Debutant Onik's four-for knocks out Chittagong

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsQazi Onik took a four-wicket haul on debut•Raton Gomes

Rajshahi Kings kept their qualification hopes alive with a crushing win over Chittagong Vikings at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. While Rajshahi rose to fifth position with the win, Chittagong’s defeat knocked them out of the 2017-18 BPL.Qazi Onik enjoyed a stunning debut, taking four wickets as Rajshahi defended 157 for 6 after electing to bat first. Chittagong were bowled out for 124 in 19.2, becoming the first team to exit the tournament.Onik, the left-arm pacer, took the key wickets of Anamul Haque and Stiaan van Zyl, before adding Sunzamul Islam and Tanbir Hayder to complete impressive figures of 4 for 17 in 3.2 overs.When Rajshahi batted, they recovered from 86 for 4 with the help of Darren Sammy, who top-scored with 40 off 25 balls, muscling two fours and three sixes.Chittagong apply early chokeMominul Haque fell in the second over of the match, slicing Taskin Ahmed for a catch at third-man. Zakir Hasan and Luke Wright then went on a boundary-barrage, which included four fours in six balls, until Luis Reece took out Zakir for 17.Mushfiqur Rahim got cracking with a four off his first ball but Rajshahi were again hit when Wright was caught sharply at deep midwicket by Sikandar Raza, who kept himself inside the field as he moved back to take an overhead catch. All the while, Mushfiqur was in fine form, striking Sunzamul Islam for a six and two fours in the 11th over.Nayeem Hasan, one of four BPL debutants this match, then outsmarted Mushfiqur, bowling slower through the air and getting him to hole out to long-on. Mushfiqur made 31 off 22 balls and Rajshahi were reduced to 86 for 4 in the 12th over.Sammy turns the heat on ChittagongSammy was at his imperious best in the slog overs. He struck three sixes – two of them off Reece and one against Taskin – in the last five overs. He added 69 runs for the fifth wicket with James Franklin, who made for a study in contrast with his run-a-ball 30. Rayad Emrit, Taskin and Reece bowled very well in the slog overs, never letting Rajshahi to get away with anything significant. Still, with the help of Sammy’s timely boundaries, Rajshahi punched 56 runs in the last six overs: a recovery that proved more than good enough in the end.Balance shiftsRajshahi and Chittagong went back and forth in the early exchanges during the chase. In a frantic first over, when Mushfiqur Rahim injured a finger, Mohammad Sami weeded out the big-hitting Luke Ronchi, who swiped across a length ball and offered a catch to Mehidy Hasan at the deep square-leg boundary.Anamul and Soumya Sarkar then led a quick turnaround with a 38-run second wicket stand off 28 balls. By the end of the fifth over, Chittagong had raised their fifty and were well on course to chasing the total down.Mustafizur Rahman then found a way past the partnership in the last over of the Powerplay, when he duped Soumya with a slower ball that was skewed to mid-off. Anamul followed Soumya into the dugout two overs later, top-edging a pull to the keeper and giving Onik his maiden BPL wicket.Fielding brilliance brings back Rajshahi Sikandar Raza and van Zyl kept the score ticking, but their partnership of 32 took 30 deliveries and the required rate climbed. The Pakistan legspinner Mir removed Raza, who swung at a full toss and was very well-caught at deep square-leg by the substitute Naeem Islam jnr.Luis Reece fell to his own undoing, attempting an improbable second run and being caught short of his crease. Naeem was back in the mix in the next over, when he reached over his head to catch van Zyl’s pull at the deep midwicket boundary and flicked the ball over to Mir as the momentum carried him over the ropes.Another moment of brilliance on the field, this time from Mehidy, who took a brilliant catch running to his left from long-on, sent back Rayad Emrit in the 17th over. With that, Chittagong had lost four wickets for 24 runs.Rajshahi did not let their intensity drop despite having pulled themselves ahead. They were sharp on the field right until the end, when wicketkeeper Zakir Hasan’s direct hit effected a run out of Taskin and sealed the game. Chittagong lost their last seven wicket wickets in 6.4 overs, for the addition of just 32 runs.

Smith demands more voice from Nevill

Australia captain Steven Smith has demanded more of the Ashes wicketkeeping frontrunner Peter Nevill, and also lashed out at accusations that he has allowed the personal to interfere with the professional in team selection.Speaking candidly on the eve of a Sheffield Shield match in which he will lead a full-strength New South Wales against Western Australia – including his likely bowling attack for the first Test at the Gabba – Smith revealed he had spoken with Nevill about the need for the gloveman to use more voice in the middle, a quality that helped Matthew Wade usurp the Blues wicketkeeper in the first place.”I’ve spoken to Pete; we had a chat and I said I probably just need a little bit more from you, and I need you to drive the boys and get the boys up and about,” Smith said in Sydney. “That’s the pretty important job of a wicketkeeper, to ensure the guys have the energy out in the middle and that we are doing everything we can. I’ve spoken to him about that.”It’s just a presence sort of thing. For a captain out in the middle, I’ve always got a lot on my mind, I’m doing different things. So for a keeper, it’s about ensuring that the energy’s up and if someone needs a little pick-me-up, go and get them, go and touch them and make sure that we’re doing what we need to do. Those are important things to do for a wicketkeeper.”I don’t think it’s ‘nice’, I don’t think that’s an issue, I don’t have a problem with people being nice. It’s just making sure that there’s a presence out in the middle and guys are getting the energy around and ensuring that we’re doing everything we can to be ready to go and taking our half chances.”Nevill, on his part, has always defined himself as a leader by actions as much as words. Last year, when speaking to ESPNcricinfo, he denied he was “quiet” on the field, but indicated he would be open to change if Smith ever asked him directly. Smith’s deputy David Warner recently indicated he would be more vocal in this Ashes series than he had been for the past two years, when he earned the nickname “the reverend” for eschewing earlier combative tendencies.”I think that’s a common misconception: saying that I’m not vocal, because I’d be the most vocal person on the field – it’s just purely directed towards our team,” Nevill had said. “But if Steve was to tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘I’d like a bit more of that out of you’, then I’d certainly oblige.”Even without thinking about it, you find a nice little equilibrium where you’re comfortable operating at. For some guys, they like to get into a verbal contest, and they find that gets the best out of them. I’ve never needed to do that to get myself in that optimal space. It hasn’t been something I’ve ever thought would that help me play better if I did that’.”Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Wade has always taken pride in his ability to unsettle opposition players as a competitive advantage, and Smith has said numerous times previously that he admires the Victorian’s terrier-like qualities. However, a batting average of barely 20 since returning to the Test team a year ago has left the door open for Nevill and also the untried South Australian Alex Carey.”I’ve said for a while that Matty brings a lot to the team,” Smith said. “He provides some good energy, he’s a good sounding board for me too. He understands the game really well, but in the end, you need guys that are performing. He’s got another opportunity this week to come out and keep well and hopefully get some runs and keep putting his name up there. So it’s a big week this week, no doubt.”The balance of body language and energy on the field for Australia has been an issue at times under Smith’s leadership, and he admitted he was still a work-in-progress as far as his own comportment was concerned. “Fair point; it’s something that I’ve been working on for a while; I probably don’t do myself any favours with my hand gestures,” he said.”I’ve got long arms and you see the way I fidget when I bat that it’s just there. I’ve tried a few different techniques to try to keep my emotions in check, it’s still something I’m working on, that’s for sure.”As for the contention that he has been involved in picking “mates” rather than superior players for Australia, levelled by the former fast bowler Rodney Hogg among others, Smith was blunt. Hogg had raised the example of Nic Maddinson playing for Australia last summer, while there has also been plenty of discussion about the call to play Daniel Hughes ahead of Ed Cowan in the NSW XI.”I’m not a selector, but I certainly speak to the selectors a lot and express my views – all this rubbish about me picking my mates is absolute garbage. I certainly don’t agree with that,” Smith said. “People can say what they like, I’ll read it. So it doesn’t bother me and I just get on with it.”More bothersome for Smith is the fact he is looking for runs to groove his technique ahead of the Ashes, after wrist and shoulder problems restricted him at times during the year. “I just need to figure out how to hold the bat again,” he said. “Haven’t felt great for a little while now and just need to spend some time in the middle. Had a really good hit today, felt like I figured things out at the end and hopefully I can put that into the middle.”It happens every now and again. I just haven’t felt quite right the last couple of weeks, just trying to get it right and make sure that everything’s okay. I think I’ve made some progress the last couple of days. It’ll be good to spend some time in the middle to just reaffirm that.”The pitch for the Shield match at Hurstville Oval is expected to be well-grassed, meaning Smith and his teammates may yet find the going difficult against WA’s seamers, including the left-arm swingman Jason Behrendorff.

Hughes, Madsen tons grind down Gloucs

Alex Hughes celebrated his county cap with an imperious century as Derbyshire dominated the second day of their Specsavers’ County Championship game against Gloucestershire at the Brightside Ground, Bristol.It had been something of an anti-climax last week when Hughes, 26 later this week, was awarded his cap on the second day of the washed-out championship game against Kent at Chesterfield. However, he wasted little time in further confirming his quality this week. Not only did he post his career best first-class score, but he featured heavily in a 233-run stand for the third wicket with fellow centurion Wayne Madsen.When bad light brought about an early finish, Gloucestershire were 47 for 1, in response to Derbyshire’s impressive 460 all out.The pair had come together on a rain-affected first day, at 74 for 2, and took Derbyshire to 307 for 3, in mid-afternoon on day two. Madsen, who in terms of first-class runs scored has endured his worst season since arriving at Derbyshire in 2009, made up for lost time with his 25th first-class hundred, whilst Hughes continued to prosper on a day dominated by the batsmen.The visitors made excellent progress throughout the day with Madsen, who resumed on 24 not out, reaching fifty off 81 balls and his hundred off 175 deliveries with 17 fours. His innings also took him through 10,000 first-class runs, of which all but 1,308 of them have come in Derbyshire colours.Gloucestershire had one or two opportunities to prise the pair apart during the first session, but a dropped catch at first slip when Hughes was on 11 and a missed run out opportunity with Madsen on 52, were to prove costly.Derbyshire, having received the luck their positive approach fully deserved, looked in total control thereafter. Hughes, whose fifty came up off 119 balls, brought up his fourth first-class century and second against Gloucestershire in as many seasons, off 204 balls with 15 fours. It was an outstanding contribution, albeit on a wicket with precious few demons.Gloucestershire eventually made the breakthrough between lunch and tea, when Josh Shaw had Madsen caught behind. Medium pacer Benny Howell picked up his side’s fourth wicket when he bowled Matt Critchley and Gary Wilson followed to Matt Taylor as Derbyshire reached 355 for 5.By then, however, the damage had been done and although Hughes was finally out in the post tea session for 142, the visitors, providing they bowl well on days three and four, had laid the foundations of a potentially match-winning total. Harry Podmore and Harvey Hosein added 70 for the seventh wicket and Gloucestershire, for whom Matt Taylor and Tom Smith helped themselves to three wickets apiece, were left to respond with the bat. By the close, they were still 413 runs adrift with nine wickets in hand after Hardus Viljoen trapped Chris Dent lbw.

MS Dhoni nominated for Padma Bhushan

The BCCI has nominated MS Dhoni for the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian award, PTI has reported.”Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been nominated by the BCCI for the Padma Bhushan award,” said BCCI’s acting president CK Khanna. “It was a unanimous decision by the members. He has been one of the greatest names in contemporary cricket and the most appropriate choice of the Indian cricket board.”Dhoni could become the 11th cricketer to receive the award, after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Chandu Borde, Lala Amarnath, Prof DB Deodhar, Col CK Nayudu, Raja Bhalindra Singh and Maharajah of Vizianagram (Vizzy).Dhoni has been one of India’s most successful captains, having led them to victory in the 2007 World T20, the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He has 10,949 runs from 380 matches in ODIs and T20Is, and 4876 runs from 90 Test matches. He also became the first wicketkeeper to affect 100 ODI stumpings, during the series against Sri Lanka this month.

Roland-Jones' dream debut and Stokes' crafted ton seize control

Even before he bowled a ball in Test cricket, Toby Roland-Jones could be said to have made a name for himself. Double-barrelled international cricketers, after all, are a bit of a collector’s item, just enough of them to raise an XI with a 12th man and manager in support.By the time he finished his first spell, Roland-Jones was more than part of a statistical quirk; his name was about to permeate the cricketing world. Four for 22 was quite an introduction for his first eight overs in Test cricket, South Africa’s top four all back in the dressing room, caught cold by a debut that, whatever the extent of his Test career, will go down in England’s history.As the weather deteriorated from the west, and the floodlights pierced the south London gloom, England followed up Ben Stokes’ astute century – his fifth in Test cricket – by revelling in a perfect bowling day. South Africa crashed to 61 for 7 by the 26th over before stabilising at 126 for 8 by the close of the second day, still 227 behind.Widely criticised for the manner of their defeat at Trent Bridge, England remain well placed to go 2-1 up in the series with one to play. South Africa need a further 28 runs to avoid the follow-on.Supporters spending a day at the Test buy into a lottery. On Thursday, a capacity crowd at the start of The Oval’s 100th Test observed Alastair Cook’s orderly resistance as England reached a creditable 171 for 4. Friday’s full house delighted in something more enticing: Stokes’ enthralling hundred – raised during a rush of three successive sixes against the left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj while the last man, James Anderson, looked on from the non-striker’s end – followed by the high drama of Roland-Jones’ introduction to the Test scene.South Africa were hampered by the loss of Vernon Philander, who left the field midway through the morning with his stomach ailment unrelenting and went to hospital for tests, which also rendered him unable to bat as wickets crashed in the final session. His involvement on the third day had not been confirmed at the close.Strong, willing and decidedly able, Roland-Jones has a commodious run-up and, when he finally reaches his destination, hits the seam. He has long been regarded as a redoubtable bowler on the county scene, the man whose hat-trick against Yorkshire at Lord’s last September gave Middlesex their first Championship for 23 years. At 29, he has now made his mark in more exalted circumstances south of the Thames, Dean Elgar, Heino Kuhn, Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock all accounted for, the first three in a burst of 3-3 in 15 balls.

Roland-Jones’ stunning start

2009 – Last instance of a fast bowler from England to take four or more wickets on Test debut. Graham Onions took 5 for 38 against West Indies at Lords in 2009. Toby Roland-Jones took 4 for 39 from his 11 overs. With two wickets remaining he can look to add to his tally.
5 – Number of wickets lost by South Africa before they reached 50. The last instance of South Africa losing their first five wickets for less than fifty was also against England at Johannesburg in 2016. They were bowled out for 83 on that occasion.
72 – Balls taken by Ben Stokes to reach his half-century. Incidentally he also took the same number of balls to move from 50 to 100. After negotiating the second new ball, Ben Stokes scored 27 runs from 12 balls to move from 76 to 103. Stokes scores his second century against South Africa and averages 49.83 from 12 innings.

Elgar fell to what became the last ball before tea, crouching forward to be caught at the wicket off a faint edge, a decision Elgar failed to overturn on review and which, by his expression, Roland-Jones did not entirely expect until he saw the spike on the big screen.Amla might have fallen to the next ball – the first after tea – but England’s review, in search of an lbw decision, narrowly failed. Considering that the last time Amla played at The Oval he batted for more than 13 hours it was perhaps a better gamble than most.On this occasion, however, the balance heavily favoured the bowlers. Roland-Jones brought one back in his third over to have Kuhn lbw, struck on the back leg. Amla followed in his fourth – a ripper, this one, which took off and flicked his glove as he tried to drop his hands. The fact Amla walked somehow made it seem even grander. Finally, came de Kock who aimed to work a full delivery to the leg side and sent an outside edge to Stokes at gully.Roland-Jones had replaced Anderson after only three overs – a sensible nerve-settler by his captain Joe Root – and Anderson’s eventual switch of ends did the trick. He was in no mood to waste the opportunity. Du Plessis left one that seamed back and was lbw on the back leg and Chris Morris patted back a return catch.Their recovery, of sorts, was some relief. No side has made less than 100 in the first innings of an Oval Test since 1957 when Surrey’s spinners, Jim Laker and Tony Lock, tore through the West Indies.Stokes’ 112 from 153 balls was one of his most accomplished, an innings of contrasting shades as he defended with conviction and appreciated the opportunities to play more expansively.Anderson’s emergence at No. 11 with Stokes still nine short of his hundred persuaded him that it was time to crank things up. Maharaj’s second ball should have caused his downfall at deep midwicket only for du Plessis to touch the boundary markers as he stretched to take the catch.Undeterred, Stokes stretched to swing a ball well wide of off-stump down the ground and into the stands; du Plessis applauded ruefully. His century secured, for good measure Stokes slog-swept the next one for a third six in a row. The next over, from Morne Morkel, silenced him as he launched the bowler high to Kagiso Rabada, running in from long-off.There was no 31st Test hundred for Cook – 82 overnight, he had only added six when Morkel won an lbw decision. Morkel’s wicket confirmed his excellent record against Cook as he dismissed him for the 10th time in Test cricket. No bowler has dismissed him on as many occasions.South Africa bowled impressively as long as Philander and Morkel had the ball in their hands, but their support seamers posed less threat. Morris found so much swing from the Dukes ball that he was unable to control it: he was one player, on this evidence, who did not benefit from South Africa’s decision to rest between Nottingham and The Oval rather than request a further warm-up match.Stokes’ recognised an opportunity to press ahead. He had stood so far outside his crease against Philander, to negate his movement, that one half expected him to follow Philander into the dressing room and take guard.Instead, he feasted upon Morris. Three overpitched deliveries in one over from disappeared to the boundary and Maharaj, conceded three more against Jonny Bairstow, one of them an advance to drive down the ground, a typically defiant repeat of the shot that caused his downfall at Trent Bridge.England rattled up another 73 at nearly five an over, making excellent use of the hour leading up to the second new ball.Unsurprisingly, South Africa took it immediately with England, at 256 for 5, threatening to break free. Rabada felt the benefit as he took the new ball for the first time in the series. Ten deliveries into the new ball and Bairstow was dislodged, pushing at one that bounced and moved away for du Plessis to take the catch at second slip.Late-order allies slowly departed as Stokes edged towards his century. Moeen Ali fell to a keeper’s catch via an inside-edge onto his pad, Morkel the deserving bowler. Roland-Jones’ spirited 25 from 25 balls also provided a glimpse of his dangerous late-order hitting. Morris leaked 17 off an over to complete a miserable day.Roland-Jones’ best shot was a pulled six off Rabada. As he revelled in the near-absurdity of it all, he might have imagined that he would have no happier moment all day. Then England tossed him the ball and he realised that it was only the start.

Walton special keeps Warriors alive

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWalton hit seven fours and six sixes in his 92•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

In a scintillating showdown that produced the two highest individual scores of CPL 2017, Chadwick Walton’s 92 trumped Dwayne Smith’s century as Guyana Amazon Warriors scored a crucial four-wicket win over Barbados Tridents. That meant Warriors were level on four points with Tridents.Kieron Pollard nearly triggered a shocking collapse with four wickets at the death but it was the one wicket he did not take – bypassing a mankad opportunity with Assad Fudadin a long way out of his crease – that he may come to regret. Fudadin struck a boundary to begin the 20th to draw scores level before a wide down the leg side accounted for the winning run with five balls to spare.Smith’s charmed ton
Smith brought up the first century of CPL 2017, but not without a fair share of luck. He was first reprieved on 42, in the 13th over, courtesy a Keemo Paul no-ball. Six balls later, on 46, Smith was struck on the back pad off a skiddy Rashid delivery that would’ve crashed into the stumps, but wasn’t given. While Kane Williamson, with whom he put together a 107-run opening stand fell for 47, Smith launched a savage attack in the end overs, scoring 39 off the last three overs to bring up his century.The final surge began when he clattered three fours and a six off Sohail Tanvir in the 18th over. He slammed a four early in the 19th off Rayad Emrit then ended the over with back-to-back sixes to move to 96. He missed out on a beamer from Tanvir that could have disappeared for his century, but wound up striking a two off the ensuing free hit and then a subsequent two to bring up his century off 70 balls. He fell with two balls to spare; Tridents finished with 159 for 4.Walton mirrors Smith
After watching Smith’s carnage from behind the stumps, Walton responded with a gem himself. Martin Guptill, the captain, dropped himself down the order and promoted Sohail Tanvir to open with Walton. The pair raced to 48 off four overs to lay down the marker. But just like Smith had good fortune, Walton benefited too. He first survived a confident lbw shout off Ravi Rampaul on 11 and was then dropped at deep midwicket in the same over. After that, everything changed.While Tanvir fell in the fifth over, Walton was undeterred, smacking Imran Khan’s legspin for a four and two sixes. Even though Gajanand Singh fell in the next over, Walton’s blitz took Warriors to 71 for 2 after six overs, their highest Powerplay score this season. Walton moved to 50 off 27 balls in the following over. Having broken a window with one of his earlier sixes, he nearly took out a cheerleader with another in the 10th. His sixth and final six was an imperious straight drive off Rampaul that took him into the 90s and by the time he was dismissed in the 17th, he’d moved to the top of the 2017 CPL scoring chart.Pollard’s double double
Warriors were cruising, needing 15 off four overs with eight wickets in hand when Pollard nearly turned the match upside down. Guptill and Walton’s 81-run stand was broken, with both batsmen falling to lofted drives down the ground off consecutive deliveries in the 17th over. Jason Mohammed fell to a circus catch by a sliding Tion Webster two balls into the 19th for Pollard’s third wicket. He then had Keemo Paul next ball to give himself a second hat-trick ball in consecutive overs.The mankad that wasn’t
Prior to delivering the ball that claimed Paul, Pollard pulled out of his initial attempt upon arriving at the crease as Assad Fudadin was several yards down the pitch at the non-striker’s end. Pollard could easily have run-out Fudadin. It was hard to miss the irony, given Paul was the center of the famous mankad in a controversial West Indies win over Zimbabwe at the Under-19 World Cup last year.Instead, Pollard mocked taking off the bails before running in again to bowl the ball that claimed Paul. With Fudadin allowed to stay in, he saw off the hat-trick ball with a single and pinched two more to take strike at the start of the next over. He then hammered a lofted drive over mid-on off Shamar Springer and then watched one drift behind his pads for an extra to clinch victory.

BCCI invites fresh applications for India coach role

In the wake of Anil Kumble’s withdrawal from the race, the BCCI has decided to invite fresh applications to pick India’s next head coach. The advertisement is likely to be out on Saturday. The new candidates will join the five already shortlisted candidates comprising Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus and Dodda Ganesh. The last date for submission of applications has been extended to July 9.The final shortlist will be then sent to the three-man cricket advisory committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, who will conduct interviews before sending their final choice to the BCCI. It is understood that the BCCI would ideally want the new coach to be in place in time for India’s tour of Sri Lanka, which his likely to start from July 19. But if the CAC is unable to make a choice by then, the BCCI is willing to wait longer.According to a BCCI official the main reason behind inviting fresh applications was the thought that a number of eligible candidates may not have applied since Kumble himself had re-applied for the post when the BCCI opened the process on May 25. Kumble, who had been recommended and finalised as the best choice last year by the CAC, enjoyed a highly successful run in his one-year term.He was once again the favourite from the six-man shortlist and the CAC endorsed his name to the BCCI subject to the widening rift between Kumble and Indian captain Virat Kohli being resolved. The CAC members met Kohli individually to ascertain the differences he had with Kumble’s style of coaching. The CAC conveyed to the BCCI that, in the best interest of Indian cricket, the differences needed to be sorted out before moving forward.The BCCI top brass – Amitabh Choudhary (secretary), Rahul Johri (CEO) and MV Sridhar (manager, cricket operations) – met Kohli and Kumble separately as well as together. Despite multiple meetings no solution was in sight. Kohli maintained his stance during his last meeting with the BCCI before heading to the Caribbean on Monday. Kumble, too, met the BCCI trio on the same day and felt he was not at fault. Kumble tendered his resignation the next morning and posted on Twitter that he had decided to step down since the “partnership” with Kohli had become “untenable”.

Broad and Fletcher condemn Gloucestershire to follow-on

ScorecardLuke Fletcher was among the wickets as Gloucestershire folded•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire seized the initiative on the second day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Trent Bridge.The unbeaten Division Two leaders reached 430 for 9 before declaring and then unleashing their potent attack upon the visitors.With Luke Fletcher taking 3 for 32, and England’s Stuart Broad bagging 3 for 40, Gloucestershire were skittled out for only 149 in just 44.1 overs.For the third match in a row Notts enforced the follow-on and reduced Gloucestershire to 37 for one in their second innings, still 244 runs behind.The morning had begun with Nottinghamshire resuming their first innings on 375 for 5 and the home county quickly sped to maximum batting points as Chris Read and Riki Wessels plundered 55 runs from the first 13 overs of the day.Read was dropped on 29 as Graeme van Buuren spilled a regulation offering at backward point as the Nottinghamshire skipper sliced Chris Liddle to backward point.Gloucestershire’s second bowling point was gifted to them as Wessels miscued Matt Taylor high to mid-off for 37. A decent short delivery from the same bowler then accounted for Read, who had made 36.The batsman had been hurried into taking evasive action but the ball brushed the bat face and carried through to the diving Phil Mustard.Craig Miles, who claimed 4 for 123, picked up his last wicket as an ugly swish from Brett Hutton ballooned straight up in the air for a regulation caught and bowled.Broad made just 5 and the declaration came moments after he’d sliced Kieran Noema-Barnett high to point.Gloucestershire’s hopes of a solid foundation were torn to shreds as Fletcher’s second delivery had Cameron Bancroft caught behind, giving Read his 900th first class catch for his county and an eventful first session was brought to a premature close as Broad bellowed a successful lbw appeal against Will Tavare.The first full over of the afternoon session brought the downfall of Chris Dent as the left-hander nicked Fletcher behind, for just a single.Bowling with good rhythm, despite the gusty conditions, Fletcher then reduced the visitors to 43 for four as he knocked over van Buuren’s middle and off stumps for 15.George Hankins also reached 15 before falling to Harry Gurney, with Read snaffling up his third catch of the innings.Phil Mustard, playing his 200th first class match, had a life on 17 when Wessels, at first slip, grassed an edge off Gurney.The Gloucestershire skipper advanced to 53 but then mistimed a pull off Broad and saw Fletcher take a fine diving catch at mid-on.Steven Mullaney enhanced his reputation as a partnership breaker by snaring two quick wickets. Noema-Barnett assisted the bowler by shouldering arms and losing his off stump for 14 and then Miles was caught behind for four.Chris Liddle was the last man to depart, slashing wildly at Broad and seeing the ball sail all the way into the hands of Cheteshwar Pujara at third man.Batting for a second time, in gloomy conditions with the floodlights burning brightly, Notts could afford to spill Dent on nought before Fletcher removed him for 2.The third stoppage of the day, at around 6.10pm, brought proceedings to a halt, with 15.3 overs still remaining.

Debutant Tye's five-for fashions Lions' first win

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:25

Hogg: McCullum took the game away from Pune

Gujarat Lions had picked up only one wicket in two matches this season. But Andrew Tye took five times as many – including a hat-trick, the second of the day – to record the best figures by an IPL debutant. His 5 for 17 was then followed by a typically brutal display of batting from the top order to ensure a perfect record against Rising Pune Supergiant after three matches so far.Good length = bad length
In the space of this past week, Lions have put on their two worst performances in the Poweplay. They leaked 73 runs in the season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders last Friday and now they gave up 64 to Rising Pune Supergiant. Their bowling attack largely consists of medium-pacers who, unless there is some sideways movement, can be lined up. All seven fours in the first six overs came off length balls. Two of the three sixes came off length balls. Praveen Kumar was carted for 25 runs in the fifth over. It had been 10 years since he had been that expensive in the IPL.The change up
Pune had just recorded their fastest fifty of the tournament – in 27 balls. They had to be slowed down and so Lions turned to the bowler with the best slower ball. A batsman can read the offcutter when the bowler’s wrist breaks. Ditto the legcutter. The back-of-the-hand slower ball is difficult largely because of the way it misbehaves off the pitch. But the knuckle ball is slightly different for much of its potency lies in making sure the batsman doesn’t pick it.As a batsman, 22 yards in front, it is hard to read the change in Tye’s grip and he doesn’t give anything away in his run up. He took four of his five wickets with that knuckle ball, including the one that sealed his second hat-trick of 2017.Tye’s introduction brought Lions back from the brink. They allowed only five of the 48 deliveries that followed the Powerplay to get to the boundary and in the 14th over the returning Ravindra Jadeja dismissed MS Dhoni for the second time in the IPL. The wicketkeeper-batsman fell for 5 off eight balls, his third successive innings at a strike-rate below 100.From 120 for 5, even a solid partnership of 47 runs in 29 balls between Manoj Tiwary and Ankit Sharma – one of six changes to the XI – could only take Pune to 171.The top-order threatLions’ specialist openers made 762 runs in 2016 – that’s 30% of the team’s total runs. Stopping them had to be Pune’s best chance to defend 171. But, on a slow pitch, they fed Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith with fast bowling. It proved a costly mistake. Both of them were set by the time Imran Tahir came on to bowl and the legspinnner was smashed for 15 runs in his first over. He would be hit for 10 boundaries in his spell – the most he has conceded in all the matches he has played in the IPL and for South Africa.With the main threat decimated, all Lions had to do was trust in their batting depth. They had pushed Aaron Finch down the order because among their four overseas openers he handles spin best – averaging 27.73 and striking at 129. He and Raina, the first man to play 150 IPL games, saw this one through to the finish.

Bangladesh reject invitation to tour Pakistan

Bangladesh have refused to tour Pakistan for a proposed two-match T20I series sometime before July this year.In a bid to bring international cricket back to the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board had extended an invitation to their counterparts in the Bangladesh Cricket Board after they had successfully hosted the PSL final in Lahore three weeks ago. Among the people who were present at that game was Major AKM Anisud Dowla, a BCB representative.On Friday, Jalal Younis, the BCB’s media and communication committee chairman, told that, “the reports were not satisfactory enough due to which we had to pull back.”PSL chairman Najam Sethi was adamant about hosting the final in Lahore on March 5 and had taken extensive measures to ensure its security. There were bulletproof buses for the teams and five tiers of security extending 2 km from the Gaddafi stadium. Paramilitary forces and local policemen were on hand to monitor the situation as well. The ICC security advisor Sean Norris, who also attended the PSL final, is expected to submit his report of the night at the ICC board meeting in April.Pakistan are scheduled to tour Bangladesh in July and the PCB is seeking a part of the revenue generated from the series. They believe they are owed compensation for the BCB rejecting invitations to play in Pakistan for the last six years.”We want to host Bangladesh but its chances are not bright,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan had said recently. “Some of our friends think they may tour but I feel they will not because of political concerns more than security concerns. But during ICC meeting I will speak to my Bangladesh counterpart and may re-negotiate our tour to Bangladesh this year and ask them to compensate us for not touring Pakistan.”On their last visit to Bangladesh in 2015, the PCB had reportedly taken USD 325,000 and justified it by saying the series had “technically” been Pakistan’s home series. This year the BCB has rejected all proposals to share revenue although they were open to playing at a neutral venue if necessary.The PCB, however, are not keen on that option. It is understood that they feel hosting teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the UAE – their adopted home – is not financially viable.Relations between the Pakistan and Bangladesh boards have been sour in the past. During the Zaka Ashraf regime, the PCB had stopped communications with the BCB and barred its cricketers – who had already been auctioned to various teams – from featuring in the Bangladesh Premier League.Bangladesh are the fourth team – after West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka – to reject travelling to Pakistan in the last two years. Nevertheless, the PCB is looking to build on hosting an incident-free PSL final by inviting a team of international cricketers to play a T20 series in September. Their ultimate goal, however, is to have a Full Member nation tour Pakistan. Zimbabwe, who were the first team to play international cricket in the country since the 2009 Lahore attacks, had hinted at their willingness to tour again. But the PCB are hoping for more high-profile options.

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