Brian Lara believes the franchise system will widen the net to find talented cricketers across the world

Mohammad Isam17-Jan-2013Brian Lara has been unveiled as the brand ambassador of Chittagong Kings for the second season of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and the former West Indies batsman believes the franchise system will widen the net to find talented cricketers across the world.He will accompany the Kings’ ownership in commercial and promotional activities, but is not likely to have a coaching role. But he will be sought out by the young players in the squad for batting tips, especially the local ones who are extremely eager to have a player who scored 11,953 Test runs and 10,405 in ODIs at such close proximity.”I love the invention of the franchise teams,” Lara said. “I think it takes away a lot of control that the individual boards have. It brings about a lot of income for the players and also for the owners, and you see a lot more people coming to watch the T20 game. That in itself has a lot of benefit and goes down to the grassroots level.”In the West Indies we found it very difficult to get teenage cricketers playing. We are now launching our own T20 franchise cricket and hopefully that will see a lot more youngsters get the opportunity to advance.”Lara has supported the similar concept in Zimbabwe, where he played a few games two years ago. He cited the example of Viv Richards, who was in Australia’s Big Bash League, as a means for legends to spread the word. “As a former cricketer you want to give something back,” he said. “I was in Zimbabwe a few years back and supported them in their game at the Test level and at the one-day level, I actually even played in their T20 competition.”But it’s just a matter of wanting to get back. You saw Viv Richards in Australia recently. There have been a couple of other players in the world. I am quite happy to do something like this. The younger players who are not up to their highest standards, I think I get a lot more benefit or satisfaction to helping a team that needs someone like myself.”The game will be popular, he believed, but not at the cost of other formats. “I believe now with T20 cricket, a lot more people are watching the game. Just remember, we are all entertainers,” he said. “If this kind of cricket brings interest to the people, cricketers will be happy to indulge in it. Test cricket is still important, so are ODIs, but T20 should be there too because of the crowd factor.”

A round-up of the Quaid-e-Azam matches

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2013A strong batting performance in the first innings, led by a knock of 136 from Khurram Shehzad, and a five-wicket haul from seamer Samiullah Khan gave Faisalabad an eight-wicket victory over Abbottabad at the Mirpur Stadium. After conceding a 250-run lead, Abbottabad batted with resolve in their second dig to prevent an innings defeat.After Faisalabad were put in to bat, two healthy partnerships of 77 and 214 helped them score a strong 453. Besides Shehzad, Mohammad Shahid and the captain Mohammad Salman contributed to their strong total of 453, with knocks of 96 and 88 respectively.Abbottabad’s batting, besides Rameez Ahmed, who scored 87, crumbled as Samiullah took 5 for 47. They folded for 203, and Rameez Ahmed’s century helped them put up a better show after they were asked to follow on. Eventually, Faisalabad chased their target of 60 with ease.Quetta batted strongly in their second innings to force a draw against Bahawalpur at the Multan Stadium. Chasing 385, half-centuries from Bismillah Khan, Taimur Ali and Ata-u-Rahman took them to 241 for 6 at the end of the final day.Bahawalpur were ahead in the match due to a lead of 109 in the first innings. Kamran Hussain’s 123 took them to 268, before a five-wicket haul from Bilal Khilji destroyed Quetta’s middle order, and they were bowled out for 159. Bahawalpur backed this up with a strong innings, with Rehan Rafiq and Moinuddin scoring 84 and 58 respectively helping them to 275 for 8 before they declared on the third day. Quetta’s batsmen, however, survived the remaining time in the match.Rain prevented any play on the final day of the high-scoring drawn match between Hyderabad and Lahore Ravi in Islamabad. Hyderabad dominated Ravi’s attack; three centuries, from Azeem Ghumman, Rizwan Ahmed and Lal Kumar Hyderabad to 584, at a run-rate of 4.83.Ravi were in trouble in their chase on the second day, as seamers Mir Ali and Rehan Riaz took four wickets between them to reduce Ravi to 64 for 5. However, opener Sami Aslam and Adnan Akmal put on a 177-run stand to resurrect their innings. Aslam scored 144, and Adnan Akmal remained unbeaten on 149.Sialkot, with centuries from Zeeshan Mushtaq and Shoaib Malik, claimed three points out of a drawn match against Islamabad, in which play on the final day was cancelled due to rain.After being put in to bat, opener Raheel Majeed and No. 3 Ali Sarfraz, with a 221-run stand, laid a strong foundation for Islamabad. But seamer Faisal Rasheed took five wickets to facilitate a collapse, which proved costly. The final nine wickets fell for 78 runs, as Islamabad were bowled out for 303.In reply, Sialkot were in a tricky spot at 118 for 5, and but Mushtaq and Malik, with their knocks of 133 and 114, secured three points for their team. Sialkot finished the third day on 377 for 8.An incisive bowling spell from left-arm quick Zohaib Shera put Karachi Blues well on their way to victory right from the first morning against Lahore Shalimar, in the Super Eights fixture at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. The visitors completed the win on the third day, by seven wickets, and subsequently went to the top of the Group B table with two victories in two games.Shera accounted for the top seven Shalimar batsmen, after Blues had put them in to bat. Three of his seven victims were out for ducks, as Shalimar folded for 137 in 35 overs. Blues opener Fakhar Zaman then consolidated their position with a century. While none of the other Blues batsmen could get to a fifty, a few cameos around Zaman’s innings secured a 118-run first-innings lead for them.Shalimar’s top-order batsmen all got starts in the second innings, but none could kick on. They totaled 299, meaning Blues needed 182. Any hopes Shalimar had of defending that early on, after dismissing the first-innings centurion cheaply, were quashed by Rameez Raja and Wajihuddin. They were both out just short of a half-century and a hundred respectively, but their contributions were enough to ensure their team galloped to their target.Rawalpindi‘s bowlers, Sohail Tanvir and Hammad Azam, wrecked Karachi Whites in either innings to complete an innings victory inside two days for the home side. They took nine points from the game, while Karachi took none.The advantage was secured early on the first day, when Karachi were shot out for 69 in 29 overs. Tanvir took 5 for 29, while Sadaf Hussain and Azam took two wickets each. Opener Shazaib Hasan’s 19 was the top score.Rawalpindi were comfortably placed at 153 for 1 in their first innings before Abdul Ameer began to slice through the line-up. He took 8 for 98 but half-centuries from Awais Zia and the captain Babar Naeem had ensured a healthy lead. Rawalpindi made 292.Trailing by 223, Karachi’s openers managed 76 before the collapse began. Hasan stayed firm at one end, making 81 as Azam ran through his team-mates and finished with figures of 7 for 46. Karachi were dismissed for 200 in 43 overs.

A round-up of Logan Cup matches that ended on February 22, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2013
ScorecardTuskers, helped by a defiant century by Bilal Shafayat, held Mountaineers for a draw after following on at Mutare Sports Club. Trailing by 134 runs at the start of the fourth day, Tuskers faced a tough task of saving the match with seven wickets in hand. They lost overnight batsman off the fifth over of the morning, but Shafayat and Sean Williams forged a 143-run partnership that helped the Tuskers clear the deficit. Shafayat carried on after the fall of William’s wicket and completed his second century in as many matches. By the time he was out, he had helped Tuskers use almost the entire quota of the day.Mountaineers had chosen to bat in a bid to get close to Tuskers in the points table and declared their innings after scoring 475 on the second day at a healthy rate of 3.50. Greg Lamb and Timcyen Maruma scored centuries while Kevin Kasuza and Kudzai Sauramba chipped in with half-centuries.It was Shafayat who held together Tuskers in the first innings too with a half-century, but Mountaineers bowlers struck regularly and had reduced Tuskers to 223 for 9. Some late resistance by No. 11 Jason Nyumbu, who scored 65, helped Tuskers to get close to 300. Shingi Masakadza and Maruma shared four wickets each.Tuskers maintained their unbeaten record in the competition and are placed at the top with 35 points, six ahead of Mountaineers.
ScorecardMashonaland Eagles scored over 300 runs on the last day of their match against Southern Rocks, but it was the Rocks who took one point form the drawn match because of their first-innings lead.Once the Eagles chose to bat, opener Keith Kondo anchored the innings, after they lost two quick wickets, with 98. He was accompanied by Stuart Matsikenyeri who made 76. Scores in forties from Sikandar Raza and Forster Mutizwa from the middle order took them past 350 after Tawanda Mupariwa took four wickets.Rocks had a similar innings when they were struggling at 26 for 3 and were steered to safety by opener Matthew Pardoe. After he also got out in the nineties, Richmond Mumtumbami (76), Prince Masvaure (94) and Trevor Garwe (75) made sure they got a first innings lead of 75 runs.With more than a day to spare, Rocks would have fancied a chance of dismissing the Eagles again but six out of their top seven batsmen contributed with useful scores which ended the match in a draw. The Rocks are second from the bottom with 15 points while the Eagles are at the bottom with only one point.

Although Sri Lanka’s pace reserves have struggled to produce quality in recent years, a bevy of burgeoning spinners has begun to vie for places in the national team, the latest being 28-year old Sachithra Senanayake

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Mar-2013Although Sri Lanka’s pace reserves have struggled to produce quality in recent years, hurt by a spate of serious injuries, a bevy of burgeoning spinners has begun to vie for long-term places in the national team.19-year-old Akila Dananjaya had a successful introduction to international cricket during the World Twenty20 last year, but has been used with utmost care and consideration, owing to his extreme inexperience. 20-year-old Tharindu Kaushal has amassed a staggering pile of domestic scalps in his debut season, but despite having been in the Test squad for two tours, he is yet to make an international appearance. Others like Suraj Randiv and Ajantha Mendis were picked on early promise, but have since lost their way in international cricket – though each of them is only one emphatic domestic season away from drawing interest again.The latest spinner to emerge from the peloton to make a dash for the top limited-overs spinner’s spot is 28-year-old Sachithra Senanayake. A tall offspinner with a relaxed approach to the crease, a reputation for taking heavy hauls, and the record to go with it, he has recently seen his career surge, in more ways than one. He had played for Sri Lanka in a handful of limited-overs matches early in 2012, but in South Africa and in Australia, his returns ranged from modest to mediocre, and after a three-month stretch as a regular, he was replaced by several of the competing spin bowlers.This year, though, a jaw-dropping $625,000 offer from Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2013 IPL brought Senanayake back into the limelight, and a strong first-class season earned him a recall into a national side looking to embed future stars. His first ODI against Bangladesh brought him only one wicket for 46 runs, but in Pallekele on Thursday night, he was Sri Lanka’s best bowler by a distance, taking 2 for 26 from six overs.”For about a year I didn’t have the opportunity to come into the national team,” Senanayake said. “But I did well in the provincial and domestic matches that I had to play, so that’s probably why I’m in the team again. I didn’t lose hope of getting back into the team and I performed well and showed that I’m good enough.”I have more variations now than I did when I first played for Sri Lanka. I think I’ll be able to do well because of those changes. Before, I just bowled the offbreak and the one that goes straight on. Now I have two more – one that goes the other way, and one that keeps low.”Senanayake was also handed a central contract at the beginning of the month, despite not having played since August 2012, at the international level. The contract is an indication that Sri Lanka’s new selection panel has high hopes from him, and will grant him time to mature at the top level.”I’m very thankful to the selection committee, because they didn’t choose players on a whim,” he said. “They’ve been watching cricketers for a while, and if they were performing well, [they saw] how long they had been doing well for. They’ve followed players closely and then categorised them, which is great.”Senanayake has been one of the most consistent spinners in domestic cricket, and his resurgence was built upon an exceptional List A season, in which he reaped 18 wickets at an average of 11.16. He was also among the top four wicket-takers in this year’s first-class competition, with 49 wickets at 16.32. He is the only specialist spinner in the young Twenty20 squad named for the one-off match against Bangladesh.He feels that having bowled on an SSC pitch, which is better suited to batting than many in the country, he has had to work hard to earn his wickets, and that that experience will hold him in good stead when playing for Sri Lanka.”In international cricket, even in Sri Lanka, you don’t get as many spin-friendly wickets as in the domestic circuit here,” he said. “If you look at the SSC pitch though, it is one of the best batting tracks in the country. Because of that, I don’t feel a big change when we play international cricket, and I think I’ll be able to do well.”He is aware, however, that there are exciting, young players on the scene who have not evaded the selectors’ gaze either. Senanayake may have an SLC contract, while many of them don’t, but there is little room to lag. After the Twenty20 on Sunday, Sri Lanka’s next assignment is the Champions Trophy in England, where Senanayake may be tasked with carrying the spin burden, given most pitches are unlikely to warrant fielding two slow bowlers.”It’s great the amount of competition that we have at the moment, because when there is a group of players behind me who are also pushing for players, I know that I have to do better than them. With that level of competition, if I don’t do well in two or three games, I can’t be certain of my place in the team. I have to constantly be on top of my game to earn selection for the next match.”

The wicketkeeper Chris Hartley has been named Queensland’s player of the year for 2012-13 while the fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile won Western Australia’s equivalent award after a strong summer

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2013The wicketkeeper Chris Hartley has been named Queensland’s player of the year for 2012-13 while the fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile won Western Australia’s equivalent award after a strong summer. The state awards period was wrapped up at the weekend with the Queensland titles handed out and Hartley almost swept all categories.He won the Ian Healy Trophy as the state’s player of the year and also picked up the one-day player of the year prize and the players’ player award after a season in which he completed the double of 500 Sheffield Shield runs and 50 dismissals. However, the Shield award was the only honour Hartley did not collect as that went to the captain James Hopes for a season that brought him 473 runs at 31.53 and 32 wickets at 22.75.Hartley was Queensland’s second-leading run scorer in the Shield behind Joe Burns, with 510 runs at 28.33 and he also picked up 51 catches and a stumping. The likelihood is that Matthew Wade and Brad Haddin will be Australia’s two glovemen on the tour of England later this year but all the same, Hartley’s efforts are a reminder to the national selectors in an Ashes year of his consistent output – it was the fourth time he had completed the double of 500 runs and 50 dismissals.In Western Australia, Coulter-Nile had another encouraging summer and will be in contention for the Ashes squad, although fast bowling is not an area in which Australia lack depth. He collected 26 Shield wickets at 27.92 and was the second leading wicket taker in the Ryobi Cup with 16 victims at 23.18.The other four states all named their players of the year last month. James Faulkner won the Ricky Ponting Medal in Tasmania, Chris Rogers took out the Bill Lawry Medal in Victoria, in South Australia Chadd Sayers claimed the Neil Dansie Medal and Gurinder Sandhu won the Steve Waugh Medal in New South Wales.

Sachin Tendulkar stressed the importance of “situational awareness” as a key factor in succeeding in the closing stages of IPL games

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2013Sachin Tendulkar stressed the importance of “situational awareness” as a key factor in succeeding in the closing stages of IPL games. Tendulkar was speaking at an event in Mumbai and was asked by an audience consisting of children, amateur and aspiring cricketers, how to score ten runs off the final over to win a T20 games. He said there could be no set formula.”Basically you have got to see what the bowler is bowling and what his strengths are, weaknesses are,” Tendulkar said. “What are the areas where you can score off that particular bowler. There are many factors like the kind of surface you are playing on, the kind of field setting.” Tendulkar said what a cricketer needed at a time like that was “awareness.” “You have got to have situational awareness. Once you have that, you respond to the situation according to the bowler and the opposition.”At a gathering of about 200 people, Tendulkar answered a range of questions: about how he related to the new Mumbai Indians’ captain Ricky Ponting, the technique behind his trademark straight drive and the formula for his success.Tendulkar said he didn’t think twice before passing on a tip to Ponting. “Because I know little bit about our cricketers, which Ricky hasn’t had the opportunity to watch them much. Also a lot of things are planned in team meetings. But there are things that spontaneously come to your mind and you share your thoughts. So it is basically about sharing our knowledge and giving some background about the bowler.”Excellence on the cricket field, he said, had to be priority for any cricketer who was trying to succeed. A young cricketer he said needed to be, “madly in love” with the sport and due to that to immerse himself in his training. “You can’t count the number of hours, the number of balls you have practised, the number of balls that you have bowled. You can’t be counting. You can’t look at your watch. You have to just practise and practise.”He gave an example from his childhood to his audience, saying that his practice began at 7:30am and ended 12 hours later. “Eventually my coach had to sort of pack my kit bag and send me off saying ‘it is too dark to play cricket and we all want to go home’. ” Tendulkar said his passion for cricket was still alive, “Boys like you or even girls now, whoever wants to become a cricketer, should be passionate about the game. Cricket should be in your heart first and then as you mature and grow, slowly you will find how to score runs and how to bowl [an] over, how to bowl spells. First cricket has to be in your heart and the rest follows.”The straight drive, his signature shot, Tendulkar said started from a correct head position and balance.
“If your balance is not good then you are not going to be able to play straight, you either drag it with bottom hand to midwicket or you slice it to cover or cover point.” When the body was correctly aligned, “then you can hit bowlers straight. For batting or bowling, generally on a cricket field, you have got to have good body balance.”It was also Tendulkar also stressed on the importance of concentrating solely on the game when on the field. “I don’t think about watching movies [when I bat]. You can’t think of anything else. Your mind is full of ideas, how to score against a particular bowler.” The focus he said has to be on the ball and the bowler. “The bowler is constantly asking you a question and you are responding to that question, whatever is delivered… So I have no other thoughts on [the] mind. I am just thinking of how many runs I can score and how we can win.”

South Africa enter this tournament with low-key expectations, and will hope to fly under the radar into the business end of the tournament

The Preview by Firdose Moonda04-Jun-2013

Overview

It’s that time of the season South Africa dread: major tournament time. No matter how much they try to convince supporters, the media and themselves, there is no doubt that major ICC events inevitably invoke anxiety. This undoubtedly leads to the same questions: Will they finally win? If not, how will they exit this time? And how bad will the aftermath be?What makes this time different is…. Absolutely nothing. Instead of talking up the current squad as being the one that will change South Africa’s fortunes, Gary Kirsten did not promise anything. He only “hopes” that the team can do better than they have in previous tournaments, and even if they don’t, he said he would leave the job a happy man.That will not lessen the pressure on the fifteen who will travel to England. They know that apart from saying goodbye to Kirsten, they have fans to appease and a point to prove.With no Graeme Smith or Jacques Kallis, they are low on experience and will rely on the more quiet leaders such as Hashim Amla and Robin Peterson, to assist AB de Villiers. Their batting line-up is the less settled of the two departments, which will put extra responsibility on the bowlers. Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe have been through enough campaigns to have seen what it takes to win.AB de Villiers has plenty to ponder over the coming few weeks as captain, wicketkeeper and senior batsman•AFP

Key player

AB de Villiers has been called one of the most talented players of his generation, and was voted the most innovative batsman at the recent IPL. His contributions will be crucial to South Africa’s success. Whether he promotes himself up the order to allow more time to launch an assault, or saves himself for a late burst, de Villiers will set the tone for South Africa’s totals.He will play an equally important role as captain, where his tactical acumen will have to be at its highest in the absence of Smith and Kallis. While not having the senior men around could be a disadvantage, it could also give de Villiers the space he needs to establish his own leadership style, which will be important for South Africa’s development.

Surprise package

Having established himself in the Test team Alviro Petersen earned a recall to the one-day side on county form and reputation. In two championship matches for Somerset, he accumulated 437 runs, but his only notable limited-overs contribution of late was an unbeaten 63 in the Yorkshire Bank 40.Andrew Hudson, convenor of selectors, said Petersen was picked over Henry Davids and Quinton de Kock because of the experience he could add to a line-up missing Smith. “We don’t want to be 10 for 2 upfront, we’d rather have someone who can give us solid starts,” Hudson said. Petersen is not known for his big shots, but is level-headed and can build an innings. With South Africa aiming for safety first, this could be his opportunity to show he belongs in the shorter formats too.

Weakness

Since 1999, South Africa’s biggest challenge in major tournaments has been overcoming themselves and dealing with expectation. So far, they have not been able to get it right. Be it miscalculation of a Duckworth-Lewis target like in 2003, or mind games in 2011. When pressure mounts, South Africa struggle.Any opponent who has done their homework will know the best way to beat them is mentally, although this time they can also exploit an unsettled batting line-up. With a new opening pair, a young No.3, and inexperience running through parts of the squad, South Africa will be vulnerable in this department too.

Champions Trophy history

South Africa have reason to remember this competition with pride because it is the only ICC event they have won. They were the inaugural champions in 1998 when the format was still a knockout, beating West Indies in the final.In the next edition, they broke another common misconception by winning a knockout match in a major event when they beat England in the quarter-finals. They did not defend the title, though, and their results went downhill from there.In 2002 and 2006, they lost in the semi-finals, but the real heartbreak came when they hosted the tournament in 2009. They were set a steep target of 324 to beat England in the group stage and qualify for the next round. Smith scored a century in the cause but was denied a runner by Andrew Strauss, and eventually fell with South Africa too far behind.

Recent form

At fourth place on the ICC’s ODI rankings, South Africa do not go into this tournament as one of the favourites, but that is probably more because of the transition phase they are in, than where they lie on the charts. Their results have not been as consistent of late as Kirsten shifted the focus to Test cricket for the two years of his tenure.Last summer, South Africa lost a home series to New Zealand 2-1 and beat Pakistan 3-2, but it was a hard-fought series that went down to the final fixture. Since Kirsten took over in 2011, South Africa have played 24 ODIs, won 13, lost 10 and had one no-result. Their win percentage has dropped to 54% from around 62% overall.

Life is suddenly a whole lot less certain for Ed Cowan. For the past 18 months he has answered to the title of Test opening batsman, but Chris Rogers’ promotion to join Shane Watson atop the order against England means Cowan must now scrap for another com

Daniel Brettig in Worcester02-Jul-2013Life is suddenly a whole lot less certain for Ed Cowan. For the past 18 months he has answered to the title of Test opening batsman, but Chris Rogers’ promotion to join Shane Watson atop the order against England means Cowan must now scrap for another commission.While he met the news with good grace, Cowan has responded by vowing to fight for a place elsewhere in the order, citing obstinate efforts in India as proof he will be capable of tackling more varied challenges. Day one of the tour match against Worcestershire will be the first day of the rest of his life.At New Road Cowan is set to bat at No. 3, after Watson and Rogers walk out to face the new ball as the coach Darren Lehmann’s favoured opening combination. But Cowan said he was now very much in the contest for other batting positions, saying he had received “good communication” about where Lehmann and the captain Michael Clarke saw him fitting in.”If you’ve got Clarke in there somewhere, there’s three other spots I need to be fighting it out for,” Cowan said. “I’ve always said if you can open the batting you can bat anywhere. And particularly now having been through four Tests in India, if I was to come in in the middle order against spin then I feel really comfortable doing that. I don’t know if I could have said that having not been through that.”So if you can open the batting against the new ball, you can certainly come in against the older ball. It’s hard to go the other way. I started my career at six for New South Wales, I obviously bat at No.3 in one day cricket for Tasmania and five if Ricky, last season, was playing. So I’ve had some experience, if selected and I’m not opening the batting, then that will be the biggest challenge.”Finding a way to distract yourself until it’s time to bat because one thing about opening the batting is you start preparing when they’re eight or nine down, you’ve got 10 minutes to put your pads on and out you go. If it’s in the middle order, do you relax, do you stay up? All those little things and that will be a challenge but it’s something I’m just going to have to deal with.”If Cowan’s determination to succeed in India could not be questioned, given that he faced 706 balls across the series to be second only to the aggregate-topper M Vijay, a lack of centuries since the first match of the home summer against South Africa in Brisbane did not help his cause.At Taunton Cowan was unfortunate in the first innings, given out caught behind though the ball appeared to brush clothing rather than bat, but in the second wasted a fluent start with an edged cut shot. Other such lapses against Sri Lanka at home prevented Cowan from establishing the sort of record that would have made him harder to dispense with.”I think if you break it down I’m only really interested in being judged on what I do in Test cricket,” Cowan said. “So you can look at all the first-class games, but for me, what happens in Test cricket, I think that was a really positive series for me.”A few things happened in the Sri Lankan series I wasn’t happy with and India was hard work but I felt I had my head above water by then in that series. This is a huge series, I feel playing against good fast bowling, when the ball swings is right up my alley I guess in terms of my strengths and I know if I get in this series I’ll be making it count.”Knowledge gleaned from starting this northern summer with Nottinghamshire might count in Cowan’s favour as a middle-order option, given that the first Test will be played at Trent Bridge. He is also aware of the quirky rhythms of an English day’s cricket, as demonstrated on day one against Somerset when a batsmen’s day was turned on its head by the second new ball.”I think aggressive in England doesn’t necessarily mean playing big shots,” he said. “It means showing intent and looking to score but understanding if conditions dictate the other way you can still be full of intent but not necessarily rocking along on the scoreboard.”At Trent Bridge there is quite a bit of swing, there is a little bit of natural variation in the wicket, a few little quirks like little sight screens at the members end and the members sit in front. Those little things I now know of and have dealt with, so I can just feel at home and go for my life I guess.”

A four-wicket haul by offspinner Nasir Aziz and a fighting half-century from Shaiman Anwar helped UAE secure their second WCL Championship win over Canada in King City

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsShaiman Anwar made 57 after his century in the previous match•Eddie Norfolk

A four-wicket haul by offspinner Nasir Aziz and a fighting half-century from Shaiman Anwar helped UAE secure their second WCL Championship win over Canada in King City, Ontario. The victory strengthened UAE’s position at fourth place on the points table, giving them a three-point lead over Afghanistan.UAE’s bowlers, led by Aziz, vindicated their captain Khurram Khan’s decision to bowl first, as Canada’s in-form opener Ruvindu Gunasekera was dismissed by Shadeep Silva for 9. Usman Limbada, who scored a half-century in the last match, was pushed up to No 3 and he stitched together a steady 50-run stand with Hiral Patel, who fell soon after scoring his third List A fifty. The experienced Ashish Bagai joined Limbada at the crease but the pair struggled, adding 33 in 80 balls. Canada’s scoring-rate dropped further after Limbada was bowled by Aziz in his first over, the 30th of the innings. The next six overs produced just 10 runs and Damodar Daesrath succumbed to the pressure in the batting Powerplay, holing out to midwicket to give Aziz his second wicket. Canada managed 11 in the Powerplay and Aziz and Silva struck regularly in the last 10 overs to restrict the hosts to 179 for 9. Aziz, playing his eighth List A match, finished with his best figures of 4 for 20.In reply, UAE raced to 21 in 2.4 overs, but suffered a couple of early jolts as opener Abdul Shakoor and Khurram departed. Swapnil Patil tried to get a partnership going with Arshad Ali but fell to Junaid Siddiqui. A 58-run stand in nearly 19 overs between Arshad and Anwar anchored the chase. However, Rizwan Cheema struck, dismissing Arshad, Rohan Mustafa and Mohammad Azam in consecutive overs to leave UAE stuttering at 137 for 6 in the 37th over. Anwar played a tenacious 93-ball 57, following his unbeaten hundred two days ago, and almost guided UAE home before Cheema removed him in the 45th over. With 14 required and two wickets left, Canada were back in the game. However, Aziz and Silva steered UAE to victory in the 49th over.

Worcestershire’s Joe Leach scored his maiden first-class hundred to hold up Gloucestershire’s victory charge at Cheltenham

19-Jul-2013
ScorecardJoe Leach continued to defy the Gloucestershire attack•Getty Images

Worcestershire’s Joe Leach scored his maiden first-class hundred to hold up Gloucestershire’s victory charge at Cheltenham.Leach, who top-scored with an unbeaten 82 in the first innings, made 103 not out as Worcestershire reached 296 for eight at stumps on the third day to hold an overall lead of 152.Thilan Samaraweera also scored 63 for Worcestershire and his fifth-wicket stand of 109 with Leach did much to keep the visitors in contention, although Gloucestershire remain favourites to register their third win of the season. Will Gidman was the most successful of the Gloucestershire attack with 3 for 72, while on-loan left-arm spinner Tom Smith took 2 for 85.Worcestershire began the day on 31 for no wicket and an attritional morning session brought just 53 runs from 29 overs. Gloucestershire had to wait until the final half hour of the session to celebrate a wicket, and it came when Daryl Mitchell pushed forward to Smith and edged to Michael Klinger at slip.Smith, on loan to Gloucestershire from Middlesex, struck again four overs later when Moeen Ali gave a bat-pad catch to Hamish Marshall at short leg. Matt Pardoe’s obdurate innings of 39, from 168 balls, ended in the fifth over after lunch when he was caught behind by Gareth Roderick off Will Gidman.It became 102 for 4 when Alexei Kervezee was run out at the striker’s end by James Fuller’s throw from mid-off after being sent back by Samaraweera. Gloucestershire had to wait 27 overs for another wicket as Samaraweera and Leach put on 109 in largely untroubled fashion.Leach reached a fluent 53-ball half-century with a cover-driven boundary offspin bowler Miles Hammond, and Samaraweera reached his 121-ball fifty in the next over with a single off Smith.Gloucestershire took the second new ball immediately after tea and it was only four overs old when Will Gidman won a lbw verdict against Samaraweera, whose 134-ball innings had contained nine fours.Ben Cox departed soon after, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Roderick off Craig Miles to depart for six, and Gareth Andrew went for 14 when he edged a drive off Will Gidman into the hands of Alex Gidman at first slip.Leach continued to bat impressively and he surpassed his previous best score – the 82 he made in the first innings – with a straight-driven boundary off Will Gidman.Shaaiq Choudhry helped Leach add 28 for the eighth wicket before he was bowled by Fuller for 10. Leach survived a head-high caught and bowled chance to Benny Howell on 91 and went on to reach his century with a cover-driven boundary off Smith from the second ball of the last over.