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Ravi Rampaul may be in line for a recall to the West Indies team for the third Test in Dominica

Daniel Brettig at Queen's Park Oval20-Apr-2012Ravi Rampaul may be in line for a recall to the West Indies team for the third Test in Dominica. The hosts’ captain Darren Sammy revealed that Fidel Edwards was complaining of back soreness after rain curtailed a tantalisingly poised second match in Trinidad, making Rampaul’s inclusion a distinct possibility.Having missed selection for the limited overs-portion of the tour due to dengue fever and a shoulder problem, Rampaul returned to the squad ahead of the first Test in Barbados but was lacking in conditioning and match rhythm. However he has trained consistently with the hosts over the two weeks and is now ideally placed to reinforce the XI that acquitted themselves well at Queen’s Park Oval on a slow, turning pitch.”So far we’ve been using the same combination and it’s worked for us,” Sammy said. “Fidel has a slight pain in his back so we’ll monitor that. If not then Ravi comes in and I know Ravi will do the job for us.”Sammy noted that West Indies’ bowling had steadily improved in its discipline and perseverance over the past 18 months, Kemar Roach providing the best evidence of this development by taking 10 wickets for the match in Port-of-Spain, a sterling achievement on any surface but particularly meritorious on a pitch that saw spinners take the new ball in three innings out of four.”It’s not only this series, it’s been the last year and a half, there’s been a massive improvement in the bowling department,” Sammy said. “We can get 20 wickets in Test matches and we bowl out teams … that was something we were not doing in the past. So definitely the bowling has improved, especially under coach [Ottis] Gibson and it will continue.

Squad for third Test

Adrian Barath, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Carlton Baugh (wk), Darren Sammy (capt), Shane Shillingford, Kemar Roach, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul

“To have a guy like Ravi Rampaul, who took so many wickets for last year on the bench shows we have depth. Kemar has been very good against the Australians and Fidel has been bowling well, without any luck, and I know Ravi is eager for his opportunity.”Assad Fudadin, the Guyanese left-hander, has been called up to the squad for the Dominica Test, while the legspinner Devendra Bishoo has been dropped. The vice-captain Kirk Edwards has not recovered in time from a knee problem to be considered for the final match of the series, his fitness for the England tour that follows a significant factor in the decision. Clyde Butts, the West Indies chairman of selectors, said Fudadin offered solid batting and a medium pace option.”Fudadin has been a member of the West Indies A Team for a while now and we have seen signs of development and improvement,” Butts said. “This year he batted well in the Regional Four-Day Tournament, and made over 500 runs including two centuries. He was very consistent in the middle-order. He can also bowl medium-pace and that is an asset.”As for Bishoo, Sammy said he had told the young spinner not to be too despondent, for he remained part of longer term plans. However Sammy indicated that Bishoo needed to go away and relocate his best touch, having struggled for impact in the first Test against Australia.”We just had a team talk and what I said to Bishoo was he’s been a warrior to us, especially last year, but sometimes you lose form,” Sammy said. “I told him I know deep down he will come back stronger because that’s the sort of player he is.”

Ian Bell has been recalled to the England one-day squad for the series against West Indies following the retirement of Kevin Pietersen

Andrew McGlashan11-Jun-2012Ian Bell has been recalled to the England one-day squad for the series against West Indies following the retirement of Kevin Pietersen. He is the only player who was not involved in the squad that beat Pakistan 4-0 in the UAE earlier this year and will open alongside Alastair Cook.The squad for the one-off Twenty20 international, led by Stuart Broad, is also as expected with a number of young players retaining their spots. Jos Buttler, the Somerset batsman, and Hampshire left-arm spinner Danny Briggs are included in the 13-man party along with Nottinghamshire’s Alex Hales who is likely to get a chance to open in Pietersen’s absence.The national selector, Geoff Miller, said: “We are anticipating a very competitive series against West Indies and are looking to continue to build on the progress we made in limited-overs cricket earlier this year against Pakistan. Kevin Pietersen’s recent decision to retire from one-day cricket means we now start looking at other options available to us as we prepare to defend our World Twenty20 title and look towards next year’s Champions Trophy and the 2015 World Cup.”With the selectors largely maintaining consistency since England’s last limited-overs cricket in the UAE it means there are no places for other in-form county players such as Stuart Meaker from Surrey, the Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry or Durham allrounder Ben Stokes.In both squads Craig Kieswetter will continue his role as wicketkeeper and he was another option to open alongside Cook having played much of his career in that role. Kieswetter dropped down the order in the ODIs against Pakistan when Pietersen was moved up the order.Ravi Bopara, who was ruled out of the Test series against West Indies with injury, is also included and will hope for a chance to stake his claims ahead of the South Africa Test series. He has returned to county cricket in good form with hundreds in the CB40 and County Championship over the last week.Following Pietersen’s retirement a key figure in England’s batting order will be Eoin Morgan who endured a tough tour of the UAE before being dropped from the Test side. However, his one-day place was not in serious doubt even though he did not play a match during the IPL and made a belated start to his domestic season. After a tough start for Middlesex he returned to form in style with a 49-ball century against Lancashire in the CB40.With an eye on the World T20 defence in Sri Lanka later this year the Twenty20 squad includes three spinners with Briggs alongside Samit Patel and Graeme Swann. James Anderson, who was rested for the final Test against West Indies, makes the one-day party but not the T20 squad.ODI squad Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Graeme Swann, Jonathan TrottT20 squad Stuart Broad (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Graeme Swann

As the six Australian states finalise their squads for 2012-13, ESPNcricinfo will provide a regularly updated list of confirmed moves and contract lists

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2012

New South Wales

Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Michael Clarke (Cricket Australia contract), Trent Copeland, Tim Cruickshank, Pat Cummins (CA), David Dawson, Brad Haddin (CA), Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Scott Henry, Daniel Hughes, Josh Lalor, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc (CA), Chris Tremain, Shane Watson (CA), David Warner (CA) Rookies Nic Bills, Luke Doran, Gurinder Sandhu, Harry Conway, Adam Zampa.Out Beau Casson (retired), Stuart Clark (retired), Nathan Hauritz (Qld), Phillip Hughes (SA), Phil Jaques (retired), Simon Katich (retired), Usman Khawaja (Qld), Timm van der Gugten (Tas).Delisted Nathan Brain, Burt Cockley.

Queensland

James Hopes (capt), Cameron Boyce, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Luke Feldman, Jason Floros, Peter Forrest, Matthew Gale, Cameron Gannon, Chris Hartley, Ryan Harris (CA contract), Nathan Hauritz, Usman Khawaja, Chris Lynn, Alister McDermott, Michael Neser, Luke Pomersbach, Nathan Reardon, Andrew Robinson, Wade Townsend. Rookies Corey Barsby, Nick Buchanan, Ronan McDonald, James Peirson, Nick Stevens.In Nathan Hauritz (NSW), Usman Khawaja (NSW), Luke Pomersbach (WA).Out Steve Magoffin (Sussex), Chris Swan (retired).Delisted Ryan Broad, Ben Dunk, Alex Kemp, Steve Paulsen, Scott Walter.

South Australia

Cullen Bailey, Johan Botha, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Peter George, Jake Haberfield, Phillip Hughes, Michael Klinger, Tim Ludeman, Nathan Lyon (Cricket Australia contract), Joe Mennie, Gary Putland, Kane Richardson, Chadd Sayers, James Smith Rookies Travis Head, Elliot Opie, Alex Ross, Daniel Worrall.In Johan Botha (South Africa), Phillip Hughes (NSW).Out Aiden Blizzard (Tas).Delisted Cameron Borgas, Michael Delaney, Theo Doropoulos, Ben Dougall, Daniel Harris, Aaron O’Brien, Tom Thornton.

Tasmania

George Bailey (capt), Jackson Bird, Aiden Blizzard, Luke Butterworth, Steve Cazzulino, Mark Cosgrove, Ed Cowan, Xavier Doherty (Cricket Australia contract), Alex Doolan, Ben Dunk, James Faulkner, Andrew Fekete, Evan Gulbis, Ben Hilfenhaus (CA), Matt Johnston, Jason Krejza, Adam Maher, Tim Paine, Ricky Ponting (CA), Timm van der Gugten Rookies Harry Allanby, Sam Rainbird, Jordan Silk, Beau Webster.In Aiden Blizzard (SA), Ben Dunk (Qld), Andrew Fekete (Vic), Timm van der Gugten (NSW).Out Tom Triffitt (WA).Delisted Matthew Day, Brendan Drew, Brady Jones, Nick Kruger, Ben Laughlin, Ashton May, Marc Simonds, Jon Wells.

Victoria

Scott Boland, Ryan Carters, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, John Hastings, Jayde Herrick, Michael Hill, Jon Holland, David Hussey (Cricket Australia contract), Alex Keath, Glenn Maxwell, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Darren Pattinson, James Pattinson (CA), Rob Quiney, Chris Rogers, Will Sheridan, Peter Siddle (CA), Matthew Wade (CA), Cameron White Rookies Meyrick Buchanan, James Muirhead, Steven Reid Cricket Australia rookie Ian Holland.Out Ashton Agar (WA), Mark Cleary (retired), Andrew Fekete (Tas), Brad Hodge (retired).Delisted Brett Forsyth, Steve Gilmour.

Western Australia

Ashton Agar, Tom Beaton, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Travis Birt, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Liam Davis, Matthew Dixon, Ryan Duffield, Marcus Harris, Michael Hogan, Michael Hussey (CA contract), Mitchell Johnson (CA contract), Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Marcus North, Nathan Rimmington, Tom Triffitt, Adam Voges Rookies Cameron Bancroft, William Bosisto, Joel Paris, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman.In Ashton Agar (Vic), Tom Triffitt (Tas).Out Mark Cameron (retired), Brad Knowles (retired), Luke Pomersbach (Qld), Luke Ronchi (Wellington).Delisted Michael Johnson, Martin Paskal, Wes Robinson.

Lancashire have moved another Championship fixture away from Old Trafford due to the wet summer

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Aug-2012Lancashire have moved another Championship fixture away from Old Trafford due to the wet summer and the impact on producing enough high-standard pitches on the new square.Their final match of the season, against Surrey from September 11-14, will now be played at Aigburth, Liverpool, after the same switch was made for the Durham clash at the end of August.The Surrey game starts the day after the Twenty20 international against South Africa at Old Trafford – while the ground also hosts England Women in as part of a double-header – and the club have felt it prudent to not risk the quality of Championship pitch for what is shaping as a likely relegation tussle.Mike Watkinson, the director of cricket, said: “The period of extremely wet weather, which forced us to move the Durham game to Liverpool, hasn’t sufficiently improved to re-establish the grass cover on the newer pitches on the square. We have also got the International T20 matches the day before.”Taking these factors into consideration, and the fact that we have made a significant investment in the facilities and pitches at Liverpool, we felt that this was the correct decision. I would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but I am sure that our members and supporters will understand the need to prioritise cricket.”The club added that the pitch used for last week’s England Lions-Australia A match at Old Trafford – which was the same surface that will be used for next year’s Ashes Test – had received “excellent” feedback from players and officials.

Young cricketers from England and Australia will take important steps towards their career development when the two sides meet on the opening day of the ninth Under-19 World Cup

George Binoy in Brisbane10-Aug-2012At the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, James Taylor was like every other kid. He’d be seen around the Sunway Hotel, watching the ice-skaters on the rink and spending time on his iTouch at Starbucks in his free time. Last week, Taylor was seen making his Test debut against South Africa at Headingley, and he held his own against the world’s fastest bowlers. He is the second from the England Under-19 batch of 2008, after Steven Finn, to make it to Test cricket, a timely reminder for his juniors of the possibilities ahead as they prepare to open the 2012 World Cup in Townsville.England’s first opponents are the hosts, Australia, who have blooded more young cricketers at international level in recent years than they did in the past. From the squad that went to the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh have had a morsel of senior limited-overs cricket.In both these teams, however, you’d have to be prodigiously gifted like Ricky Ponting, or have the tenacity to perform when talent meets opportunity like Alastair Cook did, to convert a young debut into a lasting career. Taylor and Finn got where they are now through the grind.”Our aspirations for our players are that they go into first-class cricket, quite a few of the boys have played first-class cricket, then to supply the Emerging Player Programme,” Tim Boon, the England coach, said. “They then go on to the Lions … so by the time they’re 24-25 they’re knocking on the England door. There’s no direct pathway through. All these players have got to go and earn their stripes. They’ve got to go and perform in county cricket. The great thing is there’s a big queue developing.”Stuart Law, who played the first youth World Cup in 1988 and would have had many more than the one Test cap had he been in most other Australian eras, is the coach of their Under-19 side. He too said his players would have to go through the club and state route, but also that there were more opportunities for bolters at this time in Australian cricket.”When the likes of Darren Lehmann and myself were playing, there were about 15 guys who could have played Test cricket who weren’t even in the Australian team,” Law said. “[Australia] haven’t quite got that now. It has changed. Young kids are getting an opportunity earlier, which may not be the greatest thing for Australian cricket, but some kids, you throw them in the deep end and if they start swimming, you’ve found a couple of winners.”If any of these guys have a real good tournament, obviously their home states will sit up and take notice and they’ll start being let through. But it’s not just about performing well here, they’ve got to go back to their club sides and start the season well.”The Under-19 World Cup is an opportunity for a head start. Performance here could catch the eye of Australia’s National Talent Manager, Greg Chappell, who’s travelling with the team, and that could mean quicker access to an elite training environment, which in turn could widen the gap between the selected player and those he’s outrun.While several countries want for adequate youth programmes, England’s Under-19 cricketers, Boon said, were fortunate to be part of a fully integrated body, with players at higher levels keen to help those below them. “In December last year we went to South Africa. We had six international England bowlers – [James] Anderson, [Stuart] Broad, [Chris] Tremlett etc – and six Lions bowlers wanting to bowl at our Under-19s. They were there on a training camp,” he said. “That stood the lads in good stead. Our bowlers partnered with Broad and those guys, and the batters were able to face high-class internationals and tap into their experience. It was daunting and very rewarding.”A common yet significant problem several teams face at the World Cup is adjusting quickly to the unknown: strange conditions and unfamiliar playing styles. To aid their development in this regard, England toured Bangladesh and also visited Townsville for a quadrangular series in April 2012. Their results weren’t too hot: losing 5-2 in Bangladesh, and losing the semi-final of the quadrangular after winning all three league matches. They had also lost a home series to South Africa (2-4) and an away series to Sri Lanka (1-3) in 2011.”Our aims are to challenge the players under pressure, to give them really intense periods of cricket. We look at skill learning and then and testing those skills. In doing that we go to places like Bangladesh. It was very tough, very different,” Boon says of the experience. “The lads played against spinners they’ve never seen before. [They were exposed to a] different lifestyle and culture, that was also really important. It’s about grooming their skills so that they can stand independently, without a coach overlooking them.”If World Cup warm-up results are any indication, England have adjusted quickly after arriving in Australia a week ago. They beat Pakistan, a perennially strong Under-19 side, before brushing aside Zimbabwe.Australia, on the other hand, had mixed results in the warm-ups, losing to West Indies and then thumping Scotland. They had a tough workout in the weeks leading up to those matches, losing a series to Pakistan 2-1 in Gold Coast. And in the quadrangular in India in September 2011, they had won two out of seven matches, while in the quadrangular at home in April 2012, they won three out of five games.Law, who’s been with the team for only five weeks, said that all match practice at this level was immensely beneficial. “We haven’t played together a hell of a lot. We played Pakistan in a three-match series down the coast, and you can see they have been playing together for quite a while,” he said. “At this age, you need to play, the more you play the better it is. They’ve got to live the game to understand what they can do and can’t do in games of cricket.”On Saturday, both these teams will be living and learning in the most momentous match of their lives. Win, and the chances of topping a group that includes Ireland and Nepal are significantly higher.

Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands allrounder, will play for Otago Volts in the HRV Cup this season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2012Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate will play for Otago Volts in the HRV Cup, New Zealand’s T20 league, this season. Ten Doeschate was declared the Most Valuable Player the last time he played in the tournament – for Canterbury in the 2010-11 season – with 284 runs from nine games to be the second-highest run-getter in the league.”I am really excited about having another opportunity to play in New Zealand. I really enjoyed the HRV Cup and the conditions that I encountered when I was last there a couple of years ago and can’t wait to come back. Otago has a strong side for this season and I am looking forward to getting over there and making a contribution,” ten Doeschate was quoted as saying by .Doeschate has represented Essex in the English domestic season this year, for the Clydesdale Bank40, Friends Life t20 and the LV County Championship. He was Essex’s fourth-highest run-getter in the Friends Life t20. He has also played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, Mashonaland Eagles in Zimbabwe, Impi and Western Province in South Africa and Tasmania in Australia.”We were looking for a player who can bat in the top order as well as being an option to us with the ball and Ryan fits that description perfectly. Ryan is an aggressive batsman which fits nicely with how our team wants to play this season,” Otago Volts coach Vaughn Johnson said.Ten Doeschate will arrive for the league in the middle of December and will be available for eight matches besides the finals.

David Miller returns to play for the Dolphins and will not be available for Yorkshire again unless they reach the semi-final of the CLT20

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers09-Oct-2012Before David Miller was forced to leave the field after being hit in the face by an Umar Gul short ball, he set up Yorkshire’s chase with a solid 22. When he returned Miller finished off the match with a 17 run blitz in six balls. But Yorkshire will have to do without him in their second qualifying match and if they make it into the main draw because Miller will only be available for them again if Yorkshire reach the semi-finals.Miller will play for his South African franchise, the Dolphins, in the local first-class competition from Thursday, something that was agreed upon before the Champions League started. “David wants to play four-day cricket and when we looked at this schedule, this was the compromise we could reach,” Jesse Chellan, chief executive of the Dolphins told ESPNcricinfo.The Dolphins play two Sunfoil Series matches during the CLT20 which ruled Miller out of Yorkshire’s squad – a huge loss for them if captain Andrew Gale’s words are anything to go by. He hailed Miller’s contribution to Yorkshire’s success and his hand in their progress thus far.”David has just fitted into our dressing room so well,” Gale said. “Jason Gillespie is big on everyone pulling in the same direction and David does that. But, then he has also got the x-factor on the field and can take the game away from the opposition. In previous years, we have struggled for that guy. Now, we’ve got two in David Miller and Gary Ballance.”Miller’s aggressive side was on display early in his innings, when he swept Satichra Senanayake in his first over. But Miller had to temper his intent as Yorkshire slipped to 66 for 4. Together with Adil Rashid, he stabilised them. Gale was pleased to see that when Miller came back on, the stage was set for him to show off his natural game.”He must have come out pretty angry after that,” he joked. “I asked him if he was going to bat again after he got hit and he said ‘absolutely yes’. He showed great courage and character and it was also the perfect situation for him to go out and do what he does.”Even though Miller had become Yorkshire’s go-to man, Gale believes the team can continue to perform well without him. “The most pleasing thing about today is that we weren’t at our best so there is room for improvement,” Gale said. “We were probably at about 70 or 80 percent.”Their opposition, Uva, will also want to step up as their next match becomes even more of a must-win. Andrew McDonald, their Australian allrounder, said the team may regret taking the wicket that allowed Miller to come back to the crease.”If we didn’t get Dan Hodgson out, we might have won the game but then again, if we didn’t hit him in the head, they may have run away with the game,” McDonald said. “He is a great player in his own right. We fought hard and stayed in the game for a long time and thought we got ourselves into a winning position.”McDonald said the team will hope for the best in their next match, knowing they must beat Trinidad and Tobago to have a chance of qualifying, but wish their time in the tournament could be longer. “There’s got to be a better way than travelling all the way to play two games,” he said. “Maybe there should be four teams in the qualifiers.”

With four half-centuries in five ODIs, Watling is finally demonstrating what team management had seen in him for the past two years

Andrew Fernando08-Nov-2012In early 2011, BJ Watling’s international record read like the careers of so many failed New Zealand openers before him. In the years after Nathan Astle, Mark Richardson and Stephen Fleming left the game, New Zealand seemed to trial a fresh opening prospect every six months. Michael Papps, Craig Cumming, Jamie How, Aaron Redmond and Tim McIntosh all arrived and wilted at the top level.Some showed initial promise before quickly waning, but Watling barely made an impact. When he was jettisoned at the end of 2010, he had made only two fifties in 18 international innings, with a top score of 60 not out. His talent was undeniable in domestic cricket, but like Papps, How and Redmond, Watling seemed unable to adjust mentally. He was renowned at home for valuing his wicket and his sound defensive technique, but in internationals, his failures were populated by loose strokes and soft dismissals.But unlike so many others, he wasn’t forgotten altogether. Then New Zealand coach John Wright saw the raw materials of a good player in Watling, and paved his way back into internationals late last year. Soon, before he had even proven himself, Watling was being groomed for a specific long-term role. Brendon McCullum abandoned the gloves in Tests due to back problems, and after short-lived dalliance with Reece Young, Watling, Wright said, would be the man behind the stumps who could also strengthen New Zealand’s batting.He began to repay Wright’s faith, hitting a century against Zimbabwe in his first Test as keeper, but sustained a hip injury before the real test came against touring South Africa. Kruger van Wyk took his place in the XI, and has not relinquished it since, having hammered out a reputation as a battler – exactly the quality a New Zealand top order veering towards spineless was short of.Yet, although his international career had seemingly run aground again, against West Indies in July, Watling suddenly found the steel that had been lacking from his game, making consecutive fifties in the first two ODIs – the first time he had done so in his career. He was injured again after making 40 in the third match, but he had shown enough pluck for New Zealand’s management to keep him in their plans. Against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Watling finally demonstrated what team management had seen in him for the past two years.Watling may not have even played in the second ODI had Brendon McCullum not withdrawn with a stiff lower back, but as has been his recent habit, he did not squander the opportunity. New Zealand have adopted a conservative top order strategy in recent months, and Watling’s steady 55 saw the venom leave the pitch and provided the platform for Ross Taylor to flourish after him.In the next match, Watling had ground his way to 29 from 54, but soon after, both Taylor and James Franklin had fallen, and he took it upon himself to provide the finishing impetus, as he showcased a more belligerent facet of his game. The Watling that blasted 67 from 34 deliveries to close out the innings at 96 not out, suddenly seemed eons away from the player that had scratched his way through his first two years of international cricket. The offside gaps were pinpointed with purring strokes and the vacant areas in the legside targeted aerially. Lasith Malinga had tormented New Zealand in the previous match, but Watling dispatched him for three consecutive boundaries in the penultimate over of the innings.”He took risks and he hit the ball in the air, it wasn’t all along the ground,” New Zealand captain Ross Taylor said of Watling’s innings. “He showed the power game that he does have. He’s getting a lot of belief in himself, I’m sure, from the way he’s batted in the last two games, and half the battle at this level is self-belief.”Watling had taken 23 innings to compile three scores over 50, but he now has four half-centuries in five ODIs, with an average of 107.66. Some players ease their way into top-level cricket, and others burn hot from start to finish. Watling’s abrupt torrent of runs suggests a dam has burst somewhere, and if he can sustain the deluge, he will remedy his record after two lean years.”The way BJ is batting is outstanding and he just keeps growing and growing as a player It’s terrific, not just for him but also the team,” Taylor said. “He’s not an automatic selection, but I’m sure the way he’s played in the last little while, he’s pushing for that.”

A round-up of the fifth round of Ranji Trophy’s Group A matches on December 2, 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2012
ScorecardRavindra Jadeja became the first Indian batsman to make three triple hundreds in first-class cricket during his unbeaten knock of 320 against Railways in Rajkot. Only seven batsmen in world cricket have achieved the feat before. Jadeja had also made 303* against Gujarat earlier this season. Jadeja and Kamlesh Makvana (78*) put on an unbroken 274 for the sixth wicket after veteran Shitanshu Kotak had fallen for 68. Jadeja has been at the crease for more than 11 hours, faced 491 deliveries and hit 28 fours and seven sixes. Five other Indians have made two triple hundreds each in first-class cricket – Vijay Hazare, Raman Lamba, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer.
ScorecardFast bowler Pankaj Singh took his 16th first-class five-wicket haul in his 65th game as Punjab were dismissed for 215 in reply to Rajasthan’s 222 in Mohali. Left-arm medium-pacer Aniket Choudhary had reduced Punjab to 87 for 4 before Ravi Inder Singh (85) and Gurkeerat Singh (40) steadied the innings with a partnership of 89. Choudary returned to have Gurkeerat caught behind, and Punjab collapsed after that. Ravi Inder was bowled by Rituraj Singh and Pankaj ran through the tail to end with 5 for 45. Rajasthan lost their wicketkeeper Dishant Yagnik for 32 to end on 56 for 1 at stumps.
ScorecardMumbai’s lower order stretched their first innings to 297, and spinning allrounder Ankeet Chavan claimed four wickets to bowl out Bengal for 201 at Brabourne Stadium. Bengal opener Arindam Das was stranded on 98 as the visitors lost regular wickets. Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, was the only other batsman to get some sort of start, but he holed out in trying to loft Chavan down the ground for 39. Kshemal Waingankar took the last two wickets as Mumbai took a lead of 96. They also played out three overs safely in their second innings.Read more on this match here.
ScorecardCenturies from captain Parthiv Patel and Manprit Juneja boosted Gujarat to 566 against Hyderabad in Valsad. The duo added 178 for the fifth wicket. Parthiv took 144 deliveries for his 111 while Juneja made 106 off 159. Parthiv’s century was his 18th in first-class cricket, and 22-year old Juneja’s was his fourth in seven first-class games. Hyderabad lost the wicket of K Sumanth in reaching 50 for 1, with their captain Akshath Reddy motoring to 30.

A 2-0 lead for the home side was a scenario few would have predicted last Tuesday when Bangladesh had gone down by five wickets to the BCB XI

The Preview by Mohammad Isam04-Dec-2012

Match facts

December 5, 2012
Start time 1430 (0830 GMT)Darren Bravo is due for a big score•Associated Press

Big Picture

A 2-0 lead for the home side was a scenario few would have predicted last Tuesday when Bangladesh had gone down by five wickets to the BCB XI in the practice match. A week on from that evening in Khulna, the series scoreline stands that way, explaining how Bangladesh and West Indies are not just unpredictable, but not very different in terms of their progress this year.But given the potential of the visitors, Bangladesh should brace themselves for a fightback. West Indies were World Twenty20 winners a few months ago – their first major trophy in 33 years – and have won four Tests in a row for the first time since 1993, so their reputation as a growing powerhouse in international cricket could take a beating if they don’t win the third game.Darren Sammy has been beaten on tactics and execution by Bangladesh. He won both tosses, but both decisions backfired. His batsmen have either given away their wickets or played spin poorly while his mystery spinner Sunil Narine has been deciphered easily by the home batsmen.Bangladesh will look to press home the momentum they have gathered in the last few days of their stay in Khulna. They have managed to keep the West Indian batsmen quiet. The emergence of four newcomers in the side has helped, though Abul Hasan is out injured. However, it would be wise not to expect much more from the likes of Anamul Haque, Sohag Gazi and Mominul Haque, so it would fall on the shoulders of the seniors to pull this one through.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Bangladesh WWLWW
West Indies LLWWL

In the spotlight

…will be Mushfiqur Rahim, as he looks to win his first bilateral ODI series as captain. He was at the crease when his side took a 1-0 lead and in the second game, he made an assertive 79. The two wins and runs will take a lot of pressure off him, so it will be interesting to see how he continues in Mirpur for the rest of the series.West Indies will be hoping that Darren Bravo converts his starts to bigger scores. He hasn’t scored an ODI fifty this year, and as a result his average has dropped below 30. His ability against spin is a plus so his team will be counting on him for better returns.

Team news

Abul Hasan’s side strain has forced Bangladesh to break their winning combination but the back-up isn’t half as bad. Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam are both capable seamers in one-day cricket and are more experienced, with the former slightly ahead in terms of current international form.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Naeem Islam, 4 Nasir Hossain, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), 7 Mominul Haque, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Sohag Gazi, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain/Shafiul IslamThe visitors have a selection headache, mainly because their one-day specialists have underperformed. Kieran Powell could replace Lendl Simmons at the top, and it will be interesting to see whether they persist with Dwayne Smith. Narine’s position is also under threat, with Veerasammy Permaul’s left-arm spin offering more control.West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Kieran Powell/Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Smith, 7 Darren Sammy (capt), 8 Devon Thomas (wk), 9 Andre Russell, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Sunil Narine/Veerasammy Permaul

Pitch and conditions

The Mirpur pitch is slow, offering sporadic turn, and the pace bowlers may not get much assistance either. Curator Gamini de Silva was praised for his pitches in the Asia Cup so he will be expected to prepare similar tracks for the three remaining ODIs. There is also considerable dew in Mirpur after sunset.

Stats and trivia