, Tom Moody and the others for working incredibly hard behind the scenes to put it together.”Helmot, who was coach when Trinbago Knight Riders won the title in 2015, has a multi-year contract with the Patriots, and is hoping to return to the Caribbean next year. He has also previously been involved with Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash league, and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, apart from stints in Bangladesh as head of their high-performance centre.Patriots were also hit by the news, reported by , that 33-year-old left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli has also tested positive for Covid-19, and has been replaced in the squad by 36-year-old Trinidad & Tobago legspinner Imran Khan.Meanwhile, Tallawahs have been hit by the withdrawal of two squad members, Andre McCarthy and Jeavor Royal, who had come into close contact with another player who had tested positive for Covid-19. “To lose both players… it is a big blow,” Tallawahs CEO Jeff Miller told . “But at the end of the day, the safety of the players comes first.”Jermaine Blackwood, West Indies’ leading run-scorer on their Test tour to England, will come in as a replacement player, while young Australian allrounder Antum Naqvi replaces Tabraiz Shamsi, who has had to opt out because South Africa’s borders remain closed.

Opener’s attacking 80 sees Sussex overturn first-inning deficit of 79 and push on into useful lead

ECB Reporters Network06-Apr-2019A typically vigorous innings from Sussex opener Phil Salt helped dispel his side’s unhappy memories of their disappointing first-innings display against Leicestershire at Hove. Salt hit 11 fours and a hooked six off Will Davis as he and opening partner Tom Haines made light work of a first-innings deficit of 79.Salt’s dynamic 80 from 67 deliveries helped make up for his four-ball duck on the opening day. In the first over, he hit Chris Wright for three fours, straight, to third man and to backward-point. He scored 41 off 27 balls as he and Haines raised the 50. And the opening pair took just 16 overs to wipe off the arrears.As the Sussex press officer quipped: “We’ve had Greenidge and Haynes – now we have Salt and Haines!” And Salt, like the legendary West Indies openers, was brought up in Barbados.Salt’s tempo slowed, allowing Haines to catch up a little. But he still managed to reach his half-century off 41 deliveries. In a bid to stem the tide Leicestershire brought on offspinner Colin Ackerman to bowl the last over before tea, and with his fifth ball he had Haines lbw for 39.Ackermann removed Salt, too, with the score on 136 in the 29th over. It was a tame end to a vivid innings as he tapped a return catch to the bowler. But then the Leicestershire bowlers came up against another Sussex batsman with a point to prove. Luke Wells had also made a duck in his first innings, but he showed determination as he dug in with Stiaan van Zyl. The unbroken third-wicket partnership is so far worth 75, with both batsmen undefeated on 41.Leicestershire had started the cold and blustery second day on 131 for 5, 42 runs behind, and looked unlikely to reach their 252 when, in the fifth over of the morning, Harry Dearden, half-forward, was lbw to a ball from Ollie Robinson which kept a little low.But a seventh-wicket stand of 52 in 17 overs between Lewis Hill and Tom Taylor took them past the Sussex total. When Hill leg-glanced David Wiese for a single in the 14th over of the day Leicestershire went past the Sussex total. Hill took a battling hour to add the 10 runs he needed to reach his half-century.Sussex fought back with three wickets in seven overs. Spinner Danny Briggs bowled Hill, sweeping, for 67 and then Haines had Taylor lbw for 33. Gavin Griffiths was caught behind off Chris Jordan for 1, but then a last-wicket stand of 31 between Wright and Davis frustrated the Sussex bowlers and delayed lunch by 30 minutes.

Lahore Qalandars whimpered to 119 against Quetta Gladiators, who in turn waltzed to their target with nine wickets and six overs to spare

Danyal Rasool24-Feb-2018In a nutshellThis was less a match than an incisive analysis of Lahore Qalandars’ weakness. In an amateur, unthinking batting display, Lahore whimpered to 119 against the Quetta Gladiators, who in turn felt no need to take any risks, and waltzed to the target with nine wickets and six overs to spare.The Qalandars were put in to bat, and Brendon McCullum, opening with Sunil Narine, gave their side the best possible start. Narine smashed Shane Watson for 24 runs in an over as Lahore raced to 45 in the first three overs. McCullum was timing the ball beautifully too, but as soon as Narine fell, Quetta’s bowlers found a way to break in. The first five overs fetched 50, the next 15 fetched 59, and the hollowness of Lahore’s middle order was on full display yet again.Watson was in devastating form, and Asad Shafiq at the other end was the perfect foil to him. Even though the pair took no unnecessary risks – just 41 were scored in the first six – Watson was just warming up. He took Narine for 21 runs in the seventh over, and from thereon Sarfraz Ahmed’s men were coasting. With scoreboard pressure non-existent, Quetta played as they wanted. In the end, the straight drive that sealed the win was a merciful end to a rotten day for Lahore.Where the match was wonLahore were playing a high-risk game. The result hinged on how long they could sustain that intensity. It was crucial for Quetta to strike early, and Narine’s wicket in the fourth over proved vital. Fakhar Zaman couldn’t repeat his heroics from Friday, spooning a return catch to Jofra Archer for one, and a clever review to effect a McCullum lbw saw Lahore lose their top three within 11 balls of each other. With the big three out of the way, Quetta’s stranglehold on the game was virtually invincible.The men that won it
Last year, Lahore nearly defended 59 in a thrilling game they eventually lost by three wickets. A target of 120 could have been tricky, but Shafiq and Watson stomped on Lahore’s hopes. A wicketless Powerplay was followed by the pair finally letting loose, Watson responsible for much of the carnage as he stormed to 50 in just 28 balls. By the time he was dismissed for 66, his side were merely 28 runs away from victory, and the contest was all but over.Nawaz’s record
Mohammad Nawaz would have been perfectly happy with not bowling in the Powerplay overs, but when he did come on, he couldn’t have been much better. Nawaz’s introduction dried up the singles altogether. Bowling a tight, unrelenting line and varying his pace adroitly, Nawaz rendered the the batsmen helpless. In a stunning four-over spell, he accounted for the dangerous McCullum and Cameron Delport, conceding just four runs – the most economical spell ever in the PSL.Moment of the match
Watson is a seasoned T20 professional, and his pride would have taken a dent when Narine took him to task in the third over of Lahore’s innings, walloping him for three fours and two sixes in an over that cost 24 – the most expensive at this year’s PSL so far. Quietly, he began plotting his revenge, and finally pounced in the seventh over of the Gladiators innings. With Narine bowling, Watson hit him for two sixes and two boundaries, and took 21 off his over to give the West Indian a taste of his own medicine.Where they stand
Lahore Qalandars are rock bottom of the table with two losses from two. Quetta have won one and lost the other, and are placed fourth.

With his fifth century of the season – the most by a Gujarat batsman – Priyank Panchal dominated Jharkhand in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Nagpur

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Nagpur01-Jan-2017
ScorecardPriyank Panchal is 151 runs shy of overtaking VVS Laxman’s record for most runs in a Ranji Trophy season•Sunny Shinde

On January 1, 2016, Priyank Panchal wrote in his diary – a habit he had inculcated at the age of 19 – “Need to learn to convert starts and not just be happy with 650-700 runs in a season.” On January 1, 2017 his entry could possibly read: “Aim to convert an unbeaten 144 into a double or possibly a triple-century and help Gujarat reach their first-ever Ranji Trophy final.”During the course of his fifth century of the season, the most by a Gujarat batsman, Panchal almost doubled his previous best aggregate of 665 runs in 2015-16. His innings had flair and grit in equal measure and helped Gujarat dominate on a green-tinged surface that belied expectations.As the day progressed, a wearing Jharkhand attack were ground down further by Parthiv Patel’s aggressive 62 in a third-wicket stand of 139 as Gujarat ended day one of the semi-final against Jharkhand on 283 for 3 at Nagpur’s old Civil Lines ground.During the course of his 252-ball vigil, Panchal also displaced Wasim Jaffer from fourth position in the list of highest run-getters in a Ranji season. With potentially another day’s batting and at least one more innings to come, the record books could have a fresh entry at the top. Panchal is only 151 runs short of VVS Laxman’s all-time record of 1415, achieved in 1999-2000.Jharkhand, without the injured Ashish Kumar, their best fast bowler this season, struggled for rhythm with the new ball. Waywardness in the first six overs, where six boundaries flowed, set the tone. Panchal began with two nonchalant flicks for four in the second over, off Vikash Singh, and his opening partner Samit Gohel, who made a record-breaking, unbeaten 359 in his previous innings, drove Ajay Yadav confidently at the other end.It took the introduction of Rahul Shukla, who impressed with deceptive pace and accuracy, to stall Gujarat. He hit Panchal on the box, induced an edge that flew past third slip and then beat him with a superb outswinger. Jharkhand finally broke through in the 19th over as Gohel jabbed at a length ball from Vikash to gully where Virat Singh completed a fine, low catch.Panchal, at the other end, was unaffected. So confident was he in his abilities that he played the cut shot even with two points in place. So good was his timing that he beat the man in the deep thrice. He got eight of his 21 fours with the cut shot. Panchal showed proper technique against the bouncers too – dropping his wrists and swaying out of the way or fully ducking under them with the bat nice and low. He did get in trouble when he stabbed at short balls away from the body and if Nagpur had provided a two-paced pitch, he may have been surprised by the one that reared up. But on this true-paced pitch, he was able to adjust. Still Jharkhand could have dismissed Panchal for 110 in the 59th over, but Ishank Jaggi gave him a reprieve.Gujarat’s No. 3 Bhargav Merai, as he’s often done this season, got off to a solid start but wasted it when he was caught behind off Vikash for 39. The delivery was good, but the catch even better – Ishan Kishan took a step or two to his right before diving full length to take the ball, one-handed and in front of first slip. Gujarat were 127 for 2 but with little support for Vikash from the other fast bowlers, Jharkhand’s hopes of building on that wicket were on left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, who is also the season’s highest wicket-taker. However, there was hardly any turn for him on a surface where the ball slid on nicely. Parthiv’s swift footwork – both forward and back – made life even tougher for Nadeem, who toiled over 25 wicketless overs.Shortly before stumps Kaushal Singh, the part-time offspinner, got one to straighten from around the stumps to trap Parthiv lbw after a stylish half-century. But Manprit Juneja and Panchal saw off the final 45 minutes of play and Gujarat took the honours on New Year’s day.