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Henry Nicholls has suggested that it was his and Ross Taylor’s mental capacity to deal with balls that beat the bat that helped New Zealand recover from three quick wickets

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Aug-2019On a day in which a 100-run fourth-wicket stand formed the centre piece of New Zealand’s progress, one of the architects of that partnership suggested it was the mental capacity to deal with balls that beat the bat that helped the team recover from three quick wickets.Three wickets had fallen in the space of four overs just before lunch. When Henry Nicholls joined Ross Taylor after the break, the innings was at risk of spiraling into collapse – a frequent phenomenon at Galle.But Nicholls and Taylor resisted Sri Lanka’s best bowler of the day – offspinner Akila Dananjaya – to lift their side to a reasonable position. Nicholls made 42 off 78.”We know on these surfaces in the subcontinent when you do get a wicket sometimes it can turn into two or three,” Nicholls said after rain had forced an early finish to the day. “When Ross and I went out after lunch it was a case of keeping it simple and expecting that the ball was going to turn and beat the bat sometimes. It’s just being comfortable with that. We did a nice job for a while there.”Conditions were tough at times. The ball certainly spun a little earlier than we thought, but we expected it to be turning.”Countering Akila’s offbreaks were especially difficult for Nicholls, a left-hander. Akila had dismissed left-handed openers Jeet Raval and Tom Latham in quick session in the first session, on his way to 5 for 57 from the day. He was the only Sri Lanka bowler to take wickets.”With the ball turning away from left-handers he’s got a few options,” Nicholls said. “He’s a very good bowler as well. He deserved a five-wicket bag today. For me, trying to find a balance between defence and being comfortable with the ball turning the way it did, was important.”The game ebbed and flowed a bit through that middle session. Ross and I were able to score between 3.5 to 4 an over for a while there. We expect it to be like that – ebbing and flowing. When the ball’s a bit harder and it’s turning a bit sharper, it will be tougher. But when you bring the seamers back, while they bowled well at times, you were also able to score a bit faster.”Galle pitches are known to deteriorate quickly, on account of the strong sea-breeze that blows across the ground. Although 203 for 5 does not immediately appear a commanding score, New Zealand remain capable of getting themselves into a strong position on a famously bowler-friendly surface. Taylor ended the day at 86 not out off 131 balls.”First-innings runs in this part of the world are massive. We’re expecting it will get harder to bat on. It’s nice that Ross is not out overnight and is batting so beautifully.”

England’s women struck an early psychological blow ahead of Sunday’s tri-series final at Chelmsford, by easing to an seven-wicket victory

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-20182:13

Knight delighted with impressive England win ahead of final

England 130 for 3 (Taylor 51, Sciver 38*) beat New Zealand 129 (Devine 52, Shrubsole 3-16) by seven wickets
ScorecardEngland’s women struck an early psychological blow ahead of Sunday’s tri-series final at Chelmsford, by easing to an seven-wicket victory over their fellow finalists, New Zealand, in a low-key dress rehearsal at Bristol.Much like the England-Belgium World Cup fixture taking place at the same time as this match, there was rather less at stake than might have been anticipated beforehand, thanks to New Zealand’s earlier dispatching of South Africa, a result that confirmed the identity of the finalists.And in a further parallel with Kaliningrad, both sides rang the changes with a view to broadening the squad’s experience, but it was a familiar set of names who put the seal on England’s win.Anya Shrubsole starred with the ball, grabbing the key early wicket of Suzie Bates for a duck, en route to figures of 3 for 16. But Sarah Taylor and Nat Sciver broke the back of a sub-par target of 130 with a third-wicket stand of 81, before Heather Knight joined Sciver to wrap up the match with 4.1 overs to spare.Taylor, who dropped an early catch off the pacey left-armer Katie George, resumed normal service with yet another leg-side stumping, this time off Sciver, before easing to a 35-ball half-century, with seven fours. She had scarcely a moment of alarm until she herself was stumped off a fine googly from Amelia Kerr, a crafty piece of bowling that earned the teenager an appreciative clap from the outgoing batsman.New Zealand’s only real hope had come early in the chase when Jess Watkin struck twice in her first seven balls to extract both openers, Danni Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont, to similar inside-out drives to mid-off.But ultimately New Zealand paid the price for a lop-sided innings in which Sophie Devine, the opener, was also the last out, for a battling 52 from 45 balls. Beyond her, however, only Amy Satterthwaite offered much long-term resistance with 37 from 26, but she was trapped by a full-length inswinger to become a richly deserved maiden wicket for George.Thereafter England’s spinners, Sophie Ecclestone and Danni Hazell, ripped through the lower order. Ecclestone suffered a scare in the field as she twisted her ankle after throwing the ball in from the outfield, but she returned to the fray after a brief break for treatment.

Harbhajan Singh has asked for India’s domestic cricketers to be given contracts in order to ensure their financial security

Nagraj Gollapudi17-May-2017Offspinner Harbhajan Singh has asked for India’s domestic cricketers to be given contracts in order to ensure their financial security. The uncertainty over income, according to Harbhajan, was forcing some players to reconsider their future in the game.To ease such concerns, Harbhajan sought the intervention of India coach Anil Kumble, who is scheduled to meet the Committee of Administrators and BCCI office bearers in Hyderabad on May 20 and 21 to discuss the contracts of the international players.Harbhajan said he became aware of the issue while playing for Punjab over the last few years. “I hate that I’ve found constant struggle around me in the financial situation of my first-class team-mates,” Harbhajan told Kumble in a phone message reported by . “Even though Ranji Trophy is hosted by the richest cricket board in the world, I appeal to you as a player, who is an inspiration and role model for all Ranji players.”Harbhajan told Kumble that former India players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag needed to push for a hike in the match fees of domestic players. “Imagine in today’s day and age, how can you call yourself a professional if your ‘job’ doesn’t even tell you how much you will earn yearly?” he wrote. “How can you sign up and commit your life to a job which doesn’t promise you a fixed income every year. And that too, you are paid one year after you complete your work.”It is understood that Kumble acknowledged Harbhajan’s message and said he would look into the matter.The issue came to Harbhajan’s attention when a former Punjab team-mate highlighted his plight. Harbhajan realised the player had no money to support himself or his family. He was still young but not playing anymore, having been injured for two years. Harbhajan said the player had no insurance if he got injured during the season.”The guys can’t even plan their future because they don’t know whether they would earn Rs 1 lakh or Rs 10 lakh in that year, and it leads to huge issues in their lives and families and (affects) state of mind,” Harbhajan said. “Anyway, let’s try and gently make a change for our brothers.”According to Harbhajan, other countries have a support system in place for domestic players, something that the BCCI also needs to consider.”An international player has a contract, he has everything. But there are domestic cricketers I have played with who don’t have money to pay EMI,” Harbhajan told ESPNcricinfo. “There are some who played just two matches in which they did not perform well and then were in doubt about playing in the next season.”Harbhajan said he would be happy to talk with the COA if given an opportunity. “We need to make sure that the domestic players earn enough to run a household. We need to have domestic contracts in place, regardless of whether the cricketer plays or not. In case the player gets injured, the state association should bear his expenses and assure him about his future on his return.”A BCCI official agreed with Harbhajan but said it was the responsibility of the state association to create such contracts. “The BCCI does not have any control on the selections of players and such stuff. It is the state associations that manage that. The BCCI only pays the money to players.”The money paid to domestic players is in the form of two components: the match fee and a percentage of gross revenue from the media rights income the BCCI earns annually from the home season. The match fee is not standard and depends on the media rights income. The BCCI allots 13% of the media rights income to domestic players and junior cricketers. Domestic players get 10.40% and the rest goes to the junior cricketers. On an average, a domestic player might earn anywhere between INR 80,000 and 100,000 per first-class match.

Don Robson, the driving force behind Durham’s emergence as a first-class county, has died at the age of 82

David Hopps11-Mar-2016Don Robson, the driving force behind Durham’s emergence as a first-class county, has died at the age of 82.Durham became the 18th first-class county in 1992, the first since Glamorgan in 1921, defying the general assumption that county cricket was certain to decline rather than expand bravely into what became its most northerly outpost.After difficult beginnings, they went on to dominate the professional game, winning six trophies between 2007 and 2014, including three Championships, and also staging international cricket at their purpose-built Chester-le-Street ground.The death of the man who was chiefly responsible for delivering that dream comes at a challenging time when Durham are under considerable financial strain, inviting questions whether regular England cricket in the north-east is sustainable.Robson, immensely proud of the north-east, would have had no truck with such pessimism. As leader of Durham county council (the youngest ever when he was appointed in 1973) and an influential member of the regional assembly, he had political clout in the region and he put it to good use in a straightforward, immensely committed style.His ambition was to provide a home for the succession of cricketers developed in the north-east but who had previously had to leave the county to fulfil their ambitions to play professional cricket.Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s chief operating officer, knew Robson well from his time as commercial director at Durham.He said: “Don played a leading role in gaining first-class status for Durham prior to their inaugural season at the top table in 1992. The north-east was going through a really tough time economically and Don’s efforts therefore didn’t just help cricket, they also helped the region regain some pride.”The success of Durham on the field, the development of several England players and the staging of international cricket at the Emirates Riverside are all achievements that would not have been possible without Don’s contribution”Don was equally committed to the recreational game – I would often see him watching Greenside CC play in the Tyneside & Northumberland league on a Saturday afternoon.”Robson became Durham’s first chairman as a first-class county, but this was no political sop. He led the fundraising drive, lobbying extensively and continuing his involvement in cricket in the north-east.He was involved when Durham were England’s dominant minor county through the 1970s and ’80s – going 65 games unbeaten between 1976 and 1982 – managed the Under-19 team for a while and represented the county at several committees on the Test and County Cricket Board – the forerunner of the ECB.In April 1992 they played their first match as a first-class county – a Sunday League fixture against Lancashire at the Racecourse Ground in Durham. Ian Botham and Wayne Larkins, two high-profile signings, opened the batting and Durham won. It was a decade and more before winning became a habit.Most importantly, Durham secured land for a permanent headquarters on the outskirts of Chester-le-Street, adjoining the River Wear and with Lumley Castle providing a striking backdrop. A Chester-le-Street farmer had been willing to end his lease because the land was too wet. In May 1995, Durham played their inaugural game on the ground against Warwickshire and the pavilion was named in Robson’s honour and opened by the Queen in 1996.Geoff Cook, Durham’s director of cricket – the longest-serving county coach in the game – said on the their website: “You had to be involved at the time of Durham’s emergence from minor counties cricket to appreciate the enormity of Don’s involvement in the whole scheme.”To be the first new county for 70 or 80 years was a big thing in its own right, but the practicalities of getting the finance and the ground in place were vital to us having a realistic chance of succeeding.”A tremendous amount of balls were up in the air at the same time, but Don remained completely focused throughout the process and at the same time he progressed his business as well as his political career.”It was amazing to be on hand to witness his mental and physical energy and the way he was able to pull things together. He really was a remarkable man. He had a ferocious energy and a determination to satisfy his vision.”No matter the size of the hurdles that got in his way, he always felt he could surmount them. He was formidable, but he had a lot of warmth and he was a caring person.”Before awarding first-class status, Durham had to have at least £1m in the bank and guarantee to secure a permanent ground within five years.Robson used his political contacts to win major support from such companies as Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, but he was a politician who also had a strong connection with the public and they trusted him with a rush of small donations and offers of help in the belief that he would achieve his goal.He was awarded a CBE for services to local government in 1997 and received an honorary doctorate from Sunderland University in 2002 in recognition both of this and his role in securing Durham’s first-class status. He also played professional football as a centre-forward with Doncaster Rovers and Gateshead.

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.

Both the Derbyshire and the South African attacks conceded heavily as over 400 runs were scored and only five wickets taken in the day

Firdose Moonda at Derby10-Aug-2012
ScorecardAB de Villiers made a rapid 97 after the South Africans were asked to bat•Getty Images

It was a struggle for the bowlers at the County Ground in Derby, despite the green pitch, as both the Derbyshire and the South African attacks conceded heavily. Over 400 runs were scored and only five wickets taken on a day that belonged to batsmen.The South Africans declared after posting 365 runs and having given most of their middle order and some of the fringe players a bat. Unlike the tour match against Worcestershire, they did not give their bowlers time in the middle on this occasion.AB de Villiers was the standout performer for the South Africans and retired three runs short of a century. Hashim Amla laid the foundations with a sprightly 42 and JP Duminy contributed with 69, while Faf du Plessis came good in his first appearance in whites for the national side with an undefeated 68 and Albie Morkel weighed in with 49 not out.In response, Debyshire’s South Africa-born opener Wayne Madsen and Australia’s Usman Khawaja reached the close having seen off South Africa’s new-ball attack and tucked into some of the more wayward change bowlers. The only wicket to fall on the hosts’ side was that of Matt Lineker, who got a thin outside edge off Vernon Philander’s bowling and was caught by back-up gloveman Thami Tsolekile.Jacques Rudolph was the only South Africa batsman to miss out. After three confident boundaries and despite looking comfortable he fell to Alasdair Evans in the fourth over. Amla, who opened the batting in Alviro Petersen’s absence and in place of Graeme Smith, despite the captain being declared fit, faced 20 balls without scoring before lashing out.He took 16 runs off Evans’ fifth over, starting with a drive through the covers, then a pull behind square and ending with a straight drive. The sleeping giant had woken up.Amla also hit the first six of the South Africans’ innings, a pull over fine leg, and looked in imperious form. Against the run of play, however, he was bowled when he pushed forward to a straight delivery from Ross Whiteley and missed the ball, ending a stand of 54 to which Duminy had contributed nine runs.Duminy pushed on with de Villiers on the other end. He brought out the cut, to open his boundary account after 43 balls, while de Villiers had much of his range on display. With an array of spectacular driving, he took 13 runs off a Whiteley over and 11 off the following one from David Wainwright to overtake Duminy and bring up his half-century before lunch, off 46 balls.The interval did nothing to slow de Villiers, who began the second session with a six over fine leg. He played a chanceless innings and provided a perfect foil to Duminy, who found it tougher to adjust to the conditions. He was circumspect against the seamers, Mark Footitt and Matt Higginbottom, but found run-scoring easier against the left-arm spin of Wainwright.De Villiers marched towards a century but called time on his innings three runs before, allowing du Plessis to bat for the first time on tour. Shortly after, Duminy offered a tame return catch to Wainwright.Albie Morkel and du Plessis kept the run-rate above five an over and although both are unlikely to feature in the Test starting XI, made strong cases for themselves. The South Africans had accumulated over 300 runs before tea and batted for less than an hour after before deciding to give the bowlers a run.Dale Steyn did not bowl but all the other bowlers took part. Petersen is the only member of the South African squad who will not play in the match, as he still needs at least four days to recover from a grade one strain of the right hamstring. Both Smith and Jacques Kallis, who was suffering from lower-back spasms, were named in South Africa’s 15.The South African players wore black armbands to mourn the death of Titans CEO Elise Lombard, who died yesterday.

The Scottish monsoon season put paid to Sri Lanka’s ODI against Ireland on Monday

Ger Siggins in Edinburgh11-Jul-2011
Scorecard
The Scottish monsoon season put paid to Sri Lanka’s ODI against Ireland on Monday. With the sun beating down mid-afternoon, the small crowd were hopeful of seeing some play, but the damage had already been done.”There was a huge amount of rain here from the middle of last week,” Ireland captain William Porterfield said. “When it rained again this morning I think that finished it off. The sun eventually came out but it was far too late for any chance of play.”It was hugely disappointing for the Irish team, who were keen to mix it with one of the leading sides in the world. “It would have been great to play them here, as conditions are very
similar to Ireland,” Porterfield said. “It’s almost home advantage against an Asian team”With the weather taking a turn for the better, Porterfield was confident that the rest of the tri-series tournament would be completed.”We’re playing Scotland tomorrow and that’s always a big match for the guys. They’ve been playing well in the CB40 and had two good wins over Holland last week. They’ve a young side and they’re going in the right direction.”Ireland will have to play without Niall O’Brien, who returned to his county last night, Porterfield explained. “Gary Wilson has kept in the recent games and is a good keeper. Andrew Poynter will come in and he deserves his chance. He’s got good scores for us in vital games before and he works very hard at his game.”Ireland play Scotland on Tuesday, while the hosts face Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Matthew Hoggard and Nadeem Malik claimed four wickets apiece to put Leicestershire in command on the first day against Derbyshire

03-Aug-2010
ScorecardMatthew Hoggard and Nadeem Malik claimed four wickets apiece to put Leicestershire in command on the first day of their County Championship Division Two match against bottom of the table Derbyshire at Grace Road.The two seamers had Derbyshire reeling at 68 for 8 at lunch and it needed a battling innings of 85 from Dan Redfern to spearhead a recovery that steered the visitors to a total of 182. By the close, Leicestershire had regained the momentum reaching 117 for 1 with opener Matt Boyce still there on 51 having shared half-century partnerships with Greg Smith and Jacques du Toit.Derbyshire’s decision to bat first after winning the toss backfired on them in a remarkable morning session. The ball swung and seamed and half the side were out inside 17 overs with only 37 runs on the board. Wayne Madsen, the only player to reach double figures in the 29 overs before lunch, was dropped on 4 off the bowling of Nathan Buck to prevent Derbyshire’s position being even worse.Hoggard, who bowled 15 overs unchanged, and Malik exploited the helpful conditions superbly. Skipper Hoggard took the first three wickets in his opening seven overs. Chris Rogers was trapped lbw, Madsen chased an away swinger and was caught behind for 14 and Garry Park edged low to second slip.When Malik replaced Buck at the Pavilion End he immediately had Greg Smith lbw with the fourth ball of his first over before Hoggard picked up his fourth wicket at his next visit. Chesney Hughes was also adjudged lbw offering no shot.Malik plunged Derbyshire deeper into trouble by picking up three more wickets in his last three overs before lunch. Robin Peterson, Lee Goddard and Steffan Jones all fell to driven edges leaving Malik with eye-catching figures of four for seven in seven overs while Hoggard had 4 for 43.It was a different story after lunch as Redfern led the fight back and Derbyshire’s last two wickets added 115 runs in 29 overs. Redfern and Tim Groenewald shared the bulk of that with a ninth-wicket stand of 89. Redfern reached 50 off 83 balls to post his best score of the season, the innings containing six fours and a six off Malik that flew high over wicketkeeper Tom New’s head.Groenewald was finally bowled by Buck and Redfern’s excellent innings came to an end when he was caught at mid-wicket off Claude Henderson having made 85 off 121 balls.Boyce and Smith shared a half-century opening stand when Leicestershire replied before Smith was bowled by his namesake, Derbyshire’s Greg Smith, for 21. Boyce reached 50 with nine boundaries and was still there at the close alongside du Toit, the second-wicket pair having added another 63 runs to put the home side in a strong position.

Stand-in skipper says England’s batting on day three responsible for first defeat in six

Andrew Miller09-Sep-20242:03

Ollie Pope won’t blame ‘lack of hunger’ for England’s defeat

Ollie Pope, England’s stand-in captain, admitted his team were frustrated at missing out on a notable slice of history in the final Test of the English summer, but denied that complacency had been to blame for their shock eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval.Leading 2-0 in this series, and following on from their 3-0 victory over West Indies in July, England had been on course for their first summer’s clean sweep since Michael Vaughan’s team won seven out of seven in 2004 while Ben Duckett and Pope himself, with his seventh Test hundred, were rattling along to 221 for 3 on a truncated first day’s play.But thereafter the wheels came off for England’s batting, with a first-innings collapse of 7 for 64 giving way to a second-innings total of 156 in 34 overs, with only Jamie Smith’s counterattacking half-century offering any meaningful resistance. It meant that a handy first-innings lead of 62 was swallowed up in an eventual victory target of 219, and Pathum Nissanka wasted no time in beating England at their own game, sealing the chase in style with his rollicking innings of 127 not out from 124 balls.”Of course, we want to be a team that wins every game, as everyone does, and it’s been 20 years since we’ve done it,” Pope said at the close. “That was an extra bit of motivation this week, so there’s that slight bit of frustration that we’ve not done that. But at the same time, at the start of the summer, had someone said we’re going to win five out of six Test matches, you probably would have taken it as well.”Related

• Bratball summer lays foundation for England's Ashes assault

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• Pathum Nissanka, fast bowlers script famous win for Sri Lanka

England had talked about the “refinement” of their aggressive approach in the early Tests of the summer, but the manner of this defeat was a throwback to other avoidable losses in the Bazball era – notably at Wellington and Lord’s in 2023, when on each occasion their failure to close out a dominant position was a big factor in their failure to win each series.England lost each of their first 13 wickets of the match to attacking strokes, including Pope for 7 in his second innings, and were then derailed by a superb display of left-arm swing bowling from Vishwa Fernando, whose consecutive lbws against Joe Root and Harry Brook tore the guts out of England’s middle-order.Brook’s performance came in for scrutiny, particularly in light of Michael Vaughan’s warning on the BBC that he would get his comeuppance if he continued to disrespect the rhythms of Test-match batting, as had appeared to be the case in his sketchy first innings of 19. Vishwa had his number second-time around, but Pope insisted that a “lack of hunger” had not been the cause of his downfall.”With guys like Harry Brook and Joe Root, they will never, ever get bored of batting,” Pope said. “I know, from the outside, it might look like that, but they’re guys that want to go and put together hundreds every game. So I wouldn’t say it’s a lack of an edge, or not really having that desire to go and put together a massive score, but it can just happen in cricket, and it’s been a good gap since we last did that.”Englands batting on day three let Sri Lanka back in•Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

The loss was Pope’s first of his interim captaincy career, and while it did not affect the result of the series, it did leave England with a somewhat awkward scenario at the trophy lift, when their debutant Josh Hull (P1 L1) was summoned to do the honours alongside his captain, much as Ben Stokes had invited Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith to do likewise after their winning contributions to the earlier West Indies series.Perhaps that gesture was intended as an apology to Hull, whose six wicketless overs were picked off at more than a run a ball in the chase, for Pope had no doubts where the blame for England’s defeat lay.”Probably day three,” he said. “Obviously, we were ahead of the game after two days and weren’t able to capitalise on a decent first-innings lead. With the bat we weren’t good enough yesterday, but credit to Sri Lanka. They bowled well, they made some good adjustments in the second innings, and we weren’t up to it, which can happen.”We’ve been fairly solid overall as a batting unit this summer, and unfortunately we weren’t at our best yesterday. It should have been a game that we drove forward, and we were in the commanding seat there. But, obviously, getting bowled out for 140 on a pitch that generally gets better and better as the game goes on was probably the main reason why we weren’t on the right side of the result.”The killer blow to England’s hopes, however, was Root’s dismissal for 12 to an inswinging yorker from Vishwa. Sri Lanka had talked at length about their tactics since the end of the Lord’s Test – in which Root’s twin hundreds had put the series out of reach – and as Sanath Jayasuriya, their interim coach, said afterwards, their plans had come together perfectly.”Some of the things we talked about was to bowl a really good short one against him, and also to bowl great yorkers,” Jayasuriya said. “I think we did both very well in both innings. Yesterday the ball started to swing for Vishwa, and he tried that. Joe Root is the batter who changes the match in that team. The other batters score runs around him. That was a big wicket.”

Scotland captain’s first century in 13 months produced a batting recovery that sucked the air out of UAE’s challenge

Sreshth Shah23-Jun-2023A captain’s knock from Richie Berrington, followed up by a clinical bowling performance from the Scotland bowlers gave them a 111-run win over United Arab Emirates, thereby knocking the Asian side out of qualification contention on Friday afternoon in Bulawayo.Berrington walked in at 11 for 2 and was put on the back foot when Scotland were reduced to 48 for 4, but he fought through the rebuilding process alongside his middle order before blossoming in the slog overs. His 136-ball 127 was a clinic in pacing an innings through a demanding situation, hitting nine fours and three sixes. His first century in 13 months set UAE a stiff target of 283.UAE could never recover from Berrington’s batting blows. When they came to bat, they were rattled by Chris Sole’s opening spell, further jolting their challenge in a must-win match. Muhammad Waseem, Basil Hameed and the lower order provided brief resistances, but with the team’s highest individual score reading only 36, they were never in touch of the chase, and were bowled out for 171 in 35.3 overs.But UAE did start the game as the better side. After winning the toss, they dominated with the new ball. Junaid Siddique and Ali Naseer led the way in Scotland going four down inside 15 overs, and their spinners strangled the batters for most of the middle overs.But Berrington ensured he didn’t throw his wicket during the difficult period, and alongside Michael Leask (41), Chris Greaves (22) and Mark Watt (44*), kept the scoreboard moving. That ensured Scotland had mitigated the risk of being bowled out, which then gave them the freedom to go hard in the final ten overs.And, Berrington and Watt did just that, dominating from the 40th over. They upped the tempo in the last five, scoring 63 runs in the last 30 deliveries. Their 66-ball partnership of 109 for the eighth wicket took Scotland from hoping for a target of 220 to eventually finishing on 282 for 8. UAE’s bowlers did not strike once in the last ten overs, with only an unselfish attempt at a second run in the innings’ final delivery dismissing Berrington.UAE’s start to the chase was promising for the first four overs, and Waseem threatened to repeat what his opposite number did. The veteran opener lost four partners inside 16 overs, but while he was there, UAE had hope. However, that was dashed when he was the fifth man gone – lbw by Watt – for 36, leaving UAE reeling at 82 for 5.Basil Hameed (30), Aayan Afzal Khan (21) and Karthik Meiyappan (23*) briefly thwarted the Scottish challenge but the regular loss of UAE wickets meant they were entertaining but still quite far away from the 283 target. When Safyaan Sharif returned for his second spell, he cleaned up the resistance with three lower-order wickets, finishing with 4 for 20 on the back of that burst.Scotland now join Sri Lanka and Oman on four points in Group B, realistically needing just one more win in the last two games to be assured of qualification for the Super Sixes. For UAE, their hope of playing in India at the ODI World Cup ended, and now play for pride in their final fixture against Ireland.