A round-up of the Ram Slam T20 matches that were played on December 6, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2015Warriors failed to chase down a target of 128 against Lions and their 21-run loss denied them a play-off spot in this season’s Ram Slam T20. With Titans already through to the final, the play-off will now be played between Dolphins and Cape Cobras at Kingsmead on December 9 and the winner will meet Titans in the final on December 12.Looking for their third straight win, the Warriors line-up imploded in the chase and folded for 106 in 18 overs. Dwaine Pretorius (3 for 19) and Eddie Leie (4 for 32) were the main wicket-takers for Lions.Pretorius ran through Warriors’ top-order, taking three wickets at the start to help reduce the side to 34 for 5 by the seventh over. Christiaan Jonker scored an attacking 45 but he played a lone hand and once he was dismissed by Leie in the 16th over, the Warriors lower order folded quickly.After being put in to bat, Lions’ innings was driven by contributions from Dominic Hendricks (35) and Devon Conway (20), which helped them recover from a shaky start of 40 for 3 in the seventh over. Pretorius’ run-a-ball 14 and Fortuin’s 13 in the latter half of the innings helped lift the score to 127 for 9. Basheeru-Deen Walters had the best returns among Warriors’ bowlers with 3 for 21, while Andrew Birch and Sisanda Magala ended the innings with two wickets apiece.
Andre Russell’s all-round performance – 4 for 11 followed by a blazing 66 not out off only 23 balls – guided Knights to a comfortable four-wicket win over Titans in Benoni. The bonus-point win for Knights had no bearing on the positions of the two teams in the table – Titans, are already through to the final, while Knights finished last on the table, two points behind Lions.Put in to bat, Quinton de Kock and Graeme van Buuren tried to lift Titans’ innings taking them to 45 for 2 from a score of 9 for 2. The Knights bowlers, however, chipped away at the wickets limiting Titans to 136 for 9. Van Buuren top-scored with a 41-ball 57 that included six fours and three sixes. Chris Morris scored an 11-ball 21 in the death but Russell denied Titans a strong finish, taking three wickets in his final two overs.Russell walked in to bat with Knights at 54 for 4 in the ninth over and went on to smash seven sixes and four fours in his 66. Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi suffered the brunt of Russell’s attack, and conceded 32 and 42 runs respectively. His charge helped Knights chase down the target by the 16th over.

Lions opener Stephen Cook has been called up to South Africa’s Test squad for the first time, aged 33

Firdose Moonda18-Jan-20161:28

‘It’s finally happened for Stephen Cook’

Of all the things on Stephen Cook’s mind over the last few weeks, having gas in the tank was not one of them. Cook is a batsman who concerns himself with making runs and leading the Lions. At least, that’s what he did until this morning, when he was given instructions to worry about something else.”I got a call from [convener of selectors] Linda Zondi and he said, ‘Make sure you’ve got a full tank of petrol because you’re going to be driving to Centurion’,” Cook told ESPNcricinfo. “And then I just thought to myself, dreams really do come true.”Cook, now 33, has longed to be part of a South Africa squad since he was a young boy and both he and his family did everything in their power to achieve that. He went to a prestigious sporting school, King Edward VII School, the same institute that educated his father Jimmy, as well as Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith. He played in the Coke Week (the country’s most recognised tournament for promising youngsters) twice, for his university, for his province, for his franchise and even for South Africa A. But something always stood in his way on the step up.

Cook only change to squad

South Africa have added Stephen Cook to their 17-man squad for the Centurion Test but there was no place for Dane Vilas, a late call-up to replace the injured Quinton de Kock in Johannesburg.
Vilas made the 600-mile trip from Port Elizabeth to take up the wicketkeeping gloves but de Kock is expected to recover from a knee injury. Dale Steyn, who missed the second and third Tests after injuring his shoulder in Durban, has been retained although it is unlikely he will be risked.
Dane Piedt will come back into contention as the spin option, having taken eight wickets for his franchise after being released, while Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris, Hardus Viljoen and Kyle Abbott will compete for the pace-bowling spots,
South Africa squad: AB de Villiers (capt), Kyle Abbott, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, Stiaan van Zyl, Hardus Viljoen

A large chunk of Cook’s career coincided with stability in South Africa’s Test top-order, thanks largely to Smith. But there were the others too. In the 2010-11 season Cook finished behind, among others, Jacques Rudolph, who made his comeback in November 2011. In 2011-12, Cook was behind Alviro Petersen, who was recalled January 2012. In the season that followed, Stiaan van Zyl, Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma all scored more runs than Cook and were given opportunities before him.Then, in the 2014-15 season, Cook led the run charts and South Africa needed an opener. It seemed a no-brainer to pick him but because van Zyl, a regular No. 3, had been promised a chance, Cook was again overlooked.At first, that decision seemed, if not sensible, fair. Van Zyl was the leading run-scorer in the 2013-14 summer, had been included in the national squad on those grounds and scored a century on debut batting at No. 6 in place of the injured JP Duminy. Van Zyl knew that when Duminy returned to fitness, the only place for him would be at the top and he prepared for that role by opening the batting for his franchise, the Cobras.By the time South Africa toured Bangladesh in July, van Zyl was declared ready to take over the senior role. He only had two innings in the first Test, and scored 34 and 33* but it was seen as enough to take him as the opener to India. That was where the mistake was made.The Bangladesh series was so badly affected by rain that South Africa could not actually glean anything from it. They knew the India series would be an enormous challenge for a team in transition and they still chose a makeshift opener over an experienced one.Van Zyl was not the only batsmen that struggled in India – they all did – but he was among those whose confidence was shot. He struggled with basic things like awareness of his off stump and should have been sent back to domestic cricket to regain form instead of retained for the England tour. But the selectors wanted to see what he could do at home and kept him on even as his self-belief shrank.At the same time, Cook was reminding them what they were missing. He scored an unbeaten 53 for South Africa A against England in the warm-up game in Pietermaritzburg, followed up with 168 not out for the Lions in his first domestic match of the season, then scores of 118 and 76. With van Zyl stumbling to 0, 33, 2, 21 and 11 against England, the chorus for Cook was growing louder and even he heard it.”I haven’t had buried my head in the sand, I know there has been a lot being said in the media, especially with the trouble the team has had,” Cook said. “But I’ve also had other goals in mind, like playing well for the Lions. In a way, it’s been good that I’ve been distracted by that.”Now, with the series already lost and South Africa’s next Tests six months away, the selectors have finally heard too. Cook is in the squad, albeit with no guarantee that he will play. Van Zyl has been retained along with Rilee Rossouw, also a No. 3 who was asked to open for the Knights in the last round of matches, but the public sentiment will be one of injustice if Cook is not given a chance. He is doing his best to ignore that.”With or without the expectation, there’s pressure. But then throughout my life there has been pressure,” he said. “What might be pressure for me will be different for a guy like AB de Villiers. Growing up, I was always Jimmy Cook’s son, so there was that pressure. There were the pressures of opening the batting at the Wanderers, where the ball is whizzing around your ears. So I’ve had different pressures. I hope I am not seen as a batting saviour because that will be a bit unfair but if I play I am sure I can add value.”Perhaps it will work in Cook’s favour that South Africa don’t have anything left to save. The Centurion Test is a chance to salvage pride and to start something new, now that South Africa have accepted their golden era is gone. For Cook, that could mean a chance to build on his bigger dream, which he believes is still alive.”HD Ackerman said to me years ago that, for so many people, the call-up is the dream and that’s a mistake,” Cook said. “If people had the mindset that scoring Test hundreds is the dream, it would be different. So yes, my bigger dream is scoring Test hundreds, and winning series for South Africa. My age is the one argument that I could never understand. There have been plenty of examples in South Africa and in other countries of guys who debuted even later than this and went on to be successful. So I hope this is the start of something and maybe in 18 months when we look back we can say the Centurion Test was where it all began.”

Robert Croft has been appointed as a spin bowling consultant to the England ODI side. He played 21 Test and 50 ODIs during his England career and will spend 12 days with the limited-overs team in South Africa

George Dobell10-Jan-2016Robert Croft has been appointed as a spin bowling consultant to the England ODI side. He played 21 Test and 50 ODIs during his England career and will spend 12 days with the limited-overs team in South Africa.A vastly experienced offspinner, Croft represented Glamorgan for 23 years and, even into his 40s, proved highly effective as a limited-overs performer with changes of pace – even changes of action – helping him make a successful transition to the T20 age.While the ECB do already have a full-time spin bowling coach – Peter Such – Croft retired from playing recently enough to have played against most of the England squad and has experience of playing international limited-overs cricket. Such, who never played ODIs and retired before the advent of T20, also already has a wide area of responsibility and was in the UAE with the performance squad before Christmas and is expected to travel with the England U19 squad as they prepare for the U19 World Cup. While Such might be described as a coach in the traditional sense, helping bowlers build a technique, Croft’s role may relate more to specific match situations and tactics.Since retiring as a player at the end of 2012, Croft has moved into coaching. He is currently with Glamorgan and has previously been invited to work with the England performance squad. He hopes to complete his Level 4 coaching qualification in 2016.”Robert has had success in both domestic and international cricket during his career and he’ll have plenty to offer the dressing room,” Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, said. “It’s an opportunity for players and coaches to exchange different ideas which is so important particularly at this stage in the side’s development.”He has worked with our performance programme in the past and has proved a popular and valuable addition and I’ve no doubt this group of players will also gain a lot from his involvement. I’m sure he’ll return with ideas that Glamorgan will benefit from as they prepare for the coming season.”The appointment of Croft continues England’s policy of utilising the skills and experience of recently retired former players. Paul Collingwood, the only man to lead England to a global limited-overs trophy at the 2010 World T20, is also expected to join up the squad for the World T20 in India while Mahela Jayawardene spent time with the Test players at the start of their tour of the UAE. The other coaches for the ODI segment of the South Africa tour will be Trevor Bayliss, Paul Farbrace, Ottis Gibson and Graham Thorpe.The development will surely do Croft’s own coaching credentials no harm. With Toby Radford having recently left the role of head coach at Glamorgan, Croft is probably the favourite to replace him. A coaching appointment with the England side coming 10 days before the closing date for applications would seem perfectly timed.”It’s extra experience for me and if the opportunity presents itself to help the lads I will,” Croft said. “I’m there to observe and primarily be a sounding board for the spin bowlers, but will give any additional help as required.”It is another opportunity to increase my coaching experience. The November before last I was invited out to work with Andy Flower with the development squad in Sri Lanka and this time it’s the full squad in South Africa. I’m looking forward to meeting up with two excellent coaches with different styles in Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace and to absorbing their ideas.”It is always good to have an open mind in the profession you are involved with, you can learn every day, so I hope to pick up things that will help me be a better coach.”The England squad flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg on Sunday and, after a brief break, will resume training on Monday morning.

United Arab Emirates completed a stunning comeback to defend 133 against Ireland and level the two-match series 1-1, in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Mohammad Naveed helped UAE defend 133 with figures of 4-0-16-2•ACC

United Arab Emirates completed a stunning comeback to defend 133 against Ireland and level the two-match series 1-1, in Abu Dhabi. Chasing 134 for victory, Ireland were coasting at 91 for 1 after 12.4 overs, before losing their way.William Porterfield was run out in the penultimate over, for a 60-ball 72, with Ireland still requiring 13 off 10 but not more than a run-a-ball was conceded thereafter. Mohammad Shahzad, tasked with defending nine off the final over, gave away just three.The chase looked like a canter with openers Porterfield and Paul Stirling adding 61 off 36 balls. However, Ireland crumbled after losing wickets in clusters. Save the top three, no other batsman crossed 5. Mohammad Naveed, Ahmed Raza and Shahzad were all economical and picked up two wickets apiece.UAE posted a total of 133 for 7 on the back of Swapnil Patil’s 37-ball 31 and a host of cameos. Captain Amjed Javed provided the required impetus towards the end with a brisk 19. Boyd Rankin was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 17, while Max Sorensen returned figures of 4-0-16-2.

Thandi Tshabalala, the KwaZulu-Natal offspinner, has been cleared to continue bowling his offspin delivery, while his doosra remains illegal

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2016Thandi Tshabalala, the KwaZulu-Natal offspinner, has been cleared to continue bowling his offspin delivery, while his doosra has been found illegal. Cricket South Africa cleared the offspinner after an analysis at an ICC accredited testing centre, and Tshabalala has been warned that he could be cited for a second time if he bowls a delivery that was found illegal.”Following the test conducted on his bowling action, the independent assessment has revealed that his bowling action of his off-spin delivery is legal, however the doosra delivery is illegal and contravenes Law 24.2 (as read with Law 24.3) of the Laws of Cricket,” CSA said in a press release. “In accordance with the ICC regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions (effective 6 October 2015) Mr. Tshabalala will be allowed to continue bowling in Franchise or Senior Provincial Cricket but subject to the warning that should he continue to bowl any of the specific type (s) of delivery for which he has been found to have an Illegal Bowling Action, he will run the risk of being cited a second time.”Tshabalala played four ODIs for South Africa, between June and August 2007. He has taken 164 wickets in 83 first-class matches at an average of 40.55, while he has 89 List A wickets in 108 matches.

Yuvraj Singh is set to miss at least the first two weeks of IPL 2016 as he continues to recover from an ankle injury that ruled him out of the World T20 on March 30

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2016Yuvraj Singh is set to miss at least the first two weeks of IPL 2016 as he continues to recover from an ankle injury that ruled him out of the World T20 on March 30.”Sadly, Yuvraj will be out for a couple of weeks but we don’t know how long that is going to be,” his coach at Sunrisers Hyderabad Tom Moody told . “A player like Yuvraj Singh is important to any team. He is not only a match-winner with the bat, but he is a very useful bowler in those middle overs. Going into the auction, we were aware that we needed to strengthen our middle order. Hence, we targeted players like Yuvraj and Deepak Hooda to give us that depth in our middle order and they complement what we already have in our squad.”What we are aware of this year is building a great depth and strength in our squad and by securing people like Aditya Tare, Tirumalasetti Suman who has had a lot of IPL experience in the past, we feel that we have got that depth of talent to be able to cover for any circumstance and Yuvraj’s absence is one of them. With Yuvraj being injured at this stage, you don’t know what is around the corner – you need that depth in the squad.”Moody, who has been at the helm since Sunrisers came into the IPL fold in 2013, believes the team isn’t far off from producing their best result in the tournament. The team secured a playoff berth in their inaugural season, but ended sixth in two subsequent seasons. Last year, Sunrisers needed one win from their last two games to secure a berth in the playoffs, but lost both games, one of which was a truncated affair against Royal Challengers Bangalore.”We weren’t that far off. We had a very good season last year,” Moody said. “If it wasn’t for a couple of unfortunate situations in our last two games here at home, against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, we would have ended second. We take a lot of confidence out of last year. If we repeat the way we played last year, and look to raise the bar just a little bit, then I am confident that we will be playing finals cricket. We are confident that we will do it with the squad that we have retained and we are also pleased with the players that we secured in the auction. We are feeling in a strong position.”This time around, Sunrisers have strengthened their pace attack with a lot of left-arm seam options in Ashish Nehra, Mustafizur Rahman and Barinder Sran to complement Trent Boult. “Yes, we were keen to have some left-arm options in our pace attack and we also felt that in shorter form of cricket they are effective,” Moody reasoned. “At the end of the day, Nehra and Mustafizur were introduced into our squad because they are top-quality, world-class bowlers. Whether they bowl left or right hand it doesn’t make any difference.”It is about what they bring to the table as bowlers. They are all different types of bowlers and all have various strengths at different phases of the game and we will be selecting accordingly. It is great to have someone like Nehra who has so much experience and is in such good form at the moment. He is the senior bowler in the team.”Moody singled out Mustafizur for special praise. He was one of the bright spots in Bangladesh’s winless World T20 campaign, picking up a five-wicket haul in their last league game against New Zealand. “I met Mustafizur during the World Cup and he seems a good, bright young kid,” Moody said. “He will be looking forward to learning and looking forward to the opportunity.”He has taken to big game cricket quite easily and we have already seen that in the World Cup stage and in the Asia Cup, big games against South Africa and India in the T20 World Cup. I feel he is more than comfortable and happy in big match situations. We have full confidence that he will adapt and adapt quickly.”As happy as he was with the bowling line-up, Moody underlined the importance of having a stable opening pair. “Any top order is important to a side, whether it is here in Hyderabad or any away game; your top order takes a huge responsibility in the first phase of the game,” he said. “If Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner can get you off to a good start like they did last year, then nothing like it. I am very confident.”We have got a good balance of experience and youth in this side, which is important. We have got some experienced campaigners in Yuvraj, Nehra, Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and some young talent that will work off those experienced players. We have an exciting balance.”

Pakistan batsman and ODI captain Azhar Ali has backed fast bowler Mohammad Amir’s presence in the side for the tour of England

Umar Farooq31-May-2016Pakistan batsman and ODI captain Azhar Ali has backed fast bowler Mohammad Amir’s presence in the side for the tour of England, where the latter was charged for his involvement in the spot-fixing controversy in 2010, and has said that toughest phase in the bowler’s career is over. The PCB has submitted a visa request for Amir to clear his selection for the tour, before the team’s departure on June 18. Pakistan are set to tour England for four Tests, five ODIs and a T20I from July and are also scheduled to play two ODIs against Ireland.Azhar, along with senior allrounder Mohammad Hafeez, had opposed Amir’s return to the Pakistan side last year. The two players had refused to join a conditioning camp in December and the PCB later revealed it had turned down Azhar’s offer to resign over Amir’s inclusion in the camp. Azhar and Hafeez agreed to return ‘unconditionally’ to the camp after meeting with PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan.”[What happened in] 2010 is in the past and now we need to look forward,” Azhar said, when asked about Amir’s possible presence in England. “It has been a while now since he has been with us. It could have been tough, had he come in straight on such a tour, but now, after playing with us for a long time, things have settled. Even he isn’t under pressure because he has already made his comeback a few months ago and the toughest phase is over for him. I know England was the place where the incident [in 2010] happened but hopefully he can handle the pressure like he did on his comeback. But still if anything happens, we, as a team, will handle it.”The ECB has also indicated that it is supporting Amir’s visa application. “We understand Mohammad Amir has been selected to play in the forthcoming series in England. Any decision on his entry into the UK is ultimately one for the UK Government. We have spoken to the Pakistan Cricket Board and will provide any support the Government needs in making its decision. Support could also mean information and background,” a statement from the England board said last week.In November 2011, Amir – along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif – was sentenced in a London court on charges of conspiracy to accept corrupt payments and conspiracy to cheat at gambling after a plot was uncovered in a sting operation to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test against England in 2010.Amir was given a six-month jail sentence and served half of it at the Portland Young Offenders Institution in Dorset. In January 2015, Amir was allowed to return to cricket ahead of schedule by the ICC, even as his five-year suspension period formally ended on September 1.The fast bowler has impressed since his return to cricket, playing international matches as well as Pakistan’s domestic competitions, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Pakistan Super League. Amir has taken five wickets in two ODIs and 11 wickets in as many T20Is in 2016, including a memorable 3 for 18 against India in the Asia Cup in February. He is part of the ongoing skills camp and is expected to feature in team that is likely to be announced later this week.Azhar, who made his international debut in England in 2010 against Australia, was confident his team that the team, currently ranked No. 3 on the Test rankings, had the ability to do well on the tour. Pakistan last won a Test series in England against the hosts in 1996. More recently, however, they have been beaten England in the UAE by 3-0 (January 2012) and 2-0 (October 2015) margins.”The England tour has always been challenging but the belief of doing good is important and we all have it,” he said. “If you have belief, then it will help you practically in the field. In Test cricket, we have been doing well with a settled and confident side. Conditions might be difficult there but every player has an aim to do well in the conditions to make Pakistan win.”The Pakistan team in the past has always been a competitive side. We either won or gave them tough competition. Previously in 2010, we had a very young side but this time we have experienced players both who were part of the tour that time, and some players who missed. So overall we have a good team to compete. Our bowling has always been good and England’s batting had always appeared vulnerable against them, so the idea is to utilize the combination.”Pakistan could face some trouble with the opening slot after Hafeez suffered a knee injury last week. The selectors could look at Sami Aslam, Shan Masood and Khurram Manzoor to fill the slot, but Azhar, who has settled in at No. 3, has said he is ready to open in Hafeez’s absence.”Hopefully things move accordingly to the plan,” he said. “A Test team has a settled order in which every player is consistent with his number. But in case anything happens then not only me but anyone is ready to play accordingly.”Pakistan will be training in Hampshire for almost a month before the Test series kicks off and are also scheduled to play tour matches, and Azhar believed this would give the team enough time to acclimatise to weather and pitch conditions.”We have the commitment and belief that we can win there and that’s the only thing the Pakistan nation should expect from us. We have trained hard and are even going to England well before the series starts, which will further help us adapt to the conditions.”Every player is important but the team obviously is depending on senior players. However, if every player contributes according to his role then I don’t see any reason Pakistan can’t do better. Talent is there, the middle order is experienced, specially Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis [Khan] , so I have full confidence that we can do well.”

Yorkshire are top of the Championship for the first time this season – a resounding victory by an innings and 20 runs duly completed, the end coming with 4.5 overs left

David Hopps at Headingley11-May-2016
ScorecardYorkshire celebrate their victory after a late Surrey collapse•Getty Images

With the Dickie Bird clock creeping beyond half past two, Surrey’s third-wicket pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies proceeding without alarms and Yorkshire’s captain Andrew Gale making a stern-faced retreat from the fray with a bruised knee, few would have given much for Yorkshire’s chances of forcing victory at Headingley.Even with a first-innings lead of 237 to sustain them, the feeling was growing that this would ultimately be just another draw to join the weather-hit stalemates around the country. Such an outcome would have meant four successive draws for Yorkshire, a statistic that would have begun to eat away at a county with designs on a hat-trick of Division One titles.Little more than three hours later, they found themselves top of the Championship for the first time this season – a resounding victory by an innings and 20 runs duly completed, the end coming with 4.5 overs left when Liam Plunkett had the last man Matt Dunn lbw with a full-length ball.Lancashire’s place at the summit had been limited to a couple of hours, which added extra cross-Pennines piquancy, and it was not long before an assistant was dutifully carrying in boxes of celebratory beer and cider from the mini market on the other side of Kirkstall Lane.Surrey will adapt to first division life but their head coach, Michael di Venuto, drew a pertinent message from the outcome. “We were champions of Division Two, they are champions of Division One, that’s the difference,” he said.The catalyst for the victory, one which their director of cricket Martyn Moxon accepted would quell a few misgivings, was the Golden Child. Joe Root can do no wrong these days, for Yorkshire or England, but his worth is normally weighed in runs. This time he took over captaincy duties, wasted little time in introducing his own offspin with two left-handers at the crease, and removed Sangakkara and Davies within three overs. Not a bad decision, captain.It was Sangakkara who had bruised Gale’s knee when he was stationed at short leg to the leg spin of Adil Rashid. Neither he nor Davies had put a foot wrong and, at 138 for 2, and the deficit reduced to 99, the pain for Gale was fast becoming as mental as it was physical. But Root, finding previously unseen turn on the fourth-day pitch, caused Sangakkara to drive to Gary Ballance at short extra and then beat Davies’ defensive push to win an lbw decision.With Jason Roy also departing, a soft wicket for Jack Brooks as he clipped a low full toss to short midwicket, Surrey had lost three wickets for 13 in 22 balls, half their side gone for 151. Root, not content with one short leg, summoned a second, and Ben Foakes almost followed when he drove the ball into the body of one of the two substitutes standing there. The game had been turned on its head in half-an-hour. His offspin might be a bit part role, but he does not treat it lightly. He treats nothing in cricket likely, but finds joy in his perpetual pursuit of excellence.Yorkshire had a sixth wicket by tea, James Burke’s unhappy match concluded when he played across his front pad to be lbw to Brooks, whose attacking instincts had been sharpened. But they were a bowler light, the day having begun badly with the announcement that David Willey would be out for six weeks because of an abdominal strain. Rashid’s leg spin was strangely ineffective. There was even a short stoppage for drizzle soon after tea which robbed four overs from the game.As Foakes and Tom Curran rediscovered Surrey’s resolve in an obdurate seventh-wicket stand which spanned 16 overs, the loss of the third day because of rain was still potentially decisive. Thoughts wandered to how Sangakkara should have been run out when he was only a single – another detail that might have been part of the totting-up procedure had Yorkshire failed to force victory.Around that time, Moxon fielded a concerned text message from Ian Dews, the academy director and 2nd XI coach, wondering whether Steve Patterson was injured, his involvement having been limited to only four overs. It turned out that victories also belonged to the unsung: coincidentally, Patterson had just been thrown the ball and his incursions were as vital and immediate as Root’s had been earlier.A man measured in reliability rather than carats, Patterson’s removed the middle stump of Curran with the first ball he bowled, Curran’s bat responsibly straight, ensured a pair for Gareth Batty as he was caught at the wicket, pulling, and then uprooted middle once more as Foakes flayed at a fullish delivery.With the floodlights blazing through grey skies, there was always the lingering possibility of a Surrey reprieve. The last pair resisted for six overs. Bowling choices became ever more pressing. With five overs remaining, Root opted for Plunkett and he struck immediately.Yorkshire’s bowlers, as Moxon observed, had begun to rouse themselves, but this was also a victory fashioned two days earlier by the immense stand of 372 between Root and Jonny Bairstow. Its magnitude was not just in the size of the partnership, but the speed at which it was assembled – nearly five-and-a-half runs an over. In its haste, it kept time in the game – just enough time as it turned out – and enabled Yorkshire to win despite the loss of 100 overs in all. Of such high ambitions are victories sometimes made – and perhaps Championships won.Others must now take up the mantle for Yorkshire. Root and Bairstow now leave for a full summer with England because surely Bairstow will win an ODI call-up too, but they have left Headingley in better heart for the challenges ahead than might have been the case.

Azhar Ali made his second century in two innings as they eased to 363 for 5 while Misbah-ul-Haq spent useful time in the middle albeit against a weakened Sussex attack

Andrew McGlashan at Hove08-Jul-2016
ScorecardThis was a gentle day by the seaside for the Pakistanis. Azhar Ali made his second century in two innings as they eased to 363 for 5 while Misbah-ul-Haq spent useful time in the middle albeit against a weakened Sussex attack.Azhar, who reached his hundred from 205 balls, and Younis Khan added 125 for the third wicket. Azhar then put on a further 146 with Misbah; their three-figure stand came up when the Pakistan Test vice-captain swept a six over the roof of the pavilion at square-leg. The over-rate for the day was so good that the innings was only one short of the mandatory 100 overs by stumps.Sussex had only returned home at 3am following last night’s T20 match against Glamorgan in Cardiff, so the five players from that fixture who were named in this XI could be forgiven for being a touch bleary-eyed.One of those who did not make the trek to Wales and back was debutant Jofra Archer, a former West Indies Under-19 allrounder with a British passport who is aiming to secure a full-time contract with Sussex, and he enjoyed a memorable first day in first-class cricket, finishing with 4 for 49 in a wholehearted display of nippy seam bowling. “I hope I’ve put my foot in the door,” he said. “The coach said just enjoy it, but I was a bit nervous.”A telling part of the day came early on and reinforced that England will view Pakistan’s opening pair as a weak link to target. Shan Masood became Archer’s maiden first-class wicket when he struck with his 11th ball, finding a touch of extra bounce as he slanted the ball across the batsman to take the outside edge.Archer’s morning got better when he trapped Mohammad Hafeez, who had been dropped on 15, playing across a full delivery. This meant that Hafeez’s first three innings on the tour had failed to produce a substantial score or substantial time in the middle.Pakistan would have been 53 for 3 had Azhar been taken low at second slip by Harry Finch, the drop denying club debutant, Abidine Sakande, a wicket. It was not, though, a day without good news for Sakande, who found out he had achieved a 2:1 in a Human Science degree from Oxford University.Younis escaped an inside edge past the stumps off Ajmal Shahzad before reaching double figures, but he and Azhar soon settled against bowling that, from the seamers other than Archer, veered far too frequently into the pads.A lapse in concentration, or the feeling that enough was enough, appeared the likely route to a wicket and so it proved during the afternoon session when Younis advanced at Danny Briggs but only picked out mid-off.During their innings, Younis and Azhar both passed milestones: 16,000 and 8,000 first-class runs respectively. That the junior partner has half felt quite apt; sooner rather than later the baton will be passed as the fulcrum of Pakistan’s batting.Azhar’s average outside of Asia is 28.70 compared with 52.36 in UAE, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh combined but he has the defensive technique to withstand England’s bowlers. This is a tour for him to cement his senior standing in the batting order in conditions he has found less comfortable.He was dropped again on 57 at deep mid-off, then on 72 an outside edge ran fine of first slip. He eventually brought up his century after tea with his 16th boundary from 205 balls.Misbah was not entirely convincing to begin with but in the final session settled into his familiar block-and-bash mode against the spinners as Briggs and Will Beer operated in tandem. He skewed one lofted shot against Briggs over mid-off then started to pick off Beer: it was a shame a young legspinner only bowled seven overs in the day, they have to bowl to learn. Misbah’s fifty came off 65 balls when he swept Briggs for his ninth four. Moeen Ali will be in for a challenge if he has to bowl extended spells during the series.Sussex took the new ball as soon as it became available and in the fourth over, Archer claimed his third wicket of the day when Misbah padded up to a ball that would have taken off stump. Archer struck again when Azhar was late on a pull and was taken by the keeper. It is the mark of a promising bowler when his last spell of the day can be as good as the first.

Josh Hazlewood believes Australia have already opened up mental scars for Sri Lanka’s unsteady batting line-up that may smooth a path for the tourists on less helpful pitches later in the series

Daniel Brettig26-Jul-2016Josh Hazlewood believes Australia have already opened up mental scars for Sri Lanka’s unsteady batting line-up that may smooth a path for the tourists on less helpful pitches later in the series.Hazlewood, who took 3 for 21 to play a major role in rounding up the hosts for 117 – Sri Lanka’s second-lowest total against Australia at home – in Pallekele, took advantage of some swing and seam with the new ball that he may not find in Galle or Colombo. However, the memories of this day, when numerous Sri Lankan batsmen looked out of their depth against Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and the spin twins of Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon, may now play in favour of Steven Smith’s team.”Anything you can get on the opposition is crucial,” Hazlewood, whose three wickets included that of Dinesh Chandimal, said. “If you can get it straight up on the first morning of a Test series, and get on top of a few of their top-order batters, it does open up some scars, hopefully, for the back end of the tour on some not-so-friendly wickets for us quicks.”We don’t know too much about these guys, we haven’t played them a lot, especially our bowlers, so we’ve worked out a few little things here and there in that innings, and we’ll look to keep on top of them with those plans throughout the whole series.”This was, arguably, a fortuitous toss for Smith to lose, as it had his opposite number Angelo Mathews electing to bat at a ground where there has always been a modicum of help for fast men. Several members of the touring party who were here for the Test team’s last visit, in 2011, including Nathan Lyon and Usman Khawaja, had spoken of some possible early assistance, and Hazlewood found it.”A few of the guys who were here on the last series mentioned that if the quicks are going to get anything out of it, it’s going to be this Test, especially with the new ball,” Hazlewood said. “We made the most of that, and hopefully, we do again in the second innings. I was happy to bowl turning up today, it was a good toss to lose, see how that wicket was going to play. I thought if we bowled well, which we did, we’d get a few wickets early.”It is [going to get harder], hopefully, we enjoyed that as much as we could. The next two wickets are probably going to suit the spinners and then Colombo could be quite flat, so it’s going to be hard work, but we’ve trained on some flat wickets in Colombo when we got here and tried a few different things here and there, so we’re as prepared as we can be. We may have to work on a few other things, and I think reverse swing will be a huge factor as well.”More than once, the Australians raised their eyebrows at how the pitch played on day one, with several deliveries shooting through low and variation in spin suggesting the pitch will only get harder to bat on. Smith had said before the match that one of his goals was for the team to only have to bat once, and by rolling the Sri Lankans so cheaply, they have a chance of doing so.”I thought we were quite patient, and just bowled the usual great lines and lengths,” Hazlewood said. “Mitch Starc was probably not at his best, but still very lethal, no matter when he bowls, and I think the spinners bowled beautifully on that wicket, it did offer them a bit of up-and-down bounce.”It swung a little bit more in our second spells than the first. I think it’s just that hardness, a couple balls nipped here and there, the wicket was a little bit tacky, spikes were going in quite easily, and then, with the spin, I don’t think it spun too much. It was just inconsistent, and that did the damage.”A couple did shoot through for a day-one wicket, so that’ll be interesting the longer the game goes. The spinners are going to come into it a lot more, and they’ve got some quality spinners, so first-innings runs are going to be crucial for us.”