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Dushmantha Chameera blasted out the top order, Akila Dananjaya squeezed through the middle overs, and debutant Shehan Madushanka closed out the tournament with a hat-trick as Sri Lanka defended 221 to win by 79 runs

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando27-Jan-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAssociated Press

Dushmantha Chameera blasted out the top order, Akila Dananjaya squeezed through the middle overs, and debutant Shehan Madushanka – playing only his seventh senior cricket match – closed out the tournament with a hat-trick. That the Sri Lanka attack had seemed incapable of menace in the first two matches of the series is a distant memory now. Defending 222, the bowlers constricted the Bangladesh chase, dismissed the opposition for 142, and propelled Sri Lanka to their third victory on the trot and the tri-series title.The Bangladesh batting effort was hamstrung by the absence of Shakib Al Hasan, who landed heavily on his bowling hand while fielding in the 42nd over, and sustained an injury that will keep him out of the first Test. The remainder of their batsmen though, did not have the measure of this slowing Mirpur surface. Mahmudullah alone prospered, scoring a valiant 76 while wickets fell around him. His was the last act of the tournament, chipping Madushanka into the hands of extra-cover with Bangladesh needing 80 runs to win.The victory also highlights a potential blind spot in international cricket’s regulations. Chandika Hathurusingha was Bangladesh’s coach only three months ago, and is now with the Sri Lanka side. His knowledge of Bangladesh conditions, and of the opposition, were clearly instrumental to this victory. Perhaps the question ought to be raised whether there must be a cooling-off period before coaches can switch sides.Hathurusingha’s acumen aside, Sri Lanka were animated and energetic during the defence of this score. The fielding was dynamic, with two run-outs – including one from a Thisara Perera direct hit – pulled off. It was Chameera’s bowling, though, that set the tone for Bangladesh’s innings. With the pitch responding to his natural short length, Chameera had Tamim Iqbal top-edge a pull to midwicket before Sabbir Rahman fell in similar fashion a few overs later. In between the wicket-taking balls, there were few loose deliveries. Chameera bowled six overs in his new-ball spell, and conceded only 13.Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim – the two remaining senior batsmen – attempted a recovery from 22 for 3, but the partnership was laboured, and soon the pressure to hit out had built. This was when Dananjaya struck. Having already raised a close lbw shout, he had Mushfiqur top-edge a sweep to short fine leg. Soon after, Mehidy Hasan offered Dananjaya a return catch, when the ball stopped a little on the pitch. With Bangladesh having slipped to 90 for 5 in the 29th over and no batsman but Mahmudullah appearing comfortable on this surface, the hosts were in an increasingly difficult spot.Mahmudullah battled on for a while, hitting two calculated sixes off Dananjaya and one off Suranga Lakmal, but the required rate was now touching seven, and the pressure was too much. Madushanka, who bowled accurately enough and with sharp pace, was the beneficiary of poor lower-order strokes. Mashrafe Mortaza sent a thigh-high full toss into the palms of midwicket, then Rubel Hossain attempted a huge heave first ball only to be bowled. Mahmudullah’s wicket – off the first ball of the next Madushanka over – completed the hat-trick.That Madushanka was played at all was a Hathurusingha move. The bowler, who is of little repute, was handpicked by Hathurusingha ahead of the tour, and deployed in the final, probably as a surprise.Bangladesh will rue their scrambled batting, after their bowlers had been intense through the back end of Sri Lanka’s innings. Rubel Hossain delivered a spate of searing yorkers as he collected figures of 4 for 46. Mustafizur Rahman used his cutters intelligently through the middle overs and collected 2 for 29. They had been outstanding during Sri Lanka’s last 15 overs, in which seven wickets fell for only 64 runs. It was clear at that stage that run-scoring had become tough, but in dismissing Sri Lanka for 221 – the last wicket coming off the final ball of the innings – Bangladesh will have felt they had given their batsmen a good chance.Sri Lanka’s batting was largely laboured, though there was one flash of belligerence near the start of the innings. Perhaps attempting to attack himself into form, Kusal Mendis struck three sixes and a four off successive Mehidy Hasan deliveries, on his way to a nine-ball 28. Sri Lanka’s two senior batsmen – Upul Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal – spent the most time at the crease, scratching away for a combined 173 deliveries to return scores of 56 and 45 respectively. Niroshan Dickwella was the other serious contributor, making 42 off 57 balls, but largely failing to score with the cute behind-the-wicket shots he favours because the ball came so slowly off the pitch.This trophy is Sri Lanka’s first in ODI cricket since November 2016, when they had won a tri-nation series in Zimbabwe. Bangladesh will be bitterly disappointed to miss out on the title, after securing rollicking wins in their first three games.

Glenn Maxwell has been fined by Australia’s team leadership group for his criticism of Matthew Wade

Daniel Brettig03-Dec-2016Australia’s captain Steven Smith has criticised Glenn Maxwell and the team leadership group have fined him an undisclosed amount for comments deemed disrespectful to the team’s gloveman and Victoria captain Matthew Wade.In what Smith clearly hoped would be the end of an unseemly episode that began when ESPNcricinfo reported Maxwell had tried to leave the Bushrangers for New South Wales outside the approved window to do so, he explained that he had told Maxwell and the team as a whole that more respect had to be shown for each other. Smith also declined to confirm whether Maxwell would be playing on Sunday, stating only that he was “available for selection”.”Everyone was disappointed in his comments, I’ve expressed that to him myself and spoke to the team,” Smith said on Saturday ahead of the first Chappell-Hadlee ODI. “One of our values is respect, having respect for your team-mates, your opposition, your fans, your media.”I thought what he said was very disrespectful to a team-mate and his Victorian captain. The leadership group got together and we decided to fine Glenn, we thought that was sufficient punishment, so we’ve gone down that path. I was disappointed with the comments that he made.”Maxwell had stated that it was “painful” batting behind Wade in the Victorian Shield batting order, among sundry other comments about his uncertain role in the state team and his ambitions to return to the Test team. “Wadey was pretty disappointed as well like all the other players,” Smith said. “I talk about a respect for your team-mates and particularly the captain of your state, and he was disappointed.”[Maxwell] was a little bit shattered with what he said. I don’t think he thought the words came out the way they actually did, but we’ve moved on from that now, we’ve fined him and expressed our disappointment, but moving on and trying to focus on this game tomorrow.”Smith is believed to have been one of the players Maxwell canvassed about moving to NSW during the limited-overs leg of the Sri Lanka tour earlier in the year, but he was not interested in re-opening the discussion on Saturday. “I’m not really concerned with that right now,” Smith said. “It’s about getting through this season, and if things happen like that at the end of the season we’ll deal with that then.”Maxwell’s sanction did not meet with universal approval. Notably he was supported in his words by Mitchell Johnson, who has been a critic of punitive action against players since he was one of the four players suspended from a Test match in India three years ago – something the coach Darren Lehmann also criticised at the time.
Turning his attention to New Zealand, Smith said the combination of cagey experience and pace-filled youth in the visitors’ bowling line-up would have to be watched closely. “They’ve got some quality players in their line-up, a lot of the time they bat around Kane Williamson, he’s the glue in their middle order,” he said.”They’ve got some dangerous players up top in Guptill or Latham if he plays up top. They’ve got some experience in their bowling line-up in Southee and Boult and some pace in this young fella I’ve heard about, Ferguson. They’re a quality team and we’re going to have to be at our best.”One figure Smith is eager to command once more is the fast man Pat Cummins, making his latest return to the team amid a string of injuries. “He bowled pretty quick in the nets yesterday, he bowled beautifully in the Matador Cup at the start of the season, and he’s got that x-factor about him,” Smith said. “He bowls with great pace and good aggression and I think he’ll complement the other quicks really well and hopefully have an impact in this series.”

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan’s scheduled meeting with BCCI president Shashank Manohar had to be deferred following protests at the BCCI office by the Shiv Sena

Amol Karhadkar19-Oct-20151:02

IPL chairman condemns Shiv Sena protest

A protest by the Shiv Sena, a regional political party, has muddled the fate of discussions between the BCCI and the PCB over the proposed India-Pakistan series in December.On Monday, talks between PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and BCCI president Shashank Manohar were deferred after 50 workers from the Shiv Sena stormed the BCCI office in Mumbai, shouting anti-Pakistan slogans and demanding that the BCCI cancel the series.Neither Manohar nor Khan spoke with the media after the Shiv Sena protests. But conflicting statements came out of the BCCI. While the IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla said the meeting would be held in Delhi on Tuesday, the BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said there would be no official meeting.”The talks have not been called off,” Shukla told . “Mr Manohar and Mr Khan will speak to each other in evening today and tomorrow they are coming to Delhi for another round of talks. “In no way the dialogue will be stopped. BCCI has never compromised with national interests.”Thakur, however, contradicted Shukla a few hours later.”Officially there is no meeting scheduled in New Delhi,” he told reporters in Delhi. “If the talks happen, they will take place in Mumbai at BCCI headquarters. The BCCI and PCB have some outstanding issues. The PCB chief wanted to meet the Board president to discuss those things but those have been cancelled now.”Manohar is supposed to be in Pune for a family function on Tuesday.The protest occurred soon after Manohar reached the BCCI office on Monday. Shaharyar, along with Najam Sethi, the head of the PCB’s executive committee, were advised not to leave their south Mumbai hotel, which is a five-minute drive from the BCCI headquarters. They were supposed to meet Manohar there to discuss the possibility of India’s scheduled series against Pakistan in December.Later in the afternoon, the PCB delegation headed to the airport to leave for Delhi amidst heavy police security. Minutes after their departure for the airport, Manohar left the BCCI office and reached the same hotel, where he had also been staying.The Shiv Sena has also threatened to stop the Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar from officiating in the fifth and final ODI between India and South Africa to be played in Mumbai on Sunday.The party has a history of anti-Pakistan protests. In 1999, it dug up the pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi before the start of the India-Pakistan series, and in 2006 threatened to disrupt Pakistan’s Champions Trophy matches in Jaipur and Mohali.In April this year, Pakistani pop singer Atif Aslam’s concert in Pune had to be called off in the wake of such protests, and singer Ghulam Ali’s concert, scheduled to be held in Mumbai on October 9, was also cancelled after party workers threatened to disrupt it.Last week, Shiv Sena activists smeared columnist and writer Sudheendra Kulkarni with black ink, during an event he had organised to launch a book written by the former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.

The full statement made by Mervyn Westfield after reluctantly agreeing to give evidence in an ECB hearing called to consider Danish Kaneria’s appeal against his ban for match-fixing

22-Apr-2013The following statement I ask my barrister Yasin Patel to make on my behalf.I, Mervyn Westfield, in February 2012, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court and was soon after, sentenced to four months imprisonment. It is in relation to the facts of those proceedings that I have been forced to attend here today.The Hearing taking place today is in relation to an appeal brought by Danesh Kaneria against the English Cricket Board to overturn the ban imposed by them.My presence here today is the third time that my help and assistance has been sought in order to assist the English Cricket Board. I have made it abundantly clear to the ECB that I have no desire to participate in this hearing or to provide any further evidence to that which I had previously done in June 2012.The ECB have this time decided to take the hostile route in seeking the help of a High Court Judge who has signed a court summons in order to secure my attendance. As I understand, by not attending today, the ECB would return to the High Court and a warrant for my arrest would be requested. I am not sure what the ECB are hoping to gain by these actions.I have heard that Essex County Cricket Club, together with the English Cricket Board and the Professional Cricketers Association were fully aware of the situation I was falling into but stood back until my involvement reached the point of my guilty conviction. No-one wished to protect me at any stage. Where was their duty of care to me as a member of their staff?I am here today not because of the summons, nor because of any other party. My family have stood by me throughout the torture I have been made to live with this. No one else has given me any support despite all the promises a year ago. I am here to bring to an end the pain and suffering that I am forced to continuously suffer and in the hope that after today my family and I will never be subjected to the humiliation and hurt we have gone through in the last three years.

Jamaica and Barbados will contest the final of the Regional Four-Day Competition after winning their semi-finals by large margins

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2012Jamaica entered the finals of the Regional Four-Day Competition by beating Guyana by 133 runs in three days at Sabina Park. They took control of the game after the first day, on which they were dismissed for 196 after choosing to bat. Donovan Pagon and Tamar Lambert scored half-centuries but Jamaica collapsed from 131 for 3, losing seven wickets for 65 runs. Three Guyana spinners – Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Narsingh Deonarine – took three wickets each.Guyana, however, were shot out for 126 in their first innings, conceding a lead of 70. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, unbeaten on 47, was the only batsman to pass 20. Nikita Miller claimed 3 for 16 for Jamaica, while David Bernard took 3 for 35. Jamaica could not improve on their first-innings performance in their second, though, getting dismissed for 189. Bishoo took 5 for 62, and Permaul added three more to his match haul. Xavier Marshall top scored for Jamaica this time with 59. Their lead, however, ensured Guyana would have to make the highest total of the match to reach the finals.Chasing 260, Guyana were dismissed for 126 once again. Miller took 4 for 28, and Odean Brown had figures of 3 for 42 for Jamaica, ensuring the match did not enter the fourth day.Sulieman Benn took 9 for 63 in the match to help bowl Barbados into the final with a 227-run victory against Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval. Having chosen to bat, Barbados made only 223 in the first innings. Most of the top-order batsmen got starts but nobody carried on, and Jonathan Carter’s 47 was the top score. Ravi Rampaul and Kavesh Kantasingh took four wickets each for T&T.The Barbados bowlers, however, gave their side a huge lead by dismissing T&T for 84. Benn bowled with the new ball and took 5 for 28, while Carlos Brathwaite had figures of 4 for 12. T&T were 63 for 3 at one stage and then lost seven wickets for 21 runs.Barbados made 216 in their second innings, setting a target of 356. Carter once again top scored with 52, and Brathwaite followed his success with the ball by making an unbeaten 45. Shannon Gabriel was T&T’s best bowler, taking 5 for 78.The target was always likely to be out of T&T’s reach and they fell massively short. They collapsed once again, from 79 for 2, and were dismissed for 128. Benn took 4 for 35 in this innings; Javon Scantlebury-Searles contributed 3 for 22.

Daniel Vettori has said that making the World Cup semi-finals six times is a huge achievement for a small nation like New Zealand

Firdose Moonda in Colombo28-Mar-2011Daniel Vettori would make a bad bridesmaid. He wouldn’t fit the role of the person dressed up to walk down the aisle behind someone more important. He is the important one.At the best of times, Vettori is abrupt – probably not intentionally, but because it’s part of his character. He is a no-nonsense kind of guy who gives a straight answer to most questions. Whether he expected to be sitting in a press conference as the only non-subcontinental team captain at the World Cup semi-finals, he won’t say, but he seems rightly annoyed with being asked if his team is excited to have got this far.”It’s the semi-final of the World Cup, everyone is ecstatic,” he said dryly. Of course they are. New Zealand have proven themselves to be one of the top four teams in the tournament. They beat the odds. After a group stage which saw them record victory over only one major team, Pakistan, and get thumped by two others, Sri Lanka and Australia, they came into the quarter-finals as one of the weaker sides. Very few people expected them to raise their game enough to beat South Africa and even when talking about that victory, very few people say that it was New Zealand who won the game. Most say it was South Africa who lost it.Vettori doesn’t really want to talk about that anymore, because he has more important things on his mind. “We need to move on pretty quickly from the South Africa game. We’re proud of our achievement, but we need to concentrate on the semi-final.” Most people paid him very little attention when he made that point, probably because most don’t expect New Zealand to get past the semi-finals. That’s partly because they are playing a very strong Sri Lanka side and partly because this will be their sixth World Cup semi-final, without having ever made the final.’We’re proud of our achievement [beating South Africa], but we need to concentrate on the semi-final’ – Daniel Vettori•Associated Press

“Everyone wants to talk about our record [of always going out at the semi-final stage], but this is an amazing achievement for a small country,” Vettori said, which hinted that he was satisfied enough with having come this far. He recovered quickly though. “We have our expectations, it’s irrelevant what people say. We reached the Champions Trophy final in 2009, there we went one step further.” New Zealand were horribly outplayed in that match, losing to Australia by six wickets. But, it was an important exercise for them, because they played in a final of an ICC tournament – for the first time since the 2000 Champions Trophy, which they won, beating India – and experienced the pressures of a do-or-die encounter of a different kind.Vettori knows consistency is the key. “When we’ve won well, we’ve followed it up with a poor performance,” he said referring to the group stage. “We’ve got to make sure we have another big performance in the bag because Sri Lanka will be very strong in home conditions.”Sri Lanka have looked the side to beat and on a pitch where they asserted their authority over England, they will be tough to handle. Vettori is toying with the idea of picking three spinners for the match. “The fact that it’s a used wicket may allow us to do that, but Sri Lanka have grown up playing spin.”Getting their combination right for the semi-final will not be the trickiest thing for New Zealand, it will be making sure that that combination works well on the day. Vettori said that they were fortunate to have “one or two batsmen and a bowler or two who could stand up” in the knockouts. “It was Jesse Ryder and Jacob Oram who did it against South Africa. That made the difference and it may have to be someone else who does it now.”Vettori himself, playing in either his penultimate or final match as captain, may be the man to shoulder the responsibility. He knows it’s his last chance, as he is firm in his decision to step down as captain. “I’ve made the decision. You need fresh ideas and people get sick of you.” To leave office as the blushing bride probably doesn’t quite fit his image either, but Vettori would chose to be the bride over the bridesmaid any day.

Punjab have been on a downward slope since the first IPL and this is pretty much rock bottom

The Preview by Jamie Alter01-Apr-2010

Match facts

Friday, April 2
Start time 2000 (1430GMT)It’s time for the likes of Brett Lee to deliver•Indian Premier League

Big Picture

It’s official. Kings XI Punjab are this season’s Kolkata Knight Riders. Their predicament mirrors that of Kolkata’s in 2009, when they won just one of their first seven matches and occupied the basement for practically the entire time in South Africa. Then Kolkata finished last, and now Punjab need to figure out how not to end up the same. Given the mess they’re in and rumours of serious discontent within the squad, it’s next to impossible to see how they’re going to do that.Punjab have been on a downward slope since the first IPL and this is pretty much rock bottom. In 2008 they reached the semi-finals; in 2009 theirs was an inconsistent journey as they went on a victory-defeat ride; in 2010 they have been awful. Five of Punjab’s six losses have been by margins of over 30 runs or four wickets. Only one of their batsmen has made it to the top 15 run scorers, only one bowler features in the top 20 wicket-takers. Statistics never tell the full story, many a critic will happily argue, but in Punjab’s case they sure give a good reason why the team is struggling this season.Bangalore have lost two in a row but there isn’t too much to fret about yet. Their batting and bowling still leaves them as the most balanced side in the tournament but the pattern to their last two defeats has been that the bowlers haven’t been able to curb the opposition. They allowed Delhi Daredevils to cross 180 and Chennai Super Kings to chase 162 in 19 overs. The batting also hasn’t been able to get to consistently challenging scores, especially when the big-hitting Robin Uthappa has failed to convert cameos into defining innings. It seems harsh to criticise the league’s leading run scorer, but Jacques Kallis’ 52 from 49 deliveries against Chennai actually hurt Bangalore. Bangalore will believe they’re a win away from getting back on track, and rightly so.

Team talk

Where to begin with Punjab? Kumar Sangakkara will return, but is that a good thing? He’s done nothing with the bat all season. With Shaun Marsh making a solid contribution in his first match, Mahela Jayawardene could finally be benched. Why Love Ablish, the leading wicket-taker for Punjab in the season’s Ranji Trophy, and Reetinder Sodhi, an attacking Twenty20 player, have not played a game is beyond this writer.Bangalore drafted in Kevin Pietersen and Cameron White for the last game and lost it, but don’t expect too much tinkering to the line-up. Ross Taylor joined the squad on Thursday, but it remains to be seen whether Bangalore will play him just a day after he lands, that too against the league’s laggards. Abhimanyu Mithun could be get a look-in given that Praveen Kumar has had two horror matches on the trot.

Head to head

Punjab 3 Bangalore 2
Punjab strolled to two comprehensive wins in the first season – by nine wickets at home, and six wickets at the Chinnaswamy. The teams split the matches last year – Bopara powering Punjab to a seven-wicket victory in Durban, before Bangalore scraped home by 8 runs at the same venue. Bangalore chased down a target of 204 with seven deliveries remaining in their earlier match against Punjab this season.

In the spotlight

Shaun Marsh: He marked his return to the side with 57 from 47 balls and as one of two players to have been away from the squad for an extended period, Marsh could be the least affected by the malaise plaguing Punjab. Fans of the team will hope that is true and that Marsh continues where he left off in 2008, scoring a bucket of runs and providing a change in Punjab’s fortunes.Praveen Kumar: Bangalore’s opening bowler has always been a bit of a blow-hot-blow-cold cricketer, capable of getting big movement one day and none the next, and his erratic ways have played a role in the team’s two straight losses. Coming off a stellar outing of 1 for 21 from his four overs in the win over Chennai last week, Praveen has given away 87 from seven overs without a wicket in the last two.

Prime Numbers

• Bangalore have conceded the second lowest amount of runs in the middle overs – between seven and 14 – this season: 395.
• Yuvraj Singh averages 14.00 from seven matches in 2010.

Chatter

“There will be some changes, but these are not going to be a wholesale sweep.”

“We’ve got a strong bench and this is going to become important as we reach the halfway mark of the tournament.”

“Sometimes we can be too humble. We don’t show off to the world enough what we’re capable of doing”

Firdose Moonda16-Aug-2025

Shukri Conrad wants South Africa to play with a little more chutzpah•Getty Images

It’s not whether South Africa have the skills and mental fortitude to come out on top in close games that concerns their coach Shukri Conrad. It is whether they have the confidence to show that they possess those qualities.In the aftermath of their last-over defeat in the T20I series decider against Australia in Cairns, which came after a last-over defeat in a tri-series final against New Zealand last month, Conrad asked his players to strut their stuff a little more if they want to become a champion side.”Sometimes we can be too humble. We don’t show off to the world enough what we’re capable of doing,” Conrad said, as he almost used Australia as an example of what self-belief could look like.Related

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“This has got nothing to do with the way Australia plays, but they have got a blueprint as to how they want to play. There are times when it looks absolutely brilliant and it’s box-office stuff. And there are times when you can have them in trouble, like we had them in the first couple of games. But they stay true to it. What does it mean for us? It’s easier on the batting front, guys like [[Tristan Stubbs] and Ricks [Ryan Rickelton] and Aiden [Markram] himself… there’s so much that they can do. But feel that they have maybe boxed themselves in a little bit too much.”Of the three Conrad mentioned, only Rickelton made a score of significance in the series – 71 off 55 balls in the first game – but even after that knock, he acknowledged that he started too slowly for South Africa to successfully chase 179. There was another name on Conrad’s lips when he spoke about how he wants to see his players approach matches: Dewald Brevis.Dewald Brevis finished the series with a strike rate of 204.54•AFP/Getty Images

The 22-year-old was the leading run-scorer in the series, became the holder of South Africa’s highest individual T20I score of 125 not out in the second match and had the highest strike rate among all batters of 204.54. He played in a way that is best described by the Afrikaans word , which is a mixture of confidence and cockiness and is maybe best explained by one of his shots in this series.In the second T20I in Darwin, Brevis was on 22 when he lofted Sean Abbott for six over long-on and didn’t even need to look at where the ball went. Watch the replays and you’ll see Brevis keep his head down until well after the ball has gone into the stands in a manner that seems to suggest, “I’ve hit that so well, I don’t even need to look at where it’s gone.” Off the field, Brevis is as modest as they come, and attributes his talent to God alone. Whatever ego he has is confined to what happens on the field but it’s enough to allow him to play with freedom, and Conrad hopes it will rub off on other players.Chief among them is Markram, who has gone 31 innings without a T20I half-century, and who was dismissed driving waftily in all three matches in the series. One reason for Markram’s under-performance in Australia is that he is still getting used to his new role as an opener; another could be that he has been too tentative in his shot selection. Whatever it is, Conrad knows Markram has it in him a little because he saw him do it just two months ago, when it mattered most. “I know it’s a different format, but in the World Test Championship final not so long ago, Aiden showed exactly what he is about,” Conrad said. “And I’m sure he is a couple of games away from unlocking that state of genius.”Even when he does, Conrad cautioned that South Africa could not expect to come out on top every time because that’s just the nature of sport but at least, they would be giving themselves a good chance. “It’s not always going to result in winning. But I just want us to show off a bit more.”Whether that’s Conrad talking up or having a little dig at his hometown is to be figured out at another time. For now, his work is to continue preparations for the next T20 World Cup in six months time. So far, under his watch, South Africa have lost two deciders – one chasing, one defending. Against New Zealand, they needed seven runs off the last over and Conrad believes they “should have won going into the last over” but “in and amongst all of that, I’m really happy with the growth”.That was a series played without several regulars, this is one that is only without David Miller, which has left the batting line-up unbalanced. Conrad conceded that South Africa were a “batter light” but explained that if the players they have were willing to play with a little more chutzpah, it could work in their favour. “If we want to be brave, we have got to select attacks to beat a team like Australia and if I can nudge a batting unit into playing a certain way where we are a batter light and I concede we were a batter light, imagine what they can do when we have got a properly balanced side,” he said. “It’s all part of the slightly longer-term plan.”He also rejected the idea that he has put his store in allrounders, albeit that both his left-arm spinners, George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy, were also picked on batting strength, and that his selections are conventional. “Your top six will be your best batters, and Nos. 7, 8 possibly allrounders, so there’s nothing untoward,” he said. “I’m not obsessed with allrounders in T20 cricket, I can guarantee you that.”And he said it with the kind of conviction he expects his players to have.

He has also resumed bowling, although had to clear a fitness test for a tight hamstring before the second T20I against Afghanistan

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Feb-2024Angelo Mathews has had quite the ride over the last ten years. He was once the crown-prince of Sri Lanka’s white-ball teams, and then became the injury-riddled senior as the men’s team’s results plummeted, before eventually the previous set of selectors deployed him only in Tests – an experience that frustrated Mathews substantially.However, Monday’s knock in the second T20I against Afghanistan was Mathews’ best since his comeback to the T20I side over the past few weeks. He came in at No. 7 in the 15th over, and though he struggled early, making only four off his first nine balls, he soon began to find the boundary.Mathews cracked three consecutive sixes off Azmatullah Omarzai to start the 19th over, and struck four sixes and two fours in all, finishing with 42 not out off 22 balls. Sri Lanka have been desperate for that kind of finishing firepower in their white-ball sides over the last two years.Related

• Mathews, bowlers rout Afghanistan to seal T20I series for Sri Lanka

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“The plan was for Sadeera Samarawickrama to bat deep so that I could bat with freedom,” Mathews said of that innings, as he and Samarawickrama put on a fifth-wicket stand worth 66. “I struggled in the first ten to 15 balls. Every ball went to the fielder when I hit it initially. But I knew I could clear the boundary.”The way Sadeera was going I knew I could play my shots. I can improve further if I can get singles and twos in the first couple of deliveries.”Though fitness had become a sticking point between him and the selectors, and had infamously led to a public battle with the then-coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, Mathews has since made it a point to publicise his improvements on the fitness front. Now, picked again by a new group of selectors he gets on with, he has begun to produce serious results in T20Is.Sri Lanka will face tougher attacks than those of Zimbabwe and an Afghanistan team missing both Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. But Mathews’ first two T20I innings in almost three years yielded 46 off 38 balls, and 66 not out from 51 deliveries in the first two T20Is against Zimbabwe. He didn’t get to bat in the third game, and got only 6 in the first T20I against Afghanistan, before the quickest innings of the lot came about in the second T20I.In addition to hitting 160 runs at a strike rate of more than 136 since his comeback, Mathews has also claimed five wickets, though at an economy rate of 8.95. Although Mathews was not available to bowl for fitness reasons several years ago, he has, more recently, again made bowling an important part of what he offers the team. But this is not without its drawbacks – he’d had to clear a fitness test on account of a tight hamstring before playing the match on Monday.But him taking the new ball in particular is handy for this Sri Lanka team, who are exploring the option of saving most of Matheesha Pathirana’s overs for the death. Pathirana’s strengths so far have been at the back end of an innings; he has been much less effective with the new ball. Five of Pathirana’s six wickets this series have come between overs 16 and 20.”Since the Zimbabwe series, I was told to bowl to help the balance of the side,” Mathews said. “At any moment I am ready to bowl. Selectors spoke to me too, and we had a decent chat. I am willing to give my 100%. I am enjoying my cricket, and want to do my best for the team.”

Result guarantees India a spot in the semi-finals, while the Bangladesh vs Pakistan match becomes a knockout

Shashank Kishore05-Nov-20222:21

How did Netherlands pull off the unimaginable?

That sinking feeling! The all-too-familiar ‘c’ thing, which will reverberate – again – for a while to come. And the despondency, knocked out of yet another World Cup despite having everything under their control…South Africa will have to deal with all of that and more after their horror run in Adelaide culminated in yet another heartbreak, this one perhaps bigger than anything they have endured in recent times on the cricket field.But Netherlands, they will celebrate long and hard after scripting a seminal moment in their cricket history. If qualification into the Super 12s was big, victory over one of the pre-tournament favourites on Sunday could be even bigger, for a top-four finish in the group will guarantee them automatic qualification for the next edition of the T20 World Cup, in 2024.Along with Netherlands, all of Pakistan and Bangladesh would have celebrated, too. The match between those two teams later in the afternoon – which could have been dead had South Africa won – was turned into a knockout contest to decide the second semi-finalists from Group 1, because Netherlands’ win also meant India qualified for the final four.The moment that changed the match, for good•Getty Images

Ironically, it was Johannesburg-born Roelof van der Merwe, who represented South Africa in two editions of the tournament [2009 and 2010], who put a dagger in South African hearts with an incredible catch to turn the game around.With South Africa needing 47 off 29, van der Merwe ran nearly 20 yards back, from short fine-leg towards square leg, to latch on to a catch from David Miller off Brandon Glover. Having covered all that ground, while looking straight into the sun all along, he put in a dive as he pulled off a blinder with the ball swirling in the air.The man who had been standing in the way of Netherlands and an unlikely win was gone. What followed was mayhem and magic in equal measure. South Africa imploded, Netherlands swelled with passion and pride. It was a victory to savour for the team in orange, a bitter pill to swallow for the men in green.The Myburgh boost at the top
The Netherlands’ charge started with Stephan Myburgh’s big-hitting up front. In the second over, he hit Kagiso Rabada on the up twice to the extra-cover boundary to make his intentions clear. Over the course of the next 20 minutes, he gave a fine exhibition of aggressive batting, seemingly unperturbed by the reputation of Rabada and Anrich Nortje, as he pulled, whipped, cut and drove his way to seven boundaries. At 56 for no loss in eight overs, he had set a firm base. Even as Myburgh went hell for leather, Max O’Dowd was happy to turn the strike over and play the perfect second foil.The win could mean a top-four finish in the group for Netherlands, and therefore an automatic spot in the next T20 World Cup•Getty Images

Cooper cranks it up
Netherlands lost Myburgh to a slog sweep, but Tom Cooper, with all his experience of playing in the BBL, kept up the tempo. Let off on 11 when Aiden Markram put down a tough return chance, Cooper used the shorter boundaries to his advantage as he punished Markram and Rabada. But it wasn’t just the pull that he profited from. With fields set for the shot, Cooper reverse-swept Keshav Maharaj for six over deep point where there were no boundary riders. He was beginning to look dangerous, but South Africa hit back with the wickets of O’Dowd and him in quick succession.The big finish
Going into the last four overs, Netherlands were in a slowdown with Colin Ackermann struggling for timing. He was on 9 off 11 and simply had to find his hitting range quickly. The wickets of Cooper and Bas de Leede didn’t help. But Netherlands managed to wrest back the momentum in the 19th over when Rabada was hit for three fours, including a neat reverse scoop by Scott Edwards. Ackermann then kicked up the perfect finish by muscling two sixes in the final over, bowled by Wayne Parnell, to finish with 41 not out off 26. The last two overs brought Netherlands 31 and all the momentum heading into the break.2:36

Moody: Regardless of captaincy, Bavuma shouldn’t be in this format

South Africa’s no-power powerplay
Quinton de Kock crashed a cover drive off the second ball but left-arm seamer Fred Klaassen stuck to his strengths – varying his lengths and being deadly accurate – to string up 12 dot balls in his first three overs, all of them in the powerplay. The bonus was the wicket of de Kock, who nicked behind while charing down the track. Temba Bavuma, who has been under pressure to score every time he’s batted, was the next to go for a run-a-ball 20 when he played all around a full delivery after shuffling a long way across. He saw his leg stump flattened and South Africa slipped to 39 for 2.The Glover and van der Merwe show
Six years ago, seamer Brandon Glover debuted for Boland in first-class cricket, hoping to earn his stripes with South Africa. Fate would have something else in store. Three years after debuting in T20Is for Netherlands, Glover made his most impactful contribution yet, nipping out three big batters, including the set Rilee Rossouw and dangerman Miller – to that van der Merwe catch – to tilt the scales in Netherlands’ favour. In between, Netherlands also had the wicket of Markram when Myburgh, who had let off Miller only a short while earlier at backward point, held on to an excellent catch at extra cover. The wheels had truly come off for South Africa. Glover and de Leede stuck to their lengths to ensure no late dramas as Netherlands sealed a historic win.