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Four wickets for Chris Wood guarded Hampshire from recording their worst-ever Twenty20 season

ECB Reporters Network17-Aug-2018
ScorecardJames Vince and Sam Northeast’s 66-run stand coupled with four miserly wickets for Chris Wood prevented Gloucestershire from securing a home Vitality Blast quarter-final as Hampshire recorded just their second success in the competition.Gloucestershire, who had already qualified for the knockout stages, needed to beat Hampshire and hope Kent lost to Essex elsewhere to play at Bristol again in the tournament.But Vince and Northeast carefully teed up the six-wicket win, with Rilee Rossouw crashing 42 and Wood taking an exceptional 4 for 16.Hampshire had only managed a single victory in their opening 13 South Group matches but saved their best performance until last, and it started with Vince winning the toss and elected to bowl on a slow wicket under clear skies.Miles Hammond scooped the game’s first six off Dale Steyn in the second over but departed when Wood picked up his first of a tidy haul – Calvin Dickinson taking a good catch at the second attempt at point.Hampshire’s catching roadshow continued as Sam Northeast brilliantly grabbed a firm pull shot from Ian Cockbain at mid-wicket – Gloucestershire struggling to 29 for 2 off the Powerplay.Benny Howell upped the ante with a quick-fire 26 off 15 balls, including tonking Liam Dawson and Ryan Stevenson for huge maximums over deep mid-wicket and long on.The former Hampshire all-rounder rode his luck when Dawson dropped a caught and bowled chance, but he was snatched when hoicking the left-arm spinner to deep mid-wicket.Kieran Noema-Barnett was forced to retire after appearing to pull a muscle in his right thigh before Jack Taylor was bowled.Gloucestershire’s leading scorer Michael Klinger had quietly kept the scoreboard tricking as he took his Group Stage total to 407 runs.The skipper had been dropped on 17 by Stevenson, in his follow through, and eventually departed for an adhesive 42 when the fast bowler castled him.Ryan Higgins smashed 31 from 16 deliveries to send the visitors up to an average par 144 – with Gareth Roderick, Andrew Tye and Higgins all departing to Wood.Chasing, Dickinson was given his first appearance of the season, having missed out on previous matches with concussion – but only lasted four balls before he was bowled by David Payne as he tried to give himself room to hit over the offside.Opener Rossouw and Northeast rebuilt with a 58-run stand, with the former the ultra-aggressor, in particular taking to Higgins as he dispatched him for a quartet of boundaries.The South African fell for an entertaining 42 off 18 before Howell clattered into the stumps.Vince joined Northeast with the required run-rate comfortably in check, and took little risks scoring 44 not out and 42 respectively.Vince was dropped chipping to long-on while on 32, before Payne broke the partnership when Northeast edged behind and Dawson skied into the leg-side.But Hampshire strolled home with 20 balls to spare to avoid equalling their worst ever Twenty20 campaign.

Sri Lanka Police have confirmed that the batsman is not under investigation, but his suspension is linked with an alleged sexual assault incident at the team hotel

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Jul-2018While stating that opening batsman Danushka Gunathilaka is not himself under police investigation, Sri Lanka Police has confirmed that his suspension from all forms of cricket relates to an alleged sexual assault that is said to have occurred at the team hotel on the night of July 21.Sri Lanka Cricket will carry out its own disciplinary inquiry into Gunathilaka’s conduct, and had issued a release on Sunday stating that he would be suspended at the conclusion of the second Test against South Africa. Gunathilaka is understood to have breached his curfew on that night, and was anyway on thin ice with the board, having been suspended for six matches for other disciplinary issues in October last year.He is not suspected of criminal wrongdoing.The alleged incident of sexual assault – which police said Gunathilaka’s suspension is related to – was reported to the police by a Norwegian woman. A British citizen has been arrested as a suspect. It is believed the British man is an acquaintance of Gunathilaka.

Hampshire’s new signing Aneurin Donald gamely took up wicketkeeping duties after Tom Alsop damaged a thumb but it didn’t turn out well

ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2018
ScorecardAdam Lyth completed his first Specsavers County Championship century since last June during the morning session of a rain affected third day against Hampshire at Emerald Headingley, helped in no small part by an emergency appearance behind the stumps by Aneurin Donald which did not go all that well.Opener Lyth reached 100 for the 23rd time in his first-class career as Yorkshire strengthened their grip on this penultimate round clash against Hampshire who nevertheless had cause for relief when their Division One safety was mathematically confirmed by Worcestershire’s defeat at Essex.Craig White, Hampshire’s coach, said: “The last few years we’ve been coming into the last game of the season in a massive relegation battle. With one game left, knowing we’re safe is quite a relief actually. But we haven’t been at our best in this game compared to the last couple where we were very good.”Lyth all but killed Hampshire’s prospects of a successful final-day chase when he advanced from 60 overnight to 134 not out. Yorkshire, leading by 27 on first innings, stretched their lead to 314 with five wickets remaining before rain arrived during the lunch break and washed out the remainder of the day.If Yorkshire force victory on the final day, they will also confirm their Division One status. A draw would leave them needing a maximum of just two points from next week’s final round clash with Worcestershire at New Road, so they would be satisfied with that outcome as well.Lyth has endured a largely frustrating season, with only two half-centuries prior to this. He completed a fifth-wicket stand of 133 inside 42 overs with Jonny Tattersall, who added 43.Both men were dropped during the 33 overs bowled – Lyth twice – on a disaster-strewn emergency session with the gloves by substitute fielder Donald who dropped two catches and contributed to the missing off another one.Donald took the gloves following a left thumb injury suffered by regular keeper Tom Alsop. Alsop went for a scan with Hampshire fearing a fracture and ligament damage and he has already been ruled out of their final Championship match next week against Lancashire at the Ageas BowlDonald, diving to his right, impaired first slip Ian Holland when Tattersall, on 16, got an edge off Kyle Abbott as he tried to leave alone. Lyth was then dropped twice, both times by Donald off Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin.The first came when he was on 80 – Dawson’s first ball of the morning. The second came when he was on 94. And next ball, there was a convincing appeal for caught behind turned down by umpire Graham Lloyd.Dawson took the only wicket to fall during the morning, Tattersall caught at short fine-leg sweeping as the score fell to 265 for five in the 73rd over.

Another day of rain-hit preparations gives England further selection issues ahead of the first Test in Galle next week

George Dobell in Colombo01-Nov-2018England’s preparations for the Test series against Sri Lanka have been further hit by rain.Plans for a two-day warm-up game against a Sri Lanka Board team starting on Thursday had to be abandoned after storms in Colombo overnight. The teams hope to play a 50-over a side game starting at 9.30am on Friday instead.Even if that game goes ahead – there has been only one day’s play on the entire tour that has been unaffected by rain and the forecast is not encouraging – it seems England will go into the first Test in Galle next week underprepared. In terms of red-ball cricket, they have had just two days’ play so far with several players – notably Keaton Jennings and Joe Denly – missing out on the chance to bat or bowl for a long period of time.Of more concern, perhaps, is the fact that neither Olly Stone or Jack Leach played any part in that first warm-up match. If England are serious about trying a different formula in an attempt to improve their overseas results – they have lost their last three overseas series and 10 of their last 13 Tests with the other three drawn – both men are the sort of cricketers who should be considered. Stone offers the prospect of the pace that England so clearly lacked in the Ashes, while Leach could fulfil the role of third frontline spinner in the England attack.England’s predicament is likely to renew criticism both of the timing of the tour – which is during a period when heavy rain is usual in Sri Lanka – and its schedule. While such itineraries are a feature of most modern tours – India left themselves similarly underprepared heading into the Test series in England earlier in the year – they do nothing to alter the dominance of home teams. Long-term, you wonder if they are helping Test cricket.On a more short-term basis, England might also regret the decision not to field Leach in the first two-day warm-up game. If he is a serious option for the Test series – and he really should be – it would have made sense to take every opportunity to play him. England were not limited to 11 players in the match, after all – 13 of them had a go at one stage or another – and this was a predictable problem. As Joe Root had said the day before the game: “With the weather around, you don’t know when the next opportunity is going to come your way.”But instead of giving him a bowl, they provided game-time to four seamers and then allowed the second new ball to be taken by Denly and Adil Rashid. Root and Denly bowled 14.5 overs between them; overs which could have been bowled by Leach.Leach admitted he had “itchy feet” in his desire to play and replied to a question asking if he could play in Galle without any cricket in the warm-up games by saying he would “give it my best shot”.”If there’s rain about it’s about going to Galle, having two days of prep there and putting your name in the hat through nets,” he told the BBC. “Whatever happens I’ll give it my best shot.”This episode threatens to sustain a long run of poor fortune when it comes to Leach and England. First, he was found to have an illegal bowling action just as he had forced himself to the brink of selection – at the end of 2016 – before Mason Crane was somewhat controversially selected ahead of him for the Ashes tour at the end of the following year. Crane, it is understood, was the choice of the captain and coach while at least some of the selectors wanted Leach. As it was, Moeen Ali was obliged to play for most of the series when not fully fit and suffered as a consequence.Then, after Leach made his Test debut in New Zealand at the start of 2018, it appeared he was on the brink of a run in the side. Instead he suffered a broken thumb and then a concussion injury (he was hit on the head by a short ball from Morne Morkel) and was left out of the team for the Pakistan series as the selectors felt – not unreasonably – that he lacked sufficient bowling.He has, at least, had time to bowl in the nets on this tour. But if he does play in this series, he will have to do so without sufficient game time.

Both teams had got off to strong starts with the bat, but New Zealand’s spinners were the difference in a 54-run win

The Report by Varun Shetty15-Nov-2018World No. 3 New Zealand took their first step towards sealing third place in Group B with a comprehensive win over Pakistan. With India’s result against Ireland earlier on Thursday ruling both these teams out of the semi-final race before the match began, the tempo of the game was fast and free-flowing. But New Zealand’s batting might was backed up by their spinners in the middle overs, and after enduring a nervous start courtesy Javeria Khan in their defence of 144, New Zealand folded Pakistan rapidly to seal the 54-run win. Offspinner Jess Watkin took 3 for 9 in her four overs and was chiefly responsible for Pakistan’s slow combustion. Legspinner Amelia Kerr played support with 3 for 21.

Javeria Khan on how women’s cricket in Pakistan can improve

On what the PCB can do: “Our grass-roots level is not that good, PCB are working on it. They are opening academies, and with the [development of the] grass-roots level we’ll get talent, we’ll get bench strength.
“And of course [playing] more matches [will help]. Because, as I said, if we play these kind of matches, we’ll get to know how we have to react in those situations. We are, every time, making the same mistakes. When we get these kind of matches more, then we’ll be able to cut these mistakes down.”
On domestic leagues: “I’m not sure about this. We’ll see how it goes. If it happens, it’s good for the girls. We always say that the leagues which countries have, like Australia, England and even Bangladesh, [that’s good for development].
“So if our girls get exposure from these kind of leagues, go there and play and we have our own league, it will help us. I would urge every country that they should consider Pakistan players, so that we grow at a better pace.”

Both teams were aggressive during the batting Powerplays, but New Zealand found more in their top order than Pakistan would in chase. They reverted to their traditional opening pair of Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine and it was rewarded instantly when the pair put on 59. Importantly, New Zealand didn’t let the rate fall even after Bates was dismissed, with No. 3 Amy Satterthwaite dropping anchor and allowing the more settled Devine to take on the attack. This was followed by another productive partnership between Satterthwaite and Katie Martin that kept the run rate hovering about 6.5 till the 18th over.Pakistan bowled tightly in pockets, but sloppy ground fielding and a dropped catches seemed to regularly make their way in and break any passage where they created pressure. Any success they would have with the ball was delayed, with four wickets falling in the last two overs, but even there, it was bittersweet. Martin and Maddy Green combined to make 18 runs off boundaries as New Zealand pushed to finish on 144.Pakistan’s response was energetic and almost mirrored those final overs from New Zealand’s innings; and they managed to do it without losing any wickets for three overs. Javeria and Ayesha Zafar stunned New Zealand with seven boundaries in the first three overs, and at 31 in three overs, Pakistan had brought the asking rate down dramatically. Javeria hit five of those fours, cashing on short balls from Devine and putting pressure on 18-year-old Kerr, manipulating the leg-side field, and even riding her luck with an inside edge to get three boundaries off the teenager’s first over.Javeria Khan hit six fours in her 36•IDI/Getty Images

But Zafar was caught off the glove first ball of the fourth over against Leigh Kasperek, and from there it became evident that any fight they showed would be a lone battle from Javeria. No. 3 Umaima Sohail looked out of sorts every ball of her five-ball innings till Lea Tahuhu burst through her defence in the next over, and Bismah Maroof fell to Watkin shortly after the Powerplay had ended. Pakistan were 52 for 3 in the seventh over, still a decent rate, but the new batsmen coming in took time to settle.This forced Javeria’s hand and Pakistan’s captain fell in the ninth over for a 23-ball 36 – caught off the glove, trying to reverse-sweep Watkin. Pakistan had made only five between her wicket and that of Maroof’s, in the span of two overs. And they made only one more over the next six balls when the fifth wicket fell for 58. This was the period where New Zealand’s spinners combined to squeeze the middle order who, to their credit, were still looking to score boundaries. It was just a case of being outdone by a quality spin attack on a highly conducive pitch. Very soon Pakistan realised they had no answers and the end parts of the innings became exhibitions in swinging across the line. Medium-pacer Hannah Rowe tucked in a nice little spell during that period and Kerr returned to take two wickets in the 18th over to bowl Pakistan out for 90 in their final group game.

William Somerville and Ajaz Patel took three wickets each to help bowl Pakistan out for 156 and seal the series 2-1

The Report by Danyal Rasool07-Dec-2018For all the excuses Pakistan and their support staff come up with, for all the platitudes of disappointment and frustration that will be bandied around in press conferences, no one could justify what has taken place over the past couple of days. Mickey Arthur said after the first Test here in Abu Dhabi that Pakistan cricket had the ability to move on, and it looks like they’ve moved on without learning a single thing from it.A remarkable turnaround from New Zealand produced a result that is more a heist than a series win. After the smash-and-grab in Abu Dhabi in the first Test, New Zealand repeated the formula in the decider, skittling out a listless, spineless Pakistan for 156. For several teams, it would be a match that stood out for years, the poster child for the need to learn lessons. For Pakistan, it won’t even be the most dramatic implosion of this three-Test series, which they relinquished 2-1 to the visitors. It is the second series loss in last three for Pakistan at their adopted home, after going unbeaten here for almost a decade.Where there was class from New Zealand on the fourth day, there was complacency from Pakistan on the third and a capitulation on the fifth. Having blown their chance to bat New Zealand out of the game, they lacked the powers of concentration to see out 80 overs on the final day. Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls’ partnership alone had spent 24 more overs out in the middle than the entire Pakistan lineup on a fifth day that could not have gone better for Williamson if he had demanded it at a wishing well.Ajaz Patel and William Somerville took three wickets each, with Somerville enjoying a brilliant debut. He can take satisfaction in being the architect of the comeback on the third day after a somewhat toothless start to his bowling career. On day five, however, he looked a completely different bowler, with confidence shimmering in all aspects of his game, tossing the ball up and beating the Pakistan batsmen in the flight. His seven wickets were the fourth-best figures by a New Zealand player on debut, and the glisten in the eyes told of how much it meant to the 34-year-old who had perhaps wondered if such a moment would ever be his.Sarfraz Ahmed and Babar Azam took some control during the middle stages, but nothing short of a wicketless session would do for the hosts. While Sarfraz played in the mould of the player he used to be before becoming captain, he seemed to have found a way to survive in the middle. One wonders why he has lost the confidence to play that way more often, because as things stand, his contributions have rarely amounted to something that advances his side’s cause. Babar’s half-century was a bright spot in a dispiriting series for Pakistan, and a reminder he will have to carry an increasing burden over the weeks and months to come, most immediately in the series in South Africa later this month. When he fell looking to go over the top, Pakistan just had Nos. 10 and 11 at the crease, and the end was inevitable.Getty Images

A chase of 280 had begun with Mohammad Hafeez dropped off the first ball he faced, allowing him to avoid a pair in his final Test. He was castled soon after by a dream of a ball from Tim Southee, pitching on middle and off and shaping away to clip the top of the off stump. Hafeez’s batting career had ended with a moment of cricketing brilliance. Just a shame it didn’t come from him.Any thoughts Pakistan might have had of chasing down New Zealand’s total – and they do seem laughably naïve now – were extinguished soon after, when Azhar Ali edged behind off Colin de Grandhomme. That slowed them down, but the worst was yet to come.Somerville then got rid of Haris Sohail and Asad Shafiq off consecutive balls, blowing away realistic hopes of Pakistan salvaging a draw.
The day had started with New Zealand letting their hair down. In a wildly entertaining mini-session, Nicholls took charge with his unbeaten 126, and with assistance from de Grandhomme and Southee, New Zealand walloped 81 runs in nine overs. It was a final show of dominance from the visitors before they put Pakistan in to bat, a swift lashing to add to the bruises they had inflicted yesterday. Within a day, the situation was flipped completely, and with Pakistan set 280 in 79 overs, a win for the hosts looked impossible.Williamson’s dismissal off the first ball of the day failed to scare the visitors into conservatism, and two fours in the same over sent across that message. Another ten runs off the next, in which Nicholls moved to 99, made it clear that a quick declaration was on the cards. Nicholls’ third Test hundred – his first outside New Zealand – came in the next over, and after that, he too cut loose. The short balls from the fast bowlers were most mercilessly put away, while at the other end de Grandhomme, looking a much freer player, smashed Shaheen Afridi and Yasir Shah for sixes. Yasir removed de Grandhomme and BJ Watling off successive deliveries in response, but even Southee couldn’t be contained here.Pakistan could manage none of the commitment, quality, mental strength or dynamism of the visitors in just about every single moment that mattered across both Tests in Abu Dhabi. It seems a shocking claim, but in truth, they should have walked away with a 3-0 win. Instead, they ceded this series to a side that refused to believe it was beaten against one that, worryingly, looks like it has forgotten how to win.

Shahid Afridi’s 25-ball 39 not out sealed an opening win for Comilla Victorians off the penultimate ball

Mohammad Isam06-Jan-2019

How the game played out

Shahid Afridi’s unbeaten 39 took Comilla Victorians to a four-wicket win against Sylhet Sixers. While the result was sealed off the penultimate ball – with Afridi sweeping Alok Kapali for a four through fine-leg – Victorians were in control of the 128-run chase, first through the efforts of Tamim Iqbal and, later, Afridi.Tamim had held the chase together with his 35, shepherding the side through a few early wickets, before falling in the 17th over with 31 still needed. Afridi, along with Mohammad Saifuddin, added the required runs in only 3.2 overs, with Afridi hitting five fours and two sixes in his 25-ball knock. Steven Smith, who led Victorians, had fallen in the ninth over for a 17-ball 16, out caught behind following a review.The Sixers paid the price for their sluggish batting and early wickets in the first half of their innings. The innings got a push only after Nicholas Pooran cracked five fours and two sixes in his 26-ball 41 and Pooran’s sixth-wicket stand with Alok Kapali took them past the 100-run mark. Mohammad Saifuddin, Mohammad Shahid and Mahedi Hasan took two wickets each, apart from giving away only 59 runs in their combined 10 overs.

Turning points

• Pooran and Kapali added 55 runs for the sixth wicket after the Sixers slipped to 56 for 5 in the 12th over.
• With 31 runs required off 22 balls, Tamim Iqbal was run-out at the non-striker’s end after Shahid Afridi refused him a single.
• Taskin Ahmed conceded 15 runs from the 18th over, that included a six over cover, reducing the target to 12 off the last two overs.

Star of the day

Before partnering Afridi in the final overs, Saifuddin had contributed with the ball, with returns of 2 for 13 in three overs. He bowled two overs at the death, keeping the Sixers’ batsmen down with several slower balls, some being yorkers.

The big miss

Sixers’ captain David Warner’s innings lasted only 13 balls before he was run-out for 14 in the fifth over, after a mix-up with debutant Towhid Hridoy, which left both of them at the striker’s end. Replays, however, suggested that the third umpire may have wrongfully given Warner out instead of Hridoy, as the latter had his bat out of the crease at the striker’s end when Shoaib Malik broke the stump at the other end.

Where the teams stand

Victorians would be pleased at having completed the opening win with their experienced squad. Sixers, on the other hand, may feel hard done by despite getting a competitive score.

The performance of the Indian bowlers on their recent Test tour has given the visiting Sri Lankans a lot of confidence

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane22-Jan-2019Sri Lanka’s bowlers have been urged to believe that they can replicate the success of India’s attack in Australia as they hunt a first Test victory in the country.The Indian bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, were superb as a unit as they secured India’s maiden series victory – 2-1 – in Australia recently. Of particular note was their ability to find reverse swing in the 40-80-over bracket and therefore retain their wicket-taking threat throughout the life of the ball.Sri Lanka come with a far less heralded attack, led by Suranga Lakmal, but have the opportunity to take on a brittle Australia batting line-up that could feature two Test debutants in Kurtis Patterson and Will Pucovski and have other players being shuffled around.Sri Lanka bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake said they had been studying India’s tactics closely as they prepared for the two-Test series, which includes a day-night Test at the Gabba and a maiden Test in Canberra, which will offer a variety of conditions.”It’s one of the major things we looked at, the areas which they had bowled,” Ratnayake said. “It’s just making the bowlers believe that whatever their bowlers can do and the other teams can do, we also can do. That belief is something we are trying to work on at the moment.ALSO READ: Sri Lanka’s best chance to win in Australia?“In batting and bowling, and even in the fielding, the Indians showed the world every place they go to is a home-from-home. I believe we can take that from the Indians. We came here with the motto to win a Test match – we are going to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa so we would love to win a Test match in a country and Australia is one of them.”Sri Lanka have lost Nuwan Pradeep to a hamstring injury. After Lakmal with 54 Test appearances, the next most-capped seamer is Lahiru Kumara with just 14, but he is generating some excitement and interest in Australia.”He’s an exuberant young boy,” Ratnayake said of the 21-year-old quick. “He’s quick in our terms and might be quick in your terms also, because he sometimes touches 148kph, but he hits it at a pace of 140 on a more regular basis. He’s young, he needs to learn a bit more, but when he’s on fire it’s some of the best spells I’ve seen out of Sri Lanka for a long time, especially in West Indies.”In that series against West Indies, Kumara took 17 wickets at 19.88 including six in the day-nighter in Barbados, which Sri Lanka won to share the series.A shared series on this tour, especially with a victory among the results, would make for significant success for Sri Lanka. A series win would be one of their more famous achievements.”I think it is certainly one of the better chances,” Ratnayake said. “A wounded Australia is a bit of a mystery in any sport really. We understand that and we know that when they are wounded they will be at their best.”

England batsman sealed the spoils with 150 from 77 balls, but was pushed closer than anyone could have imagined

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2019Jos Buttler said that England’s hard-fought victory over a Chris Gayle-powered West Indies in Grenada was the ideal dress rehearsal ahead of this summer’s World Cup, as their No. 1 team were pushed to the limits before sealing a remarkable 29-run win in a match lit up by two displays of world-class hitting.Buttler sealed the spoils with his innings of 150 from 77 balls, including 12 sixes and an acceleration from 50 to 150 in a mere 31 deliveries. But Gayle pushed him closer than anyone could have imagined with his riposte of 162 from 97, and could well have edged it had he not been bowled by Ben Stokes with 15 full overs of the chase remaining.”It was hectic,” Buttler told afterwards. “I’m trying to catch my breath. It was an unbelievable game of cricket. I think as a side, being put under a huge amount of pressure in a game like that, we showed a huge amount of character to come through it.”England’s victory ensures them at least a share of the spoils in what is now a four-match series after Monday’s washout. And a win in Saturday’s finale in St Lucia will guarantee they remain top of the rankings going into their final World Cup preparations against Ireland and Pakistan in May.But having been forced to hunt down a hefty target of 361 in their first match in Barbados, before being stung by an untimely collapse at the same ground two days later, Buttler believed that England had learned some valuable lessons against a hugely competitive West Indies side with a resurgent world-beater in their ranks.”It’s a great dress rehearsal, with lots of pressure,” he said. “But it just goes to show, no matter who’s favourite, on any given day there will be unbelievable games of cricket, and if Chris Gayle is in the opposition, you can lose those games. I’ve probably never seen anyone hit sixes as easy as he can. He’s a legend of the game.”As England’s vice-captain, Buttler was right in the thick of the permutations as England attempted to stem the tide during West Indies’ pursuit.”There were lots of discussions out in the middle,” he said. “We needed wickets all the time, because we felt that if Gayle batted long enough they’d win the game, which is incredible when you’ve got 420 on the board.”In the end, the game was sealed in two contrasting but character-filled performances from Mark Wood, who was an aggressive handful with new ball and old, and picked up four wickets all told, and Adil Rashid, who recovered from some rough treatment early in his day’s work to scalp four wickets in a single over to complete a remarkable five-wicket haul.”Mark Wood was outstanding again,” Buttler said. “He bowled fantastically, with a lot of confidence, charging in and bowling fast. A fit and firing Wood has got that X-factor.”And I like the way that Adil wants the ball in those situations. Being able to spin the ball both ways, he’s tough to get after. We juggled the bowlers well, and for Adil to bowl an over like that at that time was special. We were put under great pressure and did well to stand up to it.”However, it was Buttler himself who produced the Man-of-the-Match performance, with a blistering innings that he was at a loss to explain afterwards.”It was special,” he said. “I enjoyed it, because when you get into that zone, to continue it is pleasing. Range hitting is fun, I enjoy practising it in the nets, with no consequences, just learning to have fun, improvise and improve.”I had a chat with Joe Root [when I came to the crease], he said we needed north of 350, so knowing that was at the back of my mind. With 12-13 overs left, we were well set so it was time to kick on.”That’s one of the strengths of the team,” he added. “There are no egos, we have a lots of guys willing to bat in a multitude of positions, with no set batting order.”Gayle was also full of praise for Buttler’s performance after the match, albeit with a jokey caveat.”Buttler is superb,” he said. “You can’t take away the fact that he’s one of the best strikers in the world today … but he’s not close to the Universe Boss though!”But he’s a youngster, he’ll get there eventually. He’s showcased his talent all round the world. He’s a game changer, a game winner, any team needs a Buttler in their team to win them games.”He’s a superb player, he’s been in superb form from the last IPL, and he’s done this for England for some time. He’s a key player, batted superbly well and took the game away from us.”

De Villiers looks rusty and the middle order continues to be a source of worry for RCB as they try to turn around a six-match losing streak

Alagappan Muthu12-Apr-20196:02

Will RCB finally collect their first win?

Big picture

Plenty of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s losses tally back to their weak bowling units. But it may be argued that the six on the trot this season is more the result of their batting misfiring through every stage of an IPL match. Statistics indicate they have scored at 7.3 per over in the Powerplay (seventh-best out of eight teams), 6.9 between overs 7 and 15 (seventh-best again) and 8.9 in the back end (dead last).So, clearly, Kings XI Punjab have plenty of targets to aim at and a fine roster of bowlers to do it for them. Yet, two of their three losses in 2019 were the result of bowling mishaps. They fumbled a great opportunity against Mumbai earlier this week and, before that, allowed KKR to score 218. Strange things happen in the IPL and that trend is probably going to continue when these two teams meet on Saturday.

In the news

• Kings XI batting coach S Sriram said Chris Gayle felt a twitch in his back during the game against Mumbai on Wednesday and that he needed to be monitored.
• Mayank Agarwal missed Kings XI’s previous match with a hand injury. The 28-year old has already played a high-impact innings against one of the best bowling teams in the tournament and his return to the XI could prove a major boost.
• RCB confirmed the signing of Dale Steyn on Friday evening. The South Africa fast bowler replaces the injured Nathan Coulter-Nile but will only be available for selection after April 15.

Form guide

Kings XI Punjab: Lost to Mumbai Indians by three wickets, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets, lost to Chennai Super Kings by 22 runs
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Lost to Delhi Capitals by four wickets, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets, lost to Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets

Previous meeting

Goes back to last year, when Kings XI were bowled out for 88 after fast bowler Umesh Yadav took out their two best batsmen – KL Rahul and Chris Gayle – inside five overs. RCB won with 10 wickets and 71 balls to spare.BCCI

Likely XIs

Kings XI Punjab: 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Karun Nair, 4 David Miller/ Nicholas Pooran, 5 Sarfaraz Khan, 6 Mandeep Singh, 7 Sam Curran, 8 R Ashwin (capt), 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 M Ashwin, 11 Mohammed ShamiRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Marcus Stoinis, 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Akshdeep Nath, 7 Pawan Negi, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Umesh Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Navdeep Saini

Strategy punt

• Spin to AB de Villiers. His strike-rate of 94 this season is among the lowest for any batsman over the first 10 balls of their innings. Also, three of his five dismissals in 2019 were the result of opposition teams forcing him to play spin as soon as he came to the crease. Kings XI will want to exploit this weakness, and may even draft M Ashwin into their XI to do so. De Villiers, since IPL 2017, has lost his wicket to legspin seven times, while making a modest 158 runs in 121 balls.
• There is an equally strong case for Umesh Yadav’s inclusion in the RCB line-up. He matches up favourably against both Gayle and Rahul, conceding just about a run a ball, while also dismissing them a combined four times – Gayle thrice and Rahul once. In fact, Kings XI are Umesh’s favourite opposition – 26 wickets (personal best), 16 average (personal best), 7.13 economy (personal best)

R Ashwin is pumped up after taking a wicket•BCCI

Stats that matter

• Since IPL 2015, the average first-innings score in a night game at Mohali is 173 and this is one of the rare venues where teams have more wins batting first (11) than second (5)
• RCB desperately need a strong hand in the middle order, especially now that international retirement seems to have made de Villiers a bit rusty. In an ideal world, Colin de Grandhomme and Moeen Ali should have solved that problem considering they have been striking at 148 and 170 in the middle overs of a T20 match since 2015. Except they average only 19 when playing the shortest format in India and it is that trend that is on show a little too often.
• Fair warning to fans of both teams. The Powerplay might be hard to watch. RCB have picked up only three wickets in this period across six different matches – that’s a bowling average of 98. Kings XI have been equally ineffective; they are the only team that leaks runs at a higher rate (8.6) than RCB (8.2). So yeah, might be useful to hide behind the couch and ask a friend to tell you when the first six overs are done.