A new book tries to unravel the secret behind the city’s extraordinary cricket legacy, with anecdotes about the passionate following the domestic game has had there

V Ramnarayan23-May-2015At one time, to play a first-class match in Mumbai, whether at the Brabourne or Wankhede, before television brought cricket into our drawing rooms, was to be watched by some of the greatest names in Indian cricket – Vinoo Mankad, Polly Umrigar, Vijay Manjrekar, Madhav Apte , Hanumant Singh, to name a few. There were other cricket fanatics like Raj Singh Dungarpur, with his exuberant passion for the game, and Vasu Paranjpe, whose acute observations from the pavilion on the technique and methods of individual players and on team strategies added a touch of drama to the proceedings.To a visiting cricketer, all this could be morale-boosting and exciting, imparting a new spring in his step. Not only that, if he was a good learner, he invariably went back a wiser cricketer, enriched by his contact with these greats of the game. Imagine how much richer the experience of a cricketer brought up in Mumbai cricket, reared on good turf wickets, taking part in tournaments, rubbing shoulders with stalwarts of Indian cricket from Vijay Merchant and Mankad down to Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, living and playing through the Sachin Tendulkar era.In his , Makarand Waingankar – journalist, talent spotter, administrator and former cricketer – tries to explain what lies behind the extraordinary success of the city. While the title of the book is probably the result of a copy editor’s fantasy, Waingankar brings an altogether more clinical eye to bear on his subject, while unravelling the factors underlying the phenomenal success and durability of Bombay cricket. He confesses to finding the task beyond him, but the many stories from local cricket and first-class matches, and the many personalities and anecdotes featured, more than do the job. The book also rues the falling standards over the last decade, and tries to understand why Mumbai rarely produces world-class bowlers.HarperCollinsParticularly illuminating are the chapters on the Kanga League, played during the monsoon in soggy, unpredictable conditions (a seemingly bizarre innovation by Merchant that gave Bombay cricketers a taste of English conditions before covering of pitches became mandatory), and Ranji Trophy matches in which the gallant, never-say-die spirit of Bombay cricket comes to the fore. Time and again we have watched in awe as the city’s cricket team turned hopeless situations around to win. This reviewer was at the receiving end once, in 1976 – and the chapter is an inspiring retelling of a number of such games. In the midst of these heroic tales glitters the story of Dilip Vengsarkar’s epic failure to win a Ranji Trophy final, by just two runs, against Haryana, after a 45-run partnership with the No. 11, Abey Kuruvilla, that ended in Kuruvilla getting run out.MAK Pataudi, one of many cricketers whose thoughts on Mumbai cricket figure in the book, refers to the structure of school, college and club cricket in the city, as well as to the inter-corporate tournament that helped a cricketer’s livelihood. In these games, he found the cricket “tougher than some of the Ranji Trophy matches”. Rahul Dravid attributes Mumbai’s longevity as a cricket centre to its cricket culture, its excellent facilities, and the good turf wickets a Bombay player grows up on. Nari Contractor describes the qualities a player needs to succeed in the Kanga League: “To survive on those sorts of wickets, a batsman had to adjust all the time. You had to play with soft hands. Since there was tall grass, we had to run quick singles because you just couldn’t hit a boundary.” (Unless you were Sachin Tendulkar, as the book reveals elsewhere.)While the most poignant stories are about the kind of team men Bombay cricket has produced, like Eknath Solkar and Wasim Jaffer, who put personal tragedy behind them to serve their team, there is at least one that brings a smile to the reader – that of Sudhakar Adhikari, who rushed straight from the of his wedding to the stadium to play a Ranji Trophy match. is as much about the VS Patils, Paranjpes, Amol Muzumdars, Milind Reges and other fine players and coaches below Test level, as it is about Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. It is a fascinating celebration of the Bombay brand of cricket – (win at all costs), shrewd, indefatigable. It may fall short of expectations in terms of style, but offers substance in good measure.A Million Broken Windows
The Magic and Mystique of Bombay Cricket
By Makarand Waingankar
Harper Collins India
288 pages, Rs 399

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2015Taylor struck again six overs later to bowl Brad Haddin – who scored a brisk 22 off 23 balls – and pick up his fourth Test five-for•Getty ImagesDespite the flurry of wickets at the other end, Steven Smith anchored Australia, as they scored 92 for 4 in the first session on day 2•Getty ImagesSmith remained unbeaten on 175, scoring 50% of his team’s runs, as Australia went to lunch on 350 for 8•Getty ImagesSmith was dismissed after lunch for 199, his highest Test score, and Australia were bowled out for 399 not long after•Getty ImagesTaylor finished with his best Test figures, 6 for 47•Getty ImagesThings did not start well for West Indies with the bat, as Mitchell Starc had debutant opener Rajendra Chandrika caught behind for a duck•Getty ImagesThe wickets kept falling, and Nathan Lyon passed Hugh Trumble as Australia’s leading Test wicket taker among offspinners•Getty ImagesHaddin held on to a catch between his legs to dismiss Shai Hope•Getty ImagesJosh Hazlewood troubled the middle order and claimed 3 for 15•Getty ImagesMitchell Johnson had Veerasammy Permaul caught behind on the brink of stumps to leave West Indies at 143 for 8•Getty ImagesLyon led the Australians off after finishing with 3 for 35•Getty Images

His impact with Somerset has reinforced his reputation as a roving T20 gun but Chris Gayle still considers himself to be the king of all formats

Andrew Miller11-Jun-20152:28

‘I’m the king of all formats’ – Gayle

Chris Gayle may have taken the county circuit by storm in his hard-hitting introduction to the NatWest T20 Blast, but home remains where the heart is for a man who yearns for another chance to represent West Indies on the international stage.With scores of 92, 151 not out and 85 not out in his three appearances to date for Somerset, Gayle has amassed 328 runs for once out, from 170 balls and with a remarkable 29 sixes – almost three times the tally of any other player in the competition.Yet, with a Test series currently underway between West Indies and Australia in the Caribbean, Gayle cannot help but have half an eye on the fortunes of his team, for whom he scored an ODI career-best 215 against Zimbabwe in the recent World Cup.”I’d love to play a few more international games to be honest with you,” Gayle told ESPNcricinfo. “But we’ll have to wait and see. It’s tough, the travelling is very hectic, sometimes you have to know when you’ve reached the limit in life, sometimes you have to draw the line.”But I will still push to play international cricket, when I go back home I will have a discussion with the coach and maybe with the board, so that we can work out Chris Gayle’s future, to see if they are still interested. I am still interested so I’ll look forward to that and see how best it can work out.”Chris Gayle has made a huge impact in his brief stint with Somerset•PA PhotosThroughout his stint with Somerset, Gayle has played with the number 333 on his back, a tribute to his highest Test score against Sri Lanka in 2010.”People all say Chris is the king of T20, Chris is the this and that of T20, I am the king of Test cricket too,” he says. “I scored two triple centuries. And 21 ODI centuries. So I’m the king of something. The king of all formats.”A Test match is fantastic,” he adds. “It’s a test of character but the entertainment part of cricket is phenomenal. T20 has actually brought new cricket fans into the game, so we have to continue with this as well so that people who didn’t watch can eventually get to watch Test cricket.”West Indies are in the middle of a Test series against Australia, so fingers crossed some youngsters get some opportunities and I hope they make the best use of it, we definitely have to look to the future sometimes.”Gayle’s own future seems firmly mapped out as a Twenty20 gun for hire and the reception he has received in England after his long-awaited debut in England’s competition has confirmed his status as one of the iconic players of his age.He has now scored 15 centuries in all Twenty20 competitions – the next most prolific is New Zealand’s captain, Brendon McCullum, with six – and has featured in domestic tournaments in seven different countries.”It’s good to travel the world and share different dressing rooms with different players over the world,” he says. “you learn more about your culture and you make new friends, you gain more fans around the world as well. It’s been brilliant for me, it’s fantastic, and I’ve got a century for, if not all, then most of these teams. It’s great to achieve such things, but I never know which tournament is coming up next.”Few players are better placed to assess the merits of England’s revamped Twenty20 competition, but Gayle’s initial verdict is that the quality falls a long way short of the standards he has encountered in the IPL, as well as Australia and the Caribbean.”There’s no doubt there’s a big gap between other leagues compared to IPL,” he says. “IPL is definitely No. 1, but the Caribbean Premier League is fantastic too and [Australia’s] Big Bash is up there as well. Those three leagues are the top leagues.”His opinion of England, meanwhile, is coloured by the size of the venues he has so far encountered, with his initial matches taking place on two of the country’s smaller grounds at Chelmsford and Taunton, where one of his sixes landed in the nearby River Tone.”Yeah, those two grounds are a bit small to be honest with you,” he says. “Especially Somerset, with a good track out there as well, so that’s even better. You can clear the boundary easily but anything can happen in cricket, you can get one and nick off early. When you do get a chance to score some runs you try and make the best use of it.”

“I’m looking forward to the CPL, that’s the party tournament. You can have a drink before and after the game – but, kids, don’t try this at home”

Gayle’s determination to make the most of time in the middle was exemplified in his opening fixture against Essex, when his acclimatisation to the conditions meant he was restricted to five singles in the first five overs of Somerset’s run chase. However, he eventually opened his shoulders to set up a last-ball victory.”I was trying to get a rhythm, but it just didn’t happen so at the same time I said I’m not going to panic, I know that if I bat a bit deeper I should be able to play catch-up and get it back in the bag, and that’s what happened. It was my first game, I hadn’t had a net session, I struggled to get a feel for the conditions so it was just experience.””It’s a mind thing,” he adds. “You have to prepare yourself mentally for these sort of situations. I knew it was going to be tough here, I knew it was going to be cold as well, so that’s always a trouble from a West Indian point of view. But I stuck to the task and got across the line.”After all three of his starring roles, Gayle took time to sign autographs and take photographs with hundreds of fans who thronged to meet the superstar in their midst.”The fans were fantastic in both games,” he says. “The first game was an away game but the fans were actually cheering for Chris Gayle which was very pleasing to see, and I’m glad I gave them something to cheer about. In England you always get that sort of reception, they like to make you welcome and feel at home.”Gayle’s stint in England will be over all too soon, however – a match sooner than expected, too – with his thoughts set to turn to the Caribbean Premier League in July and August.”I’m definitely looking forward to the CPL, that’s the party tournament,” he says. “You can have a drink before and after the game – kids, don’t try this at home – but that’s the main objective of CPL, to have fun.”The overseas guys come to the Caribbean, they go to the beach, have fun, chill, have a bit of rum, and then on the field we play hard cricket because we all want to win the tournament. It’s only going to get bigger and better, the buzz is going off, it’s the third year, looking forward to getting back home and getting into it.”For the second year running, one of the overseas players will be Kevin Pietersen, surplus to requirements for England’s Ashes summer despite a remarkable statement of form with a career-best 355 not out against Leicestershire last month. And Gayle had a personal message for his friend and foe.”KP, England don’t want you? Okay, come to the CPL. We’ll look after you there, if your own don’t want you, we’ll take you, we’ll accept you with both hands. You play for St Lucia Zouks, entertain the fans there, and it’ll be a cracker.”

Plays of the day from the second ODI between Bangladesh and South Africa in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur12-Jul-2015The copybook stroke
South Africa’s batsmen struggled to time the ball in the first couple of hours after deciding to bat first and there weren’t many attacking shots. In the sixth over, Faf du Plessis got his first boundary with a masterful on-drive. Mashrafe Mortaza pitched the ball right up to his bat and du Plessis simply brought his bat down as if in a tutorial video. The ball connected right on cue and mid-on could hardly move an inch.The retreat
As Hashim Amla followed through after punching a boundary in the seventh over, he came close to bumping into Mustafizur Rahman, who had just finished his follow-through. Mustafizur was looking down but swiftly moved his left foot out of the way although the batsman was still some distance from him. The change of direction was perhaps a lesson from his collision with MS Dhoni, which had resulted in a fine for the bowler and a lot of controversy.The specialty
Mustafizur got JP Duminy with his specialty off cutter as the batsman chipped straight to cover in the 32nd over. The delivery was even more effective when he got one to cut back at Kagiso Rabada who prodded forward to defend the ball but it went through him and struck the middle-stump. The turn on the ball would have made any left-arm spinner happy, especially as it went past a left-handed batsman’s defensive push.The twirl
Soumya Sarkar was peppered with the short ball and every time it was within his reach, he went for the pull shot. He timed only a few of them with the ball mostly dropping short of mid-off. But when it was pitched up, he unfurled his wrists. In the 13th over, Chris Morris pitched the ball up to him and immediately saw it fly through midwicket as Soumya went on the whip. It was a no-ball too and Soumya got boundaries off the next two balls. Bangladesh were well on their way.The miscommunication triangle
Soumya top-edged a slog against Farhaan Behardien in the 21st over and the ball went high enough for three fielders to converge under it. Faf du Plessis came from short third-man, Kagiso Rabada from short fine-leg and the wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock ran back from his position. De Kock never got close but it was the miscommunication between du Plessis and Rabada that ultimately cost South Africa a wicket. Du Plessis pulled out at the last second and Soumya survived.

The change of attitude in English cricket seems to be genuine and permanent. Talk of leaving a legacy now means more than just winning

George Dobell15-Jul-20154:49

Both sides ponder changes for Lord’s

You have to be careful using phrases like “rock bottom” in regards to England cricket. Experience – bitter, painful experience – has taught us that, just when you think England have hit the bottom – such as the 5-0 Ashes defeat at the start of 2014 – they go tunnelling; the World T20 defeat to Netherlands that followed the Ashes whitewash springs to mind.But, by any standards, the Lord’s Test against India in 2014 was a low moment. It was not just that England were beaten in their own home by a team that travels with the apparent enthusiasm of an agoraphobic. It wasn’t just that they were bounced out by a seamer who warrants few mentions among the list of the world’s most hostile. It was that the game was overshadowed by an increasingly bitter row over an alleged altercation between James Anderson and Ravi Jadeja during the previous Test. English cricket, it seemed, was neither successful nor attractive.England have not always been easy to love. While there have been moments even in recent times, most notably the summer of 2013, when they were successful, they have rarely been able to win over all their detractors. The words used to describe them – words such as remorseless, relentless, professional and hard – all hint at respect but not affection. They were admired, certainly. But loved? Not quite.They also irked opponents. Opposing teams talked of England as the side they disliked most, with Sri Lanka targeting a couple of especially vocal players during the series in 2014 and India justifying their sustained campaign against Anderson with the argument that he had become “a boil that needs lancing” in world cricket. The face of England cricket was, all too often, a snarl rather than a smile.Quite where things changed is hard to say. Anderson admitted that, post Jadeja-gate, he thought long and hard about his on-field behaviour and concluded that there was no need for the attitude that sometimes accompanied the artistry. There was talk ahead of the World Cup that England would play more positive cricket. There was talk in the Caribbean that England’s approach would no longer one of “battling” but instead they would focus on “expressing skills” and “showing their talent.” And there was talk after the New Zealand series about “playing with a smile”.

“I do feel we have made a big stride forward. If we come unstuck in this game, it is about what we can do in the next one. That’s the attitude we have, we want to get on the front foot”Alastair Cook

Sometime over the last few weeks, it all came together. The influence of Peter Moores, Paul Farbrace, Andrew Strauss, Trevor Bayliss and, crucially, the example of Brendon McCullum all provoked some reflection within the England dressing room.They accepted that their previous method had ceased to bring results and that it was not a fair illustration of who they were as young men. They reflected on the response to their success against New Zealand and found that they enjoyed the positive response from supporters. They learned from McCullum that there is no conflict between being decent and playing hard. They learned that if they played attractive cricket and behaved as attractive people, the public would respond positively.The training trip to Spain appears to have crystallised the idea. The team – and this development is led by the team rather than instilled by the management – discussed not just how they wanted to play, but how they wanted to be perceived.When England sides have talked of legacy in the past, it related simply to winning. Now when they do so, it relates to inspiring another generation of cricket lovers. It relates to making supporters proud not just of the play, but of the players. It relates to winnings hearts as well as minds. Winning in itself if not enough.”There is a feel-good factor about English cricket,” Alastair Cook said. “Whether we’ve won or lost it has been a bit of a crest of a wave. We had a brilliant one-day and Test series against new Zealand and it’s carried on there. People are positive about English cricket and that’s rubbed off on the players.”Time will tell if this approach will withstand the heat of battle. If it will withstand disappointment and success. But England were provoked verbally on several occasions in Cardiff and there have been times in the last few weeks when they have been put under pressure with bat and ball. On each occasion, they have come out – figuratively at least – swinging and smiling. The early evidence suggests that their conversion is genuine and permanent.There has been much talk of new eras in England cricket of late. The Moores era, the Morgan era, the Harrison and Graves era and the Strauss era. But this time it does feel new. Whatever your views on Kevin Pietersen, his international career is now over – the success of England’s young limited-overs squad in the series against New Zealand hammered a final nail in that coffin – and whatever your views on Andy Flower, Moores and Giles Clarke, their influence has now waned substantially. This team has a lot less baggage than previous incarnations.Trevor Bayliss and Alastair Cook are in charge of an England side with a new ethos•PA PhotosOne of the few constants is Cook. While there were few signs in the first couple of years of his captaincy career that he would develop into a particularly inspiring leader, history should have taught us to never write the man off. Just as he harnessed his talents to develop into one of England’s finest Test opening batsmen, just as he has developed into a fine slip catcher, perhaps he can grow into the role of captain?”You do get better,” Cook said ahead of the second Investec Ashes Test at Lord’s. “You do learn on the job. I hadn’t done it for any other team. You have tough moments that you look back on and think could I have done it differently? You are constantly having to evolve.”His job for now is to ensure England play with the same focused freedom that they demonstrated in Cardiff. That does not mean looking to play safety-first cricket to attempt to protect the lead – as “old England” might have done – it means playing equally aggressive cricket with the aim of increasing it. And if there was any danger of complacency, it should have been banished by the knowledge that England have now gone one-up in their last three Test series. On the previous two occasions, they failed to hold on to the lead. There will be no getting carried away this time.”Australia probably still are favourites,” Cook said. “They only have to retain the Ashes, I suppose.”The fact remains, though, that 15 of the last 17 teams to take a lead in the Ashes have gone on to win the series. And if England catch as well as they did in Cardiff – where their fielding reached a standard it had not achieved for a long time – they will give themselves a great opportunity to repeat the success.”We took our catches and played good cricket,” Cook said. “One from one is pretty good, the challenge now is can we do it again here. The last three Test series we haven’t done that.”But I do feel we have made a big stride forward. The younger guys have more experience now but, as I said before Cardiff, there is no point looking back. If we come unstuck in this game, it is about what we can do in the next one. That’s the attitude we have in our camp: we’re not protecting stuff, we want to get on the front foot.”With Australia taking an equally, and more characteristic, punchy attitude, this series is brewing to be a fine advert for the game. Coming a day after the MCC world cricket committee reiterated their concerns that Test cricket, in its current format, “will not survive”, that is surely something to be celebrated. England’s conversion to the way of McCullum may have consequences far beyond the success or failure of one team.

Stats highlights from the third day of the first Test between India and South Africa, in Mohali

Bharath Seervi07-Nov-20151 Away Tests South Africa had lost since their defeat against India at Eden Gardens in 2010. South Africa lost to Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2013-14, and the loss in Mohali was only their second in 19 away Tests in the last five years.2 Tests won by India after being bowled out for 201 or less in both innings of a Test. The last such win was against West Indies in Kingston in 2006, when India scored 200 and 171 in their two innings. Overall, this was only the eighth Test win for India when they have made 201 or fewer in the first innings.8-76 Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling figures in this match, the best in his 13 Tests, bettering his figures of 7 for 98 against Australia in Delhi in 2013.19 Wickets taken by India’s spinners in this Test, only the ninth time that they took 19 or all 20 wickets in a Test. Only three times have India’s spinners taken all the 20 wickets in a Test.13 Number of matches Jadeja has taken to complete 50 Test wickets, the joint least taken by an India left-arm spinner. Hashim Amla in South Africa’s second innings was Jadeja’s 50th scalp. Pragyan Ojha had also taken 13 Tests to reach 50 wickets. Jadeja is the 10th India left-arm spinner to take 50 or more Test wickets. Overall, he is the eighth fastest left-arm spinner to take 50 Test wickets, the fastest being Alf Valentine (West Indies) in eight Tests.26 Total runs made by the four opening stands in this Test. This was the second lowest contribution by the first wicket in a Test in India. The lowest is 25, added on two different instances – in the Test between India and New Zealand at Brabourne in 1964-65, and in the India-England Test at the Wankhede in 1981-82.9The highest opening partnership in this Test, the first instance in Tests in India when none of the four innings saw the first wicket add runs in double digits. Of the highest opening partnerships in a Test in India, these nine runs are the lowest. The previous-lowest was 13, during the Brabourne Test of 1964-65 between India and New Zealand.15 Wickets taken by South Africa spinners, the most they have taken in a Test since 1952. Overall, the most wickets the South Africa spinners have taken in any Test is the 16 they took against Australia at the MCG in 1952-53. On that occasion, Hugh Tayfield alone took 13 wickets.15.93Bowling average of the South Africa spinners in this Test. Among all the previous instances of a visiting team’s spinners taking 15 or more wickets, the average of 15.93 is the sixth best in a Test match in India. The best was by Australia’s spinners, who averaged 12.17 in the Eden Gardens Test of 1956-57, where the spinners led by Richie Benaud took 17 wickets.Faf du Plessis lasted just 10 balls in the Test, scoring just one run•BCCI39 Runs added by India’s last seven wickets in the second innings. India lost the third wicket for 161 runs and the last wicket fell for 200 runs. This is the second-fewest runs added by the last seven wickets in an innings for India in home Tests.1 Runs scored by Faf du Plessis in the this Test. In his 23 Tests, this was his worst performance when he has batted in both innings. Only once had he aggregated fewer than 20 runs in any Test before this – scores of 1 and 9 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2013-14.4 Consecutive Tests in India – each having been won by the hosts – that have ended inside three days, including this Mohali Test. This is the longest consecutive sequence of three-day Tests in any country. Since the last of the officially scheduled three-day Tests was played back in 1949, there have been four instances of three-match long sequence of Tests ending inside three days, one each in New Zealand, Australia, England and Bangladesh. India’s current sequence of four consecutive wins inside three days is the longest for any country at home since 1950.2008 The last time South Africa lost a Test inside three days, which was also against India, in Kanpur. Since their return to Test cricket, the Kanpur Test was the third such defeat for South Africa, with the previous two having come against Australia, in Cape Town in 2006 and in Johannesburg in 2002.

The Red Rose heritage made the wait even harder to bear but Lancashire at last shed their unwanted title of champions chokers

Paul Edwards at Edgbaston29-Aug-201517:44

The Blast: Lancashire break their T20 duck

It had scarcely promised to be a showpiece. It was a match between the county that couldn’t win finals and the county that couldn’t pay its bills. And it was played on a pitch that had seemed as dead as the Sogdian language. And yet, in the precise moment of victory as Lancastrian roars echoed in the still Birmingham air, none of those things mattered a damn.Instead, as tiny knots of overjoyed red-shirted cricketers joined in the tightest of hugs, they revelled in the exultation of the moment. This was the special euphoria for which Lancashire’s players had worked since they had gathered for pre-season training last December. Then they went over and shared it with their many supporters in the Raglan Stand. Then they danced about on the field in the licensed irresponsibility of complete happiness. There were curious echoes of Taunton in 2011, when Lancashire won the County Championship outright for the first time since 1934. It was that special for them.There were only two survivors of that team in the 11 that eventually overcame Northants’ brave resistance here. Cricketers like Gavin Griffiths and Liam Livingstone are nothing like regular first-team cricketers. Now they have done something that will stay with them until playing cricket is itself a memory. It didn’t matter two hoots that qualifying for the quarter-finals had depended on it hosing down at Grace Road back in July. Maybe it’s better that way.Only when Lancashire’s players and supporters reflected on what they had done did the contexts of triumph begin to count. Their joy at Edgbaston was all the greater because they had suffered disappointment here so frequently. They are no strangers to the whips and scorns of time.”Clearer than Scafell Pike, my heart has stamped on / The view from Birmingham to Wolverhampton,” wrote WH Auden in “Letter to Lord Byron” and a few Lancashire fans may smile in grim identification with the lines. For this was their side’s fifth Finals Day at Edgbaston and their second final in England’s second city.In 2007, Lancashire’s side included Andrew Flintoff, Stuart Law, Brad Hodge and Muttiah Muralitharan; they lost to Gloucestershire in the morning semi. Supporters have dutifully booked their hotels and travelled down the M6 on Friday evening or Saturday morning scarcely able to voice their hopes, only to return on Sunday – or even Saturday afternoon in the really bad years – cloaked in the silent gloom of defeat. It won’t be like that tomorrow.

There were happy Sundays at Old Trafford long before the Happy Mondays were a gleam in Shaun Ryder’s eye

And maybe it was appropriate that the best entertainment of the day was saved until the final game. Twenty-over cricket is ideally suited to the evening and, indeed, was been played from May to early August in local tournaments across England long, long before white balls and floodlights were features of the game.The uninhibited batting of Jos Buttler and David Willey, the canny spin bowling of Shahid Afridi and Arron Lilley are all in their way very distant descendants of the skills learned by these players’ amateur counterparts. The Big Bash, the IPL, the NatWest Blast are multi-million dollar operations which have revolutionised the techniques of T20 cricket. And yet they are also highly professional echoes of very enjoyable games played in Gloucestershire, Cumberland, Merseyside and elsewhere. It was just that the latter didn’t have duck quacks and trumpets.And it might be worth remembering that if Stephen Parry and Griffiths had not been playing for Lancashire today, they would have been turning out for their clubs, Formby and Ormskirk. Brook Lane is where Griffiths often bowls his seamers. Ormskirk’s pavilion will be rocking tonight, as will more than a few Birmingham hotels.”It was a big call to give Gavin his debut and there was a bit of head scratching this morning but he’s had a good week in practice and we had every faith in him,” Steven Croft, Lancashire’s captain, said. “He’s good under pressure and he’s a good death bowler as well.” Griffiths was five when Lancashire last won a one-day trophy.If anything, Red Rose heritage made things worse. In the 30 seasons from 1970 to 1999, Lancashire won 16 limited-over trophies. Lord’s became a second home. The county dominated the old 40-over league. There were happy Sundays at Old Trafford long before the Happy Mondays were a gleam in Shaun Ryder’s eye. Since 1999, though, there had been diddly-squat one-day trophies, apart, perhaps, from the unwanted, unofficial title of champion chokers. Well, not any more, the roars from the Raglan Stand seemed to say as Griffiths bowled that final over. Not any more.It was good to see Northants get so near to winning the trophy, too. This after all, is the county some would exclude from such grand entertainments. Few people of sound mind talk about basing a franchise in Wantage Road, yet no ground possesses a livelier atmosphere on a T20 Friday evening. And here Alex Wakely’s boys were and it was rather pleasing to see the noses of the moneyed mighty so fiercely tweaked. They pushed Croft’s bowlers and fielders almost to the limit. But this, at last, was Lancashire’s year. And, you know, maybe they had waited long enough.

Plays of the day from the third ODI between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Nelson

Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Dec-2015The Williamson wangleKane Williamson usually navigates even Sri Lanka’s best deliveries with ease, so when he crossed fifty for the seventh time in 10 ODI innings, he seemed set for a straightforward march to triple figures. But even the best players are capable of giving it away. Williamson came down the track to convert a full Milinda Siriwardana ball into a full toss. Then, having given himself the option of hitting the ball anywhere, Williamson slapped it straight to mid-on.The lunge and splitsMitchell Santner had not been thinking of taking a quick leg bye when Dushmantha Chameera’s short ball struck him on the body. His partner Doug Bracewell, though, was halfway down the pitch. Responding late, Santner took off, but by that stage, Bracewell had already turned back. Worse, Chameera had scooped up the ball in his follow-through. Santner stopped mid-lunge and dived back at his crease, but his feet got caught on the pitch and his legs ended up splayed on the pitch. Chameera’s under-arm throw caught him short a few centimetres.The payback welcomeIn the forty-eighth over of Sri Lanka’s innings, Doug Bracewell had hit Danushka Gunathilaka in the mouth. Lining up for a catch off Bracewell’s bat at deep-square leg, Gunathilaka let the ball slip through his fingers and hit him on the lips. He had to go off the field immediately, but when he saw Bracewell again, he made sure to take some sort of revenge. Bracewell’s first ball of the innings was a fullish delivery outside off stump. Gunathilaka leaned into a powerful lofted drive, and sent the ball 92 metres over the bowler’s head, way over the boundary.The slip-catching practiceGunathilaka had hit the ball cleanly enough to have New Zealand remove their cordon from early in his innings, but after he crossed fifty, Williamson installed a wide slip again. Bowling to his captain’s plan, Mitchell McClenaghan delivered a short-of-a-length ball just outside off stump. Gunathilaka opened his face and sent the ball directly to that wide slip, almost off the middle of his bat.

He can bowl offspin and he can bowl left-arm spin. He is also a handy batsman. Meet Akshay Karnewar

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jan-2016A week ago, Himachal Pradesh captain and allrounder Bipul Sharma was trying to chase down Vidarbha’s 183 in a crucial league match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20. The winner would earn a ticket to enter the Super League.Bipul, a left-hander, was facing Akshay Karnewar, the 23-year-old Vidarbha left-arm spinner, who he dealt with effortlessly. Then Karnewar told the umpire he was switching to right-arm offspin. ? [How can this be possible?] He [Bipul] was absolutely shocked,” Ravi Thakur, Karnewar’s room-mate, says.”Sorry, what?” is an expression frequent among those who have faced the nearly six-foot tall Karnewar. Ever since his first coach, seeing him bat left-handed, instructed him to bowl left-arm spin, Karnewar has posed doubts in the minds of batsmen and umpires with his double act.Ambidextrous spinners are a rarity in cricket, and bowling with both arms is something that has only been tried in international cricket for a bit of light relief. But despite his freakish ability, Karnewar remains modest.He is a quiet individual. His room-mate Thakur, the Vidarbha fast bowler, pitches in and prompts Karnewar to point out how much of an “important” player he is. “Tell them why you are a player a team should pick. Even if there is a left-right combination, it is an advantage for you with your skills to move the ball out to both. The opposition might think you are a left-arm spinner, so let us send in a left-hander, but you can move to bowling right-arm offspin and spin the ball away from the left-hander,” Thakur points out. Karnewar smiles modestly.Karnewar originally started as a right-arm offspinner when he took up cricket seriously as a 13-year-old. His coach then, Balu Navghare, having noticed that Karnewar was doing everything else with his left hand – batting, throwing, everything except writing – encouraged him to try bowling left-arm spin, too. It took Karnewar about two years to feel comfortable bowling left-arm, since when he has bowled with both arms.Another turning point came around 2008, when Karnewar, who comes from Pandharkawda village in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, attended the Vidarbha Cricket Academy selection trials conducted by the former Mumbai wicketkeeper Sulakshan Kulkarni. Kulkarni motivated Karnewar to bowl in BCCI-organised tournaments, boosting his confidence and providing support.Soon he would play the DY Patil Twenty20, a tournament that features a number of Indian players. This was followed by trials for Rajasthan Royals, about five years ago – Karnewar does not recollect the exact year, but he was not picked.Karnewar is a good batsman as well, and again Thakur says he gets far less credit than he deserves. Thakur recollects the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Odisha in Delhi where Vidarbha fell short by four runs chasing 227 for victory. Karnewar made 72. “Chance batting [I don’t get much of a chance to bat],” Karnewar says with a smile.Although he is nearly six feet tall, Karnewar delivers the ball with a flattish arm action, without imparting much turn. “My aim always is to maintain a wicket-to-wicket line, bowl dot balls, increase the pressure on the batsman, and I feel that will get me the wickets,” he says.Karnewar reckons his ambidexterity gives him the psychological edge. “There is the doubt in the batsman’s mind where he might think, ‘If he bowls offspin the ball will come in, and if I pad up to him, I could get bowled.’ Also in limited-overs cricket, I can wrap up the overs quickly.”Karnewar has for the first time registered himself for the IPL auction, but he is not disappointed that no IPL franchise has come forward to recruit him so far. “This is the first time I am playing [for Vidarbha] at the senior level [in Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali]. No one knows about my talent. The more I play, the more it will be reflected, and I would imagine people would take notice.”

Karnewar originally started as a right-arm offspinner when he took up cricket seriously as a 13-year-old. His coach, Balu Navghare, having noticed that Karnewar was doing everything else with his left hand encouraged him to try bowling left-arm spin

Former Mumbai and India fast bowler Paras Mhambrey, who is Vidarbha’s coach, says he would like to see Karnewar grow. According to Mhambrey, Karnewar is “not a big turner” of the ball and pitch conditions play a key role in his success.”It is a very different craft that he possesses,” Mhambrey says. “Somewhere down the line it would be interesting to see him bowl against the top guys. Maybe a couple of years down the line, after he plays a lot more cricket, matures, then we could see him out there. It is a little too early to push him at a level like the IPL.”Mhambrey wants Karnewar to focus on becoming more lethal with his offbreaks, and plans to bowl him more in the Ranji nets to make him sharper.Thakur prompts Karnewar to go back to the close defeat against Baroda in the first match of the Super League two days previously. Hard-hitting allrounder Hardik Pandya snatched the match from Vidarbha’s grip with a 20-run blast against medium-pacer Ravi Jangid in the 15th over.Asked what he would have bowled to Pandya, Karnewar says: “I would give him a single by pitching short of length outside the off stump. He was ready to step out and hit. But I would have my cover back, giving him no chance to hit over the inner circle.”Two overs before Pandya cut loose, Karnewar had kept Yusuf Pathan in check. Yusuf had hit Jangid for a six when Karnewar came on to bowl. “My plan was to vary my speed, because if I pitched on one length, he would easily hit me.” Yusuf wanted the big hit, but Karnewar did not offer him width or length. Trying to hit over midwicket, Yusuf was beaten by the slow pace of the delivery in flight and bowled.If Yusuf faced left-arm spin, his brother Irfan had to deal with offspin. “He said, , offspin,'” Karnewar says. After the match Yusuf praised Karnewar, and asked: [You bowl well with both hands or what?]”

Plays of the day from the first T20 international between New Zealand and Pakistan in Auckland

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Jan-2016The welcome

There were more cheers than boos for Mohammad Amir upon his international return, but it wasn’t until the fourth over of New Zealand’s innings that he received the most time-honoured Pakistan fast bowler’s welcome. He had Kane Williamson top-edge a ball in that over, and Shahid Afridi barely had to move at cover to settle under it. Having set himself up beautifully beneath the ball, Afridi proceeded to spill the catch.The dip and grip
Ahmed Shehzad said Pakistan did not expect New Zealand to use much spin on Friday but, having picked two frontline slow-bowling options in their XI, the hosts brought Mitchell Santner on to bowl the seventh over. Sohaib Maqsood would also have been surprised at the turn on offer from Eden Park’s drop-in pitch. He ran at Santner’s first delivery, but Santner had the ball dropping short of the batsman and turning sharply to evade his stroke. Luke Ronchi was left with an easy stumping.The overhead smash
Mohammad Hafeez had pulled well during his innings, but his most memorable use of the shot came in the 15th over, against Adam Milne. The bowler delivered a short ball that rose just above head height to Hafeez, but though the ball was too wide of off stump to pull, Hafeez found himself trying to drag the ball to the leg side. The shot he ended up playing might have been more at home on a tennis court than a cricket field. He connected with the ball, bat pointing slightly upwards, and smashed the ball in the air, to split the gap between long-on and deep midwicket.The failed self-sacrifice
Kane Williamson knew he’d put Martin Guptill in trouble when he hit a ball to the covers in the second over, called his partner through, then changed his mind mid-way down the pitch. Just as Guptill turned, Williamson suddenly made a dash towards the non-striker’s end, hoping to overtake his partner and run himself out. It was too late. The bails had already been snapped off, and Guptill was left to trudge back to the pavilion, cursing.