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Pakistan gunned down 345 to win back-to-back games while Sri Lanka suffered their second successive defeat

Madushka Balasuriya10-Oct-20231:28

Urooj Mumtaz: Entertainment part and parcel of Mohammad Rizwan’s game

Sri Lanka were served a harsh lesson in the realities of modern ODI cricket, as Pakistan hunted down a target of 345 – the highest-ever chase in a World Cup – with six wickets to spare. Leading their charge were tons from Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan, which trumped a pair of centuries by Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, to make it two wins from two for Pakistan.Rizwan, who suffered from at times seemingly debilitating cramps – the physio came and looked at him twice – for the last 15 overs or so of the chase, remained unbeaten in the end on a 121-ball 131. Together with Shafique – who himself recorded the highest score by a Pakistan debutant at a World Cup with his 113 off 103 – he had put together a third-wicket stand worth 176 off just 156 deliveries.It was a stand that would break the spine of the chase, though even then it might not have been enough had Rizwan himself not valiantly stuck around till the end. He would put on a further 95 off 68 with Saud Shakeel, and then 37 off 23 with Iftikhar Ahmed, as Pakistan eventually cantered home to a win that will provide them an immense confidence boost ahead of Saturday’s massive clash against India.As for Sri Lanka, it’s two defeats in as many games, and after conceding over 750 runs across two matches there will be growing concerns over their bowlers’ abilities in handling such batter-friendly tracks.Despite having Maheesh Theekshana back in the side, Sri Lanka looked bereft of ideas on how to pick up wickets through the middle overs, or even indeed how to stifle the scoring. Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage and Dilshan Madushanka, who were the most economical of the lot, went for 59, 62 and 60 each, while Matheesha Pathirana once more proved expensive being taken for 90 in nine overs.Pakistan were also clever in ensuring they capitalised on Sri Lanka’s need to fulfil their fifth bowler quota. While Dasun Shanaka went for just 28 in his five overs, Dhananjaya de Silva was taken for 36 in four and Charith Asalanka 10 in his solitary over.Pakistan though will be pleased at the manner in which the chase was accomplished. They were circumspect in the first 10 overs, with Sri Lanka having picked up two wickets, and kept the score to just 48. However, with the knowledge they had power hitters such as Shadab Khan, Iftikhar and Mohammed Nawaz lower down the order, both Shafique and Rizwan were content to play themselves in.Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan put on a big stand for the third wicket•AP

Even so, between overs 10-20 the pair took 62 runs, before really upping the ante through the middle period. From the overs 20-30 they would score a further 72 runs and then would plunder 99 from the 30th to the 40th, leaving a very gettable 74 off the last 60 deliveries.Shafique’s control percentage of 91% told a story, as he rarely gave the Sri Lankan bowlers a sniff, pouncing on anything short and unafraid to use his feet when necessary. It would take an absolute scorcher at backward point by substitute Dushan Hemantha, in for Kusal Mendis who was off the field with severe cramps, to get rid of him.Fortunately for Pakistan though, they had a warrior in Rizwan at the other end to ensure the chase would be completed without hiccups.Sri Lanka though will rue a missed opportunity to put the game to bed with the bat, with Shanaka admitting after the game that they were probably 30 runs short. Indeed, having won the toss and elected to bat first, for much of the Sri Lankan innings this seemed like the batting performance that Sri Lanka had long threatened to put together.Against both Afghanistan and Bangladesh in the warm-ups they had thrown away promising starts, while against South Africa they had provided glimpses of what their batting line-up was capable of. The next step though was putting it altogether, and for large parts of their innings, it looked Sri Lanka would finally do just that.While Sri Lanka’s struggles at the death and even through the middle are well documented – they’ve only struck 12 scores above 300 since the end of the 2019 World Cup – but in Hyderabad they batted like a side that had done this a hundred times before.Across their 50 overs, scarcely did the scoring rate drop below seven an over – for periods even touching 7.5. Much of that was down to Mendis, who carried on from where he had left off against South Africa – well not exactly, he struck at only 158.44 this time out – as he almost single-handedly swamped an unusually blunt Pakistan attack.Kusal Mendis scored a hundred off 65 balls•ICC via Getty Images

With both Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali bowling consistently in the low 130s or lower, any early swing – something Mendis has been found wanting against in the past – was negotiated with relative ease.Across his time at the crease, scarcely an over went by without a boundary. In fact, from the point he arrived midway through the second over, and until his dismissal in the 29th, only six overs went without at least a boundary being scored.Of the bowlers, only Iftikhar Ahmed managed any kind of success against Mendis, going for six runs in eight deliveries, but Mendis struck at above 140 against all five of the other bowlers utilised.Alongside him, Samarawickrama was carrying along like he has for much of the year since breaking into the Sri Lankan side. He nudged around ones and twos, used his feet to the spinners – an inside-out drive off Nawaz for six, particularly standing out in the memory – and worked the gaps expertly to find boundaries when needed.Samarawickrama and Mendis together put up 111 off just 69 deliveries, the second consecutive century stand of the innings following Mendis’ 102 with Pathum Nissanka. When Mendis fell, with the score on 218 with just 29 overs bowled, Sri Lanka would have been eyeing 350 at the very least, but once more those plans would go awry.Charith Asalanka, who had kept Sri Lanka in the game against South Africa, nicked one through just eight balls later. This was then followed by a five-over period in which just 18 runs were scored which stifled their momentum; overs 30-40 would bring 54 runs in total.But where Pakistan would do the real damage was in the final 10, where Sri Lanka managed just 61 runs, including the last three overs which went for just 13.It’s a credit to the efficiency at which Samarawickrama and Mendis had batted throughout those middle overs that they still got to 344 – their highest against a Full Member nation since 2020 – but those are the margins at play here, something Sri Lanka will have to address swiftly if they are to keep their already slim semi-final hopes alive.

“I always felt there will be at least one chance to come back. I knew I would give it 100%”

Sidharth Monga09-Jul-20222:08

Giles: India have a ‘real powerhouse of a T20 team’ available

It’s a weird old summer in England where the red Dukes Test ball is swinging less and going soft quickly and the white Kookaburra is not only swinging, it is swinging for longer than usual. It is quaint that such an integral part of the contest is not homogenised but also strange that such little research on such an integral part of a professional sport is available in the public sphere. Its practitioners are almost resigned to be at the mercy of the batch of balls they get.”Honestly I don’t know that [why the ball is swinging],” Bhuvneshwar Kumar said after helping India complete a 2-0 T20I series win against England. “Because I’ve been here quite a few times and it didn’t swing in the last few series I’ve played here.”So yes, even I was very surprised that the white ball is swinging and swinging for a long period of time, especially in the T20 format. And that there’s more bounce in the wicket as well. So yes, when the ball swings you enjoy more. But honestly, I don’t know if I’m swinging it, [if it is] some conditions or it’s the ball, but yes, I’m glad it’s swinging.”Related

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Not surprisingly, Bhuvneshwar right now is a kid in a toy store. The ball is swinging for him and swinging for long. Accordingly he is 6-1-25-4 after two matches. He admitted he is tempted to show off and bowl inswing-outswing-inswing-outswing but that’s not how you get wickets. And there are very few in contemporary cricket who know how to make use of the swinging ball better than Bhuvneshwar.”If the ball swings, which is my strength, I look to attack,” Bhuvneshwar said. “Batsmen attack on flat wickets, they play their shots there, but it swung in these two matches, and I have been on the attack. But it is important to not get ahead of yourself. You feel like bowling one inswinger, one outswinger, one inswinger, but it is important to control that urge. Bowl consistently and set the batsman up.”Even in T20 cricket, you can apparently do that. In the first T20I, the non-striker Jos Buttler watched him bowl four straight outswingers to Jason Roy. The last of those got Roy a single. It brought Buttler on strike. The first ball to Buttler was a big inswinger, castling him. In the second, he didn’t need a set-up. Starting off with a slip in place, he bowled the perfect outswinger first and up and took Roy’s edge.Twice in two matches Bhuvneshwar Kumar saw the back of Jos Buttler•Getty Images

When Buttler and Dawid Malan started to walk at him in a bid to thwart the swing, Bhuvneshwar didn’t mind bringing the wicketkeeper up. And he had Buttler for a second time this series.Bowling so well was a distant thought when people wondered if it was curtains for Bhuvneshwar when he struggled in the T20 World Cup. Aspersions were cast on his commitment, replacements looked readily available, but when India saw he had come back to full fitness, they had no second thoughts in going back to Bhuvneshwar. But did he doubt himself ever?”After an injury, you know you have to do well when you come back,” Bhuvneshwar said. “There’s no other option. I always felt there will be at least one chance to come back. I knew I would give it 100% then but there is no guarantee the results will be good.”Because when you get injured, you get frustrated. There is some disappointment. It is not strictly doubts but you are not in a good frame of mind. Luckily I got a chance and did well. Of course the way the captain and the coach have backed me, it is good… if they backed me and I am doing well, they also must be feeling good that the player they backed is doing well.”In this mood, with the ball swinging, it is a miracle the captain has been able to take the ball off him and bowl him for just three overs in each of the matches.

The batsman is expected to make his Test debut against England after prolific limited-overs performances

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2021Devon Conway has had his New Zealand residency visa approved, which means he will be able to return to the country after the tour of England.Although eligible to play for New Zealand since last August, his residency application was still pending until a few days ago. Only citizens or residents are able to return under the government’s Covid-19 protocols so it could have caused problems for Conway touring but the doubts have now been removed.”Very positive news came through a couple of days ago that that has been granted so he is allowed to come back into the country,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “We are really pleased for Devon and Kim, his partner, who have managed to get that over the line.”I guess it’s one thing that’s been on his mind that’s not there anymore. Who knows, one less thing on his mind he might score more runs.”Related

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Conway is one of three uncapped players in the New Zealand squad for the two Tests against England, which will then be trimmed to 15 names for the World Test Championship final.After a prolific ODI and T20I season it seems inevitable that Conway will make his debut against England at Lord’s in early June although there is still the tricky question of how he fits into a successful side.There may be a natural vacancy at the start of the series if Kane Williamson is still involved in the IPL but one option being considered is for Conway to open.”Tom Blundell has been the incumbent for a while with Tom Latham and has done a great job in that role, [but] I don’t think it’s his natural role though and think Tom recognises that as well so we just have to work through,” Stead said. “Devon, everyone has seen the success that he’s had, and we know he’s a fine player, it’s just working out what that looks like. Just too early to know that for certain.”While it is hard to see Conway not finding a place in the XI for New Zealand’s next Test, Stead stopped short of anointing him straightaway.”I don’t know if you can say you can’t leave [him] out because the New Zealand team has still done very well over the last wee while and Devon Conway hasn’t been part of that team,” he said. “No doubt he’s a fine player and we’ve seen every step he’s made has been a positive one. It’s not that you can’t leave him out, but he’s a fine player and we all know that.”The New Zealand squad will depart for England in two groups on May 16 and 17 following training camps in Christchurch earlier in the month. They will then be based at the Ageas Bowl, which has an on-site hotel, during the initial part of the tour.Stead confirmed that the originally planned tour match against Somerset would not take place due to issues around bio-secure bubbles and that the preparation for the Test series would include an intra-squad match with the help of some Hampshire 2nd XI players.

He revealed that the PCB was mulling a policy to ensure players remain available for Pakistan across formats

Umar Farooq17-Dec-2019Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s head coach and chief selector, has criticised fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz for the timing of their retirements from Test cricket. He revealed that the PCB was mulling a policy to ensure that players remain available to play for Pakistan across formats.Amir gave up Tests in July, in order to manage his workload and extend his white-ball career, for Pakistan as well as in T20 leagues around the world. Wahab followed suit in September, taking an “indefinite break” from red-ball cricket, including the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s domestic first-class tournament.While Wahab was 34 when he made his decision, Amir was only 27.The loss of the two experienced left-arm quicks has left Pakistan in a situation where they have been forced to rebuild their pace attack with young and inexperienced options including three teenagers in Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Muhammad Musa.”We are thinking deeply on these lines, and we will make a policy on this very soon,” Misbah said, referring to the loss of experience from Pakistan’s pace stocks. “Going forward this might become a problem for Pakistan, because when you invest so much in the players, on their development, and expect them to give back, they leave the game and it’s not the right way to go about it. Your resources are consumed for their development and we need a certain policy to make sure players should be available for Pakistan first.”Amir’s case stands out in particular, both for his age and the fact that he enjoyed immense support from the board and the team management during his reintegration following a five-year ban for spot-fixing. He ended his Test career with 119 wickets in 36 Tests at an average of 30.47. His Test career was split into two parts. From his debut as a 17-year-old in July 2009 to the start of his five-year ban, he played 14 Tests, picking up 51 wickets at 29.09. After his return in July 2016, he played 22 Tests, taking 68 wickets at 31.51.ESPNcricinfo understands that there were discussions ahead of Pakistan’s recent tour of Australia about asking Amir to reconsider his Test retirement, but the plan didn’t go through.Pakistan are currently sixth on the World Test Championship table with 20 points, earned from the drawn Rawalpindi Test against Sri Lanka. Before that, they lost 2-0 in Australia, in the first Test series under Misbah’s management.It has not been the smoothest start to Misbah’s time as coach-cum-selector, but he identified a few positives to have emerged nonetheless.”The biggest plus for us is Babar Azam and our batting, the way we responded in Australia overall,” Misbah said. “His hundred in Rawalpindi and his overall shift from white-ball cricket to red is an important positive for Pakistan at this stage. And at the same time we’ve got a younger bowling attack. The way Shaheen and Naseem are bowling, consistently hitting 140-plus [kph] in good areas. They have ample time in their careers to develop into match-winners. They have played very little cricket so far, but will improve with every passing day.”

The pace bowler pushed thoughts of an Australia recall to the back of his mind as he battled form and fitness

Andrew McGlashan11-Sep-2018A simple text message from coach Justin Langer gave Peter Siddle the encouragement that he could force his way back into Australia’s Test plans, having seemingly been overtaken by a group of younger, quicker pace bowlers.Siddle is in the frame to play his first Test in almost two years after being recalled to the squad for the series against Pakistan in the UAE, with Australia needing pace-bowling replacements for the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.Siddle played the last of his 62 Tests against South Africa, at Perth, in 2016 after which he battled a recurrence of a back injury that kept him out for the remainder of that season. The 2017-18 Sheffield Shield campaign brought an underwhelming 24 wickets at 39.66, but he has just completed a productive stint with Essex where his 37 wickets at 16.40 have sealed his comeback.He had tried to keep thoughts of the baggy green at the back of his mind, but admitted to a few nerves since returning from England amid talk that he would be included, before the national selector Trevor Hohns confirmed the good news in a phonecall.”When you’ve been out of the side, the only reason he’s calling is usually good news, so when his name came up it brought a little smile to my face,” Siddle said.”I didn’t want to focus too much on the Australian side, just what I could control, so the chats [with Justin Langer] were more about how I was going. We’ve always been good mates. I helped him with the Aussie A side going over to India, just with some different bowling plans. He sent one message saying ‘every game counts’ and I think that was the best little message I had from him. I didn’t need to ask anymore, I knew what he meant, but to hear it from him was good backing and here we are.”Siddle was cautious of not getting ahead of himself during his return from injury last season, having learnt the lesson of rushing things following the initial back injury in 2016. He pinpointed last year’s Big Bash campaign with the winners Adelaide Strikers as the moment when things started to click again as fitness and enjoyment started to combine.”I pushed it last time to come back for that Test and got injured straight after it, so next time around I took my time and got everything right,” he said. “I focused better on what I needed to do, in the past I think I was just so focused on getting back in the Australian side that it took away from my performances on the field.”After the first half of the year I went away, played in the Big Bash for the Strikers, and started enjoying cricket a little more. I had a good tournament and when I came back for Victoria my performances were a lot better so that gave me a lot of confidence. By body was right, I was playing some good cricket and continuous cricket which I hadn’t done for a long while. Wickets always top things off and I think that’s what the English summer has done.”Siddle’s reward, however, is not what many fast bowlers would dream about: the potential of two Tests in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He was part of the team when Australia last visited in 2014 – “Younis Khan made a hell of a lot of runs,” Siddle recalled – when Pakistan completed two thumping victories, Younis scored 468 in four innings and Misbah-ul-Haq hit what was, at the time, the joint-fastest Test hundred off 56 balls. Siddle returned 2 for 217 across the two matches.”Patience was a big thing you can take out of it, especially from a fast bowler’s point of view,” he said. “You can be over-attacking sometimes and not generate wickets. It will be a different approach this time, we have some quality spinners who are bowling well. It will be hard work, but think we have enough information from previous trips.”

Farhaan Behardien held his nerve to make 37 not out as South Africa A opened their tri-series campaign with a two-wicket win over India A in Pretoria

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2017Farhaan Behardien’s sixth-wicket stand with Dwaine Pretorius was the game changer•AFP

Farhaan Behardien’s unbeaten 37 guided South Africa A to a two-wicket win against India A in the tri-series opener in Pretoria.Yuzvendra Chahal almost pulled it back with three quick wickets to leave South Africa A on 145 for 8 in their chase of 153. Behardien calmly finished the game off in ones and twos, with Aaron Phangiso, who earlier in the day picked four wickets, for company. South Africa A won with 74 balls to spare.Their seamers Beuran Hendricks and Dwaine Pretorius did the early damage, removing Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer respectively, inside two overs. Pandey and Karun Nair put together 42 to lead a brief recovery before Pretorius trapped Nair lbw for 25. When Rishabh Pant (10)and Krunal Pandya (0) fell, India A slipped to 65 for 5.Pandey waged a lone battle from there on to raise a half-century off just 86 deliveries. He was the seventh batsman out, stumped for 55 off left-arm spinnner Phangiso. Pandey found some support from Chahal, who made 24 not out, to lift the total past 150 before they were bowled out in 41.5 overs.South Africa A wobbled at the start with the seamers picking up the first three wickets. India turned to spin from the 12th over; Axar Patel struck in his first when he removed Khaya Zondo. He then dismissed Heinrich Klaasen (24) in his very next over.South Africa A, tottering at 71 for 5, were then driven by a 62-run sixth-wicket stand between Behardien and Pretorius, who made 38 to go along with his three wickets earlier in the day. As it turned out, the partnership helped them ride a wobble and register two points.India A will play Afghanistan A in the next game on Friday.

Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, has been handed his first England call-up and Gary Ballance has been recalled for the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.

Andrew McGlashan07-Jul-20162:50

Taylor: Surprised they’ve gone with Ballance

Toby Roland-Jones, the Middlesex seamer, has been handed his first England call-up and Gary Ballance has been recalled for the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s, which starts from July 14. Injuries have kept Ben Stokes and James Anderson on the sidelines while Jos Buttler has not earned a recall.Roland-Jones, 28, a tall seam bowler, averages 25.17 in first-class cricket and has been on England’s radar for a few seasons. Yesterday he played a key role in a notable Middlesex victory over Yorkshire at Scarborough as he clubbed a quickfire unbeaten 79 and took three wickets in the second innings to finish with six in the match. Overall, he has 30 wickets at 29.06 in the County Championship this season; in 2015 he took 48 wickets at 27.04.Anderson has not recovered sufficiently from his shoulder injury while the selectors want Stokes to play more cricket after his return to action from knee surgery – he has yet to resume bowling for Durham although Trevor Bayliss hinted he may have been included as a batsman.

England squad

Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Joe Root, Gary Ballance, James Vince, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Jake Ball, Steven Finn, Toby Roland-Jones

“Like always, selection is very opinionated, and they could have picked him but the lack of cricket in the last few weeks has meant they’ve gone that way,” Alastair Cook, the England captain, said. “He’s just back from a long time out of the game.”It has been confirmed that Joe Root will move up to No. 3 – something Bayliss has pushed for – to fill the spot vacated by Nick Compton which means Ballance, who was dropped during last year’s Ashes series, will return in the middle order. Ballance struck his first century of the season against Middlesex this week – he is averaging 33.64 in the Championship – and has fought off competition from the heavily tipped Scott Borthwick who averages 58.50 this season with three centuries.”He hasn’t changed a huge amount in terms of technique, just keep evolving it to keep it in as good a position as you can. What he does have is that hard edge,” Cook said.On Root’s promotion, Cook added: “It’s a conversation we’ve had over the last week, it’s the right thing to do, he’s our best player, and it’s quite an Australian thing to do. There’s no reason why he won’t score same amount of runs as at No. 4.”After the one-day series against Sri Lanka, Bayliss spoke highly of Buttler’s credentials and suggested he could return to the Test side as a batsman despite not having played first-class cricket since he was dropped in the UAE last year, but in the end that lack of red-ball cricket has been a deciding factor. It also means that Bairstow will retain the wicketkeeping gloves.”Those guys and Jason Roy, Tom Westley, Scott Borthwick were all discussed as very good options,” Cook said. “The argument with Jos is he hasn’t played red-ball cricket for a long time, you do need to know your method.”Jake Ball, the Nottinghamshire seamer, who was in each squad for the Sri Lanka series retains his place despite an elbow niggle and will likely compete for a spot in the final XI with Roland-Jones.”It’s disappointing that Jimmy hasn’t made it but Jake’s in the squad, he’s started the season in fantastic form,” Stuart Broad said. “He’s had a slight elbow niggle but he’s learnt a lot about his bowling in last 18 months and he’s ready to make that step up”He’s got physical attributes, he moves the ball both ways, comes round the wicket to the left-handers and hits the ball harder. You can’t make judgements about temperament, but he’s taken wickets on TV which is a good sign.”

An unbroken 130-run partnership between fourth-wicket pair Peter Handscomb and Hamish Marshall after tea on day three ensured Gloucestershire took charge against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Press Association12-May-2015
ScorecardPaul Horton’s 168 was essential to keep Lancashire in check•PA Photos

An unbroken 130-run partnership between fourth-wicket pair Peter Handscomb and Hamish Marshall after tea on day three ensured Gloucestershire took charge against Lancashire at Old Trafford.The visitors gained a of 24 on first innings on the stroke of lunch during today’s third day, which could have been far greater but for Paul Horton who compled a 298-ball innings of 168 – his fifth score above 150 in 12 years of Championship cricket.Gloucestershire built on their slender lead second time around to close with a healthy lead of 230 and a chance to push for what would only be a ninth victory in Lancashire in their history.When fledgling Australian Handscomb and veteran New Zealander Marshall came together in the early stages of the evening, Gloucestershire were 76 for 3 in the 27th over with a lead of 100 and the contest in the balance.Peter Siddle struck twice with the new ball inside the first eleven overs as Gloucestershire’s slipped to 30 for 2, with first-innings centurion Chris Dent one of his scalps. Dent lost his off-stump as he offered no shot before Gareth Roderick, late on one that nipped back appreciably, was trapped lbw. Nathan Buck later picked up his first Red Rose wicket as Will Tavare played on for 34, and Lancashire had their tails up.But Handscomb and Marshall regained the momentum during their 36.5 overs together in what remain decent batting conditions. Both players brought up their fifties inside the last hour of play, with Handscomb’s coming off 99 balls and Marshall’s second of the match coming off 83. They will begin day four on 74 and 71 not out respectively.Not only do Lancashire have to work out a way of bowling Gloucestershire out, they also have to keep an eye on their over-rate as they ended the day at minus two.Earlier, Liam Norwell took two of the four Lancashire wickets to fall for 17 runs to finish with 4 for 95. Horton fell five short of his best score in county cricket – 173 against Somerset at Taunton in 2009 – having shared an 82-run partnership inside 28 overs for the seventh wicket with Siddle. Their stand started during the latter stages of day two, and they took Lancashire to within 41 of Gloucestershire’s total before Siddle was trapped lbw by Norwell for 40, leaving the score at 347 for 7 in the 104th over of the innings.Horton was caught behind in Norwell’s next over with 350 on the board before Craig Miles had Buck caught at second slip and Tom Smith’s left-arm spin accounted for Kyle Jarvis, caught by Norwell running from cover towards point.Gloucestershire batsman Hamish Marshall said: “It’s nice to have finished the day well. Three down for a 230 lead is a position we’d have liked to have been in at the start of the day. We’ve got that. We’ve now got to work out how we can get ourselves in a position to put pressure on Lancashire and win the game.”Siddle and Jarvis are quality bowlers, and they asked a lot of questions in the first innings. In this innings, they got some early poles. It was nice to get a partnership going and put them under pressure. If we can give ourselves some overs with runs on the board, we’ll have a crack at trying to win the game.”Lancashire bowler Peter Siddle added: “I think we batted pretty well this morning to get us into the position we got to, but it was a bit disappointing not to eek a few more runs out and get in front. The way we started with the ball that second dig with a few early wickets, credit goes to their last partnership. They batted well and batted time. They were patient. It’s made for an interesting day tomorrow.”The pitch has played pretty well for the last couple of days really. Day one was a bit up and down, and we thought it was going to deteriorate a lot more. It’s played pretty well. We need a couple of quick wickets. If we don’t get them, it does make it hard for us to get in front of the game.”

Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, has been banned for 12 weeks by the ECB after testing positive for the recreational drug cannabis during his stint with Somerset

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2012Abdur Rehman, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, has been banned for 12 weeks by the ECB under its anti-doping rules after testing positive for the recreational drug cannabis during his stint with Somerset in the English domestic season. The penalty is binding on all countries signed up to the World Anti-Doping Code.Rehman will be suspended until midnight of December 21. He has already been withdrawn from the Sialkot Stallions squad for the Champions League T20, which begins on October 9 in South Africa.The sample that tested positive for cannabis was provided by Rehman on August 8, during the County Championship match between Somerset and Nottinghamshire. “I apologise to my family, the PCB, the ECB, Somerset County Cricket Club, my team-mates and my fans,” Rehman said. “It was an error of judgement on my part that will cost me dearly and I would like it to be a lesson to all others in sports elsewhere.”I will do my best to stay fit and focussed during my suspension, and, god-willing, will be available for selection for the India series should the PCB see it fit.”Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender said the club supported the ECB’s decision. “The club does not condone the use of illegal drugs in any circumstances and all Somerset players are made fully aware of this policy on a regular basis.”Rehman played four Championship matches for Somerset and took 27 wickets, which included 9 for 65 against Worcestershire. He had established himself as a key player for Pakistan over the past year and caused England plenty of problems during the Test series in UAE, where he claimed 19 wickets in three matches. Overall he has 81 wickets in 17 Tests at 28.40 apiece.

There was plenty for Australia to celebrate on the third day in Pallekele – Shaun Marsh’s hundred on debut, and Michael Hussey’s 14th Test century – but Sri Lanka ended the day with some hope of salvaging a draw after rain washed out almost the entire aft

The Report by Brydon Coverdale10-Sep-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMichael Hussey and Shaun Marsh put on 258 for the fourth wicket•Associated Press

There was plenty for Australia to celebrate on the third day in Pallekele – Shaun Marsh’s hundred on debut, and Michael Hussey’s 14th Test century – but Sri Lanka ended the day with some hope of salvaging a draw after rain washed out almost the entire afternoon’s play. Only 40.3 overs were bowled, mostly before lunch, and Australia extended their lead to 237, but with further showers expected over the next two days, Michael Clarke’s men were wondering if they would have time to knock Sri Lanka over again and take a 2-0 series lead.An overnight declaration loomed as a possibility as the Australians would not wish to waste their big advantage, set up during a terrific 258-run stand between Marsh and Hussey, the second highest for Australia in Tests against Sri Lanka, and the highest for any country for the fourth wicket against Sri Lanka. And while Hussey’s composure was expected, the way Marsh played in his first innings made him look like a Test natural.He became the 19th Australian to score a century on his Test debut, and the only one of his countrymen to achieve the feat batting at No.3 was the great Bill Ponsford. Marsh started the day on 87 and quickly moved off the unlucky number with a glide past gully for four.Negotiating the nineties proved slightly tougher; Hussey was on 76 when Marsh moved out of the eighties, yet he reached triple-figures before his younger partner. Both men got there in the same over, Hussey pushing a two past midwicket off Suraj Randiv, before Marsh swept two from the final ball of the over.It was a wonderful moment for the Marsh family; his father Geoff jumped to his feet in the stands, riding the two runs home like he was cheering on a race-horse, and Shaun raised his bat and high-fived Hussey when he caught his breath. Both batsmen soon lifted their tempo and Marsh brought out some of his limited-overs strokes, including a brutal drive back over the bowler’s head for four off Chanaka Welegedara.Hussey eventually fell for 142 when he lofted Thilan Samaraweera – who hadn’t taken a Test wicket since 2004 – to deep cover. It was the third hundred in seven Tests for Hussey, who since the start of the Ashes he has averaged 68.50, and it continued a remarkable Test for him after he took a stunning catch hurling himself to his left at gully on the first day, and bowled a wicket maiden to get rid of Kumar Sangakkara.Hussey was the only wicket to fall before lunch, but in the eight overs delivered after the break Australia suffered a mini-collapse. On 141, Marsh pulled Suranga Lakmal to deep midwicket, and in the next over the out-of-form Brad Haddin lofted a catch tamely to mid-on off the bowling of Randiv for 1.Randiv was on a hat-trick after he bowled Mitchell Johnson next ball; Johnson expected the ball to turn away from him and shouldered arms, only to see the topspinner go straight on and rattle his stumps. Ryan Harris negotiated the hat-trick ball – barely – and was 9 not out when the rain came, while Usman Khawaja was on 13.But such a collapse meant little, next to Marsh’s milestone and Australia’s weather worries. There will be some nervous Australians looking out the window at daybreak on Sunday.