Stats highlights from North Sound, where Sri Lanka and West Indies played out a second straight draw

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Apr-20210-0 Scoreline of the Test series between West Indies and Sri Lanka, the first Test series in nearly six years to end in a 0-0 draw. The two-match Test series between Bangladesh and South Africa in 2015 was the last to end with a 0-0 scoreline. Only 309.1 overs of play took place during that series played during the monsoon season.Related

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813 Minutes batted by Kraigg Brathwaite in the second Test against Sri Lanka, the most in a Test for West Indies. Brathwaite’s first-innings century came across 514 minutes, while his 85 in the second essay lasted 299 minutes. Brathwaite faced 507 balls in this match, the joint-most by a West Indian in a Test match since Brian Lara’s 400* off 582 balls against England in 2004.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Number of centuries for Brathwaite in nine Tests as a captain. Brathwaite had only two fifties across 16 Test innings while leading the West Indies before the second match. The 126-run knock is also his first century in 38 Test innings.4 Player-of-the-Series awards for specialist Sri Lankan pacers in Test cricket, including Suranga Lakmal against West Indies. Chaminda Vaas won it twice while Nuwan Kulasekara, against Pakistan in 2009, was the last to get the award.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 Test matches played by West Indies in 2021; two against Bangladesh (2-0) and two versus Sri Lanka (0-0). It is the first instance for West Indies since 2013 where they went three or more successive Tests without a defeat.2 Century partnerships for Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne in the fourth innings, the most by a pair for Sri Lanka in Tests. Only one opening pair has more than two century stands in the fourth innings in Test history – four by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 Series of two-plus Tests where both teams fielded the same 11 players in all matches, before the West Indies vs Sri Lanka series. Seven of the previous eight series were two-match Test series, while the three-match series between England and India in 2007 was the other.

Their two big overseas batters have been left to perform a difficult juggling act: score quickly while also batting deep

Sidharth Monga17-Apr-20215:10

Manjrekar wants Jadhav in the Sunrisers middle order

Sunrisers Hyderabad must have been put in the mind of Groundhog Day. Three matches, three great positions in chases, all squandered, their worst start to an IPL. A weak middle order leaves their two big overseas batters – whether it be Kane Williamson or Jonny Bairstow playing alongside captain David Warner – too much to juggle: score at a quick tempo but also bat deep. With Williamson injured, one out of Bairstow and Warner has threatened to win each of their three matches, but their dismissal has always been followed by the middle order struggling on the slow Chepauk surface.The Sunrisers’ leadership has called for “smarter cricket”, better manipulation of the field, and for at least one set batter to go deep into the innings. That was Warner’s role in this chase against the Mumbai Indians, but he ran himself out, an event he shrugged off.Related

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“They [150 scores] are very chaseable,” Warner said after the game. “It’s just poor batting. If you get a partnership there and have one guy there at the end… like all the teams batting first have always had one person there at the end. If you’re able to do that you can chase 150 quite easily.”You just need smart cricket in the middle. At the moment we haven’t been able to produce that. I think our bowlers adapted fantastically to this wicket, and this wicket was a lot slower than the previous ones we played on.”VVS Laxman, the Sunrisers’ mentor, echoed Warner’s sentiments.”That’s a very important skill especially on these kind of wickets because it is not easy to hit through the line,” Laxman said. “You can’t rely on just boundaries and sixes. It’s very important to keep the dot-ball percentage low, and the only way you can do it is by manipulating the field by rotating the strike. I think that is one aspect of the game that is very important on these kind of wickets.”Unfortunately we were not able to do that especially when Rahul Chahar was bowling and even when other fast bowlers were bowling in the middle overs. That’s one aspect which is very critical if you have to put the pressure back on the bowlers and the fielding side.”Jonny Bairstow gave the Sunrisers a blistering start against Mumbai•BCCI/IPLLaxman was glad the Sunrisers got the first bit right: score quickly during the Powerplay to bring the asking rate down. “As the ball gets old in the second half of the innings, it is getting tougher to play your natural game, to play the big shots because the ball is just stopping on the wicket and it is two-paced,” Laxman said. “And also the spinners are extracting turn along with bounce. That is one of the aspects we definitely discussed. If you see the way Jonny Bairstow and David Warner capitalised on the powerplay, that will be very important going forward especially when you are playing on slow tracks like what we are seeing in Chennai. To use the new ball, to use the Powerplay restriction, so that you put the other batsmen who are coming in later under less pressure.”Also it is very important that one set batsman plays quite deep into the innings because it is quite difficult for a newcomer to get used to the surface straightaway especially when the asking rate is climbing up. The first 10 overs, the way you show your positive and aggressive intent, will help the second half of the innings.”The Sunrisers have tended to hold Abdul Samad, the one bright spot in a disappointing middle order last year, for the final few overs, but Laxman was asked if there was a temptation to drop the struggling Manish Pandey down the order and give Samad more time in the middle. “We have been flexible with our batting order,” Laxman said. “Even today we made changes, we had Virat Singh and Abhishek Sharma, two left-hand batters, to counter the Mumbai spinners. We have got some days before the next game, and we will definitely go back to the drawing board to work out the strategy to get a win under our belt and we will look at what the best combination and batting order is.”Between now and the next game, Sunrisers will also be looking at their medical team who now have T Natarajan’s sore knee to take care of in addition to Williamson’s elbow. Laxman revealed Natarajan was left out because of a niggle in the knee, but his replacement, Khaleel Ahmed, did a good job with figures of 4-0-24-1.

At 34, the now-veteran is the benchmark in highlighting the benefits of hard work and perseverance

Madushka Balasuriya31-Mar-2021Suranga Lakmal is having a moment.Or is he?It’s really quite hard to tell. Sure, he just rolled off six straight maidens to start off the second Test against the West Indies. And yes, he picked up two wickets in that period. And okay, it probably could’ve been more had Oshada Fernando held on to a tough chance at third slip to dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite on 37 – quite some way away from the century he would eventually reach. But having said all that, are we really taking it all in as we should?There’s no question that those in Antigua were enjoying the show; I mean, you must be doing something right if Ian Bishop and Curtley Ambrose are waxing lyrical on-air about your fast bowling exploits.Related

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“On a flat deck, with Brathwaite unbeaten on 107, Lakmal produces that,” Bishop gushed at one point on the second day, as Lakmal squared up the set Brathwaite with one that spat past his outside edge from a length. This, though, is what Lakmal had been producing all game to be fair, starting with that sublime opening burst.Really, you can’t overstate just how impressive an opening spell it was; six overs, six maidens, two wickets, zero runs – a man at the peak of his powers. On a pitch that offered adequate seam movement and swing early on, before flattening out as the day wore on, Lakmal was positively obnoxious in his lines and lengths, the ball seemingly tethered on the end of a string as he relentlessly probed that space just outside off stump. And he would persist with this strategy even as the pitch slowed up and batting became considerably easier.This would in the end bring him figures of 4 for 94, just one shy of what would have been the fifth five-wicket haul of his career. But even then, there remains the sense that many don’t quite realise how good this man really is.For example, did you know that Lakmal’s Test bowling average away from home is 32.09, bettering the 32.34 of a certain Chaminda Vaas? In fact, his away average among Sri Lankan bowlers is only bettered by Muttiah Muralitharan (27.73). This stat becomes all the more impressive when you realise that Lakmal has only really started producing world-class numbers in the last three years or so. Since turning 31, Lakmal has picked up 57 Test wickets at 23.83; in contrast, his previous 102 Test scalps had come at 43.56. His yearly averages since 2018: 27.70, 23.28, 15.10, 15.85.So why then is Lakmal so overlooked? Well much of it could come down to the fact that his career renaissance occurred just as Sri Lanka’s terminal decline had set in. But in general, Lakmal’s lot in life seems to be that of perennially flying under the radar.In a career blighted by injuries, even when he does turn up it’s a fascinating quirk of his time with the national side that his best work seems to come away from the expecting gaze of a home crowd. Of his 160 Test scalps, a staggering 128 have come away from home (18 in neutral venues). Christchurch, Port Elizabeth, Brisbane and Antigua have each witnessed five-fors, but the best fans at home have been treated to was a four-wicket haul against New Zealand in Galle.

Lakmal’s successes are borne out of sheer consistency; there’s no magic bullet, just subtle adjustments, that ever so gently unsettle those facing him

It also probably doesn’t do the perception of Lakmal much good that his output doesn’t possess the same ‘oomph’ factor of his fast-bowling forebears. While Lakmal is undoubtedly top dog now, before him there was Lasith Malinga and the aforementioned Vaas, both of whom are responsible for some of Sri Lanka cricket’s most devastating highlight reels.Lakmal, though, is different. Even when he has removed your top order, he never gives the impression of a man that’s going to tear through your team. His successes are borne out of sheer consistency; there’s no magic bullet, just subtle adjustments, that ever so gently unsettle those facing him. That’s probably why he prefers grounds and surfaces more suited to amplifying the natural variances he yearns for; on home pitches, his diligence more often than not leads to economical figures but not as many wickets – even if that haul against New Zealand did show he could deliver on the more docile surfaces.So in many ways, this relatively slow track in Antigua was nothing new for Lakmal, and so he proceeded to do what he does best. Which would have been particularly frustrating for his opponents because this was a wicket that was supposed to favour the batsmen.On a surface not doing too much, aside from some early movement, Lakmal was patient and inquiring. Both John Campbell and Jermaine Blackwood would edge behind to the keeper in due course – fairly textbook wickets as far as Lakmal is concerned – though it’s the removals of Nkrumah Bonner and, later on, Rakheem Cornwall, that would have provided him the most assured validation of his approach.Lakmal’s Test bowling average away from home is 32.09, bettering the 32.34 of a certain Chaminda Vaas•Associated PressHaving delivered five consecutive full-length deliveries to Bonner, off the final ball of his fifth over Lakmal went a little shorter – not so short that you could cut it, but short enough to make the batsman think that he could. By the time Bonner realised his mistake, the ball had moved back in and knocked back his stumps via the underside of his bat.That would be the last of Lakmal’s wickets until much later in the innings, as Brathwaite would put together successive key partnerships, including a 103-run stand with Cornwall for the eighth wicket. It was this partnership that would have been the most threatening from a Sri Lankan perspective, with Cornwall taking it upon himself to singlehandedly boost the scoring rate, and the visitors aware that anything over 400 would be considerably harder to claw back.But Lakmal would intervene, not with anything special per se, but just what was needed in the moment. With Cornwall looking to force the issue, all it took was Lakmal continuing to place the ball in hard-to-score zones, goading the batsman to force the issue and make a mistake – in this case, it was a simple length ball on off stump that Cornwall was unable to clear over mid-off.That is what Lakmal brings to the table – consistency, reliability and, most importantly, efficacy. He may not have the edge-of-your-seat theatrics of Malinga, or the memorability of being a key cog in a successful outfit like Vaas, but at 34, the now-veteran is the benchmark in highlighting the benefits of hard work and perseverance. For any young quicks looking on, Lakmal’s tireless enterprise should be required viewing.

Charlotte Edwards seeks to add Hundred title to impressive CV after masterminding Brave’s maiden campaign

Matt Roller20-Aug-2021The Edwards factor
Charlotte Edwards’ reputation as a coach has burgeoned over the last two years and it would be no surprise to see her succeed Lisa Keightley in the England job before too long. She captained Southern Vipers to the inaugural KSL title in 2016, coached them to the inaugural Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy last summer, and there is every chance she will make it a treble in the Hundred.Her role in recruitment has been particularly key – Mahela Jayawardene, her men’s counterpart, joked that he “didn’t know how Lottie managed to get that top order together” – and she has galvanised the dressing room, encouraging batters to play without fear of being dismissed.”I was pretty clear from the start that I really wanted to work with her,” Anya Shrubsole, their captain, said. “She was my first England captain and we’ve always got on. She’s really quite inspiring to work with and you want that in your corner. Her knowledge of the game is obviously really good and we’re both to the point, but pretty relaxed.”Drafting Dunkley
Edwards drew up a wishlist of players after being appointed coach and while she was only 21 at the time, Sophia Dunkley’s name was at the top of it. “I remember her calling me when I was in Portugal and I was dancing round the swimming pool when she said she’d play for me,” Edwards laughed.”I knew what a talent the girl was going to be and we offered her a top-four batting spot, which nobody else did. That’s how we got her: we believed in her and we knew what she could do.”Sophia Dunkley has been a revelation this summer•Harry Trump/Getty ImagesIt became clear in England’s multi-format series against India earlier in the summer that Brave had made a wise move but Dunkley’s performances in the Hundred have still surpassed expectations: she made 244 runs in the group stages, with an average of 48.80 and a strike rate of 143.52 demonstrating her ability to combine heavy-scoring with a high tempo from No. 3.Vipers core
Dunkley and Shrubsole are exceptions that prove the rule as two of the only players in the Brave squad without a tie to Southern Vipers, the regional hub based at the Ageas Bowl who previously competed in the KSL. “We were really keen to keep a core of domestic player that Lottie knows and that play down here at the Vipers,” Shrubsole said.Edwards added: “Anya knows I’ve got a lot of knowledge about the domestic structure and she’s trusted me in terms of our selections domestically, which have proved to be really, really good ones. A lot of it was about people we knew had played with this group and a big part of this group has been the fact we gelled together really quickly.”The biggest part of it has been that our domestic players have stood up. You expect England players and overseas players to win you games but we’ve actually had really good performances from our domestic players: Lauren Bell and Maia Bouchier have been two of the standouts.”Bouchier has only faced 55 balls in the tournament due to Brave’s top-order strength but has batted positively, making 85 runs off them at a strike rate of 154.54. Following her match-winning stand with Dunkley against Northern Superchargers, Danni Wyatt described the pair as “stars of the future – that’s going to be the future of English cricket right there.”Bell, meanwhile, is Brave’s second-highest wicket-taker with her hooping inswingers and has impressed both in the Powerplay and the middle of an innings. She has claimed some big scalps – Nat Sciver, Hayley Matthews, Sarah Taylor and Jemimah Rodrigues among them – and Dinesh Karthik, the former India batter, said on Sky Sports that she has “everything going for her as a fast bowler”.Lauren Bell celebrates with Stafanie Taylor•Getty ImagesTwo of their three overseas players have Vipers links: Stafanie Taylor has anchored in the middle order and chipped in with her offbreaks, while Amanda-Jade Wellington – a late replacement for Amelia Kerr – is their leading wicket-taker, having played under Edwards with the Vipers and in the WBBL with Adelaide Strikers. She was initially expected to miss the final due to state commitments but has been allowed to stay on.Batting depth
Wyatt’s opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana – who has left for some time at home ahead of India’s Australia tour – was dream-team stuff, with their complementary styles making them hard to attack with the new ball. Both scored at strike rates above 130 across the group stage, with Wyatt explaining that the message from Edwards had simply been: “Play your natural game.”They were able to do so because of the resources that Brave deployed beneath them, with Dunkley, Taylor and Bouchier offering a cushion in the rare occasions that both openers failed. Their allrounders have hardly been used: Shrubsole hit 40 not out off 30 balls in their opening game but has only batted once since, and Wellington – a handy lower-order hitter in the WBBL – has faced 10 balls in the competition.Saturday will provide a big test, with Mandhana’s absence putting more pressure on the rest of the top order to perform; Gaby Lewis, the Ireland international replacing her, is an attacking opener but struggled for rhythm in her first innings against Oval Invincibles on Monday. If they can remain positive and trust their batting depth, their bowlers should be strong enough to get them over the line.

The only sign that a career had ended was a guard of honour at the start of play

Mohammad Isam11-Jul-2021Mahmudullah’s final day of Test cricket was an intriguing one.At the start of play, he was given a guard of honour by his team-mates. He even led them out onto the field. But from then on he just faded into the background.He didn’t take a catch. He wasn’t needed to bowl any overs. He was just there, experiencing the last highs of a gruelling format as Bangladesh completed a fine victory over Zimbabwe.Mahmudullah has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride this series. Called up as an emergency replacement. Batting at No. 8. Making his highest Test score (150). Retiring mid-way through the game. And walking into the sunset with a Player-of-the-Match award. All of that merits some sort of noise. Except there was none.Related

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In the presentation ceremony, Mahmudullah came up, collected his prize, spoke about his innings and went back. No mention of a career coming to an end. Just a strange silence.Bangladesh’s captain Mominul Haque had a tougher gig while addressing the post-match press conference. He was bombarded with questions about his team-mate’s retirement, to which, once again there was silence.But eventually the “I can’t comment” turned into a long-winded reply about dedicating the victory to Mahmudullah.”It is his personal decision,” Haque said. “It is difficult for me to comment on it. Anyone can take a personal decision.”We thought that if that’s how it is for him, we would dedicate the win to him. I heard that he won his debut Test as well, so he has now won his last match as well. If that’s how it is, although I don’t know.”The questions wouldn’t stop. The press wanted this silence broken. Finally when Haque was asked to describe Mahmudullah’s last day in Test cricket was, the emotions came out.”As a young captain, I am supposed to feel bad,” he said. “If I don’t feel bad, it is unusual.”Mahmudullah announced his retirement to his team-mates after the end of the third day’s play. As much as the decision was shocking, it was the timing that took everyone by surprise. Cricketers don’t usually quit in the middle of a match.The news sparked strong rebuke from BCB president Nazmul Hassan who, in an interview to said Mahmudullah’s decision was “unusual”, “unacceptable” and based on “emotion”. He also accused the 35-year old of going back on his word – specifically those on a form that the BCB had provided to its players to determine their availability for each of the three formats.Hassan’s anger has been the only non-wishy-washy response to the matter of a Test career ending. Even Mahmudullah hasn’t said a word in public. This, despite coming on a video shot by the BCB on the day he told his team-mates of his decision.ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCB has sent instructions to the touring party not to speak publicly about Mahmudullah’s retirement.Bangladesh’s cricketers have a bumpy history when it comes to retirement. Aminul Islam, the former captain who made a century in their inaugural Test, never formally announced his retirement. The exits of Akram Khan, Khaled Mashud and Khaled Mahmud were all uneasy as well. Javed Omar retired in 2014, seven years after his last international match, apparently carrying disappointment with the selectors’ treatment at the time of his axing.Mashrafe Mortaza, who led Bangladesh to 50 ODI wins in a celebrated captaincy stint, is still in limbo. He had a public fallout with the BCB over the timing of his retirement and since then he just hasn’t been picked to play.Mahmudullah meanwhile will continue to be in Zimbabwe. He is in the ODI side and leads the T20I team.

Often unlucky to miss out in the past, the fast bowler has made the most of his opportunities in UAE

Deivarayan Muthu07-Nov-20212:07

Milne delighted to be part of NZ’s five-specialist bowlers group

Adam Milne runs in hard. Hits the deck harder. Hits wicketkeeper Devon Conway’s gloves even harder. Mohammad Shahzad loads up for an almighty flat-bat swat with his right leg in the air. But the pace – it looks a whole lot quicker than the 136kph on the speed gun – and bounce of Milne does Shahzad. The top edge keeps swirling away from Conway, the hit-the-deck bustle of Milne challenges his gloves even further, but he leaps to his right and somehow snags the catch after a bobble.Milne keeps running in hard. Keeps hitting the deck harder. Keeps threatening the gears and upper bodies of the batters. All of this on a scorching afternoon in Abu Dhabi in a must-win for New Zealand. It’s a bit like the right-arm equivalent of Neil Wagner in T20 cricket. Seventeen of Milne’s 24 balls on Sunday were short or short of a good length, according to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, and he gave up nine runs off them.Watch cricket live on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the USA. Match highlights of Afghanistan vs New Zealand is available in English, and in Hindi (USA only).

Milne, however, wasn’t lined up to be New Zealand’s ‘shock’ bowler at the T20 World Cup in the first place, despite hitting similar unhittable lengths in the inaugural Hundred. It was Lockie Ferguson who was supposed to rough up the opposition and intimidate them. However, a calf injury sidelined Ferguson from the entire tournament less than an hour before New Zealand’s opener against Pakistan.Head coach Gary Stead’s Plan B was to unleash Milne from the reserves, but his inclusion into New Zealand’s main squad wasn’t rubber-stamped by the ICC before the match against Pakistan. It didn’t go down too well with Stead; Milne, too, felt that he could’ve replicated the kind of impact Pakistan tearaway Haris Rauf had made in that game.Although Milne had bounced back after shaky starts against India and Scotland, he hadn’t quite fired like he can until Sunday. After two powerplay overs of serious heat that matched Abu Dhabi’s afternoon temperatures, Milne returned in the 11th over.Najibullah Zadran had just laid into New Zealand’s slower bowlers – Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Jimmy Neesham – but when he set himself up to go after New Zealand’s fastest bowler, Milne cut his pace down to 123kph and floated a cutter away from Najibullah’s swinging arc. In the 15th over of Afghanistan’s innings, his last, Milne, once again, took pace off and took the ball away from Najibullah and Mohammad Nabi.Adam Milne kept thudding the ball into Devon Conway’s gloves•Getty ImagesWhen Milne burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old, he was just about raw pace. Comparisons with his mentor Shane Bond were inevitable when he produced a 153kph thunderbolt against West Indies in Auckland in 2014. Injuries then ravaged his career – he has had to deal with multiple elbow, hamstring and heel complaints along the way.Related

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It was the heel injury that put him out of the semi-final – and final – of the ODI World Cup in 2015. In the 2017 Champions Trophy,  Milne watched Mosaddek Hossain score the winning runs off him as Bangladesh KO’d New Zealand in Cardiff.Four years later, in the Emirates, a fitter and stronger Milne, armed with greater T20 experience and expertise, set New Zealand’s path to the World Cup semi-finals with figures of 1 for 17 in his four overs.”Obviously to come from the reserves and be part of the World Cup now is pretty special,” Milne said at the post-match press conference. “Yeah, to qualify for the semi-final is a great moment and hopefully in the semi-final we can put in a performance and make it into the final.”When New Zealand lost Ferguson to injury, it appeared a massive blow, but Milne has slotted in quite seamlessly into the role of being the chief enforcer.”I think so,” Milne said. “All they want me to do is to sort of come in and keep bowling fast and use my change-ups. Be aggressive and use the short ball – so yeah.”Emerging – and re-emerging – from outta nowhere has been a fairly recurrent theme in Milne’s career. He made his first-class debut for Central Districts in 2009-10 largely because Michael Mason was called up to the national squad after an injury to Jacob Oram.More recently at the Blast, he was signed as a late replacement for Mohammad Amir. He pressed on to claim a hat-trick in that tournament. At the Hundred, he was roped in by the Birmingham Phoenix as a late replacement for Shaheen Shah Afridi. He was the bowler to concede less than a run-a-ball in that competition.After spending much time on the sidelines and the fringes, Milne is finally ready for the limelight.

India, Pakistan, England and West Indies could be the likely semi-finalists

Ian Chappell24-Oct-2021It only took the preliminary stages of the men’s World Cup to highlight one advantage the T20 format has over Test cricket: the greater likelihood of an upset. Bangladesh lost to Scotland, and Namibia knocked Ireland out of the Super 12s. It’s dangerous mingling with the minnows.In Test cricket, in some matches it might look like a major upset is about to occur, but it rarely comes to pass. Ireland appeared on the verge of the upset of the century when they dismantled the England batting line-up for 85 at Lord’s in 2019. But despite holding a first-innings lead of 122, the Irish batting folded like a paper plane in the second innings to be all out for a paltry 38.We’ve just had another reminder that major upsets occur regularly in T20 World Cup tournaments. In 2009 at Lord’s, England suffered a calamitous defeat at the hands of Netherlands, which led to the home side missing the semi-finals.There have been other upsets, not of the same magnitude as England’s loss, but still embarrassing for the major nation. Then there are the exciting near-misses, where the less-fancied team appears to be on track to upsetting a major nation but eventually normality prevails.Related

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One such occasion, also in 2009, was an enthralling battle between Sri Lanka and Ireland at Lord’s. The fighting Irish looked to be in position to upset Sri Lanka when they held them to 144. The possibility of an upset came into sharper focus when Ireland compiled a productive opening partnership of 59 after just nine overs.I was sitting in the Lord’s press box in a group of animated Irish journalists. “Should be a big party tonight,” I said, “if Ireland win.” Without even turning his head, one journalist replied with typical Irish humour: “Regardless.”Of the minor countries who have performed reasonably regularly in T20 World Cups, Netherlands and Scotland have won over a third of their matches. In general this is a result of them winning games they were expected to win against other minor nations.The two latest nations to acquire Test status – Afghanistan and Ireland – have performed creditably, respectively winning 35% and 22% of their T20 World Cup matches, while the often-threatening-but-rarely-producing Bangladesh are at 25%.The inclusion of minor cricket nations – there were five in the current tournament – can lead to some club-standard cricket. Nevertheless, it’s worthwhile encouraging these countries through the T20 format. It’s a bit like the early rounds of English football’s FA Cup, where occasionally the part-timers upset the highly paid professionals and a township celebrates wildly. However, when the dust settles and the ambition has been doused, it will be four major nations who survive the cut and thrust to reach the semi-finals of this year’s World Cup.In a format where a quick-fire 20 that includes a couple of biffed sixes, or a brief but accurate two-over spell, can change the course of a match, predicting semi-finalists is fraught with danger. Adding to the uncertainty, this tournament is being played in a part of the world where the conditions are unfamiliar to many of the major teams.Logic would say that the venue favours the highly unpredictable Pakistan, who for most of the previous decade used the UAE as their “home” turf. Also, players who participated in the second half of the rearranged IPL will benefit from the tournament’s shift to the UAE and that makes India a big beneficiary.In Group 2, the most likely semi-finalists are India and Pakistan, with the biggest danger to them being New Zealand. Group 1 – where Australia, England, South Africa and West Indies all reside – is much more difficult to predict. Using the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey method, I favour England and West Indies to qualify from this group, but I do so with little conviction. And that’s the beauty of the T20 World Cup – it’s a lottery.

Who has scored the most first-class hundreds without ever making a double-century?

Steven Lynch19-Apr-2022Dewald Brevis made his IPL debut before playing a single first-class match. I know some Indians have done this, but is it unique for an overseas player? asked Shekhar Mehra from India

Mumbai Indians’ 18-year-old South African signing Dewald Brevis – one of the stars of the recent Under-19 World Cup – is actually the sixth overseas player to appear in the IPL before making his first-class debut. The first was the Jamaican seamer Krishmar Santokie, for Mumbai Indians in 2014, and he’s been followed by the Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane in 2018, Australian allrounder Chris Green in 2020, and the hard-hitting Singapore-born batter Tim David in 2021.Santokie played a dozen T20Is for West Indies, and 119 T20 matches in all, but never did appear in a first-class match; Green (137 T20 games) and David (91, including 14 internationals) have not yet played first-class cricket. Mujeeb has played just one first-class match to date, and it was a Test – Afghanistan’s first one, against India in Bengaluru in 2018.No fewer than 63 Indians have played in the IPL before making their first-class debuts.I notice that Shan Masood has a List A average of 57.46. Is he top of the list? asked Tom McGuirk from Canada

The Pakistan left-hander Shan Masood, who has made such a good start to his county career with Derbyshire, is actually third on this list at the moment (given a qualification of 50 innings). His current List A average of 57.46 puts him just behind Michael Bevan (57.86), but ahead of Virat Kohli (56.83) and Babar Azam (56.07).The identity of the top man is rather a surprise: it’s Warwickshire’s Sam Hain, who’s yet to play for England despite a List A average of 59.78.Keshav Maharaj took seven wickets in the second innings of both recent Tests against Bangladesh. How many people have done this? asked Richie Knight from South Africa

South Africa’s slow left-armer Keshav Maharaj, who took 7 for 32 in Durban and 7 for 40 in Gqeberha, was only the tenth man to take seven-fors in successive Test matches, a list headed by the old England bowler George Lohmann, who actually did it in three consecutive matches, against South Africa in 1895-96.The others to manage two were England’s Tich Freeman (1929), Clarrie Grimmett (in what turned out to be his final two Tests for Australia in 1935-36), England’s Alec Bedser (in his first two, in 1946), South Africa’s Hugh Tayfield (1956-57; he took 8 for 69 and 9 for 113), Tony Lock of England (1958), the distinguished Pakistan trio of Imran Khan (in the year 1982), Abdul Qadir (in the year 1987) and Waqar Younis (1990-91), and India’s Harbhajan Singh (in two matches against Australia in 2000-01 in which he took 28 wickets in all). Of these, only Tayfield, Lock and Maharaj took both their seven-fors in the second innings.Keshav Maharaj became the tenth man to take seven-fors in consecutive Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesWho has scored the most first-class hundreds without ever making a double-century? asked Gokul Mohan from the UAE

The leader here is the New Zealand opener John Wright, who made 59 first-class centuries with a highest score of 192, for Canterbury against Central Districts in New Plymouth in 1986-87. Next come the former England batter Arthur Milton, whose 56 first-class centuries included a highest score of 170, and Bill Athey (55, highest score 184). The most first-class runs without a double-century is 34,994, by Brian Close, whose 52 tons included a highest of 198 for Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in 1960.In Tests, both Mohammad Azharuddin (highest score 199) and Colin Cowdrey (182) made 22 centuries without a double, while Alec Stewart scored 8463 runs with 15 centuries, the highest being 190.Further to last week’s question about one-cap wonders, how many people have played just the one Test for Australia? asked Kraig Tyrrell from Australia

To date, 72 men have been lucky enough – or unfortunate enough, depending on your point of view – to win just one Test cap for Australia. That includes a few who might yet play again, notably opener Will Pucovski and seamer Michael Neser, who both made their debuts during 2021. The stories of the other 70 have been collected together in a beautifully produced book, Fifteen Minutes of Fame, by the industrious Melbourne writer Ken Piesse (for details, see his website www.cricketbooks.com.au).There are also 40 women (again including some current players), who have played one Test for Australia.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Shakib’s presence makes Barishal formidable, Dhaka has the Mahmudullah-Mashrafe-Tamim combo, while Sylhet have great balance

Mohammad Isam19-Jan-2022 Comilla Victorians Team overview
Comilla Victorians, the two-time BPL champions, return to the tournament after missing the 2019-20 season. And Comilla, who won the 2015 and 2019 editions, will be boosted by the return of their head coach Mohammad Salahuddin.They have one of the most balanced squads in the tournament, with a good mix of experience and local expertise. Faf du Plessis and Sunil Narine are their marquee players, while Mustafizur Rahman, Moeen Ali and Cameron Delport are big names in T20 cricket in most places around the world.Among the other batters, Liton Das is in good form, while Imrul Kayes has plenty of BPL experience. Parvez Hossain Emon is the wildcard in the top order, having struck the fastest hundred by a Bangladeshi in T20s, in 2020. Comilla have also roped in allrounder Nahidul Islam, a known T20 specialist, to add to the spin-heavy bowling attack.Related

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Strengths
A potent spin attack led by Narine, in addition to allrounders like Mahedi and Nahidul. Left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam could be one to look out for, too.A well-balanced batting line-up led by du Plessis. Liton and Imrul are capable of giving the team big starts, while Moeen will be in charge of providing a late flourish if needed.Weaknesses
A pace attack in which Mustafizur will have to do most of the heavy lifting. Oshane Thomas and Karim Janat are useful, but Shohidul Islam, Sumon Khan and Abu Hider all have their work cut out.Squad: Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman, Liton Das, Shohidul Islam, Imrul Kayes (capt), Tanvir Islam, Kusal Mendis, Oshane Thomas, Ariful Haque, Nahidul Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Sumon Khan, Mominul Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Parvez Hossain Emon, Abu Hider, Mehedi Hasan, Cameron Delport, Karim Janat.Shoriful Islam will lead Chattogram’s bowling attack•ICC via GettyChattogram ChallengersTeam overview
Chattogram Challengers will hope to go a step further than they did at the 2019-20 BPL, where they made it till the second qualifier, where they lost to eventual champions Rajshahi Royals.But Chattogram overall had a decent outing in that season – which is probably why they have retained Rayad Emrit, Enamul Haque, Nasum Ahmed and Chadwick Walton, as well as head coach Paul Nixon. However, they are yet to name their captain for this season.The line-up looks promising. Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain and Zakir Hasan are all in-form Bangladesh players, and they have the overseas trio of Kennar Lewis, Will Jacks and Chadwick Walton to complement them well. Sabbir Rahman, who has now fallen off the radar, is also part of the team.Shoriful Islam and Benny Howell will lead the bowling attack which also has Mehidy Hasan and Nasum Ahmed in the spin department.Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, a left-arm quick who has impressed in the Under-19 and domestic circuit, is an interesting pick. Chattogram also have three wicketkeeping options in Walton, Zakir and Akbar Ali.Strengths
They have quite an impressive batting line-up that includes several foreign and local big-hitters, so they would hope their batters turn up well at the tournament and provide them with some solid starts up front.Weaknesses
The big names in the side will be expected to keep up with the pressure especially in the back-end of the tournament, where they let it slip last season.Squad: Nasum Ahmed, Benny Howell, Kennar Lewis, Will Jacks, Shoriful Islam, Afif Hossain, Shamim Hossain, Mukidul Islam, Chadwick Walton, Rayad Emrit, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Sabbir Rahman, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Mehidy Hasan (capt), Akbar Ali, Naeem Islam, Enamul Haque, Zakir Hasan.With a captain-coach combination of Shakib Al Hasan and Khaled Mahmud, Barishal Fortune have plenty of experience in the think-tank•AFP/Getty ImagesFortune BarishalTeam overview
A Barishal franchise returns to the BPL for the first time since 2016. Burners and Bulls had their moments in the first four editions, but now we have Fortune Barishal.Fortune Barishal had finished fourth – out of five teams – in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup in December 2020.For the BPL, they signed up Shakib Al Hasan and coach Khaled Mahmud first up, which gives them a great think-tank. Shakib and Mahmud are linking up again after a coach-captain partnership for several seasons with Dhaka Dynamites, including their triumph in 2016.They have picked a number of young Bangladeshi batters, a Mahmud hallmark. Najmul Hossain Shanto leads this pack that also includes Towhid Hridoy, Munim Shahriar and Salman Hossain. Chris Gayle will join the set-up slightly later on, adding a truckload of firepower and experience to the batting line-up.They have a strong pace attack with Alzarri Joseph and Obed McCoy in lead roles, complemented by local left-arm quicks Mehedi Hasan Rana and Shafiqul Islam. They also have quality spinners to call upon, including Shakib and Taijul Islam, and Afghanistan ace Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is likely to join the side a bit later on.Strengths
Variety in the spin attack. They have orthodox left-arm spinners in Shakib and Taijul Islam, and left-arm spin of the unorthodox kind from Jake Lintott. Mujeeb Ur Rahman adds a bit of mystery, while Nayeem Hasan is an accurate offspinner who’s in great domestic form.A pace attack with three left-arm quicks. Obed McCoy will bring pace and guile, while Mehedi Hasan Rana and Shafiqul Islam have the local know-how.Weaknesses
If Shakib bats in the Barishal top three, that makes eight top-order batters in their squad. It would mean some of the younger openers may have to do an unfamiliar middle-order job.Not enough allrounders apart from Shakib and an aging Dwayne Bravo. Evidence from previous BPL seasons suggests that bowling allrounders are useful on slow and low pitches where teams tend to pick fewer out-and-out fast bowlers.Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Chris Gayle, Nurul Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehedi Hasan Rana, Fazle Mahmud, Obed McCoy, Alzarri Joseph, Towhid Hridoy, Ziaur Rahman, Shafiqul Islam, Shykat Ali, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Salman Hossain, Irfan Sukkur, Dwayne Bravo, Munim Shahriar, Jake Lintott.Mushfiqur Rahim will lead a team that has the quality to go all the way•BCBKhulna TigersTeam overview
Khulna Tigers, a team built around allrounders, are sending out positive vibes, they look like a team that can go all the way. The closest they got to that was the last time the BPL was held, in 2019-20, when they reached the final before losing to Rajshahi Royals.Led by Mushfiqur Rahim and coached by Lance Klusener, Khulna’s player choices, even the overseas ones, are tailor-made for Bangladeshi conditions.Mushfiqur has Soumya Sarkar, Yasir Ali, Rony Talukder and Andre Fletcher as the main batters. Mushfiqur is also the wicketkeeper, Soumya bowls useful medium-pace, and Talukder is another keeping option.The genuine allrounders include Thisara Perera, Mahedi Hasan, Seekkuge Prasanna and Sikandar Raza, with support from domestic stalwarts Farhad Reza and Mohammad Sharifullah. Most of them are capable middle-order batters, but they will mostly be required to do the job at the death.Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Naveen-ul-Huq will lead the pace attack, while Khaled Ahmed is there to provide support. Rabbi has made his name as a good death bowler in recent BPL seasons, and has a burgeoning reputation as a big-hitter too. Veteran left-arm spinners Sohrawardi Shuvo and Nabil Samad will come in handy as the pitches get weary.Strengths
Allrounders. Perera, Raza and Prasanna have international pedigree while Mahedi isn’t too far behind, particularly in the BPL.Weaknesses
Managing the expectations could be a big challenge for Khulna. They were finalists in the last BPL and given their overall strength this time, taking them down will give most teams a lot of pleasure.Squad: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Mahedi Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Farhad Reza, Yasir Ali, Rony Talukder, Jaker Ali, Khaled Ahmed, Mohammad Sharifullah, Sohrawardi Shuvo, Nabil Samad, Seekkuge Prasanna, Sikandar Raza, Thisara Perera, Naveenul Huq, Andre Fletcher.Mashrafe Mortaza and Mahmudullah, in the same corner this time•BCB Minister Group DhakaTeam overview
Dhaka’s ownership changed dramatically the night before the player draft last month when the consortium that had initially bought the franchise couldn’t pay the bank guarantee. It left the BCB to take over the team, with selector Habibul Bashar getting only a few hours to prepare for the draft.He went on to pick Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza. It was an interesting call because this showed the BCB’s faith in these three senior players, who they have felt, at three instances between 2017 and now, were well past their prime, at least for T20s.They have also roped in Mohammad Naim, Shamsur Rahman, Jahurul Islam and Shuvagata Hom among the local batters, apart from the Afghan quartet of Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Shahzad, Qais Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooqi.They later signed Andre Russell, who at USD 250,000 is the most expensive player in the tournament.They also have Isuru Udana of Sri Lanka, Rubel Hossain and Ebadot Hossain to round off a steady bowling attack.Mashrafe, meanwhile, will miss the first few matches because of a back injury.Dhaka are the most expensive team in the competition at USD 900,000. Comilla and Sylhet Sunrisers are next in line, but their respective spending in players has been less than half that of Dhaka, at around USD 426,000 and USD 418,000.Strengths
Balance in the line-up. They have a strong top and middle order, with Mahmudullah and Russell taking care of the death overs. The bowling attack is also well stacked up with the pace and spin bowlers.Weaknesses
The same as their strengths – they might be a bit over-reliant on those experienced players.Squad: Mahmudullah (capt), Isuru Udana, Qais Ahmad, Najibullah Zadran, Tamim Iqbal, Rubel Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shuvagata Hom, Mohammad Shahzad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Naim, Arafat Sunny, Imran Uzzaman, Shafiul Islam, Jahurul Islam, Shamsur Rahman, Ebadot Hossain, Rishad Hossain, Andre Russell.Taskin Ahmed will lead Sylhet Sunrisers’ pace-bowling attack•Getty ImagesSylhet SunrisersTeam overview
Sylhet Sunrisers have picked a pretty balanced squad on paper, but a lack of genuine T20 match-winners may leave them short at some stage in the tournament.Anamul Haque is set to lead a side that includes Colin Ingram, Lendl Simmons and Ravi Bopara among their marquee foreign players. He will also have batting cover from Mohammad Mithun, Alok Kapali, Mizanur Rahman and Nadif Chowdhury among the locals, while Mosaddek Hossain, Sohag Gazi and Muktar Ali are the main allrounders.Taskin Ahmed will lead the bowling attack, along with Kesrick Williams, Shiraz Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain. The spinners include Nazmul Islam, Jubair Hossain and Sunzamul Islam.Mervyn Dillon, the former West Indies fast bowler, will coach the side; it’s his first assignment in the BPL. Given their lack of top T20 names, Sylhet might have to play out of their skins to compete against top sides like Dhaka, Khulna and Comilla.Strengths
A lot will depend on Bopara, Ingram and Taskin. Ingram has to score quickly at the top while Bopara’s middle-order contributions and four overs with the semi-new ball will be crucial. Taskin has to pick up wickets at the top, and fire in his yorkers in the death overs.Weaknesses
Very few match-winners and allrounders. Sylhet could perhaps load their team with bits-and-pieces cricketers, but that approach is seldom successful in T20s.Squad: Anamul Haque (capt), Taskin Ahmed, Kesrick Williams, Colin Ingram, Shiraz Ahmed, Mosaddek Hossain (capt), Mohammad Mithun, Al-Amin Hossain, Nazmul Islam, Ravi Bopara, Sohag Gazi, Alok Kapali, Muktar Ali, Jubair Hossain, Mizanur Rahman, Nadif Chowdhury, Shafiul Hayet, Sunzamul Islam, Lendl Simmons, Devon Thomas.

Four-wicket salvo keeps tourists in contest but allrounder’s no-ball could prove pivotal

Valkerie Baynes04-Jun-2022Kyle Jamieson embodied the ecstasy and Colin de Grandhomme the agony of New Zealand’s bowlers as their first-Test match-up with England stood poised on a knife-edge at the end of the third day at Lord’s.Jamieson bowled beautifully, making early inroads on the hosts’ pursuit of their 277-run victory target before putting them firmly on the back foot and then grabbing the crucial wicket of Ben Stokes just as England were frustrating their visitors.de Grandhomme, meanwhile, could be in doubt for the rest of the three-Test series after picking up a foot injury early in England’s second innings to cap a forgettable day for the New Zealand allrounder.Related

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As it stands, England need 61 runs more with five wickets in hand, leaving New Zealand with plenty of work to do, but Jamieson was hugely influential in getting them this far.He claimed the wicket of England opener Alex Lees, who looked in decent nick stroking four boundaries on his way to 20 from 32 balls before he somewhat inexplicably left a delivery which nipped back and crashed into the top of off stump shortly before lunch.Another brain fade – this time from de Grandhomme – had contributed to New Zealand’s second-innings collapse in which they lost 6 for 34 in eight overs within the first 90 minutes of play on Saturday following a half-hour rain delay at the start.No sooner had Stuart Broad had an exuberant appeal for lbw against de Grandhomme turned down than Ollie Pope gathered the ball at fourth slip and fired it into the stumps at the striker’s end. de Grandhomme, meanwhile, had wandered down the pitch and had his back to the action, seemingly oblivious to the urgency required as he turned sluggishly and tried to regain his ground but was run out for a duck.The blame for New Zealand’s demise cannot be laid entirely at de Grandomme’s feet – far from it – with Broad’s wickets either side of his bizarre dismissal removing centurion Daryl Mitchell and Jamieson to make it a team hat-trick, as only Tim Southee offered some resistance from the lower order with an enterprising 21 from 26 balls. But losing de Grandhomme did nothing to help New Zealand’s cause.Nor did de Grandhomme’s no-ball when he thought he had Stokes out chopping on to his stumps for just 1. Stokes was three-quarters of the way through his journey back to the pavilion when he was called back after de Grandhomme was found to have overstepped.It was another insult and then came the injury, de Grandhomme pulling up on approach to Stokes on the last ball of his fourth over and limping off the field almost immediately. Team management later confirmed that de Grandhomme would play no further part in the match after suffering a suspected tear in his heel and that an MRI scan on Sunday would determine his outlook for rest of the series.Colin de Grandhomme had a day to forget•AFP/Getty ImagesDespite a streaky continuation to tea, Stokes returned after the interval more composed and worked his way to a half-century – including three sixes off spinner Ajaz Patel – in a 90-run stand for the fifth wicket with Joe Root.He fell in ugly fashion though, cramped by a Jamieson short ball that had him performing a backbend, hands straight up as the ball brushed his glove and flew into those of wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. Furious with himself, Stokes looked skyward as he dropped his bat in disgust, knowing the importance of the moment.That brings us back to Jamieson and the impact he had on the state of the game with his impeccable probing line on the top of off stump.His second over after lunch was superb as he stayed in the attack and picked up where he left off having snared Lees’ wicket. Jamieson’s first delivery drew an inside edge on to Zak Crawley’s back leg and, two balls later, Crawley missed an attempted drive by the barest of margins off one that was full and outside off but swung away a fraction too much. The final ball of the over swung perfectly though on a full length as Crawley defended away from his body and edged to Southee, who took a strong diving catch at third slip. At that point, Jamieson had 2 for 8 from four overs.A loose drive from Jonny Bairstow delivered Jamieson’s third as he was bowled through the gate for 16, having narrowly avoided nicking the previous delivery full outside off stump. At that point, Jamieson ended his nine-over spell with 3 for 24 and England were 69 for 4, in all sorts of trouble.But by tea, Stokes and Root had built their partnership to 30 and, when Jamieson returned to action inside the first half-hour after the break, his day soured slightly, with Stokes clobbering him through the covers for four, evading what could have been an outside edge and then seeing the ball disappear leg side for five wides.Patel conceded 17 off his first over back into the attack, all of them bar four byes etched next to Stokes’ name, including two sixes heaved over the leg side.When Jamieson finally sent Stokes packing, New Zealand might have scented the collapse that many a pessimistic England fan feared but an unbroken fifty stand between Root and Ben Foakes had the match firmly in the balance at the close.Playing his 15th Test, Jamieson ended the day with 4 for 59 from 20 overs and Mitchell backed his side to take the remaining wickets they needed.”We can see with the nature of this wicket the morning is the toughest time to bat and hopefully we can show up tomorrow morning and it zips around a little bit like it has the last three days and we give ourselves an opportunity to win a Test match,” Mitchell said.”The wicket has slowed as the game goes on and you can probably see by the scores that are happening that it is getting easier to bat but we know that we’re literally one wicket away from being into their bowlers.”Kyle bowled awesome, the way he came in and he bashed a length for long periods of time and he really brought some energy, which we know Kyle does every time. He’s a world-class bowler and I know he’s only had a short career but what he’s done in a short period of time is very special.”