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Bangladesh play their 21st Test match tomorrow when taking on Australia at the second new Test venue in the world within a week, at Cairns in northern Queensland

Lynn McConnell12-Jul-2009Bangladesh play their 21st Test match tomorrow when taking on Australia at the second new Test venue in the world within a week, at Cairns in northern Queensland.Their inclusion among the Test-playing nations has long been a point of controversy, especially among teams who had to do much more than Bangladesh did to even be considered for admission to the exclusive Test club. That controversy is warranted given the abysmal time the Bangladeshis have had in their matches.Even if they did achieve their first victory before completing their 44th Test match, to leave New Zealand as the team that waited longest for a win, it is hard to escape the fact that Bangladesh’s entry into the game’s top level has been the least successful of all nations.For all that New Zealand struggled over 26 years and 45 matches to secure a victory, the point is that they managed nothing like the records that Bangladesh have already secured. It is interesting to note that while New Zealand may have waited longest, in their first 20 Tests, they had only Pakistan ahead of them in the fewest losses suffered. Pakistan lost four of their first 20 games, New Zealand six, and Pakistan at least had the advantage of players involved with India before partition occurred.The teams who suffered the most losses in their first 20 Tests, after Bangladesh’s 19, were South Africa and the West Indies who each lost 12 matches. Bangladesh, for all their losses, have been given far greater support in their quest for matches than any other nation and they took the briefest time to record their first 20 Tests. New Zealand and India had their programme of matches interrupted by World War Two.It is an interesting reflection of the earlier administration of cricket under the Imperial Cricket Conference, that while the West Indies, New Zealand and India were admitted to the Test-playing fold within four years of one another, 1928-32, none of the three met each other until 1948 when the West Indies toured India. India had been due to tour New Zealand in the mid-1930s but famine in India caused the cancellation of plans. New Zealand didn’t play the West Indies until 1952, and India until 1955.New Zealand relied heavily on England’s support, much like South Africa had earlier in her Test history, as they each played 17 of their first 20 Tests against England. By comparison, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh enjoyed matches against a much wider spread of nations, although the more traditional larger nations were reluctant to play the new countries often. And Bangladesh has yet to meet England.Bangladesh have also been guilty of a high turnover of players in their brief time at Test level. They have used 31 players within two years and 252 days since their first Test, compared to 27 Pakistan used in the five years it took them to play 20 Tests.Playing record of all countries in their first 20 Tests, time span taken to play them and players used in that time (captains used in brackets):

team            W    L    D   span              time       players------------------------------------------------------------------Australia       9    7    4   1876/77-1884/85    8y   2d    40 (5)England         7    9    4   1876/77-1884/85    8y   2d    50 (6)South Africa    5   12    3   1888/89-1909/10   20y 299d    68 (9)West Indies     4   12    4   1928-1939         11y   4d    48 (6)New Zealand     -    6   14   1929/30-1949      19y 218d    50 (3)India           -   11    9   1932-1948/49      16y 228d    52 (4)Pakistan        5    4   11   1952/53-1957/58    5y 118d    27 (1)Sri Lanka       2   11    7   1981/82-1985/86    4y  29d    36 (3)Zimbabwe        1   10    9   1992/93-1996/97    4y   8d    33 (3)Bangladesh      -   19    1   2000/01-2003       2y 252d    31 (3)

Bangladesh have had a fair deal early on in their home and away balance of matches, which is marked contrast to some other countries.Breakdown of home and away matches in first 20 Tests:

home   away---------------------------Australia        15      5   (all 20 Tests were against England)England           5     15   (all 20 Tests were against Australia)South Africa     17      3   (first 16 Tests were at home)West Indies       8     12New Zealand      10     10   (all 10 away Tests were in England)India             8     12Pakistan          9     11   (first 9 Tests were away from home)Sri Lanka        10     10Zimbabwe         10     10Bangladesh        9     11

Bangladesh’s problems are evidenced in the number of innings defeats they have suffered in their first 20 Tests – 14 with the next highest being eight by the West Indies. Had not rain, against Zimbabwe, and Sri Lankan charity when playing a weakened XI which didn’t enforce the follow-on as it might have, the number for Bangladesh could have been 16. On the four other occasions they have survived they have set measly targets of 63, 100, 11 and 111.They are well practised at batting first, it has happened that way in 15 of their 20 Tests.Innings defeats in first 20 Tests:

Bangladesh       14West Indies       8Sri Lanka         5India             4South Africa      4New Zealand       3Australia         2Pakistan          2Zimbabwe          2England           0

Not surprisingly, teams have found it difficult to secure innings victories in their first 20 matches, and the list below is interesting given the shape of cricket nowadays. Bangladesh’s average losing margin of innings defeats is an innings and 135 runs, and last weekend’s innings and 132 run loss to Australia was only the eighth worst in their history. They have suffered two of the nine heaviest defeats in Test history.They have never had a first innings lead, their closest opportunity was in their inaugural Test when they scored 400 while India recovered from 236-6 to end up with 429. Their average first innings deficit is 273 runs with their own average first innings score being 177. Their worst first innings deficit is 465 runs, when they scored 90 against Sri Lanka who declared on 555-5 at Colombo in 2001.Bangladesh have three of the four occasions in which a team has conceded a first innings lead on the first day of a Test. Only four of Bangladesh’s matches have reached the fifth day. Seven finished inside four, and nine were inside three days.Innings victories achieved in their first 20 Tests:

England           2Pakistan          2South Africa      1West Indies       1Zimbabwe          1

Last weekend’s loss was their 14th in a row, a world record which is five more than the run Zimbabwe are on at the moment. The previous worst had been the eight suffered by England in 1920-21 and 1921 and South Africa between 1888-89 and 1898-99.The loss was also Bangladesh’s 11th successive loss away from home, which surpassed the 10 suffered by the West Indies from 1997-98 until 1999-00. The record belongs to India who went from 1959 until 1967-68 while losing 17 Tests. Zimbabwe are not out of the woods as they have suffered seven away losses in a row. India also have the record for most consecutive Tests away from home without a win. It stands at 43.Bangladesh have also lost seven successive Tests at home, one short of the record held by South Africa from their inaugural Test in 1888-89 through until 1898-99. South Africa also hold the record for mosts Tests at home without a victory on 24. Bangladesh have nine losses in total at home.Another record heading Bangladesh’s way if they cannot win in Cairns is that of most series losses in a row. That is held by New Zealand who lost 10 between 1950-51 and 1958-59. They are both on 10 at the moment, and one-off Tests are included in this statistic, with Bangladesh having played one of these and New Zealand none during that period.Tests taken for first victory:

Tests    first victory achieved (margin)---------------------------------------------------------------------------Australia         1     v England at Melbourne, 1876/77 (45 runs)England           2     v Australia at Melbourne, 1876/77 (4 wickets)South Africa     12     v England at Johannesburg, 1905/06 (1 wicket)West Indies       6     v England at Georgetown, 1929/30 (289 runs)New Zealand      45     v West Indies at Auckland, 1955/56 (190 runs)India            25     v England at Chennai, 1951/52 (innings and 8 runs)Pakistan          2     v India at Lucknow, 1952/53 (innings and 43 runs)Sri Lanka        14     v India at Colombo (PSS), 1985 (149 runs)Zimbabwe         11     v Pakistan at Harare, 1994/95 (innings and 64 runs)

Bangladesh, in 40 Test innings, have only reached 400 once, in their first Test. They have only passed 300 two other times. Their average run rate in Tests is 2.77 while opponents are scoring at 3.66.Frequency of Bangladesh batting totals in completed innings:

total   times-------------400+        1350-399     -300-349     2250-299     5200-249     5150-199    11100-149    110- 99     4

Their average team total is 181.Bangladesh avoided being dismissed in 50 overs or less by 7 balls in the second innings at Darwin, but have still been dismissed in under 50 overs 13 times in 40 Test innings. Their average completed innings length is 65 overs.They have been all out in 39 of the 40 Test innings – in the 40th they were 125 for 3 in their second innings against Zimbabwe at Dhaka in 2001-02, still 199 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat before it rained for two full days to wash out the match.Frequency of Bangladesh batting time in completed innings:

overs   times-------------140+        1120-139     2100-119     280- 99     560- 79     840- 59    160- 39     5

Of the 29 fifties and three centuries scored by Bangladesh since their inaugural Test, Habibul Bashar has accounted for 12 fifties and one of the centuries (next best is Al Sahariar and Javed Omar with four fifties each) Habibul has the highest Test average for Bangladesh with 33.10 – the next best is Javed’s 23.88 – only seven players average above 20 in Bangladesh’s history.Habibul has scored 1291 runs – that’s almost double the next best contributor for Bangladesh (89%, to be precise, more than Al Sahariar with 683).Bangladesh’s batting conversion rate is easily the worst of all countries, with their batsmen reaching three figures less than 10% of the time after making it to 50 (3 of 32 times), less than half as good as the next worst team, Zimbabwe.Conversion rate of 50s to 100s by all countries:

team            50+   100s    rate----------------------------------Australia      1986    614   30.9%Pakistan        824    251   30.5%West Indies    1238    368   29.7%Sri Lanka       362    105   29.0%England        2300    651   28.3%India          1067    301   28.2%South Africa    782    191   24.4%New Zealand     756    173   22.9%Zimbabwe        179     37   20.7%Bangladesh       32      3    9.4%

When it comes to bowling, Bangladesh have only managed to dismiss their opponents seven times in 25 Test innings and the cheapest of these was 296 by the West Indies at Chittagong earlier this year. Of the remaining 18 innings, 14 were declarations and the other 4 were teams reaching the winning target.The average runs per wicket for Bangladesh is 18.3 while the average against is 58.2. Their average wickets taken per innings is 6.6. The most wickets they have taken in a match is 13 (against the West Indies at Chittagong). They have taken as few as two, three and four wickets in three of their matches.Frequency of wickets taken per innings by Bangladesh:

wkts    times-------------10          79           58           -7           26           15           24           13           22           41           10           -

Bangladesh’s highest wicket-taker is Manjural Islam, with 25 wickets at an average of 56.24 in 15 Tests. Bangladesh’s bowlers have managed just three five-wicket bags (interestingly, all are 6-fors) – one each for Manjural, Mohammad Rafique and Naimur Rahman.Khaled Mahmud now holds the world record (at least until he takes more wickets) of the worst bowling average in Test history, having taken one wicket at a cost of 331 (with a strike rate of 570 balls). He passed West Indian leg-spinner Rawl Lewis’ effort of one wicket at 318. Alok Kapali has three wickets at a cost of 165.33 apiece also, while former one-day international captain Aminul Islam has one at a cost of 149. Part-time spinner Habibul has yet to take a Test wicket but has already conceded 195 runs (economy rate 5.00). The best bowling average of anyone to have taken even as few as one wicket is Rafique’s 9 wickets at 31.33 apiece.Bangladesh’s Test record to date:Bangladesh 400 & 91 lost to India 429 & 64/1 by 9 wickets at Dhaka, Nov 2000
Bangladesh 257 & 168 lost to Zimbabwe 457 by an innings & 32 runs at Bulawayo, Apr 2001
Bangladesh 254 & 266 lost to Zimbabwe 421/9d & 100/2 by 8 wickets at Harare, Apr 2001
Bangladesh 134 & 148 lost to Pakistan 546/3d by an innings and 264 runs at Multan, Aug-Sep 2001
Bangladesh 90 & 328 lost to Sri Lanka 555/5d by an innings and 137 runs at Colombo (SSC), Sep 2001
Bangladesh 107 & 125/3 drew with Zimbabwe 431 at Dhaka, Nov 2001
Zimbabwe 542/7d & 11/2 beat Bangladesh 251 & 301 by 8 wickets at Chittagong, Nov 2001
New Zealand 365/9d beat Bangladesh 205 & 108 by an innings and 52 runs at Hamilton, Dec 2001
Bangladesh 132 & 135 lost to New Zealand 341/6d by an innings and 74 runs at Wellington, Dec 2001
Bangladesh 160 & 152 lost to Pakistan 490/9d by an innings and 178 runs at Dhaka, Jan 2002
Bangladesh 148 & 148 lost to Pakistan 465/9d by an innings and 169 runs at Chittagong, Jan 2002
Bangladesh 161 & 184 lost to Sri Lanka 541/9d by an innings and 196 runs at Colombo (PSS), Jul 2002
Sri Lanka 373 & 263/2d beat Bangladesh 164 & 184 by 288 runs at Colombo (SSC), Aug 2002
South Africa 529/4d beat Bangladesh 170 & 252 by an innings and 107 runs at East London, Oct 2002
Bangladesh 215 & 107 lost to South Africa 482/5d by an innings and 160 runs at Potchefstroom, Oct 2002
Bangladesh 139 & 87 lost to West Indies 536 by an innings and 310 runs at Dhaka, Dec 2002
Bangladesh 194 & 212 lost to West Indies 296 & 111/3 by 7 wickets at Chittagong, Dec 2002
Bangladesh 173 & 237 lost to South Africa 470/2d by an innings and 60 runs at Chittagong, Apr 2003
South Africa 330 beat Bangladesh 102 & 210 by an innings and 18 runs at Dhaka, May 2003
Bangladesh 97 & 178 lost to Australia 407/7d by an innings and 132 runs at Darwin, Jul 2003

P   W   L  D-----------------------------------v Australia            1   -   1  -v India                1   -   1  -v New Zealand          2   -   2  -v Pakistan             3   -   3  -v South Africa         4   -   4  -v Sri Lanka            3   -   3  -v West Indies          2   -   2  -v Zimbabwe             4   -   3  1

The 31 players used by Bangladesh in their 20 Tests so far:Akram Khan, Alamgir Kabir, Alok Kapali, Al Sahariar, Aminul Islam, Anwar Hossain, Ehsanul Haque, Enamul Haque, Fahim Muntasir, Habibul Bashar, Hannan Sarkar, Hasibul Hossain, Javed Omar, Khaled Mahmud, Khaled Mashud, Manjural Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Mehrab Hossain, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Rafique, Mohammad Salim, Mohammad Sharif, Mushfiqur Rahman, Naimur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam, Ranjan Das, Sanwar Hossain, Shahriar Hossain, Talha Jubair, Tapash Baisya, Tushar Imran.Bangladesh have one other record of their own – they are the first side in Test cricket to have a batsman wilfully retire out – in fact twice in the same game, the 1561st in history – Marvan Atapattu 201 and Mahela Jayawardene 150 as Sri Lanka racked up 555-5 declared in the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.

A round-up of the second day of the 13th round matches of the Regional Four Day Competition

Cricinfo staff05-Apr-2009Openers Adrian Barath and Imran Khan scored centuries as Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) closed in on first-innings points against Leeward Islands at the Ronald Webster Park. An enterprising stand of 239 between Barath and Khan helped T&T close on 292 for 3, in pursuit of Leewards’ first-innings total of 303. Khan top scored with 125 off 241 balls, comprising 14 boundaries, while Barath struck a 193-ball 113, which included 14 fours and a six. After the Leewards added just 13 to their overnight score of 290 for 9, Khan and Barath gave T&T a rousing start and by lunch they had reached 92 without loss. They kept up the tempo in the post-lunch session adding a further 91, with both batsmen nearing three figures Having reached their centuries, Barath was the first to fall, caught by Codville Rogers off Steve Liburd. Khan followed 11 runs later when he became the first of Brent Defreitas’ two victims but T&T ensured safety till the close, despite losing Darren Bravo cheaply for 6.Narsingh Deonarine stroked an attractive half-century on Saturday, even as Guyana faced an uphill battle against Jamaica at Jarrett Park. Deonarine scored 63 to move his aggregate for the season to 1013 runs, breaking the record of 974 runs held by former Leeward Islands batsman Stuart Williams. Resuming on 294 for 4, Jamaica’s overnight batsman Carlton Baugh managed to add 13 to his overnight 50 before Brandon Bess trapped him leg before. The other not out batsman David Bernard got to 36, before falling lbw to Chris Barnwell. No significant contributions from the tail meant Jamaica ended on 389. Guyana were given a rousing start as Barnwell hit five fours and a six during a 31-ball 38, and posted 79 for the opening wicket with Sewnarine Chattergoon. Deonarine shared an important 48-run, third-wicket stand with Sewnarine Chattergoon (63) but both batsmen fell when seemingly set for big scores. Deonarine, who also scored 63, struck seven fours during his 81-ball innings. But Guyana let the advantage slip as Odean Brown and David Bernard jnr picked up two wickets apiece to leave them struggling at 268 for 6 at stumps, still 121 runs behind.Omar Phillips hit a composed 89 as Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) clawed their way to a first-innings lead against Barbados at the Three Ws Oval. Phillips, a double-centurion in the previous match against Leeward Islands, pushed CCC to 271 for 8, in reply to Barbados’ first-innings total of 235, having struck eight fours and five sixes during his 189-ball stay. Several other CCC batsmen got starts, but failed to cope with Barbados’ spin duo of Shane Ramsay (3 for 83) and Ryan Hinds (4 for 54). Resuming on 27 for no loss, Ramsay struck early to send back Kyle Corbin and Nekoli Parris. Jamal Smith and Phillips then added 91 for the third wicket, before Hinds dismissed Smith and Phillips in quick succession. Kurt Wilkinson (26) fought bravely to give CCC the lead but Ramsay had him caught at slip soon after. Hinds trapped Anderson Sealy leg before for 5 and then bowled Kavesh Kantasingh for a first-ball off successive deliveries to leave the CCC at 245 for 8. Wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton and Kevin McClean however, took them through to stumps.

Phil Russell’s status at the Kingsmead ground is unique – the much-respected curator is probably the only person involved with the IPL and its bitter rival, the ICL. Russell, who was the ICL’s curator last season, is currently an advisor on the ground pre

Karna S23-Apr-2009Phil Russell’s status at the Kingsmead ground is unique – the much-respected curator is probably the only person involved with the IPL and its bitter rival, the ICL. Russell, who was the ICL’s curator last season, is currently an advisor on the ground preparations at Kingsmead for the IPL tournament.The antipathy of the Indian board – which owns the IPL – towards the ICL is famous: it has adopted a heavy-handed approach to players, officials, groundsmen and scorers, even commentators, involved with the unofficial league. It has even sought to influence other boards to adopt a similar stance. Somehow, Russell has slipped under the radar.He entered into the reckoning when the ground’s assistant curator was posted to Newlands to get that ground ready in time for the tournament and the Natal board sought someone with experience to fill the gap. Russell has been associated with the Kingsmead stadium for two decades and coached the Natal team, including Kevin Pietersen, for two years.Then came the ICL. “He has been with us for the last two years,” Kiran More, a member of the ICL’s executive board, said. This year, too, we have asked him to come during July-August to take a look at the grounds and get them in shape for the November season.”Russell isn’t the only ICL connection – the overhead sky cameras the IPL is using this season was used by the ICL in its last season. The camera – which slides on a cable approximately 40 feet above the centre pitch – is owned by the same company that loaned it to the ICL.

Prosper Utseya played an outstanding captain’s innings to lead Zimbabwe to a series-clinching four-wicket win in the third ODI in Nairobi after the home side had looked on course to keep the contest alive

Cricinfo staff31-Jan-2009
Scorecard
Prosper Utseya was Zimbabwe’s match-winner with his maiden ODI half century © AFP
Prosper Utseya played an outstanding captain’s innings to lead Zimbabwe to a series-clinching four-wicket win in the third ODI in Nairobi when the home side had looked on course to keep the contest alive. After battling hard to reach 234, Kenya took wickets at regular intervals but were thrown off course by Utseya, who made a career-best unbeaten 68, and a superbly-timed assault from wicketkeeper Forster Mutizwa as the victory came with 10 balls to spare.Elton Chigumbura, who has been so impressive in this series, also played his part with a different style of innings to the shot-filled efforts of the previous games. He came in with Zimbabwe tottering on 103 for 5 but compiled 43 off 50 balls to put the chase back in the balance. However, when he fell, Zimbabwe still needed 85 off 11 overs with batting resources running out.Mutizwa, playing just his third ODI, changed the game in a one-over assault on Peter Ongondo, who had been extremely tight until his ninth over went for 26. Mutizwa hit two sixes over deep midwicket and three further boundaries to reduce a target of over eight-an-over down to a run-a-ball.When required, Utseya also found the boundary and two fours followed by a six took him to his maiden ODI half-century off 50 balls. The stuffing had been well and truly knocked out of Kenya, who had seen a match-winning position slip away rapidly.They had done so much right for 40 overs with a marked improvement in their bowling from the first two matches when Zimbabwe passed 300. Although the Zimbabwe openers played their shots, Ongondo removed them both in an impressive opening burst. When the in-form Stuart Matsikenyeri drove a hard return catch to Rajesh Bhudia and Malcolm Waller was well caught at second slip, Zimbabwe were 68 for 4.Steve Tikolo struck to increase the pressure when he removed Keith Dabengwa and when Chigumbura fell after doing the hard work Kenya were moving closer to victory. Utseya, though, has always appeared a very mature cricketer for someone of just 23 and didn’t panic in a tough situation, although it was Mutizwa’s blast that swung the momentum.Kenya’s batting had again struggled as legspinner Graeme Cremer took four wickets, but they managed to recover from 95 for 5 thanks to Collins Obuya’s 55. Cremer struck at vital times throughout the innings, including a spell of three in six balls, beginning by removing Alex Obanda when he lofted to long-on for a hard-fought 49. Then in his next over he removed the key scalp of Tikolo, who was beaten by one that skidded through. Two balls later and the shoddy side of Kenya’s batting was again on display when Jimmy Kamande pulled lazily to midwicket.After two games of watching Zimbabwe rack up totals in excess of 300, Kenya were grateful to be batting first on this occasion. However, any positive vibes lasted precisely one ball as Seren Waters was caught behind for a duck off Christopher Mpofu. It followed Waters’ third-ball duck two days ago and Kenya were immediately on the back foot.Mpofu was impressive with the new ball and Kenya had to fight hard to establish a platform. Zimbabwe have relied heavily on spin during this series – and they used five of varying styles in this innings – and it was the introduction of Ray Price that snapped a promising second-wicket stand when Kennedy Otieno dragged the ball via his pads as he tried to sweep.Cremer was soon making his mark, but Obuya and Maurice Ouma stopped the slide with a stand of 79 in 14 overs. They showed what can be achieved with sensible batting, carefully accumulating singles and dispatching the bad balls. But just as they had a base from which to expand, Ouma picked out long-on against Utseya.Obuya went to his fifty off 59 balls before becoming Cremer’s fourth wicket as Zimbabwe’s fielders continued to hold their catches in the deep. For much of the second innings it appeared as though he’d given his team enough, but in the end Zimbabwe’s growing confidence proved too much for the fallible Kenya.

If England’s cricketers thought they had batted with intent on the first day at Bridgetown, their efforts were nothing compared to the free-flowing onslaught they produced on the second

The Bulletin by Andrew Miller27-Feb-2009West Indies 85 for 1 (Sarwan 40*, Smith 37*) trail England 600 for 6 (Strauss 142, Bopara 104) by 515 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Ravi Bopara compiled a superb maiden Test century© AFP
If England’s cricketers thought they had batted with intent on the first day at Bridgetown, their efforts were nothing compared to the free-flowing onslaught they produced on the second. Ravi Bopara led the way with a classy 104 from 143 balls, his first century in international cricket, and Paul Collingwood (96) and Tim Ambrose (76 not out) made sizeable marks in the scorebook as well, as England built on their overnight 301 for 3 to add 299 more runs at a rate of nearly five an over.By the time Andrew Strauss declared, early in the final session, England’s total of 600 for 6 was their highest since the Oval Test against South Africa in September 2003. Nevertheless, West Indies responded impressively with a volley of strokes before the close, in particular from the in-form Ramnaresh Sarwan, as they made light of the early dismissal of Chris Gayle, via a referred lbw in James Anderson’s third over.It was a breezy day’s batting from both teams, but particularly England, who had to withstand a feisty morning spell from the luckless Fidel Edwards before cashing in on a lacklustre showing from the remainder of the West Indian bowling attack. As on the first day, they lost only three wickets – Kevin Pietersen was removed in the first hour of the day for 41, plumb lbw to Edwards despite his self-indulgent wasting of a referral, and Edwards struck again in the afternoon when Collingwood, sizing up his second hundred in consecutive matches, slogged a length delivery to deep point.Bopara eventually gave Edwards a richly deserved third when, only three balls and one boundary after reaching his hundred, he took on the hook and picked out Jerome Taylor on the fine-leg boundary. The identity of the catcher, however, was rather ironic, for it was Taylor who dropped the clanger that might have spared West Indies much of their day’s toil. Yesterday, Edwards had Andrew Strauss dropped at first slip by Gayle on 58, an error that cost his side 84 runs. Today, Taylor should have clung onto a skied pull when Bopara had made just 4, but the chance went sprawling, and England’s new No. 6 went on to add exactly 100 more to his total.This is Bopara’s first Test since he finished the tour of Sri Lanka in December 2007 with three ducks in a row, but whereas on that occasion the wiles of Muttiah Muralitharan were too much for him, this time he found the pace-dominated West Indies attack much more to his liking. He used his wrists coolly to work the gaps in the leg side, while Taylor, when he wasn’t dropping catches, was noticeably off the pace with the ball. He looked a shadow of the superhero who destroyed England at Sabina Park, and Bopara flogged him through midwicket twice in two balls, as he surpassed his previous Test-best of 34, at Kandy in 2007.When Bopara tried the same against Edwards, however, the results were somewhat different. One pull sailed high off a top-edge and all the way for six, another in Edwards’ next over was completely misjudged, and rattled him a painful blow under the eye. A lengthy break for treatment ensued, in which time Edwards had to be discouraged from having a word or two with the batsman. But Bopara was not discouraged in spite of his shiner, and carried on getting into line to deliveries that were well in excess of the 90mph mark.He went to lunch on 46 not out, and soon after the resumption, he tickled a leg-stump delivery from Sulieman Benn down to the fine-leg boundary to reach the first notable landmark of his Test career. Using his wrists to their full supple effect, he traded singles with his partner Collingwood throughout a 149-run stand, and continued to pick the right ball to attack. Edwards dropped short and was rifled through the leg-side; Sulieman Benn served up a waist-high full-toss that was dispatched through midwicket.After reaching tea on 88 not out, Bopara clicked through the nineties with a cool lofted drive off Taylor, before easing a bouncer from the ever-threatening Edwards into the leg-side to reach three figures. He removed his helmet and saluted the crowd with a modest wave and a gentle impersonation of the Caribbean’s current superstar, Usain Bolt – a mock comb of the hair and a bow-and-arrow salute to the dressing-room.Bopara’s main sidekick was Collingwood, who built on his impressive century in Antigua last week with another powerfully constructed innings. His favourite shot of the day was the pull, which he used to great effect to pick off two of his 12 fours, and he also drove Edwards delightfully down the ground for arguably the classiest boundary of his innings. But just when it seemed nothing could interrupt his flow, along came the temptation of a fourth century in 11 innings.Back into the attack came Edwards, and with four needed for the hundred, Collingwood chose the wrong ball to clobber over the covers. Instead it arced off a leading edge, straight down the throat of Nash on the point boundary, and – just like Pietersen, Sarwan and Alastair Cook before him in this series – he was left ruing one attacking stroke too many with three figures around the corner.Nevertheless, his departure did nothing to interrupt England’s momentum, because out of the blocks burst Ambrose, a bundle of diminutive intent, eager to make up for lost time in his career. Matt Prior’s paternity leave has given him a chance to make amends for a disappointing summer, and by the time of the declaration, he was motoring on 76 not out from 95 balls, with eight fours and two slapped sixes over midwicket off Ryan Hinds. Hinds could have dismissed him for a third-ball duck had Denesh Ramdin clung onto a top-edged cut, but as with so many chances in this match, the opportunity was lost, and England marched onwards and upwards.All the same, West Indies clearly recognised a docile pitch when they saw one, for their response was full of controlled aggression, as Sarwan and Devon Smith pushed through to the close with a 72-run stand. They had to withstand a superb opening spell from James Anderson, who swung the ball both ways at will and removed Gayle for 6 with a late-inducker that the referral showed would have taken out leg stump. But at the other end, Ryan Sidebottom couldn’t find the right length to complement his prodigious swing, and both Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad were easily repelled. England have a total to envy, but West Indies have set themselves to match it, and so preserve their 1-0 series lead.

Newcastle United are eyeing a late transfer window swoop for Rangers star Glen Kamara.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have only managed to bring in Joe Willock from Arsenal on a permanent deal, and Steve Bruce appeared to pour cold water on any significant new incomings in the remainder of the summer transfer window.

He said: “If there is a loan deal (possible for a player) who can help us that is what we will try and do. But, as for bringing in somebody permanently, I can say that is probably not going to happen.

“There is still a little bit of work to do but it has been difficult for all the clubs all summer. I have never known it so quiet and difficult for a lot of clubs with finances.”

But now, TEAMtalk claim that the Tyneside club are showing an interest in Kamara, with West Ham, Leeds and Wolves also said to be keeping close tabs on his situation.

Fans will be buzzing

Given the question marks over the futures of the Longstaff brothers, a new midfielder would be a major addition to Bruce’s options. And in Kamara, they will be getting someone who has just recently won the Scottish Premiership, and has played in the Europa League too.

His former manager at Dundee, Neil McCann, said: “He looks small but he’s strong and he’s a playmaker. When Rangers signed Glen, I sat there thinking he would smash it. Glen will end up back in the English Premier League. I’ve no doubts about that.”

“He isn’t a big, physical lad but he’s made of iron and really strong. I knew immediately that he could handle the ball under pressure and not give it away, so he was perfect. He’s a special talent. He’s lightning-quick but he doesn’t show it. He’s a player who takes instruction well.”

The 34-cap international could be exactly what Newcastle need in the midfield, and with McCann saying he will end up back in the top-flight – he was once on the books at Arsenal – St James’ Park could be an ideal destination for him.

 And, given what Bruce has said about how the club’s financial struggles would see new signings be difficult to make, the latest news on Kamara is sure to have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano claims Newcastle are interested in this star…

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Sven Botman.

As per Fabrizio Romano, the Midlands club have now made an official bid to try and sign the Lille central defender on a permanent deal.

However, the reigning Ligue 1 champions turned down their proposal, meaning that they are going to have to go in with a second bid if they want to land his signature.

Botman was a key player for his team on their way to winning the title in the 2020/21 term, playing in all but one match and helping his team keep 20 clean sheets in the process, while he himself won an impressive 4.9 of his duels per game and also averaged 3.2 clearances and 1.5 interceptions per appearance (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, being just 21 years of age, the Dutchman would no doubt be a smart investment by the Molineux faithful, and he could be a mainstay in Bruno Lage’s side for years to come.

Wolves transfer update on Botman

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“A second bid is all I ask I beg”

Credit: @haydenbd_

“Jeff/Fosun come on Wolves need this please get him”

Credit: @TooRiskyIam

“PAY THE MONEYYYYYY PLEASEEE”

Credit: @wwfcnaasif

“Oh hello!”

Credit: @nawaafkoodaruth

“You are finally making moves!”

Credit: @Beeowolf79

“Whattt?”

Credit: @wwfcsam1

In other news, find out what club announcement has Wanderers buzzing here!

A round-up for the third day’s play of the fifth-round matches of the Ranji Trophy Plate League

Cricinfo staff14-Dec-2008
ScorecardCaptain Swapnil Asnodkar led from the front as Goa upset Group A leaders Himachal Pradesh in Dharamshala. While the hosts were already through to the semi-finals, Goa are now almost certain of finishing second in the group, unless Haryana complete a remarkable final-day turnaround against Jammu & Kashmir in Rohtak.Goa started the day needing 159 to win but lost opener Sagun Kamat with 15 runs knocked off. Aditya Angle fell five runs later, but Asnodkar got solid support from Advait Katkar. Asnodkar did the bulk of the scoring in their 86-run stand. Sarandeep Singh broke the partnership, dismissing Katkar for 14 – it took him 85 balls.Asnodkar was unable to last till the end; he was out with Goa still needing 38. Himachal Pradesh, though, were denied any further wickets, with Ajay Ratra, the former India wicketkeeper, and Robin D’Souza guiding Goa to victory.ScorecardThe pressure is on Haryana. Goa’s win means they now need to force a win on the final day to book a place in the semi-final. Haryana conceded the first-innings lead, but they stand a chance if they can bundle out Jammu & Kashmir quickly on Monday.Haryana had stumbled to 113 for 4 in reply to Jammu & Kashmir’s 314, but they put a fight to take the first-innings lead in Rohtak. The lead would have guaranteed them a semi-final place, but they eventually fell 29 short. Debutant Manav Sharma gave Haryana hope with his 98. He put on stands of 53 for the fifth wicket with Sachin Rana, and 59 for the seventh with Abir Lavasa. Sharma took Haryana to 274 for 8, but his dismissal on that score pretty much ended their chances. Medium-pacer Samiullah Beigh took 6 for 89 for the visitors.Jitender Billa, Haryana’s leading wicket-taker, struck twice in Jammu & Kashmir’s innings, but Ian Dev Singh, the top scorer in their first innings, and Ahmed Nizam played out till stumps.
Scorecard
Kerala, too, trail their opponents by 69, but with seven wickets down in Jharkhand’s innings, they could end their campaign on a winning note. Preambhastn Prem, overnight on 84, scored his fourth first-class ton to help Kerala, resuming on 249 for 4, gained a 75-run first-innings lead. Wicketkeeper Vinan Nair chipped in with 45. For Jharkhand, medium-pacer Sujit Roy took 5 for 128.Jharkhand failed to build any significant partnerships in their second innings, with Saurabh Tiwary – who made 125 in the first innings – top scoring with 36. Kerala captain Sony Cheruvathur took 3 for 36 off his ten overs, while Sreesanth had figures of 12-1-53-2.
Scorecard
Services played out 93 overs on the third day to add 204 runs to their overnight 62 for 2 at the Palam A Ground in Delhi. They lost seven more wickets, but with a lead of 332, they can declare overnight and hope to bowl out Assam for their first win of the season.Mrigen Talukdar struck twice as Services made a shaky start, but first-innings centurion Soomik Chatarjee continued his good form, scoring 71. Devendra Israni, Abhimanyu Singh and Sachin Nadkarni chipped in with 30s to extend the lead – all three were dismissed by offspinner Arnald Konwar. The final pair of Rakesh Kumar and Pankaj Kumar added an unbroken 44 runs.
Scorecard
Unlike Group A, the semi-finalists from Group B have already been decided, but the last round of matches will determine placings of the top two – Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. In Agartala, Madhya Pradesh almost enforced the follow-on against Tripura, with the hosts barely managing to go past the follow-on mark.The visitors could have well been on the way to victory had it not been for Nishit Shetty, the former Mumbai batsman. Shetty’s 118 revived Tripura after they slipped to 47 for 4 once Sanjay Pandey took two wickets in two balls. Shetty got support from the remaining batsmen: he added 97 with Rajesh Banik (30), 45 with Abhijit Dey (17), 47 with captain Tushar Saha (28) and 55 with Rana Dutta (43). But he was eight man out with the score on 291, still 13 short of preventing the follow-on. No. 9 Dutta, though, added 14 along with No. 10 Vineet Jain to make Madhya Pradesh bat again. Jain then struck off his second ball in the visitor’s second innings. They played one over, and will resume at 0 for 1.
Scorecard
The fight for first place in Group B will go on to the final day. A career-best 159 from Wriddhiman Saha ensured Bengal were in the reckoning to take the first-innings lead against Vidarbha in Nagpur. Resuming on 149 for 4, the overnight pair of Saha and Dibyendu Chakrabarty took Bengal to 227. Umesh Yadav trapped Chakrabarty leg-before, but Saha added 102 with Avik Chowdhury.Saha was finally dismissed by Shrikant Wagh; his 159 included 19 fours. An unbroken 42-run stand between Chowdhury – whose 42 came off 204 balls – and Ritam Kundu took Bengal to 371 for 6. They still need 33 to gain the first-innings lead.

Brendon McCullum has swallowed his pride and volunteered for a demotion to No. 7 for the second Test in Adelaide to allow Peter Fulton to squeeze into the side

Brydon Coverdale at the Adelaide Oval27-Nov-2008
Peter Fulton will bat at No. 5 behind Ross Taylor © Getty Images
Brendon McCullum has swallowed his pride and volunteered for a demotion to No. 7 for the second Test in Adelaide to allow Peter Fulton to squeeze into the side. New Zealand were desperate to bolster their batting following two disappointing totals of 156 and 177 in their defeat at the Gabba and the allrounder Grant Elliott has lost his spot.New Zealand are already 0-1 down in the two-Test series but the Adelaide match has extra ramifications besides the potential to level the series. Should New Zealand lose they will fall below West Indies, who they meet next month, on the ICC Test rankings and they would be in eighth position, ahead of only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.That would be a miserable way for John Bracewell to end his five-year stint as the team’s coach; he steps down after this game to hand the reins to Andy Moles. “John has asked us to treat it as any other Test,” the captain Daniel Vettori said. “He doesn’t want it taking away from what’s going on and how important this Test match is.”New Zealand realise how crucial it is to make the most of batting opportunities at Adelaide Oval, where first-innings totals of more than 500 have become the norm. Although they had been adamant they would not shuffle their batting order, they decided that McCullum at No. 5 was no longer the best fit and the cautious Fulton would be a better man to come in behind Ross Taylor.”We wanted to give Peter a go, obviously he’s an out-and-out batsman,” Vettori said. “It was Brendon’s idea in a lot of ways, for the balance of the side. Because he’s got such huge ambition to do well and he wants to give himself so many opportunities it’s hard for him but he also understands the situation.”Although Fulton’s recall was expected it will still be a relief for the batsman, who has not played a Test since the home series against Bangladesh in January. He was named to play the Trent Bridge Test against England but was cut at the last minute when Gareth Hopkins took his place due to McCullum’s back injury.Fulton might not be the magic bullet but he will at least add stability to a batting order in which nobody but Taylor posted a score of more than 40 in Brisbane. Vettori said the batsmen were expected to lift in Adelaide, where they had at least been able to practice outdoors, unlike in the stormy lead-up to the Gabba Test.”When you come to Adelaide it probably brings a bit more of a sense of calm about everything because you know how good the wicket is and the expectations to score runs,” Vettori said. “We trained pretty hard, particularly yesterday, on surfaces which are almost exact to the wicket out here.”Vettori is also ready for a major lift in his output after he sent down only eight overs in the first innings at the Gabba before having more of a run with 19 overs in the second innings. He was pleased to see there were already some footmarks on the pitch, which he felt would help him against Australia’s left-handers.”It’s almost a complete reversal [from Brisbane],” he said. “We know the ball’s not going to seam around too much and my workload increases exponentially really. I was happy with the way I bowled in the second innings in Brisbane. I feel good, I bowled pretty well in Bangladesh. But this is always a big step up in terms of a Test on a flattish wicket against a very good batting line-up.”

Not looking to miss out on a rising star, the 49ers Enterprises have now reportedly sent Leeds United officials to join the race in pursuit of a rising star in Scottish football, who has attracted plenty of interest as of late.

Leeds transfer news

Leeds know all about trying to keep hold of a future star, of course, having failed to prevent Archie Gray’s exit to Tottenham Hotspur in a summer full of exits a few months ago. Now, they’ll want to flip the script and land a young sensation of their own in the transfer market.

Those at Elland Road are in a strong position to convince reinforcements too, given that they now sit top of the Championship in the early race for title glory and subsequent promotion.

When the January transfer window arrives, the Yorkshire club have the opportunity to welcome the additions that could all but seal promotion to the Premier League, before then turning their attention towards future stars for Daniel Farke’s side.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, the 49ers have now sent Leeds officials to join the race for Lennon Miller, who has been priced at a minimum £5m by Motherwell as they look to at least benefit from the Scottish sensation’s potential exit.

Leeds have made an "unbelievable signing" who could be sold for big money

The Leeds United ace has already broken records during his short stint at Elland Road.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 28, 2024

Those at Elland Road aren’t the only ones interested, however. In fact, a whole host of English clubs are reportedly chasing Miller’s signature, including Manchester United, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Championship rivals Sunderland. With that said, it could be an impressive coup if Leeds managed to welcome the 18-year-old midfielder.

A player who may make up for Gray’s exit, Leeds should go all out to sign Miller if they’re given the opportunity when 2025 arrives.

"Exciting" Miller could make up for Gray's departure

Injuries to midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev caused quite the headache for Farke, although Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell have been brilliant in their absence. A situation which highlighted Leeds’ lack of depth in the middle of the park at the time, Miller’s arrival wouldn’t just be one for the future.

The teenager has starred in Motherwell’s senior side this season, reaching four goals and four assists to prove that he no longer belongs in academy football. Now, he looks destined for his biggest move yet.

As a result of his continued rise over the last year or so, Miller has attracted plenty of interest and praise, with most of that coming from Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell, who told reporters as relayed by The Herald earlier this year: “I just think he is a really exciting talent. If he was playing at one of the other clubs I would be waxing lyrical about him as well because I do get excited when you see really good footballers in Scotland.

“It’s brilliant for us all to market and sell the product and the brand in this country. I am absolutely delighted that I feel we have got one of the top guys at his age and somebody that I believe can go on and have a real, real good future in the game.”