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Chameera held his nerve at the death to deny Salman the ability to hit the winning runs

Danyal RasoolUpdated on 27-Nov-2025Dushmantha Chameera held his nerve in a clutch final over to ensure Sri Lanka did not throw away a win they had spent the rest of the evening working for. He conceded three runs in the final over, building on a magnificent opening spell to deny Pakistan victory by six runs in a 184-run chase.The stakes were higher for Sri Lanka than they were for Pakistan, with a victory required for a place in the final, or it would be Zimbabwe playing that game on Saturday. And Sri Lanka played with a hunger they have rediscovered since they finally won a game on Pakistan soil on Tuesday. Kusal Mendis and Kamil Mishara’s 36-ball 66-run stand got them off to a flier, with Mishara ending up with 76 off 48 balls, and cameos lower down the order got them to 184.Right from the outset, Chameera hampered Pakistan with three top-order wickets in his first two overs. The chase looked as good as dead after the loss of the first four, with 43 runs on the board, but captain Salman Ali Agha’s unbeaten half-century kept Pakistan fighting on until the bitter end.A 56-run stand between Salman and Usman Khan brought Pakistan back into contention, and Mohammad Nawaz brought Pakistan right to the brink. The hosts were favourites when a six over cover reduced the equation to 10 in the final over, but Chameera got a wicket, nailed his Yorkers and squeezed Pakistan out.

Mendis, Mishara nail the early overs

Earlier in the evening, Pakistan strangled Sri Lanka in the first three overs. It started with a beautiful delivery Salman Mirza kissing Pathum Nissanka’s off bail. But when Faheem Ashraf was thrown the ball for the fourth over, Kusal Mendis picked his moment. Three boundaries saw helped him plunder 16, and Mohammad Wasim disappeared for 15 more when he replaced Ashraf for the powerplay’s final over.Even the spreading of the field struggled to contain Mendis and Mishara. When Nawaz came to bowl in the eighth over, Mendis cut him for four before Kamil Mishara slapped him for six. A late flurry put Sri Lanka on course to a match-defending total.

Salman stakes a T20I case

Salman has played every single Pakistan game this year, but has never convinced as a T20 batter. Today, finding himself in the sort of situation where what was required of him closely matched his best attributes, the Pakistan captain got stuck in. He began sedately, as he tends to do, but then worked himself into touch and took the game deep. Through the middle overs, his ability to play spin was on full display as the boundaries came regularly enough and the runs kept ticking over.When Sri Lanka turned to pace, Salman kept the pressure up, picking up 10 off Dasun Shanaka, smashing Eshan Malinga for six to keep Pakistan on track. Increasingly, by the end, Sri Lanka’s ability to starve Salman of the strike would prove crucial to holding Pakistan at bay; the final three overs, Salman was at the non-striker’s end for all but five balls, with his unbeaten heroics going in vain.

Chameera guts Pakistan

Pakistan felt they had built up a steady opening stand with Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan setting up a platform in the powerplay in the first three overs. It was from that point onwards that Sri Lanka had cut loose in their innings, and the home openers were positioning themselves to do the same.But then, along came fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera. His extra pace beat Farhan for timing and forced him into dinking one straight to cover. The big wicket came two balls later, when a touch of inconsistent bounce had the ball strike Babar Azam below the knee roll, sending him back for a second duck in four innings. Another two balls later, a length delivery grew big on Fakhar Zaman, who skied it straight to midwicket. Pakistan had suddenly lost four wickets in ten balls, and following the end of the over, Chameera’s figures read 2-0-3-3.After conceding 14 in his third over when Pakistan were on the charge, Sri Lanka’s hopes of victory were slipping away. Pakistan needed ten to win with Agha still set. Chameera rolled his fingers over two length balls to start off and allowed just three in the first three balls, but it was the killer yorkers that followed which sealed the deal. Three deliveries that landed on the batters’ toes got rid of Ashraf, and did not leak a single run to spark celebrations in the Sri Lankan camp.

Following Karthik Meiyappan’s hat-trick, Aryan Lakra says he is “just so happy” for his “friend who he’s seen grow through the ranks”

Mohammad Isam19-Oct-2022Namibia and UAE have played each other five times in international cricket, all since 2020 and most recently in August when they played a two-match ODI series. But none of those games will have been in the cricketing world’s spotlight as much as the one they will play on Thursday in Geelong: a win will put Namibia in the Super 12s of the Men’s T20 World Cup. Facing a relatively familiar opponent in the high-profile clash will help, both camps said.”I think it’s always something that we try and use – a bit of analysis how other teams play, so definitely something that we’ll be looking into and just an added advantage against the other side that you’re playing against, having seen more or less all of their battles before,” Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus said. “All the batters say that they’ve got a fresh side, so we’ve got some work to do to be properly prepared for that game.UAE’s Aryan Lakra said that his team, which has lost both games so far, needs to execute their plans better to do well against Namibia.”Definitely Namibia has been playing some good cricket, upsetting Sri Lanka, but at the end of the day it’s the game of cricket. The team which plays better cricket is going to win. We have played against Namibia so we know their batters, bowlers. It’s all about coming up with a good plan and trying to execute it to its best.”Namibia stunned Sri Lanka in their first game, lighting up the tournament’s opening day, before losing to Netherlands. Erasmus said they were mentally ready for the Netherlands game despite the big result first up, but things just did not go right for them.”I think our preparation was really good for the Netherlands game, and I think we had all the right plans, and unfortunately I just didn’t think it was our day yesterday. I think we got outplayed. I think they really bowled well in certain overs and phases of the game. We [saw] how tough a wicket it was to score on, and we stuck to sort of what we know, which is a good fight for 40 overs long, and we made it a very close game.”For 20-year-old Lakra, there’s the added thrill of playing against cricket’s big boys. “Definitely I think it was a great honour presenting the country in a World Cup, and I know the results [so far] didn’t go our way, but definitely a lot of things to learn, and a lot of things to take back from this tournament, and hopefully we come back strong the next time.”There has however only been a moment of massive joy for UAE, when Karthik Meiyappan became the first from his country to take a T20I hat-trick. Meiyappan and Lakra have been friends for a long time, and they celebrated the achievement with other close friends in the team, Alishan Sharafu and Vriitya Aravind, late into the night.”Definitely that was surreal for us because the four of us, we have been playing cricket together for so long, so if anyone does well, we all feel proud,” Lakra said. “And definitely a hat-trick in a World Cup against a Test-playing nation is a huge deal, and we couldn’t be happier for him. We have been talking about it all night and we still cannot believe it.”We are just so happy that a friend of ours who we have seen grow through the ranks, who we have seen as a 14-year-old, growing to be a 20-year-old, getting a hat-trick in a World Cup. That’s definitely a huge deal, and we are really, really happy for him.”

The fast bowler speaks about his ambitions, landmarks and a particular turning point

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-20201:57

‘I never think about how many Tests I’ve played – 97, 98 or 99’ – Sharma

Ishant Sharma has played more Tests for India than any pace bowler bar Kapil Dev, and looks set to join him in the 100-Tests club if India’s tour of Australia, scheduled towards the end of the year, takes place. However, Sharma has played only 80 ODIs, the last of which came in January 2016. He hasn’t given up on the 50-overs format though, and is still eyeing a spot in a World Cup squad, having never played in the tournament before.”Obviously, I would love to play in a World Cup,” he said in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, talking to Deep Dasgupta in an episode of 4:13

‘When Faulkner hit me for 30 in an over, I felt I had betrayed myself and my country’

“MS Dhoni (the captain when Sharma’s numbers were middling) always backed me,” Sharma said. “Even after my first 50-60 Tests, he never said we’ll look for someone to replace you. To tell you the truth, even after playing 97 Tests, I still don’t understand things like average and strike rate! I’ve never bothered about these things. If I’m not able to understand them, why should I rely on them? It’s just a number after all. If I am bowling in India and the captain tells me to bowl in a way that I concede only 40 runs in 20 overs and that the spinners will take care of picking up wickets, that’s what is important to me. It doesn’t matter to me that my bowling average is around 37. My communication will be with my captain and that’s why Dhoni backed me.”Sharma identified a one-day match that led to a change in his approach, against Australia in Mohali in October 2013. India had put up 303 for 9, a target Australia hunted down with three balls to spare and four wickets standing, riding on James Faulkner’s 64* off 29.Ishant Sharma’s white-ball dreams aren’t done – and a World Cup is top of the list•BCCI

“The turning point of my life came in 2013. Faulkner hit me for 30 runs in one over in an ODI in Mohali that Australia went on to win,” Sharma said. “At that time I felt I had betrayed myself and my country. For two-three weeks, I didn’t speak to anyone. I cried a lot. I am a very tough guy. My mother says she hasn’t seen a tougher person than me. [But] I called my girlfriend and cried on the phone like a child. Those three weeks were like a nightmare. I stopped eating. I couldn’t sleep or do anything else. You switch on the television and people are criticising you, which messes you up even more.”I laugh about it now and I consider it a blessing in disguise. Sometimes you need a jolt to understand your passion. After the Faulkner incident, I went through major changes in my life. After 2013, I started taking things seriously. Before that, if I had a bad performance, people would come and tell me ‘It’s okay, it happens.’ But after 2013, if someone came to me and said that, I wouldn’t listen. If I have made a mistake, I have made a mistake. I started taking responsibility for my actions. When you do that, you play every match to win it for the team.”Ishant Sharma on Cricketbaazi with Deep Dasgupta: full show

The trio made fifties and led Zimbabwe’s slow progress on a slow Harare pitch

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jan-2020Stumps
Watchful half-centuries from openers Prince Masvaure and Kevin Kasuza set Zimbabwe on track for a healthy first-innings total, on a flat Harare Sports Club pitch. Another fifty from Craig Ervine, batting at No. 3, then consolidated Zimbabwe’s position and carried them to a scoreline that constituted an excellent first day of Test cricket in over a year.The hosts only made 189 for 2 in 84 overs, but there was almost a sense that this was a team striving to affirm that they belonged at this level, after the hiatus that had much more to do with administrative flaws, than any fault of the cricketers themselves. Although Sri Lanka never allowed Zimbabwe to get away from them, the hosts certainly had the better of day one.There was a boundary in the first over, but there would only be 21 in the day. Masvaure whipped Suranga Lakmal to the long leg boundary fourth ball, before settling into a slower rhythm, picking off occasional singles, and waiting for the wide balls that he could cut. Kasuza, playing his first Test, was even more circumspect. He took 17 balls to get off the mark, and 35 deliveries to get into double figures. If anything, his strike rate dipped after that. At lunch, he was 20 off 76 deliveries. By tea, he was 48 off 169.Both Kasuza and Masvaure revelled in defence. They deadbatted much of the first two sessions, as Sri Lanka’s bowlers largely bowled dry and waited for mistakes that didn’t actually come. Lahiru Kumara, the quickest of Sri Lanka’s seamers, troubled Masvaure a little in the first session, hitting him on the helmet in the 17th over, and then prompting an inside edge the next over only for the ball to whizz past leg stump. But after lunch, even Kumara had become a miserly line-and-length operator. Of the six overs he bowled in the second session, four were maidens. Sri Lanka bowled 30 overs in the afternoon, and Zimbabwe scored only 46 – a scoring rate of only 1.53.The pair had batted chancelessly through the first session, but Kasuza did provide a half-chance early in the second, mis-hitting a bouncer from Suranga Lakmal almost to Dimuth Karunaratne at midwicket, who dived but couldn’t hold on to the tough chance. Masvaure progressed to his maiden half century before tea, getting there off the 123rd delivery he faced. He then slowed down, until he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, who had him caught at mid-off for for 55 off 149 balls. Kasuza, whose boundaries largely came off the spinners, via the sweep, didn’t get to his fifty until the 178th delivery. He was dismissed late in the day by a Kumara full-toss that reverse-swung and caught him on the thigh, in front of the stumps.Ervine was more fluent, in comparison to the two openers. His first three boundaries were sixes, all off Dhananjaya de Silva, whom he deposited straight down the ground, over long-on, and over deep cover. He accumulated more efficiently, and was striking at exactly 50 when he completed his half-century, off the very first delivery bowled with the second new ball. He went to stumps on 55 off 116, with Brendan Taylor for company. Taylor had hit a six off Embuldeniya to get off the mark and was 13 off 25 at the close of play.Sri Lanka’s attack will be pleased at having at least contained Zimbabwe on a flat pitch – something they had failed to do against Pakistan in Karachi. And yet, their bowlers were once again unable to create chances on a flat deck. Both Lakmal and Kasun Rajitha were accurate, but were perhaps guilty of not bowling enough balls at the stumps, on a pitch that was offering no lateral movement. Kumara, at least had pace and energy, and deservedly finished with the best figures from the day.The spinners could get no turn from this track. They bowled tight lines and decent lengths, and will hope that cracks will open up for them, and that the pitch will dry up by the second innings.

The opener currently has eight, after his Player-of-the-Series performance against South Africa

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Jul-2018Until South Africa finally located their batting backbone in the last innings of the series, Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne had outscored their entire team in the series. Karunaratne’s aggregate of 356 runs at an average of 118.66 and a strike rate in the mid-sixties is staggering enough in a bowling-dominated series. But, that he was so prolific – passing 50 in each of his innings – after having missed the last series in the West Indies due to a hand injury, is especially impressive.Having now hit hundreds against Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and South Africa since the start of 2017, Karunaratne has his sights set on a career goal that only the very good Test batsmen achieve. He is increasingly thought of as a reliable run-scorer in this Sri Lanka team, and has claimed a top-ten place in the ICC’s Test batting rankings for the first time.”My personal goal that I would be happy with is to get to 20 to 25 Test hundreds, and hopefully one day I will get there,” he said. “I want to be a match-winning performer and give my best. When I do that rankings will automatically come.”Karunaratne currently has eight tons. He has become a specialist on difficult pitches – especially those that take substantial turn, as his 158 not out in Galle in the first Test suggested. Karunaratne totaled 218 runs in a match where no other batsmen hit a fifty.Karunaratne has spoken of the positive approach he has against spin, but he also revealed that he had been working on specific strokes with coaches in the past few months. “I had a few chats with my school coach recently, and Hashan Tillakaratne has been a great help, along with batting coach Thilan Samaraweera,” he said. “With Hashan, I worked on stuff like the sweep and reverse sweep. Those are must-have shots when fielders are close in. When you play the sweep or reverse sweep, the field spreads.”Although breaking his hand in domestic cricket in May forced him to miss the series in West Indies in June, Karunaratne did play some cricket – the selectors sending him to Bangladesh with the Sri Lanka A team for two unofficial Tests. It was in Bangladesh, Karunaratne said, that this current run of form began.”Actually, when the West Indies Tests started, I was fit. But I didn’t have any match practice behind me. So the selectors told me to be fit for South Africa series and wanted me to play Bangaldesh games. That was a good call, because even when I started playing in that series, I wasn’t too confident in my body. I was fearful that the hand might break again. But once I spent a couple of hours at the crease, I started to feel like it was ok, and I sort of slipped into my natural game.”The pity for Karunaratne is that although he is in excellent touch, there are no matches for him to play in the coming months. Sri Lanka’s next Test is not until November, and there are no domestic matches scheduled in the interim. He is now resigned to doing as much work in the nets as possible in the nets, before England arrive for a three-Test series.”That’s the biggest challenge for someone who is a Test specialist – you have to go months without a game. This time, since the Bangladesh A matches were there, I could get back to form. Breaks are good, but I need to be at the top of my game. To get back to being that settled at the crease and to keep that intensity is not easy. But I have done that thorughout my career. If there are any domestic matches – any kinds of matches – before the next Test, I will definitely play them.”

Fleming also put forward the name of Daniel Vettori – who also works in the T20 format – but made clear he remained impressed by Mike Hesson’s achievements

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2018Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming would be keen to work with the national T20 side if there was a push to restructure the coaching set-up to reduce Mike Hesson’s workload.Fleming, who coaches in the IPL and Big Bash League, also put forward the name of Daniel Vettori – another who now works in the T20 format – but made clear he remained impressed by Hesson’s achievements. However, he believes that the packed international schedule will eventually lead to more specialised coach appointments.Simon Doull, the former New Zealand paceman, recently suggested that Hesson – and captain Kane Williamson – should move aside from the T20 international game, while England coach Trevor Bayliss said he would not have a problem if the coaching roles in his team were split.”It’s based on my passion and love for New Zealand cricket,” Fleming told . “I’ve got a very good relationship with Craig McMillan [the current batting coach] and spend a lot of time talking to him about where the game is going and what he sees. So I enjoy passing on that knowledge and it comes back to wanting the New Zealand team to be strong.”I enjoy going away and having a strong New Zealand team performing well around the world, it helps my job and I enjoy getting the New Zealand players in the sides that I’ve got.”At some stage, who knows and I think Daniel would be the same. I’d love to help, but I certainly appreciate and admire the work Mike has done.”At the conclusion of the England series in early April, Hesson will be able to have some downtime as New Zealand do not play again until a series against Pakistan in October, but Fleming still thinks that being in charge of all three formats could become too great a task for one man.”You’ve got to think for a modern day coach these days, to be spending 250-300 days away, or involved in the job, travelling and hotels and being away from the family, that’s unsustainable,” he said.”So Simon [Doull] makes some good points there about looking after your coaches and maybe T20 is one form of the game where there’s an opportunity for the head coach to have some time off.”Whether you develop a Craig McMillan or another young coach coming forward, or you get an old dog in and maybe Vettori or myself come in to spend a bit of time there?”It’s whether it keeps Mike Hesson fresh, it’s whether it falls into line with what Mike wants. But I think it’s worth discussing going forward as the schedule gets more cluttered. What I’ve heard from NZ Cricket and Mike right now is that the balance is pretty good, so he’s pretty happy to continue what he’s doing. But it needs to be explored.”New Zealand’s T20 form took a dive after a strong start earlier in the season. Pakistan came from 1-0 down to take the three-match series in January, when New Zealand conceded their No. 1 ranking, then they managed just a single victory – against England in Wellington – during the T20 tri-series. The next World T20 will take place in Australia in 2020.”If you’re bouncing from each form, sometimes you can miss the subtleties of the game that are developing behind closed doors, because you’re so focused on a Test or one-day series,” Fleming said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re relevant in all forms and have got the selectors, coaches and personnel looking at the right things.”

James Middlebrook took two wickets in an over but an unbeaten 86 from Nick Compton ensured Middlesex would not be beaten inside two days

Tim Wigmore at Lord's10-Sep-2015
ScorecardJames Middlebrook struck twice in an over•Getty Images

Of the 21 players involved in Yorkshire’s Championship success, none is more unlikely than James Middlebrook. His summer began playing club cricket in the Bradford League, planning for a second career as an umpire. It has ended with him playing a quietly critical part in the first Yorkshire side to retain the title since 1968.There is no more heartwarming tale in the county game this year than that of Middlebrook. Unwanted by the worst county in Division One in 2014, he has made a triumphant return to Yorkshire after 14 years away. He is the accidental Championship winner.”If you’d said to me 12 months ago you’re going to win the Championship with your beloved Yorkshire I’d have taken that every time,” he said, revelling even more in the accolade coming at Lord’s. “I never thought I’d play at this ground ever again. To play with a few old mates, and some young mates, is a dream come true for any cricketer never mind winning the Championship.”Despite playing every game in 2014, Middlebrook was released by Northamptonshire last season. “It was disappointing. I thought I’d done enough.” A phone call after Adil Rashid was called up to England’s Test tour of the Caribbean set Middlebrook on a remarkable journey towards helping Yorkshire retain the Championship.”Andrew Gale gave me a ring and asked if I was interested in playing a one-off game for Yorkshire. Since Adil’s obviously done very well in the ODI series they’ve kept making me come out of retirement,” Middlebrook said.With good reason. Into his fifth Championship game of 2015, Middlebrook now has 14 wickets at 20.42 apiece. That his success has come at his home county makes it even sweeter. Middlebrook has a deep connection with the club: his father, a renowned local coach, worked with a young Geoff Boycott. Middlebrook is fully aware of what a privilege it is to represent Yorkshire.”I’ve grown up with Ryan Sidebottom since I was six years old so to play back with him is a special moment. Just to play for Yorkshire and put on the White Rose is very special. You can’t really describe playing for your home county,” he said. While Middlebrook served both Essex and Northants with distinction, “you are under more pressure because you are playing for Yorkshire”.When Yorkshire ended their 33-year wait for the County Championship in 2001, the experience was tinged with disappointment for Middlebrook. In four first-class games he mustered just five wickets at 53.00, and was released after the end of the season. Even though he has not been a full-time cricketer, playing on a game-by-game basis until June and then on a retainer that permits him to work towards being a professional umpire, Middlebrook’s contribution has been rather more significant this time.”As long as I was ticking over with my fitness and my cricket Yorkshire were pretty good. I’ve been busy this summer – umpiring, [minor counties cricket with] Bedfordshire, travelling and being in and out of the Yorkshire dressing room. I’ve had a cracking summer.”There is nothing demonstrative about Middlebrook the man or bowler. He is a classical orthodox offspinner but his qualities – subtle changes of pace, ease bowling over or around the wicket and his consistency of length – go far in the county game.He proved as much by taking two wickets in an over to ensure that Yorkshire remain favourites to extend their unbeaten run to 27 matches. A conventional delivery slid through the gap between Paul Stirling’s bat and pad, and then Dawid Malan was snared third ball. “I just thought I’d try a quicker one and it hit him flush outside offstump,” Middlebrook said.Here was proof of why his team-mates are imploring Middlebrook to play on for another season, a possibility he did not discount. “Who knows, who knows?”Facing an imposing deficit of 193, Middlesex threatened to subside to a two-day defeat, especially after Neil Dexter’s final innings at Lord’s as a home player was abruptly ended by an athletic caught-and-bowled by Jack Brooks to leave them 143 for 5.It fell to Nick Compton to push the game into a third day. In adding an unbroken 131 with James Franklin, he has opened the prospect of Middlesex beating Yorkshire at Lord’s for a second consecutive summer providing the second new ball, due after one over in the morning, can be withstood.At times this season Compton’s frustrations have been palpable, both at the England selectors’ reluctance to recognise his talent and his infuriating penchant for squandering starts that had been painstakingly built. In 17 of his 29 innings, Compton has reached 28, but only on eight occasions has he passed 50. Just once has he reached three figures.The third day of this match holds out the promise of his season’s tally of centuries doubling. Compton closed on 86 not out, runs made with trademark care and application on a baking September’s day. If uncertainty characterised the early stages of his innings, by the close Compton felt rather unmovable at the crease.In the process he surpassed 1000 runs, testament to his consistency even in an underwhelming season. While all his adhesiveness was on display, his innings was marked by a growing assertiveness that manifested itself in some exquisite late cutting against spin. “He played like a Test player,” Middlebrook said, approvingly. “He bided his time against the new ball and then took advantage of anything loose.”

Glamorgan imploded in spectator style when in sight of victory on an afternoon of astonishing drama that saw Glen Chapple rally Lancashire to victory

Paul Edwards at Colwyn Bay03-May-2013Lancashire 123 (Glover 3-29, Hogan 3-31) and 272 (Katich 65, Glover 3-41) beat Glamorgan 242 (Goodwin 69, Kerrigan 4-48) and 139 (Kerrigan 5-32, Chapple 4-64) by 14 runs
ScorecardGlen Chapple, so often Lancashire’s hero, took four wickets to inspire a miraculous victory•PA Photos

A glance at the scorecard for this match will do little to convey the intricacy of the contest over three days or the astonishing drama that unfolded on Friday evening when Glamorgan seemed to be progressing to what would have been a deserved victory in facile fashion, only to implode in spectacular style when within sight of 20 points.Needing to score 154 in a maximum of 47 overs on the third evening, Glamorgan cruised to 94 for 2 in 18.2 overs before losing the remainder of their wickets for 45 runs in 19.2 overs.Destroyer-in-chief was Glen Chapple, who once again proved that age is just a number when you have skill and core fitness in abundance. He had been roughly treated early in the innings yet he returned to take four wickets including top scorer Will Bragg for 61. Accurate and penetrative, Chapple is always at the batsmen, but so is Simon Kerrigan, the sorcerer’s apprentice. Bowling from the Penrhyn Avenue End, Kerrigan contained the batsmen and among his five wickets was the vital scalp of Murray Goodwin, caught by Simon Katich for 11 when attempting a cut.It was Kerrigan who had last man Michael Hogan spectacularly caught by a leaping Ashwell Prince on the long-off boundary as Hogan sought to score the 15 runs his team needed in something like three blows. That wicket sparked joyous scenes in front of the Colwyn Bay pavilion by Chapple and his players who were celebrating their first Championship win in 11 matches, a run stretching back to last June’s triumph on a gloomy Saturday evening at Chester-le-Street.But at first it had been the Glamorgan batsmen who were racing towards victory. Spectators settling down after tea expected the siege of Stalingrad; instead they got the Battle of M’boto Gorge from Blackadder Goes Forth. Wallace’s openers seemingly had little truck with arguments suggesting cautious accumulation was the best policy. Ben Wright and Will Bragg garnered 38 runs off the first 27 balls of the innings, a result of some over-pitched bowling, a few edges and a fast outfield, before Wright cut James Anderson low to Karl Brown in the gully. It seemed both teams had plans for Saturday. Now Lancashire’s players may be nursing the odd sore head while Glamorgan’s will be wondering where it all went wrong.”That win’s right up there with any we have achieved over the last two years,” Chapple said. “It’s a terrific victory and a great boost for the lads who have worked hard. It’s been a difficult week for us in some ways because we have not played our best cricket but we hung on and kept believing. We’ve come away with a victory we’ll remember for a long time.”But as Glamorgan discovered to their cost, getting into a winning position is one thing; sealing the victory – “bringing home the bread” as they call it in parts of Manchester – is very much another. At 12.22pm on the third day of this match Simon Katich essayed a drive at Glamorgan seamer John Glover but only succeeded in edging the ball to wicketkeeper Mark Wallace. His departure for a well-made, fighting 65 left Lancashire on 164 for 7 in their second innings and their lead was a piffling 45. It seemed Glamorgan were on their way to consecutive victories.Then again, this is cricket, a game which delights in taking the absurdly improbable and making it so. First Chapple and Gareth Cross added 42 for the eighth wicket, Chapple whacking Hogan into the back garden of a nearby house during his innings of 26. Then, when Chapple had holed out at mid-on off Mike Reed when the lead was 89, Kyle Hogg joined Cross, who was himself playing on the ground of the club he has represented in the Liverpool competition for some years. Together, these Lancastrians put on a further 63 runs with a mixture of shrewd aggression and unsparing vigilance.Rarely has Cross, a naturally aggressive batsman, played with more responsibility than he did during his 143-minute innings of 26; it took a fine two-handed diving catch by Dean Cosker to remove him. One run later Hogg gave Glover his third wicket when he stretched to drive and trudged off having made 47, yet another reminder of a frequently unfulfilled talent. All the same Lancashire’s lead was 153. It was, as they say, game on.The first session of the day had been as well contested and involving as its predecessors. Lancastrian hopes that Jimmy Anderson would frustrate the Glamorgan bowlers in the classic manner of the specialist nightwatchman were quickly demolished when the England batsman was beaten all ends up by Jim Allenby in the third over of the day when only a single run had been added to the overnight total.But likewise, Welsh fancies that the visitors’ batting would disintegrate like candyfloss in a high wind were similarly unfounded. Instead Katich and Steven Croft batted with busy, acquisitive competence to add 49 runs in fifteen overs before both batsmen perished caught behind attempting to drive in the space of three overs. Croft was the first to go, playing loosely at Reed, then Glover took the key wicket of Katich when he drove in a flurry of dust and footholds and Tim Robinson decided he had edged the ball. Not everyone was convinced but Katich trooped silently off. Never walk, never complain. He had made 65, an innings which had certainly kept his side in the game. As things turned out, it played a large part in winning it.

Mohammad Yousuf, the Pakistan batsman, has said that he’s still passionate about playing cricket and would relish the chance to play Test cricket again

Umar Farooq26-Apr-2012Mohammad Yousuf, the Pakistan batsman, has said that he’s still passionate about playing cricket and would relish the chance to play Test cricket again. He took a fitness test under Pakistan coach Dav Whatmore on Tuesday in a bid to stage a comeback to international cricket.Yousuf, 37, last played a Test in 2010, when Pakistan took on England in the controversial Lord’s Test that was marred by spot-fixing. Yousuf has not featured in international or domestic tournaments in more than nine months due to personal reasons. “I never lost my passion for cricket,” Yousuf told ESPNcricinfo. “There were certain commitments in my life that got higher priority for a while, but now I am hungry to play.”He made his debut 14 years ago and has played 90 Tests (scoring 7530 runs at an average of 52.29) and 288 ODIs (scoring 9720 at 41.71). He says he wants to focus only on Test cricket in the future. “I am least concerned about ODIs. My focus [right now] is Test cricket, I want to play it. My basics are right and I have lots of experience under my belt.”Yousuf, whose career has been plagued by controversy in the past, was banned by the PCB twice in 2010. First, for his poor performance on a winless tour of Australia and then for differences with Younis Khan, which the PCB said was a bad influence on the team. “I don’t want to live in past, people learn from mistakes. I have always tried to do my best, but sometimes things go wrong,” he said. “I can’t change the past, but I can only hope to revive my career.”With younger players like Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq now featuring regularly in the side, some feel Yousuf will find it difficult to break into the team again. “I am not against new blood being inducted in the side – it’s good,” Yousuf said. “No one plays forever, but I still have cricket left [in me] and I have a role to play.”Pakistan are slated to tour Sri Lanka soon after the IPL to play two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests. PCB’s chief selector Iqbal Qasim said that the board would discuss Yousuf’s future during their next meeting in May. “He is training and that’s what all players must do, but that doesn’t mean he will be selected in the team,” Qasim said. “If a coach is interested in a player he must convince the selection committee [first].”

Paul Harris, the South Africa left-arm spinner has been left out of the Nashua Titans line-up for the 2010-11 South African professional domestic season

Cricinfo staff07-Apr-2010Paul Harris, the South Africa left-arm spinner has been left out of the Titans line-up for the 2010-11 South African professional domestic season.”Paul has expressed a desire to participate in all formats of franchise cricket, including the MTN 40 and Standard Bank Pro20 competitions,” said Andy O’Connor, vice-chairman and head of the playing affairs portfolio of the Titans. “We understand Paul’s views, but given the personnel available to the Nashua Titans in the spin-bowling department, we are unfortunately unable to guarantee him a spot in our team in all versions of the game.”Harris has played 100 first-class matches for 333 wickets at an average of 30.81. He also has 47 List A wickets at 26.61 and 21 in the Twenty20 format at 21.19. In recent times, he has been South Africa’s first-choice Test spinner, with 87 wickets in 29 matches.”Although we are very sad to see Paul leave, we wish him both a fond farewell and all the very best for the future”, O’Connor said. “When Paul joined us a few seasons ago, he was participating in the Western Province B team and we are immensely proud to have played a part in his rise to selection at the Test level, where he has performed most admirably.”Harris thanked the Titans for their role in his career. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Titans, but feel that I should be competing in all available formats of the game. I wish the Nashua Titans every success in the future”, he said.