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Cricinfo’s preview of the second Test between New Zealand and Australia in Hamilton

Brydon Coverdale in Hamilton25-Mar-2010

Match Facts

Brent Arnel was the only local bowler to take more than one wicket in Wellington•Getty Images

March 27-31, Seddon Park, Hamilton

Start time 11am (2200 GMT)

The Big Picture

By winning the first match Australia have done enough to retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy, which they held coming in to the series, but they are keen to end their Test summer with seven wins instead of six. Their chances of taking the series 2-0 will be boosted by the inclusion of Shane Watson, who has declared himself fit after missing the first Test with a hip injury that he picked up during the one-day series. Watson batted for nearly an hour in the nets at Seddon Park on Friday and will take back his spot from Phillip Hughes on Saturday morning. “In the last four or five days it has come together really well,” Watson said. “I’ll be right to go at full speed.”The visitors will need another big effort from the attack after the fast men toiled over four consecutive days in Wellington. Watson was confident that he could bolster the bowling group despite his lay-off. “I’ve had a fairly big workload in the last six months with my bowling so a week off, not bowling, won’t make much difference to my workload,” he said. “I’ll be able to bowl the overs that Ricky wants me to bowl.”For New Zealand, there’s not much to lose at 1-0 down in a two-Test series. However, questions have been raised over whether they have the belief that they can beat Australia in the five-day format, a theory that the captain Daniel Vettori didn’t entirely dismiss on the eve of the match. “Maybe in the Test match form of the game that’s fair,” Vettori told Radio Sport. ” I think we’ve proved ourselves in the other forms of the game but Test matches has been the part of the game that we’ve struggled in. And coming up against one of the best teams in the world is a real test of that ability. Our ability to hang in there longer and persevere longer as we did on that fourth day [in Wellington] is the only way we’re going to compete against Australia.”The match is also Vettori’s 100th Test and at his home ground he will be desperate for a strong individual performance. New Zealand might need some Vettori brilliance to end their 17-year Test drought against Australia.

Form guide

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New Zealand LWDLW

Watch out for…

Most of the attention will surround Vettori but there is another Hamilton lad who could prove important for New Zealand. Brent Arnel bowled well on his Test debut with accuracy and subtle movement. Match figures of 2 for 120 don’t look impressive but bear in mind no other New Zealand bowler took more than one wicket for the game. Arnel was chosen based on his first-class success and much of his cricket over the past few years has been played at his home ground of Seddon Park, so New Zealand will look to him for valuable contributions.


Doug Bollinger struggled in the one-dayers but turned his form around dramatically in the first Test, grabbing 5 for 28 in the first innings and seven wickets for the match. He extracted more bounce from the Wellington pitch than any other bowler and his ability to swing and seam the ball will make him a handful if Hamilton produces a surface with a touch of grass. New Zealand need a stronger first-innings effort to really challenge Australia and Bollinger is the key to ensuring that doesn’t happen.

Team news

The Watson-Hughes swap is the only likely change for Australia. Marcus North eased doubts over his place with a century in the first Test and Ryan Harris’ six wickets on debut means he will stay ahead of Clint McKay in the pace pecking order.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Ryan Harris, 11 Doug Bollinger.New Zealand’s line-up is not quite so settled. Vettori said Jeetan Patel would play, while the teenager Kane Williamson was unlikely to make his debut. That would mean only one question remaining – Mathew Sinclair or Peter Ingram at No. 3? Ingram’s lack of success during the series so far could mean a recall for Sinclair, who has the support of the batting coach Martin Crowe.New Zealand (possible) 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 BJ Watling, 3 Mathew Sinclair, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Martin Guptill, 6 Daniel Vettori (capt), 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Jeetan Patel, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Brent Arnel, 11 Chris Martin.

Pitch and conditions

Two days out from the Test there was a lot of grass on the pitch and the outfield was moist but Vettori expected good playing conditions. “It’s still quite dry,” he said. “The greenness is probably misrepresenting the wicket. We’ve played here enough times to know that it will probably have a little bit in it early on, but it’s not going to be anything too terrible. It may be a tough first session but I think it will get lower and slower as the game goes on.” The forecast for the first day is fine and 24C.

Stats and trivia

• Australia and New Zealand have met only once in a Test match at Hamilton, back in 1999-2000 when Australia won by six wickets. The only man from either squad who took part in that match was Mathew Sinclair
• This match will be Daniel Vettori’s 100th Test, while Simon Katich and Michael Hussey are each playing their 50th
• Two of Vettori’s five Test centuries have been scored at Seddon Park, where his Test batting average is 43.25
  

  Quotes

  “We can’t afford to be on the back foot at any stage against Australia in Hamilton.”
  
  Daniel Vettori
  
  
  “There’s no doubt our bowlers put their top order under a lot of pressure. Our opening bowlers will pose the same questions this week of those guys.”
  Simon Katich

Chamari Athapaththu has been named captain of the 15-member squad

Madushka Balasuriya10-Sep-2025Veteran left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani has returned to the Sri Lanka squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup after nearly a year-long injury layoff.Batter Imesha Dulani, who was dropped for the home tri-series against India and South Africa earlier this year, is also in the 15-member squad for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka beginning on September 30. Teenagers Rashmika Sewwandi and Manudi Nanayakkara, batter Hansima Karunaratne, and spinner Inoshi Fernando were not picked.Prabodhani, 39, last represented Sri Lanka during the Women’s T20 World Cup in October last year and hasn’t played an ODI since the tour of Ireland in August 2024. She was recovering from a persistent hamstring injury and her return will boost Sri Lanka’s seam attack, which includes 35-year-old Achini Kulasuriya and 24-year-old Malki Madara.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Dulani, 23, replaced 17-year-old Nanayakkara in the squad and will likely serve as back-up batter. The captain Chamari Athapaththu heads a settled batting unit that includes Hasini Perera, Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Nilakshi de Silva, Piumi Wathsala and Anushka Sanjeewani.Even with the exclusion of Inoshi, Sri Lanka still have plenty of spin options in Dewmi Vihanga, Inoka Ranaweera and Sugandika Kumari, and also the allrounders Athapaththu and Dilhari.Sri Lanka begin their World Cup campaign against India in Guwahati on September 30 and then play their next four games in Colombo before travelling to Navi Mumbai to take on Bangladesh. They then return home for their final league game against Pakistan.

Sri Lanka squad for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025

Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshika Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera, Achini Kulasuriya, Piumi Wathsala, Dewmi Vihanga, Malki Madara, Udeshika Prabodhani, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, are looking to up their fielding as both teams face off to fine-tune for the showpiece event

Madushka Balasuriya16-Feb-2024There might be a little over three months left for June’s Men’s T20 World Cup, but for Afghanistan and Sri Lanka that leaves just six competitive fixtures each before the start of the tournament – three of which will take place over the next week, starting on Saturday with the first T20I in Dambulla.This means that any flaws that crop up or game-plan tweaks that need doing take on added significance – essentially, this is the time to perfect your game, there’s not much time left for much else. And for Sri Lanka, team composition will likely take precedence.In the just-concluded ODIs a line-up featuring four frontline bowlers, six batters and Wanindu Hasaranga as a sole allrounder proved to be a winning combination. In T20s though, Sri Lanka have tended to favour more allrounders, with the likes of Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva capable with both bat and ball. With World Cup surfaces in the Caribbean and the USA likely to vary from batting friendly to sometimes slow and low, similar to subcontinental wickets, sides need to be prepared for any eventuality, something captain Hasaranga is cognisant off.”We saw in the ODIs that going in with just one allrounder worked. When we play on good wickets we can play like that. The batters have confidence when they know the wicket is good. In T20s also I would very much like to play like that,” he said on the eve of the first T20I. “Because I bowl four overs [along with his batting], there is also a line of thinking as to whether we need another bowling option or not.”So the plan largely depends on the type of wickets we’re playing on as well; the plan has to suit that. We need to be thinking about the World Cup coming up when playing these games.”Sri Lanka’s last two T20 World Cup outings have been underwhelming, plagued with injuries and general underperformance. While they won a T20 Asia Cup in between, inconsistency in the format has been a recurring theme. When everyone is fit though, Hasaranga is confident that Sri Lanka’s bowling attack in particular measures up with the best in the world.”If you look at world cricket, we’re one of the best teams in terms of bowling outfits. If you look at the rankings, myself and Maheesh [Theekshana] are in the top 10. Dushmantha Chameera was unlucky with his injury, otherwise he’d also be here. But in his place we have Binura [Fernando] who has come in, and there’s also Matheesha [Pathirana] and Nuwan Thushara. We know how good those two are. Dilshan Madushanka is also there.”In terms of bowlers we have quite a few options, so when we come to playing on good tracks – especially T20s – we need to see exactly how to bowl. We’ve bowled on good wickets before, so I think in T20s it’s from the bowlers that you’re going to win matches.”The types of wickets we’re going to play on at the World Cup, there’s a good chance we’ll play on similar wickets during these next six games. With that we’ll be aiming to figure out how we can win a game with our combination of bowlers.”As for Afghanistan, the upcoming World Cup is a chance to build on their growing reputation. Previous appearances have seen them notch up big scalps, while in last years ODI World Cup they registered wins against three former world champions on their way to securing qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy by virtue of finishing in the top eight.With arguably their best format, T20s, now in focus, they’re targeting their best performance yet in a major tournament.”I think lots of people before the World Cup [last year], they didn’t consider Afghanistan a strong side. But what we did, it was a good answer to anyone, especially those people that thought Afghanistan was only a T20 side,” said Afghanistan assistant coach Raees Ahmed. “But as a Full Member we’re working a lot, our players are working hard. The way we performed in the World Cup, we want to continue.”Most of our players are playing in different franchises around the world – we have eight or nine players playing the IPL – so this will help the team. I don’t think Afghanistan will be an easy side to face, I think we could be in the top four or five. Every team will think twice before playing Afghanistan in the World Cup.”An area that they will need to improve quickly though is in their fielding. Across the recent ODI series, Afghanistan were guilty of dropping a spate of catches – many of which in hindsight might have been game-defining.”This is the area that we should work harder in, if you want to beat the stronger sides. It will help the team and give it some nice momentum when you have a strong fielding side. Yes, this is the area that we should be working on a lot. Honestly, we’re far behind as a fielding side. But we have time, we will work on it, and we will cover that weakness.”

They beat a Western Australia Cricket Association XI by 13 runs with Arshdeep Singh also making a mark

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2022Suryakumar Yadav continued his good form as the Indian team beat the Western Australia Cricket Association XI by 13 runs in its first practice game ahead of the T20 World Cup, in Perth on Monday.The Indian team, which has been training at the WACA for the past three days, wanted to get used to the pace and bounce of the track. They made 158 for 6 in their stipulated 20 overs and in reply, the WACA XI managed only 145 for 8 in their 20 overs.Instead of captain Rohit Sharma’s regular partner KL Rahul, it was Rishabh Pant, who opened the innings for the visitors. But it was Suryakumar, whose 35-ball 52 was the highlight of the innings as a few hundred fans enjoyed his free-flowing strokeplay. He hit three fours and as many sixes during his knock and not for once did the pace and bounce of the track looked like troubling the world No. 2 ranked T20I batter.The other man, who made a significant contribution, was allrounder Hardik Pandya who scored 27 off 20 balls. Deepak Hooda, having recently recovered from injury, also chipped in with 22 off 14 balls at No. 3.India were 28 for 2 in the powerplay before Suryakumar’s intervention. His wicket, in the 18th over, left India at 129 for 5 but the last 16 balls yielded 29 runs and got them closer to the 160-run mark.Defending the total against a WACA XI wasn’t a big ask as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh basically blew away the home team’s top-order inside the powerplay. WACA XI were reduced to 12 for 4 in the third over and they could never recover from the setback.Arshdeep was the best Indian bowler on view with impressive figures of 3 for 6 from three overs, while Bhuvneshwar (2 for 26) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2 for 15) also chipped in.India’s next practice game against the same opposition is on October 13 before the team travels to Brisbane for two official T20 World Cup warm-up games against Australia and New Zealand.

“I don’t look to please people, I’m here to play the role that’s assigned to me accordingly, by the team management”

Annesha Ghosh04-Jul-20213:35

Mithali Raj: When young players like Rodrigues go through bad form, senior players back them

Mithali Raj has said she doesn’t heed criticism around her strike rate and instead focuses on shouldering the responsibility bestowed by the team management in terms of playing the anchor role in the Indian ODI side.”I do read the criticism about my strike rate but as I’ve said earlier also, I don’t seek validation from people,” Raj, the India Test and ODI captain, said after sealing a 220-run chase and her side’s thrilling four-wicket win on Saturday in Worcester with an unbeaten 75. “I have played for a long time, and I know that I have a certain responsibility in the team. I don’t look to please people, I’m here to play the role that’s assigned to me accordingly, by the team management.Related

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“When you’re chasing a target, you pick your bowlers, you pick the length, and you pick the areas. And because I am in good flow, I know I need to make the best use of me in the middle. In a way the batting unit revolves around me – that’s the job that’s been given to me by the coach.”I look to not get bogged down because somewhere I do know that the top order is already in the dugout and it was important for me to understand the situation how I can manoeuvre and try to get the match as close as possible with the batters who are yet to come and the batters that I had in the middle. And I guess I need to give credit also to Sneh Rana because that partnership was very, very crucial. She kept her calm, which is very important in such situations.”Picking up her third straight fifty in the ODI leg of the multi-format series, Raj steered India to victory in the final over of the chase after putting on two fifty stands. The second of those was with No. 7 Sneh Rana, whose vital 22-ball 24 earned her praise from Raj.”For me batting has always been a role-play in the team,” Raj said. “The sort of role that is assigned to me over the years is of taking the responsibility of the batting unit and play throughout. And that’s something I’ve always done.”Today also was one of those days where I could plan my innings. Chasing gives me a better picture of building an innings along with the other batters in the middle and I am able to control the game. I think that really worked for me. And having young girls in the side it helps to guide them when you’re in the middle to also sort of help them understand the situation and how to play in these conditions. It works well that way.”En route to her half-century, Raj surpassed former England captain Charlotte Edwards as the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket. She went past Edwards’ tally of 10,273 with a four off Natalie Sciver in the 24th over of the chase.Mithali Raj – “Because I am in good flow, I know I need to make the best use of me in the middle”•Getty Images

“I think the way things have gone, it wasn’t an easy journey,” Raj said, reflecting on her storied 22-year-long international career. “It had its trials and challenges. I’ve always believed that these trials always have a purpose, and there were times when I wanted to give up for various reasons but something kept me going and here I am, 22 years of international cricket but the hunger to score runs for India has never dried up.”[…] I know I have a few months in the run-up to the World Cup, and there’s certain areas, certain dimensions to the game that I would like to add to my batting. I look forward to working on those areas.”Raj, who retired from T20Is in 2019, had before the England tour said the 2022 ODI World Cup would be her swansong. With only tours of Australia and New Zealand so far scheduled before next year’s world tournament, the ODI assignment in England which concluded on Saturday may have been her last one in the country.”Obviously, before the World Cup we don’t have an England tour but I have always enjoyed playing in England against England, one of the quality teams on the world stage,” Raj, who made her international debut in England in 1999, said. “They say English conditions are always difficult, but the bulk of my runs I’ve scored on this soil. I’m just grateful that each time I come here…”There have been times when I’ve toured England from a bad form and I have scored heavily coming to England. So, I am happy the way I started in 1999, and today it’s come a full circle. I just look forward positively for the tours I am yet to play that I continue this form into those series as well.”

Hosts post record chase at Newlands to take 1-0 series lead after Joe Denly’s half-century guides England to respectable total

The Report by Valkerie Baynes04-Feb-2020Is this a new South Africa? Regardless of how this series ends or the eventual outcome of the hosts’ substantial rebuilding project, the answer, today, was yes.Led by newly appointed captain Quinton de Kock and a resurgent Temba Bavuma, South Africa recorded the highest successful ODI chase at Newlands to claim a memorable victory.De Kock and Bavuma put on a 173-run stand which blew South Africa’s previous best second-wicket partnership against England away and delivered a huge confidence boost after a disappointing World Cup and, more recently, a 3-1 Test series defeat to England.South Africa lost opener Reeza Hendricks cheaply, but not until the seventh over as he and de Kock made a controlled start.Bavuma joined de Kock with their side 25 for 1 and the pair played with poise and sense, never letting the required run rate out of site, running well between the wickets and not succumbing to any rash shot-making of the kind that drew criticism towards de Kock during the Test series.Bavuma, who forced his way back into the Test side for the fourth and final match at Johannesburg with some scintillating form on the domestic circuit, fell two runs shy of a second ODI century in just his third appearance.De Kock’s 107 off 113 balls oozed composure but was not without excitement, such as the massive six off Tom Curran that landed on top of the sightscreen and stayed there, or the four thumped off the back foot through midwicket to bring up his 5000th ODI run. Then there were consecutive fours through the covers to bring up his 15th one-day century.It was only when Joe Root re-entered the attack in the 36th over that de Kock fell, bowled as he missed an attempted slog-sweep.Rassie van der Dussen, who made his Test debut against England in December and finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer of the series – and South Africa’s second-highest behind de Kock – entered with his side needing 61 off 89 balls.Even when Bavuma was trapped lbw by Chris Jordan, ending a wonderful knock on 98 off 103 balls, there was no sense of panic and van der Dussen and Jon-Jon Smuts guided South Africa to the target with 14 balls to spare.World Champions England doled out caps at opposite ends of the spectrum, handing debuts to Tom Banton and Matt Parkinson and marking Chris Woakes’ 100th ODI. But it was their team-mate with a curious mix of age and ODI inexperience, Joe Denly, who played the innings England needed after falling to 83 for 4 and then 131 for 6 as they battled the spin of Tabraiz Shamsi.Denly scored his third ODI half-century and his first in the eight innings he has played since his previous fifty, against Australia in September 2009.After being overlooked for the World Cup, Denly was given the chance to establish himself as a limited-overs player when he was awarded his first white-ball contract at the end of last summer. If his first innings since is any gauge, Denly has set himself on course to do so, with a fine 87 off 103 balls to help England to 258 for 8 from their 50 overs when a much smaller total had looked likely earlier.South Africa also had two debutants, batting allrounder Smuts and quick Lutho Sipamla, and it was in fact the spin of Smuts that made the breakthrough they needed.Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow brought up England’s 50 off 54 balls to set a strong foundation.Roy hit his stride by punishing Beuran Hendricks with three consecutive fours through long-on, long-off and extra cover but he also rode his luck, dropped on 24 by Andile Phehlukwayo off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi and barely evading the reach of van der Dussen as he cleared midwicket.As their stand reached 51, Roy lofted Smuts down the ground and found Reeza Hendricks at long-on to fall for 32 from as many balls. Bairstow followed his opening partner back to the pavilion a short time later, crashing a drive off Phehlukwayo straight to Sipamla at mid-off.A brilliant piece of fielding from van der Dussen broke a third-wicket stand worth 30 runs between Eoin Morgan and Root. Morgan swept Shamsi but van der Dussen was so sharp with his diving intercept at backward square he had all the time in the world to rise to his knees and take middle stump out of the ground with a throw fired in from nearly 30 metres away, as a sprawling Root was found well short of his ground.Shamsi removed Morgan just three balls later, edging to Bavuma who took a strong slips catch diving low to his left.Banton reached 18 off 23 balls but he was found wanting when he dropped to his knee looking to slog-sweep Shamsi and was struck high on his back thigh and given out lbw, failing to have the decision overturned on review when ball-tracking showed the delivery was headed for the top of off stump.Shamsi claimed his third wicket when he bowled Sam Curran round his legs.That brought Woakes to the crease and he joined Denly in settling the England innings, contributing 40 as the pair put on 91 runs for the seventh wicket.Denly accelerated through the closing overs, clubbing Ngidi some 87 metres over cow corner for six – the first maximum of England’s innings. He dealt out more of the same in Ngidi’s next over with a scornful smash over the fence at long-off.Denly was finally brought undone when he sent Beuran Hendricks to Reeza Hendricks in the deep with four balls remaining, his efforts at least giving England a fighting total – until de Kock and Bavuma played their part.

The pair’s 162-run stand gave New Zealand a solid platform from which they can think of batting just once in the Test

The Report by Shashank Kishore16-Dec-2018One of Sri Lanka’s two Test wins in New Zealand has come at the Basin Reserve. At the end of the second day’s play, it looks increasingly possible that they are unlikely to reprise that stunning win from 2006, after Kane Williamson and Tom Latham deflated them on a batting day as New Zealand nudged ahead by 29, with eight wickets in hand.In that Test, Sri Lanka had Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan and Lasith Malinga to call upon after posting close to the 282 they managed here. On Sunday, barring Lahiru Kumara’s bristling pace and bounce, there was little bite in the bowling. This meant a party for large parts of a three-hour passage in the afternoon for Williamson, who put together 162 with Latham at more than four runs per over.

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If New Zealand were to be a little critical of their efforts, they would rue gifting both wickets to Sri Lanka. Jeet Raval’s wait for a maiden Test century continues as he was out to an ill-advised pull to a delivery that just didn’t come on, and took the toe-end off a Kumara short ball, as he played early, to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella.Williamson missed his 20th Test century by just nine runs shortly after tea when he swept an innocuous Dhananjaya de Silva delivery to backward square leg. But Latham carried on, in his own industrious way, overcoming pockets of struggle and a hint of luck early in his innings, to bring up his seventh Test century, thereby breaking a three-figure deadlock that eluded him for 11 Tests since his marathon 177 in Wellington against Bangladesh in January last year.If these two efforts weren’t enough, Ross Taylor came in to replace Williamson and helped himself to a buffet spread against a tired attack to eke out a half-century, surpassing Brendon McCullum along the way to become New Zealand’s second-highest run-scorer in Test history. Like Latham, Taylor too was a recipient of Sri Lanka’s generosity when Dhananjaya put down a wild slash at first slip on 23 off Lakmal. With the fields largely spread out on the face of Dinesh Chandimal’s defensive captaincy, this was a perfect recipe to build a lead. This meant New Zealand were in a position where they could entertain thoughts of batting just once in this Test.It seemed as if Williamson was on pause-play mode, continuing from where he left off in Abu Dhabi 10 days ago, where he made a remarkable Test century against Yasir Shah and company on a crumbly surface. In comparison, Sri Lanka’s attack was much milder here, with the three-man pace pack struggling to sustain any kind of pressure, first with the new ball and then later in the day even as there was a hint of reverse swing. Dilruwan Perera, a force on dry subcontinent turners, also went wicketless.Where New Zealand employed spin for just three overs, Chandimal bowled Dilruwan and Dhanajaya for a combined 21 overs, for the cost of 89 runs and Williamson’s wicket, much against the run of play. But while he was at the crease, he profited from punchy strokes on the up, his first three scoring shots coming off boundaries as he quickly matched Latham, who had taken 74 balls to make just three runs more.The first of those boundaries was off a genuine outside edge that raced past second slip. It would be the only streaky boundary from Williamson’s bat. The second and third were trademark back-foot punches that pierced the off-side ring. At the end of the first session, it was amply clear which side felt the heat, as Williamson raced past his 29th Test fifty with the promise of much more.All along, Latham kept soldiering along at a steady pace without actually being noticed at the other end. That he managed to stave off Suranga Lakmal’s late inswing from around the stumps was largely due to his tight technique and the shelving of loose drives. He survived early in the innings too, because of poor field placement. Jabbing at a late inswinger from Lakmal, the ball popped off a thick inside edge to where a short leg would’ve been.Sri Lanka’s frustration increased when they lost a review in the third over after lunch, the 26th of the innings, when they referred an lbw appeal against Latham off Lakmal. The ball would’ve smashed into the stumps, but for the line – it pitched outside leg. From there on, there was hardly any noise or intensity created by the bowlers, who largely went through the motions.After a brief spell in the morning session, Mathews wasn’t given a bowl for the remainder of the day when it seemed as if Sri Lanka could do with his relentless plugging away around the off stump. It’s also possible this could’ve been part of his workload management, given this was the first time he was bowling in a Test since January 2017 because of a spate of injuries. With more pace on the ball courtesy Kumara and the erratic Kasun Rajitha, Williamson treated the Sunday crowd to an array of dazzling off-side play.This stand was built upon a solid foundation laid by the openers – Raval and Latham putting on 59, nine more than their highest stand in six innings on the UAE tour against Pakistan.Earlier in the day, Dickwella played a trademark scoop to begin proceedings, but Sri Lanka added just seven to their overnight 275 for 9 before last man Kumara was dismissed. He was superbly caught at leg slip by Colin de Grandhomme, off a thick inside edge that flew in between the batsman’s legs. Dickwella was stranded on 80, three short of his highest Test score, as Tim Southee finished with 6 for 68 – his eighth five-for in Tests. This was also his maiden five-for at the Basin Reserve.

The spin duo strangled Rajshahi Kings after Comilla had won the toss, and left their batsmen a meagre target

The Report by Mohammad Isam12-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Rashid Khan lets rip with an appeal•AFP

Comilla Victorians crushed Rajshahi Kings by nine wickets after Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan starred with the ball, taking four wickets collectively as Rajshahi lurched to their third loss in four games.Sent to bat, Rajshahi’s innings hardly put up a decent partnership. They succumbed to the deadly Afghan combination – Rashid’s subtle variations and Nabi’s accuracy- as they made only 115 for 7 in 20 overs. Nabi finished with 3 for 15 while Rashid gave away just seven runs in four overs for his wicket.Liton Das gave Comilla a brisk start before Imrul Kayes and Jos Buttler finished off the chase with their unbroken 97-run second-wicket stand, taking Cmilla home with 29 balls to spare.The only good partBefore he was stretchered off, Simmons was the only Rajshahi batsman to give Comilla something to think about. Off Nabi, he slammed a straight six before hitting Arafat Sunny for three consecutive fours in the sixth over. But off the next ball, he completed a single while clutching his hamstring and then went down. His 40 came off 23 balls with the solitary six and six fours. With his departure, Rajshahi were effectively 48 for three in the sixth over, having already lost Mominul Haque and Rony Talukdar in the fourth and fifth over respectively.Afghans rule MirpurMominul was Nabi’s first wicket before Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nihaduzzaman also fell to his accurate offspin. Credit for Miraz’s wicket was shared with Marlon Samuels too, who leaped to his right at backward point to hold on to catch.Rashid took the key wicket of Mushfiqur Rahim in the ninth over. Rashid had worked over Mushfiqur for six deliveries before an attempted flick took the top edge, and was easily caught at extra cover. Rashid also had a hand in the removal of Malcolm Waller in the 11th over when the Zimbabwean lost his concentration momentarily during an lbw appeal and took off for a single assuming the ball had gone past the square. Liton quickly whipped off the bails, getting him run-out.Liton goes sweepingFarhad Reza was subjected to four sweeps by Liton before he was bowled off the last ball of an over while attempting a punch over the infield. The first of those sweeps that connected, somewhat, went for a six over the wicketkeeper before the next one went off a glove through the same region. Off the fifth ball Liton connected properly with the sweep against an outswinger and it sailed over the square-leg boundary for a second six in the over. Despite conceding 22 runs in the over, Farhad had the last laugh when he snuck a slower ball in and beat the bat to find middle and leg.Chasing it down unflappablyLike he did with Samuels in Comilla’s last match, Kayes settled down to take his side closer to the chase. This time, Buttler was with him. Buttler made an unbeaten 50 off 39 balls with four boundaries and two sixes while Imrul was not out on 44 off 41 balls, finishing the chase with a pulled six off Malcolm Waller.

Essex will require three runs with only one wicket in hand to avoid the follow on after reaching stumps on day three in Canterbury on 289 for 9

ECB Reporters Network22-Sep-2016
ScorecardDan Lawrence made 88 but Essex were still short of the follow-on target at the close•PA Photos

Essex will require three runs with only one wicket in hand to avoid the follow on after reaching stumps on day three in Canterbury on 289 for 9. Responding to Kent’s 441 all out, Essex lost wickets at regular intervals in this Specsavers Championship top-of-the-table clash, but a last-wicket stand worth 22 between David Masters and Matt Dixon has at least given the visitors a chance to avoid batting again on the final day of the campaign.Batting for the first time by 11.35am on day three, Essex lost two wickets in the short 15-over spell through to lunch as Kent maintained their grip on events despite a plucky knock from No. 4 Dan Lawrence, who rode his luck to score 88 having edged through the cordon when on 5 only to see Will Gidman down a chance at third slip on the same score.The visitors and second division champions elect, lost Varun Chopra, lbw for 25 to Kent’s man-of-the-moment, Darren Stevens, then Tom Westley, caught at square leg by Sean Dickson off the bowling of Mitch Claydon in the over before the interval.Kent maintained a check on the run rate in the afternoon session and also collected a further three wickets in the process as Nick Browne, Ravi Bopara and Adam Wheater all trooped back to the pavilion. Browne edged the 12th ball after the resumption to Sam Billings off Claydon then Bopara, digging down late on a full ball from Hardus Viljoen, also nicked through to the Kent keeper. Just before tea Wheater’s miscued pull against Matt Coles flew to deep square leg where Dickson took a comfortable catch.Viljoen continued to shine after tea by having Kishen Velani and Will Rhodes both caught at second slip by James Tredwell off successive overs.With 27 needed to avoid the follow-on and just 12 short of his fourth Championship hundred of the summer, Lawrence inexplicably holed out to long-on against the offspin of Tredwell. Masters, in his farewell appearance for Essex, was given a guard of honour by the Kent side as he walked to the middle, but Tredwell soon struck again by ripping an arm ball though Paul Walter’s defensive gate to peg back the left-hander’s off stump to leave Essex nine down.At the start of the day Kent had secured the second division runners-up spot upon reaching 400. Resuming on their overnight score of 387 for 7, the hosts motored past 400 with a fearsome back-foot cut by Coles that registered a fifth batting bonus point to clinch the ECB’s prize money cheque of almost £57,000 for finishing second behind Essex.In trying to repeat the stroke in the next over Coles nicked to Wheater to depart for 32 and give Masters, the former Kent seamer, his first wicket in the match. Masters struck again with a lifter that Viljoen could only glove to third slip then Stevens, on 136 and just four short of equalling his season’s best, clipped to deep backward square to give Dixon figures of 5 for 124.

Netherlands will take on fellow 2015 ICC World T20 Qualifier co-champions Scotland in the headline matchup of round two in the ICC Intercontinental Cup and WCL Championship

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2015Netherlands will take on 2015 ICC World T20 Qualifier co-champions Scotland in the headline matchup of round two in the ICC Intercontinental Cup and WCL Championship. Scotland will travel to The Hague for the four-day Intercontinental Cup match scheduled for September 8-11 at Sportpark Westvliet. Netherlands last played there in 2012 when they defeated Bangladesh by one wicket in a Twenty20 international.The two sides will then play a pair of 50-over WCL Championship fixtures at the VRA Ground in Amstelveen. Both sides are currently joint leaders after round one of the WCL Championship after Netherlands swept Papua New Guinea in June and Scotland claimed two rain-affected matches over Nepal in Ayr last month.Ireland will travel to Namibia in a top-of-the-table clash in the I-Cup from October 24 to 27 in Windhoek. Ireland claimed full points with an innings victory over UAE in Malahide in June to kick off round one while Namibia did the same, defeating Hong Kong by 114 runs in May. Namibia then host Kenya in two WCL Championship matches in Windhoek on October 30 and November 1.Hong Kong travel to UAE in the second week of November with both teams seeking their first win of the I-Cup. The four-day game will take place at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai from November 11-14 and will be followed by WCL Championship matches on November 16 and 18.The second round of the I-Cup will wrap up with Afghanistan hosting PNG in Sharjah from November 21-24. PNG will be looking to bounce back after their dreams of reaching the 2016 World Twenty20 in India were dashed by Afghanistan in Malahide last month.PNG are then scheduled to take on Nepal in a pair of WCL Championship fixtures on November 28 and 30, with both teams seeking their first wins in the competition. However, the venue for those games has not yet been decided. An ICC release stated that the matches are currently slated to be held in Kathmandu, though that is subject to a security and infrastructure assessment and clearance following a series of earthquakes that struck near Kathmandu in April and May.According to a source, the games may be shifted to the UAE. From a logistics standpoint, it would not require additional travel for PNG, who will already be there for the four-day match against Afghanistan, and the ICC GCA would be available to serve as a neutral venue. The ICC recently had to shift the 2015 U-19 World Cup Qualifier out of Nepal due to infrastructure damage from the earthquakes and it was announced earlier this month that the tournament will now be hosted this October in Malaysia.