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Former CSA chief executive Gerald Majola’s Labour Court challenge against the disciplinary procedures which saw him suspended in October has been dismissed

Firdose Moonda29-Aug-2013Former CSA chief executive Gerald Majola’s Labour Court challenge against the disciplinary procedures which saw him suspended in October has been dismissed. Majola will also be required to carry the costs of the legal proceedings between himself and CSA which have dragged on since he was suspended in March last year.CSA hopes this is the final chapter of a long-running saga which has been going on for the better part of three years. “It’s time to move on,” Haroon Lorgat, the new CSA chief, said. “The sooner we are able to put this matter to bed, the sooner cricket can move forward.”The Majola affair began when he and 39 other staff members were awarded 4.7 million rand in bonuses after the hosting of the IPL and Champions League in 2009. The money was not declared to CSA’s board and was only discovered by their internal auditors.Majola faced an internal inquiry, which cleared him of all wrongdoing, an external investigation conducted by auditing firm KPMG which discovered he may have contravened the Companies’ Act four times and a ministerially convened commission, chaired by Judge Chris Nicholson, which recommended his suspension. In the process, CSA were also advised to restructure their board to include a significant independent component that could play a role in ensuring corporate governance.Lorgat, who previously headed up the ICC, indicated he would be interested in the CSA job as long as the board was reconstituted in accordance with the guidelines stipulated by the Nicholson commission. He was appointed last month, after numerous delays on CSA’s side during which they had two acting bosses.As a personal friend of Majola’s, Lorgat said he had had communication with his predecessor, in his own capacity, to try and find a solution to the legal claim Majola made on CSA. “I had personal interaction with him and tried to establish if there was a chance of a settlement and if there was, I would have proposed it to the board,” Lorgat said.But Majola was not receptive to that idea and instead chose to proceed with litigation. His case was based on questioning the legitimacy of Nicholson Commission, which his legal team believed was improperly formed. Now that this has been dismissed, Majola’s association with CSA is believed to be over.The only outstanding issue remains the actual bonus amounts which Lorgat confirmed have not been recovered from Majola or any of the other staff members. CSA have already said they will not seek to recuperate the money from their employees but Lorgat said the board may decide to launch a civil claim against Majola.If president Chris Nenzani’s statement is any indication, they will not go that route. “CSA is pleased this matter is over and we can now focus on the future,” he said. Lorgat seems to feel the same way. “This is something I want to put behind me,” he said. “We must acknowledge the mistakes of the past but we must also give credit to Gerald for what he did for cricket.”

Chris Rogers made 65 but with him went Middlesex’s improbable hopes of chasing 277 and Yorkshire were confirmed as Division One runners-up

David Hopps at Headingley20-Sep-2013
ScorecardJack Brooks took four wickets as Yorkshire confirmed second place with victory•Getty Images

The last Australia Test player to leave these shores departed in high dudgeon. Chris Rogers left the field with a look of consternation and hands outstretched as he was adjudged to be caught at the wicket. With Rogers went Middlesex’s improbable hopes of chasing 277 and Yorkshire were confirmed, as everybody had presumed they would be, as Division One runners-up.The crowd seemed content enough with a near miss: when Yorkshire’s players went on a thank-you lap, they received a standing ovation.Leaving with exasperation and a sense of wrongdoing is the way the last Australian cricketer in the building should always turn off the lights. But Rogers’ commitment to Middlesex has been unquestioned, either side of his first Ashes series, and if his innings had a little end-of-term skittishness to it, his 65 from 85 balls represented Middlesex’s only lasting threat. Ryan Sidebottom bowled him on 28, but was called for a no-ball, whereupon he stared fiercely at the white line like a gardener suspecting caterpillar trails on his cabbages.This pitch never lost its liking for seam bowlers. All the quick bowlers on show had their moments and while that should ensure praise of Middlesex’s debutant, Tom Helm, is tempered, his match figures of 5 for 78, without a tailender in sight, revealed him to be a bowler of promise. An England Under-19, he is strikingly tall and rangy with a good, high action – just the sort of description for England’s bowling coach, David Saker, to make a mental note to monitor his progress.Rogers and Sam Robson, his opening partner, have bolstered Middlesex’s season. But Rogers won an Ashes call-up and Robson’s form slumped the moment that Australia changed their regulations and encouraged a debate over whether his loyalties might lie with them or England. He failed twice here, outdone by Steve Patterson on both occasions and passed 50 only once in 15 goes after the Ashes series got underway in mid-July – albeit an eye-catching 166 against Sussex at Hove.With Middlesex’s season now over, both Sussex and Warwickshire can still overhaul them in third place if they win their final match next week. Not for the first time, Middlesex’s middle order went walkabout – literally in the case of Eoin Morgan, who was tweeting about the beauty of the west coast of Ireland around the time that their collapse began. Morgan is expected to lose his England central contract next week, leaving Middlesex with a potentially expensive player who is rightly treasured by England and in the IPL but whose county worth is not immediately apparent.

Rogers: Middlesex lacked runs

“I think they probably outclassed us. We haven’t had the answers in the two games we’ve played against Yorkshire. I think they are a very good side and unlucky not to win the Championship in many respects.
“We need more batting points next season: that’s where we’ve let ourselves down. We wouldn’t be in third position if it wasn’t for our bowlers, and they have done a fantastic job, but as a batting group we have been disappointing. That’s particularly when your openers get 1000 runs; you would hope your middle order jumps on the back of that. We are making the same mistakes as when I first came over here three years ago. Talent does not mean a lot at times. It comes down to being tough enough.”

Up in what passes for the Yorkshire media box, Dickie Bird briefly held court while Middlesex wickets fell. Yorkshire’s change bowlers, Liam Plunkett and Jack Brooks, have traded runs for wickets all season, and the first two overs they shared spilled 17. But Plunkett had Dawid Malan lbw to the second of two yorkers and Brooks took the first of four wickets when Neil Dexter fell to a brilliant slip catch by Kane Williamson. Their trading terms were more than acceptable.”I tipped Durham to win the title and Yorkshire to finish second in April,” Bird revealed. He did, too, but it seems that Dickie did quite a lot of tipping. News of Dickie’s prophecy was somewhat undermined when a video was unearthed from the Scarborough Festival, where he confidently assured everybody that a Yorkshire Championship win was a formality. There again, he was interviewed outside the hospitality marquee, so he probably had good reason for his optimism.That confidence in Yorkshire collapsed, as we now know, when Durham beat them at Scarborough that very week. But there is probably also a video where the World’s Most Famous Test Umpire (retired) waxes lyrically about the batting prowess of Gary Ballance. Ballance’s pugnacious 90 was the top-score of the match, his hopes of a hundred ending when he hauled Helm to long leg.Dickie remained impressed and wandered off to find James Whitaker, the England selector, and tell him to put Ballance in England’s Ashes squad. Whitaker kept schtum. He will join the England selectors for what could be lengthy deliberations this weekend.

Restrict the opposition to a reasonable total and chase it down with a solid top order. Rajasthan Royals’ favoured template has been working superbly, with five wins in five games, while Kings XI Punjab are yet to show consistency, with three losses in fo

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit20-Apr-2015

Match facts

Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)

Big picture

Five wins in five games, the latest being a hammering of the mighty Chennai Super Kings. Rajasthan Royals are unstoppable at the moment. Their favoured template – restrict the opposition to a reasonable total and chase it down with a solid top order – has been working superbly for them. The only time they have batted first this season, they have defended quite comfortably, against their next opponents: Kings XI Punjab.Shane Watson’s availability has strengthened them further. While the likes of Watson and Steven Smith will always be assets, the performances of their Indian players have also helped Royals achieve this run. In addition to Ajinkya Rahane’s solidity, Pravin Tambe, Dhawal Kulkarni and Stuart Binny have been frugal with the ball while young Deepak Hooda has won a game with the bat.Kings XI Punjab’s overseas as well as domestic players are yet to show consistency, which reflects in three losses from four matches. Apart from George Bailey’s batting and Sandeep Sharma’s bowling, the rest have not stood out. The bowling has been competitive, but it is the big names in that middle order that need to fire.

Watch out for…

When these sides met in Pune ten days ago, James Faulkner turned 75 for 5 into 162 for 7 with 46 off 33. He then took out Glenn Maxwell, Bailey and Mitchell Johnson in four overs for only 26 runs. Faulkner has not really been needed with the bat after that but has been expensive with the ball overall. He has the knack of picking the big wicket, as he did when he bowled a rampaging Dwayne Smith against Super Kings.M Vijay has been in superb touch for a while now, and that has showed in some of the shots he has played. Some of his cover drives have been effortless and gorgeous, but all he has to show are 91 runs from four innings. With the hit-or-miss nature of Virender Sehwag’s batting at the other end, Vijay will have to carry on from his starts.

Stats and trivia

• Ajinkya Rahane is one hit away from reaching 200 fours in the IPL. Shane Watson is one short of 100 sixes
• Sandeep Sharma’s economy-rate of 5.37 is the best so far this season. Stuart Binny is next with 5.71
• Royals have won seven out of ten games in Ahmedabad

Quotes

“It is great to be able to come and take over with the team in such a good place. Steven Smith does an incredible job as a leader. He is tactically incredibly good. He did a fantastic job in the first four games and I am very lucky to be able to have him in and around the squad.”
“Our batting has been a letdown so far in the tournament. The top batsmen are just not getting enough runs. That has been putting the team in a tight spot.”

With Australia retaining the Frank Worrell Trophy after the first Test, the best West Indies can hope for is to level the series 1-1, but that would require their first Test victory against Australia in 12 years

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale10-Jun-2015

Match facts

June 11-15, 2015
Start time 10am local (1500 GMT)1:22

WI target first Test win against Australia since 2003

Big Picture

After three days of Test cricket, this series is half over. Australia retained the Frank Worrell Trophy in Dominica, where the highlight was an unbeaten hundred on debut from Adam Voges. Their fielding was sharp and their bowling solid, but it was still far from their most clinical performance. The reliance on the lower order to bail them out of a batting slump was again notable, as has often been the case over the past few years, and a little more steel from the West Indian batsmen could have made a real contest of it. Again Australia will be without opener Chris Rogers, who is still feeling the effects of concussion after being struck on the helmet during training ahead of the first Test.The best West Indies can now hope for is to level the series 1-1, but that would require their first victory against Australia in a Test for 12 years. The second-innings 70 scored by debutant Shane Dowrich was encouraging for West Indies, as was the six-wicket haul from Devendra Bishoo, but overall it was an inconsistent and dissatisfying performance. They were sloppy in the field and the shot selection of several batsmen frustrated the coach Phil Simmons. Now they move on to Sabina Park in Jamaica, where spin has been an effective weapon in first-class cricket this year and they will hope Bishoo again troubles the Australians.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
West Indies LWLDL
Australia WDDWWWith Chris Rogers ruled out, Shaun Marsh will have another opportunity to boost his chances of retaining his place in the side for the Ashes•WICB Media/Adriel Richard

In the spotlight

It is common to see Steven Smith dance down the pitch to spinners, but very rare to see him deceived in doing so. When Devendra Bishoo turned one past Smith’s bat in the first innings in Roseau, it was just the second time in a 125-innings first-class career that Smith had been out stumped. Equally impressive was Bishoo’s legbreak that clipped the top of Brad Haddin’s off stump. They were the two highlights of Bishoo’s 6 for 80, and given Australia’s susceptibility to quality spin, he will again be a key man in Jamaica. “He’s getting back to where he was when he became ICC Young Player of the Year,” coach Phil Simmons said of Bishoo, who in April returned to Test cricket after a three-year absence.A second Test without Chris Rogers will lead to a second opening chance for Shaun Marsh, who would otherwise have expected to bat at No.5 in this series. But the success of Adam Voges on debut might also mean Marsh is also playing for his place in the side come the first Ashes Test next month, for it is hard to see Rogers being left out in the familiar English conditions. Marsh’s best scores during the home Test summer were 99 and 73 and although he has been a useful contributor, he may need a big score to encourage the selectors to stick with him.

Team news

Kemar Roach, Rajindra Chandrika and Veerasammy Permaul are the three men in the squad who missed out in the first Test. Despite losing in three days, West Indies might retain the same XI.West Indies (possible) 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Shai Hope, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Shane Dowrich, 5 Marlon Samuels, 6 Jermaine Blackwood, 7 Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), 8 Jason Holder, 9 Jerome Taylor, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Shannon GabrielWith Rogers still unavailable, Australia are unlikely to make any changes unless the pitch looks like a raging turner.Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Michael Clarke (capt), 5 Adam Voges, 6 Shane Watson, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and conditions

Sabina Park has provided plenty of wickets for the spinners in first-class cricket this year, including an eight-wicket haul from Barbados left-armer Jomel Warrican. However, the teams will wait to see what they are faced with come the morning of the Test.

Stats and trivia

• Bishoo’s 6 for 80 in Roseau were the best Test figures ever achieved by a West Indian legspinner
• At 35, Adam Voges last week became the oldest man to score a century on Test debut. The previous record was held by Zimbabwe’s David Houghton, and the oldest Australian had been then 32-year-old Herbie Collins in 1920
• Only two members of Australia’s side have played a Test in Jamaica: Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin, who was on debut when they last played there in 2008

Quotes

“The next step is … making sure that our shot selection is a lot better and our catching is a lot better. I think those are the two areas we need to make sure we get better.”

Timm van der Gugten’s 6 for 29 and 57 with the bat put Netherlands in a commanding position on the second day of their Intercontinental Cup match against Papua New Guinea

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2015
ScorecardFile Photo – Timm van der Gugten followed up his 6 for 29 with an important 57•ICC/Helge Schutz

Timm van der Gugten returned figures of 6 for 29, as Netherlands bowled Papua New Guinea out for 128 in the first innings to take firm control of their Intercontinental Cup game in Amstelveen. PNG’s last four wickets could add only 25 runs to their overnight score of 103 before being bowled out in 48.4 overs. Middle-order batsman Mahuru Dai, with 26, was the team’s highest run-getter.With a lead of 81 in hand, Netherlands were reduced to 17 for 3 inside eight overs of their second innings after early strikes from Willie Gavera and Loa Nou. However, a 65-run, fourth-wicket partnership between Michael Rippon and Wesley Barresi provided a recovery, taking the team to 82 before Mahuru Dai removed Rippon.Netherlands once again lost quick wickets and were precariously placed at 110 for 7, but van der Gugten followed up his good showing with the ball by sharing an 83-run stand with Paul van Meekeren, eventually helping the team make 223. PNG’s right-arm seamers Gavera and John Reva picked up seven scalps between them while Nou and Dai landed a wicket each.Chasing 305, PNG lost Tony Ura for 13 in the eighth over, with van Meekeren providing the breakthrough. Ura’s opening partner Lega Siaka was lively and struck 11 fours during his 37-ball 49 but was dismissed off the last ball of the day by offspinner Max O’Dowd. PNG went to stumps at 66 for 2, still needing another 239 runs for victory.

Peter Moores has rejected claims he is a stats-driven coach and insisted the England side he led was making progress

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-20153:26

‘Moores frustrated with treatment’

Peter Moores has rejected claims he is a stats-driven coach and insisted the England side he led was making progress.In his first interview since he was sacked as England coach for a second time, Moores dismissed the public perception of him as “just wrong” and spoke of his “frustration” at the decision to remove him just as the team “turned a corner”.Moores did not give any interviews after he was sacked as England coach at the end of 2008. But this time, incensed by his portrayal in the media, he has given two interviews – one of them to ESPNcricinfo – in an attempt to put the record straight.He is particularly frustrated at the aftermath of a BBC interview in which his words were misheard and then misreported. Specifically, when he said the word “later”, it was reported as “data” and used to support the theory that he was obsessed by statistics and that his overly analytical methods prevented England’s young players from expressing their talents freely.Moores has now revealed that the BBC have apologised to him and, so little did England use “data” during the World Cup, it was briefly feared that their analyst, Nathan Leamon, would go home in frustration.”I have to accept my time as England coach has gone,” Moores said. “But I am frustrated. The portrayal of me as a coach in the media is just wrong. If people said ‘I don’t rate you as a coach’ then fine. But when it’s not what you are, it’s really frustrating.”I don’t know how to change that. I’ve not spent my life trying to be really good with the media; I’ve spent it trying to make players better. I still passionately want to do that.”I have an official letter from the BBC. It’s a tough one. I didn’t say it. We moved away from stats and data. Coaching doesn’t work like that at all. You watch a lot to say a little. It’s not a numbers game. We kept it simple. We tried to give the players responsibility to lead themselves.”Moores also expressed frustration with the timing of his sacking. While he conceded England’s World Cup campaign had been dire, he pointed to a run of four wins, one loss and a draw in England’s last six Tests as evidence that “a corner had been turned”. He had, he pointed out, inherited a team that had just lost five Tests in a row.”In Test terms, we felt we had turned a corner,” Moores said. “We were getting there. Would I have been sacked had we won in Barbados? You’ll have to ask the people who made the decision. I was aware that things were building but I wasn’t expecting it.”The frustration is not being able to carry something through. When I took the job, I knew we would go through this period of trial. And transition is difficult. You will lose sometimes. But in Tests we were moving and moving quite fast. You could see it happening. Young players were developing fast. And you know there is a time frame for that.”I’m also confident in my ability to evolve teams to become very good teams. And, given time, I’ve always gone on to be successful. So to not have time to finish the job with England… I thought we were getting there. I was genuinely excited when we got back from the Caribbean.”Read the full interview

Hampshire kept their NatWest T20 Blast hopes alive following a thrilling four-run victory over Sussex at Hove

ECB/PA17-Jul-2015
ScorecardJames Vince led the way as Hampshire kept hopes of qualification alive•PA Photos

Hampshire kept their NatWest T20 Blast hopes alive following a thrilling four-run victory over Sussex at Hove.James Vince made an unbeaten 90 and Adam Wheater a quickfire 51 as Hampshire amassed 204-3 after being put in to bat but Sussex looked on course to pull off an unlikely win when Chris Nash and Luke Wright put on 98 for the opening wicket inside ten overs.Nash fell for a career-best 88 in the 17th over but successive sixes from Craig Cachopa in the penultimate over got the equation down to ten from the last six balls. But former Sussex bowler Yasir Arafat came back to haunt his old club with a brilliant final over to restrict Sussex.It means Hampshire can still secure a quarter-final spot if they win their final game against Somerset on Thursday while Sussex missed out on the chance of guaranteeing their progress.Vince and Wheater laid the platform for Hampshire’s biggest total for five years after Michael Carberry was well caught by Ollie Robinson off the bowling of Chris Liddle for 14. Wheater dominated a stand of 93 from 53 balls but could have been out without scoring as he survived a close run-out appeal.

Insights

For much of this season Hampshire’s progress towards qualification was serene. More recently they have struggled and have not strung consecutive wins together since early June, but this win keeps them in contention for the quarter-finals heading into the final week. Wickets win matches. At least that’s what Sussex’s run-chase suggested. For the first 15 overs of the chase, the run rate remained steady at 10 – and then wickets started to fall. Sussex lost four wickets in their final four overs as they cracked under pressure. Hampshire live to fight another day.

The wicketkeeper pulled his fourth ball for six off Robinson and also cleared the ropes off the bowling of Will Beer and Liddle. He brought up his 50 with his fourth four off Chris Nash but was out the very next ball when he mistimed a pull and was caught at midwicket by Liddle.Wheater’s departure did not slow Hampshire’s momentum, however, as Owais Shah blasted a quickfire 40 in a stand of 72 from 36 balls.Vince also survived a scare when Robinson put a tough chance down on 41 and made the most of the reprieve. He brought up his 50 from 38 balls but was left short of a first Twenty20 century.Sussex needed to make a quick start and in-form opening duo Nash and Wright provided it. Nash smashed Will Smith for two sixes in the opening over as the Sharks raced to 66-0 at the end of the Powerplay.Nash brought up his 50 – from 28 balls – with a delightful inside out cover drive but was denied a third century partnership of the season with Wright when the Sussex skipper was bowled for 42 by Yasir Arafat. Legspinner Mason Crane picked up the wicket of Matt Machan in the next over to swing the momentum back in Hampshire’s favour.A partnership of 65 from 39 balls between George Bailey and Nash kept Sussex very much in contention until both fell in the space of three balls. Nash holed out to former Sussex player Joe Gatting at long-on off Chris Wood for 88 and then Bailey was well caught right on the rope by Gatting for a 21-ball 33.Sussex needed 35 runs from 19 balls at that point but there hopes seemed to have disappeared when the equation became 22 from eight balls. Successive sixes from Cachopa off Wood got it down to ten from the final over but Arafat produced a brilliant final over to deny his old club.

On a rain-marred first day in which Surrey collected the first of the 15 points they require to guarantee promotion back to the top tier of the County Championship, they found themselves in a better position than their fielding deserved

Freddie Wilde at Kia Oval01-Sep-2015
ScorecardZafar Ansari worked through Derbyshire’s top order•Getty Images

On a rain-marred first day in which Surrey collected the first of the 15 points they require to guarantee promotion back to the top tier of the County Championship, they found themselves in a better position than their fielding deserved against Derbyshire having dropped five catches – four of them the first 90 minutes of play. Life will not be so forgiving in Division One.It would, however, be churlish to say that Surrey were lucky. With England’s tour of the UAE looming and their spin options worryingly threadbare, left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari delivered a first-day performance to justify the growing voices calling for his inclusion in England’s Test squad, taking 4 for 44.On an excellent pitch that has so far offered seam movement and tacky turn, Ansari took four of the five wickets to fall on a truncated opening day, bowling with impressive control and patience. A belligerent innings by Chesney Hughes who finished unbeaten on 85 ensured that Ansari did not completely ruin Derbyshire’s innings, but having been granted precious lives by Surrey’s fielders they will feel as if they have let an opportunity for better things slip.As an opening batsman who bowls spin in county cricket, comparisons will no doubt be drawn between Ansari and Moeen Ali, and Ansari is keen to extol his role as a bowler as much as a batsman.This season has indeed brought upon a Moeen-style perception shift in which Ansari’s bowling has widely become regarded as his most respected, if not most valuable, asset. While he is averaging just 29 with the bat in first-class cricket this season, he has now bowled more than 400 first-class overs – only Jeetan Patel has bowled more, and taken more first-class wickets: 43.Having already played in the UAE earlier this season for the MCC alongside Alastair Cook, and made his international debut in Ireland in May, he will no doubt be close to the national selectors’ thoughts as they convene before the UAE.After the start of play was delayed by light rain, Ansari toiled away diligently at the Pavilion End under dark and moody skies for 21 overs during two sessions, demonstrating impressive control and patience.Having won the toss and chosen to bat beneath heavy clouds Derbyshire will have been as surprised as they will have been pleased that after an hour of play both openers remained at the crease. Indeed, around the one-hour mark three consecutive overs induced three edges through to the slips — one which fell just short and two that were put down; both, rather remarkably by former international wicketkeepers Kumar Sangakkara and Steven Davies. Two further catches would be also spilled.Ansari’s introduction brought with it a wicket as Billy Godleman, seeking to continue an impressive run of form, was bowled between bat and pad looking to force the ball through the leg side.It was some time before Ansari would bowl again, 18 overs in fact, and rather appropriately it was not until he returned that Surrey found another breakthrough. When Ansari removed opener Ben Slater for a hard-fought 42, trapped lbw to end a gritty partnership with Hughes, it began an uninterrupted spell of 17 overs for Ansari that reaped 3 for 28. The other two wickets to fall were Wayne Madsen, caught and bowled and Wes Durston, also lbw.As the light and rain closed in there was just enough time for Tom Curran to prize out Harvey Hosein before play was halted for the day.Although the pitch offered turn what was conspicuous about Ansari’s bowling was that it was inconspicuous. He did not turn it square, or get it to drift or bounce wickedly, it was straightforward, controlled spin bowling. A career economy rate of 3.12 suggests such pressure is consistently applied.Only Hughes, typically a colourful stroke-maker, demonstrated the application required on a pitch that has certainly not been easy to bat on. He did unfurl a couple of trademark cover drives but it was his restraint that illuminated where the rest of Derbyshire’s batsmen went wrong on a day in which good things came to those who waited.

Lahiru Thirimanne will lead the Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI in the three-day encounter against the West Indians, at SSC

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Oct-2015

SLC Board President’s XI squad

Udara Jayasundera, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne (capt.), Minod Bhanuka (wk), Milinda Siriwardana, Angelo Jayasinghe, Sachith Pathirana, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Suraj Randiv, Lahiru Milantha, Lasanda Rukmal, Kasun Madushanka, Sahan Nanayakkare

Lahiru Thirimanne will lead the Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI in the three-day encounter against the West Indians, at SSC. Batting allrounder Milinda Siriwardene, and seamers Suranga Lakmal and Vishwa Fernando, all of whom are in contention for Test call-ups, have also been named. Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, offspinner Suraj Randiv and spinning-allrounder Sachith Pathirana find places in the Board XI squad as well.With Sri Lanka’s A team overseas, a younger crop of players also feature in this squad, including Kusal Mendis, the 20-year-old batsman who recently led the Sri Lanka Under-19 team. Other recent graduates from the Under-19 side include left-arm spinner Sahan Nanayakkare and wicketkeeper-batsman Minod Bhanuka.The match begins on October 8. It is West Indies’ only warm-up match on the island. The first Test begins on October 14.

A round-up of the NCL 2015-16 matches that finished on October 20, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2015A counterattacking hundred by Nurul Hasan was the highlight of Khulna Division‘s drawn game against Dhaka Division in Fatullah. Khulna remained on top of the Tier-1 tournament standings with 39 points, followed by Dhaka Division on 34 points.Khulna batted first and were bowled out for 117, with Dhaka’s seamer Nuruzzaman Masum taking four wickets in his first NCL match in nearly two years. But any hopes of a sizable lead came crashing down as Mustafizur Rahman picked up four wickets of his own to restrict the lead to 37.Mahedi Hasan and Anamul Haque then added 148 runs for the second wicket to drive Khula forward – Mahedi making a run-a-ball 104. Two quick wickets fell thereafter, but Anamul and Hasan’s 153-run stand for the fifth wicket took the team out of troubled waters.Anamul made 100 off 267 balls, while Hasan went on to make an unbeaten 182 off 223 balls. Hasan and Ziaur Rahman added 154 for the sixth wicket, with the latter hammering 89 off 113 balls in the team’s 506 for 7. Dhaka needed to bat out time, and they did by surviving 40 overs on the final day. Saif Hassan top-scored with an unbeaten 67, and Abdul Mazid made 60 in the drawn contest.Tanveer Haider came up with fine all-round display in Rangpur Division‘s draw against Dhaka Metro at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna.Batting first, Dhaka Metro were bowled out for 242 with Tanveer taking four wickets with his legspin. Shamsur Rahman and Asif Hossain wasted strong starts, and were dismissed for 51 and 56 respectively. Rangpur took a 57-run lead in the first innings, with Tanveer making a patient 78 thanks to support from the tailenders. Sharifullah took four wickets.Dhaka Metro were then helped by Mehrab Hossain jnr’s 109 as they declared the second innings on 352 for 7. Tanveer got into the act again, picking three wickets, but Rangpur managed to walk away with a draw. They finished with 72 for 3 in chase of 296 when the game ended.In Tier-2, Barisal Division crushed Sylhet Division by 150 runs at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra.What started as a low-scoring game turned dramatically courtesy a 230-run fourth wicket partnership between Salman Hossain and Al-Amin in Barisal’s second innings, after they conceded a 17-run lead.Al-Amin made 157 off 197 balls with 16 fours and three sixes, while Salman’s 146 came off 284 balls. Barisal declared on 464 for 7, leaving Sylhet a target of 448. Zakir Hasan apart, none of the other Sylhet batsmen offered resistance. Zakir brought up his maiden first-class hundred, remaining unbeaten on 137 with 20 boundaries. Offspinner Sohag Gazi took five wickets in the second innings to take his match haul to 8 for 156.Chittagong Division took the honours in their drawn game against Rajshahi Division at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.Batting first, Rajshahi were bowled out for 208 runs after offspinner Iftekhar Sajjad took five wickets. Chittagong then took a lead of 142 courtesy Tasamul Haque’s second consecutive first-class hundred. He batted for nearly eight hours on his way to an unbeaten 134. Sunzamul Islam took eight wickets for 106, his second best first-class innings bowling figure.Rajshahi had to bat out for over five sessions to walk away with a draw. Nazmul Hossain Shanto rose to the occasion and made 101, his second first-class century, after batting for more than 80 overs. Shanto had earlier top-scored in the first innings too by making 63.