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Adam Wheater won the game with a six as Hampshire saw off Surrey in emphatic fashion on the opening night of the Friends Life t20

Tom Huelin27-Jun-2013Hampshire 144-5 (Carberry 60, McKenzie 37*) beat Surrey 139-6 (Briggs 2-20, Griffiths 2-23) by five wickets
ScorecardMichael Carberry’s explosive 60 from 45 balls set up Hampshire’s victory•PA PhotosIt’s every kid’s dream, isn’t it? Winning a Twenty20 match with a huge six in the final over.Adam Wheater did just that to ensure that Hampshire, the most formidable Twenty20 side in England in recent years, saw off Surrey in emphatic fashion on the opening night of Friends Life t20.In truth this felt like a straightforward victory for Hampshire, the Twenty20 holders, even though they passed Surrey’s total with only four balls to spare.Michael Carberry’s explosive 60 from 45 balls set up their victory, before the artistry of Neil McKenzie saw them home. Skipper for the night in place of the injured Dimitri Mascarenhas, McKenzie caressed the ball around, proving once again his considerable class with bat in hand.A healthy crowd of 6,491 soaked up the sunshine at the Ageas Bowl, with some ‘lucky’ youngsters enjoying the game from a pitch-side hot-tub – their patience sorely tested as the TV cameras zoomed in on them with breathtaking impertinence.Surrey’s captain Gareth Batty had won the toss and elected to bat, his side getting off to a good start as Jason Roy and Rory Burns accelerated at seven an over. Hampshire rotated their bowlers as they looked for a breakthrough, before the impressively rapid David Griffiths beat Roy for pace, Surrey 31 for 1.Danny Briggs, released by England, made the drive down from the T20 squad in London to play in this match, and the locals were glad he did as his second over brought about a double breakthrough. First Solanki was bowled trying to guide the ball down to third man, before Burns stepped across his stumps and was bowled behind his legs.That brought Glenn Maxwell, a former Hampshire player, to the crease. Luck did not favour his return: he managed 15 before top-edging David Griffiths onto his own helmet, the ball lolloping into the air to be caught by McKenzie at gully.Wilson and Ansari then put on 49 taking Surrey to 139 for 6 – probably 20 runs short of a par score – with Isle of Wight pair Briggs (2-20) and Griffiths (2-23) the pick of the Hampshire bowlers. Maxwell clearly felt the urge to impress his former employers, bowling the first over of Hampshire’s riposte. It took Carberry just four balls to get the measure of his old team-mate however, driving him for four with ominous intent.McKenzie joined Carberry in the eighth over, and it was a contrast in styles as the South African worked the ball into gaps that you couldn’t close up with Polyfilla, whilst Carberry powered onto his 12th Twenty20 fifty in the 13th over. He fell next over as he was trapped in front playing across the line to Zander De Bruyn but, by then, the damage had been done.Surrey threatened to peg back Hampshire in the 16th over when first Dunn dived at full stretch to deny Sean Ervine a certain four along the boundary rope, before bowler de Bruyn – who finished with impressive figures of 3 for 14 – took a sharp return catch from the same batsman next ball. But Hampshire pressed on, and Wheater’s maximum – or was it, as the ball looked to bounce short of the boundary rope from the press box – sealed an important first win for the holders in this competitive South Division.

Sri Lanka’s new Twenty20 captain Dinesh Chandimal has admitted there is significant pressure on the hosts to finish the home series against Bangladesh on a high note

Andrew Fernando in Pallekele30-Mar-2013Sri Lanka’s new Twenty20 captain Dinesh Chandimal has admitted there is significant pressure on the hosts to finish the home series against Bangladesh on a high note, ahead of the one-off Twenty20 in Pallekele on Sunday. The hosts had been expected to win each series comprehensively, but could only draw the ODI series 1-1, and allowed Bangladesh to draw a Test against Sri Lanka, for the first time.Chandimal is now set to lead a young, inexperienced side, which will feature at least one debutant, as six uncapped Twenty20 players have been named in the 16-man squad. They will likely play four top-order batsmen with less than 15 matches’ experience, and two specialist bowlers who have each played less than five Twenty20s.”Bangladesh won the last match and will be in a good mental state. But our players have got a big chance here and they will hopefully take that opportunity,” Chandimal said. “It’s a lot of pressure, but I like to play with that pressure. As a cricketer, there has to be pressure when we play, because that’s when we can truly overcome challenges. We never underestimated Bangladesh, because they are an improving side in world cricket.”I have to be content with this team, because as youngsters, this is the kind of tour that they should be given opportunities in. When you are playing your first or second match, it’s better if you play teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and then get the confidence to play big matches against Australia and England. It’s good if they can learn from their time with the seniors and take their cricket forward.”Chandimal has never captained a national team at age-group level, but he had had a superlative season as captain of Ananda College, in Colombo, where he led his side to an unprecedented 13 outright wins in 2008. He was one of several candidates for Test captaincy as well, despite his youth, but eventually Angelo Mathews was given the role, and Chandimal made vice-captain.”I was captain in Under-19 and U-15 teams as well, in a few provincial matches. This is a great challenge, because captaining the national team is not something everyone can do. We need to talk to all our players, of every level of experience and figure out how we are going to improve and win more matches for our country.”We don’t have the experienced players like Kumar Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who played well in the last two series. But I think there are great young players like Dilshan Munaweera and Kusal Perera. This is a great opportunity for the young players.”Chandimal singled out Nasir Hossain as a particular threat among the opposition batsmen, and said Sri Lanka had grown wary of his strengths during the tour. Nasir walloped 33 runs from 27 deliveries in the third ODI, to propel his side to victory, and had struck 73 not out from 59 deliveries to close out the innings in the first ODI as well, in addition to the Test ton he scored in Galle.”Bangladesh’s batsmen have improved a lot from how they were before. Nasir Hossain has been the batsman who has batted the best in the ODI series, and he’s been consistent throughout the tour, so we’ve got a plan for him. We’ve got plans for all the others as well. We’re hoping that tomorrow we can come through in those situations, and showcase our talent.”

Dougie Brown hailed Warwickshire’s “incredible strength of character” as Warwickshire’s tenth-wicket pair survived for 21.1 overs to deny Somerset victory at Taunton

George Dobell at Taunton28-Apr-2013
ScorecardRikki Clarke nudged the England selectors with another impressive display•Getty ImagesDougie Brown hailed Warwickshire’s “incredible strength of character” as their tenth-wicket pair survived for 21.1 overs to deny Somerset victory at Taunton.Rikki Clarke and Oliver Hannon-Dalby resisted for the last 78 minutes of the match to help the champions escape with a draw and leave Somerset, winless after their first three games, sitting sixth in the Division One table.In a pulsating finish to a high-quality game that should underline the attraction of county cricket, the Warwickshire pair resisted – with a mixture of luck, application and pure determination – an impressive spell of surprisingly quick bowling form 19-year-old Jamie Overton as Somerset pressed for victory.In the end, though, the lack of experience in the attack showed – Warwickshire were not forced to play at enough deliveries in the final hour – and Clarke, in particular, provided another demonstration of his growing maturity and reliability in batting out the final 45 overs of the game.”They showed exactly what Warwickshire is about,” Brown, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, told ESPNcricinfo afterwards. “They showed that we play as a team and for the team and we never accept defeat. We have something at Edgbaston that you just can’t buy: it’s called team spirit and we leave here taking great encouragement from this performance.”Somerset may consider themselves unfortunate. Oliver Hannon-Dalby was inexplicably reprieved by umpire Nick Cook after he had clearly edged the impressively hostile Jamie Overton to the substitute keeper Jos Buttler with 11 overs to go and the umpires also made the bewildering decision to take the players off for two overs for bad light just as the sun came back out from behind the clouds. It cost Somerset two overs.But they will also rue some self-inflicted errors. Somerset spurned at least four catching opportunities on the final day – Clarke was the beneficiary on two occasions; one a straightforward chance to James Hildreth at slip – and must also reflect on the wisdom of not enforcing the follow-on towards the end of the second day of the match.Somerset led by 248 runs after the first innings but, instead of asking his bowlers for another burst on the second evening, with 13 overs left in the day, Trescothick instead decided to extend his side’s advantage. He might also have declared Somerset’s second innings earlier.”It was a brilliant advert for the county game,” Trescothick said phlegmatically afterwards. “It was a great game and it was on TV.”You always reassess your decisions, but I don’t regret the follow-on decision at this stage. The bowlers were tired and the pitch was flat. No-one means to drop catches, but we missed some crucial opportunities and that cost us.”Warwickshire also deserve much credit. While the pitch remained comfortable for batsmen and the bowling attack was somewhat green – it included two teenage seamers and a 21-year-old spinner – to resist for 144 overs was remarkable. It was the highest score Warwickshire have ever made in the fourth innings of a first-class match and is believed to be their longest ever fourth-innings in terms of overs faced.It says much for the positive outlook in the Warwickshire dressing room that, despite chasing a target of 515, they did not abandon victory hopes until their sixth wicket fell. That ambition may have counted against them, though, when Tim Ambrose’s fluent half-century was ended when he top-edged a pull – Hildreth caught it running back from slip to within 10 yards of the third man fence – and Laurie Evans’ excellent three-and-a-half hour show of defiance was ended when he chased a wide one and edged a cut to slip.Earlier Varun Chopra – missed on 94 when he drove a tough caught-and-bowled chance back at Alfonso Thomas – completed the 12th first-class century of his career and Chris Woakes, batting at No. 6 in this game (Warwickshire utilised a nightwatchman in their second innings) with an idea to his potential role with England, composed a pleasing 42. They still only finished 88 runs short.With so much to admire, then, it is a shame that the drama was overshadowed by some disappointing umpiring. While everyone accepts that human frailty comes with the territory, the standard of decision-making in this match was so low that it threatened to compromise the meaningfulness of the encounter. So many important decisions were wrong – some of them far from difficult – that the game took on an element of chance.Quite apart from the men given out incorrectly – there were several but Nick Compton, William Porterfield and Chris Wright, given out lbw on the last day to a ball that would have bounced over the stumps, could feel particularly aggrieved – the umpires also made a horrendous mess of the light issue.First they insisted that play continue in the rain – Woakes was bowled in remarkably gloomy conditions – and then took the players off just as it stopped and the light brightened. By the time Cook, by some distance the worse of the two umpires, utilised the TV coverage to review two appeals for catches – neither was out – it appeared that even he had lost confidence in his decision-making.At least Jack Leach will remember this game with more affection. Leach, 21-year-old and playing his third Championship game, used to be employed to park trolleys in a branch of Sainsbury’s supermarket in Taunton, but here took his maiden five-wicket haul as he was rewarded for his control and persistence; 24 of his 44 overs were maidens. It seems safe to assume he left those trolleys in good areas.But while Leach demonstrated admirable control, he is not a big turner of the ball – he was reliant on the foot-holes when bowling Chopra, sweeping, behind his legs – and he lacked the bite to inflict the fatal blow. While delighted with his own performance, he admitted the result “felt like a loss” afterwards.”We batted badly in our first innings,” Brown said. “But we bowled well in both innings against a batting line-up that is Test class from one to six and we batted well in the second innings.”It seems neither of Warwickshire’s last-wicket heroes will play their next game. Clarke, who pulled a hamstring, will not play in the Championship match against Sussex starting on Wednesday, while Boyd Rankin will come in for Hannon-Dalby. Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell will also play.Craig Kieswetter, who was forced off the field at lunch having sustained a blow to his right-hand when standing up to the stumps off Peter Trego, is also an injury doubt for the next match and will require some sort of scan to ascertain the extent of the damage. In Buttler they possess a remarkably keen and able deputy.

Former Portugal and Barcelona star Deco has revealed the unique skill set possessed by Cristiano Ronaldo that left him stunned.

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All-time great started out as a tricky wingerMorphed into a record-breaking frontmanHas risen to the very top of the world gameWHAT HAPPENED?

Deco, who is now sporting director at Camp Nou, took in 57 international appearances alongside CR7 during his playing days. They only suffered 10 defeats when lining up together, with both men making their senior debuts for the Selecao in 2003.

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Ronaldo has gone on to become a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and all-time great, but that potential was always clear to see. He used to leave team-mates amazed in training and on match days, with Deco spotting one particular trait that he had never seen in anybody else.

WHAT DECO SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Deco has told of what makes Ronaldo so special: “Simply being around someone who was obviously different, on and off the pitch. I was struck by his ability, his speed and the way he played. His game had a lot of intensity. He tired out the opposition – he didn’t let the opposing full-back breathe. That was something I hadn’t seen in any player up to that point. He always had great technical ability, too. It was amazing to watch him.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo started out as a tricky winger, as he danced around opposition full-backs with quick feet, but quickly morphed into a fearsome frontman and is now the proud owner of countless goalscoring records. He is still going strong at 39 years of age, with there no sign of the evergreen icon slowing down at Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr or with the Portuguese national team as they ready themselves for Euro 2024.

Ian Bell has acknowledged that England’s top-order batsmen will have to perform far better if they are regain a footing in the ODI series against India

George Dobell21-Jan-2013Ian Bell has acknowledged that England’s top-order batsmen will have to perform far better if they are regain a footing in the ODI series against India. England suffered their second crushing loss in succession in the third ODI on Saturday to allow India to take a 2-1 lead with two games to play and Bell knows that, with England having been bowled out for totals of 158 and 155, they will need to improve substantially if they are to prevent India securing a series victory in Wednesday’s game in Mohali.It is no coincidence that England won the first game of the series following a dominant performance from their top-order. Bell and Alastair Cook posted an opening stand of 158 within 28 overs to allow the middle-order to accelerate in the later stages of the innings.While Bell accepted that India’s opening bowlers had performed admirably in the last couple of games, he stressed the need for one of England’s top-order to bat through most of the innings to provide a platform for the middle-order. He hopes that the cooler conditions in Mohali might benefit England.”If we are going to get 150, that’s not going to challenge India at all in these conditions,” Bell said. “We need to get runs on the board and get a senior batsman batting for the majority of the overs.”We haven’t done that in the last two games and if we do that we can push India. In the final two games we need to get into a position to hurt India at the back end of the innings.”Their opening bowlers are very good,” he added. “They have plenty of skills and swing the ball both ways. They have made us work really hard. But we need a foundation for our big hitters in the middle to get us going.”It’s a little bit more familiar here than the last couple of games and obviously that’s nice. It’s been very nice here, very English really. That sure helps everyone.”The situation also presents the first significant test of Ashley Giles’ new career as an international coach. While Giles’ first series as England’s limited-overs coach was always likely to prove demanding – England’s limited-overs record in India offered little room for optimism – the extent of the last two defeats has been alarming.But, while Giles will consider changes to the England side ahead of the fourth match, he is also keen not to over-react. He knows, both from the ups and downs of his time as an international player and from his time as director of cricket at Warwickshire, that a calm appraisal of such adversity is infinitely preferable to any hint of panic or knee-jerk reaction.”I never, or probably only a couple of times, stamped my feet when I was at Warwickshire,” Giles said. “If the coach is on an emotional rollercoaster you end up with a team that is second guessing what your reaction will be if you win or lose. That’s not how I want to be.”Honesty is the important thing. You have to analyse where you’ve gone wrong, look at your personnel, pull those things together and ask ‘are we getting it right? Is this the right mix? Are they the right people?’ That’s the unemotional way of looking at it.”The hairdryer treatment works occasionally but not very often, not if you’re in it for the long term. If I did that after my third game, there would be a lot of worry.”However, Giles did provide the strongest hint yet that there may be changes to the England side. Concern over Craig Kieswetter’s form – though it has not been much worse than Eoin Morgan’s – has raised the possibility to him making way for his Somerset team-mate, Jos Buttler, though doubts about the latter’s wicketkeeping could count against him.While England’s batting has been their main downfall in the last couple of matches there will also be a temptation to make some changes to the bowling attack. Jade Dernbach has conceded his runs at a cost of an average cost of 7.79 an over in the series to date and, after 21 ODIs, concedes more runs per over than anyone to have bowled over 1,000 ODI deliveries: an average 6.28 runs per over. Mohali may provide an opportunity to take a look at Stuart Meaker.”That statistic is tough on Jade because he’s played a lot of cricket in India and it’s a hard place to come and play,” Giles said. “But again you have to adapt. What the Indians have done very well is hold lengths and lines, so you have to go at them to try to score. Really that’s what we’ve got to do.”Perhaps the most obvious message to England in the series to date is how much they miss Jonathan Trott. England won 12 out of 13 ODIs involving Trott in 2012 and, in that time, were never dismissed for under 200. In three out of four games without him, however, they have failed to reach 200 and been defeated in all three. Rested for this part of the tour, he returns to the side in New Zealand.In his absence, England might promote Joe Root to bat at No. 3. Root has faced more deliveries than any other England batsman in the last two games and might offer stability at the top of the order and provide Morgan and Kevin Pietersen with some protection from the newer balls. Long-term, though, Root is the only member of the top five unlikely to feature in England’s Champions Trophy side, so Giles is expecting more from his experienced players.”Changes are something that myself, Alastair Cook and the coaches will talk about,” Giles said. “We’ve got options and part of this trip is to look at those options, because we’re missing some senior players. This is where you find out about people, under pressure.”This group has been very refreshing and what we want to avoid is them just feeling beaten up. We have to pick the best team to win the next game of cricket. That will be a hot topic over the next day or two.”

Bangladesh kept themselves in the running for a spot in the final of the Zimbabwe tri-series, just, with a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club

Liam Brickhill21-Jun-2012
ScorecardHamilton Masakadza made his fourth consecutive score over 50, but it wasn’t enough for Zimbabwe•AFPBangladesh kept themselves in the running for a spot in the final of the Zimbabwe tri-series, just, with a six-wicket win over Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club. Nasir Hossain held Bangladesh’s pursuit of 150 together, responding to Hamilton Masakadza’s half-century with an unbeaten 41 to guide his side home with 15 balls to spare. The real credit for the win must go to Bangladesh’s bowlers, however, as they scuppered Zimbabwe’s charge at the death of their innings to keep the target within reach.An aggressive start from Zimbabwe’s batsmen had put the home side in a position to reach at least 160 after Brendan Taylor won his third toss in a row and, once again, decided to bat first. Zimbabwe were well-placed at 125 for 3 at the end of the 16th over, with two set batsmen at the crease before Bangladesh clawed their way back into the game.Left-arm spinner Elias Sunny provided the breakthrough by having Stuart Matsikenyeri caught at long on for an industrious 27, and from that point onwards wickets fell regularly. The complexion of the match changed completely as Mashrafe Mortaza returned to have Masakadza caught behind, heaving at a slower ball, for 56. In the same over Elton Chigumbura’s run out reduced Zimbabwe to 132 for 6 before Prosper Utseya was undone by an Abul Hasan slower ball and Graeme Cremer sliced an attempted slog to be caught in the deep off Mortaza, who was named Man of the Match for his efforts.Zimbabwe’s stumble, during which they lost five wickets for just 31 runs in the last five overs of their innings, gave Bangladesh a gettable target at which to aim and their openers, Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful, launched the chase with gusto. Taylor opened the bowling with Prosper Utseya, the offspinner promptly being despatched for two crisp boundaries in his first five balls. Chris Mpofu’s first over went for 15, and Bangladesh were flying at 25 without loss.Bangladesh then suffered a stutter, courtesy some needlessly reckless batting from Ashraful, who was bowled attempting a paddle, and some equally casual running from Tamim. Graeme Cremer had Anamul Haque caught behind in his first over to reduce Bangladesh to a wobbly 52 for 3 in the seventh over, but Nasir Hossain then joined captain Mushfiqur Rahim in the middle and the pair set about repairing the innings.Theirs was a watchful partnership, and apart from Mushfiqur’s solitary six, their entire stand of 47 was made up of scampered ones and twos. Zimbabwe’s hopes will have been briefly raised when a superb pick-up and throw from Vusi Sibanda had Mushfiqur run out for 31, but Hossain and Mahmudullah closed out the match in a flurry of boundaries. They put on an unbeaten 54 at almost 13-runs an over to keep Bangladesh’s hopes alive in this series.Earlier, Masakadza had once again provided the backbone of Zimbabwe’s innings and his extraordinary run of form has now extended to a century and three fifties in his last four innings. After Masakadza lost his opening partner, Vusi Sibanda, to a run out, a partnership of 48 in 32 deliveries with his captain Taylor helped Zimbabwe to weather the early breakthrough and briefly keep the ascendancy. Taylor contributed watchful 38s in Zimbabwe’s previous two wins, holding the middle order together, but with his side seemingly assured of a place in Sunday’s final he chose to take the attack to the bowlers.Taylor raced to 27 from just 12 balls but then played one shot too many, a top-edged hoick ending up in Mahmudullah’s hands at deep midwicket. Taylor’s dismissal meant that Zimbabwe’s middle order, which hasn’t really been tested yet in this series, were offered the chance for some time in the middle. Craig Ervine couldn’t make anything of the opportunity, however, as his dreadful run with the bat continued when he played outside the line of a Mahmudullah straight-break to depart for a golden duck.While Masakadza remained Zimbabwe still looked like passing 160, and he was cheered to a 47-ball fifty in the 15th over. The crowds attending the matches at Harare Sports Club have swelled as Zimbabwe racked up consecutive wins, and a particularly noisy rabble around Castle Corner kept warm on a wintry afternoon with choruses of exuberant and vocal support. Once Masakadza was prised out by Mortaza, however, they had much less cause to celebrate.

A round-up of the latest round of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2012Karachi Dolphins won what was essentially a must-win game for them against Lahore Eagles by five wickets, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, to secure their spot in the semi-finals of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T-20 Cup. Karachi put Lahore in to bat and kept them to 148 for 8, as all of their bowlers shared the wickets around. Imran Farhat with 41 was the top-scorer for Lahore, and the innings was built around his two sizeable stands with Taufeeq Umar and then Azhar Ali. The Lahore bowlers made early inroads in the chase, before two rapid half-century stands among Khalid Latif, Asad Shafiq and Sheharyar Ghani put the team on course. Eventually Karachi got home with 11 balls to spare, despite a tidy spell from left-arm spinner Mustafa Iqbal, in which he took 3 for 26.Karachi will play Lahore Lions in the first semi-final on Saturday.Sialkot Stallions finished on top of Group B, ensuring a spot in the semis, with a convincing seven-wicket win against hosts Rawalpindi Rams. After Rawalpindi chose to bat, their batsmen struggled to build on starts and score at a rapid pace. Though four batsmen got into the 20s, Rawalpindi only managed to edge past 120 because of a last-over six from No. 10 Mohammad Nawaz. Left-arm spinner Raza Hasan was the most effective of the Sialkot bowlers, claiming 3 for 20 in his four. Chasing 122, Sialkot’s top three batsmen all but closed out the game with partnerships of 50 and 55 at almost ten an over. Imran Nazir ended up the top-scorer, hitting four sixes in his knock of 59 off 34 balls, as Sialkot powered to a win with all of 27 balls to spare.Sialkot will play Peshawar Panthers in the second semi-final on Saturday.

Bangladesh’s hunt for a head coach may prove easier this time, with one candidate throwing his hat in the ring and another acknowledging he was considering an offer

Mohammad Isam and George Dobell21-Apr-2012Bangladesh’s hunt for a head coach may prove easier this time, with one candidate throwing his hat in the ring and another acknowledging he was considering an offer. This, even before the board has formally advertised the vacancy left by Stuart Law – a sea change from the past, and credited to Bangladesh’s recent successes on the field and off it.Days after Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman tweeted that he’d been contacted by the board and was considering the offer, Dermot Reeve, the former England allrounder, said he was keen to succeed Law when he steps down at the end of June. It is also understood that some of Law’s current colleagues on the coaching staff are interested in replacing him.Reeve, 49, has coached Somerset and Central Districts in New Zealand and has also been bowling coach of the New Zealand Twenty20 side and of Pune Warriors in the IPL. He is currently working as a television commentator and says there hasn’t been an offer laid on the table.”Yes, I would be very interested in the job,” Reeve told ESPNcricinfo, “but there have been no offers or formal talks or anything like that. Coaching Bangladesh would be a wonderful opportunity. I honestly believe they will win world cups one day and there is no reason it shouldn’t start with the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September.”There is a huge amount of talent within the Bangladesh set-up. Shakib Al Hasan is ranked the No. 1 allrounder in the world in Tests and ODIs; others can do that if they follow his commitment and acquire his mental toughness. They just need absolute, total belief and some fine tuning to turn them into one of the world’s leading sides.”According to the BCB, the candidates will be asked to send in their applications with a forwarding letter to the acting CEO, Nizamuddin Chowdhury, by May 15.The board’s cricket operations committee chairman Enayet Hossain Siraj said that they have only just begun the process so there’s no question of a favourite, but he was happy to learn that coaches are interested in the job.”This is a positive [development] and think it has come about, firstly, through the BPL, where the foreign coaches understood that the working environment in Bangladesh is favourable,” Siraj said. “Second, of course, is the Asia Cup performance of the team where the world has learned that success is possible for Bangladesh.”We have only just started to look for a coach so by the deadline we have provided, we will draw up a shortlist and then process our requirements.”It’s a far cry from the BCB’s past struggles to find a coach. After Dav Whatmore left the job in 2007, the BCB made Shaun Williams the interim coach and only after Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the former national captain, intervened and traced Jamie Siddons did he take the job. The appointment of Law, too, had its problems as he was keen on having roles in the Twenty20 tournaments apart from holding the Bangladesh job. Other candidates sounded out at the time wanted the option of being able to have a freelance role during the off season.

Ravi Bopara confirmed his recovery from a leg injury with a brilliant 120 not out as Essex easily reached their target of 225 to beat Gloucestershire by eight wickets at Chelmsford and claim their first CB40 victory of the season.

04-Jun-2012
ScorecardRavi Bopara made his seventh List A hundred•Getty ImagesRavi Bopara confirmed his recovery from a leg injury with a brilliant 120 not out as Essex easily reached their target of 225 to beat Gloucestershire by eight wickets at Chelmsford and claim their first CB40 victory of the season.Bopara’s injury had ruled him out for three weeks but he was soon showing that his lay-off had not affected him. From the moment he walked out to open the innings, he took charge with a succession of superbly timed drives and with Tom Westley striking the ball equally well at the other end, it soon became clear that Gloucestershire’s total of 224 for 5 was not nearly enough.The pair had come together after Mark Pettini’s departure in the first over, when he was caught at slip off Ian Saxelby without a run on the board, and went on to put together a partnership of 185.That was broken when Westley’s enterprising knock of 82 from 99 balls, nine of which he dispatched to the boundary, ended as he was stumped off Will Gidman.But Bopara, who raised his 50 with a straight driven six against left-arm spinner Ed Young, went on to complete his century from 91 deliveries, with two sixes and eight fours, and he was to add another four boundaries as Essex secured victory with 19 balls to spare.Like Essex, the visitors had also seen their openers separated in the first over when Graham Napier breached the defences of Will Gidman, a dismissal that was to put them firmly on the back foot. It was not until the 14th over that the 50 was raised, before which Hamish Marshall was beaten for pace and bowled by Tymal Mills.So pedestrian was Gloucestershire’s progress that they needed 27 overs to send the total into three figures. But then Kane Williamson and Ian Cockbain were to inject much-needed life into the innings with a fifth-wicket partnership of 85 in 11 overs. It ended when Williamson was caught behind by James Foster off David Masters for 77, which came from 73 deliveries and contained seven fours and a six.Cockbain and Jack Taylor maintained the tempo over the remaining four overs, Cockbain finishing unbeaten on 52 from 44 balls with a six among his four boundaries. Taylor’s unbeaten 22 came off a dozen deliveries and ensured a respectable if not demanding total.

Joe Denly took advantage of a dropped catch to score his second century of theseason but Derbyshire are still in a commanding position after two days of theCounty Championship match against Kent at Derby

08-Sep-2011
ScorecardJoe Denly took advantage of a dropped catch to score his second century of theseason but Derbyshire are still in a commanding position after two days of theCounty Championship match against Kent at Derby.Denly made 142 not out after he was missed on 33 but Kent still have a lot todo to save the game after a hundred from Ross Whiteley took Derbyshire past 500for the first time in two years. The 22-year-old all-rounder ended with an unbeaten career-best 130 out of 535, while Kent pace bowler David Balcombe took six for 128, his fourth five-wickethaul in five matches.Kent faced a daunting 386 to avoid the follow-on and they slipped to 77 forthree before Denly led a recovery which saw the visitors close on 279 for four,still 256 behind. Derbyshire had started the day well-placed on 405 for six with Whiteley and JonClare both in the 70s, but Balcombe broke through with the first ball of thesecond over.Clare edged a drive to first slip which ended a stand of 142 in 22 overs andKent struck again when Tim Groenewald could not avoid a lifting ball fromBalcombe. That was the on-loan Hampshire bowler’s 30th wicket for Kent but he could notbreak the ninth-wicket stand between Whiteley and Tony Palladino which carriedDerbyshire past 500.Whiteley has delivered some impressive performances since coming into the sidethis season and his second Championship hundred was another demonstration of hisability to strike the ball cleanly. Although it was a streaky four through the slips that took him to a hundred, it was a rare false stroke in a commanding innings that contained 14 fours and foursixes.Palladino also played his part by scoring 34 out of 83 before he skied a driveto mid-off, and he was back in the action again when he struck in the fourthover of the Kent reply. Daniel-Bell Drummond was caught behind for four fending at the former Essex seamer who claimed his 48th Championship victim when he trapped Sam Northeastlbw for 12.Kent’s position would have been far worse if Denly had not been dropped by LukeSutton off Mark Footitt before Alex Blake (10) was pouched by the Derbyshireskipper off Clare in the 20th over. At that stage, Kent were in deep trouble but Denly grew in authority and played some handsome straight drives in a century which came off 128 balls and was well supported by Darren Stevens and Azhar Mahmood.Stevens made 38 out of 110 before he pulled Clare to deep square but Mahmoodcompleted a half century and was unbeaten on 60 as Kent ended the day 107 runsaway from their follow-on target.