Babar Azam 110*, Mohammad Rizwan 88* as Pakistan cruise to ten-wicket win

World record opening stand makes light of steep chase as hosts level series at 1-1

Danyal Rasool22-Sep-2022A world record unbeaten 203-run partnership that was devastating in its brutality and yet delectable in its beauty saw Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam chase down 200 against England with three balls to spare, and without the loss of a single wicket. Babar scored his second T20I hundred, taking 62 balls to get there, while Rizwan’s unbeaten 51-ball 88 was a more than adequate supporting act.The wicket seemed to play especially slow in the first innings, so the 199 England put up looked well above par at the time. That came thanks to two contrasting innings from the England middle order, with Ben Duckett’s pragmatic shot-making setting a platform, before Moeen Ali’s furious elegance saw him caress an undefeated 55 off 23. Given Babar had said at the toss 160 would be the upper limit of what Pakistan wanted to chase, England looked invulnerable.But for all of Pakistan’s strike rate issues up the order, there has never been any evidence Babar and Rizwan aren’t at their best when chasing a total, no matter what that total might be. They did, after all, gun down 204 against South Africa in April 2021 with a 197-run partnership, and they were more than up for the relentlessly attacking cricket they would have to subject England’s bowling to. Fifty-nine came off the powerplay, and the openers simply continued in the same vein as the visitors ran out of ideas. Alex Hales grassing Rizwan in the powerplay was a sliding doors moment, as a virtually chanceless opening pairing timed the chase to perfection to seal a stunning 10-wicket win.The devastating duo
There’s really little point talking about much else. England have the better power hitters, the better middle order, and significantly more batting weapons in their arsenal, and don’t Babar and Rizwan know it. These two put together a solid opening stand in the first game, only to see their team-mates crumble under pressure, and so it appeared they recognised solid wasn’t going to cut it. They might have to do it all themselves.A couple of boundaries either side of square from Rizwan in the first over set the tone. Rizwan led the charge early on as the captain took his time bedding in, though a couple of clobbered boundaries off Sam Curran suggested Babar, too, was beginning to whirr back into form. With the pace bowlers seen to, Moeen turned to Liam Dawson’s spin, but 13 runs off the sixth over suggested Pakistan would allow the visitors no hiding place.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A brief quiet spell following the powerplay saw the asking rate creep up, but when Moeen put himself on in the 13th over, the tide turned decisively. Twenty-one from the over, including three muscled sixes, put the openers in a zone few others in world cricket can reach. From thereon, they were unstoppable, England’s bowlers no impediment in the inexorable march to the target. A flurry of boundaries followed and by the time Babar brought up his century, the victory was almost a formality. It was, fittingly, a cover drive that sealed the win, a signature shot from a man who showed an ephemeral dip in form was little more than that.Duckett and Moeen’s contrasting styles
It would be hard to imagine what kind of surface you’d need to produce to ensure both Moeen and Duckett might excel, but this Karachi strip appears to be one of them. A slow surface made it difficult to play down the ground, and so Duckett resorted to playing the paddle and reverse sweep almost exclusively to great effect. A quickfire 50-run stand with Phil Salt allowed England to edge ahead, and by the time Duckett was cleaned up by Mohammad Nawaz, he had scored what looked an extremely handy 22-ball 43 in an innings where England otherwise struggled.But Moeen took over the reins thereafter, punishing every error in line and length – of which there were plenty on an off-colour day for Pakistan’s bowlers – making a mockery of the idea this pitch might not be suitable to conventional shot-making. He didn’t discriminate between spin and pace, Usman Qadir and Mohammad Hasnain both seeing the final two deliveries of their last overs sent sailing over the ropes. It was a breathtaking mix of timing, power and beauty, an all-round treat for the eyes that looked, at that time, as if it might be the point of difference.

PCB approaches Emirates Cricket Board to host remainder of PSL 2021 in the UAE

The franchises had requested the PCB to shift the games out of Karachi because of the pandemic

Umar Farooq07-May-2021The PCB has approached the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to host the remaining games of the rescheduled 2021 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the UAE. The original plan had been to play the matches in Karachi, but the PCB has decided against it following a request from the six franchises as well as advice from the National Command Operation Centre (NCOC), which asked the board to avoid playing in Karachi because of the worsening Covid-19 situation in the country.Upon the franchises’ request to move the matches out of Pakistan, the PCB met with all the teams via video conference to discuss the financial implications of postponing the tournament. The PCB has agreed to look beyond Karachi, with UAE as a preferred venue for the games. The UAE was where the PSL began, its inaugural edition in 2016 held there while international cricket was not taking place in Pakistan.Karachi had originally been announced as the venue for the tournament and even till last week, the PCB was proceeding on the basis that tournament would be held there, with the board making arrangements for a hotel. But earlier this week, the PCB met with the NCOC, whose forecast of the Covid situation in Pakistan over the next 20 days wasn’t reassuring. The NCOC informed the PCB there might be a rise in cases post-Eid, and that the government might subsequently enforce a stricter lockdown in the country. Already a nationwide lockdown has begun from today, to be in place until May 15.”We had an interactive and productive meeting in which we considered a number of factors,” Wasim Khan, the PCB chief executive, said. “While the UAE has emerged as a preferred venue, a number of challenges remain, which will be worked through over the coming days. We remain committed to doing everything possible to complete the HBL PSL 6.”The tournament was initially slated to start from June, but with the change of venue, the PCB will work on a revised schedule. The window to host the tournament is unlikely to alter too much though, as Pakistan are scheduled to begin a tour of England from June 23. Though the PCB and PSL have both agreed to playing in UAE, a final confirmation will be made only when the franchises give their approval upon seeing the revised opportunity costs of playing abroad.”The PCB will carry out a detailed financial and risk assessment as well as cost analysis before reporting back to the franchises, who will then review before a decision on the event venue is confirmed,” the PCB said.As reported by ESPNcricinfo, the franchises had written a letter to the board last week, asking for the tournament to be played in the Emirates.The 2021 edition of the PSL was suspended after 14 games – played between February 20 and March 3, all in Karachi – following an outbreak of cases among players and support staff. After a date for resumption was finalised – June 2 to June 20 – the franchises took part in a replacement draft to plug holes in their line-ups because a number of overseas players would not be able to take part in the games on the new dates.The changed situation with the pandemic, however, made franchises nervous about the situation, which led to them approaching the PCB.Pakistan, meanwhile, has announced a decision to curtail inbound flights to the country from May 5 to May 20.A move to the UAE would not be without its own logistical and operational issues, though. Flights to the country from Pakistan are currently operating at a severely reduced frequency. And June is not a month in which top-level cricket is often played in the UAE, because of the oppressive heat at that time of the year.

Jake Weatherald, Rashid Khan hold off Perth Scorchers in rain-hit runfest

In an 18-overs-a-side contest, the Scorchers looked on track to chase down 199 after a 124-run stand between Liam Livingstone and Josh Inglis, but fell 15 runs short

The Report by Alex Malcolm23-Dec-2019Jake Weatherald’s match-winning 83 and a momentum-changing spell from Rashid Khan has helped the Adelaide Strikers hold off the Perth Scorchers in a high-scoring classic at Adelaide Oval.In a rain-affected game that was reduced to 18 overs a side, the Scorchers looked on track to chase down the Strikers’ monstrous target of 199 after a stunning 124-run stand between Liam Livingstone and Josh Inglis in just 8.4 overs. But Rashid, after being hammered for three sixes by Livingstone in his first nine balls, removed both openers off consecutive deliveries before befuddling Ashton Turner to swing the momentum back the Strikers’ way. The Scorchers failed to wrestle in back, falling 15 runs short.Earlier, Weatherald and Alex Carey made sublime half-centuries to set up the winning total. Weatherald smashed 83 from 47 balls before Carey outdid him with a sensational 55 from 24 balls.Weatherald’s trip to Paris
The Strikers started slowly after the early loss of Phil Salt. The Englishman’s BBL journey started poorly after he miscued trying to loft Jhye Richardson over mid-off in the first over, adding just 2 to his duck against Sydney Thunder. The Strikers were 1 for 16 after three overs before Weatherald lined up Joel Paris’ second over, having faced three dots from him in his first. His first boundary was streaky, a French cut past leg stump. But he launched the next ball over the midwicket fence. Paris then dropped a tough caught-and-bowled chance before Weatherald pounded the next two to the rope to take 20 from the over. Matthew Short followed up, striking three fours in Mitchell Marsh’s first over to push the run rate above 10 an over.Raining boundaries
An untimely rain delay at the end of the fifth over appeared to give the Scorchers a reprieve by both halting the Strikers’ momentum and giving them a big advantage chasing as the game was reduced to an 18-overs-a-side contest. But it had the opposite effect. The rain greased up the surface and the outfield. It nullified the Scorchers’ spin threats in Ashton Agar and Fawad Ahmed and the Strikers took full toll. Alex Carey played a sublime knock after the loss of Short. He started with two incredible inside-out sixes off Agar against the angle over cover. Agar, Australia’s T20 spinning allrounder, only bowled one over in the innings after conceding 16.Carey’s timing was freakish and he was impossible to bowl to. In the 17th over, he paddled Chris Jordan to fine leg before hitting the same line and length over cover. Weatherald ran himself out, bizarrely failing to beat Richardson firing the ball in from the rope due to his injured shoulder. The Strikers were set to score 200 in 18 overs but fell just short, mainly due to a stunning jumping catch from Agar by the rope to remove Carey. Richardson was the only Scorchers bowler to get through unscathed, taking 2 for 29 from his four overs, including two excellent ones at the death.Living large
Livingstone and Inglis started the run chase with a required run rate of 10.78. By the end of the eighth over, the Scorchers were 0 for 111 needing a very manageable 88 from 60 balls with 10 wickets in hand. Inglis set the tone with a pull shot that went like a bullet to the midwicket rope off the first ball of the innings. Inglis matched Carey’s 360-degree play with boundaries all around the park. Livingstone just stood still and swung hard, clubbing seven massive sixes over the leg side. Livingstone matched the fastest fifty in Scorchers’ history taking just 21 balls to raise his bat. He brought it up with a 98-metre six that landed in the first tier of the Members’ stand. No bowler was safe from the staggering assault. He hit the first three balls he faced from Rashid Khan for sixes over the leg side.Rashid’s revenge
The star legspinner was having a dirty night having earlier dropped Livingstone at long-on. He rarely gets hit for four consecutive sixes by one batsman. Chris Gayle once did it in the IPL; Livingstone tried and perished, holing out to deep midwicket. Inglis was bowled sweeping next ball to change the game in a heartbeat. Rashid bamboozled Turner in his next over to have him caught behind. Rashid’s figures went from 0 for 28 after 1.3 overs to 3 for 40 after four and the Scorchers needed 50 runs from 30 balls. They saw off Rashid’s final over and tried to target the Strikers’ inexperienced quicks, but failed. Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Bancroft, and Cameron Green all holed out while Agar fell to his younger brother, Wes, for the second time this season, strangled down the leg side.

'Fazle Mahmud is a complete package' – BCB selector Habibul Bashar

Fazle, who is part of Bangladesh’s ODI squad against Zimbabwe, caught Bashar’s attention when he struck two fifties in three innings during their A-tour in Ireland in August

Mohammad Isam13-Oct-2018Fazle Mahmud’s evolved batting was the main reason behind his selection in Bangladesh’s ODI squad for the three-match series against Zimbabwe, according to selector Habibul Bashar. Bashar said that Mahmud has become a far more stable batsman in the last three years, having begun as a big-hitter many years ago.Mahmud struck two fifties in three innings for Bangladesh A in Ireland in August, catching the attention of Bashar, who was the selector on tour. He also made 708 runs at an average of 47.20 in this year’s Dhaka Premier League List-A tournament, to top off a good run in the last three years in domestic cricket. Bashar said that Mahmud offers the “complete package” with his left-arm spin, fitness and fielding, apart from his batting.”He’s had an interesting career,” Bashar said. “[Fazle Mahmud] Rabbi was in the high-performance squad about five or six years ago as a promising player. But then he lost his form. He has been in the runs again in the last three years, and there is a noticeable change in his overall game. He batted well in the A team tours. He is slightly on the older side, which we see less of when players get their first call-up. But he is a fit cricketer. We needed a batsman and although he is not like Shakib, he bowls a bit.”He started as a flamboyant, aggressive batsman in his early days, but I have noticed in the Ireland tour that he can bat according to the team’s needs. He rotates the strike, but he still has the big shots. He is now a complete batsman, which had a big influence in his selection. He is also a good fielder and bowls spin, a complete package.”Mohammad Saifuddin, the other new inclusion in the ODI side was a slightly more experimental pick, according to Bashar, as the Bangladesh thinktank wanted a bowling allrounder lower down the order. Despite the presence of Ariful Haque in the current side, Saifuddin is more likely to get the spot because of his bowling ability.”We have been looking for a bowling allrounder at No. 7 in the Zimbabwe ODI series,” Bashar said. “[Soumya Sarkar and Ariful] are batting allrounders. We expect batting first from them, and then bowling. We picked Saifuddin because he is a bowler who can contribute with the bat.”Over the years Ariful focused on batting although he came on to the scene as a bowling allrounder. Currently, we can’t expect him to bowl 10 overs. He has played as a batting allrounder, but we want someone who can bowl 10 overs and bat well too.”Bashar also said that Mominul Haque, one of three batsmen to be dropped after the Asia Cup, should not let thoughts of a permanent ODI place affect his Test batting. Mominul and Soumya made 14 and 33 runs in two matches respectively, while Mosaddek Hossain could muster only 39 runs in three outings. Mosaddek had replaced Sabbir Rahman at No. 7 while Soumya – and Imrul Kayes – were included midway through the Asia Cup by BCB president Nazmul Hassan after openers Liton Das and Nazmul Hossain Shanto failed on three occasions.Mominul, who earlier this year became the first Bangladeshi batsman to score hundreds in both innings of a Test match, earned his place in the Asia Cup squad through his 182 in a List-A game against Ireland A in August. Bashar feels Mominul is shifting his mindset towards the shorter format.”It would have been great had Mominul been in the runs,” Bashar said. “I have noticed that his batting has changed quite a lot recently. I am not sure whether his ODI-minded batting will affect him in Tests. If it happens, it certainly wouldn’t be desirable. We haven’t seen him do well in Tests in recent months, although he is one of our most important Test players. We need him in that format more than we need him in ODIs.”Bashar stated said that Mominul was still “unlucky” to miss out on the ODI squad where the focus was also on seeing how some of the fringe players fared at the highest level. “I feel bad for Mominul who was unlucky to miss out on selection,” Bashar said. “His ODI career is far from over. We basically had to see some other cricketers, and this is our best opportunity ahead of series against West Indies and New Zealand and the World Cup.”He had two knocks in the Asia Cup, which I feel isn’t enough for a batsman. It would have been beneficial for him had he made runs but since he couldn’t and we needed to see some new players, we had to drop him.”Bashar, however, was far less sympathetic towards Mosaddek. “We are not happy with Mosaddek’s form. He hasn’t been able to bat functionally. We are giving him a break, and we hope he returns among runs in domestic cricket.”

New Zealand A batsmen fail first spin trial

Karn Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem took four wickets each to bowl New Zealand A out for 147 on the first day in Vijayawada

The Report by Shashank Kishore in Vijayawada23-Sep-2017Karn Sharma made the most of his opportunity with four wickets•BCCI

Players coming off a blustery New Zealand winter found themselves in a cauldron of heat and humidity in Vijayawada. New Zealand A, having had barely three net sessions on the current tour of India, failed in their first trial-by-spin bout, having been bowled out for 147.R Samarth, the India A opener, drove home that point. He overcame a testing new-ball burst of genuine pace and late swing from Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry, to ease the nerves. But Priyank Panchal and Sudip Chatterjee’s dismissal in the last hour to Ish Sodhi helped New Zealand A pull things back.New Zealand A’s decision to bat first should have negated India’s spin threat, and at 72 without loss, it looked like the hosts would be challenged. But jittery footwork, which India A capitalised on through attacking fields and well thought-out plans, left New Zealand A shortchanged. Barring three batsmen – Tim Seifert, who top-scored with 35, Jeet Raval and George Worker – none of the others gave themselves time to grind the bowlers down.India A’s relentless attack that involved having slip catchers and close-in fielders to spin throughout the day, left Seifert struggling to rotate strike. Seifert, unbeaten on 33 when the seventh wicket fell, could add just two more with the lower order in the next 10 overs.Shahbaz Nadeem, the left-arm spinner, was India A’s bowling lynchpin, snuffing out two wickets either side of lunch to leave the visitors at 81 for 6 after openers Raval and Worker laid the strong foundation. Karn Sharma, drafted in to the squad on match eve as a replacement for the dropped K Gowtham, continued his Duleep Trophy form – he picked two five-fors in consecutive matches – by scything through the lower order, finishing with 4 for 58.Jeet Raval is a picture of concentration•Getty Images

Raval’s first big knock in the subcontinent promised much more. Barring an early reprieve behind the stumps by Rishabh Pant when he fished at an away-going delivery, he was solid. Worker, slightly more flamboyant, was happy to force his way through some runs, at times even looking to hit on the up against the moving ball. But their dismissals in the second hour resulted in a meltdown.While Worker was caught at short leg, Raval was bowled attempting to pull a ball that came back in to cramp him for room. Henry Nicholls was beaten by Nadeem’s turn and was out lbw while Will Young, who trained for a week on dustbowls In Chennai in preparation, didn’t give himself an opportunity to be tested as an ill-judged leave to an in-dipper from Mohammed Siraj flattened his off stump.In contrast to New Zealand’s efforts, India were much more serene. In the two hours he batted after tea, Samarth showed exemplary judgment against the short ball. This was a direct consequence of his ability to pick lengths early against two new ball bowlers capable of cracking over 145 kph. His pull shot to deep square leg off Henry was a stand-out. This even as Panchal fought to survive, taking 20 deliveries for his first runs that came through a thick outside edge to third man.Where India’s spinners were relentless in their attack, New Zealand’s slower bowlers were short and wayward to begin with. When they finally got it right, they had a wicket as Ish Sodhi had Panchal nicking to the slips. He was to be rewarded for a second time when Chatterjee played down the wrong line to be adjudged lbw.

'Not going to be a day-five pitch' – Law

With Australia heading into the final day of the Pallekele Test needing 185 runs, and Sri Lanka requiring seven wickets, Australia’s batting coach Stuart Law believes the dry, hard surface could aid his batsmen

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jul-20162:10

‘We won’t play to draw’ – Law

In four completed Tests at the Pallekele Stadium, Sri Lanka have never been winners. In the only matches that reached a fourth innings, chasing sides have found no terrors on the pitch, particularly when Pakistan ran down 377 in the most recent Test at the venue.With 185 more runs to get and seven wickets in hand, Australia batting coach Stuart Law is hoping the trend continues. Both teams were shot out for relatively modest first-innings totals, but counter to what is usually believed about Asian surfaces, Law said batting had become easier since then.”It’s not going to be a day-five pitch,” he said. “We have played like three days thanks to the rain and light interruptions. History says that teams have chased big totals here before. Those pitches might have been prepared differently than for us, coming in.”This pitch doesn’t look like deteriorating a great deal. If you look at the footmarks, big Mitchell Starc has been bowling left-arm over, and has hardly broken the surface. It’s hard as concrete and it’s very dry. Overnight these conditions do tend to get the moisture back up into the surface. The first half-hour to an hour, can be tricky. But the wicket drying up shouldn’t be a problem. The first two days it was tacky in the mornings. But it’s progressively dried out, and is probably at its driest now.”But it is exactly that lack of moisture that Sri Lanka will hope their spinners will be able to exploit on day five. Several deliveries took sharp turn on day four – particularly Lakshan Sandakan’s stock ball to dismiss Joe Burns – and with three frontline spinners in his XI, Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford hoped the seven wickets would be forthcoming.”I think we’ve fought really hard to get ourselves into a situation when we can win this Test match,” he said. “Pleasingly, a few balls started to turn quite sharply before the players came off for bad light. Hoping tomorrow that a few things will go our way, and we’ll be able to press home.”Ford also said Sri Lanka would have been “in the driving seat” had the lbw decision against Adam Voges been upheld. Voges had been given out when rapped on the pad first ball by Dilruwan Perera, but projections showed that ball to be missing leg stump. Voges remains at the crease with Steven Smith, and the two are reputed to be Australia’s best players of spin.”They are class players and their records are outstanding,” Ford said. “The partnership is crucial and if we can break it in the morning – who knows what can happen? Day-five pitch – I know it hasn’t had a full four days on it, but it is a wearing wicket. One just has to misbehave, and that can break a partnership.”Law agreed that the overnight stand was a crucial one. “The two guys who are batting at the moment need to put up a good partnership,” he said. “Everyone else has to chip in where they can. We are still confident. We always want to play to win and not to draw.”

Smith aims to silence England doubters

Steven Smith has named Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen as two of his chief verbal tormentors on Australia’s last Ashes tour to England, and is determined to silence any remaining doubters with a pile of runs from No. 3 this summer.

Daniel Brettig04-Jul-2015Steven Smith has named Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen as two of his chief verbal tormentors on Australia’s last Ashes tour to England, and is determined to silence any remaining doubters with a pile of runs from No. 3 this summer.Speaking frankly about the treatment he received from England in his earlier years, when he was derided for an idiosyncratic technique among other things, Smith said he hoped he had changed some views by surging up the world rankings to be the No. 1 batsman in the game entering this series.However it is clear that plenty of scepticism about Smith is still evident in English ranks: the former spin bowler Graeme Swann and current paceman Stuart Broad have spoken publicly about his move to No. 3 being a possible advantage for England, while Pietersen made a point of rating Joe Root a better player of pace and spin in his head-to-head assessment of the two young batsmen.”I remember Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell getting into me quite a bit,” Smith said of the 2013 tour, when he was goaded by predictions he would be dropped for the home series in Australia until he carved out a century at the Oval. “I don’t think they really rated the way I played. But maybe I’ve changed their views now perhaps a little bit.”When I came back into that side I’d played two Tests since I’d been back in the side and they were both in India, so it was different conditions coming over here against the Dukes ball. I’d never had any real success against England before, so now they might view me a little bit differently.Smith rejects any suggestion that his rise to the top of the rankings has come with a reassessment of his batting style.”People might say my technique’s a little bit different. I don’t see it that way; I think all my fundamentals are all the same. The thing for me is my defence: as long as my defence is in good order then I feel the rest of my game can expand from there. Particularly over here I think your defence is key against the newer ball.”A key part of Smith’s success in recent times has been a well-developed sense of self-knowledge. He pores over footage of his own methods and has become adept at self-correcting, rather than relying on any coaches or mentors to advise him. In the midst of his current run glut, he was even able to recognise a flaw that crept in during the World Cup and then make an adjustment that kept him ahead of the world’s bowlers.”I got bowled around my legs in the warm-up game against India in the World Cup in Adelaide,” Smith said. “I was going too far across my stumps. I was taking leg stump guard at that point, I now take about an inch or so outside leg stump, so I’m stepping to where I want to.”I haven’t looked at it and said ‘this is what I’m looking for’. I don’t think it is ever finished. You want to keep getting better every day. I go back and look at footage quite a bit, make sure I’m doing certain things I want to be doing. I haven’t got to a point where I say ‘this is the perfect way to do things’.
“When you’re in good form and hitting the ball well you want to keep playing as much as you can and not have too much of a break. That’s how I think about it mentally. If I have a break I might come back and there may be a few things that aren’t quite right so it’s been nice when I’m on a run of form to continue playing and try to maintain it.”Perfection may be elusive, but Smith has been getting closer to it than most other batsmen lately. In the hyped-up surroundings of an Ashes series, he said his major priority was to stay true to the routines that have served him so grandly over the past two years – more or less since Bell and Pietersen loved to sledge him.

Warne taunts Bailey as Stars seal hard-fought win

Shane Warne did not take a wicket but left a mark nonetheless as the Melbourne Stars edged past the Hobart Hurricanes in the final over of the BBL match at the MCG

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Dec-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThis was Ricky Ponting’s first domestic match since his international retirement•Getty Images

Shane Warne did not take a wicket but left a mark nonetheless as the Melbourne Stars edged past the Hobart Hurricanes in the final over of the BBL match at the MCG.Adding an edge to a contest already noteworthy as Ricky Ponting’s first domestic match since his international retirement, Warne offered a barbed critique of the Australian Twenty20 captain, George Bailey, who battled to 28 from 26 balls before falling victim to Cameron White.Twice Warne drew edges from Bailey that were not held, leaving the former Australia spin bowler to remark while miked up to the broadcasters: “You would think the Australian Twenty20 captain would smack me out of the park, wouldn’t you? Rather than keep nicking me?”White eventually dismissed Bailey, as the Hurricanes were restricted to 8 for 134. Clint McKay snared three wickets after Tim Paine had tried to hold the innings together following Ponting’s exit in the second over for eight, coincidentally the same score he made in his final Test innings.The Stars’ chase was guided in its early stages by Rob Quiney and Brad Hodge, before cameos by Cameron White and Glenn Maxwell took the hosts close enough to make the final result a formality, despite a noteworthy spell by the limited-overs specialist Ben Laughlin.After the match, Bailey said he had no intention of getting into a war of words with Warne. “Is it disrespectful? Until I actually see it I don’t think I’ll get into a war of words with Warnie,” Bailey said. “I think he’s still the world’s greatest leg-spinner isn’t he, who’s going to have a Test comeback at the age of 43? So he needs a bit of respect.”

Conditions will depend on Table Mountain

When the clouds drape over Table Mountain, to form the proverbial cloth, bowlers can come out to feast

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town08-Nov-2011When the clouds drape over Table Mountain, to form the proverbial cloth, bowlers can come out to feast. So says Evan Flint, the Newlands groundsman who has prepared what is looking like a “win the toss and bowl” pitch in cool and rainy Cape Town.”If there are clouds on the mountain, it will nip around quite a bit” Flint told ESPNcricinfo. “So everything really does depend on the mountain.”Some though, will be hoping the mountain, its clouds and north westerly wind, which brings persistent rain, could disappear for the next week. With drizzle, and more, dropping down for most of Tuesday and the forecast predicting it will continue into the first day, both teams plans are likely to be thwarted, along with Flint’s, who started preparing the surface nine days before the match, instead of the usual seven.”We’ve had to keep the pitch under cover through the day so it might be a bit tacky in the morning,” he said. “We haven’t had baking heat, even though there has been some sunshine, but it will probably be slower with less bounce. There won’t be as much for spinners as there is in December or January but a quality spinner will still be able to turn the ball.”South Africa were toying with the idea of playing two spinners on a pitch that is likely to turn the most in the country, but the wet weather might force them to rethink that, unless the wind changes. “Once the south-easter kicks in, it will dry out the surface,” Flint said. A south-easter is only forecast for days four and five of the match, although conditions are expected to clear from Thursday.The weather will fuel what is being talked up as the most anticipated contest of the series, between fast bowlers and batsmen. “It’s been a lot cooler than normal and if it stays cloudy, obviously it will nip around.” Flint said.It remains impossible to predict exactly what to expect because a Test match has not been played in November in Cape Town for ninety years. It is traditionally the home of the New Year’s Test and has occasionally hosted matches in late summer months, such as February or March.Coincidentally, the only two November Tests held in Cape Town have featured the same two teams. In 1921, in a Test that started on November 26, South Africa lost to Australia by 10 wickets. Nineteen years before that, the same result was achieved in a match that started on November 8. It’s little wonder then that Graeme Smith is also unsure about what lies ahead.”Newlands this time of the year is a little bit of an unknown, I haven’t played too many Tests this time of year,” Smith said. “The wicket will be a bit different to what we are used to. So far this season, the wickets haven’t been the easiest to bat on. Through the three one-dayers, you would have seen none of the batsmen has really got a grasp on things and I expect it to be pretty similar. It will be about who can get stuck in and get a grip on things. One big partnership may make the difference in the game.”

ICC reprimands Parker, Shenwari

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.