Kent have signed England Under-19 batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond from their academy on a three-year deal

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2010Kent have signed England Under-19 batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond from their academy on a three-year deal.Bell-Drummond, 17, played a crucial role in England Under-19s’ six-wicket win to level the series against Sri Lanka Under-19s, anchoring a fourth-innings run chase with a mature 88.Another graduate of Millfield School – that produced Craig Kieswetter, James Hildreth and Rory Hamilton-Brown – Bell-Drummond is looking forward to improving his game with a professional contract at Kent.”I’m grateful to the club for backing me and offering this long-term contact,” he said. “I enjoyed a good 2010 and hope that I will continue to develop as I move forward. I would like to thank the club’s academy director, Phil Relf, and my coach at Millfield School, Mark Davis, for the help and encouragement that they have given me.”Kent coach Paul Farbrace was delighted Bell-Drummond had committed his future to the club.”He is, without doubt, one of the most talented young players in the country,” said Farbrace.”He is yet another great example and role model for young cricketers across the county. We have all been excited by his potential for many years, and he really is a product of the Kent youth development system.”

A day after coming back into the national side, Younis Khan has hinted at a possible return to the Twenty20 format he retired from over a year ago

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2010A day after coming back into the national side, former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has hinted at a possible return to the Twenty20 format he retired from, over a year ago.After his meeting with PCB chairman Ijaz Butt on Wednesday, the board cleared Younis’ selection for Pakistan and he was immediately named in the squad for the limited-overs games against South Africa in the UAE. The chief selector Mohsin Khan couldn’t clarify whether Younis would play in the two Twenty20s, but said that his selection would be left to the tour selection committee. Speaking to reporters from the training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Younis said simply that he was available wherever needed.”I am not that sort of a player who says I should be in Test matches or I should be in one-dayers or in Twenty20s,” Younis said. “If my fitness is up there and Pakistan needs me, whether it’s T20, T10, 50-50 or Tests, I am always available for Pakistan.”Younis led Pakistan to a memorable World Twenty20 triumph in England in 2009, but retired from the format immediately after, saying it was time for younger men to take over. Since then he featured only in the ODI and Test set-up, though he has continued playing Twenty20s in domestic competitions in Pakistan and abroad. Though available, Younis’ selection is not guaranteed; he averages just over 25 from 22 Twenty20 matches with a relatively unspectacular strike-rate of 124.85. But at the time he retired, Younis seemed to be coming to terms with his role in the format, finishing among his side’s top-scorers with 172 runs in the World Twenty20.Younis has been kept out of the national set-up since January, when he played his last ODI in Perth and he hasn’t featured in a Test since July last year; the result of a punishment handed out to him for disciplinary reasons after the tour of Australia and a protracted personality and legal clash with Butt and the board. At the age of 32, however, Younis was keen to move on rather than dwell on what has happened. “I talked to the chairman yesterday and we forgot whatever happened in the past. I didn’t want to end my cricket like that. If I say sorry it’s not a big deal. I can’t fight with the chairman, I can’t fight with the board, as whatever I am is because of them. As far as discipline is concerned I have never been fined and everyone knows me well.”Since Younis hasn’t played at the top level for so long, there will inevitably be questions about his form and the logic of selecting him for limited-overs cricket, where over the course of a ten-year career he hasn’t hit the heights he has in the five-day format. He averages just over 32 in 202 ODIs, though that has risen to nearly 35 in the last three years when he has been one of his side’s most senior players. He scored only 67 runs, though, when recalled for the five-match ODI series against Australia.”I played a county season for Surrey, I played T20s and if a player has eight or nine years experience, he often just needs one click,” Younis said. “If luck favors me and I play one good innings everything will be back on track. When I was recalled for Australia, I went there after playing just one domestic match, at least now I have played county cricket, so I am prepared mentally.”Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, welcomed Younis’ return to the team. “It’s very good that Younis Khan is back. He’s been a great servant for the last 12-14 years, he has served Pakistan as a captain, as a player, as a senior member he has done wonders. He is a seasoned player, he is still fit, fitter than most of them actually, and always gives 100%.”

Sri Lanka’s selectors have dumped fast bowlers Dammika Prasad and Thilan Thushara, and recalled seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, to face West Indies

Sa'adi Thawfeeq20-Nov-2010Sri Lanka’s selectors have dumped fast bowlers Dammika Prasad and Thilan Thushara, recalled seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, and included a new face in Shaminda Eranga in their 16-member squad to face West Indies in the second Test starting at the R Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday. The pair will join Dilhara Fernando and another uncapped Test fast bowler, Suranga Lakmal, who have been retained in the squad.Chairman of selectors Aravinda de Silva said that with their main spearhead Lasith Malinga unavailable for Test matches, Sri Lanka are going through a transitional period of trying to find the right combination of fast bowlers to share the new ball in Test matches.”Most of them don’t want to play in a Test match but want to restrict themselves to playing fifty-over and T20 cricket,” he said. “Some of them cannot play back-to-back Test matches. This is something unheard of in the past. In Malinga’s case we have even promoted him to the top category in the player contracts, but he is not fit enough to play Test cricket.”Kulasekara played the last of his 11 Tests in December 2009 against India at Mumbai. The 24-year-old Eranga is a right-arm medium fast bowler who represents Chilaw Marians in the Premier club championships.Sri Lanka fast bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake said that Eranga is a bright prospect and is capable of bowling around 140kph. He was discovered during the Pace Ace programme conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket in 2006. Eranga, who made his first-class debut in 2006, has taken 34 wickets at a cost of 41 runs apiece.He is unlikely to make it to the final eleven, but 23-year-old Lakmal’s prospects are bright. He has been the leading wicket-taker for Sri Lanka ‘A’ in recent matches, and is a skilful bowler who can swing as well as seam the ball. Although yet to play in a Test. Lakmal has appeared in six ODIs for his country.With the recall of Kulasekara, Sri Lanka will have to decide who will play the second Test after the disappointing performance put on by Prasad and Thushara at Galle. The pair went wicketless, conceding 195 runs between them from 51 overs.Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara was critical of the bowling. “The first six overs were probably okay, although we didn’t make the batsmen play too much. But after that I thought the lines and the lengths we bowled on this track was not good enough for us to put any pressure on them either to get wickets or to cut down on the runs.”It’s two things on these tracks. No. 1 is to try and make the new ball work for us. If it doesn’t work in picking up wickets how we build up pressure by bowling one side of the wicket to one set field. It’s nice to limit them to one side and dry the runs up. Those are the things we got to do a bit better and when that happens with our spinners we can build a lot of pressure.”Sri Lanka squad for second Test: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Tharanga Paranavitana, Thilan Samaraweera, Angelo Mathews, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Suraj Randiv, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dilhara Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Rangana Herath, Thilina Kandamby, Kaushal Silva, Shaminda Eranga

Scotland’s Matthew Parker and Afghanistan’s Samilullah Shenwari have both been reprimanded and warned of their future conduct by the ICC

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2010Scotland’s Matthew Parker and Afghanistan’s Samiullah Shenwari have both been reprimanded and warned of their future conduct for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during Saturday’s Intercontinental Cup final, which Afghanistan won by seven wickets. A reprimand and a warning is the minimum penalty for a Level 1 violation.The two players admitted to the charges and accepted match referee David Jukes’ sanctions, thereby eliminating the need for a disciplinary hearing. Parker was guilty of violating Section 12, Article 2.1.6 of the code, which covers pointing or gesturing towards the pavilion by a bowler or a fielder during an international match.”It is very unfortunate that Mr Parker acted in this way,” Jukes said in a statement, “and whilst I am certain that he was highly elated – following the fall of such an important wicket – he must take responsibility for his actions, and learn that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in international cricket.”Shenwari admitted to violating Article 2.1.5 of the same section, which deals with excessive appealing. “Excitement and occasion aside, it is unfortunate that Mr Shenwari failed to follow the advice he was offered by both the on-field umpires and his captain,” Jukes said. “He has since been warned and reprimanded, and I sincerely hope that he has learned that this type of behaviour is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.” Shenwari took 3 for 15 in Scotland’s second innings, helping to bowl them out for 82, and set-up Afghanistan’s victory.Parker was reported to the match referee by on-field umpires Kumara Dharmasena and Buddhi Pradhanm, who both also reported Shenwari, along with third umpire Fidel Ja’ary. The match referee’s decision is final and binding.

The ICC has asked the lawyers of the Pakistan players suspended in the spot-fixing case to return evidence that had been given to them last month

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2010The ICC has asked the lawyers of the Pakistan players suspended in the spot-fixing case to return evidence that had been given to them during the appeal hearing held in Dubai last month.ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC is unhappy with information from the evidence being leaked to television channels in Pakistan; a leading channel recently broadcast text messages allegedly exchanged between Salman Butt, one of the suspended players, and Mazhar Majeed, the players’ agent who is at the centre of the scandal.The request has been made to the legal representatives of Butt and Mohammad Amir, the two players who appealed against their suspensions; Amir is being represented by Shahid Karim, while Butt’s legal team includes Khalid Ranjha and Aftab Gul, the former Test cricketer. Gul had stepped down from the case recently, but is believed to be back. Mohammad Asif, also suspended, withdrew his appeal and the three are currently waiting to appear before an independent anti-corruption tribunal that will look into the actual charges in Doha, Qatar from January 6-11.One of the lawyers confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that the ICC had asked for documents to be returned, suggesting that the leaking of information had prompted the move. Replies to the ICC’s request are in the process of being drafted.The development comes after ESPNcricinfo reported last week that there were concerns among observers familiar with the case over the attitude of some of the lawyers and how it might affect the workings of the hearing.In some instances, sources involved in the case claimed, views expressed inside the provisional suspension hearing were different to those expressed subsequently as public statements. One source also told ESPNcricinfo that there was an informal agreement made during the Dubai hearing between lawyers and Beloff to not speak to the media about the case. One of the lawyers involved denied any such agreement.

The third Test between South Africa and India will be played “on a good pitch that will last five days,” Evan Flint, the Newlands groundsman told ESPNcricinfo

Firdose Moonda31-Dec-2010The third Test between South Africa and India will be played “on a good pitch that will last five days,” Evan Flint, the Newlands groundsman, told ESPNcricinfo. With the series level at one-all, the Cape Town Test, beginning on January 2, will be the decider in the three-match series.Newlands traditionally boasts a flat wicket that is batsman-friendly. It has the highest average score, 338.2, for any ground in the country that has hosted more than one Test. That’s close to 24 runs greater than the average score at next-highest run-scoring ground in South Africa, Kingsmead in Durban. Flint said the trend is set to continue. “The pitch won’t change too much from previous years.” It will come as welcome news to the batsmen from both camps, who have had a tough time adjusting to the conditions in the previous two Tests.Both the Centurion and Durban tracks were lively surfaces that favoured the bowlers initially. The track at SuperSport Park flattened as the sun came out and became excellent for batting. The surface at Kingsmead also became better for batting as the match wore on but there was something in it for the bowlers throughout. The conditions in Newlands will be vastly different.”I would love to get the same bounce as grounds like SuperSport Park and the Wanderers,” Flint said. “The type of bounce we get is different; it’s more of a tennis-ball bounce.” Flint said his ground offered more of a traditional South African Test-match wicket that was good for batting, particularly on days two and three and turned in favour of the spinners on days four and five.Flint recognised that South Africa generally “want to get pace and bounce” out of their pitches at home and said he was aware of the home team’s desire to exploit their own conditions. “I would like to create a surface that South Africa can get a good result on, but I’ve just got to do the best I can, and hopefully South Africa can play to their strengths.”There is still a bit of work to do on the surface because the weather has not, up to now, assisted Flint as much as he hoped it would. “It’s still not 100%, which is a little bit disappointing. It’s been very windy and quite cloudy; a bit cooler than usual, but we still need another really good day of sun.” Some showers are forecast for New Year’s Day but sunshine is expected to dominate the Test.Newlands is a fortress for South Africa, where they have won 14 out of 21 Tests since readmission and lost just three, all against Australia. South Africa have beaten India twice in Cape Town, most recently in 2007. On that occasion, the match was also a series decider and South Africa’s victory allowed them to clinch the series 2-1.The one difference between the 2007 match and this one is that three years ago, South Africa went into the game having won the Boxing Day Test after losing the first Test. This season, the opposite has happened. South Africa are under pressure to bounce back after the defeat in Durban, while India are coming off a confidence-boosting win. The stage is set for a grand finale and, fittingly, the first day of the Test match is sold out.

Australia secured the one-day series with two matches to spare after a comprehensive 51-run victory at the Gabba as England’s batting once again flopped

The Bulletin by Andrew McGlashan at the Gabba30-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Woakes took six wickets but it was in a losing cause•Getty Images

Australia secured the one-day series with two matches to spare after a comprehensive 51-run victory at the Gabba as England’s batting once again flopped. The top order was rocked by the pace of Brett Lee, then John Hastings removed the key pair of Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell before the innings subsided rapidly to give Australia their first piece of silverware since March last year.The hosts’ innings had been far from problem-free but Michael Clarke registered a much-needed half-century, which was his first since the Adelaide Test. He fell to the Man of the Match Chris Woakes, who took 6 for 45, England’s best overseas analysis in one-day internationals, but he was a lone shining light. Although the visitors have twice nudged 300 in the series – at Melbourne and Adelaide – there has been far too much inconsistency and soft dismissals.Pietersen and Bell battled nicely to steady England from 3 for 22, but having been given a life on 34 when Steve Smith missed a return catch, Pietersen picked out mid-on as he tried to pull a Hastings slower ball. Eoin Morgan continued his poor series when he lofted his fourth ball to long-off against Smith, even though the required rate was below a run-a-ball. Morgan has struggled to live up to his reputation as a world-class finisher in the series after his extended period on the sidelines during the Ashes.England’s last real hope disappeared when Bell, who had been at his most fluent, dragged Hastings into his stumps. Shane Watson bagged two in his first over in front of an appreciative home crowd, who could put the troubles of the past month behind then at least for an evening. A record-last wicket stand of 53 between James Anderson and Steven Finn, on his ODI debut, only narrowed the margin and showed up the batsmen.Australia’s bowlers hunted as a unit and the one-day attack has most bases covered, even though Xavier Doherty was left out with a stiff back. Lee bowled with real venom early on, twice whistling rapid bouncers past Andrew Strauss’s helmet and Doug Bollinger wasn’t far behind when he struck Matt Prior in his opening over. But neither of England’s openers wanted to back down and Prior responded with three boundaries against Bollinger. However, Lee was a different prospect and Prior lost his off stump when he tried to play square on the off side.From the next delivery, the first ball of Bollinger’s third over, Strauss picked out square leg with a pull and it became worse when Lee put himself on a hat-trick as Jonathan Trott flicked a delivery off his hip straight to short fine-leg. Although the hat-trick ball to Bell was a no-ball it was also a rapid bouncer and Australia were in no mood for this series to stay alive.Even though their total proved plenty, it was a tale of missed opportunity as several batsmen made starts only to give their wickets away. Watson (16) cut to point and Brad Haddin (37) walked across his stumps to give Finn his first ODI wicket. Shaun Marsh (16) lazily flicked to midwicket and David Hussey chopped on against Woakes for 34, having set a platform alongside Clarke with a 65-run fifth-wicket stand. Cameron White couldn’t do much about his dismissal as an excellent ball from Woakes bounced and took the edge.Clarke’s innings had three distinct phases. After being booed to the crease, he began with aggressive intent and moved to 17 off 13 balls, but then slowed considerably with 18 off his next 41 deliveries before driving Finn through cover. The fifty came from 70 balls but he couldn’t carry on, top-edging Woakes while trying to work through the leg side on 54.England were hampered in the closing overs when Ajmal Shahzad injured his hamstring and Johnson took 15 off his eighth over during the batting Powerplay. Smith and Hastings also cashed in as Finn was struck for 14 off his ninth but Woakes, who was preferred to Michael Yardy and struck three times in the first over of a spell, returned to have Hastings caught at deep midwicket to complete his five, after which Lee carved to third man.Woakes’ figures sit behind Collingwood’s 6 for 31 against Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge in 2005, but they were a hollow success. England are now left with the task of avoiding a 6-1 scoreline to match the drubbing after the 2009 Ashes.

Getting results on the board is the need of the hour for Netherlands, says their captain Peter Borren

Firdose Moonda in Delhi26-Feb-2011Of all the things Peter Borren, the Netherlands captain, has had to catch recently, a tape recorder probably wasn’t one of them. When one such device was casually flung across the table he was seated at, moments before his press conference in Delhi began, his eyes widened, a solid red blush crept over his face and he spoke before he could think. “Oh s**t, that caught me by surprise,” he said, with a nervous laugh.The journalists giggled with him, the tape recorder tosser apologised with a small raise of his hand, perhaps a little embarrassed for having done something so casual and the press conference began. Most people spoke to Borren like he was an old friend, catching up on social concerns, like whether people recognise the Dutch cricketers when they walk around street (No, they don’t and according to Borren they may not even recognise Sachin Tendulkar) and the soccer craze in Europe.It’s these more personal interactions that make the Associates so valuable in major tournaments. They remind most that there are cricketers beyond the Dhonis, Muralitharans, Kallises and Pontings, who are considered ultra-human some of the time. There are cricketers who juggle a full-time job, a family and their passion for playing the sport and when they get picked for the national side, their balancing act only becomes more delicate. Their challenges are completely different to those of the full-member teams, who have the luxury of only thinking about the game, and that’s what makes them so interesting.”We are not a fully professional outfit but we have a core group of guys who live and work in Holland,” Borren said. “It can be a disadvantage that we don’t work together all the time but given the sacrifices that the guys make to be out here, with some of them working 40-hour weeks and having families, it’s a strength as well. We’ve given up a lot to be here so we are quite tight as a unit.”Even though the Dutch Cricket Association has 16 players on incremental contracts, the team only actually works together for a few months of the year. Coach Peter Drinnen said the players spent the past seven weeks preparing for this tournament and they usually get that much time together in a regular year before some head off to the English domestic limited-overs competition, the CB40, and others return to their day jobs. He describes their preparation as a “rollercoaster” which they hop and off in their attempt to develop the sport.Despite their intermittent training schedule, Drinnen finds no problem keeping the team’s eyes on the ball when it matters. “It’s not difficult at all to motivate them. It’s more of a management thing for me, especially time management. They’ve got families and loved ones to see and so I have to help them to get the best out of their training. Motivation is not a problem because this is a big environment.”The Dutch certainly thrive off performing on the big stage, and they showed that against England in their World Cup opener, where they posted a competitive 292 for 6. Although England won comfortably in the end, the fight in the minnows was there for all to see and it is set to continue as the tournament goes on.”We are here to cause surprises and if people think that’s it a surprise that we competed, that’s not good enough for us. We’re here to get results on the board,” Borren said.West Indies are the next team they face and, judging by the decline that team has found themselves in, it should be almost an even contest. “We’ve had time to reflect on what was a reasonably good performance against England and we are looking forward to the game.” They may be being a bit harsh on themselves to call their previous showing only “reasonable” but it reflects their seriousness to keep improving and give a respectable account of themselves at this tournament. “The other night we may not have got it quite right with the ball,” Drinnen said.After watching the match between South Africa and the West Indies, Drinnen said Netherlands “will consider” using more spinners. Offspinner Tom Cooper and left-arm spinner Peieter Seelaar played against England and they have another offspinner, Adeel Raja, waiting in the wings. Borren would also like to a few others contributing with the bat. Ryan ten Doeschate’s century was the major contribution to their score against England and Borren said the rest of team can learn from “how he paced it and took advantage of the Powerplay.”It’s this type of fine tuning that they want to get right that shows that the Dutch are sincere about their ambition to keep improving, not only for themselves but to increase the popularity of cricket in their home country. “The better we do, the more awareness there is about the sport.” So focused are they on growing the game that they don’t even seem too bothered by whether or not their performances will change the ICC’s mind about the number of teams in the next World Cup. “2015 is still four years away and we have a job to do here,” Borren said.

Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal have been axed from Pakistan’s combined ODI and Twenty20 squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2011Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal have been axed from Pakistan’s combined ODI and Twenty20 squad for the upcoming tour of West Indies, while senior players Umar Gul and Younis Khan have been rested. Shahid Afridi remains in charge of a team that will feature a new wicketkeeper, Mohammad Salman.The Test squad will be named at a later date and it is expected that Gul and Younis – the former had asked selectors for a rest from the limited overs portion of the tour – will return.Kamran’s wicketkeeping has been a source of concern for some time now, though various selectors have persisted with him in the belief that his batting provides the side with flexibility. But a poor World Cup campaign, with bat and gloves – the low hit in the game against New Zealand where he dropped centurion Ross Taylor three times, including twice early on, as well as fluffs in games against Sri Lanka and the semi-final with India – have finally proved too much. Coach Waqar Younis had hinted that it was time for a new wicketkeeper to be blooded, and Salman got the nod.With 103 first-class games to his name, the Karachi-born Salman, 29, has been on the fringes of selection for a while. A few years ago he was thought by many to be the best wicketkeeper in the land though in recent times, he had been overlooked behind Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider and Adnan Akmal.”He is the best of the lot,” Rashid Latif, former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper, told ESPNcricinfo. Salman was Latif’s deputy at Allied Bank Limited (ABL) in 2000 and worked with him later as well. “He came into ABL as my deputy wicket keeper and I worked with him then. After that we both joined Port Qasim Authority team in 2006, me as coach and Salman as a main wicketkeeper. He is an athletic man and a good batsman too for all formats.”Though the Test squad has not yet been announced, it is likely Kamran’s younger brother Adnan will retain his spot in the side as the wicketkeeper.Pakistan have also embarked on a search for a new allrounder, with the highly-rated Hammad Azam drafted in to replace Razzaq. The veteran Razzaq had a strange World Cup, playing all matches but almost as a spare part in the XI, taking only five wickets and making 104 runs.He did not complete his quota of 10 overs even once, and managed only a single half-century, though he usually batted as low as number eight. He was often given the new ball, but taken off after short opening spells to make way for Gul and the spinners. After the first couple of games, he had expressed a desire to play a larger part in Pakistan’s World Cup campaign, but continued to play a peripheral role.Azam was a central figure in Pakistan’s last U-19 World Cup campaign and was selected in the squad for the World T20 in the Caribbean last year, but he did not feature in a single game.”At the moment there’s no place for Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal in the team,”
chief selector Mohsin Khan told reporters. “We want to try out few youngsters and that’s why we have picked those players who have performed outstandingly in the domestic circuit.”Left-hand opening batsman Taufeeq Umar, who recently worked his way back into the Test side, is another surprise inclusion for the shorter formats. Aizaz Cheema, the 31-year-old seamer who plays for Punjab, has also received a call-up to replace Gul. Cheema has 221 wickets from 62 first-class matches, and will tussle for the new ball with Wahab Riaz, Tanvir Ahmed and Junaid Khan. Usman Salahuddin, another youngster who made an impression at the Under-19 level, also got the selector’s nod for the tour. Salahuddin scored 927 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy last year and will fight for a middle-order spot.The tour kicks off with a warm-up game from April 18, while the only Twenty20 will be played on April 21 in St Lucia. The five-match ODI series will begin on April 23, and the Test leg of the tour will commence on May 12.Squad: Shahid Afridi (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Taufeeq Umar, Usman Salahuddin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Salman (wk)Reserves: Rameez Raja (jnr), Sadaf Hussain, Asif Zakir, Sohail Khan, Zulifqar Babar

Michael Clarke passed his first test as Australia’s full-time captain, leading from the front with a century before his bowlers backed up the effort to complete a 60-run win over Bangladesh

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale09-Apr-2011
Scorecard and ball by-ball detailsMichael Clarke led from the front with 101•Associated Press

Michael Clarke passed his first test as Australia’s full-time captain, leading from the front with a century before his bowlers backed up the effort to complete a 60-run win over Bangladesh. Australia have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and while the results might seem inconsequential after the World Cup, the subplot of Clarke taking over the leadership from Ricky Ponting has created some interest.Clarke’s 101 suggested that the responsibility could sit well with him, and he needed to anchor the innings after Australia lost three wickets in their first 14 overs having been sent in on a good batting pitch. He helped get the Australians to a strong total of 270 for 7 and Bangladesh, who only twice in their ODI history have successfully chased totals of that size, were not up to the task.They stumbled to 9 for 2 in the fourth over of their pursuit and although Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan both made half-centuries, the result was all but certain by the halfway point of their chase. It was a strong all-round performance by Australia in the field, seven bowlers being used, including the rediscovered legspinner Cameron White, and five men claimed a wicket each.Brett Lee got things started when he had Imrul Kayes caught behind in the third over and in the next over, Shahriar Nafees fell for a golden duck when he got his pad in the way of a Mitchell Johnson delivery that would have hit the stumps. Raqibul Hasan followed for 7 when he drove John Hastings to short cover, where Shane Watson took an Aussie rules-style mark, leaping high to his left, and the hosts were in trouble.Tamim grew more cautious, Shakib steadied without scoring quickly, and the required run-rate started to expand. Although Bangladesh retained a glimmer of hope while that pair remained at the crease, the match was firmly in Australia’s control when Tamim (62) tried to clear midwicket off Xavier Doherty, only to pick out the fielder in the deep.Shakib also holed out for 51, but by that stage Bangladesh needed to score nearly 14 an over, which was as likely to happen as Australia calling on the commentator Greg Matthews for a few overs of offspin. The crowd cheered a few late boundaries from Mushfiqur Rahim (44 not out) and Mahmudullah (28 not out), but it was too little too late.Not that Australia’s victory was flawless. There remains a major concern over White’s batting form after he laboured for 50 deliveries to score 20, and continued a lean patch that stretches back to the start of the Australian summer. He was dropped at midwicket on 18 and two runs later rolled his eyes in disgust at his own miscue when he failed to clear mid-on and saw Kayes take an outstanding catch, diving to his right.Nor would Brad Haddin want to see any replays of his dismissal for 10. He wandered aimlessly down the pitch and wafted well away from his body, playing the wrong line to a Mashrafe Mortaza ball that rattled his stumps, and for a batsman capable of beautiful strokeplay, it was a horrid shot.That those lapses didn’t affect the result was thanks to the new captain Clarke, who brought up his sixth one-day hundred with a six pulled over midwicket in the 50th over. Clarke and Michael Hussey didn’t rush things through the middle overs, and at one stage played out 65 deliveries without a boundary, but their 84-run stand built a platform from which late runs could be added.Australia amassed 31 in the final two overs of the innings, and what looked like being just a competitive total was suddenly a very strong one. Clarke skied a catch from the second-last ball of the innings, but his 101 was extremely valuable after his side looked like underperforming when Haddin, Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting all departed early.He used his feet well against the spinners and struck six fours and two sixes, and his tempo was just right for the circumstances – keep things steady early and attack later. His partnership with Hussey ended when Hussey (33) tried to clear the boundary but was taken at long-off from the bowling of the left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo, who took 3 for 44.Bangladesh were generally sharp in the field and backed up their bowlers, including the captain Shakib Al Hasan, who didn’t take a wicket but helped build the pressure with 0 for 34 coming off his ten overs. An excellent piece of fielding accounted for Ricky Ponting, who swept Shuvo and saw the ball saved on the fine-leg boundary by a diving Shafiul Islam.His throw to the wicketkeeper was relayed to the bowler’s end where Ponting, who had hesitated before taking off for the third run, was caught short for 34. It was a disappointing end to a very promising innings, Ponting’s first in an ODI under another captain in nine years. He collected three consecutive boundaries off Mortaza, who was in his first match back having missed the World Cup due to a knee injury; the first a brilliant cut, the second a sweetly-timed straight drive and the third a punch through point.Ponting and Watson had looked ominous during a 65-run third-wicket stand that ended with the run-out, and soon afterwards Watson was lbw for 37, trapped by an Abdur Razzak delivery that skidded on and struck him in front. But Australia’s new leader engineered a recovery, and if his team puts in another solid all-round performance on Monday, he’ll begin his full-time captaincy era with a series win.