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Sunil Narine believes the caution a batsman takes against his variations allows him the freedom to get set into a spell

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2014West Indies offspinner Sunil Narine believes the caution a batsman takes against his variations allows him the freedom to get set into a spell.”I only have three [different] balls.” he said. “Just to keep the batsmen thinking. Once you have the batsmen thinking they tend to look at you a little more and in the extra time they look at me, my overs tend to finish.”Narine had to sit out during the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand as he couldn’t make the training camp on time due to the IPL, but his return would help the hosts offer a sterner challenge to New Zealand in during the two Twenty20s. Narine has 12 wickets from five matches against the visitors.”The key component is probably to be as relaxed as possible because it’s a very intense game and batsmen are always coming at you. So the minute you get too hyper you tend to do what you’re not accustomed to. So just stay as relaxed as possible and maintain the skill level that you have.”Sunil Narine is hopeful of regaining the No.1 ranking for bowlers in T20 from team-mate Samuel Badree•AFPNarine’s spin partner Samuel Badree leads the T20 bowlers’ rankings and has claimed 21 wickets in 12 matches over the past 12 months, five more than Narine’s tally in the same period.”I think it’s a good, friendly rivalry. I think Badree has been doing very well over the past couple of months. I think he’s been doing a good job so that’s why he’s No.1. So hopefully I can do as good as him and hopefully pass him this series.”Krishmar Santokie has also become a useful addition to West Indies’ attack and had kept out the experienced Ravi Rampaul during the World T20. The left-arm seamer’s ability to dent the opposition’s top order has been a vital asset.”I think Santokie has been a very excellent bowler. The couple of games he has played for West Indies, he has been getting early breakthroughs for us and that makes it a lot easier in the middle and at the end. So I think Santokie starting up and getting early wickets does a lot for West Indies.”

Warm sunshine, wonderful setting and a former international batsman making the sure-footed, seldom in doubt century that turned Surrey’s slim advantage into a position of strength

David Lloyd at Arundel14-Jun-2013
ScorecardVikram Solanki produced the most dominating batting of the match•Getty ImagesWarm sunshine, wonderful setting and a former international batsman making the sure-footed, seldom in doubt century that turned Surrey’s slim advantage into a position of strength. And all Ricky Ponting needed to do for most of the day was watch from the sidelines.At 37, Vikram Solanki is one of those veterans whose move to The Oval has earned Surrey criticism from a number of directions – not because the former Worcestershire player is a poor signing, by any means, but for the fact his arrival, and that of others, may have blocked the progress of home grown talent.Well, whatever the rights and wrongs of Surrey’s recruitment policy, watching Solanki in prime form has never been anything less than a pleasure. And in terms of what the acting captain’s first hundred in these colours could do for his new county, the hierarchy must feel he is worth every penny.Surrey are without a win in the Championship, and the odds are against them breaking their duck here with only a day remaining. But this was the sort of dominating performance which they were expected to produce on a regular basis in 2013 – and it ought to do wonders for their confidence for the rest of the campaign.In fairness to Sussex, who have lost their position as table-toppers to Yorkshire, the visitors enjoyed the best batting conditions of the match either side of tea when there was barely a cloud in the sky. And while the pitch remained slow, with the odd delivery still sticking in the surface, there was a clear invitation for Surrey to take control.Solanki, who played 51 one-day internationals for England and is currently leading this side because both Graeme Smith and Gareth Batty are injured, needed little encouragement. He had to find a supporting act, though, and, crucially, a perfect one presented itself in the shape of another middle order veteran, Zander de Bruyn.The pair added 177 for the fourth wicket, de Bruyn ending the day unbeaten and just one run short of his own century.Six members of the Sussex line-up had passed 30 on the second day of this game but only Mike Yardy reached 50. And when Surrey openers Rory Burns and Arun Harinath both perished when apparently established, the impression that batsmen could never consider themselves truly ‘in’ on this surface was strengthened.What is more, the dismissal of Ponting – squared up by fellow Australian Steve Magoffin and caught in the slips by Chris Jordan – for only 13 left the battle for first innings supremacy in the balance. Or so it seemed.Jordan, playing against his old county, Magoffin and Jimmy Anyon combined to produce a real threat. And had Jordan speared a yorker through Solanki’s defences early on, instead of seeing it dug out, it is anyone’s guess how the third day would have panned out. Instead, Surrey’s No. 3 was soon driving sumptuously, cutting firmly and taking the initiative away from the hosts.Having reached 50, Solanki pulled Jordan for another emphatic boundary, de Bruyn set about Monty Panesar’s left-arm spin and, for the first time in the match, a big partnership seemed probable rather than just possible.The century stand was sealed with the help of Solanki’s off-driven six against Chris Nash (he later pulled Anyon for another big ‘un) and his hundred came up with a gorgeous cover drive – one of 11 fours. A little punch of delight marked the milestone, then the captain went into overdrive, taking 30 more runs from 17 balls before holing out to long-on.That acceleration underlined Solanki’s belief that there could be some life left in a match which lost its first day to rain. And with de Bruyn staying around to supervise a final morning charge, there is hope for Surrey and a possible nervy survival battle for Sussex.”Once you get in it’s a reasonably good wicket but you have to work hard when you first some in,” said Solanki. “It was very pleasing to score my first first-class hundred for Surrey but more important was that we were able to get into a position where we might be able to exert some pressure on the final day.”

Mohammad Hafeez, the Pakistan Twenty20 captain, has said the 97-run partnership between Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni was turning point of the match, but also pointed to other significant moments where the visitors came out second best

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2012Mohammad Hafeez, the Pakistan Twenty20 captain, has said the 97-run partnership between Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni was turning point of the match, but also pointed to other significant moments where the visitors came out second best. “Although they went off to a promising start, we were hopeful of restricting them to 160-170… But Yuvraj was exceptional today. The way he batted was outstanding. He also struck a good partnership with Dhoni. We were not expecting the partnership to go that further,” Hafeez said.Yuvraj and Dhoni added 97 in just 44 balls to propel India to 192. Pakistan began promisingly in the chase but an 18-ball spell from India’s spinners between overs seven and 10, during which only 16 runs were scored, increased the required-rate significantly. “It was a very small period in the match where we got stuck… Ravichandran Ashwin and Suresh Raina didn’t give the batsmen any space to hit. It really did affect our run chase later in the match.”Ashok Dinda bowled an excellent second spell towards the death, picking up three wickets and containing Pakistan at a time when they had wickets in hand and were pushing for a win. “Their bowlers didn’t perform well in the last couple of matches. But they did the basics right and were on target today,” Hafeez said. “Dinda was good in the last two overs… He bowled perfect yorkers and it was difficult to hit him. In the penultimate over of our innings, he got the vital wickets of Kamran and mine. If either of us had scored a boundary, then it would have eased the pressure. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”Yuvraj smashed seven sixes in his 72 off 36 balls. “It is just that in T20, you get less time to get set and you have straightaway start hitting the balls,” Yuvraj said. “That is why batting averages aren’t high and you don’t get time to set in and hit those balls. But today, I got to bat in seventh over and got three to four overs to get set and that really made the difference.”

After scoring an unbeaten 88 which secured Bangladesh’s seven-wicket win against South Africa, Soumya Sarkar revealed that he kept trying to pull the short balls since he was confident he had the mindset to take on the visitors’ attack

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur13-Jul-2015After scoring an unbeaten 88 which secured Bangladesh’s seven-wicket win against South Africa, Soumya Sarkar revealed that he kept trying to pull the short balls since he was confident he had the mindset to take on the visitors’ attack. Soumya said that he was not worried about the consequences, like getting out, but understood the need to prolong his good starts.”I heard from somewhere that they will stop me by bowling bouncers,” Soumya said. “I wanted to play at them, even if I got out. I wanted to get out of that mindset. I planned that no matter how fast they bowl and how much they try to bounce me, I just wanted to take them on.”South Africa’s pace attack bowled eleven deliveries to Soumya that ranged between very short to just short of good length, but the batsman either managed to get on top of the bounce, or threw himself at a pull. He initially got mixed results as many of the balls fell short of the mid-off fielder after he failed to time it.But later in the innings, after Soumya had crossed 60, he cracked a pull emphatically off Kagiso Rabada for four. It was a statement of intent that he later said wanted to deliver to the opposition attack. Soumya added that South Africa hardly gave him breathing space like he received from the Pakistan attack on his way to an unbeaten 127 three months ago. He rated this unbeaten knock higher than the century.”Against South Africa, I have had to make a bad ball as they weren’t giving away. Pakistan were giving at least one bad ball per over. This was a tougher knock. We were chasing a bigger total against Pakistan so we could plan accordingly. Small targets are always hard to chase. We have to change plans quickly. You have to start fresh after quick wickets. I will keep this innings ahead.”In the four innings after his maiden century on April 22, Soumya failed to bat for more than 47 deliveries or 70 minutes. He made 54, 34, 40 and 27, but got out trying to attack further. The BCB president Nazmul Hasan had mentioned the same to him during their meeting on Saturday, but Soumya said he has heard the exact same thing from everyone.”Everyone says the same thing. Even those who are younger than me tell me, ‘Bro, please finish your innings’. I have been getting used to this,” he said. “I didn’t do too many different things to prolong my innings. My target wasn’t to score a 50 or a 100 but to finish the chase. I just wanted to play till the end.”Soumya said that he minimised the risk in his plan to play a longer innings. Bangladesh’s poor start of losing Tamim Iqbal and Litton Das by the fourth over also contributed to his subdued start.”I cut down one or two of my shots thinking that it might bring me a positive result. A big innings always brings relief. I started differently today but that was due to the circumstances. I think I faced just one ball in the first three-four overs. We had lost two wickets by then so I had to think fresh. I had thought earlier that I would play in my own way. But the two wickets changed my plans.”The other factor he feels helped was having Mahmudullah back in the team. Soumya and Mahmudullah added 135 runs for the third wicket that took Bangladesh within four runs of victory. The pair has already added three fifty-plus stands and Soumya said Mahmudullah understands his game the best, which helps them bat well together.”Since the World Cup whenever I see Riyad bhai come to bat, I smile. I do that whenever I see him in the middle. Today I told him everything is fine. But what he tells me, I always take it seriously. He understands my batting very well.”

Mumbai have all but sealed a place in the top two after maintaining a clean sheet at home

The Report by Sidharth Monga15-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
On a slightly surreal night, Rahul Dravid lost his cool and shouted at the umpire, Kieron Pollard mocked Shane Watson so much he made him leave the dugout and go into the dressing room, Pollard was run out for the first time in the IPL, Mumbai Indians scored just 34 in the last five overs, but their bowling might won them the match comfortably and all but sealed a place in the top two. Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings now have one more win than Rajasthan Royals, and also a higher net run rate accumulated over 15 matches, which will take some doing to overcome.Mumbai might not have finished their innings well despite 59 off 37 balls from Aditya Tare, who had replaced the injured Sachin Tendulkar, but it was their start with the ball that eventually sealed the game. Two wickets each from Mitchell Johnson and Dhawal Kulkarni reduced Royals to their worst Powerplay score of all time: 29 for 4. Watson wasn’t one of those wickets, but he top-edged a Pragyan Ojha long hop before he could cause much damage.Royals were 58 for 5 in the 10th over when Watson fell but Brad Hodge, held back to No. 8, and Stuart Binny tried to put the chase on track, and even brought the equation down to 38 off three overs. However, Lasith Malinga bowled two of those overs and he went for five and eight in them.Royals could claim similar success with their bowling towards the end of the first innings, but the start wasn’t that good. Mumbai opened with the new pair of Tare and Glenn Maxwell, who weren’t pretty but were effective. After Maxwell for 23 off 17, Tare took over and went after all Royals bowlers without discrimination. However, he was only 24 off 15 when Dravid dropped a catch at short midwicket. He rubbed it in by pulling Binny over Dravid’s head next ball.When he finally fell, at 108 for 3 in the 13th over, Tare had set Mumbai up for possibly a score of 200. Some superb fielding and canny bowling from Royals, including Pollard’s run-out by Kevon Cooper and James Faulkner’s last two overs for just 11 runs, kept Mumbai down, but not for long.Having recovered from his poor game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Johnson was creating breakthroughs at the top. In the first over, he might have got Dravid caught at the wicket without the edge, but it was a sharp bouncer nonetheless. Royals continued holding Watson back, and Mumbai kept running through the rest.When Watson finally arrived, Pollard started talking to him immediately. While Watson seemed furious, Pollard seemed to be laughing almost mockingly. Watson hadn’t even faced a ball. The umpires had to tell Pollard off, but he eventually had the final mock when Watson – under the pressure of falling wickets and rising asking rate – mis-hit Ojha to Pollard. After celebrating wildly, Pollard went to his boundary post and seemed to have another conversation with Watson, who sat in the dugout behind him.Eventually, Watson left the place in disgust, and finally Hodge got to bat when Royals lost another wicket. Royals needed 79 from 43 when he came in, but he and Binny brought the target down with sensible hitting. Hodge hit Ojha for four fours in the 16th over, which included a drop by Ambati Rayudu, but Malinga ensured Mumbai’s clean sheet at home.

Peter Moores, the new England coach, has given a lukewarm response to the idea of Andrew Flintoff coming out of retirement to represent Lancashire in T20 cricket

George Dobell and Paul Edwards02-Jun-20140:21

Freddie Flintoff takes stunning catch off own bowling

Peter Moores, the new England coach, has given a lukewarm response to the idea of Andrew Flintoff coming out of retirement to represent Lancashire in T20 cricket.Moores, who was the Lancashire coach until April, accepted that Flintoff, at his best, would be an asset to any side but warned that his return could present a challenge to the club management and risks destabilising a side that has started well in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast. Lancashire are currently top of the North Division, with four wins in their first five games.While interest in Flintoff’s return has led to a flurry of ticket sales ahead of Lancashire T20 Roses clash against Yorkshire at Old Trafford, Moores warned that his selection should only be made for “cricketing reasons” and not simply as a marketing tool. He also suggested that it could be a distraction for the rest of the team.”It’s a sensitive issue with the players that are there,” Moores said. “They are playing really good cricket at the moment, so definitely you’d think it would be a tough side to get into.”A fit, strong, playing-well Andrew Flintoff is going to add to any side. But he is coming back from retirement, so they have got to make the assessment of where he is, against what they have in their current staff.”To know that, you’d have to be on the inside. You have to be watching people practise and play and decide that it’s not too much of a distraction and if it’s going to work. It’s got to be a cricketing decision.”It’s a challenge and it has to be handled well. But you have to pick the best side to play for Lancashire. That’s what the supporters are going to watch, and that’s the most important thing.”Glen Chapple, who stepped up to take responsibility for Lancashire’s first team after the departure of Moores, also offered a note of caution, despite the momentum building behind a Flintoff return against Yorkshire. “It would not be an easy game to come back in,” Chapple said, after the second day of Lancashire’s Championship match against Somerset.”In terms of him playing, we will just have to see how things go,” he said. “The team will be picked on merit. When and if he plays, it will be very exciting for everybody who comes to watch.”They have all been tough teams to pick. We are leaving out good players all the time, which is difficult to do. We have won the last four games and the squad will understand that. All we can do is pick the team we feel is the right one.”The players who are in possession have done a fantastic job, especially our bowlers. We won’t be taking any liberties with their positions. They are doing really well. The way ‘Fred’ plays his cricket, you can see him being beneficial for any time. Let’s wait and see what Friday morning brings.”

The Under-19 World Cup kicks off in the UAE on February 14, with England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies scheduled for action

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Dec-2013

Group A: India, Pakistan, Scotland, Papua New Guinea

Group B: Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Namibia

Group C: South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Canada

Group D: New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, UAE

The Under-19 World Cup will kick off in the UAE on February 14, with England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies scheduled for action on the opening day. Defending champions India will open their campaign against two-time winners Pakistan the next day.The tournament features 16 teams divided into four groups and the top two would progress to the quarter-finals. The other two teams from each group will compete in the Plate Championship quarter-finals.Angelo Mathews, the Sri Lanka captain, considered the under-19 world cup to be an important stepping stone for young players. “Having played in a couple of ICC U19 Cricket World Cups, I can tell you that this is the best stage for any raw talent to polish his skills and see if he’s worthy enough of progressing to the biggest stage of them all – international cricket at the senior level,” he said.Afghanistan, Canada, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, United Arab Emirates and the 10 Full Member nations will compete in 48 matches, which will be staged across seven venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.

Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has returned home from the A tour to South Africa to assess a lower rib/back injury

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Aug-2013Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins has returned home from the A tour to South Africa to assess a lower rib/back injury. Cummins played two first-class matches on tour – including one against Zimbabwe Select in Harare – and one match of the one-day tri-series against India A.”Pat reported some left rib/back pain during the Australia A game against India A last week,” Australia A physiotherapist Kevin Sims said. “With only Wednesday’s final remaining in the series, the decision was made for him to return to Australia to assess the injury.”Cummins, 20, has had a history of injuries that have curtailed his participation for Australia in several international series. In June, he toured England with the A team after being sidelined for nine months with a back injury. He had complained of stiffness during the Champions League in South Africa in October last year, where he turned out for Sydney Sixers. He was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back on his return home.Cummins made his international debut aged just 18 on Australia’s tour of South Africa in October 2011. His first, and to date only, Test at the Wanderers included 6 for 79 in the second innings, earning him the Man-of-the-Match award in a narrow Australian victory.He has also impressed in five ODIs, including playing England at Lord’s last year, and had a successful World T20 in Sri Lanka where he claimed six wickets at 32.83 to help Australia to the semi-final.

Barcelona have given Frenkie de Jong an ultimatum over his future, amid a reported €60m bid from Tottenham for the midfielder.

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Spurs have reportedly made bid for De JongBarcelona have offered midfielder a new dealNetherlands international yet to put pen to paperWHAT HAPPENED?

Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona have essentially given De Jong an ultimatum, and have demanded he either sign the contract that has been offered to him – it has been on the table since November – or bring an offer to the table. Following that report, Jijantes claims that Tottenham have made a bid worth €60m (£51m) for the midfielder, and have offered him a four-year deal with the same wages he is currently earning at the Camp Nou. It remains to be seen if De Jong would be willing to make that move, or if Spurs would need to sell players to fund it, given the costs involved.

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De Jong's current contract expires in 2026, and Barca are aware that this summer may mark the final time they can receive a hefty fee for the 26-year-old, and would prefer to go into the next transfer window knowing his intention to either leave or remain. There is rival interest to Spurs, with Chelsea and Manchester United also interested, along with Paris Saint-Germain. Barca have placed a €100m (£85m) asking price on De Jong.

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De Jong remains a key part of Barcelona's squad and has made 23 appearances in all competitions, with his only absences coming through either injury or suspension. He has also won 54 caps for the Netherlands.

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De Jong's side face Celta Vigo away from home this weekend. They then face Napoli in the Champions League next week.

Warren Zaire-Emery had a bittersweet France debut as he scored and then got injured inside 20 minutes against Gibraltar in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

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Zaire-Emery scores against GibraltarYoungest French scorer in more than a centuryTeenager forced off with injury early onGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old started against the European minnows on Saturday night and got on the scoresheet in fine style with a clinical finish after 17 minutes to make it 3-0, following own goals from Ethan Santos and Aymen Mouelhi.

However, his evening was cut short when Santos scythed him down as he swept the ball home. A VAR review followed and the Gibraltar defender was sent off. The Paris Saint-Germain wonderkid, meanwhile, was forced from the field with an ankle injury in the 20th minute.

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Zaire-Emery is seen as the next big thing in France. He is already a regular at PSG and now he is a French international at the tender age of 17. He is now the third youngest French scorer for the national side behind Maurice Gastiger (also 17) and Julien Verbrugghe (16) – with the duo playing back in 1914 and 1906 respectively.

Incidentally, PSG will hope the teenager's injury is not a serious one as they try to win Ligue 1 once again and mount a serious challenge in the Champions League.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FRANCE?

France are next in action on Tuesday when they travel to Greece for their final Euro 2024 qualifier. Zaire-Emery will hope to be fit for that clash, but if not, they host Monaco in Ligue 1 on Friday.