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The key to stopping Luke Ronchi’s career going backwards was standing still

Peter English15-Nov-2009The key to stopping Luke Ronchi’s career going backwards was standing still. Ronchi’s slide last season was severe as he careered from Australia’s high-energy limited-overs wicketkeeper-batsman in the West Indies to being on the outer at Western Australia.Unlike many sportsmen, Ronchi is blunt about his slump, calling it terrible and horrendous. This month the old Ronchi, the one who was a power-hitting gloveman to be compared with Adam Gilchrist, has reappeared and his 148 in the Sheffield Shield against New South Wales provided an example that he was not washed up at 28.”After last year, just to make some runs was great,” he said. “But mostly it was just batting the length of time that I did. It was only four hours – it’s not that long, but it’s just the way I bat. Compared to last year, it just wasn’t a struggle.”It was his first hundred since 2007-08, when his second fifty came in 11 balls against Queensland. This one was more measured by his standards and he stayed for 154 deliveries, hitting 27 boundaries but no sixes. A half-century in the Warriors’ one-day defeat to Victoria on Saturday showed his remodelled still stance, with his feet remaining grounded until the crucial moment.At the start of last summer he was on a high after playing four ODIs in the West Indies and blasting 64 off 28 balls on the tiny ground at St Kitts, exploding like the sky on New Year’s Eve. Instead of motoring on he became a mess and seven Sheffield Shield games later was dropped by Western Australia.”I had a terrible year, technically and mentally, but through the off-season and pre-season I’ve been more relaxed,” he said. “My technique is pretty simple and after working on it I have become more comfortable.”There was a big change and it appears to have erased all his batting doubts. “I have to be more still at the crease,” he said. “I used to have a double movement and my head would be moving, so I’ve been working on stopping that. Just watch the ball and play the ball. It was horrendous last year, so it’s been such a relief.”The timing of the downturn was also a disaster, with him giving up his spot as the national understudy when Brad Haddin’s brittle bones were cracking. It was one of Haddin’s broken digits that allowed Ronchi’s passage to the West Indies, but by the time another one snapped during the Ashes Ronchi wasn’t even a contender. A baggy green went to Graham Manou, the one-day engagements were taken by Tasmania’s Tim Paine, and Manou stepped up when Paine was hurt in India.Wicketkeepers often spend their careers wondering if a national gap will appear and when the latest one came Ronchi was in pre-season training, hoping for a state game. “The disappointing thing for me is that I was there last year and made the mistakes after getting the opportunity,” he said. “It’s a small chance lost. It was a big error to have such a bad season.”Throughout his batting haze he remained happy with his glovework and will build on both disciplines when Western Australia play Victoria at the MCG from Tuesday. The Warriors have two points after two games – Ronchi’s hundred came in a rain-hit affair – and need a result.When he walks out he will try to keep his mind uncluttered and deal with the funky thoughts whenever they pop in. “It’s just the way I bat,” he said, “so I just have to try to do stuff normally.” For Ronchi that means keeping still before the ball takes off.

A comprehensive audit of the PCB covering a period of five financial years up to June 2008 has unveiled a spectacular depth of financial ineptitude

Osman Samiuddin26-Nov-2009A comprehensive government-organised audit of the PCB covering a period of five financial years up to June 2008 has unveiled the spectacular depth of financial ineptitude, mismanagement and wastefulness of the administration of three chairmen this decade: Tauqir Zia, Shaharyar Khan and Nasim Ashraf.Criticism over the way the board has been run has never been mild, but the audit report, conducted on the request of Pakistan’s sports ministry, will provide further fuel to the ire of those who say that the board has never been as poorly managed, as it has been this decade. Though not a public document, the report has found its way to several media outlets.According to the report, the PCB’s annual expenditures have nearly doubled from Rs 571 million in 2004 to Rs 1.8 billion in 2008. The board recorded a surplus budget of just over Rs1 billion in 2004, but by 2008 that had been whittled down, staggeringly, to a deficit of Rs 130 million. How that has happened is clear from the report.Money has been lost from non-recovery of rent (nearly Rs 25 million), it has been squandered and not recovered on legal bills of players such as Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Asif (over Rs 20 million); Rs 65 million, says the report, has been wasted on development projects with no results; Rs 44 million was spent on procuring equipment for a biomechanical analysis lab for the national cricket academy, which has since been lying unused; Rs 67 million is estimated to have been lost because the board didn’t implement the recommendation of its own finance committee in 2005 to re-invest its foreign currency earnings in local currency accounts. The audit also estimated a loss of nearly Rs 6 billion due to the failure of successive administrations to get nearly 60 acres of land it owns around the National Stadium in Karachi vacated from illegal occupation. The list goes on.As disconcerting as the waste has been the lack of procedure and the ad-hoc way in which the board has run its financial dealings. The report criticizes the board for not clearly defining the role and limits of the chairman’s powers, especially when it comes to financial control. The ambiguity allowed Nasim Ashraf, for example, to announce a bonus of Rs 19.50 million for players without mandatory approval from the governing board. In much the same, arbitrary way, cars and unsecured advances to staff – totally nearly Rs 20 million – have been handed out without approval.The report also calculated expenditure of nearly Rs 150 million carried out without the support of proper documentation, as well as chiding the board for not providing, for the audit, over a 100 documents. Additionally, the board, it says, has consistently hired employees and awarded contracts without following the proper procedure. One example was the five-year TV rights deal the board signed with Ten Sports in 2003 – worth US$ 42.6 million – for which no bidding documents were provided. The most evident message from the audit seems to be that not only have boards knowingly wasted money, they have had little clear idea of how an organisation is run and organised.The current administration of Ijaz Butt – which began in October 2008 – does not come under the period audited and so is not implicated in any way. On taking over Butt openly talked of the financial mismanagement of preceding administrations and launched an austerity drive to cut down on expenses. Efforts were made to cut down on staff numbers – allegedly over 800 during Ashraf’s time – and on related perks, but the effects of that will only be known when details of the next audit emerge.”Expenditure on the 2008-2009 budgets, which was approved under former administration, was cut to half of the approved amount, saving over a billion rupees,” Butt said. “The budget on 2009-2010 also stands on less than half of the amount of approved budget of the last year. It was done by carrying out a comprehensive cost cutting in all financial matters by cutting expenditures, streamlining staffing, and adopting a policy of austerity in all matters of the Board during his term.”

Zimbabwe’s government has dismissed suggestions made by NZC that its tour later this year might be called off because of concerns over health facilities

Cricinfo staff08-Jan-2010The Zimbabwean government has dismissed suggestions made by New Zealand Cricket that its tour later this year might be called off because of concerns over the health facilities in Zimbabwe.NZC’s chief executive Justin Vaughan and New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association head Heath Mills both spoke out about the “the collapse of public heath system in the African nation” and warned without adequate facilities, the tour was unlikely to happen.But Zimbabwe’s sports minister David Coltart told Harare’s Independent the New Zealanders had an obligation to visit. “I think it’s unfortunate because while we don’t have a first-world health system, we still have very good medical facilities in this country. Our private health system is excellent, and for those who can afford, service delivery is excellent.”The cholera epidemic that affected our nation in 2008-09 is a thing of the past. It’s clear to me that … we are improving all the time. Ask people who travel to Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and to an extent Pakistan. I believe in many respects Zimbabwe is a far healthier environment. I don’t believe there is any justification to use health grounds to stop a team from coming here.”However, Coltart’s optimism is not shared by those on the ground who report Harare’s sewage system has all but collapsed and claim raw sewage is now seeping into the city’s main water source, leading to fears of renewed cholera outbreaks. Last year, more than 4000 people died of the disease in Zimbabwe.Coltart went on the state the political concerns which caused a planned tour in 2009 to be postponed no longer applied. “There’s still a long way to travel, but it’s an unrecognised country compared to this time last year. There are fewer reports of human rights violations. It’s by no means perfect, but things have greatly improved.”

Shah Rukh Khan, the the co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, has spoken of the pressures the IPL franchises face in team selection, referring to the recent auction where no Pakistan player received the bid

Cricinfo staff25-Jan-2010Shah Rukh Khan, the the co-owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, has spoken of the pressures the IPL franchises face in team selection, referring to the recent auction where no Pakistan player received the bid. He also referred to the demands of the Shiv Sena, a regional party, to block Australian players from the IPL.Shah Rukh described Pakistan’s exclusion from the IPL as “humiliating”. “I think its actually humiliating to me as a KKR owner that this has happened,” he told NDTV. “We are known to be good, we are known to invite everyone, and we should have. And if there were any issues, they should have been put out earlier so that everything could happen respectfully.”I truly believe that they should have been chosen. As a matter of fact, I’m not going to be the one who is opposite from what everyone else is saying but I wanted Abdul Razzaq. I think it was in the newspapers much earlier than even the auction started. Dada (Sourav Ganguly) was very keen.”Eleven Pakistan players were on the 66 shortlisted for the IPL auction in Mumbai, but none was picked. The players had received NOCs from the PCB to participate in the tournament after the Pakistan government’s various ministries had cleared them to tour India. But the uncertainty over strained relations between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks in November 2008 could have prompted the franchises to wield restraint. Shah Rukh highlighted the concerns team owners face in such situations.”I am not giving an excuse and I truly believe Pakistani players are the best T20 players in the world. They are the champions. They are wonderful. But somewhere down the line there is an issue and we cannot deny it,” he said. “There is an issue, we cannot keep saying ‘Oh this was wrong’. Yes maybe the way it was done was wrong, the way it is being carried out may be wrong. But you can’t keep on saying (There isn’t any issue, they could have come). There is an issue, let’s not deny it. Every day we blame Pakistan, every day they blame us, it is an issue.”He also referred to the Shiv Sena’s statements against the participation of Australian players in the IPL, as a protest over race attacks against Indian students in Australia. “There is going to be a section of people who have suddenly gotten up and have said, rightly or wrongly, ‘ Australians will not be allowed to play'”, Shah Rukh said. “So here is a set of people who are spending up to 70, 80, 90 crore rupees on trying to win a tournament and suddenly, even if you say this much to me, I’m like ‘Uh-oh, so should I take or shouldn’t I take him?'”So tomorrow, if we had known this, maybe even the Australians would not have been picked up. These issues always come prime on your head, the stakes are very high.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not award annual central contracts to its players until the inquiry report into the team’s dismal performance on their tour of Australia is released

Cricinfo staff17-Feb-2010The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not award annual central contracts to its players until the inquiry report into the team’s dismal performance on their tour of Australia is released. A six-man evaluation committee was set up by the board after Pakistan were thrashed 3-0 in the Test series, 5-0 in the ODIs and beaten in the only Twenty20 match; the report is expected later this month.”We will announce the central contracts only after the submission of the inquiry report so that there is no conflict between the two,” Wasim Bari, PCB’s chief operating officer, told .Incidentally, Bari heads both the evaluation and the three-man central contract committees. The evaluation committee met twice last week and discussed reports from team manager Abdul Raqeeb and coach Intikhab Alam.Mohammad Yousuf, Younus Khan, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal and Salman Butt were among the players who were given an audience. Reports were also heard from assistant coach Aaqib Javed and team physio Faisal Hayat.Bari informed the committee would meet again after the team returns from Dubai, where Pakistan will play two Twenty20 matches against England on February 19 and 20. “Our next meeting will be held after the team returns next week and we are due to submit a final report before February 28,” he said.Last year, annual contracts were awarded to 27 players – nine in the top category A, four in category B and 14 in category C. However, fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is likely to be overlooked this time around. He holds an A category contract and last featured in a Twenty20 international in May 2009 against Australia in Dubai.Shoaib had been demoted to a special retainership category for players whose form and fitness were in doubt. He refused to take it and instead responded angrily, sparking a sequence which eventually led him to be banned and fined by the board. He missed the bulk of Pakistan’s international commitments through injury or the ban.Fellow paceman Mohammad Asif, who was ignored last year due to a ban imposed for a failed drug test in the IPL, is expected to get a central contract.

James Hopes will be rushed back to Brisbane for Saturday’s vital FR Cup clash against Victoria for his second match in two days

Cricinfo staff17-Feb-2010James Hopes, the Queensland allrounder, will be rushed back to Brisbane for Saturday’s vital FR Cup clash against Victoria for his second match in two days. Hopes is in Australia’s squad for Friday’s ODI against West Indies but wasn’t picked in the Twenty20 outfit, leaving the Bulls to rely on him in a match they must win to reach the final.”We’ve spoken with James and he is keen to play on the Saturday considering he hasn’t had a lot of cricket to date,” the coach Trevor Barsby said. Hopes is the state’s most important player as he can open the batting and contribute important overs with his medium pace.Victoria won’t be as lucky as Cameron White, Dirk Nannes and David Hussey are in the Twenty20 squad to face West Indies on Sunday and Tuesday. However, they may call on Clint McKay, the fast bowler, when they choose their side on Thursday.The Bulls were leading the competition for much of the season but the successful team on Saturday will host the final. “It’s pretty basic for us – win and we’re in,” Barsby said. “Lose and we’re out.”In the Sheffield Shield, New South Wales have been forced into four changes for the game against South Australia in Adelaide from Friday. The national promotions of David Warner and Steven Smith give chances to Ben Rohrer and Grant Lambert while Moises Henriques returns from a groin injury. The wicketkeeper Daniel Smith will miss the contest with a finger problem and has been replaced in the 13-man squad by Peter Nevill.Queensland FR Cup squad James Hopes, Chris Hartley (wk), Ryan Broad, Lee Carseldine, Craig Philipson, Chris Lynn, Nathan Reardon, Chris Simpson (capt), Ben Cutting, Ben Laughlin, Alister McDermott, Nathan Rimmington.New South Wales Shield squad Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, Simon Katich (capt), Peter Forrest, Moises Henriques, Dominic Thornely, Ben Rohrer, Grant Lambert, Stephen O’Keefe, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Trent Copeland.

Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi have lodged appeals against the penalties imposed on them by the PCB in the aftermath of a disastrous tour of Australia

Cricinfo staff25-Mar-2010Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi have lodged appeals against the penalties imposed on them by the PCB in the aftermath of a disastrous tour of Australia.Afridi, who was named Pakistan’s captain for the World Twenty20, was fined Rs 3 million (US$35,000) for his ball-biting incident in Perth, for which he was also banned for two Twenty20 matches by the ICC. Younis and Yousuf, meanwhile, were accused by the PCB of being a bad influence on the Pakistan team due to “their infighting” and “attitude”.”Yes I have sent a notice to the Chief Operating Officer of the board Wasim Bari, asking him on what grounds have I been fined by the board,” Afridi was quoted as saying by PTI. “I have taken the plea that when the board chairman Ijaz Butt himself has said on record that the PCB would not punish me twice for the same offence how can they fine me now for ball tampering.”Ahmed Qayyum, the lawyer for Younis, said he had sent a letter to the board asking them to explain on what grounds the indefinite ban was imposed on his client. “The chargesheet they have sent to Younis contains no proper evidence or explanation to back up the indefinite ban, there is no reasoning given for the ban,” he said. “We have basically asked the board to provide us with solid evidence that Younis was involved in infighting with Yousuf and that they disrupted the team’s dressing room atmosphere.”We want this issue to be settled amicably and the ban to be ended but if that does not happen then we will go to the court.”The duo were among seven players penalised for various reasons. Mohammad Yousuf and Younis were banned indefinitely by the PCB, Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan were banned for a year while Afridi and the Akmal brothers were fined and placed on probation for six months. Malik and Naved, too, reports have suggested, are preparing to lodge an appeal. The penalties were imposed on March 10, and the players have 30 days to appeal against them.The PCB last week appointed two retired Supreme Court judges – Muneer Sheikh and Jamshed Ali Shah – and a former High Court judge, Irfan Qadir, to deal with the appeals.

Sussex have signed Brendon McCullum for the Twenty20 as a replacement for Tillakaratne Dilshan after he was declined permission to play by the Sri Lanka board

Cricinfo staff08-Apr-2010Sussex have signed Brendon McCullum for the Twenty20 as a replacement for Tillakaratne Dilshan after he was declined permission to play by the Sri Lanka board.Dilshan had been due to join Dwayne Smith as Sussex’s two overseas players for the tournament that starts on June 1, but Sri Lanka have now scheduled tours to USA and Zimbabwe over the same period.However McCullum, who hit an unbeaten 158 in the opening IPL match three years ago, is a more than decent replacement at the top of the order although is unlikely to be needed with the gloves as Sussex have three keepers – Matt Prior, Andrew Hodd and Ben Brown – on the staff.”Brendon was always on our short list for 2010 and once New Zealand’s tour to Zimbabwe was postponed we made our move,” said Mark Robinson, the Sussex cricket manager. “His power at the top of the order can give us the start we need to help us defend our 2009 title success. It is a shame that Sussex supporters will not get to see Dilshan though we hope we can bring him at some point in the future.”Dave Brooks, the chief executive, added: “We are extremely grateful to New Zealand Cricket for their speedy release of Brendon. The international calendar becomes ever more congested, so we understand the difficulties that Cricket Sri Lanka had over Dilshan.”

James Harris and Huw Waters took three wickets apiece as Glamorgan bowled out Northamptonshire on the opening day of their County Championship Second
Division clash on a seam-friendly wicket at Cardiff

10-May-2010
Scorecard
James Harris and Huw Waters took three wickets apiece as Glamorgan bowled out Northamptonshire on the opening day of their County Championship Second
Division clash on a seam-friendly wicket at Cardiff.For Northamptonshire Stephen Peters and Andrew Hall both struck half-centuries but after being put into bat the visitors were dismissed for 253 in the penultimate over of the day.Glamorgan captain Jamie Dalrymple would still have been disappointed his
seamers had not got the visitors out for under 200 with the batsmen playing and missing on countless occasions.Glamorgan named the same side which beat Worcestershire inside two days meaning there was no place again for veteran off-spinner Robert Croft, who has figured in just one of Glamorgan’s first five four-day matches.Niall O’Brien, who had only just returned from the World Twenty20 in the West Indies last Friday after Ireland’s exit, led the Northamptonshire batting with 41 as new-ball bowlers Harris and David Harrison struggled for a consistent line and length.It was first-change bowler Waters who slowed Northamptonshire’s progress taking two wickets in the space of four balls. He first removed O’Brien with a brilliant, one-handed reaction catch by Gareth Rees at short leg and three balls later Mal Loye went for a duck after being trapped leg before half forward. Northamptonshire reached lunch at 83 for 2
with opener Peters crawling to 22 in the 30 overs before the break.In the afternoon session, two fine slip catches accounted for both David Sales and Rob White. Sales was snaffled by Mark Cosgrove low down at first slip off Jim Allenby, who then dived to his left at first slip to remove White.Peters eventually reached his fifty, off 147 balls, but then perished to Dean Cosker’s third ball. The slow left-armer had Peters caught via an inside edge on to pad by Rees at short leg as Northamptonshire reached 173 for five in the 59th over.Hall and captain Nicky Boje rode their luck to take Northamptonshire past 200 before Allenby, during a spell of 9-5-9-2, took a second wicket to bowl Boje through the gate.After reaching his half-century from 95 balls Hall went caught at first slip off Cosgrove, who took the catch at extra cover to dismiss James Middlebrook. And before the close both David Lucas and Lee Daggett were both bowled by Harris and Waters respectively.

Bangladesh’s bowlers followed the example of their batsman at Lord’s last week, and rose to the occasion on the first day at Old Trafford with a disciplined and diligent performance, backed up by superb fielding

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller04-Jun-2010Close England 275 for 5 (Bell 87*, Prior 21*) v Bangladesh

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

How they were outShafiul Islam struck twice in the first hour to shock England’s top order•Getty Images

Bangladesh’s bowlers followed the example of their batsman at Lord’s last week, and rose to the occasion on the first day at Old Trafford with a disciplined and diligent performance, backed up by superb fielding, to deny England the chance to establish the sort of platform from which they were able to boss the first Test. Thanks to Ian Bell, who contributed another timely innings from his fruitful berth in the middle order, England were able to finish the day with their noses in front on 275 for 5, but on a firm and true surface, and in some of the best batting conditions of the summer so far, this was far from the breeze that had been anticipated when Andrew Strauss won the toss.By the time bad light brought about an early close, Bell was 87 not out from 171 balls, 13 adrift of what would be his third century in six Tests against Bangladesh. Like his 138 at Dhaka back in March, however, this was a vital innings that belied his (admittedly fading) reputation for soft runs, and without it, England could well have been in some trouble. After their floundering performance with the ball at Lord’s, Bangladesh had chosen to purge their seam attack, with Robiul Islam and Rubel Hossain both discarded, and into the fray came the impressive Shafiul Islam, who struck twice in an incisive new-ball spell in the first hour of the day, and the left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, who dismissed Alastair Cook with his first ball of the series, and deserved better rewards than his eventual figures of 1 for 67 from 21 overs.With the sun on their backs and a more familiar spin-dominant line-up, Bangladesh settled into the sort of rhythm that they had shown during their home series against England, with the added bonus of a wicket that offered the sort of turn and bounce that they’d never see in Dhaka or Chittagong. With Shakib Al Hasan and Razzak bowling in tandem in a fine spell after tea, England were limited to 29 runs in 16 overs before Matt Prior opened the floodgates with a brace of fours off Razzak – one of which could and should have been caught at slip as Junaid Siddique reacted late to a thick edge. On 18, Prior then survived a raucous appeal for lbw that might well have been overturned had the review system been in place for this match. But Prior lived on, to reach 21 not out at the close.All in all, it was not the sort of scoreline that England had expected, but to Bangladesh’s credit, they used their resources cannily, and kept all the batsman guessing as they beat the bat on both sides on a wicket that will doubtless keep Graeme Swann interested when his opportunity comes later in the match. Kevin Pietersen, in particular, discovered this to his cost, as he was stitched up a treat by his nemesis in Tests, Shakib, who claimed his wicket for the fourth time in as many matches, to bring a flamboyant end an entertaining and aggressive innings.Pietersen’s approach in this series has been a far cry from the tentative return to form that he produced in Bangladesh, and after reaching a 73-ball fifty with a series of thumping strikes in the V between long-off and -on, he seemed in a hurry to reach his first hundred against these opponents. Shakib, however, was equal to his ambitions. Moments after being drilled through the covers for four, he held his delivery back a touch through the air, and Pietersen was stumped by six paces as the ball spat past his edge and into the gloves of Mushfiqur Rahim.Shakib could and should have earned a second wicket in a fine attacking spell, when on 36, Bell edged a good-length turner, only for the ball to rebound unchallenged off Mushfiqur’s knee. But that was the only real chance that Bell offered in a disciplined 171-ball innings. Eoin Morgan also offered one opportunity, in the fifth over after tea, but unfortunately for him, his cramped cut at Shahadat picked out Jahurul Islam in the gully, who clung on one-handed with an outstanding dive to his right. After adding 70 for the fifth wicket to revive England from 153 for 4, Morgan was on his way for 37, another half-formed Test innings to add to his Lord’s 44.The principal performer in the morning session had been Shafiul, who was overlooked for the Lord’s Test despite showing glimpses of his ability back home during England’s recent visit. He pitched the ball up as a default tactic, finding a decent pace in the high 80s to offset a mediocre first spell from the Lord’s hero, Shahadatr, and kept the left-handers Strauss and Alastair Cook on their toes by intermittently switching his line from over to round the wicket.His determination paid off in the 12th over of the day, as Strauss succumbed to an excellent rising delivery that angled across his bows, snicked the edge, and flew hard and fast to Imrul Kayes at second slip. Six balls later, Shafiul added his second, as Trott followed up his double-century at Lord’s by falling victim to an excellent bustling delivery that wormed its way off an inside-edge into the top of middle stump. Trott looked stunned at the dismissal, and took his time to react, but he had gone for 3 from five balls, and at 48 for 2, England were in a touch of strife.Their uncertainty was compounded with 15 minutes of the morning session remaining, when Cook poked injudiciously at Razzak’s first delivery and snicked a regulation edge to Junaid Siddique at slip, and Razzak could well have added a second straightway, had Shakib thought to post a short leg to the incoming Bell. By the time he called upon the extra fielder, however, a looping bat-pad opportunity had already been and gone. With Shafiul struggling through thereafter with cramp, Bangladesh’s effectiveness was dented in the afternoon session, but their determination was undimmed, and by the close they were very much in the contest.