Raza also acknowledged continuity, a theory endorsed by head coach Heath Streak and chief selector Tatenda Taibu, for their recent upswing

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jul-2017On a track that has now begun to produce unplayable balls, Zimbabwe’s key to victory on day five will be discipline. So says Sikandar Raza, whose maiden Test century played a pivotal role in transforming the match situation.Zimbabwe are seven wickets away from history, and have 218 runs to defend. Though the overnight pair – Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews – have each produced great rearguard innings before, there isn’t much experience to follow. Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne have played only 12 Tests between them; Gunaratne is carrying a hamstring injury in any case.”I think patience and discipline will play a huge role,” Raza said. “If we can stay disciplined and patient, I think there is enough for Sean Williams, Graeme Cremer and the other spinners as well – for balls to misbehave. You could get a jaffa that you can’t do much about. I think on a track like this, once you get the senior players out, with the way their batting is at the moment, it could open a door for us to sneak through.”As was seen with the dismissal of Dimuth Karunaratne, the pitch can also occasionally produce big-turning deliveries out of the rough. Karunaratne had in fact left a Williams delivery that pitched wide but leapt back at him to clip off stump. Williams persisted with a legside line, trying to find the same patch of rough, for many of the remainder of his overs in the day.”We discussed with Sean, and because there was a lot of turn with that dismissal,” Raza said. “The moment they try and get greedy to score, the slip could come into play, the off stump could be exposed, and we could sneak in a wicket there. We wanted to hold one end so that Cremer can attack from the other. While we are holding it, we’re still creating a few chances.”Of his knock, Raza partly credited the inspiration he derived from batting coach Lance Klusener. Zimbabwe had been 23 for 4 at lunch on day three, then 59 for 5 not long after. But by the time Raza departed, they had a lead greater than 300 and were running the match. Along the way, he had forged partnerships worth 86 with PJ Moor, and 144 with Malcolm Waller.”Yes, the heads were down for a little while during that lunch break when we were 23 for 4. Klusener had a word with us and said that it’s up to us – the guys who were still to bat – whether we go down without a fight, or we show some heart.”Zimbabwe have used the sweep shot to excellent effect throughout the tour, and Raza – in particular – combatted the spinners with a range of cross batted strokes. Almost all the batsmen have contributed at some point in the tour, and Klusener has played a role in the run-making, Raza said.”The batting plans come from us. Then we discuss and share our plans with Klusener and then he has his input. Of course he has a world of experience. If I have a plan which I think is too risky, Klusener will always advise me and say you could have a better plan – do XYZ. It’s quite a nice relationship all the batters have got with our batting coach.”If you look at the Sri Lanka tour, everyone has scored runs. In the ODI series we started with Solomon Mire, then Hamilton Masakadza. Then we had Tarisai Musakanda, who is a young guy who got into a team, batted in a difficult place, and did exceptionally. Craig Ervine, has been performing. Sean Williams had been performing.All the guys heading into the Test had runs behind them. Everyone has a different plan. Everyone has their own plan. All our plans worked around being positive. Some were around being aggressive. My plan was certainly like that.”Zimbabwe had not had the happiest year before coming to Sri Lanka, having lost a home ODI series to Afghanistan, and one ODI to Scotland as well. But in keeping the same players around since the start of the year has begun to pay dividends, Raza said.”I think since Heath Streak has become head coach and Tatenda Taibu has been chief selector, we have kept the same group of players. So, certainly it has been about six months that we’ve been together – this core of players.”We haven’t had a lot of changes in our touring 15 or playing XI either. Every time someone has got a chance in the playing XI, they’ve stepped up as well. We’ve had a very consistent squad, and I think that goes hand in hand with consistent performances as well.”

Paul Walter underlined his burgeoning reputation as an allrounder of considerable promise with starring performances from both bat and ball on the final day against the West Indians

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2017Roston Chase completed a productive match with another half-century•Getty Images

Paul Walter underlined his burgeoning reputation as an allrounder of considerable promise with starring performances from both bat and ball on the final day against the West Indians.He rescued Essex from outright collapse with his highest first-class score and then dismissed the first two batsmen when the West Indians batted again. They had increased that notional lead to 288 when time was called on their batting practice at with 20 overs remaining.Walter had come in at 52 for 5 in the fifth over of the day – soon to be 56 for 6 – and was still there, 68 not out, when Essex declared just before three o’clock.He faced 139 balls, hitting nine fours and a straight six off Devendra Bishoo that threatened the window of the radio commentary box and its occupants. He had fifty-run partnerships with Aron Nijjar and Matt Dixon to tame a West Indian attack in which Kemar Roach finished with 5 for 43.With a ball in his hand, Walter has eased into the key third-seamer position in the Essex attack in the absence of the injured Matt Quinn and took wickets with his sixth and seventh balls.Walter had steadied Essex after they lost two wickets in the first eight overs of the third day to leave them 56 for 6. The fifth wicket fell when an outswinger from Jason Holder found the edge of Callum Taylor’s bat and Kyle Hope dived across from third slip to take the catch.Hope took his third catch of the innings to end Nick Browne’s near two-hour stay at the crease. The left-hander faced another 24 balls during the first 35 minutes of play without advancing his overnight score of 16 before Roach found his edge.Walter was then joined in a 50-run stand for the seventh wicket by Nijar that took the Essex total past 100. Nijar raced along pleasingly at a run-a-ball before he was taken at the third attempt by a juggling Kieran Powell at second slip to give Miguel Cummins a second wicket.Walter was particularly strong through mid-off where he drove both Holder and Roston Chase for boundaries. However, he lost his third partner when Aaron Beard chopped on to give Roach wicket his fifth wicket.A deflection off Roach to third man took Walter past his previous highest score of 47. He reached his maiden fifty from 97 balls with a lofted drive that just cleared cover’s head.Matt Dixon had provided solid support in an ninth-wicket stand of 53 before he was lbw to Bishoo and the declaration followed soon after.The ubiquitous Walter made the breakthrough with the ball when he had Kraigg Brathwaite caught behind by a diving Adam Wheater in his opening over, and Kyle Hope bowled without scoring in his next. Powell was the third to go, caught behind to Taylor’s first ball, a whippy inswinger slanted across the batsman and took the edge.Some wayward bowling after tea helped fourth-wicket pair Shai Hope and Chase enjoy some easy pickings. Aaron Beard was particularly severely dealt with, going for 35 in five overs, while Chase twice in succession flicked Dixon off his legs for fours as he went for six an over. Chase had the time to reach his second fifty of the match, from 69 balls, before the players shook hands.

After winning the Auty Cup last week after 26 years, USA players and staff discuss the shift in the team’s attitude and talk of what lies ahead for the side

Peter Della Penna23-Sep-2017USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake credits the Under-19 team’s attitude in a runner-up finish to Canada at the Under-19 World Cup Qualifier in July as a key factor in reshaping the men’s unit that achieved Auty Cup success over Canada last week for the first time in 26 years.”I think it’s so important that every player who comes into this group, they have to play for the team and the team is first,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo after USA’s 2-1 series victory over Canada last week. “Anybody who comes in from now on has to play for the team and it’s not about any individual. The Under-19 unit actually showed that with their limited capability.”They gave a hard time to the Canada Under-19 team and this group is also moving in the same direction. I think that sets the whole USA cricket into getting into that culture. You can be the best player in the country or have performed in the best way but the important thing is you need to fit into the group and respect the rest of the group. In the future, I hope every USA player that comes in aligns with that culture.”Dassanayake picked out the USA Under-19 side’s four-wicket win over a heavily favoured Canada in the first round of the double round-robin U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Toronto. On a helpful wicket, USA’s seamers ripped through Canada for 63 and in the process bowled 21 maidens. This after Dassanayake was regularly frustrated with the senior team in Uganda in May at Division Three for their indisciplined bowling lines that made it difficult to set any field.USA coach Pubudu Dassanayake discusses some strategies•Peter Della Penna

Despite having far less talent, the Under-19 players showed far more discipline. Their fielding was also exceptional, with a highlight-reel catch from Awais Mubarak making the rounds on the US edition of Sportscenter’s Top 10 plays. Canada Under-19 beat USA in the return match to claim the Americas region spot in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, but Dassanayake said even in defeat his team’s battling in the second game gave him the blueprint for what he wanted from the men going forward.”The Under-19 tournament was an eye-opener for me because when I look at USA cricket and especially the national team, I thought changing this culture was a long way off,” Dassanayake said. “But suddenly when I saw this young group working together to want to win, I thought if these guys can do it, why can’t the next group do it and start the same?”It really opened my eyes to say ‘you know what, this is how we’re going to move forward with the senior cricketers as well.’ So that influenced me to force some things in the senior group and I think it’s working pretty well, especially with the captain Ibrahim Khaleel, who is in the same line with me about how we want to move forward.”After failing to gain promotion at Division Three in May, Dassanayake and the USA selection panel, headed by Ricardo Powell, enacted a series of major changes, naming Khaleel as new captain to replace Steven Taylor, whose priorities have shifted toward the West Indies. Meanwhile, Taylor’s fellow CPL-contracted players Timroy Allen and Akeem Dodson were dropped along with Alex Amsterdam, the team’s leading scorer at Division Four last year. Khaleel felt there was no doubt in the selectors’ eyes that the team sent to the Auty Cup was a first-choice USA squad in spite of the individual star-power absent.”Whatever people say, the coaches and selectors have said it’s the 14 best at this time and that’s the only reason they believed in that and gave us this team,” Khaleel said. “They know what is the best decision for this team to take, whatever players are the best to take, and most importantly we delivered it. The credit goes to the selectors and coach to give us a free hand to do whatever we’re comfortable at.”It’s a great feeling winning the Auty Cup after 26 years. I think it was a great team effort and I think we just kept it simple. We learned from the second game that we were not disciplined and I think in the third game that was the plan: to go back to the first game, how we bowled a disciplined line, just keep it tight and see where it goes from there. I really want to dedicate this tournament win to [USA high performance manager] Tom Evans, Pubudu and all the selectors who believed in this team and believed in me as captain.”Nosthush Kenjige celebrates the wicket of Akeem Dodson during his five-wicket haul at USA trials•Peter Della Penna

Both Khaleel and Dassanayake pinpointed left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige as a significant catalyst in the team’s changing dynamic. Making his debut on the tour of Uganda, the 26-year-old was at times inconsistent but showed flashes of his capability in taking seven wickets in six games to finish second on tour while also showcasing his electric fielding at backward point. Kenjige stepped up his bowling in the Auty Cup, leading the team with seven wickets in three games including a hat-trick in the second match.”I think Nosh, compared to [the tournament in] Uganda has improved his consistency,” Khaleel said. “He’s giving less runs and every ball he bowls looks like it will be a wicket-taking ball. I think that helped him get so many wickets at this tournament. I really liked his attitude and his approach. I think he’s one of the best left-arm spinners in the USA and I think he’s going to play for a very long time.”Though USA’s next ICC qualification tournaments are not expected to begin until midway through 2018, Dassanayake says the Auty Cup win should serve as a springboard to further success. The USA coach is working with ICC Americas caretaker staff to facilitate a tour of the UAE for November in conjunction with leading Associate sides’ participation for the final round of the WCL Championship, and is aiming to use that as another development opportunity to keep moulding a new identity for USA.”We have informed all the players even before this tournament of the direction we want to move forward with the national team,” Dassanayake said. “So we set up some standards: we had given details on how to move forward and the tournaments we are having in the next 15 months. We’re not going to wait 12 months to build the team for the next Division Three or the T20 World Cup Qualifier. We’re going to build the team from now.”So when we’re starting a new pathway to get this win, it’s a fabulous feeling. Of course, winning the Auty Cup is one thing but for a new group to come in to win, that has set the platform for us for the next 15 months.”

The opener’s seventh Test century and his unbeaten 118-run stand with captain Dinesh Chandimal laid the groundwork for Sri Lanka on the opening day of the pink-ball Test

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Oct-2017Stumps
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDimuth Karunaratne was largely comfortable, both against pace and spin•Getty Images

Dimuth Karunaratne’s unbeaten 133 – an innings defined by its smoothness and control – ensured Sri Lanka’s first brush with day-night Test cricket was a success. They moved to 254 for 3 by stumps, after debutant Sadeera Samarawickrama contributed a delectable 38, and Dinesh Chandimal progressed to the verge of another cautious half-century. Earlier in the day, Kaushal Silva had hung around for 27 off 71 balls as well.Pakistan had got themselves in the match soon after the tea break, when Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis fell in quick succession. Though they had Sri Lanka 136 for 3 at one stage, no further wickets would come in the second half of the day. Their frustrations were compounded in the last half an hour when Mohammad Amir pulled up in the middle of 88th over and left the field clutching his thigh, prompting concerns over the state of his hamstring. Sarfraz Ahmed also burned their two reviews trying to dismiss the irritating Chandimal.

Smart stats

870 – Test runs for Dimuth Karunaratne this year. He’s now third on te list behind Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla.
2 – Century partnerships for the fourth wicket for Sri Lanka in this series, both between Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal. In the home series against India they could collect only 77 runs from six fourth-wicket partnerships.
2012 – Last time a Sri Lankan opener scored three or more centuries in a year, before Karunaratne in 2017. Tillakaratne Dilshan was the last then and the last before that, in 2009.

Though the quicks gleaned good movement with the new pink balls, it was Yasir Shah who was the most menacing bowler, getting faster and faster turn off the Dubai pitch through the day. He bowled 29.3 overs and returned figures of 2 for 90. Amir was the other bowler to make a breakthrough – his first in the series.While other batsmen advanced at varying rates around him, Karunaratne was Sri Lanka’s day one metronome. Samarawickrama produced a boundary-filled cameo; Chandimal and Kaushal stonewalled, almost becoming completely inert at times. Karunaratne, however, progressed evenly, never getting pinned down, never pressing the attack for long. He struck three fours off one Mohammad Amir over just before the tea break, but that was as exciting as his day got. Otherwise, he was seen flicking balls to his favourite midwicket region, and working the spinners towards square leg. Over a hundred of his runs, and 11 of his 16 boundaries came on the legside.This seventh career hundred – his first in the first innings since 2015 – is an extension of his excellent run in 2017. Though he missed out on triple figures at Abu Dhabi, where he was run out on 93, Karunaratne has nevertheless struck three high-quality centuries this year, all against good attacks. Following two years in which he constantly tested the selectors’ patience, this has been a long-awaited harvest.Gone from his game are the impetuous flashes that frustrated him early in his career, and the tentativeness that plagued him twelve months ago. The Karunaratne that has emerged in 2017 is versatile and tempered – rarely short of scoring options for long, and often able to weather testing spells. On Friday, he saw out some early swing from Amir, and defused Yasir expertly, though the spinner was already gaining substantial turn from this surface. Even late in the day, he would make calculated trips down the track, to the spinners.Sri Lanka’s strong total had been built upon a sturdy opening stand, but it was the partnership for the second wicket that was the most watchable of the day. Samarawickrama, clearly unfazed by the occasion, showcased his considerable talent during his 35-ball stay. His battle with Yasir was particularly memorable.After the tea break, he cracked the legspinner through cover, then ran down the pitch to smoke him inside-out over the infield. Yasir occasionally beat his edge – especially with the slider – but Samarawickrama continued to attack nonetheless. After he flitted down the pitch to thump Yasir over the long off boundary, Sarfraz even took Yasir out of the attack. This, however, was no real victory for the batsman. Amir, the man who replaced Yasir, took Samarawickrama’s wicket with the first ball of his spell, leaping to his left to hold a return catch. So promising a maiden innings had it been, it was surprising how tamely it ended.The momentum that Samarawickrama had introduced to the Sri Lanka innings, however, would not last beyond his dismissal. After Mendis had also fallen, Chandimal played himself in slowly, as is his recent wont. He had one run off 21 balls before he attempted a boundary, and that sweep off Yasir may have been caught had Mohammad Abbas positioned himself better at square leg. In any case, Chandimal survived and just as he had done in the first innings at Abu Dhabi, set about making himself a nuisance. He would leave often, and defend even more, while his partner did much of the run-scoring. Toward their unbeaten stand of 118, Karunaratne contributed 68.With the pitch already turning, and an in-form Rangana Herath in their ranks, the visitors will feel confident about their position in the match. Their modest rate of scoring, however, means that Pakistan could still claim the advantage with early strikes on day two.

Highlighting the importance of workload management, Lungi Ngidi’s franchise coach said he would not like to see his seamer rushed back to the international stage

Firdose Moonda26-Oct-2017Lungi Ngidi’s nine-for for Titans on return from a back injury that sidelined him for four months is as much as cause for celebration as it should be a cautionary tale, highlighting the importance of managing the young quick. Ngidi’s franchise coach, Mark Boucher, told ESPNcricinfo he would not like to see his seamer rushed back to the international stage for at least “a few months”, and hopes his workload is monitored closely as he develops.Ngidi, 21, enjoyed a rapid rise last summer, in which he debuted in List A and first-class cricket and followed it up with an international debut earlier this year. With an ability to clock speeds of 140kph, he had massive expectations placed on him. Boucher believes the workload escalated too quickly and ultimately forced Ngidi out of action.”Lungi came from the Tuks’ team where he was bowling maybe 10 overs a day, and then went to provincial cricket, bowling maybe 15 overs a day, and then franchise cricket, where he had to bowl around 20 overs a day and all of that happened in the space of one season when he also made his international debut and got picked for the South Africa A side to tour England. By the time he went over, he was tired; he had a long season and maybe the selection should have been looked at,” Boucher said. “He needed a proper off-season to rest and recover so maybe his injury was a blessing in disguise.”After playing in three List A matches for South Africa A in the UK, he was forced to return home before the first-class fixtures and was diagnosed with a stress fracture. He was unable to play for South Africa in a triangular 50-overs competition against India A and Afghanistan A, nor could he take part in the four-day matches against India A . Moreover, he could not play in the first four franchise matches of the summer either.Instead, he had to work on his recovery, conditioning and overall well-being and that is where Boucher feels he has made significant strides. “We sat down with him and had a chat about the kind of player he wants to become, the work he needs to do on his bowling and even things like the kind of food he puts into his body, and he really committed to the things we decided,” Boucher said.Two weeks ago, Ngidi played a three-day game for the provincial side Northerns, and on Monday, he returned for the Titans with spectacular results. He took the new ball and delivered an opening spell of five overs, in which he took 4 for 24 and then returned to take two more wickets with the older ball later in the day. Ngidi’s first innings figures of 6 for 37 ensured the Lions were bowled out for 180 and set Titans up for a nine-wicket victory.Though he was bowling on a lively pitch, even the opposition was in awe of Ngidi’s performance. “He was by far the quickest bowler on display,” Geoffrey Toyana, the Lions coach, said. “And he found really good areas.”While observers were impressed with Ngidi’s pace and leaner physique, Boucher was happier to see that Ngidi could operate with the same intensity at the end of the game as he did at the start. “Now you will probably find that after 17 or 18 overs in the legs, he is still running in hard, bowling quickly and causing problems for the batsmen,” Boucher said.All that will come as good news to a South African camp beset with bowling injuries, with six quicks – Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell and Duanne Olivier – all recently sidelined. Boucher, however, does not want to see Ngidi rushed back as a quick-fix. “We understand that there is a lot of anticipation around Lungi and getting him ready but I don’t think it should be rushed,” he said.For now, that call has been heeded. Ngidi did not recover in time to play the T20s against Bangladesh and with the national team out of action until Boxing Day, his most pressing assignment will be the franchise T20 competition which starts on November 10. Then, South Africa play four Tests (one against Zimbabwe, three against India), before limited-overs fixtures begin in February, for which Ngidi may be considered.By then, all the above mentioned bowlers should be back in action, with Boucher expecting Steyn to turn out for Titans in the franchise T20 tournament from the get-go and Morkel and Morris to join them half-way through. Philander has already returned for the Cobras in the ongoing round of first-class fixtures.However, with a busy season ahead – eight Tests, six ODIs and three T20s on top of a franchise competition that all national players are expected to be available for – bowlers’ workloads will continue to be a topic of discussion. South Africa’s franchise coaches will meet with national coach Ottis Gibson and CSA’s medical committee in Johannesburg on Friday to discuss matters relating to fitness, form and player management.

Akshdeep Nath and Rinku Singh rearguard help Uttar Pradesh stretch lead to 246 in see-saw day; Raina fails

Varun Shetty in New Delhi03-Nov-2017
ScorecardPTI

Akshdeep Nath followed up his fifty in the first innings with a century to rescue Uttar Pradesh after they had slipped and lost three wickets with only two on the board, after they pocketed a lead against Delhi. He was joined by left-hander Rinku Singh on 21 for 4 as the pair added 108 for the fifth wicket to swell UP’s lead to 246 with three wickets intact on a bizarre day at Palam grounds, where play ended after a man breached the security gates and drove on to the pitch.Delhi had begun the day on 228 for 6 in response to UP’s 291. Dhruv Shorey batting overnight on 65 did the bulk of the scoring on the morning, after Pulkit Narang was dismissed in the first over of the day. He made 33 of the 41 runs Delhi got and remained unbeaten on 98 as Imtiaz Ahmed cleaned out the tail. The medium-pacer finished with three wickets, while left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, who had snapped three wickets yesterday, added one more to his tally.Ishant Sharma, the Delhi captain, then ripped through UP’s top order. He rattled opener Shivam Chaudhary’s stumps off the first ball of the innings. In his next over, he had first-innings top-scorer Mohammad Saif caught in the slips. Suresh Raina came in at No. 5 when Navdeep Saini dismissed Albas Shaukat in the following over. He started off aggressively but couldn’t sustain it for longer than 17 deliveries, edging behind off Ishant.Nath started watchfully in the second innings, preferring to play straight on a track that offered bounce through the day. But as the fifth-wicket pair approached tea, they opened up. Rinku Singh, who got a second innings century in his previous match, struck a breezy 64 off 80, getting his fifty before Nath. He then failed to control a cut against a rising ball.Like in the first innings, Nath took a liking to the spinners. He directed Delhi’s fields against him with compulsive use of sweeps and reverse sweeps. There were at least three appeals of lbw against him as he employed those shots, including when was on 99, but at no point did he show signs of not being in control.With Upendra Yadav, Nath put on 86. But while he was successful in staving off – and attacking – Kulwant Khejroliya’s short ball strategy, Upendra couldn’t keep a hook down in the last hour of play. Nath was unbeaten at the end of the day after swelling UP’s lead.

The tri-series, involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, will be followed by two Tests and two T20Is between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2017Bangladesh will host a tri-nation ODI series involving Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, beginning on January 15. It will be the first tri-nation series hosted by Bangladesh since January 2010.

SL tour of Bangladesh fixtures

Tests:
1st Test: January 31-February 4, Chittagong
2nd Test: February 8-12, Dhaka
T20Is:
1st T20I: February 15, Dhaka
2nd T20I: February 18, Sylhet

A Zimbabwe XI will take on BCB XI in a one-day warm-up match on January 13 at the BKSP 4 Ground. Bangladesh will then take on Zimbabwe in the tri-series opener in Dhaka where all seven day-night matches, including the final on January 27, will be held. Each side will face each other twice during the league stage before the final.Sri Lanka had won the previous tri-series involving the same teams in Bangladesh in January 2009.After the tri-series, Bangladesh will host Sri Lanka for two Tests in Chittagong and Dhaka respectively. The first Test will be played from January 31 to February 4 and the second match from February 8 to 12.Sri Lanka’s tour will end with two T20Is – the first on February 15 in Dhaka and the second on February 18 in Sylhet.

“We often want to play with a bit of flair and be aggressive with everything we do with the bat and sometimes conditions don’t allow that. We’re playing some smart cricket, particularly on a variety of surfaces,” said New Zealand’s coach

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2018New Zealand’s versatility, consistency and discipline have made them “very smart” on surfaces that haven’t allowed them to play with their typical flair and aggression, according to coach Mike Hesson. On a slow pitch in Dunedin, New Zealand’s batsmen scratched their way through the middle overs and finished with 257, but bowled Pakistan out for 74 to claim the series with a 183-run win.”We were very smart on surfaces that perhaps haven’t allowed us to play how we’ve wanted to play,” Hesson said. “We often want to play with a bit of flair and be aggressive with everything we do with the bat and sometimes conditions don’t allow that. We’re improving and I think we’re playing some smart cricket, particularly on a variety of surfaces, so that’s very pleasing.”I think perhaps in the past we might have just kept going and reflected on it at the end of the day. But especially in the game the other day, I thought Kane [Williamson] and Martin [Guptill] were exceptional in how they assessed the conditions.”Trent Boult and Tim Southee broke the third ODI open with a terrific spell of swing bowling, leaving Pakistan at 9 for 3 after 10 overs. Hesson said that was the best first 10-overs period he has ever seen.”Last game was pretty close to perfect on a tricky surface. I think the first 10 overs, that’s the best I’ve ever seen. In terms of when you have to bowl into the wind, Tim’s five overs into a howling gale, he never missed the strings, kept hitting the top of the bat, he was exceptional and obviously Trent was relentless from the other end.”New Zealand have now won 10 straight games across formats. How good are they currently? “That’s up for others to judge,” Hesson said. “In the last five years, every side has travelled here. And our record at home is pretty good. We’re very clear how we operate pre-game, one of the keys is we’re very consistent about how we operate, whether we’ve come off a win or a string of losses.”We don’t get too overawed, if we lose a few games, and if we’re on a roll, we don’t drop our guard. We’re relatively new in terms of the kind of roles we’ve given our players. Colin [Munro] is very new at the top of the order, Tom [Latham] and Henry [Nicholls] are very new to that middle-order role. From a bowling point of view, Lockie [Ferguson] is new, we’re playing two spinners, we’re trying a few things this summer and it helps that we’re developing some depth.”

Nepal scrape to four-wicket win after felling UAE for 114; Canada pick up third straight win after Gunasekera’s gritty half-century

The Report by Peter Della Penna11-Feb-2018Gerhard Erasmus’ resilient half-century resurrected a faltering Namibia chase, lifting them from 65 for 7 to a thrilling two-wicket win in their pursuit of 166 against Oman at the Wanderers Sports Club.Oman seemed well on course to victory as Bilal Khan cut through Namibia’s batting order with his maiden List A five-for. But Erasmus and JJ Smit survived the left-armer’s spell of swing bowling, and constructed a 92-run eighth-wicket stand to pump life back into Namibia’s hopes of promotion into the World Cup Qualifier.Oman had been under pressure when they batted as well, falling to 10 for 3 in the fifth over after being sent in in seam-friendly conditions. As he did a day earlier, when Namibia bowled out Kenya for 83, captain Sarel Burger had a minimum of two slips in place for nearly the entire innings.Jatinder Singh ground out a top-score of 29 off 71 balls – one of five 20-plus scores in the innings – to settle Oman’s early nerves, before a late flurry from the lower order hauled them to a modest total.Oman’s fielding was sloppy early on – and it cost them later as well – as several chances went down, allowing Namibia to reach 44 for 1. Lohan Louwrens had been driving Namibia’s chase early, but should have been out for 23 when he was spilled over the third man rope off Bilal for six. Bilal persisted with a short-ball plan until Louwrens was cramped for room and fended a catch behind to end the 12th over. Bilal struck for the second time in the 14th, beating JP Kotze for pace to send his off stump cartwheeling back.Erasmus entered after Nico Davin fell lbw to offspinner Jay Odedra in the 15th over, with the score on 61 for 4, but could only watch helplessly from the non-striker’s end as Bilal took three more wickets in the space of five balls in the 16th over. Craig Williams flashed an edge through to wicketkeeper-captain Sultan Ahmed, Jan Frylinck was beaten for pace to be trapped leg before, and Sarel Burger edged a drive low to first slip.With storm clouds hovering overhead, Namibia were well behind on Duckworth-Lewis, but Erasmus and Smit calmly blocked out the rest of Bilal’s initial eight-over spell. The pitch slowed down as the innings wore on, offering little to Oman’s spinners as Erasmus resurrected the chase with ones and twos. As the target whittled down to less than 50 in the 39th over, Sultan tossed the ball to Aqib Ilyas for his part-time legspin, but Erasmus swept him for four as the 300 fans in attendance sensed a home victory.A crunching pull from Erasmus off Fayyaz Butt in the 47th over brought up his fifty off 95 balls, and brought the equation down to 12 off 21 balls. Kaleemullah conceded just two in the 48th over, before Smit finally buckled in the 49th, pulling Butt to mid-on and leaving Erasmus to get nine off 10 balls with the tail.Three singles put Erasmus on strike with six to get off the final over. Pacer Mohammad Nadeem was tasked with defending it, bowling with the wind at his back. Erasmus then premeditated a scoop to clear fine leg inside the circle, but he didn’t get the desired elevation. The fielder reached up for the chance, but the ball burst through his hands, and had enough momentum to go for four. Another single to fine leg leveled the scores, before No. 10 Bernard Scholtz slapped a single through cover for the winning run.Sompal Kami’s 4 for 30 helped decimate UAE for 114 as Nepal scraped to a four-wicket win in a weather-affected match at United Cricket Field. Following a two-and-a-half-hour delayed start due to a wet outfield from overnight rain, Nepal won a crucial toss with play reduced to 34 overs a side and sent UAE in on a pitch that has heavily favored early seam movement throughout the tournament.Sunday was no different as UAE were behind the eight-ball throughout the match following Sompal’s opening spell. The short but whippy fast bowler struck with the third ball of the match, bowling Ashfaq Ahmed for a golden duck. Two more strikes by Sompal and Karan KC had UAE 25 for 3 in the eighth over before teenage legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane and captain Paras Khadka tore through the middle order to take 3 for 30 and 2 for 20 respectively. Sompal then returned to finish off the tail as UAE were bowled out in 31 overs.Nepal, who had struggled to chase Namibia’s 138 on day one before creeping over the line by one wicket, needed a half-century from Khadka after another top-order collapse saw them slip to 20 for 3 in the seventh over. Khadka counterattacked with five sixes in his 51 off 48 balls. Sompal then helped out with the bat too, smashing a six off his third ball before ending the match with a three to finish unbeaten on 10 off five balls.Opening batsman Ruvindu Gunasekera overcame a thumb injury to produce a gritty 83 off 99 balls and set up Canada‘s third straight win of Division Two with a 59-run victory over Kenya at Affies Park.Canada had been coasting early at 58 for 1 after being sent in with Gunasekera leading the way on 38 off 28 balls when he received a blow to the left thumb from medium-pacer Nelson Odhiambo that caused his fingernail to nearly come off. After leaving the field for treatment, he returned at 90 for 3 in the 23rd over and proceeded to anchor the rest of the innings, lasting until the third ball of the 49th over before he was eighth out to a rare hit-wicket dismissal trying to swat Nehemiah Odhiambo.Gunasekera’s innings ensured Canada had plenty to defend against a brittle Kenya batting line-up, who crossed 100 for the first time in three attempts at Division Two but still fell well short of the target. Captain Rakep Patel kept hope alive for a comeback with his 32 off 76 balls, but he was run out attempting to steal a single to short third man off Nikhil Dutta’s offspin; he couldn’t beat Navneet Dhaliwal’s relay to Hamza Tariq behind the stumps, and Kenya were 123 for 8. Dhaliwal also took 3 for 15 in eight overs of part-time medium pace to hasten victory.

Starc misses out on hat-trick but South Africa’s resistance lasts 22 balls on the fifth and final day at Durban

The Report by Brydon Coverdale05-Mar-20182:47

Holding: Markram will get better and better

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc missed out on a hat-trick but Australia had little trouble in wrapping up a 118-run win on the fifth morning in Durban, where they took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. Bad light had halted Australia’s march to victory on the fourth evening with just one wicket required, so it was possible that it could have taken just a single ball to end the game on day five. In the end, it took 22 deliveries.Josh Hazlewood confirmed the result by trapping Quinton de Kock lbw for 83 in the fourth over of the day, as South Africa were dismissed for 298. Morne Morkel finished not out on 3. Starc had been denied the chance to bowl for a hat-trick late on day four after he bowled Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada with what became his last two balls of the day, as the umpires declared that the light was sufficient only for spin bowling. He instead bowled for his hat-trick with the first ball of the fifth day and rapped de Kock on the pads, but the ball was sliding down leg.The result gives Australia a good start as they aim to maintain their remarkable record of having not lost a Test series in South Africa since readmission. The teams now move on to Port Elizabeth for the second Test, which begins on Friday.