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Klaasen, Miller, Maharaj and Rabada all had a hand in helping them win by four runs

Firdose Moonda10-Jun-20242:25

Should cricket revisit the leg-bye rule on a referral?

South Africa survived an almighty scare to to maintain a 100% win-record at the T20 World Cup 2024, and in New York, where they chose to bat first in their final fixture at Eisenhower Park. On a used wicket, Aiden Markram decided to put a total on the board, and it almost looked like a mistake. South Africa were 23 for 4, but a record 79-run fifth-wicket stand between Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller took them to 113, which they scrapped hard to defend.Bangladesh’s start was not ideal. They were 50 for 4 after ten overs, but Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah put on 44 for the fifth wicket and got them back on track. They almost also got them over the line and will look back on one incident which could have forced a Super Over. In the 17th over, Mahmudullah missed a flick off Ottneil Baartman, which hit his front pad and deflected to the boundary for what looked like four leg byes. But he was given out off that ball, which made it dead at the point of impact, and reviewed the decision. Ball-tracking showed Mahmudullah was not out, but because he had been given out, the four runs did not count, as outlined by the ICC’s protocols on DRS (3.7.1) in the playing conditions for T20Is.In the end. Bangladesh fell short by four runs. That, and their inability to capitalise on Keshav Maharaj bowling the final over for the first time in T20Is and sending down three full tosses, cost them the game.Maharaj was tasked with the final over after Markram bowled the seamers out earlier. It seemed a miscalculation, but he got two wickets as Bangladesh sought to clear the boundary though neither Jaker Ali nor Mahmudullah could. Mahmudullah was out on the penultimate ball – off a full toss – to a well-timed running catch by Markram from long-on, which all but ended Bangladesh’s hopes.0:59

Morkel: South Africa held their nerve defending a low total

South Africa leave the USA with three wins from three matches, and will move to St. Vincent to play Nepal in their last group match. They are in pole position to qualify for the Super 8s. Bangladesh also head to the West Indies, and will play Netherlands and Nepal, with the Super 8s still in sight.

Top-three troubles

For all the talk about the power of their batting line-up, South Africa’s top three have underperformed thus far, albeit on tough batting surfaces. Collectively, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks and Markram have scored 61 runs in nine trips to the crease at an average of 6.77. Of teams that have played at least two matches at the tournament, only Uganda and PNG average lower.The biggest concern will be Hendricks, whose scores of 4, 3 and 0 are the lowest of the trio, and whose methods of dismissal appear to show a technical deficiency. Twice in two games, Hendricks has been stuck in his crease and then played down the wrong line. He’ll be looking over his shoulder knowing fellow opener Ryan Rickelton is waiting on the bench, and could get an opportunity in the next match.Things got even worse when Tristan Stubbs was dismissed for a duck in the fifth over. South Africa have only lost their first four wickets by end of the fifth over on five occasions in men’s T20Is, and two of them came in this competition. Happily for them, they had Klaasen and Miller on hand to shore up the mid-section of the innings.

Three overs: 13 runs

After Tanzim Hasan (3 for 18) set the tone with wickets upfront, Taskin Ahmed took charge of the latter stages, helped by Rishad Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman. Between them, the trio gave away just 13 runs in the last three overs of South Africa’s innings, and removed both danger batters Klaasen and Miller in a clutch display of death bowling. Klaasen was dismissed halfway through the 18th over, when he slogged across the line but was early on his shot, and the low bounce took the ball onto leg stump. Taskin only conceded three singles off the rest of that over to finish with 2 for 19 from his four overs.It may have been a gamble to use legspinner Rishad for the penultimate over, especially when his previous three cost 28 runs, but he knocked Miller out with a topspinner second ball, and Maharaj could not get him away. Rishad’s final over cost just four. Then came the Fizz, who took the ball away from Maharaj for four consecutive dots before a fifth went wide and was called as such. The batters scored three runs off the last two balls and were frustrated by their inability to score any boundaries in the last three overs.1:24

Morkel: Miller and Klaasen showed maturity against spinners

Happy Birthday David Miller

On his 35th birthday, Miller was given a gift when he edged the first ball Mahmudullah bowled. But Litton Das, who was standing up to the stumps, was unable to react quickly enough to take the catch. Miller was on 13 at the time and went on to more than double his score and finish on 29. But that wasn’t the end of the presents for him. He was stationed at extra cover when Maharaj was brought on to bowl the first over after the powerplay, and Litton, not content with what he had already given Miller, slapped the ball straight to him. Miller made no mistake, and Bangladesh were 29 for 2 in the seventh over.

Three overs: 15 runs

Bangladesh had to get 20 runs off the last 18 balls, and after putting on the squeeze in that period would have expected it to be difficult but perhaps not difficult. Kagiso Rabada bowled the 18th over, despite not being his best at the tournament so far. He only half-appealed when Hridoy missed an attempted clip to the leg side but was rewarded with a wicket first up. Rabada went on to concede only one more run in an over of hard lengths.Then Baartman stepped up for the 19th, and stuck to a slightly fuller length which neither Mahmudullah nor Jaker could get away. He conceded seven runs. The test was when Maharaj, who has never done this job before, was left with the final six balls. He started with a wide. His second legal ball was a low full toss that Mahmudullah hit hard down the ground, but the slow outfield stopped it from getting to the rope. Jaker tried to send the next one over the rope but couldn’t clear long-on, and then Rishad managed a leg bye.But the last two balls were both full tosses that should have been dispatched over the rope. However, Mahmdullah’s effort found Markram, while Taskin could only hit the final ball to cover to give South Africa a nervy anti-choke win.

Fast bowler named in 15-player squad with England needing 3-0 win to take series

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2023Fast bowler Lauren Filer is in line for her England white-ball debut, in the wake of her fiery performance in the Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge last month, after being named in a 15-person squad for the three ODIs against Australia next week.Filer, who touched speeds in excess of 75mph at Trent Bridge to live up to her reputation as the fastest female bowler in the country, comes into the reckoning with England needing a 3-0 clean sweep of the ODI series if they are to reclaim the Ashes for the first time since 2015.With the onus on victory, Filer could conceivably be unleashed alongside her fellow quick, 21-year-old Issy Wong, who was overlooked for the Test and hasn’t featured for England since the T20I leg of their tour of West Indies in December.Also included is the opening batter, Tammy Beaumont, whose England-record 208 underpinned her side’s strong first-innings batting display in the Test match, which Australia eventually won by 89 runs to claim four points towards their Ashes defence.Beaumont underlined her strong white-ball form with a match-winning 83 not out from 62 balls for The Blaze against Northern Diamonds in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy last week, and having missed the T20I leg of the Ashes, is set to resume her place at the top of the 50-over batting order.England head into the ODIs with confidence after coming from behind to seal a thrilling 2-1 victory in the T20Is, Australia’s first loss in any series since the corresponding leg of the 2017-18 Ashes.That leg was played out in front of a series of crowds in the region of 20,000 at Edgbaston, The Oval and Lord’s, and Heather Knight’s team are hopeful of similar support at Bristol (July 12), Southampton (July 16) and Taunton (July 18), all of which are sell-outs.Head coach Jon Lewis said: “We were delighted with our T20 series win and look forward to the next stage of the Ashes with everything to play for.”We’re pleased to welcome Tammy (Beaumont) and Lauren (Filer) back into the group. Tammy showed her quality during the Test match with her double-hundred while Lauren offers us real pace in our bowling alongside Issy (Wong).”The support the team have received throughout the series so far has been incredible and it is fitting to finish with this deciding ODI campaign as the first sell-out series in England Women’s history.”We respect Australia and know that this part of the Ashes series will again be a big challenge. However, we take a great deal of confidence and belief from our recent T20 victories and will, as always, be trying to put on a great showing for our fans.”England squad: Heather Knight (capt), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones (wk), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

England stutter at the death before Bangladesh batters showcase newfound aggression

Mohammad Isam09-Mar-2023″New Bangladesh” took down England in the first T20I in Chattogram, gunning down the 157-run chase in impressive fashion. The new-look side that had one player returning after eight years, one after two years and a debutant, beat the world champions by six wickets, with two overs in hand. It is very rare to see such a performance in T20Is from Bangladesh.After Hasan Mahmud led with stingy death overs – England scored only 21 runs in the last four overs – the batters did what they are expected to do in a T20 chase: bat with purpose. But this was missing for so long in the Bangladeshi batting approach. Litton Das and Rony Talukdar, the player returning to the side after eight years, struck early boundaries, before Najmul Hossain Shanto and Towhid Hridoy kept up the pressure with a fast partnership.Shanto made his third fifty in his last four innings, before falling for 51. Captain Shakib Al Hasan and Afif Hossain then scored the remaining runs, an unbroken 46-run stand in 5.4 overs to complete the chase. Shakib remained unbeaten on 34, clattering six fours in his 24-ball stay. Afif made 15 with two fours, one of them a classic cover drive.But it was not all plain-sailing for Bangladesh. England got off to a great start, reaching 80 in the first ten overs.

Buttler leads powerful start

England fired off 51 for no loss in the Powerplay. Phil Salt struck five boundaries including a six in his 35-ball 38 but it was Buttler who was more punishing. He brought out all his T20 specials including the splayed-leg hoick over long-on and the slightly more open cover drive. Buttler also got his boundaries with the reverse-sweep and the back-foot punch, underlining his authority and quality as a T20 star. He finished with eight boundaries, half of them sixes, in his 42-ball stay.Both Buttler and Salt were dropped in the sixth over. First, Nasum Ahmed dropped a return chance off Salt on 20, before Shakib dropped a sitter at mid-on with Buttler on 19. Salt though wasn’t too happy with his dismissal when UltraEdge picked up an under-edge in the tenth over. Dawid Malan fell shortly afterward, when he holed out in the deep off Shakib.

Hasan triggers collapse

Buttler still was going great guns, adding 47 runs with Ben Duckett for the third wicket. But when Mustafizur Rahman removed the left-handed Duckett for 20 off 13 balls, England still had four overs in hand to put up a big total. Instead, Hasan bowled two mean overs at the death to bring Bangladesh back into the contest.Hasan removed Buttler the ball after Duckett got out, before he dismssed Sam Curran for 6 in his next over, both to catches in the deep. Taskin bowled a strong final over, giving away just nine runs as England finished on 156 for 6. A tally of 21 runs in the last four overs was England’s second-lowest in this phase of a T20I innings.

A rare Powerplay boost

It is quite unusual for Bangladesh to outscore the opposition in the powerplay, but that’s exactly what happened in Chattogram. The home side raced to 54 for 2, to beat England’s powerplay by three runs. The visitors didn’t lose a wicket but T20 sides often don’t bother about losing two wickets in the fielding restrictions.Litton and Talukdar combined six boundaries in the first three overs before the latter missed Adil Rashid’s googly in the fourth over. Shanto survived a lbw appeal in his second ball, before hitting Rashid for a boundary. Litton fell in the next over, but debutant Hridoy ensured Bangladesh finished big in the Powerplay with two more fours.Shanto, Hridoy bring their Strikers’ game
Shanto and Hridoy added 65 runs in just 6.3 overs, reminiscent of their recent exploits in the BPL, playing for Sylhet Strikers. Shanto was the tournament’s highest run-getter, while Hridoy got his senior call-ups for his BPL performance. They played aggressively during this fourth wicket stand against England, something that Bangladesh has missed in the middle-overs from their middle-order for a very long time.Hridoy slog-swept Rashid for a six, before falling for a 17-ball 24, but the innings aided Shanto at the other end. The left-hander drove the ball gleefully, particularly against Mark Wood, taking him for four consecutive boundaries in the seventh over. Shanto steadied himself in the next six overs, before Wood burst one through him. But Shanto’s 51 off 30 balls, and his stand with Hridoy, left an easier equation for the home side.

Seven home matches been shelved, but not for political reasons, according to CEO Warren Deutrom

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2025Ireland have shelved plans to host a multi-format series against Afghanistan this year for “financial reasons” in a busy summer schedule which includes historic tours by England Men’s T20I side and Zimbabwe Women.Cricket Ireland released their international fixtures on Tuesday, including Women’s 50-over World Cup Qualifying matches against Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Thailand and Scotland between April 9-18.It also listed warm-up games for Ireland Women against West Indies and Bangladesh in Pakistan on April 5 and 7 respectively, ahead of their bid to reach the tournament for the first time since 2005, although the ICC is yet to confirm dates and venues for the Qualifiers.Ireland Men will host West Indies in ODI and T20I series in May and June respectively, while England Men will play their first T20I series in Ireland in September, comprising three matches.According to the Men’s Future Tours Program (FTP), Ireland were due to play a Test against Afghanistan as well as three ODIs and three T20Is. However, all seven matches have been cancelled and, though this follows the example of Australia and England in not playing bilateral series against Afghanistan, Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland chief executive, insisted it was for financial not political reasons. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Human Rights Watch had called for Afghanistan’s ICC membership to be suspended for human rights abuses.”One planned series that won’t go ahead for financial reasons is against Afghanistan,” Deutrom said. “This decision is part of our management of short-term budgetary constraints, as well as our requirement to comply with the Board’s mandate to deliver balanced investment across the organisation’s strategic objectives.”Ireland have only hosted two of the ten Tests they have played since becoming Full Members of the ICC in 2017. They secured their maiden win in the format against Afghanistan in the UAE in 2024 then won two more Tests against Zimbabwe, at home last year and away last month.Related

• As Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom departs, he leaves behind a complicated legacy

• Ireland government approves permanent cricket stadium in Dublin

Ireland staged a “home” white-ball series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi last year in a bid to overcome what Deutrom described at the time as “current infrastructure constraints” given the lack of a permanent home stadium and the high cost of temporary infrastructure.Last August, the Irish Government approved the development of apermanent international cricket stadium and high performance centre in Dublin. The first phase, including a main cricket oval, permanent seating for 4,000 people and the high performance centre is due for completion in 2028 with a view to preparing Ireland to co-host the 2030 T20 World Cup alongside England and Scotland.”Off the field, recent Programme for Government announcements will enable us to continue our planning for the new Dublin stadium and for the 2030 T20 World Cup, while we’re looking forward to announcing infrastructure and facilities investments across Ireland as part of our expanded Club Fund,” Deutrom said.However, the ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said in a release that Cricket Ireland has expressed interest in hosting them in 2026. “Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom spoke to me on March 8 and explained that, due to financial reasons, they are unable to host us this year,” Khan said. “However, they have expressed interest in hosting us in 2026. While we acknowledge their reasons, this would have been a valuable opportunity for players from both countries. We are in discussions with Cricket Ireland to explore suitable options for rescheduling the series and will work collaboratively to find a mutually convenient window.”Ireland Wolves will play Afghanistan A in four-day and one-day matches in Abu Dhabi next month as part of a tour which includes a white-ball tri-series also involving Sri Lanka A.Ireland Men will also play in the European T20 Premier League with Scotland and the Netherlands from mid-July.Zimbabwe Women will visit Ireland in July, their first tour since being added to the Women’s FTP for 2025-29. They will play three T20Is followed by two ODIs.Pakistan Women will then travel to Ireland in August for three T20s ahead of the T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier in the Netherlands, where Ireland Women are competing.

A round-up of the Under-19 World Cup matches that took place on January 28, 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2020
ScorecardSixteen-year old Emannuel Bawa must have had one of the sweetest experiences of his career on Tuesday. To score a century from No. 7 – with the team in deep trouble at 54 for 5 – and for it to end up match-winning too had to make him feel like he was on top of the world.Zimbabwe, at one point, were in very real danger of going down to Canada in Potchefstroom, but their lower-middle order showed great steel. The No. 5 Taurayi Tugwete hit a 50 off 75 balls and even the No. 9 Gareth Chirawu wouldn’t give his wicket away cheaply, cracking 54 unbeaten runs off only 45 deliveries. Bawa, though, was the star of the show, arriving to the crease in the 16th over and remaining unbeaten, with 13 fours and a strike-rate of 110.Canada suffered a similar batting malfunction, slumping to 69 for 5 in the 21st over, but they could find no one to rescue their innings as Chirawu, Sakhumuzi Ndlela and Nkosilathi Nungu picked up two wickets each.Uzzair Shah flicks•ICC via Getty

ScorecardOsama Hassan produced a fine half-century from the lower order for UAE but his 81 off 68 balls did little to prevent defeat in the fourth quarter-final of the plate group in the Under-19 World Cup. Scotland cruised to victory with seven wickets to spare thanks to opener Uzzair Shah’s nearly run-a-ball 71 and wicketkeeper Tomas Mackintosh’s better than run-a-ball 57.UAE began the game in decent position. They were 129 for 3 in the 30th over after being put in to bat, eying up a strong total. But Daniel Cairns’ offspin triggered a middle-overs collapse where they lost four wickets for 35 runs. Hassan continued to fight though, hitting seven fours and a six during the course of his innings and was the last man out in the 49th over.Shah took centre stage after that, helping Scotland wallop 176 runs by the 27th over before he was finally dismissed, by which time the contest was pretty much done.

Sussex recruit scores 126, Tom Prest unbeaten on 65 against Durham

ECB Reporters Network10-May-2024New boy Ali Orr began to fulfil the expectations placed on him with a smart maiden Hampshire century as he led a positive batting day for his side against Durham in the Vitality County Championship.Opening batter Orr, who moved from boyhood club Sussex in the winter, expertly amassed 126, his first Championship hundred since September 2022 and his fifth all told.Spinner Callum Parkinson was the pick of the Durham attack – taking 3 for 110 – but Tom Prest’s whirlwind 65 gave the day to the hosts, who ended on 336 for 4.Orr had become the latest high-profile player to leave Hove – after the likes of Luke Wells, Ben Brown and George Garton – and his departure coincided with Chris Adams and Ian Gould leaving their posts on the cricket committee. It was said it was the latest illustration of the ‘big’ counties consuming the ‘smaller’ ones.In eventuality, Hampshire have their best shot at ending their opening-batting woes, while Sussex have barely felt the effects – they are top of Division Two despite playing a game fewer than the three teams behind them.It hadn’t been a smooth start to life at the western end of the A27 for Orr – unsurprising given the mixture of hype and anger that marked his transfer.He ran out his opening partner Fletcha Middleton in their first innings together to start a scoring run of: 10, 13, 4, 26 and 6. This innings was exactly what had been promised when he signed.Orr saw off the new ball with little worry after captain James Vince had chosen to bat, and showed a business to rotate the strike early on.Hampshire were without the ill Mohammed Abbas – a blessing for Durham as he dispatched them for their two lowest first-class scores in one afternoon when playing for Leicestershire in 2018. Felix Organ was brought in as his replacement, on a pitch expected to turn.Left-arm wrist spinner Parkinson got the first look at those capabilities when he was tossed the ball in the 18th over. With his third ball he ripped one back almost 18cm with a googly to pin back Middleton’s middle stump.But the breaking of a 48-run opening stand did not spark a rush of spinning wickets. Instead, Orr found his rhythm against the pace of Matt Potts and the wiliness of Peter Siddle as he reached his maiden Hampshire half-century in 94 balls.Almost 60 per cent of his runs would come on the leg side, although that masked his true tactic; namely to scamper singles off his legs and score his boundaries pleasingly around the ground.He added another 86 with Nick Gubbins – who never found fluency in his 31 before he scooped Parkinson straight up to Ollie Robinson.Orr got stuck on 90, for almost half an hour, with blocking and ball replacements stopping his route to three figures, but when it came – in 168 balls – he delivered a triumphant fist pump towards a cheering home balcony.He departed with a tame plink to extra cover to give Siddle his first for his new county, before Vince edged behind for a disjointed 41 to give Parkinson his third.The quick-fire double didn’t put Prest off entering with gusto, sending four of his first 12 balls to the boundary before smashing his 13th for six. With Liam Dawson he upped the run-rate considerably, despite the second new ball, reaching his fifty in 62 balls during an 81-run unbroken partnership.

Warne’s Order of Australia also reflected his charity and philanthropic work

ESPNcricinfo staff and AAP13-Jun-2022Australia captain Meg Lanning and the late Shane Warne have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.Lanning, who has led Australia to consecutive T20 World Cup titles and most recently the ODI World Cup, has been awarded Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to women’s cricket at the elite level.Since taking on the Australian captaincy in 2014 when she was 21, Lanning has overall won three T20 World Cup titles as well as three Ashes victories in 2015, 2019 and 2021-22 (she missed 2017-18 due to injury) and been in charge of a record-breaking 26-match ODI winning streak. She is comfortably Australia’s leading run-scorer in T20Is and closing in on the same landmark in ODIs.Warne, who died aged 52 on March 4 when he suffered a heart attack in Thailand, has been posthumously appointed an Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to cricket as a player, role model and commentator, to the community through charitable initiatives, and for philanthropic contributions.Warne’s extraordinary feats on the field – which brought him 1,001 international wickets – put him among the greatest to have ever played the game, but this honour also reflects his broader impact on the game and wider society.In 2020, Warne auctioned his baggy green to raise money for bushfire victims and it fetched over AUD$1 million – a record price paid for an item of Australian sports memorabilia.There was also the Shane Warne Foundation, which raised AUD$7.8 million to support ill and underprivileged children in Australia for a dozen years before closing.But other organisations quietly benefited from Warne’s philanthropy. He was a benefactor for My Room Children’s Cancer Charity. And a long-time supporter of Challenge, which also helped kids with cancer.Warne donated memorabilia and made voluntary appearances at fundraising events for a range of charities including Elton John AIDS Foundation, Australian Red Cross, Scope and the Small Steps Project.And his reach extended beyond Australia, with support for the 2011 Christchurch earthquake recovery and contributions to the rebuilding of the town of Galle in Sri Lanka and its cricket stadium following the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.Warne also supported various UN development programs including the Lion’s Share wildlife fund. The UN announced the establishment of a conservation grant in his name after his death.Other cricketers to be honoured as Member (AM) in the General Division were Doug Walters, the former allrounder who played 74 Tests, and former Australia captain Muriel Picton who played seven Tests between 1961 and 1969.”We are enormously proud to see Australian women’s captain Meg Lanning recognised in today’s Honour List,” Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said. “Her leadership and performances have been central to the outstanding success of our women’s team.”Shane Warne was one of the most talented and charismatic cricketers the world has ever seen and we are reminded today of the indelible legacy he created both on and off the field.”Muriel Picton and Doug Walters both hold a special place in Australian cricket and we are delighted that they have been recognised today as Members of the General Division.”

East Zone completed an innings win over North Zone in the final round of matches to win the trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2023Khaled Ahmed was the standout performer for East Zone, as he completed an 11-wicket match haul to take East to victory in Sylhet. The 11 wickets made it a chart-topping 18 wickets for Khaled in just two games in the BCL, well ahead of second-placed Abu Hider of Central Zone, who returned 12 wickets in three games.After East won the toss and opted to field, Rejaur Rahman Raja and Khaled returned identical figures of 4 for 40 in the first North innings to bowl them out for 108, with Abdullah Al Mamun’s 26 the best individual effort for North. East’s reply was led by Mominul Haque, who scored 117 in just under four hours, and Parvez Hossain Emon, whose 90 came in 200 balls in over four hours of batting. Shahadat Hossain also chipped in with a quick 56.Behind by 244 runs, North needed a stronger batting display, but after a steady start from Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Sabbir Hossain, which took them to 43 by the eighth over, it started to go downhill. Abu Jayed picked up the first wicket, of Joy, and it was over to Khaled after that to run through the batting with returns of 7 for 50. Rejaur took his match tally to six with the wickets of Pritom Kumar and North captain Akbar Ali.East, who had earlier beaten Central by seven wickets after drawing their opener against South Zone, finished on 20 points, double that of second-placed Central.A dramatic batting collapse in their second innings cost South a chance to make a match of it against Central, who needed to chase just 16 runs in the fourth innings after South only managed 49, having conceded a 34-run first-innings lead.Asked to bat, South put up 214, with good hands from Moin Khan (75) and Fazle Mahmud (46), as Shohidul Islam, Hider and Shuvagata Hom all got among the wickets.Central’s batting effort wasn’t much better, but good enough to get them a lead, as they scored 248. Naeem Islam led the way with a 181-ball 89, while Mahidul Islam Ankon scored 66.But there was almost no resistance from South in their second innings. Opener Prantik Nawrose Nabil batted ten balls before going off, and the procession was on. Hider picked up four, Shohidul three, and Salauddin Sakil two. Mohammad Naim then proceeded to knock off the required runs in just one over.

R Ashwin closes in on top-ranked Pat Cummins among Test bowlers after picking up eight wickets in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2021Ajaz Patel, who became only the third bowler in the history of Test cricket to pick up all ten wickets in an innings, against India in Mumbai, has risen to No. 38 following a match haul of 14 for 225. New Zealand still lost the Test by a record 372 runs, and India opener Mayank Agarwal, the Player of the Match for innings of 150 and 62, has jumped 30 positions to No. 11, just one off a career-high tenth spot.For Ajaz, who emulated Jim Laker and Anil Kumble at the Wankhede, it meant a gain of 23 spots; his previous highest was No. 53, and he had started the two-Test series against India, which New Zealand lost 1-0, at 62nd place. He picked up a total of 17 wickets in the series.As for Agarwal, his previous best rankings of No. 10 came back in November 2019, after he had scored 243 against Bangladesh in Indore in what was his eighth Test.

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R Ashwin was named Player of the Series for his tally of 14 wickets in two Tests, to go with 70 runs across three innings. Ashwin, No. 2 on the bowlers’ chart behind Pat Cummins, has now moved within 25 points of the Australian quick, his 883 rating points well clear of third-placed Josh Hazlewood, who has 816 points.Cummins, however, has started the Ashes series with a bang, returning 5 for 38 on the opening day of the first Test in Brisbane as England rolled over for 147. Hazlewood hasn’t done badly either, picking up 2 for 42.4:11

Daniel Vettori: Ajaz Patel haul is greatest individual feat in NZ Test cricket

Ashwin has also moved up one place to No. 2 among allrounders. Jason Holder is top of the tally there, while Ravindra Jadeja has dropped from second to fourth, with Ben Stokes between him and Ashwin. Holder, meanwhile, has also moved up one spot to the 14th place among bowlers at the end of the second Galle Test against Sri Lanka, which the home side won by 164 runs to complete a 2-0 series win.Among the others to gain at the end of the India vs New Zealand series were Shubman Gill, up 21 places to 45th, and Daryl Mitchell, up 26 places to No. 78, on the batters’ table, and Mohammed Siraj, who moved up four spots to 41st in the bowlers’ list.Following the Sri Lanka vs West Indies series, three batters made significant gains: Dhananjaya de Silva, whose 155* was the highlight of Sri Lanka’s win in the first Test, moved up 12 places to No. 21, Kraigg Brathwaite went up ten places to 39th, and Nkrumah Bonner was up 17 places to 42nd.Of the bowlers in action, Sri Lanka spinners Lasith Embuldeniya (up five slots to No. 32) and Ramesh Mendis (up 18 places to 39th) made big gains.

All you need to know about how balls land up in the ball library, and how they are selected for replacement

Sidharth Monga16-Jul-20255:19

Kumble: There can’t be so many ball changes in a Test match

A common theme during the England-India Test series has been the frequently replaced balls because the original ones are losing shape. Ever wondered where the replacement balls come from, how they are sorted and selected? Here is all you need to know.Where do the replacement balls come from?Two or three days before the Test, the host association provides used balls from first-class matches played in its venue. If it is Old Trafford, for example, Lancashire provides these balls to the fourth umpire, New South Wales for SCG, Mumbai Cricket Association for Wankhede, and so on.The fourth umpire then inspects the balls putting them through the gauge. If it goes through one and not through the other, it is considered eligible to go into the “ball library”, which is the box you see coming out when a ball is changed during a Test match. Any ball that goes through both the rings is ineligible to start playing with in the first place. So if it goes through both, it is too small to be in use. If it goes through neither, it is too big. If it goes through one and not the other, it is the right size. The number of these potential replacements depends on venues. Tests in India, England and Australia generally tend to have about 20 replacement balls, but in some countries the number can be as low as 12.Related

• India unhappy with replacement ball

• Why teams need big nuts for the Test series

If the fourth umpire sees an issue with most of the balls or doesn’t see enough eligible balls, they bring it up with the rest of the officiating team – on-field umpires, third umpire and match referee – and then they collectively ask the association to provide for more. The same process is followed for new balls. Every new ball is put through the rings before the Test.The endeavour is to have the largest possible range available from semi-new to old, but they are not batched according to age. A ball that has been used for 60 overs on a lush outfield could well be a replacement for one used in a Test on a drier outfield for just 30 overs.The umpire puts the ball through the ring•Getty Images

So are we covered for all contingencies?No, it is not possible to bring an exact like-for-like replacement. The best they can hope to do is get a replacement ball that is nearest to the original ball in wear and tear. It could be older or it could be newer.This is why the umpires are reluctant to change the ball unless it has gone completely out of shape. To maintain the integrity of the competition, the rule of the thumb is to change it only when there is no other way to continue with the existing ball. The teams of course want a ball that suits them; any change is liable to leave one of them unsatisfied.Also remember that the laws doesn’t provide for a ball change for softness. The ball is changed if there is clear damage, wetness or loss of shape. Even with the shape, nowhere do the laws mention the ball has to be round. The only shape criterion for a ball change is that if it goes through neither or both of the rings on the gauge. If it goes through one and not through the other, and if its seam is in place and the ball is dry, you have no option but to continue with it no matter how soft it feels.Are local first-class matches the only source for replacement balls?No, the match officials have to act on their feet sometimes. If they feel they are running out of replacement balls rapidly, they can ask the teams to provide used balls from their nets. They are run through the same tests before they are sent into the ball library.Another source is match balls from earlier in the series. If an innings in an earlier Test in the series has lasted 45 overs, that ball can sent into the library provided it passes the quality checks and no bowler wants to keep it as a souvenir for a five-for.Umpire Paul Reiffel looks for a replacement from the ball library•Getty Images

There have also been cases where the match balls have gone out of shape rapidly and the match referee has had to send for more from the neighbouring county or state association.Hang on, so a good swinging ball that inflicted damage earlier on in the series can come back into play later?Yes, but nobody knows which ball is which. There is no marking done on the ball, and once the balls go into the library it is near impossible to tell them apart.Can umpires change the ball without the involvement of the bowling team?Yes they can, but they do it only when they suspect ball tampering or if they ball is damaged to the extent that just tidying up with a pair of scissors is not enough.The thing with ball tampering is that since it is an accusation of cheating, it needs visual evidence. The umpires avoid making such explicit charges, but do quietly change the ball if they see something is off.Umpire-led changes of the ball are, however, rare. The ball goes to them for a check at every dismissal, during drinks break, if it has hit an LED board or been in the crowd, and during longer intervals. They don’t check it between overs or during overs.5:34

How the Dukes ball is made and why it’s going out of shape

So, the ball change on the second morning at Lord’s – when the ball was clearly out of shape but was also doing a lot for India – would not have eventuated had India not asked for it. As it turned out, the replacement ball did nothing for them and went out of shape in eight overs.Is balls losing shape an issue with a specific brand?Test cricket uses three brands of balls: SG in India, Dukes in England and the West Indies, and Kookaburra elsewhere. Balls losing shape is not limited to any particular brand.There was a time in the late 2010s when SG used to lose shape often, and the Indian players used to bring it to notice despite being sponsored by SG. Kookaburra has often being criticised for the least prominent seam of all three, but its manufacturing process has reinforced the seam in recent years. Dukes just happens to be in the eye of the storm now with frequent complaints from both sides. Even in the concurrent series in the West Indies, especially in the first Test, the players didn’t quite like the ball.However, a lot of it is also gamesmanship. You usually see complaints only when the wickets are not falling. On the last day of Lord’s, when it was in England’s interest to bowl with a softer ball to deny Ravindra Jadeja striking opportunities, the shape of the ball was never brought into question. Often, bowling sides just take a punt when nothing is happening for them in the hope that the library doesn’t have a ball that will be any worse than the one than they have in hand.Dukes has an advantage over the others when it comes to being replaced. The ball has a stamp, the equivalent of a batch number, to identify the year of manufacture. So it is not possible to be playing in 2025 with a Dukes ball that was, say, last used in 2023 or was part of another production batch. SG and Kookaburra don’t have such identification markers.