Michael Klinger led from the front as Gloucestershire clinched a nail-biting four-wicket NatWest T20 Blast win over Somerset with one ball to spare under the Bristol floodlights.

ECB Reporters Network17-Jun-2016
ScorecardMichael Klinger was again Gloucestershire’s saviour•Clint Hughes/PA Photos

Michael Klinger led from the front as Gloucestershire clinched a nail-biting four-wicket NatWest T20 Blast win over Somerset with one ball to spare under the Bristol floodlights.The skipper hit 60 in a low-scoring contest to guide his side to 160 for six in front of a large partisan crowd. Roelof van der Merwe took three for 16 from four overs to ensure a close contest.After rain had delayed the start until 7.05pm, Somerset posted 158 for five, Chris Gayle top-scoring with 40. Benny Howell picked up two for 29, while Tom Smith and Kieran Noema-Barnett combined well in mid-innings to restrict the scoring rate.It didn’t look enough, but a see-saw contest ensued before Gareth Roderick hit the penultimate ball from Yasir Arafat for a boundary.The match began with the unusual sight of Gayle playing out a maiden from Matt Taylor. But soon the West Indian was giving an 11,000 crowd, the biggest ever for a domestic match at the ground, a taste of what they had come to see.Having taken nine balls to get off the mark, Gayle blasted 6 fours and two big sixes off Liam Norwell and Andrew Tye before skying Noema-Barnett to extra cover where Michael Klinger took an excellent catch in the seventh over.”It was a fantastic atmosphere and I want to thank all our supporters who turned out to make it such a memorable evening,” Klinger said later. “If Chris Gayle had hung around for a few more overs it might have been a different story. When he skied that ball into the lights and I got underneath it I was praying I didn’t drop it.”Thanks largely to Gayle, Somerset reached 55 by the end of the six-over powerplay. But from then on their innings lost momentum as Noema-Barnett and left-arm spinner Smith, who took a brilliant caught and bowled to dismiss the dangerous Peter Trego, stemmed the flow of boundaries.At the halfway stage the visitors were 83 for two. But Jim Allenby (27) fell to a catch at short fine leg, Mahela Jayawardene looked sadly out of touch in making 24 and Johann Myburgh quickly followed him back to the pavilion in the same Howell over.It took a late assault from Lewis Gregory (23 not out) and Roelof van der Merwe (18 not out) to get Somerset to a competitive score, which still looked below par.Gloucestershire’s reply got off to a disastrous start as Hamish Marshall pushed only half forward to the first ball and was bowled through the gate by Yasir Arafat.Klinger and Ian Cockbain took the score to 40 in the sixth over before the latter, on 23, carelessly pulled a short ball from Jamie Overton straight to Gregory at deep square.Chris Dent (22) helped Klinger add 63 before being bowled advancing to hit van der Merwe in the 13th over by which time Gloucestershire required only 56.Klinger went to his half-century off 36 balls, with 4 fours and a six, offering a reassuring presence throughout. Benny Howell fell cheaply to the excellent van der Merwe, who followed up by having Noema-Barnett caught at long-off in the same over.Somerset must have rued leaving out leg-spinner Max Waller as their quicker bowlers proved easier to hit. But they kept chipping away and finally got rid of Klinger, bowled by Gregory aiming a big hit after a change of ball.Gloucestershire required 30 off the last three overs, with four wickets in hand. Arafat and Gregory did their bit and 14 were still needed as Arafat’s first delivery of the final over was hit for a straight six by Tye.That changed everything and Gloucestershire edged home.

Anil Kumble remained coy about Ravi Shastri being overlooked, but was more comfortable talking about his own role in his first press conference as India’s head coach

Sidharth Monga in Bangalore29-Jun-2016The last time Anil Kumble was part of an India camp was at his home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, in 2008. Two men were under immense pressure to keep their places in the side: Captain Kumble and former captain Sourav Ganguly. Just before the series both had struggled in Sri Lanka: Ganguly had scored 96 runs in six innings, and Kumble had taken eight wickets for 400 runs in three Tests. Just before the home series against Australia, Kumble answered in the negative when asked about retirements. A few days later, Ganguly announced this series was to be his last, and an injured Kumble ended his career even before Ganguly.Eight years later, Kumble and Ganguly have emerged as an unlikely duo shepherding the Indian team from the management perspective. Unlike Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, Ganguly has turned out to be pretty hands-on as a state association president and a member of the cricket advisory committee. Kumble, too, has had a stint as a state association president, actually winning an election, willing to put his reputation on the line by entering the contest. Now Ganguly is believed to have played a key role in getting Kumble as the coach of Indian team.Sitting in the same spot that Ganguly had been in when he uttered words that still resonate – “just one last thing lads, before I leave, I just want to say that this is going to be my last series,” Kumble was asked for his opinion on the way Shastri had been overlooked. Shastri had alleged Ganguly was not even present to interview him when he made his presentation. The underlying suggestion being that the decision had already been made before the interview process.Kumble was a relentless bowler, always at the batsman, but here he did a good impression of leaving this swinging ball alone outside off. “I was the first one to call Ravi after I was chosen as head coach,” Kumble said. “He did a wonderful job with the Indian team. It is not about Anil or Ravi, it is not about the head coach. It is about the players, it is about the team. And from my point of view, whether it is me or Ravi or any Indian, we all want the Indian team to do well. We all want the Indian team to perform at its best. We all believe that there is potential for the Indian team to be the best in all three formats.”And If I’m part of the journey, that’s all I have to say. He congratulated me. I told him it’s a fantastic team, a young team that we have. It could be someone else tomorrow [in place of me]. I’m not permanent in this role. I have an opportunity to make a difference. I have an opportunity to be part of the journey and if I can be part of the journey where we see Indian cricket rise to where we all want it to be, then I think it’s wonderful. I feel privileged, like I already mentioned. And an honour again to be a part of the team.”Kumble was more comfortable and open talking about his own role. At the outset he repeated that he and his support staff were going to be in the background, that his legendary status as a cricketer himself was not going to overpower his team. About his preferred support staff – Sanjay Bangar and Abhay Sharma as batting and fielding coach are temporary appointments for the upcoming West Indies tour – Kumble didn’t reveal much except that he was keen to work with the bowlers himself. A fast-bowling coach couldn’t be ruled out, though.”At this point in time, I thought I can get close to the bowlers, for a start,” Kumble said. “Yes, we are considering options, I don’t want to say what because this is my first trip as coach with the team and I’d like to observe and try and see how the team is shaping up. At this point in time, I thought that with the bowlers, it is the strategy that I can certainly play a part of and that’s something which I am looking at, trying to get closer to the bowlers, understanding what their needs are and then looking at probably bringing in, if you are looking at a fast bowling coach I think is what you are trying to say. There are considerations that I am thinking of but at this point, I don’t know if it will be possible to take someone to the West Indies. If that doesn’t happen, then certainly I am keen to look at the bowlers. I feel that that is certainly an area where I can contribute a lot more.”Kumble was asked what he, as a player, used to look for in a coach. The answer to this was the most definitive in his 20-minute press conference. “As a coach, all I sought was organised preparations for the team and informed inputs to the captain and the team to strategise better. Inclusive of every player. You have to include every player. It’s not about just the 11 who are to play. Also abut the six or seven who are not going to play.”That’s something I sought as a player because it was not always that I played in every team that played for India during my time. I was dropped, I was not chosen for tours. So I understand [what it means to] be the most important member in the team to being dropped. I understand all of that, I understand that communication at such times is very critical. For the coach to pick up the phone and send the message, ‘Don’t worry you are still part of the team.’ That’s what I will look to do. Hopefully I will be able to succeed in telling people who are part of the system that they will always be part of it.”Kumble had earlier remarked it felt a little odd being interviewed by three of his long-time team-mates. Having stepped into the team atmosphere, though, Kumble doesn’t feel odd at all. “Obviously you know the roles and boundaries as a coach,” Kumble said. “Other than that it’s no different. All of us want Indian cricket to be doing really well, and these are exciting times. I feel privileged to be a part of that journey, and in whatever way I can help Indian cricket achieve that. It was no different walking into a meeting room with the entire team, although the faces were different. I’ve played with some of them; I’ve mentored a couple of them in various capacities. To be back in the changing room is always special.”

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has expressed regret at the strained relationship he shared with Wasim Akram during their playing days

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-20163:12

Waqar: ‘I regret having had issues with Wasim’

Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has expressed regret at the strained relationship he shared with Wasim Akram during their playing days. Speaking on the fifth episode of to be aired on Friday night India time on Sony ESPN, Waqar said the “issues” between them didn’t help the team’s cause.”I am really good friends with Wasim , he has always been an elder brother,” Waqar said. “He has always supported and helped me on the field, off the field. Yeah, we had issues. He didn’t only have issues with me but we had issues in the team those days, which yes, if you ask me the truth, yes I do regret at times because you know it did not really help Pakistan cricket.”But then again if you look at it, we had issues off the field but when we walked on to the field it was different ball game altogether. We wanted to compete [with] each other, we wanted to take more wickets than the other one and I think in a way, it did help. But yeah, if you ask me that particular episode, yes, we all regret it because it shouldn’t have happened. It was ugly those days but those days we were younger and we didn’t know much, now [we are] probably wiser and we want to improve things. Yeah, you can say that it was a regret.”Waqar felt the standard of first-class level in Pakistan had diminished with too many teams being involved, and advocated “serious competition” to produce quality cricketers. “I thought the system was a little bit better than what we have now. We had lesser teams, we had more quality in cricket and also we had — we still got – talent,” he said. “I’m not saying that we don’t have talent but I think this talent has been expanded and it’s been lost a little bit because we got too many teams playing first-class cricket. In those days, we had only like eight first-class teams playing and competing against each other.”It was very difficult to play first-class cricket those days. But nowadays, I feel that cricket — first-class cricket has just been, you know, been gifted away, there’ve been too many guys playing cricket. I don’t want to take cricket away from any kid from Pakistan. They all deserve it. I come from a small town so I know the importance. But I feel when you look at the bigger picture, when you look at international cricket, I think it’s important that first-class cricket should be played by fewer people. There should be a serious competition, that’s how you produce top cricketers and I feel that that is lacking in Pakistan at the moment.”Waqar said bowling fast was a natural act and credited a system where he was encouraged to go full tilt without sacrificing on pace. According to him, most of his learning was on the job, from the likes of Imran Khan and Akram. “To make someone bowl fast…you cannot teach that. You’re born with it, I guess,” he said. “You can improve maybe to a certain degree, you can improve pace, you can improve a little bit, but when it comes to genuine pace, you cannot make a medium-pacer into a genuine pacer. So, I was born with it, I was very lucky that I had that skill in me, and on top of that I had put lot of hard work into it. And I was very lucky that I had Imran Khan as a captain, as a role model. He never allowed me to slow down or just hit the areas and all. So, I was lucky that he told me to do that and I kept on doing that till the time I played.”You know I had Wasim Akram who had already played for a little while, Azeem Hafeez was just sort of finishing, Saleem Jaffar was there, we had Imran Khan and we had some serious fast-bowling chain up at the top when I came. So it was just easier to learn just by watching them, not really telling them or asking them for anything, just by watching them it teaches you a lot. I back the system through which I have come but also there were people there to help you, there to show you how things are done and I was very lucky.”Watch at 9.30pm IST on Fridays, and the repeat at 12pm on Sundays, on SONY ESPN

Peter Nevill has defended his delayed stumping of Dimuth Karunaratne on day four of the Colombo Test match, while Sri Lanka have indicated they would have done the same

Daniel Brettig16-Aug-2016Australia’s wicketkeeper Peter Nevill has defended his delayed stumping of Dimuth Karunaratne on day four of the Colombo Test match, while Sri Lanka have indicated they would have done the same.Nevill successfully appealed for Karunaratne’s wicket after hovering with his glove next to the stumps as he waited for the batsman to switch his feet and momentarily leave the crease, following a Nathan Lyon delivery that had beaten the bat.The dismissal was cause for a range of reactions, with some questioning the dismissal’s acceptability in the spirit of cricket. However, Nevill had absolutely no qualms about claiming the wicket, saying it reflected the simple reality that batsmen needed to stay in their crease.”I thought he was going to move his foot out of his crease and he did,” Nevill said. “You might’ve seen on the footage, I had my hand right by the stumps waiting for that to happen, and it did happen and just worked out well that the timing was just right that it was out.”Well there’s always people who are going to say something like that [it went against the spirit of the game] but I don’t think it’s contrary to the spirit of cricket. If you don’t want to get stumped stay in your crease. You can sort of see, a shifting of weight and you’re expecting the back foot to come up. That’s the hunch I had and that’s what happened. Just managed to get the bails off in time.”Nevill said he had been able to dismiss a batsman in that manner at least once before, in a second XI match. Footage of other similar dismissals effected by Alec Stewart against Brian Lara and Sri Lanka’s Romesh Kaluwitharana against Darren Lehmann emerged over the course of the day.”It’s happened a few times, in a second XI game in Australia there was one where the guy jumped after he played his shot,” Nevill said. “I know Hadds [Brad Haddin] has tried to do it a million times as well, so I think that’s rubbed off on me.”Sri Lanka batsman Kaushal Silva said his side would take the opportunity if roles were reversed. “We don’t know if we will get a chance to effect that kind of dismissal, but if we do, we would have to take that opportunity,” he said. “I don’t see it as a wrong thing. But you can’t also take wickets in a way that is against the spirit of the sport. That said, there’s no problem if it’s done the right way.”

The differing emotions between the two sides told the story: as the Middlesex dressing room reverberated with an exuberant rendition of the team song, Nottinghamshire’s players sat looking tired and dejected

George Dobell at Trent Bridge09-Sep-2016
ScorecardJames Franklin ensured Middlesex did not slip up as they stayed top of the table•Getty Images

The differing emotions between the two sides told the story: as the Middlesex dressing room reverberated with an exuberant rendition of the team song, Nottinghamshire’s players sat looking tired and dejected.Why? Because victory means Middlesex’s title challenge remains alive and well. And defeat leaves Nottinghamshire relegated to Division Two for the first time in a decade.A five-wicket margin may appear comfortable. And, it is true, in the last hour or so, as Nottinghamshire’s head dropped, Middlesex ran away with this result.But until then, until we had enjoyed 10 sessions of uncompromising, unpredictable, undulating cricket where the initiative passed between the sides almost as often as ball beat bat. It will be no consolation to Nottinghamshire, but this was a terrific game of cricket.In a match of blow and counter blow, the defining punch was – arguably, at least – thrown by Nick Compton. Coming to the crease with his side under pressure, Compton negotiated some testing bowling and a demanding chase to break the back of the run-chase.Gone was the stuttering, indeterminate Compton that we have seen at other times this summer and in his place was a man sure of his purpose and his method. He moved with certainty into his defensive strokes and, as he settled, used his feet to skip down the pitch and negate the threat offered by Imran Tahir with a series of fluent drives. It was, like elegantly sedate.His tussle with Jake Ball was a compelling advert for county cricket. Ball, generating sharp pace and generally cutting the ball in, certainly didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Finishing the game with nine wickets – his team-mates claimed five between them – he looked a threat in every second-innings spell he bowled.His first spell of the day – only three overs – did not concede a run, while his second produced the wicket of the increasingly fluent Stevie Eskinazi caught behind after following one outside off. Generally Compton, standing a long way over towards off stump and playing everything as if it would nip back, looked to see Ball off and pick-up runs against the other bowlers and it was noticeable that, as the ball aged, Ball gained less away movement from deliveries pitched on the stumps. Gradually, Compton took control and the target was whittled away.Nottinghamshire’s spinners were a little disappointing. Perhaps the slow nature of the surface did them few favours – they are not the first spinners to struggle here – but on a used pitch, more was expected of them in the fourth innings. Samit Patel, who batted so well in the first innings, did himself few favours in the fourth in front of the watching Andy Flower. You can understand the logic of England taking him to India, in particular, as third spinner but you wouldn’t think Virat Kohli is having any sleepless night about the prospect. To be fair, he is probably not too worried about any of England’s spin options.”These are the moments when you want to be counted,” Compton said afterwards. “As a senior player, it was my job to win us that game and I’m proud of the way I held the team together. I wanted to win this game for us.”I felt under pressure this morning. I thought ‘let this me my calling; let’s get them over the line.’ It feels great to have come back into the team and contributed.”I’ve not been on it like that this season. But that was the real me out there. I decided I was just going to do it and I needed that focus here because Ball bowled really well, especially on the third evening.”It wouldn’t have been Nick Compton though if he had finished with a raised bat and standing ovation. Instead, with the bulk of the job done (Middlesex required 89 when he was dismissed), he ran himself out after being sent back attempting an optimistic single. “I’m happy to do my job for the team and leave out of the back door without any fuss,” Compton said.”He has a technique as good as anyone in England,” John Simpson agreed. “He is a fantastic batsman and he laid the foundations for us.”Simpson himself more than played his part. Not for the first time this season – his unbeaten 79 in Middlesex’s two-wicket victory in Taunton may prove to be one of the defining moments of this campaign – he eased the pressure with the tempo of his batting. He survived one early edge – Eskinazi was also dropped in the morning session – but otherwise looked impressively untroubled. James Franklin, with a typically pugnacious half-century, made sure there was to be no let-up and, in the closing overs, punished a dispirited attack.So for Middlesex, one point clear at the top of the table, the challenge goes on. And, given something most unlikely in the penultimate round of game, the title will be decided in the closing week of the season when they host Yorkshire at Lord’s. It could hardly be set-up better, could it?Nottinghamshire have less to savour. This relegation will sting for some time. There have been setbacks this season, for sure, not least the retirement of James Taylor. But for a squad blessed with this talent and these resources to have failed to win after the opening week of the season is a colossal failure to fulfil their potential.Might a few have simply become a little comfortable? There are some on this staff who are an odd shape for professional sportsmen – sumo wrestlers aside – and their fielding on the final day let down an attack who will at full strength (and Notts expect to have Stuart Broad available a fair bit at the start of next year) prove some way above anything else in Division Two next season.It left Mick Newell, the out-going head coach (and in-coming director of cricket) to face the media. In his gruff, northern way, it was clear that this reverse hurt him deeply.”Relegation isn’t about money,” he said. “It’s about shame and embarrassment. It’s 10 years since I’ve stood here and had to explain a relegation… But that’s the way it is. I guess you have to take it on the chin. It’s disappointing to hand over to Peter Moores this way.”We haven’t played anywhere near well enough this season. You look at our dismissals in the second innings here and they were very slack. They weren’t dismissed by fantastic deliveries. They were a bit casual. That’s what cost us the game.”There won’t be too many changes in personnel at the club. Greg Smith, the batsman, and Ben Kitt, a young fast bowler of some potential, have both agreed new, two-year deals and most of the senior players will be given a chance to put this right. Moores will, without doubt, be focusing on the fielding and fitness. Every team he has coached tells us that. A winter in the gym looms for a few.To talk to some Nottinghamshire supporters over recent days, the blame for recent events lies almost entirely at the feet of Newell. And it is true there have been some unsuccessful signings: Will Gidman and Jackson Bird for a start.Those with longer memories may recall the enormous amount of good he did. The two Championship titles; the List A trophy; the T20 knock-out stages. Sports careers, like those of politicians, almost always end in failure. But one or two of the players, all of which owe him for the opportunity he has provided them, may reflect that they have let him down in recent months.This was also a result that said much for Middlesex’s resilience. They were 39 for 4 in their first innings and 25 for 3 in their second. They were obliged to bat last on a used pitch and in the knowledge that Yorkshire were breathing down their neck. To win in such situations shows character. That last match at Lord’s is already shaping up to be a classic.

Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak has been appointed the country’s head coach, succeeding Dav Whatmore, and has been tasked with ensuring qualification for the 2019 World Cup

Firdose Moonda11-Oct-2016Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak has been appointed the country’s head coach, succeeding Dav Whatmore who was sacked in June. Streak was preferred over former team-mate Andy Blignaut and South Africans Peter Kirsten and Justin Summons, who were all interviewed for the job last Wednesday.Streak has been tasked with ensuring Zimbabwe qualify for the 2019 World Cup, and will be allowed to continue in his role as bowling coach for the Gujarat Lions in the IPL.After the announcement, Streak said: “My promise is I will leave no stone unturned in terms of our endeavour and our quest to improve the team’s performances. I believe that we have the resources here in Zimbabwe to do just that and planning is obviously going to be a major factor.”We do have a lack of cricket but I know Zimbabwe Cricket is addressing that issue at the moment. I feel that with the upcoming series [Tests against Sri Lanka and an ODI tri-series also featuring West Indies] we have some really good cricket coming up, so we can really work towards improving.”Makhaya Ntini, who was interim head coach since Whatmore’s departure and oversaw Zimbabwe’s limited-overs series against India and the two Tests against New Zealand, is expected to stay on as bowling coach while Lance Klusener will continue as batting consultant.Streak has previous experience as a head coach. He was in charge of the Bulawayo-based franchise Matabeleland Tuskers in the 2012-13 season, when they won the Logan Cup. Streak’s extensive experience in Zimbabwe also included a four-year stint as bowling coach between 2009 and 2013, under Alan Butcher. Streak was instrumental in readying Zimbabwe for their Test comeback in 2011 and nurtured some of their best bowling talent including Brian Vitori, Kyle Jarvis, and Chris Mpofu.When Streak’s contract with Zimbabwe was not renewed, he spent two years as bowling coach of Bangladesh, before moving to the IPL. He has remained committed to cricket in Zimbabwe, set up an academy in Bulawayo and also spent time doing television commentary in the country.Streak has less than three weeks to get ready for his first assignment: the two-Test series against Sri Lanka followed by the ODI tri-series which includes West Indies. Zimbabwe’s cricketers have been in training under Ntini’s watch throughout September in preparation for the series and have also played against Pakistan A.Their practice was briefly interrupted when the players embarked on a strike in protest over non-payment of match fees but they reached a resolution with ZC administrators. ZC have also finalised national contracts, although the list has not been made public.

West Indies have dropped Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin from their ODI squad for next month’s tri-series in Zimbabwe, which also features Sri Lanka

Colin Benjamin12-Oct-2016West Indies have dropped Kieron Pollard and Denesh Ramdin from their ODI squad for next month’s tri-series in Zimbabwe, which also features Sri Lanka. Courtney Browne, the head of West Indies’ selection committee, informed Pollard and Ramdin about their axing via email.The emails, accessed by ESPNcricinfo, were sent by Browne earlier this week. Browne’s message to both players was straightforward, saying they had been dropped and telling them they were free to seek clarification from him or the selection panel if they wanted. Considering the squad has not been officially announced yet, ESPNcricinfo sought a comment from the WICB on Wednesday, but the board did not respond.Both Pollard and Ramdin had poor returns in the recently concluded limited-overs series against Pakistan in the UAE. Pollard managed 43 runs in the three T20s, and bowled two overs, going wicketless. In the three-match ODI series, which West Indies lost 3-0, Pollard scored 42 runs at an average of 14.00. He took one wicket in the 12 overs he bowled across the three matches.Ramdin, who was recalled to the ODI squad, compiled 79 runs at 26.33 in the three ODIs and did not feature in the T20s. Browne’s selection panel had dropped Ramdin from the squad for the four-Test series at home against India earlier this year. Ramdin made the news public on Twitter before the squad was announced, and was subsequently sanctioned by the WICB.Ramdin has endured difficult times in the past 18 months. Despite helping West Indies level the Test series 1-all at home against England, Ramdin was stripped of Test captaincy immediately after the 2-0 home Test series loss to Australia.Pollard, meanwhile, has had mixed returns since returning from knee surgery last November. Pollard was picked for the tri-series at home in June, involving Australia and South Africa, and was instrumental in West Indies finishing as runners-up, scoring 205 runs at 41.00 including two half-centuries.Browne, who replaced former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd as chairman of selectors in June, has taken some bold decisions during his short tenure, including dropping Darren Sammy after he had led West Indies to their second World T20 title.Sammy did not hide his frustration when he called the symposium organised by the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association in July, to clear the differences between the board and the players, a “publicity stunt” on his Twitter account.

Sri Lanka legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay said that his side’s ability to pick wickets in clusters made the difference in the tri-series final against Zimbabwe

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo27-Nov-2016Sri Lanka legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay picked up three wickets to help to set up Sri Lanka’s six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the tri-series final, and his dismissals of Craig Ervine and debutant Tarisai Musakanda proved to be the turning point in the match. Vandersay, who last played an ODI series for Sri Lanka in January, said that his side’s ability to pick wickets in clusters made the difference against Zimbabwe.Vandersay snapped the 53-run stand between Ervine and Musakanda when he had the former caught and bowled, and two overs later he had Musakanda caught at slip for a run-a-ball 36 as Sri Lanka asserted their dominance. “It was not only [the two early wickets I took], but the quick sessions we bowled where wickets were falling regularly,” Vandersay said. “We kept it going, kept building up the dot balls, and that built pressure.”Under low cloud, on a tacky track, Vandersay finished with three scalps, while Sachith Pathirana took two of his own and Asela Gunaratne’s slow-medium off-cutters helped to wrap up the tail. It was as much as Sri Lanka might have hoped for after losing the toss – though had they won it, they would also have batted first.”We wanted to bowl second, mainly because we thought it was going to spin in the second innings,” Vandersay said. “That’s what we were thinking. So I’m not surprised Zimbabwe took that decision, batting first.”Vandersay had been picked to play in Sri Lanka’s last match against Zimbabwe, but inclement weather meant the game was washed out. Given another chance today, he made the most of helpful conditions to add his name to the list of young Sri Lankans who have excelled on this tour.”Even the first game that I got with Zimbabwe, when it was rained off, it looked like a turning wicket,” he said. “Today, of course we saw so much turn, so it was definitely the right track for me to play on. I’m really happy that we won the series, first of all. Personally, I’m happy that I was able to play today and get a few wickets. It’s been a good series.”Players like Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, even Asela Gunaratne, they’ve been performing consistently. The younger guys have shown some maturity, and done really well in the series. It is quite a satisfactory feeling for us as a team. We lost Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal before this series, and they’re consistent performers. To see our guys putting their hands up and performing well for the team, without some of the seniors being here, is quite satisfying.”

Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 55 helped Afghanistan overcome a wobble and secure a final-over win that gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNajibullah Zadran’s second T20I fifty steered his side home in a tense finish•Peter Della Penna/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Najibullah Zadran’s unbeaten 55 helped Afghanistan overcome a wobble and secure a final-over win against United Arab Emirates that gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Zadran, who walked in to bat at No. 7, hit five fours and three sixes in his 25-ball knock to chase down United Arab Emirates’ 179 for 4 with two balls to spare.At the halfway mark in the second innings, UAE had the aces – Afghanistan needed 101 off the last 60 balls. That equation became tougher when Usman Ghani, Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari fell in the space of four overs to leave Afghanistan needing 64 off six overs. Najibullah broke the shackles by smashing Mohammad Shahzad for two sixes and a four to pocket an 19-run over that tilted the scales in Afghanistan’s favour.UAE, who opted to bat, lost Mohammad Shahzad in the third over. Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar gave the innings a lift with a sprightly second-wicket stand of 74 before legspinner Rashid Khan struck. Mustafa missed an attempted nudge across the line to be given out lbw.That wicket, however, did little to derail UAE’s momentum as Anwar batted through to make 60 before being dismissed off the final ball. He struck four fours and three sixes as UAE smashed 65 off the last five overs. It didn’t prove enough in the face of Najibullah’s late onslaught.

A conflict of interest has been removed and a former Rio Tinto executive hired in a major restructure of Cricket Australia’s management this week, ESPNcricinfo has learned

Daniel Brettig03-Feb-2017A conflict of interest has been removed and a former Rio Tinto executive hired in a major restructure of Cricket Australia’s management this week, ESPNcricinfo has learned.Following a raft of departures from the game’s Jolimont headquarters in recent times, the chief executive James Sutherland has informed staff of a new senior management model that constitutes the biggest changes to cricket’s day-to-day operations down under in five years.Chief among the changes is the creation of a new public affairs department overseeing communications, government relations and infrastructure, to be led by the former Rio Tinto executive Mark O’Neill, who had also served as an advisor to the former Prime Minister Paul Keating. O’Neill previously worked alongside the current CA chairman David Peever when he was Rio Tinto’s managing director in Australia.Ben Amarfio, formerly the head of communications, digital and marketing, has been moved to head the commercial wing of the game, a role left vacant by the departure of Mike McKenna to oversee Perth’s new stadium. Amarfio will still oversee CA’s digital arm and broadcast rights but will no longer be in charge of communications, a combination that had proven problematic as a conflict between growing CA’s website and working openly and effectively with other media.

Cricket Australia executive management team

• Game and market development- Andrew Ingleton

• Team performance – Pat Howard

• Events and leagues – Anthony Everard (acting)

• Broadcast, digital and commercial – Ben Amarfio

• Public affairs – Mark O’Neill

• Strategy and people – Kevin Roberts

• Chief financial officer – Todd Shand

• General counsel and company secretary – Christine Harman

Operations, meanwhile, will for now be the responsibility of Anthony Everard, who has been a vigorous and visible presence for CA as the head of the burgeoning Big Bash League and Women’s Big Bash League. In his email to staff, Sutherland said this area had been renamed from operations to events and leagues, with a replacement for the had of events and operations Chris Loftus-Hills (who joined McKenna in Perth) to be advertised shortly.The longtime head of finance, Kate Banozic, was another departure from CA late last year. Sutherland faced questions about the behaviour of some of his executives over summer, including allegations that Amarfio had been acting as an agent for the former Nine commentator James Brayshaw in talks for new roles with broadcasters.At the time, Sutherland stated that the matter would be dealt with internally. “Look I don’t think it’s right that one of our staff was acting as an agent, but let’s just say they’re things we’ll deal with behind closed doors at Cricket Australia,” Sutherland said in December. “I don’t think this is the place to be talking about that any further.”There were also reports that one senior executive had raised the ire of other staff by having his female personal assistant cook him hot breakfasts and lunches at Jolimont, an arrangement that flew in the face of CA’s efforts to promote inclusiveness and advance the cause of women as players and spectators.At a recent meeting of board directors, the Cricket New South Wales chairman John Warn and chief executive Andrew Jones made a presentation where the pair described how they had changed the culture and output of the state association following a dramatic power struggle at board level four years ago.CA’s senior management structure was last overhauled in early 2012, when the system of executive general managers replaced the previous senior management team. Those changes pre-dated the board’s move from state-appointed delegates to an independent board of directors later in 2012. Peever was among the first independent directors announced at that year’s AGM – the appointment of one of his former colleagues to CA management does not appear to have been a coincidence.