Hobart Hurricanes won their fourth game in a row, thanks to a collective effort from their bowlers and an unbeaten 45 from Owais Shah in the chase against Sydney Thunder

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Owais Shah steered Hobart Hurricanes home in the chase•Getty Images

Hobart Hurricanes won their fourth game in a row, thanks to a collective effort from their bowlers and an unbeaten 45 from Owais Shah in the chase against Sydney Thunder.The Hurricanes bowlers, after Thunder chose to bat, bowled economical spells, three of them going for under six an over. An explosive start from Chris Gayle, who made 53 in 32 balls, smashing five sixes, and his 53-run stand with Sean Abbott threatened to take the game away from the Hurricanes. Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner, came in for stick, conceding 45 in his four overs. But from 114 for 2, Thunder slipped to 138 for 8. Naved-ul-Hasan picked up three wickets and was ably supported by Matt Johnston and Ben Laughlin.The Hurricanes, in their chase, lost Phil Jacques in the first over but Jonathan Wells and Travis Birt put together a half-century stand for the second wicket. Wells was the third wicket to fall after a patient 29, but Shah and Tom Triffitt added 38 for the fourth wicket. Despite the loss of a couple of quick wickets, Shah kept the charge on from one end, making an unbeaten 41 in 32 balls and steering Hurricanes to victory by five wickets.

Phillip Hughes will spend the entire 2012 season at Worcestershire after extending his contract with the county

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jan-2012Phillip Hughes will spend the entire 2012 season at Worcestershire after extending his contract with the county. Hughes, the 23-year-old Australia opener who was dropped from the Test team after a disappointing series against New Zealand, had originally agreed to join Worcestershire in June but has now agreed to arrive in the UK at the start of April.The attractions of the relationship are obvious to both parties. Hughes, whose technique has been exposed somewhat at international level, will have plenty of opportunity to learn to deal with the moving ball in English conditions, while Worcestershire’s brittle batting will be boosted by the addition of a player good enough to have scored two centuries in a Test against a formidable South African attack. Hughes’ presence at New Road for the entire season will also alleviate the disruption sometimes caused by the short-term nature of many modern overseas player contracts.”We are delighted to have available a player of Phil’s stature for the whole 2012 season,” said Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes. “This was our original plan when we first set out in search of Phil’s signature and it will give the dressing room a real boost. Having spoken to Phil he views playing a full English season as a fantastic opportunity to score plenty of runs and in turn, it is hoped this will bring success to the team. We are looking forward to him joining up with the squad at the start of April for what will be an exciting 2012 season.”Hughes also expressed his delight. “I’m thrilled to have been able to agree terms with Worcestershire to extend my 2012 contract to the full county season,” he said. “I haven’t played a full season of domestic cricket for more than two years and I can’t wait to get to England and meet my new team-mates. I’ve heard so many positive things about their structure, environment and wicket which are all really favourable for what I want to achieve in the coming 12 months.”Meanwhile Gareth Andrew will miss the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Andrew, the 28-year-old all-rounder, who finished the 2011 season second in county cricket’s Most Valuable Player ratings, underwent micro-fracture treatment in early December. Worcestershire do not expect him to be match fit until late May.

ESPNcricinfo previews the 4th ODI between Pakistan and England in Dubai

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan20-Feb-2012

Match Facts

February 21, Dubai
Start time 1500 (1100 GMT)Alastair Cook has led England superbly with the bat and in the field•Getty Images

The Big Picture

This time it’s Pakistan who have only pride to play for. England are in search of a whitewash that will give some solace following the reversal in the Test series and, given how they have dominated in the one-dayers so far, they are strong favourites to complete the cleansweep.A 4-0 margin will move England up to fourth in the ICC rankings, nothing to write home amount in itself but a sign that progress is already being made in the 50-over format. The conditions they have faced in this series haven’t quite replicated the subcontinent at its toughest – that will come against India early next year – but neither is the next World Cup going to be held on dustbowls.England’s quick bowlers have been outstanding throughout the tour and now they are being led by Steven Finn. The fact Tim Bresnan hasn’t been able to walk back into the team – match readiness or not – shows how strong England’s options have become.Pakistan appear at a turning point with their one-day side. With an eye on the next World Cup they need to give the likes of Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq a chance to bed in even if it means short-term pain. They also need a better plan B when their spinners don’t dominate. Umar Gul’s form has been a major problem and they may need to look again at some new pace options.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Pakistan LLLWW
England WWWLL

Watch out for…

There are signs, albeit small ones at the moment, that Eoin Morgan is emerging from the form slump that engulfed his performances in the Test series. A couple of unbeaten innings have enabled him to feel bat on ball and he was promoted to No. 3 in the previous game. Long term he is still a perfect finisher for England, and if Morgan can produce a significant score it will be another tick.Pakistan need more from Mohammad Hafeez. Since he made 88 in the opening Test against England he has had a number of starts without building a substantial innings. In the third ODI he had taken the attack to Stuart Broad only to fall two overs later for 29. He’s wasting form that Pakistan can ill-afford not to make the most if. His offspin has also lost some of its effectiveness as England’s batsmen take a more positive approach.

Team news

It’s anyone’s guess what Pakistan will do, especially as a number of players are suffering from flu. A dead ODI would appear the perfect chance to play Hammad Azam, the allrounder, while it also offers the chance to look at Junaid Khan, perhaps at the expense of the struggling Gul.Pakistan (possible) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Saeed Ajmal, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Aizaz CheemaEngland’s only questions are rest and rotation. Jos Buttler and Tim Bresnan were both expected to figure in this series but injuries meant being sat on the sidelines. It’s now hard to find space in the team, although Bresnan for James Anderson remains a logical switch.England (possible) 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Kevin Pietersen, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn

Pitch and conditions

The surface for Saturday’s game produced more pace and bounce than has been seen throughout the tour which certainly didn’t suit Pakistan’s game. Neither did batting first help them much. The same pitch is due to be used again which means there may be a little more assistance for the spinners.

Stats and trivia

• The most wickets by an England bowler in a one-day series is 15 in six matches by Paul Jarvis against India, in 1992-93, and Steven Finn currently has 11 scalps in three games.
• Alastair Cook is currently fourth in the list of most runs scored in a one-day series for England
• England have completed 10 previous whitewashes in a series of at least three matches while Pakistan have been whitewashed six times.

Quotes

“We did not bowl properly, we did not bat properly and we did not field properly. We haven’t played to our potential.”
Mohsin Khan, Pakistan’s coach, is aware his side have some improving to do“Even though I spent some time in India before Christmas, it doesn’t replicate what you’re up against. But I’ve played a lot of subcontinent cricket and I should be used to it. I wasn’t, and my skill levels weren’t up to scratch.”
England batsman Eoin Morgan admits he has been well below his best

Dhaka Gladiators became the winners of the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League on Wednesday evening by bringing out their A-game in the knockout stages of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Feb-2012
ScorecardLocal lad Anamul Haque impressed with an unbeaten 49•BPL T20

Dhaka Gladiators won the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League by bringing out their A-game in the knockout stages of the tournament. They took only 15.4 overs to overhaul the Barisal Burners total and complete a eight-wicket win in front of a packed Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur.The gulf between the two teams was evident as the Pakistan-heavy Gladiators had a lot more to offer with bat and ball compared to the top-heavy Burners, who could only score 140 for 7 in 20 overs. Gladiators’ young Anamul Haque was the only local player to impress, scoring 49 off 38 balls with five fours and a six. He sealed the victory for the home team with a lofted on-drive against left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam with 26 balls to spare.Anamul added 110 for the second wicket with the opener Imran Nazir, who hammered six fours and six sixes in his 43-ball 75. That partnership ensured victory for Gladiators, whose turnaround in the tournament in the knockout stages coincided with the arrival of Shahid Afridi and Saeed Ajmal.The Burners’ defence of their modest total suffered because of poor catching. Mohammad Mithun, a wicketkeeper who was auctioned for $80,000, had a terrible time under the lights. Fielding in the deep, he dropped Nazimuddin twice at deep square-leg off consecutive Kabir Ali deliveries in the second over.Their problems weren’t restricted to poor catching and bowling. The Burners’ batting also suffered from early losses. As soon as Ahmed Shehzad fell for 28 in the fifth over by failing to clear mid-off, and Phil Mustard followed by getting trapped leg-before by Saeed Ajmal, it was all down to the captain Brad Hodge.The Australia batsman didn’t disappoint, hitting four boundaries and four sixes in his unbeaten 51-ball 70. Hodge, despite his efforts, couldn’t put together a decent partnership against a high quality bowling attack as the rest simply wilted.The Burners also benefited from some slip-ups in the field, with Gladiators’ Dhiman Ghosh topping the list of offenders. The wicketkeeper first dropped a skier from Shehzad before missing a stumping off Ajmal, but he made amends with a reflex catch off a ripper from Afridi. Later, even Afridi and Azhar Mahmood dropped a skier each.In the end, it was the Gladiators’ star power that took them through. Their efforts to keep some Dhaka players in the line-up paid off as Mohammad Ashraful, Elias Sunny and Anamul all performed well. It was disappointing that no Barisal-born players were given enough opportunities in the Burners line-ups throughout the tournament.But as far as a Twenty20 jamboree goes, some of the cricket was breathtaking, though the off-field issues will remain the talking point till the next edition.

A wrap of the penultimate round of Plunket Shield games

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Mar-2012Northern Districts and Auckland took three points each from their rain-affected draw at Colin Maiden Park. Northern Districts, who are top of the points table, need only six points from their final league match to win the Plunket Shield. Auckland are in second place, trailing by 15 points. Northern Districts were sent in to bat and reached 266 for 6 on the first day, before the second was entirely lost to rain. They resumed on the third and progressed to 351 for 8 declared, with Daniel Flynn making an unbeaten 123. Rain shortened the third day as well and Auckland ended it on 39 for 1. Auckland declared their first innings on 43 for 2 in 21.1 overs on another rain-hit, final day to prevent Northern Districts from earning a bowling point that would have taken them closer to the title. Having conceded a deficit of 308, Auckland were asked to follow on and reached 31 for 1 before the match ended in a draw.Rain washed out the third and fourth days at Karori Park, forcing a draw between Wellington and Central Districts. Wellington earned four points from the game, while Central Districts got two, leaving them in third and fourth place respectively and out of the race for the title. Wellington chose to bat and amassed 501 for 6 before declaring on the second day. Grant Elliott made 188 not out, while Luke Ronchi scored 111 off 91 balls. After so much toil in the field, Central Districts batted only 1.3 overs before rain ensured there was no more play in the match.The contest in Dunedin, between the two bottom teams Canterbury and Otago, also ended in a draw but it was a more exciting one than the other two. Otago, chasing 268, were 259 for 5 and had 17 overs in which to score the required runs when bad light brought an end to the match. Canterbury had been dismissed for 199 in the first innings and Otago could make only 197 in theirs, reducing the match to a second-innings shoot-out. Canterbury fared better in their second innings, declaring on 265 for 6 on the final day, but so did Otago. Riding on half-centuries from their top three, Otago scored at more than five runs an over, motoring steadily towards the target before bad light halted them nine runs short.Edited by George Binoy

Fidel Edwards and Marlon Samuels bowled West Indies to a 14-run victory to draw the Twenty20 series 1-1 in Barbados

The Report by Brydon Coverdale30-Mar-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Dwayne Smith top scored for West Indies with 63•AFP

Fidel Edwards and Marlon Samuels bowled West Indies to a 14-run victory to draw the Twenty20 series 1-1 in Barbados. Dwayne Smith and Johnson Charles started the day with a strong, aggressive opening partnership and despite Australia’s bowlers fighting back to dismiss West Indies for 160, it proved to be sufficient for the hosts as Australia’s batsmen stalled in the chase after David Warner’s quick opening.Too much was left for the final few overs for Australia, who needed 50 from the last five overs and then 19 from the last six balls, bowled by Dwayne Bravo. David Hussey was the only specialist batsmen left at the crease but he couldn’t launch the boundaries required off Bravo, who picked up two wickets in that final over as Australia fell well short of their target.Hussey was caught at deep midwicket for 19 trying to clear the boundary and Clint McKay was bowled next ball by Bravo, who finished with 2 for 27 from his four overs and changed the course of the match by running out Warner with a direct hit from side-on. Warner was hurrying back for a second run when Bravo, who had run in from the midwicket boundary, threw down the stumps at the striker’s end and it was the pivotal moment in the chase.Warner was on 58 from 43 balls and had threatened to steer Australia home, but after he departed Australia lost momentum. Hussey and Matthew Wade managed a couple of sixes but they were barely treading water with the required run-rate at ten an over, and things became even harder when Wade pushed a Samuels full toss straight back to the bowler for 17.Edwards picked up two wickets in the next over, Daniel Christian caught at cover and Brett Lee bowled for a golden duck, and West Indies had become firm favourites with 25 needed from the last 10 balls. It was quite a change from the early stages when Warner was steering Australia towards a strong position, although his opening partner Shane Watson was caught at slip in the first over off Edwards.Warner gradually found his rhythm and pulled Garey Mathurin for six, before lifting Sunil Narine over long-on for another six. George Bailey promoted himself to first drop and showed that he can clear the boundary, with a powerful slog over cow corner off Mathurin. Bailey top-edged a catch to fine leg off Samuels for 24 and Charles, who had dropped a sitter at fine leg before Bailey had scored, breathed a sigh of relief.Michael Hussey pushed a return catch to Samuels for 14 and although Warner kept the runs flowing and even forced the umpires to find a new ball when he pulled Mathurin out of the ground, West Indies kept themselves in the match. Warner’s half-century came from 39 balls but his run-out was a blow from which Australia could not recover, and they were disappointed not to chase down 161 on a fine batting pitch.The Australian bowlers had done well to peg West Indies back after the Charles-Smith opening stand, which took West Indies to 72 for 0 in the seventh over. Charles scored 37 from 21 balls and Smith made 63 from 34 deliveries, his first half-century in a Twenty20 international, but there were few other contributors and Bravo (23 from 24 balls) was the only other man who reached double figures.Charles raced out of the blocks with four, six and four from his first three balls, the six a slashing cut that cleared the point boundary off Lee. Charles was also very strong through the leg side but he was the first man to fall, when he couldn’t quite force Watson over the boundary and was caught at long-off.Kieron Pollard, promoted to No.3, edged behind off Lee for 1 and it was a major blow after his success in the previous game. But Smith, who had already been strong on both sides of the wicket, kept the runs flowing and 20 runs came off a James Pattinson over as Smith deposited him in the stands three times in the over.He started with a monstrous smash over cow corner that landed in the top tier of the Hall and Griffith Stand and followed it with a six that bounced into the windows of the Garfield Sobers Pavilion over long-on. Next ball came the most pure stroke of them all, a lofted drive hit through the line that landed over long-on and brought up his half-century from 30 deliveries.Another six off Xavier Doherty followed in the next over before Smith fell to the left-arm spinner, caught at long-on trying to maintain his tempo. That wicket was the end of West Indies’ blitz, as Bravo moved along at a run a ball and didn’t strike a boundary. McKay’s changes of pace troubled the middle order and the medium-pacers Watson and Christian were disciplined and accurate.Lee picked up two late wickets to finish with 3 for 23 as West Indies were bowled out with two balls to spare, having scored 50 for the loss of seven wickets in ten overs after Smith’s departure. It was quite a collapse, but Smith and Charles had done enough to set up victory, and just like the ODI portion of the tour, the T20s could not produce a winner. Perhaps the Tests can split these two sides.