All posts by h716a5.icu

Maurice Chambers produced a career-best haul as Northamptonshire kept alive their hopes of a place in the quarter-finals of the Royal London Cup

Press Association14-Aug-2014
ScorecardRichard Levi struck a rapid half-century as Northants claimed victory on Duckworth-Lewis•Getty ImagesMaurice Chambers produced a career-best haul as Northamptonshire kept alive their hopes of a place in the quarter-finals of the Royal London Cup with a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis win over struggling Lancashire at Old Trafford.Chambers struck three times in the first six overs of the Lightning’s pursuit of 201 in a 40-over game, leaving the score at 25 for 3, after rain had delayed the start of this Group A clash by two hours. The rain returned with Lancashire, who now cannot qualify for the last eight, at 47 for 3 after 10.1 overs and a long way off the pace in terms of D/L. Play did not restart.This was only Northamptonshire’s second win in seven in the competition, but it meant victory over Essex at home in their final group game next Thursday – coupled with other results going their way – would be enough for a top-four finish and progression. Bottom-placed Lancashire have now lost five out of seven group matches and all three of their home matches.Northamptonshire were also thankful to South African overseas opener Richard Levi as his 68 off 43 balls, with 13 fours and a six, underpinned what looked only to be a fighting total at best. He reached 50 off 31, with 46 of those runs coming in boundaries as the Steelbacks notched 80 runs off the first 10 overs.Lancashire left-arm spinner Stephen Parry, who has struggled for form in limited-overs cricket since returning from the World Twenty20 with England in late March, was the pick of their bowlers with a season’s best 3 for 23 from eight.Parry helped fashion an impressive recovery in tandem with Steven Croft’s offspinners as Northamptonshire only scored 120 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the last 30 overs. Croft added 1 for 29 from his allocation of eight.The visitors lost 3 for 11 inside five overs – two to Parry and one to Croft – as they slipped from 125 for 2 in the 21st. Parry, on England Lions duty earlier this week, had Kyle Coetzer caught at long-off and Adam Rossington caught at midwicket off a leading edge before Croft had Ben Duckett caught at short third man on the reverse sweep.Parry had Rob Keogh caught and bowled as Northamptonshire struggled to up the rate again and lost three further wickets in the last 10 overs. Graeme White’s 21 off 31 at least helped get them to 200, which proved to be enough thanks to Chambers. He had List A debutant Luis Reece caught at first slip in the fourth over before getting Karl Brown caught at short cover and Paul Horton, who had earlier elected to bowl, bowled off an inside edge with successive balls in the sixth.

The Irish Police is searching for Sharyce Saili, a Zimbabwe cricketer, who went missing after the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 qualifiers, which concluded in Dublin last week

Ger Siggins06-Aug-2013The Irish Police is searching for a Zimbabwe cricketer, Sharyce Saili, who went missing after the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 qualifiers, which concluded in Dublin last week.Saili, who has played 26 matches for Zimbabwe since 2008, was last seen in the team’s hotel shortly after their Shield final against Thailand on July 31. Saili, a right-arm fast bowler, was booked to fly home last Friday morning, but was reported missing.The Garda Siochana – the Irish Police force – says it has found no trace of the cricketer.Zimbabwe finished sixth of the eight teams in the qualifiers after losing to Thailand. It was soon after that game that Saili was last seen in Croke Park Hotel, where all the teams and officials were staying.Saili, who is a salesperson in her hometown Harare, finished second on the wicket-takers list, taking seven wickets in five matches, including a career-best 3 for 15 against Japan.Saili has not updated her Facebook page since her disappearance. On the day she was last seen, she posted the following message: ‘A strong woman is one who is able to smile this morning like she wasn’t crying last night.’

Prasanna Jayawardene will go to hospital for X-rays after he was hit on the thumb by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer during Sri Lanka’s first innings at the MCG

Andrew Fernando at the MCG26-Dec-2012Prasanna Jayawardene has suffered a hairline fracture to the top of his right thumb after being hit by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer during Sri Lanka’s first innings at the MCG. That delivery was the last Jayawardene faced, as the ball caught the shoulder of the bat after hitting his thumb, and ballooned to Phillip Hughes in the slip cordon. Jayawardene made 24.Team management are yet to determine whether Jayawardene will keep wickets on day two, but in the meantime Kumar Sangakkara has taken the gloves in his stead, and will keep for the remainder of day one.Sri Lanka’s 12th man Dinesh Chandimal also keeps wickets, but cannot stand in behind the stumps as he is a substitute. A year ago, he replaced Jayawardene on Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa as wicketkeeper-batsman.”There was some bruising on his thumb after his innings, so we thought we’d better check,” team manager Charith Senanayake said, before X-rays revealed the extent of the injury.December 26 5.35am GMT This story has been updated to include news of Jayawaradene’s hairline fracture

Rain and then bad light meant only 6.3 overs of play were possible on the second day of Leicestershire’s match with Kent

ECB Reporters Network25-Apr-2016
ScorecardClint McKay took his season’s wicket tally to 11 (file photo)•Getty ImagesRain and then bad light meant only 6.3 overs of play were possible on the second day of the County Championship second division fixture between Leicestershire and Kent at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road.Resuming on 227 for 7, Kent quickly lost allrounder Matt Coles, the left-hander edging a rising delivery from Clint McKay to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien without adding to his overnight score of 1. It was McKay’s third wicket of the innings, and his 11th of the season.Unfortunately the weather closed in after just 15 balls, and although the players did briefly get back out in the afternoon session, Kent had added just six runs to their total when bad light brought a frustrating day to an early close.Leicestershire’s director of elite performance, Andrew MacDonald, said a positive result was still perfectly possible. “The forecast for the next couple of days is better, it’s a good cricket wicket with some carry to it, and we’re optimistic that if we can take the last couple of wickets quickly, and get in with the bat, we can start driving the game forward,” he said.Kent wicketkeeper Adam Rouse said the visitors were finding it hard to believe they were yet again struggling to get on to the field. Their opening match of the season, against Worcestershire, was abandoned without a ball being bowled.”After not even starting at Worcester, and then having last week off – when the weather was dry – it’s tough to sit out another day here,” Rouse said. “We’re just eager to get out there and play. If we can add a few runs, get the score up to somewhere near 300, the bowlers are looking forward to running in for what will be the first time this season.”

Derbyshire finally mustered some resistance to take their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street to a fourth day. After subsiding for 113 in their first innings they were 49 for 5 in the second but closed on 181 for 7.

10-Jul-2013
ScorecardShivnarine Chanderpaul, not for the first time, played a lone hand in the Derbyshire top order•Getty ImagesDerbyshire finally mustered some resistance to take their match against Durham at Chester-le-Street to a fourth day. After subsiding for 113 in their first innings they were 49 for 5 in the second after being set a target of 472, but closed on 181 for 7.Shivnarine Chanderpaul made 76 and put on 98 for the sixth wicket withwicketkeeper Tom Poynton, who remained unbeaten on 56 on his return to the sideafter being axed because of his lack of runs in the first four games.Chris Rushworth, the man nominated to stand down if Graham Onions becameavailable, followed his 6 for 64 in the first innings by taking three morewickets. The rules state that Onions would have had to be on the ground for the start ofthe third day, but although not in the team, England retained him at TrentBridge.In the morning Durham opener Keaton Jennings followed his 93 in the firstinnings by completing his maiden championship century. Resuming on 65, he made his way carefully towards the milestone with a seriesof singles and reached his hundred off 247 balls. He was on 122 at lunch, when Durham led by 446 on 306 for 7, but added onlyone before being run out.Mark Wood fell lbw on the back foot to give occasional offspinner Dan Redferncareer-best figures of 3 for 33 and Durham declared on 331 for 9.Derbyshire reached 19 before three wickets went down for one run, Ben Stokestaking two of them. Stokes nipped a delivery back to remove Richard Johnson’s off bail, then CallumThorp found some extra bounce to have Wayne Madsen caught behind. In Stokes’ next over Michael Richardson held a fine catch low to his right atthird slip to get rid of Chesney Hughes.Rushworth returned for a second spell and took the next two wickets, pinningWes Durston lbw and having left-hander Redfern caught at first slip.Chanderpaul reached 50 off 73 balls then hit Scott Borthwick for three fourswhen the leg-spinner was finally introduced, only to be removed after conceding34 in four overs. Just as in the first innings it was Rushworth who persuaded Chanderpaul to feelfor a ball just wide of off stump, which he edged to Phil Mustard.

Abundant batting line-up or not, England Lions have not advanced their World Cup claims by the manner in which they have twice been dismantled by an experienced New Zealand A in the Royal London tri-series

David Hopps at New Road12-Aug-2014
ScorecardMatt Henry made early breakthroughs for New Zealand A•Getty ImagesAbundant batting line-up or not, England Lions have not advanced their individual World Cup claims by the manner in which they have twice been dismantled by an experienced New Zealand A in the Royal London tri-series. In Bristol last Friday and Worcester today, four wickets have been lost without 50 on the board, inroads which brought New Zealand wins on both occasions and ensured a satisfying victory in the tournament.If the Lions batsmen remain worthy of debate, this particular bowling attack is unlikely to detain the selectors when World Cup squads are finalised. Hamish Rutherford found them much to his taste, the only surprise being that he did not complete an untroubled century, falling five runs short when he was bowled on the charge, off-side drive in mind, by the left-arm spinner Stephen Parry, the best England bowler on show.England Lions did well to escape to 255 for 8, but after a heavy shower, which trimmed the chase to 220 in 36 overs, New Zealand achieved their target with alacrity. Tom Latham, who struck a run-a-ball 48, finished matters by striking Tom Smith over the square leg rope with 21 balls to spare. With a home World Cup to inspire them, New Zealand can expect to field a competitive squad.New Zealand victories are rarely marked by extravagant praise, but a downbeat presentation ceremony was low-key even for them. The Lions’ defeat was suitably marked by the downcast tones of Ernie on the New Road public address. Ernie brings his own style to the most exciting of days, permanently sounding as if he is reading out details of his own funeral, an era which demands extravagant excitement having somehow passed him by.New Zealand fielded a side boasting nine players with international experience – only Scott Kuggeleijn and Daryl Mitchell remain uncapped – and once again they played with efficiency worthy of their status, taking clinical advantage of a good toss as they made maximum use of helpful bowling conditions in the first hour.Makes sense for me to coach – Flower

Andy Flower, back in the old routine as coach of the England Lions, expressed surprise that anybody should wonder that he is fulfilling such a hands-on role six months after resigning as England’s director of cricket after a demoralizing Ashes whitewash.

“I’m a cricket coach so coaching a cricket team makes sense,” he said. “It’s not my decision when I will do it again, but my role is to work with the younger set of players. They were really energetic, even though they were coming off the back of a busy county season, and they were an exciting bunch of cricketers to work with so I really did enjoy it.”

Flower, who was retained in a senior developmental role by the ECB after it was mutually agreed he should stand down, conceded that New Zealand were the stand-out team of the tournament, succeeding on the back of a strong pace attack, twice cutting through the top order of an England side that struck four hundreds in the tournament.

“The Kiwis really outplayed us today. They played some excellent cricket and exploited the conditions well. I thought it was a good toss to win. Always at Worcester there is movement in the first hour especially when you have a 10.30 start and two new white balls and their three quicks were excellent.

“But there is real talent in English cricket and this sort of learning experience is excellent for them. There are a few spots open for debate I guess and it’s the selectors’ job to make that decision.”

This New Road pitch has been used three times in a week and produced more than 1,500 runs in the process. It impressed the Lions so much during their victory against Sri Lanka A that they encouraged the groundstaff to use it again. There was no reason to change that assessment as wickets fell. James Vince’s unproductive series ended when he mistimed a pull to midwicket and then Matt Henry intervened in a manner that suggested it will not be long before he adds to his solitary ODI cap, won against India in Wellington earlier this year and where he bowled with eye-catching pace.Henry trimmed Ravi Bopara’s stumps, had James Taylor lbw and caused Jason Roy to edge to slip as he advanced down the pitch; Roy’s England debut, if and when it comes, will surely be in T20. An impressive new-ball spell would have brought a fourth wicket, too, if Alex Hales, on 8, had been held at second slip by Dean Brownlie.Just as he did in Bristol, it was Jonny Bairstow who reassembled England’s fractured innings. Poor Ashes tour or not, he was unfairly rubbished in some quarters, and when he completed a third successive half-century by assertively sweeping Ish Sodhi’s quicker ball, he had again played in a measured fashion that for a time seemed to have deserted him. His departure on 71 was unfortunate, a bottom-edged pull at a ball from Doug Bracwell that kept a little low and a catch down the leg side.Smith must have thought his Lions days were behind him when he was dispensed with after a 2006-07 tour of Bangladesh, but nearly eight years later he has proved himself a mature cricketer. He provided restrained support for Bairstow before indulging in some late hitting with Toby Roland-Jones to give England’s total a veneer of respectability. Henry’s last over went for 18, the final boundary jumping up as it struck the rope and jolting awake a dozing spectator by striking him meaningfully on his sun hat.

At 19 for 3, Pakistan seemed to be heading towards an inevitable defeat, but Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifties to keep Sri Lanka at bay on the third day

Umar Farooq in Dubai10-Jan-2014At 19 for 3, Pakistan seemed to be heading towards an inevitable defeat, but Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifties to keep Sri Lanka at bay on the third day. The hosts still trailed by 91 runs at the end of play, but Younis insisted that the team’s fightback would continue. Younis was unbeaten on 62, while Misbah hit 52 not out, as the pair put up an unbroken stand of 113 for the fourth wicket.”I tried to fight back,” Younis said. “In the end, it was good that I had a partnership with Misbah. The seniors always perform whenever the team needs them to, so that’s good.”What would have hurt Pakistan is the fact that their bowlers had actually done well to dismiss Sri Lanka within 28 overs on day three, conceding only 70 runs in the process to keep the visitors’ lead at 223. The hosts, however, immediately collapsed and lost Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez and Khurram Manzoor in quick succession. Given Pakistan’s recent batting performances, it would have been safe to assume that the rest of their batting would also fold, but Younis and Misbah stayed firm to launch a counterattack.”What was needed was to keep it simple on the pitch and play according to the situation. It’s always good whenever Misbah plays with me as we just take singles and we try to cash in on easy deliveries. It was the same when I was with Yousuf, with whom I had a big partnership.”When asked why the youngsters like Shehzad and Manzoor were not taking on the responsibility, Younis said: “Ahmed is new to Test cricket so I think we must give him some time. Khurram is doing well as he has had some experience in Tests. I hope they learn from their mistakes. I think if they play for 14 years, they will also play like us. It’s as simple as that.””Khurram has played 10 Tests while it’s just the start for Ahmed. I think that with time they will learn, especially after playing so many T20s and ODIs. When you play an ODI, you field for 50 overs and then bat.”But in Test cricket, you sometimes have to field for more than 150 overs and then go open. The first four batting positions are very crucial in Tests, so you can say it has something to do with their fitness, as much as their experience. If you look at them after five years, maybe you will say they are batting better than us.”Despite the recovery, Pakistan are still facing an uphill task, with Asad Shafiq the only reputed batsman left to come. Still, Younis is optimistic that Pakistan can take a commanding lead.”The first target is that we get a lead of around 220. Something like 200-300 runs on the board will be good for us. One thing that happened in Abu Dhabi was that the ball was seaming, but they [Sri Lanka] took the match away from us,” he said. “So I thought if we played correctly and according to the situation, we could be in a similar position. If we cashed in on one or two sessions and stayed there together, you never know. Anything can happen on the last day.”

Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, believes that the quality of his spinners, and the experience gained by some of the key members of the side, will hold the team in good stead against India

Renaldo Matadeen31-Oct-2013West Indies coach Ottis Gibson believes that with the pitches in the Caribbean facilitating spin, the West Indian spinners are better equipped to tackle conditions in India.”We’ve evolved from that pace-pronged attack from the 80s and 90s,” Gibson said. “Our home conditions favour spinners. These pitches are why Sunil Narine, Shane Shillingford, Veerasammy Permaul and Nikita Miller do so well regionally. They are tailored for spin. Now, you think of our spinners when you think of West Indies.”Gibson reiterated that with Sheldon Cotterrell, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, they still boasted a healthy stock of fast bowlers. He also indicated that Tino Best was a pacer that India should be wary of given his recent adaptability to varying pitch situations. The coach expressed confidence in his attack and its diversity when questioned about the absences of Ravi Rampaul and Sunil Narine.”Ravi’s just coming off injury so the selectors wanted to give him time to recover. Sunil has done well but Shillingford has been excellent in Tests. Narine has played a lot of cricket and we don’t want to burden players too early with too much responsibility. I know he will bounce back into the Test team and copy his limited-overs form very soon.” Gibson professed that the versatility of his bowling arsenal would be critical come the Test series.He was cautious about the state of Indian pitches but added that his players have been mentally training for these conditions since the impromptu announcement of the tour while gearing for the subsequent New Zealand trip. “This India series wasn’t ideally timed as we were busy prepping for New Zealand,” he said. “We’ve been playing a lot of cricket all over the world in all formats but Test matches is what we’re missing. We have a good team and a nice blend of youngsters and experience now and we must prepare as best we can on these turf pitches in India. We have a good idea about the pitches but must be very mindful still.”Darren Sammy believes that West Indies will be tougher to beat this time around due to the experience they have gained over the last couple of years.”Last Test series here, it was tough,” Sammy said. “We had a lot of youngsters and we were inexperienced. Now, we have six consecutive Test wins (against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) under our belts and our limited-overs players are some of the best in the ODI and T20 formats. We are a much improved team from the last visit to India.”He pointed to 2013 Wisden Cricketer of the Year, Marlon Samuels, himself and Chris Gayle as players whose knowledge of the Indian cricketing landscape would be essential, given their IPL experience. “Our bowlers are up to the mark and ready for the challenge. [Sheldon] Cotterrell is a great find, and with players such as Kemar Roach and spinners like Shane [Shillingford] and Veerasammy Permaul more mature now, I think we’re ready. Kirk Edwards and Kieran Powell also gave good accounts [of themselves] with the A team recently, so I think we will adapt well to the pitches and conditions.”Sammy also highlighted that Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th Test would be monumental for his stalwart batsman, Shivnarine Chanderpaul. “He’s our talisman in the middle and there’s a reason why some refer to Shiv as ‘The Wall’. His batting will be crucial for us in this series. We are counting on him a lot.”The captain added that despite the occasion, he hoped to dismiss Tendulkar cheaply. “We aren’t giving Sachin a freebie or a hundred but we will be giving him a guard of honour when he walks out to the pitch because he has earned that respect,” Sammy said. “He has been a great ambassador for the game and it’s only fitting. His career is distinguished and it’s testament to him as a professional and his character as a person.”But that’s just one player. We cannot focus on Sachin alone. We have MS Dhoni, (Shikhar) Dhawan and Virat Kohli who are big run-getters. We’ll have to focus on the entire team but we have goals set that we’re looking to achieve and it will be an exciting competition.”

Sri Lanka have the most experienced team at the World Cup and are driven by the desire to make up for defeats in the last two finals, but their batting is top-heavy and their bowling perhaps over-reliant on Lasith Malinga’s uncertain fitness

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Feb-2015Sri Lanka sometimes go into global tournaments underdone. Other times they have carried misfiring personnel. Occasionally key players have been injured, or, like on this occasion, poor form has pockmarked their approach to the big events. They rarely seem to have the firepower of the ‘favourites’. They are so beset by poor governance they played the last World T20 in the middle of a contracts dispute. But they won.Sri Lanka are like the kung fu movie protagonist that takes a hundred knocks to the head, but somehow makes it to the end of the film. Or the old Nokia phone that is jammed in doors and dropped in puddles, but continues to live on.Fact box

Previous World Cups
1975: Group stage
1979: Group stage
1983: Group stage
1987: Group stage
1992: Group stage
1996: Winners
1999: Group stage
2003: Semi-finalists
2007: Finalists
2011: Finalists
Squad
Angelo Mathews (capt.), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Sachithra Senanayake, Dhammika Prasad
Fixtures
February 14 – v New Zealand, Christchurch
February 22 – v Afghanistan, Dunedin
February 26 – v Bangladesh, Melbourne
March 1 – v England, Wellington
March 8 – v Australia, Sydney
March 11 – v Scotland, Hobart

Angelo Mathews has three former captains in his side. He has already been at the helm for two standoffs with the board. But in the six major campaigns he has played in, Sri Lanka have failed to reach the semi-finals only once.It is not that Sri Lanka have consistently been the best side in these tournaments – often their early outings have been scratchy. But somewhere in each campaign metal strikes flint and a fire spreads. In the 2007 World Cup, Lasith Malinga had his four in four. In the 2009 World T20, the team rallied around Tillakaratne Dilshan’s electric starts. In the 2014 World T20, Rangana Herath turned a match Sri Lanka had no business winning, with his 5 for 3.If the four previous finals had not already put the cricket world on notice, actually winning the last big tournament has. They lost 2-4 to New Zealand in January, but if Malinga is fit and firing, Sri Lanka will be hopeful that big-tournament magic will catch them again.The batting is still top-heavy, but it is some top. Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara have been mighty consistent in ODIs over the past two years, and in Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka have one of the best big-match players in the game. They are smuggling inexperience in that lower middle order, but Mathews has become adept at rescuing the innings, though he has been short of support in recent weeks.Sri Lanka’s fans have watched too many finals to be wowed by just another good dash to the knockout stages. They expect the team to return with the trophy. The cricketers themselves will be desperate to bag the big prize too, not least because this will be several senior players’ last chance to do so.World Cup PedigreeESPNcricinfo LtdThey have not won since 1996, but aside from the awful 1999 campaign, Sri Lanka teams have largely emerged from World Cups with credit, reaching the semi-finals in 2003 and the final in both World Cups since. The near-miss in 2011 was for many in the team the greatest disappointment in their limited-overs careers, and only a World Cup win could bring full catharsis.X-FactorSri Lanka have recently found limited overs success by stacking the XI with allrounders – particularly of the fast-bowling variety – and they built a team purposefully, to ensure Mathews will not be short of bowling options even when Sri Lanka play an XI that bats deep. Mathews himself as well as Thisara Perara and Nuwan Kulasekara have had success with both disciplines in Australia, and there is Dilshan’s canny offspin to break a big partnership or apply a squeeze. The challenge for Mathews is managing these resources intelligently, and ensuring he plays enough frontline bowlers in his XI.Players in focusAngelo MathewsMathews will almost certainly have more shots at World Cup glory, but yet the stakes are high for him at this event. The team is bracing for several high-profile retirements, and it is Mathews who has the task of putting together a new team in the wake of their exits. It is a daunting prospect, but one that will become immeasurably easier if Mathews already has a World Cup to his name, with all the confidence and public goodwill that comes with the trophy.Mahela JayawardeneThe only man with tons in a World Cup final and a semi-final, few players deserve a grand finish to their international careers as much as Jayawardene. A dip in his ODI form early in 2014 helped hasten his Test retirement, and he will hope that being active in only one format will spur a return to his best. Jayawardene has not prospered on bouncier surfaces in Tests, but he has played important ODI innings in Australia and has only grown more innovative in his later years.Lasith MalingaMalinga is not so much the leader of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs attack as he is its cornerstone. The team’s bowling plans revolve so tightly around Malinga that it is the quality of his performance that often defines games. He was delivering thunderbolts in 2014’s Asia Cup and the World T20, but had since then put on a few pounds and lost a little pace – perhaps due to the ankle injury that later required surgery. He will not have had much time at the bowling crease before the tournament begins, thanks to the lengthy recovery time. Given this may be his final shot at a World Cup as well, Malinga should need little incentive to be fit and fast at the curtain-raiser on February 14.Game StyleSri Lanka have developed a reputation as a street-smart unit with a taste for aggression, and that is the approach that has historically brought them most success. With two new balls in play, starts may not be as brisk as usual, but their batting is capable of responding to most situations, thanks to the adaptability that the likes of Sangakkara, Dilshan, Jayawardene and Mathews provide.PredictionAnything less than a semi-final place would be a disaster, and even that will not please Sri Lanka fans, who have come to expect much from their team. Adjusting to the conditions, and finding that collective intensity that has fueled past campaigns will be key to their performance.World Cup stats Sri Lanka inflicted the lowest-ever World Cup total of 36 on Canada in 2003 Of the five top wicket-takers in World Cups, two are Sri Lankans. Muttiah Muralitharan is at second place with 68 wickets, and current bowling coach Chaminda Vaas is at fourth, with 49 Sri Lanka have the most experienced squad in the World Cup by a distance. Sri Lanka’s 15 have 2017 ODI caps between them. The next-highest is Pakistan with 1314.If they were an actorAmy Adams: Fly in under the radar to get close to the big prize, but don’t often take the trophy homeTheme songSo close, yet so far – Elvis Presley

The National Cricket League will enter a new era from the 2015-16 season when promotion and relegation will be introduced in Bangladesh’s biggest domestic first-class competition, the BCB has announced

Mohammad Isam29-Dec-2014The National Cricket League will enter a new era from the 2015-16 season when promotion and relegation will be introduced in Bangladesh’s biggest domestic first-class competition, the BCB has announced.The top four divisional sides from this year’s competition will play in the first tier while the bottom four will take part in the second tier from next season. One team from each tier will gain promotion and relegation. Since its inception in 1999, there was no promotion or relegation in the NCL.”The reason behind the change of format is to make the league more competitive and attractive,” AJM Nasir Uddin, the BCB vice-president, said. “The prize money will be higher from next year too. First-tier champions will get Tk 20 lakh (approx. $25,600) while second-tier champions will get Tk 5 lakh. It will be played under home-and-away method, though this year it will be single league.”The decisions were made at the BCB’s tournament committee meeting on Monday, also attended by the general secretaries of all the divisional sides. It was also decided that this season’s matches will be held in Mirpur, Fatullah, Chittagong, Bogra, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Rangpur.Nasir also informed that the 30-member preliminary squads of each divisional side will be picked based on previous season’s performance. “The national selectors will cut the squads to 18 players after discussions with the divisional sports associations. The players who will be cut from one preliminary squad can be picked by another division.”