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Moeen Ali says England’s final-day rally has proved to Pakistan that they are under threat in the last two Tests

Andrew McGlashan20-Oct-2015Moeen Ali believes Pakistan have been given a “nudge” after England finished the first Test within touching distance of victory. The pre-series reckoning made England distant second-favourites, but they put 598 on the board and produced a remarkable final-day performance before bad light thwarted them.The scales were evened significantly before a ball was bowled when legspinner Yasir Shah was ruled out with a back injury and he is set to return for the second Test in Dubai on a pitch, prepared by Australian groundsman Tony Hemming, that is being tipped to offer more assistance although that could be a relative term.

Sick Stokes misses training

Ben Stokes missed England’s training session on Tuesday with an upset stomach but is expected to be available for the second Test. Stokes took four wickets in Abu Dhabi, scored 57 in the first innings and produced a run-out of Mohammad Hafeez which Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, called “magic”.

Whatever, in Abu Dhabi Pakistan had the early advantage of winning the toss and produced a first innings of 523 only to be the side pushed into a corner on the final day.”It’s given us a lot of confidence and probably given Pakistan a bit of a nudge as well that we are here to be serious,” Moeen said. “We probably caught them off guard a bit in that last session, but I’m sure they’ll come back stronger and be well aware of it now. They know we are here for the challenge and have a good chance of winning the series.”For Moeen, the Test marked his first occasion opening the batting in first-class cricket. After more than five sessions in the field he helped England see out the second evening without loss before eventually contributing 35 off 131 balls to an opening stand of 116 with Alastair Cook. He said his presence at the top aids the balance of the team but knows he will need substantial scores to stay there.Moeen’s scoring rate was in stark contrast to his counter-attacking batting from No. 8 in the Ashes – where he had a strike-rate of 71.46 – and, although he said it was not a conscious effort to rein himself in, it was a further example of the adaptability which has seen him take up a variety of roles across all three formats of the game.”I didn’t mean to play slower than normal, I thought they bowled well, bowled straight, and when the spinners came on and they had men back probably knowing I like to attack the spinners,” he said. “It’s one of those things, the odd innings I’ll play a little slower and then I’ll be quicker than the other day. It was just nice to just leave or defend a few balls.”I really enjoyed it and feel like I can play properly, more like a batter again, rather than coming in later and playing a few shots.”If the Dubai surface does encourage spinners earlier in the contest, Moeen’s other role – his offspin – could have a greater impact. He admitted “I didn’t feel like I would take a wicket” during the first innings, where he had none for 121 from 30 overs, but added that he enjoyed the scalp of Misbah-ul-Haq on the final afternoon when the Pakistan captain charged and missed to prompt hasten their dramatic slide.”I was a bit surprised when he came down the wicket,” he said. “It’s always nice to get big players out in the opposition, I found it tough bowling at him. It would be nice if they had a few left-handed batsmen as well. The way we bowled at the end they may come at us a different way.”Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid talk tactics in Abu Dhabi•Getty Images

For the first time in his Test career, Moeen was operating as part of a specialist spin pairing with Adil Rashid (previously he has only had Joe Root alongside him). The two are extremely close, and though Moeen did not want to over-play his role in helping Rashid, who responded to none for 163 in the first innings with 5 for 64, there is little doubt the friendship will have helped Rashid spirits.”We just went out, get some food like we do every night and just talked about how we are going to bowl in the second innings and maybe what he should have done,” Moeen said. “But it was a very tough pitch to bowl spin on. We felt he’d bowled alright, it was just that they attacked him on debut. He’s not someone who gets down. We both have similar characters – don’t get down or get too over-excited.”There was also one other subtle role that Moeen played which may have had a key bearing on the first Test: being able to understand Pakistan’s chat in the field. “When they had a plan for Cooky I was telling him what they will do,” he said.Although Moeen fell before lunch on the third day, by then Cook was on 75 and well into the rhythm that would see him compile a 14-hour 263. Perhaps Pakistan will want to be a little discreet with their on-field chats from now on.

Usman Ghani’s 69 set up Afghanistan’s 27-run win over Oman in the first T20 fixture in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Usman Ghani’s 69 steered Afghanistan to 159 for 8•AFP

Usman Ghani’s 69 set up Afghanistan’s 27-run win over Oman in the first T20 fixture in Abu Dhabi. Ghani’s innings helped Afghanistan post 159 for 8 after they were asked to bat first, following which Afghanistan’s bowlers dismissed Oman for 132 in 18.1 overs.Ghani anchored Afghanistan’s innings, striking nine fours and one six, before he was dismissed in the 18th over. Karim Sadiq (26) and Samiullah Shenwari(17) contributed with handy scores in the middle order, after which Gulbadin Naib 8-ball 14 helped Afghanistan cross 150 in the death overs.Afghanistan’s bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets in the chase, reducing Oman to 98 for 7 at the end of the 15th over. Sayed Shirzad was the pick of the bowlers with returns of 3 for 16 in just three overs, while Yamin Ahmadzai, Rokhan Barakzai and Shenwari claimed two wickets apiece.
Adnan Ilyas’ 34 was the top score for Oman, but it was not enough as Oman struggled to build partnerships from the start.

Captain Shahid Afridi kept Sylhet Super Stars’ qualification hopes alive by slamming two sixes in the last over of their contest against Dhaka Dynamites

The Report by Mohammad Isam09-Dec-2015

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA cool Shahid Afridi struck two sixes to seal a chase of 158•BCB

Captain Shahid Afridi kept Sylhet Super Stars’ qualification hopes alive by slamming two sixes in the last over of their contest against Dhaka Dynamites. With the six-wicket win, Sylhet now have six points, while Dhaka sit on eight. Both teams have a match each on the final day of the league phase.After Junaid Siddique and Ravi Bopara had done all the hard work in Sylhet’s 158-run chase by putting up an 86-run second-wicket partnership, all that was left for Sohail Tanvir and Afridi to do was take 15 runs off the last two overs. Mustafizur Rahman, however, gave away just five runs in the penultimate over, leaving Farhad Raza with 10 to defend off the last.

Last over was a toss-up between Yasir, Reza

With Sylhet needing 10 off the last over, Kumar Sangakkara, the Dhaka Dynamites captain, was surrounded by some of his teammates as they contemplated as to who would bowl the final over.
“Sangakkara asked me whether to give the last over to Yasir Shah or Farhad Reza,” Nasir said. “I said it should be Farhad Reza because Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanvir can play spin well. Anything could have happened. I think Farhad bhai bowled poorly in the last over and Afridi hit him quite well.”

Afridi squeezed a single off the first ball before Farhad bowled Tanvir, who tried to sweep the ball. Mushfiqur Rahim took a single off the next ball, leaving Afridi needing eight off the last three deliveries. But Farhad messed up his lines and Afridi calmly went down on one knee to sweep the ball over fine-leg and square-leg for consecutive sixes.Afridi’s clean blows were in stark contrast to Bopara’s first boundary of the match – a streaky edge past the wicketkeeper in the eighth over. Bopara, though, hardly looked back after that, as he struck Mosharraf Hossain for two sixes in the following over before slamming Yasir Shah through the covers. He then blasted Reza over long-off for two flat sixes and brought up his second fifty of the tournament, in the 16th over. But like Siddique, he fell with victory near in sight.While Bopara carted the bowlers, there was no relenting at the other end as Siddique got to his fifty in the 14th over, off 36 balls. Siddique rode out Josh Cobb’s run-out in the fifth over – brilliantly done by Kumar Sangakkara running towards the stumps – to launch further into the Dhaka bowlers. He pulled Yasir for a boundary before hitting his third six over long-on. Siddique, though, was dismissed for a 44-ball 51, with Sylhet needing 36 to win off the last 4.3 overs. Thankfully for the team, Afridi and Tanvir were there to get them home.Earlier, Sangakkara and Nasir Hossain put together their second fifty-plus partnership, this time for the fourth wicket, to pull Dhaka out of another quagmire. Yasir was the first wicket to fall after making 8, caught at long-off in the sixth over, triggering the quick dismissals of Mohammad Hafeez and Reza as well.Nasir then joined Sangakkara, who by now had struck a beautiful straight drive as his first boundary and was batting with great touch. The pair’s 69-run stand was livened by Sangakkara howling at Nasir, who kept missing attempts to play the scoop. Nasir eventually struck two sixes over wide long-on and the bowler’s head before falling for 31 off 23 balls. Sangakkara batted till the last over, for 48 off 35 balls with seven fours, but Dhaka’s final score of 157 for 5 proved to be insufficient in the end.

Sylhet Super Stars coach Sarwar Imran confirmed that Mushfiqur Rahim resigned as captain on his own terms ahead of the team’s clash against Barisal Bulls on Sunday

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur06-Dec-2015Sarwar Imran, the Sylhet Super Stars coach, confirmed that Mushfiqur Rahim resigned as captain on his own terms ahead of the team’s clash against Barisal Bulls on Sunday. Shahid Afridi’s appearance at the toss merely confirmed rumours that had been going around for close to 48 hours of a change in Sylhet’s captaincy.Imran also revealed plenty of discussion involving the team owner and Afridi, who tried to persuade Mushfiqur to change his decision on the eve of the match. “As far as I know, Mushfiqur said that he wanted to see a change in the captaincy,” Imran said after Sylhet’s nine-wicket win. “There’s a lot of pressure on him. He has to bat, keep wickets and on top of that we have lost two matches by one run and one by six runs. He wanted some relief. I heard about it from the team owner. Shahid Afridi had asked Mushfiqur to remain as captain but Mushfiqur handed it over to him.I spoke to him during the team meeting. He doesn’t want to be captain for the remaining matches in the BPL. We held a few small meetings afterwards. We decided last night that Mushfiqur and Ravi Bopara will help Shahid Afridi in the field, and that’s how it was in the middle today. Three of them will captain in the field, and officially the captain will be Shahid Afridi.”Imran said he wasn’t open to a change at the top, given the team just won one of their first six matches, but said even Mushfiqur was on the same page as far as the change was concerned.Mahmudullah, Barisal’s captain and Mushfiqur’s brother-in-law, said that the resignation surprised him. “It was unexpected. I didn’t know that Mushfiqur won’t be the captain. But of course it is their decision.”This isn’t the first time that Mushfiqur has resigned from the captaincy. In 2013, he quit the Bangladesh captaincy after they lost the ODI series against Zimbabwe but was later convinced by the BCB to continue in the role.

Hardik Pandya began his international career with three successive wides, and Suresh Raina pulled out late of a James Faulkner delivery that hit his stumps

Brydon Coverdale26-Jan-2016The maiden over
Maiden as in first. Definitely not as in free of runs. Debutant Hardik Pandya was waiting for his first over, and then he was waiting for his first over to end. The eighth of India’s innings and the first of Pandya’s career began with three consecutive wides down leg side as Steven Smith walked inside the line, and two more followed later in the over. It meant the over lasted 11 deliveries, and given that a six and a four came off two of the legal balls, he finished with figures of 1-0-19-0 and five wides.The comeback, part one
Nearly five years after he last played for Australia, Shaun Tait took the new ball once again. His first ball was 150kph, a quick reminder of his capabilities. But a four and a six followed later in the over – Tait was unlucky the six was not a wicket, more on that shortly – and by the end of his four overs he had leaked 45 runs. It left Tait with the worst economy rate of his 20-game T20 international career.The comeback, part two
Okay, Shane Watson played Australia’s most recent T20 international, so this was not technically a comeback. But he has retired from Tests and was overlooked for the recent ODI series against India, so this was his first outing for his country this summer and thus felt like a comeback. He could hardly have made a stronger start. His first over brought two wickets – Rohit Sharma caught at mid-on off an offcutter and Shikhar Dhawan caught behind from a slower bouncer – and only one run. Watson’s return of 4-0-24-2 was a reminder that he could be a highly valuable member of Australia’s World T20 side.The fielding woes
Kane Richardson’s four overs leaked 41 runs without a wicket but just as costly was his work in the field. The fourth ball of Tait’s opening over of the game was top-edged by Rohit Sharma and Richardson at long leg misjudged the flight, running in before realising he had to be back on the boundary, and spilled over the rope what could have been a regulation take had he stayed there in the first place. Another poor piece of judgment came in the 19th over when Cameron Boyce’s throw from long-on found the bowler Richardson in front of the stumps instead of behind, which almost certainly cost Australia the chance at a run-out.The pull-out
On 14, Suresh Raina was all set to face James Faulkner, but then he wasn’t. As Faulkner let go of the ball Raina backed away and pulled out, indicating that he was not ready. The ball crashed into his stumps, but the umpire Simon Fry had no hesitation in calling a dead ball. Faulkner looked unimpressed, but then again, he often does.

UAE captain Amjad Javed slammed a 42-ball 79 and then picked up two wickets, as the hosts edged past Scotland by nine runs in the only T20I in Dubai

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Amjad Javed struck five fours and sixes for his 79•ICC

UAE captain Amjad Javed slammed a 42-ball 79 and then picked up two wickets, as the hosts edged past Scotland by nine runs in the only T20I in Dubai.UAE, opting to bat, were pegged back by regular blows from Safyaan Sharif, who claimed a career-best 4 for 24. However, despite wickets tumbling at the other end, Javed laid into the Scotland bowling, his maiden T20I half-century featuring five fours and sixes each. Javed’s blitz left UAE staring at a total in excess of 150, but three wickets in the last over meant the hosts were restricted to 148.Scotland, though, failed to gather any momentum in their chase and soon stumbled to 49 for 4 by the eighth over. Preston Mommsen kept Scotland’s chase alive by stroking a much-needed 52, but received very little by way of support from his team-mates, as the visitors could only muster 139 for 9. Javed (2 for 19) and Mohammad Naveed (2 for 16) claimed two scalps apiece.

Future Sheffield Shield titles would only be awarded to the outright winner of the final, under one of several proposals currently being considered by Cricket Australia to revitalise the competition decider

Daniel Brettig29-Mar-2016Future Sheffield Shield titles would only be awarded to the outright winner of the final, under one of several proposals currently being considered by Cricket Australia to revitalise the competition decider.Planning of the domestic schedule for next summer is at an advanced stage, and ESPNcricinfo understands the Shield final is safe from being cut, as there are no plans to grow the number of Twenty20 Big Bash League games from their present number before the 2017-18 season. Any changes to the final could then be tested before a decision is made on whether it is retained against an expanded BBL.CA, the states and the players have been in talks about ways to revitalise the five-day final, which has run to largely predictable scripts over the years. While outstanding contest like the first final in 1983, a one-wicket win for New South Wales over Queensland in 1985 and South Australia’s last-gasp escape in 1996 have stayed in the memory, most have been duller affairs on flat pitches.This has been largely due to the fact that competition rules allow for the Shield to be awarded to the team finishing top of the table in the event of a draw, meaning the surface is invariably prepared to increase the likelihood of that outcome. The proposal to leave the Shield shared between the two finalists unless there is an outright result is geared towards ensuring a more lively contest on a fairer surface.Pat Howard, CA’s team performance manager, has floated this possibility among numerous other thought bubbles, and it is believed to have met a favourable response from CA Board directors, state associations and players. A five-day final is considered ample time to gain an outright result, provided the pitch offers enough.Ironically, the strip prepared for this year’s meeting between South Australia and Victoria at Glenelg Oval has proven to be an excellent example, affording enough seam movement to the fast men and some appreciable turn for the spinners. At the same time, batsmen have been able to make runs when applying themselves. Outstanding innings by the youthful trio of Travis Dean, Peter Handscomb and Jake Weatherald have underlined the value of the final as a proving ground.”I’m not surprised there has been discussion,” the Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide said. “We’ve had those in meetings with Cricket Australia. The cricket world changes over time, it’s very different to when it was first installed in the early ’80s.”But I think we are seeing today how valuable it can be in terms of this sort of intensity of cricket, particularly for young players, it’s been outstanding in this particular game how young players from both teams have really stood up and shown what they can do under pressure. That is something worth persisting with I think personally.”I think it’s been a very, very good cricket wicket, what it’s done with the new ball, with the spinners and how they’re getting a little bit out of it, there’s a chance for everyone to have some input in the game. The surfaces are crucial in ensuring there’s a decent balance.”Glenelg’s successful hosting of the final, where the smaller ground has leant a pleasant festival air to proceedings while also providing an ideal surface, has not been lost on Victorian administrators as they work on long overdue upgrades to Junction Oval as a cricket hub and secondary venue after the MCG.”I’m very impressed, I’ve done several laps of the ground over three days through nervousness and also wanting to have a look a what they’ve got here,” Dodemaide said. “This is a terrific arena for Shield cricket, it’s an excellent atmosphere and a perfect fit for what Sheffield Shield cricket can be. With what we are looking for at the Junction Oval this will definitely influence it.”

Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach, has said it was a “scary” moment when Kaushal Silva, the opening batsman, was struck on the back of the head while fielding at short leg recently

Andrew McGlashan06-May-2016Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach, has said it was a “scary” moment when Kaushal Silva, the opening batsman, was struck on the back of the head while fielding at short leg recently.Silva was taking part in a practice match in Pallekele ahead of Sri Lanka leaving for England when he took the blow. He had ducked and turned his head, but was hit below the back rim of the helmet, in the padded rear attachment that has come into use following the death of Phillip Hughes. Team-mates said they believed he might have suffered a more substantial injury if he had been using a helmet without that added protection.He was initially treated on the field and then at a local hospital before being airlifted to Colombo for further assessment which diagnosed him with mild concussion.Ford did not see the incident as it happened, but recalled similar feelings to when he was Surrey coach last year and watched Moises Henriques and Rory Burns be involved in an awful collision during a T20 match at Arundel which left Henriques, the Australia allrounder, with a broken jaw.”I didn’t actually see the incident, I was in the nets, but when I came round I could see there was some drama,” Ford said. “It was pretty scary for everybody, fortunately the trainer and physio were on hand and managed to do all the necessary things. It reminded me a little of the incident last year with Moises Henrqiues and Rory Burns, it was that kind of feeling but everyone medically handled it really well.”Since being given the all-clear in hospital, Silva was firstly rested and then monitored as he resumed exercise and training when Sri Lanka arrived in England.”He’s recovered really well, he’s rested for a while and a bit of monitoring for the first bit of exercise that he did and he’s come through,” Ford said.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches on May 10, 2016

Mohammad Isam10-May-2016Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club captain Mahmudullah celebrated his 200th List-A match with 130 against Cricket Coaching School, which paved the way for a 90-run win at the BKSP-3 ground.Mahmudullah added 203 runs for the third wicket in 39 overs with Marshall Ayub, who scored his maiden List-A century. He made 103 off 115 balls with 12 fours while Mahmudullah struck eight fours and five sixes during his career-best 130 off 139 balls. This meant that Dhanmondi Club surged to 290 for 5 in 50 overs.In reply, CCS had a good start, with Saif Hassan and Pinak Ghosh adding 60 for the first wicket. Captain Rajin Saleh built on it with 51 off 78 balls, but Jeevan Mendis and Shafiul Islam pierced through the middle order with two wickets each. Ayub picked up the last wicket to fall – Refatuzzaman – to cap off a memorable day. CCS were bowled out for 200 in 48.3 overs.Mohammedan Sporting Club went to the top of the points table in the Dhaka Premier League, after securing a four-wicket win over over Kalabagan Cricket Academy in Fatullah.Mohammedan and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club are currently locked with eight points from five matches, but Mohammedan have a better net run rate.They chased down a revised target of 207, after rain interrupted the chase in the 21st over. Opener Ezaz Ahmed and No.3 Upul Tharanga put on 111 runs for the second wicket to set up the chase. Ezaz struck two fours and four sixes before being dismissed by allrounder Mahmudul Hasan for 60 off 68 balls. Tharanga stayed unbeaten on 90 off 114 balls, including eight fours and one six. Left-arm spinner Bishwanath Halder was the pick of the bowlers for KCA, taking 2 for 39.Having been sent in, KCA were bowled out for 231 with four balls to spare, with left-arm spinner Enamul Haque jnr claiming three wickets. Naeem Islam jnr and Naeem Islam pitched in with two wickets each. Jatin Saxena and Mehedi Hasan Miraz hit fifties, but the rest of the batsmen failed, the third-best score being opener Myshukur Rahaman’s 31 off 65 balls.Gazi Group Cricketers rode on a 155-run opening partnership between Shamsur Rahman and Anamul Haque to beat Kalabagan Kira Chakra by six wickets in Mirpur.Anamul, having kept wicket earlier, made 70 off 83 balls, including six fours and one six, before retiring hurt because of cramps. Shamsur hit nine fours and one six during his 91-ball 75. Though he, Mehedi Hasan, Faruque Hossain, and Farhad Hossain fell in quick succession, Alok Kapali, who had picked up three wickets, and Saeed Anwar jnr completed the 224 chase in the 46th over.Earlier, each of Kalabagan’s top four had starts, but none managed to convert it into a half-century. Tasamul Haque top-scored with 47 off 63, before he was the sixth batsman dismissed. Tanveer Haider and No.10 Abdur Razzak made late cameos to push Kalabagan past 200, but it wasn’t enough.

Gareth Batty bowled Surrey into a winning position on day two of their Specsavers’ County Championship game against Somerset at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network29-May-2016
ScorecardGareth Batty tipped through Somerset’s first innings•Getty Images

Gareth Batty bowled Surrey into a winning position on day two of their Specsavers’ County Championship game against Somerset at Taunton.Batty, the 38-year-old former England offspinner, returned figures of 7 for 32 as Somerset lost all 10 first innings wickets for 56. By the close, in their second innings, Surrey had reached 93 for 6, an overall lead of 256.Resuming on their overnight total of 236 for 8, Surrey added another 28 runs before being bowled out for 264. Ben Foakes was bowled by an unplayable delivery from Craig Overton before Stuart Meaker was last man out, caught at third slip by Overton off the bowling of Tim Groenewald.In reply, Somerset made the perfect start with Tom Abell and Marcus Trescothick adding 46 for the first wicket, inside 14 overs. However, when the former was trapped leg before by Meaker, for 25, the wheels came off Somerset’s innings in dramatic fashion.Trescothick followed his opening partner back to the pavilion in the next over, when Batty picked up the first of his seven wickets.Shortly after, the in-form James Hildreth lost his middle stump to Meaker and though the lunch interval provided some respite, Somerset were back under pressure when captain Chris Rogers was caught by Mathew Pillans off the bowling of Batty for 19.With the ball turning and Somerset struggling to break free, wickets fell with alarming regularity. Craig Overton, who was dropped by Rory Burns at slip off the first ball he faced, edged Batty to the same fielder, next ball, before wicketkeeper Ryan Davies top-edged an attempted slog-sweep to Meaker, at midwicket. The capitulation continued with Jim Allenby becoming Batty’s fifth victim, Jack Leach, his sixth and finally, Jamie Overton, his seventh, off the final ball of the 29th over.It came as something of a surprise to most in the ground when Surrey decided against enforcing the follow on. In the hour that ensued, their decision came back to bite them. Having reached 17 for 0 they were soon up against it at 51 for 6.First-innings bowling hero Jack Leach picked up the wickets of Rory Burns, Steven Davies and Tom Curran, while Craig Overton sent back Arun Harinath and Kumar Sangakkara. Jamie Overton weighed in with the wicket of Gary Wilson before Foakes and Zafar Ansari, who had earlier left the field when Surrey were fielding, with an injured right thumb, added an unbeaten 43 for the seventh wicket. How valuable that proves to be, only time will tell.However, their resilience means Surrey go into day three with a handsome lead of and four second innings wickets in hand.