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ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2015A 55-run stand ensued between Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma, but Rohit fell at the stroke of lunch, edging Dhammika Prasad to slip after making 26•AFPPrasad struck again on the first ball after lunch to get rid of Stuart Binny for a golden duck, to bring on debutant Naman Ojha•AFPAs Pujara kept the scoreboard ticking, he lost partners at regular intervals. Ojha holed out, trying to swat Tharindhu Kaushal for a six, while R Ashwin edged Prasad to the wicketkeeper. India were now on a precarious 180 for 7•AFPPujara, though, was undeterred and battled his way to a seventh Test hundred•Associated PressAmit Mishra gave Pujara ample support from the other end, and in the process, made his way to his third Test half-century•AFPRangana Herath ended the 104-run eighth-wicket stand when he had Mishra stumped for 59. Rain interrupted soon after, bringing a premature end to the day’s play with India at 292 for 8•AFP

Virat Kohli’s desire to play five bowlers leaves the already rusty middle order thinner, an area which South Africa will probably aim to exploit in the third Test in Nagpur

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Nagpur24-Nov-2015India’s middle-order batsmen will enter the Nagpur Test having gone 17 days without facing a single ball in competitive context. Their openers will have gone 10 days without feeling bat on ball anywhere outside the nets. Rustiness, potentially, could afflict one or more of their batsmen when they strap on their pads at the VCA Stadium.Rustiness does not rank very high on the scale of cricketing worries, but India will still be wary of it, given how little cricket they have played thanks to the rain in Bangalore. India are 1-0 up, but are almost starting a new series on Wednesday.It is less of a worry for India’s bowlers, who have have done splendidly in each of the three innings they have had. On the other hand, the batsmen have had a difficult time. They came up against a tough pitch in the first, barely got enough time in the middle in Bangalore, and have been restricted to the nets ever since.Overall, however, India have a lot going for them. They are 1-0 up, the conditions are in their favour, they have a fully fit squad, and their opponents do not. It will be important, therefore, that they don’t let their advantage slip. Their batsmen, in particular, will need to shake off any accumulated rust in a hurry, and guard against looseness.Virat Kohli perhaps had this thought in mind when he answered a question about Dale Steyn’s potential absence. He was careful not to show any emotion, whether delight at the opposition missing their best bowler or regret that his team would be deprived of the challenge of facing him.”We have played him enough times in the past, we have scored enough runs against him in the past,” Kohli said. “It does not make a difference if he is playing or not. We treat every bowler the same way. It is not certain that everyone will do well in a Test match or a cricket game, someone else might step up so you can’t take anyone lightly or more seriously than the other.”We treat everyone equally. It doesn’t really matter, it is eventually a cricket ball coming out of anyone’s hand, it is not the name that we play, it is a cricket ball that we face and you got to back your ability to tackle whatever is thrown at you.”Among India’s specialist batsmen, only M Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara have faced 100 balls in the series. South Africa would love to dimiss them quickly and get at the middle and lower order early. If India play five bowlers, Wriddhiman Saha will probably bat at No. 6. Saha could grow into a fine wicketkeeper-batsman in Tests one day, but his average at this juncture is 21.71. Ravindra Jadeja, India’s No. 7, averages 21.57 with the bat in Test cricket.Given Kohli’s desire to play five bowlers in most conditions, and given the limitations of his allrounders, the numbers show that India have had to make a genuine trade-off, losing a bit of batting solidity to gain bowling bite.In Kohli’s eight Tests as captain – a small sample size, admittedly – India have averaged 34.87 runs per wicket with the bat, which is less than they have under any other captain in this millennium, apart from Sachin Tendulkar. With the ball, though, Kohli’s India boast the best average – 31.00 – of them all.It is not a bad trade-off at all. As Kohli himself has stressed, putting up big totals does not necessarily deliver wins; picking up 20 wickets often does.On Wednesday morning, there is a fair possibility that India will pick five bowlers once again. More punch with the ball, but potentially a bit of wobble with the bat. On match eve, Kohli was unwilling to divulge the combination he had in mind, but gave enough of a clue when he took off on a tangent while answering a question about R Ashwin.First, Kohli praised Ashwin’s growth as an offspinner over the last six months. Then, the tangent: “As a captain I am delighted Ashwin is in our team along with Amit Mishra, who brings a lot of variation for us, and Ravindra Jadeja, who is very, very consistent. All these three put together, if I was playing against them, I would find it really difficult to score off, I can assure you that. I am sure it is not pleasant facing all three together and I am glad we have all three in our team.”While South Africa will not relish the prospect of facing an attack containing Ashwin, Mishra and Jadeja on what is expected to be a turning track, the selection of all three spinners could give them a sniff of a chance against an Indian batting line-up that possibly lacks depth and is also potentially rusty. It is a bit of a straw for a bowling attack to be clutching at, but South Africa are 1-0 down, quite likely missing their best fast bowler, and in need of any encouragement they can get.

At least South Africa had Dean Elgar. On a day in which the ghosts of India came back to haunt them they did not have much else

Firdose Moonda in Durban28-Dec-2015At least South Africa had Dean Elgar.On a day in which the ghosts of India came back to haunt them so vividly that they could not even get past their highest total from that tour (214), at least Elgar exorcised his own demon.He smoked out the spirit that saw him get starts in all seven innings in India before squandering them and gave South Africa an inch of safety. Of all the questions they are now facing – and there are many – at least they have one answer.

Elgar hopes for character

Dean Elgar could not escape the reality that South Africa are staring at a fourth defeat in five matches and the prospect of falling behind in a home series they cannot lose if they are to keep their No. 1 ranking.
“We have to try and chase down or block out possibly four sessions and get a draw out of this – it will show great character,” he said. “The Test series in India didn’t give anyone much confidence.”
South Africa were exposed in what they have termed “extreme” conditions as they attempted to rebuild following months of inactivity and retirements of key players.
“We have a new batting line-up and sometimes it takes a little longer to find your feet. We are very capable of turning out and playing in home conditions, I am sure it’s going to work out for us,” Elgar said. “We don’t play a lot of Test cricket. If we played as much as the English, we wouldn’t have to worry about when our next Test series is. We have a lot of lay-off time.”
The extended break between the retirement of Alviro Petersen in January this year left little time to test an opening partner for Elgar. South Africa promoted a regular No. 3, Stiaan van Zyl, but he only had two innings on a rain-hit Bangladesh tour before looking the weakest link in India. He was replaced by Temba Bavuma in the final match.
With Bavuma still in the squad and specialist opener Steven Cook scoring runs at the Lions, van Zyl’s future could hang on the second innings. “It’s a new role for him and he is very capable of doing the role. A lot of senior guys are on his side,” Elgar said.
“When we came home from India we spoke about going back to basics and that really hit home with me. India didn’t do us a lot of confidence but it did me the world of good. Sometimes your comfort zone needs to get broken a bit.”

Since taking over the opening position permanently 13 Tests ago, Elgar has racked up three centuries and three fifties. He averages 44.58 and has gone from being a sprog to a senior.At Kingsmead, he stubbornly stood his ground for six hours and 26 minutes, spread over two days, and showed mental strength his team-mates have struggled to find, becoming the first South Africa opener to carry his bat since Gary Kirsten against Pakistan in 1997.Understandably, not all of it was pretty and even less of it was perfect. Of the 246 balls Elgar faced and 66 scoring shots he had, only four stand out: his first boundary – an assertive push through point; his milestone moment – a swot over mid-on to bring up fifty; and two pin-point on-drives on the third morning. But the beauty of this knock was in the bruises.The 10th ball Elgar faced found its way onto his forearm after he shaped up too early to play the pull. The 59th he faced, when his strike rate hovered a touch under 40%, was fielded so fiercely that the return throw stuck him on the small of the back. In between that, Elgar watched his opening partner and his captain fall; after that, he took two more blows to the arm and the hand from Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes respectively.If felt any pain from any of those, he did not let it show. What would have hurt more was watching his batting partners form a procession to and from the pitch.For a brief period, Elgar found someone else with some staying power in AB de Villiers and was immediately more comfortable. Their partnership was the highest of the South African innings and a study in contrasts – the difference between a classically-trained chef and a home-cooking enthusiast.What Elgar lacked in finesse, de Villiers provided; what de Villiers lacked in bloody mindedness, Elgar provided. When they were separated by a good ball from Stuart Broad and questionable shot selection from de Villiers, South Africa lost their best chance of getting close to the England score. But they had not lost their only chance because Elgar clung on.He did not panic when Faf du Plessis left him to finish day two alongside Temba Bavuma and he did not panic when Bavuma and then JP Duminy left him with the tail after five-and-a-half overs on day three. Perhaps most importantly, he played spin better than anyone else. Even without the delicate touches that flexible wrists and soft hands can provide, Elgar did well to get forward, smother the turn, ignored any instinctive aggression which could have caused him to do something reckless and stayed industrious.He was rewarded for that with his fourth and probably hardest-fought century, the strain of which splattered on his face when he celebrated. Elgar allowed himself to let go. He repeatedly punched the air with his fists while he let it out with his breath. He pulled on the Protea badge with passion while he pointed towards his peers as trying to tell them, “You’ve still got me, and I’ve got all your backs.” He may even have glanced to where his predecessor Graeme Smith looked a proud parent.Then he went back to batting with match awareness and maturity, something this South African side needs. They lack for leadership because both Amla and du Plessis’ confidence has crashed, de Villiers is wrapped up in the retirement rumours doing the rounds and Steyn is injured again. That has left Morne Morkel, who has done his bit with the ball, and Elgar to fill a void. As a result, Elgar’s relative inexperience has been erased.At just 22 Tests old, he is already a go-to man, sometimes even with ball in hand. Elgar carried more of the load than the man South Africa have trumped up as an allrounder in the making, JP Duminy, who has only bowled one over in the match. Elgar has delivered 14, even if in that department he did not really make a difference.England have taken the sort of lead which will require South Africa to confront and conquer the ghosts of India again if they are to avoid falling behind in the series. At least they have Elgar. The problem is that he may also end up being the most they have.

As England’s middle order was shredded by a new pace star in world cricket, watching from the stands Makhaya Ntini – a man who knows well the burden Rabada will carry – could not hide his excitement

Firdose Moonda in Centurion24-Jan-2016It was the last ball of the 82nd over. Kagiso Rabada had just taken his sixth wicket, England’s most attacking batmen, Ben Stokes, was gone, the follow-on target had not yet been reached, and Chris Woakes was only just surviving. He dabbed one to cover and chanced AB de Villiers’ arm. In one smooth motion, the South Africa captain swooped, snatched and shied. Had he succeeded, Moeen Ali would have been short. Every member of the South African XI had their hands on their head and then…. Rabada smiled.Morne Morkel at mid-off smiled, Dane Piedt smiled that irrepressible smile, Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla smiled from the behind the stumps and eventually even de Villiers smiled. For what felt like the first time in the series, South Africa’s collective confidence had grown to the point where they could smile.That’s the difference a spearhead makes.It would be 11.1 more overs before South Africa took their next wicket, 18.1 more before Rabada got his next scalp and 23 more overs before the England innings ended. In a series already gone, what mattered more is what preceded that.The match was meandering with England at 208 for 3 and Joe Root living up to his name at the crease. Rabada was into his second spell, with an old ball. He was asking questions although he thought England’s batsmen were answering most of them. “I think I was bowling too short,” Rabada said. “That’s not really attacking. If I was getting driven, then I would have been attacking.”He was unnecessarily hard on himself because in the second over of that spell, he did go full and beat Root with a delivery that nipped past the inside-edge. Four balls after that he lured Root into nicking off. “It was a big relief,” he said.Then came the big joy.Rabada gave James Taylor a working over by continually searching the area around fourth stump before surprising him with a bouncer. In the same over, Jonny Bairstow gloved one and suddenly, Rabada had taken 3 for 0 and had his second five-for. Singlehandedly, in the space of 12 balls, he had given South African an advantage. That is what the leader of an attack is supposed to do.The key wicket of Joe Root began England’s collapse•AFP”He has shown he is a grown man,” a beaming Makhaya Ntini told ESPNcricinfo as he watched Rabada run in. “Already, he understands the role that he needs to play. He is able to overshadow the likes of Morkel and Abbott and he has become the star.”Rabada did not think that highly of himself and shifted the spotlight to his team-mates, who he praised for keeping the pressure on. “Kyle and Morne bowled so well. I think they deserved it more than I did. They just kept coming,” Rabada said.The truth is, so did he. Rabada bowled more overs than anyone else: 10 more than Abbott, who was injured in this innings and may play no further part in the match and 5.4 more than Morkel. There were times, such as after the rain delay and when the two spinners were in operation, when it looked like he should have bowled more, unkind as that may sound.Perhaps the scariest thing is that he would have been up to it. “I could have bowled another 10 overs,” he said. Ntini, a workhorse himself, would have been proud. “The game of cricket is not only about bowling 10 overs a day. Test match cricket is about bowling 30 overs, even 40 if you are fit enough,” Ntini said although, like Michael Holding, he would like to see Rabada managed well.Holding joked on commentary that Rabada needed a stretcher towards the end but Ntini did not go that far. “The next Tests are only six months away. He has got plenty of time to recover.”For now, the only Test that matters is this one and, as Ntini pointed out, Rabada is shaping up to be “the hero.” After those three wickets, he returned to take out Stokes, again with a full ball, and then to claim Stuart Broad. He went for some runs in between but he also ignited South Africans on and off the field.”I am so excited. Happiness is understatement. I am excited to watch him in the long run,” Ntini said. “He came back from the Test series against India with no fear of anything. He puts it out there that you are the one that should fear me now, not me being worried about who I am bowling to. Yes, he’s still got to face Australia, Sri Lanka, but the main thing is that if he can continue and have his head grounded, nothing will change. He is almost like a young apple tree that is growing very, very fast in a desert.”Ntini’s metaphor is apt in more ways than one. Rabada has come at a time when South Africa’s attack, along with its team, is in transition. All of his six Tests have taken place with at least one member of the premier pace pack missing: Morne Morkel on his first debut, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander in the rest. He has had to step up very quickly to prove that the depth South Africa boast about is really there.At the same time, Rabada has also arrived when transformation is a hot topic in South African cricket. He is a flag-bearer, like Ntini was, to show how effective it can be when it works.Only someone with very strong will can handle that combination of massive expectations and at just 20, it is unsurprising Rabada is sometimes as overwhelmed as he is excited. “This is what I always wanted. I enjoy it. There are pressures but this is what I really want to do. When I was growing up, I wanted to play any international sport and cricket was the one I was best at. When I ponder over it I think, ‘am I really doing this?'” Rabada said. “But I don’t think I’ve arrived yet.”If that is the case, international batsmen will be fretting over the day that he does.

A run machine in all three formats and a decorated England captain, Charlotte Edwards ticked all the boxes

Andrew McGlashan11-May-20161:09

Quick Facts: Charlotte Edwards retires from international cricket

Starting in styleHaving made her debut as a 16-year-old in a Test against New Zealand in 1996, Charlotte Edwards hit the ground running in ODIs the following year with a century in her second match – 102 against South Africa in Taunton in 1997. She would go on to make nine ODI hundreds, including a career-best 173 not out against Ireland in Pune later in 1997.Ashes retainedEdwards had been part of the 2005 Ashes-winning side – when the urn was regained for the first time in 42 years – and by the following Ashes in 2008 she was captain, having taken over from Clare Connor. At Bowral, her first-innings 94 anchored England’s reply and built a lead of 90, which was enough to set up a six-wicket victory. She was at the crease in the second innings when the win was secured.Double world championsOn Australian soil again came the first part of England’s memorable 2009 double as they overturned New Zealand by four wickets to win their first World Cup since 1993. “It’s an amazing feeling and a day I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Edwards said. A few months later, on home turf, there was more glory as they again beat New Zealand in the inaugural Women’s World T20. “The 50-over was the ultimate prize but this, for the profile of the game and the coverage we’re probably going to get around the world, it’s probably up there with that,” Edwards said at the time. T20 has since gone on to become a game-changer.Leading run-scorerOn February 3, 2013, Edwards became the leading run-scorer in ODIs as she surpassed Belinda Clark’s record of 4844 runs, during a World Cup century against India in Mumbai. She finished on 5992 ODI runs in 191 innings, which is currently more than 600 clear of second-placed Mithali Raj. The next-best current England player is Sarah Taylor with 3261 runs. Edwards also finishes her career as the leading run-scorer in T20Is and second in the Test list behind Jan Brittin.More joy Down UnderArguably the last major high of Edwards’ career came at Hobart in early 2014 when her unbeaten 92 led England to victory in the first T20I against Australia and with it secured retention of the Ashes under the point-based system. It made it back-to-back Ashes series victories for England after they had regained them in 2013.

Stats highlights from the second day of the third Test between Sri Lanka and Australia at the SSC.

Shiva Jayaraman14-Aug-20162 Number of times batsmen at No. 6 or lower have faced more balls in a Test innings against Australia than Dinesh Chandimal’s 356 in his innings of 132. Faf du Plessis had faced 376 balls in the Adelaide Test in 2012-13. The only other instance came in the 1938 Ashes at the Oval when Joe Hardstaff (jnr) faced exactly 400 balls in England’s first innings at the Oval.3 Number of centuries Chandimal has hit at No. 6 when he has come in to bat with Sri Lanka four down for less than 100 runs. Before this innings, he had hit 162 in Sri Lanka’s second innings in Galle last year. He had joined Angelo Mathews at the crease with Sri Lanka struggling at 92 for 4 facing a first-innings deficit of 192 runs. Before that innings, he had made 102 against Bangladesh in 2012-13 with Sri Lanka having lost four wickets on 69. Apart from these three hundreds, he has made two fifties in such situations and has scored 635 runs at 79.37 in nine such innings.2 Number of Test innings by Sri Lanka batsmen against Australia that have been longer than Chandimal’s 356-ball effort. Asanka Gurusinha had faced 399 balls for his 137 at the SSC in 1992, and Aravinda de Silva had faced 361 deliveries in Sri Lanka’s first innings at the Gabba in 1989-90. Chandimal’s 478-minutes innings is also the third-longest in terms of minutes batted, after Gurusinha’s 525-minute and de Silva’s 491-minute efforts in the aforementioned matches.1 Number of sixth-wicket stands in Tests for Sri Lanka than have been bigger than the 211-run partnership in this Test. Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene had added 351 in Ahmedabad in 2009-10. This was only the third double-hundred stand for Sri Lanka’s sixth wicket in Tests. This is also the second 200-plus run stand for Sri Lanka against Australia for any wicket. Before this, Asanka Gurusinha and Arjuna Ranatunga had added 230 runs for the fourth wicket in 1992 at the same venue.80 Innings taken by Steven Smith to hit 4000 Test runs – which is joint-third for least by an Australia batsman. Neil Harvey had also taken 80 innings. Only Don Bradman (48 innings) and Matthew Hayden (77 innings) have made 4000 Test runs faster than Smith. However, Smith is the youngest Australia batsman to the milestone, at 27 years and 73 days, shaving Ricky Ponting’s record by 265 days.1986 Last time a pair added more runs for the sixth wicket in a Test against Australia. Ravi Shastri and Dilip Vengsarkar had added an unbeaten 298 in India’s first innings of the Mumbai Test. This was only the sixth 200-plus-run stand against Australia in Tests.2 Number of 200-run stands for the sixth wicket in Tests in Sri Lanka before this. Australia’s pair of Simon Katich and Justin Langer had added 218 runs at the same venue in 2003-04. The only other such stand in Sri Lanka came in 1987 between Jeff Crowe and Richard Hadlee, when the pair added an unbeaten 246 runs.1934 Only previous instance of No. 6 and No. 7 batsmen hitting hundreds in a Test innings against Australia. Maurice Leyland and Les Ames had got hundreds at Lord’s in the 1934 Ashes Test on that occasion. Dhananjaya de Silva and Dinesh Chandimal are the first Sri Lanka No. 6 and No. 7 to get hundreds in the same Test innings. This is also only the second time that two or more Sri Lanka batsmen have got hundreds in a Test innings against Australia. Gurusinha, Ranatunga and Romesh Kaluwitharana had got hundreds in Sri Lanka’s first innings at the same venue in 1992.1 Number of instances of teams scoring a total higher than Sri Lanka’s 355 after having lost their first five wicket for less than 50 runs. England had made 446 in their first innings of the Lord’s Test in 2010 against Pakistan after having been reduced to 47 for 5.0 Number of pacers who had taken three five-wicket hauls in a Test series in Sri Lanka before Mitchell Starc. Starc’s five-wicket haul in the first innings of this match followed a pair of five-wicket hauls in Galle. He has taken 22 wickets at an average of 13.27 in this series.1999 Last time, before Starc in this series, an Australia pacer took three consecutive five-wicket hauls against the same opposition. Glenn McGrath had done this against West Indies in three consecutive innings in West Indies. Starc’s is only the sixth such instance by an Australia fast bowler. Overall, he is only the eighth Australia fast bowler to take three or more consecutive five-fors in Tests.120 Runs added so far by the partnership between Shaun Marsh and Smith – Australia’s first century stand of this series. This is also the first time in 15 innings since 1999 that Australia’s top three have made two or more fifty-plus scores in a Test innings in Sri Lanka. Greg Blewett and Michael Slater had got fifties at the same venue on that occasion.

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-2016West Indies’ top order were put under constant pressure by the Pakistani quicks•AFPWhich led to some reckless shots…•AFP… and spectacular catches. Mohammad Amir had gone 20 Tests without one.•AFPYasir Shah had Marlon Samuels lbw for a duck•AFP…and a wild swing from Jermaine Blackwood left West Indies struggling at 68 for 4•Getty ImagesBut opener Kraigg Brathwaite was determined to spend time in the middle•Getty ImagesHe found support in Roston Chase, who scored 50 off 89, and Shane Dowrich, who scored 47 off 90•Getty ImagesBrathwaite put on 83 runs with each of them for the fifth and sixth wickets•Getty ImagesPakistan were left frustrated as the placid track didn’t aid them after their early breakthroughs in the day•Getty ImagesThey tried the short-ball tactic, but Brathwaite was impenetrable•Getty ImagesAt stumps, he was unbeaten on 95 off 206 balls, and West Indies were 244 for 6, only 37 behind Pakistan•Getty Images

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2016Neil Wagner lured Jadeja into a hook to break the 41-run eighth-wicket stand, before Mitchell Santner nabbed Bhuvneshwar Kumar•Associated PressWriddhiman Saha survived the testing period, though, and began to unfurl some shots•Associated PressSaha brought up his fifty – his first in Tests in India – and received good support from No. 11 Mohammed Shami•Associated PressMatt Henry took an athletic outfield catch to dismiss Shami off Trent Boult’s bowling, as India were bowled out for 316•Associated PressAfter Shami trapped Tom Latham lbw for 1, Bhuvneshwar had Martin Guptill bowled for 13•Associated PressBhuvneshwar then had Henry Nicholls chopping on to reduce New Zealand to 23 for 3•Associated PressRoss Taylor and Luke Ronchi combined for a fighting 62-run fourth-wicket stand•BCCIRonchi contributed 35 of those runs, with five fours and a six…•BCCI…before Jadeja trapped him in front as New Zealand slipped to 85 for 4 just before rain caused a break in play•BCCIAfter the resumption, Bhuvneshwar took three quick wickets in fading light as New Zealand closed the day tottering at 128 for 7•BCCI

Niroshan Dickwella’s scoop, Kusal Mendis’ missed opportunity and West Indies’ poor running in plays from the penultimate tri-series fixture

Shashank Kishore23-Nov-2016Fiery Gabriel softens Kusal
As a batsman, Kusal Perera’s favourite scoring area is behind square on the leg side. And so with Shannon Gabriel, clocking in excess of 145 clicks quite regularly, he looked to use the pace and simply lend direction. All of it, of course, seems easier on paper than out on the field. Gabriel proved why.First, Kusal was struck flush on his toe by a yorker, which demanded medical attention. Kusal, in visible discomfort immediately after coping the blow, decided the best way out was to counterattack. Seeing Kusal walk across, Gabriel speared a superb yorker at serious pace on leg stump. Kusal overbalanced in his attempt to flick and was late on the shot. By the time his bat came down, the ball had crashed into the middle and leg stumps.Dickwella brings out the ‘Dilscoop’
It was in Zimbabwe, over 17 years ago, that Tillakaratne Dilshan broke through in international cricket. On Wednesday, Dilshan, perhaps watching his mates from the comfort of his couch, may have grinned ear to ear when he saw Niroshan Dickwella play a shot named after him. Seeing the batsman swing freely to full deliveries, Carlos Brathwaite shortened his length and bowled a slow offcutter. Dickwella was already down on one knee, trying to use the pace and paddle it fine. But with the ball not coming on at the pace he would have liked, a delicate little deflection was turned into a full-blooded scoop with the bat moving upwards in a lovely little arc in a fraction of a second or two. He found the middle too, clearing short fine leg to get a boundary.Cheeky attempt thwarts Kusal
Kusal Mendis’ dismissal was somewhat like that of a man who walked blindfolded on a highway, only to be run over by a cycle. Adventurous in his outlook at the crease, he first fetched a slog-sweep off Ashley Nurse from outside off to hit it into bleachers at cow corner. Then he got down on one knee and swung a full delivery for six over long-on. He was suddenly six short of a maiden ODI ton. Seeing the batsman line him up for a third hit, Nurse shortened his length and fired it wide. Kusal re-adjusted and tried to run the ball past the keeper, but could only manage a faint nick. And with that the wait for a maiden ODI hundred continued.Lakmal’s three-card trick
One didn’t know whether it was a deliberate plan from Suranga Lakmal to test Johnson Charles with three different deliveries in the eighth over of the chase, but it worked. First up, a full ball was drilled down the ground for four. Then he dug one short, seemingly in an attempt to target his ribcage. The ball didn’t bounce as high as he would have liked. Charles shuffled across and helped it along to fine leg. Then, he unleashed a slow offcutter, which foxed Charles. The batsman was through with the swing even before the ball arrived, and toe-ended a catch to Upul Tharanga at mid-off.Of mix-ups and missed opportunities
Evin Lewis had just got past a hundred and was cramping. The frustration of a few swings and misses resulted in him attempting cheeky runs. He survived a run-out chance on 114 when Dickwella dislodged the bails before he could collect the ball cleanly from the cover fielder. He continued to swing his way to make 148 before being stranded mid-pitch courtesy a mix-up with his captain Jason Holder, with West Indies slipping to 262 for 6, needing 69 off 57 balls. Sri Lanka’s fielding nightmares extended into the end-overs when Upul Tharanga put down a skier at mid-on to reprieve Carlos Brathwaite on 3.Both the missed opportunities may have cost Sri Lanka on another day, but on the face of pressure, West Indies wilted again, much like they did in the previous game, against Zimbabwe, that resulted in a tie.

ESPNcricinfo picks out five talking points from the inaugural Desert T20 which was won by Afghanistan

Peter Della Penna22-Jan-20171. No Papua New Guinea, No ProblemOf the Division One Associate countries, only Papua New Guinea declined an invitation to participate as the dates conflicted with most of their first-choice players appearing in the East Asia-Pacific squad at the Australian Country Championship. Those plans had been arranged well in advance while the Desert T20 was arranged at relatively short notice.However, given the opportunity to participate in a future edition, it’s doubtful that PNG would voluntarily skip it again. Though Namibia went winless, they provided stiff competition in their first two games, taking UAE down the last ball and Ireland into the final over. More than that, every team more or less brought their first choice squad and played at a high intensity level throughout regardless of there not being an ICC qualification or tournament spot up for grabs. The tipping point was Scotland’s seven-run win over Netherlands as the Scots showed a total desperation to win. Scotland have been more vocal than most Associates about wanting more playing opportunities and were taking advantage of the current one on offer.2. A Full Member or Two Wouldn’t Hurt ThoughThe only carrot left to dangle in front of Associates that would make them even keener to come back would be the inclusion of Zimbabwe and one lower-ranked Full Members. Afghanistan are currently ranked ninth in the ICC’s T20I rankings, ahead of both Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and though Bangladesh have traditionally been bunched together when discussing Full Member sides who aren’t pulling their weight competing with the other Test nations, that is shifting thanks to Bangladesh’s vast improvements in recent times.Bangladesh qualified ahead of West Indies for the 2017 Champions Trophy and currently are in line for an automatic qualification spot for the 2019 World Cup too. T20 is a different kettle of fish but it wouldn’t hurt for another team, whether it is Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh to throw their hat into the ring.3. The transformation of the Afghanistan fan baseAt the 2010 World T20 Qualifier final in Dubai, more than 10,000 fans filled up Dubai International Stadium to be a part of history, getting a chance to witness Afghanistan win the tournament and move on to the 2010 World T20 in West Indies. The crowd that night seemed more there to support Afghanistan the country than Afghanistan the cricket team, with many seemingly first time fans cheering at awkward moments not entirely sure of what was happening.Seven years later, the fan base has swelled in size and in knowledge. Those turning up throughout the tournament still have a peerless passion, literally seen walking through open stretches of desert without a form of transportation to get them to the stadium venues but determined to see their team play. But there is no doubting that they now also have a keen appreciation for the nuances of the game. It is best seen through the way they cheered Rashid Khan’s spells, for even the wicketless moments were sensed for their excellence due to the impact he was having by building pressure. Afghanistan doesn’t just have rabid cricket fanatics, but aficionados too.4. Short and sweetFifteen games in seven days was a lot of cricket to squeeze into a week, but the ICC could learn a thing or two from how smoothly this tournament came off when the cricket is put first. Yes, it would have been great if these matches were televised, but commercial interests are the main reason why the World Cup is so bloated, extending to seven weeks despite having only two more teams.Even the World T20 has morphed into a mini-marathon. The first one in 2007 lasted just two weeks while the most recent one in India was stretched into nearly twice that time at 27 days to squeeze out every last dollar possible from TV rights revenue. The only changes to the Desert T20 schedule that could have made the knockout stage better would be to have an off day, after the end of the group stage, and splitting the semis and final up by 24 hours rather than cramming them all into one day, something Afghanistan coach Lalchand Rajput said he hoped for regardless of his team’s ability to go undefeated. Otherwise, it was a well-run event.5. This tournament matteredThe reactions after the final told of how much winning the tournament meant to the Afghanistan players. It wasn’t just about the Nawroz Mangal’s farewell. When the seventh over began in the chase and only eight runs were needed to win, the entire team lined up on the boundary edge ready to sprint onto the field. When Mohammad Shahzad hit the winning runs, they hared out to the middle as if they had just won a major tournament title.It would have been easy for Afghanistan to casually pooh-pooh the win as just another title for them because they were expected to win it from the start based on their ranking and the form entering the tournament of their nearest traditional rival, Ireland. But they wanted it badly. The other teams did too, especially Oman, Scotland and Ireland judging on their reactions upon losing the semi-final and final respectively. Even Hong Kong, with almost nothing to play for against Netherlands, not only upended them from making the semis but did so with enough oomph to give themselves an outside chance of progressing as well. Everyone wanted it badly and the intensity level from beginning to end legitimised the event as a quality tournament.