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Bayliss’ pedigree as a multiple-title winning coach is unparalleled, and is the reason why more than one IPL franchise was trying to get him on board

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2019World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss, whose tenure with England comes to an end after the Ashes, will take over as the Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach. This will be Bayliss’ second stint in the IPL, having already coached Kolkata Knight Riders from 2012 to 2015, during which time the franchise won the title twice.It is understood that Sunrisers and Bayliss will work out the tenure of his contract soon. ESPNcricinfo understands the franchise is yet to make a decision on the rest of the support staff, but it will retain the pair of VVS Laxman (mentor) and Muttiah Muralitharan (consultant).Bayliss replaces fellow Australian Tom Moody, who parted ways with Sunrisers after seven seasons. Sunrisers had won the IPL in 2016, and then finished runners-up in the 2018 edition. In 2019, they scraped through to the playoffs but finished fourth eventually.”After very careful consideration, the Sunrisers franchise has decided to take a new direction with the Head Coaching role and will be parting ways with the services of Tom Moody,” Sunrisers said in a statement. The reason Bayliss was preferred for the head coach role was that he is a “proven winner” and an “ideal” person to guide the future of the franchises.According to K Shanmugham, the Sunrisers’ CEO, it was the management’s decision to part ways with Moody. The franchise made it clear Moody was not being snubbed and acknowledged he had made an “enormous impact” in Sunrisers making the IPL playoffs five times in seven seasons. “Tom has been the longest-serving coach in the IPL. He played a big role in the development and success of the franchises. But the management felt it was time to try out someone new,” Shanmugham said.Moody tweeted a message of gratitude to the players, support staff and fans.
Bayliss’ pedigree as a multiple-title winning coach is unparalleled and is the big reason why more than one IPL franchise was trying to get him on board. It is understood Knight Riders, too, had initiated talks with him, as did Rajasthan Royals.Under Bayliss’ watch, England won the 2015 Ashes 3-2, reached the World T20 final in 2016, became No. 1 side in the ODI rankings and won the World Cup at Lord’s last week. Bayliss had also won the Big Bash League with Sydney Sixers in 2011-12 and had also coached Sri Lanka, who reached the 2011 World Cup final during his tenure.

Next two games are ‘like quarter-finals’ for England, admits leading batsman after Sri Lanka, Australia defeats

George Dobell26-Jun-2019Joe Root has admitted England’s batsmen “haven’t adapted” to the surfaces they have encountered in the World Cup. England have lost their last two matches to leave their hopes of progressing to the semi-finals uncertain. In both cases, they have failed to chase down targets that might, in recent years, have appeared relatively modest.Now they are in a position where they may have to win both their final group matches, against India on Sunday and New Zealand on Wednesday, to ensure their qualification.Root, who has led the way with the bat for his team, conceded that pitches in the tournament have not been as good for batting as England expected. But while he accepted there are “a number of things we could have done slightly better” in the campaign to date, he still felt they were “more than capable” of making it into the last four.”If you look at some of the par scores throughout this tournament, they have been very different to when we have played in bilateral series,” Root said. “We have turned up to some venues in this tournament and things have been quite different to when we have played one-day series there in the past.”We haven’t necessarily adapted as well as we could have. It is frustrating and very disappointing that we have played in the manner we have in the last two games. There are a number of things we could have done slightly better.”I just don’t think we have played as well as we can. We have made some basic errors that we want to put right in the next two games. But I strongly believe we are more than capable of qualifying for the semi-finals. We have played both these opposition in the recent past and had huge success. So we have got to look at that, the other stuff we have done well throughout the competition and put it all together.”England defeated India 2-1 in an ODI series at home last summer, and New Zealand 3-2 away in 2017-18. But while they have enjoyed a number of decent individual performances with the bat – notably, Ben Stokes passed 80 in the defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia – Root knows they will have to play better in partnerships if they are to win their next two games. And he urged his side to keep calm and continue to believe in themselves and the methods that helped them enjoy success in recent times.”When we have done well, we have had two substantial partnerships through the chase,” Root said. “But we haven’t really managed that in this tournament. We haven’t had two guys who have batted for a long enough period of time – for 20 or 25 overs – to put the opposition under pressure. And generally, when we have chased, that is what has served us well.”We have to be very calm about how we approach the next couple of games. The games themselves might get quite emotional, especially the atmosphere at Edgbaston, so being very clear and precise about the threats the opposition pose is important. And remembering how we look both individually and collectively when we are at our best. Being really strong on the basic stuff has served us well for a long period of time.”It is almost like we see these two games as quarter-finals which, in a way, should serve us really well. You still have to win big games at some stage in the tournament if you are going to go on and win it. Ours have just come a bit sooner than expected.”And it doesn’t really matter how you get there – to the semi-finals – but when you do, that’s when the tournament really starts to kick in.”The reverse of that, of course, is that England could be out before their own World Cup does start to “kick in”. But as Root points out, their fate is still in their own hands. And if they can adapt better at Edgbaston on Sunday, they can still progress.

The latest snippets from the Vitality Blast, including Nicholas Pooran at number seven, Paul Nixon’s prophetic tweets, and Lewis McManus’ freak run-out

Matt Roller29-Jul-2019After winning just twice in 2018, Middlesex have already bettered their record from last season, and are now third-favourites with the bookies to win the Vitality Blast – not to be sniffed at, given they have reached the knockouts just once since their 2008 success.They have managed that despite the absence of AB de Villiers, who picked up injuries to both hands in last week’s win at The Oval to miss two of the seven games he had signed for, much to the club’s frustration.That injury was also a source of frustration for Glamorgan and Gloucestershire, whose marketing departments had both appealed to the AB factor in advertising those games; Middlesex themselves have plastered his face on billboards at various London stations, and are confident he will return for Thursday’s fixture against Kent.De Villiers’ replacement for those two games was Berkshire batsman Dan Lincoln, who hit a useful 30 in defeat at Cheltenham. In a throwback to the 1920s ideal of playing one sport in the winter and another in the summer, Lincoln also plays in goal for non-league side Bognor Regis Town. “Congratulations, Dan,” the club tweeted. “Just some minor shoes to fill.”***Yorkshire are set to go into the second half of the T20 Blast group stages without an overseas player, with coach Andrew Gale admitting that the hectic nature of the worldwide schedule meant they would struggle to find a replacement for Nicholas Pooran.”You can’t really do it like-for-like”, he told the , “because there aren’t many of those players out there. There’s a lot of cricket going around the minute. There’s the Canada [Global T20] tournament going on, and there’s a lot of players playing in that.”Pooran’s impact on the Blast was minimised by rain, though he did plunder 122 runs at a strike rate of 184.84 in his three games.
Eyebrows were raised when he came in at No. 7 in Yorkshire’s first game against Derbyshire, but the move simply represented the irrelevance of traditional batting orders in T20.”[Pooran] is at his best… in the last ten overs of the innings,” said Gale. “It just so happened at Chesterfield that he was coming in at seven because we’d lost more wickets than we would have wanted at that stage.”Adil Rashid prepares to bowl during a practice session•Getty Images

Yorkshire will welcome Adil Rashid back into their squad this week – with Moeen Ali and Jack Leach ahead of him in the Ashes pecking order, he is likely to be available for the rest of the tournament.***It was a long weekend to remember for Alex Carey, the wicketkeeper-batsman who was one of the World Cup’s breakout stars.Alex Carey bats, watched by Tom Banton•Getty Images

After missing out on Australia’s Ashes squad, Carey travelled from the Ageas Bowl to Hove on Friday morning, only to realise that he was ineligible for Sussex’s game against Surrey since he was still in the country on his national team visa.That meant booking the first possible flight out of the country – not as easy a task on a mid-summer Saturday morning – to have his visa stamped on the way back, resulting in a quick round trip to Geneva before a Sunday morning ride down to Taunton.Characteristically, Carey was unfazed, and hit a 46-ball 78 to set up a vital Sussex win. If this start is anything to go by, Sussex will be booking him a pre-match city break on a weekly basis.***Leicestershire were roundly thrashed in their first three games of the Blast, to the extent that coach Paul Nixon had to engage in some firefighting on Twitter.”3 international bowlers, bowled well we hit our shots 5-10 yards away from where we wanted to and that’s the game… we will do the same to the oppo next ….” he replied to a fan, in what appeared to be a case of foolhardy optimism.But lo and behold, in a rain-reduced 11-over game against pre-tournament favourites Nottinghamshire, they blitzed 125 for 3 thanks to Arron Lilley’s 66*, and defended it comfortably.Nixon’s bio says he is an “Ex Eng Cricketer, Leicestershire CCC Head Coach and After Dinner Speaker” – perhaps he should throw prophet in there, too.***Hampshire are longing for the glory days of 2010 and 2012, after a win and two defeats has left them languishing towards the bottom of the South Group.Back when they won the competition, Hampshire were innovators, using a series of top-quality spinners and skiddy medium-pacers, with specialist wicketkeeper Michael Bates often stood up to the stumps for all 20 overs.Hampshire are a much-changed side since their T20 title wins in 2010 and 2012•Getty Images

Their attack is much-changed, but they still have possess an excellent gloveman in the shape of Lewis McManus. His sharp-thinking brought about an MS Dhoni-style run-out in Wednesday night’s loss at Sussex, and he waited for Laurie Evans to leave his crease before whipping off the bails.It was no surprise, then, to learn that Bates has been working with McManus, and that the club are benefitting from his genius behind the stumps despite his premature release.Bates is the subject and co-author of a newly-released book, , in which he opens up about his struggles with the bat and the difficulty of coming to terms with his axing.While it seems unlikely that Bates’ role – keeping wicket and batting in the tail – will become part of the mainstream, his book offers an unusual and intriguing perspective on the changing demands on keepers, and the demise of the specialist.

A win in Jamaica will make Kohli India’s most successful Test captain; West Indies out to preserve improving home record

The Preview by Shashank Kishore29-Aug-20198:38

Ganga: Shai Hope should be batting in the top four

Big picture

West Indies crossed 300 twice, with a highest of 415, during their historic series win over England to regain the Wisden Trophy earlier this year. On the evidence of what we saw in Antigua, they did not even give themselves a chance to make half the batting impact they had in that series (their run of scores: 289, 415, 206, 17 for no loss, 154 and 252).As was the case then, the bowling seems to be coming along well. Kemar Roach 2.0 is often in unplayable territory with the new ball, Shannon Gabriel has cranked up pace and intensity while a fit-again Keemo Paul, coming in for Miguel Cummins, has proved to be more than just a support bowler. The same cannot be said about the batting; their inability to stick around and fight at the slightest hint of being under pressure being exposed repeatedly.For inspiration, they only need to look back to the 2016 Jamaica Test. Playing in only his second Test, Roston Chase stonewalled India on the final day as West Indies sneaked out an honourable draw. That resolve they would do well to emulate against a formidable bowling attack that is showing no signs of letting up.
India are faced with the R Ashwin question. Ravindra Jadeja has done enough to enhance his reputation as a Test batsman over time, and sent down overs of fast left-arm spin like the way he does – fast, with some bite as the surface tires – but surely, Ashwin’s 24 wickets in seven overseas Tests at 30.16 in 2018 present a compelling case?Two of his four Test centuries came on the previous tour of the West Indies and a stint in county cricket earlier in the season is enough evidence of Ashwin being match ready. As things stand, India will need to ask themselves if they want to play two spinners, and possibly leave out Mohammed Shami, or play one of Ashwin and Jadeja and three pacers. However, going by the training session, it’s likely the team management will stick with Jadeja, who batted and bowled. Ashwin was conspicuously absent.

Form guide

West Indies: LLWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
India: WDWLW

In the spotlight

KL Rahul’s Test berth was hanging by a thread until it was somewhat revived by Prithvi Shaw’s dope suspension and India’s long white-ball season, where he struck some kind of form. In Antigua, he made scores of 44 and 38. There are two ways of looking at this: he got off to starts or that he didn’t convert. What he did right, though, is that he got into better positions, seemed to have better balance and did not dangle his bat out indecisively. The second Test is another opportunity to correct that and produce a big knock.R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja celebrate a wicket•BCCI

Kraigg Brathwaite’s got a defensive game that borders on the unorthodox. Not many opening batsmen get square on the way he does, and yet find a way to blunt bowlers day in and day out. But he hasn’t scored a century for 17 innings now. Against a quality attack, they need him to blunt the new ball and allow the middle order the luxury of coming in without having to rebuild. Maybe, he can draw inspiration from his previous Test visit to Sabina Park, where he made the last of his eight Test hundreds.

Team news

Hanuma Vihari’s 93 is sure to keep Rohit Sharma on the bench again, barring a last-minute injury shuffle. They are likely to remain unchanged, even if they are somewhat swayed to play Ashwin.India (probable XI): 1 KL Rahul, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Hanuma Vihari, 7 Rishabh Pant, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Ishant Sharma, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit BumrahWest Indies will make a forced change, with Keemo Paul replacing Miguel Cummins. They may consider strengthening their bowling by possibly looking at the uncapped Rahkeem Cornwall in place of Shamarh Brooks.West Indies (probable XI): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Shai Hope, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Rahkeem Cornwall, 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Shannon Gabriel

Pitch and conditions

“Grass. We want no more spin,” a member of the groundstaff told ESPNcricinfo on match eve. The extent of greenness and how it’ll play will only be seen on match day, though. Would they really want to risk exposing their batsmen to India’s pace attack, then? It’ll be a brave call should it come down to that. For the record, West Indies’ fast bowlers picked up 18 of the 20 wickets to fall when they last played Test here, where Bangladesh were beaten inside three days.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies haven’t lost a Test series at home for more than two years now. They’ve beaten Bangladesh and England, besides finishing level with Sri Lanka. Their last defeat was to Pakistan, a thriller that brought the curtains down on two famous careers: #MissYou
• Virat Kohli needs one victory to become the most successful Test captain for India. He’s currently tied on 27 with MS Dhoni

ESPNcricinfo’s live updates and analysis on the first India v South Africa Test, in Visakhapatnam

Varun Shetty02-Oct-2019

Several accounts suggest that the decision to revoke the players’ NOCs came from prime minister Imran Khan

Umar Farooq31-Oct-2019The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has protested the PCB’s decision to not allow Pakistani players to participate in the T10 League. Several accounts suggest that, according to the PCB at least, the decision to revoke the NOCs came from the board patron, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan.The PCB originally allowed players to be drafted in the league but unexpectedly revoked the permission last week. In a statement, the PCB said that the decision had been taken “to manage the players’ workload, continued work on their fitness levels [and] to ensure primacy and participation of its players in its premier Quaid-e-Azam Trophy”. The decision is a significant blow to this season of the T10 tournament, scheduled to begin on November 15, which was set to feature 16 top Pakistan players.ECB vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni sent a letter last week to PCB chairman Ehsan Mani to say that the decision would directly hurt the UAE government’s stakes in the tournament, and urged the Pakistani board to change its mind. Mani is believed to have told the ECB vice-chairman on the phone about the prime minister’s role in the decision. He also advised the ECB to engage directly with Khan through a senior UAE minister to find a resolution. The ECB is thought to be weighing its options, including raising the issue of government interference in the PCB’s affairs with the ICC.”We are extremely concerned by this late decision and are surprised to see that the decision has been taken without engaging any of the Abu Dhabi T10 league or Emirates Cricket Board members,” Zarooni’s letter to Mani read, a copy of which ESPNcricinfo has seen. “Particularly considering that the PCB decision came after PCB has issued NOC to all the players who participated in the player draft on 16th October and various teams selected 16 Pakistani players, including Team Abu Dhabi which is owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi.”As you must be aware, the three government entities (Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Abu Dhabi Cricket and Abu Dhabi Tourism) have officially supported and heavily invested in the Abu Dhabi T10 League to make it their home event,” the letter said. “ECB is also looking to promote cricket in the country through this event and also utilising the opportunity to provide young emirates cricket players to improve their skills.”Since this is our domestic property, ECB and UAE government have stakes in this league and the stopping of Pakistani players in the UAE governing / ECB backed league will cause serious damage to the property, sending a very negative message to the world about our cordial relationship. Emirates Cricket Board has always supported PCB and provided its ground and facilities to stage international matches and its domestic league, Pakistan Super League. In fact, the UAE as a destination has played a huge part in the success of the PSL.”Qalandars, one of three new teams in the league, has been hit hardest by the decision. The majority of the Qalandars squad is Pakistani – including Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf and Imran Nazir – while other players who could be affected include Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Shoaib Malik and Sohail Tanvir. Afridi and Nazir, however, will not be affected by the revoking of NOCs, given they have retired from Pakistan cricket.The PCB and T10 league have had a troubled history since the latter came into being two years ago. Last season, the PCB had held back the players’ NOCs till the last minute after Mani had raised concerns over the league’s ownership patterns and sponsorship. The controversy started after the league’s president, Salman Iqbal – also a major investor in the tournament – stepped down citing a lack of “transparency” and “proper systems and monitoring”. He had also warned Pakistani players against taking part in the league.

Lisa Sthalekar, Pat Cummins and Kristen Beams are the other new appointments to the ACA board

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2019Shane Watson has been appointed president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) at the body’s annual general meeting, and will now head the extended ten-member board, which includes three other new appointments: current players Pat Cummins and Kristen Beams and former player Lisa Sthalekar.”Through a period of immense change, the players have been, and will continue to be, a strong voice in protecting what’s made our game of cricket great, while embracing opportunities that change inevitably brings,” Watson said.The new structure also splits the role of president and chairman, with the latter continuing to be held by former Australia wicketkeeper
Greg Dyer. A number of prominent cricketers are elected directors: apart from Beams and Cummins, they are Aaron Finch, Alyssa Healy and Moises Henriques. The appointed directors are Sthalekar, Neil Maxwell and Janet Torney, whose work has primarily been in the fields of economics, investment and corporate governance.One of the recent Cricket Australia initiatives Watson brought up for special praise was the parental policy for women cricketers.”This policy, amid a host of other changes, assures Australian women that cricket is a sport which can now support you and your family,” he said. “And for girls coming through who love sport, like my daughter, it says that cricket is a sport where you will be able to have a career.”Watson, an allrounder who battled a fragile body for the best part of his career and became more of a specialist batsman by the end of his run, played 59 Tests, 190 ODIs and 58 T20Is for Australia between 2002 and 2016. A popular pick for T20 franchises around the world for his big hitting, Watson has continued to play the format, last turning out for Chennai Super Kings in the 2019 edition of the IPL.Earlier this year, he announced his retirement for professional cricket in Australia but has kept his options open as far as deals outside his home country are concerned.

Smith’s availability beyond May is not known but will be established by CSA in future

Firdose Moonda11-Dec-2019Graeme Smith has been announced as South Africa’s first director of cricket, albeit in a temporary role, after several months of negotiation. Smith has signed on for three months and will begin work immediately, with two weeks to go before South Africa play England in a four-Test series at home, starting on Boxing Day, followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is. The position was created in the aftermath of South Africa’s underwhelming 2019 World Cup campaign, and involves overseeing all cricket played under Cricket South Africa’s administration.The former captain could not take on the role for longer at this stage, because of his commitment to commentating in the IPL in 2020, a tournament which runs from March 23 to May 12. Smith’s availability beyond May is not known but will be established by CSA in future.The time frame means that Smith will only be able to work on the men’s national team for the England series and the limited-overs matches against Australia which conclude on March 7, and not take on all the responsibilities intended for the director of cricket. The position was intended to include the women’s, age-group and academy teams and to create an national strategy. However, given the limitations on Smith’s time, he will not be involved in the Under-19 World Cup (which starts in January 2020) or the Women’s T20 World Cup (which will be played in February-March 2020). Instead, Smith’s most urgent task will be to appoint a national selection panel and coaching staff for the men’s national side as they prepare to take on England.Speaking of his new role, Smith said: “I’ve publicly stated a number of times that I would love to assist CSA in this difficult time, particularly in developing this new role of director of cricket. I’m still as passionate about South African cricket as I ever was, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the role. There is a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks and months and my objective will always be to make a positive impact during my tenure.”ALSO READ: 2019 South African cricket’s annus horribilisSmith was initially approached for the job on August 28, at a meeting mediated by former United Cricket Board (now CSA) managing director Ali Bacher and involving suspended CEO Thabang Moroe. On November 9, ESPNcricinfo revealed that Smith had been interviewed alongside suspended interim director of cricket Corrie van Zyl and former national selector Hussein Manack.Five days later, Smith posted on social media confirming that he had withdrawn his interest in the role and cited lack of confidence in CSA’s administration as his main reason.Since then, CSA has been through turbulent times which have resulted in the CEO being suspended over allegations of misconduct. However, president Chris Nenzani continued discussions with Smith over the role. Acting CEO Jacques Faul finalised the deal with Smith.Faul said of Smith’s appointement: “I am delighted that Graeme has agreed to assist Cricket South Africa up until the IPL next year. Obviously, Graeme has had his concerns during the course of the last few months, but I am pleased to say that we have overcome those concerns and I look forward to working with him to urgently address pressing cricketing matters in particular.”Graeme is … a natural leader and his knowledge of the game is second to none. To have him on board to work with the professional cricket arm of CSA, as well as the cricketing pipeline, which is so vital for our game, is a massive shot in the arm for CSA during this period.”With Smith set to appoint the national coaching staff, it remains to be seen if Enoch Nkwe stays on as team director – he was appointed in the role in an interim capacity in August.

Travis Head played a superb innings before Peter Siddle and Wes Agar helped all but end the Hurricanes’ chances of reaching the finals

The Report by Andrew McGlashan19-Jan-2020The Adelaide Strikers survived a return to form for David Miller to secure a ten-run victory in Launceston that moved them to second in the table and all but end the Hobart Hurricanes’ hopes of making the finals.Travis Head played a superb innings to put the Strikers on course for a hefty total but he was grateful for the experience of Peter Siddle, and four wickets from Wes Agar, as the Hurricanes tried to keep their season alive.Travis Head hits out•Getty Images

Head crunched 79 off 40 balls – and was a chance of making a century – before Jono Wells and Matt Short ensured a strong finish to the innings with a stand of 54 in 36 balls. The Hurricanes were always behind in the chase, but Miller and Ben McDermott added 60 to just about keep them in it, before Miller struck powerfully in the closing overs to ensure the Strikers were not secure until Siddle conceded just two off the first three balls of the last over.Tricky start, costly dropThere was a little bit of life in the surface and the Hurricanes made the early running through Scott Boland, who had 2 for 2 after his first seven deliveries, removing Phil Salt and Jake Weatherald – the latter to a reflex one-handed return catch. However, Clive Rose bookended the powerplay with a brace of poor overs – conceding 21 – which meant the Strikers still had a decent tally on the board. In the eighth over, there was what would become a key moment in the game when Head swept Qais Ahmad to deep square-leg where Miller could not hold on to a low chance.Head makes it countWhen he was dropped, Head was 21 off 14, an innings he would transform into a decisive display. The next over he faced from Ahmad, he slog-swept two sixes and another followed against Nathan Ellis – which went out of the ground – as he sped to a 31-ball half-century. In the 13th over, he took Rose for two more sixes in the space of three balls and there was time for him to make a huge total, but attempting to clear the rope again he found deep midwicket. However, he had shown the flexibility that has become part of his game and a reminder that before he became a Test cricketer it was the T20 format where he first made his name. The Hurricanes did reasonably well at the death – there were only two fours and two sixes in the final 7.2 overs – but Wells, whose 40 made him the Strikers’ leading run-scorer, and Short married good running with the occasional strong shot to ensure Head’s work didn’t go to waste.Peter Siddle bowled a fantastic final over to thwart David Miller•Getty Images

Wading into early troubleIt was the size of chase where the Hurricanes needed to come strongly out of the blocks, but it didn’t happen with Matthew Wade edging to slip in the first over and Caleb Jewell skying to mid-off in the fifth. Coupled with a sluggish start from Jake Doran at No. 3 – who was 15 off 18 balls at the end of the powerplay – it meant the Hurricanes had already let the asking rate escalate into double figures.Miller’s late arrivalMiller had made 91 runs in nine innings before today, but was able to get an early foothold this time although after ten overs, the Hurricanes’ requirement was a steep 122 off 60 balls. He and McDermott threatened to turn things around, but the Hurricanes were always behind even though Rashid Khan had a rare expensive day. The last five overs started with them needing 71 and McDermott picked out long-on against Siddle just as he was finding his stride. With 38 needed off 12 balls, Miller took two sixes in four balls off Michael Neser and if he could have managed a third, to bring the final-over requirement under 20, things could have been twitchy for the Strikers. But Neser went for just three singles off the last three balls – Khan pulling off a good save at deep square on the last delivery. With 21 needed off the last, Siddle had breathing space, but showed his T20 prowess with two yorkers to start with which killed the game off.

With a Test comeback imminent, the opener dug deep to bring up Bangladesh’s highest ever first-class score

Mohammad Isam02-Feb-2020When Tamim Iqbal reached 298 while batting for East Zone against Central Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League, a meeting inside the BCB headquarters broke up. Those attending climbed out of the window, and waited in the balcony overlooking the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s grandstand. In attendance were BCB’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury, cricket operations chairman Akram Khan and chief selector Minhajul Abedin.

Tamim’s innings breakdown

Day 2 lunch: Tamim on 72*
Day 2 tea: 157* (85 runs in the session)
Day 2 stumps: 222* (65 runs in the session)
Day 3 lunch: 279* (57 runs in the session)
Day 3 declaration: 334* (55 runs in the session)

As soon as Tamim scampered to take the single, the loudest cheer came from these three men, as well as from inside their meeting room where Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo and Habibul Bashar, selector and former captain, stood to give him an ovation.At the end of the third day’s play, Chowdhury and other board officials greeted Tamim and cut a cake with him to celebrate the left-hander becoming the holder of the country’s highest individual score, an unbeaten 334 that had 42 fours and three sixes, spanning a gargantuan nine hours and 45 minutes. Tamim’s triple hundred was only the second by a Bangladeshi, after Raqibul Hasan’s 313, nearly thirteen years ago.Raqibul, who played nine Tests between 2008 and 2011, coincidentally was in the opposition when Tamim was batting in this game. Later, he was specially called to cut the cake with Tamim as one of the two triple centurions in Bangladesh’s first-class scene, apart from Tamim’s East Zone teammates and BCB officials.Tamim said that the nine-hour essay will remain an innings that is close to his heart.”It is a special feeling to score a triple hundred,” Tamim said. “I think everyone dreams of such an innings but I didn’t think it would come in this game. The most important thing for me was how I batted. I hope I can continue with the same form. It is a special innings; three hundred runs is tough against any opposition or at any level. If it was easy, you would have seen a 300 every month. It will have a special place in my heart.”What stood out in Tamim’s knock was his perseverance while playing a low-key domestic match. Often in the past he has gotten out after scoring a big hundred, but this time, with the need of getting in the groove ahead of his comeback Test next week in Rawalpindi, Tamim dug deep.”I felt that I was very determined. The wicket was playing well. It wasn’t spinning or doing that much. I kept it simple. After completing the triple-hundred, I took some chances. Otherwise, I kept on playing cricketing shots. I was looking for boundary options, rather than sixes.”When I touched 280 was the first time I started to think about the triple hundred. I felt that if I thought about the milestone for too long, it would change my overall plan which was to bat in a plain and simple manner,” he said.Tamim scored more than fifty runs in each of the sessions since the second day, but he said that as the innings wore on, on the third day, batting became tougher. From being unbeaten on 222 at the start of the third morning, Tamim played patiently to reach 300 after lunch, and only then did he open up to attack the Central Zone bowlers.”Compared to the second day, the wicket was tougher on day three. I had to settle on singles and doubles, rather than boundaries,” he said. “I was always on the lookout for runs just like a Test match where there are many fielders behind the wicket.”We always wondered how Raqibul made that triple hundred all those years ago. It is not easy. Wickets used to be slower and take spin. We always talked about his innings in the Bangladesh dressing room, how he managed to do it. I think he faced around 600 balls too.”