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Merissa Aguilleira and Stafanie Taylor have welcomed the West Indies Cricket Board’s decision to offer central retainer contracts to six players in the their side

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2010West Indies women captain, Merissa Aguilleira, and leading batsman Stafanie Taylor have welcomed the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) decision to offer central retainer contracts to six players in the their side.”When I first heard the WICB was offering retainers to members of our team I said to the others ‘wow, this is great news for us’,” said Taylor, who has been in top form in the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket Challenge in South Africa. “I am truly very happy not just for myself but for the other members of my team. We are all playing our hearts out for West Indies cricket and we are truly delighted that the WICB is taking notice and looking out for us.
“Our coach always urges us to play with heart and one day we will get the recognition. With the contracts, we can now concentrate fully on our cricket and we know we will have income to sustain ourselves.”Taylor, 19, is one of the rising stars in the women’s game, and on Wednesday became the youngest woman to reach 1000 ODI runs, when she made 72 against Ireland. Her captain Aguilleira led the side to the semi-finals in the 2010 World Twenty20 and West Indies have also made steady improvement and moved up the ODI rankings.”This news could not have come at a better time,” Aguilleira said. “This is a good incentive for the girls to continue the hard work we have been putting in over the last few years since we started to make strides up the international ladder. I have been speaking to the girls and they are over the moon to hear we will be offered retainer contracts. We will continue to work hard to improve and get better at doing what we love.”

The loss of Cameron Green’s overs are not viewed as vital, but the frontline bowlers will likely need a break at some point

Tristan Lavalette21-Nov-20245:56

Cummins: ‘Smith’s hands have made their way to Perth’

On the eve of the first Test, as he went about various media duties, Australia captain Pat Cummins appeared extremely relaxed and seemingly sported a permanent smile.He seems to have good reason to feel at ease. While much of the focus ahead of the series has been on the uncertainty over India’s line-up, Australia’s XI has been settled ever since uncapped Nathan McSweeney won the race to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.It’s an experienced group of players and they are relatively refreshed with a lot of forward planning having been made in a bid to get them through a gruelling five-match series played within seven weeks.Related

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But if there has been a cause for concern, it’s the fitness of allrounder Mitchell Marsh who has only bowled four overs since tearing his hamstring during the IPL.All of those overs were in the fourth ODI against England at Lord’s in September. He then pulled up sore and missed the subsequent match before playing as a specialist batter for Western Australia in two Sheffield Shield matches in October.Marsh had publicly declared ahead of the second Shield match, against Tasmania, that he would return to bowling but his body was not quite ready. His role with the ball has grown in significance for Australia with Cameron Green missing the entire series due to a stress fracture of his back.Having become a father a day earlier, his wife Greta giving birth to their first child, Marsh on Monday pushed through weariness and built up his bowling loads in a lengthy centre wicket session as Australia started their first Test preparations. There were no signs of discomfort as Marsh powered through the crease and he also impressed during Australia’s training session on Wednesday.”He will definitely bowl this Test. He is an allrounder and with the way us four bowlers set out, we never really budget around an allrounder bowling heaps,” Cummins said.Marsh, however, is unlikely to be able to cover Green’s workload. He was used sparingly during the seven Tests last summer where he never bowled more than nine overs in an innings.Marsh, 33, is set to be utilised across a couple of short spells, possibly relatively early in the innings given his ability to produce outswing and also around the 60-70 over mark with the old ball.”We never put an upper limit [on overs] on anyone,” Cummins said. “But he’s ready to go and happy to bowl as much as we need. I would imagine a few spells each innings. He’s been bowling great this week, his body is the best it has been for a while.”Mitchell Marsh has barely bowled since an injury in the IPL earlier this year•Getty Images

Along with Marsh and Travis Head’s handy offspin, Cummins might also revert to Marnus Labuschagne, who has emerged as an unlikely seam bowling option after lengthy stints in the Shield caught many observers by surprise. He has almost exclusively bowled seam rather than legspin, which has yielded him some success previously at Test level.Having taken the captaincy reins of Queensland, Labuschagne has utilised himself with the ball and took 2 for 5 from 6.2 overs in the season opener against Western Australia at the WACA. He then bowled 27 overs across the match against South Australia at Allan Border Field.His bowling has been marked by short-ball aggression, which he has also unfurled during Australia’s training sessions ahead of the first Test, providing a potential tactic for Cummins to utilise.”He’s always trying to impress the ball, which is great,” Cummins said. “He loves bowling. He’s one of those guys, as we know, who always wants to be involved. He’s bowled some handy overs for Queensland. Obviously, he’s got legspin, a bit of offspin in the past and then this year, it’s been on to pace bowling.”I’m sure he’ll get the ball at some stage and bowl quite a few bouncers as well. So that’s maybe something we’ll turn to at some point as well.”While there is intrigue over Australia’s back-up bowlers, a refreshed Cummins and his frontline attack are hoping to mostly shoulder the workload. He will enter the series having not played red-ball cricket since March in New Zealand.Cummins was earmarked to play a Shield match for New South Wales, but has instead played one domestic 50-over game and two ODIs against Pakistan.”I feel great. Couldn’t have asked for a better lead in, so hopefully it translates into a good summer,” he said. “I’ve been really lucky to have four or five months off to build up, get strong. I feel as strong and as fresh and as fit as I have for a long time.”

The India batter on coming back from injury “without any baggage”, his surprise inclusion in the XI against Pakistan, and more

Shashank Kishore12-Sep-20231:33

Uthappa: Rahul’s innings showed how much work he has put in

KL Rahul wasn’t in India’s first XI for their Asia Cup Super Four fixture against Pakistan. But just prior to the toss in Colombo, when he was asked by head coach Rahul Dravid to get ready, there was a slight problem. Knowing he was going to carry drinks, Rahul had left his batting gear and kit back at the hotel. It needed frantic running around from the team manager to get his kit across to the R Premadasa Stadium.”Five minutes before toss, Rahul told me you might have to play because Shreyas [Iyer] has a back spasm,” Rahul told official broadcaster Star Sports after he marked his comeback with his sixth ODI hundred in India’s record win. “I hadn’t brought any of my batting gear, I didn’t get my batting t-shirt, skins, nothing. I’d come like that because I had to just carry drinks (laughs). I just had one T-shirt.”At the last minute, our manager had to run to the hotel to get my stuff. Strange things have happened in my career. This isn’t the first time. It has happened earlier too. Mentally I guess I know what to do when I’m thrown into the ring, I give my best. I’m happy such performances happen [when he’s been faced with such situations]. Maybe it’s also a sign that I don’t have to think too much. I can just go out there and enjoy my cricket. That’s the learning for me.”Related

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Rahul was right when he said such things had happened earlier too. One such moment, in 2016, perhaps changed the course of his career. At an IPL game in Rajkot against Gujarat Lions, Rahul wasn’t listed in the XI for Royal Challengers Bangalore at toss time. But ten minutes prior to the start, he was seen rushing off the field to get ready after Mandeep Singh tore the webbing on his left hand. Virat Kohli then asked Suresh Raina, the opposition captain, if they could make a late change.Rahul responded with a gutsy half-century at No. 4. It was the start of a golden run for him that season. From being a non-starter in the XI, Rahul became a regular as RCB made an inspired run to the final. While Kohli made a chart-topping 973 runs, Rahul contributed heavily too: 397 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 146.49. That season dispelled notions of him being a one-format player. In fact, it was also during that season when Rahul made a mark as a wicketkeeper, a role he has grown in over time. He would make his ODI and T20I debut for India soon after the IPL.This ability to bat in the middle and keep wickets makes him a crucial part of India’s ODI World Cup jigsaw. This is why the team management waited on him to return to full fitness five months after he limped off with an injured hamstring. It has taken a lot of work behind the scenes for Rahul to fully get ready before he joined the team last week ahead of the Super Fours.”I’ve had three [tests] done in the last ten days,” Rahul said with a laugh. “Two yo-yo tests, two practice matches, this [batting in the middle in humid conditions] was worse than that [yo-yo tests]. Yeah, for four months I’ve had a lot of juice, and energy. Hopefully, I can carry this, try to recover fast and come back fresh [for the Sri Lanka game].KL Rahul finished with 111* off 106 balls against Pakistan•Associated Press

Rahul then touched upon the route he took to his India comeback. There was a lot of soul-searching, and introspection of his game – which he mostly said was around the mental side – and, of course, the hard yards at rehab at the National Cricket Academy.”Firstly, three out of the five months I spent getting fitter, giving my body the rest,” he said. “I was in great hands at the NCA. I want to thank the NCA staff and Rajni sir [Physio S Rajnikanth], he made me run around a lot. He’s gotten me fit for this. I knew when I returned, I was aiming for the Asia Cup. I knew the conditions would be humid.”I knew the World Cup that will follow at home would be challenging, especially to do both keeping and batting. I trained that much extra. Batting, when you’re out and have a lot of time. I watched a lot of videos, and reflected on things where I can get better. I spoke to a few coaches, and I knew where the fault lines were, it was mostly mental, and I tried to address those things. I also came back fresh without any baggage, guess that helps.”How did he feel when he walked out for his first international game in six months, where he was up against Pakistan’s gun pace attack of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah?”It was my first international match after a long time, the intensity isn’t the same at a practice match,” Rahul said as he opened up about his unbeaten 233-run stand with Virat Kohli. “When I walked in, there was that nervousness. It took me 10-15 minutes to just calm myself down and get my feet moving, get my mind thinking about the right things.”When I hit one or two boundaries, the fogginess went away, and it became like before. I was reacting to the ball, to the situation. Just when my rhythm was building, it started raining and we had to wait for a whole day and restart, so again [upon resumption] the 10-15 balls were nervy. Once I hit a few balls in the middle, you forget about those things.”On Monday, he batted the way he would, largely risk-free and with clarity, especially against spin in the middle overs. Unlike at the 2019 ODI World Cup, where Rahul had to shift back up to open in the wake of Shikhar Dhawan’s injury after being initially slotted in the middle order, there seems to be clarity that middle order is where his calling will be. India will hope that clarity will pay rich dividends at the World Cup.

South Africa batter available for two rounds of County Championship

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2022Ryan Rickelton, the South Africa batter, has signed for a short-term spell as an overseas player with Northamptonshire. He will be available for their next two LV= Insurance County Championship games.Rickelton, who made his Test debut against Bangladesh in March, comes in to strengthen the squad in red-ball cricket after the departure of Will Young, on international duty with New Zealand, and Matt Kelly, who has returned home to Australia.”It’s really exciting and a great opportunity to be joining Northamptonshire.” Rickelton said.Related

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“I have always wanted to play county cricket and to be part of such a well-rounded, strong group is brilliant and I look forward to hopefully contributing to the side’s success in the County Championship.”Rickelton, 25, has scored 2973 runs at 50.38 in first-class cricket, and knows Northants captain, Ricardo Vasconcelos, from their time growing up in South Africa.He will arrive in the UK this week, ahead of Northamptonshire’s Championship fixture against Warwickshire starting on Sunday. He is also due to feature against Kent next month.”I’m delighted to have Ryan join us for a couple of games, we’ve known each other since we were little so I’m looking forward to hopefully getting to bat together for Northamptonshire,” Vasconcelos said.”He’s a really positive batsman, he plays his shots and has scored a lot of runs in the last couple of years. He got off the mark in test cricket with a reverse sweep I think, so that tells you a bit about him.”

Phil Simmons and Jason Mohammed will hope for promise to turn into fight in the second ODI

Mohammad Isam21-Jan-2021

Big picture

Bangladesh played to their favourites tag in the opening ODI in Dhaka, predictably outplaying the inexperienced West Indies line-up in a six-wicket win. It wasn’t exciting cricket but the home side will take the ten points for the ICC ODI Super League, which helps their approach towards automatic qualification to the 2023 World Cup.Tamim Iqbal’s ODI captaincy reign started with the win, as did Shakib Al Hasan’s come back with a player-of-the-match performance. Shakib took three wickets in his mean first spell of seven overs, with a slip fielder constant and often employing a silly mid-off and a short-leg. Andre McCarthy, Jason Mohammed and Nkrumah Bonner had no answer to the returning giant, who seems to have added a number of strings to his bow.But there were other dangers for West Indies too. Mustafizur Rahman got Bangladesh their first two breakthroughs, while Rubel Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz held strong; and debutant Hasan Mahmud took three wickets in the space of nine balls later.After West Indies were bowled out for 122 runs, Bangladesh took their own sweet time to reach the target, but still had 16.1 overs in hand. It was a justified approach given the long break they’ve had since playing an international match. They didn’t want to get it wrong, neither did they have it easy.It may not have been awe-inspiring batting, but it should be expected the way the pitch played out. Later both captains Tamim Iqbal and Mohammed said that they had to be patient with the bat; Mohammed acknowledged they needed to bat with more patience during the middle overs.There’s some promise in the way West Indies batted. Sunil Ambris started positively, debutant Kyle Mayers looked like a free-flowing batsman while captain Mohammed tried to survive through the spin test. If the top six can bat for at least 35 overs, it can free up Rovman Powell to bat his way in the slog overs. But one persisting problem for them would be the really long tail, which Bangladesh exploited quite well in the first game.

Form guide

Bangladesh (last five completed matches, most recent first): WWWWLWest Indies: LLLLW

In the spotlight

The most threatening aspect of Shakib Al Hasan‘s four-wicket haul was his economy and how he kept the West Indies batsmen tied to the crease for long periods. The visitors are going to have a hard time keeping him away for the next three weeks.Akeal Hosein was West Indies’ glimmer of hope, with his impressive 3-26 on debut. Hosein’s wicket of Liton Das was the way any left-arm spinner would like to start their careers, but the way he carried on for the rest of his 10-over spell, was the most encouraging part.

Team news

Seven squad members are warming Bangladesh’s benches but with ODI Super League points up for grabs, it is unlikely that they would make any changes. Mohammad Saifuddin’s fitness update would however keep the team management interested.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Liton Das, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Soumya Sarkar, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Rubel Hossain, 10 Hasan Mahmud, 11 Mustafizur RahmanIt might be too son for Phil Simmons to press the panic button and go for changes, mainly because he doesn’t have a lot of options in the ODI bench.West Indies (possible): 1 Joshua da Silva (wk), 2 Sunil Ambris, 3 Andre McCarthy, 4 Jason Mohammed (capt), 5 Kyle Mayers, 6 Nkrumah Bonner, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Raymon Reifer, 9 Chemar Holder, 10, Akeal Hosein, 11 Alzarri Joseph

Pitch and conditions

Both captains said that it was a difficult pitch to bat on, during the first ODI. But with a slightly warmer forecast for Friday, batsmen on both sides can expect a bit of heat to take out the moisture from the surface.

Stats and trivia

• Shakib’s 4-8 was the most economical four-wicket haul for Bangladesh in ODIs
• Hasan Mahmud’s 3-28 is the best bowling figures on ODI debut for Bangladesh since Mustafizur Rahman’s 5-50 in 2015

Quotes

“When he was playing (before his one-year ban), he was the best allrounder in the world. He is one of the best spinners going around. He had a very good spell. We can see that with his figures.””You cannot judge anyone after one match. He did well. You can ask this question after one year.”

Archer and the England team are still coming to terms with each other’s little ways

George Dobell in Manchester07-Sep-2019Like a couple who have just moved in together, Jofra Archer and the England team are still coming to terms with each other’s little ways.Both know this is a special relationship. And both know it’s made to last. But, as they settle down together, they are still marvelling at their new partner’s qualities, working out what makes them tick and wondering why on earth they keep leaving the top off the toothpaste.Take Archer in this match. In the first innings, with his team still riding the crest of the drama of Leeds and the game to be defined, he went missing a bit. It wasn’t just that his speed was down a little – his average first innings speed was still a respectable 85 mph; his highest was a more than respectable 91 – but that he was unable to replicate the probing lines and lengths he had managed at Headingley. He finished with 0-97 from 27 overs and Australia built a match-defining position.In the second innings he suddenly went up a gear. His top pace was 93 mph and his average was 88. He was, once again, the high-class fast bowler England have needed for so long. He produced an invigorating spell of fast bowling that, for a moment, threatened to drag England back into the match. But Archer and the equally admirable Stuart Broad had to be rested and, honest though the rest of the attack is, they lack the bite of the opening pair.Also read: Bayliss holding out for a heroThe catalyst for the spell seemed to be some sledging from a couple of Australian players when Archer batted. Matthew Wade and Travis Head had been particularly vocal, appearing to question Archer’s commitment to Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash. It didn’t seem especially serious stuff – certainly there was nothing inappropriate, though Adelaide Strikers’ supporters may have been encouraged by it – but it did seem to irritate Archer. When Head came in to bat he was waiting.Immediately, Archer’s pace went up to 90 mph. His first delivery beat an airy push, his second was dug out and his third, a bouncer, saw Head jerk out of the way. Shortly afterwards, the batsman was struck on the arm by another short one and the pair exchanged words. The next ball, again well over 90 mph, was driven for four but the one after that, a searing inswinger to the left-hander, knocked out his middle stump. The spell to Wade was not quite as dramatic but again, Archer got his man.What can we conclude from all this? Well, firstly, that it probably isn’t too clever to rile Archer. Just as Dean Jones found when he complained about Curtly Ambrose’s wristbands or South Africa found when they bounced Devon Malcolm, it’s sometimes best not to provide any extra motivation for fast bowlers. Archer, under that calm demeanour, is a fierce competitor and thrives in the heat of the battle. Maybe the England management, and Archer himself, need to find a way to unlock that aggression on demand. You would think it may be a task for the team psychologist.But, from an England perspective, there may also have to be some tempering of expectations. Yes, Archer can bowl fast. But it is hard and it requires many factors to fall together if it is to happen. So in Leeds, for example, Archer did not feel it was necessary and concentrated on control and movement. And on the first day here, with a fierce wind and a wet outfield, he was simply unable to replicate the same rhythm. Trevor Bayliss rated the conditions “the toughest I’ve ever seen cricket played in.” He’s not a man prone to hyperbole.Broad seemed to concur. “The outfield was very wet,” he said. “It’s cut very short, so it churns up a bit and it’s hard to get grip when running in. You can’t charge in. Your feet were almost sinking behind you.” Put simply, Wednesday’s conditions would have troubled any seamer. For a young man brought up in Barbados and playing only his 31st first-class game they were hugely testing.It’s important to remind ourselves about that inexperience. That number of first-class games is almost a third of the number played by Craig Overton, who is less than a year older. Archer is learning his trade. There are bound to be days when it shows.Unlike just about everyone else who has played for England in recent years, Archer hasn’t come through the ECB’s pathways. As a result, there is little knowledge for the England management to draw upon: few captain or coach reports; no assessments from Loughborough; no feedback from Lions tours. England know they have something special here, but they don’t know many of the details of how Archer works or how he can best be utilised. There will be days when that shows, too.Jofra Archer celebrates the wicket of Matthew Wade•Getty Images

There are some potential areas of improvement, though. Archer would appear not to be the most enthusiastic embracer of warm-ups – he often bowls spin on the morning of games and sometimes on the day before the match – and instead seems to prefer to ease his way into games through bowling. That’s understandable. If he is required to bowl in match situations as often as England seem to demand, he doesn’t want to waste any deliveries in training.But, given the importance of utilising the new ball in Test cricket, that is a habit that may need to change. He needs to hit the ground running. He needs to adapt and learn. The England management, whoever that is in a few weeks, need to help him come to terms with that.Equally, though, they have to understand that he cannot be a strike and stock bowler. Mitchell Johnson, for example, bowled only three or four-overs spells during that peak period he enjoyed in 2013 to 2015. Archer’s first spell on Saturday was nine overs and, 16 overs later, he was recalled for a second spell. That workload may be sustainable for a classic English seamer – the likes of Overton – but Archer’s ceiling is higher than that. He has to be looked after a bit more. Weariness – both mental and physical – may well have played a role in his declining pace since his Test debut at Lord’s.Maybe we should be aware of some alarm bells here. We now know that Archer had a pain-killing injection in his side at the end of normal play in the World Cup final and ahead of the super-over. We know, too, that he had undergone injections ahead of several other games. Is it right that four-months into his England career, he is already requiring such treatment? He has a precious talent; he needs resting and nurturing and protecting as much as he needs medical help to continue playing.Most of all, we have to be realistic. That’s the management, the media and the supporters. Even the very best in the business of fast bowling – the likes of Malcolm Marshall and Richard Hadlee – did not bowl flat out every day. Archer showed at Leeds that he could be successful by cutting his pace and concentrating on control and movement. We shouldn’t just judge him by the speed gun. He’s better than that.At Sussex, they believe he is at his best pitching a full length that would hit a couple of inches below bail height on off stump. With his delivery point so close to the stumps and his ability to move the ball both ways, such a length invites the drives but offers the promise of several modes of dismissal. The bouncer is there only to ensure the batsman isn’t too quick to come forward and as a shock. It shouldn’t be his stock ball.Archer has already helped England to that elusive World Cup title. He’s already achieved the highest pace recorded by an England seamer. Bowlers like this come along, in England at least, very rarely. But there are going to be a few poor days on the journey and, if he’s to fulfil his obvious potential, there has be deeper understanding of what is reasonable to expect and demand from him.

Rajput was hired by three months ago as interim head coach, and has now secured the job on a long-term basis

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2018Zimbabwe have confirmed Lalchand Rajput’s appointment as permanent head coach of the men’s national side, three months after hiring him in interim capacity. Rajput replaces Heath Streak, who was sacked alongside his entire support staff following the failed 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign, and remains in legal dispute with Zimbabwe Cricket.ZC did not provide details on Rajput’s contract term, with a spokesperson only describing it as “long-term” but indicated Rajput would remain in charge for the 2020 World T20 and beyond. “We are targeting qualification for the next T20 and 50-over World Cup tournaments and we believe Lalchand has the pedigree and experience to build a young side and help us achieve our goals,” Tavengwa Mukuhlani, ZC chairman said.Rajput has already overseen Zimbabwe’s participation in a T20 triangular series involving Australia and Pakistan and a five-match ODI series against Pakistan. Zimbabwe lost all nine matches they played across those series but had the challenge of a depleted squad. Five big-name players – Brendan Taylor, Graeme Cremer, Sikandar Raza, Craig Ervine and Sean Williams – opted to sit out because of non-payment of salaries.Since then, ZC have been put on an ICC scheme which allows a drip-feed of funds into their system to help them manage their money and pay off substantial debt. The ICC allowed a special disbursement to cover outstanding salaries last month and four of the five players have returned to work – Raza remains uncertain of his future in Zimbabwe – and ZC have embarked on major cost-cutting.This includes the non-renewal of most staff contracts at the end of August. A small number of employees will be brought on board to ensure the domestic restart in November but there has been no confirmation of how many people ZC will hire, with Rajput being the first appointment since the new funding model was announced.So far, Rajput has no complaints with the Zimbabwean set-up and expressed his desire to get the team back on track in his time at the helm. “It is an honour and privilege to work with Zimbabwe Cricket and I am really pleased to be given this opportunity to take this team to the next level, to work hard and ensure we make a difference in the coming years,” he said.In a separate interview with ZC, Rajput said he was enthused by the return of the senior players.”The biggest challenge is that I want to get the team where it was earlier because the team has fantastic players who have done really well, to have a full squad will be excellent,” he said. “They will bring additional strength and confidence to the team. The likes of Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams and Craig Ervine – their coming back means a great deal.”Rajput’s first assignment as permanent head coach will be a limited-overs tour to South Africa at the end of the September before a two-Test, three ODI series in Bangladesh in October-November. Zimbabwe are not scheduled to play any home matches until at least July 2019.

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.

A round-up of all the DPL matches played on April 28, 2016

Mohammad Isam28-Apr-2016Brothers Union sealed their first win in the Dhaka Premier League by beating Kalabagan Cricket Academy by six wickets in Mirpur. Half-centuries from Tushar Imran and Zimbabwe recruit Sean Williams set up the chase of 214. While Williams was stumped by Bishawnath Halder for 70 off 81 balls, Imran stayed unbeaten on 67 off 89 balls.The 125-run partnership between Williams and Imran boosted Brothers Union, after they were weakened to 72 for 3 in the 18th over. Both openers – Shahriar Nafees and Nafees Iqbal – were run out.Earlier, each of KCA’s top six had a start with only their captain Mahmudul Hasan converting it to a fifty. He made 54 off 62 balls, including two fours, before falling to Shahid b Nur Alam. Irfan Sukkur made the second-best score – 42 off 68 balls. Seamer Mohammad Shahid and offspinner Sanjit Saha, who was playing his first competitive match since being reported for a suspect action during the Under-19 World Cup, restricted KCA with two wickets each.Alauddin Babu and Asif Ahmed steered Legends of Rupganj to a three-wicket win over Gazi Group Cricketers in Fatullah. They added an unbroken for 47 for the eighth wicket in 5.5 overs, after Rupganj had slumped to 209 for 7 by the 44th over.Having made 255 on the back of half-centuries from Shamsur Rahman and Saeed Anwar jnr, Gazi Group strengthened their advantage by reducing Rupganj to 11 for 3 by the fourth over. Mohammad Mithun and Ashar Zaidi then managed to rebuild the chase without losing track of the asking rate, courtesy a 91-run partnership for the fourth wicket. The stand ended when Alok Kapali had Zaidi caught by Saeed Anwar in the 21st over. Mithun pushed on to make his 12th List A fifty before he was bowled by Anwar.
Asif, however, stepped up with 54 off 76 balls, including three fours. He was assisted by Nahidul Islam(25) and Alauddin, who struck three sixes and a four during his 34 off 22 balls.Earlier, Gazi Group got off to a steady start with Shamsur Rahman and Anamul Haque adding 66 runs in 18.1 overs. Anamul was caught behind off Taijul Islam for 42 off 66 balls before Mahedi, who made a debut List-A hundred in the last game, fell for 2. Shamsur then hit his second fifty in a row, and added 68 runs for the third wicket with Saeed Anwar jnr, who top-scored with a 74-ball 70 that had five fours and two sixes.Mosharraf Hossain, Zaidi and Soumya took two wickets each while Abu Hider and Taijul picked up one each.Victoria Sporting Club captain Nadif Chowdhury held his nerve and guided his team to a tense two-wicket win over Mohammedan Sporting Club in BKSP-3. His eighth List A fifty – 51 not out off 47 balls – controlled the chase even as Victoria lost five wickets for 32 runs in the slog overs. Nadif added 29 for the ninth wicket with Dolar Mahmud(4*) and overhauled Mohammedan’s 247 for 9 with a six and a four in the penultimate over.Victoria had a shaky start with Fazle Mahmud falling in the fourth over for 2 off 7 balls. Abdul Mazid then combined with Mominul Haque and put on 114 for the second wicket to lift their side. Mominul was the aggressor with seven fours and one six during his 67 of 69 balls while Mazid was sedate during his 55. Both batsmen fell to off-spinning allrounder Naeem Islam in quick succession before Al-Amin, who had struck a century in his previous match, added a crucial 61 runs for the fourth wicket in Chaturanga de Silva. Nadif then took charge of the chase.Having opted to bat, Mohammedan ran into early trouble when they lost their top three by the 12th over. They soon slipped to 62 for 4 when Naeem Islam became slow left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo’s third victim in the 18th over.Mushfiqur Rahim, though, revived the innings with an 101-run partnership with veteran Faisal Hossain. The stand ended when Shuvo had Faisal caught by Dolar. Mushfiqur went on to make 104 off 108 balls before he fell to Chaturanga with the score at 188 for 6, but Ariful Haque and Nazmul Hossain Milon made cameos to provide the final flourish.

West Indies Under-19s secured a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh Under-19s in the first ODI in Guyana to lead the seven-match series 1-0

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2013
ScorecardLeroy Lugg made a half-century on debut and picked up the Man-of-the-Match award•WICB Media

West Indies Under-19s secured a convincing victory over Bangladesh Under-19s in the first ODI in Guyana to lead the seven-match series 1-0.Marquino Mindley and Ray Jordan added merit to the home side’s decision to bowl, reducing Bangladesh to 21 for 3. Mehedy Hasan, the 15-year-old allrounder and captain of the side, and Jashimuddin contrived to add backbone into a floundering total but they were unable to consolidate their starts. Once both batsmen fell in the 20s, the tail faltered as well, courtesy Alzarri Joseph’s three wickets.An early breakthrough, provided by Mehedy’s off spin, proved only a stumble as opener Leroy Lugg, on debut, led the chase with a half-century. Bangladesh dug into every resource at their disposal – they utilised nine bowlers – but Tristan Coleman and Fabian Allen took West Indies home with more than 15 overs remaining. Lugg was named Man of the Match for his 69.