All posts by h716a5.icu

Press Association15-Jun-2014
ScorecardMichael Hogan’s three wickets kept Kent in check•Getty ImagesMichael Hogan’s three wickets led a Glamorgan attack who made the most of helpful conditions as Kent’s batsmen were restricted on the first day at Sophia Gardens.Despite winning the toss only captain Rob Key really dominated the home attack with 63, although Ben Harmison’s 33 and 42 from Adam Ball held Glamorgan up for more than 20 overs after tea as the visitors closed on 236 for 8.When Key won the toss in bright sunshine he probably fully expected his team to bat for at least a day and a half on what looked like a typically placid Cardiff pitch.It looked an important toss especially in terms of the bigger picture. With Worcestershire and Hampshire racing ahead at the top of the table both Glamorgan and Kent, sixth place and seventh respectively, needed to make the most of their game in hand over the leaders.Kent handed Fabian Cowdrey his County Championship debut with vice-captain Sam Northeast having been rested, while seamer Robbie Joseph replaced Doug Bollinger, who was ruled out with a sore shoulder.Kent also decided to play the one spinner – Adam Riley, with news that James Tredwell is going on a month’s loan to Sussex to play championship cricket. By contrast Glamorgan fielded two slow bowlers – Dean Cosker and Salter – for the first time this season.Key would have been satisfied that he and opening partner Daniel Bell-Drummond had negotiated the new ball to reach 74 for no wicket shortly before lunch.But gradually the tide turned Glamorgan’s way as first offspinner Salter struck twice either side of lunch to remove Bell-Drummond for 39 and Cowdrey, who showed obvious nerves on his four-day debut as he made just 9 before being caught at short leg by Ben Wright.And from 131 for 2 Kent fell victim to swing as the sunshine was replaced by overcast humid conditions. Wobbling it around in the atmosphere the impressive Allenby got the crucial wicket of Key, who completed only his second half-century of the Championship season, before getting out lbw playing across the line.That and the demise of Brendan Nash two balls later put Glamorgan in charge and their position was strengthened either side of tea as the conditions became decidedly gloomy.Before tea Darren Stevens was the victim of a sharp catch at second slip by Jacques Rudolph off Allenby and from the sixth ball after the interval Sam Billings played Hogan on.The ball dominated bat to the extent that Kent’s run rate was well below three runs an over as Harmison and Ball attempted to repair some of the damage.They played patiently to recover some of Kent’s woe but both were dismissed courtesy of the second new ball, which came after bad light had briefly stopped play. Ball was bowled by one from Hogan which nipped back before Ball was well caught by Will Bragg at short midwicket. Bad light then struck again with play being abandoned for the day with four overs remaining.

While Dolphins might have fallen well short of the massive target set by Chennai Super Kings on Monday in Bangalore, the fact that they competed early on in the chase would give them a boost, batsman Cameron Delport has said

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2014While Dolphins might have fallen well short of the massive target of 243 set by Chennai Super Kings on Monday night in Bangalore, the very fact that they competed early on in the chase would give the South African franchise a boost, batsman Cameron Delport has said. Delport, who played a big role in Dolphins’ spirited start, slamming 34 off nine, said the team knew the only way they could possibly chase down 243 was by putting some pressure back on Super Kings and hoping they cracked.”It gives us massive confidence,” Delport told . “Today we played against Chennai Super Kings, who had a lot of Indian national stars and other reputed international cricketers. We know that if we can play well against them – either beat them or even just compete against them – it will help us mature as players. If we can handle these guys, we can definitely handle international cricket.”Super Kings had got to 242 for 6 having hit 16 sixes – eight of which came from Suresh Raina, who muscled his way to 90 off 43. Super Kings had got to 70 by the end of the six-over Powerplay, a Champions League T20 record that stood for just one innings; Dolphins smashed it, with their openers’ brief but blistering cameos getting them past 50 in the third over. That third over belonged to Delport, who hit 6, 4, 4, 2, 4 before playing too early at a Mohit Sharma slower one to be bowled off the final delivery.”We [he and fellow opener Morne van Wyk] knew that the wicket was really good and we wanted to get off to a really good start,” Delport said. “Our game plan was to take the attack to them and look for a couple of early boundaries and put them on the back foot right from the beginning.”We knew that their score was above average and our only chance of getting close was to put pressure on them. If we got boundaries off the first three balls of an over, the bowler would panic and it would be easier for us. We had a chat after the first innings and we said that if we get off to a good start, we had a good chance because we bat all the way down to No. 11. We did get that start but unfortunately the lower-middle order just collapsed there.”Delport said he had expected Mohit to bowl his signature slower ball at him, but still couldn’t quite get his timing right. “I knew he was going to bowl a slower one and I was telling myself to just wait for it. It kind of skidded off and hit the top of leg stump. I knew he was going to bowl it and I can’t believe I missed it.”Given his explosive cameo, Delport could well be on the radar of some IPL franchises, and that suits Delport. “I watch the IPL and the CLT20 every year and I have always wanted to be a part of these tournaments,” he said. “To finally be here in this country playing in these big stadiums is an experience that will help me grow as a cricketer. I want to continue to be part of these tournaments.”

Who can be happy and who can be concerned after Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying draw?

GettyWinners: Nigeria

The Super Eagles can largely be content with their Group A draw, even if there are a few potential banana skins in there as the West African giants look to pick themselves up off the ground.

Sierra Leone are strong—and Nigeria weren’t able to beat them during the last qualifying campaign—but Guinea-Bissau were dispatched comfortably at the Nations Cup, and shouldn’t spoil the party.

Sao Tome e Principe are one of the continent’s minnows, and are unlikely to pose any problems for the Eagles.

AdvertisementBackpagePix.Losers: Kenya

As one of the weaker sides in Pot Two, everyone in the other pots will have been keen to be pitted against the Harambee Stars, while there are a few sides who Kenya will have wanted to have avoided.

Cameroon—who they’ve been pooled against from Pot One—are one of those sides, with the Indomitable Lions demonstrating their class to eliminate Algeria in the World Cup qualifying.

Namibia and Burundi, like Kenya, were both present at the 2019 Nations Cup, and their squads are full of players who know how to get over the line.

backpagepixWinners: South Africa

Morocco are tough opponents for Bafana Bafana, and they’ll definitely have been one of the sides they’ll be keen to have avoided from Pot One.

However, the presence of Liberia presents South Africa with two winnable fixtures, and the derby with Zimbabwe—even if that complicates matters—gives Hugo Broos a good opportunity to demonstrate the progress he’s overseeing with this talented squad.

Zim were undone by Malawi at the Nations Cup, and Bafana will only have themselves to blame if they can’t reach the Afcon.

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Getty ImagesLosers: Egypt

Top seeds Egypt are of course favourites to reach the Nations Cup from Group D, but the Pharaohs could have had things a little easier than the group they’ve ultimately ended up with.

All of Guinea, Malawi and Ethiopia reached the last Nations Cup, with the Syli Nationale and the Flames both reaching the Last 16.

Egypt must ensure there’s no complacency as they look to progress.

Struggling for form in the batting and bowling departments, Royal Challengers Bangalore are likely to find a formidable challenge in Rajasthan Royals

The Preview by Rachna Shetty10-May-2014Match factsSunday, May 11, 2014
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:53

Time running out for Royal Challengers

Big pictureThe last time Royal Challengers Bangalore met Rajasthan Royals, they narrowly avoided beating the record for the lowest total in the IPL.The chances of a team folding for 70 on the Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch are small but Royal Challengers will need more than the comfort of home conditions to keep their tournament alive. Except for the first two wins in the UAE, they have been unconvincing, a problem magnified by the indifferent form of their batsmen. It is perhaps a fall-out of having built their batting around three top players. With two out of form, and the public struggles of Yuvraj Singh, one of the strongest line-ups on paper has been shaky on the ground.Their bowling, one of the more settled attacks in the first half of the tournament, has also emerged as a concern. They were alarmingly generous with their lines, conceding 25 extras against Mumbai Indians and then struggled to drag the momentum back against Kings XI Punjab, allowing their batsmen to strike boundaries from the start.In contrast, the Royals bowling has been far more disciplined and they have stuck to the template of keeping the opposition down to a manageable score while fielding first. The failure to chase a total of 132 would have come as a reality check after four straight wins and they would be keen to shrug the loss off and focus on consolidating their position in the top four.Form guide (most recent first)Royal Challengers Bangalore: LLWLL
Rajasthan Royals: LWWTWWhere they standRoyal Challengers Bangalore: Sixth, with three wins from eight games
Rajasthan Royals: Third, with five wins in eight games.Previous encounterRoyal Challengers were shot out for 70 against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi, losing four of their top five by the third over. Pravin Tambe picked up 4 for 20 but Royals did not put up the most dominant chase, losing four wickets on their way to the 71-run target.Watch out forWhile many consider Yuvraj Singh’s lack of form the elephant in the Royal Challengers dressing room, Virat Kohli’s failures are likely hurting them more. Before he fell for 0 against Mumbai in Dubai last month, Virat Kohli’s last duck in the IPL was in 2008. He has already had three this season and his failures, perhaps, have been made even more significant by the mantle of captaincy.He’s been propelled from the supporting cast of the Kolkata Knight Riders attack to a lead role with Rajasthan Royals and Rajat Bhatia is warming up well to the additional responsibility. With nine wickets in eight games and an economy rate of 7.03, Bhatia has been doing his job of reining in the runs in the middle overs. He’s also a handy bat, with 988 runs in 116 T20 games at a strike rate of nearly 119.Stats and trivia Of his 139 IPL innings, Virat Kohli has been dismissed for less than 10 runs only 23 times. He also shares the record for most ducks in this IPL – three – with Gautam Gambhir Harshal Patel holds the record for the most expensive figures by a Royal Challengers bowler in the IPL. He gave away 56 in three overs against Kings XI Punjab Three – the number of hat-tricks the Royals bowlers have, the most for a team in the IPL Ajinkya Rahane is the only Royals batsman to have scored a hundred against Royal Challengers. His ton helped Royals put up their best score of 195 for 2 in Bangalore in IPL 2012. Quotes”It’s like a switch. We just have to switch it on and we’ll compete again.”

Essex were made to do without Monty Panesar who was dropped for disciplinary Reasons but coped sufficiently well as Reece Topley took six wickets to help bowl Glamorgan out for 244.

Press Association01-Jun-2014
ScorecardReece Topley was playing his first Championship match of the season•Getty ImagesEssex were made to do without Monty Panesar who was dropped for disciplinary reasons but coped admirably in his absence as Reece Topley took six wickets to help bowl Glamorgan out for 244.Panesar, left out as a result of an issue with timekeeping, was replaced by leg spinner Tom Craddock, although he will be available for Friday’s T20 game on Friday.Craddock proved an expensive replacement with his seven overs costing 30 but he did pick up the wicket of Will Bragg, who top-scored for Leicestershire with 93 as he continued his excellent form.But it was Topley, making his first Championship outing of the season after a stress fracture of his back during the winter, who did the damage as Glamorgan only managed one more half-century.Topley yorked Tom Lancefield in only the second over of the day after the visitors elected to bat. He struck again just before lunch, having Ben Wright caught at gully, before returning with the new ball after tea to claim four wickets in five overs, including two in successive balls, to polish off the innings.Glamorgan looked like they had recovered from a shaky start which saw them reduced to 112 for 3 just after lunch as Bragg passed 500 championship runs for the season in putting on 68 with Chris Cooke for the fourth wicket.Bragg’s departure in the penultimate over before tea was a harbinger of doom for Glamorgan who returned after the interval to lose their last six wickets for the addition of just 53 runs. Cooke was last man out, edging Topley to slip, in the final over of the day.

Chris Woakes was dropped from the one-day team, had a modest Test debut and did not make the Ashes cut. But as captain of England Lions he reminded the selectors of his ability in Kandy

Alex Winter in Pallekele13-Feb-2014
Scorecard0:00

Chris Woakes puts England Lions in command

There are a number of this England Lions squad that have taken a hefty knock from international cricket. Injury, unfortunate selection and underperformance have befallen them. They have all been forced back into cricketing purgatory having been briefly shown through the pearly gates.Chris Woakes has had a double dose. His run of 13 one-day internationals was ended last June and his Test debut in August deterred the selectors from including him in the Ashes party – a decision that one could now argue was a blessing in disguise.He was on the wrong end of Martin Guptill last summer but maintained his form in county cricket, finishing the season as the leading English allrounder, and shrugged off an unrewarding Test debut – where four of his first five overs went for 30 – to complete the year strongly with Warwickshire, including a first-class best 152 not out. He then put in two solid performances for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash.Being made captain of England Lions for this Sri Lanka tour would have been a further stir in raising his credentials as an international cricketer. On the second day in Pallekele he produced an opening spell worthy of such a player and finished with 4 for 45 to put his side in full control.It was feared that Sri Lanka A’s young order would be over exposed against a high-quality experienced attack, benefitting from swing with the new ball. The third ball of the innings compounded such thoughts. The fourth doubled the scepticism that this match will last four days. Two wickets in the opening over and by lunch the hosts were 55 for 6 and Sri Lankan appetites for a season in England were disappearing.Footwork, a lack thereof, was chiefly to blame for five of the top six contributing only 21, two of them ducks. Just enough movement flummoxed four into offering catches behind the wicket, the first of which was stunningly held by Liam Plunkett with one hand down to his right hand side. Onions also won an lbw decision against left-handed Niroshan Dickwella.0:00

Onions hopes unexpected Sri Lanka tour is springboard to Test return

The new ball – taken by Woakes and Graham Onions – was when classically English bowling was a threat. When the swinging ball had run its course, Chaturunga de Silva and Dhammika Prasad thrived. But their stand of 64 was for the eighth wicket merely propped up the innings from a miserable 61 for 7. Sri Lanka paid badly for their failure to get into the meat of the innings with any kind of stability. They only lasted 48 overs.Veteran captain Upal Tharanga survived the initial carnage but 30 was a modest return from the most experienced player in the order. He fell in the last over before tea as Moeen Ali found some turn to have him caught at short leg. Moeen also ended de Silva’s attractive innings, finding an edge taken by Varun Chopra at first slip. It was evidence of what an attacking weapon Moeen can be. Scott Borthwick did not bowl in the innings.De Silva held the Lions to a draw in the second warm-up in Colombo and again demonstrated his sound technique – albeit coming in at No. 6 against a ball not as fresh – and flourishing strokemaking. His piercing cover drive off Tymal Mills was the shot of the day. In general it was more intelligent batting than his colleagues up the order and prevented his side from being totally blown away.De Silva was helped by some hefty striking from Prasad. He belted several drives through the covers, lifted Moeen over extra-cover for four and then over long-off for six, and managed his last partner carefully enough to allow the addition of 28 more runs. The stand nearly saved the follow-on that the Lions predictably chose not to enforce.But the tourists stumbled in adding to their first-innings lead of 159 as Sri Lanka A’s very capable spinners, Tharindu Kaushal and de Silva, thrived in more helpful conditions. The Lions’ top three all fell lbw, Chopra sweeping, and James Taylor nibbled to slip. Three wickets went to de Silva who, in the face of testing day for his side, walked off with a smile.

Round-up of the Logan Cup matches that ended on March 7, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2014Four wickets from left-arm spinner Kudakwashe Munyede in the second innings gave Mid West Rhinos an 86-run win against Matabeleland Tuskers at the Kwekwe Sports Club. Chasing 235, Tuskers needed 148 on the last day but lost their remaining seven wickets for 48 runs. Three of them were taken by Munyede.Rhinos had chosen to bat and scored 265 with fifties from captain Peter Moor (81) and Neville Madziva (70*). Offspinner John Nyumbu took four wickets. Tuskers were on their way to take a lead on 186 for 4, with a hundred from Brian Chari (116), but as soon as he fell, they were bundled for 202 as Madziva (4 for 22) and Munyede wrapped up the tail. Rhinos were restricted to 171 in the second innings as Nyumbu took five this time, not letting any batsman reach 50. In pursuit of 235, the Tuskers top order got starts but failed to capitalise. Tuskers were dismissed for 148, giving Rhinos seven points with which they jumped to second place.Southern Rocks and Mountaineers took two points each from their draw at the Masvingo Sports Club as even two innings could not be completed over four days. Rocks chose to bat and were led by middle-order batsmen Prince Masvaure (56) and Roy Kaia (97) before 19-year old No. 10 Luke Jongwe’s maiden hundred (132*) in only his second first-class match buoyed them from 286 for 9 to 487, last man Cuthbert Musoko contributing 62.Mountaineers were charged by a double-hundred from Dan Housego (217*), his highest first-class score, and an unbeaten 111 from Forster Mutizwa, which took them to 435 for 4 on the last day.

A hailstorm, heavy rain and temperatures about 20 degrees lower than Perth greeted England’s cricketers as they arrived in Hobart for the second leg of their Ashes warm-up

Andrew McGlashan03-Nov-2013A hailstorm, heavy rain and temperatures about 20 degrees lower than Perth greeted England’s cricketers as they arrived in Hobart for the second leg of their Ashes warm-up.The players were quick to take to Twitter to say how much it felt like home – and bemoan not packing a few warmer clothes – and for England’s bowlers the feeling of something more familiar is likely to extend a bit further than the climate when they face Australia A this week on a ground that has a reputation for a spicy wicket and low scores.They would be wise, however, not get too comfortable if they see some seam movement and swing because the batting-friendly conditions they encountered at the WACA are more likely to be the norm for the next few months.Other than James Anderson, who eased into the tour with an accurate 23 overs against the WA Chairman’s XI, it was an unconvincing performance from his fellow fast bowlers – the three who are trying to secure one vacant spot in the attack for the Gabba.In fairness to Boyd Rankin, Chris Tremlettand Steven Finn there was an upward curve as the match progressed through its final day but a reasonably low bar had been set in the first innings as they trio produced combined figures of 64-6-303-2.Anderson could be rested this week in Tasmania with Stuart Broad who, like Alastair Cook, had a few back issues in Perth needing to get his tour up and running while Graeme Swann also sat out the opening match. That means only two of the three other quicks are likely to find a spot in a match where England will hope to increase their intensity.However, David Saker, the bowling coach who committed to England until 2015 at the beginning of the tour, was keen assure all his fringe bowlers that nothing would be decided on the basis of their first run out of a long tour.”We’re three days into a long tour and haven’t really made any strong decisions yet, so they’re still going to be fighting out for that one position,” he said. “I think that’s a really positive thing. You can see when they’re working in the nets, or out in games, there’s some added pressure on them which is great.”We’re always assessing after every session. People can jump [past] others and it just keeps changing all the time.”From where I sit, it’s exciting. I’m sure it isn’t from where they sit. But it’s always good having competition for spots because then you get probably the best out of everyone. If all of them bowl at their maximum, it’s going to be a hell of a hard selection.”Saker was encouraged by the second-innings bowling display as the WA side closed on 5 for 168. Rankin, after a nervous start to his red-ball England career, removed both openers and Finn boosted his confidence with a brace of late strikes although still conceded more than five runs an over.”They got some really good spells under their belts and all of them looked better as the game went on,” Saker said. “That is a pleasing sign.”Sometimes in Australia you get flat wickets and it’s hard work. You’ve got to find different ways to get wickets, and the best way for us as a team is to try to build some pressure. As the game went on, I felt the guys were doing that. The last day was a good performance – 160 for 5 on that wicket.”

New Zealand might be the favourites for the Boxing Day Test in Christchurch, but Sri Lanka too would be equally confident after strong showing in Tests over the year

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Dec-20142:17

McCullum wary of SL’s overseas form

Match factsDecember 26-30, 2014
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT December 25)Big PictureThings that are less green than this Hagley Oval surface in the approach to the Test: Kermit the frog, the Kyoto protocol, Sri Lanka’s seam attack. It’s not that New Zealand don’t rate Sri Lanka in seaming conditions. At least, they have not outwardly said they don’t. They just rate themselves more. With an outswing bowler in Tim Southee, and inswinging left-armer in Trent Boult, a hit-the-deck seamer in Doug Bracewell, and a tearaway in Neil Wagner, New Zealand possess a fast-bowling full house. Of course they rate themselves.Previous Sri Lanka teams might have been perturbed by the hue of the surface, and the talk from the opposition, but this side is singing a more confident song. They have no quicks who have played more than 21 Tests, and four of the five fast-bowlers in the squad have played fewer than 16.But they have done it before, this year, in Dubai, Dhaka and Headingley, they say, so what of the inexperience? Sri Lanka feel they have weapons too. Maybe not the gatling guns and rocket launchers – but a more old-fashioned breed of armaments: like the katana and the shuriken. They weaken the opposition before striking hard, rather than blowing top orders away on sight.In the batting, New Zealand have the edge again, but when the opposition top order features two candidates for Test cricketer of the year, the hosts can only claim so much of an advantage. It is difficult to recall a time when Kumar Sangakkara was truly out of form. Angelo Mathews, meanwhile, is becoming one of cricket’s all-weather batsmen – as competent stonewalling on a spicy pitch, as he is attacking on a dustbowl.New Zealand, meanwhile, have Kane Williamson in imperious touch, and Ross Taylor not trailing far behind. As India found out early in the year, Brendon McCullum is capable of monster innings, as well as the momentum-pinching slap-dash fifties.The hosts are clear favourites, largely by dint of familiarity with the conditions. But in 2014, Sri Lanka have begun to build a reputation as a decent traveling team, and they are desperate to protect that.A green Hagley Oval pitch two days out from Boxing day•ESPNcricinfo LtdForm guide(last five matches, most recent first)

New Zealand: WDLWL
Sri Lanka: WWDLW
In the spotlightKane Williamson has been New Zealand’s long-term batting investment, and in 2014, he has proved to be the ace-in-the-hole the team had hoped he would become. He averages 60.28 in eight Tests this year, and has doubled his century-count to eight. He is coming off a rich tour in the UAE in all formats, and if Sri Lanka’s spinners ever become relevant in this tour, he is the New Zealand batsman best-placed to counter it.Angelo Mathews was named captain of the ICC XI this year, but no one is more aware than the man himself that the greatest tests for his leadership are to come. Mathews has had perhaps the best support network of any international captain in his 18 months at the helm, with Mahela Jayawardene’s tactical acumen to call upon, as well as Rangana Herath and Kumar Sangakkara’s experience. Now, with Jayawardene retired and Herath ruled out of the first Test, Mathews has lost a good portion of his safety net. It will be intriguing to see if he will continue in the aggressive vein he has recently developed, or slip back into the conservatism that marked the early part of his captaincy.Teams newsSri Lanka have plenty of options with their attack, with Shaminda Eranga and Suranga Lakmal the only certainties to play. Dhammika Prasad is the most likely third seamer, but Nuwan Pradeep may be an option as well. Then they have to make a decision between uncapped Tharindu Kaushal’s big turn, and Dilruwan Perera’s control.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Kaushal Silva, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Dinesh Chandimal, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Tharindu Kaushal/Dilruwan Perera, 9 Dhammika Prasad, 10 Shaminda Eranga, 11 Suranga LakmalBrendon McCullum has virtually confirmed offspinner Mark Craig will play, despite the green surface, so the major question will be whether Bracewell or Wagner gets the nod as the third seamer. The top order is fairly settled, with Dean Brownlie more likely to slot into the middle order than for Hamish Rutherford to occupy a place at the top.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Tom Latham, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Dean Brownlie, 6 James Neesham , 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Mark Craig, 9 Doug Bracewell/Neil Wagner, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultPitch and conditionsThe pitch is positively leafy, with bounce and pace as well, according to the groundsman. Sri Lanka can expect a trial by pace. The skies should be clear for the first two days as well, and while the weather is not quite balmy, even the Sri Lanka players probably won’t need their sweaters.Stats and trivia The Boxing Day Test is the first of its kind in New Zealand, in 11 years. It is also the first Test in Christchurch since 2006. Sri Lanka were the tourists on that last occasion as well. Angelo Mathews averages 86.62 from 13 matches as captain. Sri Lanka’s first ever overseas series win came in New Zealand, when they won one match and drew the other in 1995, but have since won only one more game in six attempts. That win came in Wellington in 2006.Quotes”The style of cricket that we’re playing, over the last 18 months or so, is something that the country enjoys. They also enjoy the fact that we are going to fight hard and make it tough for opposition teams to beat us, if they do beat us. They also see the hard work and characteristics of the team that fights all the way coming through. We’ve seen the groundswell of public support for this team, and I don’t think it’s just because of results. It’s because of the personalities that we have and the style of cricket we’re playing, and the humbleness we play it in.”
“We had a very green wicket in the Queenstown practice match as well, and I think that was really good. That really helps you to get into the mindset of playing on these conditions, whether you are a batsman or a bowler.”

Ashish Bagai, the Canada captain and wicketkeeper-batsman, has announced his retirement

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2013Ashish Bagai, the Canada captain and wicketkeeper-batsman, has announced his retirement. Bagai, who will turn 32 next month, debuted for Canada back in 1999 as a 17-year old. He went on to represent his country for more than 14 years. His most recent assignment was the unsuccessful campaign in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in the UAE, where Canada finished 12th out of 16 teams after winning only two group games.After the 2011 World Cup, Bagai left the team to attend business school. He was recalled in May this year for a nine-month period leading up to February 2014, after which he was to resume his career in finance. His inclusion came at a crucial time for Canada with two World Cup qualification campaigns lined up: the World T20 Qualifier and the 2015 World Cup Qualifier.However, after the disappointing outing in the former, and less than a month before the 2015 World Cup qualifier begins in New Zealand, Bagai tweeted that he was retiring.Bagai’s ODI debut came in Canada’s memorable win over Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup in Durban, a memory, he tweeted, that was his one of his favourites, along with the 2009 World Cup Qualifier, where Canada finished second behind Ireland. Bagai scored 1964 runs at an average of 37.76 in 62 ODIs, and his List A career produced 2649 runs in 96 games.

Been an honour to represent Canada over the last 15 yrs. Wish the boys all the best going forward. Will miss this game! #retiring #itstime

— Ashish Bagai (@abagai) December 22, 2013