West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s son, Tagenarine, will make his first-class debut at the age of 16

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2013West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s son, Tagenarine, will make his first-class debut at the age of 16, for Guyana against Leeward Islands in the regional four-day competition in Antigua from February 9.Tagenarine has been selected as an opener for Guyana, who are captained by spinner Veerasammy Permaul.Tagenarine, like his father, is said to be a patient batsman, hard to dislodge and capable of spending a lot of time at the crease.Shivnarine had also made his first-class debut for Guyana as a teenager, when he was 18. He is currently playing the Bangladesh Premier League and will be away during the course of his son’s debut.The competition has been dominated by Jamaica for the past five years. Guyana last won the title in the 1997-98 season.

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChittagong Kings registered first points in this season’s BPL after they pulled off an unlikely win over Barisal Burners by 21 runs. Defending a small total, the Chittagong bowlers, led by Enamul Haque jnr who took two crucial wickets in an economical spell, kept Barisal under pressure throughout .The left-arm spinner took the crucial wicket of Brad Hodge when the
Barisal captain appeared set to take his side home. But the
Australian was stumped for 34, and it triggered a collapse that saw them
restricted to 108 for 9 in 20 overs. The other left-arm spinner,
Arafat Sunny, and medium-pacer Kevon Cooper also took two wickets each.Chittagong’s total appeared not good enough on a wicket that offered little to the bowlers. Naeem Islam and Ravi Bopara added 52 for the first wicket but were separated in the eighth over. It opened the gate for other Chittagong big-hitters to come in but they too couldn’t do much to boost the run-rate. Ryan ten Doeschate made 23 while Jacob Oram managed 18.For Barisal, Kabir Ali, Azhar Mahmood and Shafiul Islam took two wickets each, and kept things tight as Chittagong didn’t manage a single hit for six during their 20 overs.

Solid performances from the top-order batsmen helped New Zealand XI pull off a thrilling three-wicket win over England XI in the second Twenty20 tour match in Whangerei on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTom Latham top-scored in New Zealand XI’s successful chase•Getty Images

Solid performances from the top-order batsmen helped New Zealand XI pull off a thrilling three-wicket win over England XI in the second Twenty20 tour match in Whangerei on Wednesday. Set a target of 171, New Zealand XI managed a last-ball victory after losing the first practice match on Tuesday by 46 runs.The stand-out performance for the hosts came from Canterbury batsman Tom Latham, who built on the good start by the openers Hamish Rutherford and Anton Devcich, scoring a brisk 64 off 38 balls. Subsequently, at one stage it looked like New Zealand would win with a few overs to spare.However, England made a strong comeback, taking three wickets in seven balls to give themselves a shot at victory. Luke Ronchi and Latham were dismissed in the penultimate over by England captain Stuart Broad and Dernbach then dismissed Doug Bracewell off the first ball of the 20th over. It was left to pacers Matt Henry and Andrew Ellis to score the required runs in the final over.New Zealand XI put up a better bowling performance compared to the first practice match and managed to keep the England batting in check till the 12th over when Jos Buttler joined Eoin Morgan at the crease. The two brought in their good form from the previous game, adding 87 runs in 8.2 overs before Buttler, who made an unbeaten half-century in the previous match, was dismissed for 51 off 31 balls by Neil Wagner.England opener Michael Lumb said his side was not too disappointed with the tight finish. “We did drag it back well. They could have run away with it easily but we showed a bit of fight and I think it’s a good sign we can take away. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted but the game went to the wire and that should hold us in good stead if we get some close games in the next few days.”Latham was disappointed about his dismissal but was relieved to be back among the runs. “I have been struggling a little bit this season, but I have started timing the ball better and getting into the right place,” he said.England will play New Zealand in the first of three Twenty20 internationals from February 9 in Auckland.

Bangladesh need a strong on-field performance to restore Test cricket to its level within the country’s cricket system

Mohammad Isam in Galle07-Mar-2013When there are calls to protect the primacy of Test cricket, its newest participant often slips somewhere between the eloquent paragraphs.Bangladesh have entered a phase where some cricketers are subtly, through their actions, sending out a message that Twenty20s are their choice of format. When they face Sri Lanka in Galle tomorrow, it will be their first Test this year, almost three months after their last, and it comes on the back of the Bangladesh Premier League.The initiation of the BPL, the emblematic domestic T20 competition, has brought on the advent of “choice” to the Bangladeshi cricketer. Harsh though it may be, playing for Bangladesh is no longer the only option for a cricketer with above-average skills. The BPL offers enough money to a player and, judging by the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) announcement of enhanced match fees for Tests, ODIs and T20s, sticking to the safety of the BPL has become an obvious option for many cricketers. It has happened in India, West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Given how the importance of the BPL has grown among players and the BCB, Bangladesh could be the next in line to accommodate T20s in every aspect of its cricket.At times like this, the buck stops with the captain. Bangladesh is led by Mushfiqur Rahim, a strong character with a penchant for an occasional emotional outburst. But he has come of age as a wicketkeeper and a batsman, working harder than anyone in the team and gaining respect as a leader. He is a sort of individual who needs to do well to be in the right frame of mind while leading the side. In the last 18 months, Mushfiqur has seldom failed with the bat or gloves, giving him the emotional stability to captain the team. And he can lead the team’s mindset, helping them define their individual Test cricket aspirations.Bangladesh, however, have not done well in Test cricket, not even under the matured Mushfiqur. They pushed West Indies for two-and-a-half days late last year but that form didn’t last very long. Glimpses of brilliance, guts and tenacity were all there but ultimately, the scoreline read 0-2, a sight that Bangladesh fans are now used to seeing at the end of most Test series. Bangladesh need a brilliant on-field performance to lift their image and, if they can push Sri Lanka like they did the West Indies and finish it off, it will only benefit the players.Against Sri Lanka, Mushfiqur will need performances from Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah and Mohammad Ashraful to make this tour more successful than the four previous ones. Bangladesh have never drawn a Test match in Sri Lanka, losing all eight matches. This is, however, a country that they have enjoyed playing in over the years.The team is without its best cricketer, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur will yearn for his abilities with the bat and ball when the Sri Lankan batsmen get going. The bowling attack is specially thin; offspinner Sohag Gazi can be a threat with his control and flight, but none of the other bowlers have had enough bowling practice to stake a claim as automatic choices in the line-up.The selectors believe the pace bowling department is their blind spot. It is likely that Abul Hasan’s mid-match sickness is related to the sloppy training schedule of BPL teams, and Rubel Hossain’s lack of rhythm can be put down to the limited number of matches he has played between January and February.The BCB president pointed out on Wednesday that there is a trend among players to think twice before playing the longer version of the game, even as they adopt a different attitude towards T20. Just as the buck stops with the captain when it comes to on-field performance (and Mushfiqur will be liable regardless of the team’s result), Nazmul Hassan must himself and his associates within the BCB one very important question: what is more important to Bangladesh cricket?

It is probably only natural that a club based in the middle of one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe will reflect the community it serves. But, even by the standards of London, this Middlesex side is a cosmopolitan bunch.

George Dobell at Trent Bridge11-Apr-2013
ScorecardJohn Simpson benefited from some poor bowling to register his first Championship half-century since September 2011•Getty Images

It is probably only natural that a club based in the middle of one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe will reflect the community it serves. But, even by the standards of London, this Middlesex side is a cosmopolitan bunch.It contains two men born in Australia, three men born or brought up in South Africa, one born in German, another in Wales and one each from Lancashire and Kent. Even the two London-born players, Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones, have previously passed through the Surrey system. You could make a strong case to argue that not one of this team have developed through the Middlesex development programme.Middlesex, noting their reliance upon imports, have invested heavily in their facilities in recent times and it is hoped, in time, they will be more self reliant.But they were grateful for a couple of their imports on the second day of this game. First Sam Robson established a platform before John Simpson built on it to earn Middlesex a position from which they could earn a match-defining advantage on day three.Robson looks a fine player. There is more than a passing resemblance to Mike Atherton in his determination and the way he looks at the crease, with the fluency through wide mid on and the similarities of the cut stroke most uncanny.But quite who benefits from his development remains to be seen. Robson, who claims he is uncertain over his qualification status, was born in Australia, played for the U19 side and returned to participate in Grade cricket this winter. He has a British mother, however, and is ensuring he spends enough time in the UK to qualify for England at the start of the 2014 season. In this weather, that probably shows some level of commitment.Bearing in mind Australia’s current dearth of batting talent, however, he could well be one of three men in this match (Chris Rogers and Ed Cowan are the others) considered for national selection some time before then. His options remain open and Australia could do a great deal worse.Certainly he was reluctant to categorically confirm his commitment to England when asked about it at the close of play. “Everyone wants to play international cricket,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “I’m loving playing in England and my home is in London. I’m not looking at anything more than that.”Whether that is a satisfactory situation in a county game that is duty bound to support the development of the England team is debatable. While it might be argued that players like Robson help raise the standard, it might equally be argued that they impede the progress of young men who would be less equivocal in their national commitments. Robson, understandably focused on making his way in the game, is hardly to blame for the unsatisfactory regulations.Robson, keeping with the theme of this match, battled hard only to then play a large part in his own downfall. Throwing his hands at a wide ball, he edged to the keeper in a spell of play that brought Nottinghamshire back into the game; a shot he later described as “criminal”. Middlesex, having posted 106 for the first wicket, then lost five wickets for 69 runs. Still trailing by 103 with their top-order gone, the match was in the balance.That Nottinghamshire side were unable to capitalise upon that position was largely their own fault. On a pitch offering variable bounce and in conditions offering just enough seam and swing, they delivered far too many release balls to build the requisite pressure. Middlesex accumulated 160 runs in boundaries and another 38 in extras – including 11 from wides and eight from no-balls – as Nottinghamshire’s bowlers squandered the conditions and sprayed the ball around.”We’re slightly disappointed,” Luke Fletcher, the pick of the bowlers, admitted afterwards. “We didn’t put the ball in the right areas enough. It is still moving around and swinging.”Gareth Berg – South African born, but an Italian international cricketer – and Simpson also deserve some credit. The pair added 116 for the sixth wicket with Simpson registering his first half-century in the Championship since September 2011. He drove and cut nicely, but could count himself fortunate that Nottinghamshire’s bowlers remained so inconsistent. He had earned his side a lead of 19 by the time bad light ended play 9.2 overs early. Possibly, had Ollie Rayner been dismissed, play could have continued: if is often said you can see clearly once Rayner has gone.Perhaps the cold contributed to Nottinghamshire’s problems. In conditions so cold that even Captain Oates would think twice before venturing out for a walk, the floodlights remained on for the entire day and fielding was an uncomfortable business.When Nottinghamshire did stick to a decent line and length, they won due reward. Chris Rogers, who may have nudged the Australian selectors once more by passing 19,000 first-class runs on his way to another half-century, perished when he left a straight one that swung back at him before Joe Denly, Dawid Malan and Neil Dexter were all forced onto the back foot by sustained and impressive spells of short bowling and then dismissed when they failed to get fully forward to fuller balls.While Fletcher may still more resemble the chef at Hooters he used to be than an elite athlete, he bowled with skill and discipline. Ajmal Shahzad, among some pretty horrid stuff, also bowled some excellent deliveries, but Andy Carter, feeding the cut shot, endured a disappointing day and Andre Adams, by his lofty standards, was surprisingly inconsistent.Middlesex’s hopes of pressing for victory could be harmed by an injury to James Harris, though. The club fear he has a hamstring strain, but hope he has been suffering from cramp after his exertions on the first day. It remains to be seen if he will bowl again in the game.

Shaun Marsh has passed a fitness test in Australia and will fly to India to rejoin the Kings XI Punjab squad

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2013Shaun Marsh will join the Kings XI Punjab squad on Saturday after passing a fitness test in Australia on Friday. Marsh had been recovering from a ruptured hamstring tendon behind his right knee, an injury he picked while playing for Australia A in February.”I’m feeling fit and healthy so I can’t wait to get back to playing cricket again and am really excited about the next five weeks in the IPL,” Marsh said in a media release issued by Perth Scorchers, his team in the Big Bash .Marsh’s recovery is a big boost for Punjab, whose top order has been struggling badly, including the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Their coach Darren Lehmann conceded earlier this week that it was a big concern. With 1603 runs, he is by far Kings XI Punjab’s best batsman. He has a century and the most number of fifties (13). He has also hit the most number of boundaries for Punjab (223) and has the best average (45.80), and one of the highest strike-rates in the team.

James Taylor hit a fine century as Nottinghamshire opened their Yorkshire Bank 40 campaign in some style with an 83-run win over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

05-May-2013Nottinghamshire 287 for 4 (Taylor 108) beat Northamptonshire 204 for 8 (Patel 3-30) by 83 runs
ScorecardJames Taylor scored his seventh List A hundred•AFP

James Taylor hit a fine century as Nottinghamshire opened their Yorkshire Bank 40 campaign in some style with an 83-run win over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. The difference in quality was marked as the visitors, fielding six internationals, batted with real purpose, Taylor scoring 108 off 102 balls, before an efficient job with the ball.Taylor’s century, plus 95 from Samit Patel, saw Nottinghamshire post 287 for 4 from their 40 overs with Northants failing to get going as they fell short of a first win. Andrew Hall hit an unbeaten 58 but it was too late as Patel combined his performance with the bat with the ball taking 3 for 30.Chris Read called correctly electing to bat, and, after Michael Lumb fell to Trent Copeland in the second over, the visitors made hay on a decent surface.Alex Hales assumed the dominant role in the initial stages with the initial eight powerplay overs finishing with the score at 48 for 1. Hales reached his 50 off as many balls, two runs after being badly dropped at short fine-leg off Hall, but his innings ended when he aimed a crude swipe at Steven Crook. That brought in Patel and, in collaboration with Taylor, the pair added 149 in under 18 overs.Taylor’s first 50 was relatively sedate, taking 69 balls, but he accelerated markedly to his century with three figures coming up in a further 29 deliveries before he picked out long-on shortly after to give Crook a second wicket.Patel, dropped twice before reaching 40, was in full flow by this stage but fell five short of his own century, off just 66 balls, when he skied a return catch to Copeland in the final over.The hosts’ reply started promisingly as Stephen Peters, with 21, and Kyle Coetzer, 30, put on 50 in the Powerplay without any undue fuss but their good work quickly unravelled.Peters, advancing down the pitch to Patel, had his stumps rattled and the same fate befell Coetzer who had his leg stump removed by Jake Ball in the next over. Two then became three as Alex Wakely missed a rashly attempted reverse sweep off Patel and at 63 for 3 a tricky task suddenly looked very difficult indeed.David Sales then steered a short, wide offering from Ball to backward point as what was 59 without loss before Peters fell, became 64 for 4.Ben Duckett didn’t hang around too long as he gloved a pre-meditated switch hit to Read and Crook was stumped in Graeme Swann’s first over. Hall and James Middlebrook provided some belated resistance with 58 and 43 respectively in a partnership of 97 but it was all in vain.

An aggressive all-round display by India, including another match-winning century from Dinesh Karthik and a five-wicket haul from Umesh Yadav, inflicted a stinging 243-run defeat on Australia

Nagraj Gollapudi in Cardiff04-Jun-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDhoni and Karthik put on 211 runs for the sixth wicket to effectively take the game away from Australia•Associated Press

An aggressive all-round display by India, including another match-winning century from Dinesh Karthik and a five-wicket haul from Umesh Yadav, inflicted a stinging 243-run defeat on Australia in the teams’ second warm-up match.Karthik was the batting star of the match, scoring his second consecutive ton in the warm-up fixtures, strengthening his case for a place in India’s starting XI in the tournament. “I think he has earned his place in the side and we’ll just have to see who misses out when we play against South Africa,” MS Dhoni said after the game. “I’d like him to play at the top of the order but we’ll [have to wait and] see.”The game was virtually over 54 minutes into the chase, when Australia were reduced to 34 for 6 in the face of some fierce fast bowling from Yadav, who picked up a five-wicket haul in his first, and only, spell of five overs. Yadav, who got married last Wednesday, had joined the Indian squad three days later and had been rested in the first warm-up match against Sri Lanka on Saturday.Australia’s troubles started in the second over when Matthew Wade, opening ahead of Phillip Hughes, played on while attempting a pull. David Warner’s horrific run continued as he went for an expansive stroke against a full delivery that was moving away, only to be caught brilliantly at first slip by R Ashwin. This was Warner’s third duck in his last four innings.In the fifth over, George Bailey misread the line of a Yadav delivery that seamed away and was bowled for 1. Four overs later, Hughes went for an exuberant pull and played on. Mitchell Marsh was unlucky, given caught behind to a delivery that seamed in and flicked his trousers on its way to MS Dhoni. Australia’s hopes were extinguished when Shane Watson, who had scored a match-winning century against West Indies, attempted to cut Ishant Sharma and joined the club of Australian batsmen who played on.India had also found themselves in a similar trap at 55 for 5. That they recovered from that precarious position was solely due to the mature batting between Karthik and Dhoni, whose 211-run partnership powered India’s fightback.Though only one wicket fell to a spinner, the pitch wasn’t exactly a grassy, seamer-friendly one. Although it had good bounce and carry, there was not much lateral movement.Karthik, who hit an unbeaten 106 in the victory against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, was once again at ease. As he had done with Virat Kohli, during their 185-run stand against Sri Lanka, Karthik shared the workload with Dhoni. One of the major reasons Australia failed to dominate either of the batsmen was because both ran fast between the wickets, and they rotated strike constantly without worrying about the run-rate.At the start of the batting Powerplay, which Karthik and Dhoni took from the 34th over, India were 137 for 5. They scored another 34 runs during those five overs of field restrictions. While that began the charge, India completely turned the game in the final ten overs, as they smashed 100 runs to muscle the total past 300, a score which looked remote when Karthik and Dhoni first came together.Dhoni brought up his half-century with a six over long-off against Marsh in the 40th over, and then slapped a flat one-bounce boundary, before a six over the point boundary made it the most expensive over of the match with 22 runs. Under pressure, the Australian bowlers failed to bowl to their fields and erred in their lengths.Dhoni even pulled out his patented helicopter stroke against James Faulkner for a one-bounce four to midwicket. That took him into the nineties but he was not nervous as he went for a straight hit a couple of deliveries later, but failed to clear Mitchell Johnson at long-off.His departure did not slow Karthik, who got to his second century in as many matches with a mistimed pull against Mitchell Starc, as the top edge flew over the wicketkeeper for a boundary. But later he hit two spectacular fours: a flick past fine leg followed by a chopped drive against yorker-length deliveries from Starc. Karthik piled on 35 runs from 19 deliveries in the final five overs as India’s total swelled to winning proportions.