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After the record-breaking exploits of Aneurin Donald, the second day in Cardiff belonged to Glamorgan’s bowlers as Derbyshire were dismissed for 177 and asked to follow on

ECB Reporters Network18-Jul-2016
ScorecardCraig Meschede followed his 66 not out with three wickets•Getty Images

After the record-breaking exploits of Aneurin Donald, the second day in Cardiff belonged to Glamorgan’s bowlers as Derbyshire were dismissed for 177 and asked to follow on. They reached the close on 78 for 1, still trailing by 263.Craig Meschede took three wickets, and Graham Wagg and Andrew Salter picked up two apiece, as Derbyshire conceded a 341-run deficit on first innings. Wagg then claimed another – Harvey Hosein, having been promoted to open after top-scoring with 27 not out – but Derbyshire made a stronger start to their second attempt.Glamorgan had added a further 37 runs to their overnight score and were all out for 518, with Meschede undefeated on 60. Derbyshire seamer Will Davis, in only his fourth first-class game, returned career-best figures of 7 for 146.Hamish Rutherford and Billy Godleman made a rapid start to the Derbyshire reply, striking nine boundaries in the first five overs, and had reached 52 for 0 in ten overs before losing 4 for 19 runs before lunch.Rutherford nicked Meschede to the wicketkeeper and Chesney Hughes was bowled off his pads by the same bowler, before Salter’s offspin deceived Godleman, who was trapped leg-before. The Derbyshire captain was clearly not in agreement with the decision, and kicked the ground in anger, before trudging off to the pavilion. In the final over before lunch, Meschede took his third wicket, when Wayne Madsen tamely chipped a catch to square leg as Derbyshire slipped to 71 for 4.There was no respite from the Glamorgan bowlers, as Graham Wagg bowled an excellent spell, with the ball swinging under cloud cover. Wagg dismissed Neil Broom and Shiv Thakor, both edging through to Mark Wallace, and the Glamorgan wicketkeeper claimed his fourth victim of the innings when Matt Critchley skied a catch, attempting to pull David Lloyd to the boundary. There was little resistance, apart from Hosein, and Derbyshire were soon batting again after the tea interval.Hosein opened the second innings instead of Godleman, who had returned to the team hotel after feeling unwell, and with Rutherford playing every ball on its merit. The openers put on 59 in 27 overs, before Hosein was caught down the leg side by Wallace for 26 from Owen Morgan’s left-arm spin.

Offspinner raring for another crack despite going wicketless in West Indies’ chase

Alan Gardner14-Jul-2020He may have gone wicketless during the fourth innings as England fell to a bruising defeat in the first Test, but Dom Bess isn’t the sort of cricketer whose confidence is easily dented. England’s offspinner, still only five matches into his Test career, has declared that he is feeling “really dangerous” and said he was keen to get back into the thick of it when the teams resume their behind-closed-doors contest at Emirates Old Trafford this week.Bess is used to playing with a burden of expectation of his shoulders, having developed at Somerset where the Taunton surfaces are often tailored to suit himself and Jack Leach, the other spinner in England’s 21-man party. Ben Stokes, standing in as captain during the first Test, had partly based his decision at the toss on the theory the Ageas Bowl pitch would take spin in the fourth innings, but while Bess was unable to make a decisive contribution he seems in no way cowed by the experience.In fact, had a tight review for lbw against Roston Chase gone his way – it came back as umpire’s call despite Hawk-Eye suggesting the ball would have hit the top of middle stump – West Indies would have been 31 for 4 and the eventual outcome of the game might well have been different.ALSO READ: Denly facing final curtain as England prepare to bounce back“Personally I was really happy with how it came out, it’s just the opportunities that went missing in that last innings,” Bess said via video conference from Manchester. “It would have been nice to have that lbw shout, it could have potentially got us on a roll to have them four down. It’s coming out really nicely and if I get picked, hopefully we’ll get a big score and I can spin a couple out.”I know I went wicketless [in the second innings], but like I said it could have turned… And actually, the thing I’m focused on is how well it’s coming out at the moment, I do feel really dangerous and that’s a great place to be. I think as a spinner, some will go your way some days, some won’t. That’s cricket. I don’t look too much into that. I want to contribute with bat, ball and in the field, and when opportunities come I just want to make sure I take them.”Old Trafford has traditionally been viewed as a ground on which spinners can thrive, largely due to the extra bounce. Recently that advantage has been less pronounced, with spin in first-class games averaging 37.95 over the last five years – higher than at all of England’s Test grounds bar Cardiff and The Oval – which might suggest Bess, who has never previously played in Manchester, will asked to fulfil more of a holding role.Even so, he will not be fazed if asked to try and win the game in the fourth innings again (a cause that would be helped by England’s batsmen putting up a few more runs), comparing the scenario to that of quick bowlers being presented with seaming conditions.”I’m used to bowling on spinning wickets,” he said. “People talk about this pressure of it being on me, the last day… I’ve spoken a lot with Leachy about it, this pressure that people put on us. I actually flip it around, it’s a great opportunity – it’s like saying to a seamer, it’s a green one today, are you worried about getting them out? Course you’re not, you’re excited because it’s probably in your favour a little bit more. And that’s how I look at it, certainly the last couple of days and hopefully when it spins, it’s my time to shine and stand up.”As for his own form, the encouraging signs are simple: bounce and spin. “I feel like I am attacking both edges of the bat. My consistency and accuracy within where I am landing it is dangerous. That comes through training, getting that feel, that rhythm. I’m very big on my rhythm, getting into it. It’s just a feeling, I guess and that’s certainly what I think I have got at the moment.”The Southampton Test was Bess’s first at home since his debut in 2018, having come back from a period in the wilderness to dislodge Leach, his county team-mate, as No. 1 spinner. Bess, who is out of contract with Somerset at the end of the summer, may have to move in order to secure more regular cricket but suggested that as far as he was concerned there was no rivalry with England.”I am playing at the moment but I am not taking it for granted. I know Leachy is behind me and I know how much he is working. I’ve had to fight for my spot for a long time I guess, always being behind. Potentially it’s a little bit different at the moment, the feeling. But it’s about making sure that I focus on what I can control. I know it’s a big cliché but it is as simple as that. I’ve got to make sure I am doing what I can do, day in and day out. There is no rivalry with it. We are helping each other to be as best we can for the England side. That’s a great place to be.”Bess’s other noteworthy role in Southampton was to contribute to the ball-shining process. “Being a very sweaty man out on the field, I took a little bit of responsibility,” he said. Sky’s cameras even picked him up collecting sweat from his back – England might need such a combination of inspiration and perspiration if they are to level the series this week.

Visitors, 1-0 up in the two-Test series, are 154 runs in front with seven second-innings wickets left

Sreshth Shah13-Feb-2021Stumps Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan starred with the bat for Bangladesh, while Rahkeem Cornwall earned his second Test five-wicket haul as the third day of the Dhaka Test see-sawed right until the close of play. At stumps, West Indies were 41 for 3 in their second innings, leading by 154 runs. While they do hold the advantage, Bangladesh have enjoyed the greater success in the last two sessions of the day.Starting the day on 105 for 4 in their first innings, well behind West Indies’ 409, Bangladesh’s overnight batsmen Mohammad Mithun and Mushfiqur Rahim had to survive a barrage of short balls from Shannon Gabriel first up. But when Gabriel – who overstepped thrice in his first three overs – went fuller, he was put away by the two for fours through the covers. Jomel Warrican, the left-arm spinner, had his opening spell cut short as he drifted too often to the leg, allowing easy runs on the on side.Cornwall then replaced Warrican and created the first chance of the morning when Mithun mistimed a whip off his toes that went just beyond midwicket. But, in his next over, Cornwall got Mithun’s wicket with an unorthodox field placement. Trying to flick off his boots, Mithun – on 15 – was through his shot too early and the ball went in the air. Kraigg Brathwaite – lurking at short midwicket, where he had placed himself for that very shot – dived to his right to take the catch at full length.Related

• Rahkeem Cornwall: 'I fed off the extra bounce in Dhaka'

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• Joshua Da Silva, the glue that has kept West Indies together

• Mehidy Hasan Miraz becomes fastest Bangladesh bowler to 100 Test wickets

Mushfiqur Rahim, meanwhile, reached his 22nd half-century in Cornwall’s first over. He tried not to let the offspinner settle in from the first ball he faced, but was almost caught at short leg soon after his half-century. He then survived a close lbw call off Cornwall after missing a sweep, but soon paid the price of being overly aggressive – on 54, he tried a reverse sweep, only to toe-end a simple catch to cover.At 155 for 6, and still over fifty short of avoiding the follow-on, Das and Mehidy got together for 12 overs before lunch. After the session break – and against the older ball – they displayed exemplary concentration to block, leave and duck. The balls that were wide on either side of the stumps were punished for the occasional boundary.While Cornwall’s turn from the rough outside off kept both batsmen in two minds, Warrican failed to build pressure like his partner. Mehidy often rocked back against Warrican to cut – with the turn – while Das eyed the midwicket boundary. That period of play took the stand past fifty and ensured Bangladesh had avoided following-on, which had seemed like a distinct possibility at the start of the session.When Alzarri Joseph came into the attack, he preferred the shorter lengths. Both Das and Mehidy were happy to duck through that challenge and when Joseph bowled full, they punished him down the V. With Joseph and Gabriel failing to get any purchase with the older ball, Brathwaite went to part-time spin to count the overs down so that the pacers could return fresh with the new ball. But that’s when Das and Mehidy pounced. Nkrumah Bonner’s legspin was struck by Das for consecutive fours to reach his seventh Test fifty. Brathwaite’s offbreak, too, allowed easy singles. And when the new ball was taken, both Das and Mehidy looked to go on the offensive.The first over with the new ball, from Gabriel, was wayward, conceding six including four byes, and brought up the hundred stand. They went for their shots, often successfully, which made Gabriel impatient. The fast bowler showed it too, by saying a few words to the batsmen on his follow through, which forced the umpires to have a chat with him. Mehidy then got his own fifty, to back up the century in Chattogram.
Having lost no wickets in the session, the period after lunch belonged completely to Bangladesh. It was the first session – since the first one on the first day – that they could call theirs, as they added 91 for no loss.Liton Das and Mehidy Hasan kept Bangladesh in the game with a century stand•AFP via Getty Images

The post-tea session started with both batsmen looking to attack the tired West Indian bowling attack that had not gone wicketless for over 40 overs. But Cornwall put the brakes on soon after, when he removed Das for 71 for his fourth scalp after the batsman got an edge off a paddle sweep.Trying to play fine, Das went across the stumps to sweep, but Jermaine Blackwood – at first slip – anticipated the shot and ran around behind the wicketkeeper. The ball took an inside edge, hit the back leg and popped in the air for Blackwood to take a simple catch. A few balls later, Cornwall removed No. 9 Nayeem Hasan after the batsman edged a defensive shot to Blackwood at slip, earning him the five-wicket haul.From the other end, Gabriel had the last laugh over Mehidy. The allrounder fell for 57 when his attempt to drive through the off side went straight to cover for a catch. Gabriel earned another wicket to end the Bangladesh innings on 296 when he rapped No. 11 Abu Jayed on the glove, for a simple catch to gully. Bangladesh lost their last four wickets for only 15 runs in under six overs.With 21 overs to go in the day, Bangladesh started with spin and struck thrice before stumps. Brathwaite was first to go, when he tried to flick Nayeem, only for it to go to wicketkeeper Das off the gloves. Mehidy then entered the record books when he became the fastest (and youngest) Bangladesh bowler to 100 Test wickets with Shayne Moseley edging to second slip. Mehidy reached the mark in 24 Tests, beating the previous record of 25, set by Taijul Islam.Islam then removed the other opener, John Campbell, late in the day in an unusual manner. As Campbell played defensively, the ball appeared to spin back after dropping on the pitch and turned back to hit the stumps.The final few minutes saw Bonner and nightwatchman Warrican trying to survive with soft hands. Bangladesh surrounded the batsmen with as many players as they could, but there was no further damage.

Jinnah Government Degree College, Karachi dominated the Red Bull Campus Cricket National final to beat University of Central Punjab, Lahore by 17 runs to make the World Finals being played in Dehradun on October 19

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2015Jinnah Government Degree College from Karachi dominated the Red Bull Campus Cricket National final and beat Lahore-based University of Central Punjab by 17 runs on June 7, to make the World Finals of the event being held in Dehradun on October 19.Ali Tipu, UCP’s captain, won the toss and opted to field on a spin-friendly track. Their opponents were off to a strong start and openers Hamza Ghanchi and Shahzar Khan added 36 runs for the first wicket.Ghanchi’s dismissal in the sixth over produced a top-order collapse, as they lost three wickets for just 15 runs.Shahzar then found able support from Qadir Khan and the duo rebuilt the innings with intelligent rotation of the strike. They added 33 runs for the fourth wicket.Shahzar was dismissed after completing his fifty. The lower-order failed to provide much resistance and fell cheaply. JGDC managed just 119 in their innings.In reply, UCP were off to a shaky start with the bat and lost opener Junaid Ali, for just four, in the first over.His opening-partner Tamour Sultan looked composed and refused to hand over the initiative. He smashed four fours and two sixes in his quickfire 48-ball 54.However, the other batsmen failed and managed just 27 runs between them. Sultan’s dismissal in the 16th over ended any chances of a UCP recovery. They fell 17-runs short of the target.JGDC celebrations lasted long after the final wicket fell. Ghanchi collected the glittering winner’s trophy from Faisal Khan, Red Bull’s Country Head.Ghanchi’s team will look to maintain their winning ways in Dehradun when they compete against some of the best campus-cricket teams from around the world.

The experienced keeper-batsman won’t be travelling to Pakistan for any of the three legs of Bangladesh’s tour

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2020Mushfiqur Rahim has confirmed that he will not be travelling to Pakistan. His family’s concern made the decision for him, he said, and he will not be playing in any of the three legs of Bangladesh’s upcoming series in Pakistan.*He had turned down a Pakistan Super League (PSL) contract for the same reason, Rahim said. “I have already said I wouldn’t go to Pakistan. I have decided it long ago and informed the board. I have submitted a letter too. My family is worried, and they don’t want me to go.”There’s no bigger sin for me than not playing for Bangladesh. But I had denied an offer to play in the PSL after knowing that the tournament will be entirely held in Pakistan. My family didn’t agree with it.”Bangladesh’s tour to Pakistan was confirmed on January 14, after much negotiation between the PCB and BCB. While the BCB had initially said it would only tour Pakistan for T20Is but not for the scheduled Tests due to its security concerns, the two boards eventually drew up a plan by which Bangladesh visit Pakistan over three legs – first, for three T20Is between January 24 and 27, then for the first Test from February 7 to 11, and finally for one ODI and one more Test between April 3 and 9.Rahim did not rule out playing in Pakistan in the future. “I agree that things have improved in Pakistan, but I will gain confidence when I see teams going there for the next two years,” he said. “I have been to Pakistan before, it is a great place to play cricket.”The Bangladesh T20I squad, for the three-match series starting on January 24, is likely to be announced on Saturday.*

CoA chairman Vinod Rai has stated he did not have the “foggiest idea” about the total breakdown in talks between Indian captain Virat Kohli and former India coach Anil Kumble

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2017If there is one thing Vinod Rai, the chairman of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), has learned from the chaotic episode that led to the appointment of Ravi Shastri as India coach, it is to not take “anyone at face value” in the BCCI. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Rai said the CoA did not have the “foggiest idea” about the total breakdown in talks between Indian captain Virat Kohli and former India coach Anil Kumble, which eventually forced the latter to step down; statements that reveal the extent of the lack of communication and trust between the various power centers running Indian cricket.According to Rai, the CoA was not informed originally about Kumble’s contract being valid for a year. And by the time they were told, it was “late” and they were left with just one choice: to put in place a process to pick a new coach. “The only thing it has taught me is that I shouldn’t have taken anyone on face value,” Rai said about the way the BCCI works. “I did not know about the conditions of Kumble’s contract that it was one year. I did not have the foggiest idea of whether there was any dissonance between the coach and the team in the dressing room. At the late time that we got to know it was only fair that we follow a process to bring about either a change or extend Kumble. It was quite evident that there was disharmony in the dressing room and that the team could not continue with it.”The BCCI advertised twice for a new coach, first on May 25 and then when Kumble stepped down immediately after the Champions Trophy in June. Shastri didn’t apply the first time, thinking that Kumble’s reappointment was a done deal. In fact, Kumble had applied for the job as soon as the first advertisement came out despite the BCCI telling him that he was a “direct entry” into the shortlist. But as soon as he realised his relationship with Kohli had become “untenable” Kumble stepped down.Shastri was one of five candidates the three-man Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) interviewed on July 10. Initially, the CAC – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – sought time to deliberate on their final choice. However, Rai intervened and asked the BCCI to announce the new coach immediately. Shastri, who the CAC felt was the “best choice”, was promptly unveiled by the BCCI as the new coach till the 2019 World Cup.The saga did not end there though. The BCCI media release to formalise Shastri’s appointment added that Zaheer Khan would be the side’s bowling consultant while Rahul Dravid would be the batting consultant on overseas Test tours. The two were finalised by the CAC, acting on the belief that it had been given a carte blanche by the BCCI and CoA in appointing the coaching staff.But Rai clarified their ambit did not stretch to support staff appointments. “The CAC was not created by us, it was already in existence,” he said. “And I had total faith in all the CAC members. They were supposed to choose the coach, which they did. Fair enough. They had full authority to choose the coach. But after choosing the coach they have given us two more consultants, which is not the normal pattern.”A CAC member told ESPNcricinfo last week that Shastri, Kohli and the BCCI were all kept in the loop over the appointments of the consultants. But Rai stressed that the CAC could only recommend and that the final authority to appoint remained with the CoA.To that end, the CoA formed a four-member committee to finalise Shastri’s coaching staff. The committee met Shastri in Mumbai on Tuesday and retained the existing pair of Sanjay Bangar (assistant coach), R Sridhar (fielding coach) and brought back Bharat Arun as the bowling coach. These three, Shastri said, would be his “core” set of coaches. Shastri also said he had spoken both to Dravid and Zaheer and welcomed them to provide “inputs” as and when they wanted. In doing so, Rai argued that neither the CoA nor the BCCI had u-turned.When asked whether the CoA actually needed to be involved in the coach appointment process, Rai said there was nobody else the Supreme Court had given authority to. “Otherwise who would do it? The CEO? But we supervise the CEO. Left to myself, I don’t want to be involved in any of these issues, but if it lands in our lap what do we do? The Supreme Court order says the CoA will supervise the administration of the BCCI through the CEO. It also mentions that on the CoA taking charge, the existing office bearers shall also function subject to the supervision and control of the CoA. Hence, we do have to assume the responsibility.”For the rest of the CoA’s tenure, Rai has decided to conduct all meetings in future in the presence of three BCCI office bearers. “Henceforth, I have said all CoA meetings will also be attended by the BCCI office bearers. I did that because I take them along and also not give an opportunity to say that we took a decision behind their back and all that. As it is we have been transparent by putting out the minutes of our meetings on the BCCI website. I don’t need to hide anything from them while I take the benefit of their presence to help us sort out matters.”

WBBL technical committee had not approved Hayley Silver-Holmes’ return to squad but she was listed in starting XI

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2020Cricket Australia are investigating the Sydney Sixers after they included Hayley Silver-Holmes in their playing XI to face the Melbourne Renegades at North Sydney Oval on Saturday without the pace bowler being part of their 15-member squad.Silver-Holmes had been recovering from a foot injury over the previous two weeks and had been replaced in the squad by Alisha Bates. Having recovered to play Saturday’s match against the Renegades, she was listed in the starting XI, but her return to the squad had not yet been approved by the tournament’s technical committee.The “administrative error”, which the Sixers alerted officials to themselves, was only spotted shortly before she was due to take the field for the second innings and she was withdrawn with Maddy Darke acting as a substitute fielder. Silver-Holmes had not batted during the Sixers’ innings, so she had not taken any active part in the game.”The rebel WBBL is aware of an administrative error pertaining to player selection in the Sydney Sixers-Melbourne Renegades match on Saturday,” a Cricket Australia statement said.”The Sixers self-reported an issue relating to Hayley Silver-Holmes’ paperwork shortly after the Sixers-Renegades game had commenced. Silver-Holmes did not bat nor take the field for the Renegades’ run-chase. The rebel WBBL will provide an update on the matter in due course.”It meant the Sixers were a bowler short as they failed to defend 166 and although captain Ellyse Perry was still able to call on seven others, they were not able to stop Lizelle Lee and Courtney Webb steering a fine chase.The defeat left the Sixers with only a slim chance of making the semi-finals with one match left on Sunday and needing the Sydney Thunder or the Perth Scorchers to lose, then having to beat the table-topping Melbourne Stars by a big margin to improve their net run-rate.

Chasing 345, Sussex folded for 163 with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Anuj Dal and Matt Critchley each taking three wickets

ECB Reporters Network18-Sep-2019Derbyshire 138 (Wiese 4-18) and 437 (Reece 184, Godleman 106, Robinson 5-88) beat Sussex 231 (van Zyl 60, Reece 5-63) and 163 (Critchley 3-9, Dal 3-11, Hudson-Prentice 3-36) by 181 runsDerbyshire ended a run of three Championship defeats with a 181-run victory over Sussex that put paid to the visitors’ promotion hopes.Chasing a tough target of 345, Sussex folded against a depleted Derbyshire attack and were dismissed for 163 with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Anuj Dal and Matt Critchley each taking three wickets.Ollie Robinson had given them hope with 5 for 88 and Reece Topley claimed 4 for 58 after Derbyshire lost their last eight wickets for 77 to be bowled out for 437, but that was soon snuffed out as the home side celebrated with more than 24 overs left in the day.The damage to Sussex’s prospects was inflicted on day two but at least the visitors responded with a vastly improved performance with the ball lead by Robinson. He ran in with intent to take the first five wickets before Topley polished off the tail to leave Sussex with a slim chance of pulling off the win they needed.Their chase was made easier in theory by an injury to seamer Tony Palladino but Sussex could not put together a meaningful stand and came up well short.Robinson showed what might have been if his side had bowled with discipline at the start of Derbyshire’s second innings when he had Billy Godleman caught at second slip off the first ball of the day. Dal quickly followed, edging another that moved away late, and when Harvey Hosein fell across the crease and was lbw, the home side had lost three wickets in five overs.Critchley and Matt McKiernan quickly followed and after Leus du Plooy and Hudson-Prentice took Derbyshire’s lead towards 350, Topley completed a memorable return to championship cricket. He pinned du Plooy lbw and tempted Hudson-Prentice into a pull to deep midwicket before an inswinging yorker accounted for Dustin Melton.Sussex knew time was not a factor and the wicket had flattened out but although several players got a start, none of them could play the substantial innings required.Luke Wells was athletically caught at square leg by McKiernan and Will Beer played around his front pad to be lbw to Dal.Phil Salt had flirted with danger numerous times before he steered Dal to fist slip and Delray Rawlins fell to a loose shot for the second time in the match in the penultimate over before tea.Sussex’s fate was settled when Hudson-Prentice had Stiaan Van Zyl and David Wieise caught behind off successive balls, leaving Ben Brown to watch helplessly as his side subsided meekly to the leg-spin of Critchley.

He secured over 96% of the votes in his constituency as part of a landslide victory for Awami League

Mohammad Isam31-Dec-2018Mashrafe Mortaza has secured the Narail-2 seat in Bangladesh’s national elections, winning over 96% of the votes in his constituency. His result is part of Awami League’s landslide victory, their third consecutive win in the country’s general elections. He becomes the first active international cricketer to be a member of parliament in his country.Mashrafe had started campaigning on December 22, later than most candidates during this election, as he was nursing a hamstring injury after the Bangladesh-West Indies ODI series ended on December 14. He will now shift his focus back to cricket, with the 20-over Bangladesh Premier League set to begin on January 5 next year. He will be leading defending champions Rangpur Riders in the competition.Immediately after the BPL, Bangladesh will travel to New Zealand for three ODIs and three Tests. Bangladesh will then play an ODI tri-series in Ireland as part of their build-up for the World Cup in England.Mashrafe had officially entered politics in November when he received confirmation of his nomination from Awami League. Besides Mashrafe, Naimur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first Test captain, and BCB president Nazmul Hassan also won seats in Manikganj-1 and Kishoreganj-6 respectively for Awami League.

His 127-run stand with No. 9 Saifuddin set the tone for a competitive score before their spinners applied the choke

The Report by Mohammad Isam21-Oct-2018Bangladesh 271-8 (Imrul 144, Saifuddin 50, Jarvis 4-37) beat Zimbabwe 243-9 (Williams 50*, Mehidy 3-46) by 28 runsImrul Kayes raises his bat after reaching a hundred•AFP

Imrul Kayes’ career-best 144 powered Bangladesh to a 28-run win over Zimbabwe in the first ODI. The visitors squandered a golden opportunity to control the game when they had the home side cornered at 139 for 6 in the 30th over. Imrul and Mohammad Saifuddin chose that moment to put on a record 127-run seventh-wicket stand to pull Bangladesh to 271-8 in 50 overs, before the spinners applied the choke in time-honoured fashion, as the home team took a one-nil lead in the three-match series.Imrul was involved in three crucial stands, the last of which was a rescue act that turned a difficult position into a dominant one. Bangladesh had lost two wickets in the first six overs when Liton Das and debutant Fazle Mahmud fell in the same Tendai Chatara over. Imrul and Mushfiqur Rahim then added 49 runs for the third wicket to revive the innings.After Mushfiqur fell in the 15th over, Imrul and Mohammad Mithun batted in a higher gear to add 71 runs for the fourth wicket. Mithun struck three sixes and a four in his 37 off 40 balls but then Kyle Jarvis, bowling his third spell, removed Mithun, Mahmudullah and Mehidy Hasan in the space of 13 balls.The 2 for 3 collapse should have been the end of Bangladesh’s positive approach but Imrul and Mohammad Saifuddin did not consume too many deliveries to first steady the innings, and then up the ante, in the last ten overs that saw the home team add 85. Saifuddin’s maiden ODI fifty included three fours and a six and came off 69 balls. Imrul, on the other hand, chose his moments to buckle down and attack.He reached his half century in 64 balls but picked up pace thereafter, getting the next 50 at a run-a-ball. His last 44 runs came even quicker, at a strike-rate of exactly 200, which was a consequence of the five fours and three sixes he hammered during that period.For Zimbabwe, Jarvis led the way with the ball, finishing with four for 37, while Chatara took three wickets. Till the 40th over, Zimbabwe had done splendidly but all the good work came a cropper in the final ten, not helped in the slightest by a couple of dropped catches and misfields on the boundary.With 272 to get, Hamilton Masakadza and Cephas Zhuwao gave Zimbabwe early impetus. Zhuwao struck three fours in the first five overs before he slammed Mehidy Hasan for a massive six that landed well beyond the long-on boundary. But with his first ball, Mustafizur Rahman forced his way through Zhuwao’s defensive prod, ending his cameo on 35.In the face of consistent bowling from the home side, Zimbabwe imploded thereafter. Either side of Masakadza’s needless run-out, Nazmul Islam produced stunning deliveries to dismiss Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza.With a classic left-arm spinner’s delivery that pitched on off and middle, Nazmul hit Taylor’s off stump as the batsman pushed forward to defend. Raza was undone by a ripper that turned sharply, beating him on the back foot, and hitting his off stump as well. Both wickets were followed by the customary serpentine celebration.By this time, the match had all but slipped out of Zimbabwe’s grip. Bangladesh continued to dictate terms as Zimbabwe lost more wickets and fell so far behind the required run-rate that even a 67-run ninth wicket stand between Sean Williams – who remained unbeaten on a 58-ball 50 – and Jarvis was not enough to save them from a 28-run defeat.