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An unbeaten century by Dwayne Smith lit up the Kensington Oval, helping Barbados Tridents to a comfortable 29-run win against St Lucia Zouks

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAn unbeaten century by Dwayne Smith lit up the Kensington Oval, helping Barbados Tridents to a comfortable 29-run win against St Lucia Zouks but sparks also flew elsewhere. Tino Best and Shoaib Malik were involved in an altercation after the bowler dismissed the batsman, his celebration littered with choice words. Malik returned the favour before the umpire’s intervened.However, the incident had no bearing on the cricket being played. Malik had scored 49, Tridents were 128 in the 15th over and Smith was cruising along at 71. There was no let off in the remaining 5.1 overs: Smith fired up a late surge adding 58 runs in the period. He reached his second T20 century of the penultimate ball of the innings with a six over midwicket of Sohail Tanvir and celebrated it with another six off the last ball.The innings had started in a similar flourish. Zouks opted to bowl but the first ball, bowled by Roelof van de Merwe, was cut past point for a boundary by Smith. It wasn’t a one off. Smith launched a four and a six over mid-off before cutting one through to the point boundary to make it 18 off the first over. Tanvir struck of his first ball from the other end, but that proved to be their only positive in the next 13.4 overs.Smith and Malik partnered in an 110-run association that set up the foundation for a huge total. The two took their time taking 34 runs in their first six overs and apart from an odd boundary, didn’t look to press on. Smith reached his half-century in the 11th over, off 39 balls. The innings got a boost in the 15th over when both Smith and Malik launched into Best, taking 15 runs off his first four balls. Best uprooted Malik’s leg stump in the fifth delivery, but the momentum had been shifted. Smith continued his merry six-hitting ways and ended up with a tally of eight hits overs the boundary.Zouks needed a strong start to their innings but their top-order batsmen were unable to string major partnerships together. By the time Darren Sammy was dismissed, for a duck, in the 14th over, the chase had gone out of hand. Zouks needed 108 off 42 balls at that stage and although Tanvir and Keddy Lesporis made a valiant effort, their unbeaten 78-run stand fell much short of the target.

Graham Napier’s superb bowling and Jaik Mickleburgh’s unbeaten century enabled Essex to enjoy the better of their second day against Leicestershire.

18-Jul-2013
ScorecardJaik Mickleburgh continued his mid-season resurgence•Getty ImagesGraham Napier’s superb bowling and Jaik Mickleburgh’s unbeaten century enabled Essex to enjoy the better of their second day against Leicestershire.The hosts finished on 216 for 4 at Chelmsford, in reply to an all out total of 365 by Division Two’s bottom side. The morning session saw Napier, with his brisk pace, produce a sensational spell after the visitors had moved beyond 350 with only four wickets down.Napier got rid of the overnight pair of Ned Eckersley and Matt Boyce after they had put together a century partnership, and he went on to rip through the tail, claiming five wickets in the space of 15 deliveries at a personal cost of just three runs.With offspinner Greg Smith chipping in with the wicket of Ollie Freckingham, the visitors lost their last six wickets for as many runs after they had resumed on 328 for 4 and moved to 359 before they were blown apart.Napier embarked upon his destructive trail by having Boyce caught behind for 54 to end a stand of 147. He then ended the fine innings of Eckersley by deceiving him with a slower delivery – but not before the right-hander had moved to a career-best 147.That effort contained 17 fours and two sixes and embraced 277 deliveries, andNapier followed-up those successes by having Josh Cobb caught, and bowling both Anthony Ireland and Alex Wyatt.It gave him figures of 5 for 77 from 20.3 overs and followed his 7 for90 when the counties met at Grace Road in their previous Championship match.Napier’s performance came on a day when fellow paceman David Masters missed the action after being caught up in a traffic jam following a pile-up on the M25. The former Leicestershire bowler did not arrive until after lunch – by which time the Essex reply was well under way.Mickleburgh and Hamish Rutherford put the Essex innings on a firm foundation with a stand of 61, before the New Zealander was guilty of a careless stroke against Ireland to be caught by Wyatt at deep backward square leg.Smith quickly followed when he edged to Joe Burns in the slips to provide offspinner Sykes, who was making his debut, with the first Championship wicket of his career.Owais Shah perished when he pushed forward against Wyatt to be caught behind just before the 100 was raised and Ryan ten Doeschate lazily drove Freckingham to mid-off.Amid the setbacks, Mickleburgh grew in confidence and punctuated the field with several well-timed strokes as he set sail for his first century of the summer.He eventually got there by cover driving Shiv Thakor to the boundary, his 13th, and by the close he had added another three boundaries to move to 121.Keeping him company was Ben Foakes, who will resume tomorrow on 25 and has so far helped the opener add 65 for the fifth wicket.

Australia have confirmed a 17-man squad for their upcoming four-Test tour of India with the allrounders Moises Henriques and Glenn Maxwell the only two uncapped members of the group

Brydon Coverdale31-Jan-2013Australia have confirmed a 17-man squad for their upcoming four-Test tour of India with the allrounders Moises Henriques and Glenn Maxwell the only two uncapped members of the group. The touring party also includes Steven Smith and Xavier Doherty, neither of whom has played Test cricket since their cameo roles in the 2010-11 Ashes debacle, along with Usman Khawaja as a potential No.6 and a five-man pace-bowling group.James Pattinson is back in the mix after making his Sheffield Shield return last week following two months on the sidelines due to a rib/side injury and will form the pace corps along with Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Jackson Bird. The veteran Ben Hilfenhaus, who has not played since breaking down during the Hobart Test in December, was not selected, and nor was Steve O’Keefe, the leading spinner in the Sheffield Shield this summer.The large squad is an attempt to cover all bases as the Australians acclimatise to life without both Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, and with Shane Watson having given up the idea of being an allrounder for the time being. Now a specialist batsman, Watson is likely to slot straight back into the top order for the first Test in Chennai on February 22 after sitting out of international cricket since re-injuring his calf during the Boxing Day Test.”It is a large squad and we felt as though we needed that for flexibility,” John Inverarity, the national selector, said. “We’re certainly looking for a right-arm finger-spinner and a left-arm finger-spinner. Xavier [Doherty] has been bowling very well lately. The four contenders for that position [were] Jon Holland, Michael Beer, Xavier Doherty and Stephen O’Keefe. Two of those [Holland and Beer] are injured and we preferred Xavier Doherty to Stephen O’Keefe.”The presence of Maxwell and Smith also provides the option of allrounders who can bowl offspin or legspin respectively, although Smith has hardly bowled this Sheffield Shield season and has been included largely as a backup batsman. Smith, who is still only 23, played five Tests in 2010 and 2011 but struggled to justify his inclusion as either a batsman or bowler, but Inverarity said he had been impressed by the development of Smith’s batting.”Steve Smith has matured a lot,” Inverarity said. “A lot of his play this year he has played especially well, although he hasn’t gone through to the big scores. His score [of 72] just recently in the Shield match was very good against Western Australia in Sydney. We see him as a young player of the future, enormous potential and one thing in particular in his favour is he uses his feet really well and plays spin bowling really well. He will be there as a backup batsman and certainly to gain experience. We’re really hoping that he’s one of the players who comes through in the next couple of years.”Another man who fits that category is Henriques, who won his position thanks to Watson’s decision to concentrate on his batting. The selectors were keen to include a seam-bowling allrounder and injuries to Mitchell Marsh and Andrew McDonald, and a disappointing summer for Daniel Christian, left Henriques, who has averaged 77 with the bat and with the ball this Sheffield Shield season, as the leading candidate.”It’s a very good test for him,” Inverarity said. “We feel there’s a great need to have an allrounder there and Moises is a young cricketer of terrific potential. We’re hoping he really comes though. He’s got a lot of talent and we’re hoping that being around the Australian group brings out the best in him.”The balance of Australia’s side for the four Tests in India will depend on how the selectors decide to structure the attack, and while Inverarity said they were keen to have five bowling options in a match, he also indicated Usman Khawaja had a strong chance of playing the first Test in Chennai.”Usman is very much to the fore of our thinking,” Inverarity said. “I was in Canberra the other day when he got 69 [for the Prime Minister’s XI] against the West Indies and played really well. I think Usman is a very good chance of being in the first Test team.”Inverarity is also confident that David Warner will be part of that side in Chennai, despite suffering a fractured thumb after being hit by Johnson in the WACA nets on Wednesday while training ahead of the first ODI against West Indies. It appears unlikely that Warner will take any part in the one-day series, although Inverarity said he was expected to be fit for the Tests in India.”The chances are very good,” Inverarity said. “The early indication is it’s a slight fracture. The indications are he’ll certainly be okay for the Test starting on the 22nd of February, and what we’re looking to do is during the next couple of days get more feedback as to exactly when he’ll be able to come back … But I’d say the chances are that it’s unlikely that he’ll be playing the ODIs at this stage.”Some members of the Test squad will fly to India while the West Indies limited-overs series is still on, in order to better prepare them for the Indian conditions. The trip begins with two warm-up games in Chennai on February 12-13 and February 16-18. Splitting the squad is required because the West Indies series does not finish until February 13, when the teams play a Twenty20 in Brisbane.Squad David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (capt), Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Jackson Bird, Xavier Doherty, Nathan Lyon.

Controversy around their security arrangements in India, batting issues and changes to the squad due to injury and form mean that Pakistan enter the 2016 World T20 in a weakened state

Umar Farooq15-Mar-20165:45

Ramiz: Pakistan will be mentally fatigued

Big pictureFor the first time, Pakistan will enter the World T20 a weakened side. Over the years, they have lost their Midas touch in the format and the unpredictability that was once a defining feature, is now merely a liability.Pakistan announced their World T20 squad in early February but then made changes to their squad due to injuries and form. The last of these changes was to bring Ahmed Shehzad back into the squad in place of Khurram Manzoor, who fared poorly in the Asia Cup. Their departure was delayed following concerns over the security situation in Dharamsala, where they were scheduled to play a match against India, and this cost them one practice match. The match against India was eventually moved to Kolkata and the team arrived on Saturday.An unsettled top order and an inconsistent middle order leaves them as one of the weaker teams in the Super 10s stage. They are not being seen as favourites but the senior players – Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Ahmed Shehzad – are all overdue for big performances.Pakistan’s biggest strength is the four-man pace attack, with Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Sami all capable of clocking speeds close to 150 kph. Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s coach, has, however, stressed that the batsmen will need to support the bowlers. The tracks in India, too, might work against Pakistan, as their specialist spin department is another weak link.Road to the World T20Pakistan are ranked No. 7, close to Sri Lanka at No. 8. Their performances in the last 12 months have been poor. They have nine out of 17 games, and five of those victories came against Zimbabwe and UAE. They lost series to England (3-0) and New Zealand (2-1) followed by a dismal Asia Cup where they lost crunch games against India and Bangladesh and failed to make the final.At the helmThis is Shahid Afridi’s second and final World T20 as captain; he previously led the team to a semi-final finish in the tournament in 2010. He took charge of the side after Mohammad Hafeez stepped down following the side’s exit in the group stage of the 2014 World T20. Afridi’s form has waned recently – in the Asia Cup, he scored two runs and took two wickets. Over the last 12 months, he has scored 173 runs in 15 innings at an average of 12.35 and has taken 12 wickets at 35.41. There were calls for a change in leadership after the Asia Cup but PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan refrained from making an alteration so close to the tournament.Key stats20Number of batsmen Pakistan have tried in the top three since 2012, the most for any team. They haven’t, however, been able to find a stable top order yet and their experiments in the Asia Cup only left the team with more questions.Umar Akmal’s T20 experience and form will be crucial to shore up a brittle Pakistan batting order•AFPLeading menMohammad Amir
The 2016 World T20 will be Mohammad Amir’s first ICC event since his return from a five-year suspension for spot-fixing in September 2015. He made his presence felt in the Asia Cup with a charismatic bowling show, particularly against India, and will be an important player for Pakistan.Ahmed ShehzadShehzad was first dropped from the World T20 squad and then added at the last minute after Khurram Manzoor failed in the Asia Cup. He has scored the most runs by a Pakistan opener in T20Is – 912 – but can be an inconsistent performer. He made his way back to the squad because the selectors were forced to revisit their original pick and the onus is now on Shehzad to produce the performances expected of him.Umar AkmalUmar Akmal has been in and out of Pakistan’s Test and ODI sides but is an important player in the side in T20 format. With 1611 runs in 75 matches at an average of 27.30, he is Pakistan’s highest run-getter in T20 internationals and fourth overall in the format. Currently he is in assured form – in the Asia Cup, for instance, he played a crucial 50 off 46 balls to help Pakistan overcome a scare from UAE. With the top order looking brittle, he has a vital role to give his side momentum with his flamboyant batting. In three World T20 appearances, he has scored 408 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 134.65.Burning questionCan Shahid Afridi sign-off with a bang?Afridi’s 20-year career has had exhilarating highs and excruciating lows, and he is now nearing the end of his international career. His career and extravagant persona have made a significant impact on Pakistan cricket. He brought the curtains down on his ODI career with a quiet 2015 World Cup and the World T20 is his chance to mark his remarkable career with a perfect farewell.World T20 historyThey finished runners-up in the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007, losing to India in the final. In 2009, they won the title and finished semi-finalists in 2010 and 2012. In 2014, however, they failed to move beyond the group stage.In their own words”It’s a matter of the entire team clicking together and this is the only pattern of Pakistan winning a game. Gone are the days when one player stood up and finished off the game single-handedly. Now we need to perform as a unit, and every single player in the side has to play his role. We all know what to expect and who to expect, and the answer to every question is batting. And the day we manage to get consistent with the bat, we will become the best team in the world.”
Aakash Chopra on Pakistan’s strengths and weaknesses

Worcestershire edged closer to their third County Championship win of the season as Glamorgan continued to take a pounding at New Road.

22-Jun-2013
ScorecardJack Shantry has so far taken eight wickets in the match•PA PhotosWorcestershire edged closer to their third County Championship win of the season as Glamorgan continued to take a pounding at New Road. At the start of the third day the home side needed 15 wickets for victory and by the close they had taken all but three of them with Glamorgan still 28 short of avoiding an innings defeat.Jim Allenby propped up the visitors with 82 in their first innings dismissal for 277 and weighed in with an unbeaten 53 when they batted again, trailing by 228.Worcestershire’s seamers maintained relentless pressure on a largely unresponsive surface and weather permitting they can now expect a quick wrap-up the win when the visitors begin the final day on 200 for 7.Fast-improving Jack Shantry led the Worcestershire charge with 8 for 132 in the match and Alan Richardson became the leading wicket-taker in the country when claiming his 40th victim of the summer.For Shantry it was a continuation of an impressive sequence on his home ground. Having posted a championship-best 7 for 69 in the last home match against Essex, he has now taken 15 wickets in three innings at county headquarters.Glamorgan were simply overwhelmed by the pressure of replying to a massive total of 505 for 7. There was just a glimmer of hope on the third morning when Allenby and Mark Wallace took their sixth-wicket stand to 114 but there was little to come when Worcestershire won three leg before wicket decisions in 10 balls.Alllenby was the first for young allrounder Joe Leach and there was a final flourish by Wallace (43) and Michael Hogan, with 37 from 42 balls, before Shantry mopped up the last two wickets.Although Glamorgan’s second innings was twice interrupted by rain, their batting was again fragile. The door was ajar straightaway when Will Bragg skimmed a drive of Chris Russell to Alexei Kervezee at point and Ben Wright was soon fighting a lone battle as a succession of partners failed to reach double figures.Stewart Walters was lbw to Richardson and Marcus North got a leading edge to short extra cover when Worcestershire brought on offspinner Moeen Ali, partly with eye on their over-rate.Moeen then sparked off another burst by Shantry when he held a stunning left-handed catch at short midwicket to dismiss Murray Goodwin but he dropped a slip chance from Allenby when he had made only 1. In Shantry’s next over Daryl Mitchell held a sharp slip catch to dislodge Wright for 63 and Shantry had spell figures of 4 for 25 in 6.4 overs when he removed Wallace and Dean Cosker.But a tiring attack was unable to make the final push as Will Owen (34 not out) joined Allenby in putting on an unbroken 71 in the last 15 overs.

Will Gidman scored his first century of the season to press his case as one of the country’s leading allrounders

Vithushan Ehantharajah at the Ageas Bowl09-Jul-2014
ScorecardWill Gidman made his first century of the season•PA PhotosAt the end of the 2011 season, in which he took 51 wickets and scored more than 1000 runs in the Championship, Will Gidman gave a magazine interview. Affable, engaging and painfully down to earth, when it was over, he had a question of his own.”Was that okay?” After being assured all was well, a relieved Gidman added: “I haven’t done one of these all season.” It is a story that just about sums up Gidman and the situation he continually finds himself in.Quite how a player goes through a debut season unparalleled by anyone else who has played the game – he was only the seventh player in history to achieve that double – without piquing the interest of the media is stunning. Least of all someone who had spent the previous four years working more shifts at Sports Direct than he had first-class runs.His bowling average for the last four seasons has not been higher than 22 and only once has he averaged less than 30 with the bat. The stats do not lie – as a bowling allrounder, his effectiveness and consistency are peerless. Had he been playing for a more “fashionable” county, calls for international recognition would come on a weekly basis. As it is, he doesn’t even have a Twitter fan page.The most amazing thing about Will Gidman is his profile, or rather, lack of. His figures might even be too good; often he is lazily used as proof about the divide between first- and second-division cricket. The proof being that how can a bowler from Gloucestershire, who no one ever mentions for higher honours, constantly posts such incredible stats. To watch him puts it all into perspective.His action is smooth and efficient, making full use of a slender frame to whip through the crease and send the ball down at a pace quick enough to disturb. As a batsman, his square game is tight and rarely will he stray from it.Here, the path had been set by Gloucestershire’s wasteful top order. With the top four registering sizeable scores, he knew runs would come with little risk. He came to the crease at 254 for 4 and accumulated well with some well-controlled pull shots and some finessed reverse sweeps. Against Will Smith, turning the ball away from him, he used his reach and feet to hit him over cover. There were two points of alarm, both when he was a run away from milestones.On 49, a vicious David Balcombe short-ball hit him on the glove. Then, on 99, he pushed the ball back down the pitch, towards Michael Carberry, who was at a three-quarters mid-off, and set off for a poorly judged single. A quick pick-up and release had him dead but the lack of accuracy saved his blushes and allowed him to return for a second run, allowing him to record his first century this season. He currently averages 56.44 with the bat and 19.65 with the ball.There was an odd atmosphere at the Ageas Bowl. None of it was down to the local crowd, who are knowledgeable sorts, happy to take in a day of graft after the success they have witnessed so far this season.The North End is currently a building site. Once finished, it will most likely be referred to as the Hotel End. At the moment, its most recognisable feature is the media centre, slotted into the middle of the stand, up above a level rooftop. By the time England and India roll into town, it will be hospitable.The rest is far from completion: an array of hallways and passages, held together by a combination of bricks, mortar and scaffolding, with rectangular holes prepped for windows. It is through these holes that southern winds shoot through to create a howling effect that lingered throughout the day.Various members of the Hampshire attack added their own howls intermittently, as they slogged away on a track so flat it could be used as a spirit level. For them, it was a deeply frustrating day, where the deliveries that managed to beat the batsmen often beat the bat.It was only Sean Ervine who experienced anything resembling joy. Asked to bowl for 14 overs, he nagged away respectably and elicited errors from Will Tavare and Hamish Marshall. Both could and should have registered centuries, but had to settle for 86 and 56 respectively.As it stands, the easy batting conditions suggest that Hampshire can, at the very least, bat out the final day for a draw. Whatever happens, the performance of Will Gidman could determine their fate.

In a major setback for Uttar Pradesh, pace bowler RP Singh is likely to miss the rest of their quarter-final against Karnataka

Nagraj Gollapudi in Bangalore08-Jan-2014In a major setback for Uttar Pradesh, pace bowler RP Singh is likely to miss the rest of their quarter-final against Karnataka. RP pulled up in his run-up in the third over after lunch (his second), stopping on the verge of delivering the ball. He had a quiet word with umpire Amesh Saheba, threw the ball to his team-mate Piyush Chawla and walked off. According to the team management, RP informed them that he had pulled his hamstring.Earlier in the over RP had walked gingerly back to his bowling mark. With his last ball before he walked off, RP had bowled a short delivery that Robin Uthappa had pulled into the hands of Amit Mishra at deep square leg. However, even before the catch could be completed, Saheba had called it a no-ball, RP having crossed the line. RP had shrugged in disgust.Uthappa, who was on 58 then and managed to reach his century later, confirmed that he had spoken to RP, who told him he would not be playing the rest of the match. “I don’t think RP will be playing the rest of the four days. I spoke to him and he won’t be available for the next four days,” Uthappa said after play. “He is out with the injury I had. I can relate to how painful it must be.”Mishra agreed, saying RP’s participation was now in doubt. “He is in too much pain. We will have to wait [on his fitness],” Mishra said.Although RP was not available for comment, he was spotted going to the National Cricket Academy at the tea break and, once again, immediately after the day’s play.Although RP had not picked up a wicket, in his two spells he had posed a lot of difficult questions for the batsmen, including a couple of confident lbw appeals against Uthappa. He had been appointed UP’s captain on the eve of the match and being the strike bowler, he was their go-to man with the ball.In his absence, Uthappa said Karnataka had a good chance to dominate and make the semi-finals. “Them being a bowler short is an advantage for us. It gives us that much more of an opportunity to go out there and consolidate and put up a big score,” Uthappa said. “The thing about knockout games is to immediately secure a first-innings lead to progress to the next level, and that is what we need to do tomorrow.”

Shamsur Rahman has chosen the biggest stage in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket to re-launch his bid for a place in the senior side

Mohammad Isam 23-Sep-2013Shamsur Rahman has chosen the biggest stage in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket to re-launch his bid for a place in the senior side. His unbeaten century in the Dhaka derby tilted the result towards Mohammedan Sporting Club who beat Abahani by two wickets. The innings came at a time when the national selectors are looking at more top-order options ahead of a crucial series against New Zealand next month, and for the remainder of the 2013-14 home season.After the match-winning innings which also helped Mohammedan become the only side in the league to complete three wins out of three, Shamsur remained cautious of his chances ahead. He emphasised on his better fitness, which has been questioned lately.”Definitely the innings is one of the best in my career,” Shamsur said. “But I am not looking very far, as far as the national team is concerned. There are many matches for the national team ahead and I am sure that I will get my opportunity.”I think I am extremely fit because of the fitness training camp for the national members. The hard work is surely paying off. But along with that I also worked with my batting as I failed to capitalise the fifties into big score.”It was also comeback innings of sorts for Shamsur, who had run into poor form in the last few months. After a productive BPL 2013 where he averaged 42.10, scored six fifties and was second-highest Bangladeshi scorer, Shamsur’s tour with Bangladesh A wasn’t up to the mark. He batted at 27.71 in seven matches, with two fifties.Bangladesh will go into the New Zealand series with empty spots in the top-order, particularly No 3, after Mohammad Ashraful’s suspension. Shamsur has however opened the innings in the three Twenty20s he has played for the country so far. Jahurul Islam and Anamul Haque are incumbents in the job but Shamsur’s claim has become stronger after Sunday’s knock.Anamul missed the Zimbabwe tour in May, Bangladesh’s last assignment, due to college exams, but the young batsman is expected to take up the position against New Zealand in the limited overs matches. Jahurul looked compact in Sri Lanka, but he made only 91 runs in four innings in Zimbabwe. He is also without a Test half-century and will be under pressure to keep his place in the upcoming Test series. Shahriar Nafees and Junaid Siddique have played both as an opener and No 3, and batting positions are likely to give the selectors some headache.What would help Shamsur is his matured approach in this high-pressure contest, at least locally, where the battle of prestige takes precedence over everything else. He was batting at No 4, a position he is not too familiar with in any form of the game. And despite being overshadowed by Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mohammad Nabi during partnerships, it was his cool exterior that held Abahani at bay.”It was extremely pleasing to score runs in the biggest match of the competition. In the first half, the ball was coming a bit slowly but the wicket became flat in the second innings. I believed that if only I could bat till the end we would come as victorious,” he said.Mohammedan captain Mashrafe Mortaza praised Shamsur, particularly mentioning the two crucial partnerships after they lost two early wickets. “It was an unbelievable innings from [Shamsur Rahman] Shuvo. It was very important that he finishes the game while at the crease. He was supported by Dilshan and Nabi, who made up for a top-order failure. I thought it was a good chase,” he said.Shamsur is likely to feature in the three-day practice match against New Zealand early next month, and despite his caution, it will be a spot in the Bangladesh team that he will keep his eye on later this season.

Ligue 1 giants Marseille have officially parted ways with Gennaro Gattuso and drafted in Jean-Louis Gasset as their new manager.

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Marseille sack GattusoAppoint Jean-Louis Gasset as replacementMarseille 10th in Ligue 1WHAT HAPPENED?

The French club decided to sack the Italian coach just two days after they went down 1-0 against Brest in Ligue 1. It was their ninth defeat of the 2023-24 season and leaves Marseille down in 10th in the league. In the aftermath of the Brest defeat, a furious Gattuso claimed that the team had hit "rock-bottom". He added in his post-match press conference: "When you hit rock bottom, you have to take responsibility. It's my responsibility. There is nothing else to say. The table? The truth is that we're going to have to start looking behind us. We can no longer speak about Europe. We just need to take the necessary points to be calm in the standings."

The club have also announced the former Italy international's replacement, with former Ivory Coast boss Jean-Louis Gasset taking charge.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

The official statement from the club regarding Gattuso's sacking read: "Olympique de Marseille announces the end of its collaboration with Gennaro Gattuso. Olympique de Marseille would like to particularly thank Gennaro and all of his staff for the flawless investment and great professionalism they have shown on a daily basis and wish them good luck for the future."

After being appointed as the new head coach, Gasset told the club's official website: "It is a huge honour for me to join this legendary club that is Olympique de Marseille. I can't wait to start working with this group to prepare for the next deadlines and give the best of ourselves."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 70-year-old French coach grabbed the headlines in the recently concluded AFCON as he was sacked midway into the competition by the host nation. The Ivory Coast, who eventually lifted the trophy, failed to make the top two in their group after a humiliating 4-0 defeat at the hands of Equatorial Guinea on matchday three, which led to Gasset's departure, but they still qualified for the knockout stage as one of the four best third-placed teams.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MARSEILLE?

Marseille will now shift their focus to European football as they are set to face Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of their Europa League knockout play-offs tie.

The memories of two previous heartaches are now serving as fuel for inspiration at the World Twenty20 Qualifier for Papua New Guinea

Peter Della Penna in Bready11-Jul-20152:14

‘PNG a more mature side now’ – Vare

In their first two trips to the World T20 Qualifier, Papua New Guinea experienced more than their fair share of heartache.In 2012, it was the Americas representatives who tormented them. Canada held off a late charge from Geraint Jones and Mahuru Dai in defense of 167 to win by six runs. Five days later against Bermuda, captain Rarua Dikana had the ball in his hand tasked with protecting 15 runs off the final over with Bermuda five down but he gave up three straight sixes to Janeiro Tucker. It meant PNG finished in fourth place in Group A, one spot out of the playoff positions.In 2013, PNG made it to the playoffs and defeated Namibia in their first knockout game to come within one more win of a berth at the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh. In their way stood Hong Kong, a team they had defeated in the previous year’s qualifier by six wickets chasing down a total of 131 with a ball to spare. Hong Kong was pinned down in the rematch at 19 for 4 and only managed 139, but with a ticket to Bangladesh in their grasp, PNG stumbled to 108.The memories of those heartaches are now serving as fuel for inspiration at the qualifier for the pacific island nation. PNG captain Jack Vare says that this time around he’s hoping the team’s fortunes will change to get them over the hump and into next year’s World Twenty20 in India.”We have missed out in the last two tournaments in Dubai,” Vare told ESPNcricinfo ahead of PNG’s first match of the tournament on Sunday against Jersey. “Everyone is growing arms and legs. There’s a lot of experience in this time. Third time lucky I guess but everyone is confident that we will do well in this competition.”PNG’s build-up to this tournament included a magnificent four-day win over the Netherlands on their Intercontinental Cup debut, with Assad Vala and Dai spearheading the pursuit of a fourth innings target of 305. Though they lost the subsequent WCL Championship fixtures against the Dutch, PNG eased into T20 mode with four games against a pair of County second XIs. In one match, PNG racked up 268 for 3 versus Gloucestershire’s 2nds, a reminder of their potent top order featuring Lega Siaka and Tony Ura.”I think the biggest challenge we go through is from playing longer forms to shorter formats,” Vare said. “Most people know we play a lot of shorter formats but we are trying our best to develop all forms of the game. Playing in our first four-day game and to win that was a big experience for us and a special day.”PNG leaves no stone unturned in preparation as Coach Dipak Patel observes sliding practice during training at Bready CC•Peter Della PennaPNG’s players have also accumulated experience playing in the Australian Country Cricket Championships as well as the South Australia Premier League. Getting access to better facilities and opponents within the Australasia region has helped lift up their skills and their confidence levels.”Playing in the competition in the South Australian Premier League gives us more experience and more exposed to the outside cricket world what’s happening,” Vare said. “Everyone has been doing well. We’ve been on the road for 18 months in preparation for this tournament. I’m more confident. I’ve got a good side, more mature side coming into this tournament.”PNG is the final team to play their first match of the tournament and on tap for them on Sunday at Bready is Jersey. Coach Dipak Patel and other members of the PNG squad were in attendance to see Jersey’s triumph by nine-wickets over Hong Kong on Saturday, a fresh reminder not to underestimate any opposition. Vare says the team is well-prepared and not about to be caught off guard whoever stands in front of them.”There’s no doubt teams will come and compete hard but we’ll focus on the job at hand,” Vare said. “We won’t look ahead too much. We’ll take every game as it comes and concentrate on our roles as individuals and as a group. That’s our major important thing to do playing top teams. We won’t take any team lightly.”