Michael Clarke’s graceful first hundred against England in one-day internationals was followed by an overwhelming victory and a 1-0 lead in the series

The Report by David Hopps08-Sep-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Clarke made his second Old Trafford hundred on tour to set up a big Australia win•Getty Images

Michael Clarke has remained in England after a dispiriting Ashes series to seek some one-day solace and, at the start of the NatWest series, Old Trafford provided it in abundance. A graceful first hundred against England in one-day internationals was followed by an overwhelming victory. For Australia’s captain, it was a rare visit this summer to the pleasure palace.England’s pursuit of 316 for victory was a non-event, their defeat every bit as comprehensive as the 88-run margin indicates. They had never chased down such a total in ODIs, their best effort being 306 for 5 against Pakistan in Karachi 13 years ago. They had also never conceded such a large total to Australia in an ODI in England. They were not about to challenge such statistics.The balance of England’s side was weighted towards an extra batsman, a shift in policy from a Champions Trophy campaign earlier this summer in which they were beaten finalists, and the captain, Eoin Morgan, time and again found himself playing a limited hand in the field, never more so than when Clarke and George Bailey were compiling a fourth-wicket stand of 155 in 22 overs.Clarke measured up the England attack serenely for his 105 from 102 balls before Boyd Rankin, England’s biggest threat, had him caught at the wicket 22 balls from the end of the innings. Bailey, untroubled while making 82 from 67 balls, smiled upon England even as he punished them, as if influenced by some minor religious sect which instructs him forever to spread happiness.England had a sally firstly through Kevin Pietersen, who made 60 from 66 balls before he drove Shane Watson to cover, and later Jos Buttler, who had the rare luxury of more than half the innings to bat and took advantage of more time at the crease with a maiden ODI fifty. He made 75 from 65 balls but became the sole victim of Fawad Ahmed, whose legspin will have more successful days.The English summer is departing, and the house martins are taking flight, but Australia are still here, seeking to ease memories of their 3-0 defeat in the Test series. That England, influenced by a 10.15am start, inserted them on a benign, grassless pitch, correctly assessed at the toss by Clarke as a “fantastic” batting surface, provided a helping hand. England, 1-0 down with three to play (the first match at Headingley was washed out), must surely re-examine their strategy.Morgan was in no mood to contemplate error. “We’ve a very strong batting line-up,” he said afterwards, adding that England’s bowling attack had “lots of options”. But the satisfaction – and the Man-of-the-Match award was Clarke’s. “We’re here to win the series and we are off to a good start,” he said.Rankin, who is making a good impression at the start of his England career, escaped with 2 for 49 and Ravi Bopara was the most resourceful of England’s back-up bowlers, allowing only 32 from his first eight overs, even if he could not quite complete the job. Bopara might have escaped unscathed, however, if Bailey had been caught at deep miswicket when 69, but the ball evaded Stokes, who was in from the boundary; the next ball cleared the rope by a distance.It was an inconvenient time for James Tredwell to have one of his most unrewarding days in an England shirt – he conceded 37 from his first 22 balls and eventually 60 from eight overs as Australia attacked him from the outset. It was a tough examination, too, for Ben Stokes, the Durham allrounder batting at No. 8, who struggled to fill the role of third seamer on such a surface.Australia’s opening alliance, Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh, had put on a record partnership against Scotland but produced naught in Manchester, as Marsh poked unconvincingly at a full delivery, the fourth ball of the match, and edged to the wicketkeeper Buttler.Watson’s emotional struggles with DRS could be turned into soap opera. Twice within 13 overs, the umpire Richard Kettleborough had to reverse decisions, with Watson the batsman involved on both occasions. Both were difficult calls for the third umpire, Aleem Dar, and he probably got it right on both occasions.Watson successfully reviewed after he was given out lbw first ball by Kettleborough. Then, on 38, it was England’s turn to overturn Kettleborough’s decision, as Bopara had Watson caught at the wicket cutting. Not for the first time this summer, Watson departed with the hurt, pursed-lips expression of an elderly woman imagining herself short-changed at the till.When Tredwell intervened with the wicket of Finch – a flat catch to Joe Root at long-on – England accepted the third wicket with considerable relief. For a few overs they hinted at a recovery, but soon Clarke and Bailey were killing them with kindness.There was encouragement for Australia in the field, too: Mitchell Johnson is approaching his best form again. Australia omitted him for this summer’s Ashes series but, after observing his new-ball spell, they must have had visions that their most mercurial bowling talent can make an impression in the return Test series. Johnson’s rhythm was good, his bowling arm much higher than in recent years and his pace repeatedly above 90mph.He struck twice in his second over. His first wicket had an element of good fortune as Michael Carberry slapped a catch to Clarke at backward point. But Jonathan Trott’s first-baller came via a fiercely rising delivery on a perfect line that he could only fend to the wicketkeeper. Root followed immediately after the Powerplay, trying to run a ball from James Faulkner that sneaked back into him.Pietersen and Morgan met a mammoth task with invention, enough to see Ahmed withdrawn from the attack after his first two overs cost 23.But Pietersen’s departure was a reality check for a crowd of 25,000. Bopara chipped a return catch to Adam Voges, Morgan succumbed to Clint McKay’s slower ball, Stokes made a mess of a pull shot to complete a dismal day and, by the time Buttler brought up his half-century by striking Faulkner’s slower ball over square leg for six, the game had long gone.

A belligerent rearguard hundred from Doug Bracewell was not enough to prevent a Sri Lanka A victory on the final day in Dambulla, as the hosts’ spinners secured the series inside 57 overs

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Sep-2013
ScorecardBracewell’s 104 from 85 provided temporary respite from New Zealand A’s collapse on the final day•BCCI

A belligerent rearguard hundred from Doug Bracewell was not enough to prevent a Sri Lanka A victory on the final day in Dambulla, as the hosts’ spinners secured the series with a 168-run win. Chasing 440 for victory, New Zealand A could not manage a meaningful partnership until the last pair were at the crease, and were eventually bowled out for 271 inside 57 overs. The first four-day match of the two-game series had been drawn.Left-arm spin bowler Malinda Pushpakumara was the best of Sri Lanka A’s spinners, taking 4 for 60, to go with his 3 for 86 in the first innings. Pushpakumara had been the top wicket-taker in the first-class competition early in the year, and another laudable performance is likely to edge him closer to national contention. Dilruwan Perera and left-arm spinner Chaturanga de Silva took three wickets apiece.New Zealand A had begun the day on 15 for 0, but lost captain Tom Latham in the second over for 3, before Carl Cachopa and Anton Devcich combined briefly. Cachopa’s dismissal for 26, though, began a slide that would cost New Zealand A 7 wickets for just 68 runs. De Silva took two wickets soon after he had trapped Cachopa for lbw, before Perera and Pushpakumara decimated the middle and lower order between them.With his side on the brink of a heavy defeat at 178 for 9, Bracewell found the mettle that had eluded the batsmen, stroking his way to a maiden first-class ton, in Matt Henry’s company. His unbeaten 104 from 85 balls featured seven sixes and eight fours, but Pushpakumara eventually ended the stand, which had grown to 93, by having Henry caught for 19.The loss plunges New Zealand A’s difficult tour of the subcontinent into further disappointment. They have not won a match on the trip, having drawn both first-class matches with India A, before being whitewashed by the same team in a three-match one-day series.The first of three one-dayers against Sri Lanka A begins in Pallekele on Monday.

Scott Elstone made a maiden Championship hundred as Derbyshire batted out time against Glamorgan in Cardiff

Press Association06-May-2015
ScorecardWayne Madsen joined Scott Elstone in a stand that secured a predictable draw•Getty Images

Scott Elstone made a maiden Championship hundred as Derbyshire batted out time against Glamorgan in Cardiff. With 223.1 overs lost to rain over four days an unbroken stand of 174 between Elstone and Wayne Madsen confirmed the draw that everybody had expected once rain had washed out the morning session and left only 68 overs remaining on the final day.Graeme Welch, Derbyshire’s coach, had accused Glamorgan of being “unsporting” after they had declared 102 runs adrift, and suggested they were driven by the wish to reclaim the three points that had been deducted from them for a slow over rate in the first innings.When Glamorgan bowled again, there was far more urgency in the field and, with their spinner Dean Cosker also bowing a lengthy spell, the points deduction was soon cleared.They did remove the openers for 32 Chesney Hughes was the first to go when he was trapped leg before to Hogan, before a disconsolate Ben Slater was out to Cosker. He struck a gentle full toss from the left arm spinner to short mid wicket, and was so disgusted with his dismissal he almost had to be dragged from the crease.Madsen and Elstone then settled into their productive partnership, with Elstone, who joined Derbyshire two years ago passing his previous career best of 63.Glamorgan have now drawn their three games, but their coach Toby Radford was not concerned that they have yet to win a game.”We have played positive cricket on two flat pitches,while this game was ruined by the weather.”When asked about Graeme Welch’ comments regarding Glamorgan’s declaration Radford said he was surprised. “We were hoping to take some wickets in the second innings to put them under pressure.”Madsen, when asked about the declaration, admitted it was a tricky situation. “I thought it was about 60% to help the over rate and 40% to make a game of it. We might have done the same thing – but we are always conscious of watching our rate.”He also praised the team for their performance, especially as they were missing five players that won the previous game at Bristol”.

The County Championship looks set to be curtailed so that more emphasis can be placed on the limited-overs game with the ECB having agreed in principle to cut the number of games played by each team a season

George Dobell19-May-2015The County Championship looks set to be curtailed so that more emphasis can be placed on the limited-overs game with the ECB having agreed in principle to cut the number of games played by each team a season.Emphasis will be placed instead on the financial potential of Twenty20 cricket and the desire to promote the 50-over game ahead of England’s staging of the 2019 World Cup.In a bid to ease fixture congestion and improve the value of the domestic T20 tournament, in particular, the ECB is attempting to devise a schedule where counties play just 12 Championship matches per season. At present they play 16.The last time such a move was proposed – as part of David Morgan’s report in 2011-12 – a backlash from county members prompted a last-minute rethink. But this time there appears to be something close to a consensus within the counties and no intention of further consultation with county members or other spectators.Key to the changes is an attempt to maximise revenues from T20 cricket. While the 2015 season is likely to see record attendances for the NatWest Blast competition – for the first time, over one million tickets could be sold – the ECB still believes further progress is possible and necessary.The exact shape of a future T20 competition remains unclear, with discussions ongoing, but it currently appears likely that attempts to introduce franchise cricket will be resisted and that the tournament will be played in two leagues, with a system of promotion and relegation as yet open to debate.Such a solution would see the top league gain nearly all the TV coverage and the salary cap might be relaxed for the competition to allow the recruitment of more big-name overseas players. It is also likely to be played in an eight to 10 week window in the school holidays.The availability of England players for at least a sizeable portion of the tournament remains under debate.The ECB also hopes to change the schedule for 50-over cricket. With a view to the next Champions Trophy and World Cup – both scheduled to be played in England in relatively early season, in 2017 and 2019 respectively – the aim is to play more 50-over cricket in the first couple of months of the season (the competition currently starts on July 25) and make room for a showpiece Lord’s final in July or August.But it is the changes to the County Championship that will prove most controversial. While the Professional Cricketers’ Association favours a conference system to arrive at a 12-game season, others favour one division of 10 (with teams not necessarily playing each other twice) and another of eight.There are also suggestions of adding three teams to create a 21-team, three-division tournament. An additional three teams could be drawn either from the Associate nations or the leading minor counties, with the chairman, Colin Graves, eager at least to explore the end of the 18-team closed shop. It is understood, however, that Cricket Scotland have yet to be approached about such a possibility and may be reluctant to compromise their international status and the prospect of playing Test cricket.While many of these alterations have been mooted for years, this time the ECB is determined to drive them through. Change appears inevitable and the County Championship looks certain to bear the brunt.

Colin Ingram’s superb 96 and an excellent last over from Wayne Parnell secured Glamorgan a three-run victory against Somerset in a thrilling NatWest T20 Blast game at Taunton

ECB/PA28-Jun-2015
ScorecardColin Ingram could not quite reach three figures but his innings was enough to secure a win for Glamorgan•Getty Images

Colin Ingram’s superb 96 and an excellent last over from Wayne Parnell secured Glamorgan a three-run victory against Somerset in a thrilling NatWest T20 Blast game at Taunton.Ingram ‘s 62-ball innings was the highlight of Glamorgan’s 170 for 4, and no Somerset batsman was able to play the major innings required as the hosts finished on 167 for 8.Tim Groenewald nearly snatched victory for Somerset with an unbeaten 27 from nine balls, which included three sixes. However, with 12 needed off the last over, Parnell kept the hosts to eight runs and bowled Abdur Rehman with the penultimate ball of the match.It was Parnell’s his final appearance for Glamorgan before he joins up with South Africa in Bangladesh.After being put into bat, Glamorgan’s innings was dominated by Ingram, who took advantage of the short boundaries to plunder nine fours and six sixes on his way to his highest score for the Welsh county.Craig Meschede, who is on a season-long loan to Glamorgan from Somerset, departed to the third ball of the innings when he was caught at cover by Tom Cooper off Jim Allenby for a duck.But Ingram, who had a short spell with Somerset last year, was quickly into his stride and took 18 runs off four successive balls from Alfonso Thomas, as he followed a six over extra cover with three fours, one swept behind square and two hit straight down the ground.Ingram reached a 27-ball half-century in the eighth over, but his partnership of 64 with Jacques Rudolph ended when his fellow South African top-edged a pull off Jamie Overton to long leg, where Rehman held an excellent catch on the run.Rehman bowled four tidy overs of spin for 30 and was rewarded with the wicket of Chris Cooke, who pulled a delivery into the hands of Pete Trego on the midwicket boundary to make it 110 for 3 in the 13th over.Graham Wagg helped Ingram add 60 in the final seven overs, but the South African was denied a century when he skied the last ball of the innings from Thomas to Cooper at extra cover. Wagg finished unbeaten on 33 from 25 balls.Somerset’s chase suffered a setback in the first over when former Glamorgan allrounder Allenby was bowled by Parnell for 4. Johann Myburgh departed in the final over the Powerplay, caught by Dean Cosker at backward point off Wagg for 19, and it became 83 for 3 in the 11th over when Trego, having hit 39 from 31 balls, skied a drive off Meschede to Michael Hogan at long-on.Slow left-armer Cosker accounted for James Hildreth, caught at backward point by Rudolph for 23, and the game looked to have taken a decisive turn when New Zealander Luke Ronchi, on his home debut for Somerset, and Cooper departed to successive balls of the 17th over, bowled by Hogan.Ronchi was caught on the midwicket boundary by David Lloyd for seven and Cooper holed out to Ingram at long-on for 26.It was 139 for 7 in the 18th over when Overton was caught just inside the midwicket boundary rope for 10, and 28 were required from the final two overs.Groenewald raised the prospect of a Somerset win with two successive straight sixes off Hogan in the 19th over, but Parnell’s last over, consisting mainly of yorker-length deliveries, sealed Glamorgan’s fifth win and handed a Somerset a fourth defeat.

Lancashire fought back well against Northamptonshire on a second day dominated by the batsmen as the home side’s middle order made a solid start in replying to 438

ECB/PA30-Jun-2015
ScorecardThe runs continued to flow for Ashwell Prince, who passed 1000 in the Championship this season•PA Photos

Lancashire fought back well against Northamptonshire on a second day dominated by the batsmen as the home side’s middle order made a solid start in replying to 438. Karl Brown made 97 and Ashwell Prince 83 to help Lancashire to 257 for 4 at the close.In perfect batting conditions, the Division Two leaders started the day hoping for quick wickets, with Northants on 388 for 6 and their tail exposed. A frenetic opening hour saw the visitors lose Adam Rossington, trapped lbw by Kyle Jarvis for 89, before former Lancs allrounder Steven Crook and Azharullah added valuable late-order runs. Australian James Faulkner was the pick of the Red Rose bowlers, finishing with figures of 4 for 63.With the mercury rising, Lancashire’s reply got off to a poor start when a wonderful second over of the innings from Olly Stone climaxed with the 21-year-old knocking back Paul Horton’s off stump as the Lancashire opener’s poor run of form with the bat continued.In a mirror image of Northamptonshire’s batting, an early wicket was followed by a century partnership as Brown and Alex Davies began rebuilding with determination and no little skill.Brown, who earlier survived an easy stumping opportunity when Rossington fumbled a sharply turning delivery from Graeme White, reached his half-century in the half-hour before the break. He was quickly followed by Davies, who celebrated being shortlisted for the LV= Breakthrough Player of the Year award with a fifth fifty of the season before edging Rob Keogh behind two balls later.Despite the breakthrough, things did not get any any easier for the overworked Northants bowlers after tea as Brown and the in-form Prince set about building another big partnership. It was a particularly memorable afternoon for South African Prince as he first passed 18,000 first-class runs when reaching 55 and then became the first player this season to hit 1000 Championship runs after making 61.Meanwhile, at the other end, a long-awaited second first-class century seemed to be within Brown’s grasp until he inexplicably top edged a cut off White to Stone at slip for 97 with the score on 226 and the third-wicket partnership worth 116. It was especially unfortunate for Brown, having been dismissed for 96 against Leicestershire earlier in the season.Northants sniffed a rare chance and got their reward when Prince followed soon after, edging a drive to Stone at slip off Keogh, who bowled his offbreaks tirelessly for 27 overs.Despite Richard Levi dropping a late chance presented by Steven Croft off the bowling of Keogh, the double breakthrough perhaps tipped the scales slightly in the visitors’ favour with Faulkner and skipper Croft negotiating the rest of the day’s play safely.

Fast bowler Chris Rushworth collected a magical six-wicket haul as Durham pushed their superiority on day three at the Ageas Bowl

ECB/PA21-Jul-2015
ScorecardChris Rushworth’s prolific season continued to leave Durham in charge•Getty Images

Fast bowler Chris Rushworth collected a magical six-wicket haul as Durham pushed their superiority on day three at the Ageas Bowl.
Rushworth cleaned up Hampshire on a difficult bowling pitch to move to 61 wickets for the season after Michael Carberry and Will Smith missed out on centuries.The two captains are likely to need to manufacture a result on a potentially intriguing final day as Durham lead by 175, closing on 61 for 1.
Under beautiful blue skies, which contradicted the second day’s grey, Carberry failed to convert a fifty into three figures for the six time this season.Hampshire’s leading Championship run scorer Carberry reached a timely half-century on the second evening but fell an hour and a half into the morning for 73 – edging Ryan Pringle to first slip Paul Collingwood.Will Smith added 83 for the fourth wicket with Carberry before completing his fifth fifty off 117 with six boundaries.Title winning captain at Durham, Smith haunted his former county with an assured knock and brought up his milestone with a punchy pulled four.Smith had put on exactly 50 with Lewis McManus – who batted maturely in just his second first-class match before he departed. He looked set for a first century of the season but Scott Borthwick nailed him on the pads fifteen runs short of three figures.Joe Gatting batted his way to an aggressive 43, which included a huge six straight down the ground, but seven runs short of a third fifty in three matches he edged the first delivery of the new ball to Paul Collingwood at first slip – giving Rushworth his first of the day.Rushworth then ran through the Hampshire tail, firstly forcing an edge out of McManus – who scored one more than his previous first-class best of 28.Jackson Bird was the next Rushworth victim as he was trapped leg before to a ball that kept low before James Tomlinson had his stumps destroyed two balls later.And the first ball of Rushworth’s next over brought the end of the innings – Gareth Berg slogging into the air for an attacking 31 – his sixth five-for of the season. Hampshire ending on 307 – collecting their first batting points in five matches in the process – and trailed by 114 runs.Durham had a tricky 22 overs to try and add quick runs but not lose too many wickets and Mark Stoneman reached his 6000 first-class run in the process.And they lost debutant Graham Clark to a stunning reactive catch from Liam Dawson – who dropped three chances in the first innings – as Mason Crane continued an impressive leg spin display.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said Pakistan ‘can survive’ without playing cricket against India but hoped the BCCI would adhere to the MOU between the boards

Umar Farooq28-Aug-2015PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has said Pakistan ‘can survive’ without playing cricket against India but hoped the BCCI would adhere to the MOU between the boards and improve the prospects of bilateral series in the future.”Given the present circumstance, the chances of a Pakistan-India series look bleak and we have to live with the fact that India are not going to play us,” Shaharyar told ESPNcricinfo. “At the same time the BCCI hasn’t formally refused us, but we can’t wait long amid this uncertainty and have got to have an alternative plan. We will wait for another couple of months before forcing our plan B.”I hope the climate will improve but at the moment it’s more a political tension … the relationship between the countries is complex but cricket shouldn’t be suffering, it is after all something that can be a tool to lower the tension.”The BCCI had signed an MOU to play Pakistan in six series between 2015 and 2023, with the first to be hosted by the PCB in the UAE in December. As it has often done in the past – India and Pakistan did not play for 17 years because of the wars in 1965 and 71 – the strained political relationship between the countries put the series in doubt. The last full series was in 2007, when Pakistan toured India.Bilateral ties between the two countries were snapped after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008 until a limited-overs series was played in 2012-13, though India and Pakistan have faced each other in international tournaments. India’s refusal to play Pakistan in recent years has cost the PCB over $80 million in terms of broadcasting and other commercial deals.”We understand the BCCI is financially very sound and we are the ones who have suffered a lot in all this,” Shaharyar said. “It’s not that we can’t survive without playing them. We are surviving, and can survive, but our position is that the game shouldn’t be mixed up with the politics. So we are trying to get the series revived based on the MOU they have signed with us. They have to honour it and if they don’t it’s their responsibility.”Another divisive issue in the PCB is that there are two people seen to be running the board – Shaharyar and Najam Sethi. The executive committee is led by Sethi and includes the board’s chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed and chief financial officer Badar Khan. It was formed in line with new ICC guidelines, and though its role was not defined in the PCB’s constitution, the committee is understood to be holding the majority of power in the board.Two power centers in the PCB, and friction between new and old officials, are major concerns. The proposed Pakistan Super League has exacerbated the issue because it has a different team of employees.Sethi was removed as the PCB’s interim chairman by the courts – he had to give an undertaking that he would not contest elections for chairman, only then did the legal feud with Zaka Ashraf end – but later the country’s Prime Minister installed him as a direct nominee in the governing board. He then became the head of the three-man executive committee.”There is no division in the board,” Shaharyar said, when asked about Sethi’s role in the PCB. “He is the nominee of the Patron of the Board and heads the executive committee. I am the chairman and all the decision are taken by me and it’s my discretion to approve or not to approve. There is no interference politically and I don’t think that the Prime Minister or any other minister is trying to dictate to the Board. We are working independently.”He [Najam] has his own views and I respect them but we are all on the same line. I am an elected chairman and that is one important thing. If I am elected, naturally the weight of my position is much higher than being a nominee.”Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure has been a major talking point because of its inconsistent format over the years. The change this year is the third in the last four years, but according to Shaharyar the latest change is best for the long term.”Basically the idea is to reduce the number of teams … you got to understand that 24 teams in domestic cricket is too many,” he said. “The number is higher than in other cricketing playing countries. So there was a strong feeling that this pattern was lowering the standard in domestic cricket with teams not being able to be a proper feeder to the national team.”Though Shaharyar was optimistic about the latest format he feared the board may alter it in the future. “We have discussed with every stakeholder of the game and almost every one decided in favour of 16-team format. This format is locked down for next three years until this present governing board is in house. I don’t know what is going to be done after me but I can assure that we have finally found a format, which I think is the right formula.”It’s been five years since the spot-fixing controversy during the 2010 tour of England – Salman Butt, Mohammd Asif and Mohammad Amir were only recently allowed to return to competitive cricket by the ICC – but Shaharyar said corruption was still a danger to Pakistan cricket. “It’s not entirely eradicated but we are very vigilant about it. We have maintained zero tolerance towards the corruption and we will not afford to have another such incident again.”

Shashank Manohar has sought a report from the Odisha Cricket Association over the crowd disturbance incident in Cuttack

Amol Karhadkar and Nagraj Gollapudi07-Oct-2015BCCI president Shashank Manohar has sought a report from the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) over the crowd disturbance incident that marred the second Twenty20 between India and South Africa. Manohar sought an explanation after match referee Chris Broad’s report was made available to the BCCI, and received a reply from the OCA on the same day – as it had done with ESPNcricinfo earlier, the association cited the harsh weather conditions for allowing plastic water bottles to be taken into the stands.*The T20 was disrupted twice due to a section of crowd pelting water bottles onto the field on three occasions following India’s batting collapse. Allowing water bottles into the stands is not the norm in Indian stadiums.”The board had given us two days to reply but we have sent our reply in just two hours,” OCA secretary Asirbad Behara told ESPNcricinfo. “We have written to the board that considering the comfort of the spectators who were sitting in sultry heat for the match, we decided to allow water bottles to be carried in the stands.”Since a handful of spectators turned nasty and caused disturbance to the match, we have regretted the decision and have assured the BCCI that we will never repeat such an act.”It will be interesting to see if the BCCI acts against one of its full members based on this report.The ICC has no role to play in the matter and has no powers to take any action against the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The onus instead is on the host board, the BCCI, to conduct its own investigation and determine if the venue should be penalised. With respect to the safety and security of the teams in a bilateral series, it is agreed that it will be the responsibility of the host board.Although the ICC has its own guidelines as to what can be permitted inside the ground for fans, they only apply to ICC tournaments. During bilateral series, the host board has its own sets of rules and regulations that the venues need to adhere to, so it is for the BCCI to determine whether there was any violation on part of the OCA for allowing the spectators to carry plastic bottles into the ground. However, the ICC match officials – referee and umpires – are always encouraged to make sure the match is completed.In the event of an incident like the crowd trouble witnessed during the Cuttack T20, the protocol demands that the match referee include a blow-by-blow account of the same in his report. It is then passed on to the ICC, which then forwards it to the BCCI. The BCCI will then submit a report based on its findings and the action it took along with the learnings from the incident to the ICC. This report will then be discussed at the chief executives’ meeting. Considering the next CEC meeting is scheduled to be held later this week in Dubai, the Cuttack incident would come up for discussion only at the next round of meetings.Sachin Tendulkar has already expressed disappointment over the incident, calling for “more responsible behaviour”. “What happened during the game is definitely not good for the game. It has happened earlier also,” Tendulkar told . “We need learn from these mistakes.”We are all passionate about the game. We all love the game so we get disappointed and frustrated at times. There are ways to express that but what happened in Cuttack is certainly not the to way show your emotions. I would request all the fans to think about it [the incident], show some maturity.”*16.00GMT, October 7: This article was updated after the OCA replied to the BCCI.

Pakistan were circling a wounded opponent as the fourth day in Sharjah drew to a close with England two wickets down in pursuit of a seemingly distant target of 284

The Report by Alan Gardner04-Nov-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPakistan were circling a wounded opponent as the fourth day in Sharjah drew to a close with England two wickets down in pursuit of a seemingly distant target of 284. A century from Mohammad Hafeez had underpinned Pakistan’s fightback after conceding a first-innings deficit and only the presence of Alastair Cook and Joe Root, England’s two best batsman, at the crease gave the tourists slender reason to hope for an historic victory.Hafeez’s outstanding 151 laid the sturdiest of foundations and left England facing a battle to avoid a 2-0 defeat in the series. Although the scores have gone up in each innings so far in this match, the chase was much steeper than anything England had previously achieved in Asia and Pakistan’s spinners looked far more adept than their English counterparts at taking advantage of a wearing pitch.The injury suffered by Ben Stokes on the first day, effectively reducing England to 10 fit men and a bloody-minded No. 11 with a strapped-up shoulder, has added to the challenge. Even getting close would represent one of England’s greatest achievements in the UAE, where they have yet to win a Test in five attempts and counting.Pakistan are the masters of their domain, for all that England have run them hard throughout the series. Endeavour can only get you so far, however, and a skills deficit in certain areas – spin bowling, most notably – has allowed Pakistan to exert themselves at key moments. Several missed chances in the field on the fourth day, most damagingly a stumping before Hafeez had added to his overnight score, also served to undermine what was an admirably wholehearted effort.England began their chase with a degree of elan. Moeen Ali overcame what looked a nasty blow to the back of a the helmet when ducking into a Wahab Riaz bouncer to help take 23 off the opening four overs from Pakistan’s quicks. But the battle was only really joined when Misbah-ul-Haq turned to his spinners. This was where the Test would be won and lost.Zulfiqar Babar’s second ball snaked menacingly past Cook’s off stump, the low bounce amplifying the sense of danger, and the cries of the men around the bat, led by the ever-excitable Sarfraz Ahmed, began to echo louder and louder around the Sharjah Cricket Stadium as England’s momentum dissipated. It took 18 overs of spin for England to double their score.For the second time in the match, Moeen fell to the offspin of Shoaib Malik, a review failing to save him after being caught on the crease by one that would have skidded on to hit leg stump. Malik, on his farewell Test appearance after announcing his retirement at the close of the third day, then breached Ian Bell’s defences in his next over.Mohammad Hafeez’s century was the backbone of Pakistan’s innings•Getty Images

In between, Cook narrowly avoided being dismissed by Yasir Shah for the fourth innings in succession, when hit on the pads trying to sweep; Pakistan reviewed, with the on-field decision upheld via umpire’s call. They resorted to the DRS again, searching for another lbw decision against Root off Babar, with the same result. Given the amount of chances created, the loss of both reviews did not look like being a major hindrance.For England, it was a day of might-have-beens. Hafeez was nearly dismissed twice in the first over but he escaped to record his ninth Test hundred and strengthen Pakistan’s grip on the Test. Although England steadily worked through the line-up, taking the last four wickets for 43 after Hafeez was sixth man out, the chase had already ballooned beyond manageable proportions. A fifth-wicket stand of 93 between Hafeez and Misbah was pivotal.Only three batsmen have managed to pass 50 in three completed innings but Hafeez rode several moments of fortune to post by far the most significant individual contribution of the match so far, almost double the next best score. This was his fourth hundred in the last 12 months and made him the fifth Pakistani to record a three-figure score in the series; England still only have one, Cook’s monument to concentration in Abu Dhabi.England needed a steady trickle of wickets, if not an outright torrent, but although the nightwatchman, Rahat Ali, was sent back in the second over, their hopes evaporated during the morning along with a succession of half-chances. In a session that seemed crucial to the direction of the match, England’s luck was of the desert variety.It has supposedly been cooler in Sharjah but the breeze was blowing Pakistan’s way. Hafeez had survived a review for lbw from the first ball of the morning and that seemed to trigger a rare bout of nerves, perhaps recalling his dismissal for 98 on the first day of the series in Abu Dhabi. Adil Rashid’s opening delivery trapped Hafeez in front but Hawk-Eye adjudged it to have pitched outside leg stump; his third was a well-disguised googly that beat the batsman’s charge, turned past leg and left Jonny Bairstow grasping at thin air with Hafeez yards from safety.Finally, having faced 16 deliveries and lost his partner, Hafeez was able to sweep the single required to bring up his first Test hundred against England. He gave another clear chance when on 109 but Stuart Broad was unable to grasp a reflex caught-and-bowled low to his left off a leading edge.While Hafeez forged on, Misbah erected a wearyingly familiar roadblock at the other end and it was a surprise when he fell to the second new ball for 38, failing to post a half-century for the first time in five innings. Broad set him up for the short ball with a cluster of leg-side fielders before trapping him in front of the stumps with a full, straight delivery.Asad Shafiq marshalled Pakistan’s tail to set England a daunting 284•Getty Images

England might – that word again – have dismissed him without scoring, had they posted a short leg during James Anderson’s opening spell. When Misbah strode out, Anderson having speared another precision inswinger through Rahat’s defences, Pakistan’s lead was 80 and England could sense their opportunity. But Misbah was able to fend away a pesky bouncer and settle into his rhythm, clobbering Rashid over long-on for his 12th six of the series.England removed both batsmen within four overs, Hafeez chipping Moeen somewhat lackadaisically to long-on, but there was more in the tank, as Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz added a scurrying 55 in short order. That took the target beyond England’s highest successful pursuit in Asian conditions, 209 to beat Bangladesh in Dhaka five years ago.Cook’s spinners could not offer any control and the dismissal of Sarfraz by Samit Patel with a sharply turning delivery during an over that also leaked three boundaries summed up their problems as well as the challenge to come.Patel should also have removed Shafiq for 29 but Anderson, normally one of England’s most reliable catchers, unsuccessfully juggled a straightforward chance at mid-on. The dismissal of Yasir finally gave Rashid a wicket on the stroke of tea and Broad then castled Shafiq shortly after the resumption before a run-out in the following over brought England’s toil to an end.