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Sri Lanka Women captain Chamari Atapattu struck her maiden T20I fifty, effected a run out, and picked up a wicket, to lead her side to a 10-run victory over South Africa Women in Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChamari Atapattu profited from slog sweeps during her first T20 international fifty•IDI/Getty ImagesSri Lanka Women captain Chamari Atapattu willed and rallied her side to a 10-run victory over South Africa Women in Bangalore, in the last league match of the Women’s World T20.Atapattu first stroked her maiden T20 international fifty, which contained five fours and one six, even as her partners floundered. Atapattu then brought herself into the attack in the defence of 114 and her second over resulted in two wickets. She ran to her right from her follow through, collected a wristy push from Trisha Chetty and flung a throw to the keeper to catch Dane van Niekerk short for 24 off 31 balls. Three balls later, Atapattu pinned her opposite number Mignon du Preez plumb in front for a duck, a wicket the Sri Lanka captain identified as the “turning point” at the post match-presentation.Left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari and left-arm pacer Udeshika Prabodhani backed Atapattu to squeeze South Africa’s middle order. From 50 for 0, South Africa slumped to 102 for 7. Du Preez said: “We had a good start and we lost it in the middle order. We have been struggling with it in the whole tournament. It was also poor execution from us. This is something we need to work on and come back stronger.”Prabodhani speared in full balls and defended 12 off the last over, including taking the wicket of Chloe Tryon for 11 off 10 balls. Though it was just a dead rubber, Sri Lanka toasted the win, and got into a huddle only after wicketkeeper-batsman Dilani Manodara had joined the team from the dug out; Prasadani Weerakkody had taken the gloves in the absence of Manodara.Manodara was pinged on the grille of the helmet when she missed a scoop off her first ball. She scratched around for 4 off 9 balls, before she was bowled by seamer Marcia Letsoalo. Manodara was later sent to the hospital for a scan and it was found that she had no major injuries.Sri Lanka’s middle order folded as well and they managed only 34 for 4 in their last five overs. Atapattu, however, had lifted Sri Lanka with a bevy of muscled slog sweeps. She hit 52 off 49 balls before she was run out by Marizanna Kapp, who was featuring in her 50th T20 international. She picked up two wickets and was complemented by legspinner Suné Luus, who also scalped two wickets. But Attapattu’s act would prove to be too much for South Africa.

Jurgen Klopp slammed the Anfield atmosphere during Liverpool's 5-1 victory over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.

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Liverpool cruised past West Ham 5-1Sailed into Carabao Cup last fourYet Anfield failed to bring out their bestWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite leading 1-0 at half-time with a stunning goal from Dominik Szoboszlai, Klopp felt that the excitement in the stands was lacking. Liverpool eventually secured a comfortable win over the Hammers with Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo, and Mohamed Salah finding the net after the break.

AdvertisementWHAT JURGEN KLOPP SAID

Speaking to reporters, Klopp said: "I thought in the first half when the boys played really exceptionally, I was not overly happy with the atmosphere behind me. I asked people what do they want? We changed a lot of things and we dominated West Ham like crazy and missed chances. If I was in the stands I would be on my toes, 1,000 per cent. I don’t know, if the Man United game was that bad that we have to say sorry we didn’t smash them?

"If it is too much football in December, if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else. It was just not the excitement I felt. There were so many good performances but we were only 1-0 up.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool are set to host Arsenal in a blockbuster top-of-the-table Premier League clash on Saturday and Klopp kept no stone unturned to rally the Reds faithful ahead of the crucial fixture.

“We need Anfield on Saturday," he said.

"Arsenal didn’t play this week. They’ve prepared for this game and anyone who knows anything about them knows they will be prepared. So we need Anfield on their toes from the first second, without me having an argument with the opposition coach."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Gary Neville also criticised the Anfield atmosphere after the 0-0 draw against Manchester United and labelled it "the worst I've seen ever for a Liverpool-Manchester United game."

Gareth Southgate praised Rico Lewis for impressing on his England debut while slamming VAR for a "harsh" penalty decision.

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Southgate impressed by Lewis' England debutSlams VAR for 'harsh' penalty decisionEngland held by North MacedoniaWHAT HAPPENED?

The England manager heaped praise on Manchester City youngster Lewis for an impressive outing on his international debut against North Macedonia on Monday.

Southgate was pleased to see the 19-year-old's composure throughout the game, despite giving a penalty to the opponents in the first half, which according to the manager was a harsh decision.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lewis was found guilty by VAR of hitting opponent striker Bojan Miovski on his face inside the England penalty box, which led to a spot-kick being awarded to North Macedonia. Enis Bardhi broke the deadlock when converting the penalty in the 41st minute, but an own goal by Jani Atanasov in the second half allowed England to walk away with a point from the game.

The young defender jumped in the air to clear the ball with his head while trying to shield the striker. As he came down, he accidentally hit Miovski with his hand, with Southgate left furious over the decision.

WHAT SOUTHGATE SAID

Speaking to reporters after the match, the Three Lions boss said of Lewis: "He was excellent, his composure with the ball, the fact that he did respond to that set-back [the penalty], which was really, really harsh. He is a super footballer, he was excellent I thought and we're really pleased with him."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RICO LEWIS?

The full-back is expected to be included in the Cityzens' matchday squad by Pep Guardiola on Saturday as the reigning Premier League champions take on old foes Liverpool in a crucial top-of-the-table clash.

Now that the emotional tide has settled somewhat, both Pakistan and Zimbabwe will feel they can get down to business

The Preview by Firdose Moonda23-May-2015Match factsSunday, May 24, 2015
Start time 1900 local (1400GMT)Big pictureSomething would have seemed amiss had the first match of Pakistan’s return home ended in anything other than victory for them. They chased down 173 to put cricket at the forefront of a series threatened to be swept up in sentiment. Now that the emotional tide has settled somewhat, both teams will feel they can get down to business.For Pakistan, it will be finding consistency in the bowling attack and solidity in the middle order, which they will ultimately hope will lead to securing a trophy at home. Wahab Riaz’s waywardness will be an area of concern, especially if the third seamer is as expensive as Bilawal Bhatti was in the first match. While Pakistan will be pleased with the way Mukhtar Ahmed partnered Ahmed Shehzad, they will also want runs from the senior men Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik.For Zimbabwe, it will be building up the confidence to press home any advantage they may get and square a series to set themselves up for the ODIs. Zimbabwe are equally as unused to being ahead of the game as they are to playing in front of massive crowds and the effects of that showed in the first game. After posting a decent total, their bowlers began poorly and the pressure from the partisan crowd mounted. But they will know they competed deep into the game and will now want to take that one step further by ending up on the right side of the result.Form guidePakistan WLLWL (last five matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LWWLLIn the spotlightIt’s difficult to imagine Shahid Afridi overwhelmed but he appeared exactly that in the way he managed his bowlers in the first match. He seemed to be rotating them on feel rather than plan but composed himself enough by the time he needed to bat and hit the winning runs to seal cricket’s comeback to his country. His home crowd will hope that the one delivery Afridi faced, which he bludgeoned over the bowler’s head, was just a taster for bigger innings.Since his second stint as captain began, Elton Chigumbura has notched up his highest ODI (90) and T20 (54) score but the increased responsibility is not the only reason for his improving form. Chigumbura has been bumped up the order to bat in the top five and spending more time at the crease seems to be paying off. Both Chigumbura’s career bests came in losing causes and the man himself has said that he would find it more rewarding if his next major contribution concludes with a victory.Elton Chigumbura has said he would find it more rewarding if his next major contribution concludes with a victory•AFPTeam newsPakistan’s victory would suggest that no changes are needed but they may want everyone in their T20 squad to get a run at home. Nauman Anwar, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim and Hammad Azam are the four members of the squad who did not play the first match and may come into contention.Pakistan: 1 Ahmed Shahzad, 2 Mukhtar Ahmed, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Bilawal BhattiAfter a spirited performance in the first match, Zimbabwe will not have much reason to change their XI, but may want to look at giving another seamer an opportunity. Tawanda Mupariwa could come in for Tinashe Panyangara while Craig Ervine could be used in the middle order in Sikandar Raza’s place.Zimbabwe: 1 Vusi Sibanda, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Charles Coventry, 4 Elton Chigumbura (capt), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza/Craig Ervine, 7 Richmond Mutumbami (wk) 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Tinashe Panyangara/Tawanda Mupariwa, 10 Chris Mpofu, 11 Brian VitoriPitch and conditionsThere will be more runs on offer on a surface that is tailor-made for big totals and that’s not the only reason the fielders will be wary. Sunday is expected to be even hotter than Friday was, with day-time temperatures reaching 44 degrees.Stats and trivia Zimbabwe have only scored more than 170 in a T20 on four occasions and only reached 200 once.. Their 172 for 6 in the first match was their fourth highest total in the format. The last time Pakistan won a T20 series of more than one match was against Zimbabwe, in August 2013. They have played four two-match T20 series since then, lost one and drawn three.Quotes”I don’t think so you will find Ajmal in near future, it’s definitely a thing which is missing.” 

Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza dominated the Bangladesh bowlers towards the end of the second day but the bottom line remains that Zimbabwe are 390 runs behind Bangladesh’s 503

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong13-Nov-2014Taking eight wickets in two sessions and seeing out the last 24 overs of the second day would have been pleasing for Zimbabwe. After losing an early wicket, the unbeaten batsmen, Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza, dominated the Bangladesh bowlers towards the end. But the bottom line remains that Zimbabwe are 390 runs behind Bangladesh’s 503.Raza knows it all too well and is prepared to dig in deep in the third morning. How to go about this job has been shown by the Bangladesh batsmen, who have demonstrated an overall consistency in the last couple of weeks. Raza remains hopeful of a massive turnaround in the game, as every Zimbabwe player should, but Bangladesh have only lost one Test match after scoring more than 500 runs in the first innings.”I do see a result in this game,” Raza said. “It has to go our way. We are definitely playing as though we want to win this game. For that to happen we have to bat out of our socks. Hopefully as the days go on and the ball starts to creep low then you never know. Coming into today, they were 303 for two. No one would have thought they would have been 500-odd all out. Having said that, the last partnership had 50-odd runs on the board so if you take that away it could have been 460. We will keep believing.”I think Bangladesh were hoping for a few more wickets then they had. We will definitely take the confidence from 113 for one. We will take the last session as well. We have toiled hard under the sun and I think the correct way has been shown to us by Bangladesh. They have done it so consistently. To me it is just a matter of time to start clicking, hopefully we can take the momentum ahead in the next day and the day after.”‘We have to be patient’ – Rubel

Rubel Hossain enjoyed hitting four sixes on the second afternoon but is aware of the hard work that lies ahead as a bowler.
The Chittagong wicket is arguably Bangladesh’s most batting-friendly wicket, evident in the 19 draws out of 43 first-class matches. The last two Tests here have been high-scoring draws, with Kumar Sangakkara scoring 319 and 105 in February.
“Batting is fun,” Rubel said. “It was the last wicket so I played a few shots. I timed the ball well, so I felt really good. Never thought I could bat like that though. It was a good wicket so it worked.
“Our target was to make a big score and play until the tea break. The wicket is very good for batting. There wasn’t much swing or turn. Maybe we can understand on the third or fourth day how much it will break. Tomorrow morning, if we can take early wickets, then maybe we can have some control. The main thing is that we have to be patient here. Getting wickets will be tough, so we have to be patient.”
It is still too early to be negative in a Test match, especially having made 503 runs. Bangladesh remain on course as the only trouble they faced was in the last 24 overs of the day.

Raza hit all his boundaries in the second session in front of the wicket. He drove through the covers at the start of his innings against Shafiul Islam and pulled Rubel Hossain quite easily. However what would please him was his proper use of his feet. He charged Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan at every opportunity, and even when it didn’t come off, he could at least get the ball away as he had thrown his body behind the it.On the third day, he said he will have to bat with more savvy about the pitch and bowling as he expects the ball to start keeping low.”There as a basic plan but the thing is there are things I work hard in the nets when it comes to the game. You don’t really say anything to yourself, you just see and play accordingly. On a track that I thought wasn’t turning, using my feet is part of the plan. The plan will be to see ball and hit ball. I don’t think anything needs to change for tomorrow. My instincts will be slightly to bat smarter, and take where it can take me.”As the sun beats down on the surface, and as the players run on the tracks there will definitely be [breaking in the pitch]. There already are a few cracks and some are actually creeping low and some are bouncing low. I expect it to play slightly differently tomorrow.”

The Blancos, amid a testing 2017-18 campaign, are expected to overhaul their squad in the summer and will have a sizeable budget at their disposal

Galacticos of 2018?

Real Madrid are expected to spend big this summer, with a forgettable domestic campaign highlighting the flaws in a squad that swept to a La Liga and Champions League double in 2016-17. Reports suggest that the Blancos could invest as much as €600 million in fresh faces, with high-profile sales – such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Keylor Navas – helping to counter a sizable outlay and ensure the club adheres to Financial Fair Play regulations. Who, though, is on their shopping list as the next ‘Galactico’ recruitment drive at Santiago Bernabeu is pieced together?

AdvertisementGettyDavid de Gea: €130m

The Manchester United goalkeeper has been a longstanding target, with a deal almost done in the summer of 2015 only for a now-infamous fax delay to scupper a return to Spain for the former Atletico Madrid custodian.

De Gea has said of his Old Trafford future: “I don't think it's the time to start talking about the future, it's not the time to be talking contracts. Being a player and a part of this club is special, so when you get to wear the shirt, you go to away games, that's something you are always proud of and is very special.”

Getty ImagesThibaut Courtois: €100m

Amid the struggles to get an agreement in place for De Gea, Chelsea’s current number one has emerged as a possible alternative – with the former Atletico loanee having made no secret of his desire to return to Spain.

Courtois has said: “Yes, my heart is in Madrid. It is logical and understandable. If they [Real] want me, they have to contact Chelsea. We'll see. But they have not done that. What is certain is that one day I will return to Madrid.”

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Getty ImagesToby Alderweireld: €30m

Another man to have once graced the books at Real’s cross-city rivals Atletico, the Tottenham defender is now considered a realistic target as he is yet to commit to fresh terms in England and has a release clause set to kick in from 2019 if no extension is agreed.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has said of the Belgian centre-half: “Toby still has two-and-a-half years of contract. Messi was six months left on his contract. Messi! If something happens, the club is going to communicate.”

Alastair Cook issued a rallying cry to England’s potential Test batsmen to put out a marker for the new season and he did just that himself with a Championship hundred for Essex in his first knock of the season

David Hopps at Chelmsford11-Apr-2016
ScorecardAlastair Cook and Tom Westley log their first hundreds of the season•Getty ImagesAlastair Cook had issued a rallying cry to England’s unproductive top order to lay down markers ahead of the first Test – not as much expressing an appetite for change as a simple desire to see consistency of run making from those in contention.Make runs, was Cook’s straightforward exhortation to all concerned and, the message so delivered, responsible guy that he is, he felt obliged to respond himself. In his first innings of the season, he took Gloucestershire for 105, one of the least demanding hundreds of his career perhaps, but one that restated that his desire still runs strong.”I have said that there are places up for grabs,” Cook said. “People have taken that as looking for change. That’s not entirely right but it’s important if you say things like that you have to back up words with actions. We all know how important early-season runs are.”He has spent the past few months as a spectator, as excited as anybody at England’s T20 dash and dare, as briefly downcast by the cruel twist in a final that seemed theirs, but the spectator has given way to the player once more. With a child in his arms and his grandmother looking on, the Cook clan was out in force to support him.At 224 for 1, a hundred also bagged by the impressive Tom Westley, and a record Essex second-wicket stand against Gloucestershire of 222 established, Essex were only 41 behind Gloucestershire’s 262 and a big first-innings lead looked inevitable. But the weather deteriorated, both batsmen fell just before the second new ball and Essex’s lead of 25 at the close with only four wickets remaining was a paltry one. The best batting line-up in the division needs to lose its tendency for wastefulness.When Cook scratched his guard for the first time this season it felt like a staging point in the cricketing calendar, as imprinted on the rhythms of the year as the end of Lent or the Glorious Twelfth. Talk of a World T20 final was consigned to the past. There were Tests to plan for, and Cook immediately set his mind to doing just that.He has four Championship matches to build-up to the first Investec Test against Sri Lanka and from the moment he received the warmest of welcomes – a routine boundary opportunity on his pads offered by Josh Shaw and politely accepted without hesitation – he looked entirely at ease. The more it continued, the more it became clear that it was very much in keeping with the end of Lent, or indeed the Glorious Twelfth, being an opportunity for excess after a period of want.Twenty-eight of Cook’s 52 first-class centuries have been at England level – as have more than half his first-class matches – so his appearances for Essex these days are valued because of their scarcity. The Chelmsford crowd watches him with a respect given to few. There was only one edgy moment to speak of when he nicked Liam Norwell to second slip on 80, Chris Dent doing well to get a hand on it.Jack Taylor’s offspin removed both Cook and Westley. The ECB’s policy on giving the opposing captain the right not to toss is designed to encourage spinners back into the game, but there was some irony when one of the victims of the new regulation turned out to be the England captain. Taylor’s seventh ball of the day, shortly after lunch, turned gently – this, at seam-friendly Chelmsford on the second afternoon – to trap Cook leg before, the umpiring decision given after a decent interlude for thought befitting an England captain.When Westley edged behind, undone by a little extra bounce, Essex then faltered against the new ball. Ravi Bopara was cleaned up by Norwell’s nip backer, Dan Lawrence should have sat in for a while but instead mis-pulled Shaw to mid-off and Shaw then had Ryan ten Doeschate lbw. With drizzle showing in the floodlights, the sooner Essex could retreat for the day the better.Gloucestershire won the Royal London Cup in Richard Dawson’s first season as coach, but a one-day trophy does not mean the Championship becomes a breeze and injuries to two frontline pace bowlers, plus the departure of James Fuller to Middlesex, left them stretched.Shaw and Tom Hampton had four first-class matches between them, so the sight of the England captain 22 yards away should not be under-estimated. Cook dropped his bat so gently on one delivery from Shaw that the bowler must have been taken aback to see it scoot through extra cover for four. It was the antithesis of T20 power hitting: another four runs logged with minimal exertion.Some would have strutted afterwards, confident in their superiority, but Cook is not that type. He has respect for the game and those who play it and Hampton, after a tough day, can only be heartened by his supportive comments.”Two days in this game have already shown this regulation on the toss to be a good decision,” he said. “We have left grass on here before and have got results in two days but that’s not great for English cricket. Tom Hampton might feel he was a bit erratic but they are the guys you have to get overs into because guys with that extra pace and who do swing it will get people out on flatter wickets.”An England captain with a sense of the wider game: as a new season got underway, it made you feel that English cricket was in good hands.

With Rodri suspended, the England midfielder has a glorious chance to boss a game the Gunners need to win to send a message to their title rivals

Declan Rice was the picture of frustration after Arsenal's 2-1 loss in Lens on Tuesday night. He couldn't quite work out how the Gunners had lost a game that he felt they had "dominated". However, while he was disappointed by his side's first defeat of the season, he was far from despondent. "We're just warming up and getting into our rhythm," he told . "Our focus turns back to the league and it's a massive game on Sunday."

He's certainly not wrong about that latter claim. We may only be seven games into the 2023-24 Premier League campaign but the meeting between last season's top two at the Emirates already feels like a must-win match for the home side.

Arsenal were utterly outclassed in both of their games against City last season and those two defeats played a pivotal role in both the Citizens' initial resurgence and eventual title triumph. So, while the Gunners may have edged City on penalties in the Community Shield in August, the pressure is very much on Mikel Arteta's men to show that they can beat the treble winners when it really counts.

Remember, Arsenal have lost all seven of their Premier League clashes with City since Arteta took over in December 2019. "That is why," former defender William Gallas told , "they need to demonstrate they can handle the big occasion, show some balls, and show Man City that things will be different this season."

However, while Rice has made a positive start to his time in north London, he also has plenty to prove on Sunday.

Getty ImagesOutrageously overpriced

The 24-year-old knew before he'd even played a competitive fixture for Arsenal that his £105 million ($131m) move from West Ham meant that he would forever have a price tag "attached" to him. His hope was that he wouldn't be judged on the size of the fee. He obviously will be – that's just how both the media and fandom work in modern football – but, in truth, the numbers involved in the deal are irrelevant.

Rice clearly isn't worth £105m. When even the entertainingly reckless owners at Chelsea baulk at the size of the fee being demanded by the selling club, you know that the player is outrageously overpriced.

However, context, as always, is key. As Liverpool discovered during the summer, effective defensive midfielders are very hard to find these days – and are, therefore, incredibly costly. Arsenal, then, deserve credit for managing to land one of the best on the market during the off-season – and, rather significantly, in spite of interest from City.

AdvertisementGetty Where would Rice have played at City?

Of course, the treble-winners ultimately decided that they didn't need Rice badly enough to fork out a club-record fee – but that doesn't mean that he won't prove value for money at Arsenal.

City, in contrast to the Gunners, were already in possession of the premier player in Rice's position – Rodri, who is, rather incredibly, still only 27.

Given Pep Guardiola usually likes to send his side out with two No.8s that effectively play as No.10s, as well as a centre-back that serves as an auxiliary midfielder (John Stones), Rice was hardly a priority signing.

There would have been immediate questions over exactly where he would have played, with Rodri the obvious first-choice in the No.6 role.

Getty ImagesPep's problem in midfield

Still, City's refusal to match Arsenal's bid for Rice means that they're in a very awkward position this weekend – and Guardiola knows it too.

The Catalan coach was visibly disgusted with Rodri for stupidly getting himself sent off against Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago, glaring at the Spain international as he trudged towards the tunnel.

Rodri's straight red means that he will be suspended for the biggest game of City's season so far and given Guardiola appears to have little faith in Kalvin Phillips, it will be fascinating to see how his side lines up in north London.

Guardiola, of course, is a master tactician, capable of finding surprising solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems, but Arsenal absolutely have to take advantage of City's selection dilemma – and Rice is undoubtedly key in that regard.

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Getty Images'We'll find out how good Rice is'

Let's face it, these are the kinds of games Rice was bought to help Arsenal win. This is why they paid the big bucks. They wanted a player of personality with the requisite quality to boss direct clashes with title rivals, in a similar fashion to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.

Rice, of course, is no Vieira – at least not yet. He is not the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League – that's obviously Rodri – and he's not even been the best midfield in north London this season – that's Yves Bissouma, who is one of the main reasons why Spurs have made such a sensational start to the season under Ange Postecoglou.

As the stats underline, Rice isn't as adept as either man at winning possession, duels or tackles. In fact, he's made fewer successful tackles than Bukayo Saka this season, and regained possession fewer times than Martin Odegaard.

He also offers less going forward. Both Rodri and Bissouma have completed more passes and are far better at beating players, which is why midfield icons such as Roy Keane and Graeme Souness both believe Rice has to add much more to his game if he is to go down as a truly great midfielder.

"Arsenal have obviously paid way too much for him," Keane said on at the start of the season. "He's certainly not worth over £100m but he is a good player: he turns up every week and he is a big strong boy.

"And we have talked about his physicality – Arsenal lacked that in the last month or two [of last season]. But we will find out over the next year or two how good Declan is. Has he got that really top quality in terms of seeing a pass and getting nine or 10 goals a season? We'll soon find out."

Sudip Chatterjee’s composed, unbeaten 91 aided by vital contributions from opener Arindam Das and wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami helped Bengal kick off their Ranji Trophy season on a decent note

The Report by Amol Karhadkar in Vadodara07-Dec-2014
ScorecardFile photo – Opener Arindam Das made 54•FotocorpChatterjee to have ‘sleepless night’ nine short of maiden century

Sudip Chatterjee has been dismissed in the nineties twice in his short first-class career so far. He is understandably going to have a “sleepless” night after ending the first day on an unbeaten 91 in Bengal’s Ranji Trophy opener against Baroda. “I am excited to be in with a chance to score my first century,” Chatterjee said. “I hope I can complete it tomorrow and continue to build on it.”
Chatterjee was dismissed on 96 against Railways last season and on 99 in East Zone’s Duleep Trophy quarter-final against West Zone in October. “The hundred did play on mind but I was more focused on batting out the whole day, so didn’t really go for it,” Chatterjee said.
Son of a garment retailer, Chatterjee hails from a middle-class background in Kolkata. According to him, his parents have made lots of sacrifices to let him pursue his passion and he is keen to justify their faith in his talent. He wants to cement his place in the side by putting up a “big score” and help Bengal bat Baroda out of the game.

Sudip Chatterjee’s composed, unbeaten 91 aided by vital contributions from opener Arindam Das and wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami helped Bengal kick off their Ranji Trophy season on a decent note. The top order justified their captain Laxmi Shukla’s decision to bat against Baroda by finishing the opening day on 255 for 3.Munaf Patel did extract some bounce early in the morning but once the Bengal openers played him cautiously, the other two seamers, Gagandeep Singh and Abhijit Karambelkar, couldn’t do much with the new ball. With the left- and right-hand combination of Rohan Banerjee and Das rotating strike at will, Baroda captain Aditya Waghmode was forced to introduce spin early.Swapnil Singh, the left-arm spinner making a comeback to first-class cricket after three years, created a chance early in his spell but Pinal Shah missed a regulation stumping opportunity against Das. The batsman was on 25 in a total of 54.Swapnil was finally rewarded for his accurate line as he forced Banerjee to offer a sharp chance at forward short-leg and Kedar Devdhar didn’t falter. While Das continued to gain confidence, Chatterjee carried his good form from the Duleep Trophy by getting off the blocks in no time.Soon after lunch, Chatterjee cut Yusuf Pathan for two boundaries in an over. Immediately after that, Das completed his 23rd fifty by pulling a short one from Gagandeep to the square-leg rope. But in the seamer’s next over, Das’ front-foot prod ended up in an edge to Pinal.In came Manoj Tiwary and didn’t waste any time in dancing down the wicket off Yusuf and hitting him for a one-bounce boundary to long-on. Waghmode brought Munaf back for his third stint and the bowler responded by bowling the spell of the day. Munaf executed his key strength of bowling a tight line and stifled both Tiwary and Chatterjee. It resulted in Tiwary missing out on a straight one and being adjudged lbw. With Munaf running in full steam, Chatterjee and Goswami played him out carefully. The fast bowler’s third spell read 5-4-4-1.Once Munaf was taken off, Goswami started expressing himself freely. His cuts against spinners and drives against seamers, especially Karambelkar, were a treat to watch. Goswami and Chatterjee appeared in little trouble all along their unbeaten 111-run partnership.However, despite the Baroda bowlers starting to tire in the final session, the Bengal batsmen didn’t try to score quicker. Baroda not only delayed the new ball till the end of the 88th over but also didn’t bowl Munaf at all in the session.

The Pakistan Super League, the PCB’s proposed franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, will not kick off this year

Umar Farooq26-Aug-2014The Pakistan Super League (PSL), the PCB’s proposed franchise-based Twenty20 tournament, will not kick off this year. This is the second time in the last 18 months the tournament has been shelved. Earlier it was over logistic problems, this time it is mainly due to the “paucity of lead time” in the face of issues with the bidding process.The PCB was planning to hold the PSL this winter, between December 2014 and January 2015, with the UAE as a potential venue for the five-team T20 competition. The board invited parties to acquire the PSL rights, but quality of the bids meant the PCB has decided to put it on hold.There were six companies that showed interest in bidding but only two – Haier and Aman Foundation – showed the capability to provide a bank guarantee of US$3 million before taking part in the bid process. The board was due to open bids earlier this month but decided to delay the process by 10 days, before postponing it indefinitely.”The PCB chairman [Shaharyar Khan] explained to the representatives of both the bidders as to why it had become extremely difficult to organise the inaugural PSL edition this year,” the PCB said in a press release. “Chief among the reasons behind taking this decision was the paucity of lead time.”The PCB Chairman thanked both the bidders on understanding the board’s predicament, while communicating to them cancellation of the bidding process, simultaneously handing back the financial proposals, bid security and bid participation fee to the bidders unopened.””The PCB is committed to holding the PSL, and I hope that both Haier and Aman Foundation shall take part in the bidding when the tendering process is reinitiated shortly,” Shaharyar Khan said in the statement. “The board meanwhile is finalising a window in the future tours programme, which affords it sufficient lead time to launch PSL well and make the event a success.”During Zaka Ashraf regime, the PSL business model – unveiled in January – was expected to fetch the PCB “in excess of $100 million”. The PCB had also announced the base prices of players for a proposed auction, though it didn’t reveal the pool of players who had signed up for the tournament.The launching the PSL has not been a straightforward business for the PCB so far, as no international cricket has been played in Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009.