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Blistering knocks from the pair helped set a target of 218, which proved too far beyond Canterbury’s reach

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2022Blistering knocks from Katene Clarke and Mitchell Santner powered Northern Districts to their highest total of the season, 217, which proved too far beyond Canterbury’s reach in the final of the men’s Super Smash in Hamilton.Opening the batting, Clarke almost single-handedly drove Northern Districts’ early momentum, rushing to 40 off 15 balls to lift them to a powerplay score of 57 for 2. That became 77 for 3 when Colin de Grandhomme fell off the last ball of the eighth over.Santner entered the scene at this point, and the fourth-wicket pair proceeded to add 50 in just 26 balls before Clarke departed in the 14th over for 71 off 34. He had hit eight fours and four sixes.Santner continued to pummel the Canterbury bowling, as Northern Districts pillaged 90 runs from their last seven overs. The allrounder eventually finished unbeaten on 92 off 40 balls, having hit four fours and nine sixes.Fast bowler Henry Shipley provided Canterbury their only bright spark with the ball, picking up 2 for 30 to finish the tournament as its top wicket-taker with 18 at an average of 14.11 and an economy rate of 7.25.Canterbury’s chase never really got to grips with the required rate, as Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi and Joe Walker made regular incisions. Their top scorer was their No. 9 Matt Henry, who hit 44 off 22 balls, but by the time he got going the result was a foregone conclusion. Northern Districts eventually triumphed by 56 runs, bowling out their opponents with seven balls remaining.

If the opener plays, KL Rahul will have a tricky choice to make, possibly between Maxwell and Mujeeb

Saurabh Somani14-Oct-20207:39

Is it time for KL Rahul to bat more freely?

Big picture

It’s Chris Gayle against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.Conditions apply, of course. The condition of Gayle’s fitness – he’s “fully recovered” as of October 12, but is he back to match fitness?Conditions underfoot, too, with the venue being Sharjah. Alright, so the pitch is not the belter it was at the start of the tournament, but the boundaries are still the same size. A Gayle mis-hit could still be six at Sharjah, so if his timing is not completely there due to his own rustiness or the surface’s slowness, that might not matter.ALSO READ: Choose your captain between Kohli and Rahul after the tossMany expected Gayle to have played in IPL 2020 before this, perhaps as early as Kings XI Punjab’s second game, which was their first bout against the Royal Challengers. Two matches in for both teams, Kings XI seemed ready for a great run while the Royal Challengers had tasted a big defeat that could have made old doubts resurface given how their past two IPL seasons had gone. But the tournament has changed beyond recognition for these two teams since that game. That win remains Kings XI’s only one so far. For the Royal Challengers, the loss was just a blip.The Gayle-against-his-old-franchise trope lends a fresh tinge to a rivalry that has plenty of sub-plots already. Kings XI had been nicknamed ‘Kings XI Karnataka’ before IPL 2020 began, with coach Anil Kumble along with several prominent players hailing from the state. The Royal Challengers have only Devdutt Padikkal as a prominent “local” player. Moreover, the Kings XI have plenty of ex-Royal Challengers players in their ranks apart from Gayle, including captain KL Rahul.Rahul will have a tricky dilemma to resolve if Gayle does play. The West Indies batsman fits naturally at the top of the order, but so do Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, who have been putting together substantial partnerships in this IPL. One of them will have to drop to No.3. He will also have to decide on which overseas player to leave out for Gayle: go all in on the batting and bring Gayle in for Mujeeb Ur Rahman, or do a swap with Glenn Maxwell. Neither Maxwell nor Mujeeb have been at their best so far, and Kings XI will have to choose between going all in on batting at a venue that’s still the most batting-friendly in this IPL, or giving themselves more bowling options.The Royal Challengers look well settled, and require no changes unless there are fitness issues.

In the news

• “I know you’ve all been waiting for such a long time,” Gayle has announced. “The wait is over.” He did add this disclaimer: “unless something dramatic happens” again. But barring that, all the indications are that Gayle will play.
• Maxwell has pointed to his ‘changing roles’ within IPL franchises for the disparity between his IPL record and his performances for Australia. He said he’s still getting used to coming in late in the innings and putting the finishing touches to what the top order does.
• The Royal Challengers bowling has been on point this season, and Virat Kohli put that down to good planning, thorough preparation, and mindset. “If your bowling unit is strong, then you have a good chance of going deep in the tournament,” Kohli said.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers join Washington Sundar in celebrating a wicket•BCCI

Previous meeting

Rahul hit the highest IPL score by an Indian batsman, helped by two dropped catches along the way, as the Kings XI romped to a 97-run win. The Royal Challengers bowling attack has been revamped since then though, with Chris Morris and Isuru Udana coming in, in place of Dale Steyn and Umesh Yadav.

Likely XIs

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Aaron Finch, 2. Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Mohammad Siraj, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalKings XI Punjab: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 KL Rahul (capt), 4 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mandeep Singh, 7 Chris Jordan, 8 M Ashwin, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Strategy punt

• Kings XI might be best served by having Gayle open with Agarwal with Rahul dropping to No.3. While Rahul is the leading run-getter in the tournament, his slow strike rates have hurt the team more than helped. Rahul has felt the need to “bat through”, which is why he’s adopted a less risky approach. But if he comes in after a good start, it might allow him to bat with greater liberty.
• Mujeeb Ur Rahman has given up 83 runs in eight overs in the two matches he’s played so far, but if Kings XI continue to show faith in him, it will be worth having him bowl in the powerplay. Both Aaron Finch and Devdutt Padikkal, the Royal Challengers openers, have had their troubles with spin in this IPL. While Finch has a strike-rate of 146.00 against spin, he’s also been dismissed four times in 73 balls faced. Padikkal has been dismissed just once, but his runs against spin in IPL 2020 have come at a strike rate of 105.66. He hasn’t bowled to Padikkal yet, but Mujeeb has a good record against Finch overall despite not having dismissed him: Finch has faced 27 balls but scored only 24 off Mujeeb.
• Nicholas Pooran has been the Kings XI most dangerous batsman, perhaps, having got his runs more rapidly than anyone else and with the range to dominate against any type of bowling. One possible match-up against him that the Royal Challengers might want to explore is Navdeep Saini. The quick bowler has got Pooran out three times in 23 balls, while Pooran has taken only 21 runs off him. So keeping a few Saini overs in the bank might be a good ploy.

Stats that matter

• 53.50 and 152.85. Those are Gayle’s numbers against the Royal Challengers overall. Granted, overall numbers against franchises mean little in the IPL where line-ups change every season. But Gayle does seem to have a liking for whoever is donning the Royal Challengers colours.
• Washington Sundar’s economy rate in IPL 2020 is a staggering 4.9, this despite bowling half his overs in the powerplay. It’s the best economy rate in the tournament currently, given a minimum of 10 overs.
• Yuzvendra Chahal needs two wickets to get to 200 in T20s.

How our ball-by-ball commentary captured the West Indies allrounder sending chills down the New Zealand team’s backs in the final couple of overs

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2019..47.1 Henry to Brathwaite, 2 runs, miscued pull but he has managed to drag it to deep square’s right. Too early through this shot as he tries to drag the short ball from wide outside off47.2 Henry to Brathwaite, SIX, clears long-on! Flat-bats it and hardly gets height on this, but he’s got plenty of distance. Literally swipes from above waist heightWATCH on Hotstar (India only) – Gayle smashes 8747.3 Henry to Brathwaite, SIX, and another! It is no longer a clear New Zealand advantage! Low full toss wide outside off. Reaches out and gets bat – just enough bat – to get it to land on the padding at deep backward point!Carlos Brathwaite smashes a six over point•Getty Images

47.4 Henry to Brathwaite, SIX, it is too full! It is too far outside off! Knee high full toss with lots of width and he smokes it over wide long-off! Unreal. How does he keep finding himself in these situations, and doing this? Three in a row.47.5Henry to Brathwaite, FOUR, top edge clears the wicketkeeper! Heart in the mouth, but the fortune is all his, it seems! Bouncer cramps him at the chest. He has no control over this shot. But it’s trickled through to the third man boundary. 24 off the over!47.6 Henry to Brathwaite, 1 run, lofted to third man’s right and he will keep strike! Short outside off and he holds his composure48.1 Neesham to Brathwaite, no run, short of a length outside off, watchfully tapped to extra cover48.2 Neesham to Brathwaite, no run, beaten! Whew. Short and wide outside off. Backs away and has a swipe but it some distance away from connection48.3 Neesham to Brathwaite, no run, beaten again. Short and wide outside off. Once again he’s gone for the pull. Misses again48.4 Neesham to Brathwaite, 2 runs, pulls out to deep midwicket and comes back for the second! What. An. Innings. He doesn’t get to do a lot very often, down at No. 8. But every time he finds himself in this situation, he shines through. A hundred. An unlikely win in sight. Takes his helmet off, blows a kiss. Back to it.48.5 Neesham to Brathwaite, no run, legcutter, short and spinning past off stump as he shapes to pull and is deceived again. Beaten. This is a great over from NeeshamCarlos Brathwaite is consoled by Ross Taylor•Getty Images

48.6 Neesham to Brathwaite, OUT, has he done it? No! Boult plucks it at long-on! Two drops for Boult since the last game, but he’s held on when it’s mattered! They’re checking for no-ball…it’s well behind the line. This is heartbreak for Brathwaite. So close. Short ball at middle, he pulled it, but slightly from under again. Ended up slicing it, with no room. It was to Boult’s right. He leaped, he held on, he balanced on his right foot. That is solid work under pressure. Both batsmen on their knees, and then Brathwaite gets up with a smile. He did his all, and then some. But it was always unlikely. And you feel like he knows that. Smiles from his opponents as they offer their commiserations. It’s all shakes. It could have so easily been the other way round…CR Brathwaite c Boult b Neesham 101 (117m 82b 9×4 5×6) SR: 123.17

Despite their impressive performance in the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh’s wicketkeeper said they “haven’t become a T20 side of caliber yet”

Mohammad Isam19-Mar-2018Before the Nidahas Trophy, Bangladesh never felt like they were playing consistently in a T20 tournament, according to Mushfiqur Rahim. Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka twice in final-over thrillers, which has given them confidence for the future.Mushfiqur said Bangladesh’s overall recovery in this tournament, after the poor home series against Sri Lanka, stood out. They were beaten 2-0 in the T20s in February, after they lost the ODI tri-series final and the Test series, to Sri Lanka.

‘Should have been quiet’ – Nurul Hasan

Nurul Hasan, the Bangladesh substitute player, who picked up a 25% fine for his behaviour in the match against Sri Lanka on Friday, said he regretted arguing with Thisara Perera.
“I was sent inside the field to speak to [Mahmudullah] Riyad ,” Nurul said. “I asked the umpire whether the first ball was given a bouncer. Thisara Perera came up to me and said, ‘Who are you to talk? You go, you don’t have to talk’. I said I am not talking to you. He started to abuse me. I kept saying it has nothing to do with you. I should have been quiet. I think the heat of the moment got to me. This is all that happened.”

“We haven’t become a T20 side of caliber yet but if you compare how we did in the home T20s in February to how we did in Sri Lanka, we have taken a step in the right direction,” Mushfiqur said. “We have shown we can be consistent in T20s. We still have a lot of room for improvement. Our top-order batsmen have to play till the end. We did finish two games well.”Our bowlers have to take more wickets in the Powerplay overs. We have to work on our death-over bowling. Most of the wickets were flat, we were a bit behind India’s economy rate. I think it is a gain that we now have some confidence in T20s, like we have found in Tests and ODIs.”Bangladesh were short of confidence prior to the Nidahas Trophy, but Mushfiqur boosted their morale after carrying them past Sri Lanka in the second league game. Mahmudullah’s cameo in the virtual knockout against Sri Lanka lifted them further. However, they lost one crucial moment in the final as Dinesh Karthik hit Soumya Sarkar for six off the last ball of the match.Mushfiqur however feels that Soumya cannot be blamed. “It is quite obvious to feel bad. But it wasn’t due to one person,” Mushfiqur said. “If all our bowlers could concede one or two runs less or our batsmen could have scored 10 runs more, things would have been different. It is a team game so the failure is ours. We have to take lessons from this game. It was the first time for Soumya, so I am sure the next time he faces up to such a situation, he will do much better.”A lot of big-name bowlers have failed to hold on to their nerve. Malinga was taken apart by Marlon Samuels in the same venue in the 2012 World T20. We lost a good opportunity, is all I can say. It is not every day that you get a chance to beat India. We have now missed two opportunities. We will keep this hurt inside so that we can go ahead.”

Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has replaced the lespinner Amit Mishra for the one-off Test against Bangladesh, which begins in Hyderabad on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-20170:53

Quick Facts: Kuldeep Yadav

Left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has replaced the legspinner Amit Mishra for the one-off Test against Bangladesh, which begins in Hyderabad on Thursday. Mishra, who was part of India’s last Test XI, did not train with the team on Tuesday after having injured his knee. This was the maiden Test call-up for Kuldeep.Mishra sustained the injury while fielding in the last T20 international against England on February 1. He has been advised rest by the India medical team, and will undergo further assessment in due time.Kuldeep played the practice match against the Bangladeshis, returning figures of 1 for 32 and 2 for 2. He has also been named for the three-day tour game against the Australians on February 16. He was part of the Rest of India squad in the Irani Cup match but failed to take a wicket. He has played 22 first-class games for 81 wickets at an average of 33.11.India’s Test squad has three other spinners: R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Jayant Yadav. Jayant, who was injured for India’s last Test, has proved his fitness by turning out for Haryana in the domestic T20 competitions and in the tour match against Bangladeshis.

Joe Root believes England are up to the challenge of beating South Africa in a Test series for the first time in a decade

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2015Joe Root believes England are up to the challenge of beating South Africa in a Test series for the first time in a decade. Root, who has yet to play a Test against South Africa, will be one of England’s key players as the No. 2-ranked batsman in the world and vice-captain to Alastair Cook and he is predicting an “entertaining spectacle” between two sides with clear strengths and weaknesses.England have arrived in South Africa and begun preparations for the four-Test series by taking on an Invitational XI in Pochesfstroom. Among their first concerns will be settling on a new combination at the top of the order – likely Alex Hales opening alongside Cook with Nick Compton at No. 3 – and establishing the identity of the third seamer behind James Anderson and Stuart Broad.South Africa have issues of their own to deal with after a chastening 3-0 defeat in India, with coach Russell Domingo admitting “there is a lot of work to do”. Aside from a batting order struggling for form, Vernon Philander suffered ankle ligament damage that will keep him out of the first two Tests and Dale Steyn is also a fitness concern after hurting his groin in Mohali last month.They will still be able to call on Morne Morkel, along with the talented Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada, who will present a significant challenge on faster, bouncier surfaces than England are used to. Root said that the fast-bowling contest could be what ultimately decides the series.”It should be a really entertaining spectacle, with their attack and our attack as well, in those conditions – I’m looking forward to getting out there and being a part of it,” he told ESPNcricinfo.Asked if England could win away from home against the top-ranked Test side, he replied: “Absolutely, yeah. I think it’s going to be a really close series, and a really interesting battle with the two seam attacks. The way that Stuart and Jimmy lead our attack, with some very exciting guys below them as well, it could be an interesting battle against the No. 1 side in the world.”England last played South Africa in 2012, when a 2-0 home defeat hastened the retirement of Andrew Strauss and led to Cook’s elevation to the Test captaincy. They have not beaten South Africa since 2004-05 – with Anderson the only survivor from that tour – and have not won a Test series overseas since India in the winter of 2012, Cook’s first in charge and also the scene of Root’s debut.A successful start for Cook as Test captain was followed by a nightmarish year in which England suffered a 5-0 Ashes whitewash, lost at home to Sri Lanka and tentatively began to rebuild after the loss of several key players. Cook contemplated giving up the captaincy (and was also sacked from the role in ODIs) but his authority has never been stronger after England regained the Ashes with a 3-2 win earlier this year.Root – the man widely considered next in line – said Cook’s drive to get better set the perfect example for a young team still finding their way.”He’s been developing as a captain since he took on the role, it’s something that you can never really practice until you actually do it and I thought the way he approached this Ashes, both on and off the field – obviously the way he trains and the example he sets as a player and batsman have always been exemplary, but as a leader and his tactical nous over the last 12 months has been remarkable. He’s always learning all the time and he’s always willing to learn, which is exactly what you want from a leader.”Under Cook, Root has become a key player for England, particularly since coming back from being dropped at the end of the 2013-14 Ashes, and already in 2015 he has broken his country’s record for international runs in a calendar year. Root hopes there is improvement still to come and cited a batsman England will come up against over the next few weeks, AB de Villiers, as the current gold standard.”He is a big inspiration and I think it’s important as players that we look to learn from guys like him,” Root said. “He’s one of the guys taking the game forward and moving it on all the time and we’ve got to make sure as individuals, we have that responsibility to try and develop our games and try and stick with the best in the world and go past them if we can.”

Former Kerala captain and junior national selector M Balan Pandit has died in Ernakulam, Kerala on June 5, aged 86

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2013Former Kerala captain and junior national selector M Balan Pandit has died in Ernakulam, Kerala on June 5, aged 86.A wicketkeeper-batsman, Pandit began playing first-class cricket in 1946 and represented Kathiawar, Kerala and Travancore-Cochin. In a career spanning 46 first-class matches, Pandit scored 2,317 runs including five hundreds at an average of 29.70.He was a wicketkeeper for Kathiawar in the match against Maharashtra, in December 1948, when Bhausaheb Nimbalkar scored an unbeaten 443 runs, the highest first-class score by an Indian batsman.In a Ranji Trophy match in 1959 against Andhra, his 14th for Kerala, Pandit scored an unbeaten 262, which was the record individual score for Kerala before Sreekumar Nair hit a triple century against Services in 2007.As a wicketkeeper, he completed 35 catches and three stumpings during his first-class career.As an administrator, Pandit was a member of India’s junior selection committee and was also the chairman of Kerala’s selection committee. He also served as vice-president of Kerala Cricket Association.

Tom Westley fell to the last ball of the day as Essex stumbled in their pursuit of Leicestershire’s first-innings 372

17-May-2012
ScorecardLate wickets by Nathan Buck and Wayne White put Leicestershire in the driving seat at the end of the second day of their Division Two clash with Essex at Grace Road. Buck had Adam Wheater caught behind and White trapped Tom Westley lbw for 81 with the last ball of the day, to leave Essex on 239 for 5 – still 133 behind the home side’s first innings total of 372.Westley and Mark Pettini (57) looked to have given Essex the edge with a third-wicket stand of 133 until the two late dismissals turned things in Leicestershire’s favour again.
David Masters completed a six-wicket haul at the start of the day as Leicestershire suffered a late order collapse. The hosts would have been disappointed to miss out on maximum batting points having resumed on 323 for 5, losing their last five wickets for 21 runs in eight overs.Masters, who left Leicestershire to join Essex five years ago, finished with 6 for 82, the fifth time in 11 games against Leicestershire he has taken five wickets – last season he claimed a career best eight for 10 against them at Southend.The 34-year-old seamer, who had picked up four of the five wickets to fall on the first day, collected two more as Leicestershire’s innings folded rapidly following a 20-minute stoppage for a rain shower. White, having reached 50 off 104 balls, edged Charl Willoughby to slip before Masters dismissed Ned Eckersley with a catch behind, then bowled Matthew Hoggard to bring the innings to an end.On the slow-paced pitch, Billy Godleman and Alviro Petersen gave Essex their best start so far this season. They put on 54 in 17 overs until Hoggard struck twice in successive overs, trapping both openers leg before wicket.Westley and Pettini put the brake on Leicestershire’s progress with a gritty partnership, although both survived difficult chances. Will Jefferson just got his fingertips to an edge from Pettini and Westley was put down by Ramnaresh Sarwan at slip on 31.White finally broke through Pettini’s defence to flatten his off-stump and end a stand of 135 in 42 overs, then Buck had Adam Wheater caught behind, before White snapped up the vital wicket of Westley – who hit 12 fours in his 172-ball innings.

Shane Warne and Rajasthan Cricket Association secretary Sanjay Dixit are waiting for the BCCI’s judgement on the issue after a hearing in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2011Shane Warne and Rajasthan Cricket Association secretary Sanjay Dixit, the protagonists of an argument over the changing of pitches in Jaipur during the IPL, are waiting for the BCCI’s judgement on the issue after a hearing in Mumbai. They appeared before a panel comprising IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, Ravi Shastri and IMG’s legal counsel John Loffhagen, and gave their versions of the incident, which took place after Rajasthan Royals lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.”We had a long meeting and the judgement is awaited,” Dixit said. “Our views have been heard by the panel and the hearing was conducted in a very good atmosphere. The proceedings of the hearing are confidential. I am not at liberty to reveal the proceedings.”Dixit said the hearing was only about the complaint he lodged with the IPL regarding Warne’s alleged misbehaviour. When asked if the RCA was considering filing a criminal complaint against Warne, Dixit said he would wait for the judgement before making a decision. Warne attended the hearing with Sean Morris, Rajasthan’s chief executive, and they left immediately after without speaking to the media.The RCA had complained to the BCCI and IPL that Warne reportedly abused Dixit after his team’s loss to Bangalore in Jaipur. The pitch used for that game, and the previous one against Chennai Super Kings, was different from the one Warne’s team had enjoyed a strong home advantage on. The reported that RCA venue director Narendra Joshi had written to IPL’s chief operating officer Sundar Raman, alleging that Warne had publicly abused Dixit by calling him “a liar and egoistic,” and demanded action against Warne.Since the pitch was changed on May 9, Warne and Dixit have engaged in a war of words that has been fought in public, private and through the media. The hearing in Mumbai followed RCA’s rejection of an apology offered by the Rajasthan franchise, with the state board also threatening further action if the matter was not resolved to its satisfaction.

Marlon Samuels batted steadily, bowled economically and took two wickets to lead Jamaica to a 47-run win in a Twenty20 game against the USA in Lauderhil

Cricinfo staff23-May-2010
ScorecardMarlon Samuels batted steadily, bowled economically and took two wickets to lead Jamaica to a 47-run win in a Twenty20 game against USA in Lauderhill. Samuels’ half-century led Jamaica to 145 for 3 and then the bowlers restricted the hosts to 98 for 9.Jamaica lost opener Donovan Pagon for 13 after getting sent in but Samuels, who made an unbeaten 52, and Wavell Hinds added 54 for the second wicket to put the innings on track. The acceleration was provided by Danza Hyatt, who came in at No. 4 and smashed 48 off 22 balls before falling to the last ball of the innings. Hyatt helped add 72 runs off 46 balls for the third wicket with Samuels.USA’s chase slipped from 26 for 0 to 39 for 5 in the space of four overs and there was no recovering from such a collapse. Wicketkeeper Ashhar Mehdi top scored with 28 in a total of 98. Samuels, Bevon Brown, Krishmar Santokie and Hyatt all took two wickets each to ensure a Jamaican victory.