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The BCB has formed a four-member committee to investigate a Dhaka Premier League match that was abandoned last week after the umpires walked off the field

Mohammad Isam19-Jun-2016The BCB has formed a four-member committee to investigate a Dhaka Premier League match that was abandoned last week after the umpires walked off the field.When a stumping appeal against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was turned down by umpire Tanvir Ahmed, the players and fans of Abahani Limited began to protest. That led the umpires to consult with match referee Monu Datta and take their leave citing “illness”. The match did not resume on the reserve day.The board’s umpires committee chairman Nazmul Karim, disciplinary committee chairman Sheikh Sohel, technical committee member Athar Ali Khan and match referee Raqibul Hassan will interview players and umpires before reporting to the BCB president within 72 hours. If the match is replayed, it could be held on June 24.BCB president Nazmul Hassan said: “Such an incident should not have happened but we will get to the bottom of what happened in that game.”The BCB also formed the bowling action review committee, to be headed by Jalal Yunus with Dipu Roy Chowdhury, Omar Khaled Rumi and Golam Faruq Suru as the other members. Technical personnel will be appointed at a later date.The DPL players were supposed to get 60% of their fees by the end of the first stage of the tournament, and the clubs who have defaulted on the payments have been given three days to get up to date.”If they don’t pay within this time, the board will pay the amount from their coffers,” Hassan said. “In that case, the board will take stern action against the clubs.”Hassan also confirmed the 2016 BPL will begin on November 6 and added the BCB would take legal action against Sylhet Superstars franchise after their bank guarantee couldn’t be encashed. “They owe around Tk 3 to 4 crore to us and the players. We condemn this and will take legal measures.”

Cricket Australia has named an 18-man National Performance Squad for the upcoming quadrangular one-day series in Queensland, featuring teenage carrom-ball spinner Arjun Nair

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jul-2016Cricket Australia has named an 18-man National Performance Squad for the upcoming quadrangular one-day series in Queensland, featuring teenage carrom-ball spinner Arjun Nair.New South Wales allrounder Sean Abbott is the most experienced member of the group, which will take on Australia A, India A and South Africa A in a tournament in Townsville and Mackay during August.Nair, 18, is an emerging spinner who played two matches for New South Wales last summer but is particularly notable in Australia for his varieties. Although yet to make his List A debut, he will have the chance to show off his short-form talent in the four-team series.In May, a 24-man Australia A squad was named for a winter campaign set to include four first-class games against South Africa A and India A as well as the one-day series, although specific groups for the one-day and four-day matches were to be confirmed closer to the games. Three men named in that squad – Matthew Renshaw, Sam Heazlett and Mitch Swepson – will play for Australia A in the first-class games and for the NPS in the one-day series.”All of these players have some degree of state experience as part of the Australian Cricket Pathway and this is just another step up in their development,” Greg Chappell, CA’s national talent manager, said of the NPS group. “Selection in this squad pays tribute to the hard work that these players have put in and acknowledges that performances are noted and rewarded in the current Pathway system.”The squad will be coached by Graeme Hick and Ryan Harris. Hick said the quadrangular series would provide valuable experience for the players, many of whom have had just a taste of state cricket.”Although the team’s success won’t be measured by win-loss ratio, we still expect this side to be competitive and with the talent in the team, a victory along the way isn’t out of the question,” Hick said. “Alongside the Australia A squad, these players are the future of Australian cricket and we are excited to see the progress they make in this important tournament.”National Performance Squad Sean Abbott, Hilton Cartwright, Kyle Gardiner, David Grant, Sam Grimwade, Sam Harper, Sam Heazlett, Clint Hinchliffe, Josh Inglis, Caleb Jewell, David Moody, Arjun Nair, Tom O’Donnell, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Swepson.

The excitement gathering around Nottinghamshire’s trip to Twenty20 finals day on Saturday is being tempered somewhat by the growing likelihood that they will playing their four-day cricket in Division Two next season

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge16-Aug-2016
ScorecardBrad Wheal took a career-best 6 for 51•Camerasport/Getty Images

The excitement gathering around Nottinghamshire’s trip to Twenty20 finals day on Saturday is being tempered somewhat by the growing likelihood that they will playing their four-day cricket in Division Two next season after the fleeting vision of a highly unlikely victory proved to be a mirage.It may be a destination that Hampshire will also have to contemplate but this victory, only their second of the season, in which Brad Wheal, the 19-year-old pace bowler, claimed his maiden five-wicket haul gives them at least a chance to stay up. Surrey’s victory over Warwickshire does not help them in that respect but Warwickshire themselves as well as Durham suddenly look more vulnerable than before.Nottinghamshire, whose batting has been brittle for much of the season, reached 243 for 3 after Steven Mullaney and Brendan Taylor put on 162 for the fourth wicket, which made a record fourth-innings target at least theoretically possible.But the loss of Mullaney and Samit Patel to consecutive balls from Wheal sparked a collapse that saw five wickets fall for 17 runs in the space of 49 balls, after which effectively only Imran Tahir and Harry Gurney stood between Hampshire and victory, neither of whom was ever likely to present a lasting impediment.Will Smith, the Hampshire captain and former Nottinghamshire batsman, hailed what he hopes will be a turning point in the club’s fortunes.”While Mullaney and Taylor were going well there was even a slight chance they could push for a win but on day four things can happen very quickly and credit to Mason Crane and Brad Wheal that they did, with quality spin and fast bowling,” he said. “But everyone in the attack bowled exceptionally well to set things up.”We knew too with the old ball as we had it, soft and pretty scuffed up, reversing a little bit and skidding through, that it would be hard for anyone coming in. There was always a sense that if we got one wicket we could get a few.

Russell available for Blast Finals Day

West Indies allrounder Andre Russell is available for Nottinghamshsire on NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day, leaving the county with a choice of which two players to field between Russell, Dan Christian and Imran Tahir.
Russell had a four-match stint with Notts in the group stages and coach Mick Newell said: “It’s too good an opportunity to miss.”
Notts had to wait to see if Russell was available because West Indies have two T20 internationals against India in Florida the following week.

“It has been a hard season with the tragic passing away of Hamza Ali and what’s happened to Michael Carberry, plus all the injuries to the bowlers, but there is a sense that we are getting some momentum at the right time and we have to take positives from last year, getting three wins in the last four games or whatever it was, and believe that we can still do it.”Chasing 468 to win, which required them to exceed the county record for a successful fourth-innings run chase, Nottinghamshire they began the final day at 42 for 2 thinking only about survival, yet after Hampshire managed to prise out only one wicket in the morning session, Mullaney and Taylor began to enjoy a sense of gathering impetus in their fourth wicket partnership.Although Taylor, who has been out of form much of the season, was hardly fluent, with Mullaney very much the opposite, readily picking out the balls he could hit and usually despatching them efficiently, there was a moment with around 60 overs remaining that the required rate was only a touch more than five an over.Yet in the steaming heat the possibility vanished almost in the blink of an eye.Wheal, who had accounted for Michael Lumb in the morning session as the former England batsman drove loosely outside off stump, surprised Mullaney with a delivery that climbed off a length, the ball looping into the air off the leading edge, to which Gareth Berg responded by running in from mid-off to take a good diving catch.Then Smith’s one-wicket-brings-another theory paid off as Samit Patel fell first ball, caught behind down the leg side. Crane, the legspinner and another 19-year-old, had Taylor caught low down at slip and as tea was taken Nottinghamshire’s comfortable position had gone, 245 for 3 rapidly transformed to 259 for 6.Two balls after tea, Crane claimed his third of the innings as Luke Wood flicked a ball off his hips straight to Ryan McLaren at leg slip and when Wheal thudded one skiddily into Jake Balls pads there was no way back. In the event, Tahir survived as Chris Read shouldered arms to another delivery that kept low and Gurney lasted three balls before his off stump was flattened.Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket, was typically blunt in his assessment, with his side now 30 points adrift of seventh-placed Durham, who have a game in hand.”If we keep playing as poorly as that we will get what we deserve,” he said.”To say we might have been distracted by Saturday would be an easy cop-out. The truth is that this is just the continuation of some pretty ordinary four-day form, we haven’t suddenly produced a poor performance out of nowhere. And one fifty and one hundred from the top six on a pretty flat wicket is pretty ordinary.”It was a game neither side could afford to lose and by doing so we have put ourselves under a lot of pressure in the last four matches.”Stuart Broad is expected to be available for at least a couple of Nottinghamshire’s remaining matches, but Yorkshire, Durham and Somerset away, with Championship leaders Middlesex the only side still to come to Trent Bridge, look daunting fixtures.Hampshire, with Somerset and Surrey away, Yorkshire and Durham at home, hardly face an easy run-in and there is still a gap to close. Yet, given the chance, Nottinghamshire would certainly swap.

Salman Butt hopes to keep knocking on the doors of the national selectors by the sheer weight of his domestic performances

Umar Farooq22-Sep-2016Pakistan batsman Salman Butt isn’t quite sure if he will be considered for national selection just yet despite a sparkling show in the National T20 Cup, but hopes to keep knocking on the doors by the sheer weight of his performances.Butt, 31, marked his return from a five-year spot-fixing ban in September 2015 by scoring 536 at an average of 107 in National One-Day Cup last year. In the subsequent ODI tournament in April-May 2016, he managed just 135 runs in five innings. In the shortest format he hit form again, finishing the National T20 Cup as the second-highest run-getter with 350 runs in eight innings.”Since my comeback, every time I’ve done well, it has given me a good feeling,” Butt, who is set to return to first-class cricket in October, told ESPNcricinfo. “I want to carry on with these performances till I get selected, that is the ultimate goal. I don’t know if the board really want me or not, but I have two good performances. Sometimes, if the team is playing well, you can’t be fitted in, so unless someone has a bad run or if the team needs to strengthen a specific area, it will be tough. Let’s see which door opens for me, but my job is to keep fit and keep scoring runs.”Butt was 26 when he was banned in August 2010. Until then, he had played 33 Tests, 78 ODIs and 24 T20Is. Given the game has moved forward significantly following a number of tweaks to the limited-overs rules, Butt’s style of batting and his strike rate could come into question should he be considered for selection at some stage. However, Butt insisted that he had the capability to adapt.”Tests and ODIs are the two formats I can walk into, but it won’t be difficult for me to chip in with the T20 format as well,” he said. “I have the experience. This was my first competitive T20 tournament after six years, and I still managed a decent strike rate of 140 in the last three games. Sometimes it is tough to maintain your strike rate because when you see four batsmen getting out in eight deliveries, you have to hold yourself back.”I know they are a lot of people talking about my strike rate from my last game [he made a run-a-ball 55], but situation and understanding of the game is one thing and typing on social media is something else. I understand the game better than I had before.”In the time he spent away from the game, Butt has attended anti-corruption rehabilitation programmes conducted by the PCB, taken part in social work and has also issued a public apology, which was key for the reduction in his suspension – he was banned for 10, but returned after five. The reduction came on the condition that Butt would commit no further breaches of the anti-corruption code and participate in educational programmes on corruption.While reluctant to talk about his past, Butt insisted that he wanted to make the most of the second chance offered to him. “There are two ways to live: either keep thinking about the past or look forward and move on. In my best interest, I’ve chosen to move on,” he said. “Obviously I’ve taken the good things from the past and eliminated the bad ones. The difference in me is for people to see. No matter what I say or do, it won’t make much of a difference, but my actions would speak and people can form their opinions based on that.”Butt insisted the knowledge of modern-day fitness requirements helped him prepare and stay in shape during his time away. “I was training at a private facility,” he said. “I knew the kind of fitness levels required and maintained myself accordingly. Having played international cricket, I knew the kind of work ethic needed to get me back. You can’t instill passion, that has remained.”Butt, who will turn 32 next month, hopes to draw inspiration from Test captain Mibah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan. “A batsman matures in his 30s,” he said. “There are very few naturally-gifted players in their 20s. We have Misbah and Younis. If you look at Australia, they bring in their batsman in their late 20s or early 30s. So it’s about fitness. There’s no set of rules that states if you are touching 40, then it’s over.”Misbah has proved to everyone through his dedication and fitness that you can fight on at that age. If you keep working hard, then your body responds in a certain way, so it’s about being committed, like Misbah has shown.”

Suryakumar Yadav, Kaustubh Pawar, Siddhesh Lad, Arman Jaffer and Aditya Tare continued the tradition of Indian domestic batsmen softening up touring spinners, as New Zealanders’ trio of slow bowlers went for 263 in 51 overs

The Report by Sidharth Monga in Delhi17-Sep-2016
Scorecard1:40

Bracewell shrugs off tough day for NZ

Amit Pagnis did it to Shane Warne in 1998; Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma traumatised Jason Krejza in 2008; Nathan Hauritz received a rude welcome from Ajinkya Rahane in 2010. On Saturday Suryakumar Yadav, Kaustubh Pawar, Siddhesh Lad, Armaan Jaffer and Aditya Tare continued the tradition of Indian domestic batsmen softening up the opposition spinners in their tour game. Rohit, himself a part of the Test squad now, failed to press claim for a slot in the XI, falling for 18 in an ungainly manner, but his Mumbai team-mates did a job for the India Test side by making New Zealanders’ three frontline spinners toil for 51 overs for 263 runs and just three wickets. A whopping 402 runs came in the day. Mumbai’s coach Chandrakant Pandit didn’t brag too much, but cheekily said he hoped the India team would be happy that a state side had tested the visiting spinners.Doug Bracewell, though, said the New Zealanders weren’t too concerned about their performance, although there were lessons to be learnt. A lot of it was down to the flatness of the Feroz Shah Kotla pitch. New Zealanders’ spinners, though, seemed to be playing for the conditions expected in the Tests rather than trying to beat batsmen in the air on an unresponsive track. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner and offspinner Mark Craig, in particular, kept bowling quick and flat, which works on the kind of raging turners that South Africa were given in India’s last home season. Legspinner Ish Sodhi was the only one who created regular problems.Be that as it may, the Mumbai batsmen matched the intent shown by the New Zealanders on day one, shot for shot. Jaffer, yet to make his first-class debut, had come in to bat on the first evening, at the fall of the opener Jay Bista for a duck, and hit Santner for a straight six in the first over he played. Now he hit Santner back over his head twice in his first over on the second morning.The only time it seemed Mumbai were under pressure was when Sodhi, the last spinner used, began to turn a few. One legbreak got rid of Jaffer for 69, after which Rohit played an edgy innings. It just seemed anything could happen every time Rohit faced up. One of those things was a clean six over mid-off after eight straight dots, but he never looked in. On 18 he looked to charge Sodhi, who dragged his length back, drawing an uncertain defensive shot. In the same over Rohit repeated the charge without bothering about defending when beaten in the flight. An easy stumping for BJ Watling ensued.It could have become 133 for 4 when Yadav skied a pull towards the stumps at the non-striker’s end, but Sodhi, the bowler, dropped a dolly after going back a few steps, to herald an afternoon of pain. Having ridden his luck in the initial stages, Yadav got stuck into the spinners, hitting eight sixes in his 103 off 86 balls. He began with a swept four, and peppered the straight and midwicket region with his sixes. He brought up his hundred with a swept six off a full-toss.Pawar, known for his stodgy efforts, opened up in Yadav’s company, repeatedly driving the spinners over cover and back over their heads. The late-cut was beneficial too, as the spinners dragged their length back. He retired with an even hundred to his name, off 228 balls. Towards the end of the day, Lad and Tare filled their boots too, putting on an unbroken 137 in 22 overs. Lad ended the day batting on 86, having hit seven sixes.Two worries for the New Zealanders will be the absence of reverse-swing, and the sameness of their spinners’ offerings, not as a group but individually. Perhaps preoccupied with getting their pace right for the expected rank turners, they kept bowling similar trajectories and similar angles through the day. Their release points and pace didn’t vary much. When Santner did slow up the odd delivery, he caused some indecision, once even drawing a chance, but dropped a return catch from Pawar, who was 45 at that point.Release points changed for the quicks with both Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell trying the round-the-wicket angle, but they couldn’t get much reverse swing. When Neil Wagner went to his trusted bouncers, the lack of pace off the pitch and friendly bounce rendered him ineffective.”The surface didn’t really break up and turn that much,” Bracewell said. “We are not really concerned at this stage. It is early on in the tour. They played really well. I definitely know our guys will take some learnings out of today.”We know it is going to be a different surface for the first Test. Wasn’t really any surprises [to be given a different surface for the warm-up game]. Whether it is a part of India trying to get us to not expect something that might be our way… we definitely expected something like this. You just get on with it.”

USA allrounder Timroy Allen played six games for the CPL champion Jamaica Tallawahs this summer, an experience that he says helped him in a pressure situation during USA’s one-wicket win over Italy

Peter Della Penna in Los Angeles 31-Oct-2016USA allrounder Timroy Allen has said the experience gained while playing for the 2016 Caribbean Premier League champions Jamaica Tallawahs was a key factor in his match-winning half-century that helped USA to a one-wicket win over Italy at the WCL Division Four in Los Angeles. Allen credited the Tallawahs coaching staff, led by Paul Nixon, for fine-tuning parts of his game and building confidence levels after having spent nearly three years away from the USA national team leading into Division Four.”The batting stance I’m using right now is from the CPL coaches,” Allen told ESPNcricinfo after making 53 off 27 balls in Sunday’s victory. “A lot of that stuff comes from there. Hitting the ball, striking the ball, being able to stay confident in yourself and back your ability to clear the boundary at any given time. I tell myself that at any given time I could get 10 runs out of one over and consistently and repeatedly I keep telling myself that. So I don’t put any pressure, just get the ones and the twos.”Allen had previously made 51 not out off 26 balls against Italy three years ago in a 74-run win at 2013 WCL Division Three in Bermuda. On Sunday, he arrived at the end of the 26th over with USA at 107 for 5 in the chase of 186 in 41 overs. Allen struck two fours and two sixes early in his innings to reduce their target to 17 off seven overs.”The wickets are great to bat on,” Allen said. “The guys at this level, they’re not going to be that consistent where they’re gonna bowl six good balls so you just have to be patient and wait for the bad ball and that’s all I did today.”We were in a crucial position but at some point one of the senior guys are going to have to step up. A win is a win, I’m just a little disappointed I wasn’t able to finish the game so I’ll just have to go back and make sure the next time I’m in the situation again, I put my head down and finish it for us.”Allen said he feels the USA batting lineup is capable of posting huge totals with the small boundaries being used at Woodley Park, with Wright Cricket Field the smallest featuring 55-yard boundaries straight down the ground.”We’re capable of making 400 runs in this tournament so if we’re chasing 180-200 runs, we shouldn’t have any problem with it,” Allen said. “The situation we were put in today, the wicket was really good. It’s just the top order needs to come and help us out a little bit. Yesterday, [against Bermuda] they came big for us so we’re not going to put them under too much pressure. The guys have a lot of talent. They know exactly what we need to do. We need to come here and win but for us to win we need to come here and make runs. That’s it.”Despite their victories, USA’s fielding has been poor. The tournament hosts had six missed chances against Italy a day after dropping two chances against Bermuda. USA has also conceded a tournament high 45 wides, including another 16 against Italy. No other team has bowled more than 18 wides in their first two games.”I think we’re going to have to go back to the drawing table with our fielding in our whole approach,” Allen said. “We’re not playing cricket all year round so we’re going to make mistakes. It’s just for us to admit our mistakes and go back to the drawing table and capitalize, just make sure we don’t make the same mistake twice.”

Surrey have introduced a ballot to cope with demand for their NatWest T20 Blast match against Middlesex at The Oval.

George Dobell25-Nov-2016Surrey have introduced a ballot to cope with demand for their NatWest T20 Blast match against Middlesex at The Oval.The match has sold out for the last three seasons so, in an attempt to meet demand and gain data from the largest possible audience, the club have now decided to treat the game as they would an international fixture.It is anticipated that attendances for the T20 Blast will rise beyond a million for the first time in 2017. The tournament has been moved back into high summer – it has started in mid-May for the last couple of years – meaning it can take advantage of the warmer weather and school holidays. Surrey’s home match against Middlesex will take place on Friday, July 21.”Over the last four years, half-a-million people have seen Surrey play T20 cricket at The Oval,” Surrey chief executive Richard Gould told ESPNcricinfo. “65% of those people had never previously attended a professional cricket match and 125,000 of them were either women or U-16s.”The current competition, when well marketed and staged, is very effective at reaching a new audience.”The timing of the announcement comes not only as the ECB release the domestic fixture list for 2017 but as they renewed calls on the counties to sign a document (a redrafted version of which was circulated this week) handing over their media rights to the ECB until the end of 2024. As things stand, several of the counties argue that there is no specific agreement preventing them from selling domestic matches at their own grounds independently of the ECB.The original version of the document found little support – ESPNcricinfo understands that about a third of the counties signed it – and while the new version clarifies a few details (the counties are guaranteed £1.3m each a year on top of their current ECB income if they all sign), it specifies that they agree to all aspects of the new team T20 competition the ECB is planning from 2020.As counties do not currently know where or when those games will be staged, what the teams will be called, what other cricket will take place at the same time and the value of the alternative broadcast deal, there are several – perhaps even a majority – that are reluctant to sign. Until they do so, the ECB cannot be certain that they can prevent a breakaway league, though in reality that remains unlikely.Meanwhile a report commissioned by Surrey – who are leading the opposition to the eight-team competition favoured by the ECB – and distributed among the counties has cast doubt on the valuations obtained by the ECB for the relative worth of the different T20 competitions. While the ECB valuation suggested broadcast rights for the current competition were worth between £5-7m a year and a new eight-team competition worth between £30-35m, the new report concludes that they “are significantly undervaluing the broadcast appeal of county T20 cricket.”While domestic cricket is officially ascribed a nil value in the broadcast deal between the ECB and Sky, the new report suggests that Sky unofficially ascribed 20% of the value of the deal with the ECB (currently £65m a year) to county cricket when tendering for 2009. That provided a value of £13m to domestic competitions. With the “increased profile” of modern T20, the report suggests that value can now be increased to 20-25%, providing a value of £16.25m between 2014-2017 and £23.12m between 2018-2019, when the worth of the current broadcast deal increases to £92.5m a year.The report also notes that, since BT Sport added competition to the broadcast market, the value of deals for domestic football and rugby has increased markedly.The report concludes that a re-launched T20 competition involving all 18 first-class counties, sold on the open market and starting in 2020 could be worth “around £35m a year.”It would seem to underline the findings of an independent report by Oliver and Ohlbaum, analysts of the media and entertainment industries, from August which concluded “there is little consumer demand for the proposed city-based T20 competition even among younger and currently more casual fans of cricket.””Over 80% of sports fans surveyed by O&O this summer showed no interest at all in a city-based T20 competition,” it said.That report concluded that the ECB had “lost out on” an “estimated £60m” of potential broadcast revenue “when it did its last TV deal, back in 2011 just before BT Sport entered the market.”

Peter Handscomb scored his third score of fifty-plus in as many Tests, before Steven Smith hit a hundred to help Australia take the lead against Pakistan on day four

The Report by Daniel Brettig at the MCG29-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAustralia’s captain Steven Smith beat encroaching bad weather by a matter of minutes to post his 17th Test hundred before a monsoonal downpour all but ensured a drawn Boxing Day Test at the MCG.Moments after Smith reached his 100, the umpires suspended play, a decision followed soon after by a deluge that was more tropical Brisbane than Melbourne’s more typical southerly climate. It would take a pair of highly imaginative declarations from here to manufacture a result, with the hosts likely to be happy to sit on their 1-0 series lead.Smith’s ease at the crease contrasted with two more low scores for Nic Maddinson and Matthew Wade, neither of whom can be sure of their places in the XI, and made life difficult for the visitors who were also inconvenienced when Azhar Ali was helped from the field after suffering a stunning blow to the helmet when fielding at short leg.Usman Khawaja fell three runs short of a century for the second time this summer but the emerging No. 5 Peter Handscomb also made a useful contribution in Smith’s company before the monsoonal rain arrived. Whether either side is inclined to creativity to set-up a final-day run chase from here is a matter for conjecture.As he had done in the Perth Test against South Africa, Khawaja made it to 97 before being dismissed, this time trying to cover drive Wahab Riaz and edging through to Sarfraz Ahmed. He had shelved the stroke when making an excellent century against South Africa under lights in Adelaide.That wicket brought the Victorian Handscomb to the crease on his home ground, and he showed plenty of attacking intent to outpace Smith and close the gap with the visitors’ total. On a pitch offering precious little to the bowlers, Pakistan reverted largely to a short-pitched angle of attack with a leg-side field.Neither Handscomb nor Smith had too many awkward moments before the second new ball was taken, the former passing 50 for the third time in as many Tests. However in Mohammad Amir’s first over with the fresh projectile, Handscomb was beaten by one delivery then, next ball, pushed a difficult return catch back to the bowler, who dropped it.While Amir continued to bowl well, it was Sohail Khan who claimed the wicket, when Handscomb sliced an attempted drive to backward point. Maddinson accompanied Smith to lunch and made it as far as 22 after it, before yorking himself when dancing down the wicket to Yasir Shah to be bowled.Wade connected with several meaty blows, one of which felled the double-centurion Azhar at bad pad, before he edged Sohail Khan to depart for another underwhelming score. It was around this time that the weather began to close in on the ground, and the umpires conferred over the matter of bad light before Smith forced one through an off-side gap for three runs to go to his second century in as many Tests.That, then, was more or less that. A further 42 scheduled overs were lost from the match, meaning a more optimistic weather forecast for day five is most probably a moot point.

Faf du Plessis struck a match-winning 117, and pulled off a superb catch for South Africa as they beat Sri Lanka by 121 runs in Durban

Firdose Moonda02-Feb-2017There’s a secret behind Faf du Plessis’ success in snatching balls one-handed out of the sky to send batsmen on their way and after his second one against Sri Lanka, he was willing to share it.”Someone once told me that if you fear getting hit on the finger or if you fear what happens when you fall, that’s when you are going to get hurt because you go into it 50-50. But if you go into balls-to-the-wall, if I can say that, then you are going to be okay,” du Plessis said in Durban, where he enabled South Africa to pick up their first wicket by running to his left from cover, leaping in the air and pulling off a one-handed catch in effortless fashion.Du Plessis had put in a similarly stunning effort in the slips to dismiss Angelo Matthews in the Test at the Wanderers. The Sri Lanka captain flashed hard at a ball that looked destined to clear the cordon but du Plessis timed his leap perfectly and his right hand did the rest. He rated the Test catch a little higher, because of the force with which the ball was hit.”The Test one will be hard to beat. The ball was traveling very quickly and it was a lot higher than this one was today,” du Plessis said. “Today, my legs were just too tired, I couldn’t jump up off the ground so I had to save it with my hand. It will take a lot to beat that catch I took at Wanderers.”In the ODI, which South Africa won by 121 runs, du Plessis’ time in the field came after he spent two hours and 44 minutes in the middle, crafting a Man-of-the-Match worthy century and sharing in a 117-run stand with David Miller. Du Plessis’ innings included 53 singles, six twos and two threes, which meant a lot of running between the wickets in high humidity.He expected to feel the effects of his exertion in the lead-up to the third ODI on Saturday but does not anticipate having to miss it. “I feel when you get older your body gets more sore after a game after you’ve done it so the next two days will be a write off for me and then we’ll come back for the next game and I will do it again.”‘Two brilliant catches that you very seldom see get taken and then an outstanding run out, real Jonty-style. That killed us’ – Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford on South Africa’s fielding•AFP

Du Plessis is not the only one who can pull off those kinds of moves in this South African team. “We are very lucky. If you look at the guys in the ring – they are all brilliant fielders. There’s not any fielder there that’s a bowler. It’s all quality fielders, who field at point or cover for the different franchises,” he said. “We’ve got the right personnel and with that you can obviously make sure you train hard and then you can change games with them. New Zealand have been a great example of that for many years and we are right up with them now.”The Durban match provided ample proof of that statement. AB de Villiers took a catch running backwards to dismiss Upul Tharanga and a direct hit from JP Duminy at backward point did Asela Gunaratne. Sri Lanka’s coach Graham Ford had to concede that apart from being out-batted and out-bowled, his side were also out-fielded.”I am not too sure there’s any other side in world cricket that can field as brilliantly as they do. If there is, hopefully we don’t have to play against them. Their fielding is electric,” Ford said. “They have got some amazing athletes in that fielding group. South Africa are very lucky that Jonty Rhodes set such a great example years ago. These kids, when they were young, all they wanted to be was be like Jonty. So from a very young age, really worked on their fielding and enjoyed their fielding and it shows. They must have saved plenty of runs and then two brilliant catches that you very seldom see get taken and then an outstanding run out, real Jonty-style. That killed us.”More so, because Sri Lanka put down what could have been a match-defining catch. South Africa were 118 for 4 and du Plessis on 63 when he edged left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan to slip but Dhananjaya de Silva could not hold on. They also grassed two more chances. Hashim Amla was dropped on 6 by the bowler Suranga Lakmal, although he barely had any time to react and and David Miller, the other centurion, was reprieved on 67, when a very thick edge eluded Dinesh Chandimal standing up to the stumps.Overall, Ford was not too unhappy with what he saw from his players. “It was one of the best ground fielding performances I have seen some Sri Lanka for quite a while. The commitment, the energy, the effort in the field, in fairly tough conditions was amazing,” he said. “We so easily could have had a different day. We had a chance to have them 120 for 5 with two bowling all-rounders to come after that. The game could have been very different if we’d managed to take that chance.”

Stand-in captain Alyssa Healy’s 77 was the backbone of the Sydney Sixers’ match-winning total of 169, with supporting roles from Sara McGlashan, Marizanne Kapp and Ashleigh Gardner

The Report by Will Macpherson at the Gabba25-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:15

Macpherson: Sixers have amazing depth in line-up

Like they did in the first edition of the Women’s Big Bash League, the Sydney Sixers thrashed the Hobart Hurricanes to book their spot in the final. Last year, the margin was ten wickets (Duckworth-Lewis method) and this time, under the scorching Brisbane sun, it was equally emphatic: 103 runs.Alyssa Healy’s 77 provided the backbone of a charge to 169, before the Hurricanes were bowled out for just 66. The Sixers will travel to Perth to face the Scorchers on Sunday and, if their male counterparts beat the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba, only two clubs will compete the finals.A Healy hurricane
Healy has reveled as captain since she took over from an injured Ellyse Perry. In her first game as stand-in captain, she made 84 off 56 against the Melbourne Renegades. Here, she was even more belligerent, making a magnificent 77 off 45 balls before cutting Hayley Matthews to point in the 13th over.Having opted to bat first, Healy thumped Amy Satterthwaite over long-on for six in the second over and by the time Ashleigh Gardner became the second batsman to be dismissed, caught brilliantly at point, Healy had scored 41 of the Sixers’ 49 runs. In the following over, she brought up her half-century with a pull over midwicket for six, and went on to play a cover drive, late cut and reverse sweeps for boundaries. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of her innings, however, was her running between the wickets and the ability to turn ones into twos.She was dismissed with the Sixers on 108, and resourceful knocks from Sara McGlashan (38), who was carrying a hamstring injury, and Marizanne Kapp (36 not out), left the Hurricanes with a stiff target of 170.In her two matches as stand-in captain, Alyssa Healy has scored 161 runs•Getty Images

Sixers’ fabulous fielding
Gardner has been the competition’s break-out star this season, largely due to the three half-centuries that have underpinned her brilliant batting efforts. But her bowling – she took her ninth and tenth wickets of the season, including the vital one of Hayley Matthews for a duck – and fielding have been excellent, too. It was a moment of magic from Gardner that nipped a solid start from the Hurricanes in the bud. She lobbed an off-break up at Erin Burns and it was drilled hard back at her, but barely a foot off the ground. She dropped low in her follow-through and took a fine catch, which was so tight that it had to be reviewed.That was not the last of the Sixers’ superb interventions in the field. Each of the seam bowlers hammered away with a consistent line and length, while the spinners were tough to get away. Angela Reakes took an excellent catch in the deep to get rid of Emma Thompson, but it was the run-outs of Heather Knight and Amy Satterthwaite – with sharp throws from Kim Garth and Dane van Niekerk (the latter a direct hit) – that guaranteed the Hurricanes would fall short.And yet… Hobart self-destruct
Hobart were out-classed but they also contributed to their own downfall. Healy was dropped on 18 by Brooke Hepburn at mid-on, and on 60 by Thompson at short third man, while Kapp was given a life on 13. With the bat, Satterthwaite was responsible for the run-outs of Knight and herself. They are the Hurricanes’ most reliable batsmen and once they fell, there was no way back for the side.The best two teams in the final
This was a complete performance from the Sixers and showed the intimidating depth in the squad. Amy Jones, the England international, could not make the side for this, while Lisa Sthalekar’s experience was not required either. Perry has been ruled out of the final but, given the Sixers’ dominance in the league stages and their performance today, the final against the Scorchers could serve up a humdinger.