Category Uncategorized

Chris Nash batted for more than seven hours in the longest innings of his career to guide Sussex to safety and illustrate the benefits of his time with South Africa’s adhesive opener Gary Kirsten

ECB Reporters Network04-May-2016
ScorecardChris Nash shepherded Sussex to safety with a marathon knock•Getty Images

Chris Nash batted for more than seven hours to score his second hundred of the season as Sussex denied Leicestershire on the final day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Hove.Nash spent part of the winter working with Gary Kirsten and the former South African opener, who once batted for more than 14 hours in a Test match, would have admired the adhesive qualities Nash showed in making a chanceless 144 to add to the 119 he made against Essex a fortnight ago.”I’m delighted. I worked hard during the winter with Gary Kirsten and it has paid off,” he said. “Gary stays in touch and he texted me at tea and I know he’s delighted with how I have started the season, but the coaching staff here have made sure I keep doing the things that we worked on. I have tried to be more relaxed and play at an even tempo. My job here was just to bat as long as I could but because I’m more relaxed I get less tired, it was disappointing to get out when I did because I still felt good.”Nash batted for seven hours 26 minutes, more than an hour longer than his previous longest innings, faced 315 balls and hit 21 fours but when he was caught behind down the leg side in the 110th over Leicestershire’s hopes of winning were rekindled with Sussex five down and only 32 runs ahead.Ben Brown was out shortly afterwards to Charlie Shreck and in a tense final hour Ollie Robinson needed lengthy treatment after ducking into a bouncer from Clint McKay that removed part of his helmet. However, Robinson and Ajmal Shahzad survived, taking Sussex to 377 for 6 when the players shook hands on a draw.Nash didn’t offer a chance all day as he settled for quiet accumulation in the sheet anchor role. A first-wicket stand of 136 with Ed Joyce gave Sussex the belief that they could save the game on a placid pitch which was offering little assistance to Leicestershire’s five seamers.Joyce himself batted for 200 minutes for his 69 before chasing a ball from Wayne White that he should have ignored and although Matt Machan (13) also fell before lunch, Nash was able to form another important stand with the experienced Ross Taylor for the third wicket.
Together they added 93 and used up 29 overs although Taylor was fortunate to be reprieved on 21 when Paul Horton dropped a straightforward chance at slip off the unlucky McKay.Nash briefly came out of his shell to reach his century with successive fours off Shreck but he scored only 30 runs between lunch and tea. There was belated reward for McKay when he slanted one into Taylor (62) before Nash and Luke Wells took Sussex to within eight runs of making Leicestershire bat again when Neil Dexter trapped Wells (23) leg before with the ninth ball after tea.The dismissals of Nash and Brown in the space of three overs briefly re-energised Leicestershire but they gave up hopes of victory with eight overs left.

Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford has said consistency is an issue with the team’s batting, especially in the middle order

Sa'adi Thawfeeq22-Jul-2013The lack of consistency in the Sri Lankan middle order has been a concern for some time and head coach Graham Ford believes it is one area they need to keep improving on to become a successful one-day side.”There have been some good moments and we have beaten some really good teams but we are not quite consistent enough,” Ford said. “Sometimes we haven’t finished off our batting innings as well as we would have liked. That does come with experience as players get more time at this level. Something we’ve just got to keep working on.”Ford was confident that with time the younger players who are expected to fill the shoes of senior cricketers like Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in the future will be up to the task.”At this stage we are still in the phase of the younger guys developing and learning from the seniors and that’s why it’s crucial that we strike up a balance,” he said. “Hopefully, as they continue playing around the seniors, it won’t be long before they are performing equally as well.”Sri Lanka thrashed South Africa in the first ODI on Saturday by 180 runs after Sangakkara made a career best 169. Jayawardene and Upul Tharanga had also chipped in with 42 and 43 runs respectively.Ford, who as South Africa’s coach between 1999 and 2002 helped them secure eight out of 11 Test-series wins, said he is well aware of the threat the visitors would pose for Sri Lanka.”I don’t want to go public about my thoughts on South Africa but we are fully aware that they are a very powerful one-day unit,” he said. “South African teams are much better at playing on foreign conditions nowadays than they were some ten years ago. We can expect a very tough series.”Ford was happy with the way Angelo Mathews has handled the side since his elevation to the captaincy in February. “He’s been fantastic. He has taken on the role really well and he leads by example. It hasn’t been easy, he’s had some very tough cricket but he’s handled it exceptionally well,” he said.Ford, who has been the Sri Lanka coach since January 2012, highlighted the team’s fighting spirit as a particularly heartening aspect of their cricket.”The team has gelled well and there’s been some stability in the roles that they have been asked to perform,” he said. “What’s impressed me the most is the fighting spirit amongst the group. We try to be really proud of that and to make sure we are a group of fighters. That has shown on a number of occasions. When times have been tough the boys have stuck together.”Ford is contracted by Sri Lanka Cricket till the end of January 2014.

The absence of Daniel Vettori from New Zealand’s Test squad won’t have a considerable effect on the outcome of the two Tests against India, says Glenn Turner

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2012The absence of left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori from New Zealand’s Test squad won’t have a huge effect on the outcome of the two Tests against India as he wasn’t a primary wicket-taker in his team’s attack, former New Zealand captain Glenn Turner has said. Vettori was ruled out of the Tests with a groin injury that he had picked up on the West Indies tour, where New Zealand lost the Tests and the limited-overs legs comprehensively. The first of the two Tests begins on Thursday in Hyderabad.”Vettori has to bowl too many overs to take his wickets,” Turner told . “This is evidenced by his very high bowling strike rate of 79.6. He is very good at tying up an end, but needs wicket-takers at the other end to win games. His batting is useful, but his position in the order now appears to have settled in at No 7 or 8, positions that are less likely to make a significant difference.”Turner did not, however, feel it would be a cakewalk for India. “If the pitches take considerable turn, New Zealand will struggle. Their batsmen have still demonstrated an inability to bat for long enough periods to make big hundreds. Although India are obviously stronger, like most teams they are not immune from playing to the level of their opposition. Therefore, it would be unwise to write New Zealand off,” Turner said.Turner indicated New Zealand wouldn’t be disadvantaged due to the lack of experience in their squad and the demoralising tour of the West Indies. “Experience can be overestimated when applied to both individuals and the assistance other current players are perceived to be able to pass on.”I have little faith in the accuracy of making assumptions about collective mindsets (after the West indies tour). What I would say though, is that if individuals don’t have good enough skills, they don’t have genuine belief in their game, and all the positive talk is just mindless bluff.”

UAE recovered well from Monday’s loss, putting in team effort to register a four-wicket win against Kenya in the Intercontinental One-Day Cup in Nairobi, as a century from Kenya opener Rakep Patel went in vain

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2011
Scorecard UAE recovered well from their loss in the first 50-over game against Kenya, putting in a team effort to register a four-wicket win in the Intercontinental One-Day Cup in Nairobi, as a century from Kenya opener Rakep Patel went in vain.After Kenya were asked to bat, Patel – who was very highly rated by the previous Kenya coach Eldine Baptiste – built the host’s total almost single-handedly with a knock of 124 off 154 balls. He struck nine fours and six sixes before being run out in the final over of the innings. Only Tanmay Mishra offered Patel adequate support, scoring a half-century in a 111-run stand for the third wicket, as Kenya posted 230 for nine. Saqib Ali was pick of the UAE bowlers, claiming three middle-order wickets while conceding only 28 in an eight-over spell.UAE lost Bakthiyar Palekar early on in the chase, but were steadied by Arshad Ali and Amjad Ali who added 85 for the second wicket. Kenya fought back with three wickets in the space of 17 runs, including that of Amjad Ali for 60, before another half-century stand between Shaiman Anwar and Khurram Khan put them back on course. Anwar fell with his side 46 short of victory, but Khurram saw the chase through, finishing unbeaten on 65 as UAE won with 20 balls to spare.

Normal services resumed on the fourth day with the bat dominating on a placid pitch, after the Sri Lankan spinners had injected some life in the Test on the third

The Bulletin by Siddhartha Talya29-Jul-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Suresh Raina became the first Indian batsman in nine years to score a Test century on debut•Associated Press

Normal service resumed on the fourth day with bat dominating ball on a placid pitch, after the Sri Lankan spinners had injected life into the Test on the third. India ensured a draw was inevitable, as they overhauled Sri Lanka’s first-innings score, with Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina adding to an exhaustive list of milestones achieved in this game. Tendulkar eased to his fifth double-century while Raina became the first Indian batsman since Virender Sehwag in 2001 to score a Test century on debut.As Tendulkar and Raina took India past the follow-on target, the proceedings evoked memories of the dull draws these two teams played out during the 1990s. With spread-out fields, a slow pitch and conditions discriminating against the bowlers, Sri Lanka’s triple strike on the third morning proved an aberration.That was evident in the positive approach adopted by Tendulkar and Raina at the outset on the fourth day. Tendulkar, who had been more sparing in his treatment of fuller deliveries amid pressure on day three, resumed his innings with a cover drive off Suraj Randiv. The seamers, while troubling Tendulkar occasionally with well-directed bouncers, were dealt with more harshly. Dammika Prasad, after striking Tendulkar on the helmet, was cracked for three fours through point; Dilhara Fernando, who induced Tendulkar to play an ill-executed upper cut – he had Tendulkar dropped off the same shot the previous day – was at the receiving end of his trademark straight drive.Tendulkar shrugged off a couple of close shaves against Randiv – he padded up to deliveries that straightened but was saved by the bounce – by sweeping effectively against the turn and brought up his double with a paddle down to fine leg.

Smart stats

• India’s score in the second innings of the Test was the 27th time they have passed 500 in the second innings. Only on one occasion (Sydney 2008) have they gone on to lose.

• Sachin Tendulkar’s double-century was his fifth in Tests. It places him joint-fifth on the all time list of players with the most double-hundreds.

• The 256-run stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina was the third highest fifth-wicket partnership for India in Tests and the joint second highest against Sri Lanka.

• Suraj Randiv became only the third bowler to concede more than 200 runs on debut .

• When India passed 600, it became only the fourth instance when teams made greater than 600 runs in the first and second innings of a match.

Raina showed few signs of nerves in his maiden Test appearance, looking confident early in his innings. He didn’t hesitate to step out against the spinners on the third day and began in a similar vein on the fourth, lofting Randiv over long-off. Unlike Tendulkar, Raina played the pitched-up deliveries with more comfort throughout his knock. He played his favourite slog-sweep to dispatch Randiv over midwicket, and brought up his ton with a drive through mid off. The celebration began the moment he connected; he clenched his fists, ran to the other end and soaked in the applause for an achievement that opened up India’s options in their Test middle order. He was beaten by a Mendis legbreak shortly after lunch and spooned an easy catch to short midwicket but only after India had reached safety.The batsmen that followed had plenty of time to adjust to variations in pace as well as frequent changes in length, and runs flowed at a healthy pace. This was on display in the manner that MS Dhoni settled in, stepping out to Mendis on just his fifth ball and pulling Prasad for consecutive boundaries. The spinners were heaved and slogged and Dhoni notched up another fifty.Tillakaratne Dilshan salvaged some pride with a couple of quick wickets. Tendulkar was caught off an inside edge onto the pads, and Harbhajan Singh gifted a catch to midwicket. The resistance, however, continued with Dhoni and Abhimanyu Mithun occupying the crease for 21.4 overs before Dilshan struck again to snare the Indian captain.Kumar Sangakkara kept three close-in catchers for much of the day, hoping the extra bounce would yield something. The seamers had a slip against Tendulkar, an additional leg slip for Raina, as well as a silly point for Dhoni when he was new to the crease. Perhaps Mendis could have come on much earlier than at the stroke of lunch. But their hopes were thwarted by a determined effort from Tendulkar, Raina and Dhoni, who have set up a third Test finale at the P Sara Stadium.

Rain had an effect in most of the other games on the first day, but Bangladesh, South Africa and Sri Lanka had time to win their respective openers

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2025Australia opened their Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup with a dominant nine-wicket win over Scotland in the Group D game in Bangi.Fast bowler Caoimhe Bray starred with figures of 3 for 1 in 3.2 overs, while left-arm quick Eleanor Larosa and left-arm wristspinner Hasrat Gill shared five wickets among them to help Australia skittle Scotland for a mere 48 in 15.1 overs. Australia chased down the target in 6.4 overs with opener Katy Pelle remaining unbeaten on 29 off 18 balls.In Kuching, rain played spoilsport with the match between Samoa and Nigeria abandoned without a single ball bowled. The Pakistan–USA fixture also ended similarly in Johor, with the match abandoned without a ball being bowled.Meanwhile, in the England vs Ireland match in Johor, England rode wicketkeeper-batter Jemima Spence’s 37 not out off 27 balls and Charlotte Lambert’s 14-ball 25 to post a competitive 144 for 7. Ireland were put under pressure when they lost two early wickets inside four overs, however, rain forced the game to end without a result.Rain had a say in the New Zealand vs South Africa game as well, but not enough to prevent a result. Asked to bat first in Kuching, South Africa scored 91 for 7 in the 11 overs they got, with the opening pair of Jemma Botha (32 in 24 balls) and Simone Lourens (21 in 14) and international wicketkeeper Karabo Meso (25 in 14) doing most of the scoring. New Zealand could only manage 69 for 5 in reply despite opener Emma McLeod’s 34 in 25.Bangladesh, meanwhile, bowled Nepal out for 52 in 18.2 overs after inserting them in Bangi, and then knocked off the runs in 13.2 overs.

Smith was able to return to batting in the nets last week ahead of flying to India for the ODI series before the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Sep-2023Steven Smith has had a cortisone injection to help him overcome the wrist tendon injury he suffered during the Ashes and is hopeful of being able to play pain-free during the World Cup.Smith picked up the injury during the Lord’s Test and he was hampered through the rest of the series before being sidelined from the white-ball tour of South Africa.Related

• Injury toll mounts, death overs a worry – Australia's takeaways from South Africa

• Head suffers fracture in his left hand with World Cup availability to be determined

• Smith reveals he damaged his wrist during the Lord's Ashes Test

He had initially worn a splint but that did not solve the problem so he resorted to the injection and was able to return to batting in the nets last week ahead of flying to India for the three-match ODI series which will lead into the World Cup.”I was in a brace for a couple of weeks, just trying to limit the movement, which once I got that off it hadn’t really made a big difference to be honest,” Smith told newspapers at a promotional event in Sydney. “Then I got a cortisone in it last Thursday, and that has made a big difference. So I’ve had a couple of sessions back batting now and it feels pretty normal.”