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Worcestershire pulled off a record run chase in a home Championship fixture to bring last-evening delight and New Road and leave Northants looking on in disbelief

ECB Reporters Network26-Aug-2016
ScorecardJoe Clarke’s reputation was enhanced by a record run chase•Getty Images

Worcestershire kept alive their faint hopes of winning promotion in the Specsavers County Championship when beating Northamptonshire by two wickets after declarations by both teams at New Road.Set to make 401, they had one of the available 80 overs to spare on completing their highest successful run chase in a home fixture after centuries by Daryl Mitchell – who made 107 not and 103 in the match – and Joe Clarke (125).Both batsmen were out in a burst of three wickets in five deliveries by Ben Sanderson but Ross Whiteley dipped into his one-day repertoire with four sixes in a 30-ball 45 and Ben Cox made 34 in their stand of 78 in nine overs.The game swayed again with two wickets in three balls but Joe Leach got his side over the line from the last delivery of the 79th over. The vice-captain reached an unbeaten 33 with a match-winning six off Sanderson, restoring confidence ahead of a must-win game against leaders Essex at Chelmsford, starting next Wednesday.

Rhodes salutes Mitchell

Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, saluted Daryl Mitchell for a “special” achievement in scoring two hundreds in the match to pass 10,000 first-class runs and set up an impressive win against the odds against Northants.
Rhodes said: “This club has got a wonderful history of terrific batsman and Daryl will look back on today and on this achievement and be very proud.
It’s been a tough old season for him. His run tally was down on what he would have wanted and for him score so well in this game is absolutely brilliant. Hopefully he’ll crack on and score a lot more.”

After a rain-shortened third day, a formula was devised to prevent the game from spluttering into a dead-end, although Alex Wakely may have had some reservations about exposing Northants’ weakened attack to so much bowling on a hot day.In the morning Worcestershire declared their first innings 350 behind at 201 for three and Northamptonshire halted their second innings at 50 for one.With the calculations done, the home side made a sticky start. In five overs from Rory Kleinveldt, Brett D’Oliveira was caught low down by wicketkeeper David Murphy and Tom Fell, after a couple of imposing cover drives, shouldered arms when bowled for 22.With the score 48 for two, the equation at lunchtime was 353 from 65 overs but Mitchell and Clarke batted through the afternoon, increasing the tempo as the partnership developed, and at tea the requirement was down to 202 from 35 overs.In the final session, Clarke was first to a hundred, his fourth of the season in the championship and fifth in first-class games, after hitting 16 fours from 129 balls. In the process he reached 1,000 runs in a season for the first time.Mitchell, having earlier passed 10,000 first-class in his career, then completed two centuries in a match for the third time in the championship. In his understated way, he got to the milestone with only nine fours from 160 deliveries.Their untroubled progress in putting on 232 trimmed the requirement to 133 at around six runs an over but the pressure built up with Sanderson’s intervention.From the last ball of the 57th over, Mitchell danced forward but succeeded only in slicing a catch to substitute Graeme White at point and from the first of the 59th over George Rhodes clipped a low chance to Wakely at mid-wicket.What Worcestershire could not afford was to lose Clarke as well but the worst happened when he tried to turn a ball on the leg-side but missed and was given out lbw.Northants stuck to their task all the way and were rewarded when Chad Barrett yorked Whiteley, Cox chipped Rob Keogh to mid-on and Ed Barnard gave Sanderson a fourth success with a catch behind.

In eight previous Tests between these two sides, South Africa have beaten Bangladesh seven times by an innings and once by five wickets inside four days

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Chittagong20-Jul-2015

Match facts

Tuesday, July 21-25
Start time 0930 local (0330 GMT)1:50

Wet build-up to Chittagong Test

Big picture

In eight previous Tests between these two sides, South Africa have beaten Bangladesh seven times by an innings and once by five wickets inside four days. That record does not inspire confidence in a contest during the upcoming two-Test series, but Bangladesh’s recent limited-overs successes have created a sense of anticipation.After losing the two T20Is and the first ODI, Bangladesh bounced back to win the one-day series against South Africa with commanding victories in the last two games. Though their leadership is different in Tests – the ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza does not play Tests – Mushfiqur Rahim’s side will include several of their short-form successes.Batsman Soumya Sarkar played Bangladesh’s last three Tests – against Pakistan and India – on the back of his limited-overs exploits, and now seamer Mustafizur Rahman is set to have a first taste of Test cricket after an exception start to his ODI career. Mustafizur will be expected to provide a much-needed edge to a lackluster bowling line-up. Rubel Hossain and Mohammad Shahid are the other pace bowlers in contention but Bangladesh are likely to play two at most. Spin will also be key, with Shakib Al Hasan, Taijul Islam and Jubair Hossain forming the attack.South Africa do not have AB de Villiers so they are increasingly dependent on the captain Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and JP Duminy. These three will be expected to hold the batting line-up together, with Dean Elger and Reeza Hendricks at the top. The spinner could either be Simon Harmer or Aaron Phangiso while the pace attack will comprise Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander. Except for Philander, the rest have been in good Test form.Bangladesh will rely on the experience of Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes and Shakib and hope they combine effectively with the youth of Mominul Haque and Soumya to counter a dangerous bowling attack.

Form guide

Bangladesh DLDWW
South Africa WDWWD

Players to watch

Mominul Haque made two half-centuries in the two Tests against Pakistan and 30 against India. At no. 3, he adds stability to the Test team, but not having played the limited-overs games, he will need to adapt quickly to the South African side to build on his performances.South Africa coach Russell Domingo said he was looking forward to Dean Elgar making an impact in South Africa’s top order. Elgar is a compact player who could be key to how the visitors start against Bangladesh’s spinners. He is coming into this series having made scores of 208*, 122 and 79 among his last seven first-class innings for Titans in March, and 44, 20 and 98 in three innings for Surrey in June.

Team news

Mushfiqur said Litton Das would keep wicket, which means Nasir Hossain will not find a place in Bangladesh’s XI. The hosts will have to choose between a third spinner and a second seamer.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), 5 Shakib Al Hasan , 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Soumya Sarkar, 8 Litton Das (wk), 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Jubair Hossain/Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Rubel HossainSouth Africa are likely to open the batting with Reeza Hendricks, and will have to choose between Stiaan van Zyl and Temba Bavuma in the middle order. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is unlikely to feature in the XI, while offspinner Harmer and left-armer Phangiso are competing for one spot.South Africa (possible): 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Hashim Amla (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Quinton de Kock (wk), 7 Stiaan van Zyl, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Simon Harmer/Aaron Phangiso, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Morne Morkel

Pitch and conditions

The straw-coloured surface at the Zahu Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium is likely to be batting-friendly to start with before spin comes into play. The lead-up to the Test was wet and although the forecast is improving, rain could play a part.

Stats and trivia

• Among the present players, Hashim Amla has the most runs (292) and Dale Steyn has the most wickets (22) in Tests between Bangladesh and South Africa.
• There is an experience imbalance in Bangladesh’s attack. While Shakib is nearing 150 wickets, the next highest is Taijul Islam with 35.

Quotes

“We have to play to our potential. Imrul, Tamim and Mini are world class as well. Then we have Mushy and Shakib. The battle will be at the start of the game.”

A wrap of the second day of the ninth round of Ranji Trophy matches in Group C

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2012
ScorecardAmol Muzumdar scored his 28th Ranji century, third behind Ajay Sharma and Wasim Jaffer•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In a match that belongs to the Yadavs, Services’ Suraj Yadav took six wickets to counter Jharkhand’s Ajay Yadav’s five. Services, who lead the table but can still be ousted if this round doesn’t go their way, bowled Jharkhand out for 120 to claim a considerable first-innings lead of 65.Jharkhand were going all right at 87 for 3 – one of those wickets was that of Shahbaz Nadeem – but collapsed after that. Saurabh Tiwary retired-hurt when he hurt himslef running between the wickets, and Suraj took the important wickets of Ishank Jaggi and Rameez Nemat. Jharkhand couldn’t fight the momentum, and Tiwary’s comeback didn’t make much difference either.However, Jharkhand, who need an outright win to give themselves a chance of qualifying, kept themselves interested with two Services wickets before stumps, including that of captain Soumik Chatterjee.
ScorecardAmol Muzumdar brought up his 28th Ranji century, now behind only former team-mate Wasim Jaffer and Ajay Sharma, to take Andhra to a solid 329 in Cuddapah. However, heavy rain cut short their attempt to take a first-innings lead. Kerala were 55 for 2 in reply.This was Muzumdar’s fifth century of this Ranji Trophy, also third in his last three matches, and took him to No. 3 on the run-getters list this season, behind wicketkeepers CM Gautam and Parthiv Patel. Crucially, it involved vital runs with the tail. Andhra began the day at 249 for 7, with Muzumdar on 99, but lost their eight on 253.Muzumdar, though, eked out partnerships worth 34 and 42 with Shaik Basha and DP Vijaykumar. Vijaykumar carried the confidence into the bowling, too, and removed Abhishek Hegde and Robert Fernandez before the rain arrived.
ScorecardAssam, placed third in the table, made progress towards three points with the help of the Dases, Arup and Pallavkumar. Goa began the day at 264 for 3, but Arup Das’ second five-wicket haul restricted them to 381. Overnight centurion Amogh Desai fell on 105, and the rest made only middling contributions.In reply, Assam got off to a solid start.Their openers added 113, and the only blemish was that Pallavkumar Das couldn’t convert his innings into a hundred.
ScorecardA combination of rain, bad light and fog has allowed only 23 overs to be bowled in two days in Jammu. Tripura scored 60 runs for the loss of two wickets in that period. Neither of these teams has a realistic chance to make it to the quarters.

Australia’s hopes at the Wanderers – and potentially for their home summer – took a major blow in the first session of the match when Shane Watson left the field with an injury to his right hamstring

Brydon Coverdale in Johannesburg17-Nov-2011Australia’s hopes at the Wanderers – and potentially for their home summer – took a major blow in the first session of the match when Shane Watson left the field with an injury to his right hamstring. The loss of Watson followed Australia’s decision to send the fast bowler Ryan Harris home due to a hip problem, which will place him in doubt for the first Test against New Zealand.Arguably Australia’s most important player, Watson left the field after bowling the fifth ball of his fourth over, having already made a breakthrough when he had Jacques Rudolph caught behind. It was not immediately clear how serious the injury was, but Watson’s history with hamstring complaints meant it was unlikely the Australians would risk him doing any further damage by bowling again in the match.Watson returned to the field later in the day and stood at first slip – he didn’t bowl again – and at the end of the day he was padded up ready to open the innings. However, the ICC’s new law forbidding runners means that Watson’s impact could be limited by how quickly he can make it to the other end of the pitch.While Watson is key to Australia’s setup due to his all-round abilities, the team is also without Harris, the best bowler in the side. Harris was ruled out of the Test, allowing the 18-year-old Pat Cummins to make his debut, and he was set to return to Australia immediately.”Ryan Harris had some right hip pain after the first Test in Cape Town,” Australia’s physio, Alex Kountouris, said. “He was still experiencing pain bowling during the team training session on Wednesday and has therefore been ruled out of the second Test.”He has had a number of investigations since arriving in Johannesburg that have at this stage excluded serious injury, however he will need to return to Australia for further assessment and to commence his recovery. His return to cricket will be guided by the improvement we see over the next week.”That timeframe does not bode well for his availability for the New Zealand series, which begins at the Gabba in a fortnight. Harris, 32, has been Australia’s best bowler since he made his Test debut in New Zealand early last year, easily topping the frontline bowling averages during that period with 35 victims at 21.37.However, Australia’s concern is that Harris has played only half the Tests during that time. He was sent home from the Pakistan series in England last year with a knee injury that required surgery, he suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle during the Boxing Day Ashes Test last year and again needed an operation, and he missed the final Test in Sri Lanka in September due to a hamstring strain.Three Tests is the most he has strung together in a row. The injuries to Harris and Watson leave Australia with some serious concerns ahead of the New Zealand series and the four-Test series against India that follows.Harris was to be accompanied on the plane home from South Africa by the left-arm spinner Michael Beer, who the selectors felt would benefit from match-time back home. Trent Copeland and David Warner have remained with the squad but with an Australia A match against New Zealand set to begin next Thursday, it is not out of the question that one of them could be sent to take part in that match.

Mohammad Yousuf has been ruled out of the Test series against South Africa after picking up a recurrence of an old groin injury

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2010Mohammad Yousuf has been ruled out of the Test series against South Africa after picking up a recurrence of an old groin injury moments before the toss of the first match in Dubai. He requires at least two weeks to recover and will fly home but no replacement has been named.Yousuf, 36, returned to the Test side during the tour of England when he played at The Oval and Lord’s following his retirement after the disastrous trip to Australia which he captained. The initial groin injury meant he wasn’t able to take his place in the one-day squad against South Africa until being drafted in for the deciding match last week.”Its an old injury Yousuf sustained before the one-day series last month and since it will take two weeks to heal we are sending him back and there will be no replacement,” the team manager, Intikhab Alam, said. “It is indeed disappointing because Yousuf has been Pakistan’s most reliable batsman and we needed him for this series.”It is hoped that the return of Yousuf, and Younis Khan who resumed Test cricket in Dubai after patching up defences with the Pakistan board, will make Pakistan more competitive after an inexperienced line-up was regularly exposed in England with a string of sorry displays. But the wait goes on for the two experienced players to appear together again.

A slow track in Hyderabad resulted in an attritional day’s play in which Ajit Agarkar’s hostile opening burst left Mumbai the happier side

Siddarth Ravindran in Hyderabad01-Dec-2009
ScorecardAn incisive spell from Ajit Agarkar helped restrict the hosts on the opening day in Hyderabad•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It was less than a month ago that Sachin Tendulkar slammed a majestic 175 in a one-day international at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on a batting beauty. On Tuesday as well, there was little in the surface for the bowlers, but it was a slow track that resulted in an attritional day’s play in which Ajit Agarkar’s hostile opening burst left Mumbai the happier side.Hyderabad had a jolt even before the toss after regular captain Arjun Yadav and in-form fast bowler Alfred Absolem were ruled out due to injury. Anirudh Singh, an ICL returnee, stepped in to lead the side and won an important toss, but the home side’s batsmen squandered the advantage.Hyderabad’s new opening combination, Shashank Nag and Rushi Raj, fared no better than the four others tried this season. They were rarely at ease during a probing opening spell from Agarkar and Dhawal Kulkarni, being squared up several times. The accuracy of the new-ball bowlers and the slow outfield combined to stifle the runs. Nag was the first to go, popping a return catch to an alert Agarkar after closing the face too early. Raj lasted a couple of overs more before he was lbw shouldering arms to a delivery that was heading for the stumps.Mumbai had a slice of luck soon after when the umpire deemed Anirudh lbw after failing to spot the batsman gloving Aavishkar Salvi’s third delivery. Much now depended on Ambati Rayudu, and he survived Agarkar’s nine-over opening spell (2 for 17) despite feeling for the ball outside
off several times.Rayudu and Abhinav Kumar stalled the Mumbai charge with some patient batting and started to open out towards the end of the morning session. Rayudu played some delightful drives, Abhinav stepped out to loft offspinner Ramesh Powar beyond long-on. But with 10 minutes to lunch Abhishek Nayar got the big wicket of Rayudu, the third lbw victim of the day.Agarkar returned after lunch to add another lbw scalp that left Hyderabad at 98 for 5. Syed Quadri and wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel then combined to frustrate Mumbai for more than 30 overs. It was mostly dour batting with several edges past slip for four; Quadri played out 76 deliveries between his third and fourth boundary.It was one of Quadri’s rare aggressive shots that caused Mumbai most concern on the day: Rohit Sharma injured his left shoulder while diving to stop a carve through cover, and had to head for a scan. It remains to be seen whether Mumbai’s misfiring batting will have to make do without him for the rest of the match.Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer kept attacking even with almost nothing in the track to encourage the spinners. There were rarely any men in the deep when Powar and Iqbal Abdulla were operating, and three men usually hovering for a bat-pad chance. Hyderabad had crawled to 171 for 5 off 72 overs when Powar provided the breakthrough, Khaleel also falling lbw.The entry of allrounder Amol Shinde perked up proceedings. He slapped three fours and a big six over long-on to dominate a 29-run stand before ducking into a Salvi bouncer and gloving it to the keeper.Hyderabad’s batsmen haven’t converted on their starts all season -74 is the highest score in eight innings so far – and Tuesday was no different. Four batsmen were dismissed between 23 and 35 on a placid track, leaving the side at a poor 223 for 7 at stumps. They can’t wait for the return of VVS Laxman, possibly for the final two games of the season, to help stave
off a first-ever demotion to the Plate League. The one consolation for them is that the other relegation-threatened team in their group, Himachal Pradesh, did even worse: bowled out for 197 against Punjab.There were lesser concerns for Mumbai coach, Praveen Amre, who applauded the intensity shown by his side through the day on a difficult pitch. “I would have liked two more wickets but I am satisfied as it was hard work in the middle,” he said. “Everyone put in their efforts in the field till the last over of the day though the conditions were good for batting, which is a big plus.”Another gain for Mumbai was Powar’s problem-free return from injury after a side strain had kept him out of three games. On Wednesday, if Mumbai’s top-order returns to last season’s title-winning form, there can be little for Amre to complain about.

There is an opportunity for both teams to use this series as a kind of laboratory ahead of the Champions Trophy

Alagappan Muthu08-Feb-2025

Big picture: Kohli fit again

Cricketers. They’re just like us, from having for lunch to cueing up Netflix with dinner. This deeply normal kind of life may be beckoning a first-choice Indian team member as they continue on their Champions Trophy fact-finding mission.Shreyas Iyer usually plays entertainer, and he did this on Thursday night, his strokeplay containing everything but a backwards step even against extreme pace. He’s got his IPL coach, Ricky Ponting, sitting bolt upright in his seat saying things like “If Shreyas is out in the middle, then he’s as good as anyone” on the ICC review. India can’t keep him on and bring Virat Kohli in and explore the possibilities that Yashasvi Jaiswal presents them as a left-handed, top-order basher. Someone will have to switch to being the one that gets entertained.Related

• Virat Kohli fit to play second ODI against England

• India's left-arm orthodox spin twins give them a good headache to have

Despite their loss in Nagpur, England will be pleased with the work of Jacob Bethell, the 21-year-old displaying the kind of level-headedness that could prove invaluable over the coming weeks. Another ICC trophy comes up for grabs starting February 19 and although the pressure there will be significantly higher, this bilateral series, with the quality of players involved, should be able to replicate some of it.Performances like Bethell’s, or Shubman Gill’s in the No. 3 role, or Axar Patel’s as a disruptor at No. 5, are important beyond the context of winning and losing, because they offer exactly what all teams want going into a world event – options, a way to stand out, a way to surprise.

Form guide

India WLLTW (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
England LLWLL

In the spotlight: Harry Brook and Virat Kohli

Ninety-one runs in six innings on tour is not the performance England wanted from a player in whom they have made a serious investment. Harry Brook plays all formats for them. He’s captained them. And when on song, he absolutely smashes it for them, but once again he has been unable to find a repeatable and consistent method of handling high-quality spin on pitches that are slower than he is used to. Fifty-over cricket offers batters a little more time and Brook could leverage that to get himself back in form.Harry Brook has struggled against spin on this tour•BCCI

The last time Kohli batted for India, he left the field in a fury, mistaking his thigh for a punching bag. It is unlikely that he thinks he is in decline. At least not to the extent that things can’t be turned around. His fans know things absolutely can turn around, and the switch in format could be just the break he needs to get the good times rolling again. India are weighing upsides. Iyer is already in form, and they know what he can do. If his making way means they get to arm an all-time great with game time and simultaneously find out if Jaiswal can be an asset in ODIs too, that’s probably a win.

Team news: A chance to experiment

This trophy doesn’t matter as much as the next one these two teams will be playing for so there is an opportunity to see this series as a kind of laboratory to know what works and what doesn’t. India picked Arshdeep Singh over Mohammed Siraj in their Champions Trophy squad and maybe they’re thinking of bringing him into the XI too. Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to give Rishabh Pant some match practice either.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harshit Rana/Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Shami.England rested Mark Wood from the first ODI. His pace has always been a point of difference and so there is always a temptation to stick him into a starting XI.England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 Jos Buttler (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood/Saqib Mahmood.

Pitch and conditions: A reprise of the 2017 thriller?

Cuttack hasn’t hosted any ODIs in half a decade but when it last did, it presented itself as a batting paradise. India and England have already experienced these highs when they put up totals of 381 and 366 in 2017. The game is unlikely to come under any threat from the weather with clear skies expected; there might be dew though, given the temperature drops from 30C at 5pm to 23C at 9pm.

Stats and trivia:

• In the last 20 years, England have beaten India in India only five times in 31 ODIs.
• Cuttack offers more or less equal help to pace (137 wickets at an average of 40.86 and economy rate of 5) and spin (88 wickets at an average of 36 and economy rate of 4.74).
• Gill has found incredible consistency in ODI cricket. He’s been good enough to score a fifty roughly once every 2.4 innings.
• Jos Butter is such a regular, and rapid, run-scorer in this format that he’s part of a pretty exclusive club: 5000 runs and a strike rate of 100-plus.

The visitors were bowled out for 102 as their batting woes continued before Travis Dean and Peter Handscomb stretched the lead

Alex Malcolm27-Oct-2023A career-best return from Fergus O’Neill and a trademark display of metronomic MCG bowling from Scott Boland helped Victoria take control of a low-scoring Sheffield Shield clash against New South Wales as the Blues’ batting woes continued.Travis Dean’s patient half-century and an unbeaten 40 from Peter Handscomb in the afternoon helped Victoria build a lead of 225 with four wickets in hand at stumps on day two, although NSW fought back well with the ball to avoid the game getting away from them.But the damage was done earlier in the day. Four wickets from O’Neill, three from Boland and three from Mitchell Perry saw NSW bowled out for just 102 in reply to Victoria’s first innings total of 196. O’Neill finished with career-best figures of 4 for 23.Related

• Boland joins Durham for 2024

• Dwarshuis sparks Victoria collapse to put New South Wales on top

• Michael Neser returns to Shield clash after mid-match withdrawal for personal reasons

It was the ninth time in the Blues’ last 15 consecutive winless Shield matches that they were bowled out for under 200 and the third innings in a row after scoring just 186 and 136 in their loss to South Australia in Adelaide last week.O’Neill and Boland were masterful with the new ball hitting an immaculate line and length on the spicy MCG track. O’Neill rattled the stumps of both openers. Daniel Hughes was bowled in the second over after a length ball climbed and hit his bottom elbow as he tried to defend and Ryan Hackney scored just 2 in 30 deliveries before leaving a ball that pitched on middle and hit the top of off. O’Neill was then on a hat-trick when he scratched Moises Henriques’ outside edge to leave NSW 7 for 3.Perry got in on the act with Jason Sangha and Matthew Gilkes both caught well in the slips before Boland returned to remove the obdurate Blake Macdonald who had replaced the axed Kurtis Patterson. He made 22 off 87 balls but Boland’s suffocating length and line did for him as he chopped on trying to withdraw the bat late.Boland clean bowled Ben Dwarshuis shortly after to give him figures off 11-6-8-2. He should have had Jack Edwards cheaply but he was dropped twice in the slips by the usually reliable Handscomb and Matt Short.The reprieves meant NSW could avoid an unwanted record. At 54 for 8 they were staring their lowest ever Shield score at the MCG in the face with the previous record of 66, set in 1894, still 12 runs away.But Edwards and Jackson Bird swung hard and rode their luck to push NSW beyond three figures. Bird’s 29 included a massive six down the ground off Boland. The Australia Test quick claimed Edwards in the end but his figures took some damage, finishing with 3 for 36 from 15 overs.Victoria turned a 94-run lead into an 184-run buffer for the loss of just Marcus Harris and Will Pucovski in their second innings as Dean ground his way to the first half-century of the match with some disciplined defending and controlled punches into gaps.Chris Tremain continued his good form in removing Harris, who is struggling early in a season where a Test spot is set to open up, and Pucovski having cleaned up Victoria’s first innings in the morning, taking his tally for the match to six.But Dean and Handscomb frustrated NSW until Dwarshuis broke through claiming Dean caught behind. Henriques brought himself on and sparked a mini-collapse. Short was given out to a questionable lbw decision with the ball appearing to hit him outside the line then Will Sutherland was trapped lbw next ball to leave his opposing captain on a hat-trick and Victoria teetering at 92 for 5.Handscomb remained composed and guided the hosts to stumps but there was one more twist late with Sam Harper edging behind in the final over to give the Blues a glimmer of hope. Such was the dominance of the fast bowlers, Australia’s two Test spinners, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy, bowled just three overs between them for the day – all of them by Lyon.

Captain ready for “biggest Test so far” in his tenure as SA chase crucial WTC points

Firdose Moonda07-Sep-2022It’s nine months away from the World Test Championship final but South Africa are already playing what captain Dean Elgar has labelled “pretty much like a World Cup final,” in the deciding Test against England.With the series locked 1-1 and South Africa sitting second on the WTC points table, 12 behind Australia, the significance of this match has been so heightened that Elgar sees it as among the most crucial Tests this group of players has been involved in and he wants them to show that in their performance.”It’s the biggest Test so far in my captaincy period. I reckon it’s the biggest. I think the players know that, they sense that,” Elgar said. “We’ve got to play every game like it’s your last. This is one of those where you have to play like it’s your last. You have to empty the tank more times than none. You can’t leave anything behind. You’ve got to leave everything on that field. It’s huge. It’s massive for us.”For Elgar, the importance of this Test is three-fold: 1. It’s an opportunity for this squad to win a series in England for the first time after the golden generation did it in 2012 and 2008; 2. It will be a big step towards securing a WTC final spot and also feeling ready to play in a one-off red-ball final if they get there; 3. It’s the second-last time South Africa will play a three-Test series (Australia at the end of the year is the last) before 2026 and some of the current group may not be playing then which means tie-breakers are not going to be a feature of the next cycle and should be relished now.”I’ve never experienced a Test series win against England in 10 years of playing. It would be an unreal feeling for myself and massive for the younger guys in our change-room,” Elgar said. “From a confidence point of view, it can kind of give us a little edge going into the potential World Test Championship final. We are in a very good spot. We know if we manage to win this game, we are back at No.1 which will be really nice. It’s a very very big game for us.”Related

• Dean Elgar shrugs off injury scare as Ryan Rickelton prepares to take his chance

• Harry Brook prepares to take his chance, as Ollie Pope hopes his Test life begins at 30 caps

• Hundred done but Test series decider could yet satisfy short-form thrill seekers

There’s rain around and an inevitability of interruptions, but Elgar dismissed thoughts that the hype could turn into a soggy draw, given the fast-forward way both teams approach their game. “There’s definitely going to be a winner. With the styles of cricket we’ve been playing, there is definitely going to be a result,” he said. “We can’t control the weather but I am pretty confident there’s going to be a victor and there will be someone that loses. Going into this Test one-all, it’s pretty much like a World Cup final for us. That’s the way I am viewing it. We are going in with a result in mind and we’ve got to give our best effort for that.”The teams come into this fixture after an 11-day break (lengthened from nine days because the second Test ended inside three) during which South Africa “did not pick a bat,” Keegan Petersen said yesterday, or presumably any balls besides golf balls. They set up camp at the Belfry Resort, half-an-hour north-east of Birmingham and “played a bit of golf and we did a bit of go-carting as a team,” Elgar said. Both were competitive. “We had a few days away from the game, out of the noise, the hustle and bustle and just trying to refocus and realign and remind ourselves why we are here. We are here to win a Test series.”To do that, South Africa have to bat better than they have done in this series, and probably better than they have since Elgar took over. They’ve only crossed 400 once in the 11 Tests since he was named permanent captain, against Bangladesh in Gqeberha, and in the five times they’ve scored 300-plus, it’s the lower order that got them there. “Upfront it’s pretty tough. We haven’t executed the runs as of yet,” Elgar said.Dean Elgar and Ryan Rickelton talk during a nets session at Lord’s•PA Images via Getty Images

South Africa’s top six – which is certain to have one change with Ryan Rickelton coming in for the injured Rassie van der Dussen, but could have two if Khaya Zondo replaces Aiden Markram – is under pressure and Elgar expects them to perform. “I understand how much top-order runs means for a team to set up a chance of victory. We’ve spoken at length about this topic. It’s now time to walk the walk.”Elgar is fit to lead the charge as he brushed off a knock to the shoulder administered by his coach Mark Boucher on the toughest training session before the match, which South Africa routinely undertake a few days before the Test. “We have competition day, which is two or three days out from the Test. Our head coach was in the competition yesterday,” he explained. “It’s not the first blow I’ve taken. I’ve learnt how to get over those things.”Both he and South Africa have also “got over,” the defeat in Manchester and won’t be gloating about their win at Lord’s as they isolate the Oval Test as one for the ages. “We know it (the Old Trafford loss) wasn’t our proudest moment. You have to go through the grievance and jog on. You have to. You can’t be pining for too long in Test cricket,” Elgar said. “We are still pretty fresh. We’ve only had six days of Test cricket. With regards to freshness, we’ve got no excuse. With regards to hunger, we’ve got no excuse. Guys have to stand up and bring out their best game.”

The 36-year-old was undergoing treatment for cancer

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2021Vivek Yadav, a legspin-bowling allrounder who was part of Rajasthan’s back-to-back Ranji Trophy title-winning squads in 2010-11 and 2011-12, died on May 5 in a hospital in Jaipur following Covid-19-related complications. He was 36, and is survived by his wife and daughter.According to a PTI report, Yadav was undergoing treatment for cancer and had gone to the hospital for his chemotherapy, where he tested positive for Covid-19. His health deteriorated quickly after that. Yadav, originally from Haryana, played 18 first-class matches between 2008-09 and 2013-14. He picked up 57 wickets in those games at an average of 30.87, while also scoring 349 runs at 15.17. He was a part of the Rajasthan XI in the 2010-11 final, picking up 4 for 91 and scoring 27 and 13 as his team beat Baroda on the basis of the first-innings lead.