September 6, 2017 issue
Cricket
new-found aggression as the Tigers humble the Aussies
Australia last Wednesday
Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan hailed the South Asian team’s new-found aggression, believing that beaten Australia will have far more respect for them in the second and final Test at Chittagong this week.
As well as matching the skills of their opponents, last Wednesday’s maiden Test win over Steve Smith’s men bore witness to a meaner streak among players keen to engage in verbal volleys with the tourists at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Shakib led the way by giving Nathan Lyon a send off while Tamim Iqbal and others were involved in brief altercations with the Australians as Bangladesh staved off a late Pat Cummins assault to claim a thrilling 20-run victory.
“Australians are very good at it, we are learning from them,” Shakib, whose all-round brilliance with bat and ball earned him the man-of-the-match honours, said afterwards. “After this Test match, they will show a lot more respect.”
Shakib’s pre-series suggestion that Bangladesh could win both matches bemused many but also indicated the growing self-belief of a team who have registered their first Test victories over England and Sri Lanka in the last year.
“These wins will help us become confident,” Mushfiqur said. “These experiences count a lot. When we face similar situations, we can handle them better.
“They [Australia] showed aggression but at the same time they also realised how aggressive Bangladesh can be, not only while playing but also in our body language.”
Mushfiqur claimed Australia’s predicament was evident when Glenn Maxwell indulged in a bit of time-wasting to avoid facing an extra over before lunch last Wednesday. The delaying tactic had little effect as he was dismissed immediately after the break.
“A team like Australia, who always try to dominate the opposition, were not willing to play an extra over before the break. That’s a big statement,” he said.
Former captain Habibul Bashar hailed the role of Shakib and opener Tamim, calling them role models for young cricketers in the country as both players celebrated their 50th Test appearances with strong performances.
“These two players are a class apart because of their ambition to be compared to the best players in the world,” Habibul told Daily Star newspaper. “Their hunger for success is unmatchable and they have developed a professional mindset which separates the current generation of cricketers from previous cricketers.”
Smith’s side arrived in Dhaka keen to get back to the cricket after an acrimonious 10-month standoff between the players’ union and Cricket Australia (CA) that reflected badly on both sides of the pay dispute.
Instead, the team’s hopes of quickly restoring some of the goodwill lost during the boardroom wrangling was swept away in the South Asian dust by an all-too-familiar string of batting collapses.
Australian media paid due credit to Bangladesh for engineering their first Test win over the tourists but were scathing of Smith’s team for failing to channel their superior resources into an expected victory.
“And then there are the prima donnas, otherwise known as the Australian Test team,” Jon Anderson fumed in Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper. “I use that term because these are the same players who went on strike over their pay packets, ones that dwarf most professional sportspersons in this country.
“So if you want to play that game, by heck you have to make sure you back it up in the field of play.”
The Australian said Smith’s men were ‘humiliated’ in an ‘inglorious outing’ by players earning far inferior salaries.
“The hapless 11 who became the first Australian team to lose a Test to Bangladesh will be paid an average of Aus$1.36 million from Cricket Australia this financial year, or about Aus$26,000 a week,” it said. “The team that humiliated them on a turning pitch are paid average salaries of just Aus$26,136, or about Aus$500 a week.”
Smith lamented that his team had failed to learn from mistakes made in India, where they lost 2-1 in February and March.
But the tourists seemed more culpable of looking too far ahead rather than focusing on the present in their approach to the much-improved Bangladesh side.
Before the series, Smith justified Ashton Agar’s selection in favour of fellow spinner Steve O’Keefe, who engineered the one victory in India, as taking a long view to beat the top-ranked Test side when Australia return there in four years.
Usman Khawaja earned a recall as Smith forecast ‘a big home summer’ for the stylish left-hander against Ashes foes England.
Agar took five wickets but it was a mediocre return on a pitch offering prodigious spin and bounce, while Khawaja managed a total of just two runs in two innings from the combined eight deliveries he faced.
Australia now face the more immediate problem of being 1-0 down in a series and the danger of falling to sixth in the world Test rankings if they lose the second match in Chittagong.
David Warner’s defiant second innings century broke his poor run of form on overseas pitches but few else of Smith’s batting team-mates can proceed with much confidence. There is no longer any disgrace in losing to Bangladesh, but there is some embarrassment when hubris has paved the way to defeat.
As well as matching the skills of their opponents, last Wednesday’s maiden Test win over Steve Smith’s men bore witness to a meaner streak among players keen to engage in verbal volleys with the tourists at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Shakib led the way by giving Nathan Lyon a send off while Tamim Iqbal and others were involved in brief altercations with the Australians as Bangladesh staved off a late Pat Cummins assault to claim a thrilling 20-run victory.
“Australians are very good at it, we are learning from them,” Shakib, whose all-round brilliance with bat and ball earned him the man-of-the-match honours, said afterwards. “After this Test match, they will show a lot more respect.”
Shakib’s pre-series suggestion that Bangladesh could win both matches bemused many but also indicated the growing self-belief of a team who have registered their first Test victories over England and Sri Lanka in the last year.
“These wins will help us become confident,” Mushfiqur said. “These experiences count a lot. When we face similar situations, we can handle them better.
“They [Australia] showed aggression but at the same time they also realised how aggressive Bangladesh can be, not only while playing but also in our body language.”
Mushfiqur claimed Australia’s predicament was evident when Glenn Maxwell indulged in a bit of time-wasting to avoid facing an extra over before lunch last Wednesday. The delaying tactic had little effect as he was dismissed immediately after the break.
“A team like Australia, who always try to dominate the opposition, were not willing to play an extra over before the break. That’s a big statement,” he said.
Former captain Habibul Bashar hailed the role of Shakib and opener Tamim, calling them role models for young cricketers in the country as both players celebrated their 50th Test appearances with strong performances.
“These two players are a class apart because of their ambition to be compared to the best players in the world,” Habibul told Daily Star newspaper. “Their hunger for success is unmatchable and they have developed a professional mindset which separates the current generation of cricketers from previous cricketers.”
Smith’s side arrived in Dhaka keen to get back to the cricket after an acrimonious 10-month standoff between the players’ union and Cricket Australia (CA) that reflected badly on both sides of the pay dispute.
Instead, the team’s hopes of quickly restoring some of the goodwill lost during the boardroom wrangling was swept away in the South Asian dust by an all-too-familiar string of batting collapses.
Australian media paid due credit to Bangladesh for engineering their first Test win over the tourists but were scathing of Smith’s team for failing to channel their superior resources into an expected victory.
“And then there are the prima donnas, otherwise known as the Australian Test team,” Jon Anderson fumed in Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper. “I use that term because these are the same players who went on strike over their pay packets, ones that dwarf most professional sportspersons in this country.
“So if you want to play that game, by heck you have to make sure you back it up in the field of play.”
The Australian said Smith’s men were ‘humiliated’ in an ‘inglorious outing’ by players earning far inferior salaries.
“The hapless 11 who became the first Australian team to lose a Test to Bangladesh will be paid an average of Aus$1.36 million from Cricket Australia this financial year, or about Aus$26,000 a week,” it said. “The team that humiliated them on a turning pitch are paid average salaries of just Aus$26,136, or about Aus$500 a week.”
Smith lamented that his team had failed to learn from mistakes made in India, where they lost 2-1 in February and March.
But the tourists seemed more culpable of looking too far ahead rather than focusing on the present in their approach to the much-improved Bangladesh side.
Before the series, Smith justified Ashton Agar’s selection in favour of fellow spinner Steve O’Keefe, who engineered the one victory in India, as taking a long view to beat the top-ranked Test side when Australia return there in four years.
Usman Khawaja earned a recall as Smith forecast ‘a big home summer’ for the stylish left-hander against Ashes foes England.
Agar took five wickets but it was a mediocre return on a pitch offering prodigious spin and bounce, while Khawaja managed a total of just two runs in two innings from the combined eight deliveries he faced.
Australia now face the more immediate problem of being 1-0 down in a series and the danger of falling to sixth in the world Test rankings if they lose the second match in Chittagong.
David Warner’s defiant second innings century broke his poor run of form on overseas pitches but few else of Smith’s batting team-mates can proceed with much confidence. There is no longer any disgrace in losing to Bangladesh, but there is some embarrassment when hubris has paved the way to defeat.
Steve Smith’s men are just one defeat away from becoming the lowest-ranked Australian Test team in almost three decades.
Australia’s nail-biting loss to Bangladesh in Dhaka has seen them nominally slip from fourth to fifth in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings, which are officially updated at the end of each series.
And another loss to a spirited home side in the second Test this week will see the Aussies drop to sixth, their lowest ranking since 1988.
That 1988 side led by Allan Border is considered one of the weakest in Australian Test history and was labelled as such by the English media when they arrived in the UK for the 1989 Ashes tour, which ultimately turned their fortunes around.
In July 1988, when the Aussies were last ranked sixth, they had won just eight of 43 Tests in the preceding five years, during which time they had lost series at both home and away to England, New Zealand and the West Indies.
They moved up to fifth in August of that year after England were thrashed 4-0 at home by the Windies and their famous Ashes triumph 12 months later started a rapid rise to the top of world cricket in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Smith conceded his young side still had “a long way to go” before they would rise up the rankings again.
“I don’t know if we’re better than that at the moment, that’s a difficult question,” Smith said of Australia’s current ranking.
“I think we’re still a young team, obviously some new players have come in only last year in the summer and some guys are still trying to find their way. We’re a young team and we’re a team that hopefully is going to continue to improve.
While Australia risk sliding to an uncommon low in Bangladesh, they will retain fifth spot with either a win or a draw in Chittagong.
And recent history suggests the Aussies could produce a swift change in their ranking with victory in the Magellan Ashes against England this summer.
The Aussies were last ranked fifth in the world following their 2013 Ashes defeat in the UK, after they had gone nine successive Tests without a win. But their subsequent Ashes whitewash on home soil and 2-1 series win in South Africa saw them jump to top spot in May the following year.
And the at-times fickle nature of the ICC’s rankings is underlined by the fact the Aussies were handed the official Test mace as world No. 1 a little more than 12 months ago. Their rise to No. 1 last year was followed by five successive defeats (to Sri Lanka and South Africa), five straight wins (against South Africa, Pakistan and India) and now three losses and a draw from their past four Tests (against India and Bangladesh).
But despite the ever-changing nature of the official rankings, the Aussies have repeatedly stated their desire to be the No. 1 team in the world.
“We want to be No. 1 in all three formats across men’s and women’s cricket,” Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager of High Performance, said earlier this year when he signed a new two-year contract.
Australia’s men’s team are currently ranked second in one-day internationals and sixth in T20s, while the women’s team hold down the No. 1 spot in the women’s rankings, which incorporate Test, ODI and T20 cricket.
The result in Dhaka has also given Bangladesh a massive rankings boost, handing them 10 rankings points and ensuring they stay just ahead of the West Indies, following the Caribbean side’s shock victory against England at Headingley.
Current ICC Test Rankings (official rankings will be updated at the end of the series)
1) India – 125
2) South Africa – 110
3) England – 102
4) New Zealand – 97
5) Australia – 94
6) Pakistan – 93
7) Sri Lanka – 90
8) Bangladesh – 79
9) West Indies – 79
Australia’s nail-biting loss to Bangladesh in Dhaka has seen them nominally slip from fourth to fifth in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings, which are officially updated at the end of each series.
And another loss to a spirited home side in the second Test this week will see the Aussies drop to sixth, their lowest ranking since 1988.
That 1988 side led by Allan Border is considered one of the weakest in Australian Test history and was labelled as such by the English media when they arrived in the UK for the 1989 Ashes tour, which ultimately turned their fortunes around.
In July 1988, when the Aussies were last ranked sixth, they had won just eight of 43 Tests in the preceding five years, during which time they had lost series at both home and away to England, New Zealand and the West Indies.
They moved up to fifth in August of that year after England were thrashed 4-0 at home by the Windies and their famous Ashes triumph 12 months later started a rapid rise to the top of world cricket in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Smith conceded his young side still had “a long way to go” before they would rise up the rankings again.
“I don’t know if we’re better than that at the moment, that’s a difficult question,” Smith said of Australia’s current ranking.
“I think we’re still a young team, obviously some new players have come in only last year in the summer and some guys are still trying to find their way. We’re a young team and we’re a team that hopefully is going to continue to improve.
While Australia risk sliding to an uncommon low in Bangladesh, they will retain fifth spot with either a win or a draw in Chittagong.
And recent history suggests the Aussies could produce a swift change in their ranking with victory in the Magellan Ashes against England this summer.
The Aussies were last ranked fifth in the world following their 2013 Ashes defeat in the UK, after they had gone nine successive Tests without a win. But their subsequent Ashes whitewash on home soil and 2-1 series win in South Africa saw them jump to top spot in May the following year.
And the at-times fickle nature of the ICC’s rankings is underlined by the fact the Aussies were handed the official Test mace as world No. 1 a little more than 12 months ago. Their rise to No. 1 last year was followed by five successive defeats (to Sri Lanka and South Africa), five straight wins (against South Africa, Pakistan and India) and now three losses and a draw from their past four Tests (against India and Bangladesh).
But despite the ever-changing nature of the official rankings, the Aussies have repeatedly stated their desire to be the No. 1 team in the world.
“We want to be No. 1 in all three formats across men’s and women’s cricket,” Pat Howard, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager of High Performance, said earlier this year when he signed a new two-year contract.
Australia’s men’s team are currently ranked second in one-day internationals and sixth in T20s, while the women’s team hold down the No. 1 spot in the women’s rankings, which incorporate Test, ODI and T20 cricket.
The result in Dhaka has also given Bangladesh a massive rankings boost, handing them 10 rankings points and ensuring they stay just ahead of the West Indies, following the Caribbean side’s shock victory against England at Headingley.
Current ICC Test Rankings (official rankings will be updated at the end of the series)
1) India – 125
2) South Africa – 110
3) England – 102
4) New Zealand – 97
5) Australia – 94
6) Pakistan – 93
7) Sri Lanka – 90
8) Bangladesh – 79
9) West Indies – 79
Two noted legends of English cricket have hailed the West Indies’ stunning second Test win over England at Headingley as one of the finest sporting triumphs in recent memory.
Ian Botham, arguably England’s greatest cricketer of all-time, and Michael Atherton, one of their most capped players and captains, showered praise on Jason Holder’s team after their fearless and fascinating triumph at the historic ground on Tuesday of last week.
Chasing 322 for victory on the final day, West Indies pulled off a remarkable five-wicket win, 11 days following a humiliating innings defeat inside three days in the first Test at Edgbaston.
Writing in The Times newspaper, Atherton said most observers expected a shellacking but the Windies changed the narrative and performed “a resurrection … of a once-proud cricketing nation fallen on hard times.”
“This was one of the great modern Test matches, one that produced a truly astonishing result,” Atherton wrote.
“In my time watching, playing and commentating on Test cricket I cannot think of a bigger upset when taking into account the low expectations for a team with a horrendous away record who had subsided to a three-day defeat only the week before.”
Botham echoed the sentiments of many over the world when he noted: “What Test cricket needs is a vibrant West Indian team. They bring everything – the colour, the party atmosphere.
“After being totally embarrassed at Birmingham, something they would have been devastated about, Windies managed to pick themselves up. It was great to watch and for Windies to show guts like that was a top performance.”
Botham, a highly-respected pundit with Sky Sports, was speaking at the venue where he performed one of cricket’s greatest feats – a back-to-the-wall century against Australia in the 1981 Ashes.
Atherton, who is also a Sky Sports pundit, is familiar with the cricketing landscape in the Caribbean, having toured the region on two occasions, and also lived in Barbados.
“There were many heroes of the hour: (Jason) Holder, the young captain, who took the criticism full on after Edgbaston, and who batted with real authority when West Indies were wobbling in their first innings, and then bowled with heart and discipline throughout; Shannon Gabriel, who returned to lead the attack as a strike bowler should; but most of all two young batsmen around whom the semblance of a sturdy Test match batting line-up can be glimpsed,” Atherton wrote.
“Kraigg Brathwaite, from Wanderers Cricket Club and Combermere School, the alma mater of Sir Frank Worrell, and Shai Hope, of Pickwick Cricket Club and, latterly and briefly, of Bede’s School in East Sussex, led the charge, following up their hundreds in the first innings with magnificent contributions in the second.
“They were partners in both innings for 390 runs, more than half their team’s total in the match, and they were the rocks upon which England’s ship foundered.”
Hope, a stylish 23-year-old right-hander, stroked an unbeaten 118 to follow up his first innings 147, in the process becoming the first batsman to score twin hundreds at Headingley in 127 years of first class cricket at the venue.
Opener Brathwaite made 134 in the first innings and 95 in the second.
Ian Botham, arguably England’s greatest cricketer of all-time, and Michael Atherton, one of their most capped players and captains, showered praise on Jason Holder’s team after their fearless and fascinating triumph at the historic ground on Tuesday of last week.
Chasing 322 for victory on the final day, West Indies pulled off a remarkable five-wicket win, 11 days following a humiliating innings defeat inside three days in the first Test at Edgbaston.
Writing in The Times newspaper, Atherton said most observers expected a shellacking but the Windies changed the narrative and performed “a resurrection … of a once-proud cricketing nation fallen on hard times.”
“This was one of the great modern Test matches, one that produced a truly astonishing result,” Atherton wrote.
“In my time watching, playing and commentating on Test cricket I cannot think of a bigger upset when taking into account the low expectations for a team with a horrendous away record who had subsided to a three-day defeat only the week before.”
Botham echoed the sentiments of many over the world when he noted: “What Test cricket needs is a vibrant West Indian team. They bring everything – the colour, the party atmosphere.
“After being totally embarrassed at Birmingham, something they would have been devastated about, Windies managed to pick themselves up. It was great to watch and for Windies to show guts like that was a top performance.”
Botham, a highly-respected pundit with Sky Sports, was speaking at the venue where he performed one of cricket’s greatest feats – a back-to-the-wall century against Australia in the 1981 Ashes.
Atherton, who is also a Sky Sports pundit, is familiar with the cricketing landscape in the Caribbean, having toured the region on two occasions, and also lived in Barbados.
“There were many heroes of the hour: (Jason) Holder, the young captain, who took the criticism full on after Edgbaston, and who batted with real authority when West Indies were wobbling in their first innings, and then bowled with heart and discipline throughout; Shannon Gabriel, who returned to lead the attack as a strike bowler should; but most of all two young batsmen around whom the semblance of a sturdy Test match batting line-up can be glimpsed,” Atherton wrote.
“Kraigg Brathwaite, from Wanderers Cricket Club and Combermere School, the alma mater of Sir Frank Worrell, and Shai Hope, of Pickwick Cricket Club and, latterly and briefly, of Bede’s School in East Sussex, led the charge, following up their hundreds in the first innings with magnificent contributions in the second.
“They were partners in both innings for 390 runs, more than half their team’s total in the match, and they were the rocks upon which England’s ship foundered.”
Hope, a stylish 23-year-old right-hander, stroked an unbeaten 118 to follow up his first innings 147, in the process becoming the first batsman to score twin hundreds at Headingley in 127 years of first class cricket at the venue.
Opener Brathwaite made 134 in the first innings and 95 in the second.
victory in the final ODI
Virat Kohli hit his second century in a row as India thrashed Sri Lanka by six wickets in the fifth one-day international (ODI) on Sunday to inflict a humiliating 5-0 series defeat on the beleaguered hosts.
Kohli smashed nine fours in his unbeaten 110-run knock to help the visitors achieve the target of 239 with 21 balls to spare at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo.
The series win came after India swept the preceding three Test rubber 3-0, capping their domination of the home side which has been beset by injury and selection woes.
This was India's second 5-0 whitewash in an ODI series abroad, with Kohli's men having blanked Zimbabwe in 2013. Sri Lanka squandered the opportunity to salvage some pride, folding up for a below-par 238 in 49.4 overs after paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar grabbed a career-best 5-42.
Kumar made the most of the conditions, reducing Sri Lanka to 40-2 before Lahiru Thirimanne (67) and Angelo Mathews stitched together a 122-run stand for the fourth wicket to steady the innings.
The dismissal of the two set batsmen triggered a collapse that saw the hosts lose seven wickets for 53 runs.
“It is a very difficult time for us. We were not up to the standard,” said Sri Lankan skipper Upul Tharanga.
“We lost a few early wickets. Thirimanne and Mathews had a good partnership. At one stage we were looking at 260-270. Unfortunately we collapsed again.
“We have to improve all three departments, especially our batting. We couldn't get those big scores in all five games. We lost a few main players, but still as a captain I feel we didn't play to our standard.”
Mathews gave an easy catch to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (1-40) after making 55 off 98 deliveries.
Thirimanne, who hit three fours and a six in his 102-ball knock, was bowled by Kumar, the man of the match.
“It's quite amazing to have won the series 5-0. We always thought the shorter format is going to be much more challenging,” said Kohli.
“The youngsters and the spunk on the field has worked for us. All round, it's been a complete series for us. We've been playing some good cricket.”
The Indians had a shaky start but Kohli anchored the innings with a 99-run partnership with Manish Pandey (36) for the third wicket.
He also put on 109 runs with Kedar Jadhav who scored a fine 63 off 73 balls.
Kohli, 28, looked in sublime form, hitting Milinda Siriwardana for three fours in an over to bring up his half-century.
The right-hander went on to complete his 30th ODI century, equalling former Australian captain Ricky Ponting's tally.
Only Indian great Sachin Tendulkar has scored more centuries in the 50-over game with 49 tons.
Dhoni also passed a career milestone when he stumped Akila Dananjaya (four) off the bowling of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, his 100th in ODIs.
Dhoni became the first to achieve the feat, surpassing former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara who had 99 stumpings to his credit.
Kohli smashed nine fours in his unbeaten 110-run knock to help the visitors achieve the target of 239 with 21 balls to spare at the R. Premadasa stadium in Colombo.
The series win came after India swept the preceding three Test rubber 3-0, capping their domination of the home side which has been beset by injury and selection woes.
This was India's second 5-0 whitewash in an ODI series abroad, with Kohli's men having blanked Zimbabwe in 2013. Sri Lanka squandered the opportunity to salvage some pride, folding up for a below-par 238 in 49.4 overs after paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar grabbed a career-best 5-42.
Kumar made the most of the conditions, reducing Sri Lanka to 40-2 before Lahiru Thirimanne (67) and Angelo Mathews stitched together a 122-run stand for the fourth wicket to steady the innings.
The dismissal of the two set batsmen triggered a collapse that saw the hosts lose seven wickets for 53 runs.
“It is a very difficult time for us. We were not up to the standard,” said Sri Lankan skipper Upul Tharanga.
“We lost a few early wickets. Thirimanne and Mathews had a good partnership. At one stage we were looking at 260-270. Unfortunately we collapsed again.
“We have to improve all three departments, especially our batting. We couldn't get those big scores in all five games. We lost a few main players, but still as a captain I feel we didn't play to our standard.”
Mathews gave an easy catch to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (1-40) after making 55 off 98 deliveries.
Thirimanne, who hit three fours and a six in his 102-ball knock, was bowled by Kumar, the man of the match.
“It's quite amazing to have won the series 5-0. We always thought the shorter format is going to be much more challenging,” said Kohli.
“The youngsters and the spunk on the field has worked for us. All round, it's been a complete series for us. We've been playing some good cricket.”
The Indians had a shaky start but Kohli anchored the innings with a 99-run partnership with Manish Pandey (36) for the third wicket.
He also put on 109 runs with Kedar Jadhav who scored a fine 63 off 73 balls.
Kohli, 28, looked in sublime form, hitting Milinda Siriwardana for three fours in an over to bring up his half-century.
The right-hander went on to complete his 30th ODI century, equalling former Australian captain Ricky Ponting's tally.
Only Indian great Sachin Tendulkar has scored more centuries in the 50-over game with 49 tons.
Dhoni also passed a career milestone when he stumped Akila Dananjaya (four) off the bowling of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, his 100th in ODIs.
Dhoni became the first to achieve the feat, surpassing former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara who had 99 stumpings to his credit.
inaugural 10/10 match.
Bee Hive is a little known village in Guyana about 18 miles from the capital Georgetown. But in Toronto, the name of this unpretentious village has has been placed on the map if only because the Bee Hive Cricket Club (BHCC), whose membership is largely drawn from that small rural community, convincingly won the inaugural First Division 10-overs softball competition.
Bee Hive teamed up against the Leguan Boyz in the final knockout game and scored 84 runs for 8 wickets in reply to Leguan's 79 for 9.
Top scorer for Bee Hive was its captain Anand Balwant who made 15 runs and was awarded MVP for his performance. Anand also bowled two overs conceding just 2 runs. But star bowler for Bee Hive was undoubtedly Zakir Alli who took two wickets off his two overs and yielded only two runs.
In this one day competition, Bee Hive defeated Malvern All Stars in the semi-final before pairing off with Leguan Boyz in the finals.
Roy Dhori, President of BHCC, said he is very thankful for the co-operation and solidarity that the team is showing. He feels the members are well organized with a solid structure in place which all bode well for the future. Family members of the players are also very supportive. At the games, 'Master Chef' Shankar Dhori along with Sunita Ali donate their culinary skills to make sure the team doesn't play on an empty stomach.
One week after playing the T10 competition, the team met the Leguan Boyz in the semi-finals of the T20 knockout. Leguan won that match and went on to win the tournament. And this upcoming weekend, BHCC will be playing the regular T20 semi-final, once more, against Leguan Boyz.
BHCC receives solid support from three staunch sponsors: Omesh Jewellery, Colonial Landscaping Services and Sham Real Estate. Through Omesh Jewellery's owner, who is also the lead player of the Wave Band and PRO of the Club, BHCC gets a lot of exposure on TV, newspaper and in shows where Omesh is involved.
When the team shows up for a game, so do their family members and supporters which all add up to making it a rewarding experience.
Bee Hive teamed up against the Leguan Boyz in the final knockout game and scored 84 runs for 8 wickets in reply to Leguan's 79 for 9.
Top scorer for Bee Hive was its captain Anand Balwant who made 15 runs and was awarded MVP for his performance. Anand also bowled two overs conceding just 2 runs. But star bowler for Bee Hive was undoubtedly Zakir Alli who took two wickets off his two overs and yielded only two runs.
In this one day competition, Bee Hive defeated Malvern All Stars in the semi-final before pairing off with Leguan Boyz in the finals.
Roy Dhori, President of BHCC, said he is very thankful for the co-operation and solidarity that the team is showing. He feels the members are well organized with a solid structure in place which all bode well for the future. Family members of the players are also very supportive. At the games, 'Master Chef' Shankar Dhori along with Sunita Ali donate their culinary skills to make sure the team doesn't play on an empty stomach.
One week after playing the T10 competition, the team met the Leguan Boyz in the semi-finals of the T20 knockout. Leguan won that match and went on to win the tournament. And this upcoming weekend, BHCC will be playing the regular T20 semi-final, once more, against Leguan Boyz.
BHCC receives solid support from three staunch sponsors: Omesh Jewellery, Colonial Landscaping Services and Sham Real Estate. Through Omesh Jewellery's owner, who is also the lead player of the Wave Band and PRO of the Club, BHCC gets a lot of exposure on TV, newspaper and in shows where Omesh is involved.
When the team shows up for a game, so do their family members and supporters which all add up to making it a rewarding experience.
Kieron Pollard has been criticised on social media after bowling a no-ball which denied opposition batsman Evin Lewis the chance of a century in a Caribbean Premier League match.
Pollard bowled a big no-ball when Lewis was on 97 off 32 balls, with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots needing one run to beat Barbados Tridents in the Twenty20 competition.
The no-ball gave 25-year-old Lewis' side the win but saw him miss out on the chance of a ton after he and captain Chris Gayle reached 129-0.
Cricket statistician and journalist Mazher Arshad said: "So Kieron Pollard bowls a no-ball to deny Evin Lewis a hundred in CPL. Suraj Randiv was suspended for a match when he did that to [Virender] Sehwag in 2010."
Cricket supporter Mainraj Paudel called Pollard's actions a "shameless act" on Twitter, while another spectator, Abhishek Chaturvedi, accused Pollard of showing "zero sportsmanship".
Lewis, however, was more diplomatic.
In a televised post-match interview, he said: "It hurts [missing out on the hundred], but hitting 97 not out off 33 balls? I'll take that any day.
"I've been hitting the ball long and hard in the nets. I'm confident now and looking forward to the play-offs."
If Lewis had completed his century in 33 balls, it would have been the second fastest of all time - just behind Chris Gayle's 30-ball IPL knock in 2013.
Pollard bowled a big no-ball when Lewis was on 97 off 32 balls, with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots needing one run to beat Barbados Tridents in the Twenty20 competition.
The no-ball gave 25-year-old Lewis' side the win but saw him miss out on the chance of a ton after he and captain Chris Gayle reached 129-0.
Cricket statistician and journalist Mazher Arshad said: "So Kieron Pollard bowls a no-ball to deny Evin Lewis a hundred in CPL. Suraj Randiv was suspended for a match when he did that to [Virender] Sehwag in 2010."
Cricket supporter Mainraj Paudel called Pollard's actions a "shameless act" on Twitter, while another spectator, Abhishek Chaturvedi, accused Pollard of showing "zero sportsmanship".
Lewis, however, was more diplomatic.
In a televised post-match interview, he said: "It hurts [missing out on the hundred], but hitting 97 not out off 33 balls? I'll take that any day.
"I've been hitting the ball long and hard in the nets. I'm confident now and looking forward to the play-offs."
If Lewis had completed his century in 33 balls, it would have been the second fastest of all time - just behind Chris Gayle's 30-ball IPL knock in 2013.
Points Table as at Sept 4/17
TEAMS ABBREVIATIONS:
TKR - TRINBAGO KNIGHT RIDERS
BT - BARBADOS TRIDENTS
STKNP - ST KITTS AND NEVIS PATRIOTS
JT - JAMAICA TALLAWAHS
GAW - GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS
STARS - ST LUCIA STARS
Team M W L T P NRR
TKR 10 8 2 0 16 1.168
STKNP 10 6 3 0 13 1.022
JT 10 6 4 0 12 -0.416
GAW 10 5 5 0 10 0.834
BT 10 4 6 0 8 -0.943
STARS 10 0 9 0 1 -1.644
West Indies batsman Chris Gayle says he is open to a Test return before he retires from cricket.
The 37-year-old, who has not played Test cricket since September 2014, joked he could even return for the third Test against England next week at Lord's.
When asked by former England captain Michael Vaughan what it would take for a return to the five-day game, Gayle replied confidently: "Just for me to say when I’m ready."
The Windies board’s policy has meant that players can only be selected for international duty if they feature in the same format in domestic cricket, but a “temporary amnesty” has allowed Gayle to return to the one-day international squad to face England after the final Test.
Australian players were faced with a bit of scare after a 'small rock' was reportedly hurled at the window of the team bus, in which the squad members were travelling in Chittagong on Monday (September 4).
However, none of the players sustained any injury in the incident that took place while commuting from the stadium to the hotel after the conclusion of Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh. A part of one of the windows was broken.
"On route back to the hotel last night a window on the Australian team bus was broken. No one was injured in the incident," said Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia's Security Manager.
"Team security personnel are currently in discussion with local authorities while they investigate the cause, which is believed to have come from a small rock or stone. Bangladesh authorities are taking the incident seriously and security has been increased on the route."
Australian players have already been provided with 'head of state' levels of security. Roads en route to the stadium have been blocked, with armed guards keeping an eye on the crowds while players commute to the stadium.
However, in the aftermath of the incident, the authorities decided to beef up the security even more in order to ensure the Australian players' safety.
Before the tour was given a go-ahead, Bangladesh had promised to provide the highest state security to the touring team, after the 2015 series had been cancelled citing security concerns.
The BCB also issued a statement, assuring that the matter is being taken up with utmost seriousness.
"The BCB has taken this matter with utmost seriousness and a high-power committee has been formed by the concerned security agencies to investigate and find out the facts."
"The Board has been in constant communication with the Australian Cricket Team management. As added assurance, security measures have been enhanced on the travelling route of the teams. The Australia Cricket Team has expressed its satisfaction and comfort with the security operation in place and has appreciated the response from the BCB and the local authorities following Monday's incident," the statement included.
However, none of the players sustained any injury in the incident that took place while commuting from the stadium to the hotel after the conclusion of Day 1 of the second Test against Bangladesh. A part of one of the windows was broken.
"On route back to the hotel last night a window on the Australian team bus was broken. No one was injured in the incident," said Sean Carroll, Cricket Australia's Security Manager.
"Team security personnel are currently in discussion with local authorities while they investigate the cause, which is believed to have come from a small rock or stone. Bangladesh authorities are taking the incident seriously and security has been increased on the route."
Australian players have already been provided with 'head of state' levels of security. Roads en route to the stadium have been blocked, with armed guards keeping an eye on the crowds while players commute to the stadium.
However, in the aftermath of the incident, the authorities decided to beef up the security even more in order to ensure the Australian players' safety.
Before the tour was given a go-ahead, Bangladesh had promised to provide the highest state security to the touring team, after the 2015 series had been cancelled citing security concerns.
The BCB also issued a statement, assuring that the matter is being taken up with utmost seriousness.
"The BCB has taken this matter with utmost seriousness and a high-power committee has been formed by the concerned security agencies to investigate and find out the facts."
"The Board has been in constant communication with the Australian Cricket Team management. As added assurance, security measures have been enhanced on the travelling route of the teams. The Australia Cricket Team has expressed its satisfaction and comfort with the security operation in place and has appreciated the response from the BCB and the local authorities following Monday's incident," the statement included.