Category Uncategorized

In a round of barn-burning finishes, neither side at the Ageas Bowl wanted to be left out

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl24-May-2016
ScorecardHarry Gurney chipped away at Hampshire’s top order, but they retained the edge•Getty Images

In a round of barn-burning finishes, neither side at the Ageas Bowl wanted to be left out.With that in mind, the visitors, taking their lead from Hampshire and their clown car of a physio room, brought some injury news with them this morning. Chris Read was ruled out of taking the field for the remainder of this match, having damaged his hand while batting yesterday evening. While he would eventually recommence his innings when the ninth wicket fell, he spent the remainder of the day with his feet up on the away balcony, watching on as Steven Mullaney took on captaincy duties and Riki Wessels kept wicket.Not wanting to be outdone, Hampshire dropped their own bombshell in the afternoon. Reece Topley, who had been expected to return this week from a hand injury picked up on the first day of the season, is now set for another three months out with a partial stress fracture of the lumbar spine. He has still yet to bowl a ball for his new county.It would be easy to caveat this match with a list of those not present, from the enforced to the elated (Jake Ball arrived in Durham this morning). But to do so is to ignore the quality that was on show. Those present have ensured the game has moved on in a manner that suggests neither are as bad as recent results suggest.At the forefront was Harry Gurney. After four wickets in Hampshire’s first innings, which stopped the lower order in its tracks, he did a number on the top order in the second. With an 81-run lead to play with, those at the front were undone by some fine swing bowling. Michael Carberry was exposed outside off stump before a beauty left Liam Dawson’s forward defence hanging and took his off stump for a wander.You would be forgiven for forgetting that Gurney is an international player. Or was. His name rarely comes up in selection debates for either white ball format. Even his worth as a long-form player is often filed over as simply “a left-arm option”. But Gurney’s used to being underrated.Even Nottinghamshire were not totally convinced that he would be a multi-format player for them when he joined from Leicestershire in 2012. Director of cricket Mick Newell admits that the motivation behind signing Gurney was that the left-armer always seemed to do well against Nottinghamshire in limited-overs cricket.His development into a skilled and highly valued part of their bowling cartel has pleasantly surprised many at the club. Deep down, he was confident in his own ability. When another player followed the familiar route from Grace Road to Trent Bridge, Gurney wrote a message in his locker: “If you improve half as much as I have since joining here, you’ll be a helluva player!”Luke Fletcher’s persistence throughout his 13 overs was rewarded with the wickets of Jimmy Adams caught at second slip and then Adam Wheater at mid-on, after the wicketkeeper played what might be one of the worst shots of the season. But both Fletcher and Gurney had to cede to Will Smith and Sean Ervine for the best part of 26 overs, as 78 was put on for the fourth wicket.Smith, captaining in the absence of Test newbie James Vince, displayed the sort of street smarts that saw him regularly bag around 900 runs a season while playing his cricket up at the seamers paradise that is Chester-le-Street. The first time he broke the 1,000 first-class runs mark was his first summer at the Ageas Bowl.His first half-century of the season, which came from 141 balls, was patient yet he kept the score ticking along. He ensured he presented a straight bat, while also getting down on one knee to lap Samit Patel over his shoulder. Everything in moderation – including moderation.Patel would get his share, though: a double-wicket maiden accounting for Smith, caught at midwicket, and Tino Best lbw for a pair. Ryan McLaren’s reverse sweeps, while a strong quiz team name, also helped Hampshire bring up a lead of 270 as the day drew to a close.Hampshire may already have enough. Mason Crane, the 19-year-old leg spinner, impressed with three wickets earlier in the day when he pitched the ball on a length that forced batsmen to play. He kept tabs on Dan Christian who tried to hit him out of the park but could only play onto his stumps. Brett Hutton, replacing Jake Ball in the match, swiped across the line only to find Adams at square leg, before Fletcher went for a heave and missed completely.It was only Wessels who had something to cheer for Nottinghamshire with the bat: a measured 72 from 159 balls adding some worth to an innings that always looked like coming up short. The final throes of the reply saw Gurney cart Dawson for two sixes down the ground before he lost his middle stump to Best.The pitch, for all its wear and turn, is still rewarding composure at the crease. Hampshire have just two wickets left and Nottinghamshire will be going to bed tonight thinking a chase of around 300 would be better than they expected.If the final day’s play is half as intriguing as this, we are in for a helluva finish.

Zimbabwe’s cricketers were given a guarantee of $12,500 each by the Pakistan Cricket Board before they agreed to tour that country for a historic series last month, ESPNcricinfo has learned

Firdose Moonda03-Jun-2015Zimbabwe’s cricketers were given a guarantee of US$12,500 each by the Pakistan Cricket Board before they agreed to tour that country for a historic series last month, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The tour, the first by a Full Member team since March 2009, went ahead despite advice to the contrary from the Zimbabwe government’s Sports and Recreation Committee (SRC).The individual payments were part of the US$500,000 the PCB is understood to have paid Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) before the tour. The PCB has not commented on the issue of any financial payments to ZC or the players.The amount paid to the individual players is substantially more than nationally contracted Zimbabwean cricketers’ monthly salaries, which are US$6,500 a month at their maximum and comes with the players still waiting to be paid their World Cup fees.The PCB initially offered Zimbabwe’s players US$10,000 each, which a significant number of players felt was too little given the safety concerns. That was the reason behind ZC issuing a press release on May 14, eight days before the first match, confirming the suspension of the tour on the instructions of the SRC. Less than half an hour later, ZC recanted and said discussions were ongoing between the PCB and ZC. Insiders have revealed this was when the PCB upped their offer to Zimbabwe’s cricketers, offering to pay those that were still wary even more money to make the trip.An agreement was reached on US$12,500 although one source believes some players may have still negotiated more money. The money is understood to have been paid in two amounts, the first on arrival and the second at the conclusion of the series, which could explain why Zimbabwe stayed on despite a suicide attack during their second ODI.ZC is also believed to have benefitted financially from agreeing to be the first Test-playing team to tour Pakistan since 2009. One source revealed that Ozias Bvute, the former managing director of ZC, played a role in securing the deals even though he resigned from his post in July 2012. His resignation followed his implication in the mismanagement of an ICC loan to ZC but he remained an advisor to the board.Bvute traveled with the Zimbabwe team as the head of their delegation, and ZC chairman Wilson Manase said his role was because of his experience in the country. “Because of the terrain, I had to look back at the people we have in the administration who have the experience and I realised that Ozias Bvute has been to Pakistan before,” Manase told . “Bvute was the most suitable candidate…We need someone like him who can understand what to do, what to say to the players among other things.”The Zimbabwean team’s experience in Pakistan was described by several players in favourable terms. Sikandar Raza tweeted that Zimbabwe were”welcomed with open arms, smiles and love,” while Craig Ervine said he was “loving the passion for cricket in Pakistan,” and thanked the PCB for the “hospitality and security over this tour.”Over 3,500 security officials were deployed to look after the Zimbabwe team, whose only movement in Lahore was between the hotel and the Gaddafi stadium. They were due to go shopping the day before their final ODI but the trip was cancelled after the suicide attack.

Marlon Samuels walked into the post-final press conference with the serious air of a man who had suffered and had come back to script an achievement so rare and so stunning that a jaunty expression might belittle his accomplishment

Abhishek Purohit in Colombo08-Oct-2012Marlon Samuels walked into the post-final press conference with the serious air of a man who had suffered and had come back to script an achievement so rare and so stunning that a jaunty expression might belittle his accomplishment. About the only time he broke into bit of a smile was when he spoke about taking on Lasith Malinga.Samuels has had a mercurial career, having also been banned for two years in 2008 for actions that could bring him or the game into disrepute. He spoke of how difficult a time it had been. “The career has been up and down,” Samuels said. “There have been a lot of tough times. I dealt with them in simple ways and tried to let them pass. Being under pressure on a cricket field is nothing compared to what I’ve been through off the field.”As my mentor always said to me, everything that happened to me in life is because I’m important. I’m not someone that will ever give up. I never say die. The person that I am deep down inside is the reason why I am still here playing cricket. I have a family that believes in me. If outsiders don’t, it doesn’t really matter to me.”Samuels said the World Twenty20 triumph had shown to the world that West Indies cricket was back, and hoped that would bring back a lot of fans to watch the team. “We haven’t been winning any major title for years now,” Samuels said. “This is a great achievement, for past cricketers and for these cricketers who have bonded together to form a strong unit.””In the past, we had some near misses but nevertheless, God willing, we came out on top. This is T20, but it can bring a lot of fans to watch us. Around the world, people still love to watch West Indies cricket. It is wonderful to bring back new people and people who have been watching cricket for a long time.”We will celebrate as long as possible and enjoy the moment. This is a moment to cherish, and cherish forever. The entire Caribbean embraces it [the trophy]. The sky is the limit and words can’t really explain it. It means the world to us.”Samuels was almost single-handedly responsible for West Indies getting to 137 for 6 after they had been 32 for 2 at the halfway mark. Half of his 78 runs came in just 11 deliveries against Lasith Malinga, who he hit for five sixes and a four. “I was waiting there for someone to come and build a partnership,” Samuels said. “Since that did not happen, I decided to take on Malinga. From last night, I was playing Malinga in my mind and I decided to take him on.”I only faced him one time [in the IPL] in the first game against Mumbai [Indians], and he got me out bowled,” Samuels said. “I was very upset. This was my time today to get back at him.”Once West Indies had got close to 140, Samuels was confident of their chances. “Having batted most of the overs on the pitch, my advice was that it was still a challenging total,” he said. “The pitch was a tough one. As long as we could get some quick wickets and put the pressure on Sri Lanka, it would work in our favour.”

Rest of India amassed 663 in the first innings after which they reduced Rajasthan to 53 for 3 by stumps in Jaipur

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRahul Sharma scored 52 off 38 balls•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

After ensuring they could not lose the Irani Cup outright to Rajasthan on the first day, Rest of India took a giant stride towards winning it outright on the second, continuing their commanding batting performance and making inroads with the new ball. Rest of India amassed 663 in the first innings after which they reduced Rajasthan to 53 for 3 by stumps in Jaipur.The platform for Rest of India’s mammoth first-innings score had been laid on the first day, when Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane scored centuries to lead their side to 400 for 3. Rahane continued Deepak Chahar’s torment this morning, cutting his first ball to the point boundary. Three balls later Rahane dismissed another short delivery to the cover boundary. Chahar had been expensive and wicketless on the first day. He suffered a similar fate today, and ended with 0 for 168 in 35 overs.Aniket Choudhary, on the other hand, gave Rajasthan a positive start, dismissing Parthiv Patel caught behind with the second new ball in the day’s third over. Patel was gone for 55, his overnight score. There was no respite for Rajasthan, though, as a succession of batsmen – specialist and tailender – came in and contributed usefully to Rest of India’s cause.Rahane, on 152, was the next to fall, driving Sumit Mathur in the air to cover, leaving Rest of India on 489 for 5. Mandeep Singh then contributed 60 off 80 balls, fast bowlers Vinay Kumar and Varun Aaron made 40s, and legspinner Rahul Sharma blitzed 52 off 38 balls. Sharma’s innings contained five sixes and served to pound an already weary Rajasthan team. Rest of India’s innings ended on 663 just before the tea break, giving Rajasthan a session to bat after spending five in the field.Rajasthan’s start was in stark contrast to Rest of India’s. While Dhawan and Mukund had raced yesterday morning, Aakash Chopra and Vineet Saxena were slow and cautious. They had scored only 7 off 6.5 overs when Saxena hit the first boundary. A couple of overs later, Saxena was gone, edging one that seamed away from Umesh Yadav to the wicketkeeper. Rajasthan were 25 for 1. Yadav found another edge, from the experienced Hrishikesh Kanitkar, to reduce Rajasthan to 44 for 2.Chopra had battled patiently for his 20, hitting only three boundaries in 70 balls, but his vigil ended in the last over of the day. Pragyan Ojha had come on to bowl his left-arm spin and Chopra used his feet, mis-cueing the loft towards long-on where Yadav held the catch. The wicket capped a near-perfect day for Rest of India, and left Rajasthan needing a monumental effort to avoid the follow-on.

Ian Bell has been added to England’s squad for the remaining two one-day internationals in the NatWest Series against Pakistan

Cricinfo staff19-Sep-2010Batsman Ian Bell, who scored a century in Saturday’s CB40 final, has been added to England’s squad for the remaining two one-day internationals in the NatWest Series against Pakistan.Bell has not been part of the England set-up since breaking a bone in his foot while fielding during the second one-day international against Bangladesh at Bristol earlier this summer. He has since recovered from the metatarsal injury, scoring 107 off 95 balls in Warwickshire’s victory over Somerset at Lord’s.”It’s fantastic to have him back in the squad,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain, said. “He wasn’t in originally because we weren’t sure about where he was in his recovery and he needed some cricket for Warwickshire. He’s played very well and strengthens are squad to give us more options batting wise.”Bell made a successful return to the one-day squad in the first match against Bangladesh, where he struck an unbeaten 84 to seal victory at Trent Bridge but was soon back on the sidelines after his injury at Bristol. With England’s impressive one-day form it’s a battle to find a place in the line-up, especially with Kevin Pietersen to return, but Bell feels he is now coming into his prime.”I’ll just keep working as hard as I can to get in the side in one-day cricket as well as Test cricket,” he said. “I feel I’m improving all the time. I’m desperate to keep improving because at 28 the best years are still to come.”It’s been great to be back on field. When I did the injury the England guys and the specialists erred on the side of safety,” Bell added. “The surgeon suggested eight weeks off, I probably could have played after seven but was it worth risking it ahead of aus? Probably not.”So hats off to the ECB – Kirk Russell [the physio] and Nick Pierce the doctor got it right in terms of giving myself enough time but also getting some cricket under my belt.”Paul Collingwood, who missed the third one-dayer at The Oval with a virus, trained with the squad on Sunday at Lord’s and is likely to be available. Strauss confirmed that Bell wasn’t in as cover and will stand an equal chance of being selected.

The India fast bowler has not played for India since November last year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-20245:06

Rohit: Have to be very careful with Shami

Rohit Sharma has said the “door is very much open” for Mohammed Shami to join India’s Test squad in Australia, but reiterated caution over his fitness.Speaking after India’s ten-wicket loss in the second Test in Adelaide, Rohit said: “We are just monitoring him because while playing Syed Mushtaq Ali, he got some swelling in his knee, which hampers his preparation to come and play a Test match. We want to be very careful, we don’t want to bring him here, he pulls up sore or something happens.”We want to be more than 100% sure with him because it has been a long time. We don’t want to put pressure on him to come here and do the job for the team. There are some professionals monitoring, we will take a call based on what those guys feel. They are the ones watching him every game, how he pulls up after the game, after bowling four overs, standing for 20 overs. But the door is open for him to come and play anytime.”Shami has not played for India since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November last year, after which he had surgery in February for an ankle injury. After suffering a few setbacks during his recovery process, Shami finally returned to action in November this year, taking seven wickets for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh.Since then Shami has played seven games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking eight wickets in 27.3 overs. While there has been no official confirmation that he has been given the go-ahead to fly to Australia, it is expected that he will join the squad at some stage if there are no further setbacks.

“Our T20 games have been getting longer and longer each year, and we want to do what we can to arrest this trend”

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2023The 2023 Caribbean Premier League – men’s and women’s – has announced severe penalties for teams going through their overs slowly, even putting in place a red card-like system of removing a player if the fielding side is behind schedule at the start of the 20th over of an innings, a first in the game.”We have been disappointed that our T20 games have been getting longer and longer each year, and we want to do what we can to arrest this trend,” Michael Hall, the CPL’s tournament operations director, said in a statement on the subject. “It is the duty of those involved in cricket to ensure that the game keeps moving and we have sensitised both the franchises and our match officials to this duty ahead of the tournament. Our hope is that these in-game penalties are not needed, but we believe they are proportionate and necessary.”The slow over-rate penalties

• If behind the required over rate at the start of the 18th over, one additional player must enter the fielding circle – for a total of five players inside the circle
• If behind the rate at the start of the 19th over, two additional fielders must enter the fielding circle – for a total of six inside the circle
• If behind the rate at the start of the final over, teams will lose a player from the field – selected by the captain – and have six inside the fielding circle
• There will also be an onus on batting teams to keep the game moving. After a first and final warning from the umpires, the batting team will be slapped with a five-run penalty for each instance of time wasting

Using the 85-minutes-per-innings rule for T20 cricket, a CPL statement said that the issue “will be monitored more closely” in the 2023 edition of the tournament. The 17th over of the innings must be completed by 72 minutes and 15 seconds, the 18th by 76 minutes and 30 seconds, and the 19th by 80 minutes and 45 seconds, before the last over ends within 85 minutes.”Over rates will be monitored by the third umpire and communicated to the captains via on-field umpires at the end of every over, as well as to the crowd and TV audience, with graphics showing how far they are behind (or ahead of) the over rate,” the statement said. “Dispensations will be given for injuries, DRS and time-wasting by batting side where appropriate.”The men’s CPL 2023 starts on August 17 with Jamaica Tallawahs taking on St Lucia Kings in Gros Islet, and the women’s event will start on August 31 with a game between Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors in Barbados.

Tense two-wicket victory sealed in anticlimactic fashion at Old Trafford

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2022Lancashire’s batters held their nerve to secure a tense two-wicket defeat of Northants Steelbacks off the final ball of their Vitality Blast match at Emirates Old Trafford. Needing six to win off the final over, the home side’s chances appeared to have gone when Jimmy Neeshamdismissed both Danny Lamb and Tim David but with three needed off one ball, the New Zealander bowled a wide and then a no-ball to give Lancashire the spoils.However, Tim David’s 26-ball 42, which included a trio of sixes, had been just as vital in enabling Lancashire to remain unbeaten in this year’s Blast and preserve their home 100% record against Northants, whose total of 153 for six had always looked competitive on a used, tacky pitch.All the same, Northants’ innings began badly when Richard Gleeson’s superb yorker uprooted Lewis McManus’s off stump in the third over, but Josh Cobb hit Tom Hartley’s first two balls for leg-side sixes and the visitors eventually notched a respectable 53 runs off their Powerplay, 18 of those runs coming off Hartley’s first set of six.The visitors’ attempts to accelerate were then frustrated by the loss of two wickets in successive overs. First Josh Cobb was caught at long on by David off Liam LIvingstone for 21; then Ben Curran was bowled for 37 when attempting to reverse sweep a leg-spinner from Luke Wells, who probably owed his selection for this game to Matt Parkinson’s late call-up to England’s Test side.Northants reached the halfway point of their innings on 81 for three but Rob Keogh and Saif Zaib were finding it difficult to increase the scoring rate on a sticky pitch against an accurate attack.Just 25 runs had been scored off the previous 23 balls when Keogh was run out for 18 by Wells’ direct hit from mid-on and any hopes that Neesham might improve matters were dashed when the New Zealander was bowled by David for three, thus giving Lancashire’s overseas signing his first wicket for the county.Tom Taylor was bowled attempting a deeply ambitious reverse sweep off Luke Wood and it needed Zaib’s leg-side six off Gleeson in the nineteenth over to ensure his side got to 140. A front foot no-ball in the final over also boosted the total and Zaib reached his fifty off 36 balls.The Northants batsman finished unbeaten on 57 and his side’s total looked competitive in the conditions. Wood took one for 27 but the pick of Lancashire’s miserly attack was Livingstone, whose four overs cost 21 runs.Lancashire’s attempt to overhaul 153 began poorly when Keaton Jennings was bowled by Taylor for two and the same bowler had Steven Croft caught at point by Zaib for 10 after the Lancashire veteran had added 29 in 17 balls with Phil Salt.The home side ended their Powerplay on 47 for two, six runs and one wicket worse than Northants had been. Lancashire’s attempts to increase the scoring rate were then hampered by the loss of two wickets to the spinners, first when Livingstone’s top-edged sweep was caught by Taylor to give debutant leggie Alex Russell his first senior wicket and then when Salt was leg before to Graeme White for 37.Three huge sixes by David enlivened home supporters and left Lancashire needing 48 off the final six overs, only for Dane Vilas to be caught on the boundary by White off Neesham for 32. Vilas’s team still needed 33 off four overs and then 23 off three but Luke Wells holed out at deep midwicket off Neesham and 18 were required off the final twelve balls, thus setting up the tense climax to a fine game.Neesham finished with four for 26 but it will be no consolation.

Zimbabwe bat again after being bowled out for 287 in response to Afghanistan’s 545 for 4 declared

Firdose Moonda12-Mar-2021Stumps Afghanistan are ten wickets away from squaring the two-Test series against Zimbabwe, having enforced the follow-on in Abu Dhabi after dismissing the opponents for 287 in the first innings for a 258-run lead. On a pitch that’s taking turn but remains good for batting, Zimbabwe openers Kevin Kasuza and Prince Masvaure batted out the 13 overs before close in their second innings to shave 24 runs off the deficit.Rashid Khan and Amir Hamza shared seven wickets between them in Zimbabwe’s first innings and ensured that Zimbabwe were unable to build on a decent start. The opening pair of Kasuza and Masvaure put on 91 then, but Zimbabwe then lost four wickets for 54 runs before Tarisai Musakanda and Sikandar Raza steadied them. Musakanda and Ryan Burl were then dismissed in successive overs and Raza was again needed to do a repair job. He put on 53 with Regis Chakabva, Zimbabwe’s only other half-century stand, and after Chakabva was dismissed, Zimbabwe lost their last four wickets for 45 runs in the hour after tea and had to bat again.Khan, who got four wickets in the first innings, was given the new ball, which he shared with left-arm seamer Sayed Shirzad, who had a significant impact with the old ball in the first innings with two wickets in two balls. It was Shirzad’s double-strike in his first over after lunch that put paid to any thoughts Zimbabwe might have had of batting out the day.Which is what they must have hoped for at the start of the day, with Kasuza and Masvaure unbeaten overnight and the scoreboard showing 50 for no loss. But Kasuza reached for a wide delivery from Khan that he could have left alone to fall for 41, and Masvaure was then bowled by Hamza. Shirzad rushed Sean Williams into a pull, which he could only top-edge to midwicket, and then removed Wesley Madhevere for his second golden duck of the series. Shirzad found Madhevere’s outside edge with a delivery that angled in and left the batsman, who doesn’t have a run in Test cricket so far.Those wickets were a redemption of sorts for Afghanistan’s lone seamer in this match after a poor morning spell. His four overs cost 22 runs and Kasuza plucked boundaries off him with ease, forcing Asghar Afghan to use spin from both ends early on. Offspinner Javed Ahmadi found sharp turn but the breakthrough only came when Khan was introduced and removed Kasuza. Zimbabwe have gone without a century opening stand in almost ten years, since August 2011.Sikandar Raza top-scored for Zimbabwe in their first innings•Abu Dhabi Cricket

Musakanda was around when Masvaure got to his third Test fifty, which came with a quick single that almost led to the batsman being run-out at the non-striker’s end. Musakanda went on to a career-best 41 and was particularly severe on Khan’s short balls, but the legspinner had the last laugh when he trapped Musakanda lbw. In the next over, a Hamza delivery that turned in from the rough clipped Ryan Burl’s leg stump to dismiss him for a duck and leave Zimbabwe on 189 for 6 and staring down the barrel.Raza and Chakabva not only stabilised Zimbabwe but also took the fight to Afghanistan. They would have wanted to see Zimbabwe to the close, but Chakabva was victim to an outstanding catch from Ibrahim Zadran at short leg when he looked to work a Khan delivery to the leg side but sent the ball in the air, Zadran sticking out his left hand and taking the catch low to his right.That left Raza, who was on 43 at the time, to usher the tail and work towards avoiding the follow-on. He reached 50 off 80 balls and then saw Donald Tiripano given out four balls later to a catch at silly point although there did not appear to be any bat involved. Raza played some shots after that, whacking Khan over mid-on for four and Hamza over long-on for six, even as he tried to keep the strike away from Blessing Muzarabani.Afghanistan were on to Zimbabwe’s survival tactics and it was around then that we got a moment that may be talked about long after this Test is done and dusted. Raza hit a shot off the last ball of a Shirzad over, and the ball went towards the point boundary before stopping just short. But Hashmatullah Shahidi, in bending down to pick the ball up, had one foot over the line. The umpires awarded five runs to Zimbabwe allowed Raza to get back on strike as per Rule 19.8.None of that counted for much, though, as Muzarabani was run-out in the next over, and Raza holed out to long-off off the next ball to end Zimbabwe’s first innings.

“I’m just annoyed the game is dead,” Victoria captain Handscomb said, as the game descended to a farce on lifeless Junction Oval pitch

Alex Malcolm at Junction Oval12-Oct-2019South Australia duo Tom Cooper and Alex Carey made barnstorming centuries against some very generous Victorian bowling as the game descended into a farcical stalemate on a concrete-like pitch at the Junction Oval.The match almost seemed like it had turned into a village game following Carey’s dismissal early in the last session when it became clear South Australia would not declare to try and set up a result. Victoria skipper Peter Handscomb brought both himself and Marcus Harris into the attack to bowl a mix of dubious offspin and medium pace unchanged for most of last session until James Pattinson came on to bowl offspin. Handscomb exchanged words regularly with Cooper as the game ground to a halt late in the day. The Redbacks reverted to conventional batting against the declaration-style bowling as both sides became frustrated at the inability to create a result on a surface that has yielded 1143 runs for just 11 wickets.”We were trying to get a game going,” Handscomb said after the day’s play. “We thought 350 off 80 overs was going to be a fair target to chase and they weren’t having it. That was it we couldn’t come to an agreement on a pretty flat wicket.””I’m just annoyed the game is dead. I’ve got to put my bowlers back out there for time on feet for a pointless game. We as we could have been competing for something tomorrow.”It appears the two teams were about 50 runs apart on what was a reasonable target. Cooper was unsure what took place behind the scenes and spent most of the last session as a conduit between Handscomb and the Redbacks hierarchy.”I guess I was caught in the middle of it as the messenger,” Cooper said. “They obviously couldn’t come to a compromise. Unfortunately that’s how it panned out. Going into the day we were under a lot of pressure to keep ourselves in it and not fold under the pressure of a massive first innings total.’The Redbacks were under pressure just after lunch on day three having crawled to 4 for 185 in the 76th over after Travis Head fell to Glenn Maxwell for 51 off 184 balls, his slowest half-century in first-class cricket.Carey immediately showed his intent trying to reverse-sweep Maxwell. Victoria took the second new ball but both Carey and Cooper started finding the boundary with increasing regularity. Handscomb turned back to spin from both ends but kept the field up.Carey and Cooper made 172 runs in 28.5 overs before tea. Cooper hit Jon Holland twice into the windows of the second storey of the pavilion. Carey slog-swept and reverse-swept with impunity as there were no men out deep on either side of the field. Holland switched ends to bowl down breeze and Cooper hit him for three more sixes, including one to bring up his 13th first-class century.Having been 439 runs behind at lunch, South Australia went to tea only 259 runs behind. It had been a deliberate ploy from Victoria to try and accelerate the game to possibly set up a fourth-innings chase on a surface that simply won’t break up in the cool conditions. But the partnership moved much quicker than Victoria expected and they reset at tea.Carey reached his third Shield century just after tea off 99 balls. He has two hundred and two fifties in his last five first-class innings but they have come in a span of 11 months, as he had spent majority of that time playing limited-overs cricket.He finally fell driving in the air straight to cover off Chris Tremain. The partnership yielded 207 runs in just 35.5 overs. Tom Andrews made his third first-class half-century, and undoubtedly his easiest given he faced Handscomb and Harris throughout. Cooper cruised to 188 not out and Andrews reached his highest Shield score of 75 not out. South Australia finished the day only 89 runs behind.Victoria also had two sub fielders throughout the day. Nic Maddinson was hit on the middle finger on his left hand while fielding at short leg when Cooper whipped a low full toss straight from Pattinson at him as he ducked for safety. He left the field in the middle session and didn’t return. Aaron Finch did not field at all after hurting his back while batting on day two. Victoria medical staff are confident it is nothing more than spasms and he did not field as a precaution.Earlier in the first session, Henry Hunt fell for 75 on debut. He advanced at Holland but was beaten in flight by a beautiful piece of bowling and was stumped by a mile.