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Ricky Ponting was a relieved man at the end of a gripping game in Hyderabad, with Australia taking a 3-2 series lead after Sachin Tendulkar threatened to chase 351

Cricinfo staff05-Nov-2009Ricky Ponting was a relieved man at the end of a gripping game in Hyderabad, with Australia taking a 3-2 series lead after Sachin Tendulkar threatened to chase 351. Having made 350 on a pure batting track, Ponting was indebted to his replacement players who he felt stepped up admirably in a display that saw Australia edge India by three runs.Australia have so far lost five players to injury and Ponting was pleased with the way the replacements responded. “It’s remarkable considering the number of players we have had injured on this tour and we had a couple of our better players who didn’t make the tour,” Ponting said. “When you take all those things into consideration, the way we are continuing to improve our cricket is fantastic.”It is a great win for the boys and I am really happy to see some of the young guys doing well. It’s a really good sign for the team.”Ponting was also full of praise for Tendulkar, whose superb 175 was cut short with India needing 19 from 17 deliveries. “Sachin played beautifully. It was one of the best knocks I’ve ever seen,” he said. “We just had to keep hanging in there and I kept telling the bowlers to stick to their plans and to execute them well.”It just takes one false shot and you are back in the game, but Sachin didn’t play too many false ones tonight. I thought we batted well too and Shaun Marsh and Watson were terrific for us today at the top of the order.”Marsh scored his first one-day international century and finished with 112 at a run a ball in his first series back after six months out of the Australia team. Marsh was a regular at the top of the order for Australia until suffering a hamstring injury in the series against Pakistan in the UAE and his nagging problem, combined with the success of Tim Paine as a replacement opener, meant he faced some nerves about whether he could regain his position.”It felt like I was never going to get there when I was doing recovery with my hamstrings and all that,” Marsh told AAP. “It was a long six months when I did it in Dubai and knew it would be a lot of hard work. All the hard work I have done over the past six months is paying off a little bit so I have to continue now to make sure I don’t get too far in front of myself as I know this game can bite you on the bum very quickly.”Marsh has now followed in the footsteps of his father Geoff Marsh, whose first ODI century was also against India. “It’s a day I will remember for a long time,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to know that he [Dad] has scored a century for Australia and that now I have has well.”

South Africa Masters saw off a threatening fourth-wicket partnership between Collis King and Jimmy Adams to clinch a ten-wicket win

Cricinfo staff03-Dec-2009
Scorecard
South Africa Masters saw off a threatening fourth-wicket partnership between Collis King and Jimmy Adams to clinch a ten-run win that handed West Indies Masters their second straight loss in the Cricket Legends of Barbados International Cup. Chasing a target of 165, West Indies ended up on 154 for 5 as South Africa held their nerve when it mattered most. The home side, who have won just one match from three attempts, now need a victory to move into Saturday’s final.The chase began well with Stuart Williams (20) and Gordon Greendige (16) adding 45. Williams’ dismissal, picking out deep square leg, was followed by Greenidge having to retire with a hurting left knee. Carl Hooper took ten deliveries for a single run before he edged Fanie de Villiers to Neil Johnson, further putting the blocks on the scoring rate, but West Indies were boosted by King and Adams.King smacked three sixes in his speedy 37, each one effortlessly smacked over the fielders, and the stand was worth 64 when he was dismissed in the 17th over. Looking for another big hit, King was held at long-on by Claude Henderson off Alan Dawson. Adams struck a top score of 42 from 34 balls, after being dropped by Pat Symcox at short fine leg when he was 11. With 19 needed from just four balls, he was bowled by Lance Klusener. Vasbert Drakes had the consolation of hitting the last ball of the match for six.The game began with South Africa opting to bat and putting up 164 for 3, thanks mainly to Dave Callaghan (69) and the captain Dale Benkenstein (58). Their match-winning third-wicket partnership of 109 from 11 overs stunned West Indies after they had sent back the openers inside the seventh over.Callaghan clubbed six fours and two sixes in his 42-balls he effort, one that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award. Benkenstein hit three fours and three sixes in his 35-ball innings.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson, the two England bowlers at the centre of the recent ball-tampering controversy, have steadfastly defended their actions during the third Test against South Africa

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2010Stuart Broad and James Anderson, the two England bowlers at the centre of the recent ball-tampering controversy, have steadfastly defended their actions during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.TV pictures showed Broad standing on the ball while Anderson was seen picking at the leather which led South Africa to “raise concerns” about the condition of the ball. However, the home side didn’t take their complaint forward to official levels which prompted Andrew Strauss to call it “malicious” and England coach Andy Flower said if they’d had a problem it should have been raised in the formal way.Broad has now said he took “great offence” at being implicated by the South Africans and wasn’t impressed with the way they announced their concerns through a press conference.”I find it astonishing that South Africa should walk into a press conference and say they had raised concerns about the condition of the ball and then not follow that up by making a formal complaint. That is very poor behaviour,” he told the “My actions in stopping the ball with my boot have been questioned but I am not the first bowler to stop a ball with his size 12s and I will not be the last.”It was close to 40 degrees Celsius out there in Newlands at the time, and, if I was guilty of anything, it was just laziness in not bending down to pick up the ball. Ball-tampering? That’s astonishing.”Former England captain Michael Vaughan was critical of England’s part in the controversy, but Anderson is disappointed that he wasn’t more supportive of players he led until 18 months ago. Anderson said he and Broad were nothing more than “a bit absent-minded and lazy.””To be caught up in suggestions of ball-tampering was a huge disappointment,” he told the . “It led to a lot of comment and cast a shadow over me and Stuart Broad when we’d done nothing wrong except be a bit absent-minded and lazy.”I know my old England captain Michael Vaughan is entitled to his opinion but I was a little bit hurt by some of the comments he made about me, because I’d like to think he knew me well enough to know I wouldn’t do something like that.”I’ve got a lot of respect for Vaughany as a team-mate and as a captain and I learnt an awful lot under his wing in the England side so he knows the sort of player I am.”South Africa’s concerns over the ball stemmed from the fact that England have managed to find early reverse-swing during this series – often by the 15th over – while the hosts haven’t had the same success. However, Broad said that instead of casting doubts over what the bowlers are doing they should be praised for their skill.”Not too long ago, people were asking why English bowlers could not take wickets overseas on flat pitches with the old ball,” he said, “but what someone like Jimmy has done is become highly skilled at the difficult art of reverse-swing and all people can do is question that.”

Kieron Pollard and Shane Bond were the biggest buys at the third IPL auction on Tuesday

Cricinfo staff19-Jan-2010Kieron Pollard and Shane Bond were the biggest buys at the third IPL auction in Mumbai, each fetching the maximum possible bid of $750,000 but the biggest surprise was the fact that not a single Pakistan player was signed up by any of the franchises.Tuesday’s auction was low-key compared to the previous two, the franchises guided more by player availability than star power (the first year’s trend) or pure Twenty20 skills, as in 2009. Ten overseas slots were filled, and Mohammed Kaif became the eleventh senior player signed up on the day.However, there was not a single bid for any Pakistani player, though most of the World Twenty20-winning team was up for auction – including Shahid Afridi, the captain, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul and Umar Akmal. What made the blackout stranger was that the names had been placed on the auction list by the franchises expressing an interest in the players.The official explanation was that the players were overlooked for reasons of availability and cricket strategy. “The franchises had the option to pick any player. If you look, they [Pakistan players] were not the only ones not picked,” Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, said. “There were other players, too, who were not picked in the auction.”Their loss was others’ gain, most notably Bond. The New Zealand fast bowler, who recently quit Test cricket to focus on the shorter forms of the game, saw his value rise the most, from a base price of $100,000 to the cap of $750,000 before Kolkata Knight Riders – who entered the bidding at $640,000 – and Deccan Chargers submitted their secret bids. Kolkata won, bidding an undisclosed amount.”From what we have understood he [Bond] wouldn’t be playing Test matches anymore and will play only ODIs and Twenty20 games,” Jai Mehta, co-owner of Kolkata, explained after the auction. “Yes, he has been prone to injuries but his coach said he is in pretty good shape. We wanted a fast bowler with experience and he provides us that.”Bond’s sale was the auction’s second tie-breaker; the first was among four franchises for Pollard, the explosive West Indies allrounder with a base price of $200,000. He was eventually signed up by Mumbai Indians, who beat off Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata. “The team strategy, discussed between Sachin Tendulkar, TA Sekar and Robin Singh was that we wanted a batting allrounder and we are happy to have him,” Nita Ambani, who represented Mumbai at the auction, said.

IPL Auction

Sold players: Kieron Pollard (Mumbai, USD750,000+), Shane Bond (Kolkata, 750,000+), Kemar Roach (Deccan, 720,000), Wayne Parnell (Delhi, 610,000), Mohammad Kaif (Punjab, 250,000), Eoin Morgan (Bangalore, 220,000), Damien Martyn (Rajasthan, 100,000), Justin Kemp (Chennai, 100,000), Thissara Perera (Chennai, 50,000), Adam Voges (Rajasthan, 50,000), Yusuf Abdulla (Punjab, 50,000)

Pollard and Bond’s final price was not disclosed and Modi said only he and the successful bidders would be privy to that information.The two other notable signings were Kemar Roach, the West Indies fast bowler, who was bought by Deccan for $720,000, and South Africa’s Wayne Parnell, bought by Delhi Daredevils for $610,000. “It is great for the player and he has a big future ahead of him,” Modi said of Roach’s price. “He is 100% available and that could have been a big factor [in his sale]. They [Deccan] needed a fast bowler and he met their requirement.Eoin Morgan, the England batsman, was picked up by Bangalore for $220,000. Offspinner Graeme Swann was one of the players in the first auction pool but he did not get any bids at his base price of $250,000. Modi said that player availability was an important factor in the team’s strategies.”Yes, availability is a serious issue with all teams without doubt, based on that the teams have formed strategies,” Modi said. “Eoin Morgan was not available 100 % of the time earlier but, before the auction, he was released for the full time by the ECB and hence he was bought.”Mohammad Kaif, the only Indian up for auction, went unsold in the first round of bidding but was later signed up by Punjab for $250,000.Only three of India’s Under-19 players, priced at Rs. 800,000 each, were eligible to play in the IPL and they were chosen by a draft system. Bangalore picked U-19 captain Ashok Menaria, Deccan went for Harmeet Singh and Mumbai opted for Harshal Patel.

Cricinfo previews the first ODI between India and South Africa in Jaipur

The Preview by Sriram Veera20-Feb-2010

Match facts

February 21, 2010
Start time 14:30 local (09.00 GMT)A few young India hopefuls have an opportunity to shine•AFP

The Big Picture

The Test series wasn’t closely fought – both teams won by an innings- in the conventional sense but the matches were intense and dramatic contests. It has, thus, left everybody hoping that the ODIs will be as interesting. Some key players are missing from both India and South Africa but, as Australia proved on their last trip here, the absence of personnel can be overcome.For India, who were beaten by a severely-depleted Australian team, this is a chance to raise their limited-overs game to a level they are capable of. Their last ODI outing was a tri-series in Bangladesh, where they lost in the final to Sri Lanka, who reopened some old wounds. The pitch had something for the seamers and the Indian batting line-up folded cheaply. South Africa might not get the pitches necessary to exploit India’s vulnerability but it’s bound to be an interesting battle.This three-match series will offer a greater Test for South Africa. They will miss Graeme Smith and without him the top order, even with the inclusion of the in-form Hashim Amla, doesn’t have the same strength. Much will depend on AB de Villiers, who had a quiet Test series, if they are to put up totals around 300.The first game is huge for India ahead of the 2011 World Cup as Jaipur has faced some terror threats and the cricket world will be watching how the security issue is handled. It’s been reported that there will be unprecedented levels of security: the Indian Air Force will be manning the skies and the police have divided the city into five centers – the airport, the route leading to the hotel and stadium, the team hotel, and one each inside and outside the stadium.

Form guide (last five completed games, most recent first)

India LWWWL
South Africa LWLWW

Watch out for…

Yusuf Pathan: Will he finally prove what he is capable of in the international arena? Yusuf has done well in the IPL and a few Twenty20s but hasn’t showcased his big-hitting prowess in ODIs. The flat pitches should suit him but South Africa are bound to test him with short, lifting deliveries which have troubled him in the past. He is in great form, though, having made a stunning double-hundred in the Duleep Trophy final and a 40-ball hundred – the third fastest in List A games – in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match.AB de Villiers: He had an ordinary Test series but the ODIs might bring out his best. De Villiers is one of the best in the art of building an ODI innings and the Indian audience might get to see the best of him.

Team news

Both teams have been hit hard by injuries: South Africa will miss Smith while India don’t have Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan. India’s injuries present more opportunities to the likes of Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina to cement their places in the side. Kohli had a superb outing in the tri-series in Bangladesh and the pressure is on Raina, whose stock slipped after a poor ICC World Twenty20.South Africa: (probable) 1 Herschelle Gibbs, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Jacques Kallis (capt), 5 Loots Bosman, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Johan Botha, 11 Charl Langeveldt.India (probable) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Amit Mishra/R Ashwin, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Sreesanth.

Pitch and conditions

“We’ve prepared a batting wicket. It is a 270 wicket,” curator Taposh Chatterjee said. In the last game played here, India nearly chased Pakistan’s 306 and one can expect another run-fest. However, dew is expected to play a role and the teams batting second might have an advantage.

Stats and trivia

With their fairytale mission resting on the game, Afghanistan held their nerve to overcome a tenacious UAE side in a low-scoring thriller and take their place in the World Twenty20 that starts in May

Cricinfo staff13-Feb-2010
ScorecardNoor Ali’s unbeaten 38 won him the man-of-the-match award and took Afghanistan through to the World Twenty20 showpiece in the Caribbean•International Cricket Council

With their fairytale mission resting on the game, Afghanistan held their nerve to overcome a tenacious UAE side in a low-scoring thriller and take their place in the World Twenty20 that starts in May.Rarely has an Associate competition inspired so much emotion as people from around the world willed Afghanistan on through the tournament. Their defeat to the Netherlands yesterday brought back bitter memories of Afghanistan’s near-miss on qualification for the 50-over World Cup, but today there was no mistake.Their win was crafted on a number of useful contributions, rather than an outstanding individual but on a tired surface Noor Ali’s unbeaten 38, to guide his side home in a tense run chase, must be one of the most important innings in Afghanistan’s history.Asked to field first by home captain Khuuram Khan in front of a big crowd, Afghanistan settled into the contest immediately. The new-ball pair of Mirwais Ashraf and Shapoor Zadran have been important in giving Afghanistan control early and unlike yesterday, when they bowed under the pressure of the Netherlands’ batsmen, the pair responded well. Within four overs UAE were restricted to 11 for 3, with Ashraf claiming two wickets and Zadran getting the important scalp of Afran Haider, who after a couple of dot balls slashed one straight down the throat of third man.UAE have proved throughout the tournament that they are a resilient side and Abdul Rahman and Saqib Ali, who played so well against Ireland, set about undoing the early damage with 42-run stand. Having taken the score to 53 for 3 in just over 10 overs, Rahman got a grubber from Mohammed Nabi, that scuttled along the ground from a short length, straight into middle stump. Ali fell two overs later, having made a patient 24 and it was left to Naeemuddin Aslam to shepherd as many as he could from the tail. Nabi and Hamid Hassan, Afghanistan’s specialist death bowler, prevented any hopes UAE may have had of pushing beyond 100 with tight and penetrating bowling. Nabi ended with 3 for 17 and Hassan 2 for 23, as UAE posted what looked to be a below-par total.At this stage, Afghanistan would have backed themselves to coast home but they lost two wickets within the first four overs with only 16 on the board. Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Shahzad were both bowled by Shadeep Silva from deliveries that kept low and it was left to captain Nowroz Mangal to join Noor Ali to try and steady the ship. The pair carefully recovered the situation, running hard to add 32 important runs in six overs. When Mangal was out, trying to slog Fayyaz Ahmed over long on, for 14, his side needed 53 in 10 overs and the game was Afghanistan’s to lose.Ali continued to work the ball around well and found a willing partner in Asghar Stanikzai. They calmly pushed the score to 88, before Stanikzai needlessly tried to smash Ahmed over long off and was caught. It set nerves fluttering but in the 19th over, with 13 still needed, Ali swatted a short ball through midwicket for his only boundary of the innings, and followed it up with a two and another single. Nabi was bowled, deceived by a slower ball, but Samiullah Shenwari swept his first ball for four to leave just one needed from the final over.Fittingly, it was Ali who secured the winning moment, chipping over mid off to cue celebrations that will continue all the way to the Caribbean.He was named man of the match and is now eagerly looking forward to testing his skills against the top sides. “It has always been our dream to qualify and play in a World Cup. We missed out on the 50-over Cricket World Cup last year, so I am very happy we will play in the Twenty20 event,” he said. “It is our dream to play against the best teams and have the chance to play against fast bowlers like Dale Steyn or Ishant Sharma. We will prepare ourselves very well for this event and we need to keep on getting better ahead of the World Twenty20.”

New South Wales’ bowlers delivered four wickets to maintain the upper hand after their batsmen posted a massive 9 for 550 declared

Cricinfo staff11-Mar-2010South Australia 4 for 168 (Harris 54) trail New South Wales 9 for 550 dec (Nevill 105, Khawaja 102, Smith 100, O’Keefe 91, Forrest 78, Cleary 4-82) by 382 runs

ScorecardDaniel Harris scored 54 in South Australia’s innings but they face an uphill task•Getty Images

New South Wales’ bowlers delivered four wickets to maintain the upper hand after their batsmen posted a massive 9 for 550 declared at the SCG. Daniel Harris started with 54 in the reply but South Australia were 4 for 104 before an unbeaten stand between Cameron Borgas (30) and Aaron O’Brien (36) took them to 168.Steven Smith completed an even century at the start of the day in an excellent warm-up for the Test tour of New Zealand. Smith brought up his fourth hundred with a pull for four but was caught behind trying to hit Peter George (3 for 132).The wicketkeeper Peter Nevill and Steve O’Keefe kept building in a stand of 132 that took the game further away from South Australia. Nevill’s maiden century ended on 105 when he gave Tim Ludeman his sixth catch of the innings.O’Keefe, who went on to collect 2 for 42, almost made it to three figures but fell to a leading edge on 91. The wicket was Mark Cleary’s fourth and forced the declaration.

Despite all the changes at The Oval over the winter there was one very familiar sight on the second day against Derbyshire – Mark Ramprakash making effortless runs

Andrew McGlashan at The Oval10-Apr-2010
ScorecardDespite all the changes at The Oval over the winter there was one very familiar sight on the second day against Derbyshire – Mark Ramprakash making effortless runs. Surrey will need plenty more from him, too, after Greg Smith’s three-wicket burst built on Chris Rogers’ double hundred to leave the visitors in charge, although the fifth-wicket stand of 109 between Ramprakash and Steven Davies averted an imminent collapse.Ramprakash’s pre-season was a disjointed affair as he spent time on the road with the tour, then helped himself to some runs in Dubai before missing the MCC match against Durham for personal reasons. But Ramprakash has been doing this job for so long that he just slots straight back in. Although he had an escape on 10 when Graham Wagg overstepped and the ball seemed to take an edge down the leg side he barely looked in trouble.By the close he had registered the first of what will be many fifties this season from 94 balls and alongside Davies had steadied the innings from a precarious 74 for 4. Davies, after spending the winter as a drinks waiter for England, played positively for his 70-ball half century although had a few uncomfortable moments against Robin Peterson’s left-arm spin out of the footmarks. And three overs before the close it proved his downfall as he pushed forward and got a low edge to slip, a wicket that confirmed Derbyshire’s position of strength.The Surrey openers had a fair degree of luck in a stand of 44 as both Arun Harinath and Matthew Spriegel were given lives. Tim Groenewald dropped a tough return catch from a leading edge off Spriegel when he had 10 and Harinath was missed off a much simpler chance by Peterson at first slip. So it didn’t come as a complete surprise when Spriegel pushed outside off to give a regulation catch to the keeper and Smith his first wicket.Smith, a versatile cricketer who also bowls offspin, bustled in from the Pavilion End and found a hint of movement with his skiddy action to take 3 for 4 in 14 balls. An over after dislodging Spriegel he ended Harinath’s fidgety innings when the left-hander skewed a catch to gully and Surrey were really in the mire when Usman Afzaal offered a simple edge to first slip.It meant a daunting position of 53 for 3 greeted Rory Hamilton-Brown as he joined Ramprakash, someone who hasn’t been overwhelming in the support of his captaincy appointment. Despite one pleasing cover drive Hamilton-Brown couldn’t stop the slide when he was trapped on the crease by Groenewald so it was left to the man who made his first-class debut in the year Hamilton-Brown was born.When play resumed the main interest was whether Rogers could register another double century and he duly reached the milestone from 318 balls – but not before a second let-off by Stuart Meaker who dropped a sitter a deep square-leg, then gave away four overthrows next ball. It was Rogers’ third double in his last four Championship matches for Derbyshire, a conversion rate that most English batsmen can only dream of. However, he couldn’t add to his tally before being trapped lbw sweeping at Gareth Batty.Peterson had already departed when he was beaten for pace by Meaker to partially atone for his poor fielding, but Derbyshire’s lower order frustrated the home side. Wagg struck the first six of the match during his 37, but Andre Nel finally found some deserved reward when he took the off stump and also added Groenewald.Still, though, there was no swift finish as wicketkeeper Lee Goddard and last-man Mark Footitt added 51 in nine overs with some merry stroke play including a reverse sweep from Goddard. But despite their large total, Derbyshire missed out on full batting points which this season have to be collected within 110 overs of the first innings. Surrey, too, missed out on a point, but that soon became the least of their concerns.

In an intriguingly balanced match on a testing pitch, Hampshire have a platform from which they might just lift their spirits after a woefully poor beginning to the season with a win over the First Division leaders

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge18-May-2010
Scorecard
In an intriguingly balanced match on a testing pitch, Hampshire have a platform from which they might just lift their spirits after a woefully poor beginning to the season with a win over the First Division leaders. It is an unsteady platform, for sure, represented by a lead of just 35 runs, but after losing four of their first five matches in the Championship, to be in with a chance at the half-way stage in this one must feel like progress.Much will depend, of course, on how they bowl on day three, given that a big target on the last day could be a daunting prospect for a batting line-up lacking Michael Carberry as well as Michael Lumb and Dimitri Mascarenhas. Variable bounce is likely to be a factor on a dry, cracked pitch.They will look again to Jimmy Adams, who missed out by four runs on a first century of the campaign but was the fulcrum nonetheless of a steadfast performance from Hampshire, whose record contrasts with Nottinghamshire’s four wins from four.It could be a good moment, too, for Neil McKenzie, the former South African Test batsman, to properly prove his value to the county after a slow start to his Hampshire career. The way in which he ended a run of low scores with a first half-century in the Championship perhaps signalled a timely return to form.Two partnerships were pivotal on day two, the first of which saw Adams and Chris Benham add 115 after the loss of nightwatchman James Tomlinson left them 39 for 2.At the start of it, Darren Pattinson bowled superbly, maintaining excellent control, finding movement off the pitch as well as through the air and beating the bat repeatedly. He looked a bit like the Pattinson of two years ago, before he earned his solitary and controversial Test call-up. James Whitaker, the England selector, was looking on, as he often was then, although it would be a surprise if he is mentioned in dispatches this time.Charlie Shreck was no less impressive and when he and Pattinson gave way, Andre Adams and Paul Franks kept up the pressure. In an enthralling contest, the Hampshire pair were made to work for their runs.Indeed, their application was impressive, in particular from Jimmy Adams, who grafted for 153 balls to get to 50, although he should have been caught at second slip off his namesake’s bowling on 37, Neil Edwards spilling the chance.Benham, who had a painful blow on the elbow facing Adams the bowler, survived a difficult chance to the wicketkeeper off Pattinson on 20 soon after lunch.Adams at last found an opportunity to attack when Nottinghamshire introduced Samit Patel’s left-arm spin an hour into the afternoon session. His next 46 runs came much more briskly, all bar six of them in boundaries, but Nottinghamshire regained the initiative again when Shreck broke the stand by bowling Benham.Then Franks, who had been turned down in a vigorous appeal for lbw moments earlier, found some extra bounce and movement to Adams, who was caught behind off a thin contact and walked without waiting for the umpire’s verdict.Franks, whose all-round talents saw him accelerated into the England one-day side a decade ago only for a knee injury to blunt his progress, has been in and out of the Nottinghamshire side in recent years but seems to be thriving again now, with Mark Ealham’s retirement offering the chance to forge a permanent place. Full of confidence, he struck again four balls later in the same over, James Vince hitting him straight to Steven Mullaney at midwicket. Vince is a young man who might interest Whitaker and company at some stage, but not on this occasion.With his quick demise, Hampshire were five down and still 102 adrift. Nottinghamshire sensed a chance to take the upper hand decisively.But McKenzie and Nic Pothas had other ideas. Adding 74 in 23 overs, they swung the balance again towards Hampshire before, Pattinson, with the new ball, trapped McKenzie leg before with a fuller delivery.Adams, whose last spell was his best, dismissed Pothas and mopped up the tail to finish with 4 for 56, but not before Sean Ervine had eked out a valuable unbeaten 31 for a lead of 35.

Andrew McGlashan provides the Plays of the Day from the second day at Old Trafford

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford05-Jun-2010Ball of the day

Old Trafford has a decent history of spinners producing some special deliveries. Shane Warne tops the list in 1993, but Ashley Giles’ ball to Damien Martyn in 2005 wasn’t too shabby while Monty Panesar has managed a few good ones as well. However, Shakib Al Hasan’s delivery to remove Ian Bell can stand proud among the best as he turned one from leg stump to take the top of off against a batsman well set on 128. For a moment it was unclear what had happened because Shakib, in complete contrast to when he removed Kevin Pietersen on the first day, barely acknowledged the dismissal after being frustrated by his team’s bowling during the morning.Sequence of the day

Tamim Iqbal was at it again. Not content with his memorable display at Lord’s he again put England’s attack to the sword with another hundred of the highest quality. He probably wishes he could play England all the time because his current sequence stands at six scores over fifty in seven innings. When he passed fifty he became the first Bangladesh batsman to make five half-centuries in consecutive innings. But he wasn’t finished there and when he cut Graeme Swann through point to reach three figures he became the first to hit back-to-back Test hundreds as well. Only two of his countrymen have managed two hundreds in their entire careers.Stand of the day

Century opening stands have been like London buses for Bangladesh.
Wait ages for one, then two come along at once. They have only had four in their Test history, but the last couple have been back-to-back (unsurprisingly for the first time) after Tamim and Imrul Kayes followed their 185 at Lord’s with 126 at Old Trafford. They are a highly contrasting pair – but the best opening combinations so often are – with Kayes happy to follow in Tamim’s slipstream.Plan of the day

England, though, are convinced that Kayes doesn’t play the short ball well. The idea was set in their mind when he was bounced out on a shirtfront by Stuart Broad at Chittagong and they continue to bang the ball in. And even though Kayes has been tough to shift, he has fallen to the short-ball plan in all three innings of this series. At Lord’s he fended to slip and short leg and here, against Steven Finn, he picked out long leg with precision as he top-edged a hook. It was again impressive execution from Finn, in the first over of his second spell, and a vital breakthrough for England who were really struggling.Relief of the day

It was a rare wicketless Test for Graeme Swann at Lord’s, but having seen Shakib and Abdur Razzak turn the ball square expectation was squarely on his shoulders this time around. However, his barren spell went on a little longer still as Tamim and Kayes played him well during their opening stand and it was delight mixed with relief when he got one to take Junaid Siddique’s edge through to Matt Prior. Swann was then back in the groove and produced a lovely ball to remove Jahurul Islam. By the close he had another five-wicket haul.Spell of the day

A 12-ball 5 and an opening spell of six overs for 35 meant a quiet start to Ajmal Shahzad’s Test career, but that didn’t last. Recalled late in the day with the ball reverse-swinging he showed what has caught the eye of Andy Flower as he ripped out three wickets in 16 balls as Bangladesh crumbled. His first Test wicket didn’t come from his best ball, as Mohammad Ashraful cut to backward point, but the two deliveries to castle Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam were high-quality late swingers that would have dismissed many batsmen.