ScorecardSaurashtra went on the defensive against Madhya Pradesh, adding just 168 runs to their overnight score, ending the day at 327 for 8. Saurashtra extended their overall lead to 348, taking them to a near impregnable position on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy Plate group semi-final at Rajkot.Both Prashant Joshi and Kamlesh Makvana, who added 106 for the fourth-wicket, scored at a sedate pace; Joshi’s 71 came off 267 balls while Makvana faced 171 balls for his 33. Yogesh Golwalkar, the legspinner, accounted for four wickets off his 46 overs, while Taduri Sudhindra claimed three wickets off 29. Sitanshu Kotak and Sandeep Jobanputra were at the crease till stumps.
ScorecardAn unbeaten 65 from Sean Ervine helped Zimbabwe A seal the five-match one-day series against Bangladesh A with a five-wicket win in the decider. Needing 198 to win the decider at Bulawayo, the Zimbabweans romped home with 16 balls to spare.Bangladesh A won the toss and opted to bat, but were in early trouble, losing both their openers with only six on the board. Tushar Imran and Shamshur Rahman steadied the innings somewhat with a 38-run stand, but wickets fell steadily thereafter, reducing the Bangladesh side to 132 for 8. An unbeaten 49 by Waseluddin, batting at No. 9, propped up the team to a reasonably respectable total.Zimbabwe’s run-chase was characterised by useful partnerships all the way through, but it lacked the one big stand which would have sealed the win early. Justice Chibhabha, the opener, made 58 to lend some solidity at the top of the order, before Ervine came in to settle the issue.
For many years Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose maintained West Indies’ prominent place in world cricket. As the seemingly endless emergence of fast bowlers from the Caribbean reduced to a trickle, the two of them held the attack together, almost on their own in their twilight years. Now they are gone, and there has not been anyone even close to filling the void. And Walsh fears for the future.”Our bowling is a real concern,” he told the Independent’s Angus Fraser. “The potential is there but there has been a real lack of consistency. The word on the street is that Curtly and myself should come out of retirement.”In the 1980s and 1990s West Indies survived on raw talent and the legacy of the Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards years. But in-fighting within the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), coupled with chronic under investment, made the decline depressingly inevitable.There are steps being taken to remedy the situation but it is far too little, and decades too late. And remarkably, the board has not even asked Walsh, their last great bowler, for any advice. “I would like to think I could help the bowlers, but the WICB have not asked me. I try to help out the Jamaican team whenever I can. I have asked Curtly the same question and nobody at the WICB has asked him as well.”At this moment in time … we do not have anyone to lead the pack. I don’t know whether it is a lack of planning on our part or that we are expecting too much. We need to find out if this lack of consistency is caused by a lack of discipline or bad practice. It could be that this lot just don’t have it in them and we need to find a new crop.”I don’t believe this is the case. In Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor I believe we have two bowlers with the ability to go all the way. But …they have not yet learnt their trade. They need more help from the senior players.”Sadly for the youngsters, those the board see as capable of helping them don’t include Walsh or Ambrose.
Fifteen players have been named for the 2003 CFX Academy intake, which will run from May to August this year. Since the Academy is no longer fielding a team in the Logan Cup competition, the change of dates will allow the players to play a full part in the club cricket programme, as well as more senior levels of the game if selected.There were 51 applications for 17 places (two of which are reserved for as yet unnamed students from Kenya). Preliminary trials were held at the Academy on 5 and 6 December last year, after which the national selectors chose 27 to undergo final trials there on 6 and 7 January. This led to the selection of the final 15.Three of the 2002 students – Charles Coventry, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Vusi Sibanda – will return for a second year, in line with ZCU policy, as it is felt another year would benefit them. Coventry and Matsikenyeri missed much of the early programme last year due to other cricketing commitments: Coventry went with the national team to India for the experience, while Matsikenyeri played club cricket in Australia.The 15 are as follows:Ryan Bennett (Mashonaland) Erick Chauluka (Mashonaland) Stanley Chioza (Mashonaland) Charles Coventry (Matabeleland) Dylan de Beer (Mashonaland) Craig Ervine (Mashonaland) Gavin Ewing (Matabeleland) Anthony Ireland (Midlands) Adiel Kugotsi (Manicaland) Johnson Marumisa (Mashonaland) Stuart Matsikenyeri (Mashonaland) Norman Mukondiwa (Matabeleland) Vusi Sibanda (Midlands) Greg Strydom (Matabeleland) Kudzai Taibu (Mashonaland) Until the course starts in May, the students will continue to play club and Logan Cup cricket, and have been provided with a training programme to undertake until then. With Eddo Brandes having recently left for Australia, the Academy coach for 2003 has not yet been appointed, and there is a suggestion that it may be somebody from outside the country.The Academy intake each year is chosen by the national selectors. One of them, Stephen Mangongo, who has for years been heavily involved in the development programme, has supplied us with basic information about the 2003 students.He says, "This year we have a mixture of players who have been playing in the leagues, players who have just left school, and three who are going back to the Academy for a second year. These three definitely have enough talent, but in Zimbabwe we do not play enough cricket during the winter period, so it has been seen fit that if we get these boys back into the Academy where they are able to play more cricket and get more coaching, hopefully it will help them to develop faster.Ryan Bennett is a former St George’s College boy who plays for Old Georgians. He will offer variation in the bowling department as an away-swing bowler and we believe that a stay in the Academy will help him to improve in the swing department. He also has potential as a batsman.Erick Chauluka was one of the first boys to come through the scholarship scheme in the township of Highfield. He went to Lord Malvern School for his A-levels, but unfortunately they were not playing among the top schools, so he had to take a back seat while boys playing for schools like Prince Edward and Churchill took the limelight. Now he has been playing club cricket for the past two years and is opening batsman for Takashinga. He has a lot of cricket in him and I hope he will develop in the Academy.Stanley Chioza is a former Prince Edward School scholarship boy who has come up through the ranks. He has been playing for Takashinga first team. He is a big boy, an all-out fast bowler, and we believe that his workout in the Academy will make him a better bowler.Dylan de Beer plays for Alexandra Sports Club and is a former Eaglesvale boy. He has a natural aggressive flair with the bat. He spent the winter playing in England, but is now back in town and has decided he wants to join the Academy.Craig Ervine is the younger brother of Sean – cricket runs in the family with the Ervines! He has just left Lomagundi College. He is a top-order batsman with a solid technique and has done very well for the national Under-19 team, for whom he has scored a couple of fifties. He also bowls some off-spin.Gavin Ewing was rejected by the Academy two years ago on fitness ground but is now being given another opportunity. He has been on the scene for the past few years, playing Under-19 cricket and representing Zimbabwe in the Africa Cup. He is an all-rounder, an off-spinner full of enthusiasm and energy, and we believe he is also going to benefit from his stay in the Academy.Anthony Ireland is a young man from the Midlands area who has been identified. He was at Plumtree High School, a big boy with good physique who is a fast bowler. If his technique is worked on, he has the potential to come through. Clive Lloyd, on his recent visit to this country when Pakistan were playing, passed through Kwekwe and was very impressed when he saw this boy in training. When he played in the trials, he was the fastest bowler.Adiel Kugotsi, from Mutare, has just left school. He is a fast bowler with a lot of potential. He has a good physique and has played in Logan Cup matches for Manicaland. We hope that the four-month stint in the Academy will help him to develop.Johnson Marumisa is a Churchill scholarship boy from the townships, a top-order batsman and leg-spinner, although a little raw on the spinning side. He has been scoring a lot of runs for Takashinga and we believe that the Academy will help him to fine-tune his technique.Norman Mukondiwa, from Matabeleland, is a very raw pace bowler, but because of his potential he has been enrolled in the Academy.Greg Strydom is from Matabeleland. This young man has been playing league and Logan Cup cricket for the last two years, and scored a first-class century at the age of 17. He missed selection for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand but has now been given the opportunity to work in the Academy.Kudzai Taibu is the younger brother of Tatenda, a wicket-keeper/batsman, and some people say he has more flair than his brother with the bat. He can hit the ball hard and far.Stephen says, "Zimbabwe will have 15 students and the other two will come from Kenya, as part of helping cricket to develop in Africa."One criticism that could be levelled at the Academy is that some of the students who have graduated in previous years have actually failed even to succeed as players at Logan Cup level. Could this be a wastage of resources and money, taking in students who are scarcely likely to approach international quality?Stephen replies, "It’s an interesting scenario. We don’t have a big player base and the Academy is playing a vital role in bringing quality cricketers to play in the clubs, at provincial level, and the top players at international level. The ones who have not been very successful have actually proved very good as coaches."So the Academy is playing a dual role here, in that it has produced good players – the likes of Douggie Hondo, Travis Friend, Mluleki Nkala and so on – but at the same time other players who have graduated have been an asset to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union development programme. They have been running excellent coaching programmes; for example, Ryan King has not really blossomed as a player, but he has carved a niche as a coach in Matabeleland. So I think it is imperative that we keep the numbers and develop our base of players, and the ones who do not shape up as players are given the opportunity to develop as coaches."Stephen praises Kish Gokal, the Academy manager, for his hard work in putting together the programme for 2003. "In the past the boys used to come in early, in January or February, and do a lot of fitness training, and after that they would go on to the technical side and play a few cricket matches. This year we will see the students come into the Academy fully fit already because they have already been given programmes by Steve Scott, our fitness consultant, to make sure that between January and May they get fit. They will be monitored monthly, so that as soon as they get into the Academy they will need to deal with only technical issues, not fitness issues."The second issue, which I think is a fantastic idea, is to make sure that these boys play more games. No matter how much coaching they get in the nets, the bottom line is that the best teacher is out there in the middle, playing in matches. I understand Kish Gokal and the other administrators have been working very hard to ensure that this season we will go down to South Africa and play some of the provincial academies, possibly get involved in the Academy week in South Africa, and to me that is the most interesting part of this coming season."From this point of view, it is unfortunate that the new Logan Cup programme does not make it possible for the Academy team to participate. "In the past it helped them to play as a team," says Stephen. "But what is happening is that the Academy students will go into the provinces and meet senior players there who will help their game to grow."
Mike Gatting was a proud man 14 years ago when he took England to Australia and returned with the Ashes.Since then a number of captains have tried to emulate Gatting’s achievement and not one has succeeded.And now Gatting himself wants to shed the mantle of having been the last England captain to win the Ashes. He is hoping Nasser Hussain can replace him in English cricket folklore and reclaim the Ashes after six successive series defeats.”I’d rather lose that mantle as quickly as possible,” said Gatting. “Itwas a long time ago, it’s far too long really and I only hope that Nasser andthe boys can rectify that.”It would be really nice to lose it as quickly as possible even though it’sthe most treasured moment of my time as a player. We won all three series and itwas a great winter but it’s time we moved on from the past.”I don’t think England are that far behind Australia now, but I don’t thinkthey were really in the last few series.”The big difference is that they were playing as individuals before and theone thing that Duncan Fletcher has done and had to do is get them playing as ateam and turn them into a more disciplined unit – he’s got them thinking aboutthe team and it shows.”The likes of Alec Stewart and Michael Atherton have only ever known defeat at the hands of the old enemy, but if England are to triumph this summer, says Gatting, they must forget about recent Ashes series.”I hope England don’t dwell on past results and instead focus on the factthat they are unbeaten in the last five Test series and they should beconfident,” said Gatting."They’ve played in some difficult parts of the world and won, they are athome and they are capable of competing with anybody.”A successful team is always going to be a lot more confident and one thathas gone unbeaten in that time is going to be brimming with confidence and thatcan only help.”There seems to be a feeling in the side now that if they have a bad session,they come out and have a good one and that is usually a sign of a very goodside.”When they are struggling and have lost the odd match, instead of getting toodown about it, they try and pick themselves up and take the positives out ofit.”
Sunderland have turned the Stadium of Light into a fortress ever since promotion to the Premier League was clinched.
Regis Le Bris’ men do have their unbelievable home record to thank for their sixth-place position at the moment, with defeat yet to be tasted on Wearside from eight league contests.
Even Mikel Arteta’s table-topping Arsenal couldn’t get the better of the stern hosts back in November in a thrilling 2-2 draw, with Sunderland also gaining bragging rights over arch rivals Newcastle United on their own patch, recently, by confidently beating Eddie Howe’s perplexed visitors by a solitary goal.
Still, if the right opportunity opens up in the January transfer window, Le Bris and Co would surely explore the potential of some moves…
Sunderland offered chance to sign new striker
Sunderland’s squad will be stretched over the course of the next month or so, with the likes of Noah Sadiki and Reinildo out of action at the African Cup of Nations, meaning some fresh reinforcements could come in handy.
Amazingly, though, it’s not in central midfield or defence where the Black Cats could improve, with reports from Italy now suggesting that the Premier League newcomers might surprisingly swoop for AS Roma forward Artem Dobvyk, when the hectic window reopens.
A whole host of Premier League clubs are interested in the services of the Ukrainian, according to the report, with West Ham United alleged to be looking at the 28-year-old as a replacement for Niclas Fullkrug.
Moreover, Sunderland are judged to be in the race for the Roma number nine, too, with the Serie A club’s sporting director, Ricky Massara, offering Dobvyk to Le Bris and Co, owing to Sunderland’s current director of football in Florent Ghisolfi, previously being employed by the Italian titans.
Sunderland won’t just view this as a nice gesture between two old connections, however, with the 6-foot-2 marksman’s goalscoring prowess playing in Italy and beyond, making him stick out as an upgrade on both Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey.
How Dovbyk would be an upgrade on Isidor & Brobbey
While the Black Cats do sit pretty in sixth position in the Premier League standings at the moment, they aren’t always the most free-flowing team to take in.
Indeed, Sunderland have only put away a weak 19 goals in league action so far this season, with the likes of Manchester City – helped by the superhuman efforts of Erling Haaland – boasting a far superior 41 goals, just behind Arsenal at the very top of the division.
Isidor & Brobbey’s PL numbers this season
Stat
Isidor
Brobbey
Games played
17
12
Goals scored
4
2
Assists
0
1
Goal conversion %
13%
33%
Stats by Sofascore
The Black Cats’ total is more in keeping with teams such as West Ham United and Burnley near the foot of the division, with both Isidor and Brobbey largely failing to be clinical so far this campaign as Sunderland’s main attacking sparks, as outlined in the table above.
The former Zenit St Petersburg attacker has now gone eight straight top-flight games without finding the back of the net, while his Dutch counterpart – for all his fight and endeavour against Newcastle – remains stuck on an equally weak two goals, having failed to register a single shot at Aaron Ramsdale’s net during the fierce Tyne-Wear Derby.
Dovbyk, on the other hand, has even been likened to Haaland for his explosive goalscoring exploits all across Europe, with a lethal 24 strikes coming his way on the books of Girona from just 39 games, on top of also helping himself to ten assists.
Subscribe for transfer insight on Sunderland and PL Get the newsletter for focused transfer coverage: analysis of Sunderland’s striker options, the potential Dovbyk move, statistical comparisons and how signings reshape Premier League squads — clear context and tactical insight around transfers. Subscribe for transfer insight on Sunderland and PL Get the newsletter for focused transfer coverage: analysis of Sunderland’s striker options, the potential Dovbyk move, statistical comparisons and how signings reshape Premier League squads — clear context and tactical insight around transfers.
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Adding this level of firepower to Sunderland’s attack could take the Black Cats to the next level, with Girona finishing in a dizzy third position in the La Liga rankings during the 2023/24 season, just two campaigns on from their own promotion, due to the 28-year-old’s “elite” finishing ability, as he was once hailed by European football expert Zach Lowy.
AS Roma's Artem Dovbyk celebrates scoring their first goal withLorenzoPellegrini
The La Liga golden boot winner has since chipped in with a weighty 19 goals in the Italian capital, with both Isidor and Brobbey surely unsure of their immediate Sunderland futures, if the Ukrainian powerhouse were to step foot onto English soil.
Even when he hasn’t been at his best this season, Dovbyk has still managed to collect three goal contributions from just three league starts, with Sunderland becoming a far more entertaining and brash prospect in the second half of the season, if the £19m target were to move to Wearside.
Sunderland "warrior" looks like a new Dan Ballard in the making
Regis Le Bris has a new Daniel Ballard on his hands at Sunderland in this determined warrior.
It was a rematch between last year’s World Cup finalists that turned into a mismatch. Nathan Bracken earned career-best figures as he bowled Australia to a comfortable 128-run win, exploiting the slow SCG pitch to perfection after Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist set up an imposing target of 6 for 253.Kumar Sangakkara looked like carrying on from his last international innings in Australia – he made 192 in the Hobart Test in November – as he cracked 16 off a Brett Lee over. However, when Bracken trapped him lbw with a delivery that angled in towards middle stump and kept low, Sri Lanka’s hopes quickly slipped away.Bracken finished with 5 for 47 when he collected the final wicket as Muttiah Muralitharan skied a catch to the outfield and the CB Series had its first result following a pair of wash-outs in Brisbane. The rot began with Sangakkara’s dismissal, which sparked a disastrous spell in which they lost 7 for 51.As if to prove it simply wasn’t Sri Lanka’s night, Lasith Malinga was run out in unlucky circumstances when he took a single and grounded his bat past the crease, but in the process it knocked out of his hands moments before Andrew Symonds’ throw hit the stumps. His feet were in the air and Sri Lanka were on the ground.At that point it had not seemed long since Sangakkara brightened Sri Lanka’s prospects with a series of vicious strokes off Lee. He top edged an attempted pull to third man for four but instead of putting the shot away, Sangakkara simply decided that practice makes perfect. Two further pulls from on and outside off stump raced to the boundary before he finished the over with a cracking cover drive that just evaded the diving Symonds.But one over of joy does not make a 50-over victory. Bracken led a strong bowling effort, having Chamara Kapugedera caught sharply by Matthew Hayden at first slip before Tillakaratne Dilshan thrashed a chance to long-off. Sri Lanka had needed almost the highest successful ODI chase at the SCG – the record is Australia’s 260 set in 1998-99 – but they never got close.The slow-and-low pitch was not easy to bat on but the visitors made much harder work of it than Australia. There was also the matter of the different mindsets; Sri Lanka took a defensive approach that allowed Clarke to to finish unbeaten on 77 after Gilchrist set up the total with 61.Clarke poked, prodded and sprinted his way to a half-century as he batted to fields that seemed designed just to stop boundaries. That part of Sri Lanka’s plan worked as Clarke struck only two fours and one six, but he was content to bat himself in with hurried singles and twos.Apart from a six lofted over long-on against Muralitharan early in his innings, Clarke was not forced to take many risks. His first four was an unconvincing bottom edge that flew to third man and took him to 45 but his second – and last – was a more orthodox drive through cover that brought him his fifty from 63 balls.Jayawardene’s tactics had been defensive from the start and there was no cordon in the third over when Hayden edged Chaminda Vaas to the vacant first-slip position. That allowed the 65-run opening stand that Australia used as a platform for their solid effort.The Sydney crowd was denied a Gilchrist century and settled for a sensible knock from the hometown hero Clarke. Gilchrist’s record playing Sri Lanka – five of his 15 ODI centuries came against them – suggested a big innings but there was no repeat of the last time the two sides met, when he made 149 in the World Cup final.Although he was more guarded than usual on the unhelpful pitch, Gilchrist gave the fans a couple of flashbacks to his powerful prime. He rocked back to pull Malinga viciously over midwicket for six and sent Ishara Amerasinghe through and over cover for boundaries.His half-century took more than half the innings, which is almost unheard of for Gilchrist, and his 81-ball effort ended on when Tony Hill ruled him lbw trying to slog-sweep Kapugedera. Gilchrist departed to a standing ovation and it will become a familiar feeling for him over the next month as he completes his farewell. Triple-figures or not, his final series is beginning on a high note.
Nathan Astle has retired from international cricket, citing a lack of motivation just six weeks before what would have been his fourth World Cup. Astle told a press conference at Perth his international career was over but he was undecided on whether to continue at first-class level.”I have been fighting this day for about eight months,” Astle said. “I so desperately wanted to go to my fourth World Cup, but deep down inside I knew that I was lacking motivation and the enjoyment levels were just not there.”Probably the first indications were last year when I was having a good run and not really enjoying the success that I was having. But because I wanted to go to the World Cup I probably fudged over these feelings, which was fine until about a month ago when it really started to hit home that this was no longer the place for me. Enjoyment has always been a huge factor for why I play the game and when that faltered I knew it was time to move on.”Once I had made the decision that I would not be going to the World Cup, for the sake of the team, I needed to go as soon as possible to make way for another player. I don’t believe it would have been fair on my team mates to hold on.”One of New Zealand’s most successful limited-overs cricketers who also built a respectable 81-Test career, Astle called it quits after a disappointing start to the CB Series in which he scored 0, 45, 0 and 1. He has also struggled in Test matches recently, averaging only 24.30 from his last eight games.Astle, 35, leaves the game as New Zealand’s third-most capped player and second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket, with 7090 runs at 34.92 from his 223 appearances. In Test matches, he is fourth on his country’s list of most games and fourth on the run tally. His 4702 Test runs came at an average of 37.02 from 81 matches.His 16 ODI centuries – by far the most of any New Zealand player – rank him equal ninth on the all-time list and above such legends as Viv Richards and Adam Gilchrist. His most recent hundred came early last year when he finished unbeaten on 118 as New Zealand wrapped up a series win against West Indies at Christchurch.A destructive top-order batsman and nagging medium-pace bowler, Astle first appeared on the international scene in 1995 when at the age of 23 he made his limited-overs debut under Ken Rutherford against West Indies at Auckland. It took four games to make his mark – 95 opening the batting against Sri Lanka – and in early 1996 the Canterbury batsman was given his first taste of Test cricket.
Back-to-back hundreds on a tour of West Indies in his third and fourth Tests earned him a permanent place in the side and he peaked in 2002 with the fastest Test double-century. He reached the milestone in only 153 balls against England at Christchurch and went on to finish with 222, his highest Test score.The later stages of his career have been far from smooth sailing and it was just over a year ago that Astle was dropped from the one-day side to make way for Stephen Fleming, who was returning from paternal leave. John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, said at the time he wanted to expand the team’s depth ahead of the World Cup. But Astle returned with a string of outstanding scores, including the 118 against West Indies, before struggling to have any impact at the Champions Trophy and in the CB Series.Fleming said he would miss his most experienced offsider out on the field. “Nath was a very uncomplicated, naturally aggressive player who was just great to watch,” Fleming said. “He was also a great sounding board for me as a captain because of his calmness and consistency. He will be missed.”Bracewell said it would be hard to fill the gap Astle had left. “Statistically his record puts him into the position of greatness but probably the greatest loss will be his stability and influence inside the team,” he said. But Bracewell said the timing of Astle’s announcement left a lot to be desired.”It was a bit of a shock to all of us and quite disruptive to our plans but I respect his decision,” Bracewell said. “Timing’s never great this close to a big tournament and Nathan was going to be a serious part of that because of his experience and the younger players he was assisting to mentor.”
An unbeaten century from Marcus North, which included 13 fours and three sixes, was not quite enough to take Western Australia to victory in their floodlit one-day match against Queensland at Perth. Instead the Bulls maintained their 100% record in the ING Cup – four wins out of four – and lead the table with 19 points. Tasmania, with three wins in three matches, lie second.Queensland piled up 291 in their 50 overs, with handy contributions right down the order. Jimmy Maher, their captain, led the way with 72, which included 11 fours and a six. Andrew Symonds then took over, slamming 77 from as many balls, with three sixes and five fours. On 21, Symonds had a slice of luck after clubbing Brad Hogg towards the boundary as Brett Dorey was unable to hold the rebound from Steve Magoffin who fell back towards the ropes. When he eventually fell – one of three quick wickets for the unorthodox slow left-armer Hogg – Queensland were 7 for 245 in the 45th over, but a rapid 32 not out from Australia’s newest Test cap, Nathan Hauritz, propelled them to 291.WA were soon in trouble, losing Scott Meuleman for a duck and Adam Voges for 2, both to Andy Bichel, but North and Mike Hussey (21) repaired the damage in a stand of 65. Murray Goodwin then stepped in to score a forthright 63. He and North put on 134 for the fourth wicket, and WA were reasonably placed when Ashley Noffke finally dismissed Goodwin in the 40th over (4 for 210). But Ryan Campbell and Kade Harvey followed quickly, and although North stayed there and Hogg biffed 25 not out from 18 balls, they couldn’t quite do enough under the lights. Queensland had bowled 19 wides and still managed to win.
ScorecardAfter Michael Bevan’s sixth century in seven games threatened to keep Victoria from the final, a rapid stand between Jason Arnberger and Brad Hodge pulled the game back Victoria’s way. Both scored half-centuries after losing Matthew Elliott to the fourth ball of the innings. They took their team to 1 for 121, giving them an overall lead of 252 with a day to go.Tasmania were dismissed for 346 shortly after tea, after Bevan struck 144 and was involved in a 101-run stand with Sean Clingeleffer (46). This left Bevan with five innings to beat Matthew Elliott’s record of seven centuries and 1381 runs. Bevan currently has 1023 runs. “I’m overjoyed with the season I’ve had so far,” he said to AAP, “and hopefully there can be a couple more before the end of the season. There’s going to be a result which is good for both teams, obviously good for Victoria given their position and it would be nice for us to have a win … as well.”Cameron White, Victoria’s captain, did not let on at what score he would declare, but said that it would be a tantalising prospect for the chasing team. Victoria require an outright victory to keep their Pura Cup hopes alive.