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In the unlikely event that Pablo Picasso had been asked to paint a portrait of a batsman, the resulting canvas might have borne some resemblance to the stance of Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford21-May-2017
ScorecardIn the unlikely event that Pablo Picasso had been asked to paint a portrait of a batsman, the resulting canvas might have borne some resemblance to the stance of Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Admittedly there would have been a few extra eyes and a couple of disembodied bowlers’ heads wailing in one corner of the work, but the 42-year-old Guyanan’s confection of oblique and acute angles as he waits for the ball to be delivered may have found a resonance with the cussed old Cubist.Yet Chanderpaul is also one of cricket’s master craftsmen and his ability to unfold his square- on stance to play straight-drives or crisp clips through midwicket will be of great value to Lancashire this summer. On the second day of the Roses match he followed his eight-hour 182 against Surrey with a 288-minute exercise in obduracy which added 106 runs to Lancashire’s total and has given his side every chance of avoiding defeat.

‘I never expected this – Brooks’

Jack Brooks said he never expected to be celebrating a first-class century. For it to come in a Roses match made it even more surreal.
“It’s surreal, and it hasn’t really sunk in,” he said. “I never expected to get a hundred in my career, although I did say to the lads the other day that I’ve got one in me, but that was more in jest than anything. I ended up batting at nine in this game, and it’s weird how it’s happened. Cricket can be funny like that.
“I’m pretty elated with how it ended up. I didn’t really overthink it. I wasn’t actually that nervous overnight. I was quite excited. I slept pretty well just because I was knackered.
“I woke up at 5 in the morning busting for a wee because I’d drunk so much. Then I lay there thinking ‘I’m going to be batting in a little while’. I backed my game plan: if it was up, I was going to try and whack it.
“I didn’t need Jack Leaning getting out straightaway. Ben Coad is the most nervous man in the world and was panicking more than anyone. I don’t plan celebrations. They just happen off the cuff really. It was a release of emotion.”

Admittedly those innings were bridged by a month’s layoff with a hamstring strain caused by his exertions at The Oval but Lancashire have signed a cricketer in early middle-age and they will have to cope with that. It is probably a fair trade for a player who has now passed fifty on 213 occasions in first-class cricket.This certainly seemed the case on the third evening of this game when Chanderpaul and the excellent Ryan McLaren were adding 112 runs for the sixth wicket and all but completing a recovery that had seen Lancashire slump to 39 for three in 13 overs. Carefully Chanderpaul unpacked his cover and straight drives and put them to good use in taking three fours off an over from Jack Brooks. He added 67 for the fourth wicket with Dane Vilas and the only surprise was when Ben Coad ended his stand with McLaren by bowling Chanderpaul round his legs a few overs before the close.”I couldn’t believe I missed that ball,” he said, “I was really looking forward to batting on tomorrow. I was looking at the scoreboard to see how many overs were left and trying to see out the evening.” In Chanderpaul’s disbelief can be detected the hunger that drives him on even when he has more than 26,000 first-class runs on his CV.Yet if this great day of Roses cricket was distinguished by one batsman’s 75th first-class century, it was made equally memorable by Jack Brooks’ maiden century, a feat that was achieved by the addition of six singles to his overnight tally. The hundred was made possible by fine batting on Saturday evening but it was completed in company with Ben Coad, whose nerves when accompanying the incurably laid-back Brookes were greater than anyone’s.When he reached his landmark Brooks dropped his bat and bathed in the cheers of the players’ balcony. There was, of course, much badge-kissing and bat-pointing but the applause of the Yorkshire supporters was acknowledged, too. Yet even this seemed just a trifle understated for a player who is wont to celebrate a wicket by haring off towards cover with the demented air of a man who has that moment discovered that someone has smeared heat cream on the inside of his jockstrap and is reacquainting himself with Jerry Lee Lewis’s most famous ditty. Fiery Jack, indeed.Shivnarine Chanderpaul held back the tide once again•Getty Images

For their part, Lancashire players applauded, although it seemed an act of obligation for them, rather as it might be for members of the Women’s Institute on discovering that some brassy woman has won first prize in the annual Plum Jam competition.Three overs later Brooks was strolling off the Old Trafford outfield with an unbeaten 109 against his name and one hopes he will dine out on it. As far as the game went, Yorkshire had added 270 runs for the loss of their seventh and eighth wickets. Brooks, Andy Hodd and Jack Leaning had made it all but certain that Lancashire would need to bat out the best part of two days to save the game. Such tough cricket frequently takes wickets in the early overs of next innings and this happened once more as three batsmen were dismissed in the first hour of Lancashire’s innings.The most noteworthy of the trio, if only because so much is expected of the player, was Haseeb Hameed, who lost his off-stump to Brooks and trooped back to his dressing-room with an eight-ball nought to his name. The delivery which brought about his downfall was slanted in and held its own; the England opener would have played it comfortably had his bat been alongside his pad instead of in front of it. But Hameed is going through the first tough period of his first-class career and how he copes with it will tell us much about him.What he needs is time, yet we live in days of impatience and immoderation. Hameed’s promise in long-form cricket remains enormous, but if sportsmen are not being worshipped as saviours these intemperate times, they are, on occasions, dismissed as root vegetables. It is, one supposes, the price they pay for fame.Yorkshire’s bowlers, meanwhile, celebrated the removal of a batsman who had taken them for two centuries less than a year ago. Adam Lyth, though, was excluded from the celebrations because he had been whacked on the angle by the ball as it ricocheted from the stump and was hopping about like a stork on coals. The slipper’s mood was improved three overs later, though, when he caught Liam Livingstone off Ryan Sidebottom, and still more six overs afterwards when first slip Peter Handscomb pouched Croft’s ugly cut off Tim Bresnan.By then, however, Chanderpaul had begun the latest of countless vigils in defence of his wicket and his side. After 270 minutes he had that century to his name and had joined Brooks in making this golden Sunday precious. One hopes that Edgar Oldroyd is quietly applauding the pair of them.

Sri Lanka have not coped well with the retirement of their players and the present injury crisis and face up against a smoothly purring Indian batting machine

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Feb-20164:11

Agarkar: Series a good test for India’s spinners ahead of World T20

Match facts

February 9, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)

Big Picture

When these T20 teams met most recently, at the 2014 World T20 final, India may have been better-drilled, but Sri Lanka had the cleverer strategy. Sri Lanka were T20’s iconoclasts at the time, topping the rankings with wit and versatility, while other teams doubled down on power. Things have changed south of the Palk Strait since then. There’s been an exodus of cricketing intelligence. The team has not coped, so far.India have never lacked for smarts themselves, with one of limited-overs cricket’s savviest men at the helm, but as ever, they also have a strapping top order. With their sweep of Australia, India have already sounded a warning in the approach to next month’s World T20. If they are that good abroad, you wonder how good will they will be at home? Sri Lanka has only just managed to get a half-decent domestic T20 tournament off the ground. India has a two-month T20 frenzy each year.It would seem this Sri Lanka team will have to play unexpectedly well to rattle their hosts. India are light a Virat Kohli, but Sri Lanka are without Lasith Malinga’s street-smarts, Angelo Mathews’ even-tempered finishes, Nuwan Kulasekara’s control and now one of the rookie seamers they wanted to assess, Binura Fernando, is injured too. It is a fresh team, led by an unproved captain as well. The areas in which India outgun Sri Lanka at the moment would appear to be exactly all of them.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WWWLL
Sri Lanka: LLLWL
Dilhara Fernando made a shock return to the Sri Lanka squad and may well be among the first XI•AFP

In the spotlight

After that World T20 final Yuvraj Singh was derided by some for his stalling innings that played a role in India’s loss. That criticism was perhaps a little sharp – even MS Dhoni was restrained by the quality of Sri Lanka’s death bowling. But Yuvraj is back now, and has an eye on the finisher’s role. He faced only 12 balls in Australia, but had been in good form for his state side Punjab, before that series.Sri Lanka’s selectors have punctuated their search for talented youth by picking an occasional throwback, but the selection of Dilhara Fernando is perhaps the biggest surprise yet. Until this selection, Fernando had been viewed as a lost talent; penetrative in patches, but ultimately too flawed for the international game. The selectors have seen something in his recent performances to warrant this renewed faith in the man, and they also know that they must find experience where they can. With any luck, Fernando will rekindle memories of that shrewd split-finger slower ball, and not for that recalcitrant front foot.

Teams news

India have a choice to make between Hardik Pandya and Pawan Negi, in that allrounder role. Pandya is the closest thing to an incumbent, having played through the Australia series. Ajinkya Rahane is likeliest to take up Kohli’s No. 3 spot.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ashish NehraTillakaratne Dilshan is unavailable through injury, meaning Niroshan Dickwella may make a T20 debut. There is also a chance Dickwella will take the gloves, freeing Chandimal up. There is a chance allrounder Asela Gunaratne will debut, but Sri Lanka are likely to stick with a better known lower-middle order for now. Binura Fernando picked up a hamstring injury on the eve of the match, but has been replaced by the better experienced Shaminda Eranga.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Niroshan Dickwella, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Dasun Shanaka, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (capt & wk), 5 Milinda Siriwardana, 6 Chamara Kapugedera 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Seekkuge Prasanna, 9 Sachithra Senanayake, 10 Dilhara Fernando, 11 Shaminga Eranga

Pitch and conditions

Pune has generally been a high-scoring domestic venue. It has hosted only two previous international matches – one of them a T20 in which 157 was comfortably chased down. The weather is expected to be good for this encounter.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have lost five of the six most recent T20s they have played.
• Yuvraj Singh needs 17 more runs to complete 1000 in T20 internationals. He would be the fourth India batsman to the milestone.
• The teams have won one match apiece in the T20s they have played in India.

ESPNcricinfo previews the chances of the teams in the Friends Life t20 North Group

Vithushan Ehantharajah26-Jun-2013Derbyshire (28-1)
Overseas players: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Albie Morkel
T20 pedigree: Not good. Only once have they got past the group stages (a quarter-final in 2005) – the worst record of all the 18 counties. A team exceeding the sum of their parts they might be, but success in this format is built on having one or two expressive players, which they just haven’t had…
Prediction: Until now? The acquisition of Morkel for the nine of the ten group games is a smart one, providing the team with a big hitting allrounder with six seasons of IPL cricket behind him. For all his talents, however, the onus is on ‘home’ players such as Wes Durston, Chesney Hughes and Mark Footitt to get them out of the group. It’s probably too much of a stretch.Durham (20-1)
Overseas players: None
T20 pedigree: Two quarter-finals and one Finals Day appearance to date, all in the last five years. Durham have slowly got to grips with Twenty 20 cricket, coinciding with back to back Championships titles from 2008.
Prediction: An organised unit they will always be, but the responsibility taken on by their younger players should see them reach the quarter finals. Mark Stoneman has been a revelation at the top of the order this season, while Scott Borthwick and Ben Stokes are two of the most in-form allrounders in the country and Graham Onions is a class act. Look out for Mark Wood , too, one of the quickest bowlers around, with good Twenty20 credentials – so much so that he nearly earned himself a contract to play in last season’s Big Bash League in Australia.Lancashire (12-1)
Overseas players: Simon Katich, Mitchell McClenaghan
T20 pedigree: They have appeared at three Finals Days and made the quarter-finals on all but two occasions but, for all their consistency, Lancashire have never won the competition. The closest they came was in 2005 when Graeme Smith ‘s unbeaten 64 won a rain-affected final for Somerset.
Prediction: McClenaghan has taken to English conditions with glee and his searing left-arm pace will had something extra to an attack that has bowled the side to the top of Championship Division Two and third in Group B of the YB40. Quarter-finals are a given.Leicestershire (25-1)
Overseas players: Joe Burns, Shakib Al Hasan
T20 pedigree: The most successful Twenty20 side, Leicestershire have won the competition three times. The squad has a much more youthful look to it than when they were last FLt20 champions in 2011 but, as they have shown before, they possess the raw talent and exuberance that can see them through limited-overs games.
Prediction: Shiv Thakor and Rob Taylor will need to support captain Josh Cobb, who can be a match-winner – he already has three one-day hundreds this season and is useful with the ball, as his match winning 4 for 22 in the 2011 final proved. The invaluable experience of Shakib – ranked the fifth-best T20 bowler in the world – and Niall O’Brien could secure them third in the group.Nottinghamshire (8-1)
Overseas players: David Hussey, Ian Butler
T20 pedigree: Underachievers, when you look at the talent they possess. Runners-up in 2006 is as close as they’ve come to glory but they have reached the quarter-finals in each of the last three years, going one stage further in 2010.
Prediction: Could this be their year? Even with England call-ups, their bowling attack contains handy variety, with Ajmal Shahzad’s speed, Harry Gurney’s left-arm seam, and the orthodox spin of Samit Patel, who also adds to an impressive batting line-up capable of dealing with any of 20-over cricket’s permutations. Add into that the part-time off spin and unparalleled Twenty20 run-scoring of Hussey and you should have one of your Finals Day participants.Yorkshire (12-1)
Overseas players: None
T20 pedigree: David Miller nearly single-handedly dragged Yorkshire to victory in last year’s final with some exceptional hitting but that was the first time they had made it past the quarter-finals. Their previous two forays beyond the group stages came in 2006 and 2007.
Prediction: Flying in Division One yet floundering in the YB40, the discrepancy between their Championship and one-day performances and personnel suggests the former is the main priority. The riches of Twenty20 cricket may have them changing tack but they will miss Joe Root and, perhaps, Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan for most of the group stage. Mitchell Starc was the competition’s top wicket-taker in 2012 and they will need to bring in a player of similar standard to give them a chance of coming close to what they achieved last year.Odds from bet365.com

The holders Leicestershire fell to their third defeat in a row after Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques powered Yorkshire to a match-winning total

17-Jun-2012
ScorecardAndrew Gale was involved in a record opening stand with Phil Jaques•PA Photos

A record opening stand of 116 between captain Andrew Gale and Phil Jaques set up Yorkshire’s 22-run victory over reigning champions Leicestershire in their Friends Life t20 encounter.
The fine start set Yorkshire up for a total of 170 for 4 after winning the toss and the visitors were dismissed for 148 in reply, Australia international Mitchell Starc claiming the last three wickets in the final over. It was Yorkshire’s first win in the competition this season but it left title-holders Leicestershire still trying to break their duck after three consecutive defeats.Yorkshire’s previous best first-wicket partnership in the competition was also against Leicestershire and Gale was involved on that occasion too, when he and Jacques Rudolph put on 104 together at Grace Road in 2009.Gale led the way this time with a belligerent 70 off only 42 balls with six fours and three sixes, while fellow left-hander Jaques contributed 48 from 41 deliveries. Jonny Bairstow, released from the England squad to play in the match, was soon involved in the action – from the other side of the boundary rope. Jaques launched himself into a straight drive off Matthew Hoggard and Bairstow sprang out of the dug-out to catch the ball as it cleared the line.Gale attacked former Yorkshire paceman Hoggard with two fours and a six in one over and consecutive boundaries for Jaques against Wayne White raced the stand to 52 in 35 balls. It became a century stand off 69 deliveries but it was broken by Rob Taylor who had Jaques taken on the midwicket boundary by Jacques du Toit and Gale followed a couple of overs later when he straight drove Hoggard to Josh Cobb.Hoggard’s return to the attack slowed down Yorkshire but David Miller made sure the total was still a competitive one with an unbeaten 30 off 20 balls.The Foxes made a good start themselves as openers Cobb and Greg Smith added 37 in five overs before the latter fell to an athletic catch by Gary Ballance at mid-off to bring Richard Pyrah a wicket with his fifth ball. Pyrah then struck again in his next over by flinging out a right arm to hold on to a reflex catch that sent back du Toit.Cobb had middled the ball well from the start and he had thumped four fours and two sixes in his 46 before he slipped at the bowler’s end when being sent back and could not regain his ground in time as he was run out.Offspinner Azeem Rafiq got the important wicket of Abdul Razzak with a well-flighted ball which hit the stumps and he struck again to have Matt Boyce caught behind. Ryan Sidebottom returned to spread-eagle Taylor’s stumps with his first delivery and then have Ramnaresh Sarwan (45) caught in his next over, leaving Starc to clean up the tail in dramatic fashion.

Dewald Nel, the Kent and Scotland seam bowler, will leave the club after on-going injury problems

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2011Dewald Nel, the Kent and Scotland seam bowler, will leave the club after on-going injury problems.He joined Kent in 2010, having made 18 one-day international and 10 Twenty20 appearances for Scotland, and took 9 for 119 in the final game Championship game of the season but has been unable to shake off a back injury.”Having finished on such a high last year, I was really looking forward to this season,” he said. “However, it is with great regret that I have decided to leave Kent due to an on-going back problem.”I would like to thank everyone for their support during my time at Kent, I will hold fond memories of The Garden of England and I wish the club and its players a successful 2011 season.”

Paul Wilson, the former Test fast bowler, has been added to Cricket Australia’s national umpires panel for 2010-11

Cricinfo staff25-May-2010Paul Wilson, the former Test fast bowler, has been added to Cricket Australia’s national umpires panel for 2010-11. The promotion of Wilson, 38, continues Australia’s trend of encouraging former first-class players to join the umpiring ranks.Rod Tucker, who captained Tasmania in the 1990s, has steadily progressed to international level and officiated in his first Tests earlier this year. The former Test seamer Paul Reiffel has also been a project umpire for Cricket Australia for several years and has now stood in three one-day internationals and four Twenty20 internationals.Wilson has had a taste of umpiring state cricket, having been in the middle for two Sheffield Shield games last summer, as well as a handful of limited-overs outings. A hardworking fast man who played one Test and 11 one-day internationals in 1997-98, Wilson has taken the place of his fellow Western Australian Jeff Brookes on the 12-man panel.”Paul Wilson’s elevation to the national umpires panel demonstrates Cricket Australia’s commitment to provide opportunities for past players to continue their involvement in cricket after retirement,” James Sutherland, the CEO of Cricket Australia, said. “Paul deserves his promotion after a number of years on the project panel and we look forward to his continuing development and progress along the umpiring pathway in the coming seasons.”National umpires panel Gerard Abood (NSW), Simon Fry (SA), Geoff Joshua (Vic), Ian Lock (WA), Mick Martell (WA), Bruce Oxenford (Qld), Bob Parry (Vic), Paul Reiffel (Qld), Rod Tucker (NSW), John Ward (Vic), Tony Ward (Vic), Paul Wilson (WA).

Kings XI kept their slim hope alive, and made it difficult for Royal Challengers

The Report by Sidharth Monga14-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Adam Gilchrist with the man he believed should have been the Man of the Match: Azhar Mahmood•BCCIDuring one of the matches that Adam Gilchrist sat out of, he complained – not without humour – about how the umpiring mistakes had all been targeting his Kings XI Punjab side. He also said that he might have had a whinge, but his side needed to do better despite umpiring mistakes. It seemed Gilchrist would be left saying something similar tonight after Chris Gayle survived an lbw shout when he was 4 off 11, and went onto help Royal Challengers Bangalore score 122 in the last 10 overs.Luck turned on the night, though. Gilchrist was plumb at 18 off 16 when he didn’t pick a Muttiah Muralitharan doosra. A mix of outside edges, inside edges and some vintage Gilchrist shots, helped by Azhar Mahmood’s 61 off 41, stunned Royal Challengers, ending the chase of 175 with 11 balls to spare. Kings XI kept their slim hope alive, and made it difficult for Royal Challengers, who were left fighting Sunrisers Hyderabad for the final playoff place. Sunrisers are level with Royal Challengers, but have a game in hand.Put in, Royal Challengers needed a huge total on a flat pitch and short outfield, especially given their bowling. For a long period of time, it seemed Royal Challengers wouldn’t even get to a fighting total. Kings XI bowled few loose balls in the first half of the innings, and Gayle and Virat Kohli struggled to come to terms with the pace of the pitch.After their misfortune, Kings XI lost their way towards the end. Once Gayle and Kohli began hitting, the Kings XI bowlers were like rabbits caught in headlights and kept bowling length balls, which kept disappearing. Parvinder Awana, the bowler who had been denied the Gayle wicket earlier, came back to rip Gayle’s stump into two in the 19th over. Despite the damage control, Kings XI had been hit hard, and the momentum seemed to have shifted.However, Royal Challengers bowlers once again had no sting. Theirs is a bit like the typical Indian ODI team under MS Dhoni, with which no total seems safe. Gilchrist was scratching around, and struggling to go at a run a ball when Mahmood joined him. Having bowled two good overs at the death, Mahmood came and smacked three consecutive boundaries in the sixth over to inject some life into the chase.Gilchrist kept handing over the strike to Mahmood until it was time for both to go. Then Gilchrist got an outside edge for four. Then a four off the inside half of the bat. The best of Gilchrist came against Muralitharan when he charged at him and drove him back over his head for four. He bettered it by charging at the returning Zaheer Khan and sending him back over the sight screen. It all ended in a blur after that, but his driving and sweeping of Murali for consecutive sixes stood out.Once again Gilchrist called it as he saw it. He pointed out both the lbw mistakes, admitted that he “scratched around like an old chook” in the first half, and that Mahmood deserved the Man-of-the-Match award that he got.

Pakistani left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz has said he is desperate to bowl on the lively South African pitches, ahead of the limited-overs leg that starts on March 1. Riaz was not part of the Test side that was blanked 3-0 by South Africa and has worked hard on his fitness in this period.”I am super fit at the moment and in the best form,” Riaz said. “I have a lot to offer to my captain and coach. I am desperate to bowl on the surfaces in South Africa. I can bowl fast, and conditions are well suited for me to bowl reverse swing as well.”His last ODI appearance was against India during the Asia Cup in 2012. He was selected as part of the Pakistan squad that toured India in December last year, but didn’t make it into the playing eleven. The selectors however, have retained him for the South Africa ODIs and T20s, and he is likely to make it to the XI.Riaz admitted the time away from international cricket was frustrating, but he kept himself match fit. He recently recorded his best first-class figures of 9 for 59 in a Quaid-e-Azam trophy match.”I have managed myself very well. I have been playing hockey for the last one-and-a-half months to build up my thighs for the South African grounds, which are a bit harder. I recently took nine wickets in an innings, which shows my form,” he said. “It always feel good when the selectors tap your shoulder to give you a go, but it’s frustrating when you are not able to make it to the XI.”Riaz, 27, impressed during his debut series 2008 against Zimbabwe. He also had a good start to Test cricket, taking a five-for against England in August 2010. He picked up his maiden ODI five-wicket haul during the World Cup semi-final against India, but was not able to cement his place.”I know things weren’t right sometimes, and I wavered and leaked so many runs,” he said. “When you are representing your country, you are pumped up and trying to give your hundred per cent. Some days nothing works in your favour, but you move on and come back after working on your deficiency.”Fast bowlers are always emotional and aggressive – they need time to settle. I still have a case to prove, and I believe this South Africa tour will be an ideal opportunity for me to showcase my abilities.”

Misbah-ul-Haq’s team has another chance to live up to expectations, and he was clear about what they need to do

Firdose Moonda in Centurion21-Feb-2013

Exactly a month ago, Misbah-ul-Haq addressed the South African media for the first time. There were a few rays of sunshine in his voice. He made eye contact with the home journalists, and appeared genuinely convinced that his side could achieve something special.Two Tests matches have passed since then. Pakistan have lost both, and the little sense of humour Misbah had, has gone with it. At his pre-match press conference, ahead of the Centurion Test, he spoke in ice blocks. His eyes were fixed on a point in the distance, and his tone defeated.The reason for the turnaround is obvious, but the seriousness of it is not. This is not his first series loss. He was in charge when they were beaten by Sri Lanka, although he did not play the match they were beaten in because he was suspended for a slow over-rate.But this is Pakistan’s second series loss in succession, and it is the most number of consecutive Test defeats that Misbah has led his side in. There is no shame in losing to the No.1 ranked Test team, and there is even less in going down to them in their own conditions, which are also widely acknowledged as the most difficult to bat in.That Misbah is so unhappy illustrates the disappointment that comes when expectations aren’t met. His team has another chance to live up to those expectations, and he was clear about what they need to do. “We need to improve our batting. We need some consistency,” Misbah said. “It’s not about one innings in Test cricket. You have to post big totals in every innings.”Pakistan’s biggest challenge is facing the new ball, and that may not ease on a seamer’s pitch in Centurion. With the quick turnaround between Tests, there has not been much time to work on that skill, and Misbah was resigned in his assessment of how they will front up to it this time. “Everybody is trying and working hard to cope with the new ball, especially in the first 10 overs. We can only hope they will get better.”Perhaps it’s something that can be shelved as a real concern because it is unlikely to trouble Pakistan until they tour South Africa again. Misbah noted that it is the only place his team have struggled this much to adapt. “These pitches have more pace and bounce whereas all over the world wickets are getting slower. Even in Australia nowadays. So it’s a matter of spending time and playing more cricket here. Lack of experience and lack of playing Test cricket is why we collapsed in the other matches. Once you play on a regular basis, you get better and better.”But the reverse applies as well. Pakistan’s bowling attack may not enjoy conditions elsewhere as much as they have in South Africa. With an attack that is as promising as it is potent, Graeme Smith believes Misbah has reason to be a little cheerful. “They are a much better team than what the results showed, especially because their bowling attack is really good,” Smith said. “With the seamers and Saeed Ajmal, it can be quite challenging.”For that reason, Smith is looking at the Centurion Test as a way for South Africa’s batsman to spend more time sizing up the Pakistan pack, before the return leg of the tour in October. Misbah is not even thinking that far. He only wants a positive result in this match so that he can take something out of the series, something that he can look back on with some satisfaction.”You have to get teams out twice, not get them out once, take an advantage and then let it slip. Everybody knows the importance of every game, and every team wants to win each game. It’s not about [winning] series all the the games.” Compartmentalising the Centurion Test is the best way for Pakistan to defrost the chill from Misbah’s voice.

A round-up of the third day of the sixth round of Ranji Trophy Group C matches

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2012
ScorecardSeventeen wickets fell on the third day at Malappuram and at the end of it Jammu & Kashmir had beaten Kerala by 74 runs. It was the first time J&K had won a second Ranji Trophy match in a season since 2000-01.The day had begun with J&K on 68 for 3 in their second innings, leading by 120. They were dismissed for 151. Padmanabhan Prasanth took 5 for 16 in 14.4 overs, while KR Sreejith claimed 3 for 56.Chasing a target of 204, Kerala had reached 44 for 0 before they began to collapse. They lost five wickets for 21 runs, and their last four wickets for 15. Apart from the openers, no one else got past 20 and Kerala were dismissed for 129. Parvez Rasool took 5 for 43 in 18 overs and Manik Gupta claimed 5 for 26 in 9.4
ScorecardNo play was possible in the first session of day three in Guwahati because of bad light, and Assam had the better of the next two. They took four wickets in 45 overs and conceded only 96 runs.Himachal Pradesh resumed their first innings on 62 for 0 and ended the day on 158 for 4, trailing Assam by 196 runs with six wickets in hand. Aakash Chopra scored 55 off 193 balls and was out stumped. Amit Kumar remained not out on 20 off 81 balls. Assam’s new-ball bowlers Abu Nechim and Arup Das bowled a total of 53 overs and conceded only 83 runs for two wickets.
ScorecardHalf-centuries from Ravikant Shukla, and Swapnil and Rohit Asnodkar, helped Goa score 248 runs for the loss of four wickets on the third day in Porvorim, giving them a fair chance of overtaking Services’ first-innings score of 473. They need 161 more to take the lead.Goa began the third day on 64 for 1, and Swapnil Asnodkar converted his overnight 17 into 74. The other top-order batsmen also got starts but did not convert them, and Goa slipped from 122 for 1 to 193 for 5. Avishek Sinha and Yashpal Singh took two wickets each for Services. Shukla and Rohit Asnodkar then repaired Goa’s innings with an unbeaten 112-run stand for the sixth wicket and they ended the day on 312.