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A wrap of day one of the latest round of Ranji Trophy Group A matches

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2016Shardul Thakur dismissed six of Bengal’s top seven to rack up figures of 6 for 31 as Mumbai rolled out Bengal for 99 in Nagpur. Mumbai then went on to score 164 for 5, riding on Kaustubh Pawar’s 112-ball 78.Bengal collapsed from 90 for 3 to 99 all out, with the last four wickets falling without adding a single run. Dhawal Kulkarni took three of those four wickets, thereby ensuring that Bengal’s lower order was wiped out for next to nothing. In reply, Mumbai rode on Pawar’s knock and handy starts from Jay Bista and Shreyas Iyer to march to 119 for 1. But Bengal hit back with four wickets towards the end of the day to regain some lost ground even as Mumbai closed with a 65-run lead.Madhya Pradesh and Baroda vied for the upper hand on an evenly-contested bowler’s day in Dharamsala, in which 12 wickets fell for 248 runs all told.After being put in to bat, Madhya Pradesh were bowled out for 217 after right-arm pacer Babashafi Pathan bagged career-best figures of 5 for 48. Madhya Pradesh captain Devendra Bundela, playing his record-breaking 137th Ranji Trophy match, top-scored with 86 but was eventually run out, becoming the ninth wicket to fall. The last wicket fell two balls later.Puneet Datey then took two early wickets, before Aditya Waghmode and Deepak Hooda saw Baroda through to 31 for 2 at stumps.Meanwhile, a similar narrative played out in Rajkot, where Uttar Pradesh scored 259 after being put in to bat, and then took an early wicket to leave Railways on 18 for 1 at stumps.Uttar Pradesh’s top-scorer was their captain, Suresh Raina, who made 91 off 109, including eight fours and a six. He came to the crease at 82 for 2, just as his team were in the midst of a wobble. Ducks for Rinku Singh and Upendra Yadav meant it was soon 96 for 5. But Raina held firm and received good support from Saurabh Kumar, with whom he put on 82 for the eighth wicket. Saurabh Kumar was the last man out, for 53. Right-arm pacer Anureet Singh and legspinner Karn Sharma took four wickets apiece.Praveen Kumar then dismissed Shivakant Shukla for 7, before Saurabh Wakaskar and Ashish Sehrawat saw out the day. It was slow going for Railways, who took 14 overs to notch up 18 runs.It was a tough day for Punjab‘s bowlers, who toiled without much reward in Belgavi, as Gujarat piled on 281 for 2. Priyank Kirit Panchal was the star for Gujarat, finishing the day unbeaten on 134.Panchal added 143 for the second wicket with Bhargav Merai, who made 65, and another 111 with Rujul Bhatt for the unbroken third-wicket stand. Manpreet Gony and Sandeep Sharma were the wicket-takers for Punjab.

Kent are to take legal advice as they seek to appeal the decision to readmit Hampshire to Division One of the County Championship in place of Durham

George Dobell03-Oct-2016Kent are to take legal advice as they seek to appeal the decision to readmit Hampshire to Division One of the County Championship in place of Durham.Kent, who finished second in Division Two of the County Championship, were under the impression that they would be considered for the position after Durham forfeited their place as part of a financial rescue package agreed with the ECB.They were especially disappointed to discover the news via Twitter rather than receive a call from anyone at the ECB.”We will consult our lawyers,” Kent chairman, George Kennedy, told ESPNcricinfo. “We need to find out how we can appeal against a decision we consider unfair.”We are very upset. We expected we would be given an opportunity to present our case to the ECB. It seems to be an arbitrary decision and the ECB are hiding behind regulations that nobody appears to have seen.”While the ECB claim the decision was taken “in accordance with competition regulations”, it is not immediately clear what those regulations are. Indeed, in Section 4, paragraph 4.2 of the ECB’s regulations for the 2016 County Championship season, it states: “Promotion and relegation arrangements will be separately confirmed.”With the shape of the domestic season changing, it was only agreed in March that one team would be promoted from Division Two. Kent are insistent that the ECB has not so much followed protocol as made a deliberate choice to favour Hampshire.It is understood the decision to readmit Hampshire was taken at an ECB board meeting at which county representatives and the new MCC representative, Matthew Fleming (a former Kent player) were barred from voting.”It is the second time this year a decision has gone against Kent,” Kennedy continued. “The previous one concerned an abandoned match at New Road for which we were given just five points despite it being clear that the ground was unfit for play the day before the game.”The fact that there is no right to appeal makes the ECB like the Star Chamber.”I am also considering my own position in the game. Unless you have confidence in the governing body, there seems little point and I have almost completely lost confidence in the ECB.”An ECB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo: “Today’s decision to reinstate Hampshire was in line with the two-down, one-up relegation and promotion rules for this season’s County Championship which were notified to all counties and published prior to start of the 2016 season.”

Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said he is focused on performing the role assigned to him in the side with bowling as his “first priority”, but has admitted he would prefer batting higher up the order

Karthik Krishnaswamy in St Lucia09-Aug-20163:29

‘I’d love to bat up the order’ – Holder

Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, has said he is focused on performing the role assigned to him in the side with bowling as his “first priority”, but has admitted he would prefer batting higher up the order. Holder has taken 22 wickets in 15 Tests at an average of 44.27 and scored 675 runs at 29.34, with a century and four fifties. So far, he has played all his Tests as a bowling allrounder, and has never batted higher than No. 7.In his most recent Test, against India in Kingston, Holder bowled 34.2 overs, conceding only 72 runs but picking up only one wicket, and scored an unbeaten 64 to help West Indies save the match on the last day.”For me, I just try to do whatever the team requires,” Holder said on the eve of the third Test against India in St Lucia. “Currently, I’m playing as a bowling allrounder, I think my first priority is to bowl. I was very pleased with the way I bowled in the last Test, particularly. I didn’t think I got enough wickets, the wickets column wasn’t as fruitful as I wanted it to be.”Having said that, the beauty about my spell, for me, was remaining patient. I think on another day, you may get two or three more wickets. For me, [it’s important] just contributing to the team’s cause, just make sure every time I bat I score some runs, at least steady the ship. Most of the times, when I’ve batted in recent times, I’ve been under a bit of pressure, I think that brings out the best in me. I like those situations when I am being heavily relied on. You just knuckle down and play a memorable innings.”Ideally, I would love to move up the order and bat higher up for the West Indies in the future. I guess I have to just keep doing my job and when I get the opportunity, make the most of it.”Expecting the pitch in St Lucia to provide pace and bounce, Holder said West Indies were likely to play an extra seam bowler.”If you look at the pitch here, there seems to be a little bit of grass,” Holder said. “There’s a strong possibility that we may have a change in terms of our bowling department, we may think about the extra seamer. That’s pretty much it.”This wicket here, over the years, has played quicker than most pitches in the Caribbean. For me, I think it’s the best cricket pitch in the Caribbean in terms of carry and assistance for the quicker bowlers. So, there’s a strong possibility that you may see an extra seamer.”In West Indies’ second innings in Jamaica, each of the batsmen occupying the four slots from No. 5 to No. 8 went past 50, with Roston Chase scoring an unbeaten hundred. The top order, though, failed – and not for the first time in the series – leaving West Indies 48 for 4 at one stage.”For me, if I look back at the first two Test matches, the difference is that the top order hasn’t really been getting in,” Holder said. “I think they need to work a little harder in getting in. Once they get in, the likes of [Darren] Bravo and [Kraigg] Brathwaite and [Marlon] Samuels, we all know what they can do once they get a start. It’s just about just getting a start, and get themselves going and carry it on from there.”

Bearing in mind the results of recent games between these two sides, Warwickshire will have taken heart from this performance against the champions

George Dobell at Edgbaston27-Apr-2016
ScorecardIt would probably be unwise to read too much into a game where 117.2 overs were lost to bad weather and which finished with Tim Ambrose removing his wicketkeeping pads to bowl offspin.Equally, it would probably be unwise to read too much into Warwickshire’s position at the top of the Championship table after three draws from their first three games. These are early days in a weather-ravaged start to the season and some of their opponents have only played once.But, bearing in mind the results of recent games between these two sides, Warwickshire will have taken heart from this performance against the champions. Indeed, as Ian Bell, put it, they have now “sent a message” to other teams in the division and underlined the thought that they “have the talent to beat any team”.Yorkshire have, in recent years, made a habit of thrashing Warwickshire. They had won the last three Championship encounters between the sides at Edgbaston – twice by an innings – and, since 2007, had beaten them seven times and lost just once in all first-class cricket.So there probably is some relevance in Warwickshire having slightly the better of this draw. They posted a score in excess of 400 for the second game in succession – their lower middle-order thrashed 88 in 76 balls after lunch to ensure they claimed all five batting bonus points – and limited a Yorkshire attack shorn of Ryan Sidebottom to just two bowling points. Warwickshire will, quite rightly, have taken confidence from that.Their strengths are obvious. In having a batsman as talented as Rikki Clarke, who here struck a selfless half-century having been dropped by Gary Ballance before he had scored, as low as No. 8 and a man at No. 10 (Jeetan Patel) who has scored two first-class centuries and averages 27.35 with the bat for them, they have a battling line-up that is harder to kill off than bindweed.While they have several players on the fringes of England selection – notably Chris Woakes and Bell – or just below that quality, it seems they may be less compromised by call-ups than at any time for several years.They have a few issues. They have, in Bell’s estimation, dropped nine catches in three games and while their batting order looks long and strong, there have been moments when their bowlers have struggled for the consistency that might have capitalised on promising positions. Hampshire recovered from 87 for 7 in Southampton and Yorkshire recovered from 85 for 4 here. Their first-session bowling at Lord’s was also modest.Most of all, they are going to have to find ways to win games on what may well prove to be a series of good batting surfaces. This pitch, excellent for the time of year, was not far off Test quality and the early signs are that the ECB’s tinkering of the playing regulations – not least those affecting the toss – have resulted in improved pitch standards. It is too early to be certain, but it could be that we see fewer wins this season and bowlers obliged to work even harder.Adil Rashid impressed on another chilly day in Birmingham•Getty Images

It would also be premature to suggest there is too much wrong with Yorkshire. They have the likes of Kane Williamson, Joe Root and David Willey (who will make his Yorkshire debut at Trent Bridge on Sunday) to come into their side and have shown, over the last two years, they have enviable depth in their production line.But their top-order does look just a little fragile and their seam attack just a little plain. With Sidebottom – who Andrew Gale warned would probably miss the next two Championship matches after injuring his ankle – at an age where every season is a bonus and England calls likely to cut deep, it does appear that they face a tough fight to win a third successive Championship title. Steven Patterson’s career-best with the bat may have saved them from a tricky situation here while Jonny Bairstow, who has papered over some cracks for a while, will not be available for much of this campaign.On the final day of this match, after Warwickshire’s declaration, Boyd Rankin made life uncomfortable for both Yorkshire openers in an erratic but sharp spell. Adam Lyth, discomforted by a good short ball, was dropped at short-leg before he had scored, while Alex Lees top-edged a pull to fine leg. Lyth was subsequently beaten by a quicker delivery from Patel. For the second time in the match, Ballance provided the resistance to ensure his side did not slip into trouble.One man who impressed was Adil Rashid. Bowling legspin in these chilly conditions cannot be easy, but he troubled the batsmen throughout and generally maintained a decent amount of control. Bell felt he was out to an especially fine delivery and Gale termed his bowling “beautiful”. Lyth also claimed two wickets with his part-time offspin: the slightly out-of-sorts Sam Hain coming down the wicket and playing for spin that wasn’t there and Jonathan Trott, who looks in imperious form, edging a nicely bowled quicker one.Gale provided few clues over who might miss out from his side with Root coming into the team on Sunday. One option being considered was for Gale to open in place of Lees, with another for Jack Leaning to miss out. It seems Gale will not drop himself this time, however.”We know we can be better,” Gale said. “I don’t think we’ve hit our straps. The top five haven’t dominated and had big partnerships. We know we haven’t bowled in partnerships, either.”We’re not playing our best cricket. I don’t know what you’d put that down to. There’s been periods of play where we’ve been quite sloppy and gone around the park. The encouraging thing is that the lads recognise that. They want to work hard and put it right.”Again, it is hard to predict much from relatively scant evidence. It seemed as likely that Ambrose would win ‘hairstyle of the year’ as he would top the bowling averages and economy rates after three games. Cricket would not be nearly such a fine game if it was predictable.

Rangana Herath bowled Sri Lanka into a formidable position in the Galle Test, picking up a six-wicket haul to force West Indies to follow on before striking late in the final session to dismiss Kraigg Brathwaite

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Oct-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:29

Arnold: Bravo not panicking made him better than others

Rangana Herath bowled Sri Lanka into a formidable position in the Galle Test, picking up a six-wicket haul to force West Indies to follow-on before striking late in the final session to end a promising innings from Kraigg Brathwaite. At stumps on day three, West Indies were two down for 67, still trailing by 166.West Indies had lost Shai Hope in the tenth over of their second innings, the opener playing on while trying to whip Milinda Siriwardana against the turn from outside off stump and giving the debutant his first Test wicket. Following that, Brathwaite and Darren Bravo had looked comfortable in the middle with Herath – who had bowled 33 overs in the first innings and four with the new ball in the second – briefly off the field. The two put on 39 in 11 overs, including two straight sixes by Bravo off Siriwardana, before Herath returned.It took him only nine balls to produce the wicket-taking delivery. For the second time in the match, Brathwaite pressed forward and played down the wrong line to one that skidded in with the angle; his review, against Marais Erasmus’ instantaneously raised finger, came from wild hope rather than any degree of conviction. The ball had struck him in line and was destined to take out a big chunk of middle and leg stump.In the first innings, West Indies’ lower order had raised hopes of getting past the follow-on mark, with Kemar Roach adding 46 with Jerome Taylor for the eighth wicket and 34 with Devendra Bishoo for the ninth, but Herath ensured they fell 34 runs short. The left-arm spinner dismissed Roach and Shannon Gabriel off successive deliveries, in the second over after Sri Lanka took the second new ball, to finish with figures of 6 for 68. West Indies were bowled out for 251, and Angelo Mathews, perhaps mindful of the approach of dark clouds, asked them to bat again.Damningly for the West Indies line-up, each of their batsmen apart from No. 11 Gabriel got into double figures, but only Darren Bravo made a half-century and their biggest partnership came from the eighth-wicket pair of Taylor and Roach.Both lower-order stands followed the same template: Roach trusted in his defence, while Taylor and then Bishoo went for their shots. There were a few close shaves off Herath – he produced two edges, one off Roach and the other off Bishoo, that flew quickly past Mathews at slip, the first one close enough to count as a chance; and an lbw shout against Roach, given not out and reviewed, with ball-tracking suggesting the ball would have clipped leg stump. In between, though, the runs came quickly, with Taylor launching a big six and hitting two fours off one over from Tharindu Kaushal, and both Roach and Bishoo using the sweep well.Herath, who had dismissed the openers on the second day, nearly struck with his seventh ball of the morning, sliding one in with the angle to brush the flap of Marlon Samuels’ back pad while he shaped to cut. Believing rightly that the ball had made contact with pad before bat, Sri Lanka reviewed umpire Richard Illingworth’s not-out decision, but ball-tracking saved Samuels, suggesting that the impact was only marginally in line with off stump.But as with Brathwaite on day two, Herath didn’t have to wait long after a referral had denied him a wicket. Samuels seemed to decide that an aggressive approach would serve him best against the left-arm spinner, and danced down the track three balls after the referral to smack him to the long-off boundary. Then, trying to pull the last ball of the over, Samuels found the ball skidding through a touch low to deflect into the stumps off his thigh.Rangana Herath ended the first innings with figures of 6 for 68 from 33 overs•AFP

At the other end, Darren Bravo was utterly becalmed against Herath during his first spell of the morning, making no attempt to force the left-arm spinner off his rhythm as he teased away with his changes of pace, trajectory and angle. In the 32nd over – the 11th of the morning – he beat his outside edge twice in two balls, once on the back foot from over the wicket and once on the front foot by angling one across from around the wicket.Wary of overbowling his champion spinner, Mathews took Herath off after a seven-over spell, and Bravo broke free of the shackles, pulling successive long-hops from Kaushal – who bowled four no-balls in one over after replacing Herath – for four and six, and then square-driving successive balls from Nuwan Pradeep to the point boundary.But in between, West Indies lost another wicket, Jermaine Blackwood’s hard hands pushing at the ball away from his body to edge Dhammika Prasad to slip. With Herath looking like the only genuine threat among the Sri Lankan bowlers on this pitch, this was a poor piece of judgment from Blackwood against what was certainly a good ball, laden with extra bounce, but one that could have been easily left alone.With three overs to go for lunch, Herath came back on, and struck immediately. Bravo had reached his half-century a couple of overs earlier, and maybe wanted to send Herath the message that he wouldn’t be so easily tied down now. He went hard at a flighted ball wide of off stump, looking to hit with the turn, and didn’t quite middle it, but the danger wasn’t immediately apparent until Dinesh Chandimal appeared in the path of the ball, an apparition flying to his right from short midwicket to pull off a spectacular one-handed grab.Prasad took his second wicket in the seventh over after lunch, reward for finding the perfect length to exploit Jason Holder’s indecisive footwork. He had been driven for two fours in the over, both shots hit on the up. The second drive was particularly chancy, flying between and over point and cover, and Prasad landed his next ball along the same line but on a slightly shorter length. Holder went for another leaden-footed drive, and nicked to the keeper.Denesh Ramdin was next to go, four overs later, slashing away from his body at Pradeep and providing Kusal Perera another catch behind the stumps. At this point, West Indies were 171 for 7, 114 runs short of the follow-on mark. The lower order fought hard, but the top order had left them too much to do.

Zulfiqar Babar scythed through the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI lower order, claiming figures of 6 for 31, as Pakistanis took a seven-run first -innings lead in the three-day practice match in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Zulfiqar Babar collected 6 for 31 to run through Boar President’s XI’s lower middle order•Getty Images

Zulfiqar Babar scythed through the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI lower order, claiming figures of 6 for 31, as Pakistanis took a seven-run first -innings lead in the three-day practice match in Colombo. While Babar wreaked havoc at one end, opening batsman Kaushal Silva moved to his 32nd first-class hundred before being undone by Yasir Shah. Jehan Mubarak, Dinesh Chandimal, Milinda Siriwardene and Upul Tharanga all got starts, but failed to cross fifty.Kaushal had been unbeaten overnight alongside Tharanga, who became the only man to be dismissed by pace on day two, when he was caught behind off Wahab Riaz. Mubarak – who is auditioning for a place in Sri Lanka’s XI for the Galle Test – was bowled for 28 to become Babar’s first victim of the day. Chandimal and Siriwardene also provided brief support to Kaushal, but were both out to Babar as well.Despite the regular dismissals, the Board XI had seemed likely to surpass the Pakistanis’ total, at 217 for 4. But Siriwardene’s wicket, followed next ball by Niroshan Dickwella’s exit, sparked a collapse that cost six wickets for 24 runs. Babar ran through the tail with a little help from Yasir, who took 2 wickets for 45.Pakistanis faced 11 overs before stumps were drawn, which was enough time for Mohammad Hafeez to be dismissed for single figures by Nisala Tharaka, for the second time in the match. The visitors ended the day on 27 for 1.

Michael Clarke has admitted his relinquishment of selection duties before the Ashes allowed him to grow closer to other players in the Australian team

Daniel Brettig04-Oct-2013Michael Clarke has admitted his relinquishment of selection duties before the Ashes allowed him to grow closer to other players in the Australian team. He also acknowledged the cultural concerns raised by Michael Hussey before his retirement were among “a lot of things” not up to standard in the team leading into this year’s dire results in India and England.Hussey stated that Clarke’s dual role as captain and selector had affected the Australian dressing room during his final two summers as part of the team, causing players to “keep their heads down” whenever their leader passed through. For his part, Clarke said the selection role had deprived him of time to spend with the rest of the team, as long meetings and phone hookups sapped his schedule and mental energy.”You’d have to talk to the other guys about how they felt, but personally I think standing down as a selector has been one of the best things I’ve done since taking over the captaincy,” Clarke said. “It is a full-time job and they deserve a lot of credit for the work that goes in to being a selector, but giving that time back to me has allowed me to give it back to the team, spending time with the boys whether it be longer at training or off the field.”Instead of selection meetings and being on the phone for hours, I’m having coffee, lunch, breakfast with my team-mates now and trying to help all of us. They’re giving me their time as well to help me become a better player and a better captain. I have more time for them, definitely.”As early as the 2012 West Indies tour, Hussey had become uneasy about the direction the team was taking, despite a sequence of strong results including a 4-0 Test series win at home over India, and the subsequent 2-0 result in the Caribbean. Hussey revealed in his autobiography, , that he had met with the former coach Mickey Arthur to express his concerns formally. Clarke said Hussey did not raise them directly with him, but did not deny there had been problems.”I was conscious of a lot of things that were going on round that group that weren’t of a standard that was acceptable, in my opinion, of representing your country and being part of a team that wants to get back to No. 1 in the world, hence what happened in India,” Clarke said. “In regards to guys just looking after themselves, that’s probably a question for the other guys. For me personally, I’ve been very fortunate the teams I’ve played with at a young age, even starting with NSW, I was always shown and educated that you can’t always have good days in this game.”You’re going to have some tough times and you have to enjoy the success of other players, and when the team wins, that’s got to feel just as good as you making a hundred – I was brought up that way. I can’t answer that on behalf of the other guys, but there was obviously a lot of things going on over a period of time that I didn’t think were good enough.”I think the media and the public got to see the frustration and the consequences of that. But I can guarantee that has changed now, I think Darren Lehmann’s done a wonderful job since he came in, the feeling in the group is outstanding and the boys are all heading in the same direction.”Arthur’s successor, Lehmann, said he had instituted team rules and regulations to ensure standards were met and players were considerate of each other. “That’s Mike’s view and he’s one of the greats of the game. But I haven’t seen that in the time that I’ve been there, and we’re trying to go very much in that team direction,” he said. “We have some team rules and regulations they have to follow, if they don’t adhere to them then there’s always trouble from the coach. Occasionally I get grumpy but not most of the time.”It’s strange to say this, we lost the Ashes but it was one of the best tours I’ve been on. For getting to know the players and the way they gelled as a group on and off the field and with the staff, it was a really good tour.”

The ECB has launched a poster campaign against ticket touts under the slogan: ‘Touts Out! Where did your ticket come from?’

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2013The ECB, emboldened by a Supreme Court ruling against ticket touts, have launched a poster campaign against the resale of tickets for next summer’s Champions Trophy and Ashes series.Cricket fans could even face the threat of a ban from county grounds if they are caught selling tickets for personal gain during what promises to be a sought-after summer of international cricket.Auction websites such as Seatwave and Viagogo will also be monitored according to a poster campaign under the slogan: “TOUTS OUT! Where did YOUR ticket come from?”There has already been an unprecedented demand for Ashes tickets this year after England’s recent successes.A recent legal ruling by the Supreme Court promises to work in the ECB’s favour. They are entitled to demand from ticketing websites the details of customers who are seeking to profit by reselling their Ashes tickets above face value.An ECB spokesman said: “We want fans to understand that we are committed to eradicating ticket touting. Fans need to understand that we will make targeted interventions into the market place and will cancel tickets if we spot them being sold at inflated prices on ticketing websites.”Touts who resell tickets to concerts and sport events online faced losing their anonymity following a court ruling in November. In a case between the Rugby Football Union and Viagogo, the Supreme Court ruled that Viagogo must release names and addresses of people who resold tickets to England rugby matches on its site.When the RFU monitored Viagogo in 2010-2011, the governing body found that tickets to its events were being sold for up to 20 times their face value, breaching its ticketing terms and conditions.The RFU had led the way among governing bodies in the past by taking legal action, but it had previously been unable to address sites like Viagogo as the company offer anonymity to sellers.Viagogo went into voluntary liquidation after a TV documentary criticised its methods. It now trades as Viagogo AG, based in Switzerland.

Virender Sehwag had gone 741 days without a Test century, but all it took was to watch the videos of his last ten centuries to realise he needed to bat cautiously against the new ball

Sidharth Monga15-Nov-2012Virender Sehwag had gone 741 days and 16 Tests without a century, but all it took, he said, was to watch the videos of his last ten centuries to realise he needed to bat cautiously against the new ball.”I have to thank DJ [CKM Dhananjay, India’s analyst],” Sehwag said. “He gave the videos of the last ten matches [possibly he meant centuries, because he has not scored a century in the last ten] and whenever I played ten overs quietly I scored a big hundred. We were watching videos last night till 11pm. I realised that if I played the new ball cautiously it’s good for me and good for the team. I’m very pleased that Gautam [Gambhir] also scored runs and we gave a very good start. It’s a good sign.”Sehwag said the century had come at the right time. “This is my 23rd hundred,” he said. “I am very happy to score a hundred after a long time. I am very pleased that it came at the right time, the first innings of the first Test. Right we are now in good position, hopefully we will build on tomorrow, and bowl well. We know we have to bowl well because the wicket is on the slower side.”Sehwag said the pitch was slow and scoring runs and taking wickets was going to be difficult, never mind his run-a-ball 117.”It’s not easy, because the wicket is on the slower side,” he said. “It’s difficult to play your shots. They set the field with everybody on the [boundary] line, especially deep point and deep square leg, so it’s not easy to hit boundaries, but you have to back yourself and play your shots. After 50 I relaxed, got little more confident, and played a few shots. I hit 14 or 18 in a Tim Bresnan over and got more confident. But the wicket is very slow and the ball is not coming on to the bat, and difficult to hit the ball.”Sehwag said India were far from having sealed the decisive advantage. Asked if the game was as good as over, Sehwag said, “I don’t think so, because we have to work hard to take 20 English wickets. They are not Bangladesh or somebody else. They are a very good side, No. 2 at the moment. They will not throw their wickets for sure.”Sehwag also said – at least on day one – that a batsman could pitch his tent if he decided not to play shots. “The first three batsmen got out trying to hit the ball,” he said. “If you’re just blocking it’s difficult to get out. If you play your shots and make a mistake then you can get out. Wicket is very slow, it’s not turning sharply, it’s not coming quickly. If you show some patience you can score some runs as well.”

Kyle Hogg became the first bowler to take seven wickets in an innings this season as runaway County Championship Division One leaders Lancashire moved a step nearer their fifth win in six matches

25-May-2011
Scorecard
Kyle Hogg became the first bowler to take seven wickets in an innings this season as runaway County Championship Division One leaders Lancashire moved a step nearer their fifth win in six matches. Hogg finished with figures of 7 for 28 from 14 overs as struggling Hampshire were made to follow after ending their first innings on 133 in reply to Lancashire’s 328.Hampshire’s second stint at the crease was little better – save for Benny Howell’s unbeaten half-century – as they lost half their order inside 52 overs to reach 163 for 5 at stumps, still 32 runs behind heading into day three. On an uncharacteristically lively Rose Bowl wicket, Hogg, who had only previously taken five or more wickets in an innings once in a 10-year career, encountered little resistance as Hampshire lost their last seven batsmen for 35.After Howell had fallen for a three-ball duck to Hogg, fellow opener Jimmy Adams (35) and Johann Myburgh (28) steadied the ship. Their removal – both falling to Oliver Newby – left the hosts on 98 for 3 but with little sign of the implosion to come. Hogg suddenly found pace and movement at the Pavilion end and in quick order removed Neil McKenzie (16), James Vince (12), Dimitri Mascarenhas (1), Dominic Cork (0), Nic Pothas (9) and Danny Briggs (2).The medium-pacer’s remarkable spell brought him six wickets for six runs in just 28 balls, while Sajid Mahmood finished off Hampshire by dismissing Kabir Ali for nine. Lancashire captain Mark Chilton, sensing victory inside two days, had no hesitation in enforcing the follow-on.This time Adams was quickly out, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Gareth Cross on 14, while Myburgh was snared at first slip off Newby for 31. McKenzie struck eight fours in an enterprising 35 before being trapped lbw trying to turn Mahmood through midwicket.This left Hampshire 116 runs adrift but the crisis brought together French-born Howell and the maturing Vince, and together they delayed Lancashire in a fourth-wicket stand worth 82 runs.
But just before the close Mahmood returned to the attack to have Vince caught at the wicket for 39 and then to remove nightwatchman Briggs (1) in the final over. Howell was still there at stumps, on 68 not out from 157 balls.