Category Uncategorized

Heading into this week’s Intercontinental Cup match with Scotland, the Netherlands squad may have been more noteworthy for who was missing instead of who was present. Timm van der Gugten, Michael Swart and Tom Cooper were the most notable absentees.But the arrival of Roelof van der Merwe has helped ease the strain on the rest of the squad to make up the lost runs and wickets needed to compete against Scotland in the Intercontinental Cup. His valuable first innings contribution of 73 took Netherlands out of trouble from 88 for 5 and now has them in a position where they might not just secure first innings points, but are a strong chance of collecting an outright win with two days remaining. The left-arm spinning allrounder is prepared for anything though after a topsy-turvy second day.”There’s always one partnership waiting to happen,” van der Merwe told ESPNcricinfo after day two. “I think we’ve just got to stick to our plans and not try to bowl them out as soon as the tailenders come in. We’ve got to be very disciplined and if we’re disciplined we can have a very good lead.”After playing 13 ODIs and the same amount of T20Is for South Africa from 2009-10, Van der Merwe emerged on the Dutch scene quite suddenly in July, transitioning into the squad just days after securing a Dutch passport to make his T20I debut against Nepal. He made an unbeaten 40 and took two wickets, but had more modest returns through the rest of the World Twenty20 Qualifier. He scored 60 runs in seven innings at an average of 12 but was more effective with the ball, taking 11 wickets.While he has had some experience batting higher up the order in domestic T20 competitions – he batted at No. 3 in the last three matches of the 2009 IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of Rahul Dravid, Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli – most of van der Merwe’s appearances for South Africa in both T20Is and ODIs were at eight or nine.However, over the last three years he has proven himself a capable batting performer in multi-day cricket in South Africa. After recording five half-centuries each in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons while batting at No. 7 for Titans, van der Merwe had a breakout season in 2014-15, finishing third overall with 774 runs at an average of 55.28.Starting the season batting at No. 6, he produced his maiden first-class century, an unbeaten 205 against Warriors in the second match of the campaign. He was subsequently promoted to No. 5 for the next match and repaid faith in the move with another hundred. Before the season was over, he tagged one more on for good measure.Rather than looking like a slap-bang T20 dasher, van der Merwe’s polished technique vindicated Netherlands management’s decision to send him in at No. 4. Admitting to being more eager than nervous about making his Intercontinental Cup debut for Netherlands, by the end of the day he had produced his first major contribution with the bat for his adopted country.”I think over the last two years in four-day cricket I’ve worked myself from about seven down to about five or four,” van der Merwe said. “It’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing in the last few years is four-day batting. The one-day game is a bit different. You always need somebody to hit at the end also. I think that’s what I’m mostly known for, is just hitting the ball and trying to clear the boundary.”In a bizarre display, six batsmen combined from both sides were out leaving deliveries seaming in from outside off. Van der Merwe played more than his fair share of dot balls – 95 out of the 136 deliveries he faced – but far more frequently opted to blunt the ball with a straight bat rather than risk shouldering arms and suffering the same fate as others.”The ball really did jag today,” van der Merwe said. “Maybe half of them was bad judgment and other ones were good balls nipping back a lot. I think it was a very slow pitch. There’s not a lot of lateral movement but the guys who got out leaving, the ball did jag a bit. There was a bit of seam movement every now and then so it was quite tough picking up the lines.”With Netherlands 187 for 7 at tea and van der Merwe on 68, the only thing that appeared set to deny him a century was running out of partners. However, three overs into the final session he was through a drive slightly early to Josh Davey and sent back a return catch.The disappointment was evident as he kept his helmet on with his head tilted toward the ground throughout his walk back to the pavilion despite generous applause from the scattered group of supporters. The possibility of a first innings score in excess of 250 vanished with his dismissal but after the lively display produced by the Dutch bowling unit in the final session of day two, the Netherlands will be aiming to capitalize on their solid position.”I think we were very disappointed in our first innings,” van der Merwe said. “I think we could have scored a lot more. Some of the guys got out with loose shots but definitely under par first innings. But we’ve moved the game forward now in their first innings getting them six down very quickly so hopefully we can get a lead.”

ScorecardFile photo: Robin Bist led a chase of 264 to perfection with his 109 not out•Sivaraman Kitta

Robin Bist’s unbeaten century to beat Punjab in Alur was a good primer of how to overcome top-order trouble as it led Himachal Pradesh to the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final. Two wickets lost inside the first six overs against a spirited pace attack, with the ball buzzing around both ways, was reason enough to create a few flutters for Himachal. Eventually, they got to the target of 264 with four balls to spare.A chase that was meandering at 77 for 3 in the 22nd over was turned around admirably when Bist found an ally in Rishi Dhawan, who played risk-free cricket through tactful strike rotation. It would be the hallmark of their 102-run fourth-wicket stand that came at a run-a-ball to bring a chase headed nowhere into the realms of possibility.Having the target within striking distance, however, brought a minor mishap. Dhawan mistimed a pull off Siddharth Kaul on 41 and Harbhajan Singh, running backwards from mid-on, held on to a pressure catch. Himachal needed 85 to win off 66 balls, and that was when Bist took over. Having been in accumulator mode early in his innings, he seamlessly brought out the big hitter in him to bring up a maiden List A century and puncture Punjab.The effervescence of Nikhil Gangta, who made a 28-ball 39, further fuelled Himachal’s dream run as victory was achieved with five wickets in hand in the final over. That not only meant a semi-final berth but also consigned Mandeep Singh’s carefully crafted 119 to second best on the day.Things had looked quite different when play started. Punjab lost Pargat Singh in the first over after being sent in on a slightly damp surface. But that was negated by Mandeep; his first boundary came off the seventh ball he faced – an on-the-up extra cover drive – and set the tone for a knock that featured the entire array of his strokes from point to square leg.The unusually harsh mid-morning sun had people ducking for shade and Mandeep too was not spared. He couldn’t hit over the top in front of the wicket, so he brought out the paddles and the delicate dabs to prove he was a multi-dimensional batsman. When he walked back for a 145-ball 119 in the final over, he had put Punjab in a commanding position. Such was his composure that even the loss of Yuvraj Singh (5) to a mistimed pull and Gurkeerat Singh (35) after a steady stand seemed to have no effect on him. He was helped later in the innings by Gitansh Khera (23) and Harbhajan Singh (25).Himachal began like a team that wasn’t sure how to approach the chase in a knockout game. Barinder Sran, the left-arm seamer, who is due to tour Australia in January, bowled a tight first spell of 4-1-11-0. While pace wasn’t his forte, minute deviation off the surface and precision was. The rewards, however, were reaped by Kaul, the other new-ball bowler, who removed Ankush Bains and Prashant Chopra inside six overs. When Paras Dogra skipped down the track, only to bowled after being deceived by Harbhajan’s slider, Himachal were in dire need of momentum at 77 for 3 in the 22nd over.An asking rate that was hovering over seven moved to eight and beyond. Dhawan and Bist milked the bowling but took great care against the slow bowlers, who seemed the bigger threat. The strategy was a sound one and worked quite well until Dhawan’s mistake in the 39th over. Though he couldn’t convert his start into a half-century and beyond, his contribution in a vital stand to go along with his three wickets threw light on the kind of role he could possibly play in Australia.Bist brought up his century in the 47th over, having overcome two close run-out calls. He took it to the last six balls and sealed the deal with some authority, lofting the ball over cover. So it was that Himachal Pradesh took down Punjab, a giant in the Indian domestic circuit, and go into their semi-final clash against Delhi with fresh energy and strong hopes.

Haroon Lorgat, South Africa’s chief selector, says he has no issues if he is replaced from the post he has held for four years. Cricket South Africa (CSA) hold their AGM on Friday and Lorgat’s position, and possible replacements, is expected to be on the agenda.South Africa reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, but erratic performances culminating in an emphatic loss to Australia elicited criticism back home. But Lorgat said he would not have any hard feelings if he was replaced.”I don’t feel at all like a scapegoat, my term was always going to stop at the World Cup and I would have no issues if I was replaced,” Lorgat told .Media reports have suggested that Lorgat is definately out of the running and provinces have put forward the names of Joubert Strydom, Mustapha Khan and Shafiek Abrahams. Khan and Strydom are current selectorsm, while Abrahams is better known for his media work than the sole ODI he played as an off-spinner in 2000. The ultimate decision, however, will be taken by the board itself.Lorgat criticised reports that he was already a non-starter to retain his position. “It has always been a board appointment although provinces are welcome to make their nominations. I just wish journalists would phone first to check their facts before writing their stories.”Lorgat also hit back at criticism that players like Vernon Philander and Thandi Tshabalala did not get enough opportunity during the tour to Ireland in June.”When we went to Ireland, it was always our plan that each player would play in two of the matches and we achieved that.”Vernon played his two matches and by then I would have been quite happy to send him home with a big green tick next to his name. We saw what we needed to see from him during his two matches.”

Kenya 14 for 4 trail Canada 235 (Qaiser Ali 91*, Ongondo 4-49, Odoyo 3-49) by 221 runs
Scorecard

Canada turned the opening day of their Intercontinental Cup tie against Kenya at Maple Leaf Cricket Club on its head with a remarkable bowling performance in the last hour. At the close, Kenya were in deep trouble on 14 for 4 in reply to Canada’s ponderous 235.Canada had been down and out when they slid to 102 for 7, paying the price for batting on a green and slightly under prepared pitch. Peter Ongondo (4 for 49) and Thomas Odoyo (3 for 49) made life difficult early on, and against a seaming ball, the top order’s technique was found out.But Qaiser Ali, who cracked an unbeaten 91, led a dogged fightback, receiving commendable support from the tail, especially from veteran Pubudu Dassanayake (26) and Ashish Bagai (21). “Qaiser played shots all round the wicket,” beamed Andy Pick, Canada’s coach. “He was harsh on loose deliveries and short ones.”That recovery continued when Kenya were left with a tricky hour before stumps, and they were immediately derailed by fierce opening spells from Henry Osinde (2 for 5) and Umar Bhatti (2 for 9). Bhatti picked up the prized wicket of Steve Tikolo, Kenya’s most experienced and leading batsman.Qaiser admitted he was “very, very happy” with his score. He had “solid support that was most important for the team. I’m a bit sad I did not get the 100, but we got the total we needed. Everybody did a great job. Hopefully tomorrow [Sunday] we can bowl them out.”Pick was equally pleased. “At 14 for 4, what price are the runs we made now. That spell of bowling was top class … not just for Associate members but for proper cricket. You must remember that – that’s how good you are. We had length, speed and control today.”Roger Harper, Kenya’s coach, had less to say. “We didn’t build on our excellent start, so we are behind at the end of the day having lost four wickets. We allowed them to recover to 235. I still feel the team have enough batting to compete for first-innings points.”

In a surprising reversal, John Davison has negotiated his release from South Australia to play for Canada in the semi-final of the first ICC Intercontinental Cup trophy against the UAE in Sharjah on November 16-18. Previous reports had suggested that Davison was wary of missing two Pura Cup matches for South Australia, with whom he has been struggling to cement a first-team place.Davison will replace Desmond Chumney, who is injured, and take over the captaincy of Canada – which had been handed to Ian Billcliff. But, if Canada manage to overhaul UAE, Davison will miss the final in Sharjah on November 20-22 as South Australia require him for Pura Cup duty.In the other semi-final, Kenya take on Scotland at Abu Dhabi. Kenya will be led by Rageb Aga in the absence of Hitesh Modi, who is getting married in England on November 19.The four semi-finalists announced their squads today. Scotland’s squad includes Dougie Brown and Gavin Hamilton, both of whom have played one-day internationals for England.Canada squadJohn Davison (capt), Ashif Mulla, Ian Billcliff, Austin Codrington, Haninder Dhillon, Sunil Dhaniram, Don Maxwell, Ashish Patel, Kevin Sandher, Umar Bhatti, Zubin Surkari, Sanjayan Thuraisingam, Jason Patraj.Kenya squadRageb Aga (capt), Rajesh Bhudiya, Ravindu Shah, Lameck Ngoche, Anitkumar Bhudia, Kalpesh Patel, Stephen David Okumu, Tanmay Mishra, Malhar Patel, Jadavji Bhimji, Timothy Muange, Abeed Janmohamed, Brijal Patel.Scotland squadCraig Wright (capt), Douglas Lockhart, Paul Hoffmann, Gavin Hamilton, David Watts, Gregor Maiden, Ryan Watson, Douglas Brown, John Blain, Colin Smith, Cedric English, Kyle Coetzer, Asim Butt.UAE squadMohamed Tauqir (capt), Ali Asad Abbas, Khuram Khan, Syed Maqsood Ahmed, Arshad Ali, Naeemuddin Aslam, Ram Veera Rai, Kashif Hussain Khan Tareen, Muhammad Taskeen Sadique, Rizwan Ahmed, Sameer Zia, Zahid Shah, Muhamad Atif.

Australia 2 for 370 (Langer 162,Martyn 97,Lehmann 50,Chandana 4-94) v Sri Lanka Live scorecard

After the haymaking indulgences of yesterday, this second day at Cairnsbegan with a dull throb. It is often the way of mornings after. Australia’sbatsmen set purposefully about building an imposing total; Sri Lanka’s bowlers sought scratchily to claw back some dignity. By lunch 104 runs had been added and five wickets fiddled out, suggesting the visitors had been significantly more successful in achieving their objectives.In fact, Sri Lanka sloped off at the interval with considerable momentum, having nailed the last four Australian wickets for 20 runs. All four went toUpul Chandana, the legspinner, who was ignored for the first half of yesterday but flighted the ball intelligently today. He was helped out by some needlessly reckless shotmaking.Damien Martyn prodded tentatively forward on 97, made no concerted attemptto hit the ball and was struck on the front pad. Despite the look of derision he gave Aleem Dar, the Pakistan umpire, as he walked off, he appearedcosily leg-before. Simon Katich, a normally conservative beginner, wasbowled for 1, audaciously pulling at and missing a short floater from Chandana.Darren Lehmann, batting busily and inventively for 50, also departed in uncharacteristic fashion. He slogged at yet another well-flighted delivery from Chandana, didn’t quite time it, and was caught metres short of the sightscreen by Kumar Sangakkara. Shane Warne fell soon after for 2, slashing hypnotically and edging to Thilan Samaraweera in the slips. It seemed a terrible waste of resources.Justin Langer was first out for 162, wafting irritably at a wide ball fromLasith Malinga and edging high to Mahela Jayawardene at slip. He had ekedout only three runs this morning and failed to relocate his casual fluencyof yesterday.Martyn, by contrast, picked up precisely where he left off,all straight grace and elegance. Upon entering the nineties he receiveda thorough workout from a rejuvenated Nuwan Zoysa, who had Martyn playingand missing, inside-edging and repeatedly squared up. Martyn was tentativefor a while, then seemed almost to drift off into a slumber. The Australianscan safely be expected to wake up again sometime this afternoon.

Bashley (Rydal) posted a thumping 266-6 declared against Andover, but ended up hanging on to salvage a draw as their ECB Southern Electric Premier League rivals came within two runs of forcing a remarkable win at the BCG.They required five runs for victory off Chris Sketchley’s final over of the day but, with centurion Toby Radford marooned at the non-striker’s end, squeezed only three to finish an agonising 261-8.Radford, having batted superbly, was run out off the last ball for 139.The former Sussex and Middlesex opener had shared a fourth-wicket stand of 150 with Ian Gardner (58) as Andover moved to 238-3 – and to within sight of the Bashley total.But, in a dramatic finish, Sketchley (2-44) nailed Richard Taylor and Simon Mundy, and Bashley somehow hung on."It was a remarkable game," said Bashley skipper Matt King, who dished out special praise to Sketchley."It was a toss up between him or me who bowled that last over, but Sketch said he fancied his chances – and did brilliantly."Bashley earlier recovered from an uncertain 24-2 to post their biggest score of the season, with Western Australian Brad Thompson celebrating his return from a broken finger with a splendid 90.He shared a century stand with Sketchley (47) before Richard Knowles (58) and Andy Neal (27 not out) took Bashley to 262-6 declared off 63 overs.Despite scoring only a modest 162, Bournemouth looked to be heading for a comfortable win at Calmore Sports, when they snatched their hosts ninth wicket.But Charlie Freeston struck out and took Calmore to within six runs of victory before Sean Wallbridge clean bowled tenth-wicket partner Steve Brandes to leave the Totton club 155 all out.Bournemouth lost a host of early wickets but were revived by Geoff Warrington, whose splendid 69 halted five-wicket Eugene Burzler’s inroads into the top order.

The West Indies cricket team will arrive in Sri Lanka on the November 1 toplay a three-match Test series and a one-day tri-series, which also involvesZimbabwe.This is the first full tour that the West Indies have made to Sri Lanka. Intheir only other tour since Sri Lanka attained full ICC Test status, in1993, they played just one Test, and one ODI.The West Indies will warm up for the Tests with two three day games, thefirst in Colombo and the second in Matara, before the first Test at GalleInternational Stadium (14-18th November).The second Test Match will be in Kandy (23-27th November) and final Test inColombo (1- 5th December).Straight after the Tests the tri-series with Zimbabwe will commence.Zimababwe will remain in Sri Lanka after the tri-series for a three-Testtour.Full intinerary:Nov 1st: Arrival
Nov 4-6th: Three day warm-up match, Colombo.
Nov 9-11th: Three day warm-up match, Matara.
Nov 14-18th: First Test Match, Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Galle.
Nov 23-27th: Second Test Match, Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Kandy.
December 1-5th: Third Test Match, Sri Lanka vs West Indies, Colombo.
Triangular One Day Tournament (Sri Lanka/West Indies/Zimbabwe).Dec 8th Sri Lanka vs West Indies at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Dec 9th West Indies vs Zimbabwe at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Dec 11th Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Dec 14th Sri Lanka vs West Indies at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
Dec 15th Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
Dec 16th West Indies vs Zimbabwe at Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo
Dec 19th Triangular One Day Tournament final, R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
Dec 21st Departure

‘IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams’

The IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla has said the BCCI had accepted the Lodha Committee’s suspension of the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises and there was “no question of any dilly-dallying”.
“The order is accepted, now we are in the process of implementing it,” he told PTI. “For that we have formed a working group and that group has been given six weeks’ time to submit its recommendations.”
Shukla also said the IPL would have at least eight sides.
“IPL will be held with a minimum of eight teams. There will be no change in that. How we will proceed will be recommended by the working group, which will have discussions with all the stakeholders like the sponsors, broadcasters, franchisees and state associations. The procedures that we adopt will therefore be approved by our legal experts, that is why we need some time to give the recommendations.”
Shukla said the group would explore several options to ensure IPL 2016 wasn’t severely affected by a shortfall of teams.
“There is a group which believes that a BCCI-appointed management team can run CSK and RR for a period of two years. Credible people can be selected for that job so that the question of conflict of interest does not arise. Another option is that we invite new bids for the two teams to ensure that the league is an eight-team affair. After two years when CSK and RR complete their suspension period, we will have 10 teams. We will consider all the options.”

The BCCI has formed a working group to study the Lodha panel’s verdict relating to the IPL 2013 corruption scandal and instructed it to present its findings in six weeks. The group comprises* IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry and IPL governing council member Sourav Ganguly, and will be assisted by Ushanath Banerjee, the board’s legal counsel.The board’s response came after an IPL governing council meeting in Mumbai on Sunday, following the Lodha committee decision to suspend the owners of the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals franchises earlier this week.The BCCI press release after the meeting stated the working group would “study this verdict, in consultation with all our key advisors and explore all the possible measures to be adopted, with an objective to protect the interests of all the stakeholders involved.”The release further stated: “This group will work within a time bound period of six weeks and report their recommendations to the IPL GC, which will deliberate and share their views with the working committee of the BCCI, for further action.”The general tone of the meeting was to explore the process of inviting bids for two new franchises and the possibility of a 10-team IPL after two years.It is understood that most of the governing council members who spoke during the hour-long meeting were of the opinion that the BCCI should start the procedure of inviting tenders for the new teams for a longer duration to ensure that the IPL’s eight-team format is maintained over the next two years.The committee was also briefed about a suggestion from former BCCI treasurer and joint secretary MP Pandove, over the addition of two teams and the likelihood of a ten-team IPL from 2018. Pandove confirmed to ESPNcricinfo he had “made such a suggestion to the secretary [Thakur] since I think that’s the most viable option for now”.Some members also cited the examples of the 2011 and 2012 IPL seasons – which were played with ten and nine teams respectively – and said if the two teams do return to the fold after serving the two-year suspension, the IPL could be played with ten teams.Sundar Raman, the IPL’s chief operating officer, reportedly said a ten-team IPL could be a logistical nightmare, but a former BCCI office bearer responded by saying Raman should not term the idea unworkable as he was an integral part of IPL’s earlier expansion.It is understood that the issue of the termination of the suspended teams’ franchise agreements was discussed, but no direct demand was made. The council was assured that the five-member working group will consider all options.Shukla’s suggestion of the BCCI independently running the two suspended franchises for two years was presented to the committee and was backed by a current office bearer who proposed that leading financial solutions firms could be involved in running the teams on the board’s behalf.A former cricketer on the governing council – who had urged the BCCI not to leave the players who contributed to the IPL brand in a lurch – reportedly said that individuals like Rahul Dravid [Rajasthan Royals mentor] and MS Dhoni [captain, Chennai Super Kings] are capable of running teams, if required, without an outsider’s assistance.The former office bearer then said Dhoni – whose comments about Gurunath Meiyappan to the Mudgal probe panel came under scrutiny – cannot be entrusted with such a responsibility. Thakur is then understood to have informed the house that the legal experts have advised that the board’s involvement in running two teams is not feasible.Thakur is also believed to have hinted at strict action against all the guilty entities.July 20, 3.00pm *This piece was amended to reflect the BCCI’s announcement of the Working Group’s composition

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMashrafe Mortaza proved a matchwinner with the side of his game•Raton Gomes/BCB

Comilla Victorians needed their captain Mashrafe Mortaza to do the extraordinary – with the bat – to record their first win in the BPL. They beat Chittagong Vikings by seven wickets with Mohammad Amir unable to produce any heroics as Mashrafe and Marlon Samuels added 123 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket stand.When he struck the winning runs in the penultimate over with a boundary squeezed past third-man, Mashrafe ran in unbridled joy, the sort you would see from a bowler who has just done a match-winning job with the bat. After giving him the bear-hug, his team-mates helped him out of his helmet, pad and gloves too.Mashrafe ended with an unbeaten 56 off 32 balls with four fours and two sixes while Samuels remained with him to the end with 69 off 52 deliveries and helped return Mashrafe’s bat to him which had been thrown away in excitement. Samuels’ innings was always going to be crucial but the partnership was more important, especially because of how Comilla started with the bat.They started their chase by losing Imrul Kayes to the fourth ball and Liton Das in the third over, both falling to Amir. Suddenly it was Shuvagata Hom who took charge of the situation, going after Taskin Ahmed and Shafiul Islam for four boundaries and a couple of sixes over square leg and mid-off. His 16-ball 30 helped Comilla keep their initial thrust intact, but he fell in the eighth over, when Tillakaratne Dilshan ran back from point to take a superb catch.Then out came Mashrafe, promoting himself to No. 5 in a bid to keep up with the required run-rate which was nearing the 10-an-over mark at that time. His first attempt at a big shot was over midwicket in the tenth over. He found sixes over long-off and even over the cover boundary off Saeed Ajmal and one over midwicket. Ajmal conceded 20 in the 14th over as he also gifting away five wides.Having been dropped twice by Asif Ahmed and Chamara Kapugedera in the 12th and 15th over at long-off, Mashrafe reached his highest score in T20s in the 16th over with a straight driven four off Taskin, beating his previous best of 36 he made against Zimbabwe in Bangladesh’s first-ever T20 in 2006. The next ball, he tipped the ball past the keeper for his third four.Earlier, the exclamation point of the Chittagong innings was the 19th over in which Ziaur Rahman dispatched Abu Hider for three sixes and a four. He launched the first six over the bowler’s head, the next two over midwicket and square-leg. He struck just one boundary in the last over as he ended up on 39 off 16 balls. The final charge revived Chittagong after they slowed down following a fast start.Tamim Iqbal didn’t get a third consecutive fifty but he added 63 for the first wicket with Dilshan, who fell in the eighth over for 36 off 21 balls with a six and six fours, three of which came in the first over of the match. Tamim struck a couple of sixes in his 31-ball 33 before he holed out to long-off off Ashar Zaidi. Kapugedera fell in the 11th over for a duck before Yasir Ali was gone in the 16th, making it 123 for 4. Anamul was there at the other end, remaining unbeaten on 39 off 30 balls.