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Jason Holder has put West Indies’ loss in the first T20 against Pakistan largely down to the unfamiliarity factor

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2017Allrounder Jason Holder has put West Indies’ loss in the first T20 against Pakistan largely down to the unfamiliarity factor.Shadab Khan, the 18-year-old debutant legspinner, did a lot of the damage as West Indies were kept to 111 for 8 in Barbados, a total Pakistan chased down with 17 balls and six wickets to spare. Going into the rest of the series, Holder said West Indies would need to come up with plans to counter the new faces they are up against, especially the spinners.”We need to just sit down and work out our plans against all their bowlers,” Holder said. “Obviously we are coming up against some guys who we have never played. In this situation, we need to find how best to play them given the conditions that we have.”We struggled with their slow bowlers, and it’s a situation where we need to counteract their slow bowlers in the middle. Those were the guys who really put the strangle on us up front.”Holder said while the pitch was slow, it was not to blame for West Indies’ score; that was down to the early run-out of Evin Lewis and the repeated loss of wickets at “crucial stages”.”I felt that the wicket we had today was slow, it was a little bit more difficult to hit on. It broke up a little earlier than I thought it would, but bearing that in mind, we just needed to find ways to knock some balls back down the pitch. It was a good enough pitch for us to get 150 at least. Definitely think if we had 150 on the board it would’ve been a much better game.”It’s clear we didn’t bat well. We started off with a run-out, which gave them momentum. It was a very good piece of fielding, but we never really recovered from there. It was a situation in the middle where we had to consolidate, build a partnership.”We tried to do that with Sunil [Narine] and [Kieron] Pollard, probably our last recognised partnership, and Carlos [Brathwaite] came in and joined Pollard and played a good knock, but we were always struggling with wickets. We lost wickets at crucial stages and we could never lay a platform from where we could blast.”The second of four T20s will be played in Port of Spain on March 30.

Keaton Jennings’ authority seems to have grown but other Durham players will have to prosper if they are to provide answers in a testing season that lies ahead

Paul Edwards16-Apr-2017
ScorecardKeaton Jennings receives staunch support from the Durham faithful•Getty Images

A mere 69 balls is no evidence at all upon which to base any judgement about Durham’s prospects this season. All the same, the four supremely authoritative boundaries hit by Keaton Jennings on the third morning of this game made it quite clear what a loss he would have been had he chosen, like Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick, to further his career elsewhere.Jennings’ efforts may not be enough to save his side against a resurgent Nottinghamshire; Durham go into the final day with a lead of 58 and only three second-innings wickets in hand. But the accuracy of the opener’s attacking shots – a straight drive, a cover drive, a back cut and a clip through midwicket – and the precision of his defensive batting seem to have grown over the winter.Certainly his overall assurance was in clear contrast to the porous techniques of his two dismissed partners this damp Easter Sunday. Ryan Pringle was bowled by the 11th ball of the morning when he swished rather haplessly across the line to Jake Ball; nine overs later, Stuart Poynter lost his off stump to one from from Harry Gurney which swung back inside his forward push.Four balls after Poynter’s wicket fell the rain which had delayed the start of play for 85 minutes returned with renewed vigour and the dull confection of covers on the whole square – white, light green and beige – revealed the groundstaff’s pessimism. The small group of spectators who had braved a poor forecast had to be content with having seen 39 runs scored and a restatement of what they surely knew: that Jennings is comfortably their best batsman.However, the tasks facing Durham over the next two or three seasons will require more than the efforts of their finest cricketers, some of whom are likely to be playing international cricket of one sort or another in any case.Relegation and points deductions will, in their way, make demands on the whole county, not least their highly-regarded Academy and even the North East Premier League, whose leading clubs, Chester-le-Street and South Northumberland, regularly appear in national club knockout finals.When Paul Collingwood says that people in this area know how to fight, he is not talking about the leisure habits of well-lubricated, Novocastrian twenty-somethings strutting their stuff on The Bigg Market every Saturday night. Rather he is referring to the deep-seated inner resolve possessed by folk up here who manage to combine patriotism with a stubbornly independent spirit. Over the next five months, and for far longer, that resolve will be tested and tested again.On the final day of this game it may have to deal with an early defeat inflicted by a Nottinghamshire team unrecognisable from the dispirited bunch dispatched to the Second Division last September.Matches between relegated teams rarely promise to be meetings of the blissfully contented but Chris Read’s men have given every indication that they will treat this season in the second tier with unfussed determination. It is good to see them back to normal, although whether they will begin their season by notching successive wins now depends largely on their ability to remove Jennings early on the last day.

India and Pakistan have a storied rivalry, but recent contests in global tournaments have been one-sided in India’s favour. Will the latest chapter in the tale be a gripping one?

The Preview by Sidharth Monga03-Jun-2017

Match facts

June 4, 2017
Start time 10.30am local (0930 GMT)
3:11

Fleming: In-form Wahab Riaz inspires everyone

Big picture

Somewhere between what many see as a war and players say is just another game, somewhere between a classic and a dud, somewhere between a non-international becoming massive organically and the ICC planning draws to make sure this cash cow is flogged at every world event, lies the hard-to-define, often mundane but sometimes magical India-Pakistan cricket rivalry, which renews itself in the teams’ first game of the 2017 Champions Trophy.Aside from the heightened nationalism surrounding it, this match comes with less baggage than India-Pakistan fixtures of old. Largely because Pakistan have fallen behind, the last five “big” matches between these sides – 2012 World T20, 2013 Champions Trophy, 2014 World T20, 2015 World Cup 2015 and 2016 World T20 – have been quite one-sided. There were flashes of competition in their last ICC encounter, but few are expecting a high-quality thriller. There are no chances of an anti-climax, because the bar is set low.Once the – a collective term for Indian and Pakistani expats – enter Edgbaston, though, they will transform this match from being just another match. In 2009, when Pakistan and India played a World T20 at The Oval, the atmosphere there was more electric than the tournament final. Expect more.On the field, Pakistan will look to catch a team that has had other issues on the hop. The last time there was such unrest between an India coach and the senior players – as we are being told – was in the 2007 World Cup. There is bound to be insecurity in the camp, with people looking over their shoulders, but sometimes a high-profile cricket match forces players to put their energies in the same direction.Pakistan’s challenge is more cricketing. They have fallen behind Bangladesh in terms of being in touch with modern limited-overs cricket. Pakistan’s Test cricket has coped, but limited-overs cricket is where their isolation has hurt them the most. The PSL is the youngest of the T20 leagues, and their players don’t get too many contracts in other leagues. They are not part of the conversation. They are not always abreast with the latest tactics, which are ephemeral in modern limited-overs cricket. Once innovators, Pakistan have been left behind. They will need every bit of regeneration, and unrest in the other camp, to beat an opponent they have beaten only four times in their last 15 attempts.

Form guide

India LWWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan WWLLL

In the spotlight

Not that there was any danger he would not get it, but now more than ever Virat Kohli will be in the spotlight. In 10 ODIs, he has scored two hundreds against Pakistan, averaging 41.44. In 14 ODIs in England, he has one century and an average of 38.54. Acceptable numbers, but not quite in the stratosphere that Kohli exists elsewhere and against other opponents. Add to it the attention he has attracted through his role in the appointment of India’s next coach.Higher the par score the smaller the chance Pakistan have of winning. Against the top-eight teams, they have won only once in the last 13 times their bowlers have conceded over 250. While a lot depends on conditions, the one force that can keep the par score down is Pakistan’s bowling. In Australia, their last series again a top-eight opponent, they lost all the high-scoring games, and won only when their bowlers bowled Australia out for 220. Even then they sweated in the chase. If Pakistan are to cause an upset, their bowlers will have to do it.

Team news

In a rare occurrence, India have four deserving fast bowlers to choose from to fill two or three spots. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav all have legitimate claims to make the XI. The last time India faced Pakistan in an ODI, Umesh and Shami did the job, but Bhuvneshwar has a great record against them and Bumrah is a special death bowler. There will be a temptation to play all four, and Hardik Pandya as the seam allrounder.India (possible) 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9, 10 and 11 three out of R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh YadavAzhar Ali, who was removed as Pakistan captain recently, might struggle in the modern game, but the overcast weather forecast might call for an old-fashioned opener. Shadab Khan’s legspin will be tempting, but Pakistan might go for the extra batting of Faheem Ashraf.Pakistan (possible) 1 Azhar Ali, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Mohammad Hafeez, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Wahab Riaz/Junaid Khan, 11 Hasan Ali

Pitch and conditions

The pitches at Edgbaston are true, as seen in the match between Australia and New Zealand, but the overhead conditions matter more. The initial forecast was for showers in the morning and afternoon, but that seems to have improved.

Stats and trivia

• In five ODIs against Pakistan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar averages 21.55 and concedes runs at 4.21 an over, compared to career numbers of 39.62 and 4.95.
• Shoaib Malik fancies India. He averages close to 50 against them, as against a career average of 35.50. However, it has been four years since he played India, having missed the 2015 World Cup.
• India last lost to Pakistan in an ICC event in the 2009 Champions Trophy.
• Both these sides hold a negative record against top-eight sides since the last World Cup: India have won nine and lost 12, Pakistan have won six and lost 18.
• India, though, have better stats against top eight sides in this period. Their batting average is better (38.9 to 31.9), their batting strike rate is better (5.89 to 5.39), and their bowling average is better (37.55 to 44.36). Only their bowling economy is marginally worse: 5.97 to 5.96.
• Junaid Khan has bowled 22 balls to Kohli in ODIs for two runs and three wickets. All three dismissals came in the 2012-13 series in India.

Quotes

“If you perform in an India-Pakistan match, you become a hero.”
“Nothing different, to be honest. I know it sounds pretty boring, but this is exactly what we feel as cricketers. We’re not saying anything different to what we feel.”

Supporters who no longer want to attend the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy are being urged to put their tickets up for resale by midnight on Tuesday in an attempt to avoid pockets of empty seats at the grounds

Andrew McGlashan13-Jun-2017Supporters who no longer want to attend the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy are being urged to put their tickets up for resale by midnight on Tuesday in an attempt to avoid pockets of empty seats at the grounds.The ICC collects information on the team preferences of ticket-buyers (those that opt to select a team) and with 30% of those for the Cardiff semi-final specifying India there had been suggestions of a mass no-show.So far there have been 5000 returned and resold for the England-Pakistan semi-final in Cardiff and 2000 for the India-Bangladesh match at Edgbaston, with both matches officially sold out. The main postcodes for ticket purchasers for Wednesday’s first semi-final have been Cardiff, Birmingham, Harrow and North London.While Edgbaston and The Oval have enjoyed strong crowds throughout the group stages, Cardiff has had a problem with no-shows from ticket holders, with 8000 missing across three group matches. The England-New Zealand match was 300 tickets away from a sellout, but on the day there were significant holes in the crowd.That has partly been attributed to the poor weather, which affected the first week of the tournament, but an ICC spokesperson said the number of unused tickets in Cardiff had been a “disappointment”, although they were confident of being able to maximise the 14,000 capacity for the first semi-final.”Across the three games in Cardiff there have been 8000 tickets sold which haven’t been used, which is disappointing, but beyond the selling of them and the regular communication to those purchasers, if people then chose not to use them there isn’t much we can do,” Claire Furlong, the ICC’s general manager of strategic communications, said.”That’s been reasonably disappointing here, but we are doing as much as we can across all of our channels. It is a sellout but we are doing as much as we can to ensure it’s a sellout with bums on seats as well.”Cardiff was a sellout for England’s group match with New Zealand but some with tickets did not show up•Getty Images

Although tickets have to be reposted by midnight they can continue to be sold in the morning although, so far, returned tickets have been snapped up quickly. The ICC will make a decision on whether there will be walk-up sales when the final return figure is known.Hugh Morris, the Glamorgan chief executive, defended his ground after it came in for criticism for the crowds during the tournament. “The first game that we hosted in the tournament was England and New Zealand. Our capacity was just over 14,000 and there were 13,900 tickets sold and a couple of hundred available at the end after being sent back at a late stage,” he told BBC Radio Five Live.”We had ostensibly sold that game out. In reality there were about 10,000 people in the ground and we need to find out why those people didn’t turn up. The weather wasn’t great. Whether that has had an impact I don’t know.”England captain Eoin Morgan said: “Cardiff has always been a very good venue for us and the last game we had great support and a full house and everybody seems to get right behind us. I think tomorrow is sold out. That is what I have been told.”

The 17-year-old Sutherland has chosen to accept the offer of a multi-year rookie deal with Victoria rather than nominating for the AFL draft

Daniel Brettig16-Jul-2017Will Sutherland, son of Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland and one of the most talented young athletes in the country, has revealed his decision to choose cricket over football.Having led Australia at Under-19 level but also been among the most closely watched AFL players at junior level, 17-year-old Sutherland has chosen to accept the offer of a multi-year rookie deal with Victoria rather than nominating for the AFL draft.”This was an incredibly tough decision,” Sutherland said. “Most of the advice that I received was to just follow my passion. That sounds easy enough, but not so much when my passion is for both sports.”I really loved my experience in the recent Under-18 National Championships when representing Vic Metro and this only made the decision more difficult. When it came down to it, my love and passion for the game of cricket just won out.”I’ve thoroughly enjoyed representing my state and country in the under-age ranks and the prospect of potentially being able to continue this at the senior level is very much my dream. I’m excited and relieved about this decision and will now look to focus on completing my Year 12 studies.”A powerful batsman and strong fast-medium bowler, Sutherland had been openly courted by the AFL amid expectations that he could be a top 10 draft pick. Details of Sutherland’s contract with the Bushrangers will not be finalised until an MoU is agreed between CA and the Australian Cricketers Association.”We’re pleased Will has made this decision and we look forward to supporting him through the rest of his Year 12 studies and his Cricket Pathway,” Cricket Victoria’s general manager Shaun Graf said.”The full Cricket Victoria squad lists for the upcoming 2017-18 season will be announced following the resolution of an MoU.”

The England opener had 94 off 29 deliveries when he aimed for his 10th six that would be equalled the record for a 30-ball T20 century

ECB Reporters Network05-Aug-2017
Alex Hales’ barnstorming white-ball form continued•Getty Images

A brutal display of ball-striking from Alex Hales powered the Notts Outlaws to a convincing victory over Durham Jets in the NatWest T20 Blast competition.The England international, who scored an unbeaten 187 to help his county win the Royal London One-Day Cup final a month ago, clubbed nine fours and nine sixes in a stunning innings of 95, made from just 30 deliveries.West Indies’ star Chris Gayle holds the record for the fastest individual T20 century of all-time, getting to the landmark from only 30 balls and Hales could have equalled it but his mighty assault off James Weighell sliced high into the Nottingham sky and then down into the waiting gloves of wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter.”I knew there was a chance to go for the quickest T20 century of all-time and you don’t get those opportunities very often,” Hales said. “I love batting at Trent Bridge, for me it is utter paradise, the wickets are great and there are some short boundaries, so I knew there was a chance of doing it.It’s a special feeling to play here and to get so many in the Powerplay overs with Riki. As a team we’ve got real momentum at the moment and hopefully we can keep it going.”Riki Wessels made an undefeated 41 to ensure that Hales’ work didn’t go unrewarded, although there was a clatter of wickets before the home side got over the line to chase down a target of 184 and complete a five-wicket win with 37 balls remaining.

A record-breaking chase

106 Runs scored by Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the Powerplay against Durham Jets – Most runs ever scored in the Powerplay in T20s where ball-by-ball data is available. They broke the record set by Kolkata Knight Riders who scored 105 against Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this year in the Indian Premier League.
19 Balls taken by Alex Hales to reach his fifty. This is the second time this season he has scored a fifty in 19 balls or fewer. He reached his 50 in 18 balls against Yorkshire.
13.30 Run rate at which the Notts Outlaws chased down the target of 183 set by Durham – second-highest in all T20s where the target was above 150. Netherlands chased 189 in 13.5 overs at 13.95 runs per over which remains the best.
9.63 Average run rate at Trent Bridge since the start of 2016 – highest for any ground that has hosted more than 10 T20s. The ground has a strike rate of 153.09 in the same period which is also the highest.

Durham had earlier scored 183 for 7, after being asked to bat first, with Michael Richardson top-scoring with 53 and Paul Coughlin was left undefeated on 42 from 25 deliveries. Pace off the ball proved beneficial for the home attack, with Samit Patel taking 2 for 23 and both Steven Mullaney and Ish Sodhi also picked up two wickets.The Outlaws’ run chase began in highly dramatic circumstances, with Durham suddenly finding themselves two bowlers short.Thirteen runs, including a six from Hales, came from Weighell’s opening over of the innings but it was the next over that produced a flurry of incidents, with three different bowlers needed to complete the set of six.Usman Arshad was ordered out of the attack after sending down two waist-high full tosses. Coughlin took over and went for two fours and a six before he had to leave the field after being struck on the hand by a blow from Hales. Jack Burnham completed the over with a dot ball.Hales and Wessels brought up the team 50 in only 3.2 overs but only five more balls were bowled before a short shower sent the players off the field.The break seemed to re-invigorate the opener as Hales powered his next three balls to the ropes, to leave the total on 78 without loss after five overs.Ryan Pringle came in for extreme punishment as Hales then took 28 off the next over, passing his 50 from just 19 balls, with seven fours and three sixes. The board read 106-0 at the end of the sixth over, a world record for the Powerplay overs.No bowler was spared, although Cameron Steel put down a bullet of a caught and bowled chance when the international was on 82. Typically, the next two balls disappeared out of the ground.Once Hales had departed mayhem set in. Both Tom Moores and Mullaney departed to the first ball they faced and Christian only made 10, with Steel getting his first two wickets in the format – but at a personal cost of 60 runs.Patel made 26 but fell to Brydon Carse when only four runs were needed, leaving Wessels and Brendan Taylor to take the Outlaws over the finishing line.Earlier in the day, Durham were put under pressure from the very start of their innings when Graham Clark was bowled in the first over by Patel.Richardson and Steel began to re-build the innings with a stand of 54 but Mullaney separated them as soon as he came into the attack. The first delivery sent down by the medium-pacer was helped out by Steel, straight into the safe hands of Hales at deep midwicket.Burnham was bowled by Sodhi for 1 and Gareth Harte, in for the resting Paul Collngwood, lofted Mullaney out to Taylor at deep cover.The visitors had slid from 57 for 1 to 68 for 4 but then had around 15 minutes to regroup after a sudden shower sent the players scurrying back to the dressing rooms.Upon the resumption Richardson went on to reach his 50 from 37 balls but hit all around a Patel delivery and was bowled.Sodhi removed Stuart Poynter but an eighth wicket stand of 52 between Coughlin and Ryan Pringle, who made 25, helped the Jets towards a competitive total.Overthrows helped the Jets take 21 from the final over, with Ball’s last delivery being scooped over his own head for six by Coughlin.
Durham’s defeat was their eighth in 10 matches, whilst the Outlaws now top the North Group table, despite having lost their first two matches in the competition.

As the Australia opener prepares for his 100th ODI, against India in Bengaluru, he says he’s already complied with the ICC’s regulations for reduced bat sizes

Alagappan Muthu in Bengaluru27-Sep-20173:19

Test cricket has helped my 50-over game – Warner

In a set of new rules, effective for series beginning from September 28, the ICC stipulated that the size of bats be reduced. Now, the thickness of the edge cannot be more than 40 mm and the thickness of the bat must not exceed 67 mm. David Warner, whose bat has often been brought up as an example of batsmen having it easy in the modern era, has already complied with the new regulations, though he could have completed the tour of India with his soon-to-be-oversized bats.”Well, my bats have already been changed,” Warner said in Bengaluru on the eve of the fourth ODI against India. “I’ve been using them for the last couple of weeks. In Bangladesh, getting used to it. It basically is the same bat that I started my career with. So I just basically took it down to my bat-maker and said, ‘We just got to go back to what we started with’. And it didn’t really affect me then, so I don’t think it’d affect me now. “Would the fact that he has to contend with a reduced sweet spot not play on his mind when he’s trying to clear the boundary? “I think everyone’s sort of been misled in a way where they think the big bats clear the fences easier than the old bats used to,” Warner said. “From where I stand on it, basically, we were hitting sixes with the bats five-six years ago and still hitting sixes today. So in theory, in saying that, your bat’s got more moisture in the wood. The bats broke probably a lot more recently because there’s less moisture in the bat. So at the end of the day, you obviously have to use what you’re given and it’s not going to make a difference at all.”As a result, we have an interesting little coincidence. Warner will be playing his 100th ODI on Thursday, wielding a bat similar to the ones he used when he first broke into the scene. The achievement filled him with pride, considering he started as a T20 basher, and he pointed to a change in mind-set about 18 months ago that helped him crack the 50-over format.From his debut in January 2009, he averaged a modest 37 over his first 71 matches, with only five centuries. Back then, he thought he only had to give the team a fast start and then go cool off in the dressing room. Since March 2016, however, Warner has begun to understand his role better, and it has led to a stark rise in his numbers. Warner has amassed eight centuries in 28 innings, he has been unbeaten twice, and he is still scoring at over a run a ball.”Playing Test cricket’s allowed me to actually nurture my game in the 50 overs and take a bit more time and try and bat through the middle period as well,” he said. “Not bat in such an aggressive manner and play the game as it is and let it unfold and set the platform for the rest of the guys coming in. I didn’t really think about that when I first came into the set-up. We had Pup [Michael Clarke], Smithy [Steven Smith], Mike Hussey, we had these guys that were such good finishers, I just thought my role was to go out there and blast it for 15-20 overs. And you don’t realise that you’re there to bat 50.”Through the last 18 months, I’ve had such a consistent patch because I’ve learnt to adapt to that mentality while I’m out there. And if I get myself in, try to be there towards the 35-40-over mark, and go on with it. I’ve prided myself on doing that. And setting the benchmark of 150, for any of us as an opener, if you get in, that’s the benchmark to try and achieve in your innings.”Finding the skill to adapt his game to the longer formats has given Warner a great sense of comfort, and he looked forward to becoming one of only 28 Australians to the mark of 100 ODIs. “It’s a significant milestone for myself and my family. I’m extremely proud for where I am today, coming from playing a Twenty20 game at the MCG in front of 90,000 people to then be called up a couple of games later to represent Australia in the ODI format, I never thought I would come so far.”I’ve got a great bunch of team-mates around me. Obviously, Smithy bringing up his 100th game a couple of days ago, we’ve come a long way from where we were as juniors, not being picked, me being dropped and him taking my spot etc. We’ve had a great friendship over those years, and to play in our 100th together is massive for us and we’re very proud of that.”Considering the amount of time he has been around, this is Warner’s first ODI series in India, and it’s been a surprising experience. “Coming here to play ODIs for the first time has been different. Obviously two new white balls, the first two games have been different – first a 21-over game, and then in Kolkata the ball was swinging around and it was totally different to what I expected.”That’s probably the toughest conditions I faced from a white-ball point of view. It swung a lot more than it did in England. I think when you adapt your games to the conditions… last game was probably the game where it was traditional one-day cricket – the ball didn’t swing as much, the wicket was nice to bat on. I obviously didn’t make the most of getting in [dismissed for 42]. So that’s probably a thing for me to reflect on, and hopefully, I can bring out here in this game and go on with it.”

Level 5 water restrictions are in place throughout the province and individuals have been instructed to use no more than 87 litres of water per person per day as the Cape battles lowering dam levels

Firdose Moonda24-Oct-2017Club cricket in the Western Cape could be cut by up to 50% as the Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) tries to heed the city’s call to reduce water consumption in the face of the region’s worst drought in over a century.In an urgent meeting on Wednesday, WPCA cricket and local league committees discussed ideas on how to save water, and discussed a reduction of club fixtures, but did not agree on a specific number. A final decision will be made in the coming weeks.Level 5 water restrictions are in place throughout the province and individuals have been instructed to use no more than 87 litres of water per person per day as the Cape battles lowering dam levels following a second winter with scant rainfall. Water rationing is on the horizon and all organisations have been asked to reduce water consumption as much as possible.”The WPCA has already implemented practical steps to save water. One example was the grey-water usage by curators and all the club players at Blue Downs every week to maintain the oval, a practical, proactive measure,” Nabeal Dien, WPCA CEO said. “Obviously we will consider reducing the club fixtures without knockout matches being impacted or players’ need for recreational activities being adversely affected significantly.”The club cricket season has already begun but a revision to the fixtures may yet take place.

Mohammad Amir, who is recovering from a shin injury, has been included in the squad subject to fitness

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2017Allrounder Mohammad Hafeez returns to Pakistan’s squad for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka, which begin on October 26. Hafeez had been omitted from the squad that played Pakistan’s previous T20I assignment: the home series against the World XI. He has been a part of Pakistan’s squad for the ongoing ODIs against Sri Lanka.Mohammad Amir, who is recovering from a stress-related injury of his right shin, has been picked subject to fitness. He had first shown signs of the injury during the second Test against Sri Lanka in the first week of October, and a subsequent MRI scan revealed the injury to his right shin and he was advised two to three weeks’ rest.Umar Amin, Faheem Ashraf and Aamer Yamin, among the players brought in for the World XI series, retain their spots. The only player to miss out from the squad which played the World XI is pacer Sohail Khan.Pakistan won that series – a landmark one which mark the return of top-flight cricket to Pakistan for the first time since March 2009 – by two games to one.The first two T20Is will be played Abu Dhabi, before the teams move to Lahore to play the much-anticipated final game on October 29.Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Fakhar Zaman, Ahmed Shahzad, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Mohammad Amir (subject to fitness), Rumman Raees, Usman Khan, Umar Amin
In: Mohammad Hafeez
Out: Sohail Khan

Ajinkya Rahane at crease for Mumbai, but hosts face a deficit of 302 with only six wickets in hand on the final day

The Report by Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai11-Nov-2017
ScorecardESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mumbai’s hopes of salvaging their dwindling 500th fixture were dealt further blows on day three as Swapnil Singh mounted a 164-run offensive that amplified Baroda’s first-innings lead to 404 before reducing the hosts to 129 for 4 in the closing hours.Faced with a 404-run deficit barely half an hour before tea, Mumbai’s first 22 runs were courtesy of three fours from Prithvi Shaw, who cracked consecutive fours off the first two balls of the hosts’ innings. With only another run added to the score, left-arm pacer Lukman Meriwala, who picked a five-for in the first innings, steamed in and had captain Aditya Tare edge an outswinger. Mitesh Patel, the wicketkeeper, pulled off a flying one-handed stunner to leave Mumbai bereft of their first-innings top-scorer and the occupants in the media box gasping in disbelief.Ajinkya Rahane found his fluency early in the final session of the day, belting three fours en route to an unbeaten 74-ball 28. With quicks Atit Sheth and Sagar Mangalorkar conceding at five up to the 15th over, Swapnil’s left-arm spin was called into action. Shaw whipped him over midwicket for a six in his second over before reaching his fifty with a four a ball later. By then, Swapnil had leaked 18 off his two, with Mumbai motoring towards 100.Proceedings, in what may turn out to be the deciding hour of play in the game, turned towards Baroda, with Aditya Waghmode, stationed at short-leg in the 18th over, receiving a brute Rahane sweep at the back of the neck right below the helmet. After he walked off the field, Swapnil came in for his fourth over with a six-three on-side field and was met with meticulous blocking from Shaw for the first two deliveries. The third, a lusciously-lobbed ripper pitched well outside leg, turned square to breach Shaw’s forward-defense and took out the middle stump along with much of the security the brisk 64-run second-wicket stand and Shaw’s 56 had offered.Twenty-eight minutes prior to stumps, Shreyas Iyer played into Baroda’s short-ball plans with an off-balance pull that went off the toe-end to Mangalorkar at short square. Less than two overs later, nightwatchman Vijay Gohil defended the wrong line at the expense of his offstump, offering debutant Kartik Kakade, who scored a duck earlier in the day, his maiden first-class wicket off only his third ball at senior level. With their sights set on an outright win – and also a first victory this season – Baroda reduced Mumbai to 102 for 4 at stumps.Much of Mumbai’s undoing on the day was led by a gritty innings from Swapnil, who mixed prudence with aggression through his 309-ball knock. Having played out 106 balls to get to his third fifty this season, Singh was handed a reprieve on 64 as neither the wicketkeeper nor first slip went for an outside edge that slipped through from between them.He plucked singles and twos at will thereafter and equalled his highest first-class score of 95 with a flick off the pads off left-arm spinner Gohil. Two balls – the 242nd of his knock – after he survived a loud lbw appeal on 97, he notched up his maiden first-class century over 11 years after his debut as a 14-year old. His next fifty runs came off 42 balls – and featured a six off part-timer Iyer after lunch that landed deep into the Sachin Tendulkar stand – before a top-edge was met by a spectacular catch from Iyer at deep backward point to a rousing applause from the 500-plus crowd.Mumbai, however, had begun the third day on a decidedly aggressive note, as fourteen balls into the third day, Dhawal Kulkarni undid Baroda’s fifth batsman, trapping Abhijit Karambelkar in front with a back-of-a-length inswinger. Wicketkeeper Tare then pulled off a stunning diving-grab to his left off Thakur to send back Mitesh. Dropped on nought by Siddesh Lad, Sheth exuded sureness through his 60-ball 25, until he steered a wide bouncer from Thakur to Rahane at gully. The opening session of the day accounted for four Baroda wickets for 89, before Swapnil dropped anchor to dominate stands of 63 and 109 with Sheth and Mangalorkar, who was unbeaten on a career-best 43 as Baroda declared on 575 for 9.