Clarke decisive in low-scoring tussle

Fast improving Warwickshire registered their third Friends Life t20 victory in a row when beating Midlands/Wales/West group leaders Northamptonshire by three wickets at Edgbaston

20-Jul-2013
ScorecardRikki Clarke was the difference between the sides•Getty Images

Fast improving Warwickshire registered their third Friends Life t20 victory in a row when beating Midlands/Wales/West group leaders Northamptonshire by three wickets at Edgbaston.For a long time it seemed that Northamptonshire’s flimsy-looking total of 111 might be too good for Warwickshire as a tense, low-scoring contest unfolded on a sluggish pitch.David Willey put them on the back foot with wickets from the last two balls of the third over and they were seriously wobbling when William Porterfield was caught on the boundary off Steven Crook.It took the experience of Rikki Clarke – and one bad over – to keep them in contention. Clarke targeted offspinner Matthew Spriegel for three sixes in four balls, twice clearing long-off before lining up a much bigger hit to long-on.Although Willey came back to have Clarke caught at long on for 36, Northamptonshire had run out of seam options when Spriegel had to bowl the last two overs from the pavilion end. That proved to be decisive when Jeetan Patel, a player who thrives on spin bowling, smashed a six over midwicket with three balls to spare.Northamptonshire’s earlier struggle was largely caused Steffan Piolet, first with a brilliant piece of fielding and then with a spell of 3 for 24, a personal-best return in the competition.The 24-year-old all-rounder ran out Cameron White with a direct hit from mid-on when the Australian was backing up at the non-striker’s end. This meant Northamptonshire had lost their two overseas players from the first 15 balls. South African Richard Levi’s off stump was sent spinning by Clarke’s first delivery and the initial six-over power play yielded only 29 runs.A minor recovery was under way before Piolet intervened by taking his three wickets in 10 balls. The dangerous Crook holed out to long off and in the medium pacer’s last over, top scorer Kyle Coetzer fell at mid-wicket and Willey made too much room when he was bowled.Willey targeted the shortest boundary at long on for three of the five sixes in the innings but on a difficult surface for batsmen Northants were able to hit only three fours.

Carberry stars with the ball as Hants qualify

Michael Carberry, who is again interesting England with the bat, provided a turn up by starring with the ball as Hampshire booked a YB40 home semi-final

26-Aug-2013Hampshire 219 for 7 (Adams 64) beat Derbyshire 178 (Hughes 74, Wood 3-23, Carberry 3-37) by 41 runs
ScorecardMichael Carberry took three wickets as Hampshire reached the last four•Getty Images

Michael Carberry, who is again interesting England with the bat, provided a turn up by starring with the ball as Hampshire booked a home semi-final by beating Derbyshire by 41 runs in the Yorkshire Bank 40 match at Derby.Carberry took 3 for 37 with his occasional off-breaks to send Derbyshire crashing to 178 all out in the 36th over in reply to Hampshire’s 219 for 7 which was built around 64 runs from skipper Jimmy Adams.Chesney Hughes put Derbyshire on track with 74 off 80 balls but his dismissal sparked a collapse which saw the home side lose eight wickets for 56 in 13 overs.Batting was never straightforward and, although most of Hampshire’s players got in, only Adams got past 50 against a weakened Derbyshire side that was missing several key men including skipper Wayne Madsen.A slow pitch made fast scoring difficult and the only six in the innings came in the penultimate over when Dimitri Mascarenhas cleared the pavilion with a pull off left-arm spinner Tom Knight.Carberry looked in the mood to inflict serious damage until he pulled Ally Evans low to short mid-wicket in the seventh over and James Vince hit six fours in his 40 before he drove David Wainwright to long off. Wainwright bowled Neil McKenzie and when Sean Ervine was beaten by Wes Durston, Hampshire were 157 for 4 after 30 overs.When Adams was lbw to Alex Hughes two overs later, the visitors were in danger of falling short of a competitive total until Liam Dawson provided some momentum with three fours in five balls.Dawson skied Hughes to mid off going for another boundary but Mascarenhas picked up the pace with 24 off 17 balls until he holed out to mid off in the last over.Derbyshire had been well beaten by Essex on Sunday but Hughes launched the chase with some big shots in his last innings for two weeks before he flies to America to be with his partner for the birth of their first child.Hughes drove Mascarenhas back over his head for six and top-edged Chris Wood over the fine leg boundary after Durston had been caught behind for four in the fifth over.Hughes and Paul Borrington added 60 in 11 overs before Borrington was bowled stepping away to cut Danny Briggs but at the halfway point, the Falcons were well placed needing 112 from 20 overs.But the game changed when Hughes drove back a return catch to Dawson which was the first of three wickets to fall for six runs in 14 balls.Carberry bowled Billy Godleman, Richard Johnson was run out by a direct hit from Mascarenhas at backward point and the innings disintegrated against the spinners.Alex Hughes drove Carberry to mid off, Scott Elstone top edged a sweep and Wood completed the rout with two wickets in four balls to finish with 3 for 23.

Fulton keen to broaden experience

New Zealand batsman Peter Fulton has said he is looking forward to the challenge of playing in Bangladesh, his first Test series in the subcontinent

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2013New Zealand batsman Peter Fulton has said he is looking forward to the challenge of playing in Bangladesh, his first Test series in the subcontinent. New Zealand play the first of their two Tests against Bangladesh starting October 9 in Chittagong. They will also play three ODIs and a T20 on their tour.Fulton, who has played 15 Tests since his debut in 2006, has been preparing for the series by practising on worn-out tracks with his team-mate Dean Brownlie.”The good teams, the good players are able to adjust to any conditions,” Fulton told the . “That’s probably the biggest challenge you have in international cricket. All around the world, you get different conditions, different types of bowling attacks and that’s what makes it exciting. There’s always something new to come to grips with.”Fulton, who was dropped from the side in 2009, earned a Test recall in 2012 against South Africa. His comeback, however, was cut short due to injury. Fulton, however, returned with a successful domestic season, scoring 1249 runs in 23 innings at an average of 59.47 and five hundreds. He carried that form into the Test series against England in March, finishing with 347 runs in five innings at an average of 69.40, including centuries in both innings of the Auckland Test. With a busy season scheduled for New Zealand, Fulton has set his sights on cementing his place for the home Tests against India.”Hopefully that’s the plan,” Fulton said. “In terms of Tests for New Zealand over the last few years, there’s sometimes been a bit of a shortage, so it’s good to see a pretty busy Test programme and it’d be nice to be part of that.”

Suriname cap week with an upset

It was déjà vu on Saturday for Suriname and Bermuda as the South American team repeated its 2013 upset of the island nation, beating them by seven wickets at the Indianapolis World Sports Park

Peter Della Penna in Indianapolis09-May-2015It was déjà vu on Saturday for Suriname and Bermuda as the South American team repeated its 2013 upset of the island nation, beating them by seven wickets at the Indianapolis World Sports Park.Bermuda elected to bat and after losing Dion Stovell in the second over for 2, were stabilised by David Hemp and Tre Manders, the two adding 52 runs for the second wicket. However, Bermuda’s scoring rate was slow and not a single batsman had a strike rate above 100.00, the team finally ending its innings on 99 for 7.Bermuda’s modest pace was dented by Muneshwar Patandin who had Hemp stumped for 28 by wicketkeeper Khemraj Jaikaran standing up to the stumps for the medium pacer. Two balls later, Manders was caught by Troy Dudnath for 21 off Patandin. Bermuda had trouble re-establishing momentum. The only other batsman to cross double-figures was Jacobi Robinson, who made unbeaten 14 from No. 8.Wasim Akram was the main destroyer taking 3 for 15 with his spin to peg back the middle order. Akram then came out at the start of the chase with Patandin and added 60 for the first wicket to squash any chance of a Bermuda comeback.Janeiro Tucker had a hand in all three wickets for Bermuda, getting Patandin caught for 21 in the 12th before he ran out Akram from mid-on in the 13th for 39. One over later he had Gavin Singh out bowled for a two-ball duck. Suriname were 68 for 3 but held their nerve to get across the line with an over to spare.With scores level, captain Mohindra Boodram secured Suriname win with a towering six down the ground off the last ball of the 19th. Boodram finished 26 not out and added an unbeaten 35 for the fourth wicket with Shazam Ramjohn.Both teams ended the week at 1-5 but Suriname was set to be relegated back to Americas Division Two due to a vastly inferior run rate.

Craig, Williamson spin NZ to famous win

New Zealand wrapped up victory in the second Test by 199 runs with time to spare, levelling the series and extending their unbeaten run

The Report by Alan Gardner02-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMark Craig picked up three wickets on the final day as New Zealand swept England aside•Getty Images

Hearts and minds are one thing but what New Zealand really wanted to win was this Test. At Headingley, the ground where they first claimed a Test victory in England more than 30 years ago, they had to battle the weather, which took almost a day out of the game, and an England side still swaggering from their heroics at Lord’s last week.They overcame both with time to spare, having scored 804 runs at almost five an over and twice rattled through England with pace, swing and, on the final day, spin. Every member of the side contributed to their victory in the second Investec Test, one which levelled the series and preserved a two-year unbeaten run. In 54 Tests against England in England, it was only New Zealand’s fifth victory and their first of the 21st century.Mark Craig followed some lower-order slugging and immaculate slip catching with three wickets on a wearing surface, finishing England’s resistance by having Jos Buttler lbw without playing a shot. Kane Williamson also picked up three-for with his part-time offspin, after Trent Boult, the joint-leading wicket-taker on either side, had struck twice early on to set New Zealand on their way.That England extended the game into the final session was chiefly down to dogged half-centuries from Buttler and Alastair Cook. Obdurate crease occupation is Cook’s greatest strength and he absorbed 171 balls in making 56, bowing his head over the bat like a monk at prayer. Buttler showed a different side to his game by playing with admirable restraint during his lengthiest Test innings, in terms of balls faced.England had gone to lunch five down, any bravado about attempting to chase 455 scattered to the far corners of the Yorkshire Ridings. Cook was their chief hope of saving the game but he fell shortly after having become the youngest man to record 9000 Test runs – when he failed in an attempt to reverse his lbw decision against Williamson, who struck in the first over of a spell for the second time, Brendon McCullum things were going his way.Buttler made it through to tea, surviving a review for caught down the leg side off Tim Southee and a working over by Matt Henry, who followed a throat ball with one that took the outside edge and fell short of slip; Buttler also required treatment after a length delivery from Henry leapt to strike him a vicious blow on the hand. He was later doubled up by the same bowler, winded by a blow to the stomach. It was an apt representation of England’s pummelling.New Zealand had enjoyed a perfect morning, Boult and Craig taking two wickets apiece in the first hour to help New Zealand once again seize the initiative. Only a scattering of spectators had braved another icy day – despite reduced ticket prices – as the people of Yorkshire wisely decided England were not worth the investment. This was a working Tuesday, after all, and England did not get close to replicating the final-day drama served up against Sri Lanka at Headingley a year ago, never mind their Auckland rescue act against McCullum’s New Zealand in 2013.Still, for the couple of thousand in attendance as well as those watching on television screens around the world, there was much to admire in the way New Zealand went about their business, each wicket celebrated with joyous collective abandon. McCullum’s side have not lost a Test series since their last visit to England and they have won many more admirers besides for the spirit in which they approach a challenge.It made the absence of a deciding Test all the more disappointing, though both sides could take credit from the fact that no two-match series has ever enjoyed such a glut of run-scoring (not to mention 78 wickets as well).If England did intend to play positively and keep the threat of a world-record run chase in the back of Kiwi minds, it was not easy to discern. Five of the first six overs were maidens, one of which included the wicket of Adam Lyth, caught behind after nicking yet another good one from Boult. With Boult making the ball swing under grey skies and McCullum able to do much as he pleased with his fielders, England regressed into the defensive posture that has frequently cost them in recent years.Lyth was always the likelier of England’s openers to press New Zealand back with his strokeplay but his dismissal without adding to his overnight score brought the seemingly ill-at-ease Gary Ballance to the middle. Despite an attempt to counter a perceived weakness against full, swinging deliveries by batting out of his crease (before stepping back in as per his trigger movement), he was undone by the skills of Boult for the second time in the match. Lightning struck twice, this time via a full ball deflecting off the pads and into off stump.The offspinner Craig, who England dealt with brusquely at Lord’s, was able to settle into a rhythm from the Kirkstall Lane End and he gained rich reward halfway through the session, removing Ian Bell and Joe Root within the space of three deliveries.Both fell to excellent leg-side catches, though the decision making – from Bell in particular – was questionable. Having seen McCullum instruct Kane Williamson to go and stand at leg slip, Bell went back into his crease and steered the ball obligingly straight to the fielder, who scooped it off the ground with glee. Root struck his leg glance much more powerfully, only for Tom Latham’s woolly jumper to absorb the impact and his hands to gratefully clutch the ball.Root had declared on the fourth evening that England still had a chance of chasing 455 but a slim chance had become no chance by the time he was the fourth batsman out inside the first hour. England attempted the talk but it was New Zealand who walked it.

Shafiq, Sarfraz reaffirm team transition

For a team like Pakistan which is going through a transition, nothing could have been better than two relatively young batsmen staging a terrific turnaround

Umar Farooq in Galle20-Jun-2015For a team like Pakistan which is going through a transition, nothing could have been better than two relatively young batsmen staging a terrific turnaround. Pakistan were reeling at 96 for 5 on the fourth day, but Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed partnered to convert a position of worry into a commanding one by the end of the day.Pakistan’s Test team has relied on the experienced hands of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, both at the end of their respective careers. The unorthodox 96 by Sarfraz and 131 by Shafiq were therefore a reaffirmation that Pakistan’s transition was headed in the right direction.Azhar Ali, who scored a double-century in April, has already established himself at No. 3 and now the middle order is stepping up as well.Much hype surrounded Sarfraz’s absence and then the batting position during the World Cup but in Tests, he is well settled at No. 7. He demonstrated a vast range of strokes, warming up initially with quick singles before unleashing smart stokes. He became the first Pakistan wicketkeeper to score a World Cup hundred, but missed out in Galle. Still, there is much to admire about his impeccable ability to attack.”He (Sarfraz) and I had been playing together for the last many years,” Shafiq talked about his partnership with Sarfraz. “We play in the same club, department, live nearby and even practice together which actually helped us to play in a good combination. I understand his mind and he understands my style, so it works both ways. I know exactly what he is trying to do and what I should be doing to get the momentum in our combination.”When I came in, the situation was not good, but I had a belief in me that I could do it. What I had to do was to be patient with my innings. The way Sarfaraz played, he actually took away the pressure off me and let me play according to my comfort. He scored quick runs and let me play my own way and if we manage to win this match, this will be my best innings so far.”Over the last one year, Shafiq, thought to be the most technically correct batsman in Pakistan, has played many innings under pressure and has thrived in the situations.  He built his innings with control regardless of the breezy hand being played by Sarafraz from the other end.”With the loss of Younis and Misbah I knew I had to be patient and the biggest responsibility was to hold the tail together and spend as much time as I can as time was the one thing I had no issue,” Shafiq said. “Because after my fifty I knew I can convert my half-century into hundred as well so I stuck with the plan and played my part.”It was hard to find a flaw in his innings as he went on constructing his century with a lot of maturity. The innings that lasted 376 minutes included 65 singles, 17 twos, 4 threes and five fours. Apart from that, his 139-run sixth-wicket stand with Sarfraz, he stretched the Pakistan total by another 182 runs along with the tail, most notable being the 101-run stand with Zulfiqar Babar.”Since our last tour here wasn’t that good, so we had planned many things,” Shafiq said. “Some sessions might have slipped away from us but we want to take the game at the end. We might have lost our top order but idea was to hold the tail as much as I can. I knew our tail can bat out if needed and it worked. We didn’t panic and executed our plan till the end.”After taking lead and removing Kumar Sangakkara in the final hour of the day, Pakistan were in a good position to press for a win. Their bowlers had already created ample opportunities before signing off the day.”It’s still possible to get this game in our way as we are in a very good position,” Shafiq said. “The idea was to take at least two or three wickets today. We will come fresh to take them out the next day. We have already taken Sangakkara which is a huge plus for us and also their in-form batsman Silva, so we are very much in the game. “

Pink ball 'ready' for Test debut

Brett Elliot, the Kookaburra managing director, has said that the pink ball is ready for Test cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-20153:03

Archive: Iain O’Brien and Ajit Agarkar weigh in on pink balls and day-night Tests

Brett Elliot, the Kookaburra managing director, has said that the pink ball is ready for Test cricket. In 2009, the MCC made a recommendation to experiment with pink balls and since then it has been used by the ECB and CA as well.”The Kookaburra turf pink ball has been extensively tested over the past five years by the MCC, ECB, CA, and I believe the ball is ready for an international Test match,” Elliot told the . “We have also supplied a number of other ICC members like CSA and WICB, and have been equally happy with its performances at domestic level.”After staging a day-night round of Sheffield Shield matches in November, Cricket Australia is looking to provide the setting for the first day-night Test against New Zealand later this year with Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart the possible venues.Elliot has said that the pink ball is as hard as the red and white balls but an additional dye is added to improve the brightness of the ball, which is believed to promote swing as well.”To ensure the best visibility whilst also preserving the natural wear characteristics of the ball throughout the course of the game, we add additional colour to the pink ball and also the white ball. This enhances the brightness of the ball although some say also encourages early swing,” Elliot said.During the Sheffield trials the pink ball had swung longer than the red ball and had undergone broadcast trials, with Cricket Australia and Channel Nine hoping to attract bigger crowds.The board is expecting a reply from New Zealand Cricket by the end of the month on the use of pink balls and day-night Tests though some New Zealand players aren’t too keen on it, describing the night format as “gimmicky”.

Bangladesh look to negate end-of-tour fatigue

The Bangladesh team is hungry enough to not let their customary end-of-season fatigue get in the way of their improvement in Test cricket, according to Tamim Iqbal

Mohammad Isam28-Jul-2015The Bangladesh team is hungry enough to not let their customary end-of-tour fatigue get in the way of their improvement in Test cricket, according to Tamim Iqbal. Although there is a considerable threat of rain on all five days of the second Test in Mirpur, the pursuit of one last achievement is set to drive the home side.The question comes up whenever Bangladesh are ending a series or a tour. There have been many instances when they have impressed at the start but end with a poor defeat. Against Pakistan earlier this year, they won the ODI series 3-0, the lone T20 and drew the first Test. But they lost the second Test, the last game of the tour, by 328 runs.It happened against India too, when they drew the solitary Test and won the first two ODIs but lost the third one. Against South Africa, Bangladesh lost the T20 series 2-0 but fought back to win a maiden ODI series. Also, having dominated parts of the drawn first Test against South Africa in Chittagong, the team now believes that a better result is possible in Dhaka.Tamim said that the coaching staff has kept everyone interested in training by trying things differently. They have been successful as the Bangladesh players have felt relatively fresh despite playing continuously since the World Cup.”I think it depends on each individual’s mindset,” Tamim said. “It is true that before this year, we haven’t been able to achieve anything big. But we have done that in one-day cricket this year. Every player is hungry. They want to improve in Tests. We have a lot to improve on and if we get tired mentally, it will affect our performance.”The physiotherapist and trainer are working closely with us. They try different types of training every day, so that nobody gets tired. We now enjoy training and team meetings. I think that if we are enjoying what we are learning, it gives you better results.”While they have won more matches in 2006 and 2009, this year has been significantly better than any other in their international cricket history simply for the quality of opponents they have beaten. Since last October, they have won a bilateral series in each of the three formats.While these are genuine signs of improvement, their progress in Tests has not been as rapid this year. They did well against Pakistan in one Test but from selecting a lopsided line-up to batsmen performing below par, they are yet to become a better Test team.Tamim sounded out a warning that despite the confidence from the Chittagong Test, playing at their best is a prerequisite to stay competitive. He said that starting as well as they did in the first Test would be important to have a good game in Mirpur.”2015 has been a good year, especially in ODIs,” he said. “We have a considerable break after this game, we all know that. We also know that the remaining match is against the No. 1 Test team in the world. We have to perform in all departments if we are to have a good result.”We have to play at our best. We have to execute our plans. We cannot leave anything to chance because we are playing against the No. 1 side. Starting well will be important, with the bat and ball.”Tamim will be responsible for one part of that job. Alongside Imrul Kayes, he gave Bangladesh a good start in the first Test but got out to the part-time left-arm spin of Dean Elgar. Tamim was bowled around the legs to a full toss after batting solidly for nearly four hours to score 57 off 129 balls. He, however, said that he would keep playing the shots he prefers even if they have some risk attached to them.”I think I made one mistake in the whole innings, I shouldn’t have played that shot,” he said. “I don’t think I tried to do anything else in the other deliveries I faced. But you need to play one ball poorly to get out.”I will try to play watchfully but at the same time, I have to play my shots. If I get out trying to play my preferred shots, I will not be disappointed.”

Warner appointed Steven Smith's deputy

David Warner’s image makeover has been rewarded with his appointment as Steven Smith’s lieutenant after Michael Clarke announced his retirement from international cricket

Daniel Brettig14-Aug-20154:15

Moody: Warner-Smith combination will be good for Australia

David Warner’s image makeover has been rewarded with his appointment as Steven Smith’s lieutenant, after the Cricket Australia board approved the recommendations of the selectors for the leadership team to succeed the retiring captain Michael Clarke.Smith had always been in line to be named as captain following his strong displays as stand-in for the injured Clarke during the home summer, but Warner has needed to do considerable work on his attitude on and off the field in recent times to grow into a role that will be pivotal in support.As the chairman of selectors Rod Marsh acknowledged, the 28-year-old Warner has come a long way since he was suspended on the previous Ashes tour for throwing a punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham bar. Alongside Smith, he has been Australia’s most prolific batsman in recent times, and has also this year toned down his self-appointed role as the team’s on-field “attack dog”, something he discussed with ESPNcricinfo in the West Indies.”We have reached a point in time where we’ve had to look at our leadership positions again with an eye to the future,” Marsh said. “David has matured and developed into an important senior figure in the Australian team. He has come a long way.”He had valuable experience captaining the Sunrisers in the IPL earlier this year and we are confident he will provide strong support to Steve as his deputy. We believe that he will respond well to the added responsibility of leadership.”Other contenders for the role included Mitchell Johnson, who had been appointed vice-captain of the limited-overs team in the past, but the selectors were always likely to settle on Smith and Warner after the latter’s recent work to mature as a cricketer. He will still have some work ahead of him to prove that progress to the rest of the world, who know him as much for his abrasive manner as his explosive batting.Smith has emerged as Australia’s leader over the past 18 months, first becoming an integral member of the team in all formats and then showing his captaincy ability when Clarke was unavailable against India. He has also captained New South Wales to the 2014 Sheffield Shield and the Sydney Sixers to the 2012 Big Bash League title.”We have had a clear succession plan in place for the captaincy with Steve Smith gaining valuable experience leading the Australian Test Team while Michael Clarke was recovering from injury last season,” Marsh said. “When Michael made his decision to retire last week it was a very straightforward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor.”He has big shoes to fill but everything about him suggests he is the right man for the job. At 26, he is a fine young man with extraordinary talent, excellent leadership qualities and a terrific temperament. He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud.”The CA chairman Wally Edwards said the nine directors had concurred with the selectors’ recommendations after some discussion at their August board meeting in Melbourne. “We have all seen Steve Smith’s clear leadership potential and believe he can perform an excellent job for Australian cricket over many years,” he said.”We supported the recommendation to appoint David Warner as vice-captain, noting his role as a leading batsmen, his development and emergence as a leader within the team. We congratulate both men on their appointments.”Smith and Warner will lead Australia in the limited-overs matches that follow Clarke’s farewell Test at the Oval, before they travel to Bangladesh for their first overseas assignment together.

Semi-final line-up takes shape

In what was almost a dress rehearsal for the semi-finals, Delhi-based Shraddhanand College beat Loughborough Marylebone Cricket Club University England by six wickets in a thrilling chase in their final group-stage encounter at the Abhimanyu Cricket Acade

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2015In what was almost a dress rehearsal for the semi-finals, Delhi-based Shraddhanand College beat Loughborough Marylebone Cricket Club University England, by six wickets, in a thrilling chase in their final group-stage encounter at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy on Thursday.The hosts finished top of Group A after winning three-straight matches. They will take on defending champions Assupol TUKS for a place in Saturday’s final.Loughborough MCC will take on Group B leaders, Sri Lanka-based International College of Business and Technology, in the semi-final.England won the toss, in Thursday’s clash, and elected to bat first, with a view to giving practice to their batsmen. But Shraddhanand College’s fast bowler, Abhishek Vats – who has troubled every team during the tournament so far – maintained his match-winning display.Vats struck in the third over of the match and dismissed opener Anish Parel. He then added to his tally by breaching the defence of Irfan Karim in the ninth over.LMCC’s Nitesh Kumar dropped anchor and smashed seven fours and six sixes in his 51-ball 97, which helped his team gain a strong hold in the match. His innings helped LMCC score 179 in his innings.Shraddhanand College set about the chase confidently and their top-four batsmen found runs. Deepak Khatri’s 46-ball 73 and opener Jitesh Saroha’s 40 helped SC win by six wicket, with seven balls to spare.An impressive bowling-display helped University of Technology Sydney register their first win of the tournament; after they narrowly beat European University of Bangladesh by 22 runs.UTS’s batsmen faltered, batting first, and managed just 118 in their innings. However, their bowler’s helped restore some pride.Harry Dalton and Benjamin Wallis picked up two-wickets each, while James Campbell, Daniel Donaldson and William Dempsey picked up one-wicket each to complete the win.Heriot-Watt University Dubai registered their first win of the tournament after they beat Jinnah Degree College Karachi by 19 runs.Both teams had already failed to make the semi-finals, after repeated failures in the Group stages. Jinnah Degree College didn’t register a win in the tournament.

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