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Kings XI Punjab walloped Northern Knights by 120 runs to storm into the semi-finals of the CLT20 with three wins in three

The Report by Siddarth Ravindran26-Sep-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
In 11 innings for Kings XI Punjab this year, Manan Vohra has reached at least 25 on ten occasions•BCCIIf you wanted to see how diverse Twenty20 games get, you should have got yourself a ticket to the double-header in Mohali on Friday. First the Barbados Tridents and Cape Cobras played out a Super Over thriller, after which Kings XI Punjab walloped Northern Knights by 120 runs – the biggest win in six seasons of the CLT20 – to storm into the semi-finals.Kings XI lived up to their billing as a bunch of power-hitters as batsman after batsman clouted boundary after boundary to run up a total of 215. The openers Manan Vohra and Virender Sehwag set the tone with a high-octane 102-run stand, with David Miller rounding off the innings with an 18-ball 40. Knights’ biggest strength was their new-ball opening pair, but Trent Boult and Tim Southee had combined figures of 8-0-93-0 on the day.In the face of a massive target, Knights’ batting rolled over for 95. Only someone desperate to “take the positive out of it” would point to it being a marginal improvement over the 92 Knights folded for in their previous game. Knights captain Daniel Flynn was more forthright, “We got found out today,” was his assessment.At no stage of the game were Kings XI second best. Vohra began with successive boundaries in the first over, showing the same irresistable form that has fetched him ten scores of 25 or more in the 11 innings since he got his chance midway through the IPL season. All through, he has shown that he isn’t fazed by the quality of the opposition bowlers, and today was no different as Boult and Southee couldn’t find a way past his made-for-Twenty20 batting.Vohra outpaced Sehwag during their stand and Kings XI’s run-rate never dipped below 10. Sehwag revealed he had promised to give Vohra one of his bats if the 21-year-old hit a century. Vohra was zooming towards the mark, with consecutive sixes off Ish Sodhi taking him to 65 as early as the ninth over. The third ball was short, and seemed set to go over the rope once more, but Vohra picked out deep midwicket. After the game, Sehwag hoped Vohra would get the bat next match.There was a brief lull after that wicket, but Sehwag powered on to his half-century before Miller took over. He caned Scott Styris for 19 in the penultimate over to bring up the 200 as Kings XI showed that even with Glenn Maxwell, Thisara Perera and George Bailey only making small contributions they could still post a mammoth total. “We ticked off the KPIs (key performance indicators) as a batting group,” Bailey said.Knights never looked like they had the necessary firepower for the chase, even with the inclusion of an extra batsman in Daniel Harris. What slim chances they had became even slimmer once Kane Williamson departed attempting a ramp shot, and Anton Devcich was caught off a reverse-sweep. Maxwell’s direct hit ran out the experienced Styris, before the spinners took over on a surface providing them a little help. Legspinner Karanveer Singh picked up four as Knights’ lower order keeled over without a fight, leaving them with a horrendous net run-rate which virtually rules them out of the semi-final race.

Former England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones has signed a two-year contract with Gloucestershire and will captain the side in first-class cricket next season

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-2014Former England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones has signed a two-year contract with Gloucestershire and will captain the side in first-class cricket next season. Jones is expected to play as a specialist batsman and assumes the captaincy due to Michael Klinger’s absence for the first part of 2015.Jones, an Ashes winner who played 34 Tests and 49 ODIs for England, was recently released by Kent after losing his place to Sam Billings. He spent time on loan with Gloucestershire during the 2014 season, playing in three Championship and two T20 matches, and was identified by director of cricket John Bracewell as the man to provide cover for Klinger, who has been captain in all formats since joining in 2013.”With Michael Klinger not re-joining us until June next year, Geraint will captain the team in four-day cricket for the 2015 season. We have spoken to Michael about that and he is comfortable with it,” Bracewell said. “We intend using Geraint as a batsman and his presence on the field will be invaluable in offering advice and assistance to our young bowling attack.”Jones last played for England in 2006 but has since represented Papua New Guinea, the country of his birth. He has scored 8615 first-class runs, including 15 hundreds, at an average of 32.50 and his arrival will add to Gloucestershire’s batting strength after the departures of Alex and Will Gidman. Jones’ wicketkeeping experience means he can also provide back-up for Gloucestershire’s two regular glovemen, Gareth Roderick and Cameron Herring.”Firstly, I’d like to thank Kent County Cricket Club for the fantastic 15 seasons I spent with them,” Jones said. “I learnt a huge amount there and without the opportunities they gave me I never would have had the career that I have.”Following an enjoyable month on loan with Gloucestershire during 2014, I am excited to be joining the club on a full-time basis and for the challenges that lie ahead. They have a great set up here and I am looking forward to taking on the role as four-day captain and to working in tandem with Michael Klinger. This is a young and talented squad and I relish the opportunity of working with them and to playing a part in their future development.”I also look forward to working with John Bracewell and his coaching team. They impressed me greatly during my loan period so the chance to work full time with them I know will have big benefits.”

The Pakistan-New Zealand T20s may lack immediate context but will provide both team’s fringe players an opportunity to make a case for World Cup selection

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy03-Dec-2014Match factsDec 4, 2014
Start time 20:00 local (16:00 GMT)0:52

Teams set for Twenty20 bout

Big pictureIt is a strange time to be playing an international Twenty20. Winning this series of two back-to-back matches will provide only a fleeting sense of satisfaction to the players, and will serve in no way towards any build-up to a larger T20 agenda – the next World T20 is in 2016. With the ODI World Cup looming, though, it provides an opportunity to tinker with combinations and give a chance to a fringe player or two.In all, nine players in the two squads have played in fewer than 15 limited-overs games for their national teams. For most of them, the T20s are perhaps their final chance to bring themselves into contention for the World Cup. Teams are unlikely to punt on untested talent at a World Cup, but if places do open up, it will help to have scored a blistering 70-odd in a reasonably recent T20 game.For Pakistan, the T20s also allow them to ease a set of senior players back into international cricket after breaks of varying lengths. Umar Gul last played for Pakistan during the World T20 in April, with a recurring knee injury keeping him out for long stretches. He has played plenty of domestic cricket since then, though, including a set of four-day games, and will be eager to remind everyone that he’s still around and still a top-class bowler. The same is true of Wahab Riaz, who is fit again after suffering a knee injury during the ODIs against Australia. Opener Ahmed Shehzad, meanwhile, will be playing for the first time since suffering a minor skull fracture during the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi.Kane Williamson will lead a New Zealand without regular captain Brendon McCullum, as well as new-ball regulars Tim Southee and Trent Boult, who are all resting to prepare for the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. Unlike Pakistan, who have named separate squads, the same set of players will play both the T20Is and ODIs for New Zealand, and therein lies the chance for someone like Anton Devcich or Adam Milne to leave a hard-to-forget impression.Form guide(last five completed games, most recent first)
Pakistan LLWWL
New Zealand LWLWLIn the spotlightAfter being dropped from the third ODI against Australia, Umar Akmal played no part in Pakistan’s resurgence in their Test series against Australia and New Zealand. Instead, he went back to domestic cricket, and struggled for runs, failing to score a single half-century in 11 first-class innings in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. His form is a concern for Pakistan, and they will hope the sight of international opposition can spark him back to his fluent best.Since his last appearance for New Zealand in January, Adam Milne has been repeatedly sidelined by injury. Back in the squad now, he has hinted that he’s back to his furious best with the ball during New Zealand A’s tour of the UAE, running through the tail to finish with a five-for against Ireland on Monday.Team newsWith Sohaib Maqsood injured and Umar Amin dropped, Pakistan will have to make middle-order changes to the eleven that played the one-off T20 against Australia. Mohammmad Hafeez will probably take one of the two spots, and Sarfraz Ahmed should come into the side and take the keeping gloves off Umar Akmal.Pakistan (possible) 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Awais Zia, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Saad Nasim, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Anwar Ali/Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Raza Hasan, 11 Mohammad IrfanThe last time New Zealand played a T20 game was during their tour of the West Indies, where they didn’t name a separate squad and simply made do with their Test players. It’s hard to tell what combination they are likely to go with in Dubai, therefore, and it will be interesting to see if they persist with James Neesham at the top of the order.New Zealand (possible) 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 James Neesham, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Adam MilneStats and trivia The top three wicket-takers in international T20 are all from Pakistan – Saeed Ajmal (85), Umar Gul (80) and Shahid Afridi (78). Nathan McCullum (52) is the only New Zealand bowler with more than 50 T20I wickets. Pakistan have only won one of their last seven matches at the Dubai International Stadium.Quotes”Any time you represent your country is an honour and a privilege, so there’s very much focus going into these T20 games [but] I suppose there is that World Cup in the back of everyone’s mind, and one-day cricket is a priority for most teams.”

A round-up of the Ranji Trophy 2014-15 Group C matches played on December 28, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Dec-2014
ScorecardFile photo – India Under-19 batsman Ankush Bains scored his maiden first-class hundred•BCCIIndia Under-19 batsman Ankush Bains made his maiden first-class century to lead a solid showing from Himachal Pradesh against Assam in Guwahati. Bains and Akash Vasisht put on 87 for the opening stand after Himachal chose to bat. Abu Nechim provided the hosts the breakthrough in the 35th over when he had Vasisht caught behind for 30. Ankit Kalsi could not hang around for long but Paras Dogra did. Dogra and Bains batted for the rest of the day, adding an unbroken 180 in 46 overs. While Dogra was unbeaten on 76 at stumps, Bains had stretched his score to 156 in his sixth first-class match. The opener faced 282 deliveries and hit 12 fours and a six.
ScorecardSeventeen-year old Virat Singh scored his maiden first-class hundred as well to steer Jharkhand to 246 for 6 against Kerala in Dhanbad. The hosts’ openers Ishan Kishan (36) and Rameez Nemat (44) gave them a solid platform with a partnership of 70 but the middle order could not build on that. Jharkhand’s key batsmen Saurabh Tiwary and Ishank Jaggi fell cheaply, and the score went from 112 for 1 to 131 for 4. Kumar Deobrat (24) got a start but could not carry on. At the other end, Virat faced 238 deliveries and hit 12 fours and two sixes to reach his hundred in the company of Kaushal Singh. Kerala, though, dismissed Virat off what turned out to be the last ball of the day.
ScorecardSeamer Rana Dutta followed up his five-for in Tripura’s previous game with his best haul of 6 for 57 as the hosts reduced Goa to 234 for 8 in Agartala. Goa were placed strongly on 89 for 1 after being asked to bat before Dutta ripped through their line-up. He took the next six wickets to fall as Goa slipped to 174 for 7, soon to become 183 for 8. Opener Amogh Desai contributed 60 before he became Dutta’s third victim. Reagan Pinto propped up Goa with an unbeaten 78, and his unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 51 with Amit Yadav had the visitors in sight of 250 after the 66 overs possible in the day.
ScorecardLegspinner Akash Bhandari took four wickets before No. 8 Deepak Punia’s unbeaten fifty helped Services recover to 235 for 7 in Hyderabad against the hosts. Services chose to bat and Soumik Chatterjee (70) and Nakul Verma (27) took their side to a healthy score of 85 for 1. Bhandari broke that partnership with the wicket of Verma. Services could not manage any decent stand after that and slipped to 161 for 7. Key batsmen Rajat Paliwal (14) and Yashpal Singh (27) could not push on from their starts; the latter was bowled by Bhandari. Punia and Abhishek Sakuja prevented further damage with an unbeaten 74-run stand. Punia struck three fours and four sixes in his 61, while Sakuja survived 79 balls for his 18.

West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree has been ruled out of the Big Bash League due to an issue with his shoulder, for which he will undergo surgery

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2014West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree has been ruled out of the Big Bash League due to an issue with his shoulder, for which he will undergo surgery. Badree was set to turn out for Brisbane Heat in the Australian Twenty20 league, which begins on Thursday.”It is very unfortunate for Samuel, who was looking forward to playing in the BBL with us and would have been an exciting player to watch for our fans. We wish him a speedy and successful recovery,” Heat general manager Andrew Blucher said.Badree’s injury means former England allrounder Andrew Flintoff and New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori will be the Heat’s only two international signings this year. Flintoff, in Badree’s absence, will play the entire BBL season; he was initially set to play only the latter half, as the BBL rules allow each team only two international players at a time.Heat coach Stuart Law said he will look to play Flintoff as much as possible. “It is a pretty clear case that we need a new-ball option, which we thought we had with Samuel,” Law told . “We are definitely now looking at Fred [Flintoff] playing in as many games as we can. The chances are he will now play 90% of our games, if not all of them. I would say he will play in our opening game, he is certainly fit and ready to play.”

Stuart Broad is coming off a long break from one-day internationals in Australia and is so far wicketless in three matches but is not concerned and believes England have a strong attack forming

Sidharth Monga in Perth28-Jan-2015The last time Stuart Broad played an ODI before this triangular series fielders were not allowed to move laterally while anticipating a reverse sweep, bowlers were allowed to pause in their delivery stride, Saeed Ajmal and Sunil Narine were still legal bowlers, and Paul Farbrace hadn’t yet caused furore by leaving Sri Lanka for a job with England weeks before Sri Lanka travelled to England. And Broad had the new ball.The world has changed now. Chris Woakes has taken the new-ball duties, and Broad has been the weakest link in England’s attack. He has gone at 6.26 an over, and is yet to take a wicket in three matches. He believes, though, that he has been going all right, and it is only a matter of time before the wickets column is populated.”I had a good time myself working on one-day skills, and actually I feel like I have delivered my plan okay,” Broad said when asked if it has been difficult to come back after a long layoff. “I’ve obviously not taken the wickets that I want to but I feel like I’m actually delivering what’s in my mind. The way one-day cricket is now, wickets will come to you in a short time. You’ve seen a few sliced off to point and a few slower balls get hit straight up. When it’s your day, it’s your day and you’ve got to cash in.”Broad sorry for tweet; wasn’t aimed at KP

Stuart Broad has clarified his controversial and now deleted tweet regarding minimum wages was not aimed at Kevin Pietersen, who had recently spoken with certain disdain about low earners on the English county scene. Broad also said that the hash tag “#stay#humble” was aimed at himself. Broad had tweeted: “I’ve heard if you earn minimum wage in England you’re in the top 10% earners in the world. #stay #humble.”

A few days earlier, Pietersen had sparked controversy when he seemingly ran down the county circuit by saying, “All the muppets who are on £18 grand, £15 grand, either you become better or you go and do something else. The best players would play against each other week in week out. That’s how you become better.”

After England’s training session at the WACA, Broad sought to clarify his tweet. “No,” he said when asked if it was aimed at Pietersen. “To back him up a little bit he does use that word [muppet] a little bit, even about himself sometimes.

“It’s a very important role in cricket, that development role. No one’s going to start on big wages or top wages, you have to earn your stripes. I think that [15000-18000] is actually below the minimum cap anyway so he’s a bit off the mark. I don’t think he meant any offence by them but just a little bit misguided I think.”

Broad said he was genuinely amazed by the discovery he had made about the wages, and didn’t mean to offend anybody. “I was genuinely fascinated by the size of the world,” he said. “If you saw that one you saw my two after it, clarifying my position if I offended anyone. It was genuinely innocent, sorry to offend anyone if anyone did take offence to it.

“I was genuinely surprised… I heard that stuff and I was quite surprised. What amazed me was the size of the world really. Genuinely there wasn’t much in it. If you saw the main tweet then I put two out, in the middle of the night. I didn’t mean any offence. The hashtag was aimed at myself. Maybe I misjudged it a bit. Hopefully that will die down a bit.”

Broad conceded, though, that he has been releasing the pressure too often. “Four-and-a-half months is quite a decent layoff,” he said. “You grow within each game. Realistically I have bowled one too many bad ball each spell. A cheap four. In one-day cricket you can’t afford to do that.”But also I know as a player I do go through these little periods where I don’t pick up wickets in a couple of games, and then I take a handful. Hopefully come semi-final final time at the World Cup and it will be my chance to shine.”Broad said he would love the new ball again, but he is happy with the current challenge. “You do like taking the new ball,” he said. “It’s the best time to bowl and the best time to get wickets and set the tone. But I’m happy with my role. It is a tough role, bowling first-change. You come on seven-eight overs in, and they are having a dart and the ball is not doing anything. It is quite tough.”With the balance of the four seamers, using the taller bowlers to try and hit the wicket in that period is a good option. We did it in 2008 when Harmy [Steve Harmison] came out of retirement, and it seemed to work for us. I’m quite happy doing that, just need to find a way to get wickets.”In the time that Broad has been away, Woakes has developed in Sri Lanka and at the start of this trip while Steven Finn his best since before the career crisis he suffered in Australia last year. Broad praised Woakes, but especially pleased for Finn.”The biggest one I have seen is the change in confidence in Finny,” he said. “The way he has been around the group. He is more chirpy. His head’s up a lot more. At nets he looks a lot clearer what he is working on. Great to see him get the five-for at Brisbane. Just rewards for how he has been feeling.”Broad does not feel four quicks is one too many, and also believes there is enough variety among them although you would ideally want a left-arm quick in there with their impact on World Cups being significant. Only one squad, West Indies in 1979, did not include a left-armer although Brendon Julian played a limited role for Australia in 1999 and Nathan Bracken did not play a match in 2003 before having a key role four years later.”One-day cricket you have to dovetail a little bit,” Broad said. Not everyone is going to have their day each day. You have to come to the party when you are feeling good that day. All of us are slightly different. As long as we can keep an attacking mindset we will be dangerous. As long as we don’t try to protect ourselves, let’s keep trying to get a slip in, keep trying to take wickets, that’s the only way to go out there.”Teams have won World Cups without left-armers, [but] you can see even just from T20 stats, left-armers have got records in white-ball cricket. Every team would want one in their team. But I think we have enough variety with different heights, each of us has a slightly different slower ball, that sort of thing. We are just looking forward to putting a complete game together. Our fielding has been awesome. Just need the batting and the bowling to come to the party at the same time.”The last time Broad played before this series also happens to be the time England won two matches in a row in one series. He was aware that back-to-back wins have been rare, but was a little surprised to learn it has not happened since March 2014 in West Indies. How he will be hoping that is another change over this Friday and Sunday.

Allrounder Yuvraj Singh, who on Monday became Indian Premier League’s costliest-ever buy by going for a whopping Rs 16 crore ($2.67 million) to Delhi Daredevils, said that he was happy to be playing again under former India coach Gary Kirsten

PTI16-Feb-2015Allrounder Yuvraj Singh, who on Monday became Indian Premier League’s costliest-ever buy by going for a whopping Rs 16 crore ($2.67 million) to Delhi Daredevils, said that he was happy to be playing again under former India coach Gary Kirsten.”I was sleeping when the auction was going on. I came to know of this only when some guests came to my house and told me the good news. The best part is I am going to play under Kirsten. I had my best years under him and hopefully I can repeat that with Delhi,” Yuvraj said, after he was bought for the record sum at the IPL 2015 player auction in Bangalore.Kirsten, who was present at the auction along with top team officials, said that his franchise had come prepared to go all out bidding for Yuvraj.”You want to know that throughout the season you have various combinations to fall back on. I think we learned from last year that if we want a player we need to push hard for him. Hence we were prepared to go all the way with Yuvraj and it’s great for the player as well,” the South African said.”Yuvraj can add good value to the side. We don’t know, it’s always the thing with the auction. At last year’s auction we thought we had a good team. Tough space the auction, trying to go on with the players who think can make a difference,” he added.Delhi Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua said Yuvraj would fill in the gap of having an icon player in the IPL side and the sponsors would like it.”We did not expect Yuvraj to go for that price. Yes, he is a very valuable asset. More than cricket, he brings in charisma. He brings in brand role to the team, and I am sure the sponsors would like that. I think we were lacking some form of an icon player in our team,” he said.Dua said they wanted Yuvraj in the team as he brings in lot of talent in the team with a good domestic season behind him this year.”We wanted him definitely. He brings lot of talent in the team and the combination we have. I think he is hungry and wants to play. He has had a good domestic season,” he said.”From the perspective of the team think-tank, I think the three buys we have got – Yuvraj, Angelo Mathews and Amit Mishra – they all fit in the team combination,” Dua said, adding that the captaincy issue will be decided by coach Kirsten.Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody said his side wanted former England captain Kevin Pietersen, who was bought for a base price of Rs 2 crore ($330,00), even solely as a batsman.

The schedule for Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh has been confirmed with Mirpur hosting the limited overs leg, starting with the first ODI on April 17

Mohammad Isam06-Apr-2015The schedule for Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh has been confirmed with the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur set to host the limited-overs leg, starting with the first ODI on April 17. The three-match ODI series will be followed by the only T20I on April 24, after which the teams will play two Tests. The first Test begins in Khulna on April 28, while Mirpur will host the second and final Test, which begins on May 6.Tour schedule

April 13: Pakistan arrive in Dhaka

April 15: Practice match, TBC v Pakistanis, Fatullah

April 17: First ODI, Mirpur

April 19: Second ODI, Mirpur

April 22: Third ODI, Mirpur

April 24: Only T20, Mirpur

April 28-May 2: First Test, Khulna

May 6-10: Second Test, Mirpur

According to the tour itinerary released by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Pakistan will arrive in Dhaka on April 13 and will play a practice game in Fatullah on April 15 before the ODI series gets underway. The opposition for the practice match is yet to be announced.After the Pakistan government gave a green signal for the team to tour Bangladesh, there had been exchanges of schedules between the two boards. The PCB is understood to have waited on a domestic fixture before confirming the team’s arrival date in Bangladesh.Originally set for January, according to the previous FTP, the tour was deferred till April under the new touring plans drawn up by the different boards in 2014. The tour hit a further snag when the PCB demanded 50% of the tour revenue from the BCB as well as stipulating exchanges of Under-19 and A teams between the two countries back in January. The BCB called these demands “unrealistic” and after an impasse, the two sides came to an agreement in March. The two boards came to an agreement after the BCB decided to pay the PCB $325,000 as compensation.

Ambati Rayudu mixed caution with aggression to help Mumbai earn their fifth win of the season, and said his experience and growth as a batsman had helped him analyse the situation better than before

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-20152:21

‘Rayudu played smart, sensible cricket’

Ambati Rayudu has played crucial cameos under pressure for Mumbai Indians in the past and the match against Delhi Daredevils was another example. He mixed caution with aggression in his 40-ball 49 that helped Mumbai earn their fifth win of the season, and said his experience and growth as a batsman had helped him analyse the match situation much better than before.”It is not all about hitting fours and sixes, you have to play according to the situation. I think once you are a seasoned cricketer you know how to handle situations and I am happy I could do that,” Rayudu told iplt20.com. “It gives me immense happiness to come out on top. I have played quite a few innings for Mumbai like that. It is just trying to be there till the end, being calm and playing to our strengths.”Pressure brings the best out of me. I stay a lot calmer when I have a target in mind and I know how to pace an innings. I am happy that I could do it today.”The match was precariously placed when Rayudu went to bat, with Mumbai 40 for 4 in the sixth over. He was involved in two consecutive fifty-plus partnerships with Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard, which set up Mumbai’s five-wicket win.”When it came down to getting ten runs per over, all we had to do was hit one boundary an over and get singles off the remaining balls. It is exactly what we were doing till the 19th over. We wanted to leave around six or seven runs for the last over, but we left eight and at that time it was all about one boundary.”Pollard also played a significant role in the run chase with 26 off 14 balls, which included three sixes. His form has been promising this season – 259 runs at an average of 37.00 and a strike-rate of 167.09.”You just back yourself, your strengths and ability. In the last couple of games, this is the role I have been given,” Pollard said. “For me, it’s about seeing the ball and trying to hit it.”After a disastrous start to their season – losing their first four matches – Mumbai have got their campaign back on track with five wins in their last six games. “We haven’t done much differently since the start, we have been training hard,” Pollard said. “It wasn’t the ideal start for us but I think the win against Sunrisers Hyderabad helped. After we got that win, the time off before the other games was really good for us. We relaxed, did fun stuff and took our mind off from cricket. We knew what we were up against coming back into the tournament. So we are now starting to reap the benefits.”The talent was always there. It was just a matter of getting the combination and our mindset right. We are in a happy space now. We took a little time to adjust and I’m sure we can do a good job in the coming games.”

Chris Dent’s second County Championship hundred of the season ensured Gloucestershire had just the better of day one against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Press Association10-May-2015
ScorecardChris Dent’s good form continued•Getty ImagesChris Dent’s second County Championship hundred of the season ensured Gloucestershire had just the better of day one against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Dent added 116 off 247 balls to his opening round 104 not out against Northamptonshire by batting through almost 86 overs of a day which started with Geraint Jones electing to bat.Dent, the 24-year-old left-hander shared in half-century partnerships for the first four wickets. He shared 81 inside 24 overs with opening partner Will Tavare, 78 inside 28 either side of lunch with Gareth Roderick, 58 inside 16 with Peter Handscomb either side of tea and 81 inside 20 with Hamish Marshall.Tavare and Marshall added 53 and 58 apiece, while Dent and Roderick, who made 31 went beyond 4000 and 2000 first-class career runs respectively during their innings – played on a pitch with few demons.Lancashire’s new ball pair Kyle Jarvis and Peter Siddle built pressure, asked questions at either end of the day and were the pick of the bowlers. Australian Siddle only conceded 10 runs in his first seven overs, and both seamers equally shared four wickets inside the last 11 overs of the day, including one for Siddle with the fourth ball of the day’s final over.The Division Two leaders generally bowled too short or too full, with Dent’s cut and drive proving particularly prolific. Left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan took two of the seven wickets to fall as the hosts struck once in each of the first two sessions and five times after tea.Before lunch, Jordan Clark had Tavare caught behind to end Gloucestershire’s third successive opening partnership above 50. Dent and Roderick took their side beyond 150 midway through the afternoon before the latter was trapped lbw playing back to Kerrigan’s 10th ball, leaving the score at 159 for 2 in the 51st over.Kerrigan’s second wicket came in the third over of the evening, the 67th of the innings, when Handscomb miscued an attempted lofted drive, only to see Ashwell Prince complete a superb diving catch running towards long-on from mid-off. That left the visitors at 217 for 3.Bristol-born Dent reached his seventh first-class century off 199 balls shortly afterwards, with this innings his fifth score of 50 or more in first-class cricket this season.Dent and Marshall, in particular, upped the ante during their fourth-wicket stand. Marshall’s fifty came off 56 balls with 10 fours, but both fell against the second new ball as the score slipped to 298 for 5 in the 87th over. Dent was caught behind off Siddle in the 86th before Marshall fell the same way to Jarvis, who also bowled skipper Jones in the 93rd – 313 for 6. Siddle then trapped Tom Smith lbw as Lancashire ended the day on a high.”We’ve had a good day,” Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said. “I’ve just said to the lads, don’t be disheartened. We did a lot of very good things there. They bowled well in the last hour, which was tough, and they got three or four. As a general rule, we fought hard there.”We need to add to that score in the morning. We’ve just spoken about getting as many as we can first innings and then we’ll see. History suggests it spins here later in the game, so there should be a bit there for Tom.”