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.”

Lions consolidated their position at the top of the table by beating Cobras. Warriors and Dolphins are still looking for points after their game was washed out

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2012
ScorecardLions increased the gap between them and the rest with a third consecutive win in the Momentum One Day Cup, beating Cape Cobras by 19 runs at Newlands. It was their hardest-fought win yet.After choosing to bat on a slightly difficult pitch, Lions made a positive start, reaching 65 for 0 and then 101 for 2 in the 23rd over. It was then that Gulam Bodi, whose 45 was eventually the innings’ top score, was run out by Justin Ontong. Lions lost two more wickets for 22 runs and their momentum was shot. Temba Bavuma and Zander de Bruyn made 30s but were dismissed before converting their starts into substantial scores. Johann Louw and Justin Kemp took two wickets each for Cobras as Lions were restricted to 248 for 9.The Cobras chase got off to a swift start, with Richard Levi leading the way. Andrew Puttick’s struggle – 13 off 32 balls – ended in the 10th over, and then Levi was dismissed in the next, leaving Cobras on 55 for 2. From 99 for 2 they slipped further to 158 for 6 in the 36th over, with none of the top and middle-order batsmen making significant contributions. However, the equation boiled down to 47 runs to get off 40 balls with four wickets in hand, and Cobras were in the game. Ethan O’Reilly then struck the telling blow, Kemp caught behind for 24, and Cobras were eventually dismissed for 229. O’Reilly finished with 3 for 61, but the Lions spinner Aaron Phangsio proved most economical, taking 1 for 31 in ten overs.Despite maintaining their 100% win record, Lions captain Stephen Cook asked for improvement from his side. “We probably didn’t play as well as we have the last few games,” he said. “Perhaps we were a tad lucky to get over the line at the end, but that keeps everyone honest and working hard at their game.”The Cobras captain Ontong was disappointed with his team’s batting. “I thought we didn’t get a partnership going and, although a couple of the guys got starts, we just couldn’t really kick on,” he said. “We’ve got to do some hard work now and get some wins under our belts.”Cobras are third in the points table with one win in three games.Match abandoned
ScorecardOnly 17 overs were possible at Kingsmead before rain washed out the game between Dolphins and Warriors. After getting sent in to bat, Dolphins had reached 67 for 2, with Makhaya Ntini and Wayne Parnell striking for Warriors.Neither team has won a match in the tournament so far and they are at the bottom of the points table.

Ricky Ponting reflects on his 17-year career after playing his final Test, against South Africa in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Dec-2012.Ricky Ponting: “Even out of today, just being at the crease for 20-odd balls, it’s a pretty special time, and anyone who’s retired has felt that as well.”•AFP

The finality sinking in: That it’s [career] over has sunk in. It’s been a pretty long, tough week I guess, I know I’ve been more nervous this game than any other game that I’ve played. Just for the reason how much it means for me to play for Australia and wanting to finish the right way. So it has been a hard week and we haven’t got the result we were after and I haven’t got the result I was after. Looking back it’s been a special week as well, having my whole family here’s been great, unbelievable support from them, and great support from the fans and from my team-mates, so it’s been a special week.Why it was time to finish: Excluding Brisbane and the start of Adelaide, when I got a pretty good ball, I just think I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to perform knowing that I had to, or feeling within myself that I had to. Also knowing where the series was at, it’s always been about big games and big series for me, and getting off the start I did with those two innings just had me under pressure again, and I haven’t been able to deal with it as well of late as I’d have liked to. Normally for me when those big moments come around, I’ve been able to find something within and go out and score runs and make it all go away, but I haven’t been able to do that for a while now, and that was when the alarm bells started to ring.The guard of honour and the final ovation: I got my big ovation today, but Graeme’s gesture and the South African team’s gesture, that sort of stuff will remain with me forever, and I told him that on the field today. So that was special. I was pretty pumped up for the moment, I just felt there was one last big push from me, and the game and the day was set up for it, and it didn’t last long enough. Even out of today, just being at the crease for 20-odd balls, it’s a pretty special time, and anyone who’s retired has felt that as well. It just would’ve been nice to have a few next to my name coming off.On the supreme batsmen of his era: I felt Sachin was the best player I played against, and that’s coming from more of a captain’s point of view as well, knowing he had so much success against us in our conditions and their conditions. But the other way to look at it is, I probably lost more sleep on the eve of games against Lara, because I knew he could singlehandedly win games for his team. The way I judge players has always been on their ability to win games, and win games by themselves. Lara could certainly do that and he did it probably more than what Sachin’s done for India. It’s hard to separate the class of player – you’ve got to put Kallis in that bracket as well. You put his wickets on top of what he’s done with the bat. He came out the other day to bat and I looked at the board and he was averaging 57 in Test cricket. That’s remarkable considering the amount he’s had to bowl and all that sort of stuff. I’ve been pretty blessed to play in the era I’ve played with so many great batsmen, and if my name gets mentioned among them, then that’s great.On the best bowlers he faced: I think Curtly Ambrose and Wasim Akram were probably the two outstanding quicks that I faced, and for different reasons. Ambrose for his ability to just make you feel like you couldn’t score off him for long periods of time, never felt like he was going to bowl you a bad ball. Akram for the exact opposite, you could get a few runs off him, but you just knew there was an unplayable ball around the corner, be it with an old ball or with a new ball. And thankfully for me I probably got both of those guys towards the end of their careers as well. Those two, and Harbhajan’s probably the other one who caused me as much grief as anything. He got me out a lot of times, and caused me a lot of grief. Those guys through their careers can all put their hand up and say they had my measure.On what he’ll miss: I’ll miss the mateship, I’ll miss the dressing room. That’s the stuff that’s irreplaceable in your life I guess. There’s a lot of guys in there I’m very close to, and a lot of the guys I’ve been closest to over the years are no longer around the dressing room either. I guess that’s the upside, I’ll probably get to spend a bit more time with those guys who I’ve played most of my cricket with, but the get-up attitude and find a way to make yourself better and try to find a way to make your team-mates better is what I’ll miss.

Hiken Shah’s third century in Ranji Trophy in as many games has helped Mumbai set Bengal a stiff target at the Brabourne Stadium

The Report by Siddhartha Talya at Brabourne Stadium03-Dec-2012
Scorecard
During a Ranji season in which Ravindra Jadeja has hit the headlines with another triple-century, Jiwanjot Singh has had a dream debut and a couple of players on the fringes of the Indian Test side have drawn the most interest, Hiken Shah has quietly gone about developing an insatiable appetite for runs. His nought in the first innings was a striking aberration in a prolific season, and his century today, which helped Mumbai set Bengal a stiff target, was his third in as many games.Mumbai gave themselves a good shot at a first outright win this season, declaring more than an hour before stumps with a whole day to play. The narrow gap in points between themselves and six other teams in their group, and a winless tournament thus far, has infused their campaign with some urgency, prompting them to declare instead of batting out and collecting three points. Bengal are desperate for a win themselves, after having lost two, and it’ll be interesting to see if they press for victory at the risk of forsaking a point should they lose.Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, said it was important the openers Rohan Banerjee and Arindam Das continue to bat positively on the third morning, as they had done in the final hour when they took their team to 47 without loss at stumps. “These guys are playing well, [taking advantage of] loose balls,” Tiwary said. “The wicket has eased out and if we continue the good start till lunch, we can see that their guys can be defensive in the field as well. And if I step out onto the field then, even I can take that decision on what to do.”Mumbai began the day with a lead of 102 and they initially progressed cautiously, as the Bengal seamers probed them often, beating the edge, with the ball nipping off the pitch. It didn’t do much when Wasim Jaffer shouldered arms to Shami Ahmed early in the day, however, and the ball just clipped the bails. His opening partner Kaustubh Pawar was well set but fell when part-time offspinner Abhishek Jhunjhunwala was introduced into the attack, driving him straight to midwicket. Rohit Sharma continued to have a poor game with the bat, failing to capitalise on a reprieve at slip first ball to be bowled, at the stroke of lunch, through the gate while reaching out to defend an incoming delivery from Laxmi Shukla.Shah was well set by then, and Tiwary’s persistence with Jhunjhunwala, with a spread-out field that included five fielders in the deep, made the batsman’s job much easier. He went on to add 158 runs with Abhishek Nayar, and in quick time, thus setting the platform for a formidable lead, but he had a couple of close shaves along the way. There was an edge between the keeper and slip and a big appeal for lbw from Shukla that was turned down, prompting a discussion between Tiwary and the umpire.Shah, who said he devoted some time to doing yoga during the off-season to prepare himself mentally, was harsh on anything short outside off and there was plenty of that from Jhunjhunwala, who was repeatedly cut through point. The first ball after lunch was crashed through extra cover, and he brought up his half-century by slashing seamer Veer Pratap Singh past point. Singles were readily available for Shah and Nayar with a defensive field, and they still managed to find the boundary to score at over four an over before tea, adding 119 in that wicketless session.Both scored off Veer Pratap, down the ground and through the off side, and stepped up further when they began to sweep and reverse sweep Jhunjhunwala. Nayar reached his half-century with a flat six over square leg before tea, and Hiken did an AB de Villiers to reach his fifth first-class ton shortly after the break, reverse-paddling Jhunjhunwala for a boundary behind point. In a spell that yielded 92 in 14 runs, Jhunjhunwala was smacked over midwicket for another four by Hiken before the batsman finally fell for 118. His scores this domestic season before this knock, across all cricket, were 105, 105, 107, 92, 140, 156, and 0.Mumbai wicketkeeper Aditya Tare walked in and smacked the ball around for 19 runs, and his team declared immediately after he holed out. The Bengal openers had been separated in the first innings by a run-out. They were solid on the third evening, enduring some nervous moments when the odd ball kept low or beat the bat, but were largely secure. Bengal have depth in their batting and the final day promises to be a test of their determination to revive a disappointing run wrought by several missed opportunities.

Lahiru Thirimanne and Suranga Lakmal have been called up to Sri Lanka’s squad for the third Test in Sydney

Andrew Fernando29-Dec-2012Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne and right-arm fast bowler Suranga Lakmal have been called up to Sri Lanka’s squad for the third Test in Sydney, after two players suffered series-ending injuries and two more remain in doubt after the Boxing Day Test. Kumar Sangakkara’s fractured hand and Chanaka Welegedara’s torn hamstring have ruled them out for the remainder of Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia, while Prasanna Jayawardene and Nuwan Kulasekara’s fitness will be reassessed in the lead-up to the third Test, though it is unlikely that Kulasekara will play.Thirimanne had been on Sri Lanka’s stand-by list for the tour, and as such had already secured visa clearance to enter Australia, and will arrive on January 1, two days before the match. Lakmal, though, had not been on standby, and will have to wait for his visa to be approved on December 31. He will likely arrive in Australia on the eve of the Test.Thisara Perera is the only fast bowler who was named on the standby list, and is already in Australia competing in the Big Bash League, but he was not considered as his bowling form was deemed inadequate for Test selection. Perera had suffered a side strain during the Sri Lanka Premier League in August, and though he has been bowling in limited-overs cricket, the captain Mahela Jayawardene said he was yet to build up the number of overs required to come into Test contention in the lead up to the Melbourne Test.Lakmal is also coming back into the international team after an injury layoff, having undergone surgery on his ankle. His last Test appearance was against England in April, but he has been in good form in Sri Lanka’s domestic one-day tournament in December, having taken 13 wickets at 20.46 in six matches. He is unlikely to play in Sydney however, as the fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep has been with the team throughout the tour and is next in line for a game. Sri Lanka may also decide to field two spinners, depending on the surface, in which case Suraj Randiv will play.Thirimanne meanwhile, will only play if Prasanna Jayawardene is deemed unfit. Sri Lanka next train on December 31, and a decision will be made on his participation after that session. Dinesh Chandimal will take the gloves in his place.Kulasekara is not expected to be fit to play in Sydney, but will stay with the team for the ODI series, which begins on January 11.

Taskin Ahmed’s four wickets spurred Chittagong Kings to a victory that led them into the second semifinal against Sylhet Royals on Sunday

The Report by Mohammad Isam16-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTaskin Ahmed was Man of the Match for his four wickets•BCB

Taskin Ahmed’s four wickets spurred Chittagong Kings to a victory that led them into the second semifinal against Sylhet Royals on Sunday. The four-wicket win over Duronto Rajshahi, however, didn’t come easy as they struggled during a modest chase.Ravi Bopara and Jacob Oram soothed nerves after the Kings had slipped to 87 for 6 in the 15th over, and achieved the target in the 18th. Bopara made an unbeaten 34 off 30 balls with three boundaries, and more than the runs it was his calming influence that mattered most as wickets fell at the other end.The Kings had got off to a good start after Jason Roy and Nurul Hasan added 43 runs for the first wicket. However, Naeem Islam jnr’s two wickets and some excellent fielding from Rajshahi gave them an outside chance despite their struggle with the bat earlier.Taskin, the Under-19 quick who bowls at a brisk pace, had rocked the Rajshahi top-order. He took three wickets in four balls after being initially attacked by Charles Coventry. He removed the Zimbabwean opener, but that was more due to the batsman’s lack of footwork as he dragged a wide ball on to the stumps. Simon Katich cut one right down third-man’s throat a ball later, before Taskin had Jahurul Islam also dragging the ball onto the stumps.Rajshahi soon slumped to 55 for 6 before Mukhtar Ali and Sean Ervine added 43 for the seventh wicket to take them towards 100-run mark. Ervine remained unbeaten on 47, but it was a struggle for Rajshahi. Taskin ended with 4 for 31 from his three overs, after he took the wicket of Mukhtar. The Kings captain Mahmudullah also took two wickets while Oram picked up 1 for 18 in four overs.

Brydon Coverdale15-Mar-2013There are plenty of professional cricketers who live with their heads in the sand. Most followers of the game would argue that the well-rounded Ed Cowan is not one of them. But Cowan has forced such a mindset upon himself since becoming a Test cricketer, trying his best to ignore criticism from past players and journalists, avoiding Twitter and the often mindless condemnation that it facilitates between player and spectator. It is his self-imposed head-in-the-sand approach.Cowan’s critics have been many and varied. Ian Chappell has regularly argued for Shane Watson and David Warner to be reunited as Australia’s opening pair, and Shane Warne also left Cowan out of the preferred Ashes XI he published this week. After scoring a gritty 86 from 238 deliveries against India in Mohali, a strong effort considering Australia’s batting struggles in this series, Cowan was asked if he could see himself changing the mind of people like Chappell.”I’m going to have to score a hell of a lot of runs before that happens,” Cowan said. “One of the things with Test cricket is you work out pretty quickly that everyone has got an opinion, everyone is entitled to an opinion. Often it’s not the same opinion as what you have. I’ve taken a bit of a head-in-the-sand approach in relation to guys when they pick a team and you’re not in it. So be it. I’ve got the opportunity now and it’s important for the team now that I keep playing more innings like today.”I’m the first to put my hand up and say I haven’t been good enough in terms of making sure those 50, 60-ball innings become 180, 200-ball innings. That’s one area where I can really kick on and if I can turn a few more of those starts into long innings then I don’t really mind what Ian Chappell has to say. But I doubt that I’ll ever see myself in his team.”After Cowan scored his first Test century against South Africa at the Gabba, Chappell said he was impressed by the attacking mindset Cowan had shown at times during the innings. In India, Cowan has discovered that his best approach is to occupy time and force India’s bowlers to work out other ways to get him out, and by surviving for so long in the first innings in Mohali he ensured the rest of the batsmen had something to work with.That Australia finished the second day in another shaky position at 273 for 7 was not the fault of Cowan. He and David Warner provided Australia with a very solid platform, a 139-run opening partnership that was their second-highest in Tests. Their partnership average is now 48.07, which by Australian standards is above par for an opening pair. By comparison, David Boon and Geoff Marsh averaged 46.77, Bill Lawry and Keith Stackpole averaged 44.89 and Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer aren’t that far ahead at 51.88.Personally, Cowan still wants to see his big innings’ getting even bigger. He still has only one century, but his role in Australia’s team of stroke-players is that of anchor. There were plenty of jokes about Cowan’s so-called homework task for the coach Mickey Arthur during the week – it would win the Nobel Peace Prize, one theory went – but the truth is his personal goals were pretty simple.”What I said to Mickey was I want to be accountable to bat a long period of time and I put a figure on that which is between me and Mickey,” Cowan said. “My personal accountability is to bat a long time. I didn’t bat for as long as I would have liked but I felt I did fairly well today.”For me, today wasn’t about runs, it was about time and soaking up balls and soaking up pressure. It felt like that’s what the team needed in this particular game considering what has happened the last two. At no stage did I think, I’m getting close to a hundred. I wasn’t even looking at the scoreboard, I was looking at the clock on the other side of the ground saying ‘c’mon mate, just get to drinks or change of bowler, get through the next break’.”It didn’t bother me that I didn’t score a hundred, I was happy that I faced 238 balls. Deep down, I would have loved it to be 350 balls and if I faced that many balls I would have been a hundred. But that wasn’t the focus for me. The word contentment is pretty apt in that circumstance. Up against the wall in terms of the way the series has gone, I was happy I could contribute.”

Zimbabwe lifted themselves above Bangladesh’s international stature with the whopping 335-run win in the first Test in Harare

The Report by Mohammad Isam20-Apr-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrendan Taylor scored his second century of the match•Associated Press

Zimbabwe lifted themselves above Bangladesh’s international stature with the whopping 335-run win in the first Test in Harare. Brendan Taylor’s twin centuries and skillful swing and seam bowling finished off the game inside four days, as Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.The game ended when Kyle Jarvis took a magnificent catch at deep fine-leg to give Graeme Cremer his fourth wicket, that of Robiul Islam, to bowl out Bangladesh for just 147. Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe declared their second innings on 227 for 7, setting Bangladesh an improbable 483.Bangladesh, a long-time rival at the bottom of the world rankings, brings out the best in Zimbabwe, who came into this series on the back of five consecutive Test defeats. This time, Zimbabwe were far ahead mentally as they used their familiarity with the conditions in Harare to mighty effect. It was a crushing loss for the visitors who are at the backend of a much better season, and it will set them back a few steps as they head into the second Test in a must-win situation.Taylor made 171 and 102 not out in a Test match that, till date, has been his most prolific. He was almost a one-man show, especially in the second innings when one wrong shot from him could have given Bangladesh a sniff. Zimbabwe were 84 for 6 in the second innings, but Taylor took Graeme Cremer under his wing as they staved off a rampant Robiul Islam.He broke several records on the way too. He became the first Zimbabwe captain to have scored two hundreds in a Test and also has the highest score for a Zimbabwe captain. He also beat his previous best of 117 in the first innings, and added the highest score against Bangladesh under his belt.With the ball, Zimbabwe were led by the impressive Jarvis. It was a complete domination of the Bangladesh batsmen as he, Shingirai Masakadza and Keegan Meth kept the ball up and used excellent lines. Jarvis finished with figures of 7 for 115 in the match, doing justice to the hype around him. Masakadza took five wickets in the game while Meth kept one end quiet as the other two went about knocking the batsmen over.Cremer too played a useful hand with the bat, scoring 42 and 43. These were vital runs, as he added two big seventh-wicket partnerships with Taylor that frustrated Bangladesh greatly. He ended the game with four cheap wickets, capping off a fine all-round display.
If Bangladesh’s first-innings collapse of 9 for 32 was bad enough, their second-innings showing was equally poor. Shahriar Nafees’ extra keenness at the start of Test innings cost him yet again. After scoring two consecutive boundaries, he created a big gap between bat and pad, played all over a full delivery from Jarvis and lost his off stump.After the lunch break, Ashraful hardly got out of his self-induced shell as he looked to drag the game for as long as possible. Mahmudullah at the other end went after the bowling, and soon enough, perished. Whether he had seen substitute Sean Williams stationed at deep square-leg cannot be a valid point for a batsman at this level of cricket, but his innocuous pull shot said much about his muddled mindset. His dismissal again triggered a collapse as Shakib Al Hasan and captain Mushfiqur Rahim fell soon after. Similar to the first innings, Shakib was caught at gully but this time he wasn’t fending. He has a unique way of playing a late cut which he guides past gully and point, but this time he couldn’t keep the Jarvis delivery down.Luck too wasn’t on Bangladesh’s side as two of the dismissals showed. Jahurul Islam was given out caught behind when the ball had appeared to flick his shirt on the way to the wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami. A prolonged appeal from the slips created enough pressure on the umpire Tony Hill.Mushfiqur was brilliantly caught at second slip by Taylor, who jumped to his right and grabbed it one-handed. The Bangladesh captain’s dismal Test was in far contrast to his opposite number.Mohammad Ashraful’s dim-witted run-out close to the tea break rounded off a forgettable session for the visitors. Cremer spun one past Ashraful’s bat and wicketkeeper Mutumbami’s gloves, but Taylor saved the ball at slip. Ashraful, thinking it had beaten Taylor, went off for a run and was duly run out amid loud laughter among the Zimbabweans, as he wasted another opportunity and the home side basked in the glory of a great performance.

A marauding Kusal Perera set the platform for Sri Lanka’s 198 for 5, which proved 17 runs too many for the valiant Bangladesh batsmen, in the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Mar-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKusal Perera hammered 64 off 44 as Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 17 runs•AFP

A marauding Kusal Perera set the platform for Sri Lanka’s 198 for 5, which proved 17 runs too many for the valiant Bangladesh batsmen, in the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele. His 64 from 44 balls saw Sri Lanka travel at nearly 11-an over during the Powerplay, before their middle-order allrounders exploited generous bowling to close the innings at a gallop. Though three Bangladesh batsmen threatened to rally a forceful response, Mohammad Ashraful, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah all fell before their side could mount a serious challenge.Kusal’s onslaught began from the second delivery which he whipped aerially off his pads behind square, before he picked up the fifth ball and deposited it in the stands and then blasted the next behind point for four. Like a young Sanath Jayasuriya with a ballet coach, Kusal flitted about the crease – venturing swiftly out of it on occasion – before sending the ball hurtling, with a rapid swing of the blade.At 25 for no loss at the end of the second over, Mushfiqur introduced Sohag Gazi to change the pace of the game, but Kusal welcomed him into the attack with a mighty slog-swept six over cow corner. When Abdur Razzak came on to bowl, he was spared first ball, but slammed into the grass bank behind deep midwicket next delivery.The fours flowed too: over cover, through point, behind square on the leg side – five in total, to go with four sixes. Kusal reined in the big shots when the field spread, rotating the strike first with Dinesh Chandimal, then Lahiru Thirimanne, and the first shot he mishit in the game was the one that brought his demise. He top-edged a cut shot off Mahmudullah, three balls after having sent him high over deep midwicket. When he departed at 100 for 4 after 12 overs, only a middle-order collapse would have restricted Sri Lanka to an average total, and the Bangladesh bowlers’ generosity ensured that would not eventuate.But despite the tall Sri Lanka total, Bangladesh batted so well, they might justly feel aggrieved at the officiating. The match was marred by contentious decisions – at least two of which had the potential to change the game’s narrative dramatically. The clearest of these was Ashraful’s lbw, which came off a thigh-high Thisara Perera full toss. Ashraful had struck two sixes and a four off the three previous deliveries, signalling an imminent sustained barrage, but it was cut short when the umpire ruled him out despite the ball having struck his thigh pad outside the line of the stumps.Earlier, debutant Shamsur Rahman had been given out to his first ball in international cricket, after being struck above the knee roll, some way outside the popping crease. The first ball of the match, however, had been a close call for Kusal, and two more marginal decisions in Sri Lanka’s innings went the hosts’ way.Bangladesh began their innings more slowly than Sri Lanka, hitting only 45 from their Powerplay overs, for the loss of Shamsur and Jahurul Islam. When Ashraful fell in the seventh over, Mushfiqur assumed the aggressor’s role, but soon after, Mahmudullah also began scoring quickly. Mushfiqur first struck two fours in three balls off Sachithra Senanayake, before lifting a low full toss from Shaminda Eranga over the long-on fence two overs later. Angelo Perera had not had a chance to bat on debut, but his part-time left-arm spin disappeared for 17 off Mushfiqur’s blade in the 13th over, to complete a six-over stretch that saw Bangladesh maul 72.But in two balls in the fifteenth over, Bangladesh lost both set batsman, and with them, their hopes of a triumphant end to the tour. Mushfiqur top edged a gentle full toss from Senanayake to deep square leg, and next ball, a mix-up while attempting a third ended with both batsmen stranded mid-pitch, and Mahmudullah eventually given out, having not crossed his partner. With six wickets down, Mominul Haque then faced a required run-rate of 12 with five wickets to go and the tail for company. He finished unbeaten on 26 from 16, having hit three boundaries that made the end result perhaps seem closer than it was.During Sri Lanka’s innings, Bangladesh’s spinners combined through the middle overs to force several setbacks, but a dropped catch off Angelo Mathews in the deep, borne from miscommunication between long-on and midwicket, cost the visitors a chance to keep Sri Lanka to a manageable score. Next over, with six wickets remaining and only four overs to go, Jeevan Mendis felt it appropriate to throw his bat early in the over, sweeping Razzak over midwicket, then blasting him over cover, to herald Sri Lanka’s final charge.The fast bowlers’ indiscipline hurt Bangladesh further, as they continued pitching too short throughout the final overs, with several wayward deliveries served up as well. Mendis pulled Rubel Hossain high into the stands early in the 17th over, before murdering a short wide one through point next ball. When he got out, Thisara completed a sorry night for Shahadat Hossain, when he launched his over of criminally poor bowling into the night for 24, to leave the bowler with no wicket for 54 from four overs. Mathews, who had held the innings together after Kusal fell, finished on 30 from 27 deliveries.

Holders Hampshire survived a spirited Scotland challenge to win by five wickets and secure their second Yorkshire Bank 40 victory in three days.

05-May-2013Hampshire 194 for 5 (Dawson 51*) beat Scotland 192 for 7 (Mommsen 60*) by five wickets
ScorecardHolders Hampshire survived a spirited Scotland challenge to win by five wickets and secure their second Yorkshire Bank 40 victory in three days.After winning the toss and being put in to bat, Saltires openers Calum MacLeod and Freddie Coleman added 37 runs inside five overs. But the loss of MacLeod for 13, caught at short fine leg by Chris Wood off David Balcombe, sparked a mini collapse which slowed the Scots’ innings to a standstill.Coleman, after 27, was next to fall, Hamza Riazuddin striking in his first over to leave Scotland on 49 for 2. Matt Machan went soon after for 8, caught by Sean Ervine at midwicket to give Balcombe – playing his first list A game for Hampshire since 2009 – his second wicket of the day.Ervine became the second Hampshire bowler to strike in his first over, forcing Majid Haq to top-edge tamely to Liam Dawson at slip for just 5.Richie Berrington and skipper Preston Mommsen combined to briefly stem the loss of wickets, but their partnership ended when Berrington was stumped off the bowling of Danny Briggs for 19 to leave Scotland floundering on 88 for 5 in the 23rd over.Wicketkeeper Matthew Cross, on debut, added 43 with his captain, before holing out to James Vince off the bowling of Wood for 21. And Wood struck again a short while later, Briggs catching Moneeb Iqbal for a breezy 17 from 12 deliveries.A hard-hitting cameo from Gordon Goudie, 15 from five balls, helped Scotland add 33 runs in the last two overs, as the visitors ended on 192 for 7, skipper Mommsen top scoring with 60 not out.The total looked at least 20 runs light on an excellent batting track against an in-form Hampshire batting line-up, but the home side were soon in trouble. Michael Carberry edged Calvin Burnett behind in the third over, before opening partner Vince was caught by Haq off the bowling of Goudie.And when George Bailey was bowled by Gordon Drummond for 24, Hampshire looked in real danger at 61 for 3 in the 15th over. It got worse for Hampshire just two overs later when Ervine hit offspinner Machan straight to mid-on to leave the hosts 78 for 4, and falling behind the required run-rate.Captain Jimmy Adams steadied the ship in partnership with Liam Dawson, but when the former fell for 51, Hampshire hopes lay in the balance at 130 for 5.But the prospect of an embarrassing defeat was averted by Dawson, 54 from 62 balls, and keeper Adam Wheater, 35 from 32 balls, who batted without alarm to secure the win.