World Cricket Live Update

India lead Zimbabwe 3-0 in ODI Series
India have been able to beat Zimbabwe in the first three matches without much fuss. The home side have battled hard but some poor patches of play have cost them dearly. They have lost a few wickets in patches which has left them struggling, and the poor form of captain Brendan Taylor isn't helping. For India Virat Kohli and Shitikar Dhawan have both hit centuries.

Results:
1st ODI: India 230/4 (44.5 overs) defeated Zimbabwe 228/7 (50.0 overs) by 6 wickets
2nd ODI: India 294/8 (50.0 overs) defeated Zimbabwe 236/9 (50.0 overs) by 58 runs
3rd ODI: India 187/3 (35.3 overs) defeated Zimbabwe 183 (46.0 overs) by 7 wickets


Pakistan won ODI series 3-1 and T20I series 2-0
After the ODI series being tantalisingly poised at 1-1 after the tied third match, the home fans had belief that a series win could be possible. Unfortunately for them, Pakistan were able to string some consistent performances together to win the last two games. This included a thriller in the last match where they Saeed Ajmal hit the winning run with only 1 ball remaining. Pakistan have also carried over this form in the T20I series winning both matches.

Results:
4th ODI: Pakistan 189/4 (30.0 overs) defeated West Indies 261/7 (49.0 overs) by 6 wickets (D/L Method)
5th ODI: Pakistan 243/6 (49.5 overs) defeated West Indies 242/7 (50.0 overs) by 4 wickets

1st T20I: Pakistan 158/8 (20.0 overs) defeated West Indies 152/7 (20.0 overs) by 2 wickets
2nd T20I: Pakistan 135/7 (20.0 overs) defeated West Indies 124/9 (20.0 overs) by 11 runs


Sri Lanka lead ODI series 3-1 against South Africa with one match to play
Sri Lanka have simply been too good for South Africa in this series with some pretty convincing wins. This included yesterday's match where Sri Lanka bowled out South Africa for 236 and then preceded to chase it down only losing two wickets. Dilshan and Sangakkara were the heroes scoring 115* and 91 respectively. There was an interesting moment in the 3rd ODI when Sri Lanka's Thisara Perera hit Robin Peterson for 35 runs off one over. It went 6wd66646. The over was the second biggest in ODI history, just falling behind Herschelle Gibbs' six sixes of Daan van Bunge at the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Results:
1st ODI: Sri Lanka 320/5 (50.0 overs) defeated South Africa 140 (31.5 overs) by 180 runs
2nd ODI: Sri Lanka 223/9 (49.2 overs) defeated South Africa 104/5 (21.0 overs) by 17 runs (D/L Method)
3rd ODI: South Africa 223/7 (50.0 overs) defeated Sri Lanka 167 (43.2 overs) by 56 runs
4th ODI: Sri Lanka 239/2 (44.0 overs) defeated South Africa 238 (48.4 overs) by 8 wickets

World Cricket Live Update

With plenty of cricket on as well as the Ashes I've decided to combine my analysis all in this post instead of single posts.

Ashes: 2nd Test Day 2
England 361 (100.1 overs) and 31/3 (20.0 overs)
Australia 128 (53.3 overs)
England lead by 264 runs

It's a pretty simple analysis of today's play in the Ashes, and that is that Australia were horrible. Their top-order batting once again failed with some horrendous shots and some even worse uses of the DRS. This all came after Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad put on a 48 run stand for the last wicket. Mind you although they played some good shots, Australia's persistence with a bouncer strategy certainly helped.

After finally dismissing England for 361, the Australian openers started relatively well with Shane Watson playing some nice drives. All went haywire though just before lunch when Shane Watson was struck on the pads and given out. He was deadset plumb but decided to review which has certainly not helped his perception by the Australian fans. Chris Rogers I think has to be partly to blame though as Watson did initially look unwilling to review, but I'm guessing Rogers might have said something to encourage him to do so. This certainly came to haunt Rogers as he was dismissed in ridiculous circumstances after lunch. Swann let go of a wild full toss which slipped out of his hands which Rogers preceded to miss completely while attempting a pull shot. Erasmus gave it out and Rogers decided not to refer with the thought that an incorrect referral would leave Australia with none left. Consequently Rogers was out in spite of HawkEye replays later on showing the ball would have missed leg stump by a fair margin.

The collapse continued as Phil Hughes played an absolute shocking shot to be caught behind, and despite an adamant referral he was sent packing. Usman Khawaja was caught after hitting one straight up in the air, while Michael Clarke was gone lbw to an inswinging Broad delivery. Smith was caught in close off the bowling of Swann and Agar was run out in a mix-up with Haddin just before tea. It didn't change much after tea for Australia with Haddin and Siddle following suit. Pattinson and Harris put on the second highest partnership of the innings which is an indication of just how poor Australia were.

Peter Siddle ensured some sort of respectability for the aussies taking three quick wickets before stumps after Alistair Cook decided to not enforce the follow-on. I've got to say despite all the hype about the pitches being played on, the top-order batting all round has been pretty ordinary so far in the series.

Hero of the day: Graeme Swann
5 wickets - an easy choice here.

Villain of the day: Shane Watson
Watson was the highest scorer of the Australian innings which might then  leave people surprised about my choice here. He again failed to go on with a start, but also decided to review his plumb lbw which ultimately dudded Rogers later on as well. Some people may feel it's too harsh to have him as the 'villain' but talk to any Australian supporter, and they will be struggling to disagree with Mickey Arthur that he is a 'cancer' in the team.

Who won the day? England
No point even really answering this as England are well in the box seat. Despite being three wickets down for not many, with Australia's batting line-up even the current lead will probably be way more than enough.

3rd ODI: West Indies v Pakistan
Pakistan 229/6 (50.0 overs)
West Indies 229/9 (50.0 overs)
Match tied

In another incredible close match of ODI cricket (who the hell said ODI's aren't exciting) the West Indies have managed to tie with Pakistan. This is amazingly the fourth tie in ODI's in the past two months and Pakistan's second having tied with Ireland in May. The West Indies needed 39 runs off the last three overs at eight down. Enter no.11 Jason Holder who hit 19 off only 9 balls including a six and a four off the last over bowled by Wahab Riaz.

Earlier Misbah-ul-Haq steered the Pakistani innings with 75 while keeper Umar Akmal chipped in with a valuable 40. Lendl Simmons scored 75 for the West Indies in what was a slugglish run chase until the fireworks at the end from Sunil Narine (14 off 5 balls) and Jason Holder (19* off 9 balls).

The series is delicately poised at 1-1 with two matches to play.

ODI Series Preview: Sri Lanka v South Africa 
5 ODI Matches

Sri Lanka and South Africa are about to kick-off a 5 match series, which again has disappointingly left no room for the test series which has been postponed until 2015. This is even more telling now that the Sri Lanka Premier League which was one of the major reasons for this postponment has now been cancelled. Nonetheless its still an important series in the ODI scheme of things with the Cricket World Cup only a year and a half away. 

I read an interesting stat on Cricinfo which was that South Africa haven't played a bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka since 2004 which is quite incredible really in the current international cricket climate. Therefore South Africa will be wanting to play well in their first ODI series encounter in the country in nearly a decade. The teams are neck and neck in the ODI Rankings with South Africa narrowly holding onto a top four spot with a rating of 110, while Sri Lanka are 5th on 108. Therefore this series will be crucial for rankings points especially for Sri Lanka who will be looking to break into even the top three possibly with a strong series. 

Sri Lanka have just come off the tri-series in the West Indies where they made the final, and before that the semi-finals in the Champions Trophy. South Africa also made the semi's in the Champions Trophy which further consolidates just how close these two sides are. South Africa will be without spearhead Dale Steyn which will certainly help Sri Lanka. South Africa have numerous inexperienced players in their squad, and with home conditions, I reckon Sri Lanka may be have a huge shot of taking this series.

Squads
Sri Lanka (1st and 2nd ODI's): D.Chandimal (c), T.Dilshan, S.Eranga, R.Herath, M.Jayawardene, S.Lakmal, L.Malinga, A.Mendis, J.Mubarak, A.Perera, T.Perera, K.Sangakkara, S.Senanayake, U.Tharanga, L.Thirmanne

South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), H.Amla, F.Behardien, Q. de Kock, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, C.Ingram, R.Kleinveldt, R.McLaren, D.Miller, M.Morkel, C.Morris, A.Petersen, R.Peterson, A.Phangiso, L.Tsotsobe

Fixtures
20th July: 1st ODI @ R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
23rd July: 2nd ODI @ R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
26th July: 3rd ODI @ Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
28th July: 4th ODI @ Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy
31st July: 5th ODI @ R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

First Class Match: Zimbabwe Select XI v Australia A

Australia A 226 and 156
Zimbabwe Select XI 142 and 160

This match received some increased publicity due to David Warner being sent from England to play in it. Well, that certainly backfired with Warner being dismissed cheaply in both innings for only 6 and 11. The Australian selectors certainly have a conundrum on their hands with Warner's poor form and limited match practice along with Australia's poor batting form so far in the tests.

Meanwhile Fawad Ahmed bowled well to take 8 wickets for the match to further boost his chances of mid-series call-up to the Ashes. Pat Cummins made a reasonable comback, while for Zimbabwe Kyle Jarvis and Elton Chigumbura impressed with the ball. Zimbabwe next take on India in a 5 match ODI series which they will be hoping to spring an upset or two in.

__________________________________

It certainly is a jam-packed international calender at the moment with lots of cricket on. Obviously the Ashes is taking the majority of the spotlight, but the other nations have some important cricket to play, unfortunately in ODI's only, and not in tests.

Dhoni returns to hit India to Tri-Series victory

India 203/9 (49.4 overs) defeated
Sri Lanka 201 (48.5 overs) by 1 wicket

MS Dhoni made his return to the tri-series in blistering fashion by hitting two sixes and a four in the final over to win the final for India. At 182/9 chasing 201 with three and a half overs to go things were looking dire for India. Even at the beginning of the final over Sri Lanka were in the box seat as India needed 15 to win. Dhoni though hit the second ball off Eranga for six, the next for four, and then sealed a fabulous win with another six.

Dhoni proved again just how good a finisher he is. If you read up on an article on Cricinfo, he is compared with Michael Bevan as one the great finishers in ODI history. Bevan averaged 53.58 with six hundreds in 232 matches. He scored them at a strike rate of 74.16. Dhoni is averaging 51.45 with eight hundreds in 226 matches. He's scored them at 88.17. Dhoni has proven he is the man for big moments, including in the final of the World Cup, and he is a major reason why India are first on the ODI Rankings and have now won their second final in as many months.

India and Sri Lanka to play-off in Tri-Series Final

India have defeated rivals Sri Lanka in the final league game in the West Indies to qualify for the final against the same opponents. In another rain affected match India made 119/3 off their 29 overs before routing Sri Lanka for 96 after the target was boosted to 178 from 26 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with an amazing 4/8 off 6 overs.

In a tri-series with plenty of twists, hosts West Indies who won their first two matches, now miss out on the final. It will be disappointing for them as they would have expected to make it at the halfway stage of the tournament. The West Indies will now focus on their limited over series of Pakistan featuring 5 ODI's and 2 T20I's. Meanwhile India will be hoping for some more silverware after their Champions Trophy win last month, while Sri Lanka will be hoping to exact some revenge after losing to India in the semi-final in England.

ODI Tri-Series Final: India v Sri Lanka @ Port of Spain
July 11 2013 
 

Tri-Series set to begin

On the back of the Champions Trophy, West Indies, Sri Lanka and victors India have flown to the Carribbean to take part in this ODI Tri-Series. Unfortunately it does replace a test series between the home side and Sri Lanka. Nonetheless it should be a fiercely competitive series with the majority of each team's squad consisting of their Champions Trophy teams.

India are undoubtedly favourites for the tournament after their impressive winning performance in the Champions Trophy. India have also consequently extended their lead on top of the ICC Rankings to 10 points. Sri Lanka meanwhile made the semi-finals in the Champions trophy and lost to India. Their performances have been patchy of late with a 2-2 draw with Australia followed by a disappointing 1-1 draw with Bangladesh at home. They sit at #5 in the rankings and a successful tournament here could propel them into the top four for the first time in quite a while. West Indies meanwhile exited the Champions Trophy in the group stages after a win against Pakistan, a loss to India, which preceded a tie to South Africa which ultimately sealed their fate in the tournament. The West Indies have a lot of potential in the ODI format, however apart from their drubbing of Zimbabwe earlier this year, their form has been disappointing with a series loss in Bangladesh and a clean sweep in Australia occurring in the past 6-8 months. They will look to play well in front of their home fans and try and re-establish their ranking at 7th, after falling behind New Zealand.

It should be a pretty good contest and I think West Indies and Sri Lanka will be battling each other to meet India in the final.

Squads:
West Indies (Jamaica matches): Dwayne Bravo (c), T.Best, Darren Bravo, J.Charles, C.Gayle, S.Narine, K.Pollard, D.Ramdin, R.Rampaul, K.Roach, D.Sammy, M.Samuels, D.Smith

India: MS Dhoni (c), R.Ashwin, S.Dhawan, R.Jadeja, D.Karthik, V.Kohli, B.Kumar, A.Mishra, S.Raina, S.Ahmed, I.Sharma, R.Sharma, M.Vijay, V.Kumar, U.Yadav

Sri Lanka: A.Matthews (c), D.Chandimal, D.Lokuhettige, S.Eranga, R.Herath, M.Jayawardene, N.Kulasekara, L.Malinga, A.Mendis, J.Mendis, K.Perera, K.Sangakkara, S.Senanayake, U.Tharanga, L.Thirimanne

Fixtures:
28th June
West Indies v India @ Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

30th June
India v Sri Lanka @ Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

2nd July
West Indies v Sri Lanka @ Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

5th July
West Indies v India @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

7th July
Sri Lanka v India @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

9th July
West Indies v Sri Lanka @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

11th July
Final @ Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad

Last edition of the Champions Trophy all set to go!

The Champions Trophy has been  a much maligned competition over its duration. It started off as a knock-out tournament, went on to include heavily underprepared associates (cough...cough... USA), and has finally settled on its best format. The top eight teams, the major cricketing nations in a short and sharp tournament where all games matter. This last edition wasn't even meant to be in the schedule for 2013, however remained due to the inability for the World Test Championship to get up and running. In 2017 though, the Test event will occur (we think) which has caused the ICC to signal that each format of the game should have one major tournament. It's definitely the right move, however the fact that now there will only be a one-day tournament every four years means greater potential for more T20 matches.

Anyway I move back to the Champions Trophy, and there is much excitement around this year's tournament. All the sides are relatively closely matched and any team could win especially in the tournament format where every game counts. Below I run through the teams and their chances.

England
The hosts are one of the favourites, however their series loss to New Zealand will increase the doubts around them. Home conditions will help especially over the subcontinent teams. Good chance for the final I reckon.

India
They mauled Australia in their last warm-up match a couple of days ago, and will use this tournament to try and take some of the spotlight off the drama back in India. Should make the semis.

Australia
With Michael Clarke in severe doubt with a back injury, and their frailty against swing bowling being highlighted against India, I sense they might struggle. Don't think they will make the semis to be honest.

South Africa
The perennial under-achievers in global tournaments, however they have won a Champions Trophy. Expected to do well and could challenge for the final, although Steyn's potential absence will hurt.

Sri Lanka
In contrast to above, Sri Lanka have over-achieved to an extent (to outsider's expectations) in global tournaments, however I don't think they'll make the semis here though.

Pakistan
Pakistan were lucky to get away against Ireland and are unpredictable; so are therefore quite difficult to assess. Could be anywhere from first-round losers to finalists.

New Zealand
Darkhorses as usual. Series win over England will give them huge confidence. Will be looking at the group match against Australia to try and land a semi-final spot.

West Indies
Their T20 World Cup win last year has so far failed to translate into any dominant ODI form as of yet. Don't think that will turn around yet.

Full Fixtures

Group A

Saturday 8^th June

England VS Australia @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Sunday 9^th June

New Zealand VS Sri Lanka @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Wednesday 12^th June

Australia VS New Zealand @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Thursday 13^th June

England VS Sri Lanka @ Kennington Oval, London

Sunday 16^th June

England VS New Zealand @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Monday 17^th June

Australia VS Sri Lanka @ Kennington Oval, London

Group B

Thursday 6^th June

India VS South Africa @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Friday 7^th June

Pakistan VS West Indies @ Kennington Oval, London

Monday 10^th June

Pakistan VS South Africa @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Tuesday 11^th June

India VS West Indies @ Kennington Oval, London

Friday 14^th June

South Africa VS West Indies @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Saturday 15th June

India VS Pakistan @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

Finals

Wednesday 19^th June

Semi Final #1 @ Kennington Oval, London

Thursday 20^th June

Semi Final #2 @ Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

Sunday 23^rd June

Final @ Edgbaston, Birmingham

 

Test Rankings Update

With the New Zealand and England series ending the other day in an incredible draw, there is now a bit of a break until the next test assignments. Zimbabwe do host Bangladesh in April for a two test match series in a bottom of the table clash, but for the test purists, they will have to wait until May for any substantial action.

With this in mind, I thought now would be a good time to reflect on each team's form in the past five months (since November) and their current positions on the ranking table. I'll also detail the test series which will be played later this year.

South Africa
8 matches
6 wins 2 draws 0 losses
Captain Graeme Smith has just received the test mace and the $450,000 cheque that goes along with it. They thoroughly deserve these accolades as they have comprehensively beaten all team that they have played. The critical series against Australia in Australia was a challenge but a superb performance at the WACA sealed a hard fought 1-0 win. Their home summer was flawless with a 2-0 and 3-0 thumping of New Zealand and Pakistan respectively.

India
8 matches
5 wins 1 draw 2 losses
All of India's 8 matches have been played at home, and their results can be split into two categories. Their 1-2 defeat to England was disappointing and it showed that they had some things to address. Meanwhile their 4-0 hammering of Australia, although helped by the implosion of Australia, showed that they are still a force to be reckoned with in their home conditions.

West Indies
4 matches
4 wins 0 draws 0 losses
These results look sensational, but some context is needed. Their matches were played against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. So they were expected to win these four matches, but the ruthlessness they displayed at times is a sign that West Indies may be on a significant rise in test cricket.

Australia
10 matches
3 wins 2 draws 5 losses
Australia have come through an incredible rough trot after being hammered by India. Players being sent home, selection inconsistencies an rumoured player unrest have destabilized the team. The retirements of Ponting and Hussey would not have helped. All this was on the back of a decent home summer with a narrow 0-1 loss to the South Africans and a 3-0 cleansweep of Sri Lanka.

England
7 matches
2 wins 4 draws 1 loss 
England's win over India was a historic achievement and they thoroughly deserved their win with some outstanding performances. They have crashed back to Earth though, with a 0-0 draw against New Zealand. They were only one wicket away from losing the series, which would have been a major disappointment for England.

Sri Lanka
7 matches
2 wins 1 draw 4 losses
Sri Lanka's form has not been good, and there are signs that they may be on a downward trend in test cricket (their board's cancelling of tests will not help this). They were upset by New Zealand in Sri Lanka to draw the series 1-1, and were completely outplayed by Australia down under. The fact that they could only just beat Bangladesh shows where they are at.

New Zealand
7 matches
1 win 3 draws 3 losses
Despite only 1 win from the past 7 matches, things are starting to turn around for New Zealand. Their win in Sri Lanka was amazing, although was overshadowed by the Ross Taylor captaincy saga. Despite being smashed by South Africa, their performance against England showed that they have some good players coming through the ranks.

Bangladesh
4 matches
0 wins 1 draw 3 losses 
Bangladesh's form has actually been quite impressive. They posted their then highest test score in the first match against the West Indies and should have probably won that game. Their draw in the first match against Sri Lanka (while making 638) was a major highlight for them.

Pakistan
3 matches
0 wins 0 draws 3 losses
Pakistan have only played the one series which was against South Africa away. They were destroyed by the no.1 side with a real low-light coming when they were bowled out for 49 in the first test.

Zimbabwe
2 matches
0 wins 0 draws 2 losses
Zimbabwe played tests for the first time in over a year with a series away against West Indies. As expected they were brushed aside with relative ease, but the experience shall be good for them.

Some statistics from this in general are:
30 matches played (over the last 5 months)
2 four match series
4 three match series
5 two match series
Thought I'd include this breakdown as I really hate two match series. Who wouldn't have loved an extra match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand or even between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, giving Bangladesh the opportunity to play for a drawn series.

Of the 30 matches played, 7 have been drawn, which is around 23%. I reckon most of these were on roads of pitches. Adelaide comes to mind, as does matches played in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

The current rankings are as follows: (up to date as of now)

1 - South Africa    128
2 - England           114
3 - India                112
4 - Australia         110
5 - Pakistan          104
6 - Sri Lanka         92
7 - West Indies      92
8 - New Zealand   83
9 -  Bangladesh      1

The divide between South Africa and the rest is really prominent now, and really proves just how dominant they have been over the past five months. Australia have slipped from nearly being no.1 to now down to no.4. While West Indies have improved their ranking to 92 and are now within striking distance of leap-frogging Sri Lanka into 6th position. Bangladesh picked up a ranking point, while Zimbabwe are still unranked, although they could find themselves on the table after the Bangladesh series.

Test Calendar for the rest of 2013:
April: Zimbabwe VS Bangladesh (Zimbabwe) - 2 match series
May: England VS New Zealand (England) - 2 match series
July/August: West Indies VS Pakistan (West Indies) - 2 match series
July/August: England VS Australia (England) - 5 match series
October: Bangladesh VS New Zealand (Bangladesh) - 2 match series
October: Zimbabwe VS Sri Lanka (Zimbabwe) - 2 match series
October: Pakistan VS South Africa (UAE) - 2/3 match series
November - January: Australia VS England (Australia) - 5 match series
December/January: South Africa VS India (South Africa) - 3/4 match series
December/January: New Zealand VS West Indies (New Zealand) - 3 match series
December/January: Pakistan VS Sri Lanka (UAE) - 3 match series

The two Ashes series are the main highlight, although Australia's problems could mean the series' aren't as closely fought as everyone would like. All the other nations are left to pick up the scraps with a glut of two match series. Although there is hope that Pakistan could play South Africa in a three match series, while Cricket South Africa are considering a four match series against India. The Bangladesh VS New Zealand series should be closely fought with the improvement of Bangladesh.

Let's hope for some exciting matches as well as some brilliant individual performances. On a side note it will be interesting to see whether Sachin Tendulkar continues playing, as India do not play another test series until South Africa in December. 

Bangladesh draw series against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh 184/7 (26.0 overs) defeated Sri Lanka 302/9 (183)
by 3 wickets (Duckworth- Lewis Method)

Bangladesh have drawn their ODI series against Sri Lanka overnight with an upset three wicket win overnight. Sri Lanka started off at a quick pace with Kusal Perera and Dilshan putting on 116 for the first wicket. Kumar Sangakkara came in and make a run a ball 48, while Dilshan continued on to hit his 16th ODI hundred - 125*. Bangladesh though recovered and managed to restrict the rest of the Sri Lankan batsmen. Abdur Razzak was the chief destroyer with a five wicket haul, in the process becoming the first Bangladeshi player to take 200 ODI wickets. Although Sri Lanka would have been slightly disappointed at their inability to compose a bigger score, they would still have been confident in defending 302.

Bangladesh, similar to Sri Lanka, made an impressive start with openers Anamul Haque and Mohammad Ashraful putting on 77 in 12.5 overs. Shortly after though the rain came, which forced the involvement of Duckworth and Lewis. After a significant rain of delay, the target was reduced to 183 off 27 overs. The batsmen seemed to lose some composure after this with regular wickets falling. Nasir Hossain (newly promoted to no.5) maintained his cool though with 33* to steer the chase. On a side note, Nasir is really starting to find his place in this team and a permanent promotion up the order may be in order. He now averages 43 in ODI's, as well as an impressive 44 in test cricket. Malinga, Matthews and Senanayake each took apiece, with the other wicket being a run-out. 

This was Bangladesh's first win against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. A remarkable achievement for them and continuation of a pretty positive tour for the visitors. The last match of the tour is a single T20I which is to be played on Saturday.

Full scorecard here on Cricinfo: http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-bangladesh-2013/engine/match/602476.html

World Cricket Live Update

Apologies for the break in posts so below I have summarised the most recent results on the international cricket scene:

• New Zealand and England drew Test Series 0-0
• India whitewashed Australia 4-0 to end a horrendous tour for the visitors
• Sri Lanka secured a 1-0 series victory in their home test series against Bangladesh
• Sri Lanka lead their ODI series against the same team 1-0 with one match to play, after the second encounter was rained out
• West Indies completed their series whitewash with a 2-0 result in the test matches, after a 3-0 and 2-0 win in the ODI and T20I series respectively
• South Africa won the deciding game to seal a close ODI series with Pakistan 3-2

 

• Ireland clean-swept their tour of the UAE with a win in their Intercontinental Cup match, two World Cup Qualifiers and single T20I
• Kenya won both both WCL Championship matches against Canada, as well as the first class match, while the T20I series was drawn 1-1
• Scotland were smashed by Afghanistan with the Afganistan team winning the two WCQ's, the Intercontinental Cup match and the two T20I's

Bangladesh secure first test draw against Sri Lanka

Bangladesh have secured their first draw in a test match against Sri Lanka. People may think, oh wow, a draw, tell me when they win a match. However looking at Bangladesh's test record, (before this match) it doesn't take you long to work out that this has been an immense achievement.

75 matches
3 wins
65 losses
7 draws

Those wins have come against Zimbabwe and a weakened West Indies side. The draws have been against India, West Indies, New Zealand and Zimbabwe. In fact their only draw in a non-interrupted match has been against Zimbabwe. Therefore this result could be considered one of their best ever, as corrected by Cricinfo reporter Mohammad Isam. (http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-bangladesh-2013/content/current/story/624731.html)

Angelo Matthews actually declared late on the final day setting Bangladesh a target of 268 in around 37 overs. Even Bangladesh realised that it was not worth chasing this total, perhaps learning from their fifth day capitulation against West Indies last November. Sri Lanka did manage to pick up one wicket, but even Bangladesh would not have had collapsed on the Galle pitch.

In relation to the pitch, some people may say Bangladesh's achievement should be discredited because of it. I disagree with this as even on roads before, Bangladesh have been totally outclassed and lost by innings, so for them to secure a draw is a good step. Nonetheless I do agree that this type of pitch is bad for test cricket. In fact it is horrible for test cricket. Test cricket to survive needs "result" pitches that offer a good balance between bat and ball. The pitch in Galle was terrible and hopefully will never be produced like that again.

The next (and final test unfortunately, man I hate 2 test series) starts on Saturday.

Full scorecard from the 1st test: http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-bangladesh-2013/engine/match/602472.html

World Cricket Live Update

Plenty of cricket going on at the moment so here is an update on live world cricket!

1st Test: New Zealand VS England 
Match Drawn
New Zealand 460 drew with England 167 and 421/6
England despite being dominated by New Zealand in the first test have managed to hold on for a draw. After letting New Zealand get a lead of 293, England came back strong with both openers Cook and Compton scoring centuries. For Compton it was his first test century and would have helped silence some of the doubters. Nightwatchman Steven Finn managed to stick around the next morning to make his highest test (and first-class) score of 56. Trott also contributed and made 52. Neil Wagner again impressed with a three wicket haul. If the first day wasn't washed out, New Zealand would have really had a great chance to push for a win. Nonetheless they would be impressed with the way they played. England would be happy that they managed to escape with a draw after their inept batting display in the first innings. With the series still 0-0, the next test starts on the 14th.

Full scorecard here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-england-2013/engine/current/match/569243.html

1st ODI: South Africa VS Pakistan
South Africa won by 125 runs
South Africa 315/4 and Pakistan 190 
Apologies for not posting a series preview for this; I just haven't had the time. In summary for South Africa it is an important series as it is their last major matches before the Champions Trophy. After their loss to New Zealand they will be hoping for an improved performance. They have slipped to 4th in the rankings so will be hoping to get back near the top. For Pakistan they will be hoping to put on a better show after a 3-0 whitewash in the test series. They are ranked in 6th in ODI's and they will be also be wanting to put in a good performance ahead of the Champions Trophy in a few months.

Back to this match, and South Africa really dominated. They piled up 315/4 off their 50 overs with Colin Ingram making an unbeaten 105*. De Villiers made a run a ball 65. They took their batting powerplay immediately in the 11th over which was a nice change from the usual in ODI cricket of wating until the 36th over. Pakistan were never really in the hunt and were struck out for 190 in 36.2 overs. Rory Kleinveldt took four wickets in a good spell.

The next match is in four days.

Full scorecard here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-pakistan-2013/engine/current/match/567368.html

1st Test: Sri Lanka VS Bangladesh
Bangladesh lead Sri Lanka by 27 runs
Bangladesh 638 and Sri Lanka 570/4dec and 41/1

On the road of a pitch in Galle, Bangladesh piled up their highest test score of 638. Mohammad Ashraful could not go on to make a double (he was dismissed on 190), but it was his captain Mushfiqur Rahim who did going on to make an exact 200. It really was a unbelievable innings and he became the first Bangladesh batsman in test history to score a double century. Nasir Hossain coming in at no.7 picked up where Ashraful left off and even managed to score a ton himself. The Sri Lankan bowlers were ineffective but they did manage to restrict Bangladesh's lead to 68.

Shahadat Hossain has picked up the early wicket of Karunaratne but unless something unthinkable happens this test will end up drawn.

Current scorecard and Cricinfo commentary here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-bangladesh-2013/engine/current/match/602472.html

1st ODI: Kenya VS Canada
Canada 227/8 (50.0 overs)
Both of these teams lie in the bottom three of the World Cricket League Championship. Although it is still mathematically possible, it is virtually impossible for these teams to finish in the top two to automatically qualify for the World Cup. In all honesty both Kenya and Canada will need to focus on keeping their ODI status by finishing in the top four of next year's Cricket World Cup qualifier, or even by just finishing in the top eight and keeping their High Performance Program funding.

Canada managed to score 227/8 on the back of a 72 by opening batsman Ruvindu Gunasekera. Raza-ur-Rehman also scored a 70 in his ODI debut. Elijah Otieno picked up 4/33, while Nelson Odhiambo secured two wickets, including of dangerous batsman Rizwan Cheema for 2. Kenya will like their chances of chasing down the total, but it will be close.

Full scorecard here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/wcl-championship-2011-13/engine/current/match/592266.html

Ashraful and Mushfiqur pummel Sri Lanka on Day 3

Stumps at Day 3: Bangladesh 438/4
Stumps at Day 2: Bangladesh 135/2 trailing Sri Lanka 570/4dec
Stumps at Day 1: Sri Lanka 361/3

After toiling hard in the field while the Sri Lankan batsman dominated, Bangladesh have come out and done the exact same, if not more. Two batsman in particular have owned Day 3 of this first test match. There names are Mohammad Ashraful and the captain Mushfiqur Rahim. Ashraful, once a former captain and wonder child of Bangladesh cricket, came back into the team for his umpteenth return to test cricket. With an average 22.60 many thought that he had his fair go. Including this blogger who said:

Mohammad Ashraful returns again to the national side for the umpteenth time. Let's be honest here, despite his potential shown as a youngster he is now 28. He has batted 111 times in tests for a pitiful average of 22.60. In First Class cricket he only averages a touch better with 28. He has scored some runs in domestic cricket recently, but his repetitive failures over the last 5-6 years at international level should mean a permanent line is put through his name.

Well for the time being I am eating my words. Mohammad Ashraful is unbeaten at stumps on Day 3 on 189*. He has faced an unbelievable 398 balls and has been at the crease since the score was 23/1. Ash as he is commonly well known has beaten many records (which I'll touch on later) in this fabulous knock. His partner in crime though has been the skipper Mushfiqur Rahim who is also unbeaten on 152*. He has faced 236 balls in his excellent knock. These two batsmen have put on an unbeaten 261 run stand in 82 overs. Simply stunning! 

People may wonder why I am appearing to celebrate these achievements so much when Sri Lanka had three centurions in their first innings. The answer to that is that this is Bangladesh we are talking about. They are the perennial underachievers in world cricket and sit dead last on the Test Rankings Table with 0 ranking points. Yes, Sri Lanka had an impressive first innings and yes, this pitch makes concrete look like a minefield, but for Bangladesh to completely dominate a day of test cricket like they have just done (303/2) deserves incredible recognition and praise.

For those unaware of the Sri Lankan centurions in the first innings they were Sangakkara with 142, Thirimanne with 155* and Chandimal with 116*. Sri Lanka's innings was dominated by these three batsmen, but the Bangladesh fielding effort played a part. There were absolute sitters dropped and Chandimal was dropped numerous times in single figures. 

In the context of the game Bangladesh still trail by 132 runs with only two days left to play. The most likely result is a draw, but Bangladesh would probably like to bat for the majority of the day tomorrow to avoid batting for a second time in this match. They would ideally like to bowl at Sri Lanka on the last day with a 150-200 run lead, despite this meaning they would have to make in excess of 720. On the flipside a quick collapse tomorrow would leave a result still open for Sri Lanka and with a fifth day wicket ... who knows what will happen? 

Full scorecard here: http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-bangladesh-2013/engine/current/match/602472.html

 Records/Statistics
- Highest partnership by Bangladesh (261*)
- Highest individual score by a Bangladeshi batsman
- Mohammad Ashraful's highest test score (189*) 
- Ashfraful's 398* balls faced is the highest amount by a Bangladeshi batsman in a single test innings
- Mushfiqur Rahim's highest test and first class score (152*)
- Highest fifth wicket stand against Sri Lanka by any side
- Bangladesh' highest score outside Bangladesh (416 previously)
- Ashraful has now scored five of his six centuries against Sri Lanka
- Ashraful is now the first Bangladeshi batsman to score 1000 runs against another country (1047)
- Highest partnership at Galle Cricket Ground

Impending records
- 26 runs off the highest partnership against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka
- Ashraful is 11 runs shy of being the first Bangladesh batsman to score a test double century
-  118 runs off their highest test score ever (556 against West Indies only last year)

I would imagine there would be heaps more, let me know if you know any!