Taskin Ahmed and Mosaddek Hossain took four wickets apiece to bowl Bangladesh Under-19s to their third win of the series

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2012
ScorecardTaskin Ahmed and Mosaddek Hossain took four wickets apiece to bowl Bangladesh Under-19s to their third win of the series. They helped dismiss England Under-19s for 168 at the Sylhet Stadium, after which their batsmen achieved the target with four wickets and 12.4 overs to spare. The hosts lead the seven-match series 3-1.England U-19s started shakily after getting sent in and by the 21st over they had lost half their side for 68 runs. The lower-middle order offered some resistance and Aneesh Kapil top-scored with 48. He was dismissed with the score on 131 in the 37th over and the last four wickets crumbled after that for ten runs. Taskin had wrecked the top-order to finish with 4 for 46, while Mosaddek mopped up the tail during his 4 for 26.Bangladesh U-19s made a brisk but wobbly start to their innings and were 36 for 2 in the sixth over. Salman Hossain, the No. 4, then anchored the rest of the chase with an innings of 59 off 89 deliveries. His partnership of 80 with Aslam Hossain for the third wicket charted the course for victory. Though Bangladesh u-19s lost four wickets for 50 runs to slip from 116 for 3, they were placed well enough to seal the win.

Firdose Moonda05-Feb-2012For a team that is regarded as shrewd and crafty, it seems unusual that New Zealand would construct their strategies on nothing more than basics. But, with one foot in the midst of a transition of sorts, it’s the fundamentals of the game that New Zealand are focusing on – specifically the very building blocks of batting.Their ODI against Zimbabwe in Dunedin began with two batsmen back in the changeroom with only four runs on the board. Injured captain Ross Taylor said that points to the first thing they want to work on. “Two new balls are something we need to get used to and we lost two early wickets,” Taylor said. “But we still posted a good total of around 250 on what looked like a greenish wicket with a lot of bounce.”New Zealand’s eventual score could have been much more, as they reached the 43rd over with four wickets in hand. Instead of pushing on, they splintered at the end and lost four wickets for 25 runs. The lower-order acceleration is the other aspect of their batting New Zealand want to improve.”We want to get to 46 overs with four wickets in hand and then go from there. We had a lot of starts but we want players to go on,” John Wright, New Zealand’s coach said. “Where we get hurt in one-day cricket particularly is if we don’t bat deep and if we don’t use up our overs.” New Zealand were bowled out nine balls short of a complete innings in the first match.A relatively inexperienced middle order may be the cause. Dean Brownlie, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham, who played in place of Taylor, make up the current No. 4 to 6 in the line-up and Wright hopes that time in the middle will allow the trio to consolidate their domestic showings and create depth in New Zealand’s squad.”We’ve had some players perform really well in the one-day domestic competitions, without being rewarded with selection and the opportunity, previously,” he said. “Hopefully we’re gathering a little bit more competition within our team and that’s always healthy.”New Zealand are being careful not to rate their wins against Zimbabwe, who are playing their first tour away from home since making their Test comeback last August, too highly. Instead they want to use the matches as an opportunity to experiment ahead of more challenging contests, such as the imminent one against South Africa. “We need to play well against Zimbabwe,” Wright said. “We value our wins very highly. Then, if we can get some form going, we’ve got to try and knock off South Africa.”By the time South Africa reach New Zealand, Taylor hopes the new-look ODI squad will have taken on a more settled look, particularly in the batting department. “When you come in with a lot of youngsters, they are trying to find their way,” he said. “On the whole it [the ODI in Dunedin] was a pass mark but we’ll want to play a lot better.”Taylor was ruled out of the series after sustaining a calf injury in the one-off Test. He was forced to retire hurt on 122 in New Zealand’s only innings and was on crutches in the immediate aftermath. He is now walking unassisted and said the “physio and trainer are happy with the progress I have made so far.”The New Zealand captain is on track to take the field for the series against South Africa and will travel with the team, bar the ODI in Napier, to keep an eye on proceedings. “It’s always frustrating when you get an injury but it’s a nice opportunity for someone else,” Taylor said.

Mohammad Ilyas has stepped down as Pakistan’s interim chief selector, while Iqbal Qasim has been appointed to the post of chief selector

Umar Farooq01-Mar-2012Mohammad Ilyas has stepped down as Pakistan’s interim chief selector, while Iqbal Qasim has been appointed to the post of chief selector.The decision to appoint Qasim, a former chief selector himself, had been taken after Ilyas put forward his resignation today on the sidelines of the governing board meeting in Islamabad. The board, however, had decided to bring back Qasim and former selector Saleem Jaffar in the five-man committee. Azhar Khan, Asif Baloch and Farukh Zaman were retained in the committee.”We wanted to make some changes regarding the selection committee and Iqbal Qasim is the new chairman of the selection committee,” Ashraf said after the meeting. “Pakistan is going to the Asia Cup (in Bangladesh) and I hope the selectors will continue the merit policy.”Qasim, presently the sports head of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), had resigned from his first stint as chief selector following a poor tour of Australia in 2009-10. The team was whitewashed in both the Test and ODI series and Shahid Afridi was banned for biting the ball. Qasim was a member of the selection committee until the 2007 World Cup and had been appointed in an honorary post, continuing as a senior employee with NBP.”During the two-and-a-half month tour (in Australia), we lost every single match we played but I pray that such a situation does not arise again,” Qasim said. “There’s a short time available for the Asia Cup, our team’s effort will be to select the best possible team. I can assure you that the team will be balanced.”Jaffar was also a member of the selection committee from 2007 till July 2010, when his contract was not renewed due to a rift in selection. Currently the head coach of Karachi City Cricket Association, he will now work as a full-time selector.Ilyas’ resignation was expected because the PCB had already been making plans to form a new selection committee. Ashraf, when taking over as chairman, refrained from major changes in order to maintain the team’s winning momentum. Ilyas was part of the selection committee throughout the Ijaz Butt administration in different positions, and had served as the interim chief selector since Mohsin Khan was appointed as interim head coach.Ilyas said he gave up his role owing to his personal commitments and the extensive fieldwork required to be a national selector. “I am quite busy at the moment,” Ilyas said. “I’ve been there for three and a half years so it’s time for new people to take over. I have enjoyed working with everybody.”Ilyas was criticised for selecting his son-in-law Imran Farhat as an opening batsman in one-day internationals particularly by fans who felt that Farhat wasn’t deserving of a spot in the national team. However, Qasim has assured that teams henceforth will be picked on merit.”Imran Farhat is just like any other player,” Qasim said. “Every player will be evaluated and whatever team is picked it will be on merit.”Qasim also acknowledged Ilyas’ work: “I give my full support to Ilyas for his wonderful contribution. He did his work with dedication and honesty. The board appreciates his services with compliments and he was with us as an important member of the team.”Interestingly, Mohsin was supposed to return to the selection panel, but his future with the PCB is still uncertain, with the likelihood of him being replaced by another head coach in the near future. However, Ashraf told ESPNcricinfo recently that “Mohsin’s future is associated with the PCB”.All major regions in Pakistan have been represented; Zaman looks after the NWFP (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) region, Baloch after Balochistan and the rest over Sindh and Punjab.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo

The Preview by David Hopps02-Apr-2012

Match facts

Tuesday, April 3, P Sara Oval
Start time 1000 (0530 BST)Steven Finn could return to the England side•Getty Images

Big Picture

In England terms, this Test is about one man: Andrew Strauss. England’s captain has said that he has not considered resigning despite England’s losing run on the subcontinent of four successive Tests and his own mediocre form which, Tests against Australia apart, has gone on for more than two years. An England victory or an innings to restate his worth is sorely overdue.It is doubtless the case that he has not thought of resignation and neither have England’s selectors yet seriously thought of forcing him to stand down. They are all observing a problem and trusting that it will go away. One of Strauss’ strengths as a captain is that he is supremely confident about his rightful place at the centre of things. He can be short of runs and chided for what are seen as overly defensive tactics but even without England’s position at the top of the Test rankings, he would understandably be perceived as indispensable managerial material. If he threatened to move to the Cayman Islands, it would probably persuade the government to drop the top rate of tax by another 5p.Strauss’ immediate fate might rest on a difficult selection. England need to decide whether pace or spin is their best chance of rescuing their Test credentials. Shane Warne took 11 in his one appearance here while the wicket-taking list is headed by an unsurprising name: Muttiah Muralitharan claimed 52 wickets in nine Tests. England have not played here since Sri Lanka’s inaugural Test in 1982 when Derek Underwood and John Emburey combined to take 14 wickets.Sri Lanka, by contrast, are experiencing love, second time around, for Mahela Jaywardene. After the retirement of Murali, decline seemed likely. England, comically vulnerable against spin all winter, have fired Sri Lanka’s belief that taking 20 wickets in a Test remains achievable.

Form guide

Sri Lanka: WLWLD
England: LLLLW

Players to watch

It would be so easy to say Strauss, but we must also look elsewhere. No matter how conducive to spin this pitch turns out to be, an England victory would probably be fired by Steve Finn’s ability to transfer some of the fire he showed in the ODIs against Pakistan in the UAE into a sweltering Test arena. For Sri Lanka, Rangana Herath has achieved number one status after taking 12 wickets in Galle. Superficially, he just looks to be another solid slow left-armer with a decent cricketing brain. Are we missing something?

Team news

England’s dilemma is how to replace the injured Stuart Broad and also get a third seam bowler into the side. They could variously include Bresnan and Finn for Broad and Patel (which would mean a weaker batting line-up), for Broad and Panesar (ignoring the importance of spin at this ground), or bring in Finn and retain the two-seamer approach. For Sri Lanka, Angelo Mathews returns for Dinesh Chandimal, whose reckless batting in Galle was one of Sri Lanka’s less impressive features. Mathews has recovered from calf trouble but he is not expected to bowl. Chanaka Welegedara, a left-arm seamer, claimed just one wicket in Galle and has been omitted because of a strained groin.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Lahiru Thirimanne, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Dhammika Prasad, 11 Suranga Lakmal.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steve Finn.

Pitch and conditions

The P Sara Oval groundsman, NS Silva, has said he thinks the match will go five days but England have not achieved that on their recent travels. There have been 11 results from the 15 Tests played at the venue, the last of which was in August 2010, when India chased down 257. Suraj Randiv took nine wickets in that match and spin has a good record at the ground.

Stats and trivia

• The full title of the P Sara Oval is the P Saravanamuttu Oval. It was named after Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, a former civil servant and the first president of the Sri Lanka board.
• The stadium underwent a modest revamp with the addition of an air conditioned building equipped with more comfortable seating and Wi-Fi. A media room has since been added.
• There are arguably more crows seen at the P Sara Oval than any other Test ground.
• Drunken fans caused a storm in 2010 when they heckled India’s 12th man Yuvraj Singh as “water boy”.
• One of the most memorable fast-bowling bursts in Test history took place in a neutral Test between Pakistan and Australia in 2002 when Shoaib Akhtar dismissed Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh in the same over.

Quotes

“There are five or six teams in the world playing really good cricket now, so on any given day they can beat each other, but England have set the standards.”
“I’m watching Bear Grylls cope with the frigid French Alps before bedtime. If it snows tomorrow in Colombo I shall be the man to turn to…”

Tom Maynard’s battling innings helps Surrey close in on saving the follow-on at The Oval

David Lloyd at The Oval17-May-2012
ScorecardTom Maynard’s unbeaten 63 has given Surrey a chance to save the follow-on•Associated Press

It would have been a bit cheeky of bowlers to start complaining about flat pitches and short boundaries after having things pretty much their own way for a month or so. But, in any event, there was still enough joy for them here to make life more than bearable following yesterday’s tough stint at the office.Stuart Meaker and Jon Lewis hinted at the possibility of a keener contest between bat and ball by picking up two quick wickets apiece during the morning session as Somerset stumbled slightly from an all-powerful overnight 441 for 5 to 474 for 9.And, several hours later and more relevant in terms of how this match might pan out, George Dockrell and Vernon Philander combined splendidly for a short period after tea to give Somerset a clear, though not decisive, advantage at the halfway stage.So far, the visitors can feel proud of their efforts in south London. Despite missing Marcus Trescothick and Jos Buttler from the top order they have secured Somerset’s highest total at The Oval.Then, with an even more depleted attack – the absentees include Steve Kirby, Alfonso Thomas, Gemaal Hussain and Adam Dibble – they did sufficient damage to leave Surrey fretting about the follow-on mark, which is still 77 runs away with only six wickets in hand.Surrey supporters can comfort themselves with the thought that their team almost pulled off a sensational victory at Worcester in the last round of matches after being made to have another go with the bat. But it is hardly a recommended recipe for success.Although they will expect to achieve more startling successes as their careers develop, Somerset’s 18-year-old twins – Jamie and Craig Overton – summed up the visitors’ battling qualities, first with bat and then with ball.The brothers are almost neck and neck, achievement-wise. Both played in the North Devon League at the age of 13, both represented England Under-19s last winter and both appeared in last weekend’s CB40 match against Durham. But while Craig is notching up his third Championship game here, Jamie is on first-class debut – and it was he who did more to catch the eye today.Walking out at No 11 to join No 10 Craig, Jamie punched gloves with his brother (something the Bedser twins, Alec and Eric, probably never felt compelled to do in all their years of playing together at The Oval). And then he started punching balls to the boundary.Having bowled with much more discipline than the day before, Surrey must have expected to part these young pups in the blink of an eye. But while Craig was ruffled by Meaker’s short ball attack, he survived sufficiently well for Jamie to race to 34 from 35 deliveries with the help of several cracking cuts and drives.Even better was to come for a boy who is first and foremost a bowler. Asked to share the new ball with Philander, Jamie yorked Jacques Rudolph – a man with 43 Test appearances behind him – with his fifth delivery at this level.The fairytale had to turn a little sour before too long, and so it did when Overton J reprieved Steve Davies on the mid-wicket boundary. Worried about tumbling over the rope, he knocked the ball up but pushed it behind the line, rather than in front, to deny spinner Dockrell a valuable success.Davies had already made 74, mind you, and the wicketkeeper-opener went on to compile his first century of the season before departing. A fine knock it was too, regularly punctuated with fierce cuts and beautifully timed clips and drives through the leg-side.While Davies and Zander de Bruyn were adding 122 for the third wicket, Surrey looked likely to match Somerset’s total. But the script changed significantly in the space of 18 balls straight after tea.Philander, switching ends following an expensive and largely unimpressive first spell, rediscovered his radar to locate De Bruyn’s outside edge and pin Rory Hamilton-Brown lbw as the home captain moved across his stumps. Dockrell had already made one bounce sufficiently to hit Davies on the glove and present a catch to short leg – and the hosts were grateful indeed when Tom Maynard’s mature unbeaten innings of 63 kept them out of further trouble.

Rory Hamilton-Brown’s 101 lead Surrey to a huge victory over Somerset as Surrey began the defence of their title

05-May-2012
ScorecardRory Hamilton-Brown’s hundred came off 87 balls and included 11 fours and two sixes•PA Photos

Surrey, the Clydesdale Bank 40 defending champions, opened their account with a convincing 105-run victory over Somerset in a replay of last season’s final. Led by captain Rory Hamilton-Brown, who set the tone with 101 off 89 balls, Surrey posted a daunting 295 for 6 before Stuart Meaker, Zafar Ansari and Gareth Batty, who each took three wickets, combined to dismiss Somerset for 190.With Vernon Philander resting a sore back, Alfonso Thomas on IPL duty and Steve Kirby ruled out with a thigh injury, Somerset’s attack contained four bowlers aged 20 or under, including 18-year old debutant Jamie Overton. That didn’t deter Somerset from bowling, having won the toss, but the Surrey openers took full advantage, laying the foundation for a sizeable total by racking up 163 in 23 overs.Hamilton-Brown was dropped at short mid-wicket on 13 and Steven Davies survived a caught-and-bowled chance on 39, off Craig Meschede. In the 15th over, Hamilton-Brown launched George Dockrell over long-on for six. In the next, he simultaneously brought up his half-century, off 53 balls, and the hundred stand.Davies posted a 45-ball half-century and Hamilton-Brown clubbed a second maximum off Dockrell. But the re-introduction of Peter Trego produced the wicket of Davies, who was bowled around his legs for 72.Hamilton-Brown moved to his second hundred in one-day cricket, from 87 deliveries, only to fall, moments later, to a catch on the straight boundary. Jason Roy was lbw attempting to reverse sweep Max Waller to make it 193 for 3 but then Tom Maynard and Zander de Bruyn flayed 63 in just eight overs.In reply, Somerset suffered the early setback of losing Craig Kieswetter, beaten for pace by Meaker, and Trego, who was caught and bowled by Jon Lewis. Nick Compton and James Hildreth combined for 48 in six overs before Hildreth danced down the wicket to Batty’s second ball to be stumped for 21.Compton moved to a 48-ball fifty in the 18th over before drilling a catch back to Ansari in the next. The 20-year-old slow left-armer struck again, when Arul Suppiah chopped on, and with Jos Buttler, attempting a reverse sweep, going caught behind off Batty for 29, the writing was on the wall.Meschede went for 20, seeking to lift Batty over long-off for a second successive six, before Waller was bowled around his legs by Ansari. Meaker then returned to dismiss Lewis Gregory and Dockrell and seal a thumping victory for Surrey.

Ireland resume their quest to qualify for the 2015 World Cup next month with two World Cricket League ODIs against Afghanistan.

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2012Ireland resume their quest to qualify for the 2015 World Cup next month with two World Cricket League ODIs against Afghanistan. It is their first series since securing a place at the World T20 with victory in the qualifying event in the UAE.Stuart Thompson, a 20-year-old allrounder, has been added to the squad for the two matches on July 3 and 5 at Clontarf. Thompson has been rewarded for his form for Ireland A, scoring 93 in helping his side to a record chase against Gloucestershire second XI and making 71 against Scotland A.”Stuart’s been very impressive this season and has a sound technique which will stand him in good stead at the higher level,” Ireland coach Phil Simmons said of Thompson’s inclusion. “He’s also bowled pretty well at times and gives the squad plenty of options.”These are two vital games – two wins would put us in a fantastic position to qualify but we’re well aware of just how dangerous Afghanistan can be. We’ve had some tremendous tussles with them over the past few years.”Ireland currently lie joint top of the World Cricket League Championship with five wins from their first six games. Afghanistan are joint fifth with three wins from six games. The top two from the Championship automatically qualify for the 2015 World Cup.Ireland also play an Intercontinental cup match against Afghanistan from July 9 to 12 at Rathmines, where Kevin O’Brien will captain a much-changed squad.Fixtures
Ireland v Afghanistan, World Cricket League Championship, Clontarf, July 3 and 5Squad
William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White, Gary WilsonFixtures
Ireland v Afghanistan, InterContinental Cup, Rathmines, July 9-12Squad
Kevin O’Brien (capt), John Anderson, Andrew Balbirnie, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Rory McCann, John Mooney, Paul Stirling, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Albert Van der Merwe, Andrew White, Ben Wylie

Matthew Boyce’s unbeaten century rescued Leicestershire on day one at Grace Road against Yorkshire

Paul Edwards at Grace Road27-Jul-2012
ScorecardMatthew Boyce brought Leicestershire back from a tough position with an unbeaten hundred•PA Photos

There has always been a tinge of Greek drama about Yorkshire cricket: mighty challenges, great achievements and one or two flawed heroes have been the stuff of the county’s history for a century and more. Relegation last September, although no sort of tragedy, was still a grievous blow, prompting recriminations and revenge.Wednesday’s victory over Worcestershire in the quarter-final of the Friends Life t20 occasioned much joy, but one suspects that it will not satisfy the diehards in the broad acres: for all that an appearance at Cardiff may bring glitz and the promise of wealth, one feels that nothing less than promotion back to Division One will begin to expiate the stain on the house of Hutton and Sutcliffe.So it might be thought that a visit to Grace Road was just what the motivational coach ordered for Andrew Gale’s boys. After all, Leicestershire are at the bottom of Division Two and have won only one four-day game this season, and that was against Glamorgan back in freezing April. A win here would eat into Derbyshire’s 25-point lead at the top of the table and encourage Yorkshire supporters that their team will break free from the pack in the final seven weeks of the season.But Matt Boyce’s century proved just how tough things might be for Gale’s men over the next month or so. Boyce, who had already scored one championship hundred against Yorkshire this season, made a patient 106 not out off 224 balls to restore his side’s fortunes after the loss of early wickets. His 13 boundaries were underpinned by a solid defence and a steely temperament. Yorkshire were probably still the happier by the close, for this is a flat, easy-paced wicket; all the same, they had been made to fight in a way they might not have anticipated at lunch.For at the first interval things were going rather well for the visitors. Despite losing the toss on a wicket where a score of 350 would be considered barely par for a flat course, Gale’s bowlers had claimed four wickets, two of them taken by the excellent Steve Patterson, whose opening eight-over spell accounted for Greg Smith and Ned Eckersley, lbw victims both, as they played across the line.The key wicket was comfortably the most bizarre, Ramnaresh Sarwan being bowled by a full length ball from Steve Harmison, whose initial five-over spell cost 28 runs, 13 of them in wides and no-balls. Sarwan, one might assume, was startled by a straight one. At times, Harmison’s struggle was painful to watch and his final figures of 2 for 69 give no proper indication of his vain battle to find anything like a decent line. Occasionally it seemed that the umpires were a tad generous to him. All the same, the departure of Sarwan left Leicestershire on 59 for 3, and when Michael Thornely followed a wide one from Moin Ashraf on the stroke of lunch and was caught by Bairstow for a hitherto patient 31, the home side were in some trouble.On the evidence of the afternoon session, however, Leicestershire will be nobody’s easy pickings. Their resistance was led by Boyce and Shiv Thakor, who added 68 for the fifth wicket in 23 overs. Boyce is an established county cricketer who has fought a number of rearguards, but Thakor was making his first championship appearance of the season and the third of his brief career. So it was impressive to see the technical excellence displayed by the 18-year-old, his calmness at the crease, his precision of execution and placement. Thakor’s first mistake was his last, a drive off Ashraf going straight to Gale to short extra cover. Nonetheless, his 76-ball 35 had put down something of a marker.Boyce, though, ploughed on in determined fashion. Dropped on 26 when Adam Lyth spilled a regulation slip catch, he reached his fifty with a steer through the slips off Anthony McGrath. He was also dropped by Jonny Bairstow on 94 off Patterson, who finished with 3 for 54 and was the pick of the Yorkshire attack. Along the way, Boyce was helped by Wayne White in a stand of 60 for the sixth wicket and by Claude Henderson in an eighth-wicket partnership of 50. His shot to bring up his hundred, a rifle of a straight drive off Harmison brought together two men whose late July days could hardly have been more contrasting.

Australia’s batsmen had the workout they wanted, and they were backed up by their bowlers to complete an easy win over Nepal

The Report by George Binoy in Townsville13-Aug-2012
Australia’s batsmen had the workout they wanted, with Cameron Bancroft and Kurtis Patterson spending time in the middle and playing substantial innings to achieve the first 200-plus total of the Under-19 World Cup at the Tony Ireland Stadium. The target of 295 was always out of Nepal’s reach but their chances of batting 50 overs were shattered by fast bowler Harry Conway, whose early hat-trick precipitated a collapse in 23.5 overs.Though Nepal had a torrid first game, they were constantly cheered by a surprisingly large number of their fans. They came early, wearing purple shirts and carrying flags, sitting on the grass banks and in the grandstand. They were approximately about 75 of them, outnumbering and out-cheering the Aussies.Nepal’s captain Prithu Baskota won the toss and, given how poorly England and India had fared after getting sent in, asked Australia to bat. They celebrated an early wicket, when an aggressive Jimmy Peirson drove Krishna Karki to mid-off. The next breakthrough, however, was a long time coming.Bancroft, who made 2 in the first game against England, did not try to over attack and just knocked the unthreatening bowling into gaps. He could have been dismissed on 15, though, had the fielder hit the stumps direct. Bancroft received four overthrows instead.Patterson, who was contracted by New South Wales in July, did attack more than Bancroft. Their run-rate was around four an over at the 25-over mark and with plenty of wickets in hand, Australia were poised for a surge in the second half of their innings. Patterson was lucky to survive a stumping opportunity on 42, when he came out of his crease and was beaten down the leg side, but wicketkeeper Subash Khakurel did not collect cleanly.Patterson went on to reach his half-century before Bancroft did: off 62 balls to Bancroft’s 93. Australia took the batting Powerplay in the 34th over and scored 44 runs off its first 3.2 overs. Patterson cleared the big boundaries at long-on and square leg and looked set for a century in quick time. On 86, however, he tried to slog-sweep but was bowled by one that kept extremely low from the left-arm spinner Bhuvan Karki.Bancroft had also picked up speed, and reached his hundred off 129 balls, his fourth century in Under-19 internationals. He hit medium-pacer Avinash Karn over the midwicket and straight boundary, and was aiming to clear midwicket again but his pull was intercepted by Sagar Pun, who, moving to his right, caught a ball that was travelling quickly, and held on to it as he hit the turf hard.Australia lost a few more wickets as they tried to get as many as they could and finished on 294 for 7.Nepal had made 11 for 0 before Conway, who did not play against England, began to batter the right-handers’ off stump. Three times in a row he pitched full and straight and all three times he was on target, while the batsmen played down the long line.
Nepal lost wickets quickly after that and slumped to 82 all out. The offspinner Ashton Turner, who had taken 3 for 30 against England, had another good day, picking up 4 for 28 to take an early lead in the race for most wickets.

Northamptonshire have begun to plan for next season by signing the Surrey allrounder Matthew Spriegel on a two-year contract

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2012Northamptonshire have begun to plan for next season by signing the Surrey allrounder Matthew Spriegel on a two-year contract. The 25-year-old, who helped Surrey win the CB40 Trophy last season, will add depth and experience to one of the weakest one-day sides in the country.Spriegel has a batting average of 38.86 in List A cricket and has taken 40 wickets in 61 matches with his offspin. He played in every game of Surrey’s successful CB40 campaign in 2011 and hit the winning runs in the Lord’s final.With Northamptonshire winning just two limited-overs games in 2012 – once in the FLt20 and once in the CB40 – Spriegel has been brought in to improve their fortunes. He also has three first-class hundreds to his name since making his Surrey debut in 2008 but made just two Championship appearances this season.”We are delighted that Matthew had decided to join Northants, as he is exactly the type of multi-dimensional cricketer we have been looking to attract to the club,” Northamptonshire coach, David Ripley, said. “Matthew has shown a real hunger to improve himself in all formats and will give us some excellent options with both bat and ball in the short and longer form of the game.”David Smith, Northamptonshire’s chief executive, said: “It is no secret that our white-ball cricket performances over the last 18 months have fallen below both the club and supporter’s expectations and I am sure Matthew will assist us in our efforts to re-establish a competitive team in this form of the game. He was an integral part of the Surrey’s Clydesdale Bank 40 winning team at Lords in 2011, so brings trophy-winning experience to the club.”