Tag Futebol

Tamim Iqbal says Bangladesh’s players are mentally fine and the fans’ reactions to their loss against West Indies would not affect them since they had seen similar things before

Sidharth Monga in Chittagong07-Mar-2011Three days after the 58 all out fiasco against West Indies, Bangladesh’s practice session at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium on Monday began with a loud game that involved every member of the team. The squad, including the support staff, was divided into two groups who competed at a sort of relay race, which also involved cricket balls. Every member was involved; there was loud cheering, fighting, banter, sledging, celebrations, and noise. The plan for Tuesday is to spend the day away from cricket and have Tamim Iqbal, one of the most popular people – if not the most – in Chittagong, take the team out.Bangladesh’s next game is against England on Friday, and they know they can do with some time off to help release the pressure that the performance against West Indies, and the reactions of some of the fans, has brought. “It was just to take our mind off the last game,” Tamim said of the unusual training session. “We have been trying to do that since yesterday [Sunday]. We played some soccer and a few things today; the team is feeling better and the players are mentally fine now. We are looking forward to doing something special in the coming games.”The last game and its aftermath won’t be that easy to forget, as Jamie Siddons said yesterday. West Indies’ bus was hit by some stones, and there were reports that captain Shakib Al Hasan’s house was also attacked, incidents which Tamim condemned. “It was only one stone I think that was thrown at his [Shakib’s] place, and that became a very big issue. It’s disappointing because he is the best player in the country and the No. 1 allrounder in the world. He doesn’t deserve this treatment. I will request the public of Bangladesh to not do this silly stuff. We win one day, we lose one day, these kinds of things happen in cricket. So they need to support us in good times as well as bad times.”Tamim said that the reaction will not affect his or his team’s game. “We have seen enough of this kind of thing, so it won’t play any role on my mind. I know one thing: if we do something special on March 11 everything is going to be fine.”It is Tamim who the side will be looking to to provide them with a start that helps them forget the last match. It is personally a big match for him; a World Cup match at home. “It is very big for me, and also for Chittagong. It will take Chittagong to the next level I am sure.”Tamim knows his role is important but doesn’t agree with the notion that the team rely on him too much going into every big game. “We have got a couple of very good players in our team. I know I need to perform in every game and that is my goal. But I don’t think the team relies on just me. I need to give them a solid start, and after that they can build a foundation. Players like Mushfiqur [Rahim] and Raqibul [Hasan] didn’t have a great game on Friday, but I am sure they are capable of making big scores and will do it in the next game.”

The longer version of Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) three provincial tournaments – the four-day matches – commences on Thursday but will feature none of the key national players, who are unavailable due to the IPL

Sa'adi Thawfeeq17-Mar-2010The longer version of Sri Lanka Cricket’s (SLC) three provincial tournaments – the four-day matches – commences on Thursday but will feature none of the key national players, who are doing duty in the ongoing IPL. The first-class tournament will not only be missing some glamour but will be without a sixth team – the SLC Combined XI, comprising mainly schoolboy cricketers who got good exposure playing along with the established stars in the Provincial Twenty20 and limited-overs tournaments.Chandima Mapatuna, the manager for the SLC tournaments, said the junior cricketers were given the due exposure at the concluded provincial limited-overs and Twenty20 tournaments and that there was no necessity to expose them further in the longer game.”This decision was made clear even before the commencement of the 2009-10 Inter-Provincial tournament,” said Mapatuna. “We allowed the juniors to play in the shorter versions of the game and there is no reason to continue them in the four-day tournament as schoolboys are not playing anything beyond two-day cricket.”There are cases like the Royal-Thomian three-day encounter. Even tournaments conducted by SLC such as the Sara Trophy, Donovan Andree Trophy and the Under-23 Premier are two-day encounters. For the four-day game the youngsters are still not mature enough.”We advised the team officials of SLC Combined XI to note down potential players who can be useful in the four-day format. They identified five players whom they think will fit into the longer version of the game.”The five players were Chathura Peiris, the Sri Lanka Under-19 World Cup and St Peter’s College captain, Rumesh Buddhika, the Mahinda College allrounder, Ananda College batsman Geshan Wimaladharma, who will turn out for Wayamba, Hans Fernando who led the SLC Combined XI for Ruhuna, Royal College captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa for Kandurata and DS Senanayake College captain Charith Jayampathi for Basnahira South.The five teams will play each other in a league format with the top two teams qualifying for the final to be played from May 13-16 at the Pallekelle Stadium in Kandy. Kandurata won the limited-overs tournament and Wayamba retained their Twenty20 crown in the recently-concluded tournaments this year.The five provinces competing are Wayamba, Ruhuna, Basnahira Sourth, Basnahira North and Kandurata.

He says Nepal will be on the right side of results if they get more exposure against the best sides in the world

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jun-20243:06

Morkel: Nepal’s bowling made life difficult for SA

After his team came agonisingly close to a historic win and what would have been their first against a Full-Member side, Nepal captain Rohit Paudel has asked for more exposure against top teams. Nepal were on top of their modest chase of 116 against South Africa until Tabraiz Shamsi returned to claim two wickets in the 18th over, which began with Nepal needing 18 from 18. Anrich Nortje then conceded eight off the 19th and Ottneil Baartman defended seven in the last over, which included the tense situation of Nepal needing two from the last ball, but they couldn’t get even one, which would have taken the game to a Super Over.”I am very proud of the unit, especially the way we bowled and batted, I’m very proud of that,” Paudel said at the presentation. “We were very close but a little far. In crunch moments we did well, but the way we fought was very good. If we get more exposure regularly then next games we will be on the other side [of the result].”Nepal’s stunning performance was scripted by spinners Dipendra Singh Airee and Kushal Bhurtel, who claimed seven wickets between them for just 40 runs in their eight overs. Sandeep Lamichhane, who was playing his first game of the T20 World Cup 2024 after missing the USA leg, bowled four frugal overs for just 18 runs, giving away only one boundary. In all, the Nepal spinners bowled 14 overs for 75 runs.Related

• Shamsi: 'We've been put under pressure every game and stood up to it'

• Heartbreak for Nepal as Shamsi scripts stunning turnaround

When asked if Nepal had expected the spinners to get so much assistance from the pitch, Paudel said: “Yeah, when we saw the wicket yesterday, we thought it would be on the slower side. Eventually when we were bowling I thought the wicket was helping the spinners and then we introduced Bhurtel and we carried on with the spinners.” Bhurtel claimed 4 for 19, which included the big scalps of Aiden Markram and Henrich Klaasen as well as those of Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada.South Africa played just the one frontline spinner – Shamsi came into the XI for Keshav Maharaj – and bowled six overs of spin overall, with two from Markram. Shamsi came into the attack after seven overs, by which time Nepal were 34 for no loss. Markram later admitted South Africa should have picked another spinner on a track on which the ball was stopping, turning and bouncing. Markram brought himself on after the 13th over.2:22

Morkel: SA could play two spinners on slower pitches

“We have a good pace attack and you want to back that,” Markram said at the presentation. “I thought if we got the ball in the right areas, there could be something in the wicket and I felt like it was challenging for the batters. Looking back in hindsight, we should have probably picked an extra spinner on this wicket. I didn’t think it’d spin that much. But the pacers kept us in the game and a lot of credit has to go to them tonight.”South Africa’s start wasn’t promising either, after they were put in to bat. They managed just 38 for 1 in the powerplay and struck only two sixes in their innings. Only one batter – Tristan Stubbs – scored at over a run a ball and had it not been for his unbeaten 27 off 18, South Africa might have finished well below 115. While acknowledging the tough conditions, Markram also praised the Nepal bowlers.”I think it’s two things: first and foremost, the way [Nepal] bowled it made it really tough for us throughout the game,” he said. “You have to give them a lot of credit. They put us under a lot of pressure, and it shows the quality they have in their change room. If you mix that with maybe not enough conviction in our plans and a slight lack in intensity, you can get stuck, and that’s what happened tonight. Like I said, there’ll be a lot of learnings and we’d assume Caribbean conditions might be a little similar moving forward so it’s about backing plans that we develop and pretty much be at ease with whatever comes after having solid plans.”South Africa finished on top of Group D with four wins out of four and will be in Group 2 in the Super Eight, along with USA, West Indies and one out of England and Scotland from Group B.

“It always takes an individual to do something special to get the team back on track,” Australia coach says of Nathan Lyon’s eight-for in Indore

Andrew McGlashan04-Mar-20232:19

Chappell: Getting India out cheaply in the first innings was key

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald believes the team’s success in the Indore Test shows there is a core group of players who are learning what it takes to win in the subcontinent and can set the side up for greater success in the future.”One hour of chaos” in Delhi, as McDonald termed it, cost Australia the chance of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but having taken the opportunity to refresh and regroup during the long break before the third Test, they secured one of their finest overseas victories as they beat India at their own game on a pitch rated “poor” by the ICC.As a result, Australia have secured their place in the World Test Championship final, during a cycle that has also included Test wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and they now have the chance of levelling the series in Ahmedabad.Related

• Head's learnings: back your plans and stay calm

• Adaptable Australia get their act together in Indore

• India may not mind more turning pitches despite loss

They don’t head back to India for another Test series until 2027 and a number of a senior players are unlikely to return, but they will visit Sri Lanka in 2025 and the likes of Travis Head, Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne and Todd Murphy have many subcontinent tours ahead of them.”Usman Khawaja’s performances here are probably tied back to his first experience in the subcontinent, Steve Smith as well,” McDonald said. “Everyone’s journey starts at some point in time on the subcontinent, and I think there’s a core group of players that will come back here more experienced and, in theory, better equipped for the challenges. We’re talking about a series here where we’ve had certain conditions that probably aren’t relatable to any other subcontinent tour over time, so it’s always a different challenge when you do arrive here.”

Australia keep calm after another collapse

Australia did suffer another batting collapse in Indore, losing 6 for 11 on the second day to miss the chance to build an overwhelming lead. But they retained their composure and, led by Nathan Lyon’s eight wickets, kept the pressure on India before making a target of 76 appear simpler than appeared likely.”You have almost got to be near perfect against India in India. I think this game besides that 6 for 11 was near perfect,” McDonald said. “We had a little bit of luck. Marnus getting bowled off a no-ball, how critical was that at that point in time, [and] that allowed a partnership to flourish. We took our opportunities as well. Usman’s flying catch and then Smudge [Smith] winding back the clock with that one at leg slip. You compare that to the Delhi game where Smudge dropped one at first slip and then we dropped one at leg slip in Matthew Renshaw, and they were critical.”We had one hour of chaos there and that cost us that Test match when we’d played pretty good cricket. We came here and doubled down on what we’d set out to achieve at the start of the tour.”So on the back of Delhi, it was ‘how clear are we going to be in what we need to do next’. Is this team good enough? Yes. What do we need to do next? We’d lost 6 for 11, nothing we can do about that. We go out there and Nathan Lyon as the experienced spinner delivers one of his best performances. It always takes an individual to do something special to get the team back on track, no doubt about that.”Alex Carey whips the bails off to send Rohit Sharma back in the first innings•BCCI

Praise for Alex Carey’s wicketkeeping

Amid the headline-grabbing performances of Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann, Khawaja and Head, McDonald picked out Alex Carey for special praise after his display of wicketkeeping on the devilish surface. He only conceded three byes for the match where some deliveries leapt while others scuttled and McDonald viewed his stumping of Rohit Sharma, the first wicket of the Test, as a vital moment.”One part that hasn’t been spoken about enough is Alex Carey’s keeping,” he said. “I think that on day one, that ball to Sharma, that high take, that stumping, if he doesn’t execute that Sharma gets a look at the wicket, he plays differently and the game rolls in a different direction.”I think sometimes we are quick to criticise wicketkeepers. In this instance, I thought that day one was an absolute clinic and gave us control of the game. We saw [KS] Bharat miss a couple of half-chances, or get his leg in the way of balls that could have gone to first slip. So I thought that was a key moment in the game.””I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant”•Getty Images

Pitches make the toss irrelevant

McDonald remained diplomatic about the pitch in Indore, saying that all the players could do was perform on whatever surface they were given, but did say conditions had been “extreme”. However, as in Pune in 2017, it likely helped narrow the gap between the teams.”I think you can see that in the fact that all three games have been won against the toss, teams batting first have lost, and that’s rare,” he said. “It’s usually pretty hard to win against the toss but here we’ve seen three matches go that way. I think the more extreme the conditions, the less the toss is relevant.”Before the third Test, Rohit had floated the notion of India asking for a green pitch in Ahmedabad if they had secured their place in the WTC final. Now they still require a victory to be assured of meeting Australia at The Oval, although if Sri Lanka don’t win against New Zealand in the Test that runs concurrently in Christchurch, the result won’t matter. Regardless, McDonald felt the pressure in the series has now been switched.”I don’t think we know what we’re going to get in Ahmedabad, I don’t think anyone does,” he said with a hint of a smile. “But we’ve definitely put some pressure into that change room. Full credit to the guys. [It’s] great reward for a group that over the past couple of weeks have had their challenges.”

“In many ways, I had already retired as a cricketer, but hadn’t been able to make a formal announcement”

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2021Harbhajan Singh has announced his retirement from all formats of the game. In a video message on Twitter, the former India offspinner said that “in many ways, I had already retired”, but because of his commitments with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, he was forced to delay the announcement.”There comes a time in your life when you must take some tough decisions and move ahead. I have been meaning to make this announcement for the last few years, but I was waiting for the right moment to share it with all of you: today, I am retiring from all formats of cricket,” he said. “In many ways, I had already retired as a cricketer, but hadn’t been able to make a formal announcement.”I haven’t been an active cricketer for a while. But I had a commitment to Kolkata Knight Riders, and wanted to spend the (2021) IPL season with them. But during the season itself, I had made up my mind to retire.”Harbhajan last turned out for India in March 2016, in a T20I against UAE in Dhaka in that year’s Asia Cup. Harbhajan, now 41, made his international debut back in March 1998, in a Test match against Australia in Bengaluru, picking up two wickets in an eight-wicket defeat. He went on to play 103 Tests, for a haul of 417 wickets – still the fourth-highest for India – at an average of 32.46, with an innings best of 8 for 84 and a match best of 15 for 217, both recorded in India’s two-wicket win over Australia in the Chennai Test of 2001, which gave them a 2-1 win in an iconic series. In the previous Test in Kolkata, made famous due to VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s batting all day while following-on – Harbhajan had played a major role too in India’s stunning come-from-behind win, bagging 13 wickets in the match.Harbhajan also turned out in 236 ODIs from 1998 to 2015, taking 269 wickets at 33.35 and an economy rate of 4.31. He played 28 T20Is, taking 25 wickets at an average of 25.32 and an economy rate of 6.20. His overall tally of 707 international wickets is the second-highest for India, behind Anil Kumble’s 953.Harbhajan has had great success in the IPL too, taking 150 wickets in 163 matches, fifth on the all-time list. Harbhajan also took 20 wickets in 22 Champions League T20 matches, leading Mumbai Indians to victory in the competition in 2011. Harbhajan’s longest association with a franchise was with Mumbai Indians, who bought him in the 2008 auction and retained him ahead of the mega auctions in 2011 and 2014. Released ahead of the 2018 mega auction, Harbhajan had two years with Chennai Super Kings before finishing up with Knight Riders.”It has been a beautiful journey over 25 years, right from the of Jalandhar to becoming the Turbanator of India,” he said in the statement. “Nothing has been more motivating for me than stepping out on the field while wearing the India jersey.”Like every [Indian] cricketer, even I wished to bid goodbye in an India jersey, but fate had something else in store for me. Irrespective of the side I represented, I have always given my 100% commitment to ensure my team finishes on top – whether it was India, Punjab, Mumbai Indians, CSK [Chennai Super Kings], KKR or the county teams of Surrey and Essex.””My first real happiness was the hat-trick I took in Kolkata”•Hamish Blair/ALLSPORT

Harbhajan had plenty of success across formats, including being part of two World Cup winning teams with India – in 2011 and in 2007 for the inaugural T20 World Cup. His greatest achievement, arguably, remains the performance in the series against Australia in 2001, where he bagged 32 wickets in three Tests, where no other Indian bowler took more than three wickets. Harbhajan’s feat included taking a hat-trick in Kolkata.”If you ask me about my cricket career, my first real happiness was the hat-trick I took in Kolkata, becoming the first Indian bowler to do so in a Test match. I also got 32 wickets in the three Tests in that series, which is still a record,” he said. “Following this, the T20 World Cup win 2007 and the [ODI] World Cup win in 2011 were most important for me. Those were moments that I can neither forget nor express in words as to how big that happiness was for me.”As for the future, Harbhajan said that he has “no idea” what he would do, but indicated that it would be connected to the game.”Cricket was, is and will always be an important part of my life. I have served Indian cricket for years, and will continue to strive to serve them in the future,” he said. “I have no idea about the future, but whatever I am today is because of cricket. I will be immensely happy if I can be of help to Indian cricket in any role in the future.”Now I begin a new chapter in my life, which starts with its own challenges. Believe me, your Turbanator is ready for the examination! Just keep showering your love on me.”

It’s expected that protocols for the tournament in the UAE will be finalised at the meeting on August 2

Vishal Dikshit and Shashank Kishore30-Jul-20207:35

Bal: Hosting IPL a far bigger challenge compared to a bilateral series

The dates and venue for IPL 2020 are out – in the UAE from September 19-November 8 (or 10) – but the context of the Covid-19 pandemic raises a lot of logistical questions, especially among the franchises. It’s expected that the upcoming IPL Governing Council meeting on August 2 will finalise many of these details, which will be part of the tournament’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). ESPNcricinfo spoke to a few franchises and came up with the most pressing questions they will be seeking answers to.Quarantine, testing positive and isolation protocols
One of the key concerns of the franchises ESPNcricinfo spoke to is the rules surrounding quarantine for squads, and the protocol to be followed if one of the squad members tests positive. Given that the onus of keeping squads safe and in their biosecure bubbles is likely to rest with the respective franchises, they want clarity on the steps to follow if someone tests positive during the tournament – will the entire squad have to be tested immediately, will the squad be isolated in the same hotel if other teams are staying there too, will the next match of the said team be cancelled or put on hold till everyone is tested? What if someone tests positive on the day of the match? In short, the impact of a positive test on the player, team and tournament at large.Franchises would also want to know the protocol if someone breaches the squad bubble, like Jofra Archer did after the first Test against West Indies. Archer’s act did not lead to anything more calamitous but the IPL will not be able to afford such breaches.Maintaining the bubbles and arranging Covid-19 tests
The Governing Council is likely to finalise how often squad members will have to undergo Covid-19 testing in the UAE, but will the testing be supervised by the BCCI or will it be the sole responsibility of the franchises?Another big concern for the franchises is around the biosecure bubbles. It’s expected that there will be different bubbles for each squad, match officials, broadcasters, the local authorities and so on. For that, franchises want to know if there will be a cap on their contingent size because some of them are keen to have players’ families travelling with the squads. Whether the Governing Council allows it remains to be seen. Teams are also going to travel between three cities – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah – so will the entire bubbles be moved around through the tournament is another question.One franchise is also concerned about the possibility of tourists and travellers staying in the same hotel as the teams. The duration of the teams’ stay in the UAE is likely to stretch to 80 days if they land there by end of August for pre-IPL camps, and maintaining social distancing of their squads for such a long time will be a key responsibility of the franchises.Getting to the UAE and arranging hotels
The first step for the franchises is getting to the UAE. Some franchises have informed the Governing Council that they wish to land there by August 20 or 21 to give players at least three weeks to train for the tournament, having not played, or even trained properly, for months.The responsibility of getting the Indian players together before flying out and then combining them with the overseas players in the UAE will also rest with the franchises, and one of them has already asked its Indian players to self-quarantine at home starting now. The franchises will await further details around this, along with confirmation on whether each team will stay in one city and hotel throughout the IPL, which could be Dubai in many cases given its hotel options, training facilities at the ICC Academy grounds and its geographical location between Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.It is understood that a few franchises have already shortlisted their hotel options – keeping their squad sizes and travelling families in mind – and are awaiting a reply from the Governing Council to make further arrangements. With no in-stadia hotels available like the ones that hosted the recent Tests in England, franchises will finalise their hotel arrangements as soon as the IPL authorities give the go-ahead.Arranging replacement players
Another big concern surrounds the South Africa players potentially pulling out of the IPL, like they did for the CPL. What will be the rules regarding replacement players, whether it be overseas players pulling out or getting injured during the tournament? In the case of the former, picking replacements from the auction pool could lead to a potential clash among the franchises.
For example, Royal Challengers Bangalore have the smallest squad (21) with three South Africans – AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn and Chris Morris – and the franchise will be desperate to strengthen their squad if these three big names pull out.ALSO READ: Five South Africans to miss CPL after failing to confirm travel arrangementsEach squad has a limit of eight overseas players. In the case of injuries to these players, will they be allowed to fly in replacements from outside? If yes, what kind of testing and quarantine measures will those players have to undergo to enter already existing bubbles? Or will the squad size and overseas players’ limit be increased before the tournament so that franchises can travel with more options?What if England, Australia players have national duty?
Another possible issue for franchises to deal with is that the England-Australia ODIs could end up being in the second week of September. If, as believed, the IPL insists on all squads assembling at the same time, and with the IPL opener set for September 19, it could rule the England and Australia players out of the first few matches – like David Warner said this week – or worse.Arranging for nets and net bowlers
Each franchise always has extra net bowlers at their home grounds in India while the IPL is on. With biosecure bubbles and many other restrictions this time, how will these be arranged for, for such a long tournament in the UAE, for all eight teams? West Indies and England had extra squad players in their bubbles for the recent Test series; will the franchises be allowed to do the same? If yes, do they need to pick net bowlers from a particular pool or can they pick anyone and include them in their bubble after having them tested?Secondly, with only three venues for eight teams, franchises would want clear and detailed plans on their training schedules as teams won’t be allowed to train simultaneously at the same venue because of social distancing. Since franchises are expected to arrange for their own travel and buses, they will have to chalk out such plans early so that players’ preparation is not compromised with.Interaction with people from outside the bubble
IPL players will be expected to board buses nearly every day for training and matches, and be in proximity to numerous hotel staff, caterers, security officials etc. What will be done to maximise the squads’ safety, keeping in mind the possibility of players’ families also travelling, the large size of the squads, and the long duration of the tournament? Will the bus drivers and hotel employees also be part of some bubble or does the Governing Council have a workaround for this?

Colin Munro’s blazing half-century and Tim Southee’s last over to defend 15 runs helped New Zealand seal the T20I series 2-1

The Report by Hemant Brar10-Feb-20194:04

The Tickner and Kuggeleijn hand in NZ’s triumph

Colin Munro’s blazing half-century and Tim Southee’s last over to defend 15 runs helped New Zealand seal the T20I series 2-1 with a four-run victory in the decider at Seddon Park. The defeat also meant India faced their first series loss on their long tour of Southern Hemisphere.Chasing 213, India needed a steep 68 off 28 at one stage with only four wickets in hand. Lusty and regular blows from Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya, with a six each off Daryl Mitchell and debutant Blair Tickner off successive overs made the equation 48 from 18. Krunal then smashed Southee for a six and two fours off successive balls that meant India needed 30 from 12. The duo went on to hit a six each in the penultimate over by Scott Kuggeleijn to bring the equation down to 16 required off the final over.Karthik took two off the first ball but then consumed a dot ball and even refused Krunal strike after hitting the ball to long-on. With 14 needed off four balls and the pressure mounting on Karthik, he only managed a single on the next ball. Southee’s lengths conceded only a single to Krunal too, and a six from Karthik on the last ball was not enough for India.After being put in, Munro’s 40-ball 72 and Tim Seifert’s 43 off 25 set the platform for a daunting total. While India dismissed Munro and Kane Williamson in back-to-back overs, New Zealand had by then motored to 150 in 14.4 overs. Colin de Grandhomme ensured the hosts didn’t lose the momentum with a stroke-filled 16-ball 30, with Mitchell and Ross Taylor applying the finishing touches.

Kane Williamson on…

Colin Munro’s 72: Obviously, Colin is one of those guys that goes out and plays with that freedom and looks to take the game away and we’ve seen that, I suppose, for a long time in the shortest format and I suppose everybody’s going out trying to do their bit and play their role and I thought both our opening batsmen have been outstanding
Tim Seifert’s Man of the Series performance: We’ve always seen Tim as having a huge amount of talent. Obviously we’ve seen it in the domestic T20 competition. So to get the opportunity to come in and open the batting and go out with that free license to try and take the game away which is when he is playing at his best and to come off with a couple of really fantastic performances is great for his confidence and really is good for our team collectively.
World Cup implications: We weren’t sitting down, looking at this series as what can we get out of it at the end. It was just about each game as it comes … It is a different format and like I say we’ll look at this series as an isolated series and a very good one at that.

India lost Shikhar Dhawan in the first over itself, but Rohit Sharma and Vijay Shankar put the chase on track by adding 75 off 46 balls for the second wicket. Vijay played some sublime shots, including successive sixes off Ish Sodhi, before falling for a 28-ball 43.Rishabh Pant kept the hopes alive for a while, but in the space of 19 balls, India slipped from 121 for 2 to 145 for 6. Karthik and Krunal took India closer but couldn’t take them to victory.The Munro-Seifert showMunro and Seifert provided New Zealand with a blazing start of 80 in just 7.4 overs. Munro showed his intentions from the first ball he faced, by smashing Bhuvneshwar Kumar over long-on for a six. Seifert, at the other end, continued his good form and smashed Khaleel Ahmed for two fours and a six in the fourth over.Seeing the onslaught, Rohit brought Krunal into the attack in the sixth over but the Man of the Match of the last game was taken for 20 in his first over, including two sixes and a four, as New Zealand looted 66 from Powerplay.The stand was broken when Seifert was ruled out stumped by Chris Brown, the third umpire, in yet another questionable decision in this series. Kuldeep Yadav drew the batsman forward and beat the outside edge with a tossed up googly. MS Dhoni whipped the bails off and replays showed Seifert might have had some part of his back foot behind the line before the bails came off. However, the third umpire thought differently and didn’t take much time to rule the batsman out.That, however, didn’t impact Munro much. While Kuldeep troubled both him and Williamson with his wrong’uns, runs kept flowing from the other end. Munro hit another six and four off Krunal in the 11th over of the innings to take the side past 100. India weren’t helped by their sloppy fielding either. In one Hardik Pandya over, Khaleel dropped Munro, Vijay fumbled to concede a boundary, and as if to add insult to injury, Munro smashed the next ball for a six. Munro eventually fell to Kuldeep, going for his sixth six of the innings, but by then New Zealand were all set for a massive total.Tim Southee gestures at a fielder•AFP/Getty

Pant blazes awayRohit and Vijay had taken India to 81 for 2 in 8.3 overs but they were still behind the required rate. Pant, who had scored an unbeaten 40 in the last game, carried on from where he had left. The first three legitimate deliveries he faced were tonked for a four and two sixes. Three balls later he smashed Sodhi for another six and walloped to 23 off just six balls, taking India to 108 for 2 at the halfway mark.This took the pressure off Rohit, but with Pant managing just five runs off the next five balls, frustration started creeping in. Eventually, Pant ended up hitting a full toss from Tickner straight to Williamson at midwicket.New Zealand pull it backDespite losing Pant, India would still have backed themselves to chase down 85 from the last seven overs given their long batting line-up. Hardik started off with a first-ball six, and followed it up with a four and six off successive Mitchell deliveries in the next over. However, two balls later, Mitchell got Rohit, who was anchoring the chase. Hardik himself fell in the next over, while Dhoni lasted just four balls for two runs and nicked Mitchell behind the stumps.Karthik and Krunal took the game to the last over but Southee had the final say.

This season’s final will be played from December 29, running into the new year

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2017Indore’s Holkar Stadium will host the Ranji Trophy final for the second year in a row. Last season, it was the venue of Gujarat’s title-winning bout against Mumbai. This season’s final will be played December 29 onwards.

Ranji Trophy knockouts

• 1st semi-final: Bengal v Delhi in Pune

• 2nd semi-final: Karnataka v Vidarbha in Kolkata

• Final: December 29 onwards in Indore

The two semi-finals will be played from December 17 to 21 with Pune playing host to Bengal and Delhi in a televised game, while Karnataka and Vidarbha will face off at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, with the match being available via a live stream.Defending champions Gujarat were knocked out in the quarter-finals this time by Bengal, who took a first-innings lead in the draw in Jaipur. The other three semi-finalists proceeded with the help of wins in the quarter-finals. Delhi beat Madhya Pradesh by seven wickets in Vijayawada, Vidarbha romped past Kerala by a massive 412 runs and Karnataka handed 41-time champions Mumbai an innings defeat in Nagpur.

Queensland were made to work hard by the Cricket Australia XI before emerging with a three-wicket victory in the opening match of the Matador Cup at Allan Border Field

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2016
ScorecardMatt Renshaw anchored Queensland’s chase with 88 off 109•Getty Images

Queensland were made to work hard by the Cricket Australia XI before emerging with a three-wicket victory in the opening match of the Matador Cup at Allan Border Field.Led by a century from Ryan Gibson, the CA XI posted 5 for 274 after Will Bosisto won the toss and chose to bat first.Bosisto and Gibson added 172 after the loss of two early wickets to underpin the CA XI total. Luke Feldman and Peter George combined for five wickets to prevent the visitors from pushing on to 300.The Bulls’ chase was sustained by Matt Renshaw, who made 88 in a series of partnerships including 80 with Joe Burns. After Renshaw fell to the young NSW spinner Arjun Nair, the new Queensland captain Jason Floros played a commanding hand to settle the contest.He was helped by Michael Neser, ultimately allowing the Bulls to sneak home with three overs to spare.