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Misbah-ul-Haq has raised the possibility that he may leave international cricket, even as soon as before the third and final Test of Pakistan’s series against Australia

Osman Samiuddin at the MCG30-Dec-2016Misbah-ul-Haq has raised the possibility that he may leave international cricket, even as soon as before the third and final Test of Pakistan’s series against Australia.Pakistan’s most successful Test captain was speaking in the immediate aftermath of a dramatic and demoralising final-day collapse at the MCG – which ended in a defeat by an innings and 18 runs – and a day during which concerns over his own lack of runs came to the forefront once again.Already struggling for Test runs, Misbah lasted two balls, sweeping both, the second straight into the hands of Nic Maddison at short fine leg. That brought to a grand total of 20 runs in his last four innings, and would seem to have pushed him to the brink of calling it a day.”I think I need to think about it,” he said, when asked what the immediate future held for him. “I always believed that if I couldn’t contribute to the team then it’s no point staying there. This is a point where I need to think about that, even before the next game [in Sydney] and after the series. Next couple of days I will think about it and decide what to do. There is no point in hanging around and doing nothing. I haven’t decided [about Sydney] but let’s see.”The conversation around Misbah’s retirement has been a long-running one. It began in earnest after he led them to a series victory in the UAE against England in the winter of 2015. At the time, the prospect of a series against India kept him from retiring. But when that did not materialise, he decided to stay on to lead Pakistan in a clutch of difficult away series this year.He did well in leading them to a 2-2 draw in England, arguably the high point of his six-year tenure and, crucially, also a series in which he performed with the bat. Since then, however, Pakistan have lost a series in New Zealand and now in Australia – a run of five successive Test defeats that includes a dead-rubber loss to West Indies in the UAE.”I was thinking about my retirement long ago, even when I was playing against England in Dubai,” he said. “I was thinking then that we had possibly Tests against India, so I would play that and that’s it.”But then we had difficult tours like England, New Zealand and Australia, I thought that is not right time. I’ve been there for last six-seven years, developing this team. I have to face these difficult series. That is why I hung around. Even at that stage my plan was not to play for another two-three years. I have to think about that, haven’t finalised it.”What might play a key role in any decision he makes is the nature of some of his dismissals through the year. Though he has built up a reputation over the course of his career both for odd and untimely dismissals, a rush of poor decision-making in the last six months or so has left him questioning his batsmanship.Misbah-ul-Haq: ‘I always believed that if I couldn’t contribute to the team then it’s no point staying there’•AFP

At Lord’s in the summer, he slogged Moeen Ali second ball in the second innings to deep midwicket. That, ultimately, didn’t prevent Pakistan from winning the Test. But in the second innings in Sharjah, against West Indies, he pulled a long hop straight to deep backward square leg off his sixth ball, when Pakistan were in some trouble.In Christchurch in November, with Pakistan effectively 26 for 4 and Misbah relatively settled, he top edged an attempted hook off Tim Southee straight to long leg. Today came the second-ball sweep and he admitted that his thought process as a batsman is “not right”.”That is what has happened with me,” he said. “Quite a few innings now in which the shot that isn’t on, or the wrong shot for the wrong time… I don’t know, as a cricketer, as a batsman, it is hard.”Especially when you are not scoring regularly, when you go in [to bat], making the right decisions becomes a bit more difficult. Maybe that is happening now. What I feel I should be playing like, I am unable to play that way.”Misbah’s future is not the only one that will come under scrutiny. Younis Khan, his great partner in Pakistan’s triumphs, fell two balls before Misbah for 24. That left him averaging 15.75 from the two tours down under.”It hurts you because as a senior player you have more responsibilities,” Misbah said. “Whenever you don’t perform, you don’t come up to your own expectations and [those] of all the fans and team, that is disappointing. You don’t play a game for those sort of failures, you want to stand up and perform in these pressure situations. That is disappointing and it hurts a lot.”

In what will be his 20th Test match as captain, Virat Kohli is yet to field the same XI in consecutive games

Alagappan Muthu in Mohali25-Nov-20162:21

Span of eight days too short to analyse DRS – Kohli

Virat Kohli will captain his 20th Test match on Saturday and he is yet to field the same XI in consecutive games. Sometimes that choice has been taken away from him – Mohali being the latest example where India’s first-choice wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha will not be available due to injury.Other times the changes were tactical. The inclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in St Lucia and Kolkata earlier this year on pitches that looked like they would seam is one such instance. There was also the Cheteshwar Pujara v Rohit Sharma debate that dominated the 2015-16 season. Both, India’s players and the management appear to be comfortable with such an environment, where a change in conditions could mean someone’s skills become surplus to the team’s cause.

Kohli responds

On ball-tampering allegations: I think it’s just to take the focus away from the series. It happened in Australia when South Africa won the series. I’m surprised the issue came up in Rajkot but there was no mention of it until the Vizag game was over. To me a newspaper article doesn’t matter over the decision of ICC. We as cricketers respect that only. If I was doing something, ICC would have spoken to me.
On umpire’s call in DRS: A lot of people don’t understand it. If the on-field umpire has made the call, then obviously the benefit has to go to him, what his vision of the decision was and then DRS just confirms that particular decision. If it is really, really off, then DRS corrects it but if it is marginal, then you got to respect it.
India’s progress with DRS: We are going to get better with using it. We are going to understand it and actually figure out where the ball has hit the pad and sometimes you feel like you have less time to review, but you do actually have more time. So those are the sort of things we will be more aware of going forward but a span of two games is very little to judge how we have gone so far with DRS.

Kohli explained the horses-for-courses approach was a conscious decision. “This is something that we made pretty clear when we lost the game in Galle [against Sri Lanka in 2015]. After that we had a pretty clear chat that we are going to play people that we think are suitable for different venues.”Even the batting order changes; I have gone up and down the order as well and other batsmen are keen to do it as well. I think it sends the message across, that the eventual motive is for the team to win.”While he has always wanted to bat higher, R Ashwin’s success at No. 6 also falls into the category of India’s players taking up the challenge of unfamiliar batting positions.Pujara made a century as a makeshift opener in seamer-friendly conditions at the SSC in Colombo last year. Ajinkya Rahane made one at No. 3 on a different ground in the same city. Kohli did the same in the Caribbean, moving to one drop after making a double-century at No. 4. Each of them adjusted because India wanted Rohit in their XI.Still, there is an argument that players might prefer a little job security. Kohli appreciated that his men were willing to look past that.”Every player needs to buy into the idea and it makes it easier as captain and the management if players agree to it – and they have,” Kohli said. “They have been pretty good with it and that’s why if you see someone stepping in for a game or two, they take it as an opportunity and have actually given match-winning performances.”It’s not like they are taking the pressure off not knowing whether they will play the next game. It’s all about focussing on that particular game and staying in the present and it has been really wonderful to see it and we just want to carry that forward.”Parthiv Patel is in such a situation. Coming back into Test cricket for the first time in eight years, he may only play for India till Saha recovers from his thigh strain. At the moment, that is only one match.”Parthiv understands the situation he’s in,” Kohli said. “I’m pretty glad he respects that and he’s still looking forward to the opportunity and try to make a mark. He knows when we plan to take two wicketkeepers away. This is the opportunity.”

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly set to allow a number of their B team prospects to depart the club at the end of their contracts this summer.

The likes of Tony Weston and Charley Lindsay, among others, are set to be moved on by the Light Blues but they could be on the verge of losing a talent who they wanted to keep hold of.

Robbie Ure's deal is due to expire at the end of the month and Football Insider reported, earlier this year, that the teenager wants to leave the club after being offered new terms for less money than he is currently on.

The 19-year-old prospect has plundered 21 goals and ten assists in 43 appearances for the academy and first-team combined in the 2022/23 campaign and his impressive statistics in front of goal indicate that it would be a blow for the Gers to lose him on a free transfer this summer.

Ure has scored once in two senior outings for Michael Beale's side to date and has shown that he has the potential to be a senior striker at Ibrox in the future, which could save the club from spending millions in the transfer market on a new number nine from elsewhere.

Whilst the possible exit of the prolific teenage marksman could lead some supporters wanting Rangers to invest in another young centre-forward, the Scottish giants may already have a future star who could make the step up to Beale's team further down the line in James Graham.

Who is James Graham?

The 18-year-old gem is another B team striker who has played a backup role to Ure in the academy side this season, having made the step up from the U18s.

He joined from Ross County in the summer of 2020 and then-Head of Academy Craig Mulholland claimed that the teenager was being eyed by clubs in the Premier League and elsewhere in Scotland, which suggested that it was something of a coup to land his signature.

Mulholland also described the ace as a "dynamic, quick and tenacious forward with excellent energy and finishing abilities" and the youngster has showcased some of these qualities in the Lowland League this season.

Graham has racked up five goals and one assist in just 1,066 minutes of action in the division, which works out as a goal contribution every 177 minutes – or once every 1.96 matches.

His form has clearly not gone unnoticed at Ibrox as the club recently rewarded him with a new contract until the end of the 2023/24 campaign, keeping him at the club whilst the likes of Lindsay and Weston are released.

This indicates that they see potential in the teenager and Ure's exit could allow him to flourish as the first-choice option at the top end of the pitch for the B team next term, which could speed up his development and lead to him breaking into the senior squad in the future, thus saving Beale and the club's hierarchy millions in future transfer windows.

Opener Ademola Onikoyi’s unbeaten 68 propelled Nigeria past Tanzania for a six-wicket win at St Martin. In a match reduced to 28 overs a side, Tanzania chose to bat first but struggled to reach 115 for 8. Sesan Adedeji was the main source of disruption with the ball, taking 3 for 14 in five overs.Kassim Nassoro top-scored with 30 for Tanzania and struck twice with the ball during the Nigeria chase but couldn’t remove Onekoyi. The right-hander brought up his 50 in 61 balls on the way to victory achieved with 19 balls to spare.Guernsey claimed victory by five runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method after their 26-over chase of Vanuatu’s 127 for 6 was halted by rain at 105 for 6 after 21 overs at St Clement. Opener Matthew Stokes top-scored in the Jersey chase with 34 after having taken 2 for 23 in the field. Vanuatu captain Andrew Mansale followed up his 27 by taking 4 for 19 to put Guernsey in trouble at 81 for 6 in the 16th over, but a steady 24-run stand between Ben Ferbrache and Thomas Kirk ensured Guernsey were ahead of the par score when the players came off.Vanuatu had been sent in and opener Jonathon Dunn anchored a methodical innings, making 42 off 57 before being dismissed in the 23rd over with the score on 103 for 4. David Hooper and Thomas Kirk also took two wickets apiece for Guernsey.The feature game of the day at St Saviour between hosts Jersey and World T20 qualifiers Oman ended with no result after just nine overs of the Jersey chase could be completed due to persistent rain. The two sides will restart the game from scratch on Monday’s reserve day.The match began after a five-hour rain delay and was reduced to 23 overs a side with Jersey sending in Oman and restricting them to 132 for 9. Oman initially raced out to a superb start behind Zeeshan Maqsood, who made a streaky 29 off 14 balls before one too many top-edged pulls finally found Cornelis Bodenstein at deep square leg off Charles Perchard.Oman were looking good at 71 for 2 in the 12th over before offspinner Rhys Palmer disrupted the innings with the first of three wickets on the day. To the last ball of his first over, he induced a mistimed drive from Vaibhav Wategaonkar which was taken at mid-on by Anthony Hawkins-Kay for 26. Jatinder Singh was Palmer’s second victim, driving to Jonty Jenner at mid-off for 24 in the 18th before Mehran Khan’s brief assault on Palmer ended with a skied slog taken by a diving Ben Stevens charging in from point for 14 to make it 114 for 6 after 20.Brought back at the death, Perchard struck two more times to finish with 3 for 17. He claimed Rajesh Ranpura to a diving Peter Gough at midwicket for 3 before Aamir Kaleem was stumped for 10 by Jake Dunford standing up to Perchard’s medium pace.In reply, Jersey got off to a confident start behind Gough and Jenner, who added 46 for the first wicket. Jenner made 25 off 23 balls before he was trapped prodding forward against left-arm spinner Aamir Kaleem to end the eighth over. The rain became progressively heavier over the course of the next over before the umpires took the players off. It means both Jersey and Oman now face the prospect of playing five times in five days due to the scheduled rest day on Monday being used as a reserve day to replay the original encounter as a fresh 50-over game under WCL rules.

AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli made near-perfect centuries to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to 248 and set up a 144-run victory – a record margin in the IPL -over the shell-shocked Gujarat Lions

The Report by Sirish Raghavan14-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAB de Villiers destroyed the Gujarat Lions attack before Virat Kohli joined in•BCCIWhen AB de Villiers or Virat Kohli brings the entire force of his batting might to bear on an opposition, the result is a particularly brutal form of carnage. When both do so in the same innings, the devastation is nuclear. Such was the case on Saturday afternoon at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The two batsmen made near-perfect centuries to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to 248 and set up a 144-run victory – a record margin in the IPL -over the shell-shocked Gujarat Lions.De Villiers’ unbeaten 52-ball 129 and Kohli’s 55-ball 109 decimated an increasingly feckless and indisciplined bowling attack; they required just 96 balls to put on a T20 record stand of 229. It was also only the second instance of two batsmen scoring centuries in the same innings in 5703 T20s. As the innings unfolded, a stream of boundaries became a raging river, with 15 fours and 20 sixes sinking the rickety boat on which the Lions bowlers were cowering.The result was invaluable to Royal Challengers, for a defeat would have all but eliminated them from the playoffs. This margin of victory, however, ensured they stayed in contention and gave them the best net run-rate in the competition.The onslaught came from nowhere. Brendon McCullum, standing in as Lions captain after Suresh Raina missed his first IPL match in nine years, opted to bowl and his opening bowlers got the side off to an excellent start. Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni bowled with impressive control to tie down Royal Challengers’ openers, with Kulkarni dismissing a scratchy Chris Gayle in the fourth over to reduce Royal Challengers to 19 for 1. Gayle had departed for his fifth single-digit score in as many matches, the innings was going nowhere, and the Lions fielders seemed to be buzzing.But when spin was introduced in the fifth over, the game began to change. Chinaman bowler Shivil Kaushik delivered a string of half-trackers to allow Kohli and de Villiers to cut loose. Pravin Tambe, brought on for the next over, faced a similar fate and Royal Challengers were accelerating. In the scheme of things, the fact that those two overs conceded 23 runs turned out to be less relevant than the floodgates that they opened.For much of the innings, de Villiers commanded centre-stage, unleashing his full repertoire of sweeps, lofts and drives. While the midwicket and long-on regions came in for a special peppering, no part of the ground was spared as the ball was regularly send soaring. Kohli played second-fiddle to de Villiers for the most part, but took on the starring role in the last three overs, pillaging 57 off his last 14 balls to bring up his third century of this IPL season – also a record – and lift his side to an imposing 248.After having scored 81 off their first 11 overs, Royal Challengers smashed 167 off the last nine. In the midst of this whirlwind, Ravindra Jadeja was the only one of seven Lions bowlers to escape with an economy rate of under 10.The hammering they had received and the enormity of the task before them weighed heavily on Lions’ batsmen in their reply. The early loss of Dwayne Smith set the tone for a limp innings in which wickets fell at regular intervals and the run rate never approached the levels that were required. Chris Jordan and Yuzvendra Chahal made the most of the situation to bag figures of 4 for 11 and 3 for 19 respectively, before Sachin Baby took two in two to put the finishing touches on a royal spanking.

Everton have found themselves in a Premier League relegation battle once again this season and Sean Dyche now just has ten games remaining to save the club from a spell in the Championship.

The Toffees are currently only two points clear of the bottom three following their 2-2 draw with Chelsea ahead of the international break and will need to pick up more crucial points over the coming weeks to secure survival.

Dyche took on the task of saving the Merseysiders back in January and has since picked up 11 points out of a possible 24 in his first eight fixtures so far, with many of his tweaks already improving performances.

The Everton boss has leaned on some of his former players like Michael Keane and Dwight McNeil who both found themselves out of favour under Frank Lampard, but it's not just his Burnley alumni that have seen their opportunities increase.

One player who has revived his Everton career is midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure after it was reported he was banished from the squad's training sessions and matchday squads following a fractured relationship forming with Lampard, however, has thrived under Dyche.

As it stands, the £120k-per-week Frenchman will be out of contract this summer and after playing a crucial part in the improvements seen on the blue side of Merseyside over a short time, there is no doubt that a new deal could be on the horizon.

Will Doucoure stay at Everton this summer?

The talented midfielder joined the Toffees back in 2020 in a £20m deal after impressing at Watford and has tallied up 88 appearances, seven goals and nine assists over his time at the club so far.

Dyche spoke out in February about his decision to give the 30-year-old a second chance at Goodison Park after becoming a fringe player ahead of his arrival:

"He's certainly someone that could help the club going forwards. I think he has done very well. Different managers see different things, different managers want different things.

"He has just responded very well so far – but I want him to continue in that vein. I agree, he has played very well. He keeps working in both boxes, driving with his running that's for sure. The signs are good."

Doucoure – who writer Peter Guy claimed has been "reborn" – has scored twice and assisted his teammates on two occasions in the last three games, proving to be a crucial and hard-working asset in Dyche's team and more importantly, proving that he is worthy of a spot in the starting eleven.

Despite reportedly being close to a move away in January, Everton now have an option to extend the Mali international's stay for another 12 months and if he continues to put in the performances he has displayed so far there is no reason why that won't be triggered.

With that being said, Doucoure's contributions could be absolutely crucial to Everton beyond their relegation battle this season and should the side survive he will be a valuable asset to Dyche in the future.

Leeds United suffered greatly during their 16-year stint in the Championship (and briefly League One), as this great club wallowed in the lower divisions for far longer than they were expected to after their 2004 relegation.

Whilst the Whites missed out on huge funds from not being in the Premier League, as well as the opportunity to challenge for Champions League spots which they had been competing in just years earlier, it also made the club a far less attractive proposition for current and prospective players.

Moving to Yorkshire to battle for promotion became a far less enticing proposition when top-flight clubs were involved, and over those years they lost a host of top talent due to their league status.

One such prospect who was not keen to stick around at Elland Road was Fabian Delph, who had come through the academy at the club and became a mainstay before his eventual sale.

His talent was too great to keep wallowing in League One, where his side had failed to earn promotion. As such, the youngster completed his £8m move to Aston Villa in 2009. 

Whilst the fee was impressive for a club at that level, it was a true indicator of just how far Leeds had fallen.

What happened to Fabian Delph?

It may have seemed like Simon Grayson had little say in the matter of his departure, but as a boyhood fan of the club there was surely reason to believe the now-33-year-old could have been tempted to stick around for another year or two.

Especially considering how he would go on to thrive at Villa Park, as the gem became a fine creative influence with a steely resolve in the engine room. He was even voted their player of the year in 2014, as his combinations with Christian Benteke became almost-legendary.

The apex of his career in the Midlands was arguably his winning goal over Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final, despite their hammering at the hands of Arsenal in the subsequent final.

His talent had then been recognised by the game’s elite, and his subsequent move to Manchester City gave him the opportunity to win two Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, and an FA Cup.

He truly enjoyed “an amazing career”, as former teammate Gabby Agbonlahor had branded it, but it all began in Leeds. Had he been convinced to give the club an extra year or so, the maestro could have been the catalyst to propel them back into the Premier League way ahead of their eventual 2020 return.

Whites supporters may look back at the situation and wonder what may have been as Delph’s success in the Premier League came too early for the progression of the club as a whole.

However, his immense talent, as backed up by his achievements at Villa and with Manchester City, could have played a role in getting Leeds to the top tier quicker than they did, in 2020, and that is why selling him at that time was a blunder by Grayson.

England’s most prolific bowling pair will hope to stay together for some time yet, but in a sign of Joe Root starting to think further ahead into his captaincy tenure minds have been cast to the future

Andrew McGlashan at Seddon Park14-Mar-2018England have begun their succession planning for life after James Anderson and Stuart Broad with Mark Wood given the chance to open the bowling against the New Zealand XI in Hamilton.Wood shared the new ball with Anderson, bowling a three-over spell, before being replaced by Broad who struck with his first delivery to remove Jeet Raval. Broad took the second new ball under the lights in the evening – when he again dismissed Raval with batsmen able to return in somewhat farcical scenes. England’s most prolific bowling pair will hope to stay together for some time yet, but in a sign of Joe Root starting to think further ahead into his captaincy tenure, minds have been cast to the future.”Yesterday, we had a bowlers’ meeting, and he pulled me in at the end and said that – further down the line – if the two guys finish at around the same time, we don’t want two fresh opening bowlers. So it’s a chance in a practice game to give different lads a chance,” Wood said.”I was a bit surprised when he told me, but it was obviously a huge honour to open the bowling for England – especially with Jimmy. I was shocked, to be fair, because they’re a prolific opening partnership. But it was a chance for me to try to impress.”Though Broad, who sits on 399 Test wickets, struggled in the Ashes to cap a disappointing 2017, there is no suggestion that his position is under threat for this series – and he looked in decent shape on the opening day at Seddon Park – but there is something of a neat symmetry that the future of England’s attack is being considered where their two most prolific bowlers first joined forces in 2008.’Guess it showed we were getting under their skin’

Kyle Jamieson had a day to remember in Hamilton as he scored 101 and found himself being giving a “few words” by James Anderson as he flayed England around Seddon Park.
Jamieson, who has a highest first-class score of 40 – although has a one-day fifty and had more pretensions as a batsman when a youngster – brought up his century off 110 balls.
“It’s still sinking in a wee bit, just came out and tried to counter-attack and to end up on a hundred is pretty surreal,” he said.
On the exchange with Anderson, he added. “He had a few nice words to say to me, just telling me to keep going. It was just a great experience for myself to have a guy of that experience having a few words. I guess it showed we were getting under their skin a bit.”

After the first Test in Hamilton, where England crashed to a 189-run defeat, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard were dropped by captain Michael Vaughan for the next match in Wellington with Broad and Anderson taking their place. Though Harmison would play again, and it was a little while until Broad and Anderson consistently shared the new ball, it was the beginning of an alliance that would carry England through the next decade.Nothing as dramatic is expected on this tour, but there remain question marks over the make-up of the England attack for the first Test with three bowlers missing the two-day pink-ball match with niggles. Ben Stokes (back), Chris Woakes (hamstring) and Craig Overton (quad) were not considered while Mason Crane (back spasm) joined the list having initially been included in the 13.It is hoped all four will be available for the second two-day game, which will be played with the red ball, although Stokes’ back will be monitored after his exertions on returning to international action in the ODIs. If they are fit, Woakes and Overton could get a chance with the new ball in the second match and it also raises the possibility that the Anderson-Broad new-ball partnership in Tests could be split while both remain in the team.Given Wood’s own injury record, it remains to be seen what sort of Test career he can put together but this was a chance for him to impress. He was even regularly jumping wide in his delivery stride which is a sign the ankle is holding up well. Though figures of 2 for 80 don’t stand out, there were times when he bowled with decent pace as Root used him in short bursts throughout, his longest spell four overs. He found the outside edge of Colin de Grandhomme in his second spell and then claimed Doug Bracewell, shouldering arms, after lunch before the rollicking 163-run stand between Tom Blundell and Kyle Jamieson changed the look of the day.”At times, it was a little bit up and down for me personally,” he said. “At times, I felt I bowled really well – and then other times not so well. I think they should burn that top end, so I don’t have to bowl from there anymore. It was hard going, especially from that end for some reason for me.”I guess it was rhythm. At times, I almost felt I tried too hard, got a bit tense and tried to bowl too quick – then when I let it flow, it seemed to come out better. It was nice having the experience of Jimmy and Broady next to you. They know me well, so they can say where I’m going wrong and what I’m doing right.”If all England’s pace-bowling options are fit, Wood believes he still sits some way down the pecking order. He played the last of his 10 Tests against South Africa at Trent Bridge last July but was already suffering a heel problem by then caused by wearing the wrong insoles. Overall he has 26 wickets at 40.65.”I think the main four are Jimmy, Broady, Woakesy and Stokesy – your four lead bowlers. I’m trying to push my way in, but they’re four quality bowlers. It’s hard to get in – especially with Jimmy and Broady’s unbelievable record. Woakesy’s been in unbelievable form, Stokesy balances the team – so it’s hard to see where you’d fit in.”Craig [Overton] obviously did really well in the Ashes, and he offers something different. So I guess it depends on the pitch and conditions and what the captain wants.”

South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey scored his maiden first-class hundred as the Redbacks built a hefty total of 485 before reducing Queensland to 4 for 123 by stumps

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2017
ScorecardGetty Images

South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey scored his maiden first-class hundred as the Redbacks built a hefty total of 485 on the second day against Queensland in Cairns. In reply, Queensland had wobbled to 4 for 123 by stumps, with only former Test opener Joe Burns showing significant resistance, finishing the day unbeaten on 67 alongside Jack Wildermuth on 10.Swing bowler Chadd Sayers, released from the Test squad after being overlooked for a home-ground debut at Adelaide Oval, struck in the third over of the innings when he trapped discarded Test opener Matt Renshaw lbw for 4. David Grant, Adam Zampa and Joe Mennie each picked up a wicket as the Queensland batsmen struggled to establish their innings, with the exception of Burns, who struck five fours and two sixes.But there was a long way to go for the Bulls after the strong batting display from Carey and the South Australia lower order. The Redbacks had resumed on 8 for 328, but any hopes the home team had of quickly running through the tail were dashed by the 117-run stand compiled by Carey and Sayers, who made a career-best 46.Carey had enjoyed a remarkable debut Shield season last summer with a tournament record number of wicketkeeping dismissals as well as 594 runs, but a century was the one thing missing. He ticked that box and was the last man out, caught off the spin of Marnus Labuschagne for 139 after building a 45-run tenth-wicket stand with Grant.