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Players paid 50% of match fees for tournaments missed due to the pandemic

Shashank Kishore02-Jan-2022In a move best described by a domestic player as a “Christmas gift”, the BCCI has begun to disburse the match fees it owes hundreds of domestic cricketers – male and female – for tournaments that had to be shelved due to Covid-19 in the 2020-21 season.ESPNcricinfo understands that players from those associations who have duly sent in the filled in invoices have begun to be compensated 50% of their regular earnings.A number of players are yet to receive payments because of procedural delays with regards to invoices raised. The delays are understood to be due to issues at the state associations’ end. These are expected to be cleared soon upon receipt of invoices.The Ranji Trophy was cancelled for the first time in its 85-year history in 2020-21 for the senior men. In the women’s category, the T20 tournament was shelved due to the severity of the second wave of the pandemic in the country.The compensation payments are in line with the formula worked out by the Mohammad Azharuddin-led seven-member working group, which was tasked with formulating compensation for the Covid-19-affected season by the BCCI.A player who featured in eight games in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, for example, received INR 11.20 lakh (USD 15,000 approx.), the match fee per day for the four-day tournament being INR 35,000 (USD 470 approx.). For 2020-21, under the compensation structures drawn up, the same player will receive INR 5.10 lakh (USD 6,800 approx.).Players who didn’t make the XI for certain games in 2019-20 will be compensated for 2020-21 on a pro-rata basis. For example, if a player was part of a team’s XI for four games and on the bench for four games in the 2019-20 season, for 2020-21 he will be compensated with 50% of the match fees for four games and 50% of the corresponding fees for players outside the starting XI for the remainder of the games.The clearing of payments coincides with the start of the new Ranji Trophy season from January 13 to March 17 across seven venues, even as confusion reigns among certain players over further tweaks to the scheduling owing to the rise in Covid-19 cases across the country, accelerated by the Omicron variant.Earlier in the week, the BCCI was forced to postpone the Under-16 tournament, the Vijay Merchant Trophy, because “participants are still not vaccinated and as such, are vulnerable” as per BCCI secretary Jay Shah. Those below 18 years of age are still not eligible to take the vaccine in the country; eligible recipients in the age group of 15-18 years will only be administered Covid-19 vaccines starting from January 3.Regarding payments for 2021-22, the board had earlier announced a significant increase in match fees for domestic players. The new pay slabs, which will be in place from this season, will have the senior men earning between INR 40,000 and 60,000 (USD 540 to 810 approx.) per day of cricket while senior women will earn up to INR 20,000 (USD 270 approx.) per day.That hike is a small one for the players in the first category (under 20 matches) but an almost 100% hike for more experienced hands (40-plus games), while those who have played between 21 and 40 matches will earn INR 50,000 (USD 680 approx.). Earlier, senior men’s cricketers earned INR 35,000 (USD 470 approx.) per day for first-class and one-day games regardless of how many caps they had, and INR 17,500 (USD 240 approx.) per game for T20s.Related

• BCCI announces increase in monthly pensions of former players and umpires

• FAQs: Everything you wanted to know about the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy

• BCCI unveils two-phased plan for Ranji Trophy

• BCCI's Ranji plan: League phase in Feb-March, knockouts in June

• Cooch Behar Trophy postponed following 'positive Covid-19 cases within the team environment'

For the senior women players, who earlier earned INR 12,500 (USD 170 approx.) per one-day match and INR 6,250 (USD 85 approx.) per T20 match, the pay has been raised to INR 20,000 for playing XI members and INR 10,000 (USD 135 approx.) for those on the bench in both limited-overs formats. There currently isn’t a first-class competition for women in India, the last multi-day women’s tournament in the country – the 2017-2018 Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Three-Day Game – having been held in March-April 2018.While the hikes have been welcomed by the playing fraternity, there’s disgruntlement at a significant reduction in the number of matches. In 2019-20, for example, each side played eight group matches in the Ranji Trophy followed by three knockout games (if they made the final). This time around, teams will play just five group matches, which significantly reduce the net increase in pay.Players across the country are hoping to address this issue at the conclusion of the current season, when the BCCI organises their annual captains and coaches conclave.

The players’ body has warned of administrative ‘dysfunctionality that threatens the existence of the game in our country’

Firdose Moonda19-Aug-2020The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) has issued a stern warning about the state of the game in the country and warned that its existence is under threat following the departure of the CEO and the president of Cricket South Africa (CSA). SACA has called on Chris Nenzani, who resigned as president over the weekend, to offer an explanation for stepping away three weeks before his tenure ended and for CSA to show leadership in matters relating to the suspended CEO Thabang Moroe and the season ahead.”SACA has engaged directly with players over the past few weeks, and there is a growing realisation amongst players that their careers as professional cricketers are being threatened by the very organization that should be nurturing them,” a SACA statement read.It further asked that CSA work appropriately to resolve the issues of discrimination that have come to light following Lungi Ngidi’s stance on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and the resumption of the domestic and international season and Moroe’s disciplinary situation. Most pressingly for SACA, South Africa’s players, both men and women, have no indication of when they will return to play following the Covid-19 hiatus, both as a result of international borders being closed and because no domestic fixtures have been finalised.ALSO READ – Graeme Smith ‘shocked’ after threats on supporting Black Lives Matter movement“CSA must show leadership in dealing with the various crises facing the game; the transformation and discrimination crisis that has come to the fore over the past two months; the resumption of domestic and international cricket under COVID-19; the finalization of the disciplinary matter of the suspended CEO; the forensic investigation; and the forecast deficit which has the potential to financially cripple the game,” the statement read.Franchise teams have returned to training and there is talk of the season starting in November but there is no clarity on whether the franchise T20 tournament, the Mzansi Super League (MSL), will take place or who will lead CSA through the next few months.An Acting CEO, Kugandrie Govender, was named this morning and will hold the post until the Moroe case is finalised. Only then can CSA begin the search for a new CEO. CSA is also operating under an acting president, Beresford Williams, with a new president set to be elected at the AGM on September 5. Nenzani has undertaken to engage with the media after that but SACA CEO Andrew Breetzke would like answers from him immediately.”Mr Nenzani owes all stakeholders an immediate explanation as to why he has stood down a mere three weeks before the CSA AGM, after he had refused to do so over the previous eight-month period despite calls to do so from key stakeholders within the game,” Breetzke said. “Together with the sudden resignation of Dr Jacques Faul as acting-CEO, one can only deduce that the Board of Directors has yet again reached a level of dysfunctionality that threatens the existence of the game in our country.”SACA has consistently led calls for Nenzani and Williams to step down, following last year’s administrative meltdown and again pointed to the board as being responsible for the troubles in the game. SACA continue to point at CSA’s inability to resolve its myriad problems as being due to lack of corporate governance and warned the game may face “total collapse” if issues are not dealt with.”CSA is embroiled in destructive politics at Board and Management level. It is evident that cricket is unable to self-correct,” Omphile Ramela, SACA’s president said. ” Many of the administrative challenges confronting the game are as a result of administrators failing to adhere to principles of corporate governance. Before we see the total collapse of the game of cricket there needs to be a leadership intervention at Board and Management level that is able to stabilise and transform both the game and the business of cricket.”

Sri Lanka arrive in Edinburgh having lost eight straight ODIs and new captain Dimuth Karunaratne must now not only band together a struggling team, but also prove his own worth in the XI

The Preview by Peter Della Penna in Edinburgh17-May-2019

Big picture

On the eve of the World Cup, there’s still time for a tune-up fight or two for a former champion as they gear up for the main event. In one corner, wearing purple and gold trunks, stands the Associate annihilator. Across the ring in the other corner, wearing plaid blue and white, stands the Associate on the rise.Arguably no Full Member has feasted on global cricket’s second-tier opposition more than Sri Lanka. They have especially enjoyed their fill when raiding European shores.Before new-age England made 400 totals passé, Sri Lanka’s total of 443 for 9 against Netherlands in 2006 stood as the ODI benchmark for more than a decade. Eight years later, they bowled the same opposition out at the 2014 World T20 for 39. They continued to show no mercy against Ireland on a visit to Malahide in 2016 by sprinting to 377.But they arrive in Edinburgh having lost eight straight ODIs, including a 5-0 sweep at the hands of South Africa. If traditions are made to be broken, then Scotland helped end the wretched run for Associates against Sri Lanka with a seven-wicket win in an unofficial warm-up at Kent in 2017 leading into the Champions Trophy. After two decades of futility against Test nations, that win gave Scotland the belief that they no longer have to hope heavyweight opposition shows up overweight and out of shape to be vulnerable enough for a sucker-punch.Scotland’s players aren’t afraid to stand in the middle of the ring and trade punches with a bloodied and bruised opponent, to wear them down and go all 12 rounds if not knock them down to the canvas. Just ask Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and a No. 1 ranked England.Though Netherlands claimed the WCL Championship and a spot in the 13-team ODI Super League beginning next year, it is Scotland who have made an even more compelling case over the last two years to become the 13th Full Member by virtue of their sustained competitiveness against Test nations. That feistiness was on display once again last week in a two-run loss on DLS to Afghanistan. In fact, a win over Sri Lanka will tick off one of the ICC’s defined criteria for applying for Full Membership: having three wins in ODIs or T20Is over top-10 ranked opposition inside 24 months.That run of form since 2017 has put ringside seats in hot demand. Cricket Scotland announced on Thursday that the malleable capacity at The Grange, capped at 1500 with temporarily imported stands for this series, had sold out for the first ODI. The Stockbridge faithful and a loyal Sri Lankan traveling fan troupe await the ding-ding-ding of bat on ball to signal the opening bell.

Form guide

Scotland LWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLLMatthew Cross is all smiles after scoring a hundred•Getty Images

In the spotlight

A former MCC Young Cricketer, wicketkeeper Matthew Cross had been simmering with the bat for several years before a breakout 106 not out as part of a 201-run opening stand with Kyle Coetzer in the seven-wicket warm-up win over Sri Lanka in 2017. He followed it with his maiden ODI ton last year, then another against UAE at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Though Kyle Coetzer gets most of the plaudits at the top of the order, Cross remains a threat.Few players at the forthcoming World Cup find themselves in as strange a position as Dimuth Karunaratne. Not part of Sri Lanka’s ODI side since the 2015 World Cup, he has been parachuted in as an emergency captain, following eight successive losses under Lasith Malinga. Karunaratne must now not only band together a struggling team, but also prove his own worth in the XI. Whether the selectors made the correct choice in installing him as captain remains to be seen, but he will feel a lot better about his leadership if he can produce runs at the top of the order.

Team news

Scotland vice-captain Richie Berrington suffered a broken left pinky in the field after making unbeaten 170 off 145 balls on Monday playing for Western Warriors in Scotland’s domestic 50-over competition. Dylan Budge has been drafted into the squad but Berrington’s slot will more likely be a toss-up between specialist batsman Michael Jones and Michael Leask’s all-round package.Scotland (possible): 1 Kyle Coetzer (capt.), 2 Matthew Cross (wk), 3 Calum MacLeod, 4 Michael Jones, 5 George Munsey, 6 Craig Wallace, 7 Tom Sole, 8 Mark Watt, 9 Alasdair Evans, 10 Safyaan Sharif, 11 Brad WhealIt’s difficult to pin down Sri Lanka’s exact XI, but Malinga has not yet arrived in Scotland, having played in the IPL final last Sunday, giving an opportunity for some of the medium pacers to make a final argument for being in the first choice World Cup starting XI against New Zealand at Cardiff on June 1.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Lahiru Thirimanne/Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Kusal Perera (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Isuru Udana, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Jeffrey Vandersay, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

Pitch and conditions

Regardless of the finish being decided by Duckworth-Lewis, Scotland’s first innings total of 325 looked below par in the loss to Afghanistan last week and the pitch may force bowlers to toil once more. The forecast is calling for rain in Edinburgh from midnight until 1pm on match day, though the drainage at the Grange is excellent so the probability of completing a reduced-overs match is high.

Stats & Trivia

• Dimuth Karunaratne is one of the few players to have been in the XI on Sri Lanka’s last visit to the Grange in 2011. Both he and Mahela Jayawardene made half-centuries opening the batting in Sri Lanka’s 183-run win.
• The only other official ODI between the sides was at the 2015 World Cup, which Sri Lanka won by 148 runs.
• Calum MacLeod needs 47 runs to become the second Scotland batsman to cross 2000 runs in ODIs. Captain Kyle Coetzer became the first during his 79 last Friday against Afghanistan.

Quotes

“I think the thing we remember most about the match is the style of cricket we played. We talked about being aggressive with the ball and bat, stamping our authority on the game. It kind of kickstarted from there for everything that followed that so it was quite an important day in Scottish cricket.”
“We had a bad year for one-dayers but I think we did really well in the Test series. In South Africa, the major thing was team spirit. We played together. There was no senior-junior things. We played 11 as a team. So that sort of thing I want to get into the one-day side as well.”

Having been Bangladesh’s head coach – a role he had held since 2014 – the current Sri Lanka coach was privy to information on individual players’ games. Sri Lanka have used that effectively to gain a substantial edge

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Feb-2018It had been suspected right through Sri Lanka’s tour, but it is now official: Chandika Hathurusingha’s knowledge of Bangladesh players and conditions provided Sri Lanka with a substantial edge.Having been Bangladesh’s head coach – a role he had held since 2014 – until October last year, Hathurusingha was instrumental to the long-term development of the Bangladesh side, and was privy to information on the state of individual players’ games. His defection to Sri Lanka was acrimonious, particularly as he had not publicly divulged his reasons for the early exit. As a result, there has been rankling in Bangladesh about the insider information he has wielded on this tour. On the eve of Sri Lanka’s final match in the country, Hathurusingha himself conceded his insight into the Bangladesh side had proved useful for Sri Lanka, who won the ODI tri-nation series, and the Test series.”I think yes, to be honest [knowledge of Bangladesh did help],” he said. “We had some strategic plans for some of the players. We knew how they would react under pressure. They came very hard in the first two games, which I expected. If that didn’t happen, I would have been very disappointed. I have never not left something behind. I was happy about it, and then happy about how we came back as well. All in all, it was a satisfying tour for me personally. But then again, after I leave, I want Bangladesh to do well. I am actually keeping [an] eye on how they are going forward.”Sri Lanka employed several unusual strategies throughout this tour, many of which yielded rich dividends. The emphasis on short-pitched bowling during the ODI tournament was almost certainly a strategy devised by Hathurusingha. Sri Lanka’s reading of the two Test-match pitches was also near-perfect. In Chittagong, anticipating a batting track, Sri Lanka played an extra bowler. In Mirpur, which substantially favoured the bowlers, Sri Lanka handed a debut to Akila Dananjaya, who took the most wickets in the game. The offspinners also often bowled around the wicket to Bangladesh’s left-hand batsmen – a ploy that was frequently effective.Bangladesh’s acting limited-overs captain was also of the view that some Sri Lanka tactics were founded upon Hathurusingha’s familiarity with the opposition.”Hathu was with us recently,” Mahmudullah said. He knows pretty much everything about us. He definitely used that information. He is a quality coach, and he has the capability. But if we had done our job properly, we would have been winning and we wouldn’t have had to talk about this. It was upon us to do something good.”Just as Mahmudullah placed blame for Bangladesh’s performance on the team itself, Hathurusingha also suggested that at least some of the hosts’ woes were of their own making. Bangladesh had dominated their first three matches of the tri-nations series, even inflicting a record defeat in their first match against Sri Lanka. But since then, they have been winless in five consecutive matches against Sri Lanka, across formats.”I don’t think Bangladesh panicked,” Hathurusingha said. “They played really well at the start of the tri-series. They put both opposition teams under pressure playing how they know to play. I think they put doubt on themselves after few failures. I was surprised that they went down that quickly.”Having won the first match on Thursday, Sri Lanka cannot lose the T20 series, but they will sweep the trophies on this tour if they can muster another victory. After the torrid 2017 Sri Lanka had experienced, this tour has already been a substantial fillip to players and fans – much of the credit going to Hathurusingha’s coaching.”Actually I am very pleased with the response I got from the Sri Lanka players,” Hathurusingha said. “I think it has got to do with the familiarity of being with my country. It helped me communicate better. It took time but they responded very well to the challenges.”

Ashwin picked up his 24th five-for to wrap up the Mumbai Test by an innings and 36 runs and the series 3-0 for India

The Report by Alagappan Muthu12-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details23:20

Sourav Ganguly and Jonathan Trott discuss India’s emphatic victory over England in the Mumbai Test

With a victory over England by an innings and 36 runs, India have secured their fifth consecutive series and regained the Anthony De Mello trophy. R Ashwin picked up his second five-for of the match, and the 24th of his career, to make sure the formalities were complete by the first half hour on the fifth day. He took his first wicket when the visitors were 180 for 4. They were all out for 195. It was only the third time in Test history that a team had made 400 in the first innings and then lost by an innings.The end was very quick and very messy. Jonny Bairstow was sent packing in the second over and Chris Woakes in the fourth. Their dismissals provided a simple little summary of the difference in skill between the sides in subcontinent conditions.Ashwin flicked a carrom ball on middle and leg with the intention of making Bairstow play across the line and the batsman obliged. Bairstow failed to pick the variation, was squared up when the ball turned the wrong way, and sharply, and was plumb lbw. Woakes, in the next Ashwin over, went for a loose cover drive, but the ball dipped on him and stormed through the gate to hit the stumps. Reading the ball out of the hand is key to playing on turning tracks, as is avoiding strokes that have a high degree of risk, like hitting against the break.Adil Rashid gave an example of the other thing batsmen weren’t supposed to do: throw their wicket away. He lobbed a catch to deep midwicket off Ashwin’s third over. James Anderson came out and was promptly pulled into some polite conversation by the close-in fielders after his criticism of their captain. He popped a catch to midwicket to give Ashwin his sixth wicket and the best match figures by a spinner at Wankhede stadium – 12 for 167.With the win in Mumbai, India were unbeaten for 17 matches in a row – equalling their longest such streak in Test cricket.

A round-up of all the Ranji Trophy Group B matches on October 11, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Left-arm spinner Rahil Shah took two wickets and complemented pacer Aswin Crist•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A four-wicket haul from the medium-pacer Aswin Crist helped Tamil Nadu to crucial first-innings points, against Madhya Pradesh in Indore. MP, who began the day well-placed at 181 for 0 in reply to Tamil Nadu’s 596, suffered a mini-blip once Rahil Shah provided the breakthrough to dismiss Aditya Shrivastava for 90. Shrivastava’s opening partner Jalaj Saxena made his way to a century, but quick strikes from Crist meant MP fell from 213 for 0, to 288 for 7. Naman Ojha offered a brief resistance, scoring 87 and putting up a 94-run stand with Puneet Datey, but Rahil and L Vignesh soon cleaned up the tail, ensuring MP were bowled out 407, and that TN took away three vital points.
ScorecardAndhra claimed three points against Gujarat on the back of a first-innings lead of 113 runs. Resuming the final day on 24 for 1, Gujarat were held together by four half-centuries. Opener Priyank Kirit Panchal added 109 with Bhargav Merai before he became Bodapati Sumanth’s maiden first-class victim. Panchal was the next fall when he was trapped lbw by Prasanth Kumar for 72 off 173 balls. Ruijul Bhatt and Parthiv Patel also hit fifties as Gujarat finished at 254 for 4 in 90 overs.Wicketkeeper-batsman Srikar Bharat, who scored 127 in the first innings, was named Man of the Match.Mumbai v Punjab: Herwadkar six-for seals Mumbai’s innings win

A round-up of the Ford Trophy matches played on March 13, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2013
ScorecardAuckland thrashed Central Districts by 211 runs to collect five points and continue their lead at the top of the table. After scoring 285, Auckland’s Kyle Mills and Chris Martin ran through Central Districts’ top order, taking their top five wickets all of which were caught by wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins. Only three Central Districts batsmen could manage double-digit scores as Michael Bates and Colin de Grandhomme also chipped in with two wickets each. Martin and Mills reduced them to 51 for 5 in 14 overs which virtually ended their chase as their next five wickets fell for 23 runs.Eariler, middle-order batsmen Colin Munro and Grandhomme rescued Auckland from a position of 86 for 4 with a 102-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Dusan Hakaria’s 34 towards the end ensured they reached a competitive score of 285.
ScorecardDaniel Flynn’s hundred charged Northern Districts to a 92-run win against Otago to jump to second place in the Ford Trophy. After they chose to bat, Flynn and Anton Devcich put together 181 runs for the opening stand in 32.4 overs, out of which Devcich scored 70. This lay the platform for a big score for Northern Districts as Flynn struck 15 fours and a six to score 135 off 137, his fourth List A hundred. But Devcich’s wicket was followed by two more in the next two overs, which brought them to 184 for 3. After Flynn fell in the 43rd over, Jono Hickey (48*) along with Brad Wilson and Anurag Verma scored 63 off the last 37 balls to take them to 301 for 7.Graeme Aldridge dismissed the Otago openers in consecutive openers, leaving them at 8 for 2. Neil Broom and Jimmy Neesham consolidated the innings with an 86-run third-wicket partnership but both were dismissed in the space of 11 balls. This started the slide for Otago, who lost wickets at regular intervals, folding for 209 in the 44th over. Nathan McCullum (41) and Derek de Boorder (31) resisted with a 46-run stand for the sixth wicket, but couldn’t avoid the fifth loss for Otago in the tournament.
ScorecardScott Kuggeleijn’s maiden five-wicket haul in List A matches, earned Wellington a comfortable seven wicket-win against Canterbury in Christchurch. Once Wellington chose to field, the match headed in only their direction as Kuggeleijn struck thrice in his first spell. Only Shanan Stewart (41) and Brent Findlay (28) resisted, but Kuggeleijn took two more wickets to dismiss Canterbury for 143.After Wellington lost Luke Ronchi in the first over for a duck, Michael Papps and Grant Elliott took them close to victory. Even though Elliott was dismissed for 44 in the 13th over, and Papps for 47 in the 20th, Jesse Ryder scored a brisk 31-ball 38 to take Wellington to victory with more than 28 overs to spare.

India may have crossed their first hurdle towards reaching the final of the Asia Cup by winning their opening match, but concerns over their bowling, especially the fast bowing, remain

Siddarth Ravindran in Mirpur15-Mar-2012India may have crossed their first hurdle towards reaching the final of the Asia Cup by beating one of their stronger opponents in their opening match, but concerns over their bowling, especially the fast bowing, remain.In Vinay Kumar, Irfan Pathan and Praveen Kumar, they have three bowlers who bowl at a pretty similar, unthreatening pace. All of them prefer operating with the new ball, banking on any early movement on offer, and are far less comfortable bowling at the death. Praveen has not been at his best since his rib injury, Irfan isn’t bowling those magic balls that earned him a die-hard legion of fans, while Vinay isn’t the type of bowler who will give international teams sleepless nights.Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh’s captain, knows where India’s weak link lies. “Their bowling attack seems less stronger than Pakistan’s or Sri Lanka’s, that’s what I feel personally,” he said. “This is what is giving us confidence against India.”The statement comes on the day that Joe Dawes, India’s new bowling coach, got his first chance to get a close-up look at his charges. Linking up with the Indian squad for the first time since his appointment last month, he supervised a three-hour training session on Thursday morning.While Dawes will ponder how to improve the Indian bowling, Mushfiqur and Bangladesh have to come up with a plan to contain the Indian batting, which showed against Sri Lanka just how good they can be in familiar conditions. “It is quite difficult to bowl against their batting line-up,” Mushfiqur said. “But at the same time, a good ball is enough for a batsman if it’s his bad day. If we can capitalise on it and make them commit mistakes by bowling to their weakness, it would work.”Mushfiqur said Bangladesh’s first target was to consistently challenge the top teams. “More than just winning a game, it is important for us to play against big teams confidently, fight against them. This will help us grow and win. We lost the first game by going close, but we don’t do this on a regular basis, so we tend to forget what to do in such situations when faced with it.”
This is their 10th Asia Cup campaign, a competition in which they are yet to post a victory against Test opposition. Unless Bangladesh capitalise on India’s weakness and end that streak on Friday, they will be facing another early elimination.

Round-up of the second day’s play in the third round of matches of the Faysal bank Pentangular Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2011Resuming on their overnight score of 64 for 3, after a rain-curtailed day one, Federal Areas were propelled to 315 for 6 in their Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup match against Punjab at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground, thanks to a hard-working 133 from opener Umair Khan. None of the Punjab bowlers were able to get rid of Khan, who finally conceded his wicket through a run-out. Hammad Azam (45) helped Khan put Federal Areas in a commanding position, with the pair putting together a vital 99-run partnership for the fifth wicket after Mohammad Khalil picked up two wickets to leave Federal Areas at a tricky 108 for 4. Imad Wasim (38*) and Jamal Anwar (13*) were at the crease at stumps.Baluchistan’s innings folded on 279 courtesy a four-wicket haul by legspinner Yasir Shah in their match against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province at the Gaddafi Stadium. Shah was backed-up by medium pacer Nauman Habib who picked up three wickets. Sohaib Maqsood was the only contributor with the bat for Baluchistan, scoring 87. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa innings did not begin well, with three of their top four batsmen gone before the scoreboard read 20, with Nazar Hussain picking up two wickets. Adnan Raees (51*) strung together a half-century partnership with Aftab Alam, but Alam was dismissed just prior to stumps to leave Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 87 for 4. Baluchistan currently top the tournament’s points table.

A round-up of the action from the semi-finals of the 2009-10 Sri Lanka Cricket Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Tournament

Sa'adi Thawfeeq07-Mar-2010The much-awaited semi-finals of the Inter-provincial Twenty20 tournament at the De Soysa Stadium in Moratuwa proved to be one-sided contests, as defending champions Wayamba and Ruhuna made it to the summit clash.The Moratuwa wicket has a history of breaking up and the captains winning the toss put in the opposition on both occassions. As it turned out, the team batting first made little impression and surrendered meekly.Wayamba captain Jehan Mubarak’s decision to invite Basnahira South to bat first in the first semi-final proved a successful gamble as they bundled out the opposition for 117. Fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa, promoted as a pinch-hitter, top scored for Basnahira with a well-struck 41 off 29 balls, comprising eight fours. The rest of the batting succumbed to the pace of Chanaka Welegedara and Thissara Perera, who shared six wickets between them.Mahela Jayawardene, opening for Wayamba, raced to his third half-century of the tournament as they knocked off the required runs by the 14th over to win by nine wickets and qualify for their third consecutive final. Jayawardene, who scored 58 off 32 balls, also contributed while fielding with three good catches.The second semi-final almost followed the same pattern, as Ruhuna captain Upul Tharanga put in Kandurata and dismissed them for just 102. Ruhuna, powered by Sanath Jayasuriya’s rapid 35 off 19 balls, then raced to their target inside 10 overs to win by seven wickets. Jayasuriya was supported well by Dinesh Chandimal, who also finished on 35. Muttiah Muralitharan dismissed both batsmen, but Kandurata always found themselves short by at least 50 runs to make a contest of it.