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Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh began Australia’s tour of India with brisk centuries on the first day of their warm-up game against India A in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2017
ScorecardSteven Smith and Shaun Marsh struck boundary-laden centuries on the first day of Australia’s warm-up game against India A at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Smith and Marsh, at Nos. 3 and 4 respectively, both retired out soon after reaching their hundreds and the Australians went to stumps at 327 for 5.After India A chose to field, David Warner began in sprightly fashion, hitting four fours in his 25 before he was caught behind off 25-year old seamer Navdeep Saini. Matt Renshaw was more sedate: making a 11 off 41 balls. Subsequently, Smith and Marsh added 156 together to carry the Australians along in the middle session. Smith made 107 with 12 fours and a six, while Marsh made 104 with 11 fours and a six.Peter Handscomb, at No. 5, got in some useful batting time too, playing 70 deliveries for his 45. Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade were unbeaten at the close of play on 16 and 7 respectively.”Everyone got a bit out of it today, which was great,” Marsh told reporters at stumps. “As individuals and as a team, it always gives you a bit of confidence when you have a good day in a warm-up game. Smithy batted really well, and all the other batters got a bit out of it as well. So, it was a good day. Hopefully we can continue that over the next couple of days and make sure we’re ready to go [for the Test against India] next week.”The pitch and conditions were relatively tame for Marsh’s maiden first-class game in India. “It nibbled a bit early, it was a bit damp. But as the day went on, it was quite nice to bat and spend some time out there against the quicks and the spinners.” But he knew that could change quite quickly.”I haven’t played Test cricket over here yet. But they’ll take spin, like Sri Lanka did the last year,” Marsh said. “So we know what wickets we’re going to get. It’s just about being ready for it and players having a really strong game plan and sticking to it. Just challenging each other, it’s going to be good fun.”

Vikum Sanjaya, who is uncapped at international level, impressed with figures of 3 for 26, which helped set up Sri Lankan XI’s five-wicket win

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2017
ScorecardLasith Malinga struck in his first over on his return from injury•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Adam Voges, the captain of Prime Minister’s XI, struck an unbeaten 54 off 31 balls in his final match against an international team, but Sri Lankan XI crashed his farewell by chasing down 170 with five wickets and 17 balls to spare.After being inserted in Canberra, the hosts lost opener D’Arcy Short in the first over to Lasith Malinga, who was playing his first competitive match since the Asia Cup in February 2016 . Joe Burns and Hilton Cartwright did not last long too but fifties from Sam Heazlett, who made his international debut for Australia in New Zealand last month, and Adam Voges boosted the side with counterattacking half-centuries. Heazlett struck four fours and thee sixes, while Voges hit four fours and a six during his unbeaten knock. Cameos from wicketkeeper Alex Carey and offspinner Arjun Nair helped take the score to 169.Vikum Sanjaya, who is uncapped at the international level, staked his claim for a spot in Sri Lanka’s XI in the first T20I against Australia on Friday with 3 for 26.Niroshan Dickwella and Upul Tharanga then slashed 70 runs off the target by the end of the Powerplay. The stand ended when Nair had Dickwella caught behind for 47. Upul Tharanga, who was assisted by useful contributions from Dilshan Munaweera (32) and Milinda Siriwardana (25), stayed till the end to guide his team home.

Bangladesh batting coach Thilan Samaraweera said he was “out of ideas” about why his team were collapsing so often, after yet another collection of soft dismissals pegged them back in the second Test

Mohammad Isam in Colombo16-Mar-2017Fast bowlers bowling from both ends, light fading quickly and a tailender at the other end; you knew for years that even in this sort of a situation, Thilan Samaraweera would keep Sri Lanka safe at the end of a day’s play. He thrived under pressure for much of his career, always ensuring that his own style would be shelved if the team needed patience in the middle.At the P Sara Oval four years ago, he batted with Suraj Randiv against New Zealand in fading light and negotiated a tough period in the last half an hour. He moved the scoring along as much as possible but made sure nothing went out of hand as New Zealand tried really hard to remove him.Back on the same ground, but now as Bangladesh’s batting consultant, Samaraweera was tasked with explaining why his team lost three wickets in the last 22 balls of the second day. Why Bangladesh looked like a batting unit who suddenly, and possibly without any instructions to do so, changed their approach in the last hour or so.Imrul Kayes and Sabbir Rahman would have been the best people to ask why they threw away Bangladesh’s comfort of 192 for 2 with only 3.2 overs of play remaining in the day. Imrul didn’t read a Lakshan Sandakan wrong’un and was bowled for 34, a few overs after he was dropped in the deep by Dinesh Chandimal.Sabbir’s dismissal looked even more ordinary when he popped a catch to leg gully a few deliveries after Suranga Lakmal and Rangana Herath had set a predominantly leg-side field. The moment Lakmal pitched it short, Sabbir swivelled and mistimed a pull, lobbing an easy chance to leg gully.Samaraweera’s job nowadays includes explaining the unexplained, like he did in Hyderabad last month.”I have no clue at the moment,” Samaraweera said. “I think one rash shot made trouble for us – Imrul’s dismissal. I can teach skill, but you know when you are batting in Test cricket what the opposition is doing, you have to have awareness. I think you have to be intelligent in the middle and we are lucky we finished with five [down], I thought [we would] finish with six. Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day. The first half an hour is crucial. We have to start well again and we need one good partnership.”The sixth wicket that Samaraweera had feared would also fall in the last few overs could have been of Shakib Al Hasan. Off the eight balls he faced, four were hacks across the line. Of those, one was dropped by Upul Tharanga and another fell short of Chandimal – both in the deep on the leg side.When asked about Shakib’s cameo, Samaraweera only had this to say: “I don’t have words, honestly.”Perhaps this is what some of the Bangladesh batsmen set out to do in the last few overs; maybe it is part of the natural game that they so often talk about with such conviction?Samaraweera’s answer seemed to be something he has time and again shared with the batsmen in the dressing room, but one that is not necessarily heeded.”You can play a natural game but you have to be aware of what the opposition is doing. That is cricket. What the opposition is doing, what is the field placement, what’s coming – that is the key. You can’t play your natural game every day. It is not like one-day cricket; in five-day cricket mentally you have to be strong,” Samaraweera said.By the time another question came his way about what the batsmen were doing in the last few overs, Samaraweera was probably a bit exasperated by it all.”Honestly, I am out of ideas. The same thing happens every time. When we start to collapse we cannot control it. Tomorrow is a new day, hopefully, we can get close to Sri Lanka’s score.”As the batting consultant, it is his job to impart the best of his knowledge to the Bangladesh batsmen. The support staff includes Chandika Hathurusingha, by now regarded as Bangladesh’s most successful head coach, as well as Courtney Walsh, a bona fide legend of the game who is now on his first coaching job, as Bangladesh’s bowling coach. It is very hard to imagine any one of these three men not giving the right kind of advice to the batsmen going out to bat.So when the public is shocked seeing how Imrul goes across the line, Sabbir feathers one around the corner to leg gully and Shakib goes hack, hack, hack with only two overs left to play, we can be sure that even those inside the dressing room, who are paid to give them the best advice, are left equally surprised.

Boyd Rankin has been ruled out of Ireland’s two one-day internationals against England next month but Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling have recovered from their recent injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2017Pace bowler Boyd Rankin has been ruled out of Ireland’s two one-day internationals against England next month but Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling have recovered from their recent injuries.Rankin, who played one Test, seven ODIs and two T20Is for England between 2013 and 2014 before resuming his career with Ireland, is suffering from a back problem which kept him out of the recent matches against Afghanistan. Ireland will also be missing 21-year-old legspinner Jacob Mulder due to a back problem.

Ireland squad for England ODIs

William Porterfield (capt), Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Andrew McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig Young

Kevin O’Brien injured his hamstring during the one-day series against Afghanistan but is now able to resume his spot in the middle order, while Stirling has recovered from a finger injury which kept him out of the Intercontinental Cup match against the same opponents.The series marks Ireland’s first one-day internationals on English soil, with matches at Bristol and Lord’s, and begins a busy month for Ireland who then take part in a tri-series involving Bangladesh and New Zealand in Dublin.”There’s no doubt that the games against England will be tough but we’ve got some hard cricket under our belts this past few months and that will stand us in good stead for the challenges that await,” Porterfield said. “We’re all determined to do well, and while we’ll certainly respect England, there’s absolutely no fear factor there.”

After Kampala and Entebbe were hit with constant showers through the day, Oman were finally crowned champions of WCL Division Three courtesy a better record in the tournament over second-placed Canada

Peter Della Penna in Kampala30-May-20171:56

This promotion means a lot to Oman – Duleep Mendis

After finishing as the tournament runner-up at 2016 WCL Division Five in Jersey and Division Four in Los Angeles, Oman were crowned champions of Division Three on Tuesday at Lugogo Oval after rain intervened to produce no result in the tournament final against Canada. Oman were declared winners by virtue of finishing with a 4-1 record in round-robin play compared to Canada’s 3-2 mark.Of the three playoff matches on the day, the final was the only match that began on schedule while rain wreaked havoc everywhere else. Oman sent Canada in after winning the toss but were on the back foot through most of the first innings. Captain Nitish Kumar and Bhavindu Adhihetty added 102 for the first wicket before Kumar was bowled for 50 by offspinner Nestor Dhamba.Adhihetty carried on to go past fifty for the second time in the tournament and only the weather appeared to stand in his way of a maiden century. He was on 79 when the players were taken off for the first time with the score 159 for 2 in 35 overs. After a delay of more than two hours, the match was reduced to 41 overs. Adhihetty fell for 86 to end the 38th, but the umpires took the players off once again at his dismissal – for another lengthy delay – thereby bringing an end to Canada’s innings.After the skies cleared, Oman was set a target of 177 in 24 overs. Zeeshan Maqsood, who had been batting in the middle order for the entire tournament, returned to his traditional role as an opener for the chase and blitzed Canada’s medium-pace bowling, speeding to 32 off 16 balls through a steady drizzle. He flicked two sixes over square leg and another two fours through midwicket and mid-on off Satsimranjit Dhindsa before the bowler struck back, inducing a catch to cover and then followed it with a full delivery to knock back Aqib Ilyas’ stumps in an action-packed fourth over.Dhindsa never got to bowl his hat-trick ball to start the sixth over, though, because play lasted just three more deliveries before the umpires took the players off for good at 50 for 2 as the rain intensified. Oman had been 11 runs ahead of the par score on Duckworth-Lewis calculation at the time.Steven Taylor’s cover drive took him to 1000 one-day runs, becoming only the fourth USA cricketer to achieve the feat•Peter Della Penna

At the post-match presentation, 17-year-old Adhihetty was named Man of the Match and finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 222 runs. Team-mate Rizwan Cheema was named Player of the Tournament in his comeback series for Canada. Cheema was named Man of the Match in the team’s first two wins of the tournament over Uganda and Oman to set them on the path to promotion. The hard-hitting allrounder finished with 181 runs at a strike-rate of 157 as well as six wickets at 19.83, playing a key role in Canada’s other win, over USA, by taking 3 for 31.The third-place playoff between United States of America and Singapore at Kyambogo also finished with no result after USA had reached 95 for 2 in 25.2 overs after being sent in. However, an American milestone was achieved in the limited play that took place.USA captain Steven Taylor only managed 10 runs in his innings but in his brief stay he became just the fourth player from his country to pass 1,000 runs in one-day cricket. Taylor entered the day needing six runs to reach the landmark and brought it up with his second boundary of the day driven through cover. He joins three former captains – Steve Massiah, Sushil Nadkarni and Orlando Baker – as the only ones to reach the mark for USA but at age 23 is by far the youngest to do so.The fifth-place playoff between Uganda and Malaysia was abandoned without a ball bowled as Entebbe took the brunt of Tuesday’s rain in central Uganda.

Cricketers touring Bangladesh were briefed about recent developments in the pay war issue

Daniel Brettig24-Jul-20171:53

Brettig: CA-ACA compromise pointing in the right direction

Players-only meetings are a rare thing in cricket’s era of multiple coaches and countless support staff, but Australia’s Test squad for Bangladesh assembled in Sydney on Monday for exactly that, in a reminder of how close the pay war is running to the deadline for the tour to go ahead.Captain Steven Smith, his deputy David Warner and all other playing members of the touring party either met in person or dialled in for an update on pay talks from the Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Alistair Nicholson, player liaison officer Simon Katich and ACA executive member Shane Watson.Over about two hours they were briefed on events of the past week, from discussions between Nicholson and his Cricket Australia counterpart James Sutherland and the “peace plan” submitted by the ACA, to CA’s apparent pushback and the subsequent meeting between the two CEOs on Sunday. It is believed the pair had several more discussions by phone on Monday.”The players are committed to the Peace Plan on the table,” an ACA spokesman said. “They are really supportive of the investment in grassroots cricket. They will continue to stand united alongside all of their state and female colleagues.”Among the discussions in the meeting was a reiteration of the resolutions passed at the ACA executive meeting on July 2, the day after the previous MoU expired and left more than 230 players unemployed, that related to forthcoming tours and the home summer of international matches.”Players expressed a strong desire to Tour both Bangladesh and India and urged CA to support them by renewing an MoU on fair terms, allowing the Tours to proceed,” one such resolution stated. “However, due to the fact of unemployment and the resolution above, absent an MoU there are no professional cricketers presently obliged or available to Tour.”All players expressed a strong desire to participate in the Australian Summer of Cricket and urged CA to support them by renewing an MoU on fair terms so the Summer can proceed.”Following the ructions caused by the emergence of the ACA’s compromise offer to CA, all parties have resumed their efforts to reach an agreement in time to avoid the loss of the Bangladesh tour and those that follow it, and to sidestep a looming commercial fiasco enveloping current and prospective sponsors plus broadcasters if the standoff continues.In order to avoid such a scenario, a basic agreement must be reached in the next three weeks, as mid-August would be both the latest time at which the Bangladesh tour could be cancelled and also about the same time that commercial partners – both of CA and its host broadcasters Channel Nine and the Ten Network – would be unable to commit to advertising, marketing and promotional campaigns for summer.Australia’s players are due to convene in Darwin for a pre-tour camp on August 10, with departure for Bangladesh set for August 18. The pre-tour security visit by representatives of both CA and the ACA is going ahead as scheduled this week. The BCB’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said there had been no official discussions about a possible cancellation.”We haven’t had any discussions with Cricket Australia about any cancellations,” he said in Dhaka on Saturday. “They informed us today that an inspection team will be in Dhaka on July 25. They will take a look at the facilities, and give their feedback. We are working towards hosting the Australia cricket team. I am sure Cricket Australia is also headed the same way. What they are dealing with now, is their internal matter. It won’t be wise to comment on it.”

Benny Howell took a wicket off the final ball to earn Gloucestershire a tie against Middlesex in a thrilling T20 Blast game at Cheltenham College.

ECB reporters Network07-Jul-2017
ScorecardBenny Howell pulled off a wicket with the final ball•Getty Images

Benny Howell took a wicket off the final ball to earn Gloucestershire a tie against Middlesex in a thrilling T20 Blast game at Cheltenham College.Defending 182 for 5 and with Middlesex needing 59 off the last four overs, with only two wickets in hand, the points appeared to be heading the way of Gloucestershire.However, Ryan Higgins (68 not out off 28 balls) had different ideas and with Nathan Sowter providing able support, the pair took the visitors to within a single run of what would have been an unlikely victory.Unfortunately, for Middlesex, Sowter struck Howell’s final ball to Tom Smith at short cover and the Gloucestershire left-armer held on to earn his side a share of the spoils.Batting first in front of a full house at the picturesque Cheltenham College ground, Gloucestershire made a rapid start to their innings, courtesy of experienced openers Michael Klinger and Phil Mustard.The pair took 31 from the first three overs and looked well set when Klinger edged Tim Southee (20) behind at 31 for 1.Although Gloucestershire were severe on anything short and wide or too full, they struggled to cut free at any real pace. They passed 50 off 31 balls but when Mustard departed in the 7th over, for 26, and Iain Cockbain followed, for 20, in the eighth, Middlesex found themselves in the box seat.Sowter bowled particularly well from the Chapel End, with Tom Helm, Southee and Toby Roland-Jones providing healthy support.Cameron Bancroft was always likely to be the weapon to which Gloucestershire would turn and he didn’t disappoint. He struck the ball to all four corners of the College ground, reaching 50 off 30 balls, with four fours and two sixes.Unfortunately, for Gloucestershire, the Australian drove the very next ball, a full toss from Southee, straight down the throat of Brendon McCullum at extra cover.Howell weighed in with a useful 33 from 25 balls as Gloucestershire edged towards a competitive total and Kieran Noema-Barnett and Jack Taylor added some useful runs at the death.The target should have been well within the reach of a Middlesex side that was piled high with top class batting. Unfortunately, for the visitors, they lacked early application and soon found themselves in a spot of bother.Opener Paul Stirling, who struck his second ball back over Matt Taylor’s head for six was first to perish – bowled, playing a dreadful shot, off the final ball of Taylor’s opening over.Dawid Malan, who hit David Payne for three boundaries in the left-armers first over, looked in decent touch as Middlesex progressed at a rate of 10 an over. However, Gloucestershire kept themselves in the hunt with the key wickets of McCullum and Morgan in successive overs from the College Lawn End.First, McCullum (7) departed at 43 for 2, bowled by a slower delivery from Payne. Then, Morgan, who failed to score, sliced a Smith delivery to a grateful Payne on the extra cover boundary in the seventh over.The big wicket came in Benny Howell’s first over. Malan, who had struggled for the strike, top edged a length delivery to sub fielder George Hankins on the mid-wicket boundary.Having rebuilt, courtesy of George Scott and John Simpson, Middlesex shot themselves in the foot when Simpson, having dispatched the third delivery of Howell’s third over for six, ran himself out off the very next ball, for 15.Scott departed in the same manner, for 24, in the 14th over, following a mix up with Higgins, before Roland-Jones offered a caught and bowled opportunity that was well taken by Jack Taylor. Bancroft then took the most remarkable of catches to send back Southee at 119 for 8.Against the odds, Higgins quickly turned the tide and helped Middlesex to within touching distance of victory with 11, 19 and 18 off the 17th, 18th and 19th overs.It meant the visitors required 11 off the final over, from Howell. A six from Higgins put them in the box seat, but it was not to be as Howell and Smith came up trumps.

Everything is going to plan for Worcestershire who will hope for a matchwinning flourish by R Ashwin on the final day

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2017Daryl Mitchell has put Worcestershire in a strong position•Getty Images

Daryl Mitchell scored his fifth Specsavers County Championship century of the campaign as Worcestershire set Gloucestershire a 401 target at New Road.The 33-year-old opening batsman put a recent lean spell behind him – 33 runs from the previous six innings – in making an accomplished 130.Then star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin struck two early blows as Gloucestershire closed on 55-3.As on many occasions throughout his lengthy career, Mitchell, the curent PCA chairman, provided the glue which held the Worcestershire innings together.He went to three figures off 156 balls with 10 fours and a six in what is his 99th appearance out of Worcestershire last 100 Championship fixtures.It followed on from his 120 against Derbyshire, 161 versus Northamptonshire, 121 off the Sussex attack and 142 when facing Kent.Mitchell was eventually run out attempting a second run shortly before the declaration which left Gloucestershire a minimum of 121 overs to chase their daunting total.He has now amassed 894 Championship runs at an average of 47 so far this summer.Brett D’Oliveira, George Rhodes and Ashwin all provided excellent support for Mitchell as Worcestershire capitalised on their first innings lead of 105.The declaration came at 295-8 and the home side will be hoping the weather forecast is kind tomorrow particularly with promotion rivals Sussex triumphing against Glamorgan and moving into second spot.Worcestershire resumed on 10-0 and D’Oliveira launched an early offensive in making 55 off 58 balls and dominating an opening stand of 76 with Mitchell. He followed up his first innings top-score of 93 by striking 10 boundaries.D’Oliveira’s dismissal – bowled by Liam Norwell – triggered a minor collapse with the out of form Tom Fell falling in the same over for a second ball duck when caught behind and Joe Clarke perishing at square leg off a top edged sweep against Tom Smith.Rhodes proved a valuable ally in a partnership of 114 in 31 overs before he went to try and paddle Smith around the corner and was lbw.Indian star Ashwin raced to 28 as a further 55 was added in nine overs with Mitchell until he chipped Norwell to midwicket.Ben Cox showed positive intent with his first two scoring shots being sixes over long off at Smith’s expense. There was a flurry of wickets before the declaration as Mitchell and Cox were run out and skipper Joe Leach was bowled. Leach then took the new ball and, after switching ends, made the first breakthrough as Cameron Bancroft was caught behind by Cox in a sharp piece of work standing up to the wicket.Ashwin came into the attack after just six overs and quickly made an impact by bowling Will Tavare for a duck and then having Chris Dent caught at second slip. He ended the day with the impressive figures of 10-3-11-2.

Three wickets for young pace bowler Lukas Carey gave Glamorgan some satisfaction as their encounter with Derbyshire headed for a rain-wrecked draw

ECB Reporters Network07-Sep-2017Lukas Carey took three wickets•Getty Images

Lukas Carey took the bowling honours for Glamorgan on another weather disrupted day in the Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby.After the first two days were washed out, Carey took three wickets and also had three catches dropped off his bowling as the home side reached 236 for 9 before bad light and rain ended play shortly after tea.Luis Reece top scored for Derbyshire with 53 while Alex Hughes (44) and Gary Wilson (45) also batted well in testing conditions.Glamorgan had failed to make the most of the new ball after an uncontested toss and it was only two quick wickets by Marchant de Lange that prevented Derbyshire taking the morning session.Reece has proved to be an astute signing following his release by Lancashire and he played well after an uncertain start although he was one of the chances that went down off the unfortunate Carey.Ben Slater was lbw to Carey and Reece should have been taken by Nick Selman at second slip on 22 an over before Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman got a good ball from Craig Meschede that moved away enough to take the edge.But Glamorgan’s line was too inconsistent which allowed Reece and Wayne Madsen to add 46 before de Lange tempted Madsen into a sliced drive to point and the paceman cleaned up Reece with a fast, full length ball on the stroke of lunch.The overcast conditions remained good for bowling in the afternoon but more lapses in the field allowed Hughes and Wilson to stage a recovery before Carey finally got some reward.Hughes often makes runs when it matters and he again showed good technique in awkward conditions while Wilson counter-attacked although he was twice put down in the space of three overs.Selman shelled another at second slip when Wilson was on 14 and the Irishman was put down three runs later when Andrew Salter dropped an easy chance at backward point in Carey’s next over.Carey had the final word but not before the fifth wicket pair shared a stand of 78 which ended when Hughes was caught behind trying to cut and Wilson was struck in line four overs later.

Jharkhand, meanwhile, battled it out to save their match against Rajasthan after following on

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2017Parthiv Patel, the captain, and Chirag Gandhi – key to Gujarat’s Ranji Trophy triumph last season – held their composure to complete a nervy four-wicket win over Kerala in Nadiad. Chasing 105, Gujarat slumped to 80 for 5 before Parthiv, who walked in at No. 6, allayed fears of a shock loss by remaining unbeaten on 18. The spin pair of Akshay Chandran and Jalaj Saxena picked up two wickets each for Kerala.That Kerala couldn’t defend much more was due to the efforts of Siddarth Desai, who picked six wickets to dismantle them for 203 in the second innings. Piyush Chawla, turning out as a professional for Gujarat this season, took three wickets to take his match haul to 8 for 135. Priyank Panchal, the highest run-getter last season, started the new season with scores of 18 and 30.Kerala, who beat Jharkhand in their opener, now have one win in two matches. They next play Rajasthan at home. Gujarat, meanwhile, will clash against Jammu & Kashmir in the third round starting October 24.On his 23rd birthday, in just his second first-class match, Nazim Siddiqui scored his maiden first-class ton as Jharkhand put in a spirited showing to save the game following on. After Siddiqui’s effort, the baton was picked up by the more experienced Ishank Jaggi, who hit a 16th first-class ton – an unbeaten effort – to see his side through to safety. Rajasthan tried everything possible to take the game away – everyone except the keeper bowled in the innings – but could claim only five wickets in the 76.5 overs played on the day before a draw was declared.Siddiqui, the opener, was batting on 71 overnight and went on to score exactly 100 as his team battled. Briefly around the time when he was out – Jharkhand lost a wicket quickly on either side of his – Rajasthan must have maintained hope of taking full points from the game, but then they ran into Jaggi. He was well supported by the lower-middle order of Ishan Kishan and Kaushal Singh, both of whom batted out a sizeable chunk of balls for their 30-somethings to help carry their team to the finish. They got a point for their efforts, while Rajasthan got three for the first-innings lead they had secured.