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Paul Adams work as Western Cape Cricket high performance manager and coach starting 2017

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-2016Paul Adams will step down as Cape Cobras coach from January 1 to be redeployed as Western Cape Cricket high performance manager and coach. This follows a prolonged period of player unhappiness with Adams, who has been in charge for five seasons and won five trophies but faced several mutinies this season.Cobras have named former international batsman Ashwell Prince as interim coach for the rest of the season, while former allrounder Faiek Davids will assist him. The franchise also named South African offspinner Dane Piedt as interim captain for the rest of the season.*Adams’ troubles with the players began at the end of last season when several senior Cobras players complained to the management about what they believed was a lack of tactical acumen on Adams’ part. Adams had the backing of the Western Cape Cricket (WCC) Board, though, and the concerns were ignored. Instead, Adams underwent management courses over the winter but returned to work to find the players still unhappy. They filed a formal grievance on May 10, after learning that Adams had been offered a contract extension.The WCC then agreed to an internal mediation under Paddy Upton but rejected his report for what they termed “material deficiencies,” as he had failed to interview all the contracted players. The South African Cricketers’ Association then became involved in assisting the players in dealing with the issue.The SACA confirmed that 10 out of the 17 contracted players wanted Adams removed and helped them take the matter to the country’s dispute resolution body, the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), where the players applied for the right to strike should Adams not be removed. The CCMA granted them that right but they did not act on it. It appears as though their demands have now been met and neither party showed ill-feeling.”Helping the team to succeed in ways which led to a number of trophies and getting players going up to the Proteas was a very satisfying part of my five-season journey as Cobras’ coach,” Adams said. “I am looking forward very much to my new role.”Nabeal Dien, WCC’s chief executive, said Adams will still play a central role in the development of the franchise’s teams. “Paul’s new role is pivotal, as he will be the caretaker and manager of the pipeline structures, nurturing the next generation of franchise players,” he said. “We have opted to make these significant changes in order to address the current slide in the form of the [team].”We trust that the appointment of Dane will ignite the Cobras. He is a selfless cricketer with an excellent game awareness and a natural motivator, and we believe he will be inspirational.”We believe that Ashwell possesses the international pedigree, the management skills and the interpersonal prowess to rejuvenate the Cobras. We firmly trust he can restore their pride and lift them to the summit.”The new year will begin with Cobras searching for consistency after starting the season with three defeats in the first-class competition to lie at the bottom of the table halfway through the tournament. They fared slightly better in the T20 format and were in contention for a playoff place but failed to qualify.*04.45 GMT, December 31: This article was updated after Cobras named their interim coach and captain

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches on November 21, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2014Legends of Rupganj remained on top of the Dhaka Premier Division table after clinching their fourth straight victory. A five-wicket haul from the fast bowler Abul Hasan, followed by a half-century from Sharifullah helped the team to a three-wicket win against Abahani Limited in Fatullah. Batting first, Abahani were dismissed for 186 in 48.5 overs. A few batsmen made starts, but nobody apart from the captain Ziaur Rahman (51) could raise a half-century, as Hasan collected 5 for 32 to wreck their middle and lower order. Rupganj nearly made a mess of the chase, slumping to 127 for 6 by the 40th over, but Sharifullah’s unbeaten 54 took the team home in 48.3 overs.An incisive performance from Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club’s bowlers set up the team’s three-wicket win against Brothers Union in Savar. All Prime DSC bowlers went at under five an over, with Habibur Rahman (2 for 25) and Muktar Ali (2 for 37) leading the way. The opener Avishek Mitra was Brothers Union’s top scorer with 50, but with no other batsman unable to make good on his start, they could only muster 159 for 8 from their 50 overs. Prime DSC lost seven wickets during their chase, thanks to a four-wicket burst from Iftekhar Sajjad. Dawid Malan’s unbeaten 46, however, helped the team over the line inside 41 overs.Fifties from Mahbubul Karim and Marshall Ayub helped Victoria Sporting Club gun down 186 inside 37 overs to complete an eight-wicket win against Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club in Savar. Opting to bat, Sheikh Jamal were struggling at 80 for 5 before Abu Sayeem (42) and Sohag Gazi (45) led a recovery with an 88-run partnership. However, from 168 for 5, the team slipped to be bowled out for 185 inside 46 overs. Suhrawadi Shuvo was the pick of Victoria’s bowlers, taking 4 for 22. Victoria lost Hasanuzzaman early in the chase, but Karim and Ayub put up a stand of 125 to record their second win of the tournament. Karim hit five fours and a six during his 66, while Ayub’s 72 not out included five fours and two sixes.

The project of which Eoin Morgan has been at the helm for little over a year is about to embark on its acid test. Whatever the outcome, few doubt that England, finally, are ready to fizz

Andrew Miller15-Mar-2016Eoin Morgan is a man who revels in inscrutability, but as he strode from the nets at the Wankhede Stadium, it was possible to detect a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. The project of which he has been at the helm for little over a year now embarks on its acid test at 7.30pm on Wednesday evening. Whatever the outcome, few doubt that England, finally, are ready to fizz.On his way to the changing rooms, Morgan paused to pose with a giant England flag bearing a range of good luck messages from fans who sense that something is changing in their country’s attitude to limited-overs cricket. The misery of England’s eviction from the 2015 World Cup is a sufficiently recent memory that few would dare to get too carried away. And yet, there’s no doubt that something is stirring. And, clearly, not before time.”I think this feels different because we’ve a different group of players,” Morgan said. “It’s a new energy, it’s an exciting time for English cricket given the talent that we have in our group, and the attitude in taking the game to the opposition. It certainly feels different in that regard.”The most fundamental shift, Morgan added, is that his post-World Cup England team has offloaded the reticence of the former regime and is now brave enough to “play with no consequences”. It’s an attitude that, as he has previously intimated, could go some way to surmounting their lack of experience in Indian conditions. And to that end, he insists that defeat against a hugely experienced West Indies team would not be the “be-all and end-all”.”Going into any tournament, it’s not about getting out of the traps early and playing your best game first up,” he said. “It’s about pacing yourself and picking up confidence and putting in performances when they really matter. [But] the first game is a tough game – I do agree with that.”West Indies, with wearying familiarity, come into the World T20 to a back-beat of politics and infighting, and yet, with the exception of the injured Kieron Pollard and the blacklisted Sunil Narine, all of their big guns are back out in force for one last tilt at a title that they won in some style only two editions ago.No fewer than eight of the West Indies squad are IPL veterans (compared to the solitary figure of Morgan in England’s camp), and in Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, West Indies possess two of the most established matchwinners the format has ever known. That is sufficient reason for Morgan to embrace the role of the underdog, and his dead-batted lack of interest in his opponents’ recent issues merely reinforced that position.”They have a number of dangerous players,” Morgan said. “West Indies have been a strong side in the past. They have a number of individual players who are very strong. It’s important for us as a young talented side to focus on what we do best and execute that as part of anything. There are plans in place, but ultimately it’s how we execute them.”Those plans, on what for the moment remains a green-tinged Mumbai surface, look set to revolve around a four-pronged pace attack, with the allrounder Ben Stokes creating wriggle-room in England’s bowling options. Reece Topley is sure to take the new ball and Chris Jordan is set to continue his death-bowling duties following the success of his Yorkers in England’s warm-up matches. Which leaves a toss-up between the height and pace of Liam Plunkett or the left-arm wiles of David Willey for England’s final slot.”You can keep guessing,” Morgan joked. “If you could guess me a few winners at Cheltenham today that’d be great as well.”Of the two, it is Willey who has had the more impact in the course of England’s preparations. His hat-trick while playing for the opposition down the road at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday provided a late varnish to figures that had been somewhat dented at the top of the innings. Plunkett, by contrast, has bowled four overs in two games, and was dumped for 19 in his solitary effort against New Zealand, although his hostility could be vital if the Wankhede pitch has any sort of pace and carry.”Wills swings it up front, comes back into middle and bowls change-ups,” Morgan added. “He has a canny knack of taking wickets, which is something that we’ve struggled doing for a while. But given the circumstances of any pitch, whether it’s two-paced or quick, [Plunkett] is an important player in the squad, with his extra bit of height and different trajectory to everyone else.”If there is one area in which England appear to have an edge over their opponents, it is in the skill and confidence of their legspinner Adil Rashid. His huge development at Adelaide Strikers during the Big Bash is both a boon to England’s prospects of going deep into the tournament, but also a warning that all too few of their players have been similarly exposed in franchise tournaments. But, with Narine’s career in turmoil following the ICC’s clampdown on illegal actions, Rashid’s mystery in the middle overs could prove vital.”It’s a very touchy subject,” said Morgan, a former team-mate of Narine’s at Kolkata Knight Riders. “I know Sunil and I’m not pleased to see what he’s going through, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. He’s bowled the same way since he was 15-16 years old, and the fact that he’s got to this stage of his career and it’s only being looked at now is probably disappointing from his point of view. But there are set rules in place that are being deployed.”As for Rashid, Morgan was happy to back his man to continue his impressive form, but warned that his most significant role might come later in the campaign. “Adil’s come a long way in the last couple of years,” he said. “I know in the nets we find him very hard to pick, let alone play, and I think given the conditions, he and Moeen [Ali] can play a big part, though here I’m not quite sure. It might not turn as much as it does in Delhi.”It’s normally a pretty good batting surface here. Again, it’s another challenge for the bowlers to try to emphasise taking wickets and halting momentum throughout the innings. It’s a challenge we’ve come up against in the past, and will continue to do so in Twenty20 cricket.”

Liverpool hold a “concrete” admiration for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves ahead of the summer transfer window, according to reports.

Is Ruben Neves leaving Wolves?

The Portugal international’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season, meaning that the upcoming market is likely to be Julen Lopetegui’s final opportunity to cash in on his prized asset, and the captain has already put teams on alert after admitting during an interview following his final home outing that he is keen to join a bigger club to achieve his dream of playing in the Champions League.

Of players to regularly feature this season, the Midlands outfit’s £50k-per-week talisman is ranked as the team's best-performing player at Molineux with a WhoScored match rating of 6.98, so it’s no surprise that he feels like he can compete at a higher level, and his impressive performances have grabbed the attention of Jurgen Klopp on Merseyside.

Back in April, Fabrizio Romano claimed that the 26-year-old was on FSG’s shortlist but that a move wasn't “imminent”, though Spanish outlet Sport (via TEAMtalk) has since reported that the Reds, alongside Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United, are considering an approach – and as per the latest update, they could yet steal Neves from under their rivals' noses.

Who is signing Neves?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have a “concrete” interest in Neves ahead of the 2023/24 season. Barcelona are currently in “pole position” to recruit the midfielder amid reports of a swap deal including Ansu Fati, but Wolves are only looking to complete a cash-only deal – which creates a roadblock at Camp Nou.

The Anfield outfit are therefore “lurking in the wings” and ready to hijack the move should an agreement fail to be reached. A “well-placed” Reds source has revealed that the Old Gold skipper is “highly regarded” for his passing range by the recruitment team behind the scenes, with chiefs of the opinion that he would fit “seamlessly” into the starting XI.

Liverpool might not be on the road to qualifying for the Champions League this season, but Neves – dubbed a midfield “orchestrator” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – will know that they are a club with a strong history of silverware, and FSG should certainly think about submitting a bid to bring him to Anfield.

The World Cup participant is extremely strong in the defensive aspects of his game, ranking in the 98th percentile for clearances and recording 78 tackles since the start of the term, which is more than any other of his fellow teammates, as per FBref. Meanwhile, he’s also equally capable of getting involved with the action in the final third.

Wolves’ versatile operator, who has the ability to play in three different positions, has seven goal contributions (six goals and one assist) to his name in the top flight this campaign and has produced 78 shot-creating actions which, once again, is the highest number at Molineux, so he could arguably be forgiven for thinking he has outgrown the team, which only confirmed their Premier League status in recent weeks.

Neves also shares the same agency, Gestifute, as Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Fabinho, so this existing connection to Jorge Mendes could give Liverpool some kind of advantage over their fellow competitors in the race to secure their target’s signature this summer.

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is expected to complete a permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen "in the next days", according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Granit Xhaka leaving Arsenal?

The Switzerland international first arrived in the Premier League from Borussia Monchengladbach back in 2016 and he’s since gone on to make a total of 297 appearances to date, making him Mikel Arteta’s longest-serving player at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners veteran, however, will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window will present Edu with his final big opportunity to cash in should he not want to extend his stay, and it would appear that is indeed the case.

Sky Sports reported a fortnight ago that the N7 outfit had no plans to hold talks or offer the 30-year-old a deal extension which is where Bayer Leverkusen were name-checked as an interested party, with Xabi Alonso’s outfit believed to be confident of striking a deal, and following a fresh update, they would be right to assume so.

Are Bayer Leverkusen signing Xhaka?

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Romano revealed that Arsenal are indeed set to lose Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen who are now extremely close to wrapping up a deal to bring him to the Bundesliga. He wrote:

"Granit Xhaka starts for the last time as Arsenal player today. #AFC Permanent move to Bayer Leverkusen, set to be completed in the next days — as revealed two weeks ago. #Bayer … just waiting on final details to be sorted between clubs soon."

Are Arsenal right or wrong to sell Xhaka?

Arsenal will be aware that Xhaka isn’t getting any younger and Arteta will understandably want to start building a team for the long-term future of the club, but when you consider how much of a “key component” of the side he’s been this season, as lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, Edu should have offered him at least a short-term deal to remain in the capital.

The World Cup participant, who earns £120k-per-week, has posted 14 goal contributions (seven goals and the same number of assists) in 37 Premier League appearances this campaign and ranks in the 96th percentile for most attacking touches in the opposition’s penalty area so is constantly looking to create chances for himself and his teammates in the final third.

Xhaka, who has helped to win four trophies during his time at the club, also provides the manager with excellent versatility with his ability to operate in six different positions over the grass, but this is yet another quality that the boss will now have to do without moving forward.

Lancashire’s spinners bowled 36.1 overs on the fourth morning, during which seven wickets fell at a cost of 43 runs to give them an innings victory

Paul Edwards at Southport27-May-2015
ScorecardArron Lilley showed impressive control in only his third first-class appearance (file photo)•Getty ImagesAs it turned out, Derbyshire’s coach, Graeme Welch, was rather whistling in the dark when he talked on the third evening of this game about establishing a “cheeky little lead” on the fourth day and seeing how Lancashire coped with it. He even acknowledged as much after the match had ended twenty minutes before lunch when his side had been beaten by an innings.On a wicket which offered Lancashire spinners Simon Kerrigan and Arron Lilley more assistance than they can expect to receive from any surface during the rest of the season, Billy Godleman’s batsmen blocked, struggled and occasionally swiped. It made no difference whatever to the outcome. Just after midday Lancashire’s director of cricket, Ashley Giles sat at the Grosvenor Road End of the ground sipping a mug of coffee and watching his two not-so-slow bowlers tie some other young cricketers in knots. Before long, he was joined by James Whitaker, still the national selector, who must have been encouraged by the rhythm and control displayed by Kerrigan.The subcontinental statistics of 97 minutes’ play on this fourth day were that Lancashire bowled 36.1 overs in that time during which seven wickets fell at a cost of 43 runs. The fact that the two spinners were operating unchanged and that few attacking shots were played helped explain the remarkable over rate but it is worth storing away for the occasions when Test cricketers claim that they cannot manage even 15 overs in an hour.The spinners’ individual analyses were no less remarkable. Lilley took the first wicket when he defeated the heave to leg attempted by the nighwatchman, Tom Taylor; he also took the last when Mark Footitt, not a No. 11, one suspects, who willingly misses lunch to fight a lost cause, also attempted to hit the ball into Sandringham Road but only succeeded in getting his stumps scattered.In the morning session Lilley’s figures were 18.1-14-8-4; he may never be as economical again. The wickets of Scott Elstone, caught for nought at backward short leg by Ashwell Prince when sweeping, and David Wainwright, taken at the wicket for 11 by Alex Davies when cutting, left the offspinner with 5 for 23 in the innings and he thus managed career-best performances with both ball and bat in the match.The relatively small crowd watched it all in good humour. They knew the conclusion would not be long delayed once Kerrigan had bowled Hashim Amla for 11 with a ball that squeezed through the smallest of gaps between bat and pad. From their celebrations we may conclude that Lancashire’s cricketers felt the same way. And so by one o’clock Steven Croft’s fielders had bottles of beer in their hands and just after two o’clock they were clearing the portable seats away from the grassy mound beneath the old scorebox.For, yes, there were three teams involved in this game: Lancashire, who won; Derbyshire, who didn’t deserve to lose by an innings; and the battalion of workers whose efforts have been co-ordinated since December by officials of the County Match Delivery Group. It was, no doubt, the same at Beckenham this week and soon it will be the turn of Guildford, Colwyn Bay and Horsham and all the other outgrounds visited by the first-class game in the travelling pageant of the English season.Lancashire supporters may remember Trafalgar Road for Kerrigan and Lilley bowling out Derbyshire on the final morning. Others will recall Peter Bailey’s excellent wicket on which seamers could gain assistance, batsmen could score centuries and spinners could prosper wonderfully. It was “all worthy, all well done” as Philip Larkin wrote in “Show Saturday” his poem about the Bellingham Show in 1973.Apart from golf, there is nothing like outground cricket in English sport. It allows the players to return to the shires and to some of the clubs where they learned the game. It allows supporters to visit areas like Birkdale with its massive houses occupied by financiers, lawyers, footballers and the odd Meyer Wolfsheim. Or it could be Tunbridge Wells with its rhododendrons, its generosity and its fresh asparagus.While Prince was making his double-hundred at Southport, blazered volunteers, proud as punch to be working for nothing and wearing ties made just to mark this occasion, were making sure all the players’ needs were met. And while Southport is special and much-loved, it is not unique. Even the wise, softly spoken chairman, who was proudly wearing his loud Woosterish blazer in club colours, knows it.Outground cricket may be threatened by reforms taking place in the English game. But it is not absurd to wish, as Larkin did of the Bellingham Show, that it might “stay hidden there like strength … something people do, not noticing how time’s rolling smithy-smoke shadows much greater gestures; something they share / that breaks ancestrally into regenerate union. Let it always be there”.

Journalist Liam Keen has criticised Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Nunes for his attitude and display during their defeat to Bournemouth.

How did Nunes play against Bournemouth?

Nunes has been one of Wolves’ standout players this season, and the summer signing has already been linked with a move to Liverpool.

However, in Wolves’ 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, he was far from his best, and completed just 78% of his passes as he gave the ball away carelessly on a number of occasions.

Speaking on the Express and Star Podcast, Keen claimed that his poor performance was not a reflection on his ability, but his mindset during the game.

“Matheus Nunes. I rate, he’s certainly a very good player, but he’s had peaks and troughs in a Wolves shirt. There were moments in that first half where he glided past the opposition and got into some good areas going forward. It was all a bit too easy for him,” he stated.

“At times when it is a bit too easy for him, he lets his guard down too much. And that’s what I felt like Wolves overall were doing, but I can use examples for him. His first touches, for a player of his quality, were so lackadaisical.

“The crossfield passes, and 10-yard passes that were totally out of bounds, were just not good enough unfortunately,  and it’s not because he isn’t good enough or doesn’t have the talent, it was that he was just allowing the game to pass him by, he knew he was better than the players around him.

“That’s a dangerous precedent to set. You cannot think that ‘right I’m head and shoulders above the players around me.’ And that’s what it looked like for me, and that meant that he got punished.”

Could Nunes leave in the summer?

Even if Wolves do survive the threat of relegation, it seems they may be resigned to losing captain Ruben Neves, who is in the final year of his contract, and losing Nunes as well would be a big blow.

Liverpool look ready to swoop in on the Portuguese midfielder, and his attitude in the Bournemouth defeat could be a worrying sign that he may push for a move if a bid comes in.

Nunes arrived at Wolves for around £38m, and whilst the club will likely make a profit on him if he moves on, losing two crucial central midfielders in the summer could be damaging, and may harm Julen Lopetegui’s chances of success next season.

The Spaniard has navigated Wolves away from the relegation zone, although there is still a long way to go before the end of the season with his side just three points clear of the drop.

The first T20I will be a test of Bangladesh’s pristine confidence, as the hosts take on the established pedigree of South Africa

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Dhaka04-Jul-2015Match factsSunday, July 5
Start time 1.00pm local (0700 GMT)1:51

‘SA batsmen against spin the battle of the series’

Big pictureThe first T20I will be a test of Bangladesh’s pristine confidence, as the hosts take on the established pedigree of South Africa. The tone of the four-week tour could well be set at the venue of the opener – the Shere Bangla National Stadium where Bangladesh are generally fairly comfortable.South Africa are on their first bilateral tour of Bangladesh since 2008, although they have been here for the 2011 World Cup and 2014 World T20. The last encounter between the two sides was in 2011, when Bangladesh were bowled out for 78 and suffered a humiliating exit from the World Cup.Going into this game, however, Bangladesh are in completely different shape. They have been quite the form side in 2015, even winning their only T20 of the year, against Pakistan in Mirpur. It was just two days after they had completed a 3-0 ODI series win over them. However, Bangladesh’s T20 performance has generally been sub-par, as they have won just 12 out of 42 games.South Africa, meanwhile, are the second most successful international T20 team currently, just behind Pakistan. The last time they played Bangladesh in this format was in 2008, but curiously, both teams will go into this game having won their last game but lost the previous four.South Africa’s bowling, deemed as their second-string attack, will have to keep Bangladesh’s in-form top and middle-order in check. If the hosts’ batsmen can hold their own, that battle will intensify. But it could be a lop-sided contest when South Africa bat, particularly against a Bangladesh attack that has many attacking options, but only few proven performers in T20s.It could be a close affair, but that will depend on how much the home side is given the liberty to play their own game.Form guideBangladesh: WLLLL
South Africa: WLLLLPlayers to watchSohag Gazi will bowl with a new action after being cleared by the ICC in February. He has not racked up impressive numbers in the domestic game this year, but has been chosen in the T20 squad as an attacking option.Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said the bowlers will have to pray that AB de Villiers gets out early. It will be interesting to see whether he bats in the top-order, where he has not been a regular for much of his T20 international career.Team newsBangladesh are likely to keep Jubair Hossain, Rony Talukdar and Rubel Hossain in the bench, opting for two left-arm spinners and Sohag Gazi’s off-spin in their bowling attack.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Litton Das, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Sohag Gazi, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Arafat SunnySouth Africa could have AB de Villiers as an opener or No 3, according to Faf du Plessis. The visitors could also employ a bit of extra pace in the form of Kagiso Rabada in Mirpur after he impressed in the slow pitch of Fatullah.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Rilee Rossouw, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 JP Duminy, 7 David Wiese, 8 Wayne Parnell/Chris Morris, 9 Kyle Abbott, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Aaron Phangiso/Eddie LeiePitch and conditionsFrom close inspection, the Mirpur pitch has looked barren even though it was prepared with a bit of juice in the Pakistan and India series. South Africa’s pace attack would, however, require the home side to think differently and a slow, low pitch could be the recipe. Some rain has also been forecast after sunset.Stats and trivia Mashrafe Mortaza is now the second Bangladesh bowler to take 300 international wickets in all formats. Only five players from the current sides – AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim – played in the last Bangladesh-South Africa T20, played on November 5 2008. South Africa, with three wins out of five in Bangladesh, have a better win/loss ratio in Bangladesh than the home side, who have won five out of 15 T20s.Quotes”We appreciate that Bangladesh main side competition will be a lot harder.””I don’t take T20 as too much of a challenge. I don’t give it too much of importance.”

Alastair Cook paid tribute to the work rate of Moeen Ali after his six second-innings wickets handed England a thumping victory in the third Test

George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl31-Jul-2014Alastair Cook hailed “the perfect game” as England clinched their first victory in 11 Tests in Southampton. Cook, in particular, had come under increasing pressure for his place as captain following a grim run of form but he admitted a “weight has been lifted” after he scored half-centuries in both innings and saw several other players contribute valuable performances to help the side to victory by 266 runs over India.”We had as good a game as you could have,” Cook said. “We performed really well, to a man. We set the game up with the bat and then kept pressure on with the ball. Scoreboard pressure told and we had as good a game as you could have.”Cook admitted that concerns over results and his own form – he was averaging 14.33 in 2014 before this game – had started to threaten his position. But though he expressed relief at the result, he also conceded that he had to contribute more consistently if his critics were to be silenced.”It was getting to a crux situation,” Cook said. “If it had carried on like that who knows what would have happened? The weight is lifted. Certainly if I’d scored nought and five and we’d lost the game… Under that pressure, the first innings meant a lot.”One game does not change everything and we know how important my runs are from the top of the order. I don’t know if my captaincy got dragged into it but when you are losing there will be focus on it.”This summer we’ve played good cricket for one or two sessions out of three. But this time we sustained it. We were relentless. We never let India off the hook. We kept them under pressure and it takes a lot of skill and determination to do that. We did not let up.”The guys who were questioned really delivered. Ian Bell scored a big hundred; Stuart Broad bowled incredibly well – when he bowls at that pace no one wants to face him. Chris Woakes bowled with fantastic control and good pace and I’ve never seen a bowler improve as much as Moeen Ali in a short space of time. Gary Ballance is doing well at No. 3 and Joe Root is doing well at No. 5. We’ve won a game and I’ve scored runs. It’s been a better week.”The experience of winning would, Cook reasoned, prove vital for a young side. “For some guys, that was their first experience of winning a Test,” he said. “Gary Ballance ran to collect a stump at the end and I realised he did not know what it was like. Now he knows. He knows what it takes. The challenge is to repeat it at Old Trafford and try and win the series.”Anderson pleased with return to form

James Anderson rated his bowling at the Ageas Bowl as close to his best after winning the Man-of the-Match award for the second time in the series. Anderson claimed his first five-wicket haul in a year in the first innings and then took two important wickets at the start of the final day to end India’s chances of fighting for a draw.
“I was somewhere near my best in this game,” Anderson said. “The ball swung, which helps as that is my strength. But at the same time it swung at Lord’s and we didn’t get it right as a group.
“But I felt we were absolutely relentless here as a group of four seamers. Everyone bowled brilliantly. Chris Woakes is walking out of the Test without a wicket but he bowled fantastically well. If he bowls like that again he’ll get wickets.
“That’s our benchmark as a team and an attack. That’s how good we can be. Our job now is to maintain that throughout the series.”

Cook paid particular tribute to the work rate of Moeen after his six second-innings wickets handed England a thumping win. Moeen was labelled a part-time spinner when handed a Test debut at the start of the summer but showed ability far beyond that tag with 6 for 67 to bowl England to victory. Cook praised the effort Moeen has put in to develop his promising offspin, which includes a fledgling doosra.”His bowling has come on leaps and bounds since the start of the summer,” Cook told Sky Sports afterwards. “Credit to Mo, he’s worked really hard, it’s difficult being a bit part-time, bowling behind Saeed Ajmal at Worcester, but he’s fronted up to the responsibility.”Moeen’s bowling proved a useful option in the first two Test of the series; he arrived at the Ageas Bowl with seven wickets but finished the match as the joint-second highest wicket-taker in the series with 15 scalps, one behind James Anderson.Cook identified Moeen’s adaptability as the key to his return in the third Test. “The guys in the nets have been telling him the lines are slightly different bowling in international cricket when you’ve got to hold an end and he’s responded really well. Then on a spinning wicket to get six wickets and win the game, you can’t ask for any more.”Moeen is one of several young players that have performed well since coming in as part of England’s “new era” at the start of the summer. Ballance made his third century in six Tests at the Ageas Bowl and is now the leading run-scorer in the series.”People will remember that for a long time,” Cook said of the moment of victory. “We’ve worked incredibly hard and had some tough moments. We said we want to see the senior guys stand up as well as the youngsters, and one to 11 we’ve been fantastic.”I don’t think I’m relieved, happy is probably a better word. It’s a great performance from day one, I don’t think we lost a session and that’s credit to the guys. Every one of the 11 has contributed.”That included Cook, whose batting featured more positive play on the front foot after a run of five Tests without a fifty. “I said at Lord’s I thought my game was heading back in the right direction,” Cook said. “With a 10 and a 20 there it was quite a hard thing to say, but backing it up here I’m incredibly pleased. Getting back into the ball is vital for my game, I’m pretty good on the short ball, but in the danger zone I’ve nicked off quite a lot, so I need to make sure I’m getting my feet and my head back into the ball.”

A round-up of the Vijay Hazare Tropy 2015-16 Group C matches played on December 10, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Dec-2015Ravi Jangid’s 97 was in vain as Vidarbha fell an agonizing three runs short of a win against Odisha in Delhi. Vidarbha’s top order had crumbled to 59 for 5 in their chase of 227, but Jangid and Akshay Karnewar revived the side’s hopes with a 157-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Then medium-pacer Alok Chandra Sahoo turned the match Odisha’s way, dismissing Karnewar and then taking two wickets in his next over to reduce Vidarbha to 220 for 9 in the 46th over. Two overs later, Samantray dismissed Jangid to end Vidarbha’s innings. Sahoo’s three wickets at the death took his match tally to 5 for 39 and added to his crucial contribution of 35 with the bat. Odisha’s innings, after they opted to bat, had followed a similar arc. Vidarbha’s bowlers had reduced the side to 125 for 6 before Sahoo and Arabind Singh lifted the score with a seventh-wicket stand of 85 to push the score to 226 for 9. Arabind top-scored with 62 off 64 deliveries.Debutant seamer Suboth Bhati’s four-wicket haul derailed Baroda’s chase as Delhi defended 208 to win by 31 runs at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Baroda never got going, losing wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 177, with only Deepak Hooda (50 off 76 balls) making a substantial score. Bhati finished with figures of 4 for 17 in 6.5 overs.Sent in to bat, Delhi lost wickets frequently but Nitish Rana held them together with an 86-ball 62. His biggest partnership was with Pawan Negi – they added 76 for the seventh wicket before Rana fell in the penultimate over of the innings. Negi finished on 47 off 57 balls.Andhra’s bowlers, led by CV Stephen and B Sudhakar, dismissed Tripura for 215 to set up a 58-run win in Delhi. Chasing 274, Tripura’s top order made a strong start and there were key contributions from opener Udiyan Bose (46), wicketkeeper Nirupam Sen Chowdhary (52) and Parvinder Singh (50) but their innings lackedthe big innings or a substantial stand that the side needed. For Andhra, Stephen and Sudhakar took three wickets each while Dasari Swaroop Kumar took two wickets. Andhra’s innings was marked by two fifty-plus stands for the third and fourth wickets and a rapid 45-run partnership for the sixth wicket that lifted the side at the end. Koripalli Sreekanth and AG Pradeep steadied the innings after the loss of the openers, adding 52 for the third wicket. Pradeep – who top-scored with 71 – then shared in a 72-run stand with Ashwin Hebbar, before both batsmen were dismissed quickly. D Siva Kumar smacked a 26-ball 51 and his 45-run stand with Swaroop took the side past the 250-run mark.