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He may not have been the first injured player to inspire admiration for his defiance at Headingley, but the determined innings of Richard Pyrah was enough to ensure Yorkshire found enough resolve to prevent defeat in their opening championship match again

Myles Hodgson at Headingley08-Apr-2012 Kent 537-9 dec. (Coles 103)
ScorecardJoe Root offered resistance with a second-innings 76•Getty Images

He may not have been the first injured player to inspire admiration for his defiance at Headingley, but the determined innings of Richard Pyrah was enough to ensure Yorkshire found enough resolve to prevent defeat in their opening championship match against Kent.No one was expecting Pyrah to be required, let alone be pressed into action with a broken left hand, when they resumed the final day on 326 for six needing 72 runs to avoid the follow-on. Just 13 overs into the morning session, however, Pyrah walked out to bat sporting a plaster cast with nine wickets down and 32 required to make Kent bat again.He watched from the non-striker’s end while Iain Wardlaw added eight runs from his first over at the crease and lost his off-stump to Charlie Shreck attempting a one-handed swipe to the first ball he faced, completing a spell of four for 16 in 18 balls for Kent’s newly recruited seamer.His efforts were by no means as heroic as Malcolm Marshall’s famous 18 minutes batting with a broken thumb in the 1984 Headingley Test, which allowed Larry Gomes to complete his century, before he bowled West Indies to victory with seven wickets. But Pyrah’s desire was enough to gain the admiration of Kent’s fielders and inspire a response from Yorkshire, who forged a 115-run opening stand when the followed on 173 runs adrift.”It shows commitment, all the players were all over him and were really pumped and even the Kent guys were really rapped that he made that effort,” enthused Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s coach. “I’ve seen the X-ray and it’s pretty horrific, so for him to make that commitment just shows what sort of guy he is.”Our guys were on a bit of a high seeing Rich storm out there and the crowd giving him the applause he thoroughly deserved certainly didn’t hurt us going into that second innings. The guts he showed were phenomenal and it’s what we’re about. It’s about going out there and
getting stuck in – even when it’s tough.”Shreck, recruited from Nottinghamshire during the close season, looked set to become the player to define the final day by spreading panic among Yorkshire’s lower order during the morning session. He had claimed three wickets in as many overs when Pyrah walked out to steal his limelight.Inspired by Pyrah’s defiance, Yorkshire started their innings with a new resolve although Joe Root was fortunate to survive after reaching just six when he edged Mark Davies behind only for wicketkeeper Geraint Jones to drop a regulation catch at waist height. It was not
an error as costly as Jonny Bairstow being dropped on 24 by Ben Harmison at second slip, who went on to score a century on Saturday, but it contributed to Kent running out of time to force the victory.Steeled by a winter working with England’s Performance Programme and a Lions tour to Sri Lanka, Root has progressed into an opener just as pleasing to the eye as former England captain Michael Vaughan, with whom he shares a common start to his cricketing education at Sheffield Collegiate.He dominated the century opening stand with Joe Sayers, who is more of an accumulator in comparison, and hit 12 boundaries in his 76 before they both fell in an impressive four-over spell from Adam Riley, Kent’s emerging off-spinner.Shreck returned shortly before tea to strangle Andrew Gale down the leg-side and tempt Bairstow into driving straight to cover, but rain and bad light halted play at the interval and Kent were left wondering what might have been with Yorkshire still 27 runs adrift on 146 for
four, having lost 76 overs to the weather during the final two days.”Yorkshire are going to be there or thereabouts this season, so this was always going to be a tough first game,” added Rob Key, Kent’s captain. “That was one of the best pitches I have played on in championship cricket and the groundstaff deserve a medal for preparing
one like that in April.”

Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has said that the side’s decision to keep the faith in their “core group” of players, including Yusuf Pathan, is one of the reasons for their strong performance

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2012Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has said that the side’s decision to keep the faith in their “core group” of players, including Yusuf Pathan, has been a factor in their strong performance this season. Yusuf, who had a series of low scores throughout this IPL, came good in the first qualifier against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday, his unbeaten 40 off 21 deliveries crucial in taking Knight Riders to the final.”After we lost to Chennai Super Kings, at Eden Gardens, I was asked why I stick to the core group of players… the answer is, because I want them to believe that I have complete faith in them,” Gambhir said after the qualifier. “Only that can boost them to give their best. That only will make them stand up to these tough challenges. I was also asked why I persist with Yusuf Pathan. I have always said that he is a magical player and that he will come good when it would matter the most. I was proved right today.”Mahela Jayawardene, the Daredevils batsman, said that the partnership between Yusuf and Laxmi Shukla – 56 runs in four overs – took the game away from his side. “In a Twenty20 game, it is tough to say anyone is out of form,” Jayawardene said. “I think there was a great platform for him [Yusuf] to come and play his natural game, which is hitting the ball clean. Our guys bowled a few good yorkers. When they did not hit those zones marginally, he hit a few good [shots]. Laxmi batted really well too. I think his cameo gave Yusuf the confidence to go after our guys.”Gambhir said that after their narrow loss to Kings XI Punjab, Knight Riders could have dropped players, which he was not in favour of. “We could have easily chopped and changed when we lost to Kings XI. We could have easily made harsh decisions but it is important [to] stick to the core group of players and make them believe that everyone backs them. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we have done well.Gautam Gambhir on Yusuf Pathan: “I have always said that he will come good when it would matter the most.”•AFP

“The players who are there in the KKR dressing room are there because I have complete faith in them. Whoever sits in the dressing room, I completely back them. That is why they are part of KKR.”Everyone has been talking about Yusuf and Manoj Tiwary, but the way Manoj batted in Mumbai, those 40 [41] runs he made were as important as any runs in the tournament. I have always mentioned that those small contributions make you win games. For me Shukla’s contribution [24 not out off 11] made the difference [in the qualifier]. It is not about someone getting 60 or 70 at the top of the order. It is about someone who comes lower down the order or someone like Rajat Bhatia who can bowl two-three overs at a good economy-rate.”When asked about Brett Lee missing out on the playing XI, Gambhir said that no one was bigger than the team. “It is about the best XI that is going to go out and win the game for us. It is not about Brett Lee. It is not about individuals. From me to Jacques Kallis to no one. If I feel that I am not hitting the ball well and there is someone else who can do the job for KKR, I will be the first one sitting out. It will always be about KKR when I am [in charge].”Brendon McCullum, the Knight Riders wicketkeeper and former captain, called Gambhir an “outstanding” leader, saying that he had led from the front. “He is very soft-spoken in the changing room and around the group, and on the field he leads through performance and through actions,” McCullum told . “Technically, he has been very good and has used Sunil Narine incredibly well and he has got a lot out of the other guys as well. He has been excellent as a captain so far.”Gambhir, McCullum’s opening partner, has been Knight Riders’ best batsman by some distance this season, making six half-centuries compared to the three fifties the rest of his batsmen have scored in all. “He has been hitting the ball as well as anyone in the tournament,” McCullum said. “I, from the other end, try to give him strike – that is probably the reverse of the roles that we thought of at the start of the tournament. I can’t take credit [for] the partnerships where he has played beautifully and made my work easy, and I just try to hang in around and get him on strike.”

In-form batsmen Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels struck half centuries to help Nottinghamshire keep their hopes alive in this year’s CB40 with a comfortable victory over struggling Somerset.

04-Jun-2012
ScorecardIn-form batsmen Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels struck half centuries to help Nottinghamshire keep their hopes alive in this year’s CB40 with a comfortable victory over struggling Somerset.The duo came together to post what proved to be a key partnership of 79 in just 11 overs for the second wicket as the hosts successfully chased 206 to win. That was after bowlers Darren Pattinson (3 for 37) and Jake Ball (3 for 38) had led the way for the home attack in restricting the visitors to a below-par total.The five-wicket victory allowed Nottinghamshire to bounce back from a 91-run drubbing at Durham on Sunday, while Somerset were left reeling by their fourth consecutive defeat in this format.Notts won the toss and broke through in the sixth over when Pattinson snared Nick Compton (7) caught behind. Craig Kieswetter (24) upped the Somerset tempo in tandem with Peter Trego before he was one of two victims in consecutive overs for Ball, who also bowled replacement James Hildreth (3).Trego, however, was largely untroubled and added 55 with Jos Buttler in nine overs before he was trapped lbw by the returning Pattinson for 47 from 53 balls, with a four and a six. Buttler (29) followed soon after as he was undone by a Samit Patel quicker ball that bowled him as he advanced down the pitch.It was left to Craig Meschede (33) and Arul Suppiah (39) to set some kind of score for Notts to chase as they shared 42 for the sixth wicket. Meschede was eventually run out after a mix-up, while Suppiah holed out off Pattinson’s final ball of the Somerset innings.Notts began their reply well as Lumb put on 56 with Alex Hales (22), who was first out after pulling Lewis Gregory to Suppiah at deep midwicket. Lumb coasted to 50 with an array of attractive drives through the covers while Wessels quickly hit his straps, clubbing off spinner Max Waller over the legside boundary.The stand was ended by Meschede, who induced a mistimed pull from Lumb, who had faced 60 balls and struck seven fours and one six in his 65.Wessels went with the total on 157 as he nicked through to Kieswetter off Thomas. But although Patel (16) and James Taylor (12) quickly perished, Notts’ win was confirmed by Adam Voges (15 not out) and Chris Read (14 not out) with 20 balls to spare.

The eight Big Bash League teams will begin their scramble for players next week, when the initial 12-day contract window opens

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2012The eight Big Bash League teams will begin their scramble for players next week, when the initial 12-day contract window opens. All players became free agents after last year’s tournament, meaning that sides must start from scratch in compiling their squads this year, and competition will be extra fierce this year because teams will be allowed to sign players to multi-year deals.The contract window runs from Monday until July 20, by which time each side must have contracted at least 14 players and a maximum of 18, which can include two from overseas, and the salary cap remains unchanged at A$1 million. The remainder of the squad members must be confirmed by November 30.Cricket Australia has also released the fixture for this year’s tournament, which will begin nine days earlier than last year and will feature four extra matches. The increase means each team will play four home games, and Sydney and Melbourne will each host two derby games.It is those cross-town rivalries that will kick off the tournament, with the Melbourne Renegades hosting the Melbourne Stars at Etihad Stadium on December 7, and the following evening the Sydney Sixers will play the Sydney Thunder. The final has been scheduled for January 19.Schedule
Friday December 7: Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Saturday December 8: Sydney Sixers v Sydney Thunder, SCG, 7pm
Sunday December 9: Brisbane Heat v Hobart Hurricanes, Gabba, 5pm
Sunday December 9: Perth Scorchers v Adelaide Strikers, WACA, 6pm
Wednesday December 12: Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Stars, WACA, 5pm
Thursday December 13: Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Oval, 7pm
Friday December 14: Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Saturday December 15: Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes, MCG, 7pm
Sunday December 16: Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers, SCG, 7pm
Tuesday December 18: Brisbane Heat v Perth Scorchers, Gabba, 6.30pm
Wednesday December 19: Melbourne Renegades v Hobart Hurricanes, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Thursday December 20: Sydney Thunder v Adelaide Strikers, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Friday December 21: Melbourne Stars v Sydney Sixers, MCG, 7pm
Saturday December 22: Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Sunday December 23: Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Thunder, Blundstone Arena, 4.30pm
Sunday December 23: Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers, Adelaide Oval, 7pm
Wednesday December 26: Sydney Sixers v Hobart Hurricanes, SCG, 7pm
Thursday December 27: Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Oval, 7pm

Friday December 28: Sydney Thunder v Brisbane Heat, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Saturday December 29: Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades, WACA, 6pm
Sunday December 30: Sydney Thunder v Sydney Sixers, ANZ Stadium, 7pm
Tuesday January 1: Hobart Hurricanes v Perth Scorchers, Blundstone Arena, 7pm
Wednesday January 2: Melbourne Renegades v Adelaide Strikers, Etihad Stadium, 7pm
Thursday January 3: Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars, Gabba, 6.30pm
Friday January 4: Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder, WACA, 6pm
Saturday January 5: Hobart Hurricanes v Adelaide Strikers, Blundstone Arena, 7pm
Sunday January 6: Melbourne Stars v Melbourne Renegades, MCG, 7pm
Monday January 7: Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers, Gabba, 6.30pm
Tuesday January 8: Melbourne Stars v Sydney Thunder, MCG, 7pm
Wednesday January 9: Sydney Sixers v Melbourne Renegades, SCG, 7pm
Thursday January 10: Adelaide Strikers v Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Oval, 7pm
Saturday January 12: Hobart Hurricanes v Brisbane Heat, Blundstone Arena, 7pm

Tuesday January 15: Semi-Final 1 (1st v 4th)
Wednesday January 16: Semi-Final 2 (2nd v 3rd)
Saturday January 19: Final

Rahul Dravid’s retirement earlier this year has spared the current selection committee major headaches as they sit together to pick their last Test team before the end of their term

Sidharth Monga09-Aug-2012Rahul Dravid’s retirement earlier this year has spared the current selection committee major headaches as they sit together to pick their last Test team before the end of their term. After the eight straight losses overseas, the demand for change and youth was natural, but the vacancy created by Dravid’s retirement will allow them to pick three new batsmen for the New Zealand series without having to make a tough call. Tough calls will be left for the team management who will prune the 15 to 11 on the eve of the first Test, which begins on August 23.Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are likely to continue as the preferred openers, VVS Laxman is almost certain to retain his middle-order place, and Cheteshwar Pujara will be the only addition to the batting group that toured Australia. Rohit Sharma, who was the next man in should India have made changes in Australia, is likely to retain his Test slot despite a desperately disappointing limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka. The selection of the XI is some way off, but Pujara’s return from injury and his mature knocks on tough West Indies pitches during the A tour might have pushed him ahead of Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane in the pecking order. As expected, Sachin Tendulkar will make his return to international cricket after he last played in the Asia Cup in March.R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, who formed a successful spin duo in home Tests against West Indies last year, are likely to be backed up by Rahul Sharma in the reserves. Zaheer Khan and Umesh Yadav will be the two first-choice quicks. Ishant Sharma, recovering from an ankle injury, is not expected to pass fit, which means Ashok Dinda might find a place in the reserves.Although the BCCI’s release didn’t say so, the selectors are also likely to discuss the squad for next month’s World Twenty20. They might or might not make the announcement tomorrow, but this is likely to be a more complex discussion. For starters, they will have to take a call on the emotional favourite Yuvraj Singh’s return after his recovery from a rare germ-cell cancer. Yuvraj has been training in Bangalore, but is yet to test his match fitness, so he remains a long shot if only because of the risk involved and the magnitude of the tournament.There is room for discussing various combinations in the Twenty20 squad, especially in the bowling department. They could look at other T20 specialists, but the 15 who played in Sri Lanka start off as favourites for retention.Likely Test squad: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Pragyan Ojha, Rahul Sharma, Ashok DindaLikely T20 squad: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary, Irfan Pathan, R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Pragyan Ojha, Rahul Sharma, Ashok Dinda

Virat Kohli continued to be imperious, and Irfan Pathan impressed once again, as India’s completed a successful limited-overs campaign in Sri Lanka with a comfortable win in the only T20 international on the tour

The Report by Siddhartha Talya07-Aug-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Virat Kohli made another half-century•AFP

Virat Kohli continued to be imperious, and Irfan Pathan impressed once again, as India completed a successful limited-overs campaign in Sri Lanka with a comfortable win in the only T20 international on the tour. Kohli was in complete command, picking gaps at will, finding boundaries with minimum effort, even off the occasional mistimed shot, and helped take India to 155. Irfan, who found considerable swing, undermined a Sri Lankan fightback with the ball in the death overs by dismissing three senior Sri Lanka batsmen and was backed up by a containing effort by the rest.The game began brightly for Sri Lanka, with Shaminda Eranga completing a unique achievement; his wicket off Gautam Gambhir meant he’s now picked up a wicket in the first over of his debuts in Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals. But Kohli’s entry to the crease ensured that early high was short-lived.Sri Lanka’s bowlers targeted the off side, Kohli’s preferred areas being through square leg and midwicket, and bowled to their field, but such was his dominance that no part of the ground was secure. A short ball from Angelo Mathews was clubbed over midwicket, a good length delivery next ball was guided through point and Eranga was taken for fours to each part of the off side – point, extra cover and then mid-off, though two of those shots were mistimed.When Thisara Perera was brought on in the sixth over, he made the mistake of bowling too straight and was promptly struck for three fours in a row, two past short fine leg. His low backlift helped Kohli to adapt easily to deliveries that were pushed in fuller and his wristwork, as always, was his primary weapon. Thirty-six off his first 38 runs came in boundaries.The introduction of spin after the field restrictions slowed India down, and accounted for Rahane’s wicket as he drove one straight back at Jeevan Mendis. Overs nine to 12 yielded only 25, though they included a six and a four from Kohli as he charged out of the crease on each occasion.Suresh Raina walked in ahead of Rohit Sharma and picked up a couple of neatly-clipped fours off Eranga and Perera through the leg side. Kohli survived a close run-out chance but following a stand of 48, he timed one shot a touch too well, smacking a slower one from Eranga straight to deep midwicket. There were some hits and misses from MS Dhoni that gave him some frustrating moments and even though Raina dispatched Lasith Malinga over long-off, the Sri Lankan seamers were largely accurate in their lengths in the final few overs. Only 31 came off the last five, but India were not made to rue that slip.Irfan was off target on occasion – his first ball was wide and cut for four – but got the ball to move in through the air and castled Tillakaratne Dilshan in the first over. The ball curved away from the left-handed Upul Tharaga and he chased a wide one in Irfan’s next over to be caught at slip. Mahela Jayawardene, who opened the batting, threatened a counter-attack, targeting Umesh Yadav. He used Yadav’s pace to guide him for fours through third man and point, then cut and whipped him in the same over to collect 17 runs off it. But his stay, too, was ended by an Irfan inswinger in the fifth over. Jayawardene moved back and closed the face but was struck on the pads just in line with leg stump.Lahiru Thirimanne and Angelo Mathews tried to maintain the tempo, stepping out and going over the top and adding 33 in quick time. But Thirimanne’s attempt to reverse-sweep a straight ball from R Ashwin failed and cost him his wicket. The run-rate slipped, the pressure grew and wickets continued to tumble. Mathews nicked Ashok Dinda – who also cleaned up the tail to finish with four wickets – to the keeper, Jeevan Mendis spooned a catch to extra cover and Perera was run out by a direct hit from Manoj Tiwary, all in a space of 15 deliveries.Seven down and with 54 needed off 28, Sri Lanka had to attack and their efforts to do so hastened their end. They’ll now look to the Sri Lanka Premier League to sharpen their T20 skills while India await New Zealand before they return to this country for the World T20.

Lancashire have announced the appointment of Daniel Gidney as Jim Cumbes’ successor as chief executive of the club

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2012Lancashire have announced the appointment of Daniel Gidney as Jim Cumbes’ successor as chief executive of the club. Cumbes, 68, who joined Lancashire as a player 50 years ago, is due to retire at the end of 2012, with Gidney joining from Ricoh Arena, the holding company that operates Coventry City’s ground, where he occupied a similar role.Gidney will take charge at Old Trafford for 2013, with Lancashire set to unveil a brand new pavilion in the spring before the ground returns to hosting Test cricket during the Ashes in August.Lancashire chairman, Michael Cairns, said: “We are delighted to appoint Daniel, whose experience and track record in overseeing a highly regarded sporting venue will serve our business well as we embark on a new and exciting era.”Daniel will be taking over from our well-respected and long-serving chief executive Jim Cumbes. Jim initially joined the club as a player and made his debut in 1962. He returned to Old Trafford as sales and marketing manager in 1987 before becoming chief executive in 1998.”Jim was a key member of the team throughout what has been a monumental period for the club which saw us ultimately overcome a number of potentially devastating hurdles to be in the position where we are today. Everybody connected with Lancashire County Cricket Club owes a tremendous amount of gratitude to Jim for his unfaltering service to cricket and the business of cricket over the years and we all wish him well in his retirement.”

Jodie Fields, Australia’s captain, savoured her team’s back-to-back Twenty20 titles after they beat England by four runs

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2012Two years ago Jodie Fields was watching her team-mates win the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean from her living room as she recovered from a serious hamstring injury so she had extra cause for celebration after leading Australia’s successful defence of their title in Sri Lanka with a four-run victory over England.It was no normal hamstring tweak that Fields suffered, instead she ripped the muscle off the bone and the extent of the damage was so severe there was even doubts as to whether she would play again. However, her own motivation for a comeback was never lacking after seeing the celebrations in Barbados and now she has been able to savour them for herself.”Watching the girls win that back at home was just awesome. I was just really determined to get back playing cricket and be part of this with 15 other awesome girls. I don’t know what more to say,” she said. “Watching them play another tight match against New Zealand in the 2010 final, the celebrations that they had and the feelings they came home with, it was something I knew I wanted to be part of. I worked really hard to get back, and leading this side was something I really wanted to do.”As in 2010, this final was not without its nervy moments for Australia. After setting England a demanding 143 it did not appear as though it would be hugely challenged as Australia’s bowlers chipped away against the pressure of an ever-rising asking rate. However, England are not the No. 1 side without reason and refused to lie down with Jenny Gunn striking crucial boundaries to keep her team in the match.It came down to England needing 16 off the final over and the nerves were clear from Australia as Erin Osborne delivered a huge full toss that was called no-ball and then Jess Jonassen spilled a catch at cover. Eventually, though, six from the last ball proved too tough an ask as Danielle Hazell could only club another nervous delivery to deep midwicket.”It was quite stressful, but the belief was there and we were all behind Erin Osborne bowling the final over,” Fields admitted. “She came through. I needed the team to do it. We spoke a lot about having composure in the tough stages. We knew they’d come hard at us and they did. Sometimes, you drop some. You just have to get back up and play the next ball. We did that.”Australia had come into the final has distinct underdogs – England had not lost a game in the tournament while winning 31 out of their last 33 – but claimed vital early wickets with England’s powerful top three of Charlotte Edwards, Laura Marsh and Sarah Taylor gone by the tenth over. However, for Edwards it was their slow start in the field that disappointed her the most.”We were below par with the ball and had to pay for that today,” she said. “The first six overs of their innings was probably the difference between the two teams. We got 30-odd runs and those 10 to 15 runs was the difference. Our lack of discipline up front really cost us.”Edwards, though, was delighted at the quality of the match the two teams produced as an advertisement for the women’s game. “I’m disappointed we lost but to need six runs off the last ball and see some of the shots that we saw, it was just a great spectacle for the women’s game. So I’m very proud of that. I’m bitterly disappointed to not win and lift the trophy, but Australia thoroughly deserved their victory.”

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal said that his side’s victory against West Indies in the first ODI was not entirely unexpected

Mohammad Isam in Khulna30-Nov-2012Bangladesh went from being a Test side short on confidence to a one-day unit that looked at ease in Khulna in the space of a few days. After losing the Tests 0-2, Bangladesh began the five-ODI series, a format they are far more comfortable with, by beating West Indies by seven wickets. After the comprehensive victory, their opener Tamim Iqbal said the result was not at all unexpected.The atmosphere leading into the first one-dayer was thick with concern over how much Bangladesh would have to chase if West Indies batted first and their big-hitters exploited the new fielding conditions that allowed only four men outside the inner circle during the non-Powerplay overs. They were also without Shakib Al Hasan for the first time in four years.However, senior players like Tamim and left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak made important contributions, guiding a team that contained four debutants to victory. Razzak’s 3 for 39 in ten overs helped keep West Indies to 199; Tamim’s 58 off 51 balls, his fifth consecutive ODI half-century, ensured the target would be achieved comfortably.”The win wasn’t unexpected to be honest,” Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. “We are a good one-day team, we have done well in the past. We played very well as a team and you will see that very few Bangladesh wins are single efforts.”We play more one-day cricket and we are a confident unit. We don’t play enough Test matches. It wasn’t assumed that we would win, but we knew that we would remain in the game if we did well in all three areas. We remained strong, and we bounced back.”It was Bangladesh’s 73rd win in 263 ODIs, and their third this year following the two wins in the Asia Cup. Those four games in March were Bangladesh’s only source of confidence this year as they lurched from an early exit in the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka to the Test defeats against West Indies.Razzak said that the nature of the Khulna pitch, another slow turner, had given him hope. “It is a result of consistent performance in the one-day format, especially after the Asia Cup,” he said. “Ahead of the game, there was a little concern mainly because of the long gap between one-dayers.”This wicket was like the one in Chittagong, and we have a good record there. I have played three first-class matches at this ground so that was also a source of confidence. I told everyone in the dressing-room that if we could just bring our skills together, something different will happen.”Razzak’s performance and the four-wicket haul from debutant spinner Sohag Gazi played a huge part in the win. There had been a lot of surprise when Bangladesh had announced a XI with four debutants. “It is normally difficult to have so many debuts together. There may be mistakes,” Razzak said. “It is their first match, you can’t blame them. But the thing is some players don’t feel pressure on debut. The ones who made debut today … they were strong, so we didn’t feel it as a problem.”The wickets from the spinners after the early pressure from the two pace bowlers gave Tamim and the rest of the batsmen a relatively easy target. “I know I should be disappointed for not getting a hundred and I am, but I did what I had to do for the team,” Tamim said. “We were chasing 200 runs so if we had gone slow, it would have been a different story.”I went after the bowling, kept up the run-rate and it was useful for the team in the end. Sometimes 20 runs are more valuable than a century if it works for the team.”Tamim said Bangladesh were going to shift focus to the next game quickly. “We don’t have the time to celebrate. We have training tomorrow ahead of a very important game on Sunday. I think the people in the country are happy, they are dancing and enjoying in this city. That’s all the celebration we like to see.”

Spinner Rangana Herath, who took five wickets in Australia’s second innings, believes the final day track will help Australian offspinner Nathan Lyon

Andrew Fernando in Hobart17-Dec-2012Sri Lanka will have to contend with turn in addition to variable bounce on the final day of the first Test in Hobart, after Rangana Herath credited a surface that was becoming increasingly conducive to spin for his five-wicket haul on day four. Herath’s 5 for 96 helped restrict Australia to 278 in the second innings, and was aided by a wearing, cracked surface that offered much more lateral movement for him than in the first innings.Australia’s offspinner Nathan Lyon had already exploited the bowler’s footmarks when he bowled earlier in the Test, and dismissed Thilan Samaraweera with a topspinner that leapt off the turf. Lyon is set to have a high workload on day five, with Ben Hilfenhaus’ injury leaving Australia a bowler short, and Michael Clarke also unlikely to bowl his left-arm orthodox spin due to a hamstring strain.Herath will now likely finish as the top wicket-taker in 2012, with 60 wickets and a Test to go. His five-wicket haul in Hobart was his seventh of the year in nine matches.”I didn’t get a wicket in the first innings, but on a fourth day pitch I thought that there would be some assistance for the spinner, and there was some turn and bounce,” Herath said. “The ball does not spin as much as Sri Lanka, but if you maintain a good line and length, you can take wickets.”Lyon will get turn and bounce as well – he always gets bounce because he is tall, and he will have the assistance of the surface as well.”Several seasons of county cricket before he became a mainstay in Sri Lanka’s Test side also contributed to his performance in Hobart, he said.”I used my experience of playing in England. When you get wickets on a pitch like this it’s always pleasing. The main thing is that it helped me to adapt to the situation and the pitch, and I managed to do that. That’s why I was successful.”Herath said Sri Lanka had not ruled out victory, and backed Sri Lanka’s batsmen to see out the final day if a draw seemed the better option. Sri Lanka were set 393 for victory, but lost both openers in the 37 overs before stumps. They will begin at 65 for 2 on day five, with Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara at the crease, and 328 runs required for victory.”Draw is possible if we can bat the first session without losing wickets, it’s going to be an interesting day,” he said. “The pitch is a bit up and down, but apart from that it looks a good track so far.”David Warner set out to dominate Herath in the first session of the day, venturing a switch-hit sweep off his bowling after already having struck him for six, but Herath said he did not want a rule change disallowing batsmen from changing their grip, mid-shot.”Batsmen have done it against my bowling before as well. I don’t mind Warner playing that shot because he is creating more chances for me to get him out. In the end I took his wicket.”